InterFlowCeption: Foundations for Technological Enhancement of Interoception to Foster Flow States during Mental Work: About the potential of technologically supported body awareness to promote flow experiences during mental work

Conducting mental work by interacting with digital technology increases productivity, but strains attentional capacities and mental well-being. In consequence, many mental workers try to cultivate their fow experience. However, this is complex and difcult to achieve. Nevertheless, current technological systems do not yet provide this support in mental work. As interoception, the individual bodily awareness is an underlying mechanism of numerous fow correlates, it might ofer a new approach for fow-supporting systems in these scenarios. Results from a survey study with 176 digital workers show that adaptive regulation of interoceptive sensations correlates with higher levels of fow and engagement. Additionally, regular mindfulness practices improved workers’ adaptive regulation of bodily signals. Based on these results and integrating the current literature, this work conceptualizes three future technological support systems, such as interoceptive biofeedback, and electrical or auditory stimulation to enhance interoceptive awareness and foster fow in mental work

A simheuristic approach for evolving agent behaviour in the exploration for novel combat tactics

The automatic generation of behavioural models for intelligent agents in military simulation and experimentation remains a challenge. Genetic Algorithms are a global optimization approach which is suitable for addressing complex problems where locating the global optimum is a difficult task. Unlike traditional optimisation techniques such as hill-climbing or derivatives-based methods, Genetic Algorithms are robust for addressing highly multi-modal and discontinuous search landscapes. In this paper, we outline a simheuristic GA-based approach for automatic generation of finite state machine based behavioural models of intelligent agents, where the aim is the identification of novel combat tactics. Rather than evolving states, the proposed approach evolves a sequence of transitions. We also discuss workable starting points for the use of Genetic Algorithms for such scenarios, shedding some light on the associated design and implementation difficulties

Annotating Affect in the Field: A Case Study on the Usability of a Minimalist Smartwatch User Interface for Affect Annotation

Successful empathetic interaction requires an accurate understanding of the interaction partner\u27s affect dynamics. Self-reported annotations provide a way to better understand affect and empathy in real-life; however, the necessary user interactions for collecting such data must be designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. To address this challenge, we explore the potential of a smartwatch annotation application for affect that aims to minimize user interaction effort while maximizing usability. In a field study conducted as part of a student career fair (N=9), we evaluated the feasibility and usability of our app. Participants reported high usability scores and our data collection successfully captured self-reported affect labels at a high temporal resolution. Our work contributes to the challenge of providing minimal obtrusive applications for the collection of self-reported labels of affective states

Ever and cumulative occupational exposure and lung function decline in longitudinal population-based studies : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives Adverse occupational exposures can accelerate age-related lung function decline. Some longitudinal population-based studies have investigated this association. This study aims to examine this association using findings reported by longitudinal population-based studies. Methods Ovid Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched using keywords and text words related to occupational exposures and lung function and 12 longitudinal population-based studies were identified using predefined inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Lung function decline was defined as annual loss of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1), forced vital capacity (FVC) or the ratio (FEV 1 /FVC). Fixed and random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to calculate pooled estimates for ever and cumulative exposures. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 test, and publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots. Results Ever exposures to gases/fumes, vapours, gases, dusts, fumes (VGDF) and aromatic solvents were significantly associated with FEV 1 decline in meta-analyses. Cumulative exposures for these three occupational agents observed a similar trend of FEV 1 decline. Ever exposures to fungicides and cumulative exposures to biological dust, fungicides and insecticides were associated with FEV 1 decline in fixed-effect models only. No statistically significant association was observed between mineral dust, herbicides and metals and FEV 1 decline in meta-analyses. Conclusion Pooled estimates from the longitudinal population-based studies have provided evidence that occupational exposures are associated with FEV 1 decline. Specific exposure control and respiratory health surveillance are required to protect the lung health of the workers. © 2023 Author(s). Published by BMJ

How to Build the Optimal Magnet Assembly for Magnetocaloric Cooling: Structural Optimization with Isogeometric Analysis

