The impact of descriptive norms on motivation to participate in cancer screening – Evidence from online experiments

ObjectiveThe current study tested in two online experiments whether manipulating normative beliefs about cancer screening uptake increases intention to attend colorectal screening among previously disinclined individuals.Methods2461 men and women from an Internet panel (Experiment 1 N = 1032; Experiment 2, N = 1423) who initially stated that they did not intend to take up screening were asked to guess how many men and women they believe to get screened for colorectal cancer. Across participants, we varied the presence/absence of feedback on the participant’s estimate, as well as the stated proportion of men and women doing the screening test.ResultsAcross the two experiments, we found that receiving one of the experimental messages stating that uptake is higher than estimated significantly increased the proportion of disinclined men and women becoming intenders. While, we found a positive relationship between the communicated uptake and screening intentions, we did not find evidence that providing feedback on the estimate has an added benefit.ConclusionScreening intention can be effectively manipulated through a high uptake message.Practice implicationsCommunication of high screening uptake is an easy and effective way to motivate disinclined individuals to engage in colorectal cancer screening.     

Integrative taxonomic approach of trypanosomes in the blood of rodents and soricids in Asian countries,with the description of three new species

Parasitology Research - Trypanosoma lewisi (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) with a cosmopolitan distribution is the type species of the subgenus Herpetosoma, which includes ca. 50...     

Prion neurotoxicity

Although the mechanisms underlying prion propagation and infectivity are now well established, the processes accounting for prion toxicity and pathogenesis have remained mysterious. These processes are of enormous clinical relevance as they hold the key to identification of new molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we will discuss two broad areas of investigation relevant to understanding prion neurotoxicity. The first is the use of in vitro experimental systems that model key events in prion pathogenesis. In this context, we will describe a hippocampal neuronal culture system we developed that reproduces the earliest pathological alterations in synaptic morphology and function in response to PrP^Sc. This system has allowed us to define a core synaptotoxic signaling pathway involving the activation of NMDA and AMPA receptors, stimulation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation and collapse of the actin cytoskeleton in dendritic spines. The second area concerns a striking and unexpected phenomenon in which certain structural manipulations of the PrP^C molecule itself, including introduction of N‐terminal deletion mutations or binding of antibodies to C‐terminal epitopes, unleash powerful toxic effects in cultured cells and transgenic mice. We will describe our studies of this phenomenon, which led to the recognition that it is related to the induction of large, abnormal ionic currents by the structurally altered PrP molecules. Our results suggest a model in which the flexible N‐terminal domain of PrP^C serves as a toxic effector which is regulated by intramolecular interactions with the globular C‐terminal domain. Taken together, these two areas of study have provided important clues to underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of prion neurotoxicity. Nevertheless, much remains to be done on this next frontier of prion science.     

Radically Accessing D–A Type Ambipolar Copolymeric Materials with Intrinsic Electrical Conductivity and Visible–Near Infrared Absorption Via Electro‐Copolymerization

Thienothiadiazole‐bisthiophene (TTDT₂) and diketopyrrolo–pyrrole–bisthiophene (DPPT₂) are successfully electro‐copolymerized with terthiophene (T₃) as an initiator and linker at low oxidative potentials. AC impedance analysis, absorption spectroscopy, and elemental composition via SEM‐EDX support the formation of donor–acceptor (D–A) type alternating block copolymers, poly(T₃‐TTDT₂), and poly(T₃‐DPPT₂). Unique optical properties that span into the near infrared‐II(>1000 nm) region and inherent electrical conductivity at the p‐type regime, n‐type regime, and in between the two regimes (i.e., typical insulator region) are observed. This study showcases the advantages of electro‐polymerization toward tailoring of next generation opto‐electronic materials.