bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corporate financialization’s conservation and transformation: from Mark I to Mark II
Authors: Auvray Tristan , Durand Cédric , Rabinovich Joel , Rikap Cecilia
Published: July 2021

This paper argues that, as far as the investment behavior of non-financial corporations is concerned, the apparent continuity over the last four decades suggested by the corporate financialization label is misleading. Indeed, while the disconnection between profitability and investment is a robust stylized fact for most of the period, with cumulative detrimental consequences for labor, we contend that the underlying mechanisms changed meaningfully at the turn of the millennium. This contribution identifies—empirically and theoretically—two distinct successive corporate financialization regimes (Mark I and Mark II) and explains their evolutionary articulation. Financialization Mark I is characterized by the empowerment of financial actors: in a context of high interest rates and full-blown liberalization, diminishing retained earnings by non-financial corporations resulted in a dramatic slowdown of investment. Contrastingly, Financialization Mark II is characterized by a strongly established financial hegemony with new forms of intellectual and financial monopoly. In this configuration, interest rates are low and global value chains are deeply seated. This fuels rampant deflationary pressure, which changes the overall dynamic of the profit-investment nexus. Then, in Financialization Mark II, contrary to what occurred during Financialization Mark I, distributed profits are the consequence of slow investment.
AIAP: A Quality Control and Integrative Analysis Package to Improve ATAC-Seq Data Analysis
Authors: Liu Shaopeng , Li Daofeng , Lyu Cheng , Gontarz Paul M. , Miao Benpeng , Madden Pamela A.F. , Wang Ting , Zhang Bo
Published: July 2021

Assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) is a technique widely used to investigate genome-wide chromatin accessibility. The recently published Omni-ATAC-seq protocol substantially improves the signal/noise ratio and reduces the input cell number. High-quality data are critical to ensure accurate analysis. Several tools have been developed for assessing sequencing quality and insertion size distribution for ATAC-seq data; however, key quality control (QC) metrics have not yet been established to accurately determine the quality of ATAC-seq data. Here, we optimized the analysis strategy for ATAC-seq and defined a series of QC metrics for ATAC-seq data, including reads under peak ratio (RUPr), background (BG), promoter enrichment (ProEn), subsampling enrichment (SubEn), and other measurements. We incorporated these QC tests into our recently developed ATAC-seq Integrative Analysis Package (AIAP) to provide a complete ATAC-seq analysis system, including quality assurance, improved peak calling, and downstream differential analysis. We demonstrated a significant improvement of sensitivity (20%–60%) in both peak calling and differential analysis by processing paired-end ATAC-seq datasets using AIAP. AIAP is compiled into Docker/Singularity, and it can be executed by one command line to generate a comprehensive QC report. We used ENCODE ATAC-seq data to benchmark and generate QC recommendations, and developed qATACViewer for the user-friendly interaction with the QC report. The software, source code, and documentation of AIAP are freely available at https://github.com/Zhang-lab/ATAC-seq_QC_analysis.
The treatment of streptococcal tonsillitis/pharyngitis in young children
Authors: Norton Laura , Myers Angela
Published: July 2021

Pharyngitis is common in children, accounting for nearly 12 million visits annually in the United States. Streptococcus pyogenes or group A streptococcus (GAS) is the most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis for which antibiotics are indicated. Antibiotic treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis virtually eliminates the presence of bacteria from the pharynx and thus removes the risk of subsequent rheumatic fever. GAS is spread from person to person via respiratory droplets with a short incubation period of 2∼5 days. GAS pharyngitis peaks in the late winter and early spring months when children are predominately indoors for school and sports. Colonization is also higher in winter months, and while up to 20% of school age children are colonized with GAS in their throat during this time, colonization has not been shown to contribute to the spread of disease. In low‐ and middle‐income countries and other situations in which crowding is common (e.g., schools), outbreaks of pharyngitis are common. GAS pharyngitis can occur at all ages and it is most common in school‐aged children with a peak at 7∼8 years of age. Pharyngitis caused by GAS is rare in children <3 years of age and becomes much less common in late adolescence through adulthood.
The Psychology of Effective Activism
Authors: Gulliver Robyn , Wibisono Susilo , Fielding Kelly S. , Louis Winnifred R.
Published: July 2021

This Element reviews the social psychology of effective collective action, highlighting the importance of considering activists' goals, timeframes, and psychological perspectives in seeking to conceptualise this construct. A novel framework 'ABIASCA' maps effectiveness in relation to activists' goals for mobilisation and change (Awareness raising; Building sympathy; turning sympathy into Intentions; turning intentions into Actions; Sustaining groups over time; Coalition-building; and Avoiding opponents' counter-mobilisation). We also review the DIME model of Disidentification, Innovation, Moralization and Energization, which examines the effects of failure in creating trajectories of activists' disidentification from collective action; innovation (including to radicalisation or deradicalisation); and increased moral conviction and energy. The social psychological drivers of effective collective action for four audiences are examined in detail, in four sections: for the self and supporters, bystanders, opponents, and for third parties. We conclude by highlighting an agenda for future research, and drawing out key messages for scholars.
Paradoxes of Inequality in Renaissance Italy
Authors: Cohn, Jr. Samuel K.
Published: July 2021

