Basic Human Body Dimensions Relate to Alcohol Dependence and Predict Hospital Readmission

Alcohol dependence is a severe mental illness and there is a need for more effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. Translational research suggests that intrauterine sex hormone exposure modulates the risk and course of alcohol dependence during adulthood. During development, sex hormones permanently shape sexually dimorphic body dimensions. Thus, these dimensions may provide insight into sex hormone organization. Here, we compared body measurements (absolute, relative to, and residualized on height) between 200 alcohol-dependent in-patients and 240 age-matched healthy control subjects and investigated how these measurements associate with the patients’ prospective 12- and 24-month outcome. The results show that alcohol dependence is related to lower absolute, relative, and residualized body measurements for height and weight, head circumference, bitragion head arc, lip-chin distance, hip, thigh, and calf circumference, and foot length and breadth. In male alcohol-dependent in-patients, higher risk, shorter latency, and more alcohol-related readmissions were predicted by higher absolute, relative, and residualized thigh and calf circumferences. The second-to-fourth finger length ratio, a putative proxy for prenatal sex hormone organization, was not convincingly correlated with the body dimensions, suggesting that the results represent pubertal (or later) effects. The study’s findings have implications for further research. The body measurements’ high accessibility may facilitate the future transition into clinical settings

Unraveling incompatibility between wheat and the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici through apoplastic proteomics

Background: Hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici causes severe foliar disease in wheat. However, current knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in plant resistance to Z. tritici and Z. tritici virulence factors is far from being complete. The present work investigated the proteome of leaf apoplastic fluid with emphasis on both host wheat and Z. tritici during the compatible and incompatible interactions. Results: The proteomics analysis revealed rapid host responses to the biotrophic growth, including enhanced carbohydrate metabolism, apoplastic defenses and stress, and cell wall reinforcement, might contribute to resistance. Compatibility between the host and the pathogen was associated with inactivated plant apoplastic responses as well as fungal defenses to oxidative stress and perturbation of plant cell wall during the initial biotrophic stage, followed by the strong induction of plant defenses during the necrotrophic stage. To study the role of anti-oxidative stress in Z. tritici pathogenicity in depth, a YAP1 transcription factor regulating antioxidant expression was deleted and showed the contribution to anti-oxidative stress in Z. tritici ,but was not required for pathogenicity. This result suggests the functional redundancy of antioxidants in the fungus. Conclusions: The data demonstrate that incompatibility is probably resulted from the proteome-level activation of host apoplastic defenses as well as fungal incapability to adapt to stress and interfere with host cell at the biotrophic stage of the interaction

Genetic Variation in Jasmonic Acid- and Spider Mite-Induced Plant Volatile Emission of Cucumber Accessions and Attraction of the Predator Phytoseiulus persimilis

Cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) respond to spider–mite (Tetranychus urticae) damage with the release of specific volatiles that are exploited by predatory mites, the natural enemies of the spider mites, to locate their prey. The production of volatiles also can be induced by exposing plants to the plant hormone jasmonic acid. We analyzed volatile emissions from 15 cucumber accessions upon herbivory by spider mites and upon exposure to jasmonic acid using gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. Upon induction, cucumber plants emitted over 24 different compounds, and the blend of induced volatiles consisted predominantly of terpenoids. The total amount of volatiles was higher in plants treated with jasmonic acid than in those infested with spider mites, with (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (E,E)-α-farnesene, and (E)-β-ocimene as the most abundant compounds in all accessions in both treatments. Significant variation among the accessions was found for the 24 major volatile compounds. The accessions differed strongly in total amount of volatiles emitted, and displayed very different odor profiles. Principal component analysis performed on the relative quantities of particular compounds within the blend revealed clusters of highly correlated volatiles, which is suggestive of common metabolic pathways. A number of cucumber accessions also were tested for their attractiveness to Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialist predator of spider mites. Differences in the attraction of predatory mites by the various accessions correlated to differences in the individual chemical profiles of these accessions. The presence of genetic variation in induced plant volatile emission in cucumber shows that it is possible to breed for cucumber varieties that are more attractive to predatory mites and other biological control agents

