The Puritan ethic of labor

This item was digitized by the Internet Archive. Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universityhttps://archive.org/details/thepuritanethico00fle

The neural basis of metacognitive ability

Ability in various cognitive domains is often assessed by measuring task performance, such as the accuracy of a perceptual categorization. A similar analysis can be applied to metacognitive reports about a task to quantify the degree to which an individual is aware of his or her success or failure. Here, we review the psychological and neural underpinnings of metacognitive accuracy, drawing on research in memory and decision-making. These data show that metacognitive accuracy is dissociable from task performance and varies across individuals. Convergent evidence indicates that the function of the rostral and dorsal aspect of the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) is important for the accuracy of retrospective judgements of performance. In contrast, prospective judgements of performance may depend upon medial PFC. We close with a discussion of how metacognitive processes relate to concepts of cognitive control, and propose a neural synthesis in which dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortical subregions interact with interoceptive cortices (cingulate and insula) to promote accurate judgements of performance

Mesospheric Dynamical Changes Induced by the Solar Proton Events in October-November 2003

The very large solar storms in October-November 2003 caused solar proton events (SPEs) at the Earth that impacted the upper atmospheric polar cap regions. The Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) was used to study the atmospheric dynamical influence of the solar protons that occurred in Oct-Nov 2003, the fourth largest period of SPEs measured in the past 40 years. The highly energetic solar protons caused ionization, as well as dissociation processes, and ultimately produced odd hydrogen (HOx) and odd nitrogen (NOy). Significant short-lived ozone decreases (10-70%) followed these enhancements of HOx and NOy and led to a cooling of most of the lower mesosphere. This cooling caused an atmospheric circulation change that led to adiabatic heating of the upper mesosphere. Temperature changes up to plus or minus 2.6 K were computed as well as wind (zonal, meridional, vertical) perturbations up to 20-25% of the background winds as a result of 22 the solar protons. The solar proton-induced mesospheric temperature and wind perturbations diminished over a period of 4-6 weeks after the SPEs. The Joule heating in the mesosphere, induced by the solar protons, was computed to be relatively insignificant for these solar storms with most of the temperature and circulation perturbations caused by ozone depletion in the sunlit hemisphere

Economic Feasibility of Impermeable Lagoon Covers

Environmental Economics and Policy,

Potential Impact of Antiviral Drug Use during Influenza Pandemic

Impact of different antiviral treatment strategies on hospitalizations during an influenza pandemic is evaluated

An Ultracool Star's Candidate Planet

We report here the discovery of the first planet around an ultracool dwarf star. It is also the first extrasolar giant planet (EGP) astrometrically discovered around a main-sequence star. The statistical significance of the detection is shown in two ways. First, there is a 2 x 10^-8 probability that the astrometric motion fits a parallax-and-proper-motion-only model. Second, periodogram analysis shows a false alarm probability of 3 x 10^-5 that the discovered period is randomly generated. The planetary mass is M2 = 6.4 (+2.6,-3.1) Jupiter-masses (MJ), and the orbital period is P = 0.744 (+0.013,-0.008) yr in the most likely model. In less likely models, companion masses that are higher than the 13 MJ planetary mass limit are ruled out by past radial velocity measurements unless the system radial velocity is more than twice the current upper limits and the near-periastron orbital phase was never observed. This new planetary system is remarkable, in part, because its star, VB 10, is near the lower mass limit for a star. Our astrometric observations provide a dynamical mass measurement and will in time allow us to confront the theoretical models of formation and evolution of such systems and their members. We thus add to the diversity of planetary systems and to the small number of known M-dwarf planets. Planets such as VB 10b could be the most numerous type of planets because M stars comprise >70% of all stars. To date they have remained hidden since the dominant radial-velocity (RV) planet-discovery technique is relatively insensitive to these dim, red systems.Comment: 1 30 page pdf file, 9 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Impact of anti‐immigrant rhetoric and policies on frontline health and social service providers in Southeast Michigan, U.S.A

