Articles tagged with Smartphones
Researchers argue that emoji-based language systems can improve communication between patients and physicians, particularly for vulnerable populations such as those with stroke or vocal impairments. The use of emoji can condense surveys and questionnaires, increasing response rates and appealing to patients.
A study analyzed emoji and emoticon use in secure clinical texting systems, finding they primarily convey new and interactionally significant information. The results suggest that emoji use may not undermine professionalism as much as initially thought.
A new framework developed by Carnegie Mellon University researchers significantly reduces consumers' privacy risk while preserving advertisers' utility in mobile location data analysis. The framework uses machine learning to quantify personalized privacy risks and performs personalized data obfuscation.
A smartphone app developed by a team of researchers improved midwives' knowledge and skills in Tanzania, leading to better birth preparations for pregnant women. The app showed significant improvements in learning outcomes and home-based value scores, indicating a higher preference for hospital births.
A low-cost clip attachment uses a smartphone's camera and flash to monitor blood pressure, making it easy and affordable for resource-poor communities. The technology was tested on 24 volunteers and showed comparable results to traditional blood pressure cuffs.
University students' tweets showed a positive correlation between social events and hobbies with subjective well-being, while politics had a negative effect. Negative expressions also increased during the pandemic, negatively impacting students' desire for self-presentation and overall well-being.
Researchers have developed a novel computational approach to design protein-peptide ligand binding complexes that can trigger complex cellular responses. The new biosensors can sense flexible compounds and provide optimal sensing of molecular signals, potentially leading to improved therapeutic applications.
A study of 700 participants found that time outdoors doesn't always reduce smartphone screentime. However, visits to nature reserves or forests saw significant declines in screentime compared to urban locations. Participants who visited wilder areas spent more time disconnected from their smartphones and regained attention.
Researchers found that people produce louder and slower speech with less pitch variation when communicating with AI systems, while clearer speech improves comprehension. The study aims to improve AI's ability to understand human speech and investigate language changes as technology advances.
Emotion dysregulation and fear of missing out (FoMO) contribute to problematic smartphone use among young people. Difficulty in controlling impulses and emotional clarity increase FoMO levels.
A video-based smoking cessation program developed by a University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher has helped nearly 40% of HIV-positive smokers in Nepal quit tobacco. The program, which includes 11 video sessions and is accessible via smartphone app, was found to be highly effective in promoting abstinence among participants.
Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science have demonstrated a new chip-scale approach using OLEDs to image magnetic fields, offering a potential solution for portable quantum sensing. This technique enables small, flexible, and mass-producible sensing without requiring input from a laser or cryogenic temperatures.
Researchers at Princeton University developed a new device called mmWall that can steer millimeter-wave (mmWave) signals to reach all corners of a large room. The device uses an accordion-like array of panels to reflect and refract radio waves, allowing for efficient beam steering and alignment with transmitters and receivers.
Researchers have found that commercially available smartphones and smartwatches can capture key features of early, untreated Parkinson's disease. These technologies could provide more objective and continuous ways to measure the disease, bringing new treatments to market faster for patients in the early stages.
The WVU SMARTER center aims to improve mobility in rural areas through self-driving cars, ride-sharing services, and bike sharing. The center will develop infrastructure and technology barriers to ensure accessibility for all people.
A new AI stop smoking app, Quit Sense, detected triggers and provided support to help smokers manage urges to smoke in specific locations. The study found that four times more people who used the app quit smoking six months later compared to those only offered online NHS support.
A randomized clinical trial found that using smartphone apps for home monitoring after oncologic surgery leads to improved quality of recovery and equal patient satisfaction. The study compared this approach with conventional in-person follow-up, revealing no significant differences in these outcomes.
A study of high school students in Brazil found that excessive smartphone use is associated with thoracic spine pain (TSP), affecting girls more than boys. The research highlights the importance of health education programs to combat this issue and promote physical activity and good posture.
A recent study published in PLOS ONE found that smartphone plant identification apps are not accurate enough to rely on when it comes to identifying toxic plants. The researchers developed a repeatable scoring system to assess the accuracy of these apps and found them to be unreliable for this purpose.
