Strong Aversion Research Articles

The human cost of war: An experimental study of Taiwanese attitudes towards war casualties

This paper investigates public attitudes toward types of war casualties. Through a survey experiment, we examine Taiwanese responses to hypothetical scenarios involving casualties among Taiwan's own military, the US military as allies, the Chinese military as enemy combatants, and mainland Chinese civilians. Our paper reveals three findings: first, there is a stronger aversion among Taiwanese citizens to their own military casualties compared with those of their allies. Second, Taiwanese attitudes toward their own military casualties are more adverse than those incurred by enemy military. Lastly, Taiwanese support for military action diminishes more significantly with Chinese civilian casualties than with Taiwanese military losses.

Network analysis of misophonia symptoms using the Duke Misophonia Questionnaire

BackgroundMisophonia is a complex disorder characterized by a strong aversion to specific sounds, leading to significant distress and impairment. While the Duke Misophonia Questionnaire (DMQ) is one of the most comprehensive and validated measures for assessing misophonia, the relative importance of specific subscales and items within the DMQ remains unclear. Network analysis enables an understanding of the interconnections among subscales, providing insights into which parts of the measure are most central to the others. This study employed network analysis to examine the interconnections among DMQ subscales and identify the most central components of misophonia symptomatology. MethodsNetwork analysis was conducted on DMQ data from 144 adults with varying levels of misophonia symptoms. Four network models were examined: overall misophonia, symptoms, beliefs, and impairment. Sex differences were also explored. ResultsThe Impairment subscale emerged as the most central in the overall network for both males and females. Key items included cognitive reactions (“I need to get away from the sound,” “I thought about physically hurting the person making the sound”) as well as affective reactions (panic, anger) in the symptom sub-network, non-acceptance of misophonia beliefs (“I hate being like this”) in the belief sub-network, and deterioration of self-esteem due to misophonia in the impairment sub-network. Females reported more severe cognitive and physiological symptoms than males. ConclusionsThe DMQ Impairment subscale and specific items identified as most central in each network may represent key aspects of misophonia symptomatology. Prioritizing these components in assessment and intervention efforts may be beneficial when appropriate.

Effect of Sargassum on the Behavior and Survival of the Earthworm Eisenia Fetida.

The massive influx of Sargassum natans and S. fluitans to the shores of the Mexican Caribbean has raised concerns regarding their potential impact on soil quality and health in coastal and agroecosystems. The effects of Sargassum accumulation remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to assess the impact of Sargassum on soil ecosystems by examining the behavior and survival of the epigean earthworm Eisenia fetida. The earthworm was exposed to varying concentrations of Sargassum (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) in two toxicological tests. Results from the avoidance test demonstrated that E. fetida exhibited strong aversion (> 80%) to a diet containing 100% Sargassum. Conversely, the acute test revealed minimal mortality, but growth decreased with increasing Sargassum concentrations. These findings can serve as early warning bioindicators for assessing the environmental risk posed by Sargassum in soil ecosystems.

The emotions lived in mathematics classes and their reflection outside the school context: A case study of Manuel

Based on the theory of the Cognitive Structure of the Emotions (OCC), this article has a dual objective: 1) to document negative attitudes toward mathematics generated during the academic formation of Manuel, an adult who ended his school education 15 years before this investigation and today is a professional voice-over actor; and 2) to analyze the reflection of those attitudes in the emotions that emerged during the process of solving mathematical problems related to his work. Manuel was chosen from among ten voice-over professionals who, before the study began, manifested a strong aversion toward mathematics. Manuel was interviewed twice: once before, and then after solving the mathematical problems posed. Results indicate that his negative attitude toward mathematics was reflected in the emotions — frustration, fear, anger, and nervousness — he experienced while solving the problems.

Exploring boaters’ intentions and awareness to explain why some anchor on coral reefs

