Salient Dimensions Research Articles

Press A or Wave: User Expectations for NPC Interactions and Nonverbal Behaviour in Virtual Reality

Non-playable characters (NPCs) are important in games, as they can provide guidance to the player, create social engagement, and advance the game's narrative. Although much research exists regarding NPC interactions for traditional gaming environments, e.g. desktop or console, fewer works have considered this from a virtual reality (VR) perspective. Our work first uncovers the salient and unique dimensions of VR NPC interactions through observations of 47 existing games. We find that VR NPC interactions have an extended set of interaction mechanisms due to two key factors - interaction triggers and player constraints within the game, driven by the unique qualities of physical motion and immersion afforded by the medium. We augment these findings through a user study performed on 18 participants in a VR environment. Participant interactions with a responsive NPC allow us to delve deeper into understanding player perception and expectations of NPC behaviour and interactions. Our findings outline player expectations for NPC realism, player agency during NPC interaction, and NPC expected behaviour and feedback. We tie our findings into discussions on player agency within VR, highlighting design suggestions to develop NPCs to better fit within social behaviour expectations.

CHES Canada

Abstract The ideological and issue positions of parties are known to shape citizens’ political attitudes and voting behaviour. One important way to obtain estimates of parties’ positions is to ask experts to place parties on salient ideological dimensions. The Chapel Hill Expert Survey (CHES) has been collecting such estimates for democracies in Europe and elsewhere. CHES Canada adds to this project by providing estimates of party positions and characteristics of Canadian federal parties and provincial parties in Ontario and Quebec. This note introduces this new data source, clarifies how the data were collected and illustrates how the data can be used to (comparatively) study party politics in Canada.

Spanish Speakers in the United States Report Differing Levels of Weather Salience Based on Their Ethnocultural Background

Abstract Weather profoundly shapes our daily lives, yet its psychological impact varies distinctly among different cultural and ethnic groups. In a comprehensive analysis of 974 Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States, our research delves into three dimensions of weather salience—a measure of the psychological importance attributed to weather. Contrary to expectations, geographic location within the United States does not significantly influence weather salience dimensions among Spanish-speaking populations. Rather, differences in weather salience emerge based on the nativity and origin country of a Spanish speaker. Foreign-born Spanish speakers exhibit higher weather salience compared to their U.S.-born counterparts, with notable differences in daily attention to weather and severe weather events. Additionally, the degree of psychological attunement to weather distinctly varies among different Hispanic and Latino ethnic groups within Spanish-speaking communities. These findings help explain why weather salience may be lower among Spanish-speaking groups and highlight the variability across different cultural groups. Tailoring messages to the unique experiences and backgrounds of diverse Spanish-speaking communities is essential, moving beyond simple language translation to embrace the rich cultural tapestry of these groups. Significance Statement Our research explored how different Spanish-speaking groups in the United States conceptualize weather in their daily lives. Surprisingly, where they live in the United States does not change their views much. Instead, whether they were born in the United States or elsewhere, and their specific cultural background, really matters. People born outside the United States generally apply more significance to the weather and its changes. This shows us that when communicating about weather to these groups, it is important to understand and respect the diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking communities, going beyond just translating messages into Spanish.

Shape-shifting versions of class in Australia and the pursuit of equity in public health.

The COVID-19 pandemic and current cost of living crisis have highlighted socioeconomically patterned health disparities, bringing renewed focus on equity in public health. Despite political rhetoric invoking cultural narratives of egalitarianism and opportunities for class mobility, social class remains a significant factor in health outcomes in the Australian context. For social scientists, class (despite robust critiques) is a key analytical concept that has been theoretically broadened to encompass social and cultural practices (habitus). In public health, however, concepts of social disadvantage have expanded toward frames such as health equity and socioeconomic status in ways that can obscure 'class' and habitus. Understandings and operationalization of concepts of class and equity not only impact collaborative and interdisciplinary relationships, but also the framing of public health problems and health promotion interventions and policies. In this article, we draw on our experiences as anthropologists conducting ethnography in and of Australian health promotion programs to map and re-evaluate the intersection of concepts of social class and equity. We trace how representations of class emerged in these programs, and the versions of class and equity that materialized across different public health contexts. We argue for a conceptual repositioning of class that recognizes its shape-shifting qualities and of its materializations in different politics, disciplines and everyday contexts. In doing so, we highlight 'class' as a salient dimension of the design, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs.

