bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing Computational Thinking in Middle School with an Educational Robotics Resource
Authors: Costa Junior Almir de O. , Guedes Elloá B. , Lima e Silva João Paulo F. , Rivera José Anglada
Published: March 2024

Computational Thinking has been recognized as an essential skill to be developed in individuals of the 21st Century. Various initiatives worldwide have been proposed to establish the most effective educational strategies and resources to support the development of these skills. With the publication of the Standards for Computing in Basic Education in Brazil (Complement to the National Base Common Curricular), Computer Science is expected to be taught as a fundamental science from Early Childhood Education to High School. In this context, this study presents the results of the students’ learning and the usability evaluation of the ThinkCarpet: an interactive educational robotics artifact built using alternative materials and Arduino, with the purpose of aiding in the development of the concept of algorithms in students from Middle School. Regarding the students’ learning, an average of 93.75% of valid solutions was observed for the algorithms validated through the use of the ThinkCarpet. In contrast, only 62% of valid solutions were identified in activities outside the proposed resource. As for the results of the application of the System Usability Scale (SUS), the results show a score of 83.59, which classifies the ThinkCarpet as excellent in a realistic scenario.
Hydrogeochemical evolution processes, groundwater quality, and non-carcinogenic risk assessment of nitrate-enriched groundwater to human health in different seasons in the Hawler (Erbil) and Bnaslawa Urbans, Iraq
Authors: Tawfeeq Jawhar Mohammed-Shukur , Dişli Erkan , Hamed Masoud Hussein
Published: March 2024

The main objectives of this research are to assess groundwater, a primary source of drinking water in the urban areas of Hawler (Erbil) and Bnaslawa in northern Iraq, and the non-carcinogenic human health risks of nitrate contamination associated with drinking water quality. For this purpose, twenty-seven groundwater samples were collected from wells to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics and groundwater quality for both natural and anthropogenic purposes during the wet (May 2020) and dry (September 2020) seasons. During the wet and dry seasons, NO3− in groundwater ranged from 14.00 to 61.00 mg/L and 12.00 to 60.00 mg/L, with an average value of 35.70 and 29.00 mg/L, respectively. Approximately 25.92% of the samples exceeded the permissible limit of the WHO (2011) drinking water standard. The ratios of NO3−/Na+ vs. Cl−/Na+ and SO42−/Na+ vs. NO3−/Na+ indicate the effect of agricultural activities and wastewater leaking from cesspools or septic tanks on the quality of groundwater during the wet and dry seasons. The entropy weighted water quality index method ranked 62.5% and 75% of the urban groundwater as not recommended for drinking, and the remaining samples are moderately suitable in both wet and dry seasons. The non-carcinogenic human health risk assessment displayed that during the wet and dry seasons, 29.6% and 25.9% of adults, 48% and 30% of children, and 48.1% and 29.6% of infants were exposed to increased concentrations of nitrate in groundwater. Due to high nitrate in drinking water, non-carcinogenic human health risk levels vary as infant > child > adults. The main findings obtained from this study can assist policymakers in better understanding the hydrogeochemical properties of groundwater in terms of drinking water safety, thereby facilitating the management of water resources to take the necessary measures.
The protective effects of Ninjin’yoeito against liver steatosis/fibrosis in a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis model mouse
Authors: Takano Kyohei , Kaneda Marisa , Aoki Yayoi , Fujita Nina , Chiba Shigeki , Michihara Seiwa , Han Li-Kun , Takahashi Ryuji
Published: March 2024

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive fibrotic form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver fibrosis leads to liver cancer and cirrhosis, and drug therapy for NASH remains lacking. Ninjin’yoeito (NYT) has shown antifibrotic effects in a model of liver fibrosis without steatosis but has not been studied for NASH. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of NYT in mice fed a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) as a NASH model. Compared with the normal diet group, mice fed CDAHFD showed decreased body weight and increased white adipose tissue, liver weight, and triglyceride content in the liver. Furthermore, a substantial increase in the hepatic concentration of hydroxyproline, expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-β was observed in CDAHFD-fed mice. Masson’s trichrome and Picro-Sirius red staining revealed a remarkable increase in collagen fiber compared with the normal diet group. Compared with mice that received CDAHFD alone, those supplemented with NYT exhibited reduced hepatic triglyceride and hydroxyproline levels and α-SMA expression. Additionally, compared with the group fed CDAHFD alone, the stained liver tissues of NYT-treated mice exhibited a reduction in Masson’s trichrome- and Picro-Sirius red-positive areas. Locomotor activity was significantly reduced in the CDAHFD-fed group compared with the normal diet group. In the NYT-treated group, the CDAHFD-induced decrease in locomotor activity was significantly suppressed. The findings indicate that NYT inhibited fatty and fibrotic changes in the livers of NASH mice and alleviated the decrease in locomotor activity. Therefore, NYT may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for NASH.

