34 research outputs found
Erroneous memories arising from repeated attempts to remember
The impact of repeated and prolonged attempts at remembering on false memory rates was assessed in three experiments. Participants saw and imagined pictures and then made repeated recall attempts before taking a source memory test. Although the number of items recalled increased with repeated tests, the net gains were associated with more source errors (i.e., calling imagined items âseenâ). Source errors were particularly marked when earlier memory tasks involved remembering without consideration of the source of the remembered items, and occurred for both semantically related and physically similar items. Source misattributions occurred on both forced and free recall tests, thus were not merely due to guessing or changes in response criteria. Similar results were found when a prolonged recall period was used instead of separate memory tests. Hence, source confusions can increase when people reflect on their memories repeatedly or over prolonged periods of time without carefully considering their source
Memory attributions for choices: How beliefs shape our memories
When remembering past choices, people tend to attribute positive features to chosen options and negative features to rejected options. The present experiments reveal the important role beliefs play in memory reconstruction of choices. In Experiment 1, participants who misremembered which option they chose favored their believed choice in their memory attributions more than their actual choice. In Experiment 2, we manipulated participantsâ beliefs by either âremindingâ participants they chose an option they actually rejected or providing a correct reminder. Participantsâ memory attributions favored the option they believed they chose, both when that belief was correct and when it was erroneous. Furthermore, features attributed in a fashion favoring believed choices were more vividly remembered than features attributed in a non-choice-supportive fashion. Thus, beliefs at the time of retrieval about a choice lead to memory biases about both the valence and the vividness of remembered choice option features
Global patterns in endemicity and vulnerability of soil fungi
Fungi are highly diverse organisms, which provide multiple ecosystem services. However, compared with charismatic animals and plants, the distribution patterns and conservation needs of fungi have been little explored. Here, we examined endemicity patterns, global change vulnerability and conservation priority areas for functional groups of soil fungi based on six global surveys using a high-resolution, long-read metabarcoding approach. We found that the endemicity of all fungi and most functional groups peaks in tropical habitats, including Amazonia, Yucatan, West-Central Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Caledonia, with a negligible island effect compared with plants and animals. We also found that fungi are predominantly vulnerable to drought, heat and land-cover change, particularly in dry tropical regions with high human population density. Fungal conservation areas of highest priority include herbaceous wetlands, tropical forests, and woodlands. We stress that more attention should be focused on the conservation of fungi, especially root symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical regions as well as unicellular early-diverging groups and macrofungi in general. Given the low overlap between the endemicity of fungi and macroorganisms, but high conservation needs in both groups, detailed analyses on distribution and conservation requirements are warranted for other microorganisms and soil organisms
Global patterns in endemicity and vulnerability of soil fungi
Fungi are highly diverse organisms, which provide multiple ecosystem services.
However, compared with charismatic animals and plants, the distribution patterns and
conservation needs of fungi have been little explored. Here, we examined endemicity
patterns, global change vulnerability and conservation priority areas for functional
groups of soil fungi based on six global surveys using a high-resolution, long-read metabarcoding approach. We found that the endemicity of all fungi and most functional
groups peaks in tropical habitats, including Amazonia, Yucatan, West-Central Africa,
Sri Lanka, and New Caledonia, with a negligible island effect compared with plants
and animals. We also found that fungi are predominantly vulnerable to drought, heat
and land-cover change, particularly in dry tropical regions with high human population
density. Fungal conservation areas of highest priority include herbaceous wetlands,
tropical forests, and woodlands. We stress that more attention should be focused on
the conservation of fungi, especially root symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical regions as well as unicellular early-diverging groups and
macrofungi in general. Given the low overlap between the endemicity of fungi and
macroorganisms, but high conservation needs in both groups, detailed analyses on
distribution and conservation requirements are warranted for other microorganisms
and soil organisms
Male Oxidative Stress Infertility (MOSI): Proposed Terminology and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Idiopathic Male Infertility
Despite advances in the field of male reproductive health, idiopathic male infertility, in which a man has altered semen
characteristics without an identifiable cause and there is no female factor infertility, remains a challenging condition to diagnose
and manage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) plays an independent role in the etiology of male
infertility, with 30% to 80% of infertile men having elevated seminal reactive oxygen species levels. OS can negatively affect
fertility via a number of pathways, including interference with capacitation and possible damage to sperm membrane and
DNA, which may impair the spermâs potential to fertilize an egg and develop into a healthy embryo. Adequate evaluation of
male reproductive potential should therefore include an assessment of sperm OS. We propose the term Male Oxidative Stress
Infertility, or MOSI, as a novel descriptor for infertile men with abnormal semen characteristics and OS, including many
patients who were previously classified as having idiopathic male infertility. Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) can be a
useful clinical biomarker for the classification of MOSI, as it takes into account the levels of both oxidants and reductants
(antioxidants). Current treatment protocols for OS, including the use of antioxidants, are not evidence-based and have the
potential for complications and increased healthcare-related expenditures. Utilizing an easy, reproducible, and cost-effective
test to measure ORP may provide a more targeted, reliable approach for administering antioxidant therapy while minimizing
the risk of antioxidant overdose. With the increasing awareness and understanding of MOSI as a distinct male infertility diagnosis,
future research endeavors can facilitate the development of evidence-based treatments that target its underlying cause
Tissue-enhanced plasma proteomic analysis for disease stratification in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Motor Neurone Disease Association (Malaspina/Apr13/817â791). Wellcome
Trust support to a parallel study (Pathfinder Award, grant number 103208)