Sex and discipline differences in empathising, systemising and autistic symptomatology : evidence from a student population

Baron-Cohenʹs (2002) theory of autism suggests that deficits in theory of mind and weak central coherence in autism can be explained as features of an ‘extreme male brain’ in which empathising is weak and systemising is strong. The two studies presented investigate this theory by examining the relationships between theory of mind, central coherence, empathising, systemising and autistic-like symptomatology in a sample of undergraduates. Study 1 used 48 undergraduates in four equal groups of male and female science and humanities students. Consistent with the theory, there were sex differences in the expected directions on all tasks in the first study. Differences according to discipline were found only on the Block Design task. Individuals with the ‘male brain’ profile also tended to show higher levels of autistic symptomatology. There was no evidence of a link between empathising and social skills on one hand and systemising and central coherence on the other. In the second study, performance on the Mechanical Reasoning and the Social Skills Inventory tasks was compared with performance on the Baron‐Cohen Empathising and Systemising Quotients in a sub‐sample of 20 students from Study 1. Moderately significant correlations were found between the Systemising Quotient and the Mechanical Reasoning task and between the Empathising Quotient and the Social Skills Inventory. Findings are largely consistent with the distinction between empathising and systemising but raise some questions concerning the tasks used to measure these abilities

Fundamental Differences in Mechanical Behavior between Two Types of Crystals at the Nanoscale

We present differences in the mechanical behavior of nanoscale gold and molybdenum single crystals. A significant strength increase is observed as the size is reduced to 100 nm. Both nanocrystals exhibit discrete strain bursts during plastic deformation. We postulate that they arise from significant differences in the dislocation behavior. Dislocation starvation is the predominant mechanism of plasticity in nanoscale fcc crystals, while junction formation and hardening characterize bcc plasticity. A statistical analysis of strain bursts is performed as a function of size and compared with stochastic models

Effects of Increased Drought in Amazon Forests Under Climate Change: Separating the Roles of Canopy Responses and Soil Moisture

The Amazon forests are one of the largest ecosystem carbon pools on Earth. Although more frequent and prolonged future droughts have been predicted, the impacts have remained largely uncertain, as most land surface models (LSMs) fail to capture the vegetation drought responses. In this study, the ability of the LSM JSBACH to simulate the drought responses of leaf area index (LAI) and leaf litter production in the Amazon forests is evaluated against artificial drought experiments. Based on the evaluation, improvements are implemented, including a dependency of leaf growth on leaf carbon allocation and a better representation of drought-dependent leaf shedding. The modified JSBACH is shown to capture the drought responses at two sites and across different regions of the basin. It is then coupled with an atmospheric model to simulate the carbon and biogeophysical feedbacks of drought under future climate. We separate the drought impacts into (a) the direct effect, resulting from drier soil and stomatal closure, which does not involve a change in canopy structure, and (b) the LAI effect, resulting from leaf shedding and involving canopy response. We show that the latter accounts for 35% of reduced land carbon uptake (9 ± 10 vs. 26 ± 7 g/m2/yr; mean ± 1 sd) and 12% of surface warming (0.09 ± 0.03 vs. 0.7 ± 0.07 K) during the late 21st century. A north-south dipole of precipitation change is found, which is largely attributable to the direct effect. The results highlight the importance of incorporating drought deciduousness of tropical rainforests in LSMs to better simulate land-atmosphere interactions in the future

A combined microfinance and training intervention can reduce HIV risk behaviour in young female participants.

OBJECTIVE: To assess effects of a combined microfinance and training intervention on HIV risk behavior among young female participants in rural South Africa. DESIGN: : Secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from a cluster randomized trial, the Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity study. METHODS: Eight villages were pair-matched and randomly allocated to receive the intervention. At baseline and after 2 years, HIV risk behavior was assessed among female participants aged 14-35 years. Their responses were compared with women of the same age and poverty group from control villages. Intervention effects were calculated using adjusted risk ratios employing village level summaries. Qualitative data collected during the study explored participants' responses to the intervention including HIV risk behavior. RESULTS: After 2 years of follow-up, when compared with controls, young participants had higher levels of HIV-related communication (adjusted risk ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.12), were more likely to have accessed voluntary counseling and testing (adjusted risk ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.56), and less likely to have had unprotected sex at last intercourse with a nonspousal partner (adjusted risk ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.60-0.96). Qualitative data suggest a greater acceptance of intrahousehold communication about HIV and sexuality. Although women noted challenges associated with acceptance of condoms by men, increased confidence and skills associated with participation in the intervention supported their introduction in sexual relationships. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to impacts on economic well being, women's empowerment and intimate partner violence, interventions addressing the economic and social vulnerability of women may contribute to reductions in HIV risk behavior

