Reflexive and preparatory selection and suppression of salient information in the right and left posterior parietal cortex

Attentional cues can trigger activity in the parietal cortex in anticipation of visual displays, and this activity may, in turn, induce changes in other areas of the visual cortex, hence, implementing attentional selection. In a recent TMS study [Mevorach, C., Humphreys, G. W., & Shalev, L. Opposite biases in salience-based selection for the left and right posterior parietal cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 9, 740-742, 2006b], it was shown that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) can utilize the relative saliency (a nonspatial property) of a target and a distractor to bias visual selection. Furthermore, selection was lateralized so that the right PPC is engaged when salient information must be selected and the left PPC when the salient information must be ignored. However, it is not clear how the PPC implements these complementary forms of selection. Here we used on-line triple-pulse TMS over the right or left PPC prior to or after the onset of global/local displays. When delivered after the onset of the display, TMS to the right PPC disrupted the selection of the more salient aspect of the hierarchical letter. In contrast, left PPC TMS delivered prior to the onset of the stimulus disrupted responses to the lower saliency stimulus. These findings suggest that selection and suppression of saliency, rather than being "two sides of the same coin," are fundamentally different processes. Selection of saliency seems to operate reflexively, whereas suppression of saliency relies on a preparatory phase that "sets up" the system in order to effectively ignore saliency

An analysis framework for reflective writing

One challenge in teacher education is to provide strategies and processes which equip student teachers to examine, critique and evaluate their own understanding and beliefs about teaching. A strategy that has received considerable attention in the literature is journal writing. This paper reports the development of an analysis framework to interpret student teachers\u27 journal writing. Data were drawn from interactive journals written by three students participating In an alternative teacher education programme. Analysis of the journals revealed that students used their journals to revisit their experiences and to reflect on their actions. The analysis enabled us to identify differences in the entries and led to the creation of the four framework categories: report, review and refocus, analyse, and reconceptualise. The framework provided us with a means of investigating and understanding the nature of the journal writing and its contribution to students\u27 reflection on classroom experiences

Studi Empiris Atas Kualitas Audit

This study aims to determine whether the competence, independence, time budget pressure, and ethicalimpact on audit quality. Research with the theme of quality audit becomes important in two points: first,as a way of seeing reality in compliance auditor to audit standards and the second, while maintaining usertrust. Audit quality on the one hand can increase the reliability of the information, on the other hand isinfluenced by many factors such as the competence, independence, time budget pressure, and ethics. Thisstudy uses the KAP auditor as respondents, by considering two important things: first, in Jakarta and thesecond, the category of non big four, as a way of presenting variation among the existing research. Totalrespondents 106 auditors were selected purposively and proportionally from 17 KAP. The data isprocessed using multiple linear regressions after classical assumption test and instrument questionnairetest. The results showed all four of the above factors have a significant effect on audit quality.Suggestions of this study extend some aspects of the research

The four-year undergraduate LLB: where to from here?

Fifteen years have passed since the four-year undergraduate Baccalaureus Legum (“LLB”) degree was first introduced in 1998. This degree was introduced by the Qualification of Legal Practitioners Amendment Act 78 of 1997 “as the minimum academic qualification for admission to practice as an advocate or an attorney … [to] ensure a level of equality between all practising lawyers” (Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Discussion Paper on Transformation of the Legal Profession (1999) 4). The justification for the introduction of the four-year LLB programme was twofold: First, there were too few black South Africans represented in the legal profession and, secondly, the country’s previous apartheid policy had resulted in a distinction between the law degree that could be obtained by whites and that which could be obtained by non-whites (Greenbaum “The Four-year Undergraduate LLB: Progress and Pitfalls” 2010 35 Journal of Juridical Science 1 2). To address these problems, Government introduced a single law degree, which was intended in one fell-swoop to remedy both the problem of under-representivity as well as provide equal qualifications for all.Department of HE and Training approved lis

The four-year undergraduate LLB: where to from here?

Fifteen years have passed since the four-year undergraduate Baccalaureus Legum (“LLB”) degree was first introduced in 1998. This degree was introduced by the Qualification of Legal Practitioners Amendment Act 78 of 1997 “as the minimum academic qualification for admission to practice as an advocate or an attorney … [to] ensure a level of equality between all practising lawyers” (Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Discussion Paper on Transformation of the Legal Profession (1999) 4). The justification for the introduction of the four-year LLB programme was twofold: First, there were too few black South Africans represented in the legal profession and, secondly, the country’s previous apartheid policy had resulted in a distinction between the law degree that could be obtained by whites and that which could be obtained by non-whites (Greenbaum “The Four-year Undergraduate LLB: Progress and Pitfalls” 2010 35 Journal of Juridical Science 1 2). To address these problems, Government introduced a single law degree, which was intended in one fell-swoop to remedy both the problem of under-representivity as well as provide equal qualifications for all.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and cortisol levels on admission to intensive care as predictors of outcome

