bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial Stereotypes, Racial Threat, and Support for Felon Disenfranchisement Among White Americans
Authors: Coll Joseph A.
Published: September 2024

Applying racial stereotypes and the racial threat framework to felon disenfranchisement support, this study argues white Americans who think Black Americans are more violent will be more supportive of felon disenfranchisement, and that this effect will be largest for white Republicans and white Americans who put greater importance in their racial identity. Analyses of the 2020 American National Election Study finds white Americans who think Black (white) Americans are more violent are more (less) supportive of felon disenfranchisement, with suggestive evidence these effects are more pronounced for white Republicans and white Americans holding greater racial importance. At the same time, the effects of violence stereotypes are consistently substantively small, amounting to less than one half of one level change in disenfranchisement support on a seven-point scale. These effect sizes are on par with partisanship, slightly smaller than other racial attitudes and crime spending preferences, and far outpaced by ideology. Overall, these results suggest racial stereotypes may factor into support for felon disenfranchisement, but these stereotypes are not a driving factor of such support.
The Association Between Screening for Colorectal Cancer and Mental and Physical Health
Authors: Gong Yiting , Flander Louisa B. , Macrae Finlay , Wilson Carlene , Jenkins Mark A.
Published: September 2024

Background

Colorectal cancer screening reduces colorectal cancer morbidity and mortality. Identifying the factors associated with screening participation is needed to overcome barriers to screening. While several of those factors have been identified, the impact of mental and physical health on screening behaviour is not well understood.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study compared the self-reported mental and physical health of those who did screen for colorectal cancer and those who did not. Participants of the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Registry Cohort that were aged 45-75 years and had never been diagnosed with colorectal cancer were asked to complete a questionnaire detailing their colorectal cancer screening participation in the preceding 5 years, and a validated questionnaire of mental and physical health. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for measured potential confounders.

Results

Of the 1130 eligible participants, 781 had a family history of colorectal cancer (69.5%), and 819 reported colorectal cancer screening in the past 5 years (72%). After adjusting for potential confounders, there was no evidence that overall mental or physical health was associated with colorectal cancer screening. However, those reporting higher levels of general health were more likely to participate in colorectal cancer screening (OR = 1.02 (100 point scale), 95% CI 1.004, 1.037, P = .014).

Conclusion

We found limited evidence that mental and physical health were associated with colorectal cancer screening. The high proportion of participants with a family history of colorectal cancer limits the generaliseability of the findings to the general population, although we observed no differences in findings by strength of family history.
Comparing E-Cigarettes and Traditional Cigarettes in Relation to Myocardial Infarction, Arrhythmias, and Sudden Cardiac Death: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yacoub Mohammed I. , Aslanoğlu Aziz , Khraim Fadi , Alsharawneh Anas , Abdelkader Raghad , Almagharbeh Wesam T. , Alhejaili Asim Abdullah , Alshahrani Bassam Dhafer , Sobeh Dena Eltabey , Eltayeb Mudathir M. , Elshatarat Rami A. , Saleh Zyad T.
Published: September 2024

Background

The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a perceived safer alternative to traditional cigarettes has grown rapidly. However, the cardiovascular risks associated with e-cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes remain unclear.

Objective

To systematically review and compare the cardiovascular outcomes of e-cigarette use versus traditional cigarette use, focusing on the risks of myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden death.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Peer-reviewed studies published in English were included if they reported cardiovascular outcomes related to e-cigarette or traditional cigarette use. A total of 20 studies were included, covering observational and interventional studies focusing on heart rate variability, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac events. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE criteria, and data were extracted and analyzed based on the PICOS (Population, Interventions, Comparisons, Outcomes, and Study designs) framework.

Results

The systematic review found that both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes pose significant cardiovascular risks, with traditional cigarettes linked to a higher incidence of myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. E-cigarette users also face increased risks of arrhythmias and myocardial infarction compared to non-smokers, primarily due to the constituents of aerosolized e-liquid, including nicotine and flavorings, which contribute to adverse cardiac effects. Regular e-cigarette use, particularly in combination with traditional cigarette use, was associated with a heightened risk of myocardial infarction. Studies also reported heart function abnormalities, such as systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and reduced ejection fractions. Additionally, changes in heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure were observed, indicating both acute and chronic effects of e-cigarettes on cardiovascular autonomic regulation.

