A Culture on a Loop: Baltimore

Police brutality has been at the fore front of American consciousness for almost a decade now. Numerous African Americans all over the country, both male and female, have lost their lives in situations where that end result was not justified. In response to each of these individual tragic events, peaceful protests rose up to demand for justice. After the death of Freddie Gray in April of 2015, however, Baltimore had a more aggressive response to the loss of one of their native sons. An initial peaceful protest turned into riot that raged through the streets of Baltimore for a series of days. This expression was condemned almost universally by the media, with little effort in attempting to understand what was being said. As evidenced through the expression of the people’s frustration, it was clear that Baltimore has had tension building up between citizens and police dating back all the way to the early 1900s. When Baltimore’s history, the Moynihan Report, and the Kerner Commission Report are all examined together, they tell a history of oppression that have caused the suffering of African Americans in many cities all over the country. Until this systemic racism is rid of, these communities and populations will continue to live on their loop

“I’m the Oldest New Archaeologist in Town”: The Intellectual Evolution of Lewis R. Binford

Lewis R. Binford was a hugely significant figure in the archaeology of the 20th century. His prolific publications invigorated the role of anthropology in archaeology, and pioneered the development of processualism, scientific archaeology, middle range theory, ethnoarchaeology, hunter–gatherer studies, and the use of global scales of analysis in constructing conceptual frameworks for understanding the organization and evolution of cultural systems. In this issue, two of Binford’s most important contributions – middle range research and the construction of frames of reference – are brought into new relevance with case studies that span time from the Middle Pleistocene to modern-day traditional communities, and global regions from the sub-arctic and temperate to the desert and the tropics. The concluding article considers in detail what makes a truly influential archaeologist in today’s society

Turning the Knots in Your Stomach into Bows: Reappraising Arousal Improves Performance on the GRE

This research examined the benefits of interpreting physiological arousal as a challenge response on practice and actual Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Participants who were preparing to take the GRE reported to the laboratory for a practice GRE study. Participants assigned to a reappraisal condition were told arousal improves performance, whereas control participants were not given this information. We collected saliva samples at baseline and after the appraisal manipulation, which were then assayed for salivary alpha amylase (sAA), a measure of sympathetic nervous system activation. Reappraisal participants exhibited a significant increase in sAA and outperformed controls on the GRE-math section. One to three months later, participants returned to the lab and provided their score reports from their actual GRE. Again, reappraisal participants scored higher than controls on the GRE-math section. These findings illuminate the powerful influence appraisal has on physiology and performance both in and out of the laboratory.Psycholog

Performance of diagnostic tests to detect respiratory viruses in older adults.

The performance of 4 laboratory methods for diagnosis of viral respiratory tract infections (RTI) in older adults was evaluated. Seventy-four nasopharyngeal (NP) swab specimens were obtained from 60 patients with RTI at a long-term care facility over 2 respiratory seasons. Sixteen specimens were positive for a respiratory virus by at least 1 method. Multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) by the Luminex xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) detected 16 (100%) of the positive specimens, RVP of 24-h culture supernatant detected 8 (50%), direct fluorescent antibody testing detected 4 (25%), rapid culture detected 2 (12.5%), and rapid antigen testing detected none. For a comparison group, RVP was performed on NP swabs from 20 outpatient children with RTI. The mean fluorescence intensity by RVP was significantly lower for positive adult patients than pediatric patients (P = 0.0373). Our data suggest that older adult patients shed lower titers of viruses, necessitating a highly sensitive assay such as RT-PCR to reliably detect respiratory viral pathogens

