General Desire Research Articles

Subjective health, general medicine beliefs and social desirability response among older hospital outpatients in Hong Kong.

The aim of this study was to investigate any association between self-rated health (SRH) and general perception about medicines using the Beliefs About Medicine Questionnaire-General (BMQ-G) in Hong Kong hospital outpatients. Moreover, the study aims to demonstrate any association between social desirability bias or response (SDR) and BMQ-G, SRH reporting in this population. Seven hundred and sixty-nine outpatients, who satisfied the selection criteria, were cordially invited to participate in this study by completing a combined questionnaire of demographic information, BMQ-G, SRH and SDR Set-5 in person, while waiting to collect their medications outside a Hong Kong hospital pharmacy. Results were analysed statistically. The number of valid questionnaires returned for statistical analysis was 698. Logistic regressions indicated age groups, gender and SRH were significant predictors for BMQ-G reporting. Patients aged over 62, male or those with high SRH were less likely to present high BMQ-G scores, compared to patients aged under 45, female or those with low SRH, respectively (OR 0.43, 0.73 and 0.66, respectively, all CIs 95%). Logistic regressions also demonstrated overall BMQ-G, and SRH reporting was unlikely to be associated with SDR (all P>0.05) although age was a significant predictor for SDR reporting (OR=1.10; CI 95%). This study illustrated age groups, gender and self-rated health significantly associated with general medicine beliefs reporting. The possible association between socially desirable bias and general medicine beliefs or self-rated health reporting was insignificant.

Sexual Nostalgia as a Response to Unmet Sexual and Relational Needs: The Role of Attachment Avoidance.

Romantic relationships help people meet needs for connection and emotional and sexual fulfillment. In the current research, we investigate an unexplored response to feeling sexually and relationally unfulfilled: reflecting on positive sexual experiences with past partners (or sexual nostalgia). Across three studies, people low in attachment avoidance (i.e., comfortable with closeness) who were (a) single or (b) sexually or relationally dissatisfied reported greater sexual nostalgia, whereas people high in attachment avoidance (i.e., value autonomy) did not calibrate their feelings of sexual nostalgia based on their current relationship status or satisfaction. Sexual fantasies about past partners (i.e., sexual nostalgia) were distinct from other types of sexual fantasies (Study 1) and the effects could not be attributed to general nostalgia (Study 2) or sexual desire (Study 3). Chronic sexual nostalgia detracted from satisfaction over time. The findings have implications for theories of nostalgia and attachment and for managing unfulfilled needs in relationships.

Development of the Composition and Technology of New Neuroprotective Drug Tablets Using Fractional Factorial Design

Introduction. The creating an effective and safe domestic neuroprotective medicines with a complex of pleiotropic effects realized through specific orphan receptors (SUCNR1, HCA2) of glial cells, is a pressing problem of modern pharmacology and a promising possibility of pharmacotherapy of brain injury and cerebrovascular diseases. Ideally, the medicine should helps restore lost cognitive functions and physical performance after damage to the central nervous system, and its use should improve the quality of life of patients and reduce the risk of complications.Aim. To develop composition and technology of a new medicine tablets with neuroprotective effect, using fractional factorial design of experiment and the Harrington desirability function.Materials and methods. The shape and size of particles, physicochemical (solubility, melting point) and technological properties (bulk density, compressibility factor, fractional composition, hygroscopicity) of the pharmaceutical substance of DEAE derivative were studied according to the methods described in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation (14th edition). A three-factor fractional plan based on the 4 × 4 Latin square design for selection a scientifically based composition of solid dosage form was chosen. 16 experiments to test the significance of the factors were carried out. The tablets obtained according to the planning matrix were investigated for disintegration; tablet crush resistance, friability, and hygroscopicity. To optimize the quality of the tablets, the generalized Harrington desirability function was used.Results and discussion. The study of the physicochemical and technological properties of the DEAE derivative substance showed that it is a highly hygroscopic, amorphous, white or pale yellow, odourless powder, prone to the formation of agglomerates. The powder is very easily soluble in water. Taking into account the values of the general desirability function, the best result was shown by sample № 4 consisting of mannitol, calcium stearate, and partially pregelatinized maize starch.Conclusion. The physicochemical and technological properties of the DEAE derivative were studied. The DEAE derivative is a highly hygroscopic substance. Via the method of mathematical planning of the experiment the composition of DEAE derivative tablets was selected and scientifically grounded: DEAE derivative 60 mg, mannitol, partially pregelatinized maize starch, calcium stearate. The average tablet weight is 300 mg. The parameters of pressing tablets were selected.

