Cognitive Awareness Prototype Development on User Interface Design

Science.gov (United States)

Rosli, D'oria Islamiah

2015-01-01

Human error is a crucial problem in manufacturing industries. Due to the misinterpretation of information on interface system design, accidents or death may occur at workplace. Lack of human cognition criteria in interface system design is also one of the contributions to the failure in using the system effectively. Therefore, this paper describes…

COGNITIVE SYSTEMS. REDEFINING THE COOPERATION BETWEEN MAN AND SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana-Aderina MOISUC

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Cognitive systems appeared as a response to the real challenges brought by the Big Data phenomenon. It was found that the solutions for solving difficult problems caused by this phenomenon could be brought by using artificial intelligence tools. In this context a convergence between Big Data and Artificial Intelligence happened, which determined the start of a new stage in system development, namely the era of cognitive systems. The potential of these systems is given by the characteristics that differentiate them from other systems. The cognitive systems offered solutions and were used with success in complex projects from the medical and financial sectors. The architecture of cognitive systems is complex. These systems are designed so that they use artificial intelligence tools when processing source content, producing analytical solutions which can be used in the decision process. In this paper base concepts, the characteristics and architecture of cognitive systems, the benefits brought by the development and use of them were presented.

Interliminal Design: Understanding cognitive heuristics to mitigate design distortion

OpenAIRE

Andrew McCollough; DeAunne Denmark; Donald Harker

2014-01-01

Cognitive heuristics are mental shortcuts adapted over time to enable rapid interpretation of our complex environment. They are intrinsic to human cognition and resist modification. Heuristics applied outside the context to which they are best suited are termed cognitive bias, and are the cause of systematic errors in judgment and reasoning. As both a cognitive and intuitive discipline, design by individuals is vulnerable to context-inappropriate heuristic usage. Designing in groups can act p...

Cognitive Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The tutorial will discuss the definition of cognitive systems as the possibilities to extend the current systems engineering paradigm in order to perceive, learn, reason and interact robustly in open-ended changing environments. I will also address cognitive systems in a historical perspective...... to be modeled within a limited set of predefined specifications. There will inevitably be a need for robust decisions and behaviors in novel situations that include handling of conflicts and ambiguities based on the capability and knowledge of the artificial cognitive system. Further, there is a need...... in cognitive systems include e.g. personalized information systems, sensor network systems, social dynamics system and Web2.0, and cognitive components analysis. I will use example from our own research and link to other research activities....

Design of cognitive engine for cognitive radio based on the rough sets and radial basis function neural network

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yanchao; Jiang, Hong; Liu, Congbin; Lan, Zhongli

2013-03-01

Cognitive radio (CR) is an intelligent wireless communication system which can dynamically adjust the parameters to improve system performance depending on the environmental change and quality of service. The core technology for CR is the design of cognitive engine, which introduces reasoning and learning methods in the field of artificial intelligence, to achieve the perception, adaptation and learning capability. Considering the dynamical wireless environment and demands, this paper proposes a design of cognitive engine based on the rough sets (RS) and radial basis function neural network (RBF_NN). The method uses experienced knowledge and environment information processed by RS module to train the RBF_NN, and then the learning model is used to reconfigure communication parameters to allocate resources rationally and improve system performance. After training learning model, the performance is evaluated according to two benchmark functions. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the model and the proposed cognitive engine can effectively achieve the goal of learning and reconfiguration in cognitive radio.

Energy-Aware Cognitive Radio Systems

KAUST Repository

Bedeer, Ebrahim

2016-01-15

The concept of energy-aware communications has spurred the interest of the research community in the most recent years due to various environmental and economical reasons. It becomes indispensable for wireless communication systems to shift their resource allocation problems from optimizing traditional metrics, such as throughput and latency, to an environmental-friendly energy metric. Although cognitive radio systems introduce spectrum efficient usage techniques, they employ new complex technologies for spectrum sensing and sharing that consume extra energy to compensate for overhead and feedback costs. Considering an adequate energy efficiency metric—that takes into account the transmit power consumption, circuitry power, and signaling overhead—is of momentous importance such that optimal resource allocations in cognitive radio systems reduce the energy consumption. A literature survey of recent energy-efficient based resource allocations schemes is presented for cognitive radio systems. The energy efficiency performances of these schemes are analyzed and evaluated under power budget, co-channel and adjacent-channel interferences, channel estimation errors, quality-of-service, and/or fairness constraints. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of energy-aware design for cognitive radio systems are discussed.

A framework for cognitive task analysis in systems design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, J.

1985-08-01

The present rapid development if advanced information technology and its use for support of operators of complex technical systems are changing the content of task analysis towards the analysis of mental activities in decision making. Automation removes the humans from routine tasks, and operators are left with disturbance control and critical diagnostic tasks, for which computers are suitable for support, if it is possible to match the computer strategies and interface formats dynamically to the requirements of the current task by means of an analysis of the cognitive task. Such a cognitive task analysis will not aim at a description of the information processes suited for particular control situations. It will rather aim at an analysis in order to identify the requirements to be considered along various dimensions of the decision tasks, in order to give the user - i.e. a decision maker - the freedom to adapt his performance to system requirements in a way which matches his process resources and subjective preferences. To serve this purpose, a number of analyses at various levels are needed to relate the control requirements of the system to the information processes and to the processing resources offered by computers and humans. The paper discusses the cognitive task analysis in terms of the following domains: The problem domain, which is a representation of the functional properties of the system giving a consistent framework for identification of the control requirements of the system; the decision sequences required for typical situations; the mental strategies and heuristics which are effective and acceptable for the different decision functions; and the cognitive control mechanisms used, depending upon the level of skill which can/will be applied. Finally, the end-users' criteria for choice of mental strategies in the actual situation are considered, and the need for development of criteria for judging the ultimate user acceptance of computer support is

Cognitive engineering models: A prerequisite to the design of human-computer interaction in complex dynamic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Christine M.

1993-01-01

This chapter examines a class of human-computer interaction applications, specifically the design of human-computer interaction for the operators of complex systems. Such systems include space systems (e.g., manned systems such as the Shuttle or space station, and unmanned systems such as NASA scientific satellites), aviation systems (e.g., the flight deck of 'glass cockpit' airplanes or air traffic control) and industrial systems (e.g., power plants, telephone networks, and sophisticated, e.g., 'lights out,' manufacturing facilities). The main body of human-computer interaction (HCI) research complements but does not directly address the primary issues involved in human-computer interaction design for operators of complex systems. Interfaces to complex systems are somewhat special. The 'user' in such systems - i.e., the human operator responsible for safe and effective system operation - is highly skilled, someone who in human-machine systems engineering is sometimes characterized as 'well trained, well motivated'. The 'job' or task context is paramount and, thus, human-computer interaction is subordinate to human job interaction. The design of human interaction with complex systems, i.e., the design of human job interaction, is sometimes called cognitive engineering.

Cognitive radio networks medium access control for coexistence of wireless systems

CERN Document Server

Bian, Kaigui; Gao, Bo

2014-01-01

This book gives a comprehensive overview of the medium access control (MAC) principles in cognitive radio networks, with a specific focus on how such MAC principles enable different wireless systems to coexist in the same spectrum band and carry out spectrum sharing.  From algorithm design to the latest developments in the standards and spectrum policy, readers will benefit from leading-edge knowledge of how cognitive radio systems coexist and share spectrum resources.  Coverage includes cognitive radio rendezvous, spectrum sharing, channel allocation, coexistence in TV white space, and coexistence of heterogeneous wireless systems.   • Provides a comprehensive reference on medium access control (MAC)-related problems in the design of cognitive radio systems and networks; • Includes detailed analysis of various coexistence problems related to medium access control in cognitive radio networks; • Reveals novel techniques for addressing the challenges of coexistence protocol design at a higher level ...

Cognitive MAC designs for OSA networks

CERN Document Server

Derakhshani, Mahsa

2014-01-01

This SpringerBrief presents recent advances in the cognitive MAC designs for opportunistic spectrum access (OSA) networks. It covers the basic MAC functionalities and MAC enhancements of IEEE 802.11. Later chapters discuss the existing MAC protocols for OSA and classify them based on characteristic features. The authors provide new research in adaptive carrier sensing-based MAC designs tailored for OSA, which optimize spectrum utilization and ensure a peaceful coexistence of licensed and unlicensed systems. Analytically devised via optimization and game-theoretic approaches, these adaptive M

Integrated System Design: Promoting the Capacity of Sociotechnical Systems for Adaptation through Extensions of Cognitive Work Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Naikar, Neelam; Elix, Ben

2016-01-01

This paper proposes an approach for integrated system design, which has the intent of facilitating high levels of effectiveness in sociotechnical systems by promoting their capacity for adaptation. Building on earlier ideas and empirical observations, this approach recognizes that to create adaptive systems it is necessary to integrate the design of all of the system elements, including the interfaces, teams, training, and automation, such that workers are supported in adapting their behavior as well as their structure, or organization, in a coherent manner. Current approaches for work analysis and design are limited in regard to this fundamental objective, especially in cases when workers are confronted with unforeseen events. A suitable starting point is offered by cognitive work analysis (CWA), but while this framework can support actors in adapting their behavior, it does not necessarily accommodate adaptations in their structure. Moreover, associated design approaches generally focus on individual system elements, and those that consider multiple elements appear limited in their ability to facilitate integration, especially in the manner intended here. The proposed approach puts forward the set of possibilities for work organization in a system as the central mechanism for binding the design of its various elements, so that actors can adapt their structure as well as their behavior-in a unified fashion-to handle both familiar and novel conditions. Accordingly, this paper demonstrates how the set of possibilities for work organization in a system may be demarcated independently of the situation, through extensions of CWA, and how it may be utilized in design. This lynchpin, conceptualized in the form of a diagram of work organization possibilities (WOP), is important for preserving a system's inherent capacity for adaptation. Future research should focus on validating these concepts and establishing the feasibility of implementing them in industrial contexts.

7th International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book gathers the peer-reviewed and revised versions of papers from the Seventh International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition (DCC'16), held at Northwestern University, Evanston (Chicago), USA, from 27–29 June 2016. The material presented here reflects cutting-edge design research with a focus on artificial intelligence, cognitive science and computational theories. The papers are grouped under the following nine headings, describing advances in theory and applications alike and demonstrating the depth and breadth of design computing and design cognition: Design Creativity; Design Cognition - Design Approaches; Design Support; Design Grammars; Design Cognition - Design Behaviors; Design Processes; Design Synthesis; Design Activity and Design Knowledge. The book will be of particular interest to researchers, developers and users of advanced computation in design across all disciplines, and to all readers who need to gain a better understanding of designing.

6th International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition

CERN Document Server

Hanna, Sean

2015-01-01

This book details the state-of-the-art of research and development in design computing and design cognition. It features more than 35 papers that were presented at the Sixth International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition, DCC’14, held at University College, London, UK. Inside, readers will find the work of expert researchers and practitioners that explores both advances in theory and application as well as demonstrates the depth and breadth of design computing and design cognition. This interdisciplinary coverage, which includes material from international research groups, examines design synthesis, design cognition, design creativity, design processes, design theory, design grammars, design support, and design ideation. Overall, the papers provide a bridge between design computing and design cognition. The confluence of these two fields continues to build the foundation for further advances and leads to an increased understanding of design as an activity whose influence continues to spread. ...

Supporting cognition in systems biology analysis: findings on users' processes and design implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirel, Barbara

2009-02-13

Current usability studies of bioinformatics tools suggest that tools for exploratory analysis support some tasks related to finding relationships of interest but not the deep causal insights necessary for formulating plausible and credible hypotheses. To better understand design requirements for gaining these causal insights in systems biology analyses a longitudinal field study of 15 biomedical researchers was conducted. Researchers interacted with the same protein-protein interaction tools to discover possible disease mechanisms for further experimentation. Findings reveal patterns in scientists' exploratory and explanatory analysis and reveal that tools positively supported a number of well-structured query and analysis tasks. But for several of scientists' more complex, higher order ways of knowing and reasoning the tools did not offer adequate support. Results show that for a better fit with scientists' cognition for exploratory analysis systems biology tools need to better match scientists' processes for validating, for making a transition from classification to model-based reasoning, and for engaging in causal mental modelling. As the next great frontier in bioinformatics usability, tool designs for exploratory systems biology analysis need to move beyond the successes already achieved in supporting formulaic query and analysis tasks and now reduce current mismatches with several of scientists' higher order analytical practices. The implications of results for tool designs are discussed.

Embodied Cognition and the Magical Future of Interaction Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Kirsh

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The theory of embodied cognition can provide HCI practitioners and theorists with new ideas about interaction and new principles for better designs. I support this claim with four ideas about cognition: (1 interacting with tools changes the way we think and perceive – tools, when manipulated, are soon absorbed into the body schema, and this absorption leads to fundamental changes in the way we perceive and conceive of our environments; (2 we think with our bodies not just with our brains; (3 we know more by doing than 3by seeing – there are times when physically performing an activity is better than watching someone else perform the activity, even though our motor resonance system fires strongly during other person observa tion; (4 there are times when we literally think with things. These four ideas have major implications for interaction design, especially the design of tangible, physical, context aware, and telepresence systems.

Supporting Multiple Cognitive Processing Styles Using Tailored Support Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuan Q. Tran; Karen M. Feigh; Amy R. Pritchett

2007-01-01

According to theories of cognitive processing style or cognitive control mode, human performance is more effective when an individual's cognitive state (e.g., intuition/scramble vs. deliberate/strategic) matches his/her ecological constraints or context (e.g., utilize intuition to strive for a 'good-enough' response instead of deliberating for the 'best' response under high time pressure). Ill-mapping between cognitive state and ecological constraints are believed to lead to degraded task performance. Consequently, incorporating support systems which are designed to specifically address multiple cognitive and functional states e.g., high workload, stress, boredom, and initiate appropriate mitigation strategies (e.g., reduce information load) is essential to reduce plant risk. Utilizing the concept of Cognitive Control Models, this paper will discuss the importance of tailoring support systems to match an operator's cognitive state, and will further discuss the importance of these ecological constraints in selecting and implementing mitigation strategies for safe and effective system performance. An example from the nuclear power plant industry illustrating how a support system might be tailored to support different cognitive states is included

Neuromorphic cognitive systems a learning and memory centered approach

CERN Document Server

Yu, Qiang; Hu, Jun; Tan Chen, Kay

2017-01-01

This book presents neuromorphic cognitive systems from a learning and memory-centered perspective. It illustrates how to build a system network of neurons to perform spike-based information processing, computing, and high-level cognitive tasks. It is beneficial to a wide spectrum of readers, including undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers who are interested in neuromorphic computing and neuromorphic engineering, as well as engineers and professionals in industry who are involved in the design and applications of neuromorphic cognitive systems, neuromorphic sensors and processors, and cognitive robotics. The book formulates a systematic framework, from the basic mathematical and computational methods in spike-based neural encoding, learning in both single and multi-layered networks, to a near cognitive level composed of memory and cognition. Since the mechanisms for integrating spiking neurons integrate to formulate cognitive functions as in the brain are little understood, studies of neuromo...

Challenges to Cognitive Systems Engineering:Understanding Qualitative Aspects of Control Actions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lind, Morten

2009-01-01

The paper discusses the future role of Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) in contributing to integrated design of process, automation and human machine systems. Existing concepts and methods of Cognitive Systems Engineering do not integrate well with control theory and industrial automation tools...

Visual momentum: an example of cognitive models applied to interface design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, D.D.

1982-01-01

The growth of computer applications has radically changed the nature of the man-machine interface. Through increased automation, the nature of the human's task has shifted from an emphasis on perceptual-motor skills to an emphasis on cognitive activities (e.g., problem solving and decision making). The result is a need to improve the cognitive coupling of person and machine. The goal of this paper is to describe how knowledge from cognitive psychology can be used to provide guidance to display system designers and to solve human performance problems in person-machine systems. The mechanism is to explore one example of a principle of man-machine interaction - visual momentum - that was developed on the basis of a general model of human front-end cognitive processing

Designing for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): A Design Anthropological Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Collier, Guy; Kayes, Nicola; Reay, Stephen; Bill, Amanda

2017-01-01

This paper will present a design anthropological perspective on an ongoing project called 'Living Well with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)'. The project explores how people with MCI (and their families) manage and respond to changes in their memory and thinking. One of the primary aims of this project is to design an online resource that will support people to 'Live Well' within the context of possible cognitive decline. The resource was originally proposed to function as a kind of online community, where users could both share and learn about home-grown strategies for managing the cognitive changes associated with MCI in everyday life. Much of this project has been guided by the methodological approach of design anthropology, which encourages project researchers and stakeholders to critically examine underlying assumptions and conceptual frameworks, which in this case revolve around the disputed MCI category. In this paper we will provide some background to the Living Well project before highlighting a number of key insights attained from design anthropology.

Fun cube based brain gym cognitive function assessment system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tao; Lin, Chung-Chih; Yu, Tsang-Chu; Sun, Jing; Hsu, Wen-Chuin; Wong, Alice May-Kuen

2017-05-01

The aim of this study is to design and develop a fun cube (FC) based brain gym (BG) cognitive function assessment system using the wireless sensor network and multimedia technologies. The system comprised (1) interaction devices, FCs and a workstation used as interactive tools for collecting and transferring data to the server, (2) a BG information management system responsible for managing the cognitive games and storing test results, and (3) a feedback system used for conducting the analysis of cognitive functions to assist caregivers in screening high risk groups with mild cognitive impairment. Three kinds of experiments were performed to evaluate the developed FC-based BG cognitive function assessment system. The experimental results showed that the Pearson correlation coefficient between the system's evaluation outcomes and the traditional Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores was 0.83. The average Technology Acceptance Model 2 score was close to six for 31 elderly subjects. Most subjects considered that the brain games are interesting and the FC human-machine interface is easy to learn and operate. The control group and the cognitive impairment group had statistically significant difference with respect to the accuracy of and the time taken for the brain cognitive function assessment games, including Animal Naming, Color Search, Trail Making Test, Change Blindness, and Forward / Backward Digit Span. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of protocol studies on conceptual design cognition: design as search and exploration

OpenAIRE

Hay, Laura; Duffy, Alex H.B.; McTeague, Chris; Pidgeon, Laura M.; Vuletic, Tijana; Grealy, Madeleine

2017-01-01

This paper reports findings from the first systematic review of protocol studies focusing specifically on conceptual design cognition, aiming to answer the following research question: What is our current understanding of the cognitive processes involved in conceptual design tasks carried out by individual designers? We reviewed 47 studies on architectural design, engineering design and product design engineering. This paper reports 24 cognitive processes investigated in a subset of 33 studie...

Designing an Adaptive Web-Based Learning System Based on Students' Cognitive Styles Identified Online

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Jia-Jiunn; Chan, Ya-Chen; Yeh, Shiou-Wen

2012-01-01

This study developed an adaptive web-based learning system focusing on students' cognitive styles. The system is composed of a student model and an adaptation model. It collected students' browsing behaviors to update the student model for unobtrusively identifying student cognitive styles through a multi-layer feed-forward neural network (MLFF).…

Development of an integrated decision support system to aid cognitive activities of operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Jun; Seong, Poong Hyun

2007-01-01

As digital and computer technologies have grown, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) have evolved. In safety-critical systems, especially in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), HMIs are important for reducing operational costs, the number of necessary operators, and the probability of accident occurrence. Efforts have been made to improve Main Control Room (MCR) interface design and to develop automated or decision support systems to ensure convenient operation and maintenance. In this paper, an integrated decision support system to aid operator cognitive processes is proposed for advanced MCRs of future NPPs. This work suggests the design concept of a decision support system which accounts for an operator's cognitive processes. The proposed system supports not only a particular task, but also the entire operation process based on a human cognitive process model. In this paper, the operator's operation processes are analyzed according to a human cognitive process model and appropriate support systems that support each cognitive process activity are suggested

Engineering design: A cognitive process approach

Science.gov (United States)

Strimel, Greg Joseph

The intent of this dissertation was to identify the cognitive processes used by advanced pre-engineering students to solve complex engineering design problems. Students in technology and engineering education classrooms are often taught to use an ideal engineering design process that has been generated mostly by educators and curriculum developers. However, the review of literature showed that it is unclear as to how advanced pre-engineering students cognitively navigate solving a complex and multifaceted problem from beginning to end. Additionally, it was unclear how a student thinks and acts throughout their design process and how this affects the viability of their solution. Therefore, Research Objective 1 was to identify the fundamental cognitive processes students use to design, construct, and evaluate operational solutions to engineering design problems. Research Objective 2 was to determine identifiers within student cognitive processes for monitoring aptitude to successfully design, construct, and evaluate technological solutions. Lastly, Research Objective 3 was to create a conceptual technological and engineering problem-solving model integrating student cognitive processes for the improved development of problem-solving abilities. The methodology of this study included multiple forms of data collection. The participants were first given a survey to determine their prior experience with engineering and to provide a description of the subjects being studied. The participants were then presented an engineering design challenge to solve individually. While they completed the challenge, the participants verbalized their thoughts using an established "think aloud" method. These verbalizations were captured along with participant observational recordings using point-of-view camera technology. Additionally, the participant design journals, design artifacts, solution effectiveness data, and teacher evaluations were collected for analysis to help achieve the

Validating cognitive support for operators of complex human-machine systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, J.; Wachtel, J.

1995-01-01

Modem nuclear power plants (NPPs) are complex systems whose performance is the result of an intricate interaction of human and system control. A complex system may be defined as one which supports a dynamic process involving a large number of elements that interact in many different ways. Safety is addressed through defense-in-depth design and preplanning; i.e., designers consider the types of failures that are most likely to occur and those of high consequence, and design their solutions in advance. However, complex interactions and their failure modes cannot always be anticipated by the designer and may be unfamiliar to plant personnel. These situations may pose cognitive demands on plant personnel, both individually and as a crew. Other factors may contribute to the cognitive challenges of NPP operation as well, including hierarchal processes, dynamic pace, system redundancy and reliability, and conflicting objectives. These factors are discussed in this paper

When paradigms collide at the road rail interface: evaluation of a sociotechnical systems theory design toolkit for cognitive work analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Read, Gemma J M; Salmon, Paul M; Lenné, Michael G

2016-09-01

The Cognitive Work Analysis Design Toolkit (CWA-DT) is a recently developed approach that provides guidance and tools to assist in applying the outputs of CWA to design processes to incorporate the values and principles of sociotechnical systems theory. In this paper, the CWA-DT is evaluated based on an application to improve safety at rail level crossings. The evaluation considered the extent to which the CWA-DT met pre-defined methodological criteria and aligned with sociotechnical values and principles. Both process and outcome measures were taken based on the ratings of workshop participants and human factors experts. Overall, workshop participants were positive about the process and indicated that it met the methodological criteria and sociotechnical values. However, expert ratings suggested that the CWA-DT achieved only limited success in producing RLX designs that fully aligned with the sociotechnical approach. Discussion about the appropriateness of the sociotechnical approach in a public safety context is provided. Practitioner Summary: Human factors and ergonomics practitioners need evidence of the effectiveness of methods. A design toolkit for cognitive work analysis, incorporating values and principles from sociotechnical systems theory, was applied to create innovative designs for rail level crossings. Evaluation results based on the application are provided and discussed.

Cognitive Systems Engineering: The Next 30 Years

Science.gov (United States)

Feary, Michael

2012-01-01

This presentation is part of panel discussion on Cognitive Systems Engineering. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the challenges and future directions of Cognitive Systems Engineering for the next 30 years. I intended to present the work we have been doing with the Aviation Safety program and Space Human Factors Engineering project on Work Domain Analysis and some areas of Research Focus. Specifically, I intend to focus on the shift on the need to understand and model attention in mixed-initiative systems, the need for methods which can generate results to be used in trade-off decisions, and the need to account for a range of human behavior in the design.

Design considerations to improve cognitive ergonomic issues of unmanned vehicle interfaces utilizing video game controllers.

Science.gov (United States)

Oppold, P; Rupp, M; Mouloua, M; Hancock, P A; Martin, J

2012-01-01

Unmanned (UAVs, UCAVs, and UGVs) systems still have major human factors and ergonomic challenges related to the effective design of their control interface systems, crucial to their efficient operation, maintenance, and safety. Unmanned system interfaces with a human centered approach promote intuitive interfaces that are easier to learn, and reduce human errors and other cognitive ergonomic issues with interface design. Automation has shifted workload from physical to cognitive, thus control interfaces for unmanned systems need to reduce mental workload on the operators and facilitate the interaction between vehicle and operator. Two-handed video game controllers provide wide usability within the overall population, prior exposure for new operators, and a variety of interface complexity levels to match the complexity level of the task and reduce cognitive load. This paper categorizes and provides taxonomy for 121 haptic interfaces from the entertainment industry that can be utilized as control interfaces for unmanned systems. Five categories of controllers were based on the complexity of the buttons, control pads, joysticks, and switches on the controller. This allows the selection of the level of complexity needed for a specific task without creating an entirely new design or utilizing an overly complex design.

How system designers think: a study of design thinking in human factors engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Papantonopoulos, Sotiris

2004-11-01

The paper presents a descriptive study of design thinking in human factors engineering. The objective of the study is to analyse the role of interpretation in design thinking and the role of design practice in guiding interpretation. The study involved 10 system designers undertaking the allocation of cognitive functions in three production planning and control task scenarios. Allocation decisions were recorded and verbal protocols of the design process were collected to elicit the subjects' thought processes. Verbal protocol analysis showed that subjects carried out the design of cognitive task allocation as a problem of applying a selected automation technology from their initial design deliberations. This design strategy stands in contrast to the predominant view of system design that stipulates that user requirements should be thoroughly analysed prior to making any decisions about technology. Theoretical frameworks from design research and ontological design showed that the system design process may be better understood by recognizing the role of design hypotheses in system design, as well as the diverse interactions between interpretation and practice, means and ends, and design practice and the designer's pre-understanding which shape the design process. Ways to balance the bias exerted on the design process were discussed.

Cognitive System Engineering Approach to Design of Work Support Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens

1995-01-01

The problem of designing work support systems for flexible, dynamic work environments is discussed and a framework for analysis of work in terms of behavior shaping constraints is described. The application of 'ecological interfaces' presenting to the user a map of the relational structure...... of the work space is advocated from the thesis that a map is a better guidance of discretionary tasks than is a route instruction. For the same reason, support of system design is proposed in terms of maps of the design territory, rather than in terms of guidelines....

A surety engineering framework to reduce cognitive systems risks.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caudell, Thomas P. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Peercy, David Eugene; Caldera, Eva O. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Shaneyfelt, Wendy L.

2008-12-01

Cognitive science research investigates the advancement of human cognition and neuroscience capabilities. Addressing risks associated with these advancements can counter potential program failures, legal and ethical issues, constraints to scientific research, and product vulnerabilities. Survey results, focus group discussions, cognitive science experts, and surety researchers concur technical risks exist that could impact cognitive science research in areas such as medicine, privacy, human enhancement, law and policy, military applications, and national security (SAND2006-6895). This SAND report documents a surety engineering framework and a process for identifying cognitive system technical, ethical, legal and societal risks and applying appropriate surety methods to reduce such risks. The framework consists of several models: Specification, Design, Evaluation, Risk, and Maturity. Two detailed case studies are included to illustrate the use of the process and framework. Several Appendices provide detailed information on existing cognitive system architectures; ethical, legal, and societal risk research; surety methods and technologies; and educing information research with a case study vignette. The process and framework provide a model for how cognitive systems research and full-scale product development can apply surety engineering to reduce perceived and actual risks.

Layout Design of Human-Machine Interaction Interface of Cabin Based on Cognitive Ergonomics and GA-ACA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Deng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to consider the psychological cognitive characteristics affecting operating comfort and realize the automatic layout design, cognitive ergonomics and GA-ACA (genetic algorithm and ant colony algorithm were introduced into the layout design of human-machine interaction interface. First, from the perspective of cognitive psychology, according to the information processing process, the cognitive model of human-machine interaction interface was established. Then, the human cognitive characteristics were analyzed, and the layout principles of human-machine interaction interface were summarized as the constraints in layout design. Again, the expression form of fitness function, pheromone, and heuristic information for the layout optimization of cabin was studied. The layout design model of human-machine interaction interface was established based on GA-ACA. At last, a layout design system was developed based on this model. For validation, the human-machine interaction interface layout design of drilling rig control room was taken as an example, and the optimization result showed the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Layout Design of Human-Machine Interaction Interface of Cabin Based on Cognitive Ergonomics and GA-ACA.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Li; Wang, Guohua; Yu, Suihuai

2016-01-01

In order to consider the psychological cognitive characteristics affecting operating comfort and realize the automatic layout design, cognitive ergonomics and GA-ACA (genetic algorithm and ant colony algorithm) were introduced into the layout design of human-machine interaction interface. First, from the perspective of cognitive psychology, according to the information processing process, the cognitive model of human-machine interaction interface was established. Then, the human cognitive characteristics were analyzed, and the layout principles of human-machine interaction interface were summarized as the constraints in layout design. Again, the expression form of fitness function, pheromone, and heuristic information for the layout optimization of cabin was studied. The layout design model of human-machine interaction interface was established based on GA-ACA. At last, a layout design system was developed based on this model. For validation, the human-machine interaction interface layout design of drilling rig control room was taken as an example, and the optimization result showed the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Cognitive Activity-based Design Methodology for Novice Visual Communication Designers

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyunjung; Lee, Hyunju

2016-01-01

The notion of design thinking is becoming more concrete nowadays, as design researchers and practitioners study the thinking processes involved in design and employ the concept of design thinking to foster better solutions to complex and ill-defined problems. The goal of the present research is to develop a cognitive activity-based design…

Naturalistic Cognition: A Research Paradigm for Human-Centered Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Storkerson

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Naturalistic thinking and knowing, the tacit, experiential, and intuitive reasoning of everyday interaction, have long been regarded as inferior to formal reason and labeled primitive, fallible, subjective, superstitious, and in some cases ineffable. But, naturalistic thinking is more rational and definable than it appears. It is also relevant to design. Inquiry into the mechanisms of naturalistic thinking and knowledge can bring its resources into focus and enable designers to create better, human-centered designs for use in real-world settings. This article makes a case for the explicit, formal study of implicit, naturalistic thinking within the fields of design. It develops a framework for defining and studying naturalistic thinking and knowledge, for integrating them into design research and practice, and for developing a more integrated, consistent theory of knowledge in design. It will (a outline historical definitions of knowledge, attitudes toward formal and naturalistic thinking, and the difficulties presented by the co-presence of formal and naturalistic thinking in design, (b define and contrast formal and naturalistic thinking as two distinct human cognitive systems, (c demonstrate the importance of naturalistic cognition in formal thinking and real-world judgment, (d demonstrate methods for researching naturalistic thinking that can be of use in design, and (e briefly discuss the impact on design theory of admitting naturalistic thinking as valid, systematic, and knowable.

Envisioning future cognitive telerehabilitation technologies: a co-design process with clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

How, Tuck-Voon; Hwang, Amy S; Green, Robin E A; Mihailidis, Alex

2017-04-01

Purpose Cognitive telerehabilitation is the concept of delivering cognitive assessment, feedback, or therapeutic intervention at a distance through technology. With the increase of mobile devices, wearable sensors, and novel human-computer interfaces, new possibilities are emerging to expand the cognitive telerehabilitation paradigm. This research aims to: (1) explore design opportunities and considerations when applying emergent pervasive computing technologies to cognitive telerehabilitation and (2) develop a generative co-design process for use with rehabilitation clinicians. Methods We conducted a custom co-design process that used design cards, probes, and design sessions with traumatic brain injury (TBI) clinicians. All field notes and transcripts were analyzed qualitatively. Results Potential opportunities for TBI cognitive telerehabilitation exist in the areas of communication competency, executive functioning, emotional regulation, energy management, assessment, and skill training. Designers of TBI cognitive telerehabilitation technologies should consider how technologies are adapted to a patient's physical/cognitive/emotional state, their changing rehabilitation trajectory, and their surrounding life context (e.g. social considerations). Clinicians were receptive to our co-design approach. Conclusion Pervasive computing offers new opportunities for life-situated cognitive telerehabilitation. Convivial design methods, such as this co-design process, are a helpful way to explore new design opportunities and an important space for further methodological development. Implications for Rehabilitation Designers of rehabilitation technologies should consider how to extend current design methods in order to facilitate the creative contribution of rehabilitation stakeholders. This co-design approach enables a fuller participation from rehabilitation clinicians at the front-end of design. Pervasive computing has the potential to: extend the duration and intensity of

A framework for the analysis of cognitive reliability in complex systems: a recovery centred approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kontogiannis, Tom

1997-01-01

Managing complex industrial systems requires reliable performance of cognitive tasks undertaken by operating crews. The infrequent practice of cognitive skills and the reliance on operator performance for novel situations raised cognitive reliability into an urgent and essential aspect in system design and risk analysis. The aim of this article is to contribute to the development of methods for the analysis of cognitive tasks in complex man-machine interactions. A practical framework is proposed for analysing cognitive errors and enhancing error recovery through interface design. Cognitive errors are viewed as failures in problem solving which are difficult to recover under the task constrains imposed by complex systems. In this sense, the interaction between context and cognition, on the one hand, and the process of error recovery, on the other hand, become the focal points of the proposed framework which is illustrated in an analysis of a simulated emergency

Creative Design of Digital Cognitive Games: Application of Cognitive Toys and Isomorphism

Science.gov (United States)

Sedig, Kamran; Haworth, Robert

2012-01-01

Digital cognitive games (DCGs) are games whose primary purpose is to mediate (i.e., support, develop, and enhance) cognitive activities such as problem solving, decision making, planning, and critical reasoning. As these games increase in popularity and usage, more attention should be paid to their design. Currently, there is a lack of design…

Cognitive behavioral game design: a unified model for designing serious games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katryna eStarks

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Video games have a unique ability to engage, challenge, and motivate, which has led teachers, psychology specialists, political activists and health educators to find ways of using them to help people learn, grow and change. Serious games, as they are called, are defined as games that have a primary purpose other than entertainment. However, it is challenging to create games that both educate and entertain. While game designers have embraced some psychological concepts such as flow and mastery, understanding how these concepts work together within established psychological theory would assist them in creating effective serious games. Similarly, game design professionals have understood the propensity of video games to teach while lamenting that educators do not understand how to incorporate educational principles into game play in a way that preserves the entertainment. Albert Bandura’s (1998 social cognitive theory (SCT has been used successfully to create video games that create positive behavior outcomes, and teachers have successfully used Howard Gardner’s (1983 theory of multiple intelligences (MI to create engaging, immersive learning experiences. Cognitive behavioral game design is a new framework that incorporates Social Cognitive Theory (SCT and Multiple Intelligences (MI with game design principles to create a game design blueprint for serious games.

How Do Clinical Information Systems Affect the Cognitive Demands of General Practitioners?: Usability Study with a Focus on Cognitive Workload

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferran Ariza

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background Clinical information systems in the National Health Service do not need to conform to any explicit usability requirements. Poor usability can increase the mental workload experienced by clinicians and cause fatigue, increase error rates and impact the overall patient safety. Mental workload can be used as a measure of usability.Objective To assess the subjective cognitive workload experienced by general practitioners (GPs with their systems. To raise awareness of the importance of usability in system design among users, designers, developers and policymakers.Methods We used a modified version of the NASA Task Load Index, adapted for web. We developed a set of common clinical scenarios and computer tasks on an online survey. We emailed the study link to 199 clinical commissioning groups and 1,646 GP practices in England. Results Sixty-seven responders completed the survey. The respondents had spent an average of 17 years in general practice, had experience of using a mean of 1.5 GP computer systems and had used their current system for a mean time of 6.7 years. The mental workload score was not different among systems. There were significant differences among the task scores, but these differences were not specific to particular systems. The overall score and task scores were related to the length of experience with their present system. Conclusion Four tasks imposed a higher mental workload on GPs: ‘repeat prescribing’, ‘find episode’, ‘drug management’ and ‘overview records’. Further usability studies on GP systems should focus on these tasks. Users, policymakers, designers and developers should remain aware of the importance of usability in system design.What does this study add?• Current GP systems in England do not need to conform to explicit usability requirements. Poor usability can increase the mental workload of clinicians and lead to errors.• Some clinical computer tasks incur more cognitive workload

Translation of Contextual Control Model to chronic disease management: A paradigm to guide design of cognitive support systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Leecaster, Molly K; Weir, Charlene R; Drews, Frank A; Hellewell, James L; Bolton, Daniel; Jones, Makoto M; Nebeker, Jonathan R

2017-07-01

Electronic health records (EHRs) continue to be criticized for providing poor cognitive support. Defining cognitive support has lacked theoretical foundation. We developed a measurement model of cognitive support based on the Contextual Control Model (COCOM), which describes control characteristics of an "orderly" joint system and proposes 4 levels of control: scrambled, opportunistic, tactical, and strategic. 35 clinicians (5 centers) were interviewed pre and post outpatient clinical visits and audiotaped during the visit. Behaviors pertaining to hypertension management were systematically mapped to the COCOM control characteristics of: (1) time horizon, (2) uncertainty assessment, (3) consideration of multiple goals, (4) causal model described, and (5) explicitness of plan. Each encounter was classified for overall mode of control. Visits with deviation versus no deviation from hypertension goals were compared. Reviewer agreement was high. Control characteristics differed significantly between deviation groups (Wilcox rank sum p<.01). K-means cluster analysis of control characteristics, stratified by deviation were distinct, with higher goal deviations associated with more control characteristics. The COCOM control characteristics appear to be areas of potential yield for improved user-experience design. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Role of cognitive models of operators in the design, operation and licensing of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, J.

1982-01-01

Cognitive models of the behavior of nuclear power plant operators - that is, models developed in terms of human properties rather than external task characteristics - are assuming increasingly important roles in plant design, operation and licensing. This is partly due to an increased concern for human decision making during unfamiliar plant conditions, and partly due to problems that arise when modern information technology is used to support operators in complex situations. Some of the problems identified during work on interface design and risk analysis are described. First, the question of categories of models is raised. Next, the use of cognitive models for system design is discussed. The use of the available cognitive models for more effective operator training is also advocated. The need for using cognitive models in risk analysis is also emphasized. Finally, the sources of human performance data, that is, event reports, incident analysis, experiments, and training simulators are mentioned, and the need for a consistent framework for data analysis based on cognitive models is discussed

Cognitive logical systems with artificial intelligence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liss, E

1983-09-01

The simulation of cognitive processes for the purpose of the technical development of learning systems with intelligent behavior is a basic object of the young interdisciplinary cognition science which is based upon artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, computer science, linguistics and pedagogics. Cognitive systems may be described as knowledge-based logical systems. Based on structural and functional principles of intelligent automata and elementary information processing systems with structural learning capability the future process, machine and robot controls, advising units and fifth generation computers may be developed.

Conceptions of cognition for cognitive engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blomberg, Olle

2011-01-01

Cognitive processes, cognitive psychology tells us, unfold in our heads. In contrast, several approaches in cognitive engineering argue for a shift of unit of analysis from what is going on in the heads of operators to the workings of whole socio-technical systems. This shift is sometimes presented...... as part of the development of a new understanding of what cognition is and where the boundaries of cognitive systems are. Cognition, it is claimed, is not just situated or embedded, but extended and distributed in the world. My main question in this article is what the practical significance...... is of this framing of an expanded unit of analysis in a cognitive vocabulary. I focus on possible consequences for how cognitive engineering practitioners think about function allocation in system design, and on what the relative benefits and costs are of having a common framework and vocabulary for talking about...

