Integration and Segmentation Conflict During Ensemble Coding of Aspect Ratio

The visual system often integrates information that goes together . Once information has been integrated, summary information (e.g., average emotion or average size) can be extracted; this occurs during ensemble coding. Integration thus allows for fast and efficient generalizations about sets to be made. In contrast, the visual system sometimes segments input that does not go together. For example, the perception of objects can be exaggerated away from natural category boundaries (e.g., a perfect circle is a category boundary; it is neither flat nor tall ). Segmentation allows the visual system to make quick categorical distinctions. Much of the time, integration and segmentation work in parallel, and they have most often been studied in isolation. However, investigating how these two processes operate together, and potentially even conflict, was the purpose of this dissertation. I examined the ensemble coding of aspect ratio, which is a visual feature roughly equivalent to tallness/flatness . Aspect ratio has a category boundary (e.g., a circle or square), and the perception of aspect ratio tends to be exaggerated -segmented - away from that boundary. Thus, I predicted that observers\u27 ability to integrate aspect ratio information that spanned the category boundary would be disrupted, since in those instances, integration and segmentation would be at odds. To test this prediction, observers were asked about the average aspect ratio of a set of ellipses. In two experiments, observers were less sensitive to the mean of sets that included both tall and flat ellipses, compared to sets that only included tall or flat ellipses. A third experiment confirmed that segmentation perceptually distorted the appearance of ellipses near the category boundary away from that boundary; shapes were perceived to be more extreme than they actually were. Segmentation thus made sets that included both flat and tall ellipses appear more heterogeneous than they really were, which disrupted ensemble coding. In general, these experiments provide a deeper understanding of how the visual system summarizes large sets of information, by investigating how integration interacts with, and even conflicts with, segmentation

Defining Discourse : An Analysis of the Promulgation and Justifications of New Jersey Public University Speech and Expression Policies

The purpose of this research is to investigate the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (N.J.S.A 18A:37-13 et seq.) and New Jersey\u27s overall attempt at combating bullying in public schools in both secondary and higher education. It is found in this research that the New Jersey statute holds potentially unconstitutional provisions in the language of the statute. By examining both the First and Fourteenth Amendment, this research taps into cases like Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, and DeJohn v. Temple University in order to craft both a sound and constitutional speech code. It is found that recent public university speech codes tend to focus on the Fourteenth Amendment regulations while at times neglecting First Amendment regulations. Overall, this research highlights that it is possible to socially challenge new ideas both popular and unpopular yet, defend the freedom of speech on a legal level

Crowdfunding our health: economic risks and benefits

Crowdfunding is an expanding form of alternative financing that is gaining traction in the health sector. This article presents a typology for crowdfunded health projects and a review of the main economic benefits and risks of crowdfunding in the health market. We use evidence from a literature review, complimented by expert interviews, to extend the fundamental principles and established theories of crowdfunding to a health market context. Crowdfunded health projects can be classified into four types according to the venture's purpose and funding method. These are projects covering health expenses, fundraising health initiatives, supporting health research, or financing commercial health innovation. Crowdfunding could economically benefit the health sector by expanding market participation, drawing money and awareness to neglected health issues, improving access to funding, and fostering project accountability and social engagement. However, the economic risks of health-related crowdfunding include inefficient priority setting, heightened financial risk, inconsistent regulatory policies, intellectual property rights concerns, and fraud. Theorized crowdfunding behaviours such as signalling and herding can be observed in the market for health-related crowdfunding. Broader threats of market failure stemming from adverse selection and moral hazard also apply. Many of the discussed economic benefits and risks of crowdfunding health campaigns are shared more broadly with those of crowdfunding projects in other sectors. Where crowdfunding health care appears to diverge from theory is the negative externality inefficient priority setting may have towards achieving broader public health goals. Therefore, the market for crowdfunding health care must be economically stable, as well as designed to optimally and equitably improve public health

Targeting innovation in antibiotics

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually around the world. AMR mortality is predicted to rise exponentially to above 10 million deaths per year by 2050. The global economic cost of such a rise in mortality and morbidity is estimated to be $100 trillion

Predicting Bearing Fault in the Drone Freight Industry: Legal Liability in Australia