Sympathy as knowledge of the other in need: An investigation into the roles of need for closure and the moral foundations on sympathy toward immigrants

AbstractAlthough sympathy is a powerful other‐focused motivation, not all individuals will experience sympathy when it is appropriate. Immigrants, as a disadvantaged out‐group, are especially in need of sympathy and, given the tensions of the immigration debate, are at‐risk for low sympathy. Indeed, past research has found that sympathy is less likely to be experienced toward disliked out‐groups. In the current research, we investigated the role of need for closure (NFC), or the general desire for epistemic certainty, on the experience of sympathy toward immigrants in Italy, a nation where the immigration debate is becoming increasingly fractious. Consistent with past research on the roles of NFC and the binding moral foundations (i.e., a concern for the well‐being of groups) on prejudice toward out‐groups, we propose that individuals with a high NFC, and who endorsed the binding moral foundations (i.e., a concern for the well‐being of groups), would be particularly likely to have decreased sympathy toward immigrants in Italy. In line with past research and our hypotheses, in three studies we found that the binding foundations mediated the NFC effect on decreased sympathy toward immigrants in Italy. Conceptually, these individuals can strongly adopt traditional cultural norms as a way to acquire stable knowledge; this can make sympathy toward immigrants less likely, as they both stand outside “traditional” morality, as well can threaten the stability of natives’ knowledge.

Factors for eliminating plastic in packaging: The European FMCG experts’ view

The fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) sector is in the spotlight as a culprit for the current plastic waste problem. However, few studies provide insight into plastic elimination from the FMCG perspective. This qualitative study explores what the FMCG industry encounters when they attempt to address the plastic packaging issue. We conducted 13 semi-structured interviews with selected managers and technology experts in 7 European FMCGs. The analysis uses am original approach, named ‘the Factor Mapping Grid’, developed to stimulate responses from participants and map relationships between different factors. Results include 7 critical factors, and show that FMCG managers believe that pressure from “consumers” is the most prominent factor in reducing plastic. But, consumers are also equally viewed as a barrier to transition and thus act as a double-edged sword for FMCGs, depending on their awareness of plastic as an issue, and their willingness to take actions. All firms view legislation as an important enabler, but acknowledge that this is out of their control. It is evident that for industry, there is a general desire to reduce plastic, but there is a reluctance to be the first, and thus, a ‘we will if you will’ phenomenon is observed.

Screen Media: A Powerful Reinforcement.

The use of screen media has significantly increased and several lifestyle consequences have occurred following this change. Screen media exposure is more common among younger age children. Multiple factors may be the reason for this; however, their use is likely reinforced. Parents seek support from screen media devices, which can help calm and occupy their children in a matter of minutes. However, resorting to electronic devices for instant relief is likely to persist due to both negative and positive reinforcement. Reinforcing screen media in this way will make the use of screen devices inextricable for parents and their children. Explaining the issue clearly and coming up with feasible solutions will help minimize the negative health effects of prolonged screen use, the general desirability of screen media devices, and also improve (and increase) healthy screen time habits in children.

International regulation of the restriction of the use of environment

Agreements in the field of energy involve possibilities to lower consumption of natural resources and increase in production of renewable sources of energy. However, such interactions between goals and average requirements of an energy complex can be successful only when concluding similar international agreements. As the relevance of the study is energy sector of developed countries, which strives for balance of sources of electricity. Novelty of the study is determined by the fact that for the first time agreements in the field of environmental conservation are considered as a reasonable compromise between the necessity to expand the number of applicable technologies and requirement to lower overall consumption. In this regard, the authors consider as the research object the European Union as the most harmonic combination of ecological requirements to the use of energy and general desire to compensate ecological damage. In the article, the legal framework of the agreement on energy regulation in block formation has been analysed using the example of the European Union. Practical application of the study is determined by that forming of coherent energy agreement depends on not only efforts of separate states, but also on the extent to which these conditions will be combined with economic policies and the quality content of energy conservation policies.

