How Certain Robot Attributes Influence Human-to-Robot Social and Emotional Bonds

A growing population of humans are feeling lonely and isolated and may therefore benefit from social and emotional companionship. However, other humans cannot always be available to fulfill these needs, and such in-need individuals often cannot care for pets. Therefore, we explore how robot companions may be designed to facilitate bonds with humans. Our preliminary examination of 115 participants in a quasi-experimental study suggests that humans are more likely to develop social and emotional bonds with robots when those robots are good at communicating and conveying emotions. However, robots’ anthropomorphic attributes and responsiveness to external cues were found to have no impact on bond formulation

Leveraging Multimedia to Advance Science by Disseminating a Greater Variety of Scholarly Contributions in More Accessible Formats

For the welfare of the scientific community, we intentionally “rock the boat” about the way we conduct, recognize, and disseminate scholarly contributions. As a scientific community, we are doing ourselves a great disservice by ignoring the insights, artifacts, discoveries, and conversations that naturally occur in the scientific process of advancing knowledge that do not fit into the narrowly defined form of print-style papers. By failing to recognize, reward, and publish the wide variety of scholarly contributions that do not suit print-style papers, we hinder scientific progress, devalue important and necessary contributions to science, and demotivate these types of vital contributions. Although over three centuries of scientific publishing has demonstrated the effectiveness of the print medium for conveying scholarly knowledge, the print-style paper captures only a single form of scholarly contribution in a highly limited media format. Unfortunately, the current tenure and promotion process recognizes only this one form of scientific contribution. As a result, science at large advances inevitably only by this single type of contribution. Given the radical advances in audiovisual technologies, storage and bandwidth capacities, public virtual infrastructure, and global acceptance of user-generated open content, the time is ripe to exploit the possibility of publishing more forms of scholarly contributions in a publicly available multimedia format (e.g., video). In this paper, we examine the feasibility of this proposal, develop a model to demonstrate the sustainability of this approach, and discuss potential limitations

Proposing the Multimotive Information Systems Continuance Model (MISC) to Better Explain End-User System Evaluations and Continuance Intentions

To ensure that users want to continue using a system, information system designers must consider the influence of users’ intrinsic motivations in addition to commonly studied extrinsic motivations. In an attempt to address this need, several studies have extended models of extrinsic motivation to include intrinsic variables. However, these studies largely downplay the role of users’ intrinsic motivations in predicting system use and how this role differs from that of extrinsic motivation. The role of met and unmet expectations related to system use is often excluded from extant models, and their function as cocreators in user evaluations has not been sufficiently explained. Even though expectations are a firmly established consequence of motivations and an antecedent of interaction evaluations, this area remains understudied. Our paper addresses these gaps by developing and testing a comprehensive model—the multimotive information systems continuance model (MISC)—that (1) explains more accurately and thoroughly the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, (2) explains how the fulfillment of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affects systems-use outcome variables differently through met expectations, and (3) accounts for the effects of key design constructs

Taking “Fun and Games” Seriously: Proposing the Hedonic-Motivation System Adoption Model (HMSAM)

Hedonic-motivation systems (HMS)—systems used primarily to fulfill users’ intrinsic motivations—are the elephant in the room for IS research. Growth in HMS sales has outperformed utilitarian-motivation systems (UMS) sales for more than a decade, generating billions in revenue annually; yet IS research focuses mostly on UMS. In this study, we explain the role of intrinsic motivations in systems use and propose the hedonic-motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) to improve the understanding of HMS adoption. Instead of a minor, general TAM extension, HMSAM is an HMS-specific system acceptance model based on an alternative theoretical perspective, which is in turn grounded in flow-based cognitive absorption (CA). The HMSAM extends van der Heijden’s (2004) model of hedonic system adoption by including CA as a key mediator of perceived ease of use (PEOU) and of behavioral intentions to use (BIU) hedonic-motivation systems. Results from experiments involving 665 participants confirm that, in a hedonic context, CA is a more powerful and appropriate predictor of BIU than PEOU or joy, and that the effect of PEOU on BIU is fully mediated by CA sub-constructs. This study lays a foundation, provides guidance, and opens up avenues for future HMS, UMS, and mixed-motivation system research

