When do high and low status group members support confrontation? The role of perceived pervasiveness of prejudice

AcceptedArticleCopyright © 2015 The British Psychological SocietyThis paper examines how perceived pervasiveness of prejudice differentially affects high and low status group members’ support for a low status group member who confronts. In Experiment 1 (N = 228), men and women read a text describing sexism as rare or as pervasive and subsequently indicated their support for a woman who confronted or did not confront a sexist remark. Experiment 2 (N = 324) specified the underlying process using a self-affirmation manipulation. Results show that men were more supportive of confrontation when sexism was perceived to be rare than when it was pervasive. By contrast, women tended to prefer confrontation when sexism was pervasive relative to when it was rare. Personal self-affirmation decreased men’s and increased women’s support for confrontation when prejudice was rare, suggesting that men’s and women’s support for confrontation when prejudice is rare is driven by personal impression management considerations. Implications for understanding how members of low and high status groups respond to prejudice are discussed. Keywords: prejudice, confrontation, sexism, self-affirmationPortuguese Foundation for Science and Technolog

Spin qubits with electrically gated polyoxometalate molecules

Spin qubits offer one of the most promising routes to the implementation of quantum computers. Very recent results in semiconductor quantum dots show that electrically-controlled gating schemes are particularly well-suited for the realization of a universal set of quantum logical gates. Scalability to a larger number of qubits, however, remains an issue for such semiconductor quantum dots. In contrast, a chemical bottom-up approach allows one to produce identical units in which localized spins represent the qubits. Molecular magnetism has produced a wide range of systems with tailored properties, but molecules permitting electrical gating have been lacking. Here we propose to use the polyoxometalate [PMo12O40(VO)2]q-, where two localized spins-1/2 can be coupled through the electrons of the central core. Via electrical manipulation of the molecular redox potential, the charge of the core can be changed. With this setup, two-qubit gates and qubit readout can be implemented.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Nature Nanotechnolog

A randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness evaluation of "booster" interventions to sustain increases in physical activity in middle-aged adults in deprived urban neighbourhoods

Background: Systematic reviews have identified a range of brief interventions which increase physical activity in previously sedentary people. There is an absence of evidence about whether follow up beyond three months can maintain long term physical activity. This study assesses whether it is worth providing motivational interviews, three months after giving initial advice, to those who have become more active. Methods/Design: Study candidates (n = 1500) will initially be given an interactive DVD and receive two telephone follow ups at monthly intervals checking on receipt and use of the DVD. Only those that have increased their physical activity after three months (n = 600) will be randomised into the study. These participants will receive either a "mini booster" (n = 200), "full booster" (n = 200) or no booster (n = 200). The "mini booster" consists of two telephone calls one month apart to discuss physical activity and maintenance strategies. The "full booster" consists of a face-to-face meeting with the facilitator at the same intervals. The purpose of these booster sessions is to help the individual maintain their increase in physical activity. Differences in physical activity, quality of life and costs associated with the booster interventions, will be measured three and nine months from randomisation. The research will be conducted in 20 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Sheffield, which have large, ethnically diverse populations, high levels of economic deprivation, low levels of physical activity, poorer health and shorter life expectancy. Participants will be recruited through general practices and community groups, as well as by postal invitation, to ensure the participation of minority ethnic groups and those with lower levels of literacy. Sheffield City Council and Primary Care Trust fund a range of facilities and activities to promote physical activity and variations in access to these between neighbourhoods will make it possible to examine whether the effectiveness of the intervention is modified by access to community facilities. A one-year integrated feasibility study will confirm that recruitment targets are achievable based on a 10% sample.Discussion: The choice of study population, study interventions, brief intervention preceding the study, and outcome measure are discussed

Gastrointestinal stromal tumour and hypoglycemia in a Fjord pony: Case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neoplasia may cause hypoglycemia in different species including the horse, but hypoglycemia has not previously been reported in the horse associated with gastrointestinal stromal tumours.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A case of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in a Fjord pony with severe recurrent hypoglycemia is presented. The mechanism causing the hypoglycemia was not established.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case indicates that a gastrointestinal stromal tumour may cause hypoglycemia also in the horse.</p

