Reading is Remembering: The Effect of Reading vs. Watching News on Memory and Metamemory

From which news medium can audiences acquire information best? To what extent does the news source affect receivers’ feelings of knowing? Will the effect of a news source on confidence in knowledge, if any, stay over time? Exposure to either print or electronic news media is a daily habit for an average person in today’s world. Computerized news transmitted via networks and online services led to more diversification in news presentations. Such diversity inspired many scholars to investigate the comparative effectiveness of news media on memory processes. The study reported here examines the effect of exposure to different news media on the variance in subjects’ levels of recall immediately after exposure and two hours later. The three media used in the experiment are television, newspapers, and computer. Special attention to subjects’ metamemory, or their awareness of what they have learned is also given in this paper. Metamemory is tested immediately after exposure, and two hours later

Fuzzy rule-based alertness state classification based on the optimization of EEG rhythm/channel combinations

This paper presents a method for automatically selecting the optimal EEG rhythm/channel combination capable of classifying the different human alertness states. We considered four alertness states, namely 'engaged', 'calm', 'drowsy', and 'asleep'. Energies associated with the conventional EEG rhythms, δ, θ, α, ß and γ, extracted from overlapping segments of the different EEG channels were used as features. The proposed method is a two-stage process. In the first stage, the optimal brain regions, represented by a set of EEG channels, are identified. In the second stage, a fuzzy rule-based alertness classification system (FRBACS) is developed to select the optimal EEG rhythms extracted from the previously selected EEG channels. The IF-THEN rules used in FRBACS are constructed using a novel bi-level differential evolution (DE) based search algorithm. Unlike most of the existing classification methods, the proposed classification approach reveals easy to interpret rules that describe each of the alertness states

Wavelet Decomposition for the Detection and Diagnosis of Faults in Rolling Element Bearings

Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of equipment and processes are of great concern in industries. Early fault detection in machineries can save millions of dollars in emergency maintenance costs. This paper presents a wavelet-based analysis technique for the diagnosis of faults in rotating machinery from its mechanical vibrations. The choice between the discrete wavelet transform and the discrete wavelet packet transform is discussed, along with the choice of the mother wavelet and some of the common extracted features. It was found that the peak locations in spectrum of the vibration signal could also be efficiently used in the detection of a fault in ball bearings. For the identification of fault location and its size, best results were obtained with the root mean square extracted from the terminal nodes of a wavelet tree of Symlet basis fed to Bayesian classier

Seipin oligomers can interact directly with AGPAT2 and lipin 1, physically scaffolding critical regulators of adipogenesis

This work was supported by a Merit Scholarship from the Islamic Development Bank (to M.M.U.T.), The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR) (M.F.M.S), the Medical Research Council (MRC) [NIRG GO800203 and Research Grant MR/L002620/1 (to J.J.R.), Program GrantG09000554 (to S.O.R)], The Wellcome Trust [078986/Z/06/Z (to S.O.R.)], the MRC Centre for Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders (MRC-CORD) [GO600717] and the NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre [CG50826].Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Haemato-immunological responses to diazinon chronic toxicity in Barbus sharpeyi

The present research aimed to determine acute toxicity and evaluate the effect of sub-lethal concentrations of diazinon on some haematological and immunological parameters of Barbus sharpeyi by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development methods. Juvenile B. sharpeyi were exposed to 0, 5%, 10% and 25% 96h LC50 concentrations of diazinon for 21 days. Blood samples were taken after 7, 14 and 21 days of exposure to diazinon. Haematological and biochemical parameters including: RBC, Hb, PCV and WBC, as well as serum enzymes were evaluated. Immunological indices and resistance against bacterial infection, were determined. Results showed that 96h LC50 of diazinon in B. sharpeyi was estimated at 3.987 mg/L. Diazinon toxicity at a level of 1 and 0.4 mg/L decreased RBC, Hb, and Hematocrite, in almost all sampling periods compared. WBC and globular index decreased significantly in fish exposed to 1 mg/L diazinon on days 14 and 21(p0.05). Dose dependent decrease in serum total protein and globulin were indicated in diazinon exposed fish. Serum lysozyme and bactericidal activity decreased in T3 and T4 at days 14 and 21. Mortality following challenge to A. hydrophila increased in fish exposed to 1 mg/l diazinon. It can be concluded that diazinon is toxic to B. sharpeyi. Therefore, the strict biosecurity should be taken into consideration when this pesticide is used in agricultural fields surrounding freshwater sources of fish cultivation

Role of Mothers\u27 Nutritional Knowledge, Nutritional Factors on the School Performance

A cross sectional study was carried out to investigate the effects of mothers\u27 nutritional knowledge, health and nutritional factors and socio-economic parameters on school performance among class five students of University Laboratory School, Dhaka. All of the eighty students were selected for this study. This study found there is a strong relationship between mother\u27s knowledge score and school performance. It was found that mothers\u27 knowledge score was responsible for 91.1 percent change in school performance. The mean BMI of the mothers was 20.44. We found that the school performance measured by class roll number of the students is significantly related with mothers BMI. There was an imperfect negative association between socio-economic parameters and school performance. But the relationship between the school performances with socio-economic parameters was strongly significant. This study also observed the relationship between Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) of respondent and marks achieved in class 4 final exam. It is alarming that consumption percentage were low for eggs (30) and milk and milk products (37.5), but majority of the students who consumed milk and milk products (63.3%) and eggs (66.7%) got the highest marks

