More human than you: Attributing humanness to self and others

People typically evaluate their in-groups more favorably than out-groups and themselves more favorably than others. Research on infrahumanization also suggests a preferential attribution of the “human essence” to in-groups, independent of in-group favoritism. The authors propose a corresponding phenomenon in interpersonal comparisons: People attribute greater humanness to themselves than to others, independent of self-enhancement. Study 1 and a pilot study demonstrated 2 distinct understandings of humanness—traits representing human nature and those that are uniquely human—and showed that only the former traits are understood as inhering essences. In Study 2, participants rated themselves higher than their peers on human nature traits but not on uniquely human traits, independent of selfenhancement. Study 3 replicated this “self-humanization” effect and indicated that it is partially mediated by attribution of greater depth to self versus others. Study 4 replicated the effect experimentally. Thus, people perceive themselves to be more essentially human than others.

Pentacene on Ni(111): room-temperature molecular packing and temperature-activated conversion to graphene

We investigate, using scanning tunnelling microscopy, the adsorption of pentacene on Ni(111) at room temperature and the behaviour of these monolayer films with annealing up to 700 °C. We observe the conversion of pentacene into graphene, which begins from as low as 220 °C with the coalescence of pentacene molecules into large planar aggregates. Then, by annealing at 350 °C for 20 minutes, these aggregates expand into irregular domains of graphene tens of nanometers in size. On surfaces where graphene and nickel carbide coexist, pentacene shows preferential adsorption on the nickel carbide phase. The same pentacene to graphene transformation was also achieved on Cu(111), but at a higher activation temperature, producing large graphene domains that exhibit a range of moiré superlattice periodicities.

Mirror neurons, the representation of word meaning, and the foot of the third left frontal convolution

Previous neuroimaging research has attempted to demonstrate a preferential involvement of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) in the comprehension of effector-related action word (verb) meanings. These studies have assumed that Broca's area (or Brodmann's area 44) is the homologue of a monkey premotor area (F5) containing mouth and hand mirror neurons, and that action word meanings are shared with the mirror system due to a proposed link between speech and gestural communication. In an fMRI experiment, we investigated whether Broca's area shows mirror activity solely for effectors implicated in the MNS. Next, we examined the responses of empirically determined mirror areas during a language perception task comprising effector-specific action words, unrelated words and nonwords. We found overlapping activity for observation and execution of actions with all effectors studied, i.e., including the foot, despite there being no evidence of foot mirror neurons in the monkey or human brain. These "mirror" areas showed equivalent responses for action words, unrelated words and nonwords, with all of these stimuli showing increased responses relative to visual character strings. Our results support alternative explanations attributing mirror activity in Broca's area to covert verbalisation or hierarchical linearisation, and provide no evidence that the MNS makes a preferential contribution to comprehending action word meanings.

Action word meaning representations in cytoarchitectonically defined primary and premotor cortices

Recent models of language comprehension have assumed a tight coupling between the semantic representations of action words and cortical motor areas. We combined functional MRI with cytoarchitectonically defined probabilistic maps of left hemisphere primary and premotor cortices to analyse responses of functionally delineated execution- and observation-related regions during comprehension of action word meanings associated with specific effectors (e.g., punch, bite or stomp) and processing of items with various levels of lexical information (non body part-related meanings, nonwords, and visual character strings). The comprehension of effector specific action word meanings did not elicit preferential activity corresponding to the somatotopic organisation of effectors in either primary or premotor cortex. However, generic action word meanings did show increased BOLD signal responses compared to all other classes of lexical stimuli in the pre-SMA. As expected, the majority of the BOLD responses elicited by the lexical stimuli were in association cortex adjacent to the motor areas. We contrast our results with those of previous studies reporting significant effects for only 1 or 2 effectors outside cytoarchitectonically defined motor regions and discuss the importance of controlling for potentially confounding lexical variables such as imageability. We conclude that there is no strong evidence for a somatotopic organisation of action word meaning representations and argue the pre-SMA might have a role in maintaining abstract representations of action words as instructional cues.

