Familiar Subjects Research Articles

Beware! Different methods lead to divergent results on yawn contagion modulation in bonobos.

Contagious yawning (CY)-linked to physiological synchronization and possibly emotional contagion-occurs when one individual's yawn induces yawning in others. CY was investigated over different time windows (minutes from the triggering stimulus) via naturalistic or experimental studies (using real and video yawns, respectively) with contrasting results, especially in bonobos. We verified whether in bonobos result divergences may derive from different methods. We gathered yawning data on 13 bonobos at Twycross Zoo (UK) via a naturalistic (all-occurrences observations) and experimental approach (by showing yawn/control video stimuli). Based on literature, we used 1- and 3-min windows to detect CY. Due to fission-fusion management, individuals could form permanent or non-permanent associations (more/less familiar subjects under naturalistic setting). Video yawn stimuli may come from group mates/stranger models (more/less familiar subjects under the experimental setting). Stimulus type and time window affected CY modulating factors but not CY detection. Familiarity and age effect on CY showed opposite trends in 3-min trials and 1-min observations. CY was highest in oldest, non-permanently (rather than permanently) associated subjects in the naturalistic setting, but in the youngest subjects and with ingroup (rather than outgroup) models in trials. The age effect differences on CY might be due to decontextualized yawns and immature subject curiosity toward videos. The reversed familiarity effect suggests CY's context-dependent function in promoting social synchronization with socially distant group mates, as failing to coordinate as a group may lead to social disruption. Complementary methods are needed to fully understand motor replication phenomena.

Abstract Art as an Inspiration to Create Textile Patterns through Computer Aided Designing

Art breaks away from the traditional representation of everyday objects and familiar subjects. The viewer is not distracted by meaningful images, so the mind is stirred into felling the energy and spirit of a design. Art does not reflect any form of realism, in fact, it breaks the rules. This study aimed at creating unique patterns for textiles through computer-aided design by taking abstract art as a source of inspiration. It was completed in three phases. First phase comprised of a selection of various inspirational themes from Abstract Art. In the second phase, an experimental approach was taken by developing various patterns through a range of colours and layouts to discover the best and most suitable for the end products. The created patterns were then applied to each category of apparel as 2D and 3D models through Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. In the third phase, an online survey was conducted to investigate the market demand of consumers towards developed designs. The results showed that 60% respondents strongly appreciated the uniqueness of design, 56% respondents liked the colour scheme, and 62% of respondents preferred to have this design in their wardrobe. 57% respondents were strongly agreed that the principles of design were well balanced. It was concluded that Marbling Abstract art becoming more popular pattern for apparel due to its bright colour shades, different lines and triangle shapes which attract the participants. The study will be beneficial for the textile designers to opt for multiple categories from abstract art for developing patterns in apparel.

Analyses of Question Types and Evidence Evaluation Types in Big Data Analysis for 7th Grade Students

The purpose of this study was to analyze the types of questions generated through big data analysis, establish hypotheses based on the generated questions, and determine authenticity by analyzing the types of evidence evaluation. To this end, ‘COVID-19’ and ‘yellow dust’, which are relatively familiar subjects and various types of big data have been accumulated in large quantities, were selected as research themes. The subjects of the study were 137 7th grade students, 72 male students, and 65 female students. The results of the study are as follows. First, in big data analysis, questions were created centered on conjectural questions. Second, among the types of evidence evaluation, the rejection type did not appear. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a teaching strategy so that various types of questions can be presented. In addition, it is necessary to teach how to critically judge collected big data and how to use various big data.

Development and assessment of an applied STEM camp in fashion and entrepreneurship to advance social mobility of high school students

ABSTRACT This study proposes and advocates for applied STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to solve a low interest and retention in STEM college majors among high school students, especially those from underserved backgrounds. Applied STEM emphasises the practical application of STEM concepts and principles to familiar subjects such as fashion and entrepreneurship to increase students’ interest and their intention to pursue college careers in STEM fields. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of an experiential Applied STEM Camp developed in this study and attended by 120 high school students. A series of paired sample t-tests show that participants’ knowledge, interest, and intentions to enrol in a STEM-related college major have increased after the camp. Analysis of participants’ reflections on the camp experiences further supports the statistical results. The research findings are important for recruiting high school students to pursue applied STEM college careers.

