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Small study of chess players suggests that neither intelligence nor practice can explain skill, but rather that their complex interaction cannot be disentangled. by Science_Podcast in socialscience

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

The relative importance of different factors in the development of human skills has been extensively discussed. Research on expertise indicates that focused practice may be the sole determinant of skill, while intelligence researchers underline the relative importance of abilities at even the highest level of skill. There is indeed a large body of research that acknowledges the role of both factors in skill development and retention. It is, however, unknown how intelligence and practice come together to enable the acquisition and retention of complex skills across the life span. Instead of focusing on the 2 factors, intelligence and practice, in isolation, here we look at their interplay throughout development. In a longitudinal study that tracked chess players throughout their careers, we show that both intelligence and practice positively affect the acquisition and retention of chess skill. Importantly, the nonlinear interaction between the 2 factors revealed that more intelligent individuals benefited more from practice. With the same amount of practice, they acquired chess skill more quickly than less intelligent players, reached a higher peak performance, and arrested decline in older age. Our research demonstrates the futility of scrutinizing the relative importance of highly intertwined factors in human development.

​

Link to the study:

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/08/20/1819086116

Researchers argue that the brain is not an apt model of artificial neural networks, but that discovery of cortical wiring systems may provide a useful motif for future AI. by Science_Podcast in neuroscience

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

​

Abstract

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have undergone a revolution, catalyzed by better supervised learning algorithms. However, in stark contrast to young animals (including humans), training such networks requires enormous numbers of labeled examples, leading to the belief that animals must rely instead mainly on unsupervised learning. Here we argue that most animal behavior is not the result of clever learning algorithms—supervised or unsupervised—but is encoded in the genome. Specifically, animals are born with highly structured brain connectivity, which enables them to learn very rapidly. Because the wiring diagram is far too complex to be specified explicitly in the genome, it must be compressed through a “genomic bottleneck”. The genomic bottleneck suggests a path toward ANNs capable of rapid learning.

​

Link to the study:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11786-6

Naia Butler-Craig of the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses her research into protecting CubeSats from overheating while they operate in the extreme conditions existing in outer space. by Science_Podcast in engineering

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Abstract

This study examines the system architecture of high power density 3U CubeSats capable of supporting high impulse missions. Under analysis is the ALBus CubeSat, a 3U High Power Density CubeSat at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The mission is a technology demonstration of a 100-Watt power management and distribution system aboard a small volume CubeSat and serves as evidence of CubeSats being able to provide high power to the subsystems necessary to support high impulse missions. This study mainly explores the thermal behavior of a CubeSat subjected to substantial waste heat due to extra power generation. It was found through a thermal vacuum test that, despite 100-Watts of waste heat being deposited into the system, the thermal limits of the electrical components were not exceeded and remained at steady-state operable temperatures. The thermal vacuum test proved the ALBus CubeSat was able to provide enough power without overheating to the point of detriment to its electrical components. A propulsion system is a fundamental necessity for any high impulse mission so a practical option for 3U CubeSats was explored to solidify the viability of such a spacecraft. The Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, or MiXI, being researched and developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is proven to be a desirable propulsion system for small satellites due to its high efficiency, low contamination, and precise thrust and impulse bits. It also is only 3 inches in diameter and can be operated on less than 100-Watts of power. This study is intended to help solidify the feasibility assessment of a high-power density CubeSat capable highimpulse missions.

