The Role of Executive Function in Impulsive Consumer Purchasing Behavior

This study was designed to investigate the relationships between executive function, impulsivity, and personality within consumer behavior. In particular, this study tested whether executive function influences consumer decision making. In order to answer that question, three datasets were analyzed. In Study 1A, a dataset was collected of self-report measures (N=6,122) and was analyzed to investigate the role of executive function with impulsiveness and personality on consumer behavior. In this dataset, a self-report measure for executive function (EFI) was employed. In Study 1B., a second data set (N=6,000) of self-report measures was collected and analyzed to validate the results from the first data set. In Study 2, behavioral measures of inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory capacity were subsequently analyzed to identify relations with consumer behavior. Additionally, a correlational analysis was conducted on the self-report measure Executive Function Index (EFI), with cognitive measures previously determined to measure cognitive flexibility, working memory, and executive attention in order to identify variance overlap with executive functioning. Results for these studies demonstrated that components of executive function—particularly inhibitory control and working memory capacity—are related to impulsive consumer decision making. Further, these data illuminate the relation between a self-report measure of executive function and performance-based assessments. It appears that the Executive Function Index may be more closely related to self-reported personality than to task-based inhibition, working memory, or cognitive flexibility

Characterization of a hybrid tracking system

Virtual Reality is a completely immersive computer generated environment which allows for user interaction. A computer and associated tracking peripherals are used to generate a realistic scene and update it based on the position and orientation of the user. VR systems are individual in their ability to provide the user with a 360 degree field of view in all orientations. Since it originated over 30 years ago, virtual reality(VR) has suffered from a problem known as lag. Lag is the system\u27s inability to keep up with the user\u27s actions within a virtual environment. Lag occurs for many reasons. Anything from slow processing speeds of the tracker or the computer to slow data transfer between the computer and tracking peripherals will cause an increase in lag. Even if the tracking peripherals could provide information to the computer generating the virtual environment immediately, lag would still be an issue. It is not until after the computer generating the virtual environment receives information from the tracking peripherals, that the computer begins to generate the environment. On average, it takes approximately 16ms to generate a virtual environment. Under ideal conditions, this would create a 16ms delay. Actual environment generation time is dependent on the speed of the central processing unit or computer generating the environment and varies from system to system. For this reason, it would be advantageous to have a tracking system which could predict the user\u27s actions beforehand. Prediction would allow the system to begin generating a new scene within the environment and display that scene at the appropriate time rather than several milliseconds after the fact. Both inertial and magnetic tracking systems are currently used in VR settings, but neither provides the speed and quality necessary to maintain a realistic experience within the environment. InterSense, a new company in the Boston area, recently released a hybrid tracking system which they claim surpasses the standard magnetic tracker on the market. This system, the IS600, combines inertial and acoustical information to maintain 6 degrees of freedom. The IS600 reports yaw, pitch, and roll, as well as x, y, and z position information. In order to determine the success of this system, it was necessary to characterize the system performance and then integrate it into a virtual environment for perceptual testing. Characterization of the IS600 revealed failures of the system at high and low angular velocities and a random sampling rate. The system\u27s inertial prediction was successful and very effective for smooth motions. Thirteen subjects were tested to determine their preference of prediction within a virtual environment. The subjects were asked to choose between environments generated with 30ms of inertial prediction and environments generated without prediction. Results were not sufficient to conclude that prediction was effective, but this test can not be used as an accurate measure of the system\u27s performance. Other problems, such as the random sampling rate, of the system may be the cause of these inconclusive results. Additional testing will be necessary to determine the effectiveness of the product

Vancouver’s young professionals and the impacts of their financial challenges

This research study explores the financial-related challenges impacting young professionals in the City of Vancouver. It approaches the topic from a life course perspective, considering how the financial-related challenges are interacting with life course milestones and adult role transitions. Qualitative interviewing is used to explore the experiences of eight young professionals living in Vancouver. Results from interviewing help to illuminate what financial and economic challenges come with being a young professional living in the City of Vancouver and what impacts the challenges are having in their lives

To Cover Our Daughters: A Modern Chastity Ritual in Evangelical America

Over the last ten years, a newly created ritual called a Purity Ball has become increasingly popular in American evangelical communities. In much of the present literature, Purity Balls are assumed solely to address a daughter’s emerging sexuality in a ritual designed to counteract evolving American norms on sexuality; however, the ritual may carry additional latent sociological functions. While experienced explicitly by the individual participants as a celebration of father/daughter relationships and a means to address evolutionary sexual mating strategies, Purity Balls may implicitly regenerate existing social hierarchy. This ritual facilitates a sociological purpose by means of re-establishing the role of the male through halting the psychological development of sexual identity in the daughter, and these rituals are enacted in the ownership of the daughter by the father, who is responsible for maintaining the daughter’s purity, for “covering her with his protection.

