bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incursiones en pistas
Authors: Caicedo Jiménez Luis Eduardo
Published: November 2015

En años recientes, el número de Incursiones en Pistas se ha incrementado significativamente alrededor del mundo. La Seguridad en Pista ha sido considerada como un problema complejo debido al notable aumento de las operaciones aéreas.
Guía básica para el programa de envejecimiento de aeronaves de la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana
Authors: Romero Pradilla César , Blanco Causil Juan David , Sánchez Suárez Pedro Arnulfo
Published: November 2015

En esta investigación se realiza el primer acercamiento que se hace de manera formal para tratar el problema del envejecimiento de aeronaves. Por lo tanto, ¿Es necesario diseñar una guía de doctrina básica para estandarizar los programas de envejecimiento de aeronaves que se desarrollen en la FAC?
Manual operacional de armamento aéreo
Authors: Conde Barbery José Luis , Rueda Cartagena Juan Carlos , Zuñiga Santana Guillermo
Published: November 2015

El manual se enmarca en el ámbito de la doctrina aérea y es una extensión de los niveles superiores en esta materia.El estudio se encuentra contextualizado en la doctrina táctica con base en documentos similares emitidos por la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana, como por ejemplo el Manual Técnico de Armamento Aéreo, y otras fuentes mundiales que son autoridades en el tema.
Porphyromonas gingivalis and Epstein‐Barr Virus Are Associated With Increased Levels of Visfatin in Gingival Crevicular Fluid
Authors: Özcan Erkan , Saygun N. Işıl , Serdar Muhittin A. , Kubar Ayhan , Bengi V. Umut
Published: November 2015

Background: There is little clinical information on the relationship between periodontopathogens and visfatin. The purpose of this study is to determine visfatin levels in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of healthy individuals and patients with periodontitis and to investigate the possible relationship between this adipokine and the presence and levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescense, and Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV).

Methods: Eighteen healthy individuals and 27 patients with periodontitis were included in this study. GCF and plaque samples were obtained from all individuals. Visfatin levels were analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and the bacterial numbers were evaluated by the reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction method.

Results: In patients with periodontitis, the visfatin levels in the GCF (mean: 84.29 ng/mL; range: 63.8 to 108.9 ng/mL) were significantly higher compared with those of the healthy individuals (mean: 38.06 ng/mL; range: 13.8 to 89.02 ng/mL) (P <0.01). There was a positive correlation between the visfatin levels and P. gingivalis (r = 0.266, P <0.05), whereas no correlation was found between visfatin levels and other microorganisms. In addition, the visfatin levels were found to be higher in individuals in whom P. gingivalis was detected than for those without P. gingivalis (P <0.01). The visfatin levels were also found to be higher in individuals in whom EBV was detected (P <0.05).

Conclusions: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study is the first one to show the correlation of periodontopathogens and GCF visfatin levels. P. gingivalis colonization of the periodontal pockets may increase visfatin secretion. Furthermore, the presence of EBV in the plaque may be another factor that causes an increase in visfatin levels.
Nongovernment Philanthropic Spending on Public Health in the United States
Authors: Shaw-Taylor Yoku
Published: November 2015

The objective of this study was to estimate the dollar amount of nongovernment philanthropic spending on public health activities in the United States.

Health expenditure data were derived from the US National Health Expenditures Accounts and the US Census Bureau.

Results reveal that spending on public health is not disaggregated from health spending in general. The level of philanthropic spending is estimated as, on average, 7% of overall health spending, or about $150 billion annually according to National Health Expenditures Accounts data tables. When a point estimate of charity care provided by hospitals and office-based physicians is added, the value of nongovernment philanthropic expenditures reaches approximately $203 billion, or about 10% of all health spending annually.
Analysis of Vehicle Speeds and Speed Differentials in Curves
Authors: Pratt Michael P. , Geedipally Srinivas R. , Pike Adam M.
Published: November 2015

Horizontal curves are associated with significant numbers of fatal crashes. The safety performance of an individual curve depends on a variety of geometric factors, including radius, superelevation rate, deflection angle; vehicle speeds; and friction characteristics of the pavement. In addition, vehicle speeds in curves are influenced by curve geometry and speeds along the approach tangent. Hence, an understanding of the relationship between these various factors is important for developing an analysis framework to assess curve safety. In this paper, documented models estimate vehicle speeds at the beginning, midpoint, and end of a curve on the basis of the curve's operational and geometric characteristics. These models are applied in an analysis framework based on the concept of margin of safety, which is side friction demand subtracted from side friction supply. This method can be used to prioritize proposed treatments at curve sites and to identify points along the curve at which sliding failures are most likely to occur. The analyst must provide the key operational and geometric characteristics as well as friction characteristics of the existing pavement and proposed surface treatment.
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Accommodations and Crossings on Superstreets
Authors: Holzem Anne M. , Hummer Joseph E. , Cunningham Christopher M. , O'Brien Sarah W. , Schroeder Bastian J. , Salamati Katy
Published: November 2015

