Controlling In-Vehicle Systems with a Commercial EEG Headset: Performance and Cognitive Load

Humans have dreamed for centuries to control their surroundings solely by the power of their minds. These aspirations have been captured by multiple science fiction creations, such as the Neuromancer novel by William Gibson or the Brainstorm cinematic movie, to name just a few. Nowadays, these dreams are slowly becoming reality due to a variety of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that detect neural activation patterns and support the control of devices by brain signals. An important field in which BCIs are being successfully integrated is the interaction with vehicular systems. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of BCIs, more specifically a commercial electroencephalographic (EEG) headset in combination with vehicle dashboard systems, and highlight the advantages and limitations of this approach. Further, we investigate the cognitive load that drivers experience when interacting with secondary in-vehicle devices via touch controls or a BCI headset. As in-vehicle systems are increasingly versatile and complex, it becomes vital to capture the level of distraction and errors that controlling these secondary systems might introduce to the primary driving process. Our results suggest that the control with the EEG headset introduces less distraction to the driver, probably as it allows the eyes of the driver to remain focused on the road. Still, the control of the vehicle dashboard by EEG is efficient only for a limited number of functions, after which increasing the number of in-vehicle controls amplifies the detection of false commands

Smart Ultrasound Remote Guidance Experiment (SURGE) Preliminary Findings

To date, diagnostic quality ultrasound images were obtained aboard the International Space Station (ISS) using the ultrasound of the Human Research Facility (HRF) rack in the Laboratory module. Through the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) and the Braslet-M Occlusion Cuffs (BRASLET SDTO) studies, non-expert ultrasound operators aboard the ISS have performed cardiac, thoracic, abdominal, vascular, ocular, and musculoskeletal ultrasound assessments using remote guidance from ground-based ultrasound experts. With exploration class missions to the lunar and Martian surfaces on the horizon, crew medical officers will necessarily need to operate with greater autonomy given communication delays (round trip times of up to 5 seconds for the Moon and 90 minutes for Mars) and longer periods of communication blackouts (due to orbital constraints of communication assets). The SURGE project explored the feasibility and training requirements of having non-expert ultrasound operators perform autonomous ultrasound assessments in a simulated exploration mission outpost. The project aimed to identify experience, training, and human factors requirements for crew medical officers to perform autonomous ultrasonography. All of these aims pertained to the following risks from the NASA Bioastronautics Road Map: 1) Risk 18: Major Illness and Trauna; 2) Risk 20) Ambulatory Care; 3) Risk 22: Medical Informatics, Technologies, and Support Systems; and 4) Risk 23: Medical Skill Training and Maintenance

Hamiltonian mappings and circle packing phase spaces: numerical investigations

In a previous paper we introduced examples of Hamiltonian mappings with phase space structures resembling circle packings. We now concentrate on one particular mapping and present numerical evidence which supports the conjecture that the set of circular resonance islands is dense in phase space.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Rule-based Cross-matching of Very Large Catalogs

The NASA Extragalactic Database (NED) has deployed a new rule-based cross-matching algorithm called Match Expert (MatchEx), capable of cross-matching very large catalogs (VLCs) with >10 million objects. MatchEx goes beyond traditional position-based cross-matching algorithms by using other available data together with expert logic to determine which candidate match is the best. Furthermore, the local background density of sources is used to determine and minimize the false-positive match rate and to estimate match completeness. The logical outcome and statistical probability of each match decision is stored in the database and may be used to tune the algorithm and adjust match parameter thresholds. For our first production run, we cross-matched the GALEX All Sky Survey Catalog (GASC), containing nearly 40 million NUV-detected sources, against a directory of 180 million objects in NED. Candidate matches were identified for each GASC source within a 7''.5 radius. These candidates were filtered on position-based matching probability and on other criteria including object type and object name. We estimate a match completeness of 97.6% and a match accuracy of 99.75%. Over the next year, we will be cross-matching over 2 billion catalog sources to NED, including the Spitzer Source List, the 2MASS point-source catalog, AllWISE, and SDSS DR 10. We expect to add new capabilities to filter candidate matches based on photometry, redshifts, and refined object classifications. We will also extend MatchEx to handle more heterogenous datasets federated from smaller catalogs through NED's literature pipeline

Solving the Mystery of Myelodysplasia

The author reviews key research on the biology underlying treatment response in myelodysplasia, including a new study inPLoS Medicine

