Risky Interactions Research Articles

Free and perfectly safe but only partially effective vaccines can harm everyone

Risk compensation can undermine the ability of partially-effective vaccines to curb epidemics: Vaccinated agents may optimally choose to engage in more risky interactions and, as a result, may increase everyone's infection probability. We show that—in contrast to the prediction of standard models—things can be worse than that: Free and perfectly safe but only partially effective vaccines can reduce everyone's welfare, and hence fail to satisfy—in a strong sense—the fundamental principle of “first, do no harm.” Our main departure from standard economic epidemiological models is that we allow agents to strategically choose their partners, which we show creates strategic complementarities in risky interactions. As a result, the introduction of a partially-effective vaccine can lead to a much denser interaction structure—whose negative welfare effects overwhelm the beneficial direct welfare effects of this intervention.

Measures of Challenging and Excitatory Parenting Behavior as Predictors of Later Child Self-Regulation

Challenging and excitatory parenting behaviors play an important role in children’s development, particularly in regard to the development of selfregulation; however, no well-established measures of parent-child interactions exist that record such behaviors. In the current study, I compare two recently developed coding systems that intend to address this issue: the Risky Interaction Support and Challenging (RISC) and Marbach coding systems. A subset of videos from the New Parents Project (NPP) data set at 12 and 18 months was coded using both scales, then a factor analysis was conducted for each scale. Regressions were conducted to look at the predictive power of each scale on children’s self-regulation at two and seven years. I hypothesized that the Challenging Regulatory Competence (CRC) and the Excitation, Arousal, and Destabilization (EAD) subscales of the RISC and Marbach scales, respectively, would have the most predictive power for later self-regulation. The regressions did not support the hypotheses, revealing no significant relationship between one-year parent behaviors and later self-regulation.

Risky Interactions: Relational and Developmental Moderators of Substance Use and Dating Aggression.

Physical dating aggression is a prevalent and costly public health concern. A theoretical moderator model of substance use and dating aggression posits that associations between them are moderated by relational risk factors. To test these theoretical expectations, the current study examined seven waves of longitudinal data on a community-based sample of 100 male and 100 female participants in a Western U.S. city (M age Wave 1 = 15.83; 69.5% White non-Hispanic, 12.5% Hispanic, 11.5% African Americans, & 12.5% Hispanics). Multilevel models examined how links between substance use and dating aggression varied by relational risk and how these patterns changed developmentally. Main effects of relational risk and substance use emerged, particularly in adolescence. In young adulthood significant three-way interactions emerged such that substance use was more strongly associated with physical aggression when conflict and jealousy were higher. Thus, relational risk factors are integral to models of dating aggression, but their role changes developmentally.

A Mathematical Model for The Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus with Lifestyle and Genetic Factors

Mathematical model to elaborate the prevalence of diabetics has been determined by diabetes complication (DC) model. In the DC model, people with diabetes were classified into two compartments, uncomplicated diabetics (D) and complicated diabetics (C). Diabetes is known as a disease caused by lifestyle and genetic factors. A bad lifestyle leads a susceptible individual to become a diabetic. Bad lifestyle is strongly influenced by risky social interaction. In the other side, a genetic factor is the main cause of the diabetes genetic disorder birth. Consider these both factors, the DC model was developed into a susceptible diabetes complication (SDC) model. Susceptible individuals were involved in the calculation of risky interactions. The SDC model is a first order nonlinear differential equation. The number and the change of individuals in each compartment can be determined from the solution of this model. In this paper, the SDC model is applied to predict changes of diabetics prevalence in the United States. As a result, the SDC model is good enough to predict the prevalence.

Go Big or Go Home: A Free and Perfectly Safe but Only Partially Effective Vaccine Can Make Everyone Worse Off

Risk compensation can undermine the ability of partially-effective vaccines to curb infectious-disease epidemics: Vaccinated agents may optimally choose to engage in more risky interactions and, as a result, may increase everyone’s infection probability. We show that — in contrast to the prediction of standard models — things can be worse than that: Free and perfectly safe but only partially effective vaccines can reduce everyone’s welfare, and hence fail to satisfy — in a strong sense — the fundamental principle of “first, do no harm.” Our main departure from standard economic epidemiological models is that we allow agents to strategically choose their partners, which we show creates strategic complementarities in risky interactions. As a result, the introduction of a partially-effective vaccine can lead to a much denser interaction structure — whose negative welfare effects overwhelm the beneficial direct welfare effects of this intervention.

