2,474 research outputs found
Culture and Cancer
Genetic mechanisms, since they broadly involve information
transmission, should be translatable into information dynamics formalism. From this perspective we reconsider the adaptive mutator, one possible means of 'second order selection' by which a highly structured 'language' of environment and development writes itself onto the variation upon which evolutionary selection and tumorigenesis operate. Our approach uses recent results in the spirit of the Large Deviations Program of applied probability that permit transfer of phase transition approaches from statistical mechanics to information theory, generating evolutionary and developmental punctuation in what we claim to be a highly natural manner
Consciousness: A Simple Information Theory Global Workspace Model
The asymptotic limit theorems of information theory permit a concise formulation of Bernard Baars' global workspace/global broadcast picture of consciousness, focusing on how networks of unconscious cognitive modules are driven by the classic 'no free lunch' argument into shifting, tunable, alliances having variable thresholds for signal detection. The model directly accounts for the punctuated characteristics of many conscious phenomena, and derives the inherent necessity of inattentional blindness and related effects
Driver Distraction by Advertising: Genuine Risk or Urban Myth?
Drivers operate in an increasingly complex visual environment,and yet there has been little recent research on
the effects this might have on driving ability and accident
rates. This paper is based on research carried out for the
Scottish Executiveâs Central Research Unit on the subject
of external-to-vehicle driver distraction. A literature
review/meta-analysis was carried out with a view to
answering the following questions: is there a serious risk
to safe driving caused by features in the external environment, and if there is, what can be done about it? Review of the existing literature suggests that, although the subject is under-researched, there is evidence that in some cases overcomplex visual fields can distract drivers and that it is unlikely that existing guidelines and legislation adequately regulate this. Theoretical explanations for the phenomenon are offered and areas for future research highlighted. likely to be distracting? Contemporary advertisements, forexample, are increasingly eye-catching, provocative and âexplicitâ. Does this have an effect on driving capability, and if
so, what can we do about it
Addiction and the New Psychology
A look at the 'New Psychology' (Embodied, Discursive, Situated, and Distributed Cognition) to see what relevance it has to the 'addiction debate'
The Application of the Hermeneutic Process to Qualitative Safety Data: A Case Study using Data from the CIRAS project
This article describes the new qualitative methodology developed for use in CIRAS (Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System), the confidential database set up for the UK railways by the University of Strathclyde. CIRAS is a project in which qualitative safety data are disidentified and then stored and analysed in a central database. Due to the confidential nature of the data provided, conventional (positivist) methods of checking their accuracy are not applicable; therefore a new methodology was developed - the Applied Hermeneutic Methodology (AHM). Based on Paul Ricoeur's `hermeneutic arc', this methodology uses appropriate computer software to provide a method of analysis that can be shown to be reliable (in the sense that consensus in interpretations between different interpreters can be demonstrated). Moreover, given that the classifiers of the textual elements can be represented in numeric form, AHM crosses the `qualitative-quantitative divide'. It is suggested that this methodology is more rigorous and philosophically coherent than existing methodologies and that it has implications for all areas of the social sciences where qualitative texts are analysed
Information Processing Models: Benefits and Limitations
This paper looks at the three main information processing models from the point of view
of researchers in confidential human factors databases. It explores conceptual problems
with two of these information processing models, and goes on to explore possible
advantages of adopting a âconnectionistâ paradigm. Links between connectionism and
âsituated cognitionâ are demonstrated. Practical work carried out using a
connectionist/situated cognition model is described, and the way in which the
âsituatednessâ of discourse can influence the kind of data that can be collected is
discussed. Finally it is argued that more emphasis should be placed in ergonomics on
sociation, situatedness and embodiment, and that this might help to deal with problems
faced in creation and interrogating databases: especially as regards the creation of
coherent and reliable âcoding taxonomiesâ
A Framework for Restructuring the Military Retirement System
View the Executive SummaryThe current military retirement system has been integral to sustaining the All Volunteer Force (AVF). Mounting federal budget challenges, however, have raised concern that the program may become fiscally unsustainable. While several restructuring proposals have emerged, none have considered the implications of these changes to the broader issue of manning an AVF. Changes to the existing system could create military personnel shortfalls, adversely affect servicemember and retiree well-being, and reduce public confidence in the Armed Forces. With the right analytical framework in place, however, a more holistic system restructuring is possible, one that avoids these negative effects while significantly reducing costs. A comprehensive framework is provided, as well as a proposal that stands to benefit both servicemembers in terms of value and the military in terms of overall cost savings.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1521/thumbnail.jp
Controlling anomalous diffusion in lipid membranes
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordDiffusion in cell membranes is not just simple two-dimensional Brownian motion but typically depends on the timescale of the observation. The physical origins of this anomalous sub-diffusion are unresolved, and model systems capable of quantitative and reproducible control of membrane diffusion have been recognized as a key experimental bottleneck. Here we control anomalous diffusion using supported lipids bilayers containing lipids derivatized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) headgroups. Bilayers with specific excluded area fractions are formed by control of PEG-lipid mole fraction. These bilayers exhibit a switch in diffusive behavior, becoming anomalous as bilayer continuity is disrupted. Using a combination of single-molecule fluorescence and interferometric imaging, we measure the anomalous behavior in this model over four orders of magnitude in time. Diffusion in these bilayers is well-described by a power-law dependence of the mean square displacement with observation time. Anomaleity in this system can be tailored by simply controlling the mole fraction of PEG-lipid, producing bilayers with diffusion parameters similar to those observed for anomalous diffusion in biological membranes.European Research Council (ERC
The Development and Validation of the Successful Psychopathy Scale
The personality construct known as âSuccessful Psychopathyâ has attracted the
interests of researchers and clinicians alike. The concept suggests an individual
who demonstrates the core traits associated with psychopathy but is able to adapt
and function within society to prototypical or superior standards. There has yet to
be a sound theoretical model of this construct by which to base a psychometric
measure. This protocol presents the ethical procedure that will endeavour to create
such a measure and validate it within general population samples
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