Conclusions

While e-cigarettes may present a lower cardiovascular risk compared to traditional cigarettes, they are not without harm. Both products are linked to increased risks of myocardial infarction and arrhythmias, though traditional cigarettes pose a higher overall threat. Given the limitations in the current evidence base, particularly concerning the long-term effects of e-cigarette use, further research is needed to clarify these cardiovascular risks and inform public health guidelines.
Biocompatibility and mechanical performance of magnesium alloys for biomedical application- a state of the art review
Authors: Singh Khushneet , Mohan Sanjay , Ruggiero Alessandro , Bazli Leila , Ul Haq Mir Irfan
Published: September 2024

This review addresses the problems associated with various types of implants, providing a brief background on their challenges and surgical implications. Preclinical and clinical studies are discussed to understand the causes of implant failures. The review specifically examines the potential of magnesium-based alloys in biomedical applications, focus on existing research to offer a comprehensive overview of their advantages and disadvantages in biodegradable implants. It explores how alloying elements can enhance mechanical properties and corrosion behavior in Mg alloys. This review indicates how specific percentages of different alloying elements, combined with suitable manufacturing and post-processing techniques, can yield optimized results. Additionally, the review assesses the impact of magnesium alloy degradation on the healing process and suggests strategies to mitigate adverse effects. By thoroughly analyzing the literature, this paper offers valuable insights into fabricating magnesium-based implants to achieve ideal mechanical and corrosion properties, enhancing their effectiveness in biomedical applications.
Ability in physical education – No, I can’t discuss it! Insights from lower secondary physical education teachers in Western Australia
Authors: Giles Jeffrey , Penney Dawn , O’Connor Justen
Published: September 2024

Ability has been positioned as a crucial concept in the construction of a subject that is inclusive of and meaningful for all students. Almost two decades since Evans ( 2004 ) called on the field to re-engage in discourse concerning ability, how ability is conceptualised by physical education (PE) teachers remains relatively unexplored. Furthermore, relatively little is known about how understandings of ability are enacted through curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in PE. This research explored these issues with lower secondary PE teachers in Western Australia through self-recorded audio responses to two research questions. Data from 38 participants revealed the struggles that PE teachers had in articulating meanings and representations of ability in PE in their curriculum, pedagogy and assessment practices. Findings illustrated a tendency for many teachers to privilege a performative view of ability and focus on the physical domain in discussing ability in PE. While some teachers made reference to skills and dispositions beyond this domain, data affirmed the dominance of narrow conceptualisations of ability in PE and pointed to limited understandings of how broad, fluid and inclusive notions of ability may be embedded in curriculum design, pedagogy and assessment practices. Summative assessment was the most frequent aspect of practice referred to in teachers’ explanations of how understanding of ability was expressed in their practice. The study points to the importance of professional learning and initial teacher education directing attention to ability as a focus for advancing equitable practices in PE and the need for further research exploring enactments of ability.
Analyzing spatial technology trends in urban heritage preservation: A bibliometrics study
Authors: Chakraborty Shilpi , Ji Shiva
Published: September 2024

This study addresses the notable absence of comprehensive syntheses and bibliometric analyses concerning the utilization of spatial technology within urban heritage preservation contexts. The research aims to elucidate the current status, methodologies, advancements, and future trajectories of spatial technology applications in urban heritage preservation. Employing a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis, the study examines pertinent 157 literature through Scopus, categorizes research applications, analyzes bibliometric data, evaluates influence rankings across multiple dimensions, identifies historical trends, and outlines prospective directions. The study findings unveil the evolving characteristics of spatial technology applications. Firstly, it reveals a gradual development trend, with spatial technologies experiencing an annual growth rate of 7.7% between 2010 and 2020. Nevertheless, a significant disparity persists, with more than 63.2% of countries still fully integrating spatial technology on-site at heritage sites. Furthermore, the study highlights varied collaboration levels between research institutions, with limited international cooperation and exchange, particularly evident between developed and developing nations. Lastly, the increasing demand for interdisciplinary research signals a shift towards fostering innovative approaches and solutions in heritage site preservation and management.
Applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to International Career Transitions: Working With Complexities and Contraindications
Authors: Woodend Jon , Arthur Nancy
Published: September 2024

The interconnectedness of global economies and workforces have influenced the mobility of people between countries and their career development. Researchers need to consider contextual influences on international career transitions and select a methodology that illuminates peoples’ meaning making of diverse experiences. In this critical review, we reflect on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), through describing the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications, including the seven indications and six contraindications of the IPA process. Overall, IPA seems to have strong applicability for research with people experiencing international career transitions, particularly because of the solid philosophical and human sciences basis, representation of shifts in meaning-making, and consideration of individuals’ unique transition contexts and diverse experiences. Researchers are invited to consider some hesitations in the IPA process, such as challenges in creating deep interpretations in data analysis and distinguishing whose interpretations are represented in the findings. Future research considerations are suggested to advance theoretical and practical applications, including a summary evaluation of the IPA process to inform researchers’ decision-making.
Cleaning up data work: Negotiating meaning, morality, and inequality in a tech startup
Authors: Shestakofsky Benjamin
Published: September 2024