This Element explores the longest spell that can be computed from quantifiable fiscal records when the gap between rich and poor narrowed. It was the post-Black-Death century, c. 1375 to c. 1475. Paradoxically, with economic equality and prosperity on the rise, peasants, artisans and shopkeepers suffered losses in political representation and status within cultural spheres. Threatened by growing economic equality after the Black Death, elites preserved and then enhanced their political, social, and cultural distinction predominantly through noneconomic means and within political and cultural spheres. By investigating the interactions between three 'elements'-economics, politics, and culture-this Element presents new facets in the emergence of early Renaissance society in Italy.
A Woman with a Sword? – Weapon Grave at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, Finland
Authors: Moilanen Ulla , Kirkinen Tuija , Saari Nelli-Johanna , Rohrlach Adam B. , Krause Johannes , Onkamo Päivi , Salmela Elina
Published: July 2021

In 1968, a weapon grave with brooches was found at Suontaka Vesitorninmäki, Hattula, Finland. Since then, the grave has been interpreted as evidence of powerful women, even female warriors and leaders in early medieval Finland. Others have denied the possibility of a woman buried with a sword and tried to explain it as a double burial. We present the first modern analysis of the grave, including an examination of its context, a soil sample analysis for microremains, and an aDNA analysis. Based on these analyses, we suggest a new interpretation: the Suontaka grave possibly belonged to an individual with sex-chromosomal aneuploidy XXY. The overall context of the grave indicates that it was a respected person whose gender identity may well have been non-binary.
Epistemic vice predicts acceptance of Covid-19 misinformation
Authors: Meyer Marco , Alfano Mark , de Bruin Boudewijn
Published: July 2021

Why are mistaken beliefs about COVID-19 so prevalent? Political identity, education and other demographic variables explain only part of the differences between people in their susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation. This paper focuses on another explanation: epistemic vice. Epistemic vices are character traits that interfere with acquiring, maintaining, and transmitting knowledge. If the basic assumption of vice epistemology is right, then people with epistemic vices such as indifference to the truth or rigidity in their belief structures will tend to be more susceptible to believing COVID-19 misinformation. We carried out an observational study (US adult sample, n = 998) in which we measured the level of epistemic vice of participants using a novel Epistemic Vice Scale that captures features of the current competing analyses of epistemic vice in the literature. We also asked participants questions eliciting the extent to which they subscribe to myths and misinformation about COVID-19. We find overwhelming evidence to the effect that epistemic vice is associated with susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation. In fact, the association turns out to be stronger than with political identity, educational attainment, scores on the Cognitive Reflection Test, personality, dogmatism, and need for closure. We conclude that this offers evidence in favor of the empirical presuppositions of vice epistemology.
COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates and Their Geopolitical Discontents
Authors: LEE Tsung-Ling
Published: July 2021

At the international level, proof of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 offers an enticing promise to the return of normality, particularly for the much-desired reopening of national borders. At the same time, vaccination passports could be a false hope: the requirement of vaccine passports could adversely embed social and economic inequalities that reflect the power dynamics in international relations. Specifically, the ability to secure vaccines relates to the varying market and economic power across countries. This paper focuses on Taiwan as a case study to explore ways in which the use of COVID-19 certifications, if used as a precondition for international travel, would further exacerbate a binary of exclusion and inclusion as a function of geopolitics. With its relative success in containing the COVID-19 pandemic within its borders, Taiwan represents a low priority for vaccine distribution in the COVAX initiative. Furthermore, due to Taiwan’s contentious political status and its exclusion from the World Health Organization regime, if vaccination passports are required as a precondition for international travel, then outbound passengers from Taiwan potentially could be subjected to restriction of movement absent wide availability of vaccines domestically. This paper argues that insofar as sustainable pandemic control requires a global concerted effort, vaccination passports could further polarise a global response. This paper suggests that equitable access to effective vaccines worldwide and governance reform of global health would help to rebuild global solidarity and mitigate the unimaginable human, social and economic suffering arising from the pandemic.
Utilizing phase-shifted long-period fiber grating to suppress spectral broadening of a high-power fiber MOPA laser system
Authors: Bian Yinxu , Jiao Kerong , Wu Xuecheng , Shen Hua , Yang Feiyan , Zhu Rihong
Published: July 2021