This research considered the unique challenges for pedestrians and bicyclists at superstreet intersections and recommends crossing alternatives for both users. For pedestrians, the options included the diagonal cross, median cross, two-stage Barnes Dance, and midblock cross. For bicyclists, the options included the bicycle U-turn, bicycle use of the vehicle U-turn, bicycle direct cross, and midblock cross. These options were analyzed through microsimulation on the basis of average stopped delay, average number of stops, and average travel time per route. Various parameters were analyzed for each crossing configuration, including two signal cycle lengths (90 and 180 s), two signal splits (60/40 and 75/25), two signal offset designs (vehicle platoons arrive simultaneously and at various offset times), and two midblock distances (600 and 800 ft). The recommended pedestrian crossing was a combination of the diagonal cross with the midblock cross. The parameters that decreased travel time for pedestrians were a 90-s cycle length, a 60/40 signal split, and an offset signal design in which the vehicle platoons arrived at different times. For bicyclists, the bicycle direct cross resulted in the lowest average number of stops and the lowest average travel time, whereas the vehicle U-turn showed the lowest stopped delay. The parameters that decreased travel time for bicyclists included a 90-s cycle length and the vehicle platoons arriving at different times. The recommended options for bicyclists at a superstreet were a combination of the bicycle direct cross and the midblock cross.
Effect of Stopping Sight Distance on Crashes at Crest Vertical Curves on Rural Two-Lane Highways
Authors: Harwood Douglas W. , Bauer Karin M.
Published: November 2015

This paper demonstrates that the crash reduction benefits of improving stopping sight distance (SSD) vary substantially over the highway system, with the greatest benefits likely at locations where a horizontal curve, intersection, or driveway is in a sight-restricted area. The paper analyzes crash data for 452 crest vertical curves on two-lane highways in the state of Washington, approximately equally distributed between sites with SSD below and above existing design criteria. Preliminary analyses found statistically significant differences in crash frequency between the groups of sites in SSD categories, but the statistical significance of these differences disappeared when a factor was introduced to account for the presence of horizontal curves, intersections, or driveways that were hidden from an approaching driver's view by the sight restriction. The presence of such hidden features was found to be highly statistically significant. There is a need for highway design guidance to give higher priority to addressing sight distance limitations when hidden roadway features are present and to recognizing that sight distance improvements may have little effect on crash frequency or severity when such hidden features are not present. Consideration should also be given to development of SSD models for use in highway design to reflect better the differences in SSD needs on various elements of the roadway system.
Transcriptional Activation of Inflammatory Genes: Mechanistic Insight into Selectivity and Diversity
Authors: Ahmed Afsar , Williams Bryan , Hannigan Gregory
Published: November 2015

Acute inflammation, an integral part of host defence and immunity, is a highly conserved cellular response to pathogens and other harmful stimuli. An inflammatory stimulation triggers transcriptional activation of selective pro-inflammatory genes that carry out specific functions such as anti-microbial activity or tissue healing. Based on the nature of inflammatory stimuli, an extensive exploitation of selective transcriptional activations of pro-inflammatory genes is performed by the host to ensure a defined inflammatory response. Inflammatory signal transductions are initiated by the recognition of inflammatory stimuli by transmembrane receptors, followed by the transmission of the signals to the nucleus for differential gene activations. The differential transcriptional activation of pro-inflammatory genes is precisely controlled by the selective binding of transcription factors to the promoters of these genes. Among a number of transcription factors identified to date, NF-κB still remains the most prominent and studied factor for its diverse range of selective transcriptional activities. Differential transcriptional activities of NF-κB are dictated by post-translational modifications, specificities in dimer formation, and variability in activation kinetics. Apart from the differential functions of transcription factors, the transcriptional activation of selective pro-inflammatory genes is also governed by chromatin structures, epigenetic markers, and other regulators as the field is continuously expanding.
Showing Value in Newborn Screening: Challenges in Quantifying the Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Early Detection of Phenylketonuria and Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Grosse Scott
Published: November 2015

Decision makers sometimes request information on the cost savings, cost-effectiveness, or cost-benefit of public health programs. In practice, quantifying the health and economic benefits of population-level screening programs such as newborn screening (NBS) is challenging. It requires that one specify the frequencies of health outcomes and events, such as hospitalizations, for a cohort of children with a given condition under two different scenarios—with or without NBS. Such analyses also assume that everything else, including treatments, is the same between groups. Lack of comparable data for representative screened and unscreened cohorts that are exposed to the same treatments following diagnosis can result in either under- or over-statement of differences. Accordingly, the benefits of early detection may be understated or overstated. This paper illustrates these common problems through a review of past economic evaluations of screening for two historically significant conditions, phenylketonuria and cystic fibrosis. In both examples qualitative judgments about the value of prompt identification and early treatment to an affected child were more influential than specific numerical estimates of lives or costs saved.
Molecular Cloning, Expression Pattern and Genotypic Effects on Glucoraphanin Biosynthetic Related Genes in Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra Bailey)
Authors: Yin Ling , Chen Changming , Chen Guoju , Cao Bihao , Lei Jianjun
Published: November 2015

