Chris O'Doherty

Painter, Chris O'Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa), discusses his work

Rising Stars, Superstars and Dying Stars: Hedonic Explorations of Autograph Prices

Key studies have explored the economics of rising stars, superstars and ‘has beens’, but relatively little economic literature exists on the associated parallel memorabilia markets. Using a random sample of 1151 pieces of autographed artefacts, on sale through a retail and internet outlet, hedonic analysis is undertaken to elicit significant characteristics in price determination. The data principally consists of autographs of past and current cultural icons along with some sporting and historical figures. We explore, inter alia, price differences with respect to ‘dead’ or ‘alive’ signatories, gender, sphere of fame, nationality, the age of the signatory and the nature of the artefact on which the signature is written. Alternative model specifications have been explored and compared. A notable difference emerges between those autographs with photographs and those without. There are also differences in prices according to whether individuals had been famous for their roles in just films, just television, or in both.

Neuro-computational account of arbitration between imitation and emulation during human observational learning

In observational learning (OL), organisms learn from observing the behavior of others. There are at least two distinct strategies for OL. Imitation involves learning to repeat the previous actions of other agents, while in emulation, learning proceeds from inferring the goals and intentions of others. While putative neural correlates for these forms of learning have been identified, a fundamental question remains unaddressed: how does the brain decides which strategy to use in a given situation? Here we developed a novel computational model in which arbitration between the strategies is determined by the predictive reliability, such that control over behavior is adaptively weighted toward the strategy with the most reliable prediction. To test the theory, we designed a novel behavioral task in which our experimental manipulations produced dissociable effects on the reliability of the two strategies. Participants performed this task while undergoing fMRI in two independent studies (the second a pre-registered replication of the first). Behavior manifested patterns consistent with both emulation and imitation and flexibly changed between the two strategies as expected from the theory. Computational modelling revealed that behavior was best described by an arbitration model, in which the reliability of the emulation strategy determined the relative weights allocated to behavior for each strategy. Emulation reliability - the model's arbitration signal - was encoded in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction and rostral cingulate cortex. Being replicated across two fMRI studies, these findings suggest a neuro-computational mechanism for allocating control between emulation and imitation during observational learning

Evidence for Model-based Computations in the Human Amygdala during Pavlovian Conditioning

Contemporary computational accounts of instrumental conditioning have emphasized a role for a model-based system in which values are computed with reference to a rich model of the structure of the world, and a model-free system in which values are updated without encoding such structure. Much less studied is the possibility of a similar distinction operating at the level of Pavlovian conditioning. In the present study, we scanned human participants while they participated in a Pavlovian conditioning task with a simple structure while measuring activity in the human amygdala using a high-resolution fMRI protocol. After fitting a model-based algorithm and a variety of model-free algorithms to the fMRI data, we found evidence for the superiority of a model-based algorithm in accounting for activity in the amygdala compared to the model-free counterparts. These findings support an important role for model-based algorithms in describing the processes underpinning Pavlovian conditioning, as well as providing evidence of a role for the human amygdala in model-based inference

The case for localised energy management to support resilient cities

Localised energy generation, ownership and management provide a mechanism to address issues of affordability, energy security, infrastructure resilience and the need to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. There is potential for the growth of community energy schemes in the UK. However, small to medium-sized schemes find it hard to compete with large energy providers. Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) are created to manage the local production and distribution of energy. In Nottingham, the Meadows Ozone Energy Services (MOZES) is a community owned organisation that aims to reduce their carbon footprint, support experimentation and learning in relation to sustainable energy, support energy self sufficiency, help to provide access to affordable energy, and contribute to socio-economic development. In this paper, the authors described some of the benefits that an ESCO can bring to a community drawing on examples from MOZES. The benefits and challenges associated with the implementation of community energy schemes were examined and the results of a questionnaire administered to residents of the Meadows community are presented for the first time. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made on how the model developed by MOZES in Nottingham can benefit other communities and contribute to resilient cities for the wider development of distributed energy storage in the UK

The effect of cereal type and enzyme supplementation on carcass characteristics, volatile fatty acids and intestinal microflora and boar taint in entire male pigs

