Goal Items Research Articles

Changing the P300 Brain Computer Interface

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are now feasible for use as an alternative control option for those with severe motor impairments. The P300 component of the evoked potential has proven useful as a control signal. Individuals do not need to be trained to produce the signal, and it is fairly stable and has a large evoked potential. Even with recent signal classification advances, on-line experiments with P300-based BCIs remain far from perfect. We present two potential methods for improving control accuracy. Experimental results in an evoked potential BCI, used to control items in a virtual apartment, show a reduced response exists when items are accidentally controlled. The presence of a P300-like signal in response to goal items means that it can be used for automatic error correction. Preliminary results from an interface experiment using three different button configurations for a yes/no BCI task show that the configuration of buttons may affect on-line signal classification. These results will be discussed in light of the special considerations needed when working with an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient.

A spanning heuristic for the unordered and ordered matching identification problem

The matching identification problem (MIP) is a combinatoric search problem related to the fields of learning from examples, boolean functions, and knowledge acquisition. The MIP involves identifying a single “goal” item from a large set of items. Because there is commonly a cost associated with evaluating each guess, the goal item should be identified in as few guesses as possible. As in most search problems, the items have a similar structure, which allows an evaluation of each guessed item. In other words, each guessed item elicits partial information about the goal item, i.e. how similar the guess is to the goal. With this information the goal is more quickly identified. The unordered MIP has been studied by Mehrez and Steinberg (ORSA J. Comput. 7 (1995) 211) in which they proposed two different types of algorithms. The purpose of the present paper is to suggest an improved Spanning Heuristic algorithm. Its improvement increases as the problem size increases. Further results and comparisons are derived for the unordered and ordered cases. This research shows that when the search space is very large, it is better to inquire from items that are known not to be the goal (they have been ruled out by previous guesses), for the purpose of acquiring more information about the goal. As the search space is narrowed, it is better to guess items that have not been ruled out.

Eformoterol n-of-1 trials in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease poorly reversible to salbutamol

Benefits of long acting beta 2 agonists are unclear for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with poor response to short acting bronchodilators. We aimed to evaluate 1) effects of eformoterol in such patients using a 'n-of-1' double crossover study design, and 2) aggregate data as a double-blind, double crossover randomized control trial. Subjects with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) < 60% predicted, and poor response to short acting bronchodilators were studied six times over 18 weeks. During that time they were prescribed four weeks of either eformoterol or placebo, followed by the alternate, and then a second crossover. Four-weekly measures included six minute walk distance (6MWD), FEV1, previous two weeks of symptoms, and chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ) including treatment goal items. Of 27 original subjects (21 male, mean age of 70 years, five smokers, mean prebronchodilator FEV1 36% predicted), one subject had clinically significant concordant improvement in the CRQ dyspnoea domain and 6MWD (by 51 metres), but not for other outcomes. There were no concordant improvements in any other subjects. Aggregate double crossover data analysis demonstrated no improvement in any outcome measures. The 'n-of-1' study design and aggregate data analysis demonstrated lack of benefit from eformoterol in COPD patients with poor response to short acting bronchodilators.

ATTRIBUTIONS TO FAILURE: THE EFFECTS OF EFFORT, ABILITY, AND LEARNING STRATEGY USE ON PERCEPTIONS OF FUTURE GOALS AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSES

This study sought to examine college students' attributions to failure in biology. Through the use of scenarios, we were interested in determining how males and females viewed the attributions of ability, effort, and learning strategy use. A 3 (attribution: ability, effort, strategies) 2 2 (scenario gender) 2 2 (respondent gender) factorial design was used to analyze four future goal statements and four emotional response statements. Results indicated a significant effect for attribution for three of the four future goal items, with participants believing most strongly that future goals could be met if the scenario student used the appropriate strategies. There was also a significant effect for attribution for all four of the emotional response items, with participants having the strongest emotional reaction when the attribution was to effort. Respondent gender interacted with attribution only on one emotional response item. Collectively these results indicate differences in patterns of responses between future goal and emotional items. Moreover,these results are important for learning-to-learn courses designed to teach effective strategy use.

Intelligent scheduling model and algorithm for manufacturing

This paper puts forward an intelligent scheduling model based on Hopfield neural network and a unified algorithm for manufacturing. The energy computation function and its dynamic state equation are derived and discussed in detail about their coefficients (parameters) and steps (Delta t) in iteration towards convergence. The unified model is focused on the structure of the above function and equation, in which the goal and penalty items must be involved and meet different schedule models. The applications to different schedule mode including jobshop static scheduling, scheduling with due-date constraint or priority constraint, dynamic scheduling, and JIT (just in time) scheduling are discussed, and a series of examples with Gantt charts are illustrated.

Toward a Cognitive Map of Change

Abstract This study mapped important dimensions of change from the perspective of the person experiencing the change. Results suggest that people who face a variety of meaningful changes relate to a common set of cognitive goal and process perceptions. We conducted this study in two phases. In the first phase 47 people from both a university and a community setting responded to open-ended questions about a self-selected, anticipated change. We analyzed the content of subjects' responses to develop a list of descriptors of goal and a list of descriptors of process. We developed items based on these descriptors and based on specific Gestalt therapy concepts. In the second phase 304 university students named an anticipated change. Subjects rated items, which described the goal and process of their future change. Eighteen factors were extracted from the 65 x 65 goal correlation matrix by principal component analysis. Twenty-seven factors were extracted from the 95 x 95 process correlation matrix by principal component analysis. In both cases factorization was controlled based on an eigenvalue equal to, or greater than, 1.0. For both data sets the respective factors were rotated to Varimax criterion. Goal factors accounted for 65.0% of the total variance of the goal items. Process factors accounted for 67.3% of the total variance of the process items. If in future studies cognitive map is identified as a stable set of factors across another variety of changes, we may conclude with increasing confidence that people do compare their proposed changes to meaningful aspects of the field: how they know themselves, their relationships, and their resources.

Remembering in California sea lions: Using priming cues to facilitate language-like performance

Two sea lions(Zalophus californianus) were trained to respond to relational commands fey bringing the last designated object (transport item, or TI) to the earlier designated object (goal item, or GI). Most errors on this task involved forgetting of the GI due to interference from memory for the TI. We reasoned that instructing the animals to act directly on the same object several times in single-object commands immediately before a relational command that included the same object as the GI should make the GI associative episode less prone to interference by the TI associative episode. Results confirmed that prior cuing or prompting in this manner did enable the sea lions to perform significantly better on relational commands when no cuing was given.

Artificial Language Comprehension in Dolphins and Sea Lions: The Essential Cognitive Skills

First, we review recent efforts to demonstrate language competence in apes and dolphins. Then, with techniques originally devised by Herman in his artificial language studies with dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), we show that smaller brained sea lions (Zalophus californianus), like larger brained dolphins, are capable of comprehending signals about a relationship between two designated objects. The language we used consisted of signs designating properties of size, brightness, or location (modifiers), types of objects, and actions. The results of our experiments with two sea lions support Premack’s notion that Herman’s dolphins (as well as our sea lions) relied principally on two phrase structure rules to comprehend thousands of novel, unique messages that could be transmitted gesturally by a “blind” human signaler. One rule instructs the animal to perform an action directly on an object designated by an object signal and one or two optional modifiers. The instruction takes the form (Modifier) + Object + Action. The second rule instructs the animal to perform an action relative to two designated objects. The object to be transported and the goal object were assigned their particular roles by their position in the sign sequence. The relational instruction takes the form (Modifier) + Object A + (Modifier) + Object B + Action. Reversing the order of the two object signals in the string reversed the meaning of the message. For both sea mammals we found support for Herman’s notion that the critical constraint on the application of the second rule is memory for Object A (the goal item). The variables influencing memory for the goal item were: (a) the number of objects available, (b) bias for certain goal items, (c) whether the goal item was fixed in space, that is whether it was a transportable or nontransportable object, and (d) whether the goal item (Object A) and the transported item were reversed on successive trials. We conclude that both dolphins and sea lions can be taught to comprehend sentence-like instructions. The simplified language learned by these marine mammals depends on the following learned cognitive skills: (a) acquiring a repertoire of arbitrary conditional relations between signals and objects, (b) perceiving and conceptualizing objects and events within class and relational categories, and (c) acquiring a conditional sequential discrimination.

Selection from alphabetic and numeric menu trees using a touch screen

Goal items were selected by a series of touch-menu choices among sequentially subdivided ranges of integers or alphabetically ordered words. The number of alternatives at each step, b , was varied, and, inversely, the size of the target area for the touch. Mean response time for each screen was well described by T = k + c log b , in agreement with the Hick-Hyman and Fitts' laws for decision and movement components in series. It is shown that this function favors breadth over depth in menus, whereas others might not. Speculations are offered as to when various functions could be expected.

Treatment goals of alcohol-dependent and drug-dependent patients.

At the time of admission to treatment, 450 alcohol-dependent patients and 198 drug-dependent patients were asked to complete a brief questionnaire regarding their interest in 26 treatment goals. An analysis of the goal questionnaire data revealed that from the total sample of patients more than 70 percent wanted assistance, in addition to help with substance dependency, with medical problems, psychological problems, school or job counseling, and recreational guidance. Between alcohol- and drug-dependent groups, statistically significant (p less than .05) but small differences were found for numerous goal items, with drug-dependent patients wanting assistance for more goal items than alcohol-dependent patients.