Naturally Better? A Review of the Natural‐is‐Better Bias

People are frequently exposed to products and services that are labeled natural (e.g., Nature Made Vitamins or GoJo Natural Orange Hand Cleaner). The frequency with which this label is used suggests that it delivers an advantage in marketing and sales. Our review examines the preference for and perception of naturalness and reveals that people have a bias for items described as natural in many domains including foods, medicine, beauty products, cigarettes, and lighting. These preferences abound even when the natural item is identical or not objectively better than the non‐natural or synthetic item. We believe this bias may be driven by a natural‐is‐better default belief as well as the belief that natural items are safer than non‐natural items. Although a bias for natural items is apparent, this literature is in its infancy, and we suggest three areas that will help build and refine the empirical research base and theory: the measurement of behavior, the examination of individual differences, and the development of methods for reducing the bias. A better understanding of the naturalness bias relevant to these areas will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the area, including factors that may cause and reduce it

Right Ventricular Structure and Function in Senior and Academy Elite Footballers.

AIMS: Right ventricular (RV) adaptation is a common finding in the athlete's heart. The aim of this study was to establish the extent of RV structural and functional adaptation in elite and academy professional footballers compared to age-matched controls. METHODS AND RESULTS: 100 senior and 100 academy elite footballers, 20 senior and 19 academy age-matched controls were recruited. All participants underwent 2D, Doppler, tissue Doppler and strain (ε) echocardiography of the right heart. Structural indices were derived and indexed allometrically for individual differences in body surface area. Standard RV function was assessed alongside peak RV ε and strain rate (SR). Senior football players had larger scaled RV structural parameters than players for the RV outflow (RVOTplax ) (32.7±4.2 and 29.5±4.0 mm(m2 )0.326 , P<0.001), the proximal RV outflow (RVOT1 ) (26.6±3.5 and 24.7±3.9 mm(m2 )0.335 , P<0.001), the basal RV inflow (RVD1 ) (33.1±4.1 and 30.7±3.2 mm(m2 )0.404 , P=0.020), RV length (RVD3 ) (66.5±6.1 and 62.9±5.1 mm(m2 )0.431 , P<0.001) and RV diastolic area (RVDarea ) (16.9±2.6 and 15.7±2.6 mm(m2 )0.735 , P<0.001). Both academy and senior football players demonstrated larger scaled structural RV parameters in comparison to age matched controls. Systolic SR (SRS) was lower in the senior players compared to academy players in the mid (-1.52±0.49 and -1.41±0.34 l/s, P=0.019) and apical (-1.97±0.74 and -1.72±0.42 l/s, P=0.025) wall regions, respectively. CONCLUSION: RV structural adaptation occurs in both senior and academy football players with senior players having larger RV dimensions. Although senior players have slightly lower peak SRS than academy players, all global ε and SR are within normal ranges. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

How does morphology impact on diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? A single centre experience.

Objectives It is unclear if morphology impacts on diastole in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We sought to determine the relationship between various parameters of diastolic function and morphology in a large HCM cohort. Setting Tertiary referral centre from Stanford, California, USA. Partecipants 383 patients with HCM and normal systolic function between 1999 and 2011. A group of 100 prospectively recruited age-matched and sex-matched healthy participants were used as controls. Primary and secondary outcome measures Echocardiograms were assessed by two blinded board-certified cardiologists. HCM morphology was classified as described in the literature (reverse, sigmoid, symmetric, apical and undefined). Results Reverse curvature morphology was most commonly observed (218 (57%). Lateral mitral annular E′40 mL/m2 was present in 47% in reverse curvature, 33% in sigmoid, 32% in symmetric, 37% in apical and 32% in undefined, p=0.09. Each morphology showed altered parameters of diastolic function when compared with the control population. Left ventricular (LV) obstruction was independently associated with all three diastolic parameters considered, in particular with LAVi>40 mL/m2 (OR 2.04 (95% CI 1.23 to 3.39), p=0.005), E/E′>15 (OR 4.66 (95% CI 2.51 to 8.64), p<0.001) and E′<8 (OR 2.55 (95% CI 1.42 to 4.53), p=0.001). Other correlates of diastolic dysfunction were age, LV wall thickness and moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation. Conclusions In HCM, diastolic dysfunction is present to similar degrees independently from the morphological pattern. The main correlates of diastolic dysfunction are LV obstruction, age, degree of hypertrophy and degree of mitral regurgitation

The Aversion to Tampering with Nature (ATN) Scale: Individual Differences in (Dis)comfort with Altering the Natural World

People differ in their comfort with tampering with the natural world. Although some see altering nature as a sign of human progress, others see it as dangerous or hubristic. Across four studies, we investigate discomfort with tampering with the natural world. To do so, we develop the Aversion to Tampering with Nature (ATN) Scale, a short scale that is the first to directly measure this discomfort. We identify six activities that people believe tamper with nature (geoengineering, genetically modified organisms, pesticides, cloning, gene therapy, and nanoparticles) and show that ATN scores are associated with opposition to these activities. Furthermore, the ATN Scale predicts actual behavior: donations to an antiâ tampering cause. We demonstrate that ATN is related to previously identified constructs including trust in technology, naturalness bias, purity values, disgust sensitivity, aversion to playing God, and environmental beliefs and values. By illuminating who is concerned about tampering with nature and what predicts these beliefs, the ATN Scale provides opportunities to better understand public opposition to technological innovations, consumer preferences for â naturalâ products, and strategies for science communication.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154364/1/risa13414_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154364/2/risa13414.pd

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Stenosis and the Effect of Vitamin K2 on Calcification Using F-Sodium Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance:The BASIK2 Rationale and Trial Design

BASIK2 is a prospective, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial investigating the effect of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7;MK7) on imaging measurements of calcification in the bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). BAV is associated with early development of CAVS. Pathophysiologic mechanisms are incompletely defined, and the only treatment available is valve replacement upon progression to severe symptomatic stenosis. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) inactivity is suggested to be involved in progression. Being a vitamin K dependent protein, supplementation with MK7 is a pharmacological option for activating MGP and intervening in the progression of CAVS. Forty-four subjects with BAV and mild–moderate CAVS will be included in the study, and baseline 18F-sodiumfluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET)/ magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) assessments will be performed. Thereafter, subjects will be randomized (1:1) to MK7 (360 mcg/day) or placebo. During an 18-month follow-up period, subjects will visit the hospital every 6 months, undergoing a second 18F-NaF PET/MR after 6 months and CT after 6 and 18 months. The primary endpoint is the change in PET/MR 18F-NaF uptake (6 months minus baseline) compared to this delta change in the placebo arm. The main secondary endpoints are changes in calcium score (CT), progression of the left ventricularremodeling response and CAVS severity (echocardiography). We will also examine the association between early calcification activity (PET) and later changes in calcium score (CT)

The multi-modality cardiac imaging approach to the Athlete's heart: an expert consensus of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging

The term 'athlete's heart' refers to a clinical picture characterized by a slow heart rate and enlargement of the heart. A multi-modality imaging approach to the athlete's heart aims to differentiate physiological changes due to intensive training in the athlete's heart from serious cardiac diseases with similar morphological features. Imaging assessment of the athlete's heart should begin with a thorough echocardiographic examination. Left ventricular (LV) wall thickness by echocardiography can contribute to the distinction between athlete's LV hypertrophy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). LV end-diastolic diameter becomes larger (>55 mm) than the normal limits only in end-stage HCM patients when the LV ejection fraction is <50%. Patients with HCM also show early impairment of LV diastolic function, whereas athletes have normal diastolic function. When echocardiography cannot provide a clear differential diagnosis, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging should be performed. With CMR, accurate morphological and functional assessment can be made. Tissue characterization by late gadolinium enhancement may show a distinctive, non-ischaemic pattern in HCM and a variety of other myocardial conditions such as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or myocarditis. The work-up of athletes with suspected coronary artery disease should start with an exercise ECG. In athletes with inconclusive exercise ECG results, exercise stress echocardiography should be considered. Nuclear cardiology techniques, coronary cardiac tomography (CCT) and/or CMR may be performed in selected cases. Owing to radiation exposure and the young age of most athletes, the use of CCT and nuclear cardiology techniques should be restricted to athletes with unclear stress echocardiography or CMR

A Theory of Natural Addiction

Economic theories of rational addiction aim to describe consumer behavior in the presence of habit-forming goods. We provide a biological foundation for this body of work by formally specifying conditions under which it is optimal to form a habit. We demonstrate the empirical validity of our thesis with an in-depth review and synthesis of the biomedical literature concerning the action of opiates in the mammalian brain and their eects on behavior. Our results lend credence to many of the unconventional behavioral assumptions employed by theories of rational addiction, including adjacent complementarity and the importance of cues, attention, and self-control in determining the behavior of addicts. We oer evidence for the special case of the opiates that "harmful" addiction is the manifestation of a mismatch between behavioral algorithms encoded in the human genome and the expanded menu of choices faced by consumers in the modern world

Valoración de la función contráctil del ventrículo derecho por deformación en escala de grises bidimensional en una población con hipertensión pulmonar

Quantification of right ventricular function continues to evolve, even though his assessment is difficult due to the complex geometry of this cardiac chamber.Objectiveto characterize right ventricular function by calculating the strain, the longitudinal strain rate of the right ventricular free wall and the ejection fraction and volumes of the ventricle through assessment of the strain by two-dimensional speckle tracking, and to compare it with tricuspid annulus peak systolic excursion (TAPSE) in patients with pulmonary hypertension and in healthy population.Methodobservational descriptive studyResultsWe included 120 patients, of whom 80 suffered from pulmonary hypertension and 40 were healthy. The overall strain of the right ventricular free wall was significantly lower in the group with pulmonary hypertension compared to healthy subjects (-20.5 ± 6 vs. -25 ± 4.5; p <0.001); regional strain showed similar behavior. The overall longitudinal strain rate showed no significant differences between groups. We found a significant correlation between TAPSE and ejection fraction of the right ventricle (r = 0.49; p <0.001) and an inverse correlation between TAPSE and global longitudinal strain of the right ventricle free wall (r = -0.41; p <0.001).Conclusionsthe assessment of regional right ventricular function by two dimensional speckle tracking can be a useful tool for assessing right ventricular systolic function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Assessment of pulmonary artery pressure by echocardiography—A comprehensive review

Pulmonary hypertension is a pathological haemodynamic condition defined as an increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥ 25mmHg at rest, assessed using gold standard investigation by right heart catheterisation. Pulmonary hypertension could be a complication of cardiac or pulmonary disease or a primary disorder of small pulmonary arteries. Elevated pulmonary pressure (PAP) is associated with increased mortality, irrespective of the aetiology. The gold standard for diagnosis is invasive right heart catheterisation, but this has its own inherent risks. In the past 30 years, immense technological improvements in echocardiography have increased its sensitivity for quantifying pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and it is now recognised as a safe and readily available alternative to right heart catheterisation. In future, scores combining various echo techniques can approach the gold standard in terms of sensitivity and accuracy, thereby reducing the need for repeated invasive assessments in these patients

Regulation of S1PR2 by the EBV oncogene LMP1 in aggressive ABC subtype diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is found almost exclusively in the activated B cell (ABC) subtype of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), yet its contribution to this tumour remains poorly understood. We have focussed on the EBV-encoded latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1), a constitutively activated CD40 homologue expressed in almost all EBV-positive DLBCL and which can disrupt germinal centre (GC) formation and drive lymphomagenesis in mice. Comparison of the transcriptional changes that follow LMP1 expression with those that follow transient CD40 signalling in human GC B cells enabled us to define pathogenic targets of LMP1 aberrantly expressed in ABC-DLBCL. These included the down-regulation of S1PR2, a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor that is transcriptionally down-regulated in ABC-DLBCL, and when genetically ablated leads to DLBCL in mice. Consistent with this we found that LMP1-expressing primary ABC-DLBCL were significantly more likely to lack S1PR2 expression than were LMP1-negative tumours. Furthermore, we showed that the down-regulation of S1PR2 by LMP1 drives a signalling loop leading to constitutive activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) pathway. Finally, core LMP1-PI3-K targets were enriched for lymphoma-related transcription factors and genes associated with shorter overall survival in patients with ABC-DLBCL. Our data identify a novel function for LMP1 in aggressive DLBCL