A survey of risk and threat assessors: Processes, skills, and characteristics in terrorism risk assessment

Threat and risk assessment have become an integral part of counterterrorism strategies. This process currently relies heavily on the judgment of professionals, who play a vital role in a potentially high-stakes environment. However, thus far, little research focuses on the professionals themselves. This study provides insight into the experiences and opinions of professional threat and risk assessors, particularly regarding how they conduct terrorism risk assessments, their expectations for training, and the experience and characteristics of those that conduct them. An online survey solicited quantitative and qualitative responses from a sample of 41 professional threat assessors. The findings highlight that the training and experience required differ greatly across different disciplines involved, and the importance of considering the context in which threat and risk assessment takes place. These findings also highlight cognitive abilities and personality characteristics that may be desirable for risk assessors in this context, and provide avenues for further research to examine the role of these factors in risk assessment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved

Prescient, inconsistent, and ignorant: Commentary on the Dispensation of dynamite

Comments on the article The Dispensation of Dynamite (1883, March 16) (see record 2018-63621-005). The Dispensation of Dynamite (1883, March 16) is equal parts prescient, inconsistent, ignorant, and devoid of true context. The authors try to contextualize aspects of Dispensation’s reporting, add some correctives to erroneous aspects, and draw upon contemporary debates within terrorism studies, as well as recent terrorist attacks. Dispensation reports the day after coordinated

Does cognitive inflexibility predict violent extremist behaviour intentions? A registered direct replication report of Zmigrod et al., 2019

Purpose: Zmigrod et al. (2019a, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 989) demonstrated that lower levels of cognitive flexibility predict a higher willingness to fight and die for the national in-group. We conducted a registered direct replication of their Study 1. Extending the original study, we examined whether the documented relationship held when a self-report measure for cognitive flexibility was introduced and when identity fusion was controlled for. We also investigated whether cognitive inflexibility predicts normative pro-group behaviour intentions. // Methods: Participants (N = 1378) reported in a cross-sectional survey study their willingness to fight, die and sacrifice themselves for the in-group and completed the Remote Associates (RAT) as and Wisconsin Card Sorting (WCST) tests. Afterwards, self-reported cognitive flexibility, identity fusion and normative pro-group behaviour intentions were assessed. // Results: Results showed a small negative relationship between RAT accuracy rates and willingness to fight and die. WCST accuracy rates were positively related with willingness to die but not correlated with willingness to fight. Self-report measures of cognitive flexibility were partially positively and partially negatively associated with support for violent extremism. There was further evidence that lower cognitive flexibility predicts higher normative pro-group behaviour intentions. A mini meta-analysis, which synthesized findings from the original study and our replication, demonstrated a relatively small negative correlation between cognitive flexibility and support for violent extremism. // Conclusions: In summary, even though not all individual results could be replicated, we confirmed the overall conclusion of the original study: lower cognitive flexibility predicted stronger willingness to fight and die for an in-group. The findings highlight that it is important to integrate cognitive style in multi-level frameworks of risk factors of violent extremism. Additionally, our results point out that the validity of different measures of cognitive flexibility, including self-report tools, must be further examined. Future research that evaluates cognitive flexibility training in the context of CVE/PVE interventions is also encouraged

The Base Rate Study: Developing Base Rates for Risk Factors and Indicators for Engagement in Violent Extremism

