Positive Technology Journal

From New Scientist tech

The social interactions that glue the World Wide Web together are now so complex it has outgrown the relatively narrow field of computer science..

read the full story here

An extended EM algorithm for joint feature extraction and classification in brain-computer interfaces.

Neural Comput. 2006 Nov;18(11):2730-61

Authors: Li Y, Guan C

For many electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), a tedious and time-consuming training process is needed to set parameters. In BCI Competition 2005, reducing the training process was explicitly proposed as a task. Furthermore, an effective BCI system needs to be adaptive to dynamic variations of brain signals; that is, its parameters need to be adjusted online. In this article, we introduce an extended expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, where the extraction and classification of common spatial pattern (CSP) features are performed jointly and iteratively. In each iteration, the training data set is updated using all or part of the test data and the labels predicted in the previous iteration. Based on the updated training data set, the CSP features are reextracted and classified using a standard EM algorithm. Since the training data set is updated frequently, the initial training data set can be small (semi-supervised case) or null (unsupervised case). During the above iterations, the parameters of the Bayes classifier and the CSP transformation matrix are also updated concurrently. In online situations, we can still run the training process to adjust the system parameters using unlabeled data while a subject is using the BCI system. The effectiveness of the algorithm depends on the robustness of CSP feature to noise and iteration convergence, which are discussed in this article. Our proposed approach has been applied to data set IVa of BCI Competition 2005. The data analysis results show that we can obtain satisfying prediction accuracy using our algorithm in the semisupervised and unsupervised cases. The convergence of the algorithm and robustness of CSP feature are also demonstrated in our data analysis.

Neural internet: web surfing with brain potentials for the completely paralyzed.

Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2006 Dec;20(4):508-15

Authors: Karim AA, Hinterberger T, Richter J, Mellinger J, Neumann N, Flor H, Kübler A, Birbaumer N

Neural Internet is a new technological advancement in brain-computer interface research, which enables locked-in patients to operate a Web browser directly with their brain potentials. Neural Internet was successfully tested with a locked-in patient diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis rendering him the first paralyzed person to surf the Internet solely by regulating his electrical brain activity. The functioning of Neural Internet and its clinical implications for motor-impaired patients are highlighted.

Via Usability News 

Deadine: 7 November 2006
CENTRE FOR HCI DESIGN, CITY UNIVERSITY LONDON

Researcher in Human-Computer Interaction
Fixed term for three years

23.5K - 27K pounds pa inc

Closing date for applications: 7th November 2006.

We are seeking a researcher with a background in computing and human-computer interaction to join a 3 year EPSRC-funded research project that will investigate handover in healthcare settings. This is an
exciting opportunity to get involved in a major study of clinical handover and to contribute to the design of innovative technological solutions to enhance the efficacy of handover. The researcher will be primarily
responsible for implementing novel interactive systems to support handover using technologies such as PDAs, telemedicine and interactive whiteboards.


Clinical handover is the handing over of responsibility and care for patients from one individual or team to another. It has been shown to make a vital contribution to the safety and effectiveness of clinical work, yet current practice is highly variable. Handovers are often
impromptu, informal and supported by ad hoc artefacts such as paper-based notes. While there have been small-scale studies of clinical handover in specific settings, there is a lack of basic research. We will address this by conducting extensive field studies of handover in a range of healthcare settings, by developing a generic model of handover and by designing and prototyping novel software and hardware solutions to support handover.

Candidates should have a good BSc in a computing discipline with a significant HCI component. An MSc in a relevant discipline and research experience in HCI are desirable. Experience in designing and implementing interactive systems on a range of software and hardware platforms is essential. Candidates should also have a keen interest in healthcare issues and an awareness of current IT developments for healthcare.


This post is based in the Centre for HCI Design (HCID) at City University London, an independent research centre in the School of Informatics. HCID has an international reputation in human-computer interaction and software engineering research, including studies of work and human-system interaction, usability evaluation, accessibility, requirements engineering, and system modelling.

In return, we offer a comprehensive package of in-house staff training and development, and benefits that include a final salary pension scheme.

Actively working to promote equal opportunity and diversity.

For more information and an application pack, visit www.city.ac.uk/jobs or write to Recruitment Team, HR Department, City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, quoting job reference number BD/10514.

Graded motor imagery for pathologic pain. A randomized controlled trial.

