bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Red is Romantic, but Only for Feminine Females: Sexual Dimorphism Moderates Red Effect on Sexual Attraction
Authors: Wen Fangfang , Zuo Bin , Wu Yang , Sun Shan , Liu Ke
Published: July 2015

Previous researchers have documented that the color red enhances one's sexual attraction to the opposite sex. The current study further examined the moderating role of sexual dimorphism in red effects. The results indicated that red enhanced men's sexual attraction to women with more feminine facial characteristics but had no effect on ratings of perceived general attractiveness. Red clothing also had a marginally significant effect on men's sexual attractiveness. In addition, regardless of sexual dimorphism cues, male participants rated women with red as warmer and more competent. The underlying mechanisms of the red effect, the limitations of the current study, and suggestions for future directions are discussed.
Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and Gender Inequalities Across Nations
Authors: Manning John T. , Fink Bernhard , Trivers Robert
Published: July 2015

Gender inequality varies across nations, where such inequality is defined as the disproportionate representation of one sex over the other in desirable social, economic, and biological roles (typically male over female). Thus in Norway, 40% of parliamentarians are women, in the USA 17%, and in Saudi Arabia 0%. Some of this variation is associated with economic prosperity but there is evidence that this cause and effect can go in either direction. Here we show that within a population the average ratio of index (2D) to ring (4D) finger lengths (2D:4D)—a proxy measure of the relative degree to which offspring is exposed in utero to testosterone versus estrogen—is correlated with measures of gender inequality between nations. We compared male and female 2D:4D ratios to female parliamentary representation, labor force participation, female education level, maternal mortality rates, and juvenile pregnancy rates per nation in a sample of 29 countries. We found those nations who showed higher than expected female fetal exposure to testosterone (low 2D:4D) and lower than expected male exposure to fetal testosterone (high 2D:4D) had higher rates of female parliamentary representation, and higher female labor force participation. In short, the more similar the two sexes were in 2D:4D, the more equal were the two sexes in parliamentary and labor force participation. The other variables were not as strongly correlated. We suggest that higher than expected fetal testosterone in females and lower fetal testosterone in males may lead to high female representation in the national labor force and in parliament.
Recreational Drug Use and Fluctuating Asymmetry: Testing the Handicap Principle
Authors: Borkowska Barbara , Pawlowski Boguslaw
Published: July 2015

Zahavi's handicap principle suggests that only organisms with good genetic quality can afford to engage in costly behaviors. Recreational drug use can be harmful to one's health and therefore might be viewed as a costly signal of one's genetic quality. One of the measurements of genetic quality is bodily symmetry assessed by fluctuating asymmetry. If unhealthy drug use is a behavioral example of Zahavi's handicap principle, then men who use different stimulants or recreational drugs should be more symmetrical than men who do not use them at all or use them only in low quantity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between drug use and fluctuating asymmetry. The subjects were 190 young women and 202 young men. Six bilaterally symmetrical traits were measured: length of II–V digits, wrist breadth, and ear height. Questionnaires included questions about smoking, alcohol drinking, drug use, and designer drug use. There was no relationship between bodily symmetry and smoking frequency, alcohol drinking frequency, drug or designer drug use, total substance use, age of smoking initiation, or reason of this initiation. The results indicate that drug use does not reflect genetic quality and does not necessarily relate to the handicap hypothesis.
Sex Differences and Similarities in Urban Home Ranges and in the Accuracy of Cognitive Maps
Authors: Stephan Pia , Jäschke Johannes P. M. , Oberzaucher Elisabeth , Grammer Karl
Published: July 2015

Former research has examined potential human sex differences in spatial abilities or home range size. Both are assumed to have an adaptive function. In this study we combined the investigation of home range size in an urban environment and spatial abilities by accuracy analysis of cognitive maps. Participants ( n = 87) drew a sketch of their home range in Vienna depicting all places regularly visited in every-day life. We used the sketches' geographical locations to calculate the size of the home range. With the Geometric Morphometric Methodology, we quantified the accuracy of cognitive maps by measuring Euclidean distances between corresponding landmarks in the sketches and the geographical maps of home ranges. Our results showed a non-significant trend for men to have a larger home range. Overall, participants' cognitive maps were fairly accurate. However, men sketched their home range more precisely than women. Female map accuracy increased as a function of residency duration. In addition, accuracy of cognitive maps was influenced by home range size and number of frequently visited places. In summary, findings indicate that sex differences in home range size and spatial abilities may still persist in humans living in urbanized Western societies, but are also influenced by environmental experience.
Out of Sight but Not Out of Mind: Memory Scanning is Attuned to Threatening Faces
Authors: Becker D. Vaughn , Mortensen Chad R. , Anderson Uriah S. , Sasaki Takao
Published: July 2015

