Making it easier for older people to talk to smart homes: the effect of early help prompts

It is well known that help prompts shape how users talk to spoken dialogue systems. This study investigated the effect of help prompt placement on older users’ interaction with a smart home interface. In the dynamic help condition, help was only given in response to system errors; in the inherent help condition, it was also given at the start of each task. Fifteen older and sixteen younger users interacted with a smart home system using two different scenarios. Each scenario consisted of several tasks. The linguistic style users employed to communicate with the system (interaction style) was measured using the ratio of commands to the overall utterance length (keyword ratio) and the percentage of content words in the user’s utterance that could be understood by the system (shared vocabulary). While the timing of help prompts did not affect the interaction style of younger users, it was early task-specific help supported older users in adapting their interaction style to the system’s capabilities. Well-placed help prompts can significantly increase the usability of spoken dialogue systems for older people.     

Photoinitiierte Polymerisation mit Dialkoxythiocarbonyldisulfiden – eine Polymerisationsreaktion mit Primärradikalabbruch

Photoinitiated Polymerization with Dialkoxy Thiocarbonyl Disulfides – a Polymerization Reaction with Primary Radical Termination The photoinduced free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and some other vinyl monomers using dialkoxy thiocarbonyl disulfides ( 1 – 4 ) as photoinitiators was studied. The photolysis of these initiators leads to cleavage of the S S bond, which was determined by spin trapping experiments with phenyl tert-butyl nitrone. No evidence was found for a further thermal decomposition of the primary alkoxy thiocarbonyl sulfide radicals (R·) at room temperature. In the absence of scavengers the primary radicals react back exclusively to the initial compounds, due to a strong cage effect. By means of UV spectroscopic measurements and in the presence of MMA the quantum yields of the initiator decomposition were detected to be 0.8. The polymerization of acrylic and methacrylic derivatives can be initiated by the R·, contrary to the situation with fumarates and maleates. The mechanism of MMA polymerization depends on the light intensity absorbed by the initiators. At high intensities the combination of primary and polymer radicals terminates the chain reaction. This follows from the measured monomer exponent of α = 2, the light intensity exponent of β = 0,2 and the number of thiocarbonyl end groups of 2 in the polymers isolated. Contrary to this, in the low intensity region the experimental data obey the ideal kinetic equation. Kinetic modelling gives evidence for an interaction of the monomer with the cage radicals.     

Hippocampal Over-Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) Is Associated with Susceptibility to Stress-Induced Anhedonia in Mice

The phenomenon of individual variability in susceptibility/resilience to stress and depression, in which the hippocampus plays a pivotal role, is attracting increasing attention. We investigated the potential role of hippocampal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which regulates plasticity, neuroimmune function, and stress responses that are all linked to this risk dichotomy. We used a four-week-long chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm, in which mice could be stratified according to their susceptibility/resilience to anhedonia, a key feature of depression, to investigate hippocampal expression of COX-2, a marker of microglial activation Iba-1, and the proliferation marker Ki67. Rat exposure, social defeat, restraints, and tail suspension were used as stressors. We compared the effects of treatment with either the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (30 mg/kg/day) or citalopram (15 mg/kg/day). For the celecoxib and vehicle-treated mice, the Porsolt test was used. Anhedonic (susceptible) but not non-anhedonic (resilient) animals exhibited elevated COX-2 mRNA levels, increased numbers of COX-2 and Iba-1-positive cells in the dentate gyrus and the CA1 area, and decreased numbers of Ki67-positive cells in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. Drug treatment decreased the percentage of anhedonic mice, normalized swimming activity, reduced behavioral despair, and improved conditioned fear memory. Hippocampal over-expression of COX-2 is associated with susceptibility to stress-induced anhedonia, and its pharmacological inhibition with celecoxib has antidepressant effects that are similar in size to those of citalopram.     

Simultaneous Detection of Positive and Negative Ions From Single Airborne Particles by Real-time Laser Mass Spectrometry

ABSTRACT

The instrumental setup used for simultaneous bipolar ion detection in on-line single-particle analysis by laser mass spectrometry is described. Particle size calibration has been performed using aerodynamic time-of-flight techniques. Mass spectra of several hundred ambient particles with aerodynamic diameters of 0.8 μm have been evaluated for statistical classification (Principal Components Analysis [PCA]) in order to identify main chemical components of the prominent particle classes.     

Differenzierung pflanzlicher und tierischer Proteine durch isoelektrische Focussierung in Agarosegel

Zusammenfassung Am Beispiel von Fleisch-, Fischund Kartoffelproteinen wird über die Leistungsfähigkeit einer modifizierten Focussiermethode in Agarosegel berichtet. Bei erhöhtem Probendurchsatz lassen sich Analysendauer und Kosten senken.

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Differentiation of plant and animal proteins by isoelectric focusing in agarose gel

Summary A modified time and cost saving method for isoelectric focusing of protein mixtures in agarose gel is described. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated by separation of meat, fish and potato proteins.

     

Microscopic three-dimensional topometry with ferroelectric liquid-crystal-on-silicon displays

When three dimensional measurements are conducted with fringe projection, the quality of the grating used for the generation of the fringes is important. It has a direct influence on the achievable depth resolution in a given measurement setup. In the past, Ronchi grating or gratings written in nematic liquid-crystal displays or in digital micromirror devices have been used. We report on the application of a reflective ferroelectric liquid-crystal-on-silicon display as the fringe-generating element in a setup based on a stereo microscope. With this device the depth resolution of measurements by use of phase-shifting algorithms can be significantly improved compared with the application of a Ronchi grating or a nematic liquid-crystal display.     

Potential of cognitive plasticity as a diagnostic instrument: A cross-validation and extension.

Examination of the range and limits of cognitive developmental reserve capacity (plasticity) by means of cognitive training has been proffered as a promising diagnostic strategy for the early identification of Alzheimer's disease. Previous findings of differential gains after cognitive training for healthy older persons and older persons at risk for dementia were supported, rendering cognitive plasticity a criterion by which the overlap in performance distributions between healthy older persons and older persons at risk can be reduced. Stepwise hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that posttraining scores, which represented developmental reserve capacity, explained significantly more variance in mental health status than pretest or baseline performance. Older persons at risk profited significantly less from training in 2 components of fluid intelligence, figural relations, and inductive reasoning. The authors discuss the possibilities of turning this testing-the-limits procedure into an instrument for screening purposes in clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motion sickness in quail: Body-rotation-induced conditioned fluid aversions in C. coturnix japonica.

Examinded the presence of motion sickness in 23 Japanese quail by using conditioned fluid aversion as an index. Ss were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 received a novel fluid (yellow-sour water) followed by 30 min of body rotation at 70 rpm (on a schedule of 15 sec on and 5 sec off); Group 2 received the novel fluid followed by exposure to a sham rotation procedure; and Group 3 experienced the rotation procedure following access to water. Results indicate that Group 1 exhibited a conditioned aversion to the novel fluid (relative to the control groups) over days of acquisition, which subsequently dissipated when rotation was no longer contingent on the presentation of the yellow-sour water (extinction). Data demonstrate the presence of motion sickness in a gallinaceous species as indexed by a conditioned fluid-aversion procedure. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)