A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of cereal type (barley v. oat) and exogenous enzyme supplementation (with or without) on intestinal fermentation, and on indole and skatole levels in the intestinal content and the adipose tissue in finisher boars. The experimental treatments were as follows: (i) barley-based diet, (ii) barley-based diet with enzyme supplement, (iii) oat-based diet and (iv) oat-based diet with enzyme supplement. The enzyme supplement contained endo-1,3(4)-β-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.6) and endo-1,4-β-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8). The animals were fed ad libitum for 45 days from 76.0 to 113.6 kg live weight. Feeding barley-based diets led to higher (P 0.05) between the experimental treatments. Pigs offered the barley-based diets had lower (P < 0.001) indole concentrations in the adipose tissue compared with those fed the oat-based diet. In conclusion, barley-based diets were more efficient than oat-based diets in limiting concentrations of indole in the adipose tissu

Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex Mediates Rapid Evaluations Predicting the Outcome of Romantic Interactions

Humans frequently make real-world decisions based on rapid evaluations of minimal information; for example, should we talk to an attractive stranger at a party? Little is known, however, about how the brain makes rapid evaluations with real and immediate social consequences. To address this question, we scanned participants with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they viewed photos of individuals that they subsequently met at real-life “speed-dating” events. Neural activity in two areas of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), paracingulate cortex, and rostromedial prefrontal cortex (RMPFC) was predictive of whether each individual would be ultimately pursued for a romantic relationship or rejected. Activity in these areas was attributable to two distinct components of romantic evaluation: either consensus judgments about physical beauty (paracingulate cortex) or individualized preferences based on a partner's perceived personality (RMPFC). These data identify novel computational roles for these regions of the DMPFC in even very rapid social evaluations. Even a first glance, then, can accurately predict romantic desire, but that glance involves a mix of physical and psychological judgments that depend on specific regions of DMPFC

The case for localised energy management to support resilient cities

Localised energy generation, ownership and management provide a mechanism to address issues of affordability, energy security, infrastructure resilience and the need to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. There is potential for the growth of community energy schemes in the UK. However, small to medium-sized schemes find it hard to compete with large energy providers. Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) are created to manage the local production and distribution of energy. In Nottingham, the Meadows Ozone Energy Services (MOZES) is a community owned organisation that aims to reduce their carbon footprint, support experimentation and learning in relation to sustainable energy, support energy self sufficiency, help to provide access to affordable energy, and contribute to socio-economic development. In this paper, the authors described some of the benefits that an ESCO can bring to a community drawing on examples from MOZES. The benefits and challenges associated with the implementation of community energy schemes were examined and the results of a questionnaire administered to residents of the Meadows community are presented for the first time. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made on how the model developed by MOZES in Nottingham can benefit other communities and contribute to resilient cities for the wider development of distributed energy storage in the UK

Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated (Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually penned entire male pigs

The objective of the study was to compare growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue of group-penned barrows, immunocastrated boars and entire males. Furthermore, the effect of housing of entire males on the aforementioned parameters was evaluated. At 55.2 days of age, 52 Swiss Large White pigs were blocked by litter and assigned by BW to four experimental groups: barrows (C), immunocastrated boars (IC), entire males (EMG) reared in group pens and entire males (EMP) reared in individual pens. In experiment 1, the effects of the method of castration were investigated (experimental groups C, IC and EMG). In experiment 2, the effects of housing on entire male pigs were evaluated (experimental groups EMG and EMP). All pigs had ad libitum access to standard diets from weaning to 107 kg BW. The two vaccinations (Improvac®) were applied to the IC pigs at an average BW of 22.6 and 73.0 kg. In experiment 1, average daily gain (ADG) did not (P > 0.05) differ among the experimental groups. However, EMG consumed less feed and had a better feed-conversion ratio than C (P 0.05) differ between EMP and EMG. However, EMP pigs consumed more feed than EMG pigs and had a poorer feed efficiency (P < 0.01 for each). In conclusion, EMG pigs had a better feed efficiency than IC pigs and their carcasses were leaner, but the risk of boar tainted pork was elevated. Group-housing negatively affected average daily feed intake but not ADG of entire males. At the moment, immunocastration offers a good approach to avoid castration and minimize the risk of boar tain