The current studies investigated the potential impact of anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs, and exposure to anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, on vaccination intentions. In Study 1, British parents ...completed a questionnaire measuring beliefs in anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and the likelihood that they would have a fictitious child vaccinated. Results revealed a significant negative relationship between anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs and vaccination intentions. This effect was mediated by the perceived dangers of vaccines, and feelings of powerlessness, disillusionment and mistrust in authorities. In Study 2, participants were exposed to information that either supported or refuted anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, or a control condition. Results revealed that participants who had been exposed to material supporting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories showed less intention to vaccinate than those in the anti-conspiracy condition or controls. This effect was mediated by the same variables as in Study 1. These findings point to the potentially detrimental consequences of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, and highlight their potential role in shaping health-related behaviors.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
COVID-19 conspiracy theories Douglas, Karen M.
Group processes & intergroup relations,
02/2021, Letnik:
24, Številka:
2
Journal Article
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Conspiracy theories started to appear on social media immediately after the first news about COVID-19. Is the virus a hoax? Is it a bioweapon designed in a Chinese laboratory? These conspiracy ...theories typically have an intergroup flavour, blaming one group for having some involvement in either manufacturing the virus or controlling public opinion about it. In this article, I will discuss why people are attracted to conspiracy theories in general, and why conspiracy theories seem to have flourished during the pandemic. I will discuss what the consequences of these conspiracy theories are for individuals, groups, and societies. I will then discuss some potential strategies for addressing the negative consequences of conspiracy theories. Finally, I will consider some open questions for research regarding COVID-19 conspiracy theories, in particular focusing on the potential impact of these conspiracy theories for group processes and intergroup relations.
La paralysie cérébrale affecte notamment le contrôle postural et la parole. La réalisation de ces deux tâches de façon concomitante peut possiblement amplifier l’impact de ces troubles. Dans le cadre ...du présent projet, un trouble de la parole et un trouble du contrôle postural ont été simulés chez des participants sains afin d’évaluer l’influence de la parole perturbée sur le contrôle postural et du contrôle postural perturbé sur la parole.
Le contrôle postural et la production de la parole de 20 jeunes adultes en santé ont été mesurés en simple ou double tâche. Trois conditions de contrôle postural étaient possibles, soit la condition assise, en contrôle postural simple et en contrôle postural complexe (genoux en valgus et sur une mousse). La parole était manipulée selon trois conditions, soit une condition sans parole, avec une phrase simple et avec une phrase complexe (prononcer un vire-langue).
La tâche de parole complexe a augmenté la vitesse moyenne et maximale de déplacement du centre de pression dans les axes antéropostérieur et médio-latéral. Toutefois, la perturbation du contrôle postural n’a eu aucun effet significatif sur le temps de récitation, le pourcentage d’erreurs de segment ou d’erreurs temporelles.
En double tâche chez de jeunes adultes en santé, le contrôle postural semble davantage affecté que la parole. Les résultats seront discutés en fonction des approches visant à améliorer le contrôle postural pour les personnes avec la paralysie cérébrale.
Mutagenesis provides insight into proteins, but only recently have assays that couple genotype to phenotype been used to assess the activities of as many as 1 million mutant versions of a protein in ...a single experiment. This approach-'deep mutational scanning'-yields large-scale data sets that can reveal intrinsic protein properties, protein behavior within cells and the consequences of human genetic variation. Deep mutational scanning is transforming the study of proteins, but many challenges must be tackled for it to fulfill its promise.
The current study investigated cultural and psychological factors associated with intentions to reduce the spread of COVID‐19. Participants (n = 704) completed measures of individualism–collectivism, ...belief in conspiracy theories about COVID‐19, feelings of powerlessness, and intentions to engage in behaviours that reduce the spread of COVID‐19. Results revealed that vertical individualism negatively predicted intentions to engage in social distancing, directly and indirectly through both belief in COVID‐19 conspiracy theories and feelings of powerlessness. Vertical collectivism positively predicted social distancing intentions directly. Horizontal collectivism positively predicted social distancing intentions indirectly through feelings of powerlessness. Finally, horizontal collectivism positively predicted hygiene‐related intentions both directly and indirectly through lower feelings of powerlessness. These findings suggest that promoting collectivism may be a way to increase engagement with efforts to reduce the spread of COVID‐19. They also highlight the importance of examining the interplay between culture and both personal feelings (powerlessness) and information consumption (conspiracy theories) during times of crisis.
