Optofluidic Fluorescent Imaging Cytometry on a Cell Phone

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongying; Mavandadi, Sam; Coskun, Ahmet F.; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Ozcan, Aydogan

2012-01-01

Fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry are widely used tools in biomedical sciences. Cost-effective translation of these technologies to remote and resource-limited environments could create new opportunities especially for telemedicine applications. Toward this direction, here we demonstrate the integration of imaging cytometry and fluorescent microscopy on a cell phone using a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective optofluidic attachment. In this cell-phone-based optofluidic imaging cytometry platform, fluorescently labeled particles or cells of interest are continuously delivered to our imaging volume through a disposable microfluidic channel that is positioned above the existing camera unit of the cell phone. The same microfluidic device also acts as a multilayered optofluidic waveguide and efficiently guides our excitation light, which is butt-coupled from the side facets of our microfluidic channel using inexpensive light-emitting diodes. Since the excitation of the sample volume occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to the detection path, our cell-phone camera can record fluorescent movies of the specimens as they are flowing through the microchannel. The digital frames of these fluorescent movies are then rapidly processed to quantify the count and the density of the labeled particles/cells within the target solution of interest. We tested the performance of our cell-phone-based imaging cytometer by measuring the density of white blood cells in human blood samples, which provided a decent match to a commercially available hematology analyzer. We further characterized the imaging quality of the same platform to demonstrate a spatial resolution of ~2 μm. This cell-phone-enabled optofluidic imaging flow cytometer could especially be useful for rapid and sensitive imaging of bodily fluids for conducting various cell counts (e.g., toward monitoring of HIV+ patients) or rare cell analysis as well as for screening of water quality in remote and resource-poor settings. PMID:21774454

Optofluidic fluorescent imaging cytometry on a cell phone.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Mavandadi, Sam; Coskun, Ahmet F; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Ozcan, Aydogan

2011-09-01

Fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry are widely used tools in biomedical sciences. Cost-effective translation of these technologies to remote and resource-limited environments could create new opportunities especially for telemedicine applications. Toward this direction, here we demonstrate the integration of imaging cytometry and fluorescent microscopy on a cell phone using a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective optofluidic attachment. In this cell-phone-based optofluidic imaging cytometry platform, fluorescently labeled particles or cells of interest are continuously delivered to our imaging volume through a disposable microfluidic channel that is positioned above the existing camera unit of the cell phone. The same microfluidic device also acts as a multilayered optofluidic waveguide and efficiently guides our excitation light, which is butt-coupled from the side facets of our microfluidic channel using inexpensive light-emitting diodes. Since the excitation of the sample volume occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to the detection path, our cell-phone camera can record fluorescent movies of the specimens as they are flowing through the microchannel. The digital frames of these fluorescent movies are then rapidly processed to quantify the count and the density of the labeled particles/cells within the target solution of interest. We tested the performance of our cell-phone-based imaging cytometer by measuring the density of white blood cells in human blood samples, which provided a decent match to a commercially available hematology analyzer. We further characterized the imaging quality of the same platform to demonstrate a spatial resolution of ~2 μm. This cell-phone-enabled optofluidic imaging flow cytometer could especially be useful for rapid and sensitive imaging of bodily fluids for conducting various cell counts (e.g., toward monitoring of HIV+ patients) or rare cell analysis as well as for screening of water quality in remote and resource-poor settings.

Opto-fluidics based microscopy and flow cytometry on a cell phone for blood analysis.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Ozcan, Aydogan

2015-01-01

Blood analysis is one of the most important clinical tests for medical diagnosis. Flow cytometry and optical microscopy are widely used techniques to perform blood analysis and therefore cost-effective translation of these technologies to resource limited settings is critical for various global health as well as telemedicine applications. In this chapter, we review our recent progress on the integration of imaging flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy on a cell phone using compact, light-weight and cost-effective opto-fluidic attachments integrated onto the camera module of a smartphone. In our cell-phone based opto-fluidic imaging cytometry design, fluorescently labeled cells are delivered into the imaging area using a disposable micro-fluidic chip that is positioned above the existing camera unit of the cell phone. Battery powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are butt-coupled to the sides of this micro-fluidic chip without any lenses, which effectively acts as a multimode slab waveguide, where the excitation light is guided to excite the fluorescent targets within the micro-fluidic chip. Since the excitation light propagates perpendicular to the detection path, an inexpensive plastic absorption filter is able to reject most of the scattered light and create a decent dark-field background for fluorescent imaging. With this excitation geometry, the cell-phone camera can record fluorescent movies of the particles/cells as they are flowing through the microchannel. The digital frames of these fluorescent movies are then rapidly processed to quantify the count and the density of the labeled particles/cells within the solution under test. With a similar opto-fluidic design, we have recently demonstrated imaging and automated counting of stationary blood cells (e.g., labeled white blood cells or unlabeled red blood cells) loaded within a disposable cell counting chamber. We tested the performance of this cell-phone based imaging cytometry and blood analysis platform by measuring the density of red and white blood cells as well as hemoglobin concentration in human blood samples, which showed a good match to our measurement results obtained using a commercially available hematology analyzer. Such a cell-phone enabled opto-fluidics microscopy, flow cytometry, and blood analysis platform could be especially useful for various telemedicine applications in remote and resource-limited settings.

Automated camera-phone experience with the frequency of imaging necessary to capture diet.

PubMed

Arab, Lenore; Winter, Ashley

2010-08-01

Camera-enabled cell phones provide an opportunity to strengthen dietary recall through automated imaging of foods eaten during a specified period. To explore the frequency of imaging needed to capture all foods eaten, we examined the number of images of individual foods consumed in a pilot study of automated imaging using camera phones set to an image-capture frequency of one snapshot every 10 seconds. Food images were tallied from 10 young adult subjects who wore the phone continuously during the work day and consented to share their images. Based on the number of images received for each eating experience, the pilot data suggest that automated capturing of images at a frequency of once every 10 seconds is adequate for recording foods consumed during regular meals, whereas a greater frequency of imaging is necessary to capture snacks and beverages eaten quickly. 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mobile Phones: Potential Sources of Nickel and Cobalt Exposure for Metal Allergic Patients

PubMed Central

Mucci, Tania; Chong, Melanie; Lorton, Mark Davis; Fonacier, Luz

2013-01-01

The use of cellular phones has risen exponentially with over 300 million subscribers. Nickel has been detected in cell phones and reports of contact dermatitis attributable to metals are present in the literature. We determined nickel and cobalt content in popular cell phones in the United States. Adults (>18 years) who owned a flip phone, Blackberry®, or iPhone® were eligible. Seventy-two cell phones were tested using SmartPractice's® commercially available nickel and cobalt spot tests. Test areas included buttons, keypad, speakers, camera, and metal panels. Of the 72 cell phones tested, no iPhones or Droids® tested positive for nickel or cobalt. About 29.4% of Blackberrys [95% confidence interval (CI), 13%–53%] tested positive for nickel; none were positive for cobalt. About 90.5% of flip phones (95% CI, 70%–99%) tested positive for nickel and 52.4% of flip phones (95% CI, 32%–72%) tested positive for cobalt. Our study indicates that nickel and cobalt are present in popular cell phones. Patients with known nickel or cobalt allergy may consider their cellular phones as a potential source of exposure. Further studies are needed to examine whether there is a direct association with metal content in cell phones and the manifestation of metal allergy. PMID:24380018

Dangers for Principals and Students When Conducting Investigations of Sexting in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hachiya, Robert F.

2017-01-01

Cell phones and the use of social media have changed the environment in schools, and principals recognize all too well that new technology is almost always accompanied by new ways to misuse or abuse that technology. The addition of a camera to cell phones has unfortunately been accompanied with the serious problem of "sexting" by youth…

A machine learning approach for detecting cell phone usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Beilei; Loce, Robert P.

2015-03-01

Cell phone usage while driving is common, but widely considered dangerous due to distraction to the driver. Because of the high number of accidents related to cell phone usage while driving, several states have enacted regulations that prohibit driver cell phone usage while driving. However, to enforce the regulation, current practice requires dispatching law enforcement officers at road side to visually examine incoming cars or having human operators manually examine image/video records to identify violators. Both of these practices are expensive, difficult, and ultimately ineffective. Therefore, there is a need for a semi-automatic or automatic solution to detect driver cell phone usage. In this paper, we propose a machine-learning-based method for detecting driver cell phone usage using a camera system directed at the vehicle's front windshield. The developed method consists of two stages: first, the frontal windshield region localization using the deformable part model (DPM), next, we utilize Fisher vectors (FV) representation to classify the driver's side of the windshield into cell phone usage violation and non-violation classes. The proposed method achieved about 95% accuracy with a data set of more than 100 images with drivers in a variety of challenging poses with or without cell phones.

Applying and extending ISO/TC42 digital camera resolution standards to mobile imaging products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Don; Burns, Peter D.

2007-01-01

There are no fundamental differences between today's mobile telephone cameras and consumer digital still cameras that suggest many existing ISO imaging performance standards do not apply. To the extent that they have lenses, color filter arrays, detectors, apertures, image processing, and are hand held, there really are no operational or architectural differences. Despite this, there are currently differences in the levels of imaging performance. These are driven by physical and economic constraints, and image-capture conditions. Several ISO standards for resolution, well established for digital consumer digital cameras, require care when applied to the current generation of cell phone cameras. In particular, accommodation of optical flare, shading non-uniformity and distortion are recommended. We offer proposals for the application of existing ISO imaging resolution performance standards to mobile imaging products, and suggestions for extending performance standards to the characteristic behavior of camera phones.

iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s Imaging of the Eye.

PubMed

Jalil, Maaz; Ferenczy, Sandor R; Shields, Carol L

2017-01-01

To evaluate the technical feasibility of a consumer-grade cellular iPhone camera as an ocular imaging device compared to existing ophthalmic imaging equipment for documentation purposes. A comparison of iPhone 4s and 5s images was made with external facial images (macrophotography) using Nikon cameras, slit-lamp images (microphotography) using Zeiss photo slit-lamp camera, and fundus images (fundus photography) using RetCam II. In an analysis of six consecutive patients with ophthalmic conditions, both iPhones achieved documentation of external findings (macrophotography) using standard camera modality, tap to focus, and built-in flash. Both iPhones achieved documentation of anterior segment findings (microphotography) during slit-lamp examination through oculars. Both iPhones achieved fundus imaging using standard video modality with continuous iPhone illumination through an ophthalmic lens. Comparison to standard ophthalmic cameras, macrophotography and microphotography were excellent. In comparison to RetCam fundus photography, iPhone fundus photography revealed smaller field and was technically more difficult to obtain, but the quality was nearly similar to RetCam. iPhone versions 4s and 5s can provide excellent ophthalmic macrophotography and microphotography and adequate fundus photography. We believe that iPhone imaging could be most useful in settings where expensive, complicated, and cumbersome imaging equipment is unavailable.

Nanometer-scale sizing accuracy of particle suspensions on an unmodified cell phone using elastic light scattering.

PubMed

Smith, Zachary J; Chu, Kaiqin; Wachsmann-Hogiu, Sebastian

2012-01-01

We report on the construction of a Fourier plane imaging system attached to a cell phone. By illuminating particle suspensions with a collimated beam from an inexpensive diode laser, angularly resolved scattering patterns are imaged by the phone's camera. Analyzing these patterns with Mie theory results in predictions of size distributions of the particles in suspension. Despite using consumer grade electronics, we extracted size distributions of sphere suspensions with better than 20 nm accuracy in determining the mean size. We also show results from milk, yeast, and blood cells. Performing these measurements on a portable device presents opportunities for field-testing of food quality, process monitoring, and medical diagnosis.

Reading Out Single-Molecule Digital RNA and DNA Isothermal Amplification in Nanoliter Volumes with Unmodified Camera Phones

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Digital single-molecule technologies are expanding diagnostic capabilities, enabling the ultrasensitive quantification of targets, such as viral load in HIV and hepatitis C infections, by directly counting single molecules. Replacing fluorescent readout with a robust visual readout that can be captured by any unmodified cell phone camera will facilitate the global distribution of diagnostic tests, including in limited-resource settings where the need is greatest. This paper describes a methodology for developing a visual readout system for digital single-molecule amplification of RNA and DNA by (i) selecting colorimetric amplification-indicator dyes that are compatible with the spectral sensitivity of standard mobile phones, and (ii) identifying an optimal ratiometric image-process for a selected dye to achieve a readout that is robust to lighting conditions and camera hardware and provides unambiguous quantitative results, even for colorblind users. We also include an analysis of the limitations of this methodology, and provide a microfluidic approach that can be applied to expand dynamic range and improve reaction performance, allowing ultrasensitive, quantitative measurements at volumes as low as 5 nL. We validate this methodology using SlipChip-based digital single-molecule isothermal amplification with λDNA as a model and hepatitis C viral RNA as a clinically relevant target. The innovative combination of isothermal amplification chemistry in the presence of a judiciously chosen indicator dye and ratiometric image processing with SlipChip technology allowed the sequence-specific visual readout of single nucleic acid molecules in nanoliter volumes with an unmodified cell phone camera. When paired with devices that integrate sample preparation and nucleic acid amplification, this hardware-agnostic approach will increase the affordability and the distribution of quantitative diagnostic and environmental tests. PMID:26900709

iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s Imaging of the Eye

PubMed Central

Jalil, Maaz; Ferenczy, Sandor R.; Shields, Carol L.

2017-01-01

Background/Aims To evaluate the technical feasibility of a consumer-grade cellular iPhone camera as an ocular imaging device compared to existing ophthalmic imaging equipment for documentation purposes. Methods A comparison of iPhone 4s and 5s images was made with external facial images (macrophotography) using Nikon cameras, slit-lamp images (microphotography) using Zeiss photo slit-lamp camera, and fundus images (fundus photography) using RetCam II. Results In an analysis of six consecutive patients with ophthalmic conditions, both iPhones achieved documentation of external findings (macrophotography) using standard camera modality, tap to focus, and built-in flash. Both iPhones achieved documentation of anterior segment findings (microphotography) during slit-lamp examination through oculars. Both iPhones achieved fundus imaging using standard video modality with continuous iPhone illumination through an ophthalmic lens. Comparison to standard ophthalmic cameras, macrophotography and microphotography were excellent. In comparison to RetCam fundus photography, iPhone fundus photography revealed smaller field and was technically more difficult to obtain, but the quality was nearly similar to RetCam. Conclusions iPhone versions 4s and 5s can provide excellent ophthalmic macrophotography and microphotography and adequate fundus photography. We believe that iPhone imaging could be most useful in settings where expensive, complicated, and cumbersome imaging equipment is unavailable. PMID:28275604

The electromagnetic interference of mobile phones on the function of a γ-camera.

PubMed

Javadi, Hamid; Azizmohammadi, Zahra; Mahmoud Pashazadeh, Ali; Neshandar Asli, Isa; Moazzeni, Taleb; Baharfar, Nastaran; Shafiei, Babak; Nabipour, Iraj; Assadi, Majid

2014-03-01

The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether or not the electromagnetic field generated by mobile phones interferes with the function of a SPECT γ-camera during data acquisition. We tested the effects of 7 models of mobile phones on 1 SPECT γ-camera. The mobile phones were tested when making a call, in ringing mode, and in standby mode. The γ-camera function was assessed during data acquisition from a planar source and a point source of Tc with activities of 10 mCi and 3 mCi, respectively. A significant visual decrease in count number was considered to be electromagnetic interference (EMI). The percentage of induced EMI with the γ-camera per mobile phone was in the range of 0% to 100%. The incidence of EMI was mainly observed in the first seconds of ringing and then mitigated in the following frames. Mobile phones are portable sources of electromagnetic radiation, and there is interference potential with the function of SPECT γ-cameras leading to adverse effects on the quality of the acquired images.

Megapixel mythology and photospace: estimating photospace for camera phones from large image sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hultgren, Bror O.; Hertel, Dirk W.

2008-01-01

It is a myth that more pixels alone result in better images. The marketing of camera phones in particular has focused on their pixel numbers. However, their performance varies considerably according to the conditions of image capture. Camera phones are often used in low-light situations where the lack of a flash and limited exposure time will produce underexposed, noisy and blurred images. Camera utilization can be quantitatively described by photospace distributions, a statistical description of the frequency of pictures taken at varying light levels and camera-subject distances. If the photospace distribution is known, the user-experienced distribution of quality can be determined either directly by direct measurement of subjective quality, or by photospace-weighting of objective attributes. The population of a photospace distribution requires examining large numbers of images taken under typical camera phone usage conditions. ImagePhi was developed as a user-friendly software tool to interactively estimate the primary photospace variables, subject illumination and subject distance, from individual images. Additionally, subjective evaluations of image quality and failure modes for low quality images can be entered into ImagePhi. ImagePhi has been applied to sets of images taken by typical users with a selection of popular camera phones varying in resolution. The estimated photospace distribution of camera phone usage has been correlated with the distributions of failure modes. The subjective and objective data show that photospace conditions have a much bigger impact on image quality of a camera phone than the pixel count of its imager. The 'megapixel myth' is thus seen to be less a myth than an ill framed conditional assertion, whose conditions are to a large extent specified by the camera's operational state in photospace.

Teaching Chemistry Using Student-Created Videos and Photo Blogs Accessed with Smartphones and Two-Dimensional Barcodes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benedict, Lucille; Pence, Harry E.

2012-01-01

Increasing numbers of college students own cell phones, and many of these phones are smartphones, which include features such as still and video cameras, global positioning systems, Internet access, and computers as powerful as the desktop models of only a few years ago. A number of chemical educators are already using these devices for education.…

Calibration of asynchronous smart phone cameras from moving objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, Oksana; Istenič, Klemen; Bharti, Vibhav; Dhali, Maruf Ahmed; Barmaimon, Daniel; Houssineau, Jérémie; Clark, Daniel

2015-04-01

Calibrating multiple cameras is a fundamental prerequisite for many Computer Vision applications. Typically this involves using a pair of identical synchronized industrial or high-end consumer cameras. This paper considers an application on a pair of low-cost portable cameras with different parameters that are found in smart phones. This paper addresses the issues of acquisition, detection of moving objects, dynamic camera registration and tracking of arbitrary number of targets. The acquisition of data is performed using two standard smart phone cameras and later processed using detections of moving objects in the scene. The registration of cameras onto the same world reference frame is performed using a recently developed method for camera calibration using a disparity space parameterisation and the single-cluster PHD filter.

Data Mining and Information Technology: Its Impact on Intelligence Collection and Privacy Rights

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-26

sources include: Cameras - Digital cameras (still and video ) have been improving in capability while simultaneously dropping in cost at a rate...citizen is caught on camera 300 times each day.5 The power of extensive video coverage is magnified greatly by the nascent capability for voice and...software on security videos and tracking cell phone usage in the local area. However, it would only return the names and data of those who

Passive auto-focus for digital still cameras and camera phones: Filter-switching and low-light techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamadia, Mark Noel

In order to gain valuable market share in the growing consumer digital still camera and camera phone market, camera manufacturers have to continually add and improve existing features to their latest product offerings. Auto-focus (AF) is one such feature, whose aim is to enable consumers to quickly take sharply focused pictures with little or no manual intervention in adjusting the camera's focus lens. While AF has been a standard feature in digital still and cell-phone cameras, consumers often complain about their cameras' slow AF performance, which may lead to missed photographic opportunities, rendering valuable moments and events with undesired out-of-focus pictures. This dissertation addresses this critical issue to advance the state-of-the-art in the digital band-pass filter, passive AF method. This method is widely used to realize AF in the camera industry, where a focus actuator is adjusted via a search algorithm to locate the in-focus position by maximizing a sharpness measure extracted from a particular frequency band of the incoming image of the scene. There are no known systematic methods for automatically deriving the parameters such as the digital pass-bands or the search step-size increments used in existing passive AF schemes. Conventional methods require time consuming experimentation and tuning in order to arrive at a set of parameters which balance AF performance in terms of speed and accuracy ultimately causing a delay in product time-to-market. This dissertation presents a new framework for determining an optimal set of passive AF parameters, named Filter- Switching AF, providing an automatic approach to achieve superior AF performance, both in good and low lighting conditions based on the following performance measures (metrics): speed (total number of iterations), accuracy (offset from truth), power consumption (total distance moved), and user experience (in-focus position overrun). Performance results using three different prototype cameras are presented to further illustrate the real-world AF performance gains achieved by the developed approach. The major contribution of this dissertation is that the developed auto focusing approach can be successfully used by camera manufacturers in the development of the AF feature in future generations of digital still cameras and camera phones.

Interference of mobile phones and digitally enhanced cordless telecommunications mobile phones in renal scintigraphy.

PubMed

Stegmayr, Armin; Fessl, Benjamin; Hörtnagl, Richard; Marcadella, Michael; Perkhofer, Susanne

2013-08-01

The aim of the study was to assess the potential negative impact of cellular phones and digitally enhanced cordless telecommunication (DECT) devices on the quality of static and dynamic scintigraphy to avoid repeated testing in infant and teenage patients to protect them from unnecessary radiation exposure. The assessment was conducted by performing phantom measurements under real conditions. A functional renal-phantom acting as a pair of kidneys in dynamic scans was created. Data were collected using the setup of cellular phones and DECT phones placed in different positions in relation to a camera head to test the potential interference of cellular phones and DECT phones with the cameras. Cellular phones reproducibly interfered with the oldest type of gamma camera, which, because of its single-head specification, is the device most often used for renal examinations. Curves indicating the renal function were considerably disrupted; cellular phones as well as DECT phones showed a disturbance concerning static acquisition. Variable electromagnetic tolerance in different types of γ-cameras could be identified. Moreover, a straightforward, low-cost method of testing the susceptibility of equipment to interference caused by cellular phones and DECT phones was generated. Even though some departments use newer models of γ-cameras, which are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference, we recommend testing examination rooms to avoid any interference caused by cellular phones. The potential electromagnetic interference should be taken into account when the purchase of new sensitive medical equipment is being considered, not least because the technology of mobile communication is developing fast, which also means that different standards of wave bands will be issued in the future.

Camera/Video Phones in Schools: Law and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parry, Gareth

2005-01-01

The emergence of mobile phones with built-in digital cameras is creating legal and ethical concerns for school systems throughout the world. Users of such phones can instantly email, print or post pictures to other MMS1 phones or websites. Local authorities and schools in Britain, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and elsewhere have introduced…

Human movement activity classification approaches that use wearable sensors and mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaghyan, Sahak; Sarukhanyan, Hakob; Akopian, David

2013-03-01

Cell phones and other mobile devices become part of human culture and change activity and lifestyle patterns. Mobile phone technology continuously evolves and incorporates more and more sensors for enabling advanced applications. Latest generations of smart phones incorporate GPS and WLAN location finding modules, vision cameras, microphones, accelerometers, temperature sensors etc. The availability of these sensors in mass-market communication devices creates exciting new opportunities for data mining applications. Particularly healthcare applications exploiting build-in sensors are very promising. This paper reviews different approaches of human activity recognition.

Flow visualization by mobile phone cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cierpka, Christian; Hain, Rainer; Buchmann, Nicolas A.

2016-06-01

Mobile smart phones were completely changing people's communication within the last ten years. However, these devices do not only offer communication through different channels but also devices and applications for fun and recreation. In this respect, mobile phone cameras include now relatively fast (up to 240 Hz) cameras to capture high-speed videos of sport events or other fast processes. The article therefore explores the possibility to make use of this development and the wide spread availability of these cameras in the terms of velocity measurements for industrial or technical applications and fluid dynamics education in high schools and at universities. The requirements for a simplistic PIV (particle image velocimetry) system are discussed. A model experiment of a free water jet was used to prove the concept and shed some light on the achievable quality and determine bottle necks by comparing the results obtained with a mobile phone camera with data taken by a high-speed camera suited for scientific experiments.

m-Learning and holography: Compatible techniques?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvo, Maria L.

2014-07-01

Since the last decades, cell phones have become increasingly popular and are nowadays ubiquitous. New generations of cell phones are now equipped with text messaging, internet, and camera features. They are now making their way into the classroom. This is creating a new teaching and learning technique, the so called m-Learning (or mobile-Learning). Because of the many benefits that cell phones offer, teachers could easily use them as a teaching and learning tool. However, an additional work from the teachers for introducing their students into the m-Learning in the classroom needs to be defined and developed. As an example, optical techniques, based upon interference and diffraction phenomena, such as holography, appear to be convenient topics for m-Learning. They can be approached with simple examples and experiments within the cell phones performances and classroom accessibility. We will present some results carried out at the Faculty of Physical Sciences in UCM to obtain very simple holographic recordings via cell phones. The activities were carried out inside the course on Optical Coherence and Laser, offered to students in the fourth course of the Grade in Physical Sciences. Some open conclusions and proposals will be presented.

Medically relevant assays with a simple smartphone and tablet based fluorescence detection system.

PubMed

Wargocki, Piotr; Deng, Wei; Anwer, Ayad G; Goldys, Ewa M

2015-05-20

Cell phones and smart phones can be reconfigured as biomedical sensor devices but this requires specialized add-ons. In this paper we present a simple cell phone-based portable bioassay platform, which can be used with fluorescent assays in solution. The system consists of a tablet, a polarizer, a smart phone (camera) and a box that provides dark readout conditions. The assay in a well plate is placed on the tablet screen acting as an excitation source. A polarizer on top of the well plate separates excitation light from assay fluorescence emission enabling assay readout with a smartphone camera. The assay result is obtained by analysing the intensity of image pixels in an appropriate colour channel. With this device we carried out two assays, for collagenase and trypsin using fluorescein as the detected fluorophore. The results of collagenase assay with the lowest measured concentration of 3.75 µg/mL and 0.938 µg in total in the sample were comparable to those obtained by a microplate reader. The lowest measured amount of trypsin was 930 pg, which is comparable to the low detection limit of 400 pg for this assay obtained in a microplate reader. The device is sensitive enough to be used in point-of-care medical diagnostics of clinically relevant conditions, including arthritis, cystic fibrosis and acute pancreatitis.

DataPlay's mobile recording technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Bernard W., Jr.

2002-01-01

A small rotating memory device which utilizes optical prerecorded and writeable technology to provide a mobile recording technology solution for digital cameras, cell phones, music players, PDA's, and hybrid multipurpose devices have been developed. This solution encompasses writeable, read only, and encrypted storage media.

The Endockscope Using Next Generation Smartphones: "A Global Opportunity".

PubMed

Tse, Christina; Patel, Roshan M; Yoon, Renai; Okhunov, Zhamshid; Landman, Jaime; Clayman, Ralph V

2018-06-02

The Endockscope combines a smartphone, a battery powered flashlight and a fiberoptic cystoscope allowing for mobile videocystoscopy. We compared conventional videocystoscopy to the Endockscope paired with next generation smartphones in an ex-vivo porcine bladder model to evaluate its image quality. The Endockscope consists of a three-dimensional (3D) printed attachment that connects a smartphone to a flexible fiberoptic cystoscope plus a 1000 lumen light-emitting diode (LED) cordless light source. Video recordings of porcine cystoscopy with a fiberoptic flexible cystoscope (Storz) were captured for each mobile device (iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, Samsung S8, and Google Pixel) and for the high-definition H3-Z versatile camera (HD) set-up with both the LED light source and the xenon light (XL) source. Eleven faculty urologists, blinded to the modality used, evaluated each video for image quality/resolution, brightness, color quality, sharpness, overall quality, and acceptability for diagnostic use. When comparing the Endockscope coupled to an Galaxy S8, iPhone 7, and iPhone 6S with the LED portable light source to the HD camera with XL, there were no statistically significant differences in any metric. 82% and 55% of evaluators considered the iPhone 7 + LED light source and iPhone 6S + LED light, respectively, appropriate for diagnostic purposes as compared to 100% who considered the HD camera with XL appropriate. The iPhone 6 and Google Pixel coupled with the LED source were both inferior to the HD camera with XL in all metrics. The Endockscope system with a LED light source when coupled with either an iPhone 7 or Samsung S8 (total cost: $750) is comparable to conventional videocystoscopy with a standard camera and XL light source (total cost: $45,000).

Using a Smartphone Camera for Nanosatellite Attitude Determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimmin, R.

2014-09-01

The PhoneSat project at NASA Ames Research Center has repeatedly flown a commercial cellphone in space. As this project continues, additional utility is being extracted from the cell phone hardware to enable more complex missions. The camera in particular shows great potential as an instrument for position and attitude determination, but this requires complex image processing. This paper outlines progress towards that image processing capability. Initial tests on a small collection of sample images have demonstrated the determination of a Moon vector from an image by automatic thresholding and centroiding, allowing the calibration of existing attitude control systems. Work has been undertaken on a further set of sample images towards horizon detection using a variety of techniques including thresholding, edge detection, applying a Hough transform, and circle fitting. Ultimately it is hoped this will allow calculation of an Earth vector for attitude determination and an approximate altitude. A quick discussion of work towards using the camera as a star tracker is then presented, followed by an introduction to further applications of the camera on space missions.

Cost-effective and compact wide-field fluorescent imaging on a cell-phone.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Su, Ting-Wei; Tseng, Derek; Ozcan, Aydogan

2011-01-21

We demonstrate wide-field fluorescent and darkfield imaging on a cell-phone with compact, light-weight and cost-effective optical components that are mechanically attached to the existing camera unit of the cell-phone. For this purpose, we used battery powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to pump the sample of interest from the side using butt-coupling, where the pump light was guided within the sample cuvette to uniformly excite the specimen. The fluorescent emission from the sample was then imaged using an additional lens that was positioned right in front of the existing lens of the cell-phone camera. Because the excitation occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to our detection path, an inexpensive plastic colour filter was sufficient to create the dark-field background required for fluorescent imaging, without the need for a thin-film interference filter. We validate the performance of this platform by imaging various fluorescent micro-objects in 2 colours (i.e., red and green) over a large field-of-view (FOV) of ∼81 mm(2) with a raw spatial resolution of ∼20 μm. With additional digital processing of the captured cell-phone images, through the use of compressive sampling theory, we demonstrate ∼2 fold improvement in our resolving power, achieving ∼10 μm resolution without a trade-off in our FOV. Further, we also demonstrate darkfield imaging of non-fluorescent specimen using the same interface, where this time the scattered light from the objects is detected without the use of any filters. The capability of imaging a wide FOV would be exceedingly important to probe large sample volumes (e.g., >0.1 mL) of e.g., blood, urine, sputum or water, and for this end we also demonstrate fluorescent imaging of labeled white-blood cells from whole blood samples, as well as water-borne pathogenic protozoan parasites such as Giardia Lamblia cysts. Weighing only ∼28 g (∼1 ounce), this compact and cost-effective fluorescent imaging platform attached to a cell-phone could be quite useful especially for resource-limited settings, and might provide an important tool for wide-field imaging and quantification of various lab-on-a-chip assays developed for global health applications, such as monitoring of HIV+ patients for CD4 counts or viral load measurements.

Mobile cosmetics advisor: an imaging based mobile service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatti, Nina; Baker, Harlyn; Chao, Hui; Clearwater, Scott; Harville, Mike; Jain, Jhilmil; Lyons, Nic; Marguier, Joanna; Schettino, John; Süsstrunk, Sabine

2010-01-01

Selecting cosmetics requires visual information and often benefits from the assessments of a cosmetics expert. In this paper we present a unique mobile imaging application that enables women to use their cell phones to get immediate expert advice when selecting personal cosmetic products. We derive the visual information from analysis of camera phone images, and provide the judgment of the cosmetics specialist through use of an expert system. The result is a new paradigm for mobile interactions-image-based information services exploiting the ubiquity of camera phones. The application is designed to work with any handset over any cellular carrier using commonly available MMS and SMS features. Targeted at the unsophisticated consumer, it must be quick and easy to use, not requiring download capabilities or preplanning. Thus, all application processing occurs in the back-end system and not on the handset itself. We present the imaging pipeline technology and a comparison of the services' accuracy with respect to human experts.

Diffraction experiments with infrared remote controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, Jochen; Vogt, Patrik

2012-02-01

In this paper we describe an experiment in which radiation emitted by an infrared remote control is passed through a diffraction grating. An image of the diffraction pattern is captured using a cell phone camera and then used to determine the wavelength of the radiation.

Fundus imaging with a mobile phone: a review of techniques.

PubMed

Shanmugam, Mahesh P; Mishra, Divyansh K C; Madhukumar, R; Ramanjulu, Rajesh; Reddy, Srinivasulu Y; Rodrigues, Gladys

2014-09-01

Fundus imaging with a fundus camera is an essential part of ophthalmic practice. A mobile phone with its in-built camera and flash can be used to obtain fundus images of reasonable quality. The mobile phone can be used as an indirect ophthalmoscope when coupled with a condensing lens. It can be used as a direct ophthalmoscope after minimal modification, wherein the fundus can be viewed without an intervening lens in young patients with dilated pupils. Employing the ubiquitous mobile phone to obtain fundus images has the potential for mass screening, enables ophthalmologists without a fundus camera to document and share findings, is a tool for telemedicine and is rather inexpensive.

Quantum dot enabled detection of Escherichia coli using a cell-phone.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Sikora, Uzair; Ozcan, Aydogan

2012-06-07

We report a cell-phone based Escherichia coli (E. coli) detection platform for screening of liquid samples. In this compact and cost-effective design attached to a cell-phone, we utilize anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody functionalized glass capillaries as solid substrates to perform a quantum dot based sandwich assay for specific detection of E. coli O157:H7 in liquid samples. Using battery-powered inexpensive light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) we excite/pump these labelled E. coli particles captured on the capillary surface, where the emission from the quantum dots is then imaged using the cell-phone camera unit through an additional lens that is inserted between the capillary and the cell-phone. By quantifying the fluorescent light emission from each capillary tube, the concentration of E. coli in the sample is determined. We experimentally confirmed the detection limit of this cell-phone based fluorescent imaging and sensing platform as ∼5 to 10 cfu mL(-1) in buffer solution. We also tested the specificity of this E. coli detection platform by spiking samples with different species (e.g., Salmonella) to confirm that non-specific binding/detection is negligible. We further demonstrated the proof-of-concept of our approach in a complex food matrix, e.g., fat-free milk, where a similar detection limit of ∼5 to 10 cfu mL(-1) was achieved despite challenges associated with the density of proteins that exist in milk. Our results reveal the promising potential of this cell-phone enabled field-portable and cost-effective E. coli detection platform for e.g., screening of water and food samples even in resource limited environments. The presented platform can also be applicable to other pathogens of interest through the use of different antibodies.

New generation of meteorology cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janout, Petr; Blažek, Martin; Páta, Petr

2017-12-01

A new generation of the WILLIAM (WIde-field aLL-sky Image Analyzing Monitoring system) camera includes new features such as monitoring of rain and storm clouds during the day observation. Development of the new generation of weather monitoring cameras responds to the demand for monitoring of sudden weather changes. However, new WILLIAM cameras are ready to process acquired image data immediately, release warning against sudden torrential rains, and send it to user's cell phone and email. Actual weather conditions are determined from image data, and results of image processing are complemented by data from sensors of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. In this paper, we present the architecture, image data processing algorithms of mentioned monitoring camera and spatially-variant model of imaging system aberrations based on Zernike polynomials.

Miniature Raman spectroscopy utilizing stabilized diode lasers and 2D CMOS detector arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auz, Bryan; Bonvallet, Joseph; Rodriguez, John; Olmstead, Ty

2017-02-01

A miniature Raman spectrometer was designed in a rapid development cycle (< 4 months) to investigate the performance capabilities achievable with two dimensional (2D) CMOS detectors found in cell phone camera modules and commercial off the shelf optics (COTS). This paper examines the design considerations and tradeoffs made during the development cycle. The final system developed measures 40 mm in length, 40 mm in width, 15 mm tall and couples directly with the cell phone camera optics. Two variants were made: one with an excitation wavelength of 638 nm and the other with a 785 nm excitation wavelength. Raman spectra of the following samples were gathered at both excitations: Toluene, Cyclohexane, Bis(MSB), Aspirin, Urea, and Ammonium Nitrate. The system obtained a resolution of 40 cm-1. The spectra produced at 785 nm excitation required integration times of up to 10 times longer than the 1.5 seconds at 638 nm, however, contained reduced stray light and less fluorescence which led to an overall cleaner signal.

Embedded processor extensions for image processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thevenin, Mathieu; Paindavoine, Michel; Letellier, Laurent; Heyrman, Barthélémy

2008-04-01

The advent of camera phones marks a new phase in embedded camera sales. By late 2009, the total number of camera phones will exceed that of both conventional and digital cameras shipped since the invention of photography. Use in mobile phones of applications like visiophony, matrix code readers and biometrics requires a high degree of component flexibility that image processors (IPs) have not, to date, been able to provide. For all these reasons, programmable processor solutions have become essential. This paper presents several techniques geared to speeding up image processors. It demonstrates that a gain of twice is possible for the complete image acquisition chain and the enhancement pipeline downstream of the video sensor. Such results confirm the potential of these computing systems for supporting future applications.

Detection and quantification of subtle changes in red blood cell density using a cell phone.

PubMed

Felton, Edward J; Velasquez, Anthony; Lu, Shulin; Murphy, Ryann O; ElKhal, Abdala; Mazor, Ofer; Gorelik, Pavel; Sharda, Anish; Ghiran, Ionita C

2016-08-16

Magnetic levitation has emerged as a technique that offers the ability to differentiate between cells with different densities. We have developed a magnetic levitation system for this purpose that distinguishes not only different cell types but also density differences in cells of the same type. This small-scale system suspends cells in a paramagnetic medium in a capillary placed between two rare earth magnets, and cells levitate to an equilibrium position determined solely by their density. Uniform reference beads of known density are used in conjunction with the cells as a means to quantify their levitation positions. In one implementation images of the levitating cells are acquired with a microscope, but here we also introduce a cell phone-based device that integrates the magnets, capillary, and a lens into a compact and portable unit that acquires images with the phone's camera. To demonstrate the effectiveness of magnetic levitation in cell density analysis we carried out levitation experiments using red blood cells with artificially altered densities, and also levitated those from donors. We observed that we can distinguish red blood cells of an anemic donor from those that are healthy. Since a plethora of disease states are characterized by changes in cell density magnetic cell levitation promises to be an effective tool in identifying and analyzing pathologic states. Furthermore, the low cost, portability, and ease of use of the cell phone-based system may potentially lead to its deployment in low-resource environments.

5 CFR 1201.52 - Public hearings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.... Any objections to the order will be made a part of the record. (b) Electronic devices. Absent express... room; all cell phones, text devices, and all other two-way communications devices shall be powered off in the hearing room. Further, no cameras, recording devices, and/or transmitting devices may be...

5 CFR 1201.52 - Public hearings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... Any objections to the order will be made a part of the record. (b) Electronic devices. Absent express... room; all cell phones, text devices, and all other two-way communications devices shall be powered off in the hearing room. Further, no cameras, recording devices, and/or transmitting devices may be...

Connecting Kids and Computers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giles, Rebecca McMahon

2006-01-01

Exposure to cell phones, DVD players, video games, computers, digital cameras, and iPods has made today's young people more technologically advanced than those of any previous generation. As a result, parents are now concerned that their children are spending too much time in front of the computer. In this article, the author focuses her…

Quantum dot enabled detection of Escherichia coli using a cell-phone†

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongying; Sikora, Uzair; Ozcan, Aydogan

2013-01-01

We report a cell-phone based Escherichia coli (E. coli) detection platform for screening of liquid samples. In this compact and cost-effective design attached to a cell-phone, we utilize anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody functionalized glass capillaries as solid substrates to perform a quantum dot based sandwich assay for specific detection of E. coli O157:H7 in liquid samples. Using battery-powered inexpensive light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) we excite/pump these labelled E. coli particles captured on the capillary surface, where the emission from the quantum dots is then imaged using the cell-phone camera unit through an additional lens that is inserted between the capillary and the cell-phone. By quantifying the fluorescent light emission from each capillary tube, the concentration of E. coli in the sample is determined. We experimentally confirmed the detection limit of this cell-phone based fluorescent imaging and sensing platform as ~5 to 10 cfu mL−1 in buffer solution. We also tested the specificity of this E. coli detection platform by spiking samples with different species (e.g., Salmonella) to confirm that non-specific binding/detection is negligible. We further demonstrated the proof-of-concept of our approach in a complex food matrix, e.g., fat-free milk, where a similar detection limit of ~5 to 10 cfu mL−1 was achieved despite challenges associated with the density of proteins that exist in milk. Our results reveal the promising potential of this cell-phone enabled field-portable and cost-effective E. coli detection platform for e.g., screening of water and food samples even in resource limited environments. The presented platform can also be applicable to other pathogens of interest through the use of different antibodies. PMID:22396952

Cost-effective and compact wide-field fluorescent imaging on a cell-phone†

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongying; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Su, Ting-Wei; Tseng, Derek

2011-01-01

We demonstrate wide-field fluorescent and darkfield imaging on a cell-phone with compact, light-weight and cost-effective optical components that are mechanically attached to the existing camera unit of the cell-phone. For this purpose, we used battery powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to pump the sample of interest from the side using butt-coupling, where the pump light was guided within the sample cuvette to uniformly excite the specimen. The fluorescent emission from the sample was then imaged using an additional lens that was positioned right in front of the existing lens of the cell-phone camera. Because the excitation occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to our detection path, an inexpensive plastic colour filter was sufficient to create the dark-field background required for fluorescent imaging, without the need for a thin-film interference filter. We validate the performance of this platform by imaging various fluorescent micro-objects in 2 colours (i.e., red and green) over a large field-of-view (FOV) of ~81 mm2 with a raw spatial resolution of ~20 μm. With additional digital processing of the captured cell-phone images, through the use of compressive sampling theory, we demonstrate ~2 fold improvement in our resolving power, achieving ~10 μm resolution without a trade-off in our FOV. Further, we also demonstrate darkfield imaging of non-fluorescent specimen using the same interface, where this time the scattered light from the objects is detected without the use of any filters. The capability of imaging a wide FOV would be exceedingly important to probe large sample volumes (e.g., >0.1 mL) of e.g., blood, urine, sputum or water, and for this end we also demonstrate fluorescent imaging of labeled white-blood cells from whole blood samples, as well as water-borne pathogenic protozoan parasites such as Giardia Lamblia cysts. Weighing only ~28 g (~1 ounce), this compact and cost-effective fluorescent imaging platform attached to a cell-phone could be quite useful especially for resource-limited settings, and might provide an important tool for wide-field imaging and quantification of various lab-on-a-chip assays developed for global health applications, such as monitoring of HIV+ patients for CD4 counts or viral load measurements. PMID:21063582

3D printed disposable optics and lab-on-a-chip devices for chemical sensing with cell phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comina, G.; Suska, A.; Filippini, D.

2017-02-01

Digital manufacturing (DM) offers fast prototyping capabilities and great versatility to configure countless architectures at affordable development costs. Autonomous lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices, conceived as only disposable accessory to interface chemical sensing to cell phones, require specific features that can be achieved using DM techniques. Here we describe stereo-lithography 3D printing (SLA) of optical components and unibody-LOC (ULOC) devices using consumer grade printers. ULOC devices integrate actuation in the form of check-valves and finger pumps, as well as the calibration range required for quantitative detection. Coupling to phone camera readout depends on the detection approach, and includes different types of optical components. Optical surfaces can be locally configured with a simple polishing-free post-processing step, and the representative costs are 0.5 US$/device, same as ULOC devices, both involving fabrication times of about 20 min.

Broadly available imaging devices enable high-quality low-cost photometry.

PubMed

Christodouleas, Dionysios C; Nemiroski, Alex; Kumar, Ashok A; Whitesides, George M

2015-09-15

This paper demonstrates that, for applications in resource-limited environments, expensive microplate spectrophotometers that are used in many central laboratories for parallel measurement of absorbance of samples can be replaced by photometers based on inexpensive and ubiquitous, consumer electronic devices (e.g., scanners and cell-phone cameras). Two devices, (i) a flatbed scanner operating in transmittance mode and (ii) a camera-based photometer (constructed from a cell phone camera, a planar light source, and a cardboard box), demonstrate the concept. These devices illuminate samples in microtiter plates from one side and use the RGB-based imaging sensors of the scanner/camera to measure the light transmitted to the other side. The broadband absorbance of samples (RGB-resolved absorbance) can be calculated using the RGB color values of only three pixels per microwell. Rigorous theoretical analysis establishes a well-defined relationship between the absorbance spectrum of a sample and its corresponding RGB-resolved absorbance. The linearity and precision of measurements performed with these low-cost photometers on different dyes, which absorb across the range of the visible spectrum, and chromogenic products of assays (e.g., enzymatic, ELISA) demonstrate that these low-cost photometers can be used reliably in a broad range of chemical and biochemical analyses. The ability to perform accurate measurements of absorbance on liquid samples, in parallel and at low cost, would enable testing, typically reserved for well-equipped clinics and laboratories, to be performed in circumstances where resources and expertise are limited.

The Economics of Notebook Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, John M. S.

2007-01-01

In the fall of 2006, students could purchase an entry-level notebook computer with a 15-inch LCD for $500. This price crossed an important threshold, moving notebooks into the range of consumer electronics--the category of phenomena that fuels mass consumer trends such as cell phones, digital cameras, and iPods. Most colleges and universities…

A Simple Educational Method for the Measurement of Liquid Binary Diffusivities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Nicholas P.; de Beer, Martin P.; Williamson, Mark E.

2014-01-01

A simple low-cost experiment has been developed for the measurement of the binary diffusion coefficients of liquid substances. The experiment is suitable for demonstrating molecular diffusion to small or large undergraduate classes in chemistry or chemical engineering. Students use a cell phone camera in conjunction with open-source image…

What Children Can Learn from MMORPGs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarsar, Nasreddine Mohamed

2008-01-01

Due to the technological advance that has swept our societies, students have become more and more engaged with new burgeoning technological tools such as computers, cell phones, iPods, digital cameras, and the like. As a result, the disparity between what students do inside school and what they do at home has grown wider. Buckingham (2007) refers…

Audiovisual Physics Reports: Students' Video Production as a Strategy for the Didactic Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pereira, Marcus Vinicius; de Souza Barros, Susana; de Rezende Filho, Luiz Augusto C.; de A. Fauth, Leduc Hermeto

2012-01-01

Constant technological advancement has facilitated access to digital cameras and cell phones. Involving students in a video production project can work as a motivating aspect to make them active and reflective in their learning, intellectually engaged in a recursive process. This project was implemented in high school level physics laboratory…

Restoration of hot pixels in digital imagers using lossless approximation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadar, O.; Shleifer, A.; Cohen, E.; Dotan, Y.

2015-09-01

During the last twenty years, digital imagers have spread into industrial and everyday devices, such as satellites, security cameras, cell phones, laptops and more. "Hot pixels" are the main defects in remote digital cameras. In this paper we prove an improvement of existing restoration methods that use (solely or as an auxiliary tool) some average of the surrounding single pixel, such as the method of the Chapman-Koren study 1,2. The proposed method uses the CALIC algorithm and adapts it to a full use of the surrounding pixels.

Double biprism arrays design using for stereo-photography of mobile phone camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Wen-Shing; Chu, Pu-Yi; Chao, Yu-Hao; Pan, Jui-Wen; Tien, Chuen-Lin

2016-11-01

Generally, mobile phone use one camera to catch the image, and it is hard to get stereo image pair. Adding a biprism array can help that get the image pair easily. So users can use their mobile phone to catch the stereo image anywhere by adding a biprism array, and if they want to get a normal image just remove it. Using biprism arrays will induce chromatic aberration. Therefore, we design a double biprism arrays to reduce chromatic aberration.

Fluorescent Imaging of Single Nanoparticles and Viruses on a Smart Phone

PubMed Central

Wei, Qingshan; Qi, Hangfei; Luo, Wei; Tseng, Derek; Ki, So Jung; Wan, Zhe; Göröcs, Zoltán; Bentolila, Laurent A.; Wu, Ting-Ting; Sun, Ren; Ozcan, Aydogan

2014-01-01

Optical imaging of nanoscale objects, whether it is based on scattering or fluorescence, is a challenging task due to reduced detection signal-to-noise ratio and contrast at subwavelength dimensions. Here, we report a field-portable fluorescence microscopy platform installed on a smart phone for imaging of individual nanoparticles as well as viruses using a lightweight and compact opto-mechanical attachment to the existing camera module of the cell phone. This hand-held fluorescent imaging device utilizes (i) a compact 450 nm laser diode that creates oblique excitation on the sample plane with an incidence angle of ~75°, (ii) a long-pass thin-film interference filter to reject the scattered excitation light, (iii) an external lens creating 2× optical magnification, and (iv) a translation stage for focus adjustment. We tested the imaging performance of this smart-phone-enabled microscopy platform by detecting isolated 100 nm fluorescent particles as well as individual human cytomegaloviruses that are fluorescently labeled. The size of each detected nano-object on the cell phone platform was validated using scanning electron microscopy images of the same samples. This field-portable fluorescence microscopy attachment to the cell phone, weighing only ~186 g, could be used for specific and sensitive imaging of subwavelength objects including various bacteria and viruses and, therefore, could provide a valuable platform for the practice of nanotechnology in field settings and for conducting viral load measurements and other biomedical tests even in remote and resource-limited environments. PMID:24016065

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging with a mobile phone (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghassemi, Pejhman; Wang, Bohan; Wang, Jianting; Wang, Quanzeng; Chen, Yu; Pfefer, T. Joshua

2017-03-01

Mobile phone cameras employ sensors with near-infrared (NIR) sensitivity, yet this capability has not been exploited for biomedical purposes. Removing the IR-blocking filter from a phone-based camera opens the door to a wide range of techniques and applications for inexpensive, point-of-care biophotonic imaging and sensing. This study provides proof of principle for one of these modalities - phone-based NIR fluorescence imaging. An imaging system was assembled using a 780 nm light source along with excitation and emission filters with 800 nm and 825 nm cut-off wavelengths, respectively. Indocyanine green (ICG) was used as an NIR fluorescence contrast agent in an ex vivo rodent model, a resolution test target and a 3D-printed, tissue-simulating vascular phantom. Raw and processed images for red, green and blue pixel channels were analyzed for quantitative evaluation of fundamental performance characteristics including spectral sensitivity, detection linearity and spatial resolution. Mobile phone results were compared with a scientific CCD. The spatial resolution of CCD system was consistently superior to the phone, and green phone camera pixels showed better resolution than blue or green channels. The CCD exhibited similar sensitivity as processed red and blue pixels channels, yet a greater degree of detection linearity. Raw phone pixel data showed lower sensitivity but greater linearity than processed data. Overall, both qualitative and quantitative results provided strong evidence of the potential of phone-based NIR imaging, which may lead to a wide range of applications from cancer detection to glucose sensing.

FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF A CAMERA PHONE-BASED WAYFINDING SYSTEM OPERATED BY BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED USERS

PubMed Central

COUGHLAN, JAMES; MANDUCHI, ROBERTO

2009-01-01

We describe a wayfinding system for blind and visually impaired persons that uses a camera phone to determine the user's location with respect to color markers, posted at locations of interest (such as offices), which are automatically detected by the phone. The color marker signs are specially designed to be detected in real time in cluttered environments using computer vision software running on the phone; a novel segmentation algorithm quickly locates the borders of the color marker in each image, which allows the system to calculate how far the marker is from the phone. We present a model of how the user's scanning strategy (i.e. how he/she pans the phone left and right to find color markers) affects the system's ability to detect color markers given the limitations imposed by motion blur, which is always a possibility whenever a camera is in motion. Finally, we describe experiments with our system tested by blind and visually impaired volunteers, demonstrating their ability to reliably use the system to find locations designated by color markers in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, and elucidating which search strategies were most effective for users. PMID:19960101

FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF A CAMERA PHONE-BASED WAYFINDING SYSTEM OPERATED BY BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED USERS.

PubMed

Coughlan, James; Manduchi, Roberto

2009-06-01

We describe a wayfinding system for blind and visually impaired persons that uses a camera phone to determine the user's location with respect to color markers, posted at locations of interest (such as offices), which are automatically detected by the phone. The color marker signs are specially designed to be detected in real time in cluttered environments using computer vision software running on the phone; a novel segmentation algorithm quickly locates the borders of the color marker in each image, which allows the system to calculate how far the marker is from the phone. We present a model of how the user's scanning strategy (i.e. how he/she pans the phone left and right to find color markers) affects the system's ability to detect color markers given the limitations imposed by motion blur, which is always a possibility whenever a camera is in motion. Finally, we describe experiments with our system tested by blind and visually impaired volunteers, demonstrating their ability to reliably use the system to find locations designated by color markers in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, and elucidating which search strategies were most effective for users.

The Digital Divide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Hannah Trierweiler

2011-01-01

Megan is a 14-year-old from Nebraska who just started ninth grade. She has her own digital camera, cell phone, Nintendo DS, and laptop, and one or more of these devices is usually by her side. Compared to the interactions and exploration she's engaged in at home, Megan finds the technology in her classroom falls a little flat. Most of the…

A Vision for the Net Generation Media Center. Media Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Doug

2005-01-01

Many children today have never lived in a home without a computer. They are the "Net Generation," constantly "connected" by iPod, cell phone, keyboard, digital video camera, or game controller to various technologies. Recent studies have found that Net Genners see technology as "embedded in society," a primary means of connection with friends, and…

Development of mobile phone based transcutaneous billirubinometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumont, Alexander P.; Harrison, Brandon; McCormick, Zachary T.; Ganesh Kumar, Nishant; Patil, Chetan A.

2017-03-01

Infants in the US are routinely screened for risk of neurodevelopmental impairment due to neonatal jaundice using transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB). In low-resource settings, such as sub-Saharan Africa, TcB devices are not common, however, mobile camera-phones are now widespread. We provide an update on the development of TcB using the built-in camera and flash of a mobile phone, along with a snap-on adapter containing optical filters. We will present Monte Carlo Extreme modeling of diffuse reflectance in neonatal skin, implications in design, and refined analysis methods.

Mobile phone based mini-spectrometer for rapid screening of skin cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Anshuman; Swedish, Tristan; Wahi, Akshat; Moufarrej, Mira; Noland, Marie; Gurry, Thomas; Aranda-Michel, Edgar; Aksel, Deniz; Wagh, Sneha; Sadashivaiah, Vijay; Zhang, Xu; Raskar, Ramesh

2015-06-01

We demonstrate a highly sensitive mobile phone based spectrometer that has potential to detect cancerous skin lesions in a rapid, non-invasive manner. Earlier reports of low cost spectrometers utilize the camera of the mobile phone to image the field after moving through a diffraction grating. These approaches are inherently limited by the closed nature of mobile phone image sensors and built in optical elements. The system presented uses a novel integrated grating and sensor that is compact, accurate and calibrated. Resolutions of about 10 nm can be achieved. Additionally, UV and visible LED excitation sources are built into the device. Data collection and analysis is simplified using the wireless interfaces and logical control on the smart phone. Furthermore, by utilizing an external sensor, the mobile phone camera can be used in conjunction with spectral measurements. We are exploring ways to use this device to measure endogenous fluorescence of skin in order to distinguish cancerous from non-cancerous lesions with a mobile phone based dermatoscope.

Cost Effective Paper-Based Colorimetric Microfluidic Devices and Mobile Phone Camera Readers for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koesdjojo, Myra T.; Pengpumkiat, Sumate; Wu, Yuanyuan; Boonloed, Anukul; Huynh, Daniel; Remcho, Thomas P.; Remcho, Vincent T.

2015-01-01

We have developed a simple and direct method to fabricate paper-based microfluidic devices that can be used for a wide range of colorimetric assay applications. With these devices, assays can be performed within minutes to allow for quantitative colorimetric analysis by use of a widely accessible iPhone camera and an RGB color reader application…

Cell phone camera ballistics: attacks and countermeasures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinebach, Martin; Liu, Huajian; Fan, Peishuai; Katzenbeisser, Stefan

2010-01-01

Multimedia forensics deals with the analysis of multimedia data to gather information on its origin and authenticity. One therefore needs to distinguish classical criminal forensics (which today also uses multimedia data as evidence) and multimedia forensics where the actual case is based on a media file. One example for the latter is camera forensics where pixel error patters are used as fingerprints identifying a camera as the source of an image. Of course multimedia forensics can become a tool for criminal forensics when evidence used in a criminal investigation is likely to be manipulated. At this point an important question arises: How reliable are these algorithms? Can a judge trust their results? How easy are they to manipulate? In this work we show how camera forensics can be attacked and introduce a potential countermeasure against these attacks.

Citizen journalism in a time of crisis: lessons from a large-scale California wildfire

Treesearch

S. Gillette; J. Taylor; D.J. Chavez; R. Hodgson; J. Downing

2007-01-01

The accessibility of news production tools through consumer communication technology has made it possible for media consumers to become media producers. The evolution of media consumer to media producer has important implications for the shape of public discourse during a time of crisis. Citizen journalists cover crisis events using camera cell phones and digital...

Open Source Initiative Powers Real-Time Data Streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

Under an SBIR contract with Dryden Flight Research Center, Creare Inc. developed a data collection tool called the Ring Buffered Network Bus. The technology has now been released under an open source license and is hosted by the Open Source DataTurbine Initiative. DataTurbine allows anyone to stream live data from sensors, labs, cameras, ocean buoys, cell phones, and more.

Evaluation of Performance and Safety of Electrofuel Lithium-Ion Polymer Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, Judith A.; Bragg, Bobby J.; Tracinski, Walter A.