Working memory (WM) theoretically affords the ability to privilege social threats and opportunities over other more mundane information, but few experiments have sought support for this contention. Using a functional logic, we predicted that threatening faces are likely to elicit encoding benefits in WM. Critically, however, threat depends on both the capacities and inclinations of the potential aggressor and the possible responses available to the perceiver. Two experiments demonstrate that participants more efficiently scan memory for angry facial expressions, but only when the faces also bear other cues that are heuristically associated with threat: masculinity in Study 1 and outgroup status in Study 2. Moreover, male participants showed robust speed and accuracy benefits, whereas female participants showed somewhat weaker effects, and only when threat was clearly expressed. Overall results indicate that working memory for faces depends on the accessibility of self-protective goals and on the functional relevance of other social attributes of the face.
Threat is in the Sex of the Beholder: Men Find Weapons Faster than do Women
Authors: Sulikowski Danielle , Burke Darren
Published: July 2015

In visual displays, people locate potentially threatening stimuli, such as snakes, spiders, and weapons, more quickly than similar benign stimuli, such as beetles and gadgets. Such biases are likely adaptive, facilitating fast responses to potential threats. Currently, and historically, men have engaged in more weapons-related activities (fighting and hunting) than women. If biases of visual attention for weapons result from selection pressures related to these activities, then we would predict such biases to be stronger in men than in women. The current study reports the results of two visual search experiments, in which men showed a stronger bias of attention toward guns and knives than did women, whether the weapons were depicted wielded or not. When the weapons were depicted wielded, both sexes searched for them with more caution than when they were not. Neither of these effects extended reliably to syringes, a non-weapon—yet potentially threatening—object. The findings are discussed with respect to the “weapons effect” and social coercion theory.
Do Orgasms Give Women Feedback about Mate Choice?
Authors: Gallup Gordon G. , Ampel Benjamin C. , Wedberg Nicole , Pogosjan Arutjun
Published: July 2015

The current study represents a preliminary investigation of the extent to which female orgasm functions to promote good mate choices. Based on a survey of heterosexual female college students in committed relationships, how often women experienced orgasm as a result of sexual intercourse was related to their partner's family income, his self-confidence, and how attractive he was. Orgasm intensity was also related to how attracted they were to their partners, how many times they had sex per week, and ratings of sexual satisfaction. Those with partners who their friends rated as more attractive also tended to have more intense orgasms. Orgasm frequency was highly correlated ( r = .82) with orgasm intensity, and orgasm intensity was a marginally better predictor of sexual satisfaction than orgasm frequency. Sexual satisfaction was related to how physically attracted women were to their partner and the breadth of his shoulders. Women who began having sexual intercourse at earlier ages had more sex partners, experienced more orgasms, and were more sexually satisfied with their partners. We also identified an ensemble of partner psychological traits (motivation, intelligence, focus, and determination) that predicted how often women initiated sexual intercourse. Their partner's sense of humor not only predicted his self-confidence and family income, but it also predicted women's propensity to initiate sex, how often they had sex, and it enhanced their orgasm frequency in comparison with other partners.
Evidence of Systematic Bias in Sexual Over- and Underperception of Naturally Occurring Events: A Direct Replication of in a more Gender-Equal Culture
Authors: Bendixen Mons
Published: July 2015

Error Management Theory ( Haselton and Buss, 2000 ; Haselton and Nettle, 2006 ) maintains that natural selection has engineered adaptations for judgment under uncertainty to minimize the overall cost of making errors, leading to universal biases in judgments of sexual interest in men and women. This study, using a sample of heterosexual Norwegian students ( n = 308), was carried out as a direct replication of Haselton's (2003) original study of naturally occurring events of sexual misperception. The results strongly supported the main hypotheses in the original study, showing that women reported being subject to opposite-sex sexual overperception far more often relative to underperception, and that this difference was small for men. In support of Error Management Theory, and in contrast to Social Role / Structure Theory expectations, the pattern of misperception for women and men was largely invariant across studies and across demographic groups within a culture. The findings suggest that cross-national differences in the level of gender inequality do not influence reports of sexual over- and underperception in women and men. Beyond sex, factors associated with more sexual overperception relative to underperception were being single, young, and having attitudes condoning casual sex.
Parental Social Status and Intrasexual Competitiveness among Adolescents
Authors: Buunk Abraham P. , Stulp Gert , Ormel Johan
Published: July 2015

A study among 1,881 adolescents (52.3% girls) with a mean age of 19.1 years examined the effects of parental social status upon intrasexual competitiveness. Whereas females were consistently more intrasexually competitive the higher the socio-economic status of their parents, males with parents of the lowest socio-economic status tended to be more intrasexually competitive than those with parents of medium socio-economic status, and nearly as intrasexually competitive as those with parents of high socio-economic status. Only among adolescents with parents of low socio-economic status were males more intrasexually competitive than females. Among males and females, higher levels of intrasexual competitiveness were related to a higher family income, to a higher occupational status of the father as well as of the mother, and to a higher educational level of the mother. Only among females were higher levels of intrasexual competitiveness associated with a higher educational level of the father. Males whose fathers had only elementary education had a relatively high level of intrasexual competitiveness. The results are discussed in the context of the multifaceted nature of human status, and the potential relevance of intrasexual competitiveness for individuals of high versus low social status.
Good Mates Retain Us Right: Investigating the Relationship between Mate Retention Strategies, Mate Value, and Relationship Satisfaction
Authors: Salkicevic Svjetlana , Stanic Ajana Löw , Grabovac Masa Tonkovic
Published: July 2015