Climate change and California’s terrestrial biodiversity

In this review and synthesis, we argue that California is an important test case for the nation and world because terrestrial biodiversity is very high, present and anticipated threats to biodiversity from climate change and other interacting stressors are severe, and innovative approaches to protecting biodiversity in the context of climate change are being developed and tested. We first review salient dimensions of California’s terrestrial physical, biological, and human diversity. Next, we examine four facets of the threat to their sustainability of these dimensions posed by climate change: direct impacts, illustrated by a new analysis of shifting diversity hotspots for plants; interactive effects involving invasive species, land-use change, and other stressors; the impacts of changing fire regimes; and the impacts of land-based renewable energy development. We examine recent policy responses in each of these areas, representing attempts to better protect biodiversity while advancing climate adaptation and mitigation. We conclude that California’s ambitious 30 × 30 Initiative and its efforts to harmonize biodiversity conservation with renewable energy development are important areas of progress. Adapting traditional suppression-oriented fire policies to the reality of new fire regimes is an area in which much progress remains to be made.

Partisanship and public support for presidential norms

AbstractA prominent scholarship contends that presidential norms are particularly vital to a well‐functioning democracy. However, scant empirical research exists on the topic. I investigate public attitudes toward a novel battery of what many scholars and journalists consider presidential norms and examine the extent to which partisan and policy concerns affect attitudes toward them. Original survey data show that Americans strongly support presidential norms. I argue that there are two salient dimensions of presidential norms—what I call structural norms and presentation norms. Structural norms promote and support constitutional government. Presentation norms concern expectations about when and how presidents should present themselves before the public. Partisans evaluate the two types of presidential norms differentially, with Republicans notably expressing lower support for structural norms. I then present experimental evidence that the public's support for presidential norms is malleable to partisan framing. These results suggest that the public supports presidential norms in the abstract, but compelling rhetoric can facilitate presidential norm violations.

Deep learning-based 3D reconstruction from multiple images: A survey

Reconstructing the three-dimensional structure of a scene is a classic and fundamental problem in computer vision, but it has been revolutionized by recent advancements in deep machine learning. In this paper, we survey this rich and growing area. We divide the work into four main threads: 3D reconstruction from two calibrated images from a binocular camera; 3D reconstruction from more than two images taken by the same camera or more than two calibrated cameras; object-focused 3D reconstruction with relaxed camera calibration; and SLAM-based techniques. We summarize each approach along four salient dimensions: algorithmic and deep network characteristics, output representation, datasets, and quantitative comparisons among different methods. We also discuss key challenges and future directions.

Boosting heritage recommendations through awe and augmented reality

PurposeDrawing on appraisal theories, this paper aims to attempt to demonstrate how augmented reality (AR) strengthens relationships in the cognitive-affective-conative mechanism to shape visitors' recommendation of awe-inspiring heritage experiences.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach was undertaken. First, an exploratory pre-study (n = 98) analyzed the multidimensionality of awe appraisals, eliciting the most salient dimensions in tourism experiences for informing the main study. Subsequently, an on-site survey was used to examine the relationships in the cognitive-affective-conative sequence, based on 316 questionnaires collected at a highly acclaimed religious heritage equipped with a multisensory AR activity.FindingsTwo distinct appraisals underlined in the awe concept were elicited during the exploratory phase: altered emotions (aggregating positive self-transformative dimensions) and the need for accommodation. The survey results demonstrated that the influence of authenticity on recommendation is shaped by emotions. Altered emotions hold a central mediating role and are differentiated from other discrete emotions. AR and the need for accommodation are revealed as contingencies that regulate the mediated mechanism.Practical implicationsThis paper provides the hospitality and tourism stakeholders with a better understanding of how immersive technologies can be used for boosting recommendations, by enhancing the emotional responses toward authenticity perceptions.Originality/valueThis study introduces a novel conceptual framework to broaden our understanding of how cognitive and affective mental processes are linked to visitors’ recommendations, and how AR amplifies the outcomes. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first research to distinguish and document the specific effects of two different types of awe appraisal.

Three Key Dimensions of Climate Change from Opinion News in a Malaysian Newspaper

ABSTRACT Previous studies have pointed to a notable increase in public interest on climate change using the survey method. These studies documented public opinion on climate change using survey method to derive data and establish findings. The current study is based on public opinion in Malaysia regarding climate change and the data was gleaned from the nation’s opinion news. It adopts a corpus linguistics approach together with a sentiment analysis to identify public sentiments and categorized them into three key dimensions. The theory of Spiral of Silence underpins the study. Results show negative sentiments predominated and mostly in the salience dimension thereby, suggesting that the public perceives climate change as a serious issue, necessitating firm and concrete action from the government.

