Central synaptic mechanisms underlie short-term olfactory habituation in Drosophila larvae

Naive Drosophila larvae show vigorous chemotaxis toward many odorants including ethyl acetate (EA). Chemotaxis toward EA is substantially reduced after a 5-min pre-exposure to the odorant and recovers with a half-time of ～20 min. An analogous behavioral decrement can be induced without odorant-receptor activation through channelrhodopsin-based, direct photoexcitation of odorant sensory neurons (OSNs). The neural mechanism of short-term habituation (STH) requires the (1) rutabaga adenylate cyclase; (2) transmitter release from predominantly GABAergic local interneurons (LNs); (3) GABA-A receptor function in projection neurons (PNs) that receive excitatory inputs from OSNs; and (4) NMDA-receptor function in PNs. These features of STH cannot be explained by simple sensory adaptation and, instead, point to plasticity of olfactory synapses in the antennal lobe as the underlying mechanism. Our observations suggest a model in which NMDAR-dependent depression of the OSN-PN synapse and/or NMDAR-dependent facilitation of inhibitory transmission from LNs to PNs contributes substantially to short-term habituation.     

What works best: objective statistics or a personal testimonial? An assessment of the persuasive effects of different types of message evidence on risk perception.

OBJECTIVE: In an experimental online study we compared the effects of different types of persuasive evidence in promoting the acceptance of a personal health risk. DESIGN: 118 men who have sex with men (MSM) at-risk for infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) were recruited via a range of websites and randomly assigned to one of 4 conditions (2 experimental and 2 control): narrative evidence (i.e., a personal account), statistical evidence (i.e., abstract prevalence data), mere assertion of increased risk, and no risk information. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Narrative evidence was expected to be more effective than statistical evidence in increasing MSM's perceived risk of infection with HBV and intention to obtain vaccination. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: As predicted, perceptions of personal risk and intention to obtain vaccination against HBV were highest after presentation of narrative evidence, and risk perception mediated the effect of type of message evidence on intention. We propose that narrative evidence effectively promotes a sense of personal risk because it is less affected by defensive message processing resulting from the threat to important self-beliefs that seems inherent in health risk communication.     

In the mood to face the facts: When a positive mood promotes systematic processing of self-threatening information

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that a positive mood can increase attendance to, and systematic processing of, threatening health information, particularly when the information is self-relevant. In Study 1, a positive mood increased differentiation between strong and weak arguments in a threatening health message about RSI only for participants who had received false feedback regarding their high vulnerability to RSI. Mood had no effects under conditions of low vulnerability. In Study 2, a positive mood speeded up responses to self-threatening words—compared with neutral words—for smokers who had just read a threatening health message about smoking. The authors conclude that fostering a positive mood may promote attendance to and systematic processing of information that threatens the self, and hence contribute to the success of health campaigns targeted at individuals who are vulnerable to specific health risks.

Uterine Transplant: A Risk to Life or a Chance for Life?

Science and Engineering Ethics - Being inherently different from any other lifesaving organ transplant, uterine transplantation does not aim at saving lives but supporting the possibility to...     

Fear appeals motivate acceptance of action recommendations: evidence for a positive bias in the processing of persuasive messages

Three experiments are reported that tested the hypothesis that the use of fear appeals in health persuasion may lead to positively biased systematic processing of a subsequent action recommendation aimed at reducing the health threat and, consequently, to more persuasion, regardless of the quality of the arguments in the recommendation. The levels of participants' vulnerability to as well as the severity of a health risk were varied independently, followed by a manipulation of the quality of the arguments in the subsequent action recommendation. The dependent variables included measures of persuasion (attitude, intention, and action), negative affect, and cognitive responses. The results show that participants who felt vulnerable to the health threat were more persuaded, experienced more negative emotions, and had more favorable cognitive responses. Both negative emotions concerning one's vulnerability and positive thoughts concerning the recommendation mediated the effects of vulnerability on persuasion.     

The Relationship of Positive Psychological Variables with the Age of Destitute Women in Psychosocial Adaptation

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the importance of positive psychological variables like self-efficacy, optimism, hope, resilience, and well-being in the context of psychosocial adaptation of destitute women staying in rescue homes/short-stay homes in the coastal districts of Odisha, India and their relationship with their age and the implications for old age. The participants were individually administered measures of self-efficacy, optimism, resilience, hope, and well-being. Destitute and non-destitute women were compared on each of these measures. The sample consisted of 300 women (150 destitute women and 150 non-destitute women). The destitute women were randomly sampled from the short-stay homes/rescue homes in the coastal districts of Odisha. Though the age range was from 18 to 45 years (as that is the age they normally have the courage to raise a voice against injustice done to them), there are implications for their later life; if proper intervention programs are done to increase their positive psychological capital, better well-being can be ensured for their old age. The analysis of data involved Product Moment Correlation Coefficient between age and other dimensions. The major implications of the study were formulated and directions for future research were also outlined.     

The role of planning in different mathematical skills

Despite the fact that planning has been found to be a significant predictor of reading (particularly of reading comprehension), much less is known about its contribution to mathematics. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of two levels of planning (operation planning and action planning) in three mathematical skills (calculation fluency, math problem-solving, and math reasoning). Eighty Grade 2 children from Shanghai, China were assessed on measures of nonverbal cognitive ability (nonverbal matrices), working memory (digit span backwards and N-back), operation planning (matching numbers, planned codes, and planned search), action planning (crack the code), and mathematics (calculation fluency, math problem-solving, and math reasoning). The results of regression analyses showed that both levels of planning accounted for unique variance in mathematics over and above the effects of nonverbal cognitive ability and working memory. The effects of action planning were particularly strong in math problem-solving. These findings suggest that measures of planning could be used along with measures of working memory to detect children at-risk for mathematics disabilities and that intervention programmes targeting planning could be developed to boost children's mathematics performance.     

How terrorism news reports increase prejudice against outgroups: A terror management account

Three studies tested predictions derived from terror management theory (TMT) about the effects of terrorism news on prejudice. Exposure to terrorism news should confront receivers with thoughts about their own death, which, in turn, should increase prejudice toward outgroup members. Non-Muslim (Studies 1-3) and Muslim (Study 3) participants were exposed to news about either Islamic terrorist acts or to control news. When Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered in Amsterdam by an Islamic extremist during data collection of Study 1, this event was included as a naturally occurring factor in the design. Consistent with TMT, terrorism news and Van Gogh’s murder increased death-related thoughts. Death-related thoughts, in turn, increased prejudiced attitudes toward outgroup members, especially when participants had low self-esteem, and when terrorism was psychologically close. Terrorism news may inadvertently increase prejudiced attitudes towards outgroups when it reminds viewers of their own mortality.     

Men and Women in Indian Magazine Advertisements: A Preliminary Report

Studies from developed nations indicate that women are generally portrayed in advertisements as homemakers, dependent on men, and sex objects while men are portrayed as dominant, authoritative figures. However, very few researchers have examined role portrayals in ads from developing countries. This study examined the portrayal of women and men in Indian magazine ads. Over 1,100 magazine ads from a wide range of magazines in 1987, 1990, and 1994 were examined. Results indicate that although the portrayals of women and men in Indian magazine ads have changed over the period, they are still portrayed in stereotypical ways. Role portrayals in Indian magazine ads seem to be influenced by the nature of the product being advertised. Similarities and differences between role portrayals in Indian magazine ads and those from other nations are also discussed.