Stress reactions to cognitively demanding tasks and open-plan office noise

Objectives  To investigate the effects of cognitively demanding work tasks and office noise on heart rate variability (HRV), cardiovascular responses and electromyography (EMG) activity in the trapezius muscles. Methods  Ten female volunteers were exposed to simulated open-plan office noise for 35 min (Leq 65 dBA), while engaged in cognitively demanding tasks. Task performance, self-rated stress and energy, affective state, perceived exertion in the shoulders and in the head, EMG in the left and right trapezius muscle, blood pressure, heart period length, HRV, and salivary cortisol were measured. Results  Cognitively demanding work tasks were associated with changes in HRV, systolic blood pressure and EMG that reflects increased sympathetic activity in the autonomic nervous system. No effect of noise was observed, except for a higher rating of perceived exertion in the head and, contrary to expectations, a 4% lower diastolic blood pressure in the noise conditions. Conclusions  Psychophysiological measures reflected the mental load imposed by cognitive work tasks. Short-term exposure to office noise resulted in increased ratings of perceived exertion in the head, but not in physiological stress reactions.     

良心与名誉的哲学范畴

良心和名誉都是使人遵守道德的极其巨大的力量.名誉是人的外在名声,因而是使人遵守道德的外在力量:良心是人的内心信念,因而是使人遵守道德的内在力量.但是,良心使人遵守道德的力量是纯粹的、无负作用的,它只会使人遵守道德而不会使人背离道德.反之,名誉使人遵守道德的力量是不纯粹的、有负作用的,它使人遵守道德往往以使人陷于恶德--假仁假义和自我异化为代价.名誉的负作用几乎是不可避免的,因而只有依靠良心来消解:如果一个人遭受了不该得的谴责,如果他因为追求自由、创新、自我实现而遭受轻蔑,他的良心便应该自豪,从而化解这种错误评价的压力;如果他得到了不该得的荣誉,如果他因为屈己从众、追赶时髦而赢得赞誉,他的良心便应该惭愧,从而改弦易辄追求自由、创新和自我实现.     

An intelligent interface for freehand strain imaging

We present a new, intelligent interface for freehand strain imaging, which has been designed to support clinical trials investigating the potential of ultrasonic strain imaging for diagnostic purposes across a broad range of target pathologies. The aim with this interface is to make scanning easier and to help clinicians learn the necessary scanning technique quickly, by providing real time feedback indicating the quality of the strain data as they are produced. The methods require a pixel-level indicator of estimation precision, which can be calculated in-line with strain estimation. This is exploited in novel approaches to normalisation, persistence and display. The effect of each component is indicated in the results with examples from in vitro and in vivo scanning. As well as providing real-time feedback, the images are easier to interpret because data at unacceptably low signal-to-noise ratios do not reach the display. Additionally, the level of noise in the displayed images is actually reduced compared with other methods that use the same strain estimates with the same level of persistence. The interface also considerably reduces the difficulty in producing volumes of strain data from freehand three-dimensional scans.     

Using conceptual work products of health care to design health IT

This paper introduces a new, model-based design method for interactive health information technology (IT) systems. This method extends workflow models with models of conceptual work products. When the health care work being modeled is substantially cognitive, tacit, and complex in nature, graphical workflow models can become too complex to be useful to designers. Conceptual models complement and simplify workflows by providing an explicit specification for the information product they must produce. We illustrate how conceptual work products can be modeled using standard software modeling language, which allows them to provide fundamental requirements for what the workflow must accomplish and the information that a new system should provide. Developers can use these specifications to envision how health IT could enable an effective cognitive strategy as a workflow with precise information requirements. We illustrate the new method with a study conducted in an outpatient multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic. This study shows specifically how the different phases of the method can be carried out, how the method allows for iteration across phases, and how the method generated a health IT design for case management of MS that is efficient and easy to use.     

基于全程管理的“互联网+”慢性病管理模式

介绍了主流的慢性病管理模式,梳理了传统慢性病管理模式和“互联网+”慢性病管理模式的弊端,结合“互联网+”慢性病管理的研究及实践提出了基于全程管理的“互联网+”慢性病管理模式,并对其内涵进行了探讨,以更好地服务用户。     

Assessing the user experience of older adults using a neural network trained to recognize emotions from brain signals

