Digital Shame, Dehumanization, and Dismissal: An Analysis of Gender Policing

Introduction: The online performance of gender provides a unique glimpse at how individuals manipulate digital settings to reflect their engagement with their own gender performance and the gender performance of others. The majority of gender performance occurs subconsciously and is learned through repeated engagement with gendered expectations. However, the performativity of gender is brought to individuals’ consciousness when they are confronted with individuals who perform in a way that contrasts with previously held gender expectations. Transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals face frequent and often harsh gender policing that attacks them for their deviation from performances that are socially “acceptable.” Methods: An ethnographic research project was conducted by recording observations of individuals’ interaction with, and response to, gender performances on the NBC News Instagram feed. Particular instances where the performativity of gender becomes a conscious engagement for users were detailed, and their reactions to different performances of gender were analyzed. Results and Conclusion: Eleven posts with a collective 2,331 comments were analyzed throughout this research. An overwhelming majority of the comments observed implemented one of the three gender policing strategies outlined above. In the three comment sections with the least instances of gender policing, the rate of gender policing in the comments hovered around 50%, with roughly half of the comments utilizing one of the strategies of gender policing and the other half affirming the messages communicated by the post. For the other eight comment sections analyzed, comments that utilized gender policing strategies constituted roughly 75-80% of the comments. Across all eleven posts, 51 comments were utilized for a deeper analysis of the dynamics of gender policing online. While the three strategies of gender policing that will be discussed in this paper are by no means the only forms of gender policing observed on the NBC News Instagram feed, these strategies encompass a wide range of comments and appear the most frequently. Gender policing occurs as a defensive response to gender performances that subvert expectations and draw prominence to the performativity that gender is. When trying to attack someone for contrasting gendered expectations, there are three main ways to accomplish this: try to make them feel bad about their gender performance, warrant harm towards them as a consequence of the “offensiveness” of their gender performance, or label their gender performance as invalid. These three defense mechanisms translate into the shame strategy, the dehumanization strategy, and the dismissal strategy. Future studies should investigate how gender is policed and if these strategies are consistent across news platforms, regardless of political leaning. Additionally, future studies evaluate how gender policing on the Instagram pages of news sites compares to gender policing on personal Instagram pages

“Bringing Our Small, Imperfect Stones to the Pile”: The Everyday Work of Building a More Just World

In this conversation between Brittany Pearl Battle and Tamara K. Nopper (facilitated by Antonia Randolph), two sociologists who have been involved in a variety of social justice struggles (e.g. prison abolition, worker’s rights, Asian American rights), describe the everyday practices that make up struggles for social justice. They identify a spectrum of practices that individuals can do to bring about a more just world, while arguing that all practices towards justice do not constitute organizing or activism. Moreover, they describe the salience of their status as workers and women of color as structuring the ways they have pursued social change at different points in their lives. In so doing, they identify academia as a workplace rather than being an academic as a status as the salient force that shapes how they work to build a more just world. Ultimately, the article questions the usefulness of the designation scholar-activist, opting to recognize the unique role of activists in social change while affirming that we all bring what we can to struggles for justice

Multivariate analytical approaches for investigating brain-behavior relationships

BackgroundMany studies of brain-behavior relationships rely on univariate approaches where each variable of interest is tested independently, which does not allow for the simultaneous investigation of multiple correlated variables. Alternatively, multivariate approaches allow for examining relationships between psychopathology and neural substrates simultaneously. There are multiple multivariate methods to choose from that each have assumptions which can affect the results; however, many studies employ one method without a clear justification for its selection. Additionally, there are few studies illustrating how differences between methods manifest in examining brain-behavior relationships. The purpose of this study was to exemplify how the choice of multivariate approach can change brain-behavior interpretations.MethodWe used data from 9,027 9- to 10-year-old children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®) to examine brain-behavior relationships with three commonly used multivariate approaches: canonical correlation analysis (CCA), partial least squares correlation (PLSC), and partial least squares regression (PLSR). We examined the associations between psychopathology dimensions including general psychopathology, attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms, conduct problems, and internalizing symptoms with regional brain volumes.ResultsThe results of CCA, PLSC, and PLSR showed both consistencies and differences in the relationship between psychopathology symptoms and brain structure. The leading significant component yielded by each method demonstrated similar patterns of associations between regional brain volumes and psychopathology symptoms. However, the additional significant components yielded by each method demonstrated differential brain-behavior patterns that were not consistent across methods.ConclusionHere we show that CCA, PLSC, and PLSR yield slightly different interpretations regarding the relationship between child psychopathology and brain volume. In demonstrating the divergence between these approaches, we exemplify the importance of carefully considering the method’s underlying assumptions when choosing a multivariate approach to delineate brain-behavior relationships

