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"Schaefer, Michael"
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Machine gun preacher
Sam Childers is a drug-dealing criminal who undergoes an astonishing spiritual transformation and makes a life-changing decision to travel to war-torn East Africa. After witnessing unspeakable horrors faced by innocent children, he vows to save them at any cost, including his own safety. Childers begins waging a relentless battle against the territory's renegade militia, leading harrowing missions behind enemy lines to rescue kidnapped orphans and restore peace to their lives and eventually his own.
DVD
Arsenic release metabolically limited to permanently water-saturated soil in Mekong Delta
Microbial reduction of arsenic-bearing iron oxides in the deltas of South and Southeast Asia produces widespread arsenic-contaminated groundwater. Organic carbon is abundant both at the surface and within aquifers, but the source of organic carbon used by microbes in the reduction and release of arsenic has been debated, as has the wetland type and sedimentary depth where release occurs. Here we present data from fresh-sediment incubations,
in situ
model sediment incubations and a controlled field experiment with manipulated wetland hydrology and organic carbon inputs. We find that in the minimally disturbed Mekong Delta, arsenic release is limited to near-surface sediments of permanently saturated wetlands where both organic carbon and arsenic-bearing solids are sufficiently reactive for microbial oxidation of organic carbon and reduction of arsenic-bearing iron oxides. In contrast, within the deeper aquifer or seasonally saturated sediments, reductive dissolution of iron oxides is observed only when either more reactive exogenous forms of iron oxides or organic carbon are added, revealing a potential thermodynamic restriction to microbial metabolism. We conclude that microbial arsenic release is limited by the reactivity of arsenic-bearing iron oxides with respect to native organic carbon, but equally limited by organic carbon reactivity with respect to the native arsenic-bearing iron oxides.
Microbial reduction of arsenic-bearing iron oxides releases arsenic into groundwater in Asia. Laboratory and field studies in the Mekong Delta reveal that arsenic release is limited to near-surface sediments of permanently saturated wetlands.
Journal Article
A Combination of Plant NDVI and LiDAR Measurements Improve the Estimation of Pasture Biomass in Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea var. Fletcher)
The total biomass of a tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea var. Fletcher) pasture was assessed by using a vehicle mounted light detection and ranging (LiDAR) unit to derive canopy height and an active optical reflectance sensor to determine the spectro-optical reflectance index, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In a random plot design, measurements of NDVI and pasture height were combined to estimate biomass with a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) equal to ±455.28 kg green dry matter (GDM)/ha, over a range of 286 kg to 3933 kg GDM/ha. The combination of NDVI and height measurements were observed to be more accurate in assessing total biomass than just the NDVI (RMSEP ± 846.51 kg/ha) and height (RMSEP ± 708.13 kg/ha). Based on the results of the study it was concluded the use of combined LiDAR and active optical reflectance sensors can help unlock the complex interrelationship between green fraction and biomass in swards containing both green and senescent material.
Journal Article
Why do open-label placebos work? A randomized controlled trial of an open-label placebo induction with and without extended information about the placebo effect in allergic rhinitis
Several studies demonstrated that placebo treatment may have a significant impact on many different symptoms. While in the traditional view concealment of the placebo is essential, recent studies report intriguing evidence that placebos may work even without deception. For example, it has been demonstrated that open-label placebos can improve symptoms in allergic rhinitis. However, the mechanisms of how placebos without concealment work remain unknown.
In order to examine expectancy effects we conducted a randomized controlled trial (N = 46), in which patients with allergic symptoms received either placebos without deception or no pills at all. In half of those patients we induced positive expectations about the placebo effect. After two weeks we tested whether symptoms and quality of life had changed.
Results revealed that open-label placebos improved allergic symptoms more than the control group. Inducing positive expectations had no effects on the improvement of allergic symptoms (the primary and more objective outcome), but on mental sum scores of the quality of life questionnaire.
Placebos without deception can improve symptoms in allergic rhinitis. Positive expectations do not contribute to the efficacy of open-label placebos, but seem to have an effect on more global and subjective well-being (mental or emotional quality of life).
German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00012303.
Journal Article
Sensory processing sensitivity and somatosensory brain activation when feeling touch
Sensory processing sensitivity is described as a personality trait associated with a high sensitivity to environmental and social stimuli. It has been assumed that about 15–20% of the total population can be described as highly sensitive. The concept states that those individuals represent a higher sensitivity to subtle stimuli, thereby exhibiting a different somatic sensation. Here we aim to test the assumption that the brain’s sensory perception is different in individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity. We used a German version of the Highly Sensitive Person scale to measure sensory processing sensitivity. Furthermore, we assessed the Big Five personality dimensions and trait empathy (using IRI). To test the hypothesis that the brain’s handling of sensory information is different in individuals with high sensory-processing sensitivity, we scanned participant’s brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they were touched by an experimenter’s hand. Results showed positive correlations of sensory processing sensitivity with neuroticism, openness, and empathy. Introversion was not a significant predictor. Neuroimaging data demonstrated that sensory processing sensitivity (controlled for associated personality dimensions) was not related to primary or secondary somatosensory BOLD responses, but positively associated with BOLD activity in left posterior insular cortex. Based on these results we conclude that sensory processing sensitivity seems to represent insula-mediated affective touch. We discuss these results with previous studies reporting an engagement of the insula in individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity.
Journal Article
Perceiving Ourselves and Others: Neural Signatures of Cognitive, Social, and Affective Processes Related to the Perception of Ourselves, Our Body, and the Social World
An essential task of any system is to distinguish between itself and its environment, between what is inside and that which is outside [...].An essential task of any system is to distinguish between itself and its environment, between what is inside and that which is outside [...].
Journal Article
Open-label placebos reduce hair cortisol concentrations and psychological distress - a randomized controlled trial
The exposure to stressful events, such as demanding university exams, is associated with psychological distress and elevated physiological stress responses, which may impair performance. Recent research suggests that open-label placebo (OLP) treatments can effectively reduce psychological distress. However, evidence regarding OLP effects on biomarkers remains limited, highlighting the need for systematic investigation. This study presents the first longitudinal randomized controlled trial examining a four-week OLP intervention on hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and psychological distress, using oral university exams as real-life stressors. 134 healthy university students were randomized to an OLP group receiving placebo pills or a control group without treatment. Psychological distress was assessed via a latent factor derived from area under the curve (AUCi) values of negative affect, test anxiety, subjective stress, and exam-related stress, continuously measured during the intervention. Analyses revealed decreasing HCC in the OLP group, demonstrating for the first time a long-term physiological effect of OLPs comparable to other stress-management interventions. Results further indicate reduced psychological distress in the OLP group. Pre-exam negative affect mediated subsequent improvements in exam grades observed in the OLP group, compared to the controls. These findings provide first evidence that OLPs may attenuate physiological and psychological impacts of prolonged stress exposure.
Trial registration: This study was registered at the German clinical trials register (DRKS00031423).
Journal Article
Open-label placebos enhance test performance and reduce anxiety in learner drivers: a randomized controlled trial
Passing the driving school test can be very challenging, especially in big cities, where up to 52% of all students fail this test. Consequently, many learner drivers experience stress and anxiety. For some learner drivers these feelings can be extreme and negatively affect the performance in the driving test. Different strategies to face anxiety and stress are known, including, for example, psychological or pharmacological approaches and even placebo pills. Recent intriguing findings have also demonstrated that placebos without deception, so-called open-label placebos, successfully reduce anxiety. Here we aimed to test effects of this novel treatment for learner drivers. We investigated whether open-label placebos affect test performance and feelings of anxiety in learner drivers. Sixty-eight healthy participants (mean age 21.94 years, 26 females) were randomized into two groups. The open-label placebo group received placebo pills two weeks before the driving test (two pills each day). The control group received no treatment. Results revealed that the open-label placebo group experienced significantly less anxiety than the control group before the test (measured with the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, STAI-S, and the German Test Anxiety Inventory, PAF). Moreover, in the open-label placebo group less learner drivers failed the driving test (29.41% vs. 52.95%). The results suggest that open-label placebos may provide an ethical unproblematic way to experience less anxiety and might also enhance the probability to pass the driving test. We discuss possible mechanisms of open-label placebos and limitations of our findings.
Journal Article
Roles of administration route, expectation, and belief in placebos in a randomized controlled trial with open-label placebos
Recent reports challenge the view that placebos need to be given in deception. Numerous studies report remarkable effects when giving placebos honestly in an open way. However, the mechanisms of open-label placebos still remain to be cleared. For example, while expectation is often regarded as an important mechanism for concealed placebos, it is unclear whether this process may also account for open-label placebo effects. Thus, alternative theories based on, for example, the embodiment theory are also discussed. Here we examined possible mechanisms of open-label placebos including administration route (to address rituals or sensorimotor embodiment mechanisms), expectation, and belief in placebos. Healthy participants viewed emotional distressing pictures and were given an open-label placebo beforehand or were in the control group. Results replicated previous studies by showing that participants in the open-label placebo conditions felt less emotional distress. Route of administration did not affect the placebo response. Treatment expectancy did not predict the placebo effect but was linked to the strength of the placebo effect that participants self-reported (which was not related to the actual placebo effect). Belief in open-label placebos was related to the strength of the placebo effect. Interestingly, an affirmative attitude towards homeopathic treatments was linked to a positive treatment expectation, but not to the actual placebo effect. We discuss the results with respect to different theories explaining open-label placebo mechanisms and argue that open-label placebos may work predominantly in an unconscious way.
Journal Article
A randomized controlled trial of effects of open-label placebo compared to double-blind placebo and treatment-as-usual on symptoms of allergic rhinitis
Placebo effects are known for numerous clinical symptoms. Until recently, deception of placebos was thought to be essential for placebo effects, but intriguing new studies suggest that even placebos without concealment (open-label placebos) may help patients with various clinical disorders. Most of those studies compared open-label placebo treatments with no treatment conditions (or treatment “as usual”). Given that open-label placebo studies obviously cannot be blinded, additional control studies are important to assess the efficacy of open-label placebos. The current study aimed to fil this gap by comparing open-label with conventional double-blind placebos and treatment as usual. Patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis were randomly divided in different groups. The first group received open-label placebos, the second double-blind placebos, and the third was treated as usual. After 4 weeks, results demonstrated that open-label placebos improved allergic symptoms more than treatment-as-usual and even more as double-blind placebos. In addition, we observed that allergic symptoms in general (and also the open-label placebo effects) were reduced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The results suggest that seasonal allergic symptoms may be relieved by open-label placebos. We discuss these results by addressing possible different mechanisms of open-label and conventionally concealed placebo treatments.
Journal Article