A Causal Model of Individual Decision Making Under Time Pressure

In Figure 1 we present a causal model of the relationship between time pressure and decision quality.The model represents causes and effects in an individual actor working toward a decision. This model distinguishes between the actor\u27s perception of high effort per unit time and the psychological stress that may result from such a perception. An explanation of the model is followed by recommendations for the design of compensatory decision aids for use under time pressure. The model is founded on three assumptions: decision-making requires effort, effort is a limited resource, and effort is motivated by vested interes

Team Composition, Knowledge and Collaboration

This paper explores the effects of knowledge homogeneity (shared or common) and knowledge heterogeneity (distributed) on team outcomes and processes. An experiment was conducted in which teams made resource allocation decisions while physically dispersed and supported with a shared virtual work surface and chat. The task required teams to learn and recognize patterns and then collaborate to allocate their resources appropriately. Dependent measures included process (chat, movement, conflict), and outcome quality. All teams received significant financial rewards in direct proportion to their performance. Teams with common knowledge significantly outperformed teams with distributed knowledge. Heterogeneous teams appeared to use the leader/follower paradigm

Genomic analysis of diet composition finds novel loci and associations with health and lifestyle

We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of relative intake from the macronutrients fat, protein, carbohydrates, and sugar in over 235,000 individuals of European ancestries. We identified 21 unique, approximately independent lead SNPs. Fourteen lead SNPs are uniquely associated with one macronutrient at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8), while five of the 21 lead SNPs reach suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10−5) for at least one other macronutrient. While the phenotypes are genetically correlated, each phenotype carries a partially unique genetic architecture. Relative protein intake exhibits the strongest relationships with poor health, including positive genetic associations with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (rg ≈ 0.15–0.5). In contrast, relative carbohydrate and sugar intake have negative genetic correlations with waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and neighborhood deprivation (|rg| ≈ 0.1–0.3) and positive genetic correlations with physical activity (rg ≈ 0.1 and 0.2). Relative fat intake has no consistent pattern of genetic correlations with poor health but has a negative genetic correlation with educational attainment (rg ≈−0.1). Although our analyses do not allow us to draw causal conclusions, we find no evidence of negative health consequences associated with relative carbohydrate, sugar, or fat intake. However, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that relative protein intake plays a role in the etiology of metabolic dysfunction

Genomic analysis of diet composition finds novel loci and associations with health and lifestyle

We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of relative intake from the macronutrients fat, protein, carbohydrates, and sugar in over 235,000 individuals of European ancestries. We identified 21 unique, approximately independent lead SNPs. Fourteen lead SNPs are uniquely associated with one macronutrient at genome-wide significance (P < 5 x 10(-8)), while five of the 21 lead SNPs reach suggestive significance (P < 1 x 10(-5)) for at least one other macronutrient. While the phenotypes are genetically correlated, each phenotype carries a partially unique genetic architecture. Relative protein intake exhibits the strongest relationships with poor health, including positive genetic associations with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (r(g) approximate to 0.15-0.5). In contrast, relative carbohydrate and sugar intake have negative genetic correlations with waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and neighborhood deprivation (|r(g)| approximate to 0.1-0.3) and positive genetic correlations with physical activity (r(g) approximate to 0.1 and 0.2). Relative fat intake has no consistent pattern of genetic correlations with poor health but has a negative genetic correlation with educational attainment (r(g) approximate to-0.1). Although our analyses do not allow us to draw causal conclusions, we find no evidence of negative health consequences associated with relative carbohydrate, sugar, or fat intake. However, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that relative protein intake plays a role in the etiology of metabolic dysfunction.Public Health and primary carePrevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

Training for Collaboration and Cognitive Alignment

This study extends the theory of Recognition Primed Decision-Making by applying it to groups. Furthermore, we explore implicit and explicit training. An experiment was conducted in which teams made resource allocation decisions while physically dispersed and supported with a shared virtual work surface (What You See Is What I See - WYSIWIS). The task required teams to recognize patterns and collaborate to allocate their resources appropriately. The experiment explores the use of a cognitively aligned tool designed to minimize the cognitive effort required to for teams to recognize and share recognized patterns. Dependent measures included outcome quality, resource allocation time, and resource allocation ordering. All teams received significant financial rewards in direct proportion to their outcome quality. Teams supported with the “chunk” pattern-sharing tool had highest outcome quality

The persistence of secondary forests on colonist farms in the Brazilian Amazon

While slash-and burn farmers convert forest to agriculture, they also regenerate significant areas of secondary fallow forests on their farms. Under what conditions does secondary forest cover persist on slash-and-burn farms?. Survey data from Para, Brazil show that secondary forests accupy 20% of farm area even after a century of settlement. In addition to restoring soil fertility, secondary forest contribute over 20% of farmers' income through products such as charcoal, fruit, game animals and firewood for on-farm processing. Econometric analysis shows that slow rates of population growth and increases in agricultural incomes through on-fram processing of agricultural products enable farmers to maintain long fallows and result in diversified systems compatible with secondary forest cover in the study area. On the other hand, declining agricultural productivity, subsidized credit, declines in the growth rate of secondary forests and policies favoring speculative land acquisition threaten secondary forest persistence. In older settlement areas, secondary forests are often the only forest resource available to the rural poor. Fallow areas should therefore be managed not only for agricultural productivity, but also for conserving forest resources