High-level reasoning and base-rate use: Do we need cue-competition to explain the inverse base-rate effect?

Previous accounts of the inverse base-rate effect (D. L. Medin & S. M. Edelson, see record 1988-31640-001) have revolved around the concept of cue-competition. In this article, the authors propose that high-level reasoning in the form of an eliminative inference mechanism may contribute to the effect. A quantitative implementation of this idea demonstrates that it has the power by itself to produce the pattern of base-rate effects in the Medin and Edelson (1988) design. Four predictions are derived that contradict the predictions by attention to distinctive input (ADIT; J. K. Kruschke, see record 1996-02680-001), up to date the most successful account of the inverse base-rate effect. Results from 3 experiments disconfirm the predictions by ADIT and demonstrate the importance of high-level reasoning in designs of the Medin and Edelson kind. Implications for the interpretation of the inverse base-rate effect and the attention-shifting mechanisms presumed by ADIT are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deviation of Fiber Tracts in the Vicinity of Brain Lesions: Evaluation by Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is used to characterize the diffusion properties of deviated white matter caused by brain tumors. DTI was recently shown to be very helpful in delineating white matter both within brain lesions and surrounding them. Displacement of white matter fibers may be one of the consequences of tumor growth adjacent to white matter. The combination of white matter mapping with DTI and gray matter mapping using functional MRI, in some cases, facilitated assessment of the relation between the shifted cortical areas and the corresponding white matter tracts. We found that the fractional anisotropy extracted from DTI is increased by 38% in areas of non-edematous shifted white matter fibers. By contrast, trace apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in those areas were found to be similar to contralateral side and normal control values. Analysis of the three diffusion tensor eigenvalues revealed that the increase in the fractional anisotropy is a result of two processes. The first is the increase in the diffusion parallel to the fibers—λ₁ (by 18%), and the second is the decrease in the diffusion perpendicular to fibers—λ₃ (by 34%) as compared with the contralateral side. These opposing changes cause an increase in the diffusion anisotropy but no change in the trace ADC. It is suggested that the pressure caused by the tumor may lead to an increase in white matter fiber tension, thus causing an increase in λ₁. On the other hand, the same pressure causes increased fiber density per unit area, leading to a higher degree of restricted diffusion in the extracellular space and, hence, a reduction in λ₃.     

Client-specific counselor self-efficacy in novice counselors: Relation to perceptions of session quality.

Two versions of a counselor self-efficacy (CSE) measure were administered to 110 prepracticum counselors: a general version, assessing perceived capability to perform basic helping skills and manage the session process with clients generally; and a client-specific version, tapping capability to perform the same behaviors with a specific, current client. Client-specific CSE was found to (a) relate moderately to strongly with general CSE over the course of four counseling sessions, (b) increase significantly over sessions, and (c) account for unique variance in counselors' evaluations of the quality of their sessions. Although it was not a useful direct predictor of clients' session ratings, higher client-specific CSE was associated with greater congruence between counselors' and clients' perceptions of session quality. Implications for further research and training are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Polypyrrole materials doped with weakly coordinating anions: influence of substituents and the fate of the doping anion during the overoxidation process

The influence of weakly coordinating anions with different shapes and substituents has been studied to get the overoxidation resistance limit of the material, ORL. The anions utilized are derivatives of [Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻, [B₁₂H₁₂]²⁻ and [B₁₂H₁₁NH₃]⁻. The following tendencies have been established (1) boron cluster monoanions are to date the anions that offer the highest stability to overoxidation of PPy doped materials (2) the ORL stability of the material can not be attributed only to the shape of the cluster (3) monoanionic clusters are far superior than dianionic to get an ORL rise (4) cluster charge density reduction results in ORL rise as has been observed in [Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻ after incorporation of electron-withdrawing substituents with no electron back-donation (5) globular, rigid and large monoanions are less suitable for enhanced ORL values than elongated and non-rigid species (6) adequate anion's substitution produce a rise in the ORL of the material, thus polyether side-arms are beneficial with [Co(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻, whereas, T-shaped methylaryl groups are appealing in [B₁₂H₁₁NH₃]⁻ based materials, respectively, (7) substituents on the anions usually imply higher difficulty in the materials' growth. The high boron contents in these materials has permitted to learn on the fate of the doping anions during the overoxidation process. There is a built-up of the concentration of the doping anion in the electrolyte near surface area, whereas, a depletion is observed in the nearest inner layers.     

A narrative and meta-analytic review of helping skills training: Time to revive a dormant area of inquiry.

