'At least one' problem with 'some' formal reasoning paradigms

In formal reasoning, the quantifier "some" means "at least one and possibly all." In contrast, reasoners often pragmatically interpret "some" to mean "some, but not all" on both immediate-inference and Euler circle tasks. It is still unclear whether pragmatic interpretations can explain the high rates of errors normally observed on syllogistic reasoning tasks. To address this issue, we presented participants (reasoners) in the present experiments either standard quantifiers or clarified quantifiers designed to precisely articulate the quantifiers' logical interpretations. In Experiment 1, reasoners made significantly more logical responses and significantly fewer pragmatic responses on an immediate-inference task when presented with logically clarified as opposed to standard quantifiers. In Experiment 2, this finding was extended to a variant of the immediate-inference task in which reasoners were asked to deduce what followed from premises they were to assume to be false. In Experiment 3, we used a syllogistic reasoning task and observed that logically clarified premises reduced pragmatic and increased logical responses relative to standard ones, providing strong evidence that pragmatic responses can explain some aspects of the errors made in the syllogistic reasoning task. These findings suggest that standard quantifiers should be replaced with logically clarified quantifiers in teaching and in future research

The role of answer fluency and perceptual fluency in the monitoring and control of reasoning: Reply to Alter, Oppenheimer, and Epley

In this reply, we provide an analysis of Alter et al. (2013) response to our earlier paper (Thompson et al., 2013). In that paper, we reported difficulty in replicating Alter, Oppenheimer, Epley, and Eyre’s (2007) main finding, namely that a sense of disfluency produced by making stimuli difficult to perceive, increased accuracy on a variety of reasoning tasks. Alter, Oppenheimer, and Epley (2013) argue that we misunderstood the meaning of accuracy on these tasks, a claim that we reject. We argue and provide evidence that the tasks were not too difficult for our populations (such that no amount of “metacognitive unease” would promote correct responding) and point out that in many cases performance on our tasks was well above chance or on a par with Alter et al.’s (2007) participants. Finally, we reiterate our claim that the distinction between answer fluency (the ease with which an answer comes to mind) and perceptual fluency (the ease with which a problem can be read) is genuine, and argue that Thompson et al. (2013) provided evidence that these are distinct factors that have different downstream effects on cognitive processe

Actively Addressing Systemic Racism Using a Behavioral Community Approach

Recent police brutality and related violence against Black people, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has further evidenced the disproportionate impact of systemic racism in our institutions and across society. In the United States, the alarming mortality rates for Black people due to police violence and COVID-19 related deaths are clear demonstrations of inequities within a long history of disparate outcomes. In understanding systemic racism, it is essential to consider how it is embedded within society and across socio-ecological levels. The Social-Ecological Model (SEM) is used to examine conditions within the environment that maintain systemic racism, including within our field and discipline. A behavioral-community approach for examining racism aids in determining points of intervention across multiple ecological levels that may contribute to behavior change, including with behaviorists. The science of behavior is well-suited to help examine the contingencies governing behaviors within and across systems, which is pivotal for addressing operant behaviors to influence long-term behavior change. This paper calls on the behavioral community to address systemic racism within our environments and systems of influence to contribute to a more equitable community. Systemic racism, including within the context of anti-Blackness, is examined by considering behavior change strategies that can be supported by behaviorists across socio-ecological levels. Tools for collaborative action are provided to support behaviorists in demonstrating the skills needed across a continuum of behaviors from allyship to anti-racism to actively address systemic racism

Supraclavicular decompression for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome in adolescent and adult populations

