Response Mapping in Evaluative Priming

Recently, Scherer and Lambert: 2009) proposed a new model of priming, which they called the Response Mapping: RM) Model. That model assumes that under some circumstances, priming effects are the result of an unintentional tendency for participants to impose the target categorization task onto the primes: which they are supposed to ignore). In the present dissertation, the RM model is reviewed, and the implications and boundary conditions of the model are explored. In Experiments 1 and 2, it was predicted and found that response mapping processes can result in evaluative conditioning effects. That is, priming tasks do not always simply measure attitudes, but rather these tasks can additionally create new attitudes towards the prime stimuli. In Experiments 3 and 4, two boundary conditions of the RM model were tested. In those experiments, it was found that evaluative priming effects depend on participants\u27 ability to perceive the primes as belonging to distinct categories: boundary condition 1), and that those distinct categories must have different evaluative connotations: boundary condition 2). Importantly, results showed that priming effects are significantly stronger when primes are easily categorizable, relative to when they are not, even when the evaluative strength of the primes is held constant. Implications for theory and research involving priming measures and implicit attitudes more generally are discussed

Fermion-induced quantum criticality in two-dimensional Dirac semimetals: Non-perturbative flow equations, fixed points and critical exponents

We establish a scenario where fluctuations of new degrees of freedom at a quantum phase transition change the nature of a transition beyond the standard Landau-Ginzburg paradigm. To this end we study the quantum phase transition of gapless Dirac fermions coupled to a $\mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetric order parameter within a Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model in 2+1 dimensions, appropriate for the Kekul\'e transition in honeycomb lattice materials. For this model the standard Landau-Ginzburg approach suggests a first order transition due to the symmetry-allowed cubic terms in the action. At zero temperature, however, quantum fluctuations of the massless Dirac fermions have to be included. We show that they reduce the putative first-order character of the transition and can even render it continuous, depending on the number of Dirac fermions $N_f$. A non-perturbative functional renormalization group approach is employed to investigate the phase transition for a wide range of fermion numbers. For the first time we obtain the critical $N_f$, where the nature of the transition changes. Furthermore, it is shown that for large $N_f$ the change from the first to second order of the transition as a function of dimension occurs exactly in the physical 2+1 dimensions. We compute the critical exponents and predict sizable corrections to scaling for $N_f =2$.Comment: 12+5 pages, 5 figure

Ground state phase diagram of the half-filled bilayer Hubbard model

Employing a combination of functional renormalization group calculations and projective determinantal quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we examine the Hubbard model on the square lattice bilayer at half filling. From this combined analysis, we obtain a comprehensive account on the ground state phase diagram with respect to the extent of the system's metallic and (antiferromagnetically ordered) Mott-insulating as well as band-insulating regions. By means of an unbiased functional renormalization group approach, we exhibit the antiferromagnetic Mott-insulating state as the relevant instability of the free metallic state, induced by any weak finite onsite repulsion. Upon performing a careful analysis of the quantum Monte Carlo data, we resolve the difficulty of identifying this antiferromagnetic ground state for finite interlayer hopping in the weak-coupling regime, where nonmonotonous finite-size corrections are shown to relate to the two-sheeted Fermi surface structure of the metallic phase. On the other hand, quantum Monte Carlo simulations are well suited to identify the transition between the Mott-insulating phase and the band insulator in the intermediate-to-strong coupling regime. Here, we compare our numerical findings to indications for the transition region obtained from the functional renormalization group procedure.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figure

Viabilidade de Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae e Mycoplasma hyorhinis em diferentes condições de cultivo

