An evaluation of the Wii Nunchuk as an alternative assistive device for people with intellectual and physical disabilities using switch controlled software

Many people with intellectual disabilities also have physical difficulties which prevent them from using standard computer control devices. Custom made alternative devices for those with special needs can be expensive and the low unit turnover makes the prospect unattractive to potential manufacturers. One solution is to explore the potential of devices used in contemporary gaming technology, such as the Nintendo Wii. The Wii Nunchuk has the potential to replace joystick functions with the advantages of not being surface bound and easier for some individuals to grasp. This study evaluated the feasibility of using the Nunchuk by comparing its performance as a switch with the participant's usual switch. Twenty three volunteers aged between 17 and 21 with intellectual and physical disabilities completed a Single Switch Performance Test using the new device and their familiar device. For most functions of the switch, there was no significant difference between the participants' performance using the Nunchuck and their familiar device. Additional analysis found that some participants' performance did improve whilst using the Nunchuck, but this was not significantly related to physical or cognitive ability. Those whose performance was better with the Nunchuk were more likely to hold it in the conventional way than were those who had better performance with their familiar device. This merits it being offered as a possible alternative to currently available switches for those with physical difficulties affecting their grip

Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) in an Italian-speaking sample

Background and aims: The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Section III of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has increased the interest of researchers in the development of new standardized psychometric tools for the assessment of such a disorder. To date, the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) has only been validated in English, Portuguese, and Slovenian languages. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in an Italian speaking sample. Methods: A total of 757 participants were recruited to the present study. Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group analyses were applied to assess the construct validity. Reliability analyses comprised the average variance extracted, the standard error of measurement, and the factor determinacy coefficient. Convergent and criterion validities were established through the associations with other related constructs. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine an empirical cut-off point. Results: Findings confirmed the single factor structure of the instrument, its measurement invariance at the configural level, and the convergent and criterion validities. Satisfactory levels of reliability and a cut-off point of 21 were obtained. Discussion and conclusions: The present study provides validity evidence for the use of the Italian version of the IGDS9-SF and may foster research into gaming addiction in the Italian context

The use of the Nintendo Wii in motor rehabilitation for virtual reality interventions:a literature review

Several review articles have been published on the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in motor rehabilitation. The majority of these focus on the effectiveness of VR on improving motor function using relatively expensive commercial tools and technologies including robotics, cybergloves, cybergrasps, joysticks, force sensors and motion capture systems. However, we present the case in this chapter that game sensors and VR technologies which can be customized and reconfigured, such as the Nintendo Wii, provide an alternative and affordable VR intervention for rehabilitation. While the performance of many of the Wii based interventions in motor rehabilitation are currently the focus of investigation by researchers, an extensive and holistic discussion on this subject does not yet exist. As such, the purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with an understanding of the advantages and limitations of the Nintendo Wii game sensor device (and its associated accessories) for motor rehabilitation and in addition, to outline the potential for incorporating these into clinical interventions for the benefit of patients and therapists

A review of fly ash-based paste filling deamination methods

On the basis of discussing the status of fly ash-based paste filling technology, this paper further discusses the deterioration of downhole air environment caused by ammonia release in fly ash-based paste filling. By analyzing the mechanism of ammonia generation, it was found that NH4 HSO4 and (NH4)2SO4 adsorbed in fly ash are soluble in water and generate NH4+, which will be converted to NH3 and released under alkaline environment. It is studied that the existing methods for removing ammonia adsorbed in fly ash solids, such as alkali addition, oxidation and heating methods, can remove ammonia to an appropriate range and meet the normal use of fly ash. However, since the alkali addition method and the oxidation method need to add chemicals and the fly ash after deamination treatment needs to be heated and dried, the heating method has higher requirements on the heat source, and the high cost makes these methods can not be widely used in the deamination treatment of fly ash-based paste filling. The fly ash is made into slurry, and the basic theory of physical and chemical deamination in sewage is used for reference, and the technical measures to remove ammonia in slurry by stripping method, break-point chlorination method and magnesium ammonium phosphate method are proposed. Among them, the stripping method is stable and does not require additional chemicals, while the break-point chlorination method and magnesium ammonium phosphate method can theoretically remove ammonia from slurry completely, but the required dosage is large, and it is difficult to control the dosage, which affects the ammonia removal effect and the performance of fly ash. Through a comprehensive comparison of the technical characteristics of the above deamination methods, combined with the economic evaluation that the stripping method for treating fly ash slurry has good prospects for engineering applications. Subsequent studies can optimize the operating conditions for the removal of ammonia from fly ash slurry by the stripping method through experiments or simulations, with a view to obtaining better deamination results. In addition, the performance of the filled paste formulated from the deaminated fly ash slurry needs to be paid continuous attention

Optimization and mechanism of wet desulfurization with fly ash based on response surface