Monitoring care processes in the gynecologic oncology department

The care processes of healthcare providers are typically considered as human-centric, flexible, evolving, complex and multi-disciplinary. Consequently, acquiring an insight in the dynamics of these care processes can be an arduous task. A novel event log based approach for extracting valuable medical and organizational information on past executions of the care processes is presented in this study. Care processes are analyzed with the help of a preferential set of process mining techniques in order to discover recurring patterns, analyze and characterize process variants and identify adverse medical events.

Structure of KNb0.5OPO4, a KTiOPO4 analog

The crystal structure of KNb0.5V0.5OPO4, a new KTiOPO4 isomorph, has been refined from powder X-ray diffraction data by Rietveld refinement. The structure is orthorhombic, space group Pna2(1), with a = 12.933(1), b = 6.4713(8), and c = 10.7273(6) Angstrom, Z = 8. There is a preferential distribution of Nb(V) and V(III) atoms in the octahedral M(1) [0.806Nb, 0.194V] and M(2) [0.194Nb, 0.806V] sites, the M(1)O-6 octahedra being more distorted than the M(2)O-6 octahedra. The results are compared with other KTiOPO4 derivatives.

Structure and magnetotransport properties of the layered manganites REl.2Srl.8Mn,07(R E = La, Pr, Nd)

We have examined the magnetotransport properties and the structure, by Rietveld refinement of powder X-ray data, of the phases RE(1.2)Sr(1.8)Mn(2)O(7) (RE = La, Pr, Nd). We find that on cooling, La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7 undergoes a transition to a nearly perfect ferromagnet with 90% magnetization at 1.45 T, as reported by earlier workers, but the Pr and Nd phases show only a small magnetization that grows gradually as the temperature is decreased. There seems to be significant correlation between electrical transport and the Jahn-Teller elongation of the apical Mn-O bonds in these systems. The elongation of the apical Mn-O bonds forces the nine-coordinate rock-salt site to be occupied preferentially by the smaller rare-earth-metal cations. This preferential occupation is reliably obtained from the X-ray refinement. All three title phases show a magnetoresistance ratio of about 4(corresponding to a magnetoresistance, [R(0)-R(H)]/R(0), of about 75%) at a field of 7 T and temperatures around 100 K.

Multiphase models for simulating hot and slightly miscible DNAPL (dense non-aqueous phase fluids) in a saturated rock fracture under deformation

In the present study a two dimensional model is first developed to show the behaviour of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) within a rough fracture. To consider the rough fracture, the fracture is imposed with variable apertures along its plane. It is found that DNAPL follows preferential pathways. In next part of the study the above model is further extended for non-isothermal DNAPL flow and DNAPL-water interphase mass transfer phenomenon. These two models are then coupled with joint deformation due to normal stresses. The primary focus of these models is specifically to elucidate the influence of joint alteration due to external stress and fluid pressures on flow driven energy transport and interphase mass transfer. For this, it is assumed that the critical value for joint alteration is associated with external stress and average of water and DNAPL pressures in multiphase system and the temporal and spatial evolution of joint alteration are determined for its further influence on energy transport and miscible phase transfer. The developed model has been studied to show the influence of deformation on DNAPL flow. Further this preliminary study demonstrates the influence of joint deformation on heat transport and phase miscibility via multiphase flow velocities. It is seen that the temperature profile changes and shows higher diffusivity due to deformation and although the interphase miscibility value decreases but the lateral dispersion increases to a considerably higher extent.

Copper(II) Complexes of l-Arginine as Netropsin Mimics Showing DNA Cleavage Activity in Red Light

