980 research outputs found

    Do you Get Tired of Shopping Online? Exploring the Influence of Information Overload on Subjective States towards Purchase Decision

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    The increase and development of shopping websites make customers confront with too much information, this may influence subjective states towards purchase decision. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of information overload on subjective states towards purchase decision. Based on the framework of stressor-strain-outcome, we regard information overload as the antecedent of website fatigue and website anxiety, which could further influence subjective states towards purchase decision. Besides, customer involvement should be considered. The results show that information overload leads to the low level of subjective states towards purchase decision through website fatigue and website anxiety and customer involvement plays as a moderator. Implications and limitations are also raised

    Subjective Score Predictor: A New Evaluation Function of Distorted Image Quality

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    Image quality assessment (IQA) is a method to evaluate the perceptual performance of image. Many objective IQA algorithms are developed from the objective comparison of image features, which are mainly trained and evaluated from the ground truth of subjective scores. Due to the inconsistent experiment conditions and cumbersome observing processes of subjective experiments, it is imperative to generate the ground truth for IQA research via objective computation methods. In this paper, we propose a subjective score predictor (SSP) aiming to provide the ground truth of IQA datasets. In perfect accord with distortion information, the distortion strength of distorted image is employed as a dependent parameter. To further be consistent with subjective opinion, on the one hand, the subjective score of source image is viewed as a quality base value, and, on the other hand, we integrate the distortion parameter and the quality base value into a human visual model function to obtain the final SSP value. Experimental results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed SSP in the following aspects: effective performance to reflect the distortion strength, competitive ground truth, and valid evaluation for objective IQA methods as well as subjective scores

    Efficacy of normodyne-magnesium sulfate combination treatment on pregnancy-induced hypertension, and its effect on VEGF and Flt-1 levels

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    Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of the combined use of normodyne and magnesium sulfate in the treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension, and its effect on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and factor receptor-1 (Flt-1) levels in serum.Methods: A total of 100 patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension attending Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang, China, were categorized as Group A, and then further subdivided into control sub-group (who were treated with magnesium sulfate only) and study sub-group (treated with magnesium sulfate plus normodyne). Furthermore, 100 healthy pregnantwomen attending the hospital for prenatal examination during the same period were categorized as Group B. Serum expressions of VEGF and Flt-1 in all patients were determined and compared. The therapeutic effect, adverse reactions, adverse pregnancy outcomes, blood pressure before and after treatment, 24 h proteinuria, and serum expression levels of VEGF and Flt-1 in the study and control groups were determined and compared.Results: Serum VEGF levels in patients with pregnancy-mediated hypertension were significantly lower than those of healthy pregnant women, and Flt-1 was raised in healthy pregnant women (p < 0.05). In the study group, treatment was markedly more effective, and the degree of amelioration of blood pressure, 24 h proteinuria, serum VEGF, and Flt-1 were significantly higher than for control sub-group. There were lower adverse pregnancy outcomes in study sub-group than in control (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The combination of magnesium sulfate and normodyne produces greater clinical efficacy in the treatment of patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension than magnesium sulfate alone, and also shows a high safety profile

    Research on the Ecological and Economic Impacts of Rising Sea Levels on Mangroves in Southern Florida in the Context of Climate Change

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    The decline in mangrove ecosystems is a major contributor to the loss of biodiversity, extra carbon release, and local economic instability, particularly in tropical coastal regions that are constantly influenced by climate changes. Despite the importance of the mangroves, there is limited research investigating the consequences. Under the context, this research examines the correlation between mangrove density, sea level rise, and economic impacts in Southern Florida. The work aims to address three main questions: (i) what are the ecological impacts of sea level rising on mangroves density; (ii) what are the economic implications of mangrove loss; (iii) what extent of government intervention should be imposed on the environmental problem. The research presents a two-variable graph that examines the relationship between mangrove density in Southern Florida and sea level rise, analyzing its overall correlation in the Caribbean region. Another correlation study of the impacts of mangrove loss on local tourism is created and set as the focus. The conventional hedonic method is applied as the tool of evaluating mangroves value. The results demonstrate a close negative correlation between sea level and mangrove density, and a positive correlation of mangroves density and local tourism
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