Caffeine Model Identification for Vigilance Performance Prediction

The pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of caffeine have been well characterized. In this study, a caffeine dynamic model is developed to describe its pharmacodynamic effects on vigilance performance. Validated biomathematical models developed to address both individual and group fatigue and alertness in a non-laboratory setting represent a tremendous commercial opportunity. First, a test data set with caffeine effects isolated from circadian and homeostatic effects is created. Then a modeling approach for input and output effects is developed and different model structures for the caffeine effects are considered. Observer/Kalman filter Identification (OKID) algorithm is proposed and developed to identify the caffeine model from the created input/output data. The identified caffeine model is then tested to fit for the test data. In this caffeine model, five system parameters [a 1,a2,c1, c2,d0] can be identified by using the proposed OKID algorithm. Identification of the individualized caffeine model shows that the first two coefficients [a1, a2] have small variations for users of both low and high amounts of caffeine among all doses. The 100 mg model has a statistically higher caffeine response as compared to the response of the 200 mg or 300 mg models based on the individualized caffeine models identified from test data. The result also shows that users of both low and high amounts of caffeine users have comparable responses based on the 100 mg model. However, the responses of the 200 mg or 300 mg models show that users of high amounts of caffeine have a statistically higher response to caffeine. In conclusion, the results suggest that the caffeine dosage and habitual usage do not have much impact on the individualized caffeine model dynamics, and the proposed individualized caffeine model can be modified by adding a dose factor to the input of the model to improve the prediction of the performance of other caffeine doses

Application of AHP hierarchical analysis and KANO quality model to investigate the needs of eye drop users and the charm factor of the compliance aids design

Previous studies have indicated that many patients with eye diseases are not adherent to eyedrops due to the difficulty in administration. The purpose of using eyedrop compliance aids is to help patients who have difficulties in administering eyedrops. However, this method has not been well recognized and accepted. This study aimed to upgrade eyedrop compliance aids so that the adherence of eyedrop users could be improved. Among the research methods employed in this study, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) helped in proposing the best function sequence of the device, and a questionnaire based on the Kano model helped understand the degree of satisfaction with the existing products, as well as discover the appealing factors of their functions and examine their functional relationships. Finally, the results of the two methods were discussed and compared, and the results were used to identify the basic appealing factors influencing consumer satisfaction as well as provide the element attributes and significant features to be weighed in the design of eyedrops. This study suggested that in the design of eyedrops, both the physical and psychological needs of users should be taken into consideration, and reference indexes for aids design that may effectively improve user adherence to eyedrops should be proposed

Lexical Context Effects on Speech Perception in Chinese People with Autistic Traits

One theory (weak central coherence) that accounts for a different perceptual-cognitive style in autism may suggest the possibility that individuals with autism are less likely to be affected by lexical knowledge on speech perception. This lexical context effects on speech perception has been evidenced by Ganong (1980) by using word-to-nonword identification test along a VOT dimension. This Ganong effect (which suggests that people tend to make their percept a real word) can be seen as one kind of central coherence. However, the boundary of the VOT contrast in Chinese is different from English, so the present study firstly explores the Ganong effect in Chinese and then adopts this effect in a neurotypical population of Chinese with different degrees of autistic traits in order to test the hypothesis. Seventeen graduate students of Chinese from Taiwan took part in the present experiment with the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) as their index of autistic traits and word-to-nonword identification task (die2-tie2 and tiao2-diao2). Other factors, such as auditory sensitivity and slower lexical access that may potentially influence reduced lexical context effects in autism are considered. The result indicated that Ganong effect was significant in Chinese as well and an inverse relationship between the identification shift (Ganong effect) and one of the subsections of AQ (‘attention todetail’) was significant. The AQ score or word-to-nonword identification task did not correlate with scores on tasks (that examined auditory sensitivity and slower lexical access). It suggested that those extraneous factors can be ruled out

Comments on Five Smart Card Based Password Authentication Protocols

In this paper, we use the ten security requirements proposed by Liao et al. for a smart card based authentication protocol to examine five recent work in this area. After analyses, we found that the protocols of Juang et al.'s , Hsiang et al.'s, Kim et al.'s, and Li et al.'s all suffer from offline password guessing attack if the smart card is lost, and the protocol of Xu et al.'s is subjected to an insider impersonation attack.Comment: 4 pages

Understanding the Bloggers’ Continuance Usage: Integrating Flow into the Expectation-Confirmation Theory Information System Model

Blogs are very popular nowadays. Many big website portals, such as Yahoo Blog, PC home Blog, try to offer different functions and personal services to attract the potential users to be their Blog member, because this will bring more advertising income. For the portals, how to obtain users to continue use is very important to survival. Most previous articles focused on investigating system function and information quality issues on Blogs, but these technologies are very steady already. There are fewer studies to discuss the users’ flow experience on using Blogs. The aim of this study investigated whether the users’ flow experience affected the Bloggers’ satisfaction and intention to continue using. 303 Bloggers were surveyed online. The research findings indicated that confirmation, perceived usefulness, flow, challenge, and arousal were positively affected to the Bloggers’ satisfaction in using that Blog; perceived usefulness, satisfaction, flow were also positively influenced to the Bloggers’ intention to continue using. In addition, the findings point out that the flow factors which we extend into ECTIS model weak positively influence satisfaction. The higher satisfaction users have, the more are continuance intention users get. Recommendations are given on how to make the Bloggers continue using Blogs for the service providers

Study of TMDs nanosheets based saturable absorber used for Q-switching and mode lock laser system

Pulse width of pulsed laser determinates their applications. For the long pulse laser with µs or ns pulse width, it can be used for telecommunication, remote sensing and medical surgery. For the ultrashort pulse laser with ps or fs pulse width, it can be used for eye-surgery, precise micro- or even nano-machining on transparent material and novel 3D hologram formation. The saturable absorber (SA) is the crucial optical component that switch the laser operation from CW mode to pulse mode passively. Therefore it attract s great research interests from the laser photonic community. &more..

Poly[(μ3-quinoline-6-carboxyl­ato-κ3 N:O:O′)silver(I)]

In the title coordination polymer, [Ag(C10H6NO2)]n, the AgI cation is coordinated by two O atoms and one N atom from three 6-quinoline­carboxyl­ate anions in a distorted T-shaped AgNO2 geometry, in which the O—Ag—O angle is 160.44 (9)°. The 6-quinoline­carboxyl­ate anion bridges three Ag+ cations, forming a nearly planar polymeric sheet parallel to (101). The distance between Ag+ cations bridged by the carboxyl group is 2.9200 (5) Å. In the crystal, π–π stacking is observed between parallel quinoline ring systems, the centroid–centroid distance being 3.7735 (16) Å