The role of food during oncology treatment: perspectives of cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals

PURPOSE

Many cancer patients have problems eating which are usually connected to taste and smell alterations due to side effects of cancer treatment. These problems have consequences both in terms of malnutrition and reduced quality of life. In order to explore social and psychological consequences of eating problems in cancer patients, qualitative interviews were conducted with cancer patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals.

METHODS

The study was conducted in three European countries (Poland, Spain and the UK) that differed in culture, oncology care approaches and availability of nutritional products targeted to cancer patients in the market.

RESULTS

Differences in the social role of eating between the three European countries were observed which subsequently influenced the impact of eating problems for cancer patients in these countries. Furthermore, the study found that problems with food affect not only the quality of life of cancer patients, but can also distress their caregivers, who are often unable to cope with such food-related problems. In addition, the study showed that commercially available nutritional products for cancer patients focus on nutritional value but tend to neglect an important aspect of eating, which is the enjoyment of food, both individually and socially.

Charity campaigns with promotion-framed goals are more effective than those with prevention-framed goals

Proper communication with the public is crucial for encouraging private donors to make financial and non-financial donations to charities. This study compared the effectiveness of an advertising campaign that used a prevention framing for the charity's purpose and one that used a promotional framing. This experimental study was conducted online with 547 participants. The results showed that the advertising message highlighting the promotional goals of the campaign was more effective than the one based on prevention goals. This result was observed not only for the evaluation of the campaign and organization as well as behavioral intentions, but, crucially, also on the level of actual behavior.

Vegan stereotypes and person perception in a job application situation – differences depending on the type of job and the gender of the candidate

The objective of the study was to examine the influence of vegan stereotypes on person perception in the context of a job application. The study was conducted online on a representative sample of Polish adults (N = 838). Participants evaluated a fictitious CV of a candidate applying for a job. The CV varied in three dimensions: (a) diet of the candidate (vegan or not); (b) gender of the candidate; and (c) job position (stereotypically male or female). The candidate was evaluated on the dimensions of warmth and competence (based on the stereotype content model). A three-way analysis of variance (2x2x2) showed that in the case of a male candidate applying for a stereotypically male job (financial analyst), information about veganism lowered his perception on the competence dimension (stereotype inconsistency). These results indicate that vegans are targets of ambivalent stereotypes and that bias toward this group depends on the gender of the person following a vegan diet.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behavior. The Role of Lack of Control and Risk Perception on Stockpiling

Purpose: The coronavirus pandemic has suddenly changed the lives of people all over the world, both in terms of their health, everyday habits, work, and the patterns of their consumer behavior. The goal of our study was first to examine the intensity of stockpiling in Poland that appeared in response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the role of psychological factors (sense of control over the pandemic and subjective perception of the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus) for different dimensions of stockpiling. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted in April 2020 on a nationwide representative random-quota sample (n=1,046) shortly after the first COVID-19 infection was diagnosed in Poland. At the time, certain changes in shopping behavior, especially increased purchase frequencies and stockpiling intensity, were observed in Poland, similarly to many other countries. Findings: The results showed that the factors affecting consumer behavior, such as making supplies or spending more on pandemic-related and unrelated items, are explained not only by demographic variables but also by psychological factors such as the experience of a lack of control and fear of being infected with the coronavirus. Research limitations/implications: The study has managerial implications regarding sales and logistics management. In an emergency situation (not only directly related to the economic crisis and consumption), both producers of basic products and retailers should be prepared for increased interest in the purchase of these products and provide access to consumers accordingly. Controlling communications in public spaces that could generate anxiety would be advisable too. Originality/value: The conducted study shows that the shopping behavior during the onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic was predicted by fear of the coronavirus and feelings of a lack of control.

