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Important Attributes (important + attribute)
Selected AbstractsConnectivity, non-random extinction and ecosystem function in experimental metacommunitiesECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 5 2010Philip Staddon Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 543,552 Abstract The spatial insurance hypothesis indicates that connectivity is an important attribute of natural ecosystems that sustains both biodiversity and ecosystem function. We tested the hypothesis by measuring the impact of manipulating connectivity in experimental metacommunties of a natural and diverse microecosystem. Isolation led to the extinction of large-bodied apex predators, subsequently followed by increases in prey species abundance. This trophic cascade was associated with significantly altered carbon and nitrogen fluxes in fragmented treatments. The ecosystem impacts were characteristic of a function debt because they persisted for several generations after the initial loss of connectivity. Local extinctions and disruption of ecosystem processes were mitigated, and even reversed, by the presence of corridors in the connected metacommunities, although these beneficial effects were unexpectedly delayed. We hypothesized that corridors maintained grazer movement between fragments, which enhanced microbial activity, and decomposition in comparison to isolated fragments. Our results indicate that knowledge of habitat connectivity and spatial processes is essential to understand the magnitude and timing of ecosystem perturbation in fragmented landscapes. [source] The Impact of Public School Attributes on Home Sale Prices in CaliforniaGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2000David E. Clark The quality of public schools is often cited as an important attribute which distinguishes a community. Indeed, a recent public opinion poll conducted by the California Public Education Partnership indicates that residents rank improvements in public education higher than such high profile issues as environmental quality and crime reduction. In order to explore the role of educational quality in determining residential property values, a hedonic housing price model is used on a large sample of homes which sold within Fresno County in California over the period 1990-1994. After controlling for a wide range of housing characteristics and neighborhood features, the findings indicate that the school district does significantly influence the real sale price. Then the relative importance of inputs into the production of educational services is investigated as compared to output measures of productivity. These findings suggest that both input and output measures are important. However, elasticity estimates of input measures tend to be higher than those of output measures, with the average class size by far the strongest influence. There is some evidence to suggest that the benefits of additional teachers likely outweigh the costs. Finally, the findings suggest that attributes of schools are more highly valued by local residents than either crime or environmental quality measures within the community. [source] Assessment of Adverse Events Associated With Triptans,Methods of Assessment Influence the ResultsHEADACHE, Issue 10 2004Fred D. Sheftell MD Background.,A recent study conducted in triptan-naïve migraine patients showed that tolerability was the second most important attribute of an acute treatment. However, the proportion of patients reporting side effects after any acute treatment may vary with regard to the method of assessment. Objectives.,To contrast two methods of assessing adverse events (prompted and unprompted) in those with headache using triptans. Methods.,This study was conducted in two sites, a headache center in the United States, and a neurology office focusing on headache in Italy. We prospectively surveyed 415 adults with headache, who had been using the same triptan for at least 3 months. Participants were asked about their headache and treatment history. Subjects then completed a standardized questionnaire, assessing adverse events in two different ways. First, subjects were asked if they had any adverse events when using the triptan. After returning the first part of the questionnaire, subjects received a second form, where 49 possible adverse events were listed. We contrasted and correlated both sets of answers. Results.,Most patients (U.S. = 74.9%, Italy = 65.5%) reported no side effects in the unprompted questionnaire. However, most of them (U.S. = 62.9%, Italy = 54.1%) reported at least one side effect in the prompted questionnaire. Most patients that reported side effects in the unprompted questionnaire said they had just one adverse event, while most reported two or more side effects in the prompted questionnaire. Both in the unprompted and in the prompted questionnaires, most side effects were rated as mild or moderate. Interestingly, 31 (7.5%) subjects (pooling data from both sites together) graded their adverse events as severe in the prompted questionnaire, but had not self-reported them. Conclusions.,(1) When assessing adverse events, the method of data collection may dramatically influence the results. (2) From those subjects who did not self-report adverse events after using a triptan, most of them will report positively if presented with a list of side effects. [source] The Demand Attributes of