“Listen, did you hear…?” A structural equation model explaining online information sharing on the risks of nanotechnology in food

In order to encourage consumer informed decision making, it is in the interest of risk communicators in the food industry and authorities to facilitate consumer risk information sharing. Focusing on the risks of nanotechnology in food products, this study aimed to develop and test a model that describes the processes that result in the online sharing of risk information on food products. The model was based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Risk Information Seeking and Processing model and the broader risk perception and communication literature. A cross-sectional online survey has been carried out among a representative sample of adults > 18 years of age in the Netherlands (n = 511). Attitude, self-efficacy, and injunctive and descriptive subjective norms in relation to information sharing were measured, as were information need, information seeking, trust, risk perception and anxiety in relation to the application of nanotechnology in food products. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the determinants of information sharing behaviour, and their relationships. Results showed that the intention to share information about the risks of nanotechnology in food online was medium-low. The hypothesized model as a whole fitted the data and nine of the fourteen path coefficients were highly significant. Results showed injunctive norms to be the main determinant of information sharing. Attitude and information seeking also contributed to the explanation of the variance in information sharing. Results are put into the perspective of relevant theoretical viewpoints and empirical findings. Implications for food risk communication and the facilitation of informed decision making are discussed

Study demands and resources affect academic well-being and life satisfaction of undergraduate medical students in the Netherlands

IntroductionMedical students report poor academic well-being in a context of high study demands. Study Demands–Resources theories have outlined mediating processes involving high study demands and low resources to mitigate academic well-being, which is subsequently associated with diminished overall well-being (i.e. life satisfaction). Furthermore, academic well-being and life satisfaction are also affected by interactions between study demands and resources (referred to as moderating processes). However, these mediating and moderating processes clarifying medical students' well-being still need to be investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the mediating role of academic well-being in the associations of study demands and resources with life satisfaction and the moderating role of study demands and resources in relation to academic well-being and life satisfaction among undergraduate medical students.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey study, 372 undergraduates from Dutch medical schools participated. The survey included the Study Demands–Resources Scale (workload, growth opportunities and peer support) as well as questionnaires on academic well-being (Utrecht Burnout Scale for students and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Form) and overall well-being (single item on life satisfaction). Based on Study Demands–Resources theories, (moderated) mediation analyses were performed.ResultsMediating processes were found as growth opportunities were indirectly associated with higher life satisfaction through lower academic burnout and higher academic engagement. Furthermore, workload was indirectly associated with lower life satisfaction through higher academic burnout. This association was moderated as it became weaker with more perceived peer support.DiscussionA high workload and limited growth opportunities are associated with suboptimal academic well-being and life satisfaction. Perceiving support from peer students slightly buffers the unfavourable effect of workload on academic burnout and subsequently life satisfaction. To promote academic well-being and life satisfaction in medical students, universities can consider to reduce the workload, to create a supportive learning environment and to offer development opportunities

AVNP2 protects against cognitive impairments induced by C6 glioma by suppressing tumour associated inflammation in rats

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/).Glioblastoma is a kind of malignant tumour and originates from the central nervous system. In the last century, some researchers and clinician have noticed that the psychosocial and neurocognitive functioning of patients with malignant gliomas can be impaired. Many clinical studies have demonstrated that part of patients, adults or children, diagnosed with glioblastoma will suffer from cognitive deficiency during their clinical course, especially in long-term survivors. Many nanoparticles (NPs) can inhibit the biological functions of tumours by modulating tumour-associated inflammation, which provokes angiogenesis and tumour growth. As one of the best antiviral nanoparticles (AVNPs), AVNP2 is the 2nd generation of AVNP2 that have been conjugated to graphite-graphene for improving physiochemical performance and reducing toxicity. AVNP2 inactivates viruses, such as the H1N1 and H5N1influenza viruses and even the SARS coronavirus, while it inhibits bacteria, such as MRSA and E. coli. As antimicrobials, nanoparticles are considered to be one of the vectors for the administration of therapeutic compounds. Yet, little is known about their potential functionalities and toxicities to the neurotoxic effects of cancer. Herein, we explored the functionality of AVNP2 on inhibiting C6 in glioma-bearing rats. The novel object-recognition test and open-field test showed that AVNP2 significantly improved the neuro-behaviour affected by C6 glioma. AVNP2 also alleviated the decline of long-term potentiation (LTP) and the decreased density of dendritic spines in the CA1 region induced by C6. Western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining showed that the expressions of synaptic-related proteins (PSD-95 and SYP) were increased, and these findings were in accordance with the results mentioned above. It revealed that the sizes of tumours in C6 glioma-bearing rats were smaller after treatment with AVNP2. The decreased expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) by Western blotting assay and ELISA, angiogenesis protein (VEGF) by Western blotting assay and other related proteins (BDNF, NF-ĸB, iNOS and COX-2) by Western blotting assay in peri-tumour tissue indicated that AVNP2 could control tumour-associated inflammation, thus efficiently ameliorating the local inflammatory condition and, to some extent, inhibiting angiogenesis in C6-bearing rats. In conclusion, our results suggested that AVNP2 could have an effect on the peri-tumor environment, obviously restraining the growth progress of gliomas, and eventually improving cognitive levels in C6-bearing rats.Peer reviewedProo

