Theories of Concepts and Contradiction Acceptance

The paper discusses the Heterogeneity Hypothesis about concepts (Machery, 2009) and the empirical support on which it is based. Two experiments are presented which investigate one of the main predictions of the theory, i.e., the fact that people should be willing to accept apparently contradictory sentences about the same entity

Membership vs Typicality in Sentence Verification Tasks: Implications for the Fuzzy Set Theory of Concepts

2noopenopenZarl, F; Fum, DZarl, Francesca; Fum, Danil

Dissociable processes underlying decisions in the Iowa Gambling Task: a new integrative framework

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is a common paradigm used to study the interactions between emotions and decision making, yet little consensus exists on the cognitive process determining participants' decisions, what affects them, and how these processes interact with each other. A novel conceptual framework is proposed according to which behavior in the IGT reflects a balance between two dissociable processes; a cognitively demanding process that tracks each option's long-term payoff, and a lower-level, automatic process that is primarily sensitive to loss frequency and magnitude.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A behavioral experiment was carried out with a modified version of IGT. In this modified version, participants went through an additional phase of interaction, designed to measure performance without further learning, in which no feedback on individual decisions was given. A secondary distractor task was presented in either the first or the second phase of the experiment. Behavioral measures of performance tracking both payoff and frequency sensitivity in choices were collected throughout the experiment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Consistent with our framework, the results confirmed that: (a) the two competing cognitive processes can be dissociated; (b) that learning from decision outcomes requires central cognitive resources to estimate long-term payoff; and (c) that the decision phase itself can be carried out during an interfering task once learning has occurred.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The experimental results support our novel description of the cognitive processes underlying performance in the Iowa Gambling Task. They also suggest that patients' impairments in this and other gambling paradigms can originate from a number of different causes, including a failure in allocating resources among cognitive strategies. This latter interpretation might be particularly useful in explaining the impairments of patients with ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions and, by extension, the contribution of this brain region to human decision making.</p

The Impact of CSR Disclosures on Malaysia Individual Investors’ Investment Decision

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly valued as a strategic tool for sustainable business development and addressing ethical issues. However, research and understanding of CSR’s impact on Malaysian individual investors' investment decisions are limited. Thus, this paper aims to propose an exploratory study to understand individual investor's investing decisions in relation to the impact of CSR disclosures of companies in Malaysia. More precisely, this paper uses an exploratory qualitative approach to develop a ground understanding of the individual investors' evaluation of their perceptions towards a company's CSR position during the investment decision-making process, particularly in the Malaysian context. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted using open-ended interview questions as the main instrument for the richer and descriptive data collection on in-depth individuals' experiences. Subsequently, the result analysis detailed the attitudes and perceptions of Malaysian individual investors towards the CSR disclosures, actual impact of CSR disclosures on the investment decision, the significance of annual reports in communicating CSR information factors that contribute to the use of the annual report for CSR information, and the types of CSR activities favoured by the Malaysian individual investors. Furthermore, this study is valuable in revealing specific issues and interests related to CSR disclosures and investment decisions that had not been previously identified in the existing research. Public listed companies in Malaysia could also consider the findings when promoting the CSR agenda or development programs that adhere to the CSR requirements set by Bursa Malaysia. Although this study is particularly suited for the Malaysian context, the outcomes could shed some light on the CSR initiative and its impacts on the individual investors’ investment decisions in other countries, since CSR adoption status in publicly listed companies overall does not significantly differ between countries

Responding to the Challenge of the Dual COVID-19 and Ebola Epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo-Priorities for Achieving Control.

As of June 11, 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 4,258 COVID-19 cases with 90 deaths. With other African countries, the DRC faces the challenge of striking a balance between easing public health lockdown measures to curtail the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and minimizing both economic hardships for large sectors of the population and negative impacts on health services for other infectious and noninfectious diseases. The DRC recently controlled its tenth Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, but COVID-19 and a new EVD outbreak beginning on June 1, 2020 in the northwest Équateur Province have added an additional burden to health services. Although the epidemiology and transmission of EVD and COVID-19 differ, leveraging the public health infrastructures and experiences from coordinating the EVD response to guide the public health response to COVID-19 is critical. Building on the DRCs 40 years of experience with 10 previous EVD outbreaks, we highlight the DRCs multi-sectoral public health approach to COVID-19, which includes community-based screening, testing, contact-tracing, risk communication, community engagement, and case management. We also highlight remaining challenges and discuss the way forward for achieving control of both COVID-19 and EVD in the DRC

High-speed shaking of frozen blood clots for extraction of human and malaria parasite DNA

