Bacterial lipopolysaccharide forms aggregates with apolipoproteins in male and female rat brains after ethanol binges

Alcohol binge drinking allows the translocation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the gut to the blood, which activates the peripheral immune system with consequences in neuroinflammation. A possible access/direct signaling of LPS to/in the brain has not yet been described under alcohol abuse conditions. Apolipoproteins are compounds altered by alcohol with high affinity to LPS which may be involved in its transport to the brain or in its elimination. Here, we explored the expression of small components of LPS, in its free form or bound to apolipoproteins, in the brain of female and male rats exposed to alcohol binges. Animals received ethanol oral gavages (3 g/kg every 8 h) for 4 days. LPS or its components (Lipid A and core), LPS-binding protein, corticosterone, lipoproteins (HDL, LDL), apolipoproteins (ApoAI, ApoB, and ApoE), and their receptors were measured in plasma and/or in nonperfused prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cerebellum. Brain LipidA-apolipoprotein aggregates were determined by Western blotting and confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. In animals exposed to alcohol binges: 1) plasma LPS-binding protein was elevated in both sexes; 2) females showed elevations in plasma ApoAI and corticosterone levels; 3) Lipid A formed aggregates with ApoAI in the female PFC and with ApoB in males, the latter showing Toll-like receptor 4 upregulation in PFC but not females. These results suggest that small bacterial components are present within the brain, forming aggregates with different apolipoproteins, depending on the sex, after alcohol binge intoxications. Results may have implications for the crosstalk between alcohol, LPS, and neuroinflammation.

Rising and falling on the social ladder: The bidimensional social mobility beliefs scale

Recent works in the field of Social Psychology have shown the importance of studying subjective social mobility from different perspectives. In the literature about subjective societal mobility, most of the research is focused on the mobility-immobility framing. However, several authors suggested studying social mobility beliefs effects differentiating according to mobility's trajectory, that is, upward (i.e., improving status over time) and downward (i.e., getting worse in status over time). The present research was motivated by the lack of measures that discriminate between beliefs in upward and downward societal mobility. Across two studies using different samples of the Spanish adult population, we examined both dimensions of social mobility beliefs and tested their predictive validity on other related constructs. In Study 1 (N = 164), with an EFA, we corroborated the independence between the two types of mobility. The internal structure was confirmed by a CFA in Study 2 (N = 400). Furthermore, it was shown that upward and downward mobility beliefs are differently related to other related constructs. The results from Studies 1-2 showed good convergent validity. In all correlations with the different constructs (attitudes towards inequality, meritocratic beliefs, justification of the economic system, and status anxiety) we found opposite direction effects for both types of societal mobility (upward and downward). The development of this new instrument can help to deepen our understanding of the psychosocial consequences of subjective social mobility, as well as to differentiate two processes that may have different consequences.

Gendered Social Perceptions of "The Poor": Differences in Individualistic Attributions, Stereotypes, and Attitudes Toward Social Protection Policies

Poverty is a phenomenon that affects men and women differently. In the current research, we examined social perceptions of poor men and women across three experiments focusing on attributions for poverty, classist attitudes, and stereotypes about poor people. In Study 1, participants from the general population (N = 484) made more individualistic (dispositional) attributions for men's poverty compared to women's poverty, blaming men more for their poverty. Participants also believed that men would manage the assistance they received from the state more poorly than women. These patterns were observed across all three studies. In Study 2 (N = 256), we also found that more individualistic attributions for why men were in poverty predicted more negative attitudes toward social protection policies concerning men. In Study 3 (N = 358), we replicated the results observed in Study 2, and found that women in poverty were described as mor communal and competent than men in poverty. We interpret these results considering the operation of traditional gender roles as well as the parallelism between stereotypes of women and poor people. Our results are relevant to the framing of the proposals by social organizations, political parties, and emancipation movements that advocate for policies and programs to address poverty.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11199-023-01375-9.

Wage (in)equality matters: the effect of organizational economic inequality on others' and self-ascriptions

Economic inequality has consequences at the social-psychological level, such as in the way people make inferences about their environment and other people. In the present two preregistered studies, we used a paradigm of an organizational setting to manipulate economic inequality and measured ascriptions of agentic versus communal traits to employees and the self. In Study 1 (N = 187), participants attributed more agency than communion to a middle-status employee, and more communion than agency when economic equality was salient. In Study 2 (N = 198) this finding was replicated. Further, this inequality-agency association was explained by perceptions of competitive employee relationships. Results, moreover, suggested that participants mainly attributed more communion than agency to themselves in the equality condition. We conclude that agency and communion ascriptions may be functional and thus inform about the expectations people have on the nature of social relationships in the face of economic inequality.

Safety and efficacy of intra-arterial bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in patients with acute ischaemic stroke in Spain (IBIS trial): a phase 2, randomised, open-label, standard-of-care controlled, multicentre trial

BACKGROUND

Pilot clinical trials have shown the safety of intra-arterial bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) in stroke. However, the efficacy of different doses of intra-arterial BMMNCs in patients with acute stroke has not been tested in a randomised clinical trial. We aimed to show safety and efficacy of two different doses of autologous intra-arterial BMMNC transplantation in patients with acute stroke.

