Missing a beam in thine own eye: motivated perceptions of collective narcissism

This work examines lay beliefs about the societal implications of different forms of ingroup identities. While secure ingroup identity reflects a genuine attachment to one’s ingroup members, defensive forms of identity are aimed at satisfying individual enhancement motives through highlighting belongingness to an exceptional group. The latter can be exemplified by collective narcissism, a belief in ingroup greatness and entitlement to privileged treatment, which has been linked to undesirable intra- and intergroup outcomes. In three experiments (total N = 473), conducted in the context of national identities, we investigated how people perceive the manifestations of collective narcissism, contrasted with secure ingroup identity, and low identity. Across all studies, participants expected the highest outgroup hostility and poorest intragroup relations from those high in collective narcissism. However, perceivers who were themselves high in collective narcissism were less likely to expect these undesirable manifestations, thus revealing a biased perception of similar others

Keep nice and carry on:effect of niceness on well-being

Practicing acts of kindness is beneficial to one’s well-being, but is simply being nice to others also beneficial? In a correlational Study 1 (N=497), self-reported behavioral niceness was positively correlated with happiness, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, life meaning, and negatively correlated with depression. In two experimental studies, a one-day online intervention involving acting nicely (Study 2;N=482) and recollecting one’s nice behavior (Study 3;N=317) resulted in higher mood, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, and life meaning. The present findings suggest that acting in a nice manner, that is, in a warm and friendly way, toward others in everyday situations can promote one’s well-being. Practicing niceness also promoted subsequent voluntary nice behavior

Keep nice and carry on:effect of niceness on well-being

Practicing acts of kindness is beneficial to one’s well-being, but is simply being nice to others also beneficial? In a correlational Study 1 (N=497), self-reported behavioral niceness was positively correlated with happiness, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, life meaning, and negatively correlated with depression. In two experimental studies, a one-day online intervention involving acting nicely (Study 2;N=482) and recollecting one’s nice behavior (Study 3;N=317) resulted in higher mood, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, and life meaning. The present findings suggest that acting in a nice manner, that is, in a warm and friendly way, toward others in everyday situations can promote one’s well-being. Practicing niceness also promoted subsequent voluntary nice behavior

Combined systems approaches reveal highly plastic responses to antimicrobial peptide challenge in Escherichia coli

Obtaining an in-depth understanding of the arms races between peptides comprising the innate immune response and bacterial pathogens is of fundamental interest and will inform the development of new antibacterial therapeutics. We investigated whether a whole organism view of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) challenge on Escherichia coli would provide a suitably sophisticated bacterial perspective on AMP mechanism of action. Selecting structurally and physically related AMPs but with expected differences in bactericidal strategy, we monitored changes in bacterial metabolomes, morphological features and gene expression following AMP challenge at sub-lethal concentrations. For each technique, the vast majority of changes were specific to each AMP, with such a plastic response indicating E. coli is highly capable of discriminating between specific antibiotic challenges. Analysis of the ontological profiles generated from the transcriptomic analyses suggests this approach can accurately predict the antibacterial mode of action, providing a fresh, novel perspective for previous functional and biophysical studies

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

Keep Nice and Carry On: Effect of Niceness on Well-Being

Practicing acts of kindness is beneficial to one's well-being, but is simply being nice to others also beneficial? In a correlational Study 1 (N = 497), self-reported behavioral niceness was positively correlated with happiness, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, life meaning, and negatively correlated with depression. In two experimental studies, a one-day online intervention involving acting nicely (Study 2; N = 482) and recollecting one’s nice behavior (Study 3; N = 317) resulted in higher mood, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, and life meaning. The present findings suggest that acting in a nice manner, that is, in a warm and friendly way, toward others in everyday situations can promote one’s well-being. Practicing niceness also promoted subsequent voluntary nice behavior

T cells armed with C-X-C chemokine receptor type 6 enhance adoptive cell therapy for pancreatic tumours

The efficacy of adoptive cell therapy for solid tumours is hampered by the poor accumulation of the transferred T cells in tumour tissue. Here, we show that the forced expression of the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 6 (CXCR6, whose ligand is highly expressed by human and murine pancreatic cancer cells and by tumour-infiltrating immune cells) in antigen-specific T cells enhanced the recognition and lysis of pancreatic cancer cells and the efficacy of adoptive cell therapy for pancreatic cancer. In mice with subcutaneous pancreatic tumours treated with T cells with either a transgenic T-cell receptor or a murine chimeric antigen receptor targeting the tumour-associated antigen epithelial cell-adhesion molecule, and in mice with orthotopic pancreatic tumours or patient-derived xenografts treated with T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor targeting mesothelin, the T cells exhibited enhanced intratumoral accumulation, exerted sustained antitumoral activity and prolonged animal survival only when co-expressing CXCR6. Arming tumour-specific T cells with tumour-specific chemokine receptors may represent a promising strategy for the realization of adoptive cell therapy for solid tumours