Mate retention strategies are an important tool in keeping a partner, and their use is determined by the mate value (MV) of the partner one is trying to keep. The type of strategy used is also dependent on one's own MV: mates of lower MV are more prone to exhibiting strategies that are cost-inflicting for their partners, whereas partner-benefiting strategies are used by mates of higher value. The type of strategies used affects relationship satisfaction (RS), and is also affected by the perceived difference in MVs. However, it is unclear how someone's perception of their partner's MV is related to that partner's behavior and their own RS. To this aim, we investigated the relationship between these variables on a sample of 178 couples. Our results showed that benefit-inducing strategies were used more by—and towards—partners of higher MV, and were positively connected with RS. Cost-inflicting strategies were more used by—and towards—partners of lower MV, and were negatively connected with RS. Less MV difference was positively correlated with RS and benefiting strategies, and negatively correlated with cost-inflicting strategies. It seems that good mates use strategies that benefit their partners, which, in turn, make them more valuable and, consequently, their partner more satisfied.
Ailing Voters Advance Attractive Congressional Candidates
Authors: Zebrowitz Leslie A. , Franklin Robert G. , Palumbo Rocco
Published: July 2015

Among many benefits of facial attractiveness, there is evidence that more attractive politicians are more likely to be elected. Recent research found this effect to be most pronounced in congressional districts with high disease threat—a result attributed to an adaptive disease avoidance mechanism, whereby the association of low attractiveness with poor health is particularly worrisome to voters who feel vulnerable to disease. We provided a more direct test of this explanation by examining the effects of individuals' own health and age. Supporting a disease avoidance mechanism, less healthy participants showed a stronger preference for more attractive contenders in U.S. Senate races than their healthier peers, and this effect was stronger for older participants, who were generally less healthy than younger participants. Stronger effects of health for older participants partly reflected the absence of positive bias toward attractive candidates among the healthiest, suggesting that healthy older adults may be unconcerned about disease threat or sufficiently wise to ignore attractiveness.
Life History Strategy and the HEXACO Personality Dimensions
Authors: Manson Joseph H.
Published: July 2015

Although several studies have linked Life History Strategy (LHS) variation with variation in the Five Factor Model personality dimensions, no published research has explored the relationship of LHS to the HEXACO personality dimensions. The theoretically expected relationship of the HEXACO Emotionality factor to LHS is unclear. The results of two studies ( N = 641) demonstrated that LHS indicators form part of a factor along with HEXACO Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and (marginally) Honesty-Humility. People higher on these dimensions pursue a slower LHS. Neither Openness nor Emotionality was associated with this factor. Holding LHS constant, social involvement with kin was consistently predicted by higher Emotionality and was not consistently predicted by any other HEXACO factor. These results support a view of Emotionality as part of an LHS-independent personality dimension that influences the provision and receipt of kin altruism.
The Effects of Evolution Education: Examining Attitudes toward and Knowledge of Evolution in College Courses
Authors: Short Stephen D. , Hawley Patricia H.
Published: July 2015

The present study examined changes in university students' attitudes toward and knowledge of evolution measured by the previously validated Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy Survey (EALS) in response to curricular content. Specifically, student responses on the survey were compared across an evolutionary psychology course, an introductory biology course with significant evolutionary content, and a political science course with no evolutionary content. To this end, 868 students were assessed at a large Midwestern U.S. university prior to and following completion of one of the three courses. A multiple group repeated measures confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine latent mean differences in self-reported Evolution Knowledge/Relevance, Creationist Reasoning, Evolutionary Misconceptions, and Exposure to Evolution. A significant and notable increase in Knowledge/Relevance, as well as decreases in Creationist Reasoning and Evolutionary Misconceptions, was observed for the evolutionary psychology course, whereas the biology course demonstrated no change in Knowledge/Relevance and a significant increase in Evolutionary Misconceptions. The implications of these findings for evolution education are discussed.
Development and Initial Psychometric Assessment of the Reasons for Pretending Orgasm Inventory
Authors: McCoy Mark G. , Welling Lisa L. M. , Shackelford Todd K.
Published: July 2015

