Heterogeneous Behavior Research Articles

Identifying and characterising individual flood precautionary behaviour dynamics from panel data

Individual precautionary behaviour in response to flooding can considerably reduce flood impacts. Therefore, understanding its drivers and temporal dynamics is of high interest for risk management and communication. Previous studies are mostly based on temporally limited data by using cross-sectional surveys. Here we identified and characterised different types of trajectories of adaptive behaviour after a flood event. We used panel data, where 227 households were repeatedly surveyed within 45 months after the flood of June 2013 in Germany about their precautions. To identify robust groups, we applied and compared two clustering methods: latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and k-means based cluster analysis for panel data (kmlShape). Three different groups were consistent across the two methods and showed different dynamic adaptive behaviour over the survey period: a ‘high standard’ (35% of the sample), a ‘high performer’ (37%) and a ‘low adaptive’ (28%) group. The high standard group was characterised by a significantly higher protection motivation and flood experience in comparison to the other groups. The high performer group showed the largest increase in implemented precautionary measures after the flood, but also expressed a general fatalistic attitude towards floods. The low adaptive group trusted their community significantly more in managing floods and reported little access to information and support. The results indicate that tailored risk communication and funding schemes might be needed to support low adaptive types of flood-prone residents. They also present a starting point for the implementation of empirically based, heterogeneous adaptation behaviour in socio-hydrological models.

Research on the Mechanism of Heterogeneous Corporate Environmental Responsibility in Z-Generation Consumers’ Sustainable Purchase Intention

As the public’s awareness of environmental protection and their concern for environmental issues increase, more and more companies are focusing on fulfilling their environmental responsibilities and meeting the green needs of consumers through diverse environmental behaviors. Based on the stimulus-organic-response model, this study adopts the scenario experiment method to explore the psychological response mechanism of consumers to heterogeneous corporate environmental responsibility behavior and their response to consumer behavior intentions using the two approaches of deep (psychological contract) and shallow (product sustainability perception) from the mechanisms of consumer psychological responses. Additionally, the research was conducted using the experimental scenario method and analyzed using an ANOVA and linear regression model. The results show that: consumers of Generation Z have stronger sustainable purchase intentions in the face of substantive environmental behaviors rather than symbolic environmental behaviors; consumers’ environmental self-efficacy plays a moderating role in the influence of corporate environmental responsibility behaviors on sustainable purchase intentions; and product sustainability perceptions and consumer psychological contracts have a dual mediating effect between corporate environmental responsibility behaviors and consumers’ sustainable purchase intentions. The conclusions enrich the diversity of the paths of influence of corporate environmental responsibility on consumer behavior and provide a theoretical basis for companies to effectively fulfill their environmental responsibility and choose environmentally friendly behaviors.

Whole-Body Cryostimulation: New Insights in Thermo-Aeraulic Fields inside Chambers

(1) Background: This article presents a study that aims to provide a precise understanding of the temperature distribution within a whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) chamber, whether it is empty or occupied by one or several individuals; (2) Methods: The study employs a mixed numerical and experimental approach, utilizing simplified computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental analysis; (3) Results: The results reveal a non-negligible temperature difference between the setpoint and actual temperature in the middle of the cryochamber. Furthermore, it is shown that the presence of individuals inside the chamber results in both an average temperature rise and a more heterogeneous thermal behavior associated with the number of individuals present. As the number of occupants in the cryochamber increases, the magnitude of the thermal gradient (up to 10 °C) and temperature heterogeneity (up to 13%) also increase; (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that when the cryotherapy chamber is occupied by three people, it becomes necessary to extend the duration of cold exposure to obtain a dose/effect ratio and analgesic threshold equivalent to those obtained when only one person is present. The findings of this study emphasize the need for further research to establish temperature guidelines and standardize measurement methods for effective WBC treatment.

