The dark side of bright traits: How context cues misdirect facets of conscientiousness

© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The authors test the proposition that there are dark sides to conscientiousness that are revealed when examining lower-level facets. The authors propose that potentially dysfunctional behavior is triggered by context cues that are relevant to duty versus achievement striving. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted two laboratory experiments designed to test how context cues that are specific to duty and achievement striving influence the relationship between these facets and quality versus quantity dimensions of task performance. Findings: In Study 1, the authors found that normative quality cues led to a stronger relationship between duty and discretionary quality performance. In Study 2, achievement striving was associated with lower levels of quality performance in the presence of competitive feedback cues. Research limitations/implications: The findings illustrate that the dark side of duty and achievement striving emerges in two ways. First, when there is normative pressure for quality, dutiful individuals are apt to sacrifice efficiency. Second, when there is competitive feedback, achievement striving individuals focus on performance standards at the detriment of quality. Practical implications: The findings point to the importance of precision and specificity when using personality measures for staffing. Equally important is the informational content of cues conveyed by the social, task and organizational context, in leveraging the impact of personality in the workplace. Originality/value: This paper clarifies the dark side and bright side contradiction of conscientiousness, adding to the growing literature on unique and often competing consequences of duty and achievement striving. The authors also draw attention to the importance of the content of contextual cues, in trait activation of personality

Decay capacity and degradation patterns of Xylaria hypoxylon on different wood species

A host of physical and environmental factors may influence fungal decay including the wood substrate, temperature, moisture, oxygen, light, pH, and nitrogen. Understanding the effects of these factors on fungal decay is important for the effective utilization of wood decay fungi in biotechnological processes and for understanding the role of these organisms in global carbon cycling. The ascomycete Xylaria hypoxylon causes white rot of hardwoods, but remains relatively under-characterized. In this investigation, the decay capability of this fungus was studied using beech, hornbeam, oak and pine. Although Xylaria species are considered as causing white rot decay, Type II soft rot erosion was observed on hornbeam, Type I soft rot cavities were noted on beech, simultaneous rot was found on oak and selective rot on pine. Results indicated that both wood species and cell wall chemistry affected morphological decay patterns illustrating the relationships between fungal enzymatic capacity and wood cell wall structure/chemistry

A CNO Dichotomy among O2 Giant Spectra in the Magellanic Clouds

From a survey of the 3400 Å region in the earliest O-type spectra, we have found that two of the four O2 giants observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud have O IV lines there that are stronger than the N IV lines, while the other two have the opposite. A Small Magellanic Cloud counterpart also has N IV stronger than O IV. Inspection of the blue spectra of these stars shows that the former pair have weaker N lines in all ionization states (III, IV, and V) present as well as lines of C IV λ4658, while the latter three have stronger N lines and greater He/H. Space ultraviolet observations of two of the N-strong stars show N V wind profiles substantially stronger than those of C IV, while in the N-weak stars the C IV features are equal to or stronger than the N V. The N-strong stars are now reclassified as ON2 III(f*), newly defining that category. These characteristics strongly suggest a larger fraction of processed material in the atmospheres of the ON2 stars, which we confirm by modeling the optical spectra. In the context of current models, it is in turn implied that the ON2 stars are in a more advanced evolutionary state than the others, and/or that they had higher initial rotational velocities. The recent formulation of the effects of rotation on massive stellar evolution introduces an additional fundamental parameter, which the CNO abundances are in principle able to constrain. We present some illustrative comparisons with current Geneva evolutionary models for rotating massive stars. It is possible that these very hot, nitrogen-rich objects are products of homogeneous evolution. Our results will provide motivation for further physical modeling of the atmospheres and evolutionary histories of the most massive hot stars.Fil: Walborn, Nolan Revere. Space Telescope Science Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Morrell, Nidia Irene. Las campanas observatory; ChileFil: Howarth, Ian D.. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Crowther, Paul A.. University of Sheffield; Reino UnidoFil: Lennon, Daniel J.. Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes; EspañaFil: Massey, Philip. Lowell Observatory; Estados UnidosFil: Arias, Julia Ines. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentin

Civil Society, Cultural Hegemony, and Citizenship: Implications for Adult Educators

The participants in this symposium provide a panorama of positions about civil society, citizenship and the dynamics of the exercise of power in the world of adult education. Theoretical approaches range from postmodernism to cultural studies to Marxist and critical theoretical positions. Case studies are equally diverse, ranging from North and Latin America to the Middle East

Prevalence of consensual male–male sex and sexual violence, and associations with HIV in South Africa: A population-based cross-sectional study

