User-friendly search interface for older adults: supporting search goal refreshing in working memory to improve information search strategies

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how a search interface that displays users’ ultimate query (i.e. users’ current search goal) can cope with the age-related decrease of fluid abilities and support older users’ search behaviours. 30 young and 18 older adults completed 9 search problems with a regular web browser or with the experimental search interface. Results showed that older adults spent longer time on the search engine result pages, they needed more time to reformulate, and they had more difficulties exploring the search paths elaborated. Age-differences also appeared as soon as the beginning of the search. The support tool helped older users reformulate their queries more rapidly and elaborate more flexible search strategies at the beginning of the activity. Indeed, older adults who interacted with the support tool switched to the processing of a new search path more rapidly instead of exploiting their initial query (i.e. they visited fewer websites for the initial query produced and reformulated a query instead of keeping on conducting a deeper investigation of the search results provided in the search engine result page). Implications of these findings for the design of effective support tools for older users are discussed.     

数据信息化时代下的工程造价管理

在经济不断迅猛发展的形势下,新时代的经济形式催生出一些多元化企业和职业,信息技术的不断发展使数据信息成为最具价值的财富。在信息传播极其迅速的今天,工程造价在数据信息时代下的管理模式也不断更新变化,以适应多元化的工程项目形式。因此信息数据的大量搜集和相关研究受到了各大科研机构和各类企业的高度关注。     

杨泗港快速通道武昌青菱段芦湾湖立交的选型研究

杨泗港快速通道青菱段是杨泗港过江通道江南岸重要的快速疏解道路,既承担快速通过性交通,又承担地方性服务功能。芦湾湖立交为青菱段与城市放射线珞狮南路的重要交通转换枢纽,在节点流量分析基础上,从功能定位方面进行阐述。芦湾湖立交由部分互通立交提升为全互通立交,并根据立交用地等限制因素进行全互通的方案比选,满足现状并适合整体需求和建设标准的立交方案,达到保证交通安全,适应城市发展和交通需求的目的。     

Black hole entropy,the black hole information paradox,and time travel paradoxes from a new perspective

ABSTRACT

Relatively simple but apparently novel ways are proposed for viewing three related subjects: black hole entropy, the black hole information paradox, and time travel paradoxes. (1) Gibbons and Hawking have completely explained the origin of the entropy of all black holes, including physical black holes – nonextremal and in 3-dimensional space – if one can identify their Euclidean path integral with a true thermodynamic partition function (ultimately based on microstates). An example is provided of a theory containing this feature. (2) There is unitary quantum evolution with no loss of information if the detection of Hawking radiation is regarded as a measurement process within the Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics. (3) The paradoxes of time travel evaporate when exposed to the light of quantum physics (again within the Everett interpretation), with quantum fields properly described by a path integral over a topologically nontrivial but smooth manifold.     

Temporal information based GoP adaptation for linear video delivery schemes

An original wireless video transmission scheme called SoftCast has been recently proposed to deal with the issues encountered in conventional wireless video broadcasting systems (e.g. cliff effect). In this paper, we evaluate and optimize the performance of the SoftCast scheme according to the transmitted video content. Precisely, an adaptive coding mechanism based on GoP-size adaptation, which takes into account the temporal information fluctuations of the video, is proposed. This extension denoted Adaptive GoP-size mechanism based on Content and Cut detection for SoftCast (AGCC-SoftCast) significantly improves the performance of the SoftCast scheme. It consists in modifying the GoP-size according to the shot changes and the spatio-temporal characteristics of the transmitted video. When hardware capacities, such as buffer or processor performance are limited, an alternative method based only on the shot changes detection (AGCut-SoftCast) is also proposed. Improvements up to 16 dB for the PSNR and up to 0.55 for the SSIM are observed with the proposed solutions at the cut boundaries. In addition, temporal visual quality fluctuations are reduced under 1dB in average, showing the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