The devil is not as black as he is painted? On the positive relationship between food industry conspiracy beliefs and conscious food choices

Previous research found that conspiracy beliefs were usually activated when individuals faced different types of psychological threats and that they led mainly to maladaptive individual and societal outcomes. In this research, we assumed that potential harmfulness of conspiracy beliefs may depend on the context, and we focused on the link between food industry conspiracy beliefs and conscious food choices. We hypothesized that food industry conspiracy beliefs may allow for a constructive attempt to protect oneself against real or imagined enemies (i.e., food industry companies) by conscious food choices (e.g., paying attention to how much the food products are processed). We tested this hypothesis among Polish participants (Study 1; N = 608; cross-sectional and Study 2; N = 790; experimental). Study 1 confirmed that context-specific conspiracy beliefs (but not general notions of conspiracy) are associated with adaptive consumer behaviors. Study 2 showed that inducing feelings of threat related to the possibility of purchasing food contaminated by a harmful bacteria (vs. control condition) increased food industry conspiracy beliefs, which were further positively linked to conscious food choices. We discuss the role of threat and conspiracy beliefs in adaptive consumer behaviors related to food choices.

No lockdown in the kitchen: How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected food-related behaviours

The COVID-19 pandemic and especially the lockdowns coming with it have been a disruptive event also for food consumption. In order to study the impact of the pandemic on eating habits, self-reported changes in food-related behaviours were investigated in ten European countries by means of an online survey. A latent class cluster analysis distinguished five clusters and showed that different types of consumers can be distinguished based on how they react to the pandemic as regards their eating habits. While food-related behaviours were resilient for 60% of the sample, another 35% reported more enjoyment in cooking and eating, more time in the kitchen and more family meals. Among those, a slight majority also showed signs of more mindful eating, as indicated by more deliberate choices and increased consumption of healthy food, whereas a slight minority reported more consumption of indulgence food. Only 5% indicated less involvement with food. As the COVID-19 pandemic is a disruptive event, some of these changes may have habit-breaking properties and open up new opportunities and challenges for food policy and food industry.

Relationship between Acceptance of Insects as an Alternative to Meat and Willingness to Consume Insect-Based Food-A Study on a Representative Sample of the Polish Population

Despite their nutritional and ecological potential, insect-based food is rarely accepted by consumers. There may be a discrepancy between the consumers' understanding of the need to reduce meat consumption and their personal food preferences. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between the acceptance of insects as a meat substitute, the willingness to buy and consume insect-based food, and the underlying factors. The study was conducted on a representative sample of the Polish population, and as in previous studies, our results showed that men who are more familiar with entomophagy pay more attention to the environmental impact of their food choices, are convenience-orientated and are more willing to accept insects as a meat substitute. However, people with higher levels of food neophobia and disgust sensitivity and lower levels of variety-seeking tendency are less willing to consume insects. Our study showed that the acceptance of insects as an alternative to meat (general perspective) does not translate into a willingness to buy and eat them (individual perspective). Consumers who declare their acceptance of insects as a meat substitute might not be willing to purchase insects for their consumption.

The challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the way people deal with them. A qualitative longitudinal study

The conducted qualitative research was aimed at capturing the biggest challenges related to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interviews were carried out in March-June (five stages of the research) and in October (the 6th stage of the research). A total of 115 in-depth individual interviews were conducted online with 20 respondents, in 6 stages. The results of the analysis showed that for all respondents the greatest challenges and the source of the greatest suffering were: a) limitation of direct contact with people; b) restrictions on movement and travel; c) necessary changes in active lifestyle; d) boredom and monotony; and e) uncertainty about the future.

Generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms in various age groups during the COVID-19 lockdown in Poland. Specific predictors and differences in symptoms severity

BACKGROUND

Previous studies carried out in different countries have indicated that young adults experienced higher levels of emotional distress, in the form of depressive and anxiety symptoms, than older age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about which pandemic-related difficulties and factors may contribute to these forms of emotional distress in various age groups.

PURPOSE

The aim of the current study was to investigate: (i) differences in levels of depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms in four age groups in the Polish population during the COVID-19 lockdown; (ii) differences in perceived difficulties related to the pandemic in these groups; and (iii) which factors and difficulties related to the pandemic are the best predictors of generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms in various age groups during the COVID-19 lockdown.

METHOD

A total of 1115 participants (aged 18-85) took part in the study. The sample was representative of the Polish population in terms of sex, age, and place of residence. Participants completed the following online: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, a Scale of Perceived Health and Life Risk of COVID-19, a Social Support Scale, and a Scale of Pandemic-Related Difficulties.

