Auswirkungen von Neid und wahrgenommener Ungerechtigkeit bei der Auszahlung von Belohnungen

Neid und wahrgenommene distributive Ungleichheit scheinen Einfluss auf Überzeugungen, Einstellungen, Gefühle und Verhalten zu haben und können die Bereitschaft zu eigennützigem, unethischem Verhalten steigern. Dabei können der Ungerechtigkeit und dem Neid entgegenwirkende, rachsüchtige und vergeltende Handlungen der Wiederherstellung einer verletzten „objektiven Ordnung“ dienen. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden die Auswirkungen von Neid und wahrgenommener Ungerechtigkeit bei der Auszahlung von Belohnungen erforscht, wobei angenommen wurde, dass sich das Empfinden von Neid und Ungerechtigkeit zwischenmenschlich kontraproduktiv auswirken kann. Die Versuchsbedingungen wurden in Anlehnung an das Milgram-Experiment gestaltet, wobei nicht wie bei Milgram der Gehorsam bei der Vergabe von Bestrafungen, sondern bei der Vergabe von Belohnungen („positiver“ Gehorsam) beobachtet wurde. Die ProbandInnen, immer in der Rolle des Lehrers bzw. der Lehrerin, wurden gebeten einer anderen, in das Experiment eingeweihten Personen in der Rolle des Schülers, bzw. der Schülerin, für richtig gelöste Rechenaufgaben (VB1) oder für richtig wie falsch gelöste Aufgaben (VB2), linear ansteigende Belohnungen zu verteilen, die sich diese andere Person am Ende des Experiments behalten könne. In beiden Bedingungen kam es zu unkorrekten Auszahlungen der Belohnungen durch die VersuchsteilnehmerInnen. In der ersten Versuchsbedingung (n=31, 22w, 9m), welche darauf ausgerichtet war vor allem Neid zu generieren, da die Schülerin fast alle mathematischen Aufgaben richtig löste und dementsprechend belohnt wurde, machten 25.8% (8 von 31 Vpn) Fehler bei der Auszahlung der Belohnungen und zahlten unkorrekt aus. In der zweiten Versuchsbedingung (n=31, 19w, 12m), welche beabsichtigte Gefühle von Neid und Ungerechtigkeit zu wecken, da die Schülerin fast alle Aufgaben falsch löste, jedoch immer zu belohnen war, kam es bei 12.9% der Versuchspersonen (4 von 31 Vpn) zu fehlerhaften Auszahlungen. In beiden Bedingungen konnte beobachtet werden, dass Neid und wahrgenommene Ungerechtigkeit einen Einfluss auf negative, aggressive Emotionen wie Feindseligkeit, Groll und Wut, sowie auf den Selbstwert aber auch auf das Empfinden von Anspannung, Hilflosigkeit, (psychischer) Belastung und Niedergeschlagenheit und auf die Ungerechtigkeitssensibilitätsskala Opfersensibilität haben. Für die Vorhersage negativer, aggressiver Emotionen scheinen Distress, das öffentliche Selbst, Neid und Unfairness als Prädiktoren zu fungieren, während im Falle von Neid negative, aggressive Emotionen, diffuses und privates Selbst sowie Unfairness als für die Vorhersage geeignet eruiert wurden. Die negativen Auswirkungen von Neid und wahrgenommener Ungerechtigkeit auf Handlungs¬tendenzen, wie das unkorrekte Auszahlen von Belohnungen, konnte in VB2 gezeigt werden, d.h. in jenem Fall, der sich durch besonders hohe Ungerechtigkeit und Unverhältnismäßigkeit auszeichnete.Envy and the perceived distributive unfairness seem to influence beliefs, attitudes, emotions and behavior and are able to increase the willingness and disposition to self-interested, unethical behavior. Countering, revengeful and retaliatory actions appear to restore the violated ‘objective’ order caused by envy and unfairness. The work in hand deals with the effects and consequences of envy and perceived unfairness within a situation where unfair and imbalanced rewards have to be given to another participant, with the assumption, that envy and unfairness have a counterproductive effect on interpersonal relationships and on the willingness to pay those rewards correctly. The experimental conditions were designed referring to Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments, although the focus wasn’t on the obedience while punishing, but while rewarding another person in the role of a student (‘positive obedience’). The participants, always in the role of the ‘teacher’, were asked to reward another participant in the role of the ‘student’ or ‘learner’, who was privy and knew about the simulation of the experiment and who followed a given plan. In experimental condition 1 (n=31, 22f, 9m) the ‘teacher’ was asked to reward the ‘student’ for every right calculation she made, whereas in experimental condition 2 (n=31, 19f, 12m) the subject had to give rewards for both wrong and right answers. Those monetary rewards, which increased linearly with each next calculation that the ‘student’ had to solve, were supposed to be given to the ‘student’ at the end of the experiment, whereas the ‘teacher’ got no money. Within both conditions there were cases in which the ‘teachers’ did not pay off according to the scale or table of rewards, which means that they gave the ‘student’ the incorrect amount of money. In the first condition, which focused on envy, because the ‘student’ solved nearly all calculations correctly and had to be rewarded for that, 25.8% (8 out of 31) paid off incorrectly and made mistakes during the distribution of the money. In the second condition, which was meant to evoke envy and unfairness, because the ‘student’ solved nearly no calculation correctly, but had to be rewarded for both wrong and right answers, 12.9% of the participants (4 out of 31) made incorrect payouts. Within both conditions it was possible to observe that envy and unfairness had an influence on negative, aggressive emotions such as resentment and anger, on the self-esteem and on feelings of distress, like tension, depression and helplessness, as well as on the justice sensitivity scale ‘victim-sensitivity’. To predict negative, aggressive emotions the variables distress, envy, unfairness and the self-esteem scale ‘public self’ seem to be useful, whereas for the prediction of envy the variables negative, aggressive emotions, unfairness and the self-esteem scales ‘diffuse self’ and ‘private self’ seem to be suitable. The correlation of envy and unfairness with the incorrect payment of rewards was only significant for the second experimental condition, which especially tried to provoke disproportion, inequity and unfairness

RPE65 of Retinal Pigment Epithelium, A Putative Receptor Molecule for Plasma Retinol-Binding Protein, is Expressed in Human Keratinocytes

Retinoids are important modulators for cell growth and differentiation of normal skin. In plasma, retinol is transported coupled to plasma retinol-binding protein. In this study, we investigated gene and protein expression of RPE65, a putative receptor for plasma retinol-binding protein in human epidermal keratinocytes. We performed real-time PCR analysis to evaluate expression of RPE65 mRNA in proliferating and differentiating keratinocytes. Immunoblotting with anti-RPE65 antibody shows distinct reactivity to a 61-kDa protein. Indirect immunofluorescence on normal human epidermis reveals cell surface labeling of keratinocytes. Laser scan microscopy exhibits colocalization of plasma retinol-binding protein and RPE65 on cultured keratinocytes. Internalization experiments with [3H]retinoic acid–retinol-binding protein complex in the presence and absence of excess of retinol-binding protein indicates receptor-dependent uptake of retinoids. We further show isolation of RPE65 protein by affinity chromatography from lysates of keratinocytes using a retinol-binding protein-matrix gel column. In summary, we demonstrate mRNA and protein expression of RPE65 in epidermal keratinocytes. Colocalization of plasma retinol-binding protein with RPE65 and affinity binding suggest a direct interaction of RPE65 with plasma retinol-binding protein in cultured human keratinocytes that might be involved in retinoid uptake of keratinocytes

Cholesterol promotes clustering of PI(4,5)P-2 driving unconventional secretion of FGF2

Peer reviewe

Estimating Ixodes ricinus densities on the landscape scale

Background: The study describes the estimation of the spatial distribution of questing nymphal tick densities by investigating Ixodes ricinus in Southwest Germany as an example. The production of high-resolution maps of quest-ing tick densities is an important key to quantify the risk of tick-borne diseases. Previous I. ricinus maps were based on quantitative as well as semi-quantitative categorisations of the tick density observed at study sites with differ-ent vegetation types or indices, all compiled on local scales. Here, a quantitative approach on the landscape scale is introduced. Methods: During 2 years, 2013 and 2014, host-seeking ticks were collected each month at 25 sampling sites by flag-ging an area of 100 square meters. All tick stages were identified to species level to select nymphal ticks of I. ricinus, which were used to develop and calibrate Poisson regression models. The environmental variables height above sea level, temperature, relative humidity, saturation deficit and land cover classification were used as explanatory variables. Results: The number of flagged nymphal tick densities range from zero (mountain site) to more than 1,000 nymphs/100 m2. Calibrating the Poisson regression models with these nymphal densities results in an explained variance of 72 % and a prediction error of 110 nymphs/100 m2 in 2013. Generally, nymphal densities (maximum 37

Maternal outcomes and risk factors for COVID-19 severity among pregnant women.

Pregnant women may be at higher risk of severe complications associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which may lead to obstetrical complications. We performed a case control study comparing pregnant women with severe coronavirus disease 19 (cases) to pregnant women with a milder form (controls) enrolled in the COVI-Preg international registry cohort between March 24 and July 26, 2020. Risk factors for severity, obstetrical and immediate neonatal outcomes were assessed. A total of 926 pregnant women with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 were included, among which 92 (9.9%) presented with severe COVID-19 disease. Risk factors for severe maternal outcomes were pulmonary comorbidities [aOR 4.3, 95% CI 1.9-9.5], hypertensive disorders [aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.0-7.0] and diabetes [aOR2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.5]. Pregnant women with severe maternal outcomes were at higher risk of caesarean section [70.7% (n = 53/75)], preterm delivery [62.7% (n = 32/51)] and newborns requiring admission to the neonatal intensive care unit [41.3% (n = 31/75)]. In this study, several risk factors for developing severe complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection among pregnant women were identified including pulmonary comorbidities, hypertensive disorders and diabetes. Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes appear to be influenced by the severity of maternal disease

Environmental drivers of Ixodes ricinus abundance in forest fragments of rural European landscapes

Background: The castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) transmits infectious diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, which constitutes an important ecosystem disservice. Despite many local studies, a comprehensive understanding of the key drivers of tick abundance at the continental scale is still lacking. We analyze a large set of environmental factors as potential drivers of I. ricinus abundance. Our multi-scale study was carried out in deciduous forest fragments dispersed within two contrasting rural landscapes of eight regions, along a macroclimatic gradient stretching from southern France to central Sweden and Estonia. We surveyed the abundance of I. ricinus, plant community composition, forest structure and soil properties and compiled data on landscape structure, macroclimate and habitat properties. We used linear mixed models to analyze patterns and derived the relative importance of the significant drivers. Results: Many drivers had, on their own, either a moderate or small explanatory value for the abundance of I. ricinus, but combined they explained a substantial part of variation. This emphasizes the complex ecology of I. ricinus and the relevance of environmental factors for tick abundance. Macroclimate only explained a small fraction of variation, while properties of macro- and microhabitat, which buffer macroclimate, had a considerable impact on tick abundance. The amount of forest and the composition of the surrounding rural landscape were additionally important drivers of tick abundance. Functional (dispersules) and structural (density of tree and shrub layers) properties of the habitat patch played an important role. Various diversity metrics had only a small relative importance. Ontogenetic tick stages showed pronounced differences in their response. The abundance of nymphs and adults is explained by the preceding stage with a positive relationship, indicating a cumulative effect of drivers. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the ecosystem disservices of tick-borne diseases, via the abundance of ticks, strongly depends on habitat properties and thus on how humans manage ecosystems from the scale of the microhabitat to the landscape. This study stresses the need to further evaluate the interaction between climate change and ecosystem management on I. ricinus abundance

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation

Fermentation of whole grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) with different dry matter concentrations: effect on the apparent total tract digestibility of energy, crude nutrients and minerals in growing pigs

Due to climate change and pests as result of maize monoculture, the need of diversification of crop rotation forces researchers to look for alternative grains for animal nutrition. Furthermore, grain fermentation may increase the nutritional value of feed and, simultaneously, decrease costs of feed conservation because the necessity for grain drying and associated energy costs are reduced. In this context, the cultivation and integration of early harvested and fermented sorghum grain in pig diets might be an interesting strategy for the substitution of maize. Therefore, we tested the nutritional value of three varieties of fermented sorghum grains with gradual differences in total dry matter, in a Latin-Square experiment comprising growing pigs. Results indicated there is a potential for improving the nutrient digestibility of sorghum-based pig diets by using early harvested and fermented whole sorghum grain with lower dry matter concentration. Especially the need for inorganic phosphorus supplementation and, hence, the fecal phosphorus emissions were significantly reduced

Case Report—An Inherited Loss-of-Function <i>NRXN3</i> Variant Potentially Causes a Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Autism Consistent with Previously Described 14q24.3-31.1 Deletions

Background: Heterozygous, large-scale deletions at 14q24.3-31.1 affecting the neurexin-3 gene have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Both “de novo” occurrences and inheritance from a healthy parent suggest incomplete penetrance and expressivity, especially in autism spectrum disorder. NRXN3 encodes neurexin-3, a neuronal cell surface protein involved in cell recognition and adhesion, as well as mediating intracellular signaling. NRXN3 is expressed in two distinct isoforms (alpha and beta) generated by alternative promoters and splicing. MM/Results: Using exome sequencing, we identified a monoallelic frameshift variant c.159_160del (p.Gln54AlafsTer50) in the NRXN3 beta isoform (NM_001272020.2) in a 5-year-old girl with developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and behavioral issues. This variant was inherited from her mother, who did not have any medical complaints. Discussion: This is the first detailed report of a loss-of-function variant in NRXN3 causing an identical phenotype, as reported for heterozygous large-scale deletions in the same genomic region, thereby confirming NRXN3 as a novel gene for neurodevelopmental disorders with autism

Stencil-nanopatterned back reflectors for thin-film amorphous silicon n-i-p solar cells

We fabricated amorphous silicon n-i-p solar cells with two types of nanopatterned back reflectors using stencil lithography. One reflector type has a plasmonic grating that is embedded in the ZnO layer; the other one has a metallic grating patterned on top of the Ag layer. From comparing the short-circuit current densities of the two device types, we conclude that light trapping through grating coupling is more efficient than coupling of light through the excitation of localized surface plasmons. The back reflectors were patterned with dot arrays by evaporation of Ag through millimeter-size stencil membranes. The stencils themselves were patterned by wafer-scale nanosphere lithography. The dot arrays have a periodicity of 428 nm and efficiently scatter light in the near-infrared wavelength range. Both back reflectors types lead to the same morphology for the silicon films. This allows us a fair comparison of the two light coupling mechanisms. We found a 14% and 19% short-circuit current density enhancement for the plasmonic and for the metallic grating, respectively. The external quantum efficiency gains between 550 and 650 nm show similar guided modes resonances for both device types, but the excitation is stronger for the device with the metallic grating