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa the population prevalence of men who have sex with men (MSM) is unknown, as is the population prevalence of male-on-male sexual violence, and whether male-on-male sexual violence may relate to HIV risk. This paper describes lifetime prevalence of consensual male–male sexual behavior and male-on-male sexual violence (victimization and perpetration) in two South African provinces, socio-demographic factors associated with these experiences, and associations with HIV serostatus. Methods and Findings: In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2008, men aged 18–49 y from randomly selected households in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces provided anonymous survey data and dried blood spots for HIV serostatus assessment. Interviews were completed in 1,737 of 2,298 (75.6%) of enumerated and eligible households. From these households, 1,705 men (97.1%) provided data on lifetime history of same-sex experiences, and 1,220 (70.2%) also provided dried blood spots for HIV testing. 5.4% (n = 92) of participants reported a lifetime history of any consensual sexual activity with another man; 9.6% (n = 164) reported any sexual victimization by a man, and 3.0% (n = 51) reported perpetrating sexual violence against another man. 85.0% (n = 79) of men with a history of consensual sex with men reported having a current female partner, and 27.7% (n = 26) reported having a current male partner. Of the latter, 80.6% (n = 21/26) also reported having a female partner. Men reporting a history of consensual male–male sexual behavior are more likely to have been a victim of male-on-male sexual violence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 7.24; 95% CI 4.26–12.3), and to have perpetrated sexual violence against another man (aOR = 3.10; 95% CI 1.22–7.90). Men reporting consensual oral/anal sex with a man were more likely to be HIV+ than men with no such history (aOR = 3.11; 95% CI 1.24–7.80). Men who had raped a man were more likely to be HIV+ than non-perpetrators (aOR = 3.58; 95% CI 1.17–10.9). Conclusions: In this sample, one in 20 men (5.4%) reported lifetime consensual sexual contact with a man, while about one in ten (9.6%) reported experience of male-on-male sexual violence victimization. Men who reported having had sex with men were more likely to be HIV+, as were men who reported perpetrating sexual violence towards other men. Whilst there was no direct measure of male–female concurrency (having overlapping sexual relationships with men and women), the data suggest that this may have been common. These findings suggest that HIV prevention messages regarding male–male sex in South Africa should be mainstreamed with prevention messages for the general population, and sexual health interventions and HIV prevention interventions for South African men should explicitly address male-on-male sexual violence

Supernova 2010ev: A reddened high velocity gradient type Ia supernova

Aims. We present and study the spectroscopic and photometric evolution of the type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2010ev. Methods. We obtain and analyze multi-band optical light curves and optical-near-infrared spectroscopy at low and medium resolution spanning from -7 days to +300 days from the B-band maximum. Results. A photometric analysis shows that SN 2010ev is a SN Ia of normal brightness with a light curve shape of $\Delta m_{15}(B)=1.12 \pm 0.02$ and a stretch s = $0.94 \pm 0.01$ suffering significant reddening. From photometric and spectroscopic analysis, we deduce a color excess of $E(B - V) = 0.25 \pm 0.05$ and a reddening law of $R_v = 1.54 \pm 0.65$. Spectroscopically, SN 2010ev belongs to the broad-line SN Ia group, showing stronger than average Si II {\lambda}6355 absorption features. We also find that SN 2010ev is a high-velocity gradient SN, with a value of $164 \pm 7$ km s$^{-1}$ d$^{-1}$. The photometric and spectral comparison with other supernovae shows that SN 2010ev has similar colors and velocities to SN 2002bo and SN 2002dj. The analysis of the nebular spectra indicates that the [Fe II] {\lambda}7155 and [Ni II] {\lambda}7378 lines are redshifted, as expected for a high velocity gradient supernova. All these common intrinsic and extrinsic properties of the high velocity gradient (HVG) group are different from the low velocity gradient (LVG) normal SN Ia population and suggest significant variety in SN Ia explosions.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, 7 tables. Accepted to A&