Data work—the routinized, information-processing operations that support artificial intelligence systems—has been portrayed as a source of both economic opportunity and exploitation. Existing research on the moral economy of data work focuses on platforms where individuals anonymously complete one-off projects for as little as one cent per task. However, data work is increasingly performed inside organizational settings to promote more consistent and accurate output. How do technologists and data workers construct and morally justify these arrangements? This article is based on 19 months of participant-observation research inside a San Francisco-based startup. Drawing on theories of relational work, I show how managers in San Francisco and contractors in the Philippines collaborated to “clean up” the morally questionable status of data work. Managers attempted to engineer interactions with data workers to emphasize fun and friendship while obscuring vast inequalities. Filipino data workers framed American managers as benevolent patrons and themselves as grateful clients to reinforce managers’ sense of responsibility for their well-being. By shifting attention from the structure of roles to the structure of relationships in organization-based data work, this article demonstrates the function of culture and meaning-making in both generating reliable and accurate data and reproducing status hierarchies in the tech industry. Additionally, this article's examination of the complex and often contradictory dynamics of organizational attachment and marginalization has implications for debates about how the conditions of data work can be improved.
Environmental Dimension of Value Chain Linkages: Empirical Assessment of India’s Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Bhayana Sakshi , Nag Biswajit
Published: September 2024

The emergence of global value chains (GVCs) has presented emerging nations like India with possibilities to combine into the worldwide economic system, which has had a major effect on the economy and the environment. With India’s manufacturing sector accounting for 15% of India’s gross value added, it is one of the main engines of the country’s economic expansion. Additionally, it is vulnerable to changes in technology and ranks second in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, after the production of electricity. This study attempts to draw interrelations between CO2 emissions embodied in trade and GVC participation for this sector. Using the autoregressive distributive lag approach for the time period 1995–2018, this study exhibits significant cointegration between value chain participation and embodied emissions in gross exports for the short run and long run. However, while the impact of economic growth is positive for foreign emissions embodied through imported intermediates and negative for the emissions embodied in India’s exports of domestic goods, there exist important policy implications in this regard. Also, it is vital for an emerging nation like India to accord primacy to other indicators like the Environmental Stringency Index and spending on research and development so as to reduce its carbon emissions and improve its ecology. Novelty in this study arises from the fact that it utilises inter-country input–output statistics, OECD on fuel combustion to the resident industry and household, where carbon emissions have been decomposed into the foreign and domestic emissions embodied in gross exports for India’s manufacturing sector.

JEL Classification: F110, F664, B223
Developing and evaluating Compassionate Workplace Programs to promote health and wellbeing around serious illness, dying and loss in the workplace (EU-CoWork): a transdisciplinary, cross-national research project
Authors: Vanderstichelen Steven , De Moortel Deborah , Nielsen Karina , Wegleitner Klaus , Eneslätt Malin , Sardiello Tiziana , Martos Daniela , Webster Jennifer , Nikandrou Irene , Delvaux Ellen , Tishelman Carol , Cohen Joachim
Published: September 2024

Background:

Most employees will experience serious illness, caregiving, dying and loss (End-of-Life (EoL) experiences) at multiple points throughout their working lives. These experiences impact affected employees but also their colleagues in terms of health and wellbeing, and the workplace as a whole in terms of workplace safety, productivity and labour relations. The impact of EoL experiences on employees means that workplaces are called to play a more active role in providing support for EoL experiences.

Aim:

To describe how the EU-CoWork (2024–2028) project addresses its main aims to (1) create Compassionate Workplace cultures, practices and policies and improve health and wellbeing for employees dealing with EoL experiences in different national work contexts in Europe; (2) describe and evaluate the process of co-creation and implementation of Compassionate Workplace Programs (CWPs) and how these influence the programs’ outcomes.

Design:

EU-CoWork employs a facilitated and co-creative Developmental Evaluation approach to the development of 12 tailored CWPs across four European countries (Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Greece).

Methods:

To evaluate the outcomes and processes leading to these outcomes, a mixed-methods Realist Evaluation methodology is applied, formulating and testing Context-Mechanism-Outcomes configurations and combining longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data collections.

Results:

EU-CoWork will generate evidence to support an expanded model of occupational health and safety risk factors sensitive to the specific challenges related to employees’ EoL experiences. In doing so, several challenges will have to be navigated: involving employees with EoL experiences while avoiding overburdening them, avoiding tokenistic engagement, managing power differentials, balancing the need for scientific rigour with the flexibility required in co-creation, reconciling different epistemologies and disciplinary traditions and organisational resistance to change.

Conclusion:

There are potential long-lasting broader societal impacts through the stimulation of open discourse on EoL topics, the reconciliation of work and care, and changes in gendered work and care patterns.
Magnetite nanoparticles are metastable biogeobatteries in consecutive redox cycles driven by microbial Fe oxidation and reduction
Authors: Bayer T. , Jakus N. , Kappler A. , Byrne J. M.
Published: September 2024

