Mapping the Structure of Metaphorical Concepts of Undergraduate Research Mentoring

Many scientists describe themselves metaphorically as a “gardener” or “sculptor” of the undergraduate students in their lab and the students’ own research ideas. Across two preregistered studies (N = 1200), we applied existing methods for mapping the entailments of metaphorical concepts to provide insight into lay conceptions of undergraduate research mentoring. Participants were presented with one of several mentoring metaphors and rated how closely a series of mentor attributes fit the metaphor. Iterated exploratory factor analysis revealed a small set of dimensions along which the metaphors differed systematically, reflecting the mentor’s role as a nurturer, authority figure, communicator, and collaborator. The metaphors were also associated with different intuitions about mentors’ responsibility for and power to influence student learning in the lab. Our findings show that mentoring metaphors capture distinct mentor attribute profiles, with implications for how scientists understand and communicate the value of their mentoring approach to their students

Exploring the Role of Pragmatic Reasoning in Linguistic Framing Effects

Myriad linguistic cues, subtle and otherwise, have been shown to shape thinking and reasoning. Such linguistic framing effects are attributed variously to irrational biases, affective processes, and analogy. Across two studies, we explored pragmatic reasoning (PR) as a potential unifying mechanism underlying disparate framing effects. In Study 1, we adapted a measure of PR used in attribute framing research, assessing the ability to infer information subtly communicated by a speaker’s choice of frame. Our measure captured individual differences in PR distinct from cognitive reflection and mentalizing ability. In Study 2, PR predicted the effect of identity labels on attitudes towards illegal immigration, but not other framing effects. Two such effects were driven, however, by participants’ explicit recognition of the influence of the framing language. These results suggest that framing effects may indeed be mediated by PR, but that our measure of PR does not fully capture its mediating role

Einfluss von Cyclodextrinen auf das Hörvermögen - Erste Ergebnisse der Phase 2b/3 von VTS-270 (2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) bei Probanden mit Niemann-Pick Typ C

Hintergrund: Cyclodextrine haben die Fähigkeit, zelluläre Lipide zu mobilisieren und werden daher als neuer Therapieansatz der autosomal rezessiven Niemann-Pick TypC Erkrankung (NPC) im Rahmen von Studien überprüft. NPC ist eine seltene Erkrankung (Inzidenz 1:120.000-1:150.000) des Lipidstoffwechsels, die durch endolysosomale Akkumulation von Cholesterin gekennzeichnet ist. Im Verlauf der Erkrankung kommt es zur progressiven Neurodegeneration. Bei NPC1 Mäusen und Katzen verlangsamte die Therapie mit Kleptose HPB das Fortschreiten der Erkrankung und verlängerte die Lebensdauer, führte aber zu einem signifikanten Hörverlust.Material und Methoden: Im Rahmen der von Vtesse geförderten Phase 2b/3 von VTS-270 (2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) wird unter der zweiwöchentlichen intrathekalen Verabreichung von VTS-270 an drei NPC-erkrankten Probanden das Hörvermögen durch eine umfassende Audiometrie einschließlich Reintonaudiometrie, DPOAE-Messung, überschwelliger BERA sowie Sprachaudiometrie verlaufskontrolliert.Ergebnisse: Unter der Therapie mit VTS-270 zeigt sich ein progredienter sensorineuraler Hörverlust ab 2 kHz. Die erhöhten Schwellenwerte gingen mit einer Eliminierung der DPOAE einher. Bei einem Probanden zeigte sich nach der Verabreichung ein akuter pantonaler, hochtonbetonter Hörverlust, der sich nach Therapiepause und Dosisreduzierung im Tieftonbereich wieder regenerierte.Diskussion: Sowohl die Manifestation der NPC-Krankheit als auch die Therapie mit VTS-270 führen zu einem hochfrequenten Hörverlust. Bei NPC-Patienten ist eine retrocochleäre Schwerhörigkeit häufig, die Hörverluste unter der Therapie gehen hingegen mit einer Eliminierung der DPOAE einher. Dies deutet auf einen Funktionsverlust der äußeren Haarzellen, der sich jedoch teilweise regenerierbar zeigt. Die Ergebnisse weisen zudem auf eine individuelle dosisabhängige Schädigung der äußeren Haarzellen.Fazit: VTS-270 wird derzeit in Studien für die Behandlung von NPC-Typ C getestet. Unter der Therapie zeigt sich ein signifikanter Hörverlust. Weitere Ergebnisse des neurologischen Outcomes unter der Therapie sowie des Hörverlustes nach jahrelanger Erhaltungstherapie müssen abgewartet werden, um Therapieempfehlungen aussprechen zu können