Glucoraphanin is a plant secondary metabolite that is involved in plant defense and imparts health-promoting properties to cruciferous vegetables. In this study, three genes involved in glucoraphanin metabolism, branched-chain aminotransferase 4 (BCAT4), methylthioalkylmalate synthase 1 (MAM1) and dihomomethionine N-hydroxylase (CYP79F1), were cloned from Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra Bailey). Sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis identified these genes and confirmed the evolutionary status of Chinese kale. The transcript levels of BCAT4, MAM1 and CYP79F1 were higher in cotyledon, leaf and stem compared with flower and silique. BCAT4, MAM1 and CYP79F1 were expressed throughout leaf development with lower transcript levels during the younger stages. Glucoraphanin content varied extensively among different varieties, which ranged from 0.25 to 2.73 µmol·g−1 DW (dry weight). Expression levels of BCAT4 and MAM1 were high at vegetative–reproductive transition phase, while CYP79F1 was expressed high at reproductive phase. BCAT4, MAM1 and CYP79F1 were expressed significantly high in genotypes with high glucoraphanin content. All the results provided a better understanding of the roles of BCAT4, MAM1 and CYP79F1 in the glucoraphanin biosynthesis of Chinese kale.
Evolutionary Profiling of Group II Pyridoxal‐Phosphate‐Dependent Decarboxylases Suggests Expansion and Functional Diversification of Histidine Decarboxylases in Tomato
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Jiwani Gitanjali , Pareek Amit , SravanKumar Thula , Khurana Ashima , Sharma Arun K.
Published: November 2015

Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)‐dependent enzymes are one of the most important enzymes involved in plant N metabolism. Here, we explored the evolution of group II PLP‐dependent decarboxylases (PLP_deC), including aromatic L‐amino acid decarboxylase, glutamate decarboxylase, and histidine decarboxylase in the plant lineage. Gene identification analysis revealed a higher number of genes encoding PLP_deC in higher plants than in lower plants. Expression profiling of PLP_deC orthologs and syntelogs in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) pointed toward conserved as well as distinct roles in developmental processes such as fruit maturation and ripening and abiotic stress responses. We further characterized a putative promoter of tomato ripening‐associated gene (SlHDC10) operating in a complex regulatory circuit. Our analysis provides a firm basis for further in‐depth exploration of the PLP_deC gene family, particularly in the economically important Solanaceae family.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS DIVIDE: REGIONAL COMPARISONS BETWEEN NORTH EASTERN & SOUTHERN ITALY
Authors: CARLUCCI Fabio , CIRÀ Andrea , FORTE Ennio , SIVIERO Lucio
Published: November 2015

Only recently has the inequity among territories in terms of infrastructures and logistics services for freight transport become the subject of several studies regarding measurement and assessment of operational functionality and correspondence of supply for real mobility needs. The efficiency and competitiveness of territories are features that may be analysed through various parametric-type and non-parametric-type methodologies and with the construction of composite indicators. In reviewing recent literature, this article tackles the theme of measurement and assessment of the logistics and infrastructure divide with reference to the search for greater logistic efficiency and territorial competitiveness, in function of the specificities of local production systems and pursuable models of development in the global context. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to review the prevailing methods used to estimate regional efficiency and logistics competitiveness and to focus on an Italian case study. Focusing on the application of an original composite index to the Italian case study, the main insight of our analysis is that composite indicators could help policy-makers to evaluate the requirements of infrastructural interventions and logistics services, in close keeping with the characteristics of the local economic system.
New records of two endemic troglobitic and threatened arachnids (Amblypygi and Opiliones) from limestone caves of Minas Gerais state, southeast Brazil
Authors: do Monte Bruno Gabriel , Gallão Jonas Eduardo , von Schimonsky Diego , Bichuette Maria Elina
Published: November 2015

The endemic and threatened troglobites (organisms restricted to caves) Charinus eleonorae (Amblypygi) and Iandumoema uai (Opiliones), both from Olhos d’Água cave, located at Peruaçu Caves National Park (southeast Brazil), have their distribution expanded for a new locality inside of the National Park (Lapa do Cipó cave), extending their distribution at least in 9.5km2.

