3,550 research outputs found
PIDR(s): IDR(s) as a Projection Method
No full textThe Induced Dimension Reduction(s) method (or the IDR(s) method) is an example of an iterative method used for solving systems of linear equations. Projection methods are a special type of iterative method. They find an approximate solution in a subspace (the right subspace) by requiring that the residual is orthogonal to another subspace (the left subspace). In this thesis we investigate how we can implement IDR(s) as a projection method. We call this method IDR(s), which stands for Projected IDR(s).We present an implementation of PIDR(s) for solving systems of linear equations and for solving eigenvalue problems. These implementations are not meant to be optimal, but they are used to show that IDR(s) can indeed be seen as a projection method.Track: educationScience Education and CommunicationApplied Science
Actie podium van de stad - De plek voor overlapping van publieke en private actie; onderzoeksrapport. Het grote huis en de kleine stad - de stad van ankers in plaats van wortels; essay, onderdeel van onderzoeksrapport.
No full textHet onderzoeksrapport is in samenwerking van bovengenoemde auteurs tot stand gekomen. Het essay is enkel geschreven door M.B. Dekker.At home in the city - BerlinDwellingArchitectur
Emotional Valence Modulates Low Beta Suppression and Recognition of Social Interactions
No full textEmotional valence may have evolutionary adaptive purposes as negative stimuli can be related to survival against threat and positive stimuli to facilitating relationships. This can be seen in the different impact positive and negative stimuli have on human health and well-being, and in the valence-specific cortical activity and neurophysiological patterns reported; for example, negative stimuli are processed more rapidly than positive. Valence-specific patterns are affected by individual differences and personality traits such as empathy, where levels of empathy relate to different reactivity patterns to valence. Here we investigated the effect of valence on neurophysiological responses and interpretation of social interactions depicted by point-light biological motion (PLBM) displays. The meaning of each PLBM display is revealed as the sequence unfolds and is therefore not readily available for snap assessments such as fight or flight responses. We compared electroencephalogram (EEG) reactivity during observation of the displays between individuals with low, moderate, or high levels of empathy. Results indicated that positive displays induced significantly larger suppression in lower beta (13 20 Hz) compared to control displays, while negative displays revealed no difference in suppression compared to scrambled versions. However, no difference between positive and negative displays was observed, suggesting that the rapid processing of negative displays may have been minimized by revealing meaning more slowly. Positive displays were interpreted more accurately, while levels of empathy did not modulate either neurophysiological responses or interpretation, suggesting that empathy under these conditions did not influence the way in which valence was processed or interpreted
Anterior thigh composition measured using ultrasound imaging to quantify relative thickness of muscle and non-contractile tissue: a potential biomarker for musculoskeletal health
No full textThis study aimed to use ultrasound imaging to provide objective data on the effects of ageing and gender on relative thickness of quadriceps muscle and non-contractile tissue thickness (subcutaneous fat, SF, combined with perimuscular fascia). In 136 healthy males and females (aged 18-90 years n=63 aged 18-35 years; n=73 aged 65-90). Images of the anterior thigh (dominant) were taken in relaxed supine using B-mode ultrasound imaging. Thickness of muscle, SF and perimuscular fascia were measured, and percentage thickness of total anterior thigh thickness calculated. Independent t-tests compared groups. Correlation between tissue thickness and BMI was examined using Pearson’s coefficient. Muscle thickness was: 39±8mm in young males, 29±6mm in females, 25±4mm in older males and 20±5mm in females. Percentage muscle to thigh thickness was greater in young participants (p=0.001). Percentage SF and fascia was 17±6% in young and 26±8% in older males, 32±7% in young and 44±7% in older females. BMI was similar for age and correlated moderately with non-contractile tissue (r=0.54; p<0.001) and poorly with muscle (r=-0.01; p=0.93). In conclusion, this novel application of ultrasound imaging as a simple and rapid means of assessing thigh composition (relative thickness of muscle and non-contractile tissue) may help inform health status, e.g. in older people at risk of frailty and loss of mobility, and aid monitoring effects of weight loss or gain, deconditioning and exercise
Author Correction:A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland)