Graphical abstract
Creationism and climate skepticism: power and public understandings of science in America
Authors: Catto Rebecca
Published: March 2024

This FORUM article is written in response to ‘Evolutionary Stasis: creationism, evolution and climate change in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum’ by Jenna Scaramanga and Michael J. Reiss published in CSSE in 2023. Starting from a sociological rather than pedagogical standpoint, the article aims to situate Accelerated Christian Education’s curriculum in relation to evolution and climate change in its broader context. This broader context comprises a national situation of Culture Wars where views on science and religion are politically polarized and morally inflected. Creationism and climate change denial/skepticism occur together and connect to right-wing politics. Climate change denial also clearly connects to corporate interests. Struggles for political, economic, ideological, and epistemic power all pertain. Reference is then made to recently collected focus group data to illustrate how non-creationist publics may also define science narrowly and inaccurately and yet still support it. The influence of evolution and climate change denialists must not be overstated. However, the harm of inaccurate, pseudoscientific education also requires examination. Nothing less than the Earth’s future is at stake, and education is a key battlefield. Science educators have an important role to play, working with patience, empathy, and awareness.
Critical Whiteness – eine Perspektive hegemonialer Selbstreflexion in der Supervision
Authors: Tißberger Martina
Published: March 2024

Critical Whiteness ist eine Analyseperspektive in der Auseinandersetzung mit Rassismus und Intersektionalität, die seit den 1990er-Jahren Anwendung findet. Sie betrachtet Rassismus als konstitutives Element westlicher Demokratien und das Weißsein* bzw. Whiteness als de-thematisierten Signifikanten dieser rassistischen Gesellschaftsmatrix. Im vorliegenden Beitrag geht es um die Bedeutung dieser Machtstruktur für die Supervision auf der strukturellen, institutionellen und personalen Ebene. Abschließend folgen einige Überlegungen dazu, wie die autoritären Formationen zu erklären sind, die in jüngerer Zeit unter der Überschrift „Critical Whiteness“ Schlagzeilen machen.
(Multi-)Professionelle Kooperation beim Übergang von Kindern mit Beeinträchtigungen in die Schule. Kooperationsprozesse aus Sicht der Fachkräfte
Authors: Then Daniel , Pohlmann-Rother Sanna
Published: March 2024

Das Erkenntnisinteresse des vorliegenden Beitrags gilt der Frage, welche Professionen in die (multi-)professionelle Kooperation beim Schuleintritt von Kindern mit Beeinträchtigungen eingebunden werden und wie die Kooperation aus Sicht der beteiligten frühpädagogischen Fachkräfte gestaltet ist. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Einschulungsberatung und der Kooperation in diesem Kontext. Die Datenbasis bilden qualitative Leitfadeninterviews mit n = 22 pädagogischen Fachkräften. Die Auswertung erfolgt qualitativ inhaltsanalytisch. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass sowohl in die Beratung als auch in die weitere Kooperation neben anderen Fachkräften und Lehrkräften v. a. Professionen mit therapeutischem Schwerpunkt eingebunden sind. Die Kooperationsaktivitäten zielen auf (1) die Kommunikation der Beteiligten, (2) die Abstimmung der pädagogischen Begleitung und Unterstützung des Kindes sowie (3) gemeinsame Professionalisierungsmaßnahmen. Auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse wird ein Modell der Kooperation beim Übergang von Kindern mit Beeinträchtigungen in die Schule entwickelt.
GeoMed2,the geoid of the Mediterranean: work in progress
Authors: Barzaghi Riccardo , Carrion Daniela
Published: March 2024

Geodesy can provide valuable information on marine current estimation based on the combination of gravity and altimetry. Gravity is standardly used to estimate the geoid undulation, i.e. the height of the geoid over a given reference ellipsoid. As it is well known, the geoid undulation over the oceans is closely related to the Mean Sea Surface (MSS) with discrepancies that can reach 1–2 m at global scale. By satellite altimetry, one can get the MSS and then estimate the Mean Dynamic Topography (MDT) as the difference between the MSS and the geoid undulation. As the MDT is related to the ocean circulation, information on the ocean circulation to be compared with oceanographic estimates can be provided using these geodetic measurements. In this context, the GeoMed2 project aims at estimating a high-accuracy and high-resolution geoid model for the Mediterranean Sea based on land and marine gravity data and on recent Global Geopotential Models. In this paper, the processing methodology based on the well-known remove–compute–restore approach for the determination of the geoid in the Mediterranean area is presented. In a pre-processing step, all available gravity observations for the wider Mediterranean basin have been collected, validated, homogenized, and unified in terms of their horizontal and gravity system. In this way, a reliable gravity database to be used for the determination of the geoid has been prepared. This data set has been used in computing a gravimetric geoid estimate based on which the MDT over the Mediterranean Sea was obtained. The results of this computation were then revised, commented and compared with other existing MDT solutions. By these comparisons, it can be concluded that the geodetic computed MDT is not yet satisfactory since it is too noisy. This is possibly due to some inconsistencies still present in the gravity data used for estimating the geoid undulation and to the adopted MSS which seems to be too smooth over the Mediterranean area.
Black Sexual Minority Men’s Experiences in MPowerment Interventions: Implications for HIV Prevention
Authors: Turpin Rodman E. , Camp Aaron D. , Mandell C.J. , Mhonde Rochelle R. Davidson , Dyer Typhanye V. , Mayer Kenneth H. , Liu Hongjie , Coates Thomas , Boekeloo Bradley
Published: March 2024

Background

Black sexual minority men (BSMM) are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV acquisition; the MPowerment model is one community-based framework for preventing HIV in this population. It focuses on developing a supportive network of peers to promote health messaging, reduce stigma, and improve resilience. While these interventions have demonstrated general success, there are important challenges related to race, sexuality, and internalized stigma. Our study aimed to explore these experiences among BSMM in MPowerment models focused on HIV prevention.

Method

We conducted 24 qualitative interviews of BSMM attending HIV prevention–related MPowerment events in the greater D.C. Metropolitan area. In-depth interviews were conducted via phone, and interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

We identified four themes from the transcript analysis process: Black queer intersectional social support and community, HIV-related information and destigmatization, social status, and sexuality. Within each of these themes, we identified relationships with overall HIV prevention messaging, including barriers to PrEP use. Barriers related to social status were especially prevalent and described as unique to the D.C. metropolitan area.

Conclusion

Overall, MPowerment event spaces provide a forum for BSMM to feel safe and supported while gaining important HIV-related knowledge and prevention access. Challenges related to social status and destigmatization of sexuality are important considerations in designing and implementing this model, especially related to PrEP promotion.
Evaluation of environmental impact assessment and mitigation strategies for Gulpur hydropower project, Kotli, Pakistan
Authors: Butt Asim Qayyum , Shangguan Donghui , Ding Yongjian , Banerjee Abhishek , Mukhtar Muhammad Ahsan , Taj Khurram
Published: March 2024

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) became mandatory in Pakistan in 1983 with the passage of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance. The Sustainable Development Goals were incorporated into Pakistan's national development strategy, making it the first country in history to do so. The study is based on evaluating the mitigation strategies and environmental impact assessment at the Gulpur Hydropower Project (HPP), Kotli, AJK, which uses the Poonch River's water resources to generate power and has a design capacity of 100 MW using the EIA documentation of Gulpur HPP. In addition to making additional observations and reviewing the literature, the study looked at Mira Power Limited's EIA reports. The possible effects, as well as the Government's and MPL's mitigating actions, were examined by the authors. EIA procedures at the Gulpur HPP considered several laws, including the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, AJK Wildlife Ordinance of 2013, the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, and Laws Regulating Flow Releases for Hydropower Projects. Projects using hydropower in delicate areas carry a high risk. Given the thorough analysis of the hazards in this instance, it is evident that the EIA had a significant impact on the project's design. The authors concluded that there are no negative environmental effects of the construction of hydropower projects in the concerned area and that all potential effects and compensation were handled legally and efficiently. The study suggested that all hydropower projects in Pakistan undertake environmental impact assessments.
A recreation demand model for warmwater fishing in Delaware with welfare effects for improvements in catch rates, species diversity, and water clarity
Authors: Dalvand Kaveh , Parsons George
Published: March 2024

We estimate a recreation demand model for warmwater fishing in Delaware and then use it to measure welfare gains associated with improved fishing quality as measured by catch rate of fish, diversity of species, and clarity of water. We use a “linked” site choice – trip frequency model with data gathered by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife. Our site choice model includes 118 rivers and lakes in the state with detailed characteristics of each. We develop hypothetical scenarios of fishing quality improvement involving combinations of fish catch, fish diversity, and water clarity and apply it to individual water bodies, water basins, selected water body groupings, and statewide. Values are reported in seasonal per angler and aggregate terms.
Joanna Baillie on Sympathetic Curiosity and Elizabeth Hamilton's Critique
Authors: BOYLE DEBORAH
Published: March 2024

Scholars working on recovering forgotten historical women philosophers have noted the importance of looking beyond traditional philosophical genres. This strategy is particularly important for finding Scottish women philosophers. By considering non-canonical genres, we can see the philosophical interest of the works of Scottish poet and playwright Joanna Baillie (1762–1851), who presents an account of “sympathetic curiosity” as one of the basic principles of the human mind. Baillie's work is also interesting for being a rare case of a woman's philosophical work that was discussed in print by another woman philosopher – in this case, by Elizabeth Hamilton (1758–1816), who argues for the importance of a feature of human nature that she calls the “selfish principle.” The article suggests that focusing on critical engagements between historical women philosophers can help integrate their texts into the history of philosophy without presenting them as “handmaidens” to male philosophers.
Political culture and attitudes of economic elites: explaining the Chilean business community’s rejection to constitutional change
Authors: Osorio-Rauld Alejandro , Pelfini Alejandro , Català-Oltra Lluís , Francés Francisco
Published: March 2024