METHODS

The IBIS trial was a multicentre phase 2, randomised, controlled, investigator-initiated, assessor-blinded, clinical trial, in four stroke centres in Spain. We included patients (aged 18-80 years) with a non-lacunar, middle cerebral artery ischaemic stroke within 1-7 days from stroke onset and with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 6-20. We randomly assigned patients (2:1:1) with a computer-generated randomisation sequence to standard of care (control group) or intra-arterial injection of autologous BMMNCs at one of two different doses (2 × 106 BMMNCs/kg or 5 × 106 BMMNCs/kg). The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with modified Rankin Scale scores of 0-2 at 180 days in the intention-to-treat population, comparing each BMMNC dose group and the pooled BMMNC group versus the control group. The primary safety endpoint was the proportion of serious adverse events. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02178657 and is completed.

FINDINGS

Between April 1, 2015, and May 20, 2021, we assessed 114 patients for eligibility. We randomly assigned 77 (68%) patients: 38 (49%) to the control group, 20 (26%) to the low-dose BMMNC group, and 19 (25%) the high-dose BMMNC group. The mean age of participants was 62·4 years (SD 12·7), 46 (60%) were men, 31 (40%) were women, all were White, and 63 (82%) received thrombectomy. The median NIHSS score before randomisation was 12 (IQR 9-15), with intra-arterial BMMNC injection done a median of 6 days (4-7) after stroke onset. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 14 (39%) patients in the control group versus ten (50%) in the low-dose group (adjusted odds ratio 2·08 [95% CI 0·55-7·85]; p=0·28), eight (44%) in the high-dose group (1·89 [0·52-6·96]; p=0·33), and 18 (47%) in the pooled BMMNC group (2·22 [0·72-6·85]; p=0·16). We found no differences in the proportion of patients who had adverse events or dose-related events, but two patients had a groin haematoma after cell injection in the low-dose BMMNC group.

INTERPRETATION

Intra-arterial BMMNCs were safe in patients with acute ischaemic stroke, but we found no significant improvement at 180 days on the mRS. Further clinical trials are warranted to investigate whether improvements might be possible at different timepoints.

FUNDING

Instituto de Salud Carlos III co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund, Mutua Madrileña, and the Regional Ministry of Health of Andalusia.

Perceived economic inequality enlarges the perceived humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic status groups

In this paper, we analyze the influence of the perceived level of economic inequality in daily life on people's recognition of the perceived humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic groups within society. To achieve this purpose, in Studies 1A-B, we analyzed the relationship between economic inequality and the humanity gap. In Studies 2A-B, we manipulated the level of inequality (low vs. high) to identify differences in the humanity gap. Results indicated that higher perceptions of economic inequality lead individuals to recognize a wider humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic groups in society. Implications are discussed.

Not all poor are equal: the perpetuation of poverty through blaming those who have been poor all their lives

The economic crisis of 2008 severely affected the welfare states. As the economic situation of a country worsens, the resources that the public administration can devote to improve the situation of the people also decrease, endangering the advancement of those in a disadvantaged situation. People who have always lived in poverty, besides having their opportunities reduced, also face negative public views that affect the perceived legitimacy of such public aid, which can in turn be a mechanism for perpetuating their situation. Two studies (N = 252 and N = 266) analyse how a person in persistent poverty is perceived compared to a person in poverty due to the crisis-a circumstantial poverty. We also study some feasible mechanisms underlying this different perception, as well as their effects on attitudes toward social protection policies. In Study 1, results indicated that people showed more favourable attitudes toward social protection policies when they perceived someone in poverty due to the crisis, compared to the target who had been in poverty all his/her life. Individualistic attributions for poverty mediated this effect: when people think of someone in persistent poverty, they make more individualistic attributions concerning their situation, which leads to worse attitudes toward social protection policies. Identification with the group moderates this relation. Furthermore, Study 2 showed that participants perceive people who are in poverty because of economic crisis as more deserving of help than people who have always been poor. Some theoretical and practical implications for intergroup relations and public policy are discussed.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03804-6.

Are you ready for retirement? The influence of values on membership in voluntary organizations in midlife and old age

Membership in voluntary organizations is associated with individual and social benefits. Due to the negative consequences of the global pandemic on older people, and the governmental challenges posed by population aging, voluntary membership is of great importance to society. To effectively promote volunteering among older people, it is necessary to understand the determinants of voluntary membership. This study analyses the influence of individual values—secular/traditional and survival/self-expression–on voluntary membership among European adults (N = 31,985). Specifically, it examines which values orient two age groups (middle age: 50–64 and old age: 65–79), as well as men and women toward a certain type of association (Social Awareness; Professional and Political; Education and Leisure; Religion). The sample of 31,985 comprises 60% of adults aged 50–64 and 40% aged 65–79; of which 56% are women and 44% men. The empirical estimation considers different levels of data aggregation: individual, national and welfare system, therefore multilevel analysis is used as an analytical strategy. Individual-level variables from the Integrated Values Survey (2005/09, 2010/14, and 2017/20) and national-level variables (Gini Index and Gross Domestic Product Per Capita) from the World Bank and Eurostat are used. The results indicate that traditional and self-expression values promote membership in voluntary organizations in general more than secular and survival values. However, there are differences according to the type of organization. Furthermore, values are found to moderate the effect of age and gender on voluntary membership.

