Experimental investigations of ambiguity: the case of most

In the study of natural language quantification, much recent attention has been devoted to the investigation of verification procedures associated with the proportional quantifier most. The aim of these studies is to go beyond the traditional characterization of the semantics of most, which is confined to explicating its truth-functional and presuppositional content as well as its combinatorial properties, as these aspects underdetermine the correct analysis of most. The present paper contributes to this effort by presenting new experimental evidence in support of a decompositional analysis of most according to which it is a superlative construction built from a gradable predicate many or much and the superlative operator -est (Hackl, in Nat Lang Semant 17:63–98, 2009). Our evidence comes in the form of verification profiles for sentences like Most of the dots are blue which, we argue, reflect the existence of a superlative reading of most. This notably contrasts with Lidz et al.’s (Nat Lang Semant 19:227–256, 2011) results. To reconcile the two sets of data, we argue, it is necessary to take important differences in task demands into account, which impose limits on the conclusions that can be drawn from these studies

S43. SADDER BUT WISER: DEPRESSION OUTWEIGHS SEX AND SCHIZOPHRENIA IN SELF ASSESSMENT OF INTERPERSONAL FUNCTIONING

Abstract Background Impairments in social functioning are central features of Schizophrenia (SCZ). Patients with SCZ also have challenges in self-assessment and the ability to evaluate their own level of functioning across cognitive, social cognitive, and functional domains. One of the major correlates of self-assessments in schizophrenia is depression, wherein patients who have very low levels of self-reported depression over-estimate their functioning when compared to objective milestone data and reports of knowledgeable informants. Interestingly, healthy individuals also generated reports of functioning that are related to mood states, wherein mild levels of dysthymia are associated with reduced over-estimation of functioning; this finding appears to be stronger in females than in males. In this study, we examine depression, gender, and psychiatric diagnoses as predictors of self-reported everyday functioning. Methods 372 subjects were enrolled in this study, including 218 with SCZ and 154 healthy controls. Participants self-reported their everyday social functioning using the 31-item Specific Level of Functioning (SLOF) scale. All participants self-reported their depression with the BDI and their impressions of their social cognitive ability on the Observable Social Cognition Rating Scale (OSCAR). The resulting data was analyzed using linear regression models, predicting self-reported social functioning and social cognition with sex, diagnosis, and self-reported depression. Results 64% of subjects were male and 36% were female. Schizophrenia patients reported more depression, poorer social functioning, and worse social cognition. Linear regression analyses revealed a significant correlation between self-reported social functioning and scores on the BDI: R2=.23. BDI scores also predicted self-reported social cognition on the OSCARS: R2=.30. There was no significant effect of sex on either self-reported social functioning or social cognition. Diagnosis accounted for 6% of the variance in OSCARS scores, but none for self-reported social functioning when depression was accounted for. Finally, when both the BDI and OSCARS were added to diagnosis and sex to predict self-reported social functioning, both depression, R2=.23, and OSCARS scores, R2=.06 predicted self-reported social functioning, with no impact of diagnosis or sex. Discussion Self-reported interpersonal functioning is largely determined by levels of depression, with these influences being more important than sex or diagnosis of schizophrenia. Both healthy people and people with schizophrenia judge their social functioning by their level of depression, with the impact of sex not being statistically significant

Systematic Review of the Link Between Social Cognition and Suicidal Ideation and Behavior in People With Serious Mental Illness.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: People with serious mental illness (SMI; psychotic and affective disorders with psychosis) are at an increased risk of suicide, yet there is limited research on the correlates of suicide in SMI. Social cognitive impairments are common among people with SMI and several studies have examined social cognition and suicidal ideation (SI) and behavior. This systematic review aims to evaluate the links between various domains of social cognition, SI, and suicidal behavior in SMI. STUDY DESIGN: Electronic databases (PubMed and PsycInfo) were searched through June 2023. Records obtained through this search (N = 618) were screened by 2 independent reviewers according to inclusion criteria. Relevant data were extracted, and study quality was assessed. STUDY RESULTS: Studies (N = 16) from 12 independent samples were included in the systematic review (N = 2631, sample sizes ranged from N = 20 to N = 593). Assessments of social cognition and SI and behavior varied widely between studies. Broadly, effects were mixed. Better emotion recognition of negative affect was linked to SI and a history of suicide attempts, though there is little consistent evidence for the relationship of emotion recognition and SI or behavior. On the other hand, better theory of mind ability was linked to SI and a history of suicide attempts. Furthermore, negative attributional bias was linked to current SI, but not a history of SI or attempt. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests mixed associations between social cognition, SI, and behavior in SMI. Future research should evaluate additional mediators and moderators of social cognition and suicide, employing prospective designs

Depression predicts self assessment of social function in both patients with schizophrenia and healthy people