In contexts of institutional crisis, conflicts arise in which different pressure groups try to maximize their influence, seeking to adjust a political reality in line with their own interest. This article analyzes the changes in the attitudes of economic elites regarding the process of drafting of a new Constitution in Chile. Based on the literature on the political culture of entrepreneurs, the research hypothesis posed in this study suggests the existence of a widespread conservative attitude within this social group regarding a change in institutional rules. This mainly relates to the perception that a new Constitution in Chile could threaten its predominant place in the distribution of economic and political power. The results obtained after analyzing in-depth interviews with presidents or vice presidents of the main business organizations in the country show changing positions throughout the different stages of the constituent process. Even though some attitudinal changes towards an adaptation become visible, what ultimately prevails is an unmitigated rejection of the constituent process. These findings clearly suggest a return to the initial stances of most entrepreneurs, something that also happened in the elite examined as well as in the rest of Chilean society. Thus, one can speak about a sort of “boomerang effect”: the attitudes of rejection have once again dominated the space of discursive expression where the pressure exerted by public opinion seemed to pave the way for a certain reformism or a transforming reaction. This evidence confirms a disconnection found in the literature which reveals the dynamic nature of short-term attitudes linked to each specific situation, albeit with more stable values and positions specific to the political culture which exist on a more persistent basis.
Goods that people buy but wish did not exist
Authors: Sunstein Cass R.
Published: March 2024

People buy some goods that they do not enjoy and wish did not exist. They might even be willing to pay a great deal for such goods, whether the currency involves time, commitment or money. One reason involves signaling to others; so long as the good exists, nonconsumption might give an unwanted signal to friends or colleagues. Another reason involves self-signaling; so long as the good exists, nonconsumption might give an unwanted signal to an agent about himself or herself. Yet another reason involves a combination of network effects and status competition; nonconsumption might deprive people of the benefits of participating in a network and thus cause them to lose relative position. With respect to real-world goods (including activities) of this kind, there is typically heterogeneity in relevant populations, with some people deriving positive utility from goods to which other people are indifferent, or which other people deplore. Efforts to measure people's willingness to pay for goods of this kind will suggest a welfare gain, and possibly a substantial one, even though the existence of such goods produces a welfare loss, and possibly a substantial one. Collective action, private or public, is necessary to eliminate goods that people consume but wish did not exist. Legal responses here might be contemplated when someone successfully maneuvers people into a situation in which they are incentivized to act against their interests, by consuming a product or engaging in an activity they do not enjoy, in order to avoid offering an unwanted signal. Prohibitions on waiving certain rights might be justified in this way; some restrictions on uses of social media, especially by young people, might be similarly justified.
Financial literacy, stock market participation, and financial wellbeing in Germany
Authors: Bucher-Koenen Tabea , Janssen Bennet , Knebel Caroline , Tzamourani Panagiota
Published: March 2024

We examine financial literacy in Germany and its relevance for financial wellbeing. Using data from the Panel on Household Finances collected in 2021, we show that about 62% of German households answer the Big Three financial literacy questions correctly. Those with lower education, who are out of the labor force, women, and those living in East Germany have lower levels of financial literacy. Identifying groups with lower financial literacy and developing strategies to reach them and enhance their abilities should therefore be an integral part of the German national financial literacy strategy. Financial literacy is linked to financial wellbeing: we document that those with higher financial literacy have a higher stock market participation rate and are less likely to report financial difficulties.
Evidence for layered anisotropic stratified turbulence in a freely evolving horizontal shear flow
Authors: Lewin Samuel F. , Caulfield Colm-cille P.
Published: March 2024

We present evidence for layered anisotropic stratified turbulence (LAST) and mixing produced in a freely evolving uniformly stratified shear layer where the direction of shear is orthogonal to gravity. As originally reported by Basak & Sarkar (J. Fluid. Mech., vol. 568, 2006, pp. 19–54), such a flow develops a rich three-dimensional structure in the form of interlocking columnar vortices formed by horizontal shear instability that remain coherent at large scales due to the stabilising vertical stratification. Here, we modify the initial velocity field by introducing additional small-amplitude vertical perturbations designed to be representative of pre-existing horizontal layers often observed in strongly stratified ocean environments. This reveals a novel finite amplitude, non-normal mode growth mechanism through which the vertical shear between layers may be rapidly amplified by its interaction with the horizontal shear layer prior to the growth of shear instability, leading to a rapid turbulent transition instigated by the subsequent interaction of the layers with the emerging columnar vortices. Through a consideration of relevant flow statistics and associated dimensionless parameters, we demonstrate that turbulence can enter the LAST regime, thereby indicating a generic mechanism leading to the transient development of regions of strongly stratified turbulence in the ocean. We discuss the properties of mixing and the parameterisation of mixing efficiency in terms of the relationship between turbulent length scales in the flow, in particular highlighting links to models based on the classical vertical shear instability paradigm typically associated with more weakly stratified flows that produce isolated turbulent ‘patches’.
Organic-walled microfossils from the Ediacaran Sete Lagoas Formation, Bambuí Group, Southeast Brazil: taxonomic and biostratigraphic analyses
Authors: Denezine Matheus , do Carmo Dermeval Aparecido , Xiao Shuhai , Tang Qing , Sergeev Vladmir , Mazoni Alysson Fernandes , Zabini Carolina
Published: March 2024

