Distinct Profiles for Beliefs About Religion Versus Science.

A growing body of research suggests that scientific and religious beliefs are often held and justified in different ways. In three studies with 707 participants, we examine the distinctive profiles of beliefs in these domains. In Study 1, we find that participants report evidence and explanatory considerations (making sense of things) as dominant reasons for beliefs across domains. However, cuing the religious domain elevates endorsement of nonscientific justifications for belief, such as ethical considerations (e.g., believing it encourages people to be good), affiliation (what loved ones believe), and intuition (what feels true in one's heart). Study 2 replicates these differences with specific scientific and religious beliefs held with equal confidence, and documents further domain differences in beliefs' personal importance, openness to revision, and perceived objectivity. Study 3 replicates these differences, further finding that counter-consensus beliefs about contentious science topics (such as climate change and vaccination) often have properties resembling religious beliefs, while counter-religious beliefs about religion (e.g., "There is no God") have properties that more closely resemble beliefs about science. We suggest that beliefs are held and justified within coherent epistemic frameworks, with individuals using different frameworks in different contexts and domains.

Effect of cholesterol re-supplementation and atorvastatin on plaque composition in the thoracic aorta of New Zealand white rabbits.

BACKGROUND: Effects of re-supplementation of a cholesterol-enriched diet (CEDrs) on size, cholesterol content and morphology of already existing plaques are not known to date. METHODS: A group of rabbits received standard chow (SC) for 6 weeks ("negative control"; for plasma lipid measurements only). Group I-IV received 2% CED (induction) for 6 weeks; thereafter, groups II-IV have been fed a SC (= cholesterol withdrawal) for 68 weeks. Afterwards, feeding of groups II-IV was continued as follows: Group II - 10 weeks SC, group III - 4 weeks 0.5% CED (~re-supplementation), afterwards 6 weeks SC (~withdrawal again); group IV - 4 weeks 0.5% CED (re-supplementation) + atorvastatin (2.5 mg/kg body weight/day), afterwards 6 weeks SC (~withdrawal again) + atorvastatin. Plasma lipids, but also plaque size, morphology and cholesterol contents of thoracic aortas were quantified. RESULTS: After CEDrs, plasma cholesterol levels were increased. However, after withdrawal of CEDrs, plasma cholesterol levels decreased, whereas the cholesterol content of the thoracic aorta was increased in comparison with the group without CEDrs. Plaque size remained unaffected. Atorvastatin application did not change plasma cholesterol level, cholesterol content of the thoracic aorta and plaque size in comparison with the group without drug treatment. However, atorvastatin treatment increased the density of macrophages (MΦ) compared with the group without treatment, with a significant correlation between densities of MΦ (Mac-1+) and apoptotic (TUNEL+; TP53+), antigen-presenting (HLA-DR+) or oxidatively stressed (SOD2+) cells. CONCLUSIONS: In rabbits with already existing plaques, CEDrs affects plaque morphology and cellular composition, but not plaque size. Despite missing effects on plasma cholesterol levels, cholesterol content of the thoracic aorta and size of already existing atherosclerotic plaques, atorvastatin treatment transforms the already existing lesions to a more active form, which may accelerate the remodelling to a more stable plaque.

Science demands explanation, religion tolerates mystery.

Some claims (e.g., that the Earth goes around the Sun) seem to call out for explanation: they make us wonder "why?". For other claims (e.g., that God exists), one might accept that the explanation is a mystery. In the present research, we investigate "need for explanation" and "mystery acceptability" across the domains of science and religion, as a window onto differences between scientific and religious cognition more broadly. In Study 1, we find that scientific "why" questions are judged to be in greater need of explanation and less adequately answered by appeals to mystery than religious "why" questions. Moreover, this holds for both religious believers and non-believers. In Study 2, we find that these domain differences persist after statistically controlling for confidence in the premises of scientific and religious "why" questions (e.g., that "the Earth goes around the Sun" and that "there is a God"). In Study 3, we match levels of confidence within-participants, and we find that domain differences in need for explanation and mystery acceptability are systematically related to domain differences in epistemic commitments (whether an explanation is within human comprehension, whether the same explanation is true for everyone) and explanatory norms (whether an explanation should be pursued), which could signal domain differences in epistemic and social functions, respectively. Together, these studies shed light on the role of explanatory inquiry across domains, and point to different functional roles for scientific and religious cognition.

