Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ECSOD) interacts with heparin through its C-terminal domain. In this study we used isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to get detailed thermodynamic information about the interaction. We have shown that the interaction between ECSOD and intestinal mucosal heparin (M-w 6000-30000 Da) is exothermic and driven by enthalpy at physiological salt concentration. However, the contribution from entropy is favorable for binding or small isolated heparin fragments. By studying different size-defined heparin fragments, we also concluded that it hexasaccharide moiety is sufficient for strong binding to ECSOD. The binding involves proton transfer from the buffer to the ECSOD-heparin complex, and the results indicate that the number of ionic interactions made between ECSOD and heparin upon binding varies from three to five for heparin and an octasaccharide fragment, respectively. Surprisingly and despite the many charges found oil both the protein and the polysaccharide, our results indicate that the nonionic contribution to the binding is large. From the temperature dependence we have calculated the constant pressure heat capacity change (Delta C-p) of the interaction to -644 J K-1 mol(-1) and -306 J K-1 mol(-1) for heparin and all octasaccharide, respectively

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In this paper we present and evaluate a platform for interactive collaborative face-to-face Augmented Reality using a distributed scene graph on mobile phones. The results of individual actions are viewed on the screen in real-time on every connected phone. We show how multiple collaborators can use consumer mobile camera phones to furnish a room together in an Augmented Reality environment. We have also presented a user case study to investigate how untrained users adopt this novel technology and to study the collaboration between multiple users. The platform is totally independent of a PC server though it is possible to connect a PC client to be used for high quality visualization on a big screen device such as a projector or a plasma display.

Fluid simulation is today a hot topic in computer graphics. New highly optimized algorithms have allowed complex systems to be simulated in high speed. This master thesis describes how the graphics processing unit, found in most computer workstations, can be used to optimize the rendering of volumetric fluids. The main aim of the work has been to develop a software that is capable of rendering fluids in high quality and with high performance using OpenGL. The software was developed at Filmgate, a digital effects company in Göteborg, and much time was spent making the interface and the workflow easy to use for people familiar with Autodesk Maya. The project resulted in a standalone rendering application, together with a set of plugins to exchange data between Maya and our renderer.

Most of the goals have been reached when it comes to rendering features. The performance bottleneck turned out to be reading data from disc and this is an area suitable for future development of the software.

The postural sway in 24 subjects performing a boresight calibration task on a large format head-up display is studied to estimate the impact of human limits on boresight calibration precision and ultimately on static registration errors. The dependent variables, accumulated sway path and omni-directional standard deviation, are analyzed for the calibration exercise and compared against control cases where subjects are quietly standing with eyes open and eyes closed. Findings show that postural stability significantly deteriorates during boresight calibration compared to when the subject is not occupied with a visual task. Analysis over time shows that the calibration error can be reduced by 39% if calibration measurements are recorded in a three second interval at approximately 15 seconds into the calibration session as opposed to an initial reading. Furthermore parameter optimization on experiment data suggests a Weibull distribution as a possible error description and estimation for omni-directional calibration precision. This paper extends previously published preliminary analyses and the conclusions are verified with experiment data that has been corrected for subject inverted pendulum compensatory head rotation by providing a better estimate of the position of the eye. With correction the statistical findings are reinforced.

The precision with which users can maintain boresight alignment between visual targets at different depths is recorded for 24 subjects using two different boresight targets. Subjects' normal head stability is established using their Romberg coefficients. Weibull distributions are used to describe the probabilities of the magnitude of head positional errors and the three dimensional cloud of errors is displayed by orthogonal two dimensional density plots. These data will lead to an understanding of the limits of user introduced calibration error in augmented reality systems.

The mitigation of registration errors is a central challenge for improving the usability of AugmentedReality systems. While the technical achievements within tracking and display technology continue toimprove the conditions for good registration, little research is directed towards understanding theuser’s visual alignment performance during the calibration process. This paper reports 12 standingsubjects’ visual alignment performance using an optical see-through head mounted display for viewingdirections varied in azimuth (0°, ±30°, ±60°) and elevation (0°, ±10°). Although viewing direction hasa statistically significant effect on the shape of the distribution, the effect is small and negligible forpractical purposes and can be approximated to a circular distribution with a standard deviation of 0.2°for all viewing directions studied in this paper. In addition to quantifying head aiming accuracy with ahead fixed cursor and illustrating the deteriorating accuracy of boresight calibration with increasingviewing direction extremity, the results are applicable for filter design determining the onset and end ofhead rotation.

