Identifying Frequent Users of an Urban Emergency Medical Service Using Descriptive Statistics and Regression Analyses.

PubMed

Norman, Chenelle; Mello, Michael; Choi, Bryan

2016-01-01

This retrospective cohort study provides a descriptive analysis of a population that frequently uses an urban emergency medical service (EMS) and identifies factors that contribute to use among all frequent users. For purposes of this study we divided frequent users into the following groups: low- frequent users (4 EMS transports in 2012), medium-frequent users (5 to 6 EMS transports in 2012), high-frequent users (7 to 10 EMS transports in 2012) and super-frequent users (11 or more EMS transports in 2012). Overall, we identified 539 individuals as frequent users. For all groups of EMS frequent users (i.e. low, medium, high and super) one or more hospital admissions, receiving a referral for follow-up care upon discharge, and having no insurance were found to be statistically significant with frequent EMS use (P<0.05). Within the diagnostic categories, 41.61% of super-frequent users had a diagnosis of "primarily substance abuse/misuse" and among low-frequent users a majority, 53.33%, were identified as having a "reoccurring (medical) diagnosis." Lastly, relative risk ratios for the highest group of users, super-frequent users, were 3.34 (95% CI [1.90-5.87]) for obtaining at least one referral for follow-up care, 13.67 (95% CI [5.60-33.34]) for having four or more hospital admissions and 5.95 (95% CI [1.80-19.63]) for having a diagnoses of primarily substance abuse/misuse. Findings from this study demonstrate that among low- and medium-frequent users a majority of patients are using EMS for reoccurring medical conditions. This could potentially be avoided with better care management. In addition, this study adds to the current literature that illustrates a strong correlation between substance abuse/misuse and high/super-frequent EMS use. For the subgroup analysis among individuals 65 years of age and older, we did not find any of the independent variables included in our model to be statistically significant with frequent EMS use.

Computer-Access-Code Matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, Earl R., Jr.

1990-01-01

Authorized users respond to changing challenges with changing passwords. Scheme for controlling access to computers defeats eavesdroppers and "hackers". Based on password system of challenge and password or sign, challenge, and countersign correlated with random alphanumeric codes in matrices of two or more dimensions. Codes stored on floppy disk or plug-in card and changed frequently. For even higher security, matrices of four or more dimensions used, just as cubes compounded into hypercubes in concurrent processing.

Randomized Trial of Desktop Humidifier for Dry Eye Relief in Computer Users.

PubMed

Wang, Michael T M; Chan, Evon; Ea, Linda; Kam, Clifford; Lu, Yvonne; Misra, Stuti L; Craig, Jennifer P

2017-11-01

Dry eye is a frequently reported problem among computer users. Low relative humidity environments are recognized to exacerbate signs and symptoms of dry eye, yet are common in offices of computer operators. Desktop USB-powered humidifiers are available commercially, but their efficacy for dry eye relief has not been established. This study aims to evaluate the potential for a desktop USB-powered humidifier to improve tear-film parameters, ocular surface characteristics, and subjective comfort of computer users. Forty-four computer users were enrolled in a prospective, masked, randomized crossover study. On separate days, participants were randomized to 1 hour of continuous computer use, with and without exposure to a desktop humidifier. Lipid-layer grade, noninvasive tear-film breakup time, and tear meniscus height were measured before and after computer use. Following the 1-hour period, participants reported whether ocular comfort was greater, equal, or lesser than that at baseline. The desktop humidifier effected a relative difference in humidity between the two environments of +5.4 ± 5.0% (P < .001). Participants demonstrated no significant differences in lipid-layer grade and tear meniscus height between the two environments (all P > .05). However, a relative increase in the median noninvasive tear-film breakup time of +4.0 seconds was observed in the humidified environment (P < .001), which was associated with a higher proportion of subjects reporting greater comfort relative to baseline (36% vs. 5%, P < .001). Even with a modest increase in relative humidity locally, the desktop humidifier shows potential to improve tear-film stability and subjective comfort during computer use.Trial registration no: ACTRN12617000326392.

Epidemiologic analysis of an urban, public emergency department's frequent users.

PubMed

Mandelberg, J H; Kuhn, R E; Kohn, M A

2000-06-01

To determine how the demographic, clinical, and utilization characteristics of emergency department (ED) frequent users differ from those of other ED patients. A cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study was performed using a database of all 348,858 visits to the San Francisco General Hospital ED during a five-year period (July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1998). A "frequent user" visited the ED five or more times in a 12-month period. Frequent users constituted 3.9% of ED patients but accounted for 20.5% of ED visits. The relative risk (RR) of frequent use was high among patients who were homeless (RR = 4.5), African American (RR = 1.8), and Medi-Cal sponsored (RR = 2.1). Frequent users were more likely to be seen for alcohol withdrawal (RR = 4.4), alcohol dependence (RR = 3.4), and alcohol intoxication (RR = 2.4). Frequent users were also more likely to visit for exacerbations of chronic conditions, including sickle cell anemia (RR = 8.0), renal failure (RR = 3.6), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (RR = 3.3). They were less likely to visit for all forms of trauma (RR = 0.43). Survival analysis showed that only 38% of frequent users for one year remained frequent users the next year. However, 56% of frequent users for two consecutive years remained frequent users in the third year. Frequent use of the ED reflects the urban social problems of homelessness, poverty, alcohol abuse, and chronic illness. Frequent use of the ED shows a high rate of decline from one year to the next. This rate of decline slows after the first year and suggests the existence of a smaller group of chronic frequent users.

VAX CLuster upgrade: Report of a CPC task force

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, J.; Berry, H.; Kessler, P.

The CSCF VAX cluster provides interactive computing for 100 users during prime time, plus a considerable amount of daytime and overnight batch processing. While this cluster represents less than 10% of the VAX computing power at BNL (6 MIPS out of 70), it has served as an important center for this larger network, supporting special hardware and software too expensive to maintain on every machine. In addition, it is the only unrestricted facility available to VAX/VMS users (other machines are typically dedicated to special projects). This committee's analysis shows that the cpu's on the CSCF cluster are currently badly oversaturated,more » frequently giving extremely poor interactive response. Short batch jobs (a necessary part of interactive work) typically take 3 to 4 times as long to execute as they would on an idle machine. There is also an immediate need for more scratch disk space and user permanent file space.« less

Human errors and violations in computer and information security: the viewpoint of network administrators and security specialists.

PubMed

Kraemer, Sara; Carayon, Pascale

2007-03-01

This paper describes human errors and violations of end users and network administration in computer and information security. This information is summarized in a conceptual framework for examining the human and organizational factors contributing to computer and information security. This framework includes human error taxonomies to describe the work conditions that contribute adversely to computer and information security, i.e. to security vulnerabilities and breaches. The issue of human error and violation in computer and information security was explored through a series of 16 interviews with network administrators and security specialists. The interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed by coding specific themes in a node structure. The result is an expanded framework that classifies types of human error and identifies specific human and organizational factors that contribute to computer and information security. Network administrators tended to view errors created by end users as more intentional than unintentional, while errors created by network administrators as more unintentional than intentional. Organizational factors, such as communication, security culture, policy, and organizational structure, were the most frequently cited factors associated with computer and information security.

User engineering: A new look at system engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclaughlin, Larry L.

1987-01-01

User Engineering is a new System Engineering perspective responsible for defining and maintaining the user view of the system. Its elements are a process to guide the project and customer, a multidisciplinary team including hard and soft sciences, rapid prototyping tools to build user interfaces quickly and modify them frequently at low cost, and a prototyping center for involving users and designers in an iterative way. The main consideration is reducing the risk that the end user will not or cannot effectively use the system. The process begins with user analysis to produce cognitive and work style models, and task analysis to produce user work functions and scenarios. These become major drivers of the human computer interface design which is presented and reviewed as an interactive prototype by users. Feedback is rapid and productive, and user effectiveness can be measured and observed before the system is built and fielded. Requirements are derived via the prototype and baselined early to serve as an input to the architecture and software design.

Frequent computer-related activities increase the risk of neck-shoulder and low back pain in adolescents.

PubMed

Hakala, Paula T; Rimpelä, Arja H; Saarni, Lea A; Salminen, Jouko J

2006-10-01

Neck-shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP) increased among adolescents in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000. A potential risk factor for this increase is the use of information and communication technology. We studied how the use of computers, the Internet, and mobile phones, playing digital games and viewing television are related to NSP and LBP in adolescents. Mailed survey with nationally representative samples of 14-, 16-, and 18-year-old Finns in 2003 (n = 6003, response rate 68%). The outcome variables were weekly NSP and LBP. NSP was perceived by 26% and LBP by 12%. When compared with non-users, the risk of NSP was 1.3 (adjusted odds ratios) when using computers > 2-3 h/day, and 1.8 when using 4-5 h/day; 2.5 when using computers > or = 42 h/week, and 1.7 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week. Compared with non-users, the risk of LBP was 2.0 when using computers > 5 h/day, 1.7 when using > or = 42 h/week, 1.8 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week, and 2.0 when playing digital games > 5 h/day. Times spent on digital gaming, viewing television, and using mobile phones were not associated with NSP, nor were use of mobile phones and viewing television with LBP after adjusting for confounding factors. Frequent computer-related activities are an independent risk factor for NSP and LBP. Daily use of computers exceeding 2-3 h seems to be a threshold for NSP and exceeding 5 h for LBP. Computer-related activities may explain the increase of NSP and LBP in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000.

A predictive model to allocate frequent service users of community-based mental health services to different packages of care.

PubMed

Grigoletti, Laura; Amaddeo, Francesco; Grassi, Aldrigo; Boldrini, Massimo; Chiappelli, Marco; Percudani, Mauro; Catapano, Francesco; Fiorillo, Andrea; Perris, Francesco; Bacigalupi, Maurizio; Albanese, Paolo; Simonetti, Simona; De Agostini, Paola; Tansella, Michele

2010-01-01

To develop predictive models to allocate patients into frequent and low service users groups within the Italian Community-based Mental Health Services (CMHSs). To allocate frequent users to different packages of care, identifying the costs of these packages. Socio-demographic and clinical data and GAF scores at baseline were collected for 1250 users attending five CMHSs. All psychiatric contacts made by these patients during six months were recorded. A logistic regression identified frequent service users predictive variables. Multinomial logistic regression identified variables able to predict the most appropriate package of care. A cost function was utilised to estimate costs. Frequent service users were 49%, using nearly 90% of all contacts. The model classified correctly 80% of users in the frequent and low users groups. Three packages of care were identified: Basic Community Treatment (4,133 Euro per six months); Intensive Community Treatment (6,180 Euro) and Rehabilitative Community Treatment (11,984 Euro) for 83%, 6% and 11% of frequent service users respectively. The model was found to be accurate for 85% of users. It is possible to develop predictive models to identify frequent service users and to assign them to pre-defined packages of care, and to use these models to inform the funding of psychiatric care.

An u-Service Model Based on a Smart Phone for Urban Computing Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Yongyun; Yoe, Hyun

In urban computing environments, all of services should be based on the interaction between humans and environments around them, which frequently and ordinarily in home and office. This paper propose an u-service model based on a smart phone for urban computing environments. The suggested service model includes a context-aware and personalized service scenario development environment that can instantly describe user's u-service demand or situation information with smart devices. To do this, the architecture of the suggested service model consists of a graphical service editing environment for smart devices, an u-service platform, and an infrastructure with sensors and WSN/USN. The graphic editor expresses contexts as execution conditions of a new service through a context model based on ontology. The service platform deals with the service scenario according to contexts. With the suggested service model, an user in urban computing environments can quickly and easily make u-service or new service using smart devices.

Computer and internet use by persons after traumatic spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Goodman, Naomi; Jette, Alan M; Houlihan, Bethlyn; Williams, Steve

2008-08-01

To determine whether computer and internet use by persons post spinal cord injury (SCI) is sufficiently prevalent and broad-based to consider using this technology as a long-term treatment modality for patients who have sustained SCI. A multicenter cohort study. Twenty-six past and current U.S. regional Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems. Patients with traumatic SCI (N=2926) with follow-up interviews between 2004 and 2006, conducted at 1 or 5 years postinjury. Not applicable. Results revealed that 69.2% of participants with SCI used a computer; 94.2% of computer users accessed the internet. Among computer users, 19.1% used assistive devices for computer access. Of the internet users, 68.6% went online 5 to 7 days a week. The most frequent use for internet was e-mail (90.5%) and shopping sites (65.8%), followed by health sites (61.1%). We found no statistically significant difference in computer use by sex or level of neurologic injury, and no difference in internet use by level of neurologic injury. Computer and internet access differed significantly by age, with use decreasing as age group increased. The highest computer and internet access rates were seen among participants injured before the age of 18. Computer and internet use varied by race: 76% of white compared with 46% of black subjects were computer users (P<.001), and 95.3% of white respondents who used computers used the internet, compared with 87.6% of black respondents (P<.001). Internet use increased with education level (P<.001): eighty-six percent of participants who did not graduate from high school or receive a degree used the internet, while over 97% of those with a college or associate's degree did. While the internet holds considerable potential as a long-term treatment modality after SCI, limited access to the internet by those who are black, those injured after age 18, and those with less education does reduce its usefulness in the short term for these subgroups.

Personal computer versus personal computer/mobile device combination users' preclinical laboratory e-learning activity.

PubMed

Kon, Haruka; Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Sakurai, Naoki; Watanabe, Kiyoshi; Yamaga, Yoshiro; Ono, Takahiro

2017-11-01

The aim of the present study was to clarify differences between personal computer (PC)/mobile device combination and PC-only user patterns. We analyzed access frequency and time spent on a complete denture preclinical website in order to maximize website effectiveness. Fourth-year undergraduate students (N=41) in the preclinical complete denture laboratory course were invited to participate in this survey during the final week of the course to track login data. Students accessed video demonstrations and quizzes via our e-learning site/course program, and were instructed to view online demonstrations before classes. When the course concluded, participating students filled out a questionnaire about the program, their opinions, and devices they had used to access the site. Combination user access was significantly more frequent than PC-only during supplementary learning time, indicating that students with mobile devices studied during lunch breaks and before morning classes. Most students had favorable opinions of the e-learning site, but a few combination users commented that some videos were too long and that descriptive answers were difficult on smartphones. These results imply that mobile devices' increased accessibility encouraged learning by enabling more efficient time use between classes. They also suggest that e-learning system improvements should cater to mobile device users by reducing video length and including more short-answer questions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Worldwide Ocean Optics Database (WOOD)

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-09-30

user can obtain values computed from empirical algorithms (e.g., beam attenuation estimated from diffuse attenuation and backscatter data). Error ...from empirical algorithms (e.g., beam attenuation estimated from diffuse attenuation and backscatter data). Error estimates will also be provided for...properties, including diffuse attenuation, beam attenuation, and scattering. The database shall be easy to use, Internet accessible, and frequently updated

Frequent Users of Hospital Emergency Departments in Korea Characterized by Claims Data from the National Health Insurance: A Cross Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Woo, Jung Hoon; Grinspan, Zachary; Shapiro, Jason; Rhee, Sang Youl

2016-01-01

The Korean National Health Insurance, which provides universal coverage for the entire Korean population, is now facing financial instability. Frequent emergency department (ED) users may represent a medically vulnerable population who could benefit from interventions that both improve care and lower costs. To understand the nature of frequent ED users in Korea, we analyzed claims data from a population-based national representative sample. We performed both bivariate and multivariable analyses to investigate the association between patient characteristics and frequent ED use (4+ ED visits in a year) using claims data of a 1% random sample of the Korean population, collected in 2009. Among 156,246 total ED users, 4,835 (3.1%) were frequent ED users. These patients accounted for 14% of 209,326 total ED visits and 17.2% of $76,253,784 total medical expenses generated from all ED visits in the 1% data sample. Frequent ED users tended to be older, male, and of lower socio-economic status compared with occasional ED users (p < 0.001 for each). Moreover, frequent ED users had longer stays in the hospital when admitted, higher probability of undergoing an operative procedure, and increased mortality. Among 8,425 primary diagnoses, alcohol-related complaints and schizophrenia showed the strongest positive correlation with the number of ED visits. Among the frequent ED users, mortality and annual outpatient department visits were significantly lower in the alcohol-related patient subgroup compared with other frequent ED users; furthermore, the rate was even lower than that for non-frequent ED users. Our findings suggest that expanding mental health and alcohol treatment programs may be a reasonable strategy to decrease the dependence of these patients on the ED. PMID:26809051

Fast Ss-Ilm a Computationally Efficient Algorithm to Discover Socially Important Locations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dokuz, A. S.; Celik, M.

2017-11-01

Socially important locations are places which are frequently visited by social media users in their social media lifetime. Discovering socially important locations provide several valuable information about user behaviours on social media networking sites. However, discovering socially important locations are challenging due to data volume and dimensions, spatial and temporal calculations, location sparseness in social media datasets, and inefficiency of current algorithms. In the literature, several studies are conducted to discover important locations, however, the proposed approaches do not work in computationally efficient manner. In this study, we propose Fast SS-ILM algorithm by modifying the algorithm of SS-ILM to mine socially important locations efficiently. Experimental results show that proposed Fast SS-ILM algorithm decreases execution time of socially important locations discovery process up to 20 %.

Motion-sensor fusion-based gesture recognition and its VLSI architecture design for mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Wenping; Liu, Leibo; Yin, Shouyi; Hu, Siqi; Tang, Eugene Y.; Wei, Shaojun

2014-05-01

With the rapid proliferation of smartphones and tablets, various embedded sensors are incorporated into these platforms to enable multimodal human-computer interfaces. Gesture recognition, as an intuitive interaction approach, has been extensively explored in the mobile computing community. However, most gesture recognition implementations by now are all user-dependent and only rely on accelerometer. In order to achieve competitive accuracy, users are required to hold the devices in predefined manner during the operation. In this paper, a high-accuracy human gesture recognition system is proposed based on multiple motion sensor fusion. Furthermore, to reduce the energy overhead resulted from frequent sensor sampling and data processing, a high energy-efficient VLSI architecture implemented on a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA board is also proposed. Compared with the pure software implementation, approximately 45 times speed-up is achieved while operating at 20 MHz. The experiments show that the average accuracy for 10 gestures achieves 93.98% for user-independent case and 96.14% for user-dependent case when subjects hold the device randomly during completing the specified gestures. Although a few percent lower than the conventional best result, it still provides competitive accuracy acceptable for practical usage. Most importantly, the proposed system allows users to hold the device randomly during operating the predefined gestures, which substantially enhances the user experience.

Emergency Department Frequent Users for Acute Alcohol Intoxication.

PubMed

Klein, Lauren R; Martel, Marc L; Driver, Brian E; Reing, Mackenzie; Cole, Jon B

2018-03-01

A subset of frequent users of emergency services are those who use the emergency department (ED) for acute alcohol intoxication. This population and their ED encounters have not been previously described. This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of patients presenting to the ED for acute alcohol intoxication between 2012 and 2016. We collected all data from the electronic medical record. Frequent users for alcohol intoxication were defined as those with greater than 20 visits for acute intoxication without additional medical chief complaints in the previous 12 months. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate characteristics of frequent users for alcohol intoxication, as well as their ED encounters. We identified 32,121 patient encounters. Of those, 325 patients were defined as frequent users for alcohol intoxication, comprising 11,370 of the encounters during the study period. The median maximum number of encounters per person for alcohol intoxication in a one-year period was 47 encounters (range 20 to 169). Frequent users were older (47 years vs. 39 years), and more commonly male (86% vs. 71%). Frequent users for alcohol intoxication had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities including liver disease, chronic kidney disease, ischemic vascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In this study, we identified a group of ED frequent users who use the ED for acute alcohol intoxication. This population had higher rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities compared to non-frequent users.

Effects of job-related stress and burnout on asthenopia among high-tech workers.

PubMed

Ostrovsky, Anat; Ribak, Joseph; Pereg, Avihu; Gaton, Dan

2012-01-01

Eye- and vision-related symptoms are the most frequent health problems among computer users. The findings of eye strain, tired eyes, eye irritation, burning sensation, redness, blurred vision and double vision, when appearing together, have recently been termed 'computer vision syndrome', or asthenopia. To examine the frequency and intensity of asthenopia among individuals employed in research and development departments of high-tech firms and the effects of job stress and burnout on ocular complaints, this study included 106 subjects, 42 high-tech workers (study group) and 64 bank employees (control group). All participants completed self-report questionnaires covering demographics, asthenopia, satisfaction with work environmental conditions, job-related stress and burnout. There was a significant between-group difference in the intensity of asthenopia, but not in its frequency. Burnout appeared to be a significant contributing factor to the intensity and frequency of asthenopia. This study shows that burnout is a significant factor in asthenopic complaints in high-tech workers. This manuscript analyses the effects of psychological environmental factors, such as job stress and burnout, on ocular complaints at the workplace of computer users. The findings may have an ergonomic impact on how to improve health, safety and comfort of the working environment among computer users, for better perception of the job environment, efficacy and production.

Characterizing the vulnerability of frequent emergency department users by applying a conceptual framework: a controlled, cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Bodenmann, Patrick; Baggio, Stéphanie; Iglesias, Katia; Althaus, Fabrice; Velonaki, Venetia-Sofia; Stucki, Stephanie; Ansermet, Corine; Paroz, Sophie; Trueb, Lionel; Hugli, Olivier; Griffin, Judith L; Daeppen, Jean-Bernard

2015-12-09

Frequent emergency department (ED) users meet several of the criteria of vulnerability, but this needs to be further examined taking into consideration all vulnerability's different dimensions. This study aimed to characterize frequent ED users and to define risk factors of frequent ED use within a universal health care coverage system, applying a conceptual framework of vulnerability. A controlled, cross-sectional study comparing frequent ED users to a control group of non-frequent users was conducted at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland. Frequent users were defined as patients with five or more visits to the ED in the previous 12 months. The two groups were compared using validated scales for each one of the five dimensions of an innovative conceptual framework: socio-demographic characteristics; somatic, mental, and risk-behavior indicators; and use of health care services. Independent t-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, Pearson's Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used for the comparison. To examine the -related to vulnerability- risk factors for being a frequent ED user, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used. We compared 226 frequent users and 173 controls. Frequent users had more vulnerabilities in all five dimensions of the conceptual framework. They were younger, and more often immigrants from low/middle-income countries or unemployed, had more somatic and psychiatric comorbidities, were more often tobacco users, and had more primary care physician (PCP) visits. The most significant frequent ED use risk factors were a history of more than three hospital admissions in the previous 12 months (adj OR:23.2, 95%CI = 9.1-59.2), the absence of a PCP (adj OR:8.4, 95%CI = 2.1-32.7), living less than 5 km from an ED (adj OR:4.4, 95%CI = 2.1-9.0), and household income lower than USD 2,800/month (adj OR:4.3, 95%CI = 2.0-9.2). Frequent ED users within a universal health coverage system form a highly vulnerable population, when taking into account all five dimensions of a conceptual framework of vulnerability. The predictive factors identified could be useful in the early detection of future frequent users, in order to address their specific needs and decrease vulnerability, a key priority for health care policy makers. Application of the conceptual framework in future research is warranted.

CRAY mini manual. Revision D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tennille, Geoffrey M.; Howser, Lona M.

1993-01-01

This document briefly describes the use of the CRAY supercomputers that are an integral part of the Supercomputing Network Subsystem of the Central Scientific Computing Complex at LaRC. Features of the CRAY supercomputers are covered, including: FORTRAN, C, PASCAL, architectures of the CRAY-2 and CRAY Y-MP, the CRAY UNICOS environment, batch job submittal, debugging, performance analysis, parallel processing, utilities unique to CRAY, and documentation. The document is intended for all CRAY users as a ready reference to frequently asked questions and to more detailed information contained in the vendor manuals. It is appropriate for both the novice and the experienced user.

Characterization of Young Adult Emergency Department Users: Evidence to Guide Policy.

PubMed

Burns, Carson; Wang, N Ewen; Goldstein, Benjamin A; Hernandez-Boussard, Tina

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize young adult patients aged 19-25 years who are emergency department (ED) frequent users and study factors associated with frequent ED use. ED visits among 19- to 25-year olds were identified from administrative records in California, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, and New York, 2010. Patients were analyzed for 12 months to study the frequency of their ED utilization. ED visits were categorized according to primary diagnosis. Patients were stratified by frequency of ED use: one visit (single users), two to four visits (infrequent users), and five or more visits (frequent users) in a 1-year period. We identified 1,711,774 young adult patients who made 3,650,966 ED visits. Sixty-six percent of patients were single users, 29% were infrequent users, and 4.6% were frequent users. Frequent users accounted for a disproportionate 28.8% of visits within the population studied. Frequent users had the largest proportion of visits for complications of pregnancy (13.6%) compared to single users (6.1%) and Medicaid (42.6%) compared to private insurance (17.3%). There was an increased risk of frequent ED use associated with females (odds ratio [OR]: 1.77), Medicaid (OR: 3.21), and Medicare insurance (OR: 4.22) compared to private insurance, and diseases of the blood (OR: 3.36) and mental illness (OR: 1.99) compared to injury and poisoning. Frequent users comprise a significant portion of the young adult ED population and present with a large proportion of visits for complications of pregnancy. Policies targeting this population might focus on improved access to primary and urgent care, acute obstetric care, and better coordination of care. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting and affected by user acceptance of computer-based nursing documentation: results of a two-year study.

PubMed

Ammenwerth, Elske; Mansmann, Ulrich; Iller, Carola; Eichstädter, Ronald

2003-01-01

The documentation of the nursing process is an important but often neglected part of clinical documentation. Paper-based systems have been introduced to support nursing process documentation. Frequently, however, problems such as low quality of documentation are reported. It is unclear whether computer-based documentation systems can reduce these problems and which factors influence their acceptance by users. We introduced a computer-based nursing documentation system on four wards of the University Hospitals of Heidelberg and systematically evaluated its preconditions and its effects in a pretest-posttest intervention study. For the analysis of user acceptance, we concentrated on subjective data drawn from questionnaires and interviews. A questionnaire was developed using items from published questionnaires and items that had to be developed for the special purpose of this study. The quantitative results point to two factors influencing the acceptance of a new computer-based documentation system: the previous acceptance of the nursing process and the previous amount of self-confidence when using computers. On one ward, the diverse acceptance scores heavily declined after the introduction of the nursing documentation system. Explorative qualitative analysis on this ward points to further success factors of computer-based nursing documentation systems. Our results can be used to assist the planning and introduction of computer-based nursing documentation systems. They demonstrate the importance of computer experience and acceptance of the nursing process on a ward but also point to other factors such as the fit between nursing workflow and the functionality of a nursing documentation system.

Synchronizing files or images among several computers or removable devices. A utility to avoid frequent back-ups.

PubMed

Leonardi, Rosalia; Maiorana, Francesco; Giordano, Daniela

2008-06-01

Many of us use and maintain files on more than 1 computer--a desktop part of the time, and a notebook, a palmtop, or removable devices at other times. It can be easy to forget which device contains the latest version of a particular file, and time-consuming searches often ensue. One way to solve this problem is to use software that synchronizes the files. This allows users to maintain updated versions of the same file in several locations.

Extremely frequent behavior in consumer research: theory and empirical evidence for chronic casino gambling.

PubMed

Perfetto, Ralph; Woodside, Arch G

2009-09-01

The present study informs understanding of customer segmentation strategies by extending Twedt's heavy-half propositions to include a segment of users that represent less than 2% of all households-consumers demonstrating extremely frequent behavior (EFB). Extremely frequent behavior (EFB) theory provides testable propositions relating to the observation that few (2%) consumers in many product and service categories constitute more than 25% of the frequency of product or service use. Using casino gambling as an example for testing EFB theory, an analysis of national survey data shows that extremely frequent casino gamblers do exist and that less than 2% of all casino gamblers are responsible for nearly 25% of all casino gambling usage. Approximately 14% of extremely frequent casino users have very low-household income, suggesting somewhat paradoxical consumption patterns (where do very low-income users find the money to gamble so frequently?). Understanding the differences light, heavy, and extreme users and non-users can help marketers and policymakers identify and exploit "blue ocean" opportunities (Kim and Mauborgne, Blue ocean strategy, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 2005), for example, creating effective strategies to convert extreme users into non-users or non-users into new users.

Frequent Users of Pornography. A Population Based Epidemiological Study of Swedish Male Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svedin, Carl Goran; Akerman, Ingrid; Priebe, Gisela

2011-01-01

Frequent use of pornography has not been sufficiently studied before. In a Swedish survey 2015 male students aged 18 years participated. A group of frequent users of pornography (N = 200, 10.5%) were studied with respect to background and psychosocial correlates. The frequent users had a more positive attitude to pornography, were more often…

Viewing CAD Drawings on the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwendau, Mark

2004-01-01

Computer aided design (CAD) has been producing 3-D models for years. AutoCAD software is frequently used to create sophisticated 3-D models. These CAD files can be exported as 3DS files for import into Autodesk's 3-D Studio Viz. In this program, the user can render and modify the 3-D model before exporting it out as a WRL (world file hyperlinked)…

Historical perspective on computer development and glossary of terms.

PubMed

Honeyman, J C; Dwyer, S J

1993-01-01

This article contains a concise history of the development of mechanical and electronic computers, descriptions of the milestones in software development, discussion of the introduction and adoption of computers in radiology, and a glossary of computer terms used frequently in radiology. One of the earliest devices designed to mechanize calculations was the calculating clock, built in 1623. The first programmable electronic computer, the ENIAC (electronic numerical integration and computer), was completed in 1945 at the University of Pennsylvania. Software has developed from early machine language through fourth-generation languages and graphic user interfaces used today. The computer was introduced to radiology initially in the 1960s in nuclear medicine and is now incorporated in many digital imaging modalities throughout radiology. The development of picture archiving and communication systems has resulted in the implementation of several totally digital departments of radiology.

[Etiological factors for developing carpal tunnel syndrome in people who work with computers].

PubMed

Lewańska, Magdalena; Wagrowska-Koski, Ewa; Walusiak-Skorupa, Jolanta

2013-01-01

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most frequent mononeuropathy of upper extremities. From the early 1990's it has been suggested that intensive work with computers can result in CTS development, however, this relationship has not as yet been proved. The aim of the study was to evaluate occupational and non-occupational risk factors for developing CTS in the population of computer-users. The study group comprised 60 patients (58 women and 2 men; mean age: 53.8 +/- 6.35 years) working with computers and suspected of occupational CTS. A survey as well as both median and ulnar nerve conduction examination (NCS) were performed in all the subjects. The patients worked with use of computer for 6.43 +/- 1.71 h per day. The mean latency between the beginning of employment and the occurrence of first CTS symptoms was 12.09 +/- 5.94 years. All patients met the clinical and electrophysiological diagnostic criteria of CTS. In the majority of patients etiological factors for developing CTS were non-occupational: obesity, hypothyroidism, oophorectomy, past hysterectomy, hormonal replacement therapy or oral contraceptives, recent menopause, diabetes, tendovaginitis. In 7 computer-users etiological factors were not identified. The results of our study show that CTS is usually generated by different causes not related with using computers at work.

How do frequent users of crisis helplines differ from other users regarding their reasons for calling? Results from a survey with callers to Lifeline, Australia's national crisis helpline service.

PubMed

Middleton, Aves; Woodward, Alan; Gunn, Jane; Bassilios, Bridget; Pirkis, Jane

2017-05-01

Crisis helplines are designed to provide short-term support to people in an immediate crisis. However, there is a group of users who call crisis helplines frequently over an extended period of time. The reasons for their ongoing use remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the reasons for calling between frequent and other users of crisis helplines. This was achieved by examining the findings from a brief survey completed by callers to Lifeline Australia at the end of their call between February and July 2015. In the survey, callers reported on their socio-demographics, reasons for their current call and number of calls made in the past month. Survey respondents were categorised as frequent, episodic and one-off users, and analyses were conducted using ordered logistic regression. Three hundred and fifteen callers completed the survey, which represented 57% of eligible callers. Twenty-two per cent reported calling 20 times or more in the past month (frequent users), 51% reported calling between 2 and 19 times (episodic users) and 25% reported calling once (one-off users). Two per cent were unable to recall the number of calls they made in the past month. Frequent users reported similar reasons for calling as other users but they were more likely to call regularly to talk about their feelings [OR = 6.0; 95% CI: 3.7-9.8]. This pattern of service use is at odds with the current model of care offered by crisis helplines which is designed to provide one-off support. There is a need to investigate further the factors that drive frequent users to call crisis helplines regularly. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Advanced program development management software system. Software description and user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The objectives of this project were to apply emerging techniques and tools from the computer science discipline of paperless management to the activities of the Space Transportation and Exploration Office (PT01) in Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Program Development, thereby enhancing the productivity of the workforce, the quality of the data products, and the collection, dissemination, and storage of information. The approach used to accomplish the objectives emphasized the utilization of finished form (off-the-shelf) software products to the greatest extent possible without impacting the performance of the end product, to pursue developments when necessary in the rapid prototyping environment to provide a mechanism for frequent feedback from the users, and to provide a full range of user support functions during the development process to promote testing of the software.

Digital hand atlas and computer-aided bone age assessment via the Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fei; Huang, H. K.; Pietka, Ewa; Gilsanz, Vicente

1999-07-01

A frequently used assessment method of bone age is atlas matching by a radiological examination of a hand image against a reference set of atlas patterns of normal standards. We are in a process of developing a digital hand atlas with a large standard set of normal hand and wrist images that reflect the skeletal maturity, race and sex difference, and current child development. The digital hand atlas will be used for a computer-aided bone age assessment via Web. We have designed and partially implemented a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system for Web-based bone age assessment. The system consists of a digital hand atlas, a relational image database and a Web-based user interface. The digital atlas is based on a large standard set of normal hand an wrist images with extracted bone objects and quantitative features. The image database uses a content- based indexing to organize the hand images and their attributes and present to users in a structured way. The Web-based user interface allows users to interact with the hand image database from browsers. Users can use a Web browser to push a clinical hand image to the CAD server for a bone age assessment. Quantitative features on the examined image, which reflect the skeletal maturity, will be extracted and compared with patterns from the atlas database to assess the bone age. The relevant reference imags and the final assessment report will be sent back to the user's browser via Web. The digital atlas will remove the disadvantages of the currently out-of-date one and allow the bone age assessment to be computerized and done conveniently via Web. In this paper, we present the system design and Web-based client-server model for computer-assisted bone age assessment and our initial implementation of the digital atlas database.

LABORATORY PROCESS CONTROLLER USING NATURAL LANGUAGE COMMANDS FROM A PERSONAL COMPUTER

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Will, H.

1994-01-01

The complex environment of the typical research laboratory requires flexible process control. This program provides natural language process control from an IBM PC or compatible machine. Sometimes process control schedules require changes frequently, even several times per day. These changes may include adding, deleting, and rearranging steps in a process. This program sets up a process control system that can either run without an operator, or be run by workers with limited programming skills. The software system includes three programs. Two of the programs, written in FORTRAN77, record data and control research processes. The third program, written in Pascal, generates the FORTRAN subroutines used by the other two programs to identify the user commands with the user-written device drivers. The software system also includes an input data set which allows the user to define the user commands which are to be executed by the computer. To set the system up the operator writes device driver routines for all of the controlled devices. Once set up, this system requires only an input file containing natural language command lines which tell the system what to do and when to do it. The operator can make up custom commands for operating and taking data from external research equipment at any time of the day or night without the operator in attendance. This process control system requires a personal computer operating under MS-DOS with suitable hardware interfaces to all controlled devices. The program requires a FORTRAN77 compiler and user-written device drivers. This program was developed in 1989 and has a memory requirement of about 62 Kbytes.

A Research Report of Small High Schools in the United States in Regards to Curricular Offerings, Micro-Computer Usage, and Correspondence Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bruce O.; Petersen, Paul D.

Using a questionnaire, researchers surveyed 319 public high schools, each with fewer than 500 students, in 46 states to determine the extent and use of microcomputers in small high schools, to assess the use and users of correspondence courses in small schools, to identify the most frequently offered courses in small high school curricula, and to…

A guide to SPECT equipment for brain imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffer, P.B.; Zubal, G.

1991-12-31

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was started by Kuhl and Edwards about 30 years ago. Their original instrument consisted of four focused Nal probes mounted on a moving gantry. During the 1980s, clinical SPECT imaging was most frequently performed using single-headed Anger-type cameras which were modified for rotational as well as static imaging. Such instruments are still available and may be useful in settings where there are few patients and SPECT is used only occasionally. More frequently, however, dedicated SPECT devices are purchased which optimize equipment potential while being user-friendly. Modern SPECT instrumentation incorporates improvements in the detector, computers,more » mathematical formulations, electronics and display systems. A comprehensive discussion of all aspects of SPECT is beyond the scope of this article. The authors, however, discuss general concepts of SPECT, the current state-of-the-art in clinical SPECT instrumentation, and areas of common misunderstanding. 9 refs.« less

Substance Use and Depression Symptomatology: Measurement Invariance of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) among Non-Users and Frequent-Users of Alcohol, Nicotine and Cannabis.

PubMed

Moore, Ashlee A; Neale, Michael C; Silberg, Judy L; Verhulst, Brad

2016-01-01

Depression is a highly heterogeneous condition, and identifying how symptoms present in various groups may greatly increase our understanding of its etiology. Importantly, Major Depressive Disorder is strongly linked with Substance Use Disorders, which may ameliorate or exacerbate specific depression symptoms. It is therefore quite plausible that depression may present with different symptom profiles depending on an individual's substance use status. Given these observations, it is important to examine the underlying construct of depression in groups of substance users compared to non-users. In this study we use a non-clinical sample to examine the measurement structure of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in non-users and frequent-users of various substances. Specifically, measurement invariance was examined across those who do vs. do not use alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis. Results indicate strict factorial invariance across non-users and frequent-users of alcohol and cannabis, and metric invariance across non-users and frequent-users of nicotine. This implies that the factor structure of the BDI-II is similar across all substance use groups.

Neuropsychological deficits in long-term frequent cannabis users.

PubMed

Messinis, Lambros; Kyprianidou, Anthoula; Malefaki, Sonia; Papathanasopoulos, Panagiotis

2006-03-14

The authors examined neuropsychological functioning in 20 long-term (LT), 20 shorter term (ST) heavy frequent cannabis users, and 24 controls after abstinence for > or =24 hours prior to testing. LT users performed significantly worse on verbal memory and psychomotor speed. LT and ST users had a higher proportion of deficits on verbal fluency, verbal memory, attention, and psychomotor speed. Specific cognitive domains appear to deteriorate with increasing years of heavy frequent cannabis use.

Perceived Case Management Needs and Service Preferences of Frequent Emergency Department Users: Lessons Learned in a Large Urban Centre.

PubMed

Kahan, Deborah; Poremski, Daniel; Wise-Harris, Deborah; Pauly, Daniel; Leszcz, Molyn; Wasylenki, Donald; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

2016-01-01

This study aimed to explore the service needs and preferences of frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions concerns who participated in a brief intensive case management intervention. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 20 frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions challenges, 13 service providers involved in the delivery of a brief case management intervention, and a focus group with intervention case managers. Thematic analysis was used to explore perceived service user profiles, service needs and preferences of care. Service users experienced complex health and social needs and social isolation, while exhibiting resilience and the desire to contribute. They described multiple instances of stigmatization in interactions with healthcare professionals. Components of the brief intensive case management intervention perceived to be helpful included system navigation, advocacy, intermediation, and practical needs assistance. Frequent service users valued relational responsiveness, a non-judgmental stance, and a recovery orientation in case managers. Interventions for frequent service users in mental health may be enhanced by focusing on the engagement of formal and informal social supports, practical needs assistance, system navigation, advocacy and intermediation, and attention to the recovery goals of service users.

UTOPIA-User-Friendly Tools for Operating Informatics Applications.

PubMed

Pettifer, S R; Sinnott, J R; Attwood, T K

2004-01-01

Bioinformaticians routinely analyse vast amounts of information held both in large remote databases and in flat data files hosted on local machines. The contemporary toolkit available for this purpose consists of an ad hoc collection of data manipulation tools, scripting languages and visualization systems; these must often be combined in complex and bespoke ways, the result frequently being an unwieldy artefact capable of one specific task, which cannot easily be exploited or extended by other practitioners. Owing to the sizes of current databases and the scale of the analyses necessary, routine bioinformatics tasks are often automated, but many still require the unique experience and intuition of human researchers: this requires tools that support real-time interaction with complex datasets. Many existing tools have poor user interfaces and limited real-time performance when applied to realistically large datasets; much of the user's cognitive capacity is therefore focused on controlling the tool rather than on performing the research. The UTOPIA project is addressing some of these issues by building reusable software components that can be combined to make useful applications in the field of bioinformatics. Expertise in the fields of human computer interaction, high-performance rendering, and distributed systems is being guided by bioinformaticians and end-user biologists to create a toolkit that is both architecturally sound from a computing point of view, and directly addresses end-user and application-developer requirements.

Nencki Genomics Database--Ensembl funcgen enhanced with intersections, user data and genome-wide TFBS motifs.

PubMed

Krystkowiak, Izabella; Lenart, Jakub; Debski, Konrad; Kuterba, Piotr; Petas, Michal; Kaminska, Bozena; Dabrowski, Michal

2013-01-01

We present the Nencki Genomics Database, which extends the functionality of Ensembl Regulatory Build (funcgen) for the three species: human, mouse and rat. The key enhancements over Ensembl funcgen include the following: (i) a user can add private data, analyze them alongside the public data and manage access rights; (ii) inside the database, we provide efficient procedures for computing intersections between regulatory features and for mapping them to the genes. To Ensembl funcgen-derived data, which include data from ENCODE, we add information on conserved non-coding (putative regulatory) sequences, and on genome-wide occurrence of transcription factor binding site motifs from the current versions of two major motif libraries, namely, Jaspar and Transfac. The intersections and mapping to the genes are pre-computed for the public data, and the result of any procedure run on the data added by the users is stored back into the database, thus incrementally increasing the body of pre-computed data. As the Ensembl funcgen schema for the rat is currently not populated, our database is the first database of regulatory features for this frequently used laboratory animal. The database is accessible without registration using the mysql client: mysql -h database.nencki-genomics.org -u public. Registration is required only to add or access private data. A WSDL webservice provides access to the database from any SOAP client, including the Taverna Workbench with a graphical user interface.

Nencki Genomics Database—Ensembl funcgen enhanced with intersections, user data and genome-wide TFBS motifs

PubMed Central

Krystkowiak, Izabella; Lenart, Jakub; Debski, Konrad; Kuterba, Piotr; Petas, Michal; Kaminska, Bozena; Dabrowski, Michal

2013-01-01

We present the Nencki Genomics Database, which extends the functionality of Ensembl Regulatory Build (funcgen) for the three species: human, mouse and rat. The key enhancements over Ensembl funcgen include the following: (i) a user can add private data, analyze them alongside the public data and manage access rights; (ii) inside the database, we provide efficient procedures for computing intersections between regulatory features and for mapping them to the genes. To Ensembl funcgen-derived data, which include data from ENCODE, we add information on conserved non-coding (putative regulatory) sequences, and on genome-wide occurrence of transcription factor binding site motifs from the current versions of two major motif libraries, namely, Jaspar and Transfac. The intersections and mapping to the genes are pre-computed for the public data, and the result of any procedure run on the data added by the users is stored back into the database, thus incrementally increasing the body of pre-computed data. As the Ensembl funcgen schema for the rat is currently not populated, our database is the first database of regulatory features for this frequently used laboratory animal. The database is accessible without registration using the mysql client: mysql –h database.nencki-genomics.org –u public. Registration is required only to add or access private data. A WSDL webservice provides access to the database from any SOAP client, including the Taverna Workbench with a graphical user interface. Database URL: http://www.nencki-genomics.org. PMID:24089456

Systematic review of frequent users of emergency departments in non-US hospitals: state of the art.

PubMed

van Tiel, Sofie; Rood, Pleunie P M; Bertoli-Avella, Aida M; Erasmus, Vicky; Haagsma, Juanita; van Beeck, Ed; Patka, Peter; Polinder, Suzanne

2015-10-01

This review focuses on frequent users (FUs) of the emergency department (ED). Elucidation of the characteristics of frequent ED users will help to improve healthcare services. A systematic review of the literature (from 1999 onwards) on frequent ED users in non-US hospitals was performed. Twenty-two studies were included. FUs are responsible for a wide variety of 1-31% of ED visits depending on the FU definition used. They have a mean age between 40 and 50 years and are older than nonfrequent users. Chronic physical and mental diseases seem to be the main reasons for frequent ED visits. In terms of social characteristics, lacking a partner is more frequently reported among FUs in some studies. The absence of a universal definition for FUs complicates the determination of the burden on emergency healthcare services. FUs are a heterogeneous group of patients with genuine medical needs and high consumption of other healthcare services.

Development and application of virtual reality for man/systems integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Marcus

1991-01-01

While the graphical presentation of computer models signified a quantum leap over presentations limited to text and numbers, it still has the problem of presenting an interface barrier between the human user and the computer model. The user must learn a command language in order to orient themselves in the model. For example, to move left from the current viewpoint of the model, they might be required to type 'LEFT' at a keyboard. This command is fairly intuitive, but if the viewpoint moves far enough that there are no visual cues overlapping with the first view, the user does not know if the viewpoint has moved inches, feet, or miles to the left, or perhaps remained in the same position, but rotated to the left. Until the user becomes quite familiar with the interface language of the computer model presentation, they will be proned to lossing their bearings frequently. Even a highly skilled user will occasionally get lost in the model. A new approach to presenting type type of information is to directly interpret the user's body motions as the input language for determining what view to present. When the user's head turns 45 degrees to the left, the viewpoint should be rotated 45 degrees to the left. Since the head moves through several intermediate angles between the original view and the final one, several intermediate views should be presented, providing the user with a sense of continuity between the original view and the final one. Since the primary way a human physically interacts with their environment should monitor the movements of the user's hands and alter objects in the virtual model in a way consistent with the way an actual object would move when manipulated using the same hand movements. Since this approach to the man-computer interface closely models the same type of interface that humans have with the physical world, this type of interface is often called virtual reality, and the model is referred to as a virtual world. The task of this summer fellowship was to set up a virtual reality system at MSFC and begin applying it to some of the questions which concern scientists and engineers involved in space flight. A brief discussion of this work is presented.

Association of marijuana use with oral HPV infection and periodontitis among Hispanic adults: Implications for oral cancer prevention.

PubMed

Ortiz, Ana P; González, Daisy; Ramos, Jeslie; Muñoz, Cristina; Reyes, Juan Carlos; Pérez, Cynthia M

2018-02-22

Despite limited data, research suggests that marijuana use is associated with oral HPV infection and periodontitis, two potential oropharyngeal cancer risk factors. We assessed these associations in a Hispanic adult population in Puerto Rico. A cross-sectional study of 735 adults assessed marijuana use, determined through an audio computer-assisted self-interview, and periodontitis and self-collection of oral HPV samples following the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey methodology. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology definition was used for periodontitis. HPV typing was performed using polymerase chain reaction with modified L1 consensus primers (MY09/MY11). 26.5% of adults reported lifetime use of marijuana, 2.7% were frequent users (lifetime use ≥ 26 times, past year use ≥ 6 times, and past 30-day use ≥2 times), 5.7% had oral HPV infection, and 20.1% had severe periodontitis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that frequent marijuana users were more likely to have severe periodontitis (OR = 2.91, 95%CI = 1.06 - 7.96) than never/once lifetime users after adjusting for age, sex, healthcare coverage, smoking, binge drinking, number of oral sex partners, and oral HPV infection. However, frequent marijuana use was not associated with oral HPV infection. Marijuana use was associated with periodontitis, but not with oral HPV infection. Further evaluation of the role of marijuana use in oral HPV infection and periodontitis may inform novel preventive public health strategies, as marijuana users could be at increased risk of oral cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Lost Keys: Understanding Service Providers' Impressions of Frequent Visitors to Psychiatric Emergency Services in Singapore.

PubMed

Poremski, Daniel; Kunjithapatham, Ganesh; Koh, Doris; Lim, Xin Ya; Alexander, Mark; Lee, Cheng

2017-04-01

This study used administrative data to identify characteristics of frequent users of Singapore's largest specialized psychiatric emergency department (ED). Qualitative interviews were conducted to understand staff opinions of frequent visitors. Data were from administrative records of all adult visits to the ED (N=16,123 visits of 10,108 individual users) in 2014. Random-effects logistic regressions were used to identify demographic and diagnostic characteristics of frequent visitors. To facilitate interpretation of administrative data in a convergent mixed-methods study design, interviews were conducted with 26 service providers who worked in the ED. Frequent use was defined as five or more visits in 2014. This cutoff distinguished the top 3% of users (N=331), and this group accounted for 16% of service use. Frequent users were more likely to have a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, personality disorder, or alcohol use disorder. Service provider groups (for example, physicians, nurses, and assistants) described similar groups of frequent users and noted that frequent use was related to lack of social supports outside the hospital and feelings of belonging within it. The most frequently cited challenges were managing intoxicated service seekers, managing expectations for admission, and dealing with threats of self-harm. The profiles of frequent ED users in Singapore resembled those reported in other large urban centers. The opinions of service providers and their reactions to difficult situations were similar to those of providers in nonpsychiatric settings. The service providers' perspectives highlight how societal pressures influence the way in which individuals with mental illnesses use services.

Perceived Case Management Needs and Service Preferences of Frequent Emergency Department Users: Lessons Learned in a Large Urban Centre

PubMed Central

Kahan, Deborah; Poremski, Daniel; Wise-Harris, Deborah; Pauly, Daniel; Leszcz, Molyn; Wasylenki, Donald; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

2016-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to explore the service needs and preferences of frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions concerns who participated in a brief intensive case management intervention. Methods We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 20 frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions challenges, 13 service providers involved in the delivery of a brief case management intervention, and a focus group with intervention case managers. Thematic analysis was used to explore perceived service user profiles, service needs and preferences of care. Results Service users experienced complex health and social needs and social isolation, while exhibiting resilience and the desire to contribute. They described multiple instances of stigmatization in interactions with healthcare professionals. Components of the brief intensive case management intervention perceived to be helpful included system navigation, advocacy, intermediation, and practical needs assistance. Frequent service users valued relational responsiveness, a non-judgmental stance, and a recovery orientation in case managers. Conclusion Interventions for frequent service users in mental health may be enhanced by focusing on the engagement of formal and informal social supports, practical needs assistance, system navigation, advocacy and intermediation, and attention to the recovery goals of service users. PMID:28002491

Spontaneous Hedonic Reactions to Social Media Cues.

PubMed

van Koningsbruggen, Guido M; Hartmann, Tilo; Eden, Allison; Veling, Harm

2017-05-01

Why is it so difficult to resist the desire to use social media? One possibility is that frequent social media users possess strong and spontaneous hedonic reactions to social media cues, which, in turn, makes it difficult to resist social media temptations. In two studies (total N = 200), we investigated less-frequent and frequent social media users' spontaneous hedonic reactions to social media cues using the Affect Misattribution Procedure-an implicit measure of affective reactions. Results demonstrated that frequent social media users showed more favorable affective reactions in response to social media (vs. control) cues, whereas less-frequent social media users' affective reactions did not differ between social media and control cues (Studies 1 and 2). Moreover, the spontaneous hedonic reactions to social media (vs. control) cues were related to self-reported cravings to use social media and partially accounted for the link between social media use and social media cravings (Study 2). These findings suggest that frequent social media users' spontaneous hedonic reactions in response to social media cues might contribute to their difficulties in resisting desires to use social media.

Computer vision syndrome: a study of the knowledge, attitudes and practices in Indian ophthalmologists.

PubMed

Bali, Jatinder; Navin, Neeraj; Thakur, Bali Renu

2007-01-01

To study the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards computer vision syndrome prevalent in Indian ophthalmologists and to assess whether 'computer use by practitioners' had any bearing on the knowledge and practices in computer vision syndrome (CVS). A random KAP survey was carried out on 300 Indian ophthalmologists using a 34-point spot-questionnaire in January 2005. All the doctors who responded were aware of CVS. The chief presenting symptoms were eyestrain (97.8%), headache (82.1%), tiredness and burning sensation (79.1%), watering (66.4%) and redness (61.2%). Ophthalmologists using computers reported that focusing from distance to near and vice versa (P =0.006, chi2 test), blurred vision at a distance (P =0.016, chi2 test) and blepharospasm (P =0.026, chi2 test) formed part of the syndrome. The main mode of treatment used was tear substitutes. Half of ophthalmologists (50.7%) were not prescribing any spectacles. They did not have any preference for any special type of glasses (68.7%) or spectral filters. Computer-users were more likely to prescribe sedatives/anxiolytics (P = 0.04, chi2 test), spectacles (P = 0.02, chi2 test) and conscious frequent blinking (P = 0.003, chi2 test) than the non-computer-users. All respondents were aware of CVS. Confusion regarding treatment guidelines was observed in both groups. Computer-using ophthalmologists were more informed of symptoms and diagnostic signs but were misinformed about treatment modalities.

Frequent users of rural primary care: comparisons with randomly selected users.

PubMed

Mehl-Madrona, L E

1998-01-01

Frequent users of primary care have not been adequately characterized. The unique characteristics of this population was sought--why they come so often, what their care costs, and whether psychosocial factors play a role in their high utilization of health care. The billing system of a rural primary care clinic was used to find the frequency of visits for all patients attending the clinic for the previous 12 months. The 211 most frequent visitors were selected. A comparison group of 250 patients was drawn from the billing records using a random number generator. Charts were reviewed to compare diagnoses (by frequency), number of procedures, amount billed for care, amount received from those billings, number of psychotropic medications prescribed, and response to medication. A subgroup of each group was interviewed to confirm chart review findings and to inquire about personal reasons for coming to the clinic. Compared with patients who were random users, patients who were frequent users were more likely to come from the younger and older age groups, they averaged significantly more emergency department visits and visits to other specialists (P < 0.0001), and they had more mental health problems diagnosed (P < 0.01). Significantly more frequent users were insured by Medicaid and fewer were insured by Medicare. They had more detailed office visits and more laboratory tests. They received twice as much psychotherapy and had a higher percentage of problem-focused office visits. Chart audits and interviews of selected patients revealed that many nonmedical reasons were related to visits in addition to psychosocial stressors. Nonmedical factors are important among the most frequent users of a primary care clinic. Proposals to improve care for frequent users should consider the psychosocial needs of this population.

Use of Tablet Computers to Promote Physical Therapy Students' Engagement in Knowledge Translation During Clinical Experiences.

PubMed

Tilson, Julie K; Loeb, Kathryn; Barbosa, Sabrina; Jiang, Fei; Lee, Karin T

2016-04-01

Physical therapists strive to integrate research into daily practice. The tablet computer is a potentially transformational tool for accessing information within the clinical practice environment. The purpose of this study was to measure and describe patterns of tablet computer use among physical therapy students during clinical rotation experiences. Doctor of physical therapy students (n = 13 users) tracked their use of tablet computers (iPad), loaded with commercially available apps, during 16 clinical experiences (6-16 weeks in duration). The tablets were used on 70% of 691 clinic days, averaging 1.3 uses per day. Information seeking represented 48% of uses; 33% of those were foreground searches for research articles and syntheses and 66% were for background medical information. Other common uses included patient education (19%), medical record documentation (13%), and professional communication (9%). The most frequently used app was Safari, the preloaded web browser (representing 281 [36.5%] incidents of use). Users accessed 56 total apps to support clinical practice. Physical therapy students successfully integrated use of a tablet computer into their clinical experiences including regular activities of information seeking. Our findings suggest that the tablet computer represents a potentially transformational tool for promoting knowledge translation in the clinical practice environment.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A127).

Development of a change management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parks, Cathy Bonifas

1993-01-01

The complexity and interdependence of software on a computer system can create a situation where a solution to one problem causes failures in dependent software. In the computer industry, software problems arise and are often solved with 'quick and dirty' solutions. But in implementing these solutions, documentation about the solution or user notification of changes is often overlooked, and new problems are frequently introduced because of insufficient review or testing. These problems increase when numerous heterogeneous systems are involved. Because of this situation, a change management system plays an integral part in the maintenance of any multisystem computing environment. At the NASA Ames Advanced Computational Facility (ACF), the Online Change Management System (OCMS) was designed and developed to manage the changes being applied to its multivendor computing environment. This paper documents the research, design, and modifications that went into the development of this change management system (CMS).

A multi-criteria approach to camera motion design for volume data animation.

PubMed

Hsu, Wei-Hsien; Zhang, Yubo; Ma, Kwan-Liu

2013-12-01

We present an integrated camera motion design and path generation system for building volume data animations. Creating animations is an essential task in presenting complex scientific visualizations. Existing visualization systems use an established animation function based on keyframes selected by the user. This approach is limited in providing the optimal in-between views of the data. Alternatively, computer graphics and virtual reality camera motion planning is frequently focused on collision free movement in a virtual walkthrough. For semi-transparent, fuzzy, or blobby volume data the collision free objective becomes insufficient. Here, we provide a set of essential criteria focused on computing camera paths to establish effective animations of volume data. Our dynamic multi-criteria solver coupled with a force-directed routing algorithm enables rapid generation of camera paths. Once users review the resulting animation and evaluate the camera motion, they are able to determine how each criterion impacts path generation. In this paper, we demonstrate how incorporating this animation approach with an interactive volume visualization system reduces the effort in creating context-aware and coherent animations. This frees the user to focus on visualization tasks with the objective of gaining additional insight from the volume data.

