Natural Connection Research Articles

Causal association between epilepsy and its DNA methylation profile and atrial fibrillation

BackgroundThe "epileptic heart" concept is emerging, but the causal relationship between epilepsy and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclarified. ObjectiveThis study explores the genetic correlations and bidirectional causality between various epilepsy phenotypes and AF. MethodsGenome-wide association study (GWAS) statistics for 10 epilepsy subtypes (29,944 cases, 52,538 controls) and AF (60,620 cases, 970,216 controls) were sourced from the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and HGRI-EBI Catalog-GWAS, respectively. Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and genome-wide Mendelian Randomization (MR) evaluated genetic correlations and bidirectional causal relationships. Epilepsy-related DNA methylation data (N= ∼800) from EWAS catalog were analyzed to identify causal CpG sites influencing AF risk through epigenetic MR. ResultsLDSC revealed significant genetic correlations between four epilepsy subtypes and AF (rg from 0.116 to 0.241). Forward MR suggested a significant causal effect of focal epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (FE with HS) on AF risk (IVW and MR-PRESSO: OR = 1.046, P ≤ 0.004), with results robust against heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and outliers. Epigenetic MR indicated that lower methylation at cg06222062 (OR = 0.994, P = 3.16E-04) mapped to PLA2G5 and cg08461451 mapped to SPPL2B gene (OR = 0.954, P = 1.19E-03), and higher cg10541930 in the C10orf143 promoter (OR = 1.043, P = 4.18E-22) increases AF risk. Sensitivity analyses affirmed no pleiotropic bias. ConclusionFE with HS significantly increases AF risk, highlighting the natural neural-cardiac connection and the need for cardiac monitoring in epilepsy patients. Specific methylated CpG sites may serve as biomarkers and preventive targets for AF susceptibility.

Classification of BCI-EEG Based on the Augmented Covariance Matrix.

Electroencephalography signals are recorded as multidimensional datasets. We propose a new framework based on the augmented covariance that stems from an autoregressive model to improve motor imagery classification. From the autoregressive model can be derived the Yule-Walker equations, which show the emergence of a symmetric positive definite matrix: the augmented covariance matrix. The state-of the art for classifying covariance matrices is based on Riemannian Geometry. A fairly natural idea is therefore to apply this Riemannian Geometry based approach to these augmented covariance matrices. The methodology for creating the augmented covariance matrix shows a natural connection with the delay embedding theorem proposed by Takens for dynamical systems. Such an embedding method is based on the knowledge of two parameters: the delay and the embedding dimension, respectively related to the lag and the order of the autoregressive model. This approach provides new methods to compute the hyper-parameters in addition to standard grid search. The augmented covariance matrix performed ACMs better than any state-of-the-art methods. We will test our approach on several datasets and several subjects using the MOABB framework, using both within-session and cross-session evaluation. The improvement in results is due to the fact that the augmented covariance matrix incorporates not only spatial but also temporal information. As such, it contains information on the nonlinear components of the signal through the embedding procedure, which allows the leveraging of dynamical systems algorithms. These results extend the concepts and the results of the Riemannian distance based classification algorithm.

BIOPHILIC ARCHITECTURE AND SPATIAL PERCEPTION: THE CASE OF GEOFFREY BAWA’S KEY WORKS AND THE PAM CENTRE, A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The three pillars of biophilic architecture, Nature in the Space, Natural Analogues, and Nature of the Space are key design principles that focus on the integral relationship between the natural and the built environment. This study explores the application of these primary Biophilic design principles in Geoffrey Bawa’s architecture focusing on the aspects of both; architectural design (the craft) and user experience (the psychological and the social well-being). As this study aims to benefit the discourse of Malaysian Architecture, it will bring forth the corollaries between Geoffrey Bawa’s architecture and the newly retrofitted Centre of Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM). This research has addressed three fundamental questions: (1) What roles do these three primary Biophilic design principles play in architecture? (2) How do they then engender a concrete sense of a cohesive and natural-feeling environment to the general user in the PAM Centre? (3) How effective is the Biophilic design applied in the PAM Centre in nurturing a close-knit connection with nature for its users, compared to other architecture of equivalent typology, namely the institutional buildings? This study employs qualitative approaches, including document analysis, precedent study, and a complete case study of the PAM Centre. This case study involves a comparative analysis of the Biophilic design principles specifically drawn from the architectures of Geoffrey Bawa and their applications in the PAM Centre. The findings reveal a deep understanding of three (3) main pillars of the Biophilic design and their effective integration as already manifested by Geoffrey Bawa, which enhances the natural ambience and connectivity to nature within the building and built environment. In conclusion, the research demonstrates Bawa’s Biophilic design principles which are evident in the architecture of PAM Centre successfully creating environments that are both natural and supportive of human well-being