To investigate the desulfurization effect and mechanism of fly ash as a desulfurized, single factor experiment and response surface method were used to analyze the parameters of ash slurry solid-liquid mass ratio , SO2 volume fraction, and gas flow rate, and the reaction mechanism of fly ash wet desulfurization was investigated by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that within a certain range, increasing the solid-liquid ratio can increase the penetration time, the total adsorption capacity of SO2, and the adsorption capacity of SO2 per unit of fly ash slurry by increasing the pH. However, when the solid-liquid ratio exceeds 1∶1, the penetration time and adsorption capacity of SO2 will decrease. With the increase in SO2 volume fraction, the adsorption capacity of fly ash slurry to SO2 first increased and then decreased. When the SO2 volume fraction was 750×10−6, the maximum adsorption capacity was 64.35 mg, High SO2 volume fraction can significantly reduce the penetration time. With the increase of the gas flow rate, the penetration time, the total adsorption amount of SO2, and the adsorption amount of SO2 per unit mass of fly ash slurry decreased. The results of response surface analysis are shown by denoting the three factors of solid-liquid ratio, SO2 concentration and gas flow rate as A, B and C, respectively, and their interaction terms as AB, AC and BC, respectively: the primary and secondary order of the factors affecting the penetration time were C, B, A, BC, AC, and AB. The primary and secondary order of the factors affecting the total adsorption capacity of SO2 is B, A, C, AB, BC and AC. The primary and secondary order of factors affecting the adsorption of SO2 per unit mass of fly ash slurry is A, B, C, AB, AC and BC. The optimum desulphurisation process conditions are as follows: the solid/liquid ratio is 0.87, the SO2 volume fraction is 472×10−6 and the gas flow rate is 1 500 mL/min. XRF and SEM analysis of fly ash before and after desulfurization show that the sulfur oxide content of fly ash after desulfurization increases significantly, and the original surface plate Ca(OH)2 forms CaSO4·2H2O and CaO·Al2O3·3CaSO4·32H2O in bulk and rod. The possible desulfurization mechanism is that fly ash dissolves a large amount of Ca2+ and OH− in water. SiO2 and Al2O3 react with Ca(OH)2 under strong alkaline conditions to form cementitious materials such as hydrated calcium silicate and hydrated calcium aluminate (C−S−H and C−A−H gels).When the sulfur-containing flue gas passes into the fly ash slurry, SO2 is transferred to the liquid phase, forming H+, \begin{document}${\mathrm{HSO}}_3^-$\end{document} and \begin{document}${\mathrm{SO}}_3^{2-}$\end{document}, and H+ reacts with the fly ash slurry, leaching Ca2+, Fe3+ and other elements contained in the fly ash and catalyzing oxidation of SO2 gas dissolved in the fly ash slurry to produce H2SO4 and CaSO4. After combining with water molecules in the slurry, CaSO4 was precipitated in the form of CaSO4·2H2O

Ultrasonic strengthening characteristics of ammonia release during the preparation of fly ash based filling paste

Fly ash-based paste-filling mining can not only effectively control land subsidence and increase the coal recovery rate, but it also solves the problem of fly ash accumulation in coal-fired power plants. The release of ammonia from fly ash-based filling paste contaminates the air environment of the coal mine filling face, necessitating immediate remediation. This study proposes a new method of using ultrasound to promote the release of paste ammonia. Through the ultrasonic treatment of fly ash slurry, the ultrasonic time (A), ultrasonic power (B) and solid-liquid ratio (C) are used as investigation factors. The results show that the ammonia release rate increases first and then decreases with the increase of ultrasonic time, ultrasonic power and solid-liquid ratio, and reaches the maximum when the ultrasonic time, ultrasonic power and solid-liquid ratio are 30 min, 80 W and 1∶10, respectively. The response surface experiment is conducted on the basis of single factor test to establish a regression model. The optimal experimental parameters are determined by response surface optimization. The results show that the order of influencing factors is: A > B > C, AB > AC > BC. The optimum experimental parameters for ammonia removal are as follows: ultrasonic time is 32 min, ultrasonic power is 80 W, and solid-liquid ratio is 1∶7.7. Through verification, it is found that there is only a relative error of −1.6% between the measured value and the predicted value. The optimized experimental parameters are used to treat the fly ash to prepare the filling paste to determine the ammonia release amount. It is found that the ammonia release amount of the paste is reduced by 95.94%. The ammonia release rate increases by 84.02%, and the uniaxial compressive strength of the paste at 3 d and 28 d increases by 185.00% and 86.50%, respectively. The slump, bleeding rate and setting time are decreased, and the number of harmful pores in the paste is reduced, so that the porosity is decreased from 33.58% to 28.13%. It provides a new method for the ammonia release treatment of the fly ash-based filling paste

Wii-based exercise program to improve physical fitness, motor proficiency and functional mobility in adults with Down syndrome

People with Down syndrome (DS) usually display reduced physical fitness (aerobic capacity, muscle strength and abnormal body composition), motor proficiency impairments (balance and postural control) and physical functional limitations. Exergames can be an appealing alternative to enhance exercise engagement and compliance, whilst improving physical fitness and motor function. This study aims to analyse the effects of a Wii-based exercise program on physical fitness, functional mobility and motor proficiency of adults with DS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dendrimer-Functionalized Shell-crosslinked Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for In-Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Tumors

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58645/1/1671_ftp.pd