Micoplasmas estão difundidos pela natureza e são caracterizados por um genoma relativamente pequeno, baixo conteúdo GC e ausência de parede celular e de algumas rotas biossintéticas. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae é o agente etiológico da pneumonia enzoótica suína, capaz de colonizar o trato respiratório e seu crescimento in vitro, comparado com o de outros micoplasmas, é mais lento. Mycoplasma hyorhinis também é encontrado no trato respiratório de suínos. Devido à falta de algumas vias biossintéticas, micoplasmas são incapazes de sintetizar alguns nutrientes e componentes essenciais, sendo forçados a obtê-los do ambiente. Assim, um dos maiores empecilhos enfrentados na pesquisa e diagnóstico de micoplasma tem sido a dificuldade do cultivo in vitro. Portanto, o desenvolvimento de um meio de composição definida que sustente o crescimento celular serviria como uma ferramenta controladamente manipulável, permitindo a definição de suas vias metabólicas assim como análises genéticas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a viabilidade, taxa de crescimento e regulação gênica de M. hyopneumoniae e M. hyorhinis em diferentes meios de cultivo, assim como em diferentes condições de cultura. Neste trabalho, foi utilizado o meio Friis (1975) como meio complexo, e quatro meios definidos: (i) meio descrito para Mycoplasma pneumoniae por Yus et al. (2009); (ii) meio Yus sem adição de peptona; (iii) meio comercial CMRL e (iv) meio CMRL+ (complementado com lipídeos, aminoácidos e vitaminas). A viabilidade celular foi avaliada em todos os meios definidos e a taxa de crescimento de ambas as espécies nos cinco meios foi avaliada por citometria de fluxo. Os resultados demonstraram que a composição do meio influencia no crescimento da bactéria, uma vez que há diferença entre a concentração celular em cada meio testado. Entretanto, ambas as espécies apresentaram concentração celular semelhante em cada meio. Os resultados demonstram que, dentre os meios definidos testados, o meio CMRL+, desenvolvido no presente estudo, é o meio mais adequado, podendo ser considerado um meio de manutenção para estes microrganismos. Para a avaliação da regulação gênica através de qPCR, M. hyopneumoniae foi cultivado em meio Friis e CMRL+ sendo posteriormente submetido a condições de estresse (choque térmico e estresse oxidativo). Os resultados obtidos sugerem que M. hyopneumoniae altera seus níveis transcricionais mais rapidamente quando cultivado em meio CMRL+, provavelmente devido ao estresse duplo causado pela privação nutricional e estresse oxidativo ou choque térmico. Na condição de choque térmico, o tipo de regulação predominante diferiu entre os dois meios, enquanto que, quando submetido a estresse oxidativo, os genes apresentaram um padrão de regulação semelhante entre Friis e CMRL+. O meio de cultivo definido CMRL+ forneceu uma taxa de crescimento semelhante à do meio complexo Friis, e demonstrou presença de regulação gênica em M. hyopneumoniae em resposta à sua composição e às condições de estresse testadas. Portanto, este meio pode ser usado como uma ferramenta para o avanço da pesquisa com Mycoplasma.Mycoplasmas are widespread in nature, and are characterized by a relative small genome, low GC content, absence of cell wall and lack of some biosynthetic pathways. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the infective agent of enzootic pneumonia in swine, able to colonize the respiratory tract. Its growth is slower than other porcine mycoplasmas. Mycoplasma hyorhinis f y y . Ty y, ’ f mycoplasma that grows in culture, and its presence can frequently prevent the isolation of other Mycoplasma spp. Due to the lack of some biosynthetic pathways, mycoplasmas are incapable of synthesize some nutrients and essential compounds, being forced to obtain from the environment. Therefore, the major impediment to Mycoplasma research and laboratory diagnosis has been the difficulty of in vitro cultivation. Thus, the development of a defined medium that support mycoplasma growth would provide a tool that can be controllably manipulated to enable the definition of mycoplasmal metabolic pathways as well as genetic analysis. The aim of this work was to analyze viability, growth rate and gene regulation of M. hyopneumoniae and M. hyorhinis in different culture media, and cultivation conditions. In this work, we used Friss broth (1975) as a complex medium, and four different defined media: (i) a medium described for M. pneumoniae by Yus et al. (2009), (ii) defined Yus medium without peptone, (iii) commercial medium CMRL and (iv) CMRL+ medium (supplemented with lipids, amino acids and vitamins). All the defined media were tested towards cell viability and the growth rate of both species in the five media was assessed, through flow cytometry assay comparing between them. The results from flow cytometry assay showed that the composition of the media influences the bacterial growth, once cell concentration in each of the tested media was different. However, both species presented similar cell concentration in each media. The results demonstrate that, amongst the defined media tested, CMRL+ broth, developed in this study, b , g ’ y b . To gene regulation assessment, M. hyopneumoniae was cultivated in Friis and CMRL+ and underwent two stress conditions (heat shock and oxidative stress). Results suggest that M. hyopneumoniae alters the transcriptional levels of some genes more promptly when cultivated in CMRL+ broth, probably due to the dual stress caused by the combination of nutrients deprivation in CMRL+ broth plus heat shock or oxidative stress. In the heat shock condition, the prevailing kind of regulation differed between the two media, while when submitted to oxidative stress, genes presented similar pattern of regulation between Friis and CMRL+. CMRL+ medium provided a growth rate resembling the complex broth and M. hyopneumoniae showed to have gene expression regulation in response to its composition and to the culture conditions tested. Thus, it can be used as a tool that can be controllably manipulated enabling the definition of mycoplasmal nutritional requirements and metabolic pathways as well as genetic analysis, such as gene regulation

