Epistemic Conditions and Social Preferences in Trust Games

It is well-known that subjects in bilateral bargaining experiments often exhibit choice behavior suggesting there are strong reciprocators in the population. But it is controversial whether explaining this data requires a social preference model that invokes genuine strong reciprocity or whether some social preference model built on other-regarding preferences as a surrogate can explain it. Since the data precedes theory here, all the social preference models agree on most of it — making direct tests more difficult. We report results from a laboratory experiment using a novel method for testing between the classes of social preference models in the trust game that manipulates the distribution of payoff information in the game. We find evidence supporting the strong reciprocity hypothesis.social preferences, trust game, reciprocity, strong reciprocators

Outcomes of a specialist weight management programme in the UK national health service: prospective study of 1838 patients

Objectives There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of weight management programmes provided within routine healthcare and inconsistent use of outcome measures. Our aim was to evaluate a large National Health Service (NHS) weight management service and report absolute and proportional weight losses over 12 months.<p></p> Design Prospective observational study.<p></p> Setting Glasgow and Clyde Weight Management Service (GCWMS), which provides care for residents of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area (population 1.2 million).<p></p> Participants All patients who began GCWMS between 1 October 2008 and 30 September 2009.<p></p> Interventions Structured educational lifestyle programme employing cognitive behavioural therapy, 600 kcal deficit diet, physical activity advice, lower calorie diet and pharmacotherapy.<p></p> Primary and secondary outcomes measures Baseline observation carried forward (BOCF), last observation carried forward (LOCF) and changes in programme completers reported using outcomes of absolute 5 kg and 5% weight losses and mean weight changes at a variety of time points.<p></p> Results 6505 referrals were made to GCWMS, 5637 were eligible, 3460 opted in and 1916 (34%) attended a first session. 78 patients were excluded from our analysis on 1838 patients. 72.9% of patients were women, mean age of all patients at baseline was 49.1 years, 43.3% lived in highly socioeconomically deprived areas and mean weights and body mass indices at baseline were 118.1 kg and 43.3 kg/m2, respectively. 26% lost ≥5 kg by the end of phase 1, 30% by the end of phase 2 and 28% by the end of phase 3 (all LOCF). Weight loss was more successful among men, particularly those ≤29 years old.<p></p> Conclusions Routine NHS weight management services may achieve moderate weight losses through a comprehensive evidence-based dietary, activity and behavioural approach including psychological care. Weight losses should be reported using a range of outcome measures so that the effectiveness of different services can be compared

The Legal Challenges of Social Media

Social media enables instant access to individual self-expression and the sharing of information. Social media issues are boundless, permeating distinct legal disciplines. The law has struggled to adapt and for good reason: how does the law regulate this medium over the public/private law divide? This book engages with the legal implications of social media from public and private law perspectives and outlines how the law, in various legal sub-disciplines and with varying success, has endeavoured to adapt existing tools to social media

A Critical Race Theory Analysis of Métis Teachers' Counter-Stories

In Canada, Métis are a distinct Indigenous population and nation that have been racialized as mixed-race historically. Using critical race theory (CRT) and mixed-race studies (MRS), this study examined the counter-stories or racialized experiential knowledge of thirteen Métis professionals with K-12 teaching experience in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The counter-stories examined include racialized experiences prior to becoming teachers and as practicing teachers. A critical race theory methodological framework was utilized to analyze the participants’ counter-stories as a means to identify multiple ways in which racism operates in Saskatchewan K-12 schools. The research suggests that Métis teachers, regardless of their racial appearance as White or visibly Indigenous, have visceral reactions to racism directed toward Indigenous peoples as a result of witnessing colourism, passing as White, experiencing intersectional oppression, and learning about racism from family. As a result, the participants were able to remember stories about racism as K-12 students and as practicing teachers, unlike a majority of research that has been conducted with White teachers. The research found that racism continues to operate in Saskatchewan schools through various practices and policies legitimized by deficit, essentialist, and liberal ideology. Drawing from critical race theory, I argue that the racist practices and ideologies identified in the data structurally determine Whiteness and racialized academic outcomes in Saskatchewan schools. While the Métis teachers in this study were able to tell stories about racism in K-12 schools, an inability to conceptualize how to counter racism beyond integrating Indigenous knowledge and, at times, anti-racist content into the curriculum was evident. This finding suggests a need to consider student integration rather than content integration in Indigenous education policy, as content integration has been a focus within Saskatchewan Indigenous education. In addition, the participants were able to remember more counter-stories about Indigenous K-12 students’ encounters with racism when they were K-12 students compared to when they were practicing teachers. The study therefore concludes with direction for an anti-racism educational framework that is inclusive of the unique counter-stories of Métis teachers and students, as well as others, who are racialized as mixed-race

Observation of opto-mechanical multistability in a high Q torsion balance oscillator

We observe the opto-mechanical multistability of a macroscopic torsion balance oscillator. The torsion oscillator forms the moving mirror of a hemi-spherical laser light cavity. When a laser beam is coupled into this cavity, the radiation pressure force of the intra-cavity beam adds to the torsion wire's restoring force, forming an opto-mechanical potential. In the absence of optical damping, up to 23 stable trapping regions were observed due to local light potential minima over a range of 4 micrometer oscillator displacement. Each of these trapping positions exhibits optical spring properties. Hysteresis behavior between neighboring trapping positions is also observed. We discuss the prospect of observing opto-mechanical stochastic resonance, aiming at enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in gravity experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Mechanism of lithium-induced polyuria in the rat

