Differences in the use of AI assistants : how human values influence AI assistant use or disuse

This report is an analysis of the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) personal assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa through the examination of how an individual’s personal values influence their use of these devices. These assistants have become a built-in component of many technologies, and yet there is not a large amount of research on their utilization. Like most consumer level technologies, individual preferences determine how and when they will be used. Artificial assistants exist in a multitude of forms that most technology-using people will interact with, from bot assistance on websites or through the phone, to the personalized artificial intelligences used like the aforementioned Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. These specific assistants are utilized for everything from turning on the news to making purchases with the owner’s credit card information. They are privy to a multitude of personal information, and like most new technology, the level of comfort that people have using these devices varies depending on individual preferences. This report utilized a survey that focused on the Portrait Values Questionnaire created by Schwartz (2007) and made gender neutral by Verma, Fleischmann, and Koltai (2017) as well as in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews. The ten interviews generated a greater understanding of individual perceptions of these devices and allowed for a more in depth look at specific examples and perspectives that strengthened the findings from the survey. The ultimate purpose of the report was to analyze how human values affect an individual’s use of these devices as one step towards a greater understanding of human values’ impact on technology, and how technology can be best created for humanity in turn.Informatio

Collecting Histories of Education and Employment Activities from Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions

Young adulthood is a critical time for establishing the foundation of an adult working life. As adolescents mature and explore career interests, they also begin to focus in on particular career pathways. However, lower levels of employment and educational attainment, as well as the demands of parenting, prevent and delay Youth and Young adults (Y&YAs) with serious mental health conditions (SMHCs) from participating in settings where career development and exploration activities typically occur. Of Y&YA parents who do work, the majority will work part-time, at low-level service jobs, and at low salaries (Osgood, et al., 2005). Y&YA parents with SMHCs are particularly vulnerable as they are more likely than their normative peers to experience unemployment, poverty, and dependence on government assistance (Luciano, et al., 2013). Through a one-time, semi-structured interview, this study seeks to describe the education and employment activities of Y&YAs between the ages of 25-30 with SMHCs, explore barriers and facilitators to these activities, and understand how parenting affects these experiences. Preliminary findings will be presented as they relate to themes of career exploration/development, the barriers and facilitators to education and employment activities this population encounters, including the impact that parenthood can have on these activities in young adulthood. We will also describe the education and employment activities and trajectories that were obtained as part of these interviews

Life Course Socioeconomic Conditions and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

This study examined the effect of childhood, adulthood and cumulative SES (cumSES) on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in middle-aged adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, (1987–89)

Individual and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status Characteristics and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/61252/1/Diez Roux Individual and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status Characteristics and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome.pd

Individual and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status Characteristics and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

The objective of this study was to examine the association of individual socioeconomic status (iSES) and neighborhood SES (nSES) on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, (1987–99)

Tumor Necrosis Factor Induces Developmental Stage-Dependent Structural Changes in the Immature Small Intestine

Background. Premature infants are commonly subject to intestinal inflammation. Since the human small intestine does not reach maturity until term gestation, premature infants have a unique challenge, as either acute or chronic inflammation may alter the normal development of the intestinal tract. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been shown to acutely alter goblet cell numbers and villus length in adult mice. In this study we tested the effects of TNF on villus architecture and epithelial cells at different stages of development of the immature small intestine. Methods. To examine the effects of TNF-induced inflammation, we injected acute, brief, or chronic exposures of TNF in neonatal and juvenile mice. Results. TNF induced significant villus blunting through a TNF receptor-1 (TNFR1) mediated mechanism, leading to loss of villus area. This response to TNFR1 signaling was altered during intestinal development, despite constant TNFR1 protein expression. Acute TNF-mediated signaling also significantly decreased Paneth cells. Conclusions. Taken together, the morphologic changes caused by TNF provide insight as to the effects of inflammation on the developing intestinal tract. Additionally, they suggest a mechanism which, coupled with an immature immune system, may help to explain the unique susceptibility of the immature intestine to inflammatory diseases such as NEC

Cognitive and behavioral predictors of light therapy use

Objective: Although light therapy is effective in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other mood disorders, only 53-79% of individuals with SAD meet remission criteria after light therapy. Perhaps more importantly, only 12-41% of individuals with SAD continue to use the treatment even after a previous winter of successful treatment. Method: Participants completed surveys regarding (1) social, cognitive, and behavioral variables used to evaluate treatment adherence for other health-related issues, expectations and credibility of light therapy, (2) a depression symptoms scale, and (3) self-reported light therapy use. Results: Individuals age 18 or older responded (n = 40), all reporting having been diagnosed with a mood disorder for which light therapy is indicated. Social support and self-efficacy scores were predictive of light therapy use (p's<.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that testing social support and self-efficacy in a diagnosed patient population may identify factors related to the decision to use light therapy. Treatments that impact social support and self-efficacy may improve treatment response to light therapy in SAD. © 2012 Roecklein et al