Virtual environments as memory training devices in navigational tasks for older adults.

Cognitive training approaches using virtual environments (VEs) might counter age-related visuospatial memory decline and associated difficulties in wayfinding. However, the effects of the visual design of a VE in route learning are not fully understood. Therefore, we created a custom-designed VE optimized for route learning, with adjusted levels of realism and highlighted landmark locations (MixedVE). Herein we tested participants' route recall performance in identifying direction of turn at the intersection with this MixedVE against two baseline alternatives (AbstractVE, RealisticVE). An older vs. a younger group solved the tasks in two stages (immediate vs. delayed recall by one week). Our results demonstrate that the MixedVE facilitates better recall accuracy than the other two VEs for both age groups. Importantly, this pattern persists a week later. Additionally, our older participants were mostly overconfident in their route recall performance, but the MixedVE moderated this potentially detrimental overconfidence. Before the experiment, participants clearly preferred the RealisticVE, whereas after the experiment, most of the younger, and many of the older participants, preferred the MixedVE. Taken together, our findings provide insights into the importance of tailoring visualization design in route learning with VEs. Furthermore, we demonstrate the great potential of the MixedVE and by extension, of similar VEs as memory training devices for route learning, especially for older participants

Event-based knowledge elicitation of operating room management decision-making using scenarios adapted from information systems data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>No systematic process has previously been described for a needs assessment that identifies the operating room (OR) management decisions made by the anesthesiologists and nurse managers at a facility that do not maximize the efficiency of use of OR time. We evaluated whether event-based knowledge elicitation can be used practically for rapid assessment of OR management decision-making at facilities, whether scenarios can be adapted automatically from information systems data, and the usefulness of the approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A process of event-based knowledge elicitation was developed to assess OR management decision-making that may reduce the efficiency of use of OR time. Hypothetical scenarios addressing every OR management decision influencing OR efficiency were created from published examples. Scenarios are adapted, so that cues about conditions are accurate and appropriate for each facility (e.g., if OR 1 is used as an example in a scenario, the listed procedure is a type of procedure performed at the facility in OR 1). Adaptation is performed automatically using the facility's OR information system or anesthesia information management system (AIMS) data for most scenarios (43 of 45). Performing the needs assessment takes approximately 1 hour of local managers' time while they decide if their decisions are consistent with the described scenarios. A table of contents of the indexed scenarios is created automatically, providing a simple version of problem solving using case-based reasoning. For example, a new OR manager wanting to know the best way to decide whether to move a case can look in the chapter on "Moving Cases on the Day of Surgery" to find a scenario that describes the situation being encountered.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Scenarios have been adapted and used at 22 hospitals. Few changes in decisions were needed to increase the efficiency of use of OR time. The few changes were heterogeneous among hospitals, showing the usefulness of individualized assessments.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our technical advance is the development and use of automated event-based knowledge elicitation to identify suboptimal OR management decisions that decrease the efficiency of use of OR time. The adapted scenarios can be used in future decision-making.</p

Framing tourist risk in UK press accounts of Hurricane Ivan

This article examines the coverage of selected UK press reports of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 that was the most powerful storm to hit the Caribbean within the last 10 years. Quantitative content analysis has been utilised in this study to determine the main sources of information on the Hurricane and to examine the framing of tourist risk in the press accounts of this disaster. It is demonstrated that the reporting of Hurricane Ivan in the news items tended to convey information that amplified tourist vulnerability and risk. Institutional official sources were often quoted to reinforce danger and ‘no-escape’ rather than reporting on management strategies to reduce these risks or measures that were implemented to ensure visitor safety. This article therefore contends that media management strategies on disasters need to employ more precise and careful monitoring of media accounts of disasters in major generating markets. Such activities may be invaluable in providing assistance to tourism managers regarding decisions on communications strategies and marketing activity aimed at repairing damage and returning to normality in an affected country or region

Minocycline for negative symptoms of schizophrenia and possible mechanistic actions:the BeneMin RCT

