Implicit measures of association in psychopathology research

Studies obtaining implicit measures of associations in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., Text Revision; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) Axis I psychopathology are organized into three categories: (a) studies comparing groups having a disorder with controls, (b) experimental validity studies, and (c) incremental and predictive validity studies. In the first category, implicit measures of disorder-relevant associations were consistent with explicit beliefs for some disorders (e.g., specific phobia), but for other disorders evidence was either mixed (e.g., panic disorder) or inconsistent with explicit beliefs (e.g., pain disorder). For substance use disorders and overeating, expected positive and unexpected negative associations with craved substances were found consistently. Contrary to expectation, implicit measures of self-esteem were consistently positive for patients with depressive disorder, social phobia, and body dysmorphic disorder. In the second category, short-term manipulations of disorder-relevant states generally affected implicit measures as expected. Therapeutic interventions affected implicit measures for one type of specific phobia, social phobia, and panic disorder, but not for alcohol use disorders or obesity. In the third category, implicit measures had predictive value for certain psychopathological behaviors, sometimes moderated by the availability of cognitive resources (e.g., for alcohol and food, only when cognitive resources were limited). The strengths of implicit measures include (a) converging evidence for dysfunctional beliefs regarding certain disorders and consistent new insights for other disorders and (b) prediction of some psychopathological behaviors that explicit measures cannot explain. Weaknesses include (a) that findings were inconsistent for some disorders, raising doubts about the validity of the measures, and (b) that understanding of the concept "implicit" is incomplete

Abrupt episode of mid-Cretaceous ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanism

Large igneous province volcanic activity during the mid-Cretaceous approximately 94.5 million years ago triggered a global-scale episode of reduced marine oxygen levels known as Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. It has been hypothesized that this geologically rapid degassing of volcanic carbon dioxide altered seawater carbonate chemistry, affecting marine ecosystems, geochemical cycles, and sedimentation. Here, we report on two sites drilled by the International Ocean Discovery Program offshore of southwest Australia that exhibit clear evidence for suppressed pelagic carbonate sedimentation in the form of a stratigraphic interval barren of carbonate, recording ocean acidification during the event. We then use the osmium isotopic composition of bulk sediments to directly link this protracted ~600- kiloyear shoaling of the marine calcite compensation depth to the onset of volcanic activity. This decrease in marine pH was prolonged by biogeochemical feedbacks in highly productive regions that elevated heterotrophic respiration of carbon dioxide to the water column. A compilation of mid- Cretaceous marine stratigraphic records reveals a contemporaneous decrease of sedimentary carbonate content at continental slope sites globally. Thus, we contend that changes in marine carbonate chemistry are a primary ecological stress and important consequence of rapid emission of carbon dioxide during many large igneous province eruptions in the geologic past

Deformed negative-parity excitations in 71 As

High-spin states in the neutron-deficient 71As nucleus have been studied using in-beam g -ray spectroscopic techniques combined with mass identification. A new decay sequence of negative parity has been assigned to 71As and previously known sequences have been extended to higher spin and excitation. The new sequence has been identified as originating from the proton f 7/2 extruder orbital, which approaches the Fermi surface at large prolate deformations. Comparisons of experimental B(M1)/B(E2) ratios to theoretical expectations support this interpretation

Odd-even staggering in the πg9/2vg9/2 band in 72Br

High-spin positive-parity states in 72Br have been studied using the 16O+58Ni reaction. The πg9/2vg9/2 decoupled band in 72Br has been observed up to ∼10 MeV excitation energy and the expected odd-even staggering has been delineated. A larger signature splitting is observed for this band in 72Br than in the same collective structures in the heavier 74,76,78Br. No signature inversion at low spin is observed for this band in 72Br, in contrast to the heavier isotopes, 74,76,78Br, in which signature inversion is observed below ∼10(Latin small letter h with stroke sign). The observations are in general agreement with theoretical models in this mass region which predict no signature inversion for nuclei with less than 39 protons and neutrons