Cognitive considerations for helmet-mounted display design

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Gregory; Rash, Clarence E.

2010-04-01

Helmet-mounted displays (HMDs) are designed as a tool to increase performance. To achieve this, there must be an accurate transfer of information from the HMD to the user. Ideally, an HMD would be designed to accommodate the abilities and limitations of users' cognitive processes. It is not enough for the information (whether visual, auditory, or tactual) to be displayed; the information must be perceived, attended, remembered, and organized in a way that guides appropriate decision-making, judgment, and action. Following a general overview, specific subtopics of cognition, including perception, attention, memory, knowledge, decision-making, and problem solving are explored within the context of HMDs.

Big-Data Based Decision-Support Systems to Improve Clinicians' Cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Roosan, Don; Samore, Matthew; Jones, Makoto; Livnat, Yarden; Clutter, Justin

2016-01-01

Complex clinical decision-making could be facilitated by using population health data to inform clinicians. In two previous studies, we interviewed 16 infectious disease experts to understand complex clinical reasoning. For this study, we focused on answers from the experts on how clinical reasoning can be supported by population-based Big-Data. We found cognitive strategies such as trajectory tracking, perspective taking, and metacognition has the potential to improve clinicians' cognition to deal with complex problems. These cognitive strategies could be supported by population health data, and all have important implications for the design of Big-Data based decision-support tools that could be embedded in electronic health records. Our findings provide directions for task allocation and design of decision-support applications for health care industry development of Big data based decision-support systems.

A Framework for the Cognitive Task Analysis in Systems Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens

he present rapid development of advanced information technology and its use for support of operators of complex technical systems are changing the content of task analysis towards the analysis of mental activities in decision making. Automation removes the humans from routine tasks, and operators...... are left with disturbance control and critical diagnostic tasks, for which computers are suitable for support, if it is possible to match the computer strategies and interface formats dynamically to the requirements of the current task by means of an analysis of the cognitive task....

Transceiver and system design for digital communications

CERN Document Server

Bullock, Scott R

2017-01-01

This applied engineering reference covers a wide range of wireless communication design techniques; including link budgets, error detection and correction, adaptive and cognitive techniques, and system analysis of receivers and transmitters.

Big-Data Based Decision-Support Systems to Improve Clinicians’ Cognition

Science.gov (United States)

Roosan, Don; Samore, Matthew; Jones, Makoto; Livnat, Yarden; Clutter, Justin

2016-01-01

Complex clinical decision-making could be facilitated by using population health data to inform clinicians. In two previous studies, we interviewed 16 infectious disease experts to understand complex clinical reasoning. For this study, we focused on answers from the experts on how clinical reasoning can be supported by population-based Big-Data. We found cognitive strategies such as trajectory tracking, perspective taking, and metacognition has the potential to improve clinicians’ cognition to deal with complex problems. These cognitive strategies could be supported by population health data, and all have important implications for the design of Big-Data based decision-support tools that could be embedded in electronic health records. Our findings provide directions for task allocation and design of decision-support applications for health care industry development of Big data based decision-support systems. PMID:27990498

Intelligent Furniture Design in the Elderly Based on the Cognitive Situation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Xinhui

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the present situation of Chinese elderly furniture and the elderly has cognitive characteristics that consciousness experiences and recognitions recede, cognitive fuzzy from Information processing. Expounds the elderly intelligent furniture design elements: functional elements required the elderly furniture is easy and simple to handle; Size and shape elements should be biased towards low, light type, reduce multifunction or fold function; colour collocation should use low lightness and low purity natural materials; Emotional elements design should meet the demand of the elderly social emotion. Introduction of intelligent furniture make up the cognitive decline in the elderly, Furniture judge the elderly demand by the inductor, Supplement by hardware control module to solve the special needs of the elderly life. Build design thinking based on the cognitive process and explore the elderly intelligent furniture design. This paper discusses the design process, for example and concludes the design rules: 1.The Operating Experience Pleasure. It is the height matching of user expectation and furniture function. Pleasure in the design of the operating parts mainly embodies in two aspects. Firstly, the Fitts Law; Secondly, it’s The Movement Optimization. 2.”Unconscious” Design. Intelligent furniture need to delete unnecessary operation module, make it easy to understand, furniture function and cognitive scene match with each other. 3. Modularity Design. Modularization can indirectly regulate the scale and specification of the design. Under the premise of individual character, customization, the compression of the cost, Designer should make the elderly intelligent furniture consistent with the user action.4.Design Consistency. The consistency principle reflected in the appearance, color and operation way consistency.

Measuring and Explaining Cognitive Load During Design Activities: A fine-grained approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Barbara; Neurauter, Manuel; Burattin, Andrea

2017-01-01

Recent advances in neuro–physiological measurements resulted in reliable and objective measures of Cognitive Load (CL), e.g., using pupillary responses. However, continuous measurement of CL in software design activities, e.g., conceptual modeling, has received little attention. In this paper, we...... of analysis (e.g., type of subtasks, evolution of design artifact’s quality, and manner of technology use). We expect implications for the future development of intelligent software systems, which are aware WHEN a particular designer experiences challenges, but also WHY challenges occur....

Design preferences and cognitive styles: experimentation by automated website synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Siu-Wai; Lee, John; Johnson, Chris; Robertson, David

2012-06-29

This article aims to demonstrate computational synthesis of Web-based experiments in undertaking experimentation on relationships among the participants' design preference, rationale, and cognitive test performance. The exemplified experiments were computationally synthesised, including the websites as materials, experiment protocols as methods, and cognitive tests as protocol modules. This work also exemplifies the use of a website synthesiser as an essential instrument enabling the participants to explore different possible designs, which were generated on the fly, before selection of preferred designs. The participants were given interactive tree and table generators so that they could explore some different ways of presenting causality information in tables and trees as the visualisation formats. The participants gave their preference ratings for the available designs, as well as their rationale (criteria) for their design decisions. The participants were also asked to take four cognitive tests, which focus on the aspects of visualisation and analogy-making. The relationships among preference ratings, rationale, and the results of cognitive tests were analysed by conservative non-parametric statistics including Wilcoxon test, Krustal-Wallis test, and Kendall correlation. In the test, 41 of the total 64 participants preferred graphical (tree-form) to tabular presentation. Despite the popular preference for graphical presentation, the given tabular presentation was generally rated to be easier than graphical presentation to interpret, especially by those who were scored lower in the visualization and analogy-making tests. This piece of evidence helps generate a hypothesis that design preferences are related to specific cognitive abilities. Without the use of computational synthesis, the experiment setup and scientific results would be impractical to obtain.

Introducing BF++: AC++ framework for cognitive bio-feedback systems design.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, L; Babiloni, F; Cincotti, F; Salinari, S; Marciani, M G

2003-01-01

This paper addressed the issue of building-up a framework for the realization of several cognitive bio-feedback (CBF) systems. It minimizes the programming effort and maximizes the efficiency and the cross-platform portability so that it can be used with many platforms (either software or hardware). A generic CBF system was decomposed into six modules: acquisition, kernel, feedback rule, patient feedback, operator user interface and persistent storage. The way in which these modules interact was defined by immutable software interfaces in a way that allows to completely substitute a module without the need to modify the others. Three Brain Computer Interface engines were developed with less than 40 lines of C++ code each. They can also be used under virtually any platform that supports an ANSI C++ compiler. A framework for the implementation of a wide range of CBF systems was developed. Compared to the other approaches that are described in the literature, the proposed one is the most efficient, the most protable across different platforms, the most generic and the one that allows the realization of the cheapest final systems.

Cognitive behavioral game design: a unified model for designing serious games.

Science.gov (United States)

Starks, Katryna

2014-01-01

Video games have a unique ability to engage, challenge, and motivate, which has led teachers, psychology specialists, political activists and health educators to find ways of using them to help people learn, grow and change. Serious games, as they are called, are defined as games that have a primary purpose other than entertainment. However, it is challenging to create games that both educate and entertain. While game designers have embraced some psychological concepts such as flow and mastery, understanding how these concepts work together within established psychological theory would assist them in creating effective serious games. Similarly, game design professionals have understood the propensity of video games to teach while lamenting that educators do not understand how to incorporate educational principles into game play in a way that preserves the entertainment. Bandura (2006) social cognitive theory (SCT) has been used successfully to create video games that create positive behavior outcomes, and teachers have successfully used Gardner's (1983) theory of multiple intelligences (MIs) to create engaging, immersive learning experiences. Cognitive behavioral game design is a new framework that incorporates SCT and MI with game design principles to create a game design blueprint for serious games.

Holarchical Systems and Emotional Holons : Biologically-Inspired System Designs for Control of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Ippolito, Corey; Plice, Laura; Pisanich, Greg

2003-01-01

The BEES (Bio-inspired Engineering for Exploration Systems) for Mars project at NASA Ames Research Center has the goal of developing bio-inspired flight control strategies to enable aerial explorers for Mars scientific investigations. This paper presents a summary of our ongoing research into biologically inspired system designs for control of unmanned autonomous aerial vehicle communities for Mars exploration. First, we present cooperative design considerations for robotic explorers based on the holarchical nature of biological systems and communities. Second, an outline of an architecture for cognitive decision making and control of individual robotic explorers is presented, modeled after the emotional nervous system of cognitive biological systems. Keywords: Holarchy, Biologically Inspired, Emotional UAV Flight Control

Investigating surety methodologies for cognitive systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caudell, Thomas P. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Peercy, David Eugene; Mills, Kristy (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Caldera, Eva (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)

2006-11-01

Advances in cognitive science provide a foundation for new tools that promise to advance human capabilities with significant positive impacts. As with any new technology breakthrough, associated technical and non-technical risks are involved. Sandia has mitigated both technical and non-technical risks by applying advanced surety methodologies in such areas as nuclear weapons, nuclear reactor safety, nuclear materials transport, and energy systems. In order to apply surety to the development of cognitive systems, we must understand the concepts and principles that characterize the certainty of a system's operation as well as the risk areas of cognitive sciences. This SAND report documents a preliminary spectrum of risks involved with cognitive sciences, and identifies some surety methodologies that can be applied to potentially mitigate such risks. Some potential areas for further study are recommended. In particular, a recommendation is made to develop a cognitive systems epistemology framework for more detailed study of these risk areas and applications of surety methods and techniques.

Advances in Cognitive Information Systems

CERN Document Server

Ogiela, Lidia

2012-01-01

The development of computer science is now so rapid that we, the readers, in-creasingly receive technology news about new solutions and applications which very often straddle the border between the real and the virtual worlds. Computer science is also the area in which cognitive science is witnessing a renaissance, be-cause its combination with technical sciences has given birth to a broad scientific discipline called cognitive informatics. And it is this discipline which has become the main theme of this monograph, which is also to serve as a kind of guide to cognitive informatics problems. This book is the result of work on systems for the cognitive analysis and inter-pretation of various data. The purpose of such an analytical approach is to show that for an in-depth analysis of data, the layers of semantics contained in these sets must be taken into account. The interdisciplinary nature of the solutions proposed means that the subject of cognitive systems forming part of cognitive informatics becomes a ne...

Interface design for health care environments: the role of cognitive science.

OpenAIRE

Patel, V. L.; Kushniruk, A. W.

1998-01-01

An important challenge in the development of computer-based health care environments is the design of effective user interfaces. In this paper we consider a number of aspects of interface design related to the study of human-computer interaction from a cognitive perspective. It is argued that user interfaces must be designed with consideration of the information requirements, cognitive capabilities and limitations of the end users. Greater concern for fundamental research in design of user in...

Cooperative and cognitive satellite systems

CERN Document Server

Chatzinotas, Symeon; De Gaudenzi, Riccardo

2015-01-01

Cooperative and Cognitive Satellite Systems provides a solid overview of the current research in the field of cooperative and cognitive satellite systems, helping users understand how to incorporate state-of-the-art communication techniques in innovative satellite network architectures to enable the next generation of satellite systems. The book is edited and written by top researchers and practitioners in the field, providing a comprehensive explanation of current research that allows users to discover future technologies and their applications, integrate satellite and terrestrial systems

Cognitive systems at the point of care: The CREDO program.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, John

2017-04-01

CREDO is a framework for understanding human expertise and for designing and deploying systems that support cognitive tasks like situation and risk assessment, decision-making, therapy planning and workflow management. The framework has evolved through an extensive program of research on human decision-making and clinical practice. It draws on concepts from cognitive science, and has contributed new results to cognitive theory and understanding of human expertise and knowledge-based AI. These results are exploited in a suite of technologies for designing, implementing and deploying clinical services, early versions of which were reported by Das et al. (1997) [9] and Fox and Das (2000) [26]. A practical outcome of the CREDO program is a technology stack, a key element of which is an agent specification language (PROforma: Sutton and Fox (2003) [55]) which has proved to be a versatile tool for designing point of care applications in many clinical specialties and settings. Since software became available for implementing and deploying PROforma applications many kinds of services have been successfully built and trialed, some of which are in large-scale routine use. This retrospective describes the foundations of the CREDO model, summarizes the main theoretical, technical and clinical contributions, and discusses benefits of the cognitive approach. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Affordances in activity theory and cognitive systems engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albrechtsen, H.; Andersen, H.H.K.; Bødker, S.

2001-01-01

on design for low level interaction modalities. To incorporate the concept of affordances in the design of human computer interaction it is necessary to systematically unravel affordances that supporthuman action possibilities. Furthermore, it is a necessity that Gibson's theory of affordances...... is supplemented by careful analyses of other human modalities and activities than visual perception. Within HMI two well established perspectives on HMI,Activity Theory (AT) and Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE), have discussed such analyses and design of action possibilities focusing on providing computer...... to cover deeper semantic and pragmatic aspects of the ecology of work, as compared with the previous applications of Gibson's theory in HMI....

Testing a mobile digital cognitive support system for high functioning adolescents with ASD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gyori, Miklos; Aagaard, Morten; Kanizsai-Nagy, Ildiko

HANDS Project is aimed at developing a cognitive support system for high functioning (HF) adolescents with ASD, running on smartphones and PDAs, complemented by a webbased management system. It is designed to teach/facilitate adaptive social behaviours and daily living skills, and is based...... on a detailed understanding of the cognitiveprofile of ASD, and on evidence‐based intervention techniques. Development of the system was based on recurrent interactions of expert groups from persuasive design, child psychiatry,cognitive psychology, (special) education, software development, and intended users...... clinical trial, with a total sample of 54 HF adolescents with ASD (27 test & 27 matched control subjects) in 4 test‐sites, internationally. Results In preliminary analysis, SRS measurements did not yield overall conclusive results on the efficiency of the system. E‐T testing was done and analysed on a semi...

Practising what we preach: using cognitive load theory for workshop design and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Naismith, Laura M; Haji, Faizal A; Sibbald, Matthew; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Tavares, Walter; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B

2015-12-01

Theory-based instructional design is a top priority in medical education. The goal of this Show and Tell article is to present our theory-driven approach to the design of instruction for clinical educators. We adopted cognitive load theory as a framework to design and evaluate a series of professional development workshops that were delivered at local, national and international academic conferences in 2014. We used two rating scales to measure participants' cognitive load. Participants also provided narrative comments as to how the workshops could be improved. Cognitive load ratings from 59 participants suggested that the workshop design optimized learning by managing complexity for different levels of learners (intrinsic load), stimulating cognitive processing for long-term memory storage (germane load), and minimizing irrelevant distracters (extraneous load). Narrative comments could also be classified as representing intrinsic, extraneous, or germane load, which provided specific directions for ongoing quality improvement. These results demonstrate that a cognitive load theory approach to workshop design and evaluation is feasible and useful in the context of medical education.

Advancing cognitive engineering methods to support user interface design for electronic health records.

Science.gov (United States)

Thyvalikakath, Thankam P; Dziabiak, Michael P; Johnson, Raymond; Torres-Urquidy, Miguel Humberto; Acharya, Amit; Yabes, Jonathan; Schleyer, Titus K

2014-04-01

Despite many decades of research on the effective development of clinical systems in medicine, the adoption of health information technology to improve patient care continues to be slow, especially in ambulatory settings. This applies to dentistry as well, a primary care discipline with approximately 137,000 practitioners in the United States. A critical reason for slow adoption is the poor usability of clinical systems, which makes it difficult for providers to navigate through the information and obtain an integrated view of patient data. In this study, we documented the cognitive processes and information management strategies used by dentists during a typical patient examination. The results will inform the design of a novel electronic dental record interface. We conducted a cognitive task analysis (CTA) study to observe ten general dentists (five general dentists and five general dental faculty members, each with more than two years of clinical experience) examining three simulated patient cases using a think-aloud protocol. Dentists first reviewed the patient's demographics, chief complaint, medical history and dental history to determine the general status of the patient. Subsequently, they proceeded to examine the patient's intraoral status using radiographs, intraoral images, hard tissue and periodontal tissue information. The results also identified dentists' patterns of navigation through patient's information and additional information needs during a typical clinician-patient encounter. This study reinforced the significance of applying cognitive engineering methods to inform the design of a clinical system. Second, applying CTA to a scenario closely simulating an actual patient encounter helped with capturing participants' knowledge states and decision-making when diagnosing and treating a patient. The resultant knowledge of dentists' patterns of information retrieval and review will significantly contribute to designing flexible and task

Cognitive task load analysis : Allocating tasks and designing support

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neerincx, M.A.

2003-01-01

We present a method for Cognitive Task Analysis that guides the early stages of software development, aiming at an optimal cognitive load for operators of process control systems. The method is based on a practical theory of cognitive task load and support. In addition to the classical measure

Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trybulec Barbara

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The concept of an extended cognitive system is central to contemporary studies of cognition. In the paper I analyze the place of the epistemic subject within the extended cognitive system. Is it extended as well? In answering this question I focus on the differences between the first and the second wave of arguments for the extended mind thesis. I argue that the position of Cognitive Integration represented by Richard Menary is much more intuitive and fruitful in analyses of cognition and knowledge than the early argument formulated by Andy Clark and David Chalmers. Cognitive Integration is compatible with virtue epistemology of John Greco’s agent reliabilism. The epistemic subject is constituted by its cognitive character composed of an integrated set of cognitive abilities and processes. Some of these processes are extended, they are a manipulation of external informational structures and, as such, they constitute epistemic practices. Epistemic practices are normative; to conduct them correctly the epistemic subject needs to obey epistemic norms embedded in the cultural context. The epistemic subject is not extended because of the casual coupling with external informational artifacts which extend his mind from inside the head and into the world. Rather, cognitive practices constitute the subject’s mind, they transform his cognitive abilities, and this is what makes the mind and epistemic subject “extended”.

Distributed cognitive two-way relay beamformer designs under perfect and imperfect CSI

KAUST Repository

Pandarakkottilil, Ubaidulla; Aissa, Sonia

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present distributed two-way relay beamformer designs for a cognitive radio network (CRN) in which a pair of cognitive (or secondary) transceiver nodes communicate with each other assisted by a set of cognitive two-way relay nodes

MEDIATING COGNITIVE TRANSFORMATION WITH VR 3D SKETCHING DURING CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzad Pour Rahimian

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Communications for information synchronization during the conceptual design phase require designers to employ more intuitive digital design tools. This paper presents findings of a feasibility study for using VR 3D sketching interface in order to replace current non-intuitive CAD tools. We used a sequential mixed method research methodology including a qualitative case study and a cognitive-based quantitative protocol analysis experiment. Foremost, the case study research was conducted in order to understand how novice designers make intuitive decisions. The case study documented the failure of conventional sketching methods in articulating complicated design ideas and shortcomings of current CAD tools in intuitive ideation. The case study’s findings then became the theoretical foundations for testing the feasibility of using VR 3D sketching interface during design. The latter phase of study evaluated the designers’ spatial cognition and collaboration at six different levels: "physical-actions", "perceptualactions", "functional-actions", "conceptual-actions", "cognitive synchronizations", and "gestures". The results and confirmed hypotheses showed that the utilized tangible 3D sketching interface improved novice designers’ cognitive and collaborative design activities. In summary this paper presents the influences of current external representation tools on designers’ cognition and collaboration as well as providing the necessary theoretical foundations for implementing VR 3D sketching interface. It contributes towards transforming conceptual architectural design phase from analogue to digital by proposing a new VR design interface. The paper proposes this transformation to fill in the existing gap between analogue conceptual architectural design process and remaining digital engineering parts of building design process hence expediting digital design process.

Combining cognitive engineering and information fusion architectures to build effective joint systems

Science.gov (United States)

Sliva, Amy L.; Gorman, Joe; Voshell, Martin; Tittle, James; Bowman, Christopher

2016-05-01

The Dual Node Decision Wheels (DNDW) architecture concept was previously described as a novel approach toward integrating analytic and decision-making processes in joint human/automation systems in highly complex sociotechnical settings. In this paper, we extend the DNDW construct with a description of components in this framework, combining structures of the Dual Node Network (DNN) for Information Fusion and Resource Management with extensions on Rasmussen's Decision Ladder (DL) to provide guidance on constructing information systems that better serve decision-making support requirements. The DNN takes a component-centered approach to system design, decomposing each asset in terms of data inputs and outputs according to their roles and interactions in a fusion network. However, to ensure relevancy to and organizational fitment within command and control (C2) processes, principles from cognitive systems engineering emphasize that system design must take a human-centered systems view, integrating information needs and decision making requirements to drive the architecture design and capabilities of network assets. In the current work, we present an approach for structuring and assessing DNDW systems that uses a unique hybrid DNN top-down system design with a human-centered process design, combining DNN node decomposition with artifacts from cognitive analysis (i.e., system abstraction decomposition models, decision ladders) to provide work domain and task-level insights at different levels in an example intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system setting. This DNDW structure will ensure not only that the information fusion technologies and processes are structured effectively, but that the resulting information products will align with the requirements of human decision makers and be adaptable to different work settings .

Decision Support System Requirements Definition for Human Extravehicular Activity Based on Cognitive Work Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Matthew James; McGuire, Kerry M; Feigh, Karen M

2017-06-01

The design and adoption of decision support systems within complex work domains is a challenge for cognitive systems engineering (CSE) practitioners, particularly at the onset of project development. This article presents an example of applying CSE techniques to derive design requirements compatible with traditional systems engineering to guide decision support system development. Specifically, it demonstrates the requirements derivation process based on cognitive work analysis for a subset of human spaceflight operations known as extravehicular activity . The results are presented in two phases. First, a work domain analysis revealed a comprehensive set of work functions and constraints that exist in the extravehicular activity work domain. Second, a control task analysis was performed on a subset of the work functions identified by the work domain analysis to articulate the translation of subject matter states of knowledge to high-level decision support system requirements. This work emphasizes an incremental requirements specification process as a critical component of CSE analyses to better situate CSE perspectives within the early phases of traditional systems engineering design.

Classification of cognitive systems dedicated to data sharing

Science.gov (United States)

Ogiela, Lidia; Ogiela, Marek R.

2017-08-01

In this paper will be presented classification of new cognitive information systems dedicated to cryptographic data splitting and sharing processes. Cognitive processes of semantic data analysis and interpretation, will be used to describe new classes of intelligent information and vision systems. In addition, cryptographic data splitting algorithms and cryptographic threshold schemes will be used to improve processes of secure and efficient information management with application of such cognitive systems. The utility of the proposed cognitive sharing procedures and distributed data sharing algorithms will be also presented. A few possible application of cognitive approaches for visual information management and encryption will be also described.

COGNITIVE SYSTEMS. REDEFINING THE COOPERATION BETWEEN MAN AND SYSTEM

OpenAIRE

Diana-Aderina MOISUC; Mihai-Constantin AVORNICULUI; Melinda Timea FÜLÖP

2016-01-01

Cognitive systems appeared as a response to the real challenges brought by the Big Data phenomenon. It was found that the solutions for solving difficult problems caused by this phenomenon could be brought by using artificial intelligence tools. In this context a convergence between Big Data and Artificial Intelligence happened, which determined the start of a new stage in system development, namely the era of cognitive systems. The potential of these systems is given by the characteristics t...

Developing a framework for qualitative engineering: Research in design and analysis of complex structural systems

Science.gov (United States)

Franck, Bruno M.

1990-01-01

The research is focused on automating the evaluation of complex structural systems, whether for the design of a new system or the analysis of an existing one, by developing new structural analysis techniques based on qualitative reasoning. The problem is to identify and better understand: (1) the requirements for the automation of design, and (2) the qualitative reasoning associated with the conceptual development of a complex system. The long-term objective is to develop an integrated design-risk assessment environment for the evaluation of complex structural systems. The scope of this short presentation is to describe the design and cognition components of the research. Design has received special attention in cognitive science because it is now identified as a problem solving activity that is different from other information processing tasks (1). Before an attempt can be made to automate design, a thorough understanding of the underlying design theory and methodology is needed, since the design process is, in many cases, multi-disciplinary, complex in size and motivation, and uses various reasoning processes involving different kinds of knowledge in ways which vary from one context to another. The objective is to unify all the various types of knowledge under one framework of cognition. This presentation focuses on the cognitive science framework that we are using to represent the knowledge aspects associated with the human mind's abstraction abilities and how we apply it to the engineering knowledge and engineering reasoning in design.

Distributed cognitive two-way relay beamformer designs under perfect and imperfect CSI

KAUST Repository

Pandarakkottilil, Ubaidulla

2011-09-01

In this paper, we present distributed two-way relay beamformer designs for a cognitive radio network (CRN) in which a pair of cognitive (or secondary) transceiver nodes communicate with each other assisted by a set of cognitive two-way relay nodes. The secondary nodes share the spectrum with a licensed primary user (PU) node, and each node is assumed to be equipped with a single transmit/receive antenna. The interference to the PU resulting from the transmission from the cognitive nodes is kept below a specified limit. First, we consider relay beamformer designs assuming the availability of perfect channel state information (CSI). For this case, a mean-square error (MSE)-constrained beamformer that minimizes the total relay transmit power, and an MSE-balancing beamformer with a constraint on the total relay transmit power are proposed. Next, we consider relay beamformer designs assuming that the available CSI is imperfect. For this case too, we consider the same problems as those in the case of perfect CSI, and propose beamformer designs that are robust to the errors in the CSI. We show that the proposed designs can be reformulated as convex optimization problems that can be solved efficiently. Through numerical simulations, we illustrate the performance of the proposed designs. © 2011 IEEE.

Transceiver and system design for digital communications

CERN Document Server

Bullock, Scott R

2014-01-01

This is the fourth edition of this successful professional reference book on transceiver design, the device that both sends and receives signals, and its place within the wireless communication system. It gives engineers and others a good intuitive understanding of wireless systems and spread spectrum. New topics covered include cognitive radio, systems, networks, and commercial communications. In addition, many items have been extensively updated to improve the flow of the book and enhance comprehension.

Design and evaluation of augmented reality for nuclear power plant maintenance based on Cognitive activity analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Jwa Jin

2008-02-01

The goals of maintenance in nuclear power plants (NPPs) are to reduce the number of plant shutdowns, to decrease the shutdown time, to minimize the maintenance costs, and to improve nuclear safety. Furthermore, it is difficult for maintenance personnel to conduct work in NPPs due to the complexity of NPPs, safety issues and time constraints. Human errors should be prevented to achieve maintenance goals in NPPs. Therefore, it is necessary to improve working conditions by introducing support systems. Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to assist with maintenance tasks and make maintenance personnel concentrate on the tasks, which will then the reduced human error and improve human performance. The working procedure for AR systems was designed based on the characteristics of cognitive activity, and an experiment was conducted to estimate the effectiveness of AR. The results indicated that a well-designed working procedure for AR systems was more effective than a conventional paper-based working procedure. In addition, participants made fewer errors using the designed working procedure. AR systems as maintenance support systems are beneficial technology that can improve maintenance performance by reducing cognitive loads and unnecessary movements. An AR application can be attractive and effective at supporting maintenance task

Towards Cognitive Load Theory as Guideline for Instructional Design in Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Meissner, Barbara; Bogner, Franz X.

2013-01-01

We applied cognitive load theory in an heuristic out-of-school science lesson. The lesson comprises experiments concerning major attributes of NaCl and was designed for 5th to 8th grade students. Our interest focused on whether cognitive load theory provides sufficient guidelines for instructional design in the field of heuristic science…

Simulation and Formal Analysis of Visual Attention in Cognitive Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosse, T.; Maanen, P.P. van; Treur, J.

2007-01-01

In this paper a simulation model for visual attention is discussed and formally analysed. The model is part of the design of a cognitive system which comprises an agent that supports a naval officer in its task to compile a tactical picture of the situation in the field. A case study is described in

Early Detection of Cognitive-Linguistic Change Associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Valarie B.

2014-01-01

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may present with subtle declines in linguistic ability that go undetected by tasks not challenging enough to tax a relatively intact cognitive-linguistic system. This study was designed to replicate and extend a previous study of cognitive-linguistic ability in MCI using a complex discourse…

System structure and cognitive ability as predictors of performance in dynamic system control tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Hundertmark

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In dynamic system control, cognitive mechanisms and abilities underlying performance may vary depending on the nature of the task. We therefore investigated the effects of system structure and its interaction with cognitive abilities on system control performance. A sample of 127 university students completed a series of different system control tasks that were manipulated in terms of system size and recurrent feedback, either with or without a cognitive load manipulation. Cognitive abilities assessed included reasoning ability, working memory capacity, and cognitive reflection. System size and recurrent feedback affected overall performance as expected. Overall, the results support that cognitive ability is a good predictor of performance in dynamic system control tasks but predictiveness is reduced when the system structure contains recurrent feedback. We discuss this finding from a cognitive processing perspective as well as its implications for individual differences research in dynamic systems.

Design of a Cognitive Tool to Enhance Problemsolving Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Youngmin; Nelson, David

2005-01-01

The design of a cognitive tool to support problem-solving performance for external representation of knowledge is described. The limitations of conventional knowledge maps are analyzed in proposing the tool. The design principles and specifications are described. This tool is expected to enhance learners problem-solving performance by allowing…

Engineering Antifragile Systems: A Change In Design Philosophy

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kennie H.

2014-01-01

While technology has made astounding advances in the last century, problems are confronting the engineering community that must be solved. Cost and schedule of producing large systems are increasing at an unsustainable rate and these systems often do not perform as intended. New systems are required that may not be achieved by current methods. To solve these problems, NASA is working to infuse concepts from Complexity Science into the engineering process. Some of these problems may be solved by a change in design philosophy. Instead of designing systems to meet known requirements that will always lead to fragile systems at some degree, systems should be designed wherever possible to be antifragile: designing cognitive cyberphysical systems that can learn from their experience, adapt to unforeseen events they face in their environment, and grow stronger in the face of adversity. Several examples are presented of on ongoing research efforts to employ this philosophy.

An Adapted Wayfinding System for Pedestrians with Cognitive Disabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Gomez

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel wayfinding system adapted to people with cognitive disabilities. It adapts to the user in terms of route calculation, instructions delivery, and interface design. To do so, the system divides the calculated route into atomic instructions and uses street-level photographs at the decision points. To evaluate this approach, we compared it with a commercial navigation application on a field trial with a sample of users (N = 18. From the evaluation, we concluded that our system improves users’ performance in terms of the number who reached the destination and were able to identify it correctly.

Design of an Adaptive Human-Machine System Based on Dynamical Pattern Recognition of Cognitive Task-Load.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianhua; Yin, Zhong; Wang, Rubin

2017-01-01

This paper developed a cognitive task-load (CTL) classification algorithm and allocation strategy to sustain the optimal operator CTL levels over time in safety-critical human-machine integrated systems. An adaptive human-machine system is designed based on a non-linear dynamic CTL classifier, which maps a set of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) related features to a few CTL classes. The least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM) is used as dynamic pattern classifier. A series of electrophysiological and performance data acquisition experiments were performed on seven volunteer participants under a simulated process control task environment. The participant-specific dynamic LSSVM model is constructed to classify the instantaneous CTL into five classes at each time instant. The initial feature set, comprising 56 EEG and ECG related features, is reduced to a set of 12 salient features (including 11 EEG-related features) by using the locality preserving projection (LPP) technique. An overall correct classification rate of about 80% is achieved for the 5-class CTL classification problem. Then the predicted CTL is used to adaptively allocate the number of process control tasks between operator and computer-based controller. Simulation results showed that the overall performance of the human-machine system can be improved by using the adaptive automation strategy proposed.

Cognitive Load Theory, Educational Research, and Instructional Design: Some Food for Thought

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Ton

2010-01-01

Cognitive load is a theoretical notion with an increasingly central role in the educational research literature. The basic idea of cognitive load theory is that cognitive capacity in working memory is limited, so that if a learning task requires too much capacity, learning will be hampered. The recommended remedy is to design instructional systems…

Using Models of Cognition in HRI Evaluation and Design

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Goodrich, Michael A

2004-01-01

...) guide the construction of experiments. In this paper, we present an information processing model of cognition that we have used extensively in designing and evaluating interfaces and autonomy modes...

A Framework for Designing Scaffolds That Improve Motivation and Cognition

Science.gov (United States)

Belland, Brian R.; Kim, ChanMin; Hannafin, Michael J.

2013-01-01

A problematic, yet common, assumption among educational researchers is that when teachers provide authentic, problem-based experiences, students will automatically be engaged. Evidence indicates that this is often not the case. In this article, we discuss (a) problems with ignoring motivation in the design of learning environments, (b) problem-based learning and scaffolding as one way to help, (c) how scaffolding has strayed from what was originally equal parts motivational and cognitive support, and (d) a conceptual framework for the design of scaffolds that can enhance motivation as well as cognitive outcomes. We propose guidelines for the design of computer-based scaffolds to promote motivation and engagement while students are solving authentic problems. Remaining questions and suggestions for future research are then discussed. PMID:24273351

Poka-yoke process controller: designed for individuals with cognitive impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Erlandson, R F; Sant, D

1998-01-01

Poka-yoke is a Japanese term meaning "error proofing." Poka-yoke techniques were developed to achieve zero defects in manufacturing and assembly processes. The application of these techniques tends to reduce both the physical and cognitive demands of tasks and thereby make them more accessible. Poka-yoke interventions create a dialogue between the worker and the process, and this dialogue provides the feedback necessary for workers to prevent errors. For individuals with cognitive impairments, weighing and counting tasks can be difficult or impossible. Interventions that provide sufficient feedback to workers without disabilities tend to be too subtle for workers with cognitive impairments; hence, the feedback must be enhanced. The Poka-Yoke Controller (PYC) was designed to assist individuals with counting and weighing tasks. The PYC interfaces to an Ohaus CT6000 digital scale for weighing parts and for counting parts by weight. It also interfaces to sensors and switches for object counting tasks. The PYC interfaces to a variety of programmable voice output devices so that voice feedback or prompting can be provided at specific points in the weighing or counting process. The PYC can also be interfaced to conveyor systems, indexed turntables, and other material handling systems for coordinated counting and material handling operations. In all of our applications to date, we have observed improved worker performance, improved process quality, and greater worker independence. These observed benefits have also significantly reduced the need for staff intervention. The process controller is described and three applications are presented: a weighing task and two counting applications.

Layout Design of Human-Machine Interaction Interface of Cabin Based on Cognitive Ergonomics and GA-ACA

OpenAIRE

Deng, Li; Wang, Guohua; Yu, Suihuai

2016-01-01

In order to consider the psychological cognitive characteristics affecting operating comfort and realize the automatic layout design, cognitive ergonomics and GA-ACA (genetic algorithm and ant colony algorithm) were introduced into the layout design of human-machine interaction interface. First, from the perspective of cognitive psychology, according to the information processing process, the cognitive model of human-machine interaction interface was established. Then, the human cognitive cha...

Co-designing Social Robots With Cognitively Impaired Citizens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodil, Kasper; Rehm, Matthias; Krummheuer, Antonia Lina

2018-01-01

This Work-in-Progress paper describes current work and future challenges of co-designing social robots with cognitively impaired residents. The project has in time of writing ran more than two years, which allows the reporting of both technical outcomes and methodological challenges....

The LIFE Cognition Study: design and baseline characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Sink, Kaycee M; Espeland, Mark A; Rushing, Julia; Castro, Cynthia M; Church, Timothy S; Cohen, Ronald; Gill, Thomas M; Henkin, Leora; Jennings, Janine M; Kerwin, Diana R; Manini, Todd M; Myers, Valerie; Pahor, Marco; Reid, Kieran F; Woolard, Nancy; Rapp, Stephen R; Williamson, Jeff D

2014-01-01

Observational studies have shown beneficial relationships between exercise and cognitive function. Some clinical trials have also demonstrated improvements in cognitive function in response to moderate–high intensity aerobic exercise; however, these have been limited by relatively small sample sizes and short durations. The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study is the largest and longest randomized controlled clinical trial of physical activity with cognitive outcomes, in older sedentary adults at increased risk for incident mobility disability. One LIFE Study objective is to evaluate the effects of a structured physical activity program on changes in cognitive function and incident all-cause mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Here, we present the design and baseline cognitive data. At baseline, participants completed the modified Mini Mental Status Examination, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Digit Symbol Coding, Modified Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure, and a computerized battery, selected to be sensitive to changes in speed of processing and executive functioning. During follow up, participants completed the same battery, along with the Category Fluency for Animals, Boston Naming, and Trail Making tests. The description of the mild cognitive impairment/dementia adjudication process is presented here. Participants with worse baseline Short Physical Performance Battery scores (prespecified at ≤7) had significantly lower median cognitive test scores compared with those having scores of 8 or 9 with modified Mini Mental Status Examination score of 91 versus (vs) 93, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test delayed recall score of 7.4 vs 7.9, and Digit Symbol Coding score of 45 vs 48, respectively (all P<0.001). The LIFE Study will contribute important information on the effects of a structured physical activity program on cognitive outcomes in sedentary older adults at particular risk for mobility impairment. In addition to its importance in the

1st International Conference on Cognitive Systems and Information Processing

CERN Document Server

Hu, Dewen; Liu, Huaping

2014-01-01

"Foundations and Practical Applications of Cognitive Systems and Information Processing" presents selected papers from the First International Conference on Cognitive Systems and Information Processing, held in Beijing, China on December 15-17, 2012 (CSIP2012). The aim of this conference is to bring together experts from different fields of expertise to discuss the state-of-the-art in artificial cognitive systems and advanced information processing, and to present new findings and perspectives on future development. This book introduces multidisciplinary perspectives on the subject areas of Cognitive Systems and Information Processing, including cognitive sciences and technology, autonomous vehicles, cognitive psychology, cognitive metrics, information fusion, image/video understanding, brain-computer interfaces, visual cognitive processing, neural computation, bioinformatics, etc. The book will be beneficial for both researchers and practitioners in the fields of Cognitive Science, Computer Science and Cogni...

Using Expert Systems To Build Cognitive Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonassen, David H.; Wang, Sherwood

2003-01-01

Cognitive simulations are runnable computer programs for modeling human cognitive activities. A case study is reported where expert systems were used as a formalism for modeling metacognitive processes in a seminar. Building cognitive simulations engages intensive introspection, ownership and meaning making in learners who build them. (Author/AEF)

Measuring and Explaining Cognitive Load During Design Activities: A fine-grained approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Barbara; Neurauter, Manuel; Burattin, Andrea

2018-01-01

Recent advances in neuro–physiological measurements resulted in reliable and objective measures of Cognitive Load (CL), e.g., using pupillary responses. However, continuous measurement of CL in software design activities, e.g., conceptual modeling, has received little attention. In this paper, we...... present the progress of our work intended to close this gap by continuously measuring cognitive load during design activities. This work aims at advancing our understanding of WHEN and WHY designers face challenges. For this, we attempt to explore and explain the occurrence of CL using fine–granular units...