Precarious Kisses and Risky Interactions: Allergic Reactions through Fluid Exchanges

This article explores moments of transmission of allergens through kissing, sexual intercourse, and other interpersonal interactions. How are activities—which can be expressions of love, desire, boredom, custom, and duty among others—interpreted when a thorough interrogation of potential allergens can precede these activities? For example, one lover to another: "Tell me about the pasta you had for lunch, did it have a garnish? Are you sure the sauce was only tomato based? What about anchovies? Did it taste fishy?" This hypothetical moment of dialogue samples the multiple ways when a kiss for allergic individuals—and those in proximity—is never just a kiss. And while kisses rarely are just kisses, as meaning is embedded in many expressions and moments of affection, kisses themselves blend boundaries as saliva, allergens, germs, and other matter get passed back and forth between participants.

Not Diane: The Risk of Error in Chaucerian Classicism

When Chaucer, Lydgate, and their contemporaries made classical characters and classical allusions an important part of English poetry, they risked confusing scribes and readers. In the vein of recent studies of scribes as readers, this article explores the mistakes of scribes in copying and comprehending those details. In addition, this article explores the ways that poets’ phrasing implies awareness of those risks and seeks to mitigate them. The article thus presents the creation of the text as a coproduction between agents, which might be understood in the framework of pragmatics, the analysis of speech acts in social context. These problems in transmission, and the forestalling of them, first reveal how classicism, which later became a monumental tradition, was a risky interaction in some of its earliest phases in English poetry. Second, more briefly and tentatively, these problems suggest the risks of writing for scribal transmission in general.

The analysis of split graphs in social networks based on the k-cardinality assignment problem

In terms of social networks, split graphs correspond to the variety of interpersonal and intergroup relations. In this paper we analyse the interaction between the cliques (socially strong and trusty groups) and the independent sets (fragmented and non-connected groups of people) as the basic components of any split graph. Based on the Semi-Lagrangean relaxation for the k-cardinality assignment problem, we show the way of minimizing the socially risky interactions between the cliques and the independent sets within the social network.

The Analysis of Split Graphs in Social Networks Based on the K-Cardinality Assignment Problem

In terms of social networks, split graphs correspond to the variety of interpersonal and intergroup relations. In this paper we analyse the interaction between the cliques (socially strong and trusty groups) and the independent sets (fragmented and non-connected groups of people) as the basic components of any split graph. Based on the Semi-Lagrangean relaxation for the k-cardinality assignment problem, we show the way of minimizing the socially risky interactions between the cliques and the independent sets within the social network.

A Multi-Site Study on Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Practice of Child-Dog Interactions in Rural China

This study examines demographic, cognitive and behavioral factors that predict pediatric dog-bite injury risk in rural China. A total of 1,537 children (grades 4–6) in rural regions of Anhui, Hebei and Zhejiang Provinces, China completed self-report questionnaires assessing beliefs about and behaviors with dogs. The results showed that almost 30% of children reported a history of dog bites. Children answered 56% of dog-safety knowledge items correctly. Regressions revealed both demographic and cognitive/behavioral factors predicted children’s risky interactions with dogs and dog-bite history. Boys behaved more riskily with dogs and were more frequently bitten. Older children reported greater risks with dogs and more bites. With demographics controlled, attitudes/beliefs of invulnerability, exposure frequency, and dog ownership predicted children’s self-reported risky practice with dogs. Attitudes/beliefs of invulnerability, dog exposure, and dog ownership predicted dog bites. In conclusion, both demographic and cognitive/behavioral factors influenced rural Chinese children’s dog-bite injury risk. Theory-based, empirically-supported intervention programs might reduce dog-bite injuries in rural China.

What impact does legislation have on drivers’ in-vehicle use of nomadic devices?

