Aging Impairs Inhibitory Control Over Incidental Cues: A Construal-Level Perspective.

Age-related changes in decision making have been attributed to deterioration of cognitive skills, such as learning and memory. On the basis of past research showing age-related decreases in the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, we hypothesize that these changes occur, in part, because of older adults' tendency to give more weight to low-level, subordinate, and goal-irrelevant information than younger adults do. Consistent with this hypothesis, our findings demonstrated that young adults are willing to pay more for a product with superior end attributes than a product with superior means attributes (Study 1, N = 200) and are more satisfied after an experience with superior end than means attributes (Study 2, N = 399). Young adults are also more satisfied with a goal-relevant than with a goal-irrelevant product (Study 3, N = 201; Study 4, N = 200, preregistered). Importantly, these effects were attenuated with age. Implications for research on construal level and aging, as well as implications for policymakers, are discussed.

Meta-analysis of multidecadal biodiversity trends in Europe.

Local biodiversity trends over time are likely to be decoupled from global trends, as local processes may compensate or counteract global change. We analyze 161 long-term biological time series (15-91 years) collected across Europe, using a comprehensive dataset comprising ~6,200 marine, freshwater and terrestrial taxa. We test whether (i) local long-term biodiversity trends are consistent among biogeoregions, realms and taxonomic groups, and (ii) changes in biodiversity correlate with regional climate and local conditions. Our results reveal that local trends of abundance, richness and diversity differ among biogeoregions, realms and taxonomic groups, demonstrating that biodiversity changes at local scale are often complex and cannot be easily generalized. However, we find increases in richness and abundance with increasing temperature and naturalness as well as a clear spatial pattern in changes in community composition (i.e. temporal taxonomic turnover) in most biogeoregions of Northern and Eastern Europe.

When knowledge is demotivating: subjective knowledge and choice overload.

People find it appealing to have more options to choose from, but the provision of choice often leads to adverse consequences for decision makers' motivation, satisfaction, and willingness to act. We propose that the effect of the number of choice options on willingness to purchase is moderated by people's subjective knowledge (SK). The results of three studies provide converging evidence that, paradoxically, people who feel unknowledgeable (low-SK people) in a certain domain are especially willing to purchase when more choice options are available, which is consistent with the notion of "more is better." This pattern is reversed for people who feel knowledgeable (high-SK people), which is consistent with prior evidence for choice overload. We also show that this pattern is influenced by the informativeness of the features of the available choice options and that subjective knowledge mediates this effect.

Surface antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility of incorporated polyethylenimine nanoparticles.

The antimicrobial effect and biocompatibility of insoluble cross-linked quaternary ammonium polyethylenimine (PEI) nanoparticles incorporated at 1 or 2%w/w in a resin composite were assayed. The antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli was tested using the direct contact test (DCT), agar diffusion test (ADT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Biocompatibility was tested by assessing macrophage viability, and TNFalpha secretion. Samples incorporating 2%w/w nanoparticles inhibited the growth of all bacterial strains tested. Reducing the amount of the added nanoparticles to 1%w/w resulted in complete inhibition of S. aureus and E. faecalis, and decreased growth of S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa and E. coli (p<0.0001). The DCT results were confirmed by SEM. However, ADT showed no inhibition halo in all test bacteria, indicating the antimicrobial nanoparticles are not diffusing into the agar milieu. Biocompatibility tests revealed macrophage viability, and TNFalpha secretion was not altered by the presence of the nanoparticles in the resin. Incorporation of PEI nanoparticles in a resin composite had a long lasing antimicrobial effect against a wide range of bacteria with no measured effect on biocompatibility.

Salivary antioxidant capacity in graft versus host disease.

Stem cell transplantation (SCT)-related salivary gland injury and dysfunction result in local and systemic manifestations that may be long lasting and are associated with a high rate of morbidity and increased risk of infection. The salivary antioxidant system may have a major protective role. We, therefore, assessed salivary antioxidant capacity and function in 30 patients who had undergone SCT: 18 males and 12 females whose median age was 36 years (range: 7-58). Salivary gland function was assessed by sialometric and biochemistry means, which included measuring total protein, secretory IgA (SIgA) and the antioxidants peroxidase, uric acid (UA), and total antioxidant status (TAS) in the collected saliva. In patients who developed graft versus host disease (GVHD), we observed a significant decrease of the salivary flow rate, from 0.74 +/- 0.14 ml/minute to 0.19 +/- 0.08 ml/min, pre- and post-SCT, respectively (p < 0.01) with no recovery. In contrast, in patients who underwent autologous or allogeneic SCT and did not develop GVHD, salivary flow rates returned to normal 3-5 months posttransplantation. GVHD also resulted in a concomitant reduction of the salivary protein content and the salivary antioxidant capacity. The TAS levels in the saliva of the GVHD patients were found to be significantly reduced, to about one-third of the base-line value (P < 0.02). The concomitant reduction in salivary flow rate, protein content, and antioxidant capacity may well explain the GVHD-induced oral and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) mucositis, as the saliva constantly swallowed into the GIT losses its usual antioxidant protective roles. In conclusion, our findings may point at a possible new mechanism for the pathogenesis of oral and intestinal mucositis in pre-GVHD patients. Therapy with artificial saliva and free radical scavengers and/or antioxidants (administered either systemically or via oral rinses) thus, may be of clinical relevance.