Proposing the Interactivity-Stimulus-Attention Model (ISAM) to Explain and Predict the Enjoyment, Immersion, and Adoption of Purely Hedonic Systems

Traditional TAM research primarily focuses on utilitarian systems where extrinsic motivations chiefly explain and predict acceptance. We propose a theoretical model, ISAM, which explains the role of intrinsic motivations in building the user attention that leads to hedonic system acceptance. ISAM combines several theories with TAM to explain how interactivity acts as a stimulus in hedonic contexts—fostering curiosity, enjoyment, and the full immersion of cognitive resources. Two experiments involving over 700 participants validated ISAM as a useful model for explaining and predicting hedonic system acceptance. Immersion and PE are shown to be the primary predictors of behavioral intention to use hedonic systems. Unlike traditional utilitarian adoption research, PEOU does not directly impact BIU, and extrinsic motivations are virtually non-existent. The implications of this study extend beyond hedonic contexts, as users of utilitarian systems continue to demand more hedonic features and enjoyment is often more important than PEOU

Generation of statements for the development of clinical indicators for mental heath nursing in New Zealand : achieving a bicultural focus

Aim : In this paper, the first of 4 stages of a large study aiming to develop culturally and clinically valid clinical indicators to flag the achievement of mental health nursing standards of practice in New Zealand are described.Methods : A bicultural design was employed throughout the research project to ensure that nurses\u27 views of practice and the cultural differences between New Zealand\u27s indigenous Maori and non-Maori peoples could be identified. Accordingly, separate focus groups of Maori- and non-Maori-experienced mental health nurses were asked to develop lists of statementd reflective of the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses\u27 Standards of Practice in New Zealand.Results : The focus group participants produces 473 statements, which were synthesized into 190 clinical indicator statements. In keeping with the bicultural research design, Maori and non-Maori data were analysed separately until the data were merged to provide a single set of indicator statements. Although both Maori and non-Maori groups wrote statements relevant to clinical practice, there was a difference in the way the 2 groups addressed cultural issues. The Maori focus group wrote statements about cultural issues for 4 of the 6 Standards of Practice, whereas the non-Maori focus group participants wrote statements about cultural issues for only the Standard focusing on cultural safety.Conclusion : The research design of this project in mental health nursing was unique in that it sought the perspectives of both indigenous and non-indigenous nurses about quality mental health nursing practice related to the professional standards of practice. The involvement of Maori and non-Maori mental health nurses enhanced the cultural and clinical validity of the study and the obtained from it. The bicultural approach adopted for the study highlights the need for more mental health nursing research involving indigenous partners.<br /

Educational Disruption & Rising Faculty Expectations

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of higher education had been primed for upheaval. The pandemic has only accentuated the need for change. Not only have we had to scramble to provide meaningful and valuable content to our students; we have also had to reinvent how that content is delivered. Beyond these changes that have abruptly affected all of us, expectations from students, colleagues, and administrators have unilaterally risen. We are expected to publish more, and in better journals. We are expected to provide more service, internally and externally. We are expected to get better teacher evaluations from students, and to deliver up-to-date content in a way that can convince students that they are benefiting from their paid education more than they would by taking online courses (often for free). The pressure to succeed on all fronts has never been higher. In this panel discussion, seasoned scholars, who have succeeded, will share insights from their experiences navigating this new landscape and reinventing their own mindset and work habits to accommodate the increasing expectations placed on faculty. Each panelist will take the position of a key stakeholder in high education including university leaders, society, the business community, journal editors and students