Overview paper: New insights into aerosol and climate in the Arctic

Motivated by the need to predict how the Arctic atmosphere will change in a warming world, this article summarizes recent advances made by the research consortium NETCARE (Network on Climate and Aerosols: Addressing Key Uncertainties in Remote Canadian Environments) that contribute to our fundamental understanding of Arctic aerosol particles as they relate to climate forcing. The overall goal of NETCARE research has been to use an interdisciplinary approach encompassing extensive field observations and a range of chemical transport, earth system, and biogeochemical models. Several major findings and advances have emerged from NETCARE since its formation in 2013. (1) Unexpectedly high summertime dimethyl sulfide (DMS) levels were identified in ocean water (up to 75&thinsp;nM) and the overlying atmosphere (up to 1&thinsp;ppbv) in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA). Furthermore, melt ponds, which are widely prevalent, were identified as an important DMS source (with DMS concentrations of up to 6&thinsp;nM and a potential contribution to atmospheric DMS of 20&thinsp;% in the study area). (2) Evidence of widespread particle nucleation and growth in the marine boundary layer was found in the CAA in the summertime, with these events observed on 41&thinsp;% of days in a 2016 cruise. As well, at Alert, Nunavut, particles that are newly formed and grown under conditions of minimal anthropogenic influence during the months of July and August are estimated to contribute 20&thinsp;% to 80&thinsp;% of the 30–50&thinsp;nm particle number density. DMS-oxidation-driven nucleation is facilitated by the presence of atmospheric ammonia arising from seabird-colony emissions, and potentially also from coastal regions, tundra, and biomass burning. Via accumulation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a significant fraction of the new particles grow to sizes that are active in cloud droplet formation. Although the gaseous precursors to Arctic marine SOA remain poorly defined, the measured levels of common continental SOA precursors (isoprene and monoterpenes) were low, whereas elevated mixing ratios of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) were inferred to arise via processes involving the sea surface microlayer. (3) The variability in the vertical distribution of black carbon (BC) under both springtime Arctic haze and more pristine summertime aerosol conditions was observed. Measured particle size distributions and mixing states were used to constrain, for the first time, calculations of aerosol–climate interactions under Arctic conditions. Aircraft- and ground-based measurements were used to better establish the BC source regions that supply the Arctic via long-range transport mechanisms, with evidence for a dominant springtime contribution from eastern and southern Asia to the middle troposphere, and a major contribution from northern Asia to the surface. (4) Measurements of ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the Arctic indicate that a major source of these particles is mineral dust, likely derived from local sources in the summer and long-range transport in the spring. In addition, INPs are abundant in the sea surface microlayer in the Arctic, and possibly play a role in ice nucleation in the atmosphere when mineral dust concentrations are low. (5) Amongst multiple aerosol components, BC was observed to have the smallest effective deposition velocities to high Arctic snow (0.03&thinsp;cm&thinsp;s−1).</p

Der Einfluss impliziter Motive auf implizites instrumentelles Konditionieren: Überprüfung eines Prinzips mit Fokus auf dem Machtmotiv

