Sexism and Feminist Conspiracy Beliefs: Hostile Sexism Moderates the Link Between Feminist Conspiracy Beliefs and Rape Myth Acceptance.

This research examined the effect of belief in feminist conspiracy theories and sexist ideology on endorsing rape myths. Study 1 (N = 201) uncovered that the relationship between feminist conspiracy beliefs and rape myth acceptance was conditional on higher levels of hostile sexism. Study 2 (N = 552) demonstrated that for those with higher hostile sexism, exposure to feminist conspiracy theories (vs. control) increased feminist conspiracy beliefs, which were then associated with rape myths. The current research suggests that the link between feminist conspiracy beliefs and rape myths could result from such beliefs upholding a hostile sexist view of women.

Highly sensitive detection of the neurodegenerative biomarker Tau by using the concentration effect of the pyro-electrohydrodynamic jetting.

It is largely documented that neurodegenerative diseases can be effectively treated only if early diagnosed. In this context, the structural changes of some biomolecules such as Tau, seem to play a key role in neurodegeneration mechanism becoming eligible targets for an early diagnosis. Post-translational modifications are responsible to drive the Tau protein towards a transition phase from a native disorder conformation into a preaggregation state, which then straight recruits the final fibrillization process. Here, we show for the first time the detection of pre-aggregated Tau in artificial urine at femto-molar level, through the concentration effect of the pyro-electrohydrodynamic jet (p-jet) technique. An excellent linear calibration curve is demonstrated at the femto-molar level with a limit of detection (LOD) of 130 fM. Moreover, for the first time we show here the structure stability of the protein after p-jet application through a deep spectroscopic investigation. Thanks to the small volumes required and the relatively compact and cost-effective characteristics, this technique represents an innovative breakthrough in monitoring the early stage associated to neurodegeneration syndromes in different scenarios of point of care (POC) and such as for example in long-term human space exploration missions.

Measuring Subjective Inequality: Development and Validation of the Perceived Economic Inequality Scale (PEIS).

The main goal of the present research is to develop and validate the Perceived Economic Inequality Scale (PEIS), an instrument measuring individuals' perceptions of economic inequality at the national level. The study was conducted on a representative sample of the Italian population (N = 1,446, 51% women). The factorial structure of the scale was assessed through cross-validated exploratory-confirmatory factor analyses. To inspect the PEIS psychometric properties, item and correlation analyses were performed. The results showed that the PEIS is a valid and reliable unidimensional measure of perceived economic inequality at the national level. Further support of the PEIS construct validity was provided by the correlation of the scale score with the perceived wage gap and ideological beliefs like the economic system justification, social dominance orientation, meritocratic beliefs, and participants' political orientation. Crucially, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported configural, metric, and scalar invariances of the scale across socio-demographic groups. The PEIS allows researchers to assess the subjective component of economic inequality by also serving as a useful tool for unpacking the psychological correlates of perceived inequality.

The link between anger and admiration toward governmental actions and self-reported preventive behaviour in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, across six correlational studies in four different countries (total N = 4937), we examined the link between citizens' anger with and admiration for the government's actions and decisions (i.e., system-based anger and admiration) and engagement in preventive behaviour. The internal meta-analyses showed that individuals who admired the government's actions were more likely to adopt personal hygiene and social distancing behaviour. Yet, the link between emotions and preventive behaviour differed concerning the target of emotions, especially for anger. Specifically, anger about restrictions imposed by the government was negatively related to preventive behaviours, but this relationship was not significant when the target of anger was the government's overall handling of the pandemic. Our findings emphasise the importance of citizens' emotions and the targets of those emotions during the crisis.

Responses of the public towards the government in times of crisis.

We experimentally investigate how and when the public responds to government actions during times of crisis. Public reactions are shown to follow different processes, depending on whether government performs in exemplary or unsatisfactory ways to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'how' question is addressed by proposing that negative moral emotions mediate public reactions to bad government actions, and positive moral emotions mediate reactions to good government actions. Tests of mediation are conducted while taking into account attitudes and trust in the government as rival hypotheses. The 'when' question is studied by examining self-regulatory moderators governing the experience of moral emotions and their effects. These include conspiracy beliefs, political ideology, attachment coping styles and collective values. A total of 357 citizens of a representative sample of adult Norwegians were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group, where complaining, putting pressure on the government and compliance to Covid-19 policies were dependent variables. The findings show that negative moral emotions mediate the effects of government doing badly on complaining and pressuring the government, with conspiracy beliefs moderating the experience of negative moral emotions and attachment coping moderating the effects of negative moral emotions. The results also show that positive moral emotions mediate the effects of government doing well on compliance with COVID-19 regulations, with political ideology moderating the experience of positive moral emotions and collective values moderating the effects of positive moral emotions.