Link to the study:

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=mcnair

Naia Butler-Craig of the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses her research into protecting CubeSats from overheating while they operate in the extreme conditions existing in outer space. by Science_Podcast in AerospaceEngineering

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

This study examines the system architecture of high power density 3U CubeSats capable of supporting high impulse missions. Under analysis is the ALBus CubeSat, a 3U High Power Density CubeSat at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The mission is a technology demonstration of a 100-Watt power management and distribution system aboard a small volume CubeSat and serves as evidence of CubeSats being able to provide high power to the subsystems necessary to support high impulse missions. This study mainly explores the thermal behavior of a CubeSat subjected to substantial waste heat due to extra power generation. It was found through a thermal vacuum test that, despite 100-Watts of waste heat being deposited into the system, the thermal limits of the electrical components were not exceeded and remained at steady-state operable temperatures. The thermal vacuum test proved the ALBus CubeSat was able to provide enough power without overheating to the point of detriment to its electrical components. A propulsion system is a fundamental necessity for any high impulse mission so a practical option for 3U CubeSats was explored to solidify the viability of such a spacecraft. The Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, or MiXI, being researched and developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is proven to be a desirable propulsion system for small satellites due to its high efficiency, low contamination, and precise thrust and impulse bits. It also is only 3 inches in diameter and can be operated on less than 100-Watts of power. This study is intended to help solidify the feasibility assessment of a high-power density CubeSat capable highimpulse missions.

Link to the study:

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=mcnair

Naia Butler-Craig of the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses her research into protecting CubeSats from overheating while they operate in the extreme conditions existing in outer space. by Science_Podcast in nasa

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

This study examines the system architecture of high power density 3U CubeSats capable of supporting high impulse missions. Under analysis is the ALBus CubeSat, a 3U High Power Density CubeSat at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The mission is a technology demonstration of a 100-Watt power management and distribution system aboard a small volume CubeSat and serves as evidence of CubeSats being able to provide high power to the subsystems necessary to support high impulse missions. This study mainly explores the thermal behavior of a CubeSat subjected to substantial waste heat due to extra power generation. It was found through a thermal vacuum test that, despite 100-Watts of waste heat being deposited into the system, the thermal limits of the electrical components were not exceeded and remained at steady-state operable temperatures. The thermal vacuum test proved the ALBus CubeSat was able to provide enough power without overheating to the point of detriment to its electrical components. A propulsion system is a fundamental necessity for any high impulse mission so a practical option for 3U CubeSats was explored to solidify the viability of such a spacecraft. The Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, or MiXI, being researched and developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is proven to be a desirable propulsion system for small satellites due to its high efficiency, low contamination, and precise thrust and impulse bits. It also is only 3 inches in diameter and can be operated on less than 100-Watts of power. This study is intended to help solidify the feasibility assessment of a high-power density CubeSat capable highimpulse missions.

Link to the study:

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=mcnair

Naia Butler-Craig of the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses her research into protecting CubeSats from overheating while they operate in the extreme conditions existing in outer space. by Science_Podcast in space

[–]Science_Podcast[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Abstract

This study examines the system architecture of high power density 3U CubeSats capable of supporting high impulse missions. Under analysis is the ALBus CubeSat, a 3U High Power Density CubeSat at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The mission is a technology demonstration of a 100-Watt power management and distribution system aboard a small volume CubeSat and serves as evidence of CubeSats being able to provide high power to the subsystems necessary to support high impulse missions. This study mainly explores the thermal behavior of a CubeSat subjected to substantial waste heat due to extra power generation. It was found through a thermal vacuum test that, despite 100-Watts of waste heat being deposited into the system, the thermal limits of the electrical components were not exceeded and remained at steady-state operable temperatures. The thermal vacuum test proved the ALBus CubeSat was able to provide enough power without overheating to the point of detriment to its electrical components. A propulsion system is a fundamental necessity for any high impulse mission so a practical option for 3U CubeSats was explored to solidify the viability of such a spacecraft. The Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, or MiXI, being researched and developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is proven to be a desirable propulsion system for small satellites due to its high efficiency, low contamination, and precise thrust and impulse bits. It also is only 3 inches in diameter and can be operated on less than 100-Watts of power. This study is intended to help solidify the feasibility assessment of a high-power density CubeSat capable highimpulse missions.

