The Truth About Numbers: Subjectivity in the CRISP-DM Process

Analytics is undoubtedly changing the efficiency and decision making of businesses. Because analytics is inherently numeric, there is a false sense of security in their certainty; however, those that do the work can quickly identify where decisions could be made differently in the modeling process. This big idea presentation considers research on subjectivity in the CRISP-DM process

Associations among neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, physical activity facilities, and physical activity in youth during the transition from childhood to adolescence

BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine the longitudinal association of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation (SED) with physical activity in youth during the transition from elementary to middle school, and to determine if access to physical activity facilities moderates this relationship. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Transitions and Activity Changes in Kids (TRACK) study, which was a multilevel, longitudinal study designed to identify the factors that influence changes in physical activity as youth transition from elementary to middle school. The analytic sample for the current study included 660 youth with complete data in grades 5 (baseline) and 7 (follow-up). A repeated measures multilevel framework was employed to examine the relationship between SED and physical activity over time and the potential moderating role of elements of the built environment. RESULTS: Decreases in physical activity varied by the degree of neighborhood SED with youth residing in the most deprived neighborhoods experiencing the greatest declines in physical activity. Access to supportive physical activity facilities did not moderate this relationship. CONCLUSION: Future research studies are needed to better understand how neighborhood SED influences youth physical activity over time

Understanding the Nature of Online News Addiction

Being aware of the happenings in a community has always been of interest to humans, but the current state of news availability is unprecedented. This convenience is driving behavioral changes that manifest in online news addiction. In this research, we seek to understand antecedents to online news addiction as a need to be socially connected. We posit that an individual’s social identity creates envy, fear of missing out, and anxiety. These factors lead to frequent news checking to the point of addiction. Through this research we expect to provide guidance on the role of social identity in technology addictions, as well as new offerings that can lead to online news addiction. In the current environment of misinformation, this research will be informative for reducing online news addiction

Roommate Relationships: A Comparison of Interracial and Same-Race Living Situations

The effects of same-race versus interracial dormitory roommate relationships were explored with regard to relationship dissolution and academic achievement (i.e., grade point average). The present investigation made use of archival data spanning two academic years at a large, relatively diverse university. Of primary interest were White and African American first-year students assigned to White or African American roommates upon their arrival on campus. Another factor that was incorporated into this analysis was whether students requested to live with their roommates or were randomly assigned. Interracial roommate relationships were more likely to dissolve than either same-race White or same-race African American relationships. Randomly assigned living situations were less successful than ones in which roommates requested to share a room. Concerning grade point average at the end of the first academic quarter, African American first-year students tended to do better in interracial living situations, whereas White first-year students' academic success was not affected by roommate race. Instead, White first-year students were more sensitive to the academic abilities of their roommates. Results are discussed with regard to the implications for intergroup contact

Hearing handicap and quality of life: Reports by cochlear implantees and their frequent communication partners

“Copyright 2001, Speech Pathology Association of Australia Ltd (https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/) . Published version of the paper reproduced here with permission from the publisher.”Questionnaires concerning communication, hearing handicap and quality of life were posted to all 55 adult cochlear implantees known to be resident in South Australia. Parallel questionnaires were included for completion by a chosen frequent communication partner. This interim analysis focuses on replies from 34/55 (61.8%) of recipients currently received on two scales included in the questionnnaire; the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE - Ventry & Weinstein, 1982), and the SF-36 (Ware, Snow, Kosinski & Gandek, 1993). The main results indicate that: (a) implantees and their frequent communication partners substantially agree in their assessment of the hearing handicap remaining post-implantation, and (b) implantees’ ratings of aspects of quality of life are similar to those of the general population in South Australia. These results indicate both the complimentary and confirmatory nature of these two scales. Implications for assessment and intervention for this population are discussed in light of these findings

The competing dynamics and relationships in corporate and local government agency constructions of place

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.This paper explores the dynamics of how private sector business entities and local government bodies perceive and interact with the identity of the locality in which they operate. It identifies tensions and differences in, and consequences of, the dynamics and relationships between how private sector business entities view constructions of ‘place’ and how government and publicly-funded place-marketing organisations portray and promote localities. These issues are examined through the phenomenon, brand and slogan of ‘visit, live, invest’ which is gaining credence in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world. The paper develops data using in-depth interviews and a smallscale survey set within an overall interpretivistic case study approach. The data and the case-study demonstrate that, despite the rebranding of the local government agencies as a placemarketing organisation committed to the new ‘live, visit, invest’ initiative and brand agenda, there is an ongoing ‘cultural hangover’ from previous place promotion policies. There are also serious impacts and consequences for relationships between the public and private sectors and with other stakeholders. The prevailing image of UKTown (real name anonymised) by business leaders is one that sees this town fundamentally as a historic, traditional and conservative town. This image has been the product of many years of older style promotion in this vein. While such an image may suggest pleasant aspects of the living environment, it has little to do with corporate image, values and concerns and many private sector business entities do not identity with it. In several instances it is even considered by certain business sectors to be ‘detrimental’ to the need for a dynamic business environment and the forms of relationships and activities these necessitate. The paper indicates a number of strategic moves that could be adopted in order to improve this predicament. Keywords: private business entities, local government agency, place identity, place marketing, branding, perceptio

Postnatal development and control of the pulmonary surfactant system in the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii

© The Company of BiologistsMarsupials are born at an early stage of development and are adapted for future development inside the pouch. Whether the pulmonary surfactant system is fully established at this altricial stage is unknown. This study correlates the presence of surfactant proteins (SP-A, SP-B and SP-D), using immunohistochemistry, with the ex-utero development of the lung in the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii and also investigates the control of phosphatidylcholine (PC) secretion from developing alveolar type II cells. All three surfactant proteins were found at the site of gas exchange in the lungs of joeys at all ages, even at birth when the lungs are in the early stages of the terminal air-sac phase. Co-cultures of alveolar type II cells and fibroblasts were isolated from the lungs of 30- and 70-day-old joeys and incubated with the hormones dexamethasone (10 µmol l–1), prolactin (1 µmol l–1) or triiodothyronine (100 µmol l–1) or with the autonomic secretagogues isoproterenol (100 µmol l–1) or carbamylcholine chloride (100 µmol l–1). Basal secretion of PC was greater at 30 days of age than at 70 days. Co-cultures responded to all five agonists at 30 days of age, but only the autonomic secretagogues caused a significant increase in PC secretion at 70 days of age. This demonstrates that, as the cells mature, their activity and responsiveness are reduced. The presence of the surfactant proteins at the site of gas exchange at birth suggests that the system is fully functional. It appears that surfactant development is coupled with the terminal air-sac phase of lung development rather than with birth, the length of gestation or the onset of air-breathing.Natalie J. Miller, Sandra Orgeig, Christopher B. Daniels and Russell V. Baudinett