The Influence of Facial Attractiveness on Imitation

People judge, evaluate, and treat attractive people better than moderately attractive or unattractive people (Langlois et al., 2000). The fact that individuals like attractive people combined with the finding that individuals imitate the ones they like, suggests that they may be more prone to imitate attractive people. The present research extends previous work on attractiveness and imitation by examining this hypothesis. Using a novel coloring procedure, we show that attractive females are imitated more than unattractive females (Experiment 1) and that attractive males are imitated more than unattractive males (Experiment 2). Importantly, this imitation occurs without any direct or anticipated contact with the target individual and without awareness of the influence of attractiveness on imitation behavior

The association of preoperative anxiety and depression with neurocognitive disorder following oncological surgery

Background: The proposed underlying mechanisms of anxiety and depression, and of postoperative neurocognitive disorder (NCD), each include immune system involvement. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the incidence of postoperative NCD 3 months after surgery among oncological patients undergoing surgery and to evaluate the role of preoperative anxiety and depression. Method: A consecutive series of patients (age ≥ 18 years) undergoing surgery for the removal of solid tumors were included (n = 218). Cognitive performance was assessed preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. Preoperative anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: NCD affected 12.3% of elderly patients (age ≥ 70 years, n = 57) at 3 months after surgery, with executive function mostly affected. By contrast, 8.4% of younger patients (age < 70 years, n = 107) were affected, with information processing speed mostly affected. Low educational attainment was a risk factor (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 1.9–19.0) of overall NCD, whereas preoperative anxiety was associated with decline in the domain of executive function. Conclusion: Postoperative NCD is a complication of oncological surgery for all adults instead of the elderly only. Preoperative anxiety was associated with an increased risk of executive function decline, and low educational attainment was a key factor for overall NCD

Helping Made Easy: Ease of Argument Generation Enhances Intentions to Help

Previous work has shown that self-generating arguments is more persuasive than reading arguments provided by others, particularly if self-generation feels easy. The present study replicates and extends these findings by providing evidence for fluency effects on behavioral intention in the realm of helping. In two studies, participants were instructed to either self-generate or read two versus ten arguments about why it is good to help. Subsequently, a confederate asked them for help. Results show that self-generating few arguments is more effective than generating many arguments. While this pattern reverses for reading arguments, easy self-generation is the most effective strategy compared to all other conditions. These results have important implications for fostering behavioral change in all areas of life

Remote Home Monitoring of Older Surgical Cancer Patients:Perspective on Study Implementation and Feasibility

BACKGROUND: Remote home monitoring might fill the perceived surveillance gap after hospital discharge. However, it is unclear whether older oncologic patients will be able to use the required new digital technologies. The study aimed to assess the feasibility of postoperative remote home monitoring for this population. METHODS: This observational cohort study recruited patients aged 65 years or older scheduled for oncologic surgery. The study patients used a mobile application and activity tracker preoperatively until 3 months postoperatively. A subset of the patients used additional devices (thermometer, blood pressure monitor, weight scale) and completed electronic health questionnaires 2 weeks after hospital discharge. Feasibility was assessed by the study completion rate, compliance in using components of the information technology system, acceptability [Net Promotor Score (NPS)] and usability [System Usability Scale (SUS)]. The NPS score varied from - 100 to + 100. An SUS higher than 68 was considered above average. RESULTS: Of 47 participants (mean age, 72 years; range, 65-85 years), 37 completed a follow-up assessment, yielding a completion rate of 79%. Compliance in using the activity tracker (n = 41) occurred a median of 81 days [interquartile range (IQR), 70-90 days] out of 90 post-discharge days. Compliance in measuring vital signs and completing health questionnaires varied from a median of 10.5 days (IQR, 4.5-14.0 days) to 12 days (IQR, 5-14 days) out of 14 days. The NPS was + 29.7%, and the mean SUS was 74.4 ± 19.3. CONCLUSION: Older oncologic patients in the study considered postoperative home monitoring acceptable and usable. Once they consented to participate, the patients were compliant, and the completion rate was high