Research suggests that women pretend orgasm with their partner as a mate retention strategy, but the cognitive reasons behind this deception are not well known. To explore women's cognitive reasons for pretending orgasm, we first assembled a list of the reasons women report for pretending orgasm. We refined this list using independent data collected on performance frequencies for each item, followed by a principal components analysis, to generate the Reasons for Pretending Orgasm Inventory (RPOI). We found three components encompassing the cognitive reasons women pretend orgasm: Improve Partner's Experience (i.e., increasing the quality of the sexual experience for the partner), Deception and Manipulation (i.e., deceiving the partner or manipulating his perceptions for other gains), and Hiding Sexual Disinterest (i.e., sparing the partner's feelings about the woman's lack of sexual excitement). Discussion highlights limitations of this research and the RPOI, but suggests that the RPOI is useful as a structured means for assessing women's reasons for pretending orgasm.
Personality in Sanctuary-Housed Chimpanzees: A Comparative Approach of Psychobiological and Penta-Factorial Human Models
Authors: Úbeda Yulán , Llorente Miquel
Published: July 2015

We evaluate a sanctuary chimpanzee sample ( N = 11) using two adapted human assessment instruments: the Five-Factor Model (FFM) and Eysenck's Psychoticism-Extraversion-Neuroticism (PEN) model. The former has been widely used in studies of animal personality, whereas the latter has never been used to assess chimpanzees. We asked familiar keepers and scientists ( N = 28) to rate 38 (FFM) and 12 (PEN) personality items. The personality surveys showed reliability in all of the items for both instruments. These were then analyzed in a principal component analysis and a regularized exploratory factor analysis, which revealed four and three components, respectively. The results indicate that both questionnaires show a clear factor structure, with characteristic factors not just for the species, but also for the sample type. However, due to its brevity, the PEN may be more suitable for assessing personality in a sanctuary, where employees do not have much time to devote to the evaluation process. In summary, both models are sensitive enough to evaluate the personality of a group of chimpanzees housed in a sanctuary.
Cosmetics Alter Biologically-Based Factors of Beauty: Evidence from Facial Contrast
Authors: Jones Alex L. , Russell Richard , Ward Robert
Published: July 2015

The use of cosmetics by women seems to consistently increase their attractiveness. What factors of attractiveness do cosmetics alter to achieve this? Facial contrast is a known cue to sexual dimorphism and youth, and cosmetics exaggerate sexual dimorphisms in facial contrast. Here, we demonstrate that the luminance contrast pattern of the eyes and eyebrows is consistently sexually dimorphic across a large sample of faces, with females possessing lower brow contrasts than males, and greater eye contrast than males. Red-green and yellow-blue color contrasts were not found to differ consistently between the sexes. We also show that women use cosmetics not only to exaggerate sexual dimorphisms of brow and eye contrasts, but also to increase contrasts that decline with age. These findings refine the notion of facial contrast, and demonstrate how cosmetics can increase attractiveness by manipulating factors of beauty associated with facial contrast.
Methodologically Sound: Evaluating the Psychometric Approach to the Assessment of Human Life History [Reply to ]
Authors: Figueredo Aurelio José , de Baca Tomás Cabeza , Black Candace Jasmine , García Rafael Antonio , Fernandes Heitor Barcellos Ferreira , Wolf Pedro Sofio Abril , Anthony Michael
Published: July 2015

Copping, Campbell, and Muncer (2014) have recently published an article critical of the psychometric approach to the assessment of life history (LH) strategy. Their purported goal was testing for the convergent validation and examining the psychometric structure of the High-K Strategy Scale (HKSS). As much of the literature on the psychometrics of human LH during the past decade or so has emanated from our research laboratory and those of close collaborators, we have prepared this detailed response. Our response is organized into four main sections: (1) A review of psychometric methods for the assessment of human LH strategy, expounding upon the essence of our approach; (2) our theoretical/conceptual concerns regarding the critique, addressing the broader issues raised by the critique regarding the latent and hierarchical structure of LH strategy; (3) our statistical/methodological concerns regarding the critique, examining the validity and persuasiveness of the empirical case made specifically against the HKSS; and (4) our recommendations for future research that we think might be helpful in closing the gap between the psychometric and biometric approaches to measurement in this area. Clearly stating our theoretical positions, describing our existing body of work, and acknowledging their limitations should assist future researchers in planning and implementing more informed and prudent empirical research that will synthesize the psychometric approach to the assessment of LH strategy with complementary methods.
Exploitative and Deceptive Resource Acquisition Strategies
Authors: Reynolds Joshua J. , McCrea Sean M.
Published: July 2015

Life history strategy (LHS) and life history contingencies (LHCs) should theoretically influence the use of exploitative and deceptive resource acquisition strategies. However, little research has been done in this area. The purpose of the present work was to create measures of exploitative strategies and test the predictions of life history theory. Pilot studies developed and validated a behavioral measure of cheating called the Dot Game. The role of individual LHS and LHCs (manipulated via validated story primes) on cheating was investigated in Study 1. Studies 2a through 2c were conducted to develop and validate a self-report measure called the Exploitative and Deceptive Resource Acquisition Strategy Scale (EDRASS). Finally, Study 3 investigated life history and EDRASS. Results indicated that while LHS influences exploitative strategies, life history contingences had little effect. Implications of these findings are discussed.
A Community-Engaged Research Approach to Improve Mental Health Among Latina Immigrants
Authors: Perez Georgina , Della Valle Pamela , Paraghamian Sarah , Page Rachel , Ochoa Janet , Palomo Fabiana , Suarez Emilia , Thrasher Angela , Tran Anh N. , Corbie-Smith Giselle
Published: July 2015