2002-01-01

Lithium-ion batteries of the conventional and polymer type are being used widely for cellular phones, cameras, camcorders, personal computers, PDAs and in several other portable electronic equipment. The Electrofuel 11-ion polymer battery is one of the first available polymer batteries to be used for commercial applications. In our study, the tests carried out on these cells were aimed at determining if these batteries can be used in extravehicular activity tools for both Shuttle and International Space Station

Comparison of the effectiveness of three retinal camera technologies for malarial retinopathy detection in Malawi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soliz, Peter; Nemeth, Sheila C.; Barriga, E. Simon; Harding, Simon P.; Lewallen, Susan; Taylor, Terrie E.; MacCormick, Ian J.; Joshi, Vinayak S.

2016-03-01

The purpose of this study was to test the suitability of three available camera technologies (desktop, portable, and iphone based) for imaging comatose children who presented with clinical symptoms of malaria. Ultimately, the results of the project would form the basis for a design of a future camera to screen for malaria retinopathy (MR) in a resource challenged environment. The desktop, portable, and i-phone based cameras were represented by the Topcon, Pictor Plus, and Peek cameras, respectively. These cameras were tested on N=23 children presenting with symptoms of cerebral malaria (CM) at a malaria clinic, Queen Elizabeth Teaching Hospital in Malawi, Africa. Each patient was dilated for binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) exam by an ophthalmologist followed by imaging with all three cameras. Each of the cases was graded according to an internationally established protocol and compared to the BIO as the clinical ground truth. The reader used three principal retinal lesions as markers for MR: hemorrhages, retinal whitening, and vessel discoloration. The study found that the mid-priced Pictor Plus hand-held camera performed considerably better than the lower price mobile phone-based camera, and slightly the higher priced table top camera. When comparing the readings of digital images against the clinical reference standard (BIO), the Pictor Plus camera had sensitivity and specificity for MR of 100% and 87%, respectively. This compares to a sensitivity and specificity of 87% and 75% for the i-phone based camera and 100% and 75% for the desktop camera. The drawback of all the cameras were their limited field of view which did not allow complete view of the periphery where vessel discoloration occurs most frequently. The consequence was that vessel discoloration was not addressed in this study. None of the cameras offered real-time image quality assessment to ensure high quality images to afford the best possible opportunity for reading by a remotely located specialist.

Laser speckle spatiotemporal variance analysis for noninvasive widefield measurements of blood pulsation and pulse rate on a camera-phone.

PubMed

Remer, Itay; Bilenca, Alberto

2015-11-01

Photoplethysmography is a well-established technique for the noninvasive measurement of blood pulsation. However, photoplethysmographic devices typically need to be in contact with the surface of the tissue and provide data from a single contact point. Extensions of conventional photoplethysmography to measurements over a wide field-of-view exist, but require advanced signal processing due to the low signal-to-noise-ratio of the photoplethysmograms. Here, we present a noncontact method based on temporal sampling of time-integrated speckle using a camera-phone for noninvasive, widefield measurements of physiological parameters across the human fingertip including blood pulsation and resting heart-rate frequency. The results show that precise estimation of these parameters with high spatial resolution is enabled by measuring the local temporal variation of speckle patterns of backscattered light from subcutaneous skin, thereby opening up the possibility for accurate high resolution blood pulsation imaging on a camera-phone. Camera-phone laser speckle imager along with measured relative blood perfusion maps of a fingertip showing skin perfusion response to a pulse pressure applied to the upper arm. The figure is for illustration only; the imager was stabilized on a stand throughout the experiments. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cell phones as imaging sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatti, Nina; Baker, Harlyn; Marguier, Joanna; Berclaz, Jérôme; Süsstrunk, Sabine

2010-04-01

Camera phones are ubiquitous, and consumers have been adopting them faster than any other technology in modern history. When connected to a network, though, they are capable of more than just picture taking: Suddenly, they gain access to the power of the cloud. We exploit this capability by providing a series of image-based personal advisory services. These are designed to work with any handset over any cellular carrier using commonly available Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and Short Message Service (SMS) features. Targeted at the unsophisticated consumer, these applications must be quick and easy to use, not requiring download capabilities or preplanning. Thus, all application processing occurs in the back-end system (i.e., as a cloud service) and not on the handset itself. Presenting an image to an advisory service in the cloud, a user receives information that can be acted upon immediately. Two of our examples involve color assessment - selecting cosmetics and home décor paint palettes; the third provides the ability to extract text from a scene. In the case of the color imaging applications, we have shown that our service rivals the advice quality of experts. The result of this capability is a new paradigm for mobile interactions - image-based information services exploiting the ubiquity of camera phones.

YouTube War: Fighting in a World of Cameras in Every Cell Phone and Photoshop on Every Computer

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

free MovieMaker 2 program that Microsoft includes with its Windows XP operating system. Mike Wendland, “From ENG to SNG : TV Technology for Covering the...the deployed soldier. 51. Wendland, “From ENG to SNG .” 52. This is based in part on the typology in Ben Venzke, “Jihadi Master Video Guide, JMVG

Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor Based on Smart Phone Platforms.

PubMed

Liu, Yun; Liu, Qiang; Chen, Shimeng; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Hanqi; Peng, Wei

2015-08-10

We demonstrate a fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on smart phone platforms. The light-weight optical components and sensing element are connected by optical fibers on a phone case. This SPR adaptor can be conveniently installed or removed from smart phones. The measurement, control and reference channels are illuminated by the light entering the lead-in fibers from the phone's LED flash, while the light from the end faces of the lead-out fibers is detected by the phone's camera. The SPR-sensing element is fabricated by a light-guiding silica capillary that is stripped off its cladding and coated with 50-nm gold film. Utilizing a smart application to extract the light intensity information from the camera images, the light intensities of each channel are recorded every 0.5 s with refractive index (RI) changes. The performance of the smart phone-based SPR platform for accurate and repeatable measurements was evaluated by detecting different concentrations of antibody binding to a functionalized sensing element, and the experiment results were validated through contrast experiments with a commercial SPR instrument. This cost-effective and portable SPR biosensor based on smart phones has many applications, such as medicine, health and environmental monitoring.

A mobile phone-based approach to detection of hemolysis.

PubMed

Archibong, Edikan; Konnaiyan, Karthik Raj; Kaplan, Howard; Pyayt, Anna

2017-02-15

Preeclampsia and HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) syndrome are pregnancy-related complications with high rates of morbidity and mortality. HELLP syndrome, in particular, can be difficult to diagnose. Recent work suggests that elevated levels of free cell hemoglobin in blood plasma can, as early as the first trimester, potentially serve as a diagnostic biomarker for impending complications. We therefore developed a point-of-care mobile phone-based platform that can quickly characterize a patient's level of hemolysis by measuring the color of blood plasma. The custom hardware and software are designed to be easy to use. A sample of the whole blood (~10µL or less) is first collected into a clear capillary tube or microtube, which is then inserted into a low-cost 3D-printed sample holder attached to the phone. A 5-10min period of quiescence allows for gravitational sedimentation of the red blood cells, leaving a layer of yellowish plasma at the top of the tube. The phone camera then photographs the capillary tube and analyzes the color components of the cell-free plasma layer. The software converts these color values to a concentration of free hemoglobin, based on a built-in calibration curve, and reports the patient's hemolysis level: non-hemolyzed, slightly hemolyzed, mildly hemolyzed, frankly hemolyzed, or grossly hemolyzed.. The accuracy of the method is ~1mgdL -1 . This phone-based point-of-care system provides the potentially life-saving advantage of a turnaround time of about 10min (versus 4+hours for conventional laboratory analytical methods) and a cost of approximately one dollar USD (assuming you have the phone and the software are already available). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward Dietary Assessment via Mobile Phone Video Cameras.

PubMed

Chen, Nicholas; Lee, Yun Young; Rabb, Maurice; Schatz, Bruce

2010-11-13

Reliable dietary assessment is a challenging yet essential task for determining general health. Existing efforts are manual, require considerable effort, and are prone to underestimation and misrepresentation of food intake. We propose leveraging mobile phones to make this process faster, easier and automatic. Using mobile phones with built-in video cameras, individuals capture short videos of their meals; our software then automatically analyzes the videos to recognize dishes and estimate calories. Preliminary experiments on 20 typical dishes from a local cafeteria show promising results. Our approach complements existing dietary assessment methods to help individuals better manage their diet to prevent obesity and other diet-related diseases.

Comparison of the temperature accuracy between smart phone based and high-end thermal cameras using a temperature gradient phantom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaessens, John H.; van der Veen, Albert; Verdaasdonk, Rudolf M.

2017-03-01

Recently, low cost smart phone based thermal cameras are being considered to be used in a clinical setting for monitoring physiological temperature responses such as: body temperature change, local inflammations, perfusion changes or (burn) wound healing. These thermal cameras contain uncooled micro-bolometers with an internal calibration check and have a temperature resolution of 0.1 degree. For clinical applications a fast quality measurement before use is required (absolute temperature check) and quality control (stability, repeatability, absolute temperature, absolute temperature differences) should be performed regularly. Therefore, a calibrated temperature phantom has been developed based on thermistor heating on both ends of a black coated metal strip to create a controllable temperature gradient from room temperature 26 °C up to 100 °C. The absolute temperatures on the strip are determined with software controlled 5 PT-1000 sensors using lookup tables. In this study 3 FLIR-ONE cameras and one high end camera were checked with this temperature phantom. The results show a relative good agreement between both low-cost and high-end camera's and the phantom temperature gradient, with temperature differences of 1 degree up to 6 degrees between the camera's and the phantom. The measurements were repeated as to absolute temperature and temperature stability over the sensor area. Both low-cost and high-end thermal cameras measured relative temperature changes with high accuracy and absolute temperatures with constant deviations. Low-cost smart phone based thermal cameras can be a good alternative to high-end thermal cameras for routine clinical measurements, appropriate to the research question, providing regular calibration checks for quality control.

Recent technology and usage of plastic lenses in image taking objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Susumu; Sato, Hiroshi; Mori, Nobuyoshi; Kiriki, Toshihiko

2005-09-01

Recently, plastic lenses produced by injection molding are widely used in image taking objectives for digital cameras, camcorders, and mobile phone cameras, because of their suitability for volume production and ease of obtaining an advantage of aspherical surfaces. For digital camera and camcorder objectives, it is desirable that there is no image point variation with the temperature change in spite of employing several plastic lenses. At the same time, due to the shrinking pixel size of solid-state image sensor, there is now a requirement to assemble lenses with high accuracy. In order to satisfy these requirements, we have developed 16 times compact zoom objective for camcorder and 3 times class folded zoom objectives for digital camera, incorporating cemented plastic doublet consisting of a positive lens and a negative lens. Over the last few years, production volumes of camera-equipped mobile phones have increased substantially. Therefore, for mobile phone cameras, the consideration of productivity is more important than ever. For this application, we have developed a 1.3-mega pixels compact camera module with macro function utilizing the advantage of a plastic lens that can be given mechanically functional shape to outer flange part. Its objective consists of three plastic lenses and all critical dimensions related to optical performance can be determined by high precise optical elements. Therefore this camera module is manufactured without optical adjustment in automatic assembling line, and achieves both high productivity and high performance. Reported here are the constructions and the technical topics of image taking objectives described above.

Thin film transistors on plastic substrates with reflective coatings for radiation protection

DOEpatents

Wolfe, Jesse D.; Theiss, Steven D.; Carey, Paul G.; Smith, Patrick M.; Wickboldt, Paul

2003-11-04

Fabrication of silicon thin film transistors (TFT) on low-temperature plastic substrates using a reflective coating so that inexpensive plastic substrates may be used in place of standard glass, quartz, and silicon wafer-based substrates. The TFT can be used in large area low cost electronics, such as flat panel displays and portable electronics such as video cameras, personal digital assistants, and cell phones.

Thin film transistors on plastic substrates with reflective coatings for radiation protection

DOEpatents

Wolfe, Jesse D [Fairfield, CA; Theiss, Steven D [Woodbury, MN; Carey, Paul G [Mountain View, CA; Smith, Patrick M [San Ramon, CA; Wickbold, Paul [Walnut Creek, CA

2006-09-26

Fabrication of silicon thin film transistors (TFT) on low-temperature plastic substrates using a reflective coating so that inexpensive plastic substrates may be used in place of standard glass, quartz, and silicon wafer-based substrates. The TFT can be used in large area low cost electronics, such as flat panel displays and portable electronics such as video cameras, personal digital assistants, and cell phones.

Using the iPhone as a device for a rapid quantitative analysis of trinitrotoluene in soil.

PubMed

Choodum, Aree; Kanatharana, Proespichaya; Wongniramaikul, Worawit; Daeid, Niamh Nic

2013-10-15

Mobile 'smart' phones have become almost ubiquitous in society and are typically equipped with a high-resolution digital camera which can be used to produce an image very conveniently. In this study, the built-in digital camera of a smart phone (iPhone) was used to capture the results from a rapid quantitative colorimetric test for trinitrotoluene (TNT) in soil. The results were compared to those from a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. The colored product from the selective test for TNT was quantified using an innovative application of photography where the relationships between the Red Green Blue (RGB) values and the concentrations of colorimetric product were exploited. The iPhone showed itself to be capable of being used more conveniently than the DSLR while providing similar analytical results with increased sensitivity. The wide linear range and low detection limits achieved were comparable with those from spectrophotometric quantification methods. Low relative errors in the range of 0.4 to 6.3% were achieved in the analysis of control samples and 0.4-6.2% for spiked soil extracts with good precision (2.09-7.43% RSD) for the analysis over 4 days. The results demonstrate that the iPhone provides the potential to be used as an ideal novel platform for the development of a rapid on site semi quantitative field test for the analysis of explosives. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social Media and the Arab Spring: How Facebook, Twitter, and Camera Phones Changed the Egyptian Army’s Response to Revolution

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-08

Definitions Importantly, as an operational definition of ‘social media,’ I include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and social networking sites not specifically...the aforementioned social networking sites . As an operational definition of ‘security operations’ for the purposes of this paper, I use the...the existence of camera phones, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites , individuals’ behavior changed with the advent of the Internet

The Use of Phone Technology in Outpatient Populations: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Duarte, Ana C.; Thomas, Sue A.

2016-01-01

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to identify the types of phone technology used in the adult outpatient population with a focus on Hispanic patients and psychiatric populations. Methods: A search for articles was conducted on the EMBASE, PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Articles reviewed were peer-reviewed, full-text, English language and published through mid-November 2014. Results: Twenty-one articles were included in this review and grouped according to combinations of phone technology, medical specialty area and population. For all articles, phone technology was defined as telephone, cell, or smart phone. Technology was used in psychiatry with Hispanic population in four articles, in psychiatry with non-Hispanic population in seven articles and in other specialties with Hispanic population in ten articles. Articles were evaluated for quality. Six articles were assessed as strong, eight were moderate and seven were weak in global quality. Interventions included direct communication, text messaging, interactive voice response, camera and smart phone app. Studies with Hispanic populations used more text messaging, while studies in psychiatry favored direct communication. The majority of articles in all groups yielded improvements in health outcomes. Conclusion: Few studies have been conducted using phone technology in Hispanic and psychiatric populations. Various phone technologies can be helpful to patients in diverse populations and have demonstrated success in improving a variety of specific and overall healthcare outcomes. Phone technologies are easily adapted to numerous settings and populations and are valuable tools in efforts to increase access to care. PMID:27347255

SU-F-BRA-16: Development of a Radiation Monitoring Device Using a Low-Cost CCD Camera Following Radionuclide Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taneja, S; Fru, L Che; Desai, V

Purpose: It is now commonplace to handle treatments of hyperthyroidism using iodine-131 as an outpatient procedure due to lower costs and less stringent federal regulations. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has currently updated release guidelines for these procedures, but there is still a large uncertainty in the dose to the public. Current guidelines to minimize dose to the public require patients to remain isolated after treatment. The purpose of this study was to use a low-cost common device, such as a cell phone, to estimate exposure emitted from a patient to the general public. Methods: Measurements were performed using an Applemore » iPhone 3GS and a Cs-137 irradiator. The charge-coupled device (CCD) camera on the phone was irradiated to exposure rates ranging from 0.1 mR/hr to 100 mR/hr and 30-sec videos were taken during irradiation with the camera lens covered by electrical tape. Interactions were detected as white pixels on a black background in each video. Both single threshold (ST) and colony counting (CC) methods were performed using MATLAB®. Calibration curves were determined by comparing the total pixel intensity output from each method to the known exposure rate. Results: The calibration curve showed a linear relationship above 5 mR/hr for both analysis techniques. The number of events counted per unit exposure rate within the linear region was 19.5 ± 0.7 events/mR and 8.9 ± 0.4 events/mR for the ST and CC methods respectively. Conclusion: Two algorithms were developed and show a linear relationship between photons detected by a CCD camera and low exposure rates, in the range of 5 mR/hr to 100-mR/hr. Future work aims to refine this model by investigating the dose-rate and energy dependencies of the camera response. This algorithm allows for quantitative monitoring of exposure from patients treated with iodine-131 using a simple device outside of the hospital.« less

Construction and validation of a low-cost surgical trainer based on iPhone technology for training laparoscopic skills.

PubMed

Pérez Escamirosa, Fernando; Ordorica Flores, Ricardo; Minor Martínez, Arturo

2015-04-01

In this article, we describe the construction and validation of a laparoscopic trainer using an iPhone 5 and a plastic document holder case. The abdominal cavity was simulated with a clear plastic document holder case. On 1 side of the case, 2 holes for entry of laparoscopic instruments were drilled. We added a window to place the camera of the iPhone, which works as our camera of the trainer. Twenty residents carried out 4 tasks using the iPhone Trainer and a physical laparoscopic trainer. The time of all tasks were analyzed with a simple paired t test. The construction of the trainer took 1 hour, with a cost of

Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers

PubMed Central

Klauer, Sheila G.; Guo, Feng; Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Ouimet, Marie Claude; Lee, Suzanne E.; Dingus, Thomas A.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Distracted driving attributable to the performance of secondary tasks is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes both among teenagers who are novice drivers and among adults who are experienced drivers. METHODS We conducted two studies on the relationship between the performance of secondary tasks, including cell-phone use, and the risk of crashes and near-crashes. To facilitate objective assessment, accelerometers, cameras, global positioning systems, and other sensors were installed in the vehicles of 42 newly licensed drivers (16.3 to 17.0 years of age) and 109 adults with more driving experience. RESULTS During the study periods, 167 crashes and near-crashes among novice drivers and 518 crashes and near-crashes among experienced drivers were identified. The risk of a crash or near-crash among novice drivers increased significantly if they were dialing a cell phone (odds ratio, 8.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.83 to 24.42), reaching for a cell phone (odds ratio, 7.05; 95% CI, 2.64 to 18.83), sending or receiving text messages (odds ratio, 3.87; 95% CI, 1.62 to 9.25), reaching for an object other than a cell phone (odds ratio, 8.00; 95% CI, 3.67 to 17.50), looking at a roadside object (odds ratio, 3.90; 95% CI, 1.72 to 8.81), or eating (odds ratio, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.30 to 6.91). Among experienced drivers, dialing a cell phone was associated with a significantly increased risk of a crash or near-crash (odds ratio, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.38 to 4.54); the risk associated with texting or accessing the Internet was not assessed in this population. The prevalence of high-risk attention to secondary tasks increased over time among novice drivers but not among experienced drivers. CONCLUSIONS The risk of a crash or near-crash among novice drivers increased with the performance of many secondary tasks, including texting and dialing cell phones. (Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.) PMID:24382065

Distracted driving and risk of road crashes among novice and experienced drivers.

PubMed

Klauer, Sheila G; Guo, Feng; Simons-Morton, Bruce G; Ouimet, Marie Claude; Lee, Suzanne E; Dingus, Thomas A

2014-01-02

Distracted driving attributable to the performance of secondary tasks is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes both among teenagers who are novice drivers and among adults who are experienced drivers. We conducted two studies on the relationship between the performance of secondary tasks, including cell-phone use, and the risk of crashes and near-crashes. To facilitate objective assessment, accelerometers, cameras, global positioning systems, and other sensors were installed in the vehicles of 42 newly licensed drivers (16.3 to 17.0 years of age) and 109 adults with more driving experience. During the study periods, 167 crashes and near-crashes among novice drivers and 518 crashes and near-crashes among experienced drivers were identified. The risk of a crash or near-crash among novice drivers increased significantly if they were dialing a cell phone (odds ratio, 8.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.83 to 24.42), reaching for a cell phone (odds ratio, 7.05; 95% CI, 2.64 to 18.83), sending or receiving text messages (odds ratio, 3.87; 95% CI, 1.62 to 9.25), reaching for an object other than a cell phone (odds ratio, 8.00; 95% CI, 3.67 to 17.50), looking at a roadside object (odds ratio, 3.90; 95% CI, 1.72 to 8.81), or eating (odds ratio, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.30 to 6.91). Among experienced drivers, dialing a cell phone was associated with a significantly increased risk of a crash or near-crash (odds ratio, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.38 to 4.54); the risk associated with texting or accessing the Internet was not assessed in this population. The prevalence of high-risk attention to secondary tasks increased over time among novice drivers but not among experienced drivers. The risk of a crash or near-crash among novice drivers increased with the performance of many secondary tasks, including texting and dialing cell phones. (Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.).

Architecture and Protocol of a Semantic System Designed for Video Tagging with Sensor Data in Mobile Devices

PubMed Central

Macias, Elsa; Lloret, Jaime; Suarez, Alvaro; Garcia, Miguel

2012-01-01

Current mobile phones come with several sensors and powerful video cameras. These video cameras can be used to capture good quality scenes, which can be complemented with the information gathered by the sensors also embedded in the phones. For example, the surroundings of a beach recorded by the camera of the mobile phone, jointly with the temperature of the site can let users know via the Internet if the weather is nice enough to swim. In this paper, we present a system that tags the video frames of the video recorded from mobile phones with the data collected by the embedded sensors. The tagged video is uploaded to a video server, which is placed on the Internet and is accessible by any user. The proposed system uses a semantic approach with the stored information in order to make easy and efficient video searches. Our experimental results show that it is possible to tag video frames in real time and send the tagged video to the server with very low packet delay variations. As far as we know there is not any other application developed as the one presented in this paper. PMID:22438753

Architecture and protocol of a semantic system designed for video tagging with sensor data in mobile devices.

PubMed

Macias, Elsa; Lloret, Jaime; Suarez, Alvaro; Garcia, Miguel

2012-01-01

Current mobile phones come with several sensors and powerful video cameras. These video cameras can be used to capture good quality scenes, which can be complemented with the information gathered by the sensors also embedded in the phones. For example, the surroundings of a beach recorded by the camera of the mobile phone, jointly with the temperature of the site can let users know via the Internet if the weather is nice enough to swim. In this paper, we present a system that tags the video frames of the video recorded from mobile phones with the data collected by the embedded sensors. The tagged video is uploaded to a video server, which is placed on the Internet and is accessible by any user. The proposed system uses a semantic approach with the stored information in order to make easy and efficient video searches. Our experimental results show that it is possible to tag video frames in real time and send the tagged video to the server with very low packet delay variations. As far as we know there is not any other application developed as the one presented in this paper.

Acceptability of the use of cellular telephone and computer pictures/video for "pill counts" in buprenorphine maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Welsh, Christopher

2016-01-01

As part of a comprehensive plan to attempt to minimize the diversion of prescribed controlled substances, many professional organization and licensing boards are recommending the use of "pill counts." This study sought to evaluate acceptability of the use of cellular phone and computer pictures/video for "pill counts" by patients in buprenorphine maintenance treatment. Patients prescribed buprenorphine/naloxone were asked a series of questions related to the type(s) of electronic communication to which they had access as well as their willingness to use these for the purpose of performing a "pill/film count." Of the 80 patients, 4 (5 percent) did not have a phone at all. Only 28 (35 percent) had a "smart phone" with some sort of data plan and Internet access. Forty (50 percent) of the patients had a phone with no camera and 10 (12.5 percent) had a phone with a camera but no video capability. All patients said that they would be willing to periodically use the video or camera on their phone or computer to have buprenorphine/naloxone pills or film counted as long as the communication was protected from electronic tampering. With the advent of applications for smart phones that allow for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996-compliant picture/video communication, a number of things can now be done that can enhance patient care as well as reduce the chances of misuse/diversion of prescribed medications. This could be used in settings where a larger proportion of controlled substances are prescribed including medication assisted therapy for opioid use disorders and pain management programs.

Mobile Phone Images and Video in Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekanayake, Sakunthala Yatigammana; Wishart, Jocelyn

2014-01-01

This article reports a study into how mobile phones could be used to enhance teaching and learning in secondary school science. It describes four lessons devised by groups of Sri Lankan teachers all of which centred on the use of the mobile phone cameras rather than their communication functions. A qualitative methodological approach was used to…

Practical aspects of modern interferometry for optical manufacturing quality control: Part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smythe, Robert

2012-07-01

Modern phase shifting interferometers enable the manufacture of optical systems that drive the global economy. Semiconductor chips, solid-state cameras, cell phone cameras, infrared imaging systems, space based satellite imaging and DVD and Blu-Ray disks are all enabled by phase shifting interferometers. Theoretical treatments of data analysis and instrument design advance the technology but often are not helpful towards the practical use of interferometers. An understanding of the parameters that drive system performance is critical to produce useful results. Any interferometer will produce a data map and results; this paper, in three parts, reviews some of the key issues to minimize error sources in that data and provide a valid measurement.

Practical aspects of modern interferometry for optical manufacturing quality control, Part 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smythe, Robert A.

2012-09-01

Modern phase shifting interferometers enable the manufacture of optical systems that drive the global economy. Semiconductor chips, solid-state cameras, cell phone cameras, infrared imaging systems, space-based satellite imaging, and DVD and Blu-Ray disks are all enabled by phase-shifting interferometers. Theoretical treatments of data analysis and instrument design advance the technology but often are not helpful toward the practical use of interferometers. An understanding of the parameters that drive the system performance is critical to produce useful results. Any interferometer will produce a data map and results; this paper, in three parts, reviews some of the key issues to minimize error sources in that data and provide a valid measurement.

Advanced imaging research and development at DARPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhar, Nibir K.; Dat, Ravi

2012-06-01

Advances in imaging technology have huge impact on our daily lives. Innovations in optics, focal plane arrays (FPA), microelectronics and computation have revolutionized camera design. As a result, new approaches to camera design and low cost manufacturing is now possible. These advances are clearly evident in visible wavelength band due to pixel scaling, improvements in silicon material and CMOS technology. CMOS cameras are available in cell phones and many other consumer products. Advances in infrared imaging technology have been slow due to market volume and many technological barriers in detector materials, optics and fundamental limits imposed by the scaling laws of optics. There is of course much room for improvements in both, visible and infrared imaging technology. This paper highlights various technology development projects at DARPA to advance the imaging technology for both, visible and infrared. Challenges and potentials solutions are highlighted in areas related to wide field-of-view camera design, small pitch pixel, broadband and multiband detectors and focal plane arrays.

76 FR 57941 - Retrospective Review Under E.O. 13563: Cargo Preference

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-19

... attendees are encouraged to limit bags and other items (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, cameras, etc.) they... phone [See also Registration]. Agenda released on regs.dot.gov September 28, 2011. and MarAd Web site...

Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor Based on Smart Phone Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yun; Liu, Qiang; Chen, Shimeng; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Hanqi; Peng, Wei

2015-08-01

We demonstrate a fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on smart phone platforms. The light-weight optical components and sensing element are connected by optical fibers on a phone case. This SPR adaptor can be conveniently installed or removed from smart phones. The measurement, control and reference channels are illuminated by the light entering the lead-in fibers from the phone’s LED flash, while the light from the end faces of the lead-out fibers is detected by the phone’s camera. The SPR-sensing element is fabricated by a light-guiding silica capillary that is stripped off its cladding and coated with 50-nm gold film. Utilizing a smart application to extract the light intensity information from the camera images, the light intensities of each channel are recorded every 0.5 s with refractive index (RI) changes. The performance of the smart phone-based SPR platform for accurate and repeatable measurements was evaluated by detecting different concentrations of antibody binding to a functionalized sensing element, and the experiment results were validated through contrast experiments with a commercial SPR instrument. This cost-effective and portable SPR biosensor based on smart phones has many applications, such as medicine, health and environmental monitoring.

It's not the pixel count, you fool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriss, Michael A.

2012-01-01

The first thing a "marketing guy" asks the digital camera engineer is "how many pixels does it have, for we need as many mega pixels as possible since the other guys are killing us with their "umpteen" mega pixel pocket sized digital cameras. And so it goes until the pixels get smaller and smaller in order to inflate the pixel count in the never-ending pixel-wars. These small pixels just are not very good. The truth of the matter is that the most important feature of digital cameras in the last five years is the automatic motion control to stabilize the image on the sensor along with some very sophisticated image processing. All the rest has been hype and some "cool" design. What is the future for digital imaging and what will drive growth of camera sales (not counting the cell phone cameras which totally dominate the market in terms of camera sales) and more importantly after sales profits? Well sit in on the Dark Side of Color and find out what is being done to increase the after sales profits and don't be surprised if has been done long ago in some basement lab of a photographic company and of course, before its time.

Magnetic Lateral Flow Strip for the Detection of Cocaine in Urine by Naked Eyes and Smart Phone Camera.

PubMed

Wu, Jing; Dong, Mingling; Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Yu; Xie, Mengxia; Chen, Yiping

2017-06-05

Magnetic lateral flow strip (MLFS) based on magnetic bead (MB) and smart phone camera has been developed for quantitative detection of cocaine (CC) in urine samples. CC and CC-bovine serum albumin (CC-BSA) could competitively react with MB-antibody (MB-Ab) of CC on the surface of test line of MLFS. The color of MB-Ab conjugate on the test line relates to the concentration of target in the competition immunoassay format, which can be used as a visual signal. Furthermore, the color density of the MB-Ab conjugate can be transferred into digital signal (gray value) by a smart phone, which can be used as a quantitative signal. The linear detection range for CC is 5-500 ng/mL and the relative standard deviations are under 10%. The visual limit of detection was 5 ng/mL and the whole analysis time was within 10 min. The MLFS has been successfully employed for the detection of CC in urine samples without sample pre-treatment and the result is also agreed to that of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With the popularization of smart phone cameras, the MLFS has large potential in the detection of drug residues in virtue of its stability, speediness, and low-cost.

How Phoenix Creates Color Images (Animation)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on image for animation

This simple animation shows how a color image is made from images taken by Phoenix.

The Surface Stereo Imager captures the same scene with three different filters. The images are sent to Earth in black and white and the color is added by mission scientists.

By contrast, consumer digital cameras and cell phones have filters built in and do all of the color processing within the camera itself.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASAaE(TM)s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Anti-Hassle Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

With assistance from NASA's Ames Research Center, the iTV Corporation has developed a full custom microprocessor that enables access to the Internet through a $49 device. The microprocessor is supported with a compliment of design tools for customization and adaptation as either a licensable core or as a complete microprocessor. Other uses include cell phones, DVD (digital versatile disk) players, cable modems, video conferencing equipment, digital cameras, wireless LANs (Local Area Network) and WANs (Wide Area Network). iTV continues to design new, low-cost consumer products.

Naval War College Review. Volume 60, Number 3, Summer 2007

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

you a new idea, and in that context it is interesting to think for a moment about the name of this beautiful , small town on the Narragansett Bay. It is...at everyone’s fingertips • Exploding Internet with bloggers , hackers, and chat rooms • Cell-phone cameras and recorders, making everyone a “reporter...simply The Road, and it is notable in every sense, most particularly for the heartbreaking beauty of its poetic language and as well for the utterly

Situational Awareness from a Low-Cost Camera System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freudinger, Lawrence C.; Ward, David; Lesage, John

2010-01-01

A method gathers scene information from a low-cost camera system. Existing surveillance systems using sufficient cameras for continuous coverage of a large field necessarily generate enormous amounts of raw data. Digitizing and channeling that data to a central computer and processing it in real time is difficult when using low-cost, commercially available components. A newly developed system is located on a combined power and data wire to form a string-of-lights camera system. Each camera is accessible through this network interface using standard TCP/IP networking protocols. The cameras more closely resemble cell-phone cameras than traditional security camera systems. Processing capabilities are built directly onto the camera backplane, which helps maintain a low cost. The low power requirements of each camera allow the creation of a single imaging system comprising over 100 cameras. Each camera has built-in processing capabilities to detect events and cooperatively share this information with neighboring cameras. The location of the event is reported to the host computer in Cartesian coordinates computed from data correlation across multiple cameras. In this way, events in the field of view can present low-bandwidth information to the host rather than high-bandwidth bitmap data constantly being generated by the cameras. This approach offers greater flexibility than conventional systems, without compromising performance through using many small, low-cost cameras with overlapping fields of view. This means significant increased viewing without ignoring surveillance areas, which can occur when pan, tilt, and zoom cameras look away. Additionally, due to the sharing of a single cable for power and data, the installation costs are lower. The technology is targeted toward 3D scene extraction and automatic target tracking for military and commercial applications. Security systems and environmental/ vehicular monitoring systems are also potential applications.

One-click scanning of large-size documents using mobile phone camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Sijiang; Jiang, Bo; Yang, Yuanjie

2016-07-01

Currently mobile apps for document scanning do not provide convenient operations to tackle large-size documents. In this paper, we present a one-click scanning approach for large-size documents using mobile phone camera. After capturing a continuous video of documents, our approach automatically extracts several key frames by optical flow analysis. Then based on key frames, a mobile GPU based image stitching method is adopted to generate a completed document image with high details. There are no extra manual intervention in the process and experimental results show that our app performs well, showing convenience and practicability for daily life.

Data upload capability of 3G mobile phones.

PubMed

Moon, Jon K; Barden, Charles M; Wohlers, Erica M

2009-01-01

Mobile phones are becoming an important platform to measure free-living energy balance and to support weight management therapies. Sensor data, camera images and user input are needed by clinicians and researchers in close to real time. We assessed upload (reverse link) data transport rates for 2007-2008 model mobile phones on two major US wireless systems. Even the slowest phone (EVDO Rev 0) reliably uploaded 40 MB of data in less than 1 h. More than 95% of file uploads were successful in tests that simulated normal phone use over 3 d. Practical bandwidth and data currency from typical smart phones will likely keep pace with the data needs of energy balance studies and weight management therapy.

Audiovisual quality estimation of mobile phone video cameras with interpretation-based quality approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radun, Jenni E.; Virtanen, Toni; Olives, Jean-Luc; Vaahteranoksa, Mikko; Vuori, Tero; Nyman, Göte

2007-01-01

We present an effective method for comparing subjective audiovisual quality and the features related to the quality changes of different video cameras. Both quantitative estimation of overall quality and qualitative description of critical quality features are achieved by the method. The aim was to combine two image quality evaluation methods, the quantitative Absolute Category Rating (ACR) method with hidden reference removal and the qualitative Interpretation- Based Quality (IBQ) method in order to see how they complement each other in audiovisual quality estimation tasks. 26 observers estimated the audiovisual quality of six different cameras, mainly mobile phone video cameras. In order to achieve an efficient subjective estimation of audiovisual quality, only two contents with different quality requirements were recorded with each camera. The results show that the subjectively important quality features were more related to the overall estimations of cameras' visual video quality than to the features related to sound. The data demonstrated two significant quality dimensions related to visual quality: darkness and sharpness. We conclude that the qualitative methodology can complement quantitative quality estimations also with audiovisual material. The IBQ approach is valuable especially, when the induced quality changes are multidimensional.

Smart-Phone Based Magnetic Levitation for Measuring Densities

PubMed Central

Knowlton, Stephanie; Yu, Chu Hsiang; Jain, Nupur

2015-01-01

Magnetic levitation, which uses a magnetic field to suspend objects in a fluid, is a powerful and versatile technology. We develop a compact magnetic levitation platform compatible with a smart-phone to separate micro-objects and estimate the density of the sample based on its levitation height. A 3D printed attachment is mechanically installed over the existing camera unit of a smart-phone. Micro-objects, which may be either spherical or irregular in shape, are suspended in a paramagnetic medium and loaded in a microcapillary tube which is then inserted between two permanent magnets. The micro-objects are levitated and confined in the microcapillary at an equilibrium height dependent on their volumetric mass densities (causing a buoyancy force toward the edge of the microcapillary) and magnetic susceptibilities (causing a magnetic force toward the center of the microcapillary) relative to the suspending medium. The smart-phone camera captures magnified images of the levitating micro-objects through an additional lens positioned between the sample and the camera lens cover. A custom-developed Android application then analyzes these images to determine the levitation height and estimate the density. Using this platform, we were able to separate microspheres with varying densities and calibrate their levitation heights to known densities to develop a technique for precise and accurate density estimation. We have also characterized the magnetic field, the optical imaging capabilities, and the thermal state over time of this platform. PMID:26308615

Smart-Phone Based Magnetic Levitation for Measuring Densities.

PubMed

Knowlton, Stephanie; Yu, Chu Hsiang; Jain, Nupur; Ghiran, Ionita Calin; Tasoglu, Savas

2015-01-01

Magnetic levitation, which uses a magnetic field to suspend objects in a fluid, is a powerful and versatile technology. We develop a compact magnetic levitation platform compatible with a smart-phone to separate micro-objects and estimate the density of the sample based on its levitation height. A 3D printed attachment is mechanically installed over the existing camera unit of a smart-phone. Micro-objects, which may be either spherical or irregular in shape, are suspended in a paramagnetic medium and loaded in a microcapillary tube which is then inserted between two permanent magnets. The micro-objects are levitated and confined in the microcapillary at an equilibrium height dependent on their volumetric mass densities (causing a buoyancy force toward the edge of the microcapillary) and magnetic susceptibilities (causing a magnetic force toward the center of the microcapillary) relative to the suspending medium. The smart-phone camera captures magnified images of the levitating micro-objects through an additional lens positioned between the sample and the camera lens cover. A custom-developed Android application then analyzes these images to determine the levitation height and estimate the density. Using this platform, we were able to separate microspheres with varying densities and calibrate their levitation heights to known densities to develop a technique for precise and accurate density estimation. We have also characterized the magnetic field, the optical imaging capabilities, and the thermal state over time of this platform.

Non-Invasive Detection of Anaemia Using Digital Photographs of the Conjunctiva.

PubMed

Collings, Shaun; Thompson, Oliver; Hirst, Evan; Goossens, Louise; George, Anup; Weinkove, Robert

2016-01-01

Anaemia is a major health burden worldwide. Although the finding of conjunctival pallor on clinical examination is associated with anaemia, inter-observer variability is high, and definitive diagnosis of anaemia requires a blood sample. We aimed to detect anaemia by quantifying conjunctival pallor using digital photographs taken with a consumer camera and a popular smartphone. Our goal was to develop a non-invasive screening test for anaemia. The conjunctivae of haemato-oncology in- and outpatients were photographed in ambient lighting using a digital camera (Panasonic DMC-LX5), and the internal rear-facing camera of a smartphone (Apple iPhone 5S) alongside an in-frame calibration card. Following image calibration, conjunctival erythema index (EI) was calculated and correlated with laboratory-measured haemoglobin concentration. Three clinicians independently evaluated each image for conjunctival pallor. Conjunctival EI was reproducible between images (average coefficient of variation 2.96%). EI of the palpebral conjunctiva correlated more strongly with haemoglobin concentration than that of the forniceal conjunctiva. Using the compact camera, palpebral conjunctival EI had a sensitivity of 93% and 57% and specificity of 78% and 83% for detection of anaemia (haemoglobin < 110 g/L) in training and internal validation sets, respectively. Similar results were found using the iPhone camera, though the EI cut-off value differed. Conjunctival EI analysis compared favourably with clinician assessment, with a higher positive likelihood ratio for prediction of anaemia. Erythema index of the palpebral conjunctiva calculated from images taken with a compact camera or mobile phone correlates with haemoglobin and compares favourably to clinician assessment for prediction of anaemia. If confirmed in further series, this technique may be useful for the non-invasive screening for anaemia.

Comparing handheld and hands-free cell phone usage behaviors while driving.

PubMed

Soccolich, Susan A; Fitch, Gregory M; Perez, Miguel A; Hanowski, Richard J

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to compare cell phone usage behaviors while driving across 3 types of cell phones: handheld (HH) cell phones, portable hands-free (PHF) cell phones, and integrated hands-free (IHF) cell phones. Naturalistic driving data were used to observe HH, PHF, and IHF usage behaviors in participants' own vehicles without any instructions or manipulations by researchers. In addition to naturalistic driving data, drivers provided their personal cell phone call records. Calls during driving were sampled and observed in naturalistically collected video. Calls were reviewed to identify cell phone type used for, and duration of, cell phone subtasks, non-cell phone secondary tasks, and other use behaviors. Drivers in the study self-identified as HH, PHF, or IHF users if they reported using that cell phone type at least 50% of the time. However, each sampled call was classified as HH, PHF, or IHF if the talking/listening subtask was conducted using that cell phone type, without considering the driver's self-reported group. Drivers with PHF or IHF systems also used HH cell phones (IHF group used HH cell phone in 53.2% of the interactions, PHF group used HH cell phone for 55.5% of interactions). Talking/listening on a PHF phone or an IHF phone was significantly longer than talking/listening on an HH phone (P <.05). HH dialing was significantly longer in duration than PHF or IHF begin/answer tasks. End phone call task for HH phones was significantly longer in duration than the end phone call task for PHF and IHF phones. Of all the non-cell phone-related secondary tasks, eating or drinking was found to occur significantly more often during IHF subtasks (0.58%) than in HH subtasks (0.15%). Drivers observed to reach for their cell phone mostly kept their cell phone in the cup holder (36.3%) or in their seat or lap (29.0% of interactions); however, some observed locations may have required drivers to move out of position. Hands-free cell phone technologies reduce the duration of cell phone visual-manual tasks compared to handheld cell phones. However, drivers with hands-free cell phone technologies available to them still choose to use handheld cell phones to converse or complete cell phone visual-manual tasks for a noteworthy portion of interactions.

Mechanically assisted liquid lens zoom system for mobile phone cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wippermann, F. C.; Schreiber, P.; Bräuer, A.; Berge, B.

2006-08-01

Camera systems with small form factor are an integral part of today's mobile phones which recently feature auto focus functionality. Ready to market solutions without moving parts have been developed by using the electrowetting technology. Besides virtually no deterioration, easy control electronics and simple and therefore cost-effective fabrication, this type of liquid lenses enables extremely fast settling times compared to mechanical approaches. As a next evolutionary step mobile phone cameras will be equipped with zoom functionality. We present first order considerations for the optical design of a miniaturized zoom system based on liquid-lenses and compare it to its mechanical counterpart. We propose a design of a zoom lens with a zoom factor of 2.5 considering state-of-the-art commercially available liquid lens products. The lens possesses auto focus capability and is based on liquid lenses and one additional mechanical actuator. The combination of liquid lenses and a single mechanical actuator enables extremely short settling times of about 20ms for the auto focus and a simplified mechanical system design leading to lower production cost and longer life time. The camera system has a mechanical outline of 24mm in length and 8mm in diameter. The lens with f/# 3.5 provides market relevant optical performance and is designed for an image circle of 6.25mm (1/2.8" format sensor).

Novel Robotic Tools for Piping Inspection and Repair, Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-13

35 Figure 57 - Accowle ODVS cross section and reflective path ......................................... 36 Figure 58 - Leopard Imaging HD...mounted to iPhone ............................................................................. 39 Figure 63 - Kogeto mounted to Leopard Imaging HD...40 Figure 65 - Leopard Imaging HD camera pipe test (letters) ............................................. 40 Figure 66 - Leopard Imaging HD camera

Identification of Mobile Phone and Analysis of Original Version of Videos through a Delay Time Analysis of Sound Signals from Mobile Phone Videos.

PubMed

Hwang, Min Gu; Har, Dong Hwan

2017-11-01

This study designs a method of identifying the camera model used to take videos that are distributed through mobile phones and determines the original version of the mobile phone video for use as legal evidence. For this analysis, an experiment was conducted to find the unique characteristics of each mobile phone. The videos recorded by mobile phones were analyzed to establish the delay time of sound signals, and the differences between the delay times of sound signals for different mobile phones were traced by classifying their characteristics. Furthermore, the sound input signals for mobile phone videos used as legal evidence were analyzed to ascertain whether they have the unique characteristics of the original version. The objective of this study was to find a method for validating the use of mobile phone videos as legal evidence using mobile phones through differences in the delay times of sound input signals. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Non Volatile Flash Memory Radiation Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irom, Farokh; Nguyen, Duc N.; Allen, Greg

2012-01-01

Commercial flash memory industry has experienced a fast growth in the recent years, because of their wide spread usage in cell phones, mp3 players and digital cameras. On the other hand, there has been increased interest in the use of high density commercial nonvolatile flash memories in space because of ever increasing data requirements and strict power requirements. Because of flash memories complex structure; they cannot be treated as just simple memories in regards to testing and analysis. It becomes quite challenging to determine how they will respond in radiation environments.

Keeping Students and Staff Safe from Technology Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruder, Robert

2009-01-01

With the number of students who own cellular phones increasing at a dazzling rate, designing a school district-wide multilevel firewall to address electronic intrusions is a prudent course of action. In addition to invading a student's privacy in a locker room or bathroom, students can use camera phones to cheat on tests. Students can photograph a…

Surveillance study of bacterial contamination of the parent's cell phone in the NICU and the effectiveness of an anti-microbial gel in reducing transmission to the hands.

PubMed

Beckstrom, A C; Cleman, P E; Cassis-Ghavami, F L; Kamitsuka, M D

2013-12-01

To determine the bacterial contamination rate of the parent's cell phone and the effectiveness of anti-microbial gel in reducing transmission of bacteria from cell phone to hands. Cross-sectional study of cultures from the cell phone and hands before and after applying anti-microbial gel (n=50). All cell phones demonstrated bacterial contamination. Ninety percent had the same bacteria on the cell phone and their cleaned hands. Twenty two percent had no growth on their hands after applying anti-microbial gel after they had the same bacteria on the cell phone and hands. Ninety-two percent of parents were aware that cell phones carried bacteria, but only 38% cleaned their cell phones at least weekly. Bacterial contamination of cell phones may serve as vectors for nosocomial infection in the neonatal intensive care unit. Bacteria transmitted from cell phone to hands may not be eliminated using anti-microbial gel. Development of hand hygiene and cell phone cleaning guidelines are needed regarding bedside cell phone use.

The use of vision-based image quality metrics to predict low-light performance of camera phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hultgren, B.; Hertel, D.

2010-01-01

Small digital camera modules such as those in mobile phones have become ubiquitous. Their low-light performance is of utmost importance since a high percentage of images are made under low lighting conditions where image quality failure may occur due to blur, noise, and/or underexposure. These modes of image degradation are not mutually exclusive: they share common roots in the physics of the imager, the constraints of image processing, and the general trade-off situations in camera design. A comprehensive analysis of failure modes is needed in order to understand how their interactions affect overall image quality. Low-light performance is reported for DSLR, point-and-shoot, and mobile phone cameras. The measurements target blur, noise, and exposure error. Image sharpness is evaluated from three different physical measurements: static spatial frequency response, handheld motion blur, and statistical information loss due to image processing. Visual metrics for sharpness, graininess, and brightness are calculated from the physical measurements, and displayed as orthogonal image quality metrics to illustrate the relative magnitude of image quality degradation as a function of subject illumination. The impact of each of the three sharpness measurements on overall sharpness quality is displayed for different light levels. The power spectrum of the statistical information target is a good representation of natural scenes, thus providing a defined input signal for the measurement of power-spectrum based signal-to-noise ratio to characterize overall imaging performance.

Use of a smart phone based thermo camera for skin prick allergy testing: a feasibility study (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barla, Lindi; Verdaasdonk, Rudolf M.; Rustemeyer, Thomas; Klaessens, John; van der Veen, Albert

2016-02-01

Allergy testing is usually performed by exposing the skin to small quantities of potential allergens on the inner forearm and scratching the protective epidermis to increase exposure. After 15 minutes the dermatologist performs a visual check for swelling and erythema which is subjective and difficult for e.g. dark skin types. A small smart phone based thermo camera (FLIR One) was used to obtain quantitative images in a feasibility study of 17 patients Directly after allergen exposure on the forearm, thermal images were captured at 30 seconds interval and processed to a time lapse movie over 15 minutes. Considering the 'subjective' reading of the dermatologist as golden standard, in 11/17 pts (65%) the evaluation of dermatologist was confirmed by the thermo camera including 5 of 6 patients without allergic response. In 7 patients thermo showed additional spots. Of the 342 sites tested, the dermatologist detected 47 allergies of which 28 (60%) were confirmed by thermo imaging while thermo imaging showed 12 additional spots. The method can be improved with user dedicated acquisition software and better registration between normal and thermal images. The lymphatic reaction seems to shift from the original puncture site. The interpretation of the thermal images is still subjective since collecting quantitative data is difficult due to motion patient during 15 minutes. Although not yet conclusive, thermal imaging shows to be promising to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of allergy testing using a smart phone based camera.

The future of consumer cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battiato, Sebastiano; Moltisanti, Marco

2015-03-01

In the last two decades multimedia, and in particular imaging devices (camcorders, tablets, mobile phones, etc.) have been dramatically diffused. Moreover the increasing of their computational performances, combined with an higher storage capability, allows them to process large amount of data. In this paper an overview of the current trends of consumer cameras market and technology will be given, providing also some details about the recent past (from Digital Still Camera up today) and forthcoming key issues.

Measurement of soil color: a comparison between smartphone camera and the Munsell color charts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil color is one of the most valuable soil properties for assessing and monitoring soil health. Here we present the results of tests of a new soil color app for mobile phones. The comparisons include various smartphones cameras under different natural illumination conditions (sunny and cloudy) and ...

The Cyborg Astrobiologist: testing a novelty detection algorithm on two mobile exploration systems at Rivas Vaciamadrid in Spain and at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGuire, P. C.; Gross, C.; Wendt, L.; Bonnici, A.; Souza-Egipsy, V.; Ormö, J.; Díaz-Martínez, E.; Foing, B. H.; Bose, R.; Walter, S.; Oesker, M.; Ontrup, J.; Haschke, R.; Ritter, H.

2010-01-01

In previous work, a platform was developed for testing computer-vision algorithms for robotic planetary exploration. This platform consisted of a digital video camera connected to a wearable computer for real-time processing of images at geological and astrobiological field sites. The real-time processing included image segmentation and the generation of interest points based upon uncommonness in the segmentation maps. Also in previous work, this platform for testing computer-vision algorithms has been ported to a more ergonomic alternative platform, consisting of a phone camera connected via the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network to a remote-server computer. The wearable-computer platform has been tested at geological and astrobiological field sites in Spain (Rivas Vaciamadrid and Riba de Santiuste), and the phone camera has been tested at a geological field site in Malta. In this work, we (i) apply a Hopfield neural-network algorithm for novelty detection based upon colour, (ii) integrate a field-capable digital microscope on the wearable computer platform, (iii) test this novelty detection with the digital microscope at Rivas Vaciamadrid, (iv) develop a Bluetooth communication mode for the phone-camera platform, in order to allow access to a mobile processing computer at the field sites, and (v) test the novelty detection on the Bluetooth-enabled phone camera connected to a netbook computer at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. This systems engineering and field testing have together allowed us to develop a real-time computer-vision system that is capable, for example, of identifying lichens as novel within a series of images acquired in semi-arid desert environments. We acquired sequences of images of geologic outcrops in Utah and Spain consisting of various rock types and colours to test this algorithm. The algorithm robustly recognized previously observed units by their colour, while requiring only a single image or a few images to learn colours as familiar, demonstrating its fast learning capability.

Endockscope: using mobile technology to create global point of service endoscopy.

PubMed

Sohn, William; Shreim, Samir; Yoon, Renai; Huynh, Victor B; Dash, Atreya; Clayman, Ralph; Lee, Hak J

2013-09-01

Recent advances and the widespread availability of smartphones have ushered in a new wave of innovations in healthcare. We present our initial experience with Endockscope, a new docking system that optimizes the coupling of the iPhone 4S with modern endoscopes. Using the United States Air Force resolution target, we compared the image resolution (line pairs/mm) of a flexible cystoscope coupled to the Endockscope+iPhone to the Storz high definition (HD) camera (H3-Z Versatile). We then used the Munsell ColorChecker chart to compare the color resolution with a 0° laparoscope. Furthermore, 12 expert endoscopists blindly compared and evaluated images from a porcine model using a cystoscope and ureteroscope for both systems. Finally, we also compared the cost (average of two company listed prices) and weight (lb) of the two systems. Overall, the image resolution allowed by the Endockscope was identical to the traditional HD camera (4.49 vs 4.49 lp/mm). Red (ΔE=9.26 vs 9.69) demonstrated better color resolution for iPhone, but green (ΔE=7.76 vs 10.95), and blue (ΔE=12.35 vs 14.66) revealed better color resolution with the Storz HD camera. Expert reviews of cystoscopic images acquired with the HD camera were superior in image, color, and overall quality (P=0.002, 0.042, and 0.003). In contrast, the ureteroscopic reviews yielded no statistical difference in image, color, and overall (P=1, 0.203, and 0.120) quality. The overall cost of the Endockscope+iPhone was $154 compared with $46,623 for a standard HD system. The weight of the mobile-coupled system was 0.47 lb and 1.01 lb for the Storz HD camera. Endockscope demonstrated feasibility of coupling endoscopes to a smartphone. The lighter and inexpensive Endockscope acquired images of the same resolution and acceptable color resolution. When evaluated by expert endoscopists, the quality of the images overall were equivalent for flexible ureteroscopy and somewhat inferior, but still acceptable for flexible cystoscopy.

Endockscope: Using Mobile Technology to Create Global Point of Service Endoscopy

PubMed Central

Sohn, William; Shreim, Samir; Yoon, Renai; Huynh, Victor B.; Dash, Atreya; Clayman, Ralph

2013-01-01

Abstract Background and Purpose Recent advances and the widespread availability of smartphones have ushered in a new wave of innovations in healthcare. We present our initial experience with Endockscope, a new docking system that optimizes the coupling of the iPhone 4S with modern endoscopes. Materials and Methods Using the United States Air Force resolution target, we compared the image resolution (line pairs/mm) of a flexible cystoscope coupled to the Endockscope+iPhone to the Storz high definition (HD) camera (H3-Z Versatile). We then used the Munsell ColorChecker chart to compare the color resolution with a 0° laparoscope. Furthermore, 12 expert endoscopists blindly compared and evaluated images from a porcine model using a cystoscope and ureteroscope for both systems. Finally, we also compared the cost (average of two company listed prices) and weight (lb) of the two systems. Results Overall, the image resolution allowed by the Endockscope was identical to the traditional HD camera (4.49 vs 4.49 lp/mm). Red (ΔE=9.26 vs 9.69) demonstrated better color resolution for iPhone, but green (ΔE=7.76 vs 10.95), and blue (ΔE=12.35 vs 14.66) revealed better color resolution with the Storz HD camera. Expert reviews of cystoscopic images acquired with the HD camera were superior in image, color, and overall quality (P=0.002, 0.042, and 0.003). In contrast, the ureteroscopic reviews yielded no statistical difference in image, color, and overall (P=1, 0.203, and 0.120) quality. The overall cost of the Endockscope+iPhone was $154 compared with $46,623 for a standard HD system. The weight of the mobile-coupled system was 0.47 lb and 1.01 lb for the Storz HD camera. Conclusion Endockscope demonstrated feasibility of coupling endoscopes to a smartphone. The lighter and inexpensive Endockscope acquired images of the same resolution and acceptable color resolution. When evaluated by expert endoscopists, the quality of the images overall were equivalent for flexible ureteroscopy and somewhat inferior, but still acceptable for flexible cystoscopy. PMID:23701228

Cyber Bullying: An Old Problem in a New Guise?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Marilyn A.

2005-01-01

Although technology provides numerous benefits to young people, it also has a "dark side", as it can be used for harm, not only by some adults but also by the young people themselves. E-mail, texting, chat rooms, mobile phones, mobile phone cameras and web sites can and are being used by young people to bully peers. It is now a global…

Cell-phone use and self-reported hypertension: national health interview survey 2008.

PubMed

Suresh, Sivaranjani; Sabanayagam, Charumathi; Kalidindi, Sita; Shankar, Anoop

2011-01-01

Background. Cell-phone usage has increased dramatically over the last decade, along with a rising public concern over the health effects of using this device. The association between cell-phone usage and hypertension has not been examined before. Methods. We analysed data from 21,135 adults aged ≥18 years who participated in the 2008 National Health Interview Survey. Based on reported cell-phone use, participants were categorized as cell-phone nonusers, predominantly landline users, dual users of cell phone and landline, and predominantly cell-phone users. The main outcome of interest was self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension (n = 6,793). Results. 43.5% of the participants were cell-phone nonusers, while 13.8% were predominantly cell-phone users. We found that cell-phone use was inversely associated with hypertension, independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity. Compared to cell-phone nonusers, the multivariable odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hypertension was 0.86 (0.75-0.98, P trend  =  .005) among predominantly cell-phone users. This inverse association between cell-phone use and hypertension was stronger in women, those aged <60 years, whites, and those with BMI <25 kg/m(2). Conclusion. We found that cell-phone usage was protectively associated with self-reported hypertension in a nationally representative sample of US adults.

