Motivations for Endogamous Relationship Preferences.

People tend to select romantic partners who belong to the same social group as themselves (i.e., endogamy). However, there is limited research on the proximal psychological motivations for choosing endogamous relationship partners. The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of motivations for endogamous relationship preferences and to assess whether such motivations were associated with actual dating experiences and attitudes toward endogamy across four common social categories: race and/or ethnicity, religion, social class, and education. Data from an online sample of participants (Study 1, n = 341) were used to generate items assessing motivations for endogamous relationship preferences. This initial set of items was administered to a new sample of participants (Study 2, n = 193) to establish the component structure of the measure and to examine whether the motivational components were associated with participants' past exogamous dating experiences as well as the perceived importance of dating within one's own racial and/or ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and educational group. Endogamy motivations characterized by intergroup prejudice were the strongest and most consistent correlates of endogamous relationships and the perceived importance of endogamy. Study 3 (n = 332) replicated the component structure of the measure and the general pattern of associations documented in Study 2, and provided evidence for the measure's construct validity. The overall findings suggest that intergroup prejudice partially explains preferences for endogamous relationships.

Women need to stay alive and protect reproductive choice.

Defense of reproductive choice is an important motivation in women's self-protection psychology for which the "staying alive theory" cannot fully account. Evidence indicates that some elements of women's self-protection psychology function to protect reproductive choice rather than survival, or may be equally well explained by either motivation. Integrating perspectives will result in greater explanatory breadth and precision in theory testing.

Men are less religious in more gender-equal countries.

Sex differences in religiosity are cross-culturally common and robust, yet it is unclear why sex differences in some cultures are larger than in others. Although women are more religious than men in most countries, religions frequently provide asymmetrical benefits to men at the expense of women. Two global analyses (51 countries and 74 countries) found that country-level gender equality was consistently and negatively associated with religiousness (i.e. religious attendance, reported importance of God and frequency of prayer) for men, more than for women, leading to a larger sex difference in religiousness in more gender-equal countries. Results were especially robust for religious attendance, and hold accounting for country-level wealth, as well as individuals' religious affiliation, the moralization of sexuality, age and education level. We interpret results through a rational choice lens, which assumes that people are more drawn to religion when it is consistent with their reproductive goals.

True Crime Consumption as Defensive Vigilance: Psychological Mechanisms of a Rape Avoidance System.

The circumvention of female reproductive choice via rape is a costly and evolutionarily persistent threat to women's reproductive fitness. This is argued to have generated selection pressure for a precautionary threat management system for rape avoidance among women. Such a system would regulate women's fear of rape as a functional emotional response to inputs providing information about the current risk and reproductive cost of rape. Fear of rape is expected to subsequently motivate adaptive behavior to avoid threats to one's reproductive choice. The current research tested key tenets of this proposed system and found that women report greater fear of rape as a function of characteristics that alter the likelihood of being victimized, including being younger, living in a neighborhood perceived as dangerous, living in close proximity to family, and having been the victim of a sexual assault in the past. We also discuss mixed and null results with respect to the role of relationship status and mate value. In turn, fear of rape was associated with behavior expected to reduce one's risk of being victimized. Specifically, women who were more fearful of rape reported consuming true crime media with greater frequency and indicated that this consumption was specifically motivated by the desire to learn strategies to prevent or escape an attack. Overall, results were fairly consistent with a threat management system approach and may help to explain why fear of rape is a powerful feature of women's psychology.

