Finding middle ground between intellectual arrogance and intellectual servility: Development and assessment of the limitations-owning intellectual humility scale

Recent scholarship in intellectual humility (IH) has attempted to provide deeper understanding of the virtue as personality trait and its impact on an individual's thoughts, beliefs, and actions. A limitations-owning perspective of IH focuses on a proper recognition of the impact of intellectual limitations and a motivation to overcome them, placing it as the mean between intellectual arrogance and intellectual servility. We developed the Limitations-Owning Intellectual Humility Scale to assess this conception of IH with related personality constructs. In Studies 1 (n= 386) and 2 (n = 296), principal factor and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor model – owning one's intellectual limitations, appropriate discomfort with intellectual limitations, and love of learning. Study 3 (n = 322) demonstrated strong test-retest reliability of the measure over 5 months, while Study 4 (n = 612) revealed limitations-owning IH correlated negatively with dogmatism, closed-mindedness, and hubristic pride and positively with openness, assertiveness, authentic pride. It also predicted openness and closed-mindedness over and above education, social desirability, and other measures of IH. The limitations-owning understanding of IH and scale allow for a more nuanced, spectrum interpretation and measurement of the virtue, which directs future study inside and outside of psychology

Materials Science Research Rack Onboard the International Space Station

The Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) is a research facility developed under a cooperative research agreement between NASA and ESA for materials science investigations on the International Space Station (ISS). MSRR was launched on STS-128 in August 2009 and currently resides in the U.S. Destiny Laboratory Module. Since that time, MSRR has logged more than 1000 hours of operating time. The MSRR accommodates advanced investigations in the microgravity environment on the ISS for basic materials science research in areas such as solidification of metals and alloys. The purpose is to advance the scientific understanding of materials processing as affected by microgravity and to gain insight into the physical behavior of materials processing. MSRR allows for the study of a variety of materials, including metals, ceramics, semiconductor crystals, and glasses. Materials science research benefits from the microgravity environment of space, where the researcher can better isolate chemical and thermal properties of materials from the effects of gravity. With this knowledge, reliable predictions can be made about the conditions required on Earth to achieve improved materials. MSRR is a highly automated facility with a modular design capable of supporting multiple types of investigations. The NASA-provided Rack Support Subsystem provides services (power, thermal control, vacuum access, and command and data handling) to the ESA-developed Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) that accommodates interchangeable Furnace Inserts (FI). Two ESA-developed FIs are presently available on the ISS: the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) and the Solidification and Quenching Furnace (SQF). Sample Cartridge Assemblies (SCAs), each containing one or more material samples, are installed in the FI by the crew and can be processed at temperatures up to 1400C. ESA continues to develop samples with 14 planned for launch and processing in the near future. Additionally NASA has begun developing SCAs to support US PIs and their partners. The first of these Flight SCAs are being developed for investigations to support research in the areas of crystal growth and liquid phase sintering. Subsequent investigations are in various stages of development. US investigations will include a ground test program in order to distinguish the particular effects of the absence of gravity

A fast ridge extraction algorithm from the scalogram, applied to search of stationary areas

We propose to extract the ridges from the scalogram, with the help of a rapid and simple algorithm, based on the local maxim a detection, their linkage and their interpolation . The signal reconstruction is possible thanks to the Marseille's algorithm, proposed in 1990 . Moreover, the reconstruction, from a limited number of ridges of greatest energy, makes the stationarity research easier. Indeed, the reconstructed version of the signal is, in someway, a simplified version of the original signal . We apply these methods to the uterine electromyogram signal, in order to characterize the contractions during pregnancy .Nous proposons d'extraire les arêtes dans le scalogramme, grâce à un algorithme rapide et simple, basé sur la détection des maxima locaux, leur lien et leur interpolation. La reconstruction du signal est possible grâce à l'algorithme proposé par Marseille en 1990. La recherche de zones stationnaires est alors facilitée par la reconstruction du signal, à partir d'un certain nombre d'arêtes. En effet, la version reconstruite est, en quelque sorte, une version « simplifiée du signal original. Nous appliquons ces méthodes au signal électromyographique utérin, en vue d'une caractérisation des contractions utérines pendant la grossesse

Selective incorporation of proteinaceous over nonproteinaceous cationic amino acids in model prebiotic oligomerization reactions.

