We present a calculation of hadron magnetic polarizability using the techniques of lattice QCD. T... more We present a calculation of hadron magnetic polarizability using the techniques of lattice QCD. This is carried out by introducing a uniform external magnetic field on the lattice and measuring the quadratic part of a hadron’s mass shift. The calculation is performed on a 24 4 lattice with standard Wilson actions at beta=6.0 (spacing a = 0.1 fm) and pion mass down to about 500 MeV. Results are obtained for 30 particles covering the entire baryon octet (n, p, Σ 0, Σ − , Σ +, Ξ − , Ξ 0, Λ) and decuplet ( ∆ 0, ∆ − , ∆ +, ∆ ++, Σ ∗0, Σ ∗ − , Σ ∗+, Ξ ∗0, Ξ ∗ − , Ω −), plus selected mesons (π 0, π +, π − , K 0, K +, K − , ρ 0, ρ +, ρ − , K ∗0, K ∗+, K ∗ −). The results are compared with available values from experiments and other theoretical calculations.
<p>Single-stent simulations = solid and overlapping-stent simulations = dashed, all simulat... more <p>Single-stent simulations = solid and overlapping-stent simulations = dashed, all simulations using parameters from Kimura et al. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094411#pone.0094411-Kimura1" target="_blank">[50]</a>.</p
Improving the quality of healthcare services while simultaneously reducing the overall cost remai... more Improving the quality of healthcare services while simultaneously reducing the overall cost remains a huge challenge. One recommended approach for achieving this goal is to build high quality data collection and reporting systems to facilitate evidence-based practice (EBP), which emphasizes the importance of using the solid evidence available to make optimal clinical decisions. In this project, we conducted interviews and a survey with clinicians to understand their perceptions and expectations on such data collection and reporting systems. Based on the obtained results, we created an integrated platform using mobile and web technologies for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) intervention. A usability study was conducted to evaluate the integrated platform and compared the platform to other existing data collection and reporting approaches. The study results indicated that our platform provides a better approach for supporting data collection, integration, and reportin...
2017 IEEE 7th International Conference on Computational Advances in Bio and Medical Sciences (ICCABS), 2017
Applying genomics in the clinical practice has the potential to facilitate personalized medicine.... more Applying genomics in the clinical practice has the potential to facilitate personalized medicine. Physicians play a key role in this process since they are the ones who decide whether or not to use genomic information in their clinical practice. This study aims to determine the current status of physicians in using genomics in their clinical practices and to identify the desired features of a patient genomic information management system. A questionnaire-based study of 32 physicians was conducted to collect the research data. The results showed that most physicians are willing and ready to incorporate genomics into their clinical practice but need necessary support or tools to do that. A patient genomic information system was created accordingly and all the desired features identified in this study were incorporated into the system. A usability study on the system indicated that all participating physicians could easily finish the assigned tasks in the system and were satisfied with the system.
2017 IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), 2017
In recent years, personal genomic data can be quickly generated in an affordable price. Abundant ... more In recent years, personal genomic data can be quickly generated in an affordable price. Abundant research results on genetic diseases have also been published in the past two decade. Therefore, it is desired to utilize updated genetic disease research results into personal genomic data analysis and apply them into genomics-based personalized healthcare. However, this is a challenging task for current healthcare professionals because the desired clinically relevant information is hidden in highly complex genomics data sets and in various types of databases, which were typically created for genomics researchers in the past. In this project, an integrated patient genomic information analysis and management system is created for healthcare professionals, especially physicians, so that they can conveniently access the desired patient genetic information and current research results related to the genetic makeup, and utilize the information in personalized healthcare practice. The accurac...
Perspectives in health information management, 2021
A well-being mobile app was built and tested by performing a usability study in a trauma affected... more A well-being mobile app was built and tested by performing a usability study in a trauma affected community (TAC). Seven usability tasks were given to social workers during Phase 1. Phase 2 of the usability study was a re-test of the same tasks with the same social workers after refinements were applied. The results showed that most users preferred darker foreground colors, lighter background colors, larger fonts, and larger sized UI components. Statistically significant improvements were found after changes were implemented to the app and included time for page navigation (Z = -2.366, p = 0.018), logout (Z = -1.997, p = 0.046), and item selection in a page (Z = -2.371, p = 0.018). UI positioning and size changes proved to be a significant determinant of user satisfaction based on the positive feedback received from the computer systems usability questionnaire (CSUQ). (User1: p = .000, User 2 withdrew; User3: p = .010, User4: p = .000, User5: p = .001, User6: p = .006, User7: p = .0...
Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to facilitate convenient health care ... more Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to facilitate convenient health care delivery and self-management of health. However, many users have concerns about their privacy when they use mHealth apps. Different apps provide different solutions for protecting users’ privacy. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine user preferences among the several privacy protection methods used in current mHealth apps and the reasons behind their preferences. Methods: Five privacy protection methods currently used in mHealth apps were presented to a group of study participants who had mild or moderate depression and expressed concerns about privacy of information when they used mental health apps. After a demonstration of the methods, study participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire and indicate their perceived privacy protection level (PPPL) of each method, their preference rating for each method, and the privacy protection methods they had used in the past...
BackgroundPeople with disabilities need rehabilitation interventions to improve their physical fu... more BackgroundPeople with disabilities need rehabilitation interventions to improve their physical functioning, mental status, and quality of life. Many rehabilitation interventions can be delivered electronically ("digitally") via telehealth systems. For people with disabilities in underserved areas, electronically delivered rehabilitation interventions may be the only feasible service available for them.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the current status of digital interventions for people with disabilities in remote and underserved areas.MethodsA systematic review was conducted on this topic. Keyword searches in multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and Inspec) were performed to collect articles published in this field. The obtained articles were selected based on our selection criteria. Of the 198 identified articles, 16 duplicates were removed. After a review of the titles and abstracts of the remaining articles, 165 were determined to be irrelevant to t...
Background: A personal health record (PHR) system encourages patients to engage with their own he... more Background: A personal health record (PHR) system encourages patients to engage with their own health care by giving them the ability to manage and keep track of their own health data. Of the numerous PHR systems available in the market, many are Web-based patient portals and a few are mobile apps. They have mainly been created by hospitals and electronic health record (EHR) vendors. One major limitation of these hospital-created PHR systems is that patients can only view specific health data extracted from their EHR. Patients do not have the freedom to add important personal health data they collect in their daily lives into their PHR. Therefore, there is an information gap between clinical visits. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a new mobile PHR app that can be easily used to manage various types of personal health data to fill the information gap. Methods: A user-centered approach was used to guide the development and evaluation of the new mobile PHR app. There were three steps in this study: needs assessment, app design and development, and conducting a usability study. First, a large-scale questionnaire study was conducted with the general population to gain an understanding of their needs and expectations with regard to a mobile PHR app. A mobile PHR app for personal medical data tracking and management was then created based on the results of the questionnaire study. End users were actively involved in all stages of the app development. Finally, a usability study was performed with participants to evaluate the usability of the mobile PHR app, which involved asking participants to finish a set of tasks and to respond to a usability questionnaire. Results: In the questionnaire study for needs assessment, there were 609 participants in total. The answers from these participants revealed that they wanted to manage various types of personal health data in a mobile PHR app. Participants also reported some features they desired to have in the app. On the basis of the needs assessment findings, a new mobile PHR app (PittPHR) was created with 6 major modules: health records, history, trackers, contacts, appointments, and resources. This app allows users to customize the trackers according to their needs. In the usability study, there were 15 participants. The usability study participants expressed satisfaction with the app and provided comments and suggestions for further development. Conclusions: This new mobile PHR app provides options for users to manage a wide range of personal health data conveniently in one place. The app fills the information gap between clinical visits. The study results indicated that this new mobile PHR app meets the need of users and that users welcome this app.
Background: Telehealth is a great approach for providing high quality health care services to peo... more Background: Telehealth is a great approach for providing high quality health care services to people who cannot easily access these services in person. However, because of frequently reported health data breaches, many people may hesitate to use telehealth-based health care services. It is necessary for telehealth care providers to demonstrate that they have taken sufficient actions to protect their patients’ data security and privacy. The government provided a HIPAA audit protocol that is highly useful for internal security and privacy auditing on health care systems, however, this protocol includes extensive details that are not always specific to telehealth and therefore is difficult to be used by telehealth practitioners.Objective: The goal of this study was to develop and validate a telehealth privacy and security self-assessment questionnaire for telehealth providers. Methods: In our previous work, we performed a systematic review on the security and privacy protection offered...
