Pornography and erotica: Definitions and Prevalence

In this paper, we offer some observations regarding the sex industry, in particular the pornography and erotica sectors. Marketing literature observing pornography and erotica is scant. We find that following exponential growth of the sex industry (given use of the Internet) an evaluation of consumer behaviour and marketing practices is justified. In order to begin a study of these industry sectors, we find it necessary to define both pornography and erotica. Following the development of definitions, we consider these industries from a marketing perspective in the hope that we may encourage research into these areas

A multi-scale approach to dynamic processes at the oil-water interface in surfactant enhanced oil recovery

Surfactant enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is used to increase production from oil reservoirs where, after conventional water-flooding processes, typically 60-70% of oil remains trapped by capillary forces. Enhanced recovery processes are important because of the reduction of easily accessible new reservoirs and increasing global demand for energy. This thesis describes studies on the visualisation of the oil-water interface during surfactant flooding enabling investigation of the underpinning mechanisms of surfactant EOR. The results will aid design systems for more efficient oil recovery and improve oil recovery models. The thesis describes a multi-scale approach to the study of dynamic processes at the oil-water interface. The conventional approach to surfactant EOR depends upon equilibrium/continuum approach. However, behaviour at the interface depends on transport processes, local geometries, local concentrations, local oil-water ratio, and local wettability. These factors affect the local phase behaviour at the moving oil front, which in turn impacts oil mobilisation. Such factors cannot be described based on bulk analysis and equilibrium phase behaviour. A pore-scale study demonstrated that the efficiency of a flood could be maintained at much reduced surfactant concentration, giving potential for substantial cost reduction. Furthermore, solubilisation of oil in a middle phase was shown not to be essential for complete oil desaturation from a pore network. Non-uniform adsorption at the oil-water interface in a hydrophilic pore network was suspected to be responsible for the mobilisation of oil blobs in the direction opposite to the flood direction. At the fracture scale, long-lasting self-induced convective flows were triggered by an interfacial tension gradient of less than 1% of the equilibrated interfacial tension. These two novel and captivating phenomena have not been reported previously. Finally, this thesis proposed a method development to monitor the formation of microemulsion at the oil-water interface by ellipsometry under convective and diffusive transport processes

A Survey on Securing Personally Identifiable Information on Smartphones

With an ever-increasing footprint, already topping 3 billion devices, smartphones have become a huge cybersecurity concern. The portability of smartphones makes them convenient for users to access and store personally identifiable information (PII); this also makes them a popular target for hackers. This survey shares practical insights derived from analyzing 16 real-life case studies that exemplify: the vulnerabilities that leave smartphones open to cybersecurity attacks; the mechanisms and attack vectors typically used to steal PII from smartphones; the potential impact of PII breaches upon all parties involved; and recommended defenses to help prevent future PII losses. The contribution of this research is recommending proactive measures to dramatically decrease the frequency of PII loss involving smartphones

Employee Covenants Not to Compete: Where Does Virginia Stand?

Courts for some time now have been forced to deal with the validity of covenants not to compete as contained in employment contracts. Considered to be a restraint against trade, these covenants under common law were viewed with disfavor, if not hostility, both nationally and in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as being contrary to the American ideals of individual freedom, competition, and the free flow of commerce. As such they were seldom upheld. It was only after the courts recognized that employers had legitimate concerns and interests worthy of protections that reasonable covenants not to compete began to be enforced by injunction following a breach

System-Wide Prediction of General, All-Cause, Preventable Hospital Readmissions

Existing studies of hospital readmissions typically focus on specific diagnoses, age groups, discharge dispositions, payer classes, or hospitals, and often use small samples. It is not clear how predictive models generated from such studies generalize across diseases, hospitals, or time periods. In this study, a logistic regression model of readmission risk within 30 days based on hospital administrative data was constructed and validated across hospitals and time periods. The hospitals included both general and specialty hospitals such as long-term care, women’s, and children’s hospitals. The administrative data included information on patient’s demographics, diagnoses, procedures, and discharge disposition. Derivation and validation samples for the cross-hospital analysis yielded C-statistics of 0.722 and 0.706, respectively. The cross-time period analysis yielded C-statistics from 0.736 to 0.755 for five derivation samples, and from 0.681 to 0.701 for fifteen validation samples. The findings indicate that a prediction model can be used with relative success to extrapolate beyond the estimation sample both in terms of hospital and time period. Such risk estimates can be used to inform discharge intervention decisions and increase care coordination

Assessment of Clinical Partner Violence Screening Tools

Objective: to compare the Women’s Experience with Battering Scale (WEB) with the Index of Spouse Abuse-Physical Scale (ISA-P) as screening tools to identify intimate partner violence (IPV). Methods: We conducted a large cross-sectional survey of women age 18 to 65 attending one of two family practice clinics from 1997 to 1998. All women completed both the WEB and the ISA-P and a telephone interview. We figured agreement estimates between the two tools, used stratified analyses to evaluate attributes of those more likely to screen as battered or physically assaulted, and compared associations between the WEB and ISA-P and a range of mental and physical health indicators known to be associated with IPV. Results: 18% of 1152 eligible women surveyed had experienced IPV in a current or most recent intimate rela-tionship with a male partner; 17% had been battered (WEB+), and 10% had been physically assaulted (ISA-P+). Had we used the ISA-P alone to assess IPV, we would have missed almost 45% of IPV. As anticipated, the ISA-P was more strongly associated with IPV-associated injuries and number of physician visits in the last year. The WEB was more strongly associated with self-perceived mental health, anxiety, depression, drug abuse, and low social support. Conclusion: Clinicians need validated screening tools to rapidly and reliably screen patients for IPV. Most screening tools assess physical violence and injury without considering the more chronic experience of battering and the psychological terror associated with this violence. The WEB may identify more abused women than tools measuring physical assaults

The Grizzly, October 12, 1999

Homecoming \u2799: Any Questions? • One America • Ursinus Grads Leave with a Diploma and a Low Financial Debt • Students Celebrate Berman Museum\u27s 10th Anniversary • Old Men\u27s at Heart of Ursinus • Opinion: Lott\u27s Lack of Responsibility is a Major Threat to the Security of the World; The Destruction of Chechnya, NATO\u27s Bloody Legacy • WVOU Offers Promising Shows That Could Even Provide Thought • Jeffrey Gaines Jams Again at UC • Field Hockey Downed in Fairfield • Bears Senior Cornerback Dealt Leg Injury; Looks to Return • UC Tackles Johns Hopkins 20-18 • Volleyball Splits Home Matcheshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1448/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, November 2, 1999

Is Safety an Issue on Campus? • Payne Stewart, Golfer, Dies in Plane Crash • A First for National French Week • Summer Business Internship Opportunities • Hobson Hall: Home Sweet Home • Opinion: The Effectiveness of College in the Preparation of Students for the World; Gun Control has to be Enacted for Everyone\u27s Safety: A Response; Paying Back the US Dues to the UN • Always Unique, Ben Folds Five Rocks Philadelphia as Part of 1999 Tour • Vecchio, Duncan Power Bears Offense as Bears Rout Mules • Soccer Splits Pair with Fords, Green Terror • Flag Football: APO Downs 2-Time Champion Delta Pi in Double-OT • Junior Vecchio Awarded CC Offensive Football Player of the Week • Tough End to Tough Hockey Season • Volleyball Finishes Best Season Ever • Bears Defense Roars to Big Winhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1450/thumbnail.jp