What about diversity? The effect of organizational economic inequality on the perceived presence of women and ethnic minority groups

Economic inequality shapes the degree to which people and different social groups are perceived in stereotypical ways. Our research sought to investigate the impact of the perception of economic inequality in an organizational setting on expectations of social diversity in the organization’s workforce, across the dimensions of gender and ethnicity. Combining data from previous experiments, we first explored in one set of studies (Studies 1a and 1b; N = 378) whether the degree of economic inequality in a fictitious organization affected participants’ expectations of the representation of minority vs. majority group employees. We found that when we presented an organization with unequal (vs. equal) distribution of economic wealth amongst its employees to study participants, they expected the presence of men and White majority individuals to be larger than the presence of women and ethnic minorities. Second, we tested our hypotheses and replicated these initial effects in a pre-registered study (Study 2: N = 449). Moreover, we explored the potential mediating role of perceived diversity climate, that is, the perception that the organization promotes and deals well with demographic diversity. Findings revealed that an organizational setting that distributed resources unequally (vs. equally) was associated with a more adverse diversity climate, which, in turn, correlated with expectations of a lower presence of minority group employees in the organization. We concluded that economic inequality creates a context that modulates perceptions of a climate of social exclusion which likely affects the possibilities for members of disadvantaged groups to participate and develop in organizations.

Ambivalent Sexism and Women’s Reactions to Stranger Harassment: The Case of

Piropos, a form of stranger harassment typical in Spain, consist of appearance-related comments that unknown men direct at women in public spaces, such as on the street. There is some controversy within Spanish society as to whether piropos should be rejected or accepted––at least a certain type of them. In this research, we analyzed how young Spanish women perceive piropos and tested whether women’s evaluation and emotional reactions to them depend on the type of piropo (“mild” or “lewd”) and participants’ ambivalent sexism. Women participants ( N = 288) indicated their evaluation and emotional reactions to a mild or lewd piropo (having also a control condition where no piropo was presented) in a between-participants design. Results showed that the lewd piropo elicited lower happiness and feelings of power and greater anger-hostility than the mild piropo and the control condition. Similarly, the mild piropo also generated lower happiness and feelings of power and greater anger-hostility and anxiety than the control condition. We also conducted eight moderated mediation analyses, four each with participants’ hostile sexism scores and participants benevolent sexism scores as the predictor variable, using participants’ evaluation of the piropo as the mediator and the type of piropo (i.e., lewd or mild) as the moderator. The dependent variable on each analysis constituted the reactions of happiness, feelings of power, anger-hostility, and anxiety. Results revealed that relation between endorsing hostile sexism beliefs, while controlling for benevolent sexism beliefs, and emotional reactions to both types of piropos can be explained through participants’ evaluations of the piropos. In contrast, no indirect effect was found between benevolent sexism beliefs, when controlling for hostile sexism beliefs, and emotional reactions. Our results suggest that educating the public about the negative consequences of both types of piropos on women and reducing hostile sexism beliefs may help to eradicate street piropos. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843221115339 .

Economic inequality shapes the agency–communion content of gender stereotypes

Economic inequality is a main issue in current societies, and it affects people’s psychological processes. In this research, we propose that perceived economic inequality might affect how people perceive men and women. In two experiments carried out in Spain ( N = 170) and Mexico ( N = 215), we tested whether high (vs. low) economic inequality leads to changes in the perceived agency and communion of both men and women. Our findings suggest that when economic inequality is high (vs. low), the communal content in social perceptions of both men and women decreases. Specifically, under high (vs. low) inequality, the difference in agency and communion ascribed to a man becomes greater (i.e., men are perceived as even more agentic than communal), whereas this difference becomes smaller for women (i.e., women are still perceived as more communal than agentic, but this difference is smaller). We discuss these findings’ implications regarding the psychosocial effects of economic inequality.

Express improvement of acute stroke care accessibility in large regions using a centralized telestroke network

Introduction:

Acute ischemic stroke therapy has improved in recent decades, decreasing the rates of disability and death among stroke patients. Unfortunately, all health care systems have geographical disparities in infrastructure for stroke patients. A centralized telestroke network might be a low-cost strategy to reduce differences in terms of geographical barriers, equitable access, and quality monitoring across different hospitals.

Aims:

We aimed to quantify changes in stroke patients’ geographic access to specialized evaluation by neurologists and to intravenous acute stroke reperfusion treatments following the rapid implementation of a centralized telestroke network in the large region of Andalusia (8.5 million inhabitants).

Methods:

We conducted an observational study using spatial and analytical methods to examine how a centralized telestroke network influences the quality and accessibility of stroke care for a large region.

Results:

In the pre-implementation period, 5,005,477 (59.72% of the Andalusian population) had access to specialized stroke care in less than 30 min. After the 5-month process of implementing the telestroke network, 7,832,988 (93.5%) inhabitants had an access time of less than 30 min, bridging the gap in acute stroke care in rural hospitals.

Conclusions:

A centralized telestroke network may be an efficient tool to reduce the differences in stroke care access and quality monitoring across different hospitals, especially in large regions with low population density.

