Best Selling Books by Joshua Charles

Learning the theory of evolution by natural selection has proven to be difficult for students and adults alike. This may be due, in part, to the finding that adults reject the existence of within-species variation. Within-species variation is a requirement if evolution is to occur. Individuals who reject within-species variation often times misconstrue the process of evolutionary change as not the survival of some members of the species at the expense of others, but rather as the gradual change of all members of the species simultaneously. In this manner, rejection of within-species variation leads to misconstruals and misunderstandings of the theory of evolution by natural selection. One proposal for this tendency to reject within-species variation is psychological essentialism, which proposes that individuals construe species as possessing an underlying essence, shared by all species members, determining the observable properties of that species. Here we propose an alternative explanation, which we term the causal complexity hypothesis. We posit that biases for single-cause explanations lead participants to reject within-species variation. We argue that these simpler causal structures make within-species variation probabilistically less likely. In Studies 1 and 2 we find evidence that not only are preferences for single-cause explanations correlated with decreased estimates of within-species variability, but that manipulating number of causes has a causal effect on variability judgments. In Study 3, we find that evolution comprehension also predicts performance on category identity tasks, and find some support for the proposal that this is also related to within-species variability and causal complexity. Overall, we find that our causal complexity hypothesis can account for individual differences in variability judgments, and may offer a target for interventions in the domain of evolution comprehension. However, whether a preference for single-cause explanations influences reasoning within intuitive biology beyond judgments of within-species variation remains an open question and direction for future studies.

Negative health indices, specifically obesity, are not confined to the United States (US). In New Zealand (NZ) many young persons are affected (Center for Disease Control, 2010; NZ Ministry of Health, 2012). Physical education (PE) seeks to address obesity and other health issues (Pate, O’Neil, & McIver, 2011). By researching student attitudes toward PE, the efficacy of learning outcomes for students can be improved (Cothran & Ennis, 1999). This mixed methods study involved 125 students from one high school in the US and one in NZ. Results showed that the curricula of each school were greatly varied, while student attitudes were positive toward each programming. Students cared about PE in both countries, largely because of how assessment was tied to the subject. However qualitative data showed that attitudes varied between populations for diverse reasons. Further research in the area of student attitudes toward PE, especially concerning assessment, is recommended.

Consumer acceptance of buying goods and services online via the Internet is growing, although e-ecommerce has been mostly a mirror of traditional methods of pricing transactions -- fixed price or auctions. The proliferation of personal mobile devices with pervasive Internet access and localization capability means a richer set of pricing parameters can be used. Allowing buyers and sellers to more explicitly price requests and filter offers, including information about time and place, allows for better transaction results for both parties. This paper examines the impacts of including the time and place of performance of a service as part of the price. A system for implementation is proposed, a simulation of the system is evaluated, and the results presented.

(Cont.) The pulse timing, shape, phase, and spectral content within all beams may be specified, yielding an unprecedented level of control over the interacting fields in nonlinear spectroscopic experiments. Heterodyne detection and phase cycling of the nonlinear signal is easily implemented due to the excellent phase stability between each output beam. This approach combines the waveform generation capabilities of magnetic resonance spectroscopy with the wavevector specification and phase-matching of nonlinear optical spectroscopy, yielding the signal selectivity and control capabilities of both. Results on three prototype systems will be used to illustrate the exciting possibilities with this method.

This thesis utilizes interviews completed on twenty homosexual, cisgender men who are in emerging adulthood to gain a better understanding of the ways in which family support functions, and can change at this lifestage. Unlike much of the previous research, this qualitative study argues that family support is not a question of simple acceptance or rejection, but is instead a complex combination of multiple forms of support, that can be lost or sustained for a multitude of reasons. Emerging adulthood is applied to show the benefits of family support during this life-stage, as well as to show the complexity of family support. This article identifies four main forms of family support: financial support, emotional support, romantic support, and social relationship support. Through analysis, this study shows that these forms of support can function independent of one another, and need to be studied in such a manner. Another aim is to show the need for taking the entire coming out process into analysis, and not to treat it as a single disclosure event. Examples are provided on how different steps of the coming out process affect different forms of support from these individual''s families. Many studies exist that show the effects that a lack of family support has for these individuals, but this work provides an understanding to the complex ways in which family support can be lost.

Literature on the subject of adolescent development in high-risk, low-income neighborhoods has detailed negative consequences for mental health outcomes. These neighborhoods not only affect adolescents, but can increase stress and strain on families. Urban, African American families who reside in high-risk, low-income neighborhoods are not immune from the potential hazards of economic stress, strained familial relationships, social disorganization, and other negative consequences which impact optimal family functioning. Utilizing HLM techniques, this study examined the relationship between dimensions of the family environment and adolescent feelings of hopelessness. In general, a more supportive family environment resulted in lower scores of adolescent hopelessness. However, higher conflict in families also resulted in lower scores of adolescent hopelessness, indicating a need to further explore the nature of conflict in families who reside in high-risk neighborhoods. Directions for future research and implications for social work practice are outlined.