Unified Framework for Development, Deployment and Robust Testing of Neuroimaging Algorithms

PubMed Central

Joshi, Alark; Scheinost, Dustin; Okuda, Hirohito; Belhachemi, Dominique; Murphy, Isabella; Staib, Lawrence H.; Papademetris, Xenophon

2011-01-01

Developing both graphical and command-line user interfaces for neuroimaging algorithms requires considerable effort. Neuroimaging algorithms can meet their potential only if they can be easily and frequently used by their intended users. Deployment of a large suite of such algorithms on multiple platforms requires consistency of user interface controls, consistent results across various platforms and thorough testing. We present the design and implementation of a novel object-oriented framework that allows for rapid development of complex image analysis algorithms with many reusable components and the ability to easily add graphical user interface controls. Our framework also allows for simplified yet robust nightly testing of the algorithms to ensure stability and cross platform interoperability. All of the functionality is encapsulated into a software object requiring no separate source code for user interfaces, testing or deployment. This formulation makes our framework ideal for developing novel, stable and easy-to-use algorithms for medical image analysis and computer assisted interventions. The framework has been both deployed at Yale and released for public use in the open source multi-platform image analysis software—BioImage Suite (bioimagesuite.org). PMID:21249532

Use of Marijuana Edibles by Adolescents in California

PubMed Central

Friese, Bettina; Slater, Michael D.; Battle, Robynn S.

2017-01-01

We explored how adolescent marijuana edible users differ in regards to marijuana use and related beliefs from marijuana users who do not use edibles. We analyzed California Healthy Kids Survey data collected in one Northern California school district with a racially and ethnically diverse student population. Survey respondents were youth in grades 9 – 12. Overall, 33% of respondents reported having used marijuana in their lifetime, and 50% of lifetime marijuana users reported using marijuana in the past 30 days. Seventy-two percent of lifetime marijuana users and 82% of past month marijuana users reported having used edibles in their lifetime. Comparing marijuana users who have never used edibles to those users who have, we found that edible users reported using marijuana more frequently in their lifetime. Edible users were also more likely to have used marijuana in the past 30 days, more frequently in the past 30 days, more likely on school property and more frequently on school property. Edible users and non-users differed in their perceptions of risk; edible users were less likely to agree that edible use is very risky. Edible users also reported a younger age of first marijuana use and more attempts to stop using marijuana than non-edible users. Multi-level regression analyses indicate that prevalence of edible use among marijuana users was related to perceived risk of edible use. Perceived risk of edible use among marijuana users was higher among marijuana users who do not use edibles, females, and those youth who perceive school rules to be clear. The findings indicate that prevalence of edible use is high among marijuana users, especially frequent users. PMID:28470448

User Interaction in Semi-Automatic Segmentation of Organs at Risk: a Case Study in Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Ramkumar, Anjana; Dolz, Jose; Kirisli, Hortense A; Adebahr, Sonja; Schimek-Jasch, Tanja; Nestle, Ursula; Massoptier, Laurent; Varga, Edit; Stappers, Pieter Jan; Niessen, Wiro J; Song, Yu

2016-04-01

Accurate segmentation of organs at risk is an important step in radiotherapy planning. Manual segmentation being a tedious procedure and prone to inter- and intra-observer variability, there is a growing interest in automated segmentation methods. However, automatic methods frequently fail to provide satisfactory result, and post-processing corrections are often needed. Semi-automatic segmentation methods are designed to overcome these problems by combining physicians' expertise and computers' potential. This study evaluates two semi-automatic segmentation methods with different types of user interactions, named the "strokes" and the "contour", to provide insights into the role and impact of human-computer interaction. Two physicians participated in the experiment. In total, 42 case studies were carried out on five different types of organs at risk. For each case study, both the human-computer interaction process and quality of the segmentation results were measured subjectively and objectively. Furthermore, different measures of the process and the results were correlated. A total of 36 quantifiable and ten non-quantifiable correlations were identified for each type of interaction. Among those pairs of measures, 20 of the contour method and 22 of the strokes method were strongly or moderately correlated, either directly or inversely. Based on those correlated measures, it is concluded that: (1) in the design of semi-automatic segmentation methods, user interactions need to be less cognitively challenging; (2) based on the observed workflows and preferences of physicians, there is a need for flexibility in the interface design; (3) the correlated measures provide insights that can be used in improving user interaction design.

Barriers to integrating information technology in Saudi Arabia science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Alwani, Abdulkareem Eid Salamah

This study examined current level of information technology integration in science education in the Yanbu school district in Saudi Arabia, and barriers to use. Sub-domains investigated included: infrastructure and resources, policy and support, science teachers' personal beliefs, and staff development. Survey determined demographic data and level of technology implementation, personal computer use, and current instructional practice. Mean frequency of information technology use was 1--2 times during a semester. Science teachers rated barriers limiting use of technology in teaching with a scale ranging from 0 (does not limit) to 3 (greatly limits). Results found all four factors were significant barriers: infrastructure and resources (M = 2.06; p < .001), staff development (M = 2.02; p <.001), policy and support (M = 1.84; p < .041) and science teachers' personal beliefs regarding technology (M = 1.15; p < .001). Regression analysis found that locations, level of training, teaching experience, and gender predicted frequency of use (F(3,168) = 3.63, R2 = .10, p < .014). Teachers who received in-service training programs used IT significantly more frequently than those who did not receive any training (t = 2.41, p = 0.017). Teachers who received both pre-service and in-service training used IT significantly more frequently than those who did not receive any training (t = 2.61, p = 0.01). Low technology users perceived that there was no support or incentives for using technology, while high technology users did not perceive these barriers (r = -0.18, p = .01). High technology users had positive personal beliefs about how information technology benefits learning, while low technology users held negative beliefs about technology use (r = -0.20, p = .003). The more barriers science teachers experienced, the less likely they were to be information technology users (r = -0.16, p = .02). There is a need for more computers in school, more teacher training, more time for teachers to learn to use technology, and more readily-available, technical support staff. Further studies are needed to represent all science teachers in Saudi Arabia, assess technology capacity of all schools, and assess in-service staff development strategies.

Usability Laboratory Test of a Novel Mobile Homecare Application with Experienced Home Help Service Staff

PubMed Central

Scandurra, I; Hägglund, M; Koch, S; Lind, M

2008-01-01

Using participatory design, we developed and deployed a mobile Virtual Health Record (VHR) on a personal digital assistant (PDA) together with experienced homecare staff. To assess transferability to a second setting and usability when used by novice users with limited system education the application was tested in a usability lab. Eight participants from another homecare district performed tasks related to daily homecare work using the VHR. Test protocols were analyzed with regard to effectiveness, potential usability problems and user satisfaction. Usability problems having impact on system performance and contextual factors affecting system transferability were uncovered. Questionnaires revealed that the participants frequently used computers, but never PDAs. Surprisingly there were only minor differences in input efficiency between novice and experienced users. The participants were overall satisfied with the application. However, transfer to another district can not be performed, unless by means of careful field observations of contextual differences. PMID:19415140

Important ingredients for health adaptive information systems.

PubMed

Senathirajah, Yalini; Bakken, Suzanne

2011-01-01

Healthcare information systems frequently do not truly meet clinician needs, due to the complexity, variability, and rapid change in medical contexts. Recently the internet world has been transformed by approaches commonly termed 'Web 2.0'. This paper proposes a Web 2.0 model for a healthcare adaptive architecture. The vision includes creating modular, user-composable systems which aim to make all necessary information from multiple internal and external sources available via a platform, for the user to use, arrange, recombine, author, and share at will, using rich interfaces where advisable. Clinicians can create a set of 'widgets' and 'views' which can transform data, reflect their domain knowledge and cater to their needs, using simple drag and drop interfaces without the intervention of programmers. We have built an example system, MedWISE, embodying the user-facing parts of the model. This approach to HIS is expected to have several advantages, including greater suitability to user needs (reflecting clinician rather than programmer concepts and priorities), incorporation of multiple information sources, agile reconfiguration to meet emerging situations and new treatment deployment, capture of user domain expertise and tacit knowledge, efficiencies due to workflow and human-computer interaction improvements, and greater user acceptance.

Subjective Report of Side Effects of Prescribed and Nonprescribed Psychostimulant Use in Young Adults.

PubMed

Smith, Tess E; Martel, Michelle M; DeSantis, Alan D

2017-03-21

Side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use are understudied. The study examined side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use in a college sample with attention to possible gender differences. 2716 undergraduates (1448 male) between the ages of 17 and 57 years (M = 19.43 years, SD = 1.7 years) completed an online survey that included questions about the subjective side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use. Results suggested that prescribed users more frequently reported side effects, compared to nonprescribed users. For prescribed users, females more frequently reported appetite, somatic, and anxiety-related side effects compared to males. For nonprescribed users, while females reported more somatic and anxiety-related side effects, males more frequently reported loss of sex drive and sweating as side effects. Conclusions/Importance: These findings suggest prescribed users of psychostimulants more frequently report side effects with prominent gender differences in line with gender roles.

FORTRAN Automated Code Evaluation System (faces) system documentation, version 2, mod 0. [error detection codes/user manuals (computer programs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A system is presented which processes FORTRAN based software systems to surface potential problems before they become execution malfunctions. The system complements the diagnostic capabilities of compilers, loaders, and execution monitors rather than duplicating these functions. Also, it emphasizes frequent sources of FORTRAN problems which require inordinate manual effort to identify. The principle value of the system is extracting small sections of unusual code from the bulk of normal sequences. Code structures likely to cause immediate or future problems are brought to the user's attention. These messages stimulate timely corrective action of solid errors and promote identification of 'tricky' code. Corrective action may require recoding or simply extending software documentation to explain the unusual technique.

Collaborative voxel-based surgical virtual environments.

PubMed

Acosta, Eric; Muniz, Gilbert; Armonda, Rocco; Bowyer, Mark; Liu, Alan

2008-01-01

Virtual Reality-based surgical simulators can utilize Collaborative Virtual Environments (C-VEs) to provide team-based training. To support real-time interactions, C-VEs are typically replicated on each user's local computer and a synchronization method helps keep all local copies consistent. This approach does not work well for voxel-based C-VEs since large and frequent volumetric updates make synchronization difficult. This paper describes a method that allows multiple users to interact within a voxel-based C-VE for a craniotomy simulator being developed. Our C-VE method requires smaller update sizes and provides faster synchronization update rates than volumetric-based methods. Additionally, we address network bandwidth/latency issues to simulate networked haptic and bone drilling tool interactions with a voxel-based skull C-VE.

Methods for Improving the User-Computer Interface. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCann, Patrick H.

This summary of methods for improving the user-computer interface is based on a review of the pertinent literature. Requirements of the personal computer user are identified and contrasted with computer designer perspectives towards the user. The user's psychological needs are described, so that the design of the user-computer interface may be…

High-Performance Computing User Facility | Computational Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

User Facility High-Performance Computing User Facility The High-Performance Computing User Facility technologies. Photo of the Peregrine supercomputer The High Performance Computing (HPC) User Facility provides Gyrfalcon Mass Storage System. Access Our HPC User Facility Learn more about these systems and how to access

The Effect of Computer Usage in Internet Café on Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Use among Chinese Adolescents and Youth: A Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Wu, Liyun; Delva, Jorge

2012-01-01

We used longitudinal data to investigate the relationship between computer use in internet cafés and smoking/drinking behavior among Chinese adolescents and young adults. Data are from two waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2004 and 2006). Fixed effects models were used to examine if changes in internet café use were associated with changes in cigarette smoking and drinking of alcohol. Male café users spent on average 17.3 hours in front of the computer/week. This was associated with an increase in the probability of being a current smoker by 13.3% and with smoking 1.7 more cigarettes. Female café users spent on average 11 hours on the computer/week. This was associated with an increase in the probability of drinking wine and/or liquor by 14.74% and was not associated with smoking. Internet cafés are an important venue by which adolescent and young adults in China are exposed to smoking and drinking. Multi-component interventions are needed ranging from policies regulating cigarette and alcohol availability in these venues to anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at the general population but also at individuals who frequent these establishments. PMID:22470305

The effect of computer usage in internet café on cigarette smoking and alcohol use among chinese adolescents and youth: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Wu, Liyun; Delva, Jorge

2012-02-01

We used longitudinal data to investigate the relationship between computer use in internet cafés and smoking/drinking behavior among Chinese adolescents and young adults. Data are from two waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2004 and 2006). Fixed effects models were used to examine if changes in internet café use were associated with changes in cigarette smoking and drinking of alcohol. Male café users spent on average 17.3 hours in front of the computer/week. This was associated with an increase in the probability of being a current smoker by 13.3% and with smoking 1.7 more cigarettes. Female café users spent on average 11 hours on the computer/week. This was associated with an increase in the probability of drinking wine and/or liquor by 14.74% and was not associated with smoking. Internet cafés are an important venue by which adolescent and young adults in China are exposed to smoking and drinking. Multi-component interventions are needed ranging from policies regulating cigarette and alcohol availability in these venues to anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at the general population but also at individuals who frequent these establishments.

Self-reported symptoms associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields: a questionnaire study.

PubMed

Küçer, Nermin; Pamukçu, Tuğba

2014-01-01

Abstract In the last years, it has been discussed frequently whether there are any harmful effects of electromagnetic fields on human health. Electromagnetic fields are generated by several natural and man-made sources. Part of the electromagnetic spectrum called Radiofrequency is used in communication systems such as mobile (cellular) phone and computer. The aim of our study was to explore different self-reported symptoms that may be associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields. This survey study was conducted, using a questionnaire, on 350 people aged +9 years in Turkey. The chi-square test was used for data analysis. Self-reported symptoms were headache, vertigo/dizziness, fatigue, forgetfulness, sleep disturbance-insomnia, tension-anxiety, joint and bone pain, lacrimation of the eyes, hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result of the survey, the study has shown that users of mobile phone and computer more often complained of headache, joint and bone pain, hearing loss, vertigo/dizziness, tension-anxiety symptoms according to time of daily usage (p < 0.05). In users of mobile phone and computer, women significantly (p < 0.05) complained more often of headache, vertigo/dizziness, fatigue, forgetfulness and tension-anxiety than men.

White-collar workers' self-reported physical symptoms associated with using computers.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Gobba, Fabriziomaria

2012-01-01

The aim of our work was to study the physical symptoms of upper- and lower-level white-collar workers using a questionnaire. The study was cross-sectional with a questionnaire posted to 15 000 working-age persons. The responses (6121) included 970 upper- and 1150 lower-level white-collar workers. In the upper- and lower-level white-collar worker groups, 45.7 and 56.0%, respectively, had experienced pain, numbness and aches in the neck either pretty often or more frequently. When comparing daily computer users and nonusers, there were significant differences in pain, numbness and aches in the neck or in the shoulders. In addition, age and gender influenced some physical symptoms. In the future, it is essential to take into account that working with computers can be especially associated with physical symptoms in the neck and in the shoulders when workers use computers daily.

Use of Tablet Computers to Promote Physical Therapy Students' Engagement in Knowledge Translation During Clinical Experiences

PubMed Central

Loeb, Kathryn; Barbosa, Sabrina; Jiang, Fei; Lee, Karin T.

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose: Physical therapists strive to integrate research into daily practice. The tablet computer is a potentially transformational tool for accessing information within the clinical practice environment. The purpose of this study was to measure and describe patterns of tablet computer use among physical therapy students during clinical rotation experiences. Methods: Doctor of physical therapy students (n = 13 users) tracked their use of tablet computers (iPad), loaded with commercially available apps, during 16 clinical experiences (6-16 weeks in duration). Results: The tablets were used on 70% of 691 clinic days, averaging 1.3 uses per day. Information seeking represented 48% of uses; 33% of those were foreground searches for research articles and syntheses and 66% were for background medical information. Other common uses included patient education (19%), medical record documentation (13%), and professional communication (9%). The most frequently used app was Safari, the preloaded web browser (representing 281 [36.5%] incidents of use). Users accessed 56 total apps to support clinical practice. Discussion and Conclusions: Physical therapy students successfully integrated use of a tablet computer into their clinical experiences including regular activities of information seeking. Our findings suggest that the tablet computer represents a potentially transformational tool for promoting knowledge translation in the clinical practice environment. Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A127). PMID:26945431

A Statewide Profile of Frequent Users of School-Based Health Centers: Implications for Adolescent Health Care.

PubMed

Koenig, Kevin T; Ramos, Mary M; Fowler, Tara T; Oreskovich, Kristin; McGrath, Jane; Fairbrother, Gerry

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study is to describe patterns of care and service use among adolescent school-based health center (SBHC) users in New Mexico and contrast patterns and services between frequent and infrequent users. Medical claims/encounter data were analyzed from 59 SBHCs located in secondary schools in New Mexico during the 2011-2012 school year. We used Pearson's chi-square test to examine the differences between frequent (≥ 4 visits/year) and infrequent users in their patterns of SBHC care, and we conducted logistic regression to examine whether frequent use of the SBHC predicted receipt of behavioral, reproductive, and sexual health; checkup; or acute care services. Most of the 26,379 adolescent SBHC visits in New Mexico were for behavioral health (42.4%) and reproductive and sexual health (22.9%). Frequent users have greater odds of receiving a behavioral, reproductive, and sexual health; and acute care visit than infrequent users (p < .001). American Indians, in particular, have higher odds of receiving behavioral health and checkup visits, compared with other races/ethnicities (p < .001). SBHCs deliver core health care services to adolescents, including behavioral, reproductive, and checkup services, to high need populations. American-Indian youth, more than their peers, use SBHCs for behavioral health and checkups. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Controlling user access to electronic resources without password

DOEpatents

Smith, Fred Hewitt

2015-06-16

Described herein are devices and techniques for remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource. The process includes pre-determining an association of the restricted computer resource and computer-resource-proximal environmental information. Indicia of user-proximal environmental information are received from a user requesting access to the restricted computer resource. Received indicia of user-proximal environmental information are compared to associated computer-resource-proximal environmental information. User access to the restricted computer resource is selectively granted responsive to a favorable comparison in which the user-proximal environmental information is sufficiently similar to the computer-resource proximal environmental information. In at least some embodiments, the process further includes comparing user-supplied biometric measure and comparing it with a predetermined association of at least one biometric measure of an authorized user. Access to the restricted computer resource is granted in response to a favorable comparison.

Communication Aid with Human Eyes Only

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Kohei; Yajima, Kenro

A communication aid with human eyes only is proposed. A set of candidate character is displayed onto computer screen of relatively small and light Head Mount Display: HMD that is mounted on glasses of which user wears on. When user looks at a candidate character with his/hers left eye while right eye picture is taken with small and light web camera that also is mounted on the glasses. The proposed system can selects 81 characters with two layers of 9 by 9 character candidate image. Other than these there is another selective image including control keys and frequently use of sentences. By using image matching between previously acquired template image for each candidate character and the currently acquired image, the proposed system realizes that which character in the candidates is selected. By using blinking and fix one's eye on combine together, the proposed system recognizes that user determines the selected key from the candidates. The blinking detection method employs a morphologic filter to avoid misunderstanding of dark eye detection due to eyebrows and shadows. Thus user can input sentences. User also may edit the sentences and then the sentences are read with Text to Speech: TTS software tool. Thus the system allows support conversations between handicapped and disabled persons without voice and the others peoples because only the function required for conversation is human eyes. Also the proposed system can be used as an input system for wearable computing systems. Test results by the 6 different able persons show that the proposed system does work with acceptable speed, around 1.5 second / character.

Automating slope monitoring in mines with terrestrial lidar scanners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conforti, Dario

2014-05-01

Static terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) have been an important component of slope monitoring for some time, and many solutions for monitoring the progress of a slide have been devised over the years. However, all of these solutions have required users to operate the lidar equipment in the field, creating a high cost in time and resources, especially if the surveys must be performed very frequently. This paper presents a new solution for monitoring slides, developed using a TLS and an automated data acquisition, processing and analysis system. In this solution, a TLS is permanently mounted within sight of the target surface and connected to a control computer. The control software on the computer automatically triggers surveys according to a user-defined schedule, parses data into point clouds, and compares data against a baseline. The software can base the comparison against either the original survey of the site or the most recent survey, depending on whether the operator needs to measure the total or recent movement of the slide. If the displacement exceeds a user-defined safety threshold, the control computer transmits alerts via SMS text messaging and/or email, including graphs and tables describing the nature and size of the displacement. The solution can also be configured to trigger the external visual/audio alarm systems. If the survey areas contain high-traffic areas such as roads, the operator can mark them for exclusion in the comparison to prevent false alarms. To improve usability and safety, the control computer can connect to a local intranet and allow remote access through the software's web portal. This enables operators to perform most tasks with the TLS from their office, including reviewing displacement reports, downloading survey data, and adjusting the scan schedule. This solution has proved invaluable in automatically detecting and alerting users to potential danger within the monitored areas while lowering the cost and work required for monitoring. An explanation of the entire system and a post-acquisition data demonstration will be presented.

Modeling and prediction of human word search behavior in interactive machine translation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Duo; Yu, Bai; Ma, Bin; Ye, Na

2017-12-01

As a kind of computer aided translation method, Interactive Machine Translation technology reduced manual translation repetitive and mechanical operation through a variety of methods, so as to get the translation efficiency, and played an important role in the practical application of the translation work. In this paper, we regarded the behavior of users' frequently searching for words in the translation process as the research object, and transformed the behavior to the translation selection problem under the current translation. The paper presented a prediction model, which is a comprehensive utilization of alignment model, translation model and language model of the searching words behavior. It achieved a highly accurate prediction of searching words behavior, and reduced the switching of mouse and keyboard operations in the users' translation process.

The Fermilab Isdn Pilot Project: Experiences and Future Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, D. E.; Lego, A. J.; Clifford, A. E.

Fully operational in June of 1994, the Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project was started to gain insight into the costs and benefits of providing ISDN service to the homes of Fermilab researchers. Fourteen users were chosen from throughout Fermilab, but the number of Fermilab-employed spouses pushed the total user count to 20. Each home was equipped with a basic rate ISDN (BRI) line, a BRI Ethernet half-bridge, and an NT-1. An inter-departmental team coordinated the project. Usage at each home was tracked and frequent surveys were attempted. Lessons learned include: working with Ameritech can be difficult; careful monitoring is essential; and configuration of home computing equipment is very time consuming. Plans include moving entirely to primary rate ISDN hubs, support for different home ISDN equipment and better usage and performance tracking.

A Statewide Profile of Frequent Users of School-Based Health Centers: Implications for Adolescent Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koenig, Kevin T.; Ramos, Mary M.; Fowler, Tara T.; Oreskovich, Kristin; McGrath, Jane; Fairbrother, Gerry

2016-01-01

Background: The purpose of this study is to describe patterns of care and service use among adolescent school-based health center (SBHC) users in New Mexico and contrast patterns and services between frequent and infrequent users. Methods: Medical claims/encounter data were analyzed from 59 SBHCs located in secondary schools in New Mexico during…

shinyheatmap: Ultra fast low memory heatmap web interface for big data genomics.

PubMed

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Hennessy, James R; Wahlestedt, Claes

2017-01-01

Transcriptomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and other various next-generation sequencing (-omics) fields are known for their production of large datasets, especially across single-cell sequencing studies. Visualizing such big data has posed technical challenges in biology, both in terms of available computational resources as well as programming acumen. Since heatmaps are used to depict high-dimensional numerical data as a colored grid of cells, efficiency and speed have often proven to be critical considerations in the process of successfully converting data into graphics. For example, rendering interactive heatmaps from large input datasets (e.g., 100k+ rows) has been computationally infeasible on both desktop computers and web browsers. In addition to memory requirements, programming skills and knowledge have frequently been barriers-to-entry for creating highly customizable heatmaps. We propose shinyheatmap: an advanced user-friendly heatmap software suite capable of efficiently creating highly customizable static and interactive biological heatmaps in a web browser. shinyheatmap is a low memory footprint program, making it particularly well-suited for the interactive visualization of extremely large datasets that cannot typically be computed in-memory due to size restrictions. Also, shinyheatmap features a built-in high performance web plug-in, fastheatmap, for rapidly plotting interactive heatmaps of datasets as large as 105-107 rows within seconds, effectively shattering previous performance benchmarks of heatmap rendering speed. shinyheatmap is hosted online as a freely available web server with an intuitive graphical user interface: http://shinyheatmap.com. The methods are implemented in R, and are available as part of the shinyheatmap project at: https://github.com/Bohdan-Khomtchouk/shinyheatmap. Users can access fastheatmap directly from within the shinyheatmap web interface, and all source code has been made publicly available on Github: https://github.com/Bohdan-Khomtchouk/fastheatmap.

The closer the relationship, the more the interaction on facebook? Investigating the case of Taiwan users.

PubMed

Hsu, Chiung-Wen Julia; Wang, Ching-Chan; Tai, Yi-Ting

2011-01-01

This study argues for the necessity of applying offline contexts to social networking site research and the importance of distinguishing the relationship types of users' counterparts when studying Facebook users' behaviors. In an attempt to examine the relationship among users' behaviors, their counterparts' relationship types, and the users' perceived acquaintanceships after using Facebook, this study first investigated users' frequently used tools when interacting with different types of friends. Users tended to use less time- and effort-consuming and less privacy-concerned tools with newly acquired friends. This study further examined users' behaviors in terms of their closeness and intimacy and their perceived acquaintanceships toward four different types of friends. The study found that users gained more perceived acquaintanceships from less close friends with whom users have more frequent interaction but less intimate behaviors. As for closer friends, users tended to use more intimate activities to interact with them. However, these activities did not necessarily occur more frequently than the activities they employed with their less close friends. It was found that perceived acquaintanceships with closer friends were significantly lower than those with less close friends. This implies that Facebook is a mechanism for new friends, rather than close friends, to become more acquainted.

Top-down methodology for human factors research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sibert, J.

1983-01-01

User computer interaction as a conversation is discussed. The design of user interfaces which depends on viewing communications between a user and the computer as a conversion is presented. This conversation includes inputs to the computer (outputs from the user), outputs from the computer (inputs to the user), and the sequencing in both time and space of those outputs and inputs. The conversation is viewed from the user's side of the conversation. Two languages are modeled: the one with which the user communicates with the computer and the language where communication flows from the computer to the user. Both languages exist on three levels; the semantic, syntactic and lexical. It is suggested that natural languages can also be considered in these terms.

A semi-automatic annotation tool for cooking video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianco, Simone; Ciocca, Gianluigi; Napoletano, Paolo; Schettini, Raimondo; Margherita, Roberto; Marini, Gianluca; Gianforme, Giorgio; Pantaleo, Giuseppe

2013-03-01

In order to create a cooking assistant application to guide the users in the preparation of the dishes relevant to their profile diets and food preferences, it is necessary to accurately annotate the video recipes, identifying and tracking the foods of the cook. These videos present particular annotation challenges such as frequent occlusions, food appearance changes, etc. Manually annotate the videos is a time-consuming, tedious and error-prone task. Fully automatic tools that integrate computer vision algorithms to extract and identify the elements of interest are not error free, and false positive and false negative detections need to be corrected in a post-processing stage. We present an interactive, semi-automatic tool for the annotation of cooking videos that integrates computer vision techniques under the supervision of the user. The annotation accuracy is increased with respect to completely automatic tools and the human effort is reduced with respect to completely manual ones. The performance and usability of the proposed tool are evaluated on the basis of the time and effort required to annotate the same video sequences.

Improving UDP/IP Transmission Without Increasing Congestion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burleigh, Scott

2006-01-01

Datagram Retransmission (DGR) is a computer program that, within certain limits, ensures the reception of each datagram transmitted under the User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol. [User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is considered unreliable because it does not involve a reliability-ensuring connection-initiation dialogue between sender and receiver. UDP is well suited to issuing of many small messages to many different receivers.] Unlike prior software for ensuring reception of UDP datagrams, DGR does not contribute to network congestion by retransmitting data more frequently as an ever-increasing number of messages and acknowledgements is lost. Instead, DGR does just the opposite: DGR includes an adaptive timeout-interval- computing component that provides maximum opportunity for reception of acknowledgements, minimizing retransmission. By monitoring changes in the rate at which message-transmission transactions are completed, DGR detects changes in the level of congestion and responds by imposing varying degrees of delay on the transmission of new messages. In addition, DGR maximizes throughput by not waiting for acknowledgement of a message before sending the next message. All DGR communication is asynchronous, to maximize efficient utilization of network connections. DGR manages multiple concurrent datagram transmission and acknowledgement conversations.

Conjunctival impression cytology in computer users.

PubMed

Kumar, S; Bansal, R; Khare, A; Malik, K P S; Malik, V K; Jain, K; Jain, C

2013-01-01

It is known that the computer users develop the features of dry eye. To study the cytological changes in the conjunctiva using conjunctival impression cytology in computer users and a control group. Fifteen eyes of computer users who had used computers for more than one year and ten eyes of an age-and-sex matched control group (those who had not used computers) were studied by conjunctival impression cytology. Conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) results in the control group were of stage 0 and stage I while the computer user group showed CIC results between stages II to stage IV. Among the computer users, the majority ( > 90 %) showed stage III and stage IV changes. We found that those who used computers daily for long hours developed more CIC changes than those who worked at the computer for a shorter daily duration. © NEPjOPH.

Computer Assistance in Information Work. Part I: Conceptual Framework for Improving the Computer/User Interface in Information Work. Part II: Catalog of Acceleration, Augmentation, and Delegation Functions in Information Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paisley, William; Butler, Matilda

This study of the computer/user interface investigated the role of the computer in performing information tasks that users now perform without computer assistance. Users' perceptual/cognitive processes are to be accelerated or augmented by the computer; a long term goal is to delegate information tasks entirely to the computer. Cybernetic and…

Full On-Device Stay Points Detection in Smartphones for Location-Based Mobile Applications.

PubMed

Pérez-Torres, Rafael; Torres-Huitzil, César; Galeana-Zapién, Hiram

2016-10-13

The tracking of frequently visited places, also known as stay points, is a critical feature in location-aware mobile applications as a way to adapt the information and services provided to smartphones users according to their moving patterns. Location based applications usually employ the GPS receiver along with Wi-Fi hot-spots and cellular cell tower mechanisms for estimating user location. Typically, fine-grained GPS location data are collected by the smartphone and transferred to dedicated servers for trajectory analysis and stay points detection. Such Mobile Cloud Computing approach has been successfully employed for extending smartphone's battery lifetime by exchanging computation costs, assuming that on-device stay points detection is prohibitive. In this article, we propose and validate the feasibility of having an alternative event-driven mechanism for stay points detection that is executed fully on-device, and that provides higher energy savings by avoiding communication costs. Our solution is encapsulated in a sensing middleware for Android smartphones, where a stream of GPS location updates is collected in the background, supporting duty cycling schemes, and incrementally analyzed following an event-driven paradigm for stay points detection. To evaluate the performance of the proposed middleware, real world experiments were conducted under different stress levels, validating its power efficiency when compared against a Mobile Cloud Computing oriented solution.

Long-term effects of frequent cannabis use on working memory and attention: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Jager, Gerry; Kahn, Rene S; Van Den Brink, Wim; Van Ree, Jan M; Ramsey, Nick F

2006-04-01

Excessive use of cannabis may have long-term effects on cognitive abilities. Mild impairments have been found in several cognitive domains, particularly in memory and attention. It is not clear, however, whether these effects also occur with moderate, recreational use of cannabis. Furthermore, little is known about underlying brain correlates. The aim of this study is to assess brain function in frequent but relatively moderate cannabis users in the domains of working memory and selective attention. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine verbal working memory and visuo-auditory selective attention in ten frequent cannabis users (after 1 week of abstinence) and ten non-using healthy controls. Groups were similar in age, gender and estimated IQ. Cannabis users and controls performed equally well during the working memory task and the selective attention task. Furthermore, cannabis users did not differ from controls in terms of overall patterns of brain activity in the regions involved in these cognitive functions. However, for working memory, a more specific region-of-interest analysis showed that, in comparison to the controls, cannabis users displayed a significant alteration in brain activity in the left superior parietal cortex. No evidence was found for long-term deficits in working memory and selective attention in frequent cannabis users after 1 week of abstinence. Nonetheless, frequent cannabis use may affect brain function, as indicated by altered neurophysiological dynamics in the left superior parietal cortex during working memory processing.

Trusted Computing Technologies, Intel Trusted Execution Technology.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guise, Max Joseph; Wendt, Jeremy Daniel

2011-01-01

We describe the current state-of-the-art in Trusted Computing Technologies - focusing mainly on Intel's Trusted Execution Technology (TXT). This document is based on existing documentation and tests of two existing TXT-based systems: Intel's Trusted Boot and Invisible Things Lab's Qubes OS. We describe what features are lacking in current implementations, describe what a mature system could provide, and present a list of developments to watch. Critical systems perform operation-critical computations on high importance data. In such systems, the inputs, computation steps, and outputs may be highly sensitive. Sensitive components must be protected from both unauthorized release, and unauthorized alteration: Unauthorizedmore » users should not access the sensitive input and sensitive output data, nor be able to alter them; the computation contains intermediate data with the same requirements, and executes algorithms that the unauthorized should not be able to know or alter. Due to various system requirements, such critical systems are frequently built from commercial hardware, employ commercial software, and require network access. These hardware, software, and network system components increase the risk that sensitive input data, computation, and output data may be compromised.« less

ABSENTEE COMPUTATIONS IN A MULTIPLE-ACCESS COMPUTER SYSTEM.

DTIC Science & Technology

require user interaction, and the user may therefore want to run these computations ’ absentee ’ (or, user not present). A mechanism is presented which...provides for the handling of absentee computations in a multiple-access computer system. The design is intended to be implementation-independent...Some novel features of the system’s design are: a user can switch computations from interactive to absentee (and vice versa), the system can

Design Aspects of the Rayleigh Convection Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Featherstone, N. A.

2017-12-01

Understanding the long-term generation of planetary or stellar magnetic field requires complementary knowledge of the large-scale fluid dynamics pervading large fractions of the object's interior. Such large-scale motions are sensitive to the system's geometry which, in planets and stars, is spherical to a good approximation. As a result, computational models designed to study such systems often solve the MHD equations in spherical geometry, frequently employing a spectral approach involving spherical harmonics. We present computational and user-interface design aspects of one such modeling tool, the Rayleigh convection code, which is suitable for deployment on desktop and petascale-hpc architectures alike. In this poster, we will present an overview of this code's parallel design and its built-in diagnostics-output package. Rayleigh has been developed with NSF support through the Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics and is expected to be released as open-source software in winter 2017/2018.

A data mining technique for discovering distinct patterns of hand signs: implications in user training and computer interface design.

PubMed

Ye, Nong; Li, Xiangyang; Farley, Toni

2003-01-15

Hand signs are considered as one of the important ways to enter information into computers for certain tasks. Computers receive sensor data of hand signs for recognition. When using hand signs as computer inputs, we need to (1) train computer users in the sign language so that their hand signs can be easily recognized by computers, and (2) design the computer interface to avoid the use of confusing signs for improving user input performance and user satisfaction. For user training and computer interface design, it is important to have a knowledge of which signs can be easily recognized by computers and which signs are not distinguishable by computers. This paper presents a data mining technique to discover distinct patterns of hand signs from sensor data. Based on these patterns, we derive a group of indistinguishable signs by computers. Such information can in turn assist in user training and computer interface design.

The Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project: Experiences and future plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, D.E.; Lego, A.J.; Clifford, A.E.

1995-12-31

Fully operational in June of 1994, the Fermilab ISDN Pilot Project was started to gain insight into the costs and benefits of providing ISDN service to the homes of Fermilab researchers. Fourteen users were chosen from throughout Fermilab, but the number of Fermilab-employed spouses pushed the total user count to 20. Each home was equipped with a basic rate ISDN (BRI) line, a BRI Ethernet half-bridge, and an NT-1. An inter-departmental team coordinated the project. Usage at each home was tracked and frequent surveys were attempted. Lessons learned include: working with Ameritech can be difficult; careful monitoring is essential; andmore » configuration of home computing equipment is very time consuming. Plans include moving entirely to primary rate ISDN hubs, support for different home ISDN equipment and better usage and performance tracking.« less

Targeting frequent users of emergency departments: Prominent risk factors and policy implications.

PubMed

Leporatti, Lucia; Ameri, Marta; Trinchero, Chiara; Orcamo, Patrizia; Montefiori, Marcello

2016-05-01

This study investigates the characteristics of frequent users of accident and emergency departments (AEDs) and recommends alternative medical services for such patients. Prominent demographic and clinical risk factors for individuals accessing seven AEDs located in the metropolitan area of Genoa, Italy are identified and analysed. A truncated count data model is implemented to establish the determinants of access, while a multinomial logistic regression is used to highlight potential differences among different user categories. According to previous studies, empirical findings suggest that despite the relevance of demographic drivers, vulnerability conditions (e.g. abuse of alcohol and drugs, chronic conditions, and psychological distress) are the main reasons behind frequent AED use; the analysis seems to confirm an association between AED frequent use and lower level of urgency. Since frequent and highly frequent users are found responsible for disproportionate resource absorption with respect to total amount of AED costs (they represent roughly 10% of the total number of patients, but contribute to more than 19% of the total annual AED cost), policies aiming to reduce frequent use of AEDs could bring significant savings in economic resources. Thus, efficient actions could be oriented toward extending primary care services outside AED and toward instituting local aid services specifically addressed to people under the influence of substances or in conditions of mental distress. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

78 FR 18353 - Guidance for Industry: Blood Establishment Computer System Validation in the User's Facility...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

...; (Formerly FDA-2007D-0393)] Guidance for Industry: Blood Establishment Computer System Validation in the User... Industry: Blood Establishment Computer System Validation in the User's Facility'' dated April 2013. The... document entitled ``Guidance for Industry: Blood Establishment Computer System Validation in the User's...

Marijuana Use Trajectories and Academic Outcomes among College Students

PubMed Central

Suerken, Cynthia K.; Reboussin, Beth A.; Egan, Kathleen L.; Sutfin, Erin L.; Wagoner, Kimberly G.; Spangler, John; Wolfson, Mark

2016-01-01

Background Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug by college students. Prior studies have established an association between marijuana use and poor academic performance in college, but research on the frequency of marijuana use over the entire college career is limited. The study objective was to examine the association of marijuana use trajectories on academic outcomes, including senior year enrollment, plans to graduate on time, and GPA. Methods Data were collected from a cohort of 3,146 students from 11 colleges in North Carolina and Virginia at six time points across the college career. Group-based trajectory models were used to characterize longitudinal marijuana use patterns during college. Associations between marijuana trajectory groups and academic outcomes were modeled using random-effects linear and logistic regressions. Results Five marijuana trajectory groups were identified: non-users (69.0%), infrequent users (16.6%), decreasing users (4.7%), increasing users (5.8%), and frequent users (3.9%). Decreasing users and frequent users were more likely to drop out of college and plan to delay graduation when compared to non-users. All marijuana user groups reported lower GPAs, on average, than non-users. Conclusion These results identify marijuana use patterns that put students at risk for poor academic performance in college. Students who use marijuana frequently at the beginning of the college career are especially at risk for lower academic achievement than non-users, suggesting that early intervention is critical. PMID:27020322

A Concept for the One Degree Imager (ODI) Data Reduction Pipeline and Archiving System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knezek, Patricia; Stobie, B.; Michael, S.; Valdes, F.; Marru, S.; Henschel, R.; Pierce, M.

2010-05-01

The One Degree Imager (ODI), currently being built by the WIYN Observatory, will provide tremendous possibilities for conducting diverse scientific programs. ODI will be a complex instrument, using non-conventional Orthogonal Transfer Array (OTA) detectors. Due to its large field of view, small pixel size, use of OTA technology, and expected frequent use, ODI will produce vast amounts of astronomical data. If ODI is to achieve its full potential, a data reduction pipeline must be developed. Long-term archiving must also be incorporated into the pipeline system to ensure the continued value of ODI data. This paper presents a concept for an ODI data reduction pipeline and archiving system. To limit costs and development time, our plan leverages existing software and hardware, including existing pipeline software, Science Gateways, Computational Grid & Cloud Technology, Indiana University's Data Capacitor and Massive Data Storage System, and TeraGrid compute resources. Existing pipeline software will be augmented to add functionality required to meet challenges specific to ODI, enhance end-user control, and enable the execution of the pipeline on grid resources including national grid resources such as the TeraGrid and Open Science Grid. The planned system offers consistent standard reductions and end-user flexibility when working with images beyond the initial instrument signature removal. It also gives end-users access to computational and storage resources far beyond what are typically available at most institutions. Overall, the proposed system provides a wide array of software tools and the necessary hardware resources to use them effectively.

Frequency of postural changes during sitting whilst using a desktop computer--exploring an analytical methodology.

PubMed

Niekerk, Sjan-Mari van; Louw, Quinette Abigail; Grimmer-Sommers, Karen

2014-01-01

Dynamic movement whilst sitting is advocated as a way to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms from seated activities. Conventionally, in ergonomics research, only a 'snapshot' of static sitting posture is captured, which does not provide information on the number or type of movements over a period of time. A novel approach to analyse the number of postural changes whist sitting was employed in order to describe the sitting behaviour of adolescents whilst undertaking computing activities. A repeated-measures observational study was conducted. A total of 12 high school students were randomly selected from a conveniently selected school. Fifteen minutes of 3D posture measurements were recorded to determine the number of postural changes whilst using computers. Data of 11 students were able to be analysed. Large intra-subject variation of the median and IQR was observed, indicating frequent postural changes whilst sitting. Better understanding of usual dynamic postural movements whilst sitting will provide new insights into causes of musculoskeletal symptoms experienced by computer users.

Evaluating Nurses Acceptance of Hospital Information Systems: A Case Study of a Tertiary Care Hospital.

PubMed

Khalifa, Mohamed

2016-01-01

This study aims at evaluating hospital information systems (HIS) acceptance factors among nurses, in order to provide suggestions for successful HIS implementation. The study used mainly quantitative survey methods to collect data directly from nurses through a questionnaire. The availability of computers in the hospital was one of the most influential factors, with a special emphasis on the unavailability of laptop computers and computers on wheels to facilitate immediate data entry and retrieval when nurses are at the point of care. Nurses believed that HIS might frequently slow down the process of care delivery and increase the time spent by patients inside the hospital especially during slow performance and responsiveness phases. Recommendations were classified into three main areas; improving system performance and availability of computers in the hospital, increasing organizational support in the form of providing training and protected time for nurses' to learn and enhancing users' feedback by listening to their complaints and considering their suggestions.

Do Young Heroin Users in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville have Sufficient Knowledge of the Risk Factors for Unintentional Opioid Overdose?

PubMed Central

Barrio, Gregorio; Brugal, M. Teresa; de la Fuente, Luis; Ballesta, Rosario; Bravo, María J.; Silva, Teresa C.; Rodríguez-Martos, Alicia

2006-01-01

To identify the self-perceived reasons for unintentional opioid overdose of young heroin users in three Spanish cities and their agreement with objective risk factors for overdose. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) were held with 991 street-recruited current heroin users aged 18–30. The general reasons for overdose and the reasons for the last overdose suffered were explored with open-ended (OEQs) and pre-coded questions (PCQs). Limited knowledge of overdose risk factors was defined as mention of fewer than two objective risk factors for unintentional overdose in the OEQ. Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression methods were used. 77.8% (Seville), 64.9% (Madrid) and 57.2% (Barcelona) of participants have limited knowledge of overdose risk factors. Residence in Seville and not having attended courses or meetings on overdoses were significantly associated with limited knowledge, after adjusting for other factors. The most frequently identified general reasons in OEQ or PCQ were using heroin in large amounts (66.8%), together with tranquilizers (62.0%), adulterated (60.7%), or purer than usual (57.6%). Most reasons were selected more frequently in PCQ than in OEQ, especially rapid injection of the entire dose and using heroin shortly after using tranquilizers or alcohol, by injection, or after a period of abstinence. The results were similar for overdoses suffered by participants. Most young heroin users do not have sufficient knowledge of overdose risk factors, especially the use of heroin by injection, after a period of abstinence, or together with alcohol or methadone. Specific informational or educational programs adapted to the local context are critically needed. PMID:16739049

CAD for small hydro projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bishop, N.A. Jr.

1994-04-01

Over the past decade, computer-aided design (CAD) has become a practical and economical design tool. Today, specifying CAD hardware and software is relatively easy once you know what the design requirements are. But finding experienced CAD professionals is often more difficult. Most CAD users have only two or three years of design experience; more experienced design personnel are frequently not CAD literate. However, effective use of CAD can be the key to lowering design costs and improving design quality--a quest familiar to every manager and designer. By emphasizing computer-aided design literacy at all levels of the firm, a Canadian joint-venturemore » company that specializes in engineering small hydroelectric projects has cut costs, become more productive and improved design quality. This article describes how they did it.« less

Final Report for DOE Award ER25756

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kesselman, Carl

2014-11-17

The SciDAC-funded Center for Enabling Distributed Petascale Science (CEDPS) was established to address technical challenges that arise due to the frequent geographic distribution of data producers (in particular, supercomputers and scientific instruments) and data consumers (people and computers) within the DOE laboratory system. Its goal is to produce technical innovations that meet DOE end-user needs for (a) rapid and dependable placement of large quantities of data within a distributed high-performance environment, and (b) the convenient construction of scalable science services that provide for the reliable and high-performance processing of computation and data analysis requests from many remote clients. The Centermore » is also addressing (c) the important problem of troubleshooting these and other related ultra-high-performance distributed activities from the perspective of both performance and functionality« less

A computer-based training system combining virtual reality and multimedia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stansfield, Sharon A.

1993-01-01

Training new users of complex machines is often an expensive and time-consuming process. This is particularly true for special purpose systems, such as those frequently encountered in DOE applications. This paper presents a computer-based training system intended as a partial solution to this problem. The system extends the basic virtual reality (VR) training paradigm by adding a multimedia component which may be accessed during interaction with the virtual environment. The 3D model used to create the virtual reality is also used as the primary navigation tool through the associated multimedia. This method exploits the natural mapping between a virtual world and the real world that it represents to provide a more intuitive way for the student to interact with all forms of information about the system.

Internet Use and Television Viewing in Children and its Association with Vision Loss: A Major Public Health Problem.

PubMed

Bener, Abdulbari; Al-Mahdi, Huda S

2012-03-07

Little is known about the distribution of eye and vision conditions among school children in Qatar. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of excessive internet use and television viewing on low vision and its prevalence with socio-demographic characteristics. This is a cross-sectional study which was carried out in the public and private schools of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar from September 2009 to April 2010. A total of 3200 students aged 6-18 years were invited to take part of whom 2586 (80.8%) agreed. A questionnaire, that included questions about socio-demographic factors, internet use, and television viewing and computer games, co-morbid factors, and family history and vision assessment, was designed to collect information from the students. This was distributed by the school authorities. Of the school children studied (n=2586), 52.8% were girls and 47.2% boys. The overall prevalence of low vision was 15.2%. The prevalence of low vision was significantly higher in the age group 6-10 years (17.1%; P=0.05). Low vision was more prevalent among television viewers (17.2%) than in infrequent viewers (14.0%). The proportion of children wearing glasses was higher in frequent internet users and television viewers (21.3%). Also, low vision without aid was higher in frequent viewers. The study findings revealed a greater prevalence of low vision among frequent internet users and television viewers. The proportion of children wearing glasses was higher among frequent viewers. The prevalence of low vision decreased with increasing age.

Marijuana use trajectories and academic outcomes among college students.

PubMed

Suerken, Cynthia K; Reboussin, Beth A; Egan, Kathleen L; Sutfin, Erin L; Wagoner, Kimberly G; Spangler, John; Wolfson, Mark

2016-05-01

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug by college students. Prior studies have established an association between marijuana use and poor academic performance in college, but research on the frequency of marijuana use over the entire college career is limited. The study objective was to examine the association of marijuana use trajectories on academic outcomes, including senior year enrollment, plans to graduate on time, and GPA. Data were collected from a cohort of 3146 students from 11 colleges in North Carolina and Virginia at six time points across the college career. Group-based trajectory models were used to characterize longitudinal marijuana use patterns during college. Associations between marijuana trajectory groups and academic outcomes were modeled using random-effects linear and logistic regressions. Five marijuana trajectory groups were identified: non-users (69.0%), infrequent users (16.6%), decreasing users (4.7%), increasing users (5.8%), and frequent users (3.9%). Decreasing users and frequent users were more likely to drop out of college and plan to delay graduation when compared to non-users. All marijuana user groups reported lower GPAs, on average, than non-users. These results identify marijuana use patterns that put students at risk for poor academic performance in college. Students who use marijuana frequently at the beginning of the college career are especially at risk for lower academic achievement than non-users, suggesting that early intervention is critical. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

QUEST Hanford Site Computer Users - What do they do?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

WITHERSPOON, T.T.

2000-03-02

The Fluor Hanford Chief Information Office requested that a computer-user survey be conducted to determine the user's dependence on the computer and its importance to their ability to accomplish their work. Daily use trends and future needs of Hanford Site personal computer (PC) users was also to be defined. A primary objective was to use the data to determine how budgets should be focused toward providing those services that are truly needed by the users.

Exploring Factors That Affect Adoption of Computer Security Practices among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alqarni, Amani

2017-01-01

Cyber-attacks threaten the security of computer users' information, networks, machines, and privacy. Studies of computer security education, awareness, and training among ordinary computer users, college students, non-IT-oriented user groups, and non-technically trained citizens are limited. Most research has focused on computer security standards…

Motivating Contributions for Home Computer Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wash, Richard L.

2009-01-01

Recently, malicious computer users have been compromising computers en masse and combining them to form coordinated botnets. The rise of botnets has brought the problem of home computers to the forefront of security. Home computer users commonly have insecure systems; these users do not have the knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to…

Language workbench user interfaces for data analysis

PubMed Central

Benson, Victoria M.

2015-01-01

Biological data analysis is frequently performed with command line software. While this practice provides considerable flexibility for computationally savy individuals, such as investigators trained in bioinformatics, this also creates a barrier to the widespread use of data analysis software by investigators trained as biologists and/or clinicians. Workflow systems such as Galaxy and Taverna have been developed to try and provide generic user interfaces that can wrap command line analysis software. These solutions are useful for problems that can be solved with workflows, and that do not require specialized user interfaces. However, some types of analyses can benefit from custom user interfaces. For instance, developing biomarker models from high-throughput data is a type of analysis that can be expressed more succinctly with specialized user interfaces. Here, we show how Language Workbench (LW) technology can be used to model the biomarker development and validation process. We developed a language that models the concepts of Dataset, Endpoint, Feature Selection Method and Classifier. These high-level language concepts map directly to abstractions that analysts who develop biomarker models are familiar with. We found that user interfaces developed in the Meta-Programming System (MPS) LW provide convenient means to configure a biomarker development project, to train models and view the validation statistics. We discuss several advantages of developing user interfaces for data analysis with a LW, including increased interface consistency, portability and extension by language composition. The language developed during this experiment is distributed as an MPS plugin (available at http://campagnelab.org/software/bdval-for-mps/). PMID:25755929

An exploratory study of the health harms and utilisation of health services of frequent legal high users under the interim regulated legal high market in central Auckland.

PubMed

Wilkins, Chris; Prasad, Jitesh; Wong, K C; Rychert, Marta; Graydon-Guy, Thomas

2016-03-11

To explore health problems and the accessing of health services by frequent legal high users under an interim regulated legal market in central Auckland. Frequent legal high users (monthly+) were recruited from outside eight randomly-selected, licensed, legal high stores in central Auckland from 23 April-7 May, 2014. Eligible participants were emailed a unique invitation to complete an on-line survey; 105 completed the survey. Twenty-seven percent had suffered mental illness during their lifetimes. Eighty percent used synthetic cannabinoids (SC), and 20% 'party pills'. Forty-seven percent of SC users used daily or more often. Other drugs used included alcohol (80%), cannabis (59%), 'ecstasy' (18%) and methamphetamine (15%). Fifty-eight percent of SC users were classified as SC dependent. The most common problems reported from SC use were: insomnia (29%); 'vomiting/nausea' (25%); 'short temper/agitation' (21%); 'anxiety' (21%); 'strange thoughts' (16%); and 'heart palpitations' (14%). The health services most commonly accessed by SC users were: a 'doctor/GP' (9%); 'counsellor' (9%); 'DrugHelp/MethHelp' websites (7%); 'Alcohol & Drug Helpline' (4%); 'ambulance' (3%); 'A&E' (3%); and hospitalisation (3%). Frequent use of interim licensed SC products was associated with health problems, including dependency. Further research is required to determine the health risks of these products.

User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaphiris, Panayiotis, Ed.; Zacharia, Giorgos, Ed.

2006-01-01

In the field of computer aided language learning (CALL), there is a need for emphasizing the importance of the user. "User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning" presents methodologies, strategies, and design approaches for building interfaces for a user-centered CALL environment, creating a deeper understanding of the opportunities and…

Cognitive Functioning of Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort

PubMed Central

Scott, J. Cobb; Wolf, Daniel H.; Calkins, Monica E.; Bach, Emily C.; Weidner, Jennifer; Ruparel, Kosha; Moore, Tyler M.; Jones, Jason D.; Jackson, Chad T.; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur, Ruben C.

2017-01-01

Cannabis use in youth is rising and has been linked to deficits in cognitive functioning. However, cognitive findings have primarily been based on small samples of users seeking treatment, and few studies have evaluated cognition in occasional cannabis users. Here, we examined 4,568 adolescents and young adults (ages 14–21) drawn from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, a prospective, population-based study. Participants were classified as cannabis Non-Users (n=3,401), Occasional Users (twice per week or less; n=940), or Frequent Users (>3 times per week; n=227). Mixed-model analyses examined main effects of cannabis use and interactions between age and cannabis use on cognitive functioning. There was a significant interaction between cannabis group and age, such that adolescent (but not young adult) Frequent Users performed worse than Non-Users on measures of executive control (p=0.002). Earlier age of cannabis use was associated with worse performance in executive control in Occasional Users (p=0.04). Unexpectedly, Occasional Users exhibited better executive control, memory, and social cognition than Non-Users (ps<.05). Although mild executive control deficits in adolescent frequent users and a relation between early cannabis initiation and cognitive performance are partially consistent with prior research, cognitive deficits were not found in other hypothesized domains in this community-based sample. Moreover, occasional cannabis users displayed equivalent or even slightly better executive control, social cognitive, and memory abilities compared to non-users, suggesting complex relationships between cannabis use and cognition in youth. Longitudinal studies with community samples are needed to identify variables affecting risk and resilience to cognitive deficits associated with cannabis. PMID:28414475

MODFLOW-2000, The U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Model - User Guide to Modularization Concepts and the Ground-Water Flow Process

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harbaugh, Arlen W.; Banta, Edward R.; Hill, Mary C.; McDonald, Michael G.

2000-01-01

MODFLOW is a computer program that numerically solves the three-dimensional ground-water flow equation for a porous medium by using a finite-difference method. Although MODFLOW was designed to be easily enhanced, the design was oriented toward additions to the ground-water flow equation. Frequently there is a need to solve additional equations; for example, transport equations and equations for estimating parameter values that produce the closest match between model-calculated heads and flows and measured values. This report documents a new version of MODFLOW, called MODFLOW-2000, which is designed to accommodate the solution of equations in addition to the ground-water flow equation. This report is a user's manual. It contains an overview of the old and added design concepts, documents one new package, and contains input instructions for using the model to solve the ground-water flow equation.

Spectral Transfer Learning Using Information Geometry for a User-Independent Brain-Computer Interface

PubMed Central

Waytowich, Nicholas R.; Lawhern, Vernon J.; Bohannon, Addison W.; Ball, Kenneth R.; Lance, Brent J.

2016-01-01

Recent advances in signal processing and machine learning techniques have enabled the application of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies to fields such as medicine, industry, and recreation; however, BCIs still suffer from the requirement of frequent calibration sessions due to the intra- and inter-individual variability of brain-signals, which makes calibration suppression through transfer learning an area of increasing interest for the development of practical BCI systems. In this paper, we present an unsupervised transfer method (spectral transfer using information geometry, STIG), which ranks and combines unlabeled predictions from an ensemble of information geometry classifiers built on data from individual training subjects. The STIG method is validated in both off-line and real-time feedback analysis during a rapid serial visual presentation task (RSVP). For detection of single-trial, event-related potentials (ERPs), the proposed method can significantly outperform existing calibration-free techniques as well as outperform traditional within-subject calibration techniques when limited data is available. This method demonstrates that unsupervised transfer learning for single-trial detection in ERP-based BCIs can be achieved without the requirement of costly training data, representing a step-forward in the overall goal of achieving a practical user-independent BCI system. PMID:27713685

Spectral Transfer Learning Using Information Geometry for a User-Independent Brain-Computer Interface.