Differential Outcomes Following 4 Weeks of Aclidinium/Formoterol in Patients with COPD: A Reanalysis of the ACTIVATE Study

Rationale

It is difficult to predict the effects of long-acting bronchodilators (LABD) on lung function, exercise capacity and physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, the multidimensional response to LABD was profiled in COPD patients participating in the ACTIVATE study and randomized to LABD.

Methods

In the ACTIVATE study, patients were randomized to aclidinium bromide/formoterol fumarate (AB/FF) or placebo for four weeks. The primary outcomes included (1) lung function as measured by functional residual capacity (FRC), residual volume (RV), and spirometric outcomes; (2) exercise performance as measured by a constant work rate cycle ergometry test (CWRT); and (3) physical activity (PA) using an activity monitor. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) were used to create an ordered representation of the patients who were randomly assigned to four weeks of AB/FF and cluster them into different outcome groups.

Results

A total of 250 patients were randomized to AB/FF (n = 126) or placebo (n = 124). Patients in the AB/FF group (39.6% women) had moderate-to-severe COPD, static hyperinflation (FRC: 151.4 (27.7)% predicted) and preserved exercise capacity. Six clusters with differential outcomes were identified. Patients in clusters 1 and 2 had significant improvements in lung function compared to the remaining AB/FF-treated patients. Patients in clusters 1 and 3 had significant improvements in CWRT time, and patients in clusters 2, 3 and 6 had significant improvements in PA compared to the remaining AB/FF-treated patients.

Conclusion

Individual responses to 4 weeks of AB/FF-treatment in COPD are differential and the degree of change differs across domains of lung function, exercise capacity and PA. These results indicate that clinical response to LABD therapy is difficult to predict and is non-linear, and show doctors that it is important to look at multiple outcomes simultaneously when evaluating the clinical response to LABD therapy.

Clinical Trial Registration

The original ACTIVATE study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number NCT02424344.

Dangerous Worldview and Perceived Sociopolitical Control: Two Mechanisms to Understand Trust in Authoritarian Political Leaders in Economically Threatening Contexts

In this research we analyzed the relationship between threatening economic contexts (i.e., undergoing the economic crisis and having low socioeconomic status) and trust in authoritarian ideologies and leaders, regardless of the left-right political axis. Based on two theoretical approaches (i.e., the dual-process model and the compensatory control model), we argue that this relationship is mediated by dangerous worldview and low perceived sociopolitical control. We conducted two correlational studies with samples of the general population. In Study 1 (N = 185), we found that perceived threat from the economic crisis and low socioeconomic status were correlated with a higher dangerous worldview, which resulted in a more authoritarian ideology (i.e., authoritarianism) and finally in greater trust in an authoritarian political leader. In Study 2 (N = 413), we replicated the findings of Study 1 and demonstrated that low perceived sociopolitical control was associated with higher authoritarianism. Moreover, low perceived sociopolitical control partially mediated the relationship between dangerous worldview and authoritarianism. Overall, our results show that two economically threatening contexts (i.e., the economic crisis and low socioeconomic status) promote authoritarianism and trust in authoritarian leaders (with unspecified political orientation) through psychological processes (i.e., perception of the social world and perceived control). These results are useful to understand and combat the rise of authoritarianism in our societies during financially difficult times such as economic crises.

Stranger Harassment ("Piropo") and Women's Self-Objectification: The Role of Anger, Happiness, and Empowerment

According to objectification theory, women's habitual exposure to sexually objectifying situations can lead them to internalize a third-person perspective of themselves in physical terms, leading women to adopt an observer's viewpoint of themselves as a body or collection of body parts that is valued principally for use or consumption by others (i.e., self-objectification). The frequency and/or intensity of situations of female objectification have generally been studied as precedents of self-objectification. Our research analyzes whether direct exposure to a particular objectifying situation, as in the case of verbal stranger harassment (called piropos in Spain), could have these same effects. We tested the consequences of exposure to piropos (vs. a control situation) on body surveillance and body shame in a sample of 329 Spanish women. The impact of verbal harassment on women's anger, anxiety, happiness, and sense of empowerment was also analyzed. The results of a moderated mediation analysis showed that exposure to piropos increased body shame through body surveillance but only in women who reacted to the piropo with happiness, empowerment, or low levels of anger. The negative effects that objectifying situations (e.g., stranger harassment) may have on women, and the importance of women's reactions and perceptions of such situations are discussed.

Evolution of Gender Stereotypes in Spain: From 1985 to 2018

BACKGROUND

Gender stereotypes are the images, beliefs, or expectations that people have about men and women. Have these stereotypes changed in Spain in recent decades?

METHOD

In this study we present data on gender stereotypes in Spain in two different time periods (1985, N = 1060; and 2018, N = 802).

RESULTS

Results indicate that of the four components of the stereotypes analyzed (traits, role behaviors, occupations, and physical characteristics), the stereotypes in three of them have changed. In role behaviors and occupations, people perceive that men have increased their presence in female-linked gender roles and occupations, and that women have increased their presence in roles and occupations that are traditionally male-linked. Women in 2018 are more associated with physical characteristics traditionally associated with men, but men are not perceived as more associated with physical characteristics traditionally linked to women. In personality traits the stereotype has not changed: In agentic traits there were no differences between men and women in 1985 and in 2018; and communal traits were more attributed to women than men in 1985 and in 2018.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that although gender stereotypes still exist in Spain, they have changed considerably, at least in several dimensions.

Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Well-Being: Revisiting the Role of Subjective Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a complex and multidimensional construct, encompassing both independent objective characteristics (e.g., income or education) and subjective people's ratings of their placement in the socioeconomic spectrum. Within the growing literature on subjective SES belongingness and psychological well-being, subjective indices of SES have tended to center on the use of pictorial rank-related social ladders where individuals place themselves relative to others by simultaneously considering their income, educational level, and occupation. This approach, albeit consistent with the idea of these social ladders as summative or cognitive SES markers, might potentially constrain individuals' conceptions of their SES. This research (N = 368; M age = 39.67, SD = 13.40) is intended to expand prior investigations on SES and psychological well-being by revisiting the role of subjective SES. In particular, it (a) proposes an innovative adaptation of the traditional MacArthur Scale of subjective SES to income, education, and occupation, thus resulting in three separate social ladders; and (b) tests the empirical contribution of such three social ladders to psychological well-being. Overall, our findings showed that the novel education and occupation ladders (excluding the income ladder) are predictive of a significant part of the variance levels of psychological well-being that is not due to canonical objective metrics of SES (i.e., income, education, and occupation), or to the conventional MacArthur Scale of subjective SES. Although preliminary, these results underscore the need to further reconsider (subjective) SES-related conceptualization and measurement strategies to gather a more comprehensive understanding of the SES-psychological well-being link.

Economic Inequality and Masculinity-Femininity: The Prevailing Perceived Traits in Higher Unequal Contexts Are Masculine

Previous studies have shown that economic inequality influences psychological processes. In this article, we argue that economic inequality also makes masculine attributes more prototypical. In Study 1 (N = 106), using an experimental design, we showed that individuals belonging to a society characterized by a higher level of economic inequality are perceived as more masculine than feminine. Study 2 (N = 75) shows, also experimentally, that the upper social class is perceived mostly in terms of masculine traits, and that this effect is greater when economic inequality is relatively high. Conversely, the lower social class is more clearly perceived in terms of feminine traits. These results inform our understanding of the impact of economic inequality on social perception.

Focusing on one's own appearance leads to body shame in women but not men: The mediating role of body surveillance and appearance-contingent self-worth

Previous research has shown that some appearance-focused situations lead to increased self-objectification, especially among women. The present research explored, with an experimental design, whether the simple fact of thinking about one's own physical appearance increases body shame through body surveillance and appearance-contingent self-worth in men and women. Our main prediction was that focusing on one's own appearance would increase both women's body surveillance and appearance-contingent self-worth, and that both variables in turn would increase women's body shame. Among men, while we expected body surveillance and appearance-contingent self-worth to be related to body shame, we believed that thinking about their physical appearance would be less likely to increase their body surveillance and appearance-contingent self-worth. Spanish young men (n = 123) and women (n = 140) were randomly assigned to an appearance group, in which they wrote about their appearance, or a personality group, in which they wrote about their personality. The results confirmed our prediction for women. Among men, the indirect effects were not significant, and focusing on one's own appearance did not increase body surveillance or appearance-contingent self-worth. Since body shame has been associated with pervasive negative consequences, knowledge about its antecedents has practical and theoretical significance.

Less human, more to blame: Animalizing poor people increases blame and decreases support for wealth redistribution

Increasing economic inequality adversely affects groups with low socioeconomic status (low-SES). However, many people are opposed to wealth redistribution policies. In this context, we examined whether dehumanization of low-SES groups has a role in this opposition. In the first study ( N = 303), opposition to wealth redistribution was related to denying human uniqueness (e.g., intelligence and rationality) and having negative attitudes toward low-SES groups, more than denying human nature (e.g., emotionality and capacity to suffer) to low-SES groups. Mediation analyses indicated that this effect occurred via blaming low-SES groups for their plight, after controlling for participants’ SES and negative attitudes towards low-SES groups. In the second study ( N = 220), manipulating the human uniqueness of a fictitious low-SES group affected support for wealth redistribution measures through blame. These results indicate that animalizing low-SES groups reduces support for wealth redistribution via blaming low-SES groups for their situation.

Gender-Related Ideological and Structural Macrosocial Factors Associated With Intimate Partner Violence Against European Women

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is investigated mostly at the individual level, which ignores the role of macrosocial variables and possible interactions between them. We explored how two ideological gender-related macrosocial factors (traditional gender role beliefs and attitudes toward gender equality) and one structural gender-related macrosocial factor (the economic Gender Equality Index) are associated with physical, psychological, and sexual IPVAW in Europe. We examined their interactions with individual-level factors in predicting IPVAW. Secondary analysis ( N = 30,284 heterosexual women) of the 2015 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ Violence Against Women survey revealed that 26.1% of women in Europe reported at least one act of physical, psychological, or sexual violence. Generalized linear mixed models analysis revealed that individual-level factors (women’s education, childhood victimization, equal say about income, partner’s alcohol consumption, and an aggressive partner) were associated with IPVAW. Adding the Eurobarometer of Gender Equality ( N = 28 countries) and the Gender Equality Index ( N = 28 countries), attitudes more favorable to gender equality were related to lower rates of psychological victimization; more traditional gender role beliefs predicted higher rates of sexual victimization. Ideological gender-related macrofactors played an important role in cross-level interactions with individual-level factors. To reduce the rates of IPVAW victimization, clinicians, educators, and policy makers need to focus on individual predictors and macrofactors to promote societal attitudes toward equality and change traditional gender role socialization. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684319839367

