Modeling the Cognitive Task Load and Performance of Naval Operators

Abstract. Operators on naval ships have to act in dynamic, critical and highdemand task environments. For these environments, a cognitive task load (CTL) model has been proposed as foundation of three operator support functions: adaptive task allocation, cognitive aids and resource feedback. This paper presents the construction of such a model as a Bayesian network with probability relationships between CTL and performance. The network is trained and tested with two datasets: operator performance with an adaptive user interface in a lab-setting and operator performance on a high-tech sailing ship. The “Naïve Bayesian network ” tuned out to be the best choice, providing performance estimations with 86 % and 74 % accuracy for respectively the lab and ship data. Overall, the resulting model nicely generalizes over the two datasets. It will be used to estimate operator performance under momentary CTL-conditions, and to set the thresholds of the load-mitigation strategies for the three support functions

Інфраструктура в системі агропромислового виробництва на сучасному етапі

Визначена роль інфраструктури в умовах реформування агропромислового виробництва.Определена роль инфраструктуры в условиях реформирования агропомышленного производства.The role of іnfrastrukturі in the conditions of reformation of agroproductional manufacturing is definite

Users’ needs for a digital smoking cessation application and how to address them: a mixed-methods study

Health and self-regulatio

How should a virtual agent present psychoeducation?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With the rise of autonomous e-mental health applications, virtual agents can play a major role in improving trustworthiness, therapy outcome and adherence. In these applications, it is important that patients adhere in the sense that they perform the tasks, but also that they adhere to the specific recommendations on how to do them well. One important construct in improving adherence is psychoeducation, information on the why and how of therapeutic interventions. In an e-mental health context, this can be delivered in two different ways: verbally by a (virtual) embodied conversational agent or just via text on the scree

90-лет плану ГОЭЛРО: место и роль гидро- и электроэнергетики в ПЭК страны

План ГОЭЛРО (Государственная Электрификация России) вряд ли имеет аналоги в мире. И потому, что он определил пути развития энергетики первого советского государства, и потому, что воплотил "фантастическую" идею электрификации всей страны, и потому, что за 10—15 лет создал 1750 тыс. кВт электрических мощностей. План ГОЭЛРО вошел в историю нашей страны как ленинский план электрификации. После Октября 1917 года Ленин не только выдвинул задачу разработки единого государственного плана строительства социализма, но и определил электрификацию как его техническую основу

Mobile Phone-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia:A Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial

Background: This study is one of the first randomized controlled trials investigating cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) delivered by a fully automated mobile phone app. Such an app can potentially increase the accessibility of insomnia treatment for the 10% of people who have insomnia. Objective: The objective of our study was to investigate the efficacy of CBT-I delivered via the Sleepcare mobile phone app, compared with a waitlist control group, in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: We recruited participants in the Netherlands with relatively mild insomnia disorder. After answering an online pretest questionnaire, they were randomly assigned to the app (n=74) or the waitlist condition (n=77). The app packaged a sleep diary, a relaxation exercise, sleep restriction exercise, and sleep hygiene and education. The app was fully automated and adjusted itself to a participant’s progress. Program duration was 6 to 7 weeks, after which participants received posttest measurements and a 3-month follow-up. The participants in the waitlist condition received the app after they completed the posttest questionnaire. The measurements consisted of questionnaires and 7-day online diaries. The questionnaires measured insomnia severity, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, and anxiety and depression symptoms. The diary measured sleep variables such as sleep efficiency. We performed multilevel analyses to study the interaction effects between time and condition. Results: The results showed significant interaction effects (P<.01) favoring the app condition on the primary outcome measures of insomnia severity (d=–0.66) and sleep efficiency (d=0.71). Overall, these improvements were also retained in a 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the efficacy of a fully automated mobile phone app in the treatment of relatively mild insomnia. The effects were in the range of what is found for Web-based treatment in general. This supports the applicability of such technical tools in the treatment of insomnia. Future work should examine the generalizability to a more diverse population. Furthermore, the separate components of such an app should be investigated. It remains to be seen how this app can best be integrated into the current health regimens. Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register: NTR5560; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5560 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6noLaUdJ4