Recent Latina immigrants are at increased risk of poor mental health due to stressors associated with adapting to life in the United States. Existing social and health care policies often do not adequately address the mental health concerns of new Latino populations. Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma, a community-partnered research project, seeks to improve immigrant Latinas’ mental health outcomes. Using Photovoice methodology, promotoras (lay health advisors) reflected on community factors affecting mental health through photography and guided discussion. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using content analysis to identify salient themes. Promotoras reviewed codes to develop themes that they presented in community forums to reach local policy makers and to increase community awareness. These forums included an exhibit of the promotoras’ photographs and discussion of action steps to address community concerns. Themes included transitioning to life in the United States, parenting, education, and combating racism. Nearly 150 stakeholders attended the community forums and proposed responses to promotoras’ photographic themes. Our findings suggest that Photovoice provides an opportunity for Latinas and the larger community to identify issues that they find most important and to explore avenues for action and change by creating sustainable partnerships between the community and forum attendees.
Light therapy modulates serotonin levels and blood flow in women with headache. A preliminary study
Authors: Tomaz de Magalhães Miriam , Núñez Silvia Cristina , Kato Ilka Tiemy , Ribeiro Martha Simões
Published: July 2015

In this study, we looked at the possible effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on blood flow velocity, and serotonin (5-HT) and cholinesterase levels in patients with chronic headache associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). LLLT has been clinically applied over the past years with positive results in analgesia and without the report of any side effects. The understanding of biological mechanisms of action may improve clinical results and facilitate its indication. Ten patients presenting headache associated with TMD completed the study. An 830-nm infrared diode laser with power of 100 mW, exposure time of 34 s, and energy of 3.4 J was applied on the tender points of masseter and temporal muscle. Blood flow velocity was determined via ultrasound Doppler velocimetry before and after laser irradiation. The whole blood 5-HT and cholinesterase levels were evaluated three days before, immediately, and three days after laser irradiation. Pain score after treatment decreased to a score of 5.8 corresponding to 64% of pain reduction ( P < 0.05). LLLT promoted a decrease in the blood flow velocity ( P < 0.05). In addition, the 5-HT levels were significantly increased three days after LLLT ( P < 0.05). The cholinesterase levels remained unchanged at the analyzed time points ( P > 0.05). Our findings indicated that LLLT regulates blood flow in the temporal artery after irradiation and might control 5-HT levels in patients suffering with tension-type headache associated to TMD contributing to pain relief.
Rock Climbing for Promoting Physical Activity in Youth
Authors: Siegel Shannon R. , Fryer Simon M.
Published: July 2015

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in youth has steadily increased over the last decade, although it appears to have currently stabilized. Physical inactivity is a major contributor to this obesity epidemic, and more than half of American youth do not meet physical activity recommendations. Rock climbing and bouldering require both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, with the metabolic cost comparable to moderate to vigorous physical activity in adults. Minimal data on youth climbers exist, yet climbing is extremely popular with youth, and thus the sport may be a viable option for decreasing the prevalence of obesity. Available data show that rock climbing can provide youth with muscular strength and endurance building exercise, and possibly improve flexibility. In addition, rock climbing has the potential to provide youth with moderate levels of physical activity according to recommended guidelines. Nine peer reviewed articles are included in this review, as these are the articles specifically associated with youth climbing and health-related fitness. Due to limited research in this area, no articles were excluded if they were related to health-related fitness and youth and rock climbing/bouldering. This review aims to systematically address the impact of rock climbing and bouldering on health-related fitness in youth.
The Protein-Sparing Modified Fast for Adolescents With Severe Obesity
Authors: Watowicz Rosanna P. , Tindall Alexis L. , Hummel Jessica C. , Eneli Ihuoma U.
Published: July 2015

Background. Severely obese youth respond poorly to current conventional lifestyle interventions when compared with their overweight and obese peers. The protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF) intervention is a reduced-calorie, low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet that is thought to improve weight loss. The objective of this study is to describe 2 inpatient cases and 1 outpatient case that used the PSMF for adolescents. Methods. Three patients followed a PSMF for approximately 12 to 52 weeks, initially consuming 20 to 40 grams of carbohydrate per day for the first 12 weeks. Two of these patients were admitted as inpatients for the first 2 to 4 weeks of the diet. Results. The PSMF led to rapid weight loss and a decrease in body mass index. For 2 patients, there was an improvement in liver function tests or liver disease following the PSMF diet. All the patients demonstrated an improvement in some abnormal laboratory indices, for example, liver function tests and hemoglobin A1c, but had a clinically insignificant increase in total cholesterol. No serious complications were observed. Conclusions. With proper planning and adequate resources, PSMF or low-carbohydrate diets are a viable option for the management of severe obesity in medically complex adolescents. However, practitioners will need to be conservative with its application in the pediatric population. Further research is needed to assess the long-term outcomes from a PSMF.
Datafication and empowerment: How the open data movement re-articulates notions of democracy, participation, and journalism
Authors: Baack Stefan
Published: July 2015

