27065306
ELSA (abstract): an electronic library search assistant
interface for the Gratefid Med system. Because about 30% of all Grateful Med searches result in no hits, our contract from the National Library of Medicine was focused on query formulation and intermediate results. In the first phase of the project, we designed guidelines and prototype smens for the existing character-based system. Inthe second phase presented he~, we designed guidelines and prototypes for a GUI. The prototype anchors the user on a query form screen to avoid disorientation provides systematic and consistent feedback for seamh progress, and provides simple suggestions for the special cases of no hits and too many hits. The prototype was mocked up using HyperCard and illustrates what we believe is an impmved component for Grateful Med without assuming Internet access speeds or high-performance workstations. Suggestions for interfaces that am less-constrained by
209401863
ELSA: An Electronic Library Search Assistant (Demo).
41698316
Cloud tracing in convection-diffusion systems
The paper describes a highly interactive method for computer visualization of simultaneous three-dimensional vector and scalar flow fields in convection-diffusion systems. This method allows a computational fluid dynamics user to visualize the basic physical process of dispersion and mixing rather than just the vector and scalar values computed by the simulation. It is based on transforming the vector field from a traditionally Eulerian reference frame into a Lagrangian reference frame. Fluid elements are traced through the vector field for the mean path as well as the statistical dispersion of the fluid elements about the mean position by using added scalar information about the root mean square value of the vector field and its Lagrangian time scale. In this way, clouds of fluid elements are traced not just mean paths. We have used this method to visualize the simulation of an industrial incinerator to help identify mechanisms for poor mixing.<<ETX>>
2979008
Strategies for designing distributed systems: case studies in the design of an air traffic management system
The air traffic management system in the USA is an example of a distributed problem-solving system. It has elements of both cooperative and competitive problem-solving. It includes complex organizations such as Flight Operations Centers, the FAA Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center (ATCSCC), and traffic management units at en route centers that focus on daily strategic planning, as well as individuals concerned more with immediate tactical decisions (such as air traffic controllers and pilots). The design of this system has evolved over time to rely heavily on the distribution of tasks and control authority in order to keep cognitive complexity manageable for any one individual operator, and to provide redundancy (both human and technological) to serve as a safety net to catch the slips or mistakes that any one person or entity might make. Within this distributed architecture, a number of different conceptual approaches have been applied to deal with cognitive complexity and to provide redundancy. These approaches can be characterized in terms of the strategy for distributing: (1) control or responsibility, (2) knowledge or expertise, (3) access to data, (4) processing capacity, and (5) goals and priorities. This paper will provide an abstract characterization of these alternative strategies for distributing work in terms of these 5 dimensions, and will illustrate and evaluate their effectiveness in terms of concrete realizations found within the National Airspace System.
14730101
EP-X: a demonstration of semantically based search of bibliographic databases
EP-X (Environmental Pollution eXpert) is a prototype knowledge-based system that assists users in conducting bibliographic searches of the environmental pollution literature. This system combines artificial intelligence and human factors engineering techniques, allowing us to redesign traditional bibliographic information retrieval interfaces. The result supports semantically-based search as opposed to the typical character-string matching approach. This paper discussesa sample interaction with EP-X,
the knowledge representations necessary to support this semantically-based interaction,
preliminary results of empirical studies to evaluate the interface, and
recommendations for future directions

38064374
A Catalog of Errors
Abstract This paper reviews various errors that have been described by comparing human behavior to the norms of probability, causal connection and logical deduction. For each error we review evidence on whether the error has been demonstrated to occur. For many errors, the occurrence of a bias has not been demonstrated; for other, a bias does occur, but arguments can be made that the bias is not always an error. Based on the conclusions of this review, we caution researchers and practitioners in referring to well known biases and errors.
74708114
The transfusion medicine tutor: the use of expert-systems technology to teach students and provide support to practitioners in antibody identification
The studies presented here provide data regarding the effectiveness of the expert-system-based Transfusion Medicine Tutor (TMT) when used by medical technology students and medical technologists in performing an important problem-solving task, the identification alloantibodies in a patient's blood for the purpose of finding compatible blood for transfusion. TMT monitors for slips and mistakes during the evaluation of patient cases, and provides suggestions to the student or technologist when a potential concern is detected. Use of that system was found to reduce errors in final answers on various multiple antibody cases by 30%-62% by practicing medical technologists. Similarly, use of a modified version of the system for teaching was found to enhance learning by 87--93%.