Ethical Issues with Simulating the Bridge Problem in VR

We aim to generate a dilemma for virtual reality-based research that we motivate through an extended case study of Judith Thomson’s (1985) Bridge variant of the trolley problem. Though the problem we generate applies more broadly than the Bridge problem, we believe it makes a good exemplar of the kind of case we believe is problematic. First, we argue that simulations of these thought experiments run into a practicality horn that makes it practically impossible to produce them. These problems revolve around concepts that we call “perspectival fidelity”and “context realism.” Moral dilemmas that include features present in the Bridge variant will, as a result, be practically impossible to simulate. We also argue that, should we be wrong about the practical impossibility of creating a VR simulation of Bridge, such a simulation must face an ethical horn which renders these simulations ethically impermissible to develop or use. For these reasons, we argue that it is virtually impossible to simulate the bridge problem (and other thought experiments with similar features) both practically and ethically in VR

Rap Music Literacy: A Case Study of Millennial Audience Reception to Rap Lyrics Depicting Independent Women

Using a feminist lens and a constructivist approach as the theoretical framework, we used rap lyrics and videos to help college students explore mass media’s representation of the “independent” Black woman and the concept of “independence” in general. Students must be able to formulate their own concept of independence to counteract the messages and stereotypes they receive in popular culture through advertisements, film, print and music. The authors found that independence is situationally defined and it is a complex concept that is differentiated in consideration of age, race, and gender. Participants noted that rap music has the potential to influence their definitions and perceptions of rap music. More educational opportunities are needed where students can utilize constructivist pedagogies in order to become more critically aware of the influence of the media and systems of social stratification

Automated Scenario Generation Environment

Report describes IST\u27s investigation into the feasibility of automating the process of planning and scenario generation for large scale (joint level) simulation exercises and development of an architecture for that purpose

Catecholamine stress alters neutrophil trafficking and impairs wound healing by β2-adrenergic receptor-mediated upregulation of IL-6.

Stress-induced hormones can alter the inflammatory response to tissue injury; however, the precise mechanism by which epinephrine influences inflammatory response and wound healing is not well defined. Here we demonstrate that epinephrine alters the neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN))-dependent inflammatory response to a cutaneous wound. Using noninvasive real-time imaging of genetically tagged PMNs in a murine skin wound, chronic, epinephrine-mediated stress was modeled by sustained delivery of epinephrine. Prolonged systemic exposure of epinephrine resulted in persistent PMN trafficking to the wound site via an IL-6-mediated mechanism, and this in turn impaired wound repair. Further, we demonstrate that β2-adrenergic receptor-dependent activation of proinflammatory macrophages is critical for epinephrine-mediated IL-6 production. This study expands our current understanding of stress hormone-mediated impairment of wound healing and provides an important mechanistic link to explain how epinephrine stress exacerbates inflammation via increased number and lifetime of PMNs

The Impact of Pig Health on Public Health: Quantitative Data for Risk Assessments

Management practices can play an important role in affecting animal health. Sub-clinically ill animals entering harvest can have pleural adhesions known as peel-outs. The focus of this study was to examine how these pleural adhesions can be associated with Salmonella and respiratory pathogens, as well as to get a national estimate of peel-outs. The results suggest pleural adhesions are not significantly associated with Salmonella or respiratory bacterial contamination

Pressure support ventilation attenuates ventilator-induced protein modifications in the diaphragm

Common medical conditions that require mechanical ventilation include chronic obstructive lung disease, acute lung injury, sepsis, heart failure, drug overdose, neuromuscular disorders, and surgery. Although mechanical ventilation can be a life saving measure, prolonged mechanical ventilation can also present clinical problems. Indeed, numerous well-controlled animal studies have demonstrated that prolonged mechanical ventilation results in diaphragmatic weakness due to both atrophy and contractile dysfunction. Importantly, a recent clinical investigation has confirmed that prolonged mechanical ventilation results in atrophy of the human diaphragm. This mechanical ventilation-induced diaphragmatic weakness is important because the most frequent cause of weaning difficulty is respiratory muscle failure due to inspiratory muscle weakness and/or a decline in inspiratory muscle endurance. Therefore, developing methods to protect against mechanical ventilation-induced diaphragmatic weakness is important

Grado de conservación de huevos de gallina (Gallus gallus domesticus) expendidos en Lima Metropolitana, durante el periodo de febrero a marzo del 2019

Analiza 1284 huevos de gallina, procedentes de 12 mercados modelos de Lima Metropolitana, seleccionados mediante muestreo aleatorio de un universo de 24 mercados; en los cuales se determinó el grado de conservación mediante la cuantificación de los parámetros; índice de yema, unidades Haugh, pH, grosor de cáscara, resistencia a la ruptura del cascarón, recuento de microorganismos aerobios mesófilos, mohos y levaduras, coliformes y detección de Salmonella sp. El método estadístico aplicado fue ANOVA de un factor y se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa (P< 0.05) al analizar los datos obtenidos. A través del estudio se determinó que los huevos analizados se encuentran dentro de los rangos de calidad establecidos en cada parámetro evaluado.Tesi

Technologie wspomagające a umiejętności społeczne

Everyday new technology is changing the lives in ways we never imagined. For individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), some new technologies can improve communication, assist in the development of social skills and enhance the ability to learn. This paper discusses the concepts of Universal Design for Learning as a context for exploring the use if assistive technology in supporting the developmental of social skill training for children with ASD.Everyday new technology is changing the lives in ways we never imagined. For individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), some new technologies can improve communication, assist in the development of social skills and enhance the ability to learn. This paper discusses the concepts of Universal Design for Learning as a context for exploring the use if assistive technology in supporting the developmental of social skill training for children with ASD