This article shows how activists in the open data movement re-articulate notions of democracy, participation, and journalism by applying practices and values from open source culture to the creation and use of data. Focusing on the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany and drawing from a combination of interviews and content analysis, it argues that this process leads activists to develop new rationalities around datafication that can support the agency of datafied publics. Three modulations of open source are identified: First, by regarding data as a prerequisite for generating knowledge, activists transform the sharing of source code to include the sharing of raw data. Sharing raw data should break the interpretative monopoly of governments and would allow people to make their own interpretation of data about public issues. Second, activists connect this idea to an open and flexible form of representative democracy by applying the open source model of participation to political participation. Third, activists acknowledge that intermediaries are necessary to make raw data accessible to the public. This leads them to an interest in transforming journalism to become an intermediary in this sense. At the same time, they try to act as intermediaries themselves and develop civic technologies to put their ideas into practice. The article concludes with suggesting that the practices and ideas of open data activists are relevant because they illustrate the connection between datafication and open source culture and help to understand how datafication might support the agency of publics and actors outside big government and big business.
The Rice Floral Repressor Early flowering1 Affects Spikelet Fertility By Modulating Gibberellin Signaling
Authors: Kwon Choon-Tak , Kim Suk-Hwan , Kim Dami , Paek Nam-Chon
Published: July 2015

Background

Gibberellic acid (GA; or gibberellin) affects the development of floral organs, especially anthers and pollen, and perturbation of development of male floral organs can cause sterility. Many studies of GA signaling have concentrated on anther development, but the effect of GA on grain production remains to be examined.

Results

Using a cross of ‘Milyang23 (M23)’, which has a functional allele ofEarly flowering1(EL1), and ‘H143’, which has a nonfunctionalel1allele, we generated heterogeneous inbred family-near isogenic lines (HNILs) that are homozygous forEL1[HNIL(M23)] orel1[HNIL(H143)]. Here, we found that HNIL(H143) exhibited anther deformities and low pollen viability. The expression ofGAMYB, a major activator of GA signaling, and its downstream genesCYP703A3andKAR, mainly involved in pollen formation, increased abnormally during spikelet development; this activation of GA signaling may cause the sterility. To confirm the negative effect of theel1mutation on spikelet fertility, we examined a line carrying a T-DNA insertionel1mutant [hereafter ZH11(el1)] and its parental cultivar ‘Zhonghua11 (ZH11)’. ZH11(el1) showed nearly identical defects in anther development and pollen viability as HNIL(H143), leading to decreased seed setting rate. However, the elitejaponicacultivar Koshihikari, which has a nonfunctionalel1allele for early flowering in long days, produces fertile spikelets and normal grain yields, like other elitejaponicacultivars. This indicates that as-yet-unknown regulator(s) that can overcome the male sterile phenotype of theel1mutation must have been introduced into Koshihikari.

Conclusions

Theel1mutation contributes to early flowering injaponicarice under long days but fails to limit GA signaling, thus negatively affecting spikelet fertility, which results in a loss of grain yield. Thus,EL1is essential for photoperiod sensitivity in flowering as well as spikelet fertility in grain production.
Breaking the low pay, no pay cycle: the effects of the UK Employment Retention and Advancement programme
Authors: Hendra Richard , Riccio James , Dorsett Richard , Robins Philip K.
Published: July 2015

This paper presents the final economic results of the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) programme. ERA’s distinctive combination of post-employment advisory support and financial incentives was designed to help low-income individuals who entered work sustain employment and advance in the labour market. ERA targeted three groups. ERA produced short-term earnings gains for two lone parent target groups. However, these effects generally faded after the programme ended, largely because the control group caught up with the ERA group. For the New Deal 25 Plus target group (mostly long term unemployed men), ERA produced modest but sustained increases in employment and earnings.

JEL Codes: I38, J18, C93
Integrating mobile phone technologies into labor-market intermediation: a multi-treatment experimental design
Authors: Dammert Ana C , Galdo Jose , Galdo Virgilio
Published: July 2015

This study investigates the causal impacts of integrating mobile phone technologies into traditional public labor-market intermediation services on employment outcomes. By providing faster, cheaper and up-to-date information on job vacancies via SMS, mobile phone technologies might affect the rate at which offers arrive as well as the probability of receiving a job offer. We implement a social experiment with multiple treatments that allows us to investigate both the role of information channels (digital versus non-digital) and information sets (restricted [public] versus unrestricted [public/private]). The results show positive and significant short-term effects on employment for public labor-market intermediation. While the impacts from traditional labor-market intermediation are not large enough to be statistically significant, the unrestricted digital treatment group shows statistically significant short-term employment effects. As for potential matching efficiency gains, the results suggest no statistically significant effects associated with either information channels or information sets.

