Whose Algorithm Says So

Financial advisors seek to accurately measure individuals' risk preferences and provide sound personalized investment advice. Both advice tasks are increasingly offered through automated online technologies. Little is known, however, about what drives individuals' acceptance of such automated financial advice and, from a consumer point of view, which firms may be best positioned to provide such advice. We generate novel insights on these questions by conducting a real-world empirical study using an interactive automated online tool that employs an innovative computer algorithm to build pension investment profiles, the “Pension Builder,” and a large, representative sample. We focus on the role that two key firm characteristics have on consumer acceptance of pension investment advice generated by computer algorithms running on automated interactive online tools: profit orientation and role in the sales channel. We find that consumers' perceptions of trust and expertise of the firm providing the automated advice are important drivers of advice acceptance (besides a strong impact of the satisfaction with the consumer–online tool interaction), and that these constructs themselves are clearly influenced by the for-profit vs. not-for-profit orientation and the product provider vs. advisor only role in the sales channel of the firm pr

Effect Of Post Type And Restorative Techniques On The Strain And Fracture Resistance Of Flared Incisor Roots

Restoring flared endodontically treated teeth continues to be a challenge for clinicians. This study evaluated the effect of post types and restorative techniques on the strain, fracture resistance, and fracture mode of incisors with weakened roots. One hundred five endodontically treated bovine incisors roots (15 mm) were divided into 7 groups (n=15). The two control groups were (C) intact roots restored with Cpc (cast posts and core) or Gfp (glass fiber posts). The five experimental groups were (F) flared roots restored with GfpAp (Gfp associated with accessory glass fiber posts), GfpRc (anatomic Gfp, relined with composite resin), and GfpRcAp (anatomized Gfp with resin and accessory glass fiber posts). All teeth were restored with metal crowns. Mechanical fatigue was performed with 3x10 5/50 N. Specimens were loaded at 45°, and the strain values (μS) were obtained on root buccal and proximal surfaces. Following that, the fracture resistance (N) was measured. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD tests (α=0.05) were applied, and failure mode was checked. No significant difference in strain values among the groups was found. Cpc presented lower fracture resistance and more catastrophic failures in flared roots. Gfp associated with composite resin or accessory glass fiber posts seems to be an effective method to improve the biomechanical behavior of flared roots.223230237Coelho, C.S., Biffi, J.C., Silva, G.R., Abrahão, A., Campos, R.E., Soares, C.J., Finite element analysis of weakened roots restored with composite resin and posts (2009) Dent Mater J, 28, pp. 671-678Teixeira, C.S., Silva-Sousa, Y.T., Sousa-Neto, M.D., Bond strength of fiber posts to weakened roots after resin restoration with different light-curing times (2009) J Endod, 35, pp. 1034-1039Zogheib, L.V., Pereira, J.R., do Valle, A.L., de Oliveira, J.A., Pegoraro, L.F., Fracture resistance of weakened roots restored with composite resin and glass fiber post (2008) Braz Dent J, 19, pp. 329-333Marchi, G.M., Mitsui, F.H., Cavalcanti, A.N., Effect