Cell-Phone Use and Self-Reported Hypertension: National Health Interview Survey 2008

PubMed Central

Suresh, Sivaranjani; Sabanayagam, Charumathi; Kalidindi, Sita; Shankar, Anoop

2011-01-01

Background. Cell-phone usage has increased dramatically over the last decade, along with a rising public concern over the health effects of using this device. The association between cell-phone usage and hypertension has not been examined before. Methods. We analysed data from 21,135 adults aged ≥18 years who participated in the 2008 National Health Interview Survey. Based on reported cell-phone use, participants were categorized as cell-phone nonusers, predominantly landline users, dual users of cell phone and landline, and predominantly cell-phone users. The main outcome of interest was self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension (n = 6,793). Results. 43.5% of the participants were cell-phone nonusers, while 13.8% were predominantly cell-phone users. We found that cell-phone use was inversely associated with hypertension, independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity. Compared to cell-phone nonusers, the multivariable odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hypertension was 0.86 (0.75–0.98, P trend  =  .005) among predominantly cell-phone users. This inverse association between cell-phone use and hypertension was stronger in women, those aged <60 years, whites, and those with BMI <25 kg/m2. Conclusion. We found that cell-phone usage was protectively associated with self-reported hypertension in a nationally representative sample of US adults. PMID:21629867

Cell-phone-based measurement of TSH using Mie scatter optimized lateral flow assays.

PubMed

You, David J; Park, Tu San; Yoon, Jeong-Yeol

2013-02-15

Semi-quantitative thyr oid stimulating hormone (TSH) lateral flow immunochromatographic assays (LFA) are used to screen for serum TSH concentration >5 mIUL(-1) (hypothyroidism). The LFA format, however, is unable to measure TSH in the normal range or detect suppressed levels of TSH (<0.4 mIU L(-1); hyperthyroidism). In fact, it does not provide quantitative TSH values at all. Obtaining quantitative TSH results, especially in the low concentration range, has until now required the use of centralized clinical laboratories which require specimen transport, specialized equipment and personnel, and result in increased cost and delays in the timely reporting of important clinical results. We have conducted a series of experiments to develop and validate an optical system and image analysis algorithm based upon a cell phone platform. It is able to provide point-of-care quantitative TSH results with a high level of sensitivity and reproducibility comparable to that of a clinical laboratory-based third-generation TSH immunoassay. Our research approach uses the methodology of the optimized Rayleigh/Mie scatter detection by taking into consideration the optical characteristics of a nitrocellulose membrane and gold nanoparticles on an LFA for quantifying TSH levels. Using a miniature spectrometer, LED light source, and optical fibers on a rotating benchtop apparatus, the light intensity from different angles of incident light and angles of detection to the LFA were measured. The optimum angles were found that the minimized Mie scattering from nitrocellulose membrane, consequently maximizes the Rayleigh scatter detection from the gold nanoparticles in the LFA bands. Using the results from the benchtop apparatus, a cell-phone-based apparatus was designed which utilized the embedded flash in the cell phone camera as the light source, piped the light with an optical fiber from the flash through a collimating lens to illuminate the LFA. Quantification of TSH was performed in an iOS application directly on the phone and verified using the code written in MATLAB. The limit of detection of the system was determined to be 0.31 mIU L(-1) (never achieved before on an LFA format), below the commonly accepted minimum concentration of 0.4 mIU L(-1) indicating clinical significance of hyperthyroidism. The system was further evaluated using human serum showing an accurate and reproducible platform for rapid and point-of-care quantification of TSH using a cell phone. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cell Phone Information Seeking Explains Blood Pressure in African American Women.

PubMed

Jones, Lenette M; Veinot, Tiffany C; Pressler, Susan J

2018-05-01

Although cell phone use and Internet access via cell phone is not marked by racial disparities, little is known about how cell phone use relates to blood pressure and health information seeking behaviors. The purposes of this study were to (a) describe Internet activities, cell phone use, and information seeking; (b) determine differences in blood pressure and information seeking between cell phone information seekers and nonseekers; and (c) examine cell phone information seeking as a predictor of blood pressure in African American women. Participants ( N = 147) completed a survey and had their blood pressure measured. Independent-sample t tests showed a significant difference in systolic blood pressure in cell phone information seekers and nonseekers. Linear regression revealed cell phone information seeking as an independent predictor of systolic blood pressure, despite confounders. It is possible that cell phone information seekers were using health information to make decisions about self-management of blood pressure.

Albumin testing in urine using a smart-phone

PubMed Central

Coskun, Ahmet F.; Nagi, Richie; Sadeghi, Kayvon; Phillips, Stephen; Ozcan, Aydogan

2013-01-01

We demonstrate a digital sensing platform, termed Albumin Tester, running on a smart-phone that images and automatically analyses fluorescent assays confined within disposable test tubes for sensitive and specific detection of albumin in urine. This light-weight and compact Albumin Tester attachment, weighing approximately 148 grams, is mechanically installed on the existing camera unit of a smart-phone, where test and control tubes are inserted from the side and are excited by a battery powered laser diode. This excitation beam, after probing the sample of interest located within the test tube, interacts with the control tube, and the resulting fluorescent emission is collected perpendicular to the direction of the excitation, where the cellphone camera captures the images of the fluorescent tubes through the use of an external plastic lens that is inserted between the sample and the camera lens. The acquired fluorescent images of the sample and control tubes are digitally processed within one second through an Android application running on the same cellphone for quantification of albumin concentration in urine specimen of interest. Using a simple sample preparation approach which takes ~ 5 minutes per test (including the incubation time), we experimentally confirmed the detection limit of our sensing platform as 5–10 μg/mL (which is more than 3 times lower than clinically accepted normal range) in buffer as well as urine samples. This automated albumin testing tool running on a smart-phone could be useful for early diagnosis of kidney disease or for monitoring of chronic patients, especially those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and/or cardiovascular diseases. PMID:23995895

a Novel Approach to Camera Calibration Method for Smart Phones Under Road Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Bijun; Zhou, Jian; Ye, Maosheng; Guo, Yuan

2016-06-01

Monocular vision-based lane departure warning system has been increasingly used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). By the use of the lane mark detection and identification, we proposed an automatic and efficient camera calibration method for smart phones. At first, we can detect the lane marker feature in a perspective space and calculate edges of lane markers in image sequences. Second, because of the width of lane marker and road lane is fixed under the standard structural road environment, we can automatically build a transformation matrix between perspective space and 3D space and get a local map in vehicle coordinate system. In order to verify the validity of this method, we installed a smart phone in the `Tuzhi' self-driving car of Wuhan University and recorded more than 100km image data on the road in Wuhan. According to the result, we can calculate the positions of lane markers which are accurate enough for the self-driving car to run smoothly on the road.

Dual-modality smartphone endoscope for cervical pre-cancer detection (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Xiangqian; Yu, Bing

2017-02-01

Early detection is the key to the prevention of cervical cancer. There is an urgent need for a portable, affordable, and easy-to-use device for cervical pre-cancer detection, especially in low-resource settings. We have developed a dual-modality fiber-optic endoscope system (SmartME) that integrates high-resolution fluorescence imaging (FLI) and quantitative diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) onto a smartphone platform. The SmartME consists of a smartphone, a miniature fiber-optic endoscope, a phone attachment containing imaging optics, and a smartphone application (app). FLI is obtained by painting the tissue with a contrast agent (e.g., proflavine), illuminating the tissue and collecting its fluorescence images through an imaging bundle that is coupled to the phone camera. DRS is achieved by using a white LED, attaching additional source and detection fibers to the imaging bundle, and converting the phone camera into a spectrometer. The app collects images/spectra and transmits them to a remote server for analysis to extract the tissue parameters, including nuclear-to-cytoplasm ratio (calculated from FLI), concentrations of oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin (Hb) as well as scattering (measured by DRS). These parameters can be used to detect cervical dysplasia. Our preliminary studies have demonstrated that the SmartME can clearly visualize the nuclei in living cells and in vivo biological samples, with a high spatial resolution of 3.1μm. The device can also measure tissue absorption and scattering properties with comparable accuracy to those of a benchtop DRS system. The SmartME has great potential to provide a compact, affordable, and `smart' solution for early detection of neoplastic changes in cervix.

Field-testing of a cost-effective mobile-phone based microscope for screening of Schistosoma haematobium infection (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceylan Koydemir, Hatice; Bogoch, Isaac I.; Tseng, Derek; Ephraim, Richard K. D.; Duah, Evans; Tee, Joseph; Andrews, Jason R.; Ozcan, Aydogan

2016-03-01

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic and neglected tropical disease, and affects <200-million people across the world, with school-aged children disproportionately affected. Here we present field-testing results of a handheld and cost effective smartphone-based microscope in rural Ghana, Africa, for point-of-care diagnosis of S. haematobium infection. In this mobile-phone microscope, a custom-designed 3D printed opto-mechanical attachment (~150g) is placed in contact with the smartphone camera-lens, creating an imaging-system with a half-pitch resolution of ~0.87µm. This unit includes an external lens (also taken from a mobile-phone camera), a sample tray, a z-stage to adjust the focus, two light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) and two diffusers for uniform illumination of the sample. In our field-testing, 60 urine samples, collected from children, were used, where the prevalence of the infection was 72.9%. After concentration of the sample with centrifugation, the sediment was placed on a glass-slide and S. haematobium eggs were first identified/quantified using conventional benchtop microscopy by an expert diagnostician, and then a second expert, blinded to these results, determined the presence/absence of eggs using our mobile-phone microscope. Compared to conventional microscopy, our mobile-phone microscope had a diagnostic sensitivity of 72.1%, specificity of 100%, positive-predictive-value of 100%, and a negative-predictive-value of 57.1%. Furthermore, our mobile-phone platform demonstrated a sensitivity of 65.7% and 100% for low-intensity infections (≤50 eggs/10 mL urine) and high-intensity infections (<50 eggs/10 mL urine), respectively. We believe that this cost-effective and field-portable mobile-phone microscope may play an important role in the diagnosis of schistosomiasis and various other global health challenges.

Mobile Phone Ratiometric Imaging Enables Highly Sensitive Fluorescence Lateral Flow Immunoassays without External Optical Filters.

PubMed

Shah, Kamal G; Singh, Vidhi; Kauffman, Peter C; Abe, Koji; Yager, Paul

2018-05-14

Paper-based diagnostic tests based on the lateral flow immunoassay concept promise low-cost, point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, but such assays suffer from poor limits of detection. One factor that contributes to poor analytical performance is a reliance on low-contrast chromophoric optical labels such as gold nanoparticles. Previous attempts to improve the sensitivity of paper-based diagnostics include replacing chromophoric labels with enzymes, fluorophores, or phosphors at the expense of increased fluidic complexity or the need for device readers with costly optoelectronics. Several groups, including our own, have proposed mobile phones as suitable point-of-care readers due to their low cost, ease of use, and ubiquity. However, extant mobile phone fluorescence readers require costly optical filters and were typically validated with only one camera sensor module, which is inappropriate for potential point-of-care use. In response, we propose to couple low-cost ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with long Stokes-shift quantum dots to enable ratiometric mobile phone fluorescence measurements without optical filters. Ratiometric imaging with unmodified smartphone cameras improves the contrast and attenuates the impact of excitation intensity variability by 15×. Practical application was shown with a lateral flow immunoassay for influenza A with nucleoproteins spiked into simulated nasal matrix. Limits of detection of 1.5 and 2.6 fmol were attained on two mobile phones, which are comparable to a gel imager (1.9 fmol), 10× better than imaging gold nanoparticles on a scanner (18 fmol), and >2 orders of magnitude better than gold nanoparticle-labeled assays imaged with mobile phones. Use of the proposed filter-free mobile phone imaging scheme is a first step toward enabling a new generation of highly sensitive, point-of-care fluorescence assays.

In-person contact begets calling and texting: interpersonal motives for cell phone use, face-to-face interaction, and loneliness.

PubMed

Jin, Borae; Park, Namkee

2010-12-01

This study examined how cell-phone use is related to interpersonal motives for using cell phones, face-to-face communication, and loneliness. A survey of 232 college students who owned a cell phone revealed that affection and inclusion were relatively strong motivations for using voice calls and text messaging, and that interpersonal motives were positively related to the amount of cell-phone use, including calling and texting. The amount of face-to-face interaction was positively associated with the participants' cell-phone use and their interpersonal motives for using cell phones: the more the participants engaged in face-to-face interaction with other people, the higher their motives were and the more frequent cell-phone use was. Loneliness did not have a direct relation to cell-phone use. Instead, the participants with higher levels of loneliness were less likely to engage in face-to-face social interaction, which led them to use cell phones less and to be less motivated to use cell phones for interpersonal purposes.

The invisible addiction: Cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students

PubMed Central

PETNJI YAYA, LUC HONORE; MANOLIS, CHRIS

2014-01-01

Background and aims: The primary objective of the present study was to investigate which cell-phone activities are associated with cell-phone addiction. No research to date has studied the full-range of cell-phone activities, and their relationship to cell-phone addiction, across male and female cell-phone users. Methods: College undergraduates (N = 164) participated in an online survey. Participants completed the questionnaire as part of their class requirements. The questionnaire took 10 and 15 minutes to complete and contained a measure of cell-phone addiction and questions that asked how much time participants spent daily on 24 cell-phone activities. Results: Findings revealed cell-phone activities that are associated significantly with cell-phone addiction (e.g., Instagram, Pinterest), as well as activities that one might logically assume would be associated with this form of addiction but are not (e.g., Internet use and Gaming). Cell-phone activities that drive cell-phone addiction (CPA) were found to vary considerably across male and female cell-phone users. Although a strong social component drove CPA for both males and females, the specific activities associated with CPA differed markedly. Conclusions: CPA amongst the total sample is largely driven by a desire to connect socially. The activities found to be associated with CPA, however, differed across the sexes. As the functionality of cell-phones continues to expand, addiction to this seemingly indispensable piece of technology becomes an increasingly realistic possibility. Future research must identify the activities that push cell-phone use beyond its “;tipping point” where it crosses the line from a helpful tool to one that undermines our personal well-being and that of others. PMID:25595966

The invisible addiction: cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students.

PubMed

Roberts, James A; Yaya, Luc Honore Petnji; Manolis, Chris

2014-12-01

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate which cell-phone activities are associated with cell-phone addiction. No research to date has studied the full-range of cell-phone activities, and their relationship to cell-phone addiction, across male and female cell-phone users. College undergraduates (N = 164) participated in an online survey. Participants completed the questionnaire as part of their class requirements. The questionnaire took 10 and 15 minutes to complete and contained a measure of cell-phone addiction and questions that asked how much time participants spent daily on 24 cell-phone activities. Findings revealed cell-phone activities that are associated significantly with cell-phone addiction (e.g., Instagram, Pinterest), as well as activities that one might logically assume would be associated with this form of addiction but are not (e.g., Internet use and Gaming). Cell-phone activities that drive cell-phone addiction (CPA) were found to vary considerably across male and female cell-phone users. Although a strong social component drove CPA for both males and females, the specific activities associated with CPA differed markedly. CPA amongst the total sample is largely driven by a desire to connect socially. The activities found to be associated with CPA, however, differed across the sexes. As the functionality of cell-phones continues to expand, addiction to this seemingly indispensable piece of technology becomes an increasingly realistic possibility. Future research must identify the activities that push cell-phone use beyond its “tipping point” where it crosses the line from a helpful tool to one that undermines our personal well-being and that of others.

Search Strategies of Visually Impaired Persons using a Camera Phone Wayfinding System

PubMed Central

Manduchi, R.; Coughlan, J.; Ivanchenko, V.

2016-01-01

We report new experiments conducted using a camera phone wayfinding system, which is designed to guide a visually impaired user to machine-readable signs (such as barcodes) labeled with special color markers. These experiments specifically investigate search strategies of such users detecting, localizing and touching color markers that have been mounted in various ways in different environments: in a corridor (either flush with the wall or mounted perpendicular to it) or in a large room with obstacles between the user and the markers. The results show that visually impaired users are able to reliably find color markers in all the conditions that we tested, using search strategies that vary depending on the environment in which they are placed. PMID:26949755

Search Strategies of Visually Impaired Persons using a Camera Phone Wayfinding System.

PubMed

Manduchi, R; Coughlan, J; Ivanchenko, V

2008-07-01

We report new experiments conducted using a camera phone wayfinding system, which is designed to guide a visually impaired user to machine-readable signs (such as barcodes) labeled with special color markers. These experiments specifically investigate search strategies of such users detecting, localizing and touching color markers that have been mounted in various ways in different environments: in a corridor (either flush with the wall or mounted perpendicular to it) or in a large room with obstacles between the user and the markers. The results show that visually impaired users are able to reliably find color markers in all the conditions that we tested, using search strategies that vary depending on the environment in which they are placed.

Space trajectory calculation based on G-sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Biya; Zhan, Yinwei; Shao, Yang

2017-08-01

At present, without full use of the mobile phone around us, most of the research in human body posture recognition field is use camera or portable acceleration sensor to collect data. In this paper, G-sensor built-in mobile phone is use to collect data. After processing data with the way of moving average filter and acceleration integral, joint point's space three-dimensional coordinates can be abtained accurately.

Effect of cell-phone radiofrequency on angiogenesis and cell invasion in human head and neck cancer cells.

PubMed

Alahmad, Yaman M; Aljaber, Mohammed; Saleh, Alaaeldin I; Yalcin, Huseyin C; Aboulkassim, Tahar; Yasmeen, Amber; Batist, Gerald; Moustafa, Ala-Eddin Al

2018-05-13

Today, the cell phone is the most widespread technology globally. However, the outcome of cell-phone radiofrequency on head and neck cancer progression has not yet been explored. The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and human head and neck cancer cell lines, FaDu and SCC25, were used to explore the outcome of cell-phone radiofrequency on angiogenesis, cell invasion, and colony formation of head and neck cancer cells, respectively. Western blot analysis was used to investigate the impact of the cell phone on the regulation of E-cadherin and Erk1/Erk2 genes. Our data revealed that cell-phone radiofrequency promotes angiogenesis of the CAM. In addition, the cell phone enhances cell invasion and colony formation of human head and neck cancer cells; this is accompanied by a downregulation of E-cadherin expression. More significantly, we found that the cell phone can activate Erk1/Erk2 in our experimental models. Our investigation reveals that cell-phone radiofrequency could enhance head and neck cancer by stimulating angiogenesis and cell invasion via Erk1/Erk2 activation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A passive autofocus system by using standard deviation of the image on a liquid lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasti, Pejman; Kesküla, Arko; Haus, Henry; Schlaak, Helmut F.; Anbarjafari, Gholamreza; Aabloo, Alvo; Kiefer, Rudolf

2015-04-01

Today most of applications have a small camera such as cell phones, tablets and medical devices. A micro lens is required in order to reduce the size of the devices. In this paper an auto focus system is used in order to find the best position of a liquid lens without any active components such as ultrasonic or infrared. In fact a passive auto focus system by using standard deviation of the images on a liquid lens which consist of a Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (DEA) membrane between oil and water is proposed.

In vivo burn diagnosis by camera-phone diffuse reflectance laser speckle detection.

PubMed

Ragol, S; Remer, I; Shoham, Y; Hazan, S; Willenz, U; Sinelnikov, I; Dronov, V; Rosenberg, L; Bilenca, A

2016-01-01

Burn diagnosis using laser speckle light typically employs widefield illumination of the burn region to produce two-dimensional speckle patterns from light backscattered from the entire irradiated tissue volume. Analysis of speckle contrast in these time-integrated patterns can then provide information on burn severity. Here, by contrast, we use point illumination to generate diffuse reflectance laser speckle patterns of the burn. By examining spatiotemporal fluctuations in these time-integrated patterns along the radial direction from the incident point beam, we show the ability to distinguish partial-thickness burns in a porcine model in vivo within the first 24 hours post-burn. Furthermore, our findings suggest that time-integrated diffuse reflectance laser speckle can be useful for monitoring burn healing over time post-burn. Unlike conventional diffuse reflectance laser speckle detection systems that utilize scientific or industrial-grade cameras, our system is designed with a camera-phone, demonstrating the potential for burn diagnosis with a simple imager.

In vivo burn diagnosis by camera-phone diffuse reflectance laser speckle detection

PubMed Central

Ragol, S.; Remer, I.; Shoham, Y.; Hazan, S.; Willenz, U.; Sinelnikov, I.; Dronov, V.; Rosenberg, L.; Bilenca, A.

2015-01-01

Burn diagnosis using laser speckle light typically employs widefield illumination of the burn region to produce two-dimensional speckle patterns from light backscattered from the entire irradiated tissue volume. Analysis of speckle contrast in these time-integrated patterns can then provide information on burn severity. Here, by contrast, we use point illumination to generate diffuse reflectance laser speckle patterns of the burn. By examining spatiotemporal fluctuations in these time-integrated patterns along the radial direction from the incident point beam, we show the ability to distinguish partial-thickness burns in a porcine model in vivo within the first 24 hours post-burn. Furthermore, our findings suggest that time-integrated diffuse reflectance laser speckle can be useful for monitoring burn healing over time post-burn. Unlike conventional diffuse reflectance laser speckle detection systems that utilize scientific or industrial-grade cameras, our system is designed with a camera-phone, demonstrating the potential for burn diagnosis with a simple imager. PMID:26819831

Visual object recognition for mobile tourist information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paletta, Lucas; Fritz, Gerald; Seifert, Christin; Luley, Patrick; Almer, Alexander

2005-03-01

We describe a mobile vision system that is capable of automated object identification using images captured from a PDA or a camera phone. We present a solution for the enabling technology of outdoors vision based object recognition that will extend state-of-the-art location and context aware services towards object based awareness in urban environments. In the proposed application scenario, tourist pedestrians are equipped with GPS, W-LAN and a camera attached to a PDA or a camera phone. They are interested whether their field of view contains tourist sights that would point to more detailed information. Multimedia type data about related history, the architecture, or other related cultural context of historic or artistic relevance might be explored by a mobile user who is intending to learn within the urban environment. Learning from ambient cues is in this way achieved by pointing the device towards the urban sight, capturing an image, and consequently getting information about the object on site and within the focus of attention, i.e., the users current field of view.

Cell phones: modern man's nemesis?

PubMed

Makker, Kartikeya; Varghese, Alex; Desai, Nisarg R; Mouradi, Rand; Agarwal, Ashok

2009-01-01

Over the past decade, the use of mobile phones has increased significantly. However, with every technological development comes some element of health concern, and cell phones are no exception. Recently, various studies have highlighted the negative effects of cell phone exposure on human health, and concerns about possible hazards related to cell phone exposure have been growing. This is a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute overview of the effects of cell phone exposure on human health. The types of cell phones and cell phone technologies currently used in the world are discussed in an attempt to improve the understanding of the technical aspects, including the effect of cell phone exposure on the cardiovascular system, sleep and cognitive function, as well as localized and general adverse effects, genotoxicity potential, neurohormonal secretion and tumour induction. The proposed mechanisms by which cell phones adversely affect various aspects of human health, and male fertility in particular, are explained, and the emerging molecular techniques and approaches for elucidating the effects of mobile phone radiation on cellular physiology using high-throughput screening techniques, such as metabolomics and microarrays, are discussed. A novel study is described, which is looking at changes in semen parameters, oxidative stress markers and sperm DNA damage in semen samples exposed in vitro to cell phone radiation.

Cell Phone Use by Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryen, Diane Nelson; Carey, Allison; Friedman, Mark

2007-01-01

Although cell phone use has grown dramatically, there is a gap in cell phone access between people with disabilities and the general public. The importance of cell phone use among people with intellectual disabilities and studies about use of cell phones by adults with intellectual disabilities was described. Our goal was to determine the extent…

Recycled Cell Phones - A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, Daniel E.

2006-01-01

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fact Sheet examines the potential value of recycling the metals found in obsolete cell phones. Cell phones seem ubiquitous in the United States and commonplace throughout most of the world. There were approximately 1 billion cell phones in use worldwide in 2002. In the United States, the number of cell phone subscribers increased from 340,000 in 1985 to 180 million in 2004. Worldwide, cell phone sales have increased from slightly more than 100 million units per year in 1997 to an estimated 779 million units per year in 2005. Cell phone sales are projected to exceed 1 billion units per year in 2009, with an estimated 2.6 billion cell phones in use by the end of that year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that, by 2005, as many as 130 million cell phones would be retired annually in the United States. The nonprofit organization INFORM, Inc., anticipated that, by 2005, a total of 500 million obsolete cell phones would have accumulated in consumers' desk drawers, store rooms, or other storage, awaiting disposal. Typically, cell phones are used for only 1 1/2 years before being replaced. Less than 1 percent of the millions of cell phones retired and discarded annually are recycled. When large numbers of cell phones become obsolete, large quantities of valuable metals end up either in storage or in landfills. The amount of metals potentially recoverable would make a significant addition to total metals recovered from recycling in the United States and would supplement virgin metals derived from mining.

Cell phone users, reported crash risk, unsafe driving behaviors and dispositions: a survey of motorists in Maryland.

PubMed

Beck, Kenneth H; Yan, Fang; Wang, Min Qi

2007-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to identify risky driving behaviors and dispositions that distinguish drivers who use a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle from non-cell phone using drivers. Annual telephone surveys were used to identify drivers who reported using a cell phone while driving in the last month (n=1803) and were compared to those who said they did not use cell phones while driving (n=1578). Cell phone using drivers were more likely to report driving while drowsy, going 20 mph over the speed limit, driving aggressively, running a stop sign or red light, and driving after having had several drinks. They were also more likely to have had a prior history of citation and crash involvement than non-cell phone using drivers. Cell phone using drivers also reported they were less careful and more in a hurry when they drive than non-cell phone using drivers. Cell phone using drivers report engaging in many behaviors that place them at risk for a traffic crash, independent of the specific driving impairments that cell phone usage may produce. Strategies that combine coordinated and sustained enforcement activities along with widespread public awareness campaigns hold promise as effective countermeasures for these drivers, who resemble aggressive drivers in many respects.

A mobile phone system to find crosswalks for visually impaired pedestrians

PubMed Central

Shen, Huiying; Chan, Kee-Yip; Coughlan, James; Brabyn, John

2010-01-01

Urban intersections are the most dangerous parts of a blind or visually impaired pedestrian’s travel. A prerequisite for safely crossing an intersection is entering the crosswalk in the right direction and avoiding the danger of straying outside the crosswalk. This paper presents a proof of concept system that seeks to provide such alignment information. The system consists of a standard mobile phone with built-in camera that uses computer vision algorithms to detect any crosswalk visible in the camera’s field of view; audio feedback from the phone then helps the user align him/herself to it. Our prototype implementation on a Nokia mobile phone runs in about one second per image, and is intended for eventual use in a mobile phone system that will aid blind and visually impaired pedestrians in navigating traffic intersections. PMID:20411035

Cell phone use among homeless youth: potential for new health interventions and research.

PubMed

Rice, Eric; Lee, Alex; Taitt, Sean

2011-12-01

Cell phone use has become nearly ubiquitous among adolescents in the United States. Despite the potential for cell phones to facilitate intervention, research, and care for homeless youth, no data exists to date on cell phone use among this population. In 2009, a survey of cell phone use was conducted among a non-probability sample of 169 homeless youth in Los Angeles, CA. Levels of ownership and use, instrumental uses (connecting to case workers, employers) and patterns of connecting to various network types were assessed (family, home-based peers, street-based peers). Differences in socio-demographic characteristics and cell phone ownership were assessed via t test and chi-square statistics. Sixty-two percent of homeless youth own a cell phone; 40% have a working phone. Seventeen percent used their phone to call a case manager, 36% to call either a potential or current employer. Fifty-one percent of youth connected with home-based peers on the phone and 41% connected to parents. Cell phones present new opportunities for intervention research, connecting homeless youth to family and home-based peers who can be sources of social support in times of need. Moreover, cell phones provide researchers and providers with new avenues to maintain connections with these highly transient youth.

Mobile phones for retinopathy of prematurity screening in Lagos, Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Oluleye, Tunji S; Rotimi-Samuel, Adekunle; Adenekan, Adetunji

2016-01-01

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), thought to be rare in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, has been reported in recent studies. Developing cost-effective screening is crucial for detecting retinal changes amenable to treatment. This study describes the use of an iPhone combined with a 20-D lens in screening for ROP in Lagos, Nigeria. The ROP screening program was approved by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Ethical Committee. Preterm infants with birthweight of less than 1.5 kg or gestational age of less than 32 weeks were screened. In conjunction with the neonatologist, topical tropicamide (0.5%) and phenylephrine (2.5%) was used to dilate the pupils. A pediatric lid speculum was used. Indirect ophthalmoscopy was used to examine the fundus to ensure there were no missed diagnoses. An iPhone 5 with 20-D lens was used to examine the fundus. The App Filmic Pro was launched in the video mode. The camera flash served as the source of illumination. Its intensity was controlled by the app. The 20-D lens was used to capture the image of the retina, which was picked up by the camera system of the mobile phone. Another app, Aviary, was used to edit the picture. The images captured by the system were satisfactory for staging and determining the need for treatment. An iPhone combined with a 20-D lens appear to be useful in screening for ROP in resource-poor settings. More studies are needed in this area.

Is the Phone Mightier Than the Sword? Cell Phones and Insurgent Violence in Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-07

Does improved communication as provided by modern cell phone technology affect the production of violence during insurgencies? Theoretical... cell phone communications on conflict using data on Iraq’s cell phone network and event data on violence. We show that increased mobile communications

Increased robustness of single-molecule counting with microfluidics, digital isothermal amplification, and a mobile phone versus real-time kinetic measurements.

PubMed

Selck, David A; Karymov, Mikhail A; Sun, Bing; Ismagilov, Rustem F

2013-11-19

Quantitative bioanalytical measurements are commonly performed in a kinetic format and are known to not be robust to perturbation that affects the kinetics itself or the measurement of kinetics. We hypothesized that the same measurements performed in a "digital" (single-molecule) format would show increased robustness to such perturbations. Here, we investigated the robustness of an amplification reaction (reverse-transcription loop-mediated amplification, RT-LAMP) in the context of fluctuations in temperature and time when this reaction is used for quantitative measurements of HIV-1 RNA molecules under limited-resource settings (LRS). The digital format that counts molecules using dRT-LAMP chemistry detected a 2-fold change in concentration of HIV-1 RNA despite a 6 °C temperature variation (p-value = 6.7 × 10(-7)), whereas the traditional kinetic (real-time) format did not (p-value = 0.25). Digital analysis was also robust to a 20 min change in reaction time, to poor imaging conditions obtained with a consumer cell-phone camera, and to automated cloud-based processing of these images (R(2) = 0.9997 vs true counts over a 100-fold dynamic range). Fluorescent output of multiplexed PCR amplification could also be imaged with the cell phone camera using flash as the excitation source. Many nonlinear amplification schemes based on organic, inorganic, and biochemical reactions have been developed, but their robustness is not well understood. This work implies that these chemistries may be significantly more robust in the digital, rather than kinetic, format. It also calls for theoretical studies to predict robustness of these chemistries and, more generally, to design robust reaction architectures. The SlipChip that we used here and other digital microfluidic technologies already exist to enable testing of these predictions. Such work may lead to identification or creation of robust amplification chemistries that enable rapid and precise quantitative molecular measurements under LRS. Furthermore, it may provide more general principles describing robustness of chemical and biological networks in digital formats.

Maternal cell phone use in early pregnancy and child's language, communication and motor skills at 3 and 5 years: the Norwegian mother and child cohort study (MoBa).

PubMed

Papadopoulou, Eleni; Haugen, Margaretha; Schjølberg, Synnve; Magnus, Per; Brunborg, Gunnar; Vrijheid, Martine; Alexander, Jan

2017-09-05

Cell phone use during pregnancy is a public health concern. We investigated the association between maternal cell phone use in pregnancy and child's language, communication and motor skills at 3 and 5 years. This prospective study includes 45,389 mother-child pairs, participants of the MoBa, recruited at mid-pregnancy from 1999 to 2008. Maternal frequency of cell phone use in early pregnancy and child language, communication and motor skills at 3 and 5 years, were assessed by questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to estimate the associations. No cell phone use in early pregnancy was reported by 9.8% of women, while 39%, 46.9% and 4.3% of the women were categorized as low, medium and high cell phone users. Children of cell phone user mothers had 17% (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.89) lower adjusted risk of having low sentence complexity at 3 years, compared to children of non-users. The risk was 13%, 22% and 29% lower by low, medium and high maternal cell phone use. Additionally, children of cell phone users had lower risk of low motor skills score at 3 years, compared to children of non-users, but this association was not found at 5 years. We found no association between maternal cell phone use and low communication skills. We reported a decreased risk of low language and motor skills at three years in relation to prenatal cell phone use, which might be explained by enhanced maternal-child interaction among cell phone users. No evidence of adverse neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal cell phone use was reported.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cell Phones and Your Health

MedlinePlus

... Contact Us Calendar Employment Frequently Asked Questions about Cell Phones and Your Health Recommend on Facebook Tweet ... cell phones and your health. Can using a cell phone cause cancer? There is no scientific evidence ...

Measuring ionizing radiation with a mobile device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelsburg, Matthias; Fehrenbach, Thomas; Puente León, Fernando

2012-02-01

In cases of nuclear disasters it is desirable to know one's personal exposure to radioactivity and the related health risk. Usually, Geiger-Mueller tubes are used to assess the situation. Equipping everyone with such a device in a short period of time is very expensive. We propose a method to detect ionizing radiation using the integrated camera of a mobile consumer device, e.g., a cell phone. In emergency cases, millions of existing mobile devices could then be used to monitor the exposure of its owners. In combination with internet access and GPS, measured data can be collected by a central server to get an overview of the situation. During a measurement, the CMOS sensor of a mobile device is shielded from surrounding light by an attachment in front of the lens or an internal shutter. The high-energy radiation produces free electrons on the sensor chip resulting in an image signal. By image analysis by means of the mobile device, signal components due to incident ionizing radiation are separated from the sensor noise. With radioactive sources present significant increases in detected pixels can be seen. Furthermore, the cell phone application can make a preliminary estimate on the collected dose of an individual and the associated health risks.

Using a smart phone application to measure high-energy radiation from thunderstorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowers, G. S.; Smith, D. M.; Rexroad, W. Z.; Kelley, N. A.; Martinez-Mckinney, F.; Rubenstein, E. P.; Drukier, G.; Benes, G. N.

2013-12-01

Commercial airline flights and developing cell phone technologies present a burgeoning opportunity for the public to help investigate radiation from thunderstorms, including terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs), longer-lived gamma-ray glows, x-rays from lightning stepped leaders, and possible high-energy radiation, never yet observed, from blue jets, gigantic jets, and blue starters. GammaPix is a smartphone application from Image Insight, Inc. that uses the camera's CCD or CMOS sensor to identify and qualitatively assess threats related to gamma radioactivity, e.g., those caused by accidental exposure to radioactive material, high-altitude air travel, or acts of terrorism. A science-oriented version of the app is under development that will be publicized for use aboard commercial airline flights and on the ground in regions (like Japan in the wintertime) where thunderstorm charge centers come close to the ground. The primary goal of the project is to learn whether TGFs close to passenger aircraft and population centers on the ground occur often enough to create concern about radiation risk.

Defense Horizons. Number 22, December 2002. The Emergence of Mini UAVs for Military Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-12-01

collection area, we illustrate with an ele- mentary discussion of cellular telephone signal collection. Perhaps the simplest way to intercept cell phone signals...is with a cell phone . A cell phone , after all, is a scanner, receiver, and transmitter. Each phone is identified by an electronic serial number...ESN) and a mobile identification number (MIN). To use a cell phone , the ESN and MIN must be passed between the phone and a cell tower. When the

Improving public health surveillance using a dual-frame survey of landline and cell phone numbers.

PubMed

Hu, S Sean; Balluz, Lina; Battaglia, Michael P; Frankel, Martin R

2011-03-15

To meet challenges arising from increasing rates of noncoverage in US landline-based telephone samples due to cell-phone-only households, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) expanded a traditional landline-based random digit dialing survey to a dual-frame survey of landline and cell phone numbers. In 2008, a survey of adults with cell phones only was conducted in parallel with an ongoing landline-based health survey in 18 states. The authors used the optimal approach to allocate samples into landline and cell-phone-only strata and used a new approach to weighting state-level landline and cell phone samples. They developed logistic models for each of 16 health indicators to examine whether exclusion of adults with cell phones only affected estimates after adjustment for demographic characteristics. The extents of the potential biases in landline telephone surveys that exclude cell phones were estimated. Biases resulting from exclusion of adults with cell phones only from the landline-based survey were found for 9 out of the 16 health indicators. Because landline noncoverage rates for adults with cell phones only continue to increase, these biases are likely to increase. Use of a dual-frame survey of landline and cell phone numbers assisted the BRFSS efforts in obtaining valid, reliable, and representative data. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 2011.

Implementation of smart phone video plethysmography and dependence on lighting parameters.

PubMed

Fletcher, Richard Ribón; Chamberlain, Daniel; Paggi, Nicholas; Deng, Xinyue

2015-08-01

The remote measurement of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) via a digital camera (video plethysmography) has emerged as an area of great interest for biomedical and health applications. While a few implementations of video plethysmography have been demonstrated on smart phones under controlled lighting conditions, it has been challenging to create a general scalable solution due to the large variability in smart phone hardware performance, software architecture, and the variable response to lighting parameters. In this context, we present a selfcontained smart phone implementation of video plethysmography for Android OS, which employs both stochastic and deterministic algorithms, and we use this to study the effect of lighting parameters (illuminance, color spectrum) on the accuracy of the remote HR measurement. Using two different phone models, we present the median HR error for five different video plethysmography algorithms under three different types of lighting (natural sunlight, compact fluorescent, and halogen incandescent) and variations in brightness. For most algorithms, we found the optimum light brightness to be in the range 1000-4000 lux and the optimum lighting types to be compact fluorescent and natural light. Moderate errors were found for most algorithms with some devices under conditions of low-brightness (<;500 lux) and highbrightness (>4000 lux). Our analysis also identified camera frame rate jitter as a major source of variability and error across different phone models, but this can be largely corrected through non-linear resampling. Based on testing with six human subjects, our real-time Android implementation successfully predicted the measured HR with a median error of -0.31 bpm, and an inter-quartile range of 2.1bpm.

Cell phones and cancer

MedlinePlus

Cancer and cell phones; Do cell phones cause cancer? ... Several major studies show no link between cell phones and cancer at this time. However, since the information available is based on short-term studies, the impact of many years of ...

Recent Court Rulings regarding Student Use of Cell Phones in Today's Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamantes, Thomas

2010-01-01

Student use of cell phone is a new area of concern in today's schools. Cell phone providers have attempted to convince parents that each child should be provided with their own cell phone for safety reasons and to stay in contact with their families. This has resulted in many students arriving at school with a cell phone, taking it to class and…

Questionnaire survey to assess the pattern and characteristics of cell-phone usage among Indian oncologists.

PubMed

Munshi, Anusheel; Dutta, Debanarayan; Tike, Pramod; Agarwal, Jai Prakash

2016-01-01

Obtain baseline data of cell-phone usage in the medical (MO), surgical (SO) and radiation (RO) oncology community practicing in India. Indigenously prepared cell-phone usage related questionnaire was used in the present study after approval by the Institutional Ethics/Scientific Committees. The questionnaire had 41 items and was made to assess the cell-phone usage parameters, utility in clinical practice, awareness, and to compare parameters between oncology specialties. Between November 2009 and January 2010, the questionnaire was sent as an E-mail attachment to 200 oncologists in India. In all, 123 responses were received (61% responders); 84 (68.3%) were RO. The median age of responders was 35 years. Overall, 80% felt handicapped without cell-phone. The Mean cell-phone score, an index to assess overall usefulness over a score of 1-10, was 6.46 (median 7, standard deviation 1.709). There was no significant difference between RO, MO and SO in duration of usage (P = 0.235), number of cell-phones (P = 0.496), call duration per day (P = 0.490) and dependence on cell-phone (P = 0.574). Age of starting cell-phone usage was earlier in RO (P = 0.086). Professional usage was significantly more by MO and SO compared to RO (P < 0.001); however, the former were less aware of any potential cell-phone hazards compared to RO (P < 0.007). The results of the first such questionnaire based study have been presented. Most oncologists consider cell-phones a useful tool in patient care. More RO are aware of potential cell-phone hazards compared to non-RO's.

Effect of cell phone distraction on pediatric pedestrian injury risk.

PubMed

Stavrinos, Despina; Byington, Katherine W; Schwebel, David C

2009-02-01

Early adolescents are using cell phones with increasing frequency. Cell phones are known to distract motor vehicle drivers to the point that their safety is jeopardized, but it is unclear if cell phones might also distract child pedestrians. This study was designed to examine the influence of talking on a cell phone for pediatric pedestrian injury risk. Seventy-seven children aged 10 to 11 years old completed simulated road crossings in an immersive, interactive virtual pedestrian environment. In a within-subjects design, children crossed the virtual street 6 times while undistracted and 6 times while distracted by a cell phone conversation with an unfamiliar research assistant. Participants also completed several other experimental tasks hypothesized to predict the impact of distraction while crossing the street and talking on a cell phone. Children's pedestrian safety was compromised when distracted by a cell phone conversation. While distracted, children were less attentive to traffic; left less safe time between their crossing and the next arriving vehicle; experienced more collisions and close calls with oncoming traffic; and waited longer before beginning to cross the street. Analyses testing experience using a cell phone and experience as a pedestrian yielded few significant results, suggesting that distraction on the cell phone might affect children's pedestrian safety no matter what their experience level. There was some indication that younger children and children who are less attentive and more oppositional may be slightly more susceptible to distraction while talking on the cell phone than older, more attentive, and less oppositional children. Our results suggest that cell phones distract preadolescent children while crossing streets.

Phonesat In-flight Experience Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Attai, Watson; Guillen, Salas Alberto; Oyadomari, Ken Yuji; Priscal, Cedric; Shimmin, Rogan Stuart; Gazulla, Oriol Tintore; Wolfe, Jasper Lewis

2014-01-01

Consumer technology, over the last decade, has begun to encompass devices that enable us to figure out where we are, which way we are pointing, observe the world around us, and store and transmit this information to wherever we want. Once separate consumer products such as GPS units, digital cameras and mobile phones are now combined into the modern day Smartphone. Since these capabilities are remarkably similar to those required for the multi-million dollar satellites - so why not use a multihundred dollar Smartphone instead? The PhoneSat project of NASA Ames Research Center is developing technology demonstrations utilizing these extraordinary advances to show just how simple and cheap Space can be. The style of development revolves around the "release early, release often" Silicon Valley mentality. PhoneSat is a series of 1U CubeSat size spacecrafts that use an off-the-shelf Smartphone as their onboard computer. By doing so, PhoneSat takes advantage of the high computational capability, large memory as well as ultra-tiny sensors like high-resolution cameras and navigation devices that Smartphones offer. Along with a Smartphone, PhoneSat is equipped with other commercially available technology products, such as medical brushless motors that are used as reaction wheels. Over the four years that NASA Ames Research Center has been developing the PhoneSat project, different suborbital and orbital flight activities have proven the validity of this revolutionary approach. In early 2013, the PhoneSat project launched the first triage of PhoneSats into LEO. In the five day orbital life time, the nano-satellites flew the first functioning Smartphone based satellites (using the Nexus One and Nexus S phones), the cheapest satellite (a total parts cost below $3,500) and one of the fastest on-board processors (CPU speed of 1GHz). In late 2013, the PhoneSat project launched an improved version of its bus to a higher altitude orbit which provided data about the overall system's tolerance to the space environment. In this paper, an overview of the PhoneSat project as well as a summary of the in-flight experimental results is presented. NASA Ames Research Center is carrying on its effort to bring a paradigm shift in the way we conceive Space exploration, this new approach is certainly incarnated by PhoneSat. A set of eight PhoneSat-based CubeSats is manifested to launch in 2014 with the purpose of demonstrating new technical capabilities and being a pathfinder for future Spacecraft technology missions.

Cell phone use by adults with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Bryen, Diane Nelson; Carey, Allison; Friedman, Mark

2007-02-01

Although cell phone use has grown dramatically, there is a gap in cell phone access between people with disabilities and the general public. The importance of cell phone use among people with intellectual disabilities and studies about use of cell phones by adults with intellectual disabilities was described. Our goal was to determine the extent and scope of cell phone use by 83 adults with intellectual disabilities, reasons for nonuse, and factors affecting use. Results suggest a gap in the use of cell phone technology between people with intellectual disabilities and the general population. When used, they are employed primarily for emergencies, storing telephone numbers, and day-to-day communication. Chief reasons for nonuse include cost, perception of not needing one, and lack of accessibility.

Observing Cell Phone Use and Enhancing Collaborative Learning Using a Wiki

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolman, Elizabeth G.

2013-01-01

Cell phone use is evident in society. Individuals have cell phone conversations while waiting in line at the grocery store, glance at their cell phones during meetings, check Facebook while having dinner with friends, have a meaningful phone conversation with a parent, and even text while sitting in church service. This assignment provides…

Cell phone use and acoustic neuroma: the need for standardized questionnaires and access to industry data.

PubMed

Han, Yueh-Ying; Kano, Hideyuki; Davis, Devra L; Niranjan, Ajay; Lunsford, L Dade

2009-09-01

The capacity of radiofrequency from cell phones to be absorbed into the brain has prompted concerns that regular cell phone use may increase the risk of acoustic neuroma (AN) and other brain tumors. This article critically evaluates current literature on cell phone use and AN risks and proposes additional studies to clarify any possible linkage. Through a PubMed search, we identified and reviewed 10 case-control studies and 1 cohort study of AN risks associated with cell phone use and a meta-analysis of long-term mobile phone use and its association with AN and other brain tumors. Most studies did not find association between the development of AN and cell phone use, but some studies that followed cases for 10 years or more did show an association. Among 10 case-control studies, odds ratios for AN associated with regular cell phone use ranged from 0.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-1.0) to 4.2 (95% CI, 1.8-10). Cell phone use was not associated with increased risk for AN in the Danish cohort study, which excluded business users from their study. The meta-analysis, which included 3 case-control studies, found that subjects who used cell phones for at least 10 years had a 2.4-fold greater risk of developing ipsilateral AN. In general, retrospective studies are limited in the ability to assess cell phone exposure because of recall bias and misclassification. The evaluation of AN risk factors is challenging due to its long latency. Some studies of longer term cell phone use have found an increased risk of ipsilateral AN. Adopting a prospective approach to acquire data on cell phone use, obtaining retrospective billing records that provide independent evaluations of exposures, and incorporating information on other key potential risk factors from questionnaires could markedly advance the capacity of studies to evaluate the impact of cell phones on AN.

A feasibility study of cell phone and landline phone interviews for monitoring of risk and protection factors for chronic diseases in Brazil.

PubMed

Moura, Erly Catarina; Claro, Rafael Moreira; Bernal, Regina; Ribeiro, Juliano; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Morais Neto, Otaliba

2011-02-01

The study objective was to evaluate the feasibility of interviews by cell phone as a complement to interviews by landline to estimate risk and protection factors for chronic non-communicable diseases. Adult cell phone users were evaluated by random digit dialing. Questions asked were: age, sex, education, race, marital status, ownership of landline and cell phones, health condition, weight and height, medical diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes, physical activity, diet, binge drinking and smoking. The estimates were calculated using post-stratification weights. The cell phone interview system showed a reduced capacity to reach elderly and low educated populations. The estimates of the risk and protection factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in cell phone interviews were equal to the estimates obtained by landline phone. Eligibility, success and refusal rates using the cell phone system were lower than those of the landline system, but loss and cost were much higher, suggesting it is unsatisfactory as a complementary method in such a context.

Distracted pedestrian sustains orbital fracture while on cell phone.

PubMed

Edell, Aimée R; Jung, Jesse J; Solomon, Joel M; Palu, Richard N

2013-01-01

Use of cell phones in the general population has become increasingly commonplace. The distracting effects of cell phones among automobile drivers are well established, and legislation prohibits the use of handheld cell phones while driving in several states. Recent research has focused on the similar distracting effects of cell phones in the pedestrian population. In this report, an older gentleman suffered extensive facial trauma requiring surgery as a direct effect of cell phone use at the time the trauma occurred. This case highlights the role that portable electronic devices can play as a cause of ocular trauma.

Hand-held cell phone use while driving legislation and observed driver behavior among population sub-groups in the United States.

PubMed

Rudisill, Toni M; Zhu, Motao

2017-05-12

Cell phone use behaviors are known to vary across demographic sub-groups and geographic locations. This study examined whether universal hand-held calling while driving bans were associated with lower road-side observed hand-held cell phone conversations across drivers of different ages (16-24, 25-59, ≥60 years), sexes, races (White, African American, or other), ruralities (suburban, rural, or urban), and regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West). Data from the 2008-2013 National Occupant Protection Use Survey were merged with states' cell phone use while driving legislation. The exposure was presence of a universal hand-held cell phone ban at time of observation. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of drivers having a hand-held cell phone conversation. Sub-groups differences were assessed using models with interaction terms. When universal hand-held cell phone bans were effective, hand-held cell phone conversations were lower across all driver demographic sub-groups and regions. Sub-group differences existed among the sexes (p-value, <0.0001) and regions (p-value, 0.0003). Compared to states without universal hand-held cell phone bans, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of a driver hand-held phone conversation was 0.34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28, 0.41] for females versus 0.47 (CI 0.40, 0.55) for males and 0.31 (CI 0.25, 0.38) for drivers in Western states compared to 0.47 (CI 0.30, 0.72) in the Northeast and 0.50 (CI 0.38, 0.66) in the South. The presence of universal hand-held cell phone bans were associated lower hand-held cell phone conversations across all driver sub-groups and regions. Hand-held phone conversations were particularly lower among female drivers and those from Western states when these bans were in effect. Public health interventions concerning hand-held cell phone use while driving could reasonably target all drivers.

Distracted Driving and Risk of Crash or Near-crash Involvement among Older Drivers using Naturalistic Driving Data with a Case-crossover Study Design.

PubMed

Huisingh, Carrie; Owsley, Cynthia; Levitan, Emily B; Irvin, Marguerite R; MacLennan, Paul; McGwin, Gerald

2018-05-17

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between secondary task involvement and risk of crash and near-crash involvement among older drivers using naturalistic driving data. Data from drivers aged ≥70 years in the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study database was utilized. The personal vehicle of study participants was equipped with four video cameras enabling recording of the driver and the road environment. Secondary task involvement during a crash or near-crash event was compared to periods of non-crash involvement in a case-crossover study design. Conditional logistic regression was used to generate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Overall, engaging in any secondary task was not associated with crash (OR=0.94, 95% CI 0.68-1.29) or near-crash (OR=1.08, 95% CI 0.79-1.50) risk. The risk of a major crash event with cell phone use was 3.79 times higher than the risk with no cell phone use (95% CI 1.00-14.37). Other glances into the interior of the vehicle were associated with an increased risk of near-crash involvement (OR=2.55, 95% CI 1.24-5.26). Other distractions external to the vehicle were associated with a decreased risk of crash involvement (OR=0.53, 95% CI 0.30-0.94). Interacting with a passenger and talking/singing were not associated with crash or near-crash risk. Older drivers should avoid any cell phone use and minimize non-driving related eye glances towards the interior of the vehicle while driving. Certain types of events external to the vehicle are associated with a reduced crash risk among older drivers.

Maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and behaviour problems in 5-year-old children.

PubMed

Guxens, Mònica; van Eijsden, Manon; Vermeulen, Roel; Loomans, Eva; Vrijkotte, Tanja G M; Komhout, Hans; van Strien, Rob T; Huss, Anke

2013-05-01

A previous study found an association between maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 7. Together with cell phones, cordless phones represent the main exposure source of radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields to the head. Therefore, we assessed the association between maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and teacher-reported and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 5. The study was embedded in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, a population-based birth cohort study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2003-2004). Teachers and mothers reported child behaviour problems using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire at age 5. Maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy was asked when children were 7 years old. A total of 2618 children were included. As compared to non-users, those exposed to prenatal cell phone use showed an increased but non-significant association of having teacher-reported overall behaviour problems, although without dose-response relationship with the number of calls (OR=2.12 (95% CI 0.95 to 4.74) for <1 call/day, OR=1.58 (95% CI 0.69 to 3.60) for 1-4 calls/day and OR=2.04 (95% CI 0.86 to 4.80) for ≥5 calls/day). ORs for having teacher-reported overall behaviour problems across categories of cordless phone use were below 1 or close to unity. Associations of maternal cell phone and cordless phone use with maternal-reported overall behaviour problems remained non-significant. Non-significant associations were found for the specific behaviour problem subscales. Our results do not suggest that maternal cell phone or cordless phone use during pregnancy increases the odds of behaviour problems in their children.

Cell phone use while driving and attributable crash risk.

PubMed

Farmer, Charles M; Braitman, Keli A; Lund, Adrian K

2010-10-01

Prior research has estimated that crash risk is 4 times higher when talking on a cell phone versus not talking. The objectives of this study were to estimate the extent to which drivers talk on cell phones while driving and to compute the implied annual number of crashes that could have been avoided if driver cell phone use were restricted. A national survey of approximately 1200 U.S. drivers was conducted. Respondents were asked to approximate the amount of time spent driving during a given day, number of cell phone calls made or received, and amount of driving time spent talking on a cell phone. Population attributable risk (PAR) was computed for each combination of driver gender, driver age, day of week, and time of day. These were multiplied by the corresponding crash counts to estimate the number of crashes that could have been avoided. On average, drivers were talking on cell phones approximately 7 percent of the time while driving. Rates were higher on weekdays (8%), in the afternoon and evening (8%), and for drivers younger than 30 (16%). Based on these use rates, restricting cell phones while driving could have prevented an estimated 22 percent (i.e., 1.3 million) of the crashes in 2008. Although increased rates of cell phone use while driving should be leading to increased crash rates, crash rates have been declining. Reasons for this paradox are unclear. One possibility is that the increase in cell phone use and crash risk due to cell phone use have been overestimated. Another possibility is that cell phone use has supplanted other driving distractions that were similarly hazardous.

The Survey of Personal and National Identity on Cell Phone Addicts and Non-Addicts

PubMed Central

Alavi, Seyyed Salman; Ghanizadeh, Maryam; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Mohammadi Kalhory, Soroush; Jannatifard, Fereshteh; Sepahbodi, Ghazal

2018-01-01

Objective: Smart phones have rapidly become an integral, and for some, an essential communication device worldwide. The issue of identity has always been a subject of interest among psychologists. The present study was conducted to compare personal and national identity and their subscales between cell phone addicts and non-addicts. Method : In this cross-sectional study, 500 student cell phone users from various universities in Tehran were recruited using stratified sampling. Participants completed cell phone addiction questionnaires including Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS), Cell Phone Dependency Questionnaire (CPDQ), Personal Identity Development Questionnaire, Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOMEIS) and National Identity Questionnaire. Then, the subscales of these instruments were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Results: Results of this study revealed significant differences between cell phone addicts and non-addicts in the scores of national identity, personal identity, and most subscales, except for some subscales (P<0.05). In addition, a negative and significant relationship was found between personal and national identity and cell phone addiction (r=-0.35, -0.33, respectively).On the other hand, after controlling for the confounder variables, we found that national identity had an effect on cell phone addiction(OR=0.05, CI=0.92-0.98). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that cell phone overuse may be correlated with defects in some aspects of national and personal identity. PMID:29892313

The Survey of Personal and National Identity on Cell Phone Addicts and Non-Addicts.

PubMed

Alavi, Seyyed Salman; Ghanizadeh, Maryam; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Mohammadi Kalhory, Soroush; Jannatifard, Fereshteh; Sepahbodi, Ghazal

2018-01-01

Objective: Smart phones have rapidly become an integral, and for some, an essential communication device worldwide. The issue of identity has always been a subject of interest among psychologists. The present study was conducted to compare personal and national identity and their subscales between cell phone addicts and non-addicts. Method : In this cross-sectional study, 500 student cell phone users from various universities in Tehran were recruited using stratified sampling. Participants completed cell phone addiction questionnaires including Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS), Cell Phone Dependency Questionnaire (CPDQ), Personal Identity Development Questionnaire, Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOMEIS) and National Identity Questionnaire. Then, the subscales of these instruments were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Results: Results of this study revealed significant differences between cell phone addicts and non-addicts in the scores of national identity, personal identity, and most subscales, except for some subscales (P<0.05). In addition, a negative and significant relationship was found between personal and national identity and cell phone addiction (r=-0.35, -0.33, respectively).On the other hand, after controlling for the confounder variables, we found that national identity had an effect on cell phone addiction(OR=0.05, CI=0.92-0.98). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that cell phone overuse may be correlated with defects in some aspects of national and personal identity.

Mobile device-based optical instruments for agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumriddetchkajorn, Sarun

2013-05-01

Realizing that a current smart-mobile device such as a cell phone and a tablet can be considered as a pocket-size computer embedded with a built-in digital camera, this paper reviews and demonstrates on how a mobile device can be specifically functioned as a portable optical instrument for agricultural applications. The paper highlights several mobile device-based optical instruments designed for searching small pests, measuring illumination level, analyzing spectrum of light, identifying nitrogen status in the rice field, estimating chlorine in water, and determining ripeness level of the fruit. They are suitable for individual use as well as for small and medium enterprises.

