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J.S. Held Human Factors and User Experience Experts Benefit from Biomechanist & Human Behavior Specialist

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JERICHO, N.Y., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The global consulting firm, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, has gathered a curated collection of experts who together form Human Factors & User Experience at J.S. Held. These visionaries understand the intricacies of their fields and have conducted, and overseen user experience research at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Siemens. Their combined academic and industry credentials are notable and distinguish the J.S. Held team among human factors and user experience experts. 

 

J.S. Held human factors and user experience experts advise clients throughout the product lifecycle.

J.S. Held’s expertise in human factors, product safety, and user experience is proactive, focused on the product development process, and reactive, providing forensic human factors and product failure analysis to support investigations and dispute advisory. In-house experts advise clients throughout the product lifecycle, from ideation and interaction design through validation, which distinctly qualifies our experts to assess subject allegations and render expert opinions based on scientific evidence and firsthand experience.

The highly collaborative team includes published and credentialed specialists in healthcare, automotive, and children’s products and benefits from collaboration with an in-house biomechanist and human behavior specialist, who brings over a decade of experience in research strategy and execution across academic and industry settings to generate quantitative user experience insights through the combined analysis of human motion and physiological signals (including neural, muscular, and cardiovascular measures).

Human factors experts at J.S. Held investigate and testify in myriad cases, including automotive accidents, premises liability, product liability/failure to warn, medical device failures, class action lawsuits, and Proposition 65 litigation. At J.S. Held, we understand that legal matters often involve complex technical, scientific, and financial issues – areas where our specialized knowledge in forensic investigations, econometric analysis, and related teaching vs telling approach to expert testimony strengthens the trial team. 

Across J.S. Held’s experts, user research is informed by insights gleaned from alleged product failures on the reactive side of their work, while expert witness testimony is given with the authority of experts who are actively engaged in the evaluation and development of products and services. Whether the client’s need is proactive or reactive, understanding where things go wrong and why uniquely positions J.S. Held as a trusted advisor in product safety and user research – helping clients develop products and services that are effective, user-friendly, and safer.

Dr. Robert Rauschenberger, Ph.D., oversees a team of predominantly Ph.D.-level researchers with academic backgrounds in cognition, perception, developmental psychology, human factors, biomechanics, and kinesiology, with degrees from notable institutions such as Harvard, Notre Dame, and Johns Hopkins. Dr. Rauschenberger has over 25 years of experience conducting research on topics of visual attention and distraction, the organization of perceptual information, product design, user experience, risk communication effectiveness, and consumer decision-making. He leverages this experience in legal cases across industries for which he has testified in deposition and at trial. Dr. Rauschenberger has cultivated specific expertise in the evaluation of mixed reality (MR) products. His professional background also disposes him toward the evaluation of healthcare products and services.

Select members of Dr. Rauschenberger’s team include:

Dr. Alexander Stamenkovic, Ph.D. – Biomechanist 

As a biomechanist and human behavior specialist, Dr. Stamenkovic brings over a decade of experience in research strategy and execution across academic and industry settings to generate quantitative user experience insights through the combined analysis of human motion and physiological signals (including neural, muscular, and cardiovascular measures).Active in the international scientific community, he has authored 20 articles at the intersection of anatomy, biomechanics, and neuroscience and as a peer reviewer for multiple scientific publications, including the Journal of Biomechanics, Motor Control, Human Movement Sciences, Frontiers in Sport & Active Living, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, JMIR Research Protocols, and IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality, among others.

Dr. Blake Pellman, Ph.D. – User Experience

Specializes in generating insights into user needs, motivations, and behaviors and evaluating product usability, engagement, effectiveness, accessibility, and safety.Dr. Pellman crafts bespoke user research that targets clients’ unique products and business needs.Before joining J.S. Held, Dr. Pellman was a user experience researcher at Microsoft, where he led proactive UX research to deeply understand user needs and motivations, increase adoption and engagement with consumer services, and develop accessible and immersive interactive experiences. Dr. Pellman has published original research in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has authored review articles and book chapters as a subject matter expert.