Nomadic devices are portable technologies that drivers are able to use as means of navigation, entertainment or communication. Behavioural studies indicate that using nomadic devices while driving can result in visual, cognitive and manual distraction leading to poorer vehicle control and reduced attention to critical events. Legislative attempts have been made to impose restrictions on the use of some devices while driving, translating to either a total ban (as in the case of hands-held mobile phones) to limiting the level of interaction (e.g. not entering or changing a destination in a navigation system). In this study, over 1500 drivers across Europe were surveyed and using their country of residence as a proxy for the stringency of legislation, their propensity to own, use and engage in risky interactions with nomadic devices was modelled. Whilst the results varied depending on the nomadic device, the relationship between legislation and use was not always straightforward. Mobile phone legislation, which is relatively simple and well promoted, was clearly understood and adhered to; however, more complicated or less advertised legislation such as that pertaining to navigation devices and music players was poorly comprehended and, where present, generally not complied with. The study highlights the need for drivers to be presented with clear legislation, supported by educational and enforcement campaigns.

Suit the action to the word, the word to the action : Eliciting motives for trust and reciprocity by attitudinal and behavioural measures

Two important primitives of social capital are the disposition to trust and to reciprocate manifested in social life. In this paper, attitudinal and behavioural evidence is used to investigate the nature of the motivations underlying behaviour in Trust and Dictator games. In doing so, we have three aims. First, to find out whether, and to what extent, answers to a questionnaire about attitudes towards trust and civicness predict subjects’ behaviour. Second, to disentangle strategic from other-regarding motivations by comparing behaviour in Trust and Dictator Games. Third, to investigate to what extent a correspondence could be found between subjects’ attitudinal ‘type’ and their behaviour in the two interactive experimental settings. The paper builds on previous work in the area and in particular finds that using surveys to distinguish between the behavioural responses of different attitudinal types–“Trusting” or “Prudent” on the one hand and “Trustworthy” or “Untrustworthy” on the other, allows us to dig deeper into the underlying motivations of the experimental subjects. The self-declared trusting tend to manifest trust by investing more in the risky interaction than the prudent, and the self-declared trustworthy are inclined to return more than the untrustworthy. Moreover, the self-reported trustworthy and untrustworthy tend to manifest positive or negative reciprocity, respectively. The evidence suggests that the former are moved by the intention to reward and the latter by the desire to punish a stingy Sender by returning an even smaller amount than received. This seems to confirm the “multiple self” view ( Elster, 1986), whereby in the personality of each individual many components–possibly distant in terms of the motivating sentiments–are gathered together.

Condom use as part of the wider HIV prevention strategy: Experiences from communities in the North West Province, South Africa

Correct and consistent condom usage remains a pivotal strategy in reaching the target set by the South African government to reduce new HIV infections by 50% in the next 5 years. Studies have found that there has been an increase in condom usage by some categories of the population, but usage has not yet reached the desired levels in order to meet the target. This article reports on the findings of a study on condom usage in eight communities in the North West Province, which was part of a wider HIV and AIDS programme evaluation commissioned by the North West Provincial Department of Health. The main aim was to assess accessibility to condoms, and knowledge, attitudes and practices around condom use by four sampled communities in the North West Province. Eight focus group discussions were held and 50 households were interviewed. The study found positive results regarding accessibility and awareness of condoms. However, this often did not lead to the desired behavioural change of using condoms in risky sexual interactions. The majority of respondents still resisted condom usage, used condoms inconsistently, or were not in a position to negotiate protected sexual intercourse. The main reasons reported for this were: reduced pleasure, perceived and real physical side-effects, myths, lack of information, status, financial reasons, distrust in the efficacy of condoms, family planning, cultural reasons, gender-related reasons and trust. Many of the barriers to consistent condom use cannot be overcome by strategies that target the individual. Interventions need to address underlying developmental factors such as the non-biological factors that increase the susceptibility of women to HIV infection. As this falls outside of the scope of the mandate of the Department of Health, various partnerships with other key role players need to be established and/or strengthened, such as with local government, non-governmental organisations and faith-based organisations.

Reducing risky interactions between tourists and free-ranging dolphins ( Tursiops sp.) in an artificial feeding program at Monkey Mia, Western Australia

We studied interactions between tourists and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in an artificial feeding program at Monkey Mia, Australia. We used logistic regression to identify factors that contributed to the incidence of “risky” (potentially injurious) interactions between tourists and dolphins. Rates of dolphin-to-tourist risky interactions were heightened with longer waiting times before dolphins were fed. We documented differences among provisioned dolphins in their proclivity to engage in risky interactions; however, it was more likely for risky interactions to be initiated by tourists. Our findings suggest several readily implemented management strategies to reduce incidence of risky interactions. Long-term monitoring of tourism based on artificial feeding is essential to identify and rectify detrimental effects of provisioning on dolphins, to ensure the safety and welfare of dolphins and tourists, and to promote sustainability of this potentially harmful tourist activity.

