Vaccine Myths: Setting the Record Straight

Despite their standing as one of the most remarkable public health achievements, vaccines have been surrounded by dangerous myths since the development of the smallpox vaccine in the 18th century. In recent decades, with the publication of a fraudulent article linking vaccines to autism, the involvement of celebrities in the debate, and the rise of the internet and social media as sources for information for patients, these myths have become more widespread. This paper reviews four common vaccine myths: vaccines cause autism, vaccines are not safe, too many vaccines are given too soon, and the influenza vaccine is not necessary. For each of these myths, we review the origin and spread of misinformation. The authors then present the scientific evidence against each myth. Extensive research has found no link between vaccines, and particularly the MMR vaccine or the preservative thimerosal, and autism. The U.S. and world health agencies have effective mechanisms in place to review and monitor vaccine safety. These systems have worked to detect and evaluate even rare vaccine adverse events. The recommended vaccine schedule is safe for infants’ immune systems. The flu vaccine is an essential tool in the fight against the seasonal influenza deaths. A consequence of these myths is that parents are choosing to delay or refuse recommended vaccines for themselves and their children. This has resulted in outbreaks of measles, pertussis, H. influenza type b, varicella, and pneumococcal disease in the United States. Unvaccinated and undervaccinated children risk contracting the disease themselves, and pose a risk to their community as herd immunity decreases. It is important to explore and refute the myths leading to decreased vaccination rates, so health care providers and parents can make educated decisions to protect children and ensure public health

Television and depression.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of mood and depressive symptoms with both the amount and type of television programming viewed. This study was also concerned with learning whether members of different genders and age groups are more or less likely to exhibit correlations between positive or negative mood and certain amounts and types of programs watched. The study addressed the following research questions: Question 1: What is the relationship between mood and amount of television viewing time? Question 2: What is the relationship between mood/depression and different types of programming, and is the same relationship exhibited across different age groups and genders? Participants completed questionnaires containing questions concerning their physical activity, depressive symptoms, daily mood ratings, and daily television viewing records. There were no significant relationships found between daily negative affect and daily viewing or between increased time watching each category of programming and higher rates of depressive symptoms. However, significant positive correlations were found between time spent watching television and positive mood for days 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7. Age, sex, television watching, and physical activity were not found to significantly predict levels of depressive symptoms. While it is impossible to determine causation from the present study, these findings lend partial support to the idea that television viewing could serve the purpose of coping with negative moods

Rise and shine適時冒起

Coming from the fungus kingdom, yeast has been used for its transformative effect in foods and beverages since the days of ancient Egypt. Through the process of fermentation, it gives rise to bread, wine and so much more. 酵母屬於真菌界成員，早在古埃及年代，已被用來「改造」食物和飲品，製作麵包、葡萄酒和很多的食物和飲品都要經過發酵的過

The simultaneous extraction of multiple social categories from unfamiliar faces

The research was supported by an award from the Experimental Psychology Society's Small Grant scheme.Peer reviewedPostprin

Future API Manufacturing Excellence

Many pharmaceutical manufacturing processes are costly, time-intensive, and energy-intensive. Due to the high operational costs, optimization of these processes would result in large economic savings. Fluid bed granulation takes inputs of air temperature, air flow rate, phase duration, binder spray rate, and inlet air humidity. A series of simulations were run to determine optimal operating conditions. It was determined that the process parameters should be limited to the following to meet product standards and reduce costs: air flow rate of 2800 (m3/h), inlet air temperature of 55˚C for spraying and 75˚C for drying, phase duration 124 minutes , binder spray rate of 900 g/s, and inlet air humidity can range from 1-20 g water/kg air. The lyophilization simulation takes process inputs of maximum process time, temperature, pressure, and vial type and returns outputs of peak product temperature, drying time, and maximum sublimation rate. Several primary drying simulations were run for an 8R vial dose and a 20 mL vial dose to determine the optimal operating conditions. The conditions that resulted in the greatest operational cost savings for both the 8R vial and the 20 mL vial were a pressure of 30 Pa, an initial temperature of -9˚C and a final temperature of 1˚C. Based on the proposed conditions, both operational cost and equipment depreciation savings were identified mainly due to lower run times across both processes. For fluid bed granulation, $31,136 operational annual savings were identified amounting to$467,000 over the 15-year project. For lyophilization, $23,500 in annual operational cost savings amounting to$352,000 over the 15-year project life were found. Further operational savings only yielded marginal improvements in profitability

Studying Human Relatedness through a Shared Gaming Experience

The importance of relatedness in collocated multiplayer video games should not be underestimated. Interpersonal relationships which develop from social interactions that occur during gameplay contribute to player motivation and meaningful and memorable experiences for the players. In this study we examined how interpersonal touch within a gameplay experience impacted player motivation and inter-player impressions. Dyads played one of two iPad-based games in three different conditions, one of which required physical contact between the players. Results indicated those in the touch-based conditions scored higher on several measures of intrinsic motivation and impressions of their teammate

Can We Teach a Programming Language as a Second Language?

This paper describes a design and implementation of a NSF sponsored project in 2015. This study will test the hypothesis that the use of cognitive frameworks in second language acquisition for the development of a blended learning of programming languages can improve engagement and the learning experience of engineering students. Using this approach will place greater emphasis on problem solving techniques that can be utilized in all courses. The online module consists of a series of short videos (10-20 minutes), online quizzes with tiered questions, and topic specified discussion board led by student researchers. Students’ demographic data, course-related behaviors such as usage of the instructional videos and discussion board, student performance such as quizzes and exams, and attitude toward the class will be compared across students in the experimental groups, and control groups to determine if student performance, behavior and attitudes vary across classrooms employing different teaching strategies

The American Girl Retail Experience

The American Girl brand is characterized by its ability to promote identity development in young girls through play and educational experiences. Due to the accessibility of smart-devices (e.g. mobile and web based technologies) and the frequency of their use, recent trends in toy designs have shown an increase in digital/technology features. Taking this into consideration, American Girl has continuously emphasized doll-centric products and experiences that also satisfy consumer’s digital interests. American Girl’s interactive digital resources include: the entire American Girl website which features a wide selection of Games, Apps, activities, e-cards, the InnerStar University (i.e., an interactive world for My American Girl Dolls and their owners that provides girls with games, advice and new friends) as well as information about how to plan a trip to your local retail store. Again, the inherent theme in each of these digital activities is the doll. American Girl uses doll-centric activities in retail stores to promote the “American Girl” experience. For this project we examined all aspects of the American Girl Retail Experience ranging from making reservations to planning parties, events, and excursions. Our approach to developing this proposal came from observations of the American Girl Place in Chicago, Illinois and the American Girl Store in Orlando, Florida. We also conducted a review of digital resources such as the American Girl website, 2013 Mattel Annual Report, press releases, videos, and Apps available in the iTunes store. The American Girl website provided us with information about all of the current in-store experiences (e.g. book reading, craft making, cookie decorating, hair styling and more) as well as the current list of products and respective pricing. These details strongly influenced the development of our design. Our proposal examined the user experience from the perspective of the performing arts. The proposal outlines the performing arts experience which suggests the need for a performance stage and describes the activities and events that go along with the stage