Absence Of Advice Research Articles

Primed and ready?

The emergence and proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has left the realm of science fiction and the province of computer science research and has reached the everyday activities of academics and various support staff. AI promises to automate and facilitate a range of research tasks and increase scientific productivity, and can thus be expected to raise new questions and dilemmas that might challenge the systems of accountability currently in place to safeguard academic integrity.
 This poster presents preliminary results of an analysis of seven prominent ethical guidelines (international and Norwegian): the Vancouver protocol, ALLEA guidelines, NENT and NESH guidelines, professional codes of ethics from IFLA, ALA, and the Norwegian Union of Librarians. EBLIDA and LIBER were consulted, but do not offer their own ethical guidelines. The main research question is: to what extent do current ethical guidelines support researchers and librarians in dealing with ethical questions brought about by the proliferation of new AI tools?
 The concern that emergent technologies tend to challenge values, norms, and practices in academia is not new. For example, ALLEA (2017) acknowledges that the values and principles they lay out are “affected by social, political or technological developments and by changes in the research environment” (p.3). Nonetheless, only the Vancouver protocol (updated in May 2023) provides explicit recommendations on AI; it essentially prescribes that authors/reviewers disclose if and how they used AI tools. The other documents, ranging from 2008 to 2022, mention neither AI nor the possibility of automation technologies in academic/library work.
 Despite the absence of advice on AI, the analysis revealed interesting issues on ethical guidelines and emergent technologies. ALA (2017) makes extensive recommendations about social media, both as a tool for libraries’ own work and as a demand from patrons who require their expertise. Similar needs for new competencies and responsibilities can be expected from AI. Also, the Norwegian Union of Librarians (2008) encourages the adoption of free software, open standards, and open source codes; this can gain new momentum with the emergence of proprietary tools and algorithms, particularly if they are trained on public data curated by i.a. libraries.
 Ethical guidelines are general; they state a commitment to certain values and how they should guide certain tasks and practices. They do not prescribe how concrete tools should be employed. In this regard, the current ethical guidelines do offer a sound basis upon which new ethical questions can be assessed. Yet, unlike other types of tools employed in research and library work, AI poses challenges to things that are taken for granted by ethical guidelines, such as what constitutes information, or whether non-human entities can be considered authors, sources, or neither.
 In conclusion, it might be beneficial to revise ethical guidelines, less so because AI requires concrete recommendations, and more because they challenge substantive assumptions upon which guidelines rely. Also, new possibilities afforded by AI might put pressure on certain values, such as reproducibility and academic craftsmanship. Assuming that academia/library communities consider these important to preserve, it might be beneficial to reaffirm these values in light of the changing landscape.

O.5.2-1 Return to running after childbirth: barriers and facilitators

Abstract Purpose To investigate barriers to and facilitators of returning to running after childbirth, to inform the design of a return to running intervention. Methods The study adopted a mixed-methods design, using an e-survey for data collection with 503 postpartum runners (age: 34.8 ± 3.8 years) within 24 months after childbirth. The e-survey comprised closed- (quantitative) and open-ended (qualitative) questions. The closed-ended questions related to demographics, birth details, physical activity and running behaviour. The open-ended questions focussed on respondents’ experiences and opinions on the barriers and facilitators that ‘helped’, ‘hindered’ or ‘would have helped’ them to return to running. Quantitative data were presented as medians with interquartile ranges (IQR) and proportions. Free text responses to the open-ended questions were analysed using thematic analysis. Results On completion of the e-survey, participants were a median time of 10 months post-birth (IQR: 5-16). Of the cohort, 81% had returned to running (n = 405), with a median time of 12 weeks (IQR: 8-16) to first post-birth run. However, only just over a third of those who had returned to running had returned to at least their pre-pregnancy level (n = 146). Prominent themes for what ‘helped’, ‘hindered’ and ‘would have helped’ mothers return to running included psychological factors, physical factors that affected recovery, presence or absence of advice, degrees of childcare, time and access to running, as well as availability of training programmes and social support. Conclusions The key barriers to and facilitators of returning to running after childbirth were psychological, physical, and social in nature, with a number of possible interactions between them. The findings suggest the need for the development of an interdisciplinary intervention to address these factors holistically to support postpartum women in returning to running. Future research, utilising more in-depth methods such as interviews or focus groups, should be undertaken to increase understanding of some of these barriers and facilitators further. In particular, exploration of the possible interactions between these factors would allow for the design of an intervention that is appropriate to these relationships. Support/Funding Source Funded PhD studentiship from the Economic and Social Research Council.

