On “The Analysis of Ranked Data Derived from Completely Randomized Factorial Designs”

Extensions of the Kruskal-Wallis procedure for a factorial design are reviewed and researched under various degrees and kinds of nonnullity. It was found that the distributions of these test statistics are a Function of effects other than those being tested except under the completely null situation and their use is discouraged.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Riverine macrosystems ecology: sensitivity, resistance, and resilience of whole river basins with human alterations

Riverine macrosystems are described here as watershed-scale networks of connected and interacting riverine and upland habitat patches. Such systems are driven by variable responses of nutrients and organisms to a suite of global and regional factors (eg climate, human social systems) interacting with finer-scale variations in geology, topography, and human modifications. We hypothesize that spatial heterogeneity, connectivity, and asynchrony among these patches regulate ecological dynamics of whole networks, altering system sensitivity, resistance, and resilience. Long-distance connections between patches may be particularly important in riverine macrosystems, shaping fundamental system properties. Furthermore, the type, extent, intensity, and spatial configuration of human activities (eg land-use change, dam construction) influence watershed-wide ecological properties through effects on habitat heterogeneity and connectivity at multiple scales. Thus, riverine macrosystems are coupled social–ecological systems with feedbacks that influence system responses to environmental change and the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services

Neural correlates of enhanced visual short-term memory for angry faces: An fMRI study

Copyright: © 2008 Jackson et al.Background: Fluid and effective social communication requires that both face identity and emotional expression information are encoded and maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) to enable a coherent, ongoing picture of the world and its players. This appears to be of particular evolutionary importance when confronted with potentially threatening displays of emotion - previous research has shown better VSTM for angry versus happy or neutral face identities.Methodology/Principal Findings: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, here we investigated the neural correlates of this angry face benefit in VSTM. Participants were shown between one and four to-be-remembered angry, happy, or neutral faces, and after a short retention delay they stated whether a single probe face had been present or not in the previous display. All faces in any one display expressed the same emotion, and the task required memory for face identity. We find enhanced VSTM for angry face identities and describe the right hemisphere brain network underpinning this effect, which involves the globus pallidus, superior temporal sulcus, and frontal lobe. Increased activity in the globus pallidus was significantly correlated with the angry benefit in VSTM. Areas modulated by emotion were distinct from those modulated by memory load.Conclusions/Significance: Our results provide evidence for a key role of the basal ganglia as an interface between emotion and cognition, supported by a frontal, temporal, and occipital network.The authors were supported by a Wellcome Trust grant (grant number 077185/Z/05/Z) and by BBSRC (UK) grant BBS/B/16178

Parametric methods outperformed non-parametric methods in comparisons of discrete numerical variables

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The number of events per individual is a widely reported variable in medical research papers. Such variables are the most common representation of the general variable type called discrete numerical. There is currently no consensus on how to compare and present such variables, and recommendations are lacking. The objective of this paper is to present recommendations for analysis and presentation of results for discrete numerical variables.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two simulation studies were used to investigate the performance of hypothesis tests and confidence interval methods for variables with outcomes {0, 1, 2}, {0, 1, 2, 3}, {0, 1, 2, 3, 4}, and {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, using the difference between the means as an effect measure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The Welch U test (the T test with adjustment for unequal variances) and its associated confidence interval performed well for almost all situations considered. The Brunner-Munzel test also performed well, except for small sample sizes (10 in each group). The ordinary T test, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, the percentile bootstrap interval, and the bootstrap-<it>t </it>interval did not perform satisfactorily.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The difference between the means is an appropriate effect measure for comparing two independent discrete numerical variables that has both lower and upper bounds. To analyze this problem, we encourage more frequent use of parametric hypothesis tests and confidence intervals.</p

Validity, reliability and stability of the portable Cortex Metamax 3B gas analysis system