This thesis tested a principle according to which implicit motives influence implicit instrumental conditioning processes. Analyzing results from four studies I investigated possible scaling effects of implicit motives, motivational dispositions working outside of conscious awareness that select, energize and orient behavior, on implicit instrumental conditioning processes in a sequence learning paradigm. I focused on the power motive (n Power), the capacity to experience having impact on others as satisfying. Given a high motive level, an affect-amplifying function inherent to implicit motives imbues motive-relevant positive incentives with an even stronger positive affective quality and motive-relevant disincentives with an even stronger negative quality. This should facilitate instrumental conditioning if such incentives or disincentives are used as reward or punishment stimuli. My indicator of conditioning effects was implicit learning in a sequence learning task similar to the Serial Response Task, the Differential Implicit Learning Task (DILT). It was combined with performance-contingent reinforcement according to an accuracy criterion, the number of errors made when executing the sequences or sequence elements. Implicit learning was assessed as accuracy on fixed, repeating, learnable sequences versus accuracy on random sequences (negative transfer effect). Accuracy was chosen as dependent variable, because the basal ganglia, which play a role both in n Power-dependent reinforcement phenomena and in learning spatial stimulus-sequences, influence learning particularly via error signals. Also, the basal ganglia have been linked to social intuition. Based on theories linking implicit learning and social intuition and on Motivational Field Theory (MFT) which includes the incentive value of different facial expressions of emotion (FEEs) for different implicit motives and thus builds on motives` affect-amplifying effect, n Power-relevant FEEs were used as reinforcers for performance-contingent feedback on the DILT. Dominant FEEs as reinforcers, like joy or anger, as n Power disincentives should deteriorate implicit learning performance compared to neutral FEEs, while submissive displays (surprise) as n Power incentives should improve it. Based on previous studies, my analyses besides n Power included activity inhibition (AI; assessed by counting the word “not” in the Picture Story Exercise, PSE, the projective standard measurement method for implicit motives) and gender match (match between perceiver gender and sender gender of the persons on the FEE-pictures). Exploratively, I also investigated possible effects of the affiliation motive (n Affiliation), the capacity to experience harmonious relationships with other people as satisfying. In Study 1, I compared the implicit learning accuracy potential of four DILT-versions of differing sequence length (eight vs. 12 trials) and distractor usage (no vs. one distractor in addition to the target stimulus), each featuring one blue and one yellow sequence and three interspersed negative transfer effect assessments. Overall implicit learning in terms of accuracy and speed was stable for my DILT-modifications. Sequence length per se did not influence implicit learning gains. Explicit learning assessed in three different awareness tests did not systematically influence main results for accuracy. Overall, keeping the 12-trial-sequence-DILT without distractors seemed advisable, because on a descriptive level error scores were highest there and accuracy gains were higher on no-distractor DILTs. Study 2 and 3 featured the first designs ever to combine performance-contingent reinforcement with implicit learning in a 12-element-DILT and implicit motives as assessed with the PSE. Accuracy gain differences between two sequences with different reinforcement contingencies were used as indicators of instrumental conditioning effects. To maximize the differential implicit learning gains, reward-FEEs on a blue sequence were the punisher-FEEs on a yellow sequence and vice versa. Deriving reinforcers from MFT to engage motives in instrumental conditioning, FEE-classes used as reward or punishment stimuli were a neutral and a dominance-relevant (joy in Study 2; anger in Study 3) FEE, respectively. A general motive-dependent scaling effect for n Power or the inhibited power motive (IPM), a combination of high n Power with high AI, was not obtained, respectively. However, in the context of joy-FEEs, IPM had a positive influence on differential learning gains for males in Study 2, and for male FEE-gender in the context of anger faces in Study 3, with the latter result being not robust. While there were no instrumental conditioning effects without considering motives, Gender x FEE-gender effects emerged, with for example opposite-sex anger being more detrimental to implicit learning than same-sex anger in Study 3. For n Affiliation, the only notable finding was a gender-match effect for low-affiliation individuals indicating a more negative influence of opposite- versus same-sex anger in Study 3. Overall, implicit learning in both studies was robust. Alternative explanations in terms of explicit learning were unlikely, as it did not systematically influence my main results. Study 4 combined insights from Study 1´s implicit learning optimization with massed trial-wise reinforcement, two test-blocks and reinforcer-FEEs pre-tested for senders` implicit motive levels into a paradigm aiming at maximizing the probability for detecting motives` possible instrumental conditioning effects. Again comparing two sequences, MFT´s full dominance spectrum was used, contrasting surprise and anger, respectively, as reward or punishment. Additionally, I assessed liking for reinforcers with explicit questions on FEEs before and after the DILT. A direct, block-dependent n Power effect on differential accuracy gains (surprise versus anger) was obtained, which was negative at T1 and positive at T2, and a direct positive IPM effect. An additional Sender gender x n Power x AI interaction yielded stronger results for female faces, not for male faces like in Study 3. No instrumental conditioning effects regardless of motives and no general gender match effect were obtained. For n Affiliation, again an interaction with gender match like in Study 3 emerged, supplemented by block, with higher relative learning gains for same- versus opposite-sex faces at T1 in the context of a low n Affiliation. Explicit liking for the reinforcers used did not correlate with motives and did not systematically influence my results. Again results could draw on implicit learning and were not systematically moderated by explicit learning. From the four sub-studies, I derived the following conclusions: First, implicit motives replicably influence instrumental conditioning processes. For the first time, actually performance-contingent feedback was used. However, the direct effect of n Power was only observed in a block-dependent way in Study 4 and most likely the n Power x AI interaction, particularly IPM, is of special importance. Such an interaction was present in all three motive-relevant sub-studies, even if it was dependent on male gender or male sender gender in Study 2 and 3, respectively. This supports results indicating that IPM individuals exert their desire for impact in a more sophisticated way and react more socially adaptive to FEEs. Second, gender match plays a role in instrumental conditioning processes with FEEs, perhaps due to differential interactional goals in opposite- vs. same-sex encounters. Yet there were no replicable interactions of gender match with n Power or the n Power x AI interaction. Third, AI has to be considered in paradigms including n Power and FEEs, because the most consistent pattern of results across sub-studies with clearer results for IPM was only detected through inclusion of AI. Fourth, the DILT can be modified on a general level for usage with personality tests and for motive-specific use and afterwards produces clearer results. Contributions of this thesis are, among others, comparing different DILT-versions, adding trial-wise reinforcement, or usage of FEEs with known motive levels. Fifth, results were actually due to implicit instrumental conditioning, because they were systematically moderated by explicit learning just as little as they were by explicit evaluation of the reinforcers. Moreover, in line with previous research, results showed that accuracy is influenced by n Power in the presence of matching incentives. In closing, I interpret my results based on the notion that implicit motives, via their affect-amplifying function for motive-relevant stimuli or events, contribute to competency development, with an integrated learning experience promoting behavioral competency which in turn promotes future reinforcement-attaining behavior which enhances the learning experience in a virtuous circle. The striatum-mediated instrumental reinforcement of motor behavior in the basal ganglia is one of the pathways through which motives contribute to this learning experience. My results underscore the adaptive value of this learning experience particularly regarding social intuition. Taken together, the supposed principle was supported with slight limitations: implicit motives influence instrumental conditioning processes, but, at least for n Power, other factors have to be simultaneously considered, particularly AI

