Arm Flexion, Arm Extension, and Motivational Responses to Feared Stimuli

People are highly motivated to approach attractive stimuli and to avoid noxious stimuli (e.g., Lang, Bradley, & Cuthbert, 1990; Schneirla, 1959. Approach of attractive stimuli (e.g., obtaining food, pursuit of sexual relations) and avoidance of noxious stimuli (e.g., defense against predatory threat) ensure continued survival, a basic goal of all living organisms. And yet, sometimes approach/avoidance behavior is maladaptive. For instance, individuals with intense fears of spiders experience strong avoidance motivation in spite of the relative harmlessness of most spiders. The research reported here evaluated whether a simple, easily executed bodily manipulation can dampen the strong avoidance motivation that typically results when a person is exposed to cues of a feared stimulus (e.g., Hamm, Cuthbert, Globisch, & Vaitl, 1997). Previous research in our laboratory (Thibodeau, 2011) and others (e.g., Cacioppo, Priester, & Berntson, 1993) suggests that the execution of simple actions normally associated with approach behavior (e.g., arm flexion, as when pulling attractive objects near) is sufficient, by itself, to elicit approach motivation. The current research explored whether spider- and snake-fearful undergraduates and non-fearful controls who were exposed to photographs of fear-relevant stimuli could diminish the size and strength of avoidance motives simply by concurrently engaging in an approach-related action. The startle probe (Lang et al., 1990) was used to index the strength of participants’ avoidance motives. METHOD Forty undergraduates participated in the study for course credit. Fearful participants (n = 24) obtained scores above 20 on self-report questionnaires measuring snake or spider fear (Klorman, Weerts, Hastings, Melamed, & Lang, 1974); controls (n = 16) obtained scores below 6. The startle reflex was indexed by electromyographic (EMG) recording of the orbicularis oculi (“blink”) muscle, contraction of which causes the sudden closure of the eyelids that represents a key element of the startle response. Participants viewed a series of 45 pictures (15 spiders or snakes, 15 household objects, 15 fixation crosses) and concurrently performed arm flexion (an approach action), arm extension (an avoidance action), or squeezed the edge of a table (a neutral control action); all pictures and actions were presented in a quasi-randomized sequence. Bursts of 50-ms white noise (98 dB) were unpredictably presented to elicit the startle reflex. We followed standard procedures for the reduction and scoring of startle data (Blumenthal et al., 2005). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Contrary to predictions, the motivational actions were not related to the size of the startle reflex (Action main effect; p = .27). This pattern held for both groups (Action x Group interaction; p = .17), and it was not moderated by Picture Type (Action x Picture Type interaction; p = .90). The three-way interaction was also nonsignificant (p = .15). Importantly, however, a significant main effect of Picture Type (F[2,76] = 7.03, p = .002) confirmed a previously documented pattern of heightened startle reactivity during viewing of fear-relevant pictures (e.g., Hamm et al., 1997). Overall, the present data suggest that the motivational actions utilized here (Cacioppo et al., 1993; Thibodeau, 2011) are insufficient to moderate avoidance-related emotional responses to feared stimuli

The Desert Hot Springs earthquakes and their tectonic environment

The Desert Hot Springs earthquake of December 4, 1948, was one of the larger recorded earthquakes of southern California, and its aftershocks have continued into 1957. The assigned epicenter is 33° 56'.4 N, 116° 23'.1 W; origin time, 15:43:16.7 P.S.T.; magnitude 6 1/2. Arrival times at local and distant stations are consistent with existing travel-time curves, except for anomalous S – P intervals at very near-by temporary stations; these unexplained anomalies cannot be attributed to varying depth of focus. Epicenters of the 72 aftershocks that have been accurately located are concentrated in a zone 18 km. long, parallel to the Mission Creek fault trace indicated by older scarps, but 5 km. north of it. Aftershock activity is markedly concentrated toward the two ends of this line. Location of the main shock suggests that fracturing started near the southeast end and progressed northwest-ward. The ground surface was not broken, except by landslides. Offset of the line of seismic activity from the trace of the Mission Creek fault suggests that the fault plane dips north. This attitude is substantiated not only by field observations, but also by first motions at stations within 6° of the epicenter, which require a combination of thrust-slip and right lateral-slip on a fault dipping north less than 66°. Inasmuch as this fault is not parallel to regional San Andreas trend, such oblique displacement is reasonable and is consistent with the tectonic pattern of other faults in this region. Five groups of earthquakes represent more than 85 per cent of the total strain release since 1933 in the 3,000 sq. km. area surrounding Desert Hot Springs. These earthquakes, in addition to the Desert Hot Springs shock, are: Morongo Valley (1947), Kitching Peak (1944), Covington Flat (1940), and San Gorgonio Mountain (1935); all are associated with known faults. The Morongo Valley earthquakes probably represent fracturing on the segment of the Mission Creek fault adjacent to that broken during the subsequent Desert Hot Springs shock