RESULTS

Younger age groups (18-29 and 30-44) experienced higher levels of depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms than older adults (45-59 and 60-85 years). Household relationship difficulties were among the most significant predictors of depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms in all age groups. Fear and uncertainty related to the spread of the virus was one of the most important predictors of emotional distress in all the groups apart from the adults between 18 and 29 years, whereas difficulties related to external restrictions were one of the most significant predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms exclusively in the youngest group.

CONCLUSIONS

The youngest adults and those experiencing difficulties in relationships among household members are the most vulnerable to depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown. It is important to plan preventive and therapeutic interventions to support these at-risk individuals in dealing with the various challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Risky financial choices in a gain and loss decision frame – the role of chronic and situationally induced time perspectives

The aim of the research was to explore the relationship between people’s Time Perspectives (TPs) (chronic and induced) and their propensity to take financial risks in gambling tasks with a gain and loss decision frame. The results of the study 1 (N1 = 1093) revealed that a higher chronic Present Hedonistic TP is related to a preference for unsure options in loss and gain frames, while a higher chronic Past Negative TP is related to a preference for sure options in a gain frame of financial choice, but for unsure options in a loss frame. Moreover, higher chronic Future TP is related to unsure option preference in a loss decision frame. The results of the study 2 (N2 = 563) showed that the induced Past Negative TP (in a gain frame) and Present Hedonistic TP (in both decision frames) lead to similar patterns of results to those observed for the chronic TPs.

The role of self-control and regulatory foci in money-saving behaviours among children

The studies aimed to discover if it is possible to increase children’s ability to defer consumption in favour of saving money by drawing attention to the importance of self-control and by inducing regulatory focus of promotion or prevention. The first study confirmed that economic behaviours of children are connected to their level of self-control. Next, in two experimental studies, self-control and regulatory focus were experimentally induced in 9- to 11-year-old children. The second study (n = 158) showed that self-control activation results in preference of saving over immediate consumption for boys but not for girls. The third study (n = 144) showed that promotion regulatory focus activation results in preference of saving over immediate consumption, while after the activation of prevention regulatory focus, children prefer immediate consumption. The results indicate that sole activation in children’s thinking about the importance of self-control or about specific self-regulation motivations may influence saving behaviours. Nevertheless, due to the fact that males and females differ in self-control levels and in motivation for goal pursuit, inducing self-control or specific regulatory focus in children may have different effects on economic decisions, depending on a child’s gender.

Content matters. Different predictors and social consequences of general and government-related conspiracy theories on COVID-19

In times of crisis, people are more prone to endorse conspiracy theories. Conspiracy thinking provides answers about the causes of an event, but it can also have harmful social consequences. Our research tested both the predictor and the consequences of two types of conspiracy beliefs related to the Covid-19 pandemic: (1) general conspiracy beliefs and (2) government-related conspiracy theories. In two studies in Poland (Ntotal = 2726), we found that a perceived lack of individual control predicted both types of conspiracy theories, while a sense of collective control was positively related to general conspiracy beliefs but negatively associated with government-related conspiracy theories. Moreover, general conspiracy theories were related to the acceptance of xenophobic policies and to a less favourable attitude towards outgroups whereas government-related conspiracy theories were not. Additionally, people who believed in conspiratorial governments less frequently indicated that they used prevention methods, such as social distancing and handwashing. Our research demonstrates the importance of considering the content of various conspiracy theories when studying their social effects and potential causes. Knowing which attitudes may be associated with the endorsement of specific conspiracy theories can contribute to counteracting their negative consequences during crises.

The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs

New technological solutions play an important role in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Many countries have implemented tracking applications or other surveillance systems, which may raise concerns about privacy and civil rights violations but may be also perceived by citizens as a way to reduce threat and uncertainty. Our research examined whether feelings evoked by the pandemic (perceived threat and lack of control) as well as more stable ideological views predict the acceptance of such technologies. In two studies conducted in Poland, we found that perceived personal threat and lack of personal control were significantly positively related to the acceptance of surveillance technologies, but their predictive value was smaller than that of individual differences in authoritarianism and endorsement of liberty. Moreover, we found that the relationship between the acceptance of surveillance technologies and both perceived threat and lack of control was particularly strong among people high in authoritarianism. Our research shows that the negative feelings evoked by the unprecedented global crisis may inspire positive attitudes towards helpful but controversial surveillance technologies but that they do so to a lesser extent than ideological beliefs.

