Blaming a few bad apples to save a threatened barrel: The system-justifying function of conspiracy theories

This research demonstrates that conspiracy theories – often represented as subversive alternatives to establishment narratives – may bolster, rather than undermine, support for the social status quo when its legitimacy is under threat. A pilot study (N = 98) found a positive relationship between conspiracy belief and satisfaction with the status quo. In Study 1 (N = 120), threatening (vs. affirming) the status quo in British society caused participants to endorse conspiracy theories. In Study 2 (N = 159), exposure to conspiracy theories increased satisfaction with the British social system after this had been experimentally threatened. In Study 3 (N = 109), this effect was mediated by the tendency for participants exposed (vs. not exposed) to conspiracy theories to attribute societal problems relatively more strongly to small groups of people rather than systemic causes. By blaming tragedies, disasters and social problems on the actions of a malign few, conspiracy theories can divert attention from the inherent limitations of social systems

Titanium dioxide/cellulose nanocomposites prepared by a controlled hydrolysis method

TiO2/cellulose nanocomposites were prepared through the titanyl sulphate hydrolysis in acidic medium in the presence of cellulosic fibres. The influence of several reaction parameters on the morphological characteristics of the nanocomposites was investigated. There is evidence from this study that in specific experimental conditions, the cellulose fibres promote the nucleation and growth of TiO2 particles, yielding hybrid materials containing up to 46% TiO2. Two series of paper handsheets having distinct TiO2 content have been prepared, one from a selected hybrid composition and the other from mixtures of commercial TiO2 and cellulose fibres. Comparative optical studies performed on the paper handsheets revealed a much higher opacity for the synthetic sample

Electrostatic self-assembled graphene oxide-collagen scaffolds towards a three-dimensional microenvironment for biomimetic applications

In light of the importance of collagen, one of the most abundant proteins in mammals, the preparation of collagen-based scaffolds is gaining interest in the field of tissue engineering. However, there is a need to develop strategies to produce collagen three dimensional structures with mechanical properties suitable for proper handling and manipulation. In this regard, we report here a self-assembled GO-collagen (GO-Col) scaffold with a porous network resulting from preferential interaction of oxygen functional groups located on the GO nanosheet edges with amine groups on the biopolymer chain. The accurate control of such conjugation, which is dependent of both the pH of the medium and the collagen/GO weight ratio used during the synthesis, allows to minutely modulate the repulsion and bonding forces within the GO-Col nanocomposite system and consequently also provides the opportunity to fabricate a wide range of stable GO-Col scaffolds. Results concerning the stability in physiological medium under mechanical stimulation and the cytocompatibility of the most viable GO-Col scaffold in terms of mechanical integrity and its reduced counterpart indicated that these novel scaffolds provide a useful new approach for the assemblage of suitable cellular microenvironments that could be explored on tissue engineering application

There’s no smoke without fire: Smoking in smoke-free acute mental health wards

Background People who smoke with serious mental illness carry disproportionate costs from smoking, including poor health and premature death from tobacco-related illnesses. Hospitals in New Zealand are ostensibly smoke-free; however, some mental health wards have resisted implementing this policy. Aim This study explored smoking in acute metal health wards using data emerging from a large sociological study on modern acute psychiatric units. Methods Eighty-five in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff and service users from four units. Data were analysed using a social constructionist problem representation approach. Results Although high-level smoke-free policies were mandatory, most participants disregarded these policies and smoking occurred in internal courtyards. Staff reasoned that acute admissions were not the time to quit smoking, citing the sceptres of distress and possibly violence; further, they found smoking challenging to combat. Inconsistent enforcement of smoke-free policies was common and problematic. Many service users also rejected smoke-free policies; they considered smoking facilitated social connections, alleviated boredom, and helped them feel calm in a distressing environment – some started or increased smoking following admission. A minority viewed smoking as a problem; a fire hazard, or pollutant. No one mentioned its health risks. Conclusion Psychiatric wards remain overlooked corners where hospital smoke-free policies are inconsistently applied or ignored. Well-meaning staff hold strong but anachronistic views about smoking. To neglect smoking cessation support for people with serious mental illness is discriminatory and perpetuates health and socioeconomic inequities. However, blanket applications of generic policy are unlikely to succeed. Solutions may include myth-busting education for service users and staff, local champions, and strong managerial support and leadership, with additional resourcing during transition phases. Smoke-free policies need consistent application with non-judgemental NRT and, potentially, other treatments. Smoking cessation would be supported by better designed facilities with more options for alleviating boredom, expressing autonomy, facilitating social connections, and reducing distress

Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Is Dictated by Distinct Actions of Nuclear Receptor Corepressors and Histone Deacetylases

Signaling factors including retinoic acid (RA) and thyroid hormone (T3) promote neuronal, oligodendrocyte, and astrocyte differentiation of cortical neural stem cells (NSCs). However, the functional specificity of transcriptional repressor checkpoints controlling these differentiation programs remains unclear. Here, we show by genome-wide analysis that histone deacetylase (HDAC)2 and HDAC3 show overlapping and distinct promoter occupancy at neuronal and oligodendrocyte-related genes in NSCs. The absence of HDAC3, but not HDAC2, initiated a neuronal differentiation pathway in NSCs. The ablation of the corepressor NCOR or HDAC2, in conjunction with T3 treatment, resulted in increased expression of oligodendrocyte genes, revealing a direct HDAC2-mediated repression of Sox8 and Sox10 expression. Interestingly, Sox10 was required also for maintaining the more differentiated state by repression of stem cell programming factors such as Sox2 and Sox9. Distinct and nonredundant actions of NCORs and HDACs are thus critical for control of lineage progression and differentiation programs in neural progenitors