scholarly journals Preferential access to emotion under attentional blink: evidence for threshold phenomenon

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remigiusz Szczepanowski ◽  
Jakub Traczyk ◽  
Zhao Fan ◽  
Lewis O. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Signal Detection Theory ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Threshold Phenomenon ◽  
Attentional Blink Task

Abstract The present study provides evidence that the activation strength produced by emotional stimuli must pass a threshold level in order to be consciously perceived, contrary to the assumption of continuous quality of representation. An analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) for attentional blink performance was used to distinguish between two (continuous vs. threshold) models of emotion perception by inspecting two different ROC’s shapes. Across all conditions, the results showed that performance in the attentional blink task was better described by the two-limbs ROC predicted by the Krantz threshold model than by the curvilinear ROC implied by the signal-detection theory.

scholarly journals Measuring biases of visual attention: A comparison of 4 tasks

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olafia Sigurjonsdottir ◽  
Andri S Bjornsson ◽  
Inga Wessman ◽  
Arni Kristjansson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Dot Probe ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Differential Processing ◽  
Spatial Cueing ◽  
And Control ◽  
Attentional Blink Task

Observers typically attend preferentially to stimuli with emotional content over emotionally neutral ones. For some this attentional pull is abnormally strong, and such attention biases may play a role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The assessment of potential biases is constrained by measurement methods. The tasks most commonly used to measure preferential attentional orienting to emotional stimuli, the dot-probe and spatial cueing tasks, have yielded mixed results. We assessed the sensitivity of 4 visual attention tasks (dot-probe, spatial cueing, visual search with irrelevant distractor and attentional blink tasks) to differences in attentional processing between threatening and neutral faces in 33 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and 26 healthy controls. The dot-probe and cueing tasks did not reveal any differential processing of neutral and threatening faces nor between the SAD and control groups. The irrelevant distractor task showed some sensitivity to differential processing of facial expression in the SAD group, but the attentional blink task was uniquely sensitive to such differences in both groups, and also revealed processing differences between the SAD and control groups. The attentional blink task revealed interesting temporal dynamics of attentional processing of emotional stimuli and may provide a uniquely nuanced picture of attentional response to emotional stimuli. The task may, therefore, be more suitable to measuring preferential attending to emotional stimuli and treating dysfunctional attention patterns than the more commonly used dot-probe and cueing tasks.

scholarly journals Measuring Biases of Visual Attention: A Comparison of Four Tasks

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Ólafía Sigurjónsdóttir ◽  
Andri S. Bjornsson ◽  
Inga D. Wessmann ◽  
Árni Kristjánsson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Dot Probe ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Differential Processing ◽  
Spatial Cueing ◽  
And Control ◽  
Attentional Blink Task

Attention biases to stimuli with emotional content may play a role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. The most commonly used tasks in measuring and treating such biases, the dot-probe and spatial cueing tasks, have yielded mixed results, however. We assessed the sensitivity of four visual attention tasks (dot-probe, spatial cueing, visual search with irrelevant distractor and attentional blink tasks) to differences in attentional processing between threatening and neutral faces in 33 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and 26 healthy controls. The dot-probe and cueing tasks revealed no differential processing of neutral and threatening faces between the SAD and control groups. The irrelevant distractor task showed some sensitivity to differential processing for the SAD group, but the attentional blink task was uniquely sensitive to such differences in both groups, and revealed processing differences between the SAD and control groups. The attentional blink task also revealed interesting temporal dynamics of attentional processing of emotional stimuli and may provide a uniquely nuanced picture of attentional response to emotional stimuli. Our results therefore suggest that the attentional blink task is more suitable for measuring preferential attending to emotional stimuli and treating dysfunctional attention patterns than the more commonly used dot-probe and cueing tasks.