Commentary: Sexual Dimorphism of Facial Width-to-Height Ratio in Human Skulls and Faces: A Meta-Analytical Approach

A commentary on Sexual Dimorphism of Facial Width-to-Height Ratio in Human Skulls and Faces: A Meta-Analytical Approach by Kramer RSS. Evol Human Behav (2017) 38(3):414–20. doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.12.00

Measuring Implicit Motives with the Picture Story Exercise (PSE): Databases of Expert-Coded German Stories, Pictures, and Updated Picture Norms

We present two openly accessible databases related to the assessment of implicit motives using Picture Story Exercises (PSEs): (a) A database of 183,415 German sentences, nested in 26,389 stories provided by 4,570 participants, which have been coded by experts using Winter's coding system for the implicit affiliation/intimacy, achievement, and power motives, and (b) a database of 54 classic and new pictures which have been used as PSE stimuli. Updated picture norms are provided which can be used to select appropriate pictures for PSE applications. Based on an analysis of the relations between raw motive scores, word count, and sentence count, we give recommendations on how to control motive scores for story length, and validate the recommendation with a meta-analysis on gender differences in the implicit affiliation motive that replicates existing findings. We discuss to what extent the guiding principles of the story length correction can be generalized to other content coding systems for narrative material. Several potential applications of the databases are discussed, including (un)supervised machine learning of text content, psychometrics, and better reproducibility of PSE research