Dose-Response Evaluation of Braslet-M Occlusion Cuffs

Introduction: Braslet-M is a set of special elasticized thigh cuffs used by the Russian space agency to reduce the effects of the head-ward fluid shift during early adaptation to microgravity by sequestering fluid in the lower extremities. Currently, no imaging modalities are used in the calibration of the device, and the pressure required to produce a predictable physiological response is unknown. This investigation intends to relate the pressure exerted by the cuffs to the extent of fluid redistribution and commensurate physiological effects. Materials and Methods: Ten healthy subjects with standardized fluid intake participated in the study. Data collection included femoral and internal jugular vein imaging in two orthogonal planes, pulsed Doppler of cervical and femoral vessels and middle cerebral artery, optic nerve imaging, and echocardiography. Braslet-M cuff pressure was monitored at the skin interface using pre-calibrated pressure sensors. Using 6 and 30 head-down tilt in two separate sessions, the effect of Braslet-M was assessed while incrementally tightening the cuffs. Cuffs were then simultaneously released to document the resulting hemodynamic change. Results: Preliminary analysis shows correlation between physical pressure exerted by the Braslet-M device and several parameters such as jugular and femoral vein cross-sections, resistivity of the lower extremity vascular bed, and others. A number of parameters reflect blood redistribution and will be used to determine the therapeutic range of the device and to prevent unsafe application. Conclusion: Braslet-M exerts a physical effect that can be measured and correlated with many changes in central and peripheral hemodynamics. Analysis of the full data set will be required to make definitive recommendations regarding the range of safe therapeutic application. Objective data and subjective responses suggest that a safer and equally effective use of Braslet can be achieved when compared with the current non-imaging calibration techniques

The frequency and extent of sub-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean

In July 2011, the observation of a massive phytoplankton bloom underneath a sea-ice-covered region of the Chukchi Sea shifted the scientific consensus that regions of the Arctic Ocean covered by sea ice were inhospitable to photosynthetic life. While the impact of wide-spread phytoplankton blooms under sea ice on Arctic Ocean ecology and carbon fixation is potentially dramatic, the prevalence of these events in the modern Arctic and in the recent past is, up to now, unknown. We investigate the timing, frequency, and evolution of such events over the last 30 years. While sea ice strongly attenuates solar radiation, it has thinned significantly over the past 30 years. The thinner summertime Arctic sea ice is increasingly covered in melt ponds, which permit more light penetration than bare or snow-covered ice. Our model results indicate that the recent thinning of Arctic sea ice is the main cause of a dramatic increase in the prevalence of light conditions conducive to sub-ice blooms. We find that as little as 20 years ago the conditions required for sub-ice blooms may have been uncommon, but their frequency has increased to the point that nearly 30% of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean in July permits sub-ice blooms. Recent climate change may have altered the ecology of the Arctic Ocean dramatically

Model-based reasoning: using visual tools to reveal student learning

Luckie D, Harrison SH, Ebert-May D. Model-based reasoning: using visual tools to reveal student learning

Smart Ultrasound Remote Guidance Experiment (SURGE)- Concept of Operations Evaluation for Using Remote Guidance Ultrasound for Planetary Space Flight

Introduction Use of remote guidance (RG) techniques aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has enabled astronauts to collect diagnostic-level ultrasound images. Exploration class missions will require this cohort of (typically) non-formally trained sonographers to operate with greater autonomy given the longer communication delays (2 seconds for ISS vs. >6 seconds for missions beyond the Moon) and communication blackouts. To determine the feasibility and training requirements for autonomous ultrasound image collection by non-expert ultrasound operators, ultrasound images were collected from a similar cohort using three different image collection protocols: RG only, RG with a computer-based learning tool (LT), and autonomous image collection with LT. The groups were assessed for both image quality and time to collect the images. Methods Subjects were randomized into three groups: RG only, RG with LT, and autonomous with LT. Each subject received 10 minutes of standardized training before the experiment. The subjects were tasked with making the following ultrasound assessments: 1) bone fracture and 2) focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) to assess a patient s abdomen. Human factors-related questionnaire data were collected immediately after the assessments. Results The autonomous group did not out-perform the two groups that received RG. The mean time for the autonomous group to collect images was less than the RG groups, however the mean image quality for the autonomous group was less compared to both RG groups. Discussion Remote guidance continues to produce higher quality ultrasound images than autonomous ultrasound operation. This is likely due to near-instant feedback on image quality from the remote guider. Expansion in communication time delays, however, diminishes the capability to provide this feedback, thus requiring more autonomous ultrasound operation. The LT has the potential to be an excellent training and coaching component for autonomous ultrasound image collection during exploration missions