This work presents a detailed taxonomic study on organic-walled microfossils from the Ediacaran Sete Lagoas Formation (Bambuí Group) at the Barreiro section in the Januária area of the São Francisco basin, Brazil. Seven species are described, includingSiphonophycus robustum(Schopf, 1968),Ghoshia januarensisnew species,Leiosphaeridia crassa(Naumova, 1949),Leiosphaeridia jacutica(Timofeev, 1966),Leiosphaeridia minutissima(Naumova, 1949),Leiosphaeridia tenuissimaEisenack, 1958, and Germinosphaera bispinosaMikhailova, 1986. These taxa are recovered for the first time in the Sete Lagoas Formation. They occur abundantly in the lower portion of the studied section, but onlyGhoshia januarensisis present in the upper part of the studied section, probably due to environmental or taphonomic changes.Leiosphaeridiaspecies, particularlyLeiosphaeridia minutissima, dominate the organic-walled microfossil assemblage. Although most taxa described here have long stratigraphic ranges, they are consistent with a terminal Ediacaran age as inferred from detrital zircon data and tubular fossils (e.g.,CloudinaandCorumbella) from the Sete Lagoas Formation.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/7f92b900-0176-4da6-93a3-fd51edb22cbf
Thorny entanglements: feminism, eugenics and the Abortion Law Reform Association’s (ALRA) campaign for safe, accessible abortion in Britain, 1936–1967
Authors: Klausen Susanne Maria
Published: March 2024

For the past two decades anti-abortionists in the Global North have been aggressively instrumentalising disability in order to undermine women’s social autonomy, asserting, falsely, there is an insuperable conflict between disability rights and reproductive rights. The utilisation of disability in struggles over abortion access is not new, it has a history dating back to the interwar era. Indeed, decades before anti-abortionists’ campaign, feminists invoked disability to expand access to safe abortion. This paper examines the feminist eugenics in the first organisation dedicated to liberalising restrictive abortion laws, the Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRA), established in England in 1936. ALRA played a vital role in the passage of the Abortion Act 1967 (or the Act) that greatly expanded the grounds for legal abortion, a hugely important gain for women in Britain and beyond seeking legal, safe abortions. In addition, the Act permitted eugenic abortion, which also had transnational effects: within a decade, jurisdictions in numerous Commonwealth countries passed abortion laws that incorporated the Act’s eugenics clause, sometimes verbatim. This essay analyses ALRA’s role in codifying eugenics in the Abortion Act 1967 and argues that from the outset, ALRA was simultaneously a feminist and eugenist association. Initially, ALRA prioritized their feminist commitment to ‘voluntary motherhood’ in their campaign whereas starting in the 1940s, they subordinated feminism to negative eugenics, a shift that was simultaneously strategic and a reflection of genuine concern to prevent the birth of children with disabilities.
Global index of real polynomials
Authors: Monsalve Gabriel E. , Tibăr Mihai
Published: March 2024

We develop two methods for expressing the global index of the gradient of a 2 variable polynomial function

$f$

: in terms of the atypical fibres of

$f$

, and in terms of the clusters of Milnor arcs at infinity. These allow us to derive upper bounds for the global index, in particular refining the one that was found by Durfee in terms of the degree of

$f$

.
Sergei Chakhotin against the Swastika: Mass Psychology and Scientific Organization in the Iron Front's Three Arrows Campaign
Authors: Diehl Benjamin
Published: March 2024

This article details the influence of Russian psychologist Sergei Chakhotin on the propaganda of the Iron Front, an antifascist organization that resisted the rise of the Nazis in the dying days of the Weimar Republic. Notably the creator of the Three Arrows symbol, Chakhotin espoused theories and methods that used Ivan Pavlov's notion of the conditioned reflex and Fredrick Taylor's theory of scientific management to transform socialist propaganda to better combat the rise of fascism. By scrutinizing Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) periodicals and Iron Front propaganda, I argue that Chakhotin's ideas played a crucial role in catalyzing changes in the form and content of street campaigning throughout 1932. Chakhotin provided a scientific lens through which his allies in the SPD could view and understand the mass appeal of the Nazis, as well as the necessary changes in party tactics that were required in the age of mass media, popular spectacle, and emotional struggle.
The silent epidemic of loneliness: identifying the antecedents of loneliness using a lagged exposure-wide approach
Authors: Hong Joanna H. , Nakamura Julia S. , Sahakari Sakshi S. , Chopik William J. , Shiba Koichiro , VanderWeele Tyler J. , Kim Eric S.
Published: March 2024

Background

A large and accumulating body of evidence shows that loneliness is detrimental for various health and well-being outcomes. However, less is known about potentially modifiable factors that lead to decreased loneliness.

Methods

We used data from the Health and Retirement Study to prospectively evaluate a wide array of candidate predictors of subsequent loneliness. Importantly, we examined if changes in 69 physical-, behavioral-, and psychosocial-health factors (from t0;2006/2008 to t1;2010/2012) were associated with subsequent loneliness 4 years later (t2;2014/2016).

