This study developed and tested a research model which examined the impact of user perceptions of self-efficacy and virtual environment (VE) efficacy on the effectiveness of VE training systems. The model distinguishes between the perceptions of one’s own capability to perform trained tasks effectively and the perceptions of system performance, regarding the established parameters from literatu...

Quantum cosmology is the quantum theory of the entire universe. Although strange at first sight, it is appropriate because (1) our world appears to be fundamentally quantum, (2) the classical description of gravity breaks down at singularities it would give at the beginning of the universe, and (3) our universe has many properties that cannot be explained by a classical description of them. A q...

BACKGROUND Generic drugs (GDs) offer a way to reduce health spending without sacrificing quality. Despite this, there are doubts as to their acceptance by the population. This work aims to assess perceptions of GDs among the Brazilian population. METHODS We conducted a national household survey face-to-face between April and May 2013, with 5000 individuals aged over 15 years. The questions ex...

In this paper we focus on the interaction between performers and machines using linguistic tools. Indeed the Computing with Words (CW) framework is well-suited to human performances when linguistically expressed. We thus address the problem of designing a library that implements such concepts in the performing arts framework. The proposal takes place in the Max/MSP software where our patches ha...

In this paper, the study of the evolution of approximation space theory and its applications is considered in the context of rough sets introduced by Zdzis law Pawlak and information granulation as well as computing with words formulated by Lotfi Zadeh. Central to this evolution is the rough-mereological approach to approximation of information granules. This approach is built on the inclusion ...

This study identifies the difference in the perceptions of academic stress and reaction to stressors based on gender among first year university students in Nigeria. Student Academic Stress Scale (SASS) was the instrument used to collect data from 2,520 first year university students chosen through systematic random sampling from Universities in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. To determ...

The literature on economic voting notes that voter’s subjective evaluations of the overall state of the economy are correlated with vote choice, whereas personal economic experiences are not. Little is known about how voters acquire information about the general state of the economy, and how this information is then used to determine vote choice. To better understand this process, we asked a se...

OBJECTIVE This descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted to examine the effect of levels of self-efficacy on children's perceptions of pros and cons of smoking. METHODOLOGY The sample was 233 fifth-grade students. Data were collected in September 2010 using the Socio-Demographic Data Collection Form, Self Efficacy Scale Child Form and Child Decision Balance Scale and analyzed via perce...

More and more, zoos are integrating behavioral enrichment programs into their management routines. Given the newness of such programs on an official level, however, there are an increasing number of enrichment decisions based on assumption. Enrichment is typically not provided on exhibit, especially for exhibits considered to be more naturalistic, because it is assumed to affect visitors’ exper...