Neurology. 2006 Nov 2;

Authors: Moseley GL

Phantom limb and complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS1) are characterized by changes in cortical processing and organization, perceptual disturbances, and poor response to conventional treatments. Graded motor imagery is effective for a small subset of patients with CRPS1. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether graded motor imagery would reduce pain and disability for a more general CRPS1 population and for people with phantom limb pain. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with phantom limb pain or CRPS1 were randomly allocated to motor imagery, consisting of 2 weeks each of limb laterality recognition, imagined movements, and mirror movements, or to physical therapy and ongoing medical care. RESULTS: There was a main statistical effect of treatment group, but not diagnostic group, on pain and function. The mean (95% CI) decrease in pain between pre- and post-treatment (100 mm visual analogue scale) was 23.4 mm (16.2 to 30.4 mm) for the motor imagery group and 10.5 mm (1.9 to 19.2 mm) for the control group. Improvement in function was similar and gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Motor imagery reduced pain and disability in these patients with complex regional pain syndrome type I or phantom limb pain, but the mechanism, or mechanisms, of the effect are not clear.

Tongue Piercing by a Yogi: QEEG Observations.

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2006 Nov 3;

Authors: Peper E, Wilson VE, Gunkelman J, Kawakami M, Sata M, Barton W, Johnston J

This study reports on the QEEG observations recorded from a yogi during tongue piercing in which he demonstrated voluntary pain control. The QEEG was recorded with a Lexicor 1620 from 19 sites with appropriate controls for impedence and artifacts. A neurologist read the data for abnormalities and the QEEG was analyzed by mapping, single and multiple hertz bins, coherence, and statistical comparisons with a normative database. The session included a meditation baseline and tongue piercing. During the meditative baseline period the yogi's QEEG maps suggesting that he was able to lower his brain activity to a resting state. This state showed a predominance of slow wave potentials (delta) during piercing and suggested that the yogi induced a state that may be similar to those found when individuals are under analgesia. Further research should be conducted with a group of individuals who demonstrate exceptional self-regulation to determine the underlying mechanisms, and whether the skills can be used to teach others how to manage pain.

High sensitivity to multisensory conflicts in agoraphobia exhibited by virtual reality.

Eur Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;21(7):501-8

Authors: Viaud-Delmon I, Warusfel O, Seguelas A, Rio E, Jouvent R

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of auditory feedback in a VR system planned for clinical use and to address the different factors that should be taken into account in building a bimodal virtual environment (VE). We conducted an experiment in which we assessed spatial performances in agoraphobic patients and normal subjects comparing two kinds of VEs, visual alone (Vis) and auditory-visual (AVis), during separate sessions. Subjects were equipped with a head-mounted display coupled with an electromagnetic sensor system and immersed in a virtual town. Their task was to locate different landmarks and become familiar with the town. In the AVis condition subjects were equipped with the head-mounted display and headphones, which delivered a soundscape updated in real-time according to their movement in the virtual town. While general performances remained comparable across the conditions, the reported feeling of immersion was more compelling in the AVis environment. However, patients exhibited more cybersickness symptoms in this condition. The result of this study points to the multisensory integration deficit of agoraphobic patients and underline the need for further research on multimodal VR systems for clinical use.

Re-blogged from Networked Performance

Synthecology combines the possibilities of tele-immersive collaboration with a new architecture for virtual reality sound immersion to create a environment where musicians from all locations can interactively perform and create sonic environments.

Compose, sculpt, and improvise with other musicians and artists in an ephemeral garden of sonic lifeforms. Synthecology invites visitors in this digitally fertile space to create a musical sculpture of sythesized tones and sound samples provided by web inhabitants. Upon entering the garden, each participant can pluck contributed sounds from the air and plant them, wander the garden playing their own improvisation or collaborate with other participants to create/author a new composition.

As each new 'seed' is planted and grown, sculpted and played, this garden becomes both a musical instrument and a composition to be shared with the rest of the network. Every inhabitant creates, not just as an individual composer shaping their own themes, but as a collaborator in real time who is able to improvise new soundscapes in the garden by cooperating with other avatars from diverse geographical locations.

Virtual participants are fully immersed in the garden landscape through the use of passive stereoscopic technology and spatialized audio to create a networked tele-immersive environment where all inhabitants can collaborate, socialize and play. Guests from across the globe are similarly embodied as avatars through out this environment, each experiencing the audio and visual presence of the others.

Continue to read the full post here

Virtual reality helmet display quality influences the magnitude of virtual reality analgesia.

J Pain. 2006 Nov;7(11):843-50

Authors: Hoffman HG, Seibel EJ, Richards TL, Furness TA, Patterson DR, Sharar SR

Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) distraction can be used in addition to traditional opioids to reduce procedural pain. The current study explored whether a High-Tech-VR helmet (ie, a 60-degree field-of-view head-mounted display) reduces pain more effectively than a Low-Tech-VR helmet (a 35-degree field-of-view head-mounted display). Using a double-blind between-groups design, 77 healthy volunteers (no patients) aged 18-23 were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. Each subject received a brief baseline thermal pain stimulus, and the same stimulus again minutes later while in SnowWorld using a Low-Tech-VR helmet (Group 1), using a High-Tech-VR helmet (Group 2), or receiving no distraction (Group 3, control group). Each participant provided subjective 0-10 ratings of cognitive, sensory, and affective components of pain, and amount of fun during the pain stimulus. Compared to the Low-Tech-VR helmet group, subjects in the High-Tech-VR helmet group reported 34% more reduction in worst pain (P < .05), 46% more reduction in pain unpleasantness (P = .001), 29% more reduction in "time spent thinking about pain" (P < .05), and 32% more fun during the pain stimulus in VR (P < .05). Only 29% of participants in the Low-Tech helmet group, as opposed to 65% of participants in the High-Tech-VR helmet group, showed a clinically significant reduction in pain intensity during virtual reality. These results highlight the importance of using an appropriately designed VR helmet to achieve effective VR analgesia (see ). PERSPECTIVE: Pain during medical procedures (eg, burn wound care) is often excessive. Adjunctive virtual reality distraction can substantially reduce procedural pain. The results of the present study show that a higher quality VR helmet was more effective at reducing pain than a lower quality VR helmet.

Validating the efficacy of neurofeedback for optimising performance.

Prog Brain Res. 2006;159:421-31

Authors: Gruzelier J, Egner T, Vernon D

The field of neurofeedback training has largely proceeded without validation. Here we review our studies directed at validating SMR, beta and alpha-theta protocols for improving attention, memory, mood and music and dance performance in healthy participants. Important benefits were demonstrable with cognitive and neurophysiological measures which were predicted on the basis of regression models of learning. These are initial steps in providing a much needed scientific basis to neurofeedback, but much remains to be done.

Via Mindware Forum

Do the test here

I did the test and got 102, which corresponds to "average intelligence".

A score of 124 or higher is required to qualify for membership in the International High IQ Society. This means that I cannot become a member of this society :-(

Combined optimization of spatial and temporal filters for improving brain-computer interfacing.

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2006 Nov;53(11):2274-81

Authors: Dornhege G, Blankertz B, Krauledat M, Losch F, Curio G, Müller KR

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems create a novel communication channel from the brain to an output device by bypassing conventional motor output pathways of nerves and muscles. Therefore they could provide a new communication and control option for paralyzed patients. Modern BCI technology is essentially based on techniques for the classification of single-trial brain signals. Here we present a novel technique that allows the simultaneous optimization of a spatial and a spectral filter enhancing discriminability rates of multichannel EEG single-trials. The evaluation of 60 experiments involving 22 different subjects demonstrates the significant superiority of the proposed algorithm over to its classical counterpart: the median classification error rate was decreased by 11%. Apart from the enhanced classification, the spatial and/or the spectral filter that are determined by the algorithm can also be used for further analysis of the data, e.g., for source localization of the respective brain rhythms.

Via Engadget

HAL (short for Hybrid Assistive Limb) is a robotic suite designed "to expand and improve physical capabilities of human being".

The system, a brainchild of Yoshiyuki Sankai, engineering professor at Tsukuba University, is getting ready for mass production, Engadget reports. The  robotic suite could be used in applications such as "walking assistance and rehabilitation, nursing, factory work and disaster relief."  

HAL is originally developed to help elderly or disabled people walk around with their own legs and HAL-3 achieved the primary goal in 2000.

In 2005, the latest model HAL-5 was given upper body limbs as well as weight saving and more compact POWER units, longer life battery and much smaller control unit and spectacularly designed outer shells.

HAL is a robot suit which can expand and improve physical capabilities of human being. By wearing HAL-5 and you can hold up to 40 kg load by arms and can increase the maximum weight of leg press from 100 kg to 180 kg.

 

Read more at Engadget

via Medgadget

UNICEF has released a game to help Swahili youths educate themselves about HIV prevention and testing.

From the UN homepage:

Seeking to reach East African adolescents and young people in the battle against AIDS, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched its first interactive feature in Swahili, an online game that empowers the young to make good life choices and prevent HIV.

The game, called 'Ungefanyaje' or 'What would you do?' in Swahili, takes the player through a series of relationship-based scenarios that emphasize the importance of HIV prevention and testing.

"Although prevention is essential to half the spread of HIV/AIDS, an alarming 80 per cent of all young people still don't know how to protect themselves from the virus," UNICEF said in a news release, noting that sub-Saharan Africa has been especially hard-hit by the epidemic.