Cognitive two-way relay beamforming: Design with resilience to channel state uncertainties

KAUST Repository

Ubaidulla, P.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Aissa, Sonia

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a robust distributed relay beamformer design for cognitive radio network operating under uncertainties in the available channel state information. The cognitive network consists of a pair of transceivers and a set of non

Knowledge-based support system for requirement elaboration in design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuta, Kazuo; Kondo, Shunsuke

1994-01-01

Design requirements are the seeds of every design activity, but elicitation and formalization of them are not easy tasks. This paper proposes a method to support designers in such requirement elaboration process with a computer. In this method the cognitive work space of designers is modeled by abstraction and structural hierarchies, and supporting functions of knowledge-based requirement elaboration, requirement classification and assessment of contentment status of requirements are provided on this framework. A prototype system was developed and tested using fast breeder reactor design. (author)

Enhanced avatar design using cognitive map-based simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kun Chang; Moon, Byung Suk

2007-12-01

With the advent of the Internet era and the maturation of electronic commerce, strategic avatar design has become an important way of keeping up with market changes and customer tastes. In this study, we propose a new approach to an adaptive avatar design that uses cognitive map (CM) as a what-if simulation vehicle. The main virtue of the new design is its ability to change specific avatar design features with objective consideration of the subsequent effects upon other design features, thereby enhancing user satisfaction. Statistical analyses of focus group interview results with a group of experts majoring in avatars and CM showed that our proposed approach could be used to effectively analyze avatar design in an adaptive and practical manner when the market situation is changing.

User-centered virtual environment assessment and design for cognitive rehabilitation applications

Science.gov (United States)

Fidopiastis, Cali Michael

Virtual environment (VE) design for cognitive rehabilitation necessitates a new methodology to ensure the validity of the resulting rehabilitation assessment. We propose that benchmarking the VE system technology utilizing a user-centered approach should precede the VE construction. Further, user performance baselines should be measured throughout testing as a control for adaptive effects that may confound the metrics chosen to evaluate the rehabilitation treatment. To support these claims we present data obtained from two modules of a user-centered head-mounted display (HMD) assessment battery, specifically resolution visual acuity and stereoacuity. Resolution visual acuity and stereoacuity assessments provide information about the image quality achieved by an HMD based upon its unique system parameters. When applying a user-centered approach, we were able to quantify limitations in the VE system components (e.g., low microdisplay resolution) and separately point to user characteristics (e.g., changes in dark focus) that may introduce error in the evaluation of VE based rehabilitation protocols. Based on these results, we provide guidelines for calibrating and benchmarking HMDs. In addition, we discuss potential extensions of the assessment to address higher level usability issues. We intend to test the proposed framework within the Human Experience Modeler (HEM), a testbed created at the University of Central Florida to evaluate technologies that may enhance cognitive rehabilitation effectiveness. Preliminary results of a feasibility pilot study conducted with a memory impaired participant showed that the HEM provides the control and repeatability needed to conduct such technology comparisons. Further, the HEM affords the opportunity to integrate new brain imaging technologies (i.e., functional Near Infrared Imaging) to evaluate brain plasticity associated with VE based cognitive rehabilitation.

Designing Context-Aware Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Unipolar and Bipolar Disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bardram, Jakob Eyvind; Frost, Mads; Tuxen, Nanna

2016-01-01

This position paper presents our preliminary design of context-aware cognitive behavioral therapy for unipolar and bipolar disorders. We report on the background for this study and the methods applied in the ongoing design process. The paper ends by presenting and discussing different design...

[Cognitive function in patients with systemic sclerosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Straszecka, J; Jonderko, G; Kucharz, E J; Brzezińska-Wcisło, L; Kotulska, A; Bogdanowski, T

1997-09-01

Central nervous system involvement is seldom reported in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Cognitive functions were determined in 21 patients with definite SSc and 42 healthy controls. Thyroid function was also measured in order to eliminate the effect of hypothyroidism on cognitive functioning. It was found that the SSc patients with normal thyroid function showed defective long-term and recent memory, learning ability, criticism, perception and visuo-perceptual skills, their simple reaction time was prolonged. Similar but less advanced cognitive defects were shown in the SSc patients with overt or latent hypothyroidism. The obtained results indicate that the central nervous system involvement is more common in patients with SSc than it has been reported earlier.

Interactive Effects of Environmental Experience and Innovative Cognitive Style on Student Creativity in Product Design

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chia-Chen

2017-01-01

Environmental experience can enhance the ideas of design students. Thus, this type of experience may interfere with the influence of design students' cognitive style on creativity. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of environmental experience on the relationship between innovative cognitive style and industrial design students'…

Space Telecommunications Radio System STRS Cognitive Radio

Science.gov (United States)

Briones, Janette C.; Handler, Louis M.

2013-01-01

Radios today are evolving from awareness toward cognition. A software defined radio (SDR) provides the most capability for integrating autonomic decision making ability and allows the incremental evolution toward a cognitive radio. This cognitive radio technology will impact NASA space communications in areas such as spectrum utilization, interoperability, network operations, and radio resource management over a wide range of operating conditions. NASAs cognitive radio will build upon the infrastructure being developed by Space Telecommunication Radio System (STRS) SDR technology. This paper explores the feasibility of inserting cognitive capabilities in the NASA STRS architecture and the interfaces between the cognitive engine and the STRS radio. The STRS architecture defines methods that can inform the cognitive engine about the radio environment so that the cognitive engine can learn autonomously from experience, and take appropriate actions to adapt the radio operating characteristics and optimize performance.

Extended Cognition: Feedback Loops and Coupled Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Markic

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article explores two waves of active externalism. I first introduce the distinction between passive and active externalism and analyse a proposal of active externalism based on the principle of parity proposed by Clark and Chalmers. There are two main obstacles, causal-constitution fallacy and cognitive bloat, that threaten the extended cognition hypothesis. The second wave of discussions based on the complementarity principle deals with cognitive systems with feedback loops between internal and external elements and is a more radical departure from functionalism and traditional thinking about cognition. I conclude with some remarks on potential ethical considerations of extended cognition.

The Experimental Research on E-Learning Instructional Design Model Based on Cognitive Flexibility Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xianzhong; Wang, Feng; Zheng, Zhongmei

The paper reports an educational experiment on the e-Learning instructional design model based on Cognitive Flexibility Theory, the experiment were made to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of the model in promoting the learning quality in ill-structured domain. The study performed the experiment on two groups of students: one group learned through the system designed by the model and the other learned by the traditional method. The results of the experiment indicate that the e-Learning designed through the model is helpful to promote the intrinsic motivation, learning quality in ill-structured domains, ability to resolve ill-structured problem and creative thinking ability of the students.

Design- and Craft thinking analysed as Embodied Cognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camilla Groth

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Through the concept of design thinking the act of designing is presented as an intellectual activity, and the act of planning the design is elevated over the making process. However, the importance of materiality and the embodied sense-making that occurs in this context should not be forgotten. In this study, embodied cognition in design and craft practices was investigated through three case studies. The study takes on an enhanced tactile perspective as a methodological platform; thus, the cases involve 1 deafblind makers in ceramics, 2 a practice-led self-study report on tactile experiences while working with clay and 3 a study on design students’ use of their tactile sense during material exploration. The results show that the act of thinking design involves the body as a knowledge provider.

Development and Evaluation of a Cognitive Training Game for Older People: A Design-based Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Ming-Hsin; Lin, Weijane; Yueh, Hsiu-Ping

2017-01-01

In the research field of cognitive aging, games have gained attention as training interventions to remediate age-related deficits. Cognitive training games on computer, video and mobile platforms have shown ample and positive support. However, the generalized effects are not agreed upon unanimously, and the game tasks are usually simple and decontextualized due to the limitations of measurements. This study adopted a qualitative approach of design-based research (DBR) to systematically review and pragmatically examine the regime, presentation and feedback design of a cognitive training game for older adults. An overview of the literature of cognitive aging and training games was conducted to form the theoretical conjectures of the design, and an iterative cycle and process were employed to develop a mobile game for older adults who are homebound or receiving care in a nursing home. Stakeholders, i.e., elderly users and institutional administrators, were invited to participate in the design process. Using two cycles of design and evaluation, a working prototype of an iPad-based app that accounted for the needs of elderly adults in terms of form, appearance and working function was developed and tested in the actual contexts of the participants' homes and an assisted living facility. The results showed that the cognitive training game developed in this study was accepted by the participants, and a high degree of satisfaction was noted. Moreover, the elements of the interface, including its size, layout and control flow, were tested and found to be suitable for use. This study contributes to the literature by providing design suggestions for such games, including the designs of the cognitive training structure, interface, interaction, instructions and feedback, based on empirical evidence collected in natural settings. This study further suggests that the effectiveness of cognitive training in mobile games be evaluated through field and physical testing on a larger

Development and Evaluation of a Cognitive Training Game for Older People: A Design-based Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Ming-Hsin; Lin, Weijane; Yueh, Hsiu-Ping

2017-01-01

In the research field of cognitive aging, games have gained attention as training interventions to remediate age-related deficits. Cognitive training games on computer, video and mobile platforms have shown ample and positive support. However, the generalized effects are not agreed upon unanimously, and the game tasks are usually simple and decontextualized due to the limitations of measurements. This study adopted a qualitative approach of design-based research (DBR) to systematically review and pragmatically examine the regime, presentation and feedback design of a cognitive training game for older adults. An overview of the literature of cognitive aging and training games was conducted to form the theoretical conjectures of the design, and an iterative cycle and process were employed to develop a mobile game for older adults who are homebound or receiving care in a nursing home. Stakeholders, i.e., elderly users and institutional administrators, were invited to participate in the design process. Using two cycles of design and evaluation, a working prototype of an iPad-based app that accounted for the needs of elderly adults in terms of form, appearance and working function was developed and tested in the actual contexts of the participants' homes and an assisted living facility. The results showed that the cognitive training game developed in this study was accepted by the participants, and a high degree of satisfaction was noted. Moreover, the elements of the interface, including its size, layout and control flow, were tested and found to be suitable for use. This study contributes to the literature by providing design suggestions for such games, including the designs of the cognitive training structure, interface, interaction, instructions and feedback, based on empirical evidence collected in natural settings. This study further suggests that the effectiveness of cognitive training in mobile games be evaluated through field and physical testing on a larger

Assessing Cognitive Function in Bipolar Disorder: Challenges and Recommendations for Clinical Trial Design

Science.gov (United States)

Burdick, Katherine E.; Ketter, Terence A.; Goldberg, Joseph F.; Calabrese, Joseph R.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia has been recognized for more than a century. In contrast, only recently have significant neurocognitive deficits been recognized in bipolar disorder. Converging data suggest the importance of cognitive problems in relation to quality of life in bipolar disorder, highlighting the need for treatment and prevention efforts targeting cognition in bipolar patients. Future treatment trials targeting cognitive deficits will be met with methodological challenges due to the inherent complexity and heterogeneity of the disorder, including significant diagnostic comorbidities, the episodic nature of the illness, frequent use of polypharmacy, cognitive heterogeneity, and a lack of consensus regarding measurement of cognition and outcome in bipolar patients. Guidelines for use in designing future trials are needed. PARTICIPANTS The members of the consensus panel (each of the bylined authors) were selected based upon their expertise in bipolar disorder. Dr. Burdick is a neuropsychologist who has studied cognition in this illness for 15 years; Drs. Ketter, Calabrese, and Goldberg each bring considerable expertise in the treatment of bipolar disorder both within and outside of controlled clinical trials. This consensus statement was derived from work together at scientific meetings (e.g. symposium presention at the 2014 Annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, among others) and ongoing discussions by conference call. With the exception of the public presentations on this topic, these meetings were closed to outside participants. EVIDENCE A literature review was undertaken by the authors to identify illness-specific challenges relevant to the design and conduct of treatment trials targeting neurocognition in bipolar disorder. Expert opinion from each of the authors guided the consensus recommendations. CONSENSUS PROCESS Consensus recommendations, reached by unanimous opinion of the authors, are

Do subjective cognitive complaints correlate with cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus? A Danish outpatient study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vogel, A; Bhattacharya, S; Larsen, J L

2011-01-01

This study examined the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its association with depressive symptoms and self-reported cognitive complaints in Danish outpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-seven consecutive female SLE-outpatients were examined with a comprehensive neuropsyc......This study examined the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its association with depressive symptoms and self-reported cognitive complaints in Danish outpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-seven consecutive female SLE-outpatients were examined with a comprehensive...

Instructional Control of Cognitive Load in the Design of Complex Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kester, Liesbeth; Paas, Fred; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen

2010-01-01

Kester, L., Paas, F., & Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2010). Instructional control of cognitive load in the design of complex learning environments. In J. L. Plass, R. Moreno, & Roland Brünken (Eds.), Cognitive Load Theory (pp. 109-130). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Developing Dynamic Field Theory Architectures for Embodied Cognitive Systems with cedar.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomp, Oliver; Richter, Mathis; Zibner, Stephan K U; Schöner, Gregor

2016-01-01

Embodied artificial cognitive systems, such as autonomous robots or intelligent observers, connect cognitive processes to sensory and effector systems in real time. Prime candidates for such embodied intelligence are neurally inspired architectures. While components such as forward neural networks are well established, designing pervasively autonomous neural architectures remains a challenge. This includes the problem of tuning the parameters of such architectures so that they deliver specified functionality under variable environmental conditions and retain these functions as the architectures are expanded. The scaling and autonomy problems are solved, in part, by dynamic field theory (DFT), a theoretical framework for the neural grounding of sensorimotor and cognitive processes. In this paper, we address how to efficiently build DFT architectures that control embodied agents and how to tune their parameters so that the desired cognitive functions emerge while such agents are situated in real environments. In DFT architectures, dynamic neural fields or nodes are assigned dynamic regimes, that is, attractor states and their instabilities, from which cognitive function emerges. Tuning thus amounts to determining values of the dynamic parameters for which the components of a DFT architecture are in the specified dynamic regime under the appropriate environmental conditions. The process of tuning is facilitated by the software framework cedar , which provides a graphical interface to build and execute DFT architectures. It enables to change dynamic parameters online and visualize the activation states of any component while the agent is receiving sensory inputs in real time. Using a simple example, we take the reader through the workflow of conceiving of DFT architectures, implementing them on embodied agents, tuning their parameters, and assessing performance while the system is coupled to real sensory inputs.

Can fuzzy cognitive mapping help in agricultural policy design and communication?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christen, Benjamin; Kjeldsen, Chris; Dalgaard, Tommy

2015-01-01

well established by social science research. Yet it is unclear why these barriers remain so difficult to overcome despite numerous and persistent attempts at the design, communication and enforcement of related agricultural policies. This paper examines the potential of Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM......-compliance with this regulation. The study compares the views of two different stakeholder groups on this matter using FCM network visualizations that were validated by interviews and a workshop session. There was a farmers group representing a typical mix of Scottish farming systems and a non-farmers group, the latter...... comprising process professionals from the fields of design, implementation, administration, consulting on and enforcement of agricultural policies. Between the two groups, the FCM process reveals a very different perception of importance and interaction of factors and strongly suggests that the problem lies...

Design of a prototype device for remote patient care with mild cognitive impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Ocampo, M.; Segura-Giraldo, B.; Floréz-Hurtado, R.; Cortés-Aguirre, C.

2016-04-01

This paper describes the design of a prototype telecare system, which allows to provide home care to patients with mild cognitive impairment and thus ensures their permanence in their usual environment. Telecare is oriented towards people who require constant attention due to conditions of advanced age, illness, physical risk or limited capabilities. Telecare offers these people a greater degree of independence. QFD methodology is used to develop electronic devices intended to monitor the environment and physiological state of the user continuously, providing communication between the telecare system and a monitoring center in order to take the most appropriate actions in any abnormal event.

The serotonergic system and cognitive function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Švob Štrac Dubravka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Symptoms of cognitive dysfunction like memory loss, poor concentration, impaired learning and executive functions are characteristic features of both schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognition in healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric patients are not completely understood. Studies have focused on serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT as one of the possible cognitionrelated biomarkers. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the current literature on the role of the serotonergic (5-HTergic system in cognitive function, particularly in AD and schizophrenia.

Cognitive Bias in Systems Verification

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Steve

2012-01-01

Working definition of cognitive bias: Patterns by which information is sought and interpreted that can lead to systematic errors in decisions. Cognitive bias is used in diverse fields: Economics, Politics, Intelligence, Marketing, to name a few. Attempts to ground cognitive science in physical characteristics of the cognitive apparatus exceed our knowledge. Studies based on correlations; strict cause and effect is difficult to pinpoint. Effects cited in the paper and discussed here have been replicated many times over, and appear sound. Many biases have been described, but it is still unclear whether they are all distinct. There may only be a handful of fundamental biases, which manifest in various ways. Bias can effect system verification in many ways . Overconfidence -> Questionable decisions to deploy. Availability -> Inability to conceive critical tests. Representativeness -> Overinterpretation of results. Positive Test Strategies -> Confirmation bias. Debiasing at individual level very difficult. The potential effect of bias on the verification process can be managed, but not eliminated. Worth considering at key points in the process.

Effects of Spatial Experiences & Cognitive Styles in the Solution Process of Space-Based Design Problems in the First Year of Architectural Design Education

Science.gov (United States)

Erkan Yazici, Yasemin

2013-01-01

There are many factors that influence designers in the architectural design process. Cognitive style, which varies according to the cognitive structure of persons, and spatial experience, which is created with spatial data acquired during life are two of these factors. Designers usually refer to their spatial experiences in order to find solutions…

Broadcast design in cognitive radio ad hoc networks

CERN Document Server

Song, Yi

2014-01-01

This SpringerBrief investigates the special challenges of broadcast design in cognitive radio (CR) ad hoc networks. It introduces two broadcast protocols in CR ad hoc networks: a quality-of-service based broadcast protocol under blind information and a fully-distributed broadcast protocol with collision avoidance. A novel unified analytical model is also presented to analyze the performance of the broadcast protocols. This is the first book dedicated to the unique broadcast design challenges in CR ad hoc networks. The authors also discuss the recent research on the performance analysis of broa

Anticipatory Cognitive Systems: a Theoretical Model

Science.gov (United States)

Terenzi, Graziano

This paper deals with the problem of understanding anticipation in biological and cognitive systems. It is argued that a physical theory can be considered as biologically plausible only if it incorporates the ability to describe systems which exhibit anticipatory behaviors. The paper introduces a cognitive level description of anticipation and provides a simple theoretical characterization of anticipatory systems on this level. Specifically, a simple model of a formal anticipatory neuron and a model (i.e. the τ-mirror architecture) of an anticipatory neural network which is based on the former are introduced and discussed. The basic feature of this architecture is that a part of the network learns to represent the behavior of the other part over time, thus constructing an implicit model of its own functioning. As a consequence, the network is capable of self-representation; anticipation, on a oscopic level, is nothing but a consequence of anticipation on a microscopic level. Some learning algorithms are also discussed together with related experimental tasks and possible integrations. The outcome of the paper is a formal characterization of anticipation in cognitive systems which aims at being incorporated in a comprehensive and more general physical theory.

A Layered Active Memory Architecture for Cognitive Vision Systems

OpenAIRE

Kolonias, Ilias; Christmas, William; Kittler, Josef

2007-01-01

Recognising actions and objects from video material has attracted growing research attention and given rise to important applications. However, injecting cognitive capabilities into computer vision systems requires an architecture more elaborate than the traditional signal processing paradigm for information processing. Inspired by biological cognitive systems, we present a memory architecture enabling cognitive processes (such as selecting the processes required for scene understanding, laye...

Development and Evaluation of a Cognitive Training Game for Older People: A Design-based Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Hsin Lu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In the research field of cognitive aging, games have gained attention as training interventions to remediate age-related deficits. Cognitive training games on computer, video and mobile platforms have shown ample and positive support. However, the generalized effects are not agreed upon unanimously, and the game tasks are usually simple and decontextualized due to the limitations of measurements. This study adopted a qualitative approach of design-based research (DBR to systematically review and pragmatically examine the regime, presentation and feedback design of a cognitive training game for older adults. An overview of the literature of cognitive aging and training games was conducted to form the theoretical conjectures of the design, and an iterative cycle and process were employed to develop a mobile game for older adults who are homebound or receiving care in a nursing home. Stakeholders, i.e., elderly users and institutional administrators, were invited to participate in the design process. Using two cycles of design and evaluation, a working prototype of an iPad-based app that accounted for the needs of elderly adults in terms of form, appearance and working function was developed and tested in the actual contexts of the participants' homes and an assisted living facility. The results showed that the cognitive training game developed in this study was accepted by the participants, and a high degree of satisfaction was noted. Moreover, the elements of the interface, including its size, layout and control flow, were tested and found to be suitable for use. This study contributes to the literature by providing design suggestions for such games, including the designs of the cognitive training structure, interface, interaction, instructions and feedback, based on empirical evidence collected in natural settings. This study further suggests that the effectiveness of cognitive training in mobile games be evaluated through field and physical

Cognitive Virtualization: Combining Cognitive Models and Virtual Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuan Q. Tran; David I. Gertman; Donald D. Dudenhoeffer; Ronald L. Boring; Alan R. Mecham

2007-01-01

3D manikins are often used in visualizations to model human activity in complex settings. Manikins assist in developing understanding of human actions, movements and routines in a variety of different environments representing new conceptual designs. One such environment is a nuclear power plant control room, here they have the potential to be used to simulate more precise ergonomic assessments of human work stations. Next generation control rooms will pose numerous challenges for system designers. The manikin modeling approach by itself, however, may be insufficient for dealing with the desired technical advancements and challenges of next generation automated systems. Uncertainty regarding effective staffing levels; and the potential for negative human performance consequences in the presence of advanced automated systems (e.g., reduced vigilance, poor situation awareness, mistrust or blind faith in automation, higher information load and increased complexity) call for further research. Baseline assessment of novel control room equipment(s) and configurations needs to be conducted. These design uncertainties can be reduced through complementary analysis that merges ergonomic manikin models with models of higher cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, decision-making, and problem-solving. This paper will discuss recent advancements in merging a theoretical-driven cognitive modeling framework within a 3D visualization modeling tool to evaluate of next generation control room human factors and ergonomic assessment. Though this discussion primary focuses on control room design, the application for such a merger between 3D visualization and cognitive modeling can be extended to various areas of focus such as training and scenario planning

Developing dynamic field theory architectures for embodied cognitive systems with cedar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliver Lomp

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Embodied artificial cognitive systems such as autonomous robots or intelligent observers connect cognitive processes to sensory and effector systems in real time. Prime candidates for such embodied intelligence are neurally inspired architectures. While components such as forward neural networks are well established, designing pervasively autonomous neural architectures remains a challenge. This includes the problem of tuning the parameters of such architectures so that they deliver specified functionality under variable environmental conditions and retain these functions as the architectures are expanded. The scaling and autonomy problems are solved, in part, by dynamic field theory (DFT, a theoretical framework for the neural grounding of sensorimotor and cognitive processes. In this paper, we address how to efficiently build DFT architectures that control embodied agents and how to tune their parameters so that the desired cognitive functions emerge while such agents are situated in real environments. In DFT architectures, dynamic neural fields or nodes are assigned dynamic regimes, that is, attractor states and their instabilities, from which cognitive function emerges. Tuning thus amounts to determining values of the dynamic parameters for which the components of a DFT architecture are in the specified dynamic regime under the appropriate environmental conditions. The process of tuning is facilitated by the software framework cedar, which provides a graphical interface to build and execute DFT architectures. It enables to change dynamic parameters online and visualize the activation states of any component while the agent is receiving sensory inputs in real-time. Using a simple example, we take the reader through the workflow of conceiving of DFT architectures, implementing them on embodied agents, tuning their parameters, and assessing performance while the system is coupled to real sensory inputs.

Collaborative damage mapping for emergency response: the role of Cognitive Systems Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Kerle, N.; Hoffman, R. R.

2013-01-01

Remote sensing is increasingly used to assess disaster damage, traditionally by professional image analysts. A recent alternative is crowdsourcing by volunteers experienced in remote sensing, using internet-based mapping portals. We identify a range of problems in current approaches, including how volunteers can best be instructed for the task, ensuring that instructions are accurately understood and translate into valid results, or how the mapping scheme must be adapted for different map user needs. The volunteers, the mapping organizers, and the map users all perform complex cognitive tasks, yet little is known about the actual information needs of the users. We also identify problematic assumptions about the capabilities of the volunteers, principally related to the ability to perform the mapping, and to understand mapping instructions unambiguously. We propose that any robust scheme for collaborative damage mapping must rely on Cognitive Systems Engineering and its principal method, Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), to understand the information and decision requirements of the map and image users, and how the volunteers can be optimally instructed and their mapping contributions merged into suitable map products. We recommend an iterative approach involving map users, remote sensing specialists, cognitive systems engineers and instructional designers, as well as experimental psychologists.

Designing effective questions for classroom response system teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Beatty, Ian D.; Gerace, William J.; Leonard, William J.; Dufresne, Robert J.

2006-01-01

Classroom response systems can be powerful tools for teaching physics. Their efficacy depends strongly on the quality of the questions. Creating effective questions is difficult and differs from creating exam and homework problems. Each classroom response system question should have an explicit pedagogic purpose consisting of a content goal, a process goal, and a metacognitive goal. Questions can be designed to fulfill their purpose through four complementary mechanisms: directing students' attention, stimulating specific cognitive processes, communicating information to the instructor and students via classroom response system-tabulated answer counts, and facilitating the articulation and confrontation of ideas. We identify several tactics that are useful for designing potent questions and present four "makeovers" to show how these tactics can be used to convert traditional physics questions into more powerful questions for a classroom response system.

Dynamic fuzzy cognitive network approach for modelling and control of PEM fuel cell for power electric bicycle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kheirandish, Azadeh; Motlagh, Farid; Shafiabady, Niusha; Dahari, Mahidzal; Khairi Abdul Wahab, Ahmad

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Fuzzy cognitive map was proposed for the first time to describe the behaviour of fuel cell electric bicycle system. •Fuzzy rules were applied to explain the cause and effect between concepts. •To predict and analyse the cognitive map involved in the negotiation process. -- Abstract: Modelling Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is the fundamental step in designing efficient systems for achieving higher performance. Among the development of new energy technologies, modelling and optimization of energy processes with pollution reduction, sufficient efficiency and low emission are considered one of the most promising areas of study. Despite affecting factors in PEMFC functionality, providing a reliable model for PEMFC is the key of performance optimization challenge. In this paper, fuzzy cognitive map has been used for modelling PEMFC system that is directed to provide a dynamic cognitive map from the affecting factors of the system. Controlling and modification of the system performance in various conditions is more practical by correlations among the performance factors of the PEMFC derived from fuzzy cognitive maps. On the other hand, the information of fuzzy cognitive map modelling is applicable for modification of neural networks structure for providing more accurate results based on the extracted knowledge from the cognitive map and visualization of the system’s performance. Finally, a rule based fuzzy cognitive map has been used that can be implemented for decision-making to control the system. This rule-based approach provides interpretability while enhancing the performance of the overall system.

Design of a prototype device for remote patient care with mild cognitive impairment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez-Ocampo, M; Segura-Giraldo, B; Floréz-Hurtado, R; Cortés-Aguirre, C

2016-01-01

This paper describes the design of a prototype telecare system, which allows to provide home care to patients with mild cognitive impairment and thus ensures their permanence in their usual environment. Telecare is oriented towards people who require constant attention due to conditions of advanced age, illness, physical risk or limited capabilities. Telecare offers these people a greater degree of independence. QFD methodology is used to develop electronic devices intended to monitor the environment and physiological state of the user continuously, providing communication between the telecare system and a monitoring center in order to take the most appropriate actions in any abnormal event. (paper)

Design of an Intelligent Support Agent Model for People with a Cognitive Vulnerability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aziz, A.A.; Klein, M.C.A.; Zhang, B.; Wang, Y.; Kinser, W.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the design of an intelligent agent application aimed at supporting people with a cognitive vulnerability to prevent the onset of a depression. For this, a computational model of the cognitive processes around depression is used. The agent application uses the principles of

A Hybrid Approach to Cognitive Engineering: Supporting Development of a Revolutionary Warfighter-Centered Command and Control System

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ockerman, Jennifer; McKneely, Jennifer A; Koterba, Nathan

2005-01-01

...) for the requirements analysis and design of revolutionary command and control systems and domains. This hybrid approach uses knowledge elicitation and representation techniques from several current cognitive engineering methodologies...

Cognitive reasoning a formal approach

CERN Document Server

Anshakov, Oleg M

2010-01-01

Dealing with uncertainty, moving from ignorance to knowledge, is the focus of cognitive processes. Understanding these processes and modelling, designing, and building artificial cognitive systems have long been challenging research problems. This book describes the theory and methodology of a new, scientifically well-founded general approach, and its realization in the form of intelligent systems applicable in disciplines ranging from social sciences, such as cognitive science and sociology, through natural sciences, such as life sciences and chemistry, to applied sciences, such as medicine,

Designing Curricular Experiences that Promote Young Adolescents' Cognitive Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Dave F.; Canniff, Mary

2007-01-01

One of the most challenging daily experiences of teaching young adolescents is helping them transition from Piaget's concrete to the formal operational stage of cognitive development during the middle school years. Students who have reached formal operations can design and test hypotheses, engage in deductive reasoning, use flexible thinking,…

An Unobtrusive System to Measure, Assess, and Predict Cognitive Workload in Real-World Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Bracken, Bethany K.; Palmon, Noa; Elkin-Frankston, Seth; Irvin, Scott; Jenkins, Michael; Farry, Mike

2017-01-01

Across many careers, individuals face alternating periods of high and low attention and cognitive workload, which can result in impaired cognitive functioning and can be detrimental to job performance. For example, some professions (e.g., fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, doctors and nurses working in an emergency room, pilots) require long periods of low workload (boredom), followed by sudden, high-tempo operations during which they may be required to respond to an emergency and perform at peak cognitive levels. Conversely, other professions (e.g., air traffic controllers, market investors in financial industries, analysts) require long periods of high workload and multitasking during which the addition of just one more task results in cognitive overload resulting in mistakes. An unobtrusive system to measure, assess, and predict cognitive workload could warn individuals, their teammates, or their supervisors when steps should be taken to augment cognitive readiness. In this talk I will describe an approach to this problem that we have found to be successful across work domains including: (1) a suite of unobtrusive, field-ready neurophysiological, physiological, and behavioral sensors that are chosen to best suit the target environment; (2) custom algorithms and statistical techniques to process and time-align raw data originating from the sensor suite; (3) probabilistic and statistical models designed to interpret the data into the human state of interest (e.g., cognitive workload, attention, fatigue); (4) and machine-learning techniques to predict upcoming performance based on the current pattern of events, and (5) display of each piece of information depending on the needs of the target user who may or may not want to drill down into the functioning of the system to determine how conclusions about human state and performance are determined. I will then focus in on our experimental results from our custom functional near-infrared spectroscopy sensor

Cognitive performance modeling based on general systems performance theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kondraske, George V

2010-01-01

General Systems Performance Theory (GSPT) was initially motivated by problems associated with quantifying different aspects of human performance. It has proved to be invaluable for measurement development and understanding quantitative relationships between human subsystem capacities and performance in complex tasks. It is now desired to bring focus to the application of GSPT to modeling of cognitive system performance. Previous studies involving two complex tasks (i.e., driving and performing laparoscopic surgery) and incorporating measures that are clearly related to cognitive performance (information processing speed and short-term memory capacity) were revisited. A GSPT-derived method of task analysis and performance prediction termed Nonlinear Causal Resource Analysis (NCRA) was employed to determine the demand on basic cognitive performance resources required to support different levels of complex task performance. This approach is presented as a means to determine a cognitive workload profile and the subsequent computation of a single number measure of cognitive workload (CW). Computation of CW may be a viable alternative to measuring it. Various possible "more basic" performance resources that contribute to cognitive system performance are discussed. It is concluded from this preliminary exploration that a GSPT-based approach can contribute to defining cognitive performance models that are useful for both individual subjects and specific groups (e.g., military pilots).

Cognitive Bias in the Verification and Validation of Space Flight Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Steve

2012-01-01

Cognitive bias is generally recognized as playing a significant role in virtually all domains of human decision making. Insight into this role is informally built into many of the system engineering practices employed in the aerospace industry. The review process, for example, typically has features that help to counteract the effect of bias. This paper presents a discussion of how commonly recognized biases may affect the verification and validation process. Verifying and validating a system is arguably more challenging than development, both technically and cognitively. Whereas there may be a relatively limited number of options available for the design of a particular aspect of a system, there is a virtually unlimited number of potential verification scenarios that may be explored. The probability of any particular scenario occurring in operations is typically very difficult to estimate, which increases reliance on judgment that may be affected by bias. Implementing a verification activity often presents technical challenges that, if they can be overcome at all, often result in a departure from actual flight conditions (e.g., 1-g testing, simulation, time compression, artificial fault injection) that may raise additional questions about the meaningfulness of the results, and create opportunities for the introduction of additional biases. In addition to mitigating the biases it can introduce directly, the verification and validation process must also overcome the cumulative effect of biases introduced during all previous stages of development. A variety of cognitive biases will be described, with research results for illustration. A handful of case studies will be presented that show how cognitive bias may have affected the verification and validation process on recent JPL flight projects, identify areas of strength and weakness, and identify potential changes or additions to commonly used techniques that could provide a more robust verification and validation of

Interdisciplinary Interactions During R&D and Early Design of Large Engineered Systems

Science.gov (United States)

McGowan, Anna-Maria Rivas

2014-01-01

Designing Large-Scale Complex Engineered Systems (LaCES) such as aircraft and submarines requires the input of thousands of engineers and scientists whose work is proximate in neither time nor space. Comprehensive knowledge of the system is dispersed among specialists whose expertise is in typically one system component or discipline. This study examined the interactive work practices among such specialists seeking to improve engineering practice through a rigorous and theoretical understanding of current practice. This research explored current interdisciplinary practices and perspectives during R&D and early LaCES design and identified why these practices and perspectives prevail and persist. The research design consisted of a three-fold, integrative approach that combined an open-ended survey, semi-structured interviews, and ethnography. Significant empirical data from experienced engineers and scientists in a large engineering organization were obtained and integrated with theories from organization science and engineering. Qualitative analysis was used to obtain a holistic, contextualized understanding. The over-arching finding is that issues related to cognition, organization, and social interrelations mostly dominate interactions across disciplines. Engineering issues, such as the integration of hardware or physics-based models, are not as significant. For example, organization culture is an important underlying factor that guided researchers more toward individual sovereignty over cross-disciplinarity. The organization structure and the engineered system architecture also serve as constraints to the engineering work. Many differences in work practices were observed, including frequency and depth of interactions, definition or co-construction of requirements, clarity or creation of the system architecture, work group proximity, and cognitive challenges. Practitioners are often unaware of these differences resulting in confusion and incorrect assumptions

A cognitive robotics system: the symbolic and sub-symbolic robotic intelligence control system (SS-RICS)

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Troy D.; Avery, Eric

2010-04-01

This paper will detail the progress on the development of the Symbolic and Subsymbolic Robotics Intelligence Control System (SS-RICS). The system is a goal oriented production system, based loosely on the cognitive architecture, the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) some additions and changes. We have found that in order to simulate complex cognition on a robot, many aspects of cognition (long term memory (LTM), perception) needed to be in place before any generalized intelligent behavior can be produced. In working with ACT-R, we found that it was a good instantiation of working memory, but that we needed to add other aspects of cognition including LTM and perception to have a complete cognitive system. Our progress to date will be noted and the challenges that remain will be addressed.

Re-Design and Beat Testing of the Man-Machine Integration Design and Analysis System: MIDAS

Science.gov (United States)

Shively, R. Jay; Rutkowski, Michael (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The Man-machine Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) is a human factors design and analysis system that combines human cognitive models with 3D CAD models and rapid prototyping and simulation techniques. MIDAS allows designers to ask 'what if' types of questions early in concept exploration and development prior to actual hardware development. The system outputs predictions of operator workload, situational awareness and system performance as well as graphical visualization of the cockpit designs interacting with models of the human in a mission scenario. Recently, MIDAS was re-designed to enhance functionality and usability. The goals driving the redesign include more efficient processing, GUI interface, advances in the memory structures, implementation of external vision models and audition. These changes were detailed in an earlier paper. Two Beta test sites with diverse applications have been chosen. One Beta test site is investigating the development of a new airframe and its interaction with the air traffic management system. The second Beta test effort will investigate 3D auditory cueing in conjunction with traditional visual cueing strategies including panel-mounted and heads-up displays. The progress and lessons learned on each of these projects will be discussed.

Location-based resource allocation for OFDMA cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon

2010-01-01

In cognitive radio systems, in order for the secondary users to opportunistically share the spectrum without interfering the primary users, an accurate spectrum measurement and a precise estimation of the interference at the primary users are necessary but are challenging tasks. Since it is impractical in cognitive radio systems to assume that the channel state information of the interference link is available at the cognitive transmitter, the interference at the primary users is hard to be estimated accurately. This paper introduces a resource allocation algorithm for OFDMA-based cognitive radio systems, which utilizes location information of the primary and secondary users instead of the channel state information of the interference link. Simulation results show that it is indeed effective to incorporate location information into resource allocation so that a near-optimal capacity is achieved.

Effects of Cognitive Styles on an MSN Virtual Learning Companion System as an Adjunct to Classroom Instructions

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Sheng-Wen

2011-01-01

This study designed a chatbot system, Confucius, as a MSN virtual learning companion to examine how specific application design variables within educational software affect the learning process of subjects as defined by the cognitive continuum of field-dependent and field-independent learners. 104 college students participated in a 12 week…

Distributed Cognition and Distributed Morality: Agency, Artifacts and Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Heersmink, Richard

2017-04-01

There are various philosophical approaches and theories describing the intimate relation people have to artifacts. In this paper, I explore the relation between two such theories, namely distributed cognition and distributed morality theory. I point out a number of similarities and differences in these views regarding the ontological status they attribute to artifacts and the larger systems they are part of. Having evaluated and compared these views, I continue by focussing on the way cognitive artifacts are used in moral practice. I specifically conceptualise how such artifacts (a) scaffold and extend moral reasoning and decision-making processes, (b) have a certain moral status which is contingent on their cognitive status, and (c) whether responsibility can be attributed to distributed systems. This paper is primarily written for those interested in the intersection of cognitive and moral theory as it relates to artifacts, but also for those independently interested in philosophical debates in extended and distributed cognition and ethics of (cognitive) technology.

Systemic Cognition: Human Artifice in Life and Language

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cowley, Stephen; Vallée-Tourangeau, Frédéric

2013-01-01

Rather than rely on functionalist or enactivist principles, Cognition Beyond the Brain traces thinking to human artifice. In pursuing this approach, we gradually developed what can be deemed a third position in cognitive science. This is because, like talking, doing things with artefacts draws...... on both biological and cultural principles. On this systemic view, skills embody beliefs, roles and social practices. Since people rely on interactivity or sense-saturated coordination, action also re-enacts cultural history. Bidirectional dynamics connect embodiment to non-local regularities. Thinking...... simulation to manage thought, feeling and action. The systemic nature of cognition connects now, the adjacent possible, implications for others and, potentially, social and environmental change....

