Search

Much prior literature has focused on how hedonic shopping motivation operates in hedonic shopping environments such as shopping malls, but few empirical studies have assessed hedonic shopping motivation effects in utilitarian shopping environments. Combining a field survey (Study 1) with observation using video ethnography (Study 2), our research addresses this issue. Our results empirically reveal how, through both psychological and behavioral routes, hedonic shopper motivation affects purchases in a utilitarian shopping environment, specifically a section of a superstore selling predominantly utilitarian products. Hedonic shopping motivation is found to induce consumer impulsiveness (psychological route) while also encouraging shoppers to stay longer in a store (behavioral route), which when combined result in greater consumer purchases than either route alone. Additionally we observe a moderating effect of co-shopper influences on these two routes. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Limited attention has been paid to the cultural influences on the formation of consumer attitudes toward luxury brands (LUX). The purpose of this paper is to investigate this relationship by developing a model that additionally employs the constructs of susceptibility to normative interpersonal influence (SNII) and brand consciousness (BCO). Design/methodology/approach – Sample data were gathered through surveys administered to 383 college students in the UK and Taiwan. The model of cultural influences on attitudes toward luxury brands was empirically tested using multi-group structural equation modeling to evaluate its applicability across the two countries. Findings – Results are presented in two parts: first, the exogenous construct part of the model establishing the reliability and validity of the cultural dimension constructs (horizontal individualism, vertical individualism, horizontal collectivism, and vertical collectivism) that are antecedent to consumer SNII and 2) the endogenous part of the model in which consumer SNII affects LUX through the mediating role of BCO. Research limitations/implications – The findings in the current study are limited to a sample of college students in the UK and Taiwan, which, through representing western and Asian countries, each housing different cultures, do not span the greater number of cultures found across these countries, much less across the world. Furthermore it is assumed that there are a number of subcultures in both the UK and Taiwan that are not accounted for in this study. Practical implications – An individual level of cultural orientation (e.g. horizontalism and verticalism) rather than traditionally adopted regionally defined or nationally based (Hofstede, 1980) cultural criteria should be investigated to identify more accurate market demand patterns in order to best target consumers in these markets (Sharma, 2010). In addition, appealing, vertical ad messages would be more effective in stimulating consumer motivations for consumption of luxury brands. Conversely, horizontal ad messages would be effective in demarketing approaches. Originality/value – The current study is the first of its kind to explore the effect of cultural-orientation on the formation of LUX cross-nationally. As such it provides future cross-cultural researchers with valid and reliable culturally based constructs that can be used to predict consumer SNII in developing LUX. In addition, establishing the mediating role of BCO in the relationship between SNII and LUX helps marketers better understand the equity of their luxury brands, particularly in Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro air vehicles have emerged as a popular option for diverse robotic and teleoperated applications in both open terrain and urban environments because of their inherent stealth and portability. To perform many of the tasks envisioned for micro air vehicles, agility is essential. To date, research efforts to improve agility have focused primarily on constructing complex controllers to enable existing vertical-take-off- and-landing vehicles, such as remote-controlled helicopters and quadrotors, to perform aerobatic maneuvers autonomously. In this work, we adopt a system-level perspective and analyze a new design for a rotary-wing micro air vehicle that utilizes gyroscopic dynamics for attitude control. Unlike traditional vehicles where attitude control moments are generated by aerodynamic control surfaces, the proposed vehicle will leverage the existing angular momentum of its counter rotating components. This paradigm has the potential to yield significant increases in agility when compared to state-of-the-art micro vertical take-off and landing vehicles. The proposed design reduces mechanical complexity by precluding the use of complex mechanisms, such as the swashplate. The capacity to rapidly generate large gyroscopic control moments, coupled with the precision gained from eliminating the need for complex and restrictive aerodynamic models, improves both agility and adaptability. We present the development of a gyroscopically controlled micro air vehicle including comprehensive models of the dynamics and the aerodynamics with an emphasis on the design and analysis of such systems. A dynamics simulator that incorporates these models and mechanical hardware solutions to challenges that arose during