Non-Scientific Criteria for Belief Sustain Counter-Scientific Beliefs.

Why is evolutionary theory controversial among members of the American public? We propose a novel explanation: allegiance to different criteria for belief. In one interview study, two online surveys, and one nationally representative phone poll, we found that evolutionists and creationists take different justifications for belief as legitimate. Those who accept evolution emphasize empirical evidence and scientific consensus. Creationists emphasize not only the Bible and religious authority, but also knowledge of the heart. These criteria for belief remain predictive of views about evolution even when taking into account other related factors like religion, political affiliation, and education. Each view is supported by its own internally specified criteria for what constitutes a justified belief. Changing minds may thus require changing epistemic norms.

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Neutral cyclometalated platinum(ii) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [Pt(C^C*)(O^O)] with C^C* ligands based on 1-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene and 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene, as well as acetylacetonato (O^O = acac) and 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)propan-1,3-dionato (O^O = mesacac) ancillary ligands were synthesized and characterized. All complexes are emissive at room temperature in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix with emission maxima in the blue region of the spectrum. High quantum efficiencies and short decay times were observed for all complexes with mesacac ancillary ligands. The sterically demanding mesityl groups of the mesacac ligand effectively prevent molecular stacking. The emission behavior of these emitters is in general independent of the position of the nitrogen in the backbone of the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) unit and a variety of substituents in 4-position of the phenyl unit, meta to the cyclometalating bond.

The psychology of intelligence analysis: drivers of prediction accuracy in world politics.

This article extends psychological methods and concepts into a domain that is as profoundly consequential as it is poorly understood: intelligence analysis. We report findings from a geopolitical forecasting tournament that assessed the accuracy of more than 150,000 forecasts of 743 participants on 199 events occurring over 2 years. Participants were above average in intelligence and political knowledge relative to the general population. Individual differences in performance emerged, and forecasting skills were surprisingly consistent over time. Key predictors were (a) dispositional variables of cognitive ability, political knowledge, and open-mindedness; (b) situational variables of training in probabilistic reasoning and participation in collaborative teams that shared information and discussed rationales (Mellers, Ungar, et al., 2014); and (c) behavioral variables of deliberation time and frequency of belief updating. We developed a profile of the best forecasters; they were better at inductive reasoning, pattern detection, cognitive flexibility, and open-mindedness. They had greater understanding of geopolitics, training in probabilistic reasoning, and opportunities to succeed in cognitively enriched team environments. Last but not least, they viewed forecasting as a skill that required deliberate practice, sustained effort, and constant monitoring of current affairs.

[Importance of dermatopathology in the diagnosis of tropical and travel-associated skin diseases]. / Bedeutung der Dermatohistologie in der tropen- und reisedermatologischen Diagnostik.

BACKGROUND: Skin diseases are frequent in tropical countries and cause a significant burden for their health systems. Tropical dermatoses are frequently of infectious nature. DIAGNOSTICS: Dermatopathology plays an important role in the diagnosis of many tropical skin diseases. This refers specially to leishmaniasis, tropical helminthic diseases, tuberculosis, leprosy, and deep fungal infections. In addition, dermatopathology is important for the differential diagnosis of non-infectious inflammatory diseases in pigmented skin; their identification may be more challenging than when seen in Caucasian skin. CONCLUSION: While it is usually not problematic to perform a dermatopathologic workup in travelers and expatriates returning from the tropics into Western industrialized countries, dermatopathologic services are frequently non-existent or severely limited in many tropical countries. Therefore, in improving health systems, not only should a dermatologic workforce be developed, but also training of dermatopathologists and the establishment of dermatopathology laboratories should be considered.

SU-D-213CD-01: 4D Ultrasound Calibration for Radiotherapy Guidance Using Automatic Intramodality Image Registration.