Suppressing nonlinear effects in high-power fiber lasers based on fiber gratings has become a hotspot. At present, research is mainly focused on suppressing stimulated Raman scattering in a high-power fiber laser. However, the suppression of spectral broadening, caused by self-phase modulation or four-wave mixing, is still a challenging attribute to the close distance between the broadened laser and signal laser. If using a traditional fiber grating with only one stopband to suppress the spectral broadening, the signal power will be stripped simultaneously. Confronting this challenge, we propose a novel method based on phase-shifted long-period fiber grating (PS-LPFG) to suppress spectral broadening in a high-power fiber master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) laser system in this paper. A PS-LPFG is designed and fabricated on 10/130 passive fiber utilizing a point-by-point scanning technique. The resonant wavelength of the fabricated PS-LPFG is 1080 nm, the full width at half maximum of the passband is 5.48 nm, and stopband extinction exceeds 90%. To evaluate the performance of the PS-LPFG, the grating is inserted into the seed of a kilowatt-level continuous-wave MOPA system. Experiment results show that the 30 dB linewidth of the output spectrum is narrowed by approximately 37.97%, providing an effective and flexible way for optimizing the output linewidth of high-power fiber MOPA laser systems.
OnCallavia(Trilobita) from the Cambrian Series 2 of Iberia with systematic status of the genus
Authors: Collantes Luis , Pereira Sofia , Mayoral Eduardo , Liñán Eladio , Gozalo Rodolfo
Published: July 2021

Olenellid trilobites from the lower Cambrian of the Iberian Peninsula are very scarce and poorly studied, making them difficult to compare with defined species and to include in biostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic analyses. Based on newly collected specimens, we revise the species ‘Callavia?lotzei’ Richter and Richter, 1941 from the ‘Cumbres beds’ of Cumbres de San Bartolomé and the ‘Herrerías shale’ of Cañaveral de León, Sierra del Bujo, and Hinojales (Huelva, Spain), and ‘Paradoxides choffati’ Delgado, 1904 from the Vila Boim Formation of Elvas (Portugal). The new material indicates thatCallavia?lotzeiis a junior synonym of ‘P. choffati.’ The Iberian species are here assigned toCallaviaMatthew, 1897, for which morphological characters are reassessed, offering a valuable opportunity to discuss characters previously misinterpreted for this genus. Traditionally assigned to the Olenelloidea Walcott, 1890,Callavialacks some of the diagnostic characters of this superfamily and is here assigned to Judomioidea Repina, 1979. A new diagnosis for this genus is provided, andSdzuyomiaLieberman, 2001 is considered to represent a junior synonym ofCallavia. The genusCallaviais distributed across the western margin of Gondwana, from the western Mediterranean region (Iberia and Morocco) throughout all the Avalonia sectors (UK, eastern Newfoundland, and Massachusetts). Its presence in Iberia supports the faunal links between the West Gondwana domain and Avalonia during Cambrian Series 2. The Iberian records ofCallavia choffatiare assigned to the middle part of the regional Marianian Stage (uppermost Cambrian Stage 3 to the lowermost Cambrian Stage 4) and correlates with theCallaviaBiozone of Avalonia (lower Branchian Series).
How corruption investigations undermine regime support: evidence from China
Authors: Wang Yuhua , Dickson Bruce J.
Published: July 2021

Authoritarian leaders around the world often fight against corruption in an effort to win public support. Conventional wisdom holds that this strategy works because leaders can signal their benevolent intentions by removing corrupt officials. We argue that fighting against corruption can undermine regime support. By revealing scandals of corrupt officials, corruption investigations can alter citizens' beliefs about public officials and lead to disenchantment about political institutions. We test this argument by examining how China's current anti-corruption campaign has changed citizens' public support for the government and the Communist Party. We analyze the results of two original surveys conducted before and during the campaign, and employ a difference-in-differences strategy to show that corruption investigations, at the margin, suppress respondents' support for the central government and party. We also examine our respondents' prior and posterior beliefs, and the results support our updating mechanism.
Politicians unleashed? Political communication on Twitter and in parliament in Western Europe
Authors: Castanho Silva Bruno , Proksch Sven-Oliver
Published: July 2021

Twitter is a prominent communication tool for politicians with two potential uses: as a “substitute” channel to circumvent constraints from other political arenas, or as an “amplifier” that reinforces party messages. Using a novel dataset containing tweets and parliamentary speeches by members of parliament (MPs) in seven countries, we estimate politicians’ positions and intra-party dissent on European integration. We find that MPs’ sentiment about Europe on Twitter is a valid measure of their party's position, while also uncovering intra-party disagreements. Our results suggest that most MPs amplify the partisan message, but MPs who participate less in parliamentary debate tend to have larger differences with their party on Twitter. Social media thus can free politicians from their party's grip.
Can political speech foster tolerance of immigrants?
Authors: Schleiter Petra , Tavits Margit , Ward Dalston
Published: July 2021

