27 research outputs found
The Effect of Self-Esteem and Social Ostracism on Conspiratorial Thinking
No full textWith the rise of misinformation in America today, conspiracy theories and the conditions that influence them have increasingly become a topic of focus for researchers. This study investigated whether social exclusion increases belief in conspiracy theories, and how this relationship is impact by self-esteem among other individual factors. Participants (N = 309) were randomly assigned to recall either a personal experience of social exclusion or their last trip to the grocery store. They then completed randomized measures assessing conspiratorial beliefs, self-esteem, loneliness, and need for uniqueness. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found between the exclusion and control groups in relation to conspiratorial attitudes. The manipulation check also failed to produce a significant difference in reported feelings of exclusion between the two groups, suggesting the experimental manipulation was ineffective. These findings limit the interpretability of the results but underscore the need to refine future experimental designs. As conspiratorial thinking continues to rise in social and political discourse, understanding its psychological underpinnings remains an urgent and necessary direction for future research
The Effect of Self-Esteem and Social Ostracism on Conspiratorial Thinking
No full textWith the rise of misinformation in America today, conspiracy theories and the conditions that influence them have increasingly become a topic of focus for researchers. This study investigated whether social exclusion increases belief in conspiracy theories, and how this relationship is impact by self-esteem among other individual factors. Participants (N = 309) were randomly assigned to recall either a personal experience of social exclusion or their last trip to the grocery store. They then completed randomized measures assessing conspiratorial beliefs, self-esteem, loneliness, and need for uniqueness. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found between the exclusion and control groups in relation to conspiratorial attitudes. The manipulation check also failed to produce a significant difference in reported feelings of exclusion between the two groups, suggesting the experimental manipulation was ineffective. These findings limit the interpretability of the results but underscore the need to refine future experimental designs. As conspiratorial thinking continues to rise in social and political discourse, understanding its psychological underpinnings remains an urgent and necessary direction for future research
What's the Use? Macro, meso, and micro perspectives on the relationship between transparency, information usability, and citizen-state interactions
No full textGovernment transparency is considered essential to a functioning democracy. In principle, transparency yields greater access to information, thus enabling citizens to monitor the activities of government, hold organizations and actors accountable, and make sense of and contribute to important democratic processes that affect them and their communities.
In this way, transparency is often considered an intrinsic value, an ideal by which governments should consistently and unceasingly operate on. However, scholars also argue that transparency is an instrument used by public organizations to achieve specific governance outcomes - it is first through openness that greater participation, accountability, effectiveness, and social equity are made possible. Nonetheless, research on the link between transparency and outcomes is mixed. It is not always clear why transparency “works” in some contexts and not others, leading scholars to posit that transparency remains heavily dependent on any number of contextual factors and conditions.
This dissertation considers the complex link between transparency and citizens, examining one condition in particular: the usability of information about government programs, services, and policies. Across three independent empirical studies, I analyze how information design principles influence the usability of government information and, in turn, impact the effectiveness of citizen-centered transparency initiatives. By examining the relationship between public organizations’ efforts to increase transparency, information design principles for improving usability, and citizen-state interactions at the macro, meso, and micro levels, respectively, the dissertation aims to provide a multi-layered understanding of the link between transparency and citizens and some of the design-led strategies for strengthening it.