Pragmatic Reasoning Ability Predicts Syntactic Framing Effects on Social Judgments

Although subject-complement statements like “girls are as good as boys at math” seem egalitarian, the group in the complement position (boys) is often judged superior. Across two experiments, we examined whether this syntactic framing effect is driven by the ability to discern the pragmatic implications of the syntax. After reading subject-complement statements about the equal math ability of girls and boys or of unstereotyped social groups, participants judged which group was better at math. They also completed a novel measure of pragmatic reasoning ability for subject-complement statements. We found reliable framing effects regardless of stereotype strength, and these effects were uniquely predicted by pragmatic reasoning ability over and above other social-cognitive factors. Moreover, for unstereotyped groups, pragmatic reasoning ability predicted explicit recognition of, and resistance to, the influence of framing. Our findings point to pragmatic reasoning as both a mechanism driving syntactic framing effects and a tool for counteracting them

Interval Timing in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis: Impaired in the Subsecond Range but Unimpaired in the One-Second Range.

Background: For adult multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, impaired temporal processing of simultaneity/successiveness has been frequently reported although interval timing has been investigated in neither adult nor pediatric MS patients. We aim to extend previous research in two ways. First, we focus on interval timing (instead of simultaneity/successiveness) and differentiate between sensory-automatic processing of intervals in the subsecond range and cognitive processing of intervals in the one-second range. Second, we investigate whether impaired temporal information processing would also be observable in pediatric MS patients' interval timing in the subsecond and one-second ranges. Methods: Participants were 22 pediatric MS patients and 22 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and psychometric intelligence as measured by the Culture Fair Test 20-R. They completed two auditory interval-timing tasks with stimuli in the subsecond and one-second ranges, respectively, as well as a frequency discrimination task. Results: Pediatric MS patients showed impaired interval timing in the subsecond range compared to healthy controls with a mean difference of the difference limen (DL) of 6.3 ms, 95% CI [1.7, 10.9 ms] and an effect size of Cohen's d = 0.830. The two groups did not differ significantly in interval timing in the one-second range (mean difference of the DL = 26.9 ms, 95% CI [-14.2, 67.9 ms], Cohen's d = 0.399) or in frequency discrimination (mean difference of the DL = 0.4 Hz, 95% CI [-1.1, 1.9 Hz], Cohen's d = 0.158). Conclusion: The results indicate that, in particular, the sensory-automatic processing of intervals in the subsecond range but not the cognitive processing of longer intervals is impaired in pediatric MS patients. This differential pattern of results is unlikely to be explained by general deficits of auditory information processing. A tentative explanation, to be tested in future studies, points to subcortical deficits in pediatric MS patients, which might also underlie deficits in speech and visuomotor coordination typically reported in pediatric MS patients

Evaluating the relationship between psychometric intelligence and cognitive functions in paediatric multiple sclerosis

Background: Processing speed is frequently reduced in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Reduced processing speed can also lead to impaired working memory capacity (WMC) in adult MS patients. Less is known about the interplay of cognitive deficits in paediatric MS patients. Objectives: In the present study, we investigated whether processing speed and WMC are reduced in paediatric MS patients compared with healthy controls and whether reduced processing speed and WMC might explain potential differences in psychometric intelligence between MS patients and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-one paediatric MS patients and 21 healthy controls completed a reaction time (RT) task, a working memory task, and Cattell’s Culture Fair Test (CFT20-R). Results: Patients with MS had slower RT and lower intelligence scores than healthy controls. We could find no significant differences for WMC. An analysis of covariance revealed that group differences in intelligence could be partially explained by processing speed differences. Conclusion: The results indicate that processing speed is a good marker for MS-related impaired efficiency and increased error-proneness of the central nervous system in higher-order cognition as required by Cattell’s CFT20-R