Morality and Prosocial Behavior: the Role of Awareness, Responsibility and Norms in the Norm Activation Model

This paper examines the relationships between variables included in the Norm Activation Model of prosocial behaviour (NAM). Specifically, we evaluate the strength of two commonly used interpretations of this model, namely the NAM as a mediator model and the NAM as a moderator model. Five studies focussing on a variety of prosocial intentions and behaviours provide most support for the NAM as a mediator model. Furthermore, these studies validate past research by showing that variables included in the NAM are powerful in explaining a diversity of prosocial intentions and behaviours in the social as well as in the environmental context

Value orientations and environmental beliefs in five countries - Validity of an instrument to measure egoistic, altruistic and biospheric value orientations

Various scholars argue that egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric value orientations are important for understanding environmental beliefs and behavior. However, little empirical evidence has been provided for the distinction between altruistic and biospheric values. This study examines whether this distinction is valid across different countries (i.e., Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden) by using a new value instrument. Relationships between these value orientations and behavior-specific beliefs (i.e., awareness of environmental consequences and personal norms) are investigated to further examine the validity of the value instrument. Results provide support for the generalization of the three-way distinction. Furthermore, value orientations were related to behavior-specific beliefs in all countries. The authors conclude that the distinction between the three value orientations is valid and useful for examining environmentally relevant behavior.</p

The Relationship Between Sociodemographics and Environmental Values Across Seven European Countries

Given the importance of environmental values (altruistic, biospheric, and egoistic) to pro-environmental behavior, it would be useful to segment the population – an approach known as market segmentation – to tailor pro-environmental messages more effectively. Sociodemographic variables are popular targets for segmentation, as such variables are often knowable in the absence of more nuanced information about individuals. However, evidence for the relationship between sociodemographics and environmental values is sparse, and contradictory. We examined the extent to which popular sociodemographic variables (gender, age, income, education, urbanization level, and political orientation) were predictive of environmental values for 11,820 participants across seven European countries. Overall, sociodemographics were hardly related to environmental values. Only gender and political orientation were weakly but significantly related to environmental values, whereby men and right-wingers showed weaker altruistic and biospheric, and stronger egoistic, values than women and left-wingers. We conclude that sociodemographic variables cannot be considered a suitable proxy for environmental values, and thus that behavior-change campaigns might be more impactful when focused on alternative segmentation strategies in relation to environmental aims

Activation and Inactivation of Homomeric KvLQT1 Potassium Channels

AbstractThe voltage-gated potassium channel protein KvLQT1 (Wang et al., 1996. Nature Genet. 12:17–23) is believed to underlie the delayed rectifier potassium current of cardiac muscle together with the small membrane protein minK (also named IsK) as an essential auxiliary subunit (Barhanin et al., 1996. Nature. 384:78–80; Sanguinetti et al., 1996. Nature. 384:80–83). Using the Xenopus oocyte expression system, we analyzed in detail the gating characteristics of homomeric KvLQT1 channels and of heteromeric KvLQT1/minK channels using two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings. Activation of homomeric KvLQT1 at positive voltages is accompanied by an inactivation process that is revealed by a transient increase in conductance after membrane repolarization to negative values. We studied the recovery from inactivation and the deactivation of the channels during tail repolarizations at −120mV after conditioning pulses of variable amplitude and duration. Most measurements were made in high extracellular potassium to increase the size of inward tail currents. However, experiments in normal low-potassium solutions showed that, in contrast to classical C-type inactivation, the inactivation of KvLQT1 is independent of extracellular potassium. At +40mV inactivation develops with a delay of 100ms. At the same potential, the activation estimated from the amplitude of the late exponential decay of the tail currents follows a less sigmoidal time course, with a late time constant of 300ms. Inactivation of KvLQT1 is not complete, even at the most positive voltages. The delayed, voltage-dependent onset and the incompleteness of inactivation suggest a sequential gating scheme containing at least two open states and ending with an inactivating step that is voltage independent. In coexpression experiments of KvLQT1 with minK, inactivation seems to be largely absent, although biphasic tails are also observed that could be related to similar phenomena

Environmental psychology:History, scope and methods

This book aims to give an introduction in environmental psychology. We defi ne environmental psychology as the discipline that studies the interplay between individuals and their built and natural environment. This means that environmental psychology examines the infl uence of the environment on human experiences, behaviour and well - being, as well as the infl uence of individuals on the environment, that is, factors infl uencing environmental behaviour, and ways to encourage pro - environmental behaviour. This book will give an overview of theories and research on each of these topics. In this introductory chapter we fi rst give a brief overview of the history of the fi eld of environmental psychology, followed by a discussion of characteristics of the fi eld and a description of the main methods used in research. The chapter ends with an outline and rationale of the book

Environmental psychology:History, scope and methods

This book aims to give an introduction in environmental psychology. We defi ne environmental psychology as the discipline that studies the interplay between individuals and their built and natural environment. This means that environmental psychology examines the infl uence of the environment on human experiences, behaviour and well - being, as well as the infl uence of individuals on the environment, that is, factors infl uencing environmental behaviour, and ways to encourage pro - environmental behaviour. This book will give an overview of theories and research on each of these topics. In this introductory chapter we fi rst give a brief overview of the history of the fi eld of environmental psychology, followed by a discussion of characteristics of the fi eld and a description of the main methods used in research. The chapter ends with an outline and rationale of the book

Amino acid substitutions within the heptad repeat domain 1 of murine coronavirus spike protein restrict viral antigen spread in the central nervous system.

Targeted recombination was carried out to select mouse hepatitis viruses (MHVs) in a defined genetic background, containing an MHV-JHM spike gene encoding either three heptad repeat 1 (HR1) substitutions (Q1067H, Q1094H, and L1114R) or L1114R alone. The recombinant virus, which expresses spike with the three substitutions, was nonfusogenic at neutral pH. Its replication was significantly inhibited by lysosomotropic agents, and it was highly neuroattenuated in vivo. In contrast, the recombinant expressing spike with L1114R alone mediated cell-to-cell fusion at neutral pH and replicated efficiently despite the presence of lysosomotropic agents; however, it still caused only subclinical morbidity and no mortality in animals. Thus, both recombinant viruses were highly attenuated and expressed viral antigen which was restricted to the olfactory bulbs and was markedly absent from other regions of the brains at 5 days postinfection. These data demonstrate that amino acid substitutions, in particular L1114R, within HR1 of the JHM spike reduced the ability of MHV to spread in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the requirements for low pH for fusion and viral entry are not prerequisites for the highly attenuated phenotype