Dr. Joe Pauszek, Ph.D. – Healthcare Human Factors

Dr. Pauszek has extensive experience utilizing physiological measures, such as pupillometry via eye tracking, to shed light on the underlying cognitive states of individuals in real time.He has cultivated specialized experience in healthcare research and in the evaluation of medical devices that range in complexity from autoinjectors to robotic surgery systems. This proficiency spans all stages of the medical device lifecycle, from early-stage formative research to formal human factors engineering and usability engineering (HFE/UE) submissions to satisfy regulatory requirements.Serves as a Reviewer for PLOS ONE and Psychological Research and is a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Dr. Robert (Bobby) Sall, Ph.D. – Automotive Human Factors

Specializes in empirical investigations of driver attention and inattention, driving performance, the design of in-vehicle technology, and hazard perception.Dr. Sall has managed scientific studies for Fortune 500 companies to help them optimize user experiences and product safety, and his work has been crucial to those companies at all stages of product development.He serves as a Reviewer for the Surface Transportation Technical Group, Aging Technical Group, Training Technical Group, the PLOS One Journal, and the Transportation Research Board. He is also a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES).

Dr. Rosie Aboody, Ph.D. – Children’s Products

A user experience researcher, she has over ten years of experience researching child development and human cognition. Leveraging this experience, she provides consulting and expert services in human factors and user experience domains.Prior to joining J.S. Held, Dr. Aboody conducted doctoral and postdoctoral research at Harvard, MIT, and Yale University, focusing on child development and computational cognitive science. Dr. Aboody has published more than ten peer-reviewed articles.Leveraging her expertise in experimental design, project management, data collection (including both child and adult samples), and advanced statistics, Dr. Aboody provides impactful and actionable insights to clients.

Dr. Sam Franco-DeWitt, Ph.D. – Physiological Data Recording

Dr. Sam Franco-DeWitt has over 15 years of experience conducting research on topics of human cognition, brain imaging, risk behavior, user experience, and decision-making. Leveraging this experience, he provides consulting and expert services in human factors and user experience domains.He has designed and tested products across multiple industries, including neurotechnology, finance, sports, and virtual reality. Dr. Franco-DeWitt provides unique insights into the user and consumer experience using brain-imaging techniques.He was the Senior Director of R&D at Optios Inc., where he developed neurotechnology that was leveraged in the finance and sports industries.

J.S. Held User experts are retained to work with in-house product development engineers, user experience executives, in-house and outside legal counsel, and claims adjusters. To support the work of experts, J.S. Held owns and operates User Research Laboratories in New York City, Phoenix, Arizona, and Redmond, Washington, and utilizes advanced technology and specialized capabilities, such as optometry, motion capture, eye tracking, physiological data recording, and balance measurement to collect scientific measures and evaluate a wide range of topics.

J.S. Held clients benefit from expertise across the enterprise, as the Human Factors and User Experience team works with toxicologists and industrial hygienists on product liability cases, with accident reconstructionists on vehicular accidents, with mechanical and electrical engineers on product liability cases, with nurses and MDs on medical device and pharma litigation, with the intellectual property (IP) team on product marketing and IP theft cases, and across these and other areas of expertise advising companies throughout the product lifecycle. 

The expertise of the J.S. Held Human Factors and User Experience team results in client work that is not just theoretical but grounded in real-world experience and innovation.  Examples of our expert contributions to client challenges include: 

Designed and executed in-person and remote user research studies, focus groups, task and workflow analyses, heuristic evaluations, and human factors analyses across various industries.Supported manufacturers with human factors engineering and usability engineering regulatory submissions for medical devices.Developed and tested products from early concept through launch and beyond across a variety of technological domains and evaluated learning systems and tutorials for consumer and business products and services through user studies.Assisted companies with development and evaluation of safety communication for consumer, healthcare, and online products by conducting user experience research and user studies.Testified as human factors experts in product liability, class action, and Proposition 65 cases.

Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts like Robert, Joe, Bobby, Rosie, Blake, Alexander, and Sam, who help transform J.S. Held, explore our story,  and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.

About J.S. Held

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Contact

Kristi L. Stathis | Global Public Relations | +1 786 833 4864 | Kristi.Stathis@jsheld.com

Find Your Expert.®

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Faith: The Spark Born by the Yudu Riverside

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BEIJING, Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — An interview from China.org.cn with Wang Xiaohui and David Ferguson on the Long March:

David Ferguson:

This is the Yudu River. One dusk in October, 1934, more than 86,000 soldiers of the Red Army crossed this river and embarked on the Long March, a two-year saga that has left its mark in history.