Assurance Services Providers and the Role of Independent AccountantsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 2 2006W. Robert Knechel This study reports on desirable attributes of assurance services providers for assurance services based on responses from a sample of Dutch senior accounting and financial officers. In general, overall expertise and objectivity are perceived as the most important attributes for selecting an assurance service provider. Cost is perceived as the least important attribute. In general, accountants are perceived as more likely to be the preferred service provider for assurance over information systems and/or when professional reputation and integrity is important for providing a service. These attributes are in line with the projected image of the profession. An accountant is less likely to be the preferred provider when cost and independence are not important. We interpret this result as an indication that independence in the audit is important and, thus, other services are acceptable only when independence is not an issue. [source] Consumer knowledge and use of country-of-origin information at the point of purchaseJOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 2 2004John P. Liefeld Abstract This paper reports an investigation of American and Canadian consumer acquisition and/or knowledge of the country of origin of products at the time of purchase. Consumer knowledge of the country of origin of purchased products was tested as purchasers left the cash register. If the purchaser knew the country of origin of the product just purchased, they were further questioned to discover the role such knowledge might have played in their choice between alternatives. More than 93 per cent of 1,248 purchasers intercepted at the cash register had not acquired while shopping, or did not know from prior experience, the country of origin of a product they had just purchased. Of the 91 (6.5 per cent) who had acquired or knew the country of origin of a product they had just purchased, only 27 (2.2 per cent of the total) indicated that their knowledge of the product's country of origin possibly might have played a role in their product choice. These findings reveal that the country of origin of products is not an important attribute in the choice processes of the great majority of North American consumers. Confirmation of these findings by replication with less obtrusive and more externally valid measures of consumer acquisition and use of product information prior to purchase is needed. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications. [source] Preference Mapping of Commercial Toasted White Corn Tortilla ChipsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2002J.-F. Meullenet ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to identify what constitutes consumer preference for and acceptance of white corn tortilla chips. Consumer overall acceptance of tortill chips was modeled by consumer data for acceptance of appearance, flavor, and texture and by descriptive sensory and/or instrumental data. Internal preference mapping (R2= 0.99) showed that flavor was the most important attribute to consumer overall acceptance followed by texture and appearance. The basic salt attribute and aftertaste attributes of salt, raw masa, and toasted grain aftertastes were important to consumer flavor acceptance, and the attributes of crispness, loose particles, hardness and oily/greasy film were responsible for consumer acceptance of texture. One appearance descriptive attribute (char marks) and 1 instrumental color measurement (a) were significantly related to consumer acceptance of appearance. [source] Design of granule structure: Computational methods and experimental realizationAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2006Mansoor A. Ansari Abstract The spatial distribution of solid components and porosity within a composite granule,its microstructure,is an important attribute as it carries information about the processing history of the granule and determines its end-use application properties, particularly the dissolution rate. In this work, the problem of rational design of granule structure is formulated, and two methods for its solution are proposed,stochastic design, which is based on random permutation of points within the structure using the simulated annealing algorithm, and variational design, which is based on direct simulation of granule formation from its constituent primary particles, followed by direct simulation of granule dissolution. The variational design method is demonstrated in a case study of the effect of primary particle size, radial distribution of components, and composition of a two-component granule (active, excipient) on the dissolution profile. Selected granule structures designed computationally were also physically made by fluid-bed granulation, their structure analyzed by X-ray micro-tomography, and dissolution curves measured. It was confirmed that the designed structures are feasible to manufacture and that they meet the required dissolution profiles. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006 [source] Mechanical behaviour and quality traits of highbush blueberry during postharvest storageJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 6 2009Valentina Chiabrando Abstract BACKGROUND: Berry firmness is one of the most important characteristics for fresh market consumption. Blueberry firmness is also an important attribute because it is considered to be a measure of its freshness. Berries lose their firmness by loss of water and by changes in their structure. RESULTS: The postharvest life of two highbush blueberry cultivars (Bluecrop and Coville) was investigated. Several parameters related to blueberry quality were evaluated during the postharvest storage period. To assess berry texture characteristics (firmness, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, springiness, resilience), a rapid non-destructive penetrometer test by Durofel® and texture profile analysis (TPA) using a texture analyser were carried out. Low temperature inhibited the decrease of total soluble solids, total titratable acidity and increase of flesh pH value, thereby maintaining good taste quality. There was an increase in fruit firmness (Durofel index) and hardness and a decrease in chewiness and springiness during storage. CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation among the TPA parameters and Durofel index. The Durofel index could therefore be used as a suitable indicator of fruit quality and storability, and low-temperature storage is beneficial to maintain the taste quality of blueberry fruit after harvest. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Impact of environmental conditions on the performance of cartonboard skilletsPACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 5 2005C. Berry Abstract This paper discusses the importance of understanding machine,material interaction for achieving high process efficiencies. In the area of cartoning, the performance of cartonboard and hence the efficacy of the machine,material interactions can be significantly altered by changes in environmental conditions. In this paper, the process of carton conversion is dealt with and its performance during creasing, folding and subsequent erection is considered. An experimental programme was created to investigate the effect of moisture on the carton performance and in particular the important attribute of ,spring back'. The results of the experimental investigation are discussed with respect to the accepted understanding of the behaviour of cellulose structures. From this discussion, the implications for processing of cartonboard are identified and guidelines and considerations for storage and handling are proposed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Vardenafil Restores Erectile Function to Normal Range in Men with Erectile DysfunctionTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2007Harin Padma-Nathan MD ABSTRACT Introduction., The ability of oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor therapy to restore erectile function to normal is an important attribute to men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim., To assess the ability of vardenafil to restore normal erectile function in men with general ED. Methods., In two fixed-dose, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pivotal studies, patients received vardenafil (5, 10, or 20 mg) or placebo for 12/26 weeks. Main Outcome Measure., In this retrospective analysis, the percentage of patients "returning to normal" erectile function at week 12 (as defined by scores ,26 on erectile function domain of International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF-EF]) was determined, with further stratification by baseline ED severity, etiology, age, and duration of ED. Results., Vardenafil 5, 10, and 20 mg returned 32%, 43%, and 49% of patients, respectively, to normal erectile function after 12 weeks, compared with 10% of patients receiving placebo (P < 0.0001). Return to normal IIEF-EF domain scores was noted irrespective of severity, etiology, age, and duration of ED, and was observed even in challenging-to-treat subgroups. With vardenafil 20 mg, 39% of men with severe ED at baseline, 45,49% of men with ED of mixed or organic etiology, 35% of men aged ,65 years, and 43% of men with ED of ,3 years of duration returned to normal erectile function at week 12. Mean per-patient SEP3 (question 3 on the Sexual Encounter Profile) success rates in patients achieving IIEF-EF domain scores ,26 ranged from 87% to 95%. Conclusion., Vardenafil improves the IIEF-EF domain score to the normal range in a substantial proportion of men with ED. Padma-Nathan H, Montorsi F, Giuliano F, Meuleman E, Auerbach S, Eardley I, McCullough A, Homering M, and Segerson T for the North American and European Vardenafil Study Group. Vardenafil restores erectile function to normal range in men with erectile dysfunction. J Sex Med 2007;4:152,161. [source] Using Buyer,Supplier Performance Frontiers to Manage Relationship Performance,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 1 2009Anthony D. Ross ABSTRACT This article presents a consensus-building methodology to implement dyadic performance measurement. It focuses on transmuting supplier performance and buyer performance metrics on several important attributes into actionable relationship management plans using Clark's (1996) theory of performance frontiers. Access to the supplier performance management program of a Fortune 100 corporation was granted to the research team. Direct observation of practice and in-depth discussions with several managers provided a roadmap for investigating both the literature on quantitative evaluation methods and the empirically derived theory on buyer,supplier relationships from several perspectives. This study describes a multiphase, iterative framework that uses current methods and theory on dyadic buyer,supplier evaluation to consider: (i) evaluation criteria and their importance; (ii) whether the improvement focus should be on strengths, weaknesses, or both; and (iii) whether the referent role supplier should be the ideal supplier, best supplier, or best-in-strategic-group supplier in the focal supply base. We illustrate a unifying approach by reporting results from a large buyer and 35 of its key suppliers. This research makes the case for managing supplier relationships through the dyadic performance lens. The outputs from this framework provide individual supplier improvement paths which are actionable prescriptions for each buyer,supplier dyad, as well as recommendations for strategic group formation. [source] Effect of fermentation on free and bound volatile compounds of orange juiceFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2009Gang Fan Abstract Aroma is one of the most important attributes of orange wine quality. The volatile compounds in orange wine mainly derive from oranges, yeast fermentation and compounds released from odourless glycosidic precursors present in the orange. In this study, free volatile compounds in orange juice and wine made from Citrus sinensis (L). Osbeck cv. Washington Sanguine were analysed by SPME-GC,MS. Bound fractions were isolated and extracted with methanol and Amberlite XAD-2 resin and then hydrolysed by almond , -glucosidase. Totals of 31 and 19 free volatiles were identified in orange juice and wines, respectively. Terpenes were the most abundant compounds in orange juice, while esters were quantitatively the dominant group in orange wine and most of them were compounds newly formed during fermentation, such as isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl benzoate, diethyl succinate, ethyl decanoate and ethyl laurate. In total, 11 and three released bound volatiles were found in orange juice and wine, respectively, and most of them were not found in free form. Only ethyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate and cis -carveol were found present in both the free and bound forms of orange juice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] What Do Patients With Migraine Want From Acute Migraine Treatment?HEADACHE, Issue 2002Richard B. Lipton MD Migraine is a common chronic condition with an ever-expanding therapeutic armamentarium. As therapeutic options multiply, it is increasingly important to understand patients' attitudes and preferences regarding various treatment characteristics. Several strategies have evolved to establish treatment priorities in migraine and rationalize and prioritize end points and outcomes to meet the needs of patients. A survey of a population-based sample of migraineurs indicated that an overwhelming majority of patients consider complete relief of head pain, no recurrence, and rapid onset of action as important or very important attributes of acute migraine therapy. An analysis of the relationship between clinical end points and satisfaction found that more than 90% of patients who were pain-free at 2 hours were at least somewhat satisfied with treatment, but satisfaction was dependent on relatively rapid relief. Using a "willingness-to-pay" approach, results indicated that while patients will pay more for migraine treatment that produces rapid, consistent relief without adverse effects or recurrence, speed of complete relief is the most valued attribute. By assessing physician preferences and practices, degree of pain relief and rapid onset were identified as the most important attributes of acute therapy. Based on results from preference studies of triptans, 50% of patients cited more rapid pain relief as the most important determinant of treatment preference. Based on these various approaches, the consensus view is that both clinicians and patients desire a broad range of positive migraine treatment attributes, but rapid onset of complete pain relief is a particularly important priority. [source] The Demand Attributes of Assurance Services Providers and the Role of Independent AccountantsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 2 2006W. Robert Knechel This study reports on desirable attributes of assurance services providers for assurance services based on responses from a sample of Dutch senior accounting and financial officers. In general, overall expertise and objectivity are perceived as the most important attributes for selecting an assurance service provider. Cost is perceived as the least important attribute. In general, accountants are perceived as more likely to be the preferred service provider for assurance over information systems and/or when professional reputation and integrity is important for providing a service. These attributes are in line with the projected image of the profession. An accountant is less likely to be the preferred provider when cost and independence are not important. We interpret this result as an indication that independence in the audit is important and, thus, other services are acceptable only when independence is not an issue. [source] The effect of solvents on the rate of catalytic hydrogenation of 6-ethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene-9,10-dioneINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 5 2008ch Fajt The rate of hydrogenation of 