Copper(II) complexes [Cu(L-arg)(2)](NO3)(2) (1) and [Cu(L-arg)(B)Cl]Cl (2-5), where B is a heterocyclic base, namely, 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy, 2), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 3), dipyrido[3,2-d:2',3'-f]quinoxaline (dpq, 4), and dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c)phenazine (dppz, 5), are prepared and their DNA binding and photoinduced DNA cleavage activity studied. Ternary complex 3, structurally characterized using X-ray crystallography, shows a square-pyramidal (4 + 1) coordination geometry in which the N,O-donor L-arginine and N,N-donor 1,10-phenanthroline form the basal plane with one chloride at the elongated axial site. The complex has a pendant cationic guanidinium moiety. The one-electron paramagnetic complexes display a metal-centered d-d band in the range of 590-690 nm in aqueous DMF They show quasireversible cyclic voltammetric response due to the Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple in the range of -0.1 to -0.3 V versus a saturated calomel electrode in a DMF-Tris HCl buffer (pH 7.2). The DNA binding propensity of the complexes is studied using various techniques. Copper(II) bis-arginate 1 mimics the minor groove binder netropsin by showing preferential binding to the AT-rich sequence of double-strand (ds) DNA. DNA binding study using calf thymus DNA gives an order: 5 (L-arg-dppz) >= 1 (biS-L-arg) > 4 (L-arg-dpq) > 3 (L-arg-phen) >> 2 (L-arg-bpy). Molecular docking calculations reveal that the complexes bind through extensive hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions with ds-DNA. The complexes cleave supercoiled pUC19 DNA in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a reducing agent forming hydroxyl ((OH)-O-center dot) radicals. The complexes show oxidative photoinduced DNA cleavage activity in UV-A light of 365 nm and red light of 647.1 nm (Ar-Kr mixed-gas-ion laser) in a metal-assisted photoexcitation process forming singlet oxygen (O-1(2)) species in a type-II pathway. All of the complexes, barring complex 2, show efficient DNA photocleavage activity. Complexes 4 and 5 exhibit significant double-strand breaks of DNA in red light of 647.1 nm due to the presence of two photosensitizers, namely, L-arginine and dpq or dppz in the molecules.

May the best Tweeter win : The Twitter strategies of key campaign accounts in the 2012 US election

The 2008 US election has been heralded as the first presidential election of the social media era, but took place at a time when social media were still in a state of comparative infancy; so much so that the most important platform was not Facebook or Twitter, but the purpose-built campaign site my.barackobama.com, which became the central vehicle for the most successful electoral fundraising campaign in American history. By 2012, the social media landscape had changed: Facebook and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Twitter are now well-established as the leading social media platforms in the United States, and were used extensively by the campaign organisations of both candidates. As third-party spaces controlled by independent commercial entities, however, their use necessarily differs from that of home-grown, party-controlled sites: from the point of view of the platform itself, a @BarackObama or @MittRomney is technically no different from any other account, except for the very high follower count and an exceptional volume of @mentions. In spite of the significant social media experience which Democrat and Republican campaign strategists had already accumulated during the 2008 campaign, therefore, the translation of such experience to the use of Facebook and Twitter in their 2012 incarnations still required a substantial amount of new work, experimentation, and evaluation. This chapter examines the Twitter strategies of the leading accounts operated by both campaign headquarters: the ‘personal’ candidate accounts @BarackObama and @MittRomney as well as @JoeBiden and @PaulRyanVP, and the campaign accounts @Obama2012 and @TeamRomney. Drawing on datasets which capture all tweets from and at these accounts during the final months of the campaign (from early September 2012 to the immediate aftermath of the election night), we reconstruct the campaigns’ approaches to using Twitter for electioneering from the quantitative and qualitative patterns of their activities, and explore the resonance which these accounts have found with the wider Twitter userbase. A particular focus of our investigation in this context will be on the tweeting styles of these accounts: the mixture of original messages, @replies, and retweets, and the level and nature of engagement with everyday Twitter followers. We will examine whether the accounts chose to respond (by @replying) to the messages of support or criticism which were directed at them, whether they retweeted any such messages (and whether there was any preferential retweeting of influential or – alternatively – demonstratively ordinary users), and/or whether they were used mainly to broadcast and disseminate prepared campaign messages. Our analysis will highlight any significant differences between the accounts we examine, trace changes in style over the course of the final campaign months, and correlate such stylistic differences with the respective electoral positioning of the candidates. Further, we examine the use of these accounts during moments of heightened attention (such as the presidential and vice-presidential debates, or in the context of controversies such as that caused by the publication of the Romney “47%” video; additional case studies may emerge over the remainder of the campaign) to explore how they were used to present or defend key talking points, and exploit or avert damage from campaign gaffes. A complementary analysis of the messages directed at the campaign accounts (in the form of @replies or retweets) will also provide further evidence for the extent to which these talking points were picked up and disseminated by the wider Twitter population. Finally, we also explore the use of external materials (links to articles, images, videos, and other content on the campaign sites themselves, in the mainstream media, or on other platforms) by the campaign accounts, and the resonance which these materials had with the wider follower base of these accounts. This provides an indication of the integration of Twitter into the overall campaigning process, by highlighting how the platform was used as a means of encouraging the viral spread of campaign propaganda (such as advertising materials) or of directing user attention towards favourable media coverage. By building on comprehensive, large datasets of Twitter activity (as of early October, our combined datasets comprise some 3.8 million tweets) which we process and analyse using custom-designed social media analytics tools, and by using our initial quantitative analysis to guide further qualitative evaluation of Twitter activity around these campaign accounts, we are able to provide an in-depth picture of the use of Twitter in political campaigning during the 2012 US election which will provide detailed new insights social media use in contemporary elections. This analysis will then also be able to serve as a touchstone for the analysis of social media use in subsequent elections, in the USA as well as in other developed nations where Twitter and other social media platforms are utilised in electioneering.

