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Following the 2016 EU referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union, many people described themselves as "Leavers" or "Remainers." Here, we examine the emotional responses associated with Brexit identities using survey data collected from two nationally representative samples of the British public in 2019 (N = 638) and 2021 (N = 2,058). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that many in both samples had coherent Leave or Remain identities. Remain and, to a lesser extent, Leave identities (regardless of how people actually voted in the referendum) predicted distress about Brexit‐related events and clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety at both time points. Structural equation models suggested that the effect of identities on symptoms was largely mediated by distress about Brexit‐related events. We demonstrate a lasting impact of Brexit on the mental health of UK citizens and show that the formation of novel political identities has been more important in this process than voting behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In countries such as Britain and the US, court witnesses must declare they will provide truthful evidence and are often compelled to publicly choose between religious ("oath") and secular ("affirmation") versions of this declaration. Might defendants who opt to swear an oath enjoy more favourable outcomes than those who choose to affirm? Two preliminary, pre‐registered survey studies using minimal vignettes (Study 1, N = 443; Study 2, N = 913) indicated that people associate choice of the oath with credible testimony; and that participants, especially religious participants, discriminate against defendants who affirm. In a third, Registered Report study (Study 3, N = 1821), we used a more elaborate audiovisual mock trial paradigm to better estimate the real‐world influence of declaration choice. Participants were asked to render a verdict for a defendant who either swore or affirmed, and were themselves required to swear or affirm that they would try the defendant in good faith. Overall, the defendant was not considered guiltier when affirming rather than swearing, nor did mock‐juror belief in God moderate this effect. However, jurors who themselves swore an oath did discriminate against the affirming defendant. Exploratory analyses suggest this effect may be driven by authoritarianism, perhaps because high‐authoritarian jurors consider the oath the traditional (and therefore correct) declaration to choose. We discuss the real‐world implications of these findings and conclude the religious oath is an antiquated legal ritual that needs reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Established in March 2020, the C19PRC Study monitors the psychological and socio‐economic impact of the pandemic in the UK and other countries. This paper describes the protocol for Wave 6 (August–September 2021). Methods: The survey assessed: COVID‐19 related experiences; experiences of common mental health disorders; psychological characteristics; and social and political attitudes. Adult participants from any previous wave (N = 3170) were re‐invited, and sample replenishment procedures helped manage attrition. Weights were calculated using a survey raking algorithm to ensure the on‐going original panel (from baseline) was nationally representative in terms of gender, age, and household income, amongst other factors. Results: 1643 adults were re‐interviewed at Wave 6 (51.8% retention rate). Non‐participation was higher younger adults, those born outside UK, and adults living in cities. Of the adults recruited at baseline, 54.3% (N = 1100) participated in Wave 6. New respondent (N = 415) entered the panel at this wave, resulting in cross‐sectional sample for Wave 6 of 2058 adults. The raking procedure re‐balanced the longitudinal panel to within 1.3% of population estimates for selected socio‐demographic characteristics. Conclusions: This paper outlines the growing strength of the publicly available C19PRC Study data for COVID‐19‐related interdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The COVID‐19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study was established in March 2020 to monitor the psychological and socio‐economic impact of the pandemic in the UK and other countries. This paper describes the protocol for Wave 5 (March–April 2021). Methods: The survey assessed: COVID‐19 related experiences; experiences of common mental health disorders; psychological characteristics; and social and political attitudes. Adults who participated in any previous wave (N = 4949) were re‐invited to participate. Weights were calculated using a survey raking algorithm to ensure the longitudinal panel was nationally representative in terms of gender, age, and household income, amongst other factors. Results: Overall, 2520 adults participated. A total of 2377 adults who participated in the previous survey wave (November–December 2020) were re‐interviewed at Wave 5 (61.5% retention rate). Attrition between these two waves was predicted by younger age, lower household income, children living in the household, and treatment for mental health difficulties. Of the adults recruited into the C19PRC study at baseline, 57.4% (N = 1162) participated in Wave 5. The raking procedure re‐balanced the longitudinal panel to within 1.5% of population estimates for selected socio‐demographic characteristics. Conclusion: This paper outlines the growing strength of the publicly available