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Experiments prompting people to engage in more prosocial behavior (e.g., acts of kindness) or simple social interactions (e.g., acting extraverted) have both shown promise in boosting well-being. However, little is known about how much the impact on well-being depends on the type of interpersonal interaction (i.e., social vs. prosocial) or on other proximal features (e.g., whether the interaction takes place online vs. in-person, the closeness of the relationship, or amount of social connection associated with a given interaction). We randomly assigned a sample of full-time employees recruited via a special employed mTurk sample (N = 754) to perform weekly acts of kindness online versus in-person, to engage in weekly social interactions online versus in-person, or to list their daily activities (control) over the course of 4 weeks. First, on average, all conditions reported improvements in well-being (i.e., increases in positive affect and life satisfaction, decreases in negative affect) across the 4-week intervention period. Second, relative to controls, the four experimental groups reported increases in general social connectedness over time. Finally, according to auxiliary analyses collapsed across the experimental condition, closer relationship with target and non-digital medium of delivery predicted episode-level social connection, which, in turn, was associated with general social connectedness and positive affect. We conclude that the "who" and the "how" of a behavior (i.e., its target, its delivery method, and the feelings of social connection generated) are important for well-being, but not the "what" (i.e., whether the behavior is social or prosocial). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiments prompting people to engage in more prosocial behavior (e.g., acts of kindness) or simple social interactions (e.g., acting extraverted) have both shown promise in boosting well-being. However, little is known about how much the impact on well-being depends on the type of interpersonal interaction (i.e., social versus prosocial) or on other proximal features (e.g., whether the interaction takes place online versus in-person, the closeness of the relationship, or in-the-moment social connection). We randomly assigned a sample of full-time employees recruited via mTurk (N = 754) to perform weekly acts of kindness online vs. in person, to engage in weekly social interactions online vs. in person, or to list their daily activities (control) over the course of 4 weeks. First, on average, all conditions reported improvements in well-being (i.e., increases in positive affect and life satisfaction, decreases in negative affect) across the 4-week intervention period. Second, relative to controls, the four experimental groups reported increases in general social connectedness over time. Finally, according to auxiliary analyses collapsed across experimental condition, closer relationship with target and non-digital medium of delivery predicted in-the-moment (or episode-level) social connection, which, in turn, was associated with general social connectedness and positive affect. We conclude that the “who” and the “how” of a behavior (i.e., its target, its delivery method, and the feelings of social connection generated) may be as important for well-being as the “what” (i.e., whether the behavior is social or prosocial).

Pragmatic prospection is the ability to think deeply about the future in order to identify and to work productively toward goals. It involves imagining desirable future outcomes, setting sensible goals, making plans, and flexibly executing those plans. We conducted an exploratory survey of full-time working U.S. adults (N = 1541), measuring individual differences in pragmatic prospection along with life- and job-related outcomes. All data from the present survey are publicly available. Pragmatic prospection correlated positively with positive outcomes (e.g. life satisfaction, work productivity), correlated negatively with negative outcomes (e.g. anxiety, depression), and tracked with other adaptive personality traits associated with achievement and psychological adjustment (e.g. high conscientiousness, low neuroticism). These results point to pragmatic prospection as an important component of flourishing, both in the workplace and in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adenosine 5′-triphosphate-gated P2X4 receptor channel is a promising target in neuroinflammatory disorders, but the ability to effectively target these receptors in models of neuroinflammation has presented a constant challenge. As such, the exact role of P2X4 receptors and their cell signalling mechanisms in human physiology and pathophysiology still requires further elucidation. To this end, research into the molecular mechanisms of P2X4 receptor activation, modulation, and inhibition has continued to gain momentum in an attempt to further describe the role of P2X4 receptors in neuroinflammation and other disease settings. Here we provide an overview of the current understanding of the P2X4 receptor, including its expression and function in cells involved in neuroinflammatory signalling. We discuss the pharmacology of P2X4 receptors and provide an overview of P2X4-targeting molecules, including agonists, positive allosteric modulators, and antagonists. Finally, we discuss the use of P2X4 receptor modulators and antagonists in models of neuroinflammatory cell signalling and disease.