Southwestern Minnesota Farm Business Management Association 2008 Annual Report

Average net farm income was $190,901 in 2008 for the 99 farms included in this annual report of the Southwestern Minnesota Farm Business Management Association. Average earnings decreased by 21$242,267 in 2007 (Figure 1). 2008 ended a steady trend of increasing year-to-year incomes for these farms from 2001 to 2007. Crop farms, with historically high corn and soybean prices, remained very profitable. However, specialized hog farms, which had been very profitable for the past four years, experienced substantial losses. Highlights of association financial results for 2008: Median net farm income was $178,874, slightly lower than the average, indicating that the average was increased by high profits of the most profitable farms. This effect was not as large as previous years, likely because of losses by larger hog operations. • The difference between the most profitable farms and the least profitable continued to increase. The most profitable 20$449,997 while the least profitable lost $-29,476. • Average gross cash income increased by 20$115,999. The average debt-to-asset ratio improved slightly to 39%, down from 40% (Figure 4). • Corn yields were up but soybean yields were down. Corn averaged 172 bushels per acre compared to 162 in 2007. Soybeans yields decreased to 44 bushels from 49 in 2007 (Figure 5). • Both corn and soybean prices received increased by over 50% to $4.51 for corn and$10.83 for soybeans. • The cost to raise an acre of corn (with land rent) increased by 23% while soybean costs increased by 21%. The cost to produce a bushel of corn on cash rented land increased from $2.58 per bushel in 2007 to$2.90 in 2008, while soybean costs per bushel increased from $6.14 to$7.21. • The average specialized hog operation (those with 70% of sales from hogs or pigs) lost over $150,000 in 2008 (Figure 6). All other farm types with enough farms to report averaged net incomes very close to the association average. • Based on rate of return on assets, crop farms (those with 70$1,000,000, were the least profitable based on rate of return on assets. This group earned an average ROA of 7% compared to 14% for farms that grossed between $500,000 and$1,000,000. • With exceptionally high feed prices, no hog or beef enterprise, with the exception of contract growing of hogs (where the contractor provided the feed) covered even direct costs of production. The report provides additional information on profitability, liquidity, and solvency as well as other whole-farm information and detailed information on crop and livestock enterprises. Also reported are whole-farm financial condition and performance by county, sales size class, type of farm, debt-to-asset ratio, and age of operator.Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,

Relationship between seismicity and geologic structure in the Southern California region

Data from 10,126 earthquakes that occurred in the southern California region between 1934 and 1963 have been synthesized in the attempt to understand better their relationship to regional geologic structure, which is here dominated by a system of faults related mainly to the San Andreas system. Most of these faults have been considered “active” from physiographic evidence, but both geologic and short-term seismic criteria for “active” versus “inactive” faults are generally inadequate. Of the large historic earthquakes that have been associated with surficial fault displacements, most and perhaps all were on major throughgoing faults having a previous history of extensive Quaternary displacements. The same relationship holds for most earthquakes down to magnitude 6.0, but smaller shocks are much more randomly spread throughout the region, and most are not clearly associated with any mappable surficial faults. Virtually all areas of high seismicity in this region fall within areas having numerous Quaternary fault scarps, but not all intensely faulted areas have been active during this particular 29-year period. Strain-release maps show high activity in the Salton trough, the Agua Blanca-San Miguel fault region of Baja California, most of the Transverse Ranges, the central Mojave Desert, and the Owens Valley-southern Sierra Nevada region. Areas of low activity include the San Diego region, the western and easternmost Mojave Desert, and the southern San Joaquin Valley. Because these areas also generally lack Quaternary faults, they probably represent truly stable blocks. In contrast, regions of low seismicity during this period that show widespread Quaternary faulting include the San Andreas fault within and north of the Transverse Ranges, the Garlock fault, and several quiescent zones along major faults within otherwise very active regions. We suspect that seismic quiescence in large areas may be temporary and that they represent likely candidates for future large earthquakes. Without more adequate geodetic control, however, it is not known that strain is necessarily accumulating in all of these areas. Even in areas of demonstrated regional shearing, the relative importance of elastic strain accumulation versus fault slippage is unknown, although slippage is clearly not taking place everywhere along major “active” faults of the region. Recurrence curves of earthquake magnitude versus frequency are presented for six tectonically distinct 8500-km^2 areas within the region. They suggest either that an area of this small size or that a sample period of only 29 years is insufficient for establishing valid recurrence expectancies; on this basis the San Andreas fault would be the least hazardous zone of the region, because only a few small earthquakes have occurred here during this particular period. Although recurrence expectancies apparently break down for these smaller areas, historic records suggest that the calculated recurrence rate of 52 years for M = 8.0 earthquakes for the entire region may well be valid. Neither a fault map nor the 29-year seismic record provides sufficient information for detailed seismic zoning maps; not only are many other geologic factors important in determining seismic risk, but the strain-release or epicenter map by itself may give a partially reversed picture of future seismic expectance. Seismic and structural relationships suggest that the fault theory still provides the most satisfactory explanation of earthquakes in this region