Do people provide good advice?

Advice from those who have experience with a decision problem is often believed to be beneficial for decision making. However, if predecessors do not properly update their evaluation of options available for them to choose from based on their experience, they may fail to pass the information obtained from their experience to their successors. This could lead to a worse outcome than in the absence of advice, since the entire group of decision-makers may herd on an inferior choice due to bad advice. Such bad advice could be driven by predecessors’ inability to update properly, or a lack of willingness to exert effort to update. In a laboratory experiment, we study how likely predecessors are to give useful advice and identify the possible reasons for giving bad advice. We find that about half of the predecessors did not give useful advice in the sense that they did not update their beliefs properly. However, individuals making the same decision for themselves multiple times were more likely to update correctly. The difference between the advice givers and the individual decision-makers suggests that unwillingness to exert effort may be the main driving force for bad advice. As a result of bad advice, the presence of advice did not improve successors’ decision quality. We also find that the role of being advice givers may change how they made the decision for themselves. But self-selection of advice givers did not improve their effort level or advice quality. Interestingly, narcissistic personality is negatively related to advice givers’ effort level.

Corporate Governance and Performance of Audit Committee and Internal Audit Functions in an Emerging Economy’s Public Sector

This article seeks to examine corporate governance and the performance of audit committee and internal audit functions in an emerging economy’s public sector. These two functions form a part of imperative corporate governance aspects, and their effective performance ensures better service delivery by public sector agencies. The study is premised on stakeholder theory, which has turned out to be the central point of public sector discourses. The study is based on qualitative content analysis, which aspires to present information about corporate governance and effectiveness of audit committees and internal audit units in South Africa’s public sector. The findings suggest that there is good corporate governance in terms of the existence of audit committees and internal audit functions in the public sector. However, the results suggest that the audit committees and internal audit units in South Africa’s public sector are not effective. Absence of advice, implementation of recommendations and inadequacy of resources have undermined the performance of audit committees and internal audit units in South Africa’s public sector. The leadership and other assurance bringers ought to consider the findings elevated by the audit committees and internal audit and execute their commendation. Their findings should be urbanised into action plans that are implemented by management. Audit committees must improve their oversight on internal audit functions so that both units would effectively perform. The subsistence of successful audit committee and internal audit components in the public sector certifies proficient and effectual exploitation of resources for the gain of all stakeholders.

Sex bias in research animals

Neuroscience Owing to perceptions about the natural variation caused by hormonal cycling, female animals have largely been excluded from preclinical research in various disciplines, particularly neuroscience. However, male rodents exhibit as much behavioral and hormonal variation as female rodents, demonstrating that the exclusion of female animals in research is unfounded. In a Perspective, Shansky discusses the history of the decision to exclude female animals and the encouraging move toward including them in preclinical research. However, in the absence of advice about how to include female animals in research, the concern of using male animals as the archetype could continue. Science , this issue p. [825][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aaw7570

Role of Diet in Influencing Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity.

Background:Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) frequently ask their doctors about which diets to follow, and even in the absence of advice from their physicians, many patients are undertaking various dietary interventions.Discussion:However, the role of dietary modifications in RA is not well understood. Several studies have tried to address these gaps in our understanding. Intestinal microbial modifications are being studied for the prevention and management of RA. Some benefits of vegan diet may be explained by antioxidant constituents, lactobacilli and fibre, and by potential changes in intestinal flora. Similarly, Mediterranean diet shows anti-inflammatory effects due to protective properties of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins, but also by influencing the gut microbiome. Gluten-free and elemental diets have been associated with some benefits in RA though the existing evidence is limited. Long-term intake of fish and other sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are protective for development of RA. The benefits of fasting, anti-oxidant supplementation, flavanoids, and probiotics in RA are not clear. Vitamin D has been shown to influence autoimmunity and specifically decrease RA disease activity. The role of supplements such as fish oils and vitamin D should be explored in future trials to gain new insights in disease pathogenesis and develop RA-specific dietary recommendations.Conclusion:Specifically more research is needed to explore the association of diet and the gut microbiome and how this can influence RA disease activity.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of increased vegetable and fruit consumption on body weight and energy intake.