Simultaneous improvement of strength and toughness in Al–Zn–Mg–Cu/pure Al laminated composite via heterogeneous microstructure

In the present study, high-strength and high-toughness Al–Zn–Mg–Cu/pure Al laminated composite with a heterogeneous microstructure were manufactured by the compression bonding process. Two three-layer and four-layer samples were fabricated via compression bonding at 200 °C with 30% and 45% thickness reductions, respectively. Bonding lines were observed on the interfaces of the three-layer sample. However, no clear bonding line was seen at the interfaces of the four-layer sample, indicating strong bonding between layers. The recrystallization texture was dominated in the as-received and solution-treated samples. However, a texture transition from recrystallization to deformation texture has occurred in both three-layer and four-layer samples. The hardness distribution of processed samples was heterogeneous. The hardness of the inner Al–Zn–Mg–Cu layers was lower than that of the outer Al–Zn–Mg–Cu layers for both three-layer and four-layer samples. Interestingly, both strength and toughness were remarkably increased in the four-layer sample compared to the as-received alloy, while ductility remained almost unchanged. The four-layer sample exhibited a three-stage strain hardening behavior due to the mechanical properties contrast and resultant strain partitioning of the heterogeneous microstructure. However, the three-layer sample did not enter the third stage of strain hardening due to the weak bonding between the layers. The extent of delamination of the three-layer sample was very large (complete debonding) owing to the weak bonding between the layers. In contrast, the interfaces of the four-layer sample after fracture did not completely separate, indicating that the four-layer sample has good interfacial bonding. Both samples revealed a heterogeneous fracture behavior.

Nanofluidic Aptamer Nanoarray to Enable Stochastic Capture of Single Proteins at Normal Concentrations.

Single-molecule experiments allow understanding of the diversity, stochasticity, and heterogeneity of molecular behaviors and properties hidden by conventional ensemble-averaged measurements. They hence have great importance and significant impacts in a wide range of fields. Despite significant advances in single-molecule experiments at ultralow concentrations, the capture of single molecules in solution at normal concentrations within natural biomolecular processes remains a formidable challenge. Here, a high-density, well-defined nanofluidic aptamer nanoarray (NANa) formed via site-specific self-assembly of well-designed aptamer molecules in nanochannels with nano-in-nano gold nanopatterns is presented. The nanofluidic aptamer nanoarray exhibits a high capability to specifically capture target proteins (e.g., platelet-derived growth factor BB; PDGF-BB) to form uniform protein nanoarrays under optimized nanofluidic conditions. Owingto these fundamental features, the nanofluidic aptamer nanoarray enables the stochastic capture of single PDGF-BB molecules at a normal concentration from a sample with a ultrasmall volume equivalent to a single cell byfollowing Poisson statistics, forming a readily addressable single-protein nanoarray. This approach offers a methodology and device to surpass both the concentration and volume limits of single-protein capture in most conventional methodologies of single-molecule experiments, thus opening an avenue to explore the behavior of individual biomolecules in a manner close to their natural forms, which remains largely unexplored to date.

Dynamic precipitation and deformation behaviors of a bimodal-grained WE43 alloy with enhanced mechanical properties

Achieving a high strength-ductility synergy in rolled Mg alloys remains a major challenge, especially for Mg alloys with high contents of rare earth (RE) elements, which are hard-to-deform and exhibit poor formability. In the present work, a bimodal grain structure consisting of fine grains (FGs) and coarse grains (CGs) has been achieved in a novel WE43 alloy sheet prepared by the hard-plate rolling (HPR) technique, which breaks the strength-ductility trade-off dilemma of the conventional WE43 alloy. Notably, the yield strength (YS) reaches as high as ∼312 MPa, presenting a remarkable improvement of YS (∼60 MPa) in comparison to conventionally rolled counterparts. Meanwhile, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation-to-failure (EF) are ∼332 MPa and ∼11.8%, respectively, much higher than those of the wrought WE43 alloy reported in literature. Specifically, the disparate dislocation slips and dynamic precipitation behaviors in FGs and CGs have been studied in detail by combining EBSD and TEM analysis. The discrepancy of dynamic precipitation behavior in FGs and CGs is originated from the heterogeneous dislocation slip-dominated deformation behavior during HPR, related to initial grain orientations. It reveals that basal slips are dominant in the FG area, where equilibrium β-Mg14Nd2Y phase has precipitated along grain boundaries. In contrast, non-basal slips are prevalent and the metastable short rod-shaped β1 phase has formed within CGs. The enhanced YS of the present HPRed WE43 alloy sheet is mainly attributed to the formation of large amounts of extremely fine grains with an average size of ∼0.94 μm. The enhanced Orowan strengthening comes from the interaction between short rod-shaped β1 particles and non-basal dislocations (prismatic <a>, pyramidal <c + a> and pyramidal <a> dislocations) in CGs. In particular, the interactions between β1 particles and pyramidal <a> dislocations dominate the Orowan strengthening, leading to an increase of ∼34 MPa in the YS. Basal to basal slip transfers have been observed in FGs while non-basal slips are prevalent in CGs, which could be helpful for release the stress concentration near GBs. It is beneficial for preventing earlier fracture and thus enhancing the tensile strength combined with decent ductility.

