Using the interpersonal reactivity index to assess empathy in violent offenders

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), developed by Davis (1980), provides an excellent multidimensional measure of empathy for the general adult population, the domain for which it was developed. Its use has subsequently expanded into other areas, for example criminal psychology. In this domain empathy is a critical variable in theoretical accounts of criminality and particularly of violence. For many researchers within the field of criminal psychology, the IRI has become the instrument of choice for the assessment of empathy. However, the psychometric properties of the scale, when used with a criminal population, have not been investigated. This paper reports the results of an investigation into the reliability and component structure of the IRI using a sample of violent offenders. The Personal Distress subscale was found not to be reliable when used in an offender population. Furthermore, when used to assess offenders, principle components analysis did not confirm the four-subscale structure of the IRI. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed in relation to offender assessment in general

Dynamical Jahn-Teller Effect and Berry Phase in Positively Charged Fullerene I. Basic Considerations

We study the Jahn-Teller effect of positive fullerene ions $^2$C$_{60}^{+}$ and $^1$C$_{60}^{2+}$. The aim is to discover if this case, in analogy with the negative ion, possesses a Berry phase or not, and what are the consequences on dynamical Jahn-Teller quantization. Working in the linear and spherical approximation, we find no Berry phase in $^1$C$_{60}^{2+}$, and presence/absence of Berry phase for coupling of one $L=2$ hole to an $L=4$/$L=2$ vibration. We study in particular the special equal-coupling case ($g_2=g_4$), which is reduced to the motion of a particle on a 5-dimensional sphere. In the icosahedral molecule, the final outcome assesses the presence/absence of a Berry phase of $\pi$ for the $h_u$ hole coupled to $G_g$/$H_h$ vibrations. Some qualitative consequences on ground-state symmetry, low-lying excitations, and electron emission from C$_{60}$ are spelled out.Comment: 31 pages (RevTeX), 3 Postscript figures (uuencoded

CV16022

This report provides the main results and findings of the fifteenth annual underwater television on the Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne head Nephrops grounds, ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 17. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, fishing, CTD and other ecosystem data. In 2016 a total of 45 UWTV stations were successfully completed, 34 on the Aran Grounds, 7 on Galway Bay and 4 on Slyne Head patches. The mean burrow density observed in 2016, adjusted for edge effect, was medium at 0.29 burrows/m². The final krigged burrow abundance estimate for the Aran Grounds was 343 million burrows with a CV (or relative standard error) of 3 %. The final abundance estimate for Galway Bay and Slyne Head was 25 and 11 million burrows with CVs of 7% and 3% respectively. The total abundance estimates have fluctuated considerably over the time series. The 2016 combined abundance estimate was 32% lower than in 2015 and at 379 million and is below the MSY Btrigger (540 million). Using the 2016 abundance estimate and updated stock data implies catch of 489 tonnes and landings of 456 tonnes in 2017 when MSY approach is applied (assuming that discard rates and fishery selection patterns do not change from the average of 2013–2015). Virgilaria mirabilis was the only sea-pen species observed on the UWTV footage. Trawl marks were present at 20% of the Aran stations surveyed

Escape from planarity in fragment-based drug discovery : A synthetic strategy analysis of synthetic 3D fragment libraries

In fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD), there is a developing appreciation that 3D fragments could offer opportunities that are not provided by 2D fragments. This review provides an overview of the synthetic strategies that have been used to prepare 3D fragments, as discussed in 25 papers published from 2011 to mid-May 2020. Three distinct strategies are highlighted: (i) diversity-oriented synthesis; (ii) the synthesis and diversification of scaffolds; and (iii) computational design and synthesis (where 3D fragments were computationally enumerated and filtered on the basis of computationally generated 3D shape descriptors and other properties). We conclude that a workflow that combines computational design and one other strategy, together with a consideration of fragment properties, 3D shape and ‘fragment sociability’, could allow 3D fragments to feature more widely in fragment libraries and could facilitate fragment-to-lead optimisation

CV18017

This report provides the results of the sixth underwater television on the ‘Porcupine Bank Nephrops grounds’ ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 16. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, CTD and other ecosystem data. In total 69 UWTV stations were successfully completed in a randomised 6 nautical mile isometric grid covering the full spatial extent of the stock. The mean burrow density observed in 2018, adjusted for edge effect, was 0.16 burrows/m². The final krigged abundance estimate was 1117 million burrows with a relative standard error of 4% and an estimated stock area of 7,130 km2. The 2018 abundance estimate was 31% higher than in 2017. Using the 2018 estimate of abundance and updated stock data implies catch of 2,645 tonnes and landings of 2,645 tonnes in 2019 when MSY approach is applied (assuming that all catch is landed). The three species of sea-pen; Virgularia mirabilis, Funiculina quadrangularis and Pennatula phosphorea, were all observed during the survey. The deepwater sea-pen Kophobelemnon stelliferum was also observed and its presence/absence mapped from the available time-series. Trawl marks were also observed on 33% of the stations surveyed