The distinct associations of ingroup attachment and glorification with responses to the coronavirus pandemic: Evidence from a multilevel investigation in 21 countries.

While public health crises such as the coronavirus pandemic transcend national borders, practical efforts to combat them are often instantiated at the national level. Thus, national group identities may play key roles in shaping compliance with and support for preventative measures (e.g., hygiene and lockdowns). Using data from 25,159 participants across representative samples from 21 nations, we investigated how different modalities of ingroup identification (attachment and glorification) are linked with reactions to the coronavirus pandemic (compliance and support for lockdown restrictions). We also examined the extent to which the associations of attachment and glorification with responses to the coronavirus pandemic are mediated through trust in information about the coronavirus pandemic from scientific and government sources. Multilevel models suggested that attachment, but not glorification, was associated with increased trust in science and compliance with federal COVID-19 guidelines. However, while both attachment and glorification were associated with trust in government and support for lockdown restrictions, glorification was more strongly associated with trust in government information than attachment. These results suggest that both attachment and glorification can be useful for promoting public health, although glorification's role, while potentially stronger, is restricted to pathways through trust in government information.

The Role of Selected Psychological Factors in Healthy-Sustainable Food Consumption Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent precautions and dispositions adopted have triggered substantial changes in daily health-related behaviors, including food consumption habits. The psychological impact of the pandemic has been considered one of the factors affecting this transition and requiring consideration when targeting healthy-sustainable behavior preservation. The present study describes the results of a survey conducted on a convenience sample of Italian residents (n = 2272) during the first phases of pandemic. The aim was to explore the daily nutritional choices and behaviors and their transformations that occurred along with the associations with psychological factors (i.e., subjective well-being, and depression, anxiety and stress symptoms). An indicator for healthy-sustainable transition (HST index) was constructed and revealed diffused transformation in dietary habits, with a large segment of the sample adopting healthier and more sustainable dietary behaviors and others showing reduced healthy-sustainable food choices. Informative relationships with the psychological variables were then found from the correlational and regression analyses. Lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress symptomatology and higher perceived subjective well-being were significantly associated with healthier-sustainable food consumption behaviors. These findings shed light on the crucial areas to be considered in future institutional interventions, ultimately ensuring favorable conditions for both healthy diet behaviors and sustainable food consumption choices.

A Cluster Analysis of the Acceptance of a Contact Tracing App-The Identification of Profiles for the Italian Immuni Contact Tracing App.

Digital contact tracing apps have been introduced by governments as a strategy to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital contact tracking is an alternative to traditional contact tracing performed by human tracers who have to reconstruct each contact an infected person had in the recent past by means of interviews. The Italian government proposed the Immuni digital contact tracking app as a solution. Immuni uses Bluetooth technology to anonymously register all close contacts a person had: if she tests positive for COVID-19 then all registered contacts are notified. The main aim of the paper is to propose a cluster analysis of some factors concerning the possible acceptance of the Immuni app to build behaviour profiles that explain and predict the possible behaviours of the respondents. The factors considered referred to three different pillars: the technological pillar, investigated by considering factors from the technology acceptance models family; the health pillar, where variables of the health belief model were used; and the sociopolitical pillar, where some values of the respondents were considered as possible barriers to or facilitators of the acceptance of this technology. As a result of the cluster analysis, three behavioural profiles were built: the ProApp profile, the Hesitant profile, and the AntiApp profile. The first is the profile grouping the respondents who intend to use the contact tracing app; the second is more about people who are favourable of the use of the app, but some issues such as privacy reduce the strength of their intention; the last profile is about people who are less favourable to use the app. We are confident that the behaviour profiles found would be useful to build more tailored communication campaigns to help promote the use of the app by managing factors that could either be facilitators or barriers.

Trust in scientific information mediates associations between conservatism and coronavirus responses in the U.S., but few other nations.