A computational methodology for invariant manifold connections between quasi-periodic libration point orbits in non-autonomous problems

Semi-analytical and numerical techniques to systematically analyze and compute natural connections between quasi-periodic orbits associated to non-autonomous systems are considered. Focusing in the non-autonomous Sun–Earth+Moon coherent QBCP model, the center-unstable and center-stable invariant manifolds of Lyapunov quasi-periodic orbits are parameterized and a methodology to detect heteroclinic connections between manifolds is introduced. The methodology aims to decrease the dimensionality of the problem and to address the issue of searching good initial conditions inside the high dimensional state space. Then, connections are identified by searching for approximate patch points in a state-time Poincaré section. These points are subsequently refined to obtain smooth paths that are further continued inside their families.

Impacts of River Network Connectivity on Flood Signatures and Severity Regulated by Flood Control Projects

The operation of hydraulic projects within plain river networks to mitigate floods can alter river network connectivity patterns, subsequently affecting flood processes. This study employed the MIKE 11 model to simulate flood processes under three different river network connectivity scenarios. Based on the simulations, we propose a method to evaluate flood intensity severity by integrating three flood characteristic indices: Slope of the Flow Duration Curve (SFDC), Rising Climb Index (RCI), and Flashiness Index (FI). These indices assess the overall magnitude of change, the rate of rise, and process fluctuations, respectively. Results indicate that changes in river network connectivity significantly impact RCI and SFDC, more than FI. Compared to the natural river network connectivity mode, changes in urban or watershed river network connectivity resulted in a significant decrease in RCI values by 3–37% or 18–38% across various return periods, with the rate of change in RCI values increasing as the return period lengthened. The impact of urban river network connectivity changes on SFDC within the Changzhou urban area was more pronounced under high-magnitude storm conditions, causing a 61% reduction. Furthermore, changes in watershed river network connectivity had a larger effect on SFDC under low-magnitude storm conditions than under high-intensity storms. Over 80% of the rivers under natural connectivity conditions exhibited flood intensity severity of Level III or higher, particularly in the Chenshu–Qingyang area. The alterations in connectivity significantly decreased flood intensity severity, with 85% to 91% of rivers showing the lowest flood intensity severity of Level I. Under a 100-year rainstorm scenario, flood risk shifted from within the flood protection envelope to outside it in the Changzhou urban area. The results will provide an important scientific basis for regional flood management in plains with dense rivers.

Reconnecting children to nature: The efficacy of a wildlife intervention depends on local nature and socio‐economic context, but not on urbanisation

Abstract Children's interactions with nature are important mediators of health benefits and future relationships with nature and conservation. However, there are growing concerns that children are becoming disconnected from nature as societal changes make natural environments and their affordances less accessible. There is now a need to explore ways to reconnect children to nature. We evaluated bird feeding as an environmental education intervention on species knowledge, attitudes towards birds and well‐being of children (aged 10–11 years) in 14 urban and rural schools across three city regions. We used surveys to investigate the role of urbanisation and socio‐economic factors in children's relationships with nature and possible modulating effects on the intervention response. Local nature, close to the children's homes, was associated with better well‐being and modulated the effect of the intervention on species knowledge: children from areas with less local nature gained more from the project. Urbanisation per se had no direct impacts but did correlate with the types of affordances associated with nature by the children, suggesting differences in how urban and rural children utilise nature. We found that socio‐economic factors impacted pre‐existing species knowledge and attitudes towards nature. Higher education was associated with better species knowledge. Higher income correlated with children participating in more outdoor activities, which subsequently correlated with more positive attitudes towards birds. Species knowledge also correlated with positive attitudes. We found large differences in the intervention impact between schools, likely explained by a pivotal role of teachers facilitating nature interactions in school‐based projects. Our findings show that bird feeding has potential as an intervention to connect children with nature, but ecological and social contexts moderate its efficacy. Local greenspace and socio‐economics influenced children's relationships with nature in both urban and rural areas, indicating that local conditions rather than urbanisation levels govern connection to nature. Role models appeared crucial, suggesting that specialised environmental education organisations have significant potential to enhance nature connection through interventions, particularly in areas with low socio‐economic levels and sparse nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

For What It’s Earth: Transcending the Human–Nature Dualism Through “Deep Nature Connection”

For What It’s Earth: Transcending the Human–Nature Dualism Through “Deep Nature Connection”

Planning with Purpose and Intent: Designing Lesson Objectives and Assessments to Embed Social Emotional Learning in Elementary General Music

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a topic of growing interest and relevance to music educators, particularly those who teach elementary general music. While there are natural connections between music education and SEL, the incorporation of SEL into a music curriculum must be done with purpose and intent. Many elementary general music teachers struggle with purposefully embedding SEL into their existing curricula, due to factors such as a lack of time, relevance, and inadequate preparation. In this article, elementary general music teachers will discover ways to design lesson objectives and assessments that purposely embed SEL skills with musical outcomes to support the social, emotional, and musical development of all students in their classroom.

