Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toward a Theory of Risk Information Processing: The Mediating Effects of Reaction Time, Clarity, Affect, and Vividness

Title of Dissertation: TOWARD A THEORY OF RISK INFORMATION PROCESSING: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF REACTION TIME, CLARITY, AFFECT, AND VIVIDNESS Christine Skubisz, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Dissertation Directed By: Professor Monique M. Turner Department of Communication This project examined variables that mediate the relationship between the exogenous variables numerical presentation and numeracy and the endogenous variables risk perception and risk related decisions. Previous research suggested that numerical format and numeracy influence outcomes. The question that remained unanswered was why? The goal of this project was to peer into the proverbial black box to critically examine information processing at work. To examine possible mediating variables, two theoretical models that have emerged in the risk perception literature were tested. The first is an evolutionary theory proposing that over time, individuals have developed an augmented ability to process frequency information. Thus, frequency information should be clearer and people should be faster at forming risk perceptions with information in this format. According to this model, processing speed and evidence clarity mediate the relationship between evidence format and risk perception. A second framework, the affective processing theory, argues that frequency information is more vivid and people derive more affect from information in this format. Therefore, according to this model, affect and vividness mediate the relationship between presentation format and risk perception. In addition to these two perspectives, a third theory was proposed and tested. The integrated theory of risk information processing predicted that reaction time, clarity, affect, and vividness would all influence risk perception. Two experiments were conducted to test the predictions of these three theories. Overall, some support for an integrated model was found. Results indicated that the mediating variables reaction time, clarity, affect, and vividness had direct effects on risk perception. In addition, risk perception had a strong influence on risk related decisions. In Study 2, objective numeracy had a direct effect on reaction time, such that people with high numeracy spent more time forming risk evaluations. Furthermore, people with a preference for numerical information evaluated numerical evidence as clearer and more vivid than people who preferred to receive evidence in nonnumerical formats. Both theoretical and applied implications of these results are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided. TOWARD A THEORY OF RISK INFORMATION PROCESSING: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF REACTION TIME, CLARITY, AFFECT, AND VIVIDNESS
The Metallo-β-Lactamase/β-CASP Domain of Artemis Constitutes the Catalytic Core for V(D)J Recombination

The V(D)J recombination/DNA repair factor Artemis belongs to the metallo-β-lactamase (β-Lact) superfamily of enzymes. Three regions can be defined within the Artemis protein sequence: (a) the β-Lact homology domain, to which is appended (b) the β-CASP region, specific of members of the β-Lact superfamily acting on nucleic acids, and (c) the COOH-terminal domain. Using in vitro mutagenesis, here we show that the association of the β-Lact and the β-CASP regions suffices for in vivo V(D)J recombination of chromosome-integrated substrates. Single amino acid mutants point to critical catalytic residues for V(D)J recombination activity. The results presented here define the β-Lact/β-CASP domain of Artemis as the minimal core catalytic domain needed for V(D)J recombination and suggest that Artemis uses one or two Zn(II) ions to exert its catalytic activity, like bacterial class B β-Lact enzymes hydrolyzing β-lactam compounds.
Accuracy Certificates for Computational Problems with Convex Structure

The goal of this paper is to introduce the notion of certificates, which verify the accuracy of solutions of computational problems with convex structure. Such problems include minimizing convex functions, variational inequalities with monotone operators, computing saddle points of convex-concave functions, and solving convex Nash equilibrium problems. We demonstrate how the implementation of the ellipsoid method and other cutting plane algorithms can be augmented with the computation of such certificates without significant increase of the computational effort. Further, we show that (computable) certificates exist for any algorithm that is capable of producing solutions of guaranteed accuracy.
CloudMap: A Cloud-Based Pipeline for Analysis of Mutant Genome Sequences

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) allows researchers to pinpoint genetic differences between individuals and significantly shortcuts the costly and time-consuming part of forward genetic analysis in model organism systems. Currently, the most effort-intensive part of WGS is the bioinformatic analysis of the relatively short reads generated by second generation sequencing platforms. We describe here a novel, easily accessible and cloud-based pipeline, called CloudMap, which greatly simplifies the analysis of mutant genome sequences. Available on the Galaxy web platform, CloudMap requires no software installation when run on the cloud, but it can also be run locally or via Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) service. CloudMap uses a series of predefined workflows to pinpoint sequence variations in animal genomes, such as those of premutagenized and mutagenized Caenorhabditis elegans strains. In combination with a variant-based mapping procedure, CloudMap allows users to sharply define genetic map intervals graphically and to retrieve very short lists of candidate variants with a few simple clicks. Automated workflows and extensive video user guides are available to detail the individual analysis steps performed (http://usegalaxy.org/cloudmap). We demonstrate the utility of CloudMap for WGS analysis of C. elegans and Arabidopsis genomes and describe how other organisms (e.g., Zebrafish and Drosophila) can easily be accommodated by this software platform. To accommodate rapid analysis of many mutants from large-scale genetic screens, CloudMap contains an in silico complementation testing tool that allows users to rapidly identify instances where multiple alleles of the same gene are present in the mutant collection. Lastly, we describe the application of a novel mapping/WGS method (“Variant Discovery Mapping”) that does not rely on a defined polymorphic mapping strain, and we integrate the application of this method into CloudMap. CloudMap tools and documentation are continually updated at http://usegalaxy.org/cloudmap.
Branding Teena: (Mis)Representations in the Media

