COVID-19 Changes the Nature of Tele-Mental Health: A Scope Review

COVID-19 temporarily removed legal restrictions, institutional hurdles, organizational impediments, and technological barriers to telemental health implementations that allow mental health therapists to apply virtual meeting technologies to serve their patients. Therapists transitioned from an under-appreciated health sub-specialty small business model to essential caregiver status needing management and technological expertise to measure service quality and outcomes. A systematic literature review identified factors essential for mental health workers and organizations transitioning patient therapy models from face-to-face to online support services under pandemic restrictions. This study revealed that management, technology, health services, and legal issues represent four critical areas of e-health research during the pandemic restrictions. This study suggests that telehealth applications require alterations in both the training and skills of the providers and the need for effective management of the telehealth business as digital mental health platforms supplant traditional delivery channels. Post-pandemic telehealth applications should be a blended approach that combines the best experiences from traditional treatments and virtual ones based on the digital skills of patients and healthcare providers

Crowdfunding Project Success for Game Developers: Evidence from Kickstarter and Steam

Crowdfunding has revolutionized business investor connection in many industries, one of which is game development. Traditionally, triple-A game developers and publishers were able to monopolize the industry, but with the emergence of crowdfunding platforms, smaller game development teams and companies have a way of competing with large corporations by attracting funds. However, Kickstarter reports show that two-third of game funding projects fail to meet their goals. This study develops and empirically examines a theoretical model to predict video game’s crowdfunding success to address this gap. We collect data on video game projects that were initiated on Kickstarter and were later released on the Steam platform. Our analysis of more than 7000 reward tiers for 1967 projects reveals that reward type (free game copy, in-game perks, accessories, artworks, and involvement), and reward description length positively influence funding success, while the number of reward tiers and funding period negatively impact funding success

Factors influencing adoption model of continuous glucose monitoring devices for internet of things healthcare

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Internet of Things on 18/01/2021, available online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iot.2020.100353 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published versionContinuous Glucose Monitoring Systems (CGMs) device is the most developed technology, which has reshaped manual diabetes management with smart features having sensor, transmitter and monitor. However, the number of users for CGMs device is still very low compared to existing manual systems although this device provides a smart landmark in blood glucose monitoring for diabetes management. Consequently, the aspire of the assessment is to explore the factors that influence users’ intention to adopt CGMs device on the Internet of Things (IoT) based healthcare. This paper provides an adoption model for CGMs device by integrating some factors from different theories in existing studies of wearable healthcare devices. The proposed adoption model also examines current factors as a guideline for the users to adopt the CGMs device. We have collected data from 97 actual CGMs device users. Partial least square and structural equation modelling were involved for measurement and structural model assessment of this study. The experiential study specifies that interpersonal influence and trustworthiness are the strong predictors of attitude toward a wearable device, which shows significant relationships to use for CGMs device’s adoption. Personal innovativeness shows no significant relationship with attitude toward a wearable device. Besides, self-efficacy has no direct influence on a person’s health interest where heath interest directly influences users’ intention to use CGMs device. Moreover, perceived value is not found to be significant for measuring intention to use CGMs devices. The results from this research provide suggestions for the developers to ensure users’ intention to adopt CGMs device

Immersive Systems and User Engagement Through NeuroIS Lens

Immersive systems (e.g., Virtual Reality) are at the forefront of the next generation of innovative technologies. Recent technological advancements have made them viable for businesses and individuals to adopt. For example, some realtors now offer virtual house tours in the absence of walk-ins. The concept of “immersion” is at the heart of these technologies. However, despite the fact that this concept has been studied for almost three decades, our understanding remains weak and inconsistent. Specifically, there remains a lack of consensus on what it is, its antecedents, and how it should be measured. This dissertation includes two essays. In Essay 1, we build on prior literature to develop a holistic immersion model that incorporates sensory, cognitive, and affective factors and their interactions. An electroencephalography (EEG) lab study was conducted to measure subjects’ immersion while using technology in the lab and determine their engagement with technology in the presence of real-world distractors (e.g., iPhone text-sound). Findings suggest that immersion has a U-shape relationship with user performance such that, after a certain threshold, a unit increase in the users’ immersion level has an exponentially positive effect on their performance. In Essay 2, we use the same study design and concept (immersion) to investigate the relationship between neurophysiological and psychometric measures of immersion. IS scholars have encouraged methodological investigations and triangulation using NeuroIS tools, yet there is a dearth of studies on how these tools interact and influence one another. Hence in Essay 2, our objectives are to (i) measure users’ experience of immersion using EEG and two psychometric-based methods (perceptual and observational); (ii) test these measures in a nomological network of antecedents of immersion and consequences of immersion; (iii) statistically compare and report how relationships differ across each measure; and (iv) build an aggregated measure of immersion using neurophysiological and psychometric tools and test its capabilities in explaining an outcome variable

Age-dependent response to extreme Mediterranean climate in annual rings of brant’s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.)