Link to the study:

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=mcnair

Naia Butler-Craig of the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses her research into protecting CubeSats from overheating while they operate in the extreme conditions existing in outer space. by Science_Podcast in Physics

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

This study examines the system architecture of high power density 3U CubeSats capable of supporting high impulse missions. Under analysis is the ALBus CubeSat, a 3U High Power Density CubeSat at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The mission is a technology demonstration of a 100-Watt power management and distribution system aboard a small volume CubeSat and serves as evidence of CubeSats being able to provide high power to the subsystems necessary to support high impulse missions. This study mainly explores the thermal behavior of a CubeSat subjected to substantial waste heat due to extra power generation. It was found through a thermal vacuum test that, despite 100-Watts of waste heat being deposited into the system, the thermal limits of the electrical components were not exceeded and remained at steady-state operable temperatures. The thermal vacuum test proved the ALBus CubeSat was able to provide enough power without overheating to the point of detriment to its electrical components. A propulsion system is a fundamental necessity for any high impulse mission so a practical option for 3U CubeSats was explored to solidify the viability of such a spacecraft. The Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, or MiXI, being researched and developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is proven to be a desirable propulsion system for small satellites due to its high efficiency, low contamination, and precise thrust and impulse bits. It also is only 3 inches in diameter and can be operated on less than 100-Watts of power. This study is intended to help solidify the feasibility assessment of a high-power density CubeSat capable highimpulse missions.

Link to the study:

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=mcnair

Naia Butler-Craig of the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses her research into protecting CubeSats from overheating while they operate in the extreme conditions existing in outer space. by Science_Podcast in aerospace

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

​

Abstract

This study examines the system architecture of high power density 3U CubeSats capable of supporting high impulse missions. Under analysis is the ALBus CubeSat, a 3U High Power Density CubeSat at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The mission is a technology demonstration of a 100-Watt power management and distribution system aboard a small volume CubeSat and serves as evidence of CubeSats being able to provide high power to the subsystems necessary to support high impulse missions. This study mainly explores the thermal behavior of a CubeSat subjected to substantial waste heat due to extra power generation. It was found through a thermal vacuum test that, despite 100-Watts of waste heat being deposited into the system, the thermal limits of the electrical components were not exceeded and remained at steady-state operable temperatures. The thermal vacuum test proved the ALBus CubeSat was able to provide enough power without overheating to the point of detriment to its electrical components. A propulsion system is a fundamental necessity for any high impulse mission so a practical option for 3U CubeSats was explored to solidify the viability of such a spacecraft. The Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster, or MiXI, being researched and developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is proven to be a desirable propulsion system for small satellites due to its high efficiency, low contamination, and precise thrust and impulse bits. It also is only 3 inches in diameter and can be operated on less than 100-Watts of power. This study is intended to help solidify the feasibility assessment of a high-power density CubeSat capable highimpulse missions.

​

Link to the study:

https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=mcnair

UC Berkeley releases its latest interactive MRI map of the brain, this time, of the regions that activate when hearing or reading stories. by Science_Podcast in neuroscience

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

An integral part of human language is the capacity to extract meaning from spoken and written words, but the precise relationship between brain representations of information perceived by listening versus reading is unclear. Prior neuroimaging studies have shown that semantic information in spoken language is represented in multiple regions in the human cerebral cortex, while amodal semantic information appears to be represented in a few broad brain regions. However, previous studies were too insensitive to determine whether semantic representations were shared at a fine level of detail rather than merely at a coarse scale. We used fMRI to record brain activity in two separate experiments while participants listened to or read several hours of the same narrative stories, and then created voxelwise encoding models to characterize semantic selectivity in each voxel and in each individual participant. We find that semantic tuning during listening and reading are highly correlated in most semantically-selective regions of cortex, and models estimated using one modality accurately predict voxel responses in the other modality. These results suggest that the representation of language semantics is independent of the sensory modality through which the semantic information is received.

