Are women better mindreaders? Sex differences in neural correlates of mentalizing detected with functional MRI

Background  

The ability to mentalize, i.e. develop a Theory of Mind (ToM), enables us to anticipate and build a model of the thoughts, emotions and intentions of others. It has long been hypothesised that women differ from men in their mentalizing abilities. In the present fMRI study we examined the impact of (1) gender (women vs. men) and (2) game partner (human vs. computer) on ToM associated neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. Groups of men (n = 12) and women (n = 12) interacted in an iterated classical prisoner's dilemma forced choice situation with alleged human and computer partners who were outside the scanner.     

Hadrons in hot and dense matter

I discuss our current understanding of the properties of hot and dense hadronic matter in equilibrium and its excitation spectrum. The latter allows for an experimental study of matter under extreme conditions through ‘in-medium spectroscopy’.     

A self-assembling metallosupramolecular cage based on cavitand-terpyridine subunits

Metal-directed self-assembly of a terpyridyl-functionalized cavitand yields a large hexameric coordination cage.     

Gamma-spectroscopy of the 199At nucleus with the Recoil Filter Detector

The neutron deficient ¹⁹⁹At nucleus has been studied in the ¹⁷⁵Lu+²⁸Si reaction at E_b= 141 MeV. In order to select events of interest in the presence of the very strong background caused by fission, γ-rays have been detected in coincidence with recoiling evaporation residues. The excited states of ¹⁹⁹At observed for the first time may indicate that this nucleus is deformed. Received: 17 September 1998 / Revised version: 14 October 1998