On the night of 31 December 1993, three people were murdered in Nebraska. One of the victims became the subject of an award winning film directed by Kimberly Pierce in 1999. The representation of the main character is based upon interviews with those who knew the person in question, but for obvious reasons this representation can never be validated. In view of this difficulty, critics attempt to describe the complexity of the main character, yet most fail. In this article I will interrogate media representations of Brandon Teena, showing the implicit assumptions inherent in the rhetoric of such articles. Furthermore, I will show how the reportage of Brandon’s murder and the film, Boys Don’t Cry, combine to reinforce the assumption of a male/female gender binary, even though the film director claims to trouble these assumptions. It is my contention that the media undermines any notion of transgender subjectivity through the rhetoric, reportage and representation of the issues made manifest by and through Brandon’s body. I will show that Brandon’s body is branded by such rhetoric and representation, and is assumed to be a site of ‘truth’ that closes the question that transgender poses for subjectivity, gender and sexuality.
Impact of nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy on the quality of life of bed partners of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

BACKGROUND Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves daytime sleepiness and quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, few studies have examined the impact of treatment on the quality of life of bed partners of these patients. METHODS We prospectively studied 55 couples in which one person (the patient) had OSAS diagnosed and was subsequently commenced on CPAP therapy; 45 of these couples shared a bed on a regular basis. Both partner and patient completed postal questionnaires immediately prior to CPAP therapy and again after a median of 8 weeks (interquartile range [IQR], 6 to 12 weeks) of therapy at home. Questionnaires consisted of the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the UK Short Form-36 health survey, and the hospital anxiety and depression scale. No intervention or advice was given to the partner of the patient receiving CPAP therapy. RESULTS In addition to the expected significant benefits reported by patients receiving CPAP, bed partners also reported significant improvements in ESS scores (median, 4 [IQR, 1 to 8.5] before CPAP; median, 2 [IQR, 1 to 5] during CPAP), in addition to measures of anxiety, role limitation due to physical problems, role limitation due to emotional problems, social functioning, mental health, and energy/vitality (all p < 0.05 by Wilcoxon-signed rank testing). CONCLUSIONS These data support the hypothesis that partners of patients with OSAS benefit significantly from the CPAP therapy their bed partners receive.
Signaling pathways initiated in macrophages after engagement of type A scavenger receptors

Scavenger receptors are macrophage cell surface molecules associated with endocytic uptake of lipoproteins and binding of microbial ligands. Macrophage class A scavenger receptors (SR‐As) interact with ligands to induce cellular signaling leading to gene transcription and cytokine release. We used inhibitors of early and late signaling to block SR‐A‐mediated polyinosinic‐polycytidilic acid (poly I:C) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) activation of RAW 264.7 macrophages. Effects of multiple inhibitors on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α release were monitored to determine requirements for inflammatory cytokine production. Cycloheximide, monodansylcadaverine, and cytochalasin B all blocked TNF‐α release from macrophages stimulated with LTA or poly I:C, whereas monensin only nominally reduced TNF‐α production. Selected inhibitors of downstream signaling events reduced SR‐A‐dependent TNF‐α release by >95% after stimulation with either ligand, whereas others were ineffective. The PKC inhibitor H7 reduced LTA‐dependent secretion of TNF‐α by 94% but inhibited poly I:C‐dependent TNF‐α production only by 50%. Priming of RAW 264.7 cells with interferon‐γ potentiated the response to poly I:C but did not alter inhibitor effects. These results demonstrated that for both ligands tested here, early events of receptor internalization are requisite for cellular activation. The response pattern suggests that tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the MAP kinase pathway are key components of SR‐A‐mediated signal transduction cascades.
Changes in the urinary proteome post‐operatively in renal cancer patients – a reflection of tumour or kidney removal?