of remaining dentine structure and thermal-mechanical aging on the fracture resistance of bovine roots with different post and core systems (2008) Int Endod J, 41, pp. 969-976da Silveira, T.C., Santos, F.M.C., Silva-Sousa, Y.T., de Sousa-Neto, M.D., Interfacial evaluation of experimentally weakened roots restored with adhesive materials and fibre posts: An SEM analysis (2008) J Dent, 36, pp. 672-682Moosavi, H., Maleknejad, F., Kimyai, S., Fracture resistance of endodontically-treated teeth restored using three root- reinforcement methods (2008) J Contemp Dent Pract, 9, pp. 30-37Bonfante, G., Kaizer, O.B., Pegoraro, L.F., do Valle, A.L., Fracture strength of teeth with flared root canals restored with glass fibre posts (2007) Int Dent J, 57, pp. 153-160Santos, A.F., Meira, J.B., Tanaka, C.B., Xavier, T.A., Ballester, R.Y., Lima, R.G., Can fiber posts increase root stresses and reduce fracture? (2010) J Dent Res, 89, pp. 587-591da Silva, N.R., Raposo, L.H., Versluis, A., Fernandes-Neto, A.J., Soares, C.J., The effect of post, core, crown type, and ferrule presence on the biomechanical behavior of endodontically treated bovine anterior teeth (2010) J Prosthet Dent, 104, pp. 306-317Silva, N.R., Castro, C.G., Santos-Filho, P.C., Silva, G.R., Campos, R.E., Soares, P.V., Influence of different post design and composition on stress distribution in maxillary central incisor: Finite element analysis (2009) Indian J Dent Res, 20, pp. 153-158Santos-Filho, P.C., Castro, C.G., Silva, G.R., Campos, R.E., Soares, C.J., Effects of post system and length on the strain and fracture resistance of root filled bovine teeth (2008) Int Endod J, 41, pp. 493-501Soares, C.J., Castro, C.G., Santos, F.P.C., Soares, P.V., Magalhaes, D., Martins, L.R., Two-dimensional FEA of dowels of different compositions and external surface configurations (2009) J Prosthodont, 18, pp. 36-42Macedo, V.C., de Faria, S.A.L., Martins, L.R., Effect of cement type, relining procedure, and length of cementation on pull-out bond strength of fiber posts (2010) J Endod, 36, pp. 1543-1546Leitune, V.C., Collares, F.M., Werner, S.S.M., Influence of chlorhexidine application at longitudinal push-out bond strength of fiber posts (2010) Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod, 110, pp. 77-81Novais, V.R., Quagliatto, P.S., Bona, A.D., Correr-Sobrinho, L., Soares, C.J., Flexural modulus, flexural strength, and stiffness of fiber-reinforced posts (2009) Indian J Dent Res, 20, pp. 277-281Marchi, G.M., Paulillo, L.A., Pimenta, L.A., de Lima, F.A., Effect of different filling materials in combination with intraradicular posts on the resistance to fracture of weakened roots (2003) J Oral Rehabil, 30, pp. 623-629Soares, C.J., Pizi, E.C., Fonseca, R.B., Martins, L.R., Influence of root embedment material and periodontal ligament simulation on fracture resistance tests (2005) Braz Oral Res, 19, pp. 11-16Huysmans, M.C., Peters, M.C., van der Varst, P.G., Plasschaert, A.J., Failure behaviour of fatigue-tested post and cores (1993) Int Endod J, 26, pp. 294-300Soares, P.V., Santos-Filho, P.C., Gomide, H.A., Araujo, C.A., Martins, L.R., Soares, C.J., Influence of restorative technique on the biomechanical behavior of endodontically treated maxillary premolars. Part II: Strain measurement and stress distribution (2008) J Prosthet Dent, 99, pp. 114-122Kishen, A., Kumar, G.V., Chen, N.N., Stress-strain response in human dentine: Rethinking fracture predilection in post-core restored teeth (2004) Dent Traumatol, 20, pp. 90-10

