Causal Determinants Research Articles

Does Free Will Really Exist? The Motivational Congruence Theory's Perspective.

Free will plays a critical role in human motivation. Recent advances in science and technologies have had a significant impact on free will. They have raised serious concerns regarding the threatening effects of such advancements on perceived autonomy. However, there is still a longstanding debate on the existence of free will, known as the problem of free will. Philosophers have provided contrasting views regarding the existence of free will and its relationship with causal determination and mental causation problems. These problems are related to the underlying dualistic approach between mental and physical factors. Similar to the philosophy literature, the motivation literature is concerned with the problem of free will and its influence on motivation and performance. Cognitive evaluation and self-determination theories are the most renowned theories which assert the effect of autonomy (i.e., free will) on intrinsic motivation. However, these theories have mainly focused on the effect of the need for autonomy as an underlying driver of intrinsic motivation. They have not been able to address the fundamental question about the existence of actual free will and its effect on motivation and performance. This is mainly due to their dualistic approach in the form of intrinsic/extrinsic motivation dichotomization. Motivational congruence theory addresses the problem of free will and substantiates its effect by going beyond such a dualistic approach and resolving the related problems of mental causation and causal determination. The theory does this by taking a cotextualist and dialectical approach to the interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivational mechanisms and context.

A critique of motivation constructs to explain higher-order behavior: We should unpack the black box.

The constructs of motivation (or needs, motives, etc.) to explain higher-order behavior have burgeoned in psychology. In this article, we critically evaluate such high-level motivation constructs that many researchers define as causal determinants of behavior. We identify a fundamental issue with this predominant view of motivation, which we called the black-box problem. Specifically, high-level motivation constructs have been considered as causally instigating a wide range of higher-order behavior, but this does not explain what they actually are or how behavioral tendencies are generated. The black box problem inevitably makes the construct ill-defined and jeopardizes its theoretical status. To address the problem, we discuss the importance of mental computational processes underlying motivated behavior. Critically, from this perspective, motivation is not a unitary construct that causes a wide range of higher-order behavior --- it is an emergent property that people construe through the regularities of subjective experiences and behavior. The proposed perspective opens new avenues for future theoretical development, i.e., the examination of how motivated behavior is realized through mental computational processes.

Directed acyclic graph for epidemiological studies in childhood food allergy: Construction, user's guide, and application.

Understanding modifiable prenatal and early life causal determinants of food allergy is important for the prevention of the disease. Randomized clinical trials studying environmental and dietary determinants of food allergy may not always be feasible. Identifying risk/protective factors for early-life food allergy often relies on observational studies, which may be affected by confounding bias. The directed acyclic graph (DAG) is a causal diagram useful to guide causal inference from observational epidemiological research. To date, research on food allergy has made little use of this promising method. We performed a literature review of existing evidence with a systematic search, synthesized 32 known risk/protective factors, and constructed a comprehensive DAG for early-life food allergy development. We present an easy-to-use online tool for researchers to re-construct, amend, and modify the DAG along with a user's guide to minimize confounding bias. We estimated that adjustment strategies in 57% of previous observational studies on modifiable factors of childhood food allergy could be improved if the researchers determined their adjustment sets by DAG. Future researchers who are interested in the causal inference of food allergy development in early life can apply the DAG to identify covariates that should and should not be controlled in observational studies.

Mendelian randomization study highlights hypothyroidism as a causal determinant of alopecia areata.

Although observational studies have found an association between hypothyroidism and alopecia areata, the causality of this relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the genetic variants associated with hypothyroidism and their potential impact on the risk of developing alopecia areata. genome-wide association study summary statistics for hypothyroidism (30,155 cases and 379,986 controls) and alopecia areata (289 cases and 211,139 controls) were obtained from the IEU OpenGwas project. The inverse variance-weighted method was used as the primary analysis method to evaluate the causality between hypothyroidism and alopecia areata, supplemented by the weighted median, MR-Egger, simple mode and weighted mode. Furthermore, the function of causal SNPs was evaluated by gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction networks. Utilizing two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis, we found that the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of hypothyroidism (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.12-1.75, p = 3.03×10-3) significantly increased the risk of alopecia areata ( 289 cases and 211,139 controls ). KEGG pathway analysis showed that the candidate genes were mainly enriched in virion-herpesvirus, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, Th17 cell differentiation, T-cell receptor signaling pathway, PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint pathway in cancer and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Protein-protein interaction networks results showed that CTLA4, STAT4, IL2RA, TYK2, IRF7, SH2B3, BACH2, TLR3, NOD2, and FLT3. This study provided compelling genetic evidence supporting a causative association between hypothyroidism and alopecia areata, which could potentially inform the development of more efficacious treatment strategies for patients afflicted by alopecia areata.