5th International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

Design thinking, the label given to the acts of designing, has become a paradigmatic view that has transcended the discipline of design and is now widely used in business and elsewhere. As a consequence there is an increasing interest in design research. This is because of the realization that design is part of the wealth creation of a nation and needs to be better understood and taught. The continuing globalization of industry and trade has required nations to re-examine where their core contributions lie if not in production efficiency. Design is a precursor to manufacturing for physical objects and is the precursor to implementation for virtual objects. At the same time, the need for sustainable development requires the design of new products and processes, which feeds a movement towards design innovations and inventions. The papers in this volume are from the Fifth International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition (DCC’12) held at Texas A & M University, USA. They represent the state-of-th...

Toward a Formal Model of Cognitive Synergy

OpenAIRE

Goertzel, Ben

2017-01-01

"Cognitive synergy" refers to a dynamic in which multiple cognitive processes, cooperating to control the same cognitive system, assist each other in overcoming bottlenecks encountered during their internal processing. Cognitive synergy has been posited as a key feature of real-world general intelligence, and has been used explicitly in the design of the OpenCog cognitive architecture. Here category theory and related concepts are used to give a formalization of the cognitive synergy concept....

Designing Cognitive Intervention to Improve the Awareness Index of the Residents in the Landslide Area

Science.gov (United States)

Susanto, N.; Putranto, T. T.; Ulfa, E. A.

2017-02-01

Considering Semarang as a city with a high potential of landslides occurrences in its almost area, human as the part of the system should be played as a centre of the disaster management system to reduce the natural disaster risk. The study area is located in Manyaran district (the west of Semarang) which is categorised as a vulnerable of landslide area. This study aims at establishing a cognitive intervention based on a cause analysis (Fault Tree Analysis/FTA) to find the cause of low value and improve the awareness index of residents as the implementation of human-based disaster management model. The FTA result was then combined with the demographical data to generate the design of the cognitive intervention. The FTA result conducted that the preparedness of emergency planning had the lowest value (18.2%) which was caused by the lack individual preparation including lack of residents knowledge, and the absence of observation facilities as well as the lack of evacuation planning. Analysis of demographical data resulted in a situation of lack socialisation and knowledge of the residents regarding the landslide occurrence. The model of cognitive intervention then utilised some tools such as video, module and discussion to improve the awareness index.

Battling the challenges of training nurses to use information systems through theory-based training material design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Galani (Malatsi); P. Yu (Ping); G.W.C. Paas (Fred); P. Chandler (Paul)

2014-01-01

textabstractThe attempts to train nurses to effectively use information systems have had mixed results. One problem is that training materials are not adequately designed to guide trainees to gradually learn to use a system without experiencing a heavy cognitive load. This is because training design

An intelligent human-machine system based on an ecological interface design concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, N.

1995-01-01

It seems both necessary and promising to develop an intelligent human-machine system, considering the objective of the human-machine system and the recent advance in cognitive engineering and artificial intelligence together with the ever-increasing importance of human factor issues in nuclear power plant operation and maintenance. It should support human operators in their knowledge-based behaviour and allow them to cope with unanticipated abnormal events, including recovery from erroneous human actions. A top-down design approach has been adopted based on cognitive work analysis, and (1) an ecological interface, (2) a cognitive model-based advisor and (3) a robust automatic sequence controller have been established. These functions have been integrated into an experimental control room. A validation test was carried out by the participation of experienced operators and engineers. The results showed the usefulness of this system in supporting the operator's supervisory plant control tasks. ((orig.))

Design of an iPad cover for people with cognitive impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dr. A.L. Cordia

2015-01-01

Dementia is a syndrome that results in deterioration in cognitive function and effects woman more than man. The impairment in cognitive function is not only affecting the client’s system but also their social environment for fulfilling their caring needs. In the Netherlands 80.000 people with

Studying Design Engineers Use Of Information Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Restrepo-Giraldo, John Dairo

2006-01-01

Studying information usage by design engineers involves considering technical, social, cognitive and volitional factors. This makes it challenging, especially for researchers without a cognitive psychology background. This paper presents a summary of key findings in researching information use...

Cognitive two-way relay beamforming: Design with resilience to channel state uncertainties

KAUST Repository

Ubaidulla, P.

2016-07-26

In this paper, we propose a robust distributed relay beamformer design for cognitive radio network operating under uncertainties in the available channel state information. The cognitive network consists of a pair of transceivers and a set of non-regenerative two-way relays that assist the communication between the transceiver pair. The secondary nodes share the spectrum with a licensed primary user node while ensuring that the interference to the primary receiver is maintained below a certain threshold. The proposed robust design maximizes the worst-case signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio at the secondary transceivers while satisfying constraints on the interference to the primary user and on the total relay transmit power. Though the robust design problem is not a convex problem in its original form, we show that it can be reformulated as a convex optimization problem, which can be solved efficiently. Numerical results are provided and illustrate the merits of the proposed design for various operating conditions and parameters. © 2016 IEEE.

Cultural Factors in Systems Design Decision Making and Action

CERN Document Server

Proctor, Robert W; Yih, Yuehwern

2011-01-01

This book brings together an interdisciplinary group of experts to provide increased understanding of the ways in which cultural differences may influence decision making and action. It brings together current knowledge about decision processes, culture and cognition, design of products and interfaces for human interaction with machines and organizational processes culled from a wide variety of sources and puts them into one comprehensive resource. It examines how to design systems used by individuals from different cultures and accommodate the varied backgrounds that affect the users' decisio

Cognitive interference modeling with applications in power and admission control

KAUST Repository

Mahmood, Nurul Huda; Yilmaz, Ferkan; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Ø ien, Geir Egil

2012-01-01

One of the key design challenges in a cognitive radio network is controlling the interference generated at coexisting primary receivers. In order to design efficient cognitive radio systems and to minimize their unwanted consequences

Generalized location-based resource allocation for OFDMA cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Ben Ghorbel, Mahdi; Nam, Haewoon; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2010-01-01

Cognitive radio is one of the hot topics for emerging and future wireless communication. Cognitive users can share channels with primary users under the condition of non interference. In order to compute this interference, the cognitive system

Computer-based cognitive rehabilitation: the CoRe system.

Science.gov (United States)

Alloni, Anna; Sinforiani, Elena; Zucchella, Chiara; Sandrini, Giorgio; Bernini, Sara; Cattani, Barbara; Pardell, Daniela Tost; Quaglini, Silvana; Pistarini, Caterina

2017-02-01

This work aims at providing a tool for supporting cognitive rehabilitation. This is a wide field, that includes a variety of diseases and related clinical pictures; for this reason the need arises to have a tool available that overcomes the difficulties entailed by what currently is the most common approach, that is, the so-called pen and paper rehabilitation. We first organized a big number of stimuli in an ontology that represents concepts, attributes and a set of relationships among concepts. Stimuli may be words, sounds, 2D and 3D images. Then, we developed an engine that automatically generates exercises by exploiting that ontology. The design of exercises has been carried on in synergy with neuropsychologists and speech therapists. Solutions have been devised aimed at personalizing the exercises according to both patients' preferences and performance. Exercises addressed to rehabilitation of executive functions and aphasia-related diseases have been implemented. The system has been tested on both healthy volunteers (n = 38) and patients (n = 9), obtaining a favourable rating and suggestions for improvements. We created a tool able to automate the execution of cognitive rehabilitation tasks. We hope the variety and personalization of exercises will allow to increase compliance, particularly from elderly people, usually neither familiar with technology nor particularly willing to rely on it. The next step involves the creation of a telerehabilitation tool, to allow therapy sessions to be undergone from home, thus guaranteeing continuity of care and advantages in terms of time and costs for the patients and the National Healthcare System (NHS). Implications for rehabilitation Cognitive impairments can greatly impact an individual's existence, appreciably reducing his abilities and autonomy, as well as sensibly lowering his quality of life. Cognitive rehabilitation can be used to restore lost brain function or slow down degenerative diseases

Cognitive Approaches to Automated Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Regian, J. Wesley, Ed.; Shute, Valerie J., Ed.

This book contains a snapshot of state-of-the-art research on the design of automated instructional systems. Selected cognitive psychologists were asked to describe their approach to instruction and cognitive diagnosis, the theoretical basis of the approach, its utility and applicability, and the knowledge engineering or task analysis methods…

An Energy Efficient Cognitive Radio System with Quantized Soft Sensing and Duration Analysis

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, Abdulrahman

2015-03-09

In this paper, an energy efficient cognitive radio system is proposed. The proposed design optimizes the secondary user transmission power and the sensing duration combined with soft-sensing information to minimize the energy per goodbit. Due to the non-convex nature of the problem we prove its pseudo-convexity to guarantee the optimal solution. Furthermore, a quantization scheme, that discretize the softsensing information, is proposed and analyzed to reduce the overload of the continuously adapted power. Numerical results show that our proposed system outperforms the benchmark systems. The impact of the quantization levels and other system parameters is evaluated in the numerical results.

Mobile Phones as Cognitive Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stopczynski, Arkadiusz

the importance of the proposed approach and deployed implementation. The second part of the thesis deals with expanding our capabilities to sense the cognitive and emotional state of the users through development of a system for mobile brain imaging—the Smartphone Brain Scanner. A developed framework allows...

Outage performance of cognitive radio systems with Improper Gaussian signaling

KAUST Repository

Amin, Osama

2015-06-14

Improper Gaussian signaling has proved its ability to improve the achievable rate of the systems that suffer from interference compared with proper Gaussian signaling. In this paper, we first study impact of improper Gaussian signaling on the performance of the cognitive radio system by analyzing the outage probability of both the primary user (PU) and the secondary user (SU). We derive exact expression of the SU outage probability and upper and lower bounds for the PU outage probability. Then, we design the SU signal by adjusting its transmitted power and the circularity coefficient to minimize the SU outage probability while maintaining a certain PU quality-of-service. Finally, we evaluate the proposed bounds and adaptive algorithms by numerical results.

A mobile, high-throughput semi-automated system for testing cognition in large non-primate animal models of Huntington disease.

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, Sebastian D; Perentos, Nicholas; Morton, A Jennifer

2016-05-30

For reasons of cost and ethical concerns, models of neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington disease (HD) are currently being developed in farm animals, as an alternative to non-human primates. Developing reliable methods of testing cognitive function is essential to determining the usefulness of such models. Nevertheless, cognitive testing of farm animal species presents a unique set of challenges. The primary aims of this study were to develop and validate a mobile operant system suitable for high throughput cognitive testing of sheep. We designed a semi-automated testing system with the capability of presenting stimuli (visual, auditory) and reward at six spatial locations. Fourteen normal sheep were used to validate the system using a two-choice visual discrimination task. Four stages of training devised to acclimatise animals to the system are also presented. All sheep progressed rapidly through the training stages, over eight sessions. All sheep learned the 2CVDT and performed at least one reversal stage. The mean number of trials the sheep took to reach criterion in the first acquisition learning was 13.9±1.5 and for the reversal learning was 19.1±1.8. This is the first mobile semi-automated operant system developed for testing cognitive function in sheep. We have designed and validated an automated operant behavioural testing system suitable for high throughput cognitive testing in sheep and other medium-sized quadrupeds, such as pigs and dogs. Sheep performance in the two-choice visual discrimination task was very similar to that reported for non-human primates and strongly supports the use of farm animals as pre-clinical models for the study of neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel Radio Architectures for UWB, 60 GHz, and Cognitive Wireless Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cabric Danijela

2006-01-01

Full Text Available There are several new radio systems which exploit novel strategies being made possible by the regulatory agencies to increase the availability of spectrum for wireless applications. Three of these that will be discussed are ultra-wideband (UWB, 60 GHz, and cognitive radios. The UWB approach attempts to share the spectrum with higher-priority users by transmitting at power levels that are so low that they do not cause interference. On the other hand, cognitive radios attempt to share spectra by introducing a spectrum sensing function, so that they are able to transmit in unused portions at a given time, place, and frequency. Another approach is to exploit the advances in CMOS technology to operate in frequency bands in the millimeter-wave region. 60 GHz operation is particularly attractive because of the 7 GHz of unlicensed spectrum that has been made available there. In this paper, we present an overview of novel radio architecture design approaches and address challenges dealing with high-frequencies, wide-bandwidths, and large dynamic-range signals encountered in these future wireless systems.

Extended Target Recognition in Cognitive Radar Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiqin Wang

2010-11-01

Full Text Available We address the problem of adaptive waveform design for extended target recognition in cognitive radar networks. A closed-loop active target recognition radar system is extended to the case of a centralized cognitive radar network, in which a generalized likelihood ratio (GLR based sequential hypothesis testing (SHT framework is employed. Using Doppler velocities measured by multiple radars, the target aspect angle for each radar is calculated. The joint probability of each target hypothesis is then updated using observations from different radar line of sights (LOS. Based on these probabilities, a minimum correlation algorithm is proposed to adaptively design the transmit waveform for each radar in an amplitude fluctuation situation. Simulation results demonstrate performance improvements due to the cognitive radar network and adaptive waveform design. Our minimum correlation algorithm outperforms the eigen-waveform solution and other non-cognitive waveform design approaches.

A Role of the Parasympathetic Nervous System in Cognitive Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Feng; Heffner, Kathi L; Ren, Ping; Tadin, Duje

2017-01-01

Vision-based speed of processing (VSOP) training can result in broad cognitive improvements in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). What remains unknown, however, is what neurophysiological mechanisms account for the observed training effect. Much of the work in this area has focused on the central nervous system, neglecting the fact that the peripheral system can contributes to changes of the central nervous system and vice versa. We examined the prospective relationship between an adaptive parasympathetic nervous system response to cognitive stimuli and VSOP training-induced plasticity. Twenty-one participants with aMCI (10 for VSOP training, and 11 for mental leisure activities (MLA) control) were enrolled. We assessed high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) during training sessions, and striatum-related neural networks and cognition at baseline and post-training. Compared to MLA, the VSOP group showed a significant U-shaped pattern of HF-HRV response during training, as well as decreases in connectivity strength between bilateral striatal and prefrontal regions. These two effects were associated with training-induced improvements in both the trained (attention and processing speed) and transferred (working memory) cognitive domains. This work provides novel support for interactions between the central and the peripheral nervous systems in relation to cognitive training, and motivates further studies to elucidate the causality of the observed link. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Research on Cognitive Load Theory and its Design Implications for E-Learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Merriënboer, Jeroen; Ayres, Paul

2007-01-01

This introduction to the special issue provides a context for the contributing articles. For readers who are not familiar with Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), it provides a very brief description of assumptions regarding memory systems and learning processes, different types of cognitive load

An Investigation of the Methods of Logicalizing the Code-Checking System for Architectural Design Review in New Taipei City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-I Lee

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The New Taipei City Government developed a Code-checking System (CCS using Building Information Modeling (BIM technology to facilitate an architectural design review in 2014. This system was intended to solve problems caused by cognitive gaps between designer and reviewer in the design review process. Along with considering information technology, the most important issue for the system’s development has been the logicalization of literal building codes. Therefore, to enhance the reliability and performance of the CCS, this study uses the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM on the basis of design thinking and communication theory to investigate the semantic difference and cognitive gaps among participants in the design review process and to propose the direction of system development. Our empirical results lead us to recommend grouping multi-stage screening and weighted assisted logicalization of non-quantitative building codes to improve the operability of CCS. Furthermore, CCS should integrate the Expert Evaluation System (EES to evaluate the design value under qualitative building codes.

Proactive learning for artificial cognitive systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Soo-Young

2010-04-01

The Artificial Cognitive Systems (ACS) will be developed for human-like functions such as vision, auditory, inference, and behavior. Especially, computational models and artificial HW/SW systems will be devised for Proactive Learning (PL) and Self-Identity (SI). The PL model provides bilateral interactions between robot and unknown environment (people, other robots, cyberspace). For the situation awareness in unknown environment it is required to receive audiovisual signals and to accumulate knowledge. If the knowledge is not enough, the PL should improve by itself though internet and others. For human-oriented decision making it is also required for the robot to have self-identify and emotion. Finally, the developed models and system will be mounted on a robot for the human-robot co-existing society. The developed ACS will be tested against the new Turing Test for the situation awareness. The Test problems will consist of several video clips, and the performance of the ACSs will be compared against those of human with several levels of cognitive ability.

Utility, reliability, sensitivity and validity of an online test system designed to monitor changes in cognitive function in clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesnes, Keith A; Brooker, Helen; Ballard, Clive; McCambridge, Laura; Stenton, Robert; Corbett, Anne

2017-12-01

The advent of long-term remotely conducted clinical trials requires assessments which can be administered online. This paper considers the utility, reliability, sensitivity and validity of an internet-based system for measuring changes in cognitive function which is being used in one such trial. The Platform for Research Online to investigate Genetics and Cognition in Ageing is a 10-year longitudinal and entirely remote study launched in November 2015. The CogTrack TM System is being used to monitor changes in important aspects of cognitive function using tests of attention, information processing and episodic memory. On study entry, the participants performed CogTrack TM up to three times over seven days, and these data are evaluated in this paper. During the first six months of the study, 14 531 individuals aged 50 to 94 years enrolled and performed the CogTrack TM System, 8627 of whom completed three test sessions. On the first administration, 99.4% of the study tasks were successfully completed. Repeated testing showed training/familiarisation effects on four of the ten measures which had largely stabilised by the third test session. The factor structure of the various measures was found to be robust. Evaluation of the influence of age identified clinically relevant declines over the age range of the population on one or more measures from all tasks. The results of these analyses identify CogTrack TM to be a practical and valid method to reliably, sensitively, remotely and repeatedly collect cognitive data from large samples of individuals aged 50 and over. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The CAL: cognitive, apperceptive and representative aspects of fashion design - Side note to neuroaesthetic theory

Science.gov (United States)

Csanák, Edit

2017-10-01

This article deals with the creative and cognitive process of the creative work from the aspect of fashion design. It is examined through the Cognitive-Apperceptive-Limn process (The CAL), analysing the stages of design work referring to prominent literature, and discussing exciting theories, such the FLOW and the AHA effects are, and the neuro aesthetic theory. Setting them into a new context, the article offers a fresh approach of a designer, rather than a scientific statement based on pragmatic findings. Since theories on artistic performance and creativity can never be enough ‘empirical’, and the process can be never understood enough well…

Characterizing Design Cognition of High School Students: Initial Analyses Comparing Those with and without Pre-Engineering Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, John; Lammi, Matthew; Gero, John; Grubbs, Michael E.; Paretti, Marie; Williams, Christopher

2016-01-01

Reported in this article are initial results from of a longitudinal study to characterize the design cognition and cognitive design styles of high school students with and without pre-engineering course experience over a 2-year period, and to compare them with undergraduate engineering students. The research followed a verbal protocol analysis…

Cooperative Cognitive Radio Systems over Nakagami-m Fading Channels

KAUST Repository

Hyadi, Amal

2013-05-08

This thesis aims to investigate the incorporation of cooperative techniques in cognitive radio networks over Nakagami-m fading channels. These last years, spectrum sharing mechanisms has gained a lot of interest in the wireless communication domain. Using cooperation in a cognitive set up make the use of spectrum much more efficient. Moreover, it helps to extend the coverage area of the cognitive network and also to reduce the transmitting power and, thus, the generated interference. In this work, we consider two particular scenarios for cooperative cognitive radio systems. The first scenario consider multihop regenerative relaying in an underlay cognitive set up. The cooperation is performed in the secondary system, in the presence of multiple primary users. Both interference power and peak power constraints are taking into account. Closed-form expressions for the statistical characteristics and multiple end- to-end performance metrics are derived. Different scenarios are presented to illustrate the obtained results and Monte Carlo simulations confirm the accuracy of our analytical derivations. In the second part of this work, we consider an overlay cognitive network with the spectrally efficient two-phase two-way relaying protocol. Two relay selection techniques, optimizing both the primary and the secondary communication, are presented. The overall outage performance is investigated and an optimal power allocation scheme, that ameliorate the outage performance of the system, is proposed. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate and compare the obtained results.

System identification and adaptive control theory and applications of the neurofuzzy and fuzzy cognitive network models

CERN Document Server

Boutalis, Yiannis; Kottas, Theodore; Christodoulou, Manolis A

2014-01-01

Presenting current trends in the development and applications of intelligent systems in engineering, this monograph focuses on recent research results in system identification and control. The recurrent neurofuzzy and the fuzzy cognitive network (FCN) models are presented.  Both models are suitable for partially-known or unknown complex time-varying systems. Neurofuzzy Adaptive Control contains rigorous proofs of its statements which result in concrete conclusions for the selection of the design parameters of the algorithms presented. The neurofuzzy model combines concepts from fuzzy systems and recurrent high-order neural networks to produce powerful system approximations that are used for adaptive control. The FCN model  stems  from fuzzy cognitive maps and uses the notion of “concepts” and their causal relationships to capture the behavior of complex systems. The book shows how, with the benefit of proper training algorithms, these models are potent system emulators suitable for use in engineering s...

Cognitive Comparisons of Students' Systems Modeling in Ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Kathleen; Thomas, David

2001-12-01

This study examined the cognition of five pairs of high school students over time as they built quantitative ecological models using STELLA software. One pair of students emerged as being particularly proficient at learning to model, and was able to use models productively to explore and explain ecological system behaviors. We present detailed contrasts between this and the other pairs of students' cognitive behaviors while modeling, in three areas that were crucial to their modeling productivity: (a) focusing on model output and net interactions versus on model input and individual relationships when building and revising models, (b) exploring the nature and implications of dependencies and feedbacks versus just creating these as properties of complex systems, and (c) using variables versus constants to represent continuous and periodic functions. We then apply theories of the multifaceted nature of cognition to describe object-level, metalevel, and emotional dimensions of cognitive performance that help to explain the observed differences among students' approaches to STELLA modeling. Finally, we suggest pedagogical strategies for supporting all types of students in learning the central scientific practice of model-based quantitative thinking.

Contribution Towards Practical Cognitive Radios Systems

KAUST Repository

Ben Ghorbel, Mahdi

2013-01-01

to cognitive radio systems while taking into account practical constraints. Cogni- tive radios requires a capability to detect spectrum holes (spectrum sensing) and a scheduling flexibility to avoid the occupied spectrum and selectively use the empty spectrum

Hybrid cognitive engine for radio systems adaptation

KAUST Repository

Alqerm, Ismail

2017-07-20

Network efficiency and proper utilization of its resources are essential requirements to operate wireless networks in an optimal fashion. Cognitive radio aims to fulfill these requirements by exploiting artificial intelligence techniques to create an entity called cognitive engine. Cognitive engine exploits awareness about the surrounding radio environment to optimize the use of radio resources and adapt relevant transmission parameters. In this paper, we propose a hybrid cognitive engine that employs Case Based Reasoning (CBR) and Decision Trees (DTs) to perform radio adaptation in multi-carriers wireless networks. The engine complexity is reduced by employing DTs to improve the indexing methodology used in CBR cases retrieval. The performance of our hybrid engine is validated using software defined radios implementation and simulation in multi-carrier environment. The system throughput, signal to noise and interference ratio, and packet error rate are obtained and compared with other schemes in different scenarios.

The LIFE Cognition Study: design and baseline characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sink KM

2014-08-01

adults at increased risk for incident mobility disability. One LIFE Study objective is to evaluate the effects of a structured physical activity program on changes in cognitive function and incident all-cause mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Here, we present the design and baseline cognitive data. At baseline, participants completed the modified Mini Mental Status Examination, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Digit Symbol Coding, Modified Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure, and a computerized battery, selected to be sensitive to changes in speed of processing and executive functioning. During follow up, participants completed the same battery, along with the Category Fluency for Animals, Boston Naming, and Trail Making tests. The description of the mild cognitive impairment/dementia adjudication process is presented here. Participants with worse baseline Short Physical Performance Battery scores (prespecified at ≤7 had significantly lower median cognitive test scores compared with those having scores of 8 or 9 with modified Mini Mental Status Examination score of 91 versus (vs 93, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test delayed recall score of 7.4 vs 7.9, and Digit Symbol Coding score of 45 vs 48, respectively (all P<0.001. The LIFE Study will contribute important information on the effects of a structured physical activity program on cognitive outcomes in sedentary older adults at particular risk for mobility impairment. In addition to its importance in the area of prevention of cognitive decline, the LIFE Study will also likely serve as a model for exercise and other behavioral intervention trials in older adults. Keywords: exercise, physical activity, older adults, dementia

An Oversampled Filter Bank Multicarrier System for cognitive Radio

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kokkeler, Andre B.J.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Zhang, Q; Zhang, Q.

2008-01-01

Due to small sideband power leakage, filter bank multicarrier techniques are considered as interesting alternatives to traditional OFDMs for spectrum pooling Cognitive Radio. In this paper, we propose an oversampled filter bank multicarrier system for Cognitive Radio. The increased spacing between

Ethical principles and guidelines for the development of cognitive systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaneyfelt, Wendy

2006-05-01

As cognitive systems technologies emerge, so too do the ethical issues surrounding their development and use. To develop cognitive systems technologies responsibly, Sandia National Laboratories is establishing a framework to proactively address both real and potential ethical issues. This report contains the principles and guidelines developers can use to guide them as they are confronted with ethical issues related to developing cognitive systems technologies as they apply to U.S. national security. A process to apply these principles offers a practical way to transfer these principles from paper to a working strategy. Case studies are presented to reflect upon potential scenarios and to consider resolution strategies.

Analysis of dynamic characteristics of stochastic influences in cognitive systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander A. Solodov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study is to provide an analytical description of the dynamics of the processes to form images in the cognitive system and their subsequent processing by the consciousness, as well as the study of the simplest characteristics of the quality of the cognitive system functioning in the form of the signal/noise ratio.In accordance with the ideas of the cognitive theory, it is believed that images (schemes, categories, Gestalt, systems, archetypes, etc. are firstly generated in the human brain and then processed by the consciousness.These images are formed at random in time and are characterized by a random force of effects and subsequently processed by the consciousness.The images are characterized by random numbers, the common interpretation of which is the amount of information corresponding to the appearance of a certain image. The times of appearance are points on the time axis; their number and position are random as well.The work consists of a logically completed model including the following components:• Justification of a statistical model of the appearance of effects during the operation of the cognitive system in the form of the Poisson point process, characterized by the intensity of occurrence of effects and the random values of those effects.• Development of a mathematical model in the consciousness processing of the random effects in the form of reducing response function, which depends on the current time, the time of occurrence of effects and the magnitudes of these effects. To obtain applied results, exponential response function was applied and the analytical results for the mathematical expectations of the processed and not processed information by the consciousness were received.• Introduction for consideration of the signal/noise ratio, characterizing the performance of cognitive systems in the presence of interference and study of its behavior in the situations with the presence of random background noise

Elaborate analysis and design of filter-bank-based sensing for wideband cognitive radios

Science.gov (United States)

Maliatsos, Konstantinos; Adamis, Athanasios; Kanatas, Athanasios G.

2014-12-01

The successful operation of a cognitive radio system strongly depends on its ability to sense the radio environment. With the use of spectrum sensing algorithms, the cognitive radio is required to detect co-existing licensed primary transmissions and to protect them from interference. This paper focuses on filter-bank-based sensing and provides a solid theoretical background for the design of these detectors. Optimum detectors based on the Neyman-Pearson theorem are developed for uniform discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and modified DFT filter banks with root-Nyquist filters. The proposed sensing framework does not require frequency alignment between the filter bank of the sensor and the primary signal. Each wideband primary channel is spanned and monitored by several sensor subchannels that analyse it in narrowband signals. Filter-bank-based sensing is proved to be robust and efficient under coloured noise. Moreover, the performance of the weighted energy detector as a sensing technique is evaluated. Finally, based on the Locally Most Powerful and the Generalized Likelihood Ratio test, real-world sensing algorithms that do not require a priori knowledge are proposed and tested.

A Novel and Intelligent Home Monitoring System for Care Support of Elders with Cognitive Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarou, Ioulietta; Karakostas, Anastasios; Stavropoulos, Thanos G; Tsompanidis, Theodoros; Meditskos, Georgios; Kompatsiaris, Ioannis; Tsolaki, Magda

2016-10-18

Assistive technology, in the form of a smart home environment, is employed to support people with dementia. To propose a system for continuous and objective remote monitoring of problematic daily living activity areas and design personalized interventions based on system feedback and clinical observations for improving cognitive function and health-related quality of life. The assistive technology of the proposed system, including wearable, sleep, object motion, presence, and utility usage sensors, was methodically deployed at four different home installations of people with cognitive impairment. Detection of sleep patterns, physical activity, and activities of daily living, based on the collected sensor data and analytics, was available at all times through comprehensive data visualization solutions. Combined with clinical observation, targeted psychosocial interventions were introduced to enhance the participants' quality of life and improve their cognitive functions and daily functionality. Meanwhile, participants and their caregivers were able to visualize a reduced set of information tailored to their needs. Overall, paired-sample t-test analysis of monitored qualities revealed improvement for all participants in neuropsychological assessment. Moreover, improvement was detected from the beginning to the end of the trial, in physical condition and in the domains of sleep. Detecting abnormalities via the system, for example in sleep quality, such as REM sleep, has proved to be critical to assess current status, drive interventions, and evaluate improvements in a reliable manner. It has been proved that the proposed system is suitable to support clinicians to reliably drive and evaluate clinical interventions toward quality of life improvement of people with cognitive impairment.

Active glass-type human augmented cognition system considering attention and intention

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Bumhwi; Ojha, Amitash; Lee, Minho

2015-10-01

Human cognition is the result of an interaction of several complex cognitive processes with limited capabilities. Therefore, the primary objective of human cognitive augmentation is to assist and expand these limited human cognitive capabilities independently or together. In this study, we propose a glass-type human augmented cognition system, which attempts to actively assist human memory functions by providing relevant, necessary and intended information by constantly assessing intention of the user. To achieve this, we exploit selective attention and intention processes. Although the system can be used in various real-life scenarios, we test the performance of the system in a person identity scenario. To detect the intended face, the system analyses the gaze points and change in pupil size to determine the intention of the user. An assessment of the gaze points and change in pupil size together indicates that the user intends to know the identity and information about the person in question. Then, the system retrieves several clues through speech recognition system and retrieves relevant information about the face, which is finally displayed through head-mounted display. We present the performance of several components of the system. Our results show that the active and relevant assistance based on users' intention significantly helps the enhancement of memory functions.

Dual PECCS: a cognitive system for conceptual representation and categorization

Science.gov (United States)

Lieto, Antonio; Radicioni, Daniele P.; Rho, Valentina

2017-03-01

In this article we present an advanced version of Dual-PECCS, a cognitively-inspired knowledge representation and reasoning system aimed at extending the capabilities of artificial systems in conceptual categorization tasks. It combines different sorts of common-sense categorization (prototypical and exemplars-based categorization) with standard monotonic categorization procedures. These different types of inferential procedures are reconciled according to the tenets coming from the dual process theory of reasoning. On the other hand, from a representational perspective, the system relies on the hypothesis of conceptual structures represented as heterogeneous proxytypes. Dual-PECCS has been experimentally assessed in a task of conceptual categorization where a target concept illustrated by a simple common-sense linguistic description had to be identified by resorting to a mix of categorization strategies, and its output has been compared to human responses. The obtained results suggest that our approach can be beneficial to improve the representational and reasoning conceptual capabilities of standard cognitive artificial systems, and - in addition - that it may be plausibly applied to different general computational models of cognition. The current version of the system, in fact, extends our previous work, in that Dual- PECCS is now integrated and tested into two cognitive architectures, ACT-R and CLARION, implementing different assumptions on the underlying invariant structures governing human cognition. Such integration allowed us to extend our previous evaluation.

An investigative study towards constructing anthropocentric Man-Machine System design evaluation methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, H.; Gofuku, A.; Itoh, T.; Sasaki, K.

1992-01-01

A methodological investigation has been conducted for evaluating the reliability of man-machine interaction in the total Man-Machine System (MMS) from the view-point of safety maintenance for emergent situations of nuclear power plant. Basic considerations in our study are: (i) what are the MMS design data to be evaluated, (ii) how are those MMS design data should be treated, and (iii) how the introduction effects of various operator support tools can be evaluated. The methods of both qualitative and quantitative MMS design evaluation are summarized in this paper, with the system architecture based on man-machine interaction simulation and the related cognitive human error factor analysis. (author)

Hierarchical Thinking: A Cognitive Tool for Guiding Coherent Decision Making in Design Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Haupt, Grietjie

2018-01-01

This paper builds on two concepts, the first of which is the extended information processing model of expert design cognition. This proposes twelve internal psychological characteristics interacting with the external world of expert designers during the early phases of the design process. Here, I explore one of the characteristics, hierarchical…

Improving the Quality of Online Discussion: The Effects of Strategies Designed Based on Cognitive Load Theory Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Darabi, Aubteen; Jin, Li

2013-01-01

This article focuses on heavy cognitive load as the reason for the lack of quality associated with conventional online discussion. Using the principles of cognitive load theory, four online discussion strategies were designed specifically aiming at reducing the discussants' cognitive load and thus enhancing the quality of their online discussion.…

COGNITIVE DIALOG GAMES AS COGNITIVE ASSISTANTS: TRACKING AND ADAPTING KNOWLEDGE AND INTERACTIONS IN STUDENT’S DIALOGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adem Karahoca

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This study introduces a system design in a form of cognitive dialog game (DiaCog to support pedagogical factors and student learning model ideas. The purpose of the study is to describe how such a design achieves tracking and adapting students’ knowledge and mastery learning levels as a cognitive assistant. Also, this study shows alternative ways for supporting intelligent personal learning, tutoring systems, and MOOCS. This paper explains method called DiaCog that uses structure for students` thinking in an online dialog by tracking student`s level of learning/knowledge status. The methodology of computing is the semantic that match between students` interactions in a dialog. By this way it informs DiaCog’s learner model to inform the pedagogical model. Semantic fingerprint matching method of DiaCog allows making comparisons with expert knowledge to detect students` mastery levels in learning. The paper concludes with the DiaCog tool and methodologies that used for intelligent cognitive assistant design to implement pedagogical and learner model to track and adapt students’ learning. Finally, this paper discusses future improvements and planned experimental set up to advance the techniques introduced in DiaCog design.

Fit in the Body: Matching Embodied Cognition with Social-Ecological Systems

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Janne I. Hukkinen

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Analysis of fit has focused on the macrolevel fit between social institutions and ecosystems, and bypassed the microlevel fit between individual cognition and its socio-material environment. I argue that the conceptualizations we develop about social-ecological systems and our position in them should be understood as ways for a fundamentally cognitive organism to adapt to particular social and ecological situations. Since at issue is our survival as a species, we need to better understand the structure and dynamics of fit between human cognition and its social-ecological environment. I suggest that the embodied cognition perspective opens up possibilities for "nudging" evolution through the conceptual integration of the cognitively attractive but ecologically unrealistic neoclassical economics, and the cognitively less attractive but ecologically more realistic adaptive cycle theory (panarchy. The result is a conceptually integrated model, the Roller Coaster Blend, which expresses in metaphorical terms why competitive individuals are better off cooperating than competing with each other in the face of absolute resource limits. The blend enables the reframing of messages about the limits of the social-ecological system in terms of growth rather than degrowth. This is cognitively appealing, as upward growth fires in our minds the neural connections of "more," "control", and "happy." The blend's potential for nudging behavior arises from its autopoietic characteristic: it can be both an account of the social-ecological system as an emergent structure that is capable of renewing itself, and a cognitive attractor of individuals whose recruitment reinforces the integrity of the social-ecological system.

First among Equals: Hybridization of Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment and Evidence-Centered Game Design

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Leighton, Jacqueline P.; Chu, Man-Wai

2016-01-01

The objective of the present article is to explore differences and similarities between cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) and evidence-centered game design (ECgD) in the service of intentional hybridization. Although some testing specialists might argue that both are essentially the same given their origins in principled assessment design and…

Precoder Design and Power Allocation for MIMO Cognitive Radio Two-Way Relaying Systems

KAUST Repository

Sboui, Lokman

2016-08-11

In this paper, we study a multiple-antenna two-way relaying (TWR) cognitive radio (CR) system. A space alignment (SA) technique is adopted by the secondary users (SUs) to avoid interference with the primary users (PUs). We derive the optimal power allocation that maximizes the TWR achievable SU sum- rate while respecting the total power budget and the relay power constraints. We also analyze the case in which the relay is able to optimize its gain matrix structure to enhance the SU sum-rate. In the numerical results, we quantify the sum-rate gain of using the SA in the TWR CR and we show that the SU sum-rate is very limited when the relay power is low or the PU power and its resulting interference are high. In addition, we optimize the relay gain using an iterative algorithm and compare between different relay matrix structures.

Advocating School-University Partnership for Responsive Teacher Education and Classroom-based Curricula: Evidence from Teachers' Cognitions about Principles of Curriculum Design and Their Own Roles

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimi, Muhammad; Zhang, Lawrence Jun; Esfahani, Nasim Nasr

2016-01-01

This study investigated the differences between novice and experienced non-native English-speaking English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers' cognitions about EFL curriculum design principles and their own roles in designing an EFL curriculum. The challenge these teachers faced in their roles and the support system they needed were also…

Generalized location-based resource allocation for OFDMA cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Ben Ghorbel, Mahdi

2010-09-01

Cognitive radio is one of the hot topics for emerging and future wireless communication. Cognitive users can share channels with primary users under the condition of non interference. In order to compute this interference, the cognitive system usually use the channel state information of the primary user which is often impractical to obtain. However, using location information, we can estimate this interference by pathloss computation. In this paper, we introduce a low-complexity resource allocation algorithm for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) based cognitive radio systems, which uses relative location information between primary and secondary users to estimate the interference. This algorithm considers interference with multiple primary users having different thresholds. The simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm by comparing it with an optimal exhaustive search method. © 2010 IEEE.

Multicarrier Spread Spectrum Modulation Schemes and Efficient FFT Algorithms for Cognitive Radio Systems

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Mohandass Sundararajan

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Spread spectrum (SS and multicarrier modulation (MCM techniques are recognized as potential candidates for the design of underlay and interweave cognitive radio (CR systems, respectively. Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA is a spread spectrum technique generally used in underlay CR systems. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM is the basic MCM technique, primarily used in interweave CR systems. There are other MCM schemes derived from OFDM technique, like Non-Contiguous OFDM, Spread OFDM, and OFDM-OQAM, which are more suitable for CR systems. Multicarrier Spread Spectrum Modulation (MCSSM schemes like MC-CDMA, MC-DS-CDMA and SS-MC-CDMA, combine DS-CDMA and OFDM techniques in order to improve the CR system performance and adaptability. This article gives a detailed survey of the various spread spectrum and multicarrier modulation schemes proposed in the literature. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT plays a vital role in all the multicarrier modulation techniques. The FFT part of the modem can be used for spectrum sensing. The performance of the FFT operator plays a crucial role in the overall performance of the system. Since the cognitive radio is an adaptive system, the FFT operator must also be adaptive for various input/output values, in order to save energy and time taken for execution. This article also includes the various efficient FFT algorithms proposed in the literature, which are suitable for CR systems.

Cognitive allocation and the control room

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paradies, M.W.