Speaking to Design Students’ Motivation−When Creating Design Thinking Courses Based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

This paper investigates ways to create design thinking courses that speak to design students’ motivation based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). The question is examined through a case study at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design (KADK), in which third‐semester students from eight design disciplines engaged in a six‐week project‐based design thinking course with UN City Copenhagen as an external partner. KADK is hard at work to secure faster recruitment because the number of students accepted has been cut due to high unemployment rates among graduates. One strategy is to devote three years to the 17 UN SDGs; another initiative is to educate students to be able to work outside traditional areas of design.Previous experiences and research show that although some design disciplines find cross‐disciplinary design thinking courses to be a natural extension of their practice, others are demotivated, saying they take time away from discipline‐relevant projects and are generally a waste of time. With the intent to heighten students’ motivation to engage in the learning process, the course design integrates motivational factors such as a meaningful topic, working with real‐life challenges, collaborating with a high‐profile external partner, and positioning design thinking as a means to complex problem solving and innovation in public and private sectors.Data consist of qualitative, written student responses, submitted at the outset of the course and then again two weeks into the program, allowing for open reflection about what motivates and demotivates them. Student responses are compared to the applied motivational factors and to theories on motivation and creativity.Contrary to expectations, there is a marked shift—from the initial responses to the replies two weeks later—in the students’ perception: virtually every student is now motivated by learning design methods and collaboration skills. Equally surprising, the topic itself only motivates a small portion of the students. Hence, it is a mistake to believe that the UN SDGs in themselves constitute the engine and drive for student motivation.Based on the findings, the paper offers suggestions for future courses. First, to increase students’ intrinsic motivation, it will be helpful to (1) narrow down the SDGs to less complex subthemes and (2) explicitly address the exploratory nature of the investigation and include theory and supervision of how to handle the vexing emotions when entering complex territory.Second, the general desire to acquire design thinking competencies should be built upon, placing more emphasis on creative thinking skills, individually and in teams.Third, teachers need to be aware of how the pressure to secure recruitment might affect the creative performance of design students. If the push is too great, this extrinsic motivator can jeopardize the students’ ability to get in touch with their intrinsic motivation—the curiosity and passion necessary to come up with creative solutions. It is vital to get the balance right: addressing the professional and societal contexts that we are a part of while paying attention to the inner worlds of the students.

Conformity to the descriptive norms of people with opposing political or social beliefs.

The descriptive norm effect refers to findings that individuals will tend to prefer behaving certain ways when they know that other people behave similarly. An open question is whether individuals will still conform to other people’s behaviour when they do not identify with these other people, such as a Democrat being biased towards following a popular behaviour amongst Republicans. Self-categorization theory makes the intuitive prediction that people will actively avoid conforming to the norms of groups with which they do not identify. We tested this by informing participants that a particular action was more popular amongst people they identified with and additionally informed some participants that this action was unpopular amongst people they did not identify with. Specifically, we presented descriptive norms of people who supported different political parties or had opposing stances on important social issues. Counter to self-categorization theory’s prediction, we found that informing participants that an action was unpopular amongst people they did not identify with led participants’ preferences to shift away from that action. These results suggest that a general desire to conform with others may outpower the common ingroup vs outgroup mentality.

The Durability of Concrete Modified by Waste Limestone Powder in the Chemically Aggressive Environment

The idea of sustainable development assumes that natural resources must be treated as limited goods and that waste must be managed rationally. This idea and the constant striving to reduce production costs make the use of waste materials as substitutes for traditionally used raw materials from non-renewable sources increasingly popular. In cement concrete technology, there are many possibilities to use waste as components of mortars and concretes. The subject of this paper is a fine-grained material, obtained as a by-product during the preparation of aggregate for mineral-asphalt mixtures. The aim of the research was to test the suitability of the selected type of powder, namely limestone powder, as a component of cement composites. The paper presents an evaluation of the potential of using the limestone powder as a substitute for the fine aggregate, focusing on the impact of such a modification on aspects of durability. The sulfate degradation and chloride ion diffusion in concrete were investigated. The overall desirability function has been determined. It was demonstrated that the satisfactory value of the general desirability can be attributed to most of the investigated concretes. Positive test results support the potential of replacing part of natural fine aggregate with the tested waste limestone dust without a negative impact on the durability of concrete.

Marker genes as predictors of shared genomic function

BackgroundAlthough high-throughput marker gene studies provide valuable insight into the diversity and relative abundance of taxa in microbial communities, they do not provide direct measures of their functional capacity. Recently, scientists have shown a general desire to predict functional profiles of microbial communities based on phylogenetic identification inferred from marker genes, and recent tools have been developed to link the two. However, to date, no large-scale examination has quantified the correlation between the marker gene based taxonomic identity and protein coding gene conservation. Here we utilize 4872 representative prokaryotic genomes from NCBI to investigate the relationship between marker gene identity and shared protein coding gene content.ResultsEven at 99–100% marker gene identity, genomes share on average less than 75% of their protein coding gene content. This occurs regardless of the marker gene(s) used: V4 region of the 16S rRNA, complete 16S rRNA, or single copy orthologs through a multi-locus sequence analysis. An important aspect related to this observation is the intra-organism variation of 16S copies from a single genome. Although the majority of 16S copies were found to have high sequence similarity (> 99%), several genomes contained copies that were highly diverged (< 97% identity).ConclusionsThis is the largest comparison between marker gene similarity and shared protein coding gene content to date. The study highlights the limitations of inferring a microbial community’s functions based on marker gene phylogeny. The data presented expands upon the results of previous studies that examined one or few bacterial species and supports the hypothesis that 16S rRNA and other marker genes cannot be directly used to fully predict the functional potential of a bacterial community.