Analyzing the concept of toxic positivity for nursing: A dimensional analysis approach.

To analyze toxic positivity and its relevance to nursing. Concept analysis using Schatzman's dimensional analysis approach. Two searches were conducted using Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest and CINAHL (1990-2023). Keywords included "toxic positivity" (Phase 1) and "emotional suppression," "unrealistic optimism"; "disingenuous happiness," "forced gratitude" and "logical fallacy" (Phase 2). Retained sources (1) were in English (Phases 1 and 2); (2) used 'toxic positivity' as a construct reflecting the purpose of analysis (Phase 1); and (3) demonstrated relevance towards analytical findings (Phase 2). Total analytic sources were 35. The analytic phase, identification, elucidated conceptual dimensions and contexts. The analytic phase, logistics, examined relationships among dimensions and contexts through an iterative process resulting in a dimensional matrix/conceptual model. Salient dimension is Emotional Suppression with two sub-dimensions, Logical Fallacy and Forced Gratitude. Other dimensions include Unrealistic Optimism and Disingenuous Happiness. Contexts include intra- and post-paradigmatic societal shifts and intra- and post-traumatic experiences. Analysis reveals toxic positivity as an exchange between a giver and receiver with the receiver experiencing negative outcomes. The concept appears consistent in its application and use across contexts and is emerging in nursing literature. Acknowledging toxic positivity in nursing may inform theoretical and future research related to improving nursing burnout, bolstering retention, and enhancing well-being. Nurses across work environments may encounter toxic positivity. Leaders should consider policy adoption and inclusion of trauma-informed practices. Nursing workforce issues require deeper examination of potential contributing factors. Findings suggest toxic positivity may be encountered in work environments impacting nursing at individual and system levels. No patient or public contribution.

Development of the Northeast China Logistics Network: A Bibliometric Analysis from the Perspectives of South Korea and China

Purpose - This study aims to disclose latest progress in the field of logistics networks in Northeast China through bibliometric analysis to uncover research topics from 2002 to 2022, and explore future research trends through bibliometric research.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - In this study, 230 CSSCI and 95 KCI articles were selected through a screening process using the PRISMA guidelines flowchart, eliminating research-irrelevant articles and duplicate articles. Citespace and Vosviewer visualization software were used to conduct bibliometric analysis on articles with search terms of “Northeast China” and “Logistics” from 2002 to 2022. It mainly discussed the following issues: (1) the salient conceptual dimensions using keywords analysis; (2) research hot spots using cluster analysis; and (3) likely future research trends.
 Findings - Based on the KCI and CSSCI databases (articles published from 2002 to 2022), this paper found that logistics development in Northeast China is expected to be accompanied by a number of experiments. Therefore, we firstly need to improve the level and efficiency of logistics activities. Border cities in Northeast China must ensure a smooth process of distribution. Further, it is also necessary to form a multinational logistics cooperation system by activating exchanges with neighboring countries.
 Research Implications - This study will help establish the status of individual research study in the future, promote the development of the logistics industry in Northeast China, and boost the construction of international cities. It will explore the direction of future research in relevant research fields of South Korea and China.

How do "Young-old" Adults project their Self? A Study of Self-defining Future Projections in normal Ageing.

Self-defining future projections (SDFP) are mental representations of plausible and highly significant future events that provide core information of one's understanding of self. We explored SDFPs in a large sample of older adults and aimed to target the interrelations between the main dimensions of SDFPs. Moreover, correlations between these dimensions and clinical and cognitive variables were examined. We recruited 87 young-old adults (60-75 years) with normal cognitive functioning who were invited to present three SDFPs. We found integrative meaning as a salient dimension and older individuals preferentially generated projections containing leisure or relationship events. Anxiety and self-esteem were correlated with integrative meaning and high executive functioning was found to be protective towards the simulation of future events containing dependence and death or end-of-life events. This study will contribute to the understanding of personal goals and identity in normal ageing.

Choline metabolism and its implications in cancer.

