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Relative Numerosity Is Constructed From Size And Density Information: Evidence From Adaptation
No full textTo dissociate aftereffects of size and density in the perception of relative numerosity, large or small adapter sizes were crossed with high or low adapter densities. A total of 48 participants were included in this preregistered design. To adapt the same retinotopic region as the large adapters, the small adapters were flashed in a sequence so as to “paint” the adapting density across the large region. Perceived numerosities and sizes in the adapted region were then compared to those in an unadapted region in separate blocks of trials, so that changes in density could be inferred. These density changes were found to be bidirectional and roughly symmetric, whereas the aftereffects of size and number were not symmetric. A simple account of these findings is that local adaptations to retinotopic density as well as global adaptations to size combine in producing numerosity aftereffects measured by assessing perceived relative number. Accounts based on number adaptation are contraindicated, in particular, by the result of adapting to a large, sparse adapter and testing with a stimulus with a double the density but half number of dots
Passionate Pursuits: Selected Clearings From A Life In Dialogue
No full textThe present work brings together the major essays of a globally esteemed psychologist. For over 50 years his writings have represented a catalytic and creative force in pressing the boundaries of understanding and opening vistas of practice. In this volume, Gergen has selected 22 papers that he feels most significant in their expression of his scholarly passions. The citations of several of these papers number in the thousands. Others give voice to specific and sometimes off-beat issues, but always relevant to the challenge of living more viably and vibrantly together on the planet. Gergen claims no ultimate responsibility for the writings; for him they are distillations of a life in dialogue. They are not his voice, but ours
Review Of Undocumented Saints: The Politics Of Migrating Devotions By W. A. Calvo-Quirós
No full textCOVID-19 As A Chronic Stressor And The Importance Of Individual Identity: A Data-Driven Look At Academic Productivity During The Pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted personal and professional life. For academics, research, teaching, and service tasks were upended and we all had to navigate the altered landscape. However, some individuals faced a disproportionate burden, particularly academics with minoritized identities or those who were early career, were caregivers, or had intersecting identities. As comparative endocrinologists, we determine how aspects of individual and species-level variation influence response to, recovery from, and resilience in the face of stressors. Here, we flip that framework and apply an integrative biological lens to the impact of the COVID-19 chronic stressor on our endocrine community. We address how the pandemic altered impact factors of academia (e.g., scholarly products) and relatedly, how factors of impact (e.g., sex, gender, race, career stage, caregiver status, etc.) altered the way in which individuals could respond. We predict the pandemic will have long-term impacts on the population dynamics, composition, and landscape of our academic ecosystem. Impact factors of research, namely journal submissions, were altered by COVID-19, and women authors saw a big dip. We discuss this broadly and then report General and Comparative Endocrinology (GCE) manuscript submission and acceptance status by gender and geographic region from 2019 to 2023. We also summarize how the pandemic impacted individuals with different axes of identity, how academic institutions have responded, compile proposed solutions, and conclude with a discussion on what we can all do to (re)build the academy in an equitable way. At GCE, the first author positions had gender parity, but men outnumbered women at the corresponding author position. Region of manuscript origin mattered for submission and acceptance rates, and women authors from Asia and the Middle East were the most heavily impacted by the pandemic. The number of manuscripts submitted dropped after year 1 of the pandemic and has not yet recovered. Thus, COVID-19 was a chronic stressor for the GCE community
Noise And Light Pollution Elicit Endocrine Responses In Urban But Not Forest Frogs
No full textUrban areas are characterised by the presence of sensory pollutants, such as anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN). Animals can quickly adapt to novel environmental conditions by adjusting their behaviour, which is proximately regulated by endocrine systems. While endocrine responses to sensory pollution have been widely reported, this has not often been linked to changes in behaviour, hampering the understanding of adaptiveness of endocrine responses. Our aim was, therefore, to investigate the effects of urbanisation, specifically urban noise and light pollution, on hormone levels in male urban and forest túngara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus), a species with reported population divergence in behaviour in response to urbanisation. We quantified testosterone and corticosterone release rates in the field and in the lab before and after exposure to urban noise and/or light. We show that urban and forest frogs differ in their endocrine phenotypes under field as well as lab conditions. Moreover, in urban frogs exposure to urban noise and light led, respectively, to an increase in testosterone and decrease in corticosterone, whereas in forest frogs sensory pollutants did not elicit any endocrine response. Our results show that urbanisation, specifically noise and light pollution, can modulate hormone levels in urban and forest populations differentially. The observed endocrine responses are consistent with the observed behavioural changes in urban frogs, providing a proximate explanation for the presumably adaptive behavioural changes in response to urbanisation
Thesis
Get PDFThis document discusses what makes a good thesis. It stresses that a thesis must be specific, concise, and provocative
“Into the Sea of Forgetfulness”: An Analysis of Anna Komnene’s Alexiad in Relation to the First Crusade
Get PDFAnna Komnene’s account of the First Crusade in her work The Alexiad provides invaluable insight into the Byzantine perspective of this pivotal event defining the 11th century. While shunned in a monastery, she wrote her celebrated work known as The Alexiad. Anna’s primary motivation for writing the biography stems from her desire to emphasize the accomplishments of her father, especially in regards to protecting the Byzantine Empire against invaders, both Latin and Turkish. For Anna, the crusade functions as a Western pretext for taking land away from the Byzantines. Comparing specific sieges in the First Crusade to their Latin counterparts provides a significantly more nuanced comprehension of the Crusades from a Christian perspective. Anna\u27s Byzantine perspective contradicts the simplified characterization of the First Crusade as a united Christian front against the Muslim forces
Carbon Capture Device for Reducing Tailpipe Emissions
Get PDFThis project explores the design and development of a small-scale CO2 capture device, aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from vehicle exhaust. The project harnesses a chemical reaction between calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to form solid calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a process known to naturally capture CO2. The efficiency of this reaction is enhanced by maintaining high humidity within the system from the exhaust gas, which accelerates carbonation and the formation of larger, more crystalline calcium carbonate particles. The design of the CO2 capture device revolves around a compact adsorption chamber where the CO2 reaction takes place. A small fan facilitates gas flow into the central chamber, ensuring thorough contact between the exhaust gases and the reactive material. The device is directly integrated with vehicle exhaust systems for real-time stationary carbon capture. The project\u27s scalable nature allows for future adaptations, including mobile vehicle exhaust systems and potential applications in industrial settings, particularly at point source emission sites. After the device was completely filled with pure exhaust, with correction for leakage, the CO2 concentration of the exhaust gas was reduced from 13.68% to 1.77% over the course of 4 hours and 22 minutes. If this technology were scaled and CO2 concentrations in emission exhaust were reduced from 13.68% to 1.77% in all gasoline cars in the United States, this 87.06% reduction in CO2 emissions would account for a reduction of 1.13 billion metric tons of CO2 per year. This project represents an innovative step towards mitigating the environmental impact of vehicle emissions and contributes to the broader efforts in combating climate change