Trends in cell phone use among children in the Danish national birth cohort at ages 7 and 11 years.

PubMed

Sudan, Madhuri; Olsen, Jørn; Sigsgaard, Torben; Kheifets, Leeka

2016-11-01

We prospectively examined trends in cell phone use among children in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Cell phone use was assessed at ages 7 and 11 years, and we examined use patterns by age, by year of birth, and in relation to specific individual characteristics. There was an increase in cell phone use from age 7 (37%) to 11 years (94%). There was a clear pattern of greater reported cell phone use among children at age 7 years with later birth year, but this trend disappeared at age 11. Girls and those who used phones at age 7 talked more often and for longer durations at age 11 years. Low socio-economic status and later year of birth were associated with voice calls at age 7 but not at age 11 years. At age 11 most used cell phones for texting and gaming more than for voice calls. Further, children who started using cell phones at age 7 years were more likely to be heavy cell phone voice users at age 11 years, making early use a marker for higher cumulative exposure regardless of year of birth. As cell phone technology continues to advance, new use patterns will continue to emerge, and exposure assessment research among children must reflect these trends.

3D Encoding of Musical Score Information and the Playback Method Used by the Cellular Phone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, Hitoshi; Sugiura, Akihiko

Recently, 3G cellular phone that can take a movie has spread by improving the digital camera function. And, 2Dcode has accurate readout and high operability. And it has spread as an information transmission means. However, the symbol is expanded and complicated when information of 2D codes increases. To solve these, 3D code was proposed. But it need the special equipment for readout, and specializes in the enhancing reality feeling technology. Therefore, it is difficult to apply it to the cellular phone. And so, we propose 3D code that can be recognized by the movie shooting function of the cellular phone. And, score information was encoded. We apply Gray Code to the property of music, and encode it. And the effectiveness was verified.

Factors associated with cell phone use in adolescents in the community of Madrid (Spain).

PubMed

Sánchez-Martínez, Mercedes; Otero, Angel

2009-04-01

The purpose of this research is to measure cell phone use among high school adolescents and the factors associated with intensive cell phone use (depressive symptoms, social isolation, drug and alcohol use, school failure, and cell phone dependence). We conducted a cross-sectional survey study of 1,328 adolescents aged 13 to 20 years in nine secondary schools of the Community of Madrid between January to April 2007. The mean age of sample participants was 15.7 years. Almost all (96.5%) had their own cell phone (80.5% had one, and 15.9% had two or more). Some 54.8% take it to school and 46.1% keep it on during class; 41.7% use it intensively. The estimated prevalence of cell phone dependence was 20% (26.1% in females, 13% in males). Intensive cell phone use was associated with female sex, rural school location, good family economy, smoking tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, depression, cell phone dependence, and school failure. More health education is needed to promote correct and effective cell phone use among adolescents. Factors associated with intensive use and dependence should be considered for possible intervention activities.

Control Design and Digital Implementation of a Fast 2-Degree-of-Freedom Translational Optical Image Stabilizer for Image Sensors in Mobile Camera Phones

PubMed Central

Qiu, Kang-Fu

2017-01-01

This study presents design, digital implementation and performance validation of a lead-lag controller for a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) translational optical image stabilizer (OIS) installed with a digital image sensor in mobile camera phones. Nowadays, OIS is an important feature of modern commercial mobile camera phones, which aims to mechanically reduce the image blur caused by hand shaking while shooting photos. The OIS developed in this study is able to move the imaging lens by actuating its voice coil motors (VCMs) at the required speed to the position that significantly compensates for imaging blurs by hand shaking. The compensation proposed is made possible by first establishing the exact, nonlinear equations of motion (EOMs) for the OIS, which is followed by designing a simple lead-lag controller based on established nonlinear EOMs for simple digital computation via a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) board in order to achieve fast response. Finally, experimental validation is conducted to show the favorable performance of the designed OIS; i.e., it is able to stabilize the lens holder to the desired position within 0.02 s, which is much less than previously reported times of around 0.1 s. Also, the resulting residual vibration is less than 2.2–2.5 μm, which is commensurate to the very small pixel size found in most of commercial image sensors; thus, significantly minimizing image blur caused by hand shaking. PMID:29027950

Control Design and Digital Implementation of a Fast 2-Degree-of-Freedom Translational Optical Image Stabilizer for Image Sensors in Mobile Camera Phones.

PubMed

Wang, Jeremy H-S; Qiu, Kang-Fu; Chao, Paul C-P

2017-10-13

This study presents design, digital implementation and performance validation of a lead-lag controller for a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) translational optical image stabilizer (OIS) installed with a digital image sensor in mobile camera phones. Nowadays, OIS is an important feature of modern commercial mobile camera phones, which aims to mechanically reduce the image blur caused by hand shaking while shooting photos. The OIS developed in this study is able to move the imaging lens by actuating its voice coil motors (VCMs) at the required speed to the position that significantly compensates for imaging blurs by hand shaking. The compensation proposed is made possible by first establishing the exact, nonlinear equations of motion (EOMs) for the OIS, which is followed by designing a simple lead-lag controller based on established nonlinear EOMs for simple digital computation via a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) board in order to achieve fast response. Finally, experimental validation is conducted to show the favorable performance of the designed OIS; i.e., it is able to stabilize the lens holder to the desired position within 0.02 s, which is much less than previously reported times of around 0.1 s. Also, the resulting residual vibration is less than 2.2-2.5 μm, which is commensurate to the very small pixel size found in most of commercial image sensors; thus, significantly minimizing image blur caused by hand shaking.

MobileFusion: real-time volumetric surface reconstruction and dense tracking on mobile phones.

PubMed

Ondrúška, Peter; Kohli, Pushmeet; Izadi, Shahram

2015-11-01

We present the first pipeline for real-time volumetric surface reconstruction and dense 6DoF camera tracking running purely on standard, off-the-shelf mobile phones. Using only the embedded RGB camera, our system allows users to scan objects of varying shape, size, and appearance in seconds, with real-time feedback during the capture process. Unlike existing state of the art methods, which produce only point-based 3D models on the phone, or require cloud-based processing, our hybrid GPU/CPU pipeline is unique in that it creates a connected 3D surface model directly on the device at 25Hz. In each frame, we perform dense 6DoF tracking, which continuously registers the RGB input to the incrementally built 3D model, minimizing a noise aware photoconsistency error metric. This is followed by efficient key-frame selection, and dense per-frame stereo matching. These depth maps are fused volumetrically using a method akin to KinectFusion, producing compelling surface models. For each frame, the implicit surface is extracted for live user feedback and pose estimation. We demonstrate scans of a variety of objects, and compare to a Kinect-based baseline, showing on average ∼ 1.5cm error. We qualitatively compare to a state of the art point-based mobile phone method, demonstrating an order of magnitude faster scanning times, and fully connected surface models.

Colorimetric analyzer based on mobile phone camera for determination of available phosphorus in soil.

PubMed

Moonrungsee, Nuntaporn; Pencharee, Somkid; Jakmunee, Jaroon

2015-05-01

A field deployable colorimetric analyzer based on an "Android mobile phone" was developed for the determination of available phosphorus content in soil. An inexpensive mobile phone embedded with digital camera was used for taking photograph of the chemical solution under test. The method involved a reaction of the phosphorus (orthophosphate form), ammonium molybdate and potassium antimonyl tartrate to form phosphomolybdic acid which was reduced by ascorbic acid to produce the intense colored molybdenum blue. The software program was developed to use with the phone for recording and analyzing RGB color of the picture. A light tight box with LED light to control illumination was fabricated to improve precision and accuracy of the measurement. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graph was created by measuring blue color intensity of a series of standard phosphorus solution (0.0-1.0mgPL(-1)), then, the calibration equation obtained was retained by the program for the analysis of sample solution. The results obtained from the proposed method agreed well with the spectrophotometric method, with a detection limit of 0.01mgPL(-1) and a sample throughput about 40h(-1) was achieved. The developed system provided good accuracy (RE<5%) and precision (RSD<2%, intra- and inter-day), fast and cheap analysis, and especially convenient to use in crop field for soil analysis of phosphorus nutrient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Arabic word recognizer for mobile applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanna, Nitin; Abdollahian, Golnaz; Brame, Ben; Boutin, Mireille; Delp, Edward J.

2011-03-01

When traveling in a region where the local language is not written using a "Roman alphabet," translating written text (e.g., documents, road signs, or placards) is a particularly difficult problem since the text cannot be easily entered into a translation device or searched using a dictionary. To address this problem, we are developing the "Rosetta Phone," a handheld device (e.g., PDA or mobile telephone) capable of acquiring an image of the text, locating the region (word) of interest within the image, and producing both an audio and a visual English interpretation of the text. This paper presents a system targeted for interpreting words written in Arabic script. The goal of this work is to develop an autonomous, segmentation-free Arabic phrase recognizer, with computational complexity low enough to deploy on a mobile device. A prototype of the proposed system has been deployed on an iPhone with a suitable user interface. The system was tested on a number of noisy images, in addition to the images acquired from the iPhone's camera. It identifies Arabic words or phrases by extracting appropriate features and assigning "codewords" to each word or phrase. On a dictionary of 5,000 words, the system uniquely mapped (word-image to codeword) 99.9% of the words. The system has a 82% recognition accuracy on images of words captured using the iPhone's built-in camera.

Using technology to promote mobile learning: engaging students with cell phones in the classroom.

PubMed

Robb, Meigan; Shellenbarger, Teresa

2012-01-01

Advancements in cell phone technology have impacted every aspect of society. Individuals have instant access to social networks, Web sites, and applications. Faculty need to consider using these mobile devices to enrich the classroom. The authors discuss how they successfully designed and incorporated cell phone learning activities into their classrooms. Teaching-learning strategies using cell phone technology and recommendations for overcoming challenges associated with cell phone use in the classroom are discussed.

Cell phone conversing while driving in New Zealand: prevalence, risk perception and legislation.

PubMed

Hallett, Charlene; Lambert, Anthony; Regan, Michael A

2011-05-01

This study investigated (i) the prevalence of conversing on a cell phone while driving in New Zealand, (ii) respondents' perception of risk regarding this behaviour and (iii) attitudes towards legislation banning cell phone use while driving. In addition, the study examined the association between the prevalence of conversing on a cell phone and risk perception. Anonymous, self-reported, survey data was collected via the internet from 1057 drivers nationwide regarding the frequency of conversing on a cell phone, including hands-free and hand-held conversing, risk perception, views on legislation, and demographic information. A positive relationship was found between the frequency of conversing on a cell phone and risk perception; that is, as the frequency of conversing on a cell phone increased, the perceived risk of this behaviour decreased. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Passive radiation detection using optically active CMOS sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dosiek, Luke; Schalk, Patrick D.

2013-05-01

Recently, there have been a number of small-scale and hobbyist successes in employing commodity CMOS-based camera sensors for radiation detection. For example, several smartphone applications initially developed for use in areas near the Fukushima nuclear disaster are capable of detecting radiation using a cell phone camera, provided opaque tape is placed over the lens. In all current useful implementations, it is required that the sensor not be exposed to visible light. We seek to build a system that does not have this restriction. While building such a system would require sophisticated signal processing, it would nevertheless provide great benefits. In addition to fulfilling their primary function of image capture, cameras would also be able to detect unknown radiation sources even when the danger is considered to be low or non-existent. By experimentally profiling the image artifacts generated by gamma ray and β particle impacts, algorithms are developed to identify the unique features of radiation exposure, while discarding optical interaction and thermal noise effects. Preliminary results focus on achieving this goal in a laboratory setting, without regard to integration time or computational complexity. However, future work will seek to address these additional issues.

Hemispheric dominance and cell phone use.

PubMed

Seidman, Michael D; Siegel, Bianca; Shah, Priyanka; Bowyer, Susan M

2013-05-01

A thorough understanding of why we hold a cell phone to a particular ear may be of importance when studying the impact of cell phone safety. To determine if there is an obvious association between sidedness of cell phone use and auditory hemispheric dominance (AHD) or language hemispheric dominance (LHD). It is known that 70% to 95% of the population are right-handed, and of these, 96% have left-brain LHD. We have observed that most people use their cell phones in their right ear. An Internet survey was e-mailed to individuals through surveymonkey.com. The survey used a modified Edinburgh Handedness Inventory protocol. Sample questions surveyed which hand was used to write with, whether the right or left ear was used for phone conversations, as well as whether a brain tumor was present. General community. An Internet survey was randomly e-mailed to 5000 individuals selected from an otology online group, patients undergoing Wada testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging, as well as persons on the university listserv, of which 717 surveys were completed. Determination of hemispheric dominance based on preferred ear for cell phone use. A total of 717 surveys were returned. Ninety percent of the respondents were right handed, and 9% were left handed. Sixty-eight percent of the right-handed people used the cell phone in their right ear, 25% in the left ear, and 7% had no preference. Seventy-two of the left-handed respondents used their left ear, 23% used their right ear, and 5% had no preference. Cell phone use averaged 540 minutes per month over the past 9 years. An association exists between hand dominance laterality of cell phone use (73%) and our ability to predict hemispheric dominance. Most right-handed people have left-brain LHD and use their cell phone in their right ear. Similarly, most left-handed people use their cell phone in their left ear. Our study suggests that AHD may differ from LHD owing to the difference in handedness and cell phone ear use. Literature suggests a possible relationship between cell phone use and cancer. The fact that few tumors were identified in this population does not rule out an association.

Cell Phone Calls in the Operating Theater and Staff Distractions: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Avidan, Alexander; Yacobi, Galel; Weissman, Charles; Levin, Phillip D

2017-01-09

Cell phones are the primary communication tool in our institution. There are no restrictions on their use in the operating rooms. The goal of this study was to evaluate the extent of cell phone use in the operating rooms during elective surgery and to evaluate whether they cause staff distractions. The following data on cell phone use were recorded anonymously: number of incoming and outgoing cell phone calls, duration of cell phone calls and their content (patient related, work related, private), who was distracted by the cell phone calls, and duration of distractions. We made observations during 52 surgeries. There were 205 cell phone calls, 197 (96.1%; median, 3 per surgery; interquartile range, 2-5) incoming and 8 (3.9%) outgoing. Incoming calls were answered on 110 (55.8%) of 197 (median, 2; interquartile range, 1-3) occasions. The mean duration of incoming calls (64 ± 40 seconds) was shorter than those of the outgoing calls (137 ± 242 seconds, P < 0.001). During 29 (14.7%) of 197 incoming calls, 30 staff distractions occurred. Distractions were caused mainly for surgeons talking on their cell phones (24/30, 80.0%). The mean duration of the distractions was 43.6 ± 22.3 seconds. During all 8 outgoing calls, no other staff members were distracted. The number of cell phone calls in the operating rooms during elective surgery was lower than expected and caused short-lived distractions mainly to the operating surgeons. We recommend that operating surgeons turn off their cell phones before surgery.

Microbial flora on cell-phones in an orthopedic surgery room before and after decontamination.

PubMed

Murgier, J; Coste, J-F; Cavaignac, E; Bayle-Iniguez, X; Chiron, P; Bonnevialle, P; Laffosse, J-M

2016-12-01

Cell-phones are the typical kind of object brought into the operating room from outside by hospital staff. A great effort is made to reduce the level of potentially contaminating bacteria in the operating room, and introducing these devices may run counter to good practice. The study hypothesis was that cell-phones are colonized by several strains of bacteria and may constitute a source of nosocomial contamination. The main study objective was to screen for bacterial colonies on the surfaces of cell-phones introduced in an orthopedic surgery room. The secondary objective was to assess the efficacy of decontamination. Samples were taken from the cell-phones of hospital staff (surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, radiology operators, and external medical representatives) entering the operating room of the university hospital center orthopedic surgery department, Toulouse (France). Sampling used Count Tact ® contact gel, without wiping the phone down in advance. Both sides of the phone were sampled, before and after decontamination with a pad imbibed with 0.25% Surfanios ® Premium disinfectant. A nasal sample was also taken to investigate the correlation between Staphylococcus aureus in the nasal cavities and on the cell-phone. Fifty-two cell-phones were sampled. Before decontamination, the mean number of colony-forming units (CFU) was 258 per phone (range, 0-1,664). After decontamination, it was 127 (range, 0-800) (P=0.0001). Forty-nine cell-phones bore CFUs before decontamination (94%), and 39 after (75%) (P=0.02). Cell-phones are CFU carriers and may thus lead to contamination. Guidelines should be drawn up to encourage cleaning phones regularly and to reduce levels of use within the operating room. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Cell phone radiation effects on cytogenetic abnormalities of oral mucosal cells.

PubMed

Daroit, Natália Batista; Visioli, Fernanda; Magnusson, Alessandra Selinger; Vieira, Geila Radunz; Rados, Pantelis Varvaki

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exposure to cell phone electromagnetic radiation on the frequency of micronuclei, broken eggs cells, binucleated cells, and karyorrhexis in epithelial cells of the oral mucosa. The sample was composed of 60 cell phone users, who were non-smokers and non-drinkers, and had no clinically visible oral lesions. Cells were obtained from anatomical sites with the highest incidence of oral cancer: lower lip, border of the tongue, and floor of the mouth. The Feulgen reaction was used for quantification of nuclear anomalies in 1,000 cells/slide. A slightly increase in the number of micronucleated cells in the lower lip and in binucleated cells on the floor of the mouth was observed in individuals who used their phones > 60 minutes/week. The analysis also revealed an increased number of broken eggs in the tongue of individuals owning a cell phone for over eight years. Results suggest that exposure to electromagnetic waves emitted by cell phones can increase nuclear abnormalities in individuals who use a cell phone for more than 60 minutes per week and for over eight years. Based on the present findings, we suggest that exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell phones may interfere with the development of metanuclear anomalies. Therefore, it is demonstrated that, despite a significant increase in these anomalies, the radiation emitted by cell phones among frequent users is within acceptable physiological limits.

Is a hands-free phone safer than a handheld phone?

PubMed

Ishigami, Yoko; Klein, Raymond M

2009-01-01

Although it is becoming more and more accepted that driving while talking on a cell phone can be hazardous, most jurisdictions are making handheld phone use illegal while allowing hands-free phone use. The scientific literature exploring the effects of these two types of cell phone use on driving and driving-related performance is reviewed here. Our review shows that talking on the phone, regardless of phone type, has negative impacts on performance especially in detecting and identifying events. Performance while using a hands-free phone was rarely found to be better than when using a handheld phone. Some studies found that drivers compensate for the deleterious effects of cell phone use when using a handheld phone but neglect to do so when using a hands-free phone. Current research does not support the decision to allow hands-free phone use while driving.

Towards autonomous lab-on-a-chip devices for cell phone biosensing.

PubMed

Comina, Germán; Suska, Anke; Filippini, Daniel

2016-03-15

Modern cell phones are a ubiquitous resource with a residual capacity to accommodate chemical sensing and biosensing capabilities. From the different approaches explored to capitalize on such resource, the use of autonomous disposable lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices-conceived as only accessories to complement cell phones-underscores the possibility to entirely retain cell phones' ubiquity for distributed biosensing. The technology and principles exploited for autonomous LOC devices are here selected and reviewed focusing on their potential to serve cell phone readout configurations. Together with this requirement, the central aspects of cell phones' resources that determine their potential for analytical detection are examined. The conversion of these LOC concepts into universal architectures that are readable on unaccessorized phones is discussed within this context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

78 FR 27441 - NIJ Evaluation of Hand-Held Cell Phone Detector Devices

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

... Hand-Held Cell Phone Detector Devices AGENCY: National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice...-held cell phone detector devices for participation in an evaluation by the NIJ Corrections Technology...-held cell phone detector devices for participation in an evaluation by the NIJ Corrections Technology...

Talking About Killing: Cell Phones, Collective Action, and Insurgent Violence in Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-06

Does improved communication as provided by modern cell phone technology affect the production of violence during insurgencies? Theoretical...the effect of cell phone communications on conflict using data on Iraq’s cell phone network and event data on violence. We show that increased mobile

Is the Phone Mightier than the Sword? Cell Phones and Insurgent Violence in Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-03

Does improved communication as provided by modern cell phone technology affect the production of violence during insurgencies? A priori predictions... phone communications on conflict using data on Iraq’s cell phone network and event data on violence. We show that increased mobile communications...with counterinsurgents, and it creates passive signals intelligence collection opportunities. We provide the first systematic test of the effect of cell

Effect of North Carolina's restriction on teenage driver cell phone use two years after implementation.

PubMed

Goodwin, Arthur H; O'Brien, Natalie P; Foss, Robert D

2012-09-01

A majority of states now restrict teenagers from using a mobile communication device while driving. The effect of these restrictions is largely unknown. In a previous study, we found North Carolina's teenage driver cell phone restriction had little influence on young driver behavior four months after the law took effect (Foss et al., 2009). The goal of the present study was to examine the longer-term effect of North Carolina's cell phone restriction. It was expected that compliance with the restriction would increase, as awareness of the restriction grew over time. Teenagers were observed at high schools in North Carolina approximately two years after the law was implemented. Observations were also conducted in South Carolina, which did not have a cell phone restriction. In both states, there was a broad decrease in cell phone use. A logistic regression analysis showed the decrease in cell phone use did not significantly differ between the two states. Although hand-held cell phone use decreased, there was an increase in the likelihood that drivers in North Carolina were observed physically manipulating a phone. Finally, a mail survey of teenagers in North Carolina showed awareness for the cell phone restriction now stands at 78% among licensed teens. Overall, the findings suggest North Carolina's cell phone restriction has had no long-term effect on the behavior of teenage drivers. Moreover, it appears many teenage drivers may be shifting from talking on a phone to texting. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychological predictors of college students' cell phone use while driving.

PubMed

Schlehofer, Michèle M; Thompson, Suzanne C; Ting, Sarah; Ostermann, Sharon; Nierman, Angela; Skenderian, Jessica

2010-07-01

Despite the known risk, many people talk on a phone while driving. This study explored psychological predictors of cell phone use while driving. College students (final N=69) completed a survey and predicted their driving performance both with and without a simultaneous phone conversation. Their actual performance on a driving simulator was then assessed. Cell phone use reduced performance on the simulation task. Further, perceiving oneself as good at compensating for driving distractions, overestimating one's performance on the driving simulator, and high illusory control predicted more frequent cell phone use while driving in everyday life. Finally, those who talked more frequently on a phone while driving had poorer real-world driving records. These findings suggest illusory control and positive illusions partly explain driver's decisions of whether to use cell phones while driving. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining the impact of cell phone conversations on driving using meta-analytic techniques.

PubMed

Horrey, William J; Wickens, Christopher D

2006-01-01

The performance costs associated with cell phone use while driving were assessed meta-analytically using standardized measures of effect size along five dimensions. There have been many studies on the impact of cell phone use on driving, showing some mixed findings. Twenty-three studies (contributing 47 analysis entries) met the appropriate conditions for the meta-analysis. The statistical results from each of these studies were converted into effect sizes and combined in the meta-analysis. Overall, there were clear costs to driving performance when drivers were engaged in cell phone conversations. However, subsequent analyses indicated that these costs were borne primarily by reaction time tasks, with far smaller costs associated with tracking (lane-keeping) performance. Hands-free and handheld phones revealed similar patterns of results for both measures of performance. Conversation tasks tended to show greater costs than did information-processing tasks (e.g., word games). There was a similar pattern of results for passenger and remote (cell phone) conversations. Finally, there were some small differences between simulator and field studies, though both exhibited costs in performance for cell phone use. We suggest that (a) there are significant costs to driver reactions to external hazards or events associated with cell phone use, (b) hands-free cell phones do not eliminate or substantially reduce these costs, and (c) different research methodologies or performance measures may underestimate these costs. Potential applications of this research include the assessment of performance costs attributable to different types of cell phones, cell phone conversations, experimental measures, or methodologies.

The effect of cell phones on human health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu-Isbeih, Ibrahim N.; Saad, Dina

2011-10-01

The effect of cell phone radiation on human health is the subject of recent interest and study, as a result of the enormous increase in cell phone usage throughout the world. Cell phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range, which some believe may be harmful to human health. Other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks, produce similar radiation. The objective of this survey is to review the effects of cell phones on human health: A large body of research exists, both epidemiological and experimental, in non-human animals and in humans, of which the majority shows no definite causative relationship between exposure to cell phones and harmful biological effects in humans. This is often paraphrased simply as the balance of evidence showing no harm to humans from cell phones, although a significant number of individual studies do suggest such a relationship, or are inconclusive.

The impact of geo-tagging on the photo industry and creating revenue streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, Rolf; Böge, Henning; Weckmann, Christoph; Schloen, Malte

2010-02-01

Internet geo and mapping services like Google Maps, Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps have reinvented the use of geographical information and have reached an enormous popularity. Besides that, location technologies like GPS have become affordable and are now being integrated in many camera phones. GPS is also available for standalone cameras as add on products or integrated in cameras. These developments are the enabler for new products for the photo industry or they enhance existing products. New commercial opportunities have been identified in the areas of photo hardware, internet/software and photo finishing.

Assimilating Eulerian and Lagrangian data in traffic-flow models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Chao; Cochrane, Courtney; DeGuire, Joseph; Fan, Gaoyang; Holmes, Emma; McGuirl, Melissa; Murphy, Patrick; Palmer, Jenna; Carter, Paul; Slivinski, Laura; Sandstede, Björn

2017-05-01

Data assimilation of traffic flow remains a challenging problem. One difficulty is that data come from different sources ranging from stationary sensors and camera data to GPS and cell phone data from moving cars. Sensors and cameras give information about traffic density, while GPS data provide information about the positions and velocities of individual cars. Previous methods for assimilating Lagrangian data collected from individual cars relied on specific properties of the underlying computational model or its reformulation in Lagrangian coordinates. These approaches make it hard to assimilate both Eulerian density and Lagrangian positional data simultaneously. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach that allows us to assimilate both Eulerian and Lagrangian data. We show that the proposed algorithm is accurate and works well in different traffic scenarios and regardless of whether ensemble Kalman or particle filters are used. We also show that the algorithm is capable of estimating parameters and assimilating real traffic observations and synthetic observations obtained from microscopic models.

Remote Video Auditing in the Surgical Setting.

PubMed

Pedersen, Anne; Getty Ritter, Elizabeth; Beaton, Megan; Gibbons, David

2017-02-01

Remote video auditing, a method first adopted by the food preparation industry, was later introduced to the health care industry as a novel approach to improving hand hygiene practices. This strategy yielded tremendous and sustained improvement, causing leaders to consider the potential effects of such technology on the complex surgical environment. This article outlines the implementation of remote video auditing and the first year of activity, outcomes, and measurable successes in a busy surgery department in the eastern United States. A team of anesthesia care providers, surgeons, and OR personnel used low-resolution cameras, large-screen displays, and cell phone alerts to make significant progress in three domains: application of the Universal Protocol for preventing wrong site, wrong procedure, wrong person surgery; efficiency metrics; and cleaning compliance. The use of cameras with real-time auditing and results-sharing created an environment of continuous learning, compliance, and synergy, which has resulted in a safer, cleaner, and more efficient OR. Copyright © 2017 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commonalities in Pedagogy Situating Cell Phone Use in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abend, Laurie Lafer

2013-01-01

Technology has become embedded in all aspects of students' lives as they increasingly rely on mobile technology devices such as cell phones to access and share information. Cell phones function as portable, affordable, and ubiquitous mini-computers, yet few teachers have leveraged the benefits of cell phone technology for teaching and learning…

From Toy to Tool: Audioblogging with Cell Phones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, Liz

2006-01-01

Educators often reject cell phones in the classroom, considering them destructive and distractive "toys." As a former technology coordinator, the author used to think cell phones were harmful for the classroom environment. Over time, she has come to realize that cell phones are part of the students' everyday existence. Today, students use cell…

Adventures with Cell Phones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, Liz

2011-01-01

Teachers are finding creative ways to turn the basic cell phone from a digital distraction into a versatile learning tool. In this article, the author explains why cell phones are important in learning and suggests rather than banning them that they be integrated into learning. She presents activities that can be done on a basic cell phone with a…

75 FR 8921 - Grant of Authority for Subzone Status; Brightpoint North America L.P. (Cell Phone Kitting and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-26

... Status; Brightpoint North America L.P. (Cell Phone Kitting and Distribution) Indianapolis, IN Pursuant to... the cell phone kitting and distribution facilities of Brightpoint North America L.P., located in... cell phones at the facilities of Brightpoint North America L.P., located in Plainfield, Indiana...

Impact of cell phone use on men's semen parameters.

PubMed

Gutschi, T; Mohamad Al-Ali, B; Shamloul, R; Pummer, K; Trummer, H

2011-10-01

The objective of the present retrospective study was to report our experience concerning the effects of cell phone usage on semen parameters. We examined 2110 men attending our infertility clinic from 1993 to October 2007. Semen analysis was performed in all patients. Serum free testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) were collected from all patients. The information on cell phone use of the patients was recorded and the subjects were divided into two groups according to their cell phone use: group A: cell phone use (n = 991); group B: no use (n = 1119). Significant difference was observed in sperm morphology between the two groups. In the patients of group A, 68.0% of the spermatozoa featured a pathological morphology compared to only 58.1% in the subjects of group B. Patients with cell phone usage showed significantly higher T and lower LH levels than those who did not use cell phone. No significant difference between the two groups was observed regarding FSH and PRL values. Our results showed that cell phone use negatively affects sperm quality in men. Further studies with a careful design are needed to determine the effect of cell phone use on male fertility. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Online Medicine for Pregnant Women

PubMed Central

Davidesko, Sharon; Segal, David

2014-01-01

Objective. To assess the use of cell phones and email as means of communication between pregnant women and their gynecologists and family physicians. Study Design. A cross-sectional study of pregnant women at routine followup. One hundred and twenty women participated in the study. Results. The mean age was 27.4 ± 3.4 years. One hundred nineteen women owned a cell phone and 114 (95%) had an email address. Seventy-two women (60%) had their gynecologist's cell phone number and 50 women (42%) had their family physician's cell phone number. More women contacted their gynecologist via cell phone or email during pregnancy compared to their family physician (P = 0.005 and 0.009, resp.). Most preferred to communicate with their physician via cell phone at predetermined times, but by email at any time during the day (P < 0.0001). They would use cell phones for emergencies or unusual problems but preferred email for other matters (P < 0.0001). Conclusions. Pregnant women in the Negev region do not have a preference between the use of cell phones or email for medical consultation with their gynecologist or family physician. The provision of the physician's cell phone numbers or email address together with the provision of guidelines and resources could improve healthcare services. PMID:25132848

Online medicine for pregnant women.

PubMed

Davidesko, Sharon; Segal, David; Peleg, Roni

2014-01-01

Objective. To assess the use of cell phones and email as means of communication between pregnant women and their gynecologists and family physicians. Study Design. A cross-sectional study of pregnant women at routine followup. One hundred and twenty women participated in the study. Results. The mean age was 27.4 ± 3.4 years. One hundred nineteen women owned a cell phone and 114 (95%) had an email address. Seventy-two women (60%) had their gynecologist's cell phone number and 50 women (42%) had their family physician's cell phone number. More women contacted their gynecologist via cell phone or email during pregnancy compared to their family physician (P = 0.005 and 0.009, resp.). Most preferred to communicate with their physician via cell phone at predetermined times, but by email at any time during the day (P < 0.0001). They would use cell phones for emergencies or unusual problems but preferred email for other matters (P < 0.0001). Conclusions. Pregnant women in the Negev region do not have a preference between the use of cell phones or email for medical consultation with their gynecologist or family physician. The provision of the physician's cell phone numbers or email address together with the provision of guidelines and resources could improve healthcare services.

A camera-phone based study reveals erratic eating pattern and disrupted daily eating-fasting cycle among adults in India.

PubMed

Gupta, Neelu Jain; Kumar, Vinod; Panda, Satchidananda

2017-01-01

The daily rhythm of feeding-fasting and meal-timing are emerging as important determinants of health. Circadian rhythm research in animal models and retrospective analyses of human nutrition data have shown that reduced length of overnight fasting or increased late night eating increases risk for metabolic diseases including obesity and diabetes. However, the daily rhythm in eating pattern in humans is rarely measured. Traditional methods to collect nutrition information through food diary and food log pay little attention to the timing of eating which may also change from day to day. We adopted a novel cell-phone based approach to longitudinally record all events of food and beverage intake in adults. In a feasibility study daily food-eating patterns of 93 healthy individuals were recorded for 21 days using camera phones. Analysis of the daily eating patterns of these individuals indicates deviation from conventional assumption that people eat three meals-a-day within a 12 h interval. We found that eating events are widespread throughout the day, with <30% of calories consumed before noon and >30% consumed in evening and late night hours. There was little difference in eating pattern between weekdays and weekends. In this cohort more than 50% of people spread their caloric intake events over 15 h or longer. One decile of the cohort who were spouses of shift-workers or had flexible work schedule spread their caloric intake over 20 h. Although the nutrition quality and diversity of food consumed is different between South-East Asian and Western countries, such overall disruption of daily eating-fasting rhythm is similar. Therefore, in view of hypothesis that disrupted daily eating pattern may contribute to the global increase in metabolic diseases and modification of daily eating pattern is a potential modifiable behavior to contain these diseases, monitoring eating pattern is an important aspect of lifestyle.

Cell phone use and traffic crash risk: a culpability analysis.

PubMed

Asbridge, Mark; Brubacher, Jeff R; Chan, Herbert

2013-02-01

The use of a cell phone or communication device while driving is illegal in many jurisdictions, yet evidence evaluating the crash risk associated with cell phone use in naturalistic settings is limited. This article aims to determine whether cell phone use while driving increases motor vehicle crash culpability. Method Drivers involved in crashes where police reported cell phone use (n = 312) and propensity matched drivers (age, sex, suspect alcohol/drug impairment, crash type, date, time of day, geographical location) without cell phone use (n = 936) were drawn from Insurance Corporation of British Columbia Traffic Accident System data. A standardized scoring tool, modified to account for Canadian driving conditions, was used to determine crash culpability from police reports on all drivers from the crashes. The association between crash culpability and cell phone use was determined, with additional subgroup analyses based on crash severity, driver characteristics and type of licence. A comparison of crashes with vs without cell phones revealed an odds ratio of 1.70 (95% confidence interval 1.22-2.36; P = 0.002). This association was consistent after adjustment for matching variables and other covariates. Subgroup analyses demonstrated an association for male drivers, unimpaired drivers, injured and non-injured drivers, and for drivers aged between 26 and 65 years. Crash culpability was found to be significantly associated with cell phone use by drivers, increasing the odds of a culpable crash by 70% compared with drivers who did not use a cell phone. This increased risk was particularly high for middle-aged drivers.

An analysis of the impact of cell phone use on depressive symptoms among Japanese elders.

PubMed

Minagawa, Yuka; Saito, Yasuhiko

2014-01-01

There has been increasing interest in the impact of information and communication technologies, such as the computer and Internet, on physical and mental health status, but relatively little is known about the health effects of using cell phones. This study investigates how cell phone usage is associated with levels of depressive symptoms among Japanese men and women aged 65 years and older. We focus on social relationships, particularly intergenerational relationships between older parents and adult children, as a possible mediator in the association of cell phone use with late-life depressive symptoms. We therefore hypothesize that using cell phones contributes to the psychological well-being of older adults primarily through encouraging social relationships. We used 4 waves of data from the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging (2001-2009) to analyze the impact of cell phone use on depressive symptoms. RESULTS are based on ordinary least squares regression analyses. Although the use of cell phones was related to lower levels of depressive symptoms among elderly Japanese people, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and physical health conditions wiped out the effects for men. In contrast, the protective effects of using cell phones persisted among women, even net of all controls. Moreover, the impact of using cell phones was not explained by filial relationship measures, suggesting that cell phone use influences the mental health of older women independently of social engagement. Among the many advantages brought about by recent technological developments, cell phones appear to be an important contributor to the psychological well-being of Japanese elders. Researchers and policy makers should prioritize access to new technologies for older adults. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Measuring a conceptual model of the relationship between compulsive cell phone use, in-vehicle cell phone use, and motor vehicle crash.

PubMed

O'Connor, Stephen S; Shain, Lindsey M; Whitehill, Jennifer M; Ebel, Beth E

2017-02-01

Previous research suggests that anticipation of incoming phone calls or messages and impulsivity are significantly associated with motor vehicle crash. We took a more explanative approach to investigate a conceptual model regarding the direct and indirect effect of compulsive cell phone use and impulsive personality traits on crash risk. We recruited a sample of 307 undergraduate college students to complete an online survey that included measures of cell phone use, impulsivity, and history of motor vehicle crash. Using a structural equation model, we examined the direct and indirect relationships between factors of the Cell Phone Overuse Scale-II (CPOS-II), impulsivity, in-vehicle phone use, and severity and frequency of previous motor vehicle crash. Self-reported miles driven per week and year in college were included as covariates in the model. Our findings suggest that anticipation of incoming communication has a direct association with greater in-vehicle phone use, but was not directly or indirectly associated with increasing risk of previous motor vehicle crash. Of the three latent factors comprising the CPOS-II, only anticipation was significantly associated with elevated cell phone use while driving. Greater impulsivity and use of in-vehicle cell phone use while driving were directly and significantly associated with greater risk of motor vehicle crash. Anticipation of incoming cellular contacts (calls or texts) is associated with greater in-vehicle phone use, while greater in-vehicle cell phone use and impulsive traits are associated with elevated risk of motor vehicle crashes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of physical activity levels using cell phone questionnaires: a comparison with accelerometry for evaluation of between-subject and within-subject variations.

PubMed

Bexelius, Christin; Sandin, Sven; Trolle Lagerros, Ylva; Litton, Jan-Eric; Löf, Marie

2011-09-25

Physical activity promotes health and longevity. Further elaboration of the role of physical activity for human health in epidemiological studies on large samples requires accurate methods that are easy to use, cheap, and possible to repeat. The use of telecommunication technologies such as cell phones is highly interesting in this respect. In an earlier report, we showed that physical activity level (PAL) assessed using a cell phone procedure agreed well with corresponding estimates obtained using the doubly labeled water method. However, our earlier study indicated high within-subject variation in relation to between-subject variations in PAL using cell phones, but we could not assess if this was a true variation of PAL or an artifact of the cell phone technique. Our objective was to compare within- and between-subject variations in PAL by means of cell phones with corresponding estimates using an accelerometer. In addition, we compared the agreement of daily PAL values obtained using the cell phone questionnaire with corresponding data obtained using an accelerometer. PAL was measured both with the cell phone questionnaire and with a triaxial accelerometer daily during a 2-week study period in 21 healthy Swedish women (20 to 45 years of age and BMI from 17.7 kg/m² to 33.6 kg/m²). The results were evaluated by fitting linear mixed effect models and descriptive statistics and graphs. With the accelerometer, 57% (95% confidence interval [CI] 40%-66%) of the variation was within subjects, while with the cell phone, within-subject variation was 76% (95% CI 59%-83%). The day-to-day variations in PAL observed using the cell phone questions agreed well with the corresponding accelerometer results. Both the cell phone questionnaire and the accelerometer showed high within-subject variations. Furthermore, day-to-day variations in PAL within subjects assessed using the cell phone agreed well with corresponding accelerometer values. Consequently, our cell phone questionnaire is a promising tool for assessing levels of physical activity. The tool may be useful for large-scale prospective studies.

Dial D for Distraction: The Making and Breaking of Cell Phone Policies in the College Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Michael J.; Westfall, Aubrey

2015-01-01

Cell phones are nearly ubiquitous in the college classroom. This study asks two primary questions regarding the making and breaking of in-class cell phone policies. In what manner are students using their phones and how can faculty members minimize the potential for phone-related distractions? To answer these questions we analyze original survey…

Relationship of Near-Crash/Crash Risk to Time Spent on a Cell Phone While Driving.

PubMed

Farmer, Charles M; Klauer, Sheila G; McClafferty, Julie A; Guo, Feng

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine in a naturalistic driving setting the dose-response relationship between cell phone usage while driving and risk of a crash or near crash. How is the increasing use of cell phones by drivers associated with overall near-crash/crash risk (i.e., during driving times both on and off the phone)? Day-to-day driving behavior of 105 volunteer subjects was monitored over a period of 1 year. A random sample was selected comprised of 4 trips from each month that each driver was in the study, and in-vehicle video was used to classify driver behavior. The proportion of driving time spent using a cell phone was estimated for each 3-month period and correlated with overall crash and near-crash rates for each period. Thus, it was possible to test whether changes in an individual driver's cell phone use over time were associated with changes in overall near-crash/crash risk. Drivers in the study spent 11.7% of their driving time interacting with a cell phone, primarily talking on the phone (6.5%) or simply holding the phone in their hand or lap (3.7%). The risk of a near-crash/crash event was approximately 17% higher when the driver was interacting with a cell phone, due primarily to actions of reaching for/answering/dialing, which nearly triples risk (relative risk = 2.84). However, the amount of driving time spent interacting with a cell phone did not affect a driver's overall near-crash/crash risk. Vehicle speeds within 6 s of the beginning of each call on average were 5-6 mph lower than speeds at other times. Results of this naturalistic driving study are consistent with the observation that increasing cell phone use in the general driving population has not led to increased crash rates. Although cell phone use can be distracting and crashes have occurred during this distraction, overall crash rates appear unaffected by changes in the rate of cell phone use, even for individual drivers. Drivers compensate somewhat for the distraction by conducting some of the more demanding tasks, such as reaching for or dialing a cell phone, at lower speeds. It is also possible that cell phones and other electronic devices in cars are changing how drivers manage their attention to various tasks and/or changing the kinds of secondary tasks in which they engage.

Instant wireless transmission of radiological images using a personal digital assistant phone for emergency teleconsultation.

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Keun; Yoo, Sun K; Kim, Sun H

2005-01-01

The instant transmission of radiological images may be important for making rapid clinical decisions about emergency patients. We have examined an instant image transfer system based on a personal digital assistant (PDA) phone with a built-in camera. Images displayed on a picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) monitor can be captured by the camera in the PDA phone directly. Images can then be transmitted from an emergency centre to a remote physician via a wireless high-bandwidth network (CDMA 1 x EVDO). We reviewed the radiological lesions in 10 normal and 10 abnormal cases produced by modalities such as computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) and digital angiography. The images were of 24-bit depth and 1,144 x 880, 1,120 x 840, 1,024 x 768, 800 x 600, 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 pixels. Three neurosurgeons found that for satisfactory remote consultation a minimum size of 640 x 480 pixels was required for CT and MR images and 1,024 x 768 pixels for angiography images. Although higher resolution produced higher clinical satisfaction, it also required more transmission time. At the limited bandwidth employed, higher resolutions could not be justified.

Effects of naturalistic cell phone conversations on driving performance.

PubMed

Rakauskas, Michael E; Gugerty, Leo J; Ward, Nicholas J

2004-01-01

The prevalence of automobile drivers talking on cell phones is growing, but the effect of that behavior on driving performance is unclear. Also unclear is the relationship between the difficulty level of a phone conversation and the resulting distraction. This study used a driving simulator to determine the effect that easy and difficult cell phone conversations have on driving performance. Cell phone use caused participants to have higher variation in accelerator pedal position, drive more slowly with more variation in speed, and report a higher level of workload regardless of conversation difficulty level. Drivers may cope with the additional stress of phone conversations by enduring higher workloads or setting reduced performance goals. Because an increasing number of people talk on the phone while driving, crashes caused by distracted drivers using cell phones will cause disruptions in business, as well as injury, disability, and permanent loss of personnel.

Study on mobile phone use while driving in a sample of Iranian drivers.

PubMed

Arvin, Ramin; Khademi, Mostafa; Razi-Ardakani, Hesamoddin

2017-06-01

The use of cell phone is a significant source of driver distraction. Phone use while driving can impair a number of factors critical for safe driving which can cause serious traffic safety problems. The objective of this paper was to investigate the frequency of using cell phones while driving in Iran's roads through an observational survey with a random sample of drivers, to recognize contributing factors to cell phone usage and to understand the magnitude of the problem. A total of 1794 observations were collected from 12 sites at controlled intersections, entrance and exit points of highways. The cell phone use rate among drivers (talking or texting) was estimated at 10% which is significantly higher than that in other countries such as Australia, USA and Canada. Rate of cell phone use among younger drivers (14.15%) was higher in comparison with other groups. In order to identify factors affecting cell phone use while driving, a binary logit model is estimated. Variables which significantly contribute to the rate of using cell phone were found to be the age of driver, number of passengers, presence of kids under the age of 8, time of observation, vehicle price and type of car.

Cost-effective and Rapid Blood Analysis on a Cell-phone

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongying; Sencan, Ikbal; Wong, Justin; Dimitrov, Stoyan; Tseng, Derek; Nagashima, Keita; Ozcan, Aydogan

2013-01-01

We demonstrate a compact and cost-effective imaging cytometry platform installed on a cell-phone for the measurement of the density of red and white blood cells as well as hemoglobin concentration in human blood samples. Fluorescent and bright-field images of blood samples are captured using separate optical attachments to the cell-phone and are rapidly processed through a custom-developed smart application running on the phone for counting of blood cells and determining hemoglobin density. We evaluated the performance of this cell-phone based blood analysis platform using anonymous human blood samples and achieved comparable results to a standard bench-top hematology analyser. Test results can either be stored on the cell-phone memory or be transmitted to a central server, providing remote diagnosis opportunities even in field settings. PMID:23392286

Cost-effective and rapid blood analysis on a cell-phone.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Sencan, Ikbal; Wong, Justin; Dimitrov, Stoyan; Tseng, Derek; Nagashima, Keita; Ozcan, Aydogan

2013-04-07

We demonstrate a compact and cost-effective imaging cytometry platform installed on a cell-phone for the measurement of the density of red and white blood cells as well as hemoglobin concentration in human blood samples. Fluorescent and bright-field images of blood samples are captured using separate optical attachments to the cell-phone and are rapidly processed through a custom-developed smart application running on the phone for counting of blood cells and determining hemoglobin density. We evaluated the performance of this cell-phone based blood analysis platform using anonymous human blood samples and achieved comparable results to a standard bench-top hematology analyser. Test results can either be stored on the cell-phone memory or be transmitted to a central server, providing remote diagnosis opportunities even in field settings.

Cell Phones in the Classroom: Preservice Teachers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Kevin; O'Bannon, Blanche

2013-01-01

This study employed a survey to examine the perceptions of 92 preservice teachers enrolled at a small Midwestern liberal arts university regarding their support of the use of cell phones in the classroom, the benefits of specific cell phone features for school-related work, and the instructional benefits of and barriers to using cell phones in the…

Cell-Phone Tower Power System Prototype Testing for Verizon Wireless |

Science.gov Websites

Verizon Wireless Cell-Phone Tower Power System Prototype Testing for Verizon Wireless For Verizon Wireless Advanced Manufacturing Research | NREL Cell-Phone Tower Power System Prototype Testing for , NREL tested a new cell-phone tower power system prototype based on DC interconnection and photovoltaics

Cell Phones in the Classroom: Teachers' Perspectives of Inclusion, Benefits, and Barriers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Kevin M.; O'Bannon, Blanche W.; Bolton, Natalie

2013-01-01

Historically viewed as a disruption by teachers, cell phones have been banned from 69% of classrooms (Common Sense Media, 2009). The increased ubiquity and instructional features of cell phones have prompted some teachers to re-evaluate the ban and consider the benefits associated with allowing cell phones in the classroom. This study surveyed 79…

College Students' Cell Phone Use, Beliefs, and Effects on Their Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elder, Anastasia D.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore college students' self-reported cell phone use and beliefs and investigate the effect on student learning. Eighty-eight college students responded to a questionnaire about their use of cell phones during classes, studying, and driving and about their beliefs about how cell phones impact their schoolwork. In…

78 FR 39707 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 32-Miami, Florida; Notification of Proposed Production Activity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

..., Florida; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Brightstar Corporation; (Cell Phone Kitting); Miami... FTZ 32. The facility is used for the kitting of cell phones and cell phone accessories. Pursuant to 15..., Brightstar would be able to choose the duty rates during customs entry procedures that apply to cell phones...

77 FR 54651 - Study on the Use of Cell Phones On Board Aircraft

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-05

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Study on the Use of Cell Phones On... Administrator of the FAA to conduct a study on the impact of the use of cell phones for voice communications in... Cell Phone Study Comments using any of the following methods: E-Mail: Send comments to CELLPHONEcomment...

A Happy and Engaged Class without Cell Phones? It's Easier than You Think

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Louise; Lambert, Warren

2016-01-01

Although there have been many suggestions for incorporating cell phone use into classroom activities, there have been few suggestions for removing cell phone use from the classroom. This article presents an easy-to-implement method using positive reinforcement that effectively removes cell phones from the classroom in a way that is highly endorsed…

Local dynamic stability and gait variability during attentional tasks in young adults.

PubMed

Magnani, Rina Márcia; Lehnen, Georgia Cristina; Rodrigues, Fábio Barbosa; de Sá E Souza, Gustavo Souto; de Oliveira Andrade, Adriano; Vieira, Marcus Fraga

2017-06-01

Cell phone use while walking may be a cognitive distraction and reduce visual and motor attention. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the effects of attentional dual-tasks while using a cell phone in different conditions. Stability, regularity, and linear variability of trunk kinematics, and gait spatiotemporal parameters in young adults were measured. Twenty young subjects of both genders were asked to walk on a treadmill for 4min under the following conditions: (a) looking forward at a fixed target 2.5m away (walking); (b) talking on a cell phone with unilateral handling (talking); (c) texting messages on a cell phone with unilateral handling (texting); and (d) looking forward at the aforementioned target while listening to music without handling the phone (listening). Local dynamic stability measured in terms of the largest Lyapunov exponent decreased while handling a cell phone (talking and texting). Gait variability and regularity increased when talking on a cell phone, but no variable changed in the listening condition. Under all dual-task conditions, there were significant increases in stride width and its variability. We conclude that young adults who use a cell phone when walking adapt their gait pattern conservatively, which can be because of increased attentional demand during cell phone use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mount Sharp Panorama in Raw Colors

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-03-15

This mosaic of images from the Mastcam onboard NASA Mars rover Curiosity shows Mount Sharp in raw color. Raw color shows the scene colors as they would look in a typical smart-phone camera photo, before any adjustment.

Keeping in touch. Cell phone use in people with schizophrenia disorders.

PubMed

Beebe, Lora Humphrey; Smith, Kathlene; Bennett, Chris; Bentley, Katherine; Walters, Amanda B; Hancock, Beverly; Farmer, Shirley Y; Earle, Karen; White, Sheila

2010-04-01

There is limited research exploring telephone intervention for psychiatric clients; no studies specific to cell phone use have been conducted. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of cell phone use in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). Ten outpatients with SSDs were provided with previously activated cell phones for 5 months; trained nurses contacted participants weekly. Seven participants completed the 5-month follow-up period. A minority of participants reported difficulty retrieving messages and answering or charging their phone. These preliminary findings indicate the majority of individuals with SSDs are willing to use this method of communication and are able to do so with few problems. Possible barriers to the use of cell phones with this group include lifestyle factors and poor decision making. Future investigations should examine the use of cell phone access to foster personal safety, gain a sense of connectedness to others, and enhance quality of life.

MEMS-based thermally-actuated image stabilizer for cellular phone camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chun-Ying; Chiou, Jin-Chern

2012-11-01

This work develops an image stabilizer (IS) that is fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology and is designed to counteract the vibrations when human using cellular phone cameras. The proposed IS has dimensions of 8.8 × 8.8 × 0.3 mm3 and is strong enough to suspend an image sensor. The processes that is utilized to fabricate the IS includes inductive coupled plasma (ICP) processes, reactive ion etching (RIE) processes and the flip-chip bonding method. The IS is designed to enable the electrical signals from the suspended image sensor to be successfully emitted out using signal output beams, and the maximum actuating distance of the stage exceeds 24.835 µm when the driving current is 155 mA. Depending on integration of MEMS device and designed controller, the proposed IS can decrease the hand tremor by 72.5%.

Epidemic of cell phone virus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pu; González, Marta; Barabási, Albert-László.

2008-03-01

Standard operating systems and Bluetooth technology will be a trend for future cell phone features. These will enable cell phone viruses to spread either through SMS or by sending Bluetooth requests when cell phones are physically close enough. The difference in spreading methods gives these two types of viruses' different epidemiological characteristics. SMS viruses' spread is mainly based on people's social connections, whereas the spreading of Bluetooth viruses is affected by people's mobility patterns and population distribution. Using cell phone data recording calls, SMS and locations of more than 6 million users, we study the spread of SMS and Bluetooth viruses and characterize how the social network and the mobility of mobile phone users affect such spreading processes.

Estimation of Antenna Pose in the Earth Frame Using Camera and IMU Data from Mobile Phones

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhen; Jin, Bingwen; Geng, Weidong

2017-01-01

The poses of base station antennas play an important role in cellular network optimization. Existing methods of pose estimation are based on physical measurements performed either by tower climbers or using additional sensors attached to antennas. In this paper, we present a novel non-contact method of antenna pose measurement based on multi-view images of the antenna and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data captured by a mobile phone. Given a known 3D model of the antenna, we first estimate the antenna pose relative to the phone camera from the multi-view images and then employ the corresponding IMU data to transform the pose from the camera coordinate frame into the Earth coordinate frame. To enhance the resulting accuracy, we improve existing camera-IMU calibration models by introducing additional degrees of freedom between the IMU sensors and defining a new error metric based on both the downtilt and azimuth angles, instead of a unified rotational error metric, to refine the calibration. In comparison with existing camera-IMU calibration methods, our method achieves an improvement in azimuth accuracy of approximately 1.0 degree on average while maintaining the same level of downtilt accuracy. For the pose estimation in the camera coordinate frame, we propose an automatic method of initializing the optimization solver and generating bounding constraints on the resulting pose to achieve better accuracy. With this initialization, state-of-the-art visual pose estimation methods yield satisfactory results in more than 75% of cases when plugged into our pipeline, and our solution, which takes advantage of the constraints, achieves even lower estimation errors on the downtilt and azimuth angles, both on average (0.13 and 0.3 degrees lower, respectively) and in the worst case (0.15 and 7.3 degrees lower, respectively), according to an evaluation conducted on a dataset consisting of 65 groups of data. We show that both of our enhancements contribute to the performance improvement offered by the proposed estimation pipeline, which achieves downtilt and azimuth accuracies of respectively 0.47 and 5.6 degrees on average and 1.38 and 12.0 degrees in the worst case, thereby satisfying the accuracy requirements for network optimization in the telecommunication industry. PMID:28397765

Secondary Behavior of Drivers on Cell Phones.

PubMed

Farmer, Charles M; Klauer, Sheila G; McClafferty, Julie A; Guo, Feng

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether cell phone use by drivers leads to changes in the frequency of other types of potentially distracting behavior. There were 2 main questions of interest: (1) As each driver changes cell phone use, does he or she change the amount of driving time spent on other distracting behavior? (2) As each driver changes cell phone use, does he or she change the amount of driving time spent looking away from the driving task? Day-to-day driving behavior of 105 volunteer subjects was monitored over a period of 1 year. The amount of driving time during each trip spent on tasks secondary to driving (or looking away from the driving task) was correlated to the amount of time on a cell phone, taking into account the relationships among trips taken by the same driver. Drivers spent 42% of the time engaging in at least one secondary activity. Drivers were talking on a cell phone 7% of the time, interacting in some other way with a cell phone 5% of the time, and engaging in some other secondary activity (sometimes in conjunction with cell phone use) 33% of the time. Other than cell phone use, the most common secondary activities were interacting with a passenger (12% of driving time), holding but not otherwise interacting with an object (6%), and talking/singing/dancing to oneself (5%). Drivers were looking straight forward 81% of the time, forward left or right 5% of time, in a mirror 4% of the time, and elsewhere (eyes off driving task) 10% of time. On average, for each 1 percentage point increase in cell phone talking, the other secondary behavior rate decreased by 0.28 percentage points (P <.0001), and the rate of eyes off driving task decreased by 0.02 percentage points (P =.0067). For each 1 percentage point increase in the amount of other cell phone interaction per trip, the other secondary behavior rate decreased by 0.08 percentage points (P =.0558), but the rate of eyes off driving task increased by 0.06 percentage points (P <.0001). Although using a cell phone can be distracting from the driving task, other secondary activities can be equally or more distracting, at least as measured by eye glances away from the road ahead and mirrors. In this group of drivers, dialing, reaching for, and answering the cell phone were associated with increased eyes off driving task, as opposed to the decrease in eyes off driving task associated with talking on the phone. Predictions about the effect of cell phone usage on driver distraction need to consider what other behavior is being displaced by the time spent on the phone. A focus by researchers, policy-makers, and the media on the distraction of using cell phones while driving may lead drivers to disregard the risk of other secondary behavior that is even more distracting.