The quality of visual registration achievable with anoptical see-through head mounted display (HMD)ultimately depends on the user’s targetingprecision. This paper presents design guidelines forcalibration procedures based on measurements ofusers’ head stability during visual alignment withreference targets. Targeting data was collected from12 standing subjects who aligned a head fixedcursor presented in a see-through HMD withbackground targets that varied in azimuth (0°, ±30°,±60°) and elevation (0°, ±10°). Their data showedthat: 1) Both position and orientation data will needto be used to establish calibrations based on nearbyreference targets since eliminating body swayeffects can improve calibration precision by a factorof 16 and eliminate apparent angular anisotropies.2) Compensation for body sway can speed thecalibration by removing the need to wait for thebody sway to abate, and 3) calibration precision canbe less than 2 arcmin even for head directionsrotated up to 60° with respect to the user’s torsoprovided body sway is corrected. Users ofAugmented Reality (AR) applications overlookinglarge distances may avoid the need to correct forbody sway by boresighting on markers at relativelylong distances, >> 10 m. These recommendationscontrast with those for heads up displays using realimages as discussed in previous papers.

The correct spatial registration between virtual and real objects in optical see-through augmented reality implies accurate estimates of the user’s eyepoint relative to the location and orientation of the display surface. A common approach is to estimate the display parameters through a calibration procedure involving a subjective alignment exercise. Human postural sway and targeting precision contribute to imprecise alignments, which in turn adversely affect the display parameter estimation resulting in registration errors between virtual and real objects. The technique commonly used has its origin incomputer vision, and calibrates stationary cameras using hundreds of correspondence points collected instantaneously in one video frame where precision is limited only by pixel quantization and image blur. Subsequently the input noise level is several order of magnitudes greater when a human operator manually collects correspondence points one by one. This paper investigates the effect of human alignment noise on view parameter estimation in an optical see-through head mounted display to determine how well astandard camera calibration method performs at greater noise levels than documented in computer vision literature. Through Monte-Carlo simulations we show that it is particularly difficult to estimate the user’s eyepoint in depth, but that a greater distribution of correspondence points in depth help mitigate the effects of human alignment noise.

The use of haptics is growing in the area of science education. Haptics appears to convey information to students in a manner that influences their learning and ways of thinking. This document outlines examples of how haptics has been employed in science education contexts and gives a more detailed description of an education oriented evaluation of a haptic protein-ligand docking system. In molecular life science, students need to grasp several complex concepts to understand molecular interactions. Research on how haptics influences students' learning show strong positive affective responses and, in the protein-ligand docking case, that reasoning with respect to molecular processes is altered. However, since many implications of using haptics in education are still unknown, more research is needed.

In this paper we present an in situ evaluation of a haptic system, with a representative test population, we aim to determine what, if any, benefit haptics can have in a biomolecular education context. We have developed a haptic application for conveying concepts of molecular interactions, specifically in protein-ligand docking. Utilizing a semi-immersive environment with stereo graphics, users are able to manipulate the ligand and feel its interactions in the docking process. The evaluation used cognitive knowledge tests and interviews focused on learning gains. Compared with using time efficiency as the single quality measure this gives a better indication of a system's applicability in an educational environment. Surveys were used to gather opinions and suggestions for improvements. Students do gain from using the application in the learning process but the learning appears to be independent of the addition of haptic feedback. However the addition of force feedback did decrease time requirements and improved the students understanding of the docking process in terms of the forces involved, as is apparent from the students' descriptions of the experience. The students also indicated a number of features which could be improved in future development.

In this paper we present a history dependent transfer function (HDTF) as a possible approach to enable improved haptic feature detection in high dynamic range (HDR) volume data. The HDTF is a multi-dimensional transfer function that uses the recent force history as a selection criterion to switch between transfer functions, thereby adapting to the explored force range. The HDTF has been evaluated using artificial test data and in a realistic application example, with the HDTF applied to haptic protein-ligand docking. Biochemistry experts performed docking tests, and expressed that the HDTF delivers the expected feedback across a large force magnitude range, conveying both weak attractive and strong repulsive protein-ligand interaction forces. Feature detection tests have been performed with positive results, indicating that the HDTF improves the ability of feature detection in HDR volume data as compared to a static transfer function covering the same range.

