How vulnerable are consumers to blatant persuasion attempts?.

We show that subtle environmental elements -such as background music- can reduce skepticism and decrease consumers' use of persuasion knowledge. In four studies we show that the presence of background music can result in increased distraction and increased inclination to follow salespeople's advice. Remarkably, this effect persists even when the ulterior motive of the salesperson is made extremely salient. Our results suggest that consumers may be more vulnerable to persuasion attempts then is usually assumed in the persuasion knowledge literature.Knowledge; Research; Studies;

Beyond progressive liberalism and cultural relativism: Towards critical postmodernist, sociohistorically situated perspectives in classroom studies

In this paper we propose that classroom studies in the TESOL field tend to subscribe to either of the following two normative orders: (a) progressive liberalism, and (b) cultural relativism, without reflexively recognizing and meta-analysing these normative frameworks and their social, historical, and political situatedness. Drawing on Foucault's (1981) methods of historical excavation, we attempt a critical analysis of the socio-historical situatedness of these modernist normative orders. By building on relational analysis from critical educational studies (Apple, 1999), critical ethnography (Canagarajah, 1993; Chick, 1996; Kumaravadivelu, 1999; Pennycook, 2001), and the theory and method of articulation from cultural studies (Slack, 1996), we propose critical postmodernist, socio-historically situated perspectives in classroom studies and educational research as alternatives that break away from the modernist determinism of reproduction theories on the one hand, and radical postmodernist relativism on the other. We illustrate how such perspectives can contribute to our understanding of classroom practices with two classroom examples from Hong Kong schools, and we attempt to show the potential of these perspectives for contributing to the opening up of possibilities for change.postprin

Beyond progressive liberalism and cultural relativism: Towards critical postmodernist, sociohistorically situated perspectives in classroom studies

In this paper we propose that classroom studies in the TESOL field tend to subscribe to either of the following two normative orders: (a) progressive liberalism, and (b) cultural relativism, without reflexively recognizing and meta-analysing these normative frameworks and their social, historical, and political situatedness. Drawing on Foucault's (1981) methods of historical excavation, we attempt a critical analysis of the socio-historical situatedness of these modernist normative orders. By building on relational analysis from critical educational studies (Apple, 1999), critical ethnography (Canagarajah, 1993; Chick, 1996; Kumaravadivelu, 1999; Pennycook, 2001), and the theory and method of articulation from cultural studies (Slack, 1996), we propose critical postmodernist, socio-historically situated perspectives in classroom studies and educational research as alternatives that break away from the modernist determinism of reproduction theories on the one hand, and radical postmodernist relativism on the other. We illustrate how such perspectives can contribute to our understanding of classroom practices with two classroom examples from Hong Kong schools, and we attempt to show the potential of these perspectives for contributing to the opening up of possibilities for change.postprin

Peningkatan Kualitas Sumber Daya Manusia Melalui Taman Baca Masyarakat

In improving the quality of human resources. Human Resources quality must be enhanced through non-formal education by Ambu Seba with Taman Baca Masyarakat (TBM). The existence of Taman Baca Masyarakat as one of the informal educations is expected to help the locals becoming good-quality human resources. The purpose of this study is to identify the role of TBM in improving the quality of human resources, the implementation of the program activities, and the result is improving the quality of Human Resources. The research method used is a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. Type of case study data was collected through interviews, observation, and documents. The result of this study are showing that Taman Baca Masyarakat of Ambu Seba has four roles in improving the quality of Human Resources, which is the facilitator, motivator, local study source, and self-improvement source

Selective cell death of latently HIV-infected CD4+ T cells mediated by autosis inducing nanopeptides.

