Sensory over-responsivity and social cognition in ASD: Effects of aversive sensory stimuli and attentional modulation on neural responses to social cues.

Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) is a common condition in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that is associated with greater social impairment. However, the mechanisms through which sensory stimuli may affect social functioning are not well understood. This study used fMRI to examine brain activity while interpreting communicative intent in 15 high-functioning youth with ASD and 16 age- and IQ-matched typically-developing (TD) controls. Participants completed the task with and without a tactile sensory distracter, and with and without instructions directing their attention to relevant social cues. When completing the task in the presence of the sensory distracter, TD youth showed increased activity in auditory language and frontal regions whereas ASD youth showed decreased activation in these areas. Instructions mitigated this effect such that ASD youth did not decrease activation during tactile stimulation; instead, the ASD group showed increased medial prefrontal activity. SOR severity modulated the effect of the tactile stimulus on social processing. Results demonstrate for the first time a neural mechanism through which sensory stimuli cause disruption of social cognition, and that attentional modulation can restore neural processing of social cues through prefrontal regulation. Findings have implications for novel, integrative interventions that incorporate attentional directives to target both sensory and social symptoms

Effect of visual cues on the resolution of perceptual ambiguity in Parkinson’s disease and normal aging

Parkinson's disease (PD) and normal aging have been associated with changes in visual perception, including reliance on external cues to guide behavior. This raises the question of the extent to which these groups use visual cues when disambiguating information. Twenty-seven individuals with PD, 23 normal control adults (NC), and 20 younger adults (YA) were presented a Necker cube in which one face was highlighted by thickening the lines defining the face. The hypothesis was that the visual cues would help PD and NC to exert better control over bistable perception. There were three conditions, including passive viewing and two volitional-control conditions (hold one percept in front; and switch: speed up the alternation between the two). In the Hold condition, the cue was either consistent or inconsistent with task instructions. Mean dominance durations (time spent on each percept) under passive viewing were comparable in PD and NC, and shorter in YA. PD and YA increased dominance durations in the Hold cue-consistent condition relative to NC, meaning that appropriate cues helped PD but not NC hold one perceptual interpretation. By contrast, in the Switch condition, NC and YA decreased dominance durations relative to PD, meaning that the use of cues helped NC but not PD in expediting the switch between percepts. Provision of low-level cues has effects on volitional control in PD that are different from in normal aging, and only under task-specific conditions does the use of such cues facilitate the resolution of perceptual ambiguity.Published versio

Estimation of Repeatability and the Most Probable Producing Ability (MPPA) Based on Birth Weight and Weaning Weight for Ranking of Sapudi Sheep

This study was conducted to estimate the repeatability and MPPA values of Sapudi ewe based on birth weight and weaning weight. Samples used 93 Sapudi lambs from 26 ewes that lambed three times, and the observed variables were lambing weight and weaning weight. Collected data were analyzed quantitatively. Estimating repeatability by analyzing the variance of the relationship between sibling and the parental rank was based on the relative MPPA formula..  The results showed that the average lambing and weaning weights were 2.789±0.206 kg and 10.058±1.470 kg. The repeatability of lambing and weaning weight were 0.108±0.119, and 0.565±0.104 belonged to the low and high categories. The average MPPA of lambing and weaning weight were 0.001 and 0.087. MPPA values of lambing and weaning weight range from -0.087 to 0.075 and -1.721 to 2.713. The highest ranking of the Sapudi ewe in lambing and weaning weight is ear tag 103 and ear tag 27 with MPPA 0.075 and 2.713. It can be concluded that there were 11 ewes with MPPA lambing and weaning weight above the average MPPA population that should be maintained in the population. 

A coupled and multi-scale fluid-structure interaction and mass transfer model for biofilm growth simulations

The formation and development of different biofilm structures is known to be influenced by nutrients availability and flow conditions. For this reason an approach which takes in account the effect of local structure deformation and fluid flow on mass transfer is essential for the understanding of biofilm macro-scale dynamic. The objective of the present work is therefore to study the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and the substrate transport and reaction of big growing biofilm aggregates, for which continuum models can be applied. For this purpose we propose a novel growth model for the simulation of biofilm structures development. It is based on a finite element approach, developed in our in-house research code, for the numerical simulation of a sequential one-way coupling of the FSI and the scalar transport models [1]. The biofilm growth is coupled to the other processes through a multi-scale approach and takes in account the effects of mass transfer and shear stresses. First numerical examples are run at the purpose to demonstrate the suitability of the growth model to catch the main features of growing biofilm structures. This type of approach can give an important contribution to the understanding of biofilm architectures living in a complex environment. It allows to study the development of complex and reallife biofilm structure shapes often seen in nature and industry, to understand the influence of operating conditions, and therefore can enable the control of biofilm behaviour