Politicians frequently use political speech to foster hostility toward immigrants, a strategy that shapes political preferences and behavior and feeds the success of the populist right. Whether political speech can be used to foster tolerance of immigrants, however, remains unexplored. We identify three mechanisms by which political speech could increase tolerance: (1) stressing in-group conceptions that highlight commonalities with immigrants; (2) emphasizing inclusiveness as an in-group norm; and (3) providing information that counters anti-immigrant stereotypes. Using quotes from US politicians in two survey experiments, we find that pro-immigrant speech that stresses inclusive norms or counters negative stereotypes about immigrants leads to more tolerant attitudes (but not behavior) toward immigrants. These effects are small and detectable only in large samples.
Estimating latent traits from expert surveys: an analysis of sensitivity to data-generating process
Authors: Marquardt Kyle L. , Pemstein Daniel
Published: July 2021

Models for converting expert-coded data to estimates of latent concepts assume different data-generating processes (DGPs). In this paper, we simulate ecologically valid data according to different assumptions, and examine the degree to which common methods for aggregating expert-coded data (1) recover true values and (2) construct appropriate coverage intervals. We find that the mean and both hierarchical Aldrich–McKelvey (A–M) scaling and hierarchical item-response theory (IRT) models perform similarly when expert error is low; the hierarchical latent variable models (A-M and IRT) outperform the mean when expert error is high. Hierarchical A–M and IRT models generally perform similarly, although IRT models are often more likely to include true values within their coverage intervals. The median and non-hierarchical latent variable models perform poorly under most assumed DGPs.
Detecting anomalies in data on government violence
Authors: Bond Kanisha D. , Conrad Courtenay R. , Moses Dylan , Simmons Joel W.
Published: July 2021

Can data on government coercion and violence be trusted when the data are generated by state itself? In this paper, we investigate the extent to which data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) regarding the use of force by corrections officers against prison inmates between 2008 and 2017 conform to Benford's Law. Following a growing data forensics literature, we expect misreporting of the use-of-force in California state prisons to cause the observed data to deviate from Benford's distribution. Statistical hypothesis tests and further investigation of CDCR data—which show both temporal and cross-sectional variance in conformity with Benford's Law—are consistent with misreporting of the use-of-force by the CDCR. Our results suggest that data on government coercion generated by the state should be inspected carefully before being used to test hypotheses or make policy.
Misattributed blame? Attitudes toward globalization in the age of automation
Authors: Wu Nicole
Published: July 2021

Many, especially low-skilled workers, blame globalization for their economic woes. Robots and machines, which have led to job market polarization, rising income inequality, and labor displacement, are often viewed much more forgivingly. This paper argues that citizens have a tendency to misattribute blame for economic dislocations toward immigrants and workers abroad, while discounting the effects of technology. Using the 2016 American National Elections Studies, a nationally representative survey, I show that workers facing higher risks of automation are more likely to oppose free trade agreements and favor immigration restrictions, even controlling for standard explanations for these attitudes. Although pocket-book concerns do influence attitudes toward globalization, this study calls into question the standard assumption that individuals understand and can correctly identify the sources of their economic anxieties. Accelerated automation may have intensified attempts to resist globalization.
AGPAT3 Gene polymorphisms are associated with milk production traits in Chinese Holstein cows
Authors: Sun Xiaomei , Liang Yan , Gao Qisong , Guo Jiahe , Tang Cheng , Shi Kerong , Yang Zhangping , Mao Yongjiang
Published: July 2021

The current study reports the identification of previously undiscovered single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the bovineAGPAT3gene and further investigates their associations with milk production traits. Our results demonstrate that the major allele C of the SNP g.12264 C > T is positively correlated with test-day milk yield, protein percentage and 305-day milk yield. Importantly,in silicoanalysis showed that the C/T transition at this locus gives rise to two new transcription factor binding sites (TFBS), E2F1 and Nkx3-2. Polymorphism g.18658 G > A was the only SNP associated with milk urea nitrogen (MUN) with the G allele related to an increase in milk urea nitrogen as well as fat percentage. The GG genotype of SNP g.28731 A > G was associated with the highest fat and protein percentage and lowest 305-day milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS). The association betweenAGPAT3locus and milk production traits could be utilized in marker-assisted selection for the genetic improvement of milk production traits and, probably in conjunction with other traits, for selection to improve fitness of dairy cattle.
Interdependence between L1 and L2: The case of Syrian children with refugee backgrounds in Canada and the Netherlands
Authors: Blom Elma , Soto-Corominas Adriana , Attar Zahraa , Daskalaki Evangelia , Paradis Johanne
Published: July 2021

Children who are refugees become bilingual in circumstances that are often challenging and that can vary across national contexts. We investigated the second language (L2) syntactic skills of Syrian children aged 6-12 living in Canada (n = 56) and the Netherlands (n = 47). Our goal was to establish the impact of the first language (L1 = Syrian Arabic) skills on L2 (English, Dutch) outcomes and whether L1–L2 interdependence is influenced by the length of L2 exposure. To measure L1 and L2 syntactic skills, cross-linguistic Litmus Sentence Repetition Tasks (Litmus-SRTs) were used. Results showed evidence of L1–L2 interdependence, but interdependence may only surface after sufficient L2 exposure. Maternal education level and refugee camp experiences differed between the two samples. Both variables impacted L2 outcomes in the Canadian but not in the Dutch sample, demonstrating the importance to examine refugee children’s bilingual language development in different national contexts.
The emergence of a new phonological feature in Pakistan English
Authors: Syed Nasir A. , Bibi Shah
Published: July 2021

English is used as a lingua franca in most parts of the world (Ozaki, 2011). However, problems and issues related to learning English are country specific (Nagamine, 2011), because most of the difficulties in foreign language learning arise from L1 interference (Flege, 1995). Since this study focuses on acoustic analysis of a phonological feature of Pakistan English (PakE), we outline the historical background of the issue very briefly. Pakistan is a linguistically rich country. More than 70 languages are spoken in Pakistan (Rahman, 1996). Saraiki, Balochi, Sindhi, Punjabi and Pashto are the major indigenous languages of the country. More than 90% of the total population speaks these languages. Pakistan came into being in 1947. It inherited English as a language of education, law, the judiciary and media from the British colonial masters. The British rulers also used the English language in India for official correspondence. Therefore, English became a very effective tool and symbol of power in the subcontinent. As a result, people of the subcontinent feel pride in learning English. Although the colonial period has ended and the English rulers have departed to their homeland, English still remains the language of ruling elite in Pakistan and India.
Considering and communicating uncertainty in health technology assessment
Authors: Trowman Rebecca , Powers Alicia , Ollendorf Daniel A.
Published: July 2021

As health technology assessment (HTA) seeks to combine complex sets of evidence, values, and perspectives to support open, accountable, and transparent decision making, uncertainty is inherent. Uncertainty is present in the clinical and economic inputs that inform HTA and is a critical factor during context-specific deliberations where the evidence is weighed and decisions are made, taking uncertainty into account through either financial or evidence-generation mechanisms. The presence and impact of uncertainty must also be communicated to all relevant stakeholders during the HTA output stage. This article summarizes the 2021 HTAi Global Policy Forum discussion on “Considering and Communicating Uncertainty in HTA” that debated some of the key challenges and opportunities regarding uncertainty in HTA. Through a combination of small and large group discussions, core themes related to the topic of uncertainty in HTA were identified. These discussions revealed that: utilization of a life cycle/HTA management approach helps manage uncertainty; genuine stakeholder input and engagement (and not just consultation) can clarify uncertainty; tolerance of risk, the relationship of risk to uncertainty, and the context in which uncertainty is considered is critical; transparent and early dialogues could be increased to further reduce the uncertainty during HTA; and communicating uncertainty in HTA outputs is critical. The paper ends with suggested next steps that HTA agencies and stakeholders (such as industry, patients, regulators, payers, and others) might take to move the field forward. The paper promotes further discussion on aspects of uncertainty that should be more openly discussed, debated, and addressed.
Effect of Mosses on physical and chemical properties of soil in temperate forests of Garhwal Himalayas
Authors: Siwach Anshu , Kaushal Siddhartha , Baishya Ratul
Published: July 2021

Mosses are one of the most important and dominant plant communities, especially in the temperate biome, and play a significant role in ecosystem function and dynamics. They influence the water, energy and element cycle due to their unique ecology and physiology. The present study was undertaken in three different temperate forest sites in the Garhwal Himalayas, viz., Triyuginarayan (Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS)), Chakrata, and Kanasar forest range. The study was focused on understanding the influence of mosses on soil physical properties and nutrient availability. Different physico-chemical properties were analysed under two different substrata, that is, with and without moss cover in two different seasons, viz., monsoon and winter. We observed mosses to influence and alter the physical properties and nutrient status of soil in both seasons. All soil physical and chemical properties, except magnesium, showed significant difference within the substrates, among all the sites and across the two seasons. Besides the soil characteristics underneath the moss vegetation, the study also highlights the diversity of mosses found in the area. Mosses appear to create high nutrient microsites via a high rate of organic matter accumulation and retain nutrients for longer periods thus, maintaining ecosystem stability.
Assessment of floral composition, structure and natural regeneration of the Tano Offin Globally Significant Biodiversity Area of Ghana
Authors: Adotey Regina Enninful , Belford Ebenezer Jeremiah Durosimi
Published: July 2021

