title: Navigation-by-music for pedestrians: an initial prototype and evaluation

authors: Jones, Matt

subjects: computer science

abstract: Digital mobile music devices are phenomenally popular. The devices are becoming increasingly powerful with sophisticated interaction controls, powerful processors, vast onboard storage and network connectivity. While there are ‘obvious’ ways to exploit these advanced capabilities (such as wireless music download), here we consider a rather different application—pedestrian navigation. We report on a system (ONTRACK) that aims to guide listeners to their destinations by continuously adapting the spatial qualities of the music they are enjoying. Our field-trials indicate that even with a low-fidelity realisation of the concept, users can quite effectively navigate complicated routes.

text: Navigation-by-music for pedestrians: an initial prototype and evaluation Digital mobile music devices are phenomenally popular. The devices are becoming increasingly powerful with sophisticated interaction controls, powerful processors, vast onboard storage and network connectivity. While there are ‘obvious’ ways to exploit these advanced capabilities (such as wireless music download), here we consider a rather different application—pedestrian navigation. We report on a system (ONTRACK) that aims to guide listeners to their destinations by continuously adapting the spatial qualities of the music they are enjoying. Our field-trials indicate that even with a low-fidelity realisation of the concept, users can quite effectively navigate complicated routes.

year: 2006

title: The Effect of Caffeine Deprivation on Decisions about Future Events in Humans

authors: Frankish, Rosanna P.J.

subjects: Delay Discounting

abstract: The current study used the stimulant model, caffeine, to assess the effects of stimulant deprivation on impulsivity in humans. Previous research has found substance abusers express greater preference for immediate outcomes and this effect is increased with deprivation from the substance. A delay discounting method was used to examine the effects of stimulant deprivation on caffeine-dependents and non-dependents. Experiment 1 looked at the effects of 12 hour's abstinence from caffeine on High and Low caffeine consumers' decision making, using a pen-and-paper delay discounting method. Experiment 1 produced area under the curve values which showed the largest effect in the Low caffeine consumers, Low caffeine consumers increased discounting when under the influence of caffeine. Experiment 2 used a well supported computer-based, hypothetical monetary, delay discounting task in hope of generating a magnitude effect. Experiment 2 was used to determine the task mode in Experiment 1 was not responsible for the unexpected pattern of results. A magnitude effect was found between the $1000 and $10,000 tasks in the delay discounting procedure. Experiment 3 used the established computer-based, hypothetical monetary amounts, delay discounting task from Experiment 2 to assess the effects of 24 hours abstinence from caffeine in High and Low caffeine consumers. The k values revealed a significant increase in discounting when participants were caffeine deprived for all groups except the High caffeine group in the $10,000 condition. These mixed results were discussed in terms of weaknesses revealed about the common mathematical measures used to analyse delay discounting data. Most importantly, the practice regularly employed by delay discounting researchers to exclude data which does not conform to discounting functions. The exponential, hyperbolic, extended hyperbolic models and the area under the curve measure were compared. The area under the curve was found to be the only measure to not exclude data, and sub-sequentially was preferred. Further research is required to establish if the area under the curve behaved in similar ways to other measures of discounting data as correlations in this study are not clear.

text: The Effect of Caffeine Deprivation on Decisions about Future Events in Humans The current study used the stimulant model, caffeine, to assess the effects of stimulant deprivation on impulsivity in humans. Previous research has found substance abusers express greater preference for immediate outcomes and this effect is increased with deprivation from the substance. A delay discounting method was used to examine the effects of stimulant deprivation on caffeine-dependents and non-dependents. Experiment 1 looked at the effects of 12 hour's abstinence from caffeine on High and Low caffeine consumers' decision making, using a pen-and-paper delay discounting method. Experiment 1 produced area under the curve values which showed the largest effect in the Low caffeine consumers, Low caffeine consumers increased discounting when under the influence of caffeine. Experiment 2 used a well supported computer-based, hypothetical monetary, delay discounting task in hope of generating a magnitude effect. Experiment 2 was used to determine the task mode in Experiment 1 was not responsible for the unexpected pattern of results. A magnitude effect was found between the $1000 and $10,000 tasks in the delay discounting procedure. Experiment 3 used the established computer-based, hypothetical monetary amounts, delay discounting task from Experiment 2 to assess the effects of 24 hours abstinence from caffeine in High and Low caffeine consumers. The k values revealed a significant increase in discounting when participants were caffeine deprived for all groups except the High caffeine group in the $10,000 condition. These mixed results were discussed in terms of weaknesses revealed about the common mathematical measures used to analyse delay discounting data. Most importantly, the practice regularly employed by delay discounting researchers to exclude data which does not conform to discounting functions. The exponential, hyperbolic, extended hyperbolic models and the area under the curve measure were compared. The area under the curve was found to be the only measure to not exclude data, and sub-sequentially was preferred. Further research is required to establish if the area under the curve behaved in similar ways to other measures of discounting data as correlations in this study are not clear.

