12 research outputs found
A systematic review of attitudes, anxiety, acceptance, and trust towards social robots
As social robots become more common, there is a need to understand how people perceive and interact with such technology. This systematic review seeks to estimate peopleâs attitudes toward, trust in, anxiety associated with, and acceptance of social robots; as well as factors that are associated with these beliefs. Ninety-seven studies were identified with a combined sample of over 13,000 participants and a standardized score was computed for each in order to represent the valence (positive, negative, or neutral) and magnitude (on a scale from 1 to ââ1) of peopleâs beliefs about robots. Potential moderating factors such as the robotsâ domain of application and design, the type of exposure to the robot, and the characteristics of potential users were also investigated. The findings suggest that people generally have positive attitudes towards social robots and are willing to interact with them. This finding may challenge some of the existing doubt surrounding the adoption of robotics in social domains of application but more research is needed to fully understand the factors that influence attitudes
Polymer reaction engineering tools to tailor smart and superabsorbent hydrogels
Experimental and theoretical tools to describe and tailor polymer network formation
processes are here addressed. Although a special emphasis is given to the
synthesis, characterization, and applications of smart and superabsorbent polymers,
other networks with higher cross-linker contents are also prospected. Purely
synthetic and cellulose-based hydrogels are both considered in this research. The
reactor type (e.g., batch or continuous flow micro-reactor), polymerization process
(e.g., bulk, inverse suspension, or precipitation polymerization), and polymerization
mechanism (e.g., classic free radical polymerization or reversible
deactivation radical polymerization RDRP) are highlighted as possible tools to
change the morphology and the molecular architecture of polymer networks and
hydrogels. The tailoring of cellulose-synthetic hybrid materials is also addressed
through the use of RAFT-mediated polymer grafting. Case studies showing the
applications of the synthesized materials are presented, namely, molecularly
imprinted hydrogel particles for retention of aminopyridines, molecularly
imprinted polymers for polyphenols, caffeine or 5-fluorouracil selective uptake/
release, as well as modified cellulose adsorbents for polyphenol retention.
Cellulose-based hydrogels are also considered as possible vehicles for
polyphenol-controlled release. The mechanisms of liberation of polyphenols
from these materials are analyzed, namely, when supercritical CO2 is used in
the hydrogel impregnation processParts of this work are a result of project âAIProcMat@N2020 â Advanced
Industrial Processes and Materials for a Sustainable Northern Region of Portugal 2020,â with the
reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000006, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational
Programa (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and of Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 â Associate
Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded by ERDF through COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional
Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)) â and by national funds through FCT (Fundação
para a CiĂȘncia e a Tecnologia). We also acknowledge the contribution of the master student Gayane
Sadoyan in the framework of the thesis âDevelopment of amphiphilic adsorbents for the stimulated
uptake and release of polyphenols.âinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A diversity of resistance sources to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi found within grass pea germplasm
Public health responses to and challenges for the control of dengue transmission in high-income countries: four case studies
Dengue has a negative impact in low- and lower middle-income countries, but also affects upper middle- and high-income countries. Despite the efforts at controlling this disease, it is unclear why dengue remains an issue in affluent countries. A better understanding of dengue epidemiology and its burden, and those of chikungunya virus and Zika virus which share vectors with dengue, is required to prevent the emergence of these diseases in high-income countries in the future. The purpose of this review was to assess the relative burden of dengue in four high-income countries and to appraise the similarities and differences in dengue transmission. We searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar using specific keywords for articles published up to 05 May 2016. We found that outbreaks rarely occur where only Aedes albopictus is present. The main similarities between countries uncovered by our review are the proximity to dengue-endemic countries, the presence of a competent mosquito vector, a largely nonimmune population, and a lack of citizensâ engagement in control of mosquito breeding. We identified important epidemiological and environmental issues including the increase of local transmission despite control efforts, population growth, difficulty locating larval sites, and increased human mobility from neighboring endemic countries. Budget cuts in health and lack of practical vaccines contribute to an increased risk. To be successful, dengue-control programs for high-income countries must consider the epidemiology of dengue in other countries and use this information to minimize virus importation, improve the control of the cryptic larval habitat, and engage the community in reducing vector breeding. Finally, the presence of a communicable disease center is critical for managing and reducing future disease risks
Arousal States, Symptoms, Behaviour, Sleep and Body Temperature
Autonomic arousal (or affective states, e.g. stress, anxiety), symptoms (e.g. fatigue, pain), sleep-disrupting behaviour (e.g. physical inactivity, electronic device use, TV watching, shift work) and medications are linked to impaired sleep and, in many cases, overweight/obesity. Further, in many cases, the phenomena are linked to an elevated BT, and in some cases, a high nocturnal BT, although there is a lack of specific research pertaining to nocturnal BT and the relationship between BT and chronic pain. A relative hyperthermia at night is known to interfere with sleep onset, possible via a phase-shift in the sleep-wake cycle. However, an elevated BT can additionally lead to activation of the inflammatory response system (e.g. cytokine secretion), which may represent another possible mechanism by which the aforementioned states, symptoms, disorders and behaviour can develop