Background Impairments in social functioning are central to Schizophrenia (SCZ). Patients with SCZ have challenges in the ability to evaluate their functioning. A correlate of self-assessments in SCZ is depression, wherein negligible depression predicts overestimation. Healthy individuals misestimate their functioning, but mild dysthymia predicts accuracy. We examined depression, gender, and schizophrenia as predictors of self-reported everyday functioning. Methods 218 people with SCZ and 154 healthy controls self-reported their social functioning. They self-reported their depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and their social cognitive ability on the Observable Social Cognition Rating Scale (OSCARS). Results 64% of subjects were male. Schizophrenia patients reported more depression, poorer social functioning, and worse social cognition. Linear regression analyses revealed significant correlations between self-reported social functioning and BDI scores, which also predicted self-reported social cognition. There was no significant effect of sex on self-reports of social functioning or social cognition. Finally, when BDI and OSCARS were directly compared to diagnosis and sex for prediction of self-reported social functioning, there was no impact of diagnosis or sex. Implications Self-reported interpersonal functioning is determined by current depression. Both healthy people and people with schizophrenia index their social functioning and their social cognitive by their level of depression

Childhood trauma and real-world social experiences in psychosis

Background : Childhood trauma is associated with a variety of negative outcomes in psychosis, but it is unclear clear if childhood trauma affects day-to-day social experiences. We aimed to examine the association between childhood trauma and functional and structural characteristics of real-world social relationships in psychosis. Methods : Participants with psychotic disorders or affective disorders with psychosis completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) over ten days (N = 209). Childhood trauma was assessed retrospectively using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Associations between childhood trauma and EMA-assessed social behavior and perceptions were examined using linear mixed models. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and psychotic and depressive symptom severity. Results : Higher levels of childhood trauma were associated with more perceived threat (B = −0.19, 95 % CI [−0.33, −0.04]) and negative self-perception (B = −0.18, 95 % CI [−0.34, −0.01]) during recent social interactions, as well as reduced social motivation (B = −0.29, 95 % CI [−0.47, −0.10]), higher desire for social avoidance (B = 0.34, 95 % CI [0.14, 0.55]), and lower sense of belongingness (B = −0.24, 95 % CI [−0.42, −0.06]). These negative social perceptions were mainly linked with emotional abuse and emotional neglect. In addition, paranoia was more strongly associated with negative social perceptions in individuals with high versus low levels of trauma. Childhood trauma was not associated with frequency (i.e., time spent alone) or type of social interactions. Conclusion : Childhood trauma – particularly emotional abuse and neglect – is associated with negative social perceptions but not frequency of real-world social interactions. Our findings suggest that childhood trauma may affect day-to-day social experiences beyond its association with psychosis

Adaptation to seasonal reproduction and environment-associated factors drive temporal and spatial differentiation in northwest Atlantic herring despite gene flow

Understanding how marine organisms adapt to local environments is crucial for predicting how populations will respond to global climate change. The genomic basis, environmental factors and evolutionary processes involved in local adaptation are however not well understood. Here we use Atlantic herring, an abundant, migratory and widely distributed marine fish with substantial genomic resources, as a model organism to evaluate local adaptation. We examined genomic variation and its correlation with environmental variables across a broad environmental gradient, for 15 spawning aggregations in Atlantic Canada and the United States. We then compared our results with available genomic data of northeast Atlantic populations. We confirmed that population structure lies in a fraction of the genome including likely adaptive genetic variants of functional importance. We discovered 10 highly differentiated genomic regions distributed across four chromosomes. Nine regions show strong association with seasonal reproduction. One region, corresponding to a known inversion on chromosome 12, underlies a latitudinal pattern discriminating populations north and south of a biogeographic transition zone on the Scotian Shelf. Genome-environment associations indicate that winter seawater temperature best correlates with the latitudinal pattern of this inversion. The variation at two so-called 'islands of divergence' related to seasonal reproduction appear to be private to the northwest Atlantic. Populations in the northwest and northeast Atlantic share variation at four of these divergent regions, simultaneously displaying significant diversity in haplotype composition at another four regions, which includes an undescribed structural variant approximately 7.7 Mb long on chromosome 8. Our results suggest that the timing and geographic location of spawning and early development may be under diverse selective pressures related to allelic fitness across environments. Our study highlights the role of genomic architecture, ancestral haplotypes and selection in maintaining adaptive divergence in species with large population sizes and presumably high gene flow

mass.gov/marinefisheries POTYEAR 2010 Mid-Year Progress Report 2 Participants

Names in bold played a key role in project design and implementation. Major Accomplishments and Milestones Field work for the project was completed in the first half of 2011. Data analysis during the reporting period primarily consisted of exploration of bottom temperature data collected by temperature probes on each pot. As part of this exploration, reported pot locations were also examined and corrected where necessary. The Generalized Linear Mixed Model analysis was revised and recalculated. The primary activity was preparation and delivery of a presentation and manuscript to a Theme Session at the ICES Annual Science Conference. A copy of this report