This new data suggest that these arachnids can be in a differentiation process and/or there are several possibilities of dispersion in the karst of Peruaçu. Indeed, a revision of their categorical status at IUCN Red List is necessary. We herein report a new distribution range (Lapa do Cipó cave) of the troglobitic species I. uai and C. eleonorae, which are, to date, known to occur in the Olhos d’Água cave, located at the Peruaçu Caves National Park (PCNP).
L’après-vie est-elle sexuée et sexuelle ?
Authors: Riffard Pierre A.
Published: November 2015

L’après-vie, dans l’Au-delà, maintient-elle la différence des sexes et comporte-t-elle des relations sexuelles ? Voici quelques réponses chez des philosophes et dans les grandes religions.
À propos du sexe et de la mort, notes d’éthologie comparée
Authors: Baudoin Claude
Published: November 2015

Les comportements sexuels et sociaux des animaux et leurs mécanismes sont étudiés, dans une perspective évolutionniste, par l’éthologie comparée. La mort animale et sa perception par les animaux sont en revanche peu étudiées. Une lecture empathique d’études de cas permet néanmoins de formuler des interprétations vraisemblables. Les comparaisons et les discussions sont limitées à quelques espèces de mammifères sauvages en raison de leurs capacités cognitives reconnues et de leur sensibilité.
Innovative Instruction in STEM Education
Authors: Coyle Victoria C. , Newman Dianna L. , Connor Kenneth A.
Published: November 2015

Research from the learning sciences provides evidence that students engaged in collaborative learning in authentic activities are better able to retain and transfer knowledge to alternate contexts leading educators to reexamine the role of the lecture as a dominant instructional method. The use of alternate classroom structures to create student-centered learning environments is appropriate in STEM education. This chapter presents the development of a flipped classroom in a higher education STEM course, and describes the iterative process and subsequent structure of the course over several years. Considerations when implementing a flipped model of instruction are: the degree of self-regulation required of students, methods of assessment and the relationship between online information and authentic activities that students participate in during class. Recommendations for future research directions are discussed.
Enhanced Detection of Antigen-Specific CD4+ T Cells Using Altered Peptide Flanking Residue Peptide–MHC Class II Multimers
Authors: Holland Christopher J. , Dolton Garry , Scurr Martin , Ladell Kristin , Schauenburg Andrea J. , Miners Kelly , Madura Florian , Sewell Andrew K. , Price David A. , Cole David K. , Godkin Andrew J.
Published: November 2015

Fluorochrome-conjugated peptide–MHC (pMHC) class I multimers are staple components of the immunologist’s toolbox, enabling reliable quantification and analysis of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells irrespective of functional outputs. In contrast, widespread use of the equivalent pMHC class II (pMHC-II) reagents has been hindered by intrinsically weaker TCR affinities for pMHC-II, a lack of cooperative binding between the TCR and CD4 coreceptor, and a low frequency of Ag-specific CD4+ T cell populations in the peripheral blood. In this study, we show that peptide flanking regions, extending beyond the central nonamer core of MHC-II–bound peptides, can enhance TCR–pMHC-II binding and T cell activation without loss of specificity. Consistent with these findings, pMHC-II multimers incorporating peptide flanking residue modifications proved superior for the ex vivo detection, characterization, and manipulation of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells, highlighting an unappreciated feature of TCR–pMHC-II interactions.
IRAK1 Drives Intestinal Inflammation by Promoting the Generation of Effector Th Cells with Optimal Gut-Homing Capacity
Authors: Heiseke Alexander F. , Jeuk Benjamin H. , Markota Anamarija , Straub Tobias , Lehr Hans-Anton , Reindl Wolfgang , Krug Anne B.
Published: November 2015

IL-1R–associated kinase (IRAK) 1 is an important component of the IL-1R and TLR signaling pathways, which influence Th cell differentiation. In this study, we show that IRAK1 promotes Th17 development by mediating IL-1β–induced upregulation of IL-23R and subsequent STAT3 phosphorylation, thus enabling sustained IL-17 production. Moreover, we show that IRAK1 signaling fosters Th1 differentiation by mediating T-bet induction and counteracts regulatory T cell generation. Cotransfer experiments revealed that Irak1-deficient CD4+ T cells have a cell-intrinsic defect in generating Th1 and Th17 cells under inflammatory conditions in spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and colon tissue. Furthermore, IRAK1 expression in T cells was shown to be essential for T cell accumulation in the inflamed intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes. Transcriptome analysis ex vivo revealed that IRAK1 promotes T cell activation and induction of gut-homing molecules in a cell-intrinsic manner. Accordingly, Irak1-deficient T cells failed to upregulate surface expression of α4β7 integrin after transfer into Rag1−/− mice, and their ability to induce colitis was greatly impaired. Lack of IRAK1 in recipient mice provided additional protection from colitis. Therefore, IRAK1 plays an important role in intestinal inflammation by mediating T cell activation, differentiation, and accumulation in the gut. Thus, IRAK1 is a promising novel target for therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases.
The Bacterial Enzyme IdeS Cleaves the IgG-Type of B Cell Receptor (BCR), Abolishes BCR-Mediated Cell Signaling, and Inhibits Memory B Cell Activation
Authors: Järnum Sofia , Bockermann Robert , Runström Anna , Winstedt Lena , Kjellman Christian
Published: November 2015