Study delay during emergency remote teaching among students at Dutch universities:the role of students’ education satisfaction and academic wellbeing

This study investigated whether the amount of emergency remote teaching (ERT) was negatively associated with students’ academic performance in terms of study delay and explored whether this association was mediated by study-related experiences, i.e. students’ education satisfaction and subsequently academic wellbeing (academic burnout and academic engagement). The study was conducted during the academic year 2020/2021 and 680 students from all conventional Dutch universities participated. The amount of ERT and study-related experiences were measured at three time points throughout the academic year and the respective scores were averaged for data analysis. Study delay was assessed at the end of the academic year (last time point). The hypothesised model was tested using path analysis. A higher amount of ERT was associated with a higher risk of study delay and this association was mediated by study-related experiences in two ways. First, a higher amount of ERT was related to lower education satisfaction, which in turn increased the risk of study delay. Second, a higher amount of ERT was related to lower education satisfaction, which in turn was associated with lower academic wellbeing, i.e. more academic burnout and less academic engagement, which in turn increased the risk of study delay. The findings suggest that education satisfaction and academic wellbeing are mechanisms underlying the detrimental effect of ERT on study performance, with education satisfaction playing a central role. To avoid students incurring study delay, universities are advised to implement ERT and online education in general in such a way that students’ education satisfaction gets preserved

The role of health beliefs in HPV vaccine uptake among young men during the Dutch catch-up campaign in 2023

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with the development of various cancers. An effective way to prevent HPV-related cancer is vaccination. In 2023, the Dutch government started a vaccination catch-up campaign in which, particularly, young men between the ages of 19 and 26 were invited to receive the HPV vaccine free of charge. Aims: This study aimed to estimate the relevance of the determinants proposed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) regarding HPV vaccine uptake among young men. Method: A cross-sectional survey was completed by 155 Dutch young men aged 19–26 years. The HBM determinants of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers were measured along with HPV vaccine uptake as an outcome. The relevance of the HBM determinants for HPV vaccine uptake was determined by confidence interval-based estimation of relevance (CIBER). Results: In total,54 participants got vaccinated since the start of the campaign. Perceived benefits and barriers were strongly related to vaccine uptake, while most young men perceived many benefits and few barriers. Perceived severity showed a moderate association with vaccine uptake, while most young men perceived the consequences of HPV infections as moderately severe. Perceived susceptibility was not significantly related to vaccine uptake. Limitations: The sample mainly consisted of higher-educated participants and no information about ethnicity was obtained. Only determinants of the HBM were included. Cross-sectional data and self-reports on vaccination status were used. Conclusion: Public health interventions should focus on increasing the perceived severity, while simultaneously reinforcing beliefs about many benefits and few barriers

Study demands and resources affect academic well-being and life satisfaction of undergraduate medical students in the Netherlands