PURPOSE: In prior work we developed a robotic system providing real-time soft-tissue ultrasound (US) volumes during radiotherapy beam delivery. for image guidance, the US volumes must be transformed to the linear accelerator reference frame. In this work we propose and characterize a new method of calibrating 4D US volumes based on automatic intramodality image registration. METHODS: A dynamic navigation link was used to port 3D US volumes from a Philips iU22 xMatrix machine to a PC in real-time. Sixty volumetric (3D) US images of a pelvic phantom were collected from various probe positions while the transducer's pose was monitored by an optical tracking system. US volumes were automatically registered to the first US volume using normalized mutual information. A system of equations was formulated and solved for the US probe-to-image transformation using the registration transformations and the optical tracking information. Accuracy of the US calibration was assessed on eight additional US volumes with two separate methods. In the first method, a set of three fiducial markers implanted in the phantom was manually selected in each volume by three individual readers. Selected marker locations were reconstructed in the stationary camera frame, and for each marker, mean distance to the reconstructed centroid was measured. In the second method, a bladder structure was semi-automatically segmented in each image volume. Mean distance between bladders segmented in a reference volume and the other seven volumes was computed. Calibration accuracy was also investigated as a function of the number of calibration images used. RESULTS: Mean error for the fiducial marker reconstruction was 2.3 mm. Mean distance error between segmented structures was 1.1 mm. The proposed calibration method typically converged with less than 20 images. CONCLUSION: Automatic image registration facilitates fast and simple US spatial calibration with accuracy under 2.3 mm using any US phantom. This work is supported in part by the Stanford University BioX program and by Philips Medical. Two of the authors of the abstract are employed by Philips Medical.

Reverse movement and coalescence of water microdroplets in electrohydrodynamic atomization.

When a high voltage is applied to a liquid pumped through a needle, charged microdroplets can be formed, which are carried along the electric field lines. This phenomenon is called electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA), or simply electrospray. In this work we show that in the case of water, droplets may reverse their paths flying back toward the liquid meniscus, sometimes making contact with it. Such reverse movement is caused by polarization of the water inside the strong electric field. To understand this phenomenon we developed a way to calculate the droplet charge using its trajectory obtained by high-speed imaging. The values found showed that these droplets are charged between 2.5% and 19% of their Rayleigh limit.

Clinical evaluation of the Levitan Optical Stylet.

A Levitan Optical Stylet with a modified curve was used in the operating theatre for 301 timed tracheal intubations. Jaw lift was provided manually instead of with a direct laryngoscope. All tracheas except one were intubated successfully (99.7%). Mean (SD) intubation times were 23 (24) s. Three patients (1%) suffered minor trauma. The modified Levitan Optical Stylet can be used without direct laryngoscopy as an effective, rapid and relatively atraumatic tool for intubation, even in difficult airways. It may be appropriate as an alternative or primary intubation technique instead of direct laryngoscopy.

[Thrombosis of the inferior vena cava and the iliac and femoral veins in a 24-year old man]. / Thrombose der Vena cava inferior sowie der Iliacal- und Femoralvenen bei einem 24-jährigen Patienten.

HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 24-year-old patient presented with nonspecific epigastric pain, general feebleness and weakness of both legs. The cardiopulmonary investigations were unremarkable. The abdomen was soft, without muscular resistance or local pressure tenderness. Both legs were moderately swollen without other findings. INVESTIGATIONS: The laboratory tests showed an elevated D-dimer and fibrinogen, as well as a heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation. Both duplex ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed thrombosis of the distal inferior vena cava (IVC) and both iliac and femoral veins. A short segment of the IVC between the left renal and intrahepatic veins was a-genetic. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: Anticoagulation treatment with phenprocoumon was started for the deep vein thrombosis. At the one-year follow-up no thrombosis of the vena cava and the iliac and femoral veins was detected. CONCLUSION: Thrombosis of the IVC in combination with a pelvic vein thrombosis is a rare condition in young patients. If this venous abnormality is found, thrombophilia should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Anticoagulation is the treatment of choice.

Frequency and prognostic significance of occult tumor cells in lymph nodes in patients with adenocarcinoma of the papilla of Vater.

BACKGROUND: Occurrence of tumor relapse is frequent in patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater despite the absence of residual tumor detectable at primary surgery. Therefore it has to be assumed that current tumor staging procedures fail to identify minimal amounts of tumor cells disseminated to secondary organs, which might be precursors of subsequent metastatic relapse. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency and prognostic impact of minimal tumor cell spread in lymph nodes classified as 'tumor-free' in routine histopathologic evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 41 'tumor-free' lymph nodes from 23 patients with adenocarcinoma of the papilla of Vater who underwent curative tumor resection (R0) were examined by immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal anti-EpCAM antibody Ber-EP4 for minimal disseminated tumor cells. RESULTS: Twelve (29.3%) of the 41 'tumor-free' lymph nodes obtained from 9 (39.1%) of the 23 patients displayed EpCAM-positive cells. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients with EpCAM-positive cells in lymph showed a clearly reduced relapse-free and overall survival compared with patients without such cells. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.13 for relapse-free survival, p = 0.11 for overall survival). DISCUSSION: Immunohistochemical assessment may refine the staging of resected lymph nodes in patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater. However, the presence of minimal disseminated tumor cells in lymph nodes had no significant impact on the prognosis in these patients.