The authors review previous narrative and meta-analytic reviews on the effectiveness of overall helping skills training programs. The authors then review narrative reviews and conduct a new meta-analysis of specific methods used to teach helping skills within these programs. Our meta-analysis found that, in the aggregate, training methods substantially outperformed no training conditions, and that effect sizes did not vary as a function of trainee educational level (graduate vs. undergraduate students) or the type of criterion measure (interview-based vs. analogue-based empathy measures). Direct comparison of the training methods revealed that modeling outperformed instruction and feedback, and multimethod outperformed single-method training. The authors critique the literature and suggest that the studies in the helping skills literature generally fail to meet contemporary methodological standards, thereby limiting the conclusions that can be drawn. The authors appeal for better research on helping skills training, especially as it is currently practiced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prefrontal control of trace versus delay eyeblink conditioning: Role of the unconditioned stimulus in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The conditioned eyeblink (EB) response was studied with trace conditioning procedures in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with lesions to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or sham lesions. Three experiments were performed in which either periorbital shock or a corneal airpuff served as the unconditioned stimulus (US) in separate groups of sham or mPFC-lesioned rabbits. Acquisition of the EB conditioned response (CR) was faster and reached a higher asymptote with the eyeshock US than with the airpuff US. However, mPFC lesion-induced trace conditioning deficits were obtained only in the groups that received the airpuff US. All rabbits showed normal delay conditioning and extinction. These results suggest that mPFC mediates trace EB conditioning when emotional arousal is low. However, in circumstances when emotional arousal may be high (i.e., during exposure to aversive periorbital shock), other structures (such as amygdala) may be activated to permit learning even in the absence of input from mPFC. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of a toasted durum whole meal in the production of a traditional Italian pasta: chemical, mechanical, sensory and image analyses

The characterisation of traditional Italian pasta obtained by mixing amounts of toasted whole meal with re-milled semolina and other ingredients was obtained by means of physico-chemical, rheological, mechanical, sensory and image analyses. The toasted meal showed higher ash, fibre and protein contents than re-milled semolina. The replacement of percentages of re-milled semolina with the toasted meal and soft flour increased tenacity and decreased extensibility and strength, making the dough less suitable for pasta-making. The P / L values were indices of high starch damage. The replacement of part of re-milled semolina and water with toasted whole wheat meal, soft flour and eggs increased the optimal cooking time and the amount of water absorbed during cooking but made the other cooking parameters worse. The image analysis provided evidence of the changes induced by the use of toasted wholemeal, soft flour and eggs in the microscopic structure of pasta protein and starch.     

A New Application of Solvent Extraction to Separate Copper from Extreme Acid Mine Drainage Producing Solutions for Electrochemical and Biological Recovery Processes

Over the last decade, AMD waters have gained more attention as a potential source of metals due to the emerging need to recover or recycle metals from secondary resources. Metals recovery supports sustainability and the development of a circular economy with benefits for resource conservation and the environment. In this study, five extractants (Acorga M5640, LIX 54, LIX 622, LIX 622 N, and LIX 864) diluted (15% (v/v)) in Shell GTL with 2.5% (v/v) octanol were compared and evaluated for Cu recovery from an extreme AMD sample (5.3?±?0.3 g/L Cu) collected at the inactive São Domingos Mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt of Portugal. Of the five extractants, Acorga M5640 showed the best selective efficiency. Further tests showed that 30% (v/v) of this extractant was able to selectively extract ≈ 96.0% of the Cu from the AMD in one extraction step and all of the remaining Cu (to below detection) in three steps. Among the different stripping agents tested, 2 M sulfuric acid was the most efficient, with ≈ 99% of the Cu stripped, and the recyclability of the organic phase was confirmed in five successive cycles of extraction and stripping. Furthermore, contact time tests revealed that the extraction kinetics allows the transfer of ≈ 97% of the Cu in 15 min, and aqueous to organic phase ratios tests demonstrated a maximum loading capacity of ≈ 16 g/L Cu in the organic phase. Raising the concentration of Cu in the stripping solution (2 M sulfuric acid) to ≈ 46 g/L through successive striping steps showed the potential to recover elemental Cu using traditional electrowinning. Finally, a biological approach for Cu recovery from the stripping solution was evaluated by adding the supernatant of a sulfate-reducing bacteria culture to make different molar ratios of biogenic sulfide to copper; ratios over 1.75 resulted in precipitation of more than 95% of the Cu as covellite nanoparticles.

Graphical Abstract