CdTe Focal Plane Detector for Hard X-Ray Focusing Optics

The demand for higher resolution x-ray optics (a few arcseconds or better) in the areas of astrophysics and solar science has, in turn, driven the development of complementary detectors. These detectors should have fine pixels, necessary to appropriately oversample the optics at a given focal length, and an energy response also matched to that of the optics. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have developed a 3-side buttable, 20 millimeter x 20 millimeter CdTe-based detector with 250 micrometer square pixels (80 x 80 pixels) which achieves 1 kiloelectronvolt FWHM (Full-Width Half-Maximum) @ 60 kiloelectronvolts and gives full spectroscopy between 5 kiloelectronvolts and 200 kiloelectronvolts. An added advantage of these detectors is that they have a full-frame readout rate of 10 kilohertz. Working with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, 4 of these 1 millimeter-thick CdTe detectors are tiled into a 2 x 2 array for use at the focal plane of a balloon-borne hard-x-ray telescope, and a similar configuration could be suitable for astrophysics and solar space-based missions. This effort encompasses the fabrication and testing of flight-suitable front-end electronics and calibration of the assembled detector arrays. We explain the operation of the pixelated ASIC readout and measurements, front-end electronics development, preliminary X-ray imaging and spectral performance, and plans for full calibration of the detector assemblies. Work done in conjunction with the NASA Centers is funded through the NASA Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program

Examining Causes of Racial Disparities in General Surgical Mortality: Hospital Quality Versus Patient Risk

BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in general surgical outcomes are known to exist but not well understood. OBJECTIVES: To determine if black-white disparities in general surgery mortality for Medicare patients are attributable to poorer health status among blacks on admission or differences in the quality of care provided by the admitting hospitals. RESEARCH DESIGN: Matched cohort study using Tapered Multivariate Matching. SUBJECTS: All black elderly Medicare general surgical patients (N=18,861) and white-matched controls within the same 6 states or within the same 838 hospitals. MEASURES: Thirty-day mortality (primary); others include in-hospital mortality, failure-to-rescue, complications, length of stay, and readmissions. RESULTS: Matching on age, sex, year, state, and the exact same procedure, blacks had higher 30-day mortality (4.0% vs. 3.5%, P\u3c0.01), in-hospital mortality (3.9% vs. 2.9%, P\u3c0.0001), in-hospital complications (64.3% vs. 56.8% P\u3c0.0001), and failure-to-rescue rates (6.1% vs. 5.1% P\u3c0.001), longer length of stay (7.2 vs. 5.8 d, P\u3c0.0001), and more 30-day readmissions (15.0% vs. 12.5%, P\u3c0.0001). Adding preoperative risk factors to the above match, there was no significant difference in mortality or failure-to-rescue, and all other outcome differences were small. Blacks matched to whites in the same hospital displayed no significant differences in mortality, failure-to-rescue, or readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Black and white Medicare patients undergoing the same procedures with closely matched risk factors displayed similar mortality, suggesting that racial disparities in general surgical mortality are not because of differences in hospital quality. To reduce the observed disparities in surgical outcomes, the poorer health of blacks on presentation for surgery must be addressed

The oxidative degradation of phenol via in situ H2O2 synthesis using Pd supported Fe-modified ZSM-5 catalysts

The oxidative degradation of organic contaminants via the in situ synthesis of H2O2 from dilute streams of H2 and O2 has the potential to significantly reduce the detrimental environmental and health effects associated with the discharge of such pollutants into water bodies, while offering enhanced activity compared to traditional approaches to water treatment. Herein we investigate the efficacy of a series of bifunctional Pd/Fe-ZSM-5 catalysts towards the degradation of phenol, a model wastewater contaminant, where Fe is responsible for the generation of highly reactive oxygen-based species (ROS) from the synthesised H2O2. In particular we demonstrate that through control of Fe speciation and Pd oxidation state it is possible to achieve total conversion of phenol and its derivatives, while also making substantial improvements in regard to catalyst stability over previously studied materials