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of glycosylated haemoglobin and cortisol on admission, in critical care patients. Design: Prospective, observational, single centre study. Setting: 14 bedded Intensive care unit of a tertiary-level university hospital. Patients: 124 consecutive emergency medical and surgical patients. Methods: Data collected on admission included patient demographics, medical history, medication, diagnosis, type of nutrition, TISS28 score, serum blood glucose, Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), cortisol, mean arterial blood pressure, and the use of inotropes in the first 24hrs. Daily baseline tests included complete blood count, urea and electrolytes, creatinine, twice weekly liver function tests. The primary outcome measure was intensive care unit mortality. Secondary outcome measures were ITU stay, days of ventilation, peak urea, peak creatinine, lowest platelet count, peak bilirubin, lowest Pa/FiO2, and the number of transfusions. Measurements and results: 124 patients (mean age 56.2 years SD 23.2) were included. Regression analysis was used to identify any potential predictors of outcome: HbA1c levels on admission were not found to be significantly associated with mortality (p=0.51), or any other secondary endpoints listed above. However, subgroup analysis revealed a predictive role of HbA1c with regards to length of ITU stay (p= 0.01) and number of days of ventilation (p=0.007) in those patients with a history of diabetes. Glucose level on admission emerged as an independent marker of mortality (p=0.009). Conclusions: This study suggests that HbA1c may not be a predictor of outcome in the general ITU population but may be of predictive value in diabetic ITU patients. On the other hand, blood glucose levels on admission emerged as a predictor of mortality, whilst no association was found between HbA1c and cortisol levels on admission.peer-reviewe

Consciousness science : real progress and lingering misconceptions.

Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Effect of permafrost thaw on CO2 and CH4 exchange in a western Alaska peatland chronosequence

Permafrost soils store over half of global soil carbon (C), and northern frozen peatlands store about 10% of global permafrost C. With thaw, inundation of high latitude lowland peatlands typically increases the surface-atmosphere flux of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. To examine the effects of lowland permafrost thaw over millennial timescales, we measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 exchange along sites that constitute a ~1000 yr thaw chronosequence of thermokarst collapse bogs and adjacent fen locations at Innoko Flats Wildlife Refuge in western Alaska. Peak CH4 exchange in July (123 ± 71 mg CH4–C m−2 d−1) was observed in features that have been thawed for 30 to 70 (\u3c100) yr, where soils were warmer than at more recently thawed sites (14 to 21 yr; emitting 1.37 ± 0.67 mg CH4–C m−2 d−1 in July) and had shallower water tables than at older sites (200 to 1400 yr; emitting 6.55 ± 2.23 mg CH4–C m−2 d−1 in July). Carbon lost via CH4 efflux during the growing season at these intermediate age sites was 8% of uptake by net ecosystem exchange. Our results provide evidence that CH4 emissions following lowland permafrost thaw are enhanced over decadal time scales, but limited over millennia. Over larger spatial scales, adjacent fen systems may contribute sustained CH4 emission, CO2 uptake, and DOC export. We argue that over timescales of decades to centuries, thaw features in high-latitude lowland peatlands, particularly those developed on poorly drained mineral substrates, are a key locus of elevated CH4 emission to the atmosphere that must be considered for a complete understanding of high latitude CH4 dynamics

Gaze direction and face orientation modulate perceptual sensitivity to faces under interocular suppression

Faces convey information essential for social interaction. Their importance has prompted suggestions that some facial features may be processed unconsciously. Although some studies have provided empirical support for this idea, it remains unclear whether these findings were due to perceptual processing or to post-perceptual decisional factors. Evidence for unconscious processing of facial features has predominantly come from the Breaking Continuous Flash Suppression (b-CFS) paradigm, which measures the time it takes different stimuli to overcome interocular suppression. For example, previous studies have found that upright faces are reported faster than inverted faces, and direct-gaze faces are reported faster than averted-gaze faces. However, this procedure suffers from important problems: observers can decide how much information they receive before committing to a report, so their detection responses may be influenced by differences in decision criteria and by stimulus identification. Here, we developed a new procedure that uses predefined exposure durations, enabling independent measurement of perceptual sensitivity and decision criteria. We found higher detection sensitivity to both upright and direct-gaze (compared to inverted and averted-gaze) faces, with no effects on decisional factors. For identification, we found both greater sensitivity and more liberal criteria for upright faces. Our findings demonstrate that face orientation and gaze direction influence perceptual sensitivity, indicating that these facial features may be processed unconsciously