Photofragmentation Reactions Of Thiocarbonyl Compounds

Preferential yield of ring expansion and rearrangement products through α-cleavage of tetramethyl-3-thio-1,3-cyclobutanedione (1) and 3-mercapto-2,2,4-trimethyl-3-pentenoic acid β-(thio lactone) (2) involving diradical and carbene has been observed upon photolysis of 1 and 2.

Behaviour of methylmethacrylate-acrylonitrile random copolymers in dilute solution

Studies on the dilute solution properties of methylmethacrylate-acrylonitrile random copolymers of three different compositions, 0.236, 0.5 and 0.74 mole fraction (m.f.) of acrylonitrile (AN) designated as MAa, MAb and MAc, respectively, have been made in good solvents and theta solvents. MAa has been studied in benzene (Bz) and ethylacetate (EAc). MAb in acetonitrile (MeCN), dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and a binary solvent mixture of Bz and dimentyl formamide (DMF) in the volume ratio 6.5:1 designated as BM1 and MAc in MeCN, DMSO and Bz + DMF in the volume ratio 1.667:1 designated as BM2. The Mark-Houwink exponent ‘a’ reveals that Bz is a theta solvent for MAa at 20°C. For MAb and MAc, BM1 and BM2, respectively have ‘a’ values of 0.5 at all three temperatures studied (30°, 40° and 50°C). It is not clear whether they represent theta states or preferential adsorption plays a role complicating the behaviour in solution. The values of A2 are very low in MeCN considering that it is a very good solvent for the copolymer, ‘a’ values for MAb and MAc being 0.75 and 0.7, respectively.

Molecular dynamics simulations of sliding in an Fe-Cu tribopair system

Experimental evidence suggests that high strain rates, stresses, strains and temperatures are experienced near sliding interfaces. The associated microstructural changes are due to several dynamic an interacting phenomena. 3D non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of sliding were conducted with the aim of understanding the dynamic processes taking place in crystalline tribopairs, with a focus on plastic deformation and microstructural evolution. Embedded atom potentials were employed for simulating sliding of an Fe-Cu tribopair. Sliding velocity, crystal orientation and presence of lattice defects were some of the variables in these simulations. Extensive plastic deformation involving dislocation and twin activity, dynamic recrystallization, amorphization and/or nanocrystallization, mechanical mixing and material transfer were observed. Mechanical mixing in the vicinity of the sliding interface was observed even in the Fe-Cu system, which would cluster under equilibrium conditions, hinting at the ballistic nature of the process. Flow localization was observed at high velocities implying the possible role of adiabatic heating. The presence of preexisting defects (such as dislocations and interfaces) played a pivotal role in determining friction and microstructural evolution. The study also shed light on the relationship between adhesion and plastic deformation, and friction. Comparisons with experiments suggest that such simulations can indeed provide valuable insights that are difficult to obtain from experiments.

Reproductive Biology of Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata and Effective Pollination across its Native Range.