고교학점제 도입에 따른 최소 성취수준 보장 지도 운영에 대한 교원 및 전문가 인식 분석

Objectives This study is expected to face many difficulties in operating guidance that guarantees the minimum level of achievement following the introduction of the high school credit system, so it seeks to listen to the opin-ions of teachers and experts, focusing on the case of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education, and propose support measures to prevent failure to reach the minimum level of achievement. Methods To this end, in-depth interviews (2023. 4. - 2023. 6.) was carried out. The questions of the in-depth in-terview consisted of the suitability of the purpose of preventive guidance to guarantee the minimum level of ach-ievement, differences in teachers' perceptions and practices, the actual state of operation and impediments, and the performance of suitable operation plans and policies. Results Through interview analysis on the cases of the Gangwon-do Office of Education’s guidance for guaran-teeing the minimum achievement level of the high school credit system, the results were analyzed from five as-pects: (1) perception, (2) practice, (3) class, (4) evaluation, and (5) environment. Opinions were understood. In ad-dition, implications were drawn by analyzing the current status of guidance for guaranteeing the minimum ach-ievement level of the high school credit system of other city and provincial offices of education, and cases of pre-vention and supplementary guidance for guaranteeing the minimum achievement level for research and prepara-tion schools at the Gangwon Metropolitan Autonomous Office of Education. Conclusions Firstly, as reviewed in the 2022 achievement evaluation results of high schools (107 schools) of the Gangwon-do Office of Education, it was confirmed that more than 40% of the students had academic achieve-ment E. Secondly, as a result of analyzing the operational tasks of research schools and preparatory schools of other city/provincial offices of education and the Gangwon Metropolitan Autonomous Provincial Office of Education and identifying their characteristics, the main factors were methods of selecting low-achieving students, af-ter-school operation of non-attainment prevention guidance, and emotional support programs. Thirdly, measures to improve and support classes and assessments were proposed to have the subject competencies presented in the 2015 revised curriculum based on everyday life and familiar subjects, rather than just achieving the quantita-tive goal of the subject to reach the minimum achievement level.

Have we met? New insights into the role of head and body cues in the visual recognition of conspecifics in gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus).

Prikrylová et al. (see record 2023-79461-001) contribute a paper to this issue in which they tested two-dimensional individual recognition of familiar subjects in African gray parrots. They not only tested familiar individual recognition per se but also the effect of manipulating individual and combined features in the head and the body of their stimuli. Notably, instead of using discrimination tasks, which have previously been applied in bird studies (e.g., Hauser & Huber-Eicher, 2004; Nakamura et al., 2003; Watanabe & Ito, 1990), they went through great effort applying a matching-to-sample approach. This is particularly important as it allows for testing familiar conspecific recognition on a more conceptual level than a discrimination task. Moreover, it facilitates the comparison with previous work done on primates (e.g., Micheletta et al., 2015; Parr et al., 2000, 2006; Talbot et al., 2016). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Influence of Status Quo Bias in Marketing and Reasons Leading to this Tendency

Status quo bias refers to the emotional preference to the present situation. It could also be defined as the tendency to resist changes, even there are better alternatives being provided. Status quo bias significantly influences individuals behavior in variously fields. This essay mainly investigated the extent of status quo bias, affecting consumers purchasing preferences in marketing, as well as the reasons behind. Through the study on historic concepts, analysis on typical cases and 2 specially designed experiments, the conclusion reached is that status quo bias is consistently influential in marketing, and reasons include preference to familiar subjects and aversion of lost. Based on the previous theories and studies, typical case (Coca-Cola, 1985) is analyzed and online experiments are designed to illustrate the reasons people choose status quo when facing consumption choices. Results show that status quo bias is consistently influential in marketing, due to loss aversion, cognitive tendency and the rejection of risk and uncertainty. Enterprises therefore could use status quo bias as an effective selling strategy, in order to increase sales and profits.