Threats of forest degradation of the Tano Offin Globally Significant Biodiversity Area present the need to generate eco-information pertinent for its conservational purposes. Ten 50 m × 50 m plots (tree layer) were assessed for plant life forms with diameter ≥ 10 cm. A 10 m × 10 m plot (shrub layer) was located within each of the 50 m × 50 m plots where plant life forms with diameter < 10 cm were assessed. 1 m × 1 m quadrats (herb layer) were laid at the corners of the 50 m × 50 m plots and its centre for canopy closure and natural regeneration assessments. Plant species (240) belonging to 59 families were identified: 171 trees, 41 lianas, 11 shrubs, 7 herbs, 7 herbaceous climbers, 1 epiphyte, 1 grass and 1 fern. Species diversity (H´) of the tree, shrub and herb layers was 2.55, 2.54 and 2.48 respectively. The average maximum tree height was 46.19 m and the basal area was 28.36 m2/ha, which is below the 35 m²/ha conventional basal area value of tropical forests.Celtis mildbraediiandRinorea welwitschiiwere the most structurally significant species at the tree and shrub layers, respectively, and a total of 75 tree species were regenerating.
The French bonds: the little-known bidding war for France's holdings in American debt, 1786–1790
Authors: Veru Peter Theodore
Published: July 2021

In 1786, the Van Staphorst brothers, America's Dutch investment bank, entered the French office of the Director General of Finance, intent on making an offer for a portion of France's holdings of American bonds. Unknowingly, their offer set off a bidding war that could have ended with poorly capitalized American financial adventurers owing a large portion of bonds which could threaten the fragile health of American credit. At the eleventh hour, the Van Staphorsts conjured up a bold, unprecedented, scheme to persuade the French that it would be unnecessary to sell their American bonds at discounted prices.
Sex Differences in Neuropsychological Functioning are Domain-Specific in Adolescent and Young Adult Regular Cannabis Users
Authors: Savulich George , Rychik Natali , Lamberth Erin , Hareli Maya , Evins A. Eden , Sahakian Barbara J. , Schuster Randi M.
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Adolescence into young adulthood represents a sensitive period in which brain development significantly diverges by sex. Regular cannabis use by young people is associated with neuropsychological vulnerabilities, but the potential impact of sex on these relationships is unclear.

Method:

In a cross-sectional study, we examined sex differences in multi-domain neuropsychological functioning using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and tested whether sex moderated the relationship between cognitive performance and age of initiation, frequency of cannabis use, amount of cannabis use, and withdrawal symptoms in at least weekly adolescent and young adult cannabis users (n = 171; aged 13–25 years; 46.2% female).

Results:

Male cannabis users had poorer visual recognition memory and female cannabis users showed worse attention and executive functions, with medium to large effect sizes. These sex effects persisted, when controlling for age, IQ, amount of alcohol and nicotine use, mood and anxiety symptoms, emotional stability and impulsive behavior. Earlier age of initiated use and more use were associated with worse attentional functions in females, but not males. More use was more strongly associated with worse episodic memory in males than in females. More use was associated with poorer learning in males only.

Conclusions:

Domain-specific patterns of neuropsychological performance were found by sex, such that males showed poorer visual memory and females showed worse performance on measures of attention (sustained visual, multitasking) and executive functioning (spatial planning/working memory subdomains). Larger studies including healthy controls are needed to determine if the observed sex differences are more exaggerated relative to non-users.
Cannabis Use and Brain Volume in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users: Effects Moderated by Sex and Aerobic Fitness
Authors: Sullivan Ryan M. , Wallace Alexander L. , Wade Natasha E. , Swartz Ann M. , Lisdahl Krista M.
Published: July 2021

Objectives:

Studies examining the impact of adolescent and young adult cannabis use on structural outcomes have been heterogeneous. One already-identified moderator is sex, while a novel potential moderator is extent of aerobic fitness. Here, we sought to investigate the associations of cannabis use, sex, and aerobic fitness levels on brain volume. Second, we explored brain–behavior relationships to interpret these findings.

Methods:

Seventy-four adolescents and young adults (36 cannabis users and 38 controls) underwent 3 weeks of monitored cannabis abstinence, aerobic fitness testing, structural neuroimaging, and neuropsychological testing. Linear regressions examined cannabis use and its interaction with sex and aerobic fitness on whole-brain cortical volume and subcortical regions of interests.

Results:

No main-effect differences between cannabis users and nonusers were observed; however, cannabis-by-sex interactions identified differences in frontal, temporal, and paracentral volumes. Female cannabis users generally exhibited greater volume while male users exhibited less volume compared to same-sex controls. Positive associations between aerobic fitness and frontal, parietal, cerebellum, and caudate volumes were observed. Cannabis-by-fitness interaction was linked with left superior temporal volume. Preliminary brain–behavior correlations revealed that abnormal volumes were not advantageous in either male or female cannabis users.

