A Multiagent Approach to Personalization and Assistance to Multiple Persons in a Smart Home

http://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/WS/AAAIW14/paper/download/8809/8371&sa=X&scisig=AAGBfm2W2ejiuEPthMsyGE4AgBRTA_1HfAInternational audienceLocalization, personalization, activity recognition, and cognitive assistance are key issues in research on smart homes for cognitively impaired people. Most of the current solutions rely on the presence of solely one person in the residence. To actively consider the interaction of the smart home inhabitant with their caregivers, nurses, doctors and people sharing their home, this paper proposes a multi-agent approach to transparently locate, identify, and ease the collaboration between distributed personalization and assistance services. Based on Bayesian filtering localization using anonymous sensors, the multi-person localization process provides information on each occupant presence, either incoming or outgoing. This information is then used for personalization and assistance

The NURAXI web-based learning environment architecture

The fast evolution of today world impels corporations to provide their employees just-in-time training, adapted training and more generally continuous education. To be able to satisfy this demand, authors need means to specify once didactic material and then to reuse, select, adapt and distribute it to different users in different contexts. Since September 1998, Mediatech is developing the NURAXI multimedia research platform aimed at the design, generation, deployment, management and use of intelligent distance learning environments. NURAXI interacts with the user on the basis of the competency assessment (initial, on-going progress and final), the individual learning style and collaborative learning. Our solution is departing from a document type based organization of courses and training material towards a functionality and competency based model. We consider models and structures for information, knowledge and competencies more appropriate to the new on-line delivery environment than the document-based old one (html-based or not). From a technological point of view, this was made possible by the recent arrival of XML technology, coupled with Java and Web application technology

A distance learning environment architecture

This paper presents the core architecture of NURAXI, a multimedia research platform aimed at the design, generation, deployment, management and use of intelligent distance learning environments. It describes the actors and services that are involved in the production and use of intelligent distance learning environments, the structures that are at the heart of the environment, and the processes that use these structures. The competence notion is the central component around which both author's and student's interactions gravitate. An author generates the training material on the basis of competencies to be acquired by a student, and the means to get them, i.e. the related activities and contents. A student accesses the pedagogical material by first selecting his/her learning objectives. The training path is made of dynamically created pedagogical activities. Examples of implemented activities are also shown in the paper. The platform presents a number of interesting features including re-usability of didactic components; adaptability of the training material to the student model; dynamic definition of the training path; modularity, and interoperability thanks to the adoption of standard and open solutions in terms of document structures, ontologies, design and implementation techniques. All these advantages derive from the integration of technologies such as the XML paradigm, Servlets, Software Agents, and Distributed Databases

Keeping Calm in the Digital Age: Theorizing on a Self-Monitoring System of Technostress

People spend increasing time interacting with information technologies (IT) due to teleworking, which has become an important cause of psychological stress. Meanwhile, technological advances enable the monitoring of stress via methods that capture individuals’ physiological states like automatic facial expression analysis (AFEA). This research-in-progress article proposes a novel theory that aims at explaining and predicting the impact of AFEA of stress self-monitoring systems on users’ psychological stress. The theory proposes that AFEA of stress self-monitoring systems can increase facial expression self-awareness, and consequently inhibit users’ facial expressions of stress, which can in turn decrease users’ psychological stress. The theory has implications for the design science, affective computing, and technostress domains. It is hoped that the theory will generate discussions on the potential of stress self-monitoring systems in the workplace, education, and society

Impact of Information Technology Multitasking on Hedonic Experience

This study investigates the impact of information technology (IT) multitasking on multisensory hedonic experience. Existing literature extensively studies the impact of IT multitasking on user experience in a professional context but still lacks insight regarding this influence in a hedonic context. This study contributes to the literature by examining how technology can alter pleasure induced by hedonic activities. In a context of engaged IT interaction along with multisensory music listening, we hypothesize that the multisensory factor positively influences emotional reaction. We also hypothesize that IT interaction will degrade the hedonic experience. We conducted a multi-method experiment using both explicit (questionnaires) and implicit (automatic facial analysis, and electrodermal activity) measures of emotional reactions. Results support our hypotheses and highlight the importance of avoiding multitasking with technology during passive hedonic activities for better experience. Future research may examine IT multitasking’s influence on active hedonic activities

Étude de convivialité de l’utilisation d’un agenda électronique par des personnes souffrant de schizophrénie