C19PRC Study data for COVID‐19‐related interdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A successful response to the COVID‐19 pandemic requires achieving high levels of vaccine uptake. We tested whether directly contrasting the high efficacy of COVID‐19 vaccines with the lower efficacy of the annual flu vaccine would increase intentions to take a COVID‐19 vaccine. Design: A pre‐registered online study of 481 participants compared four information conditions: (1) no information; (2) COVID‐19 Vaccine Information Only; and COVID‐19 Vaccine Information combined with flu vaccine information suggesting either (3) 60% efficacy or (4) 40% efficacy; we measured COVID‐19 and flu vaccine intentions along with several other vaccine‐related variables. Methods: The Prolific platform was used to recruit 481 UK participants (64% female; aged between 18 and 85 years) who had been pre‐screened to have intermediate levels of vaccine hesitancy. After reading a short text (~200 words) about COVID‐19 vaccines, participants were asked about their vaccination intentions. Results: Providing information about the safety and efficacy of the new COVID‐19 vaccines resulted in vaccination intentions that were, on average, 0.39 standard deviations (SDs) higher than those in the no information condition; providing the same COVID vaccine efficacy information in the context of information about flu vaccine efficacy resulted in a further significant increase in vaccination intentions that were 0.68 SD higher than those in the no information condition. This positive contrast effect for the COVID‐19 vaccine was not associated with reduced flu vaccine intentions. Conclusions: Vaccination intentions can be strengthened through a simple messaging intervention that utilizes context effects to increase perceived response efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper outlines fieldwork procedures for Wave 4 of the COVID‐19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study in the UK during November–December 2020. Methods: Respondents provided data on socio‐political attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours, and mental health disorders (anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress). In Phase 1, adults (N = 2878) were reinvited to participate. At Phase 2, new recruitment: (i) replenished the longitudinal strand to account for attrition; and (ii) oversampled from the devolved UK nations to facilitate robust between‐country analyses for core study outcomes. Weights were calculated using a survey raking algorithm to ensure the longitudinal panel was representative of the baseline sample characteristics. Results: In Phase 1, 1796 adults were successfully recontacted and provided full interviews at Wave 4 (62.4% retention rate). In Phase 2, 292 new respondents were recruited to replenish the panel, as well as 1779 adults from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, who were representative of the socio‐political composition of the adult populations in these nations. The raking procedure successfully re‐balanced the longitudinal panel to within 1% of population estimates for selected socio‐demographic characteristics. Conclusion: The C19PRC Study offers a unique opportunity to facilitate and stimulate interdisciplinary research addressing important public health questions relating to the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The COVID‐19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study aims to assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the adult population in multiple countries. This paper describes the third wave of the UK survey (the 'parent' strand of the Consortium) during July‐August 2020. Methods: Adults (N = 2025) who participated in the baseline and/or first follow‐up surveys were reinvited to participate in this survey, which assessed: (1) COVID‐19 related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours; (2) the occurrence of common mental disorders; as well as the role of (3) psychological factors and (4) social and political attitudes, in influencing the public's response to the pandemic. Weights were calculated using a survey raking algorithm to ensure that the cross‐sectional sample is nationally representative in terms of gender, age, and household income, and representative of the baseline sample characteristics for household composition, ethnicity, urbanicity and born/raised in UK. Results: 1166 adults (57.6% of baseline participants) provided full interviews at Wave 3. The raking procedure successfully re‐balanced the cross‐sectional sample to within 1% of population estimates across selected socio‐demographic characteristics. Conclusion: This paper demonstrates the strength of the C19PRC Study data to facilitate and stimulate interdisciplinary research addressing important public health questions relating to the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a period of heightened exploration relative to adulthood and childhood. This predisposition has been linked with negative behaviours related to risk‐taking, including dangerous driving, substance misuse and risky sexual practices. However, recent models have argued that adolescents' heightened exploration serves a functional purpose within the lifespan, allowing adolescents to develop experiential knowledge of their surroundings. Yet, there is limited evidence that heightened exploration in adolescence is associated with positive outcomes. To address this, the present pre‐registered study utilised a foraging paradigm with a sample of adolescents aged 16–17 (N = 68) and of adults aged 21 and above (N = 69). Participants completed a patch foraging task, which required them to choose between exploiting a known resource which gradually yields fewer rewards, and exploring a novel, unknown resource with a fresh distribution of rewards. Findings demonstrated that adolescents explored more than adults, which – in the context of the current task—represented more optimal patch foraging behaviour. These findings indicate that adolescents' heightened exploration can be beneficial, as they were able to effectively navigate unknown environments and accrue rewards more successfully than adults. This provides evidence that heightened exploration in adolescence, relative to adulthood, can lead to positive outcomes and contributes to our understanding of the role increased novelty‐seeking plays at this point in the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New low‐temperature thermochronology data from clastic sedimentary rocks in the northern Richardson Mountains, Canada, indicate significant exhumational cooling during late Eocene–early Oligocene time. Apatite (U‐Th‐Sm)/He (AHe) data were collected from 19 Proterozoic–Paleocene rocks across a 115 km transect. Eighty‐eight single‐grain AHe dates range from 16–300 Ma and are generally younger than stratigraphic ages, indicative of thermal resetting by burial. Additionally, zircon (U‐Th)/He (ZHe) dates from two Proterozoic–Cambrian rocks range from 49–123 Ma and suggest burial to >160°C. In contrast, ZHe dates from Jurassic sandstones are older than the stratigraphic age, which limits maximum burial to <160°C. Thermal history modeling reveals three phases of cooling, during the Paleocene–early Eocene (>65–50 Ma), late Eocene–early Oligocene (40–30 Ma), and late Oligocene–early Miocene (30–15 Ma). Most samples cooled during the first and second phases, whereas the third phase is less well constrained. In general, most rocks were below the sensitivity of AHe analysis since the early–middle Miocene. The results suggest a previously unrecognized phase of inferred deformation in the northern Richardson Mountains between 40–30 Ma. Our findings contribute to previous work that recognizes Late Cenozoic deformation along the eastern margin of the Northern Cordillera. We further investigated the potential mechanisms of this widespread deformation and suggest exhumation may relate to kinematic changes of the North American plate relative to structural trends along the margin of the Northern Cordillera. Plain Language Summary: We are interested in learning when and why the Richardson Mountains formed. To do this, we use a method called thermochronology, which analyzes isotopes of a mineral to determine its temperature history. During mountain building, rocks that were buried at depth are brought closer to the surface due to deformation, uplift, and erosion. Thermochronology can tell us how far in the past this process occurred. We measured 19 rock samples and used a computer program to model thermal histories based on the thermochronology dates. We found three stages of accelerated cooling in the thermal history. The oldest stage was already known: the rocks were buried until about 65 million years ago (Ma), and then started to cool due to mountain‐building processes. The next younger stage of cooling occurred between 40 and 30 Ma. The youngest stage shows that some cooling occurred as late as 15 Ma. We found that the timing of deformation is similar to nearby mountain belts, which supports a widespread driving mechanism for deformation that affected a large area. We suggest that this driving mechanism could be the motion of the North American craton and its changes in pace and direction over time. Key Points: Apatite (U‐Th‐Sm)/He data record late Eocene‐early Oligocene and younger exhumation in the Richardson MountainsObserved age dispersion may correspond to variations in sediment sources and predeposition cooling historiesDeformation along the eastern margin of the Northern Cordillera may have been driven by changes of the North American Plate motion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The C19PRC study aims to assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the adult population of the UK, Republic of Ireland, and Spain. This paper describes the conduct of the first two waves of the UK survey (the "parent" strand of the Consortium) during March–April 2020. Methods: A longitudinal, internet panel survey was designed to assess: (1) COVID‐19 related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; (2) the occurrence of common mental health disorders as well as the role of (3) psychological factors and (4) social and political attitudes, in influencing the public's response to the pandemic. Quota sampling (age, sex, and household income) was used to recruit a nationally representative sample of adults. Results: Two thousand and twenty five adults were recruited at baseline, and 1406 were followed‐up one‐month later (69.4% retention rate). The baseline sample was representative of the UK population in relation to economic activity, ethnicity, and household composition. Attrition was predicted by key socio‐demographic characteristics, and an inverse probability weighting procedure was employed to ensure the follow‐up sample was representative of the baseline sample. Conclusion: The C19PRC study data has strong generalizability to facilitate and stimulate interdisciplinary research on important public health questions relating to the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest global health threats facing humanity in recent memory. This study aimed to explore influences on hygienic practices, a set of key transmission behaviours, in relation to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model of behaviour change (Michie et al., 2011).Design: Data from the first wave of a longitudinal survey study were used, launched in the early stages of the UK COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Participants were 2025 adults aged 18 and older, representative of the UK population, recruited by a survey company from a panel of research participants. Participants self-reported motivation, capability, and opportunity to enact hygienic practices during the COVID-19 outbreak.Results: Using regression models, we found that all three COM-B components significantly predicted good hygienic practices, with motivation having the greatest influence on behaviour. Breaking this down further, the subscales psychological capability, social opportunity, and reflective motivation positively influenced behaviour. Reflective motivation was largely driving behaviour, with those highest in reflective motivation scoring 51% more on the measure of hygienic practices compared with those with the lowest scores.Conclusions: Our findings have clear implications for the design of behaviour change interventions to promote hygienic practices. Interventions should focus on increasing and maintaining motivation to act and include elements that promote and maintain social support and knowledge of COVID-19 transmission. Groups in particular need of targeting for interventions to increase hygienic practices are males and those living in cities and suburbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the association between anxiety associated with COVID-19 and somatic symptoms, using data from a large, representative sample (N = 2,025) of the UK adult population. Results showed that moderate to high levels of anxiety associated with COVID-19 were significantly associated with general somatic symptoms and in particular with gastrointestinal and fatigue symptoms. This pattern of associations remained significant after controlling for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), pre-existing health problems, age, gender, and income. This is the first evidence that anxiety associated with COVID-19 makes a unique contribution to somatization, above and beyond the effect of GAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National narratives serve to foster a sense of collective continuity—the perception that the nation has preserved its traits, values and goals across many generations. The present study explores some of the correlates of such perceptions of collective continuity (PCC). We predicted that people who see their nation as more continuous would tend to think about social groups in more strongly essentialist terms and to feel personally attached to other group members (a phenomenon known as identity fusion). An international sample of 307 respondents (predominantly from the United States and India) completed measures of PCC, social essentialism, identity fusion and national identification. Both hypotheses were supported at the level of the level of the full sample, suggesting that perceived national continuity is related to a general cognitive predisposition for essentialist thinking and also to one's sense of personal attachment to the nation. However, exploratory analyses by nationality revealed that the results could not be replicated with the Indian participants, potentially as a result of cultural factors. Identity fusion was also more strongly correlated to cultural/essentialist continuity than to historical continuity. Interpretations and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross‐sectional study was conducted with 605 practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) to test the hypothesis that high arousal rituals promote social cohesion, primarily through identity fusion. BJJ promotion rituals are rare, highly emotional ritual events that often feature gruelling belt‐whipping gauntlets. We used the variation in such experiences to examine whether more gruelling rituals were associated with identity fusion and pro‐group behaviour. We found no differences between those who had undergone belt‐whipping and those who had not and no evidence of a correlation between pain and social cohesion. However, across the full sample we found that positive, but not negative, affective experiences of promotional rituals were associated with identity fusion and that this mediated pro‐group action. These findings provide new evidence concerning the social functions of collective rituals and highlight the importance of addressing the potentially diverging subjective experiences of painful rituals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For therapies targeting diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, we and others envision probiotic bacteria that synthesize and excrete biotherapeutics at disease sites. Toward this goal, we have engineered commensal E. coli that selectively synthesize and secrete a model biotherapeutic in the presence of nitric oxide (NO), an intestinal biomarker for Crohn's disease (CD). This is accomplished by co‐expressing the pore forming protein TolAIII with the biologic, granulocyte macrophage‐colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF). We have additionally engineered these bacteria to accumulate at sites of elevated NO by engineering their motility circuits and controlling pseudotaxis. Importantly, because we have focused on in vitro test beds, motility and biotherapeutics production are spatiotemporally characterized. Together, the targeted recognition, synthesis, and biomolecule delivery comprises a "smart" probiotics platform that may have utility in the treatment of CD. Further, this platform could be modified to accommodate other pursuits by swapping the promoter and therapeutic gene to reflect other disease biomarkers and treatments, respectively. Here, we engineer commensal E. coli to overproduce and secrete a model biotherapeutic, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) in response to the Crohn's disease (CD) biomarker, nitric oxide. The GM‐CSF protein has shown utility as a therapy for CD, and thus the bacteria developed here may serve as a noninvasive method to localize drug delivery within the intestines of patients. Using the platform outlined in this work, replacing the biotherapeutic gene with another of interest can produce engineered probiotics that secrete therapies for other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: People are highly attuned to fairness, with people willingly suffering personal costs to prevent others benefitting from unfair acts. Are fairness judgments influenced by group alignments? A new theory posits that we favor ingroups and denigrate members of rival outgroups when our personal identity is fused to a group. Although the mPFC has been separately implicated in group membership and fairness processing, it is unclear whether group alignments affect medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity in response to fairness. Here, we examine the contribution of different regions of the mPFC to processing from ingroup and outgroup members and test whether its response differs depending on how fused we are to an ingroup. Methods: Subjects performed rounds of the Ultimatum Game, being offered fair or unfair divisions of money from supporters of the same soccer team (ingroup), the fiercest rival (outgroup) or neutral individuals whilst undergoing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Results: Strikingly, people willingly suffered personal costs to prevent outgroup members benefitting from both unfair and fair offers. Activity across dorsal and ventral (VMPFC) portions of the mPFC reflected an interaction between fairness and group membership. VMPFC activity in particular was consistent with it coding one's fusion to a group, with the fairness by group membership interaction correlating with the extent that the responder's identity was fused to the ingroup. Conclusions: The influence of fusion on social behavior therefore seems to be linked to processing in the VMPFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fat olefinic/methyl ratios provide a measure of fat unsaturation. The methyl resonance linewidth is altered with the presence of ω-3 fat.Purpose: To optimize stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) and point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) echo times (TE) at 3T to 1) improve olefinic/methyl ratios and 2) enable relative ω-3 fat content assessment.Study Type: Technical development on phantoms and healthy volunteers.Population: Nine edible oils and four healthy volunteers (tibial bone marrow).Field Strength/sequence: STEAM (mixing time = 20 msec) and PRESS sequences at 3T. High-resolution oil spectra at 16.5T.Assessment: 3T STEAM and PRESS olefinic/methyl ratios as a function of TE were compared to 16.5T measures for the oils, and to a literature-deduced value for tibial bone marrow. Oil methyl linewidths were calculated at each TE to investigate correlation with expected ω-3 fatty acid content.Statistical Tests: Percent differences were calculated between oil olefinic/methyl ratios obtained at 3T and 16.5T. Linear regression R2 values measured correlation of methyl linewidth to ω-3 content.Results: STEAM, TE = 120 msec, resulted in average oil olefinic/methyl ratios that differ by about -4.8% compared to high-resolution ratios. Tibial bone marrow olefinic/methyl ratios differ by -1.8% compared with literature-obtained ratios. PRESS, TE = 180 msec, resulted in oil ratios that differ by 7.8% and tibial bone marrow ratios that differ by 0.2%. A TE of 160 msec for both STEAM and PRESS enabled relative levels of oil ω-3 fatty acid content to be estimated (R2 values ≥0.9).Data Conclusion: STEAM, TE = 120 msec (mixing time = 20 msec), and PRESS, TE = 180 msec, optimally estimated olefinic/methyl ratios. STEAM and PRESS, TE = 160 msec, enable relative oil ω-3 fatty acid estimation from methyl linewidths.Level Of Evidence: 1 Technical Efficacy Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To be accepted into social groups, individuals must internalize and reproduce appropriate group conventions, such as rituals. The copying of such rigid and socially stipulated behavioral sequences places heavy demands on executive function. Given previous research showing that challenging executive functioning improves it, it was hypothesized that engagement in ritualistic behaviors improves children's executive functioning, in turn improving their ability to delay gratification. A 3-month circle time games intervention with 210 schoolchildren (Mage  = 7.78 years, SD = 1.47) in two contrasting cultural environments (Slovakia and Vanuatu) was conducted. The intervention improved children's executive function and in turn their ability to delay gratification. Moreover, these effects were amplified when the intervention task was