PubMed

Waytowich, Nicholas R; Lawhern, Vernon J; Bohannon, Addison W; Ball, Kenneth R; Lance, Brent J

2016-01-01

Recent advances in signal processing and machine learning techniques have enabled the application of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies to fields such as medicine, industry, and recreation; however, BCIs still suffer from the requirement of frequent calibration sessions due to the intra- and inter-individual variability of brain-signals, which makes calibration suppression through transfer learning an area of increasing interest for the development of practical BCI systems. In this paper, we present an unsupervised transfer method (spectral transfer using information geometry, STIG), which ranks and combines unlabeled predictions from an ensemble of information geometry classifiers built on data from individual training subjects. The STIG method is validated in both off-line and real-time feedback analysis during a rapid serial visual presentation task (RSVP). For detection of single-trial, event-related potentials (ERPs), the proposed method can significantly outperform existing calibration-free techniques as well as outperform traditional within-subject calibration techniques when limited data is available. This method demonstrates that unsupervised transfer learning for single-trial detection in ERP-based BCIs can be achieved without the requirement of costly training data, representing a step-forward in the overall goal of achieving a practical user-independent BCI system.

Image database for digital hand atlas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fei; Huang, H. K.; Pietka, Ewa; Gilsanz, Vicente; Dey, Partha S.; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Pospiech-Kurkowska, Sywia

2003-05-01

Bone age assessment is a procedure frequently performed in pediatric patients to evaluate their growth disorder. A commonly used method is atlas matching by a visual comparison of a hand radiograph with a small reference set of old Greulich-Pyle atlas. We have developed a new digital hand atlas with a large set of clinically normal hand images of diverse ethnic groups. In this paper, we will present our system design and implementation of the digital atlas database to support the computer-aided atlas matching for bone age assessment. The system consists of a hand atlas image database, a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) software module for image processing and atlas matching, and a Web user interface. Users can use a Web browser to push DICOM images, directly or indirectly from PACS, to the CAD server for a bone age assessment. Quantitative features on the examined image, which reflect the skeletal maturity, are then extracted and compared with patterns from the atlas image database to assess the bone age. The digital atlas method built on a large image database and current Internet technology provides an alternative to supplement or replace the traditional one for a quantitative, accurate and cost-effective assessment of bone age.

Graphical User Interface Programming in Introductory Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skolnick, Michael M.; Spooner, David L.

Modern computing systems exploit graphical user interfaces for interaction with users; as a result, introductory computer science courses must begin to teach the principles underlying such interfaces. This paper presents an approach to graphical user interface (GUI) implementation that is simple enough for beginning students to understand, yet…

[Upper extremities, neck and back symptoms in office employees working at computer stations].

PubMed

Zejda, Jan E; Bugajska, Joanna; Kowalska, Małgorzata; Krzych, Lukasz; Mieszkowska, Marzena; Brozek, Grzegorz; Braczkowska, Bogumiła

2009-01-01

To obtain current data on the occurrence ofwork-related symptoms of office computer users in Poland we implemented a questionnaire survey. Its goal was to assess the prevalence and intensity of symptoms of upper extremities, neck and back in office workers who use computers on a regular basis, and to find out if the occurrence of symptoms depends on the duration of computer use and other work-related factors. Office workers in two towns (Warszawa and Katowice), employed in large social services companies, were invited to fill in the Polish version of Nordic Questionnaire. The questions included work history and history of last-week symptoms of pain of hand/wrist, elbow, arm, neck and upper and lower back (occurrence and intensity measured by visual scale). Altogether 477 men and women returned the completed questionnaires. Between-group symptom differences (chi-square test) were verified by multivariate analysis (GLM). The prevalence of symptoms in individual body parts was as follows: neck, 55.6%; arm, 26.9%; elbow, 13.3%; wrist/hand, 29.9%; upper back, 49.6%; and lower back, 50.1%. Multivariate analysis confirmed the effect of gender, age and years of computer use on the occurrence of symptoms. Among other determinants, forearm support explained pain of wrist/hand, wrist support of elbow pain, and chair adjustment of arm pain. Association was also found between low back pain and chair adjustment and keyboard position. The findings revealed frequent occurrence of symptoms of pain in upper extremities and neck in office workers who use computers on a regular basis. Seating position could also contribute to the frequent occurrence of back pain in the examined population.

Many-to-Many Multicast Routing Schemes under a Fixed Topology

PubMed Central

Ding, Wei; Wang, Hongfa; Wei, Xuerui

2013-01-01

Many-to-many multicast routing can be extensively applied in computer or communication networks supporting various continuous multimedia applications. The paper focuses on the case where all users share a common communication channel while each user is both a sender and a receiver of messages in multicasting as well as an end user. In this case, the multicast tree appears as a terminal Steiner tree (TeST). The problem of finding a TeST with a quality-of-service (QoS) optimization is frequently NP-hard. However, we discover that it is a good idea to find a many-to-many multicast tree with QoS optimization under a fixed topology. In this paper, we are concerned with three kinds of QoS optimization objectives of multicast tree, that is, the minimum cost, minimum diameter, and maximum reliability. All of three optimization problems are distributed into two types, the centralized and decentralized version. This paper uses the dynamic programming method to devise an exact algorithm, respectively, for the centralized and decentralized versions of each optimization problem. PMID:23589706

The relationship between health literacy and quality of life among frequent users of health care services: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Couture, Éva Marjorie; Chouinard, Maud-Christine; Fortin, Martin; Hudon, Catherine

2017-07-06

Although health literacy and quality of life are important concepts in health care, the link between them is unclear, especially for a population of frequent users of health care services with chronic diseases. Low health literacy is a common problem that has been linked to several negative health outcomes. Quality of life is an important health outcome in patient-centered care. Frequent users of health care services are a vulnerable population that deserves attention due to high costs and negative outcomes such as lower quality of life and higher mortality. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between health literacy and the physical and mental components of quality of life among frequent users of health care services with chronic diseases. This study presents the cross-sectional analysis of data collected through the V1SAGES project, a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a case management intervention in primary care in Quebec, Canada. Participants (n = 247) were frequent users of health care services presenting at least one chronic condition. Health literacy was measured by the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), and the physical and mental components of quality of life were evaluated by the Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-12v2). The association between health literacy (independent variable) and the physical and mental components of quality of life was examined using biserial correlation. No association was found between health literacy and quality of life (physical component: r = 0.108, ρ = 0.11; mental component: r = 0.147, ρ = 0.15). This study suggests that there is no relationship between health literacy and the physical and mental components of quality of life among frequent users of health care services. NCT01719991 . Registered October 25, 2012.

Enabling Grid Computing resources within the KM3NeT computing model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippidis, Christos

2016-04-01

KM3NeT is a future European deep-sea research infrastructure hosting a new generation neutrino detectors that - located at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea - will open a new window on the universe and answer fundamental questions both in particle physics and astrophysics. International collaborative scientific experiments, like KM3NeT, are generating datasets which are increasing exponentially in both complexity and volume, making their analysis, archival, and sharing one of the grand challenges of the 21st century. These experiments, in their majority, adopt computing models consisting of different Tiers with several computing centres and providing a specific set of services for the different steps of data processing such as detector calibration, simulation and data filtering, reconstruction and analysis. The computing requirements are extremely demanding and, usually, span from serial to multi-parallel or GPU-optimized jobs. The collaborative nature of these experiments demands very frequent WAN data transfers and data sharing among individuals and groups. In order to support the aforementioned demanding computing requirements we enabled Grid Computing resources, operated by EGI, within the KM3NeT computing model. In this study we describe our first advances in this field and the method for the KM3NeT users to utilize the EGI computing resources in a simulation-driven use-case.

Implementation of a low-cost Interim 21CFR11 compliance solution for laboratory environments.

PubMed

Greene, Jack E

2003-01-01

In the recent past, compliance with 21CFR11 has become a major buzzword within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. While commercial solutions exist, implementation and validation are expensive and cumbersome. Frequent implementation of new features via point releases further complicates purchasing decisions by making it difficult to weigh the risk of non-compliance against the costs of too frequent upgrades. This presentation discusses a low-cost interim solution to the problem. While this solution does not address 100% of the issues raised by 21CFR11, it does implement and validate: (1) computer system security; (2) backup and restore ability on the electronic records store; and (3) an automated audit trail mechanism that captures the date, time and user identification whenever electronic records are created, modified or deleted. When coupled with enhanced procedural controls, this solution provides an acceptable level of compliance at extremely low cost.

Full On-Device Stay Points Detection in Smartphones for Location-Based Mobile Applications

PubMed Central

Pérez-Torres, Rafael; Torres-Huitzil, César; Galeana-Zapién, Hiram

2016-01-01

The tracking of frequently visited places, also known as stay points, is a critical feature in location-aware mobile applications as a way to adapt the information and services provided to smartphones users according to their moving patterns. Location based applications usually employ the GPS receiver along with Wi-Fi hot-spots and cellular cell tower mechanisms for estimating user location. Typically, fine-grained GPS location data are collected by the smartphone and transferred to dedicated servers for trajectory analysis and stay points detection. Such Mobile Cloud Computing approach has been successfully employed for extending smartphone’s battery lifetime by exchanging computation costs, assuming that on-device stay points detection is prohibitive. In this article, we propose and validate the feasibility of having an alternative event-driven mechanism for stay points detection that is executed fully on-device, and that provides higher energy savings by avoiding communication costs. Our solution is encapsulated in a sensing middleware for Android smartphones, where a stream of GPS location updates is collected in the background, supporting duty cycling schemes, and incrementally analyzed following an event-driven paradigm for stay points detection. To evaluate the performance of the proposed middleware, real world experiments were conducted under different stress levels, validating its power efficiency when compared against a Mobile Cloud Computing oriented solution. PMID:27754388

Home Computer and Internet User Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Information Security Model © 2005 Carnegie Mellon University (Lawrence R. Rogers, Author) Home Computer and Internet User Security...Carnegie Mellon University (Lawrence R. Rogers, Author) Home Computer and Internet User Security Version 1.0.4 – slide 50 Contact Information Lawrence R. Rogers • Email: cert@cert.org CERT website: http://www.cert.org/ ...U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Home Computer and Internet User Security Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB

Games at work: the recreational use of computer games during working hours.

PubMed

Reinecke, Leonard

2009-08-01

The present study investigated the recreational use of video and computer games in the workplace. In an online survey, 833 employed users of online casual games reported on their use of computer games during working hours. The data indicate that playing computer games in the workplace elicits substantial levels of recovery experience. Recovery experience associated with gameplay was the strongest predictor for the use of games in the workplace. Furthermore, individuals with higher levels of work-related fatigue reported stronger recovery experience during gameplay and showed a higher tendency to play games during working hours than did persons with lower levels of work strain. Additionally, the social situation at work was found to have a significant influence on the use of games. Persons receiving less social support from colleagues and supervisors played games at work more frequently than did individuals with higher levels of social support. Furthermore, job control was positively related to the use of games at work. In sum, the results of the present study illustrate that computer games have a significant recovery potential. Implications of these findings for research on personal computer use during work and for games research in general are discussed.

Centralized Authorization Using a Direct Service, Part II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wachsmann, A

Authorization is the process of deciding if entity X is allowed to have access to resource Y. Determining the identity of X is the job of the authentication process. One task of authorization in computer networks is to define and determine which user has access to which computers in the network. On Linux, the tendency exists to create a local account for each single user who should be allowed to logon to a computer. This is typically the case because a user not only needs login privileges to a computer but also additional resources like a home directory to actuallymore » do some work. Creating a local account on every computer takes care of all this. The problem with this approach is that these local accounts can be inconsistent with each other. The same user name could have a different user ID and/or group ID on different computers. Even more problematic is when two different accounts share the same user ID and group ID on different computers: User joe on computer1 could have user ID 1234 and group ID 56 and user jane on computer2 could have the same user ID 1234 and group ID 56. This is a big security risk in case shared resources like NFS are used. These two different accounts are the same for an NFS server so that these users can wipe out each other's files. The solution to this inconsistency problem is to have only one central, authoritative data source for this kind of information and a means of providing all your computers with access to this central source. This is what a ''Directory Service'' is. The two directory services most widely used for centralizing authorization data are the Network Information Service (NIS, formerly known as Yellow Pages or YP) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).« less

Employee Attitudes Regarding Electronic Mail Policies: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hacker, Kenneth L.; Goss, Blaine; Townley, Charles; Horton, Valerie J.

1998-01-01

Investigates attitudes toward e-mail and e-mail policies through a case study of e-mail users at a university library. Indicates those who use e-mail frequently have more favorable attitudes to it than less frequent users and are more opposed to policies regulating e-mail communication. Notes that employees prefer guidelines to restrictive…

Iterative User Interface Design for Automated Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score Calculator in Sepsis Detection

PubMed Central

Herasevich, Vitaly

2017-01-01

Background The new sepsis definition has increased the need for frequent sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score recalculation and the clerical burden of information retrieval makes this score ideal for automated calculation. Objective The aim of this study was to (1) estimate the clerical workload of manual SOFA score calculation through a time-motion analysis and (2) describe a user-centered design process for an electronic medical record (EMR) integrated, automated SOFA score calculator with subsequent usability evaluation study. Methods First, we performed a time-motion analysis by recording time-to-task-completion for the manual calculation of 35 baseline and 35 current SOFA scores by 14 internal medicine residents over a 2-month period. Next, we used an agile development process to create a user interface for a previously developed automated SOFA score calculator. The final user interface usability was evaluated by clinician end users with the Computer Systems Usability Questionnaire. Results The overall mean (standard deviation, SD) time-to-complete manual SOFA score calculation time was 61.6 s (33). Among the 24% (12/50) usability survey respondents, our user-centered user interface design process resulted in >75% favorability of survey items in the domains of system usability, information quality, and interface quality. Conclusions Early stakeholder engagement in our agile design process resulted in a user interface for an automated SOFA score calculator that reduced clinician workload and met clinicians’ needs at the point of care. Emerging interoperable platforms may facilitate dissemination of similarly useful clinical score calculators and decision support algorithms as “apps.” A user-centered design process and usability evaluation should be considered during creation of these tools. PMID:28526675

Iterative User Interface Design for Automated Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score Calculator in Sepsis Detection.

PubMed

Aakre, Christopher Ansel; Kitson, Jaben E; Li, Man; Herasevich, Vitaly

2017-05-18

The new sepsis definition has increased the need for frequent sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score recalculation and the clerical burden of information retrieval makes this score ideal for automated calculation. The aim of this study was to (1) estimate the clerical workload of manual SOFA score calculation through a time-motion analysis and (2) describe a user-centered design process for an electronic medical record (EMR) integrated, automated SOFA score calculator with subsequent usability evaluation study. First, we performed a time-motion analysis by recording time-to-task-completion for the manual calculation of 35 baseline and 35 current SOFA scores by 14 internal medicine residents over a 2-month period. Next, we used an agile development process to create a user interface for a previously developed automated SOFA score calculator. The final user interface usability was evaluated by clinician end users with the Computer Systems Usability Questionnaire. The overall mean (standard deviation, SD) time-to-complete manual SOFA score calculation time was 61.6 s (33). Among the 24% (12/50) usability survey respondents, our user-centered user interface design process resulted in >75% favorability of survey items in the domains of system usability, information quality, and interface quality. Early stakeholder engagement in our agile design process resulted in a user interface for an automated SOFA score calculator that reduced clinician workload and met clinicians' needs at the point of care. Emerging interoperable platforms may facilitate dissemination of similarly useful clinical score calculators and decision support algorithms as "apps." A user-centered design process and usability evaluation should be considered during creation of these tools. ©Christopher Ansel Aakre, Jaben E Kitson, Man Li, Vitaly Herasevich. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 18.05.2017.

Computer use changes generalization of movement learning.

PubMed

Wei, Kunlin; Yan, Xiang; Kong, Gaiqing; Yin, Cong; Zhang, Fan; Wang, Qining; Kording, Konrad Paul

2014-01-06

Over the past few decades, one of the most salient lifestyle changes for us has been the use of computers. For many of us, manual interaction with a computer occupies a large portion of our working time. Through neural plasticity, this extensive movement training should change our representation of movements (e.g., [1-3]), just like search engines affect memory [4]. However, how computer use affects motor learning is largely understudied. Additionally, as virtually all participants in studies of perception and actions are computer users, a legitimate question is whether insights from these studies bear the signature of computer-use experience. We compared non-computer users with age- and education-matched computer users in standard motor learning experiments. We found that people learned equally fast but that non-computer users generalized significantly less across space, a difference negated by two weeks of intensive computer training. Our findings suggest that computer-use experience shaped our basic sensorimotor behaviors, and this influence should be considered whenever computer users are recruited as study participants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer vision syndrome: a review of ocular causes and potential treatments.

PubMed

Rosenfield, Mark

2011-09-01

Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is the combination of eye and vision problems associated with the use of computers. In modern western society the use of computers for both vocational and avocational activities is almost universal. However, CVS may have a significant impact not only on visual comfort but also occupational productivity since between 64% and 90% of computer users experience visual symptoms which may include eyestrain, headaches, ocular discomfort, dry eye, diplopia and blurred vision either at near or when looking into the distance after prolonged computer use. This paper reviews the principal ocular causes for this condition, namely oculomotor anomalies and dry eye. Accommodation and vergence responses to electronic screens appear to be similar to those found when viewing printed materials, whereas the prevalence of dry eye symptoms is greater during computer operation. The latter is probably due to a decrease in blink rate and blink amplitude, as well as increased corneal exposure resulting from the monitor frequently being positioned in primary gaze. However, the efficacy of proposed treatments to reduce symptoms of CVS is unproven. A better understanding of the physiology underlying CVS is critical to allow more accurate diagnosis and treatment. This will enable practitioners to optimize visual comfort and efficiency during computer operation. Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2011 The College of Optometrists.

Characteristics of Internet use in relation to game genre in Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Moon-Soo; Ko, Young-Hoon; Song, Hyoung-Seok; Kwon, Ku-Hyung; Lee, Hyeon-Soo; Nam, Min; Jung, In-Kwa

2007-04-01

As the number of internet users increases, a new game genre using the internet as a networking tool is emerging. Some game genres are regarded as having greater addiction potentials than others. Games and the internet are closely related. We investigated games frequently used by adolescents and classified each of them with the help of game professionals. We also examined internet use patterns to identify relationships between game genre and internet use patterns. 627 middle school and high school students (male 488, female 139) completed questionnaires concerning computer and game use patterns and Korean internet addiction scales. Game genres were divided into eight criteria (simulation, role playing game, web board, community, action, adventure, shooting, and sports). Using Korean internet addiction scales, 627 participants were divided into a normal group (474), a potential risk group (128), and a high-risk group (25). Each group showed significant differences in total internet addiction scores. We classified players into specific game users based upon the game types they most prefer. Role playing game users showed significantly higher internet addiction scores than web board and sports game users. Game and internet addictions are also connected with interpersonal relationship patterns. We suggest that users of some game genre have unique psychological addiction potentials that are different from others and that this influences both game selection and internet use.

A web-oriented software for the optimization of pooled experiments in NGS for detection of rare mutations.

PubMed

Evangelista, Daniela; Zuccaro, Antonio; Lančinskas, Algirdas; Žilinskas, Julius; Guarracino, Mario R

2016-02-17

The cost per patient of next generation sequencing for detection of rare mutations may be significantly reduced using pooled experiments. Recently, some techniques have been proposed for the planning of pooled experiments and for the optimal allocation of patients into pools. However, the lack of a user friendly resource for planning the design of pooled experiments forces the scientists to do frequent, complex and long computations. OPENDoRM is a powerful collection of novel mathematical algorithms usable via an intuitive graphical user interface. It enables researchers to speed up the planning of their routine experiments, as well as, to support scientists without specific bioinformatics expertises. Users can automatically carry out analysis in terms of costs associated with the optimal allocation of patients in pools. They are also able to choose between three distinct pooling mathematical methods, each of which also suggests the optimal configuration for the submitted experiment. Importantly, in order to keep track of the performed experiments, users can save and export the results of their experiments in standard tabular and charts contents. OPENDoRM is a freely available web-oriented application for the planning of pooled NGS experiments, available at: http://www-labgtp.na.icar.cnr.it/OPENDoRM. Its easy and intuitive graphical user interface enables researchers to plan theirs experiments using novel algorithms, and to interactively visualize the results.

Controlling Laboratory Processes From A Personal Computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Will, H.; Mackin, M. A.

1991-01-01

Computer program provides natural-language process control from IBM PC or compatible computer. Sets up process-control system that either runs without operator or run by workers who have limited programming skills. Includes three smaller programs. Two of them, written in FORTRAN 77, record data and control research processes. Third program, written in Pascal, generates FORTRAN subroutines used by other two programs to identify user commands with device-driving routines written by user. Also includes set of input data allowing user to define user commands to be executed by computer. Requires personal computer operating under MS-DOS with suitable hardware interfaces to all controlled devices. Also requires FORTRAN 77 compiler and device drivers written by user.

Assigning unique identification numbers to new user accounts and groups in a computing environment with multiple registries

DOEpatents

DeRobertis, Christopher V.; Lu, Yantian T.

2010-02-23

A method, system, and program storage device for creating a new user account or user group with a unique identification number in a computing environment having multiple user registries is provided. In response to receiving a command to create a new user account or user group, an operating system of a clustered computing environment automatically checks multiple registries configured for the operating system to determine whether a candidate identification number for the new user account or user group has been assigned already to one or more existing user accounts or groups, respectively. The operating system automatically assigns the candidate identification number to the new user account or user group created in a target user registry if the checking indicates that the candidate identification number has not been assigned already to any of the existing user accounts or user groups, respectively.

Automated Help System For A Supercomputer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callas, George P.; Schulbach, Catherine H.; Younkin, Michael

1994-01-01

Expert-system software developed to provide automated system of user-helping displays in supercomputer system at Ames Research Center Advanced Computer Facility. Users located at remote computer terminals connected to supercomputer and each other via gateway computers, local-area networks, telephone lines, and satellite links. Automated help system answers routine user inquiries about how to use services of computer system. Available 24 hours per day and reduces burden on human experts, freeing them to concentrate on helping users with complicated problems.

Swipe Right: Dating Website and App Use Among Men Who Have Sex With Men.

PubMed

Badal, Hannah J; Stryker, Jo Ellen; DeLuca, Nickolas; Purcell, David W

2018-04-01

This study explored the frequency of dating website and app usage among MSM to understand sub-group differences in use. Web-based survey data (N = 3105) were analyzed to assess the use of dating websites and apps. More than half (55.7%) of MSM in this sample were frequent users of dating websites and apps. Two-thirds (66.7%) of frequent users had casual partners only in the past 12 months and reported a high average number of casual sexual partners in the past 12 months (Mdn = 5.0) compared to never users (Mdn = 0.0; χ 2 (2) = 734.94, adj. p < .001). The most frequently used dating website or app was Grindr, with 60.2% of the sample reporting some or frequent use. Adam4Adam (23.5%), Jack'd (18.9%) and Scruff (18.7%) were also frequently used. Dating websites and apps may be effective channels to reach a diverse group of MSM with HIV prevention messages.

What Explains Doctors’ Usage of Mobile Information and Communication Technologies? A Comparison of US and Portuguese Hospitals

PubMed Central

Martins, Henrique MG; Jones, Matthew R

2005-01-01

Doctors, either as a result of individual initiative or departmental policy, may use a number of different mobile computers. The relationship between device ownership/provision and usage is, however, rarely discussed. This paper therefore presents survey data (N=267) on mobile computer ownership and use by doctors in two Portuguese and two US hospitals, considering both devices owned by individuals and those supplied by the hospital. The results show that ownership is not clearly related to either usage pattern or frequency of use. Providing handheld computers also did not lead to higher number of users, higher frequency of use or significant differences in tasks carried out. Nevertheless, doctors owning handhelds alone or in combination with laptops used them more frequently than those using laptops alone. Differences in usage pattern proportions rather than demographics were a better indication of differences in usage frequencies and the tasks for which MICT devices were being used. PMID:16779089

What explains doctors' usage of Mobile Information and Communication Technologies? A comparison of US and Portuguese hospitals.

PubMed

Martins, Henrique M G; Jones, Matthew R

2005-01-01

Doctors, either as a result of individual initiative or departmental policy, may use a number of different mobile computers. The relationship between device ownership/provision and usage is, however, rarely discussed. This paper therefore presents survey data (N=267) on mobile computer ownership and use by doctors in two Portuguese and two US hospitals, considering both devices owned by individuals and those supplied by the hospital. The results show that ownership is not clearly related to either usage pattern or frequency of use. Providing handheld computers also did not lead to higher number of users, higher frequency of use or significant differences in tasks carried out. Nevertheless, doctors owning handhelds alone or in combination with laptops used them more frequently than those using laptops alone. Differences in usage pattern proportions rather than demographics were a better indication of differences in usage frequencies and the tasks for which MICT devices were being used.

Cost of health care utilization among homeless frequent emergency department users.

PubMed

Mitchell, Matthew S; León, Casey L K; Byrne, Thomas H; Lin, Wen-Chieh; Bharel, Monica

2017-05-01

Research demonstrates that homelessness is associated with frequent use of emergency department (ED) services, yet prior studies have not adequately examined the relationship between frequent ED use and utilization of non-ED health care services among those experiencing homelessness. There has also been little effort to assess heterogeneity among homeless individuals who make frequent use of ED services. To address these gaps, the present study used Medicaid claims data from 2010 to estimate the association between the number of ED visits and non-ED health care costs for a cohort of 6,338 Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program patients, and to identify distinct subgroups of persons in this cohort who made frequent use of ED services based on their clinical and demographic characteristics. A series of gamma regression models found more frequent ED use to be associated with higher non-ED costs, even after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. Latent class analysis was used to examine heterogeneity among frequent ED users, and the results identified 6 characteristically distinct subgroups among these persons. The subgroup of persons with trimorbid illness had non-ED costs that far exceeded members of all 5 other subgroups. Study findings reinforce the connection between frequent ED use and high health care costs among homeless individuals and suggest that different groups of homeless frequent ED users may benefit from interventions that vary in terms of their composition and intensity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

An Empirical Study of User Experience on Touch Mice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Jyh Rong

2016-01-01

The touch mouse is a new type of computer mouse that provides users with a new way of touch-based environment to interact with computers. For more than a decade, user experience (UX) has grown into a core concept of human-computer interaction (HCI), describing a user's perceptions and responses that result from the use of a product in a particular…

Understanding health care communication preferences of veteran primary care users.

PubMed

LaVela, Sherri L; Schectman, Gordon; Gering, Jeffrey; Locatelli, Sara M; Gawron, Andrew; Weaver, Frances M

2012-09-01

To assess veterans' health communication preferences (in-person, telephone, or electronic) for primary care needs and the impact of computer use on preferences. Structured patient interviews (n=448). Bivariate analyses examined preferences for primary care by 'infrequent' vs. 'regular' computer users. Only 54% were regular computer users, nearly all of whom had ever used the internet. 'Telephone' was preferred for 6 of 10 reasons (general medical questions, medication questions and refills, preventive care reminders, scheduling, and test results); although telephone was preferred by markedly fewer regular computer users. 'In-person' was preferred for new/ongoing conditions/symptoms, treatment instructions, and next care steps; these preferences were unaffected by computer use frequency. Among regular computer users, 1/3 preferred 'electronic' for preventive reminders (37%), test results (34%), and refills (32%). For most primary care needs, telephone communication was preferred, although by a greater proportion of infrequent vs. regular computer users. In-person communication was preferred for reasons that may require an exam or visual instructions. About 1/3 of regular computer users prefer electronic communication for routine needs, e.g., preventive reminders, test results, and refills. These findings can be used to plan patient-centered care that is aligned with veterans' preferred health communication methods. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Daily users compared to less frequent users find vape as or more satisfying and less dangerous than cigarettes, and are likelier to use non-cig-alike vaping products.

PubMed

Kozlowski, Lynn T; Homish, D Lynn; Homish, Gregory G

2017-06-01

We assessed the roles of perceived satisfaction and perceived danger and vaping-product-type as correlates of more frequent use of vaping products. In a baseline assessment of a longitudinal study of US Army Reserve/National Guard Soldiers and their partners (New York State, USA, 2014-2016), participants were asked about current use of vaping products (e-cigarettes) and perceived satisfaction and danger in comparison to cigarettes as well as type of product used. Fisher-exact tests and multiple ordinal logistic regressions were used. In multivariable and univariate models, more perceived satisfaction, less perceived danger, and use of non-cig-alike products were associated with more frequent use of vaping products ( p s < 0.05, two-tailed). For self-selected, more frequent adult users, e-cigs can be at least as satisfying as cigarettes and often more satisfying and are perceived as less dangerous than cigarettes. Non-cig-alike products were more likely in daily users. Some concern that e-cigs are a gateway to cigarettes arises from assuming that e-cigs may not be as reinforcing and pleasurable as cigarettes. These results indicate that accurate perception of comparative risk and use of more effective-nicotine delivery product can produce for some users a highly-satisfying alternative to cigarettes.

Organizational Strategies for End-User Computing Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmun, Robert R.; And Others

1988-01-01

Effective support for end users of computers has been an important issue in higher education from the first applications of general purpose mainframe computers through minicomputers, microcomputers, and supercomputers. The development of end user support is reviewed and organizational models are examined. (Author/MLW)

Acute Effects of Cannabis on Breath-Holding Duration

PubMed Central

Farris, Samantha G.; Metrik, Jane

2016-01-01

Distress intolerance (an individual’s perceived or actual inability to tolerate distressing psychological or physiological states) is associated with cannabis use. It is unknown whether a bio-behavioral index of distress intolerance, breath-holding duration, is acutely influenced (increased or decreased) by cannabis. Such information may further inform understanding of the expression of psychological or physiological distress post-cannabis use. This within-subjects study examined whether smoked marijuana with 2.7–3.0 % delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), relative to placebo, acutely changed duration of breath-holding. Participants (n = 88; 65.9% male) were non-treatment seeking frequent cannabis users who smoked placebo or active THC cigarette on two separate study days and completed breath-holding task. Controlling for baseline breath-holding duration and participant sex, THC produced significantly lower breath-holding durations relative to placebo. There was a significant interaction of drug administration x frequency of cannabis use, such that THC decreased breath-holding time among less frequent but not among more frequent users. Findings indicate that cannabis may be exacerbating distress intolerance (via breath-holding duration). As compared to less frequent cannabis users, frequent users display tolerance to cannabis’ acute effects including increased ability to tolerate respiratory distress when holding breath. Objective measures of distress intolerance are sensitive to contextual factors such as acute drug intoxication, and may inform the link between cannabis use and the expression of psychological distress. PMID:27454678

A security mechanism based on evolutionary game in fog computing.

PubMed

Sun, Yan; Lin, Fuhong; Zhang, Nan

2018-02-01

Fog computing is a distributed computing paradigm at the edge of the network and requires cooperation of users and sharing of resources. When users in fog computing open their resources, their devices are easily intercepted and attacked because they are accessed through wireless network and present an extensive geographical distribution. In this study, a credible third party was introduced to supervise the behavior of users and protect the security of user cooperation. A fog computing security mechanism based on human nervous system is proposed, and the strategy for a stable system evolution is calculated. The MATLAB simulation results show that the proposed mechanism can reduce the number of attack behaviors effectively and stimulate users to cooperate in application tasks positively.

Use of DAGMan in CRAB3 to Improve the Splitting of CMS User Jobs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolf, M.; Mascheroni, M.; Woodard, A.

CRAB3 is a workload management tool used by CMS physicists to analyze data acquired by the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Research in high energy physics often requires the analysis of large collections of files, referred to as datasets. The task is divided into jobs that are distributed among a large collection of worker nodes throughout the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). Splitting a large analysis task into optimally sized jobs is critical to efficient use of distributed computing resources. Jobs that are too big will have excessive runtimes and will not distributemore » the work across all of the available nodes. However, splitting the project into a large number of very small jobs is also inefficient, as each job creates additional overhead which increases load on infrastructure resources. Currently this splitting is done manually, using parameters provided by the user. However the resources needed for each job are difficult to predict because of frequent variations in the performance of the user code and the content of the input dataset. As a result, dividing a task into jobs by hand is difficult and often suboptimal. In this work we present a new feature called “automatic splitting” which removes the need for users to manually specify job splitting parameters. We discuss how HTCondor DAGMan can be used to build dynamic Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to optimize the performance of large CMS analysis jobs on the Grid. We use DAGMan to dynamically generate interconnected DAGs that estimate the processing time the user code will require to analyze each event. This is used to calculate an estimate of the total processing time per job, and a set of analysis jobs are run using this estimate as a specified time limit. Some jobs may not finish within the alloted time; they are terminated at the time limit, and the unfinished data is regrouped into smaller jobs and resubmitted.« less

Use of DAGMan in CRAB3 to improve the splitting of CMS user jobs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, M.; Mascheroni, M.; Woodard, A.; Belforte, S.; Bockelman, B.; Hernandez, J. M.; Vaandering, E.

2017-10-01

CRAB3 is a workload management tool used by CMS physicists to analyze data acquired by the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Research in high energy physics often requires the analysis of large collections of files, referred to as datasets. The task is divided into jobs that are distributed among a large collection of worker nodes throughout the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). Splitting a large analysis task into optimally sized jobs is critical to efficient use of distributed computing resources. Jobs that are too big will have excessive runtimes and will not distribute the work across all of the available nodes. However, splitting the project into a large number of very small jobs is also inefficient, as each job creates additional overhead which increases load on infrastructure resources. Currently this splitting is done manually, using parameters provided by the user. However the resources needed for each job are difficult to predict because of frequent variations in the performance of the user code and the content of the input dataset. As a result, dividing a task into jobs by hand is difficult and often suboptimal. In this work we present a new feature called “automatic splitting” which removes the need for users to manually specify job splitting parameters. We discuss how HTCondor DAGMan can be used to build dynamic Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to optimize the performance of large CMS analysis jobs on the Grid. We use DAGMan to dynamically generate interconnected DAGs that estimate the processing time the user code will require to analyze each event. This is used to calculate an estimate of the total processing time per job, and a set of analysis jobs are run using this estimate as a specified time limit. Some jobs may not finish within the alloted time; they are terminated at the time limit, and the unfinished data is regrouped into smaller jobs and resubmitted.

Cloud Computing for the Grid: GridControl: A Software Platform to Support the Smart Grid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

GENI Project: Cornell University is creating a new software platform for grid operators called GridControl that will utilize cloud computing to more efficiently control the grid. In a cloud computing system, there are minimal hardware and software demands on users. The user can tap into a network of computers that is housed elsewhere (the cloud) and the network runs computer applications for the user. The user only needs interface software to access all of the cloud’s data resources, which can be as simple as a web browser. Cloud computing can reduce costs, facilitate innovation through sharing, empower users, and improvemore » the overall reliability of a dispersed system. Cornell’s GridControl will focus on 4 elements: delivering the state of the grid to users quickly and reliably; building networked, scalable grid-control software; tailoring services to emerging smart grid uses; and simulating smart grid behavior under various conditions.« less

Consumption of new psychoactive substances in a Spanish sample of research chemical users.

PubMed

González, Débora; Ventura, Mireia; Caudevilla, Fernando; Torrens, Marta; Farre, Magi

2013-07-01

To know the pattern of use of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) in a Spanish sample of research chemical (RC) users and to deepen the RC user profile and risk reduction strategies employed. This study is a cross-sectional survey by means of a specific questionnaire. Recruitment was carried out at music festivals, at non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and through announcements on an online forum. Two RC user profiles were defined, according to whether they search information through online forums. A total of 230 users participated. The most frequent RCs were hallucinogenic phenethylamines (2C-B 80.0%, 2C-I 39.6%) and cathinones (methylone 40.1%, mephedrone 35.2%). The most frequent combination of RC with other illegal drugs was with cannabis (68.6%) and 2C-B with MDMA (28.3%). Subjects who are consulting drug forums (group 1) use more RC, obtain RC by Internet, and use more frequently risk prevention strategies. Regarding the risk-reduction strategies in this group, users sought information concerning RC before consuming them (100%), used precision scales to calculate dosage (72.3%), and analyzed the contents before consumption (68.8%). There is a specific RC user profile with extensive knowledge and consumption of substances, using different strategies to reduce risks associated to its consumption. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization of multidimensional databases

DOEpatents

Stolte, Chris; Tang, Diane L; Hanrahan, Patrick

2014-04-29

In response to a user request, a computer generates a graphical user interface on a computer display. A schema information region of the graphical user interface includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database. A data visualization region of the graphical user interface includes multiple shelves. Upon detecting a user selection of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region, the computer generates a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the associations between the operand names and the corresponding shelves. The visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the fields associated with a respective operand name.

Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization of multidimensional databases

DOEpatents

Stolte, Chris [Palo Alto, CA; Tang, Diane L [Palo Alto, CA; Hanrahan, Patrick [Portola Valley, CA

2011-02-01

In response to a user request, a computer generates a graphical user interface on a computer display. A schema information region of the graphical user interface includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database. A data visualization region of the graphical user interface includes multiple shelves. Upon detecting a user selection of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region, the computer generates a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the associations between the operand names and the corresponding shelves. The visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the fields associated with a respective operand name.

Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization of multidimensional databases

DOEpatents

Stolte, Chris [Palo Alto, CA; Tang, Diane L [Palo Alto, CA; Hanrahan, Patrick [Portola Valley, CA

2012-03-20

In response to a user request, a computer generates a graphical user interface on a computer display. A schema information region of the graphical user interface includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database. A data visualization region of the graphical user interface includes multiple shelves. Upon detecting a user selection of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region, the computer generates a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the associations between the operand names and the corresponding shelves. The visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the fields associated with a respective operand name.

Near Retirement Age (≥55 Years) Self-Reported Physical Symptoms and Use of Computers/Mobile Phones at Work and at Leisure

PubMed Central

Gobba, Fabriziomaria

2017-01-01

The aim of this research is to study the symptoms and use of computers/mobile phones of individuals nearing retirement age (≥55 years). A questionnaire was sent to 15,000 Finns (aged 18–65). People who were ≥55 years of age were compared to the rest of the population. Six thousand one hundred and twenty-one persons responded to the questionnaire; 1226 of them were ≥55 years of age. Twenty-four percent of the ≥55-year-old respondents used desktop computers daily for leisure; 47.8% of them frequently experienced symptoms in the neck, and 38.5% in the shoulders. Workers aged ≥55 years had many more physical symptoms than younger people, except with respect to symptoms of the neck. Female daily occupational users of desktop computers had more physical symptoms in the neck. It is essential to take into account that, for people aged ≥55 years, the use of technology can be a sign of wellness. However, physical symptoms in the neck can be associated with the use of computers. PMID:28991182

Examining the Security Awareness, Information Privacy, and the Security Behaviors of Home Computer Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Keith

2015-01-01

Attacks on computer systems continue to be a problem. The majority of the attacks target home computer users. To help mitigate the attacks some companies provide security awareness training to their employees. However, not all people work for a company that provides security awareness training and typically, home computer users do not have the…

Designing User-Computer Dialogues: Basic Principles and Guidelines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrell, Thomas H.

This discussion of the design of computerized psychological assessment or testing instruments stresses the importance of the well-designed computer-user interface. The principles underlying the three main functional elements of computer-user dialogue--data entry, data display, and sequential control--are discussed, and basic guidelines derived…

Frequent users of the Royal Flying Doctor Service primary clinic and aeromedical services in remote New South Wales: a quality study.

PubMed

Garne, David L; Perkins, David A; Boreland, Frances T; Lyle, David M

To examine activity patterns of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) in far western New South Wales and to determine whether frequent use of RFDS services, particularly emergency evacuations, is a useful indicator of patients who may benefit from care planning and review. We conducted a retrospective audit of the RFDS South Eastern Section's Broken Hill patient database. Patients with a residential address in the study area who had accessed at least one RFDS medical service between 1 July 2000 and 30 June 2005 were included in the study. Number of evacuations, clinic consultations and remote consultations; clinic usage by frequent evacuees; number of primary diagnoses recorded for frequent evacuees; number of frequent users who might benefit from multidisciplinary care or specialist shared care. Between July 2000 and June 2005, the number of residents requiring evacuation or remote consultations declined by 26% and 19%, respectively, and the number of residents accessing clinics declined by 6%. (Over the same period, the population of the study area fell by about 24%.) Of the 78 patients who were identified as frequent users of the evacuation service (> or = 3 evacuations/year), 34 had three or more primary diagnoses recorded; 15 were infrequent or non-users of the clinics (< or = 3 attendances/year); 53 may have benefited from multidisciplinary care, and 41 from specialist shared care. Simple, practical clinical review systems can help health care organisations in rural and remote communities to achieve better outcomes by identifying patients who may benefit from planned care.

High Utilizers of Emergency Health Services in a Population-Based Cohort of Homeless Adults

PubMed Central

Chambers, Catharine; Chiu, Shirley; Katic, Marko; Kiss, Alex; Redelmeier, Donald A.; Levinson, Wendy

2013-01-01

Objectives. We identified predictors of emergency department (ED) use among a population-based prospective cohort of homeless adults in Toronto, Ontario. Methods. We assessed ED visit rates using administrative data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (2005–2009). We then used logistic regression to identify predictors of ED use. Frequent users were defined as participants with rates in the top decile (≥ 4.7 visits per person-year). Results. Among 1165 homeless adults, 892 (77%) had at least 1 ED visit during the study. The average rate of ED visits was 2.0 visits per person-year, whereas frequent users averaged 12.1 visits per person-year. Frequent users accounted for 10% of the sample but contributed more than 60% of visits. Predictors of frequent use in adjusted analyses included birth in Canada, higher monthly income, lower health status, perceived unmet mental health needs, and perceived external health locus of control from powerful others; being accompanied by a partner or dependent children had a protective effect on frequent use. Conclusions. Among homeless adults with universal health insurance, a small subgroup accounted for the majority of visits to emergency services. Frequent use was driven by multiple predisposing, enabling, and need factors. PMID:24148033

The Impacts of Attitudes and Engagement on Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) of Mobile Sensor Computing Applications.

PubMed

Zhao, Yu; Liu, Yide; Lai, Ivan K W; Zhang, Hongfeng; Zhang, Yi

2016-03-18

As one of the latest revolutions in networking technology, social networks allow users to keep connected and exchange information. Driven by the rapid wireless technology development and diffusion of mobile devices, social networks experienced a tremendous change based on mobile sensor computing. More and more mobile sensor network applications have appeared with the emergence of a huge amount of users. Therefore, an in-depth discussion on the human-computer interaction (HCI) issues of mobile sensor computing is required. The target of this study is to extend the discussions on HCI by examining the relationships of users' compound attitudes (i.e., affective attitudes, cognitive attitude), engagement and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) behaviors in the context of mobile sensor computing. A conceptual model is developed, based on which, 313 valid questionnaires are collected. The research discusses the level of impact on the eWOM of mobile sensor computing by considering user-technology issues, including the compound attitude and engagement, which can bring valuable discussions on the HCI of mobile sensor computing in further study. Besides, we find that user engagement plays a mediating role between the user's compound attitudes and eWOM. The research result can also help the mobile sensor computing industry to develop effective strategies and build strong consumer user-product (brand) relationships.

Unaffiliated Users' Access to Academic Libraries: A Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Courtney, Nancy

2003-01-01

Most of 814 academic libraries surveyed allow onsite access to unaffiliated users, and many give borrowing privileges to certain categories of users. Use of library computers to access library resources and other computer applications is commonly allowed although authentication on library computers is increasing. Five tables show statistics.…

A User Assessment of Workspaces in Selected Music Education Computer Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badolato, Michael Jeremy

A study of 120 students selected from the user populations of four music education computer laboratories was conducted to determine the applicability of current ergonomic and environmental design guidelines in satisfying the needs of users of educational computing workspaces. Eleven categories of workspace factors were organized into a…

Managing End User Computing in the Federal Government.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Services Administration, Washington, DC.

This report presents an initial approach developed by the General Services Administration for the management of end user computing in federal government agencies. Defined as technology used directly by individuals in need of information products, end user computing represents a new field encompassing such technologies as word processing, personal…

Information, intelligence, and interface: the pillars of a successful medical information system.

PubMed

Hadzikadic, M; Harrington, A L; Bohren, B F

1995-01-01

This paper addresses three key issues facing developers of clinical and/or research medical information systems. 1. INFORMATION. The basic function of every database is to store information about the phenomenon under investigation. There are many ways to organize information in a computer; however only a few will prove optimal for any real life situation. Computer Science theory has developed several approaches to database structure, with relational theory leading in popularity among end users [8]. Strict conformance to the rules of relational database design rewards the user with consistent data and flexible access to that data. A properly defined database structure minimizes redundancy i.e.,multiple storage of the same information. Redundancy introduces problems when updating a database, since the repeated value has to be updated in all locations--missing even a single value corrupts the whole database, and incorrect reports are produced [8]. To avoid such problems, relational theory offers a formal mechanism for determining the number and content of data files. These files not only preserve the conceptual schema of the application domain, but allow a virtually unlimited number of reports to be efficiently generated. 2. INTELLIGENCE. Flexible access enables the user to harvest additional value from collected data. This value is usually gained via reports defined at the time of database design. Although these reports are indispensable, with proper tools more information can be extracted from the database. For example, machine learning, a sub-discipline of artificial intelligence, has been successfully used to extract knowledge from databases of varying size by uncovering a correlation among fields and records[1-6, 9]. This knowledge, represented in the form of decision trees, production rules, and probabilistic networks, clearly adds a flavor of intelligence to the data collection and manipulation system. 3. INTERFACE. Despite the obvious importance of collecting data and extracting knowledge, current systems often impede these processes. Problems stem from the lack of user friendliness and functionality. To overcome these problems, several features of a successful human-computer interface have been identified [7], including the following "golden" rules of dialog design [7]: consistency, use of shortcuts for frequent users, informative feedback, organized sequence of actions, simple error handling, easy reversal of actions, user-oriented focus of control, and reduced short-term memory load. To this list of rules, we added visual representation of both data and query results, since our experience has demonstrated that users react much more positively to visual rather than textual information. In our design of the Orthopaedic Trauma Registry--under development at the Carolinas Medical Center--we have made every effort to follow the above rules. The results were rewarding--the end users actually not only want to use the product, but also to participate in its development.

System and method for controlling power consumption in a computer system based on user satisfaction

DOEpatents

Yang, Lei; Dick, Robert P; Chen, Xi; Memik, Gokhan; Dinda, Peter A; Shy, Alex; Ozisikyilmaz, Berkin; Mallik, Arindam; Choudhary, Alok

2014-04-22

Systems and methods for controlling power consumption in a computer system. For each of a plurality of interactive applications, the method changes a frequency at which a processor of the computer system runs, receives an indication of user satisfaction, determines a relationship between the changed frequency and the user satisfaction of the interactive application, and stores the determined relationship information. The determined relationship can distinguish between different users and different interactive applications. A frequency may be selected from the discrete frequencies at which the processor of the computer system runs based on the determined relationship information for a particular user and a particular interactive application running on the processor of the computer system. The processor may be adapted to run at the selected frequency.

An Object-Oriented Graphical User Interface for a Reusable Rocket Engine Intelligent Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litt, Jonathan S.; Musgrave, Jeffrey L.; Guo, Ten-Huei; Paxson, Daniel E.; Wong, Edmond; Saus, Joseph R.; Merrill, Walter C.

1994-01-01

An intelligent control system for reusable rocket engines under development at NASA Lewis Research Center requires a graphical user interface to allow observation of the closed-loop system in operation. The simulation testbed consists of a real-time engine simulation computer, a controls computer, and several auxiliary computers for diagnostics and coordination. The system is set up so that the simulation computer could be replaced by the real engine and the change would be transparent to the control system. Because of the hard real-time requirement of the control computer, putting a graphical user interface on it was not an option. Thus, a separate computer used strictly for the graphical user interface was warranted. An object-oriented LISP-based graphical user interface has been developed on a Texas Instruments Explorer 2+ to indicate the condition of the engine to the observer through plots, animation, interactive graphics, and text.

The effects of cannabinoids on serum cortisol and prolactin in humans

PubMed Central

Ranganathan, Mohini; Braley, Gabriel; Pittman, Brian; Cooper, Thomas; Perry, Edward; Krystal, John; D’Souza, Deepak Cyril

2010-01-01

Background Cannabis is one of the most widely used illicit substances, and there is growing interest in the therapeutic applications of cannabinoids. While known to modulate neuroendocrine function, the precise acute and chronic dose-related effects of cannabinoids in humans are not well-known. Furthermore, the existing literature on the neuroendocrine effects of cannabinoids is limited by small sample sizes (n=6–22), heterogeneous samples with regard to cannabis exposure (lumping users and nonusers), lack of controlling for chronic cannabis exposure, differing methodologies, and limited dose–response data. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC) was hypothesized to produce dose-related increases in plasma cortisol levels and decreases in plasma prolactin levels. Furthermore, relative to controls, frequent users of cannabis were hypothesized to show altered baseline levels of these hormones and blunted Δ-9-THC-induced changes of these hormones. Materials and methods Pooled data from a series of laboratory studies with multiple doses of intravenous Δ-9-THC in healthy control subjects (n=36) and frequent users of cannabis (n=40) was examined to characterize the acute, chronic, and acute on chronic effects of cannabinoids on plasma cortisol and prolactin levels. Hormone levels were measured before (baseline) and 70 min after administration of each dose of Δ-9-THC. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models with +70 min hormonal levels as the dependant variable and baseline hormonal level as the covariate. Results At socially relevant doses, Δ-9-THC raised plasma cortisol levels in a dose-dependent manner but frequent users showed blunted increases relative to healthy controls. Frequent users also had lower baseline plasma prolactin levels relative to healthy controls. Conclusions These group differences may be related to the development of tolerance to the neuroendocrine effects of cannabinoids. Alternatively, these results may reflect inherent differences in neuroendocrine function in frequent users of cannabis and not a consequence of cannabis use. PMID:19083209

An assessment of future computer system needs for large-scale computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lykos, P.; White, J.

1980-01-01

Data ranging from specific computer capability requirements to opinions about the desirability of a national computer facility are summarized. It is concluded that considerable attention should be given to improving the user-machine interface. Otherwise, increased computer power may not improve the overall effectiveness of the machine user. Significant improvement in throughput requires highly concurrent systems plus the willingness of the user community to develop problem solutions for that kind of architecture. An unanticipated result was the expression of need for an on-going cross-disciplinary users group/forum in order to share experiences and to more effectively communicate needs to the manufacturers.

Identity-Based Authentication for Cloud Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongwei; Dai, Yuanshun; Tian, Ling; Yang, Haomiao

Cloud computing is a recently developed new technology for complex systems with massive-scale services sharing among numerous users. Therefore, authentication of both users and services is a significant issue for the trust and security of the cloud computing. SSL Authentication Protocol (SAP), once applied in cloud computing, will become so complicated that users will undergo a heavily loaded point both in computation and communication. This paper, based on the identity-based hierarchical model for cloud computing (IBHMCC) and its corresponding encryption and signature schemes, presented a new identity-based authentication protocol for cloud computing and services. Through simulation testing, it is shown that the authentication protocol is more lightweight and efficient than SAP, specially the more lightweight user side. Such merit of our model with great scalability is very suited to the massive-scale cloud.

Designing and validating the joint battlespace infosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Gregory D.; Alexander, W. Perry; Birdwell, J. Douglas

2001-08-01

Fielding and managing the dynamic, complex information systems infrastructure necessary for defense operations presents significant opportunities for revolutionary improvements in capabilities. An example of this technology trend is the creation and validation of the Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) being developed by the Air Force Research Lab. The JBI is a system of systems that integrates, aggregates, and distributes information to users at all echelons, from the command center to the battlefield. The JBI is a key enabler of meeting the Air Force's Joint Vision 2010 core competencies such as Information Superiority, by providing increased situational awareness, planning capabilities, and dynamic execution. At the same time, creating this new operational environment introduces significant risk due to an increased dependency on computational and communications infrastructure combined with more sophisticated and frequent threats. Hence, the challenge facing the nation is the most effective means to exploit new computational and communications technologies while mitigating the impact of attacks, faults, and unanticipated usage patterns.

Role of virtual reality for cerebral palsy management.

PubMed

Weiss, Patrice L Tamar; Tirosh, Emanuel; Fehlings, Darcy

2014-08-01

Virtual reality is the use of interactive simulations to present users with opportunities to perform in virtual environments that appear, sound, and less frequently, feel similar to real-world objects and events. Interactive computer play refers to the use of a game where a child interacts and plays with virtual objects in a computer-generated environment. Because of their distinctive attributes that provide ecologically realistic and motivating opportunities for active learning, these technologies have been used in pediatric rehabilitation over the past 15 years. The ability of virtual reality to create opportunities for active repetitive motor/sensory practice adds to their potential for neuroplasticity and learning in individuals with neurologic disorders. The objectives of this article is to provide an overview of how virtual reality and gaming are used clinically, to present the results of several example studies that demonstrate their use in research, and to briefly remark on future developments. © The Author(s) 2014.

Two-Cloud-Servers-Assisted Secure Outsourcing Multiparty Computation

PubMed Central

Wen, Qiaoyan; Zhang, Hua; Jin, Zhengping; Li, Wenmin

2014-01-01

We focus on how to securely outsource computation task to the cloud and propose a secure outsourcing multiparty computation protocol on lattice-based encrypted data in two-cloud-servers scenario. Our main idea is to transform the outsourced data respectively encrypted by different users' public keys to the ones that are encrypted by the same two private keys of the two assisted servers so that it is feasible to operate on the transformed ciphertexts to compute an encrypted result following the function to be computed. In order to keep the privacy of the result, the two servers cooperatively produce a custom-made result for each user that is authorized to get the result so that all authorized users can recover the desired result while other unauthorized ones including the two servers cannot. Compared with previous research, our protocol is completely noninteractive between any users, and both of the computation and the communication complexities of each user in our solution are independent of the computing function. PMID:24982949

Two-cloud-servers-assisted secure outsourcing multiparty computation.

PubMed

Sun, Yi; Wen, Qiaoyan; Zhang, Yudong; Zhang, Hua; Jin, Zhengping; Li, Wenmin

2014-01-01

We focus on how to securely outsource computation task to the cloud and propose a secure outsourcing multiparty computation protocol on lattice-based encrypted data in two-cloud-servers scenario. Our main idea is to transform the outsourced data respectively encrypted by different users' public keys to the ones that are encrypted by the same two private keys of the two assisted servers so that it is feasible to operate on the transformed ciphertexts to compute an encrypted result following the function to be computed. In order to keep the privacy of the result, the two servers cooperatively produce a custom-made result for each user that is authorized to get the result so that all authorized users can recover the desired result while other unauthorized ones including the two servers cannot. Compared with previous research, our protocol is completely noninteractive between any users, and both of the computation and the communication complexities of each user in our solution are independent of the computing function.

Accidental Discovery of Information on the User-Defined Social Web: A Mixed-Method Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Chi-Jung

2012-01-01

Frequently interacting with other people or working in an information-rich environment can foster the "accidental discovery of information" (ADI) (Erdelez, 2000; McCay-Peet & Toms, 2010). With the increasing adoption of social web technologies, online user-participation communities and user-generated content have provided users the…

Web-Based Family Life Education: Spotlight on User Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doty, Jennifer; Doty, Matthew; Dwrokin, Jodi

2011-01-01

Family Life Education (FLE) websites can benefit from the field of user experience, which makes technology easy to use. A heuristic evaluation of five FLE sites was performed using Neilson's heuristics, guidelines for making sites user friendly. Greater site complexity resulted in more potential user problems. Sites most frequently had problems…

Spectral Transfer Learning Using Information Geometry for a User-Independent Brain-Computer Interface

DOE PAGES

Waytowich, Nicholas R.; Lawhern, Vernon J.; Bohannon, Addison W.; ...

2016-09-22

Recent advances in signal processing and machine learning techniques have enabled the application of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies to fields such as medicine, industry, and recreation; however, BCIs still suffer from the requirement of frequent calibration sessions due to the intra- and inter-individual variability of brain-signals, which makes calibration suppression through transfer learning an area of increasing interest for the development of practical BCI systems. In this paper, we present an unsupervised transfer method (spectral transfer using information geometry,STIG),which ranks and combines unlabeled predictions from an ensemble of information geometry classifiers built on data from individual training subjects. The STIGmore » method is validated in both off-line and real-time feedback analysis during a rapid serial visual presentation task (RSVP). For detection of single-trial, event-related potentials (ERPs), the proposed method can significantly outperform existing calibration-free techniques as well as out perform traditional within-subject calibration techniques when limited data is available. Here, this method demonstrates that unsupervised transfer learning for single-trial detection in ERP-based BCIs can be achieved without the requirement of costly training data, representing a step-forward in the overall goal of achieving a practical user-independent BCI system.« less

Spectral Transfer Learning Using Information Geometry for a User-Independent Brain-Computer Interface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Waytowich, Nicholas R.; Lawhern, Vernon J.; Bohannon, Addison W.

Recent advances in signal processing and machine learning techniques have enabled the application of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies to fields such as medicine, industry, and recreation; however, BCIs still suffer from the requirement of frequent calibration sessions due to the intra- and inter-individual variability of brain-signals, which makes calibration suppression through transfer learning an area of increasing interest for the development of practical BCI systems. In this paper, we present an unsupervised transfer method (spectral transfer using information geometry,STIG),which ranks and combines unlabeled predictions from an ensemble of information geometry classifiers built on data from individual training subjects. The STIGmore » method is validated in both off-line and real-time feedback analysis during a rapid serial visual presentation task (RSVP). For detection of single-trial, event-related potentials (ERPs), the proposed method can significantly outperform existing calibration-free techniques as well as out perform traditional within-subject calibration techniques when limited data is available. Here, this method demonstrates that unsupervised transfer learning for single-trial detection in ERP-based BCIs can be achieved without the requirement of costly training data, representing a step-forward in the overall goal of achieving a practical user-independent BCI system.« less

Distributed user interfaces for clinical ubiquitous computing applications.