Results

Adjusting for a large range of covariates, changes in certain health behaviors (e.g. increased physical activity), physical health factors (e.g. fewer functioning limitations), psychological factors (e.g. increased purpose in life, decreased depression), and social factors (e.g. greater number of close friends) were associated with less subsequent loneliness.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that subjective ratings of physical and psychological health and perceived social environment (e.g. chronic pain, self-rated health, purpose in life, anxiety, neighborhood cohesion) are more strongly associated with subsequent loneliness. Yet, objective ratings (e.g. specific chronic health conditions, living status) show less evidence of associations with subsequent loneliness. The current study identified potentially modifiable predictors of subsequent loneliness that may be important targets for interventions aimed at reducing loneliness.
Yeats's Photographs and the World Theatre of Images
Authors: Riordan Kevin
Published: March 2024

W. B. Yeats's dramatic career was transformed in the 1910s through a series of collaborations in London. In an essay from the period, “Certain Noble Plays of Japan,” he writes: “I have invented a form of drama, distinguished, indirect and symbolic.” This form, like many other modernist inventions, is better understood as something else, in this case the alchemy of his earlier work, some eclectic influences, and the contributions of his American, English, French, and Japanese collaborators. Together, this group of artists drew on Irish mythology, the occult, the continental avant-garde, and—as often has been stressed—Japanese noh. Originally, the “Certain Noble Plays” essay was published as an introduction to a related noh project, Ezra Pound's liberal completion of Ernest Fenollosa and Hirata Kiichi's incomplete translations. There have been at least four book-length studies on the relationship between Yeats and noh, as well as many theses and articles. It remains an exemplum of transnational modernist theatre.
Crystal structure of nicarbazin, (C13H10N4O5)(C6H8N2O)
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Dosen A. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: March 2024

The crystal structure of nicarbazin has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Nicarbazin is a co-crystal of 4,4′-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC) and 2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine (HDP) molecules. Nicarbazin crystallizes in space group P-1 (#2) with a = 6.90659(8), b = 12.0794(4), c = 13.5040(7) Å, α = 115.5709(11), β = 102.3658(6), γ = 91.9270(4)°, V = 982.466(5) Å3, and Z = 2. The DNC and HDP molecules are linked by two strong N–H⋯O and N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds, and the HDP molecules are linked into centrosymmetric dimers by another N–H⋯O hydrogen bond. These strong hydrogen bonds link the molecules into layers parallel to the ab-plane and parallel stacking of both DNC and HDP molecules is prominent in the structure. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).
Interplay of missed opportunity for vaccination and poor response to the vaccine led to measles outbreak in a slum area of Eastern Mumbai, India
Authors: Yadav Reetika Malik , Gomare Mangala , Gaikwad Arun , Waghmare Upalimitra , Betodkar Utkarsh , Vashi Meeta Dhaval , Kamal Vineet Kumar , Thangaraj Jeromie Wesley Vivian , Bangar Sampada , Bhatnagar Tarun , Murhekar Manoj
Published: March 2024

In the third week of September 2022, an outbreak of measles was reported from a slum in Eastern Mumbai, India. We sought to investigate whether failure to vaccinate or vaccine failure was the cause. We constructed an epidemic curve, drew a spot map, and calculated the attack rate and case-fatality ratio. We calculated vaccine effectiveness (VE) for one and two doses of measles vaccine in an unmatched case–control study and did stratified analysis by sex, availability of vaccination card, and migrant status. We identified 358 cases and four deaths with a 11.3% attack rate and 1.1% case fatality, both being highest among 0–24-month-old boys. The epidemic curve suggested a propagated mode of spread. The VE for two doses was 64% (95% confidence interval (CI): 23–73%) among under-5-year-old children and 70% (95% CI: 28–88%) among 5–15-year-old children. Failure to vaccinate, consequent to the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine hesitancy might have led to the accumulation of susceptible children in the community. Additionally, the occurrence of case-patients among vaccinated suggests reduced VE, which needs further investigation into humoral and cell-mediated immunity as well as contributory factors including nutritional status. Outbreak response immunization to complete immunization of missed and dropout children was carried out to control the outbreak.
What is a ‘National’ ‘Health’ ‘Service’? A keyword analysis of policy documents leading to the formation of the UK NHS
Authors: Powell Martin , Williams Iestyn
Published: March 2024