Drone versus ground delivery of simulated blood products to an urban trauma center: The Montreal Medi-Drone pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Timely and safe distribution of quality blood products is a major challenge faced by blood banks around the world. Our primary objective was to determine if simulated blood product delivery to an urban trauma center would be more rapidly achieved by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) than by ground transportation. A secondary objective was to determine the feasibility of maintaining simulated blood product temperatures within a targeted range. METHODS: In this prospective pilot study, we used two distinct methods to compare UAV flight duration and ground transport times. Simulated blood products included packed red blood cells, platelet concentrate, and fresh frozen plasma. For each blood product type, three UAV flights were conducted. Temperature was monitored during transport using a probe coupled to a data logger inside each simulated blood product unit. RESULTS: All flights were conducted successfully without any adverse events or safety concerns reported. The heaviest payload transported was 6.4 kg, and the drone speed throughout all nine flights was 10 m/s. The mean UAV transportation time was significantly faster than ground delivery (17:06 ± 00:04 minutes vs. 28:54 ± 01:12 minutes, p < 0.0001). The mean ± SD initial temperature for packed red blood cells was 4.4°C ± 0.1°C with a maximum 5% mean temperature variability from departure to landing. For platelet concentrates, the mean ± SD initial temperature was 21.6°C ± 0.5°C, and the maximum variability observed was 0.3%. The mean ± SD initial fresh frozen plasma temperature was -19°C ± 2°C, and the greatest temperature variability was from -17°C ± 2°C to -16°C ± 2°C. CONCLUSIONS: Unmanned aerial vehicle transportation of simulated blood products was significantly faster than ground delivery. Simulated blood product temperatures remained within their respective acceptable ranges throughout transport. Further studies assessing UAV transport of real blood products in populated areas are warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, level IV.

Promoting intergroup openness and support for equality in a new cultural context: Replicating the effects of internal criticism.

Exposure to an outgroup member voicing criticism of his or her own group fosters greater openness to the outgroup's perspective. Research suggests that this effect owes its influence to a serial process in which participants' perception of the risk involved in voicing internal criticism leads to an increase in the perceived credibility of the speaker. The credibility makes it possible for the speaker to be viewed as open-minded, which subsequently inspires greater hope. This process culminates in an increased openness to the outgroup. These findings have been restricted to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but here we examine their generalizability to racial conflict in the United States. Results reveal that White Americans exposed to internal criticism expressed by a Black authority figure express greater openness to African-American perspectives on race relations and are more willing to support policies of racial equality. Replicating past research, this effect is serially mediated by risk, credibility, and hope.

The molecular mechanism of induction of unfolded protein response by Chlamydia.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) contributes to chlamydial pathogenesis, as a source of lipids and ATP during replication, and for establishing the initial anti-apoptotic state of host cell that ensures successful inclusion development. The molecular mechanism(s) of UPR induction by Chlamydia is unknown. Chlamydia use type III secretion system (T3SS) effector proteins (e.g, the Translocated Actin-Recruiting Phosphoprotein (Tarp) to stimulate host cell's cytoskeletal reorganization that facilitates invasion and inclusion development. We investigated the hypothesis that T3SS effector-mediated assembly of myosin-II complex produces activated non-muscle myosin heavy chain II (NMMHC-II), which then binds the UPR master regulator (BiP) and/or transducers to induce UPR. Our results revealed the interaction of the chlamydial effector proteins (CT228 and Tarp) with components of the myosin II complex and UPR regulator and transducer during infection. These interactions caused the activation and binding of NMMHC-II to BiP and IRE1α leading to UPR induction. In addition, specific inhibitors of myosin light chain kinase, Tarp oligomerization and myosin ATPase significantly reduced UPR activation and Chlamydia replication. Thus, Chlamydia induce UPR through T3SS effector-mediated activation of NMMHC-II components of the myosin complex to facilitate infectivity. The finding provides greater insights into chlamydial pathogenesis with the potential to identify therapeutic targets and formulations.

Outgroup members' internal criticism promotes intergroup openness: The role of perceived risk.

Research suggests that hearing an outgroup member voice internal criticism increases individuals' openness to the outgroup's perspective. We replicate and extend these findings in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli participants exposed to a Palestinian official voicing internal criticism reported more openness to the Palestinian narrative of the conflict, an effect that was mediated by an increase in participants' perception that Palestinians are open-minded and a subsequent increase in their hope for more positive relations between the two groups. In our extension of these findings, we examined a complementary mechanism contributing to the effectiveness of the criticism manipulation, specifically the extent to which participants perceive that the Palestinian official took a risk voicing criticism of Palestinians. Positive messages from a hostile outgroup may be received with suspicion, but if they are articulated under great risk to the speaker, greater credibility may be granted. Across two studies, we demonstrate that the criticism conveys risk to the speaker and that this risk is predictive of the perceived credibility of the speaker, and participants' subsequent openness to the outgroup's perspective.