Iron (Fe) minerals play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles due to their ubiquity in nature, high adsorption capacity and redox activity towards many other elements. Mixed-valent Fe minerals are unique since they contain Fe(II) and Fe(III). For example, magnetite (Fe(II)Fe(III)2O4) nanoparticles (MNPs) can affect the availability and mobility of nutrients and contaminants. This is due to the high surface area to volume ratio and the presence of Fe(II) and Fe(III), allowing redox transformation of (in‑)organic contaminants. Recent studies have shown that magnetite can serve as an electron source and sink for Fe(II)-oxidizing and Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms, storing and releasing electrons; thus, it functions as a biogeobattery. However, the ability of MNPs to act as biogeobatteries over consecutive redox cycles and the consequences for mineral integrity and identity remain unknown. Here, we show MNPs working as biogeobatteries in two consecutive redox cycles over 41 days. MNPs were first oxidized by the autotrophic nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing culture KS and subsequently reduced by the Fe(III)-reducing Geobacter sulfurreducens. In addition to reduced magnetite, we identified the Fe(II) mineral vivianite after reductions, suggesting partial reductive dissolution of MNPs and re-crystallization of Fe2+ with phosphate from the growth medium. Measurements of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio revealed microbial oxidation and reduction for both the first redox cycle (oxidation: 0.29±0.014, reduction: 0.75±0.023) and the second redox cycle (oxidation: 0.30±0.015, reduction: 1.64±0.10). Relative changes in magnetic susceptibility (∆κ in %) revealed greater changes for the second oxidation (–8.7±1.99%) than the first (–3.9±0.19%) but more minor changes for the second reduction (+14.29±0.39%) compared to the first (+25.42±1.31%). Our results suggest that MNPs served as biogeobatteries but became less stable over time, which has significant consequences for associated contaminants, nutrients and bioavailability for Fe-metabolizing microorganisms.
Remote fitness assessment in younger and middle-aged to older adults: a comparison between laboratory- and videoconference-based assessment of selected measures of physical and cognitive fitness
Authors: Theobald Paula , Herold Fabian , Gronwald Thomas , Müller Notger G.
Published: September 2024

Background

Digital technologies can play an important role in improving the limited accessibility of healthcare services in rural regions (e.g., via remote assessment). However, whether remote fitness assessments (RFA) of selected physical and cognitive fitness parameters are feasible both in younger and older persons and whether they can reproduce laboratory tests needs yet to be established. Thus, this study aimed to address this knowledge gap by investigating the feasibility, and reproducibility of RFA in younger and middle-aged to older adults (MOA).

Methods

A total of 31 younger adults and 32 MOAs participated in this study. At an interval of seven days, laboratory-based and remote assessments (via videoconferencing software) were conducted which included the quantification of the following parameters: (i) measurement of heart rate variability [HRV]; followed by (ii) cognitive testing to examine the level of attention, executive functions (oral Trail Making Test [A and B]), working memory, verbal short-term memory (digit span memory test and word list test (immediate recall)) and episodic memory (word list test (delayed recall)); followed by (iii) physical fitness assessments including performance tests of balance (balance test), functional strength ability of the lower limbs (5-time-sit-to-stand-test) and endurance capacity (3-min step test). Parameters of absolute and relative reliability were determined to assess the reproducibility of the laboratory-based and remote assessments.

Results

The selected physical and cognitive fitness parameters showed moderate to excellent relative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.52—0.95). The parameters of absolute reliability (Bland–Altman plot and standard error of measurement [SEM]) provide evidence for good reproducibility of HRV parameters and measures of physical fitness, whereas measures of cognitive fitness showed moderate to good reproducibility. On a descriptive level, the absolute and relative reliability of the selected measures of physical and cognitive fitness did not vary as a function of participants’ age.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that RFA of selected measures of physical and cognitive fitness is feasible and reproduces corresponding laboratory results to a moderate to excellent level in both younger adults and MOA. Data showed that the reproducibility of laboratory-based and remote assessments is not influenced by the age of the participants. These findings support the use of digital technologies to improve the accessibility of healthcare services (e.g., in remote areas). However, as the reproducibility varies considerably across the different parameters, further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of an optimised standardisation of the remote assessments and confounding factors.
Study of adiponectin gene (rs1501299) polymorphism and serum adiponectin level in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Elnemr Rehab , EL Hamid Mowaffak Moustafa Abd , Taleb Raghda Saad Zaghloul , Khalil Naylan Fayez Wahba , El-Sherif Sherine Mahmoud
Published: September 2024

Background

We aimed to study, for the first time in the Egyptian population, the relationship between the serum adiponectin level in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients and its correlation with clinical, radiological, and ultrasonographic characteristics. Additionally, investigate the relationship between the adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene rs1501299 (+ 276G/T) polymorphism and KOA susceptibility and severity.

Methods

This case-control study enrolled 40 patients with primary KOA and 40 matched controls. All patients underwent physical examination of the knee, pain assessment using the visual analogue scale (VAS), and functional evaluation by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Severity of KOA was assessed by Kellgren Lawrence (KL) grading scale and ultrasonography grading systems. Serum adiponectin levels and adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs1501299) genotyping were done for all patients and controls.