PubMed

Bång, Magnus; Larsson, Anders; Berglund, Erik; Eriksson, Henrik

2005-08-01

Ubiquitous computing with multiple interaction devices requires new interface models that support user-specific modifications to applications and facilitate the fast development of active workspaces. We have developed NOSTOS, a computer-augmented work environment for clinical personnel to explore new user interface paradigms for ubiquitous computing. NOSTOS uses several devices such as digital pens, an active desk, and walk-up displays that allow the system to track documents and activities in the workplace. We present the distributed user interface (DUI) model that allows standalone applications to distribute their user interface components to several devices dynamically at run-time. This mechanism permit clinicians to develop their own user interfaces and forms to clinical information systems to match their specific needs. We discuss the underlying technical concepts of DUIs and show how service discovery, component distribution, events and layout management are dealt with in the NOSTOS system. Our results suggest that DUIs--and similar network-based user interfaces--will be a prerequisite of future mobile user interfaces and essential to develop clinical multi-device environments.

Preliminary ISIS users manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantham, C.

1979-01-01

The Interactive Software Invocation (ISIS), an interactive data management system, was developed to act as a buffer between the user and host computer system. The user is provided by ISIS with a powerful system for developing software or systems in the interactive environment. The user is protected from the idiosyncracies of the host computer system by providing such a complete range of capabilities that the user should have no need for direct access to the host computer. These capabilities are divided into four areas: desk top calculator, data editor, file manager, and tool invoker.

Back to BaySICS: a user-friendly program for Bayesian Statistical Inference from Coalescent Simulations.

PubMed

Sandoval-Castellanos, Edson; Palkopoulou, Eleftheria; Dalén, Love

2014-01-01

Inference of population demographic history has vastly improved in recent years due to a number of technological and theoretical advances including the use of ancient DNA. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) stands among the most promising methods due to its simple theoretical fundament and exceptional flexibility. However, limited availability of user-friendly programs that perform ABC analysis renders it difficult to implement, and hence programming skills are frequently required. In addition, there is limited availability of programs able to deal with heterochronous data. Here we present the software BaySICS: Bayesian Statistical Inference of Coalescent Simulations. BaySICS provides an integrated and user-friendly platform that performs ABC analyses by means of coalescent simulations from DNA sequence data. It estimates historical demographic population parameters and performs hypothesis testing by means of Bayes factors obtained from model comparisons. Although providing specific features that improve inference from datasets with heterochronous data, BaySICS also has several capabilities making it a suitable tool for analysing contemporary genetic datasets. Those capabilities include joint analysis of independent tables, a graphical interface and the implementation of Markov-chain Monte Carlo without likelihoods.

On the evaluation of segmentation editing tools

PubMed Central

Heckel, Frank; Moltz, Jan H.; Meine, Hans; Geisler, Benjamin; Kießling, Andreas; D’Anastasi, Melvin; dos Santos, Daniel Pinto; Theruvath, Ashok Joseph; Hahn, Horst K.

2014-01-01

Abstract. Efficient segmentation editing tools are important components in the segmentation process, as no automatic methods exist that always generate sufficient results. Evaluating segmentation editing algorithms is challenging, because their quality depends on the user’s subjective impression. So far, no established methods for an objective, comprehensive evaluation of such tools exist and, particularly, intermediate segmentation results are not taken into account. We discuss the evaluation of editing algorithms in the context of tumor segmentation in computed tomography. We propose a rating scheme to qualitatively measure the accuracy and efficiency of editing tools in user studies. In order to objectively summarize the overall quality, we propose two scores based on the subjective rating and the quantified segmentation quality over time. Finally, a simulation-based evaluation approach is discussed, which allows a more reproducible evaluation without the need for human input. This automated evaluation complements user studies, allowing a more convincing evaluation, particularly during development, where frequent user studies are not possible. The proposed methods have been used to evaluate two dedicated editing algorithms on 131 representative tumor segmentations. We show how the comparison of editing algorithms benefits from the proposed methods. Our results also show the correlation of the suggested quality score with the qualitative ratings. PMID:26158063

Study of basic computer competence among public health nurses in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, Kuei-Feng; Yu, Shu; Lin, Ming-Sheng; Hsu, Chia-Ling

2004-03-01

Rapid advances in information technology and media have made distance learning on the Internet possible. This new model of learning allows greater efficiency and flexibility in knowledge acquisition. Since basic computer competence is a prerequisite for this new learning model, this study was conducted to examine the basic computer competence of public health nurses in Taiwan and explore factors influencing computer competence. A national cross-sectional randomized study was conducted with 329 public health nurses. A questionnaire was used to collect data and was delivered by mail. Results indicate that basic computer competence of public health nurses in Taiwan is still needs to be improved (mean = 57.57 +- 2.83, total score range from 26-130). Among the five most frequently used software programs, nurses were most knowledgeable about Word and least knowledgeable about PowerPoint. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed eight variables (weekly number of hours spent online at home, weekly amount of time spent online at work, weekly frequency of computer use at work, previous computer training, computer at workplace and Internet access, job position, education level, and age) that significantly influenced computer competence, which accounted for 39.0 % of the variance. In conclusion, greater computer competence, broader educational programs regarding computer technology, and a greater emphasis on computers at work are necessary to increase the usefulness of distance learning via the Internet in Taiwan. Building a user-friendly environment is important in developing this new media model of learning for the future.

Computational Science News | Computational Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

-Cooled High-Performance Computing Technology at the ESIF February 28, 2018 NREL Launches New Website for High-Performance Computing System Users The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Computational Science Center has launched a revamped website for users of the lab's high-performance computing (HPC

An Implemented Strategy for Campus Connectivity and Cooperative Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halaris, Antony S.; Sloan, Lynda W.

1989-01-01

ConnectPac, a software package developed at Iona College to allow a computer user to access all services from a single personal computer, is described. ConnectPac uses mainframe computing to support a campus computing network, integrating personal and centralized computing into a menu-driven user environment. (Author/MLW)

Trust in health Websites: a survey among Norwegian Internet users.

PubMed

Rosenvinge, Jan H; Laugerud, Stein; Hjortdahl, Per

2003-01-01

Whether consumers feel able to trust the information presented on a health-related Website is as important a quality criterion as more objective criteria. We investigated whether trust was related to five aspects of health Websites: the involvement of health professionals, a facility for interactive communication, information about those responsible for the site, a picture of those responsible for the site, and the impression of site update frequency. A polling agency invited, by email, a sample of 600 Norwegian users of e-health information to participate in the study and 476 subjects did so (a 79% response rate), by completing a questionnaire online. Their mean age was 41 years and 53% were female. All five aspects of health Websites were related to the trust placed in the site but they were not consistently related to gender or age. Trust in Websites that were frequently updated was related to being a frequent e-health user, while those who trusted interactive e-health sites were low-frequency users who tended to order drugs and health products from the sites. The probability of taking action as a result of e-health information was related to the frequency of visits to health Websites but not to the five aspects of them investigated in relation to trust. However, respondents who trusted sites that were perceived as being frequently updated and to have health professionals involved were more likely to be frequent users of e-health information.

The experiences of frequent users of crisis helplines: A qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Middleton, Aves; Gunn, Jane; Bassilios, Bridget; Pirkis, Jane

2016-11-01

To understand why some users call crisis helplines frequently. Nineteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with callers to Lifeline Australia who reported calling 20 times or more in the past month and provided informed consent. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was used to generate common themes. Approval was granted by The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee. Three overarching themes emerged from the data and included reasons for calling, service response and calling behaviours. Respondents called seeking someone to talk to, help with their mental health issues and assistance with negative life events. When they called, they found short-term benefits in the unrestricted support offered by the helpline. Over time they called about similar issues and described reactive, support-seeking and dependent calling behaviours. Frequent users of crisis helplines call about ongoing issues. They have developed distinctive calling behaviours which appear to occur through an interaction between their reasons for calling and the response they receive from the helpline. The ongoing nature of the issues prompting frequent users to call suggests that a service model that includes a continuity of care component may be more efficient in meeting their needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) Annual Conference (50th, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 11-15, 2017)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association Supporting Computer Users in Education, 2017

2017-01-01

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. Begun in 1968 as the College and University Eleven-Thirty Users' Group…

The effects of feedback on computer workstation posture habits.

PubMed

Epstein, Rhonda; Colford, Sean; Epstein, Ethan; Loye, Brandon; Walsh, Michael

2012-01-01

Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) and musculoskeletal disorders in the United States and worldwide are increasing at an alarming rate due to the advent of ubiquitous computer usage. Factors that lead to computer-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) include inadequately designed workstations, poor posture, and lack of knowledge about proper ergonomics and use habits. Studies have documented the negative impact of improper posture and the MSD seen in students and office workers due to frequent computer usage. Determine if the frequency (single vs. continuous reminder) and/or use of feedback affects posture at a computer workstation. Observations of posture habits were made in three local schools and one local company. Feedback effects were tested on the students (ages 10-15). Real time feedback was given in two studies. In one study, instructions and a verbal reminder were given to students and in a second study, a prototype 'Posture Pad' was developed to provide continuous feedback to the user. Verbal reminders to sit correctly led to transient improvement of posture. Use of the 'Posture Pad' resulted in significant improvement in posture with subjects exhibiting correct posture 98 ± 5% of the time. Real time feedback about how one is sitting is an effective mechanism for non-transient improvement of posture at computer workstations.

JobCenter: an open source, cross-platform, and distributed job queue management system optimized for scalability and versatility.

PubMed

Jaschob, Daniel; Riffle, Michael

2012-07-30

Laboratories engaged in computational biology or bioinformatics frequently need to run lengthy, multistep, and user-driven computational jobs. Each job can tie up a computer for a few minutes to several days, and many laboratories lack the expertise or resources to build and maintain a dedicated computer cluster. JobCenter is a client-server application and framework for job management and distributed job execution. The client and server components are both written in Java and are cross-platform and relatively easy to install. All communication with the server is client-driven, which allows worker nodes to run anywhere (even behind external firewalls or "in the cloud") and provides inherent load balancing. Adding a worker node to the worker pool is as simple as dropping the JobCenter client files onto any computer and performing basic configuration, which provides tremendous ease-of-use, flexibility, and limitless horizontal scalability. Each worker installation may be independently configured, including the types of jobs it is able to run. Executed jobs may be written in any language and may include multistep workflows. JobCenter is a versatile and scalable distributed job management system that allows laboratories to very efficiently distribute all computational work among available resources. JobCenter is freely available at http://code.google.com/p/jobcenter/.

Small-molecule ligand docking into comparative models with Rosetta

PubMed Central

Combs, Steven A; DeLuca, Samuel L; DeLuca, Stephanie H; Lemmon, Gordon H; Nannemann, David P; Nguyen, Elizabeth D; Willis, Jordan R; Sheehan, Jonathan H; Meiler, Jens

2017-01-01

Structure-based drug design is frequently used to accelerate the development of small-molecule therapeutics. Although substantial progress has been made in X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the availability of high-resolution structures is limited owing to the frequent inability to crystallize or obtain sufficient NMR restraints for large or flexible proteins. Computational methods can be used to both predict unknown protein structures and model ligand interactions when experimental data are unavailable. This paper describes a comprehensive and detailed protocol using the Rosetta modeling suite to dock small-molecule ligands into comparative models. In the protocol presented here, we review the comparative modeling process, including sequence alignment, threading and loop building. Next, we cover docking a small-molecule ligand into the protein comparative model. In addition, we discuss criteria that can improve ligand docking into comparative models. Finally, and importantly, we present a strategy for assessing model quality. The entire protocol is presented on a single example selected solely for didactic purposes. The results are therefore not representative and do not replace benchmarks published elsewhere. We also provide an additional tutorial so that the user can gain hands-on experience in using Rosetta. The protocol should take 5–7 h, with additional time allocated for computer generation of models. PMID:23744289

Social networking patterns/hazards among teenagers.

PubMed

Machold, C; Judge, G; Mavrinac, A; Elliott, J; Murphy, A M; Roche, E

2012-05-01

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have grown substantially, posing new hazards to teenagers. This study aimed to determine general patterns of Internet usage among Irish teenagers aged 11-16 years, and to identify potential hazards, including; bullying, inappropriate contact, overuse, addiction and invasion of users' privacy. A cross-sectional study design was employed to survey students at three Irish secondary schools, with a sample of 474 completing a questionnaire. 202 (44%) (n = 460) accessed the Internet using a shared home computer. Two hours or less were spent online daily by 285(62%), of whom 450 (98%) were unsupervised. 306 (72%) (n = 425) reported frequent usage of SNSs, 403 (95%) of whom were Facebook users. 42 (10%) males and 51 (12%) females experienced bullying online, while 114 (27%) reported inappropriate contact from others. Concerning overuse and the risk of addiction, 140 (33%) felt they accessed SNSs too often. These patterns among Irish teenagers suggest that SNS usage poses significant dangers, which are going largely unaddressed.

Comparing the Consumption of CPU Hours with Scientific Output for the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE).

PubMed

Knepper, Richard; Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study that compares resource usage with publication output using data about the consumption of CPU cycles from the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) and resulting scientific publications for 2,691 institutions/teams. Specifically, the datasets comprise a total of 5,374,032,696 central processing unit (CPU) hours run in XSEDE during July 1, 2011 to August 18, 2015 and 2,882 publications that cite the XSEDE resource. Three types of studies were conducted: a geospatial analysis of XSEDE providers and consumers, co-authorship network analysis of XSEDE publications, and bi-modal network analysis of how XSEDE resources are used by different research fields. Resulting visualizations show that a diverse set of consumers make use of XSEDE resources, that users of XSEDE publish together frequently, and that the users of XSEDE with the highest resource usage tend to be "traditional" high-performance computing (HPC) community members from astronomy, atmospheric science, physics, chemistry, and biology.

Eye-gaze and intent: Application in 3D interface control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schryver, J.C.; Goldberg, J.H.

1993-06-01

Computer interface control is typically accomplished with an input ``device`` such as keyboard, mouse, trackball, etc. An input device translates a users input actions, such as mouse clicks and key presses, into appropriate computer commands. To control the interface, the user must first convert intent into the syntax of the input device. A more natural means of computer control is possible when the computer can directly infer user intent, without need of intervening input devices. We describe an application of eye-gaze-contingent control of an interactive three-dimensional (3D) user interface. A salient feature of the user interface is natural input, withmore » a heightened impression of controlling the computer directly by the mind. With this interface, input of rotation and translation are intuitive, whereas other abstract features, such as zoom, are more problematic to match with user intent. This paper describes successes with implementation to date, and ongoing efforts to develop a more sophisticated intent inferencing methodology.« less

Eye-gaze and intent: Application in 3D interface control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schryver, J.C.; Goldberg, J.H.

1993-01-01

Computer interface control is typically accomplished with an input device'' such as keyboard, mouse, trackball, etc. An input device translates a users input actions, such as mouse clicks and key presses, into appropriate computer commands. To control the interface, the user must first convert intent into the syntax of the input device. A more natural means of computer control is possible when the computer can directly infer user intent, without need of intervening input devices. We describe an application of eye-gaze-contingent control of an interactive three-dimensional (3D) user interface. A salient feature of the user interface is natural input, withmore » a heightened impression of controlling the computer directly by the mind. With this interface, input of rotation and translation are intuitive, whereas other abstract features, such as zoom, are more problematic to match with user intent. This paper describes successes with implementation to date, and ongoing efforts to develop a more sophisticated intent inferencing methodology.« less

Key factors of case management interventions for frequent users of healthcare services: a thematic analysis review

PubMed Central

Hudon, Catherine; Chouinard, Maud-Christine; Lambert, Mireille; Diadiou, Fatoumata; Bouliane, Danielle; Beaudin, Jérémie

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of this paper was to identify the key factors of case management (CM) interventions among frequent users of healthcare services found in empirical studies of effectiveness. Design Thematic analysis review of CM studies. Methods We built on a previously published review that aimed to report the effectiveness of CM interventions for frequent users of healthcare services, using the Medline, Scopus and CINAHL databases covering the January 2004–December 2015 period, then updated to July 2017, with the keywords ‘CM’ and ‘frequent use’. We extracted factors of successful (n=7) and unsuccessful (n=6) CM interventions and conducted a mixed thematic analysis to synthesise findings. Chaudoir’s implementation of health innovations framework was used to organise results into four broad levels of factors: (1) environmental/organisational level, (2) practitioner level, (3) patient level and (4) programme level. Results Access to, and close partnerships with, healthcare providers and community services resources were key factors of successful CM interventions that should target patients with the greatest needs and promote frequent contacts with the healthcare team. The selection and training of the case manager was also an important factor to foster patient engagement in CM. Coordination of care, self-management support and assistance with care navigation were key CM activities. The main issues reported by unsuccessful CM interventions were problems with case finding or lack of care integration. Conclusions CM interventions for frequent users of healthcare services should ensure adequate case finding processes, rigorous selection and training of the case manager, sufficient intensity of the intervention, as well as good care integration among all partners. Other studies could further evaluate the influence of contextual factors on intervention impacts. PMID:29061623

The role of leisure and delinquency in frequent cannabis use and dependence trajectories among young adults.

PubMed

Liebregts, Nienke; van der Pol, Peggy; van Laar, Margriet; de Graaf, Ron; van den Brink, Wim; Korf, Dirk J

2015-02-01

The link between leisure and cannabis use has been widely studied, but less so for young adults, and rarely with a focus on frequent cannabis use. Also, little is known about how changes in leisure develop over time and how they are related to transitions in cannabis use and dependence. As part of a 3-year longitudinal project, in a qualitative study 47 frequent male and female young adult cannabis users with (n=23) and without (n=24) dependence at baseline were interviewed in-depth after 1.5 and 3 years. Frequent cannabis users (at baseline ≥3 days per week in the past 12 months) are involved in similar leisure activities as the general young adult population and live rather conventional lives, generally away from a delinquent subculture. They mostly regulate their cannabis use to leisure time, to enhance other leisure activities, including socialising and video gaming. While they often give precedence to responsibilities (e.g. work and study), dependent and non-dependent users differed in whether they actively adapted their leisure activities to their cannabis use, or their cannabis use to their leisure time. Both types of and time spent on leisure activities were associated with transitions in use and dependence. While our findings generally support the normalisation thesis, it is questionable whether frequent but non-problematic cannabis use is socially accepted in wider society. This study also questions the diagnostic dependence vs. non-dependence dichotomy, and adds finer distinctions to the concept of cannabis dependence. Implications for prevention and treatment include facilitating structured spending of leisure time (e.g. sports), and targeting frequent users who spent much leisure time video gaming at home. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conceptions of Trust: How Designers Approach Usable Privacy and Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birge, Colin

2013-01-01

Designers who create user interfaces are frequently required to ask users for personal information. For the user, this is a "trust question": Do I, the user, trust the system or entity that is asking me for this information? The creation and management of these trust questions is an important aspect of the research field called usable…

The DFVLR main department for central data processing, 1976 - 1983

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Data processing, equipment and systems operation, operative and user systems, user services, computer networks and communications, text processing, computer graphics, and high power computers are discussed.

Optimizing Targeting of Intrusion Detection Systems in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puzis, Rami; Tubi, Meytal; Elovici, Yuval

Internet users communicate with each other in various ways: by Emails, instant messaging, social networking, accessing Web sites, etc. In the course of communicating, users may unintentionally copy files contaminated with computer viruses and worms [1, 2] to their computers and spread them to other users [3]. (Hereafter we will use the term "threats", rather than computer viruses and computer worms). The Internet is the chief source of these threats [4].

User Centered System Design: Papers for the CHI '83 Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., San Diego. Center for Human Information Processing.

Four papers from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Project on Human-Computer Interfaces are presented in this report. "Evaluation and Analysis of User's Activity Organization," by Liam Bannon, Allen Cypher, Steven Greenspan, and Melissa Monty, analyzes the activities performed by users of computer systems, develops a…

Adolescents and MP3 players: too many risks, too few precautions.

PubMed

Vogel, Ineke; Verschuure, Hans; van der Ploeg, Catharina P B; Brug, Johannes; Raat, Hein

2009-06-01

The goal was to assess risky and protective listening behaviors of adolescent users of MP3 players and the association of these behaviors with demographic characteristics and frequency of use. In 2007, 1687 adolescents (12-19 years of age) in 68 classes in 15 Dutch secondary schools were invited to complete questionnaires about their music-listening behaviors. . Ninety percent of participants reported listening to music through earphones on MP3 players; 32.8% were frequent users, 48.0% used high volume settings, and only 6.8% always or nearly always used a noise-limiter. Frequent users were >4 times more likely to listen to high-volume music than were infrequent users, and adolescents in practical prevocational schools were more than twice as likely to listen to high-volume music as were those attending preuniversity education. When using MP3 players, adolescents are very likely to engage in risky listening behaviors and are unlikely to seek protection. Frequent MP3 player use is an indicator of other risky listening behaviors, such as listening at high volumes and failing to use noise-limiters.

Sunbeds and sunlamps: who used them and their risk for melanoma

PubMed Central

Fears, Thomas R.; Sagebiel, Richard W.; Halpern, Allan; Elder, David E.; Holly, Elizabeth A.; Guerry, DuPont; Tucker, Margaret A.

2011-01-01

Summary Sunbed/sunlamp use was recently classified as carcinogenic. This report considers characteristics of those who use sunbeds/sunlamps and the effect of sunbed/sunlamp use on their risk for melanoma within a large case-control study carried out in 1991–2. Females were more likely than males to have used sunbeds/sunlamps. Use by females increased strongly and significantly with younger ages and with the perceived ability to tan. For females the individual risk for melanoma increased with typical session time and frequency of sessions. Use before age 20, current use and years of use were not significant. The use patterns of occasional and frequent users were very different. We estimate that typical 5 minute sessions would increase the risk for melanoma by 19% for frequent users (10+ sessions) and by 3% for occasional users (1–9 sessions). Body sites that are not generally exposed to sunlight were more common sites of primary melanomas for frequent sunbed/sunlamp users. For males, measures of sunbed/sunlamp use were not significantly associated with melanoma risk. PMID:21362155

Optimizing virtual reality for all users through gaze-contingent and adaptive focus displays.

PubMed

Padmanaban, Nitish; Konrad, Robert; Stramer, Tal; Cooper, Emily A; Wetzstein, Gordon

2017-02-28

From the desktop to the laptop to the mobile device, personal computing platforms evolve over time. Moving forward, wearable computing is widely expected to be integral to consumer electronics and beyond. The primary interface between a wearable computer and a user is often a near-eye display. However, current generation near-eye displays suffer from multiple limitations: they are unable to provide fully natural visual cues and comfortable viewing experiences for all users. At their core, many of the issues with near-eye displays are caused by limitations in conventional optics. Current displays cannot reproduce the changes in focus that accompany natural vision, and they cannot support users with uncorrected refractive errors. With two prototype near-eye displays, we show how these issues can be overcome using display modes that adapt to the user via computational optics. By using focus-tunable lenses, mechanically actuated displays, and mobile gaze-tracking technology, these displays can be tailored to correct common refractive errors and provide natural focus cues by dynamically updating the system based on where a user looks in a virtual scene. Indeed, the opportunities afforded by recent advances in computational optics open up the possibility of creating a computing platform in which some users may experience better quality vision in the virtual world than in the real one.

Optimizing virtual reality for all users through gaze-contingent and adaptive focus displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padmanaban, Nitish; Konrad, Robert; Stramer, Tal; Cooper, Emily A.; Wetzstein, Gordon

2017-02-01

From the desktop to the laptop to the mobile device, personal computing platforms evolve over time. Moving forward, wearable computing is widely expected to be integral to consumer electronics and beyond. The primary interface between a wearable computer and a user is often a near-eye display. However, current generation near-eye displays suffer from multiple limitations: they are unable to provide fully natural visual cues and comfortable viewing experiences for all users. At their core, many of the issues with near-eye displays are caused by limitations in conventional optics. Current displays cannot reproduce the changes in focus that accompany natural vision, and they cannot support users with uncorrected refractive errors. With two prototype near-eye displays, we show how these issues can be overcome using display modes that adapt to the user via computational optics. By using focus-tunable lenses, mechanically actuated displays, and mobile gaze-tracking technology, these displays can be tailored to correct common refractive errors and provide natural focus cues by dynamically updating the system based on where a user looks in a virtual scene. Indeed, the opportunities afforded by recent advances in computational optics open up the possibility of creating a computing platform in which some users may experience better quality vision in the virtual world than in the real one.

Seismic waveform modeling over cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Cong; Friederich, Wolfgang

2016-04-01

With the fast growing computational technologies, numerical simulation of seismic wave propagation achieved huge successes. Obtaining the synthetic waveforms through numerical simulation receives an increasing amount of attention from seismologists. However, computational seismology is a data-intensive research field, and the numerical packages usually come with a steep learning curve. Users are expected to master considerable amount of computer knowledge and data processing skills. Training users to use the numerical packages, correctly access and utilize the computational resources is a troubled task. In addition to that, accessing to HPC is also a common difficulty for many users. To solve these problems, a cloud based solution dedicated on shallow seismic waveform modeling has been developed with the state-of-the-art web technologies. It is a web platform integrating both software and hardware with multilayer architecture: a well designed SQL database serves as the data layer, HPC and dedicated pipeline for it is the business layer. Through this platform, users will no longer need to compile and manipulate various packages on the local machine within local network to perform a simulation. By providing users professional access to the computational code through its interfaces and delivering our computational resources to the users over cloud, users can customize the simulation at expert-level, submit and run the job through it.

Addition of flexible body option to the TOLA computer program. Part 2: User and programmer documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dick, J. W.; Benda, B. J.

1975-01-01

User and programmer oriented documentation for the flexible body option of the Takeoff and Landing Analysis (TOLA) computer program are provided. The user information provides sufficient knowledge of the development and use of the option to enable the engineering user to successfully operate the modified program and understand the results. The programmer's information describes the option structure and logic enabling a programmer to make major revisions to this part of the TOLA computer program.

Mephedrone and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine: Comparative psychobiological effects as reported by recreational polydrug users.

PubMed

Jones, Lewis; Reed, Phil; Parrott, Andrew

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of mephedrone and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), as reported by young recreational polydrug users. 152 MDMA users and 81 mephedrone users were recruited through snowballing on social network sites. They completed a standard online questionnaire for either mephedrone or MDMA. The questions covered the average amount taken per session, the longest duration of usage in the last 12-months, subjective effects while on-drug, and recovery effects in the days afterwards. Mephedrone users reported a significantly longer maximum session of use than MDMA users. Mephedrone users also reported a significantly greater average amount used per session. The majority of on-drug subjective ratings did not differ between drugs, with similar increases in entactogenic effects. Although mephedrone users did report significantly more frequent issues with sleeping, anger and anxiety. In relation to recovery, mephedrone users reported more frequent craving, nasal irritation, paranoia, and relationship difficulties. Mephedrone users also rated general recovery effects as more severe over the seven-day period following use, taking more days to feel normal. The acute effects of MDMA and mephedrone were broadly similar. However, the recovery period for mephedrone was more enduring, possibly due to the longer duration of acute session usage. © The Author(s) 2016.

User Account Passwords | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Account Passwords User Account Passwords For NREL's high-performance computing (HPC) systems, learn about user account password requirements and how to set up, log in, and change passwords. Password Logging In the First Time After you request an HPC user account, you'll receive a temporary password. Set

Purple Computational Environment With Mappings to ACE Requirements for the General Availability User Environment Capabilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barney, B; Shuler, J

2006-08-21

Purple is an Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) funded massively parallel supercomputer located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The Purple Computational Environment documents the capabilities and the environment provided for the FY06 LLNL Level 1 General Availability Milestone. This document describes specific capabilities, tools, and procedures to support both local and remote users. The model is focused on the needs of the ASC user working in the secure computing environments at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories, but also documents needs of the LLNL and Alliance users working in the unclassified environment. Additionally,more » the Purple Computational Environment maps the provided capabilities to the Trilab ASC Computing Environment (ACE) Version 8.0 requirements. The ACE requirements reflect the high performance computing requirements for the General Availability user environment capabilities of the ASC community. Appendix A lists these requirements and includes a description of ACE requirements met and those requirements that are not met for each section of this document. The Purple Computing Environment, along with the ACE mappings, has been issued and reviewed throughout the Tri-lab community.« less

Is the GUI approach to Computer Development (For Example, Mac, and Windows Technology) a Threat to Computer Users Who Are Blind?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melrose, S.; And Others

1995-01-01

In this point/counterpoint feature, S. Melrose contends that complex graphical user interfaces (GUIs) threaten the independence and equal employment of individuals with blindness. D. Wakefield then points out that access to the Windows software program for blind computer users is extremely unpredictable, and J. Gill describes a major European…

Frequent Questions about e-Manifest

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about e-Manifest covering these areas: scope, generators, receivers, manifest preparation & brokers, federal and state implementation, fee obligations, record retention, data policy, data correction, and user registration.

Musculoskeletal symptoms in workers of a Telecom Company.

PubMed

Antunes, Evelise Dias; de Araújo, Célia Regina Alves; Abage, Zilda

2012-01-01

Millions of people work with computers every day. Human work provides a means of comfort and ease to perform the tasks, favoring incorrect postures. Among the employees of a telecom company, it appears that all make use of computer, remaining in a seated position leading in musculoskeletal symptoms. This is a quantitative study, conducted in a telecom company in the city of Curitiba. Were interviewed 27 analysts who work in engineering department, who agreed to participate and receive guidelines regarding sitting posture. This study, consisted of a structured questionnaire and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire with musculoskeletal symptoms indicators. After answering the questionnaire, the subjects were guided through the folder on correct posture and positioning front the computer. Of employees 74% were male, and 100% of the employees are the computer's user, remaining in the sitting posture during working day. Concerning the break time, 74% reported that they frequently do it. Been the average working day is 8 hours. Regarding the frequency of musculoskeletal symptoms, 70% of employees reported some symptoms during the last 12 months but only one came to be sick leave. It is necessary to an analysis of the work situation, evaluating and correcting inadequacies of securities and the risks inherent in function, making prevention.

Smartphone, tablet computer and e-reader use by people with vision impairment.

PubMed

Crossland, Michael D; Silva, Rui S; Macedo, Antonio F

2014-09-01

Consumer electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, and e-book readers have become far more widely used in recent years. Many of these devices contain accessibility features such as large print and speech. Anecdotal experience suggests people with vision impairment frequently make use of these systems. Here we survey people with self-identified vision impairment to determine their use of this equipment. An internet-based survey was advertised to people with vision impairment by word of mouth, social media, and online. Respondents were asked demographic information, what devices they owned, what they used these devices for, and what accessibility features they used. One hundred and thirty-two complete responses were received. Twenty-six percent of the sample reported that they had no vision and the remainder reported they had low vision. One hundred and seven people (81%) reported using a smartphone. Those with no vision were as likely to use a smartphone or tablet as those with low vision. Speech was found useful by 59% of smartphone users. Fifty-one percent of smartphone owners used the camera and screen as a magnifier. Forty-eight percent of the sample used a tablet computer, and 17% used an e-book reader. The most frequently cited reason for not using these devices included cost and lack of interest. Smartphones, tablet computers, and e-book readers can be used by people with vision impairment. Speech is used by people with low vision as well as those with no vision. Many of our (self-selected) group used their smartphone camera and screen as a magnifier, and others used the camera flash as a spotlight. © 2014 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2014 The College of Optometrists.

The prevalence of computer and Internet addiction among pupils.

PubMed

Zboralski, Krzysztof; Orzechowska, Agata; Talarowska, Monika; Darmosz, Anna; Janiak, Aneta; Janiak, Marcin; Florkowski, Antoni; Gałecki, Piotr

2009-02-02

Media have an influence on the human psyche similar to the addictive actions of psychoactive substances or gambling. Computer overuse is claimed to be a cause of psychiatric disturbances such as computer and Internet addiction. It has not yet been recognized as a disease, but it evokes increasing controversy and results in mental disorders commonly defined as computer and Internet addiction. This study was based on a diagnostic survey in which 120 subjects participated. The participants were pupils of three kinds of schools: primary, middle, and secondary school (high school). Information for this study was obtained from a questionnaire prepared by the authors as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Psychological Inventory of Aggression Syndrome (IPSA-II). he results confirmed that every fourth pupil was addicted to the Internet. Internet addiction was very common among the youngest users of computers and the Internet, especially those who had no brothers and sisters or came from families with some kind of problems. Moreover, more frequent use of the computer and the Internet was connected with higher levels of aggression and anxiety. Because computer and Internet addiction already constitute a real danger, it is worth considering preventive activities to treat this phenomenon. It is also necessary to make the youth and their parents aware of the dangers of uncontrolled Internet use and pay attention to behavior connected with Internet addiction.

Nonaffiliated Users in Academic Libraries: Using W.D. Ross's Ethical Pluralism to Make Sense of the Tough Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenker, Mark; Kocevar-Weidinger, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

Though the academic library's primary mission is to serve the students, faculty, and staff of its parent institution, would-be users not officially associated with the institution frequently call upon the library to provide services and/or resources. Requests by these nonaffiliated users (sometimes called community users) pose a moral quandary for…

Exploring the latent trait of Opioid Use Disorder criteria among frequent nonmedical prescription opioid users

PubMed Central

Castaldelli-Maia, João Mauricio; Andrade, Laura H.; Keyes, Katherine M.; Cerdá, Magdalena; Pilowsky, Daniel J.; Martins, Silvia S.

2016-01-01

Background There is a need to explore the dimensional and categorical phenotypes of criteria of opioid use disorder among frequent nonmedical users of prescription opioids (NMUPO) users. Methods We used pooled data of 2011–2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine reliability and phenotypic variability in the diagnosis of OUD secondary to NMUPO in a nationally-representative sample of 18+ years-old frequent past-year NMUPO users (120+ days, n=806). Through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and latent class analysis (LCA), we examined 10 past-year OUD criteria. We examined associations between the latent classes and sociodemographic/psychiatric/NMUPO correlates. Results OUD criteria were unidimensional, and a three-class model was the overall best fitting solution for characterizing individuals into phenotypes along this unidimensional continuum: a “non-symptomatic class” (40.7%), “Tolerance-Time spent class” (29.0%) with high probability of endorsing Tolerance/Time Spent criteria, and a “High-moderate symptomatic class” (30.1%). The last class was significantly associated with being male, having insurance and obtaining prescription opioids (PO) nonmedically via “doctor shopping” as compared to the non-symptomatic class. “Tolerance-Time spent class” was significantly associated with being younger (18–25 years) and obtaining PO nonmedically from family/friends as compared to the non-symptomatic class. Conclusion This study revealed the different characteristics and routes of access to PO of different classes of frequent NMUPO users. It is possible that these groups may respond to different interventions, however such conclusions would require a clinical study. PMID:27302873

Online Discussion on #KidneyStones: A Longitudinal Assessment of Activity, Users and Content.

PubMed

Salem, Johannes; Borgmann, Hendrik; Bultitude, Matthew; Fritsche, Hans-Martin; Haferkamp, Axel; Heidenreich, Axel; Miernik, Arkadiusz; Neisius, Andreas; Knoll, Thomas; Thomas, Christian; Tsaur, Igor

2016-01-01

Twitter is a popular microblogging platform for the rapid dissemination of information and reciprocal exchange in the urological field. We aimed to assess the activity, users and content of the online discussion, #KidneyStones, on Twitter. We investigated the Symplur Signals analytics tool for Twitter data distributed via the #KidneyStones hashtag over a one year period. Activity analysis reflected overall activity and tweet enhancements. We assessed users' geolocations and performed an influencer analysis. Content analysis included the most frequently used words, tweet sentiment and shares for top tweets. 3,426 users generated over 10,333 tweets, which were frequently accompanied by links (49%), mentions (30%) and photos (13%). Users came from 106 countries across the globe and were most frequently from North America (63%) and Europe (16%). Individual and organisational healthcare professionals made up 56% of the influencers of the Twitter discussion on #KidneyStones. Besides the words 'kidney' (used 4,045 times) and 'stones' (3,335), 'pain' (1,233), 'urine' (1,158), and 'risk' (1,023) were the most frequently used words. 56% of tweets had a positive sentiment. The median (range) number of shares was 85 (62-587) for the top 10 links, 45.5 (17-94) for the top 10 photos, and 44 (22-95) for the top 10 retweets. The rapidly growing Twitter discussion on #KidneyStones engaged multiple stakeholders in the healthcare sector on a global scale and reached both professionals and laypeople. When used effectively and responsibly, the Twitter platform could improve prevention and medical care of kidney stone patients.

Predictors of students' self-reported adoption of a smartphone application for medical education in general practice.

PubMed

Sandholzer, Maximilian; Deutsch, Tobias; Frese, Thomas; Winter, Alfred

2015-05-21

Smartphones and related applications are increasingly gaining relevance in the healthcare domain. We previously assessed the demands and preferences of medical students towards an application accompanying them during a course on general practice. The current study aims to elucidate the factors associated with adoption of such a technology. Therefore we provided students with a prototype of an application specifically related to their studies in general practice. A total estimation among students participating in a general practice examination at the Leipzig Medical School was conducted in May 2014. Students were asked to answer a structured self-designed questionnaire. Univariable comparisons were made to identify significant differences between those students who reported to have used the application frequently and those who did not. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to reveal independent predictors of frequent application usage. The response rate was 99.3 % (n = 305/307). The majority (59 %, n = 180/305) were female students. The mean age was 24.5 years and 79.9 % (n = 243/304) owned a smartphone or tablet computer. Regarding the usage of the provided application, 2.3 % (n = 7/303) did not use the app while 68.0 % (n = 206/303) replied to have used it more than five times. Frequent users significantly differed from non-frequent users with regard to being female rather than male, higher mobile device ownership, more frequent exchange about obtaining the course certificate, higher personal interest in new technologies, larger enjoyment of the technology, lower intention to not use smartphone applications in the future, better opinion towards smartphone applications for the profession of a doctor, higher perceived importance of medical applications on the job, higher compatibility of smartphone applications with personal work style, higher perceived relevance of university support and personal benefit of use. Multivariable analysis revealed a set of four variables independently predicting frequent usage: being female, a higher perceived benefit of the supplied application, a higher personal interest in new technologies, and a higher perceived impact of previous experiences on smartphone adoption (Pseudo-R(2)(Nagelkerke) = 0.245). Understanding medical students' adoption of smartphone applications used for educational purposes may provide useful information to guide the implementation process as well as the design of respective applications.

Cooperative processing user interfaces for AdaNET

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gutzmann, Kurt M.

1991-01-01

A cooperative processing user interface (CUI) system shares the task of graphical display generation and presentation between the user's computer and a remote host. The communications link between the two computers is typically a modem or Ethernet. The two main purposes of a CUI are reduction of the amount of data transmitted between user and host machines, and provision of a graphical user interface system to make the system easier to use.

Training leads to increased auditory brain-computer interface performance of end-users with motor impairments.

PubMed

Halder, S; Käthner, I; Kübler, A

2016-02-01

Auditory brain-computer interfaces are an assistive technology that can restore communication for motor impaired end-users. Such non-visual brain-computer interface paradigms are of particular importance for end-users that may lose or have lost gaze control. We attempted to show that motor impaired end-users can learn to control an auditory speller on the basis of event-related potentials. Five end-users with motor impairments, two of whom with additional visual impairments, participated in five sessions. We applied a newly developed auditory brain-computer interface paradigm with natural sounds and directional cues. Three of five end-users learned to select symbols using this method. Averaged over all five end-users the information transfer rate increased by more than 1800% from the first session (0.17 bits/min) to the last session (3.08 bits/min). The two best end-users achieved information transfer rates of 5.78 bits/min and accuracies of 92%. Our results show that an auditory BCI with a combination of natural sounds and directional cues, can be controlled by end-users with motor impairment. Training improves the performance of end-users to the level of healthy controls. To our knowledge, this is the first time end-users with motor impairments controlled an auditory brain-computer interface speller with such high accuracy and information transfer rates. Further, our results demonstrate that operating a BCI with event-related potentials benefits from training and specifically end-users may require more than one session to develop their full potential. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Designing Privacy Notices: Supporting User Understanding and Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Patrick Gage

2013-01-01

Users are increasingly expected to manage complex privacy settings in their normal online interactions. From shopping to social networks, users make decisions about sharing their personal information with corporations and contacts, frequently with little assistance. Current solutions require consumers to read long documents or go out of their way…

ARES (Automated Residential Energy Standard) 1.2: User`s guide, in support of proposed interim energy conservation voluntary performance standards for new non-federal residential buildings: Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The ARES (Automated Residential Energy Standard) User`s Guide is designed to the user successfully operate the ARES computer program. This guide assumes that the user is familiar with basic PC skills such as using a keyboard and loading a disk drive. The ARES computer program was designed to assist building code officials in creating a residential energy standard based on local climate and costs.

Research on Influence of Cloud Environment on Traditional Network Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ming, Xiaobo; Guo, Jinhua

2018-02-01

Cloud computing is a symbol of the progress of modern information network, cloud computing provides a lot of convenience to the Internet users, but it also brings a lot of risk to the Internet users. Second, one of the main reasons for Internet users to choose cloud computing is that the network security performance is great, it also is the cornerstone of cloud computing applications. This paper briefly explores the impact on cloud environment on traditional cybersecurity, and puts forward corresponding solutions.

Structure elucidation of organic compounds aided by the computer program system SCANNET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzowska-Swider, B.; Hippe, Z. S.

1992-12-01

Recognition of chemical structure is a very important problem currently solved by molecular spectroscopy, particularly IR, UV, NMR and Raman spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Nowadays, solution of the problem is frequently aided by the computer. SCANNET is a computer program system for structure elucidation of organic compounds, developed by our group. The structure recognition of an unknown substance is made by comparing its spectrum with successive reference spectra of standard compounds, i.e. chemical compounds of known chemical structure, stored in a spectral database. The computer program system SCANNET consists of six different spectral databases for following the analytical methods: IR, UV, 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR and Raman spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. A chemist, to elucidate a structure, can use one of these spectral methods or a combination of them and search the appropriate databases. As the result of searching each spectral database, the user obtains a list of chemical substances whose spectra are identical and/or similar to the spectrum input into the computer. The final information obtained from searching the spectral databases is in the form of a list of chemical substances having all the examined spectra, for each type of spectroscopy, identical or simlar to those of the unknown compound.

Optimizing virtual reality for all users through gaze-contingent and adaptive focus displays

PubMed Central

Padmanaban, Nitish; Konrad, Robert; Stramer, Tal; Wetzstein, Gordon

2017-01-01

From the desktop to the laptop to the mobile device, personal computing platforms evolve over time. Moving forward, wearable computing is widely expected to be integral to consumer electronics and beyond. The primary interface between a wearable computer and a user is often a near-eye display. However, current generation near-eye displays suffer from multiple limitations: they are unable to provide fully natural visual cues and comfortable viewing experiences for all users. At their core, many of the issues with near-eye displays are caused by limitations in conventional optics. Current displays cannot reproduce the changes in focus that accompany natural vision, and they cannot support users with uncorrected refractive errors. With two prototype near-eye displays, we show how these issues can be overcome using display modes that adapt to the user via computational optics. By using focus-tunable lenses, mechanically actuated displays, and mobile gaze-tracking technology, these displays can be tailored to correct common refractive errors and provide natural focus cues by dynamically updating the system based on where a user looks in a virtual scene. Indeed, the opportunities afforded by recent advances in computational optics open up the possibility of creating a computing platform in which some users may experience better quality vision in the virtual world than in the real one. PMID:28193871

A Distributed User Information System

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

NOE08 Department of Computer Science NOVO 8 1990 University of Maryland S College Park, MD 20742 D Abstract Current user information database technology ...Transactions on Computer Systems, May 1988. [So189] K. Sollins. A plan for internet directory services. Technical report, DDN Network Information Center...2424 A Distributed User Information System DTiC Steven D. Miller, Scott Carson, and Leo Mark DELECTE Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and

Self-Assessment and Student Improvement in an Introductory Computer Course at the Community College Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spicer-Sutton, Jama; Lampley, James; Good, Donald W.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine a student's computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students' improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post-test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class. This…

Multiple-User, Multitasking, Virtual-Memory Computer System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.; Roth, Don J.; Stang, David B.

1993-01-01

Computer system designed and programmed to serve multiple users in research laboratory. Provides for computer control and monitoring of laboratory instruments, acquisition and anlaysis of data from those instruments, and interaction with users via remote terminals. System provides fast access to shared central processing units and associated large (from megabytes to gigabytes) memories. Underlying concept of system also applicable to monitoring and control of industrial processes.

Self-Assessment and Student Improvement in an Introductory Computer Course at the Community College-Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spicer-Sutton, Jama

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine a student's computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students' improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and posttest scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college-level introductory computing class. This…

Exploratory Mixed-Method Study of End-User Computing within an Information Technology Infrastructure Library U.S. Army Service Delivery Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manzano, Sancho J., Jr.

2012-01-01

Empirical studies have been conducted on what is known as end-user computing from as early as the 1980s to present-day IT employees. There have been many studies on using quantitative instruments by Cotterman and Kumar (1989) and Rockart and Flannery (1983). Qualitative studies on end-user computing classifications have been conducted by…

Perceived public transport infrastructure modifies the association between public transport use and mental health: Multilevel analyses from the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Feng, Xiaoqi; Feng, Zhiqiang; Astell-Burt, Thomas

2017-01-01

Investments to promote public transport utilisation are being championed to achieve sustainable development, but the potential co-benefits for mental health are comparatively under-researched. We hypothesised that frequent users of public transport would be more likely to have better mental health (possibly due to increased levels of physical activity), but among the more frequent users, less favourable perceptions of public transport infrastructure (PPTI) could have a negative influence on mental health. Multilevel linear and logistic regressions were fitted on 30,214 participants in the UK Household Longitudinal Study with lagged PPTI and confounder measures at baseline and indicators of active travel and mental health (General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), SF-12 Mental Component Scale (MCS) and the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale (WEMWBS)) at follow-up. Compared to participants expressing poor PPTI, those who felt it was excellent were 1.29 (95%CI 1.15, 1.45) times more likely to be frequent users of public transport and 1.53 (95%CI 1.33, 1.76) times more likely to choose to walk or cycle journeys of less than two to three miles. Frequent use of public transport was found to be consistently associated with better mental health for GHQ caseness (OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.79, 0.91), GHQ score (coefficient -0.28, 95%CI -0.41, -0.16), MCS (coefficient 0.45, 95%CI 0.23, 0.66), and WEMWBS (coefficient 0.30, 95%CI 0.19, 0.40). Among frequent users of public transport, participants expressing poor PPTI were 1.46 (95%CI 1.11, 1.93) times more likely to report poorer mental health according to the GHQ caseness indicator, compared to frequent users that regarded PPTI as excellent. Similar results were observed for the other indicators of mental health. These findings indicate that while the provision of public transport infrastructure is a necessary pre-condition for stimulating population increases in physical activity, PPTI improvements needs to be prioritised to leverage the full mental health-related co-benefits of active travel.

Perceived public transport infrastructure modifies the association between public transport use and mental health: Multilevel analyses from the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Feng, Xiaoqi; Feng, Zhiqiang; Astell-Burt, Thomas

2017-01-01

Aims Investments to promote public transport utilisation are being championed to achieve sustainable development, but the potential co-benefits for mental health are comparatively under-researched. We hypothesised that frequent users of public transport would be more likely to have better mental health (possibly due to increased levels of physical activity), but among the more frequent users, less favourable perceptions of public transport infrastructure (PPTI) could have a negative influence on mental health. Methods Multilevel linear and logistic regressions were fitted on 30,214 participants in the UK Household Longitudinal Study with lagged PPTI and confounder measures at baseline and indicators of active travel and mental health (General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), SF-12 Mental Component Scale (MCS) and the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale (WEMWBS)) at follow-up. Results Compared to participants expressing poor PPTI, those who felt it was excellent were 1.29 (95%CI 1.15, 1.45) times more likely to be frequent users of public transport and 1.53 (95%CI 1.33, 1.76) times more likely to choose to walk or cycle journeys of less than two to three miles. Frequent use of public transport was found to be consistently associated with better mental health for GHQ caseness (OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.79, 0.91), GHQ score (coefficient -0.28, 95%CI -0.41, -0.16), MCS (coefficient 0.45, 95%CI 0.23, 0.66), and WEMWBS (coefficient 0.30, 95%CI 0.19, 0.40). Among frequent users of public transport, participants expressing poor PPTI were 1.46 (95%CI 1.11, 1.93) times more likely to report poorer mental health according to the GHQ caseness indicator, compared to frequent users that regarded PPTI as excellent. Similar results were observed for the other indicators of mental health. Conclusions These findings indicate that while the provision of public transport infrastructure is a necessary pre-condition for stimulating population increases in physical activity, PPTI improvements needs to be prioritised to leverage the full mental health-related co-benefits of active travel. PMID:28813422

Embedded Process Modeling, Analogy-Based Option Generation and Analytical Graphic Interaction for Enhanced User-Computer Interaction: An Interactive Storyboard of Next Generation User-Computer Interface Technology. Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

structure of the interface is a mapping from the physical world [for example, the use of icons, which S have inherent meaning to users but represent...design alternatives. Mechanisms for linking the user to the computer include physical devices (keyboards), actions taken with the devices (keystrokes...VALUATION AIDES TEMLATEI IITCOM1I LATOR IACTICAL KNOWLEDGE ACGIUISITION MICNnII t 1 Fig. 9. INTACVAL. * OtJiCTs ARE PHYSICAL ENTITIES OR CONCEPTUAL EN

Integrating care for frequent users of emergency departments: implementation evaluation of a brief multi-organizational intensive case management intervention.

PubMed

Kahan, Deborah; Leszcz, Molyn; O'Campo, Patricia; Hwang, Stephen W; Wasylenki, Donald A; Kurdyak, Paul; Wise Harris, Deborah; Gozdzik, Agnes; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

2016-04-27

Addressing the needs of frequent users of emergency departments (EDs) is a health system priority in many jurisdictions. This study describes stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of a multi-organizational brief intervention designed to support integration and continuity of care for frequent ED users with mental health and addictions problems, focusing on perceived barriers and facilitators to early implementation in a large urban centre. Coordinating Access to Care from Hospital Emergency Departments (CATCH-ED) is a brief case management intervention bridging hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users experiencing mental illness and addictions. To examine barriers and facilitators to early implementation of this multi-organizational intervention, between July and October 2012, 47 stakeholders, including direct service providers, managers and administrators participated in 32 semi-structured qualitative interviews and one focus group exploring their experience with the intervention and factors that helped or hindered successful early implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Stakeholders valued the intervention and its potential to support continuity of care for this population. Service delivery system factors, including organizational capacity and a history of collaborative relationships across the healthcare continuum, and support system factors, such as training and supervision, emerged as key facilitators of program implementation. Operational challenges included early low program referral rates, management of a multi-organizational initiative, variable adherence to the model among participating organizations, and scant access to specialty psychiatric resources. Factors contributing to these challenges included lack of dedicated staff in the ED and limited local system capacity to support this population, and insufficient training and technical assistance available to participating organizations. A multi-organizational brief intervention is an acceptable model to support integration of hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users. The study highlights the importance of early implementation evaluation to identify potential solutions to implementation barriers that may be applicable to many jurisdictions.

The HOME Team: Evaluating the Effect of an EMS-based Outreach Team to Decrease the Frequency of 911 Use Among High Utilizers of EMS.

PubMed

Tangherlini, Niels; Villar, Julian; Brown, John; Rodriguez, Robert M; Yeh, Clement; Friedman, Benjamin T; Wada, Paul

2016-12-01

The San Francisco Fire Department's (SFFD; San Francisco, California USA) Homeless Outreach and Medical Emergency (HOME) Team is the United States' first Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-based outreach effort using a specially trained paramedic to redirect frequent users of EMS to other types of services. The effectiveness of this program at reducing repeat use of emergency services during the first seven months of the team's existence was examined. A retrospective analysis of EMS use frequency and demographic characteristics of frequent users was conducted. Clients that used emergency services at least four times per month from March 2004 through May 2005 were contacted for intervention. Patterns for each frequent user before and after intervention were analyzed. Changes in EMS use during the 15-month study interval was the primary outcome measurement. A total of 59 clients were included. The target population had a median age of 55.1 years and was 68% male. Additionally, 38.0% of the target population was homeless, 43.4% had no primary care, 88.9% had a substance abuse disorder at time of contact, and 83.0% had a history of psychiatric disorder. The HOME Team undertook 320 distinct contacts with 65 frequent users during the study period. The average EMS use prior to HOME Team contact was 18.72 responses per month (SD=19.40), and after the first contact with the HOME Team, use dropped to 8.61 (SD=10.84), P<.001. Frequent users of EMS suffer from disproportionate comorbidities, particularly substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. This population responds well to the intervention of a specially trained paramedic as measured by EMS usage. Tangherlini N , Villar J , Brown J , Rodriguez RM , Yeh C , Friedman BT , Wada P . The HOME Team: evaluating the effect of an EMS-based outreach team to decrease the frequency of 911 use among high utilizers of EMS. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(6):603-607.

Fog computing job scheduling optimization based on bees swarm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitam, Salim; Zeadally, Sherali; Mellouk, Abdelhamid

2018-04-01

Fog computing is a new computing architecture, composed of a set of near-user edge devices called fog nodes, which collaborate together in order to perform computational services such as running applications, storing an important amount of data, and transmitting messages. Fog computing extends cloud computing by deploying digital resources at the premise of mobile users. In this new paradigm, management and operating functions, such as job scheduling aim at providing high-performance, cost-effective services requested by mobile users and executed by fog nodes. We propose a new bio-inspired optimization approach called Bees Life Algorithm (BLA) aimed at addressing the job scheduling problem in the fog computing environment. Our proposed approach is based on the optimized distribution of a set of tasks among all the fog computing nodes. The objective is to find an optimal tradeoff between CPU execution time and allocated memory required by fog computing services established by mobile users. Our empirical performance evaluation results demonstrate that the proposal outperforms the traditional particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm in terms of CPU execution time and allocated memory.

Field observations of display placement requirements and character size for presbyopic and prepresbyopic computer users.

PubMed

Bartha, Michael C; Allie, Paul; Kokot, Douglas; Roe, Cynthia Purvis

2015-01-01

Computer users continue to report eye and upper body discomfort even as workstation flexibility has improved. Research shows a relationship between character size, viewing distance, and reading performance. Few reports exist regarding text height viewed under normal office work conditions and eye discomfort. This paper reports self-selected computer display placement, text characteristics, and subjective comfort for older and younger computer workers under real-world conditions. Computer workers were provided with monitors and adjustable display support(s). In Study 1, older workers wearing progressive-addition lenses (PALs) were observed. In study 2, older workers wearing multifocal lenses and younger workers were observed. Workers wearing PALs experienced less eye and body discomfort with adjustable displays, and less eye and neck discomfort for text visual angles near or greater than ergonomic recommendations. Older workers wearing multifocal correction positioned displays much lower than younger workers. In general, computer users did not adjust character size to ensure that fovial images of text fell within the recommended range. Ergonomic display placement recommendations should be different for computer users wearing multifocal correction for presbyopia. Ergonomic training should emphasize adjusting text size for user comfort.

Problematics of different technical maintenance for computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dostalek, Z.

1977-01-01

Two modes of operations are used in the technical maintenance of computers: servicing provided by the equipment supplier, and that done by specially trained computer users. The advantages and disadvantages of both modes are discussed. Maintenance downtime is tabulated for two computers serviced by user employees over an eight year period.

Outcomes from a Computer-Assisted Intervention Simultaneously Targeting Cannabis and Tobacco Use

PubMed Central

Lee, Dustin C.; Budney, Alan J.; Brunette, Mary F.; Hughes, John R.; Etter, Jean-Francois; Stanger, Catherine

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Cannabis users frequently report concurrent tobacco use, and tobacco use is associated with poorer outcomes during treatment for cannabis use disorders (CUD). Interventions that simultaneously target both tobacco and cannabis use disorders may enhance cessation outcomes for either or both substances. METHODS This study evaluated an intervention integrating highly effective treatments for cannabis and tobacco use disorders. Thirty-two participants meeting diagnostic criteria for CUD and reporting daily tobacco use were enrolled in a 12-week computer-assisted behavioral treatment for CUD. Participants were encouraged to participate in a tobacco intervention that included a computer-assisted behavioral treatment tailored for tobacco and cannabis co-users, and nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT). Cannabis and tobacco outcomes were evaluated using descriptive statistics and were compared to a historical control group that received treatment for CUD but not tobacco. RESULTS Participants achieved 3.6 ± 4.3 consecutive weeks of cannabis abstinence, which was comparable to the historical control group (3.1 ± 4.4). A majority of the sample (78%) completed at least one tobacco module and 44% initiated NRT. Over half (56%) initiated tobacco quit attempts, and 28% were tobacco abstinent for at least two consecutive weeks. Participants showed greater reduction in tobacco use (cigarettes per day) than the historical control group, but differences in tobacco abstinence rates during the final month of treatment were not statistically significant (12.5% vs 4%). CONCLUSION Findings suggest that providing a tobacco intervention during treatment for CUD is feasible and may positively impact tobacco use without negatively affecting cannabis use outcomes. PMID:26307942

A Literature Review: Website Design and User Engagement.

