Listening Broadly: Comparing Cultural Differences in Holistic and Analytic Auditory Attention

Previous research has shown that across cultures, ways of thinking can influence perception and attention (Nisbett, Peng, Choi, & Norenzaya, 2001). In particular, Westerners tend to show a narrower, context-independent analytic processing style, while East Asians show a broader, context-dependent holistic style. Existing work on attention has utilized a variety of visual stimuli; however, domain general effects have not been tested. The present research focused on a new domain – namely listening – to provide compelling evidence for the deep-reaching influence of cultural thought patterns on attention. I designed a novel listening method, which required participants to either focus their attention on one of two voices, or divide their attention across two voices. We expected that the performance of analytically perceiving European Americans would be harmed by the additional challenge of listening to a second simultaneous talker, but that holistically perceiving East Asian Americans would be less harmed.Further, we sought to examine how the speaker’s rank, in other words the speaker’s relative status in the social hierarchy, might further alter cultural patterns of basic attention. Human communities differ not only in their social orientation but in other dimensions as well, including emphasis placed on positions held in the social hierarchy. I employed a rank manipulation, altering the speaker’s status as either a fellow student or professor, to explore how cultural differences in accepting differences in social status and power would further moderate attention. Study 1 demonstrated that while grouping based on self-identified ethnicity did not predict patterns of attention, using the individual difference measure assessing analytic-holistic tendencies did predict the expected attention patterns. In Study 2, I show that the rank of the speaker affected accuracy differently across cultural groups. The work provides tentative support for the depth that culture can penetrate the mind, altering even seemingly basic processes like attention

Impact of Antimalarial Treatment and Chemoprevention on the Drug Sensitivity of Malaria Parasites Isolated from Ugandan Children

Changing treatment practices may be selecting for changes in the drug sensitivity of malaria parasites. We characterized ex vivo drug sensitivity and parasite polymorphisms associated with sensitivity in 459 Plasmodium falciparum samples obtained from subjects enrolled in two clinical trials in Tororo, Uganda, from 2010 to 2013. Sensitivities to chloroquine and monodesethylamodiaquine varied widely; sensitivities to quinine, dihydroartemisinin, lumefantrine, and piperaquine were generally good. Associations between ex vivo drug sensitivity and parasite polymorphisms included decreased chloroquine and monodesethylamodiaquine sensitivity and increased lumefantrine and piperaquine sensitivity with pfcrt 76T, as well as increased lumefantrine sensitivity with pfmdr1 86Y, Y184, and 1246Y. Over time, ex vivo sensitivity decreased for lumefantrine and piperaquine and increased for chloroquine, the prevalences of pfcrt K76 and pfmdr1 N86 and D1246 increased, and the prevalences of pfdhfr and pfdhps polymorphisms associated with antifolate resistance were unchanged. In recurrent infections, recent prior treatment with artemether-lumefantrine was associated with decreased ex vivo lumefantrine sensitivity and increased prevalence of pfcrt K76 and pfmdr1 N86, 184F, and D1246. In children assigned chemoprevention with monthly dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine with documented circulating piperaquine, breakthrough infections had increased the prevalence of pfmdr1 86Y and 1246Y compared to untreated controls. The noted impacts of therapy and chemoprevention on parasite polymorphisms remained significant in multivariate analysis correcting for calendar time. Overall, changes in parasite sensitivity were consistent with altered selective pressures due to changing treatment practices in Uganda. These changes may threaten the antimalarial treatment and preventive efficacies of artemether-lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, respectively

Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research.Peer reviewe

Using multiple genes in a gene-culture interaction on expressive tendencies

Building on gene-environment interaction (G × E) research, this study investigates how a genetic susceptibility index interacts with culture to influence expressive tendencies in a gene-culture interaction. Previous studies have identified specific genetic variants associated with greater susceptibility to environmental influences. Taking culture as a form of environment, individuals with more susceptible variants are expected to exhibit behavior more in line with cultural norms. We assessed susceptibility using a genetic susceptibility index, which was composed of multiple polymorphisms previously identified in gene-culture interaction studies of susceptibility genotypes. American and Korean participants completed assessments of expressive behavior, including value of expression, emotional suppression, and cognitive reappraisal tendencies, and were genotyped for OXTR, 5HTR1A, SERT, and DRD4. Increased expressive values and behaviors are normative in an American cultural context, but not in an East Asian cultural context like Korea. Comparing between Americans and Koreans, we found the predicted interaction on expression: Individuals with higher genetic susceptibility to environmental influence were more likely to exhibit expressive tendencies in accordance with cultural norms. Specifically, among Americans, increased genetic susceptibility was associated with greater value of expression and lower emotional suppression, while Koreans showed the opposite pattern. For cognitive reappraisal, which does not differ between the cultures, we found no interactive effect between genetic susceptibility and culture. Both cultural groups showed an association between increased genetic susceptibility and use of cognitive reappraisal. These findings suggest cultural factors moderate the influence of genetic susceptibility across multiple genes on the manifestation of expressive tendencies