Histomorphometrical study of silver carp fish testis in two age classes

In this research, morphological and histomorphometrical structure of testis of 20 silver male carp fish were studied in two classes or groups. Group1 was composed of 10 fish with average (±SD) weight of 1.247+0.656kg and average(±SD) length of 43.675+1.414cm with about 2 years age, Group2 was composed of 10 fish with average(±SD) weight of 5.716+0.519kg and average(±SD) length of 81.5+1.643cm. Average (±SD) weight of testis were 2.34+1.47gr and 83.33+25.81gr with average (±SD) GSI of 0.187+0.224 and 1.457+4.974 in groups 1 and 2 respectively. Samples from testis were taken by maximum thickness of 0.5cm and after fixation in bouin , s fixative and 5-6µm thickness section were made routine paraffin embedding method and stained by Hematoxylin-Eosin and PAS staining. The microscopic results showed that the silver carp testis was lobular and cystic type in two groups. In group 1, there was no spermatozoon activity and PGCs were only germ cells in the cysts. But in group2, the numbers of PGCs were decreased significantly and spermatogenic cells were seen in different phases including spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocysts, early and late spermatid, and spermatozoa which each one was located in a separated cyst. There was no significant difference in nucleus diameter of PGCs in testis of group1 (6.97+0.438µ) and group (6.13+0.438µ). In group2, the nucleolus diameter of spermatogonia was 2.97+0.112µm, primary spermatocyt 3.59+0.107µ, early spermatid 1.59+0.761µ, late spermatid 1.24+0.132µ, spermatozoa 1.16+0.054µ, and the length of spermatozoia 17.412+1.946µ. The interesting finding was immature testis in fish of group 1 with average weigh (1.247+0.656kg) and average length (43.675+1.414cm) in about 2 years age and mature testis in fish of group 2 with average weight of (5.716+0.519kg) and average length of (81.5+1.643cm) with about 4 years age in Khuzestan climate conditions

Analysis of naturally occurring mutations in the human lipodystrophy protein seipin reveals multiple potential pathogenic mechanisms

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Fiscal Transparency, Measurement and Determinants: Evidence from 27 Developing Countries

Fiscal transparency has been consistently identified as a key feature of efficient fiscal policy and a prerequisite for good public governance. However, measuring fiscal transparency remains an empirical challenge, and extant literature on developing countries is still sparse. To that end, this paper examines the determinants of fiscal transparency in developing countries. We add to the existing literature by proposing a new replicable index of fiscal transparency that is consistent with the definition provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Additional determinants of fiscal transparency, which are exclusively relevant in the study of developing countries, are also examined. In particular, we introduce such factors as natural resources, openness of the economy, the literacy rate of the population, and the quality of institutions. Because of possible endogeneity arising from interdependence among some variables, two-stage least squares (2SLS) is used to ensure that the estimators are consistent. As a robustness check, the same estimation procedure was replicated by replacing our index of fiscal transparency with respectively the index of Andreula et al. (2009) and the Open Budget Index, both of which use a significant similar number of developing countries of our selected sample. The results provide additional credence to our suggested procedure. The paper found that the level of natural resources and the openness of the capital account negatively affect fiscal transparency. However, the quality of institutions and literacy were found to positively affect fiscal transparency. The findings of this paper provide an explanation of why, after a decade of fiscal transparency programs, many developing countries are still lagging behind, thereby losing the potential benefits mentioned in the literature. These findings could help guide policies directed at improving fiscal transparency in the case of developing countries

The effects of brown algae Sargassum angustifolium extract on growth performance, survival and Vibriosis resistance in shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

In this study, the effect of ethanolic extracts of Sargassum angustifolium on growth and survival of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei juvenile was investigated under challenge with shrimp pathogen bacteria Vibrio harveyi. Powder form of the extract was bioencapsulated in Artemia and fed to L. vannamei juvenile reared as 5 groups inclouding C- (unenriched Artemia, without bacteria), C+ (unenriched Artemia, with bacteria), T1 (enriched Artemia with 200 mg l-1 SA extract, with bacteria), T2 (enriched Artemia with 400 mg l-1 SA extract, with bacteria), T3 (enriched Artemia with 600 mg l-1 SA extract, with bacteria). One week after culture all groups except C- were inoculated with V. harveyi at the rate of 1.5 × 108 CFU ml-1 for 15 minutes then after every water exchange 10 ml of V. harveyi at the rate of 1.5 × 107 CFU ml-1 was added to aquaria. Shrimps at group C- showed maximum survival (86.6%), specific growth rate (SGR, 11.33%) and less bacterial load (0.5 ± 0.03× 102 CFU g-1 tissue). While (C2) exhibited lowest survival (33.3%), SGR (9.90%) and more bacterial load (3.4 ± 0.05× 105 CFU g-1 tissue) and the difference was significant (p<0.05). In treatment groups survival and SGR were significantly (p< 0.05) more than C+ and less than C-, also bacterial load were less than C+ and more than C-. Among treatment groups T2 that fed with enriched artemia with 400 mg l-1 SA extract gave better results than the other treatments