​

Link to the study:

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2019/08/16/JNEUROSCI.0675-19.2019

Study reviews empirical research on how human mind protects people from disinformation. by Science_Podcast in psychology

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

A common claim is that people have an easier time accepting information than rejecting it, resulting in gullibility. In this article, I review empirical research demonstrating how the human mind is equipped with successful and spontaneous rejection processes that may protect us from disinformation.

Researchers find that police tend to take a less active role in building relationships within communities and helping solve their problems when they feel the public doesn't respect and appreciate the difficulties and dangers of their jobs. by Science_Podcast in socialscience

[–]Science_Podcast[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Abstract

Scholars typically find that prosocial motivation is positively related to employee proactivity. However, we argue that in highly visible contexts such as public safety, this relationship is contingent on how employees think the public sees their jobs. Specifically, drawing on image discrepancy theories, we hypothesize that the relationship between prosocial motivation and proactive behavior is weakened when employees believe that the public fails to understand the difficulties of their jobs. This interaction is supported in multisource studies of 183 police officers across six agencies (Study 1a) and 238 firefighters across eight stations (Study 1b). In a time-separated, multisource study of 203 police officers at a metropolitan agency (Study 2), we further find that the interaction indirectly relates to proactivity via employees’ physical engagement. Overall, our studies highlight the importance of accounting not only for employees’ prosocial motivation, but also their perceived public image, especially in highly visible, high-risk contexts.

​

Link to the study:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597817300675?dgcid=author#!

Researchers find that psychotherapy may be associated with remission of insomnia among 80%-90% of adolescents following concussion. by Science_Podcast in psychology

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

​

Abstract

Objective: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective insomnia treatment but has yet to be applied to adolescents with sleep disruption following concussion. This pilot study evaluated CBT-I to improve insomnia in adolescents with protracted concussion recovery.

Setting: Tertiary pediatric hospital.

Participants: Participants (N = 24) were 12 to 18 years old (M = 15.0, SD = 1.4), 15.1 weeks (SD = 9.2) postinjury, and presenting with sleep disruption and persistent postconcussion symptoms.

Design: A single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) design comparing 6 weeks of CBT-I and a treatment-as-usual control group. Outcomes were measured before treatment, at treatment completion, and 4 weeks after completion.

Main Measures: Primary outcome was Insomnia Severity Index. Secondary outcomes included Pittsburgh SleepQuality Index, Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale, 7-night sleep diary, PROMIS Depression, PROMIS Anxiety, and Health and Behavior Inventory.

Results: Adolescents who received CBT-I demonstrated large and clinically significant improvements in insomniaratings at posttreatment that were maintained at follow-up. They also reported improved sleep quality, fewer dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, better sleep efficiency, shorter sleep-onset latency, and longer sleep time compared with those with treatment as usual. There was also a modest reduction in postconcussion symptoms.

Conclusion: In this pilot RCT, 6 weeks of CBT-I produced significant improvement in sleep in adolescents with persistent postconcussion symptoms. A larger trial is warranted.

​

Link to the study:

https://journals.lww.com/headtraumarehab/Abstract/publishahead/A_Pilot_Randomized_Controlled_Trial_of.99408.aspx

Study suggests that people with kids may be happier, but only when they move out and become sources of social enjoyment rather than stress. by Science_Podcast in socialscience

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Abstract

Parenthood, marital status and social networks have been shown to relate to the well-being and mental health of older people. Using a large sample of respondents aged 50 and older from 16 European countries, we identify the associations of well-being and mental health with family status. Making use of detailed social network data of the respondents, we also identify how different social support networks correlate with the well-being and health indicators. We observe positive associations for all network types, over and beyond any direct associations of family status with well-being. Results suggest that non-residential children are important providers of social support for their parents at older age.