The association between the inflammatory response to surgery and postoperative complications in older patients with cancer; a prospective prognostic factor study

BACKGROUND: Accurate prognostic biomarkers would substantially improve surgical planning and decisions making yet no studies have been reported exploring the inflammatory response in surgically treated older patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to explore inflammatory biomarkers as potential prognostic factors for postoperative complications within 30 days in older patients with cancer. METHOD: Patients 65 years and older undergoing surgery for removal of a solid malignant tumour were included in an observational cohort study. All complications occurring up to 30 days postoperatively were documented prospectively. Inflammatory markers were measured in plasma samples pre- and postoperatively: C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Associations between inflammatory markers and postoperative complications were explored using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Between July 2010 and April 2014, plasma samples of 224 patients were collected. Median age was 72 (65-89) years and 116 (51.8%) patients were female. Approximately half of the patients developed postoperative complications (49.6%) of whom 62 patients (55.9%) developed >1 complication. An independent prognostic effect was observed for the inflammatory biomarkers IL-6 and IL-10 for the occurrence of postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: The perioperative inflammatory response is associated with complications, independently from patient and surgical factors which are also associated with outcome. Research is warranted towards further exploration of the perioperative inflammatory response with the aim to improve perioperative care and outcome, and might help to improve surgical planning and decision making for older patients with cancer

Compromised intestinal integrity in older adults during daily activities:a pilot study

Abstract Background Malnutrition is a common and significant problem in older adults. Insight into factors underlying malnutrition is needed to develop strategies that can improve the nutritional status. Compromised intestinal integrity caused by gut wall hypoperfusion due to atherosclerosis of the mesenteric arteries in the aging gastrointestinal tract may adversely affect nutrient uptake. The presence of compromised intestinal integrity in older adults is not known. The aim of this study is to provide a proof-of-concept that intestinal integrity is compromised in older adults during daily activities. Methods Adults aged ≥75 years living independently without previous gastrointestinal disease or abdominal surgery were asked to complete a standardized walking test and to consume a standardized meal directly afterwards to challenge the mesenteric blood flow. Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) was measured as a plasma marker of intestinal integrity, in blood samples collected before (baseline) and after the walking test, directly after the meal, and every 15 min thereafter to 75 min postprandially. Results Thirty-four participants (median age 81 years; 56% female) were included. Of the participants, 18% were malnourished (PG-SGA score ≥ 4), and 32% were at risk of malnutrition (PG-SGA score, 2 or 3). An I-FABP increase of ≥50% from baseline was considered a meaningful loss of intestinal integrity and was observed in 12 participants (35%; 8 females; median age 80 years). No significant differences were observed in either baseline characteristics, walking test scores, or calorie/macronutrient intake between the groups with and without a ≥ 50% I-FABP peak. Conclusion This study is first to indicate that intestinal integrity is compromised during daily activities in a considerable part of older adults living independently

Fluorescence-Guided Visualization of Soft-Tissue Sarcomas by Targeting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A:A Phase 1 Single-Center Clinical Trial

Resection of soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is accompanied by a high rate of tumor-positive surgical margins (14%-34%), which potentially lead to decreased disease-free survival. Vascular endothelial growth factor A is overexpressed in malignant tumors, including STS, and can be targeted with bevacizumab-800CW during fluorescence-guided surgery for real-time tumor detection. In this phase 1 clinical trial, we determined the feasibility, safety, and optimal dose of bevacizumab-800CW for fluorescence-guided surgery in STS for in vivo and ex vivo tumor detection. Methods: Patients with a histopathologic diagnosis of STS were included. In the dose-escalation phase, patients received bevacizumab-800CW intravenously 3 d before surgery (10, 25, and 50 mg; n = 8). In the subsequent dose-expansion phase, 7 additional patients received bevacizumab800CW at the optimal dose. Fluorescence images were obtained in vivo and ex vivo during all stages of standard care. The optimal dose was determined by calculating in vivo and ex vivo tumor-to-background ratios (TBR) and correlating these results with histopathology. Results: Fifteen patients with STS completed this study. All tumors could be visualized during in vivo and ex vivo imaging. The optimal bevacizumab-800CW dose proved to be 10 mg, with a median in vivo TBR of 2.0 (+/- 0.58) and a median ex vivo TBR of 2.67 (+/- 1.6). All 7 tumor-positive margins could be observed in real time after surgical resection. Conclusion: GS using 10 mg of bevacizumab-800CW is feasible and safe for intraoperative imaging of STS, potentially allowing tumor detection and margin assessment during surgery. An additional follow-up phase 2 study is needed to confirm the diagnostic accuracy