Many people are now aware of drones or remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), and several others have predicted the significant impacts that drones will bring across society. Today, there is an expectation that drones will play a pivotal role in industries such as surveillance, security, surveying, construction, and freight transport. However, in all these cases, whenever a drone is flying over a populated area, it poses a danger to people or things on the ground. Perhaps the sector where the greatest risk of injury to the everyday person exists is the drone delivery industry. The drone freight industry is proliferating fast, with many companies like Skycart and Amazon investing in this sector. These companies plan to transport groceries, medical supplies, food, and par- cels, among many other things. If fleets of delivery drones are deployed around suburbs, the descent to lower altitudes and the general logistics of an airborne delivery presents a novel risk of harm. A drone failure resulting in a crash could lead to property damage, destruction of natural environments, and injury or death to persons, especially in areas of high population density. One promising way to prevent such harm is to use structural condition monitoring technology to preempt any deterioration of the airworthiness of a drone. In the absence of any existing precedent or authority on this, this Article investigates the legal implications of using such technology to guide future regulations and areas of research

Cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs: comparative analysis of the United States and England

Background England's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the US’ Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) both conduct cost-effectiveness evaluations for new cancer drugs to help payers make drug coverage decisions. However, NICE and ICER assessments have been noted to reach different conclusions. We aim to better understand the degree to which their recommendations diverge and what drives these apparent differences. Methods We compared the methods and results of publicly available cost-effectiveness evaluations performed by ICER and NICE of similarly assessed cancer drugs. Assessments were compared based on incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, comparator treatment, price, recommendation, and the design of the economic evaluation. Findings Among 11 commonly assessed cancer drugs, ICER and NICE were in concordance for 7 evaluations and in discordance on the cost-effectiveness and coverage decisions for 4 drugs. Most new cancer drugs were not cost-effective in either the US (7/11) or England (7/11). Furthermore, NICE's capacity to negotiate price discounts and access schemes result in much lower cost per QALY valuations and more favourable recommendations than those of ICER for similarly assessed cancer drugs. Interpretations NICE and ICER employ similar health technology assessment (HTA) methodologies and were aligned with most recommendations, finding that many new and expensive cancer drugs are cost ineffective. Growing use of ICER assessments will continue to send stronger price signals to manufacturers that cancer drugs with low value for money will be viewed less favourably by private insurers. NICE provides an important reminder of how much lower other countries pay for drugs when comparative effectiveness and value-based pricing are integrated into public drug coverage decisions

Predicting Bearing Fault in the Drone Freight Industry: Legal Liability in Australia

Many people are now aware of drones or remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), and several others have predicted the significant impacts that drones will bring across society. Today, there is an expectation that drones will play a pivotal role in industries such as surveillance, security, surveying, construction, and freight transport. However, in all these cases, whenever a drone is flying over a populated area, it poses a danger to people or things on the ground. Perhaps the sector where the greatest risk of injury to the everyday person exists is the drone delivery industry. The drone freight industry is proliferating fast, with many companies like Skycart and Amazon investing in this sector. These companies plan to transport groceries, medical supplies, food, and par- cels, among many other things. If fleets of delivery drones are deployed around suburbs, the descent to lower altitudes and the general logistics of an airborne delivery presents a novel risk of harm. A drone failure resulting in a crash could lead to property damage, destruction of natural environments, and injury or death to persons, especially in areas of high population density. One promising way to prevent such harm is to use structural condition monitoring technology to preempt any deterioration of the airworthiness of a drone. In the absence of any existing precedent or authority on this, this Article investigates the legal implications of using such technology to guide future regulations and areas of research

Voluntary wheel running promotes resilience to the behavioral effects of unpredictable chronic mild stress in male and female mice.

Besides significant benefits to physical health, exercise promotes mental health, reduces symptoms of mental illness, and enhances psychological development. Exercise can offset the impact of chronic stress, which is a major precursor to the development of mental disorders. The effects of exercise on chronic stress-induced behaviors are contradictory in preclinical studies, primarily due to the lack of data and sex-specific investigations. We sought to evaluate the effects of exercise on chronic stress-induced behavioral changes in both male and female mice. Mice were subjected to an Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS) paradigm with accessibility to running wheels for 2 h daily. Physiological and behavioral evaluations were conducted throughout the stress paradigm to determine if exercise blunts the effects of UCMS. Chronic stress induced voluntary wheel running (VWR) and weight loss in male and female mice. Compared to males, increased VWR was reported in females who also regained their weight lost by the end of the UCMS protocol. Exercise promoted resilience to stress-induced hyponeophagia in the novelty-suppressed feeding test and increased sucrose consumption. Exercise induced a sex-specific reduction in immobility and avoidance behavior in the tail suspension and open field tests and increased exploratory behavior in the light-dark test. These results indicate that exercise can promote resilience to the behavioral effects of chronic stress in males and females, and can affect behavior independent of chronic stress