PubMed

Garett, Renee; Chiu, Jason; Zhang, Ly; Young, Sean D

2016-07-01

Proper design has become a critical element needed to engage website and mobile application users. However, little research has been conducted to define the specific elements used in effective website and mobile application design. We attempt to review and consolidate research on effective design and to define a short list of elements frequently used in research. The design elements mentioned most frequently in the reviewed literature were navigation, graphical representation, organization, content utility, purpose, simplicity, and readability. We discuss how previous studies define and evaluate these seven elements. This review and the resulting short list of design elements may be used to help designers and researchers to operationalize best practices for facilitating and predicting user engagement.

A Literature Review: Website Design and User Engagement

PubMed Central

Garett, Renee; Chiu, Jason; Zhang, Ly; Young, Sean D.

2015-01-01

Proper design has become a critical element needed to engage website and mobile application users. However, little research has been conducted to define the specific elements used in effective website and mobile application design. We attempt to review and consolidate research on effective design and to define a short list of elements frequently used in research. The design elements mentioned most frequently in the reviewed literature were navigation, graphical representation, organization, content utility, purpose, simplicity, and readability. We discuss how previous studies define and evaluate these seven elements. This review and the resulting short list of design elements may be used to help designers and researchers to operationalize best practices for facilitating and predicting user engagement. PMID:27499833

The diagnostic value and accuracy of conjunctival impression cytology, dry eye symptomatology, and routine tear function tests in computer users.

PubMed

Bhargava, Rahul; Kumar, Prachi; Kaur, Avinash; Kumar, Manjushri; Mishra, Anurag

2014-07-01

To compare the diagnostic value and accuracy of dry eye scoring system (DESS), conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), tear film breakup time (TBUT), and Schirmer's test in computer users. A case-control study was done at two referral eye centers. Eyes of 344 computer users were compared to 371 eyes of age and sex matched controls. Dry eye questionnaire (DESS) was administered to both groups and they further underwent measurement of TBUT, Schirmer's, and CIC. Correlation analysis was performed between DESS, CIC, TBUT, and Schirmer's test scores. A Pearson's coefficient of the linear expression (R (2)) of 0.5 or more was statistically significant. The mean age in cases (26.05 ± 4.06 years) was comparable to controls (25.67 ± 3.65 years) (P = 0.465). The mean symptom score in computer users was significantly higher as compared to controls (P < 0.001). Mean TBUT, Schirmer's test values, and goblet cell density were significantly reduced in computer users (P < 0.001). TBUT, Schirmer's, and CIC were abnormal in 48.5%, 29.1%, and 38.4% symptomatic computer users respectively as compared to 8%, 6.7%, and 7.3% symptomatic controls respectively. On correlation analysis, there was a significant (inverse) association of dry eye symptoms (DESS) with TBUT and CIC scores (R (2) > 0.5), in contrast to Schirmer's scores (R(2) < 0.5). Duration of computer usage had a significant effect on dry eye symptoms severity, TBUT, and CIC scores as compared to Schirmer's test. DESS should be used in combination with TBUT and CIC for dry eye evaluation in computer users.

Cielo Computational Environment Usage Model With Mappings to ACE Requirements for the General Availability User Environment Capabilities Release Version 1.1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vigil,Benny Manuel; Ballance, Robert; Haskell, Karen

Cielo is a massively parallel supercomputer funded by the DOE/NNSA Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program, and operated by the Alliance for Computing at Extreme Scale (ACES), a partnership between Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The primary Cielo compute platform is physically located at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This Cielo Computational Environment Usage Model documents the capabilities and the environment to be provided for the Q1 FY12 Level 2 Cielo Capability Computing (CCC) Platform Production Readiness Milestone. This document describes specific capabilities, tools, and procedures to support both local and remote users. The model ismore » focused on the needs of the ASC user working in the secure computing environments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory, or Sandia National Laboratories, but also addresses the needs of users working in the unclassified environment. The Cielo Computational Environment Usage Model maps the provided capabilities to the tri-Lab ASC Computing Environment (ACE) Version 8.0 requirements. The ACE requirements reflect the high performance computing requirements for the Production Readiness Milestone user environment capabilities of the ASC community. A description of ACE requirements met, and those requirements that are not met, are included in each section of this document. The Cielo Computing Environment, along with the ACE mappings, has been issued and reviewed throughout the tri-Lab community.« less

CARE+ user study: usability and attitudes towards a tablet pc computer counseling tool for HIV+ men and women.

PubMed

Skeels, Meredith M; Kurth, Ann; Clausen, Marc; Severynen, Anneleen; Garcia-Smith, Hal

2006-01-01

CARE+ is a tablet PC-based computer counseling tool designed to support medication adherence and secondary HIV prevention for people living with HIV. Thirty HIV+ men and women participated in our user study to assess usability and attitudes towards CARE+. We observed them using CARE+ for the first time and conducted a semi-structured interview afterwards. Our findings suggest computer counseling may reduce social bias and encourage participants to answer questions honestly. Participants felt that discussing sensitive subjects with a computer instead of a person reduced feelings of embarrassment and being judged, and promoted privacy. Results also confirm that potential users think computers can provide helpful counseling, and that many also want human counseling interaction. Our study also revealed that tablet PC-based applications are usable by our population of mixed experience computer users. Computer counseling holds great potential for providing assessment and health promotion to individuals with chronic conditions such as HIV.

User's manual: Computer-aided design programs for inductor-energy-storage dc-to-dc electronic power converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huffman, S.

1977-01-01

Detailed instructions on the use of two computer-aided-design programs for designing the energy storage inductor for single winding and two winding dc to dc converters are provided. Step by step procedures are given to illustrate the formatting of user input data. The procedures are illustrated by eight sample design problems which include the user input and the computer program output.

A five-layer users' need hierarchy of computer input device selection: a contextual observation survey of computer users with cervical spinal injuries (CSI).

PubMed

Tsai, Tsai-Hsuan; Nash, Robert J; Tseng, Kevin C

2009-05-01

This article presents how the researcher goes about answering the research question, 'how assistive technology impacts computer use among individuals with cervical spinal cord injury?' through an in-depth investigation into the real-life situations among computer operators with cervical spinal cord injuries (CSI). An in-depth survey was carried out to provide an insight into the function abilities and limitation, habitual practice and preference, choices and utilisation of input devices, personal and/or technical assistance, environmental set-up and arrangements and special requirements among 20 experienced computer users with cervical spinal cord injuries. Following the survey findings, a five-layer CSI users' needs hierarchy of input device selection and use was proposed. These needs were ranked in order: beginning with the most basic criterion at the bottom of the pyramid; lower-level criteria must be met before one moves onto the higher level. The users' needs hierarchy for CSI computer users, which had not been applied by previous research work and which has established a rationale for the development of alternative input devices. If an input device achieves the criteria set up in the needs hierarchy, then a good match of person and technology will be achieved.

Pruning a decision tree for selecting computer-related assistive devices for people with disabilities.

PubMed

Chi, Chia-Fen; Tseng, Li-Kai; Jang, Yuh

2012-07-01

Many disabled individuals lack extensive knowledge about assistive technology, which could help them use computers. In 1997, Denis Anson developed a decision tree of 49 evaluative questions designed to evaluate the functional capabilities of the disabled user and choose an appropriate combination of assistive devices, from a selection of 26, that enable the individual to use a computer. In general, occupational therapists guide the disabled users through this process. They often have to go over repetitive questions in order to find an appropriate device. A disabled user may require an alphanumeric entry device, a pointing device, an output device, a performance enhancement device, or some combination of these. Therefore, the current research eliminates redundant questions and divides Anson's decision tree into multiple independent subtrees to meet the actual demand of computer users with disabilities. The modified decision tree was tested by six disabled users to prove it can determine a complete set of assistive devices with a smaller number of evaluative questions. The means to insert new categories of computer-related assistive devices was included to ensure the decision tree can be expanded and updated. The current decision tree can help the disabled users and assistive technology practitioners to find appropriate computer-related assistive devices that meet with clients' individual needs in an efficient manner.

The Graphical User Interface: Crisis, Danger, and Opportunity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, L. H.; And Others

1990-01-01

This article describes differences between the graphical user interface and traditional character-based interface systems, identifies potential problems posed by graphic computing environments for blind computer users, and describes some programs and strategies that are being developed to provide access to those environments. (Author/JDD)

Assessment of Dog Guides by Users in Japan and Suggestions for Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koda, Naoko; Kubo, Masumi; Ishigami, Tomomi; Furuhashi, Hiroaki

2011-01-01

Dog guide users in Japan were mostly satisfied with and used their dogs frequently; however, they requested some improvements in training and in basic guiding work. The findings of the study suggest the need for further improvement of training methods, considering cultural factors and individual users' needs. (Contains 3 tables.)

Evaluating user impacts and management controls: Implications for recreation choice behavior

Treesearch

Harriet H. Christensen; Nanette J. Davis

1985-01-01

This paper describes potential factors affecting recreation choice behavior. Freedom and lack of constraints are experiences frequently sought by recreationists. Data in the paper are based on questionnaires completed by agency managers and informal conversations with users in the Mount Rainier area of Washington State. Managers' and users' perceptions of...

The roles of 'subjective computer training' and management support in the use of computers in community health centres.

PubMed

Yaghmaie, Farideh; Jayasuriya, Rohan

2004-01-01

There have been many changes made to information systems in the last decade. Changes in information systems require users constantly to update their computer knowledge and skills. Computer training is a critical issue for any user because it offers them considerable new skills. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of 'subjective computer training' and management support on attitudes to computers, computer anxiety and subjective norms to use computers. The data were collected from community health centre staff. The results of the study showed that health staff trained in computer use had more favourable attitudes to computers, less computer anxiety and more awareness of others' expectations about computer use than untrained users. However, there was no relationship between management support and computer attitude, computer anxiety or subjective norms. Lack of computer training for the majority of healthcare staff confirmed the need for more attention to this issue, particularly in health centres.

Working Memory and Impulsivity Predict Marijuana-Related Problems Among Frequent Users

PubMed Central

Day, Anne M.; Metrik, Jane; Spillane, Nichea S.; Kahler, Christopher W.

2012-01-01

Background Although marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the US, only a small portion of users go on to develop dependence, suggesting that there are substantial individual differences in vulnerability to marijuana-related problems among users. Deficits in working memory and high trait impulsivity are two factors that may place marijuana users at increased risk for experiencing related problems. Methods Using baseline data from an experimental study that recruited 104 frequent marijuana users (M=71.86% of prior 60 days, SD=22%), we examined the associations of working memory and trait impulsivity with marijuana-related problems. Results Lower working memory, as measured by Trail Making Test B, but not short-term memory capacity, predicted more marijuana-related problems. Higher trait impulsivity scores were independently associated with greater number of problems. Conclusions Results suggest that marijuana users with reduced executive cognitive ability are more susceptible to developing problems related to their use. Trait impulsivity and executive working memory appear to be independent risk factors for experiencing marijuana-related problems. PMID:23312340

Case study: the health SmartLibrary experiences in web personalization and customization at the Galter health sciences library, Northwestern University.

PubMed

Shedlock, James; Frisque, Michelle; Hunt, Steve; Walton, Linda; Handler, Jonathan; Gillam, Michael

2010-04-01

How can the user's access to health information, especially full-text articles, be improved? The solution is building and evaluating the Health SmartLibrary (HSL). The setting is the Galter Health Sciences Library, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. The HSL was built on web-based personalization and customization tools: My E-Resources, Stay Current, Quick Search, and File Cabinet. Personalization and customization data were tracked to show user activity with these value-added, online services. Registration data indicated that users were receptive to personalized resource selection and that the automated application of specialty-based, personalized HSLs was more frequently adopted than manual customization by users. Those who did customize customized My E-Resources and Stay Current more often than Quick Search and File Cabinet. Most of those who customized did so only once. Users did not always take advantage of the services designed to aid their library research experiences. When personalization is available at registration, users readily accepted it. Customization tools were used less frequently; however, more research is needed to determine why this was the case.

Computer Science Research at Langley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voigt, S. J. (Editor)

1982-01-01

A workshop was held at Langley Research Center, November 2-5, 1981, to highlight ongoing computer science research at Langley and to identify additional areas of research based upon the computer user requirements. A panel discussion was held in each of nine application areas, and these are summarized in the proceedings. Slides presented by the invited speakers are also included. A survey of scientific, business, data reduction, and microprocessor computer users helped identify areas of focus for the workshop. Several areas of computer science which are of most concern to the Langley computer users were identified during the workshop discussions. These include graphics, distributed processing, programmer support systems and tools, database management, and numerical methods.

Orientations in adolescent use of information and communication technology: a digital divide by sociodemographic background, educational career, and health.

PubMed

Koivusilta, Leena K; Lintonen, Tomi P; Rimpelä, Arja H

2007-01-01

The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in adolescents' lives was studied, with emphasis on whether there exists a digital divide based on sociodemographic background, educational career, and health. The assumption was that some groups of adolescents use ICT more so that their information utilization skills improve (computer use), while others use it primarily for entertainment (digital gaming, contacting friends by mobile phone). Data were collected by mailed survey from a nationally representative sample of 12- to 18-year-olds (n=7,292; response 70%) in 2001 and analysed using ANOVA. Computer use was most frequent among adolescents whose fathers had higher education or socioeconomic status, who came from nuclear families, and who continued studies after compulsory education. Digital gaming was associated with poor school achievement and attending vocational rather than upper secondary school. Mobile phone use was frequent among adolescents whose fathers had lower education or socioeconomic status, who came from non-nuclear families, and whose educational prospects were poor. Intensive use of each ICT form, especially of mobile phones, was associated with health problems. High social position, nuclear family, and a successful educational career signified good health in general, independently of the diverse usage of ICT. There exists a digital divide among adolescents: orientation to computer use is more common in educated well-off families while digital gaming and mobile phone use accumulate at the opposite end of the spectrum. Poorest health was reported by mobile phone users. High social background and success at school signify better health, independently of the ways of using ICT.

Error correcting code with chip kill capability and power saving enhancement

DOEpatents

Gara, Alan G [Mount Kisco, NY; Chen, Dong [Croton On Husdon, NY; Coteus, Paul W [Yorktown Heights, NY; Flynn, William T [Rochester, MN; Marcella, James A [Rochester, MN; Takken, Todd [Brewster, NY; Trager, Barry M [Yorktown Heights, NY; Winograd, Shmuel [Scarsdale, NY

2011-08-30

A method and system are disclosed for detecting memory chip failure in a computer memory system. The method comprises the steps of accessing user data from a set of user data chips, and testing the user data for errors using data from a set of system data chips. This testing is done by generating a sequence of check symbols from the user data, grouping the user data into a sequence of data symbols, and computing a specified sequence of syndromes. If all the syndromes are zero, the user data has no errors. If one of the syndromes is non-zero, then a set of discriminator expressions are computed, and used to determine whether a single or double symbol error has occurred. In the preferred embodiment, less than two full system data chips are used for testing and correcting the user data.

[Gastropathy caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and its association with Helicobacter pylori].

PubMed

Rodríguez-Hernández, Heriberto; Jacobo-Karam, Janett S; Jáquez-Quintana, Joel O; Avila-Romero, Hilda G; Galván-Román, Liliana; Lara-Miranda, Sandra C; Sánchez-Anguiano, Luis F

2003-01-01

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding that is related with older patients and NSAIDs use. The frequency of peptic ulcer bleeding varies of 15% to 30% of cases. To determine the gastropathy features of patients who receive nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and its relation with Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Men and women with GU or DU with or without haemorrhage, were included into two groups, NSAIDs users and non users. We determined the incidence rate of peptic ulcer and the frequencies of risk factors as tobacco use, previous peptic ulcer or haemorrhage, concomitant disease presence and its association with Hp infection. We included 434 (67.5%) patients that used NSAIDs and 209 (32.5%) non NSAIDs users control subjects. The average was 62.5 +/- 17.2 years and 49.5 +/- 19.4 years respectively. The annual incidence rate of peptic ulcer in NSAIDs users was 17.5%. Gastrointestinal bleeding was more frequent in NSAIDs users and its relations with Hp infection (23.5%) was smaller than patients without NSAIDs user (47.7%) (OR 0.39 p = 0.0000). The GU was highly frequent in the older people who using NSAIDs. The Hp infection shows lower incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding NSAIDs users.

JobCenter: an open source, cross-platform, and distributed job queue management system optimized for scalability and versatility

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Laboratories engaged in computational biology or bioinformatics frequently need to run lengthy, multistep, and user-driven computational jobs. Each job can tie up a computer for a few minutes to several days, and many laboratories lack the expertise or resources to build and maintain a dedicated computer cluster. Results JobCenter is a client–server application and framework for job management and distributed job execution. The client and server components are both written in Java and are cross-platform and relatively easy to install. All communication with the server is client-driven, which allows worker nodes to run anywhere (even behind external firewalls or “in the cloud”) and provides inherent load balancing. Adding a worker node to the worker pool is as simple as dropping the JobCenter client files onto any computer and performing basic configuration, which provides tremendous ease-of-use, flexibility, and limitless horizontal scalability. Each worker installation may be independently configured, including the types of jobs it is able to run. Executed jobs may be written in any language and may include multistep workflows. Conclusions JobCenter is a versatile and scalable distributed job management system that allows laboratories to very efficiently distribute all computational work among available resources. JobCenter is freely available at http://code.google.com/p/jobcenter/. PMID:22846423

An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit--ergonomics is a healthy choice.

PubMed

Rehman, Rehana; Khan, Rakhshaan; Surti, Ambreen; Khan, Hira

2013-01-01

The objective of the study was to identify the occurrence and outcome of low back ache amongst computer users and their relation to age, gender, occupation and duration of computer use. A self reported questionnaire tailored from Occupational Health and Safety Act of the Ministry of Labor, Ontario, Canada was used. 416 participants 55.5% males and 45% females using computers for a minimum of five years with age range 22 to 59 years belonged to different occupational groups. Consecutive hours of computer work was found to be associated with work related backache or discomfort in 27.4% (n = 114) participants (16.1% male, 11.3% female). Frequent short breaks improved backache (p value <0.001) in 93 (22.4%) participants (13.2% male, 9.2% female). No significant relation was observed with the duration of computer usage or usage per day; between the two genders or occupational groups. Backache had no significance within age groups. Our study identifies the occurrence of low back pain among those who are using computer for consecutive hours without breaks and the results suggest the need to create health awareness especially use of short breaks to minimize the risk and occurrence of low back pain. The result of this study can also be used to improve ergonomic design and standards.

Computer programs: Information retrieval and data analysis, a compilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The items presented in this compilation are divided into two sections. Section one treats of computer usage devoted to the retrieval of information that affords the user rapid entry into voluminous collections of data on a selective basis. Section two is a more generalized collection of computer options for the user who needs to take such data and reduce it to an analytical study within a specific discipline. These programs, routines, and subroutines should prove useful to users who do not have access to more sophisticated and expensive computer software.

Worksheets for computing recommended notebook computer and workstation adjustments.

PubMed

Nanthavanij, Suebsak; Udomratana, Chatkate; Hansawad, Saowalak; Thepkanjana, Jayaporn; Tantasuwan, Wanchalerm

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the design and development of worksheets for helping notebook computer (NBC) users to compute NBC and workstation adjustments so as to assume an appropriate seated posture. The worksheets (one for male users, the other for female ones) require the following information: body height, NBC screen size, work surface height, and seat height. The worksheets contain tables for estimating recommended NBC base angle, NBC screen angle, body-NBC distance, work surface height, and seat height. Additionally, they include flow charts to help NBC users to determine necessary adjustment accessories and their settings.

Enabling high grayscale resolution displays and accurate response time measurements on conventional computers.

PubMed

Li, Xiangrui; Lu, Zhong-Lin

2012-02-29

Display systems based on conventional computer graphics cards are capable of generating images with 8-bit gray level resolution. However, most experiments in vision research require displays with more than 12 bits of luminance resolution. Several solutions are available. Bit++ (1) and DataPixx (2) use the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) output from graphics cards and high resolution (14 or 16-bit) digital-to-analog converters to drive analog display devices. The VideoSwitcher (3) described here combines analog video signals from the red and blue channels of graphics cards with different weights using a passive resister network (4) and an active circuit to deliver identical video signals to the three channels of color monitors. The method provides an inexpensive way to enable high-resolution monochromatic displays using conventional graphics cards and analog monitors. It can also provide trigger signals that can be used to mark stimulus onsets, making it easy to synchronize visual displays with physiological recordings or response time measurements. Although computer keyboards and mice are frequently used in measuring response times (RT), the accuracy of these measurements is quite low. The RTbox is a specialized hardware and software solution for accurate RT measurements. Connected to the host computer through a USB connection, the driver of the RTbox is compatible with all conventional operating systems. It uses a microprocessor and high-resolution clock to record the identities and timing of button events, which are buffered until the host computer retrieves them. The recorded button events are not affected by potential timing uncertainties or biases associated with data transmission and processing in the host computer. The asynchronous storage greatly simplifies the design of user programs. Several methods are available to synchronize the clocks of the RTbox and the host computer. The RTbox can also receive external triggers and be used to measure RT with respect to external events. Both VideoSwitcher and RTbox are available for users to purchase. The relevant information and many demonstration programs can be found at http://lobes.usc.edu/.

New IEEE standard enables data collection for medical applications.

PubMed

Kennelly, R J; Wittenber, J

1994-01-01

The IEEE has gone to ballot on a "Standard for Medical Device Communications", IEEE P1073. The lower layer, hardware portions of the standard are expected to be approved by the IEEE Standards Board at their December 11-13, 1994 meeting. Other portions of the standard are in the initial stages of the IEEE ballot process. The intent of the standard is to allow hospitals and other users to interface medical electronic devices to host computer systems in a standard, interchangeable manner. The standard is optimized for acute care environments such as ICU's, operating rooms, and emergency rooms. [1] IEEE General Committee and Subcommittee work has been on-going since 1984. Significant amounts of work have been done to discover and meet the needs of the patient care setting. Surveys performed in 1989 identified the following four key user requirements for medical device communications: 1) Frequent reconfiguration of the network. 2) Allow "plug and play" operation by users. 3) Associate devices with a specific bed and patient. 4) Support a wide range of hospital computer system topologies. Additionally, the most critical difference in the acute care setting is patient safety, which has an overall effect on the standard. The standard that went to ballot meets these requirements. The standard is based on existing ISO standards. P1073 is compliant with the OSI seven layer model. P1073 specifies the entire communication stack, from object-oriented software to hospital unique connectors. The standard will be able to be put forward as a true international standard, much in the way that the IEEE 802.x family of standards (like Ethernet) were presented as draft ISO standards.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acceptance of Cloud Services in Face-to-Face Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: A Comparison between Single-User Mode and Multi-User Mode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Chia-Sui; Huang, Yong-Ming

2016-01-01

Face-to-face computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) was used extensively to facilitate learning in classrooms. Cloud services not only allow a single user to edit a document, but they also enable multiple users to simultaneously edit a shared document. However, few researchers have compared student acceptance of such services in…

Enabling Disabled Persons to Gain Access to Digital Media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, Glenn; OGrady, Ryan

2011-01-01

A report describes the first phase in an effort to enhance the NaviGaze software to enable profoundly disabled persons to operate computers. (Running on a Windows-based computer equipped with a video camera aimed at the user s head, the original NaviGaze software processes the user's head movements and eye blinks into cursor movements and mouse clicks to enable hands-free control of the computer.) To accommodate large variations in movement capabilities among disabled individuals, one of the enhancements was the addition of a graphical user interface for selection of parameters that affect the way the software interacts with the computer and tracks the user s movements. Tracking algorithms were improved to reduce sensitivity to rotations and reduce the likelihood of tracking the wrong features. Visual feedback to the user was improved to provide an indication of the state of the computer system. It was found that users can quickly learn to use the enhanced software, performing single clicks, double clicks, and drags within minutes of first use. Available programs that could increase the usability of NaviGaze were identified. One of these enables entry of text by using NaviGaze as a mouse to select keys on a virtual keyboard.

Frequent Canned Food Use is Positively Associated with Nutrient-Dense Food Group Consumption and Higher Nutrient Intakes in US Children and Adults

PubMed Central

Comerford, Kevin B.

2015-01-01

In addition to fresh foods, many canned foods also provide nutrient-dense dietary options, often at a lower price, with longer storage potential. The aim of this study was to compare nutrient-dense food group intake and nutrient intake between different levels of canned food consumption in the US. Consumption data were collected for this cross-sectional study from 9761 American canned food consumers (aged two years and older) from The NPD Group’s National Eating Trends® (NET®) database during 2011–2013; and the data were assessed using The NPD Group’s Nutrient Intake Database. Canned food consumers were placed into three groups: Frequent Can Users (≥6 canned items/week); n = 2584, Average Can Users (3–5 canned items/week); n = 4445, and Infrequent Can Users (≤2 canned items/week); n = 2732. The results provide evidence that Frequent Can Users consume more nutrient-dense food groups such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein-rich foods, and also have higher intakes of 17 essential nutrients including the shortfall nutrients—potassium, calcium and fiber—when compared to Infrequent Can Users. Therefore, in addition to fresh foods, diets higher in nutrient-dense canned food consumption can also offer dietary options which improve nutrient intakes and the overall diet quality of Americans. PMID:26184294

Users matter : multi-agent systems model of high performance computing cluster users.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

North, M. J.; Hood, C. S.; Decision and Information Sciences

2005-01-01

High performance computing clusters have been a critical resource for computational science for over a decade and have more recently become integral to large-scale industrial analysis. Despite their well-specified components, the aggregate behavior of clusters is poorly understood. The difficulties arise from complicated interactions between cluster components during operation. These interactions have been studied by many researchers, some of whom have identified the need for holistic multi-scale modeling that simultaneously includes network level, operating system level, process level, and user level behaviors. Each of these levels presents its own modeling challenges, but the user level is the most complex duemore » to the adaptability of human beings. In this vein, there are several major user modeling goals, namely descriptive modeling, predictive modeling and automated weakness discovery. This study shows how multi-agent techniques were used to simulate a large-scale computing cluster at each of these levels.« less

Embodied prosthetic arm stabilizes body posture, while unembodied one perturbs it.

PubMed

Imaizumi, Shu; Asai, Tomohisa; Koyama, Shinichi

2016-10-01

Senses of ownership (this arm belongs to me) and agency (I am controlling this arm) originate from sensorimotor system. External objects can be integrated into the sensorimotor system following long-term use, and recognized as one's own body. We examined how an (un)embodied prosthetic arm modulates whole-body control, and assessed the components of prosthetic embodiment. Nine unilateral upper-limb amputees participated. Four frequently used their prosthetic arm, while the others rarely did. Their postural sway was measured during quiet standing with or without their prosthesis. The frequent users showed greater sway when they removed the prosthesis, while the rare users showed greater sway when they fitted the prosthesis. Frequent users reported greater everyday feelings of postural stabilization by prosthesis and a larger sense of agency over the prosthesis. We suggest that a prosthetic arm maintains or perturbs postural control, depending on the prosthetic embodiment, which involves sense of agency rather than ownership. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding patient portal use: implications for medication management.

PubMed

Osborn, Chandra Y; Mayberry, Lindsay Satterwhite; Wallston, Kenneth A; Johnson, Kevin B; Elasy, Tom A

2013-07-03

The Internet can be leveraged to provide disease management support, including medication adherence promotion that, when tailored, can effectively improve adherence to medications. The growing adoption of patient portals represents an opportunity to support medication management and adherence more broadly, but virtually no data exist about the real and potential impact of existing portals on these outcomes. We sought to (1) understand who uses an existing patient portal and reasons for use and nonuse, (2) understand how portal users are using a portal to manage their medications, and (3) explore participants' ideas for improving portal functionality for medication management and adherence support. A total of 75 adults with type 2 diabetes participated in a mixed-methods study involving focus groups, a survey, and a medical chart review. We used quantitative data to identify differences between portal users and nonusers, and to test the relationship between the frequency of portal use and glycemic control among users. We used qualitative methods to understand how and why participants use a portal and their ideas for improving its medication management functionality. Of the enrolled participants, 81% (61/75) attended a focus group and/or completed a survey; portal users were more likely than nonusers to participate in that capacity (Fisher exact test; P=.01). Users were also more likely than nonusers to be Caucasian/white (Fisher exact test; P<.001), have higher incomes (Fisher exact test; P=.005), and be privately insured (Fisher exact test; P<.001). Users also tended to have more education than nonusers (Mann-Whitney U; P=.05), although this relationship was not significant at P<.05. Among users, more frequent use of a portal was associated with better A1C (Spearman rho =-0.30; P=.02). Reasons for nonuse included not knowing about the portal (n=3), not having access to a computer (n=3), or having a family member serve as an online delegate (n=1). Users reported using the portal to request prescription refills/reauthorizations and to view their medication list, and they were enthusiastic about the idea of added refill reminder functionality. They were also interested in added functionality that could streamline the refill/reauthorization process, alert providers to fill/refill nonadherence, and provide information about medication side effects and interactions. Although there are disparities in patient portal use, patients use portals to manage their medications, are enthusiastic about further leveraging portals to support medication management and adherence, and those who use a portal more frequently have better glycemic control. However, more features and functionality within a portal platform is needed to maximize medication management and adherence promotion.

Neural correlates of performance monitoring in chronic cannabis users and cannabis-naïve controls

PubMed Central

Fridberg, Daniel J; Skosnik, Patrick D; Hetrick, William P; O’Donnell, Brian F

2014-01-01

Chronic cannabis use is associated with residual negative effects on measures of executive functioning. However, little previous work has focused specifically on executive processes involved in performance monitoring in frequent cannabis users. The present study investigated event-related potential (ERP) correlates of performance monitoring in chronic cannabis users. The error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe), ERPs sensitive to performance monitoring, were recorded from 30 frequent cannabis users (mean usage=5.52 days/week) and 32 cannabis-naïve control participants during a speeded stimulus discrimination task. The “oddball” P3 ERP was recorded as well. Users and controls did not differ on the amplitude or latency of the ERN; however, Pe amplitude was larger among users. Users also showed increased amplitude and reduced latency of the P3 in response to infrequent stimuli presented during the task. Among users, urinary cannabinoid metabolite levels at testing were unrelated to ERP outcomes. However, total years of cannabis use correlated negatively with P3 latency and positively with P3 amplitude, and age of first cannabis use correlated negatively with P3 amplitude. The results of this study suggest that chronic cannabis use is associated with alterations in neural activity related to the processing of motivationally-relevant stimuli (P3) and errors (Pe). PMID:23427191

Vytra Healthcare forms a frequent user plan focusing on wellness.

PubMed

Herreria, J

1998-01-01

Vytra Healthcare's "Constellation Club" marks the first time the concept of wellness has been applied to health plans. The Constellation Club is comparable to a frequent flier club in the airline industry.

A Study on the Characteristics of Infrequent and Frequent Outpatients Visiting Korean Traditional Medical Facilities

PubMed Central

Yoon, Jinwon; Park, Haemo; Chu, Chaeshin; Choi, Sung-Yong; Lee, Kibum; Lee, Sundong

2015-01-01

Objectives This study was intended to analyze the characteristics of infrequent and frequent outpatients visiting Korean medical facilities, and find the related variables of frequent users. Methods The data source was the Report on the Usage and Consumption of Korean Medicine (2011) published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. We analyzed outpatient data using SAS 9.2. Results As much as 46.6% of the patients used Korean medical services over 11 times in 3 months. The proportion of frequent users increased depending on age, and their proportion was high in the low-income and low-education group. People with musculoskeletal disease, stroke, hypertension, and obesity were more likely to use Korean medical services. In general, patients were satisfied with their treatment, with frequent outpatients being more satisfied than infrequent outpatients. In logistic regression analysis, age and musculoskeletal disease were significant determinants of frequency of use of Korean medical services. Conclusion Age, musculoskeletal disease, and specific diseases were highly associated with frequent Korean medical utilization. PMID:26430614

User satisfaction with computerized order entry system and its effect on workplace level of stress.

PubMed

Ghahramani, Nasrollah; Lendel, Irina; Haque, Rehan; Sawruk, Kathryn

2009-06-01

To evaluate the impact of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) on workplace stress and overall job performance, as perceived by medical students, housestaff, attending physicians and nurses, after CPOE implementation at Penn State-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, an academic tertiary care facility, in 2005. Using an online survey, the authors studied attitudes towards CPOE among 862 health care professionals. The main outcome measures were job performance and perceived stress levels. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Analytical Software (SAS Inc, Carey, NC). A total of413 respondents completed the entire survey (47.9 % response rate). Respondents in the younger age group were more familiar with the system, used it more frequently, and were more satisfied with it. Interns and residents were the most satisfied groups with the system, while attending physicians expressed the least satisfaction. Attending physicians and fellows found the system least user friendly compared with other groups, and also tended to express more stress and frustration with the system. Participants with previous CPOE experience were more familiar with the system, would use the system more frequently and were more likely to perceive the system as user friendly. User satisfaction with CPOE increases by familiarity and frequent use of the system. Improvement in system characteristics and avoidance of confusing terminology and inconsistent display of data is expected to enhance user satisfaction. Training in the use of CPOE should start early, ideally integrated into medical and nursing school curricula and form a continuous, long-term and user-specific process. This is expected to increase familiarity with the system, reducing stress and leading to improved user satisfaction and to subsequent enhanced safety and efficiency.

Key factors of case management interventions for frequent users of healthcare services: a thematic analysis review.

PubMed

Hudon, Catherine; Chouinard, Maud-Christine; Lambert, Mireille; Diadiou, Fatoumata; Bouliane, Danielle; Beaudin, Jérémie

2017-10-22

The aim of this paper was to identify the key factors of case management (CM) interventions among frequent users of healthcare services found in empirical studies of effectiveness. Thematic analysis review of CM studies. We built on a previously published review that aimed to report the effectiveness of CM interventions for frequent users of healthcare services, using the Medline, Scopus and CINAHL databases covering the January 2004-December 2015 period, then updated to July 2017, with the keywords 'CM' and 'frequent use'. We extracted factors of successful (n=7) and unsuccessful (n=6) CM interventions and conducted a mixed thematic analysis to synthesise findings. Chaudoir's implementation of health innovations framework was used to organise results into four broad levels of factors: (1) ,environmental/organisational level, (2) practitioner level, (3) patient level and (4) programme level. Access to, and close partnerships with, healthcare providers and community services resources were key factors of successful CM interventions that should target patients with the greatest needs and promote frequent contacts with the healthcare team. The selection and training of the case manager was also an important factor to foster patient engagement in CM. Coordination of care, self-management support and assistance with care navigation were key CM activities. The main issues reported by unsuccessful CM interventions were problems with case finding or lack of care integration. CM interventions for frequent users of healthcare services should ensure adequate case finding processes, rigorous selection and training of the case manager, sufficient intensity of the intervention, as well as good care integration among all partners. Other studies could further evaluate the influence of contextual factors on intervention impacts. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Controlling user access to electronic resources without password

DOEpatents

Smith, Fred Hewitt

2017-08-22

Described herein are devices and techniques for remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource. The process includes obtaining an image from a communication device of a user. An individual and a landmark are identified within the image. Determinations are made that the individual is the user and that the landmark is a predetermined landmark. Access to a restricted computing resource is granted based on the determining that the individual is the user and that the landmark is the predetermined landmark. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Managing the Risks Associated with End-User Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alavi, Maryam; Weiss, Ira R.

1986-01-01

Identifies organizational risks of end-user computing (EUC) associated with different stages of the end-user applications life cycle (analysis, design, implementation). Generic controls are identified that address each of the risks enumerated in a manner that allows EUC management to select those most appropriate to their EUC environment. (5…

Interfacing HTCondor-CE with OpenStack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bockelman, B.; Caballero Bejar, J.; Hover, J.

2017-10-01

Over the past few years, Grid Computing technologies have reached a high level of maturity. One key aspect of this success has been the development and adoption of newer Compute Elements to interface the external Grid users with local batch systems. These new Compute Elements allow for better handling of jobs requirements and a more precise management of diverse local resources. However, despite this level of maturity, the Grid Computing world is lacking diversity in local execution platforms. As Grid Computing technologies have historically been driven by the needs of the High Energy Physics community, most resource providers run the platform (operating system version and architecture) that best suits the needs of their particular users. In parallel, the development of virtualization and cloud technologies has accelerated recently, making available a variety of solutions, both commercial and academic, proprietary and open source. Virtualization facilitates performing computational tasks on platforms not available at most computing sites. This work attempts to join the technologies, allowing users to interact with computing sites through one of the standard Computing Elements, HTCondor-CE, but running their jobs within VMs on a local cloud platform, OpenStack, when needed. The system will re-route, in a transparent way, end user jobs into dynamically-launched VM worker nodes when they have requirements that cannot be satisfied by the static local batch system nodes. Also, once the automated mechanisms are in place, it becomes straightforward to allow an end user to invoke a custom Virtual Machine at the site. This will allow cloud resources to be used without requiring the user to establish a separate account. Both scenarios are described in this work.

Identification of task demands and usability issues in police use of mobile computing terminals.

PubMed

Zahabi, Maryam; Kaber, David

2018-01-01

Crash reports from various states in the U.S. have shown high numbers of emergency vehicle crashes, especially in law enforcement situations. This study identified the perceived importance and frequency of police mobile computing terminal (MCT) tasks, quantified the demands of different tasks using a cognitive performance modeling methodology, identified usability violations of current MCT interface designs, and formulated design recommendations for an enhanced interface. Results revealed that "access call notes", "plate number check" and "find location on map" are the most important and frequently performed tasks for officers. "Reading plate information" was also found to be the most visually and cognitively demanding task-method. Usability principles of "using simple and natural dialog" and "minimizing user memory load" were violated by the current MCT interface design. The enhanced design showed potential for reducing cognitive demands and task completion time. Findings should be further validated using a driving simulation study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiologic programs for computers and calculators. A microcomputer program for multiple logistic regression by unconditional and conditional maximum likelihood methods.

PubMed

Campos-Filho, N; Franco, E L

1989-02-01

A frequent procedure in matched case-control studies is to report results from the multivariate unmatched analyses if they do not differ substantially from the ones obtained after conditioning on the matching variables. Although conceptually simple, this rule requires that an extensive series of logistic regression models be evaluated by both the conditional and unconditional maximum likelihood methods. Most computer programs for logistic regression employ only one maximum likelihood method, which requires that the analyses be performed in separate steps. This paper describes a Pascal microcomputer (IBM PC) program that performs multiple logistic regression by both maximum likelihood estimation methods, which obviates the need for switching between programs to obtain relative risk estimates from both matched and unmatched analyses. The program calculates most standard statistics and allows factoring of categorical or continuous variables by two distinct methods of contrast. A built-in, descriptive statistics option allows the user to inspect the distribution of cases and controls across categories of any given variable.

Genomic region operation kit for flexible processing of deep sequencing data.

PubMed

Ovaska, Kristian; Lyly, Lauri; Sahu, Biswajyoti; Jänne, Olli A; Hautaniemi, Sampsa

2013-01-01

Computational analysis of data produced in deep sequencing (DS) experiments is challenging due to large data volumes and requirements for flexible analysis approaches. Here, we present a mathematical formalism based on set algebra for frequently performed operations in DS data analysis to facilitate translation of biomedical research questions to language amenable for computational analysis. With the help of this formalism, we implemented the Genomic Region Operation Kit (GROK), which supports various DS-related operations such as preprocessing, filtering, file conversion, and sample comparison. GROK provides high-level interfaces for R, Python, Lua, and command line, as well as an extension C++ API. It supports major genomic file formats and allows storing custom genomic regions in efficient data structures such as red-black trees and SQL databases. To demonstrate the utility of GROK, we have characterized the roles of two major transcription factors (TFs) in prostate cancer using data from 10 DS experiments. GROK is freely available with a user guide from >http://csbi.ltdk.helsinki.fi/grok/.

An enhanced mobile-healthcare emergency system based on extended chaotic maps.

PubMed

Lee, Cheng-Chi; Hsu, Che-Wei; Lai, Yan-Ming; Vasilakos, Athanasios

2013-10-01

Mobile Healthcare (m-Healthcare) systems, namely smartphone applications of pervasive computing that utilize wireless body sensor networks (BSNs), have recently been proposed to provide smartphone users with health monitoring services and received great attentions. An m-Healthcare system with flaws, however, may leak out the smartphone user's personal information and cause security, privacy preservation, or user anonymity problems. In 2012, Lu et al. proposed a secure and privacy-preserving opportunistic computing (SPOC) framework for mobile-Healthcare emergency. The brilliant SPOC framework can opportunistically gather resources on the smartphone such as computing power and energy to process the computing-intensive personal health information (PHI) in case of an m-Healthcare emergency with minimal privacy disclosure. To balance between the hazard of PHI privacy disclosure and the necessity of PHI processing and transmission in m-Healthcare emergency, in their SPOC framework, Lu et al. introduced an efficient user-centric privacy access control system which they built on the basis of an attribute-based access control mechanism and a new privacy-preserving scalar product computation (PPSPC) technique. However, we found out that Lu et al.'s protocol still has some secure flaws such as user anonymity and mutual authentication. To fix those problems and further enhance the computation efficiency of Lu et al.'s protocol, in this article, the authors will present an improved mobile-Healthcare emergency system based on extended chaotic maps. The new system is capable of not only providing flawless user anonymity and mutual authentication but also reducing the computation cost.

Evaluating biomechanics of user-selected sitting and standing computer workstation.

PubMed

Lin, Michael Y; Barbir, Ana; Dennerlein, Jack T

2017-11-01

A standing computer workstation has now become a popular modern work place intervention to reduce sedentary behavior at work. However, user's interaction related to a standing computer workstation and its differences with a sitting workstation need to be understood to assist in developing recommendations for use and set up. The study compared the differences in upper extremity posture and muscle activity between user-selected sitting and standing workstation setups. Twenty participants (10 females, 10 males) volunteered for the study. 3-D posture, surface electromyography, and user-reported discomfort were measured while completing simulated tasks with each participant's self-selected workstation setups. Sitting computer workstation associated with more non-neutral shoulder postures and greater shoulder muscle activity, while standing computer workstation induced greater wrist adduction angle and greater extensor carpi radialis muscle activity. Sitting computer workstation also associated with greater shoulder abduction postural variation (90th-10th percentile) while standing computer workstation associated with greater variation for should rotation and wrist extension. Users reported similar overall discomfort levels within the first 10 min of work but had more than twice as much discomfort while standing than sitting after 45 min; with most discomfort reported in the low back for standing and shoulder for sitting. These different measures provide understanding in users' different interactions with sitting and standing and by alternating between the two configurations in short bouts may be a way of changing the loading pattern on the upper extremity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Program For Generating Interactive Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costenbader, Jay; Moleski, Walt; Szczur, Martha; Howell, David; Engelberg, Norm; Li, Tin P.; Misra, Dharitri; Miller, Philip; Neve, Leif; Wolf, Karl;

Computer Health Score

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

The algorithm develops a single health score for office computers, today just Windows, but we plan to extend this to Apple computers. The score is derived from various parameters, including: CPU Utilization; Memory Utilization; Various Error logs; Disk Problems; and Disk write queue length. It then uses a weighting scheme to balance these parameters and provide an overall health score. By using these parameters, we are not just assessing the theoretical performance of the components of the computer, rather we are using actual performance metrics that are selected to be a more realistic representation of the experience of the personmore » using the computer. This includes compensating for the nature of their use. If there are two identical computers and the user of one places heavy demands on their computer compared with the user of the second computer, the former will have a lower health score. This allows us to provide a 'fit for purpose' score tailored to the assigned user. This is very helpful data to inform the mangers when individual computers need to be replaced. Additionally it provides specific information that can facilitate the fixing of the computer, to extend it's useful lifetime. This presents direct financial savings, time savings for users transferring from one computer to the next, and better environmental stewardship.« less

P43-S Computational Biology Applications Suite for High-Performance Computing (BioHPC.net)

PubMed Central

Pillardy, J.

2007-01-01

One of the challenges of high-performance computing (HPC) is user accessibility. At the Cornell University Computational Biology Service Unit, which is also a Microsoft HPC institute, we have developed a computational biology application suite that allows researchers from biological laboratories to submit their jobs to the parallel cluster through an easy-to-use Web interface. Through this system, we are providing users with popular bioinformatics tools including BLAST, HMMER, InterproScan, and MrBayes. The system is flexible and can be easily customized to include other software. It is also scalable; the installation on our servers currently processes approximately 8500 job submissions per year, many of them requiring massively parallel computations. It also has a built-in user management system, which can limit software and/or database access to specified users. TAIR, the major database of the plant model organism Arabidopsis, and SGN, the international tomato genome database, are both using our system for storage and data analysis. The system consists of a Web server running the interface (ASP.NET C#), Microsoft SQL server (ADO.NET), compute cluster running Microsoft Windows, ftp server, and file server. Users can interact with their jobs and data via a Web browser, ftp, or e-mail. The interface is accessible at http://cbsuapps.tc.cornell.edu/.

OhioLINK Electronic Journal Use at Ohio State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connell, Tschera Harkness; Rogers, Sally A.; Diedrichs, Carol Pitts

2005-01-01

A five-question survey randomly presented to users at Ohio State University (OSU) as they viewed articles in OhioLINK's Electronic Journal Center (EJC) in fall 2002 probed the user's status, academic unit, reason for viewing, path to the article, and frequency of EJC use. Usage by faculty and graduate students, by frequent users, and by those in…

User Preferences for a Text Message-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, Beth C.; Heron, Kristin E.; Jennings, Ernestine G.; Magee, Joshua C.; Morrow, Kathleen M.

2013-01-01

Younger adults are more likely to smoke and less likely to seek treatment than older smokers. They are also frequent users of communication technology. In the current study, we conducted focus groups to obtain feedback about preferences for a text message-based smoking cessation program from potential users. Participants ("N" = 21, "M" age = 25.6…

A framework supporting the development of a Grid portal for analysis based on ROI.

PubMed

Ichikawa, K; Date, S; Kaishima, T; Shimojo, S

2005-01-01

In our research on brain function analysis, users require two different simultaneous types of processing: interactive processing to a specific part of data and high-performance batch processing to an entire dataset. The difference between these two types of processing is in whether or not the analysis is for data in the region of interest (ROI). In this study, we propose a Grid portal that has a mechanism to freely assign computing resources to the users on a Grid environment according to the users' two different types of processing requirements. We constructed a Grid portal which integrates interactive processing and batch processing by the following two mechanisms. First, a job steering mechanism controls job execution based on user-tagged priority among organizations with heterogeneous computing resources. Interactive jobs are processed in preference to batch jobs by this mechanism. Second, a priority-based result delivery mechanism that administrates a rank of data significance. The portal ensures a turn-around time of interactive processing by the priority-based job controlling mechanism, and provides the users with quality of services (QoS) for interactive processing. The users can access the analysis results of interactive jobs in preference to the analysis results of batch jobs. The Grid portal has also achieved high-performance computation of MEG analysis with batch processing on the Grid environment. The priority-based job controlling mechanism has been realized to freely assign computing resources to the users' requirements. Furthermore the achievement of high-performance computation contributes greatly to the overall progress of brain science. The portal has thus made it possible for the users to flexibly include the large computational power in what they want to analyze.

Digital hand atlas for web-based bone age assessment: system design and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fei; Huang, H. K.; Pietka, Ewa; Gilsanz, Vicente

2000-04-01

A frequently used assessment method of skeletal age is atlas matching by a radiological examination of a hand image against a small set of Greulich-Pyle patterns of normal standards. The method however can lead to significant deviation in age assessment, due to a variety of observers with different levels of training. The Greulich-Pyle atlas based on middle upper class white populations in the 1950s, is also not fully applicable for children of today, especially regarding the standard development in other racial groups. In this paper, we present our system design and initial implementation of a digital hand atlas and computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system for Web-based bone age assessment. The digital atlas will remove the disadvantages of the currently out-of-date one and allow the bone age assessment to be computerized and done conveniently via Web. The system consists of a hand atlas database, a CAD module and a Java-based Web user interface. The atlas database is based on a large set of clinically normal hand images of diverse ethnic groups. The Java-based Web user interface allows users to interact with the hand image database form browsers. Users can use a Web browser to push a clinical hand image to the CAD server for a bone age assessment. Quantitative features on the examined image, which reflect the skeletal maturity, is then extracted and compared with patterns from the atlas database to assess the bone age.

HEPLIB `91: International users meeting on the support and environments of high energy physics computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnstad, H.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the current and future HEP computing support and environments from the perspective of new horizons in accelerator, physics, and computing technologies. Topics of interest to the Meeting include (but are limited to): the forming of the HEPLIB world user group for High Energy Physic computing; mandate, desirables, coordination, organization, funding; user experience, international collaboration; the roles of national labs, universities, and industry; range of software, Monte Carlo, mathematics, physics, interactive analysis, text processors, editors, graphics, data base systems, code management tools; program libraries, frequency of updates, distribution; distributed and interactive computing, datamore » base systems, user interface, UNIX operating systems, networking, compilers, Xlib, X-Graphics; documentation, updates, availability, distribution; code management in large collaborations, keeping track of program versions; and quality assurance, testing, conventions, standards.« less

HEPLIB 91: International users meeting on the support and environments of high energy physics computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnstad, H.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the current and future HEP computing support and environments from the perspective of new horizons in accelerator, physics, and computing technologies. Topics of interest to the Meeting include (but are limited to): the forming of the HEPLIB world user group for High Energy Physic computing; mandate, desirables, coordination, organization, funding; user experience, international collaboration; the roles of national labs, universities, and industry; range of software, Monte Carlo, mathematics, physics, interactive analysis, text processors, editors, graphics, data base systems, code management tools; program libraries, frequency of updates, distribution; distributed and interactive computing, datamore » base systems, user interface, UNIX operating systems, networking, compilers, Xlib, X-Graphics; documentation, updates, availability, distribution; code management in large collaborations, keeping track of program versions; and quality assurance, testing, conventions, standards.« less

Analysis of Delays in Transmitting Time Code Using an Automated Computer Time Distribution System

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

jlevine@clock. bldrdoc.gov Abstract An automated computer time distribution system broadcasts standard tune to users using computers and modems via...contributed to &lays - sofhareplatform (50% of the delay), transmission speed of time- codes (25OA), telephone network (lS%), modem and others (10’4). The... modems , and telephone lines. Users dial the ACTS server to receive time traceable to the national time scale of Singapore, UTC(PSB). The users can in

Clean, cheap, convenient: promotion of Electronic cigarettes on YouTube.

PubMed

Sears, Clara G; Walker, Kandi L; Hart, Joy L; Lee, Alexander S; Siu, Allison; Smith, Courteney

2017-04-01

Videos promoting electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) can be easily accessed on YouTube. Marketing claims present in YouTube videos may help shape the public's opinion of e-cigarettes. Thus, it is important to understand the most frequent marketing claims and video sources. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify marketing claims in YouTube videos that are commonly made on e-cigarette retail websites and 2) compare the frequency of marketing claims in user-generated and professional YouTube videos. Through content analysis, this study evaluated six marketing claims and descriptive information about YouTube videos (n = 50) related to "electronic cigarettes" and "vape". Overall, the most frequent marketing claim promoted e-cigarette use as better than traditional tobacco use (52%). Approximately 65% of videos appeared to be user-generated and 35% were professionally-produced. Compared to user-generated videos, significantly more professional videos made claims that e-cigarettes are cleaner (p < 0.001) and cheaper (p = 0.04) than traditional cigarettes. Additionally, more professional videos had claims promoting e-cigarettes as better than traditional cigarettes because of their convenience-the user can smoke anywhere (p < 0.0001) and the products do not produce secondhand smoke (p < 0.001). The most frequent claim in user-generated videos was related to recreation (53%). Videos on YouTube promote e-cigarettes as safer than other tobacco products. Videos appearing to be user-generated contained different marketing claims compared to professional videos. Further research is necessary to assess how the perceived source of the video impacts the ways these marketing claims shape public perception and influence use.

Human factors aspects of control room design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, J. P.

1983-01-01

A plan for the design and analysis of a multistation control room is reviewed. It is found that acceptance of the computer based information system by the uses in the control room is mandatory for mission and system success. Criteria to improve computer/user interface include: match of system input/output with user; reliability, compatibility and maintainability; easy to learn and little training needed; self descriptive system; system under user control; transparent language, format and organization; corresponds to user expectations; adaptable to user experience level; fault tolerant; dialog capability user communications needs reflected in flexibility, complexity, power and information load; integrated system; and documentation.

Infrequent and Frequent Nondaily Smokers and Daily Smokers: Their Characteristics and Other Tobacco Use Patterns.

PubMed

Wang, Yingning; Sung, Hai-Yen; Yao, Tingting; Lightwood, James; Max, Wendy

2018-05-03

The proportion of smokers who do not smoke daily has increased over time, but nondaily smokers are a heterogeneous group. We compare characteristics and other tobacco product use of infrequent nondaily, frequent nondaily, and daily US adult smokers. We analyzed data from the 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys. Current smokers were categorized as daily, infrequent nondaily (smoked 1-12 days in the past 30 days), and frequent nondaily (smoked 13-29 days in the past 30 days) smokers. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlates of infrequent nondaily, frequent nondaily, and daily smoking. Among current smokers, 8.3% were infrequent nondaily, 8.1% were frequent nondaily, and 83.6% were daily smokers. The prevalence of infrequent versus daily smoking increased over time, with a smaller increase among non-Hispanic Blacks than non-Hispanic Whites. The adjusted odds of both infrequent and frequent smoking versus daily smoking differed by age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty status, marital status, region, quit attempts in the past 12 months, and binge drinking. Snuff users (vs. non-snuff users) were 2.4 times as likely to be infrequent than daily smokers. There were also differences in race/ethnicity, education, marital status, region, quit attempts, and snuff use between infrequent versus frequent smokers. Infrequent smokers differ from both frequent and daily smokers in socio-demographics, quit attempts, and snuff use. The heterogeneity of nondaily smokers should be considered in developing targeted tobacco control and smoking cessation programs. Infrequent and frequent nondaily smokers were found to differ from daily smokers in age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty status, marital status, region, and quit attempts and they were different from each other in race/ethnicity, education, marital status, region, and quit attempts. Binge drinkers were more likely to be infrequent smokers and frequent smokers versus daily smokers. Current snuff users were found to have increased odds of infrequent smoking versus daily smoking and versus frequent smoking. These results highlight the importance of acknowledging the differences among nondaily smokers in smoking frequency in developing targeted tobacco control and smoking cessation programs.

Efficient and anonymous two-factor user authentication in wireless sensor networks: achieving user anonymity with lightweight sensor computation.

PubMed

Nam, Junghyun; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Han, Sangchul; Kim, Moonseong; Paik, Juryon; Won, Dongho

2015-01-01

A smart-card-based user authentication scheme for wireless sensor networks (hereafter referred to as a SCA-WSN scheme) is designed to ensure that only users who possess both a smart card and the corresponding password are allowed to gain access to sensor data and their transmissions. Despite many research efforts in recent years, it remains a challenging task to design an efficient SCA-WSN scheme that achieves user anonymity. The majority of published SCA-WSN schemes use only lightweight cryptographic techniques (rather than public-key cryptographic techniques) for the sake of efficiency, and have been demonstrated to suffer from the inability to provide user anonymity. Some schemes employ elliptic curve cryptography for better security but require sensors with strict resource constraints to perform computationally expensive scalar-point multiplications; despite the increased computational requirements, these schemes do not provide user anonymity. In this paper, we present a new SCA-WSN scheme that not only achieves user anonymity but also is efficient in terms of the computation loads for sensors. Our scheme employs elliptic curve cryptography but restricts its use only to anonymous user-to-gateway authentication, thereby allowing sensors to perform only lightweight cryptographic operations. Our scheme also enjoys provable security in a formal model extended from the widely accepted Bellare-Pointcheval-Rogaway (2000) model to capture the user anonymity property and various SCA-WSN specific attacks (e.g., stolen smart card attacks, node capture attacks, privileged insider attacks, and stolen verifier attacks).

