Laugh-aware virtual agent and its impact on user amusement

In this paper we present a complete interactive system en- abled to detect human laughs and respond appropriately, by integrating the information of the human behavior and the context. Furthermore, the impact of our autonomous laughter-aware agent on the humor experience of the user and interaction between user and agent is evaluated by sub- jective and objective means. Preliminary results show that the laughter-aware agent increases the humor experience (i.e., felt amusement of the user and the funniness rating of the film clip), and creates the notion of a shared social experience, indicating that the agent is useful to elicit posi- tive humor-related affect and emotional contagion.

Service-user involvement in nurse education: partnership or tokenism?

Following on from the Francis Report (2013) the need for a framework of service user involvement is required not just in the Health Service but also in Higher Education. There are wide variances globally on the levels of service user interaction and involvement in healthcare education. Health policy internationally has indicated a move towards developing partnerships with service users but to date this still remains elusive with the majority of user involvement consultative in approach. This paper aims to discuss the Health policy background and the current approaches taken in the involvement of service users in healthcare education.

Novel Radio Link Buffer Management Schemes for End-User Multi-class Traffic in High Speed Packet Access Networks

The requirement to provide multimedia services with QoS support in mobile networks has led to standardization and deployment of high speed data access technologies such as the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) system. HSDPA improves downlink packet data and multimedia services support in WCDMA-based cellular networks. As is the trend in emerging wireless access technologies, HSDPA supports end-user multi-class sessions comprising parallel flows with diverse Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, such as real-time (RT) voice or video streaming concurrent with non real-time (NRT) data service being transmitted to the same user, with differentiated queuing at the radio link interface. Hence, in this paper we present and evaluate novel radio link buffer management schemes for QoS control of multimedia traffic comprising concurrent RT and NRT flows in the same HSDPA end-user session. The new buffer management schemes—Enhanced Time Space Priority (E-TSP) and Dynamic Time Space Priority (D-TSP)—are designed to improve radio link and network resource utilization as well as optimize end-to-end QoS performance of both RT and NRT flows in the end-user session. Both schemes are based on a Time-Space Priority (TSP) queuing system, which provides joint delay and loss differentiation between the flows by queuing (partially) loss tolerant RT flow packets for higher transmission priority but with restricted access to the buffer space, whilst allowing unlimited access to the buffer space for delay-tolerant NRT flow but with queuing for lower transmission priority. Experiments by means of extensive system-level HSDPA simulations demonstrates that with the proposed TSP-based radio link buffer management schemes, significant end-to-end QoS performance gains accrue to end-user traffic with simultaneous RT and NRT flows, in addition to improved resource utilization in the radio access network.

End-to-End QoS Enhancement ofHSDPA End-User Multi-flow Traffic Using RAN Buffer Management

High speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) was introduced to UMTS radio access segment to provide higher capacity for new packet switched services. As a result, packet switched sessions with multiple diverse traffic flows such as concurrent voice and data, or video and data being transmitted to the same user are a likely commonplace cellular packet data scenario. In HSDPA, radio access network (RAN) buffer management schemes are essential to support the end-to-end QoS of such sessions. Hence in this paper we present the end-to-end performance study of a proposed RAN buffer management scheme for multi-flow sessions via dynamic system-level HSDPA simulations. The scheme is an enhancement of a time-space priority (TSP) queuing strategy applied to the node B MAC-hs buffer allocated to an end user with concurrent real-time (RT) and non-real-time (NRT) flows during a multi-flow session. The experimental multi- flow scenario is a packet voice call with concurrent TCP-based file download to the same user. Results show that with the proposed enhancements to the TSP-based RAN buffer management, end-to-end QoS performance gains accrue to the NRT flow without compromising RT flow QoS of the same end user session

Service user and carer participation in an endoscopy nursing programme

This article reports an initiative to improve students' insight into service user and carer experience of endoscopy, particularly those with severe disability, such as spinal cord injury. This insight has the potential to improve the information provided and level of person-centred care in an endoscopy service. It was evident in the feedback from the classroom encounter that the teaching and learning strategy had a positive outcome, which will allow us to integrate the approach into future curriculum development and delivery, bringing the lived experience from the service user and carer perspective into the classroom. Students engaged in discussion and used their reflective skills to develop sensitivity to those with physical disability and complex needs requiring endoscopy procedures.