Using a mixed-methods design, this research examines ways that political dimensions of open data (macro-level), the affordances of open data portals and organizations’ efforts to leverage those affordances (meso-level), and design-led strategies for communicating the evidence that supports evidence-informed policies to the public (micro-level) influence dimensions of information usability that, in turn, shape interactions between citizens and their government. Findings suggest that information design plays a critical role in either helping or hindering transparency initiatives by impacting the usability of information about government programs, services, and policies. Overall, this research informs a set of design-led recommendations for improving the quality, relevance, comprehensibility and, ultimately, usability of government information and, in doing so, improving the success of transparency initiatives aimed at enhancing citizen-state interactions and promoting democracy.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Escher's tessellations and the 17 wallpaper groups
No full textMany chemist and physicist know and use the fact that there are only 17 possible wallpaper structures, many do not know why. The research aims to give an uncomplicated description of how wallpaper patterns, defined as periodic 2-dimensional tiling of a pattern over a plane where there is no overlapping or gapping, are classified. Here we will use group theory and linear algebra to note an inconsistency in Morandi's definition of lattice as well as observe how to classify wallpaper patterns by lattice type, group actions, and whether or not they obtain a split group extension
Knots, crossing changes, and surfaces in 4-dimensions
No full textKnot theory is a branch of topology that focuses on the study of mathematical knots. We study 11 crossing knots and knot invariants related to smoothly immersed disks in the four-ball. The knot invariant we focus on is slicing number, which is the minimal number of crossing changes to a slice knot. Using known relationships between knot invariants, computer applications used to manipulate knots, and other advanced programming, we were able to determine the slicing number for 414 11 crossing knots (out of a total of 552). We also obtained information on the 4-ball crossing number (minimal number of crossing changes in a movie of a disk bounded by the knot) and the smooth 4-genus (minimum genus of a smooth surface embedded in the 4-ball with boundary the knot) of many of these knots
Characterization of Fusobacterium isolates from the respiratory tract of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
No full textA total of 23 clinical isolates of Fusobacterium spp. were recovered at necropsy over a 2-year period from the respiratory tract of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Isolates were identified as Fusobacterium varium (18/23), Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme (3/23), and Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum (2/23). Using polymerase chain reaction–based detection of virulence genes, all F. necrophorum isolates were positive for the promoter region of the leukotoxin operon and the hemagglutinin-related protein gene, while all F. varium isolates were negative. The presence of the leukotoxin gene in F. necrophorum isolates and the absence of this gene in F. varium isolates were confirmed by Southern hybridization using 2 separate probes. Toxicity to bovine polymorphonuclear leukocytes was observed with all F. necrophorum isolates, but was not observed in any F. varium isolates. Susceptibility to antimicrobials was markedly different for F. varium as compared to F. necrophorum. In summary, no evidence of leukotoxin production was detected in any of the 23 F. varium isolates used in the current study. The data suggests that F. varium, the most common species isolated, may be a significant pathogen in deer with a different virulence mechanism than F. necrophorum
Reply to Rosenblum et al. and Carriquiry and Ommen: Understanding probative value, triers-of-fact, and usefulness of validity study results
No full textWe thank Rosenblum et al. (1) and Carriquiry and Ommen (2) for their interest in our article (3) regarding the validity of cartridge-case comparisons. They make three assertions: that we misrepresent the technique's probative value, that setting trier-of-fact pretest odds = 1 is improper, and that our results may not speak to the validity of the forensic technique. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify these misunderstandings, which we address in turn.
Rosenblum et al.'s belief that we misrepresent the technique’s probative value stems from their viewing trier-of-fact posttest beliefs as the measure of probative value (or, in their words, “strength of forensic evidence”). In fact, the likelihood ratio is the true measure of probative value. Guyll et al. correctly highlight the likelihood ratio as the empirical probative value measure that determines how much change is justified in trier-of-fact beliefs from any particular pretest value to a consequent posttest value. Likewise, the actual transcript (4) of the relevant testimony cited by Rosenblum et al. reveals an accurate portrayal of the technique’s probative value as quantified by the likelihood ratio by showing how much change it would justify in the trier-of-fact beliefs from an initial pretest value to a consequent posttest value. Nowhere do Guyll et al. or the testimony improperly represent posttest beliefs as the measure of probative value.This reply is published as M. Guyll, S. Madon, Y. Yang, K.A. Burd, G. Wells, Reply to Rosenblum et al. and Carriquiry and Ommen: Understanding probative value, triers-of-fact, and usefulness of validity study results, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
121 (45) e2316886121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2316886121 (2024). Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND)
Electroencephalogram (EEG) assessment of brain activity before and after electrical stunning in the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
No full textDATA AVAILABITY STATEMENT: The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Electrical stunning is used to capture crocodiles to perform routine management procedures. It
is essential from a welfare point that electrical stunning must cause unconsciousness in animals.