Despite significant advances in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV) infection, antiretroviral therapy only suppresses viral replication but is unable to eliminate infection. Thus, discontinuation of antiretrovirals results in viral reactivation and disease progression. A major reservoir of HIV latent infection resides in resting central memory CD4+ T cells (TCM) that escape clearance by current therapeutic regimens and will require novel strategies for elimination. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of autophagy-inducing peptides, Tat-Beclin 1 and Tat-vFLIP-α2, which can induce a novel Na+/K+-ATPase dependent form of cell death (autosis), to kill latently HIV-infected TCM while preventing virologic rebound. In this study, we encapsulated autophagy inducing peptides into biodegradable lipid-coated hybrid PLGA (poly lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles for controlled intracellular delivery. A single dose of nanopeptides was found to eliminate latent HIV infection in an in vitro primary model of HIV latency and ex vivo using resting CD4+ T cells obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral with fully suppressed virus for greater than 12 months. Notably, increased LC3B lipidation, SQSTM1/p62 degradation and Na+/K+-ATPase activity characteristic of autosis, were detected in nanopeptide treated latently HIV-infected cells compared to untreated uninfected or infected cells. Nanopeptide-induced cell death could be reversed by knockdown of autophagy proteins, ATG5 and ATG7, and inhibition or knockdown of Na+/K+-ATPase. Importantly, viral rebound was not detected following the induction of the Na+/K+-ATPase dependent form of cell death induced by the Tat-Beclin 1 and Tat-vFLIP-α2 nanopeptides. These findings provide a novel strategy to eradicate HIV latently infected resting memory CD4+ T cells, the major reservoir of HIV latency, through the induction of Na+/K+-ATPase dependent autophagy, while preventing reactivation of virus and new infection of uninfected bystander cells

Viscoelastic optical nonlocality of low-loss epsilon-near-zero nanofilms

Optical nonlocalities are elusive and hardly observable in traditional plasmonic materials like noble and alkali metals. Here we report experimental observation of viscoelastic nonlocalities in the infrared optical response of doped cadmium-oxide, epsilon-near-zero nanofilms. The nonlocality is detectable thanks to the low damping rate of conduction electrons and the virtual absence of interband transitions at infrared wavelengths. We describe the motion of conduction electrons using a hydrodynamic model for a viscoelastic fluid, and find excellent agreement with experimental results. The electrons elasticity blue-shifts the infrared plasmonic resonance associated with the main epsilon-near-zero mode, and triggers the onset of higher-order resonances due to the excitation of electron-pressure modes above the bulk plasma frequency. We also provide evidence of the existence of nonlocal damping, i.e., viscosity, in the motion of optically-excited conduction electrons using a combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry data and predictions based on the viscoelastic hydrodynamic model.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figure

Sampling Distributions of Random Electromagnetic Fields in Mesoscopic or Dynamical Systems

We derive the sampling probability density function (pdf) of an ideal localized random electromagnetic field, its amplitude and intensity in an electromagnetic environment that is quasi-statically time-varying statistically homogeneous or static statistically inhomogeneous. The results allow for the estimation of field statistics and confidence intervals when a single spatial or temporal stochastic process produces randomization of the field. Results for both coherent and incoherent detection techniques are derived, for Cartesian, planar and full-vectorial fields. We show that the functional form of the sampling pdf depends on whether the random variable is dimensioned (e.g., the sampled electric field proper) or is expressed in dimensionless standardized or normalized form (e.g., the sampled electric field divided by its sampled standard deviation). For dimensioned quantities, the electric field, its amplitude and intensity exhibit different types of Bessel $K$ sampling pdfs, which differ significantly from the asymptotic Gauss normal and $\chi^{(2)}_{2p}$ ensemble pdfs when $\nu$ is relatively small. By contrast, for the corresponding standardized quantities, Student $t$, Fisher-Snedecor $F$ and root-$F$ sampling pdfs are obtained that exhibit heavier tails than comparable Bessel $K$ pdfs. Statistical uncertainties obtained from classical small-sample theory for dimensionless quantities are shown to be overestimated compared to dimensioned quantities. Differences in the sampling pdfs arising from de-normalization versus de-standardization are obtained.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. E, minor typos correcte

Parallelisation of sequential Monte Carlo for real-time control in air traffic management

This paper presents the parallelisation of a Sequential Monte Carlo algorithm, and the associated changes required when applied to the problem of conflict resolution and aircraft trajectory control in air traffic management. The target problem is non-linear, constrained, non-convex and multi-agent. The new method is shown to have a 98.5% computational time saving over that of a previous sequential implementation, with no degradation in path quality. The computation saving is enough to allow real-time implementation.This work was supported by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - UK) Grant No. EP/G066477/1In proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control 201