Ag binding to the BCR is a critical step in B cell development and activation, initiating a cascade of signaling events ultimately leading to proliferation, differentiation, or cell death. A bacterial enzyme, IgG-degrading enzyme of Streptococcus pyogenes (IdeS), was shown to specifically cleave IgG molecules below the hinge region of soluble IgG and when IgG is bound to Ag, resulting in one F(ab′)2 molecule and one homodimeric Fc fragment. Whether IdeS could also cleave the IgG molecule when it is present in the BCR attached to the B cell membrane in a complex with CD79a and CD79b is unknown. In this article, we present human in vitro and ex vivo data showing that IdeS cleaves the IgG present in the BCR complex and very efficiently blocks Ag binding to the BCR. As a consequence of IdeS cleaving the BCR, signaling cascades downstream of the BCR are blocked, and memory B cells are temporarily silenced, preventing them from responding to antigenic stimulation and their transition into Ab-producing cells.
Development and Application of a Genetic Algorithm for Variable Optimization and Predictive Modeling of Five-Year Mortality Using Questionnaire Data
Authors: Adams Lucas J. , Bello Ghalib , Dumancas Gerard G.
Published: November 2015

The problem of selecting important variables for predictive modeling of a specific outcome of interest using questionnaire data has rarely been addressed in clinical settings. In this study, we implemented a genetic algorithm (GA) technique to select optimal variables from questionnaire data for predicting a five-year mortality. We examined 123 questions (variables) answered by 5,444 individuals in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The GA iterations selected the top 24 variables, including questions related to stroke, emphysema, and general health problems requiring the use of special equipment, for use in predictive modeling by various parametric and nonparametric machine learning techniques. Using these top 24 variables, gradient boosting yielded the nominally highest performance (area under curve [AUC] = 0.7654), although there were other techniques with lower but not significantly different AUC. This study shows how GA in conjunction with various machine learning techniques could be used to examine questionnaire data to predict a binary outcome.
The Impact of Capsid Proteins on Virus Removal and Inactivation during Water Treatment Processes
Authors: Mayer Brooke K. , Yang Yu , Gerrity Daniel W. , Abbaszadegan Morteza
Published: November 2015

This study examined the effect of the amino acid composition of protein capsids on virus inactivation using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and titanium dioxide photocatalysis, and physical removal via enhanced coagulation using ferric chloride. Although genomic damage is likely more extensive than protein damage for viruses treated using UV, proteins are still substantially degraded. All amino acids demonstrated significant correlations with UV susceptibility. The hydroxyl radicals produced during photocatalysis are considered nonspecific, but they likely cause greater overall damage to virus capsid proteins relative to the genome. Oxidizing chemicals, including hydroxyl radicals, preferentially degrade amino acids over nucleotides, and the amino acid tyrosine appears to strongly influence virus inactivation. Capsid composition did not correlate strongly to virus removal during physicochemical treatment, nor did virus size. Isoelectric point may play a role in virus removal, but additional factors are likely to contribute.
Methodological Issues in Assessing the Impact of Prenatal Drug Exposure
Authors: Konijnenberg Carolien
Published: November 2015

Prenatal drug exposure is a common public health concern that can result in perinatal complications, birth defects, and developmental disorders. The growing literature regarding the effects of prenatal exposure to specific drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin is often conflicting and constantly changing. This review discusses several reasons why the effects of prenatal drug exposure are so difficult to determine, including variations in dose, timing, duration of exposure, polydrug use, unreliable measures of drug exposure, latent or “sleeper” effects, genetic factors, and socioenvironmental influences. In addition to providing research guidelines, this review also aims to help clinicians and policy makers to identify the strengths and weaknesses in studies investigating the effects of prenatal drug exposure. This knowledge may be used to make better informed decisions regarding the appropriate treatment for pregnant, drug-dependent women and their children.
The Effect of Facial Expressions on the Evaluation of Ambiguous Statements
Authors: Meeten Frances , Ivak Peter , Dash Suzanne R. , Knowles Sam , Duka Theodora , Scott Ryan , Kaiser Jakob , Davey Graham C. L.
Published: November 2015

The present experiment adapted the “Voluntary Facial Action” (VFA) technique (Dimberg & Söderkvist, 2011) to study the effect of facial expressions on the interpretation of ambiguity. This required participants to react with either the zygomatic major muscles (smile) or the corrugator supercilii muscles (frown) when exposed to different stimuli, some of which were ambiguous statements. While contracting the required facial muscles, participants also rated each stimulus on a negative-positive scale. Results indicated that participants contracting smiling muscles during ambiguous statements rated those statements as significantly more positive than participants contracting frowning-relevant muscles. This effect remained significant in participants who were unaware of the purpose of the experiment, and unaware that the experiment was related to mood. Previous studies have demonstrated that facial expressions can reflect the valency of a bias in responding to ambiguous stimuli (e.g. Neta, Norris, & Whalen, 2009), but the present study goes further by suggesting that facial expressions can actively influence the interpretation of stimuli as complex as verbal statements. Some of the implications for the way in which facial expressions may influence cognitive processes relevant to psychopathology are discussed.
Aberrant Gaze Patterns in Social Anxiety Disorder: An Eye Movement Assessment during Public Speaking
Authors: Chen Nigel T. M. , Clarke Patrick J. F. , MacLeod Colin , Hickie Ian B. , Guastella Adam J.
Published: November 2015