The Presence of Hurthle Cells Does Not Increase the Risk of Malignancy in Most Bethesda Categories in Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspirates

Background: Hurthle cell/oncocytic change is commonly reported on thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and may be considered an atypical cell by clinicians. This study aims to delineate the association between Hurthle cells in preoperative cytology and subsequent pathology of the indexed thyroid nodule and to report rates of malignancy. Methods: Retrospective review of records of 300 patients with Hurthle cell/oncocytic change on FNA and final surgical pathology at a tertiary referral center between 2000 and 2013 was performed and compared with a multi-institutional FNA cohort. The degree of Hurthle cell presence was correlated with histopathologic diagnoses. Results: In the Hurthle cell FNA group, Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) categories were as follows: I (nondiagnostic) 14 (4.7%); II (benign) 113 (37.7%); III (atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance) 33 (11%); IV (follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm) 125 (41.6%); V (suspicious for malignancy) 12 (4%); and VI (malignant) 3 (1%). When categorized based on the degree of Hurthle cell change, 59 (29%) were classified as mild, 13 (6%) moderate, and 131 (65%) as predominant. When comparing the results with a multi-institutional FNA cohort (all with surgical confirmation), the presence of Hurthle cells was found to be associated with a lower risk of malignancy in all BSRTC categories, with a statistically significant difference in the BSRTC IV and V groups. The sole exception was when Hurthle cell presence was classified as predominant (defined as \u3e 75% of the cellular population); the rate of malignancy was significantly elevated in FNAs interpreted as benign/Bethesda II. Conclusions: Although Hurthle cells have been considered by clinicians as an atypical cell, their presence does not increase the risk of malignancy within BSRTC categories overall. However, when predominant Hurthle cell change is present, the risk of malignancy is increased in the benign cytology/BSRTC category II

Mapping potential pathways from polygenic liability through brain structure to psychological problems across the transition to adolescence

Background: We used a polygenic score for externalizing behavior (extPGS) and structural MRI to examine potential pathways from genetic liability to conduct problems via the brain across the adolescent transition. Methods: Three annual assessments of child conduct problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems, and internalizing problems were conducted across across 9-13 years of age among 4,475 children of European ancestry in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®). Results: The extPGS predicted conduct problems in each wave (R2 = 2.0%-2.9%). Bifactor models revealed that the extPRS predicted variance specific to conduct problems (R2 = 1.7%-2.1%), but also variance that conduct problems shared with other measured problems (R2 = .8%-1.4%). Longitudinally, extPGS predicted levels of specific conduct problems (R2 = 2.0%), but not their slope of change across age. The extPGS was associated with total gray matter volume (TGMV; R2 = .4%) and lower TGMV predicted both specific conduct problems (R2 = 1.7%-2.1%) and the variance common to all problems in each wave (R2 = 1.6%-3.1%). A modest proportion of the polygenic liability specific to conduct problems in each wave was statistically mediated by TGMV. Conclusions: Across the adolescent transition, the extPGS predicted both variance specific to conduct problems and variance shared by all measured problems. The extPGS also was associated with TGMV, which robustly predicted conduct problems. Statistical mediation analyses suggested the hypothesis that polygenic variation influences individual differences in brain development that are related to the likelihood of conduct problems during the adolescent transition, justifying new research to test this causal hypothesis.</p

VCA supercooling in a swine partial hindlimb model

International audienceVascularized composite allotransplantations are complex procedures with substantial functional impact on patients. Extended preservation of VCAs is of major importance in advancing this field. It would result in improved donor-recipient matching as well as the potential for ex vivo manipulation with gene and cell therapies. Moreover, it would make logistically feasible immune tolerance induction protocols through mixed chimerism. Supercooling techniques have shown promising results in multi-day liver preservation. It consists of reaching sub-zero temperatures while preventing ice formation within the graft by using various cryoprotective agents. By drastically decreasing the cell metabolism and need for oxygen and nutrients, supercooling allows extended preservation and recovery with lower ischemia-reperfusion injuries. This study is the first to demonstrate the supercooling of a large animal model of VCA. Porcine hindlimbs underwent 48 h of preservation at - 5 degrees C followed by recovery and normothermic machine perfusion assessment, with no issues in ice formation and favorable levels of injury markers. Our findings provide valuable preliminary results, suggesting a promising future for extended VCA preservation