On Heterogeneous Covert Networks

Covert organizations are constantly faced with a tradeoff between secrecy and operational effciency. Lindelauf, Borm and Hamers (2008) developed a theoretical framework to determine optimal homogeneous networks taking the above mentioned considerations explicitly into account. In this paper this framework is put to the test by applying it to the 2002 Jemaah Islamiyah Bali bombing. It is found that most aspects of this covert network can be explained by the theoretical framework. Some interactions however provide a higher risk to the network than others. The theoretical framework on covert networks is extended to accommodate for such heterogeneous interactions. Given a network structure the optimal location of one risky interaction is established. It is shown that the pair of individuals in the organization that should conduct the interaction that presents the highest risk to the organization, is the pair that is the least connected to the remainder of the network. Furthermore, optimal networks given a single risky interaction are approximated and compared. When choosing among a path, star and ring graph it is found that for low order graphs the path graph is best. When increasing the order of graphs under consideration a transition occurs such that the star graph becomes best. It is found that the higher the risk a single interaction presents to the covert network the later this transition from path to star graph occurs.

Tolerability of postexposure antiretroviral prophylaxis for occupational exposures to HIV.

A substantial body of evidence provides support (but not definitive proof of efficacy) for the use of antiretroviral agents as postexposure prophylaxis for occupational exposures to HIV in the healthcare workplace. Despite the lack of definitive evidence of the efficacy of these agents in this setting, over the past decade this intervention has become the standard of care for healthcare workers who sustain occupational exposures to HIV. Administration of these agents--even for a relatively short 28-day postexposure course--is often fraught with difficulty. All of the agents currently used for postexposure prophylaxis regimens have substantial adverse effects, and significant adverse effects occur in more than two-thirds of individuals electing prophylaxis. This manuscript reiterates current US Federal Government guidelines for the administration of postexposure prophylaxis, specifically noting that zidovudine plus lamivudine (with or without a protease inhibitor) remains the recommended regimen. The paper summarises the significant toxicities associated with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (primarily nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and bone marrow suppression), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (rash, fever, gastrointestinal symptoms and hepatitis, including hepatic decompensation necessitating liver transplantation) and protease inhibitors (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, headache and anorexia). As a class, the antiretroviral agents have an extraordinary number of drug interactions. The non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and the protease inhibitors are metabolised through the cytochrome P450 pathway, and the effects of concomitant administration of protease inhibitors with other agents in the same class are discussed, as well as the effects of concomitant administration of protease inhibitors with non-nucleoside agents. The potential for numerous and medically risky drug interactions emphasises the importance of planning antiretroviral prophylaxis in consultation with practitioners or clinical pharmacists who are skilled in the use of these agents and knowledgeable about the potential for significant drug interactions that could either reduce the benefit of prophylaxis or increase the potential for toxicity. Another common problem encountered by individuals managing postexposure prophylaxis programmes relates to the administration of chemoprophylaxis to a pregnant healthcare worker who has sustained an occupational exposure to HIV. We address what is known about the potential for toxicity and emphasise the recently published warning concerning the deaths of pregnant women and their offspring from lactic acidosis while receiving regimens containing stavudine and didanosine.

Upward Influence Activity in Strategic Decision Making

This study examines the perceived upward influence capabilities of middle-level managers (MLMs) in various strategic decisions. It was found that (1) MLMs exerted influence primarily in less risky strategic decisions and tended to be successful in their upward influence interactions; (2) MLMs from financial and marketing divisions were more influential in strategic decisions than were MLMs from other functional areas; (3) MLMs from private sector organizations and from small organizations exerted more influence in risky strategic decision than did their counterparts in public sector and large organizations; and (4) the best predictor of successful upward influence activity and of more risky interactions was number of years working for a particular superior.

Chores as a Buffer Against Risky Interaction

Chores as a Buffer Against Risky Interaction