Risk communication in clinical trials: a cognitive experiment and a survey.

BACKGROUND: A Royal Statistical Society Working Party recently recommended that "Greater use should be made of numerical, as opposed to verbal, descriptions of risk" in first-in-man clinical trials. This echoed the view of many clinicians and psychologists about risk communication. As the clinical trial industry expands rapidly across the globe, it is important to understand risk communication in Asian countries. METHODS: We conducted a cognitive experiment about participation in a hypothetical clinical trial of a pain relief medication and a survey in cancer and arthritis patients in Singapore. In part 1 of the experiment, the patients received information about the risk of side effects in one of three formats (frequency, percentage and verbal descriptor) and in one of two sequences (from least to most severe and from most to least severe), and were asked about their willingness to participate. In part 2, the patients received information about the risk in all three formats, in the same sequence, and were again asked about their willingness to participate. A survey of preference for risk presentation methods and usage of verbal descriptors immediately followed. RESULTS: Willingness to participate and the likelihood of changing one's decision were not affected by the risk presentation methods. Most patients indicated a preference for the frequency format, but patients with primary school or no formal education were indifferent. While the patients used the verbal descriptors "very common", "common" and "very rare" in ways similar to the European Commission's Guidelines, their usage of the descriptors "uncommon" and "rare" was substantially different from the EU's. CONCLUSION: In this sample of Asian cancer and arthritis patients, risk presentation format had no impact on willingness to participate in a clinical trial. However, there is a clear preference for the frequency format. The lay use of verbal descriptors was substantially different from the EU's.

Making it in the Modern Job Market: A Study of Communication among the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Population

Gemstone Team AUDIO (Assessing and Understanding Deaf Individuals' Occupations)

Imaging Learned Song Representations in Populations of Sensorimotor Neurons Essential to Vocal Communication

Perceiving or producing complex vocalizations such as speech and birdsongs require the coordinated activity of neuronal populations, and these activity patterns can vary over space and time. How learned communication signals are represented by populations of sensorimotor neurons essential to vocal perception and production remains poorly understood. Using a combination of two-photon calcium imaging, intracellular electrophysiological recording and retrograde tracing methods in anesthetized adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), I addressed how the bird's own song and its component syllables are represented by the spatiotemporal patterns of activity of two spatially intermingled populations of projection neurons (PNs) in HVC, a sensorimotor area required for song perception and production. These experiments revealed that neighboring PNs can respond at markedly different times to song playback and that different syllables activate spatially intermingled HVC PNs within a small region. Moreover, noise correlation analysis reveals enhanced functional connectivity between PNs that respond most strongly to the same syllable and also provides evidence of a spatial gradient of functional connectivity specific to PNs that project to song motor nucleus (i.e. HVC_RA cells). These findings support a model in which syllabic and temporal features of song are represented by spatially intermingled PNs functionally organized into cell- and syllable-type networks.

A location-based communication platform: integrating file sharing with interpersonal contact

Gemstone Team FLIP (File Lending in Proximity)

Considering the role of social dynamics and positional behavior in gestural communication research.

While the hominin fossil record cannot inform us on either the presence or extent of social and cognitive abilities that may have paved the way for the emergence of language, studying non-vocal communication among our closest living relatives, the African apes, may provide valuable information about how language originated. Although much has been learned from gestural signaling in non-human primates, we have not yet established how and why gestural repertoires vary across species, what factors influence this variation, and how knowledge of these differences can contribute to an understanding of gestural signaling's contribution to language evolution. In this paper, we review arguments surrounding the theory that language evolved from gestural signaling and suggest some important factors to consider when conducting comparative studies of gestural communication among African apes. Specifically, we propose that social dynamics and positional behavior are critical components that shape the frequency and nature of gestural signaling across species and we argue that an understanding of these factors could shed light on how gestural communication may have been the basis of human language. We outline predictions for the influence of these factors on the frequencies and types of gestures used across the African apes and highlight the importance of including these factors in future gestural communication research with primates.

Patient-provider communication, self-reported medication adherence, and race in a postmyocardial infarction population.

OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to: 1) describe patient-reported communication with their provider and explore differences in perceptions of racially diverse adherent versus nonadherent patients; and 2) examine whether the association between unanswered questions and patient-reported medication nonadherence varied as a function of patients' race. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline in-person survey data from a trial designed to improve postmyocardial infarction management of cardiovascular disease risk factors. RESULTS: Overall, 298 patients (74%) reported never leaving their doctor's office with unanswered questions. Among those who were adherent and nonadherent with their medications, 183 (79%) and 115 (67%) patients, respectively, never left their doctor's office with unanswered questions. In multivariable logistic regression, although the simple effects of the interaction term were different for patients of nonminority race (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-3.92) and those of minority race (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.54-2.66), the overall interaction effect was not statistically significant (P=0.24). CONCLUSION: The quality of patient-provider communication is critical for cardiovascular disease medication adherence. In this study, however, having unanswered questions did not impact medication adherence differently as a function of patients' race. Nevertheless, there were racial differences in medication adherence that may need to be addressed to ensure optimal adherence and health outcomes. Effort should be made to provide training opportunities for both patients and their providers to ensure strong communication skills and to address potential differences in medication adherence in patients of diverse backgrounds.

Long-distance quantum communication just around the corner?

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Symmetrical freedom quilts: the ethnomathematics of ways of communication, liberation, and art

Symmetrical Freedom Quilts may be considered as links between mathematics, history, ethnomathematics, and the art of quilting. A quilt theme is a pedagogical way to integrate mathematics, art, and history in an interdisciplinary approach. This article combines an ethnomathematical-historical perspective by elaborating a history project related to the Underground Railroad. This work will allow teachers to develop classroom projects that help students to better understand geometry, especially concepts of symmetry and transformations. One of the objectives of this project is to stimulate student’s creativity and interest, because quilts may be considered as cultural and mathematical expressions of student’s daily life.

Multilevel mesh partitioning for heterogeneous communication networks

Multilevel algorithms are a successful class of optimisation techniques which address the mesh partitioning problem for distributing unstructured meshes onto parallel computers. They usually combine a graph contraction algorithm together with a local optimisation method which refines the partition at each graph level. To date these algorithms have been used almost exclusively to minimise the cut edge weight in the graph with the aim of minimising the parallel communication overhead, but recently there has been a perceived need to take into account the communications network of the parallel machine. For example the increasing use of SMP clusters (systems of multiprocessor compute nodes with very fast intra-node communications but relatively slow inter-node networks) suggest the use of hierarchical network models. Indeed this requirement is exacerbated in the early experiments with meta-computers (multiple supercomputers combined together, in extreme cases over inter-continental networks). In this paper therefore, we modify a multilevel algorithm in order to minimise a cost function based on a model of the communications network. Several network models and variants of the algorithm are tested and we establish that it is possible to successfully guide the optimisation to reflect the chosen architecture.

Does the medium dictate the message? Cultivating communication in an asynchronous environment

Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are often perceived by education establishments as an opportunity to widen access without traditional overheads. An integral part of most VLEs is asynchronous computer conferencing and on-line moderators must help students migrate quickly to the new virtual environment to minimize learning disruption. This paper focuses on 21 new on-line moderators and reports their changing perceptions re their role and concerns, from their first appointment through to the end of the delivery of their first on-line course. The findings suggest that it is only after socialization occurs that information can be exchanged and lead to knowledge construction. These are supported by, and extend, prior research by Z Berge, R Mason, M Paulsen and G Salmon and are reinforced by empirical work with a further 19 new on-line moderators.

Requirements and design of an integrated European environmental information communication system, (IEEICS)

The needs for various forms of information systems relating to the European environment and ecosystem are reviewed, and limitations indicated. Existing information systems are reviewed and compared in terms of aims and functionalities. We consider TWO technical challenges involved in attempting to develop an IEEICS. First, there is the challenge of developing an Internet-based communication system which allows fluent access to information stored in a range of distributed databases. Some of the currently available solutions are considered, i.e. Web service federations. The second main challenge arises from the fact that there is general intra-national heterogeneity in the definitions adopted, and the measurement systems used throughout the nations of Europe. Integrated strategies are needed.