Informal modernism - spontaneous building in Mexico City

Die überall aufragenden Betonstützen der unfertigen Selbstbau-Häuser sind in Mexiko-Stadt zum Symbol des spontanen Bauens geworden. Gleichzeitig haben die chaotischen Hüttensiedlungen längst einem routinierten Selbsthilfe-Städtebau Platz gemacht, der das Wohnungsproblem informell, aber gut organisiert und im großen Stil angeht. So kann man auch von einer improvisierten oder "informellen Moderne" sprechen, die sich die Menschen überall dort geschaffen haben, wo die formelle Stadtplanung und Wohnungsversorgung versagt oder auf halbem Wege stecken geblieben ist.The looming concrete columns of unfinished self-help-houses in Mexico City have become a symbol of spontaneous building worldwide. At the same time, the chaotic clusters of miserable huts have long since made way for a routinized self help urbanism, which approaches the housing problem informally, yet well organized and on a large scale. Thus one may speak of an improvised or "informal modernism" that people have created everywhere, where formal city planning and housing has either failed or gotten stuck midway

Improved imputation quality of low-frequency and rare variants in European samples using the ‘Genome of The Netherlands'

Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many common variants associated with complex traits, low-frequency and rare variants have not been interrogated in a comprehensive manner. Imputation from dense reference panels, such as the 1000 Genomes Project (1000G), enables testing of ungenotyped variants for association. Here we present the results of imputation using a large, new population-specific panel: the Genome of The Netherlands (GoNL). We benchmarked the performance of the 1000G and GoNL reference sets by comparing imputation genotypes with ‘true' genotypes typed on ImmunoChip in three European populations (Dutch, British, and Italian). GoNL showed significant improvement in the imputation quality for rare variants (MAF 0.05–0.5%) compared with 1000G. In Dutch samples, the mean observed Pearson correlation, r2, increased from 0.61 to 0.71. We also saw improved imputation accuracy for other European populations (in the British samples, r2 improved from 0.58 to 0.65, and in the Italians from 0.43 to 0.47). A combined reference set comprising 1000G and GoNL improved the imputation of rare variants even further. The Italian samples benefitted the most from this combined reference (the mean r2 increased from 0.47 to 0.50). We conclude that the creation of a large population-specific reference is advantageous for imputing rare variants and that a combined reference panel across multiple populations yields the best imputation results

WGS-based telomere length analysis in Dutch family trios implicates stronger maternal inheritance and a role for RRM1 gene

Telomere length (TL) regulation is an important factor in ageing, reproduction and cancer development. Genetic, hereditary and environmental factors regulating TL are currently widely investigated, however, their relative contribution to TL variability is still understudied. We have used whole genome sequencing data of 250 family trios from the Genome of the Netherlands project to perform computational measurement of TL and a series of regression and genome-wide association analyses to reveal TL inheritance patterns and associated genetic factors. Our results confirm that TL is a largely heritable trait, primarily with mother’s, and, to a lesser extent, with father’s TL having the strongest influence on the offspring. In this cohort, mother’s, but not father’s age at conception was positively linked to offspring TL. Age-related TL attrition of 40 bp/year had relatively small influence on TL variability. Finally, we have identified TL-associated variations in ribonuclease reductase catalytic subunit M1 (RRM1 gene), which is known to regulate telomere maintenance in yeast. We also highlight the importance of multivariate approach and the limitations of existing tools for the analysis of TL as a polygenic heritable quantitative trait