Vascular responses of the extremities to transdermal application of vasoactive agents in Caucasian and African descent individuals

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Springer in European Journal of Applied Physiology on 04/04/2015, available online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3164-2 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Purpose: Individuals of African descent (AFD) are more susceptible to non-freezing cold injury than Caucasians (CAU) which may be due, in part, to differences in the control of skin blood flow. We investigated the skin blood flow responses to transdermal application of vasoactive agents. Methods: Twenty-four young males (12 CAU and 12 AFD) undertook three tests in which iontophoresis was used to apply acetylcholine (ACh 1 w/v %), sodium nitroprusside (SNP 0.01 w/v %) and noradrenaline (NA 0.5 mM) to the skin. The skin sites tested were: volar forearm, non-glabrous finger and toe, and glabrous finger (pad) and toe (pad). Results: In response to SNP on the forearm, AFD had less vasodilatation for a given current application than CAU (P = 0.027–0.004). ACh evoked less vasodilatation in AFD for a given application current in the non-glabrous finger and toe compared with CAU (P = 0.043–0.014) with a lower maximum vasodilatation in the non-glabrous finger (median [interquartile], AFD n = 11, 41[234] %, CAU n = 12, 351[451] %, P = 0.011) and non-glabrous toe (median [interquartile], AFD n = 9, 116[318] %, CAU n = 12, 484[720] %, P = 0.018). ACh and SNP did not elicit vasodilatation in the glabrous skin sites of either group. There were no ethnic differences in response to NA. Conclusion: AFD have an attenuated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in non-glabrous sites of the fingers and toes compared with CAU. This may contribute to lower skin temperature following cold exposure and the increased risk of cold injuries experienced by AFD.Published versio

A more fine-grained measure towards animal welfare: a study with regards to gender differences in Spanish students

The environmental issue is nowadays taking more importance in the environmental awareness all around the world, and in this field, animal consideration is more and more spread. A highlighted part in globalisation is the animal welfare awareness. This article presents a study comparing attitudes towards animals among secondary and university students in reference to gender. It was carried out on 1394 Spanish participants from 11 to 26 years. The instrument used in the study is the reviewed version of the Animal Welfare Attitude Scale which was renamed as “Animal Welfare Attitude-Revised Scale” (AWA-R Scale), with a Cronbach a reliability value of 0.85. It is subdivided into four components namely C1: animal abuse for pleasure or due to ignorance; C2: leisure with animals; C3: farm animals; and C4: animal abandonment. These components have been deeply detailed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which highly contributes to define the position of participants for the different dimensions of animal welfare. It is concluded that significant differences exist between males’ and females’ attitudes in all components of the AWA-R Scale. It is also suggested that two social characteristics—people’s attitudes towards animals and towards environmental protection—are, at the very least, coexistent and may indeed be interdependent. These differences between gender in matters of socialisation could thus be reflected in environmental attitudes, and also in others related to them, i.e. animal welfare attitudes

Notch1 deficiency decreases hepatic lipid accumulation by induction of fatty acid oxidation

Notch signaling pathways modulate various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and communication. Recent studies have demonstrated that Notch1 signaling also regulates hepatic glucose production and lipid synthesis. However, the effect of Notch1 signaling on hepatic lipid oxidation has not yet been directly investigated. To define the function of Notch1 signaling in hepatic lipid metabolism, wild type mice and Notch1 deficient antisense transgenic (NAS) mice were fed a high-fat diet. High-fat diet-fed NAS mice exhibited a marked reduction in hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation compared with wild type obese mice. The improved fatty liver was associated with an increased expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. However, lipogenic genes were not differentially expressed in the NAS liver, suggesting lipolytic-specific regulatory effects by Notch1 signaling. Expression of fatty acid oxidative genes and the rate of fatty acid oxidation were also increased by inhibition of Notch1 signaling in HepG2 cells. In addition, similar regulatory effects on lipid accumulation were observed in adipocytes. Taken together, these data show that inhibition of Notch1 signaling can regulate the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes and may provide therapeutic strategies in obesity-induced hepatic steatosisopen0

