An exploratory study on the effect of positive (warmth appeal) and negative (guilt appeal) print imagery on donation behaviour in animal welfare

Very few studies in social marketing empirically compare the effectiveness of positive and negative appeals. This study examines the effect of positive (warmth appeal) and negative (guilt appeal) print imagery on donation behaviour to an animal welfare organisation. A quasiexperimental design was used to test the appeals, using a convenience sample of 282 university students, with each experimental group being exposed to only one type of appeal. The results indicated that negative imagery which evoked guilt was more effective than positive imagery which evoked warmth, on intention to donate money and time to the animal welfare organisation

The Two-hour Marathon: What\u27s the Equivalent for Women?

The principal characteristic of the runner who may break the two-hour barrier in the marathon will be their sex: the person will be male. The fastest men outperform the fastest women because of sex differences in physiology including a higher VȮ2 max. This viewpoint addresses the questions of what is the two-hour equivalent for women, and who will break this barrier? The current sex difference in the world record for the marathon is ~10% which is slightly less than the mean sex difference in performance usually documented between elite men and women distance runners. Based on comparisons of the top 50 marathon times run by men and women, we argue that Paula Radcliffe\u27s world record of 2:15:25 (hr:min:s) set in 2003 is at least equivalent to a two-hour marathon for women. We also provide evidence that there is less depth in elite women\u27s distance running, in part, due to historical and social factors that have led to less opportunity for women than men

Do age-associated changes of voltage-gated sodium channel isoforms expressed in the mammalian heart predispose the elderly to atrial fibrillation?

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. The prevalence of the disease increases with age, strongly implying an age-related process underlying the pathology. At a time when people are living longer than ever before, an exponential increase in disease prevalence is predicted worldwide. Hence unraveling the underlying mechanics of the disease is paramount for the development of innovative treatment and prevention strategies. The role of voltage-gated sodium channels is fundamental in cardiac electrophysiology and may provide novel insights into the arrhythmogenesis of AF. Nav1.5 is the predominant cardiac isoform, responsible for the action potential upstroke. Recent studies have demonstrated that Nav1.8 (an isoform predominantly expressed within the peripheral nervous system) is responsible for cellular arrhythmogenesis through the enhancement of pro-arrhythmogenic currents. Animal studies have shown a decline in Nav1.5 leading to a diminished action potential upstroke during phase 0. Furthermore, the study of human tissue demonstrates an inverse expression of sodium channel isoforms; reduction of Nav1.5 and increase of Nav1.8 in both heart failure and ventricular hypertrophy. This strongly suggests that the expression of voltage-gated sodium channels play a crucial role in the development of arrhythmias in the diseased heart. Targeting aberrant sodium currents has led to novel therapeutic approaches in tackling AF and continues to be an area of emerging research. This review will explore how voltage-gated sodium channels may predispose the elderly heart to AF through the examination of laboratory and clinical based evidence

Process evaluation of an innovative sun protection intervention targeting adolescents

The purpose of the current intervention was to target a defined segment of the adolescent population with a sun protection ‘offering’ that positioned sun protection as beneficial and addressed identified barriers (particularly inconvenience and image). A community intervention was conducted in one defined geographic region over the 2009/2010 Summer school holidays. Key elements of the intervention included the distribution of augmented products, promotional materials with a pre-tested impactful message, and partnerships with community and commercial organisations. The intervention was successful in creating interest and attention among adolescents. This paper reports on the process evaluations, focusing on barriers, facilitators and lessons learned

Collaboration of Researchers and Stakeholders: Transforming Educator Preparation

This study contributes to the literature on first year teachers by identifying complexities and struggles of becoming a teacher and the implications of district-university partnerships to strengthen our educator preparation program. The importance of partnerships with stakeholders, memorandum of agreements to share data, observations of first year teachers by university faculty, employer surveys, and the first year teacher’s perspectives about how well our university prepared them, as well as how they compare with other first year teachers nationally is addressed. Multiple sources of data were used to provide information about completers, individuals that graduated from the educator preparation program. These include state reports, national trends, and review of survey results next to universities across the United States involved in teacher preparation. Graduates of our teacher preparation program have a 93% retention rate after five years of teaching. The national average is 50% after five years

Transcriptome analysis of the uterus of hens laying eggs differing in cuticle deposition

BACKGROUND:Avian eggs have a proteinaceous cuticle. The quantity of cuticle varies and the deposition of a good cuticle in the uterus (Shell-gland) prevents transmission of bacteria to the egg contents. RESULTS:To understand cuticle deposition, uterus transcriptomes were compared between hens with i) naturally good and poor cuticle and, ii) where manipulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal-oviduct axis produced eggs with or without cuticle. The highest expressed genes encoded eggshell matrix and cuticle proteins, e.g. MEPE (OC-116), BPIFB3 (OVX-36), RARRES1 (OVX-32), WAP (OVX-25), and genes for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, active transport and energy metabolism. Expression of a number of these genes differed between hens laying eggs with or without cuticle. There was also a high expression of clock genes. PER2, CRY2, CRY1, CLOCK and BMAL1 were differentially expressed when cuticle deposition was prevented, and they also changed throughout the egg formation cycle. This suggests an endogenous clock in the uterus may be a component of cuticle deposition control. Cuticle proteins are glycosylated and glycosaminoglycan binding genes had a lower expression when cuticle proteins were deposited on the egg. The immediate early genes, JUN and FOS, were expressed less when the cuticle had not been deposited and changed over the egg formation cycle, suggesting they are important in oviposition and cuticle deposition. The uterus transcriptome of hens with good and poor cuticle deposition did not differ. CONCLUSIONS:We have gained insights into the factors that can affect the production of the cuticle especially clock genes and immediate early genes. We have demonstrated that these genes change their expression over the period of eggshell formation supporting their importance. The lack of differences in expression between the uterus of hens laying eggs with the best and worse cuticle suggest the genetic basis of the trait may lie outside the oviduct

Using health risk assessments to target and tailor: An innovative social marketing program in aged care facilities

The number of Australians over the age of 65 years is expected to double by 2021. Many older Australians suffer from one or more chronic diseases - including cancer, coronary heart disease, respiratory diseases (AIHW, 2009) resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, lower quality of life and a higher need for health care (Hickey and Stilwell, 1991). There is increasing evidence that the adoption of healthy lifestyles can have significant benefits even into older age (Haveman-Nies et al, 2002). This project utilized a social marketing framework to support aged residents of retirement homes to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviours to improve their health