No full textCorrection to: Scientific Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01221-6, published online 25 November 2021The original version of this Article contained errors in the author list where Marjolein D. Bosch was omitted from the author list, and Mikołaj Urbanowski was incorrectly listed as an author of the original Article, and has subsequently been removed.The Author contributions section now reads:“S.T. W.N. and A.N. conceived the project; S.T., W.N., A.P., M.B., S.C., M.D., H.F., A.M., M.D. B., D.P., M.P.R., C.M.R., V.S-M., G.M.S., P.S., M.S., K.S., A.V., F.W., H.W., A.W., M.Z., S.B., A.N., J-J. H., performed research; S.T., A.P., W.N., M.B., M.D.B., S.C., M.D., H.F., A.M., D.P., M.P.R., C.M.R., V.S-M., G.M.S., P.S., M.S., K.S., A.V., F.W., H.W., A.W., M.Z., S.B., A.N., J-J. H. analysed all archaeological data; S.T. and A.P. wrote the paper with the collaboration of all the co-authors.”The original Article and its accompanying Supplementary Information file have been corrected
Internet and e-health Care: an Interdigital Field of Study
No full textThe foreword focuses on a historical definition of the e-health field. The author contributed to shaping the e-health field in the international community being one of the pioneers' scholars since the 1990s. The chapter discusses current and challenging future scenarios based on the international evolution that brings about new challenges
Prefrontal transcranial alternating current stimulation improves motor sequence reproduction
No full textCortical activity in frontal, parietal, and motor regions during sequence observation correlates with performance on sequence reproduction. Increased cortical activity observed during observation has therefore been suggested to represent increased learning. Causal relationships have been demonstrated between M1 and motor sequence reproduction and between parietal cortex and bimanual learning. However, similar effects have not been reported for frontal regions despite a number of reports implicating its involvement in encoding of motor sequences. Investigating causal relations between cortical activity and reproduction of motor sequences in parietal, frontal and primary motor regions can disentangle whether specific regions during simple observation can be selectively ascribed to encoding or reproduction or both. We designed a sensorimotor paradigm that included a strong motor sequence component, and tested the impact of individually adjusted transcranial alternating current stimulation (IAF-tACS) to prefrontal, parietal, and primary motor regions on electroencephalographic motor rhythms (alpha and beta bandwidths) during motor sequence observation and the ability to reproduce the observed sequences. Independently of the stimulated region, IAF-tACS led to a reduction in suppression in the lower beta-range relative to sham. Prefrontal IAF-tACS however, led to significant improvement in motor sequence reproduction, pinpointing the crucial role of prefrontal regions in motor sequence reproduction
An empirical and theoretical investigation into the psychological effects of wearing a mask
No full textA review of the literature shows that the wearing of a mask has been hypothesised to bring about four main psychological effects: disinhibition, transformation, facilitation of the expression of aspects of the wearer’s Self, and various psycho-somatic changes. Several different explanations have been proposed as to why each of these effects come about. Using theoretical and empirical research, the thesis explores in detail the hypothesis that a mask can disinhibit its wearer, and that this disinhibition comes about because the mask-wearer feels less identifiable. The findings show that a mask can significantly reduces its wearer’s feelings of identifiability, and that it can also significantly reduce its wearer’s public self-awareness as a consequence of changes in attentional focus. However, the empirical evidence suggests that the mask’s disinhibiting effect is limited to situations in which an individual wants to behave in a particular way, but inhibits that behaviour out of a concern with ‘mask-able’ facets of their public self. Concomitantly, the findings suggest that, if an individual wants to behave in a way for which they require ‘mask-able’ facets of the public self, then the wearing of a mask may be experienced as inhibiting. This thesis also examines the hypothesis that a mask can transform its wearer, and that this occurs through the self-attribution process outlined by Kellerman and Laird (1982). The thesis provides strong empirical support for both these hypotheses, showing that the wearing of a mask can make individuals feel less like their usual self and more like the character represented in the mask. However, the empirical evidence suggests that this latter effect only occurs under conditions in which an individual is specifically focused on their masked appearance. A final chapter discusses the theoretical and applied implications of these findings, with specific reference to the use of masks in therapeutic practice
LA PRIMA RICEZIONE DELLA FENOMENOLOGIA NEGLI STATI UNITI: UN'ANALISI STORICO-CRITICA
No full textMy research analyzes the characteristics of the first reception of husserlian phenomenology in the United States. The base of this work is a detailed historiographical reconstruction of this phase representing the point of departure of all those studies on phenomenological tradition that have been developed in the American academic world. Several institutions belong to the context in which this reception took place: the New School for Social Research as the original center for the teaching of phenomenology and a number of societies arisen since the sixties to diffuse Husserl’s philosophy in the United States (First Part: Chapter 2 and Chapter 3).
