Introduction to the Special Issue: The AgentLink III Technical Forums

This article introduces the special issue of ACM Transactions on Autonomous and Adaptive Systems devoted to research papers arising from the three Technical Forum Group meetings held in 2004 and 2005 that were organized and sponsored by the European FP6 Coordination Action AgentLink III

The behavioural impact of a visually represented virtual assistant in a selfservice checkout context

Our research investigated whether the presence of an interface agent - or virtual assistant (VA) - in a self-service checkout context has behavioural effects on the transaction process during particular tasks. While many participants claimed to have not noticed a VA within the self-service interface, behaviour was still affected, i.e. fewer people made errors with the VA present than in the voice-only and control conditions. The results are explained as reflective of an unconscious observation of non-verbal cues exhibited by the VA. The results are discussed in relation to possible behavioural outcomes of VA presence.</p

Factors Influencing Milk Consumption in an Elementary School Lunch Program

This study investigated milk consumption in an elementary school and whether it could be affected by milk temperature and/or nutrition education. This study was of interest because of the increasing amount of nutritionally related diseases, and the effect that calcium intake could have in diminishing some of those diseases. It was also of interest because the younger generation is drinking less milk and more soda, therefore setting themselves up for nutritionally related diseases later in life. The study was conducted at an elementary school containing grades K-5. The study was conducted Monday through Friday for a seven week time period. The school had an old milk cooler that was not keeping milk very cold. Temperatures and consumption were measured with the old cooler for two weeks. The old cooler was then replaced with a new milk cooler; temperatures and consumption were measured once again for two weeks, during weeks three and four of the study. On week five nutrition education was implemented for one week. The education consisted of nutrition activities, classroom discussions, and explaining the functions and advantages of the new cooler. Temperatures and consumption were measured again after nutrition education during weeks six and seven of the study. The data was then evaluated in three categories: old cooler, new cooler before nutrition education, and new cooler after nutrition education. Data showed that the temperature of the new cooler was colder than that of the old cooler. With the old cooler, 85 percent of students eating lunch were taking milk; when the new cooler was introduced, 95 percent of students eating lunch took milk. Although consumption was not significantly different, there was a 10 percent increase in the number of students taking milk. However, after the nutrition education, students taking milk increased from 95 percent to 96 percent, and consumption increased significantly. After nutrition education, ounces consumed per child increased from 6.8 ounces to 7.1 ounces. Therefore, the study showed that milk consumption did increase with colder milk and nutrition education

Virtual assistants and social cues:retail interactions and consumer experience

This paper describes a multi-disciplinary approach toinforming the design of a Virtual Assistant (VA) for use ina self-service checkout (SSCO). SSCO transactions requirehigh levels of attention as people attempt to performmultiple tasks in the shortest possible time. This is ofteneffortful, affecting performance and satisfaction. One proposed solution is a VA to help guide users’ attention torelevant areas. This paper discusses three key positiveoutcomes to cueing attention with a VA. It also highlightsthe advantage of adopting a multi-disciplinary perspectiveto providing solutions to business problems in a modernretail context

NPAS4 recruits CCK basket cell synapses and enhances cannabinoid-sensitive inhibition in the mouse hippocampus.

Experience-dependent expression of immediate-early gene transcription factors (IEG-TFs) can transiently change the transcriptome of active neurons and initiate persistent changes in cellular function. However, the impact of IEG-TFs on circuit connectivity and function is poorly understood. We investigate the specificity with which the IEG-TF NPAS4 governs experience-dependent changes in inhibitory synaptic input onto CA1 pyramidal neurons (PNs). We show that novel sensory experience selectively enhances somatic inhibition mediated by cholecystokinin-expressing basket cells (CCKBCs) in an NPAS4-dependent manner. NPAS4 specifically increases the number of synapses made onto PNs by individual CCKBCs without altering synaptic properties. Additionally, we find that sensory experience-driven NPAS4 expression enhances depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), a short-term form of cannabinoid-mediated plasticity expressed at CCKBC synapses. Our results indicate that CCKBC inputs are a major target of the NPAS4-dependent transcriptional program in PNs and that NPAS4 is an important regulator of plasticity mediated by endogenous cannabinoids

A comprehensive systematic review of the impact of planned interventions offered to pregnant women who have requested a caesarean section as a result of tokophobia (fear of childbirth)