Article Review: The Impact of Fun and Enjoyment on Adult Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Laily Yahya
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Programme ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
The Impact

The article review of ‘The Impact of Fun and Enjoyment on Adult Learning’ (Lucardie, 2014) opens doors to the kaleidoscope of fun and enjoyment amongst adult learners. The essence of this review is an informative snapshot on the critical issues of how fun and joy have impacted adult learning through a qualitative research drawing upon traditions of phenomenology. It aims to explore the affective experiences of fun and enjoyment. This article review attempts to highlight an insightful assessment of the ideas and the arguments that are being discussed by the author. The different interpretation of this concept draws out contrasting elements between learners and teachers’ beliefs. A twist to this review is a reflective stance procured to address central issues emerging in the article related to the Malaysian context. It is through the lens of the reader, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI):4R is proposed. This refers to the process of continuously improving the quality of teaching and learning of an educational programme. This review concludes with the framing of CQI:4R to illustrate reflect, revisit, realign and reconstruct processes that could possibly navigate the architectural landscape of the Malaysian Teacher Education.

Application Of Cusum Chart In Control Of Paper Quality

GIS Business ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1062-1069
Author(s):  
S.Ramesh ◽  
B.A.Vasu
Keyword(s):  
Process Parameters ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cusum Chart ◽  
Paper Machine ◽  
Statistical Control ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Small Shift

This paper is an attempt to assess if the manufacturing process of paper machine is in statistical control thereby improving the quality of paper being produced in a paper industry at the time of process itself. Quality is the foremost criteria for achieving the business target. Therefore, emphasis was made on controlling the quality of paper at the time of manufacturing process itself, rather than checking the finished lots at a later time.  This control on quality will help the industry deduct the small shift in the process parameters and modify the operating characteristics at the time of production itself rather than receiving complaints from customers at a later stage.  This paper describes controlling quality at the time of manufacture itself and helps the industry to concentrate on quality at low cost. The researcher has collected primary data at a leading paper industry during October, 2019.  Though X-bar and Range charges were primarily used, CUSUM charts were used to sense the minor shifts in manufacturing process, to explore the possibility of adjusting process parameters during manufacture of paper.

Sustainability Failure in the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in a Secondary Care Hospital from Cuba: A Historical Review of 30 Years and 3 Shots

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Humberto Guanche Garcell ◽  
Juan José Pisonero Socias ◽  
Gilberto Pardo Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization

Background: During the last 30 years an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) was implemented in a facility with periods of weakness. We aim to describe the history of the sustainability failure in the local ASP. Methods: A historical review was conducted using original data from the facility library and papers published. An analysis of factors related to the failure was conducted based on the Doyle approach. Results: The first ASP was implemented from 1989 to 1996 based on the international experiences and contributes to the improvement in the quality of prescription, reduction of 52% in cost and in the incidence of nosocomial infection. The second program restarts in 2008 and decline in 2015, while the third program was guided by the Pan-American Health Organization from 2019. This program, in progress, is more comprehensive than previous ones and introduced as a novel measure the monitoring of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery. The factors related to the sustainability were considered including the availability of antimicrobials, the leader´s support, safety culture, and infrastructure. Conclusions: The history behind thirty years of experiences in antimicrobial stewardship programs has allowed us to identify the gaps that require proactive strategies and actions to achieve sustainability and continuous quality improvement.

CQI: Meeting the Mandate for Quality

1995 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. P111-P111
Author(s):  
Carl A. Patow
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Continuous Quality Improvement ◽  
Educational Objectives ◽  
Continuous Quality

Educational objectives: To understand the principles of continuous quality improvement and to use these principles to enhance patient satisfaction through increased efficiency and improved quality of care.

scholarly journals Evaluating smartphone strategies for reliability, reproducibility, and quality of VIA for cervical cancer screening in the Shiselweni region of Eswatini: A cohort study

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. e1003378
Author(s):  
Ramin Asgary ◽  
Nelly Staderini ◽  
Simangele Mthethwa-Hleta ◽  
Paola Andrea Lopez Saavedra ◽  
Linda Garcia Abrego ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Cervical Cancer Screening ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
The Impact