year: 2011

title: Low copper levels measured in the aortic wall of New Zealand patients with non-syndromic ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm

authors: El-Gamel, Adam

subjects: Ascending aortic aneurysm

abstract: OBJECTIVES: Studies in animals have shown causal relationships between copper (Cu) deficiency and the development of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) [1, 2]. Cu deficiency is widespread in New Zealand (NZ) soils; the high soil pH from the use of lime fertilizers reduces the bioavailability of Cu for grazing animals and growing plants; this, in turn, reduces Cu availability in the NZ human food chain. Our study is a pilot study to explore associations between Cu and TAA. We measured Cu levels in aneurysmal aortic tissues in patients undergoing Bentall procedures and non-aneurysmal aortic tissue from coronary artery bypass graft patients. METHODS: Aortic samples were collected from 2 groups of patients during elective open-heart surgery over 4 months between November 2017 and February 2018. The groups were a TAA group, patients with non-syndromic aortic aneurysm and without the bicuspid aortic valve or known infectious or inflammatory condition (ANEURYSM; n = 13), and a control coronary artery bypass graft group (CONTROL; n = 44). Standardized digested dry tissue weighed samples were analysed from both groups. Tissue extraction of trace elements was carried out using HCl-H2O2 digestion and a highly sensitive analytical technique, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry-used to measure elemental concentrations. RESULTS: Cu concentration (mean ± SD) was significantly lower in ANEURYSM (3.34 ± 0.16 µg/g) when compared to the CONTROL group tissues (4.33 ± 0.20 µg/g) (dry weight; mean ± SD; Student's t-test, P < 0.05). Over 46% of the Aneurysm patients were Maori and live in a geographically Cu-deficient NZ territory. CONCLUSIONS: Cu deficiency may play a role in the development or progression of non-syndromic ascending aortic aneurysms in NZ. Maori patients are more at risk as they commonly live in rural NZ, dependent on locally grown nutritional sources. Further studies are required to confirm this exciting finding and to establish cause and effect relationship.

text: Low copper levels measured in the aortic wall of New Zealand patients with non-syndromic ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm OBJECTIVES: Studies in animals have shown causal relationships between copper (Cu) deficiency and the development of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) [1, 2]. Cu deficiency is widespread in New Zealand (NZ) soils; the high soil pH from the use of lime fertilizers reduces the bioavailability of Cu for grazing animals and growing plants; this, in turn, reduces Cu availability in the NZ human food chain. Our study is a pilot study to explore associations between Cu and TAA. We measured Cu levels in aneurysmal aortic tissues in patients undergoing Bentall procedures and non-aneurysmal aortic tissue from coronary artery bypass graft patients. METHODS: Aortic samples were collected from 2 groups of patients during elective open-heart surgery over 4 months between November 2017 and February 2018. The groups were a TAA group, patients with non-syndromic aortic aneurysm and without the bicuspid aortic valve or known infectious or inflammatory condition (ANEURYSM; n = 13), and a control coronary artery bypass graft group (CONTROL; n = 44). Standardized digested dry tissue weighed samples were analysed from both groups. Tissue extraction of trace elements was carried out using HCl-H2O2 digestion and a highly sensitive analytical technique, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry-used to measure elemental concentrations. RESULTS: Cu concentration (mean ± SD) was significantly lower in ANEURYSM (3.34 ± 0.16 µg/g) when compared to the CONTROL group tissues (4.33 ± 0.20 µg/g) (dry weight; mean ± SD; Student's t-test, P < 0.05). Over 46% of the Aneurysm patients were Maori and live in a geographically Cu-deficient NZ territory. CONCLUSIONS: Cu deficiency may play a role in the development or progression of non-syndromic ascending aortic aneurysms in NZ. Maori patients are more at risk as they commonly live in rural NZ, dependent on locally grown nutritional sources. Further studies are required to confirm this exciting finding and to establish cause and effect relationship.

year: 2022-09-09