A Study to Assess Economic Burden and Practice of Cell Phone Disposal among Medical Students

PubMed Central

Anuj, Mittal; Rajasekar, Vedapriya Dande; Krishnagopal, Lavanya

2013-01-01

Context: Our country India is having 919.17 million cell phone users; currently this is the second largest number of cell phone users after China. The youth spend a good amount on talk time and purchasing cell phone handsets. Discarding of cell phone is another issue which needs attention because of generation of e-wastes, which leads to environmental pollution. Aim: To assess economic burden and practice of cell phone disposal among medical students. Methodology: It is a cross-sectional study where self filled questionnaire were given to randomly chosen students. Results: Out of total 311 participants, 133 were males and 178 were females. Mean monthly expenditure of students was Rs. 2787. Out of 311 students only 2 (0.64%) boys were not using cell phones. It was observed that boys are more inclined towards cell phone than girls, as number of previous handsets, money spent on buying handsets and therefore average monthly costs of handsets were significantly higher among boys than girls. Most common reason for frequent changing of handsets was that they were outdated (46.14%). 47.13% of handsets were disposed by exchanging or giving to somebody for use, but 36.57% of handsets were lying waste or thrown away. Conclusion: As noticed that a good amount of money was spent on cell phones, students and parents should be counseled regarding cost effective use of cell phone. An effort should be made to dispose off handset in environment friendly way, which can be done by creating awareness about collection centers and strengthening collection chain. PMID:23730640

A Study to Assess Economic Burden and Practice of Cell Phone Disposal among Medical Students.

PubMed

Anuj, Mittal; Rajasekar, Vedapriya Dande; Krishnagopal, Lavanya

2013-04-01

Our country India is having 919.17 million cell phone users; currently this is the second largest number of cell phone users after China. The youth spend a good amount on talk time and purchasing cell phone handsets. Discarding of cell phone is another issue which needs attention because of generation of e-wastes, which leads to environmental pollution. To assess economic burden and practice of cell phone disposal among medical students. It is a cross-sectional study where self filled questionnaire were given to randomly chosen students. Out of total 311 participants, 133 were males and 178 were females. Mean monthly expenditure of students was Rs. 2787. Out of 311 students only 2 (0.64%) boys were not using cell phones. It was observed that boys are more inclined towards cell phone than girls, as number of previous handsets, money spent on buying handsets and therefore average monthly costs of handsets were significantly higher among boys than girls. Most common reason for frequent changing of handsets was that they were outdated (46.14%). 47.13% of handsets were disposed by exchanging or giving to somebody for use, but 36.57% of handsets were lying waste or thrown away. As noticed that a good amount of money was spent on cell phones, students and parents should be counseled regarding cost effective use of cell phone. An effort should be made to dispose off handset in environment friendly way, which can be done by creating awareness about collection centers and strengthening collection chain.

Cell-Phone Addiction: A Review

PubMed Central

De-Sola Gutiérrez, José; Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando; Rubio, Gabriel

2016-01-01

We present a review of the studies that have been published about addiction to cell phones. We analyze the concept of cell-phone addiction as well as its prevalence, study methodologies, psychological features, and associated psychiatric comorbidities. Research in this field has generally evolved from a global view of the cell phone as a device to its analysis via applications and contents. The diversity of criteria and methodological approaches that have been used is notable, as is a certain lack of conceptual delimitation that has resulted in a broad spread of prevalent data. There is a consensus about the existence of cell-phone addiction, but the delimitation and criteria used by various researchers vary. Cell-phone addiction shows a distinct user profile that differentiates it from Internet addiction. Without evidence pointing to the influence of cultural level and socioeconomic status, the pattern of abuse is greatest among young people, primarily females. Intercultural and geographical differences have not been sufficiently studied. The problematic use of cell phones has been associated with personality variables, such as extraversion, neuroticism, self-esteem, impulsivity, self-identity, and self-image. Similarly, sleep disturbance, anxiety, stress, and, to a lesser extent, depression, which are also associated with Internet abuse, have been associated with problematic cell-phone use. In addition, the present review reveals the coexistence relationship between problematic cell-phone use and substance use such as tobacco and alcohol. PMID:27822187

Cell-Phone Addiction: A Review.

PubMed

De-Sola Gutiérrez, José; Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando; Rubio, Gabriel

2016-01-01

We present a review of the studies that have been published about addiction to cell phones. We analyze the concept of cell-phone addiction as well as its prevalence, study methodologies, psychological features, and associated psychiatric comorbidities. Research in this field has generally evolved from a global view of the cell phone as a device to its analysis via applications and contents. The diversity of criteria and methodological approaches that have been used is notable, as is a certain lack of conceptual delimitation that has resulted in a broad spread of prevalent data. There is a consensus about the existence of cell-phone addiction, but the delimitation and criteria used by various researchers vary. Cell-phone addiction shows a distinct user profile that differentiates it from Internet addiction. Without evidence pointing to the influence of cultural level and socioeconomic status, the pattern of abuse is greatest among young people, primarily females. Intercultural and geographical differences have not been sufficiently studied. The problematic use of cell phones has been associated with personality variables, such as extraversion, neuroticism, self-esteem, impulsivity, self-identity, and self-image. Similarly, sleep disturbance, anxiety, stress, and, to a lesser extent, depression, which are also associated with Internet abuse, have been associated with problematic cell-phone use. In addition, the present review reveals the coexistence relationship between problematic cell-phone use and substance use such as tobacco and alcohol.

Costly Cell Phones: The Impact of Cell Phone Rings on Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

End, Christian M.; Worthman, Shaye; Mathews, Mary Bridget; Wetterau, Katharina

2010-01-01

College students participated in a study on the "psychology of note taking" during which they took notes on video content and later completed a multiple-choice test on the material. Researchers assigned 71 participants to either the ringing condition (the video was disrupted by a ringing cell phone) or the control condition (no cell phone rings…

Uses of the Cell Phone for Education in the Philippines and Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Librero, Felix; Ramos, Angelo Juan; Ranga, Adelina I.; Trinona, Jerome; Lambert, David

2007-01-01

The cell phone, now the most widely used medium in Asia, has major educational implications. Most users, however, do not realize the cell phone's potential for education, nor even for the communication functions for which it was originally designed. Most educators still see the computer and the cell phone as unrelated devices, and the tiny cell…

National School Debate: Banning Cell Phones in Public Schools: Analyzing a National School and Community Relations Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Clarence; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

School systems in America face many critical challenges pertaining to regulating cell phone use by students in today's schools. School executives and classroom teachers face challenges daily relative to how to effectively deal with student's using cell phones. There are many drawbacks and benefits for cell phone use by students. The authors…

Cell Phones in the Classroom: Are We Dialing up Disaster?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, George; Green, Tim

2011-01-01

Over the last decade there has been a rapid diffusion of cellular technology. Though cell phone use began as a business tool, it has now become part of popular culture. Because of the near ubiquitous presence of cell phone technology among teens in the United States, schools are beginning to explore the use of cell phones as a learning tool. This…

Student Impressions of Academic Cell Phone Use in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tessier, Jack

2013-01-01

Cell phones have become ubiquitous in society, but they are typically seen as a problem in the classroom. This study was designed to assess the perspective of students regarding the use of cell phones as academic tools in the classroom. The author encouraged students to use their cell phones in an environmental issues course to find data and other…

2010 Survey on cell phone use while performing cardiopulmonary bypass.

PubMed

Smith, T; Darling, E; Searles, B

2011-09-01

Cell phone use in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past decade and text messaging among adults is now mainstream. In professions such as perfusion, where clinical vigilance is essential to patient care, the potential distraction of cell phones may be especially problematic. However, the extent of this as an issue is currently unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) determine the frequency of cell phone use in the perfusion community, and (2) to identify concerns and opinions among perfusionists regarding cell phone use. In October 2010, a link to a 19-question survey (surveymonkey.com) was posted on the AmSECT (PerfList) and Perfusion.com (PerfMail) forums. There were 439 respondents. Demographic distribution is as follows; Chief Perfusionist (30.5%), Staff Perfusionist (62.0%), and Other (7.5%), with age ranges of 20-30 years (14.2%), 30-40 years (26.5%), 40-50 years (26.7%), 50-60 years (26.7%), >60 years (5.9%). The use of a cell phone during the performance of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was reported by 55.6% of perfusionists. Sending text messages while performing CPB was acknowledged by 49.2%, with clear generational differences detected when cross-referenced with age groups. For smart phone features, perfusionists report having accessed e-mail (21%), used the internet (15.1%), or have checked/posted on social networking sites (3.1%) while performing CPB. Safety concerns were expressed by 78.3% who believe that cell phones can introduce a potentially significant safety risk to patients. Speaking on a cell phone and text messaging during CPB are regarded as "always an unsafe practice" by 42.3% and 51.7% of respondents, respectively. Personal distraction by cell phone use that negatively affected performance was admitted by 7.3%, whereas witnessing another perfusionist distracted with phone/text while on CPB was acknowledged by 33.7% of respondents. This survey suggests that the majority of perfusionists believe cell phones raise significant safety issues while operating the heart-lung machine. However, the majority also have used a cell phone while performing this activity. There are clear generational differences in opinions on the role and/or appropriateness of cell phones during bypass. There is a need to further study this issue and, perhaps, to establish consensus on the use of various communication modes within the perfusion community.

Assessing characteristics related to the use of seatbelts and cell phones by drivers: application of a bivariate probit model.

PubMed

Russo, Brendan J; Kay, Jonathan J; Savolainen, Peter T; Gates, Timothy J

2014-06-01

The effects of cell phone use and safety belt use have been an important focus of research related to driver safety. Cell phone use has been shown to be a significant source of driver distraction contributing to substantial degradations in driver performance, while safety belts have been demonstrated to play a vital role in mitigating injuries to crash-involved occupants. This study examines the prevalence of cell phone use and safety belt non-use among the driving population through direct observation surveys. A bivariate probit model is developed to simultaneously examine the factors that affect cell phone and safety belt use among motor vehicle drivers. The results show that several factors may influence drivers' decision to use cell phones and safety belts, and that these decisions are correlated. Understanding the factors that affect both cell phone use and safety belt non-use is essential to targeting policy and programs that reduce such behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-term effects of a teenage driver cell phone restriction.

PubMed

Foss, Robert D; Goodwin, Arthur H; McCartt, Anne T; Hellinga, Laurie A

2009-05-01

On December 1, 2006, North Carolina began prohibiting use of any mobile communication device by drivers younger than 18. The current study examined the effects of the law on teenage drivers' cell phone use. Teenage drivers were observed at high schools in North Carolina 1-2 months before and approximately 5 months after the law took effect. The proportion of teenagers using cell phones did not change significantly (11.0% before the law took effect, 11.8% after). Cell phone use among teenage drivers at high schools in South Carolina, an adjacent state without a teenage driver phone ban, was stable at about 13%. Interviews were conducted with parents and teenagers in North Carolina both before and after the law took effect. In post-law interviews, teenagers were more likely than parents to say they knew about the cell phone restriction (64% vs. 39%), but support for the ban was greater among parents (95% vs. 74%). Only 22% of teenagers and 13% of parents believed the law was being enforced fairly often or a lot. Although the proportion of teenagers who reported using phones while driving declined somewhat following the law, about half admitted they used their phones, if they had driven, on the day prior to the interview. Overall, the findings suggest that North Carolina's cell phone restriction had little to no effect on teenage drivers' use of cell phones shortly after the law took effect.

Noninvasive iPhone Measurement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using Intrinsic Frequency Methodology.

PubMed

Pahlevan, Niema M; Rinderknecht, Derek G; Tavallali, Peyman; Razavi, Marianne; Tran, Thao T; Fong, Michael W; Kloner, Robert A; Csete, Marie; Gharib, Morteza

2017-07-01

The study is based on previously reported mathematical analysis of arterial waveform that extracts hidden oscillations in the waveform that we called intrinsic frequencies. The goal of this clinical study was to compare the accuracy of left ventricular ejection fraction derived from intrinsic frequencies noninvasively versus left ventricular ejection fraction obtained with cardiac MRI, the most accurate method for left ventricular ejection fraction measurement. After informed consent, in one visit, subjects underwent cardiac MRI examination and noninvasive capture of a carotid waveform using an iPhone camera (The waveform is captured using a custom app that constructs the waveform from skin displacement images during the cardiac cycle.). The waveform was analyzed using intrinsic frequency algorithm. Outpatient MRI facility. Adults able to undergo MRI were referred by local physicians or self-referred in response to local advertisement and included patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction diagnosed by a cardiologist. Standard cardiac MRI sequences were used, with periodic breath holding for image stabilization. To minimize motion artifact, the iPhone camera was held in a cradle over the carotid artery during iPhone measurements. Regardless of neck morphology, carotid waveforms were captured in all subjects, within seconds to minutes. Seventy-two patients were studied, ranging in age from 20 to 92 years old. The main endpoint of analysis was left ventricular ejection fraction; overall, the correlation between ejection fraction-iPhone and ejection fraction-MRI was 0.74 (r = 0.74; p < 0.0001; ejection fraction-MRI = 0.93 × [ejection fraction-iPhone] + 1.9). Analysis of carotid waveforms using intrinsic frequency methods can be used to document left ventricular ejection fraction with accuracy comparable with that of MRI. The measurements require no training to perform or interpret, no calibration, and can be repeated at the bedside to generate almost continuous analysis of left ventricular ejection fraction without arterial cannulation.

Using ``Student Technology'' in Introductory Physics: A Comparison of Three Tools to Study Falling Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraiva da Rocha, Fábio; Fajardo, Fabio; Grisolía, Maricarmen; Benegas, Julio; Tchitnga, Robert; Laws, Priscilla

2011-03-01

Being able to facilitate effective hands-on laboratory experiences in introductory physics courses is a challenging task, even when contemporary laboratory facilities, equipment, and new technologies for data collection and analysis are available. At institutions without adequate resources, especially those in developing countries, we have found that the problem of providing effective laboratory experiences is especially daunting for at least two reasons: 1) the lack of equipment and contemporary measuring devices; and 2) even at institutions that have some laboratory equipment, students who have access to cell phones with digital timing and video capabilities or inexpensive digital cameras are bored with trying to use "old-fashioned" apparatus for measurements.

The Global Sensor Web: A Platform for Citizen Science (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simons, A. L.

2013-12-01

The Global Sensor Web (GSW) is an effort to provide an infrastructure for the collection, sharing and visualizing sensor data from around the world. Over the past three years the GSW has been developed and tested as a standardized platform for citizen science. The most developed of the citizen science projects built onto the GSW has been Distributed Electronic Cosmic-ray Observatory (DECO), which is an Android application designed to harness a global network of mobile devices, to detect the origin and behavior of the cosmic radiation. Other projects which can be readily built on top of GSW as a platform are also discussed. A cosmic-ray track candidate captured on a cell phone camera.

Design and implementation of organic LED-based displays for signage application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Pratibha; Kwok, Harry

2006-06-01

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been utilized successfully for various applications such as microdisplays in cell-phones and digital cameras. However, the application of OLEDs for large area signage displays has not yet been established. This paper presents novel design techniques for implementing OLEDs as light sources for signage application. The designs are examined on the basis of signage uniformity, cost and manufacturing complexity. Advantages and limitations of each design are described. It is determined that a trade-off is required to choose a design for implementation. After evaluation and comparison of the designs, the most optimal design is chosen and implemented. Measurement results with the optimal design are described.

Smartphone adapters for digital photomicrography.

PubMed

Roy, Somak; Pantanowitz, Liron; Amin, Milon; Seethala, Raja R; Ishtiaque, Ahmed; Yousem, Samuel A; Parwani, Anil V; Cucoranu, Ioan; Hartman, Douglas J

2014-01-01

Photomicrographs in Anatomic Pathology provide a means of quickly sharing information from a glass slide for consultation, education, documentation and publication. While static image acquisition historically involved the use of a permanently mounted camera unit on a microscope, such cameras may be expensive, need to be connected to a computer, and often require proprietary software to acquire and process images. Another novel approach for capturing digital microscopic images is to use smartphones coupled with the eyepiece of a microscope. Recently, several smartphone adapters have emerged that allow users to attach mobile phones to the microscope. The aim of this study was to test the utility of these various smartphone adapters. We surveyed the market for adapters to attach smartphones to the ocular lens of a conventional light microscope. Three adapters (Magnifi, Skylight and Snapzoom) were tested. We assessed the designs of these adapters and their effectiveness at acquiring static microscopic digital images. All adapters facilitated the acquisition of digital microscopic images with a smartphone. The optimal adapter was dependent on the type of phone used. The Magnifi adapters for iPhone were incompatible when using a protective case. The Snapzoom adapter was easiest to use with iPhones and other smartphones even with protective cases. Smartphone adapters are inexpensive and easy to use for acquiring digital microscopic images. However, they require some adjustment by the user in order to optimize focus and obtain good quality images. Smartphone microscope adapters provide an economically feasible method of acquiring and sharing digital pathology photomicrographs.

Augmented reality system using lidar point cloud data for displaying dimensional information of objects on mobile phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, S.; Lohani, B.

2014-05-01

Mobile augmented reality system is the next generation technology to visualise 3D real world intelligently. The technology is expanding at a fast pace to upgrade the status of a smart phone to an intelligent device. The research problem identified and presented in the current work is to view actual dimensions of various objects that are captured by a smart phone in real time. The methodology proposed first establishes correspondence between LiDAR point cloud, that are stored in a server, and the image t hat is captured by a mobile. This correspondence is established using the exterior and interior orientation parameters of the mobile camera and the coordinates of LiDAR data points which lie in the viewshed of the mobile camera. A pseudo intensity image is generated using LiDAR points and their intensity. Mobile image and pseudo intensity image are then registered using image registration method SIFT thereby generating a pipeline to locate a point in point cloud corresponding to a point (pixel) on the mobile image. The second part of the method uses point cloud data for computing dimensional information corresponding to the pairs of points selected on mobile image and fetch the dimensions on top of the image. This paper describes all steps of the proposed method. The paper uses an experimental setup to mimic the mobile phone and server system and presents some initial but encouraging results

Adherence to self-monitoring healthy lifestyle behaviours through mobile phone-based ecological momentary assessments and photographic food records over 6 months in mostly ethnic minority mothers.

PubMed

Comulada, W Scott; Swendeman, Dallas; Koussa, Maryann K; Mindry, Deborah; Medich, Melissa; Estrin, Deborah; Mercer, Neil; Ramanathan, Nithya

2018-03-01

Mobile phones can replace traditional self-monitoring tools through cell phone-based ecological momentary assessment (CEMA) of lifestyle behaviours and camera phone-based images of meals, i.e. photographic food records (PFR). Adherence to mobile self-monitoring needs to be evaluated in real-world treatment settings. Towards this goal, we examine CEMA and PFR adherence to the use of a mobile app designed to help mothers self-monitor lifestyle behaviours and stress. Design/Setting In 2012, forty-two mothers recorded CEMA of diet quality, exercise, sleep, stress and mood four times daily and PFR during meals over 6 months in Los Angeles, California, USA. A purposive sample of mothers from mixed ethnicities. Adherence to recording CEMA at least once daily was higher compared with recording PFR at least once daily over the study period (74 v. 11 %); adherence to both types of reports decreased over time. Participants who recorded PFR for more than a day (n 31) were more likely to be obese v. normal- to overweight and to have higher blood pressure, on average (all P<0·05). Based on random-effects regression, CEMA and PFR adherence was highest during weekdays (both P<0·01). Additionally, PFR adherence was associated with older age (P=0·04). CEMA adherence was highest in the morning (P<0·01). PFR recordings occurred throughout the day. Variations in population and temporal characteristics should be considered for mobile assessment schedules. Neither CEMA nor PFR alone is ideal over extended periods.

The relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in a sample of U.S. college students

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Today’s cell phones increase opportunities for activities traditionally defined as sedentary behaviors (e.g., surfing the internet, playing video games). People who participate in large amounts of sedentary behaviors, relative to those who do not, tend to be less physically active, less physically fit, and at greater risk for health problems. However, cell phone use does not have to be a sedentary behavior as these devices are portable. It can occur while standing or during mild-to-moderate intensity physical activity. Thus, the relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and physical fitness is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate these relationships among a sample of healthy college students. Methods Participants were first interviewed about their physical activity behavior and cell phone use. Then body composition was assessed and the validated self-efficacy survey for exercise behaviors completed. This was followed by a progressive exercise test on a treadmill to exhaustion. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) during exercise was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. Hierarchical regression was used to assess the relationship between cell phone use and cardiorespiratory fitness after controlling for sex, self-efficacy, and percent body fat. Interview data was transcribed, coded, and Chi-square analysis was used to compare the responses of low and high frequency cell phone users. Results Cell phone use was significantly (p = 0.047) and negatively (β = −0.25) related to cardio respiratory fitness independent of sex, self-efficacy, and percent fat which were also significant predictors (p < 0.05). Interview data offered several possible explanations for this relationship. First, high frequency users were more likely than low frequency users to report forgoing opportunities for physical activity in order to use their cell phones for sedentary behaviors. Second, low frequency users were more likely to report being connected to active peer groups through their cell phones and to cite this as a motivation for physical activity. Third, high levels of cell phone use indicated a broader pattern of sedentary behaviors apart from cell phone use, such as watching television. Conclusion Cell phone use, like traditional sedentary behaviors, may disrupt physical activity and reduce cardiorespiratory fitness. PMID:23800133

The relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in a sample of U.S. college students.

PubMed

Lepp, Andrew; Barkley, Jacob E; Sanders, Gabriel J; Rebold, Michael; Gates, Peter

2013-06-21

Today's cell phones increase opportunities for activities traditionally defined as sedentary behaviors (e.g., surfing the internet, playing video games). People who participate in large amounts of sedentary behaviors, relative to those who do not, tend to be less physically active, less physically fit, and at greater risk for health problems. However, cell phone use does not have to be a sedentary behavior as these devices are portable. It can occur while standing or during mild-to-moderate intensity physical activity. Thus, the relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and physical fitness is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate these relationships among a sample of healthy college students. Participants were first interviewed about their physical activity behavior and cell phone use. Then body composition was assessed and the validated self-efficacy survey for exercise behaviors completed. This was followed by a progressive exercise test on a treadmill to exhaustion. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) during exercise was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. Hierarchical regression was used to assess the relationship between cell phone use and cardiorespiratory fitness after controlling for sex, self-efficacy, and percent body fat. Interview data was transcribed, coded, and Chi-square analysis was used to compare the responses of low and high frequency cell phone users. Cell phone use was significantly (p = 0.047) and negatively (β = -0.25) related to cardio respiratory fitness independent of sex, self-efficacy, and percent fat which were also significant predictors (p < 0.05). Interview data offered several possible explanations for this relationship. First, high frequency users were more likely than low frequency users to report forgoing opportunities for physical activity in order to use their cell phones for sedentary behaviors. Second, low frequency users were more likely to report being connected to active peer groups through their cell phones and to cite this as a motivation for physical activity. Third, high levels of cell phone use indicated a broader pattern of sedentary behaviors apart from cell phone use, such as watching television. Cell phone use, like traditional sedentary behaviors, may disrupt physical activity and reduce cardiorespiratory fitness.

[Impact of cell phone radiation on male reproduction].

PubMed

Kang, Ning; Shang, Xue-Jun; Huang, Yu-Feng

2010-11-01

With the popularized use cell phones, more and more concern has been aroused over the effects of their radiation on human health, particularly on male reproduction. Cell phone radiation may cause structural and functional injuries of the testis, alteration of semen parameters, reduction of epididymal sperm concentration and decline of male fertility. This article presents an overview on the impact of cell phone radiation on male reproduction.

CB-EMIS CELL PHONE CLIENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lurie, Gordon

2007-01-02

The cell phone software allows any Java enabled cell phone to view sensor and meteorological data via an internet connection using a secure connection to the CB-EMIS Web Service. Users with appropriate privileges can monitor the state of the sensors and perform simple maintenance tasks remotely. All sensitive data is downloaded from the web service, thus protecting sensitive data in the event a cell phone is lost.

Effects of Classroom Cell Phone Use on Expected and Actual Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froese, Arnold D.; Carpenter, Christina N.; Inman, Denyse A.; Schooley, Jessica R.; Barnes, Rebecca B.; Brecht, Paul W.; Chacon, Jasmin D.

2012-01-01

Studies of driving indicate that the conversational aspects of using cell phones generate high risks from divided attention. Prior surveys document high rates at which students carry phones to and use them during class. Some experiments have demonstrated that cell phones distract students from learning. The present studies combined survey and…

Effect of Cell Phone Radiations on Orofacial Structures: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Chowdhary, Ramesh; Kumari, Shail; Rao, Srinivasa B

2017-01-01

Introduction: The widespread use of cell phone in recent years has raised many questions whether their use is safe to operator who is exposed to Electromagnetic Waves (EMV). Aim To find out the effect of cell phone emitted radiations on the orofacial structures. Materials and Methods To identify suitable literature, an electronic search was performed using Medline, Pubmed and EBSCO host database in December 2016. The search was focused on effect of cell phone on orofacial structures. Among the literature available in English, the screening of the related titles and abstracts was done, and only those articles were selected for full text reading that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results The initial literature search resulted in 360 articles out of which only 24 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Conclusion Cell phone emitted radiations had their adverse effect on salivary glands and facial nerves. Studies showed that cell phone emitted radiations had effects on oral mucosal cells and causes changes in salivary flow rate. It was still unclear that cell phone radiations cause tumours of the salivary glands. PMID:28658925

Effect of Cell Phone Radiations on Orofacial Structures: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Mishra, Sunil Kumar; Chowdhary, Ramesh; Kumari, Shail; Rao, Srinivasa B

2017-05-01

The widespread use of cell phone in recent years has raised many questions whether their use is safe to operator who is exposed to Electromagnetic Waves (EMV). To find out the effect of cell phone emitted radiations on the orofacial structures. To identify suitable literature, an electronic search was performed using Medline, Pubmed and EBSCO host database in December 2016. The search was focused on effect of cell phone on orofacial structures. Among the literature available in English, the screening of the related titles and abstracts was done, and only those articles were selected for full text reading that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The initial literature search resulted in 360 articles out of which only 24 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Cell phone emitted radiations had their adverse effect on salivary glands and facial nerves. Studies showed that cell phone emitted radiations had effects on oral mucosal cells and causes changes in salivary flow rate. It was still unclear that cell phone radiations cause tumours of the salivary glands.

Driving performance while using cell phones: an observational study.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova

2006-01-01

Through spontaneous driving observations, this study sought to examine the impact of using a hands-free cell phone while driving on speed and safe gap keeping behaviors. The study also examined the association between the measure of disturbance created by using a cell phone and the driver's awareness of the disturbance. Twenty-three male adults were observed while driving for an hour and a half each; drivers were unaware of being observed. During the session, each of the participants received a phone call, initiated by an associate of the observer. The experiment was divided into two periods during which the experimental parameters were monitored: 10 minutes during conversation on a cell phone and 10 minutes of non-conversation on a hands-free cell phone. After the experiment, the driver was questioned concerning the extent to which his/her driving was disturbed by the cell phone conversation. T-test for matched samples revealed that the gaps between the drivers' cars and those in front of them diminished when drivers were engaged in the cell phone conversations. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that drivers that had short conversations did not change their speed, while drivers who were engaged in long (over 16 minutes) conversations drove faster. No effect of drivers' awareness toward cell phone-related disturbance on actual driving behavior monitored in the present study was found.

Evaluation of a cell phone-based physical activity diary.

PubMed

Sternfeld, Barbara; Jiang, Sheng-Fang; Picchi, Teresa; Chasan-Taber, Lisa; Ainsworth, Barbara; Quesenberry, Charles P

2012-03-01

Physical activity (PA) diaries reduce the recall error inherent in self-reported PA but are burdensome. The purpose of this study was to compare a cell phone-based diary with a paper diary and examine the reliability and validity of the cell phone diary. In a pilot study, 25 women and 23 men, age 45-65 yr, completed cell phone and paper PA diaries 4 d·wk(-1) for three consecutive weeks and a user satisfaction survey. In the subsequent validation study, 623 middle-age participants (52.5% women) were asked to complete the cell phone diary and wear an accelerometer for two 7-d periods, approximately 6 months apart. They also completed two PA questionnaires. Fitness, body mass index, and percent body fat were obtained as indirect validation criteria. Estimates of PA from the cell phone and paper diaries were similar (mean within person difference = -43.8 MET·min·d(-1) of total PA, SD = 360, P = 0.49, 7.4 min·d(-1) of moderate-vigorous PA, SD = 66, P = 0.53). Users preferred the cell phone diary over the paper diary (59.6% vs 35.4%). In the subsequent study, intraclass correlations for the cell phone diary ranged from 0.55 for light PA to 0.63 for vigorous PA. Although PA estimates from the cell phone diary were generally significantly higher than those from the accelerometer and the questionnaires, correlations for moderate and vigorous PA were moderate (ρ = 0.25-0.59 with the questionnaires and 0.27-0.35 with the accelerometer). The correlations between the cell phone diary and the indirect validation criteria were generally in the expected direction and of moderate magnitude. A cell phone-based PA diary is equivalent to a paper diary, acceptable to users, and a relatively reliable and valid approach to self-reported PA.

Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five birth cohorts.

PubMed

Birks, Laura; Guxens, Mònica; Papadopoulou, Eleni; Alexander, Jan; Ballester, Ferran; Estarlich, Marisa; Gallastegi, Mara; Ha, Mina; Haugen, Margaretha; Huss, Anke; Kheifets, Leeka; Lim, Hyungryul; Olsen, Jørn; Santa-Marina, Loreto; Sudan, Madhuri; Vermeulen, Roel; Vrijkotte, Tanja; Cardis, Elisabeth; Vrijheid, Martine

2017-07-01

Previous studies have reported associations between prenatal cell phone use and child behavioral problems, but findings have been inconsistent and based on retrospective assessment of cell phone use. This study aimed to assess this association in a multi-national analysis, using data from three cohorts with prospective data on prenatal cell phone use, together with previously published data from two cohorts with retrospectively collected cell phone use data. We used individual participant data from 83,884 mother-child pairs in the five cohorts from Denmark (1996-2002), Korea (2006-2011), the Netherlands (2003-2004), Norway (2004-2008), and Spain (2003-2008). We categorized cell phone use into none, low, medium, and high, based on frequency of calls during pregnancy reported by the mothers. Child behavioral problems (reported by mothers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire or Child Behavior Checklist) were classified in the borderline/clinical and clinical ranges using validated cut-offs in children aged 5-7years. Cohort specific risk estimates were meta-analyzed. Overall, 38.8% of mothers, mostly from the Danish cohort, reported no cell phone use during pregnancy and these mothers were less likely to have a child with overall behavioral, hyperactivity/inattention or emotional problems. Evidence for a trend of increasing risk of child behavioral problems through the maternal cell phone use categories was observed for hyperactivity/inattention problems (OR for problems in the clinical range: 1.11, 95%CI 1.01, 1.22; 1.28, 95%CI 1.12, 1.48, among children of medium and high users, respectively). This association was fairly consistent across cohorts and between cohorts with retrospectively and prospectively collected cell phone use data. Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk for behavioral problems, particularly hyperactivity/inattention problems, in the offspring. The interpretation of these results is unclear as uncontrolled confounding may influence both maternal cell phone use and child behavioral problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Half Full or Half Empty? An Assessment of the Crocker Report on Iraqi Economic Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

noted that the expansion in cell phones was one of the major indicators of economic success in the country. As he noted "An auction of cell phone spectrum... phone usage:[13] The cell phone market in Iraq is indeed growing fast, and it’s that market that drove competition for the country’s wireless...Alex Rossmiller worked in Iraq as an intelligence office for the Department of Defense. He says " cell - phone use in Iraq is skyrocketing, primarily

Cell-phone based assistance for waterworks/sewage plant maintenance.

PubMed

Kawada, T; Nakamichi, K; Hisano, N; Kitamura, M; Miyahara, K

2006-01-01

Cell-phones are now incorporating the functions necessary for them to be used as mobile IT devices. In this paper, we present our results of the evaluation of cell-phones as the mobile IT device to assist workers in industrial plants. We use waterworks and sewage plants as examples. By employing techniques to squeeze the SCADA screen on CRT into a small cell-phone LCD, we have made it easier for a plant's field workers to access the information needed for effective maintenance, regardless of location. An idea to link SCADA information and the plant facility information on the cell-phone is also presented. Should an accident or emergency situation arise, these cell-phone-based IT systems can efficiently deliver the latest plant information, thus the worker out in the field can respond to and resolve the emergency.

Epidemiology of Handheld Cell Phone Use While Driving: A Study from a South Indian City

PubMed Central

Majgi, Sumanth Mallikarjuna; AiswaryaLakshmi, A. S.

2018-01-01

Background: Using cell phones while driving contribute to distractions which can potentially cause minor or major road traffic injuries and also stress among other drivers. With this background, the study was done to ascertain the proportion of handheld cell phone use while driving among road users in Mysore city and also patterns of the use by the day of week, type of road, and type of vehicle. Methods: The study was conducted in Mysore, Karnataka, India. Four stretches of roads were observed thrice daily for 1 week. The total number of vehicles passing through the stretch and the number and characteristics of drivers using hand-held cell was noted. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to ascertain the significance of the difference in proportions. Results: The overall proportion of cell phone users was calculated as 1.41/100 vehicles. The observed use of handheld cell phones was 1.78 times higher on nonbusy roads than busy roads (Χ2 = 25.79, P < 0.0001). More than 50% of the handheld phone users were driving a two wheeler, the proportion being 50.5% in busy roads, and 67% in nonbusy roads. There was no difference in the proportion of cell phone use by time of the day or across different days of the week. Conclusions: The proportion of drivers who use cell phones is found to be relatively lower, and use of cell phones was higher on nonbusy roads. PMID:29619153

Cell phones change the way we walk.

PubMed

Lamberg, Eric M; Muratori, Lisa M

2012-04-01

Cell phone use among pedestrians leads to increased cognitive distraction, reduced situation awareness and increases in unsafe behavior. Performing a dual-task, such as talking or texting with a cell phone while walking, may interfere with working memory and result in walking errors. At baseline, thirty-three participants visually located a target 8m ahead; then vision was occluded and they were instructed to walk to the remembered target. One week later participants were assigned to either walk, walk while talking on a cell phone, or walk while texting on a cell phone toward the target with vision occluded. Duration and final location of the heel were noted. Linear distance traveled, lateral angular deviation from the start line, and gait velocity were derived. Changes from baseline to testing were analyzed with paired t-tests. Participants engaged in cell phone use presented with significant reductions in gait velocity (texting: 33% reduction, p=0.01; talking: 16% reduction, p=0.02). Moreover, participants who were texting while walking demonstrated a 61% increase in lateral deviation (p=0.04) and 13% increase in linear distance traveled (p=0.03). These results suggest that the dual-task of walking while using a cell phone impacts executive function and working memory and influences gait to such a degree that it may compromise safety. Importantly, comparison of the two cell phone conditions demonstrates texting creates a significantly greater interference effect on walking than talking on a cell phone. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of Handheld Cell Phone Use While Driving: A Study from a South Indian City.

PubMed

Majgi, Sumanth Mallikarjuna; AiswaryaLakshmi, A S

2018-01-01

Using cell phones while driving contribute to distractions which can potentially cause minor or major road traffic injuries and also stress among other drivers. With this background, the study was done to ascertain the proportion of handheld cell phone use while driving among road users in Mysore city and also patterns of the use by the day of week, type of road, and type of vehicle. The study was conducted in Mysore, Karnataka, India. Four stretches of roads were observed thrice daily for 1 week. The total number of vehicles passing through the stretch and the number and characteristics of drivers using hand-held cell was noted. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to ascertain the significance of the difference in proportions. The overall proportion of cell phone users was calculated as 1.41/100 vehicles. The observed use of handheld cell phones was 1.78 times higher on nonbusy roads than busy roads ( Χ 2 = 25.79, P < 0.0001). More than 50% of the handheld phone users were driving a two wheeler, the proportion being 50.5% in busy roads, and 67% in nonbusy roads. There was no difference in the proportion of cell phone use by time of the day or across different days of the week. The proportion of drivers who use cell phones is found to be relatively lower, and use of cell phones was higher on nonbusy roads.

Providing cell phone numbers and email addresses to Patients: the physician's perspective.

PubMed

Peleg, Roni; Avdalimov, Angelika; Freud, Tamar

2011-03-23

The provision of cell phone numbers and email addresses enhances the accessibility of medical consultations, but can add to the burden of physicians' routine clinical practice and affect their free time. The objective was to assess the attitudes of physicians to providing their telephone number or email address to patients. Primary care physicians in the southern region of Israel completed a structured questionnaire that related to the study objective. The study population included 120 primary care physicians with a mean age of 41.2 ± 8.5, 88 of them women (73.3%). Physicians preferred to provide their cell phone number rather than their email address (P = 0.0007). They preferred to answer their cell phones only during the daytime and at predetermined times, but would answer email most hours of the day, including weekends and holidays (P = 0.001). More physicians (79.7%) would have preferred allotted time for email communication than allotted time for cell phone communication (50%). However, they felt that email communication was more likely to lead to miscommunication than telephone calls (P = 0.0001). There were no differences between male and female physicians on the provision of cell phone numbers or email addresses to patients. Older physicians were more prepared to provide cell phone numbers that younger ones (P = 0.039). The attitude of participating physicians was to provide their cell phone number or email address to some of their patients, but most of them preferred to give out their cell phone number.

Photography in Dermatologic Surgery: Selection of an Appropriate Camera Type for a Particular Clinical Application.

PubMed

Chen, Brian R; Poon, Emily; Alam, Murad

2017-08-01

Photographs are an essential tool for the documentation and sharing of findings in dermatologic surgery, and various camera types are available. To evaluate the currently available camera types in view of the special functional needs of procedural dermatologists. Mobile phone, point and shoot, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), digital medium format, and 3-dimensional cameras were compared in terms of their usefulness for dermatologic surgeons. For each camera type, the image quality, as well as the other practical benefits and limitations, were evaluated with reference to a set of ideal camera characteristics. Based on these assessments, recommendations were made regarding the specific clinical circumstances in which each camera type would likely be most useful. Mobile photography may be adequate when ease of use, availability, and accessibility are prioritized. Point and shoot cameras and DSLR cameras provide sufficient resolution for a range of clinical circumstances, while providing the added benefit of portability. Digital medium format cameras offer the highest image quality, with accurate color rendition and greater color depth. Three-dimensional imaging may be optimal for the definition of skin contour. The selection of an optimal camera depends on the context in which it will be used.

[Follow-up study on the association between problematic cell phone use and cognitive function of college students in Chizhou City in 2014-2015].

PubMed

He, Qiong; Cheng, Hualing; Zhang, Shichen; Zhu, Peng

2017-09-01

To estimate the association between problematic cell phone use and reasoning ability in adolescent. In a stratified cluster sampling design, problematic cell phone use and reasoning ability were evaluated in 929 college students from three universities for twice in one year's follow-up investigation from June 2014 to May 2015. The cross-sectional analysis showed that the score of problematic cell phone use was significantly associated with the score of reasoning ability( the baseline β =-0. 101, 95% CI-0. 168--0. 034; the follow-up in one year's β =-0. 161, 95% CI-0. 255--0. 067). However, the score of problematic cell phone use on the baseline was not associated with the score of reasoning ability in one year late. Interestingly, after controlling of multiple confounding factors and the score of problematic cell phone use on the baseline, the scores of reasoning ability in one year late decreased 0. 40 points( 95%CI-0. 60--0. 20), by the score of problematic cell phone use in one year lateincreased ten percent compared to that on the baseline. Higher problematic cell phone use is significantly associated with poorer reasoning ability in college students.

No Phone Zone: Controlling Cell Phone Use in Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heaton, Shelley; Master, Nancy

2006-01-01

This article reports the results of a survey of cell phone policies in university libraries conducted over a three-month period in 2005. The authors sought information about the libraries' problems regarding cell phone use and attendant noise by students and other library users. The authors began with an 18-question survey of one hundred…

The impact of in-vehicle cell-phone use on accidents or near-accidents among college students.

PubMed

Seo, Dong-Chul; Torabi, Mohammad R

2004-01-01

With in-vehicle use of cell phones rapidly increasing, the safety of young drivers, who represent 14% of licensed drivers but 26% of drivers involved in fatal crashes, may be disproportionately threatened. The authors used a questionnaire to examine the association between in-vehicle cell-phone use and accidents or near-accidents among 1,291 conveniently recruited college students in 4 states. Of the 1,185 respondents who were drivers, 87% had a cell phone, and 86% of the cell-phone owners reported talking while driving at least occasionally. Of the 762 reported accidents or near-accidents, 21% (n = 159) involved at least 1 of the drivers talking while driving. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses showed that the frequency, not the duration, of drivers talking while driving was related to experiencing accidents or near-accidents. Differences between drivers who used cell phones and nonusers in unsafe driving behaviors and attitudes were also examined, and target groups for intervention efforts against talking on a cell phone while driving are suggested.

Why drivers use cell phones and support legislation to restrict this practice.

PubMed

Sanbonmatsu, David M; Strayer, David L; Behrends, Arwen A; Ward, Nathan; Watson, Jason M

2016-07-01

The use of cell phones while driving is ubiquitous, particularly in countries where the practice is legal. However, surveys indicate that most drivers favor legislation to limit the use of mobile devices during the operation of a vehicle. A study was conducted to understand this inconsistency between what drivers do and what they advocate for others. Participants completed a survey about their driving attitudes, abilities, and behaviors. Following previous research, drivers reported using cell phones for benefits such as getting work done. The hypocrisy of using cell phones while advocating restrictions appears to stem from differences in the perceived safety risks of self vs. others' use of cell phones. Many if not most drivers believe they can drive safely while using mobile devices. However, they lack confidence in others' ability to drive safely while distracted and believe that others' use of cell phones is dangerous. The threat to public safety of others' usage of mobile devices was one of the strongest independent predictors of support for legislation to restrict cell phone use. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The use of FDTD in establishing in vitro experimentation conditions representative of lifelike cell phone radiation on the spermatozoa.

PubMed

Mouradi, Rand; Desai, Nisarg; Erdemir, Ahmet; Agarwal, Ashok

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown that exposing human semen samples to cell phone radiation leads to a significant decline in sperm parameters. In daily living, a cell phone is usually kept in proximity to the groin, such as in a trouser pocket, separated from the testes by multiple layers of tissue. The aim of this study was to calculate the distance between cell phone and semen sample to set up an in vitro experiment that can mimic real life conditions (cell phone in trouser pocket separated by multiple tissue layers). For this reason, a computational model of scrotal tissues was designed by considering these separating layers, the results of which were used in a series of simulations using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method. To provide an equivalent effect of multiple tissue layers, these results showed that the distance between a cell phone and semen sample should be 0.8 cm to 1.8 cm greater than the anticipated distance between a cell phone and the testes.

Technology Use, Preferences, and Capacity in Injured Patients at Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

PubMed

Kelly, Cory M; Van Eaton, Erik G; Russo, Joan E; Kelly, Victoria C; Jurkovich, Gregory J; Darnell, Doyanne A; Whiteside, Lauren K; Wang, Jin; Parker, Lea E; Payne, Thomas H; Mooney, Sean D; Bush, Nigel; Zatzick, Douglas F

2017-01-01

This investigation comprehensively assessed the technology use, preferences, and capacity of diverse injured trauma survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. A total of 121 patients participating in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of stepped collaborative care targeting PTSD symptoms were administered baseline one-, three-, and six-month interviews that assessed technology use. Longitudinal data about the instability of patient cell phone ownership and phone numbers were collected from follow-up interviews. PTSD symptoms were also assessed over the course of the six months after injury. Regression analyses explored the associations between cell phone instability and PTSD symptoms. At baseline, 71.9% (n = 87) of patients reported current cell phone ownership, and over half (58.2%, n = 46) of these patients possessed basic cell phones. Only 19.0% (n = 23) of patients had no change in cell phone number or physical phone over the course of the six months postinjury. In regression models that adjusted for relevant clinical and demographic characteristics, cell phone instability was associated with higher six-month postinjury PTSD symptom levels (p < 0.001). Diverse injured patients at risk for the development of PTSD have unique technology use patterns, including high rates of cell phone instability. These observations should be strongly considered when developing technology-supported interventions for injured patients with PTSD.

Talking about killing: Cell Phones, Collective Action, and Insurgent Violence in Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-31

Does improved communication as provided by modern cell phone technology affect the production of violence during insurgencies? Theoretical...counterinsurgents. This paper makes a first attempt to provide a systematic test of the effect of cell phone communication on conflict. Using data on...Iraq’s cell phone network as well as event data on violence, we assess this effect at two levels. First, we analyze how violence at the district level

Using Cell Phones to Improve Language Skills: The Hadeda Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butgereit, Laurie; Botha, Adele; van Niekerk, Daniel

Language skills are essential for education and economic development. Many countries (especially in Africa) have more than one official language and even more unofficial languages. Being able to express oneself effectively in the written word is required for tertiary education. Unfortunately, cell phones are often blamed for the degradation of language skills. There have been many studies blaming cell phone usage and instant messaging as being responsible for the the lack of language skills of children, teenagers, and young adults. Hadeda is a facility where teachers and parents can create spelling lists for pupils and children using either a cell phone or an internet based workstation. Hadeda then generates a fun and enjoyable cell phone midlet (computer program) which pupils and children can download onto their personal cell phone. Hadeda pronounces the words with electronic voices and the pupils and children can then practice their spelling on a medium they enjoy.

Cell phone-induced ostracism threatens fundamental needs.

PubMed

Hales, Andrew H; Dvir, Maayan; Wesselmann, Eric D; Kruger, Daniel J; Finkenauer, Catrin

2018-01-01

Cell phones are useful tools with both practical and social benefits. However, using them in the context of face-to-face conversations may be problematic. We consider this behavior a form of ostracism and test its effects on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. In Study 1 participants who recalled a time in which a friend was checking a cell phone during a serious conversation reported feeling more ostracized (ignored and excluded), greater pain, and threat to basic needs than participants recalling a conversation without a cell phone interruption or a control event. Study 2 replicated and extended this effect: Cell phone-induced ostracism's effects were partially mediated by decreased feelings of relational evaluation, and threatened basic needs both in serious and casual conversation contexts. Findings from both studies also indicated that cell phone-induced ostracism hurts women more so than men.

Reducing juvenile recidivism with cognitive training and a cell phone follow-up: an evaluation of the realvictory program.

PubMed

Burraston, Bert O; Cherrington, David J; Bahr, Stephen J

2012-02-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of a cognitive training and cell phone intervention on the recidivism of 70 juvenile offenders. Median days to rearrest were 106 for the control group, 191 for the class-only group, and 278 for the class plus cell phone group. Using rearrest as the survival criterion, the survival ratios of the class-only and class plus cell phone groups were 2.64 and 2.94 times longer than the control group, respectively. After controlling for gender, prior arrests, and risk score, the Poisson regression indicated that the class-only and class plus cell phone groups were 51% lower in total arrests than the control group. These results suggest that cognitive training supplemented with a cell phone coach is an effective and cost-efficient intervention for reducing recidivism.

INCREASING FOLLOWING HEADWAY WITH PROMPTS, GOAL SETTING, AND FEEDBACK IN A DRIVING SIMULATOR

PubMed Central

Arnold, Michelle L; Van Houten, Ron

2011-01-01

We evaluated the effects of prompting, goal setting, and feedback on following headway of young drivers in a simulated driving environment and assessed whether changes produced in following headway were associated with reductions in hard braking when drivers were and were not using cell phones. Participants were 4 university students. During baseline, drivers spent half of the time talking on cell phones while driving. At the start of the intervention, drivers were prompted to increase following headway while on the cell phones and were provided a specific target for following headway. Drivers were given feedback on increasing following headway when on cell phones at the end of each session. The intervention package was associated with an increase in following headway and a decrease in hard braking when participants were on and off the cell phones. Cell phone use did not affect any of the measures. PMID:21709782

Improving the Usability of a Mainstream Cell Phone for Individuals with Low Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Jennifer; Vanderheiden, Gregg C.; Sesto, Mary E.

2006-01-01

This study investigated improving the usability of a mainstream cell phone for use by individuals with low vision by providing a means to display the text of the keys in large print on the phone's screen. Two enlarging techniques (suspend and display and delay and display) were developed, and the programs were loaded into the cell phone. The…

Prospective study of pregnancy outcomes after parental cell phone exposure: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study.

PubMed

Baste, Valborg; Oftedal, Gunnhild; Møllerløkken, Ole Jacob; Mild, Kjell Hansson; Moen, Bente E

2015-07-01

Research about prenatal exposure to electromagnetic fields from cell phones among expectant parents and reproductive outcome is limited. The aim of this article is to investigate the association between pregnancy outcome and parental cell phone exposure in a large prospective study. The study was based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study conducted during the decade 1999-2009. In that study, pregnant women were recruited before a routine ultrasound examination during gestational week 15; they answered a questionnaire at that time and again around gestational week 30. The expectant father was invited to answer a questionnaire during gestational week 15 (2001-2009). The forms contained questions regarding cell phone use. The response rate was 38.7% and the cohort comprised 100,730 singleton births. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained by linkage to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. The risk of preeclampsia was slightly lower among women with medium and high cell phone exposure compared with low exposure after adjusting for potential confounders. Fathers with testis exposure when using cell phones had a borderline increased risk of perinatal mortality among offspring and a slightly decreased risk of partner developing preeclampsia during pregnancy compared with no cell phone exposure of head or testis. None of the other pregnancy outcomes was associated with cell phone exposure. We found no association between maternal prenatal or paternal preconceptional cell phone exposure and any of the studied pregnancy outcomes. The only risk estimate suggesting a potential increased risk was not consistent with other findings.

Cell phones and brain tumors: a review including the long-term epidemiologic data.

PubMed

Khurana, Vini G; Teo, Charles; Kundi, Michael; Hardell, Lennart; Carlberg, Michael

2009-09-01

The debate regarding the health effects of low-intensity electromagnetic radiation from sources such as power lines, base stations, and cell phones has recently been reignited. In the present review, the authors attempt to address the following question: is there epidemiologic evidence for an association between long-term cell phone usage and the risk of developing a brain tumor? Included with this meta-analysis of the long-term epidemiologic data are a brief overview of cell phone technology and discussion of laboratory data, biological mechanisms, and brain tumor incidence. In order to be included in the present meta-analysis, studies were required to have met all of the following criteria: (i) publication in a peer-reviewed journal; (ii) inclusion of participants using cell phones for > or = 10 years (ie, minimum 10-year "latency"); and (iii) incorporation of a "laterality" analysis of long-term users (ie, analysis of the side of the brain tumor relative to the side of the head preferred for cell phone usage). This is a meta-analysis incorporating all 11 long-term epidemiologic studies in this field. The results indicate that using a cell phone for > or = 10 years approximately doubles the risk of being diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same ("ipsilateral") side of the head as that preferred for cell phone use. The data achieve statistical significance for glioma and acoustic neuroma but not for meningioma. The authors conclude that there is adequate epidemiologic evidence to suggest a link between prolonged cell phone usage and the development of an ipsilateral brain tumor.

Distracted driving behaviors of adults while children are in the car.

PubMed

Roney, Linda; Violano, Pina; Klaus, Greg; Lofthouse, Rebecca; Dziura, James

2013-10-01

Cell phone use while driving is common and can result in driver distraction. However, data on the frequency of this behavior with other occupants in the vehicle are lacking. This study investigates whether adult drivers engage in cell phone use with passengers in the car and determines whether the frequency of these behaviors was modified if the passenger was a child. Subjects (N = 539) who have driven children during the previous 30 days were recruited to complete a survey regarding their cell phone usage while driving. The inclusion criteria of participants were as follows: 18 years or older with a valid driver's license, owns/uses a cell phone, drives with children, and reads English. Results were reported on a 4-point Likert scale (always, often, rarely, and never). Eighty percent of respondents reported cell phone use in some way while driving with children. As compared with similar behaviors when driving alone or with adult passengers, the odds of reporting "always" compared with "often, rarely, or never" of holding a cell phone in hand was 0.66 when driving with children. No significant differences were noted for the following variables: use of a blue tooth device or use of a cell phone to speak or text when parked. Cell phone use while driving is common. Distracted driving behaviors, although less frequent, persist when children are passengers in the vehicle. Further research into the effect of cell phone-related distracted driving behaviors of adults with child passengers is needed to address this public health concern.

Parents' experiences with and preferences for immunization reminder/recall technologies.

PubMed

Clark, Sarah J; Butchart, Amy; Kennedy, Allison; Dombkowski, Kevin J

2011-11-01

To describe parents' experiences and preferences regarding the use of different communication modes for immunization reminder/recall messages. A cross-sectional, Internet-based survey of a nationally representative sample of parents of children 0 to 17 years of age was performed. Survey items included questions regarding previous receipt of reminder/recall notices; preferences for how to receive notices in the future; recentness of changes to home address, home telephone, cell phone, and e-mail information; child's usual site for immunization; and willingness to register cell phone numbers with the child's immunization provider to receive future cell phone or text messages about immunization. Overall, 31% of parents had ever received an immunization reminder/recall notice, usually by mail. For future immunization messages, approximately one-third of parents preferred mail or calls to the home telephone, 16% preferred e-mail, and 8% preferred calls to a cell phone. More than one-half of parents had maintained the same home address, home telephone number, cell phone number, or e-mail address for the previous 3 years. More than one-half of parents were willing to register their cell phone numbers with their child's usual immunization provider. Although most parents continue to prefer the traditional modes for immunization reminder/recall messages, 1 in 4 preferred newer technologies, and parents' e-mail and cell phone information was surprisingly stable. More than one-half of the parents were willing to register their cell phone numbers for future immunization messaging via cell phone calls or text messages. Research and implementation efforts might benefit from focusing on this willing population.

Providing cell phone numbers and email addresses to Patients: the physician's perspective

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The provision of cell phone numbers and email addresses enhances the accessibility of medical consultations, but can add to the burden of physicians' routine clinical practice and affect their free time. The objective was to assess the attitudes of physicians to providing their telephone number or email address to patients. Methods Primary care physicians in the southern region of Israel completed a structured questionnaire that related to the study objective. Results The study population included 120 primary care physicians with a mean age of 41.2 ± 8.5, 88 of them women (73.3%). Physicians preferred to provide their cell phone number rather than their email address (P = 0.0007). They preferred to answer their cell phones only during the daytime and at predetermined times, but would answer email most hours of the day, including weekends and holidays (P = 0.001). More physicians (79.7%) would have preferred allotted time for email communication than allotted time for cell phone communication (50%). However, they felt that email communication was more likely to lead to miscommunication than telephone calls (P = 0.0001). There were no differences between male and female physicians on the provision of cell phone numbers or email addresses to patients. Older physicians were more prepared to provide cell phone numbers that younger ones (P = 0.039). Conclusions The attitude of participating physicians was to provide their cell phone number or email address to some of their patients, but most of them preferred to give out their cell phone number. PMID:21426591

Color constancy by characterization of illumination chromaticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikkanen, Jarno T.

2011-05-01

Computational color constancy algorithms play a key role in achieving desired color reproduction in digital cameras. Failure to estimate illumination chromaticity correctly will result in invalid overall colour cast in the image that will be easily detected by human observers. A new algorithm is presented for computational color constancy. Low computational complexity and low memory requirement make the algorithm suitable for resource-limited camera devices, such as consumer digital cameras and camera phones. Operation of the algorithm relies on characterization of the range of possible illumination chromaticities in terms of camera sensor response. The fact that only illumination chromaticity is characterized instead of the full color gamut, for example, increases robustness against variations in sensor characteristics and against failure of diagonal model of illumination change. Multiple databases are used in order to demonstrate the good performance of the algorithm in comparison to the state-of-the-art color constancy algorithms.

Cell phone use while driving in North Carolina

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-11-01

This study explored several dimensions of the growing trend of talking on a cell phone while driving. It did so by (1) reviewing the recent research epidemiological studies; case analyses of cell phone-related crashes; and driver performance studies;...

Cell Phones, Tablets, and Other Mobile Technology for Users with Visual Impairments

MedlinePlus

... Visual Impairments Cell Phones, Tablets, and Other Mobile Technology for Users with Visual Impairments The Mobile Revolution ... 223 Likes) Cell Phones, Tablets, and Other Mobile Technology Touchscreen Smartphone Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments ...

Cell-phone use diminishes self-awareness of impaired driving.

PubMed

Sanbonmatsu, David M; Strayer, David L; Biondi, Francesco; Behrends, Arwen A; Moore, Shannon M

2016-04-01

Multitasking diminishes the self-awareness of performance that is often essential for self-regulation and self-knowledge. Participants drove in a simulator while either talking or not talking on a hands-free cell phone. Following previous research, participants who talked on a cell phone made more serious driving errors than control participants who did not use a phone while driving. Control participants' assessments of the safeness of their driving and general ability to drive safely while distracted were negatively correlated with the actual number of errors made when they were driving. By contrast, cell-phone participants' assessments of the safeness of their driving and confidence in their driving abilities were uncorrelated with their actual errors. Thus, talking on a cell phone not only diminished the safeness of participants' driving, it diminished their awareness of the safeness of their driving.

Ambulatory cell phone injuries in the United States: an emerging national concern.