1985-01-01

One of the weakest links in the design of nuclear power plants is the inattention to the needs and capabilities of the operators. This flaw causes decreased plant reliability and reduced plant safety. To solve this problem the designer must, in the earliest stages of the design process, consider the operator's abilities. After the system requirements have been established, the designer must consider what functions to allocate to each part of the system. The human must be considered as part of this system. The allocation of functions needs to consider not only the mechanical tasks to be performed, but also the control requirements and the overall control philosophy. In order for the designers to consider the control philosophy, they need to know what control decisions should be automated and what decisions should be made by an operator. They also need to know how these decisions will be implemented: by an operator or by automation. ''Cognitive Allocation'' is the allocation of the decision making process between operators and machines. It defines the operator's role in the system. When designing a power plant, a cognitive allocation starts the process of considering the operator's abilities. This is the first step to correcting the weakest link in the current plant design

The effect of implementing cognitive load theory-based design principles in virtual reality simulation training of surgical skills: a randomized controlled trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts; Mikkelsen, Peter Trier; Konge, Lars

2016-01-01

Cognitive overload can inhibit learning, and cognitive load theory-based instructional design principles can be used to optimize learning situations. This study aims to investigate the effect of implementing cognitive load theory-based design principles in virtual reality simulation training...

Applying an empathic design model to gain an understanding of consumers’ cognitive orientations and develop a product prototype

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding-Bang Luh

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Consideration of consumer opinion is a key success factor when it comes to developing a new product. However, businesses may lack suitable methods for this, and designers may lack practical training, with both situations meaning that firms are unable to precisely adopt consumer opinions. Moreover, consumer cognitions for a product are widely regarded as changeable and abstract. It is worth studying how to determine consumers’ opinions and transform them into references for prototype development. The purpose of this study is thus to create an Empathic Design Model which would be able to determine consumer cognitive orientation.Design/methodology/approach: This model includes observing related phenomena, laddering the cognition, connecting the elements of the Associations Matrix, producing the hierarchy of the following four items, attributes, functional consequences, psychosocial consequences and values, and then producing a prototype to help designers and consumers reach a consensus on the cognitive structure of products.Findings: As demonstrated in a case study of the design of an “electronic tour guide”, the authors developed a prototype that can help a guide to perform their job on a group package tour. Consequently, the Empathic Design Model can be operated and put into practice. By Mind Mapping, the prototype can be then imitated and reinvented by designers as needed.Originality/value: This model focuses on the early phase of the design process, providing the designing industry with a technique to forecast consumers’ potential needs and develop a prototype effectively.

Designing instruction and learning for cognitively gifted pupils in preschool and primary school

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mooij, Ton

2012-01-01

Mooij, T. (2013). Designing education and learning for cognitively gifted pupils in preschool and primary school. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(6), 597-613. doi:10.1080/13603116.2012.696727

A Cognitive System Model for Human/Automation Dynamics in Airspace Management

Science.gov (United States)

Corker, Kevin M.; Pisanich, Gregory; Lebacqz, J. Victor (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

NASA has initiated a significant thrust of research and development focused on providing the flight crew and air traffic managers automation aids to increase capacity in en route and terminal area operations through the use of flexible, more fuel-efficient routing, while improving the level of safety in commercial carrier operations. In that system development, definition of cognitive requirements for integrated multi-operator dynamic aiding systems is fundamental. In order to support that cognitive function definition, we have extended the Man Machine Integrated Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) to include representation of multiple cognitive agents (both human operators and intelligent aiding systems) operating aircraft, airline operations centers and air traffic control centers in the evolving airspace. The demands of this application require representation of many intelligent agents sharing world-models, and coordinating action/intention with cooperative scheduling of goals and actions in a potentially unpredictable world of operations. The MIDAS operator models have undergone significant development in order to understand the requirements for operator aiding and the impact of that aiding in the complex nondeterminate system of national airspace operations. The operator model's structure has been modified to include attention functions, action priority, and situation assessment. The cognitive function model has been expanded to include working memory operations including retrieval from long-term store, interference, visual-motor and verbal articulatory loop functions, and time-based losses. The operator's activity structures have been developed to include prioritization and interruption of multiple parallel activities among multiple operators, to provide for anticipation (knowledge of the intention and action of remote operators), and to respond to failures of the system and other operators in the system in situation-specific paradigms. The model's internal

A new computerized cognitive and social cognition training specifically designed for patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder in early stages of illness: A pilot study.

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Fernandez-Gonzalo, Sol; Turon, Marc; Jodar, Merce; Pousa, Esther; Hernandez Rambla, Carla; García, Rebeca; Palao, Diego

2015-08-30

People with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders at early stages of the illness present cognitive and social cognition deficits that have a great impact in functional outcomes. Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) has demonstrated consistent effect in cognitive performance, symptoms and psychosocial functioning. However, any CRT intervention or social cognition training have been specifically designed for patients in the early stages of psychosis. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the efficacy of a new computerized cognitive and social cognition program for patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder with recent diagnosis. A comprehensive assessment of clinical, social and non-social cognitive and functional measures was carried out in 53 randomized participants before and after the 4-months treatment. Significant results were observed in Spatial Span Forwards, Immediate Logical Memory and Pictures of Facial Affect (POFA) total score. None of these results were explained by medication, premorbid social functioning or psychopathological symptoms. No impact of the intervention was observed in other cognitive and social cognition outcome neither in clinical and functional outcomes. This new computerized intervention may result effective ameliorating visual attention, logical memory and emotional processing in patients in the early stages of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The cognitive impact of interactive design features for learning complex materials in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Hyuksoon S; Pusic, Martin; Nick, Michael W; Sarpel, Umut; Plass, Jan L; Kalet, Adina L

2014-02-01

To identify the most effective way for medical students to interact with a browser-based learning module on the symptoms and neurological underpinnings of stroke syndromes, this study manipulated the way in which subjects interacted with a graphical model of the brain and examined the impact of functional changes on learning outcomes. It was hypothesized that behavioral interactions that were behaviorally more engaging and which required deeper consideration of the model would result in heightened cognitive interaction and better learning than those whose manipulation required less deliberate behavioral and cognitive processing. One hundred forty four students were randomly assigned to four conditions whose model controls incorporated features that required different levels of behavioral and cognitive interaction: Movie (low behavioral/low cognitive, n = 40), Slider (high behavioral/low cognitive, n = 36), Click (low behavioral/high cognitive, n = 30), and Drag (high behavioral/high cognitive, n = 38). Analysis of Covariates (ANCOVA) showed that students who received the treatments associated with lower cognitive interactivity (Movie and Slider) performed better on a transfer task than those receiving the module associated with high cognitive interactivity (Click and Drag, partial eta squared = .03). In addition, the students in the high cognitive interactivity conditions spent significantly more time on the stroke locator activity than other conditions (partial eta squared = .36). The results suggest that interaction with controls that were tightly coupled with the model and whose manipulation required deliberate consideration of the model's features may have overtaxed subjects' cognitive resources. Cognitive effort that facilitated manipulation of content, though directed at the model, may have resulted in extraneous cognitive load, impeding subjects in recognizing the deeper, global relationships in the materials. Instructional designers must, therefore, keep in

The effect of implementing cognitive load theory-based design principles in virtual reality simulation training of surgical skills: a randomized controlled trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts; Mikkelsen, Peter Trier; Konge, Lars

2016-01-01

training of mastoidectomy. Methods Eighteen novice medical students received 1 h of self-directed virtual reality simulation training of the mastoidectomy procedure randomized for standard instructions (control) or cognitive load theory-based instructions with a worked example followed by a problem......Background Cognitive overload can inhibit learning, and cognitive load theory-based instructional design principles can be used to optimize learning situations. This study aims to investigate the effect of implementing cognitive load theory-based design principles in virtual reality simulation....... Increased cognitive load when part tasks needed to be integrated in the post-training procedures could be a possible explanation for this. Other instructional designs and methods are needed to lower the cognitive load and improve the performance in virtual reality surgical simulation training of novices....

A Knowledge Conversion Model Based on the Cognitive Load Theory for Architectural Design Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yun-Wu; Liao, Shin; Wen, Ming-Hui; Weng, Kuo-Hua

2017-01-01

The education of architectural design requires balanced curricular arrangements of respectively theoretical knowledge and practical skills to really help students build their knowledge structures, particularly helping them in solving the problems of cognitive load. The purpose of this study is to establish an architectural design knowledge…

An automated system for assessing cognitive function in any environment

Science.gov (United States)

Wesnes, Keith A.

2005-05-01

The Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerized assessment system has been in use in worldwide clinical trials for over 20 years. It is a computer based system which assesses core aspects of human cognitive function including attention, information, working memory and long-term memory. It has been extensively validated and can be performed by a wide range of clinical populations including patients with various types of dementia. It is currently in worldwide use in clinical trials to evaluate new medicines, as well as a variety of programs involving the effects of age, stressors illnesses and trauma upon human cognitive function. Besides being highly sensitive to drugs which will impair or improve function, its utility has been maintained over the last two decades by constantly increasing the number of platforms upon which it can operate. Besides notebook versions, the system can be used on a wrist worn device, PDA, via tht telephone and over the internet. It is the most widely used automated cognitive function assessment system in worldwide clinical research. It has dozens of parallel forms and requires little training to use or administer. The basic development of the system wil be identified, and the huge databases (normative, patient population, drug effects) which have been built up from hundreds of clinical trials will be described. The system is available for use in virtually any environment or type of trial.

Cognitive engineering in aerospace applications

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, David D.

1993-01-01

The progress that was made with respect to the objectives and goals of the research that is being carried out in the Cognitive Systems Engineering Laboratory (CSEL) under a Cooperative Agreement with NASA Ames Research Center is described. The major objective of this project is to expand the research base in Cognitive Engineering to be able to support the development and human-centered design of automated systems for aerospace applications. This research project is in support of the Aviation Safety/Automation Research plan and related NASA research goals in space applications.

Designing Cognitively Diagnostic Assessment for Algebraic Content Knowledge and Thinking Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhidong

2018-01-01

This study explored a diagnostic assessment method that emphasized the cognitive process of algebra learning. The study utilized a design and a theory-driven model to examine the content knowledge. Using the theory driven model, the thinking skills of algebra learning was also examined. A Bayesian network model was applied to represent the theory…

Behavioral data requirements for translating cognitive theories into computer software algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meister, D.

1992-01-01

This paper reviews the characteristics of cognitive theories and their links to behavioral science and advanced intelligent systems. Cognitive theories model human cognition, perception, and communication. They suggest the human functions the system should have, serve as a philosophical basis for system development, and provide abstract design guidelines. The underlying assumption behind this paper is that if the cognitive theories are to have any value at all, they must be translated into usable systems. A process for testing a cognitive theory in terms of conceptual criteria, behavioral predictions and tests, and software development and tests, is suggested. Criteria for measuring the problem solving success of the advanced system are described. A theory of the system as an intelligent problem solver is presented. (author)

A cognitive robotic system based on the Soar cognitive architecture for mobile robot navigation, search, and mapping missions

Science.gov (United States)

Hanford, Scott D.

Most unmanned vehicles used for civilian and military applications are remotely operated or are designed for specific applications. As these vehicles are used to perform more difficult missions or a larger number of missions in remote environments, there will be a great need for these vehicles to behave intelligently and autonomously. Cognitive architectures, computer programs that define mechanisms that are important for modeling and generating domain-independent intelligent behavior, have the potential for generating intelligent and autonomous behavior in unmanned vehicles. The research described in this presentation explored the use of the Soar cognitive architecture for cognitive robotics. The Cognitive Robotic System (CRS) has been developed to integrate software systems for motor control and sensor processing with Soar for unmanned vehicle control. The CRS has been tested using two mobile robot missions: outdoor navigation and search in an indoor environment. The use of the CRS for the outdoor navigation mission demonstrated that a Soar agent could autonomously navigate to a specified location while avoiding obstacles, including cul-de-sacs, with only a minimal amount of knowledge about the environment. While most systems use information from maps or long-range perceptual capabilities to avoid cul-de-sacs, a Soar agent in the CRS was able to recognize when a simple approach to avoiding obstacles was unsuccessful and switch to a different strategy for avoiding complex obstacles. During the indoor search mission, the CRS autonomously and intelligently searches a building for an object of interest and common intersection types. While searching the building, the Soar agent builds a topological map of the environment using information about the intersections the CRS detects. The agent uses this topological model (along with Soar's reasoning, planning, and learning mechanisms) to make intelligent decisions about how to effectively search the building. Once the

Designing Inclusive Systems Designing Inclusion for Real-world Applications

CERN Document Server

Clarkson, John; Robinson, Peter; Lazar, Jonathan; Heylighen, Ann

2012-01-01

The Cambridge Workshops on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT) are a series of workshops held at a Cambridge University College every two years. The workshop theme: “Designing inclusion for real-world applications” refers to the emerging potential and relevance of the latest generations of inclusive design thinking, tools, techniques, and data, to mainstream project applications such as healthcare and the design of working environments. Inclusive Design Research involves developing tools and guidance enabling product designers to design for the widest possible population, for a given range of capabilities. There are five main themes: •Designing for the Real-World •Measuring Demand And Capabilities •Designing Cognitive Interaction with Emerging Technologies •Design for Inclusion •Designing Inclusive Architecture In the tradition of CWUAAT, we have solicited and accepted contributions over a wide range of topics, both within individual themes and also across the workshop’s scope. ...

Cognitive Tutoring based on Intelligent Decision Support in the PENTHA Instructional Design Model

Science.gov (United States)

dall'Acqua, Luisa

2010-06-01

The research finality of this paper is how to support Authors to develop rule driven—subject oriented, adaptable course content, meta-rules—representing the disciplinary epistemology, model of teaching, Learning Path structure, and assessment parameters—for intelligent Tutoring actions in a personalized, adaptive e-Learning environment. The focus is to instruct the student to be a decision manager for himself, able to recognize the elements of a problem, select the necessary information with the perspective of factual choices. In particular, our research intends to provide some fundamental guidelines for the definition of didactical rules and logical relations, that Authors should provide to a cognitive Tutoring system through the use of an Instructional Design method (PENTHA Model) which proposes an educational environment, able to: increase productivity and operability, create conditions for a cooperative dialogue, developing participatory research activities of knowledge, observations and discoveries, customizing the learning design in a complex and holistic vision of the learning / teaching processes.

Engineering Design Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Lammi, Matthew; Becker, Kurt

2013-01-01

Engineering design thinking is "a complex cognitive process" including divergence-convergence, a systems perspective, ambiguity, and collaboration (Dym, Agogino, Eris, Frey, & Leifer, 2005, p. 104). Design is often complex, involving multiple levels of interacting components within a system that may be nested within or connected to other systems.…

Using the Cognitive Apprenticeship Web-Based Argumentation System to Improve Argumentation Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Chun-Yen; Jack, Brady Michael; Huang, Tai-Chu; Yang, Jin-Tan

2012-01-01

This study investigated how the instruction of argumentation skills could be promoted by using an online argumentation system. This system entitled "Cognitive Apprenticeship Web-based Argumentation" (CAWA) system was based on cognitive apprenticeship model. One hundred eighty-nine fifth grade students took part in this study. A quasi-experimental…

A UHF RFID positioning system for use in warehouse navigation by employees with cognitive disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunther, Eric J M; Sliker, Levin J; Bodine, Cathy

2017-11-01

Unemployment among the almost 5 million working-age adults with cognitive disabilities in the USA is a costly problem in both tax dollars and quality of life. Job coaching is an effective tool to overcome this, but the cost of job coaching services sums with every new employee or change of employment roles. There is a need for a cost-effective, automated alternative to job coaching that incurs a one-time cost and can be reused for multiple employees or roles. An effective automated job coach must be aware of its location and the location of destinations within the job site. This project presents a design and prototype of a cart-mounted indoor positioning and navigation system with necessary original software using Ultra High Frequency Radio Frequency Identification (UHF RFID). The system presented in this project for use within a warehouse setting is one component of an automated job coach to assist in the job of order filler. The system demonstrated accuracy to within 0.3 m under the correct conditions with strong potential to serve as the basis for an effective indoor navigation system to assist warehouse workers with disabilities. Implications for rehabilitation An automated job coach could improve employability of and job retention for people with cognitive disabilities. An indoor navigation system using ultra high frequency radio frequency identification was proposed with an average positioning accuracy of 0.3 m. The proposed system, in combination with a non-linear context-aware prompting system, could be used as an automated job coach for warehouse order fillers with cognitive disabilities.

Technology as Teammate: Examining the Role of External Cognition in Support of Team Cognitive Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, Stephen M; Wiltshire, Travis J

2016-01-01

In this paper we advance team theory by describing how cognition occurs across the distribution of members and the artifacts and technology that support their efforts. We draw from complementary theorizing coming out of cognitive engineering and cognitive science that views forms of cognition as external and extended and integrate this with theorizing on macrocognition in teams. Two frameworks are described that provide the groundwork for advancing theory and aid in the development of more precise measures for understanding team cognition via focus on artifacts and the technologies supporting their development and use. This includes distinctions between teamwork and taskwork and the notion of general and specific competencies from the organizational sciences along with the concepts of offloading and scaffolding from the cognitive sciences. This paper contributes to the team cognition literature along multiple lines. First, it aids theory development by synthesizing a broad set of perspectives on the varied forms of cognition emerging in complex collaborative contexts. Second, it supports research by providing diagnostic guidelines to study how artifacts are related to team cognition. Finally, it supports information systems designers by more precisely describing how to conceptualize team-supporting technology and artifacts. As such, it provides a means to more richly understand process and performance as it occurs within sociotechnical systems. Our overarching objective is to show how team cognition can both be more clearly conceptualized and more precisely measured by integrating theory from cognitive engineering and the cognitive and organizational sciences.

Engagement with the auditory processing system during targeted auditory cognitive training mediates changes in cognitive outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Biagianti, Bruno; Fisher, Melissa; Neilands, Torsten B; Loewy, Rachel; Vinogradov, Sophia

2016-11-01

Individuals with schizophrenia who engage in targeted cognitive training (TCT) of the auditory system show generalized cognitive improvements. The high degree of variability in cognitive gains maybe due to individual differences in the level of engagement of the underlying neural system target. 131 individuals with schizophrenia underwent 40 hours of TCT. We identified target engagement of auditory system processing efficiency by modeling subject-specific trajectories of auditory processing speed (APS) over time. Lowess analysis, mixed models repeated measures analysis, and latent growth curve modeling were used to examine whether APS trajectories were moderated by age and illness duration, and mediated improvements in cognitive outcome measures. We observed significant improvements in APS from baseline to 20 hours of training (initial change), followed by a flat APS trajectory (plateau) at subsequent time-points. Participants showed interindividual variability in the steepness of the initial APS change and in the APS plateau achieved and sustained between 20 and 40 hours. We found that participants who achieved the fastest APS plateau, showed the greatest transfer effects to untrained cognitive domains. There is a significant association between an individual's ability to generate and sustain auditory processing efficiency and their degree of cognitive improvement after TCT, independent of baseline neurocognition. APS plateau may therefore represent a behavioral measure of target engagement mediating treatment response. Future studies should examine the optimal plateau of auditory processing efficiency required to induce significant cognitive improvements, in the context of interindividual differences in neural plasticity and sensory system efficiency that characterize schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cognitive Systems Modeling and Analysis of Command and Control Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Norlander, Arne

2012-01-01

Military operations, counter-terrorism operations and emergency response often oblige operators and commanders to operate within distributed organizations and systems for safe and effective mission accomplishment. Tactical commanders and operators frequently encounter violent threats and critical demands on cognitive capacity and reaction time. In the future they will make decisions in situations where operational and system characteristics are highly dynamic and non-linear, i.e. minor events, decisions or actions may have serious and irreversible consequences for the entire mission. Commanders and other decision makers must manage true real time properties at all levels; individual operators, stand-alone technical systems, higher-order integrated human-machine systems and joint operations forces alike. Coping with these conditions in performance assessment, system development and operational testing is a challenge for both practitioners and researchers. This paper reports on research from which the results led to a breakthrough: An integrated approach to information-centered systems analysis to support future command and control systems research development. This approach integrates several areas of research into a coherent framework, Action Control Theory (ACT). It comprises measurement techniques and methodological advances that facilitate a more accurate and deeper understanding of the operational environment, its agents, actors and effectors, generating new and updated models. This in turn generates theoretical advances. Some good examples of successful approaches are found in the research areas of cognitive systems engineering, systems theory, and psychophysiology, and in the fields of dynamic, distributed decision making and naturalistic decision making.

Design of alarm systems in Swedish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thunberg, Anna; Osvalder, Anna-Lisa

2008-04-01

Research within the area of improving alarm system design and performance has mainly focused on new alarm systems. However, smaller modernisations of legacy systems are more common in the Swedish nuclear industry than design of totally new systems. This imposes problems when the new system should function together with the old system. This project deals with the special concerns raised by modernisation projects. The objective of the project has been to increase the understanding of the relationship between the operator's performance and the design of the alarm system. Of major concern has been to consider the cognitive abilities of the operator, different operator roles and work situations, and varying need of information. The aim of the project has been to complement existing alarm design guidance and to develop user-centred alarm design concepts. Different case studies have been performed in several industry sectors (nuclear, oil refining, pulp and paper, aviation and medical care) to identify best practice. Several empirical studies have been performed within the nuclear area to investigate the operator's need of information, performance and workload in different operating modes. The aspect of teamwork has also been considered. The analyses show that the operator has different roles in different work situations which affect both the type of information needed and how the information is processed. In full power operation, the interaction between the operator and the alarm system is driven by internal factors and the operator tries to maintain high situation awareness by actively searching for information. The operator wants to optimise the process and need detailed information with possibilities to follow-up and get historical data. In disturbance management, the operator is more dependent on external information presented by the alarm system. The new compilation of alarm guidance is based on the operator's varying needs in different working situations and is

Cognitive impairments, HCI and daily living

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keates, Simeon; Kozloski, James; Varker, Philip

2009-01-01

As computer systems become increasingly more pervasive in everyday life, it is simultaneously becoming ever more important that the concept of universal access is accepted as a design mantra. While many physical impairments and their implications for human-computer interaction are well understood......, cognitive impairments have received comparatively little attention. One of the reasons for this is the general lack of sufficiently detailed cognitive models. This paper examines how cognitive impairments can affect human-computer interaction in everyday life and the issues involved in trying to make...

The influence of the glutamatergic system on cognition in schizophrenia: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Elizabeth H X; Bozaoglu, Kiymet; Rossell, Susan L; Gurvich, Caroline

2017-06-01

Previous literature showing the role of the glutamatergic system on cognition in schizophrenia has been inconclusive. 44 relevant pharmacological, candidate gene and neuroimaging studies were identified through systematic search following PRISMA guidelines. To be included, studies must have observed at least one objective measure of cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia and either manipulated or measured the glutamatergic system. Of the cognitive domains observed, memory, working memory and executive functions appear to be most influenced by the glutamatergic pathway. In addition, evidence from the literature suggests that presynaptic components synthesis and uptake of glutamate is involved in memory, while postsynaptic signalling appears to be involved in working memory. In addition, it appears that the glutamatergic pathway is particularly involved in cognitive flexibility and learning potential in regards to executive functioning. The glutamatergic system appears to contribute to the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, whereby different parts of the pathway are associated with different cognitive domains. This review demonstrates the necessity for cognition to be examined by domain as opposed to globally. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information Retrieval and Cognitive Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens

,another within cognitive engineering. Due to the present trend toward'integrated work stations,' however, time has now come to consider the benefit to be expected by merging the paradigms, research efforts, and the results already available.In the present contribution, an attempt is made to illustrate...... the cognitive engineering approach to analysis of work systems and design of work stations and to demonstrate the need for a closer interaction with the information and library sciences....

Fluctuating Epistemic Uncertainty in a Design Team as a Metacognitive Driver for Creative Cognitive Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Bo; Ball, Linden J.

2016-01-01

Previous design research has demonstrated how epistemic uncertainty engenders localized, creative reasoning, including analogizing and mental simulation. Our analysis of the DTRS11 dataset examined not just the short-term, localized effects of epistemic uncertainty on creative processing...... and information selection, but also its long-term impact on downstream creative processes and decisions about what information to take forward. Our hypothesis was that heightened levels of uncertainty associated with a particular cognitive referent (i.e., a post-it note translated from Chinese end-users) would......, as predicted, found to engender subsequent attentive returns to cognitive referents at later points in the design process. Third, although epistemic uncertainty did not predict the information that was eventually selected to take forward in the design space, both immediate creative elaboration and subsequent...

Energy-Efficient Power Allocation of Cognitive Radio Systems without CSI at the Transmitter

KAUST Repository

Sboui, Lokman

2015-01-07

Two major issues are facing today’s wireless communications evolution: -Spectrum scarcity: Need for more bandwidth. As a solution, the Cognitive Radio (CR) paradigm, where secondary users (unlicensed) share the spectrum with licensed users, was introduced. -Energy consumption and CO2 emission: The ICT produce 2% of global CO2 emission (equivalent to the aviation industry emission). The cellular networks produces 0.2%. As solution energy efficient systems should be designed rather than traditional spectral efficient systems. In this work, we aim to determine the optimal energy efficient power allocation of CR when the channel state information at the transmitter CSI-T is not available.

Energy-Efficient Power Allocation of Cognitive Radio Systems without CSI at the Transmitter

KAUST Repository

Sboui, Lokman; Rezki, Zouheir; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2015-01-01

Two major issues are facing today’s wireless communications evolution: -Spectrum scarcity: Need for more bandwidth. As a solution, the Cognitive Radio (CR) paradigm, where secondary users (unlicensed) share the spectrum with licensed users, was introduced. -Energy consumption and CO2 emission: The ICT produce 2% of global CO2 emission (equivalent to the aviation industry emission). The cellular networks produces 0.2%. As solution energy efficient systems should be designed rather than traditional spectral efficient systems. In this work, we aim to determine the optimal energy efficient power allocation of CR when the channel state information at the transmitter CSI-T is not available.

Adaptive design optimization: a mutual information-based approach to model discrimination in cognitive science.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavagnaro, Daniel R; Myung, Jay I; Pitt, Mark A; Kujala, Janne V

2010-04-01

Discriminating among competing statistical models is a pressing issue for many experimentalists in the field of cognitive science. Resolving this issue begins with designing maximally informative experiments. To this end, the problem to be solved in adaptive design optimization is identifying experimental designs under which one can infer the underlying model in the fewest possible steps. When the models under consideration are nonlinear, as is often the case in cognitive science, this problem can be impossible to solve analytically without simplifying assumptions. However, as we show in this letter, a full solution can be found numerically with the help of a Bayesian computational trick derived from the statistics literature, which recasts the problem as a probability density simulation in which the optimal design is the mode of the density. We use a utility function based on mutual information and give three intuitive interpretations of the utility function in terms of Bayesian posterior estimates. As a proof of concept, we offer a simple example application to an experiment on memory retention.

Status of human factors engineering system design in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ives, G.

1990-01-01

A review of the European status of human factors engineering has been carried out covering a wide scope of activities which includes psychology, cognitive science, ergonomics, design, training, procedure writing, operating, artificial intelligence and expert systems. There is an increasing awareness of the part that human factors play in major nuclear power plant accidents. The emphasis of attention in human factors is changing. In some areas there are encouraging signs of progress and development, but in other areas there is still scope for improvement

Cognitive IT-systems for big data analysis in medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Isakova, J

2015-01-01

Rapid development of medicine requires regular update of clinical data evidence. This task accomplishment requires participation of numerous specialists in evidence-based medicine, who are proficient in various statistical methods and can work with big data analysis tools in biomedical sciences. This, in turn, requires significant time and other resources. Today, at the peak of IT development, cognitive systems in the field of medicine with special technologies of data collection and analysis, is the start of a new trend. The development of cognitive IT system for drug prescription with the potential to analyze automatically the information about drugs effectiveness and safety on the basis of clinical practice experience and scientific data according to evidence levels and patients' personal characteristics. The cognitive system was developed with the use of United Medical Knowledge Base (UMKB). UMKB is a semantic network of medical knowledge, which is structured according to the medical ontologies and the theory of fuzzy logic. UMKB is being filled simultaneously in all the areas of medicine. From one side it is filled by means of the linguistic module analyzing medical texts, from the second side - by academic institutions, from the third side - by the cognitive IT systems with the data from electronic health records (EHRs). Native language of UMKB is Russian. It is designed primarily for use in the Russian clinical practice. However the platform for filling knowledge is multilingual and supports any other languages. This means that the practice of world schools may also be integrated and used in UMKB. The peculiarity lies in the fact that UMKB is presented as a semantic network where biomedical knowledge are structured according to certain medical ontologies (special rules of information storage that carries data: phenomena, processes, simple and complex concepts in medicine, - in the form of interrelated objects). The keystone underlying UMKB is the model of

Cognitive Models for Learning to Control Dynamic Systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Eberhart, Russ; Hu, Xiaohui; Chen, Yaobin

2008-01-01

Report developed under STTR contract for topic "Cognitive models for learning to control dynamic systems" demonstrated a swarm intelligence learning algorithm and its application in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mission planning...

Development and quantitative effect estimation of an integrated decision support system to aid operator's cognitive activities for NPP advanced main control rooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Jun

2007-02-01

As digital and computer technologies have grown, human-machine interfaces (HMIs) have evolved. In safety critical systems, especially in nuclear power plants (NPPs), HMIs are important for reducing operational costs, for reducing the number of necessary operators, and for reducing the probability of accident occurrence. Efforts have been made to improve main control room (MCR) interface design and to develop automation or support systems to ensure convenient operation and maintenance. In this paper, an integrated decision support system to aid the cognitive activities of operators is proposed for advanced MCRs in future NPPs. The proposed system supports not merely a particular task, but also the entire operation process based on a human cognitive process model. It supports the operator's entire cognitive process by integrating decision support systems that support each cognitive activity. In this paper, the operator's operation processes are analyzed based on a human cognitive process model and appropriate support systems that support each activity of the human cognitive process are suggested. Two decision support systems were developed in this paper. The first one is the fault diagnosis advisory system (FDAS) which detects faults and diagnoses them. The FDAS provides a list of possible faults and expected causes to operators. It was implemented using two kinds of neural networks for more reliable diagnosis results. The second system is the multifunctional operator support system for operation guidance, which includes the FDAS and the operation guidance system. The operation guidance system is to prevent operator's commission errors and omission errors. Furthermore, the effect of the proposed system was estimated because to evaluate decision support systems in order to validate their efficiency is as important as to design highly reliable decision support systems. The effect estimations were performed theoretically and experimentally. The Bayesian

Safe places for pedestrians: using cognitive work analysis to consider the relationships between the engineering and urban design of footpaths.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Nicholas; Salmon, Paul

2014-11-01

Footpaths provide an integral component of our urban environments and have the potential to act as safe places for people and the focus for community life. Despite this, the approach to designing footpaths that are safe while providing this sense of place often occurs in silos. There is often very little consideration given to how designing for sense of place impacts safety and vice versa. The aim of this study was to use a systems analysis and design framework to develop a design template for an 'ideal' footpath system that embodies both safety and sense of place. This was achieved through using the first phase of the Cognitive Work Analysis framework, Work Domain Analysis, to specify a model of footpaths as safe places for pedestrians. This model was subsequently used to assess two existing footpath environments to determine the extent to which they meet the design requirements specified. The findings show instances where the existing footpaths both meet and fail to meet the design requirements specified. Through utilising a systems approach for footpaths, this paper has provided a novel design template that can inform new footpath design efforts or be used to evaluate the extent to which existing footpaths achieve their safety and sense of place requirements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Instructional Design Principles, and Students with Learning Disabilities in Computer-Based and Online Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Diana L.; Crutchfield, Stephen A.; Woods, Kari L.

2013-01-01

Struggling learners and students with Learning Disabilities often exhibit unique cognitive processing and working memory characteristics that may not align with instructional design principles developed with typically developing learners. This paper explains the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and underlying Cognitive Load Theory, and…

Cognitive workload changes for nurses transitioning from a legacy system with paper documentation to a commercial electronic health record.

Science.gov (United States)

Colligan, Lacey; Potts, Henry W W; Finn, Chelsea T; Sinkin, Robert A

2015-07-01

Healthcare institutions worldwide are moving to electronic health records (EHRs). These transitions are particularly numerous in the US where healthcare systems are purchasing and implementing commercial EHRs to fulfill federal requirements. Despite the central role of EHRs to workflow, the cognitive impact of these transitions on the workforce has not been widely studied. This study assesses the changes in cognitive workload among pediatric nurses during data entry and retrieval tasks during transition from a hybrid electronic and paper information system to a commercial EHR. Baseline demographics and computer attitude and skills scores were obtained from 74 pediatric nurses in two wards. They also completed an established and validated instrument, the NASA-TLX, that is designed to measure cognitive workload; this instrument was used to evaluate cognitive workload of data entry and retrieval. The NASA-TLX was administered at baseline (pre-implementation), 1, 5 and 10 shifts and 4 months post-implementation of the new EHR. Most nurse participants experienced significant increases of cognitive workload at 1 and 5 shifts after "go-live". These increases abated at differing rates predicted by participants' computer attitudes scores (p = 0.01). There is substantially increased cognitive workload for nurses during the early phases (1-5 shifts) of EHR transitions. Health systems should anticipate variability across workers adapting to "meaningful use" EHRs. "One-size-fits-all" training strategies may not be suitable and longer periods of technical support may be necessary for some workers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk and cognition

CERN Document Server

Faucher, Colette

2015-01-01

This book presents recent research using cognitive science to apprehend risk situations and elaborate new organizations, new systems and new methodological tools in response. The book demonstrates the reasons, advantages and implications of the association of the concepts of cognition and risk. It is shown that this association has strong consequences on how to apprehend critical situations that emerge  within various activity domains, and how to elaborate responses to these critical situations.. The following topics are covered by the book: ·     Influence of the culture in risk management, ·     Influence of the risk communication in risk management, ·     User-centred design to improve risk situation management, ·     Designing new tools to assist risk situation management, ·     Risk prevention in industrial activities.

Grasping Unknown Objects in an Early Cognitive Vision System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Popovic, Mila

2011-01-01

Grasping of unknown objects presents an important and challenging part of robot manipulation. The growing area of service robotics depends upon the ability of robots to autonomously grasp and manipulate a wide range of objects in everyday environments. Simple, non task-specific grasps of unknown ...... and comparing vision-based grasping methods, and the creation of algorithms for bootstrapping a process of acquiring world understanding for artificial cognitive agents....... presents a system for robotic grasping of unknown objects us- ing stereo vision. Grasps are defined based on contour and surface information provided by the Early Cognitive Vision System, that organizes visual informa- tion into a biologically motivated hierarchical representation. The contributions...... of the thesis are: the extension of the Early Cognitive Vision representation with a new type of feature hierarchy in the texture domain, the definition and evaluation of contour based grasping methods, the definition and evaluation of surface based grasping methods, the definition of a benchmark for testing...

Cognitive Success: Instrumental Justifications of Normative Systems of Reasoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerhard eSchurz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In the first part of the paper (sec. 1-4, I argue that Elqayam and Evan's (2011 distinction between normative and instrumental conceptions of cognitive rationality corresponds to deontological versus teleological accounts in meta-ethics. I suggest that Elqayam and Evans' distinction be replaced by the distinction between a-priori intuition-based versus a-posteriori success-based accounts of cognitive rationality. The value of cognitive success lies in its instrumental rationality for almost-all practical purposes. In the second part (sec. 5-7, I point out that the Elqayam and Evans's distinction between normative and instrumental rationality is coupled with a second distinction: between logically general versus locally adaptive accounts of rationality. I argue that these are two independent distinctions should be treated as independent dimensions. I also demonstrate that logically general systems of reasoning can be instrumentally justified. However, such systems can only be cognitively successful if they are paired with successful inductive reasoning, which is the area where the program of adaptive (ecological rationality emerged, because there are no generally optimal inductive reasoning methods. I argue that the practical necessity of reasoning under changing environments constitutes a dilemma for ecological rationality, which I attempt to solve a dual account of rationality.

Cognitive success: instrumental justifications of normative systems of reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Schurz, Gerhard

2014-01-01

In the first part of the paper (sec. 1–4), I argue that Elqayam and Evan's (2011) distinction between normative and instrumental conceptions of cognitive rationality corresponds to deontological vs. teleological accounts in meta-ethics. I suggest that Elqayam and Evans' distinction be replaced by the distinction between a-priori intuition-based vs. a-posteriori success-based accounts of cognitive rationality. The value of cognitive success lies in its instrumental rationality for almost-all practical purposes. In the second part (sec. 5–7), I point out that the Elqayam and Evans's distinction between normative and instrumental rationality is coupled with a second distinction: between logically general vs. locally adaptive accounts of rationality. I argue that these are two independent distinctions that should be treated as independent dimensions. I also demonstrate that logically general systems of reasoning can be instrumentally justified. However, such systems can only be cognitively successful if they are paired with successful inductive reasoning, which is the area where the program of adaptive (ecological) rationality emerged, because there are no generally optimal inductive reasoning methods. I argue that the practical necessity of reasoning under changing environments constitutes a dilemma for ecological rationality, which I attempt to solve within a dual account of rationality. PMID:25071624

Cognitive success: instrumental justifications of normative systems of reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurz, Gerhard

2014-01-01

In the first part of the paper (sec. 1-4), I argue that Elqayam and Evan's (2011) distinction between normative and instrumental conceptions of cognitive rationality corresponds to deontological vs. teleological accounts in meta-ethics. I suggest that Elqayam and Evans' distinction be replaced by the distinction between a-priori intuition-based vs. a-posteriori success-based accounts of cognitive rationality. The value of cognitive success lies in its instrumental rationality for almost-all practical purposes. In the second part (sec. 5-7), I point out that the Elqayam and Evans's distinction between normative and instrumental rationality is coupled with a second distinction: between logically general vs. locally adaptive accounts of rationality. I argue that these are two independent distinctions that should be treated as independent dimensions. I also demonstrate that logically general systems of reasoning can be instrumentally justified. However, such systems can only be cognitively successful if they are paired with successful inductive reasoning, which is the area where the program of adaptive (ecological) rationality emerged, because there are no generally optimal inductive reasoning methods. I argue that the practical necessity of reasoning under changing environments constitutes a dilemma for ecological rationality, which I attempt to solve within a dual account of rationality.

Error analysis of nuclear power plant operator cognitive behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Xuhong; Zhao Bingquan; Chen Yulong

2001-01-01

Nuclear power plant is a complex human-machine system integrated with many advanced machines, electron devices and automatic controls. It demands operators to have high cognitive ability and correct analysis skill. The author divides operator's cognitive process into five stages to analysis. With this cognitive model, operator's cognitive error is analysed to get the root causes and stages that error happens. The results of the analysis serve as a basis in design of control rooms and training and evaluation of operators

Performance Analysis of Secondary Link with Cross-Layer Design and Cooperative Relay in Cognitive Radio Networks

KAUST Repository

Ma, Hao

2012-06-01

In this thesis, we investigate two different system infrastructures in underlay cognitive radio network, in which two popular techniques, cross-layer design and cooperative communication, are considered, respectively. In particular, we introduce the Aggressive Adaptive Modulation and Coding (A-AMC) into the cross-layer design and achieve the optimal boundary points in closed form to choose the AMC and A-AMC transmission modes by taking into account the Channel State Information (CSI) from the secondary transmitter to both the primary receiver and the secondary receiver. What’s more, for the cooperative communication design, we consider three different relay selection schemes: Partial Relay Selection, Opportunistic Relay Selection and Threshold Relay Selection. The Probability Density Functions (PDFs) of the Signal-to- Noise Ratio (SNR) in each hop for different selection schemes are provided, and then the exact closed-form expressions for the end-to-end packet loss rate in the secondary link considering the cooperation of the Decode-and-Forward (DF) relay for different relay selection schemes are derived.

