Affordances in the design of enactive systems

Enactive interfaces must incorporate intuitive activity that characterizes naturalistic perception. However, the manner in which information is presented is not more important than the contents: what information is presented. In this contribution, we address the contents of perception. We argue that people perceive affordances, that is, the possible actions that are available in any given situation. We further argue that enactive interfaces should be designed to optimize presentation of information about the possible actions that are available to a person using the enactive interface. The design of enactive interfaces might be guided by an extension of the theory of ecological interface design (Vicente in Hum Factors 44:62–78, 2002) to include multimodal information that is accessed through fast, intuitive exploratory movement. We review two empirical studies that illustrate our arguments. Careful analysis of affordances, together with our increasing understanding of the enactive perception of affordances, should influence the design of enactive interfaces.     

Stable Oxygen and Carbon Isotopic Compositions of Lates stappersii Otoliths from Lake Tanganyika,East Africa

In this study, we measured growth trends in oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios in whole sagittal otoliths from three adult centropomid fish (Lates stappersii) from each of three sub-basins of Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. Sampling density was 20 to 50 samples per otolith. Both δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values increase with age. The δ¹⁸O data suggest that otoliths were precipitated near the expected equilibrium with the ambient environment (ca. +3.5‰) and support a migration pattern from surface waters during larval stages to deeper waters (40 to 80 m) for mature fish. Relatively high δ¹⁸O values in the southern sub-basin are consistent with cooler temperatures in the region during seasonal upwelling. The δ13C increase from otolith core to edge is large (up to 4‰) and is interpreted as due to ontogenetic changes in diet and contributions from a decrease in the proportion of respired CO₂ incorporated into otolith carbonate as metabolic rates of the fish dropped with maturity. The data seem to successfully reveal life strategy and migration patterns of L. stappersii, document regional differences in lake conditions, and provide a record of temperature within the water column during which the fish lived. Higher resolution studies and analyses of historical samples could be used to constrain modern and past growth patterns, and to reconstruct past temperature gradients and productivity patterns in the lake.     

Electro‐optical transfer function preferences for LCD TVs: The effect of display brightness and surround illumination on preferred gamma

Abstract— Recent commercial liquid‐crystal‐display (LCD) televisions are larger and brighter than traditional televisions, thus impacting the viewing conditions in which they are viewed. These changes in viewing conditions may require different electro‐optical transfer functions (EOTFs) for LCD TVs than those for conventional TVs. Here, the way various EOTFs affect the preferred image quality of test images with changes in brightness and surround illumination conditions are examined. The first method used a gain, offset, and gamma (GOG) function with a range of gamma values, and the second method altered the intrinsic EOTFs. Image preference for the simulated EOTFs was determined using a paired‐comparison experiment for ten images. The first experiment took place in a darkened room at two display luminance levels. The results indicated that a gamma of 1.6 was most preferred overall although more so at a lower screen luminance level. In a second experiment, the procedure was repeated with a dim surround of 10% of the display's white point. With this surround, preference for a gamma value of around 1.6 at both screen luminance levels was more enhanced. These results indicated that image preference for different EOTFs is dependent on display luminance and that this dependence is maintained with a dim surround.     

电子商务环境下的组织变革探讨

从变化的环境出发，论述了组织与环境的关系，分析了电子商务在组织变革中的作用以及组织变革的规律，进一步研究了适应这种环境的虚拟组织的组成、管理特性和运作平台。     

Study on axiomatic rules for building up relationships between requirement and source programs

The purpose of our study is to build up relationships between requirement and source programs with our originally thought-out rules. When other rules to be derived from these original rules are applied to software development, even a single instruction in a programming language could be determined, and the program would satisfy the requirement. More specifically speaking, these rules will turn into a formula or a prototype of software programs. Hence, when the variables in the requirement are placed in the formula, we can get a required program in an automatic way.     

浅议如何用绿色植物防治矿区环境污染

绿色植物能吸收CO2 ,释放O2 ,清除有毒污染物 ,阻滞灰尘 ,杀灭细菌等致病微生物 ;在矿区环境污染治理时 ,应切实加强矿区绿化工作 ,扩大植被覆盖率 ,保持矿区生态平衡 ,促进矿区的可持续发展。     

Symbolic control of visual attention: The role of working memory and attentional control settings.

This study examined how 1 symbol is selected to control the allocation of attention when several symbols appear in the visual field. In Experiments 1-3, the critical target feature was color, and it was found that uninformative central arrows that matched the color of the target were selected and produced unintentional shifts of attention (i.e., involuntary, initiated slowly, producing long-lasting facilitatory effects). Experiment 4 tested whether such selection is the result of an attentional filter or of a competition bias due to a match of incoming information against integrated object representations stored in working memory. Here, the critical feature was shape and color was irrelevant, but matching color arrows were still selected. Thus, features of objects in working memory will bias the selection of symbols in the visual field, and such selected symbols are capable of producing unintentional shifts of attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Global Level Path Planning for Mobile Robots in Dynamic Environments

This paper presents a self-adapting approach to global level path planning in dynamic environments. The aim of this work is to minimize risk and delays in possible applications of mobile robots (e.g., in industrial processes). We introduce a hybrid system that uses case-based reasoning as well as grid-based maps for decision-making. Maps are used to suggest several alternative paths between specific start and goal point. The casebase stores these solutions and remembers their characteristics. Environment representation and casebase design are discussed. To solve the problem of exploration vs. exploitation, a decision-making strategy is proposed that is based on the irreversibility of decisions. Forgetting strategies are discussed and evaluated in the context of case-based maintenance. The adaptability of the system is evaluated in a domain based on real sensor data with simulated occupancy probabilities. Forgetting strategies and decision-making strategies are evaluated in simulated environments. Experiments show that a robot is able to adapt in dynamic environments and can learn to use paths that are less risky to follow.     

Psychological impact of colorectal cancer screening.

This article examines the psychological impact of participating in sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer prevention. The 1st study examined psychological well-being at 3 months, in relation to screening outcome, in 4,153 individuals. The 2nd study used longitudinal data to examine changes in psychological functioning from before to after screening in relation both to screening outcome and baseline indicators of vulnerability. There were few psychological differences between those who had received negative results or had polyps detected. These findings were confirmed in the longitudinal study, which also found no evidence for vulnerability to adverse effects among those who were initially most anxious or who perceived their risk of cancer to be higher. The longitudinal data suggested that screening might produce transient positive effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of Oral and Extraoral Facial Movement to Visual and Audiovisual Speech Perception.

Seeing a talker's face influences auditory speech recognition, but the visible input essential for this influence has yet to be established. Using a new seamless editing technique, the authors examined effects of restricting visible movement to oral or extraoral areas of a talking face. In Experiment 1, visual speech identification and visual influences on identifying auditory speech were compared across displays in which the whole face moved, the oral area moved, or the extraoral area moved. Visual speech influences on auditory speech recognition were substantial and unchanging across whole-face and oral-movement displays. However, extraoral movement also influenced identification of visual and audiovisual speech. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that these results are dependent on intact and upright facial contexts, but only with extraoral movement displays. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)