This paper explores the keywords of ‘National’, ‘Health’ and Service’ in the road to the NHS in 1948. It uses a form of Qualitative Content Analysis to analyse key documents in the period leading to the ‘Appointed Day’ when the NHS was created in 1948. In terms of ‘national’, most documents favoured Local Authorities, with ‘National’ coming rather late in the day. For ‘health’, most of the documents ‘talk’ of a broad or ‘positive’ health, but they lack any specific details, and seem to focus on a narrower curative medical service. Finally, most proposals relating to ‘service’ are based on insurance and a ‘90% service’, with the free and universal (100%) service arriving rather late in the period. Clearly, the three keywords could be combined in many ways, resulting in many possible types of NHS. However, bringing them together suggests that it was probably only with Beveridge onwards that the three keywords of national, health and service (citizenship) combined to form Bevan's NHS.
Genomics Research of Lifetime Depression in the Netherlands: The BIObanks Netherlands Internet Collaboration (BIONIC) Project
Authors: Huider Floris , Milaneschi Yuri , Hottenga Jouke-Jan , Bot Mariska , Rietman M. Liset , Kok Almar A.L. , Galesloot Tessel E. , ‘t Hart Leen M. , Rutters Femke , Blom Marieke T. , Rhebergen Didi , Visser Marjolein , Brouwer Ingeborg , Feskens Edith , Hartman Catharina A. , Oldehinkel Albertine J. , de Geus Eco J.C. , Kiemeney Lambertus A. , Huisman Martijn , Picavet H. Susan J. , Verschuren W.M. Monique , van Loo Hanna M. , Penninx Brenda W.J.H. , Boomsma Dorret I.
Published: March 2024

In this cohort profile article we describe the lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) database that has been established as part of the BIObanks Netherlands Internet Collaboration (BIONIC). Across the Netherlands we collected data on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) lifetime MDD diagnosis in 132,850 Dutch individuals. Currently, N = 66,684 of these also have genomewide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. We initiated this project because the complex genetic basis of MDD requires large population-wide studies with uniform in-depth phenotyping. For standardized phenotyping we developed the LIDAS (LIfetime Depression Assessment Survey), which then was used to measure MDD in 11 Dutch cohorts. Data from these cohorts were combined with diagnostic interview depression data from 5 clinical cohorts to create a dataset of N = 29,650 lifetime MDD cases (22%) meeting DSM-5 criteria and 94,300 screened controls. In addition, genomewide genotype data from the cohorts were assembled into a genomewide association study (GWAS) dataset of N = 66,684 Dutch individuals (25.3% cases). Phenotype data include DSM-5-based MDD diagnoses, sociodemographic variables, information on lifestyle and BMI, characteristics of depressive symptoms and episodes, and psychiatric diagnosis and treatment history. We describe the establishment and harmonization of the BIONIC phenotype and GWAS datasets and provide an overview of the available information and sample characteristics. Our next step is the GWAS of lifetime MDD in the Netherlands, with future plans including fine-grained genetic analyses of depression characteristics, international collaborations and multi-omics studies.
Nonlinear Interactions of Sea‐Level Rise and Storm Tide Alter Extreme Coastal Water Levels: How and Why?
Authors: Moftakhari H. , Muñoz D. F. , Akbari Asanjan A. , AghaKouchak A. , Moradkhani H. , Jay D. A.
Published: March 2024

Sea‐level rise (SLR) increasingly threatens coastal communities around the world. However, not all coastal communities are equally threatened, and realistic estimation of hazard is difficult. Understanding SLR impacts on extreme sea level is challenging due to interactions between multiple tidal and non‐tidal flood drivers. We here use global hourly tidal data to show how and why tides and surges interact with mean sea level (MSL) fluctuations. At most locations around the world, the amplitude of at least one tidal constituent and/or amplitude of non‐tidal residual have changed in response to MSL variation over the past few decades. In 37% of studied locations, “Potential Maximum Storm Tide” (PMST), a proxy for extreme sea level dynamics, co‐varies with MSL variations. Over all stations, the median PMST will be 20% larger by the mid‐century, and conventional approaches that simply shift the current storm tide regime up at the rate of projected SLR may underestimate the flooding hazard at these locations by up to a factor of four. Micro‐ and meso‐tidal systems and those with diurnal tidal regime are generally more susceptible to altered MSL than other categories. The nonlinear interactions of MSL and storm tide captured in PMST statistics contribute, along with projected SLR, to the estimated increase in flood hazard at three‐fourth of studied locations by mid‐21st century. PMST is a threshold that captures nonlinear interactions between extreme sea level components and their co‐evolution over time. Thus, use of this statistic can help direct assessment and design of critical coastal infrastructure.
Drought‐Induced Vertical Displacements and Water Loss in the Po River Basin (Northern Italy) From GNSS Measurements
Authors: Pintori F. , Serpelloni E.
Published: March 2024

We study vertical ground displacement time series from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations to measure deformation associated with hydrological drought in the Po river basin. Focusing on interannual trend changes, rather than seasonal (annual) components, we found a clear spatially correlated deformation signal that is temporally (anti)correlated with changes in the Po river level and the SPEI‐12 drought index, with stations moving upward during periods of river/index level decrease and vice versa. In the 2021–2022 time span, which culminated in the most severe drought of the last two centuries, we estimate the amount and spatial distribution of water loss in the basin and its surroundings. Excluding the seasonal signals, between January 2021 and August 2022, the GNSS stations underwent uplift, up to 7 mm, which corresponds to ∼70 Gtons of water loss. Compared to Global Land Data Assimilation System and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment estimates, GNSS results show a similar temporal evolution of water content but a more heterogeneous distribution of values. We show that continuous GNSS networks provide an effective way to monitor multiannual trend changes in water storage even in small water basins and serve as a reliable indicator of drought severity.
Uncertainty Quantification in Geochemical Mapping: A Review and Recommendations
Authors: Wang J. , Zuo R.
Published: March 2024