Genuine Dyons in Born-Infeld Electrodynamics

Study of magnetic monopoles in the original version of Born-Infeld (BI) electrodynamics is performed. It then is realized that interesting new physics emerge and they include exotic behavior of radial electric monopole field such as its regularity as $r\to 0$ and its changing behavior with the absence or presence of the radial magnetic monopole field. This last point has been interpreted as the manifestation of the existence of point-like dyons in abelian BI theory. Two pieces of clear evidences in favor of this dyon interpretation are provided. It is also demonstrated that despite these unique features having no analogues in standard Maxwell theory, the cherished Dirac quantisation condition remains unchanged. Lastly, comments are given concerning that dyons found here in the original version of BI electrodynamics should be distinguished from the ones with the same name or BIons being studied in the recent literature on D-brane physics.Comment: 19 pages, Revtex, references added, no other change

Kinematic Distances to Molecular Clouds identified in the Galactic Ring Survey

Kinematic distances to 750 molecular clouds identified in the 13CO J=1-0 Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory Galactic Ring Survey (BU-FCRAO GRS) are derived assuming the Clemens rotation curve of the Galaxy. The kinematic distance ambiguity is resolved by examining the presence of HI self-absorption toward the 13CO emission peak of each cloud using the Very Large Array Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS). We also identify 21 cm continuum sources embedded in the GRS clouds in order to use absorption features in the HI 21 cm continuum to distinguish between near and far kinematic distances. The Galactic distribution of GRS clouds is consistent with a four-arm model of the Milky Way. The locations of the Scutum-Crux and Perseus arms traced by GRS clouds match star count data from the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) star-count data. We conclude that molecular clouds must form in spiral arms and be short-lived (lifetimes < 10 Myr) in order to explain the absence of massive, 13CO bright molecular clouds in the inter-arm space

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Videoconferencing Smoking Cessation Intervention for Korean American Women: Preliminary Findings

Introduction: Korean American women prefer online or telephone smoking cessation interventions that can be remotely accessed from home. However, these interventions have been found ineffective for the group. Methods: This study is a pilot clinical trial testing the feasibility and acceptability of a videoconferencing smoking cessation intervention for Korean American women and compared its preliminary efficacy with a telephone-based smoking cessation intervention. Korean women in the United States were recruited nationwide and randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1 to either a video arm or a telephone arm. Participants in both arms received eight 30-minute weekly individualized counseling sessions of a culturally adapted smoking cessation intervention and nicotine patches for 8 weeks. They were followed up at post-quit 1, 2, and 3 months. Results: A total of 168 Korean Americans were assessed for eligibility, 77 were determined to eligible and 49 participated in the study. The videoconferencing intervention was acceptable and feasible for women under 50 years, whereas it was not for older women. The videoconferencing intervention produced abstinence rates of 67% at post-quit 1 month and 42% at post-quit 3 months based on self-report. The rate at post-quit 3 months dropped to 33% when those women whose abstinence could not be validated with salivary cotinine tests were treated as smoking. Abstinence rates in the telephone arm did not differ from those in the video arm. Conclusion: Findings suggest that videoconferencing smoking cessation intervention may be feasible and acceptable for Korean American women under 50 years. However, for older Korean American women, the intervention may not be feasible and telephone-based intervention seems to be just as effective if smoking cessation intervention components are adapted at a deep structural level of Korean culture by integrating its core cultural values and addressing psychosocial, social and environmental forces affecting the behavior

Local lung hypoxia determines epithelial fate decisions during alveolar regeneration.

After influenza infection, lineage-negative epithelial progenitors (LNEPs) exhibit a binary response to reconstitute epithelial barriers: activating a Notch-dependent ΔNp63/cytokeratin 5 (Krt5) remodelling program or differentiating into alveolar type II cells (AEC2s). Here we show that local lung hypoxia, through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF1α), drives Notch signalling and Krt5pos basal-like cell expansion. Single-cell transcriptional profiling of human AEC2s from fibrotic lungs revealed a hypoxic subpopulation with activated Notch, suppressed surfactant protein C (SPC), and transdifferentiation toward a Krt5pos basal-like state. Activated murine Krt5pos LNEPs and diseased human AEC2s upregulate strikingly similar core pathways underlying migration and squamous metaplasia. While robust, HIF1α-driven metaplasia is ultimately inferior to AEC2 reconstitution in restoring normal lung function. HIF1α deletion or enhanced Wnt/β-catenin activity in Sox2pos LNEPs blocks Notch and Krt5 activation, instead promoting rapid AEC2 differentiation and migration and improving the quality of alveolar repair