The Effect of Labelling and Visual Properties on the Acceptance of Foods Containing Insects

Introducing insects as a source of nutrients (e.g., protein) plays a key role in many countries' environmental policies. However, westerners generally reject insects as an ingredient of food products and meals. The aim of our study was to assess if explicitly labelling food as containing insects and/or implying it by manipulating the appearance of food influences the participants' perception of food products or their behavioral reaction to such products. Participants were asked to try a range of foods, none of which contained ingredients derived from insects. However, the experimental conditions varied with regard to food labelling (insect content) and appearance (traces of insect-like ingredients). We observed the participants' non-verbal behavioral reactions to the foods. Next, the respondents filled in a questionnaire evaluating the food's properties. Additionally, we asked the participants to fill in a set of questionnaires measuring other variables (food neophobia, disgust, variety seeking, etc.) The results showed that products labelled as containing insects are consumed with reluctance and in lower quantities despite their appearance. In addition, people with lower general neophobia and a higher tendency to seek variety tried the insect-labelled samples sooner than people from the other groups. Recommendations for marketing strategies are provided.

Do negative emotions in social advertising really work? Confrontation of classic vs. EEG reaction toward advertising that promotes safe driving

Social campaigns are persuasive messages that attempt to communicate positive ideas and practices. One of the main challenges in designing effective social campaigns is the need to compete with other advertisements for viewers' attention. One of the most widely used methods of drawing attention to social advertising is the use of negative emotions. However, the effectiveness of negative emotional appeals in social campaigns is still a topic of debates. The aim of the study was to use both declarative and neural (EEG) measures to examine whether increasing the intensity of negative emotions in a social campaign enhances its effectiveness linearly or only to a certain level (curvilinear relation). The experimental study was conducted (N = 62) with road safety campaign, using three different levels of negative emotional intensity. The results showed that even though advertising with the strongest negative stimuli evoked the strongest negative emotions, it had no significantly stronger influence on behavioral intention (driving less risky) than moderately negative stimuli. Moreover, neural reaction to the negative stimuli in advertising depended on driving style-people with risky driving style payed less attention to more threatening message (higher beta oscillations).

Segmentation Based on Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility in Relation to Demographical Variables and Personal Values - Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Polish Consumers

The purpose of the present research was to create market segmentation of Polish consumers that would capture differences in reactions to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), taking into account sociodemographic data and consumers' value structure. In order to better understand the extracted segments, a mixed method approach was adopted. The first quantitative study was conducted on a nationwide representative sample of Poles aged 18-55 years (N = 1055, CAWI survey). A subsequent qualitative stage covered 24 semi-structured in-depth individual interviews, with representatives of each segment identified in Study 1. Consequently, six segments of Poles were extracted and described, differing in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about CSR: Sensible Optimists (15%), Sensitive Intellectuals (18%), Family Pragmatics (21%), Passive Poseurs (19%), Excluded and Frustrated (12%) and Corpo-Egoists (15%). The study showed both demographic and psychological differences in between segments. Segments with positive attitudes toward CSR are more female. Segment of least positive attitudes is manly and youngest one. However, results for age, education level and economic status are less conclusive. Personal values proved to be more useful in understanding different attitudes toward CSR than demography. Segments that are more open to CSR prize self-transcendence and maturity values, while less open segments are more oriented toward social status values.

You don't have to be rich to save money: On the relationship between objective versus subjective financial situation and having savings

Saving is an important financial behavior that provides an individual with psychological security and boosts his/her overall sense of well-being. For this reason, scientists and practitioners have attempted to understand why some people save when others do not. One of the most common explanations for this phenomenon is that those individuals who earn more should be more willing to save their money. In line with this logic, people who have more money should be more likely to have savings. Considering the results of prior research, we expected objective financial situation (income) to be positively linked to having savings (i.e., propensity to have savings and the exact amount of savings). At the same time, however, we assumed that subjective financial situation (perception) should also be positively related to these variables. To test our assumptions, we conducted a nationwide representative survey (N = 1048) among Polish respondents, asking them about their objective and subjective financial situation. The results of a regression analysis showed that objective financial situation was indeed significantly positively related to having savings. However, subjective financial situation was also positively correlated with having savings (even when we controlled for objective financial situation and demographic variables). We discuss the implications of the links between objective versus subjective financial situations and having savings.