JEL classification codes:I3, J2
Efficient pseudo-Gauss-Newton full-waveform inversion in the τ-p domain
Authors: Pan Wenyong , Innanen Kristopher A. , Margrave Gary F. , Cao Danping
Published: July 2015

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) seeks to estimate subsurface elastic properties by iterative minimization of the difference between synthetic and observed data. Its industrial application suffers from several well-defined obstacles, including high computational cost, slow convergence rate, and the phenomenon of cycle skipping. We have developed an efficient [Formula: see text] domain waveform inversion aimed at reducing the computational burden of FWI with a phase-encoding technique. The gradient is constructed in the [Formula: see text] domain using linear phase-encoding, and a slant update strategy further reduces the computational burden. Poorly scaled and blurred gradient updates can be enhanced using exact or approximate versions of the inverse Hessian, which leads to a faster convergence rate. We developed a new chirp phase-encoding strategy for diagonal Hessian construction. Preconditioning the gradient using the diagonal phase-encoded approximate Hessian forms what we refer to as a pseudo-Gauss-Newton (PGN) step. To test the effectiveness of the [Formula: see text]-domain FWI, the strategies were enacted on a modified Marmousi model. We compared the computational cost of the PGN method with traditional methods, and we evaluated the quality of the inversion results. The PGN method can get a better inversion result with the same computational cost. We have also analyzed the effects of different ray parameter settings and the influence of source spacing, and we compared different preconditioning methods for [Formula: see text]-domain FWI.
Assessment of the transport mechanism at a hydrocarbon spill site using geophysical, geologic, and geotechnical techniques
Authors: Babcock Esther , Nettels Chris , Beardsley Peter
Published: July 2015

An accidental hydrocarbon release into a residential water well provides a case study for an assessment of the transport mechanism of a hydrocarbon in an alluvial depositional geologic setting. Due to the failure of initial results to recover the injected hydrocarbon in nearby wells, we collected ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data, soil samples, and soil conductivity logs throughout the site with the following objectives: (1) to understand the geologic setting, and (2) to identify the migratory path of the contaminant in the subsurface. Integrated interpretation of the GPR data, soil samples, and the soil conductivity logs provided evidence that the spilled hydrocarbon migrated against the direction of the dominant groundwater gradient but instead moved upward along dipping layers characteristic of the meandering river system. These results demonstrated that at a contaminated site having complex stratigraphy, traditional methods of characterization (such as monitoring wells) may fail, and the judicious use of geophysical and geotechnical tools may be able to provide insight into the mechanisms for the fate and transport of the contamination.
Glucocorticoid-Induced Preterm Birth and Neonatal Hyperglycemia Alter Ovine β-Cell Development
Authors: Bansal Amita , Bloomfield Frank H. , Connor Kristin L. , Dragunow Mike , Thorstensen Eric B. , Oliver Mark H. , Sloboda Deborah M. , Harding Jane E. , Alsweiler Jane M.
Published: July 2015

Adults born preterm are at increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes. Late gestation fetuses exposed to high blood glucose concentration also are at increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance as adults. Preterm babies commonly become hyperglycemic and are thus exposed to high blood glucose concentration at an equivalent stage of pancreatic maturation. It is not known whether preterm birth itself, or complications of prematurity, such as hyperglycemia, alter later pancreatic function. To distinguish these, we made singleton preterm lambs hyperglycemic (HYPER) for 12 days after birth with a dextrose infusion and compared them with vehicle-treated preterm and term controls and with HYPER lambs made normoglycemic with an insulin infusion. Preterm birth reduced β-cell mass, apparent by 4 weeks after term and persisting to adulthood (12 mo), and was associated with reduced insulin secretion at 4 months (juvenile) and reduced insulin mRNA expression in adulthood. Hyperglycemia in preterm lambs further down-regulated key pancreatic gene expression in adulthood. These findings indicate that reduced β-cell mass after preterm birth may be an important factor in increased risk of diabetes after preterm birth and may be exacerbated by postnatal hyperglycemia.
Cholesterol Biosynthesis and Trafficking in Cortisol-Producing Lesions of the Adrenal Cortex
Authors: London Edra , Wassif Christopher A. , Horvath Anelia , Tatsi Christina , Angelousi Anna , Karageorgiadis Alexander S. , Porter Forbes D. , Stratakis Constantine A.
Published: July 2015

Context:

Cortisol-producing adenomas (CPAs), primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), and primary macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (PMAH) cause ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome (CS). Investigation of their pathogenesis has demonstrated their integral link to the cAMP-dependent protein kinase signaling pathway.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to identify differences in cholesterol biosynthesis among different CS-causing adrenocortical tumors. Because of the concomitant associations of cAMP levels with cholesterol and with steroid biosynthesis, we hypothesized that benign cortisol-producing tumors would display aberration of these pathways.