Numerous long-standing questions in origins-of-life research center on the history of biopolymers. For example, how and why did nature select the polypeptide backbone and proteinaceous side chains? Depsipeptides, containing both ester and amide linkages, have been proposed as ancestors of polypeptides. In this paper, we investigate cationic depsipeptides that form under mild dry-down reactions. We compare the oligomerization of various cationic amino acids, including the cationic proteinaceous amino acids (lysine, Lys; arginine, Arg; and histidine, His), along with nonproteinaceous analogs of Lys harboring fewer methylene groups in their side chains. These analogs, which have been discussed as potential prebiotic alternatives to Lys, are ornithine, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid, and 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Orn, Dab, and Dpr). We observe that the proteinaceous amino acids condense more extensively than these nonproteinaceous amino acids. Orn and Dab readily cyclize into lactams, while Dab and Dpr condense less efficiently. Furthermore, the proteinaceous amino acids exhibit more selective oligomerization through their α-amines relative to their side-chain groups. This selectivity results in predominantly linear depsipeptides in which the amino acids are α-amine-linked, analogous to today's proteins. These results suggest a chemical basis for the selection of Lys, Arg, and His over other cationic amino acids for incorporation into proto-proteins on the early Earth. Given that electrostatics are key elements of protein-RNA and protein-DNA interactions in extant life, we hypothesize that cationic side chains incorporated into proto-peptides, as reported in this study, served in a variety of functions with ancestral nucleic acid polymers in the early stages of life

Effect van zwavel op natuurlijke vijanden

In veel gewassen wordt regelmatig gezwaveld om meeldauw te voorkomen. Zwavel kan echter schadelijk zijn voor biologische bestrijders. Op verzoek van de werkgroep Strateeg van LTO Groeiservice en met financiering van het Productschap Tuinbouw begon Wageningen UR Glastuinbouw eind 2006 met een onderzoek aan het effect van zwavel op een aantal natuurlijke vijanden. Daarbij werd onderscheid gemaakt tussen blootstelling aan zwaveldamp tijdens de behandeling, en contact met de op de bladeren neergeslagen zwavel achteraf. De hoeveelheid neergeslagen zwavel werd gemeten, en gerelateerd aan aantal en duur van de behandelingen, alsmede afstand tot de zwavelpot. De sluipwesp Encarsia formosa bleek het meest gevoelig, en bezweek binnen een dag na contact met neergeslagen zwavel. Galmuglarven verdragen dat beter, maar de volwassen muggen worden sterk gehinderd door het verdampen van zwavel in de nacht. Voor de roofmijt Amblyseius swirskii is zwavelneerslag acuut niet bijzonder toxisch. Eén nacht zwavelen doet weinig schade. Bij herhaaldelijk zwavelen (vanaf drie nachten) stoppen de roofmijten echter met ei-afzetting. Op de duur is het frequent verdampen van zwavel dus ook voor (deze) roofmijten desastreus

Comparison of CDMS [100] and [111] oriented germanium detectors

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) utilizes large mass, 3" diameter $\times$ 1" thick target masses as particle detectors. The target is instrumented with both phonon and ionization sensors and comparison of energy in each channel provides event-by-event classification of electron and nuclear recoils. Fiducial volume is determined by the ability to obtain good phonon and ionization signal at a particular location. Due to electronic band structure in germanium, electron mass is described by an anisotropic tensor with heavy mass aligned along the symmetry axis defined by the [111] Miller index (L valley), resulting in large lateral component to the transport. The spatial distribution of electrons varies significantly for detectors which have their longitudinal axis orientations described by either the [100] or [111] Miller indices. Electric fields with large fringing component at high detector radius also affect the spatial distribution of electrons and holes. Both effects are studied in a 3 dimensional Monte Carlo and the impact on fiducial volume is discussed.Comment: Low Temperature Detector 14 conference proceedings to be published in the Journal of Low Temperature Physic