Explicit Versus Implicit "Halal" Information: Influence of the Halal Label and the Country-of-Origin Information on Product Perceptions in Indonesia

Halal refers to what is permissible in traditional Islamic law. Food that meets halal requirements is marked by a halal label on the packaging and should be especially attractive to those Muslims who follow the set of dietary laws outlined in the Quran. This research examines the role of the halal label (explicit cue) and the country-of-origin (COO) (implicit cue) in predicting positive product perceptions among Muslim consumers. We hypothesized that when an explicit sign of "halalness" (i.e., halal label) relating to a particular product is accompanied by an implicit sign of anti-"halalness" (i.e., non-Islamic COO information), Muslim consumers who pay attention to the dietary laws of Islam would have negative perceptions of such a product. We tested our assumptions in an experiment conducted among Indonesian participants who declared themselves as Muslims (n = 444). We manipulated: (a) exposure to the halal label, and (b) the COO information. Religion-based purchase behavior was measured as a moderator variable. Positive product perceptions were measured as a dependent variable. The results showed that the halal label itself had limited influence on product perceptions. However, we found that positive product perceptions significantly decreased among people who were high in religion-based purchase behavior in response to exposure to non-Islamic COO information accompanied by a halal label. In conclusion, people who are high (vs. low) in religion-based purchase behavior do not seem to trust halal-labeled food produced in a country with other than an Islamic tradition.

"Worse but Ours," or "Better but Theirs?" - The Role of Implicit Consumer Ethnocentrism (ICE) in Product Preference

The goal of this project was to investigate whether consumer ethnocentrism is purely conscious mechanism based on ideology, as suggested by Shimp and Sharma (1987), or rather is an automatic, unconscious process. The aim of the project was an introduction of the Implicit Consumer Ethnocentrism (ICE) concept, measured by the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The goal of the four studies conducted was to investigate the following issues: (a) whether ICE - an automatic mechanism underlying the preference for local products over foreign - this could be observed next to the more ideologically based classic consumer ethnocentrism; (b) what happens when the consumer's automatic preference for local products (ICE) is confronted by objective evidence of the superiority of foreign products or by the inferiority of local products. It was assumed that ICE could be reduced when foreign products were associated with a higher level of competence than local products, and this could explain the preference for foreign products over local often observed in less developed countries. In study 1 the ICE for different product categories of existing brands was tested, and in study 2 the ICE was measured in the context of non-existent brands. Both studies showed a strong in-group brand preference and confirmed the existence of new phenomena - ICE. The results of studies 3 and 4 again indicated a strong, automatic in-group brand favoritism effect as measured by IAT - participants preferred local brands over foreign. However, the inclusion of well-known foreign brands associated with high competence reduced the IAT effect (in-group preference).

How do Polish and Indonesian disclose in Facebook?

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explain cross-cultural differences in online self-disclosure (SD) between Indonesians, who live in a highly collectivist culture, and Poles – a hierarchical individualist culture. Various psychological factors have been taken into consideration, such as the need for popularity (NfP), the need to belong (NtB) and self-esteem (SE).

Design/methodology/approach

– This study was designed as a quantitative study. First, a one-way ANOVA was performed to compare online SD and specific behaviours online between Indonesians and Poles. Second, correlational analysis between online SD and other psychological factors (NfP, NtB, SE) was conducted.

Findings

– Indonesians were more likely than Poles to disclose information on Facebook. On the other hand, Poles showed a tendency to disclose more positive content than Indonesians. It was also found that SE was significantly correlated with positive content of online SD for both countries. Furthermore, online SD on Facebook is more closely associated with NfP than NtB.