Within the molecular life sciences extensive use is made of visual representations, ranging from sketches to advanced computer graphics, often used to convey abstract knowledge that is difficult for the student to grasp. This work evaluates a new visual and haptic (tactile/kinetic) tool for protein docking in an in situ learning situation by combining qualitative and quantitative methods, performing tests and interviews with students; all aiming at a proper inclusion of visualization tools into biomolecular education. Preliminary results indicate time gains, strong positive affective responses and learning gains from the tasks, however the influence of haptics needs further investigation.

Proton radiography using laser-driven sources has been developed as a diagnostic since the beginning of the decade, and applied successfully to a range of experimental situations. Multi-MeV protons driven from thin foils via the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism, offer, under optimal conditions, the possibility of probing laser-plasma interactions, and detecting electric and magnetic fields as well as plasma density gradients with similar to ps temporal resolution and similar to 5-10 mu m spatial resolution. In view of these advantages, the use of proton radiography as a diagnostic in experiments of relevance to Inertial Confinement Fusion is currently considered in the main fusion laboratories. This paper will discuss recent advances in the application of laser-driven radiography to experiments of relevance to Inertial Confinement Fusion. In particular we will discuss radiography of hohlraum and gasbag targets following the interaction of intense ns pulses. These experiments were carried out at the HELEN laser facility at AWE (UK), and proved the suitability of this diagnostic for studying, with unprecedented detail, laser-plasma interaction mechanisms of high relevance to Inertial Confinement Fusion. Non-linear solitary structures of relevance to space physics, namely phase space electron holes, have also been highlighted by the measurements. These measurements are discussed and compared to existing models.

The electromagnetic instabilities driven by a relativistic electron beam, which moves through a magnetized plasma, are analyzed with a cold two-fluid model. It allows for any angle B between the beam velocity vector and the magnetic field vector and considers any orientation of the wavevector in the two-dimensional plane spanned by these two vectors. If the magnetic field is strong, the two-stream instability dominates if B=0 and the oblique modes grow faster at larger B. A weaker magnetic field replaces the two-stream modes with oblique modes as the fastest-growing waves. The threshold value separating both magnetic regimes is estimated. A further dimensionless parameter is identified, which determines whether or not the wavevector of the most unstable wave is changed continuously, as B is varied from 0 to /2. The fastest growing modes are always found for a transverse propagation of the beam with B=/2, irrespective of the magnetic field strength. ©2008 American Institute of Physics

Instabilities driven by relativistic electron beams are being investigated due to their importance for plasma heating and electromagnetic field generation in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of initially unmagnetized colliding plasmas have demonstrated the generation of strong magnetic fields and a moderate electron acceleration. The inclusion of a flow-aligned magnetic field suppresses the electromagnetic filamentation instability and PIC simulations have shown that the plasma dynamics turns quasi-electrostatic. To quantify the impact of the magnetic field, we have analyzed numerically a magnetized multi-fluid model that includes a kinetic pressure term. This fluid model allows us to examine the beam-driven instability at all angles between the wavevector and the magnetic field vector. More accurate kinetic models typically focus only on the filamentation instability, due to the increased analytical complexity. We present here the fluid model and a growth rate map of the entire k-space for a beam Lorentz factor 4. We verify that the two-stream, mixed mode and filamentation instability belong to the same wave branch and that the magnetic field selects the fastest-growing mode. We estimate the magnetic fields required to suppress the filamentation and the mixed mode instabilities.

Particle-in-cell simulations are widely used as a tool to investigate instabilities that develop between a collisionless plasma and beams of charged particles. However, even on contemporary supercomputers, it is not always possible to resolve the ion dynamics in more than one spatial dimension with such simulations. The ion mass is thus reduced below 1836 electron masses, which can affect the plasma dynamics during the initial exponential growth phase of the instability and during the subsequent nonlinear saturation. The goal of this article is to assess how far the electron to ion mass ratio can be increased, without changing qualitatively the physics. It is first demonstrated that there can be no exact similarity law, which balances a change in the mass ratio with that of another plasma parameter, leaving the physics unchanged. Restricting then the analysis to the linear phase, a criterion allowing to define a maximum ratio is explicated in terms of the hierarchy of the linear unstable modes. The criterion is applied to the case of a relativistic electron beam crossing an unmagnetized electron-ion plasma.