Geochemical mapping is a crucial tool that can provide valuable insights for a wide range of applications, including mineral resources prospecting, environmental impact assessment, geological process understanding, and climate change research. Despite its significance, geochemical mapping requires spatial modeling based on sparse, heterogeneous, and potentially inaccurate data sets. Moreover, the underlying geological processes are often imperfectly understood. Therefore, uncertainty quantification (UQ) is vital in geochemical mapping to ensure accurate and reliable results, ultimately facilitating well‐informed decision‐making. In this contribution, we distinguish two primary types of uncertainties: systemic and stochastic. We identify the key sources of uncertainties in geochemical mapping and review the techniques that have been employed or hold potential for uncertainty quantification, communication, visualization, and sensitivity analysis. This contribution also illustrates the general procedure of UQ in geochemical mapping by a case study of mapping geochemical anomalies associated with gold mineralization in northwestern Sichuan Province, China. We also explore potential strategies for mitigating the critical uncertainties, such as gathering more geochemical data, developing more effective models, enhancing our understanding of the geochemical dispersion process, or leveraging other thematic information or knowledge. Future research should prioritize addressing underexplored uncertainties and implementing more practical applications to validate the UQ procedure in geochemical mapping.
Genetics of environmental sensitivity and its association with variations in emotional problems, autistic traits, and wellbeing
Authors: Assary Elham , Oginni Olakunle A. , Morneau-Vaillancourt Genevieve , Krebs Georgina , Peel Alicia J. , Palaiologou Elisavet , Lockhart Celestine , Ronald Angelica , Eley Thalia C.
Published: March 2024

Greater environmental sensitivity has been associated with increased risk of mental health problems, especially in response to stressors, and lower levels of subjective wellbeing. Conversely, sensitivity also correlates with lower risk of emotional problems in the absence of adversity, and in response to positive environmental influences. Additionally, sensitivity has been found to correlate positively with autistic traits. Individual differences in environmental sensitivity are partly heritable, but it is unknown to what extent the aetiological factors underlying sensitivity overlap with those on emotional problems (anxiety and depressive symptoms), autistic traits and wellbeing. The current study used multivariate twin models and data on sensitivity, emotional problems, autistic traits, and several indices of psychological and subjective wellbeing, from over 2800 adolescent twins in England and Wales. We found that greater overall sensitivity correlated with greater emotional problems, autistic traits, and lower subjective wellbeing. A similar pattern of correlations was found for the Excitation and Sensory factors of sensitivity, but, in contrast, the Aesthetic factor was positively correlated with psychological wellbeing, though not with emotional problems nor autistic traits. The observed correlations were largely due to overlapping genetic influences. Importantly, genetic influences underlying sensitivity explained between 2 and 12% of the variations in emotional problems, autistic traits, and subjective wellbeing, independent of trait-specific or overlapping genetic influences. These findings encourage incorporating the genetics of environmental sensitivity in future genomic studies aiming to delineate the heterogeneity in emotional problems, autistic traits, and wellbeing.
Ethics and accountability for clinical trials
Authors: Barretto Tanya A. , Tetzlaff Wolfram , Illes Judy
Published: March 2024

In May 2023, a disclaimer posted on ClinicalTrials.gov dismisses accountability for the accuracy of registered information. For spinal cord injury, inconsistencies in intervention classification, phase designation, and lack of study protocols and results threaten the integrity of the database and put users at risk. An investment in what the resource should be rather than what it is not will give it the authority commensurate with the requirements for its regulatory use and informed decision-making for prospective trial participants.
Population-wide cerebellar growth models of children and adolescents
Authors: Gaiser Carolin , van der Vliet Rick , de Boer Augustijn A. A. , Donchin Opher , Berthet Pierre , Devenyi Gabriel A. , Mallar Chakravarty M. , Diedrichsen Jörn , Marquand Andre F. , Frens Maarten A. , Muetzel Ryan L.
Published: March 2024

In the past, the cerebellum has been best known for its crucial role in motor function. However, increasingly more findings highlight the importance of cerebellar contributions in cognitive functions and neurodevelopment. Using a total of 7240 neuroimaging scans from 4862 individuals, we describe and provide detailed, openly available models of cerebellar development in childhood and adolescence (age range: 6–17 years), an important time period for brain development and onset of neuropsychiatric disorders. Next to a traditionally used anatomical parcellation of the cerebellum, we generated growth models based on a recently proposed functional parcellation. In both, we find an anterior-posterior growth gradient mirroring the age-related improvements of underlying behavior and function, which is analogous to cerebral maturation patterns and offers evidence for directly related cerebello-cortical developmental trajectories. Finally, we illustrate how the current approach can be used to detect cerebellar abnormalities in clinical samples.