Mapping Beyond the Uncanny Valley: A Delphi Study on Aiding Adoption of Realistic Digital Faces

Developers and HCI researchers have long strived to create digital agents that are more realistic. Voice-only versions are now common, but there has been a lack of visually realistic agents. A key barrier is the “Uncanny Valley”, referring to aversion being triggered if agents are not quite realistic. To gain understanding of the challenges of the Uncanny Valley in creating realistic agents, we conducted a Delphi study. For the Delphi panel, we recruited 13 leading international experts in the area of digital humans. They participated in three rounds of qualitative interviews. We aimed to transfer their knowledge from the entertainment industry to HCI researchers. Our findings include the unexpected conclusion that the panel considered the challenges of final rendering was not a key problem. Instead, modeling and rigging were highlighted, and a new dimension of interactivity was revealed as important. Our results provide a set of research directions for those engaged in HCI-oriented information systems using realistic digital humans

Impact of Oxidation State on Reactivity and Selectivity Differences between Nickel(III) and Nickel(IV) Alkyl Complexes

Described is a systematic comparison of factors impacting the relative rates and selectivities of C(sp3)−C and C(sp3)−O bond‐forming reactions at high‐valent Ni as a function of oxidation state. Two Ni complexes are compared: a cationic octahedral NiIV complex ligated by tris(pyrazolyl)borate and a cationic octahedral NiIII complex ligated by tris(pyrazolyl)methane. Key features of reactivity/selectivity are revealed: 1) C(sp3)−C(sp2) bond‐forming reductive elimination occurs from both centers, but the NiIII complex reacts up to 300‐fold faster than the NiIV, depending on the reaction conditions. The relative reactivity is proposed to derive from ligand dissociation kinetics, which vary as a function of oxidation state and the presence/absence of visible light. 2) Upon the addition of acetate (AcO−), the NiIV complex exclusively undergoes C(sp3)−OAc bond formation, while the NiIII analogue forms the C(sp3)−C(sp2) coupled product selectively. This difference is rationalized based on the electrophilicity of the respective M−C(sp3) bonds, and thus their relative reactivity towards outer‐sphere SN2‐type bond‐forming reactions.The high point: This report describes a systematic comparison of factors impacting the relative rates and selectivities of C(sp3)−C and C(sp3)−O bond‐forming reactions at high‐valent Ni centers as a function of oxidation state (NiIII versus NiIV). Two Ni complexes are compared: a cationic octahedral NiIV complex ligated by tris(pyrazolyl)borate and a cationic octahedral NiIII complex ligated by tris(pyrazolyl)methane.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150547/1/anie201903638.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150547/2/anie201903638-sup-0001-misc_information.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150547/3/anie201903638_am.pd

Influence of socioeconomic factors on medically unnecessary ambulance calls

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Unnecessary ambulance use has become a socioeconomic problem in Japan. We investigated the possible relations between socioeconomic factors and medically unnecessary ambulance calls, and we estimated the incremental demand for unnecessary ambulance use produced by socioeconomic factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a self-administered questionnaire-based survey targeting residents of Yokohama, Japan. The questionnaire included questions pertaining to socioeconomic characteristics, dichotomous choice method questions pertaining to ambulance calls in hypothetical nonemergency situations, and questions on the city's emergency medical system. The probit model was used to analyze the data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 2,029 out of 3,363 targeted recipients completed the questionnaire (response rate, 60.3%). Probit regression analyses showed that several demographic and socioeconomic factors influence the decision to call an ambulance. Male respondents were more apt than female respondents to state that they would call an ambulance in nonemergency situations (p < 0.05). Age was an important factor influencing the hypothetical decision to call an ambulance (p < 0.05); elderly persons were more apt than younger persons to state that they would call an ambulance. Possession of a car and hesitation to use an ambulance negatively influenced the hypothetical decision to call an ambulance (p < 0.05). Persons who do not have a car were more likely than those with a car to state that they would call an ambulance in unnecessary situations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results of the study suggest that several socioeconomic factors, i.e., age, gender, household income, and possession of a car, influence a person's decision to call an ambulance in nonemergency situations. Hesitation to use an ambulance and knowledge of the city's primary emergency medical center are likely to be important factors limiting ambulance overuse. It was estimated that unnecessary ambulance use is increased approximately 10% to 20% by socioeconomic factors.</p

Detection of unsafety in families with parental and/or child developmental problems at the start of family support

Background Risk assessment is crucial in preventing child maltreatment as it can identify high-risk cases in need of child protection intervention. Despite this importance, there have been no validated risk assessment instruments available in the Netherlands for assessing the risk of child maltreatment. Therefore, the predictive validity of the California Family Risk Assessment (CFRA) was examined in Dutch families who received family support. In addition, the added value of a number of experimental items was examined. Finally, it was examined whether the predictive value of the instrument could be improved by modifying the scoring procedure. Methods Dutch families who experienced parenting and/or child developmental problems and were referred by the Centres for Youth and Family for family support between July 2009 and March 2011 were included. This led to a sample of 491 families. The predictive validity of the CFRA and the added value of the experimental items were examined by calculating AUC values. A CHAID analysis was performed to examine whether the scoring procedure could be improved. Results About half of the individual CFRA items were not related to future reports of child maltreatment. The predictive validity of the CFRA in predicting future reports of child maltreatment was found to be modest (AUC = .693). The addition of some of the experimental items and the modification of the scoring procedure by including only items that were significantly associated with future maltreatment reports resulted in a ‘high’ predictive validity (AUC = .795). Conclusions This new set of items might be a valuable instrument that also saves time because only variables that uniquely contribute to the prediction of future reports of child maltreatment are included. Furthermore, items that are perceived as difficult to assess by professionals, such as parental mental health problems or parents’ history of abuse/neglect, could be omitted without compromising predictive validity. However, it is important to examine the psychometric properties of this new set of items in a new dataset

Efficiency of Ontario primary care physicians across payment models : a stochastic frontier analysis

Objective The study examines the relationship between the primary care model that a physician belongs to and the efficiency of the primary care physician in Ontario, Canada. Methods Survey data were collected from 183 self-selected physicians and linked to administrative databases to capture the provision of services to the patients served for the 12 month period ending June 30, 2013, and the characteristics of the patients at the beginning of the study period. Two stochastic frontier regression models were used to estimate efficiency scores and parameters for two separate outputs: the number of distinct patients seen and the number of visits. Results Because of missing data, only 165 physicians were included in the analyses. The average efficiency was 0.72 for both outputs with scores varying from 4 % to 93 % for the visits and 5 % to 94 % for the number of patients seen. We observed that there were both very low and very high efficiency scores within each model. These variations were larger than variations in average scores across models

Progetto e realizzazione di residenza unifamiliare

Titolo mostra: 'Architetti italiani under 50'; presso la Triennale di Milano dal 4.5.2005 al 31.7.200

Progetto per il Concorso di idee dal titolo 'Progetto per la riqualificazione del Comparto urbano di piazza Cittadella' a Piacenza

Esposizione del Progetto per il Concorso di idee dal titolo 'Progetto per la riqualificazione del Comparto urbano di piazza Cittadella' a Piacenza presso la Cappella Ducale di Palazzo Farnese a Piacenza dal 16 al 31.12.200