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to better define clinical results and understand factors determining responsiveness to surgical treatment for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS) in adolescent and adult populations.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted for 189 patients with disabling NTOS who underwent primary supraclavicular decompression (scalenectomy, brachial plexus neurolysis and first rib resection, with or without pectoralis minor tenotomy) from April 2008 to December 2010. Clinical characteristics were compared between 35 adolescent patients (aged <21 years) and 154 adults (aged >21 years). Functional outcome measures were assessed before surgery and at 3- and 6-month follow-up using a composite NTOS Index combining the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) survey, the Cervical-Brachial Symptom Questionnaire (CBSQ), and a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) for pain.ResultsAdolescent and adult patients were not significantly different with respect to sex (overall 72.5% female), side affected (58.7% right, 60.3% dominant limb), bony anomalies (23.3%), previous injury (55.6%), coexisting pain disorders (11.1%), and positive responses to scalene muscle anesthetic blocks (95.6%). Compared with adults, adolescent patients had a significantly (P < .05) lower incidence of depression (11.4% vs 41.6%), motor vehicle injury (5.7% vs 20.1%), previous operations (11.4% vs 29.9%), preoperative use of opiate medications (17.1% vs 44.8%), and symptom duration >2 years (24.2% vs 50.0%). Mean preoperative NTOS Index (scale 0-100) was significantly lower in adolescent vs adult patients (46.5 ± 3.6 vs 58.5 ± 1.7; P = .009), and hospital length of stay was 4.4 ± 0.2 vs 4.9 ± 0.1 days (P = .03), but the rate of postoperative complications was no different (overall, 4.2%). Although both groups exhibited significant improvement in functional outcome measures at 3 and 6 months, adolescent patients had significantly lower NTOS Index (10.4 ± 3.1 vs 39.3 ± 3.3; P < .001) and use of opiate medications (11.4% vs 47.4%; P < .001) compared with adults.ConclusionsAdolescents undergoing supraclavicular decompression for NTOS had more favorable preoperative characteristics and enhanced 3-month and 6-month functional outcomes than adults. Further study is needed to delineate the age-dependent and independent factors that promote optimal surgical outcomes for NTOS

Enriching Education with Exemplars in Practice: Iterative Development of Data Curation Internships

Partnerships between educational programs and research centers are vital to meeting the escalating workforce demands in data curation. They offer a platform for educators to increase their knowledge of current best practices and emerging challenges in the field. Student internships can be key to the success of these partnerships, not just for the students who gain authentic experience in facilities that excel at data intensive research and data services. Such partnerships provide an effective platform for rich and mutually beneficial engagement among educators, data professionals, scientists, and students. This paper reports on results from the Data Curation Education in Research Centers (DCERC) program aimed at developing a model for data curation education featuring field experiences in exemplar research centers. A strength of the DCERC model is its emphasis on facilitating mutual exchange of information among the DCERC program mentors and students. This model has evolved as a result of iterative and gradual refinements to the program model based upon information gathered from the formative evaluation. These refinements not only resulted in improved outcomes for the program participants but also, we believe, a more sustainable model for the program that leverages the knowledge base of the research scientists and students through peer-to-peer learning, rather than a traditional expert to trainee model. This paper describes formative evaluation findings that shaped the development of the DCERC program. We conclude with a discussion of the critical features of this model for the development of similar programs, and a data curation workforce that is able to accommodate and adapt to emergent data needs in a variety of environments

Survival Strategies: Doctoral Students’ Perceptions of Challenges and Coping Methods

The purpose of this collective case study was to use a critical dialectical pluralistic (CDP) philosophical lens to investigate select doctoral students’ perceptions about the challenges that they encountered while in a doctorate program and the coping strategies that they found effective in mitigating these challenges. A major goal of CDP is to empower research participants maximally by giving them the role of participant-researchers. Participants were 10 doctoral students enrolled at a Tier-II university in the United States, who were selected via convenience sampling. Each student participated in a face-to-face interview with a member of the research team—consistent with a CDP approach. A qualitative-dominant crossover mixed analysis was used wherein both quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to analyze the qualitative data, with the qualitative analysis phase being dominant. The qualitative analyses (e.g., constant comparison analysis, classical content analysis) revealed the following five themes: compartmentalization of life, outside support systems, justification for participation in program, emotional status, and structure of program. These themes indicated that although challenges are plentiful, particularly in terms of balancing one’s academic life with other obligations, participants found support and encouragement from family, friends, and other doctoral students to be the most beneficial coping strategy. These findings have important implications for the structuring of doctoral programs

Viewing Nature Scenes Positively Affects Recovery of Autonomic Function Following Acute-Mental Stress

