@article{Fuhrmeister2021, author = {Fuhrmeister, Pamela}, title = {Examining group differences in between-participant variability in non-native speech sound learning}, series = {Attention, perception, \& psychophysics : AP\&P ; a journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc.}, volume = {83}, journal = {Attention, perception, \& psychophysics : AP\&P ; a journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc.}, number = {5}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1943-3921}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-021-02311-3}, pages = {1935 -- 1941}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Many studies on non-native speech sound learning report a large amount of between-participant variability. This variability allows us to ask interesting questions about non-native speech sound learning, such as whether certain training paradigms give rise to more or less between-participant variability. This study presents a reanalysis of Fuhrmeister and Myers (Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, 82(4), 2049-2065, 2020) and tests whether different types of phonetic training lead to group differences in between-participant variability. The original study trained participants on a non-native speech sound contrast in two different phonological (vowel) contexts and tested for differences in means between a group that received blocked training (one vowel context at a time) and interleaved training (vowel contexts were randomized). No statistically significant differences in means were found between the two groups in the original study on a discrimination test (a same-different judgment). However, the current reanalysis tested group differences in between-participant variability and found greater variability in the blocked training group immediately after training because this group had a larger proportion of participants with higher-than-average scores. After a period of offline consolidation, this group difference in variability decreased substantially. This suggests that the type and difficulty of phonetic training (blocked vs. interleaved) may initially give rise to differences in between-participant variability, but offline consolidation may attenuate that variability and have an equalizing effect across participants. This reanalysis supports the view that examining between-participant variability in addition to means when analyzing data can give us a more complete picture of the effects being tested.}, language = {en} } @misc{GalbeteSchwingshacklSchwedhelmetal.2018, author = {Galbete, Cecilia and Schwingshackl, Lukas and Schwedhelm, Carolina and Boeing, Heiner and Schulze, Matthias Bernd}, title = {Evaluating Mediterranean diet and risk of chronic disease in cohort studies}, series = {European journal of epidemiology}, volume = {33}, journal = {European journal of epidemiology}, number = {10}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {0393-2990}, doi = {10.1007/s10654-018-0427-3}, pages = {909 -- 931}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Several meta-analyses have been published summarizing the associations of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) with chronic diseases. We evaluated the quality and credibility of evidence from these meta-analyses as well as characterized the different indices used to define MedDiet and re-calculated the associations with the different indices identified. We conducted an umbrella review of meta-analyses on cohort studies evaluating the association of the MedDiet with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and cognitive-related diseases. We used the AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews) checklist to evaluate the methodological quality of the meta-analyses, and the NutriGrade scoring system to evaluate the credibility of evidence. We also identified different indices used to define MedDiet; tests for subgroup differences were performed to compare the associations with the different indices when at least 2 studies were available for different definitions. Fourteen publications were identified and within them 27 meta-analyses which were based on 70 primary studies. Almost all meta-analyses reported inverse associations between MedDiet and risk of chronic disease, but the credibility of evidence was rated low to moderate. Moreover, substantial heterogeneity was observed on the use of the indices assessing adherence to the MedDiet, but two indices were the most used ones [Trichopoulou MedDiet (tMedDiet) and alternative MedDiet (aMedDiet)]. Overall, we observed little difference in risk associations comparing different MedDiet indices in the subgroup meta-analyses. Future prospective cohort studies are advised to use more homogenous definitions of the MedDiet to improve the comparability across meta-analyses.}, language = {en} } @article{MeliAuclercPalmqvistetal.2013, author = {Meli, Mattia and Auclerc, Apolline and Palmqvist, Annemette and Forbes, Valery E. and Grimm, Volker}, title = {Population-level consequences of spatially heterogeneous exposure to heavy metals in soil an individual-based model of springtails}, series = {Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog}, volume = {250}, journal = {Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog}, number = {1}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0304-3800}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.11.010}, pages = {338 -- 351}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Contamination of soil with toxic heavy metals poses a major threat to the environment and human health. Anthropogenic sources include smelting of ores, municipal wastes, fertilizers, and pesticides. In assessing soil quality and the environmental and ecological risk of contamination with heavy metals, often homogeneous contamination of the soil is assumed. However, soils are very heterogeneous environments. Consequently, both contamination and the response of soil organisms can be assumed to be heterogeneous. This might have consequences for the exposure of soil organisms and for the extrapolation of risk from the individual to the population level. Therefore, to explore how soil contamination of different spatial heterogeneity affects population dynamics of soil invertebrates, we developed a spatially explicit individual-based model of the springtail, Folsomia candida, a standard test species for ecotoxicological risk assessment. In the model, individuals were assumed to sense and avoid contaminated habitat with a certain probability that depends on contamination level. Avoidance of contaminated areas thus influenced the individuals' movement and feeding, their exposure, and in turn all other biological processes underlying population dynamics. Model rules and parameters were based on data from the literature, or were determined via pattern-oriented modelling. The model correctly predicted several patterns that were not used for model design and calibration. Simulation results showed that the ability of the individuals to detect and avoid the toxicant, combined with the presence of clean habitat patches which act as "refuges", made equilibrium population size due to toxic effects less sensitive to increases in toxicant concentration. Additionally, the level of heterogeneity among patches of soil (i.e. the difference in concentration) was important: at the same average concentration, a homogeneously contaminated scenario was the least favourable habitat, while higher levels of heterogeneity corresponded to higher population growth rate and equilibrium size. Our model can thus be used as a tool for extrapolating from short-term effects at the individual level to long-term effects at the population level under more realistic conditions. It can thus be used to develop and extrapolate from standard ecotoxicological tests in the laboratory to ecological risk assessments.}, language = {en} }