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have discovered ultrasmall swirling magnetic vortices, known as merons and skyrmions, in an iron-containing material. These tiny magnetic structures show promise for future computer memory storage and high-efficiency microelectronics due to their stability and adaptability to binary code.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo developed a kraft paper-based electrochemical sensor that can detect traces of pesticides in fruit and vegetables in real time. The device resembles a glucometer and has been shown to be highly sensitive, fast, and inexpensive.
Researchers at the University of Washington developed GlucoScreen, a new system that leverages smartphone capacitive touch sensing to measure blood glucose levels. The system's accuracy is comparable to standard glucometer testing, making it potentially less costly and more accessible for widespread screening.
Researchers have developed a new type of OLED display that uses strong coupling of light and matter to improve color saturation and brightness. The displays, known as polariton-based OLEDs, achieve this without compromising efficiency or viewing angle dependency.
A proof-of-principle study introduces a 'glowscope' - a $50 device that converts smartphones into fluorescence microscopes. The device allows for low-magnification imaging of cells, tissues, and organisms under fluorescent lighting.
A new type of ferroelectric semiconductor has been integrated into a reconfigurable transistor, enabling multifunctional devices to be combined on the same platform. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient and lower-cost electronics, including reconfigurable radio frequency and microwave communication systems.
A new non-invasive diagnostic technique using smartphone photographs of the eye and face has been successfully developed to detect anaemia in children. The study, published in PLOS ONE, used images from 43 children under four to predict blood haemoglobin concentration with high accuracy.
Researchers at UBC Okanagan have developed transmission schemes that incorporate reconfigurable intelligent surfaces to serve as reflectors within existing wireless networks. These surfaces can bounce signals to cell phones, improving accuracy and reliability in location services and data speeds.
A smartphone app-based cognitive behavioral therapy program lowered blood sugar levels and improved health behaviors in patients with diabetes. The study found a clear 'dose effect,' where participants completing more lessons saw greater benefits.
Researchers found that certain wearable devices using bioimpedance sensing technology can interfere with CRT devices, causing pacing interruptions or unnecessary shocks to the heart. The study suggests that future clinical studies are needed to evaluate patients with CIEDs and wearables.
New research explores the impact of digital media on visual perception, finding that online environments can shift what the brain pays attention to. Studies suggest that excessive digital use can lead to a reduced sensitivity to oblique angles, but this effect may not be permanent once exposure to nature increases.
Researchers at Nagoya University developed a new dry etching method for metal carbides, allowing for the selective removal of TiAlC from other compounds. This technique enables the fabrication of gate-all-around transistors with improved performance and reduced leakage.
HemaChrome, a digital health startup, has won phase 1 of the National Institutes of Health's RADx Tech for Maternal Health Challenge. The company uses smartphone technology to noninvasively measure blood hemoglobin levels, making them accessible and affordable for nearly everyone.
Researchers from Mount Sinai Health System presented studies on the association between obesity and adverse outcomes in forceps-assisted vaginal deliveries, as well as the utility of cervical length surveillance after cerclage placement for predicting preterm birth. Additionally, a new tool for managing postpartum hemorrhage was showca...
A new smartphone application called FAST.AI uses machine learning algorithms to recognize facial asymmetry, arm weakness, and speech changes in people experiencing a stroke. The app's accuracy was validated through a study involving nearly 270 patients with acute stroke, showing promise as a tool for prompt individuals to seek care.
A University of Houston research team has developed a new method for early diagnosis and monitoring of lupus nephritis using a smartphone-based test. The test assesses the levels of ALCAM protein in urine, showing high diagnostic accuracy for renal pathology activity in active lupus nephritis.
Scientists have created a small, portable device that can extract and pretreat bacterial DNA using voice commands, making it easier and safer for researchers to handle potentially infectious samples. The device has shown promise in extracting DNA from Salmonella Typhimurium with an efficiency of 70% in under a minute.
Researchers found that inexpensive techniques, such as nudges, can increase adoption of app features and complete onboarding. The study's findings have implications for consumer privacy, customer relationship management, and regulation.
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba found that web-based interventions are effective in promoting weight loss in people with overweight and obesity. The most effective components include social support, self-monitoring, behavioral goal setting, and personalized information.
Researchers developed HippoCamera, a new smartphone app that significantly improves memory recall by boosting attention to daily events. Users record videos and audio descriptions of everyday experiences, which are then replayed to reinforce memory consolidation.