Yet, lingering here by the river, I am struck by a simple question: If you have faith in a bright future, and reality seems to thwart you at every turn, where do you find the moral strength to keep believing?

Wang Xiaohui:

At dusk on Oct. 17, 1934, an army of more than 86,000 troops gathered along the banks of the Yudu River. Over 800 boats of all sizes floated on the water, bound together with planks collected from villagers’ home gates, timber beams, and even coffin boards reserved for elderly locals. The people of Yudu built this pontoon bridge, determined to help the army led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) cross the river.

At that time, no one knew that the great expedition embarked upon by the banks of the Yudu River would go on to transform China and exert far-reaching influence across the world.

China in the 1920s and 1930s was plagued by chaos and despair.

The Kuomintang (KMT), the ruling party back then, was not capable of unifying the nation, leaving warlords locked in endless fighting. In 1931, Japanese invaders launched an assault on northeastern China, beginning their invasion. Crushed under domestic turbulence and foreign aggression, countless civilians were displaced, with many even starving to death on the streets; in certain regions, severe drought resulted in zero harvests, yet the farmers were forced to pay land taxes assessed for more than a decade into the future.

Amid this turmoil, the only glimmer of hope for the Chinese nation was kindled by the revolution ignited by the Communist Party of China.

The CPC, dedicated to winning liberation for the people and national independence, built contingents of workers’ and peasants’ Red Army troops and revolutionary base areas across the countryside. Impoverished farmers were granted land ownership, as well as unprecedented political dignity. On Nov. 7, 1931, the Chinese Soviet Republic was officially proclaimed in Ruijin, then a small village in southeastern China’s Jiangxi Province, establishing a Soviet system under which workers, peasants and soldiers elected representatives to run regional affairs and make policies.

The communist ideal of a fair society free from exploitation and equality for all blazed like a spark in the darkness; it kindled hopes among impoverished Chinese and became the wellspring of faith that enabled the Red Army — a force made up of poor workers and peasants — to overcome all hardships in the days to come.

Yet, bright as the spark was, it burned thin and fragile at times. Could this flame still endure when the ideals it carried were repeatedly battered by harsh reality?

In September 1933, flocks of warplanes clouded the skies over the Red Army’s revolutionary base areas. By then, Japanese invaders were steadily advancing towards North China, but Chiang Kai-shek’s KMT turned a blind eye to the looming national crisis. They mobilized over a million troops and more than 200 aircraft to launch a massive offensive at the Red Army’s base areas. Over the previous three years, Chiang Kai-shek had mounted four major military “encirclement” campaigns aimed at exterminating the Red Army, but all ended in failure. He was desperate for a pivotal victory to restore his prestige and to wipe out the CPC and the Red Army.

At the time, the commander of the Red Army abandoned mobile warfare tactics pioneered by Mao Zedong and other commanders, opting instead for rigid positional warfare involving conventional head-on clashes. But the reality was, some Red Army units didn’t even possess a single light machine gun; how could they confront the heavily-armed KMT army head-on?

Zhong Ming, a Red Army medic, could never erase the memories of gravely wounded soldiers being carried to his aid station. He remembered how a soldier whose chest was blown open begged his comrades to end his life. At the frontline, a whole battalion of Red Army soldiers religiously followed orders to defend crude earth-and-wood bunkers, but under the constant barrage of KMT artillery and airstrikes, every soldier in the battalion laid down their lives; not a single man survived.

What’s more heart-wrenching is that no matter how fearlessly the Red Army fought, the steep imbalance in military strength, paired with erroneous military command led to irreversible losses. By October 1934, the KMT’s iron-clad encirclement closed menacingly around Ruijin.

Faced with this dead-end, what decision would you make?

This stood as the most agonizing decision for the Red Army. The biggest challenge lay not in sacrificing one’s life for an ideal, but in finding a way to keep the revolutionary cause alive.