Exploring the Facilitators of the Gerotranscendence Theory: Correlations among Sustainable Behaviors, Biophilic Design, and Nature Connectedness.

Aim: This study aims to shift views away from negative perceptions towards aging by exploring the following research question: How are the multiple levels of the gerotranscendence theory influenced by the sustainable behavior and attitude toward the biophilic design of older adults? Background: Improving perceptions of aging is vital for positively impacting both the biological and societal aspects of the global aging phenomenon. Methods: The study utilized a mixed-method design. Initially, 300 older Turkish adults completed self-reported measures including the Gerotranscendence Scale (GS), Pro-environmental Behavior (PB), Environmental Identity Scale (EID), Biophilic Design Importance Level (BDI), and Inclusion of Nature in the Self Scale (INS). Subsequently, the second phase involved diary logs from 30 participants who volunteered during the initial phase. Results: Results indicated that a higher importance level placed on biophilic design was linked to a greater inclusion of nature in the self. Moreover, a stronger interest in nature correlated positively with the gerotranscendence experience. Conclusions: The results bring significant attention to biophilic design, especially its relevance in supporting sustainable environmental behaviors and positive aging.

Auto-Correlation and Channel Attention Enhanced Deep Graph Convolution Networks for Gait Phase Prediction Based on Multi-IMU System

Gait phase prediction is important in controlling assistive robotic devices such as exoskeletons, where the control unit must differentiate between gait phases to provide the necessary assistance when the user is wearing the exoskeleton. To achieve the objective of precisely identifying the gait phase of users for the accurate control of the exoskeleton, this study proposes Auto-Correlation and Channel Attention enhanced Deep Graph Convolutional Networks (ACCA-DGCN) for gait phase prediction, and a gait phase prediction model based on multiple inertial measurement units (IMUs) and skeleton graph was established, in order to fully utilize the dependency among joints, and enhance accuracy and reliability of gait phase prediction. First, a human lower limb gait data acquisition equipment was developed, and the gait data of human walking were collected. The skeleton graph of the human lower limb was constructed through the natural connection relationship of joints in the human skeleton. After that, the ACCA-DGCN-based gait phase prediction model was constructed by using the gait data of human walking. Auto-Correlation (AC) and Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) were introduced to effectively capture periodic features of gait data and focus on the channels with high contributions to gait phase prediction. Finally, the effect of the window size on the performance of the ACCA-DGCN model was explored, and the proposed algorithm was compared with the other five deep learning algorithms: CNN, RNN, TCN, LSTM, and DGCN. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of gait phase prediction model based on ACCA-DGCN reaches up to 92.26% and 97.21% in user-independent and user-dependent experiments, respectively, which is superior to the other five algorithms. This study provides a new method for gait phase prediction, which is useful for improving the control of exoskeleton robots.

‘I can’t imagine me without a bike’ The lived experience of deaf countryside cyclists

ABSTRACT Exercise and physical activity (EPA) conducted while in nature has been demonstrated to have a significantly stronger impact on wellbeing when compared to EPA in other environments. Participation rates of deaf people in any form of EPA have consistently demonstrated to be below that of non-deaf people. Through the use of semistructured interviews, this study examined a group of four young deaf males that regularly took part in green cycling (cycling in the countryside). IPA analysis revealed two main Group Experiential Themes (GETS), adapting to deafness and nature connectedness. Results support the idea that nature connectedness was influenced by nature-based exercise and that nature connectedness enhanced wellbeing. Adapting to deafness provides a new understanding to how green cycling is experienced and the mechanisms by which this impacts the cyclist. Practical implications from the research are further discussed.

Correlations between meaning in life and nature connectedness: German-language validation of two topic-related measures and practical implications

Abstract Meaning in life and nature connectedness are indicators of a healthy life and correlate with health and well-being. We conducted a validation study of German versions of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al. 2006) and Nature Connection Index (Richardson et al. 2019) and assessed mindfulness as a trait and personality (big five personality traits) among participating students (n = 353). Results indicated a significant positive correlation between nature connectedness and presence of meaning in life. Presence of meaning correlated significantly with less neuroticism, more openness to new experiences, greater conscientiousness, and moderately with the two mindfulness subscales, ‘acceptance’ and ‘presence’. Search for meaning was associated with more neuroticism and less acceptance. A higher nature-connectedness score correlated with more presence and acceptance (mindfulness), greater openness, and less neuroticism (personality traits). Furthermore, we introduce a nature-assisted model of meaning fulfilment that can be applied in healthcare practices, counselling, and (psycho-) therapeutic treatment. Our results contribute to growing evidence on the preventive and curative effects of nature connectedness and meaning in life and their role as health-related resources. Nature connectedness and meaning in life are effective resources considering various aspects related to (global) crises such as climate change and the corona pandemic.