Extensive Reading in Improving Reading Motivation: A Students’ Perspective

Abstract. Students nowadays are accustomed to vast yet short information coming from various digital platforms. This affects their concentration span in a negative way and causes a difficulty in focus, including reading a longer text. This study aims to investigate how extensive reading practice improves students’ motivation in reading. Specifically, this study aims to elaborate students’ experience in English for General Reading subject, how far the extensive reading practice can increase students’ reading efficacy, and what impact the practice gives to students’ curiosity on specific topics. The finding is expected to uncover new possible ways, which educators can implement to match varied learning needs by optimizing the effectiveness of the activity. Data of this phenomenology study was taken through observation during the class and online questionnaire as the class evaluation after the class has finished. A number of semi-structured interviews were also conducted to a number of students to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomena. The interviews are transcribed, coded, and analysed using thematic analysis. This study found that extensive reading practice helps students improving their reading motivation in general, through enjoyment on familiar subjects, reading efficacy, as well as engagement on new topics.Keywords: Extensive Reading, Reading Motivation, Phenomenology, Student’s Perspective

Social Isolation Affects the Mimicry Response in the Use of Smartphones

Humans are social animals that rely on different ways to interact with each other. The COVID-19 pandemic strongly changed our communication strategies. Because of the importance of direct contact for our species, we predict that immediately after the forced social isolation, people were more prone to engage in direct rather than in virtual interactions, thus showing a lower mimicry response in the use of smartphones. In a non-longitudinal study, we collected behavioral data under naturalistic contexts and directly compared the data of the mimicry response gathered immediately following the Italian lockdown (May–September 2020) with those gathered one year later (May–October 2021). Contrary to our expectations, the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher immediately after the lockdown than a year later. Probably the large use of these devices during the lockdown translated into a greater sensitivity to be affected by others’ smartphone manipulation. Indeed, social isolation modified, at least in the short term, the ways we interact with others by making us more prone to engage in “virtual” social interactions. The bright side of the coin unveiled by our findings is that the effect seems to diminish over time. The large behavioral dataset analyzed here (1,608 events; 248 people) also revealed that the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher between familiar subjects than between strangers. In this view, mimicry in manipulating smartphones can be considered an example of joint action that fosters behavioral synchrony between individuals that, in the long-term, can translate into the formation of social bonding.

Intelligent sitting posture classifier for wheelchair users.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in postural monitoring while seated, thus preventing the appearance of ulcers and musculoskeletal problems in the long term. To date, postural control has been carried out by means of subjective questionnaires that do not provide continuous and quantitative information. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out a monitoring that allows to determine not only the postural status of wheelchair users, but also to infer the evolution or anomalies associated with a specific disease. Therefore, this paper proposes an intelligent classifier based on a multilayer neural network for the classification of sitting postures of wheelchair users. The posture database was generated based on data collected by a novel monitoring device composed of force resistive sensors. A training and hyperparameter selection methodology has been used based on the idea of using a stratified K-Fold in weight groups strategy. This allows the neural network to acquire a greater capacity for generalization, thus allowing, unlike other proposed models, to achieve higher success rates not only in familiar subjects but also in subjects with physical complexions outside the standard. In this way, the system can be used to support wheelchair users and healthcare professionals, helping them to automatically monitor their posture, regardless physical complexions.

İnsan Dışı Hayvanların Ticari Ürünlere Çevirisi: Süt Reklamlarının Postkolonyal Eleştirisi

The aim of this paper is to explore how milk is translated into a product for human consumption. In this study, translation works as a metaphor that is used for carving up an alternative reality. The metaphor of translation is informed by postcolonial translation studies, in particular the view in which translation is seen as “a channel of colonization”. For this purpose, three diary commercials are selected and a form of multimodal thematic analysis with a critical framework has been employed in order to discover the themes used in milk commercials. These themes are interpreted taking into account how translation is conceptualized by postcolonial approaches. The analysis demonstrates that colonial subjects and animals have many commonalities. Translation functioned for the colonizer as a force to assist in the silencing of the Other, to remove agency, to distort representations, to fabricate volunteer victims, to create familiar subjects, and to impose Western reason-based thought. Similarly, dairy commercials ‘translate’ cows so that they are silenced, their agencies are either removed or used in favor of the industry, the real lives of cows are obscured and their experiences are distorted, they are portrayed as being happily exploited, and they are reduced to subordinate creatures in relation to Western white, male subjects. Translation, in this study, demonstrates the power it yields in dominating others. Yet, translation can also bridge gaps, and foster nonexploitative relationships between humans and nonhuman animals.

