144 research outputs found
Boosting Intellectual Humility to Mitigate Confirmation Bias during Web Search
No full textSearching the web on debated topics, which are issues under active discussion and where individual opinions diverge, can be highly challenging. It requires users to approach their queries objectively, browse many resources, and accept a certain level of uncertainty, even if it conflicts with personal values. In particular, confirmation bias, the tendency to favor information that reinforces beliefs or attitudes, impacts how people gather and interpret information retrieved from search engines when searching on debated topics. It can have far-reaching effects, potentially leading to conflicts, extremism, and polarization.In an innovative approach towards mitigating the negative effects of confirmation bias on web search on debated topics, we propose implementing a boosting intervention aimed at enhancing Intellectual Humility (IH) – an individual’s ability to acknowledge the fallibility of one’s own beliefs and the limits of one’s knowledge while remaining open to learning from others’ perspectives even if they differ from their own viewpoint. While previous research has highlighted the potential benefits of boosting IH as a means to mitigate confirmation bias, its impact on users’ search behavior has yet to be explored.Our work bridges this gap through two randomized preregistered user studies, gaining valuable insights into the effectiveness of IH-boosting interventions in mitigating confirmation bias. In the first study, we assessed the effect of three boosting interventions with different levels of complexity on users’ context dependent IH. In the second study, we examined the effects of these interventions on web search behavior.The first experiment successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the interventions in boosting participants’ IH across all three treatment groups. However, applying these interventions to web search, no significant differences in search behavior were observed. Our exploratory findings reveal that both individual and environmental factors, including occupation, personal viewpoints, and search results order, shape the impact of IH-boosting interventions on online search behavior, with varying effects observed across different debated topics. We hope this study inspires, and is an initial basis for continued efforts to explore the multifaceted relationship between IH, information-seeking behavior, and responsible opinion formation, ultimately promoting a more informed and unbiased online discourse.Computer Science | Web Information System
Future Perspectives of Newborn Screening for Inborn Errors of Immunity
No full textNewborn screening (NBS) programs continue to expand due to innovations in both test methods and treatment options. Since the introduction of the T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) assay 15 years ago, many countries have adopted screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in their NBS program. SCID became the first inborn error of immunity (IEI) in population-based screening and at the same time the TREC assay became the first high-throughput DNA-based test in NBS laboratories. In addition to SCID, there are many other IEI that could benefit from early diagnosis and intervention by preventing severe infections, immune dysregulation, and autoimmunity, if a suitable NBS test was available. Advances in technologies such as KREC analysis, epigenetic immune cell counting, protein profiling, and genomic techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) could allow early detection of various IEI shortly after birth. In the next years, the role of these technical advances as well as ethical, social, and legal implications, logistics and cost will have to be carefully examined before different IEI can be considered as suitable candidates for inclusion in NBS programs
HLA-identical umbilical cord blood transplantation from a sibling donor in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia.
No full textOutcome of Non-hematological Autoimmunity After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Children with Primary Immunodeficiency
No full textPurpose: Knowledge of post-hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) non-hematological autoimmune disease (AD) is far from satisfactory.
Method: This multicenter retrospective study focuses on incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of post-HCT AD in 596 children with primary immunodeficiency (PID) who were transplanted from 2009 to 2018.
Results: The indications of HCT were severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID, n = 158, 27%) and non-SCID PID (n = 438, 73%). The median age at HCT was 2.3 years (range, 0.04 to 18.3 years). The 5-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 79% (95% cumulative incidence (CIN), 74-83%). The median follow-up of surviving patients was 4.3 years (0.08 to 14.7 years). The CIN of post-HCT AD was 3% (2-5%) at 1 year post-HCT, 7% (5-11%) at 5 years post-HCT, and 11% (7-17%) at 8 years post-HCT. The median onset of post-HCT AD was 2.2 years (0.12 to 9.6 years). Autoimmune thyroid disorder (n = 19, 62%) was the most common post-HCT AD, followed by neuromuscular disorders (n = 7, 22%) and rheumatological manifestations (n = 5, 16%). All patients but one required treatment for post-HCT AD. After multivariate analysis, age at transplant (p = 0.01) and T cell-depleted graft (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of post-HCT AD. None of the T cell-depleted graft recipients developed post-HCT AD. Patients with a lower CD3+ count at 6 months post-HCT had a significant higher incidence of post-HCT AD compared to disease controls. Graft-versus-host disease, viral infection, and donor chimerism had no association with post-HCT AD.