Efficient and Anonymous Two-Factor User Authentication in Wireless Sensor Networks: Achieving User Anonymity with Lightweight Sensor Computation

PubMed Central

Nam, Junghyun; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Han, Sangchul; Kim, Moonseong; Paik, Juryon; Won, Dongho

2015-01-01

A smart-card-based user authentication scheme for wireless sensor networks (hereafter referred to as a SCA-WSN scheme) is designed to ensure that only users who possess both a smart card and the corresponding password are allowed to gain access to sensor data and their transmissions. Despite many research efforts in recent years, it remains a challenging task to design an efficient SCA-WSN scheme that achieves user anonymity. The majority of published SCA-WSN schemes use only lightweight cryptographic techniques (rather than public-key cryptographic techniques) for the sake of efficiency, and have been demonstrated to suffer from the inability to provide user anonymity. Some schemes employ elliptic curve cryptography for better security but require sensors with strict resource constraints to perform computationally expensive scalar-point multiplications; despite the increased computational requirements, these schemes do not provide user anonymity. In this paper, we present a new SCA-WSN scheme that not only achieves user anonymity but also is efficient in terms of the computation loads for sensors. Our scheme employs elliptic curve cryptography but restricts its use only to anonymous user-to-gateway authentication, thereby allowing sensors to perform only lightweight cryptographic operations. Our scheme also enjoys provable security in a formal model extended from the widely accepted Bellare-Pointcheval-Rogaway (2000) model to capture the user anonymity property and various SCA-WSN specific attacks (e.g., stolen smart card attacks, node capture attacks, privileged insider attacks, and stolen verifier attacks). PMID:25849359

Potentially risky postural behaviors during worksite keyboard use

PubMed Central

Baker, Nancy A.; Redfern, Mark

2016-01-01

Objective This study describes the frequency and distribution of potentially risky postural behaviors of keyboard users. Method Forty-three subjects’ keyboard postural behaviors were rated with the Keyboard – Personal Computer Style instrument (K-PeCS) while they worked at their own workstations. The frequency and distribution of keyboard postural behaviors, and the associations and differences between the right and left sides were assessed. Results Generally, each static body posture had a single criterion that occurred most frequently, (e.g. elbow flexion posture 80 – 120 degrees), while dynamic postures of the wrists and hands were distributed throughout their criteria. Right and left side postural behaviors were significantly associated for shoulder flexion, elbow flexion, hand displacement, wrist extension, forearm rotation, isolated 5th digit, MCP hyperextension, and wrist support use, and significantly different for hand displacement, isolated thumb, number of digits used, and MCP hyperextension. Conclusion Potentially problematic keyboard postural behaviors are common among keyboard users. Our results suggest that occupational therapists must systematically assess body, arm, wrist, and hand postures on both the right and left sides to be able to develop the most effective intervention strategies. PMID:19708467

[Statistical analysis using freely-available "EZR (Easy R)" software].

PubMed

Kanda, Yoshinobu

2015-10-01

Clinicians must often perform statistical analyses for purposes such evaluating preexisting evidence and designing or executing clinical studies. R is a free software environment for statistical computing. R supports many statistical analysis functions, but does not incorporate a statistical graphical user interface (GUI). The R commander provides an easy-to-use basic-statistics GUI for R. However, the statistical function of the R commander is limited, especially in the field of biostatistics. Therefore, the author added several important statistical functions to the R commander and named it "EZR (Easy R)", which is now being distributed on the following website: http://www.jichi.ac.jp/saitama-sct/. EZR allows the application of statistical functions that are frequently used in clinical studies, such as survival analyses, including competing risk analyses and the use of time-dependent covariates and so on, by point-and-click access. In addition, by saving the script automatically created by EZR, users can learn R script writing, maintain the traceability of the analysis, and assure that the statistical process is overseen by a supervisor.

Zipf's Law of Abbreviation and the Principle of Least Effort: Language users optimise a miniature lexicon for efficient communication.

PubMed

Kanwal, Jasmeen; Smith, Kenny; Culbertson, Jennifer; Kirby, Simon

2017-08-01

The linguist George Kingsley Zipf made a now classic observation about the relationship between a word's length and its frequency; the more frequent a word is, the shorter it tends to be. He claimed that this "Law of Abbreviation" is a universal structural property of language. The Law of Abbreviation has since been documented in a wide range of human languages, and extended to animal communication systems and even computer programming languages. Zipf hypothesised that this universal design feature arises as a result of individuals optimising form-meaning mappings under competing pressures to communicate accurately but also efficiently-his famous Principle of Least Effort. In this study, we use a miniature artificial language learning paradigm to provide direct experimental evidence for this explanatory hypothesis. We show that language users optimise form-meaning mappings only when pressures for accuracy and efficiency both operate during a communicative task, supporting Zipf's conjecture that the Principle of Least Effort can explain this universal feature of word length distributions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Consumption of CPU Hours with Scientific Output for the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE)

PubMed Central

Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study that compares resource usage with publication output using data about the consumption of CPU cycles from the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) and resulting scientific publications for 2,691 institutions/teams. Specifically, the datasets comprise a total of 5,374,032,696 central processing unit (CPU) hours run in XSEDE during July 1, 2011 to August 18, 2015 and 2,882 publications that cite the XSEDE resource. Three types of studies were conducted: a geospatial analysis of XSEDE providers and consumers, co-authorship network analysis of XSEDE publications, and bi-modal network analysis of how XSEDE resources are used by different research fields. Resulting visualizations show that a diverse set of consumers make use of XSEDE resources, that users of XSEDE publish together frequently, and that the users of XSEDE with the highest resource usage tend to be “traditional” high-performance computing (HPC) community members from astronomy, atmospheric science, physics, chemistry, and biology. PMID:27310174

An intelligent maximum permissible exposure meter for safety assessments of laser radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corder, D. A.; Evans, D. R.; Tyrer, J. R.

1996-09-01

There is frequently a need to make laser power or energy density measurements when determining whether radiation from a laser system exceeds the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) as defined in BS EN 60825. This can be achieved using standard commercially available laser power or energy measurement equipment, but some of these have shortcomings when used in this application. Calculations must be performed by the user to compare the measured value to the MPE. The measurement and calculation procedure appears complex to the nonexpert who may be performing the assessment. A novel approach is described which uses purpose designed hardware and software to simplify the process. The hardware is optimized for measuring the relatively low powers associated with MPEs. The software runs on a Psion Series 3a palmtop computer. This reduces the cost and size of the system yet allows graphical and numerical presentation of data. Data output to other software running on PCs is also possible, enabling the instrument to be used as part of a quality system. Throughout the measurement process the opportunity for user error has been minimized by the hardware and software design.

End-user satisfaction of a patient education tool manual versus computer-generated tool.

PubMed

Tronni, C; Welebob, E

1996-01-01

This article reports a nonexperimental comparative study of end-user satisfaction before and after implementation of a vendor supplied computerized system (Micromedex, Inc) for providing up-to-date patient instructions regarding diseases, injuries, procedures, and medications. The purpose of this research was to measure the satisfaction of nurses who directly interact with a specific patient educational software application and to compare user satisfaction with manual versus computer generated materials. A computing satisfaction questionnaire that uses a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest) was used to measure end-user computing satisfaction in five constructs: content, accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness. Summary statistics were used to calculate mean ratings for each of the questionnaire's 12 items and for each of the five constructs. Mean differences between the ratings before and after implementation of the five constructs were significant by paired t test. Total user satisfaction improved with the computerized system, and the computer generated materials were given a higher rating than were the manual materials. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Examining ISIS Support and Opposition Networks on Twitter

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

interactive communities of Twitter users , lexical analysis that can identify key themes and content for large data sets, and social network analysis...Twitter data, we lexically analyzed the content and key themes of users who mostly employ Daesh versus those who mostly use Islamic State in their tweets...As predicted, we found that frequent users of Daesh had content that was highly critical of ISIS, with users using such terms as Terrorist Daesh

Computer and video game addiction-a comparison between game users and non-game users.

PubMed

Weinstein, Aviv Malkiel

2010-09-01

Computer game addiction is excessive or compulsive use of computer and video games that may interfere with daily life. It is not clear whether video game playing meets diagnostic criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). First objective is to review the literature on computer and video game addiction over the topics of diagnosis, phenomenology, epidemiology, and treatment. Second objective is to describe a brain imaging study measuring dopamine release during computer game playing. Article search of 15 published articles between 2000 and 2009 in Medline and PubMed on computer and video game addiction. Nine abstinent "ecstasy" users and 8 control subjects were scanned at baseline and after performing on a motorbike riding computer game while imaging dopamine release in vivo with [123I] IBZM and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Psycho-physiological mechanisms underlying computer game addiction are mainly stress coping mechanisms, emotional reactions, sensitization, and reward. Computer game playing may lead to long-term changes in the reward circuitry that resemble the effects of substance dependence. The brain imaging study showed that healthy control subjects had reduced dopamine D2 receptor occupancy of 10.5% in the caudate after playing a motorbike riding computer game compared with baseline levels of binding consistent with increased release and binding to its receptors. Ex-chronic "ecstasy" users showed no change in levels of dopamine D2 receptor occupancy after playing this game. This evidence supports the notion that psycho-stimulant users have decreased sensitivity to natural reward. Computer game addicts or gamblers may show reduced dopamine response to stimuli associated with their addiction presumably due to sensitization.

USER'S GUIDE TO THE PERSONAL COMPUTER VERSION OF THE BIOGENIC EMISSIONS INVENTORY SYSTEM (PC-BEIS2)

EPA Science Inventory

The document is a user's guide for an updated Personal Computer version of the Biogenic Emissions Inventory System (PC-BEIS2), allowing users to estimate hourly emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and soil nitrogen oxide emissions for any county in the contig...

Balancing Computer Resources with Institutional Needs. AIR Forum Paper 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Gerald W.; And Others

To estimate computer needs at a higher education institution, the major types of users and their future needs should be determined. In a large or complex university, three major groups of users are typically instructional, research, and administrative. After collecting information on the needs of these users, the needs can be translated into…

User's guide to the SEPHIS computer code for calculating the Thorex solvent extraction system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Watson, S.B.; Rainey, R.H.

1979-05-01

The SEPHIS computer program was developed to simulate the countercurrent solvent extraction process. The code has now been adapted to model the Acid Thorex flow sheet. This report represents a practical user's guide to SEPHIS - Thorex containing a program description, user information, program listing, and sample input and output.

User's Guide for SKETCH

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hedgley, David R., Jr.

2000-01-01

A user's guide for the computer program SKETCH is presented on this disk. SKETCH solves a popular problem in computer graphics-the removal of hidden lines from images of solid objects. Examples and illustrations are included in the guide. Also included is the SKETCH program, so a user can incorporate the information into a particular software system.

User's guide to SILVAH

Treesearch

Peter D. Knopp; Susan L. Stout

2014-01-01

This user's guide for the SILVAH computer program, version 6.2, supersedes the 1992 user's guide (Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-162). Designed for stand-alone Windows-based personal computers, SILVAH recommends a silvicultural prescription for a forest stand based on a summary and analysis of field inventory data. The program also includes a simulator that can be used...

How to Create, Modify, and Interface Aspen In-House and User Databanks for System Configuration 1:

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Camp, D W

2000-10-27

The goal of this document is to provide detailed instructions to create, modify, interface, and test Aspen User and In-House databanks with minimal frustration. The level of instructions are aimed at a novice Aspen Plus simulation user who is neither a programming nor computer-system expert. The instructions are tailored to Version 10.1 of Aspen Plus and the specific computing configuration summarized in the Title of this document and detailed in Section 2. Many details of setting up databanks depend on the computing environment specifics, such as the machines, operating systems, command languages, directory structures, inter-computer communications software, the version ofmore » the Aspen Engine and Graphical User Interface (GUI), and the directory structure of how these were installed.« less

User Participation and Participatory Design: Topics in Computing Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kautz, Karlheinz

1996-01-01

Discusses user participation and participatory design in the context of formal education for computing professionals. Topics include the current curriculum debate; mathematical- and engineering-based education; traditional system-development training; and an example of a course program that includes computers and society, and prototyping. (53…

75 FR 32915 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... used to authenticate authorized desktop and laptop computer users. Computer servers are scanned monthly... data is also used for management and statistical reports and studies. Routine uses of records... duties. The computer files are password protected with access restricted to authorized users. Records are...

Understanding PubMed user search behavior through log analysis.

PubMed

Islamaj Dogan, Rezarta; Murray, G Craig; Névéol, Aurélie; Lu, Zhiyong

2009-01-01

This article reports on a detailed investigation of PubMed users' needs and behavior as a step toward improving biomedical information retrieval. PubMed is providing free service to researchers with access to more than 19 million citations for biomedical articles from MEDLINE and life science journals. It is accessed by millions of users each day. Efficient search tools are crucial for biomedical researchers to keep abreast of the biomedical literature relating to their own research. This study provides insight into PubMed users' needs and their behavior. This investigation was conducted through the analysis of one month of log data, consisting of more than 23 million user sessions and more than 58 million user queries. Multiple aspects of users' interactions with PubMed are characterized in detail with evidence from these logs. Despite having many features in common with general Web searches, biomedical information searches have unique characteristics that are made evident in this study. PubMed users are more persistent in seeking information and they reformulate queries often. The three most frequent types of search are search by author name, search by gene/protein, and search by disease. Use of abbreviation in queries is very frequent. Factors such as result set size influence users' decisions. Analysis of characteristics such as these plays a critical role in identifying users' information needs and their search habits. In turn, such an analysis also provides useful insight for improving biomedical information retrieval.Database URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed.

Transfer of computer software technology through workshops: The case of fish bioenergetics modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, B.L.

1992-01-01

A three-part program is proposed to promote the availability and use of computer software packages to fishery managers and researchers. The approach consists of journal articles that announce new technologies, technical reports that serve as user's guides, and hands-on workshops that provide direct instruction to new users. Workshops, which allow experienced users to directly instruct novices in software operation and application are important, but often neglected. The author's experience with organizing and conducting bioenergetics modeling workshops suggests the optimal workshop would take 2 days, have 10-15 participants, one computer for every two users, and one instructor for every 5-6 people.

Switched on or switched off? A survey of mobile, computer and Internet use in a community mental health rehabilitation sample.

PubMed

Tobitt, Simon; Percival, Robert

2017-07-04

UK society is undergoing a technological revolution, including meeting health needs through technology. Government policy is shifting towards a "digital by default" position. Studies have trialled health technology interventions for those experiencing psychosis and shown them to be useful. To gauge levels of engagement with mobile phones (Internet-enabled or cell phone), computers and the Internet in the specific population of community mental health rehabilitation. Two surveys were conducted: with service-users on use/non-use of technologies, and interest in technology interventions and support; and with placements on facilities and support available to service-users. Levels of engagement in this population were substantially less than those recorded in the general UK and other clinical populations: 40.2% regularly use mobiles, 17.5% computers, and 14.4% the Internet. Users of all three technologies were significantly younger than non-users. Users of mobiles and computers were significantly more likely to live in lower support/higher independence placements. Of surveyed placements, 35.5% provide a communal computer and 38.7% IT skills sessions. Community mental health rehabilitation service-users risk finding themselves excluded by a "digital divide". Action is needed to ensure equal access to online opportunities, including healthcare innovations. Clinical and policy implications are discussed.

Network support for system initiated checkpoints

DOEpatents

Chen, Dong; Heidelberger, Philip

2013-01-29

A system, method and computer program product for supporting system initiated checkpoints in parallel computing systems. The system and method generates selective control signals to perform checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node. The checkpointing is initiated by the system such that checkpoint data of a plurality of network nodes may be obtained even in the presence of user applications running on highly parallel computers that include ongoing user messaging activity.

Coordinating Technological Resources in a Non-Technical Profession: The Administrative Computer User Group.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rollo, J. Michael; Marmarchev, Helen L.

1999-01-01

The explosion of computer applications in the modern workplace has required student affairs professionals to keep pace with technological advances for office productivity. This article recommends establishing an administrative computer user groups, utilizing coordinated web site development, and enhancing working relationships as ways of dealing…

Defining Information Needs of Computer Users: A Human Communication Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimbrough, Kenneth L.

This exploratory investigation of the process of defining the information needs of computer users and the impact of that process on information retrieval focuses on communication problems. Six sites were visited that used computers to process data or to provide information, including the California Department of Transportation, the California…

The Impact of User Interface on Young Children's Computational Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pugnali, Alex; Sullivan, Amanda; Bers, Marina Umaschi

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: Over the past few years, new approaches to introducing young children to computational thinking have grown in popularity. This paper examines the role that user interfaces have on children's mastery of computational thinking concepts and positive interpersonal behaviors. Background: There is a growing pressure to begin teaching…

Understanding the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oblinger, Diana

The Internet is an international network linking hundreds of smaller computer networks in North America, Europe, and Asia. Using the Internet, computer users can connect to a variety of computers with little effort or expense. The potential for use by college faculty is enormous. The largest problem faced by most users is understanding what such…

Computer Viruses and Related Threats: A Management Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wack, John P.; Carnahan, Lisa J.

This document contains guidance for managing the threats of computer viruses, Trojan horses, network worms, etc. and related software along with unauthorized use. It is geared towards managers of end-user groups, managers dealing with multi-user systems, personal computers, and networks. The guidance is general and addresses the vulnerabilities…

Establishing a group of endpoints in a parallel computer

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles J.; Blocksome, Michael A.; Ratterman, Joseph D.; Smith, Brian E.; Xue, Hanhong

2016-02-02

A parallel computer executes a number of tasks, each task includes a number of endpoints and the endpoints are configured to support collective operations. In such a parallel computer, establishing a group of endpoints receiving a user specification of a set of endpoints included in a global collection of endpoints, where the user specification defines the set in accordance with a predefined virtual representation of the endpoints, the predefined virtual representation is a data structure setting forth an organization of tasks and endpoints included in the global collection of endpoints and the user specification defines the set of endpoints without a user specification of a particular endpoint; and defining a group of endpoints in dependence upon the predefined virtual representation of the endpoints and the user specification.

Accounting utility for determining individual usage of production level software systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garber, S. C.

1984-01-01

An accounting package was developed which determines the computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program and updates a file containing accumulated resource totals. The accounting package is divided into two separate programs. The first program determines the total amount of computer resources utilized by a user during the execution of a particular program. The second program uses these totals to update a file containing accumulated totals of computer resources utilized by a user for a particular program. This package is useful to those persons who have several other users continually accessing and running programs from their accounts. The package provides the ability to determine which users are accessing and running specified programs along with their total level of usage.

Case study: the Health SmartLibrary* experiences in web personalization and customization at the Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University

PubMed Central

Shedlock, James; Frisque, Michelle; Hunt, Steve; Walton, Linda; Handler, Jonathan; Gillam, Michael

2010-01-01

Question: How can the user's access to health information, especially full-text articles, be improved? The solution is building and evaluating the Health SmartLibrary (HSL). Setting: The setting is the Galter Health Sciences Library, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Method: The HSL was built on web-based personalization and customization tools: My E-Resources, Stay Current, Quick Search, and File Cabinet. Personalization and customization data were tracked to show user activity with these value-added, online services. Main Results: Registration data indicated that users were receptive to personalized resource selection and that the automated application of specialty-based, personalized HSLs was more frequently adopted than manual customization by users. Those who did customize customized My E-Resources and Stay Current more often than Quick Search and File Cabinet. Most of those who customized did so only once. Conclusion: Users did not always take advantage of the services designed to aid their library research experiences. When personalization is available at registration, users readily accepted it. Customization tools were used less frequently; however, more research is needed to determine why this was the case. PMID:20428276

Spatial issues in user interface design from a graphic design perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcus, Aaron

1989-01-01

The user interface of a computer system is a visual display that provides information about the status of operations on data within the computer and control options to the user that enable adjustments to these operations. From the very beginning of computer technology the user interface was a spatial display, although its spatial features were not necessarily complex or explicitly recognized by the users. All text and nonverbal signs appeared in a virtual space generally thought of as a single flat plane of symbols. Current technology of high performance workstations permits any element of the display to appear as dynamic, multicolor, 3-D signs in a virtual 3-D space. The complexity of appearance and the user's interaction with the display provide significant challenges to the graphic designer of current and future user interfaces. In particular, spatial depiction provides many opportunities for effective communication of objects, structures, processes, navigation, selection, and manipulation. Issues are presented that are relevant to the graphic designer seeking to optimize the user interface's spatial attributes for effective visual communication.

The Helicopter Antenna Radiation Prediction Code (HARP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klevenow, F. T.; Lynch, B. G.; Newman, E. H.; Rojas, R. G.; Scheick, J. T.; Shamansky, H. T.; Sze, K. Y.

1990-01-01

The first nine months effort in the development of a user oriented computer code, referred to as the HARP code, for analyzing the radiation from helicopter antennas is described. The HARP code uses modern computer graphics to aid in the description and display of the helicopter geometry. At low frequencies the helicopter is modeled by polygonal plates, and the method of moments is used to compute the desired patterns. At high frequencies the helicopter is modeled by a composite ellipsoid and flat plates, and computations are made using the geometrical theory of diffraction. The HARP code will provide a user friendly interface, employing modern computer graphics, to aid the user to describe the helicopter geometry, select the method of computation, construct the desired high or low frequency model, and display the results.

The Dutch Cannabis Dependence (CanDep) study on the course of frequent cannabis use and dependence: objectives, methods and sample characteristics.

PubMed

van der Pol, Peggy; Liebregts, Nienke; de Graaf, Ron; Korf, Dirk J; van den Brink, Wim; van Laar, Margriet

2011-09-01

This paper presents an overview of the prospective cohort design of the Dutch Cannabis Dependence (CanDep) study, which investigates (i) the three-year natural course of frequent cannabis use (≥ three days per week in the past 12 months) and cannabis dependence; and (ii) the factors involved in the transition from frequent non-dependent cannabis use to cannabis dependence, and remission from dependence. Besides its scientific relevance, this knowledge may contribute to improve selective and indicated prevention, early detection, treatment and cannabis policies. The secondary objectives are the identification of factors related to treatment seeking and the validation of self report measures of cannabis use. Between September 2008 and April 2009, baseline data were collected from 600 frequent cannabis users with an average age of 22.1 years, predominantly male (79.3%) and an average cannabis use history of 7.1 years; 42.0% fulfilled a (12-month DSM-IV) diagnosis of cannabis dependence. The response rate was 83.7% after the first follow up at 18 months. The second and last follow-up is planned at 36 months. Computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) were conducted which covered: cannabis use (including detailed assessments of exposure, motives for use and potency preference); use of other substances; DSM-IV internalizing and externalizing mental disorders; treatment seeking; personality; life events; social support and social functioning. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Dutch Cannabis Dependence (CanDep) study on the course of frequent cannabis use and dependence: objectives, methods and sample characteristics

PubMed Central

van der Pol, Peggy; Liebregts, Nienke; de Graaf, Ron; Korf, Dirk J; van den Brink, Wim; van Laar, Margriet

2011-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the prospective cohort design of the Dutch Cannabis Dependence (CanDep) study, which investigates (i) the three-year natural course of frequent cannabis use (≥ three days per week in the past 12 months) and cannabis dependence; and (ii) the factors involved in the transition from frequent non-dependent cannabis use to cannabis dependence, and remission from dependence. Besides its scientific relevance, this knowledge may contribute to improve selective and indicated prevention, early detection, treatment and cannabis policies. The secondary objectives are the identification of factors related to treatment seeking and the validation of self report measures of cannabis use. Between September 2008 and April 2009, baseline data were collected from 600 frequent cannabis users with an average age of 22.1 years, predominantly male (79.3%) and an average cannabis use history of 7.1 years; 42.0% fulfilled a (12-month DSM-IV) diagnosis of cannabis dependence. The response rate was 83.7% after the first follow up at 18 months. The second and last follow-up is planned at 36 months. Computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) were conducted which covered: cannabis use (including detailed assessments of exposure, motives for use and potency preference); use of other substances; DSM-IV internalizing and externalizing mental disorders; treatment seeking; personality; life events; social support and social functioning. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:21815231

Mental disorders in current and former heavy ecstasy (MDMA) users.

PubMed

Thomasius, R; Petersen, K U; Zapletalova, P; Wartberg, L; Zeichner, D; Schmoldt, A

2005-09-01

Ecstasy use has often been found to be associated with psychopathology, yet this research has so far been based largely on subjective symptom ratings. To investigate whether ecstasy users suffered from long-term psychopathological consequences. We compared the prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV (DSM-IV) mental disorders in 30 current and 29 former ecstasy users, 29 polydrug and 30 drug-naive controls. Groups were approximately matched by age, gender and level of education. The current ecstasy users reported a life-time dose of an average of 821 and the former ecstasy users of 768 ecstasy tablets. Ecstasy users did not significantly differ from controls in the prevalence of mental disorders, except those related to substance use. Substance-induced affective, anxiety and cognitive disorders occurred more frequently among ecstasy users than polydrug controls. The life-time prevalence of ecstasy dependence amounted to 73% in the ecstasy user groups. More than half of the former ecstasy users and nearly half of the current ecstasy users met the criteria of substance-induced cognitive disorders at the time of testing. Logistic regression analyses showed the estimated life-time doses of ecstasy to be predictive of cognitive disorders, both current and life-time. The motivation for ecstasy use is not likely to be self-medication of pre-existing depressive or anxiety disorders as these did not occur more frequently in the ecstasy users than in control groups or in the general population. Cognitive disorders still present after over 5 months of ecstasy abstinence may well be functional consequences of serotonergic neurotoxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

Multi-blocking strategies for the INS3D incompressible Navier-Stokes code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatlin, Boyd

1990-01-01

With the continuing development of bigger and faster supercomputers, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a useful tool for real-world engineering design and analysis. However, the number of grid points necessary to resolve realistic flow fields numerically can easily exceed the memory capacity of available computers. In addition, geometric shapes of flow fields, such as those in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) power head, may be impossible to fill with continuous grids upon which to obtain numerical solutions to the equations of fluid motion. The solution to this dilemma is simply to decompose the computational domain into subblocks of manageable size. Computer codes that are single-block by construction can be modified to handle multiple blocks, but ad-hoc changes in the FORTRAN have to be made for each geometry treated. For engineering design and analysis, what is needed is generalization so that the blocking arrangement can be specified by the user. INS3D is a computer program for the solution of steady, incompressible flow problems. It is used frequently to solve engineering problems in the CFD Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center. INS3D uses an implicit solution algorithm and the concept of artificial compressibility to provide the necessary coupling between the pressure field and the velocity field. The development of generalized multi-block capability in INS3D is described.

Spherical roller bearing analysis. SKF computer program SPHERBEAN. Volume 2: User's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleckner, R. J.; Dyba, G. J.

1980-01-01

The user's guide for the SPHERBEAN computer program for prediction of the thermomechanical performance characteristics of high speed lubricated double row spherical roller bearings is presented. The material presented is structured to guide the user in the practical and correct implementation of SPHERBEAN. Input and output, guidelines for program use, and sample executions are detailed.

Usage of Thin-Client/Server Architecture in Computer Aided Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cimen, Caghan; Kavurucu, Yusuf; Aydin, Halit

2014-01-01

With the advances of technology, thin-client/server architecture has become popular in multi-user/single network environments. Thin-client is a user terminal in which the user can login to a domain and run programs by connecting to a remote server. Recent developments in network and hardware technologies (cloud computing, virtualization, etc.)…

The Use of Social Media to Maximize Energy Performance in the United States Marine Corps

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

foster user interaction was blogs. 63 The Obama campaign blog allowed the most citizen- generated content compared to other channels. “Four-in... Instagram , Pinterest, and LinkedIn. More users use multiple sites than only one. The frequency which users access social media is also an important and...distinguishing characteristic. Figure 5 displays the number of daily Facebook, Twitter, 8 and Instagram users dwarf the number of less frequent

A three-year comparative study of continuation rates, bleeding patterns and satisfaction in Australian women using a subdermal contraceptive implant or progestogen releasing-intrauterine system.

PubMed

Weisberg, Edith; Bateson, Deborah; McGeechan, Kevin; Mohapatra, Lita

2014-02-01

BACKGROUND Long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs) are safe, highly effective, readily reversible, and require no action on the part of the user following insertion. Early discontinuation may put women at increased risk of unintended pregnancy. METHODS Following insertion of a progestogen-only subdermal implant or intrauterine system (IUS) at Family Planning NSW, women 18 years and older completed a questionnaire about their choice. At 6 weeks, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months by telephone or online they completed a questionnaire about bleeding patterns, side effects, satisfaction, and reasons for discontinuation. RESULTS Two hundred IUS users and 149 implant users were enrolled. The former were generally older, married or in a de-facto relationship, and had children. Forty-seven percent of implant users discontinued within three years compared to 27% of IUS users (p = 0.002). In the first two years amenorrhoea was more frequent in implant users. Frequent bleeding/spotting was more prevalent in the first year of IUS use but over time was twice as prevalent in implant users. Infrequent bleeding/spotting was more common in IUS users. CONCLUSION Both devices are highly effective and acceptable cost-effective methods. While LARCs should be promoted to women of all ages seeking contraception, early discontinuation due to unacceptable bleeding highlights the need for pre-insertion counselling.

Quality user support: Supporting quality users

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woolley, T.C.

1994-12-31

During the past decade, fundamental changes have occurred in technical computing in the oil industry. Technical computing systems have moved from local, fragmented quantity, to global, integrated, quality. The compute power available to the average geoscientist at his desktop has grown exponentially. Technical computing applications have increased in integration and complexity. At the same time, there has been a significant change in the work force due to the pressures of restructuring, and the increased focus on international opportunities. The profile of the user of technical computing resources has changed. Users are generally more mature, knowledgeable, and team oriented than theirmore » predecessors. In the 1990s, computer literacy is a requirement. This paper describes the steps taken by Oryx Energy Company to address the problems and opportunities created by the explosive growth in computing power and needs, coupled with the contraction of the business. A successful user support strategy will be described. Characteristics of the program include: (1) Client driven support; (2) Empowerment of highly skilled professionals to fill the support role; (3) Routine and ongoing modification to the support plan; (4) Utilization of the support assignment to create highly trained advocates on the line; (5) Integration of the support role to the reservoir management team. Results of the plan include a highly trained work force, stakeholder teams that include support personnel, and global support from a centralized support organization.« less

The Relation between Frequency of E-Cigarette Use and Frequency and Intensity of Cigarette Smoking among South Korean Adolescents

PubMed Central

Lee, Jung Ah; Lee, Sungkyu; Cho, Hong-Jun

2017-01-01

Introduction: The prevalence of adolescent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased in most countries. This study aims to determine the relation between the frequency of e-cigarette use and the frequency and intensity of cigarette smoking. Additionally, the study evaluates the association between the reasons for e-cigarette use and the frequency of its use. Materials and Methods: Using the 2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, we included 6655 adolescents with an experience of e-cigarette use who were middle and high school students aged 13–18 years. We compared smoking experience, the frequency and intensity of cigarette smoking, and the relation between the reasons for e-cigarette uses and the frequency of e-cigarette use. Results: The prevalence of e-cigarette ever and current (past 30 days) users were 10.1% and 3.9%, respectively. Of the ever users, approximately 60% used e-cigarettes not within 1 month. On the other hand, 8.1% used e-cigarettes daily. The frequent and intensive cigarette smoking was associated with frequent e-cigarette uses. The percentage of frequent e-cigarette users (≥10 days/month) was 3.5% in adolescents who did not smoke within a month, but 28.7% among daily smokers. Additionally, it was 9.1% in smokers who smoked less than 1 cigarette/month, but 55.1% in smokers who smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day. The most common reason for e-cigarette use was curiosity (22.9%), followed by the belief that they are less harmful than conventional cigarettes (18.9%), the desire to quit smoking (13.1%), and the capacity for indoor use (10.7%). Curiosity was the most common reason among less frequent e-cigarette users; however, the desire to quit smoking and the capacity for indoor use were the most common reasons among more frequent users. Conclusions: Results showed a positive relation between frequency or intensity of conventional cigarette smoking and the frequency of e-cigarette use among Korean adolescents, and frequency of e-cigarette use differed according to the reason for the use of e-cigarettes. PMID:28335449

The Relation between Frequency of E-Cigarette Use and Frequency and Intensity of Cigarette Smoking among South Korean Adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Jung Ah; Lee, Sungkyu; Cho, Hong-Jun

2017-03-14

The prevalence of adolescent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased in most countries. This study aims to determine the relation between the frequency of e-cigarette use and the frequency and intensity of cigarette smoking. Additionally, the study evaluates the association between the reasons for e-cigarette use and the frequency of its use. Using the 2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, we included 6655 adolescents with an experience of e-cigarette use who were middle and high school students aged 13-18 years. We compared smoking experience, the frequency and intensity of cigarette smoking, and the relation between the reasons for e-cigarette uses and the frequency of e-cigarette use. The prevalence of e-cigarette ever and current (past 30 days) users were 10.1% and 3.9%, respectively. Of the ever users, approximately 60% used e-cigarettes not within 1 month. On the other hand, 8.1% used e-cigarettes daily. The frequent and intensive cigarette smoking was associated with frequent e-cigarette uses. The percentage of frequent e-cigarette users (≥10 days/month) was 3.5% in adolescents who did not smoke within a month, but 28.7% among daily smokers. Additionally, it was 9.1% in smokers who smoked less than 1 cigarette/month, but 55.1% in smokers who smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day. The most common reason for e-cigarette use was curiosity (22.9%), followed by the belief that they are less harmful than conventional cigarettes (18.9%), the desire to quit smoking (13.1%), and the capacity for indoor use (10.7%). Curiosity was the most common reason among less frequent e-cigarette users; however, the desire to quit smoking and the capacity for indoor use were the most common reasons among more frequent users. Results showed a positive relation between frequency or intensity of conventional cigarette smoking and the frequency of e-cigarette use among Korean adolescents, and frequency of e-cigarette use differed according to the reason for the use of e-cigarettes.

The emergence of Zipf's law - Spontaneous encoding optimization by users of a command language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, S. R.; Hitchcock, R. J.

1986-01-01

The distribution of commands issued by experienced users of a computer operating system allowing command customization tends to conform to Zipf's law. This result documents the emergence of a statistical property of natural language as users master an artificial language. Analysis of Zipf's law by Mandelbrot and Cherry shows that its emergence in the computer interaction of experienced users may be interpreted as evidence that these users optimize their encoding of commands. Accordingly, the extent to which users of a command language exhibit Zipf's law can provide a metric of the naturalness and efficiency with which that language is used.

Software for Sharing and Management of Information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, James R.; Wolfe, Shawn R.; Wragg, Stephen D.

2003-01-01

DIAMS is a set of computer programs that implements a system of collaborative agents that serve multiple, geographically distributed users communicating via the Internet. DIAMS provides a user interface as a Java applet that runs on each user s computer and that works within the context of the user s Internet-browser software. DIAMS helps all its users to manage, gain access to, share, and exchange information in databases that they maintain on their computers. One of the DIAMS agents is a personal agent that helps its owner find information most relevant to current needs. It provides software tools and utilities for users to manage their information repositories with dynamic organization and virtual views. Capabilities for generating flexible hierarchical displays are integrated with capabilities for indexed- query searching to support effective access to information. Automatic indexing methods are employed to support users queries and communication between agents. The catalog of a repository is kept in object-oriented storage to facilitate sharing of information. Collaboration between users is aided by matchmaker agents and by automated exchange of information. The matchmaker agents are designed to establish connections between users who have similar interests and expertise.

Effectively identifying user profiles in network and host metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, John P.; Berk, Vincent H.; Gregorio-de Souza, Ian

2010-04-01

This work presents a collection of methods that is used to effectively identify users of computers systems based on their particular usage of the software and the network. Not only are we able to identify individual computer users by their behavioral patterns, we are also able to detect significant deviations in their typical computer usage over time, or compared to a group of their peers. For instance, most people have a small, and relatively unique selection of regularly visited websites, certain email services, daily work hours, and typical preferred applications for mandated tasks. We argue that these habitual patterns are sufficiently specific to identify fully anonymized network users. We demonstrate that with only a modest data collection capability, profiles of individual computer users can be constructed so as to uniquely identify a profiled user from among their peers. As time progresses and habits or circumstances change, the methods presented update each profile so that changes in user behavior can be reliably detected over both abrupt and gradual time frames, without losing the ability to identify the profiled user. The primary benefit of our methodology allows one to efficiently detect deviant behaviors, such as subverted user accounts, or organizational policy violations. Thanks to the relative robustness, these techniques can be used in scenarios with very diverse data collection capabilities, and data privacy requirements. In addition to behavioral change detection, the generated profiles can also be compared against pre-defined examples of known adversarial patterns.

MEDLEARN: a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program for MEDLARS.

PubMed Central

Eisenberg, L J; Standing, R A; Tidball, C S; Leiter, J

1978-01-01

*MEDLEARN*, a second-generation computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program available (nationally) since October 1976, provides on-line training for MEDLINE, one of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) data base. *MEDLEARN* was developed as a joint effort between NLM and The George Washington University Medical Center. Using MEDLINE formats throughout, *MEDLEARN* combines tutorial dialogue, drill and practice, testing, and simulation. The program was designed in three tracks oriented to basic methods, advanced techniques, and new developments. Each topic is presented on two levels, permitting an alternate explanation for users encountering difficulty. *MEDLEARN*, coded in the computer language PILOT, was developed with a modular structure which promotes ease of writing and revision. A versatile control structure maximizes student control. Frequent interactions check immediate recall, general comprehension, and integration of knowledge. Two MEDLINE simulations are included, providing the student an opportunity to formulate and execute a search, have it evaluated, and then perform the search in MEDLINE. Commenting, news broadcasting, and monitoring (with permission only) capabilities are also available. Subjective field appraisals have been positive and NLM plans to expand *MEDLEARN* and produce similar programs for other data bases. PMID:342015

Practical experience with graphical user interfaces and object-oriented design in the clinical laboratory.

PubMed

Wells, I G; Cartwright, R Y; Farnan, L P

1993-12-15

The computing strategy in our laboratories evolved from research in Artificial Intelligence, and is based on powerful software tools running on high performance desktop computers with a graphical user interface. This allows most tasks to be regarded as design problems rather than implementation projects, and both rapid prototyping and an object-oriented approach to be employed during the in-house development and enhancement of the laboratory information systems. The practical application of this strategy is discussed, with particular reference to the system designer, the laboratory user and the laboratory customer. Routine operation covers five departments, and the systems are stable, flexible and well accepted by the users. Client-server computing, currently undergoing final trials, is seen as the key to further development, and this approach to Pathology computing has considerable potential for the future.

Adolescent pornographic internet site use: a multivariate regression analysis of the predictive factors of use and psychosocial implications.

PubMed

Tsitsika, Artemis; Critselis, Elena; Kormas, Georgios; Konstantoulaki, Eleftheria; Constantopoulos, Andreas; Kafetzis, Dimitrios

2009-10-01

The study objectives were to evaluate the prevalence, predictors, and implications of pornographic Internet site (PIS) use among Greek adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 529 randomly selected Greek high school students. The prevalence of overall PIS use was 19.47% (n = 96). Among PIS users, 55 (57.29%) reported infrequent and 41 (42.71%) reported frequent PIS use. The predictors of infrequent PIS use included male gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 8.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.52-19.61), Internet use for sexual education (AOR = 5.26; 95% CI = 1.78-15.55), chat rooms (AOR = 2.95; 95% CI = 1.48-5.91), and purchases (AOR = 3.06; 95% CI = 1.22-7.67). The predictors of frequent PIS use were male gender (AOR = 19.61; 95% CI = 4.46-83.33), Internet use for sexual education (AOR = 7.39; 95% CI = 2.37-23.00), and less than 10 hours per week Internet use (AOR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.10-1.59). Compared to non-PIS users, infrequent PIS users were twice as likely to have abnormal conduct problems (odds ratio [OR] = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.19-6.28); frequent PIS users were significantly more likely to have abnormal conduct problems (OR = 4.05; 95% CI = 1.57-10.46) and borderline prosocial score (OR = 4.22; 95% CI = 1.64-10.85). Thus, both infrequent and frequent PIS use are prevalent and significantly associated with social maladjustment among Greek adolescents.

Parent use of touchscreen computer kiosks for child health promotion in community settings.

PubMed

Thompson, Darcy A; Lozano, Paula; Christakis, Dimitri A

2007-03-01

The goals were to evaluate the use of touchscreen computer kiosks, containing only child health-promoting information, in urban, low-income, community settings and to characterize the users of these kiosks. Three user-driven touchscreen computer kiosks were placed in low-income urban locations in Seattle, Washington, from March 2005 to October 2005. The locations included a public library, a Department of Motor Vehicles office, and a McDonald's restaurant. Users selected age-appropriate modules with prevention information and screening tools. Users entered the age of the child and were presented with age-appropriate modules. On exiting, users were asked to rate their experience and to provide basic demographic data. In total, there were 1846 kiosk sessions. Almost one half occurred at McDonald's. Seventy-eight percent of users identified themselves as first-time users. Users sought information for children of all ages. Sixty-one percent of first-time users explored 1 module. First-time users were most interested in television/media use (16%), smoke exposure (14%), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder screening (12%), and asthma assessment (11%). At-risk children were identified in 52% of sessions. Eighty-seven percent of first-time users who completed the asthma assessment had children whose asthma was uncontrolled. Twenty-eight percent of users responded to > or = 1 question on the exit survey. Of those, 48% had less than a high school education, and 26% had never used the Internet. Approximately one half found the kiosk easy to use (57%) and the information easy to understand (55%); 66% said there was at least some new information. Fifty-five percent planned to try some of the things they had learned, and 49% intended to talk to their child's doctor about what they had learned. User-driven computer kiosks were used in community settings to obtain child health information. Users found the kiosks easy to use. Additional study on improving use and understanding the impact is needed.

Human-computer interface

DOEpatents

Anderson, Thomas G.

2004-12-21

The present invention provides a method of human-computer interfacing. Force feedback allows intuitive navigation and control near a boundary between regions in a computer-represented space. For example, the method allows a user to interact with a virtual craft, then push through the windshield of the craft to interact with the virtual world surrounding the craft. As another example, the method allows a user to feel transitions between different control domains of a computer representation of a space. The method can provide for force feedback that increases as a user's locus of interaction moves near a boundary, then perceptibly changes (e.g., abruptly drops or changes direction) when the boundary is traversed.

Do recreational cannabis users, unlicensed and licensed medical cannabis users form distinct groups?

PubMed

Sznitman, Sharon R

2017-04-01

This study aims to gain a more nuanced perspective on the differences between recreationally and medically motivated cannabis use by distinguishing between people who use cannabis for recreational purposes, unlicensed and licensed medical users. Data collection was conducted online from a convenience sample of 1479 Israeli cannabis users. Multinomial regression analysis compared unlicensed medical users (38%) with recreational (42%) and licensed medical (5.6%) users in terms of sociodemographics, mode, frequency and problematic cannabis use. There were more variables distinguishing unlicensed from licensed users than there were distinguishing features between unlicensed and recreational users. Recreational users were more likely to be male, less likely to eat cannabis, to use cannabis frequently and to use alone and before midday than unlicensed users. Licensed users were older than unlicensed users, they reported less hours feeling stoned, less cannabis use problems and they were more likely to report cannabis use patterns analogous of medication administration for chronic problems (frequent use, vaping, use alone and use before midday). This study suggests that a sizable proportion of cannabis users in Israel self-prescribe cannabis and that licensed medical cannabis users differ from unlicensed users. This is, in turn, suggestive of a rigorous medicalized cannabis program that does not function as a backdoor for legal access to recreational use. However, due to methodological limitations this conclusion is only suggestive. The most meaningful differences across recreational, unlicensed and licensed users were mode and patterns of use rather than cannabis use problems. Current screening tools for cannabis use problems may, however, not be well suited to assess such problems in medically motivated users. Indeed, when screening for problematic cannabis use there is a need for a more careful consideration of whether or not cannabis use is medically motivated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

People with Profound and Multiple Intellectual Disabilities Using Symbols to Control a Computer: Exploration of User Engagement and Supporter Facilitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunning, Karen; Kwiatkowska, Gosia; Weldin, Nick

2012-01-01

Computer usage features in everyday life for the majority of people in developed countries. Access is a problem for many users with intellectual disability. Action-research was conducted to develop and explore the potential of specially adapted, computer readable symbols for choosing and accessing media on a computer. Five people with profound and…

An Efficient Workflow Environment to Support the Collaborative Development of Actionable Climate Information Using the NCAR Climate Risk Management Engine (CRMe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammann, C. M.; Vigh, J. L.; Lee, J. A.

2016-12-01

Society's growing needs for robust and relevant climate information have fostered an explosion in tools and frameworks for processing climate projections. Many top-down workflows might be employed to generate sets of pre-computed data and plots, frequently served in a "loading-dock style" through a metadata-enabled search and discovery engine. Despite these increasing resources, the diverse needs of applications-driven projects often result in data processing workflow requirements that cannot be fully satisfied using past approaches. In parallel to the data processing challenges, the provision of climate information to users in a form that is also usable represents a formidable challenge of its own. Finally, many users do not have the time nor the desire to synthesize and distill massive volumes of climate information to find the relevant information for their particular application. All of these considerations call for new approaches to developing actionable climate information. CRMe seeks to bridge the gap between the diversity and richness of bottom-up needs of practitioners, with discrete, structured top-down workflows typically implemented for rapid delivery. Additionally, CRMe has implemented web-based data services capable of providing focused climate information in usable form for a given location, or as spatially aggregated information for entire regions or countries following the needs of users and sectors. Making climate data actionable also involves summarizing and presenting it in concise and approachable ways. CRMe is developing the concept of dashboards, co-developed with the users, to condense the key information into a quick summary of the most relevant, curated climate data for a given discipline, application, or location, while still enabling users to efficiently conduct deeper discovery into rich datasets on an as-needed basis.

Relationship between drug abuse and intimate partner violence: a longitudinal study among women receiving methadone.

PubMed

El-Bassel, Nabila; Gilbert, Louisa; Wu, Elwin; Go, Hyun; Hill, Jennifer

2005-03-01

We examined whether frequent drug use increases the likelihood of subsequent sexual or physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and whether IPV increases the likelihood of subsequent frequent drug use. A random sample of 416 women on methadone was assessed at baseline (wave 1) and at 6 months (wave 2), and 12 months (wave 3) following the initial assessment. Propensity score matching and multiple logistic regression were employed. Women who reported frequent crack use at wave 2 were more likely than non-drug using women to report IPV at wave 3 (odds ratio [OR]=4.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.1, 9.1; P<.01), and frequent marijuana users at wave 2 were more likely than non-drug users to report IPV at wave 3 (OR=4.5; 95% CI=2.4, 8.4; P<.01). In addition, women who reported IPV at wave 2 were more likely than women who did not report IPV to indicate frequent heroin use at wave 3 (OR=2.7; 95% CI=1.1, 6.5; P=.04). Our findings suggest that the relationship between frequent drug use and IPV is bidirectional and varies by type of drug.

Computer-Based Tools for Evaluating Graphical User Interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Loretta A.

1997-01-01

The user interface is the component of a software system that connects two very complex system: humans and computers. Each of these two systems impose certain requirements on the final product. The user is the judge of the usability and utility of the system; the computer software and hardware are the tools with which the interface is constructed. Mistakes are sometimes made in designing and developing user interfaces because the designers and developers have limited knowledge about human performance (e.g., problem solving, decision making, planning, and reasoning). Even those trained in user interface design make mistakes because they are unable to address all of the known requirements and constraints on design. Evaluation of the user inter-face is therefore a critical phase of the user interface development process. Evaluation should not be considered the final phase of design; but it should be part of an iterative design cycle with the output of evaluation being feed back into design. The goal of this research was to develop a set of computer-based tools for objectively evaluating graphical user interfaces. The research was organized into three phases. The first phase resulted in the development of an embedded evaluation tool which evaluates the usability of a graphical user interface based on a user's performance. An expert system to assist in the design and evaluation of user interfaces based upon rules and guidelines was developed during the second phase. During the final phase of the research an automatic layout tool to be used in the initial design of graphical inter- faces was developed. The research was coordinated with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Mission Operations Laboratory's efforts in developing onboard payload display specifications for the Space Station.

Computational aerodynamics requirements: The future role of the computer and the needs of the aerospace industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubbert, P. E.

1978-01-01

The commercial airplane builder's viewpoint on the important issues involved in the development of improved computational aerodynamics tools such as powerful computers optimized for fluid flow problems is presented. The primary user of computational aerodynamics in a commercial aircraft company is the design engineer who is concerned with solving practical engineering problems. From his viewpoint, the development of program interfaces and pre-and post-processing capability for new computational methods is just as important as the algorithms and machine architecture. As more and more details of the entire flow field are computed, the visibility of the output data becomes a major problem which is then doubled when a design capability is added. The user must be able to see, understand, and interpret the results calculated. Enormous costs are expanded because of the need to work with programs having only primitive user interfaces.

Computer program user's manual for advanced general aviation propeller study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Worobel, R.

1972-01-01

A user's manual is presented for a computer program for predicting the performance (static, flight, and reverse), noise, weight and cost of propellers for advanced general aviation aircraft of the 1980 time period. Complete listings of this computer program with detailed instructions and samples of input and output are included.

Parental Perceptions and Recommendations of Computing Majors: A Technology Acceptance Model Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Loreen; Wimmer, Hayden

2017-01-01

Currently, there are more technology related jobs then there are graduates in supply. The need to understand user acceptance of computing degrees is the first step in increasing enrollment in computing fields. Additionally, valid measurement scales for predicting user acceptance of Information Technology degree programs are required. The majority…

Comprehensive Outlook for Managed Pines Using Simulated Treatment Experiments-Planted Loblolly Pine (COMPUTE_P-LOB): A User's Guide

Treesearch

R.B. Ferguson; V. Clark Baldwin

1987-01-01

Complete instructions for user operation of COMPUTE_P-LOB to include detailed examples of computer input and output, of a growth and yield prediction system providing volume and weight yields in stand and stock table format.A complete program listing is provided.

Getting Help: Finding an Answer to a Specific Problem is Almost Impossible These Days.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Steven

1984-01-01

Discusses the very limited information sources currently available to microcomputer users, including computer salespersons, user support groups, and computer books, and suggests that the newly emerging hotline-style computer advisory services may be able to provide the accurate answers and expert advice not easily available elsewhere. (MBR)

The state of ergonomics for mobile computing technology.

PubMed

Dennerlein, Jack T

2015-01-01

Because mobile computing technologies, such as notebook computers, smart mobile phones, and tablet computers afford users many different configurations through their intended mobility, there is concern about their effects on musculoskeletal pain and a need for usage recommendations. Therefore the main goal of this paper to determine which best practices surrounding the use of mobile computing devices can be gleaned from current field and laboratory studies of mobile computing devices. An expert review was completed. Field studies have documented various user configurations, which often include non-neutral postures, that users adopt when using mobile technology, along with some evidence suggesting that longer duration of use is associated with more discomfort. It is therefore prudent for users to take advantage of their mobility and not get stuck in any given posture for too long. The use of accessories such as appropriate cases or riser stands, as well as external keyboards and pointing devices, can also improve postures and comfort. Overall, the state of ergonomics for mobile technology is a work in progress and there are more research questions to be addressed.

Isolation of the ocular surface to treat dysfunctional tear syndrome associated with computer use.

PubMed

Yee, Richard W; Sperling, Harry G; Kattek, Ashballa; Paukert, Martin T; Dawson, Kevin; Garcia, Marcie; Hilsenbeck, Susan

2007-10-01

Dysfunctional tear syndrome (DTS) associated with computer use is characterized by mild irritation, itching, redness, and intermittent tearing after extended staring. It frequently involves foreign body or sandy sensation, blurring of vision, and fatigue, worsening especially at the end of the day. We undertook a study to determine the effectiveness of periocular isolation using microenvironment glasses (MEGS) alone and in combination with artificial tears in alleviating the symptoms and signs of dry eye related to computer use. At the same time, we evaluated the relative ability of a battery of clinical tests for dry eye to distinguish dry eyes from normal eyes in heavy computer users. Forty adult subjects who used computers 3 hours or more per day were divided into dry eye sufferers and controls based on their scores on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Baseline scores were recorded and ocular surface assessments were made. On four subsequent visits, the subjects played a computer game for 30 minutes in a controlled environment, during which one of four treatment conditions were applied, in random order, to each subject: 1) no treatment, 2) artificial tears, 3) MEGS, and 4) artificial tears combined with MEGS. Immediately after each session, subjects were tested on: a subjective comfort questionnaire, tear breakup time (TBUT), fluorescein staining, lissamine green staining, and conjunctival injection. In this study, a significant correlation was found between cumulative lifetime computer use and ocular surface disorder, as measured by the standardized OSDI index. The experimental and control subjects were significantly different (P<0.05) in the meibomian gland assessment and TBUT; they were consistently different in fluorescein and lissamine green staining, but with P>0.05. Isolation of the ocular surface alone produced significant improvements in comfort scores and TBUT and a consistent trend of improvement in fluorescein staining and lissamine green staining. Isolation plus tears produced a significant improvement in lissamine green staining. The subjective comfort inventory and the TBUT test were most effective in distinguishing between the treatments used. Computer users with ocular surface complaints should have a detailed ocular surface examination and, if symptomatic, they can be effectively treated with isolation of the ocular surface, artificial tears therapy, and effective environmental manipulations.

Clean, cheap, convenient: promotion of Electronic cigarettes on YouTube

PubMed Central

Sears, Clara G.; Walker, Kandi L.; Hart, Joy L.; Lee, Alexander S.; Siu, Allison; Smith, Courteney

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION Videos promoting electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) can be easily accessed on YouTube. Marketing claims present in YouTube videos may help shape the public’s opinion of e-cigarettes. Thus, it is important to understand the most frequent marketing claims and video sources. METHODS The objectives of this study were to 1) identify marketing claims in YouTube videos that are commonly made on e-cigarette retail websites and 2) compare the frequency of marketing claims in user-generated and professional YouTube videos. Through content analysis, this study evaluated six marketing claims and descriptive information about YouTube videos (n = 50) related to “electronic cigarettes” and “vape”. RESULTS Overall, the most frequent marketing claim promoted e-cigarette use as better than traditional tobacco use (52%). Approximately 65% of videos appeared to be user-generated and 35% were professionally-produced. Compared to user-generated videos, significantly more professional videos made claims that e-cigarettes are cleaner (p < 0.001) and cheaper (p = 0.04) than traditional cigarettes. Additionally, more professional videos had claims promoting e-cigarettes as better than traditional cigarettes because of their convenience—the user can smoke anywhere (p < 0.0001) and the products do not produce secondhand smoke (p < 0.001). The most frequent claim in user-generated videos was related to recreation (53%). CONCLUSIONS Videos on YouTube promote e-cigarettes as safer than other tobacco products. Videos appearing to be user-generated contained different marketing claims compared to professional videos. Further research is necessary to assess how the perceived source of the video impacts the ways these marketing claims shape public perception and influence use. PMID:28725876

Substance Use Patterns and Factors Associated with Changes Over Time in a Cohort of Heterosexual Women At Risk for HIV Acquisition in the United States

PubMed Central

Kuo, Irene; Golin, Carol E.; Wang, Jing; Haley, Danielle F.; Hughes, James; Mannheimer, Sharon; Justman, Jessica; Rompalo, Anne; Frew, Paula M.; Adimora, Adaora A.; Soto-Torres, Lydia; Hodder, Sally

2014-01-01

Background Substance use is associated with HIV sexual risk behaviors, yet few studies have examined substance use patterns longitudinally. We evaluated the types and frequency of substances used over a six-month period among U.S. women at risk for HIV acquisition. Methods Women reporting unprotected sex with a man in the previous six months and at least one other personal or partner HIV risk characteristic enrolled in a multisite cohort study and completed interviews about substance use at study visits. Prevalence and frequency of substance use at the baseline and six-month visits were compared and correlates of decreased substance use at the six-month visit were assessed. Results Of 2,099 women enrolled, 1,882 had substance use data at baseline and six-months. Of these, 76.1% reported using at least one drug or binge drinking in the previous six months; 37.5% were frequent and 38.6% non-frequent substance users. Binge drinking was most frequently reported (63.3%), followed by cocaine (25.0%) and opioids (16.5%). Fifty-five percent of opiate users and 30% of cocaine users reported daily/almost daily use. At the six-month visit, 40.5% reported a decrease in frequency of use. Adjusting for income and type of drug used, poly-substance users were less likely to decrease frequency of use compared to those who only used one substance. Conclusion A substantial decrease in frequency of substance use over time was observed in this cohort. Poly-substance users were less likely to reduce frequency of use over time, suggesting that specific substance use interventions targeting these users are warranted. PMID:24698079

Substance use patterns and factors associated with changes over time in a cohort of heterosexual women at risk for HIV acquisition in the United States.

PubMed

Kuo, Irene; Golin, Carol E; Wang, Jing; Haley, Danielle F; Hughes, James; Mannheimer, Sharon; Justman, Jessica; Rompalo, Anne; Frew, Paula M; Adimora, Adaora A; Soto-Torres, Lydia; Hodder, Sally

2014-06-01

Substance use is associated with HIV sexual risk behaviors, yet few studies have examined substance use patterns longitudinally. We evaluated the types and frequency of substances used over a six-month period among U.S. women at risk for HIV acquisition. Women reporting unprotected sex with a man in the previous six months and at least one other personal or partner HIV risk characteristic enrolled in a multisite cohort study and completed interviews about substance use at study visits. Prevalence and frequency of substance use at the baseline and six-month visits were compared and correlates of decreased substance use at the six-month visit were assessed. Of 2099 women enrolled, 1882 had substance use data at baseline and six-months. Of these, 76.1% reported using at least one drug or binge drinking in the previous six months; 37.5% were frequent and 38.6% non-frequent substance users. Binge drinking was most frequently reported (63.3%), followed by cocaine (25.0%) and opioids (16.5%). Fifty-five percent of opiate users and 30% of cocaine users reported daily/almost daily use. At the six-month visit, 40.5% reported a decrease in frequency of use. Adjusting for income and type of drug used, poly-substance users were less likely to decrease frequency of use compared to those who only used one substance. A substantial decrease in frequency of substance use over time was observed in this cohort. Poly-substance users were less likely to reduce frequency of use over time, suggesting that specific substance use interventions targeting these users are warranted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An internet-based survey of 96 German-speaking users of "bath salts": frequent complications, risky sexual behavior, violence, and delinquency.