Viscoelastic or Viscoplastic Glucose Theory (VGT #82): An Investigation of Economics Markers Versus COVID Pandemic Markers During 9 Quarters from Y2020Q1 to Y2022Q1 Based on GH-Method: Math-Physical Medicine, Especially the VGT Energy Tool (No. 672)

The author is a mathematician and engineer who has conducted medical research work over the past 13 years. To date, he has written 672 medical research papers. Beginning with paper No. 578 dated 1/8/2022, he has written a total of 80 medical research articles using the viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity theories (VGT) from physics and engineering disciplines on 80 different medical problems with their associated data. These papers aim to explore some hidden biophysical behaviors and provide a quantitative understanding of the inter-relationships of a selected medical output (symptom) versus singular input or multiple inputs (root causes, risk factors, or influential inputs). The hidden biophysical behaviors and possible inter-relationships exist among lifestyle details, medical conditions, chronic diseases, and certain severe medical complications, such as heart attacks, stroke, cancers, dementia, and even longevity concerns. All of these chosen medical subjects with their associated data, multiple symptoms, and influential factors are “time-dependent” which means that all of these biomedical variables are changing from time to time because body cells are dynamically changing. This is what Professor Norman Jones, the author’s adviser at MIT, suggested to him in December of 2021 and why he utilizes the VGT tools from physics and engineering to conduct his medical research work since then. From 1980 to 1981, the author attended a college in California for his MBA degree, emphasizing finance and marketing. In addition, he spent many years managing a successful high-tech semiconductor business in Silicon Valley, where it involved many key factors of economics and finance, such as gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rate, stock performance, price/earnings ratio (P/E ratio), investment decisions, return on investments (ROI), etc. As a result, the money subjects associated with finance and economics are familiar subjects to him.

Familiarity modulates both intra- and interspecific yawn contagion in red-capped mangabeys

Yawn contagion (YC) is, compared to spontaneous yawning, an evolutionary recent phenomenon probably linked to behavioral synchronization in highly social species that is more likely when it involves familiar subjects. Here, we investigate for the first time in monkeys which factors modulate intra- and interspecific YC. Through an experimental approach, we exposed 17 red-capped mangabeys to video stimuli (Yawn vs Control) depicting familiar/unfamiliar red-capped mangabeys and humans, and unfamiliar hamadryas. We found that mangabeys yawned more often in response to Yawn than Control videos independently from the species depicted, demonstrating both intra- and interspecific YC in the tested species. Moreover, both mangabey and human familiar yawning stimuli evoked a stronger yawning response in the subjects compared to the unfamiliar counterparts. Neither the amount of time spent looking frontally at the screen (probability of stimulus perception) nor the levels of self-directed behaviors (a proxy of anxiety) accounted for the results. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence that in non-human primate familiarity modulates both intra- and inter-specific YC. Stimuli emitted by familiar faces somehow ease the mechanisms underlying YC, and this modulation can also apply to heterospecific subjects when previous shared experiences provide the prerequisites for the development of social bonds.

Review: To Live and Defy in LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America, by Felicia Angeja Viator

Review: <i>To Live and Defy in LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America</i>, by Felicia Angeja Viator

Social selectivity and social motivation in voles.