BackgroundIncreased vegetable and fruit consumption is encouraged to promote health, including the maintenance of a healthy body weight. Population health strategies (e.g. 5-A-Day or similar campaigns and subsidies on vegetables or fruit) that emphasize increased consumption may theoretically lead to increased energy intake and weight gain.MethodsWe undertook a systematic review of trials that sought to increase vegetable and fruit consumption, in the absence of advice or specific encouragement to remove other foods from the diet, to understand the effect on body weight and energy intake. We included only randomised controlled trials. We pooled data using a random effects model for two outcomes: change in body weight and change in energy intake. Sensitivity and secondary analyses were also undertaken, including a one-study removed analysis and analysis by study sub-type to explore sources of heterogeneity.ResultsA total of eight studies, including 1026 participants, were identified for inclusion in the review. The mean study duration was 14.7 weeks (range four to 52 weeks). The mean difference in vegetable and fruit consumption between arms was 133 g (range 50 g to 456 g). The mean change in body weight was 0.68 kg (95% CI: 0.15-1.20; n = 8; I2 for heterogeneity = 83%, p = 0.01) less in the “high vegetable and fruit” intake arms than in the “low vegetable and fruit intake” arms. There was no significant difference in measured change daily energy intake between the two arms (368 kJ; 95% CI: -27 to 762, comparing high vs low; n = 6; I2 = 42%, p = 0.07).ConclusionPromoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption, in the absence of specific advice to decrease consumption of other foods, appears unlikely to lead to weight gain in the short-term and may have a role in weight maintenance or loss. Longer studies or other methods are needed to understand the long-term effects on weight maintenance and loss.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-886) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The death of personal service: Will financial services customers who serve themselves do better than if they are served?

This article focuses on the trade-off between efficiency and customer experience management in the financial services sector. It is based on the author's extensive work with financial services companies and review of the literature. Its main conclusions are that many financial services suppliers are under pressure to improve efficiency and margin, in some cases to increase the contribution to improving their balance sheet in the wake of the problems of the last few years. This financial pressure is leading some of them to choose the perceived win-win of a self-fulfilled customer experience with minimal staff intervention. As a result, consumers will be provided with ever more sophisticated self-service information and communications technologies, especially by suppliers using a multi-channel approach. Consumers will increasingly use their own technology, especially smart-phones, pads and other portable devices, to identify the best offers, to make comparisons between products and services, to manage relationships with financial services companies and to manage their accounts. Younger consumers’ strong preferences for buying in their own way will pervade the sector. The trend to self-service may lead to more and more consumers making the wrong decisions, in the absence of advice. For the more complex products, services or buying situations, supplier or third-party diagnosis of customer needs may be a substitute for self-diagnosis, but will not necessarily lead to better outcomes for consumers. This third-party diagnosis may be expert, for example, from sites dedicated to the purpose, or inexpert, for example via social media. Where advisory companies embrace the social approach, we may see an ideal situation evolving in which consumers do not need to exit social networks to obtain expert advice and coaching, and will be able to immediately compare expert advice from different sources, and with less expert advice and experience of outcomes. Financial services suppliers who fail to come to terms with these developments will lose market share to those who lead in applying information and communications technology to support self-service. Eventually, the self-fulfilled experience will be the norm, except for the most difficult and risky situations. Even here, the role of human intervention will be reduced.

The Neural Basis of Following Advice

Learning by following explicit advice is fundamental for human cultural evolution, yet the neurobiology of adaptive social learning is largely unknown. Here, we used simulations to analyze the adaptive value of social learning mechanisms, computational modeling of behavioral data to describe cognitive mechanisms involved in social learning, and model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the neurobiological basis of following advice. One-time advice received before learning had a sustained influence on people's learning processes. This was best explained by social learning mechanisms implementing a more positive evaluation of the outcomes from recommended options. Computer simulations showed that this “outcome-bonus” accumulates more rewards than an alternative mechanism implementing higher initial reward expectation for recommended options. fMRI results revealed a neural outcome-bonus signal in the septal area and the left caudate. This neural signal coded rewards in the absence of advice, and crucially, it signaled greater positive rewards for positive and negative feedback after recommended rather than after non-recommended choices. Hence, our results indicate that following advice is intrinsically rewarding. A positive correlation between the model's outcome-bonus parameter and amygdala activity after positive feedback directly relates the computational model to brain activity. These results advance the understanding of social learning by providing a neurobiological account for adaptive learning from advice.

Effects of Technical Department’s Advice, Quality Assessment Standards, and Client Justifications on Auditors’ Propensity to Accept Client-Preferred Accounting Methods

ABSTRACT: We conduct an experiment to investigate whether the effects of an SAS No. 90-like quality assessment standard (QAS) on auditors’ decision to accept a client-preferred accounting method is jointly moderated by the nature of advice from an audit firm’s technical department and the strength of the client’s justification. Results indicate that, in the absence of advice, the presence of QAS does not affect auditors’ decision, regardless of client justification strength. However, in the presence of advice from the technical department, the presence of QAS significantly reduces auditors’ propensity to accept the client-preferred method, but only when the advice explicitly recommends the use of the most appropriate method and the client’s justification is strong. These findings demonstrate the complementary roles that professional standards and audit firms’ technical departments play in enhancing the quality of auditors’ decisions, and indicate that the nature of advice matters.