Serching the structure of couplings in a chaotic maps ensemble by means of neural networks

The purpose of this work is development and research of an algorithm for determining the structure of couplings of an ensemble of chaotic self-oscillating systems. The method is based on the determination of causality by Granger and the use of direct propagation artificial neural networks trained with regularization. Results. We have considered a method for recognition structure of couplings of a network of chaotic maps based on the Granger causality principle and artificial neural networks approach. The algorithm demonstrates its efficiency on the example of small ensembles of maps with diffusion couplings. In addition to determining the network topology, it can be used to estimate the magnitue of the couplings. Accuracy of the method essencially depends on the observed oscillatory regime. It effectively works only in the case of homogeneous space-time chaos. Discussion. Although the method has shown its effectiveness for simple mathematical models, its applicability for real systems depends on a number of factors, such as sensitivity to noise, to possible distortion of the waveforms, the presence of crosstalks and external noise etc. These questions require additional research.

Are governments matching citizensídemand for better lives?

We propose a new approach which helps to shed light on the importance of the relationshipbetween a government's welfare outcome and its citizens' desired well-being, defining a conceptof welfare gap. To determine this gap, we build two composite indices of well-being measuredat the individual and aggregate level - i.e. subjective and objective welfare measures - assessingoverall well-being and its progress over time. To this end, we apply idiosyncratic settingsof Structural Equation Models to examine the interrelations and causal relationships acrosswelfare determinants and among the underlying drivers of well-being. By comparing thedimensions' weights and rankings of the objective and subjective welfare measures, we obtainlargely opposite results in both analyses, except for the relevance of the health status. Materialliving conditions are the most important dimensions in the objective ranking, whilst the qualityof life indicators lie at the top of the subjective ladder.

Can neutral genetic differentiation explain geographical variation in body size of the natterjack toad, Epidalea calamita?

Population genetic studies are crucial for evolutionary biologists because the population is the basic substrate on which evolution is forged. However little empirical evidence has been able to demonstrate the role that isolation and gene flow play in maintaining differentiation in populations at short geographic scales. Epidalea calamita exhibits a steep variation in body size and reproductive traits in southwestern Spain, associated with changes in the geological substrate. This implies a decrease of 70.9% of body mass and 28.5% in snout-vent length, on a micro-geographic scale of only 60 km. Previous results from both metamorphic and juvenile common garden experiments showed that genetic differentiation may be a causal determinant of geographic variation in adult. This study tested whether neutral genetic differentiation can explain the geographical variation in the body size observed in E. calamita. It was addressed analyzing the level of genetic structuring and gene flow among populations along the cline, comparing the genetic diversity between and within populations, as well as between ecological environments. The study showed that the geographic variation in body size observed in E. calamita has evolved in absence of geographic isolation, with moderate gene flow connecting the populations. Thus, neutral genetic differentiation cannot explain the geographical variation observed. Future studies are needed on the interaction between the genetic component with the environmental factors and will be necessary to analyze the contribution of the maternal effects in the origin and evolution of the geographical variation in the body size observed in E. calamita from southern Spain.

Detection of Blood CO2 Influences on Cerebral Hemodynamics Using Transfer Entropy.

Cerebral hemodynamics describes an important physiological system affected by components such as blood pressure, CO2 levels, and endothelial factors. Recently, novel techniques have emerged to analyse cerebral hemodynamics based on the calculation of entropies, which quantifies or describes changes in the complexity of this system when it is affected by a pathological or physiological influence. One recently described measure is transfer entropy, which allows for the determination of causality between the various components of a system in terms of their flow of information, and has shown positive results in the multivariate analysis of physiological signals. This study aims to determine whether conditional transfer entropy reflects the causality in terms of entropy generated by hypocapnia on cerebral hemodynamics. To achieve this, non-invasive signals from 28 healthy individuals who undertook a hyperventilation maneuver were analyzed using conditional transfer entropy to assess the variation in the relevance of CO2 levels on cerebral blood velocity. By employing a specific method to discretize the signals, it was possible to differentiate the influence of CO2 levels during the hyperventilation phase (22.0% and 20.3% increase for the left and right hemispheres, respectively) compared to normal breathing, which remained higher during the recovery phase (15.3% and 15.2% increase, respectively).

AGE DIFFERENCES AMONG WITHIN-PERSON INDICATORS OF STRESS AND DEPRESSION

Abstract Although older adults tend to regulate their emotions and resist stress better than midlife or younger adults (Charles & Carstensen, 2007), research suggests that when older adults do negatively react to stress they may have more difficulty recovering (Charles, 2010). Research reveals that various indicators of stress relate to greater depression – even suggesting that stress causes the depression (van Praag, 2004). Individual perceived stress (PS) as well as perceived stress reactivity (PSR) influence how stress impacts well-being (Folkman et al., 1986). Thus, we examined age differences in the within-person relationships among PS, PSR, and depression, and potential causal determinants of depression with a longitudinal mediation model. We used data from 572 participants in the Notre Dame Study of Health & Well-being (M(age) = 59.77; sd(age) = 14.22) who completed two to four waves of yearly assessments. Sequentially built multilevel models, in which year was nested within person, illustrated that only midlife adults experience an exacerbated effect of within-person fluctuations in PSR on the relationship between within-person PS and depressive levels (gamma41 = -0.004, p < .01). The longitudinal mediation model revealed that PSR at Time 2 mediated the relationship between PS at Time 1 and Depression at Time 3. Findings suggest that older adults illustrate successful emotion regulation strategies at the yearly level --resisting the negative ramifications of years of greater PS and PSR, whereas midlife adults who experience years of greater PSR would particularly benefit from stress management interventions and monitoring of depressive levels.

The quality of telemedicine consultations for sexually transmitted infections in China.

The burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continues to increase in developing countries like China, but the access to STI care is often limited. The emergence of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine offers unique opportunities for patients to directly access health services when needed. However, the quality of STI care provided by telemedicine platforms remains unknown. After systemically identifying the universe of DTC telemedicine platforms providing on-demand consultations in China in 2019, we evaluated their quality using the method of unannounced standardized patients (SPs). SPs presented routine cases of syphilis and herpes. Of the 110 SP visits conducted, physicians made a correct diagnosis in 44.5% (95% CI: 35.1% to 54.0%) of SP visits, and correctly managed 10.9% (95% CI: 5.0% to 16.8%). Low rates of correct management were primarily attributable to the failure of physicians to refer patients for STI testing. Controlling for other factors, videoconference (vs SMS-based) consultation mode and the availability of public physician ratings were associated with higher-quality care. Our findings suggest a need for further research on the causal determinants of care quality on DTC telemedicine platforms and effective policy approaches to promote their potential to expand access to STI care in developing countries while limiting potential unintended consequences for patients.

Mach's principle and Mach's hypotheses

We argue that the fundamental assertion underlying Mach's critique of Newton's first law is that inertial motion is not motion in the absence of causes; rather, it is motion whose cause lies in some homogeneous aspect of the environment. We distinguish this formal requirement (Mach's principle) from two hypotheses which Mach considers concerning the origin of inertia: that the distant stars play (1) a merely “collateral” or (2) a “fundamental” role in the causal determination of inertial motion.In his later writings, Mach deliberately avoids referring to the concept of causation, and indeed, this has made the interpretation of Mach's principle a subject of widespread controversy. However, in his earlier writings, the substance of Mach's critique is less ambiguously expressed. Therefore, close attention is given to Mach's early writings and the evolution of his thought. Various accounts in the secondary literature on Mach's principle, in particular those of Norton and DiSalle, are assessed on this basis. We end with a defence of the Machian status and legitimacy of the early Einstein's research program.

Assessment of bidirectional relationships between multiple sclerosis and epilepsy: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Background and objectiveEpidemiological studies indicate that multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with epilepsy. However, the causality and directionality of this association remain under-elucidated. This study aimed to reveal the causality between MS and epilepsy. MethodsA two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed by using summarized statistics derived from large genome-wide association studies of MS and epilepsy. We used the inverse variance weighted method as the primary approach, and then four other MR methods to bidirectionally evaluate the causality of the association between MS and epilepsy. Additional sensitivity analyses were performed to measure the robustness of the findings. ResultsGenetically predicted MS was positively correlated with developing all epilepsy [odds ratio (OR) = 1.027 (1.003–1.051), P = 0.028] and generalized epilepsy [OR = 1.050 (1.008–1.094), P = 0.019]. In the reverse MR analysis, all epilepsy [OR = 1.310 (1.112–1.543), P = 0.001], generalized epilepsy [OR = 1.173 (1.010–1.363), P = 0.037], and focal epilepsy [OR = 1.264 (1.069–1.494), P = 0.006] elevated the risk of developing MS. The result remained robust and congruous across all sensitivity analyses conducted. ConclusionsMS is potentially associated with a higher risk of developing epilepsy. Furthermore, epilepsy may be a causal determinant of MS risk. These findings may further the understanding of the interaction of the two conditions.