Coral reefs provide a variety of ecosystem services to humans, but are also degrading due to human activities such as damage from boat anchoring. Anchoring on reef could occur intentionally, because boaters prioritize other considerations that outweigh any desire to not anchor on reef, or unintentionally, because they lack true awareness of the seabed habitat. We conducted structured interviews, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, with 130 boaters in the British Virgin Islands to uncover the motivations and awareness underlying their anchoring behavior. Perceived awareness is rarely ground-truthed, so we checked interview responses of anchored boats by snorkeling to observe the seabed underlying their anchor and anchor chain. All respondents stated a strong aversion to anchoring on coral reef. The few boats we observed anchored on reef did so unintentionally due to a mismatch between their perceived and actual awareness of the seabed habitat. Potential management actions to reduce anchoring on reef thus include measures that increase awareness of seabed habitats. Mooring buoys are an alternative to anchoring at some sites, so increased use of moorings is another option because it should decrease the proportion of boats that anchor, which, in turn, should reduce unintentional anchoring on coral. The decision to use a mooring rather than anchor is, however, multifaceted. Boaters are less likely to choose moorings if they perceive moorings as inconvenient to pre-book, do not trust the moorings are secure, or prefer more secluded areas. Boaters also noted that, during peak boating season, the option to moor is reduced because moorings are sometimes fully occupied. Despite this complexity, our findings suggest several local management options that could further reduce the minority of boats anchoring on coral.

The territorial taboo: Explaining the public aversion to negotiations in the Ukraine war support coalition

Despite severe and mounting war costs, many in the international coalition supporting Ukraine have publicly expressed strong aversion to negotiations with Russia, and Ukrainian territorial concessions, to end the war. What explains this aversion to negotiations and seeming taboo on territorial concessions? This commentary, drawing particularly on US policy debate, suggests that proclaimed sacred values helps explain this disposition. Ukraine’s war support network is a discursive coalition bound together by three shared narratives about the war and universal values. Stories about international law and territorial integrity, about war crimes and genocide, and about freedom and democracy, render talk about territorial concessions to Russia, as the aggressor state, taboo in different ways. Psychological factors, from commitment problems to hawkish biases, bolster this taboo. The Gaza war, however, has exposed Western sacred values as geographically limited. The territorial taboo disguises tragic trade-offs and the enormous costs of Ukraine’s fight, burdening the country with an unwinnable mission. Any settlement of the war is likely to see the territorial taboo abandoned, in de facto if not de jure terms.

Early warning response to rainstorm: Designing a model with incentive and supervision mechanisms based on the principal-agent theory

Owing to the increasing frequency of rainstorm disasters, strengthening the link between meteorological warning and emergency response that is early warning response has become crucial. However, early warning response usually fail, the underlying reasons behind this phenomenon and their improvement measures need to be urgently explored. This study uses the principal–agent theory to establish an incentive-constraining model based on hierarchical government to explore this problem. Considering the interest game between the superior and local governments, we mainly discuss how to design the optimal incentive mechanism under the condition of information asymmetry to enhance the local government's enthusiasm for providing an early warning response to rainstorm, thereby maximizing the benefits for both parties in the model. Furthermore, based on actual conditions, we use numerical simulation to present the model results more clearly. The results indicate that incentive and supervision mechanisms are mutually substitutable. Strong early warning capability and active public cooperation can improve the local government's enthusiasm for providing an early warning response. Excessive costs lead the local government to adopt a negative attitude toward warning, regardless of supervision is introduced. Only when the local government exhibits strong risk aversion and its investment is affected by numerous random factors, introducing supervision is effective. Meanwhile, too many external factors, excessive or insufficient supervision's intensity also affect the optimization effect of supervision on incentive contract. To maximize the effectiveness of supervision, the superior government should improve the supervision team's capability, and maintain the supervision's intensity within a reasonable range.

Dissociable hindbrain GLP1R circuits for satiety and aversion.

The most successful obesity therapeutics, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists, cause aversive responses such as nausea and vomiting1,2, effects that may contribute to their efficacy. Here, we investigated the brain circuits that link satiety to aversion, and unexpectedly discovered that the neural circuits mediating these effects are functionally separable. Systematic investigation across drug-accessible GLP1R populations revealed that only hindbrain neurons are required for the efficacy of GLP1-based obesity drugs. In vivo two-photon imaging of hindbrain GLP1R neurons demonstrated that most neurons are tuned to either nutritive or aversive stimuli, but not both. Furthermore, simultaneous imaging of hindbrain subregions indicated that area postrema (AP) GLP1R neurons are broadly responsive, whereas nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) GLP1R neurons are biased towards nutritive stimuli. Strikingly, separate manipulation of these populations demonstrated that activation of NTSGLP1R neurons triggers satiety in the absence of aversion, whereas activation of APGLP1R neurons triggers strong aversion with food intake reduction. Anatomical and behavioural analyses revealed that NTSGLP1R and APGLP1R neurons send projections to different downstream brain regions to drive satiety and aversion, respectively. Importantly, GLP1R agonists reduce food intake even when the aversion pathway is inhibited. Overall, these findings highlight NTSGLP1R neurons as a population that could be selectively targeted to promote weight loss while avoiding the adverse side effects that limit treatment adherence.

