Is perception cognitively penetrable? A philosophically satisfying and empirically testable reframing

The question of whether perception can be penetrated by cognition is in the limelight again. The reason this question keeps coming up is that there is so much at stake: Is it possible to have theory-neutral observation? Is it possible to study perception without recourse to expectations, context, and beliefs? What are the boundaries between perception, memory, and inference (and do they even exist)? Are findings from neuroscience that paint a picture of perception as an inherently bidirectional and interactive process relevant for understanding the relationship between cognition and perception? We have assembled a group of philosophers and psychologists who have been considering the thesis of cognitive (im)penetrability in light of these questions (Abdel Rahman & Sommer, 2008; Goldstone, Landy, & Brunel, 2011; Lupyan, Thompson-Schill, & Swingley, 2010; Macpherson, 2012; Stokes, 2011). Rather than rehashing previous arguments which appear, in retrospect, to have been somewhat ill-posed (Pylyshyn, 1999), this symposium will present a thesis of cognitive (im)penetrability that is at once philosophically satisfying, empirically testable, and relevant to the questions that cognitive scientists find most interesting

The relationship between insight and violence in psychosis:A systematic literature review

Poor insight is a risk factor for violence within established risk-assessment tools, yet its relationship to violence in people experiencing psychosis is unclear. To clarify this issue, we sought to systematically review studies investigating the relationship between poor insight and violence in psychosis. A systematic search of studies published between 1980 and 2019 was carried out using Pubmed, Embase, Medline, PsychInfo and CINAHL databases. From combined search results of 5701 articles, 18 observational studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for full-text review and quality grading. Eight demonstrated a positive relationship between poor insight and violence whilst 10 failed to find this relationship. Significant methodological limitations were found across studies. Those measuring the clinical insight dimension specifically and reliably were most able to demonstrate a positive relationship between poor insight and violence. Choice of the measurement tool and co-variates such as psychopathy were found to influence this relationship. We, therefore, found partial evidence in support of a relationship between poor insight and violence in psychosis. In order to gain an enhanced understanding of this relationship, better quality research accounting for relevant co-variates and using appropriate measurement tools which target the ‘clinical’ insight dimension is required

Predicting escalation in sex offence recidivism : use of the SVR-20 and PCL : SV to predict outcome with non-contact recidivists and contact recidivists

There is considerable responsibility on the clinician to identify sex offenders who may potentially commit more serious sexually violent behaviour and an increased demand for evidence based risk assessments (Macpherson, 1997; Thomas-Peter and Warren, 1998). Offenders who commit non-contact sexual crimes are traditionally classified as harmless despite the significant minority who escalate in offence severity towards more violent sexual offending. Forty convicted male sex offenders were classified as non-contact or contact sexual recidivists. Non-contact recidivists had a history of non-contact sexual offending on two or more occasions. Contact recidivists had a history of noncontact offending and had recidivated with a contact sexual offence. Groups were compared on the Sexual Violence Risk-20 (SVR-20: Boer et al. 1997) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV: Hart et al. 1995). Psychosexual variables, criminal history and clinical risk factors were also coded using a multi-variable assessment model. A retrospective-prospective comparison successfully used by Quinsey et al. (1995) was performed between non-contact and contact recidivist groups. Factors that discriminated between non-contact recidivists and contact recidivists were primarily historical in nature, reflecting fixed or relatively stable characteristics. Significant differences between non-contact recidivists and contact recidivists were observed on total PCL: SV scores and psychosocial factors of the SVR-20 including sexual deviation, a history of childhood victimisation and past nonviolent offences. Contact recidivists were significantly younger than non-contact recidivists at first non-sexual offence and were significantly more likely to have a history of homosexual offending. A high level of interrater reliability on the SVR-20 and PCL: SV was observed. Suggested revisions to several iten1s of the SVR-20 and methodological considerations are reported. The research demonstrates that a progressive pattern of sexual offending from noncontact sexual offending to contact sexual offending is reliably associated with a combination of risk factors. The study offers the potential for early detection of a more serious escalation in sexual offending to allow for the possibility of supervision and clinical risk management

Aluminum-26 in calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions and chondrules from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

In order to investigate the distribution of ^(26)A1 in chondrites, we measured aluminum-magnesium systematics in four calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) and eleven aluminum-rich chondrules from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs). All four CAIs were found to contain radiogenic ^(26)Mg (^(26)Mg^*) from the decay of ^(26)A1. The inferred initial ^(26)Al/^(27)Al ratios for these objects ((^(26)Al/^(27)Al)_0 ≅ 5 × 10^(−5)) are indistinguishable from the (^(26)Al/^(27)Al)_0 ratios found in most CAIs from carbonaceous chondrites. These observations, together with the similarities in mineralogy and oxygen isotopic compositions of the two sets of CAIs, imply that CAIs in UOCs and carbonaceous chondrites formed by similar processes from similar (or the same) isotopic reservoirs, or perhaps in a single location in the solar system. We also found ^(26)Mg^* in two of eleven aluminum-rich chondrules. The (^(26)Al/^(27)Al)_0 ratio inferred for both of these chondrules is ∼1 × 10^(−5), clearly distinct from most CAIs but consistent with the values found in chondrules from type 3.0–3.1 UOCs and for aluminum-rich chondrules from lightly metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites (∼0.5 × 10^(−5) to ∼2 × 10^(−5)). The consistency of the (^(26)Al/^(27)Al)_0 ratios for CAIs and chondrules in primitive chondrites, independent of meteorite class, implies broad-scale nebular homogeneity with respect to ^(26)Al and indicates that the differences in initial ratios can be interpreted in terms of formation time. A timeline based on ^(26)Al indicates that chondrules began to form 1 to 2 Ma after most CAIs formed, that accretion of meteorite parent bodies was essentially complete by 4 Ma after CAIs, and that metamorphism was essentially over in type 4 chondrite parent bodies by 5 to 6 Ma after CAIs formed. Type 6 chondrites apparently did not cool until more than 7 Ma after CAIs formed. This timeline is consistent with ^(26)Al as a principal heat source for melting and metamorphism