During the initial phases of a study focussed on discovering new urinary biomarkers for renal cell carcinoma, a number of challenges and limitations were identified, which we subsequently investigated. The purpose of this report is to provide insight into experimental design for such investigations and potential confounding factors that can impact on such studies. Sixty urine samples from 20 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma and ten live renal transplant donor patients, pre‐ and post‐nephrectomy, were profiled using SELDI‐TOF‐MS incorporating stringent quality control and in‐house data processing/analysis. There were 65 significantly differentially expressed peaks (five solitary peaks and four peak clusters that increased post nephrectomy and four peak clusters that decreased). Peak 3934 Da m/z and peaks within 11731–11961 Da m/z, which increased post nephrectomy were identified as the 36 amino acid isoform of β‐defensin‐1 and β2‐microglobulin, respectively. However, changes in these two protein forms were also seen in healthy donors following nephrectomy implying a relationship with kidney removal per se rather than tumour removal. This study indicates the difficulties in identifying SELDI peaks for subsequent validation and illustrates the need for appropriate controls in biomarker studies to determine whether changes are indirect consequences of treatment.
Hard-mode infrared study of the ferroelastic phase transition in CuWO4-ZnWO4 mixed crystals.

The P1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}-P2/c ferroelastic phase transition in ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{0.75}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{0.25}$${\mathrm{WO}}_{4}$ has been studied as a function of temperature by infrared spectroscopy. Many of the midinfrared features (associated with ${\mathrm{WO}}_{6}$ octahedral vibrations) do not show coupling to the transition. However, the Jahn-Teller distortion of the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{6}$ octahedra induces a large change in the frequency of the 1190-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ phonon near ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$(=570\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5 K). Concomitant broadening of this absorption band in the vicinty of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ arises either from a dynamic isospin-flip mode at the Cu site, or solitonic excitations associated with the ferroelastic microstructure. The high-temperature phase does not appear to consist of disordered P1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} domains; rather, the transition appears essentially displacive in character.
A Review of “Constructing Identities in Online Communities of Practice: A Case Study of Online Learning”

issues associated with observation, including informed consent. Would the individual have declined to be observed if he was aware of issues associated to informed consent? This would have been an appropriate and effective place for Gillham to introduce the topic of research ethics as it applies to observational research. Instead, Gillham holds out until chapter 9 where he devotes an entire chapter to ethics. Although Chapter 9 is comprehensive and well written, readers would be wise to read Chapters 6 and 9 concurrently. Chapters 7 and 8 address the topics of visual ethnography and researcher skills, respectively. Visual ethnography is not often included in general research methods textbooks and, as such, this chapter is intriguing. Whereas the citations in previous chapters are frequently outdated, Gillham references Sarah Pink’s Doing Visual Ethnography (2006), a seminal reference in this area, and surely one that is of great interest to readers. In Chapter 8, Gillham briefly addresses some of the skills and processes associated with observation research, such as taking field notes, organizing field notes, and analyzing field notes. In many ways, Observation Techniques is a gem. Gillham successfully presents a succinct and realistic overview of a wide range of observation methods. He provides numerous real-world examples to illustrate the various methods and writes in an engaging style akin to that of a wise teacher. Whereas some research-methods books are characterized by a degree of technical detail that can intimidate novice researchers, Gillham has a knack for writing in a manner that engages rather than puts off the reader. However, readers should keep in mind that Observation Techniques primarily describes various observation methods. Those in need of a how-to text should supplement their reading.
Reflective journaling: a tool for teacher professional development

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores the introduction of postgraduate education students to reflective journaling as a tool for professional development. Students were purposefully selected to keep a weekly journal in which they reflected in and on the activities (methodologies, techniques, strategies) they engaged in while executing a workplace assignment. Empirical results from the study demonstrate that while the students initially expressed reluctance and resistance to journaling, they subsequently became aware of the benefits of being consciously reflective; both for their own professional development and for the learners they taught. This outcome highlights the role of higher education institutions in the preparation of prospective teachers.
The Environment Makes a Difference: The Impact of Explicit and Implicit Attitudes as Precursors in Different Food Choice Tasks

Studies show that implicit and explicit attitudes influence food choice. However, precursors of food choice often are investigated using tasks offering a very limited number of options despite the comparably complex environment surrounding real life food choice. In the present study, we investigated how the assortment impacts the relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes and food choice (confectionery and fruit), assuming that a more complex choice architecture is more taxing on cognitive resources. Specifically, a binary and a multiple option choice task based on the same stimulus set (fake food items) were presented to ninety-seven participants. Path modeling revealed that both explicit and implicit attitudes were associated with relative food choice (confectionery vs. fruit) in both tasks. In the binary option choice task, both explicit and implicit attitudes were significant precursors of food choice, with explicit attitudes having a greater impact. Conversely, in the multiple option choice task, the additive impact of explicit and implicit attitudes was qualified by an interaction indicating that, even if explicit and implicit attitudes toward confectionery were inconsistent, more confectionery was chosen than fruit if either was positive. This compensatory ‘one is sufficient’-effect indicates that the structure of the choice environment modulates the relationship between attitudes and choice. The study highlights that environmental constraints, such as the number of choice options, are an important boundary condition that need to be included when investigating the relationship between psychological precursors and behavior.
Sex differences in the gut microbiome–brain axis across the lifespan

