The Effects of Mandatory Volunteerism on Intentions to Volunteer

With the widespread emergence of required community-service programs comes a new opportunity to examine the effects of requirements on future behavioral intentions. To investigate the consequences of such “mandatory volunteerism” programs, we followed students who were required to volunteer in order to graduate from college. Results demonstrated that stronger perceptions of external control eliminated an otherwise positive relation between prior volunteer experience and future intentions to volunteer. A second study experimentally compared mandates and choices to serve and included a premeasured assessment of whether students felt external control was necessary to get them to volunteer. After being required or choosing to serve, students reported their future intentions. Students who initially felt it unlikely that they would freely volunteer had significantly lower intentions after being required to serve than after being given a choice. Those who initially felt more likely to freely volunteer were relatively unaffected by a mandate to serve as compared with a choice. Theoretical and practical implications for understanding the effects of requirements and constraints on intentions and behavior are discussed

The effects of reciprocity, type of relationship, and culture on relationship processes

Equity theory suggests that perceiving equity leads to better relationship outcomes than perceiving inequity. However, cultural and relationship differences in tolerance for inequity have been found, suggesting that those from more individualistic cultures may have less tolerance for inequity with friends than those from more collectivistic cultures, with the latter group discriminating more clearly in their reactions to friends and strangers. In our first study, Kadazandusun (N=282) and Australian (N=255) participants evaluated their actual reciprocity in social support with a close friend. In our second study, 103 South East Asians and 128 Australians were randomly assigned to respond to a scenario presenting equity or inequity (underbenefit or overbenefit) with either a close friend or stranger. Study 1 found that participants from both cultures reported reduced desires for future interaction, positive feelings and closeness when they experienced under-benefit as compared to over-benefit or equity. In Study 2, participants from both cultures also reported reduced desires for future interaction, positive feelings and trust when there was inequity and reported a more negative reaction to a stranger than a close friend. These findings are consistent with equity theory and support its cross-cultural applicability

STUDENTŲ VASAROS VERTIMO SEMINARAS

Translation Summer SeminarAidis Stukas &nbsp

A biophysical approach to the identification of novel ApoE chemical probes

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and, after age, the greatest risk factor for developing AD is the allelic variation of apolipoprotein E (ApoE), with homozygote carriers of the ApoE4 allele having an up to 12-fold greater risk of developing AD than noncarriers. Apolipoprotein E exists as three isoforms that differ in only two amino acid sites, ApoE2 (Cys112/Cys158), ApoE3 (Cys112/Arg158), and ApoE4 (Arg112/Arg158). These amino acid substitutions are assumed to alter ApoE structure and function, and be responsible for the detrimental effects of ApoE4 via a mechanism that remains unclear. The hypothesis that a structural difference between ApoE4 and ApoE3 (and ApoE2) is the cause of the ApoE4-associated increased risk for AD forms the basis of a therapeutic approach to modulate ApoE4 structure, and we were therefore interested in screening to identify new chemical probes for ApoE4. In this regard, a high-yield protocol was developed for the expression and purification of recombinant full-length ApoE, and three diverse biophysical screening assays were established and characterized; an optical label-free assay (Corning Epic) for hit identification and microscale thermophoresis (MST) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) as orthogonal assays for hit confirmation. The 707 compounds in the National Institute of Health clinical collection were screened for binding to ApoE4, from which six confirmed hits, as well as one analogue, were identified. Although the compounds did not differentiate between ApoE isoforms, these data nevertheless demonstrate the feasibility of using a biophysical approach to identifying compounds that bind to ApoE and that, with further optimization, might differentiate between isoforms to produce a molecule that selectively alters the function of ApoE4

The Research on Various Factors' Influence on M&A Transaction Price

Mergers and acquisitions (further – M&A) are undoubtedly one of the most rapid ways to expand or enter into a new market. It is widely discussed how complex and sophisticated the processes of merger or acquisition are, so they cannot be executed without supervision of professional consultants, lawyers and accountants. Every transaction comprises many internal and external factors which have influence on the final price of M&A deal. The aim of this paper is to find out the importance level of various factors affecting M&A transaction price. Thorough research on 22 different factors has been carried out. All respondents were closely related to M&A transaction process. They were asked to specify how important, in their opinion, each factor for M&A transaction price was. The results show that the most important factors are financial state of a company, future growth prospects and sales profitability. It is solidly admitted that the least weight on M&A transaction price is given according to official financial analysts: research on company stocks, success on the stock market and "windows dressing" before putting a company on sale. It was also noticed, that the rating of these factors depends on respondents' experience and position in job.On the basis of the results, first and middle level managers concentrate more on financial factors and process execution, while the top-level managers deal with strategic matters

Ehrenamtlichkeit: ein funktionaler Ansatz

Die motivationalen Grundlagen des planvollen, unterstützenden Hilfeverhaltens im Rahmen ehrenamtlicher Tätigkeiten werden untersucht. Dabei wird von einem funktionalen Ansatz ausgegangen, also von der Annahme, dass die Ausübung einer ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit einen bestimmten psychologischen Zweck verfolgt. Der funktionale Ansatz berücksichtigt motivationale Prozesse als Grundlage für verschiedene psychologische Phänomene und betont, dass Einstellungen und Handlungen zweckorientiert und zielgerichtet sind. Des Weiteren unterstreicht der funktionale Ansatz die Wichtigkeit einer Übereinstimmung zwischen individuellen Motivationen und Umweltbedingungen, die die Möglichkeiten bereitstellen, diesen Motivationen zu entsprechen. Auf der Basis von theoretischen Überlegungen und faktoranalytischen Untersuchungen werden sechs funktionale Motivationen hergeleitet (Werte, Verständnis, Karriere, Soziales, Schutz, Verbesserung). In einem weiteren Schritt werden diese funktionalen Motivationen in ihrer Bedeutung für ehrenamtliche Tätigkeiten untersucht. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass funktionale Motivationen bedeutsam sind mit Blick auf die Aufnahme einer ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit, hinsichtlich der Ausübung der Tätigkeit sowie bezüglich der Fortführung der Tätigkeit. Faktoren, die in Abhängigkeit der funktionalen Motivation wirksam werden, sind zum einen die Art der Werbung für ein Ehrenamt (Aufnahme), zum zweiten die Arbeitszufriedenheit sowie die resultierende Leistung bzw. Arbeitsqualität (Ausübung) und letztlich die Absicht zur kurz- oder langfristigen Hilfe bzw. die tatsächliche Dauer der Tätigkeit (Fortführung). Abschließend werden die Handlungswirksamkeit von funktionalen Motivationen sowie deren individuell zu spezifizierende Vielfalt diskutiert

Inhibitory capacity of Rhus coriaria L. extract and its major component methyl gallate on Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation by optical profilometry: Potential applications for oral health

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) bacterium is the most well recognized pathogen involved in pathogenesis of dental caries. Its virulence arises from its ability to produce a biofilm and acidogenicity, causing tooth decay. Discovery of natural products capable to inhibit biofilm formation is of high importance for developing health care products. To the best of our knowledge, in all previous scientific reports, a colorimetric assay was applied to test the effect of sumac and methyl gallate (MG) on S. mutans adherence. Quantitative assessment of the developed biofilm should be further performed by applying an optical profilometry assay, and by testing the effect on both surface roughness and thickness parameters of the biofilm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the effect of sumac extract and its constituent MG on biofilm formation using an optical profilometry assay. Testing antibacterial activity of the sumac extract and its fractions revealed that MG is the most bioactive component against S. mutans bacteria. It reduced S. mutans biofilm biomass on the polystyrene surface by 68‑93%, whereas 1 mg/ml MG was able to decrease the biofilm roughness and thickness on the glass surface by 99%. MG also prevented a decrease in pH level by 97%. These bioactivities of MG occurred in a dose‑dependent manner and were significant vs. untreated bacteria. The findings are important for the development of novel pharmaceuticals and formulations of natural products and extracts that possess anti‑biofilm activities with primary applications for oral health, and in a broader context, for the treatment of various bacterial infections.The present study was supported by the Al‑Qasemi Research Foundation, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space (Israel) and the Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University (Lithuania)

ApoA-I Deficiency Increases Cortical Amyloid Deposition, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Cortical and Hippocampal Astrogliosis, and Amyloid-associated Astrocyte Reactivity in APP/PS1 Mice

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined by amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles and characterized by neurodegeneration and memory loss. The majority of AD patients also have Aβ deposition in cerebral vessels known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), microhemorrhages, and vascular co-morbidities, suggesting that cerebrovascular dysfunction contributes to AD etiology. Promoting cerebrovascular resilience may therefore be a promising therapeutic or preventative strategy for AD. Plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDL) have several vasoprotective functions and are associated with reduced AD risk in some epidemiological studies and with reduced Aβ deposition and Aβ-induced inflammation in 3D engineered human cerebral vessels. In mice, deficiency of apoA-I, the primary protein component of HDL, increases CAA and cognitive dysfunction, whereas overexpression of apoA-I from its native promoter in liver and intestine has the opposite effect and lessens neuroinflammation. Similarly, acute peripheral administration of HDL reduces soluble Aβ pools in the brain and some studies have observed reduced CAA as well. Here, we expand upon the known effects of plasma HDL in mouse models and in vitro 3D artery models to investigate the interaction of amyloid, astrocytes, and HDL on the cerebrovasculature in APP/PS1 mice. Methods APP/PS1 mice deficient or hemizygous for Apoa1 were aged to 12 months. Plasma lipids, amyloid plaque deposition, Aβ protein levels, protein and mRNA markers of neuroinflammation, and astrogliosis were assessed using ELISA, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. Contextual and cued fear conditioning were used to assess behavior. Results In APP/PS1 mice, complete apoA-I deficiency increased total and vascular Aβ deposition in the cortex but not the hippocampus compared to APP/PS1 littermate controls hemizygous for apoA-I. Markers of both general and vascular neuroinflammation, including Il1b mRNA, ICAM-1 protein, PDGFRβ protein, and GFAP protein, were elevated in apoA-I-deficient APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, apoA-I-deficient APP/PS1 mice had elevated levels of vascular-associated ICAM-1 in the cortex and hippocampus and vascular-associated GFAP in the cortex. A striking observation was that astrocytes associated with cerebral vessels laden with Aβ or associated with Aβ plaques showed increased reactivity in APP/PS1 mice lacking apoA-I. No behavioral changes were observed. Conclusions ApoA-I-containing HDL can reduce amyloid pathology and astrocyte reactivity to parenchymal and vascular amyloid in APP/PS1 mice