Purinergic receptors of the P2 subclass are commonly found in human and rodent macrophages where they can be activated by adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) or uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP) to mediate Ca2+ mobilization, resulting in downstream signalling to promote inflammation and pain. However, little is understood regarding these receptors in canine macrophages. To establish a macrophage model of canine P2 receptor signalling, the expression of these receptors in the DH82 canine macrophage cell line was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemistry. P2 receptor function in DH82 cells was pharmacologically characterised using nucleotide-induced measurements of Fura-2 AM-bound intracellular Ca2+. RT-PCR revealed predominant expression of P2X4 receptors, while immunocytochemistry confirmed predominant expression of P2Y2 receptors, with low levels of P2X4 receptor expression. ATP and UTP induced robust Ca2+ responses in the absence or presence of extracellular Ca2+. ATP-induced responses were only partially inhibited by the P2X4 receptor antagonists, 2′,3′-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-ATP (TNP-ATP), paroxetine and 5-BDBD, but were strongly potentiated by ivermectin. UTP-induced responses were near completely inhibited by the P2Y2 receptor antagonists, suramin and AR-C118925. P2Y2 receptor-mediated Ca2+ mobilization was inhibited by U-73122 and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), indicating P2Y2 receptor coupling to the phospholipase C and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway. Together this data demonstrates, for the first time, the expression of functional P2 receptors in DH82 canine macrophage cells and identifies a potential cell model for studying macrophage-mediated purinergic signalling in inflammation and pain in dogs.

Mattering, one's sense of the difference one makes in the world, has been variously described in psychological and philosophical literatures. We propose the experience of mattering is tied to the perceived impact of one's actions and is best understood as an action-oriented, context-dependent construct. We introduce the Organizational Mattering Scale (OMS) for measuring mattering in organizations. Across four studies, factor analysis revealed a general mattering factor and two sub-factors, recognition and achievement (CFI =.98, RMSEA =.06). Construct validity and predictive validity are established across a range of psychological and organizational measures. Notably, OMS scores were more related to self-efficacy than self-esteem (p <.01), and positively related to key business outcomes, including job satisfaction (r =.51, p <.01), having a leadership role (t = 6.91, p <.01), recent promotions (t = 2.26, p <.05) and retention (r =.31, p <.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Caregivers of people with severe chronic conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are at risk of developing depression and anxiety and reduced quality of life. Few studies have explored protective factors in this population and none investigated the role of mindfulness. The study aimed to examine the relationship between mindfulness and health-related outcomes in a population of ALS caregivers. Methods: We conducted an online survey with ALS caregivers, and again at 4-month follow-up, to assess mindfulness, burden, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. The associations between mindfulness and the other outcomes were evaluated both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results: Mindfulness correlated negatively with burden, depression, and anxiety and positively with quality of life, maintaining stability through time. Conclusion: Our results showed that mindfulness is positively related to quality of life and negatively related to level of burden. We suggest that this construct can represent a preventative factor toward the negative effects of caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Mindfulness is the process of actively making new distinctions, rather than relying on habitual or automatic categorisations from the past. Mindfulness has been positively associated with physical well-being, better recovery rates from disease or infections, pain reduction and overall quality of life (QOL). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease, clinically characterised by progressively increasing weakness leading to death, usually within five years. There is presently no cure for ALS, and it is considered one of the most genetically and biologically driven illnesses. Thus far, the aims of psychological studies on ALS have focused on understanding patient – and, to a lesser extent, caregiver – QOL and psychological well-being. No previous study has investigated the influence of psychological factors on ALS. Methods:A sample of 197 subjects with ALS were recruited and assessed online twice, with a duration of four months between the two assessments. Assessments included measurements of trait mindfulness, physical impairment, QOL, anxiety and depression. The influence of mindfulness as predictor of changes in physical impairments was evaluated with a mixed-effects model. Results:Mindfulness positively influenced the change of physical symptoms. Subjects with higher mindfulness experienced a slower progression of the disease after four months. Moreover, mindfulness at first assessment predicted higher QOL and psychological well-being. Conclusions:The available data indicate that a psychological construct – mindfulness – can attenuate the progress of a disease that is believed to be almost solely biologically driven. The potential implications of these results extend well beyond ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]