Human cathelicidin, LL-37, inhibits respiratory syncytial virus infection in polarized airway epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract illness in young children worldwide. Treatment options for severe RSV disease remain limited and the development of therapeutic treatment strategies remains a priority. LL-37, a small cationic host defense peptide involved in anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial responses, reduces replication of or infection by multiple viruses, including influenza virus, in vitro, and protects against lethal challenge with influenza virus in vivo. LL-37 also protects against RSV infection of HEp-2 cells in vitro; however, HEp-2 are not reflective of polarized airway epithelial cells and respond differently to RSV infection. An air-liquid interface (ALI) Calu-3 model that more closely mimics the human airway epithelium was established. Using this in vitro model, the effectiveness of LL-37 in preventing RSV infection and replication was examined. RESULTS: LL-37, when pre-incubated with virus prior to RSV infection (prophylactic), significantly reduced the level of viral genome detected in infected Calu-3 cells, and decreased chemokine expression associated with RSV infection in vitro. In contrast, therapeutic treatment of RSV-infected ALI Calu-3 at 24 h and 3 days post-infection had minimal impact on RSV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the efficacy of LL-37 at reducing RSV infection under prophylactic and therapeutic conditions may in part be ascribed to differences in the method of peptide exposure. However, the efficacy of LL-37 at reducing RSV infection under prophylactic conditions indicates that further studies examining the efficacy of LL-37 as a small peptide inhibitor of RSV are warranted.

Mock Code: A Code Blue Scenario Requested by and Developed for Registered Nurses.

The use of simulation in medical training is quickly becoming more common, with applications in emergency, surgical, and nursing education. Recently, registered nurses working in surgical inpatient units requested a mock code simulation to practice skills, improve knowledge, and build self-confidence in a safe and controlled environment. A simulation scenario using a high-fidelity mannequin was developed and will be discussed herein.

O-mannosylation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis adhesin Apa is crucial for T cell antigenicity during infection but is expendable for protection.

Glycosylation is the most abundant post-translational polypeptide chain modification in nature. Although carbohydrate modification of protein antigens from many microbial pathogens constitutes important components of B cell epitopes, the role in T cell immunity is not completely understood. Here, using ELISPOT and polychromatic flow cytometry, we show that O-mannosylation of the adhesin, Apa, of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is crucial for its T cell antigenicity in humans and mice after infection. However, subunit vaccination with both mannosylated and non-mannosylated Apa induced a comparable magnitude and quality of T cell response and imparted similar levels of protection against Mtb challenge in mice. Both forms equally improved waning BCG vaccine-induced protection in elderly mice after subunit boosting. Thus, O-mannosylation of Apa is required for antigenicity but appears to be dispensable for its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice. These results have implications for the development of subunit vaccines using post-translationally modified proteins such as glycoproteins against infectious diseases like tuberculosis.

Faustian bargains for minorities within group-based hierarchies.

A dual-audience signaling problem framework provides a deeper understanding of the perpetuation of group-based inequality. We describe a model of underachievement among minority youth that posits a necessary trade-off between academic success and peer social support that creates a dilemma not typically encountered by nonminorities. Preliminary evidence consistent with the approach is discussed. Such strategic agent perspectives complement the psychological approach put forth by Dixon et al., but with minimal ancillary assumptions.

Evolution and the psychology of intergroup conflict: the male warrior hypothesis.

The social science literature contains numerous examples of human tribalism and parochialism-the tendency to categorize individuals on the basis of their group membership, and treat ingroup members benevolently and outgroup members malevolently. We hypothesize that this tribal inclination is an adaptive response to the threat of coalitional aggression and intergroup conflict perpetrated by 'warrior males' in both ancestral and modern human environments. Here, we describe how male coalitional aggression could have affected the social psychologies of men and women differently and present preliminary evidence from experimental social psychological studies testing various predictions from the 'male warrior' hypothesis. Finally, we discuss the theoretical implications of our research for studying intergroup relations both in humans and non-humans and discuss some practical implications.