Choline, a quintessential quaternary ammonium compound, plays a cardinal role in several pivotal biological mechanisms, chiefly in safeguarding cell membrane integrity, orchestrating methylation reactions, and synthesizing vital neurotransmitters. This systematic review meticulously dissects the complex interplay between choline metabolism and its profound implications in oncology. The exposition is stratified into three salient dimensions: Initially, we delve into the intricacies of choline metabolism, accentuating its indispensability in cellular physiology, the enzymatic labyrinth governing its flux, and the pivotal cellular import mechanisms. Subsequently, we elucidate the contemporary comprehension of choline metabolism in the cancer paradigm, traversing its influence from inception to the intricate metamorphosis during oncogenic progression, further compounded by dysregulated enzyme activities and aberrant signaling cascades. Conclusively, we illuminate the burgeoning potential of choline-centric metabolic imaging modalities, notably magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and positron emission tomography (PET), as avant-garde tools for cancer diagnostics and therapeutic trajectory monitoring. Synoptically, the nuanced perturbations in choline metabolism in neoplastic entities unfurl critical insights, potentially heralding paradigm shifts in diagnostic and therapeutic oncological stratagems. A deeper foray into this realm is anticipated to fortify our molecular understanding and refine intervention modalities in cancer theranostics.

Graphical solutions to one-phase free boundary problems

Abstract We study viscosity solutions to the classical one-phase problem and its thin counterpart. In low dimensions, we show that when the free boundary is the graph of a continuous function, the solution is the half-plane solution. This answers, in the salient dimensions, a one-phase free boundary analogue of Bernstein’s problem for minimal surfaces. As an application, we also classify monotone solutions of semilinear equations with a bump-type nonlinearity.

The nexus between firm‐supply‐chain relationships and the potential for tourism development: A case study approach

AbstractThis exploratory study examines the importance of firm‐supply chain relationships for tourism development. Based upon prior observations, two firms seeking to boost their tourism offerings and operating in a popular Vietnamese tourist destination were selected. Semi‐structured face‐to‐face and online interviews were conducted and complemented by on‐site visits, and firm information. Various salient dimensions emerged from the data analysis. The ‘performance catalyst’ and ‘detectable value adding’ dimensions underscore the supply chain's benefits, while the ‘discerning relations’ dimension highlights deeper relationships through mutual support, building trust, or demonstrating care. Conceptually, the study proposes a framework with associated theoretical and practical implications.

The PERMA model, well-being and Whoop-Up: A musical variety show for adult members of a school community

The positive impact of group music-making on subjective well-being has been shown in various contexts, yet very few studies have focused on community musicals. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore the well-being of adults who participated in Whoop-Up, a musical variety show consisting of singing, dancing and acting, for parents, staff members, alums, alums’ parents and friends of a primary school. Data were explored through the lens of the PERMA framework. Twenty-one adults aged between 21 and 75 involved in Whoop-Up in 2018 volunteered to participate in the study. The findings indicate that participants experienced positive benefits in all the sub-domains of subjective well-being according to the PERMA framework. Meaning was the most salient dimension, followed by Engagement, Relationship, Positive Emotions and Accomplishment. The findings suggest that participation in Whoop-Up may impart a deep sense of meaning for participants, embedded in positive emotions, which could foster strong interpersonal relationships between parents, teachers, alums and the school environment as a whole.

Risk factors for Internet Gaming Disorder: Testing the contribution of metacognitions, stress, and coping

Engaging in online gaming is often considered as an avoidance strategy to cope with stress. This study aimed to test whether metacognitions make a unique contribution and which of them is/are the most salient to explaining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) tendency after controlling for age, gender, and stress. We further explored the structure of relationships between these variables by testing a metacognitively mediated stress-IGD model. A convenience sample of 1255 Chinese young adults with gaming experience (age ranged from 18 to 27; 57.0% females) completed an anonymous online questionnaire in June 2021. Each metacognitions subscale was positively correlated with IGD tendency, whilst cognitive confidence and positive beliefs about worry were identified as the most salient dimensions among metacognitions for IGD tendency after controlling for demographics and stress. The mediation path model showed acceptable fit after implementing minor modifications. The bootstrapping results showed that the effect of stress on IGD tendency was fully mediated, with metacognitions and escape motivation as independent mediators. In the model, the paths from both positive metacognitions and uncontrollability/danger metacognitions to escape motivation (and in turn IGD) remained significant, whilst the path between cognitive confidence and IGD also remained significant. The findings suggest revisions to the stress-coping model consistent with self-regulatory executive function theory, and advance our understanding of the potential risk factors linking stress to problematic gaming. Enhancing individuals’ capacity for metacognitive regulation may be an effective approach for future IGD preventive interventions among Chinese young gamers.

Identifying Key Themes of Care Coordination for Patients with Chronic Conditions in Singapore: A Scoping Review.