A randomized crossover study explored whether viewing different scenes prior to a stressor altered autonomic function during the recovery from the stressor. The two scenes were (a) nature (composed of trees, grass, fields) or (b) built (composed of man-made, urban scenes lacking natural characteristics) environments. Autonomic function was assessed using noninvasive techniques of heart rate variability; in particular, time domain analyses evaluated parasympathetic activity, using root-mean-square of successive differences (RMSSD). During stress, secondary cardiovascular markers (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) showed significant increases from baseline which did not differ between the two viewing conditions. Parasympathetic activity, however, was significantly higher in recovery following the stressor in the viewing scenes of nature condition compared to viewing scenes depicting built environments (RMSSD; 50.0 ± 31.3 vs 34.8 ± 14.8 ms). Thus, viewing nature scenes prior to a stressor alters autonomic activity in the recovery period. The secondary aim was to examine autonomic function during viewing of the two scenes. Standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDRR), as change from baseline, during the first 5 min of viewing nature scenes was greater than during built scenes. Overall, this suggests that nature can elicit improvements in the recovery process following a stressor. © 2013 American Chemical Society

Early High-Dose Vitamin D3 for Critically Ill, Vitamin D-Deficient Patients

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is a common, potentially reversible contributor to morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients. The potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in acute critical illness require further study. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of early vitamin D3 supplementation in critically ill, vitamin D-deficient patients who were at high risk for death. Randomization occurred within 12 hours after the decision to admit the patient to an intensive care unit. Eligible patients received a single enteral dose of 540,000 IU of vitamin D3 or matched placebo. The primary end point was 90-day all-cause, all-location mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1360 patients were found to be vitamin D-deficient during point-of-care screening and underwent randomization. Of these patients, 1078 had baseline vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D level,[50 nmol per liter]) confirmed by subsequent testing and were included in the primary analysis population. The mean day 3 level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 46.9±23.2 ng per milliliter (117±58 nmol per liter) in the vitamin D group and 11.4±5.6 ng per milliliter (28±14 nmol per liter) in the placebo group (difference, 35.5 ng per milliliter; 95% confidence interval [CI], 31.5 to 39.6). The 90-day mortality was 23.5% in the vitamin D group (125 of 531 patients) and 20.6% in the placebo group (109 of 528 patients) (difference, 2.9 percentage points; 95% CI, -2.1 to 7.9; P = 0.26). There were no clinically important differences between the groups with respect to secondary clinical, physiological, or safety end points. The severity of vitamin D deficiency at baseline did not affect the association between the treatment assignment and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early administration of high-dose enteral vitamin D3 did not provide an advantage over placebo with respect to 90-day mortality or other, nonfatal outcomes among critically ill, vitamin D-deficient patients. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of early vitamin D3 supplementation in critically ill, vitamin D-deficient patients who were at high risk for death. Randomization occurred within 12 hours after the decision to admit the patient to an intensive care unit. Eligible patients received a single enteral dose of 540,000 IU of vitamin D3 or matched placebo. The primary end point was 90-day all-cause, all-location mortality

Repair of gaps opposite lesions by homologous recombination in mammalian cells

Damages in the DNA template inhibit the progression of replication, which may cause single-stranded gaps. Such situations can be tolerated by translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), or by homology-dependent repair (HDR), which is based on transfer or copying of the missing information from the replicated sister chromatid. Whereas it is well established that TLS plays an important role in DNA damage tolerance in mammalian cells, it is unknown whether HDR operates in this process. Using a newly developed plasmid-based assay that distinguishes between the three mechanisms of DNA damage tolerance, we found that mammalian cells can efficiently utilize HDR to repair DNA gaps opposite an abasic site or benzo[a]pyrene adduct. The majority of these events occurred by a physical strand transfer (homologous recombination repair; HRR), rather than a template switch mechanism. Furthermore, cells deficient in either the human RAD51 recombination protein or NBS1, but not Rad18, exhibited decreased gap repair through HDR, indicating a role for these proteins in DNA damage tolerance. To our knowledge, this is the first direct evidence of gap-lesion repair via HDR in mammalian cells, providing further molecular insight into the potential activity of HDR in overcoming replication obstacles and maintaining genome stability