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Empathic accuracy, the ability to accurately infer the mental states of others, is essential to successful interpersonal relationships. Perceivers can interpret targets' emotional experiences by decoding facial and voice cues (mentalizing) or by using their own feelings as referents (experience-sharing). We examined the relative efficacy of these processes via a replication and extension of Zhou et al. (Psychol Sci., 28, 2017, 482) who found experience-sharing to be more successful but undervalued. Participants estimated targets' emotional ratings in response to positive, neutral and negative images in mentalizing or experience-sharing conditions. Our analysis of absolute magnitudes of error showed similar levels of accuracy across process conditions (a non-replication of Zhou et al.); however, our exploratory analysis of directional variation across valence using raw scores revealed a pattern of conservative estimates for affective stimuli, which was accentuated in the mentalizing condition. Thus, our exploratory analysis lends conceptual support to Zhou et al.'s finding that experience-sharing represents the more successful process, and we replicated their finding that it was nevertheless undervalued. Extending Zhou et al., we also found that empathic accuracy was predicted by individual differences in fiction-exposure. Future research may further examine the impact of individual differences and stimulus properties in the employment of empathic inferencing strategies.

Arterial stiffness, measured by arterial stiffness index (ASI), can be considered as a major denominator in cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it remains essential to highlight patient phenotyping profiles with high ASI values. A nomogram of arterial stiffness was evaluated by calculation of ASI nomogram. Theoretical ASI can be performed according to age, sex, mean blood pressure, and heart rate, allowing to form an individual ASI nomogram [(measured ASI - theoretical ASI)/theoretical ASI]. An ASI nomogram 0 defined AS. This study investigates among UK Biobank participants without cardiovascular diseases, the hypothesis that K-means cluster analysis can be used to identify homogeneous phenotyping subgroups of participants according to ASI levels and then, the phenotype differences observed between these clusters. ASI nomogram was applied on 132 851 participants. K-means clustering was implemented with 10 clusters (optimal CCC value of 105.246). One cluster showed 100% rate of AS, corresponding to 25 393 participants (41.6% of the AS participants) with ASI nomogram = .26 (.22), ASI = 11.6 (2.3)m/s. A second cluster showed a 100% of non-AS, corresponding to 27 844 participants (38.8% of the participants with no arterial stiffness) with ASI nomogram = -.22 (.13), ASI = 7.1 (1.44)m/s. Threshold values of independent factors for differencing these two clusters were total cholesterol 5.409 mmol/L (P .001), triglycerides 1.286 mmol/L (P .001), smoking pack years 11.8 pack/years, CRP .99 (P .001), daily alcohol consumption 1.794 units/days and BMI 26.641 kg/m

Arterial stiffness (AS), measured by arterial stiffness index (ASI), is a determinant in cardiovascular (CV) diseases. A high serum uric acid (SUA) level is a known risk factor for CV disease. The authors investigated the relationship between SUA and ASI in the middle-age UK Biobank population study. AS was defined as ASI 10 m/s. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 126 663 participants. Participants were divided into four quartiles according to SUA levels and sex. Sex multivariate analyses were performed with adjustment for confounding factors. The average ASI for overall participants was 9.3 m/s (SD: 2.9); 9.9 m/s (SD: 2.8) for men and 8.7 m/s (SD: 2.9) for women (P .001). Men presented higher SUA rate (351.3 mmol/L (SD:67.9)) than women (270.7 mmol/L (SD:64.4)), P .001. In men multivariate analysis, SUA remained a determinant of AS, with an increase in the strength of the association between the quartiles, Q4 versus Q1, OR = 1.10 [1.05-1.16], P .001, Q3 versus Q1, OR = 1.09 [1.04-1.14], P .001 but not between Q2 and Q1 (P = .136). In women, SUA remained significant for AS, with an increase in the strength of the association between the quartiles, Q4 versus Q1, OR = 1.22 [1.15-1.30], P .001, Q3 versus Q1, OR = 1.13 [1.07-1.19], P .001 and no difference between Q2 and Q1 (P = .101). When applying continuous SUA values in the multivariate analysis, SUA remained significant (P .001), with a Youden index value for men = 338.3 mmol/L and for women = 267.3 mmol/L. High SUA levels were associated with AS, suggesting that SUA could be used as a predictor of atherosclerosis.

International audience

Der Holzbau überschreitet derzeit neue Grenzen hinsichtlich Dimensionen und architektonischer Möglichkeiten, wie die weltweit zunehmende Zahl von Hochhäusern zeigt. Ermöglicht wird dies durch hochleistungsfähige Verbindungen, wie z. B. eingeklebte Stäbe (aus Stahl und Faserverbundwerkstoffen), und Holzwerkstoffe, wie z. B. Brettschichtholz (BSH), wo alle Brettlagen parallel verleimt sind, oder Brettsperrholz (BSP), welches aus mehreren, kreuzweise flach aufeinander verleimten Brettlagen besteht. Dieser Beitrag beleuchtet den aktuellen Stand von in BSP eingeklebten Stahlgewindestäben und zeigt eine Übersicht über jüngste experimentelle und numerische Ergebnisse. Es werden die Gemeinsamkeiten, aber auch Unterschiede im Vergleich zu in BSH eingeklebten Stahlstäben aufgezeigt, die sich aufgrund der verschiedenen Orientierung der einzelnen Lagen ergeben. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Vorhersage der Traglast, für die derzeit nur sehr wenige Ansätze verfügbar sind.

Glued-in rods are a class of adhesively bonded joints for timber engineering applications resulting in high-strength and stiffness connections. However the use of polymeric adhesives may lead to issues related if the temperatures exceed their glass transition temperature, restricting their performance under quasi-static, or more critically, sustained loads. To overcome these, the substitution of polymeric adhesives by mineral high-performance grout was investigated. It was found that primers have neither a significant effect on strength nor on the failure mode; threated wood surfaces, however, resulted in a significant improvement of the latter. Based thereupon, grouted-in rods (GriRs) were manufactured. The best performance was achieved with a threaded wood surface, which achieved roughly 50% of the strength comparable adhesively bonded glued-in rod's strength. While the obtained strength may seem quite low, it is important to remind that the latter will largely remain unaffected by temperature; accordingly, made at room temperature, the comparison between grouted and glued rods is in favour of adhesive bonding, it may well be different at elevated ones.

International audience; Gold-(I) catalysis was used for the intramolecular cyclization of tertiary alcohols with terminal alkynes to form diverse aza-spirocycles. The reaction was carried out with low catalyst loading under microwave irradiation to give both sulfonylated and acylated spirocyclic nitrogen derivatives. Gram scale spirocyclization was carried out and demonstrates the robustness of the reaction. An intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck reaction was performed to give several tetracyclic spirocycles. Double bond reduction and selective protecting group manipulation gave spiropiperazine and spiromorpholine derivatives. These compounds were incorporated into biologically relevant scaffolds to give the first selective spirocyclic inhibitors of LIMK.