Influence of prior predictiveness on human incidental learning

A common distinction made by theorists examining the mental processes contributing to human learning is that between the automatic formation of associations and controlled reasoning about beliefs. On the other hand, it is widely believed that animal cognition is fundamentally associative in nature. Over the last 25 years, the wealth of data from studies on animal learning has begun to shape our understanding of associative learning in humans. Yet it seems that whether automatic or controlled processes govern human learning is likely to be determined by the context in which learning takes place. Recent research has highlighted cue-predictiveness as an important component modulating the rate of human learning. Findings consistent with those seen in animals have suggested that an interpretation in terms of associative mechanisms is justified. However, the use of explicit learning paradigms - in which participants are encouraged to engage in hypothesis-testing - makes these data open to alternative explanations. In this thesis changes in cue-predictiveness were examined under incidental learning conditions: experimental tasks were used in which there was no instruction to learn, which should minimise the contribution to learning of controlled reasoning processes. In Chapters 2 and 3, a series of experiments provides evidence for a change in cue-associability under these conditions, primarily in a sequence learning task. Chapter 4 describes the application of several models of animal conditioning to the data generated in these experiments, and highlights a need for associative models to incorporate changes in cue-associability. The results of these simulations then provide a basis for modifications to a more complex model of sequence learning, the Simple Recurrent Network. Given the parallel between changes in associability and the allocation of attentional resources, Chapter 5 examines the possibility of changes in attention during sequence learning by measuring eye gaze.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Influence of prior predictiveness on human incidental learning

A common distinction made by theorists examining the mental processes contributing to human learning is that between the automatic formation of associations and controlled reasoning about beliefs. On the other hand, it is widely believed that animal cognition is fundamentally associative in nature. Over the last 25 years, the wealth of data from studies on animal learning has begun to shape our understanding of associative learning in humans. Yet it seems that whether automatic or controlled processes govern human learning is likely to be determined by the context in which learning takes place. Recent research has highlighted cue-predictiveness as an important component modulating the rate of human learning. Findings consistent with those seen in animals have suggested that an interpretation in terms of associative mechanisms is justified. However, the use of explicit learning paradigms - in which participants are encouraged to engage in hypothesis-testing - makes these data open to alternative explanations. In this thesis changes in cue-predictiveness were examined under incidental learning conditions: experimental tasks were used in which there was no instruction to learn, which should minimise the contribution to learning of controlled reasoning processes. In Chapters 2 and 3, a series of experiments provides evidence for a change in cue-associability under these conditions, primarily in a sequence learning task. Chapter 4 describes the application of several models of animal conditioning to the data generated in these experiments, and highlights a need for associative models to incorporate changes in cue-associability. The results of these simulations then provide a basis for modifications to a more complex model of sequence learning, the Simple Recurrent Network. Given the parallel between changes in associability and the allocation of attentional resources, Chapter 5 examines the possibility of changes in attention during sequence learning by measuring eye gaze

Art, the Architectonic and Functionality

What is the status and position of the ‘functional’ art object? My research has sought to consider the role of the object in recent examples of socially-engaged art practice, by examining the notion of the ‘useful’ in contemporary art as conceptualized by theorist Stephen Wright and his advocates. By interrogating the praxis of the Turner Prize winning architectural collective Assemble and the deeper social-engagement of American artist Theaster Gates, I have sought to decode the institutional structures supporting their work, permitting a more nuanced assessment of the status of the useful object as art. During my research I undertook a six-month collaborative project with the staff and students of an M.Arch module at the Sheffield School of Architecture. The module addressed issues of local energy generation and use within a geo-sociological context and gave me the opportunity to create a body of work in response to these themes of utility. Through the development of my own praxis, the concomitant practice-led research and the critical distance this has permitted, I have been able to consider art’s relationship to objects of utility within the epistemologies of both my art and design background. For, as I conclude, it may be better to view these objects as the result of socially-engaged creativity – as critically-engaged architectonic design – rather than objects of art, thereby encouraging contemporary art practice to continue to stand in autonomous opposition to the instrumentalizing forces of capitalism

More Than Self-Management: Positive Youth Development at an Inclusive Type 1 Diabetic Camp

Diabetes-focused camps emerged as a way to provide ongoing diabetes self-management education to youth and their families in a physically active context. Past research suggests participation at camp can enhance youths’ glycemic control and glucose monitoring abilities; however, recent studies claim camps can also offer psychological and social benefits. Drawing upon a positive youth development (PYD) approach, the current study examined an inclusive diabetic-focused youth sport camp to (a) identify life skills developed, and (b) explain processes and factors involved in youths’ development of life skills. Focus groups were conducted with 54 youth living with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) attending an inclusive T1DM sport camp. The model of PYD through sport (Holt et al., 2017) guided the analysis. PYD outcomes (i.e., life skills developed through the camp) were (a) enhanced self-efficacy for self-monitoring of blood glucose, (b) enhanced self-efficacy for sport while living with T1DM, and (c) development of positive relationships. These outcomes were facilitated through the camp’s inclusive approach (i.e., including youth living with and without T1DM), and a PYD climate (implicitly), which included supportive relationships with counsellors and peers, and interestingly, the lack of parental involvement at the camp. The camp’s explicit life skills program focus (i.e., on diabetes self-care skills) also facilitated these outcomes. This study gives camp professionals insight into how an inclusive T1DM sport camp can facilitate life skills, and optimize PYD