Where Does the Money Come From? Humanizing High Socioeconomic Status Groups Undermines Attitudes Toward Redistribution

The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of general impoverishment is a major problem in some modern societies. However, there is a general opposition to redistribution policies or to the application of a progressive taxation system. The goal of this research was to explore one factor that might drive the attitudes toward income redistribution: The (de)humanization of high socioeconomic status groups. Previous studies have shown that high socioeconomic status groups tend to be considered as unemotional machines without any concern for others. However, the consequences of mechanizing (vs. humanizing) high socioeconomic status on the interpretation of socioeconomic differences has not been explored yet. We considered that humanizing high socioeconomic status groups might have an unexpected negative effect on attitudes about income inequality and wealth concentration. Specifically, this research aims to determine how humanizing high socioeconomic status groups influences people's perceptions of the group's wealth and preferences for income redistribution. We conducted two studies in which we manipulated the humanity (mechanized vs. humanized in terms of their Human Nature traits) of a high socioeconomic status group. Results of these two studies showed that humanizing (vs. mechanizing) high socioeconomic status groups led to lower support for income redistribution/taxation of wealthy groups, through considering that the group's wealth comes from internal sources (e.g., ambition) rather than external ones (e.g., corruption). These results were independent of the group's likeability and perceived competence/warmth. The present research provides valuable insight about the possible dark side of humanizing high socioeconomic status groups as a process that could contribute to the maintenance of the status quo and the legitimation of income inequality in our societies.

Monocyte and Lymphocyte Activation and Regulation in Multiple Sclerosis Patients. Therapy Effects

Analysis of gut barrier status, monocyte and lymphocyte activation and T regulatory (Treg) cells at diagnosis before and after therapy, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Analysis of differential effects of interferon beta (IFN-β), glatiramer acetate (GA) and natalizumab. Thirty-five patients with untreated MS were included. Gut barrier status (serum concentrations of intestinal fatty acid binding protein), monocyte (serum levels of soluble CD14, soluble CD163 and interleukin 6) and T lymphocyte activation (CD4 + DR+ and CD8 + DR+) and Treg (CD4 + CD25highFoxP3+) cells were analyzed. Patients with clinical isolated syndrome and relapsing-remitting forms were treated with IFN-β or GA, and immune characteristics were reevaluated following up after 6 months. A sample of 56 stable RR MS patients, in treatment with IFN-β, GA or natalizumab, and 50 healthy individuals were included as controls. Gut barrier status was similar in MS patients and healthy controls. Untreated patients with relapsing-remitting and primary progressive patterns of MS showed increased serum levels of soluble CD14. At baseline, significant increases in activated T lymphocytes and Treg were detected in patients. A significant decrease of CD4 + DR+, CD8 + DR+, and Treg percentages after 6 months of therapy was observed. In previously treated patients, IFN-β, GA, or natalizumab therapies were associated with a comparable cell proportion of activated lymphocytes and Treg. MS patients have a baseline state characterized by monocyte and lymphocyte activation, not related with gut barrier lesion. An increase in Treg number, correlated with activated T CD8+ lymphocytes, was detected. Treatment with IFN-β, GA or natalizumab was associated with a comparable decrease in activated lymphocytes and Treg. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Do Economic Crises Always Undermine Trust in Others? The Case of Generalized, Interpersonal, and In-Group Trust

After the global economic collapse triggered by the Great Recession, there has been an increased interest in the potential psychological implications of periods of economic decline. Recent evidence suggests that negative personal experiences linked to the economic crisis may lead to diminished generalized trust (i.e., the belief that most of the people of the society are honest and can be trusted). Adding to the growing literature on the psychological consequences of the economic crisis, we propose that the perceived personal impact of the economic crisis not only would undermine generalized trust but also may lead to increased interpersonal trust (i.e., directed to specific and close people) and depersonalized in-group trust [i.e., directed to individuals who, while strangers, belong to the same group (e.g., social class)]. Across three studies (N = 1379), we tested these central hypotheses and ascertained whether the perceived personal impact of the crisis would predict these types of trust (assessed using questionnaire and behavioral measures) independent of individuals' socioeconomic status. Non-experimental data from Study 1 revealed that a higher perceived personal impact of the crisis is related to lower levels of generalized trust and higher levels of interpersonal trust. These effects were independent of participants' socioeconomic status. Non-experimental data from Study 2 replicated the findings obtained in Study 1 and also showed a positive association between the perceived personal impact of the crisis and depersonalized in-group trust. This pattern of results emerged even after controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, age, political orientation, religiosity, and unemployment status. In Study 3, using an experimental design, we found that the salience of a possible economic downturn led to decreased generalized trust and increased interpersonal and depersonalized in-group trust - independently of socioeconomic status - compared with the control condition. These results challenge the conventional wisdom that economic crises invariably undermine trust in others. The implications of the present research as well as future research directions are discussed.