U.S.-based research suggests conservatism is linked with less concern about contracting coronavirus and less preventative behaviors to avoid infection. Here, we investigate whether these tendencies are partly attributable to distrust in scientific information, and evaluate whether they generalize outside the U.S., using public data and recruited representative samples across three studies (Ntotal = 34,710). In Studies 1 and 2, we examine these relationships in the U.S., yielding converging evidence for a sequential indirect effect of conservatism on compliance through scientific (dis)trust and infection concern. In Study 3, we compare these relationships across 19 distinct countries. Although the relationships between trust in scientific information about the coronavirus, concern about coronavirus infection, and compliance are consistent cross-nationally, the relationships between conservatism and trust in scientific information are not. These relationships are strongest in North America. Consequently, the indirect effects observed in Studies 1-2 only replicate in North America (the U.S. and Canada) and in Indonesia. Study 3 also found parallel direct and indirect effects on support for lockdown restrictions. These associations suggest not only that relationships between conservatism and compliance are not universal, but localized to particular countries where conservatism is more strongly related to trust in scientific information about the coronavirus pandemic.

Conspiracy mentality and political orientation across 26 countries.

People differ in their general tendency to endorse conspiracy theories (that is, conspiracy mentality). Previous research yielded inconsistent findings on the relationship between conspiracy mentality and political orientation, showing a greater conspiracy mentality either among the political right (a linear relation) or amongst both the left and right extremes (a curvilinear relation). We revisited this relationship across two studies spanning 26 countries (combined N = 104,253) and found overall evidence for both linear and quadratic relations, albeit small and heterogeneous across countries. We also observed stronger support for conspiracy mentality among voters of opposition parties (that is, those deprived of political control). Nonetheless, the quadratic effect of political orientation remained significant when adjusting for political control deprivation. We conclude that conspiracy mentality is associated with extreme left- and especially extreme right-wing beliefs, and that this non-linear relation may be strengthened by, but is not reducible to, deprivation of political control.

Loneliness, Escapism, and Identification With Media Characters: An Exploration of the Psychological Factors Underlying Binge-Watching Tendency.

Nowadays, binge-watching (i.e., watching multiple episodes of a TV series in one session) has become a widespread practice of media consumption, raising concerns about its negative outcomes. Nevertheless, previous research has overlooked the underlying psychological mechanisms leading to binge-watching. In the present work, we investigated some of the psychological variables that could favor binge-watching tendencies in a sample of TV series viewers (N = 196). To this aim, psychological determinants of problematic digital technologies usage (i.e., feelings of loneliness), as well as some of the mechanisms related to the enjoyment of media contents (i.e., escapism and the identification with media characters), were considered as predictors of the tendency to binge-watch. Results indicated that higher feelings of loneliness were associated with higher levels of problematic digital technologies usage. Additionally, direct and indirect effects showed that only escapism - out of the four dimensions measuring the problematic use of Internet-related technologies - predicted participants' stronger identification with media characters, which in turn promoted greater binge-watching tendencies. Overall, we suggest that binge-watching could be interpreted as a coping strategy for media escapists, who enjoy TV series as a privileged online space in which the need to escape finds its fulfillment, allowing them to manage loneliness by identifying with a fictitious character.

Measuring objectification through the Body Inversion Paradigm: Methodological issues.

Objectification occurs when a person is perceived and/or treated like an object. With the present work, we overview the available measures of objectification and present a series of studies aimed at investigating the validity of the task of inverted body recognition proposed by Bernard and colleagues (2012), which might potentially be a useful cognitive measure of objectification. We conducted three studies. Study 1 (N = 101) is a direct replication of Bernard et al.'s study: participants were presented with the same photos of sexualized male and female targets used in the original research. Study 2a (N = 100) is a conceptual replication: we used different images of scantily dressed male and female models. Finally, in Study 2b (N = 100), we investigated a boundary condition by presenting to participants photos of the same models as in Study 2a, but fully dressed and non-sexualized. Using mixed-effects models for completely-crossed classified data structures, we investigated the relationship between the inversion effect and the stimulus' asymmetry, sexualization and attractiveness, and the perceivers' self-objectification, sexism, and automatic woman-human association. Study 1 replicated the original results, showing a stronger inversion effect for male photos. However, no difference between male and female stimuli emerged in either Study 2a or 2b. Moreover, the impact of the other variables on the inversion effect was highly unstable across the studies. These aspects together indicate that the inversion effect depends on the specific set of stimuli and limits the generalizability of results collected using this method.

Effect of the addition of antimicrobial oregano (Origanum vulgare) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) essential oils on lactic acid bacteria growth in refrigerated vacuum-packed Tuscan sausage.

Lactic acid bacteria are the main bacterial group associated to meat spoilage. Herbal essential oils are promising alternatives that can be used to retard lactic acid bacterial growth and extend shelf life of meat products. In this study, the influence of oregano and rosemary essential oils on the growth of lactic acid bacteria and the physicochemical properties of refrigerated vacuum-packed Tuscan sausage was evaluated. In addition to the control (without the addition of oil), the sausage samples were separately treated with different concentrations of each essential oil (0.05 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.2 wt%, and 0.4 wt%). The shelf life was evaluated as the time to the lactic acid bacteria population to reach the levels of 106 and 107 CFU/g. After the addition of 0.05 wt% and 0.1 wt% of essential oil to the sausage, the rosemary essential oil provided a higher extension of the shelf life of the sausages (approximately 3 and 5 days, respectively) than the oregano essential oil (approximately 1 and 3 days, respectively). After adding 0.2 wt% and 0.4 wt% of essential oil, the oregano essential oil resulted in a larger increase of the shelf life of the samples (about 8 and 14 days, respectively) when compared with the rosemary essential oil (about 7 to 11 days, respectively). All the treatments slowed the growth of the lactic acid bacteria but they did not change the maximum bacterial population. New empirical models that relate the shelf life of the sausage and the maximum specific growth rate of the lactic acid bacteria with the oil concentration were obtained. These results can be applied to model the influence of essential oils on the shelf life of different meat products.

Myoelectric manifestation of muscle fatigue in repetitive work detected by means of miniaturized sEMG sensors.

Upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders have a 12-month prevalence ranging from 12 to 41% worldwide and can be partly caused by handling low loads at high frequency. The association between the myoelectric manifestation of elbow flexor muscle fatigue and occupational physical demand has never been investigated. It was hypothesized that an elbow flexor muscle fatigue index could be a valid risk indicator in handling low loads at high frequency. This study aims to measure the myoelectric manifestation of muscle fatigue of the three elbow flexor muscles during the execution of the work tasks in different risk conditions. Fifteen right-handed healthy adults were screened using a movement analysis laboratory consisting of optoelectronic, dynamometer and surface electromyographic systems. The main result indicates that the fatigue index calculated from the brachioradialis is sensitive to the interaction among risk classes, session and gender, and above all it is sensitive to the risk classes.

Use of dynamic movement orthoses to improve gait stability and trunk control in ataxic patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cerebellar ataxia show increased upper body movements, which have an impact on balance and walking. AIM: In this study, we investigated the effect of using dynamic movement orthoses (DMO), designed as elastic suits, on trunk motion and gait parameters. DESIGN: Longitudinal uncontrolled study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation unit. POPULATION: Eleven patients (7 men, 4 women; mean age: 49.9±9.5 years) with degenerative cerebellar ataxia were enrolled in this study. METHODS: Linear overground gait of patients was recorded by means of an optoelectronic gait analysis system before DMO use (DMO-) and during DMO use (DMO+). Time-distance parameters, lower limb joint kinematics, body sway, trunk oscillations, and gait variability (coefficient of variation [CV]) were recorded. Patient satisfaction with DMO device was measured using Quebec user evaluation of satisfaction with assistive technology. RESULTS: When using the DMO, patients showed a significant decrease in stance phase duration, double support phase duration, swing phase CV, pelvic range of motion (ROM), body sway, and trunk ROMs. A significant increase was observed in the swing phase duration and knee joint ROM. Out of 11 patients, 10 were either quite satisfied (8 points) or very satisfied (2 points) with the assistive device. CONCLUSIONS: The DMO reduce the upper body motion and in improve balance-related gait parameters. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: We propose use of DMO as an assistive/rehabilitative device in the neurorehabilitation of cerebellar ataxia to improve the trunk control and gait stability. DMO may be considered a prototype that can be modified in terms of material characteristics, textile layers, elastic components, and diagonal and lateral seams.

Consumers' perceptions of food risks: A snapshot of the Italian Triveneto area.

This study investigated the food risk perceptions of people living in the Triveneto area (Northeast Italy), a territory characterized by a particular interest in the production of quality foodstuffs, to determine what aspects people associate with food risk and to understand what beliefs underlie these perceptions. Four focus groups were conducted in the major towns of the target area (N = 45). A semi-structured interview was used that focused on beliefs about food risks, the use of information and media sources in relation to food risk, and the behaviours adopted when eating outside the home. A homogeneous view of food risk emerged among the respondents, and a common definition of risky food was identified. The concept of risk was in opposition to the quality and controllability of food, which emerged as major strategies to cope with food risks. Quality was linked to freshness and local origin, whereas controllability reflected a direct (e.g., checking labels, having a relationship with the vendor, cultivating one's own vegetable garden) or indirect (e.g., control guarantees provided by suppliers and the government) means to check the safety and quality of food. Although people seemed quite informed about food risks, a common sense of impotence with regard to one's own protection prevailed, together with a fatalistic sense of incomplete control over risk. The results identified food concerns for consumers living in this specific territory and might represent a starting point for public health authorities to increase compliance with responsible behaviours for risk mitigation and to define successful food policies for this area.

