Why UX Research Matters for HRI: The Case of Tablets as Mediators

Many human-robot interaction systems involve a third component: a tablet, which can either be separate or integrated in the robot (as is the case in SoftBank Robotics' Pepper robot). Such a tablet can be used, for instance, to present information to the human user or to gain control over the robot's complex surroundings, by introducing a virtual environment as a substitute for interactions that would normally happen in the physical world. While such a tablet can potentially have a big impact on the usability of the entire system and affect the interaction between human and robot, it is often not explicitly included when evaluating the user experience of human-robot interaction. This paper describes a case study where three evaluation methods were combined in order to get a comprehensive overview of the user experience of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), consisting of a robot and a tablet. The results show several major usability issues with the virtual environment, which could have affected the experience of interacting with the robot. This underlines the importance of including not only the robot itself, but also any other interaction mediators in an iterative design process

Phase I-II study of everolimus and low-dose oral cyclophosphamide in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>For patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) who progressed on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, the orally administered mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor everolimus has been shown to prolong progression free survival. Intriguingly, inhibition of mTOR also promotes expansion of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) that can inhibit anti-tumor immune responses in a clinically relevant way in various tumor types including RCC. This study intends to investigate whether the antitumor efficacy of everolimus can be increased by preventing the detrimental everolimus induced expansion of Tregs using a metronomic schedule of cyclophosphamide.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>This phase I-II trial is a national multi-center study of different doses and schedules of low-dose oral cyclophosphamide in combination with a fixed dose of everolimus in patients with mRCC not amenable to or progressive after a VEGF-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor containing treatment regimen. In the phase I part of the study the optimal Treg-depleting dose and schedule of metronomic oral cyclophosphamide when given in combination with everolimus will be determined. In the phase II part of the study we will evaluate whether the percentage of patients progression free at 4 months of everolimus treatment can be increased from 50% to 70% by adding metronomic cyclophosphamide (in the dose and schedule determined in the phase I part). In addition to efficacy, we will perform extensive immune monitoring with a focus on the number, phenotype and function of Tregs, evaluate the safety and feasibility of the combination of everolimus and cyclophosphamide, perform monitoring of selected angiogenesis parameters and analyze everolimus and cyclophosphamide drug levels.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This phase I-II study is designed to determine whether metronomic cyclophosphamide can be used to counter the mTOR inhibitor everolimus induced Treg expansion in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and increase the antitumor efficacy of everolimus.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01462214">NCT01462214</a>, EudraCT number 2010-024515-13, Netherlands Trial Register number <a href="http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2040">NTR3085</a>.</p

Why UX Research Matters for HRI: The Case of Tablets as Mediators

Many human-robot interaction systems involve a third component: a tablet, which can either be separate or integrated in the robot (as is the case in SoftBank Robotics' Pepper robot). Such a tablet can be used, for instance, to present information to the human user or to gain control over the robot's complex surroundings, by introducing a virtual environment as a substitute for interactions that would normally happen in the physical world. While such a tablet can potentially have a big impact on the usability of the entire system and affect the interaction between human and robot, it is often not explicitly included when evaluating the user experience of human-robot interaction. This paper describes a case study where three evaluation methods were combined in order to get a comprehensive overview of the user experience of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), consisting of a robot and a tablet. The results show several major usability issues with the virtual environment, which could have affected the experience of interacting with the robot. This underlines the importance of including not only the robot itself, but also any other interaction mediators in an iterative design process

Brain glucose metabolism heterogeneity in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and in Parkinson's disease

Background/Objective: Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) often precedes Parkinson's disease (PD) and other alpha-synucleinopathies. The aim of the study is to investigate brain glucose metabolism of patients with RBD and PD by means of a multidimensional scaling approach, using18F-FDG-PET as a biomarker of synaptic function. Methods: Thirty-six iRBD patients (64.1\ub16.5 y, 32 M), 72 PD patients, and 79 controls (65.6\ub19.4 y, 53 M) underwent brain 18 F-FDG-PET. PD patients were divided according to the absence (PD, 32 subjects; 68.4\ub18.5 y, 15 M) or presence (PDRBD, 40 subjects; 71.8\ub16.6 y, 29 M) of RBD. 18F-FDG-PET scans were used to independently discriminate subjects belonging to four categories: Controls (RBD no, PD no), iRBD (RBD yes, PD no), PD (RBD no, PD yes) and PDRBD (RBD yes, PD yes). Results: The discriminant analysis was moderately accurate in identifying the correct category. This is because the model mostly confounds iRBD and PD, thus the intermediate classes. Indeed, iRBD, PD and PDRBD were progressively located at increasing distance from controls and are ordered along a single dimension (principal coordinate analysis) indicating the presence of a single flux of variation encompassing both RBD and PD conditions. Conclusion: Data-driven approach to brain 18 F-FDG-PET showed only moderate discrimination between iRBD and PD patients, highlighting brain glucose metabolism heterogeneity among such patients. iRBD should be considered as a marker of an ongoing condition that may be picked-up in different stages across patients and thus express different brain imaging features and likely different clinical trajectories