Pressure-volume mechanics of inflating and deflating intact whole organ porcine lungs

Pressure-volume curves of the lung are classical measurements of lung function and are impacted by changes in lung structure due to disease or shifts in air-delivery volume or cycling rate. Diseased and preterm infant lungs have been found to show heterogeneous behavior which is highly frequency dependent. This breathing rate dependency has motivated the exploration of multi-frequency oscillatory ventilators to deliver volume oscillation with optimal frequencies for various portions of the lung to provide more uniform air distribution. The design of these advanced ventilators requires the examination of lung function and mechanics, and an improved understanding of the pressure–volume response of the lung. Therefore, to comprehensively analyze whole lung organ mechanics, we investigate six combinations of varying applied volumes and frequencies using ex-vivo porcine specimens and our custom-designed electromechanical breathing apparatus. Lung responses were evaluated through measurements of inflation and deflation slopes, static compliance, peak pressure and volume, as well as hysteresis, energy loss, and pressure relaxation. Generally, we observed that the lungs were stiffer when subjected to faster breathing rates and lower inflation volumes. The lungs exhibited greater inflation volume dependencies compared to frequency dependencies. This study’s reported response of the lung to variations of inflation volume and breathing rate can help the optimization of conventional mechanical ventilators and inform the design of advanced ventilators. Although frequency dependency is found to be minimal in normal porcine lungs, this preliminary study lays a foundation for comparison with pathological lungs, which are known to demonstrate marked rate dependency.

Energy citizenship: Accounting for the heterogeneity of human behaviours within energy transition

According to the European Green Deal, achieving energy transition, which aims to establish a shift towards a more sustainable and low-carbon energy system, requires the active participation of citizens. Consequently, the concept of energy citizenship has emerged as a means of understanding the role of citizens in this process. This study conducts an integrative literature review with the objective of providing a comprehensive definition of energy citizenship and distinguishing between different types of energy citizens based on their engagement within the energy system. Six different types of energy citizens (i.e., consumer; prosumer and prosumager; participant in protests and movements; policymaker; business entity; and energy community), acting as either individuals or as collective entities or both, have been defined. This differentiation highlights the heterogeneity of human behaviours within energy transition. We argue that policymaking aimed at fostering energy transition should consider the behavioural dimensions of all types of energy citizens. In order to effectively support a fair, inclusive, and just energy transition, policy measures and intervention instruments need to account for various barriers, drivers as well as the socio-economic context of the diverse stakeholders participating in innovation ecosystems.

Interfacial investigations on the microstructure evolution and thermomechanical behavior of explosive welded CLAM/316L composite

In this paper, a comprehensive study combined multiple characterizations and SPH numerical simulation was conducted to investigate the microstructure evolution, extreme thermomechanical behavior and consequences of the explosive welded CLAM/316L interface. The interfaces of the two welding materials underwent remarkable temperature rise and rapid cooling under high-speed collision conditions, forming a tight bond that presents a wavy structure with vortices. The SPH simulation adequately reproduced the heating and cooling process of the interface during explosive welding, revealing the high heterogeneity of the thermodynamic behavior during the impact process. Furthermore, the EBSD analyses showed the perplexing evolution of crystal structure at the bonding interface with vortex, including ultra-fine grains, columnar grains, equiaxed grains, deformed grains and serious lattice distortion. By correlating the temperature histories and grain characteristics at different positions of the interface, the formation mechanism of diverse grains was revealed, referring to crystallization from liquid, recrystallization from the solid and plastic deformation. The recrystallization at the interface was closely related to the material properties, and the significant variations in dislocation density and plastic strain values at the interface, as well as the thermal softening of the material, could be explained by different degrees of dynamic recovery and recrystallization.