Diabetes health-beliefs, self-care practices and glycaemic control among Malaysian young adults with diabetes

Self-care practices and glycaemic control remain suboptimal among young adults with diabetes. One of the known factors to influence self-care behaviours is health beliefs. Targeting health beliefs through diabetes education facilitates individual’s diabetes self-care behaviours. Studies investigating health beliefs of young adults with diabetes are limited, however, to educational settings and include mixed-age participant groups. Knowledge about the health beliefs, self-care practices and glycaemic control specifically among Malaysian young adults with diabetes is lacking

Detecting nutrient deficiency in plant systems using synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy

By 2050, it is estimated that the global population will have surpassed 9 billion people, presenting a significant challenge with regards to food security. In order to provide sufficient quantities of nutritious food in the future, it is necessary to improve agricultural productivity by up to 70%. Nutrient deficiencies are one particular threat to food security that can have a negative impact on crop yield and quality. Currently the standard agricultural approach to prevention is to supply an excess macronutrient fertiliser, such as nitrate or phosphate, during crop production. However, the efficiency of this approach is poor as deficiencies of specific nutrients, such as Ca, are not prevented in this circumstance, and fertiliser use is associated with a host of adverse environmental impacts. Herein, we describe a novel method to detect Ca deficiency using synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy in live and fixed tissue of the model plant Commelina communis, as a precursor to targeted nutrient remediation in the field

Epigenetic aging signatures in mice livers are slowed by dwarfism, calorie restriction and rapamycin treatment

Background: Global but predictable changes impact the DNA methylome as we age, acting as a type of molecular clock. This clock can be hastened by conditions that decrease lifespan, raising the question of whether it can also be slowed, for example, by conditions that increase lifespan. Mice are particularly appealing organisms for studies of mammalian aging; however, epigenetic clocks have thus far been formulated only in humans. Results: We first examined whether mice and humans experience similar patterns of change in the methylome with age. We found moderate conservation of CpG sites for which methylation is altered with age, with both species showing an increase in methylome disorder during aging. Based on this analysis, we formulated an epigenetic-aging model in mice using the liver methylomes of 107 mice from 0.2 to 26.0 months old. To examine whether epigenetic aging signatures are slowed by longevity-promoting interventions, we analyzed 28 additional methylomes from mice subjected to lifespan-extending conditions, including Prop1df/df dwarfism, calorie restriction or dietary rapamycin. We found that mice treated with these lifespan-extending interventions were significantly younger in epigenetic age than their untreated, wild-type age-matched controls. Conclusions: This study shows that lifespan-extending conditions can slow molecular changes associated with an epigenetic clock in mice livers

Clinical Inertia in Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Analysis of Pharmacist-Managed Diabetes Care vs. Usual Medical Care

Background: Evidence suggests that patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) suffer from a high rate of “clinical inertia” or “recognition of the problem but failure to act.” Objective: The aim of this study is to quantify the rate of clinical inertia between two models of care: Pharmacist-Managed Diabetes Clinic (PMDC) vs. Usual Medical Care (UMC). Methods: Patients in a university based medical clinic with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) were analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were exposed to either PMDC or UMC. The difference in days to intervention in response to suboptimal laboratory values and time to achieve goal hemoglobin A1c (A1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was compared in the two models of care. Results: A total of 113 patients were included in the analysis of this study, 54 patients were in the PMDC and 59 patients were in the UMC group. Median time (days) to intervention for A1c values \u3e7% was 8 days and 9 days in the PMDC and UMC groups, respectively (p\u3e0.05). In patients with baseline A1c values \u3e8%, median time to achieving A1c Conclusions: Rates of clinical inertia, defined as time to intervention of suboptimal clinical values, did not differ significantly between patients enrolled in a PMDC compared to patients with UMC with respect to A1c, SBP and LDL. Participation in PMDC, however, was associated with achieving goal A1c, SBP, and LDL levels sooner compared to UMC

Health beliefs predict self-care practices and glycaemic control in Malaysian patients with insulin-treated diabetes: a longtitudal study

The practice of diabetes self-care plays an important role in achieving and maintaining good glycaemic control. However, not all patients with insulin-treated diabetes engage in their self-care activities. There is some evidence that self-care practices in patients with insulin-treated diabetes can be understood and predicted by their health beliefs, although studies are often hampered by methodological weaknesses, and the fact that less is known about adults with insulin-treated diabetes in Malaysia. This study was conducted to examine whether health beliefs (as specified in the Health Belief Model: HBM) can predict self-care practices and glycaemic control in patients with insulin-treated diabetes in Malaysia. Longitudinal design with self-reported questionnaire measures administered at baseline (Time 1:T1) and six months later (Time 2: T2). Participants were recruited from three endocrinology clinics in Malaysia. Measures included self-care practices (diet, insulin intake, exercise and self-blood glucose monitoring: SMBG), health beliefs and diabetes knowledge. Participants’ glycaemic control was examined based on their glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) results. Data analysis was performed at different points of the study times; T1, T1-T2 and T2. Diabetes knowledge and demographic data were controlled for in predictive statistical analyses. A total of 159 patients with insulin-treated diabetes (aged 18-40 years) completed the measures at T1. Of these, only 108 (67.9%) completed follow-up measures at T2. However, demographic characteristics were not significantly different between those who completed and dropped out of the study (p>0.05). The HBM was significantly predictive of diet self-care at T2, insulin intake practice at T1 and HbA1c at T1-T2 and T2. Of the HBM constructs, perceived benefits significantly predicted good dietary habits at T1 (OR 1.92) and T2 (OR .23) and adherence to insulin injection at T1 (OR 3.17) and T1-T2 (OR 2.68). With the exception of perceived severity, all other HBM constructs significantly predicted HbA1c [perceived susceptibility (β .169) at T1, perceived barriers (β -.206) and perceived benefits (β -.397) at T2 and cues to action (β -.233) at T1-T2]. Health beliefs predict self-care practices and glycaemic control in young to middle-aged adults with insulin-treated diabetes in Malaysia. Diabetes educators could use this knowledge in their efforts to improve diabetes self-care in this patient group by modifying those beliefs through their diabetes education