A test of the self-regulatory model of prejudice reduction

Two assumptions derived from Devine and Monteith’s (1993) self-regulatory model of prejudice reduction were tested utilizing a stereotype-activating stimulus believed to be similar to one which is more likely to occur in everyday-life than those used in previous research. Black and white actors making ambiguously hostile statements were evaluated by 92 low and high-prejudiced participants. Rating-scale data provided partial support for the assumption that low-prejudiced participants inhibit stereotype-consistent responses and replace them with personal, more egalitarian beliefs. Specifically, low-prejudiced participants provided significantly more favorable ratings than their high-prejudiced counterparts (p = .030). Reaction-time data provided support for the model’s assumption that low-prejudiced persons use controlled cognitive processes in inhibiting stereotypeconsistent responses by showing that low-prejudiced participants reacted more slowly to hostile traits than their high-prejudiced counterparts. Furthermore, rating-scale and reaction-time data showed that both black and white actors were perceived to be equally hostile, and that low-prejudiced participants used different personal standards and cognitive processes than those exhibited by high-prejudiced participants

Afrofuturism Laboratory for Chaplaincy: An Andragogical Learning

Adult learning laboratory for chaplaincy focusing on African American dimensions

Too much ‘stuff’ and the wrong space: A conceptual framework of material possessions

Space for living in new build houses in the UK is at premium and households have more stuff than ever before. The way this stuff is accommodated in dwellings can significantly affect residents’ quality of life and well-being. This paper presents a new conceptualisation of material possessions that could be of use to those involved in housing design. Three universal characteristics of material possessions; value, temporality and visibility are used to identify the space in the home that possessions might require. A conceptual framework that integrates these characteristics with spatial information about the interior of the home is developed. The paper argues that the conceptual framework could help designers, policymakers and house builders to better understand first the nature of material possessions, and second how those possessions could be accommodated in contemporary homes, ultimately supporting improved quality of life and wellbeing for households

Rejection and acceptance of corneal allografts

Author version (post-print) made available in accordance with publisher policy.PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Corneal transplantation is successful in the short-term, but the long-term prognosis has not improved over the past 20 years. Here, we review recent findings that may contribute to improved corneal allograft survival. RECENT FINDINGS: A better understanding of the molecular pathways affecting corneal graft survival has led to more targeted approaches to immune modulation. Costimulatory molecule blockade, inhibition of chemokine-chemokine receptor interactions, modulation of apoptotic pathways, and reduction of corneal neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis have been shown to prolong corneal graft survival in animal models. Conventional immunosuppressive drugs have been tested in new combinations and formulations with some success. Two randomized prospective clinical trials in clinical penetrating corneal transplantation have been reported, but there remains little evidence on the long-term outcomes of the newer lamellar corneal graft procedures. SUMMARY: New approaches to reducing the impact of rejection on corneal graft survival have focussed on topical rather than systemic therapies, and on component corneal transplantation. The most successful experimental strategies have been those in which more than one pathway has been targeted; it now seems likely that to improve clinical allograft survival, simultaneous modulation of multiple axes of the rejection process will be necessary

Effects of birthplace, language and length of time in the U.S. on receipt of asthma management plans among U.S. adults with current asthma

Approximately 7% of the adult population in the United States suffers from asthma and only 32% of those adults have an asthma management plan, which is an important component in asthma management. Racial/ethnic minorities have higher rates of asthma and lower rates of good asthma management. There is a lack of research in examining how foreign birth and other proxy measures of acculturation may affect long term management of asthma. Using data from both the 2002 and 2003 National Health Interview Survey, this secondary data analysis examined the relationship between the receipt of asthma management plans among 18-64 year old adult asthmatics by birthplace, length of time in the U.S., and language of interview. Hispanic/Latino participants who spoke English during the interview had a 3.43 times greater odds of having an asthma management plan when compared to those who spoke Spanish (95% CI: 1.97-5.98)

Monte Carlo goodness-of-fit tests for degree corrected and related stochastic blockmodels

The question of model goodness of fit, a first step in data analysis, is easy to state, but often difficult to implement in practice, particularly for large and sparse or small-sample but structured data. We focus on this fundamental problem for relational data, which can be represented in form of a network: given one observed network, does the proposed model fit the data? Specifically, we construct finite-sample tests for three different variants of the stochastic blockmodel (SBM). The main building blocks are the known block assignment versions, and we propose extensions to the latent block case. We describe the Markov bases and the marginal polytope of these models. The methodology extends to any mixture of log-linear models on discrete data, and as such is the first application of algebraic statistics sampling for latent-variable models.Comment: substantial revision from v1, updated simulations and theoretical discussion

Nanoarrays for the generation of complex optical wave-forms

Light beams with unusual forms of wavefront offer a host of useful features to extend the repertoire of those developing new optical techniques. Complex, non-uniform wavefront structures offer a wide range of optomechanical applications, from microparticle rotation, traction and sorting, through to contactless microfluidic motors. Beams combining transverse nodal structures with orbital angular momentum, or vector beams with novel polarization profiles, also present new opportunities for imaging and the optical transmission of information, including quantum entanglement effects. Whilst there are numerous well-proven methods for generating light with complex wave-forms, most current methods work on the basis of modifying a conventional Hermite-Gaussian beam, by passage through suitably tailored optical elements. It has generally been considered impossible to directly generate wave-front structured beams either by spontaneous or stimulated emission from individual atoms, ions or molecules. However, newly emerged principles have shown that emitter arrays, cast in an appropriately specified geometry, can overcome the obstacles: one possibility is a construct based on the electronic excitation of nanofabricated circular arrays. Recent experimental work has extended this concept to a phase-imprinted ring of apertures holographically encoded in a diffractive mask, generated by a programmed spatial light modulator. These latest advances are potentially paving the way for creating new sources of structured light

The Ingram Conjecture

We prove the Ingram Conjecture, i.e., we show that the inverse limit spaces of every two tent maps with different slopes in the interval [1, 2] are non-homeomorphic. Based on the structure obtained from the proof, we also show that every self-homeomorphism of the inverse limit space of the tent map is pseudo-isotopic, on the core, to some power of the shift homeomorphism

Get Your Head in the Game: Using Gamification in Business Education to Connect with Generation Y

Generation Y learners think and learn differently. They seek learning environments that are relaxed, flexible, interactive, and engaging. Gamification incorporates game mechanics to non-game contexts and has been found to motivate or incentivize students using rewards such as points, badges, and certificates. The purpose of this research is to investigate how utilizing gamification mechanics and customer engagement principles in college business courses can engage and foster learning among Generation Y students. Findings from this research suggest that using gamification techniques in the classroom can be an effective tool for enhancing student engagement and learning. Implications and future research are presented

Does group size matter in preschool teacher’s work? The skills teachers emphasise for children in preschool groups of different size

In recent years there has been a debate in the Nordic countries about group size in preschool and how it affects preschool teachers’ work and children’s wellbeing and learning. The aim of this article is to analyse and discuss how preschool teachers’ working with child groups of different sizes view the conditions for children’s learning and development related to different abilities and skills. The survey data consists of preschool teachers’ (N=698) responses to a questionnaire. The results indicated no statistically significant differences between preschool teachers’ views and emphases in groups of different sizes as regards the type of abilities in children’s learning. In all group categories, preschool teachers seem to emphasise a similar set of characteristics and social skills in children’s personal development; to be collaborative, to have respect, to have empathy and a good self-esteem or understanding of oneself