The Influence of the User in Body-Centric Antennas and Propagation at 3–6 GHz—A Rician K-Factor Approach

We investigate whether the presence of a human body in wearable communications should be considered as part of the radiating structure or as part of the local radio environment. The Rician $K$ -factor was employed as a quantitative measure of the effect of the user's body for five environments and two mounting locations. Presented empirical results indicated that the environment had a greater impact on the $K$-factor values than the position of the transmit antenna for the ultrawideband signals used, confirming that the human body should be considered primarily as part of the overall radiating system when the antenna is worn on the body. Furthermore, independent variations also existed in the $K$-factor values for the differing antenna-body mounting positions, indicating that as the position changed, then the radiating effects and the contribution from the body changed. This is significant for ensuring body-antenna systems are accurately modeled in system-level simulations.

Service user perspectives on palliative care education for health and social care professionals supporting people with learning disabilities

Background and objectives
Evidence from European and American studies indicates limited referrals of people with learning (intellectual) disabilities to palliative care services. Although professionals’ perceptions of their training needs in this area have been studied, the perceptions of people with learning disabilities and family carers are not known. This study aimed to elicit the views of people with learning disabilities, and their family carers concerning palliative care, to inform healthcare professional education and training.

Methods
A qualitative, exploratory design was used. A total of 17 people with learning disabilities were recruited to two focus groups which took place within an advocacy network. Additionally, three family carers of someone with a learning disability, requiring palliative care, and two family carers who had been bereaved recently were also interviewed.

Results
Combined data identified the perceived learning needs for healthcare professionals. Three subthemes emerged: ‘information and preparation’, ‘provision of care’ and ‘family-centred care’.

Conclusions
This study shows that people with learning disabilities can have conversations about death and dying, and their preferred end-of-life care, but require information that they can understand. They also need to have people around familiar to them and with them. Healthcare professionals require skills and knowledge to effectively provide palliative care for people with learning disabilities and should also work in partnership with their family carers who have expertise from their long-term caring role. These findings have implications for educators and clinicians.

Development of a Temperature-Recording Vaginal Ring for Monitoring User Adherence

Background: Vaginal ring devices are being actively developed for controlled delivery of HIV microbicides and as multi-purpose prevention technology (MPT) products combining hormonal contraception with prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Presently, there is no reliable method for monitoring user adherence in HIV vaginal ring trials; previous acceptability studies have included some type of participant self-reporting mechanism, which have often been unreliable. More objective, quantitative and accurate methods for assessing adherence are needed.
Methods: A silicone elastomer vaginal ring containing an encapsulated miniature temperature recording device has been developed that can capture and store real-time temperature data during the period of designated use. Devices were tested in both simulated vaginal environments and following vaginal placement in cynomolgus macaques. Various use protocols and data sampling rates were tested to simulate typical patient usage scenarios. Results: The temperature logging devices accurately recorded vaginal temperature in macaques, clearly showing the regular diurnal temperature cycle. When environmental temperature and vaginal temperature was significantly different, the device was able to accurately pinpoint the insertion and removal times. Based on the data collected it was possible to infer removal periods as short as 5 min when the external environmental temperature was 25 °C. Accuracy increased with data sampling rate. Conclusions: This work provides proof-of-concept for monitoring adherence using a vaginal ring device containing an encapsulated temperature logger. The addition of one or more active agents into the ring body is not anticipated to affect the temperature monitoring function. A clinical study to compare self- reported user adherence data with that obtained by the device would be highly informative.

Service User Involvement in Assessments:

Increasingly providers of mental health nurse education are required to demonstrate user involvement in all aspects of these programmes including student selection, programme design and student assessment. There has been limited analysis of how nursing students perceive user involvement in nurse education programmes. The aim of this study has been to explore mental health nursing student’s perceptions of involving users in all aspects of pre-registration mental health nursing programme. Researchers completed a number of focus group interviews with 12 ex-mental health nursing students who had been recruited by purposeful sampling. Each focus group interview was recorded and analysed using a series of data reduction, data display and verification
methods. The study confirms many of the findings reported in earlier user participation in education studies. Three main themes related to user involvement have been identified: the protection of users, enhanced student learning and the added value benefits associated with user involvement.