Meaning in life: An important factor for the psychological well-being of chronically ill patients?
Conclusions: The present study provides an initial glimpse in how meaning in life may be related to the well-being of chronically ill patients and the acceptance of their condition. Clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - December 2, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Technology & spirituality Source Type: blogs
A genetically engineered weight-loss implant
Via KurzweilAIETH-Zurich biotechnologists have constructed an implantable genetic regulatory circuit that monitors blood-fat levels. In response to excessive levels, it produces a messenger substance that signals satiety (fullness) to the body. Tests on obese mice revealed that this helps them lose weight.Genetically modified cells implanted in the body monitor the blood-fat level. If it is too high, they produce a satiety hormone. The animal stops eating and loses weight. (Credit: Martin Fussenegger / ETH Zurich / Jackson Lab) (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - December 2, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Neurotechnology & neuroinformatics Physiological Computing Source Type: blogs
Real-time Neurofeedback Using Functional MRI Could Improve Down-Regulation of Amygdala Activity During Emotional Stimulation
Authors: Brühl AB, Scherpiet S, Sulzer J, Stämpfli P, Seifritz E, Herwig UAbstract. The amygdala is a central target of emotion regulation. It is overactive and dysregulated in affective and anxiety disorders and amygdala activity normalizes with successful therapy of the symptoms. However, a considerable percentage of patients do not reach remission within acceptable duration of treatment. The amygdala could therefore represent a promising target for real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) neurofeedback. rtfMRI neurofeedback directly improves the voluntary regulation of localized brain activity. At pres...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 28, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Brain-computer interface Source Type: blogs
OutRun: Augmented Reality Driving Video Game
Garnet Hertz's video game concept car combines a car-shaped arcade game cabinet with a real world electric vehicle to produce a video game system that actually drives. OutRun offers a unique mixed reality simulation as one physically drives through an 8-bit video game. The windshield of the system features custom software that transforms the real world into an 8-bit video game, enabling the user to have limitless gameplay opportunities while driving. Hertz has designed OutRun to de-simulate the driving component of a video game: where game simulations strive to be increasingly realistic (usually focused on graphics), this ...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 28, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Augmented/mixed reality Source Type: blogs
Effect of mindfulness meditation on brain-computer interface performance
Authors: Tan LF, Dienes Z, Jansari A, Goh SYAbstract. Electroencephalogram based Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) enable stroke and motor neuron disease patients to communicate and control devices. Mindfulness meditation has been claimed to enhance metacognitive regulation. The current study explores whether mindfulness meditation training can thus improve the performance of BCI users. To eliminate the possibility of expectation of improvement influencing the results, we introduced a music training condition. A norming study found that both meditation and music interventions elicited clear expectations for improvement on t...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 28, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Brain-computer interface Mental practice & mental simulation Source Type: blogs
How robots will change the world
Great BBC documentary (40') (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 24, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: AI & robotics Source Type: blogs
Call for papers IDGEI 2014 - International Workshop on Intelligent Games for Empowerment and Inclusion
- associated with "Intelligent User Interfaces IUI 2014"2nd International Workshop on Intelligent Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion.http://idgei2014.joanneum.at/Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion possess the potential to change our society in a most positive way by preparing selected groups in a playful and fun way for their everyday life’s social and special situations. Exemplary domains span as far as from children with Autism Spectrum Condition to young adults preparing for their first job interviews or migrants familiarizing with their new environment. The current generation of such games thereby ...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 24, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Call for papers Positive Technology events Serious games Source Type: blogs
Overwhelming technology disrupting life and causing stress new study shows
A new study shows that over one third of people feel overwhelmed by technology today and are more likely to feel less satisfied with their life as a whole.The study, conducted by the University of Cambridge and sponsored by BT, surveyed 1,269 people including in-depth interviews with families in the UK, also found that people who felt in control of their use of communications technology were more likely to be more satisfied with life.Read the full story (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 23, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Research tools Technology and Stress Source Type: blogs