This study investigated the performance of the portable Cortex Metamax 3B (MM3B) automated gas analysis system during both simulated and human exercise using adolescents. Repeated measures using a Gas Exchange System Validator (GESV) across a range of simulated metabolic rates, showed the MM3B to be adequately reliable (both percentage errors, and percentage technical error of measurements <2%) for measuring expired ventilation (VE), oxygen consumption (VO2), and carbon dioxide production (VCO2). Over a 3 h period, the MM3B was shown to be acceptably stable in measuring gas fractions, as well as VE, VO2, and VCO2 generated by the GESV, especially at moderate and high metabolic rates (drifts <2% and of minor physiological significance). Using eight healthy adolescents during rest, moderate, and vigorous cycle ergometry, the validity of the MM3B was tested against the primary criterion Douglas bag method (DBM) and a secondary criterion machine known to be accurate, the Jaeger Oxycon Pro system. No significant errors in VE were noted, yet the MM3B significantly overestimated both VO2 and VCO2 by approximately 10–17% at moderate and vigorous exercise as compared to the DBM and at all exercise levels compared to the Oxycon Pro. No significant differences were seen in any metabolic variable between the two criterion systems (DBM and Oxycon Pro). It is concluded the MM3B produces acceptably stable and reliable results, but is not adequately valid during moderate and vigorous exercise without some further correction of VO2 and VCO2

Empirical Analysis of Factors Affecting Confirmation Bias Levels of Software Engineers

Confirmation bias is defined as the tendency of people to seek evidence that verifies a hypothesis rather than seeking evidence to falsify it. Due to the confirmation bias, defects may be introduced in a software product during requirements analysis, design, implementation and/or testing phases. For instance, testers may exhibit confirmatory behavior in the form of a tendency to make the code run rather than employing a strategic approach to make it fail. As a result, most of the defects that have been introduced in the earlier phases of software development may be overlooked leading to an increase in software defect density. In this paper, we quantify confirmation bias levels in terms of a single derived metric. However, the main focus of this paper is the analysis of factors affecting confirmation bias levels of software engineers. Identification of these factors can guide project managers to circumvent negative effects of confirmation bias, as well as providing guidance for the recruitment and effective allocation of software engineers. In this empirical study, we observed low confirmation bias levels among participants with logical reasoning and hypothesis testing skills

Identification of a Novel Calotropis procera Protein That Can Suppress Tumor Growth in Breast Cancer through the Suppression of NF-κB Pathway

10.1371/journal.pone.0048514PLoS ONE712

Personal, Political, Pedagogic: Challenging the binary bind in archaeological teaching, learning and fieldwork

yesIn this paper we consider how we can undercut the various binaries of gender and sexuality in archaeological practice, and particularly in our teaching. We argue that taking an assemblage theory approach enables us to look at the multiplicity of identities of those practicing archaeology as different and intersecting assemblages that bring one another into being through their connections at different scales. In particular, we examine how this approach can be applied to archaeological pedagogy and how this in turn enables us to move away from modern binary distinctions about sex and gender identities from the "bottom up", fostering an approach in our students that will then go on to be developed in professional practice

Are Females More Responsive to Emotional Stimuli? A Neurophysiological Study Across Arousal and Valence Dimensions

Men and women seem to process emotions and react to them differently. Yet, few neurophysiological studies have systematically investigated gender differences in emotional processing. Here, we studied gender differences using Event Related Potentials (ERPs) and Skin Conductance Responses (SCR) recorded from participants who passively viewed emotional pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). The arousal and valence dimension of the stimuli were manipulated orthogonally. The peak amplitude and peak latency of ERP components and SCR were analyzed separately, and the scalp topographies of significant ERP differences were documented. Females responded with enhanced negative components (N100 and N200), in comparison to males, especially to the unpleasant visual stimuli, whereas both genders responded faster to high arousing or unpleasant stimuli. Scalp topographies revealed more pronounced gender differences on central and left hemisphere areas. Our results suggest a difference in the way emotional stimuli are processed by genders: unpleasant and high arousing stimuli evoke greater ERP amplitudes in women relatively to men. It also seems that unpleasant or high arousing stimuli are temporally prioritized during visual processing by both genders