Volunteered Geographic Information System Design: Project and Participation Guidelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José-Pablo Gómez-Barrón

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article sets forth the early phases of a methodological proposal for designing and developing Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI initiatives based on a system perspective analysis in which the components depend and interact dynamically among each other. First, it focuses on those characteristics of VGI projects that present different goals and modes of organization, while using a crowdsourcing strategy to manage participants and contributions. Next, a tool is developed in order to design the central crowdsourced processing unit that is best suited for a specific project definition, associating it with a trend towards crowd-based or community-driven approaches. The design is structured around the characterization of different ways of participating, and the task cognitive demand of working on geo-information management, spatial problem solving and ideation, or knowledge acquisition. Then, the crowdsourcing process design helps to identify what kind of participants are needed and outline subsequent engagement strategies. This is based on an analysis of differences among volunteers’ participatory behaviors and the associated set of factors motivating them to contribute, whether on a crowd or community-sourced basis. From a VGI system perspective, this paper presents a set of guidelines and methodological steps in order to align project goals, processes and volunteers and thus successfully attract participation. This methodology helps establish the initial requirements for a VGI system, and, in its current state, it mainly focuses on two components of the system: project and participants.

ECCE 10: Confronting Reality. Proceedings of the Tenth European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wright, P

2000-01-01

... engineering, automation design, classification schemes and taxonomies, decision making, design and use of tools and interfaces, modeling of cognition and joint systems, performance analysis and prediction, risk an reliability studies, simulation, system design, development and training.

Designing information systems

CERN Document Server

Blethyn, Stanley G

2014-01-01

Designing Information Systems focuses on the processes, methodologies, and approaches involved in designing information systems. The book first describes systems, management and control, and how to design information systems. Discussions focus on documents produced from the functional construction function, users, operators, analysts, programmers and others, process management and control, levels of management, open systems, design of management information systems, and business system description, partitioning, and leveling. The text then takes a look at functional specification and functiona

Design of an integrated operator support system for advanced NPP MCRs. Issues and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Jun; Seong Poong-Hyun

2010-01-01

Recently, human error has been highlighted as one of the main causes of accidents in nuclear power plants (NPPs). In order to prevent human errors during the main control room (MCR) operations, which are highly complex and mentally taxing activities, improved interfaces and operator support systems have been developed for advanced MCRs. Although operator support systems have the capability to improve the safety and reliability of an NPP, inappropriate designs can have adverse effects on the system safety. Designs based on systematic development frames and validation/verification of the systems are pivotal strategies to circumvent the negative effects of operator support systems. In this paper, an integrated operator support system designed to aid the cognitive activities of operators as well as theoretical and experimental evaluation methods of operator support systems are reviewed. From this review, it was concluded that not only issues about systems (e.g., the accuracy of the system outputs), but also issues about human operators who use the systems (for instance, information quality, the operator's trust and dependency on support systems) should be considered in the design of efficient operator support systems. (author)

An Analysis of Eye Movement and Cognitive Load about the Editorial Design in Elementary Science Textbook

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seong-un; Lim, Sung-man; Kim, Eun-ae; Yang, Il-ho

2016-01-01

This study is for the implication of editorial design in science textbooks which are designed for student-centered instruction, when the elements of the editorial design are different, we focus on how the students' eye movement and cognitive load change. For this, we produced a new book for 5th grade students in elementary school that is modified…

Grouping notes through nodes: The functions of Post-It notes in design team cognition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dove, Graham; Abildgaard, Sille Julie Jøhnk; Biskjaer, Michael Mose

2018-01-01

We investigate the way Post-It notes support creative design team practice, focusing on how they function as cognitive externalisations that, through grouping activities, support categorisation qualities associated with semantic long-term memory. We use a multimodal approach, drawing...

Companion Cognitive Systems: A Step toward Human-Level AI

OpenAIRE

Forbus, Kenneth D.; Hinrichs, Thomas R.

2006-01-01

We are developing Companion Cognitive Systems, a new kind of software that can be effectively treated as a collaborator. Aside from their potential utility, we believe this effort is important because it focuses on three key problems that must be solved to achieve human-level AI: Robust reasoning and learning, interactivity, and longevity. We describe the ideas we are using to develop the first architecture for Companions: analogical processing, grounded in cognitive science for reasoning and...

Early Cognitive Vision as a Frontend for Cognitive Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krüger, Norbert; Pugeault, Nicolas; Baseski, Emre

We discuss the need of an elaborated in-between stage bridging early vision and cognitive vision which we call `Early Cognitive Vision' (ECV). This stage provides semantically rich, disambiguated and largely task independent scene representations which can be used in many contexts. In addition...

Children's and Adolescents' Thoughts on Pollution: Cognitive Abilities Required to Understand Environmental Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Manuel; Kohen, Raquel; Delval, Juan

2015-01-01

Pollution phenomena are complex systems in which different parts are integrated by means of causal and temporal relationships. To understand pollution, children must develop some cognitive abilities related to system thinking and temporal and causal inferential reasoning. These cognitive abilities constrain and guide how children understand…

Cognitive load theory: implications of cognitive load theory on the design of learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kirschner, P.A.

2002-01-01

Cognitive load theory (CLT) can provide guidelines to assist in the presentation of information in a manner that encourages learner activities that optimise intellectual performance. It is based on a cognitive architecture that consists of a limited working memory, with partly independent

System for supporting operator's cognitive activity in the decision-making process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gieci, A.

1992-01-01

New views upon the formation of a system of means for an efficient support of the operator are presented. The development of a system to promote cognitive activities at the Nuclear Power Plants Research Institute is outlined. As the major issues, changes in the operator's working environment and the starting model of the working situation during stress are briefly described. The fundamental elements of the supporting system under development, which constitute its didactical and engineering-cognitive basis, are explained. The suitability of using expert system technology in this supporting system is substantiated. A particular example of expert counselling of the NPPO-TINA type (Nuclear Power Plant Operation - Transparent Inference Architecture) is reported. (Z.S.). 5 figs., 6 refs

A cognitive operating system (COGNOSYS) for JPL's robot, phase 1 report

Science.gov (United States)

Mathur, F. P.

1972-01-01

The most important software requirement for any robot development is the COGNitive Operating SYStem (COGNOSYS). This report describes the Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Laboratory's hand eye software system from the point of view of developing a cognitive operating system for JPL's robot. In this, the Phase 1 of the JPL robot COGNOSYS task the installation of a SAIL compiler and a FAIL assembler on Caltech's PDP-10 have been accomplished and guidelines have been prepared for the implementation of a Stanford University type hand eye software system on JPL-Caltech's computing facility. The alternatives offered by using RAND-USC's PDP-10 Tenex operating sytem are also considered.

Intention of Continuing to use the Hospital Information System: Integrating the elaboration-likelihood, social influence and cognitive learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Mohamadian, Hashem; Sohrabi, Niloufar

2016-12-01

Anticipating effective factors in information system acceptance by using persuasive messages, is one of the main issues less focused on so far. This is one of the first attempts at using the elaboration-likelihood model combined with the perception of emotional, cognitive, self-efficacy, informational and normative influence constructs, in order to investigate the determinants of intention to continue use of the hospital information system in Iran. The present study is a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2014. 600 nursing staff were chosen from clinical sectors of public hospitals using purposive sampling. The questionnaire survey was in two parts: Part one was comprised of demographic data, and part two included 52 questions pertaining to the constructs of the model in the study. To analyze the data, structural equation model using LISREL 8.5 software was applied. The findings suggest that self-efficacy (t= 6.01, β= 0.21), affective response (t= 5.84, β= 0.23), and cognitive response (t= 4.97, β= 0.21) explained 64% of the variance for the intention of continuing to use the hospital information system. Furthermore, the final model was able to explain 0.46 for self-efficacy, 0.44 for normative social influence, 0.52 for affective response, 0.55 for informational social influence, and 0.53 for cognitive response. Designing the necessary mechanisms and effective use of appropriate strategies to improve emotional and cognitive understanding and self-efficacy of the nursing staff is required, in order to increase the intention of continued use of the hospital information system in Iran.

Ergonomics action research II: a framework for integrating HF into work system design.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, W P; Village, J

2012-01-01

This paper presents a conceptual framework that can support efforts to integrate human factors (HF) into the work system design process, where improved and cost-effective application of HF is possible. The framework advocates strategies of broad stakeholder participation, linking of performance and health goals, and process focussed change tools that can help practitioners engage in improvements to embed HF into a firm's work system design process. Recommended tools include business process mapping of the design process, implementing design criteria, using cognitive mapping to connect to managers' strategic goals, tactical use of training and adopting virtual HF (VHF) tools to support the integration effort. Consistent with organisational change research, the framework provides guidance but does not suggest a strict set of steps. This allows more adaptability for the practitioner who must navigate within a particular organisational context to secure support for embedding HF into the design process for improved operator wellbeing and system performance. There has been little scientific literature about how a practitioner might integrate HF into a company's work system design process. This paper proposes a framework for this effort by presenting a coherent conceptual framework, process tools, design tools and procedural advice that can be adapted for a target organisation.

Underlay Cognitive Radio Systems with Improper Gaussian Signaling: Outage Performance Analysis

KAUST Repository

Amin, Osama

2016-03-29

Improper Gaussian signaling has the ability over proper (conventional) Gaussian signaling to improve the achievable rate of systems that suffer from interference. In this paper, we study the impact of using improper Gaussian signaling on the performance limits of the underlay cognitive radio system by analyzing the achievable outage probability of both the primary user (PU) and secondary user (SU). We derive the exact outage probability expression of the SU and construct upper and lower bounds of the PU outage probability which results in formulating an approximate expression of the PU outage probability. This allows us to design the SU signal by adjusting its transmitted power and the circularity coefficient to minimize the SU outage probability while maintaining a certain PU quality-of-service. Finally, we evaluate the derived expressions for both the SU and the PU and the corresponding adaptive algorithms by numerical results.

Underlay Cognitive Radio Systems with Improper Gaussian Signaling: Outage Performance Analysis

KAUST Repository

Amin, Osama; Abediseid, Walid; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2016-01-01

Improper Gaussian signaling has the ability over proper (conventional) Gaussian signaling to improve the achievable rate of systems that suffer from interference. In this paper, we study the impact of using improper Gaussian signaling on the performance limits of the underlay cognitive radio system by analyzing the achievable outage probability of both the primary user (PU) and secondary user (SU). We derive the exact outage probability expression of the SU and construct upper and lower bounds of the PU outage probability which results in formulating an approximate expression of the PU outage probability. This allows us to design the SU signal by adjusting its transmitted power and the circularity coefficient to minimize the SU outage probability while maintaining a certain PU quality-of-service. Finally, we evaluate the derived expressions for both the SU and the PU and the corresponding adaptive algorithms by numerical results.

Using eye tracking technology to compare the effectiveness of malignant hyperthermia cognitive aid design.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Roderick; Hanhan, Jaber; Harrison, T Kyle; Kou, Alex; Howard, Steven K; Borg, Lindsay K; Shum, Cynthia; Udani, Ankeet D; Mariano, Edward R

2018-05-15

Malignant hyperthermia is a rare but potentially fatal complication of anesthesia, and several different cognitive aids designed to facilitate a timely and accurate response to this crisis currently exist. Eye tracking technology can measure voluntary and involuntary eye movements, gaze fixation within an area of interest, and speed of visual response and has been used to a limited extent in anesthesiology. With eye tracking technology, we compared the accessibility of five malignant hyperthermia cognitive aids by collecting gaze data from twelve volunteer participants. Recordings were reviewed and annotated to measure the time required for participants to locate objects on the cognitive aid to provide an answer; cumulative time to answer was the primary outcome. For the primary outcome, there were differences detected between cumulative time to answer survival curves (P typescript with minimal use of single color blocking.

Evaluating the Cognitive Aspects of User Interaction with 2D Visual Tagging Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Olugbenga King

2008-04-01

Full Text Available There has been significant interest in thedevelopment and deployment of visual taggingapplications in recent times. But user perceptions aboutthe purpose and function of visual tagging systems havenot received much attention. This paper presents a userexperience study that investigates the cognitive modelsthat novice users have about interacting with visualtagging applications. The results of the study show thatalthough most users are unfamiliar with visual taggingtechnologies, they could accurately predict the purposeand mode of retrieval of data stored in visual tags. Thestudy concludes with suggestions on how to improve therecognition, ease of recall and design of visual tags.

Design and study of piracetam-like nootropics, controversial members of the problematic class of cognition-enhancing drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gualtieri, Fulvio; Manetti, Dina; Romanelli, Maria Novella; Ghelardini, Carla

2002-01-01

Cognition enhancers are drugs able to facilitate attentional abilities and acquisition, storage and retrieval of information, and to attenuate the impairment of cognitive functions associated with head traumas, stroke, age and age-related pathologies. Development of cognition enhancers is still a difficult task because of complexity of the brain functions, poor predictivity of animal tests and lengthy and expensive clinical trials. After the early serendipitous discovery of first generation cognition enhancers, current research is based on a variety of working hypotheses, derived from the progress of knowledge in the neurobiopathology of cognitive processes. Among other classes of drugs, piracetam-like cognition enhancers (nootropics) have never reached general acceptance, in spite of their excellent tolerability and safety. In the present review, after a general discussion of the problems connected with the design and development of cognition enhancers, the class is examined in more detail. Reasons for the problems encountered by nootropics, compounds therapeutically available and those in development, their structure activity relationships and mechanisms of action are discussed. Recent developments which hopefully will lead to a revival of the class are reviewed.

Development of a Cognitive Robotic System for Simple Surgical Tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Muradore

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The introduction of robotic surgery within the operating rooms has significantly improved the quality of many surgical procedures. Recently, the research on medical robotic systems focused on increasing the level of autonomy in order to give them the possibility to carry out simple surgical actions autonomously. This paper reports on the development of technologies for introducing automation within the surgical workflow. The results have been obtained during the ongoing FP7 European funded project Intelligent Surgical Robotics (I-SUR. The main goal of the project is to demonstrate that autonomous robotic surgical systems can carry out simple surgical tasks effectively and without major intervention by surgeons. To fulfil this goal, we have developed innovative solutions (both in terms of technologies and algorithms for the following aspects: fabrication of soft organ models starting from CT images, surgical planning and execution of movement of robot arms in contact with a deformable environment, designing a surgical interface minimizing the cognitive load of the surgeon supervising the actions, intra-operative sensing and reasoning to detect normal transitions and unexpected events. All these technologies have been integrated using a component-based software architecture to control a novel robot designed to perform the surgical actions under study. In this work we provide an overview of our system and report on preliminary results of the automatic execution of needle insertion for the cryoablation of kidney tumours.

SYSTEM-COGNITIVE MODEL OF FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSIFIED AGRO-INDUSTRIAL CORPORATIONS. PART I. COGNITIVE STRUCTURING AND FORMALIZATION OF THE SUBJECT AREA

OpenAIRE

Lutsenko Y. V.; Loyko V. I.; Baranovskaya T. P.; Makarevich O. A.

2015-01-01

In this article, in accordance with the methodology of the Automated system-cognitive analysis (ASCanalysis), we examine the implementation of the 1st and 2nd stages of ASC-analysis: cognitive structuring and formalization of the subject area. At the stage of cognitive structurization of subject area, researchers decide what to consider as the object of modeling, the factors affecting it and the results of their actions. In accordance with the results of the cognitive structurization, we prep...

Cognitive dysfunction and functional magnetic resonance imaging in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Barraclough, M; Elliott, R; McKie, S; Parker, B; Bruce, I N

2015-10-01

Cognitive dysfunction is a common aspect of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is increasingly reported as a problem by patients. In many cases the exact cause is unclear. Limited correlations between specific autoantibodies or structural brain abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction in SLE have been reported. It may be that the most appropriate biomarkers have yet to be found. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique used in many other conditions and provides sensitive measures of brain functionality during cognitive tasks. It is now beginning to be employed in SLE studies. These studies have shown that patients with SLE often perform similarly to healthy controls in terms of behavioural measures on cognitive tasks. However, SLE patients appear to employ compensatory brain mechanisms, such as increased response in fronto-parietal regions, to maintain adequate cognitive performance. As there have been only a few studies using fMRI in SLE to investigate cognitive dysfunction, many questions remain unanswered. Further research could, however, help to identify biomarkers for cognitive dysfunction in SLE. © The Author(s) 2015.

Ecological Interface Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vicente, Kim J.; Rasmussen, Jens

1992-01-01

A theoretical framework for designing interfaces for complex human-machine systems is proposed. The framework, called ecological interface design (EID), is based on the skills, rules, knowledge taxonomy of cognitive control. The basic goal of EID is twofold: first, not to force processing...

Functional Mobility Testing: A Novel Method to Establish Human System Interface Design Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

England, Scott A.; Benson, Elizabeth A.; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2008-01-01

Across all fields of human-system interface design it is vital to posses a sound methodology dictating the constraints on the system based on the capabilities of the human user. These limitations may be based on strength, mobility, dexterity, cognitive ability, etc. and combinations thereof. Data collected in an isolated environment to determine, for example, maximal strength or maximal range of motion would indeed be adequate for establishing not-to-exceed type design limitations, however these restraints on the system may be excessive over what is basally needed. Resources may potentially be saved by having a technique to determine the minimum measurements a system must accommodate. This paper specifically deals with the creation of a novel methodology for establishing mobility requirements for a new generation of space suit design concepts. Historically, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station vehicle and space hardware design requirements documents such as the Man-Systems Integration Standards and International Space Station Flight Crew Integration Standard explicitly stated that the designers should strive to provide the maximum joint range of motion capabilities exhibited by a minimally clothed human subject. In the course of developing the Human-Systems Integration Requirements (HSIR) for the new space exploration initiative (Constellation), an effort was made to redefine the mobility requirements in the interest of safety and cost. Systems designed for manned space exploration can receive compounded gains from simplified designs that are both initially less expensive to produce and lighter, thereby, cheaper to launch.

The Cognitive Paradigm Ontology: Design and Application

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Angela R.

2013-01-01

We present the basic structure of the Cognitive Paradigm Ontology (CogPO) for human behavioral experiments. While the experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience literature may refer to certain behavioral tasks by name (e.g., the Stroop paradigm or the Sternberg paradigm) or by function (a working memory task, a visual attention task), these paradigms can vary tremendously in the stimuli that are presented to the subject, the response expected from the subject, and the instructions given to the subject. Drawing from the taxonomy developed and used by the BrainMap project (www.brainmap.org) for almost two decades to describe key components of published functional imaging results, we have developed an ontology capable of representing certain characteristics of the cognitive paradigms used in the fMRI and PET literature. The Cognitive Paradigm Ontology is being developed to be compliant with the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), and to harmonize where possible with larger ontologies such as RadLex, NeuroLex, or the Ontology of Biomedical Investigations (OBI). The key components of CogPO include the representation of experimental conditions focused on the stimuli presented, the instructions given, and the responses requested. The use of alternate and even competitive terminologies can often impede scientific discoveries. Categorization of paradigms according to stimulus, response, and instruction has been shown to allow advanced data retrieval techniques by searching for similarities and contrasts across multiple paradigm levels. The goal of CogPO is to develop, evaluate, and distribute a domain ontology of cognitive paradigms for application and use in the functional neuroimaging community. PMID:21643732

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care: a hybrid type 2 patient-randomized effectiveness-implementation design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cully Jeffrey A

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the availability of evidence-based psychotherapies for depression and anxiety, they are underused in non-mental health specialty settings such as primary care. Hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs have the potential to evaluate clinical and implementation outcomes of evidence-based psychotherapies to improve their translation into routine clinical care practices. Methods This protocol article discusses the study methodology and implementation strategies employed in an ongoing, hybrid, type 2 randomized controlled trial with two primary aims: (1 to determine whether a brief, manualized cognitive behavioral therapy administered by Veterans Affairs Primary Care Mental Health Integration program clinicians is effective in treating depression and anxiety in a sample of medically ill (chronic cardiopulmonary diseases primary care patients and (2 to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of a focused implementation strategy on improving adoption and fidelity of brief cognitive behavioral therapy at two Primary Care-Mental Health Integration clinics. The study uses a hybrid type 2 effectiveness/implementation design to simultaneously test clinical effectiveness and to collect pilot data on a multifaceted implementation strategy that includes an online training program, audit and feedback of session content, and internal and external facilitation. Additionally, the study engages the participation of an advisory council consisting of stakeholders from Primary Care-Mental Health Integration, as well as regional and national mental health leaders within the Veterans Administration. It targets recruitment of 320 participants randomized to brief cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 200 or usual care (n = 120. Both effectiveness and implementation outcomes are being assessed using mixed methods, including quantitative evaluation (e.g., intent-to-treat analyses across multiple time points and

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care: a hybrid type 2 patient-randomized effectiveness-implementation design.

Science.gov (United States)

Cully, Jeffrey A; Armento, Maria E A; Mott, Juliette; Nadorff, Michael R; Naik, Aanand D; Stanley, Melinda A; Sorocco, Kristen H; Kunik, Mark E; Petersen, Nancy J; Kauth, Michael R

2012-07-11

Despite the availability of evidence-based psychotherapies for depression and anxiety, they are underused in non-mental health specialty settings such as primary care. Hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs have the potential to evaluate clinical and implementation outcomes of evidence-based psychotherapies to improve their translation into routine clinical care practices. This protocol article discusses the study methodology and implementation strategies employed in an ongoing, hybrid, type 2 randomized controlled trial with two primary aims: (1) to determine whether a brief, manualized cognitive behavioral therapy administered by Veterans Affairs Primary Care Mental Health Integration program clinicians is effective in treating depression and anxiety in a sample of medically ill (chronic cardiopulmonary diseases) primary care patients and (2) to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of a focused implementation strategy on improving adoption and fidelity of brief cognitive behavioral therapy at two Primary Care-Mental Health Integration clinics. The study uses a hybrid type 2 effectiveness/implementation design to simultaneously test clinical effectiveness and to collect pilot data on a multifaceted implementation strategy that includes an online training program, audit and feedback of session content, and internal and external facilitation. Additionally, the study engages the participation of an advisory council consisting of stakeholders from Primary Care-Mental Health Integration, as well as regional and national mental health leaders within the Veterans Administration. It targets recruitment of 320 participants randomized to brief cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 200) or usual care (n = 120). Both effectiveness and implementation outcomes are being assessed using mixed methods, including quantitative evaluation (e.g., intent-to-treat analyses across multiple time points) and qualitative methods (e.g., focus interviews

Reciprocal relations between cognitive neuroscience and formal cognitive models: opposites attract?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Forstmann, B.U.; Wagenmakers, E.-J.; Eichele, T.; Brown, S.; Serences, J.T.

2011-01-01

Cognitive neuroscientists study how the brain implements particular cognitive processes such as perception, learning, and decision-making. Traditional approaches in which experiments are designed to target a specific cognitive process have been supplemented by two recent innovations. First, formal

Two systems of non-symbolic numerical cognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel C. Hyde

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Studies of human adults, infants, and non-human animals demonstrate that non-symbolic numerical cognition is supported by at least two distinct cognitive systems: a ‘parallel individuation system’ that encodes the numerical identity of individual items and an ‘approximate number system’ that encodes the approximate numerical magnitude, or numerosity, of a set. The exact nature of these systems, however, have been debated for over a hundred years. Some argue that the non-symbolic representation of small numbers (< 4 is carried out solely by the parallel individuation system and the non-symbolic representation of large numbers (> 4 is carried out solely by the approximate number system. Others argue that all numbers are represented by the approximate number system. This debate has been fueled largely by some studies showing dissociations in processing and other studies showing similar processing of small and large numbers. Recent work has addressed this debate by showing that the two systems are present and distinct from early infancy, persist despite the acquisition of a symbolic number system, activate distinct cortical networks, and engage differentially based attentional constraints. Based on the recent discoveries, I provide a hypothesis that may explain the puzzling findings and makes testable predictions as to when each system will be engaged. In particular, when items are presented under conditions that allow selection of individuals, they will be represented as distinct mental items through parallel individuation and not as a numerical magnitude. In contrast, when items are presented outside attentional limits (e.g. too many, too close together, under high attentional load, they will be represented as a single mental numerical magnitude and not as distinct mental items. These predictions provide a basis on which researchers can further investigate the role of each system in the development of uniquely human numerical thought.

INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS DESIGN (ISD: Theory and Practice in Second Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nil GOKSEL CANBEK

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The considerable changes in distance learning related technologies and Web 2.0 tools direct new immersive platforms to serve on the concept of avatar-driven interactions. In this sense, the immersive learning platforms, like Second Life (SL, embrace innovative forms of network based settings for effective community interactions. SL, as an interactive learning milieu, conducts 3D interactions and active education within the context of Instructional Systems Design (ISD which makes learning experiences efficient for both the tutor and learners on the platform designed on social networking. The platform gives an appropriate service to its users to be part of an instructional application of virtual worlds in where learners become connected though online activities. Within the learning theories existing nowadays, instructional designers, who are working in 3D environment like SL, are using mainly cognitive theory and constructivist strategy of learning. According to cognitive learning theory, people learn in different ways that are individually contextual and new trends in Instructional Design (ID had to address these differences. There are number of already approbated instructional models, which are used widely in the process of creation learning courses for 3D environments. The most frequently used model is ADDIE (Assess–Design–Develop–Implement– Evaluate, and the model PIE (Plan-Integrate–Evaluate, that is relatively new and become increasingly popular as it allows easy integration of technology in the classroom-oriented (virtual or real teaching. Based on the above mentioned concerns, this paper will examine the instructional design models used to create immersive courses within SL. Further, the paper will collect ideas on the instructional tools and technologies used for designing SL courses as these new technologies used in this environment draws heavily on andragogy. The paper will also clarify the obstacles on virtual learning

The Design of a Polymorphous Cognitive Agent Architecture (PCAA)

Science.gov (United States)

2008-05-01

this scenario is very similar to the classic Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). However, this problem has a strong cognitive aspect , and the goal was to...strong cognitive aspect , and the goal was to focus on this aspect rather than to find a possibly quicker non-cognitive solution. Additionally

Reprint of "Safe places for pedestrians: using cognitive work analysis to consider the relationships between the engineering and urban design of footpaths".

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Nicholas; Salmon, Paul

2015-01-01

Footpaths provide an integral component of our urban environments and have the potential to act as safe places for people and the focus for community life. Despite this, the approach to designing footpaths that are safe while providing this sense of place often occurs in silos. There is often very little consideration given to how designing for sense of place impacts safety and vice versa. The aim of this study was to use a systems analysis and design framework to develop a design template for an 'ideal' footpath system that embodies both safety and sense of place. This was achieved through using the first phase of the Cognitive Work Analysis framework, Work Domain Analysis, to specify a model of footpaths as safe places for pedestrians. This model was subsequently used to assess two existing footpath environments to determine the extent to which they meet the design requirements specified. The findings show instances where the existing footpaths both meet and fail to meet the design requirements specified. Through utilising a systems approach for footpaths, this paper has provided a novel design template that can inform new footpath design efforts or be used to evaluate the extent to which existing footpaths achieve their safety and sense of place requirements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactive Block Games for Assessing Children's Cognitive Skills: Design and Preliminary Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiju Lee

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: This paper presents design and results from preliminary evaluation of Tangible Geometric Games (TAG-Games for cognitive assessment in young children. The TAG-Games technology employs a set of sensor-integrated cube blocks, called SIG-Blocks, and graphical user interfaces for test administration and real-time performance monitoring. TAG-Games were administered to children from 4 to 8 years of age for evaluating preliminary efficacy of this new technology-based approach.Methods: Five different sets of SIG-Blocks comprised of geometric shapes, segmented human faces, segmented animal faces, emoticons, and colors, were used for three types of TAG-Games, including Assembly, Shape Matching, and Sequence Memory. Computational task difficulty measures were defined for each game and used to generate items with varying difficulty. For preliminary evaluation, TAG-Games were tested on 40 children. To explore the clinical utility of the information assessed by TAG-Games, three subtests of the age-appropriate Wechsler tests (i.e., Block Design, Matrix Reasoning, and Picture Concept were also administered.Results: Internal consistency of TAG-Games was evaluated by the split-half reliability test. Weak to moderate correlations between Assembly and Block Design, Shape Matching and Matrix Reasoning, and Sequence Memory and Picture Concept were found. The computational measure of task complexity for each TAG-Game showed a significant correlation with participants' performance. In addition, age-correlations on TAG-Game scores were found, implying its potential use for assessing children's cognitive skills autonomously.

Reactor System Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi, S. K.; Kim, G. K.; Yeo, J. W.

2006-08-01

SMART NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) has been developed for duel purpose, electricity generation and energy supply for seawater desalination. The objective of this project IS to design the reactor system of SMART pilot plant(SMART-P) which will be built and operated for the integrated technology verification of SMART. SMART-P is an integral reactor in which primary components of reactor coolant system are enclosed in single pressure vessel without connecting pipes. The major components installed within a vessel includes a core, twelve steam generator cassettes, a low-temperature self pressurizer, twelve control rod drives, and two main coolant pumps. SMART-P reactor system design was categorized to the reactor coe design, fluid system design, reactor mechanical design, major component design and MMIS design. Reactor safety -analysis and performance analysis were performed for developed SMART=P reactor system. Also, the preparation of safety analysis report, and the technical support for licensing acquisition are performed

Control system design guide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sellers, David; Friedman, Hannah; Haasl, Tudi; Bourassa, Norman; Piette, Mary Ann

2003-05-01

The ''Control System Design Guide'' (Design Guide) provides methods and recommendations for the control system design process and control point selection and installation. Control systems are often the most problematic system in a building. A good design process that takes into account maintenance, operation, and commissioning can lead to a smoothly operating and efficient building. To this end, the Design Guide provides a toolbox of templates for improving control system design and specification. HVAC designers are the primary audience for the Design Guide. The control design process it presents will help produce well-designed control systems that achieve efficient and robust operation. The spreadsheet examples for control valve schedules, damper schedules, and points lists can streamline the use of the control system design concepts set forth in the Design Guide by providing convenient starting points from which designers can build. Although each reader brings their own unique questions to the text, the Design Guide contains information that designers, commissioning providers, operators, and owners will find useful.

Cognitive interference modeling with applications in power and admission control

KAUST Repository

Mahmood, Nurul Huda

2012-10-01

One of the key design challenges in a cognitive radio network is controlling the interference generated at coexisting primary receivers. In order to design efficient cognitive radio systems and to minimize their unwanted consequences, it is therefore necessary to effectively control the secondary interference at the primary receivers. In this paper, a generalized framework for the interference analysis of a cognitive radio network where the different secondary transmitters may transmit with different powers and transmission probabilities, is presented and various applications of this interference model are demonstrated. The findings of the analytical performance analyses are confirmed through selected computer-based Monte-Carlo simulations. © 2012 IEEE.

Cognitive load measurement as a means to advance cognitive load theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paas, F.; Tuovinen, J.E.; Tabbers, H.; van Gerven, P.W.M.

2003-01-01

This paper discusses cognitive load measurement techniques with regard to their contribution to cognitive load theory (CLT). CLT is concerned with the design of instructional methods that efficiently use people's limited cognitive processing capacity to apply acquired knowledge and skills to new

The cognitive-behavioral system of leadership: cognitive antecedents of active and passive leadership behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Dóci, Edina; Stouten, Jeroen; Hofmans, Joeri

2015-01-01

In the present paper, we propose a cognitive-behavioral understanding of active and passive leadership. Building on core evaluations theory, we offer a model that explains the emergence of leaders’ active and passive behaviors, thereby predicting stable, inter-individual, as well as variable, intra-individual differences in both types of leadership behavior. We explain leaders’ stable behavioral tendencies by their fundamental beliefs about themselves, others, and the world (core evaluations), while their variable, momentary behaviors are explained by the leaders’ momentary appraisals of themselves, others, and the world (specific evaluations). By introducing interactions between the situation the leader enters, the leader’s beliefs, appraisals, and behavior, we propose a comprehensive system of cognitive mechanisms that underlie active and passive leadership behavior. PMID:26441721

A Test Methodology for Evaluating Cognitive Radio Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-27

users where the users agree upon an etiquette to operate by [16]. 2.1.6 Federal Communications Commission. The FCC has a loose definition of cognitive... protocol . Optionally, one node can be designated as a head node with spectrum decision authority. As with the centralized topology, a distributed topology...other using a protocol such as multicast. The REM in this architecture is simply a binary vector, where each position in the vector is a 1 or 0 15

Computer System Design System-on-Chip

CERN Document Server

Flynn, Michael J

2011-01-01

The next generation of computer system designers will be less concerned about details of processors and memories, and more concerned about the elements of a system tailored to particular applications. These designers will have a fundamental knowledge of processors and other elements in the system, but the success of their design will depend on the skills in making system-level tradeoffs that optimize the cost, performance and other attributes to meet application requirements. This book provides a new treatment of computer system design, particularly for System-on-Chip (SOC), which addresses th

Cognitive training in Parkinson disease: cognition-specific vs nonspecific computer training.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmermann, Ronan; Gschwandtner, Ute; Benz, Nina; Hatz, Florian; Schindler, Christian; Taub, Ethan; Fuhr, Peter

2014-04-08

In this study, we compared a cognition-specific computer-based cognitive training program with a motion-controlled computer sports game that is not cognition-specific for their ability to enhance cognitive performance in various cognitive domains in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Patients with PD were trained with either a computer program designed to enhance cognition (CogniPlus, 19 patients) or a computer sports game with motion-capturing controllers (Nintendo Wii, 20 patients). The effect of training in 5 cognitive domains was measured by neuropsychological testing at baseline and after training. Group differences over all variables were assessed with multivariate analysis of variance, and group differences in single variables were assessed with 95% confidence intervals of mean difference. The groups were similar regarding age, sex, and educational level. Patients with PD who were trained with Wii for 4 weeks performed better in attention (95% confidence interval: -1.49 to -0.11) than patients trained with CogniPlus. In our study, patients with PD derived at least the same degree of cognitive benefit from non-cognition-specific training involving movement as from cognition-specific computerized training. For patients with PD, game consoles may be a less expensive and more entertaining alternative to computer programs specifically designed for cognitive training. This study provides Class III evidence that, in patients with PD, cognition-specific computer-based training is not superior to a motion-controlled computer game in improving cognitive performance.

Location-based resource allocation for OFDMA cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Nam, Haewoon; Ben Ghorbel, Mahdi; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2010-01-01

In cognitive radio systems, in order for the secondary users to opportunistically share the spectrum without interfering the primary users, an accurate spectrum measurement and a precise estimation of the interference at the primary users

Cognitive models embedded in system simulation models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, A.I.; Wolf, J.J.

1982-01-01

If we are to discuss and consider cognitive models, we must first come to grips with two questions: (1) What is cognition; (2) What is a model. Presumably, the answers to these questions can provide a basis for defining a cognitive model. Accordingly, this paper first places these two questions into perspective. Then, cognitive models are set within the context of computer simulation models and a number of computer simulations of cognitive processes are described. Finally, pervasive issues are discussed vis-a-vis cognitive modeling in the computer simulation context

Performance analysis of underlay cognitive multihop regenerative relaying systems with multiple primary receivers

KAUST Repository

Hyadi, Amal; Benjillali, Mustapha; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Da Costa, Daniel Benevides Da

2013-01-01

Multihop relaying is an efficient strategy to improve the connectivity and extend the coverage area of secondary networks in underlay cognitive systems. In this work, we provide a comprehensive performance study of cognitive multihop regenerative

Design process and preliminary psychometric study of a video game to detect cognitive impairment in senior adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Valladares-Rodriguez

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction Assessment of episodic memory has been traditionally used to evaluate potential cognitive impairments in senior adults. Typically, episodic memory evaluation is based on personal interviews and pen-and-paper tests. This article presents the design, development and a preliminary validation of a novel digital game to assess episodic memory intended to overcome the limitations of traditional methods, such as the cost of its administration, its intrusive character, the lack of early detection capabilities, the lack of ecological validity, the learning effect and the existence of confounding factors. Materials and Methods Our proposal is based on the gamification of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT and it has been designed to comply with the psychometric characteristics of reliability and validity. Two qualitative focus groups and a first pilot experiment were carried out to validate the proposal. Results A more ecological, non-intrusive and better administrable tool to perform cognitive assessment was developed. Initial evidence from the focus groups and pilot experiment confirmed the developed game’s usability and offered promising results insofar its psychometric validity is concerned. Moreover, the potential of this game for the cognitive classification of senior adults was confirmed, and administration time is dramatically reduced with respect to pen-and-paper tests. Limitations Additional research is needed to improve the resolution of the game for the identification of specific cognitive impairments, as well as to achieve a complete validation of the psychometric properties of the digital game. Conclusion Initial evidence show that serious games can be used as an instrument to assess the cognitive status of senior adults, and even to predict the onset of mild cognitive impairments or Alzheimer’s disease.

Design process and preliminary psychometric study of a video game to detect cognitive impairment in senior adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Valladares-Rodriguez, Sonia; Perez-Rodriguez, Roberto; Facal, David; Fernandez-Iglesias, Manuel J; Anido-Rifon, Luis; Mouriño-Garcia, Marcos

2017-01-01

Assessment of episodic memory has been traditionally used to evaluate potential cognitive impairments in senior adults. Typically, episodic memory evaluation is based on personal interviews and pen-and-paper tests. This article presents the design, development and a preliminary validation of a novel digital game to assess episodic memory intended to overcome the limitations of traditional methods, such as the cost of its administration, its intrusive character, the lack of early detection capabilities, the lack of ecological validity, the learning effect and the existence of confounding factors. Our proposal is based on the gamification of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and it has been designed to comply with the psychometric characteristics of reliability and validity. Two qualitative focus groups and a first pilot experiment were carried out to validate the proposal. A more ecological, non-intrusive and better administrable tool to perform cognitive assessment was developed. Initial evidence from the focus groups and pilot experiment confirmed the developed game's usability and offered promising results insofar its psychometric validity is concerned. Moreover, the potential of this game for the cognitive classification of senior adults was confirmed, and administration time is dramatically reduced with respect to pen-and-paper tests. Additional research is needed to improve the resolution of the game for the identification of specific cognitive impairments, as well as to achieve a complete validation of the psychometric properties of the digital game. Initial evidence show that serious games can be used as an instrument to assess the cognitive status of senior adults, and even to predict the onset of mild cognitive impairments or Alzheimer's disease.