Adaptive finite-time tracking control for parameterized nonlinear systems with full state constraints

In this article, the issue of adaptive finite-time dynamic surface control (DSC) is discussed for a class of parameterized nonlinear systems with full state constraints. Using the property of logarithmic function, a one-to-one nonlinear mapping is constructed to transform a constrained system into an unconstrained system with the same structure. The nonlinear filter is constructed to replace the first-order linear filter in the traditional DSC, and the demand on the filter time constant is reduced. Based on finite-time stable theory and using modified DSC, the finite-time controller is designed via DSC. Theoretical analysis shows that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semiglobal practical finite-time stable. Furthermore, none of the states are outside the defined open set. In the end, simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes with both linear filters and nonlinear filters.     

基于GIS的航电枢纽安全监测信息管理系统设计与应用

为解决航电枢纽安全监测海量数据统筹管理以及GIS技术结合应用程度低等问题,开发了基于GIS的航电枢纽安全监测信息管理系统。倾斜摄影技术的应用实现了高效建立工程三维数字模型,通过实景模型与工程监测的结合,为监测点可视化管理及成果可视化展示提供了条件。系统实现的技术路线,可为类似工程项目提供参考。     

Consumer perception of extruded snacks containing brown rice and dried mushroom

Effects of mushroom type, seasoning and health benefit information (HBI) on consumers’ saltiness expectation, sensory liking, elicited emotions and purchase intent (PI) of extruded snacks were investigated. Five snacks were evaluated: straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) extrudates without (SME) or with seasoning (SMES), phoenix mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) extrudates without (PME) or with seasoning (PMES), and the control without mushroom and seasoning. Hedonic scores and positive emotions were generally higher for seasoned mushroom-containing snacks (SMES and PMES) with 65% and 75.83% of consumers reporting willingness to purchase, respectively, after receiving HBI. Bored, interested and satisfied were identified as significant emotional predictors for PI odds. Flavour, saltiness, overall liking, bored, good and interested were critical attributes, differentiating snacks. This study demonstrated that sensory liking and PI of extruded brown rice-based snacks containing mushroom could be improved through savoury seasoning addition, which also allowed saltiness expectations to be met.     

The Spatial Patterning of Alcohol Outlets in Post-Disaster Christchurch,New Zealand: Practical and Policy Implications

Natural disasters greatly impact the environment of affected societies with often unknown consequences. In this study we examine the impact that the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010–2011 had on the distribution of alcohol outlets in Christchurch, New Zealand. Specifically, we compare the distribution of both on-site and off-site alcohol outlets pre- (December 2009) and post-earthquake (December 2014) and use spatial regression models to identify whether any neighbourhood-level factors predict the observed redistributions. Overall, the number of alcohol outlets decreased by almost 13% after the Canterbury Earthquakes. However, we found a moderate increase in the clustering of both outlet types of outlets in the post-quake period. Increases in rates of both on-site and off-site alcohol outlets in neighbourhoods were positively associated with the percentage of residents who resided in their neighbourhood < 5 years and with neighbourhood crime rate change, while negative associations were found with percentage population aged between 15 and 29 years. The results suggest that the changing spatial distribution of alcohol outlets in Christchurch was not random but driven, in part, by the emergent demographic composition of neighbourhoods. The significant practical and policy implications of a redistribution of alcohol outlets are outlined providing a tangible link between empirical research and practice in an urban environment plagued with post-disaster spatial and social uncertainties.     

飞机机械成品试验信息管理系统设计与应用

分析了航空企业飞机机械成品试验的现状,结合企业信息化管理的发展趋势,对飞机机械成品试验的流程进行梳理,基于ASP.NET技术研究开发了某企业飞机机械成品试验数据收集及信息管理系统,以实现飞机机械成品试验的流程化、数字化及显性化管理,避免因试验台管理不善造成的质量问题,实时掌握试验台状态,促进形成自主管理模式。