To stay meant defeat — the Red Army had no room to maneuver within the Central Revolutionary Base Area. To break through the encirclement, however slim the odds, offered a fighting chance. Preserving the Red Army as a living force mattered much more than clinging to isolated strongholds. Where the spark survives, the path ahead remains lit.

The air already turned chilly in October. Units of the Central Red Army assembled in Yudu to prepare for a strategic shift. The plan was kept strictly classified; none of the soldiers knew they were evacuating the base areas, only sensing an unusual vibe.

At dusk on Oct. 17, crowds lined up at the Yudu riverbank. Tens of thousands of villagers flocked from every corner to see the Red Army off. They walked alongside the marching columns, slipping food like eggs and glutinous rice balls into the soldiers’ pockets, praying for their swift homecoming.

The main force of the Central Red Army set off. Within days, they left behind revolutionary base areas where they had survived, grown and taken root. No one anticipated that the journey they embarked on would become the Long March, a trek spanning over 10 provinces. Still less could anyone imagine that this journey would ultimately pave the way for a brand-new China.

Looking back on this chapter of history, many claim that the Red Army only set out on this expedition because the enemies left them no other choice. To a degree, yes, the Long March was indeed a forced strategic shift, yet this fact does nothing to diminish its greatness and glory.

The ordinary Red Army soldiers had no idea how far they would march, or where they were heading. But they clung firmly to their founding mission: to deliver liberation for the people and independence to the nation. This unswerving conviction kept them from disintegrating through countless perils, sustaining them as they marched into the unknown with resolve.

David Ferguson:

I now realize that faith and ideals untested by harsh reality may have no true substance.

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has always upheld the realization of communism as its fundamental goal. Despite devastating losses and extreme adversity, the Red Army continued to press forward resolutely and never faltered. Its inner strength came from an unshakable belief in the cause, an unwavering commitment to the founding aspiration, and a profound sense of mission. The Red Army was never fleeing pursuers in search of safety; it was marching forward to a future in which it had a steadfast belief.

Wang Xiaohui:

The Long March went on for two years. The Red Army trekked 25,000 li across some of China’s harshest terrain, but they kept their heads high, seeking hope amid despair and marching towards light through unending darkness. The lofty ideals and sense of mission they upheld have also become the torch that guides generations of CPC members in the following centennial, tempering them into steel as they press forward unswervingly toward national rejuvenation.

That spark lit along the Yudu River has never dimmed since.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Faith: The Spark Born by the Yudu Riverside
http://www.china.org.cn/2026-10/16/content_118736835.shtml

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Linktel Technologies Highlights Breakthrough 1.6T LPO Performance & Strong Market Pull at OCP 2026

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SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the recent 2026 OCP Global Summit, Linktel Technologies showcased its cutting-edge optical interconnect portfolios engineered specifically for next-generation AI computing networks. Among the heavy lineup, Linktel’s 1.6T Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) solutions commanded immense industry attention, drawing heavy customer interest for their unprecedented energy efficiency, ultra-low latency, and supply-chain resilience.

Spotlight: 1.6T LPO Performance & High Customer Traction

AI data centers face immense scaling pressures, demanding higher bandwidth densities with tighter thermal and power budgets. Linktel’s 1.6T LPO solutions—highlighted by the 1.6T LPO 2DR4—delivered standout performance metrics that captured the spotlight at the summit:

Ultra-Low Power Consumption: Operates with power consumption as low as an impressive 10W, drastically mitigating data center cooling and power loads.Minimal Latency: Features a linear optics architecture that cuts down signal processing delays, making it a critical asset for high-performance AI scale-out fabrics.Enhanced Supply-Chain Resilience: Eliminating the optical DSP mitigates component choke points, ensuring robust scalability for mass deployments.Proven Interoperability: Following its breakthrough performance and multi-switch platform interoperability at the early September 2026 1.6T LPO-MSA Plugfest, Linktel has laid a solid foundation for the 200G-per-wavelength ecosystem.

Surging Market Interest

Throughout OCP 2026, Linktel’s live demonstrations of its 1.6T LPO, LRO, and FRO modules drew crowds of data center architects and industry partners. With volume production already in place, Linktel is fully equipped to meet the exploding market demand for energy-efficient, high-density 1.6T connectivity.