Results

The study included 40 patients with primary symptomatic KOA and 40 controls with comparable age, sex, and body mass index. The genotype of the rs1501299 (+ 276G/T) polymorphism of the ADIPOQ gene was determined using TaqMan allelic discrimination. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent test was used to measure the level of serum adiponectin. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score was used to assess functional capability, while the visual analogue scale was utilised to assess knee pain. Using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading method and global femoral cartilage (GFC) ultrasound grading, the severity of KOA was assessed. No significant differences between patients and controls as regards the genotype distributions and allele frequencies (p = 0.400, p = 0.507, respectively) of ADIPOQ gene rs1501299 (+ 276G/T) polymorphism. Furthermore, serum adiponectin level was significantly higher in the patients compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Additionally, adiponectin level had a significant negative correlation with disease severity as evaluated by KL and GFC grading (r=-0.351, p = 0.027 and r=-0.397, p = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusions

The ADIPOQ gene rs1501299 (+ 276G/T) polymorphism was not associated with KOA severity or vulnerability. The level of adiponectin considerably reduced as the severity of KOA rose, indicating that adiponectin may have a preventive effect in KOA.
Understanding violence in the context of psychosis: contribution of phenomenology and its limitations
Authors: Ryland Howard
Published: September 2024

Navigating the complex relationship between violence and psychosis can frequently be challenging. Psychiatrists may find assessing and managing the risk of violence in this context daunting. In their article on the topic, Anderson et al helpfully summarise the role that psychopathology can play in this process. However, although careful elucidation of an individual's experiences may assist in the nuanced formulation of their risk and could offer a specific focus for interventions, the approach has potential shortcomings in certain settings. For some phenomena the link with violence is unclear and it may be constellations of symptoms that are important. Causal pathways are not always linear and there may be important mediators linking psychopathological features to behavioural outcomes. In the resource-limited settings in which many contemporary health services operate, a detailed assessment of psychopathology may be hampered by time or other constraints. Alternative, more scalable solutions may therefore be needed in particular scenarios.
Association of cardiometabolic multimorbidity with risk of late-life depression: a nationwide twin study
Authors: Yang Wenzhe , Li Weiwei , Wang Shuqi , Qi Xiuying , Sun Zhuoyu , Dove Abigail , Xu Weili
Published: September 2024

Background

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes have been individually linked to depression. However, their combined impact on depression risk is unclear. We aimed to examine the association between cardiometabolic multimorbidity and depression and explore the role of genetic background in this association.

Methods

Within the Swedish Twin Registry, 40,080 depression-free individuals (mean age 60 years) were followed for 18 years. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity was defined as having ≥2 CMDs. CMDs and depression were ascertained based on the National Patient Register. Cox regression was used to estimate the CMD-depression association in a classical cohort study design and a matched co-twin design involving 176 twin pairs. By comparing the associations between monozygotic and dizygotic co-twins, the contribution of genetic background was estimated.

Results

At baseline, 4809 (12.0%) participants had one CMD and 969 (2.4%) had ≥2 CMDs. Over the follow-up period, 1361 participants developed depression. In the classical cohort design, the multi-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval [CIs]) of depression were 1.52 (1.31–1.76) for those with one CMD and 1.83 (1.29–2.58) for those with ≥2 CMDs. CMDs had a greater risk effect on depression if they developed in mid-life (<60 years) as opposed to late life (≥60 years). In matched co-twin analysis, the CMD-depression association was significant among dizygotic twins (HR = 1.63, 95% CI, 1.02–2.59) but not monozygotic twins (HR = 0.90, 95% CI, 0.32–2.51).

Conclusions

Cardiometabolic multimorbidity is associated with an elevated risk of depression. Genetic factors may contribute to the association between CMDs and depression.
“Words Cluster like Chromosomes”: Marianne Moore and Poetic-Genetic Origination
Authors: Shanosky Celine
Published: September 2024

In 1963, Marianne Moore tells an interviewer, “I never ‘plan’ a stanza. Words cluster like chromosomes, determining the procedure.” Six decades earlier, when Moore first learned about chromosomes, the concept was relatively new. Her education at Bryn Mawr from 1905 to 1909 placed her at the forefront of the understanding of heredity for her time, among those who knew that embryos inherited chromosomes equally from each parent. As her early poetry placed embryonic origins in tension with religious, national, and poetic origins, she posed the embryo both as disruptive to Western origin stories—like the Christian story of the fall—and as generative for her poetics, offering a model for a poetics of iterative and continual origination. Heather Cass White has suggested that the future of Moore criticism depends on recognizing how two schools—“the scientific Moore” and “the Protestant Moore”—are ultimately united around “her pursuit of an aesthetically and ethically tenable ‘original’ poetics.” Moore’s attention to embryos suggests that she was also performing a study of origin itself.
The Impact of Multiple Births on Fertility: Stopping and Spacing in the United States During the Demographic Transition
Authors: Alter George , Hacker J. David
Published: September 2024