Aging increases susceptibility to high fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome in C57BL/6 mice: Improvement in glycemic and lipid profile after antioxidant therapy

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been considered a novel component of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), with the oxidative stress participating in its progression. This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic profile in young and old mice with MetS, and the effects of apocynin and tempol on glycemic and lipid parameters. Young and old C57BL/6 mice with high fat diet- (HFD-) induced MetS received apocynin and tempol 50 mg·kg(-1)/day in their drinking water for 10 weeks. After HFD, the young group showed elevated fasting glucose, worsened lipid profile in plasma, steatosis, and hepatic lipid peroxidation. Nevertheless, the old group presented significant increase in fasting insulin levels, insulin resistance, plasma and hepatic lipid peroxidation, and pronounced steatosis. The hepatic superoxide dismutase and catalase activity did not differ between the groups. Tempol and apocynin seemed to prevent hepatic lipid deposition in both groups. Furthermore, apocynin improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in old mice. In summary, old mice are more susceptible to HFD-induced metabolic changes than their young counterparts. Also, the antioxidant therapy improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and in addition, apocynin seemed to prevent the HFD-induced hepatic fat deposition, suggesting an important role of oxidative stress in the induction of NAFLD

Variations In Desiccation Tolerance In Seeds Of Eugenia Pyriformis: Dispersal At Different Stages Of Maturation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Eugenia pyriformis Cambess., known locally as uvaieira, a species of fruit-bearing tree with both pharmacological and gastronomic potential, has seeds which are sensitive to desiccation. The aim of this study was to analyse whether the degree of tolerance to desiccation of uvaieira seeds depends on the stage of maturation of the seeds at shedding. This, in turn, depends on the environmental conditions in which the seeds develop, including the accumulation of degree-days and rainfall in the period. Seeds were collected from the ripe fruit of parent plants located in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, Brazil, submitted to drying and analysed for water content and germination. A completely randomised design was used in a 20 × 3 factorial scheme (source of material x level of drying). The degree of desiccation tolerance differs between region and period of collection, even for the same parent plant when the seeds are collected in different years. The water and thermal conditions of the environment during seed development modify the maturation cycle, the physiological quality and the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. In uvaieira seeds, desiccation tolerance depends on the physiological maturity of the seeds at the time of dispersal, which is associated with the environmental conditions.471118126CAPES, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Empathy in preschool Portuguese children: validation of the empathy questionnaire (EmQue)

Developmental pathways of social-emotional and cognitive functioning - ou

A feasibility cachaca type recognition using computer vision and pattern recognition

Brazilian rum (also known as cachaça) is the third most commonly consumed distilled alcoholic drink in the world, with approximately 2.5 billion liters produced each year. It is a traditional drink with refined features and a delicate aroma that is produced mainly in Brazil but consumed in many countries. It can be aged in various types of wood for 1-3 years, which adds aroma and a distinctive flavor with different characteristics that affect the price. A research challenge is to develop a cheap automatic recognition system that inspects the finished product for the wood type and the aging time of its production. Some classical methods use chemical analysis, but this approach requires relatively expensive laboratory equipment. By contrast, the system proposed in this paper captures image signals from samples and uses an intelligent classification technique to recognize the wood type and the aging time. The classification system uses an ensemble of classifiers obtained from different wavelet decompositions. Each classifier is obtained with different wavelet transform settings. We compared the proposed approach with classical methods based on chemical features. We analyzed 105 samples that had been aged for 3 years and we showed that the proposed solution could automatically recognize wood types and the aging time with an accuracy up to 100.00% and 85.71% respectively, and our method is also cheaper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Being deaf in mainstream schools: the effect of a hearing loss in children’s playground behaviors

Pathways through Adolescenc

Gold nanowires and the effect of impurities

Metal nanowires and in particular gold nanowires have received a great deal of attention in the past few years. Experiments on gold nanowires have prompted theory and simulation to help answer questions posed by these studies. Here we present results of computer simulations for the formation, evolution and breaking of very thin Au nanowires. We also discuss the influence of contaminants, such as atoms and small molecules, and their effect on the structural and mechanical properties of these nanowires

Iron and Nickel spectral opacity calculations in conditions relevant for pulsating stellar envelopes and experiments

Seismology of stars is strongly developing. To address this question we have formed an international collaboration OPAC to perform specific experimental measurements, compare opacity calculations and improve the opacity calculations in the stellar codes [1]. We consider the following opacity codes: SCO, CASSANDRA, STA, OPAS, LEDCOP, OP, SCO-RCG. Their comparison has shown large differences for Fe and Ni in equivalent conditions of envelopes of type II supernova precursors, temperatures between 15 and 40 eV and densities of a few mg/cm3 [2, 3, 4]. LEDCOP, OPAS, SCO-RCG structure codes and STA give similar results and differ from OP ones for the lower temperatures and for spectral interval values [3]. In this work we discuss the role of Configuration Interaction (CI) and the influence of the number of used configurations. We present and include in the opacity code comparisons new HULLAC-v9 calculations [5, 6] that include full CI. To illustrate the importance of this effect we compare different CI approximations (modes) available in HULLAC-v9 [7]. These results are compared to previous predictions and to experimental data. Differences with OP results are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, conference Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, Bordeaux, 12th to 16th September 2011; EPJ web of Conferences 201