The use of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies as a means to cope with problems that arise due to an increasing and aging population is becoming usual. AAL technologies are used to prevent, cure and improve the wellness and health conditions of the elderly. However, their adoption and use by older adults is still a major challenge. User Experience (UX) evaluations aim at aiding on this task, by identifying the experience that a user has while interacting with an AAL technology under particular conditions. This may help designing better products and improve user engagement and adoption of AAL solutions. However, evaluating the UX of AAL technologies is a difficult task, due to the inherent limitations of their subjects and of the evaluation methods. In this study, we validated the feasibility of assessing the UX of older adults while they use a cognitive stimulation application using a neural network trained to recognize pleasant and unpleasant emotions from electroencephalography (EEG) signals by contrasting our results with those of additional self-report and qualitative analysis UX evaluations. Our study results provide evidence about the feasibility of assessing the UX of older adults using a neural network that take as input the EEG signals; the classification accuracy of our neural network ranges from 60.87% to 82.61%. As future work we will conduct additional UX evaluation studies using the three different methods, in order to appropriately validate these results.     

With how many users should you test a medical infusion pump? Sampling strategies for usability tests on high-risk systems

Usability testing is recognized as an effective means to improve the usability of medical devices and prevent harm for patients and users. Effectiveness of problem discovery in usability testing strongly depends on size and representativeness of the sample. We introduce the late control strategy, which is to continuously monitor effectiveness of a study towards a preset target.A statistical model, the LNB_zt model, is presented, supporting the late control strategy. We report on a case study, where a prototype medical infusion pump underwent a usability test with 34 users. On the data obtained in this study, the LNB_zt model is evaluated and compared against earlier prediction models.The LNB_zt model fits the data much better than previously suggested approaches and improves prediction. We measure the effectiveness of problem identification, and observe that it is lower than is suggested by much of the literature. Larger sample sizes seem to be in order. In addition, the testing process showed high levels of uncertainty and volatility at small to moderate sample sizes, partly due to users’ individual differences. In reaction, we propose the idiosyncrasy score as a means to obtain representative samples. Statistical programs are provided to assist practitioners and researchers in applying the late control strategy.     

Understanding Quality of Working Life of Workers with Intellectual Disabilities

Background This paper examines the perceived quality of working life of workers with intellectual disabilities. Specifically, this paper looks at participants’ perceptions in relation to perceived job demands and resources and their impact on experienced job satisfaction. Methods In this cross‐sectional survey, 507 workers with intellectual disabilities, employed in either sheltered workshops or supported employment, completed questionnaires on the quality of working life through semi‐structured interviews. Results Regression analyses showed that perceived low job demands and elevated social support from coworkers and supervisors predicted higher quality of working life. Conclusions Common organizational psychology measures can be successfully used with this population to assess quality of working life. This study confirms the multidimensional nature of quality of working life, and the impact of job demands and available resources on perceived satisfaction with job for workers with intellectual disabilities.     

Dynamic modulation of emotional processing

Recent findings suggest the processing of emotional stimuli is prioritized compared to neutral stimuli; however, it is not necessarily automatic and depends on several modulating factors. The current paper highlights three major factors that affect the reactions to emotional stimuli: (i) stimulus properties, (ii) task demands and attention, and (iii) individual characteristics. The evidence reviewed here suggests that individual characteristics shape the structure, function and connectivity within a neural network that is involved in the reactions to emotional stimuli. This neural network includes regions related to emotion and attention, in line with evidence for reciprocal connections between these two processes. Activation in this network further depends on the emotional value of a certain item, as well as physical features of the stimulus. This integrative view can lead to better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of emotional reactions, as well as better therapeutic approaches.     

Prospective memory and working memory: Asymmetrical effects during frontal lobe TMS stimulation

The role of working memory (WM) for the realization of an intended action (prospective memory, PM) has been debated in recent neuropsychological literature. The present study aimed to assess whether WM and PM share resources or are, alternatively, two distinct mechanisms. A verbal task was used, which manipulated the cognitive demand of both WM and PM dimensions on an event-based prospective task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was also employed to clarify the causal contribution of frontal areas previously related to WM, to the PM process. The prospective task required the participant to respond whenever a word appeared which had been presented before the beginning of the task. Two ongoing tasks were administered: an updating WM task (in two conditions of medium and high WM demands) and a lexical decision task (representing a low WM demand). In the first two experiments, higher PM demand affected WM only at higher loads, but the PM load effect was independent of WM, showing asymmetrical behavioural effects. In the third experiment, single pulse TMS was applied to left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. When applied to the experimental sites, stimulation increased error rates of the PM task, while the effect was only marginal in the WM task. The effect was bilateral, since there was no difference between left and right stimulation sites. These findings demonstrated, from both behavioural and neurofunctional perspectives, that WM and PM processes are not based on the same memory system, but PM may require WM resources at high demand.