Minimal recorded earthquakes

The magnitude of an earthquake was originally defined (Richter, 1935) as the common logarithm of the maximum displacement, expressed in microns, of the trace written by a standard torsion seismometer at an epicentral distance of 100 kilometers. When this trace amplitude is one micron the magnitude is accordingly zero

Instrumental study of the Manix Earthquakes

The circumstances of recording of the Manix series of earthquakes have been outlined in a preliminary report (Richter, 1947). We now present complete data for all the thirty-four better-recorded shocks of the series, determination of epicenters and depths, and results on crustal structure and wave velocities. A favorable circumstance is the surrounding of the epicentral region by stations with sensitive Benioff vertical-component seismometers. The data of Boulder City and Pierce Ferry are of critical importance, and we are especially indebted to the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey for these readings. It is particularly fortunate that Pasadena, Haiwee, Boulder City, and Palomar are at roughly equal distances in different azimuths

Physical working conditions and subsequent sickness absence : a record linkage follow-up study among 19-39-year-old municipal employees

Purpose Physical work exposures are associated with sickness absence among older employees. We aimed to examine if they similarly contribute to all-cause sickness absence during early and mid-careers. Methods We used questionnaire data on physical work exposures linked to register data on sickness absence from 3542 municipal employees aged 19-39 years. Follow-up for the number of sickness absence days was 12 months. Exposures to physical workload, occupational environmental hazards, and sedentary work were divided into quartiles. In addition, duration of daily exposure to heavy work was included. Negative binomial regression models were used. Results Higher exposure to physical workload or hazardous exposures was associated with a higher number of sickness absence days. The age and gender adjusted rate ratios for sickness absence days among the participants whose exposure to physical workload was in the highest exposure quartile were 2.1 (95% CI 1.8-2.5) compared with those whose exposure was in the lowest quartile. In addition, rate ratios for sickness absence days among participants who reported that they do heavy physical work 1.1-2.0 h, 2.1-4.0 h or over 4 h daily were 1.6 (1.3-1.9), 1.5 (1.3-1.8) and 1.7 (1.5-2.1), respectively, compared with those who reported not doing physical work. Further adjustment for lifestyle factors or health characteristics attenuated the associations only slightly. Conclusion Exposure to physically demanding work is associated with a higher number of sickness absence days among municipal employees below 40 years of age. Physical working conditions should be considered when aiming to support later work ability.Peer reviewe