PubMed

Smith, Daniel C; Schreiber, Kristin M; Saltos, Andreas; Lichenstein, Sarah B; Lichenstein, Richard

2013-12-01

Over the past 15 years, the use of cell phones has increased 8-fold in the United States. Cell phone use has been shown to increase crash risks for drivers, but no systematic analyses have described injuries related to ambulatory cell phone use. The purpose of this study is to describe and quantitate injuries and deaths among persons using cell phones while walking. We searched the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for emergency department (ED) reports of injuries related to phone use. The cases that returned were screened initially using words that would eliminate cases unlikely to be related to cell phone use and walking, possibly linked to distraction. The resulting cases were randomized and evaluated for consistency with predetermined case definitions by two authors blinded to the dates of the incidents. Cases that were disagreed upon were evaluated in a second screening by both authors for final case determination. National ED visit rates were estimated based on NEISS sampling methods. Annual variations were analyzed using linear regression with a restricted maximum likelihood approach. Our screening process identified 5,754 possible cases that occurred between 2000 and 2011, and 310 were agreed on as cases of cell-phone-induced distraction. The majority of the patients were female (68%) and 40 years of age or younger (54%). The primary mechanism of injury was a fall (72%), and most patients were treated and released from the ED (85%). No patients died from their injuries while they were in the ED. Linear modeling by year revealed a statistically significant increase in distraction injury rates over the years of study (p<0.001 for trend). The number of ED visits by ambulatory persons injured while being distracted by cell phone use has been increasing. More research is needed to determine the risks associated with walking and talking on a cell phone and to develop strategies for intervention. Cell phone use continues to increase both at home and outdoor environments. The use of smart phones, with their more enticing features, increases the likelihood of distraction-induced injuries even more. Manufacturers should consider the addition of tools or applications on smart phones to remind users to remain alert to outside auditory stimuli that herald external hazards and to encourage them to not use these devices while engaged in other activities. © 2013.

Association between number of cell phone contracts and brain tumor incidence in nineteen U.S. States.

PubMed

Lehrer, Steven; Green, Sheryl; Stock, Richard G

2011-02-01

Some concern has arisen about adverse health effects of cell phones, especially the possibility that the low power microwave-frequency signal transmitted by the antennas on handsets might cause brain tumors or accelerate the growth of subclinical tumors. We analyzed data from the Statistical Report: Primary Brain Tumors in the United States, 2000-2004 and 2007 cell phone subscription data from the Governing State and Local Sourcebook. There was a significant correlation between number of cell phone subscriptions and brain tumors in nineteen US states (r = 0.950, P < 0.001). Because increased numbers of both cell phone subscriptions and brain tumors could be due solely to the fact that some states, such as New York, have much larger populations than other states, such as North Dakota, multiple linear regression was performed with number of brain tumors as the dependent variable, cell phone subscriptions, population, mean family income and mean age as independent variables. The effect of cell phone subscriptions was significant (P = 0.017), and independent of the effect of mean family income (P = 0.894), population (P = 0.003) and age (0.499). The very linear relationship between cell phone usage and brain tumor incidence is disturbing and certainly needs further epidemiological evaluation. In the meantime, it would be prudent to limit exposure to all sources of electro-magnetic radiation.

Cell-phone vs microphone recordings: Judging emotion in the voice.

PubMed

Green, Joshua J; Eigsti, Inge-Marie

2017-09-01

Emotional states can be conveyed by vocal cues such as pitch and intensity. Despite the ubiquity of cellular telephones, there is limited information on how vocal emotional states are perceived during cell-phone transmissions. Emotional utterances (neutral, happy, angry) were elicited from two female talkers and simultaneously recorded via microphone and cell-phone. Ten-step continua (neutral to happy, neutral to angry) were generated using the straight algorithm. Analyses compared reaction time (RT) and emotion judgment as a function of recording type (microphone vs cell-phone). Logistic regression revealed no judgment differences between recording types, though there were interactions with emotion type. Multi-level model analyses indicated that RT data were best fit by a quadratic model, with slower RT at the middle of each continuum, suggesting greater ambiguity, and slower RT for cell-phone stimuli across blocks. While preliminary, results suggest that critical acoustic cues to emotion are largely retained in cell-phone transmissions, though with effects of recording source on RT, and support the methodological utility of collecting speech samples by phone.

Cell Phone-Related Near Accidents Among Young Drivers: Associations With Mindfulness.

PubMed

Terry, Christopher P; Terry, Danielle L

2015-01-01

Cell phone use while driving (CPWD) has been shown to significantly reduce driver safety. This is a particular concern among young drivers who possess less driving experience and tend to engage in high rates of cell phone use. The present study identified psychological predictors of near accidents related to CPWD among a sample of 385 college student drivers. Participants answered a series of questions regarding their use of a cell phone while driving and completed measures of mindfulness, polychronicity, and intrusive thinking. Students who reported talking on their phone or texting more frequently while driving reported a higher incidence of near accidents related to each behavior. However, after controlling for CPWD, multiple regression analysis indicated that those who reported experiencing more cell phone-related intrusive thoughts also experienced more near accidents. Furthermore, two facets of mindfulness--acting with awareness and nonjudging of inner experience--were negatively associated with near accidents. These findings suggest that individuals who are more aware of the present moment and accepting of their affective responses may better regulate their attention while using a cell phone behind the wheel.

The Application of Data Mining Techniques to Create Promotion Strategy for Mobile Phone Shop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khasanah, A. U.; Wibowo, K. S.; Dewantoro, H. F.

2017-12-01

The number of mobile shop is growing very fast in various regions in Indonesia including in Yogyakarta due to the increasing demand of mobile phone. This fact leads high competition among the mobile phone shops. In these conditions the mobile phone shop should have a good promotion strategy in order to survive in competition, especially for a small mobile phone shop. To create attractive promotion strategy, the companies/shops should know their customer segmentation and the buying pattern of their target market. These kind of analysis can be done using Data mining technique. This study aims to segment customer using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering and know customer buying pattern using Association Rule Mining. This result conducted in a mobile shop in Sleman Yogyakarta. The clustering result shows that the biggest customer segment of the shop was male university student who come on weekend and from association rule mining, it can be concluded that tempered glass and smart phone “x” as well as action camera and waterproof monopod and power bank have strong relationship. This results that used to create promotion strategies which are presented in the end of the study.

Updating Policy on Latest Risks for Students with Cell Phones in the School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St. Gerard, Vanessa

2006-01-01

It is hard to imagine how the majority of people made it through the day without cell phones just 5 to 10 years ago. These days, cell phones are everywhere, and everyone seems to own one--including many middle school students and even some students who are in elementary school. Both parents and students feel these phones are essential in order to…

Cell phone explosion.

PubMed

Atreya, Alok; Kanchan, Tanuj; Nepal, Samata; Pandey, Bhuwan Raj

2016-03-01

Cell phone explosions and resultant burn injuries are rarely reported in the scientific literature. We report a case of cell phone explosion that occurred when a young male was listening to music while the mobile was plugged in for charging. © The Author(s) 2015.

Consumer electronic optics: how small can a lens be: the case of panomorph lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thibault, Simon; Parent, Jocelyn; Zhang, Hu; Du, Xiaojun; Roulet, Patrice

2014-09-01

In 2014, miniature camera modules are applied to a variety of applications such as webcam, mobile phone, automotive, endoscope, tablets, portable computers and many other products. Mobile phone cameras are probably one of the most challenging parts due to the need for smaller and smaller total track length (TTL) and optimized embedded image processing algorithms. As the technology is developing, higher resolution and higher image quality, new capabilities are required to fulfil the market needs. Consequently, the lens system becomes more complex and requires more optical elements and/or new optical elements. What is the limit? How small an injection molded lens can be? We will discuss those questions by comparing two wide angle lenses for consumer electronic market. The first lens is a 6.56 mm (TTL) panoramic (180° FOV) lens built in 2012. The second is a more recent (2014) panoramic lens (180° FOV) with a TTL of 3.80 mm for mobile phone camera. Both optics are panomorph lenses used with megapixel sensors. Between 2012 and 2014, the development in design and plastic injection molding allowed a reduction of the TTL by more than 40%. This TTL reduction has been achieved by pushing the lens design to the extreme (edge/central air and material thicknesses as well as lens shape). This was also possible due to a better control of the injection molding process and material (low birefringence, haze and thermal stability). These aspects will be presented and discussed. During the next few years, we don't know if new material will come or new process but we will still need innovative people and industries to push again the limits.

Using Cell Phones for Data Collection: Benefits, Outcomes, and Intervention Possibilities with Homeless Youth.

PubMed

Tyler, Kimberly A; Schmitz, Rachel M

2017-03-01

While many homeless youth use cell phones to stay socially connected, and maintaining positive social ties can contribute to pathways out of homelessness, little is known about how using cell phones for data collection can improve these young people's lives. We conducted baseline and follow-up interviews with 150 homeless youth as well as provided them with a cell phone for 30 days to gather daily data using short message service (SMS) surveying. This paper examines youths' opinions about study participation and how they used the cell phone. Results revealed that youth liked participating in the study because the SMS texting portion, for example, made them feel that someone still cared about them, prompted them to self-reflect on their life, and allowed them to make a difference (e.g. educating the public about homelessness). Despite numerous benefits of study participation, improvements that youth discussed for future studies included changing the format of our text questions to allow for explanations and the use of higher quality phones. In terms of study phone usage, youth reported using the phone to schedule appointments, contact employers, and to keep in touch with family and friends. Finally, we highlight ways in which cell phones via SMS could be used with homeless youth to provide informational resources along with educational and employment opportunities, all of which are important intervention strategies in improving life situations for this population.

The association of sleep and late-night cell phone use among adolescents.

PubMed

Amra, Babak; Shahsavari, Ali; Shayan-Moghadam, Ramin; Mirheli, Omid; Moradi-Khaniabadi, Bita; Bazukar, Mehdi; Yadollahi-Farsani, Ashkan; Kelishadi, Roya

This study aims to assess the relationship of late-night cell phone use with sleep duration and quality in a sample of Iranian adolescents. The study population consisted of 2400 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, living in Isfahan, Iran. Age, body mass index, sleep duration, cell phone use after 9p.m., and physical activity were documented. For sleep assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire was used. The participation rate was 90.4% (n=2257 adolescents). The mean (SD) age of participants was 15.44 (1.55) years; 1270 participants reported to use cell phone after 9p.m. Overall, 56.1% of girls and 38.9% of boys reported poor quality sleep, respectively. Wake-up time was 8:17 a.m. (2.33), among late-night cell phone users and 8:03a.m. (2.11) among non-users. Most (52%) late-night cell phone users had poor sleep quality. Sedentary participants had higher sleep latency than their peers. Adjusted binary and multinomial logistic regression models showed that late-night cell users were 1.39 times more likely to have a poor sleep quality than non-users (p-value<0.001). Late-night cell phone use by adolescents was associated with poorer sleep quality. Participants who were physically active had better sleep quality and quantity. As part of healthy lifestyle recommendations, avoidance of late-night cell phone use should be encouraged in adolescents. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

Group cell phones are feasible and acceptable for promoting optimal breastfeeding practices in a women's microcredit program in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Flax, Valerie L.; Ibrahim, Alawiyatu Usman; Negerie, Mekebeb; Yakubu, Danjuma; Leatherman, Sheila; Bentley, Margaret E.

2016-01-01

As part of a breastfeeding promotion intervention trial in Nigeria, we provided one cell phone per group of 5-7 microcredit clients, and instructed the group's cell phone recipient to share weekly breastfeeding voice and text messages with group members. We measured the feasibility and acceptability of using group cell phones by conducting semi-structured exit interviews with 195 microcredit clients whose babies were born during the intervention (target group), in-depth interviews with 8 phone recipients and 9 non-phone recipients, and 16 focus group discussions (FGDs) with other microcredit clients. Women in the target group said the group phone worked well or very well (64%). They were motivated to try the recommended practices because they trusted the information (58%) and had support from others (35%). Approximately 44% of target women reported that their groups met and shared messages at least once a week. Women in groups that met at least weekly had higher odds of exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.6, 19.7) than women in groups that never met. In-depth interviews and FGDs indicated that non-phone recipients had positive feelings toward phone recipients, the group phone met participants’ needs, and messages were often shared outside the group. In conclusion, group cell phone messaging to promote breastfeeding among microcredit clients is feasible and acceptable, and can be part of an effective behavior change package. PMID:26990786

Group cell phones are feasible and acceptable for promoting optimal breastfeeding practices in a women's microcredit program in Nigeria.

PubMed

Flax, Valerie L; Ibrahim, Alawiyatu Usman; Negerie, Mekebeb; Yakubu, Danjuma; Leatherman, Sheila; Bentley, Margaret E

2017-01-01

As part of a breastfeeding promotion intervention trial in Nigeria, we provided one cell phone per group of 5-7 microcredit clients and instructed the group's cell phone recipient to share weekly breastfeeding voice and text messages with group members. We measured the feasibility and acceptability of using group cell phones by conducting semi-structured exit interviews with 195 microcredit clients whose babies were born during the intervention (target group), in-depth interviews with eight phone recipients and nine non-phone recipients, and 16 focus group discussions with other microcredit clients. Women in the target group said the group phone worked well or very well (64%). They were motivated to try the recommended practices because they trusted the information (58%) and had support from others (35%). Approximately 44% of target women reported that their groups met and shared messages at least once a week. Women in groups that met at least weekly had higher odds of exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.6, 19.7) than women in groups that never met. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions indicated that non-phone recipients had positive feelings towards phone recipients, the group phone met participants' needs, and messages were often shared outside the group. In conclusion, group cell phone messaging to promote breastfeeding among microcredit clients is feasible and acceptable and can be part of an effective behaviour change package. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use

PubMed Central

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-01-01

Background and aims: Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Methods: Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents’ perceptions of problematic use. Results: The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. Conclusions: The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to “virtual addictions”. PMID:25215213

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use.

PubMed

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-03-01

Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents' perceptions of problematic use. The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to "virtual addictions".

Self-reported and observed risky driving behaviors among frequent and infrequent cell phone users.

PubMed

Zhao, Nan; Reimer, Bryan; Mehler, Bruce; D'Ambrosio, Lisa A; Coughlin, Joseph F

2013-12-01

The apparently higher crash risk among individuals who use cell phones while driving may be due both to the direct interference of cell phone use with the driving task and tendencies to engage in risky driving behaviors independent of cell phone use. Measurements of actual highway driving performance, self-reported aberrant driving behaviors as measured by the Manchester Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), and attitudes toward speeding, passing behaviors and relative concern about being involved in a crash were assessed. Individuals who reported frequently using cell phones while driving were found to drive faster, change lanes more frequently, spend more time in the left lane, and engage in more instances of hard braking and high acceleration events. They also scored higher in self-reported driving violations on the DBQ and reported more positive attitudes toward speeding and passing than drivers who did not report using a cell phone regularly while driving. These results indicate that a greater reported frequency of cell phone use while driving is associated with a broader pattern of behaviors that are likely to increase the overall risk of crash involvement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Using Cell Phones After Light-Out on Sleep Quality, Headache, Tiredness, and Distractibility Among Students of a University in North of Iran

PubMed Central

Zarghami, Mehran; Khalilian, Alireza; Setareh, Javad; Salehpour, Golnaz

2015-01-01

Background: Cell phone is a mere fascinating, as well as entertainment object and serves to keep young individuals in constant contact with their peers; and gives them a feeling of autonomy, identity and credibility. Objectives: Considering the increasing trend of using cell phones, the aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which the students of Mazandaran university of medical sciences use their phones after light-out, and to determine its relationship with sleep quality, headache, tiredness, and distractibility, after elimination of the impact of stressful events. Materials and Methods: Overall, 358 students from different schools of the university participated in a cross-sectional study with self-report questionnaires (demographic questionnaire, cell phone use questionnaire, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and social readjustment rating scale). Descriptive indices were used to express data, and the chi-square and logistic regression were used to interpret the results. Results: Overall, 60% of the students used their cell phones after lights were out. There was a significant relationship between using cell phones late at night and insomnia, low energy, tiredness and headache. Once the impact of stressful events was eliminated, the relationship remained significant only for insomnia. No significant relationship was observed between using cell phones and distractibility. Conclusions: Students of Mazandaran university of medical sciences used their cell phones extensively after lights were out and the resulting insomnia may have affected their learning, as well as the quality of medical services provided by them. PMID:26834802

Fringe projection profilometry with portable consumer devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Danji; Pan, Zhipeng; Wu, Yuxiang; Yue, Huimin

2018-01-01

A fringe projection profilometry (FPP) using portable consumer devices is attractive because it can realize optical three dimensional (3D) measurement for ordinary consumers in their daily lives. We demonstrate a FPP using a camera in a smart mobile phone and a digital consumer mini projector. In our experiment of testing the smart phone (iphone7) camera performance, the rare-facing camera in the iphone7 causes the FPP to have a fringe contrast ratio of 0.546, nonlinear carrier phase aberration value of 0.6 rad, and nonlinear phase error of 0.08 rad and RMS random phase error of 0.033 rad. In contrast, the FPP using the industrial camera has a fringe contrast ratio of 0.715, nonlinear carrier phase aberration value of 0.5 rad, nonlinear phase error of 0.05 rad and RMS random phase error of 0.011 rad. Good performance is achieved by using the FPP composed of an iphone7 and a mini projector. 3D information of a facemask with a size for an adult is also measured by using the FPP that uses portable consumer devices. After the system calibration, the 3D absolute information of the facemask is obtained. The measured results are in good agreement with the ones that are carried out in a traditional way. Our results show that it is possible to use portable consumer devices to construct a good FPP, which is useful for ordinary people to get 3D information in their daily lives.

Identification of Mobile Phones Using the Built-In Magnetometers Stimulated by Motion Patterns.

PubMed

Baldini, Gianmarco; Dimc, Franc; Kamnik, Roman; Steri, Gary; Giuliani, Raimondo; Gentile, Claudio

2017-04-06

We investigate the identification of mobile phones through their built-in magnetometers. These electronic components have started to be widely deployed in mass market phones in recent years, and they can be exploited to uniquely identify mobile phones due their physical differences, which appear in the digital output generated by them. This is similar to approaches reported in the literature for other components of the mobile phone, including the digital camera, the microphones or their RF transmission components. In this paper, the identification is performed through an inexpensive device made up of a platform that rotates the mobile phone under test and a fixed magnet positioned on the edge of the rotating platform. When the mobile phone passes in front of the fixed magnet, the built-in magnetometer is stimulated, and its digital output is recorded and analyzed. For each mobile phone, the experiment is repeated over six different days to ensure consistency in the results. A total of 10 phones of different brands and models or of the same model were used in our experiment. The digital output from the magnetometers is synchronized and correlated, and statistical features are extracted to generate a fingerprint of the built-in magnetometer and, consequently, of the mobile phone. A SVM machine learning algorithm is used to classify the mobile phones on the basis of the extracted statistical features. Our results show that inter-model classification (i.e., different models and brands classification) is possible with great accuracy, but intra-model (i.e., phones with different serial numbers and same model) classification is more challenging, the resulting accuracy being just slightly above random choice.

Identification of Mobile Phones Using the Built-In Magnetometers Stimulated by Motion Patterns

PubMed Central

Baldini, Gianmarco; Dimc, Franc; Kamnik, Roman; Steri, Gary; Giuliani, Raimondo; Gentile, Claudio

2017-01-01

We investigate the identification of mobile phones through their built-in magnetometers. These electronic components have started to be widely deployed in mass market phones in recent years, and they can be exploited to uniquely identify mobile phones due their physical differences, which appear in the digital output generated by them. This is similar to approaches reported in the literature for other components of the mobile phone, including the digital camera, the microphones or their RF transmission components. In this paper, the identification is performed through an inexpensive device made up of a platform that rotates the mobile phone under test and a fixed magnet positioned on the edge of the rotating platform. When the mobile phone passes in front of the fixed magnet, the built-in magnetometer is stimulated, and its digital output is recorded and analyzed. For each mobile phone, the experiment is repeated over six different days to ensure consistency in the results. A total of 10 phones of different brands and models or of the same model were used in our experiment. The digital output from the magnetometers is synchronized and correlated, and statistical features are extracted to generate a fingerprint of the built-in magnetometer and, consequently, of the mobile phone. A SVM machine learning algorithm is used to classify the mobile phones on the basis of the extracted statistical features. Our results show that inter-model classification (i.e., different models and brands classification) is possible with great accuracy, but intra-model (i.e., phones with different serial numbers and same model) classification is more challenging, the resulting accuracy being just slightly above random choice. PMID:28383482

Smartphone adapters for digital photomicrography

PubMed Central

Roy, Somak; Pantanowitz, Liron; Amin, Milon; Seethala, Raja R.; Ishtiaque, Ahmed; Yousem, Samuel A.; Parwani, Anil V.; Cucoranu, Ioan; Hartman, Douglas J.

2014-01-01

Background: Photomicrographs in Anatomic Pathology provide a means of quickly sharing information from a glass slide for consultation, education, documentation and publication. While static image acquisition historically involved the use of a permanently mounted camera unit on a microscope, such cameras may be expensive, need to be connected to a computer, and often require proprietary software to acquire and process images. Another novel approach for capturing digital microscopic images is to use smartphones coupled with the eyepiece of a microscope. Recently, several smartphone adapters have emerged that allow users to attach mobile phones to the microscope. The aim of this study was to test the utility of these various smartphone adapters. Materials and Methods: We surveyed the market for adapters to attach smartphones to the ocular lens of a conventional light microscope. Three adapters (Magnifi, Skylight and Snapzoom) were tested. We assessed the designs of these adapters and their effectiveness at acquiring static microscopic digital images. Results: All adapters facilitated the acquisition of digital microscopic images with a smartphone. The optimal adapter was dependent on the type of phone used. The Magnifi adapters for iPhone were incompatible when using a protective case. The Snapzoom adapter was easiest to use with iPhones and other smartphones even with protective cases. Conclusions: Smartphone adapters are inexpensive and easy to use for acquiring digital microscopic images. However, they require some adjustment by the user in order to optimize focus and obtain good quality images. Smartphone microscope adapters provide an economically feasible method of acquiring and sharing digital pathology photomicrographs. PMID:25191623

76 FR 23810 - Privacy Act System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-28

...: individual's name, home address, home telephone number(s), personal cell phone number(s), account number(s) for telephone, cell phone, cable television, and satellite television services, and other... number(s), personal cell phone number(s), FCC employment records, and other miscellaneous, information...

Why drivers use cell phones and support legislation to restrict this practice : research brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

Following previous research, drivers reported using cell phones : for benefits such as getting work done. The hypocrisy of using : cell phones while advocating restrictions appears to stem from : differences in the perceived safety risks of self vs. ...

An Impact Assessment Model for Distributed Adaptive Security Situation Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

the cargo manifest can be either a 56K modem-based TCP/IP connection (the oval labeled internet) or a 40K wireless modem connection ( cell phone ) that...via a UDP connection on the 40K wireless modem ( cell phone ). For each resource, either alternative may be used to achieve the same goal, but some...Manifests Comm-in Comp- power Comm- out JTF Internet (TCP-IP) Cell phone (TCP-IP) Internet (UDP) Cell phone (UDP) Manual Computer 4

Data Management of Watershed Information and Data Enterprise Repository Implementation at Fort Hood, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

is a 20-ft (6.1-m) mast supporting a cell phone antenna and a solar panel. Contained with in the enclosure is a Forest Technology Systems data...logger, a deep cycle battery, a voltage regulator, a cell phone modem, and a Motorola cell phone . The stream level, turbidity, and soil moisture sensors...DOIM) Security Protocols at Fort Hood, computers connected to the Fort Hood network cannot utilize cell phone communication to retrieve the data

Measuring the Effects of Cumulative Influence: Using NCW to Prevent or Minimize Civilian Casualties

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

can be targeted.. How many computers, how many web site visits, how many TV channels, how many text capable cell phones , the number of email...Total number of cell phone text messages transmitted e. Total number of cell phone text messages replied to f. Build a location map of the city’s...determine how many of the identified people have email accounts, web pages, web logs or cell phone text capabilities. The campaign goes something like

iHand: an interactive bare-hand-based augmented reality interface on commercial mobile phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Junyeong; Park, Jungsik; Park, Hanhoon; Park, Jong-Il

2013-02-01

The performance of mobile phones has rapidly improved, and they are emerging as a powerful platform. In many vision-based applications, human hands play a key role in natural interaction. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the interaction between human hands and the mobile phone. Thus, we propose a vision- and hand gesture-based interface in which the user holds a mobile phone in one hand but sees the other hand's palm through a built-in camera. The virtual contents are faithfully rendered on the user's palm through palm pose estimation, and reaction with hand and finger movements is achieved that is recognized by hand shape recognition. Since the proposed interface is based on hand gestures familiar to humans and does not require any additional sensors or markers, the user can freely interact with virtual contents anytime and anywhere without any training. We demonstrate that the proposed interface works at over 15 fps on a commercial mobile phone with a 1.2-GHz dual core processor and 1 GB RAM.

Shifting attention across near and far spaces: implications for the use of hands-free cell phones while driving.

PubMed

Ferlazzo, Fabio; Fagioli, Sabrina; Di Nocera, Francesco; Sdoia, Stefano

2008-11-01

In three experiments, participants performed two tasks concurrently during driving. In the peripheral detection task, they responded manually to visual stimuli delivered through a LED placed on the internal rear mirror; in the conversation task, they were engaged in a conversation with a passenger, or through earphone-operated, loudspeaker-operated, or hand-held cell phones. Results showed that drivers were slower at responding to the visual stimuli when conversing through a hand-held cell phone or an earphone-operated cell phone than when conversing through a loudspeaker-operated cell phone or with a passenger. These results suggest that due to the brain coding the space into multiple representations, devices that make phone conversations taking place in the near, personal space make drivers slower at responding to visual stimuli, compared to devices that make the conversation occurring in a far space.

Talking and texting among teenage drivers: a glass half empty or half full?

PubMed

O'Brien, Natalie P; Goodwin, Arthur H; Foss, Robert D

2010-12-01

Cell phone use and text messaging in particular are associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes. However, the frequency with which teenagers use cell phones while driving is still largely unknown. The current study obtained self-reported cell phone use behaviors while driving, including text messaging, along with beliefs about these actions, for a sample of licensed teenage drivers. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 1947 high-school-age teens in 2 large metropolitan areas in North Carolina. Questionnaires were completed and returned by 537 teens, of whom 320 had an intermediate or full driver's license. In total, 45 percent of teens reported using a cell phone in some capacity during their most recent trip. Fifteen percent reported that they only talked on a cell phone, 15 percent sent or read a text message only, and 15 percent both talked and texted. More generally, 12 percent of teens reported that they often talked on a cell phone while driving, 4 percent reported that they often initiated a text conversation while driving, 11 percent said that they often replied to texts, and 23 percent often read text messages. Teens reported using several strategies to reduce the risk associated with using a cell phone while driving. Among teens who had ever talked on a cell phone while driving, 47 percent said that they try to keep their conversations short because they are driving. Among teens who had ever texted while driving, approximately half said that they often wait until it feels safe to read and reply to text messages (58% and 47%, respectively). Most teens surveyed reported having talked or read or sent a text message using a cell phone while driving. Somewhat less than half engaged in one of these behaviors the last time they drove. However, many teens reported using strategies to reduce this risk and in certain instances, cell phone nonuse was the normative behavior. Better measurement of the extent and nature of phone use while driving is needed.

Computerized Automated Reminder Diabetes System (CARDS): E-Mail and SMS Cell Phone Text Messaging Reminders to Support Diabetes Management

PubMed Central

Hanauer, David A.; Wentzell, Katherine; Laffel, Nikki

2009-01-01

Abstract Background: Cell phone text messaging, via the Short Messaging Service (SMS), offers the promise of a highly portable, well-accepted, and inexpensive modality for engaging youth and young adults in the management of their diabetes. This pilot and feasibility study compared two-way SMS cell phone messaging with e-mail reminders that were directed at encouraging blood glucose (BG) monitoring. Methods: Forty insulin-treated adolescents and young adults with diabetes were randomized to receive electronic reminders to check their BG levels via cell phone text messaging or e-mail reminders for a 3-month pilot study. Electronic messages were automatically generated, and participant replies with BG results were processed by the locally developed Computerized Automated Reminder Diabetes System (CARDS). Participants set their schedule for reminders on the secure CARDS website where they could also enter and review BG data. Results: Of the 40 participants, 22 were randomized to receive cell phone text message reminders and 18 to receive e-mail reminders; 18 in the cell phone group and 11 in the e-mail group used the system. Compared to the e-mail group, users in the cell phone group received more reminders (180.4 vs. 106.6 per user) and responded with BG results significantly more often (30.0 vs. 6.9 per user, P=0.04). During the first month cell phone users submitted twice as many BGs as e-mail users (27.2 vs. 13.8 per user); by month 3, usage waned. Conclusions: Cell phone text messaging to promote BG monitoring is a viable and acceptable option in adolescents and young adults with diabetes. However, maintaining interest levels for prolonged intervals remains a challenge. PMID:19848576

Computerized Automated Reminder Diabetes System (CARDS): e-mail and SMS cell phone text messaging reminders to support diabetes management.

PubMed

Hanauer, David A; Wentzell, Katherine; Laffel, Nikki; Laffel, Lori M

2009-02-01

Cell phone text messaging, via the Short Messaging Service (SMS), offers the promise of a highly portable, well-accepted, and inexpensive modality for engaging youth and young adults in the management of their diabetes. This pilot and feasibility study compared two-way SMS cell phone messaging with e-mail reminders that were directed at encouraging blood glucose (BG) monitoring. Forty insulin-treated adolescents and young adults with diabetes were randomized to receive electronic reminders to check their BG levels via cell phone text messaging or e-mail reminders for a 3-month pilot study. Electronic messages were automatically generated, and participant replies with BG results were processed by the locally developed Computerized Automated Reminder Diabetes System (CARDS). Participants set their schedule for reminders on the secure CARDS website where they could also enter and review BG data. Of the 40 participants, 22 were randomized to receive cell phone text message reminders and 18 to receive e-mail reminders; 18 in the cell phone group and 11 in the e-mail group used the system. Compared to the e-mail group, users in the cell phone group received more reminders (180.4 vs. 106.6 per user) and responded with BG results significantly more often (30.0 vs. 6.9 per user, P = 0.04). During the first month cell phone users submitted twice as many BGs as e-mail users (27.2 vs. 13.8 per user); by month 3, usage waned. Cell phone text messaging to promote BG monitoring is a viable and acceptable option in adolescents and young adults with diabetes. However, maintaining interest levels for prolonged intervals remains a challenge.

The Role of Depression and Attachment Styles in Predicting Students' Addiction to Cell Phones.

PubMed

Ghasempour, Abdollah; Mahmoodi-Aghdam, Mansour

2015-01-01

The present study aimed at investigating the role of depression and attachment styles in predicting cell phone addiction. In this descriptive correlational study, a sample including 100 students of Payame Noor University (PNU), Reyneh Center, Iran, in the academic year of 2013-2014 was selected using volunteer sampling. Participants were asked to complete the adult attachment inventory (AAI), Beck depression inventory-13 (BDI-13) and the cell phone overuse scale (COS). Results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that depression and avoidant attachment style were the best predictors of students' cell phone addiction (R(2) = 0.23). The results of this study highlighted the predictive value of depression and avoidant attachment style concerning students' cell phone addiction.

Is mobile phone radiation genotoxic? An analysis of micronucleus frequency in exfoliated buccal cells.

PubMed

de Oliveira, F M; Carmona, A M; Ladeira, C

2017-10-01

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are classified as "possibly carcinogenic" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Some publications have reported associations between EMF exposure and DNA damage, but many other studies contradict such findings. Cytomorphological changes, such as micronuclei (MN), indicative of genomic damage, are biomarkers of genotoxicity. To test whether mobile phone-associated EMF exposure affects the MN frequency in exfoliated buccal cells, we obtained cells smears from the left and right inner cheeks of healthy mobile phone users, aged 18-30 (n=86), who also completed a characterization survey. MN frequencies were tested for potential confounding factors and for duration of phone use and preferential side of mobile phone use. No relationship was observed between MN frequency and duration of mobile phone use in daily calls. Cells ipsilateral to mobile phone use did not present a statistically significantly higher MN frequency, compared to cells contralateral to exposure. A highly statistically significant (p<0.0001) increase in MN frequency was found in subjects reporting regular exposure to genotoxic agents. Therefore, our results suggest that mobile phone-associated EMF do not to induce MN formation in buccal cells at the observed exposure levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acceptance and perception of Nigerian patients to medical photography.

PubMed

Adeyemo, W L; Mofikoya, B O; Akadiri, O A; James, O; Fashina, A A

2013-12-01

The aim of the study was to determine the acceptance and perception of Nigerian patients to medical photography. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among Nigerian patients attending oral and maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery clinics of 3 tertiary health institutions. Information requested included patients' opinion about consent process, capturing equipment, distribution and accessibility of medical photographs. The use of non-identifiable medical photographs was more acceptable than identifiable to respondents for all purposes (P = 0.003). Most respondents were favourably disposed to photographs being taken for inclusion in the case note, but opposed to identifiable photographs being used for other purposes most especially in medical websites and medical journals. Female respondents preferred non-identifiable medical photographs to identifiable ones (P = 0.001). Most respondents (78%) indicated that their consent be sought for each of the outline needs for medical photography. Half of the respondents indicated that identifiable photographs may have a negative effect on their persons; and the most commonly mentioned effects were social stigmatization, bad publicity and emotional/psychological effects. Most of the respondents preferred the use of hospital-owned camera to personal camera/personal camera-phone for their medical photographs. Most respondents (67.8%) indicated that they would like to be informed about the use of their photographs on every occasion, and 74% indicated that they would like to be informed of the specific journal in which their medical photographs are to be published. In conclusion, non-identifiable rather than identifiable medical photography is acceptable to most patients in the studied Nigerian environment. The use of personal camera/personal camera-phone should be discouraged as its acceptance by respondents is very low. Judicious use of medical photography is therefore advocated to avoid breach of principle of privacy and confidentiality in medical practice. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Wireless multipoint communication for optical sensors in the industrial environment using the new Bluetooth standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussmann, Stephan; Lau, Wing Y.; Chu, Terry; Grothof, Markus

2003-07-01

Traditionally, the measuring or monitoring system of manufacturing industries uses sensors, computers and screens for their quality control (Q.C.). The acquired information is fed back to the control room by wires, which - for obvious reason - are not suitable in many environments. This paper describes a method to solve this problem by employing the new Bluetooth technology to set up a complete new system, where a total wireless solution is made feasible. This new Q.C. system allows several line scan cameras to be connected at once to a graphical user interface (GUI) that can monitor the production process. There are many Bluetooth devices available on the market such as cell-phones, headsets, printers, PDA etc. However, the detailed application is a novel implementation in the industrial Q.C. area. This paper will contain more details about the Bluetooth standard and why it is used (nework topologies, host controller interface, data rates, etc.), the Bluetooth implemetation in the microcontroller of the line scan camera, and the GUI and its features.

Cellular telephone use during free-living walking significantly reduces average walking speed.

PubMed

Barkley, Jacob E; Lepp, Andrew

2016-03-31

Cellular telephone (cell phone) use decreases walking speed in controlled laboratory experiments and there is an inverse relationship between free-living walking speed and heart failure risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of cell phone use on walking speed in a free-living environment. Subjects (n = 1142) were randomly observed walking on a 50 m University campus walkway. The time it took each subject to walk 50 m was recorded and subjects were coded into categories: cell phone held to the ear (talking, n = 95), holding and looking at the cell phone (texting, n = 118), not visibly using the cell phone (no use, n = 929). Subjects took significantly (p < 0.001) longer traversing the walkway when talking (39.3 s) and texting (37.9 s) versus no use (35.3 s). As was the case with the previous laboratory experiments, cell phone use significantly reduces average speed during free-living walking.

Effects of driver cell-phone use on driver aggression.

PubMed

McGarva, Andrew R; Ramsey, Matthew; Shear, Suzannah A

2006-04-01

Using 2 field procedures, the authors assessed impacts of cell-phone use on mild forms of driver aggression. Participants were 135 drivers traveling within a city of approximately 17,000 people in an otherwise little-populated region of western North Dakota. The authors videotaped the participants while a confederate driver in a low-status vehicle frustrated them. In Experiment 1, the confederate was traveling well under the posted speed limit. In Experiment 2, the confederate remained motionless at a stoplight that had turned green. When the confederate visibly talked on a hand-held cell phone (n = 67), male drivers exhibited their frustration by honking their horn more quickly and frequently than did drivers in no-cell-phone trials, and female drivers were more angry according to blind judgments of videotaped facial expressions that were compared with those of drivers in no-cell-phone trials (n = 68). The present results suggested that driver cell-phone use contributes to the growing crisis of roadway aggression.

Thermally tunable-focus lenticular lens using liquid crystal.

PubMed

Heo, Kyong Chan; Yu, Seung Hun; Kwon, Jin Hyuk; Gwag, Jin Seog

2013-12-10

A thermally tunable focusing lenticular liquid crystal (LC) lens array was fabricated using a polymer LC component, including a polarizer that produces linearly polarized light. The focal length in the proposed structure could be tuned by temperature-adjusted applied voltage to a transparent heater in a lenticular LC lens cell because it alters the birefringence of the LC and varies the difference in refractive index between the LC and the polymer. The results showed that the focal length of the E7 LC used varied continuously with temperature from 5.6 to 8.7 mm from 25°C to 54°C, respectively. The proposed lenticular LC lens has potential use in photonic devices such as biological imaging, phone cameras, and optical sensors.

Real-time micro-modelling of city evacuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löhner, Rainald; Haug, Eberhard; Zinggerling, Claudio; Oñate, Eugenio

2018-01-01

A methodology to integrate geographical information system (GIS) data with large-scale pedestrian simulations has been developed. Advances in automatic data acquisition and archiving from GIS databases, automatic input for pedestrian simulations, as well as scalable pedestrian simulation tools have made it possible to simulate pedestrians at the individual level for complete cities in real time. An example that simulates the evacuation of the city of Barcelona demonstrates that this is now possible. This is the first step towards a fully integrated crowd prediction and management tool that takes into account not only data gathered in real time from cameras, cell phones or other sensors, but also merges these with advanced simulation tools to predict the future state of the crowd.

Analysis of the Genotoxic Effects of Mobile Phone Radiation using Buccal Micronucleus Assay: A Comparative Evaluation.

PubMed

Banerjee, Sumita; Singh, Narendra Nath; Sreedhar, Gadiputi; Mukherjee, Saikat

2016-03-01

Micronucleus (MN) is considered to be a reliable marker for genotoxic damage and it determines the presence and the extent of the chromosomal damage. The MN is formed due to DNA damage or chromosomal disarrangements. The MN has a close association with cancer incidences. In the new era, mobile phones are constantly gaining popularity specifically in the young generation, but this device uses radiofrequency radiation that may have a possible carcinogenic effect. The available reports related to the carcinogenic effect of mobile radiation on oral mucosa are contradictory. To explore the effects of mobile phone radiation on the MN frequency in oral mucosal cells. The subjects were divided into two major groups: low mobile phone users and high mobile phone users. Subjects who used their mobile phone since less than five years and less than three hours a week comprised of the first group and those who used their mobile since more than five years and more than 10 hours a week comprised of the second group. Net surfing and text messaging was not considered in this study. Exfoliated buccal mucosal cells were collected from both the groups and the cells were stained with DNA-specific stain acridine orange. Thousand exfoliated buccal mucosal cells were screened and the cells which were positive for micronuclei were counted. The micronucleus frequency was represented as mean±SD, and unpaired Student t-test was used for intergroup comparisons. The number of micronucleated cells/ 1000 exfoliated buccal mucosal cells was found to be significantly increased in high mobile phone users group than the low mobile phone users group. The use of mobile phone with the associated complaint of warmth around the ear showed a maximum increase in the number of micronucleated cells /1000 exfoliated buccal mucosal cells. Mobile phone radiation even in the permissible range when used for longer duration causes significant genotoxicity. The genotoxicity can be avoided to some extent by the regular use of headphones.

An Algorithm Enabling Blind Users to Find and Read Barcodes

PubMed Central

Tekin, Ender; Coughlan, James M.

2010-01-01

Most camera-based systems for finding and reading barcodes are designed to be used by sighted users (e.g. the Red Laser iPhone app), and assume the user carefully centers the barcode in the image before the barcode is read. Blind individuals could benefit greatly from such systems to identify packaged goods (such as canned goods in a supermarket), but unfortunately in their current form these systems are completely inaccessible because of their reliance on visual feedback from the user. To remedy this problem, we propose a computer vision algorithm that processes several frames of video per second to detect barcodes from a distance of several inches; the algorithm issues directional information with audio feedback (e.g. “left,” “right”) and thereby guides a blind user holding a webcam or other portable camera to locate and home in on a barcode. Once the barcode is detected at sufficiently close range, a barcode reading algorithm previously developed by the authors scans and reads aloud the barcode and the corresponding product information. We demonstrate encouraging experimental results of our proposed system implemented on a desktop computer with a webcam held by a blindfolded user; ultimately the system will be ported to a camera phone for use by visually impaired users. PMID:20617114

A practical indoor context-aware surveillance system with multi-Kinect sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Lili; You, Ying; Li, Tiezhu; Zhang, Shun

2014-11-01

In this paper we develop a novel practical application, which give scalable services to the end users when abnormal actives are happening. Architecture of the application has been presented consisting of network infrared cameras and a communication module. In this intelligent surveillance system we use Kinect sensors as the input cameras. Kinect is an infrared laser camera which its user can access the raw infrared sensor stream. We install several Kinect sensors in one room to track the human skeletons. Each sensor returns the body positions with 15 coordinates in its own coordinate system. We use calibration algorithms to calibrate all the body positions points into one unified coordinate system. With the body positions points, we can infer the surveillance context. Furthermore, the messages from the metadata index matrix will be sent to mobile phone through communication module. User will instantly be aware of an abnormal case happened in the room without having to check the website. In conclusion, theoretical analysis and experimental results in this paper show that the proposed system is reasonable and efficient. And the application method introduced in this paper is not only to discourage the criminals and assist police in the apprehension of suspects, but also can enabled the end-users monitor the indoor environments anywhere and anytime by their phones.

3D image processing architecture for camera phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atanassov, Kalin; Ramachandra, Vikas; Goma, Sergio R.; Aleksic, Milivoje

2011-03-01

Putting high quality and easy-to-use 3D technology into the hands of regular consumers has become a recent challenge as interest in 3D technology has grown. Making 3D technology appealing to the average user requires that it be made fully automatic and foolproof. Designing a fully automatic 3D capture and display system requires: 1) identifying critical 3D technology issues like camera positioning, disparity control rationale, and screen geometry dependency, 2) designing methodology to automatically control them. Implementing 3D capture functionality on phone cameras necessitates designing algorithms to fit within the processing capabilities of the device. Various constraints like sensor position tolerances, sensor 3A tolerances, post-processing, 3D video resolution and frame rate should be carefully considered for their influence on 3D experience. Issues with migrating functions such as zoom and pan from the 2D usage model (both during capture and display) to 3D needs to be resolved to insure the highest level of user experience. It is also very important that the 3D usage scenario (including interactions between the user and the capture/display device) is carefully considered. Finally, both the processing power of the device and the practicality of the scheme needs to be taken into account while designing the calibration and processing methodology.

Preliminary Research Developing a Theory of Cell Phone Distraction and Social Relationships

PubMed Central

LaVoie, Noelle; Lee, Yi-Ching; Parker, James

2015-01-01

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death and injury for people aged 5 – 34, accounting annually for over 3000 deaths, and 100 times as many injuries. It is well established that distracted driving, and cell phone use while driving in particular, pose significant crash risk to drivers. Research has demonstrated that drivers are well aware of this danger but over 90% of drivers report using a cell phone while driving. Given the likely role that social influence plays in how people use cell phones while driving surprisingly little research has been conducted investigating to whom drivers are talking or texting. We report the results of a national survey to determine who drivers are most likely to call or text when behind the wheel and compared these results with general cell phone calling and texting patterns as well as previous findings on the prevalence of calling and texting while driving. The results suggest that social distance is a key factor in cell phone use while driving: Teens are more likely to talk with parents, and adults are more likely to talk with spouses than general calling patterns would suggest. We discuss whether the purpose of calls made while driving, such as coordination, could help explain these patterns. We propose next steps for further examining the role social relationships play in cell phone use while driving to potentially reduce teen driver cell phone use by lowering the number of calls from parents. PMID:26562672

Preliminary research developing a theory of cell phone distraction and social relationships.

PubMed

LaVoie, Noelle; Lee, Yi-Ching; Parker, James

2016-01-01

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death and injury for people aged 5-34, accounting annually for over 3000 deaths, and 100 times as many injuries. It is well established that distracted driving, and cell phone use while driving in particular, pose significant crash risk to drivers. Research has demonstrated that drivers are well aware of this danger but over 90% of drivers report using a cell phone while driving. Given the likely role that social influence plays in how people use cell phones while driving surprisingly little research has been conducted investigating to whom drivers are talking or texting. We report the results of a national survey to determine who drivers are most likely to call or text when behind the wheel and compared these results with general cell phone calling and texting patterns as well as previous findings on the prevalence of calling and texting while driving. The results suggest that social distance is a key factor in cell phone use while driving: Teens are more likely to talk with parents, and adults are more likely to talk with spouses than general calling patterns would suggest. We discuss whether the purpose of calls made while driving, such as coordination, could help explain these patterns. We propose next steps for further examining the role social relationships play in cell phone use while driving to potentially reduce teen driver cell phone use by lowering the number of calls from parents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Homeless patients' perceptions about using cell phones to manage medications and attend appointments.

PubMed

Moczygemba, Leticia R; Cox, Lauren S; Marks, Samantha A; Robinson, Margaret A; Goode, Jean-Venable R; Jafari, Nellie

2017-06-01

The objectives of this study were to (1) describe homeless persons' access and use of cell phones and their perceptions about using cell phone alerts to help manage medications and attend health care appointments and (2) identify demographic characteristics, medication use and appointment history and perceptions associated with interest in receiving cell phone alerts to manage medications and appointments. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 at a homeless clinic in Virginia. The questionnaire comprised items about cell phone usage, ownership and functions such as text messaging. Participants reported medication use and appointment history, perceptions about cell phone alerts and interest in receiving alerts to manage medications and appointments. Descriptive statistics for all variables are reported. Logistic regression was used to examine predictors of interest in using a cell phone to manage medications and appointments. A total of 290 participants completed the survey; 89% had a cell phone. Seventy-seven percent were interested in appointment reminders, whereas 66%, 60% and 54% were interested in refill reminders, medication taking reminders and medication information messages respectively. Those who believed reminders were helpful were more likely to be interested in medication taking, refill and appointment reminder messages compared to those who did not believe reminders were helpful. A history of running out of medicine and forgetting appointments were predictors of interest in refill and appointment reminders. Mobile technology is a feasible method for communicating medication and appointment information to those experiencing or at risk for homelessness. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

A mobile device-based imaging spectrometer for environmental monitoring by attaching a lightweight small module to a commercial digital camera.

PubMed

Cai, Fuhong; Lu, Wen; Shi, Wuxiong; He, Sailing

2017-11-15

Spatially-explicit data are essential for remote sensing of ecological phenomena. Lately, recent innovations in mobile device platforms have led to an upsurge in on-site rapid detection. For instance, CMOS chips in smart phones and digital cameras serve as excellent sensors for scientific research. In this paper, a mobile device-based imaging spectrometer module (weighing about 99 g) is developed and equipped on a Single Lens Reflex camera. Utilizing this lightweight module, as well as commonly used photographic equipment, we demonstrate its utility through a series of on-site multispectral imaging, including ocean (or lake) water-color sensing and plant reflectance measurement. Based on the experiments we obtain 3D spectral image cubes, which can be further analyzed for environmental monitoring. Moreover, our system can be applied to many kinds of cameras, e.g., aerial camera and underwater camera. Therefore, any camera can be upgraded to an imaging spectrometer with the help of our miniaturized module. We believe it has the potential to become a versatile tool for on-site investigation into many applications.

Development and Feasibility of a Cell Phone-Based Transitional Intervention for Women Prisoners with Comorbid Substance Use and Depression

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jennifer E.; Williams, Collette; Zlotnick, Caron

2013-01-01

This article describes the development and feasibility testing of a cell phone-based intervention (Sober Network IPT) among 22 women with comorbid substance use and depressive disorders transitioning from prison to surrounding communities. Feasibility/acceptability measures included phone logs, exit interviews, and pre-post measures of substance use and depressive symptoms up to 9 months post-release. Results indicated that phone-based transitional treatment is feasible and acceptable. Participants valued the opportunity to maintain contact with familiar prison treatment providers by phone after release, and used the cell phones for help with service linkage, support, and crisis management. We describe relational and practical lessons learned. PMID:26508805

Examining the impact of cell phone conversations on driving using meta-analytic techniques

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

Synopsis Younger and older drivers conversing on a hands-free cell phone were found to have slower responses to random braking by the vehicle ahead. Cell phone use slowed the younger drivers responses to an extent that they were equivalent t...

A comparison of the cell-phone driver and the drunk driver

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

Synopsis The authors find no difference in impairment due to hands-free compared to hand-held cell phone use, and that the participants in the two cell phone conditions were involved in more rear-end collisions and reacted 9% more slowly to vehic...

Profiles in driver distraction : effects of cell phone conversations on younger and older drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

Synopsis Younger and older drivers conversing on a hands-free cell phone were found to have slower responses to random braking by the vehicle ahead. Cell phone use slowed the younger drivers responses to an extent that they were equivalent t...

Bioluminescence Truth Data Measurement and Signature Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

cell phone based communications module attached to the top of the piling. A cell phone tower represents communication of data to shore. Also shown...representing each Kilroy installation are located based on GPS coordinates telemetered by the cell phone module. Icons point in direction of most recently

77 FR 2734 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Solar Cell: A Mobile UV Manager for Smart Phones (NCI)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-19

... Request: Solar Cell: A Mobile UV Manager for Smart Phones (NCI) SUMMARY: In compliance with the... Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title: Solar Cell: A Mobile UV... Collection: The overall goal of the study is to design a smart phone application, Solar Cell, which uses...

ANALYSIS: mobile phones integrated into diabetes management: a logical progression.

PubMed

Malasanos, Toree

2008-01-01

In this issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, the intervention described by D. Katz, "Novel Interactive Cell-Phone Technology for Health Enhancement," uses cell phones to provide the rapid communication necessary for the support of intensive management of diabetes. Mobile technology is widely accepted in today's society and can be an effective tool for this cause. There have been numerous interventions using various communication tools, including cell phones, to manage chronic disease, which all propose that improved communication and feedback to patients would improve health status. Dr. Katz has taken the next step by giving semiautomated, real-time, immediate feedback on each data point all transmitted by cell phone.

Look who's talking! A roadside survey of drivers' cell phone use.

PubMed

Young, Kristie L; Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Lenné, Michael G

2010-12-01

The objective of this study was to quantify Melbourne drivers' rates of handheld and hands-free phone use and the driver, vehicle, site, and time characteristics associated with phone use. Additionally, this study sought to examine any change in the prevalence of handheld cell phone use by Melbourne drivers between 2006 and 2009. Observational survey of vehicle drivers at various times of the day and week at 3 sites across metropolitan Melbourne during May 2009. A total of 195 (3.4%) of the 5813 drivers observed were using handheld phones and 81 (1.4%) were using hands-free phones. This represents a significant increase in handheld phone usage rates compared to those found in an earlier study conducted in Melbourne in 2006. Cell phone use was associated with a range of driver, vehicle, site, and time characteristics. Handheld phone users were predominately young or middle-aged drivers who drove cars or 4-wheel-drive vehicles (4WDs), and this activity was more likely to occur in the late afternoon. Use of hands-free phones did not differ significantly across gender, age group, vehicle type, observation site, or time of day; however, use of hands-free phones was higher on weekdays compared to weekends. Despite legislation being in place, drivers' handheld cell phone use is still a major road safety concern, particularly for young and middle-aged drivers. The effectiveness of other strategies for decreasing handheld usage rates, including increased surveillance and tougher penalties, need to be ascertained.

Using Cell Phones for Data Collection: Benefits, Outcomes, and Intervention Possibilities with Homeless Youth

PubMed Central

Tyler, Kimberly A.; Schmitz, Rachel M.

2017-01-01

While many homeless youth use cell phones to stay socially connected, and maintaining positive social ties can contribute to pathways out of homelessness, little is known about how using cell phones for data collection can improve these young people’s lives. We conducted baseline and follow-up interviews with 150 homeless youth as well as provided them with a cell phone for 30 days to gather daily data using short message service (SMS) surveying. This paper examines youths’ opinions about study participation and how they used the cell phone. Results revealed that youth liked participating in the study because the SMS texting portion, for example, made them feel that someone still cared about them, prompted them to self-reflect on their life, and allowed them to make a difference (e.g. educating the public about homelessness). Despite numerous benefits of study participation, improvements that youth discussed for future studies included changing the format of our text questions to allow for explanations and the use of higher quality phones. In terms of study phone usage, youth reported using the phone to schedule appointments, contact employers, and to keep in touch with family and friends. Finally, we highlight ways in which cell phones via SMS could be used with homeless youth to provide informational resources along with educational and employment opportunities, all of which are important intervention strategies in improving life situations for this population. PMID:28970644

Sleep Quality in Medical Students; the Impact of Over-Use of Mobile Cell-Phone and Social Networks.

PubMed

Mohammadbeigi, Abolfazl; Absari, Rozita; Valizadeh, Farzaneh; Saadati, Mohammadreza; Sharifimoghadam, Soroush; Ahmadi, Ali; Mokhtari, Mohsen; Ansari, Hossein

2016-01-01

Poor sleep quality is closely associated with lifestyle habits including use of mobile cell-phones.This study aimed to identify the relationship between sleep quality due to abuse in mobile cell-phones and engagement in social networks. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 380 undergraduate students selected by proportional stratified sampling in Qom, Iran in 2015. Data were collected by two standard questionnaire including Cell-Phone Over-Use Scale (COS) and Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire beside the status of usage in cell-phone social networks. T-test, chi-square, Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate logistic regression were used in data analysis. The mean age of participants was 21.8 ±3.2 yr, 69.1% were female, and 11.7% were married. The mean of COS and sleep quality scores were 48.18 ±17.5 and 5.38 ±2.31, respectively. The prevalence of over-use of cell phone was 10.7% (CI 0.95; 8.8%, 12.6%) and the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 61.7% (CI 0.95; 57.1%, 66.3%). The mean of all aspects and total score of sleep quality showed a direct significant association by cell-phone addiction score except sleep duration score that was inversely. Based on multivariate analysis affected to cell-phone addiction, being male gender and studying in general physician level are the most important predictors of poor sleep quality. Over use of internet and social networks via smart phones is related to poor sleep quality and quantity. Predefined sport programs, educational, cultural, and interesting entertainment are the essential needs for all medical students. These interventions are more important especially for male students who have longer educational.

Measurement of cosmic-ray muons with the Distributed Electronic Cosmic-ray Observatory, a network of smartphones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandenbroucke, J.; BenZvi, S.; Bravo, S.; Jensen, K.; Karn, P.; Meehan, M.; Peacock, J.; Plewa, M.; Ruggles, T.; Santander, M.; Schultz, D.; Simons, A. L.; Tosi, D.

2016-04-01

Solid-state camera image sensors can be used to detect ionizing radiation in addition to optical photons. We describe the Distributed Electronic Cosmic-ray Observatory (DECO), an app and associated public database that enables a network of consumer devices to detect cosmic rays and other ionizing radiation. In addition to terrestrial background radiation, cosmic-ray muon candidate events are detected as long, straight tracks passing through multiple pixels. The distribution of track lengths can be related to the thickness of the active (depleted) region of the camera image sensor through the known angular distribution of muons at sea level. We use a sample of candidate muon events detected by DECO to measure the thickness of the depletion region of the camera image sensor in a particular consumer smartphone model, the HTC Wildfire S. The track length distribution is fit better by a cosmic-ray muon angular distribution than an isotropic distribution, demonstrating that DECO can detect and identify cosmic-ray muons despite a background of other particle detections. Using the cosmic-ray distribution, we measure the depletion thickness to be 26.3 ± 1.4 μm. With additional data, the same method can be applied to additional models of image sensor. Once measured, the thickness can be used to convert track length to incident polar angle on a per-event basis. Combined with a determination of the incident azimuthal angle directly from the track orientation in the sensor plane, this enables direction reconstruction of individual cosmic-ray events using a single consumer device. The results simultaneously validate the use of cell phone camera image sensors as cosmic-ray muon detectors and provide a measurement of a parameter of camera image sensor performance which is not otherwise publicly available.

Printed products for digital cameras and mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fageth, Reiner; Schmidt-Sacht, Wulf

2005-01-01

Digital photography is no longer simply a successor to film. The digital market is now driven by additional devices such as mobile phones with camera and video functions (camphones) as well as innovative products derived from digital files. A large number of consumers do not print their images and non-printing has become the major enemy of wholesale printers, home printing suppliers and retailers. This paper addresses the challenge facing our industry, namely how to encourage the consumer to print images easily and conveniently from all types of digital media.

Cell phone use diminishes self-awareness of the adverse effects of cell phone use on driving.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

Multitasking may diminish the self-awareness of performance that is often essential for self-regulation : and self-knowledge. Participants in an experiment drove on a simulator while talking or not talking on a : cell phone. The errors they made whil...

Cell Phones Transform a Science Methods Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madden, Lauren

2012-01-01

A science methods instructor intentionally encouraged cell phone use for class work to discover how cell phones can be used as research tools to enhance the content and engage the students. The anecdotal evidence suggested that students who used their smartphones as research tools experienced the science content and pedagogical information…

Sexting and Student Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donovan, Eamonn

2010-01-01

Cell phones are ubiquitous on campus, and the anytime anywhere nature of teenage communications means that students see no separation between life inside and outside of school, at least when it comes to activities such as texting. Allowing cell phones on campus will have students in possession of cell phones with sexually oriented messages,…

Cell Phone-Based Expert Systems for Smoking Cessation

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

computerized tailored intervention (CTI) with feedback messages delivered via cell phone . CTIs have shown increasing promise as useful behavior change programs...behaviors. This will be the first study to adapt a smoking cessation Internet-based CTI to provide personalized feedback on a cell phone to reduce smoking behaviors in military veterans.