Provider-specific quality measurement for ERCP using natural language processing

Background and Aims Natural language processing (NLP) is an information retrieval technique that has been shown to accurately identify quality measures for colonoscopy. There are no systematic methods by which to track adherence to quality measures for ERCP, the highest risk endoscopic procedure widely used in practice. Our aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of using NLP to measure adherence to ERCP quality indicators across individual providers. Methods ERCPs performed by 6 providers at a single institution from 2006 to 2014 were identified. Quality measures were defined using society guidelines and from expert opinion, and then extracted using a combination of NLP and data mining (eg, ICD9-CM codes). Validation for each quality measure was performed by manual record review. Quality measures were grouped into preprocedure (5), intraprocedure (6), and postprocedure (2). NLP was evaluated using measures of precision and accuracy. Results A total of 23,674 ERCPs were analyzed (average patient age, 52.9 ± 17.8 years, 14,113 were women [59.6%]). Among 13 quality measures, precision of NLP ranged from 84% to 100% with intraprocedure measures having lower precision (84% for precut sphincterotomy). Accuracy of NLP ranged from 90% to 100% with intraprocedure measures having lower accuracy (90% for pancreatic stent placement). Conclusions NLP in conjunction with data mining facilitates individualized tracking of ERCP providers for quality metrics without the need for manual medical record review. Incorporation of these tools across multiple centers may permit tracking of ERCP quality measures through national registries

Profile of the U 5f magnetization in U/Fe multilayers

Recent calculations, concerning the magnetism of uranium in the U/Fe multilayer system have described the spatial dependence of the 5f polarization that might be expected. We have used the x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity technique to obtain the profile of the induced uranium magnetic moment for selected U/Fe multilayer samples. This study extends the use of x-ray magnetic scattering for induced moment systems to the 5f actinide metals. The spatial dependence of the U magnetization shows that the predominant fraction of the polarization is present at the interfacial boundaries, decaying rapidly towards the center of the uranium layer, in good agreement with predictions.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Attenuation of visual evoked responses to hand and saccade-initiated flashes

Sensory attenuation refers to reduced brain responses to self-initiated sensations relative to those produced by the external world. It is a low-level process that may be linked to higher-level cognitive tasks such as reality monitoring. The phenomenon is often explained by prediction error mechanisms of universal applicability to sensory modality; however, it is most widely reported for auditory stimuli resulting from self-initiated hand movements. The present series of event-related potential (ERP) experiments explored the generalizability of sensory attenuation to the visual domain by exposing participants to flashes initiated by either their own button press or volitional saccade and comparing these conditions to identical, computer-initiated stimuli. The key results showed that the largest reduction of anterior visual N1 amplitude occurred for saccade-initiated flashes, while button press-initiated flashes evoked an intermediary response between the saccade-initiated and externally initiated conditions. This indicates that sensory attenuation occurs for visual stimuli and suggests that the degree of electrophysiological attenuation may relate to the causal likelihood of pairings between the type of motor action and the modality of its sensory response

Arctic decadal variability from an idealized atmosphere-ice-ocean model : 2. Simulation of decadal oscillations

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 111 (2006): C06029, doi:10.1029/2004JC002820.A simple model of the Arctic Ocean and Greenland Sea, coupled to a thermodynamic sea ice model and an atmospheric model, has been used to study decadal variability of the Arctic ice-ocean-atmosphere climate system. The motivating hypothesis is that the behavior of the modeled and ultimately the real climate system is auto-oscillatory with a quasi-decadal periodicity. This system oscillates between two circulation regimes: the Anticyclonic Circulation Regime (ACCR) and the Cyclonic Circulation Regime (CCR). The regimes are controlled by the atmospheric heat flux from the Greenland Sea and the freshwater flux from the Arctic Ocean. A switch regulating the intensity of the fluxes between the Arctic Ocean and Greenland Sea that depends on the inter-basin gradient of dynamic height is implemented as a delay mechanism in the model. This mechanism allows the model system to accumulate the “perturbation” over several years. After the perturbation has been released, the system returns to its initial state. Solutions obtained from numerical simulations with seasonally varying forcing, for scenarios with high and low interaction between the regions, reproduced the major anomalies in the ocean thermohaline structure, sea ice volume, and fresh water fluxes attributed to the ACCR and CCR.This publication is the result of research sponsored by Alaska Sea Grant with funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Sea Grant, Department of Commerce, under grant no. NA 86RG0050 (project no. GC/01-02), and from the University of Alaska with funds appropriated by the state. This research has also been supported by the National Science Foundation and by the International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, under auspices of the United States National Science Foundation