Less-is-more effects without the recognition heuristic

Inferences consistent with “recognition-based” decision-making may be drawn for various reasons other than recognition alone. We demonstrate that, for 2-alternative forced-choice decision tasks, less-is-more effects (reduced performance with additional learning) are not restricted to recognition-based inference but can also be seen in circumstances where inference is knowledge-based but item knowledge is limited. One reason why such effects may not be observed more widely is the dependence of the effect on specific values for the validity of recognition and knowledge cues. We show that both recognition and knowledge validity may vary as a function of the number of items recognized. The implications of these findings for the special nature of recognition information, and for the investigation of recognition-based inference, are discusse

A phenomenological study of the lived experiences of patients with complex abdominal wall hernia (CAWH)

This is the first study in the field of Complex Abdominal Wall Hernia (CAWH) that asks patients what matters to them in terms of their Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and how their hernia affects this using qualitative methodology.15 patients with CAWH were purposively sampled from CAWH specialist clinic; 8 men and 7 women, age range of 36-85 years (median = 65 years). They participated in semi-structured interviews February 2020 – June 2020 until thematic saturation. All verbatim interview transcripts were coded and analysed using NVivo12 software and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).Five superordinate themes were identified each with several subordinate themes (in italics):1. Body image – ‘changes to perceptions of self’ and ‘fears concerning perceptions of others’2. Mental health – ‘emotional responses’, ‘disruptions to previously solid aspects of identity’ and ‘developing coping strategies’3. Symptoms – ‘managing pain’, ‘freedom of movement’ and ‘restriction and adaptation’4. Interpersonal relationships – ‘difficulties socially connecting’ and ‘changes in sexual relations’5. Employment – ‘financial pressure’, ‘return to work issues’ and ‘costs to family’The themes presented are interrelated and should shape our understanding of the patients with CAWH. Some themes identified are not incorporated in existing CAWH HRQoL instruments suggesting that we are currently not capturing all data relevant to HRQoL in this specific patient group. Further research is needed in order to generate a standardised CAWH HRQoL instrument which incorporates bio-psycho-emotional-social processes important to patients as identified by patients

Familial effects of BRCA1 genetic mutation testing: changes in perceived family functioning

Journal ArticleThis study expands recent research that examines how the receipt of BRCA1 genetic test results affects family adaptability and cohesion 1 year after genetic risknotification. Study participants were members of a large Utah-based kindred with an identified mutation at the BRCA1 locus. The final sample, 90 men and 132 women, contributed information before genetic testing (baseline) and 4 months and/or 1 year after receipt of genetic test results. After controlling for other factors such as family coping resources (Family Crises "Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale) and strains (Family Strains Index) and the tested individual's anxiety levels before genetic testing (state anxiety subscale), men and women reported significant declines in family cohesion 1 year after genetic risk notification (P < 0.01). There is suggestive evidence that carrier men reported increasing adaptability 1 year after risk notification (+0.21 points per month; P < 0.10). Having a carrier sister had a positive influence on women's perceived family cohesion and adaptability levels, whereas a personal history of cancer, having a great deal of caregiving involvement for a female relative with cancer, anxiety, and some types of coping resources had a negative effect on men's perceived family cohesion and adaptability levels. Although results showed that tested parents are perceiving a decline in family functioning after genetic risk notification, there is no evidence to suggest that the decline is due to carrier status. In fact, it is other life circumstances that exist at the time of the genetic testing process that seem to influence the degree to which families adjust to the experience and test results

Layering Learning for Work-Readiness in a Science Programme

[EN] In order to prepare our students for a challenging workplace, the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa have ‘layered’ Engaged Learning strategies throughout the four-year undergraduate degree in an approach that is innovative in a science-based programme. In this research project, we assessed the effects of service-learning (SL) and a six-month internship on student employability by analysing reflections that were collected over a number of years. We also asked industry members whether they felt students had improved in key areas after the final year internship. The student submissions for SL showed evidence of personal growth and transformation, and those for the internship reflected industry requirements for professional skills in a complex and technically demanding milieu. It was found that these engaged experiences provided sound preparation for working life, as well as  giving students opportunities for self-questioning and personal growth, which is unusual in the natural sciences learning environment.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Mckay, M.; Smith-Tolken, A.; Alessandri, A. (2018). Layering Learning for Work-Readiness in a Science Programme. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 185-193. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.7942OCS18519

Service Learning and Community Engagement: A Comparison of Three National Contexts