Multiple births strain mothers’ and families’ resources in ways that should highlight preferences for family size, birth spacing, and parity-dependent stopping behavior. Couples with surviving twins reach their target family size sooner than other couples and should be more likely to practice family limitation. Twins are also a greater burden on the mother's time and health, which could lead to postponing the next birth, even among couples who want additional children. We examine these hypotheses by analyzing families with twins in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses. Using reconstructed birth histories for more than 7 million women in the IPUMS full-count 1900 and 1910 datasets and event-history methods (Kaplan–Meier curves, cure models), we find clear evidence of family limitation following a multiple birth. Couples who had twins or triplets were more likely to stop childbearing, and those who continued having children delayed their next birth. Responses to multiple births were larger in groups previously identified as leaders in the transition to smaller families, and roughly one third of couples stopped after one or two children. We find no evidence that some groups relied primarily on birth spacing to reduce family size while others relied primarily on stopping.
A dynamic humidity arena to explore humidity-related behaviours in insects
Authors: Giri Ganesh , Nagloo Nicolas , Enjin Anders
Published: September 2024

Humidity is a critical environmental factor influencing the behaviour of terrestrial organisms. Despite its significance, the neural mechanisms and behavioural algorithms governing humidity sensation remain poorly understood. Here, we introduce a dynamic humidity arena that measures the displacement and walking speed of insects responding to real-time changes in relative humidity (RH). This arena operates in a closed-loop mode, adjusting humidity based on the insect's position with 0.2% RH resolution, allowing the insect to choose its optimal humidity. It can also be set to maintain a specific RH, simulating an open-loop condition to observe insect behaviour at constant humidity levels. Using the dynamic humidity arena, we found that desiccated and starved Drosophila melanogaster search for a RH of around 65–70% at 23°C, whereas sated flies show no unique preference for any RH. If the desiccated and starved flies are rehydrated, their searching behaviour is abolished, suggesting that desiccation has a great impact on the measured response. In contrast, mutant flies with impaired humidity sensing, due to a non-functional ionotropic receptor (Ir)93a, show no preference for any RH level irrespective of being desiccated and starved or sated. These results demonstrate that the dynamic humidity arena is highly sensitive and precise in capturing the nuanced behaviours associated with hydration status and RH preference in D. melanogaster. The dynamic humidity arena is easily adaptable to insects of other sizes and offers a foundation for further research on the mechanisms of hygrosensation, opening new possibilities for understanding how organisms perceive and respond to humidity in their environment.
The role of mouse tails in response to external and self-generated balance perturbations on the roll plane
Authors: Lacava Salvatore A. , Isilak Necmettin , Uusisaari Marylka Y.
Published: September 2024

Chordate tails exhibit considerable morphological and functional diversity, with variations in length, diameter and texture adapted to various ecological roles. While some animals, including humans, have lost or reduced their tails, many vertebrates retain and use their tails for activities such as balancing, climbing and escaping predators. This study investigates how laboratory mice (Mus musculus) use their tails to maintain balance when dealing with external and self-generated perturbations. Mice crossed platforms of different widths, while responding to roll-plane tilts. Our findings show that mice swing their tails to counteract external roll perturbations, generating angular momentum to stabilize themselves. Mice were also found to use active (dynamic stabilizer) and passive (counterweight) tail movement strategies when locomoting on narrow platforms. The results suggest that the tail is a core component of mouse locomotion, especially in challenging balancing conditions.
A coati conundrum: how variation in levels of arboreality influences gait mechanics among three musteloid species
Authors: Granatosky Michael C. , Dickinson Edwin , Young Melody W. , Lemelin Pierre
Published: September 2024

The gait characteristics associated with arboreal locomotion have been frequently discussed in the context of primate evolution, wherein they present as a trio of distinctive features: a diagonal-sequence, diagonal-couplet gait pattern; a protracted arm at forelimb touchdown; and a hindlimb-biased weight support pattern. The same locomotor characteristics have been found in the woolly opossum, a fine-branch arborealist similar in ecology to some small-bodied primates. To further our understanding of the functional link between arboreality and primate-like locomotion, we present comparative data collected in the laboratory for three musteloid taxa. Musteloidea represents an ecologically diverse superfamily spanning numerous locomotor specializations that includes the highly arboreal kinkajou (Potos flavus), mixed arboreal/terrestrial red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) and primarily terrestrial coatis (Nasua narica). This study applies a combined kinetic and kinematic approach to compare the locomotor behaviors of these three musteloid taxa, representing varying degrees of arboreal specialization. We observed highly arboreal kinkajous to share many locomotor traits with primates. In contrast, red pandas (mixed terrestrial/arborealist) showed gait characteristics found in most non-primate mammals. Coatis, however, demonstrated a unique combination of locomotor traits, combining a lateral-sequence, lateral-couplet gait pattern typical of long-legged, highly terrestrial mammals, varying degrees of arm protraction, and a hindlimb-biased weight support pattern typical of most primates and woolly opossums. We conclude that the three gait characteristics traditionally used to describe arboreal walking in primates can occur independently from one another and not necessarily as a suite of interdependent characteristics, a phenomenon that has been reported for some primates.
Another fly diuretic hormone: tachykinins increase fluid and ion transport by adult Drosophila melanogaster Malpighian ‘renal’ tubules
Authors: Agard Marishia A. , Zandawala Meet , Paluzzi Jean-Paul V.
Published: September 2024