The objective of this systematic review was to systematically review papers in the United States ... more The objective of this systematic review was to systematically review papers in the United States that examine current practices in privacy and security when telehealth technologies are used by healthcare providers. A literature search was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P). PubMed, CINAHL and INSPEC from 2003 – 2016 were searched and returned 25,404 papers (after duplications were removed). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were strictly followed to examine title, abstract, and full text for 21 published papers which reported on privacy and security practices used by healthcare providers using telehealth. Data on confidentiality, integrity, privacy, informed consent, access control, availability, retention, encryption, and authentication were all searched and retrieved from the papers examined. Papers were selected by two independent reviewers, first per inclusion/exclusion criteria and, where there was disagre...
Background: Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability stu... more Background: Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted for assessing the effectiveness of these questionnaires. Objective: This paper describes a protocol for conducting a systematic review of published questionnaire-based mHealth app usability studies. Methods: In this systematic review, we will select recently published (2008-2017) articles from peer-reviewed journals and conferences that describe mHealth app usability studies and implement at least one usability questionnaire. The search strategy will include terms such as "mobile app" and "usability." Multiple databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and INSPEC will be searched. There will be 2 independent reviewers in charge of screening titles and abstracts as well as determining those articles that should be included for a full-text review. The third reviewer will act as a mediator between the other 2 reviewers. Moreover, a data extraction form will be created and used during the full article data analysis. Notably, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines will be followed in reporting this protocol. Results: A preliminary search produced 1271 articles, 40 of which are duplicate records. The inclusion-exclusion criteria are being strictly followed in performing the ongoing study selection. Conclusions: Usability questionnaires are an important tool in mHealth app usability studies. This review will summarize the usability questionnaires used in published research articles while assessing the efficacy of these questionnaires in determining the usability of mHealth apps.
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 2017
Abstract Purpose: The currently existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technol... more Abstract Purpose: The currently existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies have limitations to produce the best communication rehabilitation outcomes and therefore a better solution is needed. Method: In this work, a mobile AAC app was developed based on results from research studies. Sophisticated AAC language programming, embedded training materials, and real-time communication performance reporting were integrated into the app. Two groups of study participants were recruited to participate a usability study and a preliminary feasibility study for the purpose of evaluating this mobile AAC app, respectively. Results: A tablet-based AAC app was developed to support communication rehabilitation. User studies of the app were conducted and included able-bodied individuals and people with verbal communication disabilities. All study participants agreed that the app establishes a usable alternative treatment protocol for communication rehabilitation. Conclusions: The app’s integrated features have great potential to maximize users’ communication effectiveness, enhance language skills, and ultimately improve users’ quality of life. Implications for rehabilitation We have developed and evaluated an integrated mobile AAC language-based app. This tablet-based app integrated AAC with embedded trainings and real-time performance report.
As the demand for accurately aligning gene sequences to the genome of a related species grows wit... more As the demand for accurately aligning gene sequences to the genome of a related species grows with the sequencing of new genomes, spaced seeds emerge as a promising vehicle for increasing alignment sensitivity. We develop methods to design accurate (sensitive and specific) spaced seeds for cross-species cDNA-to-genome alignment, and to find a small set of seeds for a wide range of comparisons, and implement them into a sequence alignment program. First, we extend the existing match-mismatch framework for spaced seed sensitivity evaluation by incorporating transitions and by taking into account the compositional structure of coding sequences, using a Markov model of alignment, to produce more sensitive seeds for cross-species cDNA-to-genome alignment. Designing spaced seeds for alignment programs, however, needs to balance sensitivity and specificity. We propose a theoretical formulation for rigorously assessing seed specificity, using Bernoulli and Markov models of the mRNA and geno...
2012 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Computational Advances in Bio and medical Sciences (ICCABS), 2012
It is known that introns may be gained or lost throughout evolution. However, the mechanisms unde... more It is known that introns may be gained or lost throughout evolution. However, the mechanisms underlying these events remain enigmatic. Introns have been shown to affect nearly every aspect of gene expression. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand how introns may be gained or lost. At least 9 mechanisms of intron gain and loss have been proposed. However, most lack
ABSTRACT We report results on N* masses in the spin 1/2 and 3/2 sectors using an anisotropic latt... more ABSTRACT We report results on N* masses in the spin 1/2 and 3/2 sectors using an anisotropic lattice and a highly-improved lattice QCD action. States with both positive and negative parity are isolated via parity projection methods. The need for spin project to isolate the spin 3/2 states is also demonstrated. Clear splittings from the nucleon ground state are observed. The basic pattern of the splittings is consistent with experiments at the quark masses explored.
