The relationship between counterfactual thinking and emotional reactions to event outcomes: Does one account fit all?

By enabling a comparison between what is and what might have been, counterfactual thoughts amplify our emotional responses to bad outcomes. Well-known demonstrations such as the action effect (the tendency to attribute most regret to a character whose actions brought about a bad outcome) and the temporal order effect (the tendency to undo the last in a series of events leading up to a bad outcome) are often explained in this way. An important difference between these effects is that outcomes are due to decisions in the action effect, whereas in the temporal order effect outcomes are achieved by chance. In Experiment 1, we showed that imposing time pressure leads to a significant reduction in the action but not in the temporal order effect. In Experiment 2, we found that asking participants to evaluate the protagonists (

Relationship between rooting behaviour and foraging in growing pigs

The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between rooting behaviour and foraging in growing pigs. In study 1, forty-eight 11-week-old pigs were housed in eight groups of six with access to a rooting substrate in the form of spent mushroom compost. In half of the groups the rooting substrate contained food rewards, and in the other half of the groups it did not. All pigs had ad libitum access to feed. In study 2, one hundred and ninety-two 11-week-old pigs were housed in thirty-two groups of six, all with access to spent mushroom compost, and eight groups were each fed to 70, 80, 90 or 100% appetite. Treatments were applied over a two-week period in both studies. The number of pigs involved in active rooting (rooting in substrate while standing), inactive rooting (rooting in substrate while sitting or lying) or non-rooting activity (standing in substrate area and involved in any activity except rooting) was recorded by scan sampling. These behaviours tended to reach a peak in the morning and again in the afternoon. Inactive rooting was not significantly affected by treatments in study I or study 2. Food rewards in the rooting substrate led to a significant reduction in active rooting behaviour and in non-rooting activity during peak periods of the day (P

A novel reciprocal and biphasic relationship between membrane cholesterol and beta-secretase activity in SH-SY5Y cells and in human platelets.

Research into the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has identified strong connections to cholesterol. Cholesterol and cholesterol esters can modulate amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, thus altering production of the A beta peptides that deposit in cortical amyloid plaques. Processing depends on the encounter between APP and cellular secretases, and is thus subject to the influence of cholesterol-dependent factors including protein trafficking, and distribution between membrane subdomains. We have directly investigated endogenous membrane beta-secretase activity in the presence of a range of membrane cholesterol levels in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells and human platelets. Membrane cholesterol significantly influenced membrane beta-secretase activity in a biphasic manner, with positive correlations at higher membrane cholesterol levels, and negative correlations at lower membrane cholesterol levels. Platelets from individuals with AD or mild cognitive impairment (n = 172) were significantly more likely to lie within the negative correlation zone than control platelets (n = 171). Pharmacological inhibition of SH-SY5Y beta-secretase activity resulted in increased membrane cholesterol levels. Our findings are consistent with the existence of a homeostatic feedback loop between membrane cholesterol level and membrane beta-secretase activity, and suggest that this regulatory mechanism is disrupted in platelets from individuals with cognitive impairment.

A study of the relationship between process conditions and mechanical strength of mineralized red algae in the preparation of a marine-derived bone void filler

Bone void fillers that can enhance biological function to augment skeletal repair have significant therapeutic potential in bone replacement surgery. This work focuses on the development of a unique microporous (0.5-10 mu m) marine-derived calcium phosphate bioceramic granule. It was prepared fro Corallina officinalis, a mineralized red alga, using a novel manufacturing process. This involved thermal processing, followed by a low pressure-temperature chemical synthesis reaction. The study found that the ability to maintain the unique algal morphology was dependent on the thermal processing conditions. This study investigates the effect of thermal heat treatment on the physiochemical properties of the alga. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to monitor its thermal decomposition. The resultant thermograms indicated the presence of a residual organic phase at temperatures below 500 degrees C and an irreversible solid-state phase transition from mg-rich-calcite to calcium oxide at temperatures over 850 degrees C. Algae and synthetic calcite were evaluated following heat treatment in an air-circulating furance at temperatures ranging from 400 to 800 degrees C. The highest levels of mass loss occurred between 400-500 degrees C and 700-800 degrees C, which were attributed to the organic and carbonate decomposition respectively. The changes in mechanical strength were quantified using a simple mechanical test, which measured the bulk compressive strength of the algae. The mechanical test used may provide a useful evaluation of the compressive properties of similar bone void fillers that are in granular form. The study concluded that soak temperatures in the range of 600 to 700 degrees C provided the optimum physiochemical properties as a precursor to conversion to hydroxyapatite (HA). At these temperatures, a partial phase transition to calcium oxide occurred and the original skeletal morphology of the alga remained intact.

The relationship between agricultural intensification and biological control: experimental tests across Europe

Agricultural intensification can affect biodiversity and related ecosystem services such as biological control, but large-scale experimental evidence is missing. We examined aphid pest populations in cereal fields under experimentally reduced densities of (1) ground-dwelling predators (-G), (2) vegetation-dwelling predators and parasitoids (-V), (3) a combination of (1) and (2) (-G-V),compared with open-fields (control), in contrasting landscapes with low vs. high levels of agricultural intensification (AI), and in five European regions. Aphid populations were 28%, 97%, and 199% higher in -G, -V, and -G -V treatments, respectively, compared to the open fields, indicating synergistic effects of both natural-enemy groups. Enhanced parasitoid : host and predator : prey ratios were related to reduced aphid population density and population growth. The relative importance of parasitoids and vegetation-dwelling predators greatly differed among European regions, and agricultural intensification affected biological control and aphid density only in some regions. This shows a changing role of species group identity in diverse enemy communities and a need to consider region-specific landscape management.

Relationship between job strain and smoking cessation: the Finnish Public Sector Study

Aims: To examine whether job strain (ie, excessive demands combined with low control) is related to smoking cessation.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 4928 Finnish employees who were baseline smokers. In addition to individual scores, coworker-assessed work unit level scores were calculated. A multilevel logistic regression analysis, with work units at the second level, was performed.

Results: At follow-up, 21% of baseline smokers had quit smoking. After adjustment for sex, age, employer and marital status, elevated odds ratios (ORs) for smoking cessation were found for the lowest vs the highest quartile of work unit level job strain (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.75) and for the highest vs the lowest quartile of work unit level job control (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.96). After additional adjustment for health behaviours and trait anxiety, similar results were observed. Further adjustment for socioeconomic position slightly attenuated these associations, but an additional adjustment for individual strain/control had little effect on the results. The association between job strain and smoking cessation was slightly stronger in light than in moderate/heavy smokers. The results for individual job strain and job control were in the same direction as the work unit models, although these relationships became insignificant after adjustment for socioeconomic position. Job demands were not associated with smoking cessation.

Conclusions: Smoking cessation may be less likely in workplaces with high strain and low control. Policies and programs addressing employee job strain and control might also contribute to the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions.