Psychological functioning in survivors of COVID-19: Evidence from recognition of fearful facial expressions

Evidence about the psychological functioning in individuals who survived the COVID-19 infectious is still rare in the literature. In this paper, we investigated fearful facial expressions recognition, as a behavioural means to assess psychological functioning. From May 15th, 2020 to January 30th, 2021, we enrolled sixty Italian individuals admitted in multiple Italian COVID-19 post-intensive care units. The detection and recognition of fearful facial expressions were assessed through an experimental task grounded on an attentional mechanism (i.e., the redundant target effect). According to the results, our participants showed an altered behaviour in detecting and recognizing fearful expressions. Specifically, their performance was in disagreement with the expected behavioural effect. Our study suggested altered processing of fearful expressions in individuals who survived the COVID-19 infectious. Such a difficulty might represent a crucial sign of psychological distress and it should be addressed in tailored psychological interventions in rehabilitative settings and after discharge.

Expectation violation dynamically engages a bottom-up encoding state

Expectation violation has been shown to engage adaptive memory formation, resulting in better memory for unexpected information. In two experiments we tested whether this mechanism is engaged dynamically in a goal-irrelevant manner during retrieval, and how it affects trial-by-trial recognition. Participants encoded images of objects, and then learned a contingency between a cue and category (man-made or natural) with new objects. Targets and parametrically manipulated similar foils, comprising set events, were used at retrieval. In each retrieval trial a cue appeared, which either matched or mismatched (according to the established contingency) the following object, for which participants made an old/new decision. We found that unexpected events at retrieval were associated with increased activation along the ventral visual stream, whereas expected events engaged parietal regions of the core recollection network. For targets and most similar foils, we found an interaction between current and previous expectation status on memory performance, such that expected events following unexpected ones (UprevEcurr) showed a boost in performance. This behavioural effect was associated with activation in the hippocampus, SN/VTA and occipital cortex. A combination of two unexpected events (UprevUcurr) resulted in the poorest memory performance and was associated with increased activation in occipital cortex. Taken together, our findings suggest expectation violation engages an encoding mechanism, supported by bottom-up processing, in a task-independent manner. Therefore, when the goal is to retrieve information, the mnemonic consequences of the shift towards an encoding state is detrimental in real-time, but beneficial for subsequent similar events.

(3R,6E)-nerolidol, a fertility-related volatile secreted by the queens of higher termites (Termitidae: Syntermitinae)

The queens of advanced social insects maintain their reproductive monopoly by using exocrine chemicals. The chemistry of these “queen pheromones” in termites is poorly known. We show that primary queens of four higher termites from the subfamily Syntermitinae (Embiratermes neotenicus, Silvestritermes heyeri, Labiotermes labralis, and Cyrilliotermes angulariceps) emit significant amounts of the sesquiterpene alcohol (E)-nerolidol. It is the dominant analyte in queen body washes; it is present on the surface of eggs, but absent in kings, workers, and soldiers. In E. neotenicus, it is also produced by replacement neotenic queens, in quantities correlated with their fertility. Using newly synthesised (3R,6E)-nerolidol, we demonstrate that the queens of this species produce only the (R) enantiomer. It is distributed over the surface of their abdomen, in internal tissues, and in the haemolymph, as well as in the headspace of the queens. Both (R) and (S) enantiomers are perceived by the antennae of E. neotenicus workers. The naturally occurring (R) enantiomer elicited a significantly larger antennal response, but it did not show any behavioural effect. In spite of technical difficulties encountered in long-term experiments with the studied species, (3R,6E)-nerolidol remains among eventual candidates for the role in queen fertility signalling.

Infinite testing: tests and critique in and below the public

In chapter 9 the key dynamics driving the active turn are teased out. The composite and tension-filled repertoire installs a multicausal and behavioural problematisation of unemployment where there is constant room for improvement and adjustments. At the level of public debate, this manifests in a permanent testing of policy instruments’ behavioural effect. At the level of the every-day governing of the unemployed, the tensions between the different cities of the active turn are mitigated in categorisations and various and continuous tests that evaluate the behaviour of the unemployed. The tests, such as profiling, screening, interviews and contracts, thus continuously ask what kind of subject the unemployed person is (i.e., what city do you live in?), how worthy are you and what instruments will make you more worthy, that is bring you closer to working. The chapter then points to the implications for the way in which the voice of the unemployed is qualified. The book ends with a discussion of to what extend the ideas of universal basic income and social economy/enterprises, that have received growing attention in international policy debates, contain credible alternatives to the moral economy of activation.

Pengaruh Tayangan Sinetron Anak Jalanan Terhadap Perilaku Agresif Murid SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surabaya

This research is to know the effect from Anak Jalanan sinetron in RCTI against aggressive behavior from student of Muhammadiyah 6th Junior High School Surabaya. Especially the problem on television shows is “Anak Jalanan” which is had to many fans from Indonesia person for this time. No exception the students from Muhammadiyah 6th Junior High School Surabaya. The impressions seem to have ceased to provide positive benefits to the community, which often features battle scenes between other motor groups, then they always shown another scenes with arrogan, sly, and cruel character. This thing of course can change their behavioural effect like a bad bahavioural, it shown by behave to see bad sinetron. This research uses Spearman’s correlation coefficient data analysis technique. As for measuring instrument in research of independent variable (x), Namely the concept of impressions or exposure to Anak Jalanan’s sinetron violence, and for find the effect use SOR theory. While the measuring instrument on the dependent variable (Y) is using Youth Aggressiveness to study problems in adolescents, as well as procedures in certain societies and situations including relationships, activities, attitudes, views and ongoing processes and the effects of a phenomenon including the Anak Jalanan’s Show.Keyword: Perception, Sinetron, Anak Jalanan, Agresivitas

Mental causation, compatibilism and counterfactuals

According to proponents of the causal exclusion problem, there cannot be a sufficient physical cause and a distinct mental cause of the same piece of behaviour. Increasingly, the causal exclusion problem is circumvented via this compatibilist reasoning: a sufficient physical cause of the behavioural effect necessitates the mental cause of the behavioural effect, so the effect has a sufficient physical cause and a mental cause as well. In this paper, I argue that this compatibilist reply fails to resolve the causal exclusion problem.