However, there is no information of whether or not electrical stunning causes unconsciousness in the
Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). The purpose of the study was to assess brain activity before and
after electrical stunning in crocodiles using a 5-channel referential electroencephalogram analysis to
determine consciousness. Behavioural indicators and electroencephalogram recordings of 15 captive-bred crocodiles were captured and analysed using power spectral density analysis immediately
before and after stunning and then at 60 s intervals until 5 min post-stunning. A standardised stun
of 170Volts was applied for 5–7 s on the wetted neck. Unconsciousness was defined as a decrease in
alpha wave power and increase in delta wave power. Three of the electroencephalograms could not be
assessed. Unconsciousness was identified in 6 out of 12 crocodiles and lasted for an average for 120 s.
An increase in electroencephalogram waveform amplitude and tonic–clonic seizure-like waveform
activity and behaviour indicators were not reliable indicators of unconsciousness. Further research
should be focused on improving the efficiency and reliability of electrical stunning.https://www.nature.com/srep/AnaesthesiologyCritical CareSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-beingSDG-15:Life on lan
Rapid Movement of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ on ‘Hamlin’ Sweet Orange and ‘Swingle’ Citrumelo Trunks
No full textHuanglongbing (HLB), caused by phloem-limited ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), is the primary limiting factor of production in most citrus regions of the world. After infection, CLas is transported systemically throughout the phloem tissues following the source-sink movement. Split-root rhizoboxes and one-sided graft inoculation above the split trunk was used to understand if the vertical distance of the inoculum source and different anatomical structures (grafted or seedling trees) can affect the speed of the CLas movement, as well as the effects of the seasonality on these movements. The time for CLas to reach the roots was not affected by either distance of the inoculum source or tree type. The seasonal infection period appears to have an important effect on CLas movement. Trees inoculated in the summer had fast and uniform movement (first detection at 4 weeks after inoculation). Plants inoculated in the winter had a slow and uneven movement (first CLas detection at 14 weeks after inoculation). Our results indicate that summer and spring are the seasons of CLas down and lateral movement, but this is independent of the vertical distance of the inoculum source or anatomical structures of the plants. The findings from this study aid in the management of HLB in the field, as well as improve the methods for CLas detection. [Figure: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license
Validity of forensic cartridge-case comparisons
No full textThis article presents key findings from a research project that evaluated the validity and probative value of cartridge-case comparisons under field-based conditions. Decisions provided by 228 trained firearm examiners across the US showed that forensic cartridge-case comparison is characterized by low error rates. However, inconclusive decisions constituted over one-fifth of all decisions rendered, complicating evaluation of the technique’s ability to yield unambiguously correct decisions. Specifically, restricting evaluation to only the conclusive decisions of identification and elimination yielded true-positive and true-negative rates exceeding 99%, but incorporating inconclusives caused these values to drop to 93.4% and 63.5%, respectively. The asymmetric effect on the two rates occurred because inconclusive decisions were rendered six times more frequently for different-source than same-source comparisons. Considering probative value, which is a decision’s usefulness for determining a comparison’s ground-truth state, conclusive decisions predicted their corresponding ground-truth states with near perfection. Likelihood ratios (LRs) further showed that conclusive decisions greatly increase the odds of a comparison’s ground-truth state matching the ground-truth state asserted by the decision. Inconclusive decisions also possessed probative value, predicting different-source status and having a LR indicating that they increase the odds of different-source status. The study also manipulated comparison difficulty by using two firearm models that produce dissimilar cartridge-case markings. The model chosen for being more difficult received more inconclusive decisions for same-source comparisons, resulting in a lower true-positive rate compared to the less difficult model. Relatedly, inconclusive decisions for the less difficult model exhibited more probative value, being more strongly predictive of different-source status.This article is published as Guyll, M., Madon, S., Yang, Y., Burd, K.A., Wells, G., Validity of forensic cartridge-case comparisons, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences., May 2023, 120 (20);e2210428120.; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.221042812Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).<br