A CNO dichotomy among O2 giant spectra in the Magellanic Clouds

From a survey of the 3400 Å region in the earliest O-type spectra, we have found that two of the four O2 giants observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud have O IV lines there that are stronger than the N IV lines, while the other two have the opposite. A Small Magellanic Cloud counterpart also has N IV stronger than O IV. Inspection of the blue spectra of these stars shows that the former pair have weaker N lines in all ionization states (III, IV, and V) present as well as lines of C IV λ4658, while the latter three have stronger N lines and greater He/H. Space ultraviolet observations of two of the N-strong stars show N V wind profiles substantially stronger than those of C IV, while in the N-weak stars the C IV features are equal to or stronger than the N V. The N-strong stars are now reclassified as ON2 III(f *), newly defining that category. These characteristics strongly suggest a larger fraction of processed material in the atmospheres of the ON2 stars, which we confirm by modeling the optical spectra. In the context of current models, it is in turn implied that the ON2 stars are in a more advanced evolutionary state than the others, and/or that they had higher initial rotational velocities. The recent formulation of the effects of rotation on massive stellar evolution introduces an additional fundamental parameter, which the CNO abundances are in principle able to constrain. We present some illustrative comparisons with current Geneva evolutionary models for rotating massive stars. It is possible that these very hot, nitrogen-rich objects are products of homogeneous evolution. Our results will provide motivation for further physical modeling of the atmospheres and evolutionary histories of the most massive hot stars.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Electromagnetic Evidence that SSS17a is the Result of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

11 hours after the detection of gravitational wave source GW170817 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Virgo Interferometers, an associated optical transient SSS17a was discovered in the galaxy NGC 4993. While the gravitational wave data indicate GW170817 is consistent with the merger of two compact objects, the electromagnetic observations provide independent constraints of the nature of that system. Here we synthesize all optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of SSS17a collected by the One-Meter Two-Hemisphere collaboration. We find that SSS17a is unlike other known transients. The source is best described by theoretical models of a kilonova consisting of radioactive elements produced by rapid neutron capture (the r-process). We find that SSS17a was the result of a binary neutron star merger, reinforcing the gravitational wave result.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, accepted to Scienc

A new spectral classification system for the earliest O stars: Definition of type O2

High-quality, blue-violet spectroscopic data are collected for 24 stars that have been classified as type O3 and that display the hallmark N Iv and N v lines, A new member of the class is presented; it is the second known in the Cyg OB2 association, and only the second in the northern hemisphere. New digital data are also presented for several of the other stars. Although the data are inhomogeneous, the uniform plots by subcategory reveal some interesting new relationships. Several issues concerning the classification of the hottest O-type spectra are discussed, and new digital data are presented for the five original O3 dwarfs in the Carina Nebula, in which the N Iv, N v features are very weak or absent. New spectral types O2 and O3.5 are introduced here as steps toward resolving these issues. The relationship between the derived absolute visual magnitudes and the spectroscopic luminosity classes of the O2-O3 stars shows more scatter than at later O types, at least partly because some overluminous dwarfs are unresolved multiple systems, and some close binary systems of relatively low luminosity and mass emulate O3 supergiant spectra. However, it also appears that the behavior of He II λ4686, the primary luminosity criterion at later O types, responds to other phenomena in addition to luminosity at spectral types O2-O3. There is evidence that these spectral types may correspond to an immediate pre-WN phase, with a correspondingly large range of luminosities and masses. A complete census of spectra classified into the original O3 subcategories considered here (not including intermediate O3/WN types or O3 dwarfs without N Iv, N v features) totals 45 stars; 34 of them belong to the Large Magellanic Cloud and 20 of the latter to 30 Doradus.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Visual Pigment Gene Changes in Adrenoleukodystrophy

Purpose. The gene for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, a neurodegenerative disorder, is closely linked to the red/green color pigment genes on the distal X-chromosome Xq28 and one kindred is known to have a genetic change affecting both loci. The purpose of this article is to perform a systematic assessment of the frequency of this situation in many affected kindreds. Methods. Recombinant DNA probes were used in blot hybridization studies to determine the structure of the color pigment genes in affected males from 59 different adrenoleukodystrophy kindreds. Whenever possible, color vision was measured using the Farnsworth 100-Hue test. Results. Eleven of the 59 kindreds had abnormal color pigment gene clusters; these included fusion genes and changes in gene number. Only one kindred had a deletion of sequences immediately 5' to the color pigment genes. Conclusions. The incidence of color pigment gene changes in our 59 adrenoleukodystrophy kindreds is approximately twice the frequency of defective color vision reported in historic studies but is about the same as that found in studies of the actual genes in large populations. However, the range of changes in the color pigment genes in adrenoleukodystrophy is broader than encountered in most populations. Changes in the highly conserved color pigment genes reflect reorganizations in the Xq28 chromosomal region, some of which involve the contiguous gene for adrenoleukodystrophy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1993;34:2634-2637 -?k-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease affecting boys 6 to 12 years old. Although the underlying metabolic abnormality is unknown, ALD is associated with diagnostic accumulations of very long chain fatty acids. 1 To localize the ALD gene on the human X-chromosome we showed that ALD and the anonymous Xq28 DNA fragment DXS52 cosegregate with a lod score >13 at d = 0.0 in seven kindreds