From Oppression to Violence: The Role of Oppression, Radicalism, Identity, and Cultural Intelligence in Violent Disinhibition

Violent radicalization and terrorism continue to pose social and security problems. Starting from the theoretical framework offered by the significance quest theory, the purpose of this research was to analyze the different roles that radical intentions play in the relationship between the loss of significance and violent disinhibition in Muslims and non-Muslims. For this reason, we carried out two studies: the first one with 133 Muslims and 126 non-Muslims, and the second with 98 Muslims and 167 non-Muslims. Specifically, we measured how perceived oppression influenced violent disinhibition through radical intentions. Secondly, we also measured the impact of identity and cultural intelligence in these relations. The main finding of the research was that there was an indirect effect of perceived oppression on violent disinhibition through radical intentions in the Muslim sample, whereas, in the non-Muslim sample, the effect of perceived oppression on violent disinhibition was not mediated by radical intentions. These results were replicated in both studies. Additionally, we found that identity and culture were factors that moderated the proposed relations. This work therefore shows that the conjunction of the loss of significance and radical intentions seems to strongly exacerbate the likelihood of a process of violent disinhibition for those who are considered to be in marginal contexts. Overall, different pathways and intervening factors are in the process of radicalizing Muslims and non-Muslims in Western societies.

Male Peer Support to Hostile Sexist Attitudes Influences Rape Proclivity

Sexual assault affects a large proportion of women in the world. Although most rapes are committed by one man, the act itself may be influenced by many (e.g., the peer group). Hostile sexism (HS) has repeatedly been associated with men's rape proclivity, but the influence exerted by the HS of the peer group on rape proclivity has not been investigated. In this study, we explored the impact of perceived male peer support to HS on participants' rape proclivity. A sample of Spanish undergraduate students from a university in the south of Spain ( N = 134) completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. Immediately afterwards, they received feedback on the supposed sexist responses of a peer group (high vs. low in HS); we kept the benevolent sexism (BS) of the peer group at medium levels. Next, we assessed participants' rape proclivity using acquaintance rape scenarios. Results showed an interaction between participants' own levels of HS and information about the HS of the peer group. Men high in HS reported higher rape proclivity in the high-HS peer-group condition than in the low-HS peer-group condition. By contrast, information on the peer group did not affect self-reported rape proclivity of men low in HS. Results also corroborated the relationship between participants' levels of HS and rape proclivity, and expanded the literature by revealing an unexpected influence of participants' BS on rape proclivity.

Modeling of volatile and phenolic compounds and optimization of the process conditions for obtaining balanced extra virgin olive oils

The main objective of this paper is to obtain extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) which are balanced in volatile and phenolic compounds. An experimental design was performed and response surface methodology was applied. The factors for malaxation were: temperature 20-40 °C, time 30-90 min, and hole diameter of hammer-crusher 4.5-6.5 mm. The results show that high temperatures and small hole diameter must be used in order to obtain a higher content in phenolic compounds, while for volatile compounds a low temperature and large hole diameter must be used. The models predict that the best and more balanced EVOO are obtained with the hole diameter of greater size and a medium-low temperature. Thus, for a hammer-crusher hole diameter of 6.5 mm 337 and 356 mg/kg total HPLC phenols were obtained for malaxation temperature of 20 and 25 °C, respectively and, likewise, 12.7 and 11.5 mg/kg total LOX volatiles.

Animalizing the disadvantaged, mechanizing the wealthy: The convergence of socio-economic status and attribution of humanity

Differences between groups in socio-economic status (SES) are becoming more salient nowadays. In this context, we examined the animalistic and mechanistic dehumanization that both low and high-SES groups may experience respectively by conducting three studies. In study 1, we manipulated the SES of two fictitious groups (low vs. high-SES) and measured the humanity ascribed to them. Results showed that the low-SES group was animalized in comparison with the high-SES group, which was mechanized. In study 2, we manipulated the humanity of two fictitious groups by describing them as animals or machines and measured the perceived SES of the groups. Participants tended to attribute lower SES to the group described as animals and higher SES to the group described as machines. Finally, in study 3, we used an Implicit Association Test to replicate the results of studies 1 and 2. Taken together, these studies show that low-SES groups are considered as animal-like whereas high-SES groups are seen as robot-like. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to the justification of income inequality within our society.

Alcohol-Related Victim Behavior and Rape Myth Acceptance as Predictors of Victim Blame in Sexual Assault Cases

Two studies analyzed the influence of victim behavior, drink type, and observer rape myth acceptance (RMA) on attributions of blame to victims of sexual assault. In Study 1, people higher in RMA blamed the victim more when she accepted rather than rejected the aggressor's invitation to buy her a drink. In Study 2, we analyzed if the effects depended on who offered the invitation for a drink (a friend or aggressor). RMA was more closely related to victim blame when she accepted (vs. rejected) the offer of a drink from the aggressor. In both studies, drink type (alcoholic vs. nonalcoholic) did not interact with the other variables.

The effects of transdermal rotigotine on non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: a multicentre, observational, retrospective, post-marketing study

AIM

This study evaluated the effect of ≥6 months of transdermal rotigotine on non-motor and motor symptoms of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in Spain between September 2011 and December 2012 (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01504529). The primary efficacy variable was the change from baseline in non-motor symptoms, as assessed by changes in Parkinson's Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire total scores at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included the assessment of motor symptoms by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III scores.