Insects such as the model organism Drosophila melanogaster must modulate their internal physiology to withstand changes in temperature and availability of water and food. Regulation of the excretory system by peptidergic hormones is one mechanism by which insects maintain their internal homeostasis. Tachykinins are a family of neuropeptides that have been shown to stimulate fluid secretion from the Malpighian ‘renal’ tubules (MTs) in some insect species, but it is unclear if that is the case in the fruit fly, D. melanogaster. A central objective of the current study was to examine the physiological role of tachykinin signaling in the MTs of adult D. melanogaster. Using the genetic toolbox available in this model organism along with in vitro and whole-animal bioassays, our results indicate that Drosophila tachykinins (DTKs) function as diuretic hormones by binding to the DTK receptor (DTKR) localized in stellate cells of the MTs. Specifically, DTK activates cation and anion transport across the stimulated MTs, which impairs their survival in response to desiccation because of their inability to conserve water. Thus, besides their previously described roles in neuromodulation of pathways controlling locomotion and food search, olfactory processing, aggression, lipid metabolism and metabolic stress, processing of noxious stimuli and hormone release, DTKs also appear to function as bona fide endocrine factors regulating the excretory system and appear essential for the maintenance of hydromineral balance.
Senescence of humoral antimicrobial immunity occurs in infected mosquitoes when the temperature is higher
Authors: Martin Lindsay E. , Ruiz Monzerrat , Hillyer Julián F.
Published: September 2024

Mosquitoes cannot use metabolism to regulate their body temperature and therefore climate warming is altering their physiology. Mosquitoes also experience a physiological decline with aging, a phenomenon called senescence. Because both high temperature and aging are detrimental to mosquitoes, we hypothesized that high temperatures accelerate senescence. Here, we investigated how temperature and aging, independently and interactively, shape the antimicrobial immune response of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Using a zone-of-inhibition assay that measures the antimicrobial activity of hemolymph, we found that antimicrobial activity increases following infection. Moreover, in infected mosquitoes, antimicrobial activity weakens as the temperature rises to 32°C, and antimicrobial activity increases from 1 to 5 days of age and stabilizes with further aging. Importantly, in E. coli-infected mosquitoes, higher temperature causes an aging-dependent decline in antimicrobial activity. Altogether, this study demonstrates that higher temperature can accelerate immune senescence in infected mosquitoes, thereby interactively shaping their ability to fight an infection.
Η χειροτονία του επισκόπου κατά το βυζαντινό λειτουργικό τυπικό
Authors: Ντύρου Στεφανία
Published: September 2024

Αντικείμενο της έρευνας αυτής είναι η εμφάνιση, εξέλιξη και η τελική διαμόρφωση της Χειροτονίας του Επισκόπου. Σκοπός της διατριβής είναι να κάνει ευρέως γνωστή την χειροτονία του Επισκόπου μέσα από την εις βάθος εξέταση των ελληνικών χειρογράφων της Ορθοδόξου Ανατολικής Εκκλησίας. Μέχρι σήμερα δεν έχει γίνει κάποια εξειδικευμένη προσπάθεια για ενδελεχή περιγραφή της ακολουθίας. Η μελέτη χωρίζεται σε τρία επιστημονικά πεδία. Το πρώτο επιστημονικό πεδίο εξετάζει την χειροτονία του Επισκόπου στην αρχαία Εκκλησία. Επιμέρους θέματα που εξετάσαμε είναι: τα δομικά στοιχεία, πόσες επιθέσεις των χειρών υπάρχουν, η μέρα χειροτονίας, πόσες ευχές χειροτονίας υπάρχουν, η επίθεση των χειρών. Το δεύτερο επιστημονικό πεδίο μελετά την χειροτονία του επισκόπου κατά την χειρόγραφη παράδοση. Η έρευνα μας ξεκινάει με το αρχαιότερο σωζόμενο, μέχρι σήμερα, Βυζαντινό Ευχολόγιο του 8ου αιώνα Barberianus graecus 336 μέχρι και τα ευρέως γνωστά Αρχιερατικά και Ευχολόγια σήμερα. Μέσα από το Βυζαντινό Λειτουργικό Τυπικό μελετήσαμε ποια στοιχεία εμφανίζονται, ποια φθίνουν, ποια παραμένουν, ποια τροποποιούνται, καθώς ποιες παραλλαγές και ομοιότητες εντοπίσαμε στην χειρόγραφη παράδοση. Επίσης μελετήσαμε πότε δέχεται την δική της ιερολογία η «Τάξη της ενθρονήσεως». Το τρίτο επιστημονικό πεδίο φέρει τον τίτλο η «Τάξη της Ομολογίας της Πίστεως». H αρχιερατική Ομολογία της Πίστεως ήταν για λειτουργική χρήση και προ του 14ου αιώνα. Ωστόσο, Η «Τάξη της Ομολογίας της Πίστεως» εμφανίζεται τον 14ο αιώνα στην ελληνική χειρόγραφη λειτουργική παράδοση. Κατά την χειρόγραφη παράδοση η «Τάξις της Ομολογίας της Πίστεως» απαντάται στο «Διαταξις» του Δημητρίου Γεμιστού και στα κυπριακά χειρόγραφα που καταγράφουν την Παράδοση της Κύπρου.
The genome sequence of the Small Argent and Sable moth, Epirrhoe tristata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Botham Marc ,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: September 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Small Argent and Sable moth Epirrhoe tristata (Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Geometridae). The genome sequence spans 313.80 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 30 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.92 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 16,469 protein-coding genes.
The functioning of romantic love myths as an interpretive framework for young girls' experiences of romantic relationships: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Authors: Kacprzak-Wachniew Kamila , Spychalska-Stasiak Justyna
Published: September 2024