Securing a Lock on Safety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daneman, Kathy

1998-01-01

Describes the integration of security systems to provide enhanced security that is both effective and long lasting. Examines combining card-access systems with camera surveillance, and highly visible emergency phones and security officers. as one of many possible combinations. Some systems most capable of being integrated are listed. (GR)

Cyberbullying Knows No Borders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jerold D.; Hufstedler, Shirley M.

2009-01-01

Cyberbullying is a global problem with a wide range of incidents reported in many countries. This form of bullying may be defined as harassment using technology such as social websites (MySpace/Facebook), email, chat rooms, mobile phone texting and cameras, picture messages (including sexting), IM (instant messages), or blogs. Cyberbullying…

The use of cell phones and radio communication systems to reduce delays in getting help for pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

PubMed

Oyeyemi, Sunday O; Wynn, Rolf

2015-01-01

Delays in getting medical help are important factors in the deaths of many pregnant women and unborn children in the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Studies have suggested that the use of cell phones and radio communication systems might reduce such delays. We review the literature regarding the impact of cell phones and radio communication systems on delays in getting medical help by pregnant women in the LMIC. Cochrane Library, PubMed, Maternity and Infant care (Ovid), Web of Science (ISI), and Google Scholar were searched for studies relating to the use of cell phones for maternal and child health services, supplemented with hand searches. We included studies in LMIC and in English involving the simple use of cell phones (or radio communication) to either make calls or send text messages. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. All the studies, while of various designs, demonstrated positive contributory effects of cell phones or radio communication systems in reducing delays experienced by pregnant women in getting medical help. While the results suggested that cell phones could contribute in reducing delays, more studies of a longer duration are needed to strengthen the finding.

The use of cell phones and radio communication systems to reduce delays in getting help for pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

PubMed Central

Oyeyemi, Sunday O.; Wynn, Rolf

2015-01-01

Background Delays in getting medical help are important factors in the deaths of many pregnant women and unborn children in the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Studies have suggested that the use of cell phones and radio communication systems might reduce such delays. Objectives We review the literature regarding the impact of cell phones and radio communication systems on delays in getting medical help by pregnant women in the LMIC. Design Cochrane Library, PubMed, Maternity and Infant care (Ovid), Web of Science (ISI), and Google Scholar were searched for studies relating to the use of cell phones for maternal and child health services, supplemented with hand searches. We included studies in LMIC and in English involving the simple use of cell phones (or radio communication) to either make calls or send text messages. Results Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. All the studies, while of various designs, demonstrated positive contributory effects of cell phones or radio communication systems in reducing delays experienced by pregnant women in getting medical help. Conclusions While the results suggested that cell phones could contribute in reducing delays, more studies of a longer duration are needed to strengthen the finding. PMID:26362421

Prenatal and Postnatal Cell Phone Exposures and Headaches in Children.

PubMed

Sudan, Madhuri; Kheifets, Leeka; Arah, Onyebuchi; Olsen, Jorn; Zeltzer, Lonnie

2012-12-05

Children today are exposed to cell phones early in life, and may be at the greatest risk if exposure is harmful to health. We investigated associations between cell phone exposures and headaches in children. The Danish National Birth Cohort enrolled pregnant women between 1996 and 2002. When their children reached age seven years, mothers completed a questionnaire regarding the child's health, behaviors, and exposures. We used multivariable adjusted models to relate prenatal only, postnatal only, or both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure to whether the child had migraines and headache-related symptoms. Our analyses included data from 52,680 children. Children with cell phone exposure had higher odds of migraines and headache-related symptoms than children with no exposure. The odds ratio for migraines was 1.30 (95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.68) and for headache-related symptoms was 1.32 (95% confidence interval: 1.23-1.40) for children with both prenatal and postnatal exposure. In this study, cell phone exposures were associated with headaches in children, but the associations may not be causal given the potential for uncontrolled confounding and misclassification in observational studies such as this. However, given the widespread use of cell phones, if a causal effect exists it would have great public health impact.

Smartphone based point-of-care detector of urine albumin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cmiel, Vratislav; Svoboda, Ondrej; Koscova, Pavlina; Provaznik, Ivo

2016-03-01

Albumin plays an important role in human body. Its changed level in urine may indicate serious kidney disorders. We present a new point-of-care solution for sensitive detection of urine albumin - the miniature optical adapter for iPhone with in-built optical filters and a sample slot. The adapter exploits smart-phone flash to generate excitation light and camera to measure the level of emitted light. Albumin Blue 580 is used as albumin reagent. The proposed light-weight adapter can be produced at low cost using a 3D printer. Thus, the miniaturized detector is easy to use out of lab.

Development of mobile preventive notification system (PreNotiS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Abhinav; Akopian, David; Chen, Philip

2009-02-01

The tasks achievable by mobile handsets continuously exceed our imagination. Statistics show that the mobile phone sales are soaring, rising exponentially year after year with predictions being that they will rise to a billion units in 2009, with a large section of these being smartphones. Mobile service providers, mobile application developers and researchers have been working closely over the past decade to bring about revolutionary and hardware and software advancements in hand-sets such as embedded digital camera, large memory capacity, accelerometer, touch sensitive screens, GPS, Wi- Fi capabilities etc. as well as in the network infrastructure to support these features. Recently we presented a multi-platform, massive data collection system from distributive sources such as cell phone users1 called PreNotiS. This technology was intended to significantly simplify the response to the events and help e.g. special agencies to gather crucial information in time and respond as quickly as possible to prevent or contain potential emergency situations and act as a massive, centralized evidence collection mechanism that effectively exploits the advancements in mobile application development platforms and the existing network infrastructure to present an easy-touse, fast and effective tool to mobile phone users. We successfully demonstrated the functionality of the client-server application suite to post user information onto the server. This paper presents a new version of the system PreNotiS, with a revised client application and with all new server capabilities. PreNotiS still puts forth the idea of having a fast, efficient client-server based application suite for mobile phones which through a highly simplified user interface will collect security/calamity based information in a structured format from first responders and relay that structured information to a central server where this data is sorted into a database in a predefined manner. This information which includes selections, images and text will be instantly available to authorities and action forces through a secure web portal thus helping them to make decisions in a timely and prompt manner. All the cell phones have self-localizing capability according to FCC E9112 mandate, thus the communicated information can be further tagged automatically by location and time information at the server making all this information available through the secure web-portal.

Muon Trigger for Mobile Phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisyak, M.; Usvyatsov, M.; Mulhearn, M.; Shimmin, C.; Ustyuzhanin, A.

2017-10-01

The CRAYFIS experiment proposes to use privately owned mobile phones as a ground detector array for Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays. Upon interacting with Earth’s atmosphere, these events produce extensive particle showers which can be detected by cameras on mobile phones. A typical shower contains minimally-ionizing particles such as muons. As these particles interact with CMOS image sensors, they may leave tracks of faintly-activated pixels that are sometimes hard to distinguish from random detector noise. Triggers that rely on the presence of very bright pixels within an image frame are not efficient in this case. We present a trigger algorithm based on Convolutional Neural Networks which selects images containing such tracks and are evaluated in a lazy manner: the response of each successive layer is computed only if activation of the current layer satisfies a continuation criterion. Usage of neural networks increases the sensitivity considerably comparable with image thresholding, while the lazy evaluation allows for execution of the trigger under the limited computational power of mobile phones.

Growing cell-phone population and noncoverage bias in traditional random digit dial telephone health surveys.

PubMed

Lee, Sunghee; Brick, J Michael; Brown, E Richard; Grant, David

2010-08-01

Examine the effect of including cell-phone numbers in a traditional landline random digit dial (RDD) telephone survey. The 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). CHIS 2007 is an RDD telephone survey supplementing a landline sample in California with a sample of cell-only (CO) adults. We examined the degree of bias due to exclusion of CO populations and compared a series of demographic and health-related characteristics by telephone usage. When adjusted for noncoverage in the landline sample through weighting, the potential noncoverage bias due to excluding CO adults in landline telephone surveys is diminished. Both CO adults and adults who have both landline and cell phones but mostly use cell phones appear different from other telephone usage groups. Controlling for demographic differences did not attenuate the significant distinctiveness of cell-mostly adults. While careful weighting can mitigate noncoverage bias in landline telephone surveys, the rapid growth of cell-phone population and their distinctive characteristics suggest it is important to include a cell-phone sample. Moreover, the threat of noncoverage bias in telephone health survey estimates could mislead policy makers with possibly serious consequences for their ability to address important health policy issues.

Performance of miniaturized direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) devices using micropump for fuel delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Wang, Qing-Ming

A fuel cell is a device that can convert chemical energy into electricity directly. Among various types of fuel cells, both polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) can work at low temperature (<80 °C). Therefore, they can be used to supply power for commercial portable electronics such as laptop computers, digital cameras, PDAs and cell phones. The focus of this paper is to investigate the performance of a miniaturized DMFC device using a micropump to deliver fuel. The core of this micropump is a piezoelectric ring-type bending actuator and the associated nozzle/diffuser for directing fuel flow. Based on the experimental measurements, it is found that the performance of the fuel cell can be significantly improved if enough fuel flow is induced by the micropump at anode. Three factors may contribute to the performance enhancement including replenishment of methanol, decrease of diffusion resistance and removal of carbon dioxide. In comparison with conventional mini pumps, the size of the piezoelectric micropump is much smaller and the energy consumption is much lower. Thus, it is very viable and effective to use a piezoelectric valveless micropump for fuel delivery in miniaturized DMFC power systems.

Evaluating the use of cell phone messaging for community Ebola syndromic surveillance in high risked settings in Southern Sierra Leone.

PubMed

Jia, Kangbai; Mohamed, Koroma

2015-09-01

Most underdeveloped countries do not meet core disease outbreak surveillance because of the lack of human resources, laboratory and infrastructural facilities. The use of cell phone technology for disease outbreak syndromic surveillance is a new phenomenon in Sierra Leone despite its successes in other developing countries like Sri Lanka. In this study we set to evaluate the effectiveness of using cell phone technology for Ebola hemorrhagic fever syndromic surveillance in a high risked community in Sierra Leone. This study evaluated the effectiveness of using cell phone messaging (text and calls) for community Ebola hemorrhagic fever syndromic surveillance in high risked community in southern Sierra Leone. All cell phone syndromic surveillance data used for this study was reported as cell phone alert messages-texts and voice calls; by the Moyamba District Health Management Team for both Ebola hemorrhagic fever suspect and mortalities. We conducted a longitudinal data analysis of the monthly cumulative confirmed Ebola hemorrhagic fever cases and mortalities collected by both the traditional sentinel and community cell phone syndromic surveillance from August 2014 to October 2014. A total of 129 and 49 Ebola hemorrhagic fever suspect and confirmed cases respectively were recorded using the community Ebola syndromic surveillance cell phone alert system by the Moyamba District Health Management Team in October 2014. The average number of Ebola hemorrhagic fever suspects and confirmed cases for October 2014 were 4.16 (Std.dev 3.76) and 1.58 (Std.dev 1.43) respectively. Thirty-four percent (n=76) of the community Ebola syndromic surveillance cell phone alerts that were followed-up within 24 hours reported Ebola hemorrhagic fever suspect cases while 65.92% (n=147) reported mortality. Our study suggests some form of underreporting by the traditional sentinel Ebola hemorrhagic fever disease surveillance system in Moyamba District southern Sierra Leone for August-September 2014. Cell phone messaging technology can be effectively use as a tool for community epidemic surveillance from peripheral health care facilities to higher levels.

Cell Phones in the Classroom? Yes!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaer, Susan

2011-01-01

The author has been using mobile phones actively in her adult education classes for the last two years. She has found that, with a bit of cell phone etiquette, students are responsible and will use phones as learning tools instead of just as toys. In this article, the author describes how she uses them and suggests effective techniques for…

Do Emergency Text Messaging Systems Put Students in More Danger?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bambenek, John; Klus, Agnieszka

2008-01-01

Cell phones have become prevalent on college campuses. Most students use them as their primary phone to avoid changing phone service every year or dealing with university-based long-distance charges. In the wake of recent college shootings and threats of violence on campus, administrators have begun to deploy cell phone solutions to send emergency…

Teaching the Fundamentals of Cell Phones and Wireless Communications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davids, Mark; Forrest, Rick; Pata, Don

2010-01-01

Wireless communications are ubiquitous. Students and teachers use iPhones[R], BlackBerrys[R], and other smart phones at home and at work. More than 275 million Americans had cell phones in June of 2009 and expanded access to broadband is predicted this year. Despite the plethora of users, most students and teachers do not understand "how they…

Exposure of magnetic bacteria to simulated mobile phone-type RF radiation has no impact on mortality.

PubMed

Cranfield, Charles G; Wieser, Heinz Gregor; Dobson, Jon

2003-09-01

The interaction of mobile phone RF emissions with biogenic magnetite in the human brain has been proposed as a potential mechanism for mobile phone bioeffects. This is of particular interest in light of the discovery of magnetite in human brain tissue. Previous experiments using magnetite-containing bacteria exposed directly to emissions from a mobile phone have indicated that these emissions might be causing greater levels of cell death in these bacterial populations when compared to sham exposures. A repeat of these experiments examining only the radio frequency (RF) global system for mobile communication (GSM) component of the mobile phone signal in a well-defined waveguide system (REFLEX), shows no significant change in cell mortality compared to sham exposures. A nonmagnetite containing bacterial cell strain (CC-26) with similar genotype and phenotype to the magnetotactic bacteria was used as a control. These also showed no significant change in cell mortality between RF and sham exposed samples. Results indicate that the RF components of mobile phone exposure do not appear to be responsible for previous findings indicating cell mortality as a result of direct mobile phone exposure. A further mobile phone emission component that should be investigated is the 2-Hz magnetic field pulse generated by battery currents during periods of discontinuous transmission.

Data and image transfer using mobile phones to strengthen microscopy-based diagnostic services in low and middle income country laboratories.

PubMed

Tuijn, Coosje J; Hoefman, Bas J; van Beijma, Hajo; Oskam, Linda; Chevrollier, Nicolas

2011-01-01

The emerging market of mobile phone technology and its use in the health sector is rapidly expanding and connecting even the most remote areas of world. Distributing diagnostic images over the mobile network for knowledge sharing, feedback or quality control is a logical innovation. To determine the feasibility of using mobile phones for capturing microscopy images and transferring these to a central database for assessment, feedback and educational purposes. A feasibility study was carried out in Uganda. Images of microscopy samples were taken using a prototype connector that could fix a variety of mobile phones to a microscope. An Information Technology (IT) platform was set up for data transfer from a mobile phone to a website, including feedback by text messaging to the end user. Clear images were captured using mobile phone cameras of 2 megapixels (MP) up to 5MP. Images were sent by mobile Internet to a website where they were visualized and feedback could be provided to the sender by means of text message. The process of capturing microscopy images on mobile phones, relaying them to a central review website and feeding back to the sender is feasible and of potential benefit in resource poor settings. Even though the system needs further optimization, it became evident from discussions with stakeholders that there is a demand for this type of technology.

Cell Phones: A Bibliometric Analysis Related to Business Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrowski, Chris

2014-01-01

Recent reviews of the literature indicate that the scope of research on cell or mobile phones covers a vast typology (Piotrowski & Kass, 2013). The majority of this research is concentrated in the technology, education, and social sciences fields. However, there is a dearth of bibliometric studies on cell phones related to business. To that…

Cell Phones and PDA's Hit K-6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodds, Richard; Mason, Christine Y.

2005-01-01

Although cell phones keep kids in touch with families and personal digital assistants (PDA's) help organize assignments and give Internet access, when they are added to the school climate, educators must reassess policies so technology does not interfere with instruction time. This article discusses the several effects of cell phones to K-6…

Cell Phones for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, James H.; Hagevik, Rita A.

2008-01-01

Cell phones are fast becoming an integral part of students' everyday lives. They are regarded as important companions and tools for personal expression. School-age children are integrating the cell phone as such, and thus placing a high value on them. Educators endeavor to instill in students a high value for education, but often meet with…

Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Lisa; Webb, Willyn

2011-01-01

"Teaching Generation Text" shows how teachers can turn cell phones into an educational opportunity instead of an annoying distraction. With a host of innovative ideas, activities, lessons, and strategies, Nielsen and Webb offer a unique way to use students' preferred method of communication in the classroom. Cell phones can remind students to…

Tools for School: Student Fluency and Perception of Cell Phones Used for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humble-Thaden, Mary Beth

2012-01-01

Technology is changing the way society interacts, communicates, collaborates, and learns. Improved cell phone capabilities and an ever increasing amount of cell phone applications allow individuals to connect globally and afford almost instantaneous access to information inside and outside the classroom. The majority of students today possesses…

Noncompliance and Dissent with Cell Phone Policies: A Psychological Reactance Theoretical Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatum, Nicholas T.; Olson, Michele K.; Frey, T. K.

2018-01-01

This study employed Brehm's psychological reactance theory (PRT) to understand why students do or do not choose to follow classroom cell phone policies. Results (N = 750) from this study demonstrate that when instructors discourage cell phone use for noninstructional reasons, students feel their autonomy has been threatened. These perceptions of…

Teens and distracted driving : texting, talking and other uses of the cell phone behind the wheel

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-11-16

This study investigated cell phone use and texting while driving, by teenage drivers, in the United States. It found that one third of 16-17 year old teenagers who text do so while driving. 50% of 16-17 year old teenagers have spoken on cell phones w...

77 FR 28851 - Foreign-Trade Zone 126-Reno, NV; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Brightpoint North...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-16

...; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Brightpoint North America L.P. (Cell Phone Kitting and... for cell phone kitting, warehousing and distribution operations. Production under FTZ procedures could... procedures that apply to cell phone kits (duty free) for the foreign status inputs noted below. Customs...

Rapidly Deployable Raven-class Systems SSA Support in the Field

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

valley. In this location, there was no cell - phone coverage. The nearest location where cell phone coverage was available was a 30- minute drive. There...Fig. 2, a home on several acres that was quite remote, although there was a road nearby. In this location there was cell phone coverage, but no

Architectures for Device Aware Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

68 b. PDA in DAN Mode ............................................................. 69 c. Cell Phone in DAN Mode...68 Figure 15. PDA in DAN Mode - Reduced Resolution Image ..................................... 69 Figure 16. Cell Phone in DAN Mode -No Image...computer, notebook computer, cell phone and a host of networked embedded systems) may have extremely differing capabilities and resources to retrieve and

Cell Phone Roulette and "Consumer Interactive" Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Peter

2005-01-01

Under current policies, cell phone consumers face a lower probability of finding the best carrier for their usage patterns than winning at roulette. Corroborating survey data consistently show significant dissatisfaction among cell phone users, network performance is a major issue, and customer "churn" is high. This problem may be traced to a new…

Passenger and Cell Phone Conversations in Simulated Driving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drews, Frank A.; Pasupathi, Monisha; Strayer, David L.

2008-01-01

This study examines how conversing with passengers in a vehicle differs from conversing on a cell phone while driving. We compared how well drivers were able to deal with the demands of driving when conversing on a cell phone, conversing with a passenger, and when driving without any distraction. In the conversation conditions, participants were…

Review of Estimation Methods for Landline and Cell Phone Surveys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arcos, Antonio; del Mar Rueda, María; Trujillo, Manuel; Molina, David

2015-01-01

The rapid proliferation of cell phone use and the accompanying decline in landline service in recent years have resulted in substantial potential for coverage bias in landline random-digit-dial telephone surveys, which has led to the implementation of dual-frame designs that incorporate both landline and cell phone samples. Consequently,…

Cell phone usage among adolescents in Uganda: acceptability for relaying health information

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Kimberly J.; Bull, Sheana; Kiwanuka, Julius; Ybarra, Michele L.

2011-01-01

The increase in cell phone use has manifested a growing interest in using this technology for health promotion. The portability and ‘always on’ features of the cell phone, along with increasing capability for the devices to carry and transfer data suggest that they will reach more people than computers and the Internet in coming years. Self-reported quantitative survey data from 1503 secondary school students in Mbarara, Uganda collected in 2008–2009 suggest that 27% currently have cell phones and about half (51%) of all students and 61% of those who owned a cell phone believe that they would access a text messaging-based HIV prevention program if it were available. Other forms of program delivery modality (e.g. Internet, religious organizations, schools) were preferred to text messaging however. We are in need of effective HIV prevention programs that can reach large audiences at low cost and are culturally relevant for the East African context. Researchers are encouraged to consider translation of effective HIV prevention programs for cell phone delivery in Africa. PMID:21536715

Mobile app for chemical detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klunder, Gregory; Cooper, Chadway R.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.

The present invention incorporates the camera from a mobile device (phone, iPad, etc.) to capture an image from a chemical test kit and process the image to provide chemical information. A simple user interface enables the automatic evaluation of the image, data entry, gps info, and maintain records from previous analyses.

The Green Screen Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Rick

2012-01-01

The opening sentence in an article posted on edutechteacher.org titled "Video in the Classroom" states "In addition to being fun and motivating, video projects teach students to plan, organize, write, communicate, collaborate, and analyze (2012)." The author goes on to say "With the proliferation of webcams, phone cameras, flip cams, digital…

Cell phones to collect pregnancy data from remote areas in Liberia.

PubMed

Lori, Jody R; Munro, Michelle L; Boyd, Carol J; Andreatta, Pamela

2012-09-01

To report findings on knowledge and skill acquisition following a 3-day training session in the use of short message service (SMS) texting with non- and low-literacy traditional midwives. A pre- and post-test study design was used to assess knowledge and skill acquisition with 99 traditional midwives on the use of SMS texting for real-time, remote data collection in rural Liberia, West Africa. Paired sample t-tests were conducted to establish if overall mean scores varied significantly from pre-test to immediate post-test. Analysis of variance was used to compare means across groups. The nonparametric McNemar's test was used to determine significant differences between the pre-test and post-test values of each individual step involved in SMS texting. Pearson's chi-square test of independence was used to examine the association between ownership of cell phones within a family and achievement of the seven tasks. The mean increase in cell phone knowledge scores was 3.67, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 3.39 to 3.95. Participants with a cell phone in the family did significantly better on three of the seven tasks in the pre-test: "turns cell on without help" (χ(2) (1) = 9.15, p= .003); "identifies cell phone coverage" (χ(2) (1) = 5.37, p= .024); and "identifies cell phone is charged" (χ(2) (1) = 4.40, p= .042). A 3-day cell phone training session with low- and nonliterate traditional midwives in rural Liberia improved their ability to use mobile technology for SMS texting. Mobile technology can improve data collection accessibility and be used for numerous health care and public health issues. Cell phone accessibility holds great promise for collecting health data in low-resource areas of the world. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Video capture on student-owned mobile devices to facilitate psychomotor skills acquisition: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Hinck, Glori; Bergmann, Thomas F

2013-01-01

Objective : We evaluated the feasibility of using mobile device technology to allow students to record their own psychomotor skills so that these recordings can be used for self-reflection and formative evaluation. Methods : Students were given the choice of using DVD recorders, zip drive video capture equipment, or their personal mobile phone, device, or digital camera to record specific psychomotor skills. During the last week of the term, they were asked to complete a 9-question survey regarding their recording experience, including details of mobile phone ownership, technology preferences, technical difficulties, and satisfaction with the recording experience and video critique process. Results : Of those completing the survey, 83% currently owned a mobile phone with video capability. Of the mobile phone owners 62% reported having email capability on their phone and that they could transfer their video recording successfully to their computer, making it available for upload to the learning management system. Viewing the video recording of the psychomotor skill was valuable to 88% of respondents. Conclusions : Our results suggest that mobile phones are a viable technology to use for the video capture and critique of psychomotor skills, as most students own this technology and their satisfaction with this method is high.

Video capture on student-owned mobile devices to facilitate psychomotor skills acquisition: A feasibility study

PubMed Central

Hinck, Glori; Bergmann, Thomas F.

2013-01-01

Objective We evaluated the feasibility of using mobile device technology to allow students to record their own psychomotor skills so that these recordings can be used for self-reflection and formative evaluation. Methods Students were given the choice of using DVD recorders, zip drive video capture equipment, or their personal mobile phone, device, or digital camera to record specific psychomotor skills. During the last week of the term, they were asked to complete a 9-question survey regarding their recording experience, including details of mobile phone ownership, technology preferences, technical difficulties, and satisfaction with the recording experience and video critique process. Results Of those completing the survey, 83% currently owned a mobile phone with video capability. Of the mobile phone owners 62% reported having email capability on their phone and that they could transfer their video recording successfully to their computer, making it available for upload to the learning management system. Viewing the video recording of the psychomotor skill was valuable to 88% of respondents. Conclusions Our results suggest that mobile phones are a viable technology to use for the video capture and critique of psychomotor skills, as most students own this technology and their satisfaction with this method is high. PMID:23957324

U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, UT and the West Desert Test Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-30

Optic Network •32 Channels of Video •7 Communications Consoles with 20 Radio Nets and Phone Patch •Over 40 Communication Drops & Cell Phones •Centralized... Phone Tower Sites Cell Phone Activation May ‘01 Logistical Support Full Serv ice Com mun ity l Ground Transportation and Maintenance – Vehicle Support...Voice, Data & Video Communications in Mission Control Center •Data Speed: 100 MB/sec •Ethernet Connections •Commercial Power to most Sites Cell

Outdoor and indoor sources of residential radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, personal cell phone and cordless phone use, and cognitive function in 5-6 years old children.

PubMed

Guxens, Mònica; Vermeulen, Roel; van Eijsden, Manon; Beekhuizen, Johan; Vrijkotte, Tanja G M; van Strien, Rob T; Kromhout, Hans; Huss, Anke

2016-10-01

Little is known about the exposure of young children to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) and potentially associated health effects. We assessed the relationship between residential RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations, residential presence of indoor sources, personal cell phone and cordless phone use, and children's cognitive function at 5-6 years of age. Cross-sectional study on children aged 5-6 years from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) study, the Netherlands (n=2354). Residential RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations was estimated with a 3D geospatial radio wave propagation model. Residential presence of indoor sources (cordless phone base stations and Wi-Fi) and children's cell phone and cordless phone use was reported by the mother. Speed of information processing, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and visuomotor coordination was assessed using the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks. Residential presence of RF-EMF indoor sources was associated with an improved speed of information processing. Higher residential RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations and presence of indoor sources was associated with an improved inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility whereas we observed a reduced inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility with higher personal cordless phone use. Higher residential RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations was associated with a reduced visuomotor coordination whereas we observed an improved visuomotor coordination with residential presence of RF-EMF indoor sources and higher personal cell phone use. We found inconsistent associations between different sources of RF-EMF exposure and cognitive function in children aged 5-6 years. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of cell phone use on semen parameters: Results from the MARHCS cohort study in Chongqing, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Guowei; Yan, Huan; Chen, Qing; Liu, Kaijun; Ling, Xi; Sun, Lei; Zhou, Niya; Wang, Zhi; Zou, Peng; Wang, Xiaogang; Tan, Lu; Cui, Zhihong; Zhou, Ziyuan; Liu, Jinyi; Ao, Lin; Cao, Jia

2016-05-01

Epidemiological and experimental evidence for detrimental effects of cell phone use on semen quality is still equivocal. And that recruiting participants from infertility clinic not from general population may raise the possibility of a selection bias. To investigate effects of cell phone use on semen parameters in a general population,We screened and documented the cell phone use information of 794 young men from the Male Reproductive Health in Chongqing College students (MARHCS) cohort study in 2013, followed by 666 and 568 in 2014 and 2015, respectively. In the univariate regression analyses, we found that the daily duration of talking on the cell phone was significantly associated with decreased semen parameters, including sperm concentration [β coefficient=-6.32% per unit daily duration of talking on the cell phone (h); 95% confidence interval (CI), -11.94, -0.34] and total sperm count (-8.23; 95% CI, -14.38, -1.63) in 2013; semen volume (-8.37; 95% CI, -15.93, -0.13) and total sperm count (-16.59; 95% CI, -29.91, -0.73) in 2015]. Internet use via cellular networks was also associated with decreased sperm concentration and total sperm counts in 2013 and decreased semen volume in 2015. Multivariate analyses were used to adjust for the effects of potential confounders, and significant negative associations between internet use and semen parameters remained. Consistent but nonsignificant negative associations between talking on the cell phone and semen parameters persisted throughout the three study years, and the negative association was statistically significant in a mixed model that considered all three years of data on talking on the cell phone and semen quality. Our results showed that certain aspects of cell phone use may negatively affect sperm quality in men by decreasing the semen volume, sperm concentration, or sperm count, thus impairing male fertility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A rear-end collision risk assessment model based on drivers' collision avoidance process under influences of cell phone use and gender-A driving simulator based study.

PubMed

Li, Xiaomeng; Yan, Xuedong; Wu, Jiawei; Radwan, Essam; Zhang, Yuting

2016-12-01

Driver's collision avoidance performance has a direct link to the collision risk and crash severity. Previous studies demonstrated that the distracted driving, such as using a cell phone while driving, disrupted the driver's performance on road. This study aimed to investigate the manner and extent to which cell phone use and driver's gender affected driving performance and collision risk in a rear-end collision avoidance process. Forty-two licensed drivers completed the driving simulation experiment in three phone use conditions: no phone use, hands-free, and hand-held, in which the drivers drove in a car-following situation with potential rear-end collision risks caused by the leading vehicle's sudden deceleration. Based on the experiment data, a rear-end collision risk assessment model was developed to assess the influence of cell phone use and driver's gender. The cell phone use and driver's gender were found to be significant factors that affected the braking performances in the rear-end collision avoidance process, including the brake reaction time, the deceleration adjusting time and the maximum deceleration rate. The minimum headway distance between the leading vehicle and the simulator during the rear-end collision avoidance process was the final output variable, which could be used to measure the rear-end collision risk and judge whether a collision occurred. The results showed that although cell phone use drivers took some compensatory behaviors in the collision avoidance process to reduce the mental workload, the collision risk in cell phone use conditions was still higher than that without the phone use. More importantly, the results proved that the hands-free condition did not eliminate the safety problem associated with distracted driving because it impaired the driving performance in the same way as much as the use of hand-held phones. In addition, the gender effect indicated that although female drivers had longer reaction time than male drivers in critical situation, they were more quickly in braking with larger maximum deceleration rate, and they tended to keep a larger safety margin with the leading vehicle compared to male drivers. The findings shed some light on the further development of advanced collision avoidance technologies and the targeted intervention strategies about cell phone use while driving. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mobile phone-based biosensing: An emerging "diagnostic and communication" technology.

PubMed

Quesada-González, Daniel; Merkoçi, Arben

2017-06-15

In this review we discuss recent developments on the use of mobile phones and similar devices for biosensing applications in which diagnostics and communications are coupled. Owing to the capabilities of mobile phones (their cameras, connectivity, portability, etc.) and to advances in biosensing, the coupling of these two technologies is enabling portable and user-friendly analytical devices. Any user can now perform quick, robust and easy (bio)assays anywhere and at any time. Among the most widely reported of such devices are paper-based platforms. Herein we provide an overview of a broad range of biosensing possibilities, from optical to electrochemical measurements; explore the various reported designs for adapters; and consider future opportunities for this technology in fields such as health diagnostics, safety & security, and environment monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cell Phone Use and Child and Adolescent Reading Proficiency

PubMed Central

Hofferth, Sandra L.; Moon, Ui Jeong

2016-01-01

This study examined the association between cell phone use, including minutes spent talking and number of text messages sent, and two measures of children’s reading proficiency — tests of word decoding and reading comprehension — in the United States. Data were drawn from the Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative survey of 1,147 children 10–18 in 2009. Children whose parents were better educated, who had higher family incomes, who had fewer siblings, and who lived in urban areas were more likely to own or share a cell phone. Among those with access to a phone, children who spent more time talking on the phone were less proficient at word decoding, whereas children who spent more time sending text messages had greater reading comprehension. Although girls spent more time texting than did boys, there were no gender differences in the association between time spent talking or number of text messages sent with achievement. In spite of racial/ethnic differences in cell phone use levels, there were no racial/ethnic differences in the association between cell phone use and reading proficiency. PMID:27683624

Perceptions of HIV infected patients on the use of cell phone as a tool to support their antiretroviral adherence; a cross-sectional study in a large referral hospital in Kenya.

PubMed

Kinyua, Florence; Kiptoo, Michael; Kikuvi, Gideon; Mutai, Joseph; Meyers, Adrienne F A; Muiruri, Peter; Songok, Elijah

2013-10-21

Clinical trials were conducted to assess the feasibility of using a cell phone text messaging-based system to follow up Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients on antiretroviral (ARTs) and assess for improved adherence to their medication. However there is need to evaluate the perceptions of the HIV infected patients towards the use of these cell phones in an effort to better aid in the clinical management of their HIV infection. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the perceptions of HIV infected patients on the use of cell phone text messaging as a tool to support adherence to their ART medication. A cross sectional survey was conducted among patients receiving Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) at the Kenyatta National Hospital Comprehensive Care Clinic in Nairobi between May and July, 2011. Pre-tested questionnaires were used to collect the socio-demographic and perceptions data. The recruitment of the participants was done using the random probability sampling method and statistical analysis of data performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. A total of 500 HIV infected patients (Male-107, Female-307) aged 19-72 years were interviewed. The majority of individuals (99%) had access to cell phones and 99% of the HIV infected patients interviewed supported the idea of cell phone use in management of their HIV infection. A large proportion (46%) claimed that they needed cell phone access for medical advice and guidance on factors that hinder their adherence to medication and only 3% of them needed it as a reminder to take their drugs. The majority (72%) preferred calling the healthcare provider with their own phones for convenience and confidential purposes with only 0.4% preferring to be called or texted by the health care provider. Most (94%), especially the older patients, had no problem with their confidentiality being infringed in the process of the conversation as per the bivariate analysis results. Cell phone communications are acceptable and in fact preferable over cell phone reminders.

Perceptions of HIV infected patients on the use of cell phone as a tool to support their antiretroviral adherence; a cross-sectional study in a large referral hospital in Kenya

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Clinical trials were conducted to assess the feasibility of using a cell phone text messaging-based system to follow up Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients on antiretroviral (ARTs) and assess for improved adherence to their medication. However there is need to evaluate the perceptions of the HIV infected patients towards the use of these cell phones in an effort to better aid in the clinical management of their HIV infection. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the perceptions of HIV infected patients on the use of cell phone text messaging as a tool to support adherence to their ART medication. Methods A cross sectional survey was conducted among patients receiving Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) at the Kenyatta National Hospital Comprehensive Care Clinic in Nairobi between May and July, 2011. Pre-tested questionnaires were used to collect the socio-demographic and perceptions data. The recruitment of the participants was done using the random probability sampling method and statistical analysis of data performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. Results A total of 500 HIV infected patients (Male-107, Female-307) aged 19-72 years were interviewed. The majority of individuals (99%) had access to cell phones and 99% of the HIV infected patients interviewed supported the idea of cell phone use in management of their HIV infection. A large proportion (46%) claimed that they needed cell phone access for medical advice and guidance on factors that hinder their adherence to medication and only 3% of them needed it as a reminder to take their drugs. The majority (72%) preferred calling the healthcare provider with their own phones for convenience and confidential purposes with only 0.4% preferring to be called or texted by the health care provider. Most (94%), especially the older patients, had no problem with their confidentiality being infringed in the process of the conversation as per the bivariate analysis results. Conclusion Cell phone communications are acceptable and in fact preferable over cell phone reminders. PMID:24143931

Analysis of the Genotoxic Effects of Mobile Phone Radiation using Buccal Micronucleus Assay: A Comparative Evaluation

PubMed Central

Singh, Narendra Nath; Sreedhar, Gadiputi; Mukherjee, Saikat

2016-01-01

Introduction Micronucleus (MN) is considered to be a reliable marker for genotoxic damage and it determines the presence and the extent of the chromosomal damage. The MN is formed due to DNA damage or chromosomal disarrangements. The MN has a close association with cancer incidences. In the new era, mobile phones are constantly gaining popularity specifically in the young generation, but this device uses radiofrequency radiation that may have a possible carcinogenic effect. The available reports related to the carcinogenic effect of mobile radiation on oral mucosa are contradictory. Aim To explore the effects of mobile phone radiation on the MN frequency in oral mucosal cells. Materials and Methods The subjects were divided into two major groups: low mobile phone users and high mobile phone users. Subjects who used their mobile phone since less than five years and less than three hours a week comprised of the first group and those who used their mobile since more than five years and more than 10 hours a week comprised of the second group. Net surfing and text messaging was not considered in this study. Exfoliated buccal mucosal cells were collected from both the groups and the cells were stained with DNA-specific stain acridine orange. Thousand exfoliated buccal mucosal cells were screened and the cells which were positive for micronuclei were counted. The micronucleus frequency was represented as mean±SD, and unpaired Student t-test was used for intergroup comparisons. Results The number of micronucleated cells/ 1000 exfoliated buccal mucosal cells was found to be significantly increased in high mobile phone users group than the low mobile phone users group. The use of mobile phone with the associated complaint of warmth around the ear showed a maximum increase in the number of micronucleated cells /1000 exfoliated buccal mucosal cells. Conclusion Mobile phone radiation even in the permissible range when used for longer duration causes significant genotoxicity. The genotoxicity can be avoided to some extent by the regular use of headphones. PMID:27135009

Assessing media access and use among Latina adolescents to inform development of a physical activity promotion intervention incorporating text messaging.

PubMed

Mojica, Cynthia M; Parra-Medina, Deborah; Yin, Zenong; Akopian, David; Esparza, Laura A

2014-07-01

Increasing physical activity (PA) during preadolescence and adolescence is critical to reversing the obesity epidemic. A recent report described the promising role of eHealth--the use of new media for purposes of health promotion--in reducing and preventing childhood obesity. This study assessed access/use of various media (cell phones, computers, gaming systems, Internet) among adolescent Latino girls and examined the relationship between PA and media access/use. A convenience sample of 110 Latino girls ages 11 to 14 was recruited from Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas and other groups. The media survey was self-administered (April-July 2010) on personal digital assistants. Of the girls, 55% reported owning a cell phone and spending 40 (SD = 4.2) hours per week talking, texting, listening to music, and browsing the Internet. Cell phone access increased significantly with age (p = .029). Compared to those with no cell phone, girls with a cell phone have greater odds of reporting more than 5 days of PA in the past week (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 14) and engaging in daily physical education classes (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1, 5.9). Since girls with cell phones report greater PA, cell phones may be an effective strategy for communicating with girls about engaging in PA. © 2013 Society for Public Health Education.

Cell Phones in Task Based Learning--Are Cell Phones Useful Language Learning Tools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiernan, Patrick J.; Aizawa, Kazumi

2004-01-01

Cell phones are now widespread in many countries including Japan where we teach, and are particularly popular among university students. Although they can be a distraction in the classroom, functions such as Internet access and e-mail capability have transformed them into sophisticated communication tools. But are they also potentially useful in…

Modeling Augmented Reality Games with Preservice Elementary and Secondary Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Erin Peters; Frazier, Wendy; Annetta, Leonard; Lamb, Richard; Cheng, Rebecca; Chmiel, Margaret

2011-01-01

Cell phones are ever-present in daily life, yet vastly underused in the formal science classroom. The purpose of this study was to implement a novel learning tool on cell phones, Augmented Reality Games, and determine how the interaction influenced preservice teachers' content knowledge and self-efficacy of cell phone use in schools. Results show…

Cell Phones: Business Students in the Business Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrowski, Chris

2013-01-01

Research on the topic of cell phones has proliferated over the past decade. Based on a review of the literature, it appears that the majority of the extant research on the topic resides in the technology, education, and social sciences fields. Recent reviews indicate that the scope of the research on cell/mobile phones is eclectic in nature…

Modern Educational Technology: Educational Usages of Cell Phone as Perceived by Students of Education Faculties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harba, Ali Moneer

2012-01-01

This study investigated the educational use of cell phones at two Syrian education establishments. The research sample consisted of (n = 184) students from the Department of Teacher Education at Tishreen and Damascus Universities. During the study, students filled in a self-report 17-item questionnaire. Survey results imply that cell phone use…

75 FR 48306 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-10

...; National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) Cell Phone and Debit Card... operation. The first panel will receive an advance letter with a prepaid cell phone. The advance letter will request that a household member call the telephone center and complete an interview using the cell phone...

A Study in Kuwait of Health Risks Associated with Using Cell Phones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Khamees, Nedaa

2007-01-01

Previous studies have suggested a link between cell phone use and various symptoms. Analysis of 3,274 completed questionnaires from throughout Kuwait show a significant effect of exposure to cell phones for burning sensation on the ear, temporal pain, pain in the back of the head, auricular pain, noises in the ear, ear numbness, heartbeat…

Location Dependency and Antenna/Body/Sensor-Lead Interaction Effects in a Cell-Phone Based GSM 1800 Telemedicine Link

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

The error-free requirement of today’s cell - phone based telemedicine systems demands investigations into the potential causes of service degradation...to the handset’s antenna can have on system performance Changes in lead orientation in the near field of the radiating unit ( cell - phone & antenna

Innovation on a Hospital Perinatal Unit: Cell Phone Use by Nurses

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-01

support staff. This study evaluates the impact and effect of cell phone communication technology on reducing nurse task frequency and time spent on...activities that could more appropriately be accomplished by hospital support staff. The study evaluates the cost benefit of cell phone deployment and its impact on nurse task frequency and satisfaction.

Daily Emotional Dynamics in Depressed Youth: A Cell Phone Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silk, Jennifer S.; Forbes, Erika E.; Whalen, Diana J.; Jakubcak, Jennifer L.; Thompson, Wesley K.; Ryan, Neal D.; Axelson, David A.; Birmaher, Boris; Dahl, Ronald E.

2011-01-01

This study used a new cell phone ecological momentary assessment approach to investigate daily emotional dynamics in 47 youths with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 32 no-psychopathology controls (CON) (ages 7-17 years). Information about emotional experience in the natural environment was obtained using answer-only cell phones, while MDD…

Is It Safe to Allow Cell Phones in School?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trump, Kenneth S.

2009-01-01

Cell phones were banned from most schools years ago, but after the Columbine High School and 9/11 tragedies, parents started pressuring some school boards and administrators to reverse the bans. On its surface, allowing students to have cell phones under the guise of improved school safety may seem like a "no-brainer" to many board members and…

Eliminating the Textbook: Learning Science with Cell Phones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tessier, Jack T.

2014-01-01

College faculty have myriad choices of resources for their students when designing courses. The rising prices of textbooks and the availability of cell phones with internet access open the question of using cell phones in the classroom. In this study, I compared student learning in an ecology course between a semester in which a textbook was used…

Effect of cell phone exposure on physiologic and hematologic parameters of male medical students of Bijapur (Karnataka) with reference to serum lipid profile.

PubMed

Parkar, Matin A; Ahmed, Rishad; Abdullah, Bilal Bin; Patil, B S; Das, Kusal K

2010-01-01

The public awareness about cell phone safety increased greatly in the last few years as various reports of potential adverse health effects on humans exposed to radiations emitted from cellular phones were published. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of long term cell phone exposure on physiological and hematological parameters along with its impact on serum lipid profiles and a single call effect on heart rate, blood pressure and SpO2(%) of healthy male medical students. The students were divided into two groups, group I (n=22, age 20.63 +/- 1.17 yrs) comprising first year medical students who were never exposed to cell phones at the time of this study and group II (n=35, age 22.00 +/- 1.56 yrs) consists of final year (fourth year) male medical students who were using cell phone for more than four years before this study. The results showed no significant differences the groups in basal heart rate, systolic blood pressure, SpO2(%), or various hematologic parameters. Acute exposure (single call of cell phone with 900 MHz for 1 minute) in both groups showed a significant increase in peak heart rate in group II as compared with group I and a significant decrease in peak SpO2 (%) in group I as compared with group II. Serum total cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides concentration were significantly higher in group II (long term cell phone exposed) than in group I, suggesting a mild alteration of lipid profile among group II subjects.

Template-based education toolkit for mobile platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golagani, Santosh Chandana; Esfahanian, Moosa; Akopian, David

2012-02-01

Nowadays mobile phones are the most widely used portable devices which evolve very fast adding new features and improving user experiences. The latest generation of hand-held devices called smartphones is equipped with superior memory, cameras and rich multimedia features, empowering people to use their mobile phones not only as a communication tool but also for entertainment purposes. With many young students showing interest in learning mobile application development one should introduce novel learning methods which may adapt to fast technology changes and introduce students to application development. Mobile phones become a common device, and engineering community incorporates phones in various solutions. Overcoming the limitations of conventional undergraduate electrical engineering (EE) education this paper explores the concept of template-based based education in mobile phone programming. The concept is based on developing small exercise templates which students can manipulate and revise for quick hands-on introduction to the application development and integration. Android platform is used as a popular open source environment for application development. The exercises relate to image processing topics typically studied by many students. The goal is to enable conventional course enhancements by incorporating in them short hands-on learning modules.

Cell phone use is associated with an inflammatory cytokine profile of parotid gland saliva.

PubMed

Siqueira, Elisa Carvalho; de Souza, Fabrício Tinôco Alvim; Ferreira, Efigênia; Souza, Renan Pedra; Macedo, Samuel Costa; Friedman, Eitan; Gomez, Marcus Vinícius; Gomes, Carolina Cavaliéri; Gomez, Ricardo Santiago

2016-10-01

There is controversy on the effects of the non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones on cellular processes and the impact of such radiation exposure on health. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cell phone use alters cytokine expression in the saliva produced by the parotid glands. Cytokine expression profile was determined by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) in the saliva produced by the parotid glands in healthy volunteers, and correlated with self-reported cell phone use and laterality. The following parameters were determined, in 83 Brazilian individuals in saliva produced by the parotid glands comparing the saliva from the gland exposed to cell phone radiation (ipsilateral) to that from the contralateral parotid: salivary flow, total protein concentration, interleukin 1 β (IL-1 β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interferon γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) salivary levels by ELISA. After multiple testing correction, decreased IL-10 and increased IL-1β salivary levels in the ipsilateral side compared with the contralateral side (P < 0.05) were detected. Subjects who used cell phones for more than 10 years presented higher differences between IL-10 levels in ipsilateral versus contralateral parotids (P = 0.0012). No difference was observed in any of the tested parameters in correlation with cell phone monthly usage in minutes. The exposure of parotid glands to cell phones can alter salivary IL-10 and IL-1β levels, consistent with a pro-inflammatory microenvironment that may be related to heat production. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Texting while driving: A study of 1211 U.S. adults with the Distracted Driving Survey.

PubMed

Gliklich, Emily; Guo, Rong; Bergmark, Regan W

2016-12-01

Texting and other cell-phone related distracted driving is estimated to account for thousands of motor vehicle collisions each year but studies examining the specific cell phone reading and writing activities of drivers are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of cell-phone related distracted driving behaviors. A national, representative, anonymous panel of 1211 United States drivers was recruited in 2015 to complete the Distracted Driving Survey (DDS), an 11-item validated questionnaire examining cell phone reading and writing activities and at what speeds they occur. Higher DDS scores reflect more distraction. DDS scores were analyzed by demographic data and self-reported crash rate. Nearly 60% of respondents reported a cell phone reading or writing activity within the prior 30 days, with reading texts (48%), writing texts (33%) and viewing maps (43%) most frequently reported. Only 4.9% of respondents had enrolled in a program aimed at reducing cell phone related distracted driving. DDS scores were significantly correlated to crash rate (p < 0.0001), with every one point increase associated with an additional 7% risk of a crash (p < 0.0001). DDS scores were inversely correlated to age (p < 0.0001). The DDS demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). High rates of cell phone-related distraction are reported here in a national sample. Distraction is associated with crash rates and occurs across all age groups, but is highest in younger drivers. The DDS can be used to evaluate the impact of public health programs aimed at reducing cell-phone related distracted driving.

Cell phone radiations affect early growth of Vigna radiata (mung bean) through biochemical alterations.

PubMed

Sharma, Ved Parkash; Singh, Harminder Pal; Batish, Daizy Rani; Kohli, Ravinder Kumar

2010-01-01

The indiscriminate use of wireless technologies, particularly of cell phones, has increased the health risks among living organisms including plants. We investigated the impact of cell phone electromagentic field (EMF) radiations (power density, 8.55 microW cm(-2)) on germination, early growth, proteins and carbohydrate contents, and activities of some enzymes in Vigna radiata. Cell phone EMF radiations significantly reduced the seedling length and dry weight of V radiata after exposure for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h. Furthermore, the contents of proteins and carbohydrates were reduced in EMF-exposed plants. However, the activities of proteases, alpha-amylases, beta-amylases, polyphenol oxidases, and peroxidases were enhanced in EMF-exposed radicles indicating their role in providing protection against EMF-induced stress. The study concludes that cell phone EMFs impair early growth of V radiata seedlings by inducing biochemical changes.

Overheard cell-phone conversations: when less speech is more distracting.

PubMed

Emberson, Lauren L; Lupyan, Gary; Goldstein, Michael H; Spivey, Michael J

2010-10-01

Why are people more irritated by nearby cell-phone conversations than by conversations between two people who are physically present? Overhearing someone on a cell phone means hearing only half of a conversation--a "halfalogue." We show that merely overhearing a halfalogue results in decreased performance on cognitive tasks designed to reflect the attentional demands of daily activities. By contrast, overhearing both sides of a cell-phone conversation or a monologue does not result in decreased performance. This may be because the content of a halfalogue is less predictable than both sides of a conversation. In a second experiment, we controlled for differences in acoustic factors between these types of overheard speech, establishing that it is the unpredictable informational content of halfalogues that results in distraction. Thus, we provide a cognitive explanation for why overheard cell-phone conversations are especially irritating: Less-predictable speech results in more distraction for a listener engaged in other tasks.

National Phone Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-12-01

As more drivers take their cell phones into their vehicles, distracted driving continues to grow as a traffic safety issue. Most U.S. States : responded by enacting some sort of cell phone or texting ban. In November and December 2010, NHTSA conducte...

Augmented Reality 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmalstieg, Dieter; Langlotz, Tobias; Billinghurst, Mark

Augmented Reality (AR) was first demonstrated in the 1960s, but only recently have technologies emerged that can be used to easily deploy AR applications to many users. Camera-equipped cell phones with significant processing power and graphics abilities provide an inexpensive and versatile platform for AR applications, while the social networking technology of Web 2.0 provides a large-scale infrastructure for collaboratively producing and distributing geo-referenced AR content. This combination of widely used mobile hardware and Web 2.0 software allows the development of a new type of AR platform that can be used on a global scale. In this paper we describe the Augmented Reality 2.0 concept and present existing work on mobile AR and web technologies that could be used to create AR 2.0 applications.

Audiovisual physics reports: students' video production as a strategy for the didactic laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinicius Pereira, Marcus; de Souza Barros, Susana; de Rezende Filho, Luiz Augusto C.; Fauth, Leduc Hermeto de A.

2012-01-01

Constant technological advancement has facilitated access to digital cameras and cell phones. Involving students in a video production project can work as a motivating aspect to make them active and reflective in their learning, intellectually engaged in a recursive process. This project was implemented in high school level physics laboratory classes resulting in 22 videos which are considered as audiovisual reports and analysed under two components: theoretical and experimental. This kind of project allows the students to spontaneously use features such as music, pictures, dramatization, animations, etc, even when the didactic laboratory may not be the place where aesthetic and cultural dimensions are generally developed. This could be due to the fact that digital media are more legitimately used as cultural tools than as teaching strategies.

Office-Based Diagnosis of Demodex Using Smartphone.

PubMed

Kaya, Abdullah; Gürdal, Canan

2018-06-25

Demodex is an important pathogen in ophthalmology. It is believed to cause a variety of eyelid and eyelash diseases. Currently, light microscopes are being used for imaging demodex. However, microscopes are not available everywhere. Also, it is not cost-effective to perform light microscopy in every case. In this case, we demonstrate a new method: imaging demodex using cell phone. A 90-diopter noncontact double aspheric lens was attached to the posterior camera of the smartphone with clear tape. An eyelash of a patient with blepharitis was removed. A video was taken using smartphone. There was a moving demodex parasite in the root of the eyelash. A clear video image could be taken using the smartphone. A smartphone and a 90-diopter lens are adequate for the imaging and diagnosis of demodex.

Material Use in the United States - Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilburn, David R.

2008-01-01

This report examines the changes that have taken place in the consumer electronic product sector as they relate to (1) the use of cadmium, cobalt, lithium, and nickel contained in batteries that power camcorders, cameras, cell phones, and portable (laptop) computers and (2) the use of nickel in vehicle batteries for the period 1996 through 2005 and discusses forecasted changes in their use patterns through 2010. Market penetration, material substitution, and technological improvements among nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries are assessed. Consequences of these changes in light of material consumption factors related to disposal, environmental effects, retail price, and serviceability are analyzed in a series of short case studies.

Protocols using Anonymous Connections: Mobile Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-01-01

call from a cell phone ; the phone never receives a call in the ordinary sense of `receive’. We will return to discuss paging brie y below. The principals...speci ed in our protocol are the caller’s cell phone P , the central switch S, and the callee intended to receive the call R. We now present our...protocol for initiating a call from a cell phone . 1. P )P S : Payment info., N 2. S )P P : Ack or Nack 3. P ,P S $ R : Conversation To make a call from a

Exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile phones induced DNA damage in human ear canal hair follicle cells.

PubMed

Akdag, Mehmet; Dasdag, Suleyman; Canturk, Fazile; Akdag, Mehmet Zulkuf

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate effect of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) emitted from mobile phones on DNA damage in follicle cells of hair in the ear canal. The study was carried out on 56 men (age range: 30-60 years old)in four treatment groups with n = 14 in each group. The groups were defined as follows: people who did not use a mobile phone (Control), people use mobile phones for 0-30 min/day (second group), people use mobile phones for 30-60 min/day (third group) and people use mobile phones for more than 60 min/day (fourth group). Ear canal hair follicle cells taken from the subjects were analyzed by the Comet Assay to determine DNA damages. The Comet Assay parameters measured were head length, tail length, comet length, percentage of head DNA, tail DNA percentage, tail moment, and Olive tail moment. Results of the study showed that DNA damage indicators were higher in the RFR exposure groups than in the control subjects. In addition, DNA damage increased with the daily duration of exposure. In conclusion, RFR emitted from mobile phones has a potential to produce DNA damage in follicle cells of hair in the ear canal. Therefore, mobile phone users have to pay more attention when using wireless phones.

Exploring the Use of MXit: A Cell-Phone Social Network to Facilitate Learning in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makoe, Mpine

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical suitability of using cell phones to enhance learning through social interaction in distance education. Social interaction was used as a conceptual framework to explore the potential for using "MXit"--a cell-phone instant messaging system--to support and enhance learning for distance…

Cell Phones in the Classroom: Don't Put Them Away Just Yet!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Carolyn Lorraine

2013-01-01

As the number of students with cell phones has steadily increased over the past decade, these technological advances have caused trepidation among educators over behavioral issues, from off-task activities to cheating (Prensky, 2005). On the other hand, mobile learning, as well as some tools to use with cell phones, are easy to set up, easy to…

The Educative Potential of Cell Phones in the Social Studies Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maguth, Brad M.

2013-01-01

Over 75 percent of teens have a cell phone, and today's youth are increasingly turning to their cell phones to communicate and access information (Pew Internet 2009). As teens gain access and use mobile devices outside of the classroom, there's been a growing movement for teachers to enlist the digital tools students really use and are…

Teachers' Stances on Cell Phones in the ESL Classroom: Toward a "Theoretical" Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jeff

2014-01-01

In the ongoing and constantly expanding discussion surrounding cell phones in the classroom, a theoretical complement to the practical side of the issue is generally lacking. This is perhaps understandable. Many teachers are still trying to deal with the simple presence of cell phones in the class, and managing a classroom in which the presence…

Telemedicine System Based on Radio Cell Phone Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

This paper presents a system for transmitting ECG signals using recent cell phone technologies. The aim of the project is to give physicians and...The software for displaying these signals at both ends of the system provides an easy-to-use interface. The cell phone used is able to transmit data information with short delay time and to operate in radio-like mode.

Cell Phone Usage among Adolescents in Uganda: Acceptability for Relaying Health Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Kimberly J.; Bull, Sheana; Kiwanuka, Julius; Ybarra, Michele L.

2011-01-01

The increase in cell phone use has manifested a growing interest in using this technology for health promotion. The portability and "always on" features of the cell phone, along with increasing capability for the devices to carry and transfer data suggest that they will reach more people than computers and the Internet in coming years.…

College Students Use Cell Phones while Driving More Frequently than Found in Government Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramer, Sheryl; Mayer, Joni; Ryan, Sherry

2007-01-01

Objective: Cell phone use while driving is hazardous; it quadruples the risk of a collision and multiplies the risk of a fatality nine-fold. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 8% of young drivers and 5% of all drivers use cell phones while driving. Participants and Methods: The authors trained graduate student…

"Sexting": Fun or Felony?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Kelley R.