First steps in designing an all-in-one ICT-based device for persons with cognitive impairment: evaluation of the first mock-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Boman, Inga-Lill; Persson, Ann-Christine; Bartfai, Aniko

2016-03-07

This project Smart Assisted Living involving Informal careGivers++ (SALIG) intends to develop an ICT-based device for persons with cognitive impairment combined with remote support possibilities for significant others and formal caregivers. This paper presents the identification of the target groups' needs and requirements of such device and the evaluation of the first mock-up, demonstrated in a tablet. The inclusive design method that includes end-users in the design process was chosen. First, a scoping review was conducted in order to examine the target group's need of an ICT-based device, and to gather recommendations regarding its design and functionalities. In order to capture the users' requirements of the design and functionalities of the device three targeted focus groups were conducted. Based on the findings from the publications and the focus groups a user requirement specification was developed. After that a design concept and a first mock-up was developed in an iterative process. The mock-up was evaluated through interviews with persons with cognitive impairment, health care professionals and significant others. Data were analysed using content analysis. Several useful recommendations of the design and functionalities of the SALIG device for persons with cognitive impairment were identified. The main benefit of the mock-up was that it was a single device with a set of functionalities installed on a tablet and designed for persons with cognitive impairment. An additional benefit was that it could be used remotely by significant others and formal caregivers. The SALIG device has the potentials to facilitate everyday life for persons with cognitive impairment, their significant others and the work situation for formal caregivers. The results may provide guidance in the development of different types of technologies for the target population and for people with diverse disabilities. Further work will focus on developing a prototype to be empirically tested

A Case Study on Collective Cognition and Operation in Team-Based Computer Game Design by Middle-School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Fengfeng; Im, Tami

2014-01-01

This case study examined team-based computer-game design efforts by children with diverse abilities to explore the nature of their collective design actions and cognitive processes. Ten teams of middle-school children, with a high percentage of minority students, participated in a 6-weeks, computer-assisted math-game-design program. Essential…

Basic life support skills training in a first year medical curriculum: six years' experience with two cognitive-constructivist designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Durak, Halil Ibrahim; Certuğ, Agah; Calişkan, Ayhan; van Dalen, Jan

2006-03-01

Although the Basic Life Support (BLS) ability of a medical student is a crucial competence, poor BLS training programs have been documented worldwide. Better training designs are needed. This study aims to share detailed descriptions and the test results of two cognitive-constructivist training models for the BLS skills in the first year of medical curriculum. A BLS skills training module was implemented in the first year curriculum in the course of 6 years (1997-2003). The content was derived from the European Resuscitation Council Guidelines. Initially, a competence-based model was used and was upgraded to a cognitive apprenticeship model in 2000. The main performance-content type that was expected at the end of the course was: competent application of BLS procedures on manikins and peers at an OSCE as well as 60% achievement in a test consisting of 25 MCQ items. A retrospective cohort survey design using exam results and a self-completed anonymous student ratings' questionnaire were used in order to test models. Training time for individual students varied from 21 to 29 hours. One thousand seven hundred and sixty students were trained. Fail rates were very low (1.0-2.2%). The students were highly satisfied with the module during the 6 years. In the first year of the medical curriculum, a competence-based or cognitive apprenticeship model using cognitive-constructivist designs of skills training with 9 hours theoretical and 12-20 hours long practical sessions took place in groups of 12-17 students; medical students reached a degree of competence to sufficiently perform BLS skills on the manikins and their peers. The cognitive-constructivist designs for skills training are associated with high student satisfaction. However, the lack of controls limits the extrapolation of this conclusion.

Cognition and Physicality in Musical Cyberinstruments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ungvary, T.; Vertegaal, R.P.H.; Wanderley, M.M.; Battier, M.

1999-01-01

In this paper, we present the SensOrg, a musical CyberInstrument designed as a modular assembly of input/output devices and musical software, mapped and arranged according to functional characteristics of the Man-Instrument system. We discuss how the cognitive ergonomics of non-verbal and symbolic

A Secured Cognitive Agent based Multi-strategic Intelligent Search System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neha Gulati

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Search Engine (SE is the most preferred information retrieval tool ubiquitously used. In spite of vast scale involvement of users in SE’s, their limited capabilities to understand the user/searcher context and emotions places high cognitive, perceptual and learning load on the user to maintain the search momentum. In this regard, the present work discusses a Cognitive Agent (CA based approach to support the user in Web-based search process. The work suggests a framework called Secured Cognitive Agent based Multi-strategic Intelligent Search System (CAbMsISS to assist the user in search process. It helps to reduce the contextual and emotional mismatch between the SE’s and user. After implementation of the proposed framework, performance analysis shows that CAbMsISS framework improves Query Retrieval Time (QRT and effectiveness for retrieving relevant results as compared to Present Search Engine (PSE. Supplementary to this, it also provides search suggestions when user accesses a resource previously tagged with negative emotions. Overall, the goal of the system is to enhance the search experience for keeping the user motivated. The framework provides suggestions through the search log that tracks the queries searched, resources accessed and emotions experienced during the search. The implemented framework also considers user security. Keywords: BDI model, Cognitive Agent, Emotion, Information retrieval, Intelligent search, Search Engine

Interweave Cognitive Radio with Improper Gaussian Signaling

KAUST Repository

Hedhly, Wafa

2018-01-15

Improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) has proven its ability in improving the performance of underlay and overlay cognitive radio paradigms. In this paper, the interweave cognitive radio paradigm is studied when the cognitive user employs IGS. The instantaneous achievable rate performance of both the primary and secondary users are analyzed for specific secondary user sensing and detection capabilities. Next, the IGS scheme is optimized to maximize the achievable rate secondary user while satisfying a target minimum rate requirement for the primary user. Proper Gaussian signaling (PGS) scheme design is also derived to be used as benchmark of the IGS scheme design. Finally, different numerical results are introduced to show the gain reaped from adopting IGS over PGS under different system parameters. The main advantage of employing IGS is observed at low sensing and detection capabilities of the SU, lower PU direct link and higher SU interference on the PU side.

Optical system design

CERN Document Server

Fischer, Robert F

2008-01-01

Honed for more than 20 years in an SPIE professional course taught by renowned optical systems designer Robert E. Fischer, Optical System Design, Second Edition brings you the latest cutting-edge design techniques and more than 400 detailed diagrams that clearly illustrate every major procedure in optical design. This thoroughly updated resource helps you work better and faster with computer-aided optical design techniques, diffractive optics, and the latest applications, including digital imaging, telecommunications, and machine vision. No need for complex, unnecessary mathematical derivations-instead, you get hundreds of examples that break the techniques down into understandable steps. For twenty-first century optical design without the mystery, the authoritative Optical Systems Design, Second Edition features: Computer-aided design use explained through sample problems Case studies of third-millennium applications in digital imaging, sensors, lasers, machine vision, and more New chapters on optomechanic...

Association between academic performance and cognitive dysfunction in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renan Bazuco Frittoli

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective To determine whether there is an association between the profile of cognitive dysfunction and academic outcomes in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE. Methods Patients aged ≤18 years at the onset of the disease and education level at or above the fifth grade of elementary school were selected. Cognitive evaluation was performed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR recommendations. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed by Beck scales; disease activity was assessed by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; and cumulative damage was assessed by Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC. The presence of autoantibodies and medication use were also assessed. A significance level of 5% (p < 0.05 was adopted. Results 41 patients with a mean age of 14.5 ± 2.84 years were included. Cognitive dysfunction was noted in 17 (41.46% patients. There was a significant worsening in mathematical performance in patients with cognitive dysfunction (p = 0.039. Anxiety symptoms were observed in 8 patients (19.51% and were associated with visual perception (p = 0.037 and symptoms of depression were observed in 1 patient (2.43%. Conclusion Patients with JSLE concomitantly with cognitive dysfunction showed worse academic performance in mathematics compared to patients without cognitive impairment.

AFFECT: Altered-Fidelity Framework for Enhancing Cognition and Training

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Ryan Patrick McMahan

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a new framework for analyzing and designing virtual reality (VR techniques. This framework is based on two concepts—system fidelity (i.e., the degree with which real-world experiences are reproduced by a system and memory (i.e., the formation and activation of perceptual, cognitive, and motor networks of neurons. The premise of the framework is to manipulate an aspect of system fidelity in order to assist a stage of memory. We call it the Altered-Fidelity Framework for Enhancing Cognition and Training (AFFECT. AFFECT provides nine categories of approaches to altering system fidelity to positively affect learning or training. These categories are based on the intersections of three aspects of system fidelity (interaction fidelity, scenario fidelity, and display fidelity and three stages of memory (encoding, implicit retrieval, and explicit retrieval. In addition to discussing the details of our new framework, we show how AFFECT can be used as a tool for analyzing and categorizing VR techniques designed to facilitate learning or training. We also demonstrate how AFFECT can be used as a design space for creating new VR techniques intended for educational and training systems.

Cognitive Relay Networks: A Comprehensive Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayesha Naeem

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Cognitive radio is an emerging technology to deal with the scarcity and requirement of radio spectrum by dynamically assigning spectrum to unlicensed user . This revolutionary technology shifts the paradigm in the wireless system design by all owing unlicensed user the ability to sense, adapt and share the dynamic spectrum. Cognitive radio technology have been applied to different networks and applications ranging from wireless to public saf ety, smart grid, medical, rela y and cellular applications to increase the throughput and spectrum efficiency of the network. Among these applications, cognitive relay networks is one of the application where cognitive radio technology has been applied. Cognitiv e rela y network increases the network throughput by reducing the complete pa th loss and also by ensuring cooper ation among secondary users and cooperation among primary and secondary users. In this paper , our aim is to provide a survey on cognitive relay network. We also provide a detailed review on existing schemes in cognitive relay networks on the basis of relaying protocol, relay cooperation and channel model.

LCoMotion - Learning, Cognition and Motion; a multicomponent cluster randomized school-based intervention aimed at increasing learning and cognition - rationale, design and methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Bugge, Anna; Tarp, Jakob; Østergaard, Lars; Domazet, Sidsel Louise; Andersen, Lars Bo; Froberg, Karsten

2014-09-18

The aim of the study; LCoMotion - Learning, Cognition and Motion was to develop, document, and evaluate a multi-component physical activity (PA) intervention in public schools in Denmark. The primary outcome was cognitive function. Secondary outcomes were academic skills, body composition, aerobic fitness and PA. The primary aim of the present paper was to describe the rationale, design and methods of the LCoMotion study. LCoMotion was designed as a cluster-randomized controlled study. Fourteen schools from all five regions in Denmark participated. All students from 6th and 7th grades were invited to participate (n = 869) and consent was obtained for 87% (n = 759). Baseline measurements were obtained in November/December 2013 and follow-up measurements in May/June 2014. The intervention lasted five months and consisted of a "package" of three main components: PA during academic lessons, PA during recess and PA homework. Furthermore a cycling campaign was conducted during the intervention period. Intervention schools should endeavor to ensure that students were physically active for at least 60 min every school day. Cognitive function was measured by a modified Eriksen flanker task and academic skills by a custom made mathematics test. PA was objectively measured by accelerometers (ActiGraph, GT3X and GT3X+) and aerobic fitness assessed by an intermittent shuttle-run test (the Andersen intermittent running test). Furthermore, compliance with the intervention was assessed by short message service (SMS)-tracking and questionnaires were delivered to students, parents and teachers. LCoMotion has ability to provide new insights on the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention on cognitive function and academic skills in 6th and 7th grade students. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02012881 (10/10/2013).

A Newly Designed Mobile-Based Computerized Cognitive Addiction Therapy App for the Improvement of Cognition Impairments and Risk Decision Making in Methamphetamine Use Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Youwei; Jiang, Haifeng; Su, Hang; Zhong, Na; Li, Runji; Li, Xiaotong; Chen, Tianzhen; Tan, Haoye; Du, Jiang; Xu, Ding; Yan, Huan; Xu, Dawen; Zhao, Min

2018-06-20

Cognitive rehabilitation therapy has been found to improve cognitive deficits and impulse control problems in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). However, there is limited research regarding this therapy's feasibility when using mobile-based health technologies in supporting recovery from MUD in China. The main aim of this study was to test whether 4 weeks of a newly designed computerized cognitive addiction therapy (CCAT) app can improve cognitive impairments, eliminate drug-related attention bias, and attenuate risk decision-making behaviors in participants with MUD. Forty MUD participants were assigned randomly to either the CCAT group (n=20), who received 4 weeks of CCAT plus regular detoxification treatment as usual, or the control group (n=20), who only received the regular detoxification treatment as usual, in drug rehabilitation centers in Shanghai. The CCAT was designed by combine methamphetamine use-related picture stimuli with cognitive training with the aim of improving cognitive function and eliminating drug-related attention bias. The CogState Battery, Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) were administered face-to-face to all participants before and after CCAT interventions. Forty male patients were recruited. The mean age was 32.70 (SD 5.27) years in the CCAT group and mean 35.05 (SD 8.02) years in the control group. Compared to the control group, CCAT improved working memory in the CCAT group (P=.01). Group×time interactions were observed among DDT, IGT, and BART tasks, with rates of discounting delayed rewards, IGT, and BART scores (Pcognitive impairment and impulsive control in MUD. Further study is needed to understand the underlying brain mechanisms of the cognitive therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03318081; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03318081 (Archived by WebCite at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03318081). ©Youwei Zhu, Haifeng Jiang, Hang Su, Na Zhong, Runji Li

Adaptive Waveform Design for Cognitive Radar in Multiple Targets Situations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaowen Zhang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the problem of cognitive radar (CR waveform optimization design for target detection and estimation in multiple extended targets situations is investigated. This problem is analyzed in signal-dependent interference, as well as additive channel noise for extended targets with unknown target impulse response (TIR. To address this problem, an improved algorithm is employed for target detection by maximizing the detection probability of the received echo on the promise of ensuring the TIR estimation precision. In this algorithm, an additional weight vector is introduced to achieve a trade-off among different targets. Both the estimate of TIR and transmit waveform can be updated at each step based on the previous step. Under the same constraint on waveform energy and bandwidth, the information theoretical approach is also considered. In addition, the relationship between the waveforms that are designed based on the two criteria is discussed. Unlike most existing works that only consider single target with temporally correlated characteristics, waveform design for multiple extended targets is considered in this method. Simulation results demonstrate that compared with linear frequency modulated (LFM signal, waveforms designed based on maximum detection probability and maximum mutual information (MI criteria can make radar echoes contain more multiple-target information and improve radar performance as a result.

A prototype to study cognitive and aesthetic aspects of mixed reality technologies

OpenAIRE

Gunia, Artur; Indurkhya, Bipin

2017-01-01

Mixed reality systems integrate virtual reality with real-world perception and cognition to offer enhanced interaction possibilities with the environment. Our aim is to demonstrate that mixed reality technologies strongly affect our aesthetic sense and mental models. So, in designing such technologies, we need to incorporate perspectives from different disciplines. We present different approaches and implementations of cognitive enhancement and cognitive technologies, consider some practical ...

Robonaut 2 and Watson: Cognitive Dexterity for Future Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Badger, Julia M.; Strawser, Philip; Farrell, Logan; Goza, S. Michael; Claunch, Charles A.; Chancey, Raphael; Potapinski, Russell

2018-01-01

Future exploration missions will dictate a level of autonomy never before experienced in human spaceflight. Mission plans involving the uncrewed phases of complex human spacecraft in deep space will require a coordinated autonomous capability to be able to maintain the spacecraft when ground control is not available. One promising direction involves embedding intelligence into the system design both through the employment of state-of-the-art system engineering principles as well as through the creation of a cognitive network between a smart spacecraft or habitat and embodiments of cognitive agents. The work described here details efforts to integrate IBM's Watson and other cognitive computing services into NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC)'s Robonaut 2 (R2) anthropomorphic robot. This paper also discusses future directions this work will take. A cognitive spacecraft management system that is able to seamlessly collect data from subsystems, determine corrective actions, and provide commands to enable those actions is the end goal. These commands could be to embedded spacecraft systems or to a set of robotic assets that are tied into the cognitive system. An exciting collaboration with Woodside provides a promising Earth-bound testing analog, as controlling and maintaining not normally manned off-shore platforms have similar constraints to the space missions described.

Integrating Emotion and Cognition in Successful Service Learning: A Complex System Approach (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Raia, F.

2010-12-01

learning, this system requires participants to elaborate and connect the three major components and continually update, modify and build on the learning experience and personal growth. Critical reflection activities are considered to be a powerful tool to bridge community service activities and the educational content. Reflection activities gauge students’ expectations, thoughts and understanding and, by making these evident to the students, can reveal less obvious aspects of the experience and support different interpretations of an event. However, in the form of critical reflection, they tend to exclude the role emotion may play throughout the learning process specifically for one of the three components -Personal Growth. Moreover, in the last decade neuroscience and psychology research shows that emotion is indispensable for conceiving rational thoughts, understanding and memory development and that a purely cognitive view on learning is not working. In our course we strove to design reflections that involve emotion and cognition and their interdependence in connecting the three components of S-L. A complex system approach is fundamental when challenges of integrating emotion and cognition in Service Learning need to be addressed.

VIRTUAL COGNITIVE CENTERS AS INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS FOR MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SUPPORT OF REGIONAL SECURITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Masloboev

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with engineering problems and application perspectives of virtual cognitive centers as intelligent systems for information support of interagency activities in the field of complex security management of regional development. A research prototype of virtual cognitive center for regional security management in crisis situations, implemented as hybrid cloud service based on IaaS architectural framework with the usage of multi-agent and web-service technologies has been developed. Virtual cognitive center is a training simulator software system and is intended for solving on the basis of distributed simulation such problems as: strategic planning and forecasting of risk-sustainable development of regional socioeconomic systems, agents of management interaction specification synthesis for regional components security in different crisis situations within the planning stage of joint anti-crisis actions.

Extended spider cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Japyassú, Hilton F; Laland, Kevin N

2017-05-01

There is a tension between the conception of cognition as a central nervous system (CNS) process and a view of cognition as extending towards the body or the contiguous environment. The centralised conception requires large or complex nervous systems to cope with complex environments. Conversely, the extended conception involves the outsourcing of information processing to the body or environment, thus making fewer demands on the processing power of the CNS. The evolution of extended cognition should be particularly favoured among small, generalist predators such as spiders, and here, we review the literature to evaluate the fit of empirical data with these contrasting models of cognition. Spiders do not seem to be cognitively limited, displaying a large diversity of learning processes, from habituation to contextual learning, including a sense of numerosity. To tease apart the central from the extended cognition, we apply the mutual manipulability criterion, testing the existence of reciprocal causal links between the putative elements of the system. We conclude that the web threads and configurations are integral parts of the cognitive systems. The extension of cognition to the web helps to explain some puzzling features of spider behaviour and seems to promote evolvability within the group, enhancing innovation through cognitive connectivity to variable habitat features. Graded changes in relative brain size could also be explained by outsourcing information processing to environmental features. More generally, niche-constructed structures emerge as prime candidates for extending animal cognition, generating the selective pressures that help to shape the evolving cognitive system.

Metareasoning and Social Evaluations in Cognitive Agents

Science.gov (United States)

Pinyol, Isaac; Sabater-Mir, Jordi

Reputation mechanisms have been recognized one of the key technologies when designing multi-agent systems. They are specially relevant in complex open environments, becoming a non-centralized mechanism to control interactions among agents. Cognitive agents tackling such complex societies must use reputation information not only for selecting partners to interact with, but also in metareasoning processes to change reasoning rules. This is the focus of this paper. We argue about the necessity to allow, as a cognitive systems designers, certain degree of freedom in the reasoning rules of the agents. We also describes cognitive approaches of agency that support this idea. Furthermore, taking as a base the computational reputation model Repage, and its integration in a BDI architecture, we use the previous ideas to specify metarules and processes to modify at run-time the reasoning paths of the agent. In concrete we propose a metarule to update the link between Repage and the belief base, and a metarule and a process to update an axiom incorporated in the belief logic of the agent. Regarding this last issue we also provide empirical results that show the evolution of agents that use it.

Bandwidth and power allocation for two-way relaying in overlay cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Alsharoa, Ahmad M.; Ghazzai, Hakim; Yaacoub, Elias E.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2014-01-01

In this paper, the problem of both bandwidth and power allocation for two-way multiple relay systems in overlay cognitive radio (CR) setup is investigated. In the CR overlay mode, primary users (PUs) cooperate with cognitive users (CUs) for mutual

[Contemporary cognitive theories about developmental dyscalculia].

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Cañizares, D; Estévez-Pérez, N; Reigosa-Crespo, V

To analyze the current theories describing the cognitive mechanisms underlying developmental dyscalculia. The four most researched hypotheses concerning the cognitive deficits related to developmental dyscalculia, as well as experimental evidences supporting or refusing them are presented. The first hypothesis states that developmental dyscalculia is consequence of domain general cognitive deficits. The second hypothesis suggests that it is due to a failure in the development of specialized brain systems dedicated to numerosity processing. The third hypothesis asserts the disorder is caused by a deficit in accessing quantity representation through numerical symbols. The last hypothesis states developmental dyscalculia appears as a consequence of impairments in a generalized magnitude system dedicated to the processing of continuous and discrete magnitudes. None of the hypotheses has been proven more plausible than the rest. Relevant issues rose by them need to be revisited and answered in the light of new experimental designs. In the last years the understanding of cognitive disorders involved in developmental dyscalculia has remarkably increased, but it is nonetheless insufficient. Additional research is required in order to achieve a comprehensive cognitive model of numerical processing development and its disorders. This will improve the diagnostic precision and the effectiveness of developmental dyscalculia intervention strategies.

The Cognitive Advantages of Counting Specifically: A Representational Analysis of Verbal Numeration Systems in Oceanic Languages.

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Andrea; Schlimm, Dirk; Beller, Sieghard

2015-10-01

The domain of numbers provides a paradigmatic case for investigating interactions of culture, language, and cognition: Numerical competencies are considered a core domain of knowledge, and yet the development of specifically human abilities presupposes cultural and linguistic input by way of counting sequences. These sequences constitute systems with distinct structural properties, the cross-linguistic variability of which has implications for number representation and processing. Such representational effects are scrutinized for two types of verbal numeration systems-general and object-specific ones-that were in parallel use in several Oceanic languages (English with its general system is included for comparison). The analysis indicates that the object-specific systems outperform the general systems with respect to counting and mental arithmetic, largely due to their regular and more compact representation. What these findings reveal on cognitive diversity, how the conjectures involved speak to more general issues in cognitive science, and how the approach taken here might help to bridge the gap between anthropology and other cognitive sciences is discussed in the conclusion. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Cognitive Human-Machine Interface Applied in Remote Support for Industrial Robot Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Kosicki

2013-10-01

Full Text Available An attempt is currently being made to widely introduce industrial robots to Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs. Since the enterprises usually employ too small number of robot units to afford specialized departments for robot maintenance, they must be provided with inexpensive and immediate support remotely. This paper evaluates whether the support can be provided by means of Cognitive Info-communication – communication in which human cognitive capabilities are extended irrespectively of geographical distances. The evaluations are given with an aid of experimental system that consists of local and remote rooms, which are physically separated – a six-degree-of-freedom NACHI SH133-03 industrial robot is situated in the local room, while the operator, who supervises the robot by means of audio-visual Cognitive Human-Machine Interface, is situated in the remote room. The results of simple experiments show that Cognitive Info-communication is not only efficient mean to provide the support remotely, but is probably also a powerful tool to enhance interaction with any data-rich environment that require good conceptual understanding of system's state and careful attention management. Furthermore, the paper discusses data presentation and reduction methods for data-rich environments, as well as introduces the concepts of Naturally Acquired Data and Cognitive Human-Machine Interfaces.

Applying cognitive load theory to the redesign of a conventional database systems course

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Raina; Seton, Carolyn; Cooper, Graham

2016-01-01

Cognitive load theory (CLT) was used to redesign a Database Systems course for Information Technology students. The redesign was intended to address poor student performance and low satisfaction, and to provide a more relevant foundation in database design and use for subsequent studies and industry. The original course followed the conventional structure for a database course, covering database design first, then database development. Analysis showed the conventional course content was appropriate but the instructional materials used were too complex, especially for novice students. The redesign of instructional materials applied CLT to remove split attention and redundancy effects, to provide suitable worked examples and sub-goals, and included an extensive re-sequencing of content. The approach was primarily directed towards mid- to lower performing students and results showed a significant improvement for this cohort with the exam failure rate reducing by 34% after the redesign on identical final exams. Student satisfaction also increased and feedback from subsequent study was very positive. The application of CLT to the design of instructional materials is discussed for delivery of technical courses.

A cognitive neuroscience perspective on psychopathy: evidence for paralimbic system dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiehl, Kent A

2006-06-15

Psychopathy is a complex personality disorder that includes interpersonal and affective traits such as glibness, lack of empathy, guilt or remorse, shallow affect, and irresponsibility, and behavioral characteristics such as impulsivity, poor behavioral control, and promiscuity. Much is known about the assessment of psychopathy; however, relatively little is understood about the relevant brain disturbances. The present review integrates data from studies of behavioral and cognitive changes associated with focal brain lesions or insults and results from psychophysiology, cognitive psychology and cognitive and affective neuroscience in health and psychopathy. The review illustrates that the brain regions implicated in psychopathy include the orbital frontal cortex, insula, anterior and posterior cingulate, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and anterior superior temporal gyrus. The relevant functional neuroanatomy of psychopathy thus includes limbic and paralimbic structures that may be collectively termed 'the paralimbic system'. The paralimbic system dysfunction model of psychopathy is discussed as it relates to the extant literature on psychopathy.

Cognitive memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Widrow, Bernard; Aragon, Juan Carlos

2013-05-01

Regarding the workings of the human mind, memory and pattern recognition seem to be intertwined. You generally do not have one without the other. Taking inspiration from life experience, a new form of computer memory has been devised. Certain conjectures about human memory are keys to the central idea. The design of a practical and useful "cognitive" memory system is contemplated, a memory system that may also serve as a model for many aspects of human memory. The new memory does not function like a computer memory where specific data is stored in specific numbered registers and retrieval is done by reading the contents of the specified memory register, or done by matching key words as with a document search. Incoming sensory data would be stored at the next available empty memory location, and indeed could be stored redundantly at several empty locations. The stored sensory data would neither have key words nor would it be located in known or specified memory locations. Sensory inputs concerning a single object or subject are stored together as patterns in a single "file folder" or "memory folder". When the contents of the folder are retrieved, sights, sounds, tactile feel, smell, etc., are obtained all at the same time. Retrieval would be initiated by a query or a prompt signal from a current set of sensory inputs or patterns. A search through the memory would be made to locate stored data that correlates with or relates to the prompt input. The search would be done by a retrieval system whose first stage makes use of autoassociative artificial neural networks and whose second stage relies on exhaustive search. Applications of cognitive memory systems have been made to visual aircraft identification, aircraft navigation, and human facial recognition. Concerning human memory, reasons are given why it is unlikely that long-term memory is stored in the synapses of the brain's neural networks. Reasons are given suggesting that long-term memory is stored in DNA or RNA

Channel Selection and Feature Projection for Cognitive Load Estimation Using Ambulatory EEG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Lan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We present an ambulatory cognitive state classification system to assess the subject's mental load based on EEG measurements. The ambulatory cognitive state estimator is utilized in the context of a real-time augmented cognition (AugCog system that aims to enhance the cognitive performance of a human user through computer-mediated assistance based on assessments of cognitive states using physiological signals including, but not limited to, EEG. This paper focuses particularly on the offline channel selection and feature projection phases of the design and aims to present mutual-information-based techniques that use a simple sample estimator for this quantity. Analyses conducted on data collected from 3 subjects performing 2 tasks (n-back/Larson at 2 difficulty levels (low/high demonstrate that the proposed mutual-information-based dimensionality reduction scheme can achieve up to 94% cognitive load estimation accuracy.

Effects of age and mild cognitive impairment on the pain response system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunz, Miriam; Mylius, Veit; Schepelmann, Karsten; Lautenbacher, Stefan

2009-01-01

Both age and dementia have been shown to have an effect on nociception and pain processing. The question arises whether mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is thought to be a transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia, is also associated with alterations in pain processing. The aim of the present study was to answer this question by investigating the impact of age and MCI on the pain response system. Forty young subjects, 45 cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects and 42 subjects with MCI were investigated by use of an experimental multi-method approach. The subjects were tested for their subjective (pain ratings), motor (RIII reflex), facial (Facial Action Coding System) and their autonomic (sympathetic skin response and evoked heart rate response) responses to noxious electrical stimulation of the nervus suralis. We found significant group differences in the autonomic responses to noxious stimulation. The sympathetic skin response amplitude was significantly reduced in the cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects compared to younger subjects and to an even greater degree in subjects with MCI. The evoked heart rate response was reduced to a similar degree in both groups of aged subjects. Regression analyses within the two groups of the elderly subjects revealed that age and, in the MCI group, cognitive status were significant predictors of the decrease in autonomic responsiveness to noxious stimulation. Except for the autonomic parameters, no other pain parameter differed between the three groups. The pain response system appeared to be quite unaltered in MCI patients compared to cognitively unimpaired individuals of the same age. Only the sympathetic responsiveness qualified as an indicator of early aging effects as well as of pathophysiology associated with MCI, which both seemed to affect the pain system independently from each other.

Cortico-hippocampal systems involved in memory and cognition: the PMAT framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchey, Maureen; Libby, Laura A; Ranganath, Charan

2015-01-01

In this chapter, we review evidence that the cortical pathways to the hippocampus appear to extend from two large-scale cortical systems: a posterior medial (PM) system that includes the parahippocampal cortex and retrosplenial cortex, and an anterior temporal (AT) system that includes the perirhinal cortex. This "PMAT" framework accounts for differences in the anatomical and functional connectivity of the medial temporal lobes, which may underpin differences in cognitive function between the systems. The PM and AT systems make distinct contributions to memory and to other cognitive domains, and convergent findings suggest that they are involved in processing information about contexts and items, respectively. In order to support the full complement of memory-guided behavior, the two systems must interact, and the hippocampal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex may serve as sites of integration between the two systems. We conclude that when considering the "connected hippocampus," inquiry should extend beyond the medial temporal lobes to include the large-scale cortical systems of which they are a part. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Robust distributed cognitive relay beamforming

KAUST Repository

Pandarakkottilil, Ubaidulla

2012-05-01

In this paper, we present a distributed relay beamformer design for a cognitive radio network in which a cognitive (or secondary) transmit node communicates with a secondary receive node assisted by a set of cognitive non-regenerative relays. The secondary nodes share the spectrum with a licensed primary user (PU) node, and each node is assumed to be equipped with a single transmit/receive antenna. The interference to the PU resulting from the transmission from the cognitive nodes is kept below a specified limit. The proposed robust cognitive relay beamformer design seeks to minimize the total relay transmit power while ensuring that the transceiver signal-to-interference- plus-noise ratio and PU interference constraints are satisfied. The proposed design takes into account a parameter of the error in the channel state information (CSI) to render the performance of the beamformer robust in the presence of imperfect CSI. Though the original problem is non-convex, we show that the proposed design can be reformulated as a tractable convex optimization problem that can be solved efficiently. Numerical results are provided and illustrate the performance of the proposed designs for different network operating conditions and parameters. © 2012 IEEE.

Effects of caffeine on the electrophysiological, cognitive and motor responses of the central nervous system.

Science.gov (United States)

Deslandes, A C; Veiga, H; Cagy, M; Piedade, R; Pompeu, F; Ribeiro, P

2005-07-01

Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive substance in the world. The effects of caffeine have been studied using cognitive and motor measures, quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and event-related potentials. However, these methods are not usually employed in combination, a fact that impairs the interpretation of the results. The objective of the present study was to analyze changes in electrophysiological, cognitive and motor variables with the ingestion of caffeine, and to relate central to peripheral responses. For this purpose we recorded event-related potentials and eyes-closed, resting EEG, applied the Stroop test, and measured reaction time. Fifteen volunteers took caffeine (400 mg) or placebo in a randomized, crossover, double-blind design. A significant reduction of alpha absolute power over the entire scalp and of P300 latency at the Fz electrode were observed after caffeine ingestion. These results are consistent with a stimulatory effect of caffeine, although there was no change in the attention (Stroop) test or in reaction time. The qEEG seems to be the most sensitive index of the changes produced by caffeine in the central nervous system since it proved to be capable of detecting changes that were not evident in the tests of cognitive or motor performance.

Effects of caffeine on the electrophysiological, cognitive and motor responses of the central nervous system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deslandes A.C.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive substance in the world. The effects of caffeine have been studied using cognitive and motor measures, quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG and event-related potentials. However, these methods are not usually employed in combination, a fact that impairs the interpretation of the results. The objective of the present study was to analyze changes in electrophysiological, cognitive and motor variables with the ingestion of caffeine, and to relate central to peripheral responses. For this purpose we recorded event-related potentials and eyes-closed, resting EEG, applied the Stroop test, and measured reaction time. Fifteen volunteers took caffeine (400 mg or placebo in a randomized, crossover, double-blind design. A significant reduction of alpha absolute power over the entire scalp and of P300 latency at the Fz electrode were observed after caffeine ingestion. These results are consistent with a stimulatory effect of caffeine, although there was no change in the attention (Stroop test or in reaction time. The qEEG seems to be the most sensitive index of the changes produced by caffeine in the central nervous system since it proved to be capable of detecting changes that were not evident in the tests of cognitive or motor performance.

Cognitive Spectrum Efficient Multiple Access Technique using Relay Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Flemming Bjerge; Prasad, Ramjee

2007-01-01

Methods to enhance the use of the frequency spectrum by automatical spectrum sensing plus spectrum sharing in a cognitive radio technology context will be presented and discussed in this paper. Ideas to increase the coverage of cellular systems by relay channels, relay stations and collaborate...

Cross-layer combining of information-guided transmission withnetwork coding relaying for multiuser cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Yang, Yuli; Aï ssa, Sonia

2013-01-01

For a cognitive radio relaying network, we propose a cross-layer design by combining information-guided transmission at the physical layer and network coding at the network layer. With this design, a common relay is exploited to help

Cognitive Impairments in Multiple System Atrophy of the Cerebellar Type

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun J. Hong

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose We investigated the cognitive profiles in a large sample of patients with multiple system atrophy-cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C and compared directly them in patients with clinical diagnosis of probable MSA-C without dementia and control subjects with intact cognition. Methods We prospectively enrolled 26 patients with clinical diagnosis of probable MSA-C. All patients underwent a standardized neuropsychological test of the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery. Results The score of Korean version of the Mini- Mental State Examination was significantly lower in patients with MSA-C (27.2 ± 2.5 than in control subjects (28.9 ± 1.0, p = 0.003. Patients with MSA-C showed a significantly worse performance in visuospatial function, 3 words recall, verbal immediate, delayed and recognition memory, visual delayed memory, phonemic and sementic Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and ideomotor praxis (p < 0.05. Conclusions Patients with MSA-C show more severe and more widespread cognitive dysfunctions than controls. Our results also indicate that cognitive dysfunction in patients with MCA-C is suggestive of disruption of the cerebellocortical circuits.

An Investigation of Data Overload in Team-Based Distributed Cognition Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hellar, David Benjamin

2009-01-01

The modern military command center is a hybrid system of computer automated surveillance and human oriented decision making. In these distributed cognition systems, data overload refers simultaneously to the glut of raw data processed by information technology systems and the dearth of actionable knowledge useful to human decision makers.…

Disassembly automation automated systems with cognitive abilities

CERN Document Server

Vongbunyong, Supachai

2015-01-01

This book presents a number of aspects to be considered in the development of disassembly automation, including the mechanical system, vision system and intelligent planner. The implementation of cognitive robotics increases the flexibility and degree of autonomy of the disassembly system. Disassembly, as a step in the treatment of end-of-life products, can allow the recovery of embodied value left within disposed products, as well as the appropriate separation of potentially-hazardous components. In the end-of-life treatment industry, disassembly has largely been limited to manual labor, which is expensive in developed countries. Automation is one possible solution for economic feasibility. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

Sociotechnical systems as a framework for regulatory system design and evaluation: Using Work Domain Analysis to examine a new regulatory system.

Science.gov (United States)

Carden, Tony; Goode, Natassia; Read, Gemma J M; Salmon, Paul M

2017-03-15

Like most work systems, the domain of adventure activities has seen a series of serious incidents and subsequent calls to improve regulation. Safety regulation systems aim to promote safety and reduce accidents. However, there is scant evidence they have led to improved safety outcomes. In fact there is some evidence that the poor integration of regulatory system components has led to adverse safety outcomes in some contexts. Despite this, there is an absence of methods for evaluating regulatory and compliance systems. This article argues that sociotechnical systems theory and methods provide a suitable framework for evaluating regulatory systems. This is demonstrated through an analysis of a recently introduced set of adventure activity regulations. Work Domain Analysis (WDA) was used to describe the regulatory system in terms of its functional purposes, values and priority measures, purpose-related functions, object-related processes and cognitive objects. This allowed judgement to be made on the nature of the new regulatory system and on the constraints that may impact its efficacy following implementation. Importantly, the analysis suggests that the new system's functional purpose of ensuring safe activities is not fully supported in terms of the functions and objects available to fulfil them. Potential improvements to the design of the system are discussed along with the implications for regulatory system design and evaluation across the safety critical domains generally. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Load Measurement in a Virtual Reality-based Driving System for Autism Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lian; Wade, Joshua; Bian, Dayi; Fan, Jing; Swanson, Amy; Weitlauf, Amy; Warren, Zachary; Sarkar, Nilanjan

2017-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with enormous individual and social cost. In this paper, a novel virtual reality (VR)-based driving system was introduced to teach driving skills to adolescents with ASD. This driving system is capable of gathering eye gaze, electroencephalography, and peripheral physiology data in addition to driving performance data. The objective of this paper is to fuse multimodal information to measure cognitive load during driving such that driving tasks can be individualized for optimal skill learning. Individualization of ASD intervention is an important criterion due to the spectrum nature of the disorder. Twenty adolescents with ASD participated in our study and the data collected were used for systematic feature extraction and classification of cognitive loads based on five well-known machine learning methods. Subsequently, three information fusion schemes-feature level fusion, decision level fusion and hybrid level fusion-were explored. Results indicate that multimodal information fusion can be used to measure cognitive load with high accuracy. Such a mechanism is essential since it will allow individualization of driving skill training based on cognitive load, which will facilitate acceptance of this driving system for clinical use and eventual commercialization.

Cognitive Load Measurement in a Virtual Reality-based Driving System for Autism Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lian; Wade, Joshua; Bian, Dayi; Fan, Jing; Swanson, Amy; Weitlauf, Amy; Warren, Zachary; Sarkar, Nilanjan

2016-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with enormous individual and social cost. In this paper, a novel virtual reality (VR)-based driving system was introduced to teach driving skills to adolescents with ASD. This driving system is capable of gathering eye gaze, electroencephalography, and peripheral physiology data in addition to driving performance data. The objective of this paper is to fuse multimodal information to measure cognitive load during driving such that driving tasks can be individualized for optimal skill learning. Individualization of ASD intervention is an important criterion due to the spectrum nature of the disorder. Twenty adolescents with ASD participated in our study and the data collected were used for systematic feature extraction and classification of cognitive loads based on five well-known machine learning methods. Subsequently, three information fusion schemes—feature level fusion, decision level fusion and hybrid level fusion—were explored. Results indicate that multimodal information fusion can be used to measure cognitive load with high accuracy. Such a mechanism is essential since it will allow individualization of driving skill training based on cognitive load, which will facilitate acceptance of this driving system for clinical use and eventual commercialization. PMID:28966730

Geo-localization system for people with cognitive disabilities

OpenAIRE

Ramos, João Ricardo Martins; Ricardo, Anacleto; Novais, Paulo; Figueiredo, Lino; Almeida, Ana; Neves, José

2013-01-01

Technology is present in almost every simple aspect of the people’s daily life. As an instance, let us refer to the smartphone. This device is usually equipped with a GPS module which may be used as an orientation system, if it carries the right functionalities. The problem is that these applications may be complex to operate and may not be within the bounds of everybody. Therefore, the main goal here is to develop an orientation system that may help people with cognitive di...

Bandwidth and power allocation for two-way relaying in overlay cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Alsharoa, Ahmad M.

2014-12-01

In this paper, the problem of both bandwidth and power allocation for two-way multiple relay systems in overlay cognitive radio (CR) setup is investigated. In the CR overlay mode, primary users (PUs) cooperate with cognitive users (CUs) for mutual benefits. In our framework, we propose that the CUs are allowed to allocate a part of the PUs spectrum to perform their cognitive transmission. In return, acting as an amplify-and-forward two-way relays, they are used to support PUs to achieve their target data rates over the remaining bandwidth. More specifically, CUs acts as relays for the PUs and gain some spectrum as long as they respect a specific power budget and primary quality-of-service constraints. In this context, we first derive closed-form expressions for optimal transmit power allocated to PUs and CUs in order to maximize the cognitive objective. Then, we employ a strong optimization tool based on particle swarm optimization algorithm to find the optimal relay amplification gains and optimal cognitive released bandwidths as well. Our numerical results illustrate the performance of our proposed algorithm for different utility metrics and analyze the impact of some system parameters on the achieved performance.

DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS FOR ADVANCED SMRs: THE ROLE OF COGNITIVE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacques Hugo; David Gertman

2014-04-01

Advanced small modular reactors (AdvSMRs) will use advanced digital instrumentation and control systems, and make greater use of automation. These advances not only pose technical and operational challenges, but will inevitably have an effect on the operating and maintenance (O&M) cost of new plants. However, there is much uncertainty about the impact of AdvSMR designs on operational and human factors considerations, such as workload, situation awareness, human reliability, staffing levels, and the appropriate allocation of functions between the crew and various automated plant systems. Existing human factors and systems engineering design standards and methodologies are not current in terms of human interaction requirements for dynamic automated systems and are no longer suitable for the analysis of evolving operational concepts. New models and guidance for operational concepts for complex socio-technical systems need to adopt a state-of-the-art approach such as Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) that gives due consideration to the role of personnel. This approach we report on helps to identify and evaluate human challenges related to non-traditional concepts of operations. A framework - defining operational strategies was developed based on the operational analysis of Argonne National Laboratory’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), a small (20MWe) sodium-cooled reactor that was successfully operated for thirty years. Insights from the application of the systematic application of the methodology and its utility are reviewed and arguments for the formal adoption of CSE as a value-added part of the Systems Engineering process are presented.

Cognitive object recognition system (CORS)

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, Chaitanya; Varadarajan, Karthik Mahesh; Krishnamurthi, Niyant; Xu, Shuli; Biederman, Irving; Kelley, Troy

2010-04-01

We have developed a framework, Cognitive Object Recognition System (CORS), inspired by current neurocomputational models and psychophysical research in which multiple recognition algorithms (shape based geometric primitives, 'geons,' and non-geometric feature-based algorithms) are integrated to provide a comprehensive solution to object recognition and landmarking. Objects are defined as a combination of geons, corresponding to their simple parts, and the relations among the parts. However, those objects that are not easily decomposable into geons, such as bushes and trees, are recognized by CORS using "feature-based" algorithms. The unique interaction between these algorithms is a novel approach that combines the effectiveness of both algorithms and takes us closer to a generalized approach to object recognition. CORS allows recognition of objects through a larger range of poses using geometric primitives and performs well under heavy occlusion - about 35% of object surface is sufficient. Furthermore, geon composition of an object allows image understanding and reasoning even with novel objects. With reliable landmarking capability, the system improves vision-based robot navigation in GPS-denied environments. Feasibility of the CORS system was demonstrated with real stereo images captured from a Pioneer robot. The system can currently identify doors, door handles, staircases, trashcans and other relevant landmarks in the indoor environment.

The effect of implementing cognitive load theory-based design principles in virtual reality simulation training of surgical skills: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Steven Arild Wuyts; Mikkelsen, Peter Trier; Konge, Lars; Cayé-Thomasen, Per; Sørensen, Mads Sølvsten

2016-01-01

Cognitive overload can inhibit learning, and cognitive load theory-based instructional design principles can be used to optimize learning situations. This study aims to investigate the effect of implementing cognitive load theory-based design principles in virtual reality simulation training of mastoidectomy. Eighteen novice medical students received 1 h of self-directed virtual reality simulation training of the mastoidectomy procedure randomized for standard instructions (control) or cognitive load theory-based instructions with a worked example followed by a problem completion exercise (intervention). Participants then completed two post-training virtual procedures for assessment and comparison. Cognitive load during the post-training procedures was estimated by reaction time testing on an integrated secondary task. Final-product analysis by two blinded expert raters was used to assess the virtual mastoidectomy performances. Participants in the intervention group had a significantly increased cognitive load during the post-training procedures compared with the control group (52 vs. 41 %, p  = 0.02). This was also reflected in the final-product performance: the intervention group had a significantly lower final-product score than the control group (13.0 vs. 15.4, p  virtual reality surgical simulation training of novices.

Representing distributed cognition in complex systems: how a submarine returns to periscope depth.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Neville A

2014-01-01

This paper presents the Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork (EAST) method as a means of modelling distributed cognition in systems. The method comprises three network models (i.e. task, social and information) and their combination. This method was applied to the interactions between the sound room and control room in a submarine, following the activities of returning the submarine to periscope depth. This paper demonstrates three main developments in EAST. First, building the network models directly, without reference to the intervening methods. Second, the application of analysis metrics to all three networks. Third, the combination of the aforementioned networks in different ways to gain a broader understanding of the distributed cognition. Analyses have shown that EAST can be used to gain both qualitative and quantitative insights into distributed cognition. Future research should focus on the analyses of network resilience and modelling alternative versions of a system.

Cognitive Models of Scientific Work and Their Implications for the Design of Knowledge Delivery Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavor, A. S.; And Others

Part of a sustained program that has involved the design of personally tailored information systems responsive to the needs of scientists performing common research and teaching tasks, this project focuses on the procedural and content requirements for accomplishing need diagnosis and presents these requirements as specifications for an…

Conceptual Spaces of the Immune System.

Science.gov (United States)

Fierz, Walter

2016-01-01

The immune system can be looked at as a cognitive system. This is often done in analogy to the neuro-psychological system. Here, it is demonstrated that the cognitive functions of the immune system can be properly described within a new theory of cognitive science. Gärdenfors' geometrical framework of conceptual spaces is applied to immune cognition. Basic notions, like quality dimensions, natural properties and concepts, similarities, prototypes, saliences, etc., are related to cognitive phenomena of the immune system. Constraints derived from treating the immune system within a cognitive theory, like Gärdenfors' conceptual spaces, might well prove to be instrumental for the design of vaccines, immunological diagnostic tests, and immunotherapy.

A Framework for Systemic Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Ryan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available As designers move upstream from traditional product and service design to engage with challenges characterised by complexity, uniqueness, value conflict, and ambiguity over objectives, they have increasingly integrated systems approaches into their practice. This synthesis of systems thinking with design thinking is forming a distinct new field of systemic design. This paper presents a framework for systemic design as a mindset, methodology, and set of methods that together enable teams to learn, innovate, and adapt to a complex and dynamic environment. We suggest that a systemic design mindset is inquiring, open, integrative, collaborative, and centred. We propose a systemic design methodology composed of six main activities: framing, formulating, generating, reflecting, inquiring, and facilitating. We view systemic design methods as a flexible and open-ended set of procedures for facilitating group collaboration that are both systemic and designerly.  

Cognitive Architecture of Common and Scientific Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Tarábek, Paul

2010-07-01

The cognitive architecture of concept is a specific structure consisting of the concept core, concept periphery, the semantic frame as the meaning and the sense of the concept, and the relations among all components of this structure. The model of the cognitive architecture of scientific and common concepts is a conceptual meta-model built upon Vygotsky's concept theory, Fillmore's semantic frame, semantic triangle, on widespread ideas of the structuring of conceptual systems, and the Hestenes' Modeling Theory. The method of semantic mapping of concepts flowing from the model is designed.

Advanced sensing techniques for cognitive radio

CERN Document Server

Zhao, Guodong; Li, Shaoqian

2017-01-01

This SpringerBrief investigates advanced sensing techniques to detect and estimate the primary receiver for cognitive radio systems. Along with a comprehensive overview of existing spectrum sensing techniques, this brief focuses on the design of new signal processing techniques, including the region-based sensing, jamming-based probing, and relay-based probing. The proposed sensing techniques aim to detect the nearby primary receiver and estimate the cross-channel gain between the cognitive transmitter and primary receiver. The performance of the proposed algorithms is evaluated by simulations in terms of several performance parameters, including detection probability, interference probability, and estimation error. The results show that the proposed sensing techniques can effectively sense the primary receiver and improve the cognitive transmission throughput. Researchers and postgraduate students in electrical engineering will find this an exceptional resource.

Human cognitive task distribution model for maintenance support system of a nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Young Ho

2007-02-15

In human factors research, more attention has been devoted to the operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) than to their maintenance. However, human error related to maintenance is 45% among the total human errors from 1990 to 2005 in Korean nuclear power plants. Therefore, it is necessary to study human factors in the maintenance of an NPP. There is a current trend toward introducing digital technology into both safety and non-safety systems in NPPs. A variety of information about plant conditions can be used digitally. In the future, maintenance support systems will be developed based on an information-oriented NPP. In this context, it is necessary to study the cognitive tasks of the personnel involved in maintenance and the interaction between the personnel and maintenance support systems. The fundamental purpose of this work is how to distribute the cognitive tasks of the personnel involved in the maintenance in order to develop a maintenance support system that considers human factors. The second purpose is to find the causes of errors due to engineers or maintainers and propose system functions that are countermeasures to reduce these errors. In this paper, a cognitive task distribution model of the personnel involved in maintenance is proposed using Rasmussen's decision making model. First, the personnel were divided into three groups: the operators (inspectors), engineers, and maintainers. Second, human cognitive tasks related to maintenance were distributed based on these groups. The operators' cognitive tasks are detection and observation; the engineers' cognitive tasks are identification, evaluation, target state, select target, and procedure: and the maintainers' cognitive task is execution. The case study is an analysis of failure reports related to human error in maintenance over a period of 15years. By using error classification based on the information processing approach, the human errors involved in maintenance were classified

Human cognitive task distribution model for maintenance support system of a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Young Ho

2007-02-01

In human factors research, more attention has been devoted to the operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) than to their maintenance. However, human error related to maintenance is 45% among the total human errors from 1990 to 2005 in Korean nuclear power plants. Therefore, it is necessary to study human factors in the maintenance of an NPP. There is a current trend toward introducing digital technology into both safety and non-safety systems in NPPs. A variety of information about plant conditions can be used digitally. In the future, maintenance support systems will be developed based on an information-oriented NPP. In this context, it is necessary to study the cognitive tasks of the personnel involved in maintenance and the interaction between the personnel and maintenance support systems. The fundamental purpose of this work is how to distribute the cognitive tasks of the personnel involved in the maintenance in order to develop a maintenance support system that considers human factors. The second purpose is to find the causes of errors due to engineers or maintainers and propose system functions that are countermeasures to reduce these errors. In this paper, a cognitive task distribution model of the personnel involved in maintenance is proposed using Rasmussen's decision making model. First, the personnel were divided into three groups: the operators (inspectors), engineers, and maintainers. Second, human cognitive tasks related to maintenance were distributed based on these groups. The operators' cognitive tasks are detection and observation; the engineers' cognitive tasks are identification, evaluation, target state, select target, and procedure: and the maintainers' cognitive task is execution. The case study is an analysis of failure reports related to human error in maintenance over a period of 15years. By using error classification based on the information processing approach, the human errors involved in maintenance were classified

A qualitative study adopting a user-centered approach to design and validate a brain computer interface for cognitive rehabilitation for people with brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Suzanne; Armstrong, Elaine; Thomson, Eileen; Vargiu, Eloisa; Solà, Marc; Dauwalder, Stefan; Miralles, Felip; Daly Lynn, Jean

2017-07-14

Cognitive rehabilitation is established as a core intervention within rehabilitation programs following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Digitally enabled assistive technologies offer opportunities for clinicians to increase remote access to rehabilitation supporting transition into home. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) systems can harness the residual abilities of individuals with limited function to gain control over computers through their brain waves. This paper presents an online cognitive rehabilitation application developed with therapists, to work remotely with people who have TBI, who will use BCI at home to engage in the therapy. A qualitative research study was completed with people who are community dwellers post brain injury (end users), and a cohort of therapists involved in cognitive rehabilitation. A user-centered approach over three phases in the development, design and feasibility testing of this cognitive rehabilitation application included two tasks (Find-a-Category and a Memory Card task). The therapist could remotely prescribe activity with different levels of difficulty. The service user had a home interface which would present the therapy activities. This novel work was achieved by an international consortium of academics, business partners and service users.

Cognitive Connected Vehicle Information System Design Requirement for Safety: Role of Bayesian Artificial Intelligence

OpenAIRE

Ata Khan

2013-01-01

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are gaining acceptance around the world and the connected vehicle component of ITS is recognized as a high priority research and development area in many technologically advanced countries. Connected vehicles are expected to have the capability of safe, efficient and eco-driving operations whether these are under human control or in the adaptive machine control mode of operations. The race is on to design the capability to operate in connected traffic ...

Study of Personalized Network Tutoring System Based on Emotional-cognitive Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Manfei; Ma, Ding; Wang, Wansen

Aiming at emotion deficiency in present Network tutoring system, a lot of negative effects is analyzed and corresponding countermeasures are proposed. The model of Personalized Network tutoring system based on Emotional-cognitive interaction is constructed in the paper. The key techniques of realizing the system such as constructing emotional model and adjusting teaching strategies are also introduced.

Designing Deliberation Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rose, Jeremy; Sæbø, Øystein

2010-01-01

the potential to revitalize and transform citizen engagement in democracy.  Although the majority of web 2.0 systems enable these discourses to some extent, government institutions commission and manage specialized deliberation systems (information systems designed to support participative discourse) intended...... to promote citizen engagement.  The most common examples of these are political discussion forums.  Though usually considered trivial adaptations of well-known technologies, these types of deliberative systems are often unsuccessful, and present a distinct set of design and management challenges.......  In this article we analyze the issues involved in establishing political deliberation systems under four headings: stakeholder engagement, web platform design, service management, political process re-shaping and evaluation and improvement.  We review the existing literature and present a longitudinal case study...

A Dynamic Spectrum Allocation Algorithm for a Maritime Cognitive Radio Communication System Based on a Queuing Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingbo Zhang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of maritime digital communication, the demand for spectrum resources is increasing, and building a maritime cognitive radio communication system is an effective solution. In this paper, the problem of how to effectively allocate the spectrum for secondary users (SUs with different priorities in a maritime cognitive radio communication system is studied. According to the characteristics of a maritime cognitive radio and existing research about cognitive radio systems, this paper establishes a centralized maritime cognitive radio communication model and creates a simplified queuing model with two queues for the communication model. In the view of the behaviors of SUs and primary users (PUs, we propose a dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA algorithm based on the system status, and analyze it with a two-dimensional Markov chain. Simulation results show that, when different types of SUs have similar arrival rates, the algorithm can vary the priority factor according to the change of users’ status in the system, so as to adjust the channel allocation, decreasing system congestion. The improvement of the algorithm is about 7–26%, and the specific improvement is negatively correlated with the SU arrival rate.

Social cognitive radio networks

CERN Document Server

Chen, Xu

2015-01-01

This brief presents research results on social cognitive radio networks, a transformational and innovative networking paradigm that promotes the nexus between social interactions and cognitive radio networks. Along with a review of the research literature, the text examines the key motivation and challenges of social cognitive radio network design. Three socially inspired distributed spectrum sharing mechanisms are introduced: adaptive channel recommendation mechanism, imitation-based social spectrum sharing mechanism, and evolutionarily stable spectrum access mechanism. The brief concludes with a discussion of future research directions which ascertains that exploiting social interactions for distributed spectrum sharing will advance the state-of-the-art of cognitive radio network design, spur a new line of thinking for future wireless networks, and enable novel wireless service and applications.

Can Research Design Explain Variation in Head Start Research Results? A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive and Achievement Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Shager, Hilary M.; Schindler, Holly S.; Magnuson, Katherine A.; Duncan, Greg J.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Hart, Cassandra M. D.

2013-01-01

This study explores the extent to which differences in research design explain variation in Head Start program impacts. We employ meta-analytic techniques to predict effect sizes for cognitive and achievement outcomes as a function of the type and rigor of research design, quality and type of outcome measure, activity level of control group, and…

Contribution Towards Practical Cognitive Radios Systems

KAUST Repository

Ben Ghorbel, Mahdi

2013-07-01

Cognitive radios is one of the hot topics for emerging and future wireless commu- nication. It has been proposed as a suitable solution for the spectrum scarcity caused by the increase in frequency demand. The concept is based on allowing unlicensed users, called cognitive or secondary users, to share the unoccupied frequency bands with their owners, called the primary users, under constraints on the interference they cause to them. The objective of our work is to propose some enhancements to cognitive radio systems while taking into account practical constraints. Cogni- tive radios requires a capability to detect spectrum holes (spectrum sensing) and a scheduling flexibility to avoid the occupied spectrum and selectively use the empty spectrum (dynamic resource allocation). Thus, the work is composed of two main parts. The first part focuses on cooperative spectrum sensing. We compute in this part the analytical performance of cooperative spectrum sensing under non identical and imperfect channels. Different schemes are considered for the cooperation between users such as hard binary, censored information, quantized, and soft information. The second part focuses on the dynamic resource allocation. We first propose low-cost re- source allocation algorithms that use location information to estimate the interference to primary users to replace absence of instantaneous channel state information. We extend these algorithms to handle practical implementation constraints such as dis- 5 crete bit-loading and collocated subcarriers allocations. We then propose a reduced dimension approach based on the grouping of subcarriers into clusters and performing the resource allocation over clusters of subcarriers instead of single subcarriers. This approach is shown to reduce the computational complexity of the algorithm with lim- ited performance loss. In addition, it is valid for a generic set of resource allocation problems in presence of co-channel interference between users.

Visual cognition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinker, S.

1985-01-01

This collection of research papers on visual cognition first appeared as a special issue of Cognition: International Journal of Cognitive Science. The study of visual cognition has seen enormous progress in the past decade, bringing important advances in our understanding of shape perception, visual imagery, and mental maps. Many of these discoveries are the result of converging investigations in different areas, such as cognitive and perceptual psychology, artificial intelligence, and neuropsychology. This volume is intended to highlight a sample of work at the cutting edge of this research area for the benefit of students and researchers in a variety of disciplines. The tutorial introduction that begins the volume is designed to help the nonspecialist reader bridge the gap between the contemporary research reported here and earlier textbook introductions or literature reviews.

Cognitive and system factors contributing to diagnostic errors in radiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Cindy S; Nagy, Paul G; Weaver, Sallie J; Newman-Toker, David E

2013-09-01

In this article, we describe some of the cognitive and system-based sources of detection and interpretation errors in diagnostic radiology and discuss potential approaches to help reduce misdiagnoses. Every radiologist worries about missing a diagnosis or giving a false-positive reading. The retrospective error rate among radiologic examinations is approximately 30%, with real-time errors in daily radiology practice averaging 3-5%. Nearly 75% of all medical malpractice claims against radiologists are related to diagnostic errors. As medical reimbursement trends downward, radiologists attempt to compensate by undertaking additional responsibilities to increase productivity. The increased workload, rising quality expectations, cognitive biases, and poor system factors all contribute to diagnostic errors in radiology. Diagnostic errors are underrecognized and underappreciated in radiology practice. This is due to the inability to obtain reliable national estimates of the impact, the difficulty in evaluating effectiveness of potential interventions, and the poor response to systemwide solutions. Most of our clinical work is executed through type 1 processes to minimize cost, anxiety, and delay; however, type 1 processes are also vulnerable to errors. Instead of trying to completely eliminate cognitive shortcuts that serve us well most of the time, becoming aware of common biases and using metacognitive strategies to mitigate the effects have the potential to create sustainable improvement in diagnostic errors.

Structural design by CAD system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jhin Wung; Shim, Jae Ku; Kim, Sun Hoon; Kim, Dae Hong; Lee, Kyung Jin; Choi, Kyu Sup; Choi, In Kil; Lee, Dong Yong

1988-12-01

CAD systems are now widely used for the design of many engineering problems involving static, dynamic and thermal stress analyses of structures. In order to apply CAD systems to the structural analysis and design, the function of hardwares and softwares necessary for the CAD systems must be understood. The purpose of this study is to introduce the basic elements that are indispensible in the application of CAD systems to the analysis and design of structures and to give a thorough understanding of CAD systems to design engineers, so as to participate in the further technological developments of CAD systems. Due to the complexity and variety of the shape and size of the nowa-days structures, the need of new design technologies is growing for more efficient, accurate and economical design of structures. The application of CAD systems to structural engineering fields enables to improve structural engineering analysis and design technologies and also to obtain the standardization of the design process. An active introduction of rapidly developing CAD technologies will contribute to analyzing and designing structures more efficiently and reliably. Based on this report of the current status of the application of CAD systems to the structural analysis and design, the next goal is to develop the expert system which enables to perform the design of structures by CAD systems from the preliminary conceptual design to the final detail drawings automatically. (Author)

Memory and cognitive control circuits in mathematical cognition and learning

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, V.

2018-01-01

Numerical cognition relies on interactions within and between multiple functional brain systems, including those subserving quantity processing, working memory, declarative memory, and cognitive control. This chapter describes recent advances in our understanding of memory and control circuits in mathematical cognition and learning. The working memory system involves multiple parietal–frontal circuits which create short-term representations that allow manipulation of discrete quantities over several seconds. In contrast, hippocampal–frontal circuits underlying the declarative memory system play an important role in formation of associative memories and binding of new and old information, leading to the formation of long-term memories that allow generalization beyond individual problem attributes. The flow of information across these systems is regulated by flexible cognitive control systems which facilitate the integration and manipulation of quantity and mnemonic information. The implications of recent research for formulating a more comprehensive systems neuroscience view of the neural basis of mathematical learning and knowledge acquisition in both children and adults are discussed. PMID:27339012

Distributed Cognition on the road: Using EAST to explore future road transportation systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Victoria A; Stanton, Neville A; Burnett, Gary; Hermawati, Setia

2018-04-01

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) are set to revolutionise the way in which we use our transportation system. However, we do not fully understand how the integration of wireless and autonomous technology into the road transportation network affects overall network dynamism. This paper uses the theoretical principles underlying Distributed Cognition to explore the dependencies and interdependencies that exist between system agents located within the road environment, traffic management centres and other external agencies in both non-connected and connected transportation systems. This represents a significant step forward in modelling complex sociotechnical systems as it shows that the principles underlying Distributed Cognition can be applied to macro-level systems using the visual representations afforded by the Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork (EAST) method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A methodological study on organizing an intelligent CAD/CAE system for conceptual design of advanced nuclear reactor system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gofuku, Akio; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

1993-01-01

In order to shorten the time span of design work and enhance both consistency and rationality of design products, the authors are now investigating an intelligent CAD/CAE system to support cooperative works by many specialists by adopting object-oriented approach. In this paper, the cognitive aspect of design activities of specialists in the conceptual design phase of nuclear reactors is discussed. The activities of the specialists in their design analysis process are highly knowledge-based and goal-oriented. The characteristics of the activities are 1) hierarchization of design goal into sub-goals, 2) prioritization of design sub-goals and step-by-step practise of design analysis, and 3) abstraction of real-world space structure into more simplified space structure to cope with theoretical treatment. Based on these consideration, a conceptual design model of specialists' activities composed of attribute modeling and design expertise knowledge base is proposed. The 'principle of functional independence' proposed by Sue is applied to bridge between the attribute modeling and design expertise knowledge base. The intelligent CAD/CAE system is now under development by focusing on the conceptual design of a space power reactor core utilizing thermo-ionic fuel elements as direct thermo-to-electric conversion. A program to calculate thermo-hydraulics of reactor core and thermo-ionic power generation has been developed. An interface has been also developed in order to communicate with the specialists at JAERI by E-mail concerning the interactive calculation between our calculation and the neutronics calculation of reactor core. (orig.)

A methodological study on organizing an intelligent CAD/CAE system for conceptual design of advanced nuclear reactor system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gofuku, Akio (Inst. of Atomic Energy, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Yoshikawa, Hidekazu (Inst. of Atomic Energy, Kyoto Univ. (Japan))

1993-04-01

In order to shorten the time span of design work and enhance both consistency and rationality of design products, the authors are now investigating an intelligent CAD/CAE system to support cooperative works by many specialists by adopting object-oriented approach. In this paper, the cognitive aspect of design activities of specialists in the conceptual design phase of nuclear reactors is discussed. The activities of the specialists in their design analysis process are highly knowledge-based and goal-oriented. The characteristics of the activities are 1) hierarchization of design goal into sub-goals, 2) prioritization of design sub-goals and step-by-step practise of design analysis, and 3) abstraction of real-world space structure into more simplified space structure to cope with theoretical treatment. Based on these consideration, a conceptual design model of specialists' activities composed of attribute modeling and design expertise knowledge base is proposed. The 'principle of functional independence' proposed by Sue is applied to bridge between the attribute modeling and design expertise knowledge base. The intelligent CAD/CAE system is now under development by focusing on the conceptual design of a space power reactor core utilizing thermo-ionic fuel elements as direct thermo-to-electric conversion. A program to calculate thermo-hydraulics of reactor core and thermo-ionic power generation has been developed. An interface has been also developed in order to communicate with the specialists at JAERI by E-mail concerning the interactive calculation between our calculation and the neutronics calculation of reactor core. (orig.)

Computational models of music perception and cognition I: The perceptual and cognitive processing chain

Science.gov (United States)

Purwins, Hendrik; Herrera, Perfecto; Grachten, Maarten; Hazan, Amaury; Marxer, Ricard; Serra, Xavier

2008-09-01

We present a review on perception and cognition models designed for or applicable to music. An emphasis is put on computational implementations. We include findings from different disciplines: neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and musicology. The article summarizes the methodology that these disciplines use to approach the phenomena of music understanding, the localization of musical processes in the brain, and the flow of cognitive operations involved in turning physical signals into musical symbols, going from the transducers to the memory systems of the brain. We discuss formal models developed to emulate, explain and predict phenomena involved in early auditory processing, pitch processing, grouping, source separation, and music structure computation. We cover generic computational architectures of attention, memory, and expectation that can be instantiated and tuned to deal with specific musical phenomena. Criteria for the evaluation of such models are presented and discussed. Thereby, we lay out the general framework that provides the basis for the discussion of domain-specific music models in Part II.

Systems genetics identifies a convergent gene network for cognition and neurodevelopmental disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Michael R; Shkura, Kirill; Langley, Sarah R; Delahaye-Duriez, Andree; Srivastava, Prashant; Hill, W David; Rackham, Owen J L; Davies, Gail; Harris, Sarah E; Moreno-Moral, Aida; Rotival, Maxime; Speed, Doug; Petrovski, Slavé; Katz, Anaïs; Hayward, Caroline; Porteous, David J; Smith, Blair H; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Hocking, Lynne J; Starr, John M; Liewald, David C; Visconti, Alessia; Falchi, Mario; Bottolo, Leonardo; Rossetti, Tiziana; Danis, Bénédicte; Mazzuferi, Manuela; Foerch, Patrik; Grote, Alexander; Helmstaedter, Christoph; Becker, Albert J; Kaminski, Rafal M; Deary, Ian J; Petretto, Enrico

2016-02-01

Genetic determinants of cognition are poorly characterized, and their relationship to genes that confer risk for neurodevelopmental disease is unclear. Here we performed a systems-level analysis of genome-wide gene expression data to infer gene-regulatory networks conserved across species and brain regions. Two of these networks, M1 and M3, showed replicable enrichment for common genetic variants underlying healthy human cognitive abilities, including memory. Using exome sequence data from 6,871 trios, we found that M3 genes were also enriched for mutations ascertained from patients with neurodevelopmental disease generally, and intellectual disability and epileptic encephalopathy in particular. M3 consists of 150 genes whose expression is tightly developmentally regulated, but which are collectively poorly annotated for known functional pathways. These results illustrate how systems-level analyses can reveal previously unappreciated relationships between neurodevelopmental disease-associated genes in the developed human brain, and provide empirical support for a convergent gene-regulatory network influencing cognition and neurodevelopmental disease.

User-friendly cognitive training for the elderly: a technical report.

Science.gov (United States)

Boquete, Luciano; Rodríguez-Ascariz, José Manuel; Amo-Usanos, Carlos; Martínez-Arribas, Alejandro; Amo-Usanos, Javier; Otón, Salvador

2011-01-01

This article presents a system that implements a cognitive training program in users' homes. The system comprises various applications designed to create a daily brain-fitness regime. The proposed mental training system uses television and a remote control specially designed for the elderly. This system integrates Java applications to promote brain-fitness training in three areas: arithmetic, memory, and idea association. The system comprises the following: Standard television set, simplified wireless remote control, black box (system's core hardware and software), brain-fitness games (language Java), and Wi-Fi-enabled Internet-connected router. All data from the user training sessions are monitored through a control center. This control center analyzes the evolution of the user and the proper performance of the system during the test. The implemented system has been tested by six healthy volunteers. The results for this user group demonstrated the accessibility and usability of the system in a controlled real environment. The impressions of the users were very favorable, and they reported high adaptability to the system. The mean score for usability and accessibility assigned by the users was 3.56 out of 5 points. The operation stress test (over 200 h) was successful. The proposed system was used to implement a cognitive training program in users' homes, which was developed to be a low-cost tool with a high degree of user interactivity. The results of this preliminary study indicate that this user-friendly system could be adopted as a form of cognitive training for the elderly.

Gamification of cognitive assessment and cognitive training: A systematic review of applications, approaches and efficacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim Lumsden

2015-11-01

5.\tHow successful has gamification been in cognitive testing and training thus far? Method: Using several online databases, we searched the titles, abstracts and keywords of database entries using the search strategy (gamif* OR game OR games AND (cognit* OR engag* OR behavi* OR health* OR attention OR motiv*. Searches included articles published in English between January 2007 and October 2015. Non-peer reviewed studies such as abstracts or conference posters were excluded. Furthermore, due to the specific focus on cognitive assessment and training we excluded several other common uses of gamification including: gamification for education purposes, advertising purposes, disease management, health promotion, physical activity promotion, exposure therapy or rehabilitation. We also excluded studies that were merely used virtual reality or a 3D environment without involving any game mechanics: engagement had to be the primary reason for using a game-like design. Results: Our review identified 33 relevant studies, covering 31 gamified cognitive tasks used across a wide range of disorders and cognitive domains. Gamified cognitive training to relieve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms was particularly prominent. We describe the game mechanics used in gamified cognitive tasks, their effectiveness and frequency of use by designers. We also found that the majority of gamified cognitive tasks were rated as enjoyable or engaging by the study participants. Gamified assessments were typically validated successfully; however the efficacy of game-like cognitive training is more difficult to interpret due to several poor quality studies. High heterogeneity of study designs and small sample sizes highlight the need for further research in both training and testing. Conclusions: The evidence suggests that gamified cognitive training is motivating for users, though not necessarily an effective intervention. Nevertheless, gamification can provide a way to develop

Effects of acute systemic inflammation on the interplay between sad mood and affective cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Sven; Brinkhoff, Alexandra; Lueg, Larissa; Roderigo, Till; Kribben, Andreas; Wilde, Benjamin; Witzke, Oliver; Engler, Harald; Schedlowski, Manfred; Elsenbruch, Sigrid

2017-12-11

Experimental endotoxemia is a translational model to study inflammatory mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders including depression. Disturbed affective cognition constitutes a core aspect in depression, but has never been studied in the context of inflammation. We combined experimental endotoxemia with an established experimental mood induction procedure to assess the interaction between acute inflammation and sad mood and their effects on affective cognition. In this randomized cross-over study, N = 15 healthy males received endotoxin (0.8 ng/kg lipopolysaccharide iv) on one study day and placebo an otherwise identical study day. The affective Go/Nogo task was conducted after experimental induction of neutral and sad mood. Inflammatory markers were assessed hourly. Endotoxin application induced a transient systemic inflammation, characterized by increased leukocyte counts, TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 plasma concentrations (all p sadness ratings, with highest ratings when sad mood was induced during inflammation (p sad vs. neutral mood) × 2 (sad vs. happy Go/Nogo target words) factorial design, we observed a significant target × endotoxin condition interaction (p sad targets during endotoxemia. Additionally, we found a valence × mood interaction (p sad targets in sad mood. In summary, acute inflammation and sad mood are risk factors for disturbed affective cognition. The results may reflect a mood-congruency effect, with prolonged and sustained processing of mood-congruent information during acute inflammation, which may contribute to depression risk.

Systems engineering agile design methodologies

CERN Document Server

Crowder, James A

2013-01-01

This book examines the paradigm of the engineering design process. The authors discuss agile systems and engineering design. The book captures the entire design process (functionbases), context, and requirements to affect real reuse. It provides a methodology for an engineering design process foundation for modern and future systems design. This book captures design patterns with context for actual Systems Engineering Design Reuse and contains a new paradigm in Design Knowledge Management.

Artificial intelligence and tutoring systems computational and cognitive approaches to the communication of knowledge

CERN Document Server

Wenger, Etienne

2014-01-01

Artificial Intelligence and Tutoring Systems: Computational and Cognitive Approaches to the Communication of Knowledge focuses on the cognitive approaches, methodologies, principles, and concepts involved in the communication of knowledge. The publication first elaborates on knowledge communication systems, basic issues, and tutorial dialogues. Concerns cover natural reasoning and tutorial dialogues, shift from local strategies to multiple mental models, domain knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, implicit versus explicit encoding of knowledge, knowledge communication, and practical and theoretic

Studying distributed cognition of simulation-based team training with DiCoT.

Science.gov (United States)

Rybing, Jonas; Nilsson, Heléne; Jonson, Carl-Oscar; Bang, Magnus

2016-03-01

Health care organizations employ simulation-based team training (SBTT) to improve skill, communication and coordination in a broad range of critical care contexts. Quantitative approaches, such as team performance measurements, are predominantly used to measure SBTTs effectiveness. However, a practical evaluation method that examines how this approach supports cognition and teamwork is missing. We have applied Distributed Cognition for Teamwork (DiCoT), a method for analysing cognition and collaboration aspects of work settings, with the purpose of assessing the methodology's usefulness for evaluating SBTTs. In a case study, we observed and analysed four Emergo Train System® simulation exercises where medical professionals trained emergency response routines. The study suggests that DiCoT is an applicable and learnable tool for determining key distributed cognition attributes of SBTTs that are of importance for the simulation validity of training environments. Moreover, we discuss and exemplify how DiCoT supports design of SBTTs with a focus on transfer and validity characteristics. Practitioner Summary: In this study, we have evaluated a method to assess simulation-based team training environments from a cognitive ergonomics perspective. Using a case study, we analysed Distributed Cognition for Teamwork (DiCoT) by applying it to the Emergo Train System®. We conclude that DiCoT is useful for SBTT evaluation and simulator (re)design.

Rectenna system design

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, W. C.; Dickinson, R. M.; Nalos, E. J.; Ott, J. H.

1980-01-01

The function of the rectenna in the solar power satellite system is described and the basic design choices based on the desired microwave field concentration and ground clearance requirements are given. One important area of concern, from the EMI point of view, harmonic reradiation and scattering from the rectenna is also designed. An optimization of a rectenna system design to minimize costs was performed. The rectenna cost breakdown for a 56 w installation is given as an example.

Cognitive and cognitive-motor interventions affecting physical functioning: A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murer Kurt

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several types of cognitive or combined cognitive-motor intervention types that might influence physical functions have been proposed in the past: training of dual-tasking abilities, and improving cognitive function through behavioral interventions or the use of computer games. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the literature regarding the use of cognitive and cognitive-motor interventions to improve physical functioning in older adults or people with neurological impairments that are similar to cognitive impairments seen in aging. The aim was to identify potentially promising methods that might be used in future intervention type studies for older adults. Methods A systematic search was conducted for the Medline/Premedline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE databases. The search was focused on older adults over the age of 65. To increase the number of articles for review, we also included those discussing adult patients with neurological impairments due to trauma, as these cognitive impairments are similar to those seen in the aging population. The search was restricted to English, German and French language literature without any limitation of publication date or restriction by study design. Cognitive or cognitive-motor interventions were defined as dual-tasking, virtual reality exercise, cognitive exercise, or a combination of these. Results 28 articles met our inclusion criteria. Three articles used an isolated cognitive rehabilitation intervention, seven articles used a dual-task intervention and 19 applied a computerized intervention. There is evidence to suggest that cognitive or motor-cognitive methods positively affects physical functioning, such as postural control, walking abilities and general functions of the upper and lower extremities, respectively. The majority of the included studies resulted in improvements of the assessed functional outcome measures. Conclusions The current evidence on the

A Game System for Cognitive Rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azrulhizam Shapi’i

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Brain injury such as traumatic brain injury (TBI and stroke is the major cause of long-term disabilities in many countries. The increasing rate of brain damaged victims and the heterogeneity of impairments decrease rehabilitation effectiveness and competence resulting in higher cost of rehabilitation treatment. On the other hand, traditional rehabilitation exercises are boring, thus leading patients to neglect the prescribed exercises required for recovery. Therefore, we propose game-based approach to address these problems. This paper presents a rehabilitation gaming system (RGS for cognitive rehabilitation. The RGS is developed based on a proposed conceptual framework which has also been presented in this paper.

Spectrum management and radio resource management considering cognitive radio systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haartsen, J.C.; Wieweg, Lasse; Huschke, Jörg

2005-01-01

International fora and some national administrations define a cognitive radio (CR) as a pioneering radio communication system that would be capable of altering and adapting its transmitter and receiver parameters based on communication and the exchange of information with related detectable radio

The perceptions of cognitively impaired patients and their caregivers of a home telecare system.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrabian, Shima; Extra, Jocelyne; Wu, Ya-Huei; Pino, Maribel; Traykov, Latchezar; Rigaud, Anne-Sophie

2015-01-01

Assistive and telecare technologies have been developed to support older adults with cognitive impairments, as well as their caregivers, from their homes. The way potential users perceive telecare and smart home systems plays a key role in their acceptance of this new technology. We evaluate the acceptance of home telecare technologies among patients suffering from cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Prototypes of telecare devices were developed to demonstrate their features and capabilities and to train patients, families, and health care professionals in their use. We conducted semistructured interviews to elicit the perceptions of 30 patients with mild cognitive impairment, 32 patients with Alzheimer's disease, and 30 caregivers, regarding the risks and advantages of home telecare and smart houses. Survey results reflected participants' largely positive reactions to these technologies. Regarding home telecare, the cognitive stimulation program earned the highest proportion of positive responses, followed by the devices' care of emergencies. The participants generally agreed that home telecare and smart houses could significantly improve their quality of life. However, some technical and ethical concerns, such as the way of provision, installation, and monitoring of the systems, were reported to be in need of addressing before implementation of this system.

Cognitive Architectures for Multimedia Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Stephen K.

2006-01-01

This article provides a tutorial overview of cognitive architectures that can form a theoretical foundation for designing multimedia instruction. Cognitive architectures include a description of memory stores, memory codes, and cognitive operations. Architectures that are relevant to multimedia learning include Paivio's dual coding theory,…

Human Systems Design Criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens

1982-01-01

This paper deals with the problem of designing more humanised computer systems. This problem can be formally described as the need for defining human design criteria, which — if used in the design process - will secure that the systems designed get the relevant qualities. That is not only...... the necessary functional qualities but also the needed human qualities. The author's main argument is, that the design process should be a dialectical synthesis of the two points of view: Man as a System Component, and System as Man's Environment. Based on a man's presentation of the state of the art a set...... of design criteria is suggested and their relevance discussed. The point is to focus on the operator rather than on the computer. The crucial question is not to program the computer to work on its own conditions, but to “program” the operator to function on human conditions....

Situated Cognition, Ecological Perception, and Synergetics: a Novel Perspective for Cognitive Psychology?

Science.gov (United States)

Tschacher, Wolfgang; Dauwalder, Jean-Pierre