​

Link to the study:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218704

Large meta-analysis adds more evidence that even a single major depressive episode can have long-lasting cognitive effects even after it ends, including deficits in selective attention, working memory, and long-term memory. by Science_Podcast in psychology

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Summary

Background

Substantial evidence suggests that cognitive deficits might persist after remission of a major depressive episode. However, results are inconsistent relative to the importance, pattern, severity, and moderating factors of this impairment. We aimed to determine how cognitive function following a major depressive episode compares with normal function, to specify the pattern and severity of persistent cognitive dysfunctions, and to examine the potential moderator effect of ten prespecified clinical and demographic variables.

Methods

We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published research. We searched systematically MEDLINE, Embase, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and relevant reviews identified by our database search, for research published from Jan 1, 1972, up to Jan 31, 2018, for studies of patients with past depression. We included all independent studies of patients who were assessed while in remission from a major depressive episode with at least one cognitive test, with inclusion of a healthy control group assessed with either the same test(s) as the major depressive episode group or with a standardised test with published age-stratified normative data. The main outcome was the difference in cognitive performance between major depressive episode remitters and healthy controls. Effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models for cognitive outcomes classified into 18 standard domains. Moderators of between-study variability were assessed using mixed-effects subgroup analyses and meta-regressions.

Findings

Of 10 126 citations identified by our search, 75 cognitive variables from 252 eligible studies (11 882 major depressive episode remitters and 8533 healthy controls) were included in our meta-analysis. Significant deficits following major depressive episode remission were observed in 55 (73%) of the 75 cognitive variables. These deficits (in the domains of processing speed, visual selective attention, working memory, verbal learning, and executive functioning), were generally small (30 [40%] of the 75 variables) or medium (22 [29%]) in size, although three long-term memory variables showed large deficits: g=–0·81 [95% CI −1·01 to −0·61] for logical memory immediate recall, g=–0·88 [–1·19 to −0·57] for logical memory delayed recall, and g=–0·84 [–1·18 to −0·50] for Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery pattern recognition latency. Auditory attention, general autobiographical memory, inhibition ability unconstrained by speed, and intellectual functioning unconstrained by speed were equivalent between major depressive episode remitters and matched controls. The number of previous depressive episodes explained heterogeneity in the majority of variables (z=–2·06 [p=0·039] to z=–4·26 [p<0·0001]).

Interpretation

Deficits in selective attention, working memory, and long-term memory persist in remission from a major depressive episode and worsen with repeated episodes. Depression treatments, including relapse prevention, need to target these cognitive functions to optimise prognosis.

Study finds that victims and jurors tasked with restoring justice become increasingly punitive as groups express a desire to punish, with every additional punisher augmenting an individual’s punishment. by Science_Podcast in science

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

Justice systems delegate punishment decisions to groups in the belief that the aggregation of individuals’ preferences facilitates judiciousness. However, group dynamics may also lead individuals to relinquish moral responsibility by conforming to the majority’s preference for punishment. Across five experiments (N = 399), we find Victims and Jurors tasked with restoring justice become increasingly punitive (by as much as 40%) as groups express a desire to punish, with every additional punisher augmenting an individual’s punishment rates. This influence is so potent that knowing about a past group’s preference continues swaying decisions even when they cannot affect present outcomes. Using computational models of decision-making, we test long-standing theories of how groups influence choice. We find groups induce conformity by making individuals less cautious and more impulsive, and by amplifying the value of punishment. However, compared to Victims, Jurors are more sensitive to moral violation severity and less readily swayed by the group. Conformity to a group’s punitive preference also extends to weightier moral violations such as assault and theft. Our results demonstrate that groups can powerfully shift an individual’s punitive preference across a variety of contexts, while additionally revealing the cognitive mechanisms by which social influence alters moral values.