prototyping will also be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic manipulation of human victims is a problem typically avoided by the robotics community primarily for fear of injuring victims further, though large robotic human transportation is more prevalent. This paper presents the issues that would need to be addressed in order to have small man-portable robots aiding the transport of incapacitated victims. Focusing on the manipulation of victims in preparation for transport, the primary design specifications are the forces that a small robot would need to be capable of applying. Data and analysis is presented for human limb manipulation, in terms of limb pose statistics and the forces required for appropriate limb motions. Descriptions of a robotic solution include a wristlet mechanism that can be robotically deployed as well as a novel head protection and cervical spine immobilization method using rapidly expanding foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we define Proteo as a class of three-dimensional (3D) metamorphic robotic system capable of approximating arbitrary 3D shapes by utilizing repeated modules. Each Proteo module contains embedded sensors, actuators and a controller, and each resides in a 3D grid space. A module can move itself to one of its open neighbor sites under certain motion constraints. Distributed control for the self-reconfiguration of such robots is an interesting and challenging problem. We present a class of distributed control algorithms for the reconfiguration of Proteo robots based on the “goal-ordering” mechanism. Performance results are shown for experiments of these algorithms in a simulation environment, and the properties of these algorithms are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the modular robot competition held during the International Conference on the Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2008. Several groups participated at the competition and each group built new robots, organized tactics, observed failures, and focused on planetary contingency. Rules of the competition are also mentioned in the article.

Creative solutions are needed to support community-dwelling older adults residing in a variety of settings including their house, apartment, or Supportive Apartment Living (SAL) to promote independence and reduce the risk of nursing home replacement. The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of older adults’ needs for physical, mental, and social activities to support the design and functionality of a low-cost mobile assistive robot. A qualitative descriptive study was designed which included three stakeholder focus groups (caregivers, clinicians, and older adults). We held three focus groups with a total of 19 participants: one with paid caregivers (n = 6), one with interdisciplinary clinicians (n = 8), and one with older adults residing in SAL (n = 5). Conventional content analysis was the analytical technique. Four themes emerged: (a) Accomplishing Everyday Tasks: activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) were important from the perspectives of all three groups for the older adults to accomplish daily, as well as the “use it or lose it” attitude of the older adults; (b) Personal Connections and Meaningful Activities: for the older adults, it was important for them to engage in socialization and leisure activities, and for the caregivers and clinicians, they work to build personal relationships with the older adults; (c) Cognitive Interventions: the clinicians provided cognitive tools (including reminders, routine and designing interventions) to older adults so they can remain as safe and independent as possible in the SAL; and (d) Safety Measures: encompassed clinicians addressing safety and injury prevention and the caregivers checking in on the older adults in their SAL apartments. This work contributed to the design and functionality specifications for an autonomous low-cost mobile robot for deployment to increase the independence of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardware platforms for socially interactive robotics can be limited by cost or lack of functionality. This article presents the overall system—design, hardware, and software—for Quori, a novel, affordable, socially interactive humanoid robot platform for facilitating noncontact human–robot interaction (HRI) research. The design of the system is motivated by feedback sampled from the HRI research community. The overall design maintains a balance of affordability and functionality. Initial Quori testing and a six-month deployment are presented. Ten Quori platforms have been awarded to a diverse group of researchers from across the United States to facilitate HRI research to build a community database from a common platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Young people with mental disorders present with diverse social, vocational, physical, and developmental needs. However, multifaceted interventions are rare. We examine the effectiveness of a clinical trial targeting social participation and physical well-being in young people accessing clinical services.Methods: The 'Youth Early-intervention Study' ('YES') was an unblinded, two-phase, pilot randomized controlled trial offered as an adjunct to standard clinical care, consisting of group activities. Mixed effects models were used to examine functional outcomes over time measured by the 'Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale', 'Functioning Assessment Short Test', and 'Brief Disability Questionnaire' (items 7 and 8).Results: 133 participants aged 14-25 were recruited. 