Social anxiety disorder is maintained by biased attentional processing, which may encompass biases in the component engagement, disengagement, and avoidance attentional processes. However, few studies have directly examined whether such biases occur during social-evaluative conditions characteristically feared in social anxiety. The current study presents a novel approach for the assessment of attentional bias. Clinically socially anxious (n = 27) and control (n = 29) participants were required to give a speech in front of a pre-recorded audience displaying emotional social gestures while eye movement was recorded. Socially anxious individuals avoided attending to positive and threatening stimuli. At the onset of an emotional gesture, control participants were additionally faster to orient towards positive, relative to threatening gestures, while this bias was absent in socially anxious participants. The findings suggest that during conditions of social-evaluative stress, social anxiety is characterized by the attentional avoidance of emotional stimuli, and the absence of an engagement bias favouring positive stimuli.
Cognitive distortions under cognitive load mediate the relationship between severity of borderline personality features and goal-interfering emotion dysregulation
Authors: Geiger Paul J. , Peters Jessica R. , Baer Ruth A.
Published: November 2015

Dysregulated emotions are central to borderline personality disorder (BPD) and disrupt goal directed behavior. However, there has been limited research elucidating the mechanisms through which this occurs. This study tested the hypothesis that BPD-specific cognitive distortions, particularly under cognitive load, account for the relationship between severity of BPD features and self-reported difficulties with goal-directed behavior when upset. In a sample of undergraduates (n = 187) oversampled for high levels of BPD features, we employed a timed task (unscrambling word strings to create meaningful sentences) to assess BPD-specific cognitive distortions. Severity of BPD features was significantly correlated with the tendency to create BPD-specific sentences, and this relationship was stronger when the task was completed under a cognitive load. Mediational models using bootstrapping suggested that the relationship between BPD features and perceived difficulties with goal-directed behavior when upset may be a result of increases in cognitive distortions under cognitive load. These results offer multi-method evidence for the importance of BPD-related cognitive distortions in accounting for the difficulties in goal pursuit associated with BPD features.
Examination of Trait Stop Rules as Predictors of Worry, Perseverative Thinking, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Authors: O'Leary Jessica , Fisak Brian
Published: November 2015

The purpose of the current study was to examine the degree to which trait stop rules, as measured by the worry stop rules checklist (WSRC), predict worry, perseveration, and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms (GAD) in a nonclinical sample. Both ‘as many as can’ (AMAC) and ‘feel like’ (FL) stop rules were found to be significantly associated with worry and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms. However, only AMAC stop rules were found to be associated with perseverative worry, as measured by steps on the Catastrophic Interview Procedure (CIP). In addition, stop rules were found to predict worry and symptoms associated with GAD after controlling for variables from the metacognitive model of GAD. Overall, the current study provides support for the relation between trait stop rules, worry, and symptoms associated with GAD.
If a Safety Aid is Present, There Must be Danger: The Paradoxical Effects of Hand Sanitizer during a Contamination Exposure Task
Authors: Blakey Shannon M. , Deacon Brett J.
Published: November 2015

Perceptions of danger often arise in the context of feared threat cues, but individuals also rely on other heuristics that lead them to infer danger in ambiguous situations. For example, individuals may interpret their own anxiety or safety-seeking behaviors as indicators of threat. Another potential source of danger information is the mere availability of safety aids in the environment. Although assumed to be helpful, safety aids might paradoxically elicit, rather than alleviate, anxiety. The present study was designed to assess the degree to which concern-relevant safety aids exacerbate distress. Participants (N = 71) completed several self-report measures and engaged in a contamination-related behavioral avoidance task (BAT) in the presence or absence of a 2L hand sanitizer dispenser. Results showed that participants higher in trait contamination aversion and in the presence of hand sanitizer endorsed greater inferences of danger, hypervigilance, peak BAT anxiety and disgust, BAT avoidance, and urges to wash following the BAT. Theoretical and clinical implications of the paradoxical inference of danger from the presence of safety aids are discussed.
Does Self-focused Attention in Social Anxiety Depend on Self-construal? Evidence from a Probe Detection Paradigm
Authors: Vriends Noortje , Bolt Olivia C. , Meral Yasemin , Meyer Andrea H. , Bögels Susan , Wilhelm Frank H.
Published: November 2015

Cognitive models of social anxiety disorder propose self-focused attention as a key maintenance factor of the disorder. However, whether this holds true for different cultural contexts has not been investigated. The present experiment investigated the influence of self-construal (interdependent versus independent) on self-focused attention in high and low socially anxious individuals. Eighty-seven participants, divided into high versus low socially anxious and interdependent versus independent self-construal, performed a self-focused attention probe detection paradigm. A reaction time metric relating to attention deployment on the self versus the other served as an index of self-focused attention. In individuals with an interdependent self-construal those who are highly socially anxious showed decreased self-focused attention compared to those who are low socially anxious. In individuals with an independent self-construal the effect of social anxiety was less strong and in the opposite direction (but congruent with cognitive models). These results indicate that self-focused attention in social anxiety depends on self-construal. These findings implicate different therapies for people with social anxiety disorder, depending on their self-construal.
An Experimental Examination of the Aberrant Salience Hypothesis Using a Salience Manipulation and a Behavioral Magical Thinking Task
Authors: Karcher Nicole R. , Cicero David C. , Kerns John G.
Published: November 2015