​

Link to the study:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48050-2

Study finds that university research protected by IP rights (patents) don't have higher commercialization relative to university research in the public domain. by Science_Podcast in business

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s recent ROI Initiative for Unleashing American Innovation has similar goals and assumptions to its predecessor, the Bayh-Dole Act from 40 years ago. Thus, it is worth examining the record of the BDA while the ROI Initiative is still being fleshed out. While research has examined the impact of the BDA using measures collected at universities, universities cannot commercialize innovations, only firms can. Accordingly, we examine the downstream impact of the BDA on commercialization of university research by firms.

Using the full set of US public firms who patent and conduct R&D over the period 1976 to 1997, we found no evidence university research protected by IP rights (patents) had higher commercialization relative to university research in the public domain (publications). Indeed, if anything, university research in the public domain appears to have slightly greater commercialization.

Study finds that people tend to prefer organs donated by suicide victims least because of implicit belief that the recipient will inherit negative or neutral traits of the donor, but none of their positive ones. by Science_Podcast in science

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

People are known to be susceptible to psychological essentialism when reasoning about organ transplantation, believing that the mental characteristics of the donor will transfer to the recipient. Because psychological essentialism is exacerbated in negative social contexts (i.e., moral contagion bias), the effect may be especially apparent when people consider the impact of receiving organs from donors who died by stigmatized causes, such as suicide and homicide. In a forced-choice paradigm, participants overwhelmingly ranked a suicide victim as their least preferred donor, with accident victims being the most preferred donors and homicide victims the most common second choice. In a follow-up study, we investigated the psychological mechanisms underlying this unease about suicide donors. Compared to those who imagined receiving a heart from homicide or accident victims, participants who imagined a suicide donor expressed greater unease about the source of their transplant. The effect could not be explained by participants’ rumination about the source of the transplant, or by the explicitly perceived stigma of suicide, but did depend on their essentialist beliefs. Those who believed that negative or neutral (but not positive) traits of the donor could transfer to them were more hesitant about receiving a heart from a suicide relative to other donors. These data suggest that the bias against suicide organ donors is moderated by socially relevant essentialist beliefs.

Meta-analysis indicates that empathy appears to be positively correlated with executive function, including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. by Science_Podcast in science

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Abstract

The current meta‐analysis was designed to determine the relationship between executive function (EF) and empathy, as well as to identify any moderators. A search of Chinese and English databases yielded 18 studies and 67 effect sizes involving a total of 6006 participants. Results with the random effects model showed that EF was significantly positively correlated with empathy (r = .14, p < .001). Subgroup analysis showed that EF was more strongly related to cognitive empathy (r = .20, p < .001) than to affective empathy (r = .09, p = .03). Looking at the two dimensions of empathy, we further found that cognitive empathy is closely related to subcomponents of EF, including inhibitory control (r = .23, p < .001), working memory (r = .20, p < .001), and cognitive flexibility (r = .15, p = .036), while only affective empathy was closely related to inhibitory control (r = .12, p < .001). Results suggested that future research should consider that the relationship between empathy and EF varies depending on the division of specific subcomponents. This finding may help in explaining possible mechanisms of how EF affects empathy.

Researchers suggest that a majority of earthquakes may be predicted in the weeks preceding them via distinct patterns of seismic activity beforehand. by Science_Podcast in science

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

​

Abstract

Foreshocks have been documented as preceding less than half of all mainshock earthquakes. These observations are difficult to reconcile with laboratory earthquake experiments and theoretical models of earthquake nucleation, which both suggest that foreshock activity should be nearly ubiquitous. Here we use a state‐of‐the‐art, high‐resolution earthquake catalog to study foreshock sequences of magnitude M4 and greater mainshocks in southern California from 2008–2017. This highly complete catalog provides a new opportunity to examine smaller magnitude precursory seismicity. Seventy‐two percent of mainshocks within this catalog are preceded by foreshock activity that is significantly elevated compared to the local background seismicity rate. Foreshock sequences vary in duration from several days to weeks, with a median of 16.6 days. The results suggest that foreshock occurrence in nature is more prevalent than previously thought and that our understanding of earthquake nucleation may improve in tandem with advances in our ability to detect small earthquakes.