imbued with ritual, rather than instrumental, cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics, whether taken as capsules or consumed in foods, have been regarded as safe for human use by regulatory agencies. Being living cells, they serve as 'tunable' factories for the synthesis of a vast array of beneficial molecules. The idea of reprogramming probiotics to act as controllable factories, producing potential therapeutic molecules under user-specified conditions, represents a new and powerful concept in drug synthesis and delivery. Probiotics that serve as drug delivery vehicles pose several challenges, one being targeting (as seen with nanoparticle approaches). Here, we employ synthetic biology to control swimming directionality in a process referred to as 'pseudotaxis.' Escherichia coli, absent the motility regulator cheZ, swim sporadically, missing the traditional 'run' in the run:tumble swimming paradigm. Upon introduction of cheZ in trans and its signal-generated upregulation, engineered bacteria can be 'programmed' to swim toward the source of the chemical cue. Here, engineered cells that encounter sufficient levels of the small signal molecule pyocyanin, produce an engineered CheZ and swim with programmed directionality. By incorporating a degradation tag at the C-terminus of CheZ, the cells stop running when they exit spaces containing pyocyanin. That is, the engineered CheZ modified with a C-terminal extension derived from the putative DNA-binding transcriptional regulator YbaQ (RREERAAKKVA) is consumed by the ClpXP protease machine at a rate sufficient to 'brake' the cells when pyocyanin levels are too low. Through this process, we demonstrate that over time, these engineered E. coli accumulate in pyocyanin-rich locales. We suggest that such approaches may find utility in engineering probiotics so that their beneficial functions can be focused in areas of principal benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report that CbnX (33 residues) and CbnY (29 residues) comprise a class IIb (two-component) bacteriocin in Carnobacteria. Individually, CbnX and CbnY are inactive, but together act synergistically to exert a narrow spectrum of activity. The structures of CbnX and CbnY in structure-inducing conditions were determined and strongly resemble other class IIb bacteriocins (i.e., LcnG, PlnEF, PlnJK). CbnX has an extended, amphipathic α-helix and a flexible C terminus. CbnY has two α-helices (one hydrophobic, one amphipathic) connected by a short loop and a cationic C terminus. CbnX and CbnY do not appear to interact directly and likely require a membrane-bound receptor to facilitate formation of the bacteriocin complex. This is the first class IIb bacteriocin reported for Carnobacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the formation of delusions involve abnormal reasoning? According to the prominent 'two-factor' theory of delusions (e.g. Coltheart, 2007), the answer is yes. The second factor in this theory is supposed to affect a deluded individual's ability to evaluate candidates for belief. However, most published accounts of the two-factor theory have not said much about the nature of this second factor. In an effort to remedy this shortcoming, Coltheart, Menzies and Sutton (2010) recently put forward a Bayesian account of inference in delusions. I outline some criticisms of this important account, and sketch an alternative account of delusional inference that, I argue, avoids these criticisms. Specifically, I argue that the second factor in delusion formation involves a systematic deviation from Bayesian updating, a deviation that may be characterized as a bias towards 'explanatory adequacy'. I present a numerical model of this idea and show that my alternative account is broadly consistent with prominent prediction error models of delusion formation (e.g. Corlett, Murray et al., 2007). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D-solution structure ofNeurospora crassaCu6-metallothionein (NcMT) polypeptide backbone was determined using homonuclear, multidimensional1H-NMR spectroscopy. It represents a new metallothionein (MT) fold with a protein chain where the N-terminal half is left-handed and the C-terminal half right-handedly folded around a copper(I)-sulfur cluster. As seen with other MTs, the protein lacks definable secondary structural elements; however, the polypeptide fold is unique. The metal coordinationand the cysteine spacing defines this unique fold. NcMT is only the second MT in the copper-bound form to be structurally characterized and the first containing the -CxCxxxxxCxC- motif. This motif is found in a variety of mammalian MTs and metalloregulatory proteins. Thein vitroformation of the Cu6NcMT identical to the native Cu6NcMT was dependent upon the prior formation of the Zn3NcMT and its titration with Cu(I). The enhanced sensitivity and resolution of the 800 MHz1H-NMR spectral data permitted the 3D structure determination of the polypeptide backbone without the substitution and utilization of the NMR active spin 1/2 metals such as113Cd and109Ag. These restraints have been necessary to establish specific metal to cysteine restraints in 3D structural studies on this family of proteins when using lower field, less sensitive1H-NMR spectral data. The accuracy of the structure calculated without these constraints is, however, supported by the similarities of the 800 MHz structures of theα-domain of mouse MT1 compared to the one recalculated without metal–cysteine connectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]