Inferring energy-composition relationships with Bayesian optimization enhances exploration of inorganic materials.

Computational exploration of the compositional spaces of materials can provide guidance for synthetic research and thus accelerate the discovery of novel materials. Most approaches employ high-throughput sampling and focus on reducing the time for energy evaluation for individual compositions, often at the cost of accuracy. Here, we present an alternative approach focusing on effective sampling of the compositional space. The learning algorithm PhaseBO optimizes the stoichiometry of the potential target material while improving the probability of and accelerating its discovery without compromising the accuracy of energy evaluation.

Why Otolaryngologists Should Be Interested in Psychedelic Medicine.

As psychedelic medicine is becoming mainstream, physicians need to know something about these medications, their indications, contraindications, and potential for research. This article is a brief overview of the subject with some ideas of how psychedelic medicines can impact the practice of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Oxidative Stress and Low Glutathione in Common Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions: A Systematic Review.

Context • Oxidative stress and tissue-damaging, oxygen (O2)-related, free-radical formation is inherent in human metabolism, and the tissues of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) have an increased exposure to injury from those substances. Because glutathione (GSH) is a major component in an antioxidant defense against oxidative damage in ENT tissues, a review of the impact of lowered GSH and oxidative stress in conditions associated with the upper respiratory tract is warranted. Objective • The review intended to summarize the role that oxidative stress and GSH play. Design • The research team performed a literature review from 1980 to the present that was based on the following keywords: oxidative stress, oxidation, antioxidant, and GSH in common ENT conditions. The review found the following conditions: (1) rhinitis, (2) allergic rhinitis, (3) chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), (4) CRS with polyps, (5) otitis media with effusion, (6) chronic otitis media (COM), (7) COM and cholesteatoma, (8) tympanic membrane sclerosis, (9) tonsillitis, (10) Meniere's disease, (11) laryngeal conditions, and (12) chronic cough. Results • ENT conditions have been found to be associated with oxidative stress and with low GSH. A limited number of the reviewed studies discussed antioxidant use or repletion of GSH. Although only a few reports support the use of GSH or antioxidants as adjuncts in the management of ENT conditions, no reports of side effects were found related to their use. Conclusions • Many ENT conditions are associated with oxidative stress and decreased GSH, both locally in the affected tissues and systemically. The oxidative stress of those conditions may be related to depletion of GSH, which is increased by the higher levels of O2 in the upper respiratory tract. A small number of studies have reported clinical benefits from the use of an antioxidant or GSH support. The findings of benefits and the lack of reports of side effects suggest that the clinical use of antioxidants and support with GSH in ENT conditions may be considered as adjuncts to conventional management and that more research is warranted.

Integrative medical approaches to allergic rhinitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM), formerly known as alternative medicine, is now part of the mainstream management for patients with a host of medical issues. This current opinion focuses on the use of CIM, more specifically, the use of nutritional and herbal therapies and homeopathic medications for patients with allergic symptoms. RECENT FINDINGS: The literature review revealed that naturally occurring substances when compared with placebo more often than not resulted in significant improvement of the allergic rhinitis symptoms. SUMMARY: Despite encouraging results, additional studies with greater rigor are needed.

Complementary and integrative treatments: the voice.

This article discusses the use of an integrative approach in the evaluation and management of the voice. The article begins with a look at the larynx and antioxidant therapy, followed by methods to relieve the pain associated with myofacial trigger points, and the herbs and supplements that can be used by vocalists to replace conventional medications in allergies and reflux. The article concludes with a reminder of the reasons why many vocalists turn to complementary and integrative treatments.

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.