David Kutzik

After some three decades during which scholarly discussion of materialism lapsed, a revival of interest is taking place. The social sciences and critical humanities have embraced “new materialisms” with their “new” ontologies and epistemologies, while within disciplinary philosophy debates between reductionist philosophy of mind and emergentists present sharply opposed versions of materialism. In theoretical biology, “biosemiotic realism” promotes an emergentist materialism focused on mindlike processes in nature as codetermined by physicalist and informational causalities, while nearly everywhere where scholarship intersects with political–economic issues, a resurgent interest in Marxist materialisms has begun recapitulating elements of the debate between “Western” and “orthodox” positions. To make sense of the welter of present discourse from a Marxist perspective, it is useful to compare the positions of these contemporary tendencies with those of critical realism and allied stro...

Correlates of self-reported memory for adherence to prescription drug regimens in noninstitutionalized elderly persons were studied. Independently living persons at least 55 years of age participated in a "brown-bag" medication review. A structured interview consisting of background questions and medication-related questions was conducted. Included in the interview were questions about general memory and questions about memory specifically related to medication use. Also asked were questions about demographic variables, the number of drugs being taken, the number of limitations on functional health and ability for self-care, the number of medical problems, and level of mental depression. A total of 105 persons (mean +/- S.D. age, 81 +/- 9 years) were interviewed. Overall, the subjects rated themselves higher for medication-specific memory than for general memory. Global ratings of success in remembering to take medications as directed were moderately correlated (r = 0.44) with subjects' concerns about the seriousness of their general problems with memory. Level of depression was the best predictor (adjusted R2 = 0.18) of self-rated success in remembering to take medications. However, when the subjects were asked specifically about the frequency with which they "got off truck," age was the best predictor of problems (adjusted R2 = 0.14). Most of the subjects reported using strategies for remembering that were based on external cues, such as bedtime and meals. There was no association, though, between the presence or type of such a strategy and self-reported success in medication adherence. Most independently living elderly persons believed they were remembering to take their medications as directed and described strategies for doing so.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

L'invention decrit un systeme (100) pour surveiller un utilisateur dans son espace de vie. Ledit systeme comporte une unite de commande systeme (110) et un sous-systeme de detection d'activite (112, 116, 120, 124, 128). Ledit sous-systeme de detection d'activite (112, 116, 120, 124, 128) surveille une activite de la vie quotidienne de l'utilisateur et fournit des informations representatives de ladite activite a l'unite de commande (110). Ladite unite (110) comporte un circuit de commande qui genere un signal de commande en reponse aux informations concernant l'activite quotidienne obtenues par le sous-systeme de detection d'activite (112, 116, 120, 124, 128). Des ordres emanant de l'unite de commande(110) sont appliques, au moyen d'une voie de communication d'ordres, au sous-systeme de detection d'activite (112, 116, 120, 124, 128) ainsi qu'a un site de telesurveillance (148). Le sous-systeme de detection d'activite (112, 116, 120...

Heuristic evaluation has proven popular for desktop and web interfaces, both in practical design and as a research topic. Compared to full user studies, heuristic evaluation can be highly cost-effective, allowing a large proportion of usability flaws to be detected ahead of full development with limited resource investment. Mobile computing shares many usability issues with more conventional interfaces. However, it also poses particular problems for usability evaluation related to aspects such as limited screen real estate, intermittent user attention, and contextual factors. This article describes a modified collection of usability heuristics that are designed to be appropriate for evaluation in mobile computing. They have been systematically derived from extensive literature and empirically validated. They therefore offer a sound basis for heuristic-based evaluation in mobile computing. Besides introducing the reader to the practical use of heuristic evaluation, the article also c...

The lessons learned from seven years of the testing of a behavioral monitoring system— the Everyday Living Monitoring System (ELMS) — outside the laboratory in the real world are discussed. Initially, the real world was perceived as messy and filled with noise that just delayed and complicated the testing and development of the system. However, over time, it became clear that without embracing the chaos of the world and listening very carefully to its noise, the monitoring system could not be successfully moved from the laboratory to the real world. Specific lessons learned at each stage of development and testing are discussed, as well as the challenges that are associated with the actual commercialization of the system.

