Micro-expressions are brief facial expressions that last for 500 milliseconds or less and show the true emotional state of an individual when he or she is displaying a false emotional state. There ...are currently 2 different methods to train individuals to recognize micro-expressions-picture-based and video-based. Numerous organizations use micro-expression training as part of a deception detection program, but little research has been conducted on training outcomes, and no research has investigated the difference between the methods. In this quantitative study based on Darwin's theory of the universality of emotional expression, a control group experimental design was used to determine if there is a difference in training outcomes, as measured by post-training accuracy rates of overall and emotion-specific micro-expression identification, between the 2 current micro-expression training methods and no training. A total of 196 participants recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk community were randomly assigned to a picture-based training, video-based training, or no training control group. The online training and post-training test were delivered via a computer-based training platform. MANOVA, ANOVA and t-tests were run to determine the differences between the groups. Results indicated that participants in both picture-based and video-based training groups showed a significant increase in their ability to recognize micro-expressions compared to those in the no training group, but did not differ from each other. The study provides an increased understanding of micro-expression training outcomes that may contribute to the training of numerous law enforcement, security, and human resources professionals.
This thesis examines relevant questions and potential limitations/risks that arise when mindfulness, a traditional Buddhist religious practice, is implemented within modern Western society.
It begins ...with an examination of mindfulness practice found within the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Theravada and Zen schools, and moves on to address modern expressions of secular mindfulness practice found in the West. I survey two prevalent cases: mindfulness in the field of psychotherapy and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program as examples. This thesis concludes with a discussion of important questions/drawbacks that arise in the modern, Western setting: namely, questions about fundamental cultural biases, teaching qualifications, the religious-secular line, commodification, and underlying company/institution intentions, to name a few. I argue that as the field of mindfulness continues to grow, these questions must be taken into account in order for open dialogue to ultimately result in positive development within the field.
This thesis examines relevant questions and potential limitations/risks that arise when mindfulness, a traditional Buddhist religious practice, is implemented within modern Western society. It begins ...with an examination of mindfulness practice found within the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Theravada and Zen schools, and moves on to address modern expressions of secular mindfulness practice found in the West. I survey two prevalent cases: mindfulness in the field of psychotherapy and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program as examples. This thesis concludes with a discussion of important questions/drawbacks that arise in the modern, Western setting: namely, questions about fundamental cultural biases, teaching qualifications, the religious-secular line, commodification, and underlying company/institution intentions, to name a few. I argue that as the field of mindfulness continues to grow, these questions must be taken into account in order for open dialogue to ultimately result in positive development within the field.
Abstract
Termites are an important group of terrestrial insects that harbor an abundant gut microbiota, many of which contribute to digestion, termite nutrition and gas (CH4, CO2 and H2) emission. ...With 2200 described species, termites also provide a good model to study relationships between host diet and gut microbial community structure and function. We examined the relationship between diet and gut prokaryotic community profiles in 24 taxonomically and nutritionally diverse species of termites by using nucleic acid probes targeting 16S-like ribosomal RNAs. The relative abundance of domain-specific 16S-like rRNAs recovered from gut extracts varied considerably (ranges: Archaea (0–3%); Bacteria (15–118%)). Although Bacteria were always detectable and the most abundant, differences in domain-level profiles were correlated with termite diet, as evidenced by higher relative abundances of Archaea in guts of soil-feeding termites, compared to those of wood-feeding species in the same family. The oligonucleotide probes also readily distinguished gut communities of wood-feeding taxa in the family Termitidae (higher termites) from those of other wood-feeding termite families (lower termites). The relative abundances of 16S-like archaeal rRNA in guts were positively correlated with rates of methane emission by live termites, and were consistent with previous work linking high relative rates of methanogenesis with the soil (humus)-feeding habit. Probes for methanogenic Archaea detected members of only two families (Methanobacteriaceae and Methanosarcinaceae) in termite guts, and these typically accounted for 60% of the all archaeal probe signal. In four species of termites, Methanosarcinaceae were dominant, a novel observation for animal gut microbial communities, but no clear relationship was apparent between methanogen family profiles and termite diet or taxonomy.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Oxidation of CO over size-selected Ptn clusters (n = 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 18) supported on alumina thin films grown on Re(0001) was studied using temperature-programmed reaction/desorption (TPR/TPD), ...X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS). The activity of the model catalysts was found to vary by a factor of five with deposited Ptn size during the first reaction cycle (TPR) and by a factor of two during subsequent cycles, with Pt2 being the least active and Pt14 the most active. The limiting step in the reaction appears to be the binding of oxygen; however, this does not appear to be an activated process as reaction is equally efficient for 300 K and 180 K oxidation temperatures. Size-dependent shifts in the valence band onset energy correlate strongly with CO oxidation activity, and there is also an apparent correlation with the availability of a particular binding site, as probed by CO TPD. The morphology of the clusters also becomes more three dimensional over the same size range, but with a distinctly different size-dependence. The results suggest that both electronic structure and the availability of particular binding sites control activity.
This work demonstrates the viability of pilus as a new biological substrate through the growth of Al2O3 by atomic layer deposition. In order to best realize the implementation potential of these new ...processing capabilities, materials processing by ALD on 3D biological pili templates were explored. The shape and size can be exactly determined by the biological template in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.. In order to get the pili as a substrate, the bacteria E. Coli were cultured and detached using a blending process. The optimal deposition temperature and cycle times were obtained for Al2O3 on the pili by ALD at 25 cycles, 100°C. TEM and electron diffraction were used to characterize the morphology and structure of the nanofibers after ALD deposition.
The research presented in this dissertation probes the effects of the metal oxide support thickness as well as Pdn cluster size on the catalytic efficiency as monitored by the CO oxidation reaction. ...Before any experiments could be conducted, a reliable Al evaporation source needed to be built and characterized to make a consistent and reliable alumina support for the Pdn clusters. Despite an initial goal of determining how the Pdn cluster size effects the reactivity, it turned out that the effects of the alumina film thickness, substrate dopants in the alumina, and identity of the base refractory metal substrate play a huge role in determining the catalytic reactivity. Before any size-selected experiments could be done, a detailed set of experiments probing the film was necessary to prevent convolution of Pdn cluster size effects with the effects of a varying metal oxide support. In addition to the catalytic activity determined via temperature programed reaction (TPR), both the electronic and geometric structures of the film and Pdn clusters were studied through a combination of photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and ion scattering spectroscopy, respectively. It will be shown through these methods, that for the conditions used here, the catalytic activity is governed by the ability of the Pdn to bind and activate oxygen into a reactive species. An introduction into the importance of catalysis and, more specifically, size selected model catalysis is described in Chapter 1. The instrument and description of the custom made aluminum evaporation source and C type thermocouple are presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 focuses on all of the work for both alumina thickness and Pdn cluster size effects supported on alumina films grown on Ta(110). Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the differing effects of the alumina film thickness and Pdn cluster size for alumina films grown on a Re(0001) single crystal, respectively.
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