6-ethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene-9,10-dione was investigated at 313 K and 0.1 MPa in 20 solvents. A multiple linear regression was used to describe the solvent effect. The regression of the reaction rates was carried out using two five-parameter linear regression models: the Abraham,Kamlet,Taft (AKT) and the Koppel,Palm (KP) model. After the elimination of the insignificant terms from the regression models, it was found that the basic character of the solvent and its Hildebrand cohesion energy density were the most important attributes influencing the hydrogenation rate. The analysis of both models led to the same conclusion. The resultant simplified AKT model gave closer fitting in comparison to the KP model. The results could facilitate the solvent selection for the industrial process of hydrogen peroxide production by the anthraquinone method with respect to the kinetics of anthraquinone hydrogenation. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 240,252, 2008 [source] A concept analysis of health-related quality of life in young people with chronic illnessJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 14 2008DipRes, Rachel M Taylor MSc Aims., To critique existing concept analyses of quality of life and develop a definition applicable for young people with chronic illness. Background., Quality of life is a commonly used phrase but there is no universal definition. Five perspectives of quality of life have been proposed: sociological, economic, psychological, philosophical and ethical. However, health has emerged as an important but distinct perspective. The nursing profession has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of the interrelationship of health and quality of life. Design., Literature review. Methods., A search on electronic databases to April 2007 was made using the terms ,quality of life' and ,concept analysis'. Papers were included in the review if they used a recognised method of concept analysis and were conducted by nurses. A new concept analysis was then performed specifically focusing on young people's experiences of living with chronic illness. Results., Eight concept analyses were identified, all of which had limitations. All the concept analyses were based on adult literature so did not take into consideration developmental changes, language level, or young people's construction of health and illness. The new concept analysis found that young people living with chronic illness generally view themselves and their lives in the same way as their healthy peers. While their aspirations are often constrained by illness and treatment the relationship between illness and life cannot be seen in isolation of development. Conclusion., Previous definitions of quality of life derived from concept analyses with adult populations do not adequately represent the experience of young people with chronic illnesses, but can be made more specific by incorporating important attributes such as developmental stage and the importance of peer group and family. Relevance to clinical practice., The current analysis provides a clear definition of quality of life from the health perspective which is specific for use with young people with chronic illness to guide practice and research. [source] Rapid assessment of a helpdesk service supporting severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relativesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2004Joanne WY Chung PhD Background., To contain severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority set a policy that stipulated there should be no visitors to hospital wards. A helpdesk service was established with the goal of providing immediate emotional and communication support to relatives while severe acute respiratory syndrome patients were isolated during the acute phase of the illness. Aim., This study describes the results of a rapid assessment of the effectiveness of a helpdesk service designed to meet the immediate needs of relatives of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients in Hong Kong. Design., Survey. Method., Eighty-three respondents, representing about 46.3% of relatives (179), attending the helpdesk on the day of the study were recruited. Service evaluation data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire completed by respondents. Results., Nearly 100% of respondents who used the service found the delivery service with on-site counselling useful for alleviating their anxiety. However, about half of these relatives complained of insufficient information regarding the patient's condition and progress. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the service. In describing the most important traits of the service providers, caring and enthusiasm were mentioned most frequently by respondents who stated that they were very satisfied with the service. Conclusion., The results support the value of the service, and demonstrate that the service is effective in meeting relatives' immediate needs. These needs include information, aid in fulfilling their role as caretaker for the patient (delivering prepared soup) and psychological support. The results suggest that facilitation of visitation of patients by relatives via video conferencing and education of the public on the nature and course of severe acute respiratory syndrome to reduce the social stigma of having a potentially life-threatening disease should be