W tym artykule eksplorujemy doświadczenia miłosne młodych dziewcząt i ich koncepcje miłości w kontekście zmian zachodzących w dziedzinie intymności i różnorodnych modeli relacji. Aby uzyskać wgląd w to, jak nastolatki rozumieją swoje doświadczenia uczuciowe, przeprowadziliśmy badania z wykorzystaniem Interpretacyjnej Analizy Fenomenologicznej.
W ramach badań przeprowadzono wywiady pogłębione z sześcioma nastoletnimi dziewczynami, które miały doświadczenia w byciu w związku uczuciowym. Transkrypcje wywiadów stanowiły surowy materiał empiryczny analizowany zgodnie z wytycznymi IPA (Smith et al., 2009). Analizy miały na celu sporządzenie notatek z transkrypcji, identyfikację ujawniających się tematów oraz ich zestawienie w poszukiwaniu wspólnych tematów nadrzędnych.
W wyniku analizy wyłoniono cztery tematy nadrzędne dla całej grupy badanych. Jeden z nich, opisany szczegółowo, dotyczył wiary w mity związane z romantyczną miłością i jej wpływu na postrzeganie relacji oraz interpretację doświadczeń uczuciowych u młodych dziewcząt.
Tematy wyłaniające się z narracji respondentek związane są z kulturowo podtrzymywaną wiarą w możliwość znalezienia "idealnego partnera" i romantycznie wplecioną wiarą w "prawdziwą miłość", której siła jest w stanie pokonać wszelkie trudności. Nasze analizy ujawniły, że romantyzowanie związków stanowi ramę dla interpretacji własnych doświadczeń, ale także te doświadczenia kształtować (motywując do określonych zachowań, np. do „walki albo ratowania” związku uczuciowego”. Wiara w mity romantyczne, np. idealizacja związku i partnera może powodować trudności w zakończeniu relacji, niekorzystnych dla ich zdrowia psychicznego młodego człowieka.
Personal Values of Young Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Before and during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Baczała Ditta Barbara
Published: September 2024

Background: A study of the personal values of 109 young adults with intellectual disabilities was conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning about the personal values of this population group is important for implementing core curriculum content and developing support programs. Method: The purpose of the study (in a quantitative strategy) was to learn about the hierarchy of personal values and symbols of happiness in young Polish adults with intellectual disabilities before and during the pandemic. The questionnaire “List of Personal Values” by Zygfryd Juczynski, developed basing on the Rokeach’s concept of value measurement, was used. In particular, the position of health in the hierarchy of personal values was examined. Results: Health remains one of the three most important values before and during the pandemic, together with love and friendship. The least frequently chosen are fame, popularity, and good looks. Conclusions: Persons with intellectual disabilities are raised in a cult health. In their case, health is equated with “normalcy”, the chance to live independently. The category of health occupies such a high position in their personal values, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who Was I? The Double Role of the Researcher in the Study – ‘Dirty Work’ in the Field by Family Probation Officers in Poland
Authors: Miśkiewicz Katarzyna
Published: September 2024

This article aims to determine who the author was during the study. The uncertainties expressed therein include methodological and ethical challenges I encountered during a research project on the fieldwork of family probation officers in the central districts of a large city in Poland. I describe these challenges through the lens of my experiences and emotions, which accompanied me in my role as a researcher because they constituted part of the empirical material. Analytic autoethnography formed the basis to fulfil this task. The research material was derived from a several-month-long observation the work done by family probation officers. The collected data revealed that research work in the field carries with it physical, social, moral and emotional burdens. The results of the analysis lead me to conclude that while being in the field, I conducted “dirty work” and that my role was connected with the identity I assumed due to my research and the role ascribed to me by probation officers.
Crisis hits behaviour and safety in schools
Authors: Hayes Derren
Published: September 2024

Latest research shows how the cost-of-living crisis is hitting children's education and the ability of schools to give additional support