Salience in decision-making: a neuroeconomic analysis

Attention and the closely related concept of salience play an important role in the complex process of human decision-making. In 2012, Bordalo et al. (2012a) proposed a theory on human decision-making that is based on salience. They suggest that salience differences within a decision problem may explain many decision biases. Concerning decisions under risk, Bordalo and colleagues developed a formula to calculate salience differences that are shaped by bottom-up processes. These salience differences have been experimentally investigated. Reaction times in a dot-probe task served as indicator of attentional biases. Data revealed a significant salience effect after a lottery exposure duration of 150 ms. This supports the salience concept proposed by Bordalo et al. (2012a) and suggests an early attentional orienting towards salient payoffs. In order to further differentiate attentional processes involved in the salience effect EEG has been recorded. Different ERP-components may indicate attentional biases at different stages of attentional processing and give a hint at more detailed reasons behind the salience effect. All investigated components, namely, P1, N1, P3a and P3b, showed no significant salience differences. Part III presents a further experiment that was devoted to nudges. These interventions often work by altering the salience within a decision problem or by directing the attention to the decision task itself. Since these interventions influence decisions at least partly on an unconscious level, nudges are subject to criticism. The experiment aimed at investigating the effect of transparent information accompanying the nudges on their efficacy. In line with previous research adding information on the nudge itself, on its purpose and the combination of both had no significant effect on the efficacy of the nudge, even though this additional information again alters salience ratios within the decision problem

Cost-effectiveness analysis for SilAtro-5-90 adjuvant treatment in the management of recurrent tonsillitis, compared with usual care only

Purpose: Antibiotics are one possible treatment for patients with recurrent acute throat infections (ATI), but effectiveness can be modest. In view of worries over antibiotic resistance, treatment pathways that reduce recurrence of ATI are essential from a public health perspective. Integrative treatment strategies can be an option but there is still a high demand to provide evidence of their cost effectiveness. Methods: We constructed a 4-state Markov model to compare the cost-effectiveness of SilAtro-5-90 as adjuvant homeopathic therapy to care as usual with care as usual alone in reducing the recurrence of ATI for children and adults with suspected moderate recurrent tonsillitis. The analysis was performed from a societal perspective in Germany over a 2-year period. Results are reported separately for children < 12 and for individuals aged 12 and over. The model draws on evidence from a multi-centre randomised clinical trial that found this strategy effective in reducing recurrence of ATI. Costs in 2019 € and outcomes after 1 year are discounted at a rate of 3% per annum. Results: For adults and adolescents aged 12 years and over, incremental cost per ATI averted in the adjuvant therapy group was €156.64. If individuals enter the model on average with a history of 3.33 previous ATIs, adjuvant therapy has both lower costs and better outcomes than care as usual. For children (< 12 years) adjuvant therapy had both lower costs and ATI than care as usual. The economic case is stronger if adjuvant treatment reduces surgical referral. At a hypothetical cost per ATI averted threshold of €1000 probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggests Silatro-5-90 has a 65% (adults) and 71% (children) chance of being cost-effective. Conclusion: Our results indicate the importance of considering homeopathy as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of ATIs in individuals with recurrent tonsillitis from a socio-economic perspective. Further evaluation should assess how differences in uptake and sustained use of homeopathic adjuvant therapy, as well as changing patterns of antibiotic prescribing, impact on cost effectiveness

MISAME

Recording of Katharina Klement's Beton. This is a sound installation for 10 loudspeakers that includes 13 tracks. The sound material for this work was collected during several visits to building sites where the sounds of tools and working with concrete was unavoidable. The theme of the work is that of 'concrete' and explores acoustically breaking up the already solidified mass

MISAME

Recording of Katharina Klement's Brandung II. 2-channel electroacoustic composition. The base for both pieces is a sonett by F.G. Lorca. Brandung I relates to the first stanza, Brandung II to the second. The connection of music and poetry is associated and not taken in a programmatic way

