A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e. a controlling message) compared to no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly-internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared to the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly-internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing: Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

Protein recognition in ferredoxin-P450 electron transfer in the class I CYP199A2 system from Rhodopseudomonas palustris

CYP199A2 from Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009 is a heme monooxygenase that catalyzes the oxidation of para-substituted benzoic acids. CYP199A2 activity is reconstituted by a class I electron transfer chain consisting of the associated [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin palustrisredoxin (Pux) and a flavoprotein palustrisredoxin reductase (PuR). Another [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin, palustrisredoxin B (PuxB; RPA3956) has been identified in the genome. PuxB shares sequence identity and motifs with vertebrate-type ferredoxins involved in Fe-S cluster assembly but also 50% identity with Pux and it mediates electron transfer from PuR to CYP199A2, albeit with lower steady-state turnover activity: 99 nmol (nmol P450)(-1)min(-1) for 4-methoxybenzoic acid oxidation compared with 1,438 nmol (nmol P450)(-1 )min(-1) for Pux. This difference mainly arises from weak CYP199A2-PuxB binding (K (m) 34.3 vs. 0.45 microM for Pux) rather than slow electron transfer (k (cat) 19.1 vs. 37.9 s(-1) for Pux). Comparison of the 2.0-A-resolution crystal structure of the PuxB A105R mutant with other vertebrate-type, P450-associated ferredoxins revealed similar protein folds but also significant differences in some loop regions. Therefore, PuxB offers a platform for studying ferredoxin-P450 recognition in class I P450 systems. Substitution of PuxB residues at key locations with those in Pux shows that Ala42, Cys43, and Ala44 in the [2Fe-2S] cluster binding loop and Met66 are important in electron transfer from PuxB to CYP199A2, whereas Phe73 and the C-terminal Ala105 were involved in both protein binding and electron transfer.Stephen G. Bell, Feng Xu, Eachan O. D. Johnson, Ian M. Forward, Mark Bartlam, Zihe Rao, Luet-Lok Won

Kinetics of Phase Separation of Oat β-Glucan/Whey Protein Isolate Binary Mixtures

The kinetics of phase separation and microstructure of oat β-glucan/whey protein binary mixtures varying in concentration (4–16% w/v protein, 0.3–1.2% w/v β- glucan) and β-glucan molecular weight (1.3×106, 640× 103, 180×103, and 120×103 g/mol) was investigated by turbidimetry and fluorescent microscopy. The phase separation of the mixed systems was followed at pH 7.0 and at room temperature under quiescent conditions. Application of first principles revealed that phase separation of the systems follows first-order kinetics. Acceleration of the phase-separation process was observed with increase of β- glucan concentration for the three lowest-MW samples but\ud the highest molecular weight (1.3×106 g/mol) exhibited the opposite trend. Changes in the polysaccharide molecular weight resulted in considerable differences in β-glucan aggregate morphology in the mixed systems. The change in the continuity of the mixed system from polysaccharide-, to bi-, to protein-continuous was confirmed for a wide range of mixed systems differing in biopolymer concentration, and β-glucan molecular weigh