La schizophrénie est associée à des troubles du fonctionnement mnésique et exécutif qui altèrent la capacité des patients à organiser leurs Activités de la Vie Quotidienne (AVQ). Afin d’améliorer leur autonomie et d’alléger la charge de leurs aidants, nous proposons de programmer des organiseurs en fonction des besoins spécifiques de chaque patient. Ces agendas électroniques permettent de rappeler au patient ses AVQ, et d’augmenter la communication avec l’aidant. Cette étude de convivialité vérifie que l’organiseur pressenti est fonctionnel. Malgré les problèmes techniques rencontrés, tous les participants ont été séduits par l’utilisation des organiseurs. Les aidants ont été convaincus que ces outils amélioreraient la qualité de vie des patients et constitueraient un complément de travail précieux. Les agendas seront améliorés d’après les commentaires des participants et testés dans une étude ultérieure.Mnesic and executive troubles elicited by schizophrenia decrease patient’s capacity to organise their Daily Living Activities (DLA). According to the needs of each patient, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) were programmed in order to improve their autonomy and to reduce the load of their carers and relatives. These electronic diaries recall patient’s DLA and increase communication with carer. This conviviality study aims at verify that the material is operational. Despite some technical problems, all participants reported a great interest for the use of these diaries. Carers were convinced that these tools would represent an invaluable complement of work, and would improve the quality of life of their patients by bringing them more autonomy. According to the participants reports, PDA will be enhanced and tested in a subsequent study.La esquizofrenia está asociada a los trastornos del funcionamiento mnésico y de ejecución que alteran la capacidad de los pacientes para organizar sus Actividades de la Vida Cotidiana (AVQ). A fin de mejorar su autonomía y de aligerar la carga de sus ayudantes, proponemos programar los organizadores en función de las necesidades específicas de cada paciente. Estas agendas electrónicas permiten al paciente recordar sus AVQ y aumentar la comunicación con el ayudante. Este estudio de la facilidad de uso verifica que el organizador potencial sea funcional. A pesar de los problemas técnicos encontrados, todos los participantes fueron seducidos por el uso de los organizadores. Los ayudantes se convencieron de que estas herramientas mejoran la calidad de vida de los pacientes y constituirían un complemento de trabajo precioso. Las agendas serán mejoradas conforme a los comentarios de los participantes y se probarán en un estudio posterior.A esquizofrenia é associada a transtornos do funcionamento mnésico e executivo que alteram a capacidade dos pacientes em organizar suas Atividades da Vida Cotidiana (Activités de la Vie Quotidienne – AVQ). A fim de melhorar sua autonomia e tornar mais leve a carga de seus auxiliares, propomos programar agendas eletrônicas em função das necessidades específicas de cada paciente. Estes aparelhos permitem lembrar ao paciente suas AVQ, e aumentar a comunicação com o auxiliar. Este estudo de convivialidade verifica se a agenda pressentida é funcional. Apesar dos problemas técnicos que ocorreram, todos os participantes ficaram seduzidos pela utilização das agendas eletrônicas. Os auxiliares ficaram convencidos de que estas ferramentas melhoraram a qualidade de vida dos pacientes e constituiriam um complemento de trabalho precioso. As agendas serão modificadas, segundo os comentários dos participantes, e testadas em um estudo futuro

Role of the extracellular matrix proteins in the resistance of SP6.5 uveal melanoma cells toward cisplatin

Uveal melanoma is the most frequent primary intraocular tumor in the adult population. This malignancy has a high mortality rate and responds poorly to existing chemotherapy. Recently, the tumor environment has been found to exert a profound influence on drug response through cell interaction with components from the extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study, we investigated whether individual components from the ECM may affect cell survival and/or cell death induced by the cytotoxic agent cisplatin on the SP6.5 uveal melanoma cell line. Tumor cells were shown by immunofluorescence analyses to be surrounded by the ECM proteins fibronectin (FN), type IV collagen (CIV) and laminin (LM), both at the primary and metastatic sites. Binding of SP6.5 cells to FN, LM and CIV is primarily dictated by the expression of membrane bound integrins from the beta1 family as revealed by cell adhesion assays conducted on ECM-coated culture plates. Analysis of cell death by flow cytometry demonstrated that culturing SP6.5 cells in the presence of FN, CIV and LM, substantially reduced the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis after cisplatin treatment when compared with those seeded on a non-permissive matrix. These results suggest that adhesion of the SP6.5 uveal melanoma cells to the ECM proteins FN, CIV and LM might therefore confer resistance to the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. The cellular resistance induced by the ECM proteins toward cisplatin could explain in part the local recurrence of metastasis derived from uveal melanoma often observed clinically after chemotherapy

Unsupervised mining of activities for smart home prediction

This paper addresses the problem of learning the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) in smart home for cognitive assistance to an occupant suffering from some type of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. We present an extension of the Flocking algorithm for ADL clustering analysis. The Flocking based algorithm does not require an initial number of clusters, unlike other partition algorithms such as K-means. This approach allows us to learn ADL models automatically (without human supervision) to carry out activity recognition. By simulating a set of real case scenarios, an implementation of this model was tested in our smart home laboratory, the LIARA

Autologous transplantation of rabbit limbal epithelia cultured on fibrin gels for ocular surface reconstruction

Purpose: Regeneration of the corneal epithelium could be severely impaired in patients suffering from limbal stem cell deficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the restoration of the corneal epithelium by grafting onto denuded corneas autologous limbal cells cultured on fibrin gels. The rabbit model was chosen to allow the microscopic evaluation over time after grafting. Methods: Rabbit limbal epithelial cells (RLECs) were isolated and cultured from small limbal biopsies (3 mm2 ). The epithelium was separated from stroma after dispase digestion and put in culture on lethally irradiated fibroblasts used as a feeder layer. At the first passage, RLECs were cultured on a fibrin gel matrix. At confluence, the cultured epithelia were grafted in vivo on denuded autologous rabbit corneas. At different postoperative times, grafted and control (without graft or grafted with fibrin gels only) rabbit corneas were compared in vivo with a slit lamp microscope, and in situ by histological and immunohistological microscopy of harvested biopsies. Results: A small limbal biopsy was sufficient to generate enough RLECs to prepare several grafts and to perform cell analysis. Only two weeks were required to produce a cultured epithelium suitable for autologous transplantation. One month after grafting, a normal corneal phenotype was observed on the ocular surface of grafted rabbits in contrast to the control rabbits (ungrafted or grafted with fibrin gel only) where histological signs of conjunctivalization were found. The absence of goblet cells and negative staining for keratin 4 confirmed that the cultured cells persisted and that the epithelium regenerated after grafting was not from conjunctival origin. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that an autologous epithelium cultured on a physiologically biodegradable matrix can be prepared from a small biopsy and grafted on denuded cornea. The autologous graft allows epithelial regeneration from cultured cells and promotes corneal healing of unilateral total stem cell deficiency