Stentless mitral valve implantation in comparison to conventional mitral valve repair or replacement at five years.

OBJECTIVE: A chordally supported stentless mitral valve (SMV) may be a suitable prosthesis for patients with severe degenerative mitral valve disease. We analyzed the five-year results and compared them with results after conventional mitral valve repair or replacement. METHODS: 155 patients, operated on since August 1997, were evaluated. 53 patients (ages, 68 +/- 8 years, 37 female, valve repair not feasible) received a SMV (Quattro), 51 patients (69 +/- 9 years, 32 female) had mitral valve repair (MVR) and 51 patients (66 +/- 9 years, 32 female) had a conventional mitral valve replacement (MVP). There were no significant differences with respect to preoperative NYHA functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac index and surgical risk, according to the EuroSCORE. Mean follow-up is 64 +/- 18 (21-89) months. RESULTS: Surgery was performed using a median sternotomy (32 [SMV]/20 [MVR]/34 [MVP]) or a lateral mini-thoracotomy 21/31/17 approach. The SMV was safely attached to the papillary muscles. In-hospital mortality was 1, 2 and 4 respectively; re-operation was required in 6, 2 and 3 patients. Five-year survival rate was 80.6 +/- 4.4 % (SMV), 80.2 +/- 5.6 % (CMV) and 82.6 +/- 5.6 % (MVP), p = n.s. After hospital discharge, there was no significant difference in mortality in comparison to an age-matched control population. Echocardiography revealed acceptable SMV hemodynamics with preservation of left ventricular function. CONCLUSION: Midterm results after SMV implantation are comparable to conventional approaches. Complete preservation of the annulo-ventricular continuity is advantageous and close to physiologic hemodynamics can be achieved. Long term follow-up is required.

Perioperative use of the modified nasal trumpet in 346 patients.

BACKGROUND: The modified nasal trumpet (MNT) is a prepackaged nasopharyngeal airway modified with distal holes and fitted with a 15 mm adaptor allowing connection to an anaesthesia circuit. It may be useful for airway management during anaesthesia. METHODS: After applying a spray to constrict the nasal mucosa, we used the MNT in 346 spontaneously breathing patients for three indications: alone as an airway device during general anaesthesia, to provide supplemental oxygen immediately after extubation instead of by facemask, and to facilitate fibreoptic intubation during general anaesthesia. RESULTS: The device was successful for giving supplemental oxygen after extubation (n=244) and facilitating fibreoptic intubation (n=28). When used as an airway for general anaesthesia, it was only successful without manipulation in 33 of 74 patients (45%). The MNT was easy to insert in awake patients. We encountered six complications: one MNT folded in the pharynx, and five patients (1.4%) experienced nosebleeds. CONCLUSIONS: The MNT was disappointing as a primary airway device under general anaesthesia but was useful for giving oxygen after extubation and for facilitation of fibreoptic intubation. It can cause nosebleeds.

Polyimide and SU-8 microfluidic devices manufactured by heat-depolymerizable sacrificial material technique.

The following paper describes a sacrificial layer method for the manufacturing of microfluidic devices in polyimide and SU-8. The technique uses heat-depolymerizable polycarbonates embedded in polyimide or SU-8 for the generation of microchannels and sealed cavities. The volatile decomposition products originating from thermolysis of the sacrificial material escape out of the embedding material by diffusion through the cover layer. The fabrication process was studied experimentally and theoretically with a focus on the decomposition of the sacrificial materials and their diffusion through the polyimide or SU-8 cover layer. It is demonstrated that the sacrificial material removal process is independent of the actual channel geometry and advances linearly with time unlike conventional sacrificial layer techniques. The fabrication method provides a versatile and fast technique for the manufacturing of microfluidic devices for applications in the field of microTAS and Lab-on-a-Chip.