A prominent hypothesis of delusions is that they reflect aberrant salience caused by increased striatal dopamine. For the first time, we conducted an experimental test of the aberrant salience hypothesis (n = 235 college students) as we manipulated salience and examined its effect on magical thinking (using a behavioral task). We also included a putative dopamine manipulation (performing a high reward or low reward task). Both the salience and the putative dopamine manipulations caused changes in magical thinking. Evidence supporting the validity of the magical thinking behavioral task included that it was associated with self-reported magical thinking and with another behavioral task (reversal learning) previously associated with striatal dopamine. In a manipulation check, the putative dopamine manipulation also caused altered performance on the reversal learning task. Overall, these results seem to be consistent with the predictions of the aberrant salience hypothesis and are potentially consistent with a role for salience and dopamine in magical thinking.
Motor Intention as a Trigger for Fear of Movement-related Pain: An Experimental Cross-US Reinstatement Study
Authors: Meulders Ann , Rousseau Ann , Vlaeyen Johan W.S.
Published: November 2015

Using a voluntary joystick movement task with arm movements as conditioned stimuli (CSs) a and a painful electrocutaneous stimulus as an unconditioned stimulus (pain-US), we investigated whether 1) the intention to perform a painful movement would elicit pain-related fear in healthy participants, 2) a non-painful but aversive sound-US (i.e. human scream) could induce cross-US reinstatement. All groups (same-US/different-US/no-US) received acquisition and extinction with the pain-US. During reinstatement, the same-US group received two unsignaled pain-USs, the different-US group received two unsignaled sound-USs and the no-US group did not receive any stimulus presentations. Next, we tested the return of fear (fear and US-expectancy ratings and startle eyeblink responses) in all groups. Uncoupling motor intention and action led to successful inhibition of pain-related fear elicited by merely thinking about a painful movement as compared to previous study results in which motor intention was always coupled with motor action. The different-US group showed a differential cross-US reinstatement effect in the pain-US expectancy ratings. However, this effect failed to materialize in the fear ratings and startle responses. Taken together, we found partial support for the hypothesis that reinstatement experiences might foster the acquisition of new fears rather than reinstating old fears.
Development of a Protocol for Studying Premature Onset of Fear as a Feature of Pathological Fear: The Effects of Conditional Stimulus Duration and Counting Behavior
Authors: Boddez Yannick , Takano Keisuke , Gijbels Joke , Baeyens Frank , Beckers Tom
Published: November 2015

We propose that the premature onset of fear responding is a potentially important feature of pathological fear. A behavioral protocol to study the temporal regulation of fear in humans is, however, lacking. The present study aims at developing such a protocol for healthy individuals. To this end, we investigated the effect of conditional stimulus duration (50 seconds or 90 seconds) and the effect of verbal counting during presentation of the conditional stimulus (counting or no counting) in an aversive conditioning paradigm. Results favored training conditions in which participants were asked to count for the duration of the conditional stimulus, regardless of conditional stimulus duration. Under these training conditions, we observed optimal temporal control over the onset of fear. Furthermore, it was shown that intervals followed by an aversive stimulus were retrospectively estimated to have lasted longer than those that were not followed by an aversive stimulus. We argue that the developed protocol may serve as a powerful method to study premature onset of fear responding in future studies.
Blending in at the Cost of Losing Oneself: Dishonest Self-Disclosure Erodes Self-Concept Clarity in Social Anxiety
Authors: Orr Elizabeth M.J. , Moscovitch David A.
Published: November 2015

Self-concept clarity helps to promote self-esteem and guide adaptive social behavior. Recent studies have found that people with higher levels of trait social anxiety exhibit significantly diminished levels of self-concept clarity, but the mechanisms that might link higher social anxiety with lower self-concept clarity are untested and unknown. We propose that the relation between social anxiety and self-concept clarity is mediated by dishonest self-disclosure – a self-protective strategy in which one asserts an inauthentic or dishonest opinion to others based on what one believes others wish to hear rather than one's own genuine viewpoint. To test this prediction, we manipulated the honesty of participants' self-disclosures during a social task in the laboratory and measured subsequent changes in self-concept clarity. As hypothesized, dishonest relative to honest self-disclosure led to significantly reduced levels of self-concept clarity, but only amongst participants with higher levels of trait social anxiety. These findings help to elucidate the processes underlying the link between social anxiety and self-concept clarity and provide insight into the costs of adopting an inauthentic façade during interpersonal encounters when social conformity motives become salient.
An Investigation of the Effects of Worry and Anger on Threatening Interpretations and Hostile Attributions of Ambiguous Situations
Authors: Deschenes Sonya S. , Dugas Michel J. , Gouin Jean-Philippe
Published: November 2015