Conclusions:

Aerobic fitness was linked with greater brain volume and sex moderated the effect of cannabis use on volume; preliminary brain–behavior correlations revealed that differences in cannabis users were not linked with advantageous cognitive performance. Implications of sex-specific subtleties and mechanisms of aerobic fitness require large-scale investigation. Furthermore, present findings and prior literature on aerobic exercise warrant examinations of aerobic fitness interventions that aimed at improving neurocognitive health in substance-using youth.
Maternal migraine and the risk of psychiatric disorders in offspring: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Wang H. , He H. , Miao M. , Yu Y. , Liu H. , Zhang J. , Li F. , Li J.
Published: July 2021

Aims

Maternal migraine may contribute to mental heath problems in offspring but empirical evidence has been available only for bipolar disorders. Our objective was to examine the association between maternal migraine and the risk of any and specific psychiatric disorders in offspring.

Methods

This population-based cohort study used individual-level linked Danish national health registers. Participants were all live-born singletons in Denmark during 1978–2012 (n = 2 069 785). Follow-up began at birth and continued until the onset of a psychiatric disorder, death, emigration or 31 December 2016, whichever came first. Cox proportional hazards model was employed to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of psychiatric disorders.

Results

Maternal migraine was associated with a 26% increased risk of any psychiatric disorders in offspring [HR, 1.26; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22–1.30]. Increased rates of psychiatric disorders were seen in all age groups from childhood to early adulthood. Increased rates were also observed for most of the specific psychiatric disorders, in particular, mood disorders (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.39–1.67), neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.37–1.52) and specific personality disorders (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.27–1.70), but not for intellectual disability (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71–1.00) or eating disorders (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.93–1.29). The highest risk was seen in the offspring of mothers with migraine and comorbid psychiatric disorders (HR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.99–2.28).

Conclusions

Maternal migraine was associated with increased risks of a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders in offspring. Given the high prevalence of migraine, our findings highlight the importance of better management of maternal migraine at childbearing ages for early prevention of psychiatric disorders in offspring.
Responding to Climate Change Disaster
Authors: Jetten Jolanda , Fielding Kelly S. , Crimston Charlie R. , Mols Frank , Haslam S. Alexander
Published: July 2021

Abstract. Climate change-induced disasters (e.g., bushfires, droughts, and flooding) occur more frequently and with greater intensity than in previous decades. Disasters can at times fuel social change but that is not guaranteed. To understand whether disasters lead to status quo maintenance or social change, we propose a model (Social Identity Model of Post-Disaster Action; SIMPDA) which focuses on the role of leadership in the aftermath of a disaster. Looking specifically at climate change-related disasters, we propose that intragroup and intergroup dynamics in both the pre-disaster as well as the post-disaster context affect whether leadership (a) has the potential to mobilize social identity resources to enable social change, or else (b) fails to capitalize on emerging social identity resources in ways that ultimately maintain the status quo. Given the importance of urgent climate change action, we predict that status quo maintenance is associated with post-disaster paralysis. In contrast, social change that is set in train by capitalizing on social identity-based resources holds the promise of greater post-disaster learning and enhanced disaster preparedness when it is focused on addressing the challenges brought about by climate change. We apply this model to understand responses to the 2019/2020 bushfires in Australia. Our analysis suggests that while an emerging sense of shared identity centered on acting to tackle climate change provides a window of opportunity for securing increased disaster preparedness, this opportunity risks being missed due to, among other things, the absence of leaders able and willing to engage in constructive identity-based leadership.
Health Behavior and Planetary Health
Authors: Santos Osvaldo , Virgolino Ana , Vaz Carneiro António , de Matos Margarida Gaspar
Published: July 2021

Abstract. Health and environmental psychology have long been walking side by side. These two disciplines of psychology have imported and applied common psychological frameworks and each of them developed specific theories and methodologies. At a time when humankind faces tremendous challenges ahead (climate change, global warming, ocean sickness, the reemergence of infections pandemics), environmental health is more and more a crucial domain of research. Both environmental psychology and health psychology need to be engaged in environmental health issues in order to enhance planetary health. Environmental psychology traditional fields of research provide understanding about how natural or constructed environments impact human identity, attitudes, and behaviors (more recently, environmental psychology is also investing in determinants of pro-environmental behaviors). On the other hand, health psychology has an extensive comprehensive framework about how to promote healthy habits (i.e., automatically activated behaviors). We live in a global and extremely complex and interconnected world, which promotes syndemic phenomena (several interactive epidemics sharing common etiological factors), also resulting in accelerated depletion of natural resources. This current scenario might justify the development of an Environmental Health Psychology discipline, joining together tools from both environmental psychology and health psychology in a synergic and strategic way.
Environmental Issues Are Health Issues
Authors: Inauen Jennifer , Contzen Nadja , Frick Vivan , Kadel Philipp , Keller Jan , Kollmann Josianne , Mata Jutta , van Valkengoed Anne M.
Published: July 2021