This paper introduces a survey and a classification of 3D pointing techniques. The survey presents a chronological view on the study of 3D pointing techniques. The classification is based on a proposed definition of 3D cursor. The paper shows that existing 3D pointing techniques can be either 3D pointer-based cursor or 3D line-based cursor. Based on recent results of 3D Fitts- law study and the definition of two types of 3D cursor, the paper discusses different virtual enhancements for improving existing 3D pointing techniques and for creating and evaluating new 3D pointing techniques which focus on decreasing the average target acquisition time.

Motivation - To identify a suitable interaction modality -among the ones currently implemented in a three-dimensional (3D) environment for Air Traffic Control- for allowing interactive exploration of and gathering information about 3D weather structures. Research approach - A usability study entailing four interaction modalities (also called -interaction interfaces-): voice, wand, pen and sketch interfaces, across a task requiring 3D surface exploration, information gathering and recall of information. Quantitative data (time, errors and a composite performance index) as well as qualitative data were collected. Findings/Design - Overall, the results indicate that the wand supported a better performance when compared to the other interaction interfaces. Among the four interaction interfaces, the voice interface seems to present additional limitations, mostly related to time lag in the voice recognition, that were judged as a source of frustration. Originality/Value - The present work provides empirical results deriving from a comparative usability study of four interaction interfaces; it contributes to the study of interaction in 3D environments with new empirical data.

This book constitutes the strictly refereed post-proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Computational Logic for Multi-Agent Systems, CLIMA IV, held in Fort Lauderdale, Fl, USA in January 2004.  The 11 revised full papers presented together with 2 invited papers were carefully selected during two rounds of reviewing and improvement. The papers are devoted to techniques from computational logic for representing, programming, and reasoning about multi-agent systems. The papers are organized in topical sections on negotiation in MAS, planning in MAS, knowledge revision and update in MAS, and learning in BDI MAS.

We present an architecture for a rational, reactive agent and describe its implementation. The paper addresses issues raised by the interaction of the rational and reactive behaviour of the agent, and its updating mechanism. We relate it with the work of others.

We present an approach to model supervisory control systems based on extended behaviour networks. In particular, we employ them to formalize the control theory of the supervisor. By separating the reasoning in the supervisor and the action implementation in the controller, the overall system architecture becomes modular, and therefore easily changeable and modifiable.

We present a logic programming based asynchronous multi-agent system in which agents can communicate with one another; update themselves and each other; abduce hypotheses to explain observations, and use them to generate actions. The knowledge base of the agents is comprised of generalized logic programs, integrity constraints, active rules, and of abducibles. We characterize the interaction among agents via an asynchronous transition rule system, and provide a stable models based semantics. An example is developed to illustrate how our approach works.

We present a logic programming based asynchronous multi-agent system in which agents can communicate with one another, update themselves and each other, abduce hypotheses to explain observations, and use them to generate actions. The knowledge base of the agents is comprised of generalized logic programs, integrity constraints, active rules, and of abducibles. We characterize the interaction among agents via an asynchronous transition rule system, and provide a stable models based semantics. An example is developed to illustrate how our approach works. © 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Employing a logic program approach, this paper focuses on applying preferential reasoning to theory revision, both by means of preferences among existing theory rules, and by means of preferences on the possible abductive extensions to the theory. And, in particular, how to prefer among plausible abductive explanations justifying observations. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We investigate how to explicitly represent organizational structures in epistemic multi-agent systems (eMAS). We introduce a logical framework F suitable for representing organizational structures for epistemic agents, and provide its declarative and procedural semantics. We show how a number of organizational structures can be represented in F and discuss their properties.

We wish to model common-sense reasoning in situations where it contains some of the ingredients typical of proto-scientific reasoning, with a view to future elaboration and proof of concept. To model this proto-scientific narrative, we employ the integrative formal computational machinery we have been developing and implementing for rational cooperative epistemi agents. In our logic-based framework, agents can update their own and each other's theories, which are comprised of knowledge, active rules, integrity constraints, queries, abducibles, and preferences, they can engage in abductive reasoning involving updatable preferences, set each other queries, react to circumstances, plan and carry out actions, and revise their theories and preferences by means of concurrent updates on self and others.

Preference criteria are rarely static. Often they are subject to modification and aggregation. The resulting preference criteria may not satisfy the properties of the original ones and must therefore be revised. This paper investigates the problem of revising such preference criteria by means of declarative debugging techniques.