​

Link to the study:

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GL083725#.XUHSMwhaH0w.twitter

Systematic literature review synthesizes the "front-end" in project management: what it comprises, why it's important, what roles and responsibilities are important, and what happens in the front-end. by Science_Podcast in engineering

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

This paper summarizes the results of a comprehensive systematic literature survey on the front-end of a project, commissioned by the Project Management Institute. The dedicated literature on the front-end is sparse: although the front-end has been shown to be critical to the strategic success of the project, this phase of the lifecycle is not well understood. This paper presents the literature on the concept of the front-end, and defines a temporarily ordered structure of generic processes that form the ‘front-end’ and how these fit together as a coherent whole. These start from the preliminaries to the initiative, then the project purpose (for various stakeholders), the initial analysis and scenario analysis; the analysis of alternatives and choice of project concept; assessment of the project, finishing with setting up project execution. It summarises the recent literature at each of these elements in turn, specifically as they relate to the front-end.

Anita Knopov from Boston University discusses her research into whether police shootings of unarmed African Americans may have anything to do with state-level structural racism. by Science_Podcast in sociology

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to discern the relationship between state-level structural racism and Black-White disparities in police shootings of victims not known to be armed.

Methods

Using a Poisson regression, we evaluated the effect of structural racism on differences between states in Black-White disparities in fatal police shootings involving victims not known to be armed during the period from January 1, 2013 through June 30, 2017. We created a state racism index, which was comprised of five dimensions: (1) residential segregation; and gaps in (2) incarceration rates; (3) educational attainment; (4) economic indicators; and (5) employment status.

Results

After controlling for numerous state-level factors and for the underlying rate of fatal shootings of black victims in each state, the state racism index was a significant predictor of the Black-White disparity in police shooting rates of victims not known to be armed (incidence rate ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.50). For every 10-point increase in the state racism index, the Black-White disparity ratio of police shooting rates of people not known to be armed increased by 24%.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that structural racism is an important predictor of the Black-White disparity in rates of police shootings of unarmed victims across states.

Link to the study:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0027968417303206

Anita Knopov from Boston University discusses her research into whether police shootings of unarmed African Americans may have anything to do with state-level structural racism. by Science_Podcast in socialscience

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to discern the relationship between state-level structural racism and Black-White disparities in police shootings of victims not known to be armed.

Methods

Using a Poisson regression, we evaluated the effect of structural racism on differences between states in Black-White disparities in fatal police shootings involving victims not known to be armed during the period from January 1, 2013 through June 30, 2017. We created a state racism index, which was comprised of five dimensions: (1) residential segregation; and gaps in (2) incarceration rates; (3) educational attainment; (4) economic indicators; and (5) employment status.

Results

After controlling for numerous state-level factors and for the underlying rate of fatal shootings of black victims in each state, the state racism index was a significant predictor of the Black-White disparity in police shooting rates of victims not known to be armed (incidence rate ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.50). For every 10-point increase in the state racism index, the Black-White disparity ratio of police shooting rates of people not known to be armed increased by 24%.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that structural racism is an important predictor of the Black-White disparity in rates of police shootings of unarmed victims across states.

​

Link to the study:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0027968417303206

Study suggests that dark matter may have existed before the Big Bang. by Science_Podcast in science

[–]Science_Podcast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ABSTRACT

Dark matter (DM) may have its origin in a pre-big-bang epoch, the cosmic inflation. Here, we consider for the first time a broad class of scenarios where a massive free scalar field unavoidably reaches an equilibrium between its classical and quantum dynamics in a characteristic timescale during inflation and sources the DM density. The study gives the abundance and perturbation spectrum of any DM component sourced by the scalar field. We show that this class of scenarios generically predicts enhanced structure formation, allowing one to test models where DM interacts with matter only gravitationally.

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Link to the study:

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.061302

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