This first reception, promoted since the late thirties by Kaufmann, Schutz, Gurwitsch, Cairns and Farber, must be distinguished from an earlier phase, presenting only the general approach to Husserl’s thought of some American scholars (Second Part: Chapter 1). The origin of the studies of each author undoubtedly typifies their promotion of husserlian phenomenology: Gurwitsch, Schutz and Kaufmann belong to the European tradition, (First Part: Chapter 1) while the Americans Farber and Cairns mainly owe the growing interest in Husserl’s thought to their studies in Freiburg (Second Part: Chapter 2). Nevertheless, during this phase of reception of phenomenology, the original adherence to his lesson – useful to distinguish them from others Husserl’s students emigrated in United States – gradually disappears from their critiques. The aim of my research is to single out the salient features that characterize the different interpretations of Husserl’s thought elaborated by each author, whereas their originality can be indicated as decisive for following developments (Third Part). Gurwitsch builds an interesting critique of Husserl’s whole-part theory, focuses his analysis on the noema, and elaborates a non-egological conception of consciousness. Schutz’s critique of transcendental phenomenology mainly refers to his concept of mundane intersubjectivity. For what concerns Cairns, his few writings published until now don’t allow to deepen the exam on his interpretation. After the arrival in the United States, Kaufmann concentrates his discussion on the relationship between husserlian phenomenology and the logic. Farber proposes a critique which is far from being an original interpretation, although his analysis remains bound to the interest in phenomenology until the end.
With this work I want to explain how the interest about husserlian phenomenology began in the United States, who were its promoters, and also what kind of interpretations they developed in the American academic world. It must be considered that they hadn’t a decisive influence on further developments of phenomenological studies, but in any case helped bringing the attention on Husserl’s thought throughout their teaching
Preceptorship via action research : a reflective account
No full textThis thesis provides a reflective account of the introduction of a provisional model of
transitional learning support (known as preceptorship) offered to newly qualified nurses
via an action research project. 284 nurses took part in the project over a three year period.
By a process of collaborative exploration, reflection and problem-solving, preceptor
partnerships were established in the workplace in an attempt to uncover and articulate the
learning and socialisation processes encountered at the beginning stages of a nurse's
career.
Data relating to the model's implementation was collected via eleven different methods,
the most data-rich being that of values exploration and clarification using the dialectical
technique of 'Socratic Questioning'. The data and relevant literature were then
collaboratively analysed and interpreted by co-researchers using the principles of reflective
practice. The emerging account of beginning practice in nursing was then synthesised and
'reconstructed' by the primary researcher, drawing on the theoretical and philosophical
perspectives of Social Constructionism and Human Ecology.
A practice based theory of preceptorship was developed and empirically tested through
the project, and a description and reflective evaluation of the processes involved is
provided here. Tentative recommendations are then offered for the future development of
preceptorship in the workplace
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