IntroductionMedical students report poor academic well-being in a context of high study demands. Study Demands–Resources theories have outlined mediating processes involving high study demands and low resources to mitigate academic well-being, which is subsequently associated with diminished overall well-being (i.e. life satisfaction). Furthermore, academic well-being and life satisfaction are also affected by interactions between study demands and resources (referred to as moderating processes). However, these mediating and moderating processes clarifying medical students' well-being still need to be investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the mediating role of academic well-being in the associations of study demands and resources with life satisfaction and the moderating role of study demands and resources in relation to academic well-being and life satisfaction among undergraduate medical students.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey study, 372 undergraduates from Dutch medical schools participated. The survey included the Study Demands–Resources Scale (workload, growth opportunities and peer support) as well as questionnaires on academic well-being (Utrecht Burnout Scale for students and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Form) and overall well-being (single item on life satisfaction). Based on Study Demands–Resources theories, (moderated) mediation analyses were performed.ResultsMediating processes were found as growth opportunities were indirectly associated with higher life satisfaction through lower academic burnout and higher academic engagement. Furthermore, workload was indirectly associated with lower life satisfaction through higher academic burnout. This association was moderated as it became weaker with more perceived peer support.DiscussionA high workload and limited growth opportunities are associated with suboptimal academic well-being and life satisfaction. Perceiving support from peer students slightly buffers the unfavourable effect of workload on academic burnout and subsequently life satisfaction. To promote academic well-being and life satisfaction in medical students, universities can consider to reduce the workload, to create a supportive learning environment and to offer development opportunities

A longitudinal study on the impact of student-teacher and student-peer relationships on academic performance: the mediating effects of study effort and engagement

Despite the recognised importance of student-teacher and student-peer relationships as well as study effort and engagement in predicting academic performance, the interplay between these predictors has received limited attention in higher education research. Building on Study Demands-Resources theories, this longitudinal study explores the favourable impact of student-teacher and student-peer relationships on academic performance (GPA), mediated by study effort and engagement. In total, 613 undergraduate students (68% female; mean age 20 years) from all 13 Dutch public universities completed two online surveys with a 3.5-month interval. Student-teacher and student-peer relationships, study effort, and study engagement were measured at two time points (t1 and t2), while GPA was only measured at t2. Correlation and path analyses revealed that better relationships with both teachers and peers were longitudinally associated with a higher GPA, mediated by more study effort and engagement. This study contributes to the literature by employing longitudinal data, offering stronger causal evidence for processes underlying academic performance. It underscores the importance of fostering positive relationships with both teachers and peers to improve student performance. The findings suggest that educational institutions should implement strategies to strengthen these relationships, thereby enhancing study effort and engagement, ultimately leading to improved academic performance

Confronting Co-workers: Role Models, Attitudes, Expectations, and Perceived Behavioral Control as Predictors of Employee Voice in the Military

Speaking up and confronting co-workers when they behave undesirably is important for the well-being of the personnel and organizational performance. In some organizations, a culture of silence prevails, however. Although a number of organizational environments are particularly receptive to employee voice, others are less open to voice behavior, which gives rise to a risk of undesirable behavior. Direct communication (voice) can reduce this enhanced risk. In this study, we used the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine the extent to which attitude, social norm and perceived behavioral control determine voice in hierarchical contexts, which, in general, tend to inhibit voice behavior. For this purpose, a survey study was conducted among military and civilian personnel of the Netherlands Ministry of Defense (n = 374). Results showed that employee voice is rather high, regardless of rank, position or gender. Structural equation modeling showed that voice was significantly predicted by perceived behavioral control and injunctive norms (i.e., what is considered to be normal in a certain working-environment). Contrary to expectations, voice was not predicted by attitude and descriptive social norms (i.e., what people see that others are doing in this respect). Stimulating confronting skills and creating a climate in which speaking up is perceived as normal may be beneficial for organizations in general and hierarchical organizations in particular

Unraveling the threads of vulnerability and resilience: Young men's journey through unintended fatherhood

Objective: This study investigates the interplay between vulnerability and resilience in young men who unexpectedly become fathers.Background: While previous research has primarily focused on the vulnerable circumstances limiting young fathers' childcare involvement, recent studies indicate resilient adaptation to their new role. This study is the first to analyze both vulnerability and resilience as interconnected concepts in young fathers’ lives.Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 young, Dutch fathers. Transcripts were thematically analyzed to reveal forms of interrelatedness between vulnerability and resilience in their lives.Results: Analysis revealed that young fathers grappled with aggravated vulnerability due to the adversity of unintended fatherhood. They coped with these vulnerable circumstances by cultivating a resilient attitude. This attitude, however, also led to limited emotional processing and disengagement with support. Their resilient attitude thus, paradoxically, risked perpetuating existing vulnerabilities.Conclusion: This study highlights the interplay between resilience and vulnerability in young, unintentional fathers, underscoring the need for interventions assisting with the assemblage of support while recognizing and praising resilient attitudes