Background: Tokophobia, a deep‐seated fear of childbirth, causes women emotional anguish and affects the mother‐baby relationship. It can result in women avoiding future pregnancies or requesting caesarean section. This review examines evidence for the effectiveness of planned interventions in women with okophobia in both reducing requests for caesarean section and in ameliorating maternal distress. Objectives: 1) To synthesise the best available quantitative evidence for the effectiveness of planned interventions in reducing: a) fear/anxiety in tokophobic women, b) planned caesarean sections 2) To synthesise the best available qualitative evidence relating to the experiences of tokophobic women who request a caesarean section, particularly satisfaction with interventions and the childbirth experience. Inclusion criteria: This review considered studies that included pregnant women requesting a caesarean section for tokophobia in the absence of medical (or obstetric) indications who were offered a planned intervention. Search strategy: The literature search focused on published and unpublished studies in English distributed between January 1990 and April 2012. An initial limited database search was undertaken to identify keywords, followed by an extensive search of relevant databases and potential grey material. Methodological quality: Assessment for methodological quality was carried out independently by two reviewers using the standardised appraisal tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data extraction: Data were extracted from papers included in the review using the standardised data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data synthesis: Statistical meta‐analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity. Therefore, a narrative summary of the data was undertaken. Results: Nine quantitative papers (comprising eight studies: one randomised controlled trial, five case control studies and two descriptive case series) were included; two of these papers appertained to the same study. No qualitative papers were found. Definitions for tokophobia varied. Samples were confounded by the inclusion of women with complex obstetric histories or with mental health issues. Comparison groups were sometimes non‐tokophobic women. Interventions were complex and descriptions sometimes lacked clarity. Although the randomised controlled trial found no difference in birth choices between samples, a group therapy intervention predisposed women to vaginal birth. One study measured whether interventions reduced fear, finding that they did. Four studies explored satisfaction with the intervention. In three cases interventions were evaluated positively. These involved midwifery input and birth planning. Conclusion: More research is needed to identify how tokophobic women might be helped. Current guidelines should be upheld for the time being, in the absence of further evidence. Implications for practice: Due to the heterogeneous nature of the research it is impossible at this stage to draw conclusions for practice. Implications for research: Due to ethical concerns about randomising tokophobic women to non‐treatment groups, innovative research designs should be considered. More research is needed on the effectiveness of group interventions and the role of midwives in administering interventions. A standard, measurable definition for tokophobia is needed and careful documentation and differential analysis of women's parity, mental health and obstetric status should be made. Outcomes should include fear reduction. Satisfaction and birth outcome should be measured on more than one occasion

Evaluation of Pecan Scab Disease Management Strategies to Improve Orchard Production and Reduce Pesticide Inputs

To facilitate the subsequent studies, initial experiments evaluated growth media best suited for maximizing sporulation of F. effusum in vitro . Additional studies were aimed at improving our understanding of weather conditions that are favorable for pecan scab epidemic initiation and progression in Oklahoma. In addition, influential relative humidity and temperature thresholds in pecan orchards were reevaluated for use in models to predict epidemics of pecan scab. Other biologically significant weather variables were also evaluated for inclusion in an updated advisory. Finally, experiments were conducted to understand the influence of early fungicide treatments in Oklahoma pecan orchards. Potato dextrose agar was found to be the best medium for the growth and sporulation of F. effusum . Malt extract agar and potato carrot agar amended with 50% lactic acid were also favorable for the growth and sporulation of F. effusum in vitro . The disease prediction model developed during this study was adjusted for the effects of solar radiation and the accumulation of rain in a dynamic fashion. By doing so, it was evident that the thresholds used by the current advisory closely estimated periods of scab increase, but accuracy might be improved by adding the effects of solar radiation and rain. Furthermore, a new model using dew point and dew point depression was developed. Further validation studies using these models should be performed to identify any improvement in the ability to predict fungicide application. Data from field trials suggest that in Oklahoma growers can use an abbreviated fungicide program, which provides scab control during the early stages of the season and can be relaxed during months of July and August. Considering the increased susceptibility of pecans to damage by pecan scab during early stages of development, this study has demonstrated that fungicide protection be used when conditions are favorable for disease during the early growing season.Department of Entomology and Plant Patholog

Finite Mixtures of Multivariate Poisson-Log Normal Factor Analyzers for Clustering Count Data

A mixture of multivariate Poisson-log normal factor analyzers is introduced by imposing constraints on the covariance matrix, which resulted in flexible models for clustering purposes. In particular, a class of eight parsimonious mixture models based on the mixtures of factor analyzers model are introduced. Variational Gaussian approximation is used for parameter estimation, and information criteria are used for model selection. The proposed models are explored in the context of clustering discrete data arising from RNA sequencing studies. Using real and simulated data, the models are shown to give favourable clustering performance. The GitHub R package for this work is available at https://github.com/anjalisilva/mixMPLNFA and is released under the open-source MIT license.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figure

Pain Intervention for people with Dementia in nursing homes (PID) : study protocol for a quasi-experimental nurse intervention

Background: It is estimated that 19 to 83% of people with dementia suffer from pain that is inadequately treated in the last months of life. A large number of healthcare workers who care for these people in nursing homes lack appropriate expertise and may therefore not always recognise, assess and treat pain in those with dementia who have complex problems on time, properly and efficiently. The aim of this intervention trial is to identify care needs of people with dementia suffering from pain living in a nursing home. Methods: A quasi-experimental nurse-led intervention trial based on a convenience sample of four nursing homes in the Swiss Canton of Zurich examines the effects on dementia patients (n = 411), the healthcare institution and the qualification level of the healthcare workers compared to historical controls, using an event analysis and a multilevel analysis. Healthcare workers will be individually trained how to assess, intervene and evaluate acute and chronic pain. There are three data-monitoring cycles (T0, T1, T2) and two intervention cycles (I1, I2) with a total study duration of 425 days. There is also a process evaluation based on Dobbins analyses that analyze in particular the potentials for change in clinical practice of change agents. Discussion: The aim of the intervention trial is to improve pain management strategies in older people with dementia in nursing homes. Clinically significant findings will be expected that will help reduce suffering in the sense of “total pain” for people with dementia. The joint intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration between practice and supply-oriented (nursing) research will have both a lasting effect on the efficiency measurement and provide scientifically sound results. Nursing homes can integrate the findings from the intervention trial into their internal quality control process. The potential for improvements can be directly influenced by the nursing home itself