Background Cervical cancer is among the most common preventable cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA) as cervical cancer screening strategy in resource-poor settings. However, there are barriers to the sustainability of VIA programs including declining providers’ VIA competence without mentorship and quality assurances and challenges of integration into primary healthcare. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of smartphone-based strategies in improving reliability, reproducibility, and quality of VIA in humanitarian settings. Methods and findings We implemented smartphone-based VIA that included standard VIA training, adapted refresher, and 6-month mHealth mentorship, sequentially, in the rural Shiselweni region of Eswatini. A remote expert reviewer provided diagnostic and management feedback on patients’ cervical images, which were reviewed weekly by nurses. Program’s outcomes, VIA image agreement rates, and Kappa statistic were compared before, during, and after training. From September 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018, 4,247 patients underwent screening; 247 were reviewed weekly by a VIA diagnostic expert. Of the 247, 128 (49%) were HIV–positive; mean age was 30.80 years (standard deviation [SD]: 7.74 years). Initial VIA positivity of 16% (436/2,637) after standard training gradually increased to 25.1% (293/1,168), dropped to an average of 9.7% (143/1,469) with a lowest of 7% (20/284) after refresher in 2017 (p = 0.001), increased again to an average of 9.6% (240/2,488) with a highest of 17% (17/100) before the start of mentorship, and dropped to an average of 8.3% (134/1,610) in 2018 with an average of 6.3% (37/591) after the start of mentorship (p = 0.019). Overall, 88% were eligible for and 68% received cryotherapy the same day: 10 cases were clinically suspicious for cancer; however, only 5 of those cases were confirmed using punch biopsy. Agreement rates with the expert reviewer for positive and negative cases were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79.4% to 100%) and 95.7% (95% CI: 92.2% to 97.9%), respectively, with negative predictive value (NPV) (100%), positive predictive value (PPV) (63.5%), and area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics (AUC ROC) (0.978). Kappa statistic was 0.74 (95% CI; 0.58 to 0.89); 0.64 and 0.79 at 3 and 6 months, respectively. In logistic regression, HIV and age were associated with VIA positivity (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 3.53, 95% CI: 1.10 to 11.29; p = 0.033 and aOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.0004 to 1.13; p = 0.048, respectively). We were unable to incorporate a control arm due to logistical constraints in routine humanitarian settings. Conclusions Our findings suggest that smartphone mentorship provided experiential learning to improve nurses’ competencies and VIA reliability and reproducibility, reduced false positive, and introduced peer-to-peer education and quality control services. Local collaboration; extending services to remote populations; decreasing unnecessary burden to screened women, providers, and tertiary centers; and capacity building through low-tech high-yield screening are promising strategies for scale-up of VIA programs.

Behavioral and Psychophysiological Investigations of Irritability

2019 ◽  
pp. 45-70
Author(s):  
Mariah DeSerisy ◽  
Christen M. Deveney
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Frustrative Nonreward ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Improve Quality ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Emotion Identification ◽  
Insight Into

A better understanding of neurocognitive mechanisms underlying irritability has the potential to inform treatments and improve quality of life for the children for whom this symptom is severe and persistent. This chapter examines the existing behavioral and psychophysiological investigations into irritability-related mechanisms in youth. Together, these measures provide insight into the cognitive and socioemotional abilities of youth with irritability. Existing research explores three domains: executive functioning, reward processing, and responses to emotional stimuli. Although deficits have been observed in each domain, the strongest evidence exists for atypical frustrative nonreward responses (i.e., when an expected reward is not received), face emotion identification deficits, and increased attention toward threatening faces. We discuss limitations to the existing literature and propose avenues for future research, including exploring cognitive-emotion interactions, using dimensional measures of irritability, and examining whether deficits are unique to irritability or related to co-occurring symptoms.

Gate Stack Engineering for High Temperature Silicon Carbide CMOS ICs

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (HiTEN) ◽  
pp. 000033-000036 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.H. Weng ◽  
A.D. Murphy ◽  
D.T. Clark ◽  
D.A. Smith ◽  
R.F. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Silicon Carbide ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Gate Stack ◽  
Metal Insulator ◽  
Semiconductor Interfaces

The potential to thermally grow SiO2 on silicon carbide has resulted in it becoming the technology of choice to realise high temperature CMOS circuits. The challenge to achieve a high quality gate stack relies on engineering the metal-insulator-semiconductor interfaces to enable reliable high temperature functionality. Here we describe the effect of different process conditions for the formation of the dielectric layer on the characteristics of the resulting devices. The operating characteristics at elevated temperatures depend critically on the quality of the gate stack. Therefore a systematic evaluation of the intrinsic properties of the gate stack and data from reliability tests are needed.

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