An Investigation of the Relationships Among Self-Construal, Emotional Intelligence, and Well-Being

This study aims to further investigate the convergent validity of the recently-proposed metapersonal model and measure of self-construal, and to emphasize the discriminant validity of the metapersonal self-construal as a distinct construct, capturing a unique aspect of self-construal separate from either interdependent or independent aspects. The study looked at two questions: (1) Does the metapersonal self-construal predict higher emotional intelligence? (2) Do those who have higher metapersonal self-construal scores also report greater well-being? A group of 212 undergraduate students was assessed using a self-construal scale that includes the new measure of metapersonal self-construal, along with scales measuring emotional intelligence and well-being. The metapersonal self-construal predicted higher emotional intelligence scores and greater well-being than either the independent or interdependent self-construals

Indagine su Henosepilachna elaterii (Rossi) (=Epilachna chrysomelina (F.)) e Raphidopalpa foveicollis (Lucas) in meloneti biologici della Sicilia occidentale.

Investigations on Henosepilachna elaterii (Rossi) and Raphidopalpa foveicollis (Lucas) in an organic cultivation of winter melon in western Sicily. A study on H. elaterii and R. Foveicollis, serious pests of winter melon, was conducted in two organic melon fields of the western Sicily. Dynamics of population and infestation levels were investigated. In addition, the possible influence of mulching on R. Foveicollis infestation has been taken into account. Our results showed that H. elaterii occurred only in one field from the beginning of June and it infested 60% of the plants in the mid-July, then the pest population density dropped to about 10%. R. foveicollis occurred in both locations from the beginning of June and reached high levels of population density around the mid-June; then the pest density rapidly decreased in the two following weeks. Adults were found in the traps and the peak catches occurred in mid-June. A greater number of catches was found in the traps placed between the rows and the greater number of individuals has been detected on plants of the not mulched plots. The percentage of plants with damaged leaves ranged from 68.7% to 100% on mulched plots and 93.3% to 100% on not mulched plots. In conclusion, the damages inflicted by R. foveicollis are counterbalanced by the rapid growing rate of the plant occurring during June. Hence, this pest may cause serious injuries only in case of heavy infestation on winter melon seedlings. Similarly, the damage caused by H. elaterii is usually not heavy even if presence of high levels of infestation

Lepton flavor changing higgs boson decays in a two higgs doublet model with a fourth generation of fermions

We analyze the flavor changing decay h → μt in the framework of a two Higgs doublet model with a fourth generation of fermions (4G2HDM) which couples only to the heavy scalar doublet. We find that the respective branching ratio at one-loop level can reach values as high as 10-4-10-6 for masses of 300 GeV-1 TeV for the heavy leptons in the fourth family and the new heavy Higgs bosons. These radiative corrections are of the same order of magnitude as the tree level prediction of the 4G2HDM

Lepton flavor changing higgs boson decays in some extensions of the Standard Model

We present our results for the one-loop contributions to the Higgs boson flavor-changing decays h → μτ in two extensions of the Standard Model: the Little Higgs Model with T-parity and the Two Higgs Doublet Model with a fourth generation of fermions. In both cases we find that the respective branching ratio BR(h → μτ) is of order 10−4 – 10−6. In the case of the 4G2HDM, the one-loop radiative correction is of the same order of magnitude as the tree level branching ratio. We find that in both models the branching ratios for the decay modes h → eτ, eμ are even more suppressed

Intersectionality in Psychology: Translational Science for Social Justice

Intersectionality is an analytic tool for studying and challenging complex social inequalities at the nexus of multiple systems of oppression and privilege, including race, gender, sexuality, social class, nation, age, religion, and ability. Although the term has become widely used in psychology, debates continue and confusion persists about what intersectionality actually is and how best to take an intersectional approach to psychological science. This special issue of Translational Issues in Psychological Science on intersectionality includes a range of methodological tools and theoretical perspectives that advance psychological research on intersectionality. In particular, these projects constitute psychological research that takes intersectionality’s political aspirations seriously and envisions psychology as a tool for social justice. The articles model responsible use of intersectionality through citation practices that reflect intersectionality’s origins in Black feminist thought and women of color scholar-activism, as well as through analyses that reflect intersectionality’s commitment to reflexivity, structural critique, and complexity. In this introduction, the editors reflect on intersectionality’s challenge to psychology and consider the place of translational science amid global crises and what critical psychologist Michelle Fine calls “revolting times.