No evidence that averaging voices influences attractiveness.

Vocal attractiveness influences important social outcomes. While most research on the acoustic parameters that influence vocal attractiveness has focused on the possible roles of sexually dimorphic characteristics of voices, such as fundamental frequency (i.e., pitch) and formant frequencies (i.e., a correlate of body size), other work has reported that increasing vocal averageness increases attractiveness. Here we investigated the roles these three characteristics play in judgments of the attractiveness of male and female voices. In Study 1, we found that increasing vocal averageness significantly decreased distinctiveness ratings, demonstrating that participants could detect manipulations of vocal averageness in this stimulus set and using this testing paradigm. However, in Study 2, we found no evidence that increasing averageness significantly increased attractiveness ratings of voices. In Study 3, we found that fundamental frequency was negatively correlated with male vocal attractiveness and positively correlated with female vocal attractiveness. By contrast with these results for fundamental frequency, vocal attractiveness and formant frequencies were not significantly correlated. Collectively, our results suggest that averageness may not necessarily significantly increase attractiveness judgments of voices and are consistent with previous work reporting significant associations between attractiveness and voice pitch.

Economic impacts of marine debris encounters on commercial shrimping.

The commercial shrimping industry is subjected to myriad stressors that have led to financial hardships among industry members. One of these stressors is marine debris; however, there is limited understanding of the type and magnitude of impacts. Quantitative methods of estimating the economic impacts of marine debris on the commercial shrimping industry were developed. From June to December 2019, participating shrimpers submitted 393 daily summaries, including shrimping activities, marine debris encounters, damages, and impacts. The impacts of marine debris encounters were assessed from reports of daily damages to fishing assets, daily lost fishing time, daily loss-catch ratios, and daily catch losses. The results of this study demonstrate substantial negative economic impacts on commercial shrimpers related to marine debris encounters. About 17 % of shrimp caught were lost due to marine debris encounters, resulting in foregone total sales and job impacts of $3.2 million and 33 jobs in shrimping and associated businesses.

Snake venom toxins: Potential anticancer therapeutics.

Snake venom contains a cocktail of compounds dominated by proteins and peptides, which make up the toxin. The toxin components of snake venom attack several targets in the human body including the neuromuscular system, kidney and blood coagulation system and cause pathologies. As such, the venom toxins can be managed and used for the treatment of these diseases. In this regard, Captopril used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases was the first animal venom toxin-based drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. Cancers cause morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to side effects associated with the current cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy and surgery, there is a need to improve the efficacy of current treatments and/or develop novel drugs from natural sources including animal toxin-based drugs. There is a long history of earlier and ongoing studies implicating snake venom toxins as potential anticancer therapies. Here, we review the role of crude snake venoms and toxins including phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase, C-type lectin and disintegrin as potential anticancer agents tested in cancer cell lines and animal tumour models in comparison to normal cell lines. Some of the anti-tumour activities of snake venom toxins include induction of cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and inhibition of metastasis, angiogenesis and tumour growth. We thus propose the advancement of multidisciplinary approaches to more pre-clinical and clinical studies for enhanced bioavailability and targeted delivery of snake venom toxin-based anticancer drugs.

Assessing the roles of shape prototypicality and sexual dimorphism in ratings of the trustworthiness of faces.

Perceptions of the trustworthiness of faces predict important social outcomes, including economic exchange and criminal sentencing decisions. However, the specific facial characteristics that drive trustworthiness perceptions remain poorly understood. Here we investigated this issue by exploring possible relationships between ratings of the trustworthiness of face images and objective assessments of two aspects of face shape that researchers have previously argued are important for perceptions of trustworthiness: distinctiveness and sexual dimorphism. Here we report that faces with more distinctive shapes are rated as less trustworthy, but that sexual dimorphism of face shape is not significantly correlated with trustworthiness ratings. These results suggest that distinctiveness of face shape plays a more important role in trustworthiness perceptions than does sexual dimorphism and suggest that perceptions of trustworthiness may stem, at least in part, from the 'anomalous-is-bad' stereotype.