Heterogeneity in Parental Trauma, Parental Behaviors, and Parental Academic Involvement

Heterogeneity in Parental Trauma, Parental Behaviors, and Parental Academic Involvement

Investigation of strain partition behavior in the lamellar microstructure of dual-phase titanium alloy based on crystal plasticity simulations

A well-designed microstructure plays a crucial part in achieving favorable properties and optimizing the service performances of titanium alloys, requiring thorough investigations of the microstructure effect on the heterogeneous deformation and strain partition behaviors. The mechanical responses of titanium alloy with lamellar microstructure are analyzed from lamellae features' crystallographic and geometric aspects through crystal plasticity simulations. It is found that the coarser β and finer α lamellae exhibited improved strain accommodation capacity which mainly benefitting from the large amount of plastic slip occurring in the coarse β lamellae of lamellar microstructure. Furthermore, the interlamellar strain partition coefficient evolves dynamically and gradually stabilizes after 5% deformation. Considering the geometric and crystallographic orientations of α phase, angles γ1 and γ2 are used to evaluate the strengthening effects of α lamellae precipitating from 6 types of β variants. Simulated results reveal that a more uniform strain partition occurs when cosγ1 is in the range of 0.8–1.0 and cosγ2 is lower than 0.3, while a higher deformation resistance occurs when cosγ1 and cosγ2 are in the range of 0.2–0.4 and 0.9 to 1.0, respectively. Therefore, finding an appropriate balance by manipulating the microstructural characteristics can simultaneously enhance the plasticity/strength of a titanium alloy. The obtained results will facilitate understanding the interlamellar strain partition behavior of titanium alloys and theoretically guide the microstructure designing for mechanical properties optimization.

Pharmacological approaches to pulmonary fibrosis following COVID-19.

Background: In the past few years, COVID-19 became the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the World Health Organization has declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, it can be expected, that the emerging new cases at the top of previous ones will result in an increasing number of patients with post-COVID-19 sequelae. Despite the fact that the majority of patients recover, severe acute lung tissue injury can in susceptible individuals progress to interstitial pulmonary involvement. Our goal is to provide an overview of various aspects associated with the Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis with a focus on its potential pharmacological treatment options. Areas covered: We discuss epidemiology, underlying pathobiological mechanisms, and possible risk and predictive factors that were found to be associated with the development of fibrotic lung tissue remodelling. Several pharmacotherapeutic approaches are currently being applied and include anti-fibrotic drugs, prolonged use or pulses of systemic corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. In addition, several repurposed or novel compounds are being investigated. Fortunately, clinical trials focused on pharmacological treatment regimens for post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis have been either designed, completed or are already in progress. However, the results are contrasting so far. High quality randomised clinical trials are urgently needed with respect to the heterogeneity of disease behaviour, patient characteristics and treatable traits. Conclusion: The Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis contributes to the burden of chronic respiratory consequences among survivors. Currently available pharmacotherapeutic approaches mostly comprise repurposed drugs with a proven efficacy and safety profile, namely, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and antifibrotics. The role of nintedanib and pirfenidone is promising in this area. However, we still need to verify conditions under which the potential to prevent, slow or stop progression of lung damage will be fulfilled.

HGG-26. GENOMIC AND IMMUNE ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY REPLICATION-REPAIR DEFICIENT (RRD) GLIOMAS REVEALS THREE SUBGROUPS WITH DISTINCT DRIVERS AND RESPONSE TO IMMUNOTHERAPY: AN IRRDC REPORT

Abstract BACKGROUND Replication-repair deficiency (RRD) caused by germline/somatic defects in mismatch repair (MMRD) and/or polymerase-proofreading genes (PPD) drives 5-10% of gliomas in children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA). Although RRD-gliomas harbour high mutation-burden (TMB), the basis of their heterogenous biology, clinical behavior, and response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is unknown. METHODS We analyzed the genome (whole exome, low-coverage genome), methylome, transcriptome (bulk, single-nuclei), and the immune-microenvironment of RRD-gliomas in a large cohort of IRRDC patients and correlated these with clinical outcomes and response to ICI. RESULTS Gliomas in 202 CAYA-patients uniformly harbored hypermutation and genomic microsatellite-instability. Median TMB was 297-mutations/megabase, with frequent mutations in TP53 (90%), ATRX (85%), RAS/MAPK (80%) and IDH1/2 (15%). MMRD (but not PPD) mutational signatures contributed to the enrichment of driver mutations in POLE, IDH1, and TP53 while common pediatric mutations (K27M, G34R/V and BRAF;p.V600E) not driven by MMRD signatures were absent. Paired analyses suggested acquisition of novel variants driven by the mutational signatures that also impacted the immune microenvironment. Multi-omic analyses classified RRD-gliomas into three subgroups: RRD1 (MMRD+PPD; 60%), RRD2 (MMRD-only; 23%), and RRD3 (MMRD+IDH1/2; 16%). All RRD1-gliomas were glioblastomas with earlier age of onset, enrichment in CMMRD, arose at diverse locations including the posterior-fossa, classified in proximity to methylation-RTK1-subclass, exhibited balanced copy number profiles, harbored the highest TMB (median: 409-mutations/megabase), and immunogenic PPD signatures. Conversely, RRD3-gliomas were frequent in Lynch syndrome, presented at an older age, with predominant localization in the forebrain, more complex genomic instability, clustered in proximity to IDH1-gliomas, and harbored lower TMB (median: 33-mutations/megabase). RRD1-gliomas revealed the highest immune infiltrates with significantly improved median post-ICI survival of 52-months versus &amp;lt;12-months for RRD2/3 (p&amp;lt;0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The distinct genomic subgroups of RRD-gliomas can explain their diverse clinical outcomes, highlighting the need for developing subgroup-specific, immune-directed treatment approaches for these patients.