In recent years, the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome and the brain has emerged as a factor that influences immunity, metabolism, neurodevelopment and behaviour. Cross-talk between the gut and brain begins early in life immediately following the transition from a sterile in utero environment to one that is exposed to a changing and complex microbial milieu over a lifetime. Once established, communication between the gut and brain integrates information from the autonomic and enteric nervous systems, neuroendocrine and neuroimmune signals, and peripheral immune and metabolic signals. Importantly, the composition and functional potential of the gut microbiome undergoes many transitions that parallel dynamic periods of brain development and maturation for which distinct sex differences have been identified. Here, we discuss the sexually dimorphic development, maturation and maintenance of the gut microbiome–brain axis, and the sex differences therein important in disease risk and resilience throughout the lifespan.
“Climategate” and The Scientific Ethos

In late 2009, e-mails from a server at the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia were released that showed some climate scientists in an unfavorable light. Soon this scandal was known as “Climategate” and a highly charged debate started to rage on blogs and in the mass media. Much of the debate has been about the question whether anthropogenic global warming was undermined by the revelations. But ethical issues, too, became part and parcel of the debate. This article aims to contribute to this debate, assessing the e-mail affair in the light of two normative analyses of science, one proposed by Robert Merton (and developed further by some of his followers), the second by a recent suggestion to use the concept of honest brokering in science policy interactions. On the basis of these analyses, different aspects of malpractice will be discussed and possible solutions will be suggested.
Entity-balanced Gaussian pLSA for Automated Comparison

Community created content (e.g., product descriptions, reviews) typically discusses one entity at a time and it can be hard as well as time consuming for a user to compare two or more entities. In response, we de-ﬁne a novel task of automatically generating entity comparisons from text. Our output is a table that semantically clusters descriptive phrases about entities. Our clustering algo-rithm is a Gaussian extension of probabilistic latent semantic analysis (pLSA), in which each phrase is represented in word vector embedding space. In addition, our algorithm attempts to balance information about entities in each cluster to generate meaningful comparison tables, where possible. We test our system’s effectiveness on two domains, travel articles and movie reviews, and ﬁnd that entity-balanced clusters are strongly preferred by users.
Alternate origins of the Coast Range Ophiolite (California); introduction and implications

Correctly interpreting the tectonic evolution of the California continental margin requires understanding the origin of the Jurassic Coast Range Ophiolite, which represents a fragment of mafic-to-ultramafic crust of oceanic character lying depositionally beneath the western flank of the Great Valley forearc basin in fault contact with the Franciscan subduction complex of the California Coast Ranges. Three contrasting hypotheses for genesis of the ophiolite as seafloor are each based on internally consistent logic within the framework of plate tectonics, but are mutually exclusive and lead to strikingly different interpretations of regional tectonic relations, even though each assumes that the Sierra Nevada batholith to the east represents the eroded roots of a magmatic arc linked to subduction along the Mesozoic continental margin. To encourage the further work or analysis needed to develop a definitive interpretation, summary arguments for each hypothesis of Coast Range Ophiolite genesis in mid- to late Jurassic time are presented in parallel: (1) backarc spreading behind an east-facing intraoceanic island arc that then collided and amalgamated with the Sierran continental- margin arc; (2) paleoequatorial midocean spreading to form oceanic lithosphere that was then drawn northward toward a subduction zone in front of the Sierran continental-margin arc; and (3) forearc spreading within the forearc region of the Sierran continental-margin arc in response to transtensional deformation during slab rollback.
Mealtimes on eating disorder wards: a two-study investigation.

OBJECTIVE This research had two aims. First, to assess the current mealtime practices within UK eating disorders units. Second, to investigate staff perspectives of these mealtimes, including their involvement and understanding of patients' experience. METHOD Study 1 involved a survey to assess mealtime protocols across 22 eating disorders units. In Study 2, sixteen semistructured interviews were conducted with staff at three eating disorders units. RESULTS Between and within-unit variation exist regarding the implementation of mealtimes. Thematic analysis revealed that staff perceived their provision of mealtimes to be influenced by their own interpersonal difficulties created by the meals. Additionally, they perceived that these issues could be aided by forward planning, successful teamwork, and focused staff training. DISCUSSION There is a need for specialized mealtime implementation training. Furthermore, research is required to evaluate current mealtime practices from patient perspectives and to determine the impact of modified mealtime approaches on treatment outcome.