Correction: Academic global surgical competencies: A modified Delphi consensus study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002102.].

The importance of face-shape masculinity for perceptions of male dominance depends on study design.

Dominance perceptions play an important role in social interactions. Although many researchers have proposed that shape masculinity is an important facial cue for dominance perceptions, evidence for this claim has come almost exclusively from studies that assessed perceptions of experimentally manipulated faces using forced-choice paradigms. Consequently, we investigated the role of masculine shape characteristics in perceptions of men's facial dominance (1) when shape-manipulated stimuli were presented in a forced-choice paradigm and (2) when unmanipulated face images were rated for dominance and shape masculinity was measured from face images. Although we observed large effects of masculinity on dominance perceptions when we used the forced-choice method (Cohen's ds = 2.51 and 3.28), the effect of masculinity on dominance perceptions was considerably smaller when unmanipulated face images were rated and shape masculinity measured from face images (Cohen's ds = 0.44 and 0.62). This pattern was observed when faces were rated separately for physical dominance, social dominance, and masculinity, and was seen for two different sets of stimuli. Collectively, these results suggest that shape masculinity may not be a particularly important cue for dominance perceptions when faces vary simultaneously on multiple dimensions, as is the case during everyday social interactions.

Academic global surgical competencies: A modified Delphi consensus study.

Academic global surgery is a rapidly growing field that aims to improve access to safe surgical care worldwide. However, no universally accepted competencies exist to inform this developing field. A consensus-based approach, with input from a diverse group of experts, is needed to identify essential competencies that will lead to standardization in this field. A task force was set up using snowball sampling to recruit a broad group of content and context experts in global surgical and perioperative care. A draft set of competencies was revised through the modified Delphi process with two rounds of anonymous input. A threshold of 80% consensus was used to determine whether a competency or sub-competency learning objective was relevant to the skillset needed within academic global surgery and perioperative care. A diverse task force recruited experts from 22 countries to participate in both rounds of the Delphi process. Of the n = 59 respondents completing both rounds of iterative polling, 63% were from low- or middle-income countries. After two rounds of anonymous feedback, participants reached consensus on nine core competencies and 31 sub-competency objectives. The greatest consensus pertained to competency in ethics and professionalism in global surgery (100%) with emphasis on justice, equity, and decolonization across multiple competencies. This Delphi process, with input from experts worldwide, identified nine competencies which can be used to develop standardized academic global surgery and perioperative care curricula worldwide. Further work needs to be done to validate these competencies and establish assessments to ensure that they are taught effectively.

Hippocampal versus cortical deletion of cholinergic receptor muscarinic 1 in mice differentially affects post-translational modifications and supramolecular assembly of respiratory chain-associated proteins, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and respiration: implications in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: In a previous retrospective study using postmortem human brain tissues, we demonstrated that loss of Cholinergic Receptor Muscarinic 1 (CHRM1) in the temporal cortex of a subset of Alzheimer's patients was associated with poor survival, whereas similar loss in the hippocampus showed no such association. Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies Alzheimer's pathogenesis. Therefore, to investigate the mechanistic basis of our findings, we evaluated cortical mitochondrial phenotypes in Chrm1 knockout (Chrm1-/-) mice. Cortical Chrm1 loss resulted in reduced respiration, reduced supramolecular assembly of respiratory protein complexes, and caused mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities. These mouse-based findings mechanistically linked cortical CHRM1 loss with poor survival of Alzheimer's patients. However, evaluation of the effect of Chrm1 loss on mouse hippocampal mitochondrial characteristics is necessary to fully understand our retrospective human tissue-based observations. This is the objective of this study. Methods: Enriched hippocampal and cortical mitochondrial fractions (EHMFs/ECMFs, respectively) derived from wild-type and Chrm1-/- mice were used to measure respiration by quantifying real-time oxygen consumption, supramolecular assembly of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-associated proteins by blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, post-translational modifications (PTMs) by isoelectric focusing (IEF), and mitochondrial ultrastructure by electron microscopy. Results: In contrast to our previous observations in Chrm1-/- ECMFs, EHMFs of Chrm1-/- mice significantly increased respiration with a concomitant increase in the supramolecular assembly of OXPHOS-associated proteins, specifically Atp5a and Uqcrc2, with no mitochondrial ultrastructural alterations. IEF of ECMFs and EHMFs from Chrm1-/- mice showed a decrease and an increase, respectively in a negatively charged (pH∼3) fraction of Atp5a relative to the wild-type mice, with a corresponding decrease or increase in the supramolecular assembly of Atp5a and respiration indicating a tissue-specific signaling effect. Discussion: Our findings indicate that loss of Chrm1 in the cortex causes structural, and physiological alterations to mitochondria that compromise neuronal function, whereas Chrm1 loss in the hippocampus may benefit neuronal function by enhancing mitochondrial function. This brain region-specific differential effect of Chrm1 deletion on mitochondrial function supports our human brain region-based findings and Chrm1-/- mouse behavioral phenotypes. Furthermore, our study indicates that Chrm1-mediated brain region-specific differential PTMs of Atp5a may alter complex-V supramolecular assembly which in turn regulates mitochondrial structure-function.

The Impact of Global Collaboration on the Academic Focus of the West African College of Surgeons: Are Worldwide Efforts Aligning with Local Priorities?

BACKGROUND: Global collaboration has the potential to induce a shift in research focus away from the priorities of those in low- and low-middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs). This study quantified international collaboration among surgery publications by Fellows of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) and investigated if collaboration with upper-middle-income and high-income countries (UMICs and HICs) decreases the homophily of research focus. METHODS: Publications by WACS surgery Fellows from 1960 to 2019 were characterized as local WACS publications, collaborative publications without UMIC/HIC participation, or collaborative publications with UMIC/HIC participation. Research topics were determined for each publication, and topic percentages were compared between collaboration groups. RESULTS: We analyzed 5065 publications. Most (3690 publications, 73%) were local WACS publications, while 742 (15%) were collaborative publications with UMIC/HIC participation and 633 (12%) were collaborative publications without UMIC/HIC participation. UMIC/HIC collaborations contributed to 49% of the increase (378 out of 766 publications) from 2000 to 2019. Topic homophily was significantly lower between local WACS publications and collaborations with UMIC/HIC participation (differed in nine research topics) than it was between local WACS publications and collaborations without UMIC/HIC participation (differed in two research topics). CONCLUSIONS: Publications without international collaboration comprise most WACS research, but the rate of UMIC/HIC collaborations is rapidly increasing. We found that UMIC/HIC collaborations decreased the homophily of topic focus in WACS publications, indicating that global collaborations need to have greater emphasis on the priorities of those in LICs and LMICs.

Loss of cholinergic receptor muscarinic 1 impairs cortical mitochondrial structure and function: implications in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Cholinergic Receptor Muscarinic 1 (CHRM1) is a G protein-coupled acetylcholine (ACh) receptor predominantly expressed in the cerebral cortex. In a retrospective postmortem brain tissues-based study, we demonstrated that severely (≥50% decrease) reduced CHRM1 proteins in the temporal cortex of Alzheimer's patients significantly correlated with poor patient outcomes. The G protein-mediated CHRM1 signal transduction cannot sufficiently explain the mechanistic link between cortical CHRM1 loss and the appearance of hallmark Alzheimer's pathophysiologies, particularly mitochondrial structural and functional abnormalities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the molecular, ultrastructural, and functional properties of cortical mitochondria using CHRM1 knockout (Chrm1-/-) and wild-type mice to identify mitochondrial abnormalities. Methods: Isolated and enriched cortical mitochondrial fractions derived from wild-type and Chrm1-/- mice were assessed for respiratory deficits (oxygen consumption) following the addition of different substrates. The supramolecular assembly of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-associated protein complexes (complex I-V) and cortical mitochondrial ultrastructure were investigated by blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. A cocktail of antibodies, specific to Ndufb8, Sdhb, Uqcrc2, Mtco1, and Atp5a proteins representing different subunits of complexes I-V, respectively was used to characterize different OXPHOS-associated protein complexes. Results: Loss of Chrm1 led to a significant reduction in cortical mitochondrial respiration (oxygen consumption) concomitantly associated with reduced oligomerization of ATP synthase (complex V) and supramolecular assembly of complexes I-IV (Respirasome). Overexpression of Chrm1 in transformed cells (lacking native Chrm1) significantly increased complex V oligomerization and respirasome assembly leading to enhanced respiration. TEM analysis revealed that Chrm1 loss led to mitochondrial ultrastructural defects and alteration in the tinctorial properties of cortical neurons causing a significant increase in the abundance of dark cortical neurons (Chrm1-/- 85% versus wild-type 2%). Discussion: Our findings indicate a hitherto unknown effect of Chrm1 deletion in cortical neurons affecting mitochondrial function by altering multiple interdependent factors including ATP synthase oligomerization, respirasome assembly, and mitochondrial ultrastructure. The appearance of dark neurons in Chrm1-/- cortices implies potentially enhanced glutamatergic signaling in pyramidal neurons under Chrm1 loss condition. The findings provide novel mechanistic insights into Chrm1 loss with the appearance of mitochondrial pathophysiological deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

No evidence that sociosexual orientation moderates effects of conception probability on women's preferences for male facial masculinity.

Although many researchers have proposed that women will show stronger preferences for male facial masculinity when conception probability is high, empirical tests of this hypothesis have produced mixed results. One possible explanation for these inconsistent findings is that effects of conception probability on women's preferences for facial masculinity are moderated by additional factors not typically considered in these empirical tests. One such potential moderator is individual differences in women's openness to uncommitted sexual relationships (i.e., individual differences in women's sociosexual orientation); women who are more open to uncommitted sexual relationships might show stronger positive effects of conception probability on masculinity preferences, as their sexuality is more overt and sexual attitudes and behaviours are more diversified. Consequently, we analysed data from three independent samples (N = 2304, N = 483, and N = 339) to assess whether sociosexual orientation moderates the hypothesised positive effect of conception probability on women's facial masculinity preferences. Analyses showed no evidence that higher conception probability increased preferences for facial masculinity or that sociosexual orientation moderated the effect of conception probability on women's preferences for facial masculinity. While it remains possible that factors other than sociosexual orientation moderate effects of conception probability on masculinity preferences, our null results suggest that the mixed results for the effects of conception probability on facial masculinity preferences in previous studies are unlikely to be a consequence of failing to consider the moderating role of sociosexual orientation.

Should artificial intelligence be used in conjunction with Neuroimaging in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that affects memory, thinking, behavior, and other cognitive functions. Although there is no cure, detecting AD early is important for the development of a therapeutic plan and a care plan that may preserve cognitive function and prevent irreversible damage. Neuroimaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET), has served as a critical tool in establishing diagnostic indicators of AD during the preclinical stage. However, as neuroimaging technology quickly advances, there is a challenge in analyzing and interpreting vast amounts of brain imaging data. Given these limitations, there is great interest in using artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in this process. AI introduces limitless possibilities in the future diagnosis of AD, yet there is still resistance from the healthcare community to incorporate AI in the clinical setting. The goal of this review is to answer the question of whether AI should be used in conjunction with neuroimaging in the diagnosis of AD. To answer the question, the possible benefits and disadvantages of AI are discussed. The main advantages of AI are its potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, improve the efficiency in analyzing radiographic data, reduce physician burnout, and advance precision medicine. The disadvantages include generalization and data shortage, lack of in vivo gold standard, skepticism in the medical community, potential for physician bias, and concerns over patient information, privacy, and safety. Although the challenges present fundamental concerns and must be addressed when the time comes, it would be unethical not to use AI if it can improve patient health and outcome.

Different Perspectives on Retest Effects in the Context of Spatial Thinking: Interplay of Behavioral Performance, Cognitive Processing, and Cognitive Workload.

Retest effects refer to performance improvements in a final test by completing previous tests with the same or similar testing materials. Improvements in test-related skills and/or increasing familiarity with the stimulus materials are considered sources of the retest effect. The present study analyzes retest effects in the context of spatial thinking, considering complementing perspectives (behavioral performance, cognitive processing, and cognitive workload). N = 141 participants completed a recently developed ability test for the visualization factor of spatial thinking (R-Cube-Vis Test). This test provides the opportunity to monitor the progression of changes in solving behavior from item to item within each of the six distinct difficulty levels. Items of one difficulty level all require the same spatial solving strategy but vary in visual appearance. Multi-level models were estimated, with items on level 1 and participants on level 2. Results demonstrated retest effects as changes from the beginning to the end of a set of items within each difficulty level by increasing accuracy. Gaze patterns showed the development of solving strategies by participants through, e.g., shifting the focus on relevant item parts. Increasing familiarity with the stimulus materials was indicated in reduced reaction times and increased confidence ratings, but also by the results of a pupillary-based cognitive workload measure. Furthermore, differences between participants with overall high vs. low spatial ability were considered. In addition to a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the retest effect, the complementing perspectives provide more detailed information about individual ability profiles for diagnostic purposes.

A Robust, Divalent, Phosphaza-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane Connector Provides Access to Cage-Dense Inorganic Polymers and Networks.

While polymers containing chain or ring motifs in their backbone are ubiquitous, those containing well-defined molecular cages are very rare and essentially unknown for the inorganic elements. We report that a rigid and dinucleophilic cage (PNSiMe3)2(NMe)6, which is chemically robust and accessible on a multi-gram scale from commercial precursors, serves as a linear and divalent connector that forms cage-dense inorganic materials. Reaction of the cage with various ditopic P(III) dihalide comonomers proceeded via Me3SiCl elimination to give high molecular weight (30 000-70 000 g mol-1), solution-processable polymers that form free-standing films. The end groups of the polymers could be tuned to engender orthogonal reactivity and form block copolymers. Networked cage-dense materials could be accessed by using PCl3 as a tritopic P(III) linker. Detailed mechanistic studies implicate a stepwise polycondensation that proceeds via phosphino-phosphonium ion intermediates, prior to Me3SiCl loss. Thus, metathesis between the dinucleophilic cage and polyhalides represents a general strategy to making cage-dense polymers, setting the stage for systematically understanding the consequences of the three-dimensional microstructure on macroscopic material properties.

Picture Cards Versus Physical Examination: A Proof-of-Concept Study to Improve the SOSAS Survey Tool.

INTRODUCTION: The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Needs (SOSAS) survey tool is used to determine the unmet surgical needs in the community and has been validated in several countries. A major weakness is the absence of an objective assessment to verify patient-reported surgically treatable conditions. The goal of this study was to determine whether a picture portfolio, a tool previously shown to improve parental recognition of their child's congenital deformity, could improve the accuracy of the SOSAS tool by how it compares with physical examination. This study focused on children as many surgical conditions in them require prompt treatment but are often not promptly diagnosed. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional community-based study to determine the prevalence of congenital and acquired surgical conditions among children and adults in a mixed rural-urban area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The picture portfolio was administered only to children and the surgical conditions to be assessed were predetermined using an e-Delphi process among pediatric surgeons. The modified The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Needs-Nigeria Survey Tool (SOSAS-NST) was administered to household members to collect other relevant data. Data were analyzed using the REDCap analytic tool. RESULTS: Eight hundred and fifty-six households were surveyed. There were 1984 adults (49.5%) and 2027 children (50.5%). Thirty-six children met the predetermined criteria for the picture portfolio-hydrocephalus (n = 1); lymphatic malformation (n = 1); umbilical hernia (n = 14); Hydrocele (n = 5); inguinal hernia (n = 10) and undescended testes (n = 5). The picture portfolio predicted all correctly except a case of undescended testis that was mistaken for a hernia. The sensitivity of the picture portfolio was therefore 35/36 or 97.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The SOSAS-NST has improved on the original SOSAS tool and within the limits of the small numbers, the picture portfolio has a high accuracy in predicting diagnosis in children in lieu of physical examination.

Mapping physical characteristics in face images to social judgements.

Sutherland and Young (Br. J. Psychol., 113, 2022, 1056) provide a comprehensive and timely overview of recent developments in research on social judgements of faces, emphasizing the utility of data-driven approaches. Here, we expand on this theme, focusing on how data-driven approaches can provide new insights into the physical characteristics in face images that best predict social judgements.

The Interaction Between NF-κB and Estrogen in Alzheimer's Disease.

Post-menopausal women are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) than males. The higher rates of AD in women are associated with the sharp decline in the estrogen levels after menopause. Estrogen has been shown to downregulate inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS), which has a neuroprotective role against neurodegenerative diseases including AD. Sustained neuroinflammation is associated with neurodegeneration and contributes to AD. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor involved with the modulation of inflammation and interacts with estrogen to influence the progression of AD. Application of 17ß-estradiol (E2) has been shown to inhibit NF-κB, thereby reducing transcription of NF-κB target genes. Despite accumulating evidence showing that estrogens have beneficial effects in pre-clinical AD studies, there are mixed results with hormone replacement therapy in clinical trials. Furthering our understanding of how NF-κB interacts with estrogen and alters the progression of neurodegenerative disorders including AD, should be beneficial and result in the development of novel therapeutics.

The First Two Years of the Association of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors (APSTPD) Transition to Fellowship Course: Lessons Learned and Future Directions.

OBJECTIVE: The first transition to fellowship course for incoming pediatric surgery fellows was held in the US in 2018 and the second in 2019. The course aimed to facilitate a successful transition in to fellowship by introduction of the professional, patient care, and technical aspects unique to pediatric surgery training. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the first two years of this course in the US and discuss subsequent evolution of this endeavor. DESIGN: This is a descriptive and qualitative analysis of two years' experience with the Association of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors' (APSTPD) Transition to Fellowship course. Course development and curriculum, including clinical knowledge, soft skills, and hands-on skills labs, are presented. Participating incoming fellows completed multiple choice, boards-style pre- and post-tests. Scores were compared to determine if knowledge was effectively transferred. Participants also completed post-course evaluations and subsequent 3- or 12-month surveys inquiring on the lasting impact of the course on their transition into fellowship. Standard univariate statistics were used to present results. SETTING: The first APSTPD Transition to Fellowship course was held at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland in 2018, and the second course was held at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon in 2019. PARTICIPANTS: All fellows entering ACGME-certified Pediatric Surgery fellowships in the United States were invited to participate. Twenty fellows accepted and attended in 2018, and fourteen fellows participated in 2019. RESULTS: There were 34 incoming pediatric surgery fellow participants over 2 years. Faculty represented more than 10 institutions each year. Pre- and post-test scores were similar between years, with a significant improvement of scores after completion of the course (67±10% vs 79±8%, p < 0.001). Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with skills labs being attendees' favorite component. When asked about usefulness of individual course sessions, more attendees found clinical sessions more useful than soft skills (93% vs 73%, p = 0.011). Almost all (90%) of participants reported the course met its stated purpose and would recommend the course to future fellows. This was further reflected on 3 and 12 month follow up surveys wherein 85% stated they found the course helpful during the first few months of fellowship and 90% would still recommend it. CONCLUSIONS: A transition to fellowship course in the US for incoming pediatric surgery fellows is logistically feasible, effective in transfer of knowledge, and highly regarded among attendees. Feedback from each course has been used to improve the subsequent courses, ensuring that it remains a valuable addition to pediatric surgical training in the US.