Research limitations/implications

– This study possesses several limitations in regard to the lack of generalization; this is due to the choice in scales and the sampling procedure. Thereby, further studies must take into consideration the proportion of genders, the differences in the construction of the “self” between individualist and collectivist cultures and the interpretation of culture orientation based on the primary data. Furthermore, several results related to the online SD would need to be verified by further studies to get a holistic explanation.

Originality/value

– The current research is for all means and purposes original, as it investigates the differences of online behaviours between cultures – Polish and Indonesian – basing on the premise that there are crucial differences between collectivist and individualist cultures. No prior articles attempted the comparison between those nationalities in online behaviour.

[Operation to promote use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) in French Guiana in 2006: design, implementation and results]

In 2006, the Regional Health Office (DSDS) in French Guiana undertook a major operation involving importation and distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLIN/ITN). In collaboration with the WHO, a Vietnamese manufacturer of LLINs suited to the requirements of French Guiana was sourced. With the help of a dynamic local importer and dealer, a sales network was developed through chemist shops located all over French Guiana. This network provided wide coverage since these outlets can be found in all large communities. The selling price ranged from 15 to 23 euros depending on the model, i.e., hammock or bed size. In addition, LLINs were distributed within the framework of two special programs. First they are given to women giving birth in French Guiana and undergoing medical surveillance as part of the Mother and Child Protection program by public healthcare system. Second they are distributed in case of natural disaster or other events that could lead to an increased risk of vector-borne outbreaks. Thanks to this operation, a total of 13,882 LLINs were delivered in French Guiana from July 2006 to December 2008. This milestone operation in the fight against malaria was made possible thanks to funding granted on a one-time basis after the outbreak of dengue in 2005-2006. The structure of this operation and its survival will depend on the continued goodwill and determination of a small group of local partners who created this successful distribution campaign with no specific guidance or program from the national authorities.

Potential mechanisms of action of interferon-alpha in CML

Treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) adequately controls the leukemic cell mass in the majority of newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the degree of response ranges from no 'hematologic' response to complete suppression of the leukemic clone. The mechanism(s) by which IFN-alpha elicits these responses is unknown, but in vitro studies have indicated that IFN-alpha might function by (1) selective toxicity against the leukemic clone, (2) enhancement of 'immune' regulation, and (3) modulation of bone marrow microenvironmental regulation of hematopoiesis. Using in vitro clonogenic assays we were unable to demonstrate that IFN-alpha selectively inhibited the proliferation of CML progenitor cells. We also found no difference in the expression of LFA-3 on normal or CML CD34+ cells. However, by panning and co-culturing hematopoietic cells on monolayers of bone marrow stromal cells, grown with and without IFN-alpha, we found that IFN-alpha enhanced the adhesion of CML progenitors to stromal cells, whereas adhesion by normal progenitor cells was essentially unaffected. This enhanced adhesion by CML progenitor cells was associated with a reduction in neuraminic acid levels in the extracellular matrix overlying stromal cells. Therefore, it is possible that one of the mechanisms by which IFN-alpha exerts its regulatory effect on the leukemic clone is through enhancement of hematopoietic cell-microenvironmental cell interactions.

Influence of the time in culture on cellular and neuronal properties of neuroblastoma × glioma hybrid cells. With an appendix, mathematical description of the kinetics of the loss in cell volume

The stability of a clonal mouse neuroblastoma × rat glioma hybrid cell line was examined. Cell volume and cellular content of DNA and protein were measured as functions of the passage number. They decreased with the number of serial subcultivations. Cellular volume was linearly related to cellular DNA and protein. Thus, measurements of cell volume can be used to monitor the loss of DNA from hybrid cells. After about 60 passages a stable population of hybrid cells arose, as judged by the constancy of cellular volume and by the decreased coefficient of variation of the cell volume distribution. A mathematical model for the kinetics of the simultaneous loss of cellular volume, DNA and protein is introduced. Several neuronal properties were investigated. The specific activity of the neurotransmitter enzyme choline acetyltransferase decreased by more than 50% during 56 passages. After 70 subcultivations, the hybrid cells were still capable of extending processes, action potentials could still be elicited electrically or by iontophoretic application of acetylcholine, and the cells still responded to prostaglandin E1 as they do at low passage number.