We present a calculation of hadron magnetic polarizability using the techniques of lattice QCD. T... more We present a calculation of hadron magnetic polarizability using the techniques of lattice QCD. This is carried out by introducing a uniform external magnetic field on the lattice and measuring the quadratic part of a hadron’s mass shift. The calculation is performed on a 24 4 lattice with standard Wilson actions at beta=6.0 (spacing a = 0.1 fm) and pion mass down to about 500 MeV. Results are obtained for 30 particles covering the entire baryon octet (n, p, Σ 0, Σ − , Σ +, Ξ − , Ξ 0, Λ) and decuplet ( ∆ 0, ∆ − , ∆ +, ∆ ++, Σ ∗0, Σ ∗ − , Σ ∗+, Ξ ∗0, Ξ ∗ − , Ω −), plus selected mesons (π 0, π +, π − , K 0, K +, K − , ρ 0, ρ +, ρ − , K ∗0, K ∗+, K ∗ −). The results are compared with available values from experiments and other theoretical calculations.
<p>Single-stent simulations = solid and overlapping-stent simulations = dashed, all simulat... more <p>Single-stent simulations = solid and overlapping-stent simulations = dashed, all simulations using parameters from Kimura et al. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094411#pone.0094411-Kimura1" target="_blank">[50]</a>.</p
Improving the quality of healthcare services while simultaneously reducing the overall cost remai... more Improving the quality of healthcare services while simultaneously reducing the overall cost remains a huge challenge. One recommended approach for achieving this goal is to build high quality data collection and reporting systems to facilitate evidence-based practice (EBP), which emphasizes the importance of using the solid evidence available to make optimal clinical decisions. In this project, we conducted interviews and a survey with clinicians to understand their perceptions and expectations on such data collection and reporting systems. Based on the obtained results, we created an integrated platform using mobile and web technologies for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) intervention. A usability study was conducted to evaluate the integrated platform and compared the platform to other existing data collection and reporting approaches. The study results indicated that our platform provides a better approach for supporting data collection, integration, and reportin...
2017 IEEE 7th International Conference on Computational Advances in Bio and Medical Sciences (ICCABS), 2017
Applying genomics in the clinical practice has the potential to facilitate personalized medicine.... more Applying genomics in the clinical practice has the potential to facilitate personalized medicine. Physicians play a key role in this process since they are the ones who decide whether or not to use genomic information in their clinical practice. This study aims to determine the current status of physicians in using genomics in their clinical practices and to identify the desired features of a patient genomic information management system. A questionnaire-based study of 32 physicians was conducted to collect the research data. The results showed that most physicians are willing and ready to incorporate genomics into their clinical practice but need necessary support or tools to do that. A patient genomic information system was created accordingly and all the desired features identified in this study were incorporated into the system. A usability study on the system indicated that all participating physicians could easily finish the assigned tasks in the system and were satisfied with the system.
2017 IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), 2017
In recent years, personal genomic data can be quickly generated in an affordable price. Abundant ... more In recent years, personal genomic data can be quickly generated in an affordable price. Abundant research results on genetic diseases have also been published in the past two decade. Therefore, it is desired to utilize updated genetic disease research results into personal genomic data analysis and apply them into genomics-based personalized healthcare. However, this is a challenging task for current healthcare professionals because the desired clinically relevant information is hidden in highly complex genomics data sets and in various types of databases, which were typically created for genomics researchers in the past. In this project, an integrated patient genomic information analysis and management system is created for healthcare professionals, especially physicians, so that they can conveniently access the desired patient genetic information and current research results related to the genetic makeup, and utilize the information in personalized healthcare practice. The accurac...
Perspectives in health information management, 2021
A well-being mobile app was built and tested by performing a usability study in a trauma affected... more A well-being mobile app was built and tested by performing a usability study in a trauma affected community (TAC). Seven usability tasks were given to social workers during Phase 1. Phase 2 of the usability study was a re-test of the same tasks with the same social workers after refinements were applied. The results showed that most users preferred darker foreground colors, lighter background colors, larger fonts, and larger sized UI components. Statistically significant improvements were found after changes were implemented to the app and included time for page navigation (Z = -2.366, p = 0.018), logout (Z = -1.997, p = 0.046), and item selection in a page (Z = -2.371, p = 0.018). UI positioning and size changes proved to be a significant determinant of user satisfaction based on the positive feedback received from the computer systems usability questionnaire (CSUQ). (User1: p = .000, User 2 withdrew; User3: p = .010, User4: p = .000, User5: p = .001, User6: p = .006, User7: p = .0...
Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to facilitate convenient health care ... more Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to facilitate convenient health care delivery and self-management of health. However, many users have concerns about their privacy when they use mHealth apps. Different apps provide different solutions for protecting users’ privacy. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine user preferences among the several privacy protection methods used in current mHealth apps and the reasons behind their preferences. Methods: Five privacy protection methods currently used in mHealth apps were presented to a group of study participants who had mild or moderate depression and expressed concerns about privacy of information when they used mental health apps. After a demonstration of the methods, study participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire and indicate their perceived privacy protection level (PPPL) of each method, their preference rating for each method, and the privacy protection methods they had used in the past...
BackgroundPeople with disabilities need rehabilitation interventions to improve their physical fu... more BackgroundPeople with disabilities need rehabilitation interventions to improve their physical functioning, mental status, and quality of life. Many rehabilitation interventions can be delivered electronically ("digitally") via telehealth systems. For people with disabilities in underserved areas, electronically delivered rehabilitation interventions may be the only feasible service available for them.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the current status of digital interventions for people with disabilities in remote and underserved areas.MethodsA systematic review was conducted on this topic. Keyword searches in multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and Inspec) were performed to collect articles published in this field. The obtained articles were selected based on our selection criteria. Of the 198 identified articles, 16 duplicates were removed. After a review of the titles and abstracts of the remaining articles, 165 were determined to be irrelevant to t...
Background: A personal health record (PHR) system encourages patients to engage with their own he... more Background: A personal health record (PHR) system encourages patients to engage with their own health care by giving them the ability to manage and keep track of their own health data. Of the numerous PHR systems available in the market, many are Web-based patient portals and a few are mobile apps. They have mainly been created by hospitals and electronic health record (EHR) vendors. One major limitation of these hospital-created PHR systems is that patients can only view specific health data extracted from their EHR. Patients do not have the freedom to add important personal health data they collect in their daily lives into their PHR. Therefore, there is an information gap between clinical visits. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a new mobile PHR app that can be easily used to manage various types of personal health data to fill the information gap. Methods: A user-centered approach was used to guide the development and evaluation of the new mobile PHR app. There were three steps in this study: needs assessment, app design and development, and conducting a usability study. First, a large-scale questionnaire study was conducted with the general population to gain an understanding of their needs and expectations with regard to a mobile PHR app. A mobile PHR app for personal medical data tracking and management was then created based on the results of the questionnaire study. End users were actively involved in all stages of the app development. Finally, a usability study was performed with participants to evaluate the usability of the mobile PHR app, which involved asking participants to finish a set of tasks and to respond to a usability questionnaire. Results: In the questionnaire study for needs assessment, there were 609 participants in total. The answers from these participants revealed that they wanted to manage various types of personal health data in a mobile PHR app. Participants also reported some features they desired to have in the app. On the basis of the needs assessment findings, a new mobile PHR app (PittPHR) was created with 6 major modules: health records, history, trackers, contacts, appointments, and resources. This app allows users to customize the trackers according to their needs. In the usability study, there were 15 participants. The usability study participants expressed satisfaction with the app and provided comments and suggestions for further development. Conclusions: This new mobile PHR app provides options for users to manage a wide range of personal health data conveniently in one place. The app fills the information gap between clinical visits. The study results indicated that this new mobile PHR app meets the need of users and that users welcome this app.
Background: Telehealth is a great approach for providing high quality health care services to peo... more Background: Telehealth is a great approach for providing high quality health care services to people who cannot easily access these services in person. However, because of frequently reported health data breaches, many people may hesitate to use telehealth-based health care services. It is necessary for telehealth care providers to demonstrate that they have taken sufficient actions to protect their patients’ data security and privacy. The government provided a HIPAA audit protocol that is highly useful for internal security and privacy auditing on health care systems, however, this protocol includes extensive details that are not always specific to telehealth and therefore is difficult to be used by telehealth practitioners.Objective: The goal of this study was to develop and validate a telehealth privacy and security self-assessment questionnaire for telehealth providers. Methods: In our previous work, we performed a systematic review on the security and privacy protection offered...
The objective of this systematic review was to systematically review papers in the United States ... more The objective of this systematic review was to systematically review papers in the United States that examine current practices in privacy and security when telehealth technologies are used by healthcare providers. A literature search was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P). PubMed, CINAHL and INSPEC from 2003 – 2016 were searched and returned 25,404 papers (after duplications were removed). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were strictly followed to examine title, abstract, and full text for 21 published papers which reported on privacy and security practices used by healthcare providers using telehealth. Data on confidentiality, integrity, privacy, informed consent, access control, availability, retention, encryption, and authentication were all searched and retrieved from the papers examined. Papers were selected by two independent reviewers, first per inclusion/exclusion criteria and, where there was disagre...
Background: Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability stu... more Background: Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted for assessing the effectiveness of these questionnaires. Objective: This paper describes a protocol for conducting a systematic review of published questionnaire-based mHealth app usability studies. Methods: In this systematic review, we will select recently published (2008-2017) articles from peer-reviewed journals and conferences that describe mHealth app usability studies and implement at least one usability questionnaire. The search strategy will include terms such as "mobile app" and "usability." Multiple databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and INSPEC will be searched. There will be 2 independent reviewers in charge of screening titles and abstracts as well as determining those articles that should be included for a full-text review. The third reviewer will act as a mediator between the other 2 reviewers. Moreover, a data extraction form will be created and used during the full article data analysis. Notably, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines will be followed in reporting this protocol. Results: A preliminary search produced 1271 articles, 40 of which are duplicate records. The inclusion-exclusion criteria are being strictly followed in performing the ongoing study selection. Conclusions: Usability questionnaires are an important tool in mHealth app usability studies. This review will summarize the usability questionnaires used in published research articles while assessing the efficacy of these questionnaires in determining the usability of mHealth apps.
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 2017
Abstract Purpose: The currently existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technol... more Abstract Purpose: The currently existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies have limitations to produce the best communication rehabilitation outcomes and therefore a better solution is needed. Method: In this work, a mobile AAC app was developed based on results from research studies. Sophisticated AAC language programming, embedded training materials, and real-time communication performance reporting were integrated into the app. Two groups of study participants were recruited to participate a usability study and a preliminary feasibility study for the purpose of evaluating this mobile AAC app, respectively. Results: A tablet-based AAC app was developed to support communication rehabilitation. User studies of the app were conducted and included able-bodied individuals and people with verbal communication disabilities. All study participants agreed that the app establishes a usable alternative treatment protocol for communication rehabilitation. Conclusions: The app’s integrated features have great potential to maximize users’ communication effectiveness, enhance language skills, and ultimately improve users’ quality of life. Implications for rehabilitation We have developed and evaluated an integrated mobile AAC language-based app. This tablet-based app integrated AAC with embedded trainings and real-time performance report.
As the demand for accurately aligning gene sequences to the genome of a related species grows wit... more As the demand for accurately aligning gene sequences to the genome of a related species grows with the sequencing of new genomes, spaced seeds emerge as a promising vehicle for increasing alignment sensitivity. We develop methods to design accurate (sensitive and specific) spaced seeds for cross-species cDNA-to-genome alignment, and to find a small set of seeds for a wide range of comparisons, and implement them into a sequence alignment program. First, we extend the existing match-mismatch framework for spaced seed sensitivity evaluation by incorporating transitions and by taking into account the compositional structure of coding sequences, using a Markov model of alignment, to produce more sensitive seeds for cross-species cDNA-to-genome alignment. Designing spaced seeds for alignment programs, however, needs to balance sensitivity and specificity. We propose a theoretical formulation for rigorously assessing seed specificity, using Bernoulli and Markov models of the mRNA and geno...
2012 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Computational Advances in Bio and medical Sciences (ICCABS), 2012
It is known that introns may be gained or lost throughout evolution. However, the mechanisms unde... more It is known that introns may be gained or lost throughout evolution. However, the mechanisms underlying these events remain enigmatic. Introns have been shown to affect nearly every aspect of gene expression. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand how introns may be gained or lost. At least 9 mechanisms of intron gain and loss have been proposed. However, most lack
ABSTRACT We report results on N* masses in the spin 1/2 and 3/2 sectors using an anisotropic latt... more ABSTRACT We report results on N* masses in the spin 1/2 and 3/2 sectors using an anisotropic lattice and a highly-improved lattice QCD action. States with both positive and negative parity are isolated via parity projection methods. The need for spin project to isolate the spin 3/2 states is also demonstrated. Clear splittings from the nucleon ground state are observed. The basic pattern of the splittings is consistent with experiments at the quark masses explored.
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Papers by Leming Zhou