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of minocycline on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and the mechanistic role of neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and cognitive enhancing actions. Methods: Two hundred and seven patients with a current research diagnosis of schizophrenia within 5 years of onset were randomised by a permuted blocks algorithm to minocycline (300 mg/day) or matching placebo as an adjunct to their continuing treatment. The primary efficacy outcome variable was the negative symptom subscale score from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scales at 2, 6, 9 and 12 months. The primary mechanistic (biomarker) variables were (1) medial prefrontal grey matter volume (GMV), (2) circulating cytokine interleukin (IL) 6 concentration and (3) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activations during performance of the N-back task. Movement disorder, side effects and treatment adherence were monitored throughout the study. Results: Compared with placebo, the addition of minocycline had no effect on the severity of negative symptoms [treatment effect difference –0.186, 95% confidence interval (CI) –1.225 to 0.854] across the 2-, 6-, 9- and 12-month follow-up visits. None of the mechanistic biomarkers was influenced by minocycline: left GMV –91.2 (95% CI –303.8 to 121.4), IL-6 0.072 (95% CI –0.118 to 0.262) and N-back fMRI 0.66 (95% CI –1.53 to 0.20). There were no statistically significant treatment effects on any of the secondary outcomes and no group differences at baseline. Most measures were stable over the 12 months. Twenty-five out of the 29 serious adverse events were hospital admission for worsening psychiatric state, which affected 10 minocycline-treated participants and six placebo-treated participants. Main outcome measures: The addition of minocycline to standard treatment had no benefit on the symptoms of schizophrenia in this early phase sample. There was no evidence of a progressive neuropathic or inflammatory process affecting GMV. Limitations: Although recruitment to target was achieved on time, only 43% (n = 89) of the 207 randomised patients completed 12 months of the study. However, 83% of those who started treatment remained on it and were assessed over 6 months. By contrast, no follow-up data were available for the cognitive and imaging markers in those who dropped out before the final 12-month assessments, and this reduced the power to detect treatment effects on these mechanistic variables. Patients were not selected for the presence of negative symptoms, and their initial overall psychopathology was, at most, moderate and, therefore, less likely to show treatment effects. Conclusions: The results of the study do not support the use of adjunctive minocycline for the treatment of negative or other symptoms of schizophrenia within 2–5 years of onset. More secure evidence of central inflammation is needed before further trials are conducted at other stages of psychosis. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN49141214. Funding: This project was funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, a Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health Research partnership. The study was sponsored by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and supported by the UK Clinical Research Network

Thermomechanical couplings in shape memory alloy materials

In this work we address several theoretical and computational issues which are related to the thermomechanical modeling of shape memory alloy materials. More specifically, in this paper we revisit a non-isothermal version of the theory of large deformation generalized plasticity which is suitable for describing the multiple and complex mechanisms occurring in these materials during phase transformations. We also discuss the computational implementation of a generalized plasticity based constitutive model and we demonstrate the ability of the theory in simulating the basic patterns of the experimentally observed behavior by a set of representative numerical examples

Cognitive and psychological science insights to improve climate change data visualization

Visualization of climate data plays an integral role in the communication of climate change findings to both expert and non-expert audiences. The cognitive and psychological sciences can provide valuable insights into how to improve visualization of climate data based on knowledge of how the human brain processes visual and linguistic information. We review four key research areas to demonstrate their potential to make data more accessible to diverse audiences: directing visual attention, visual complexity, making inferences from visuals, and the mapping between visuals and language. We present evidence-informed guidelines to help climate scientists increase the accessibility of graphics to non-experts, and illustrate how the guidelines can work in practice in the context of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change graphics

Modern Physical Metallurgy

Modern Physical Metallurgy describes, in a very readable form, the fundamental principles of physical metallurgy and the basic techniques for assessing microstructure. This book enables you to understand the properties and applications of metals and alloys at a deeper level than that provided in an introductory materials course. The eighth edition of this classic text has been updated to provide a balanced coverage of properties, characterization, phase transformations, crystal structure, and corrosion not available in other texts, and includes updated illustrations along with extensive new real-world examples and homework problems

Deformation banding and formation of cube volumes in cold rolled fcc metals

It has recently been reported that in cold rolled copper, cube oriented volumes are frequently formed in long thin bands next to bands having orientations related to the cube orientation by a 30-40 rotation about a (111) common pole. This microstructure would suggest that during recrystallisation, a cube oriented nucleus in the deformed structure can grow easily into its neighbour owing to the special misorientation which allows a high boundary migration rate. In this paper the formation of this special microstructural arrangement is studied by a generalised deformation banding model which involves the cooperation of two types of deformation banding. The model also predicts that the cube volumes have lower energy contents than both their immediate and bulk average surroundings. These favourable factors explain the domination of cube recrystallisation texture. In addition, the formation and implication of the cube oriented volumes surrounded by material with near {112} (111) orientation, reported in aluminium, is also considered. © 1994 The Institute of Materials.link_to_subscribed_fulltex