The spotted gum species complex represents a group of four eucalypt hardwood taxa that have a native range that spans the east coast of Australia, with a morphological cline from Victoria to northern Queensland. Of this group, Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata (CCV) is widespread in south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is currently the most commonly harvested native hardwood in Queensland. However, little basic knowledge of the reproductive biology of the species is available to inform genetic improvement and resource management programmes. Here we take an integrative approach, using both field and molecular data, to identify ecological factors important to mating patterns in native populations of CCV. Field observation of pollinator visitation and flowering phenology of 20 trees showed that foraging behaviour of pollinator guilds varies depending on flowering phenology and canopy structure. A positive effect of tree mean flowering effort was found on insect visitation, while bat visitation was predicted by tree height and by the number of trees simultaneously bearing flowers. Moreover, introduced honeybees were observed frequently, performing 73% of detected flower visits. Conversely, nectar-feeding birds and mammals were observed sporadically with lorikeets and honeyeaters each contributing to 11% of visits. Fruit bats, represented solely by the grey-headed flying fox, performed less than 2% of visits. Genotyping at six microsatellite markers in 301 seeds from 17 families sampled from four of Queensland's native forests showed that CCV displays a mixed-mating system that is mostly outcrossing (tm = 0.899 ± 0.021). Preferential effective pollination from near-neighbours was detected by means of maximum-likelihood paternity analysis with up to 16% of reproduction events resulting from selfing. Forty to 48% of fertilising pollen was also carried from longer distance (>60 m). Marked differences in foraging behaviour and visitation frequency between observed pollinator guilds suggests that the observed dichotomy of effective pollen movement in spotted gums may be due to frequent visit from introduced honeybees favouring geitonogamy and sporadic visits from honeyeaters and fruit bats resulting in potential long-distance pollinations.

Molecular basis of colorectal cancer predisposition

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent malignancies in Western countries. Inherited factors have been suggested to be involved in 35% of CRCs. The hereditary CRC syndromes explain only ~6% of all CRCs, indicating that a large proportion of the inherited susceptibility is still unexplained. Much of the remaining genetic predisposition for CRC is probably due to undiscovered low-penetrance variations. This study was conducted to identify germline and somatic changes that contribute to CRC predisposition and tumorigenesis. MLH1 and MSH2, that underlie Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) are considered to be tumor suppressor genes; the first hit is inherited in the germline and somatic inactivation of the wild type allele is required for tumor initiation. In a recent study, frequent loss of the mutant allele in HNPCC tumors was detected and a new model, arguing against the two-hit hypothesis, was proposed for somatic HNPCC tumorigenesis. We tested this hypothesis by conducting LOH analysis on 25 colorectal HNPCC tumors with a known germline mutation in the MLH1 or MSH2 genes. LOH was detected in 56% of the tumors. All the losses targeted the wild type allele supporting the classical two-hit model for HNPCC tumorigenesis. The variants 3020insC, R702W and G908R in NOD2 predispose to Crohn s disease. Contribution of NOD2 to CRC predisposition has been examined in several case-control series, with conflicting results. We have previously shown that 3020insC does not predispose to CRC in Finnish CRC patients. To expand our previous study the variants R702W and G908R were genotyped in a population-based series of 1042 Finnish CRC patients and 508 healthy controls. Association analyses did not show significant evidence for association of the variants with CRC. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6983267 at chromosome 8q24 was the first CRC susceptibility variant identified through genome-wide association studies. To characterize the role of rs6983267 in CRC predisposition in the Finnish population, we genotyped the SNP in the case-control material of 1042 cases and 1012 controls and showed that G allele of rs6983267 is associated with the increased risk of CRC (OR 1.22; P=0.0018). Examination of allelic imbalance in the tumors heterozygous for rs6983267 revealed that copy number increase affected 22% of the tumors and interestingly, it favored the G allele. By utilizing a computer algorithm, Enhancer Element Locator (EEL), an evolutionary conserved regulatory motif containing rs6983267 was identified. The SNP affected the binding site of TCF4, a transcription factor that mediates Wnt signaling in cells, and has proven to be crucial in colorectal neoplasia. The preferential binding of TCF4 to the risk allele G was showed in vitro and in vivo. The element drove lacZ marker gene expression in mouse embryos in a pattern that is consistent with genes regulated by the Wnt signaling pathway. These results suggest that rs6983267 at 8q24 exerts its effect in CRC predisposition by regulating gene expression. The most obvious target gene for the enhancer element is MYC, residing ~335 kb downstream, however further studies are required to establish the transcriptional target(s) of the predicted enhancer element.