Premature yeast flocculation (PYF) has proven to be troublesome for the malting and brewing industries. It causes production difficulties and quality issues characterized by poor attenuation and low yeast cell counts post-fermentation. These issues result in variability in fermentation and flavor profiles. For this reason it is critical for brewers to assess their malts for PYF potential. To test for PYF potential in malt, the industries rely on a variety of fermentation assays to indicate if a sample has PYF potential. This study used a modified miniature fermentation assay to determine if malt displays PYF potential and its associated threshold. In addition to traditional wort preparation methods, a wash technique was used to extract the PYF factor for use with synthetic wort. This modification to the assay eliminated the need for a controlled mashing device and reduced the amount of fine adjustments of the wort pre-fermentation to reach target start values. Control malt known to display no PYF attributes and PYF inducing malts were used in the study. To further our understanding of the PYF factor the "PYF Solution" extracted using the wash technique was subjected to various conditions pre-fermentation. The PYF Solution was mixed with the synthetic wort with varying ratios from 0-100% of the PYF solution (mixed with distilled water) to find the threshold at which PYF characteristics was displayed. The wort was treated with a combination of pre-fermentation boiling (60, 90, 120 minutes), chilling at 5°C and Freezing at - 30°C to further our understanding of the how these conditions affect the PYF factor. The trials were conducted using a 15 mL fermentation with a consistent temperature and pitch rate (21°C, 1.5 × 107 cells/mL). The change in absorbance and Plato was monitored throughout the fermentations. The control malt had no significant (Pu003e0.05) difference in absorbance and Plato measurements from PYF inducing malt when the synthetic wort had 70% PYF solution. Synthetic wort containing 70% PYF solution had significant (P0.05) differences from the control malt for both absorbance and Plato measurements. Boiling treatments alone did not produce significant (P0.05) differences in the trials. Boiling followed by chilling yielded the same results and did not have significant changes (Pu003e0.05) in fermentation characteristics. While most of the prefermentation treatments did not create differences in fermentation characteristics, boiling wort for u003e60 minutes and freezing before fermentation caused the u003e70% PYF solution to display the same fermentation characteristics as the control (Pu003e0.05). These findings show that the PYF inducing factor may be susceptible to further processing. This thesis established two further findings. First, that the factor causing PYF must meet a threshold before it affects fermentation characteristics. Second, mashing the PYF-inducing grain may not be absolutely crucial for testing PYF potential of malt.

Where do I even begin to discuss my process? As with all things artistic, it comes from experiences deep within, that manifest themselves over time. So, Exertion was several years, if not a lifetime, in the making. I had always been an anxious child all my life, but my experiences with mental illness didn''t truly begin until my freshman year of high school. From then on, it was a constant mixture of depression, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts, and how to navigate through adolescence with these in mind. They have become severe a couple of times, but fortunately I was able to receive professional help, and still continue to receive professional help as I navigate this journey. Depression is something that is so hard to put into words, and the imposter syndrome associated with it is incredibly frustrating. As I talk about it, sometimes I feel like I''m lying to people, or faking it, and that I don''t deserve the help and lenience I receive. It''s terrible. I wanted to show people what it is like.

Under selective pressure, FHIT-deficient clones enabled by oncogenic mutations emerge with newly acquired precancerous phenotypes, suggesting that FHIT loss-induced genome instability facilitates tumorigenesis. Collectively, these findings support a model where loss of FHIT expression initiates genomic instability in dysplastic lesions, linking alterations at chromosome fragile sites to the origin of genome instability and cancer progression.

The 2008 measurement of the electron magnetic moment is the most precisely measured property of an elementary particle, with an astonishing precision of 0.28 parts per trillion. It makes possible the most precise determination of the fine structure constant and the most precise test of quantum electrodynamics and the Standard Model of particle physics. This thesis describes the installation of a new apparatus designed to have improved stability, more optimal control over the radiation field and inhibited spontaneous emission, and narrower resonance lines.

Biological systems have complicated environmental conditions that can vary both spatially and temporally. This study presents a microfluidic platform that can generate concentration waveforms to further understand complex systems. A constant flow system using pulse width modulation (PWM) on a flow selection valve creates pulses of high concentration analyte which are passed through a first order low pass filter to remove undesired high frequency noise. The system is analogous to an electrical PWM digital to analog converter (DAC) where a digital signal is passed through a low pass filter to create the desired analog waveform by removing the high frequency components introduced by the higher frequency PWM. A glass to glass fabrication technique using an ultraviolet (UV) laser to cut channels was utilized to create different microfluidic modules consisting of filters, junctions, and mixers. The system is characterized by comparing numerous filters and mixers in terms of their transient and frequency responses. Finally, an application to melt a 26 base pair DNA into its individual single stranded sequences by modulating an ionic concentration waveform is introduced.

This study presents research, data and insights concerning an educational program on death, dying and bereavement for Jewish adolescents. this extensive investigation serves to:

(Cont.) By planning for a market that is "most fitting" in response to a range of local contexts, market advocates can make the improbable possible by adopting an opportunistic real estate strategy and attracting support and resources from both the public and private sectors. Given the long timeline market projects may face, sustained commitment and diligent activity are essential to successful market development.