"By speaking openly about the threat that HIV and AIDS poses to young people, we can help give them the knowledge they need to keep them safe from infection," said Amber Oliver, Coordinator of Voices of Youth, an Internet site created by UNICEF for the young who want to know more, do more and say more about the world.

"It is estimated that of the 2.3 million children under 15 living with HIV, 2 million are in sub-Saharan Africa. Reaching young people with prevention education and services is a crucial step towards an AIDS-free generation."

 

The game is available in English as well as Swahili

Check out these couple of links (via LADS):

1) Tip // Location-Based social networking from NavXS

NavXS, short for Navigation Exchange Service, is a location-based social network. Think of it as an instant messaging service, like MSN or ICQ, but in addition to seeing when other users are online, you can see where they are online.

have a look to the NavXS website. The service is running in beta version, but one can sign up and try it.

there is also a blog (still under construction)


2) iPointer Platform

The iPointer™ Platform is a platform for developing location-based applications such as mobile search, GPS tracking, geotagging, geoblogging, pedestrian navigation, and targeted advertising. The platform allows users to point, click, and select points of interest such as historical buildings, restaurants, and landmarks with their cell phone or PDA and then receive location-specific multimedia content.

The iPointer includes both a client component that runs on most cell phones and PDAs and a server-based geospatial search engine. The iPointer client relies on data collected from GPS receivers such as the SiRFstarIII and a digital compass. The search engine is a hosted service that identifies a point of interest and sends back data that can be aggregated from a variety of content sources. Applications include self-guided historic tours, city guides, campus tours, and pedestrian navigation.

Find out more here

from Rhizome.org

26-28 November 2006
University of Technology, Sydney

Reduced fee early registration deadline approaching: 8 November 2006.

ENGAGE is an international symposium positioning audience experience at the heart of our understanding of interactive art. Papers will be presented by leading artists, curators and theorists exploring key issues in audience-based interactive art research.

Further information on keynote speakers, presenters, registration and contact information is available at: http://www.creativityandcognition.com/engage06/

ENGAGE is the 3rd annual symposium organised by the Creativity and Cognition Studios at the University of Technology, Sydney. Sponsorship is care of the Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID), creating new forms of human interaction with emerging content technology; and the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT), Australia's peak network and advocacy body for media arts.

Re-blogged from Networked Performance

[Re: ] magazine is an international new media online magazine about locative media.

Locative Media - recently becoming more popular in Media Art discourses- has roots dating back to the dawn of history. Early myths like the Gilgamesch Epic or - more specific - Homer's Odyssee deal with issues of location and the recording of movement on earth's surface...

Developments since then include mediaeval cartography as well as the Situationists' approach to mapping a city. Nowadays Locative Media uses technology to trigger artworks in a specific physical space. The magazine features an depth interview with locative media artist Jeremy Hight about a new form of dissent utilizing smart mobs, on line community and locative media

Foundation and practice of neurofeedback for the treatment of epilepsy.

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2006 Mar;31(1):21-35

Authors: Sterman MB, Egner T

This review provides an updated overview of the neurophysiological rationale, basic and clinical research literature, and current methods of practice pertaining to clinical neurofeedback. It is based on documented findings, rational theory, and the research and clinical experience of the authors. While considering general issues of physiology, learning principles, and methodology, it focuses on the treatment of epilepsy with sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) training, arguably the best established clinical application of EEG operant conditioning. The basic research literature provides ample data to support a very detailed model of the neural generation of SMR, as well as the most likely candidate mechanism underlying its efficacy in clinical treatment. Further, while more controlled clinical trials would be desirable, a respectable literature supports the clinical utility of this alternative treatment for epilepsy. However, the skilled practice of clinical neurofeedback requires a solid understanding of the neurophysiology underlying EEG oscillation, operant learning principles and mechanisms, as well as an in-depth appreciation of the ins and outs of the various hardware/software equipment options open to the practitioner. It is suggested that the best clinical practice includes the systematic mapping of quantitative multi-electrode EEG measures against a normative database before and after treatment to guide the choice of treatment strategy and document progress towards EEG normalization. We conclude that the research literature reviewed in this article justifies the assertion that neurofeedback treatment of epilepsy/seizure disorders constitutes a well-founded and viable alternative to anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy.

From A VR Geek Blog

Evolving time fronts is a new approach for spatio-temporal warping of video developed by Alex Rav-Acha, Yael Pritch,  Dani Lischinski, Shmuel Peleg

The framework allows to set different playing speeds to different parts of the same movie.

Look at this demolition video

Via Mindware forum (by way of the LifeHacker blog)

Yoga Today offers daily yoga instruction videos that can be downloaded for free. The videos are shot against an awesome Wyoming landscape and delivered in the iHD format