Preferences for Postacute Care at Home vs Facilities

Two in 5 US hospital stays result in rehabilitative postacute care, typically through skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) or home health agencies (HHAs). However, a lack of clear guidelines and understanding of patient and caregiver preferences make it challenging to promote high-value patient-centered care. To assess preferences and willingness to pay for facility-based vs home-based postacute care among patients and caregivers, considering demographic variations. In September 2022, a nationally representative survey was conducted with participants 45 years or older. Using a discrete choice experiment, participants acting as patients or caregivers chose between facility-based and home-based postacute care that best met their preferences, needs, and family conditions. Survey weights were applied to generate nationally representative estimates. Preferences and willingness to pay for various attributes of postacute care settings were assessed, examining variation based on demographic factors, socioeconomic status, job security, and previous care experiences. A total of 2077 adults were invited to participate in the survey; 1555 (74.9%) completed the survey. In the weighted sample, 52.9% of participants were women, 6.5% were Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.7% were American Indian or Alaska Native, 11.2% were Black or African American, 78.4% were White; the mean (SD) age was 62.6 (9.6) years; and there was a survey completion rate of 74.9%. Patients and caregivers showed a substantial willingness to pay for home-based and high-quality care. Patients and caregivers were willing to pay an additional $58.08 per day (95% CI, 45.32-70.83) and $45.54 per day (95% CI, 31.09-59.99) for HHA care compared with a shared SNF room, respectively. However, increased demands on caregiver time within an HHA scenario and socioeconomic challenges, such as insecure employment, shifted caregivers' preferences toward facility-based care. There was a strong aversion to below average quality. To avoid below average SNF care, patients and caregivers were willing to pay $75.21 per day (95% CI, 61.68-88.75) and $79.10 per day (95% CI, 63.29-94.91) compared with average-quality care, respectively. Additionally, prior awareness and experience with postacute care was associated with willingness to pay for home-based care. No differences in preferences among patients and caregivers based on race, educational background, urban or rural residence, general health status, or housing type were observed. The findings of this survey study underscore a prevailing preference for home-based postacute care, aligning with current policy trends. However, attention is warranted for disadvantaged groups who are potentially overlooked during the shift toward home-based care, particularly those facing caregiver constraints and socioeconomic hardships. Ensuring equitable support and improved quality measure tools are crucial for promoting patient-centric postacute care, with emphasis on addressing the needs of marginalized groups.

What does the population in Niger think about a military government?

ABSTRACT Using the Round 9 Afrobarometer survey data for Niger, this study examined the determinants of support for military intervention with particular focus on political instability, perceived corruption in the democratic government, and socioeconomic deprivation. The descriptive results showed that Nigeriens generally do not have a strong aversion towards military rule. In fact, about 70 percent of them agreed that the military should intervene when the democratic government is corrupt. The regression results showed that political instability, which was measured using the total number of violent conflict incidents in the region where respondents resided, was positively correlated with support for military intervention. This might be because people who are exposed to violence feel that a military government would do a better job at providing security. Perceived corruption in government was also positively correlated with support for military intervention. This might be because corruption engenders discontent with democratic institutions, prompting people to see military intervention as a way of curtailing the democratic government’s excesses. Socioeconomic deprivation was negatively correlated with support for military intervention, which suggests that the poor prefer democracy to a military government.

The Effect of National Cultural Values on the Financial Inclusion: An International Perspective

Financial inclusion is essential for attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Research on financial inclusion is becoming increasingly vital for both researchers and policymakers alike. Previous studies have investigated the influence of formal institutions on financial inclusion. Nevertheless, the influence of informal cultural disparities on financial inclusion remains largely unexplored. This study investigated the influence of national cultural values on the levels of financial inclusion and illustrated how national culture might decrease the degrees of financial inclusion in countries. A comparative analysis methodology was used in the study, utilising secondary data from a time series from 2012 to 2021. The data encompassed 40 nations that were divided into four income groups. The findings indicated that the differences in degrees of national cultural values among various countries substantially impacted the country's levels of financial inclusion. The results suggested that Hofstede's cultural dimensions significantly impacted financial inclusion in the countries examined in the study. Moreover, these aspects were associated with financial inclusion, demonstrating diverse levels and orientations of influence. The results indicated that countries with a strong aversion to uncertainty and significant power disparities likely exhibit lower financial inclusion levels. Conversely, nations characterised by high levels of individualism and masculinity tended to demonstrate greater financial inclusion. The robust and extensive results of a series of rigorous evaluations may be a valuable foundation for policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders in their efforts to promote sustainable development worldwide by improving global financial inclusion.

Metabolic sensing in AgRP regulates sucrose preference and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

Hunger increases the motivation for calorie consumption, often at the expense of low-taste appeal. However, the neural mechanisms integrating calorie-sensing with increased motivation for calorie consumption remain unknown. Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus sense hunger, and the ingestion of caloric solutions promotes dopamine release in the absence of sweet taste perception. Therefore, we hypothesised that metabolic-sensing of hunger by AgRP neurons would be essential to promote dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in response to caloric, but not non-caloric solutions. Moreover, we examined whether metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons affected taste preference for bitter solutions under conditions of energy need. Here we show that impaired metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons attenuated nucleus accumbens dopamine release in response to sucrose, but not saccharin, consumption. Furthermore, metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons was essential to distinguish nucleus accumbens dopamine response to sucrose consumption when compared with saccharin. Under conditions of hunger, metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons increased the preference for sucrose solutions laced with the bitter tastant, quinine, to ensure calorie consumption, whereas mice with impaired metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons maintained a strong aversion to sucrose/quinine solutions despite ongoing hunger. In conclusion, we demonstrate normal metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons drives the preference for calorie consumption, primarily when needed, by engaging dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

Willingness and preferences for long-acting injectable PrEP among US men who have sex with men: a discrete choice experiment

IntroductionCabotegravir long-acting injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (LA-PrEP) was shown to be safe and effective in multiple clinical trials. Increasing uptake and persistence among populations with elevated risk for HIV acquisition,...

Bilateral hypogeusia and food aversion due to lacunar infarct in the right dorsomedial pontine tegmentum

ABSTRACT A 70-year-old right-handed housewife suffered an acute loss of taste, an unpleasant change in the taste of foods and liquids, and a strong aversion to all kinds of food due to a small lacune in the right dorsomedial pontine tegmentum. Eating became so unpleasant that she lost 7 kg in three weeks. Olfaction and the sensibility of the tongue were spared. The right medial longitudinal fascicle, the central tegmental tract, or both, were injured by the tegmental lesion. A discrete right-sided lesion in the upper pontine tegmentum may cause a reversible syndrome consisting of bilateral hypogeusia which is more severe ipsilaterally.

An Automated Online Measure for Misophonia: The Sussex Misophonia Scale for Adults.

Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by a strong aversion to specific sounds (e.g., chewing). Here we present the Sussex Misophonia Scale for Adults (SMS-Adult), within an online open-access portal, with automated scoring and results that can be shared ethically with users and professionals. Receiver operator characteristics show our questionnaire to be "excellent" and "good-to-excellent" at classifying misophonia, both when dividing our n = 501 adult participants by recruitment stream (self-declared misophonics vs. general population), and again when dividing them with by a prior measure of misophonia (as misophonics vs. non-misophonics). Factor analyses identified a five-factor structure in our 39 Likert-type items, and these were Feelings/Isolation, Life consequences, Intersocial reactivity, Avoidance/Repulsion, and Pain. Our measure also elicits misophonia triggers, each rated for their commonness in misophonia. We offer our open-access online tool for wider use (www.misophonia-hub.org), embedded within a well-stocked library of resources for misophonics, researchers, and clinicians.

Aversion to health inequality — Pure, income-related and income-caused

We design a novel experiment to identify aversion to pure (univariate) health inequality separately from aversion to income-related and income-caused health inequality. Participants allocate resources to determine health of individuals. Identification comes from random variation in resource productivity and information on income and its causal effect. We gather data (26,286 observations) from a sample of UK adults (n = 337) and estimate pooled and participant-specific social preferences while accounting for noise. The median person has strong aversion to pure health inequality, challenging the health maximisation objective of economic evaluation. Aversion to health inequality is even stronger when it is related to income. However, the median person prioritises health of poorer individuals less than is assumed in the standard measure of income-related health inequality. On average, aversion to that inequality does not become stronger when low income is known to cause ill-health. There is substantial heterogeneity in all three types of inequality aversion.