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Frozen blood clots remaining after serum collection is an often disregarded source of host and pathogen DNA due to troublesome handling and suboptimal outcome.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>High-speed shaking of clot samples in a cell disruptor manufactured for homogenization of tissue and faecal specimens was evaluated for processing frozen blood clots for DNA extraction. The method was compared to two commercial clot protocols based on a chemical kit and centrifugation through a plastic sieve, followed by the same DNA extraction protocol. Blood clots with different levels of parasitaemia (1-1,000 p/μl) were prepared from parasite cultures to assess sensitivity of PCR detection. In addition, clots retrieved from serum samples collected within two epidemiological studies in Kenya (n = 630) were processed by high speed shaking and analysed by PCR for detection of malaria parasites and the human α-thalassaemia gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>High speed shaking succeeded in fully dispersing the clots and the method generated the highest DNA yield. The level of PCR detection of <it>P. falciparum </it>parasites and the human thalassaemia gene was the same as samples optimally collected with an anticoagulant. The commercial clot protocol and centrifugation through a sieve failed to fully dissolve the clots and resulted in lower sensitivity of PCR detection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>High speed shaking was a simple and efficacious method for homogenizing frozen blood clots before DNA purification and resulted in PCR templates of high quality both from humans and malaria parasites. This novel method enables genetic studies from stored blood clots.</p

Approaches to Cognitive Modeling in Dynamic Systems Control

We acknowledge the financial support of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Heidelberg University granted within the Open-Access Publishing Program

Avaluació dels nivells de fum ambiental de tabac als centres d’atenció primària de Catalunya

Fum ambiental; Nicotina; Tabaquisme passiuEnvironmental tobacco smoke; Nicotine; Passive smokingHumo ambiental; Nicotina; Tabaquismo pasivoEl seguiment del programa “Atenció primària sense fum” (APSF) inclou lʼavaluació objectiva dels nivells de fum ambiental del tabac als centres dʼatenció primària (CAP). Lʼany 2006 el Departament de Salut va realitzar un estudi per conèixer la situació del nivell de compliment de la Llei 28/2005, coordinat amb lʼInstitut Català dʼOncologia i la Xarxa Catalana d'Hospitals sense Fum. Lʼobjectiu dʼaquest informe era descriure els nivells de fum ambiental de tabac (FAT) lʼany 2006 als CAP de Catalunya i així disposar dʼuna primera aproximació sobre el nivell de compliment de la nova Llei de tabac, instaurada a lʼEstat espanyol lʼ1 de gener de 2006.El seguimiento del programa "Atención primaria sin humo" (APSF) incluye la evaluación objetiva de los niveles de humo ambiental del tabaco en los centros de atención primaria (CAP). El año 2006 el Departamento de Salud realizó un estudio para conocer la situación del nivel de cumplimiento de la Ley 28/2005, coordinado con el Institut Català d'Oncologia y la Red Catalana de Hospitales sin Fum. El objetivo de este informe es describir los niveles de humo ambiental de tabaco (HAT) en 2006 en los CAP de Cataluña y así disponer de una primera aproximación sobre el nivel de cumplimiento de la nueva Ley de tabaco, instaurada en Estado español el 1 de enero de 2006.The monitoring of the "Smokeless Program in Primary Care Centers" includes the objective assessment of environmental tobacco smoke levels in primary care centers. In 2006 the Department of Health conducted a study to determine the status of the level of compliance of Law 28/2005, coordinated with Institut Català dʼOncologia and the Catalan Hospital Smokeless Network. The purpose of this report is to describe environmental tobacco smoke levels in 2006 in primary care centers of Catalonia and thus have a first approximation on the level of compliance with the new Tobacco Act, established in the Spanish State 1 January 2006

地域に根付く米国ホスピスのフィールドワーク：ボランティアとの協働からみた本邦の看護教育についての考察

Portland, Oregon, has attracted attention in Japan as the “most desirable city to live in the United States” and “a model of urban development.” The purpose of this study was to examine nursing education in Japan through care that supports people who live and die in the community by visiting the Hopewell House Hospice in Portland. The hospice is run by approximately 70 volunteers and facility staff who provide facility care for 11 beds and about 150 home care patients. From fieldwork conducted at the facility and from an interview with the volunteer staff manager who was a former midwife and nursing manager, we found that the users and the staff themselves have “a special place called a bed,” a “record of their personality and health,” and “prayer and hope”. In addition, the nurses relied on their ingenuity to manage their environment and provide continuous care in order to reach the end stage while keeping the patient connected to the community, which facilitated feelings of joy. Nursing practice in the Hopewell House Hospice was influenced by the climate of the region and the culture of the local residents, so there was an overlap between life and death, which we believe should be incorporated into nursing education in Japan.論