Design and Setting:

Twenty-three patients with CPA, PPNAD, or PMAH who underwent adrenalectomy for CS were included in the study. Preoperative biochemical analyses were performed, and excised adrenal tissues were studied.

Main Outcome Measures:

Serum, urinary hormone levels, serum lipid profiles, and anthropometric data were obtained preoperatively. Adrenal tissues were analyzed for total protein, cholesterol, and neutral sterol content by mass spectrometry and expression of HMGCR, LDLR, ABCA1, DHCR24, and STAR genes.

Results:

There were differences in cholesterol content and markers of cholesterol biosynthesis and metabolism that distinguished CPAs from PMAH and PPNAD; cholesterol, lathosterol, and lathosterol/cholesterol ratio were significantly higher in CPAs. ABCA1 mRNA was lower among CPAs compared to tissues from bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia (PMAH and PPNAD), and mRNA expression of LDL-R, DCHR24, and HMGCR tended to be higher in CPA tumor tissues.

Conclusion:

CPAs displayed characteristics of “cholesterol-starved” tissues when compared to PPNAD and PMAH and appeared to have increased intrinsic cholesterol production and uptake from the periphery, as well as decreased cholesterol efflux. This has implications for a potential new way of treating these tumors.
On the Backward Euler Approximation of the Stochastic Allen-Cahn Equation
Authors: Kovács Mihály , Larsson Stig , Lindgren Fredrik
Published: July 2015

We consider the stochastic Allen-Cahn equation perturbed by smooth additive Gaussian noise in a spatial domain with smooth boundary in dimension d ≤ 3, and study the semidiscretization in time of the equation by an implicit Euler method. We show that the method converges pathwise with a rate O(Δtγ) for any γ < ½. We also prove that the scheme converges uniformly in the strong Lp-sense but with no rate given.
Asymptotic Properties of a Random Graph with Duplications
Authors: Backhausz Ágnes , Móri Tamás F.
Published: July 2015

We deal with a random graph model evolving in discrete time steps by duplicating and deleting the edges of randomly chosen vertices. We prove the existence of an almost surely asymptotic degree distribution, with stretched exponential decay; more precisely, the proportion of vertices of degree d tends to some positive number cd > 0 almost surely as the number of steps goes to ∞, and cd ~ (eπ)1/2d1/4e-2√d holds as d → ∞.
Quantitative Convergence Rates for Subgeometric Markov Chains
Authors: Andrieu Christophe , Fort Gersende , Vihola Matti
Published: July 2015

We provide explicit expressions for the constants involved in the characterisation of ergodicity of subgeometric Markov chains. The constants are determined in terms of those appearing in the assumed drift and one-step minorisation conditions. The results are fundamental for the study of some algorithms where uniform bounds for these constants are needed for a family of Markov kernels. Our results accommodate also some classes of inhomogeneous chains.
A Fluid EOQ Model with Markovian Environment
Authors: Barron Yonit
Published: July 2015

We consider a production-inventory model operating in a stochastic environment that is modulated by a finite state continuous-time Markov chain. When the inventory level reaches zero, an order is placed from an external supplier. The costs (purchasing and holding costs) are modulated by the state at the order epoch time. Applying a matrix analytic approach, fluid flow techniques, and martingales, we develop methods to obtain explicit equations for these cost functionals in the discounted case and under the long-run average criterion. Finally, we extend the model to allow backlogging.
A Recursion Formula for the Moments of the First Passage Time of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Process
Authors: Veestraeten Dirk
Published: July 2015

In this paper we use the Siegert formula to derive alternative expressions for the moments of the first passage time of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process through a constant threshold. The expression for the nth moment is recursively linked to the lower-order moments and consists of only n terms. These compact expressions can substantially facilitate (numerical) applications also for higher-order moments.
Multivariate Distributions with Fixed Marginals and Correlations
Authors: Huber Mark , Marić Nevena
Published: July 2015

Consider the problem of drawing random variates (X1, …, Xn) from a distribution where the marginal of each Xi is specified, as well as the correlation between every pair Xi and Xj. For given marginals, the Fréchet-Hoeffding bounds put a lower and upper bound on the correlation between Xi and Xj. Any achievable correlation between Xi and Xj
is a convex combination of these bounds. We call the value λ(Xi, Xj) ∈ [0, 1] of this convex combination the convexity parameter of (Xi, Xj) with λ(Xi, Xj) = 1 corresponding to the upper bound and maximal correlation. For given marginal distributions functions F1, …, Fn of (X1, …, Xn), we show that λ(Xi, Xj) = λij
if and only if there exist symmetric Bernoulli random variables (B1, …, Bn) (that is {0, 1} random variables with mean ½) such that λ(Bi, Bj) = λij. In addition, we characterize completely the set of convexity parameters for symmetric Bernoulli marginals in two, three, and four dimensions.