Rising hostility towards immigrants characterised the 2016 Presidential election in the United States (US) and subsequent policy priorities by the new presidential administration. The political shift towards aggressive policies targeting undocumented immigrants is far‐reaching and extends into other communities that convive con—or coexist with—immigrant communities. Our study aims to examine the rippling effects of these anti‐immigrant policies and rhetoric on health and social service providers in Southeast Michigan who predominantly serve Latino immigrants. Between April and August 2018, we conducted in‐depth individual interviews in two Federally Qualified Health Centers and a non‐profit social service agency at a county health department. We interviewed 28 frontline health and social service providers. After coding and thematic analyses, we found that staff members’ experiences in supporting immigrant clients was congruent with definitions of secondary trauma stress and compassion fatigue, whereby exposure to clients’ trauma combined with job burden subsequently impacted the mental health of providers. Major themes included: (a) frontline staff experienced a mental and emotional burden in providing services to immigrant clients given the restrictive anti‐immigrant context; and (b) this burden was exacerbated by the increased difficulties in providing these services to their clients. Staff described psychological and emotional distress stemming from exposure to clients’ immigration‐related trauma and increased mental health needs. This distress was exacerbated by an increased demand to meet clients’ needs, which involved explaining or translating documents into English, assisting with legal paperwork, referring clients to mental health resources, addressing increased transportation barriers, and reestablishing trust with the community. Our findings add qualitative data on the mental health implications for frontline providers who support Latino immigrant clients impacted by immigration and highlights the need for further research and resources that address the workplace‐related stress generated by heightened immigration enforcement.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163387/2/hsc13012.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163387/1/hsc13012_am.pd

Non-equivalence of anti-Müllerian hormone automated assays—clinical implications for use as a companion diagnostic for individualised gonadotrophin dosing

STUDY QUESTION Can anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) automated immunoassays (Elecsys® and Access) be used interchangeably as a companion diagnostic for individualisation of follitropin delta dosing? SUMMARY ANSWER The Access assay gives systematically higher AMH values than the Elecsys® assay which results in over 29% of women being misclassified to a different follitropin delta dose. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Follitropin delta is the first gonadotrophin to be licenced with a companion diagnostic, the Roche Elecsys® AMH Plus assay. Alternative automated AMH assays including the Beckman Coulter Access immunoassay are considered to provide similar results, but clarification of their suitability as an off-licence companion diagnostic for follitropin delta is required. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We systematically searched the existing literature for studies that had measured AMH using both automated assays in the same cohort of women. Individual paired patient data were acquired from each author and combined with unpublished data. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We identified five eligible prospective published studies and one additional unpublished study. A 100% response from the authors was achieved. We collected paired AMH data on samples from 848 women. Passing–Bablok regression and Bland–Altman plots were used to compare the analytical performance of the two assays. The degree of misclassification to different treatment categories was estimated should the Access AMH be used as a companion diagnostic instead of the Elecsys AMH in determining the dosing of follitropin delta. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The Passing–Bablok regression shows a linear relationship (Access = −0.05 + 1.10 × Elecsys). The Access assay systematically gave higher values by an average of 10% compared with the Elecsys assay (slope = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.12). The average of the difference between the two assays was 2.7 pmol/l. The 95% limits of agreement were −11.7 to 6.3. Overall 253 (29.3%) women would have received an inappropriate follitropin delta dose if the Beckman Coulter Access assay was used. Specifically, a substantial proportion of women (ranging from 49% to 90% depending on the AMH category) would receive a lower dose of follitropin delta based on the Access AMH assay. Up to 10% (ranging from 2.5% to 10%) of women with high ovarian reserve would have been misclassified to a greater dose of follitropin delta based on the Access AMH assay. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION We compared the values of the two principal automated assays, extrapolation of our findings to other automated AMH assays would require similar comprehensive examination. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS An international standard for the calibration of the automated AMH assays is warranted to facilitate efficient use of AMH as a companion diagnostic. The variable calibration of alternative automated AMH assays may adversely impact on the performance of the follitropin delta dosing algorithm. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No formal funding has been received for this study. SI is funded by a UK Medical Research Council skills development fellowship (MR/N015177/1). SMN has received speakers fees, travel to meetings and participated in advisory Boards for Beckman Coulter, IBSA, Ferring Pharmaecuticals, Finox, Merck Serono, Merck and Roche Diagnostics. SMN has received research support from Ansh laboratories, Beckman Coulter, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Roche Diagnostics