Genome mapping and characterization of the Anopheles gambiae heterochromatin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Heterochromatin plays an important role in chromosome function and gene regulation. Despite the availability of polytene chromosomes and genome sequence, the heterochromatin of the major malaria vector <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>has not been mapped and characterized.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To determine the extent of heterochromatin within the <it>An. gambiae </it>genome, genes were physically mapped to the euchromatin-heterochromatin transition zone of polytene chromosomes. The study found that a minimum of 232 genes reside in 16.6 Mb of mapped heterochromatin. Gene ontology analysis revealed that heterochromatin is enriched in genes with DNA-binding and regulatory activities. Immunostaining of the <it>An. gambiae </it>chromosomes with antibodies against <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) and the nuclear envelope protein lamin Dm₀identified the major invariable sites of the proteins' localization in all regions of pericentric heterochromatin, diffuse intercalary heterochromatin, and euchromatic region 9C of the 2R arm, but not in the compact intercalary heterochromatin. To better understand the molecular differences among chromatin types, novel Bayesian statistical models were developed to analyze genome features. The study found that heterochromatin and euchromatin differ in gene density and the coverage of retroelements and segmental duplications. The pericentric heterochromatin had the highest coverage of retroelements and tandem repeats, while intercalary heterochromatin was enriched with segmental duplications. We also provide evidence that the diffuse intercalary heterochromatin has a higher coverage of DNA transposable elements, minisatellites, and satellites than does the compact intercalary heterochromatin. The investigation of 42-Mb assembly of unmapped genomic scaffolds showed that it has molecular characteristics similar to cytologically mapped heterochromatin.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that <it>Anopheles </it>polytene chromosomes and whole-genome shotgun assembly render the mapping and characterization of a significant part of heterochromatic scaffolds a possibility. These results reveal the strong association between characteristics of the genome features and morphological types of chromatin. Initial analysis of the <it>An. gambiae </it>heterochromatin provides a framework for its functional characterization and comparative genomic analyses with other organisms.</p

Accountability: Construct Definition and Measurement of a Virtue Vital to Flourishing

Embracing accountability to others for one’s responsibilities within relationships is important for flourishing, yet underexamined. An interdisciplinary team defined the construct of accountability and developed an 11-item single-factor Accountability Scale. In national samples with US census demographic representation (total N = 1257), we conducted psychometric analyses using methods from classical test theory (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) and item response theory. The Accountability Scale demonstrated internal consistency, construct validity, test-retest reliability, and incremental validity. Accountability correlated positively with relational variables (agreeableness, empathy) responsibility-oriented variables (conscientiousness, self-regulation), virtues (gratitude, forgiveness, limitations-owning humility), relational repair, perceived meaning presence, and flourishing, inversely with symptoms (personality disorders, temper, anxiety, depression), and weakly with searching for meaning and social desirability. Accountability scores superseded demographic variables, conscientiousness, and agreeableness to predict relational repair, perceived presence of meaning in life, and flourishing. We offer the accountability construct and scale to advance human flourishing research and applied work

Accountability : construct definition and measurement of a virtue vital to flourishing

This work was supported by a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust (TRT0171).Embracing accountability to others for one’s responsibilities within relationships is important for flourishing, yet underexamined. An interdisciplinary team defined the construct of accountability and developed an 11-item single-factor Accountability Scale. In national samples with US census demographic representation (total N = 1257), we conducted psychometric analyses using methods from classical test theory (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) and item response theory. The Accountability Scale demonstrated internal consistency, construct validity, test-retest reliability, and incremental validity. Accountability correlated positively with relational variables (agreeableness, empathy) responsibility-oriented variables (conscientiousness, self-regulation), virtues (gratitude, forgiveness, limitations-owning humility), relational repair, perceived meaning presence, and flourishing, inversely with symptoms (personality disorders, temper, anxiety, depression), and weakly with searching for meaning and social desirability. Accountability scores superseded demographic variables, conscientiousness, and agreeableness to predict relational repair, perceived presence of meaning in life, and flourishing. We offer the accountability construct and scale to advance human flourishing research and applied work.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe