Single drop cytometry onboard the International Space Station.

Real-time lab analysis is needed to support clinical decision making and research on human missions to the Moon and Mars. Powerful laboratory instruments, such as flow cytometers, are generally too cumbersome for spaceflight. Here, we show that scant test samples can be measured in microgravity, by a trained astronaut, using a miniature cytometry-based analyzer, the rHEALTH ONE, modified specifically for spaceflight. The base device addresses critical spaceflight requirements including minimal resource utilization and alignment-free optics for surviving rocket launch. To fully enable reduced gravity operation onboard the space station, we incorporated bubble-free fluidics, electromagnetic shielding, and gravity-independent sample introduction. We show microvolume flow cytometry from 10 µL sample drops, with data from five simultaneous channels using 10 µs bin intervals during each sample run, yielding an average of 72 million raw data points in approximately 2 min. We demonstrate the device measures each test sample repeatably, including correct identification of a sample that degraded in transit to the International Space Station. This approach can be utilized to further our understanding of spaceflight biology and provide immediate, actionable diagnostic information for management of astronaut health without the need for Earth-dependent analysis.

The moral foundations of cryptocurrency: evidence from Twitter and survey research.

Despite its relatively brief history, cryptocurrency has already had a profound impact on the economy, with some predicting that it will eventually replace traditional fiat currencies. Historically, it had dark associations with illegal activities in the early days, although perceptions and associations likely have, in recent years, changed for the better. Thus, understanding how people perceive the morality of cryptocurrency currently forms the motivation of the current research. We, in particular, examine associations dependent on political ideology. Across both a large-scale analysis of Twitter posts (N = 959,393) and controlled survey research (N = 487), we find that cryptocurrency is currently best understood as being more strongly linked to conservative vs. liberal moral foundations. Cryptocurrency-related posts were more likely to express conservative moral foundations (Authority, Purity, and Loyalty) rather than liberal moral foundations (Fairness and Care), and individual endorsement of these conservative moral foundations was associated with increased interest in crypto investment.

Seeing far: Abstract construal and visual distance judgments.

construal underlies mental travel. As a result, the human mind associates abstraction and psychological distance, whereby prompting abstract construal begets the inference of psychological distance - in time, social distance, hypotheticality, and physical space. That final distance is the only dimension that can be appraised visually, so would abstract construal impact judgments related to perceived visual distance? Two experiments provide evidence that abstract construal causes targets in the visual field to be judged as physically farther away. Further, the exacerbated sense of distance gives rise to related inferences about those visual targets (size and weight). These results deepen and broaden Construal Level Theory with practical implications for how people reason about the physical properties of objects - including but not limited to their physical distance.

How Long Has It Been? Self-Construal and Subjective Time Perception.

Do people with independent and interdependent self-construals perceive the amount of time that has passed differently? Results from four experiments (one preregistered) and three supplementary ones reveal that an independent (vs. interdependent) self-construal elongates time perception by making individuals feel that more time has passed than in reality. We find evidence that this is likely because an independent self-construal increases arousal that affects one's "internal clock," which determines the subjective passage of time. We find this effect with externally valid and practical measures, such as by measuring how long an online video feels, how long loading a webpage feels, and how long waiting in a line feels. Our research adds to an understanding of the consequences of self-construal for one of human beings' most important judgments-time. We discuss the theoretical and practical considerations of our results as well as research limitations in closing.

Point-of-care microvolume cytometer measures platelet counts with high accuracy from capillary blood.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care (PoC) testing of platelet count (PLT) provides real-time data for rapid decision making. The goal of this study is to evaluate the accuracy and precision of platelet counting using a new microvolume (8 µL), absolute counting, 1.5 kg cytometry-based blood analyzer, the rHEALTH ONE (rHEALTH) in comparison with the International Society of Laboratory Hematology (ISLH) platelet method, which uses a cytometer and an impedance analyzer. METHODS: Inclusion eligibility were healthy adults (M/F) ages 18-80 for donation of fingerprick and venous blood samples. Samples were from a random N = 31 volunteers from a single U.S. site. Samples were serially diluted to test thrombocytopenic ranges. Interfering substances and conditions were tested, including RBC fragments, platelet fragments, cholesterol, triglycerides, lipids, anti-platelet antibodies, and temperature. RESULTS: The concordance between the rHEALTH and ISLH methods had a slope = 1.030 and R2 = 0.9684. The rHEALTH method showed a correlation between capillary and venous blood samples (slope = 0.9514 and R2 = 0.9684). Certain interferents changed platelet recovery: RBC fragments and anti-platelet antibodies with the ISLH method; platelet fragments and anti-platelet antibodies on the rHEALTH; and RBC fragments, platelets fragments, triglycerides and LDL on the clinical impedance analyzer. The rHEALTH's precision ranged from 3.1-8.0%, and the ISLH from 1.0-10.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The rHEALTH method provides similar results with the reference method and good correlation between adult capillary and venous blood samples. This demonstrates the ability of the rHEALTH to provide point-of-care assessment of normal and thrombocytopenic platelet counts from fingerprick blood with high precision and limited interferences.

Mindfulness and smoking frequency: An investigation with Australian students.

Mindfulness training has been shown to be effective in reducing smoking frequency. However, mindfulness training instructions that are free of mentions about smoking are rare, which makes it difficult to ascertain if it is the temporary state of being mindful or demand effects that reduce smoking frequency. It has also been posited that mindfulness training lowers smoking frequency by helping smokers surf the urge, but this remains untested. Thus, we conducted an experiment to test the likely process. We used a 6-minute audio clip to induce a brief mindfulness state or a mind-wandering state in 91 Australian students; the brief mindfulness exercise was free of any mentions about smoking. We found that exposure to the mindfulness-inducing audio clip helped smokers surf their urge when they were later exposed to cigarette cues and they smoked less over the subsequent 7 days. The current work offers empirical evidence for why mindfulness training can be effective in smoking cessation.

Privacy concerns can explain unwillingness to download and use contact tracing apps when COVID-19 concerns are high.

Governments around the world have increasingly relied on technology to promote public health, such as using electronic health records and portable fitness devices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, "contact tracing apps" for smartphones have also been promoted in many countries as a way to allow public officials to facilitate contact tracing. But uptake in virtually all countries where such apps have been promoted is slow, one reason being privacy concerns. Conducting three experiments across France (n = 471), Australia (n = 202), and the United States (n = 1005), we explore if salient COVID-19 concerns, which intuitively should increase concerns about personal and public health, might in fact increase privacy concerns and thereby reduce uptake of contact tracing apps. Using an experimental design where we randomly assign participants to either a disease concerns or control condition, we find that salient COVID-19 concerns decrease intentions to download contact tracing apps. Mediation results reveal that greater valuations of privacy explain the lower willingness. We therefore explain why COVID-19 contact tracing apps that are promoted when the pandemic is at its peak see low levels of uptake. Our results provide policy makers with implications concerning how to promote uptake to help "flatten the curve" of not just the current pandemic but potentially also future ones.

Moral foundations underlying behavioral compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, government and public health officials have advocated three behaviors to help "flatten the curve" of the disease-staying-at-home, wearing face masks, and social distancing. But, some people, especially those younger in age, have flouted restrictions, harming themselves and the community. We explore the moral foundations underlying people's compliance with the three behaviors. Our study with 1033 Americans revealed that caring and fairness concerns predict complying with all behaviors, while sanctity concerns only predict compliance with wearing face masks and social distancing. A deeper investigation revealed age differences in loyalty and sanctity concerns for staying-at-home and social distancing, and in sanctity concerns only for wearing face masks. The findings document the innate intuitions that guide one's decision to comply with such behaviors. They also provide governments and policy officials with implications on possible message frames to use in communicating the importance of the three behaviors in order to protect one's and the public's health from COVID-19 and other flu-like illnesses in the future.

Colostomy in children on chronic peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate outcome of children on chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) with a concurrent colostomy. METHODS: Patients were identified through the International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network (IPPN) registry. Matched controls were randomly selected from the registry. Data were collected through the IPPN database and a survey disseminated to all participating sites. RESULTS: Fifteen centers reported 20 children who received chronic PD with a co-existing colostomy. The most common cause of end stage kidney disease was congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (n = 16, 80%). The main reason for colostomy placement was anorectal malformation (n = 13, 65%). The median age at colostomy creation and PD catheter (PDC) insertion were 0.1 (IQR, 0-2.2) and 2.8 (IQR 0.2-18.8) months, respectively. The colostomies and PDCs were present together for a median 18 (IQR, 4.9-35.8) months. The median age at PDC placement in 46 controls was 3.4 (IQR, 0.2-7.4) months of age. Fourteen patients (70%) developed 39 episodes of peritonitis. The annualized peritonitis rate was significantly higher in the colostomy group (1.13 vs. 0.70 episodes per patient year; p = 0.02). Predominant causative microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (15%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13%). There were 12 exit site infection (ESI) episodes reported exclusively in colostomy patients. Seven colostomy children (35%) died during their course of PD, in two cases due to peritonitis. CONCLUSION: Although feasible in children with a colostomy, chronic PD is associated with an increased risk of peritonitis and mortality. Continued efforts to reduce infection risk for this complex patient population are essential.

The Voice of Cognition: Active and Passive Voice Influence Distance and Construal.

English passages can be in either the active or passive voice. Relative to the active voice, the passive voice provides a sense of objectivity regarding the events being described. This leads to our hypothesis that passages in the passive voice can increase readers' psychological distance from the content of the passage, triggering an abstract construal. In five studies with American, Australian, British, and Canadian participants, we find evidence for our propositions, with both paragraphs and sentences in the passive voice increasing readers' felt temporal, hypothetical, and spatial distance from activities described in the text, which increases their abstraction in a manner that generalizes to unrelated tasks. As such, prose colors how people process information, with the active and passive voice influencing the reader in ways beyond what is stated in the written word.

Mindfulness changes construal level: An experimental investigation.

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment and accepting any thoughts or feelings that might arise without judgment. Mindfulness can influence a number of outcomes. Currently, we are interested if it influences people's level of mental construal. Two central dimensions of mindfulness (focusing on the present, and Openness to Experience) can lead to diverging predictions. While focusing on the present may produce a concrete construal level, openness to experience may facilitate an abstract construal level instead. We conducted 2 experiments to test the effect of a brief mindfulness induction on construal level. Mindfulness prompted participants to think more abstractly (Experiment 1), which was mediated by Openness to Experience (Experiment 2). Thus, mindfulness may prompt how people process information more broadly. We situate our research in the broader literature on mindfulness and reconcile our findings with previous work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Social (not fiscal) conservatism predicts deontological ethics.

Prior research has reported that political conservatives rely on a deontological approach to resolving moral dilemmas by favoring moral rules and moral edicts rather than expressing a willingness to sacrifice one life in order to save multiple others. In the current research, we sought to firstly demonstrate the underlying process and secondly to clarify the exact nature of the link between political ideology and deontological ethics. In Study 1, political conservatism predicted deontological judgments because of greater intuition. That is, conservatives think rather intuitively, and intuitive thinking is one antecedent to deontological judgments when resolving moral dilemmas. Following, in Study 2, we demonstrate that only social-not fiscal-conservatism predicts intuition and thus deontological ethics. Accordingly, we tease apart the typical left-right measure of political ideology into its two key aspects and argue that only the social but not fiscal dimensions predicts intuition and deontological ethics. We are not the first authors to suggest the existence of a link between political conservatism and moral processing, but we are the first to suggest an explanation and the first to clarify which aspect of conservatism is associated with deontological ethics.

Coffee cues elevate arousal and reduce level of construal.

Coffee and tea are two beverages commonly-consumed around the world. Therefore, there is much research regarding their physiological effects. However, less is known about their psychological meanings. Derived from a predicted lay association between coffee and arousal, we posit that exposure to coffee-related cues should increase arousal, even in the absence of actual ingestion, relative to exposure to tea-related cues. We further suggest that higher arousal levels should facilitate a concrete level of mental construal as conceptualized by Construal Level Theory. In four experiments, we find that coffee cues prompted participants to see temporal distances as shorter and to think in more concrete, precise terms. Both subjective and physiological arousal explain the effects. We situate our work in the literature that connects food and beverage to cognition or decision-making. We also discuss the applied relevance of our results as coffee and tea are among the most prevalent beverages globally.

Jerkies, tacos, and burgers: Subjective socioeconomic status and meat preference.

In mankind's evolutionary past, those who consumed meat were strong and powerful and thus man saw meat as indicative of social status. This symbolic connection between meat and status persists today. Thus, based upon psychological theories of compensation, individuals low on subjective socioeconomic status (SES) should have a greater preference for meat, as meat may be substitutable for the status that they lack. Three experiments tested this premise. Participants who felt low on subjective SES preferred meat-based foods compared to participants who felt high on it (Experiment 1). The effect is driven by a desire for status (Experiments 2-3) and not by felt hunger or power (Experiments 1-2) and not generalizable to plant foods (Experiment 3). The results suggest a symbolic link between meat and status, which has intriguingly not yet been empirically shown, and we also demonstrate a consequence of the link for food preference. The results may be of use for doctors who advise eating less meat to improve physical health and for environmental advocates who argue that meat consumption exacerbates global warming. We will also discuss the contributions of and further avenues based on our work.

Acquired cystic kidney disease: an under-recognized condition in children with end-stage renal disease.

Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) is a condition that occurs predominantly in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In contrast to hereditary cystic kidney disease, ACKD is characterized by the presence of multiple small cysts in bilaterally small kidneys. Limited pediatric data suggest a high incidence (21.6-45.8%) of ACKD in children on dialysis, comparable to that in adults, with an increased frequency associated with a longer duration of dialysis. Recent research has shed light on the pathogenesis of ACKD, such as activation of proto-oncogenes. Although most patients with ACKD are asymptomatic, the condition can be complicated by renal cell carcinoma. Routine surveillance should therefore be considered in at-risk populations.

Exposure to the American flag polarizes democratic-republican ideologies.

Some prior research has suggested that exposure to the American flag tilts Americans towards Republicanism, while others have proffered that it brings outs a common 'together' perspective instead. We explore a third possibility - that it may actually polarize Americans' political ideology. It is generally accepted that exposure to an environmental cue can shift attitudes and behaviours, at least partly or temporarily, in a manner that is consistent with that cue. Yet, the same cue can mean different things to different people. In the same vein, given how national identity and political ideology are intertwined in the United States, we hypothesize that the American flag should heighten different political beliefs depending on individuals' political ideology. To Democrats, being American is to support Democratic values, but to Republicans, being American is to support Republican values. The American flag thus should heighten Democrats of their Democratic identity, and it should heighten Republicans of their Republican one. The results of an experiment with 752 American respondents who were representative of the US population supported this polarizing effect of the American flag. The theoretical and policy implications of the findings are offered.

Reduced-gravity environment hardware demonstrations of a prototype miniaturized flow cytometer and companion microfluidic mixing technology.

Until recently, astronaut blood samples were collected in-flight, transported to earth on the Space Shuttle, and analyzed in terrestrial laboratories. If humans are to travel beyond low Earth orbit, a transition towards space-ready, point-of-care (POC) testing is required. Such testing needs to be comprehensive, easy to perform in a reduced-gravity environment, and unaffected by the stresses of launch and spaceflight. Countless POC devices have been developed to mimic laboratory scale counterparts, but most have narrow applications and few have demonstrable use in an in-flight, reduced-gravity environment. In fact, demonstrations of biomedical diagnostics in reduced gravity are limited altogether, making component choice and certain logistical challenges difficult to approach when seeking to test new technology. To help fill the void, we are presenting a modular method for the construction and operation of a prototype blood diagnostic device and its associated parabolic flight test rig that meet the standards for flight-testing onboard a parabolic flight, reduced-gravity aircraft. The method first focuses on rig assembly for in-flight, reduced-gravity testing of a flow cytometer and a companion microfluidic mixing chip. Components are adaptable to other designs and some custom components, such as a microvolume sample loader and the micromixer may be of particular interest. The method then shifts focus to flight preparation, by offering guidelines and suggestions to prepare for a successful flight test with regard to user training, development of a standard operating procedure (SOP), and other issues. Finally, in-flight experimental procedures specific to our demonstrations are described.

Next-generation sequencing methods: impact of sequencing accuracy on SNP discovery.

The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has spurred remarkable progress in the field of genomics. Whereas traditional Sanger sequencing has yielded the first complete human genome sequence, next-generation methods have been able to resequence several human genomes. In this manner, next-generation approaches have powerful capabilities for understanding human variation. The throughput for these approaches is often measured in billions of base pairs per run, astounding numbers when compared with the millions of base pairs per day generated by automated capillary DNA sequencers. However, unlike traditional Sanger dideoxy sequencing, these methods have lower accuracy and shorter read lengths than the dideoxy gold standard. Are these limitations offset by the higher throughputs? An in-depth look at the single read and composite accuracy of these methods is presented. The stringent requirements for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery utilizing these approaches is discussed along with a review of studies that have successfully employed next-generation sequencing methods for large-scale SNP discovery. Ultimately, the application of these ultra-high-throughput sequencing methods for SNP discovery will open up new horizons for understanding human genomic variation.

Advances in sequencing technology.

Faster sequencing methods will undoubtedly lead to faster single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery. The Sanger method has served as the cornerstone for genome sequence production since 1977, close to almost 30 years of tremendous utility [Sanger, F., Nicklen, S., Coulson, A.R, DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74 (1977) 5463-5467]. With the completion of the human genome sequence [Venter, J.C. et al., The sequence of the human genome, Science 291 (2001) 1304-1351; Lander, E.S. et al., Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome, Nature 409 (2001) 860-921], there is now a focus on developing new sequencing methodologies that will enable "personal genomics", or the routine study of our individual genomes. Technologies that will lead us to this lofty goal are those that can provide improvements in three areas: read length, throughput, and cost. As progress is made in this field, large sections of genomes and then whole genomes of individuals will become increasingly more facile to sequence. SNP discovery efforts will be enhanced lock-step with these improvements. Here, the breadth of new sequencing approaches will be summarized including their status and prospects for enabling personal genomics.