Driving Evidence-Based Standardization of Care within a Framework of Personalized Medicine.

Cancer care in the United States faces a number of key challenges today that are causing payers, referring physicians, and patients alike to question the value of the care, in terms of both outcomes and costs. New technologies in the form of pharmaceuticals and biologics, prognostic tests, and new radiation therapy tools and techniques offer the promise of improved outcomes, but their cost-effectiveness is often unclear. Oncologists themselves are caught in the middle, as they are the prescribers of such technologies and the entity billing for such services but have only limited ability to influence the pricing models for these services. Finally, as oncology care becomes more complex because of increased understanding of the pathogenesis of the many subtypes of cancer, the community-based oncologist who cares for patients with all cancer subtypes is confronted with maintaining an up-to-date knowledge base that is expanding rapidly. Although no single solution for these issues exists in oncology today, the experience at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has demonstrated that a clinical pathways program can reduce unwarranted variability in both treatment and outcomes, drive adherence to evidence-based medicine, and, in the process, reduce the growth rate in the total costs of cancer care.

Virtual morality: emotion and action in a simulated three-dimensional "trolley problem".

Experimentally investigating the relationship between moral judgment and action is difficult when the action of interest entails harming others. We adopt a new approach to this problem by placing subjects in an immersive, virtual reality environment that simulates the classic "trolley problem." In this moral dilemma, the majority of research participants behaved as "moral utilitarians," either (a) acting to cause the death of one individual in order to save the lives of five others, or (b) abstaining from action, when that action would have caused five deaths versus one. Confirming the emotional distinction between moral actions and omissions, autonomic arousal was greater when the utilitarian outcome required action, and increased arousal was associated with a decreased likelihood of utilitarian-biased behavior. This pattern of results held across individuals of different gender, age, and race.

Fertility and intergroup bias in racial and minimal-group contexts: evidence for shared architecture.

Recent research has shown that White women's bias against Black men increases with elevated fertility across the menstrual cycle. We demonstrate that the association between fertility and intergroup bias is not limited to groups defined by race, but extends to group categories that are minimally defined, and may depend on the extent to which women associate out-group men with physical formidability. In Study 1, Black and White women with strong associations between the racial out-group and physical formidability displayed greater bias against out-group men as conception risk increased. Study 2 replicated these results in a minimal-group paradigm. These findings are consistent with the notion that women may be endowed with a psychological system that generates intergroup bias via mechanisms that rely on categorization heuristics and perceptions of the physical formidability of out-group men, particularly when the costs of sexual coercion are high.

Prejudice at the nexus of race and gender: an outgroup male target hypothesis.

Adopting an evolutionary approach to the psychology of race bias, we posit that intergroup conflict perpetrated by male aggressors throughout human evolutionary history has shaped the psychology of modern forms of intergroup bias and that this psychology reflects the unique adaptive problems that differ between men and women in coping with male aggressors from groups other than one's own. Here we report results across 4 studies consistent with this perspective, showing that race bias is moderated by gender differences in traits relevant to threat responses that differ in their adaptive utility between the sexes-namely, aggression and dominance motives for men and fear of sexual coercion for women. These results are consistent with the notion that the psychology of intergroup bias is generated by different psychological systems for men and women, and the results underscore the importance of considering the gender of the outgroup target as well as the gender of the agent in psychological studies on prejudice and discrimination.

Extending the the behavioral immune system to political psychology: are political conservatism and disgust sensitivity really related?

Previous research suggests that several individual and cultural level attitudes, cognitions, and societal structures may have evolved to mitigate the pathogen threats posed by intergroup interactions. It has been suggested that these anti-pathogen defenses are at the root of conservative political ideology. Here, we test a hypothesis that political conservatism functions as a pathogen-avoidance strategy. Across three studies, we consistently find no relationship between sensitivity to pathogen disgust and multiple measures of political conservatism. These results are contrasted with theoretical perspectives suggesting a relationship between conservatism and pathogen avoidance, and with previous findings of a relationship between conservatism and disgust sensitivity.