Assessing Heterogeneity of Osteolytic Lesions in Multiple Myeloma by ¹H HR-MAS NMR Metabolomics.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of plasma cells characterized by multifocal osteolytic bone lesions. Macroscopic and genetic heterogeneity has been documented within MM lesions. Understanding the bases of such heterogeneity may unveil relevant features of MM pathobiology. To this aim, we deployed unbiased ¹H high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HR-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics to analyze multiple biopsy specimens of osteolytic lesions from one case of pathological fracture caused by MM. Multivariate analyses on normalized metabolite peak integrals allowed clusterization of samples in accordance with a posteriori histological findings. We investigated the relationship between morphological and NMR features by merging morphological data and metabolite profiling into a single correlation matrix. Data-merging addressed tissue heterogeneity, and greatly facilitated the mapping of lesions and nearby healthy tissues. Our proof-of-principle study reveals integrated metabolomics and histomorphology as a promising approach for the targeted study of osteolytic lesions.

Effect of 24-h continuous rotigotine treatment on stationary and non-stationary locomotion in de novo patients with Parkinson disease in an open-label uncontrolled study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a rotigotine transdermal patch on stationary and non-stationary locomotion in de novo Parkinson disease (PD) patients in an open-label uncontrolled study. A 3-D gait analysis system was used to investigate four different locomotor tasks: steady-state linear walking, gait initiation, gait termination and 180°-turning. A series of gait variables were measured for each locomotor task. PD patients who received rotigotine treatment (4-8 mg) displayed: (1) increased step length, gait speed, cadence and arm oscillations, and reduced double support duration and step asymmetry during steady-state linear gait; (2) increased initial step length during gait initiation; (3) increased final step length and gait speed, and decreased stability index during gait termination; (4) decreased duration of turning and head-pelvis delays during 180°-turning. The main finding that emerges from the present study is that the dopamine agonist rotigotine can improve various aspects of gait in de novo PD patients.

A new muscle co-activation index for biomechanical load evaluation in work activities.

Low-back disorders (LBDs) are the most common and costly musculoskeletal problem. Muscle co-activation, a mechanism that stabilises the spine, is adopted by the central nervous system to provide added protection and avoid LBDs. However, during high-risk lifting tasks, the compressive load on the spine grows owing to increased co-activation. The aim of this study was to develop a method for the sample-by-sample monitoring of the co-activation of more than two muscles, and to compare this method with agonist-antagonist methods. We propose a time-varying multi-muscle co-activation function that considers electromyographic (EMG) signals as input. EMG data of 10 healthy subjects were recorded while they manually lifted loads at three progressively heavier conditions. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of lifting condition on our co-activation index. Heavier conditions resulted in higher muscle co-activation values. Significant correlations were found between the time-varying multi-muscle co-activation index and other agonist-antagonist methods. Practitioner Summary: We have developed a method to quantify muscle co-activation during the execution of a lifting task. To do this we used surface electromyography. Our algorithm provides a measure of time-varying co-activation between more than two muscles.

Prefrontal cortex as a compensatory network in ataxic gait: a correlation study between cortical activity and gait parameters.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning during ataxic gait is linked to compensatory mechanisms or to the typical intra-subject variability of the ataxic gait. METHODS: Nineteen patients with chronic ataxia and fifteen healthy subjects were evaluated. The subjects were requested to walk along a straight distance of 10 meters while PFC oxygenation and gait parameters were assessed. PFC activity was evaluated by NIRO-200 while gait analysis was performed by the SMART-D500. To investigate the intra-subject variability of gait, we calculated the coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC) of the hip, knee and ankle kinematic waveforms furthermore, we evaluated the step width. RESULTS: We observed a positive correlation between PFC bilateral oxygenation changes and the step width (r = 0.54; p = 0.02 for the right PFC, and r = 0.50; p = 0.03 for the left PFC). No correlation was found between PFC activity and CMC of the hip, knee and ankle waveforms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that PFC activity is linked to gait compensatory mechanisms more than to the variability of the joint kinematic parameters caused by a defective cerebellar control.