The role of responsive heterogeneity in sub-Saharan smallholder farming sustainability: socio-economic and biophysical determinants of mineral and organic fertilizers used in South Western Burkina Faso

ABSTRACTSustainable soil nutrient management (SNM) is important for improving soil resources and food security in sub-Saharan African countries. Inherent livelihood diversity may lead to differences in household behavior in the adoption of SNM practices, thus challenging policy interventions uniformly implemented. This study aims at exploring the responsive heterogeneity in household behavior in the adoption of fertilizer use by farmers. Determinants of fertilizer uses were analyzed across different farm types. These farm types were identified from farm-household data collected in six villages in the South Western of Burkina Faso using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework. Using multilinear and binary logistic models, determinants of mineral, organic and combined mineral-organic fertilizer uses were analyzed. The results revealed that the determinants of SMN adoption include not only common determinants to whole sampled population (income, household size, access to roads and cereal areas), but also specific determinants to farm types (small ruminants, animal power, educational level and access to agro-training). This finding suggests that policy interventions will not be effective if the responsive heterogeneity in SNM adoption behavior is not taken into account. The study recommends the use of the presented framework, as an approach, to identify functional farm types to be considered in SNM policies.

Within-bloom shift in abundance of a wild pollinator mediates pollen deposition rates to blueberry

Intra-seasonal variation in abiotic and biotic conditions can have profound consequences for pollinator community compositions and foraging movement, with flow-on effects upon pollination services. Yet, few studies have related such variations to pollination services in crop systems. In a cultivated highbush blueberry system with two primary pollinators — the managed European honey bee and a wild stingless bee species — we investigated how pollinator abundances, bee foraging behaviour, and con- and heterospecific stigmatic pollen loads changed over early, mid, and late blueberry blooming. Both con- and heterospecific stigmatic pollen loads declined following early bloom. This shift was associated with a decline in the abundance of stingless bees, whereas the abundance of honey bees only declined during late bloom. Simultaneously, honey bees were more likely to forage for blueberry pollen, and stigmatic pollen loads, relative to bee abundance, increased during late bloom. Although mixed pollen loads were common on pollinator bodies, especially on pollen foraging honey bees, heterospecific pollen deposition on blueberry stigmas was low. Given the similar effectiveness of honey bees and stingless bees as pollinators of blueberries, we contend that the observed seasonal variation in pollen deposition is likely caused by the decline in stingless bee abundances, as honey bees were not able to fully compensate for the loss of stingless bees during late bloom. Greater consideration of seasonal heterogeneity of pollinator abundance and behaviour, as part of pollination management plans, may aid in ensuring high pollination services throughout the entirety of crop bloom.

Analytical Techniques for Single-Cell Biochemical Assays of Lipids.

Lipids are essential cellular components forming membranes, serving as energy reserves, and acting as chemical messengers. Dysfunction in lipid metabolism and signaling is associated with a wide range of diseases including cancer and autoimmunity. Heterogeneity in cell behavior including lipid signaling is increasingly recognized as a driver of disease and drug resistance. This diversity in cellular responses as well as the roles of lipids in health and disease drive the need to quantify lipids within single cells. Single-cell lipid assays are challenging due to the small size of cells (∼1 pL) and the large numbers of lipid species present at concentrations spanning orders of magnitude. A growing number of methodologies enable assay of large numbers of lipid analytes, perform high-resolution spatial measurements, or permit highly sensitive lipid assays in single cells. Covered in this review are mass spectrometry, Raman imaging, and fluorescence-based assays including microscopy and microseparations.