RESULTS

Data from 378 patients (mean age: 70.2 years; 56.9% male) with Parkinson's disease receiving rotigotine from were collected. Mean disease duration was 6.1 years, and mean rotigotine treatment duration was 45.6 months. Rotigotine reduced non-motor symptoms by 14.6% (mean change from baseline in Parkinson's Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire: -1.5 ± 3.4; p < 0.0001). The majority of patients (58.2%) had improved non-motor symptoms at 6 months. Comparing the baseline versus study end, fewer patients experienced events in the urinary (78.6% vs. 73.3%; p = 0.0066), sleep (82.8% vs. 72.8%; p < 0.0001) and mood/cognition (77.3% vs. 66.4%; p < 0.0001) domains of the Parkinson's Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire. Mean motor symptoms were reduced from baseline by 8.0% (mean change from baseline in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III: -2.6 ± 8.0; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical practice in Spain, rotigotine may be an effective treatment to reduce the non-motor and motor symptoms in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Cost-effectiveness of linaclotide compared to antidepressants in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in Scotland

Presently, linaclotide is the only EMA-approved therapy indicated for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). This study sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of linaclotide compared to antidepressants for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe IBS-C who have previously received antispasmodics and/or laxatives. A Markov model was created to estimate costs and QALYs over a 5-year time horizon from the perspective of NHS Scotland. Health states were based on treatment satisfaction (satisfied, moderately satisfied, not satisfied) and mortality. Transition probabilities were based on satisfaction data from the linaclotide pivotal studies and Scottish general all-cause mortality statistics. Treatment costs were calculated from the British National Formulary. NHS resource use and disease-related costs for each health state were estimated from Scottish clinician interviews in combination with NHS Reference costs. Quality of life was based on EQ-5D data collected from the pivotal studies. Costs and QALYs were discounted at 3.5 % per annum. Uncertainty was explored through extensive deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Over a 5-year time horizon, the additional costs and QALYs generated with linaclotide were £659 and 0.089, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £7370 per QALY versus antidepressants. Based on the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the likelihood that linaclotide was cost-effective at a willingness to pay of £20,000 per QALY was 73 %. Linaclotide can be a cost-effective treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe IBS-C who have previously received antispasmodics and/or laxatives in Scotland.

Joking about ourselves: Effects of disparaging humor on ingroup stereotyping

In three studies, we examined whether ingroup disparaging humor leads to greater stereotyping of the ingroup. First, in Study 1, ( N = 101) university students were exposed to (a) ingroup disparaging humor, (b) neutral humor, or (c) ingroup disparaging nonhumorous text. Participants exposed to disparaging humor reported more stereotypic evaluations than those in the neutral humor or disparaging text condition. Study 2 ( N = 167) replicated these findings with humor conditions (disparaging vs. neutral) and showed that ingroup identification moderated the effects of the type of humor. Low identifiers exposed to ingroup disparaging humor (vs. those in the control condition) reported a greater frequency of stereotypic evaluations, whereas the manipulation did not affect high identifiers. Finally, Study 3 ( N = 153) also manipulated the source of the jokes. As in Study 2, we found an interaction effect showing that high identifiers were not affected by the manipulation, whereas for low identifiers disparaging humor increased stereotyping and led to more negative emotions toward the ingroup. No significant effects were found for source of the jokes. We discuss findings in terms of how the traditional pattern of humor facilitating outgroup stereotyping also seems to apply to ingroup stereotyping.

Patterns and Universals of Adult Romantic Attachment Across 62 Cultural Regions

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, a total of 17,804 participants from 62 cultural regions completedthe RelationshipQuestionnaire(RQ), a self-reportmeasure of adult romanticattachment. Correlational analyses within each culture suggested that the Model of Self and the Model of Other scales of the RQ were psychometrically valid within most cultures. Contrary to expectations, the Model of Self and Model of Other dimensions of the RQ did not underlie the four-category model of attachment in the same way across all cultures. Analyses of specific attachment styles revealed that secure romantic attachment was normative in 79% of cultures and that preoccupied romantic attachment was particularly prevalent in East Asian cultures. Finally, the romantic attachment profiles of individual nations were correlated with sociocultural indicators in ways that supported evolutionary theories of romantic attachment and basic human mating strategies.

What hostile and benevolent sexism communicate about men’s and women’s warmth and competence

Ambivalent sexism theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996) distinguishes between two interrelated forms of sexism: Hostile and benevolent. Although this theory motivated a large body of work examining how endorsement of these views impacts on social interactions and women’s performance, no research has yet examined what these forms of sexism are seen to communicate about men and women. We report three studies examining the image that benevolent and hostile sexist messages are seen to describe (Studies 1 and 2) and prescribe for men and women (Study 3). Results show that both benevolent and hostile sexism were seen to convey that women are and should be less competent than men. Additionally, benevolent sexism was seen as describing and prescribing women to be warmer than did hostile sexism. Across all studies men and women agreed about what the messages communicate about men and women. We discuss the implications of these results for the understanding of how stereotypical beliefs are perpetuated.