Women Empowerment through Reformation of Characters in the Novel’ in the Country of Deceit’

The novel "In the Country of Deceit" (2008) represents a notable divergence from Deshpande's previous literary endeavours. Within the preceding novels, female protagonists demonstrate a strong aversion towards physical gratification. However, in this particular instance, they engage in open and uninhibited discussions regarding their bodily desires, marking a significant departure from previous portrayals. The protagonist of the aforementioned novel exhibits traits of boldness, courage, and a greater sense of liberation compared to their predecessors. Notably, characters such as Baba, Manjari, Devi, and Sindhu engage in discussions regarding the physical needs of the body in a manner that is remarkably organic. The characters in the narrative exhibit a strong inclination towards attaining self-fulfilment by actively questioning and challenging the sociocultural norms that have been imposed upon them. Additionally, they demonstrate a resolute determination in making autonomous decisions regarding the trajectory of their lives. The individuals under study exhibit a strong sense of self-confidence and take full responsibility for their current circumstances, refraining from attributing blame to external factors. The current study endeavours to demonstrate the manner in which the male and female protagonists in the literary work titled "In The Country of Deceit" challenge established societal conventions and instil a sense of hopefulness in their existence, despite encountering numerous hardships.

How Ethnic Discrimination Shapes Political Reintegration After War: Insights From a Conjoint Experiment in Colombia

The reintegration of former armed group affiliates into formal politics is a fundamental challenge for post-conflict societies. Arguably, this challenge is even more difficult in settings where ethnic discrimination is pervasive, since discrimination implies comparatively higher barriers to political reintegration for racialized ex-combatants. In this paper, we explore how ethnicity and armed group affiliation interact to shape electoral prospects. Specifically, we investigate whether participants in a conjoint experiment in Colombia discriminate between political candidates of European and African descent and whether politicians of different ethnic identities are differentially punished for ties to armed groups. We find that participants display a strong aversion toward politicians with armed group affiliations and that they discriminate against Afro-Colombian candidates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that biases are additive, in the sense that Caucasian and Afro-Colombian candidates are equally punished for associating with armed groups. Finally, we explore heterogeneous treatment effects to shed light on sources of ethnic discrimination and aversion toward former armed group affiliates.

Characterization of taste sensitivities to amino acids and sugars by conditioned taste aversion learning in chickens

Taste plays an essential role in regulating the feeding behaviors of animals. The present study aimed to characterize the taste sensory profiles of amino acids and sugars in chickens. To achieve this, we employed a conditioned taste aversion learning method, which is characterized by a specific pairing of gastrointestinal malaise and taste perception. Our findings revealed that chickens were able to learn to avoid L-Val, L-Lys, and L-His through conditioned taste aversion learning, and exhibited a strong aversion to L-Arg. These results suggest that chickens are primarily sensitive to basic amino acids, including L-Lys, which is a crucial limiting amino acid in feeds. Interstingly, this sensitivity to basic amino acids in chickens contrasts with humans, who are mainly sensitive to acidic amino acids as umami taste. Furthermore, despite the absence of a mammalian sweet taste receptor gene in the chicken genome, we demonstrated that chickens learned to avoid glucose, galactose, sucrose, and maltose by conditioned taste aversion learning. Taken together, the present study provides the idea that chickens possess a gustatory perception toward specific amino acids and sugars for the detection of beneficial nutrients in their feeds.

Green innovation decision and coordination of supply chain under corporate social responsibility and risk preferences

Consumers' green awareness can induce enterprises to pay attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the risk aversion preference of enterprises often makes them cautious about investment in new fields. The joint effect of CSR and manufacturer's risk preferences in green innovation investment on supply chain decision-making is worth exploring. This paper studies the green innovation decisions of supply chain enterprises when different entities undertake CSR under the random demand for green products, and the joint impact of manufacturer's risk preference and CSR on corporate decision-making and utility. Given the inefficiency of decentralized models with risk aversion, a side-payment self-enforcing contract is designed to reduce the green innovation risk of risk-averse manufacturer. The following conclusions are drawn: (i) A higher CSR ratio promotes lower prices, higher green innovation level and supply chain utility. And, manufacturer’s strong risk aversion inhibits green innovation level and manufacturer’s utility. (ii) Green innovation level and corporate utility are highest when the manufacturer and retailer share CSR. When only one company undertakes CSR, the CSR ratio plays a critical role in decision-making. (iii) After coordination, the utilities of both risk-averse manufacturer and retailer are improved, achieving a win–win situation. And green innovation level reaches the equilibrium in the centralized scenario, which is of great benefit to supply chain enterprises and the environment.