Colectivo LasTesis: Cuerpo, calle y movilidad

This article focuses on the feminist performance of the LasTesis Collective and its famous: “A rapist in your path.” The objective is to discover the connections and above all the composite assemblage between performance with feminist influence, the body as a performative tool and public space as the ideal place to make visible the denunciation and awareness of gender violence. In this way, performance, body and street become a combination of elements that seeks to confront the State. Artivists (artist-activists) adapt these performative acts to address social problems such as violence against women and feminicide. With a vision in mind, LasTesis gives a defined purpose to their performance, incorporating the feminist anthem: “A rapist in your path” with the intention of giving women a platform to overcome fear and denounce acts of gender violence.Este artículo se enfoca en la performance feminista del Colectivo LasTesis y su famoso: “Un violador en tu camino”. El objetivo es descubrir las conexiones y sobre todo el ensamblaje compuesto entre performance con influencia feminista, el cuerpo como herramienta performática y el espacio público como el lugar ideal para visibilizar la denuncia y concienciación sobre la violencia de género. De este modo, performance, cuerpo y calle se convierten en una amalgama de elementos que busca confrontar al Estado. Las artivistas (artistas-activistas) adaptan estos actos performáticos para abordar problemas sociales como la violencia contra la mujer y el feminicidio. Con una visión en mente, LasTesis le da un propósito definido a su performance, incorporando el himno feminista: “Un violador en tu camino” con la intención de brindar a las mujeres una plataforma para superar el temor y denunciar los actos de violencia de género

A Metacognitive Perspective on the Cognitive Deficits Experienced in Intellectually Threatening Environments

Three studies tested the hypothesis that negative metacognitive interpretations of anxious arousal under stereotype threat create cognitive deficits in intellectually threatening environments. Study 1 showed that among minority and White undergraduates, anxiety about an intelligence test predicted lower working memory when participants were primed with doubt as compared to confidence. Study 2 replicated this pattern with women and showed it to be unique to intellectually threatening environments. Study 3 used emotional reappraisal as an individual difference measure of the tendency to metacognitively reinterpret negative emotions and found that when sympathetic activation was high (indexed by salivary alpha-amylase), women who tended to reappraise negative feelings performed better in math and felt less self-doubt than those low in reappraisal. Overall, findings highlight how metacognitive interpretations of affect can undermine cognitive efficiency under stereotype threat and offer implications for the situational and individual difference variables that buffer people from these effects.Psycholog

Respiratory syncytial virus outbreak in a long-term care facility detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction: an argument for real-time detection methods.

ObjectivesTo report an outbreak of respiratory synctyial virus (RSV) in a long-term care facility (LTCF) during ongoing routine respiratory illness surveillance.DesignRapid antigen testing, viral culture, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) testing, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for up to 15 viruses in symptomatic residents and chart review.SettingA 120-bed LTCF.MeasurementsComparison of rapid antigen testing, respiratory viral cultures, and DFA testing and RT-PCR in residents with symptoms of a respiratory tract infection.ResultsTwenty-two of 52 residents developed symptoms of a respiratory tract infection between January 29, 2008, and February 26, 2008. RSV was detected using RT-PCR in seven (32%) of the 22 cases. None of the seven cases had positive RSV rapid antigen testing, and only two had positive culture or DFA results. This outbreak occurred during a time when state wide RSV rates were rapidly declining. One patient was admitted to the hospital during the infection and subsequently died.ConclusionRSV may cause outbreaks in LTCFs that traditional diagnostic methods do not detect. RT-PCR can provide a more timely and accurate diagnosis of outbreaks, which allows for early symptomatic treatment, rational use of antibiotics, and improved infection control

Vicarious Shame and Guilt

Participants recalled instances when they felt vicariously ashamed or guilty for another’s wrongdoing and rated their appraisals of the event and resulting motivations. The study tested aspects of social association that uniquely predict vicarious shame and guilt. Results suggest that the experience of vicarious shame and vicarious guilt are distinguishable. Vicarious guilt was predicted by one’s perceived interdependence with the wrongdoer (e.g. high interpersonal interaction), an appraisal of control over the event, and a motivation to repair the other person’s wrongdoing. Vicarious shame was predicted by the relevance of the event to a shared social identity with the wrongdoer, an appraisal of self-image threat, and a motivation to distance from the event. Implications for intergroup behavior and emotion are discussed