introduced in Hong Kong. Relevance to clinical practice., The results highlight important attributes that helpers (nurses) should have in order to alleviate the suffering of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relatives. [source] Dimensions of brand purchasing behaviour: consumers in the 18,24 age groupJOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2004Lisa Wood Abstract This paper reports the results of a study of brand selection and loyalty within the 18,24 age group. The study explores brand loyalty behaviour across different product categories, and investigates the dimensions that drive loyalty behaviour within this age group. First, the construct of brand loyalty is defined, followed by an overview of key research in the area. Finally, the study itself is detailed. The study concludes that there is a significant difference in the degree of brand loyalty exhibited by the 18,24-year-old respondents across product categories. The dimensions of brand selection also vary by product type. Brand heritage in terms of parental influence was evident in coffee and toothpaste purchase, with brand as a reflection of self-image being something that is important to clothing brands. Value and variety are important attributes of cereal brand selection. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications Ltd. [source] EFFECTS OF ACIDIFICATION ON PE ACTIVITY, COLOR AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF COLD BREAK TOMATO JUICEJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 1 2008FALLOU SARR ABSTRACT Turbidity maintenance, high antioxidant activity and attractive red color are important attributes of good tomato juice. Acidification was found effective in pectin esterase (PE) inactivation and turbidity maintenance. However, no information related to the changes of antioxidant properties after enzyme inactivation by acidification has been reported. In this article, acidification of cold break tomato juice to pH 2 or 3 was conducted after extraction. The changes of antioxidant properties (content and activity) and their correlation with PE activity and color in the juice were studied. Results indicated that acidification enhanced the viscosity of tomato juice by decreasing its PE activity. Significant increases of the main antioxidant contents (lycopene, polyphenols and vitamin C) and antioxidant activities (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging, ferrous ion chelating ability [FICA] and reducing power), as well as red color, were also found. In addition, the acidified cold break tomato juice exhibited better FICA and reducing power than butylated hydroxyanisole and, -tocopherol. This finding reveals the possibility of producing tomato juice with high antioxidant capacities by acidification. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The consumers' demand for healthy products with high quality toward fresh and health has increased remarkably these years. Tomato is one of the most popular vegetable juices, and its important quality aspects are color, stability and antioxidant capacity. Pectin esterase is the principal agent responsible for tomato juice stability. In addition, the goal of tomato juice processors is to optimize processing conditions by prevention of heat and oxidative damages on antioxidant components. Our results indicated that acidification may stabilize tomato juice and improve its color characteristics and main nutritional factors. Therefore, the acidification treatment could be used as a tool for providing the attractive color and enhancing the nutritional value and health-promoting properties of cold break tomato juice. [source] SENSORY APPROACH TO MEASURE FRAGRANCE INTENSITY ON THE SKINJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 6 2009CLAUDIA SILVA CORTEZ-PEREIRA ABSTRACT Sensory analysis is a precise and descriptive measuring technique to quantify human responses to stimuli. Odor, one of these stimuli, is basically the result of the interaction between a chemical stimulus and the olfactory receptor system, which can be described using a number of different dimensions and measures through different sensory tests: threshold, intensity and quality. To measure fragrance performance on the skin, these parameters are very important, but the main attribute to be evaluated is substantivity, thus the importance of the sensory scale chosen to measure perception, discriminate different intensities and determine the substantivity of the fragrance. Some studies comparing the labeled magnitude scale (LMS) with other magnitude scales and their derivations showed that the use of the LMS scale to measure fragrance intensity could semantically understand the intensity of the stimulus. Tests using this scale confirmed the applicability and efficiency of the LMS. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The objective of this article is to review the techniques used to measure odor and fragrance intensities applied on the skin. The review shows general sensory techniques and their goals, the newest olfactory mechanism and its contribution to sensory evaluation and which attributes should be considered to measure odor. Substantivity/retentivity or longevity can be regarded as the most important attributes if you want to measure fragrance performance on the skin. Past studies showed different scales tested to measure odor, and some of them demonstrated that the labeled magnitude scale is very suitable to measure fragrance on the skin. [source] How potential users of music search and retrieval systems describe the semantic quality of musicJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Micheline Lesaffre A large-scale study was set up aiming at the clarification of the influence of demographic and musical background on the semantic description of music. Our model for rating high-level music qualities distinguishes between affective/emotive, structural and kinaesthetic descriptors. The focus was on the understanding of the most important attributes of music in view of the development of efficient search and retrieval systems. We emphasized who the users of such systems are and how they describe their favorite music. Particular interest went to inter-subjective similarities among listeners. The results from our study suggest that gender, age, musical expertise, active musicianship, broadness of taste and familiarity with the music have an influence on the semantic description of music. [source] Influence of facial skin attributes on the perceived age of Caucasian womenJOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 8 2008A Nkengne Abstract Background and objective, The facial appearance of a person does not always reflect the chronological age; some people look younger or older than they really are. Many studies have described the changes in skin properties (colour, wrinkles, sagging, micro relief, etc.) with age, but few of them have analysed their influence on the perceived age. The primary objective of this study was to assess the contribution of individual skin attributes of the face on the perceived age of Caucasian women. Secondary objectives were to assess the influence of age and gender of graders with regard to the age perception. Subjects and method, A random sample of 173 subjects of 20 to 74 years of age was taken from a database of more than 5000 healthy Caucasian women. A trained grader performed visual assessment of facial skin attributes (using a visual analogue scale), and a front face photograph was taken from each subject. Photographs were shown to 48 graders (20 men and 28 women, aged 22,64 years) who were asked to estimate the age of the subjects. Graders were classified as young (less than 35 years), middle age (35,50 years) and seniors (older than 50 years). Partial Least Square regression models were built to predict the chronological and the perceived age from the measured facial individual attributes. The contribution of each attribute within the regression model enabled to measure the relevance of this attribute with regards to age prediction. Results, The eye area and the skin colour uniformity were the main attributes related to perceived age. For age prediction, older graders' estimations were more driven by lips border definition shape and eyes opening, whereas younger graders' (older than 50 years) estimations were more driven by dark circles, nasolabial fold and brown spots. There were statistically significant differences in graders' age perception between gender and among age ranges. Our findings suggest that female graders are more accurate than male, and younger graders (under 35 years) are more accurate than older (over 50 years) to predict Caucasian women age from facial photographs. Conclusions, Different skin attributes influence the estimation of age. These attributes have a different weight in the evaluation of the perceived age, depending on the age and of the observer. The most important attributes to estimate age are eyes, lips and skin colour uniformity. [source] The use of conjoint analysis to elicit community preferences in public health research: a case study of hospital services in South AustraliaAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2000Stephen Jan Aims: To demonstrate the use of conjoint analysis (CA) in public health research through a survey of the South Australian community about aspects of their public hospital services. Methods: A series of focus groups determined the most important attributes in choice of hospital services. These were built into a CA survey, using the discrete choice approach. The survey was posted to a representative sample of 700 South Australians. Theoretical validity, internal consistency and non-response bias were all investigated. Results: Some 231 individuals returned the questionnaire. The attribute, ,improvement in complication rates' was positively associated with choice of hospital. Three attributes were found to be negatively associated with such choice: ,waiting times for casualty', ,waiting times for elective surgery' and, anomalously, ,parking and transport facilities'. Travel time' and the cost attribute, ,Medicare levy' were not statistically significant. Trade-offs between the significant attributes were estimated, as were satisfaction or utility scores for different ways of providing hospital services. Results concerning internal consistency and internal validity were encouraging, but some potential for non-response bias was detected. Conclusion: A high premium is placed on the quality of hospital care and members of the community are prepared to choose between hospitals largely on the basis of outcomes and length of waiting times for elective surgery and in casualty. Implications: CA can yield potentially policy-relevant information about community preferences for health services. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||