Synthetic DNA immunotherapy in biochemically relapsed prostate cancer

Background: INO-5150 (PSA and PSMA) +/- INO-9012 (IL-12), a synthetic DNA immunotherapy, was assessed for safety, immunogenicity and efficacy in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer patients (pts). Methods: Phase I, open-label, multi-center study in the US included pts with rising PSA after surgery and/or RT, PSA doubling time (PSADT) \u3e3 months (mos), testosterone \u3e150 ng/dL and no concurrent ADT. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy (PSA kinetics, PFS) were evaluated in 4 treatment arms of 15 pts each. Arms A: 2mg INO-5150, B: 8.5 mg INO-5150, C: 2mg INO-5150 + 1mg INO-9012 and D: 8.5mg INO-5150 + 1mg INO-9012. Pts received 4 IM doses of vaccine followed by electroporation on day 0, wks 3, 12 and 24 and were followed for 72 wks. Results: 50/61 (82%) pts completed all visits and treatments were well tolerated with no safety concerns. Median PFS for overall population [N = 61, baseline (D0) PSADT range (mos) 1.5-217.1, median 9.8] and for a subset of pts with D0 PSADT ≤12mos (N = 36) has not yet been reached (FU 3-19 mos). 86% of pts with D0 PSADT ≤12 mos were progression free through 19mos FU. 27 out of 36 (75%) pts with D0 PSADT≤ 12 mos had disease stabilization at wks 27 evidenced by significant improvement in log2PSA change over time (slope) and PSADT from D0 (Slope=0.19 declined to 0.1, PSADT=5.3 improved to 10.1 mos, p = \u3c0.0001). This effect was maintained at wk 72 (Slope=0.09, PSADT=10.6, p = \u3c0.0001). Immunogenicity was observed in 77% (47/61) of pts by multiple immunologic assessments. Patient immunogenicity to INO-5150 as determined by CD38 and Perforin + CD8 T cell immune reactivity correlated with attenuated % PSA rise compared to pts without reactivity (p = 0.05, n = 50). Conclusions: INO-5150 +/- INO-9012 was safe, well tolerated and immunogenic. Clinical efficacy was observed in the patients with D0 PSADT≤ 12 mos as evidenced by a significant dampening of log2PSA change over time and increased PSADT up to 72 weeks FU. Additional genomic analyses are ongoing to further elucidate the correlation of immunologic efficacy and clinical benefit. (NCT02514213)

Real-world outcomes of sipuleucel-T treatment in PROCEED, a prospective registry of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BackgroundThe large registry, PROVENGE Registry for the Observation, Collection, and Evaluation of Experience Data (PROCEED)(NCT01306890), evaluated sipuleucel-T immunotherapy for asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).MethodsPROCEED enrolled patients with mCRPC receiving 3 biweekly sipuleucel-T infusions. Assessments included overall survival (OS), serious adverse events (SAEs), cerebrovascular events (CVEs), and anticancer interventions (ACIs). Follow-up was for ≥3 years or until death or study withdrawal.ResultsIn 2011-2017, 1976 patients were followed for 46.6 months (median). The median age was 72 years, and the baseline median prostate-specific antigen level was 15.0 ng/mL; 86.7% were white, and 11.6% were African American. Among the patients, 1902 had 1 or more sipuleucel-T infusions. The median OS was 30.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.6-32.2 months). Known prognostic factors were independently associated with OS in a multivariable analysis. Among the 1255 patients who died, 964 (76.8%) died of prostate cancer (PC) progression. The median time from the first infusion to PC death was 42.7 months (95% CI, 39.4-46.2 months). The incidence of sipuleucel-T-related SAEs was 3.9%. The incidence of CVEs was 2.8%, and the rate per 100 person-years was 1.2 (95% CI, 0.9-1.6). The CVE incidence among 11,972 patients with mCRPC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database was 2.8%; the rate per 100 person-years was 1.5 (95% CI, 1.4-1.7). One or more ACIs (abiraterone, enzalutamide, docetaxel, cabazitaxel, or radium 223) were received by 77.1% of the patients after sipuleucel-T; 32.5% and 17.4% of the patients experienced 1- and 2-year treatment-free intervals, respectively.ConclusionsPROCEED provides contemporary survival data for sipuleucel-T-treated men in a real-world setting of new life-prolonging agents, which will be useful in discussing treatment options with patients and in powering future trials with sipuleucel-T. The safety and tolerability of sipuleucel-T in PROCEED were consistent with previous findings

Preliminary seismological and geological studies of the San Fernando, California, earthquake of February 9 1971

The San Fernando earthquake was the largest earthquake to occur in the metropolitan Los Angeles area in more than 50 years. It has tentatively been assigned a magnitude, M_L of 6.6, a focal depth of 13.0 km, and an epicentral location about 12 km east of Newhall, California, at 34°24.0'N, 118°23.7'W (Figure 1), but these figures undoubtedly will be modified as further data become available. Although the focal depth is not as well defined as the epicenter, it is consistent with other observations suggesting thrusting on a fault plane dipping north about 45 ° and breaking the surface in the Sylmar-San Fernando area (Figure 1). It should be emphasized that the hypocenter of the main shock represents only the point of initial rupture. Breaking, presumably, then propagated southward and upward from this point, so that the main geological and engineering effects were observed farther south where the fault was shallower and the displacement greater. The location of the main shock is based on readings from permanent stations of the Caltech network, as well as the U. S. Geological Survey station at Point Mugu (SBLG) and the California Department of Water Resources stations at Pyramid (PYR) and Cedar Springs (CSP). Portable Caltech seismographs were installed in the epicentral area as early as 3 hr following the main shock, and, within a few days, there were at least 30 portable units in the region operated by various groups and agencies