One of the presumptions of a well-functioning, viable democracy is that citizens participate in the life of their communities and nation. The role of higher education in forming actively engaged citizens has long been the focus of scholarly research, but recently an active debate has emerged concerning the role of service as a third core function of institutions of higher learning. Service learning (SL), a teaching approach that extends student learning beyond the classroom, is increasingly seen as a vehicle to realize this third core function. By aligning educational objectives with community partners’ needs, community service is meant to enhance, among other objectives, reciprocal learning. Although the term and its associated activities originated in the United States (US), theoretical debates linking civic engagement and education extend far beyond the US context. Nevertheless, research on SL as a distinctive pedagogical approach remains a nascent field. A significant gap exists in the literature about what this pedagogical approach seeks to achieve (in nature and in outcomes) and how it is construed in non-western contexts. Using a comparative analysis across three widely different contexts, this article explores the extent to which these differences are merely differences in degree or whether the differences are substantive enough to demand qualitatively different models for strengthening the relationship between higher education and civil society

Why do thin people have elevated all-cause mortality? Evidence on confounding and reverse causality in the association of adiposity and COPD from the British Women's Heart and Health Study.

Low adiposity has been linked to elevated mortality from several causes including respiratory disease. However, this could arise from confounding or reverse causality. We explore the association between two measures of adiposity (BMI and WHR) with COPD in the British Women's Heart and Health Study including a detailed assessment of the potential for confounding and reverse causality for each adiposity measure. Low BMI was found to be associated with increased COPD risk while low WHR was not (OR = 2.2; 95% CI 1.3-3.1 versus OR = 1.2; 95% CI 0.7-1.6). Potential confounding variables (e.g. smoking) and markers of ill-health (e.g. unintentional weight loss) were found to be higher in low BMI but not in low WHR. Women with low BMI have a detrimental profile across a broad range of health markers compared to women with low WHR, and women with low WHR do not appear to have an elevated COPD risk, lending support to the hypothesis that WHR is a less confounded measure of adiposity than BMI. Low adiposity does not in itself appear to increase the risk of respiratory disease, and the apparent adverse consequences of low BMI may be due to reverse causation and confounding

Lessons for conservation management: Monitoring temporal changes in genetic diversity of Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra)

The Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) is a subspecies of mountain zebra endemic to South Africa. The Cape mountain zebra experienced near extinction in the early 1900's and their numbers have since recovered to more than 4,800 individuals. However, there are still threats to their long-term persistence. A previous study reported that Cape mountain zebra had low genetic diversity in three relict populations and that urgent conservation management actions were needed to mitigate the risk of further loss. As these suggestions went largely unheeded, we undertook the present study, fifteen years later to determine the impact of management on genetic diversity in three key populations. Our results show a substantial loss of heterozygosity across the Cape mountain zebra populations studied. The most severe losses occurred at De Hoop Nature Reserve where expected heterozygosity reduced by 22.85% from 0.385 to 0.297. This is alarming, as the De Hoop Nature Reserve was previously identified as the most genetically diverse population owing to its founders originating from two of the three remaining relict stocks. Furthermore, we observed a complete loss of multiple private alleles from all populations, and a related reduction in genetic structure across the subspecies. These losses could lead to inbreeding depression and reduce the evolutionary potential of the Cape mountain zebra. We recommend immediate implementation of evidence-based genetic management and monitoring to prevent further losses, which could jeopardise the long term survival of Cape mountain zebra, especially in the face of habitat and climate change and emerging diseases

Phase II Study of Celecoxib and Docetaxel in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients with Progression after Platinum-Based Therapy

IntroductionTo evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of celecoxib and docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer after failure of platinum-based therapy.MethodsPatients with relapsed non-small cell lung cancer received celecoxib 400 mg orally twice daily beginning 7 days before the first cycle of docetaxel and the celecoxib was continued with no interruption. Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 was administered intravenously on a 21-day cycle. The primary end point of the study was the 6-month survival rate.ResultsTwenty-four patients were enrolled and twenty patients were treated (median age 60, M:F 16:8). Most patients had a baseline performance status of 1. The objective response rate was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0–25%) and the 6-month survival rate was 59% (95% CI 37–80%). Median survival time was 6.9 months (95% CI, 2.8–15.2 months) and the 1- and 2-year survival rates were 36% (95% CI, 15–57%) and 1% (95% CI, 0–10%), respectively. The most frequent grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia (58%) and neutropenic fever (21%) which resulted in early closure of the trial.ConclusionsThe addition of celecoxib to docetaxel did not seem to improve the response rate and survival compared with docetaxel alone. The combination demonstrated considerable neutropenia and complications from febrile neutropenia that suggests celecoxib may enhance the marrow toxicity of docetaxel