"Getting my Independence Back": Economic solvency program ideas from residents of a women's shelter.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue that affects many women all over the world. One of the most consistent risk factors for IPV is poverty. On the other hand, IPV is also a risk factor for continued poverty, which puts many women in a cycle of violence and poverty that is difficult to escape. Interventions are needed to help women improve their economic solvency and decrease their poverty-based risk for IPV. The current study is a qualitative study to examine how women who have experienced IPV would plan and execute an intervention to improve economic solvency. The participants were 21 diverse women living in a women's shelter. The major themes that came from the women's suggestions were as follows: addressing mental health, accountability, financial management classes, job skills and education, and other resources. Implications of this study include the need for more comprehensive programs, a general desire amongst the women for mentoring and accountability, and the need to address knowledge deficits about resources. This information can help resource providers to help build interventions to improve economic solvency in women who have experienced IPV and improve their overall safety.

Rail Pad Stiffness and Classification System

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to design rail pad stiffness in terms of a general desirability range and to suggest a classification system. The design is based on an analysis of the effect of ra...

Hormonal predictors of women's sexual motivation

Abstract Women's mating psychology may have evolved to track reproductive conditions, including conception risk, across and between ovulatory cycles. Alternatively, within-woman correlations between mating psychology and ovarian hormones may be byproducts of between-women relationships. Here, we examined associations between steroid hormones and two facets of sexual psychology with putatively different adaptive functions, sociosexual orientation and general sexual desire, in a sample of naturally cycling women (NC; n = 348, 87 of whom completed 2 sessions) and hormonally contracepting women (HC; n = 266, 65 of whom completed 2 sessions). Across two sessions, increases in estradiol predicted elevated sociosexual desire in NC women, and this relationship was stronger in women whose progesterone simultaneously decreased across sessions. Changes in hormones were not associated with changes in general sexual desire. Between-subjects differences in testosterone robustly, positively predicted sociosexuality and general sexual desire among NC women. Hormones were not consistently related to changes or differences in sexual psychology among HC women. The present results are consistent with testosterone contributing to individual differences, or modulating relatively long-term changes, in women's mating psychology. Further, our within-woman findings are consistent with the hypothesis that shifts in women's mating psychology may function to secure genetic benefits, and that these shifts are not byproducts of between-women associations.

The participation paradox: demand for and fear of immigrant participation

ABSTRACT In this paper, we address the ambivalence in European immigrant integration discourses toward the political participation of immigrants. We show how this ambivalence manifests in what we call a ‘participation paradox’, which is constituted by two apparently conflicting, but potentially mutually reinforcing characteristics of the discourse. The first emphasizes the need for immigrants to be active in order to attain a well-integrated society and well-functioning democratic polity; the second is a call for the protection of liberal democratic institutions from the alleged ‘illiberal threats’ that migrants pose to society. Immigrant participation is thus both demanded and feared. Using illustrations from Denmark, we show two different ways in which this paradox plays out in practice: i) the fear of participation results in debates around the general desirability of immigrant participation; and ii) the perceived threat of ‘undesired participation’ reinforces the demand for immigrants to be ‘good’ citizens by participating in a ‘civic’ way. In these cases, the content of immigrant participation is discursively restricted. We end the paper by exploring the consequences of the paradox in terms of the democratic position of immigrants.

Once again to the Question of the Title of A. S. Pushkin “the Sun of Russian Poetry”