Conclusion: Post-HCT AD occurred in 11% at 8 years post-HCT and its occurrence was associated with older age at HCT and unmanipulated graft
Smart Traffic Management System
No full textScenwise has developed the ScenarioDesigner to support road authorities in creating response plans. The response plans describe which actions the operator should take in order to manage different traffic situations such as accidents, large scale events This thesis elaborates on the process as well as the end-product created during the Bachelor End Project The BEP is a 10 week compulsory project to complete the Computer Science and Engineering program of the Delft University of Technology. It was conducted between 11 November 2019 and 11 February 2020. During the first two weeks the group focused on researching the problem, the possible solutions and traffic management in general. The subsequent 8 weeks were designated to the development of the product. The product was developed for ScenWise, a company that focuses on innovation within traffic management. In addition to evaluating the product, this thesis gives recommendations for a following group working on extending the product.Finally, the group would like to thank the client ScenWise, specifically K.F. Chan for providing the project as well as teaching us about the domain knowledge of the client. Furthermore, the group wants to thank Dr. A. Katsifodimos for the coaching throughout the project as well as Ir. O.W. Visser for giving the opportunity to do the BEP in the second quarter of the academic year.Bachelor End ProjectComputer Scienc
Searching for the Whole Truth: Harnessing the Power of Intellectual Humility to Boost Better Search on Debated Topics
No full textWe often use search engines when seeking information for opinion-forming and decision-making on debated topics. However, searching for resources on debated topics to gain well-rounded knowledge is cognitively demanding, leaving us vulnerable to cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias. This can impede well-informed decision-making, and on a societal level, snowball to compel extremism and polarization. Most existing approaches to support better search apply nudges that directly modify user behavior. Such interventions bear the risk of harming user autonomy. Here, we discuss the shift we envision towards autonomy-preserving interventions that boost users' metacognitive skills, specifically their intellectual humility (IH)-the ability to recognize the fallibility of one's beliefs and the limits of one's knowledge. While simple interventions to boost IH have shown promise, the effect on users' search behavior has yet to be investigated. We present critical research questions, challenges, and an initial research plan to advance knowledge in this area.</p
The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein is required for iNKT cell maturation and function
No full textThe Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) protein (WASp) is a regulator of actin cytoskeleton in hematopoietic cells. Mutations of the WASp gene cause WAS. Although WASp is involved in various immune cell functions, its role in invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells has never been investigated. Defects of iNKT cells could indeed contribute to several WAS features, such as recurrent infections and high tumor incidence. We found a profound reduction of circulating iNKT cells in WAS patients, directly correlating with the severity of clinical phenotype. To better characterize iNKT cell defect in the absence of WASp, we analyzed was(-/-) mice. iNKT cell numbers were significantly reduced in the thymus and periphery of was(-/-) mice as compared with wild-type controls. Moreover analysis of was(-/-) iNKT cell maturation revealed a complete arrest at the CD44(+) NK1.1(-) intermediate stage. Notably, generation of BM chimeras demonstrated a was(-/-) iNKT cell-autonomous developmental defect. was(-/-) iNKT cells were also functionally impaired, as suggested by the reduced secretion of interleukin 4 and interferon gamma upon in vivo activation. Altogether, these results demonstrate the relevance of WASp in integrating signals critical for development and functional differentiation of iNKT cells and suggest that defects in these cells may play a role in WAS pathology
HLA-identical umbilical cord blood transplantation from a sibling donor in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
No full textN/
Congenital aplastic anemia caused by mutations in the SBDS gene: A rare presentation of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
No full textClinical Findings. Aplastic anemia was diagnosed at birth for a first child from healthy nonconsanguineous parents. The girl had hypoglycemia, which normalized within 2 months. Cow milk allergy was suspected initially, because of skin lesions and diarrhea, followed by severe growth retardation. Clinical and radiologic symptoms gradually became typical for Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. Two common mutations in the SBDS gene (183-184TA --> CT [K62X] and IVS2(258) + 2T --> C [C84fs]) were found. Results. Bone marrow transplantation from a matched unrelated donor was unsuccessful. The genetic information from the deceased patient enabled us to perform prenatal molecular studies during the subsequent pregnancy, successfully predicting a nonaffected child. Conclusions. This report describes for the first time the hematologic abnormalities of congenital aplastic anemia and prolonged neonatal hypoglycemia as the presenting symptoms of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. The finding of common mutations in the presence of these symptoms at birth suggests the lack of a clear phenotype-genotype relationship in this syndrom
T and NK Cells in IL2RG-Deficient Patient 50 Years After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
No full textThe first successful European hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was performed in 1968 as treatment in a newborn with IL2RG deficiency using an HLA-identical sibling donor. Because of declining naive T and natural killer (NK) cells, and persistent human papilloma virus (HPV)-induced warts, the patient received a peripheral stem cell boost at the age of 37 years. NK and T cells were assessed before and up to 14 years after the boost by flow cytometry. The boost induced renewed reconstitution of functional NK cells that were 14 years later enriched for CD56dimCD27+ NK cells. T-cell phenotype and T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire were simultaneously analyzed by including TCR Vβ antibodies in the cytometry panel. Naive T-cell numbers with a diverse TCR Vβ repertoire were increased by the boost. Before and after the boost, clonal expansions with a homogeneous TIGIT and PD-1 phenotype were identified in the CD27− and/or CD28− memory population in the patient, but not in the donor. TRB sequencing was applied on sorted T-cell subsets from blood and on T cells from skin biopsies. Abundant circulating CD8 memory clonotypes with a chronic virus-associated CD57+KLRG1+CX3CR1+ phenotype were also present in warts, but not in healthy skin of the patient, suggesting a link with HPV. In conclusion, we demonstrate in this IL2RG-deficient patient functional NK cells, a diverse and lasting naive T-cell compartment, supported by a stem cell boost, and an oligoclonal memory compartment half a century after HSCT.Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatic
- …
