Trading Spaces: How Humans and Humanoids Use Speech And Gesture to Give Directions

Kopp S, Tepper P, Striegnitz K, Ferriman K, Cassell J. Trading Spaces: How Humans and Humanoids Use Speech And Gesture to Give Directions. In: Nishida T, ed. Conversational Informatics: an Engineering Approach. Wiley Series in Agent Technology. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons; 2007: 133-160.Humans intuitively accompany direction-giving with gestures. These gestures have been shown to have the same underlying conceptual structure as diagrams and direction-giving language, but the puzzle is how they communicate given that their form is not codified, and may in fact differ from one person or situation to the next. Based on results from a study on language and gesture in direction-giving, we describe a framework to analyze gestural images into semantic units (image description features), and to link these units to morphological features (hand shape, trajectory, etc.). This feature-based framework allows for implementing an integrated microplanner for multimodal directions that derives the form of both natural language and gesture directly from communicative goals. Using this microplanner we developed an embodied conversational agent that can perform appropriate speech and novel gestures in direction-giving conversation with real humans

CHASM: Static Analysis and Automatic Code Generation for Improved Fortran 90 and C++ Interoperability

The relative simplicity and design the Fortran language allowed reasonable interoperability with C C++. Fortran other hand, introduces several new and complex features the language that severely degrade the ability a mixed Fortran and C++ development environment. Major new items added Fortran user-defined types, pointers, and several new array features. Each these items introduce difficulties because Fortran procedure calling convention was not designed with interoperability important design goal. example, Fortran arrays passed array descriptor, which not specified by language and therefore depend particular compiler implementation. This paper describes set software tools parses Fortran source code and produces mediating interface functions which allow access Fortran libraries from C++

CHASM: Static Analysis and Automatic Code Generation for Improved Fortran 90 and C++ Interoperability

The relative simplicity and design of the Fortran 77 language allowed for reasonable interoperability with C and C++. Fortran 90, on the other hand, introduces several new and complex features to the language that severely degrade the ability of a mixed Fortran and C++ development environment. Major new items added to Fortran are user-defined types, pointers, and several new array features. Each of these items introduce difficulties because the Fortran 90 procedure calling convention was not designed with interoperability as an important design goal. For example, Fortran 90 arrays are passed by array descriptor, which is not specified by the language and therefore depend on a particular compiler implementation. This paper describes a set of software tools that parses Fortran 90 source code and produces mediating interface functions which allow access to Fortran 90 libraries from C++. Fortran is usually an integral part of the computing environment at a scientific institution like Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). At LANL there are man

The interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACES™): effects of a 3-month in-home pilot clinical trial for mild cognitive impairment and caregivers

Cay Anderson-Hanley,1 Jessica Stark,1 Kathryn M Wall,1 Marisa VanBrakle,1 Makenzie Michel,1 Molly Maloney,1 Nicole Barcelos,1 Kristina Striegnitz,2 Brian D Cohen,3 Arthur F Kramer4 1Healthy Aging & Neuropsychology Lab, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA; 2Computer Science Department & Neuroscience Program, Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA; 3Biology Department, Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA; 4Center for Cognitive & Brain Health, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA Background: Alzheimer’s and related dementias are on the rise, and older adults and their families are seeking accessible and effective ways to stave off or ameliorate mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Aim: This pilot clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: 03069391) examined neuropsychological and neurobiological outcomes of interactive physical and mental exercise.Participants and methods: Older adults (MCI and caregivers) were enrolled in a 3-month, in-home trial of a portable neuro-exergame (the interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System [iPACES™]), in which they pedaled and steered along a virtual bike path to complete a list of errands (Memory Lane™). Neuropsychological function and salivary biomarkers were measured at pre-, mid-, and posttrial. Ten older adults complied with the recommended use of iPACES (complete dose; ≥2×/wk, 67% of the 15 who also had pre- and postevaluation data). Statistical analyses compared change over time and also change among those with a complete dose vs inadequate dose. Correlations between change in neuropsychological and biomarker measures were also examined.Results: Executive function and verbal memory increased after 3 months (p = 0.01; no significant change was found with an inadequate dose). Change in salivary biomarkers was moderately associated with increasing cognition (cortisol, r = 0.68; IGF-1, r = 0.37).Conclusion: Further research is needed, but these pilot data provide preliminary indications to suggest neuro-exergaming can impact cognitive function, perhaps via neurobiological mechanisms, and as such may provide an effective and practical way to promote healthy aging. Keywords: aging, cognition, MCI, exergame, executive function, neurogame, neuro-exergam