Co-designing a social robot for child health care

Social robots provide new opportunities to support general child healthcare programs. However, it is still unclear how social robots could be used in this context and how corresponding behaviours should be designed. To ensure satisfying implementations of such new technological solutions, it is essential to include the end-users in the designing process. We have conducted a co-design study at two primary schools based on three complementary, creative methods: Draw-write-and-tell and/or story-writing-and-telling, Theatre play, and Robot avatar programming. A total of 46 children aged 7–12 years old participated in four robot co-design workshops. The drawings, stories and theatre plays were analysed, resulting in evaluations of 10 scenarios as well as 21 new scenarios and 7 main user requirements for social robots providing mental support in general child healthcare. Evaluation of the activities highlight their stimulation of out-of-the-box thinking and the development of creative solutions (i.e. drawings/stories/theatre plays resulted in robot designs, scenarios and requirements), while children's reflections show them being enjoyable for participation. The inputs gathered during these co-design workshops will greatly influence future work on the design and application of social robots in the child healthcare domain

A method to reveal workload weak-resilience-signals at a rail control post

Reorganization of a rail control post may affect its ability to cope with unexpected disruptions. The term ‘resilience’, the ability to manage spare adaptive capacity when unexpected events occur, encapsulates this situation. This paper focuses on the workload adaptive capacity through a method for revealing workload weak-resilience-signals (WRS). Three different workload measurements are adapted to identify structural changes in workload. The first, executed cognitive task load, targets system activities. The second, integrated workload scale, is a subjective measure. The last, heart rate variability, identifies physiological arousal because of workload. An experiment is designed to identify the workload change and distribution across group members during disruptions. A newly defined Stretch, the reaction of the system to an external cluster-event, is used to reveal a workload WRS. The method is suitable for real-time usage and provides the means for the rail signaler to influence the system through his subjective workload perception

Methods for interpreting lists of affected genes obstained in a DNA microarray experiment

Background - The aim of this paper was to describe and compare the methods used and the results obtained by the participants in a joint EADGENE (European Animal Disease Genomic Network of Excellence) and SABRE (Cutting Edge Genomics for Sustainable Animal Breeding) workshop focusing on post analysis of microarray data. The participating groups were provided with identical lists of microarray probes, including test statistics for three different contrasts, and the normalised log-ratios for each array, to be used as the starting point for interpreting the affected probes. The data originated from a microarray experiment conducted to study the host reactions in broilers occurring shortly after a secondary challenge with either a homologous or heterologous species of Eimeria. Results - Several conceptually different analytical approaches, using both commercial and public available software, were applied by the participating groups. The following tools were used: Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, MAPPFinder, LIMMA, GOstats, GOEAST, GOTM, Globaltest, TopGO, ArrayUnlock, Pathway Studio, GIST and AnnotationDbi. The main focus of the approaches was to utilise the relation between probes/genes and their gene ontology and pathways to interpret the affected probes/genes. The lack of a well-annotated chicken genome did though limit the possibilities to fully explore the tools. The main results from these analyses showed that the biological interpretation is highly dependent on the statistical method used but that some common biological conclusions could be reached. Conclusion - It is highly recommended to test different analytical methods on the same data set and compare the results to obtain a reliable biological interpretation of the affected genes in a DNA microarray experimen

Medication use in uncontrolled pediatric asthma:Results from the SysPharmPediA study

Background: Uncontrolled pediatric asthma has a large impact on patients and their caregivers. More insight into determinants of uncontrolled asthma is needed. We aim to compare treatment regimens, inhaler techniques, medication adherence and other characteristics of children with controlled and uncontrolled asthma in the: Systems Pharmacology approach to uncontrolled Paediatric Asthma (SysPharmPediA) study. Material and methods: 145 children with moderate to severe doctor-diagnosed asthma (91 uncontrolled and 54 controlled) aged 6–17 years were enrolled in this multicountry, (Germany, Slovenia, Spain, and the Netherlands) observational, case-control study. The definition of uncontrolled asthma was based on asthma symptoms and/or exacerbations in the past year. Patient-reported adherence and clinician-reported medication use were assessed, as well as lung function and inhalation technique. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess determinants of uncontrolled pediatric asthma. Results: Children in higher asthma treatment steps had a higher risk of uncontrolled asthma (OR (95%CI): 3.30 (1.56–7.19)). The risk of uncontrolled asthma was associated with a larger change in FEV1% predicted post and pre-salbutamol (OR (95%CI): 1.08 (1.02–1.15)). Adherence and inhaler techniques were not associated with risk of uncontrolled asthma in this population. Conclusion: This study showed that children with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma were treated in higher treatment steps compared to their controlled peers, but still showed a higher reversibility response to salbutamol. Self-reported adherence and inhaler technique scores did not differ between controlled and uncontrolled asthmatic children. Other determinants, such as environmental factors and differences in biological profiles, may influence the risk of uncontrolled asthma in this moderate to severe asthmatic population