Neighbor-informed burnup correction for gadolinia depletion in pin-homogenized core calculation

The neighbor-informed burnup correction (NIBC) method is proposed to improve the accuracy of gadolinia depletion in pin-wise two-step calculations. The inability to capture severe heterogeneous depletion behaviors inside the gadolinia absorber with pin-homogenized quantities leads to inaccurate prediction of the burnup of the gadolinia pins, which is worsened throughout depletion by positive feedback between burnup and power. As a practical means to resolve this problem, the NIBC method represents the burnup of a gadolinia fuel pin using the average burnup of its neighboring ordinary fuel pins. This method is implemented in a GPU-based pin-wise two-step nodal code VANGARD. Verification results demonstrate significant improvements in accuracy. In the APR1400 two-dimensional core depletion problem, the maximum and RMS pin power errors are reduced from 8% and 2.1% to 2.7% and 0.7%, respectively. In a small modular reactor core depletion problem, those are reduced from 6% and 2% to 3% and 1%, respectively.

The effect of heterogeneous precipitation behavior on the mechanical properties of IN718 superalloy after laser shock peening and heat treatment processes

Precipitation strengthening and severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes are the main ways to improve the strength of precipitation-reinforced alloys. Nevertheless, the improved strength is at the expense of the alloy's ductility. The combined strengthening effects of the different processes have received much attention from researchers. In this study, a combination of laser shock peening (LSP) and heat treatment (HT) processes introduces gradient microstructure in IN718, including sub-grain and dislocation pile-up and precipitated phases inside the grain. The precipitated phase effectively inhibits the thermal reversion of the grains, and the microstructure produced by LSP was retained. Further TEM observations show that the volume fraction of the precipitated phase shows a heterogeneous distribution from the grain edge to the center. This heterogeneous microstructure significantly changes the degree of hardening from the grain edge to the center while improving the plasticity in the LSP-hardened region. Thus, the overall plasticity of the material is maintained after HT. The results indicate that the gradient microstructure and inhomogeneous distribution of precipitation phases induced by the LSP and HT combined process can lead to excellent mechanical properties.

Complex tsunamigenic near-trench seafloor deformation during the 2011 Tohoku–Oki earthquake

The near-trench coseismic rupture behaviour of the 2011 Tohoku–Oki earthquake remains poorly understood due to the scarcity of near-field observations. Differential bathymetry offers a unique approach to studying offshore coseismic seafloor deformation but has a limited horizontal resolution. Here we use differential bathymetry estimates with improved horizontal resolutions to investigate near-trench coseismic slip behaviours in the 2011 Tohoku–Oki earthquake. In the main rupture region, a velocity-strengthening behaviour in the shallow fault is observed. By contrast, the seafloor uplift decreases towards the trench, but the trend inverts near the backstop interface outcrop, revealing significant off-fault deformation features. Amongst various competing off-fault effects observed, we suggest that inelastic deformation plays a predominant role in near-trench tsunami excitation. Large trench-bleaching rupture is also observed immediately north of 39°, delimiting the northern extent of the main rupture region. Overall, striking spatial heterogeneity of the shallow rupture behaviour is revealed for the region.

The Fault in Our Stars: Molecular Genetics and Information Technology Use

There is a growing interest in understanding the role of genetics in explaining heterogeneity in behaviors, including those related to information systems (IS). The majority of the recent genetics research focuses on searching the entire genome in genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to link DNA to human traits. The results of GWASs can be used on datasets to compute a measure of genetic propensity known as a polygenic score, or PGS. PGSs are widely viewed as the future of genetics research. We conducted an exploratory study, in the context of information technology (IT) use, to examine if the PGS approach can be used to better understand the role of genetics in IS research. Consistent with our hypotheses, genetic endowments associated with Educational Attainment and General Cognition positively predict technology use, and genetic endowments associated with Neuroticism, Depressive Symptoms, Myocardial Infarction, and Coronary Artery Disease negatively predict technology use more than half a century later (genetic endowments are established at conception and our sample consists of individuals aged 50 to 80). Many of the characteristics known to be associated with heterogeneity in IT use (e.g., trust, education) appear to be mediators linking PGSs to IT use. Nonetheless, a number of PGSs maintain meaningful direct effects.