The relationship between tree-ring growth and climate in Quercus brantii, a widespread and dominant tree species in Zagros-Anti-Taurus Mountains, was investigated by both age-dependent and independent approaches. A total number of 118 trees were sampled in a region where severe Mediterranean climate prevailed. An overall chronology plus three age-dependent chronologies of 160 years old were constructed to study growth-climate relationships based on an integrated approach of principle component stepwise regression followed by complementary response function analysis. High age heterogeneity of overall chronology diminished its climatic signals and growth priority was significantly presented in the models. Biennial and triennial precipitation variations were highly related with annual tree ring growth of young and old oaks, respectively. However, hot growing season negatively affected all age-dependent chronology indices. By increasing tree ages the negative effects of warm autumn prior to growth decreased and late winter fall became a limiting climatic factor in old trees. Results of response function analysis also revealed that all oak trees from each age classes were sensitive to increasing April temperature. It’s anticipated that, regarding the trends of late frost, this species will face with many challenges in this region and similar areas

Technological, human, and procedural factors that influence nursing documentation errors

Over the years, there has been a drastic increase in awareness of medical mistakes by researchers, hospitals, insurance companies, etc. The rise in mistakes has occurred for several reasons. One reason is that hospitals and other healthcare facilities spend millions incorporating information systems and technology into healthcare, which is thought to help reduce the number of mistakes. Even with the significant improvements technology has brought, mistakes are made every day, costing the United States healthcare system billions and patients’ lives. This study explores technological, human, and procedural factors that influence nursing documentation errors, resulting in negligent medical mistakes. There is no easy solution to reducing the number of medical mistakes, but improving documentation in Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems is a start

Usability of Apps and Websites: A Meta-Regression Study

Lack of usability is an important common issue in computer websites and mobile apps, despite a rich stream of literature in this area. Drawing upon 17 empirical studies on usability, we performed a meta-regression to examine whether the correlation between usability perception and a factor affecting usability depends on the nature of that influencing factor. The results suggest that information and application design affect usability perceptions of users. However, these two factors differ in an important aspect. Information has a positive effect on usability only in studies in the mobile context. By contrast, application design is positively related to usability perception in both websites and apps. The literature associates numerous factors with usability, but there is no consensus among researchers in this regard. Hence, by integrating factors affecting usability through a meta-analysis, this paper offers new insights to the literature

Mobile Applications Security: Role of Privacy

Mobile users still express their concerns about security of mobile applications because these applications have access to personal information stored on mobile devices. Mobile applications developers constantly provide new solutions to enhance security of mobile applications, but mobile users’ security concerns are not diminished as long as the associated behavioral factors are not understood and considered. Privacy is another users’ concern about mobile applications which mobile applications developers attempt to improve. In this study, we examine whether privacy-related factors can affect security perceptions about mobile applications. If privacy of mobile applications affect security, developers can devise the solutions to decrease these two significant concerns simultaneously and IS researchers better understand such interplay

Dendrochronological studies of Juniperus polycarpos in alborz mountains (case study: Shahkuh of shahrood)

The objectives of research were to create tree ring chronology of juniper trees and investigation on the relationship between the growth rate of the tree and the climate. Juniper trees are naturally distributed in High Mountain with semi-arid and arctic climate condition of Iran. Samples were collected from 20 trees in Shah-Kouh Mountain with 54° 42´ 58˝ longitude and 36° 61´ 01˝ latitude coordinate. Increment core were prepared and analyzed. The time span for tree ring chronology was 271 year (1741-2012 AD). Tree ring chronology statistic for MS, EPS, SNR, were 5.6, 0.85, 0.29 respectively. Correlation between tree ring index and climate data showed that mean temperature in the previous growing season is an important factor for growth of juniper trees. The result of this research can help the development of climate data and is useful for the creation of weather atlas