87 participants completed both arms and 83 participants completed a 12-month post-trial assessment. Functioning improved across all outcomes. While diagnoses differed in functioning at baseline (lower functioning in psychotic and bipolar disorders compared to depression), they did not differ in the rate of improvement across any measure. Randomization groups did not differ in baseline functioning or the rate of improvement, suggesting a non-specific impact of the intervention. Engagement with education increased from 11% at baseline to 51% at 12-months post-trial and full-time employment increased from 8% at baseline to 20% at 12-months post-trial.Limitations: Small sample, no control group, and unmeasured potential moderators (e.g. neurocognitive impairment).Conclusions: 'YES' was effective and preliminary positive outcomes were observed across all functional outcomes. Future studies should compare the 'YES' intervention to a treatment-as-usual control condition and conduct a multi-centre trial across early intervention service sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many micro-aerial vehicles can benefit from having compact and robust pre-deployment configurations that can later transform into larger and more capable forms. We demonstrate parylene-covered silicon frames that can be folded into origami-inspired aerodynamic shapes for structural applications in centimeter-scale aircraft. By changing the spacing between the frames, we can control the conformality of the parylene deposition, which determines the directionality of the fold (mountain or valley). We fabricated a foldable propeller from such polymer-coated frames and characterized its mass and thrust. [2020-0095] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The subgenual cingulate gyrus (Brodmann's Area 25: BA25) is hypermetabolic in depression and has been targeted successfully with deep brain stimulation. Two of the white matter tracts that play a role in treatment response are the uncinate fasciculus (UF) and the cingulum bundle. The UF has three prefrontal stems, the most medial of which extends from BA25 (which deals with mood regulation) and the most lateral of which extends from the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (concerned with executive function). The cingulum bundle has numerous fibers connecting the lobes of the cerebrum, with the longest fibers extending from BA25 to the amygdala. We hypothesize that there is reduced integrity in the UF, specific to the medial prefrontal stems, as well as in the subgenual and amygdaloid fibers of the cingulum bundle. Our secondary hypothesis is that these changes are present from the early stages of depression.Objective: Compare the white matter integrity of stems of the UF and components of the cingulum bundle in first-onset depressed, recurrent/chronic depressed, and non-depressed control subjects.Methods: Depressed patients (n = 103, first-onset = 57, chronic = 46) and non-depressed control subjects (n = 74) underwent MRI with 32-directional DTI sequences. The uncinate fasciculi and cingulum bundles were seeded, and the fractional anisotropy (FA) measured in each of the three prefrontal stems and the body of the UF, as well as the subgenual, body, and amygdaloid fiber components of the cingulum bundle. FA measurements were compared between groups using ANOVA testing with post-hoc Tukey analysis.Results: There were significant reductions in FA in the subgenual and polar stems of the UF bilaterally, as well as the subgenual and amygdaloid fibers of the cingulum bundle, in depressed patients compared with controls (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference seen in the lateral UF stem or the main body of the cingulum. No significant difference was demonstrated in any of the tracts between first-onset and chronic depression patients.Conclusion: Depressed patients have reduced white matter integrity in the subgenual and polar stems of the uncinate fasciculi but not the lateral stems, as well as in the subgenual and amygdaloid cingulum fibers. These changes are present from the first-onset of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steerable needles are a novel technology that offers a wide range of uses in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Currently, there exist several steerable needle designs in the literature, however, they are limited in their use by the number of possible turns, turn radius, and tissue damage. We introduce a novel design of a tape spring steerable needle, capable of multiple turns, that minimizes tissue damage. In this study, we measure the turning radius of our steerable needle in porcine liver tissue in vitro with ultrasound and estimate tissue damage in gel blocks using image analysis and 3D plaster casting. We were able to demonstrate our steerable needle's ability to steer through biological tissue, as well as introduce a novel method for estimating tissue damage. Our findings show that our needle design showed lower damage compared to similar designs in literature, as well as tissue stiffness being a protective factor against tissue damage., (© 2024 The Authors.)