The relationship between pulmonary function and suicidal ideation in Korean adults: a nationwide survey

Controversy surrounds the association between lung function and mental health in the general population, and previous reported results were confounded by the effect of other chronic illnesses. This study aimed to investigate whether reduced lung function was related to mental health issues, taking into consideration the relevant potential confounders. We used data from the 2008–2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the relationship between lung function and three mental issues (recognized stress, depressive mood, and suicidal ideation) among 22,068 Korean adults. A multiple logistic regression with adjustment for potential covariates including chronic illnesses revealed that a .5-L decrement of forced vital capacity increased the risk for suicidal ideation in both genders, but there was no significant association with recognized stress or depressive mood. We found an inverse relationship between lung function and suicidal ideation in the Korean general population.     

Laboratory Safety and Nanotechnology Workers: an Analysis of Current Guidelines in the USA

Although some regulatory frameworks for the occupational health and safety of nanotechnology workers have been developed, worker safety and health issues in these laboratory environments have received less attention than many other areas of nanotechnology regulation. In addition, workers in nanotechnology labs are likely to face unknown risks and hazards because few of the guidelines and rules for worker safety are mandatory. In this article, we provide an overview of the current health and safety guidelines for nanotechnology laboratory workers by exploring guidelines from different organizations, including the Department of Energy Nanoscale Science Research Centers (DOE-NSRC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Texas A&M University (TAMU), and University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UML). After discussing these current guidelines, we apply an ethical framework to each set of guidelines to explore any gaps that might exist in them. By conducting this gap analysis, we are able to highlight some of the weaknesses that might be important for future policy development in this area. We conclude by outlining how future guidelines might address some of these gaps, specifically the issue of workers’ participation in the process of establishing safety measures and the development and enforcement of more unified (and mandatory) guidelines.     

Gender and the self-presentation of academic achievement

Two experiments were conducted in which first-year male and female subjects (75% white; 25% minorities) at a highly selective liberal arts college predicted their first-semester grade point averages (GPAs). The first experiment varied whether predictions were given publicly or privately when an incentive for accuracy was either present or absent. Whereas the actual GPAs obtained by women did not differ from those obtained by men, women predicted that they would receive lower GPAs than men predicted, but only in the public condition. Whether incentive was present or absent did not affect predictions. The second experiment varied whether predictions were given publicly or privately as well as the perceived achievement of the experimenter. Once again, women's actual GPAs did not differ from men's. However, women predicted that they would receive lower GPAs than men predicted, but only when their estimates were given publicly to a low-ability experimenter. Although previous research has concluded that gender differences on performance estimates is attributable to a lack of confidence among women, these results suggest that the gender difference may be (at least partly) attributable to self-presentational style. It appears that women in this study adopted a modest self-presentational style that was motivated by attempts to protect the self-esteem of the experimenter.We are especially grateful to Rob Abel, David McGill, and Melinda Varn for their help in data collection.     

Effect of causal structure on category construction

In four experiments, the question of how the causal structure of features affects the creation of new categories was examined. Features of exemplars to be sorted were related in a single causal chain (causal chain), were caused by the same factor (common cause), or caused the same effect (common effect). The results showed that people are more likely to rely on common-cause or common-effect background knowledge than on causal-chain background knowledge in category construction. Such preferences suggest that the common-cause or the common-effect structures are considered more natural conceptual structures.     

Feature centrality: Naming versus imagining

Being white is central to whether we call an animal a "polar bear," but it is fairly peripheral to our concept of what a polar bear is. We propose that a feature is central to category naming in proportion to the feature's category validity--the probability of the feature, given the category. In contrast, a feature is conceptually central in a representation of the object to the extent that the feature is depended on by other features. Further, we propose that naming and conceptual centrality are more likely to disagree for features that hold at more specific levels (such as is white, which holds only for the specific category of polar bear) than for features that hold at intermediate levels of abstraction (such as has claws, which holds for all bears). In support of these hypotheses, we report evidence that increasing the abstractness of category features has a greater effect on judgments of conceptual centrality than on judgments of name centrality and that other category features depend more on intermediate-level category features than on specific ones.     

Comparison of decision learning models using the generalization criterion method

It is a hallmark of a good model to make accurate a priori predictions to new conditions ( Busemeyer & Wang, 2000 ). This study compared 8 decision learning models with respect to their generalizability. Participants performed 2 tasks (the Iowa Gambling Task and the Soochow Gambling Task), and each model made a priori predictions by estimating the parameters for each participant from 1 task and using those same parameters to predict on the other task. Three methods were used to evaluate the models at the individual level of analysis. The first method used a post hoc fit criterion, the second method used a generalization criterion for short-term predictions, and the third method again used a generalization criterion for long-term predictions. The results suggest that the models with the prospect utility function can make generalizable predictions to new conditions, and different learning models are needed for making short-versus long-term predictions on simple gambling tasks.     

A job-seeking competency model for North Korean defectors who are college students in South Korea

The purpose of this study was to develop a job-seeking competency model for North Korean defectors (NKDs) who are college students in South Korea. This study adopted the Delphi method with a panel of 17 experts, comprising of NKDs who secured their jobs successfully and South Korean field experts who have hired NKDs or assisted them with their employment. Through three Delphi rounds, 18 job-seeking competencies were identified with the definition, behavioural indicators, and competency significance. In addition, the preliminary utility of the competency model was examined. Implications of the study results and future directions for enhancing the validity and utility of the competency model are discussed.     

The effects of Web site structure: the role of personal difference.

This study examined the effects of Web site structures in terms of advertising effectiveness- memory, attitude, and behavioral intentions. The primary research question for this study is, What type of Web site (Web ad) structure is most effective? In the pilot study, we tested the difference between two Web site structures, linear and interactive, in terms of traditional advertising effectiveness. Results from the pilot study did not support our research expectations. However, differences in terms of memory were noted between the two structures. After re-creating the Web site based on subjects' comments, in the final experiment, we examined the differences between the two structures and the moderating role of personality difference on the effects of Web site structure. The results confirm that participants' attitude, memory, and behavioral intentions were affected differently by the different Web site structures. However, some research hypotheses were not supported by the current data.