Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 376)

This bibliography lists 265 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jun. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance

Job evaluation model of major public hospitals in China

The current economic climate has contributed to an increasingly competitive environment among organizations. In order to ensure competitive advantage, they must be able to promote high levels of professional performance. This research is part of this theme and aims to analyze how the job characteristics, professional knowledge, skills, competencies, training and work engagement influence the job evaluation and, consequently, the performance of employees of six public hospitals, China. The sample consists of 546 subjects aged between 21 and 58 years (M = 37.9; SD = 8.73), with the majority being females (55.5%). For the collection of data, such scales were used as the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Personal Characteristics Scale (KSAOS), the Competencies and Training Scale (CTS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The results obtained show that the job characteristics, the professional knowledge, the skills, the training and the work engagement influence the job evaluation. It was also found that the male respondents, those belonging to the older age group, those with higher academic qualifications and those with higher positions present higher average performance in all dimensions under study. It was also possible to verify that Autonomy is the JDS variable with greater effect on the Job evaluation and the bigger the Autonomy, Skill variety and Feedback given to the employees, the more positive their perception of Job evaluation. Data analysis also reveals that KSAO moderate the relations between job characteristics and job evaluation and the dimension with the most effect on Job evaluation is Professional Ethics and Health Law. On the other hand, the higher the competencies and professional training in the area of Organization and finance, the greater the Job evaluation. Finally, it was verified that Vigor is the only variable with significant effect on Job evaluation. It is hoped that these results may inspire further research that contributes to a better understanding of these relationships; and at the practical level, it is intended to alert the justified investment by the organizations in the implementation of a performance evaluation model. Taking into account the current competitiveness at the organizational level, it is considered that the analysis of the relationships between these dimensions is crucial to an organization. In this way, this project is intended to build a new process of performance evaluation in public hospitals in China, based on the competencies identified for each job.Atualmente, o clima económico contribuiu para um ambiente cada vez mais competitivo entre as organizações e para garantir a vantagem competitiva, as organizações devem ser capazes de promover altos níveis de desempenho profissional. Esta investigação insere-se nesta temática e tem como objetivo estudar como as características da função, o conhecimento profissional, as habilidades, as competências e o envolvimento no trabalho influenciam a avaliação do trabalho e, consequentemente, o desempenho dos funcionários de seis hospitais públicos . China. A amostra é composta por 546 sujeitos com idades compreendidas entre os 21 e os 58 anos (M = 37.9; DP = 8.73), sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (55.5%). Os dados foram recolhidos através das seguintes escalas: Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), Escala de Conhecimento, Habilidades, Aptidões e Outras Escalas Pessoais (KSAOS), Escala de Competências e Formação (CTS) e Escala de Envolvimento no Trabalho de Utrecht ( UWES). Os resultados obtidos mostram que as características da função, o conhecimento profissional, as habilidades, a formação e o envolvimento no trabalho influenciam a avaliação do trabalho. Constatou-se também que os entrevistados do sexo masculino, os que pertencem à faixa etária mais avançada, os que possuem maior qualificação académica e que ocupam posições hierárquicas mais elevadas, apresentam um desempenho médio superior em todas as dimensões em estudo. Também foi possível verificar que a Autonomia é a variável do JDS com maior efeito na avaliação do trabalho e que quanto maior é a Autonomia, a variedade de competências e o feedback dado aos funcionários, mais positiva é a sua perceção da avaliação do trabalho. A análise dos dados também revelou que o KSAO modera a relação existente entre as características da função e a avaliação do trabalho e que a variável com maior efeito na avaliação do trabalho é a Ética Profissional e a Lei da Saúde. Por outro lado, quanto maiores são as competências e a formação profissional na área de Organização e Finanças, melhor é a avaliação do trabalho. Por último, verificou-se que o Vigor é a única dimensão do envolvimento no trabalho com efeito significativo na avaliação do mesmo. Espera-se que esses resultados possam inspirar pesquisas futuras e que possam contribuir para uma melhor compreensão dessas relações; a nível prático pretende-se alertar os gestores para a implementação de um modelo de avaliação de desempenho. Considerando a atual competitividade a nível organizacional, considera-se que a análise da relação entre estas dimensões é crucial para qualquer organização. Esta investigação pretende assim construir um novo processo de avaliação do trabalho nos hospitais públicos na China, com base nas competências identificadas para cada função

Gender differences in navigation dialogues with computer systems

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Gender is among the most influential of the factors underlying differences in spatial abilities, human communication and interactions with and through computers. Past research has offered important insights into gender differences in navigation and language use. Yet, given the multidimensionality of these domains, many issues remain contentious while others unexplored. Moreover, having been derived from non-interactive, and often artificial, studies, the generalisability of this research to interactive contexts of use, particularly in the practical domain of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), may be problematic. At the same time, little is known about how gender strategies, behaviours and preferences interact with the features of technology in various domains of HCI, including collaborative systems and systems with natural language interfaces. Targeting these knowledge gaps, the thesis aims to address the central question of how gender differences emerge and operate in spatial navigation dialogues with computer systems. To this end, an empirical study is undertaken, in which, mixed-gender and same-gender pairs communicate to complete an urban navigation task, with one of the participants being under the impression that he/she interacts with a robot. Performance and dialogue data were collected using a custom system that supported synchronous navigation and communication between the user and the robot. Based on this empirical data, the thesis describes the key role of the interaction of gender in navigation performance and communication processes, which outweighed the effect of individual gender, moderating gender differences and reversing predicted patterns of performance and language use. This thesis has produced several contributions; theoretical, methodological and practical. From a theoretical perspective, it offers novel findings in gender differences in navigation and communication. The methodological contribution concerns the successful application of dialogue as a naturalistic, and yet experimentally sound, research paradigm to study gender and spatial language. The practical contributions include concrete design guidelines for natural language systems and implications for the development of gender-neutral interfaces in specific domains of HCI