Abstract Objective To develop an evidence-based guideline for Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) for systematic reviews (SRs), health technology assessments, and other evidence ...syntheses. Study Design and Setting An SR, Web-based survey of experts, and consensus development forum were undertaken to identify checklists that evaluated or validated electronic literature search strategies and to determine which of their elements related to search quality or errors. Results Systematic review: No new search elements were identified for addition to the existing (2008–2010) PRESS 2015 Evidence-Based Checklist, and there was no evidence refuting any of its elements. Results suggested that structured PRESS could identify search errors and improve the selection of search terms. Web-based survey of experts: Most respondents felt that peer review should be undertaken after the MEDLINE search had been prepared but before it had been translated to other databases. Consensus development forum: Of the seven original PRESS elements, six were retained: translation of the research question; Boolean and proximity operators; subject headings; text word search; spelling, syntax and line numbers; and limits and filters. The seventh (skilled translation of the search strategy to additional databases) was removed, as there was consensus that this should be left to the discretion of searchers. An updated PRESS 2015 Guideline Statement was developed, which includes the following four documents: PRESS 2015 Evidence-Based Checklist, PRESS 2015 Recommendations for Librarian Practice, PRESS 2015 Implementation Strategies, and PRESS 2015 Guideline Assessment Form. Conclusion The PRESS 2015 Guideline Statement should help to guide and improve the peer review of electronic literature search strategies.
Functional micropeptides can be concealed within RNAs that appear to be noncoding. We discovered a conserved micropeptide, which we named myoregulin (MLN), encoded by a skeletal muscle-specific RNA ...annotated as a putative long noncoding RNA. MLN shares structural and functional similarity with phospholamban (PLN) and sarcolipin (SLN), which inhibit SERCA, the membrane pump that controls muscle relaxation by regulating Ca2+ uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). MLN interacts directly with SERCA and impedes Ca2+ uptake into the SR. In contrast to PLN and SLN, which are expressed in cardiac and slow skeletal muscle in mice, MLN is robustly expressed in all skeletal muscle. Genetic deletion of MLN in mice enhances Ca2+ handling in skeletal muscle and improves exercise performance. These findings identify MLN as an important regulator of skeletal muscle physiology and highlight the possibility that additional micropeptides are encoded in the many RNAs currently annotated as noncoding.
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•Myoregulin is a micropeptide encoded by an annotated long noncoding RNA•Myoregulin is a transmembrane alpha helix expressed only in skeletal muscle•Myoregulin regulates Ca2+ handling by inhibiting the pump activity of SERCA•Myoregulin KO mice show improved exercise performance and Ca2+ handling in muscle
Myoregulin is a skeletal muscle-specific micropeptide that regulates muscle performance by modulating intracellular calcium handling.
Antimetabolites are a class of effective anticancer drugs interfering in essential biochemical processes. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and its prodrug Capecitabine are widely used in the treatment of ...several solid tumors (gastro-intestinal, gynecological, head and neck, breast carcinomas). Therapy with fluoropyrimidines is associated with a wide range of adverse effects, including diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain, nausea, stomatitis, and hand-foot syndrome. Among the 5-FU side effects, increasing attention is given to cardiovascular toxicities induced at different levels and intensities. Since the mechanisms related to 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity are still unclear, we examined the effects of 5-FU on primary cell cultures of human cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells, which represent two key components of the cardiovascular system. We analyzed at the cellular and molecular level 5-FU effects on cell proliferation, cell cycle, survival and induction of apoptosis, in an experimental cardioncology approach. We observed autophagic features at the ultrastructural and molecular levels, in particular in 5-FU exposed cardiomyocytes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation characterized the endothelial response. These responses were prevented by a ROS scavenger. We found induction of a senescent phenotype on both cell types treated with 5-FU. In vivo, in a xenograft model of colon cancer, we showed that 5-FU treatment induced ultrastructural changes in the endothelium of various organs. Taken together, our data suggest that 5-FU can affect, both at the cellular and molecular levels, two key cell types of the cardiovascular system, potentially explaining some manifestations of 5-FU-induced cardiovascular toxicity.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Numerous preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene delivery vectors, and recent clinical trials have shown promising results. However, the ...efficiency of these vectors, in terms of the number of genome-containing particles required for transduction, is hindered by the need to convert the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) genome into double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) prior to expression. This step can be entirely circumvented through the use of self-complementary vectors, which package an inverted repeat genome that can fold into dsDNA without the requirement for DNA synthesis or base-pairing between multiple vector genomes. The important trade-off for this efficiency is the loss of half the coding capacity of the vector, though small protein-coding genes (up to 55 kd), and any currently available RNA-based therapy, can be accommodated. The increases in efficiency gained with self-complementary AAV (scAAV) vectors have ranged from modest to stunning, depending on the tissue, cell type, and route of administration. Along with the construction and physical properties of self-complementary vectors, the basis of the varying responses in multiple tissues including liver, muscle, and central nervous system (CNS) will be explored in this review.
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