Linking country level food supply to global land and water use and biodiversity impacts : The case of Finland

The agricultural products consumed in Finland are increasingly grown on foreign farms. We analyze the Finnish imports of food and feed crops from 1986 to 2011 by products and by their geographic origin drawing a link to environmental impacts. The share of foreign crops consumed in Finland nearly doubled in the study period. The imports increased especially with commodities that could also be produced domestically. While the production of food increasingly shifted abroad, also the exports from Finland increased. >90% of the blue water of the Finnish crop supply came from foreignwater resources. Wemap the results of land and water use together with their impacts on global biodiversity, and show thatmost of the land and water use related biodiversity impacts (>93%) associated with the Finnish food consumption are related to the imports and therefore taken place outside the Finnish borders. The use ofmultiple environmental indicators can help identifying products and spatial hotspots associated with themost severe environmental impacts of the Finnish crop imports contributing to a more holistic decision-making and the promoting of sustainable food consumption both domestically and globally. (C) 2016 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Changes in Clinical Trials Methodology Over Time: A Systematic Review of Six Decades of Research in Psychopharmacology

Background: There have been many changes in clinical trials methodology since the introduction of lithium and the beginning of the modern era of psychopharmacology in 1949. The nature and importance of these changes have not been fully addressed to date. As methodological flaws in trials can lead to false-negative or false-positive results, the objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of methodological changes in psychopharmacology clinical research over the past 60 years. Methodology/Principal Findings: We performed a systematic review from 1949 to 2009 on MEDLINE and Web of Science electronic databases, and a hand search of high impact journals on studies of seven major drugs (chlorpromazine, clozapine, risperidone, lithium, fluoxetine and lamotrigine). All controlled studies published 100 months after the first trial were included. Ninety-one studies met our inclusion criteria. We analyzed the major changes in abstract reporting, study design, participants' assessment and enrollment, methodology and statistical analysis. Our results showed that the methodology of psychiatric clinical trials changed substantially, with quality gains in abstract reporting, results reporting, and statistical methodology. Recent trials use more informed consent, periods of washout, intention-to-treat approach and parametric tests. Placebo use remains high and unchanged over time. Conclusions/Significance: Clinical trial quality of psychopharmacological studies has changed significantly in most of the aspects we analyzed. There was significant improvement in quality reporting and internal validity. These changes have increased study efficiency; however, there is room for improvement in some aspects such as rating scales, diagnostic criteria and better trial reporting. Therefore, despite the advancements observed, there are still several areas that can be improved in psychopharmacology clinical trials