Control strategies used by experienced marine navigators: observation of verbal conversations during navigation training

This article investigates the relationship between the control situation framework, as presented by Bjørkli et al. (Cogn Technol Work 9:67–80, 2007), and observed operator action and communication in high-speed craft operation in the Norwegian Royal Navy. The reported data include two series of events during sailing in the Norwegian archipelago where uncertainty of ship position, challenges of manoeuvring and navigation strategies are addressed. The results indicate that the navigators perform actions and communicate in accordance with the key features of the control situation framework, and thus adapt to the interrelation between control possibilities and control requirements. The navigators were guided by explicit knowledge of the functional characteristics of psychical and temporal dynamics, which were actualized in manoeuvring. It indicates that the control situation framework can be used to describe the models the operators use.     

Incremental Linear Discriminant Analysis Using Sufficient Spanning Sets and Its Applications

This paper presents an incremental learning solution for Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and its applications to object recognition problems. We apply the sufficient spanning set approximation in three steps i.e. update for the total scatter matrix, between-class scatter matrix and the projected data matrix, which leads an online solution which closely agrees with the batch solution in accuracy while significantly reducing the computational complexity. The algorithm yields an efficient solution to incremental LDA even when the number of classes as well as the set size is large. The incremental LDA method has been also shown useful for semi-supervised online learning. Label propagation is done by integrating the incremental LDA into an EM framework. The method has been demonstrated in the task of merging large datasets which were collected during MPEG standardization for face image retrieval, face authentication using the BANCA dataset, and object categorisation using the Caltech101 dataset.     

Systematic review of the relationship between quick returns in rotating shift work and health-related outcomes

A systematic literature search was carried out to investigate the relationship between quick returns (i.e. 11.0 hours or less between two consecutive shifts) and outcome measures of health, sleep, functional ability and work–life balance. A total of 22 studies published in 21 articles were included. Three types of quick returns were differentiated (from evening to morning/day, night to evening, morning/day to night shifts) where sleep duration and sleepiness appeared to be differently affected depending on which shifts the quick returns occurred between. There were some indications of detrimental effects of quick returns on proximate problems (e.g. sleep, sleepiness and fatigue), although the evidence of associations with more chronic outcome measures (physical and mental health and work–life balance) was inconclusive.

Practitioner Summary: Modern societies are dependent on people working shifts. This study systematically reviews literature on the consequences of quick returns (11.0 hours or less between two shifts). Quick returns have detrimental effects on acute health problems. However, the evidence regarding effects on chronic health is inconclusive.     

Uncertainties of facial emotion recognition technologies and the automation of emotional labour

ABSTRACT

Automated detection and recognition of faces have been implemented in a broad range of media environments. Following that development, what concerns us in this article is the analysis of emotions from facial expressions using computer-based systems, in relation to which we critically investigate the use of theories of basic emotions. We explore in depth the company Affectiva’s attempts to translate, represent and schematize human emotions, as they raise a variety of problems and issues of uncertainty. We analyse the uncertainties concerning the processing of the human face ‘as image’ due to issues concerning temporality and static images as well as polyphony and modulations of the spectrum of expressions. One of our key arguments concerns the temporal character of human emotions, and we address how algorithmically regulated protocols of discretization may be said to prompt specific patterns of emotional responses and expressions based on an ideal of eliminating uncertainty. Through discussions via art pieces by Lauren McCarthy and Kyle McDonald, we question what happens when the protocols of computer systems start to perform aspects of emotional labour for us, making judgments by predicting adequate emotional responses based on the use of the strict metrics criticized in the article.     

Verifying Temporal Properties of Reactive Systems: A STeP Tutorial

We review a number of formal verification techniques supported by STeP, the Stanford Temporal Prover, describing how the tool can be used to verify properties of several versions of the Bakery Mutual exclusion algorithm for mutual exclusion. We verify the classic two-process algorithm and simple variants, as well as an atomic parameterized version. The methods used include deductive verification rules, verification diagrams, automatic invariant generation, and finite-state model checking and abstraction.     

An Industrial Case Study on Distributed Prioritisation in Market-Driven Requirements Engineering for Packaged Software

When developing packaged software, which is sold ‘off-the-shelf’ on a worldwide marketplace, it is essential to collect needs and opportunities from different market segments and use this information in the prioritisation of requirements for the next software release. This paper presents an industrial case study where a distributed prioritisation process is proposed, observed and evaluated. The stakeholders in the requirements prioritisation process include marketing offices distributed around the world. A major objective of the distributed prioritisation is to gather and highlight the differences and similarities in the requirement priorities of the different market segments. The evaluation through questionnaires shows that the stakeholders found the process useful. The paper also presents novel approaches to visualise the priority distribution among stakeholders, together with measures on disagreement and satisfaction. Product management found the proposed charts valuable as decision support when selecting requirements for the next release, as they revealed unforeseen differences among stakeholder priorities. Conclusions on stakeholder tactics are provided and issues of further research are identified, including ways of addressing identified challenges.     

Predicting proteinase specificities from free energy calculations

The role of the primary binding residue (P1) in complexes between three different subtilases (subtilisin Carlsberg, thermitase and proteinase K) and their canonical protein inhibitor eglin c have been studied by free energy calculations. Based on the crystal structures of eglin c in complex with subtilisin Carlsberg and thermitase, and a homology model of the eglin c-proteinase K complex, a total of 57 mutants have been constructed and docked into their host proteins. The binding free energy was then calculated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with the linear interaction energy (LIE) method for all complexes differing only in the nature of the amino acid at the P1 position. LIE calculations for 19 different complexes for each subtilase were thus carried out excluding proline. The effects of substitutions at the P1 position on the binding free energies are found to be very large, and positively charged residues (Arg, Lys and His) are particularly deleterious for all three enzymes. The charged variants of the acidic side chains are found to bind more favorably as compared to their protonated states in all three subtilases. Furthermore, hydrophobic amino acids are accommodated most favorably at the S1-site in all three enzymes. Comparison of the three series of binding free energies shows only minor differences in the 19 computed relative binding free energies among these subtilases. This is further reflected in the correlation coefficient between the 23 relative binding free energies obtained, including the possible protonation states of ionizable side chains, but excluding the P1 Pro, for subtilisin Carlsberg versus thermitase (0.95), subtilisin versus proteinase K (0.94) and thermitase versus proteinase K (0.96).