Microglia depletion rapidly and reversibly alters amyloid pathology by modification of plaque compaction and morphologies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prominent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ)-containing extracellular plaques, accompanied by a microglial-mediated inflammatory response, that leads to cognitive decline. Microglia perform many disease-modifying functions such as phagocytosis of plaques, plaque compaction, and modulation of inflammation through the secretion of cytokines. Microglia are reliant upon colony-stimulating factor receptor-1 (CSF1R) activation for survival. In AD mouse models, chronic targeted depletion of microglia via CSF1R antagonism attenuates plaque formation in early disease but fails to alter plaque burden in late disease. It is unclear if acute depletion of microglia during the peak period of plaque deposition will alter disease pathogenesis, and if so, whether these effects are reversible upon microglial repopulation. To test this, we administered the CSF1R antagonist PLX5622 to the 5XFAD mouse model of AD at four months of age for approximately one month. In a subset of mice, the drug treatment was discontinued, and the mice were fed a control diet for an additional month. We evaluated plaque burden and composition, microgliosis, inflammatory marker expression, and neuritic dystrophy. In 5XFAD animals, CSF1R blockade for 28 days depleted microglia across brain regions by over 50%, suppressed microgliosis, and reduced plaque burden. In microglial-depleted AD animals, neuritic dystrophy was enhanced, and increased diffuse-like plaques and fewer compact-like plaques were observed. Removal of PLX5622 elicited microglial repopulation and subsequent plaque remodeling, resulting in more compact plaques predominating microglia-repopulated regions. We found that microglia limit diffuse plaques by maintaining compact-like plaque properties, thereby blocking the progression of neuritic dystrophy. Microglial repopulation reverses these effects. Collectively, we show that microglia are neuroprotective through maintenance of plaque compaction and morphologies during peak disease progression

Benchmarking global biodiversity of decapod crustaceans (Crustacea: Decapoda)

A new assessment of the global biodiversity of decapod Crustacea (to 31 December 2022) records 17,229 species in 2,550 genera and 203 families. These figures are derived from a well-curated dataset maintained on the online platform DecaNet, a subsidiary of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Distinct phases are recognised in the discovery process (as measured by species descriptions) corresponding to major historical and geopolitical time periods, with the current rate of species descriptions being more than three times higher than in the Victorian age of global exploration. Future trends are briefly explored, and it is recognised that a large number of species remain to be discovered and described

Transfusion Volume for Children with Severe Anemia in Africa

BACKGROUND Severe anemia (hemoglobin level, <6 g per deciliter) is a leading cause of hospital admission and death in children in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization recommends transfusion of 20 ml of whole-blood equivalent per kilogram of body weight for anemia, regardless of hemoglobin level. METHODS In this factorial, open-label trial, we randomly assigned Ugandan and Malawian children 2 months to 12 years of age with a hemoglobin level of less than 6 g per deciliter and severity features (e.g., respiratory distress or reduced consciousness) to receive immediate blood transfusion with 20 ml per kilogram or 30 ml per kilogram. Three other randomized analyses investigated immediate as compared with no immediate transfusion, the administration of postdischarge micronutrients, and postdischarge prophylaxis with trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. RESULTS A total of 3196 eligible children (median age, 37 months; 2050 [64.1%] with malaria) were assigned to receive a transfusion of 30 ml per kilogram (1598 children) or 20 ml per kilogram (1598 children) and were followed for 180 days. A total of 1592 children (99.6%) in the higher-volume group and 1596 (99.9%) in the lower-volume group started transfusion (median, 1.2 hours after randomization). The mean (±SD) volume of total blood transfused per child was 475±385 ml and 353±348 ml, respectively; 197 children (12.3%) and 300 children (18.8%) in the respective groups received additional transfusions. Overall, 55 children (3.4%) in the higher-volume group and 72 (4.5%) in the lower-volume group died before 28 days (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 1.08; P=0.12 by log-rank test). This finding masked significant heterogeneity in 28-day mortality according to the presence or absence of fever (>37.5°C) at screening (P=0.001 after Sidak correction). Among the 1943 children (60.8%) without fever, mortality was lower with a transfusion volume of 30 ml per kilogram than with a volume of 20 ml per kilogram (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.69). Among the 1253 children (39.2%) with fever, mortality was higher with 30 ml per kilogram than with 20 ml per kilogram (hazard ratio, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.49). There was no evidence of differences between the randomized groups in readmissions, serious adverse events, or hemoglobin recovery at 180 days. CONCLUSIONS Overall mortality did not differ between the two transfusion strategies. (Funded by the Medical Research Council and Department for International Development, United Kingdom; TRACT Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN84086586.