Story Telling Objects

This thesis project explores how stories, real or imagined, are given life through the physical arrangement of text image and object. Through my research, I’ve explored how narrative, and especially fiction, is essential to the human experience. We use text most often to convey information and story, usually in the form of a book. But as digital technology renders physical copies of some books redundant, other book makers are evolving and finding new ways to share stories. Objects and images communicate story and act as powerful triggers for memory as well and when combined with text, the three media can tell a story that is far richer than any single media by itself. An example of this kind of hybrid book form is the scrapbook. Makers of scrapbooks layer photographs with handwritten text, ticket stubs, magazine clippings, candy wrappers, and a wide variety of other daily ephemera. These books tell a story beyond what is on the pages and paint a more richly nuanced tale of the maker who assembled them. This research resulted in the creation of three separate story worlds using different combinations of text, image and object. Each work has elements that can be read on their own but function best when taken as part of a group of objects. The first piece is called Be Prepared: Shop Display. It is a display for a shop that sells a line of products called Be Prepared. It includes a handmade wooden box filled with magical objects, a handbook of instructions for their use, a variety of other objects and curios for sale, a canvas poster, and business cards. These products are intended to help speed the viewer through even the most challenging of adventures and help them gain the reward they so richly deserve. The second piece, The Story of HER, vol. 2, is a wall installation of 37 collection of various found and altered pieces (paintings, frames, needlepoint, letters, pages from books, photographs, a metal tray, decorative objects) that separately and collectively tell a story. While each piece can be read individually, it also contains part of a larger story. By layering words, images, and objects, I can create a richer narrative than that provided by any one of those modes alone. The final piece is called Kaitlyn’s Suitcase. It is a battered red suitcase containing women’s clothing, shoes, undergarments, toiletries, makeup, a discman and headphones, CDs, a teddy bear, other miscellaneous personal effects, and a handwritten journal. According to the wall text, the owner’s whereabouts are unknown. The intention is for viewers to look through the stuff, read through the journal and draw their own conclusions about what happened to Kaitlyn

Social Determinants of Health Amplify the Association Between Ethnicity and COVID19: A Retrospective-Cohort study

Background: People in racial and ethnic minority groups have been shown to be at increased risk for a variety of diseases, including COVID-19. However, the role that social needs play in this increased risk has not yet been quantified. Investigating these roles can elicit a greater understanding of how social needs influence the manner in which this disease is contracted and spread. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 1,969 Lynn Community Health Center patients. Patients that visited the center between February 1st and July 1st, 2020, tested for COVID-19, and screened for social determinants of health (SDOH) risk factors. Demographics were compared between COVID-19 positive and negative patients. Confounding by age on the association between ethnicity and COVID-19 status was evaluated. A stratified analysis was performed to evaluate the effect modification of SDOH on the relationship between race, ethnicity, and COVID-19 status. Results: Hispanic patients had 2.93 times the odds of a positive COVID-19 test compared to non-Hispanics (95% CI: 2.37 - 3.64, p<0.0001). With at least one SDOH risk factor, Hispanics had 4.71 times the odds of a positive COVID-19 test relative to non-Hispanics (95% CI: 3.10 - 7.14). With no SDOH risk factors, Hispanics had 2.45 times the odds of a positive COVID-19 test relative to non-Hispanics (95% CI: 1.91 - 3.16). No significant associations were found for race. Conclusion: Ethnicity had a significant impact on COVID-19 status in our population, where the effect of ethnicity on COVID-19 status was amplified for those with SDOH risk factors

Application of joint model in characterizing pre- and post-dementia trajectory of cognitive function

The e4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is well-recognized as a strong risk factor for incidence of dementia. However, there have been conflicting results on the effect of the allele on cognitive function after dementia onset. As the allele is also implicated in other diseases related to early mortality, there may exist a survival bias impacting the performance of a traditional mixed effects model. Therefore, we propose the use of joint modeling to examine whether the association between APOE e4 and cognitive function is changed before and after dementia onset. Here, we define cognitive function using multiple longitudinal outcomes measuring four cognitive domains of memory, attention, executive function, and language. We use a multivariate joint model with a time to death outcome, and draw a comparison to univariate joint models . We use as a motivating example data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

Stability of Extemporaneously Compounded Suspensions of Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole in Amber Plastic Bottles and Amber Plastic Syringes

Background: Trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) are widely used, in combination, to treat or prevent various infections. Unfortunately, no liquid oral formulation is currently available in Canada for patients who are unable to swallow tablets. Objective: To evaluate the stability of suspensions of TMP and SMX (8 and 40 mg/mL, respectively) prepared in Oral Mix or Oral Mix SF vehicle (Medisca Pharmaceutique Inc) and stored for up to 90 days in amber plastic bottles or amber plastic syringes at 5°C or 25°C. Methods: Suspensions were prepared from bulk powder and from tablets in Oral Mix and Oral Mix SF vehicles, then transferred to amber plastic (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) bottles and plastic oral syringes and stored at 5°C and 25°C. Samples were collected on predetermined study days (0, 7, 14, 23, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days) and analyzed using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography – ultraviolet detection method. A suspension was considered stable if it maintained at least 90% of its initial concentration with 95% confidence. Observations of organoleptic characteristics such as colour and odour, as well as pH, were used to assess physical stability. Results: Suspensions prepared from bulk powder maintained concentrations of TMP and SMX of at least 97% of the initial concentration over the 90-day study period. No obvious changes in colour, odour, or pH were observed. However, acceptable suspensions could not be prepared from the commercial tablets. A persistent foam that developed at the surface of all suspensions prepared from tablets could result in inconsistent dosing. Conclusions: Extemporaneously compounded oral suspensions of TMP and SMX (8 and 40 mg/mL, respectively) prepared from bulk powder in Oral Mix and Oral Mix SF vehicles and stored in amber plastic bottles or syringes at 5°C or 25°C remained stable for at least 90 days. Suspensions made from tablets produced unacceptable formulations. RÉSUMÉ Contexte : Le triméthoprime (TMP) et le sulfaméthoxazole (SMX) sont largement utilisés conjointement pour traiter ou prévenir diverses infections. Malheureusement, aucune formulation liquide orale n’est actuellement disponible au Canada pour les patients incapables d’avaler des comprimés. Objectif : Évaluer la stabilité des suspensions de TMP et de SMX (respectivement 8 et 40 mg/mL) préparées dans un véhicule Oral Mix ou Oral Mix SF (Medisca Pharmaceutique Inc.) et stockées pendant 90 jours dans des flacons ou des seringues en plastique ambré à 5 °C ou 25 °C. Méthodes : Les suspensions ont été préparées à partir de poudre en vrac et de comprimés dans les véhicules Oral Mix et Oral Mix SF, puis transférées dans des flacons en plastique ambré (polyéthylène téréphtalate glycol) et dans des seringues orales en plastique et stockées à 5 °C et 25 °C. Des échantillons ont été recueillis à des jours prédéterminés (0, 7, 14, 23, 45, 60, 75 et 90 jours) et analysés à l’aide d’une méthode de détection par ultraviolet validée de chromatographie en phase liquide à haute performance. La suspension était jugée stable si elle préservait au moins 90 % de sa concentration initiale avec un seuil de confiance de 95 %. Les observations des caractéristiques organoleptiques, comme la couleur et l’odeur, ainsi que le pH, ont été faites pour évaluer la stabilité physique. Résultats : Les suspensions préparées à partir de poudre en vrac préservaient au moins 97 % de la concentration initiale de TMP et de SMX pendant la période d’étude de 90 jours. Aucun changement manifeste de couleur, d’odeur ou de pH n’a été observé. Cependant, les suspensions acceptables n’ont pas pu être préparées à partir des comprimés commerciaux. Une mousse homogène se formait à la surface de ces suspensions, ce qui pourrait entraîner un dosage incohérent. Conclusions : Les suspensions orales composées extemporanées de TMP et SMX (respectivement 8 et 40 mg/mL) préparées à partir de poudre en vrac dans des véhicules Oral Mix et Oral Mix SF et stockées dans des flacons ou des seringues en plastique ambré à 5 °C ou 25°C sont restées stables pendant au moins 90 jours. Les suspensions préparées à partir de comprimés ont donné des formulations inacceptables