1,355,032 research outputs found
Asexuality: Classification and characterization
No full textThis is a post-print version of the article. The official published version can be obtaineed at the link below.The term “asexual” has been defined in many different ways and asexuality has received very little research attention. In a small qualitative study (N = 4), individuals who self-identified as asexual were interviewed to help formulate hypotheses for a larger study. The second larger study was an online survey drawn from a convenience sample designed to better characterize asexuality and to test predictors of asexual identity. A convenience sample of 1,146 individuals (N = 41 self-identified asexual) completed online questionnaires assessing sexual history, sexual inhibition and excitation, sexual desire, and an open-response questionnaire concerning asexual identity. Asexuals reported significantly less desire for sex with a partner, lower sexual arousability, and lower sexual excitation but did not differ consistently from non-asexuals in their sexual inhibition scores or their desire to masturbate. Content analyses supported the idea that low sexual desire is the primary feature predicting asexual identity
Supplemental Material for Rodrigues-Prause et al., 2018
No full textRodrigues-Prause 2018. Supplemental figures, tables and methods
E-governmental services in the Baltic Sea Region
No full textThis paper will present results of the surveys and new trends which were related to e-governmental issues. A common understanding of e-government is usage of ICT means in the public sector for delivering information and services to its customers and enterprises. The objective is improvement of public services and strengthening democratic processes. E-government is a popular topic in the political agenda throughout the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) with all countries having ICT development strategies, policies or agendas. However, often are missing goals for thematic developments which would take into account the needs of potential users. The structure of the paper is ordered to present firstly, the overall objectives of e-governance and e-services. Secondly, the data about the satisfaction level of enterprises for e-services is given. As there are not many comparable results available about the needs of the enterprises, the paper is based on two main sources. One of the important outcomes of the LogOn Baltic project was to provide empirical data about satisfaction level of enterprises with existing eservices and about the needs for new services. The aim of the INTERREG III B project LogOn Baltic was to present solutions for improving the interplay between Logistics and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) competence and spatial planning, strengthening the small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) competitiveness in the BSR. The ICT-related results of the LogOn Baltic project provide an overview of the existing ICT structures and services in the BSR, mainly based on a web-based scientific survey with nearly 1,100 responses. A second source is the survey on the satisfaction level with public services among enterprises in Estonia in the City of Tallinn, which shows similar trends with the LogOn Baltic project. The third part of the paper introduces some case studies on innovative e-services in Estonia and Germany together with the European initiative for the BSR to improve e-services for companies. --
Instructions to rate genital vasocongestion increases genital and self-reported sexual arousal but not coherence between genital and self-reported sexual arousal
No full textIntroduction: Women are often reported to have a low coherence (often referred to as “discordance” in sexuality literature) between their genital response and self-reported sexual arousal.Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine whether differing instructions for rating sexual arousal would increase the coherence between genital response and self-reported arousal in women.Methods: Genital responses were recorded, using vaginal photoplethysmography, from 32 young women while they fantasized in three different conditions. Conditions instructed women to rate their overall sexual arousal, any physical cues, and genital blood flow.Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was the coherence of vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) and reported sexual response in the three conditions.Results: Unexpectedly, both VPA response and self-reported sexual arousal were higher when women were asked to rate their genital blood flow. Examining only participants who reported at least some sexual arousal in all conditions (n?=?17), coherence was highest when women were instructed to rate overall sexual arousal.Conclusion: Results suggest that focusing on genital blood flow during sexual fantasy may increase women's (self-reported and genital) sexual response. Focusing on any physical arousal cues during sexual fantasy was associated with lower coherence of women's genital response and self-reported arousal compared with when they were instructed to rate their overall sexual arousal. Prause N, Barela J, Roberts V, and Graham C. Instructions to rate genital vasocongestion increases genital and self-reported sexual arousal but not coherence between genital and self-reported sexual arousal
Regional networking as success factor in the transformation processes of maritime industry: Experiences and perspectives from Baltic Sea countries
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A Bayesian Rolling Horizon Approach for Rolling Stock Rotation Planning with Predictive Maintenance
No full textWe consider the rolling stock rotation planning problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PdM), where a timetable given by a set of trips must be operated by a fleet of vehicles. Here, the health states of the vehicles are assumed to be random variables, and their maintenance schedule should be planned based on their predicted failure probabilities. Utilizing the Bayesian update step of the Kalman filter, we develop a rolling horizon approach for RSRP-PdM, in which the predicted health state distributions are updated as new data become available. This approach reduces the uncertainty of the health states and thus improves the decision-making basis for maintenance planning. To solve the instances, we employ a local neighborhood search, which is a modification of a heuristic for RSRP-PdM, and demonstrate its effectiveness. Using this solution algorithm, the presented approach is compared with the results of common maintenance strategies on test instances derived from real-world timetables. The obtained results show the benefits of the rolling horizon approach
Patients' and physicians' perspectives on pharmacogenetic testing
No full textIntroduction: The integration of pharmacogenetic testing into routine care will, in part, depend upon the patients' and physicians' acceptance of these tests. Empirical data regarding patients' and physicians' views on pharmacogenetic testing are lacking. Objectives: To explore patients' and physicians' perspectives on the potential implications of pharmacogenetic testing, particularly focusing on asthma, and to analyze the possible determinants of their expectations, hopes and fears. Methods: We conducted telephone interviews with patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease taking part in a larger pharmacogenetic study, in addition to general practitioners (GPs) from a different region in Germany. A total of 328 patients and 378 GPs were invited to participate. Determinants of their attitudes toward pharmacogenetic testing were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Informed consent to participate in this study was given by 196 patients (60%) and 106 GPs (28%). Most patients (96%) and physicians (52%) appreciated the availability of pharmacogenetic tests for a disease such as asthma. Approximately a third of the patients worried about potential unfavorable test results (35%) and violation of privacy (36%). Female patients were more likely to have a fearful attitude (odds ratio [OR]=2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.58-5.12). Younger patients were generally more likely to be hopeful about the usefulness of pharmacogenetic testing (OR=2.12; CI=1.01-4.46). The GPs' concerns were mainly related to the possibility that patients might either be put under pressure to be tested (72%) or be disadvantaged at private health insurance agencies (61%). The nature of the responsible institution, the clarity of the research aim and explicit informed consent from patients influenced a physicians' decision regarding whether to support a pharmacogenetic study. Conclusion: The concerns of patients and GPs differ somewhat with respect to negative psychosocial consequences, discrimination or violation of privacy. Development of information for physicians and patients would be helpful in preventing unrealistic fears or hopes
Quasiconformal extensions, Loewner chains, and the λ -Lemma
No full textBecker (J Reine Angew Math 255:23–43, 1972) discovered a sufficient condition for quasiconformal extendibility of Loewner chains. Many known conditions for quasiconformal extendibility of holomorphic functions in the unit disk can be deduced from his result. We give a new proof of (a generalization of) Becker’s result based on Slodkowski’s Extended λ-Lemma. Moreover, we characterize all quasiconformal extensions produced by Becker’s (classical) construction and use that to obtain examples in which Becker’s extension is extremal (i.e. optimal in the sense of maximal dilatation) or, on the contrary, fails to be extremal
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