Selective relationships are fundamental to humans and many other animals, but relationships between mates, family members, or peers may be mediated differently. We examined connections between social reward and social selectivity, aggression, and oxytocin receptor signaling pathways in rodents that naturally form enduring, selective relationships with mates and peers (monogamous prairie voles) or peers (group-living meadow voles). Female prairie and meadow voles worked harder to access familiar versus unfamiliar individuals, regardless of sex, and huddled extensively with familiar subjects. Male prairie voles displayed strongly selective huddling preferences for familiar animals, but only worked harder to repeatedly access females versus males, with no difference in effort by familiarity. This reveals a striking sex difference in pathways underlying social monogamy and demonstrates a fundamental disconnect between motivation and social selectivity in males-a distinction not detected by the partner preference test. Meadow voles exhibited social preferences but low social motivation, consistent with tolerance rather than reward supporting social groups in this species. Natural variation in oxytocin receptor binding predicted individual variation in prosocial and aggressive behaviors. These results provide a basis for understanding species, sex, and individual differences in the mechanisms underlying the role of social reward in social preference.

La Raza Cosmética: Beauty, Identity, and Settler Colonialism in Postrevolutionary Mexico

La Raza Cosmética: Beauty, Identity, and Settler Colonialism in Postrevolutionary Mexico

Games and Sloth: Working for the Common Good in Late Medieval Flanders

Abstract Games, sloth and the common good are familiar subjects to scholars of late medieval Europe, yet the connections contemporaries made between them have never been properly explored. How these rhetorical ideas were aligned, how they were used and by whom, across a wide social spectrum, are the central questions in this article; and examining them reveals how malleable (and gendered) they were. Discourses on games, developed by schoolmen and other churchmen in relation to recreation, and integrated with ideas of sloth and the common good, were harnessed to serve the authority of rulers in late medieval Flanders and Burgundian lands. Yet they were also deployed to suit other agendas, especially during the troubled period of civil war from 1477 to 1492, by the rulers’ subjects—urban magistrates, elite or middling groups, but also men from lower social strata. Valuable evidence for the latter appears within the numerous pardon letters that survive from 1386 to 1500: these were specially granted by rulers to suppliants, many of whom were craftsmen, labourers and artisans. Suppliants often referred to their game-playing and recreational activities; while these cases suggest a process by which subjects were disciplined, they also show how discourses on games offered suppliants strategic room for manoeuvre.

Individual Differences in the Vocal Communication of Malayan Tapirs (Tapirus indicus) Considering Familiarity and Relatedness.

Simple SummaryStudies in animal communication have shown that many species have individual distinct calls. These individual distinct vocalizations can play an important role in animal communication because they can carry important information about the age, sex, personality, or social role of the signaler. Although we have good knowledge regarding the importance of individual vocalization in social living mammals, it is less clear to what extent solitary living mammals possess individual distinct vocalizations. Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) are solitary living forest dwellers that inhabit tropical habitats. We recorded the vocalizations of 14 adult Malayan tapirs (six females and eight males) living in seven European zoos to answer the question of whether Malayan tapirs possess individually distinct vocalizations. Apart from sex-related differences, we found significant differences in the harmonic calls of all subjects. Surprisingly, kinship had no influence on call similarity, whereas familiar animals exhibited significant higher similarity in their harmonic calls compared to unfamiliar or related subjects. The results support the view that solitary animals could have individual distinct calls, like highly social animals. These new insights in the acoustic communication of tapirs provide a solid base to use bioacoustics as conservation tools to protect this endangered species.Studies in animal communication have shown that many species have individual distinct calls. These individual distinct vocalizations can play an important role in animal communication because they can carry important information about the age, sex, personality, or social role of the signaler. Although we have good knowledge regarding the importance of individual vocalization in social living mammals, it is less clear to what extent solitary living mammals possess individual distinct vocalizations. We recorded and analyzed the vocalizations of 14 captive adult Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) (six females and eight males) to answer this question. We investigated whether familiarity or relatedness had an influence on call similarity. In addition to sex-related differences, we found significant differences between all subjects, comparable to the individual differences found in highly social living species. Surprisingly, kinship appeared to have no influence on call similarity, whereas familiar subjects exhibited significantly higher similarity in their harmonic calls compared to unfamiliar or related subjects. The results support the view that solitary animals could have individual distinct calls, like highly social animals. Therefore, it is likely that non-social factors, like low visibility, could have an influence on call individuality. The increasing knowledge of their behavior will help to protect this endangered species.