The article is devoted to the analysis of the figurative definition of the meaning of Pushkin as the “sun of Russian poetry” from a brief notice of the death of A. S. Pushkin, published on January 30, 1837 in the 5th issue of Literary Additions, an appendix to the newspaper “Russian Invalid”. It is noted that the informal title of “sun” of national literature Pushkin received during his life thanks to the critic V. G. Belinsky, who, in “Literary Dreams” (1834) was the first to make a figurative comparison of the influence of the poet of the 20s of the XIX century work, who was “supreme leader” in the literature of that time, on the development of Russian literature with the influence of the sun on earth and earthly life. The end of the “Pushkin period” proclaimed by Belinsky in “Literary Dreams” and the general desire of literary circles to create national idols served as the basis for Pushkin’s title in Russian criticism of 1834-1837. However, the numerous titles that article authors generously awarded Pushkin during his lifetime did not consolidate in the national consciousness as firmly as the “high title” given to the poet by Belinsky in “Literary Dreams”, thanks to the lifetime glory and love of the people for his poet, his national vitality and centrality in Russian culture at that time. The author of the article focuses on the fact that, in the light of this position, the figurative definition of Pushkin’s meaning “the sun of Russian poetry” used in the obituary by V. F. Odoevsky essentially reproduces the informal title of the great poet, already rooted in the national consciousness, as the “sun” of national literature, which was first of critics awarded to Pushkin by Belinsky.

Magnificamus Te, Domina: Visigothic Roots of an Early Marian Prayer

Despite the considerable interest shown in Visigothic devotion to the Virgin Mary, an extended prayer addressed to her found in manuscripts of Ildefonsus of Toledo's De virginitate Sanctae Mariae has suffered neglect, most likely because it has been considered a tenth-century addition to the unique Marian liturgy celebrated in early medieval Iberia. Analysis of the prayer nevertheless reveals its closest textual parallels among the liturgical, theological, and legal materials produced in the Visigothic period. As a result, this study argues that we can best make sense of it as the product of seventh-century Iberian culture, in which the historical situation—including the recent conversion of the ruling classes from Arianism, the forced conversion of Jews, and a general desire for theological consensus—resulted in a special concern with christology. Such considerations may not just have shaped this one prayer, but the very foundation of a new Marian feast, as a way of establishing a clear and unified orthodoxy on the Second Person.

Words in a Nutshell: Miniaturizing Texts in Early Modern England

After Philemon Holland’s influential English translation of Pliny’s Natural History was first published in 1601, the Iliad-in-a-nutshell mentioned by Pliny became a commonplace motif of virtuosic compression in early modern England. Engaging with the popularity of this image, this article will explore its implications in early modern print culture. Although the frequently-appearing Iliad-in-a-nutshell might seem but a convenient rhetorical flourish, this article proposes that closer attention to it in the context of the small or miniature might help us to consider broader questions about the intertwining of physical and literary scale in early modern printed books as both texts and material objects. It argues that the miniature book, and more general desires to condense large works such as the Bible into smaller volumes, are not merely virtuosic or frivolous, but a manifestation of a wider anxiety about the relationship between physical size and literary weightiness.

The behavior of inverse oxide/metal catalysts: CO oxidation and water-gas shift reactions over ZnO/Cu(111) surfaces

There is a general desire to improve the configuration of industrial catalysts by taking advantage of the intrinsic properties of metal oxides. On an inverse oxide/metal catalyst, the reactants can interact with defect sites of the oxide nanoparticles, metal sites, and the metal-oxide interface. In this study, we have investigated the oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO + 0.5O2 → CO2) and the water-gas shift (WGS, CO + H2O → H2 + CO2) reaction on a series of ZnO/Cu(111) surfaces prepared in different ways. Oxidation of a Zn-Cu(111) alloys with O2 at 460 K produces ZnO/CuOx/Cu(111) systems where the size of the ZnO islands is in the range of 5–20 nm. These systems are highly active for the oxidation of CO at moderate temperatures (400–500 K) but have problems of stability when performing the water-gas shift at temperatures above 550 K. ZnO/CuOx/Cu(111) surfaces prepared by vapor deposition of Zn at 600 K in O2 exhibit islands of ZnO which are extremely large (400–500 nm) and contain a minimum of 3–4 layers of the oxide. These large islands of ZnO are not as chemically active as the small ZnO clusters yet they have high stability and produce ZnOCu interfaces which are efficient as catalysts for the water-gas shift reaction at 550–625 K.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of antioxidant properties of wild-growing plants. A short review

Plants in general (and herbs in particular) possess several compounds with very good antioxidant activity (such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenes, carotenoids, and proanthocyanidins). The natural compounds responsible for the antioxidant activity also have other important biological activities, thus the use of antioxidant natural products is constantly encouraged by the scientific community, as well as by the general desire for healthy and natural food that shifted the industry to the exploration of natural antioxidants as an alternative to the synthetic additives. This review intends to briefly summarize the recent progress regarding the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of natural products antioxidant properties. The antioxidant action of plants and natural compounds, as well as the main drawbacks of the current approach and perspective for future research and the industries that have already introduced in practice natural antioxidants are also briefly discussed.