Abstract. Increasing demands on ecosystems, decreasing biodiversity, and climate change are among the most pressing environmental issues of our time. As changing weather conditions are leading to increased vector-borne diseases and heat- and flood-related deaths, it is entering collective consciousness: environmental issues are human health issues. In public health, the field addressing these issues is known as environmental health. This field addresses both the effects people have on their environment as well as the effects of the environment on people. Psychology, as a discipline concerned with explaining, predicting, and changing behavior has much to contribute to these issues because human behavior is key in promoting environmental health. To date, however, an integrative view of environmental health in psychology is lacking, hampering urgently needed progress. In this paper, we review how the environment and human health are intertwined, and that much can be gained through a systemic view of environmental health in psychology. Based on a review of the literature, we suggest that psychologists unite efforts to promote an integrative science and practice of environmental health psychology, and jointly address environmental-health related behavior. The research agenda for this field will include integrating behavior change theory and intervention approaches. Thereby, psychology can potentially make an important contribution to sustained environmental health for generations to come.
Climate Change, Migration, Urbanization, and the Mental Health of	Children at Risk in the European Union
Authors: Rygaard Niels Peter
Published: July 2021

Abstract. Psychologists face a growing mental health challenge, calling for innovative large-scale interventions. World population growth and industrialization are causing climate change, forcing families to migrate into rapidly expanding cities, and suffer in refugee camps. European in-country migration from rural villages adds to urban growth. This rapid shift in adaptation between uprooted families and their new environments tends to increase the risk of family system disorganization, poor child attachment, and child abandonment. The paper presents demographic data and projections concerning the effects of urban life on childbirth frequency, marital constancy, how early in life children are cared for outside the home, and the placement of children in Alternative Care. European Federation of Psychologist’s Association initiatives addresses new questions. How can research recommendations be applied in cross-professional interventions? Can e-learning open new channels for dissemination? The author presents how a European Union Lifelong Learning grant project in 10 member countries later developed into the Fairstart Foundation’s partnerships with world NGOs and government agencies. Five hundred twelve partner staff in 26 countries have been educated in 6-month online classrooms and trained the foster parents and group home staff of some 40,000 children in attachment-based care. Lessons learned for interventions are discussed, to inspire further developments.
We, the Change
Authors: Schulte Maxie , Bamberg Sebastian , Rees Jonas
Published: July 2021

Abstract. In the last years within sustainability research, the agreement seems to have changed about the appropriate strategies to solve the intensifying socio-ecological crisis. While the focus used to be on “greening” individual lifestyles, it has recently shifted to the fundamental transition of central societal production and consumption systems. This raises the question of what psychology with its traditional focus on the individual can contribute to a better understanding and successful design of such societal transition processes. The present paper aims to offer an outline of how such psychological research lines might look like. We use the social identity concept as a starting point and motivate it as central for understanding the transformation of an individual into a group member who voluntarily collaborates with others to create more sustainable socio-technical solutions for central societal needs. The three parts of our paper deliver compact descriptions of thought-provoking research lines which developed in the last years. These research lines contribute to a better understanding of how social identities as collective pro-environmental activists are “crafted,” through which processes such as activist identities influence the participation in collective pro-environmental action and, ultimately, collective change. In sum, an important psychological contribution to the debate about the “Great Transformation” could be to provide a better understanding of what motivates individuals to actively participate in transition-oriented initiatives and how this motivation can be strengthened.
The Role of Storm‐Time Electrodynamics in the Dawn and Dusk Sectors Across Equatorial and Low‐Latitude Ionosphere During December 19–21, 2015
Authors: Singh Ram , Sripathi S.
Published: July 2021

We present the distinct responses of the nighttime ionosphere due to an intense and long lasting geomagnetic storm of December 19–21, 2015 using a chain of ionosondes from magnetic equator to anomaly crest region over India. The observations exhibited unique features throughout the night including dawn and dusk sectors. The results showed twin episodes of pre‐reversal enhancement (PRE) in dusk sector associated with oscillatory vertical plasma drift due to shielding electric field that produced briefly post‐sunset equatorial spread F (ESF) irregularities. Accordingly, relative dominance of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and auroral electrojet (AE) related electric field fluctuations in vertical and zonal drifts at different times are investigated throughout the night. Also the application of wavelet/wavelet coherence analysis on interplanetary and geomagnetic conditions and ionospheric data showed distinct relationships. The results showed that vertical drift is in phase with interplanetary electric fields (IEFy) with period of ∼30 min at ∼18:30 IST (13:00 UT) that drives first PRE whereas ∼60 min period in AE which is in phase with vertical drifts drives second PRE at ∼20:30 IST (15:00 UT). However, other short term periods in vertical drifts are in phase with IEFy and AE at other times suggesting that both are contributing to the drift variations. The simultaneous upliftment of F layer at all stations producing fresh ESF irregularities in the dawn sector is attributed to the unique electrodynamical response of the Indian low latitude stations to the eastward disturbance dynamo electric fields (DDEFs). These results are also in concomitant with satellite observations and thermospheric ionospheric electrodynamics general circulation model (TIE‐GCM) drifts.