A new study found that limited information is available on the size of the gambling market, participation, harms, and prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers argue that regulation is outdated and ill-equipped for a digital age, with many territories lacking explicit regulation for online gambling.
The Center for Aggressive Scaling by Advanced Processes for Electronics and Photonics (ASAP) aims to develop new fundamental technology solutions to reduce energy consumption in microprocessors. The center will focus on materials discovery, heterogeneous 3D integration, and highly energy-efficient circuits and architectures.
A study of 578 mental health apps found that most offered basic features like psychoeducation and goal tracking, but fewer innovative features like biofeedback or specialized therapies. Privacy concerns remained a significant issue, with app popularity metrics providing little help in identifying more private apps.
A reactive strip has been prototyped to detect and quantify allergens in foods before consumption. The test's reliability is high due to its miniaturized 36-point array with internal controls and calibrators, enabling quick quantification of allergen traces.
Texas A&M researchers have developed a method to embed hidden magnetic tags in metal parts, providing a new tool to combat counterfeited goods. The technique uses metal additive manufacturing to create unique identifiers that can be read using a magnetic sensor device.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a novel harmonic-selection technique to extend the operational bandwidth of 5G NR communication. The proposed technology improves power efficiency and achieves low noise, making it compatible with all existing 5G bands and future 60 GHz licensed band.
A new study demonstrates how anonymized smartphone data can monitor public use of parks and green spaces, shedding light on relationships between people and nature. The findings highlight potential for GPS data to inform management and optimize benefits for both recreation and biodiversity.
A recent study found that frequent mobile device use for calming young children may displace opportunities for learning emotion-regulation strategies. Pediatric health care professionals may need to encourage alternative calming approaches to support healthy development.
A new study found that frequent use of digital devices to soothe young children ages 3-5 is associated with increased emotional dysregulation in kids, particularly in boys. Alternative soothing methods can help build emotion regulation skills and prevent tech-related tantrums.
A novel public health intervention, virtual overdose monitoring services offer timely and anonymous access to emergency care and can develop personalized response plans for individuals using substances. High-quality research is needed to better understand the benefits and risks of these services.
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University have developed a technique to convert waste paper into lithium-ion battery electrodes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing durability. The new method uses carbonisation and laser cutting to create reusable batteries with superior properties.
A new smartphone healthcare app called CALO mama Plus has been found to lead to significant reductions in body weight. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Tsukuba, tested the efficacy of a comprehensive behavior modification app and found it to be as effective as established interventions.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic developed an AI algorithm that accurately detects weak heart pumps using single-lead Apple Watch ECGs. The system has shown promising results, rivaling medical treadmill diagnostic tests in accuracy, and holds potential for scalable screening and prevention of heart failure.
A new study found that smartphones can harbor allergens such as cat and dog dander, β-D glucans, and endotoxin. Cleaning compounds like chlorhexidine/cetylpyridinium chloride and benzyl benzoate/tannic acid were effective in reducing these allergens.
A team of researchers from Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, and Northern Illinois University are developing an open source system called FLASH to objectively measure children's screen-viewing behaviors. The five-year grant includes funding for three long-term studies on the impacts of screen use on young children.
Screen time increased by 52% during the pandemic, with significant increases for individuals ages 12-18 and handheld devices/personal computers.
A new study by MIT researchers shows that mobile phones can collect useful structural integrity data while crossing bridges. The study found that information about bridge vibrations can be extracted from smartphone-collected accelerometer data, and that this method could add years to a road bridge's lifespan. By leveraging crowdsourced...
Research found a hospital code response team arrives at least one minute quicker and leads to better patient outcomes with smartphone emergency code notification systems. The study used a secure texting system that connected with electronic medical records, reducing conventional methods' average delay of 78 seconds.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new hearing screening system using low-cost earbuds and smartphones, which performed as well as commercial devices and correctly identified patients with hearing loss. The tool can be used in countries where screening is not accessible due to high device costs.
An automated texting program supported primary care patients after hospital discharge, resulting in significant reductions in acute care resource use. The patient-centered approach may serve as a model for improving post-discharge care.
Researchers used smartphone sensors to measure walking activity in 100,000 UK Biobank participants and developed predictive models of mortality risk. The study showed that just 6 minutes per day of steady walking measured by the sensor can accurately predict mortality risk, similar to physical measures.