Perilipin Overexpression in White Adipose Tissue Induces a Brown Fat-Like Phenotype

Background: Perilipin A (PeriA) exclusively locates on adipocyte lipid droplets and is essential for lipid storage and lipolysis. Previously, we reported that adipocyte specific overexpression of PeriA caused resistance to diet-induced obesity and resulted in improved insulin sensitivity. In order to better understand the biological basis for this observed phenotype, we performed additional studies in this transgenic mouse model. Methodology and Principal Findings: When compared to control animals, whole body energy expenditure was increased in the transgenic mice. Subsequently, we performed DNA microarray analysis and real-time PCR on white adipose tissue. Consistent with the metabolic chamber data, we observed increased expression of genes associated with fatty acid β-oxidation and heat production, and a decrease in the genes associated with lipid synthesis. Gene expression of Pgc1a, a regulator of fatty acid oxidation and Ucp1, a brown adipocyte specific protein, was increased in the white adipose tissue of the transgenic mice. This observation was subsequently verified by both Western blotting and histological examination. Expression of RIP140, a regulator of white adipocyte differentiation, and the lipid droplet protein FSP27 was decreased in the transgenic mice. Importantly, FSP27 has been shown to control gene expression of these crucial metabolic regulators. Overexpression of PeriA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes also reduced FSP27 expression and diminished lipid droplet size. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that overexpression of PeriA in white adipocytes reduces lipid droplet size by decreasing FSP27 expression and thereby inducing a brown adipose tissue-like phenotype. Our data suggest that modulation of lipid droplet proteins in white adipocytes is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of obesity and its related disorders

The association of circulating amylin with β-amyloid in familial Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: This study assessed the hypothesis that circulating human amylin (amyloid-forming) cross-seeds with amyloid beta (Aβ) in early Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Evidence of amylin-AD pathology interaction was tested in brains of 31 familial AD mutation carriers and 20 cognitively unaffected individuals, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (98 diseased and 117 control samples) and in genetic databases. For functional testing, we genetically manipulated amylin secretion in APP/PS1 and non-APP/PS1 rats. RESULTS: Amylin-Aβ cross-seeding was identified in AD brains. High CSF amylin levels were associated with decreased CSF Aβ42 concentrations. AD risk and amylin gene are not correlated. Suppressed amylin secretion protected APP/PS1 rats against AD-associated effects. In contrast, hypersecretion or intravenous injection of human amylin in APP/PS1 rats exacerbated AD-like pathology through disruption of CSF-brain Aβ exchange and amylin-Aβ cross-seeding. DISCUSSION: These findings strengthened the hypothesis of circulating amylin-AD interaction and suggest that modulation of blood amylin levels may alter Aβ-related pathology/symptoms

Bone Loss in Diabetes: Use of Antidiabetic Thiazolidinediones and Secondary Osteoporosis

Clinical evidence indicates that bone status is affected in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Regardless of normal or even high bone mineral density, T2DM patients have increased risk of fractures. One class of antidiabetic drugs, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), causes bone loss and further increases facture risk, placing TZDs in the category of drugs causing secondary osteoporosis. Risk factors for development of TZD-induced secondary osteoporosis are gender (women), age (elderly), and duration of treatment. TZDs exert their antidiabetic effects by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) nuclear receptor, which controls glucose and fatty acid metabolism. In bone, PPAR-γ controls differentiation of cells of mesenchymal and hematopoietic lineages. PPAR-γ activation with TZDs leads to unbalanced bone remodeling: bone resorption increases and bone formation decreases. Laboratory research evidence points toward a possible separation of unwanted effects of PPAR-γ on bone from its beneficial antidiabetic effects by using selective PPAR-γ modulators. This review also discusses potential pharmacologic means to protect bone from detrimental effects of clinically used TZDs (pioglitazone and rosiglitazone) by using combinational therapy with approved antiosteoporotic drugs, or by using lower doses of TZDs in combination with other antidiabetic therapy. We also suggest a possible orthopedic complication, not yet supported by clinical studies, of delayed fracture healing in T2DM patients on TZD therapy