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) frequently report elevated anger. Information processing biases may underlie this finding. We examined the effects of worry (n = 51) and anger rumination (n = 50) inductions, relative to relaxation (n = 49), on information processing biases associated with GAD and trait anger using an experimental design. We also examined whether participants who met diagnostic criteria for GAD via self-report (n = 41) exhibited greater negative information processing styles than less anxious individuals (n = 109) following the mood inductions. Participants completed tasks assessing threatening interpretations of ambiguous situations and hostile and benign attributions of ambiguous intent. There were no differences in information processing across the three conditions. However, GAD analogues demonstrated greater threatening interpretations and hostile attributions than their less anxious counterparts, regardless of experimental condition. This suggests that GAD symptoms relate to both threatening interpretation and hostile attribution biases.
Neuroendocrine and Neurochemical Processes in Depression
Authors: Cowen Philip J
Published: November 2015

Neuroendocrine and neurochemical theories of depression continued to be of importance in understanding pathophysiology and suggesting new kinds of pharmacological intervention. Monoamine theories still dominate the neurochemistry of depression and results from monoamine depletion studies suggest that in certain circumstances lowered activity of serotonin and noradrenaline pathways can indeed lead to clinical depressive symptomatology. More recent developments have implicated changes in the amino acid neurotransmitters, GABA and glutamate, in depressed patients; the ability of the NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine, rapidly to relieve depressive symptomatology has been a spur to much basic research on the cellular mechanism of glutamatergic antidepressant action. The link between inflammation and depression has led to new kinds of immunological investigations in depressed patients and the possibility of targeted anti-inflammatory treatments. Finally HPA axis abnormalities remain a focus of interest, particularly from the point of view of the many medical co-morbidities which frequently complicate chronic depressive disorders.
A Cognitive-Neuropsychological Account of Treatment Action in Anxiety: Can We Augment Clinical Efficacy?
Authors: Reinecke Andrea , Harmer Catherine J.
Published: November 2015

Background

Anxiety disorders are common and disabling conditions. First-line pharmacological treatment with selective-serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and psychological treatment with cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) are effective intervention approaches, but not all patients respond, and relapse rates remain relatively high.

Aims

To identify cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms of action of pharmacological and psychological standard-of-care treatments for anxiety disorders, to then logically derive potential add-on treatment ingredients that might serve to augment such effects.

Method

We summarise key published work that examined cognitive and neurobiological markers of anxiety disorders and the effects of SSRI and CBT on such parameters. We also discuss potential neuropsychological mechanisms of action of both treatments, and we suggest candidate add-on ingredients likely to improve such actions, based on their key effects.

Results

Anxiety disorders have been associated with hypervigilance for threat followed by an avoidance of deeper processing. Such effects appear to be underpinned by increased activation in brain areas involved in attention and monitoring, such as amygdala, insula, occipital cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, as well as alterations in areas implicated in emotion regulation, including lateral and ventral prefrontal cortex. Converging evidence suggests that both SSRI and CBT modulate cognitive bias and underlying functional abnormalities early during treatment, and that such changes moderate recovery from anxiety.

Conclusions

Pharmacological and psychological standard-of-care treatments for anxiety disorders seem to act by targeting cognitive bias early during treatment. A range of pharmacological and neurostimulation strategies known to impair fear memory reconsolidation or to improve fear extinction may have potential to improve the effects of psychological intervention. Such approaches might ultimately help to develop more effective, more economic treatment formats.
Embodied cognition and emotional disorders
Authors: Gjelsvik Bergljot , Lovric Darko , Williams J. Mark G.
Published: November 2015

Research into embodied cognition (EC) in cognitive neuroscience and psychology has risen exponentially over the last 25 years, covering a vast area of research; from understanding how ability to judge speech sounds depends on an intact motor cortex, to why people perceive hills as steeper when carrying a heavy backpack. Although there are many theories addressing these phenomena, increasing evidence across EC studies suggests simulation (i.e., re-enactment of the motor-sensory aspects of meaning) as an important basis of knowledge. The authors 1) review evidence for the EC paradigm’s claim to simulation effects in cognition, suggesting that simulation exists within a “distributed plus hub” model, 2) discuss the implications of simulation for the understanding of cognitive dysfunctions in emotional disorders, particularly depression, 3) suggest that emotional disorders arises as a result of failed simulation processes, hypothesizing that semantic processing reactivates motor-sensory simulations previously associated with low mood ( enactment/re-enactment networks), and that truncation of such simulation by means of over-use of language-based, abstract processing, motivated by a wish to reduce the affective disturbance associated with episodic, embodied representations, maintains psychopathology, 4) review evidence for effects of truncated simulation on emotional pathology, and 5) discuss the relevance of EC to treatments of emotional pathology.