Mechanism of lithium-induced polyuria in the rat. While many studies have demonstrated a nephrogenic diabetes insipidus syndrome (NDI) with prolonged lithium (Li) treatment, experiments in the isolated rat papillary collecting duct have suggested that the defect may be due to a circulating factor that inhibits the action of arginine vasopressin (AVP). Since Li-treatment can produce a form of hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid hormone (PTH) can act as a partial agonist to AVP, in vivo and in vitro studies were performed on rats made polyuric by daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) Li (4 mmol/kg) treatment. Li-treatment for three weeks produced an increase in PTH (194 ± 20 compared with 118 ± 18 pg/ml in control rats; P < 0.01) as well as an increase in the plasma calcium concentration (2.38 ± 0.05 compared with 2.25 ± 0.04 mmol/liter; P < 0.05). Clearance studies were performed on water loaded Li-treated and control rats, and the defect in urine concentration was only observed with a low physiological concentration of AVP (10 mU/kg body wt over 5 min). Maximal urine osmolality was 328 ± 31 compared with 613 ± 81 mOsm/kg (P < 0.05) in controls. There was no detectable difference with a prolonged maximal physiological AVP concentration (10mU bolus and 50 mU/kg body wt per hr) and papillary solute concentrations were unchanged. When Li-treated rats had been parathyroidectomized (PTX), a significant difference in urine concentration with the low AVP concentration could not be demonstrated when compared to non-PTX control rats. In the isolated papillary collecting duct preparation a medium was used that contained fresh plasma from Li-treated or control rats, both intact and PTX. Experiments using plasma from Li-treated intact rats produced only a 25.4 ± 5.1% increase in diffusional water permeability with the addition of AVP (200 µU/ml) compared to 52.6 ± 9.0% in control rats (P < 0.01). However, when plasma from Li-treated PTX rats was used, the AVP induced increase in water permeability (54.7 ± 11.2%) was not significantly different from that observed in PTX control rats. These studies show that the NDI-like defect in Li-treatment is small and easily overcome by higher concentrations of AVP and suggests that the concentration defect is at least in part due to increased circulating levels of PTH acting as a partial agonist to AVP and thereby inhibiting its hydroosmotic action

Agile methods for agile universities

We explore a term, Agile, that is being used in various workplace settings, including the management of universities. The term may have several related but slightly different meanings. Agile is often used in the context of facilitating more creative problem-solving and advocating for the adoption, design, tailoring and continual updating of more innovative organizational processes. We consider a particular set of meanings of the term from the world of software development. Agile methods were created to address certain problems with the software development process. Many of those problems have interesting analogues in the context of universities, so a reflection on agile methods may be a useful heuristic for generating ideas for enabling universities to be more creative

What can a mean-field model tell us about the dynamics of the cortex?

In this chapter we examine the dynamical behavior of a spatially homogeneous two-dimensional model of the cortex that incorporates membrane potential, synaptic flux rates and long- and short-range synaptic input, in two spatial dimensions, using parameter sets broadly realistic of humans and rats. When synaptic dynamics are included, the steady states may not be stable. The bifurcation structure for the spatially symmetric case is explored, identifying the positions of saddle–node and sub- and supercritical Hopf instabilities. We go beyond consideration of small-amplitude perturbations to look at nonlinear dynamics. Spatially-symmetric (breathing mode) limit cycles are described, as well as the response to spatially-localized impulses. When close to Hopf and saddle–node bifurcations, such impulses can cause traveling waves with similarities to the slow oscillation of slow-wave sleep. Spiral waves can also be induced. We compare model dynamics with the known behavior of the cortex during natural and anesthetic-induced sleep, commenting on the physiological significance of the limit cycles and impulse responses

Target product profiles for protecting against outdoor malaria transmission.

BACKGROUND\ud \ud Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual sprays (IRS) have decimated malaria transmission by killing indoor-feeding mosquitoes. However, complete elimination of malaria transmission with these proven methods is confounded by vectors that evade pesticide contact by feeding outdoors.\ud \ud METHODS\ud \ud For any assumed level of indoor coverage and personal protective efficacy with insecticidal products, process-explicit malaria transmission models suggest that insecticides that repel mosquitoes will achieve less impact upon transmission than those that kill them outright. Here such models are extended to explore how outdoor use of products containing either contact toxins or spatial repellents might augment or attenuate impact of high indoor coverage of LLINs relying primarily upon contact toxicity.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud \ud LLIN impact could be dramatically enhanced by high coverage with spatial repellents conferring near-complete personal protection, but only if combined indoor use of both measures can be avoided where vectors persist that prefer feeding indoors upon humans. While very high levels of coverage and efficacy will be required for spatial repellents to substantially augment the impact of LLINs or IRS, these ambitious targets may well be at least as practically achievable as the lower requirements for equivalent impact using contact insecticides.\ud \ud CONCLUSIONS\ud \ud Vapour-phase repellents may be more acceptable, practical and effective than contact insecticides for preventing outdoor malaria transmission because they need not be applied to skin or clothing and may protect multiple occupants of spaces outside of treatable structures such as nets or houses