Research on remote monitoring technologies has led to the development of an Informatics-based Telehomecare system that both allows data input and information display on a BlackBerry mobile device. This integrated system has the advantage over more conventional Telehomecare systems of providing caregivers with usable information as they are delivering care in the homes of their clients.

This paper reports on the progressive design process and actual use and evaluation in situ of an informatics system—the Home Care Informatics System— that transmits information obtained by home based pervasive health care systems to caregivers and clients in a timely manner and easily usable format. Since 2006, three versions of the system have been tested in a series of studies with care provision organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Findings from the studies have driven the development of the different iterations with the result being a customized model of pervasive health care that relies on the needs of the end-users, rather than the goals of the developers. Barriers encountered during the testing, that appear to be generalizable to the successful adoption of pervasive health care systems in general, are discussed and possible solutions suggested.

The caring home initiative, a series of evidentiary studies in the United States, England and the Netherlands, has been undertaken to better understand the integration of communication protocols at three distinct levels: sensor array; caregiving; and informatics. Findings indicate that if effectively integrated, the resulting system allows for improved care as well as for the creation of well being and care delivery records.

The authors argue in this chapter that telehomecare is comprised of three separate components: 1) the technology that collects and transfers the data; 2) the informatics that transforms the data into information and then stores and displays it; and 3) the care component that actually delivers the care. Furthermore, the authors maintain that, for telehomecare to be successful, emphasis must shift from developing new technologies to determining the best means of integrating information into sustainable care models. The authors conclude that the future success of telehomecare is largely based on making the care needs of individuals the starting point, rather than an afterthought, and viewing the technology and informatics as tools not solutions.

This paper addresses the role of social capital networks in the accumulation of large sums of money for investment. In particular, the study undertakes an analysis at the micro level of individual actions involved in the actual process by which social capital is converted into capital, i.e. money. This analysis highlights the social-facilitating functions and processes of social capital networks, while focusing attention on the essential relationship between social capital and money. Our analysis clearly indicates that social capital is the means of production in a type of venture capitalism and is the real means by which the accumulation of capital itself is controlled. Perhaps even more importantly, our findings show that these networks exist to ensure that any profit made by the members of the network remains within the network and does not flow to other networks of financially elite individuals nor trickle down to individuals who are not financially elite.

Abstract: Two surveys of Drexel University (Pennsylvania) students (n= 204) investigated responses to a strike by campus janitorial and maintenance workers, with results analyzed in the context of media coverage. Evaluations of arguments made by the adversaries, ...

... Key words: virtual reality, music therapy, aroma therapy, EEG, encouragement. ... of the Rocket in a home setting in order to determine the effects of sideways ... Author Address: Centre for Studies in Aging, Sunnybrook & Women's, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 ...

... adequacy of each technical aid and constructive solution as a function of the functional characteristics of ... of the Rocket in a home setting in order to determine the effects of sideways ... Spatial visualization was a signif-icant predictor of performance in young adults, even after the ...

A fully automated, passively activated data-acquisition system was developed to allow routine, continuous, nonobtrusive monitoring of selected Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL/IADLs) and the production of a ...

A fully automated, passively activated data-acquisition system was developed to allow routine, continuous, nonobtrusive monitoring of selected Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL/IADLs) and the production of a ...

A series of evidence-based studies in Europe and the US have been undertaken to systematically collect information on how a particular behavioral monitoring system is used to provide care to elderly and frail individuals. Findings indicate that the system is effective in providing actionable information to care providers, while being easily incorporated into existing care models.

ABSTRACT Research on remote monitoring technologies has led to the development of an Informatics-based Telehomecare system that both allows data input and information display on a BlackBerry mobile device. This integrated system has the advantage over more conventional Telehomecare systems of providing caregivers with usable information as they are delivering care in the homes of their clients.

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the progressive design process and actual use and evaluation in situ of an informatics system—the Home Care Informatics System— that transmits information obtained by home based pervasive health care systems to caregivers and clients in a timely manner and easily usable format. Since 2006, three versions of the system have been tested in a series of studies with care provision organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Findings from the studies have driven the development of the different iterations with the result being a customized model of pervasive health care that relies on the needs of the end-users, rather than the goals of the developers. Barriers encountered during the testing, that appear to be generalizable to the successful adoption of pervasive health care systems in general, are discussed and possible solutions suggested.