Retraction speed and chronic poststernotomy pain: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesApproximately 30% of patients develop chronic poststernotomy pain (CPSP) following cardiac surgery with sternal retraction. Risk factors have been described but no causal determinants identified. Investigators hypothesized that opening the sternum slowly would impart less force (and thereby less nerve/tissue damage) and translate to a reduced incidence of CPSP. The main objectives were to determine whether or not slower sternal retraction would reduce the incidence of CPSP and improve health-related quality of life. MethodsPatients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery were recruited to this randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized to slow or standard retraction (ie, sternum opened over 15 minutes vs 30 seconds, respectively). Although the anesthesiologist and surgeon were aware of the randomization, the patients, assessors, and postoperative nursing staff remained blinded. Sternotomy pain and analgesics were measured in hospital. At 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, all patients completed the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form and reported on CPSP and complications requiring rehospitalization. Thirty-day rehospitalizations and mortality were recorded. ResultsIn total, 326 patients consented to participate and 313 were randomized to slow (n = 159) versus standard retraction (n = 154). No clinically relevant differences were detected in acute pain, analgesic consumption, or the incidence of CPSP or health-related quality of life. Although the slow group had significantly more hospitalizations at 3 and 12 months postoperatively, the reasons were unrelated to retraction speed. No differences were observed in 30-day rehospitalizations or mortality. ConclusionsAll outcomes were consistent with previous reports, but no clinically significant differences were observed with retraction speed.

Development of viable R&D&I ecosystems

The doctoral research emphasizes which are the determinants of the development of viable R&D&I ecosystems for the transfer of research results in Colombian higher education institutions with distance and virtual modality, seeking to identify the causal determinants of the non-transfer of results, part of analyzing these determinants of the development of viable R&D&I ecosystems from the quantitative methodology (explanatory).

Distributed age(ing): Features of a material gerontology

In this paper, I develop features of a material gerontology which are summarised in the concept of “distributed age(ing);” that is, age(ing) that is distributed across and co-constituted through meanings, roles, and identities, as well as human and non-human forms of materiality, their productive dimensions and their relations to each other. The starting point is the critique of the human-centredness of gerontological approaches and, thus, the lack of a systematic conceptual consideration of non-human forms of materiality and agency in the context of age(ing). To overcome this problem, I propose the following shifts in perspective that are inspired by actor-network theory: from human-centredness to the recognition and consideration of the material diversity of age(ing); from the critique of subject/object dualism to the symmetrisation of materialities; from the seemingly given ontology of the ageing body to the re-ontologisation of age(ing); from the critique of intentional and causal determinants to embodiment and relationality; from linearity and chronology to the plural temporalities of age(ing). I will explain these features in more detail by using breathing as an example. I will show that the concept of distributed age(ing) allows for both the generation of new insights on age(ing) by asking how, where and when age(ing) takes place and reflection on presumptions, determinants and reductions of approaches belonging to social and cultural gerontology.

Homophily and Merger Dynamics

AbstractWe propose a novel multi‐factor metric of homophily between the CEOs of the acquirer and target firms as a causal determinant of mergers and acquisitions (M&As). We find strong evidence that higher homophily among the two CEOs increases the likelihood of M&A deal initiation and completion. When homophily is high, deals are more likely to be paid in cash, exhibit significantly larger long‐term value creation and are less subject to ex‐ante overpricing as measured by ex‐post goodwill write‐offs. These effects stem from similarity between CEOs creating trust, reducing information asymmetry and facilitating effective communication. Our approach resolves prior conflicting results on the effect of homophily on large corporate decisions and strongly indicates the need for a multi‐dimensional estimation of homophily to obtain conclusive results.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling drives placental aging and can provoke preterm labor.

