A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries. The autonomy-supportive message decreased feelings of defying social distancing recommendations relative to the controlling message, and the controlling message increased controlled motivation, a less effective form of motivation, relative to no message. Message type did not impact intentions to socially distance, but people’s existing motivations were related to intentions. Findings were generalizable across a geographically diverse sample and may inform public health communication strategies in this and future global health emergencies. Abstract Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

Saponins increase susceptibility of vancomycin-resistant enterococci to antibiotic compounds

The resistance of commensal bacteria to first and second line antibiotics has reached an alarming level in many parts of the world and endangers the effective treatment of infectious diseases. In this study, the influence of the plant-derived natural saponins glycyrrhizic acid, β-aescin, α-hederin, hederacoside C, and primulic acid 1 on the susceptibility of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) against antibiotics of clinical relevance was investigated in 20 clinical isolates. Furthermore, the antibacterial properties of saponins under study against VRE were determined in vitro. Results reveal that the susceptibility of VRE against gentamicin, teicoplanin, and daptomycin was enhanced in the presence of the saponin glycyrrhizic acid. Most importantly, glycyrrhizic acid (1 mg/ml) diminished the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin in gentamicin low-level intrinsic resistant VRE from 2 – >8 mg/l to ≤ 0.125–1 mg/l. The adding of β-aescin, α-hederin, hederacoside C, and primulic acid 1 to the antibiotics under study showed, compared to glycyrrhizic acid, less influence on the antibiotic potency. Only glycyrrhizic acid (1 mg/ml) and α‑hederin (0.2 mg/ml) showed weak antibacterial properties against the clinical isolates. Our study points towards a therapeutic potential of saponins in the coapplication with antibiotics for bacterial infections

Physiotherapy for children with hypermobility syndrome

Hypermobility syndrome describes the group of musculoskeletal complaints, particularly myalgia and arthralgia, that appear to be associated with non-pathological excessive joint mobility. Physiotherapy, which is frequently recommended for this syndrome, has not been defined or investigated for effectiveness. However, the experience of treating unstable joints, in particular shoulder and knee joints, provides the basis for the physiotherapy approach in this common condition. This paper describes the management programme adopted at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, that may offer a guideline for practitioners and the basis for future study. Retrospective data from this clinic support the efficacy of the programme

Associative Networks and Cell Assemblies

Since the time of McCulloch and Pitts’ Theory (1943) there have been many attempts to model the flow of activity in neural networks. It is possible to simulate neural networks (of rather small size) on a computer, relying on quite reasonable — more or less simplified — assumptions on the dynamic behavior of single neurons. One problem is the arbitrariness of the design of the network (i.e. the connectivity matrix). Here many investigations have studied random connectivity (e.g. Anninos et al. 1970, Griffith 1971, Amari 1974, Dammasch and Wagner 1984) or connectivity that itself changes subject to certain rules (for an overview see Palm 1982)