PubMed

Schmoll, Sabrina; Romanek, Katrin; Stich, Raphael; Bekka, Elias; Stenzel, Jochen; Geith, Stefanie; Eyer, Florian; Rabe, Christian

2018-03-01

To define the demographics of German-speaking "bath salt" users. Prospective web-based survey of volunteer users of "bath salts". Subject recruitment/exclusion: Participation was solicited by posts in web forums frequented by users of synthetic cathinones. An invitation to participate was also disseminated via regional drug information centers. Responses were discarded if participants refused data analysis, provided incomplete surveys, were under 18 years of age (five cases), and in case of clearly improbable answers (i.e., two cases with profanity typed in free-form input fields). Overall 96 out of 180 participants provided complete questionnaires. These were further analyzed. 74% of respondents were male. 41% were under the age of 30 and a further 38% between 30 and 39 years old. Cathinones were used on more than 10 days in the preceding year by 62% of study subjects. The nasal and intravenous routes of administration were most often used. About 80% of respondents reported binge use. There were frequent co-administrations of opioids and opiates. The most common complication was prolonged confusion (47%). 16% had been involuntarily confined. One third had thoughts of violence and 16% acted on these thoughts either against themselves or others. About 44% reported high-risk sexual activity under the influence of cathinones. About 31% had driven or ridden a bike while intoxicated. About 6% had problems with law-enforcement for selling cathinones and 16% for crimes committed under the influence of cathinones. In conclusion, cathinone users are typically young males in their twenties and thirties. Most are experienced drug users, particularly of alcohol and opiates/opioids. The impact on society is tremendous as evidenced by high rates of self-reported violence, high-risk sexual activity, crimes, and traffic violations.

Which Users Should Be the Focus of Mobile Personal Health Records? Analysis of User Characteristics Influencing Usage of a Tethered Mobile Personal Health Record.

PubMed

Lee, Guna; Park, Joong Yeol; Shin, Soo-Yong; Hwang, Jong Su; Ryu, Hyeon Jeong; Lee, Jae Ho; Bates, David W

2016-05-01

This study was conducted to analyze the usage pattern of a hospital-tethered mobile personal health records (m-PHRs) application named My Chart in My Hand (MCMH) and to identify user characteristics that influence m-PHR usage. Access logs to MCMH and its menus were collected for a total of 18 months, from August 2011 to January 2013. Usage patterns between users without a patient identification number (ID) and users with a patient ID were compared. Users with a patient ID were divided into light and heavy user groups by the median number of monthly access. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess MCMH usage pattern by characteristics of MCMH user with a patient ID. The total number of MCMH logins was 105,603, and the median number of accesses was 15 times. Users (n = 7,096) mostly accessed the "My Chart" menu, but "OPD [outpatient department] Service Support" and "Health Management" menus were also frequently used. Patients with chronic diseases, experience of hospital visits including emergency room and OPD, and age group of 0-19 years were more frequently found among users with a patient ID (n = 2,186) (p < 0.001). A similar trend was found in the heavy user group (n = 1,123). Submenus of laboratory result, online appointment, and medication lists that were accessed mostly by users with a patient ID were associated with OPD visit and chronic diseases. This study showed that focuses on patients with chronic disease and more hospital visits and empowerment functions in a tethered m-PHR would be helpful to pursue the extensive use.

[Dutch computer domestication, 1975-1990].

PubMed

Veraart, Frank

2008-01-01

A computer seems an indispensable tool among twenty-first century households. Computers however, did not come as manna from heaven. The domestication and appropriation of computers in Dutch households was a result of activities by various intermediary actors. Computers became household commodities only gradually. Technophile computer hobbyists imported the first computers into the Netherlands from the USA, and started small businesses from 1975 onwards. They developed a social network in which computer technology was made available for use by individuals. This network extended itself via shops, clubs, magazines, and other means of acquiring and exchanging computer hard- and software. Hobbyist culture established the software-copying habits of private computer users as well as their ambivalence to commercial software. They also made the computer into a game machine. Under the impulse of a national policy that aimed at transforming society into an 'Information Society', clubs and other actors extended their activities and tailored them to this new agenda. Hobby clubs presented themselves as consumer organizations and transformed into intermediary actors that filled the gap between suppliers and a growing group of users. They worked hard to give meaning to (proper) use of computers. A second impulse to the increasing use of computers in the household came from so-called 'private-PC' projects in the late 1980s. In these projects employers financially aided employees in purchasing their own private PCs'. The initially important intermediary actors such as hobby clubs lost control and the agenda for personal computers was shifted to interoperability with office equipment. IBM compatible PC's flooded the households. In the household the new equipment blended with the established uses, such as gaming. The copying habits together with the PC standard created a risky combination in which computer viruses could spread easily. New roles arose for intermediary actors in guiding and educating computer users. The activities of intermediaries had a lasting influence on contemporary computer use and user preferences. Technical choices and the nature of Dutch computer use in households can be explained by analyzing the historical developments of intermediaries and users.

A service based adaptive U-learning system using UX.

PubMed

Jeong, Hwa-Young; Yi, Gangman

2014-01-01

In recent years, traditional development techniques for e-learning systems have been changing to become more convenient and efficient. One new technology in the development of application systems includes both cloud and ubiquitous computing. Cloud computing can support learning system processes by using services while ubiquitous computing can provide system operation and management via a high performance technical process and network. In the cloud computing environment, a learning service application can provide a business module or process to the user via the internet. This research focuses on providing the learning material and processes of courses by learning units using the services in a ubiquitous computing environment. And we also investigate functions that support users' tailored materials according to their learning style. That is, we analyzed the user's data and their characteristics in accordance with their user experience. We subsequently applied the learning process to fit on their learning performance and preferences. Finally, we demonstrate how the proposed system outperforms learning effects to learners better than existing techniques.

A Service Based Adaptive U-Learning System Using UX

PubMed Central

Jeong, Hwa-Young

2014-01-01

In recent years, traditional development techniques for e-learning systems have been changing to become more convenient and efficient. One new technology in the development of application systems includes both cloud and ubiquitous computing. Cloud computing can support learning system processes by using services while ubiquitous computing can provide system operation and management via a high performance technical process and network. In the cloud computing environment, a learning service application can provide a business module or process to the user via the internet. This research focuses on providing the learning material and processes of courses by learning units using the services in a ubiquitous computing environment. And we also investigate functions that support users' tailored materials according to their learning style. That is, we analyzed the user's data and their characteristics in accordance with their user experience. We subsequently applied the learning process to fit on their learning performance and preferences. Finally, we demonstrate how the proposed system outperforms learning effects to learners better than existing techniques. PMID:25147832

Embedded systems for supporting computer accessibility.

PubMed

Mulfari, Davide; Celesti, Antonio; Fazio, Maria; Villari, Massimo; Puliafito, Antonio

2015-01-01

Nowadays, customized AT software solutions allow their users to interact with various kinds of computer systems. Such tools are generally available on personal devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops and so on) commonly used by a person with a disability. In this paper, we investigate a way of using the aforementioned AT equipments in order to access many different devices without assistive preferences. The solution takes advantage of open source hardware and its core component consists of an affordable Linux embedded system: it grabs data coming from the assistive software, which runs on the user's personal device, then, after processing, it generates native keyboard and mouse HID commands for the target computing device controlled by the end user. This process supports any operating system available on the target machine and it requires no specialized software installation; therefore the user with a disability can rely on a single assistive tool to control a wide range of computing platforms, including conventional computers and many kinds of mobile devices, which receive input commands through the USB HID protocol.

Virtual hand: a 3D tactile interface to virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogowitz, Bernice E.; Borrel, Paul

2008-02-01

We introduce a novel system that allows users to experience the sensation of touch in a computer graphics environment. In this system, the user places his/her hand on an array of pins, which is moved about space on a 6 degree-of-freedom robot arm. The surface of the pins defines a surface in the virtual world. This "virtual hand" can move about the virtual world. When the virtual hand encounters an object in the virtual world, the heights of the pins are adjusted so that they represent the object's shape, surface, and texture. A control system integrates pin and robot arm motions to transmit information about objects in the computer graphics world to the user. It also allows the user to edit, change and move the virtual objects, shapes and textures. This system provides a general framework for touching, manipulating, and modifying objects in a 3-D computer graphics environment, which may be useful in a wide range of applications, including computer games, computer aided design systems, and immersive virtual worlds.

Human perceptual deficits as factors in computer interface test and evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowser, S.E.

1992-06-01

Issues related to testing and evaluating human computer interfaces are usually based on the machine rather than on the human portion of the computer interface. Perceptual characteristics of the expected user are rarely investigated, and interface designers ignore known population perceptual limitations. For these reasons, environmental impacts on the equipment will more likely be defined than will user perceptual characteristics. The investigation of user population characteristics is most often directed toward intellectual abilities and anthropometry. This problem is compounded by the fact that some deficits capabilities tend to be found in higher-than-overall population distribution in some user groups. The testmore » and evaluation community can address the issue from two primary aspects. First, assessing user characteristics should be extended to include tests of perceptual capability. Secondly, interface designs should use multimode information coding.« less

System Access | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

) systems. Photo of man looking at a large computer monitor with a colorful, visual display of data. System secure shell gateway (SSH) or virtual private network (VPN). User Accounts Request a user account

Ubiquitous Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments: Are We There Yet?

PubMed Central

Billah, Syed Masum; Ashok, Vikas; Porter, Donald E.; Ramakrishnan, IV

2017-01-01

Ubiquitous access is an increasingly common vision of computing, wherein users can interact with any computing device or service from anywhere, at any time. In the era of personal computing, users with visual impairments required special-purpose, assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to interact with computers. This paper investigates whether technologies like screen readers have kept pace with, or have created a barrier to, the trend toward ubiquitous access, with a specific focus on desktop computing as this is still the primary way computers are used in education and employment. Towards that, the paper presents a user study with 21 visually-impaired participants, specifically involving the switching of screen readers within and across different computing platforms, and the use of screen readers in remote access scenarios. Among the findings, the study shows that, even for remote desktop access—an early forerunner of true ubiquitous access—screen readers are too limited, if not unusable. The study also identifies several accessibility needs, such as uniformity of navigational experience across devices, and recommends potential solutions. In summary, assistive technologies have not made the jump into the era of ubiquitous access, and multiple, inconsistent screen readers create new practical problems for users with visual impairments. PMID:28782061

Ubiquitous Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments: Are We There Yet?

PubMed

Billah, Syed Masum; Ashok, Vikas; Porter, Donald E; Ramakrishnan, I V

2017-05-01

Ubiquitous access is an increasingly common vision of computing, wherein users can interact with any computing device or service from anywhere, at any time. In the era of personal computing, users with visual impairments required special-purpose, assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to interact with computers. This paper investigates whether technologies like screen readers have kept pace with, or have created a barrier to, the trend toward ubiquitous access, with a specific focus on desktop computing as this is still the primary way computers are used in education and employment. Towards that, the paper presents a user study with 21 visually-impaired participants, specifically involving the switching of screen readers within and across different computing platforms, and the use of screen readers in remote access scenarios. Among the findings, the study shows that, even for remote desktop access-an early forerunner of true ubiquitous access-screen readers are too limited, if not unusable. The study also identifies several accessibility needs, such as uniformity of navigational experience across devices, and recommends potential solutions. In summary, assistive technologies have not made the jump into the era of ubiquitous access, and multiple, inconsistent screen readers create new practical problems for users with visual impairments.

A "Black-and-White Box" Approach to User Empowerment with Component Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kynigos, C.

2004-01-01

The paper discusses three aspects central to the 10 year-old process of design, development and use of E-slate, a construction kit for educational software. These are: (1) the design of computational media for user empowerment, (2) the socially-grounded approach to the building of user communities and (3) the issue of long-term sustainability as…

Systems Analysis, Machineable Circulation Data and Library Users and Non-Users.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lubans, John, Jr.

A study to be made with computer-based circulation data of the non-use and use of a large academic library is discussed. A search of the literature reveals that computer-based circulation systems can be, but have not been, utilized to provide data bases for systematic analyses of library users and resources. The data gathered in the circulation…

Internet Passport: NorthWestNet's Guide to Our World Online. Fourth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochmer, Jonathan

The purpose of this guide is to help computer network users get over the hurdle of new technologies. Every Internet user is different, but most network activities depend on the mastery of three basic skills: using electronic mail (e-mail) to communicate with other Internet users; logging in to remote computers with a service called Telnet, and…

Computer User's Guide to the Protection of Information Resources. NIST Special Publication 500-171.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helsing, Cheryl; And Others

Computers have changed the way information resources are handled. Large amounts of information are stored in one central place and can be accessed from remote locations. Users have a personal responsibility for the security of the system and the data stored in it. This document outlines the user's responsibilities and provides security and control…

Encoder-Decoder Optimization for Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Merel, Josh; Pianto, Donald M.; Cunningham, John P.; Paninski, Liam

2015-01-01

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces are systems that decode neural activity into useful control signals for effectors, such as a cursor on a computer screen. It has long been recognized that both the user and decoding system can adapt to increase the accuracy of the end effector. Co-adaptation is the process whereby a user learns to control the system in conjunction with the decoder adapting to learn the user's neural patterns. We provide a mathematical framework for co-adaptation and relate co-adaptation to the joint optimization of the user's control scheme ("encoding model") and the decoding algorithm's parameters. When the assumptions of that framework are respected, co-adaptation cannot yield better performance than that obtainable by an optimal initial choice of fixed decoder, coupled with optimal user learning. For a specific case, we provide numerical methods to obtain such an optimized decoder. We demonstrate our approach in a model brain-computer interface system using an online prosthesis simulator, a simple human-in-the-loop pyschophysics setup which provides a non-invasive simulation of the BCI setting. These experiments support two claims: that users can learn encoders matched to fixed, optimal decoders and that, once learned, our approach yields expected performance advantages. PMID:26029919

Encoder-decoder optimization for brain-computer interfaces.

PubMed

Merel, Josh; Pianto, Donald M; Cunningham, John P; Paninski, Liam

2015-06-01

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces are systems that decode neural activity into useful control signals for effectors, such as a cursor on a computer screen. It has long been recognized that both the user and decoding system can adapt to increase the accuracy of the end effector. Co-adaptation is the process whereby a user learns to control the system in conjunction with the decoder adapting to learn the user's neural patterns. We provide a mathematical framework for co-adaptation and relate co-adaptation to the joint optimization of the user's control scheme ("encoding model") and the decoding algorithm's parameters. When the assumptions of that framework are respected, co-adaptation cannot yield better performance than that obtainable by an optimal initial choice of fixed decoder, coupled with optimal user learning. For a specific case, we provide numerical methods to obtain such an optimized decoder. We demonstrate our approach in a model brain-computer interface system using an online prosthesis simulator, a simple human-in-the-loop pyschophysics setup which provides a non-invasive simulation of the BCI setting. These experiments support two claims: that users can learn encoders matched to fixed, optimal decoders and that, once learned, our approach yields expected performance advantages.

Smart learning services based on smart cloud computing.

PubMed

Kim, Svetlana; Song, Su-Mi; Yoon, Yong-Ik

2011-01-01

Context-aware technologies can make e-learning services smarter and more efficient since context-aware services are based on the user's behavior. To add those technologies into existing e-learning services, a service architecture model is needed to transform the existing e-learning environment, which is situation-aware, into the environment that understands context as well. The context-awareness in e-learning may include the awareness of user profile and terminal context. In this paper, we propose a new notion of service that provides context-awareness to smart learning content in a cloud computing environment. We suggest the elastic four smarts (E4S)--smart pull, smart prospect, smart content, and smart push--concept to the cloud services so smart learning services are possible. The E4S focuses on meeting the users' needs by collecting and analyzing users' behavior, prospecting future services, building corresponding contents, and delivering the contents through cloud computing environment. Users' behavior can be collected through mobile devices such as smart phones that have built-in sensors. As results, the proposed smart e-learning model in cloud computing environment provides personalized and customized learning services to its users.

State of the Art of Network Security Perspectives in Cloud Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Tae Hwan; Lim, Shinyoung; Choi, Young B.; Park, Kwang-Roh; Lee, Heejo; Choi, Hyunsang

Cloud computing is now regarded as one of social phenomenon that satisfy customers' needs. It is possible that the customers' needs and the primary principle of economy - gain maximum benefits from minimum investment - reflects realization of cloud computing. We are living in the connected society with flood of information and without connected computers to the Internet, our activities and work of daily living will be impossible. Cloud computing is able to provide customers with custom-tailored features of application software and user's environment based on the customer's needs by adopting on-demand outsourcing of computing resources through the Internet. It also provides cloud computing users with high-end computing power and expensive application software package, and accordingly the users will access their data and the application software where they are located at the remote system. As the cloud computing system is connected to the Internet, network security issues of cloud computing are considered as mandatory prior to real world service. In this paper, survey and issues on the network security in cloud computing are discussed from the perspective of real world service environments.

Business Demands for Web-Related Skills as Compared to Other Computer Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groneman, Nancy

2000-01-01

Analysis of 23,704 want ads for computer-related jobs revealed that the most frequently mentioned skills were UNIX, SQL programming, and computer security. Curriculum implications were derived from the most desired and less frequently mentioned skills. (SK)

Clinical decision support alert malfunctions: analysis and empirically derived taxonomy.

PubMed

Wright, Adam; Ai, Angela; Ash, Joan; Wiesen, Jane F; Hickman, Thu-Trang T; Aaron, Skye; McEvoy, Dustin; Borkowsky, Shane; Dissanayake, Pavithra I; Embi, Peter; Galanter, William; Harper, Jeremy; Kassakian, Steve Z; Ramoni, Rachel; Schreiber, Richard; Sirajuddin, Anwar; Bates, David W; Sittig, Dean F

2018-05-01

To develop an empirically derived taxonomy of clinical decision support (CDS) alert malfunctions. We identified CDS alert malfunctions using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods: (1) site visits with interviews of chief medical informatics officers, CDS developers, clinical leaders, and CDS end users; (2) surveys of chief medical informatics officers; (3) analysis of CDS firing rates; and (4) analysis of CDS overrides. We used a multi-round, manual, iterative card sort to develop a multi-axial, empirically derived taxonomy of CDS malfunctions. We analyzed 68 CDS alert malfunction cases from 14 sites across the United States with diverse electronic health record systems. Four primary axes emerged: the cause of the malfunction, its mode of discovery, when it began, and how it affected rule firing. Build errors, conceptualization errors, and the introduction of new concepts or terms were the most frequent causes. User reports were the predominant mode of discovery. Many malfunctions within our database caused rules to fire for patients for whom they should not have (false positives), but the reverse (false negatives) was also common. Across organizations and electronic health record systems, similar malfunction patterns recurred. Challenges included updates to code sets and values, software issues at the time of system upgrades, difficulties with migration of CDS content between computing environments, and the challenge of correctly conceptualizing and building CDS. CDS alert malfunctions are frequent. The empirically derived taxonomy formalizes the common recurring issues that cause these malfunctions, helping CDS developers anticipate and prevent CDS malfunctions before they occur or detect and resolve them expediently.

SoftLab: A Soft-Computing Software for Experimental Research with Commercialization Aspects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akbarzadeh-T, M.-R.; Shaikh, T. S.; Ren, J.; Hubbell, Rob; Kumbla, K. K.; Jamshidi, M

1998-01-01

SoftLab is a software environment for research and development in intelligent modeling/control using soft-computing paradigms such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and genetic programs. SoftLab addresses the inadequacies of the existing soft-computing software by supporting comprehensive multidisciplinary functionalities from management tools to engineering systems. Furthermore, the built-in features help the user process/analyze information more efficiently by a friendly yet powerful interface, and will allow the user to specify user-specific processing modules, hence adding to the standard configuration of the software environment.

Graphics Software For VT Terminals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Caroline

1991-01-01

VTGRAPH graphics software tool for DEC/VT computer terminal or terminals compatible with it, widely used by government and industry. Callable in FORTRAN or C language, library program enabling user to cope with many computer environments in which VT terminals used for window management and graphic systems. Provides PLOT10-like package plus color or shade capability for VT240, VT241, and VT300 terminals. User can easily design more-friendly user-interface programs and design PLOT10 programs on VT terminals with different computer systems. Requires ReGis graphics set terminal and FORTRAN compiler.

Cream of the Crop: Clinical Representativeness of Eligible and Ineligible Cannabis Users in Research.

PubMed

Rosen, Alexis S; Sodos, Louise M; Hirst, Rayna B; Vaughn, Dylan; Lorkiewicz, Sara A

2018-03-06

Experts have recommended criteria (Gonzalez et al., 2002) for recruiting pure chronic cannabis users (i.e., those without polysubstance use or psychiatric illness) when evaluating cannabis' non-acute effects on cognition. We sought to demonstrate the implications of using such criteria by examining characteristics of respondents who completed an eligibility screening for a parent study evaluating the cognitive effects of chronic cannabis use. Over a 3-year, 8-month period, 612 respondents from the community completed an eligibility screening based on recommendations in the cannabis literature. Using independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests, we examined whether qualified/eligible respondents (n = 219) differed from non-qualified/ineligible respondents (n = 393). Compared to ineligible cannabis users, eligible cannabis-using respondents were significantly younger, used cannabis more frequently, used alcohol less frequently, and were less likely to have a history of other drug use, a psychiatric diagnosis, or to have used psychiatric medication. Conclusions/Importance: Our findings indicate that eligible/pure cannabis users are not representative of typical cannabis users in the general community (i.e., ineligible users with polysubstance use and/or psychiatric diagnoses) who ultimately comprised the majority of our cannabis-using sample (65.2%). Thus, typical cannabis users may be more accurately characterized as polysubstance users, posing a number of challenges related to the generalizability of findings from studies utilizing pure samples of cannabis users. Recruiting samples of typical cannabis users will improve external validity in research. Furthermore, reporting comprehensive characteristics of such samples will enable consumers to gauge the applicability of study findings to populations of interest.

Erythema and ultraviolet indoor tanning: findings from a diary study.

PubMed

Stapleton, Jerod L; Hillhouse, Joel; Turrisi, Rob; Robinson, June K; Baker, Katie; Manne, Sharon L; Coups, Elliot J

2013-03-01

The use of artificial ultraviolet (UV) indoor tanning (IT) beds increases the risk of skin cancer. The IT industry claims IT devices provide users with control over the amount of UV radiation exposure and thus reduces risks of sunburn (i.e., skin erythema) when tanning. This study aims to establish the prevalence and predictors of IT-related erythema using diary data. Six bimonthly diary surveys were administered to 198 female college IT users. Diaries assessed IT use and IT-related erythema. Among participants who used IT, 66 % experienced at least one episode of erythema and nearly one in five IT sessions resulted in skin erythema. Those who reported the most frequent IT use prior to the study were less likely to experience an IT-related erythema on a given IT session compared to the least experienced IT users. Perceived susceptibility to burns from IT use was positively associated with risk of erythema. Erythema was a frequently reported experience among IT users. Implications for policy makers and behavioral medicine practitioners are discussed.

A multicenter observational study of US adults with acute asthma: who are the frequent users of the emergency department?

PubMed

Hasegawa, Kohei; Sullivan, Ashley F; Tovar Hirashima, Eva; Gaeta, Theodore J; Fee, Christopher; Turner, Stuart J; Massaro, Susan; Camargo, Carlos A

2014-01-01

Despite the substantial burden of asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits, there have been no recent multicenter efforts to characterize this high-risk population. We aimed to characterize patients with asthma according to their frequency of ED visits and to identify factors associated with frequent ED visits. A multicenter chart review study of 48 EDs across 23 US states. We identified ED patients ages 18 to 54 years with acute asthma during 2011 and 2012. Primary outcome was frequency of ED visits for acute asthma in the past year, excluding the index ED visit. Of the 1890 enrolled patients, 863 patients (46%) had 1 or more (frequent) ED visits in the past year. Specifically, 28% had 1 to 2 visits, 11% had 3 to 5 visits, and 7% had 6 or more visits. Among frequent ED users, guideline-recommended management was suboptimal. For example, of patients with 6 or more ED visits, 85% lacked evidence of prior evaluation by an asthma specialist, and 43% were not treated with inhaled corticosteroids. In a multivariable model, significant predictors of frequent ED visits were public insurance, no insurance, and markers for chronic asthma severity (all P < .05). Stronger associations were found among those with a higher frequency of asthma-related ED visits (eg, 6 or more ED visits). This multicenter study of US adults with acute asthma demonstrated many frequent ED users and suboptimal preventive management in this high-risk population. Future reductions in asthma morbidity and associated health care utilization will require continued efforts to bridge these major gaps in asthma care. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) Annual Conference (47th, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 8-12, 2014)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter, Ed.

2014-01-01

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. ASCUE has a strong tradition of bringing its members together to pool their…

Proceedings of the Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) Annual Conference (48th, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 14-18, 2015)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter, Ed.

2015-01-01

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. ASCUE has a strong tradition of bringing its members together to pool their…

The association between computer literacy and training on clinical productivity and user satisfaction in using the electronic medical record in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alasmary, May; El Metwally, Ashraf; Househ, Mowafa

2014-08-01

The association of computer literacy, training on clinical productivity and satisfaction of a recently implemented Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system in Prince Sultan Medical Military City ((PSMMC)) was investigated. The scope of this study was to explore the association between age, occupation and computer literacy and clinical productivity and users' satisfaction of the newly implemented EMR at PSMMC as well as the association of user satisfaction with age and position. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to all doctors and nurses working in Alwazarat Family and Community Center (a Health center in PSMMC). A convenience sample size of 112 healthcare providers (65 Nurses and 47 physicians) completed the questionnaire. A combination of correlation, One Way ANOVA and t-tests were used to answer the research questions. Participants had high levels of self-reported literacy on computers and satisfaction of the system. Both levels were higher among physicians than among nurses. A moderate but significant (at p < 0.01 level) correlation was found between computer literacy and users' satisfaction towards the system (R = 0.343). Age was weakly, but significantly (at p < 0.05), positively correlated with satisfaction with the system (R = 0.29). Self-reported system productivity and satisfaction was statistically correlated at p < 0.01 (R = 0.509). High level of satisfaction with training on using the system was not positively correlated with overall satisfaction of using the system. This study demonstrated that EMR users with high computer literacy skills were more satisfied with using the EMR than users with low computer literacy skills.

The modern library: lost and found.

PubMed Central

Lindberg, D A

1996-01-01

The modern library, a term that was heard frequently in the mid-twentieth century, has fallen into disuse. The over-promotion of computers and all that their enthusiasts promised probably hastened its demise. Today, networking is transforming how libraries provide--and users seek--information. Although the Internet is the natural environment for the health sciences librarian, it is going through growing pains as we face issues of censorship and standards. Today's "modern librarian" must not only be adept at using the Internet but must become familiar with digital information in all its forms--images, full text, and factual data banks. Most important, to stay "modern," today's librarians must embark on a program of lifelong learning that will enable them to make optimum use of the advantages offered by modern technology. PMID:8938334

Unusual Nature of Fingerprints and the Implications for Easy-to-Clean Coatings.

PubMed

Stoehr, Bastian; McClure, Stuart; Höflich, Alexander; Al Kobaisi, Mohammad; Hall, Colin; Murphy, Peter J; Evans, Drew

2016-01-19

Irrespective of the technology, we now rely on touch to interact with devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and control panels. As a result, touch screen technologies are frequently in contact with body grease. Hence, surface deposition arises from localized inhomogeneous finger-derived contaminants adhering to a surface, impairing the visual/optical experience of the user. In this study, we examined the contamination itself in order to understand its static and dynamic behavior with respect to deposition and cleaning. A process for standardized deposition of fingerprints was developed. Artificial sebum was used in this process to enable reproducibility for quantitative analysis. Fingerprint contamination was shown to be hygroscopic and to possess temperature- and shear-dependent properties. These results have implications for the design of easily cleanable surfaces.

Ultra-Structure database design methodology for managing systems biology data and analyses

PubMed Central

Maier, Christopher W; Long, Jeffrey G; Hemminger, Bradley M; Giddings, Morgan C

2009-01-01

Background Modern, high-throughput biological experiments generate copious, heterogeneous, interconnected data sets. Research is dynamic, with frequently changing protocols, techniques, instruments, and file formats. Because of these factors, systems designed to manage and integrate modern biological data sets often end up as large, unwieldy databases that become difficult to maintain or evolve. The novel rule-based approach of the Ultra-Structure design methodology presents a potential solution to this problem. By representing both data and processes as formal rules within a database, an Ultra-Structure system constitutes a flexible framework that enables users to explicitly store domain knowledge in both a machine- and human-readable form. End users themselves can change the system's capabilities without programmer intervention, simply by altering database contents; no computer code or schemas need be modified. This provides flexibility in adapting to change, and allows integration of disparate, heterogenous data sets within a small core set of database tables, facilitating joint analysis and visualization without becoming unwieldy. Here, we examine the application of Ultra-Structure to our ongoing research program for the integration of large proteomic and genomic data sets (proteogenomic mapping). Results We transitioned our proteogenomic mapping information system from a traditional entity-relationship design to one based on Ultra-Structure. Our system integrates tandem mass spectrum data, genomic annotation sets, and spectrum/peptide mappings, all within a small, general framework implemented within a standard relational database system. General software procedures driven by user-modifiable rules can perform tasks such as logical deduction and location-based computations. The system is not tied specifically to proteogenomic research, but is rather designed to accommodate virtually any kind of biological research. Conclusion We find Ultra-Structure offers substantial benefits for biological information systems, the largest being the integration of diverse information sources into a common framework. This facilitates systems biology research by integrating data from disparate high-throughput techniques. It also enables us to readily incorporate new data types, sources, and domain knowledge with no change to the database structure or associated computer code. Ultra-Structure may be a significant step towards solving the hard problem of data management and integration in the systems biology era. PMID:19691849

Abuse potential of carisoprodol: a retrospective review of Idaho Medicaid pharmacy and medical claims data.

PubMed

Owens, Christopher; Pugmire, Brooke; Salness, Ty; Culbertson, Vaughn; Force, Rex; Cady, Paul; Steiner, Joseph

2007-10-01

Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant indicated as adjunctive therapy in acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions. Case reports of drug-seeking behavior and utilization of carisoprodol in combination with opioids have suggested abuse potential. We undertook a retrospective review of claims data to identify and characterize potential indicators of abuse in long-term users of carisoprodol and to determine any continued use of the drug by former long-term users following prior authorization implementation. The Idaho Medicaid pharmacy and medical claims database was queried from January 1 to December 31, 2005, to identify long-term users of muscle relaxants. Use of concomitant opioids and coded diagnoses relating to past drug abuse were analyzed and compared between patients who used carisoprodol and patients who used other muscle relaxants. Data from 11 of 30 surveys mailed to pharmacies filling prescriptions for long-term users of carisoprodol were also collected to determine the frequency of self-pay-continued use after Medicaid coverage of the drug was discontinued. Long-term users of carisoprodol (n = 340) and other skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs) (n = 453) were identified from among 130,000 individuals in the Idaho Medicaid pharmacy and medical claims database in calendar year 2005. Patients in both groups were similar in terms of mean age (~47 years) and sex (71.5% female). Patients using carisoprodol used concomitant opioids more frequently (81.5% vs 59.8%; P < 0.01), more commonly had past diagnoses indicating other drug abuse (34.1% vs 21.4%; P < 0.01), and in 80% of reported cases, continued to pay out of pocket for carisoprodol when third-party coverage was discontinued. Taken together, these findings are consistent with published case reports suggesting the abuse potential of carisoprodol. The results from this review suggest that, compared with long-term users of other SMRs, carisoprodol patients utilized concomitant opioids more frequently and concomitant NSAIDs less frequently, more commonly had past diagnoses indicating other drug dependence or abuse, and continued to pay out of pocket for carisoprodol when third-party coverage was discontinued. While none of these issues alone may be direct indicators of abuse, collectively they suggest that patients who used carisoprodol long term displayed abuse potential characteristics more frequently than long-term users of other agents.

Prevalence and associated factors of illicit drug use among university students in the association of southeast Asian nations (ASEAN).

PubMed

Yi, Siyan; Peltzer, Karl; Pengpid, Supa; Susilowati, Indri Hapsari

2017-04-06

Illicit drug use among university students has been recognized as a global public health issue in recent years. It may lead to poor academic performance that in turn leads to poor productivity in their later life. This study explores prevalence of and factors associated with illicit drug use among university students in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This multi-country cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A multi-stage cluster sampling was used to select undergraduate students from one or two universities in each country for self-administered questionnaire survey. Multivariate logistic regression analyses was performed to explore risk factors related to illicit drug use. Participants included 7,923 students with a mean age of 20.6 years (SD = 2.8), ranging from 18-30 years. The overall prevalence of frequent (≥10 times), infrequent (1-9 times) and ever (at least once) illicit drug use in the past 12 months was 2.2, 14.7, and 16.9%, respectively. After adjustment, male students were significantly less likely to be infrequent (1-9 times vs. never), but significantly more likely to be ever users compared to females. Compared to those living with parents/guardians, students living away from parents/guardians were significantly less likely to be frequent (≥10 times vs. never) and infrequent users. Students from lower-middle-income countries were significantly more likely to be frequent and infrequent users, but significantly less likely to be ever users compared to those from upper-middle or high-income countries. Students with poor subjective health status were significantly more likely to be frequent users compared to those who reported good subjective health status. Students who reported binge drinking in the past month were significantly more likely to be infrequent users, but significantly less likely to be ever users. Our findings indicate that prevalence of illicit drug use among university students in the ASEAN region varied by country. Concerted social intervention programs should be designed to address related health and behavioral problems such as illicit drug use and alcohol drinking with particular emphasis on at-risk subgroups of this young population.

User's Manual for FEMOM3DR. Version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddy, C. J.

1998-01-01

FEMoM3DR is a computer code written in FORTRAN 77 to compute radiation characteristics of antennas on 3D body using combined Finite Element Method (FEM)/Method of Moments (MoM) technique. The code is written to handle different feeding structures like coaxial line, rectangular waveguide, and circular waveguide. This code uses the tetrahedral elements, with vector edge basis functions for FEM and triangular elements with roof-top basis functions for MoM. By virtue of FEM, this code can handle any arbitrary shaped three dimensional bodies with inhomogeneous lossy materials; and due to MoM the computational domain can be terminated in any arbitrary shape. The User's Manual is written to make the user acquainted with the operation of the code. The user is assumed to be familiar with the FORTRAN 77 language and the operating environment of the computers on which the code is intended to run.

Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization of multidimensional databases

DOEpatents

Stolte, Chris; Tang, Diane L; Hanrahan, Patrick

2015-03-03

A computer displays a graphical user interface on its display. The graphical user interface includes a schema information region and a data visualization region. The schema information region includes multiple operand names, each operand corresponding to one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy. The data visualization region includes a columns shelf and a rows shelf. The computer detects user actions to associate one or more first operands with the columns shelf and to associate one or more second operands with the rows shelf. The computer generates a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the user actions. The visual table includes one or more panes. Each pane has an x-axis defined based on data for the one or more first operands, and each pane has a y-axis defined based on data for the one or more second operands.

A Novel Resource Management Method of Providing Operating System as a Service for Mobile Transparent Computing

PubMed Central

Huang, Suzhen; Wu, Min; Zhang, Yaoxue; She, Jinhua

2014-01-01

This paper presents a framework for mobile transparent computing. It extends the PC transparent computing to mobile terminals. Since resources contain different kinds of operating systems and user data that are stored in a remote server, how to manage the network resources is essential. In this paper, we apply the technologies of quick emulator (QEMU) virtualization and mobile agent for mobile transparent computing (MTC) to devise a method of managing shared resources and services management (SRSM). It has three layers: a user layer, a manage layer, and a resource layer. A mobile virtual terminal in the user layer and virtual resource management in the manage layer cooperate to maintain the SRSM function accurately according to the user's requirements. An example of SRSM is used to validate this method. Experiment results show that the strategy is effective and stable. PMID:24883353

A novel resource management method of providing operating system as a service for mobile transparent computing.

PubMed

Xiong, Yonghua; Huang, Suzhen; Wu, Min; Zhang, Yaoxue; She, Jinhua

2014-01-01

This paper presents a framework for mobile transparent computing. It extends the PC transparent computing to mobile terminals. Since resources contain different kinds of operating systems and user data that are stored in a remote server, how to manage the network resources is essential. In this paper, we apply the technologies of quick emulator (QEMU) virtualization and mobile agent for mobile transparent computing (MTC) to devise a method of managing shared resources and services management (SRSM). It has three layers: a user layer, a manage layer, and a resource layer. A mobile virtual terminal in the user layer and virtual resource management in the manage layer cooperate to maintain the SRSM function accurately according to the user's requirements. An example of SRSM is used to validate this method. Experiment results show that the strategy is effective and stable.

Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization of multidimensional databases

DOEpatents

Stolte, Chris; Tang, Diane L.; Hanrahan, Patrick

2015-11-10

A computer displays a graphical user interface on its display. The graphical user interface includes a schema information region and a data visualization region. The schema information region includes a plurality of fields of a multi-dimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy. The data visualization region includes a columns shelf and a rows shelf. The computer detects user actions to associate one or more first fields with the columns shelf and to associate one or more second fields with the rows shelf. The computer generates a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the user actions. The visual table includes one or more panes. Each pane has an x-axis defined based on data for the one or more first fields, and each pane has a y-axis defined based on data for the one or more second fields.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) for select space propulsion system components, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The technical effort and computer code enhancements performed during the sixth year of the Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods program are summarized. Various capabilities are described to probabilistically combine structural response and structural resistance to compute component reliability. A library of structural resistance models is implemented in the Numerical Evaluations of Stochastic Structures Under Stress (NESSUS) code that included fatigue, fracture, creep, multi-factor interaction, and other important effects. In addition, a user interface was developed for user-defined resistance models. An accurate and efficient reliability method was developed and was successfully implemented in the NESSUS code to compute component reliability based on user-selected response and resistance models. A risk module was developed to compute component risk with respect to cost, performance, or user-defined criteria. The new component risk assessment capabilities were validated and demonstrated using several examples. Various supporting methodologies were also developed in support of component risk assessment.

PPC750 Performance Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Donald; Uchenik, Igor

2007-01-01

The PPC750 Performance Monitor (Perfmon) is a computer program that helps the user to assess the performance characteristics of application programs running under the Wind River VxWorks real-time operating system on a PPC750 computer. Perfmon generates a user-friendly interface and collects performance data by use of performance registers provided by the PPC750 architecture. It processes and presents run-time statistics on a per-task basis over a repeating time interval (typically, several seconds or minutes) specified by the user. When the Perfmon software module is loaded with the user s software modules, it is available for use through Perfmon commands, without any modification of the user s code and at negligible performance penalty. Per-task run-time performance data made available by Perfmon include percentage time, number of instructions executed per unit time, dispatch ratio, stack high water mark, and level-1 instruction and data cache miss rates. The performance data are written to a file specified by the user or to the serial port of the computer

Bringing Federated Identity to Grid Computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teheran, Jeny

The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) is facing the challenge of providing scientific data access and grid submission to scientific collaborations that span the globe but are hosted at FNAL. Users in these collaborations are currently required to register as an FNAL user and obtain FNAL credentials to access grid resources to perform their scientific computations. These requirements burden researchers with managing additional authentication credentials, and put additional load on FNAL for managing user identities. Our design integrates the existing InCommon federated identity infrastructure, CILogon Basic CA, and MyProxy with the FNAL grid submission system to provide secure access formore » users from diverse experiments and collab orations without requiring each user to have authentication credentials from FNAL. The design automates the handling of certificates so users do not need to manage them manually. Although the initial implementation is for FNAL's grid submission system, the design and the core of the implementation are general and could be applied to other distributed computing systems.« less

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy for adaptive human-computer interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuksel, Beste F.; Peck, Evan M.; Afergan, Daniel; Hincks, Samuel W.; Shibata, Tomoki; Kainerstorfer, Jana; Tgavalekos, Kristen; Sassaroli, Angelo; Fantini, Sergio; Jacob, Robert J. K.

2015-03-01

We present a brain-computer interface (BCI) that detects, analyzes and responds to user cognitive state in real-time using machine learning classifications of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data. Our work is aimed at increasing the narrow communication bandwidth between the human and computer by implicitly measuring users' cognitive state without any additional effort on the part of the user. Traditionally, BCIs have been designed to explicitly send signals as the primary input. However, such systems are usually designed for people with severe motor disabilities and are too slow and inaccurate for the general population. In this paper, we demonstrate with previous work1 that a BCI that implicitly measures cognitive workload can improve user performance and awareness compared to a control condition by adapting to user cognitive state in real-time. We also discuss some of the other applications we have used in this field to measure and respond to cognitive states such as cognitive workload, multitasking, and user preference.

Human computer interface guide, revision A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Human Computer Interface Guide, SSP 30540, is a reference document for the information systems within the Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP). The Human Computer Interface Guide (HCIG) provides guidelines for the design of computer software that affects human performance, specifically, the human-computer interface. This document contains an introduction and subparagraphs on SSFP computer systems, users, and tasks; guidelines for interactions between users and the SSFP computer systems; human factors evaluation and testing of the user interface system; and example specifications. The contents of this document are intended to be consistent with the tasks and products to be prepared by NASA Work Package Centers and SSFP participants as defined in SSP 30000, Space Station Program Definition and Requirements Document. The Human Computer Interface Guide shall be implemented on all new SSFP contractual and internal activities and shall be included in any existing contracts through contract changes. This document is under the control of the Space Station Control Board, and any changes or revisions will be approved by the deputy director.

Protecting the patient by promoting end-user competence in health informatics systems-moves towards a generic health computer user "driving license".

PubMed

Rigby, Michael

2004-03-18

The effectiveness and quality of health informatics systems' support to healthcare delivery are largely determined by two factors-the suitability of the system installed, and the competence of the users. However, the profile of users of large-scale clinical health systems is significantly different from the profile of end-users in other enterprises such as the finance sector, insurance, travel or retail sales. Work with a mental health provider in Ireland, who was introducing a customized electronic patient record (EPR) system, identified the strong legal and ethical importance of adequately skills for the health professionals and others, who would be the system users. The experience identified the need for a clear and comprehensive generic user qualification at a basic but robust level. The European computer driving license (ECDL) has gained wide recognition as a basic generic qualification for users of computer systems. However, health systems and data have a series of characteristics that differentiate them from other data systems. The logical conclusion was the recognition of a need for an additional domain-specific qualification-an "ECDL Health Supplement". Development of this is now being progressed.

The Identification, Implementation, and Evaluation of Critical User Interface Design Features of Computer-Assisted Instruction Programs in Mathematics for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, You-Jin; Woo, Honguk

2010-01-01

Critical user interface design features of computer-assisted instruction programs in mathematics for students with learning disabilities and corresponding implementation guidelines were identified in this study. Based on the identified features and guidelines, a multimedia computer-assisted instruction program, "Math Explorer", which delivers…

Assessing the Role of User Computer Self-Efficacy, Cybersecurity Countermeasures Awareness, and Cybersecurity Skills toward Computer Misuse Intention at Government Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Min Suk

2013-01-01

Cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities are causing substantial financial losses for governments and organizations all over the world. Cybersecurity criminals are stealing more than one billion dollars from banks every year by exploiting vulnerabilities caused by bank users' computer misuse. Cybersecurity breaches are threatening the common…

Theory and Programs for Dynamic Modeling of Tree Rings from Climate

Treesearch

Paul C. van Deusen; Jennifer Koretz

1988-01-01

Computer programs written in GAUSS(TM) for IBM compatible personal computers are described that perform dynamic tree ring modeling with climate data; the underlying theory is also described. The programs and a separate users manual are available from the authors, although users must have the GAUSS software package on their personal computer. An example application of...

Task-Relevant Sound and User Experience in Computer-Mediated Firefighter Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houtkamp, Joske M.; Toet, Alexander; Bos, Frank A.

2012-01-01

The authors added task-relevant sounds to a computer-mediated instructor in-the-loop virtual training for firefighter commanders in an attempt to raise the engagement and arousal of the users. Computer-mediated training for crew commanders should provide a sensory experience that is sufficiently intense to make the training viable and effective.…

NFDRSPC: The National Fire-Danger Rating System on a Personal Computer

Treesearch

Bryan G. Donaldson; James T. Paul

1990-01-01

This user's guide is an introductory manual for using the 1988 version (Burgan 1988) of the National Fire-Danger Rating System on an IBM PC or compatible computer. NFDRSPC is a window-oriented, interactive computer program that processes observed and forecast weather with fuels data to produce NFDRS indices. Other program features include user-designed display...

Close the Gate, Lock the Windows, Bolt the Doors: Securing Library Computers. Online Treasures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balas, Janet

2005-01-01

This article, written by a systems librarian at the Monroeville Public Library, discusses a major issue affecting all computer users, security. It indicates that while, staying up-to-date on the latest security issues has become essential for all computer users, it's more critical for network managers who are responsible for securing computer…

End User Computing at a South African Technikon: Enabling Disadvantaged Students To Meet Employers' Requirements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Cecille

A two-phase study examined the skills required of competent end-users of computers in the workplace and assessed the computing awareness and technological environment of first-year students entering historically disadvantaged technikons in South Africa. First, a DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) panel of nine representatives of local business and…

Flow Ambiguity: A Path Towards Classically Driven Blind Quantum Computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantri, Atul; Demarie, Tommaso F.; Menicucci, Nicolas C.; Fitzsimons, Joseph F.

2017-07-01

Blind quantum computation protocols allow a user to delegate a computation to a remote quantum computer in such a way that the privacy of their computation is preserved, even from the device implementing the computation. To date, such protocols are only known for settings involving at least two quantum devices: either a user with some quantum capabilities and a remote quantum server or two or more entangled but noncommunicating servers. In this work, we take the first step towards the construction of a blind quantum computing protocol with a completely classical client and single quantum server. Specifically, we show how a classical client can exploit the ambiguity in the flow of information in measurement-based quantum computing to construct a protocol for hiding critical aspects of a computation delegated to a remote quantum computer. This ambiguity arises due to the fact that, for a fixed graph, there exist multiple choices of the input and output vertex sets that result in deterministic measurement patterns consistent with the same fixed total ordering of vertices. This allows a classical user, computing only measurement angles, to drive a measurement-based computation performed on a remote device while hiding critical aspects of the computation.

User Behavior Analytics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turcotte, Melissa; Moore, Juston Shane

User Behaviour Analytics is the tracking, collecting and assessing of user data and activities. The goal is to detect misuse of user credentials by developing models for the normal behaviour of user credentials within a computer network and detect outliers with respect to their baseline.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Song

CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is a widely used technique in engineering design field. It uses mathematical methods to simulate and predict flow characteristics in a certain physical space. Since the numerical result of CFD computation is very hard to understand, VR (virtual reality) and data visualization techniques are introduced into CFD post-processing to improve the understandability and functionality of CFD computation. In many cases CFD datasets are very large (multi-gigabytes), and more and more interactions between user and the datasets are required. For the traditional VR application, the limitation of computing power is a major factor to prevent visualizing largemore » dataset effectively. This thesis presents a new system designing to speed up the traditional VR application by using parallel computing and distributed computing, and the idea of using hand held device to enhance the interaction between a user and VR CFD application as well. Techniques in different research areas including scientific visualization, parallel computing, distributed computing and graphical user interface designing are used in the development of the final system. As the result, the new system can flexibly be built on heterogeneous computing environment, dramatically shorten the computation time.« less

Interaction Patterns of Nurturant Support Exchanged in Online Health Social Networking

PubMed Central

Yang, Christopher C

2012-01-01

Background Expressing emotion in online support communities is an important aspect of enabling e-patients to connect with each other and expand their social resources. Indirectly it increases the amount of support for coping with health issues. Exploring the supportive interaction patterns in online health social networking would help us better understand how technology features impacts user behavior in this context. Objective To build on previous research that identified different types of social support in online support communities by delving into patterns of supportive behavior across multiple computer-mediated communication formats. Each format combines different architectural elements, affecting the resulting social spaces. Our research question compared communication across different formats of text-based computer-mediated communication provided on the MedHelp.org health social networking environment. Methods We identified messages with nurturant support (emotional, esteem, and network) across three different computer-mediated communication formats (forums, journals, and notes) of an online support community for alcoholism using content analysis. Our sample consisted of 493 forum messages, 423 journal messages, and 1180 notes. Results Nurturant support types occurred frequently among messages offering support (forum comments: 276/412 messages, 67.0%; journal posts: 65/88 messages, 74%; journal comments: 275/335 messages, 82.1%; and notes: 1002/1180 messages, 84.92%), but less often among messages requesting support. Of all the nurturing supports, emotional (ie, encouragement) appeared most frequently, with network and esteem support appearing in patterns of varying combinations. Members of the Alcoholism Community appeared to adapt some traditional face-to-face forms of support to their needs in becoming sober, such as provision of encouragement, understanding, and empathy to one another. Conclusions The computer-mediated communication format may have the greatest influence on the supportive interactions because of characteristics such as audience reach and access. Other factors include perception of community versus personal space or purpose of communication. These results lead to a need for further research. PMID:22555303

Interaction patterns of nurturant support exchanged in online health social networking.

PubMed

Chuang, Katherine Y; Yang, Christopher C

2012-05-03

Expressing emotion in online support communities is an important aspect of enabling e-patients to connect with each other and expand their social resources. Indirectly it increases the amount of support for coping with health issues. Exploring the supportive interaction patterns in online health social networking would help us better understand how technology features impacts user behavior in this context. To build on previous research that identified different types of social support in online support communities by delving into patterns of supportive behavior across multiple computer-mediated communication formats. Each format combines different architectural elements, affecting the resulting social spaces. Our research question compared communication across different formats of text-based computer-mediated communication provided on the MedHelp.org health social networking environment. We identified messages with nurturant support (emotional, esteem, and network) across three different computer-mediated communication formats (forums, journals, and notes) of an online support community for alcoholism using content analysis. Our sample consisted of 493 forum messages, 423 journal messages, and 1180 notes. Nurturant support types occurred frequently among messages offering support (forum comments: 276/412 messages, 67.0%; journal posts: 65/88 messages, 74%; journal comments: 275/335 messages, 82.1%; and notes: 1002/1180 messages, 84.92%), but less often among messages requesting support. Of all the nurturing supports, emotional (ie, encouragement) appeared most frequently, with network and esteem support appearing in patterns of varying combinations. Members of the Alcoholism Community appeared to adapt some traditional face-to-face forms of support to their needs in becoming sober, such as provision of encouragement, understanding, and empathy to one another. The computer-mediated communication format may have the greatest influence on the supportive interactions because of characteristics such as audience reach and access. Other factors include perception of community versus personal space or purpose of communication. These results lead to a need for further research.

GNAP (Graphic Normative Analysis Program)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowen, Roger W.; Odell, John

1979-01-01

A user-oriented command language is developed to provide direct control over the computation and output of the standard CIPW norm. A user-supplied input format for the oxide values may be given or a standard CIPW Rock Analysis format may be used. Once the oxide values have been read by the computer, these values may be manipulated by the user and the 'norm' recalculated on the basis of the manipulated or 'adjusted' values. Additional output capabilities include tabular listing of computed values, summary listings suitable for publication, x-y plots, and ternary diagrams. As many as 20 rock analysis cards may be processed as a group. Any number of such groups may be processed in any one computer run.

Paper simulation techniques in user requirements analysis for interactive computer systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, H. R.; Atwood, M. E.; Willoughby, J. K.

1979-01-01

This paper describes the use of a technique called 'paper simulation' in the analysis of user requirements for interactive computer systems. In a paper simulation, the user solves problems with the aid of a 'computer', as in normal man-in-the-loop simulation. In this procedure, though, the computer does not exist, but is simulated by the experimenters. This allows simulated problem solving early in the design effort, and allows the properties and degree of structure of the system and its dialogue to be varied. The technique, and a method of analyzing the results, are illustrated with examples from a recent paper simulation exercise involving a Space Shuttle flight design task

Parental cancer: Characteristics of users of child-centred counselling versus individual psycho-oncological treatment.

PubMed

Inhestern, Laura; Geertz, Wiebke; Schulz-Kindermann, Frank; Bergelt, Corinna

2018-03-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics of users of a specific child-centred counselling service (COSIP) and to compare those to parents using an individual psycho-oncological treatment (PO). We conducted a retrospective analysis on data of users of COSIP and users of PO. Database was the routine assessment (demographic and disease-related characteristics, GAD-7, PHQ-9, EORTC QLQ-C30, and current concerns) of an outpatient psycho-oncological clinic with additional child-centred counselling. A total of 151 patients and 49 partners with children ≤21 years were included. We conducted descriptive analyses and group comparisons. Fifty-nine patients and partners used COSIP only or additionally to individual psycho-oncological service. PO users were more depressed and were more anxious than COSIP users. Patients using PO reported worse emotional functioning than patients using COSIP. Partners using PO reported worse global quality of life and more symptoms of fatigue than partners using COSIP. With regard to current concerns, patients using COSIP reported child-related issues more frequently than PO users. PO users reported symptoms of anxiety, depressive symptoms, or exhaustion more frequently than COSIP users. The findings demonstrate that patients and partners self-referring to PO or COSIP are highly burdened. COSIP users experience different psychosocial burden than PO users. As poor mental state of parents is a risk factor for the development of mental problems in children, parents using only PO may benefit from additional child-centred support. Accordingly, the need for COSIP should be assessed continuously during PO of patients with children ≤21 years. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Video stroke assessment (VSA) project: design and production of a prototype system for the remote diagnosis of stroke

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urias, Adrian R.; Draghic, Nicole; Lui, Janet; Cho, Angie; Curtis, Calvin; Espinosa, Joseluis; Wottawa, Christopher; Wiesmann, William P.; Schwamm, Lee H.

2005-04-01

Stroke remains the third most frequent cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability in adults. Long-term effects of ischemic stroke can be mitigated by the opportune administration of Tissue Plasminogen Activator (t-PA); however, the decision regarding the appropriate use of this therapy is dependant on timely, effective neurological assessment by a trained specialist. The lack of available stroke expertise is a key barrier preventing frequent use of t-PA. We report here on the development of a prototype research system capable of performing a semi-automated neurological examination from an offsite location via the Internet and a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke. The Video Stroke Assessment (VSA) System consists of a video camera, a camera mounting frame, and a computer with software and algorithms to collect, interpret, and store patient neurological responses to stimuli. The video camera is mounted on a mobility track in front of the patient; camera direction and zoom are remotely controlled on a graphical user interface (GUI) by the specialist. The VSA System also performs a partially-autonomous examination based on the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Various response data indicative of stroke are recorded, analyzed and transmitted in real time to the specialist. The VSA provides unbiased, quantitative results for most categories of the NIHSS along with video and audio playback to assist in accurate diagnosis. The system archives the complete exam and results.

An innovative system for 3D clinical photography in the resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Baghdadchi, Saharnaz; Liu, Kimberly; Knapp, Jacquelyn; Prager, Gabriel; Graves, Susannah; Akrami, Kevan; Manuel, Rolanda; Bastos, Rui; Reid, Erin; Carson, Dennis; Esener, Sadik; Carson, Joseph; Liu, Yu-Tsueng

2014-06-15

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most frequently occurring cancer in Mozambique among men and the second most frequently occurring cancer among women. Effective therapeutic treatments for KS are poorly understood in this area. There is an unmet need to develop a simple but accurate tool for improved monitoring and diagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Standardized clinical photographs have been considered to be an essential part of the evaluation. When a therapeutic response is achieved, nodular KS often exhibits a reduction of the thickness without a change in the base area of the lesion. To evaluate the vertical space along with other characters of a KS lesion, we have created an innovative imaging system with a consumer light-field camera attached to a miniature "photography studio" adaptor. The image file can be further processed by computational methods for quantification. With this novel imaging system, each high-quality 3D image was consistently obtained with a single camera shot at bedside by minimally trained personnel. After computational processing, all-focused photos and measurable 3D parameters were obtained. More than 80 KS image sets were processed in a semi-automated fashion. In this proof-of-concept study, the feasibility to use a simple, low-cost and user-friendly system has been established for future clinical study to monitor KS therapeutic response. This 3D imaging system can be also applied to obtain standardized clinical photographs for other diseases.

An innovative system for 3D clinical photography in the resource-limited settings

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is the most frequently occurring cancer in Mozambique among men and the second most frequently occurring cancer among women. Effective therapeutic treatments for KS are poorly understood in this area. There is an unmet need to develop a simple but accurate tool for improved monitoring and diagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Standardized clinical photographs have been considered to be an essential part of the evaluation. Methods When a therapeutic response is achieved, nodular KS often exhibits a reduction of the thickness without a change in the base area of the lesion. To evaluate the vertical space along with other characters of a KS lesion, we have created an innovative imaging system with a consumer light-field camera attached to a miniature “photography studio” adaptor. The image file can be further processed by computational methods for quantification. Results With this novel imaging system, each high-quality 3D image was consistently obtained with a single camera shot at bedside by minimally trained personnel. After computational processing, all-focused photos and measurable 3D parameters were obtained. More than 80 KS image sets were processed in a semi-automated fashion. Conclusions In this proof-of-concept study, the feasibility to use a simple, low-cost and user-friendly system has been established for future clinical study to monitor KS therapeutic response. This 3D imaging system can be also applied to obtain standardized clinical photographs for other diseases. PMID:24929434

MCloud: Secure Provenance for Mobile Cloud Users

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-03

Feasibility of Smartphone Clouds , 2015 15th IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Cluster, Cloud and Grid Computing (CCGrid). 04-MAY- 15, Shenzhen, China...final decision. MCloud: Secure Provenance for Mobile Cloud Users Final Report Bogdan Carbunar Florida International University Computing and...Release; Distribution Unlimited UU UU UU UU 03-10-2016 31-May-2013 30-May-2016 Final Report: MCloud: Secure Provenance for Mobile Cloud Users The views

Graphical Requirements for Force Level Planning. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

technology review includes graphics algorithms, computer hardware, computer software, and design methodologies. The technology can either exist today or...level graphics language. 7.4 User Interface Design Tools As user interfaces have become more sophisticated, they have become harder to develop. Xl...Setphen M. Pizer, editors. Proceedings 1986 Workshop on Interactive 31) Graphics , October 1986. 18 J. S. Dumas. Designing User Interface Software. Prentice

A user`s guide to LUGSAN II. A computer program to calculate and archive lug and sway brace loads for aircraft-carried stores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dunn, W.N.