Most cases of preterm labor have unknown cause, and the burden of preterm birth is immense. Placental aging has been proposed to promote labor onset, but specific mechanisms remain elusive. We report findings stemming from unbiased transcriptomic analysis of mouse placenta, which revealed that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) stabilization is a hallmark of advanced gestational timepoints, accompanied by mitochondrial dysregulation and cellular senescence; we detected similar effects in aging human placenta. In parallel in primary mouse trophoblasts and human choriocarcinoma cells, we modeled HIF-1 induction and demonstrated resultant mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular senescence. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that HIF-1 stabilization recapitulated gene signatures observed in aged placenta. Further, conditioned media from trophoblasts following HIF-1 induction promoted contractility in immortalized uterine myocytes, suggesting a mechanism by which the aging placenta may drive the transition from uterine quiescence to contractility at the onset of labor. Finally, pharmacological induction of HIF-1 via intraperitoneal administration of dimethyloxalyl glycine (DMOG) to pregnant mice caused preterm labor. These results provide clear evidence for placental aging in normal pregnancy, and demonstrate how HIF-1 signaling in late gestation may be a causal determinant of the mitochondrial dysfunction and senescence observed within the trophoblast as well as a trigger for uterine contraction.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling drives placental aging and can provoke preterm labor

Most cases of preterm labor have unknown cause, and the burden of preterm birth is immense. Placental aging has been proposed to promote labor onset, but specific mechanisms remain elusive. We report findings stemming from unbiased transcriptomic analysis of mouse placenta, which revealed that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) stabilization is a hallmark of advanced gestational timepoints, accompanied by mitochondrial dysregulation and cellular senescence; we detected similar effects in aging human placenta. In parallel in primary mouse trophoblasts and human choriocarcinoma cells, we modeled HIF-1 induction and demonstrated resultant mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular senescence. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that HIF-1 stabilization recapitulated gene signatures observed in aged placenta. Further, conditioned media from trophoblasts following HIF-1 induction promoted contractility in immortalized uterine myocytes, suggesting a mechanism by which the aging placenta may drive the transition from uterine quiescence to contractility at the onset of labor. Finally, pharmacological induction of HIF-1 via intraperitoneal administration of dimethyloxalyl glycine (DMOG) to pregnant mice caused preterm labor. These results provide clear evidence for placental aging in normal pregnancy, and demonstrate how HIF-1 signaling in late gestation may be a causal determinant of the mitochondrial dysfunction and senescence observed within the trophoblast as well as a trigger for uterine contraction.

Metabolic Syndrome in Affective Disorders: Associations with Dark Triad Personality Traits.

Previous research has focused on the relationship between affective disorders (AD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Aside from biological and lifestyle factors, personality traits were identified as influencing aspects. In particular, the Dark Triad personality traits (DT; Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy) were connected to both AD and worse somatic health, thus possibly resulting in MetS. This observational study aimed to investigate the associations between DT and anthropometric parameters and differences in the DT traits concerning the presence of MetS in individuals with AD. A total of 112 individuals (females = 59, males = 51, diverse = 2, Mage = 47.5, SDage = 11.5) with AD filled out the Short Dark Triad questionnaire. Body Mass Index (BMI) and MetS criteria, including blood pressure, waist circumference, lipid, and glucose levels, were assessed. For Machiavellianism, a positive association with BMI (r = 0.29, p < 0.05) and a negative association with systolic blood pressure (r = -0.23, p < 0.05) were found. No relationship between the overall MetS and DT score (r = 0.08, p = 0.409) was observed. The results were limited by the lack of a control group and the cross-sectional study design, which does not allow for the determination of causality. Machiavellianism was associated with a higher BMI and lower systolic blood pressure, indicating a deteriorating health effect of this trait. Possibly, the higher prevalence of MetS in AD stems from aspects such as lifestyle or medication intake, which might also be influenced by DT. Further research is needed to disentangle underlying mechanisms.

The Role of Analytic Existential Psychotherapeutic Intervention In Resolving Erectile Dysfunction Problems

In a Romanian society where the complete lack of sexual education and religious constraints, in the past, have been replaced by easy access to pornography, erectile dysfunctions (ED) in youth disturb the lives of many men, increasing the level of performance anxiety, even leading to panic attacks, and preventing them from having a fulfilling existence. More than 20 years ago, specialists considered that psychogenic factors of erectile dysfunction accounted for 80% as causal determinants. Now, studies on ED have demonstrated that the most common causes are of an organic nature – namely vascular - 32%, urological - 28%, neurological - 21%, diabetes, degenerative and metabolic diseases - 19%, for age groups over 40 years. Clients are increasingly open to the idea of seeking the specialized help of a sex therapist when faced with such situations. Analytic existential psychotherapeutic intervention has proven to be effective, as will be observed in the presented case.