A projected rise in patients with complex health needs and a rapidly ageing population will place an increased burden on the healthcare system. Care coordination can bridge potential gaps during care transitions and across the care continuum to facilitate care integration and the delivery of personalised care. Despite having a national strategic vision of improving care integration across different levels of care and community partners, there is no consolidation of evidence specifically on the salient dimensions of care coordination in the Singapore healthcare context. Hence, this scoping review aims to uncover the key themes that facilitate care coordination for patients with chronic conditions in Singapore to be managed in the community while illuminating under-researched areas in care coordination requiring further exploration. The databases searched were PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Results from Google Scholar were also included. Two independent reviewers screened articles in a two-stage screening process based on the Cochrane scoping review guidelines. Recommendation for inclusion was indicated on a three-point scale and rating conflicts were resolved through discussion. Of the 5792 articles identified, 28 were included in the final review. Key cross-cutting themes such as having standards and guidelines for care programmes, forging stronger partnerships across providers, an interoperable information system across care interfaces, strong programme leadership, financial and technical resource availabilities and patient and provider-specific factors emerged. This review also recommends leveraging these themes to align with Singapore's national healthcare vision to contain rising healthcare costs.

Elite athletes with disabilities marketability and branding strategies: professional agents’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Research question The study aims to explore agents’ motives and strategies in presenting elite athletes with disabilities (EAwD). Research methods Utilising a phenomenological qualitative approach and guided by the Model of Athlete Brand Image (MABI), six semi-structured interviews were conducted with agents of elite disability sport athletes from the United States, Canada, and Ireland. Data analysis was through both deductive and inductive coding allowing themes to emerge from the data as well as through the initial codes identified from the framework. Results and findings Our findings indicated that agents are motivated by the business opportunity, marketability of the athlete, and their personal mission. They utilise storytelling, social media, and advocacy as strategies to market their athletes. Agents value the marketable lifestyle (e.g. life story) as the most salient dimension in building athlete brand image. Additionally, social media was seen as a critical tool to elevate athlete brand. Findings show positive environments in elite athletes with disabilities branding with need to combat barriers that long existed in disability sport marketing. Implications Our study applied the MABI framework to disability sport and extended the literature on athlete branding. We proposed modifications to the model and provided practical strategies for stakeholders to build and improve the marketability of EAwD.

Cognitive and neural bases of visual-context-guided decision-making

Humans adjust their behavioral strategies based on feedback, a process that may depend on intrinsic preferences and contextual factors such as visual salience. In this study, we hypothesized that decision-making based on visual salience is influenced by habitual and goal-directed processes, which can be evidenced by changes in attention and subjective valuation systems. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of studies to investigate the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying visual salience-driven decision-making. We first established the baseline behavioral strategy without salience in Experiment 1 (n = 21). We then highlighted the utility or performance dimension of the chosen outcome using colors in Experiment 2 (n = 30). We demonstrated that the difference in staying frequency increased along the salient dimension, confirming a salience effect. Furthermore, the salience effect was abolished when directional information was removed in Experiment 3 (n = 28), suggesting that the salience effect is feedback-specific. To generalize our findings, we replicated the feedback-specific salience effects using eye-tracking and text emphasis. The fixation differences between the chosen and unchosen values were enhanced along the feedback-specific salient dimension in Experiment 4 (n = 48) but unchanged after removing feedback-specific information in Experiment 5 (n = 32). Moreover, the staying frequency was correlated with fixation properties, confirming that salience guides attention deployment. Lastly, our neuroimaging study (Experiment 6, n = 25) showed that the striatum subregions encoded salience-based outcome evaluation, while the vmPFC encoded salience-based behavioral adjustments. The connectivity of the vmPFC-ventral striatum accounted for individual differences in utility-driven, whereas the vmPFC-dmPFC for performance-driven behavioral adjustments. Together, our results provide a neurocognitive account of how task-irrelevant visual salience drives decision-making by involving attention and the frontal-striatal valuation systems. Public significance statementHumans may use the current outcome to make behavior adjustments. How this occurs may depend on stable individual preferences and contextual factors, such as visual salience. Under the hypothesis that visual salience determines attention and subsequently modulates subjective valuation, we investigated the underlying behavioral and neural bases of visual-context-guided outcome evaluation and behavioral adjustments. Our findings suggest that the reward system is orchestrated by visual context and highlight the critical role of attention and the frontal-striatal neural circuit in visual-context-guided decision-making that may involve habitual and goal-directed processes.