Overview of Other Innovations at OCP 2026

In addition to the heavily requested 1.6T LPO lineup, Linktel showcased two other major high-speed architectural pillars:

12.8T Liquid-Cooled XPO:Featured a live thermal demonstration integrating advanced liquid cooling to guarantee stable operations in high-density AI nodes.As a founding member of the XPO MSA, Linktel is actively scaling XPO series with FRO, LRO, and LPO variants for comprehensive scale-up, scale-out, and scale-across frameworks.6.4T/7.2T NPO Modules:Displayed with covers removed to reveal internal architectural designs supporting both ELS and ILS configurations.Combines compact high density with low power and low latency, backed by an established 6.4T/7.2T NPO roadmap.DMD Technology & Executive Presentation:Linktel Engineer Director Dr. Grace Zhang hosted a heavily attended Executive Session titled “Dispersion Managed Transceiver for Next-Gen AI Fabrics,” detailing cost-effective 800G (20km) and 1.6T (10km) solutions for OCS SuperPOD architectures, as well as the feasibility of 400G per lambda (3km).With its DMD product line already in volume production, Linktel actively calls upon ecosystem partners to join forces in collaborative development. To drive ecosystem maturity, Linktel is open to sharing its U.S.-filed patents, paving the way for industry-wide adoption and advancements in next-gen AI fabrics.

About Linktel Technologies

Linktel Technologies is a global leader in optical transceiver development and manufacturing, supplying high-speed optical I/O connectivity—including pluggable transceivers, optical engines, and ODM/JDM services.

For more information, visit www.linktel.com or follow Linktel Technologies on LinkedIn.

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Advanced Manufacturing in Focus: Smart Life and Robotics Take the Spotlight at 140th Canton Fair

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 18, 2026 /CNW/ — Phase 1 of the 140th Canton Fair, themed “Advanced Manufacturing,” opened on October 15 and will run through October 19. As one of the event’s most closely watched sections, the Consumer Electronics and Information Products zone once again serves as a showcase for the latest achievements in China’s manufacturing and technology industries.

Smart Life Solutions Address an Aging and Globalized Market

A highlight of this section is the focus on smart living, which brings together smart solutions designed to support healthier, safer, and more independent lifestyles.

For example, wearable devices and continuous glucose monitoring systems enable convenient tracking of key health indicators such as heart rate and blood glucose levels. Meanwhile, wearable exoskeletons and other AI-powered devices support mobility training and functional recovery. For home and elderly care, companion robots, electric nursing beds and home-use hyperbaric oxygen chambers, offer a combination of daily care, wellness support and lifestyle assistance. All these solutions highlight a growing shift toward technology-enabled living, where health management, personal care, and independent living are becoming more accessible and connected.

Service Robots Demonstrate Expanding Real-World Applications

The Service Robot Zone remains one of the fair’s most popular attractions in this edition.

Among the crowd favorites is a humanoid robot standing roughly 70–80 centimeters tall. With its expressive movements and playful appearance, the robot draws constant attention as it dances, approaches visitors and occasionally performs flips to the delight of onlookers. Behind the product is a company that has overcome key challenges in compact joint modules and modular humanoid robot development. Its independently developed high-power-density joints deliver remarkable agility and explosive movement, while modular architecture provides flexibility for a wide range of future applications.

More broadly, the Service Robot Zone features exhibits spanning a wide range of application areas, including embodied intelligence, specialized operations, urban services, and smart living. Full-size humanoid robots, dexterous hands with multimodal sensing capabilities and wheeled robots highlight the latest advances in artificial intelligence, perception technologies and motion control. For demanding industrial and emergency environments, exhibitors are presenting robotic inspection systems, live-line maintenance robots and underwater propulsion robots designed to improve safety and operational efficiency.

The commercial services sector is also well represented through reception robots, façade-cleaning robots and fully automated coffee kiosks, while everyday life applications include wearable exoskeletons, robotic lawn mowers and educational robots for home use. Together, these exhibits demonstrate how China’s robotics industry is accelerating its transition from technological innovation to large-scale commercialization.

As the 140th Canton Fair gets underway, the showcased innovations highlight China’s growing strength in advanced manufacturing, turning cutting-edge technologies into practical, market-ready solutions for global customers.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:
https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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