The Neural Basis of Following Advice

Event Abstract Back to Event The Neural Basis of Following Advice Guido Biele1, 2, 3*, Jörg Rieskamp4, Lea K. Krugel5 and Hauke R. Heekeren2, 3 1 University of Oslo, Psychology, Norway 2 Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Neurocognition of Decision Making, Germany 3 Freie Universität Berlin, Psychology, Germany 4 University of Basel, Psychology, Switzerland 5 Charité University Medicine, Neurology, Germany BACKGROUND: Learning by following explicit advice is uniquely human and fundamental for cultural evolution. However, very little is known about the neurobiology of adaptive social learning. Here, we investigate the cognitive and brain mechanisms underlying following advice. METHODS & RESULTS: We use (1) computer simulations to analyze the adaptive value of social learning mechanisms, (2) model comparison to find the best descriptive social learning model, and (3) model-based analysis of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment of social learning. One-time advice received before learning had a sustained influence on participants’ choices in a learning task. The comparison of different of social learning models, varying by the effect of advice on initial expectation or outcome evaluations, found that social learning is best explained by a more positive evaluation of outcomes after following advice, which we have termed an outcome-bonus. Computer simulations found that the outcome-bonus mechanism is also more adaptive than the influence of social information on initial expectations. FMRI results revealed a neural outcome-bonus signal in the septal area. This neural signal coded rewards in the absence of advice, and crucially, it also showed a greater positive reward signal during feedback after recommended than after non-recommended choices. Surprisingly, but consistent with the outcome-bonus, even negative outcomes from recommended choices elicited a neural reward response in the septal area. Finally, a positive correlation between outcome-bonus parameter and amygdala activity after positive feedback directly relates the computational model to brain activity. CONCLUSION: These results provide for the first time converging evidence from multiple methods that following advice in itself elicits a neural reward signal. Fundamentally, our results advance understanding of social learning by providing a neurobiological account for adaptive learning from advice and potentially the human propensity for social learning. Keywords: advice, computational model, fMRI, reinforcement learning, Social learning Conference: Decision Neuroscience From Neurons to Societies, Berlin, Germany, 23 Sep - 25 Sep, 2010. Presentation Type: Speaker Topic: Social Learning and Decision Making Citation: Biele G, Rieskamp J, Krugel LK and Heekeren HR (2010). The Neural Basis of Following Advice. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Decision Neuroscience From Neurons to Societies. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.82.00026 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 17 Aug 2010; Published Online: 07 Sep 2010. * Correspondence: Dr. Guido Biele, University of Oslo, Psychology, Oslo, Norway, guido.biele@neuro-cognition.org Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Guido Biele Jörg Rieskamp Lea K Krugel Hauke R Heekeren Google Guido Biele Jörg Rieskamp Lea K Krugel Hauke R Heekeren Google Scholar Guido Biele Jörg Rieskamp Lea K Krugel Hauke R Heekeren PubMed Guido Biele Jörg Rieskamp Lea K Krugel Hauke R Heekeren Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The impact of screening and advice on inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive children

Severely inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive children fall behind their peers and can be difficult for teachers. What impact do screening and/or advice have? Interventions were randomly assigned to 2040 schools and 24 local education authorities in England. School‐level interventions involved naming pupils with ADHD‐like behaviour, or providing evidence‐based advice for teachers about how to teach pupils with ADHD‐like behaviour, or both. The LEA interventions involved providing evidence‐based advice on how to teach children with ADHD‐like behaviour to key personnel. One treatment group received this advice with a supporting conference, the second received advice only. Pupils' reading and mathematics were assessed at the start and end of their first year at school and again at age 6–7 years. Their behaviour was assessed at the end of the first year and once again at age 6–7 years. The interventions were implemented during the second year of schooling. There was no impact from LEA‐level interventions. For school‐level interventions, advice had a significant positive effect on the attitudes and behaviour of pupils with ADHD characteristics but not on their attainment levels. It also had a positive impact on teachers' quality of life. Identifying children in the absence of advice had no impact. A combination of identification and advice had a positive impact on reading across the full sample, but a negative impact on the progress of pupils with ADHD characteristics. It is concluded that this research did not support a screening programme for ADHD in which the results are fed back to schools. On the other hand, the advice to teachers had a small impact, and it was very cheap. It was calculated that providing schools with research‐based advice on how to work with inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive pupils in the first two years of schooling is cost‐effective and could be beneficially used on a wide scale.