Home Defence and the Sandys Defence White Paper, 1957

Long understood as the key document in Britain's Cold War history, the Duncan Sandys Defence White Paper of 1957 nevertheless has a largely forgotten context: home defence. This article argues that understanding this context allows important new conclusions to be drawn concerning the drafting, presentation and the reception of the document and the deterrent strategy it expounded. It argues that the Paper failed to establish a new doctrine for civil defence which reconciled the policy with the wider deterrent strategy. In doing this, the Paper presented a muddled policy to the public: one which failed to justify the reductions in civil defence provision but which stressed the destructive power of thermonuclear weapons. This had the effect of encouraging the critics of the government's nuclear strategy to flag up the absence of adequate civil defence measures and highlight the 'admission' that there was no defence against the hydrogen bomb

Hadron yields and spectra in Au+Au collisions at the AGS

Inclusive double differential multiplicities and rapidity density distributions of hadrons are presented for 10.8 A GeV/c Au+Au collisions as measured at the AGS by the E877 collaboration. The results indicate that large amounts of stopping and collective transverse flow effects are present. The data are also compared to the results from the lighter Si+Al system.Comment: 12 pages, latex, 10 figures, submitted to Nuclear Physics A (Quark Matter 1996 Proceedings

Final analysis from RESONATE: Up to six years of follow‐up on ibrutinib in patients with previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma

Ibrutinib, a once‐daily oral inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, is approved in the United States and Europe for treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). The phase 3 RESONATE study showed improved efficacy of single‐agent ibrutinib over ofatumumab in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL, including those with high‐risk features. Here we report the final analysis from RESONATE with median follow‐up on study of 65.3 months (range, 0.3‐71.6) in the ibrutinib arm. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) remained significantly longer for patients randomized to ibrutinib vs ofatumumab (44.1 vs 8.1 months; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.148; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.113‐0.196; P˂.001). The PFS benefit with ibrutinib vs ofatumumab was preserved in the genomic high‐risk population with del(17p), TP53 mutation, del(11q), and/or unmutated IGHV status (median PFS 44.1 vs 8.0 months; HR: 0.110; 95% CI: 0.080‐0.152), which represented 82% of patients. Overall response rate with ibrutinib was 91% (complete response/complete response with incomplete bone marrow recovery, 11%). Overall survival, censored for crossover, was better with ibrutinib than ofatumumab (HR: 0.639; 95% CI: 0.418‐0.975). With up to 71 months (median 41 months) of ibrutinib therapy, the safety profile remained consistent with prior reports; cumulatively, all‐grade (grade ≥3) hypertension and atrial fibrillation occurred in 21% (9%) and 12% (6%) of patients, respectively. Only 16% discontinued ibrutinib because of adverse events (AEs). These long‐term results confirm the robust efficacy of ibrutinib in relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL irrespective of high‐risk clinical or genomic features, with no unexpected AEs. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01578707)

Predicting Carotid Artery Disease and Plaque Instability from Cell-derived Microparticles

ObjectivesCell-derived microparticles (MPs) are small plasma membrane-derived vesicles shed from circulating blood cells and may act as novel biomarkers of vascular disease. We investigated the potential of circulating MPs to predict (a) carotid plaque instability and (b) the presence of advanced carotid disease.MethodsThis pilot study recruited carotid disease patients (aged 69.3 ± 1.2 years [mean ± SD], 69% male, 90% symptomatic) undergoing endarterectomy (n = 42) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 73). Plaques were classified as stable (n = 25) or unstable (n = 16) post surgery using immunohistochemistry. Blood samples were analysed for MP subsets and molecular biomarkers. Odds ratios (OR) are expressed per standard deviation biomarker increase.ResultsEndothelial MP (EMP) subsets, but not any vascular, inflammatory, or proteolytic molecular biomarker, were higher (p < .05) in the unstable than the stable plaque patients. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for CD31+41− EMP in discriminating an unstable plaque was 0.73 (0.56–0.90, p < .05). CD31+41− EMP predicted plaque instability (OR = 2.19, 1.08–4.46, p < .05) and remained significant in a multivariable model that included transient ischaemic attack symptom status. Annexin V+ MP, platelet MP (PMP) subsets, and C-reactive protein were higher (p < .05) in cases than controls. Annexin V+ MP (OR = 3.15, 1.49–6.68), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (OR = 1.64, 1.03–2.59), and previous smoking history (OR = 3.82, 1.38–10.60) independently (p < .05) predicted the presence of carotid disease in a multivariable model.ConclusionsEMP may have utility in predicting plaque instability in carotid patients and annexin V+ MPs may predict the presence of advanced carotid disease in aging populations, independent of established biomarkers