1998-03-01

LUG and Sway brace ANalysis (LUGSAN) II is an analysis and database computer program that is designed to calculate store lug and sway brace loads for aircraft captive carriage. LUGSAN II combines the rigid body dynamics code, SWAY85, with a Macintosh Hypercard database to function both as an analysis and archival system. This report describes the LUGSAN II application program, which operates on the Macintosh System (Hypercard 2.2 or later) and includes function descriptions, layout examples, and sample sessions. Although this report is primarily a user`s manual, a brief overview of the LUGSAN II computer code is included with suggestedmore » resources for programmers.« less

Knowledge of the risks associated with skin bleaching among Togolese users.

PubMed

Kpanake, L; Sastre, M T Munoz; Sorum, P C; Mullet, E

2008-01-01

We examined the extent of Togolese users' knowledge of the health risks associated with the regular use of bleaching agents. A massive underestimation of some of the main risks was discovered. The more frequent the use of bleaching agents, the higher the underestimation.

Multimedia Web Searching Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozmutlu, Seda; Spink, Amanda; Ozmutlu, H. Cenk

2002-01-01

Examines and compares multimedia Web searching by Excite and FAST search engine users in 2001. Highlights include audio and video queries; time spent on searches; terms per query; ranking of the most frequently used terms; and differences in Web search behaviors of U.S. and European Web users. (Author/LRW)

TOXBASE: Poisons information on the internet

PubMed Central

Bateman, D; Good, A; Laing, W; Kelly, C

2002-01-01

Objectives: To assess the uptake, usage and acceptability of TOXBASE, the National Poisons Information Service internet toxicology information service. Methods: An observational study of database usage, and a questionnaire of users were undertaken involving users of TOXBASE within the UK between August 1999, when the internet site was launched, and May 2000. The main outcome measures were numbers of registered users, usage patterns on the database, responses to user satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The number of registered users increased from 567 to 1500. There was a 68% increase in accident and emergency departments registered, a 159% increase in general practitioners, but a 324% increase in other hospital departments. Between January 2000 and the end of May there had been 60 281 accesses to the product database, the most frequent to the paracetamol entry (7291 accesses). Ecstasy was the seventh most frequent entry accessed. Altogether 165 of 330 questionnaires were returned. The majority came from accident and emergency departments, the major users of the system. Users were generally well (>95%) satisfied with ease and speed of access. A number of suggestions for improvements were put forward. Conclusions: TOXBASE has been extensively accessed since being placed on the internet (http://www.spib.axl.co.uk). The pattern of enquiries mirrors clinical presentation with poisoning. The system seems to be easily used. It is a model for future delivery of treatment guidelines at the point of patient care. PMID:11777868

Nonmedical prescription pain reliever and alcohol consumption among cannabis users.

PubMed

Novak, Scott P; Peiper, Nicholas C; Zarkin, Gary A

2016-02-01

This study examined poly-drug use involving the use of cannabis with nonmedical prescription pain reliever use (NMPR) and alcohol use. Computer-assisted survey data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were examined. The NSDUH is an annual, cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized citizens in the United States (ages 12+). Replicate analyses were conducted using the 2013 and 2003 survey waves. Higher levels of cannabis use were consistently associated with more frequent consumption of prescription pain relievers, with findings replicating in both 2013 and 2003. While the prevalence of dual users declined from 2003 (2.5%) to 2013 (2.3%), the average number of days used among dual users increased by an average of 20 days over that period. These changes largely occurred among those aged 35 or older, males, whites, and non-illicit drug users. Past-year marijuana use increased by 16% (10.8-12.6%, p-value<.001) whereas NMPR decreased by 15% (4.9-4.2%, p-value<.001). The largest changes occurred after 2011. Persons using the most cannabis generally had higher levels of alcohol use relative to those using the least amount of cannabis. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of dual use between 2003 (10.2%) and 2013 (11.6%), while the prevalence of past-year alcohol use remained relatively stable. Clinical efforts and public health interventions should consider the possible co-ingestion of cannabis with NMPR and alcohol, as concomitant use may portend negative health effects in the short and long-term. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonmedical prescription pain reliever and alcohol consumption among cannabis users

PubMed Central

Novak, Scott P.; Peiper, Nicholas C.; Zarkin, Gary A.

2016-01-01

Background This study examined poly-drug use involving the use of cannabis with nonmedical prescription pain reliever use (NMPR) and alcohol use. Methods Computer-assisted survey data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were examined. The NSDUH is an annual, cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized citizens in the United States (ages 12+). Replicate analyses were conducted using the 2013 and 2003 survey waves. Results Higher levels of cannabis use were consistently associated with more frequent consumption of prescription pain relievers, with findings replicating in both 2013 and 2003. While the prevalence of dual users declined from 2003 (2.5%) to 2013 (2.3%), the average number of days used among dual users increased by an average of 20 days over that period. These changes largely occurred among those aged 35 or older, males, whites, and non-illicit drug users. Past-year marijuana use increased by 16% (10.8–12.6%, p-value < .001) whereas NMPR decreased by 15% (4.9–4.2%, p-value < .001). The largest changes occurred after 2011. Persons using the most cannabis generally had higher levels of alcohol use relative to those using the least amount of cannabis. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of dual use between 2003 (10.2%) and 2013 (11.6%), while the prevalence of past-year alcohol use remained relatively stable. Conclusions Clinical efforts and public health interventions should consider the possible co-ingestion of cannabis with NMPR and alcohol, as concomitant use may portend negative health effects in the short and long-term. PMID:26748409

Models Archive and ModelWeb at NSSDC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilitza, D.; Papitashvili, N.; King, J. H.

2002-05-01

In addition to its large data holdings, NASA's National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) also maintains an archive of space physics models for public use (ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/models/). The more than 60 model entries cover a wide range of parameters from the atmosphere, to the ionosphere, to the magnetosphere, to the heliosphere. The models are primarily empirical models developed by the respective model authors based on long data records from ground and space experiments. An online model catalog (http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/model/) provides information about these and other models and links to the model software if available. We will briefly review the existing model holdings and highlight some of its usages and users. In response to a growing need by the user community, NSSDC began to develop web-interfaces for the most frequently requested models. These interfaces enable users to compute and plot model parameters online for the specific conditions that they are interested in. Currently included in the Modelweb system (http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/model/) are the following models: the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model, the Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter (MSIS) E90 model, the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) and the AP/AE-8 models for the radiation belt electrons and protons. User accesses to both systems have been steadily increasing over the last years with occasional spikes prior to large scientific meetings. The current monthly rate is between 5,000 to 10,000 accesses for either system; in February 2002 13,872 accesses were recorded to the Modelsweb and 7092 accesses to the models archive.

LTCP 2D Graphical User Interface. Application Description and User's Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ball, Robert; Navaz, Homayun K.

1996-01-01

A graphical user interface (GUI) written for NASA's LTCP (Liquid Thrust Chamber Performance) 2 dimensional computational fluid dynamic code is described. The GUI is written in C++ for a desktop personal computer running under a Microsoft Windows operating environment. Through the use of common and familiar dialog boxes, features, and tools, the user can easily and quickly create and modify input files for the LTCP code. In addition, old input files used with the LTCP code can be opened and modified using the GUI. The application is written in C++ for a desktop personal computer running under a Microsoft Windows operating environment. The program and its capabilities are presented, followed by a detailed description of each menu selection and the method of creating an input file for LTCP. A cross reference is included to help experienced users quickly find the variables which commonly need changes. Finally, the system requirements and installation instructions are provided.

Mechanistic experimental pain assessment in computer users with and without chronic musculoskeletal pain.

PubMed

Ge, Hong-You; Vangsgaard, Steffen; Omland, Øyvind; Madeleine, Pascal; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars

2014-12-06

Musculoskeletal pain from the upper extremity and shoulder region is commonly reported by computer users. However, the functional status of central pain mechanisms, i.e., central sensitization and conditioned pain modulation (CPM), has not been investigated in this population. The aim was to evaluate sensitization and CPM in computer users with and without chronic musculoskeletal pain. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) mapping in the neck-shoulder (15 points) and the elbow (12 points) was assessed together with PPT measurement at mid-point in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle among 47 computer users with chronic pain in the upper extremity and/or neck-shoulder pain (pain group) and 17 pain-free computer users (control group). Induced pain intensities and profiles over time were recorded using a 0-10 cm electronic visual analogue scale (VAS) in response to different levels of pressure stimuli on the forearm with a new technique of dynamic pressure algometry. The efficiency of CPM was assessed using cuff-induced pain as conditioning pain stimulus and PPT at TA as test stimulus. The demographics, job seniority and number of working hours/week using a computer were similar between groups. The PPTs measured at all 15 points in the neck-shoulder region were not significantly different between groups. There were no significant differences between groups neither in PPTs nor pain intensity induced by dynamic pressure algometry. No significant difference in PPT was observed in TA between groups. During CPM, a significant increase in PPT at TA was observed in both groups (P < 0.05) without significant differences between groups. For the chronic pain group, higher clinical pain intensity, lower PPT values from the neck-shoulder and higher pain intensity evoked by the roller were all correlated with less efficient descending pain modulation (P < 0.05). This suggests that the excitability of the central pain system is normal in a large group of computer users with low pain intensity chronic upper extremity and/or neck-shoulder pain and that increased excitability of the pain system cannot explain the reported pain. However, computer users with higher pain intensity and lower PPTs were found to have decreased efficiency in descending pain modulation.

User's manual for MacPASCO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucas, S. H.; Davis, R. C.

1992-01-01

A user's manual is presented for MacPASCO, which is an interactive, graphic, preprocessor for panel design. MacPASCO creates input for PASCO, an existing computer code for structural analysis and sizing of longitudinally stiffened composite panels. MacPASCO provides a graphical user interface which simplifies the specification of panel geometry and reduces user input errors. The user draws the initial structural geometry and reduces user input errors. The user draws the initial structural geometry on the computer screen, then uses a combination of graphic and text inputs to: refine the structural geometry; specify information required for analysis such as panel load and boundary conditions; and define design variables and constraints for minimum mass optimization. Only the use of MacPASCO is described, since the use of PASCO has been documented elsewhere.

Image-Processing Software For A Hypercube Computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Meemong; Mazer, Alan S.; Groom, Steven L.; Williams, Winifred I.

1992-01-01

Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE) is software system intended to develop and use image-processing application programs on concurrent computing environment. Designed to shield programmer from complexities of concurrent-system architecture, it provides interactive image-processing environment for end user. CIPE utilizes architectural characteristics of particular concurrent system to maximize efficiency while preserving architectural independence from user and programmer. CIPE runs on Mark-IIIfp 8-node hypercube computer and associated SUN-4 host computer.

Unobtrusive monitoring of computer interactions to detect cognitive status in elders.

PubMed

Jimison, Holly; Pavel, Misha; McKanna, James; Pavel, Jesse

2004-09-01

The U.S. has experienced a rapid growth in the use of computers by elders. E-mail, Web browsing, and computer games are among the most common routine activities for this group of users. In this paper, we describe techniques for unobtrusively monitoring naturally occurring computer interactions to detect sustained changes in cognitive performance. Researchers have demonstrated the importance of the early detection of cognitive decline. Users over the age of 75 are at risk for medically related cognitive problems and confusion, and early detection allows for more effective clinical intervention. In this paper, we present algorithms for inferring a user's cognitive performance using monitoring data from computer games and psychomotor measurements associated with keyboard entry and mouse movement. The inferences are then used to classify significant performance changes, and additionally, to adapt computer interfaces with tailored hints and assistance when needed. These methods were tested in a group of elders in a residential facility.

Who uses sunbeds? A systematic literature review of risk groups in developed countries.

PubMed

Schneider, S; Krämer, H

2010-06-01

Skin cancer is caused by ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Indoor tanning is a totally avoidable risk behaviour. This review addresses the specific characteristics of sunbed users and the differences in motivation and risk perception compared with non-users. This review is based solely on empirical original articles. Based on literature searches with widely used reference databases ('PubMed', 'OVID', 'Social Citation Index', 'ERIC--Educational Resources Information Center', 'Web of Science' and the 'International Bibliography of the Social Sciences'), we included studies from developed nations with a publication date between 1 January 2000 and 12 August 2008. All studies were selected, classified and coded simultaneously by both authors on a blinded basis. All searches were performed on 13 and 14 August 2008. In accordance with the QUOROM and the MOOSE Statements, we identified 16 original studies. The typical sunbed user is female, between 17 and 30 years old, and tends to live a comparatively unhealthy lifestyle: Users smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol more frequently and eat less healthy food than non-users. Users are characterized by a lack of knowledge about health risks of UVR, and prompted by the frequent use of sunbeds by friends or family members and the experience of positive emotions and relaxation by indoor tanning. This review is the first systematic review on risk groups among sunbed users that has been published in a scientific journal. There is still a lack of information among users, particularly among young people regarding the safety of solariums.

Data management and its role in delivering science at DOE BES user facilities - Past, Present, and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Stephen D.; Herwig, Kenneth W.; Ren, Shelly; Vazhkudai, Sudharshan S.; Jemian, Pete R.; Luitz, Steffen; Salnikov, Andrei A.; Gaponenko, Igor; Proffen, Thomas; Lewis, Paul; Green, Mark L.

2009-07-01

The primary mission of user facilities operated by Basic Energy Sciences under the Department of Energy is to produce data for users in support of open science and basic research [1]. We trace back almost 30 years of history across selected user facilities illustrating the evolution of facility data management practices and how these practices have related to performing scientific research. The facilities cover multiple techniques such as X-ray and neutron scattering, imaging and tomography sciences. Over time, detector and data acquisition technologies have dramatically increased the ability to produce prolific volumes of data challenging the traditional paradigm of users taking data home upon completion of their experiments to process and publish their results. During this time, computing capacity has also increased dramatically, though the size of the data has grown significantly faster than the capacity of one's laptop to manage and process this new facility produced data. Trends indicate that this will continue to be the case for yet some time. Thus users face a quandary for how to manage today's data complexity and size as these may exceed the computing resources users have available to themselves. This same quandary can also stifle collaboration and sharing. Realizing this, some facilities are already providing web portal access to data and computing thereby providing users access to resources they need [2]. Portal based computing is now driving researchers to think about how to use the data collected at multiple facilities in an integrated way to perform their research, and also how to collaborate and share data. In the future, inter-facility data management systems will enable next tier cross-instrument-cross facility scientific research fuelled by smart applications residing upon user computer resources. We can learn from the medical imaging community that has been working since the early 1990's to integrate data from across multiple modalities to achieve better diagnoses [3] - similarly, data fusion across BES facilities will lead to new scientific discoveries.

Finding Waldo: Learning about Users from their Interactions.

PubMed

Brown, Eli T; Ottley, Alvitta; Zhao, Helen; Quan Lin; Souvenir, Richard; Endert, Alex; Chang, Remco

2014-12-01

Visual analytics is inherently a collaboration between human and computer. However, in current visual analytics systems, the computer has limited means of knowing about its users and their analysis processes. While existing research has shown that a user's interactions with a system reflect a large amount of the user's reasoning process, there has been limited advancement in developing automated, real-time techniques that mine interactions to learn about the user. In this paper, we demonstrate that we can accurately predict a user's task performance and infer some user personality traits by using machine learning techniques to analyze interaction data. Specifically, we conduct an experiment in which participants perform a visual search task, and apply well-known machine learning algorithms to three encodings of the users' interaction data. We achieve, depending on algorithm and encoding, between 62% and 83% accuracy at predicting whether each user will be fast or slow at completing the task. Beyond predicting performance, we demonstrate that using the same techniques, we can infer aspects of the user's personality factors, including locus of control, extraversion, and neuroticism. Further analyses show that strong results can be attained with limited observation time: in one case 95% of the final accuracy is gained after a quarter of the average task completion time. Overall, our findings show that interactions can provide information to the computer about its human collaborator, and establish a foundation for realizing mixed-initiative visual analytics systems.

Presence in Video-Mediated Interactions: Case Studies at CSIRO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alem, Leila

Although telepresence and a sense of connectedness with others are frequently mentioned in media space studies, as far as we know, none of these studies report attempts at assessing this critical aspect of user experience. While some attempts have been made to measure presence in virtual reality or augmented reality, (a comprehensive review of existing measures is available in Baren and Ijsselsteijn [2004]), very little work has been reported in measuring presence in video-mediated collaboration systems. Traditional studies of video-mediated collaboration have mostly focused their evaluation on measures of task performance and user satisfaction. Videoconferencing systems can be seen as a type of media space; they rely on technologies of audio, video, and computing put together to create an environment extending the embodied mind. This chapter reports on a set of video-mediated collaboration studies conducted at CSIRO in which different aspects of presence are being investigated. The first study reports the sense of physical presence a specialist doctor experiences when engaged in a remote consultation of a patient using the virtual critical care unit (Alem et al., 2006). The Viccu system is an “always-on” system connecting two hospitals (Li et al., 2006). The presence measure focuses on the extent to which users of videoconferencing systems feel physically present in the remote location. The second study reports the sense of social presence users experience when playing a game of charades with remote partners using a video conference link (Kougianous et al., 2006). In this study the presence measure focuses on the extent to which users feel connected with their remote partners. The third study reports the sense of copresence users experience when building collaboratively a piece of Lego toy (Melo and Alem, 2007). The sense of copresence is the extent to which users feel present with their remote partner. In this final study the sense of copresence is investigated by looking at the word used by users when referring to the physical objects they are manipulating during their interaction as well as when referring to locations in the collaborative workspace. We believe that such efforts provide a solid stepping stone for evaluating and analyzing future media spaces.

The impact of the prohibition of benzylpiperazine (BZP) 'legal highs' on the prevalence of BZP, new legal highs and other drug use in New Zealand.

PubMed

Wilkins, Chris; Sweetsur, Paul

2013-01-01

Benzylpiperazine (BZP) is the psychoactive ingredient in a range of 'legal highs' sold worldwide. BZP was prohibited in New Zealand in 2008. To investigate the impact of the prohibition of BZP legal highs on the prevalence of BZP, replacement legal highs and other drugs. A population survey of BZP and other drugs was conducted in 2006 (while BZP was legal) and repeated in 2009 (+12 months after BZP was prohibited). Respondents were asked to provide the reason(s) why they had stopped using BZP. Annual surveys of frequent drug users were conducted from 2006 to 2010. Last year prevalence of BZP among the general population fell from 15.3% in 2006 to 3.2% in 2009. The most common reasons for stopping BZP use in 2008 were 'it's illegal now' (43%), 'just experimenting' (26%), 'don't know where to get it now it's illegal' (24%) and 'bad hangover effect' (18%). Three per cent of the general population had used any new legal high in 2009. Use of BZP declined among frequent methamphetamine users from 32% in 2006 to 7% in 2010; among frequent ecstasy users from 65% in 2006 to 11% in 2010; and among frequent injecting drug users from 30% in 2007 to 20% in 2010. The use of new legal highs in 2010 was lower than the former use of BZP in 2006. Unpleasant side-effects and the prohibition contributed to a decline in BZP use. The overall level of legal high use was lower following the prohibition of BZP. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Frequent attenders in Primary Health Care Centres and frequent attenders in Emergency Departments].

PubMed

Fernández Alonso, Cesáreo; Aguilar Mulet, Juan Mariano; Romero Pareja, Rodolfo; Rivas García, Arístides; Fuentes Ferrer, Manuel Enrique; González Armengol, Juan Jorge

2018-04-01

To identify predictors of frequent attenders (HF) in Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in a sample of frequent attenders (HF) in Emergency Departments (ED). This was an observational, retrospective, multicentre cohort study. The HF patients were selected from patients seen in the ED between January 1 and December 31, 2013. Setting Patients were recruited from 17 public hospitals of the Community of Madrid, Spain. Variables on the index visit to the ED were collected. The sample was analysed in terms of being or not being an HF user in PHC. An HF user is considered a patient who made at least 10 visits in each level of care for a year. A total of 1284 HF patients were included. An analysis was performed on 423 (32.9%) HF users in ED with 16 (12-25) visits to PHC vs. 861 (67.1%) non-HF users in ED, with 4 (2-6) visits to PHC. Independent predictors of HF in PHC: over 65 years (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.07-2.13; P=.019), cognitive impairment (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.01-2.65; P=.049), taking >3 drugs (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.06-2.30; P=.025), and living in the community vs. nursing home or homeless (OR: 3.05; 95% CI: 1.14-8.16; P=.026). Among HF patients in the ED, the fact that of being over 65 years, taking 3or more drugs, suffering cognitive impairment, and living in the community, are also considered to be predictors of HF in PHC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Online Discussion on #KidneyStones: A Longitudinal Assessment of Activity, Users and Content

PubMed Central

Bultitude, Matthew; Fritsche, Hans-Martin; Haferkamp, Axel; Heidenreich, Axel; Miernik, Arkadiusz; Neisius, Andreas; Knoll, Thomas; Thomas, Christian; Tsaur, Igor

2016-01-01

Introduction Twitter is a popular microblogging platform for the rapid dissemination of information and reciprocal exchange in the urological field. We aimed to assess the activity, users and content of the online discussion, #KidneyStones, on Twitter. Methods We investigated the Symplur Signals analytics tool for Twitter data distributed via the #KidneyStones hashtag over a one year period. Activity analysis reflected overall activity and tweet enhancements. We assessed users’ geolocations and performed an influencer analysis. Content analysis included the most frequently used words, tweet sentiment and shares for top tweets. Results 3,426 users generated over 10,333 tweets, which were frequently accompanied by links (49%), mentions (30%) and photos (13%). Users came from 106 countries across the globe and were most frequently from North America (63%) and Europe (16%). Individual and organisational healthcare professionals made up 56% of the influencers of the Twitter discussion on #KidneyStones. Besides the words ‘kidney’ (used 4,045 times) and ‘stones’ (3,335), ‘pain’ (1,233), ‘urine’ (1,158), and ‘risk’ (1,023) were the most frequently used words. 56% of tweets had a positive sentiment. The median (range) number of shares was 85 (62–587) for the top 10 links, 45.5 (17–94) for the top 10 photos, and 44 (22–95) for the top 10 retweets. Conclusion The rapidly growing Twitter discussion on #KidneyStones engaged multiple stakeholders in the healthcare sector on a global scale and reached both professionals and laypeople. When used effectively and responsibly, the Twitter platform could improve prevention and medical care of kidney stone patients. PMID:27537406

The economics of time shared computing: Congestion, user costs and capacity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agnew, C. E.

1982-01-01

Time shared systems permit the fixed costs of computing resources to be spread over large numbers of users. However, bottleneck results in the theory of closed queueing networks can be used to show that this economy of scale will be offset by the increased congestion that results as more users are added to the system. If one considers the total costs, including the congestion cost, there is an optimal number of users for a system which equals the saturation value usually used to define system capacity.

Human-Computer Interaction in Tactical Operations: Designing for Effective Human-Computer Dialogue

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

developing re-usable interface software. Furthermore, steps can be taken toward standardization, and the specifier may be able to take on an increased...The semantic level deals with the meaning of the dialogue to the user. The user has a "point of view" or a " mental model" which provides a context for...information may not occur. As shown in Figure 3-4, the user’s mental model is termed the USER MODEL (Norman and Draper, 1986, p. 47). The programmer’s

ARTVAL user guide : user guide for the ARTerial eVALuation computational engine.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

This document provides guidance on the use of the ARTVAL (Arterial Evaluation) computational : engine. The engine implements the Quick Estimation Method for Urban Streets (QEM-US) : described in Highway Capacity Manual (HCM2010) as the core computati...

Recommended Computer End-User Skills for Business Students by Inc. 500 Executives and Office Systems Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Jensen J.; Ray, Charles M.; Dye, Lee J.; Davis, Rodney

1998-01-01

Executives (n=63) and office-systems educators (n=88) recommended for workers the following categories of computer end-user skills: hardware, operating systems, word processing, spreadsheets, database, desktop publishing, and presentation. (SK)

Software For Computer-Aided Design Of Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wette, Matthew

1994-01-01

Computer Aided Engineering System (CAESY) software developed to provide means to evaluate methods for dealing with users' needs in computer-aided design of control systems. Interpreter program for performing engineering calculations. Incorporates features of both Ada and MATLAB. Designed to be flexible and powerful. Includes internally defined functions, procedures and provides for definition of functions and procedures by user. Written in C language.

Presentation of computer code SPIRALI for incompressible, turbulent, plane and spiral grooved cylindrical and face seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walowit, Jed A.

1994-01-01

A viewgraph presentation is made showing the capabilities of the computer code SPIRALI. Overall capabilities of SPIRALI include: computes rotor dynamic coefficients, flow, and power loss for cylindrical and face seals; treats turbulent, laminar, Couette, and Poiseuille dominated flows; fluid inertia effects are included; rotor dynamic coefficients in three (face) or four (cylindrical) degrees of freedom; includes effects of spiral grooves; user definable transverse film geometry including circular steps and grooves; independent user definable friction factor models for rotor and stator; and user definable loss coefficients for sudden expansions and contractions.

GADRAS-DRF 18.6 User's Manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horne, Steve M.; Thoreson, Greg G.; Theisen, Lisa A.

2016-05-01

The Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software–Detector Response Function (GADRAS-DRF) application computes the response of gamma-ray and neutron detectors to incoming radiation. This manual provides step-by-step procedures to acquaint new users with the use of the application. The capabilities include characterization of detector response parameters, plotting and viewing measured and computed spectra, analyzing spectra to identify isotopes, and estimating source energy distributions from measured spectra. GADRAS-DRF can compute and provide detector responses quickly and accurately, giving users the ability to obtain usable results in a timely manner (a matter of seconds or minutes).

Neural-Network Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, Paul H.

1991-01-01

F77NNS (FORTRAN 77 Neural Network Simulator) computer program simulates popular back-error-propagation neural network. Designed to take advantage of vectorization when used on computers having this capability, also used on any computer equipped with ANSI-77 FORTRAN Compiler. Problems involving matching of patterns or mathematical modeling of systems fit class of problems F77NNS designed to solve. Program has restart capability so neural network solved in stages suitable to user's resources and desires. Enables user to customize patterns of connections between layers of network. Size of neural network F77NNS applied to limited only by amount of random-access memory available to user.

Computer-assisted instruction and diagnosis of radiographic findings.

PubMed

Harper, D; Butler, C; Hodder, R; Allman, R; Woods, J; Riordan, D

1984-04-01

Recent advances in computer technology, including high bit-density storage, digital imaging, and the ability to interface microprocessors with videodisk, create enormous opportunities in the field of medical education. This program, utilizing a personal computer, videodisk, BASIC language, a linked textfile system, and a triangulation approach to the interpretation of radiographs developed by Dr. W. L. Thompson, can enable the user to engage in a user-friendly, dynamic teaching program in radiology, applicable to various levels of expertise. Advantages include a relatively more compact and inexpensive system with rapid access and ease of revision which requires little instruction to the user.

Application of AI techniques to a voice-actuated computer system for reconstructing and displaying magnetic resonance imaging data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherley, Patrick L.; Pujol, Alfonso, Jr.; Meadow, John S.

1990-07-01

To provide a means of rendering complex computer architectures languages and input/output modalities transparent to experienced and inexperienced users research is being conducted to develop a voice driven/voice response computer graphics imaging system. The system will be used for reconstructing and displaying computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scan data. In conjunction with this study an artificial intelligence (Al) control strategy was developed to interface the voice components and support software to the computer graphics functions implemented on the Sun Microsystems 4/280 color graphics workstation. Based on generated text and converted renditions of verbal utterances by the user the Al control strategy determines the user''s intent and develops and validates a plan. The program type and parameters within the plan are used as input to the graphics system for reconstructing and displaying medical image data corresponding to that perceived intent. If the plan is not valid the control strategy queries the user for additional information. The control strategy operates in a conversation mode and vocally provides system status reports. A detailed examination of the various AT techniques is presented with major emphasis being placed on their specific roles within the total control strategy structure. 1.

MacDoctor: The Macintosh diagnoser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavery, David B.; Brooks, William D.

1990-01-01

When the Macintosh computer was first released, the primary user was a computer hobbyist who typically had a significant technical background and was highly motivated to understand the internal structure and operational intricacies of the computer. In recent years the Macintosh computer has become a widely-accepted general purpose computer which is being used by an ever-increasing non-technical audience. This has lead to a large base of users which has neither the interest nor the background to understand what is happening 'behind the scenes' when the Macintosh is put to use - or what should be happening when something goes wrong. Additionally, the Macintosh itself has evolved from a simple closed design to a complete family of processor platforms and peripherals with a tremendous number of possible configurations. With the increasing popularity of the Macintosh series, software and hardware developers are producing a product for every user's need. As the complexity of configuration possibilities grows, the need for experienced or even expert knowledge is required to diagnose problems. This presents a problem to uneducated or casual users. This problem indicates a new Macintosh consumer need; that is, a diagnostic tool able to determine the problem for the user. As the volume of Macintosh products has increased, this need has also increased.

Franklin: User Experiences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

National Energy Research Supercomputing Center; He, Yun; Kramer, William T.C.

2008-05-07

The newest workhorse of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center is a Cray XT4 with 9,736 dual core nodes. This paper summarizes Franklin user experiences from friendly early user period to production period. Selected successful user stories along with top issues affecting user experiences are presented.

CARE 3 user-friendly interface user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martensen, A. L.

1987-01-01

CARE 3 predicts the unreliability of highly reliable reconfigurable fault-tolerant systems that include redundant computers or computer systems. CARE3MENU is a user-friendly interface used to create an input for the CARE 3 program. The CARE3MENU interface has been designed to minimize user input errors. Although a CARE3MENU session may be successfully completed and all parameters may be within specified limits or ranges, the CARE 3 program is not guaranteed to produce meaningful results if the user incorrectly interprets the CARE 3 stochastic model. The CARE3MENU User Guide provides complete information on how to create a CARE 3 model with the interface. The CARE3MENU interface runs under the VAX/VMS operating system.

CERESVis: A QC Tool for CERES that Leverages Browser Technology for Data Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, C.; Sun-Mack, S.; Heckert, E.; Chen, Y.; Doelling, D.

2015-12-01

In this poster, we are going to present three user interfaces that CERES team uses to validate pixel-level data. Besides our home grown tools, we will aslo present the browser technology that we use to provide interactive interfaces, such as jquery, HighCharts and Google Earth. We pass data to the users' browsers and use the browsers to do some simple computations. The three user interfaces are: Thumbnails -- it displays hundrends images to allow users to browse 24-hour data files in few seconds. Multiple-synchronized cursors -- it allows users to compare multiple images side by side. Bounding Boxes and Histograms -- it allows users to draw multiple bounding boxes on an image and the browser computes/display the histograms.

Virtual button interface

DOEpatents

Jones, Jake S.

1999-01-01

An apparatus and method of issuing commands to a computer by a user interfacing with a virtual reality environment. To issue a command, the user directs gaze at a virtual button within the virtual reality environment, causing a perceptible change in the virtual button, which then sends a command corresponding to the virtual button to the computer, optionally after a confirming action is performed by the user, such as depressing a thumb switch.

Authentication of Smartphone User Using RSSI Geolocation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

of verifying a set of credentials to validate an authorized user. In computer security , three general factors are used for authentication...Department of Computer Science iv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK v ABSTRACT This thesis attempts to authenticate a smartphone user by pattern...this study , RSSI data will be used because of its ability to provide geolocation indoors. The RSSI data of a user’s daily activity from a

A study on user authentication methodology using numeric password and fingerprint biometric information.

PubMed

Ju, Seung-hwan; Seo, Hee-suk; Han, Sung-hyu; Ryou, Jae-cheol; Kwak, Jin

2013-01-01

The prevalence of computers and the development of the Internet made us able to easily access information. As people are concerned about user information security, the interest of the user authentication method is growing. The most common computer authentication method is the use of alphanumerical usernames and passwords. The password authentication systems currently used are easy, but only if you know the password, as the user authentication is vulnerable. User authentication using fingerprints, only the user with the information that is specific to the authentication security is strong. But there are disadvantage such as the user cannot change the authentication key. In this study, we proposed authentication methodology that combines numeric-based password and biometric-based fingerprint authentication system. Use the information in the user's fingerprint, authentication keys to obtain security. Also, using numeric-based password can to easily change the password; the authentication keys were designed to provide flexibility.

A Study on User Authentication Methodology Using Numeric Password and Fingerprint Biometric Information

PubMed Central

Ju, Seung-hwan; Seo, Hee-suk; Han, Sung-hyu; Ryou, Jae-cheol

2013-01-01

The prevalence of computers and the development of the Internet made us able to easily access information. As people are concerned about user information security, the interest of the user authentication method is growing. The most common computer authentication method is the use of alphanumerical usernames and passwords. The password authentication systems currently used are easy, but only if you know the password, as the user authentication is vulnerable. User authentication using fingerprints, only the user with the information that is specific to the authentication security is strong. But there are disadvantage such as the user cannot change the authentication key. In this study, we proposed authentication methodology that combines numeric-based password and biometric-based fingerprint authentication system. Use the information in the user's fingerprint, authentication keys to obtain security. Also, using numeric-based password can to easily change the password; the authentication keys were designed to provide flexibility. PMID:24151601

A Computer Code for Swirling Turbulent Axisymmetric Recirculating Flows in Practical Isothermal Combustor Geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lilley, D. G.; Rhode, D. L.

1982-01-01

A primitive pressure-velocity variable finite difference computer code was developed to predict swirling recirculating inert turbulent flows in axisymmetric combustors in general, and for application to a specific idealized combustion chamber with sudden or gradual expansion. The technique involves a staggered grid system for axial and radial velocities, a line relaxation procedure for efficient solution of the equations, a two-equation k-epsilon turbulence model, a stairstep boundary representation of the expansion flow, and realistic accommodation of swirl effects. A user's manual, dealing with the computational problem, showing how the mathematical basis and computational scheme may be translated into a computer program is presented. A flow chart, FORTRAN IV listing, notes about various subroutines and a user's guide are supplied as an aid to prospective users of the code.

Characteristics and drug utilization patterns for heavy users of prescription drugs among the elderly: a Danish register-based drug utilization study.

PubMed

Øymoen, Anita; Pottegård, Anton; Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

2015-06-01

The objectives of this study were to (1) identify and characterize heavy users of prescription drugs among persons aged 60 years and above; (2) investigate the association of demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related variables with being a heavy drug user; and (3) study the most frequently used drugs among heavy drug users and development in use over time. This is a descriptive study. Heavy drug users were defined as the accumulated top 1 percentile who accounted for the largest share of prescription drug use measured in number of dispensed defined daily doses (DDDs). The nationwide Danish registers were used to obtain data. Multivariable logistic binary regression was used to determine which factors were associated with being a heavy drug user. Heavy drug users among persons aged 60 years and above accounted for 6.8, 6.0, and 5.5% of prescription drug use in 2002, 2007, and 2012, respectively. Male gender, those aged 60-69 years, being divorced, shorter education, low annual income, and recent hospitalization were all significantly associated with being in the top 1 percentile group of drug users (p < 0.05). The ten most frequently used drug classes among heavy drug users accounted for 75.4% of their use in 2012, and five of these were cardiovascular drugs. The development over time for the ten most used drug classes followed the same pattern among heavy drug users and in the general population. There is a skewed utilization of prescription drugs. Contrary to earlier findings, being male was associated with heavy prescription drug use both with respect to number of drugs used and drug expenditure.

Scaling Task Management in Space and Time: Reducing User Overhead in Ubiquitous-Computing Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-28

consequently users are torn between taking advantage of increasingly pervasive computing systems, and the price (in attention and skill) that they have to... advantage of the surrounding computing environments; and (c) that it is usable by non-experts. Second, from a software architect’s perspective, we...take full advantage of the computing systems accessible to them, much as they take advantage of the furniture in each physical space. In the example

The Impacts of Attitudes and Engagement on Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) of Mobile Sensor Computing Applications

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yu; Liu, Yide; Lai, Ivan K. W.; Zhang, Hongfeng; Zhang, Yi

2016-01-01

As one of the latest revolutions in networking technology, social networks allow users to keep connected and exchange information. Driven by the rapid wireless technology development and diffusion of mobile devices, social networks experienced a tremendous change based on mobile sensor computing. More and more mobile sensor network applications have appeared with the emergence of a huge amount of users. Therefore, an in-depth discussion on the human–computer interaction (HCI) issues of mobile sensor computing is required. The target of this study is to extend the discussions on HCI by examining the relationships of users’ compound attitudes (i.e., affective attitudes, cognitive attitude), engagement and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) behaviors in the context of mobile sensor computing. A conceptual model is developed, based on which, 313 valid questionnaires are collected. The research discusses the level of impact on the eWOM of mobile sensor computing by considering user-technology issues, including the compound attitude and engagement, which can bring valuable discussions on the HCI of mobile sensor computing in further study. Besides, we find that user engagement plays a mediating role between the user’s compound attitudes and eWOM. The research result can also help the mobile sensor computing industry to develop effective strategies and build strong consumer user—product (brand) relationships. PMID:26999155

Computer users' ergonomics and quality of life - evidence from a developing country.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ishfaq; Shaukat, Muhammad Zeeshan

2018-06-01

This study is aimed at investigating the quality of workplace ergonomics at various Pakistani organizations and quality of life of computer users working in these organizations. Two hundred and thirty-five computer users (only those employees who have to do most of their job tasks on computer or laptop, and at their office) responded by filling the questionnaire covering questions on workplace ergonomics and quality of life. Findings of the study revealed the ergonomics at those organizations was poor and unfavourable. The quality of life (both physical and mental health of the employees) of respondents was poor for employees who had unfavourable ergonomic environment. The findings thus highlight an important issue prevalent at Pakistani work settings.

Predicting the Frequency of Senior Center Attendance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miner, Sonia; And Others

1993-01-01

Used data from 1984 Supplement on Aging of the National Health Interview Survey to examine frequency of senior center attendance. Estimated multinomial logistic regression model to distinguish between persons who rarely, sometimes, and frequently attend. Found that more frequent users are older. Greater frequency was associated with lower income…

User Instructions for the Systems Assessment Capability, Rev. 1, Computer Codes Volume 3: Utility Codes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eslinger, Paul W.; Aaberg, Rosanne L.; Lopresti, Charles A.

2004-09-14

This document contains detailed user instructions for a suite of utility codes developed for Rev. 1 of the Systems Assessment Capability. The suite of computer codes for Rev. 1 of Systems Assessment Capability performs many functions.

Individual and work-related risk factors for musculoskeletal pain: a cross-sectional study among Estonian computer users.

PubMed

Oha, Kristel; Animägi, Liina; Pääsuke, Mati; Coggon, David; Merisalu, Eda

2014-05-28

Occupational use of computers has increased rapidly over recent decades, and has been linked with various musculoskeletal disorders, which are now the most commonly diagnosed occupational diseases in Estonia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) by anatomical region during the past 12 months and to investigate its association with personal characteristics and work-related risk factors among Estonian office workers using computers. In a cross-sectional survey, the questionnaires were sent to the 415 computer users. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire from 202 computer users at two universities in Estonia. The questionnaire asked about MSP at different anatomical sites, and potential individual and work related risk factors. Associations with risk factors were assessed by logistic regression. Most respondents (77%) reported MSP in at least one anatomical region during the past 12 months. Most prevalent was pain in the neck (51%), followed by low back pain (42%), wrist/hand pain (35%) and shoulder pain (30%). Older age, right-handedness, not currently smoking, emotional exhaustion, belief that musculoskeletal problems are commonly caused by work, and low job security were the statistically significant risk factors for MSP in different anatomical sites. A high prevalence of MSP in the neck, low back, wrist/arm and shoulder was observed among Estonian computer users. Psychosocial risk factors were broadly consistent with those reported from elsewhere. While computer users should be aware of ergonomic techniques that can make their work easier and more comfortable, presenting computer use as a serious health hazard may modify health beliefs in a way that is unhelpful.

A human centered GeoVisualization framework to facilitate visual exploration of telehealth data: a case study.

PubMed

Joshi, Ashish; de Araujo Novaes, Magdala; Machiavelli, Josiane; Iyengar, Sriram; Vogler, Robert; Johnson, Craig; Zhang, Jiajie; Hsu, Chiehwen E

2012-01-01

Public health data is typically organized by geospatial units. Routine geographic monitoring of health data enables an understanding of the spatial patterns of events in terms of causes and controls. GeoVisualization (GeoVis) allows users to see information hidden both visually and explicitly on a map. Despite the applicability of GeoVis in public health, it is still underused for visualizing public health data. The objective of this study is to examine the perception of telehealth users' to utilize GeoVis as a proof of concept to facilitate visual exploration of telehealth data in Brazil using principles of human centered approach and cognitive fit theory. A mixed methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative assessments was utilized in this cross sectional study conducted at the Telehealth Center of the Federal University of Pernambuco (NUTE-UFPE), Recife, Brazil. A convenient sample of 20 participants currently involved in NUTES was drawn during a period of Sep-Oct 2011. Data was gathered using previously tested questionnaire surveys and in-person interviews. Socio-demographic Information such as age, gender, prior education, familiarity with the use of computer and GeoVis was gathered. Other information gathered included participants' prior spatial analysis skills, level of motivation and use of GeoVis in telehealth. Audio recording was done for all interviews conducted in both English and Portuguese, and transcription of the audio content to English was done by a certified translator. Univariate analysis was performed and means and standard deviations were reported for the continuous variables and frequency distributions for the categorical variables. For the open-ended questions, we utilized a grounded theory to identify themes and their relationship as they emerge from the data. Analysis of the quantitative data was performed using SAS V9.1 and qualitative data was performed using NVivo9. The average age of participants was 28 years (SD=7), a majority of them were females and 100% were professionals with graduate degrees. The users had diverse backgrounds including nursing, computer science, biomedical informatics, statistics, dentistry, administration and engineering. The users had varied roles and responsibilities, used computers frequently but only 5% of them were familiar with GeoVis. Google maps were the most common GeoVis application that the users were familiar with. Despite having minimal spatial skills, there was a strong motivation and relevance among the telehealth users to use GeoVis to facilitate visual exploration of telehealth data for better informed decision making. Results also showed that of the 60% participants with no GeoVis familiarity; 33% had moderate to large data exploratory role, 83% had no spatial skills but 58% preferred analyzing both spatial and temporal dimensions of the data. Majority of the participants agreed to have maps as the first choice to represent the data as it will be able to display the events both in place and time. The results demonstrate a potentially growing need for the use of GeoVis applications to evaluate telehealth data. Understanding of user needs is essential to ensure that the technology is appropriately functional and will be useful to complete the tasks.

Ethics and the 7 `P`s` of computer use policies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scott, T.J.; Voss, R.B.

1994-12-31

A Computer Use Policy (CUP) defines who can use the computer facilities for what. The CUP is the institution`s official position on the ethical use of computer facilities. The authors believe that writing a CUP provides an ideal platform to develop a group ethic for computer users. In prior research, the authors have developed a seven phase model for writing CUPs, entitled the 7 P`s of Computer Use Policies. The purpose of this paper is to present the model and discuss how the 7 P`s can be used to identify and communicate a group ethic for the institution`s computer users.

Mesh refinement strategy for optimal control problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paiva, L. T.; Fontes, F. A. C. C.

2013-10-01

Direct methods are becoming the most used technique to solve nonlinear optimal control problems. Regular time meshes having equidistant spacing are frequently used. However, in some cases these meshes cannot cope accurately with nonlinear behavior. One way to improve the solution is to select a new mesh with a greater number of nodes. Another way, involves adaptive mesh refinement. In this case, the mesh nodes have non equidistant spacing which allow a non uniform nodes collocation. In the method presented in this paper, a time mesh refinement strategy based on the local error is developed. After computing a solution in a coarse mesh, the local error is evaluated, which gives information about the subintervals of time domain where refinement is needed. This procedure is repeated until the local error reaches a user-specified threshold. The technique is applied to solve the car-like vehicle problem aiming minimum consumption. The approach developed in this paper leads to results with greater accuracy and yet with lower overall computational time as compared to using a time meshes having equidistant spacing.

Panel methods: An introduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Larry L.

1990-01-01

Panel methods are numerical schemes for solving (the Prandtl-Glauert equation) for linear, inviscid, irrotational flow about aircraft flying at subsonic or supersonic speeds. The tools at the panel-method user's disposal are (1) surface panels of source-doublet-vorticity distributions that can represent nearly arbitrary geometry, and (2) extremely versatile boundary condition capabilities that can frequently be used for creative modeling. Panel-method capabilities and limitations, basic concepts common to all panel-method codes, different choices that were made in the implementation of these concepts into working computer programs, and various modeling techniques involving boundary conditions, jump properties, and trailing wakes are discussed. An approach for extending the method to nonlinear transonic flow is also presented. Three appendices supplement the main test. In appendix 1, additional detail is provided on how the basic concepts are implemented into a specific computer program (PANAIR). In appendix 2, it is shown how to evaluate analytically the fundamental surface integral that arises in the expressions for influence-coefficients, and evaluate its jump property. In appendix 3, a simple example is used to illustrate the so-called finite part of the improper integrals.

The advantages of the surface Laplacian in brain-computer interface research.

PubMed

McFarland, Dennis J

2015-09-01

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems frequently use signal processing methods, such as spatial filtering, to enhance performance. The surface Laplacian can reduce spatial noise and aid in identification of sources. In BCI research, these two functions of the surface Laplacian correspond to prediction accuracy and signal orthogonality. In the present study, an off-line analysis of data from a sensorimotor rhythm-based BCI task dissociated these functions of the surface Laplacian by comparing nearest-neighbor and next-nearest neighbor Laplacian algorithms. The nearest-neighbor Laplacian produced signals that were more orthogonal while the next-nearest Laplacian produced signals that resulted in better accuracy. Both prediction and signal identification are important for BCI research. Better prediction of user's intent produces increased speed and accuracy of communication and control. Signal identification is important for ruling out the possibility of control by artifacts. Identifying the nature of the control signal is relevant both to understanding exactly what is being studied and in terms of usability for individuals with limited motor control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comparison among several P300 brain-computer interface speller paradigms.

PubMed

Fazel-Rezai, Reza; Gavett, Scott; Ahmad, Waqas; Rabbi, Ahmed; Schneider, Eric

2011-10-01

Since the brain-computer interface (BCI) speller was first proposed by Farwell and Donchin, there have been modifications in the visual aspects of P300 paradigms. Most of the changes are based on the original matrix format such as changes in the number of rows and columns, font size, flash/ blank time, and flash order. The improvement in the resulting accuracy and speed of such systems has always been the ultimate goal. In this study, we have compared several different speller paradigms including row-column, single character flashing, and two region-based paradigms which are not based on the matrix format. In the first region-based paradigm, at the first level, characters and symbols are distributed over seven regions alphabetically, while in the second region-based paradigm they are distributed in the most frequently used order. At the second level, each one of the regions is further subdivided into seven subsets. The experimental results showed that the average accuracy and user acceptability for two region-based paradigms were higher than those for traditional paradigms such as row/column and single character.

Design and Implementation of Context-Aware Musuem Guide Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satoh, Ichiro

This paper presents an agent-based system for building and operating context-aware services in public spaces, including museums. The system provides users with agents and detects the locations of users and deploys location-aware user-assistant agents at computers near the their current locations by using active RFID-tags. When a visitor moves between exhibits in a museum, this dynamically deploys his/her agent at the computers close to the exhibits by using mobile agent technology. It annotates the exhibits in his/her personalized form and navigate him/her user to the next exhibits along his/her routes. It also introduces user movement as a natural approach to interacting between users and agents. To demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of the system, we constructed location/user-aware visitor-guide services and experimented them for two weeks in a public museum.

Heuristic Scheduling in Grid Environments: Reducing the Operational Energy Demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodenstein, Christian

In a world where more and more businesses seem to trade in an online market, the supply of online services to the ever-growing demand could quickly reach its capacity limits. Online service providers may find themselves maxed out at peak operation levels during high-traffic timeslots but too little demand during low-traffic timeslots, although the latter is becoming less frequent. At this point deciding which user is allocated what level of service becomes essential. The concept of Grid computing could offer a meaningful alternative to conventional super-computing centres. Not only can Grids reach the same computing speeds as some of the fastest supercomputers, but distributed computing harbors a great energy-saving potential. When scheduling projects in such a Grid environment however, simply assigning one process to a system becomes so complex in calculation that schedules are often too late to execute, rendering their optimizations useless. Current schedulers attempt to maximize the utility, given some sort of constraint, often reverting to heuristics. This optimization often comes at the cost of environmental impact, in this case CO 2 emissions. This work proposes an alternate model of energy efficient scheduling while keeping a respectable amount of economic incentives untouched. Using this model, it is possible to reduce the total energy consumed by a Grid environment using 'just-in-time' flowtime management, paired with ranking nodes by efficiency.

Intelligent Context-Aware and Adaptive Interface for Mobile LBS

PubMed Central

Liu, Yanhong

2015-01-01

Context-aware user interface plays an important role in many human-computer Interaction tasks of location based services. Although spatial models for context-aware systems have been studied extensively, how to locate specific spatial information for users is still not well resolved, which is important in the mobile environment where location based services users are impeded by device limitations. Better context-aware human-computer interaction models of mobile location based services are needed not just to predict performance outcomes, such as whether people will be able to find the information needed to complete a human-computer interaction task, but to understand human processes that interact in spatial query, which will in turn inform the detailed design of better user interfaces in mobile location based services. In this study, a context-aware adaptive model for mobile location based services interface is proposed, which contains three major sections: purpose, adjustment, and adaptation. Based on this model we try to describe the process of user operation and interface adaptation clearly through the dynamic interaction between users and the interface. Then we show how the model applies users' demands in a complicated environment and suggested the feasibility by the experimental results. PMID:26457077

Provenance based data integrity checking and verification in cloud environments.

PubMed

Imran, Muhammad; Hlavacs, Helmut; Haq, Inam Ul; Jan, Bilal; Khan, Fakhri Alam; Ahmad, Awais

2017-01-01

Cloud computing is a recent tendency in IT that moves computing and data away from desktop and hand-held devices into large scale processing hubs and data centers respectively. It has been proposed as an effective solution for data outsourcing and on demand computing to control the rising cost of IT setups and management in enterprises. However, with Cloud platforms user's data is moved into remotely located storages such that users lose control over their data. This unique feature of the Cloud is facing many security and privacy challenges which need to be clearly understood and resolved. One of the important concerns that needs to be addressed is to provide the proof of data integrity, i.e., correctness of the user's data stored in the Cloud storage. The data in Clouds is physically not accessible to the users. Therefore, a mechanism is required where users can check if the integrity of their valuable data is maintained or compromised. For this purpose some methods are proposed like mirroring, checksumming and using third party auditors amongst others. However, these methods use extra storage space by maintaining multiple copies of data or the presence of a third party verifier is required. In this paper, we address the problem of proving data integrity in Cloud computing by proposing a scheme through which users are able to check the integrity of their data stored in Clouds. In addition, users can track the violation of data integrity if occurred. For this purpose, we utilize a relatively new concept in the Cloud computing called "Data Provenance". Our scheme is capable to reduce the need of any third party services, additional hardware support and the replication of data items on client side for integrity checking.

Advanced display object selection methods for enhancing user-computer productivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osga, Glenn A.

1993-01-01

The User-Interface Technology Branch at NCCOSC RDT&E Division has been conducting a series of studies to address the suitability of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) graphic user-interface (GUI) methods for efficiency and performance in critical naval combat systems. This paper presents an advanced selection algorithm and method developed to increase user performance when making selections on tactical displays. The method has also been applied with considerable success to a variety of cursor and pointing tasks. Typical GUI's allow user selection by: (1) moving a cursor with a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, joystick, touchscreen; and (2) placing the cursor on the object. Examples of GUI objects are the buttons, icons, folders, scroll bars, etc. used in many personal computer and workstation applications. This paper presents an improved method of selection and the theoretical basis for the significant performance gains achieved with various input devices tested. The method is applicable to all GUI styles and display sizes, and is particularly useful for selections on small screens such as notebook computers. Considering the amount of work-hours spent pointing and clicking across all styles of available graphic user-interfaces, the cost/benefit in applying this method to graphic user-interfaces is substantial, with the potential for increasing productivity across thousands of users and applications.

Porting Ordinary Applications to Blue Gene/Q Supercomputers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maheshwari, Ketan C.; Wozniak, Justin M.; Armstrong, Timothy

2015-08-31

Efficiently porting ordinary applications to Blue Gene/Q supercomputers is a significant challenge. Codes are often originally developed without considering advanced architectures and related tool chains. Science needs frequently lead users to want to run large numbers of relatively small jobs (often called many-task computing, an ensemble, or a workflow), which can conflict with supercomputer configurations. In this paper, we discuss techniques developed to execute ordinary applications over leadership class supercomputers. We use the high-performance Swift parallel scripting framework and build two workflow execution techniques-sub-jobs and main-wrap. The sub-jobs technique, built on top of the IBM Blue Gene/Q resource manager Cobalt'smore » sub-block jobs, lets users submit multiple, independent, repeated smaller jobs within a single larger resource block. The main-wrap technique is a scheme that enables C/C++ programs to be defined as functions that are wrapped by a high-performance Swift wrapper and that are invoked as a Swift script. We discuss the needs, benefits, technicalities, and current limitations of these techniques. We further discuss the real-world science enabled by these techniques and the results obtained.« less

Proposal for Re-Usable TODO Knowledge Management System RESTER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saga, Ryosuke; Kageyama, Akinori; Tsuji, Hiroshi

This paper describes how to reuse a series of ad-hoc tasks such as special meeting arrangement and equipment procurement. Our RESTER (Reusable TODO Synthesizer) allows a group to reuse a series of tasks which are recorded in case database. Given a specific event, RESTER repairs the retrieved similar case by the ontology which describes the relationship of concept in the organization. A user has chance to check the modified case and to update it if he finds that there are incorrect repair because of deficient ontology. The user is also requested to judge if the retrieved case works or not. If he judges it is useful, the case becomes to be reused more frequently. Thus, RESTER works under the premise of human-computer collaboration. Based on the presented framework, this paper has identified several desirable attributes: (1) RESTER allows a group to externalize its experience on jobs, (2) Externalized experience are connected in case database, (3) A case is internalized by other group when it is retrieved and repaired for a new event, (4) New job generated from the previous similar job of one group is socialized by the other group.

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

PubMed

Gamsu, Gordon; Perez, Enrico

2003-07-01

Over the past 2 decades, groups of computer scientists, electronic design engineers, and physicians, in universities and industry, have worked to achieve an electronic environment for the practice of medicine and radiology. The radiology component of this revolution is often called PACS (picture archiving and communication systems). More recently it has become evident that the efficiencies and cost savings of PACS are realized when they are part of an enterprise-wide electronic medical record. The installation of PACS requires careful planning by all the various stakeholds over many months prior to installation. All of the users must be aware of the initial disruption that will occur as they become familiar with the systems. Modern fourth generation PACS is linked to radiology and hospital information systems. The PACS consist of electronic acquisition sites-a robust network intelligently managed by a server, multiple viewing sites, and an archive. The details of how these are linked and their workflow analysis determines the success of PACS. PACS evolves over time, components are frequently replaced, and so the users must expect continuous learning about new updates and improved functionality. The digital medical revolution is rapidly being adopted in many medical centers, improving patient care and the success of the institution.

Cross layer optimization for cloud-based radio over optical fiber networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Sujie; Guo, Shaoyong; Qiu, Xuesong; Yang, Hui; Meng, Luoming

2016-07-01

To adapt the 5G communication, the cloud radio access network is a paradigm introduced by operators which aggregates all base stations computational resources into a cloud BBU pool. The interaction between RRH and BBU or resource schedule among BBUs in cloud have become more frequent and complex with the development of system scale and user requirement. It can promote the networking demand among RRHs and BBUs, and force to form elastic optical fiber switching and networking. In such network, multiple stratum resources of radio, optical and BBU processing unit have interweaved with each other. In this paper, we propose a novel multiple stratum optimization (MSO) architecture for cloud-based radio over optical fiber networks (C-RoFN) with software defined networking. Additionally, a global evaluation strategy (GES) is introduced in the proposed architecture. MSO can enhance the responsiveness to end-to-end user demands and globally optimize radio frequency, optical spectrum and BBU processing resources effectively to maximize radio coverage. The feasibility and efficiency of the proposed architecture with GES strategy are experimentally verified on OpenFlow-enabled testbed in terms of resource occupation and path provisioning latency.