2009-01-01

A 15-year-old girl is arrested on child pornography charges for using her cell phone to send nude photos of herself to classmates. A young boy is put on probation after sending an explicit photo of his genitals to a girl's cell phone. Two high school cheerleaders are suspended from the squad after nude photos of them are sent by cell phone to the…

Cell phones, clothing, and sex: first impressions of power using older African Americans as stimuli.

PubMed

Ross, Allison; Barker, Kathleen

2003-12-01

Sex, material possessions, and race have long been associated with prestige or status in American society, yet little research has examined this idea. Little is known about the effect of cell phones on first impressions. In a 2 (cell phone: present, absent) x 2 (clothing: jacket, no jacket) x 2 (sex) between-subjects design, 160 women from a predominantly Black college rated stimuli of older, African Americans on 15 items measuring perceived power on three power subscales: expert, legitimate, and coercive. Multivariate analysis of variance showed a 3-way interaction for clothing, cell phone, and sex of stimulus person.

The scope of cell phones in diabetes management in developing country health care settings.

PubMed

Ajay, Vamadevan S; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj

2011-05-01

Diabetes has emerged as a major public health concern in developing nations. Health systems in most developing countries are yet to integrate effective prevention and control programs for diabetes into routine health care services. Given the inadequate human resources and underfunctioning health systems, we need novel and innovative approaches to combat diabetes in developing-country settings. In this regard, the tremendous advances in telecommunication technology, particularly cell phones, can be harnessed to improve diabetes care. Cell phones could serve as a tool for collecting information on surveillance, service delivery, evidence-based care, management, and supply systems pertaining to diabetes from primary care settings in addition to providing health messages as part of diabetes education. As a screening/diagnostic tool for diabetes, cell phones can aid the health workers in undertaking screening and diagnostic and follow-up care for diabetes in the community. Cell phones are also capable of acting as a vehicle for continuing medical education; a decision support system for evidence-based management; and a tool for patient education, self-management, and compliance. However, for widespread use, we need robust evaluations of cell phone applications in existing practices and appropriate interventions in diabetes. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

Cell phone use and parotid salivary gland alterations: no molecular evidence.

PubMed

de Souza, Fabrício T A; Correia-Silva, Jeane F; Ferreira, Efigênia F; Siqueira, Elisa C; Duarte, Alessandra P; Gomez, Marcus Vinícius; Gomez, Ricardo S; Gomes, Carolina C

2014-07-01

The association between cell phone use and the development of parotid tumors is controversial. Because there is unequivocal evidence that the microenvironment is important for tumor formation, we investigated in the parotid glands whether cell phone use alters the expression of gene products related to cellular stress. We used the saliva produced by the parotid glands of 62 individuals to assess molecular alterations compatible with cellular stress, comparing the saliva from the gland exposed to cell phone radiation (ipsilateral) to the saliva from the opposite, unexposed parotid gland (contralateral) of each individual. We compared salivary flow, total protein concentration, p53, p21, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and salivary levels of glutathione (GSH), heat shock proteins 27 and 70, and IgA between the ipsilateral and contralateral parotids. No difference was found for any of these parameters, even when grouping individuals by period of cell phone use in years or by monthly average calls in minutes. We provide molecular evidence that the exposure of parotid glands to cell phone use does not alter parotid salivary flow, protein concentration, or levels of proteins of genes that are directly or indirectly affected by heat-induced cellular stress. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

The Scope of Cell Phones in Diabetes Management in Developing Country Health Care Settings

PubMed Central

Ajay, Vamadevan S; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj

2011-01-01

Diabetes has emerged as a major public health concern in developing nations. Health systems in most developing countries are yet to integrate effective prevention and control programs for diabetes into routine health care services. Given the inadequate human resources and underfunctioning health systems, we need novel and innovative approaches to combat diabetes in developing-country settings. In this regard, the tremendous advances in telecommunication technology, particularly cell phones, can be harnessed to improve diabetes care. Cell phones could serve as a tool for collecting information on surveillance, service delivery, evidence-based care, management, and supply systems pertaining to diabetes from primary care settings in addition to providing health messages as part of diabetes education. As a screening/diagnostic tool for diabetes, cell phones can aid the health workers in undertaking screening and diagnostic and follow-up care for diabetes in the community. Cell phones are also capable of acting as a vehicle for continuing medical education; a decision support system for evidence-based management; and a tool for patient education, self-management, and compliance. However, for widespread use, we need robust evaluations of cell phone applications in existing practices and appropriate interventions in diabetes. PMID:21722593

Providing views of the driving scene to drivers' conversation partners mitigates cell-phone-related distraction.

PubMed

Gaspar, John G; Street, Whitney N; Windsor, Matthew B; Carbonari, Ronald; Kaczmarski, Henry; Kramer, Arthur F; Mathewson, Kyle E

2014-12-01

Cell-phone use impairs driving safety and performance. This impairment may stem from the remote partner's lack of awareness about the driving situation. In this study, pairs of participants completed a driving simulator task while conversing naturally in the car and while talking on a hands-free cell phone. In a third condition, the driver drove while the remote conversation partner could see video of both the road ahead and the driver's face. We tested the extent to which this additional visual information diminished the negative effects of cell-phone distraction and increased situational awareness. Collision rates for unexpected merging events were high when participants drove in a cell-phone condition but were reduced when they were in a videophone condition, reaching a level equal to that observed when they drove with an in-car passenger or drove alone. Drivers and their partners made shorter utterances and made longer, more frequent traffic references when they spoke in the videophone rather than the cell-phone condition. Providing a view of the driving scene allows remote partners to help drivers by modulating their conversation and referring to traffic more often. © The Author(s) 2014.

An indoor augmented reality mobile application for simulation of building evacuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Sharad; Jerripothula, Shanmukha

2015-03-01

Augmented Reality enables people to remain connected with the physical environment they are in, and invites them to look at the world from new and alternative perspectives. There has been an increasing interest in emergency evacuation applications for mobile devices. Nearly all the smart phones these days are Wi-Fi and GPS enabled. In this paper, we propose a novel emergency evacuation system that will help people to safely evacuate a building in case of an emergency situation. It will further enhance knowledge and understanding of where the exits are in the building and safety evacuation procedures. We have applied mobile augmented reality (mobile AR) to create an application with Unity 3D gaming engine. We show how the mobile AR application is able to display a 3D model of the building and animation of people evacuation using markers and web camera. The system gives a visual representation of a building in 3D space, allowing people to see where exits are in the building through the use of a smart phone or tablets. Pilot studies were conducted with the system showing its partial success and demonstrated the effectiveness of the application in emergency evacuation. Our computer vision methods give good results when the markers are closer to the camera, but accuracy decreases when the markers are far away from the camera.

Simple technique to measure toric intraocular lens alignment and stability using a smartphone.

PubMed

Teichman, Joshua C; Baig, Kashif; Ahmed, Iqbal Ike K

2014-12-01

Toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are commonly implanted to correct corneal astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery. Their use requires preoperative calculation of the axis of implantation and postoperative measurement to determine whether the IOL has been implanted with the proper orientation. Moreover, toric IOL alignment stability over time is important for the patient and for the longitudinal evaluation of toric IOLs. We present a simple, inexpensive, and precise method to measure the toric IOL axis using a camera-enabled cellular phone (iPhone 5S) and computer software (ImageJ). Copyright © 2014 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Blocking 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation-induced reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in lens epithelial cells by noise magnetic fields].

PubMed

Wu, Wei; Yao, Ke; Wang, Kai-jun; Lu, De-qiang; He, Ji-liang; Xu, Li-hong; Sun, Wen-jun

2008-01-01

To investigate whether the exposure to the electromagnetic noise can block reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA damage of lens epithelial cells induced by 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation. The DCFH-DA method and comet assay were used respectively to detect the intracellular ROS and DNA damage of cultured human lens epithelial cells induced by 4 W/kg 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation or/and 2 muT electromagnetic noise for 24 h intermittently. 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation at 4 W/kg for 24 h increased intracellular ROS and DNA damage significantly (P<0.05). However, the ROS level and DNA damage of mobile phone radiation plus noise group were not significant enhanced (P>0.05) as compared to sham exposure group. Electromagnetic noise can block intracellular ROS production and DNA damage of human lens epithelial cells induced by 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation.

Cell phones and children: follow the precautionary road.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Suzanne

2013-01-01

Children are increasingly using cell phones. "Family package" deals make it easy for parents to obtain phones for their children, and the phones provide parents with the comfort of easy access to their children. However, cell phones emit radio frequency (RF) radiation (Bucher & the Committee on Appropriations, 2010). While the government has deemed RF radiation to be safe, there is no current significant research to make this claim. To determine the relationship between cell phone radiation and brain cancer requires long-term studies lasting decades and with inclusion of frequent users in the subject pool. Further, to extend the results of any study to children requires controlling for the differences between juveniles and adults regarding the composition of the head, and bone density and neural tissue. Dr. L. Hardell of the University Hospital of Sweden noted that "it is necessary to apply the precautionary principle in this situation," especially for long-term exposure that is likely to affect children (Hardell as cited in Mead, 2008, p. 1). There is cause for concern.

Walking stability during cell phone use in healthy adults.

PubMed

Kao, Pei-Chun; Higginson, Christopher I; Seymour, Kelly; Kamerdze, Morgan; Higginson, Jill S

2015-05-01

The number of falls and/or accidental injuries associated with cellular phone use during walking is growing rapidly. Understanding the effects of concurrent cell phone use on human gait may help develop safety guidelines for pedestrians. It was shown previously that older adults had more pronounced dual-task interferences than younger adults when concurrent cognitive task required visual information processing. Thus, cell phone use might have greater impact on walking stability in older than in younger adults. This study examined gait stability and variability during a cell phone dialing task (phone) and two classic cognitive tasks, the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Nine older and seven younger healthy adults walked on a treadmill at four different conditions: walking only, PASAT, phone, and SDMT. We computed short-term local divergence exponent (LDE) of the trunk motion (local stability), dynamic margins of stability (MOS), step spatiotemporal measures, and kinematic variability. Older and younger adults had similar values of short-term LDE during all conditions, indicating that local stability was not affected by the dual-task. Compared to walking only, older and younger adults walked with significantly greater average mediolateral MOS during phone and SDMT conditions but significantly less ankle angle variability during all dual-tasks and less knee angle variability during PASAT. The current findings demonstrate that healthy adults may try to control foot placement and joint kinematics during cell phone use or another cognitive task with a visual component to ensure sufficient dynamic margins of stability and maintain local stability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Walking Stability during Cell Phone Use in Healthy Adults

PubMed Central

Kao, Pei-Chun; Higginson, Christopher I.; Seymour, Kelly; Kamerdze, Morgan; Higginson, Jill S.

2015-01-01

The number of falls and/or accidental injuries associated with cellular phone use during walking is growing rapidly. Understanding the effects of concurrent cell phone use on human gait may help develop safety guidelines for pedestrians. It was shown previously that older adults had more pronounced dual-task interferences than younger adults when concurrent cognitive task required visual information processing. Thus, cell phone use might have greater impact on walking stability in older than in younger adults. This study examined gait stability and variability during a cell phone dialing task (phone) and two classic cognitive tasks, the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Nine older and seven younger healthy adults walked on a treadmill at four different conditions: walking only, PASAT, phone, and SDMT. We computed short-term local divergence exponent (LDE) of the trunk motion (local stability), dynamic margins of stability (MOS), step spatiotemporal measures, and kinematic variability. Older and younger adults had similar values of short-term LDE during all conditions, indicating that local stability was not affected by the dual-task. Compared to walking only, older and younger adults walked with significantly greater average mediolateral MOS during phone and SDMT conditions but significantly less ankle angle variability during all dual-tasks and less knee angle variability during PASAT. The current findings demonstrate that healthy adults may try to control foot placement and joint kinematics during cell phone use or another cognitive task with a visual component to ensure sufficient dynamic margins of stability and maintain local stability. PMID:25890490

Cell phone exposures and hearing loss in children in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Sudan, Madhuri; Kheifets, Leeka; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Olsen, Jorn

2013-05-01

Children today are exposed to cell phones early in life, and may be the most vulnerable if exposure is harmful to health. We investigated the association between cell phone use and hearing loss in children. The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) enrolled pregnant women between 1996 and 2002. Detailed interviews were conducted during gestation, and when the children were 6 months, 18 months and 7 years of age. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression, marginal structural models (MSM) with inverse-probability weighting, and doubly robust estimation (DRE) to relate hearing loss at age 18 months to cell phone use at age 7 years, and to investigate cell phone use reported at age 7 in relation to hearing loss at age 7. Our analyses included data from 52 680 children. We observed weak associations between cell phone use and hearing loss at age 7, with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals from the traditional logistic regression, MSM and DRE models being 1.21 [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99, 1.46], 1.23 [95% CI 1.01, 1.49] and 1.22 [95% CI 1.00, 1.49], respectively. Our findings could have been affected by various biases and are not sufficient to conclude that cell phone exposures have an effect on hearing. This is the first large-scale epidemiologic study to investigate this potentially important association among children, and replication of these findings is needed. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Cell Phone Exposures and Hearing Loss in Children in the Danish National Birth Cohort

PubMed Central

Sudan, Madhuri; Kheifets, Leeka; Arah, Onyebuchi A.; Olsen, Jorn

2013-01-01

Background Children today are exposed to cell phones early in life, and may be the most vulnerable if exposure is harmful to health. We investigated the association between cell phone use and hearing loss in children. Methods The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) enrolled pregnant women between 1996 and 2002. Detailed interviews were conducted during gestation, and when the children were 6 months, 18 months, and 7 years of age. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression, marginal structural models (MSM) with inverse-probability weighting, and doubly-robust estimation (DRE) to relate hearing loss at age 18 months to cell phone use at age seven years, and to investigate cell phone use reported at age seven in relation to hearing loss at age seven. Results Our analyses included data from 52,680 children. We observed weak associations between cell phone use and hearing loss at age seven, with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals from the traditional logistic regression, MSM, and DRE models being 1.21 [0.99–1.46], 1.23 [1.01–1.49], and 1.22 [1.00–1.49], respectively. Conclusions Our findings could have been affected by various biases and are not sufficient to conclude that cell phone exposures have an effect on hearing. This is the first large-scale epidemiologic study to investigate this potentially important association among children, and replication of these findings is needed. PMID:23574412

The effect of cell phone use on postural balance and mobility in older compared to young adults.

PubMed

Laatar, Rabeb; Kachouri, Hiba; Borji, Rihab; Rebai, Haithem; Sahli, Sonia

2017-05-01

Cell phone use is considered as an essential part of everyday life saturating all age groups and demographics. This study aimed to explore the effect of various cell phone functions on postural control and mobility in the elderly. Twenty healthy older (mean age 72.5±2.9) and twenty young (26.3±2.8) adults participated in this study. Postural balance was assessed by measuring the center of pressure (CoP) displacement with (talking on a cell phone (CONVERSE), dialing a number (DIAL) and listening to music (MUSIC)) and without cell phone use. Mobility was assessed by the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT). Results showed that for both groups, the CoP parameters increased significantly during the CONVERSE (p<0.001) and the DIAL (CoP area , CoP X : p<0.05; CoP Y : p<0.01) conditions compared to the control condition. Moreover, the CoP area values were significantly higher during the CONVERSE condition in comparison to the DIAL (p<0.05) one. In older adults, the TUGT scores increased significantly in the DIAL (p<0.01) condition compared to the CONVERSE and the MUSIC conditions. In conclusion, cell phone use impairs similarly standing postural balance of elderly and young adults. Interestingly, in the elderly, all cell phone functions used altered mobility with the dialing function causing the largest mobility deterioration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ready for Their Close-Ups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Andrea L.

2006-01-01

American college students are increasingly posting videos of their lives online, due to Web sites like Vimeo and Google Video that host video material free and the ubiquity of camera phones and other devices that can take video-clips. However, the growing popularity of online socializing has many safety experts worried that students could be…

Tensions in a Nepali Telecenter: An Ethnographic Look at Progress Using Activity Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jeffrey Chih-Yih

2010-01-01

Developing countries such as Nepal struggle to keep up technologically. While advances make it possible for average Nepalis to access mobile phones, computers, and digital cameras, barriers impede access. As with other governments (Huerta & Rodrigo, 2007; Mokhtarian & Meenakshisun, 2002), Nepal responded in 2004 with telecenters to push…

Sustaining a Nepali Telecenter: An Ethnographic Study Using Activity Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jeffrey; Sparks, Paul

2014-01-01

While advances have made it possible for the average Nepali to access mobile phones, computers, and digital cameras, barriers continue to impede access. Like other governments, Nepal responded in 2004 by creating about 80 telecenters to push sustainable technology to its people. Five years later, most telecenters struggle with sustainability. This…

Using GPS-enabled cell phones to track the travel patterns of adolescents.

PubMed

Wiehe, Sarah E; Carroll, Aaron E; Liu, Gilbert C; Haberkorn, Kelly L; Hoch, Shawn C; Wilson, Jeffery S; Fortenberry, J Dennis

2008-05-21

Few tools exist to directly measure the microsocial and physical environments of adolescents in circumstances where participatory observation is not practical or ethical. Yet measuring these environments is important as they are significantly associated with adolescent health-risk. For example, health-related behaviors such as cigarette smoking often occur in specific places where smoking may be relatively surreptitious. We assessed the feasibility of using GPS-enabled cell phones to track adolescent travel patterns and gather daily diary data. We enrolled 15 adolescent women from a clinic-based setting and asked them to carry the phones for 1 week. We found that these phones can accurately and reliably track participant locations, as well as record diary information on adolescent behaviors. Participants had variable paths extending beyond their immediate neighborhoods, and denied that GPS-tracking influenced their activity. GPS-enabled cell phones offer a feasible and, in many ways, ideal modality of monitoring the location and travel patterns of adolescents. In addition, cell phones allow space- and time-specific interaction, probing, and intervention which significantly extends both research and health promotion beyond a clinical setting. Future studies can employ GPS-enabled cell phones to better understand adolescent environments, how they are associated with health-risk behaviors, and perhaps intervene to change health behavior.

Using GPS-enabled cell phones to track the travel patterns of adolescents

PubMed Central

Wiehe, Sarah E; Carroll, Aaron E; Liu, Gilbert C; Haberkorn, Kelly L; Hoch, Shawn C; Wilson, Jeffery S; Fortenberry, J Dennis

2008-01-01

Background Few tools exist to directly measure the microsocial and physical environments of adolescents in circumstances where participatory observation is not practical or ethical. Yet measuring these environments is important as they are significantly associated with adolescent health-risk. For example, health-related behaviors such as cigarette smoking often occur in specific places where smoking may be relatively surreptitious. Results We assessed the feasibility of using GPS-enabled cell phones to track adolescent travel patterns and gather daily diary data. We enrolled 15 adolescent women from a clinic-based setting and asked them to carry the phones for 1 week. We found that these phones can accurately and reliably track participant locations, as well as record diary information on adolescent behaviors. Participants had variable paths extending beyond their immediate neighborhoods, and denied that GPS-tracking influenced their activity. Conclusion GPS-enabled cell phones offer a feasible and, in many ways, ideal modality of monitoring the location and travel patterns of adolescents. In addition, cell phones allow space- and time-specific interaction, probing, and intervention which significantly extends both research and health promotion beyond a clinical setting. Future studies can employ GPS-enabled cell phones to better understand adolescent environments, how they are associated with health-risk behaviors, and perhaps intervene to change health behavior. PMID:18495025

Phone camera detection of glucose blood level based on magnetic particles entrapped inside bubble wrap.

PubMed

Martinkova, Pavla; Pohanka, Miroslav

2016-12-18

Glucose is an important diagnostic biochemical marker of diabetes but also for organophosphates, carbamates, acetaminophens or salicylates poisoning. Hence, innovation of accurate and fast detection assay is still one of priorities in biomedical research. Glucose sensor based on magnetic particles (MPs) with immobilized enzymes glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was developed and the GOx catalyzed reaction was visualized by a smart-phone-integrated camera. Exponential decay concentration curve with correlation coefficient 0.997 and with limit of detection 0.4 mmol/l was achieved. Interfering and matrix substances were measured due to possibility of assay influencing and no effect of the tested substances was observed. Spiked plasma samples were also measured and no influence of plasma matrix on the assay was proved. The presented assay showed complying results with reference method (standard spectrophotometry based on enzymes glucose oxidase and peroxidase inside plastic cuvettes) with linear dependence and correlation coefficient 0.999 in concentration range between 0 and 4 mmol/l. On the grounds of measured results, method was considered as highly specific, accurate and fast assay for detection of glucose.

Who actually receives cell phone use while driving citations and how much are these laws enforced among states? A descriptive, cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Rudisill, Toni M; Zhu, Motao

2016-06-14

While numerous cell phone use while driving laws have been passed among states, little information exists regarding who gets cited for these traffic infractions and how much these laws are enforced at the state-level within the USA. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. 14 states and the District of Columbia. Those receiving cell phone use while driving citations within included states from 2007 to 2013. Demographic characteristics of cited drivers were assessed. Rates of infractions per 100 000 licensed in-state drivers per year for various cell phone use while driving violations were calculated. Drivers were cited for hand-held use violations (n=2.5 million) more than texting (n=14 682) or young driver all cell phone bans (n=342). Among states that provided data for all traffic violations, cell phone use while driving citations comprised 1% of all written citations. Regardless of ban type, males (68.2%) were cited more frequently than females. Drivers 25-64 years of age (90.8%) were more likely to be cited for hand-held phone use. The average yearly rate of infractions per 100 000 licensed in-state drivers from 2010-2013 was 5.8 for texting bans, 2607 for hand-held bans, and 9954 for any traffic violation. Among cited drivers, age and sex differences existed by the type of ban violated. State-level enforcement appeared sparse. Due to the potential serious consequences of cell phone use while driving in the USA, more enforcement and targeted public safety campaigns are likely needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Who actually receives cell phone use while driving citations and how much are these laws enforced among states? A descriptive, cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Rudisill, Toni M; Zhu, Motao

2016-01-01

Objectives While numerous cell phone use while driving laws have been passed among states, little information exists regarding who gets cited for these traffic infractions and how much these laws are enforced at the state-level within the USA. Design Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Setting 14 states and the District of Columbia. Participants Those receiving cell phone use while driving citations within included states from 2007 to 2013. Primary outcome Demographic characteristics of cited drivers were assessed. Rates of infractions per 100 000 licensed in-state drivers per year for various cell phone use while driving violations were calculated. Results Drivers were cited for hand-held use violations (n=2.5 million) more than texting (n=14 682) or young driver all cell phone bans (n=342). Among states that provided data for all traffic violations, cell phone use while driving citations comprised 1% of all written citations. Regardless of ban type, males (68.2%) were cited more frequently than females. Drivers 25–64 years of age (90.8%) were more likely to be cited for hand-held phone use. The average yearly rate of infractions per 100 000 licensed in-state drivers from 2010–2013 was 5.8 for texting bans, 2607 for hand-held bans, and 9954 for any traffic violation. Conclusions Among cited drivers, age and sex differences existed by the type of ban violated. State-level enforcement appeared sparse. Due to the potential serious consequences of cell phone use while driving in the USA, more enforcement and targeted public safety campaigns are likely needed. PMID:27301485

Mobile phone radiation inhibits Vigna radiata (mung bean) root growth by inducing oxidative stress.

PubMed

Sharma, Ved Parkash; Singh, Harminder Pal; Kohli, Ravinder Kumar; Batish, Daizy Rani

2009-10-15

During the last couple of decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of cell phones. It has significantly added to the rapidly increasing EMF smog, an unprecedented type of pollution consisting of radiation in the environment, thereby prompting the scientists to study the effects on humans. However, not many studies have been conducted to explore the effects of cell phone EMFr on growth and biochemical changes in plants. We investigated whether EMFr from cell phones inhibit growth of Vigna radiata (mung bean) through induction of conventional stress responses. Effects of cell phone EMFr (power density: 8.55 microW cm(-2); 900 MHz band width; for 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 h) were determined by measuring the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in terms of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) content, root oxidizability and changes in levels of antioxidant enzymes. Our results showed that cell phone EMFr significantly inhibited the germination (at > or =2 h), and radicle and plumule growths (> or =1 h) in mung bean in a time-dependent manner. Further, cell phone EMFr enhanced MDA content (indicating lipid peroxidation), and increased H(2)O(2) accumulation and root oxidizability in mung bean roots, thereby inducing oxidative stress and cellular damage. In response to EMFr, there was a significant upregulation in the activities of scavenging enzymes, such as superoxide dismutases, ascorbate peroxidases, guaiacol peroxidases, catalases and glutathione reductases, in mung bean roots. The study concluded that cell phone EMFr inhibit root growth of mung bean by inducing ROS-generated oxidative stress despite increased activities of antioxidant enzymes.

Cell phone-generated radio frequency electromagnetic field effects on the locomotor behaviors of the fishes Poecilia reticulata and Danio rerio.

PubMed

Lee, David; Lee, Joshua; Lee, Imshik

2015-01-01

The locomotor behavior of small fish was characterized under a cell phone-generated radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF EMF). The trajectory of movement of 10 pairs of guppy (Poecilia reticulate) and 15 pairs of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in a fish tank was recorded and tracked under the presence of a cell phone-generated RF EMF. The measures were based on spatial and temporal distributions. A time-series trajectory was utilized to emphasize the dynamic nature of locomotor behavior. Fish movement was recorded in real-time. Their spatial, velocity, turning angle and sinuosity distribution were analyzed in terms of F(v,x), P[n(x,t)], P(v), F (θ) and F(s), respectively. In addition, potential temperature elevation caused by a cellular phone was also examined. We demonstrated that a cellular phone-induced temperature elevation was not relevant, and that our measurements reflected RF EMF-induced effects on the locomotor behavior of Poecilia reticulata and Danio rerio. Fish locomotion was observed under normal conditions, in the visual presence of a cell phone, after feeding, and under starvation. Fish locomotor behavior was random both in normal conditions and in the presence of an off-signaled cell phone. However, there were significant changes in the locomotion of the fish after feeding under the RF EMF. The locomotion of the fed fish was affected in terms of changes in population and velocity distributions under the presence of the RF EMF emitted by the cell phone. There was, however, no significant difference in angular distribution.

Evaluating Temperature Changes of Brain Tissue Due to Induced Heating of Cell Phone Waves.

PubMed

Forouharmajd, Farhad; Pourabdian, Siamak; Ebrahimi, Hossein

2018-01-01

Worries have recently been increased in the absorption of radiofrequency waves and their destructing effects on human health by increasing use of cell phones (mobile phones). This study performed to determine the thermal changes due to mobile phone radio frequency waves in gray and white brain tissue. This study is an empirical study, where the thermal changes of electromagnetic waves resulted from cell phones (900 MHZ, specific absorption rate for head 1.18 w/kg) on the 15 brain tissue of a cow were analyzed in a compartment with three different thickness of 2 mm, 12 mm, and 22 mm, for 15 min. The Lutron thermometer (model: MT-917) with 0.01°C precision was used for measuring the tissue temperature. For each thickness was measured three times. Data analysis is done by Lutron and MATLAB software packages. In confronting of the tissue with the cell phone, the temperature was increased by 0.53°C in the 2 mm thickness that is the gray matter of the brain, increased by 0.99°C in the 12 mm thickness, and also increased by 0.92°C in the 22 mm thickness. Brain temperature showed higher rates than the base temperature after 15 min of confrontation with cell phone waves in all the three thicknesses. Cell phone radiated radio frequency waves were effective on increasing brain tissue temperature, and this temperature increase has cumulative effect on the tissue, being higher, for some time after the confrontation than the time with no confrontation.

Evaluating Temperature Changes of Brain Tissue Due to Induced Heating of Cell Phone Waves

PubMed Central

Forouharmajd, Farhad; Pourabdian, Siamak; Ebrahimi, Hossein

2018-01-01

Background: Worries have recently been increased in the absorption of radiofrequency waves and their destructing effects on human health by increasing use of cell phones (mobile phones). This study performed to determine the thermal changes due to mobile phone radio frequency waves in gray and white brain tissue. Methods: This study is an empirical study, where the thermal changes of electromagnetic waves resulted from cell phones (900 MHZ, specific absorption rate for head 1.18 w/kg) on the 15 brain tissue of a cow were analyzed in a compartment with three different thickness of 2 mm, 12 mm, and 22 mm, for 15 min. The Lutron thermometer (model: MT-917) with 0.01°C precision was used for measuring the tissue temperature. For each thickness was measured three times. Data analysis is done by Lutron and MATLAB software packages. Results: In confronting of the tissue with the cell phone, the temperature was increased by 0.53°C in the 2 mm thickness that is the gray matter of the brain, increased by 0.99°C in the 12 mm thickness, and also increased by 0.92°C in the 22 mm thickness. Brain temperature showed higher rates than the base temperature after 15 min of confrontation with cell phone waves in all the three thicknesses. Conclusions: Cell phone radiated radio frequency waves were effective on increasing brain tissue temperature, and this temperature increase has cumulative effect on the tissue, being higher, for some time after the confrontation than the time with no confrontation. PMID:29861880

Hyperspectral imaging with near-infrared-enabled mobile phones for tissue oximetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jonathan L.; Ghassemi, Pejhman; Chen, Yu; Pfefer, Joshua

2018-02-01

Hyperspectral reflectance imaging (HRI) is an emerging clinical tool for characterizing spatial and temporal variations in blood perfusion and oxygenation for applications such as burn assessment, wound healing, retinal exams and intraoperative tissue viability assessment. Since clinical HRI-based oximeters often use near-infrared (NIR) light, NIR-enabled mobile phones may provide a useful platform for future point-of-care devices. Furthermore, quantitative NIR imaging on mobile phones may dramatically increase the availability and accessibility of medical diagnostics for low-resource settings. We have evaluated the potential for phone-based NIR oximetry imaging and elucidated factors affecting performance using devices from two different manufacturers, as well as a scientific CCD. A broadband light source and liquid crystal tunable filter were used for imaging at 10 nm bands from 650 to 1000 nm. Spectral sensitivity measurements indicated that mobile phones with standard NIR blocking filters had minimal response beyond 700 nm, whereas one modified phone showed sensitivity to 800 nm and another to 1000 nm. Red pixel channels showed the greatest sensitivity up to 800 nm, whereas all channels provided essentially equivalent sensitivity at longer wavelengths. Referencing of blood oxygenation levels was performed with a CO-oximeter. HRI measurements were performed using cuvettes filled with hemoglobin solutions of different oxygen saturation levels. Good agreement between absorbance spectra measured with mobile phone and a CCD cameras were seen for wavelengths below 900 nm. Saturation estimates showed root-mean-squared-errors of 5.2% and 4.5% for the CCD and phone, respectively. Overall, this work provides strong evidence of the potential for mobile phones to provide quantitative spectral imaging in the NIR for applications such as oximetry, and generates practical insights into factors that impact performance as well as test methods for performance assessment.

Possession attachment predicts cell phone use while driving.

PubMed

Weller, Joshua A; Shackleford, Crystal; Dieckmann, Nathan; Slovic, Paul

2013-04-01

Distracted driving has become an important public health concern. However, little is known about the predictors of this health-risking behavior. One overlooked risk factor for distracted driving is the perceived attachment that one feels toward his or her phone. Prior research has suggested that individuals develop bonds toward objects, and qualitative research suggests that the bond between young drivers and their phones can be strong. It follows that individuals who perceive a strong attachment to their phone would be more likely to use it, even when driving. In a nationally representative sample of young drivers (17-28 years), participants (n = 1,006) completed a survey about driving behaviors and phone use. Risk perception surrounding cell phone use while driving and perceived attachment to one's phone were assessed by administering factor-analytically derived scales that were created as part of a larger project. Attachment toward one's phone predicted the proportion of trips in which a participant reported using their cell phone while driving, beyond that accounted for by risk perception and overall phone use. Further, attachment predicted self-reported distracted driving behaviors, such as the use of social media while driving. Attachment to one's phone may be an important but overlooked risk factor for the engagement of potentially health-risking driving behaviors. Understanding that phone attachment may adversely affect driving behaviors has the potential to inform prevention and intervention efforts designed to reduce distracted driving behaviors, especially in young drivers. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Cellular phone use while driving at night.

PubMed

Vivoda, Jonathon M; Eby, David W; St Louis, Renée M; Kostyniuk, Lidia P

2008-03-01

Use of a cellular phone has been shown to negatively affect one's attention to the driving task, leading to an increase in crash risk. At any given daylight hour, about 6% of US drivers are actively talking on a hand-held cell phone. However, previous surveys have focused only on cell phone use during the day. Driving at night has been shown to be a riskier activity than driving during the day. The purpose of the current study was to assess the rate of hand-held cellular phone use while driving at night, using specialized night vision equipment. In 2006, two statewide direct observation survey waves of nighttime cellular phone use were conducted in Indiana utilizing specialized night vision equipment. Combined results of driver hand-held cellular phone use from both waves are presented in this manuscript. The rates of nighttime cell phone use were similar to results found in previous daytime studies. The overall rate of nighttime hand-held cellular phone use was 5.8 +/- 0.6%. Cellular phone use was highest for females and for younger drivers. In fact, the highest rate observed during the study (of 11.9%) was for 16-to 29-year-old females. The high level of cellular phone use found within the young age group, coupled with the increased crash risk associated with cellular phone use, nighttime driving, and for young drivers in general, suggests that this issue may become an important transportation-related concern.

Burst mode composite photography for dynamic physics demonstrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lincoln, James

2018-05-01

I am writing this article to raise awareness of burst mode photography as a fun and engaging way for teachers and students to experience physics demonstration activities. In the context of digital photography, "burst mode" means taking multiple photographs per second, and this is a feature that now comes standard on most digital cameras—including the iPhone. Sometimes the images are composited to imply motion from a series of still pictures. By analyzing the time between the photos, students can measure rates of velocity and acceleration of moving objects. Some of these composite photographs have already shown up in the AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest. In this article I discuss some ideas for using burst mode photography in the iPhone and provide a discussion of how to edit these photographs to create a composite image. I also compare the capabilities of the iPhone and GoPro cameras in creating these photographic composites.

MEMS FPI-based smartphone hyperspectral imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rissanen, Anna; Saari, Heikki; Rainio, Kari; Stuns, Ingmar; Viherkanto, Kai; Holmlund, Christer; Näkki, Ismo; Ojanen, Harri

2016-05-01

This paper demonstrates a mobile phone- compatible hyperspectral imager based on a tunable MEMS Fabry-Perot interferometer. The realized iPhone 5s hyperspectral imager (HSI) demonstrator utilizes MEMS FPI tunable filter for visible-range, which consist of atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3/TiO2-thin film Bragg reflectors. Characterization results for the mobile phone hyperspectral imager utilizing MEMS FPI chip optimized for 500 nm is presented; the operation range is λ = 450 - 550 nm with FWHM between 8 - 15 nm. Also a configuration of two cascaded FPIs (λ = 500 nm and λ = 650 nm) combined with an RGB colour camera is presented. With this tandem configuration, the overall wavelength tuning range of MEMS hyperspectral imagers can be extended to cover a larger range than with a single FPI chip. The potential applications of mobile hyperspectral imagers in the vis-NIR range include authentication, counterfeit detection and potential health/wellness and food sensing applications.

"The Only 13-Year-Old on Planet Earth without a Cell Phone": Meanings of Cell Phones in Early Adolescents' Everyday Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blair, Bethany L.; Fletcher, Anne C.

2011-01-01

Cellular telephones have become an increasingly prevalent feature of contemporary American life, with usage often beginning during early adolescence. With this in mind, twenty 7th graders and their mothers participated in separate qualitative interviews regarding early adolescents' use of cell phones as well as perceived risks and benefits of such…

The Impact of In-Vehicle Cell-Phone Use on Accidents or Near-Accidents among College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Dong-Chul; Torabi, Mohammad R.

2004-01-01

With in-vehicle use of cell phones rapidly increasing, the safety of young drivers, who represent 14% of licensed drivers but 26% of drivers involved in fatal crashes, may be disproportionately threatened. The authors used a questionnaire to examine the association between in-vehicle cell-phone use and accidents or near-accidents among 1,291…

Fabrication of multi-focal microlens array on curved surface for wide-angle camera module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Jun-Gu; Su, Guo-Dung J.

2017-08-01

In this paper, we present a wide-angle and compact camera module that consists of microlens array with different focal lengths on curved surface. The design integrates the principle of an insect's compound eye and the human eye. It contains a curved hexagonal microlens array and a spherical lens. Compared with normal mobile phone cameras which usually need no less than four lenses, but our proposed system only uses one lens. Furthermore, the thickness of our proposed system is only 2.08 mm and diagonal full field of view is about 100 degrees. In order to make the critical microlens array, we used the inkjet printing to control the surface shape of each microlens for achieving different focal lengths and use replication method to form curved hexagonal microlens array.

On the performances of computer vision algorithms on mobile platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battiato, S.; Farinella, G. M.; Messina, E.; Puglisi, G.; Ravì, D.; Capra, A.; Tomaselli, V.

2012-01-01

Computer Vision enables mobile devices to extract the meaning of the observed scene from the information acquired with the onboard sensor cameras. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in Computer Vision algorithms able to work on mobile platform (e.g., phone camera, point-and-shot-camera, etc.). Indeed, bringing Computer Vision capabilities on mobile devices open new opportunities in different application contexts. The implementation of vision algorithms on mobile devices is still a challenging task since these devices have poor image sensors and optics as well as limited processing power. In this paper we have considered different algorithms covering classic Computer Vision tasks: keypoint extraction, face detection, image segmentation. Several tests have been done to compare the performances of the involved mobile platforms: Nokia N900, LG Optimus One, Samsung Galaxy SII.

A Comparative Study Between Smartphone-Based Microscopy and Conventional Light Microscopy in 1021 Dermatopathology Specimens.

PubMed

Jahan-Tigh, Richard R; Chinn, Garrett M; Rapini, Ronald P

2016-01-01

The incorporation of high-resolution cameras into smartphones has allowed for a variety of medical applications including the use of lens attachments that provide telescopic, macroscopic, and dermatoscopic data, but the feasibility and performance characteristics of such a platform for use in dermatopathology have not been described. To determine the diagnostic performance of a smartphone microscope compared to traditional light microscopy in dermatopathology specimens. A simple smartphone microscope constructed with a 3-mm ball lens was used to prospectively evaluate 1021 consecutive dermatopathology cases in a blinded fashion. Referred, consecutive specimens from the community were evaluated at a single university hospital. The performance characteristics of the smartphone platform were calculated by using conventional light microscopy as the gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancers, and other miscellaneous conditions by the phone microscopy platform, as compared with traditional light microscopy, were calculated. For basal cell carcinoma (n = 136), the sensitivity and specificity of smartphone microscopy were 95.6% and 98.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for squamous cell carcinoma (n = 94) were 89.4% and 97.3%, respectively. The lowest sensitivity was found in melanoma (n = 15) at 60%, although the specificity was high at 99.1%. The accuracy of diagnosis of inflammatory conditions and other neoplasms was variable. Mobile phone-based microscopy has excellent performance characteristics for the inexpensive diagnosis of nonmelanoma skin cancers in a setting where a traditional microscope is not available.

Cell Phones to Collect Pregnancy Data From Remote Areas in Liberia

PubMed Central

Lori, Jody R.; Munro, Michelle L.; Boyd, Carol J.; Andreatta, Pamela

2012-01-01

Purpose To report findings on knowledge and skill acquisition following a 3-day training session in the use of short message service (SMS) texting with non- and low-literacy traditional midwives. Design A pre- and post-test study design was used to assess knowledge and skills acquisition with 99 traditional midwives on the use of SMS texting for real-time, remote data collection in rural Liberia, West Africa. Methods Paired sample t-tests were conducted to establish if overall mean scores varied significantly from pre-test to immediate post-test. Analysis of variance was used to compare means across groups. The nonparametric McNemar’s test was used to determine significant differences between the pre-test and post-test values of each individual step involved in SMS texting. Pearson’s chi-square test of independence was used to examine the association between ownership of cell phones within a family and achievement of the seven tasks. Findings The mean increase in cell phone knowledge scores was 3.67, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 3.39 to 3.95. Participants with a cell phone in the family did significantly better on three of the seven tasks in the pre-test: “turns cell on without help” (χ2(1) = 9.15, p = .003); “identifies cell phone coverage” (χ2(1) = 5.37, p = .024); and “identifies cell phone is charged” (χ2(1) = 4.40, p = .042). Conclusions A 3-day cell phone training session with low- and nonliterate traditional midwives in rural Liberia improved their ability to use mobile technology for SMS texting. Clinical Relevance Mobile technology can improve data collection accessibility and be used for numerous healthcare and public health issues. Cell phone accessibility holds great promise for collecting health data in low-resource areas of the world. PMID:22672157

Smart-phone based computational microscopy using multi-frame contact imaging on a fiber-optic array.

PubMed

Navruz, Isa; Coskun, Ahmet F; Wong, Justin; Mohammad, Saqib; Tseng, Derek; Nagi, Richie; Phillips, Stephen; Ozcan, Aydogan

2013-10-21

We demonstrate a cellphone based contact microscopy platform, termed Contact Scope, which can image highly dense or connected samples in transmission mode. Weighing approximately 76 grams, this portable and compact microscope is installed on the existing camera unit of a cellphone using an opto-mechanical add-on, where planar samples of interest are placed in contact with the top facet of a tapered fiber-optic array. This glass-based tapered fiber array has ~9 fold higher density of fiber optic cables on its top facet compared to the bottom one and is illuminated by an incoherent light source, e.g., a simple light-emitting-diode (LED). The transmitted light pattern through the object is then sampled by this array of fiber optic cables, delivering a transmission image of the sample onto the other side of the taper, with ~3× magnification in each direction. This magnified image of the object, located at the bottom facet of the fiber array, is then projected onto the CMOS image sensor of the cellphone using two lenses. While keeping the sample and the cellphone camera at a fixed position, the fiber-optic array is then manually rotated with discrete angular increments of e.g., 1-2 degrees. At each angular position of the fiber-optic array, contact images are captured using the cellphone camera, creating a sequence of transmission images for the same sample. These multi-frame images are digitally fused together based on a shift-and-add algorithm through a custom-developed Android application running on the smart-phone, providing the final microscopic image of the sample, visualized through the screen of the phone. This final computation step improves the resolution and also removes spatial artefacts that arise due to non-uniform sampling of the transmission intensity at the fiber optic array surface. We validated the performance of this cellphone based Contact Scope by imaging resolution test charts and blood smears.

Smart-phone based computational microscopy using multi-frame contact imaging on a fiber-optic array

PubMed Central

Navruz, Isa; Coskun, Ahmet F.; Wong, Justin; Mohammad, Saqib; Tseng, Derek; Nagi, Richie; Phillips, Stephen; Ozcan, Aydogan

2013-01-01

We demonstrate a cellphone based contact microscopy platform, termed Contact Scope, which can image highly dense or connected samples in transmission mode. Weighing approximately 76 grams, this portable and compact microscope is installed on the existing camera unit of a cellphone using an opto-mechanical add-on, where planar samples of interest are placed in contact with the top facet of a tapered fiber-optic array. This glass-based tapered fiber array has ∼9 fold higher density of fiber optic cables on its top facet compared to the bottom one and is illuminated by an incoherent light source, e.g., a simple light-emitting-diode (LED). The transmitted light pattern through the object is then sampled by this array of fiber optic cables, delivering a transmission image of the sample onto the other side of the taper, with ∼3× magnification in each direction. This magnified image of the object, located at the bottom facet of the fiber array, is then projected onto the CMOS image sensor of the cellphone using two lenses. While keeping the sample and the cellphone camera at a fixed position, the fiber-optic array is then manually rotated with discrete angular increments of e.g., 1-2 degrees. At each angular position of the fiber-optic array, contact images are captured using the cellphone camera, creating a sequence of transmission images for the same sample. These multi-frame images are digitally fused together based on a shift-and-add algorithm through a custom-developed Android application running on the smart-phone, providing the final microscopic image of the sample, visualized through the screen of the phone. This final computation step improves the resolution and also gets rid of spatial artefacts that arise due to non-uniform sampling of the transmission intensity at the fiber optic array surface. We validated the performance of this cellphone based Contact Scope by imaging resolution test charts and blood smears. PMID:23939637

76 FR 75492 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-02

... and fishing gears possessed to be made by phone. Some small fishing vessels remain within cell phone... terminals represent a more reliable means of communication than cellular phones because they use satellites rather than cell towers as the principle means of transmitting data. Furthermore, vessels need to provide...

77 FR 22331 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Solar Cell: A Mobile UV Manager for Smart Phones...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

...). Pre-test 245 1 20/60 82 (Appendix A). Post-test 245 1 40/60 163 (Appendix B). Totals 308 Request for... of the study is to design a smart phone application, Solar Cell, which uses smart phone technology to...

Psychophysical Calibration of Mobile Touch-Screens for Vision Testing in the Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulligan, Jeffrey B.

2015-01-01

The now ubiquitous nature of touch-screen displays in cell phones and tablet computers makes them an attractive option for vision testing outside of the laboratory or clinic. Accurate measurement of parameters such as contrast sensitivity, however, requires precise control of absolute and relative screen luminances. The nonlinearity of the display response (gamma) can be measured or checked using a minimum motion technique similar to that developed by Anstis and Cavanagh (1983) for the determination of isoluminance. While the relative luminances of the color primaries vary between subjects (due to factors such as individual differences in pre-retinal pigment densities), the gamma nonlinearity can be checked in the lab using a photometer. Here we compare results obtained using the psychophysical method with physical measurements for a number of different devices. In addition, we present a novel physical method using the device's built-in front-facing camera in conjunction with a mirror to jointly calibrate the camera and display. A high degree of consistency between devices is found, but some departures from ideal performance are observed. In spite of this, the effects of calibration errors and display artifacts on estimates of contrast sensitivity are found to be small.

Patient perspectives on medical photography in dermatology.

PubMed

Leger, Marie C; Wu, Timothy; Haimovic, Adele; Kaplan, Rachel; Sanchez, Miguel; Cohen, David; Leger, Elizabeth A; Stein, Jennifer A

2014-09-01

Clinical photography enhances medical care, research, and teaching. Empirical data are needed to guide best practices regarding dermatologic photography. To investigate patient opinion about clinical photography and identify demographic factors that influence these opinions. Four hundred patients representing a broad range of ages, self-identified ethnic/racial groups, and socioeconomic levels were recruited from 4 dermatology settings in New York City. Patients were administered a survey about perceptions of photography, willingness to allow photographs to be used in a variety of settings, preferences for photographer and photographic equipment, and methods of consent. Eighty-eight percent of patients agreed that photography enhanced their quality of care. Most patients would allow their photographs to be used for medical, teaching, and research purposes with significantly more acceptance when patients were not identifiable. Patients preferred photographs taken by a physician rather than a nurse or student, photographers of the same gender, clinic-owned cameras to personal cameras or cell phones, and written consent to verbal consent. There were significant racial/ethnicity and age-related variations in responses, with white and older patients being more permissive than other groups. We use the results of this study to recommend best practices for photography in dermatology.

Analysis of proteome response to the mobile phone radiation in two types of human primary endothelial cells.

PubMed

Nylund, Reetta; Kuster, Niels; Leszczynski, Dariusz

2010-10-18

Use of mobile phones has widely increased over the past decade. However, in spite of the extensive research, the question of potential health effects of the mobile phone radiation remains unanswered. We have earlier proposed, and applied, proteomics as a tool to study biological effects of the mobile phone radiation, using as a model human endothelial cell line EA.hy926. Exposure of EA.hy926 cells to 900 MHz GSM radiation has caused statistically significant changes in expression of numerous proteins. However, exposure of EA.hy926 cells to 1800 MHz GSM signal had only very small effect on cell proteome, as compared with 900 MHz GSM exposure. In the present study, using as model human primary endothelial cells, we have examined whether exposure to 1800 MHz GSM mobile phone radiation can affect cell proteome. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells and primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells were exposed for 1 hour to 1800 MHz GSM mobile phone radiation at an average specific absorption rate of 2.0 W/kg. The cells were harvested immediately after the exposure and the protein expression patterns of the sham-exposed and radiation-exposed cells were examined using two dimensional difference gel electrophoresis-based proteomics (2DE-DIGE). There were observed numerous differences between the proteomes of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (both sham-exposed). These differences are most likely representing physiological differences between endothelia in different vascular beds. However, the exposure of both types of primary endothelial cells to mobile phone radiation did not cause any statistically significant changes in protein expression. Exposure of primary human endothelial cells to the mobile phone radiation, 1800 MHz GSM signal for 1 hour at an average specific absorption rate of 2.0 W/kg, does not affect protein expression, when the proteomes were examined immediately after the end of the exposure and when the false discovery rate correction was applied to analysis. This observation agrees with our earlier study showing that the 1800 MHz GSM radiation exposure had only very limited effect on the proteome of human endothelial cell line EA.hy926, as compared with the effect of 900 MHz GSM radiation.

Field-deployable gamma-radiation detectors for DHS use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sanjoy

2007-09-01

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has integrated all nuclear detection research, development, testing, evaluation, acquisition, and operational support into a single office: the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO). The DNDO has specific requirements set for all commercial off-the-shelf and government off-the-shelf radiation detection equipment and data acquisition systems. This article would investigate several recent developments in field deployable gamma radiation detectors that are attempting to meet the DNDO specifications. Commercially available, transportable, handheld radio isotope identification devices (RIID) are inadequate for DHS' requirements in terms of sensitivity, resolution, response time, and reach-back capability. The leading commercial vendor manufacturing handheld gamma spectrometer in the United States is Thermo Electron Corporation. Thermo Electron's identiFINDER TM, which primarily uses sodium iodide crystals (3.18 x 2.54cm cylinders) as gamma detectors, has a Full-Width-at-Half-Maximum energy resolution of 7 percent at 662 keV. Thermo Electron has just recently come up with a reach-back capability patented as RadReachBack TM that enables emergency personnel to obtain real-time technical analysis of radiation samples they find in the field1. The current project has the goal to build a prototype handheld gamma spectrometer, equipped with a digital camera and an embedded cell phone to be used as an RIID with higher sensitivity, better resolution, and faster response time (able to detect the presence of gamma-emitting radio isotopes within 5 seconds of approach), which will make it useful as a field deployable tool. The handheld equipment continuously monitors the ambient gamma radiation, and, if it comes across any radiation anomalies with higher than normal gamma gross counts, it sets an alarm condition. When a substantial alarm level is reached, the system automatically triggers the saving of relevant spectral data and software-triggers the digital camera to take a snapshot. The spectral data including in situ analysis and the imagery data will be packaged in a suitable format and sent to a command post using an imbedded cell phone.

Teleconferencing using multimedia messaging service (MMS) for long-range consultation of patients with neurosurgical problems in an acute situation.

PubMed

Waran, Vicknes; Selladurai, Benedict M; Bahuri, Nor Faizal Ahmad; George, George John K Thomas; Lim, Grace P S; Khine, Myo

2008-02-01

: We present our initial experience using a simple and relatively cost effective system using existing mobile phone network services and conventional handphones with built in cameras to capture carefully selected images from hard copies of scan images and transferring these images from a hospital without neurosurgical services to a university hospital with tertiary neurosurgical service for consultation and management plan. : A total of 14 patients with acute neurosurgical problems admitted to a general hospital in a 6 months period had their images photographed and transferred in JPEG format to a university neurosurgical unit. This was accompanied by a phone conference to discuss the scan and the patients' condition between the neurosurgeon and the referring physician. All images were also reviewed by a second independent neurosurgeon on a separate occasion to asses the agreement on the diagnosis and the management plan. : There were nine patients with acute head injury and five patients with acute nontraumatic neurosurgical problems. In all cases both neurosurgeons were in agreement that a diagnosis could be made on the basis of the images that were transferred. With respect to the management advice there were differences in opinion on three of the patients but these were considered to be minor. : Accurate diagnosis can be made on images of acute neurosurgical problems transferred using a conventional camera phone and meaningful decisions can be made on these images. This method of consultation also proved to be highly convenient and cost effective.

[Development of a cell phone addiction scale for korean adolescents].

PubMed

Koo, Hyun Young

2009-12-01

This study was done to develop a cell phone addiction scale for Korean adolescents. The process included construction of a conceptual framework, generation of initial items, verification of content validity, selection of secondary items, preliminary study, and extraction of final items. The participants were 577 adolescents in two middle schools and three high schools. Item analysis, factor analysis, criterion related validity, and internal consistency were used to analyze the data. Twenty items were selected for the final scale, and categorized into 3 factors explaining 55.45% of total variance. The factors were labeled as withdrawal/tolerance (7 items), life dysfunction (6 items), and compulsion/persistence (7 items). The scores for the scale were significantly correlated with self-control, impulsiveness, and cell phone use. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 20 items was .92. Scale scores identified students as cell phone addicted, heavy users, or average users. The above findings indicate that the cell phone addiction scale has good validity and reliability when used with Korean adolescents.

Language and Social Factors in the Use of Cell Phone Technology by Adolescents with and without Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conti-Ramsden, Gina; Durkin, Kevin; Simkin, Zoe

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to compare cell phone use (both oral and text-based) by adolescents with and without specific language impairment (SLI) and examine the extent to which language and social factors affect frequency of use. Method: Both interview and diary methods were used to compare oral and text-based communication using cell phones by…

Active Prompting to Decrease Cell Phone Use and Increase Seat Belt Use while Driving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Michael; Helms, Bridgett; Simpson, Cathy

2006-01-01

Automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for those aged 3 to 33, with 43,005 (118 per day) Americans killed in 2002 alone. Seat belt use reduces the risk of serious injury in an accident, and refraining from using a cell phone while driving reduces the risk of an accident. Cell phone use while driving increases accident rates, and leads…

Exploiting a GSM Network for Precise Payload Delivery

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-07

N is shown in Fig.6. As shown in this figure the Snowflake payload now includes a standard Blackberry 8310 cell phone , which communicates with the...weather station, measuring winds and barometric pressure, serial to Bluetooth interface, and Blackberry 8310 cell phone . The portable Kestrel 4000...interfacing the serial stream with a standard Blackberry 8310 cell phone carrying a AT&T SIM card. 6 American Institute of Aeronautics and

Resources, Equipment and Logistics in Support of Long-Term Monitoring at Fort Benning

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-08-01

access to cell phone transceivers for data retrieval. Sensor manufacturers, state climatologists, and the EPA provide standards, guidelines...have cell phone access for data retrieval and any software driven maintenance. Figure 3. Typical meteorological data acquisition station Sensor...collect and store data every 30 minutes. Of three current stations, one has a cell phone data link for daily retrieval. Table 2 lists equipment

Bioluminescence Truth Data Measurement and Signature Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

bioluminescence activity and related forcing factors. Kilroy sensors are shown attached to pilings with the senor system below water and the cell phone based...communications module attached to the top of the piling. A cell phone tower represents communication of data to shore. Also shown are distributed...installation are located based on GPS coordinates telemetered by the cell phone module. Icons point in direction of most recently measured flow and

BACTrack: A Surveillance Technique for Detecting and Locating Bioagent Attacks

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-10

Implementation • Location History – Location tracking/storage using cell - phone network (geo-location mandated by 2006) • Subscription Services...Reporting – User reports symptoms through automated cell - phone interface using password Individual reports only releasable with password Summary...Earlier detection and location relative to medical surveillance • The cell - phone location based service market can offer a means to implement BACTrack and to distribute its costs

The incidence rate and mortality of malignant brain tumors after 10 years of intensive cell phone use in Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsu, Min-Huei; Syed-Abdul, Shabbir; Scholl, Jeremiah; Jian, Wen-Shan; Lee, Peisan; Iqbal, Usman; Li, Yu-Chuan

2013-11-01

The issue of whether cell phone usage can contribute toward the development of brain tumors has recently been reignited with the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifying radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as 'possibly' carcinogenic to humans in a WHO report. To our knowledge, this is the largest study reporting on the incidence and mortality of malignant brain tumors after long-term use of the cell phone by more than 23 million users. A population-based study was carried out the numbers of cell phone users were collected from the official statistics provided by the National Communication Commission. According to National Cancer Registry, there were 4 incidences and 4 deaths due to malignant neoplasms in Taiwan during the period 2000-2009. The 10 years of observational data show that the intensive user rate of cell phones has had no significant effect on the incidence rate or on the mortality of malignant brain tumors in Taiwan. In conclusion, we do not detect any correlation between the morbidity/mortality of malignant brain tumors and cell phone use in Taiwan. We thus urge international agencies to publish only confirmatory reports with more applicable conclusions in public. This will help spare the public from unnecessary worries.

Self-reported neck symptoms and use of personal computers, laptops and cell phones among Finns aged 18-65.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Gobba, Fabriziomaria

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relation between self-reported neck symptoms (aches, pain or numbness) and use of computers/cell phones. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting a questionnaire to 15,000 working-age persons, and 15.1% of all respondents (6121) reported that they very often experienced physical symptoms in the neck. The results showed that they also had many other symptoms very often, and 49% used a computer daily at work and 83.9% used cell phones. We compared physical/mental symptoms of persons with symptoms in the neck quite often or more, with others. We found significant differences in the physical/mental symptoms and use of cell phones and computers. The results suggest taking into account in the future that those persons' symptoms in the neck can be associated with use of cell phones or computers. We investigated the possible relation between neck symptoms and use of computers/cell phones. We found that persons, who very often had symptoms in the neck, had also other symptoms very often (e.g. exhaustion at work). Their use of information and communication technology (e.g. computers) can associate with their symptoms.