Flexible polyimide probes with microelectrodes and embedded microfluidic channels for simultaneous drug delivery and multi-channel monitoring of bioelectric activity.

The study of intracellular communication requires devices that can not only monitor the bioelectric activity, but also control and observe the biochemical environment at the cellular level. This paper reports on the development and characterisation of implantable polyimide microprobes that allow simultaneous, selective chemical delivery/probing and multi-channel recording/stimulation of bioelectric activity. The key component of the system is a flexible polyimide substrate with embedded microchannels that is batch-fabricated combining polyimide micromachining and a lamination technique. The devices provide platinum microelectrodes on both sides of the polyimide substrate with an active surface between 20 microm x 20 microm and 50 microm x 50 microm. The embedded microchannels permit highly localised drug delivery or probing at the tip of the device via channel outlets adjacent to the microelectrodes. The microelectrodes were characterised by electrical impedance spectroscopy and the microchannels were studied in microflow experiments. Two different fluid delivery schemes were explored in two different designs. The first device type consists of a simple combination of microchannels and microelectrodes on one substrate. Liquids are ejected at the tip of the device by pressure injection techniques. The second device was inspired by the so-called U-tube concept allowing for highly localised delivery of controlled amounts of liquids in the picoliters range. Thus, the influence of chemical compounds on the electrical activity of cells can be studied with high temporal and spatial resolution. The flexible, implantable devices can be used for studying the chemical and electrical information exchange and communication of cells in in vivo and in vitro experiments.

p53-independent induction of p21(waf1/cip1) contributes to the activation of caspases in GTP-depletion-induced apoptosis of insulin-secreting cells.

We investigated the role of some key regulators of cell cycle in the activation of caspases during apoptosis of insulin-secreting cells after sustained depletion of GTP by a specific inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor, mycophenolic acid (MPA). p21(Waf1/Cip1) was significantly increased following MPA treatment, an event closely correlated with the time course of caspase activation under the same conditions. MPA-induced p21(Waf1/Cip1) was not mediated by p53, since p53 mass was gradually reduced over time of MPA treatment. The increment of p21(Waf1/Cip1) by MPA was further enhanced in the presence of a pan-caspase inhibitor, indicating that the increased p21(Waf1/Cip1) may occur prior to caspase activation. This notion of association of p21(Waf1/Cip1) accumulation with caspase activation and apoptosis was substantiated by using mimosine, a selective p21(Waf1/Cip1) inducer independent of p53. Mimosine, like MPA, also increased p21(Waf1/Cip1), promoted apoptosis and simultaneously increased the activity of caspases. Furthermore, knocking down of p21(Waf1/Cip1) transfection of siRNA duplex inhibited caspase activation and apoptosis due to GTP depletion. In contrast to p21(Waf1/Cip1), a reduction in p27(Kip1) occurred in MPA-treated cells. These results indicate that p21(Waf1/Cip1) may act as an upstream signal to block mitogenesis and activate caspases which in turn contribute to induction of apoptosis.

Agrobacterium-mediated large-scale transformation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using glyphosate selection.

An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system with glyphosate selection has been developed for the large-scale production of transgenic plants. The system uses 4-day precultured immature embryos as explants. A total of 30 vectors containing the 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene from Agrobacterium strain CP4 (aroA:CP4), which confers resistance to glyphosate, were introduced into wheat using this system. The aroA:CP4 gene served two roles in this study-selectable marker and gene of interest. More than 3,000 transgenic events were produced with an average transformation efficiency of 4.4%. The entire process from isolation of immature embryos to production of transgenic plantlets was 50-80 days. Transgenic events were evaluated over several generations based on genetic, agronomic and molecular criteria. Forty-six percent of the transgenic events fit a 3:1 segregation ratio. Molecular analysis confirmed that four of six lead transgenic events selected from Agrobacterium transformation contained a single insert and a single copy of the transgene. Stable expression of theAROA:CP4 gene was confirmed by ELISA through nine generations. A comparison of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to a particle bombardment system demonstrated that the Agrobacterium system is reproducible, has a higher transformation efficiency with glyphosate selection and produces higher quality transgenic events in wheat. One of the lead events from this study, no. 33391, has been identified as a Roundup Ready wheat commercial candidate.