Spatial Compactification and Decay-Rate Behavior

The pahse transition from instanton-dominated quantum tunneling regime to sphaleron-dominated classical crossover regime is explored in (1+1)-dimensional scalar field theory when spatial coordinate is compactified. It is shown that the type of sphaleron transition is critically dependent on the circumference of the spatial coordinate.Comment: 12 pages, 6 postscript figures included, accepted version in PL

Hoarding By Elderly People

Although hoarding has been studied in adults, little is known about problems of hoarding by elderly people. This study used a structured telephone interview with elder services providers to investigate hoarding behaviors in relation to functional impairment, cognitive deficits, and physical and psychological conditions in 62 elderly clients. Most elderly hoarders were female, unmarried, and lived alone. Extensive clutter was associated with significant impairment, interfering with basic hygiene, and posing a serious physical threat for many elderly clients. Clients were rarely insightful about their collecting and often resisted change, rendering interventions generally ineffective. Never-married status was associated with more severe hoarding and greater impairment and possibly with worse outcomes of intervention efforts. Health and mental health implications of hoarding by elderly people and implications for treatment are discussed

MENTAL CAPACITIES AND THEIR IMPERFECT EXERCISES: THE ESSENTIAL NORMATIVITY OF THE MIND

I develop Anscombe’s distinction between mistakes in judgment and mistakes in performance into a novel account of intentional action and the metaphysics of mind. Anscombe’s distinction is usually understood in terms of the “direction of fit” possessed by different kinds of mental states. In Chapter 1 I argue that direction of fit is a hopeless idea. Direction of fit is guided by intuitions of symmetry, but those intuitions are misguided: there are ineliminable asymmetries between the mind’s theoretical and practical activity. I further argue that Anscombe’s distinction is best understood not in terms of direction of fit, but in terms of mental activity that is partially constituted by norms. In Chapter 2 I develop a theory of fallible capacities: capacities that sometimes issue in mistakes. Fallible capacities are essentially normative because norms are built into their logical structure. I argue for the essential normativity of the mind on the basis of the claim that the fallible capacity to know is essential to minds like ours. The primary dialectical opponent to the argument is a reductive naturalist, who accepts the appearance that we have a fallible capacity to know, but offers a reductive account of what it is to possess that capacity. I argue that such reductive accounts fail; the options are to reject the appearances outright, or to accept that the mind is essentially normative. Chapter 3 solves a problem about action individuation. A basic action is one that is not performed by means of some other action. Basic action theorists say that all intentional actions decompose into basic actions; Michael Thompson says that none do. I argue that neither view is right, because action individuation is up to individual agents themselves. I further argue that this independently plausible conception of intentional action is, in one key respect, best accommodated by the theory of fallible capacities outlined in Chapter 2, because that theory can explain why mistakes in performance fall into the logical category of particulars; something that traditional basic action theory and Thompson’s view cannot easily explain

The influence of play as positive emotion on engagement and self-regulated learning in an online higher education classroom

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2024Student demand for online learning is at an all-time high, making the identification of practical strategies for supporting student success in online learning more vital than ever. Positive emotion has been shown to promote self-regulated learning (SRL) and engagement, both evidenced predictors of student success. However, little is known about designing online learning environments to elicit positive emotion in students. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of play-infused learning design on SRL and engagement in an online, higher education classroom. This study is based on the premise that play is a positive affect emotional system that stimulates approach behaviors for the purpose of broadening an individual's thought-action repertoire, thereby preparing them to build intellectual and social resources that contribute to their ability to survive future challenges. The study used a mixed-methods approach to add to the current understanding of the ability of play, when it is designed into the higher education learning environment, to influence student engagement and SRL. In addition to three student surveys, data generated during normal course activities, primarily in the form of recorded student reflections, were analyzed using the systematic text condensation method. The thematic analysis provides insight into how play in the online environment resulted in student perceptions of enjoyment, fun, happiness, lowered stress levels, and social connection. These elements are discussed in relation to enhanced student engagement and SRL. The results of the study provide initial evidence that it is both possible and desirable to leverage the power of play in the design of higher education online learning environments to support student success

Differences in social activity increase efficiency of contact tracing

Digital contact tracing has been suggested as an effective strategy for controlling an epidemic without severely limiting personal mobility. Here, we use smartphone proximity data to explore how social structure affects contact tracing of COVID-19. We model the spread of COVID-19 and find that the effectiveness of contact tracing depends strongly on social network structure and heterogeneous social activity. Contact tracing is shown to be remarkably effective in a workplace environment and the effectiveness depends strongly on the minimum duration of contact required to initiate quarantine. In a realistic social network, we find that forward contact tracing with immediate isolation can reduce an epidemic by more than 70%. In perspective, our findings highlight the necessity of incorporating social heterogeneity into models of mitigation strategies

Lockdowns exert selection pressure on overdispersion of SARS-CoV-2 variants

The SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain has caused pronounced superspreading events, reflecting a disease characterized by overdispersion, where about 10% of infected people cause 80% of infections. New variants of the disease have different person-to-person variability in viral load, suggesting for example that the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant is more infectious but relatively less prone to superspreading. Meanwhile, non-pharmaceutical mitigation of the pandemic has focused on limiting social contacts (lockdowns, regulations on gatherings) and decreasing transmission risk through mask wearing and social distancing. Using a mathematical model, we show that the competitive advantage of disease variants may heavily depend on the restrictions imposed. In particular, we find that lockdowns exert an evolutionary pressure which favours variants with lower levels of overdispersion. Our results suggest that overdispersion is an evolutionarily unstable trait, with a tendency for more homogeneously spreading variants to eventually dominate

Postpartum Weight-Loss Tracker to Guide Low-Income Postpartum Women on their Weight-Loss Journey

Studies have shown that postpartum weight retention is a key contributor to obesity among women. Studies have also shown that resources dedicated to postpartum weight loss are scarce. Weight tracking has been found to help with weight management during pregnancy. However, a postpartum weight-loss tracker (PPWLT) was yet to exist. This article describes the creation and initial impressions of a PPWLT that were collected via focus groups (FG) discussions with WIC participants. Methods: Two FG discussions (English and Spanish) were conducted at a WIC clinic in Southern California. All discussions were audio-recorded for transcription. Transcripts were analyzed using the scissor –and-sort technique. The sample consisted of ten Latina women, with a mean age of 28.7 ± 5.06 years and a mean current Body Mass Index (BMI) of 32.8 ± 7.8. Results: Participants in both FGs expressed a strong interest in the PPWLT and reported a willingness to use the tracker if provided by WIC. The Spanish-speaking group had several specific suggestions to make the instructions easier to understand. Conclusion: We believe that this new innovative tool has the potential to impact a mother’s well-being and give her an opportunity to optimize her health before a subsequent pregnancy