Mitigating geohazards affecting mountain roads in northeast Somaliland

Abstract Roads linking the Gollis plateau with sea ports on the Gulf of Aden descend a steep escarpment. The roads are continually affected by erosion and degradation. These usually gentle processes constitute significant geohazards to the communities on the plateau which rely on the roads to export their agricultural produce as they attempt to rebuild the local economy following years of civil war. Engineering geological advice was provided to local communities involved in maintaining and repairing three roads, in areas occupied by different Somali clans. The absence of advice at an earlier stage had resulted in much wasted effort in inappropriate realignments and gradients. By tailoring the advice to the materials, tools and skills available locally, one road could be re-opened and two could be significantly improved, reducing travel times for laden lorries by up to half.

Use of Over-the-Counter Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation: Prudent or Premature?-Reply

In Reply. —Drs McNagny and Ahluwalia suggest that OTC use of the transdermal nicotine patch might increase its costeffectiveness; any loss in effectiveness would be more than offset by transferring costs to the purchaser of the patch. This is a disingenuous argument. Simply shifting costs does not improve cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the cost of the patch is most often borne by the user, not a third-party payer, so OTC approval will not result in consumer savings unless the OTC patch is priced lower than the prescription patch. We agree that there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of the patch in the absence of physician advice. However, the California Tobacco Survey1is the only study that we could identify that compares rates of quitting with the patch in the absence of advice with rates of quitting without the patch. The study by Orleans et al2cited by McNagny and Ahluwalia only

Use of Over-the-Counter Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation: Prudent or Premature?

In Reply. —Drs McNagny and Ahluwalia suggest that OTC use of the transdermal nicotine patch might increase its costeffectiveness; any loss in effectiveness would be more than offset by transferring costs to the purchaser of the patch. This is a disingenuous argument. Simply shifting costs does not improve cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the cost of the patch is most often borne by the user, not a third-party payer, so OTC approval will not result in consumer savings unless the OTC patch is priced lower than the prescription patch. We agree that there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of the patch in the absence of physician advice. However, the California Tobacco Survey1is the only study that we could identify that compares rates of quitting with the patch in the absence of advice with rates of quitting without the patch. The study by Orleans et al2cited by McNagny and Ahluwalia only

Sociodemographic factors and the quality of prenatal care.

In this study, maternal sociodemographic factors are examined in relationship to the quality of prenatal health services US women receive. Data from the 1980 National Natality Survey and 1980 Fetal Mortality Survey were used for the analysis. Indicator variables for prenatal care quality are the percentages of prenatal visits at which blood pressure and urine were tested, the performance of hemoglobin or hematocrit tests, and the presence or absence of advice regarding salt restriction and diuretics usage during pregnancy. Distribution of the basic examinations in prenatal care vary according to marital status, parity, education, and residence in a metropolitan or nonmetropolitan county. The advice received concerning salt and diuretics usage was also influenced by sociodemographic variables. The analyses reveal that prenatal care is not of even minimally acceptable quality for many women.

Persons denied admission to medical schools: A case of blocked career choice

This study followed the career paths of a cross-national sample of 9123 students refused admission to the 1966–1967 entering class in U.S. medical schools. Such individuals are, at least temporarily, prevented from continuing formal training toward becoming physicians and must then examine various alternative occupations in health, or other, areas. The sample of rejectees was stratified by geographic region and by sex. Data were gathered using a mailed, self-administered questionnaire which covered the respondent's personal and academic background, sources of influence in career choice, perceptions of the rejection and variables affecting ultimate career choices. Hypotheses were developed relating academic ability and performance, professorial encouragement, expectancy of acceptance and perceived reasons for rejection to likelihood of persistence in reapplication and subsequent career decisions. Fifty-two per cent of the sample entered fields unrelated to health and medical care and almost half did not even consider a different health career upon rejection. Moreover, the rejectees reported a substantial lack of knowledge about different health occupations and an absence of advice from professors and academic councelors. While females had relatively better grades and test scores, they tended to view their rejection as “fair” and were less likely than males to reapply, to hold positive self-perceptions and to choose careers with higher educational requirements and prestige. Suprisingly, male persisters (12 of whom ultimately became physicians) were those who reported difficulty with the hard sciences, achieved lower grades, received less encouragement from instructors to continue study, expected acceptance and attributed rejection to factors outside themselves.