Medieval Historical Writing: Britain and Ireland, 500–1500. Edited by Jennifer Jahner, Emily Steiner, and Elizabeth M. Tyler. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. Pp. xvi+581.

<i>Medieval Historical Writing: Britain and Ireland, 500–1500</i>. Edited by Jennifer Jahner, Emily Steiner, and Elizabeth M. Tyler. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. Pp. xvi+581.

Rethinking the Civil War Era: Directions for Research by Paul D. Escott

Reviewed by: Rethinking the Civil War Era: Directions for Research by Paul D. Escott Daniel E. Sutherland Rethinking the Civil War Era: Directions for Research. Paul D. Escott. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2018. ISBN 978-0-8131-7535. 204 pp., cloth, $50.00. This is a useful book, the likes of which is needed every decade or so to place recent [End Page 331] scholarship in perspective. It is equally necessary that someone like Paul D. Escott, who has lived through and contributed to several cycles of Middle Period historiography, provide the analysis. Escott is quick to say that he has not written a "comprehensive" review of the literature. Rather, he has limited himself to issues that match his own interests, although, as it turns out, these cover a wide range of topics. He certainly addresses what may legitimately be called the most popular and relevant areas of research. He begins with a general structural theme that, while not doggedly pursued, strikes a distinct interpretive tone. "It is time," Escott insists, "to modify the longheld and determinedly positive perspective on the Civil War, for celebration of the war's results has been exaggerated." Equally, besides skewing "popular understanding of the war," this "celebratory gloss" has obscured "the limits of American power and the infallibility that our citizens and leaders share with all other human beings." In as much as Escott believes historians have a responsibility to provide both citizens and leaders with "useful" history, it is important, he explains, that Americans, "be informed and mature enough to recognize and learn from national failures as well as successes" (x). Escott then devotes individual chapters to seven broad areas: the causes of the war, the Northern and Southern home fronts, the roles of African Americans, military history, digital research methods, environmental history, and the consequences of the war. Each chapter combines a review of what he deems the most important recent (and, in some instances, forthcoming) publications on these themes with his own suggestions for future investigation, additional analysis, and further reflection. The approach provides maximum flexibility for him to probe, enquire, and speculate, and his admittedly "personal tone" allows Escott to roam freely from topic to topic while also laying the groundwork for potentially lively discussions (xii). No single chapter stands out as markedly better than the others, although, as one would expect, discussions of issues that have only recently become touchstones for research seem the freshest. Most obviously, digital research has been a hot topic throughout the humanities, and Escott believes it "promises to be stronger, more energizing, and more widespread than cliometrics, or computer-assisted quantitative analysis" for several areas of the Civil War (89). Environmental history is not quite as new, but Escott explains how recent scholarship has broadened its definition as well as our understanding of its significance for both soldiers and civilians. Then again, it is interesting (or perhaps sobering) to realize that other projects he believes worthy of exploration sound frightfully familiar, such as determining which theater of war, the western or eastern, was "most important" (75). Some debates, it appears, will never be settled. [End Page 332] This is not to say that Escott fails to give familiar subjects a fresh look. He confirms, for instance, that the consequences of the war can no longer be associated exclusively with the politics of Reconstruction. Even the traditional dates of 1865–77 for interpreting its aftermath have been set aside, he says, as we enter a new era of "far-reaching reevaluations and reconceptualizations" (124). On this issue, too, Escott finds vindication for his insistence that "the war left many things unsettled" and that "the finality usually attached to Union victory" has been exaggerated (130). Of course, there are limits to Escott's analysis. Most notably, and admittedly on his part, he does not bring a wealth of expertise to every subject, a notable contrast to the last significant survey of this type, James M. McPherson and William J. Cooper's edited collection, Writing the Civil War: The Quest to Understand (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998), which benefited from the input of more than a dozen contributors. Inevitably, too, some of Escott's...