Too different to be equal: Lack of public respect is associated with reduced self‐respect for stigmatized individuals

Individuals with physical and mental disabilities can be stigmatized and perceived in terms of their disabilities in the public domain. This is less pervasive in the private domain, because of the presence of individuating information. We argue that disabilities decrease individuals’ everyday opportunities to receive basic equality-based respect experiences in the public domain and thus makes it difficult for them to develop a high and secure level of self-respect (i.e., seeing the self as someone who possesses the same rights as others). These hypotheses were tested in a cross-sectional study in Norway with 173 participants (51 males, 117 females, two trans men, and three non-binary persons; Mage = 28.00; SD = 10.33, age range: 19–77 years), of which 60 participants reported having mental or physical disabilities. In line with our hypotheses, we found higher levels of self-respect for individuals without mental or physical disabilities compared to individuals with mental or physical disabilities. In addition, results showed that respect experiences differed depending on the domain. Whereas individuals with and without disabilities did not significantly differ in the respect experiences they reported in the private domain, they did significantly differ in the respect experiences they reported in the public domain. In addition, respect experiences in the public domain mediated the relationship between disability and self-respect. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of the importance of developing high and secure levels of self-respect and in terms of how respect experiences in the public domain can be ensured for everyone

Ingroup Denigration: An Experimental Investigation of Prototypicality and Ingroup Hostility Among Muslims

We are all part of a larger society. As such, we as individuals seek out and find other individuals of whom we feel similar and with whom we share many of the same norms and values. Minority individuals, such as Muslims in Western countries, derive many positive benefits from their group belonging. An ingroup is where one receives self-confidence, self-competence, self-respect, and autonomy. Further, ethnic and religious groups like Muslims are often mercilessly discriminated against in societies where they are a minority. Surprisingly, both anecdotal evidence and research show that many individuals within disadvantaged minority groups go against and denigrate their ingroup. Denigration of the ingroup can express a specific adaptation to outgroup traits. Moreover, it can be a self-protective response to evade discrimination by the outgroup. However, not much is known about the role similarity to one´s outgroup play in this phenomenon. A path analysis is conducted by experimentally investigating the role induced outgroup similarity has on a sample of 380 Muslim individuals in England. The path analysis finds that induced similarity to the majority outgroup is not associated with less support for positive ingroup-centered policies such as willingness to engage in collective action for ethnic justice. Nor is a stronger similarity with the majority outgroup associated with more ingroup negativity and evaluations through the acceptance of stereotypes or denial of discrimination. However, an exploratory analysis of social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism show support for ingroup denigration in variables usually associated with outgroup prejudice and discrimination

Parahydrogen-Polarized [1-13C]Pyruvate For Reliable and Fast Preclinical Metabolic Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Hyperpolarization techniques increase nuclear spin polarization by more than four orders of magnitude, enabling metabolic MRI. Even though the hyperpolarization has shown clear value in clinical studies, the complexity, cost and slowness of current equipment limits its widespread use. Here, we demonstrate a polarization procedure of [1-13C]pyruvate based on parahydrogen-induced polarization by side-arm hydrogenation (PHIP-SAH) in an automated polarizer. It was benchmarked in a study with 48 animals against a commercial dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) device. We obtained purified, concentrated (≈ 70-160 mM) and highly hyperpolarized (≈ 18 %) solutions of pyruvate at physiological pH for volumes up to 2 ml within 85 seconds in an automated process. The safety profile, image quality, as well as the quantitative perfusion and pyruvate-to-lactate ratios, were equivalent for PHIP and DNP, rendering PHIP a viable alternative to established hyperpolarization techniques

Hyperpolarized Solution-State NMR Spectroscopy with Optically Polarized Crystals

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization provides a promising route to overcome the challenges imposed by the limited sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance. Here we demonstrate that dissolution of spin-polarized pentacene-doped naphthalene crystals enables transfer of polarization to target molecules via intermolecular cross-relaxation at room temperature and moderate magnetic fields (1.45 T). This makes it possible to exploit the high spin polarization of optically polarized crystals, while mitigating the challenges of its transfer to external nuclei. With this method, we inject the highly polarized mixture into a benchtop NMR spectrometer and observe the polarization dynamics for target H-1 nuclei. Although the spectra are radiation damped due to the high naphthalene magnetization, we describe a procedure to process the data to obtain more conventional NMR spectra and extract the target nuclei polarization. With the entire process occurring on a time scale of 1 min, we observe NMR signals enhanced by factors between -200 and -1730 at 1.45 T for a range of small molecules

Disequilibrium metamorphism of stressed lithosphere

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Most changes in mineralogy, density, and rheology of the Earth's lithosphere take place by metamorphism, whereby rocks evolve through interactions between minerals and fluids. These changes are coupled with geodynamic processes and have first order effects on the global geochemical cycles of a large number of elements. In the presence of fluids, metamorphic reactions are fast compared to tectonically induced changes in pressure and temperature. Hence, rocks evolve through near-equilibrium states during fluid-producing metamorphism. However, much of the Earth's lower crust, and a significant fraction of the upper mantle do not contain free fluids. These parts of the lithosphere exist in a metastable state and are mechanically strong. When subject to changing temperature and pressure conditions at plate boundaries or elsewhere, these rocks do not react until exposed to externally derived fluids. Metamorphism of such rocks consumes fluids, and takes place far from equilibrium through a complex coupling between fluid migration, chemical reactions, and deformation processes. This disequilibrium metamorphism is characterized by fast reaction rates, dissipation of large amounts of energy as heat and work, and the generation of a range of emergent pore structures and fracture patterns that often control transport properties and thus further reaction progress. Fluid-consuming metamorphism leads to mechanical weakening due to grain size reduction, the formation of sheet silicates, and local heat production. Strain localization in the lower crust and upper mantle is therefore likely to be controlled by the availability of fluids. Fault-controlled migration of meteoric fluids from the brittle crust to the underlying ductile region in areas of compressive stress may provide a spatial and temporal link between localized strain and seismic activity in the upper crust and shear zone controlled deformation below. In a similar way, channelized fluid migration from areas undergoing prograde metamorphism in the lower plate of a subduction zone, may control the distribution of retrograde metamorphism and strain localization in the lower parts of the upper plate