Improvements have been made in identifying the prevalence of risk factors/indicators for violent extremism. A consistent problem is the lack of base rates. How to develop base rates is of equal concern. This study has two aims: (i) compare two methods for developing base rates; the Unmatched Count Technique (UCT) and direct questioning, (ii) generate base rates in a general population sample and compare these to a sample of lone‐actor terrorists (n = 125). We surveyed 2108 subjects from the general population. Participants were recruited from an online access panel and randomly assigned to one of three conditions; direct survey, control, or UCT. Survey items were based on a lone‐actor terrorist codebook developed from the wider literature. Direct questioning was more suitable under our study conditions where UCT resulted in deflation effects. Comparing the base rates identified a number of significant differences: (i) lone‐actor terrorists demonstrated propensity indicators related to a cognitive susceptibility, and a crime‐ and/or violence‐supportive morality more often; the general sample demonstrated protective factors more often, (ii) lone‐actor terrorists demonstrated situational indicators related to a crime‐ and/or violence‐supportive morality more often, whereas the general sample experienced situational stressors more often, (iii) lone‐actor terrorists demonstrated indicators related to exposure to extremism more often. Results suggest there are measurable differences in the prevalence of risk factors between lone‐actor terrorists and the general population. However, no single factor “predicts” violent extremism. This bears implications for our understanding of the interrelation of risk and protective factors, and for the risk assessment of violent extremism

Molecular epidemiology of Hepatitis B virus genotypes in Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Eight genotypes of Hepatitis B virus designated A-H, have been known but in Pakistan, no such data is available on the prevalent HBV genotypes. Therefore, the subject study was conducted to determine HBV genotypes in the indigenous Pakistani population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 690 individuals were enrolled for HBV screening with EIA and nested PCR. Positive samples were further analyzed to determine HBV genotypes (A-F) by multiplex-PCR using type specific primers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>110 (15.94%) individuals were positive for HBV, including 64% males and 36% females. Out of these, 66 samples (65.34%) were classified into genotype D, 27 (26.73%) were of genotype B while 5(4.95%) had genotype A. In 3 (2.98%) samples, multiple genotypes were detected (genotype A+B; 2(1.99%) and genotypes B+D; 1(0.99%). Nine (8.18%) samples remained untyable.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In Asia, genotypes B and C are the most prevalent but our study reveals that genotype D is predominant and HBV infection constitutes a significant health problem in Pakistan.</p

18^{18}F-Fluoride and 18^{18}F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography After Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Ischemic Stroke: Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Combined positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) can assess both anatomy and biology of carotid atherosclerosis. We sought to assess whether $^{18}$F-fluoride or $^{18}$F-fluorodeoxyglucose can identify culprit and high-risk carotid plaque. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed $^{18}$F-fluoride and $^{18}$F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in 26 patients after recent transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke: 18 patients with culprit carotid stenosis awaiting carotid endarterectomy and 8 controls without culprit carotid atheroma. We compared standardized uptake values in the clinically adjudicated culprit to the contralateral asymptomatic artery, and assessed the relationship between radiotracer uptake and plaque phenotype or predicted cardiovascular risk (ASSIGN score [Assessing Cardiovascular Risk Using SIGN Guidelines to Assign Preventive Treatment]). We also performed micro PET/CT and histological analysis of excised plaque. On histological and micro PET/CT analysis, $^{18}$F-fluoride selectively highlighted microcalcification. Carotid $^{18}$F-fluoride uptake was increased in clinically adjudicated culprit plaques compared with asymptomatic contralateral plaques (log$_{10}$ standardized uptake value$_{mean}$ 0.29±0.10 versus 0.23±0.11, P=0.001) and compared with control patients (log$_{10}$ standardized uptake value$_{mean}$ 0.29±0.10 versus 0.12±0.11, P=0.001). $^{18}$F-Fluoride uptake correlated with high-risk plaque features (remodeling index [r=0.53, P=0.003], plaque burden [r=0.51, P=0.004]), and predicted cardiovascular risk [r=0.65, P=0.002]). Carotid $^{18}$F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake appeared to be increased in 7 of 16 culprit plaques, but no overall differences in uptake were observed in culprit versus contralateral plaques or control patients. However, $^{18}$F-fluorodeoxyglucose did correlate with predicted cardiovascular risk (r=0.53, P=0.019), but not with plaque phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: $^{18}$F-Fluoride PET/CT highlights culprit and phenotypically high-risk carotid plaque. This has the potential to improve risk stratification and selection of patients who may benefit from intervention.Dr Vesey and the study were funded by program grants from the British Heart Foundation (PG12/8/29371) and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (R13/A147). Dr Jenkins, Vesey, Dweck, and Newby are supported by the British Heart Foundation (FS/14/78/31020, CH/09/002) and the Wellcome Trust (WT103782AIA). Dr Dweck is the recipient of the Sir Jules Thorn Biomedical Research Award 2015. The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility and the Clinical Research Imaging Centre are supported by National Health Service (NHS) Research Scotland (NRS) through NHS Lothian. Dr Beek is supported by the Scottish Imaging Network—a Platform of Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE). Dr Rudd is part-supported by the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, the British Heart Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust

Persistent Expression of Hepatitis C Virus Non-Structural Proteins Leads to Increased Autophagy and Mitochondrial Injury in Human Hepatoma Cells

HCV infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the United States. To address the pathogenesis caused by HCV infection, recent studies have focused on the direct cytopathic effects of individual HCV proteins, with the objective of identifying their specific roles in the overall pathogenesis. However, this approach precludes examination of the possible interactions between different HCV proteins and organelles. To obtain a better understanding of the various cytopathic effects of and cellular responses to HCV proteins, we used human hepatoma cells constitutively replicating HCV RNA encoding either the full-length polyprotein or the non-structural proteins, or cells constitutively expressing the structural protein core, to model the state of persistent HCV infection and examined the combination of various HCV proteins in cellular pathogenesis. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the mitochondria, mitochondrial injury and degeneration, and increased lipid accumulation were common among all HCV protein-expressing cells regardless of whether they expressed the structural or non-structural proteins. Expression of the non-structural proteins also led to increased oxidative stress in the cytosol, membrane blebbing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and accumulation of autophagocytic vacuoles. Alterations of cellular redox state, on the other hand, significantly changed the level of autophagy, suggesting a direct link between oxidative stress and HCV-mediated activation of autophagy. With the wide-spread cytopathic effects, cells with the full-length HCV polyprotein showed a modest antioxidant response and exhibited a significant increase in population doubling time and a concomitant decrease in cyclin D1. In contrast, cells expressing the non-structural proteins were able to launch a vigorous antioxidant response with up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes. The population doubling time and cyclin D1 level were also comparable to that of control cells. Finally, the cytopathic effects of core protein appeared to focus on the mitochondria without remarkable disturbances in the cytosol

Final 5-year findings from the phase 3 HELIOS study of ibrutinib plus bendamustine and rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma

We report final analysis outcomes from the phase 3 HELIOS study (NCT01611090). Patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma without deletion 17p (n = 578) were randomized 1:1 to 420 mg daily ibrutinib or placebo plus <= 6 cycles of bendamustine plus rituximab (BR), followed by ibrutinib or placebo alone. Median follow-up was 63.7 months. Median investigator-assessed progression-free survival was longer with ibrutinib plus BR (65.1 months) than placebo plus BR (14.3 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.229 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.183-0.286];p < .0001). Despite crossover of 63.3% of patients from the placebo plus BR arm to ibrutinib treatment upon disease progression, ibrutinib plus BR versus placebo plus BR demonstrated an overall survival benefit (HR 0.611 [95% CI 0.455-0.822];p = .0010; median not reached in either arm). Long-term follow-up data confirm the survival benefit of ibrutinib plus BR over BR alone. Safety profiles were consistent with those known for ibrutinib and BR

The evolutionary significance of polyploidy

Polyploidy, or the duplication of entire genomes, has been observed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and in somatic and germ cells. The consequences of polyploidization are complex and variable, and they differ greatly between systems (clonal or non-clonal) and species, but the process has often been considered to be an evolutionary 'dead end'. Here, we review the accumulating evidence that correlates polyploidization with environmental change or stress, and that has led to an increased recognition of its short-term adaptive potential. In addition, we discuss how, once polyploidy has been established, the unique retention profile of duplicated genes following whole-genome duplication might explain key longer-term evolutionary transitions and a general increase in biological complexity