NeueWege: Wege zur nachhaltigen Mobilität in Niedersachsen

Neue Wege im Verkehr sind zentral, damit Deutschland seine Klimaziele erreicht. Ein vom Auto geprägtes Flächenland wie Niedersachsen steht bei der Verkehrswende vor besonderen Herausforderung. Die Umstellung auf erneuerbare Energien ist hier ein wichtiger Hebel, um den CO2-Ausstoß im Verkehrssektor zu senken. Das Gutachten "Wege zur nachhaltigen Mobilität" analysiert detailliert, wo Niedersachsen beim Umstieg auf nachhaltige Mobilität steht, welche Chancen und Hemmnisse bei der Umsetzung neuer Konzepte bestehen und welche Schritte auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen notwendig sind, damit die Verkehrswende gelingt

Can Nudges Be Transparent and Yet Effective?

textabstract‘Nudges’ receive growing attention as an effective strategy to alter people's decisions without significantly changing economic incentives or limiting options. However, being often very subtle and covert, nudges are also criticized as unethical. By not being transparent about the intention to influence individual choice they might be perceived as limiting freedom of autonomous actions and decisions. So far, empirical research on this issue is scarce. In this study, we investigate whether nudges can be made transparent without limiting their effectiveness. For this purpose, we conduct a laboratory experiment where we ‘nudge’ contributions to carbon emission reduction by introducing a default value. We test how different types of transparency (i.e. knowledge of the potential influence of the default, its purpose, or both) influence the effect of the default. Our findings demonstrate that the default increases contributions, and information on the potential influence combined with the purpose of the default, or just its purpose, do not significantly affect contributions. Findings are somewhat inconclusive with respect to information on the potential behavioral influence. Furthermore, we do not find evidence that psychological reactance interrelates with the influence of transparency. Generally, our findings support the policy-relevant claim that nudges (in the form of defaults

Phosphate and HEPES buffers potently affect the fibrillation and oligomerization mechanism of Alzheimer’s Aβ peptide

The oligomerization of A&beta; peptide into amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. Due to its biological relevance, phosphate is the most commonly used buffer system for studying the formation of A&beta; and other amyloid fibrils. Investigation into the characteristics and formation of amyloid fibrils frequently relies upon material formed in vitro, predominantly in phosphate buffers. Herein, we examine the effects on the fibrillation and oligomerization mechanism of A&beta; peptide that occur due solely to the influence of phosphate buffer. We reveal that significant differences in amyloid fibrillation are observed due to fibrillation being initiated in phosphate or HEPES buffer (at physiological pH and temperature). Except for the differing buffer ions, all experimental parameters were kept constant. Fibril formation was assessed using fluorescently monitored kinetic studies, microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction and infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Based on this set up, we herein reveal profound effects on the mechanism and speed of A&beta; fibrillation. The three histidine residues at positions 6, 13 and 14 of A&beta;(1&ndash;40) are instrumental in these mechanistic changes. We conclude that buffer plays a more significant role in fibril formation than has been generally acknowledged

NeueWege: Wege zur nachhaltigen Mobilität in Niedersachsen Fachgutachten

Hauptziel des Projekts „NeueWege“ war es, die Verkehrs- und Energiesituation in Niedersachsen zu evaluieren. Ausgangspunkt für das Projekt NeueWege war das Ziel der Defossilisierung des Verkehrssektors der niedersächsischen Landesregierung ohne dabei die Mobilitätsbedarfe der Bürger*innen und der Wirtschaft zu beschneiden. Die Energiewende im Verkehr ist zentral, um klimapolitische Ziele zu erreichen. Es scheinen jedoch insbesondere Hemmnisse und Heraus-forderungen der Umsetzung neuer Mobilitätskonzepte und der Steigerung des Anteils Er-neuerbarer Energien im Verkehrssektor zur Reduktion von Emissionen zu bestehen. Niedersachsen verfolgt mit dem Niedersächsischen Klimagesetz (NKlimaG) ambitionierte Ziele und schreibt sowohl für den Verkehrs- als auch den Energiesektor gesetzlich fest, wie Energie- und Klimaschutz gestaltet und greifbar werden. Bis 2050 soll Niedersachsen klimaneutral werden und bereits 2040 soll der Energiebedarf Niedersachsens bilanziell umfassend mit Erneuerbaren Energien gedeckt werden. Ganzheitliche Nachhaltigkeit bedarf sektorenübergreifender Per-spektiven und den Einbezug relevanter Akteur*innen, insbesondere aus dem Verkehr- und Energiesektor