Call for Papers on Physiological Computing for Intelligent Adaptation: A Special Issue of Interacting with Computers
Special issue editors: • Hugo Gamboa (Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal) • Hugo Plácido da Silva (IT – Institute of Telecommunications, Portugal) • Kiel Gilleade (Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom) • Sergi Bermúdez i Badia (Universidade da Madeira, Portugal) • Stephen Fairclough (Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom) Contact: s.fairclough@ljmu.ac.uk Deadline for Submissions: 30 June 2014 Physiological data provides a wealth of information about the behavioural state of the user. These data can provide important contextual information by allowing the system to draw inferences wit...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 20, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Call for papers Physiological Computing Positive Technology events Source Type: blogs
inFORM
is a Dynamic Shape Display developed by MIT Tangible Media Group that can render 3D content physically, so users can interact with digital information in a tangible way.inFORM can also interact with the physical world around it, for example moving objects on the table’s surface.Remote participants in a video conference can be displayed physically, allowing for a strong sense of presence and the ability to interact physically at a distance. (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 20, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Creativity and computers Cybertherapy Enactive interfaces Future interfaces Telepresence & virtual presence Source Type: blogs
Wristify: Thermal Comfort via a Wrist Band
A team of MIT students and alumni hava developed a new low-cost solution to get the body temperature just right: Wristify, a wrist cuff that allows individuals to maintain a comfortable body temperature independent of their environment. In essence, their thermoelectric bracelet monitors air and skin temperature and then responds with pulses of hot or cold waveforms to the wrist.A MADMEC attendee tries out Wristify’s thermoelectric bracelet. (Photo: Franklin Hobbs)The Wristify team recently won first prize and $10,000 in MIT’s Making and Designing Materials Engineering Competition (MADMEC)—that’s after months of dev...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 17, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Wearable & mobile Source Type: blogs
Monkeys Control Avatar’s Arms Through Brain-Machine Interface
Via MedgadgetResearchers at Duke University have reported in journal Science Translational Medicine that they were able to train monkeys to control two virtual limbs through a brain-computer interface (BCI). The rhesus monkeys initially used joysticks to become comfortable moving the avatar’s arms, but later the brain-computer interfaces implanted on their brains were activated to allow the monkeys to drive the avatar using only their minds. Two years ago the same team was able to train monkeys to control one arm, but the complexity of controlling two arms required the development of a new algorithm for reading and filte...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 16, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Brain-computer interface Telepresence & virtual presence Virtual worlds Source Type: blogs
NeuroPace Gets FDA Pre-Market Approval for RNS Stimulator
Via Medgadget NeuroPace has received FDA pre-market approval for the NeuroPace RNS System, used to treat medically refractory partial epilepsy. The battery powered device is implanted in the cranium and monitors electrical activity in the brain. If abnormal activity is detected, electrical impulses are sent to the seizure focus in the brain via leads, helping to prevent the onset of a seizure. The RNS System also comes with a programmer for physicians to non-invasively set the detection and stimulation parameters for the implanted device, and has the ability to view the patients electrocorticogram (ECoG) in real...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 16, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Neurotechnology & neuroinformatics Source Type: blogs
Neurofeedback training aimed to improve focused attention and alertness in children with ADHD
Authors: Hillard B, El-Baz AS, Sears L, Tasman A, Sokhadze EMAbstract. Neurofeedback is a nonpharmacological treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We propose that operant conditioning of electroencephalogram (EEG) in neurofeedback training aimed to mitigate inattention and low arousal in ADHD, will be accompanied by changes in EEG bands' relative power. Patients were 18 children diagnosed with ADHD. The neurofeedback protocol ("Focus/Alertness" by Peak Achievement Trainer) has a focused attention and alertness training mode. The neurofeedback protocol provides one for Focus and one for Alertness. T...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 16, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Biofeedback & neurofeedback Cybertherapy Source Type: blogs
Phonebloks
is a modular smartphone concept created by Dutch designer Dave Hakkens to reduce electronic waste. By attaching individual third-party components (called "bloks") to a main board, a user would create a personalized smartphone. These bloks can be replaced at will if they break or the user wishes to upgrade. (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - November 16, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Future interfaces Wearable & mobile Source Type: blogs