In the search for more efficient and less environmentally harmful cooling technologies, the field of magnetocalorics is considered a promising alternative. To generate cooling spans, rotating permanent magnet assemblies are used to cyclically magnetize and demagnetize magnetocaloric materials, which change their temperature under the application of a magnetic field. In this work, an axial rotary permanent magnet assembly, aimed for commercialization, is computationally designed using topology and shape optimization. This is efficiently facilitated in an isogeometric analysis framework, where harmonic mortaring is applied to couple the rotating rotor-stator system of the multipatch model. Inner, outer and co-rotating assemblies are compared and optimized designs for different magnet masses are determined. These simulations are used to homogenize the magnetic flux density in the magnetocaloric material. The resulting torque is analyzed for different geometric parameters. Additionally, the influence of anisotropy in the active magnetic regenerators is studied in order to guide the magnetic flux. Different examples are analyzed and classified to find an optimal magnet assembly for magnetocaloric cooling

Representativeness and repeatability of microenvironmental personal and head exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields

The aims of this study were to: i) investigate the repeatability and representativeness of personal radio frequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) exposure measurements, across different microenvironments, ii) perform simultaneous evaluations of personal RF-EMF exposures for the whole body and the head, iii) validate the data obtained with a head-worn personal distributed exposimeter (PDE) against those obtained with an on-body worn personal exposimeter (PEM). Data on personal and head RF-EMF exposures were collected by performing measurements across 15 microenvironments in Melbourne, Australia. A body-worn PEM and a head-worn PDE were used for measuring body and head exposures, respectively. The summary statistics obtained for total RF-EMF exposure showed a high representativeness (r(2) > 0.66 for two paths in the same area) and a high repeatability over time (r(2) > 0.87 for repetitions of the same path). The median head exposure in the 900 MHz downlink band ranged between 0.06 V/m and 0.31 V/m. The results obtained during simultaneous measurements using the two devices showed high correlations (0.42 < r(2) < 0.94). The highest mean total RF-EMF exposure was measured in Melbourne's central business district (0.89 V/m), whereas the lowest mean total exposure was measured in a suburban residential area (0.05 V/m). This study shows that personal RF-EMF microenvironmental measurements in multiple microenvironments have high representativeness and repeatability over time. The personal RF-EMF exposure levels (i.e. body and head exposures) demonstrated moderate to high correlations

Assessment of personal exposure from radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields in Australia and Belgium using on-body calibrated exposimeters

The purposes of this study were: i) to demonstrate the assessment of personal exposure from various RF-EMF sources across different microenvironments in Australia and Belgium, with two on-body calibrated exposimeters, in contrast to earlier studies which employed single, non-on-body calibrated exposimeters; ii) to systematically evaluate the performance of the exposimeters using (on-body) calibration and cross-talk measurements; and iii) to compare the exposure levels measured for one site in each of several selected microenvironments in the two countries. A human subject took part in an on-body calibration of the exposimeter in an anechoic chamber. The same subject collected data on personal exposures across 38 microenvironments (19 in each country) situated in urban, suburban and rural regions. Median personal RF-EMF exposures were estimated: i) of all microenvironments, and ii) across each microenvironment, in two countries. The exposures were then compared across similar microenvironments in two countries (17 in each country). The three highest median total exposure levels were: city center (4.33V/m), residential outdoor (urban) (0.75V/m), and a park (0.75V/m) [Australia]; and a tram station (1.95V/m), city center (0.95V/m), and a park (0.90V/m) [Belgium]. The exposures across nine microenvironments in Melbourne, Australia were lower than the exposures across corresponding microenvironments in Ghent, Belgium (p<0.05). The personal exposures across urban microenvironments were higher than those for rural or suburban microenvironments. Similarly, the exposure levels across outdoor microenvironments were higher than those for indoor microenvironments

Array-Based FMR1 Sequencing and Deletion Analysis in Patients with a Fragile X Syndrome–Like Phenotype

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by loss of function mutations in the FMR1 gene. Trinucleotide CGG-repeat expansions, resulting in FMR1 gene silencing, are the most common mutations observed at this locus. Even though the repeat expansion mutation is a functional null mutation, few conventional mutations have been identified at this locus, largely due to the clinical laboratory focus on the repeat tract. Methodology/Principal Findings: To more thoroughly evaluate the frequency of conventional mutations in FXS-like patients, we used an array-based method to sequence FMR1 in 51 unrelated males exhibiting several features characteristic of FXS but with normal CGG-repeat tracts of FMR1. One patient was identified with a deletion in FMR1, but none of the patients were found to have other conventional mutations. Conclusions/Significance: These data suggest that missense mutations in FMR1 are not a common cause of the FXS phenotype in patients who have normal-length CGG-repeat tracts. However, screening for small deletions of FMR1 may be of clinically utility