Natural five-sense experience and positive and negative emotions: the mediating role of nature connectedness

ABSTRACT Nature experience is a relatively easy and beneficial measure for improving emotions. Individuals experience nature through proximal senses (tactile, gustatory, and olfactory) and distal senses (vision and audition). This study examined the relationships between diverse natural senses experience and individuals’ positive and negative emotions, along with the mediating role of nature connectedness. We recruited 978 college students (M age = 20.09 ± 1.09 years old) from Beijing, China. The results showed that tactile experience (e.g. touching trees and water) was negatively related to negative emotions, while gustatory experience (e.g. tasting fresh fruits) was positively correlated with positive emotions. Furthermore, nature connectedness mediated the relationship between other natural sensory experiences and positive and negative emotions, except for the insignificant mediation between olfactory experiences and negative emotions. Therefore, individuals should emphasize the role of the proximal senses (especially tactile and gustatory experiences) during nature experiences and increase nature connectedness to maintain positive emotions.

‘On the mountain, the world is still all right’: Nature connections in context and the Covid journey of young adults in Austria

‘On the mountain, the world is still all right’: Nature connections in context and the Covid journey of young adults in Austria

Reactive transport modeling of the Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system at Stockton University, New Jersey during seasonal operations

Hydrogeochemical processes associated with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) operations can often impact the system performance owing to mineral precipitation either at the wellbore or in the aquifer owing to changes in temperature and fluid disequilibria. Although failure of ATES systems due to mineral precipitation ("fouling") is common, predictive reactive-transport models have rarely been applied to plan their design and operation. The objective of this study is to develop a reactive-transport model by coupling thermal, hydrological, and chemical (THC) processes to evaluate effects of introduced atmospheric oxygen on water chemistry, mineral precipitation/dissolution, porosity, and permeability changes associated with an ATES system at Stockton University (New Jersey, USA). The THC model builds on a Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical (THM) model of the site (Smith et al., 2021) that evaluated system failure owing to possible fracturing in the caprock or around the wellbore. The causes of the system failure are not known – potential causes include hydraulic fracturing owing to elevated pump pressures that took place, a flow pathway created by one of the boreholes, or a pre-existing natural hydrologic connection between the upper unconfined aquifer and the ATES aquifer, any of which could have led to oxygenated water entering the reservoir and causing the observed Fe-oxide fouling on well screens. The THC model is used to evaluate some of the hypotheses and observations regarding system failure owing to geochemical processes.The reactive-transport code TOUGHREACT V4 (Sonnenthal et al., 2021) was used to model the THC processes during seasonal heating and cooling operations at the Stockton ATES site over 6 years of operation. In the THC simulations, the primary effects on geochemistry were observed when the injection water is saturated with atmospheric oxygen. Simulations show greater precipitation of goethite near the cold wells as compared to the warm wells. Although volume fractions of Fe-hydroxides were relatively small, the model was aimed at processes in the aquifer at the scale of meters and larger rather than at the scale of mm or cm (i.e., a well screen). Kaolinite is the dominant precipitating phase, also around the cold wells. Illite dissolves near the cold wells and precipitates near the warm wells. There is a net decrease in the porosity near the cold wells and increase near the warm wells, although a slight amount of thermal contraction near the cold wells and expansion near the warm wells is responsible for a significant proportion of the porosity change. Owing to the coarse discretization of the numerical grid near the wells (compared to the screen thickness) the magnitude of permeability changes at the wellbore are likely underestimated. The reactive transport model in this study can be used for characterization of aquifers, optimizing the operational parameters (temperature, pressure, pH etc.), and planning of mitigation strategies for ATES systems.

RETURNING TO SAID AND HIS «ORIENTALISM»

This article examines the impact of Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism on the contemporary geopolitical landscape. The authors argue that while the critique of Orientalism has significantly influenced academic discourse and domestic policies in Western countries, particularly the United States, it has not led to fundamental changes in global geopolitical strategy. The paper focuses on two key aspects: the natural connection between knowledge and power, which cannot be altered by anti-colonial declarations, and the shift of colonial discourse to new regions, specifically non-Western Europe. The authors posit that the strength of a modern state lies in its ability to dynamically bifurcate its image into internal and external faces, presenting different aspects to its society and foreign partners. Using the United States as a case study, the article demonstrates how internal anti-colonial discourse coexists with an unchanging foreign policy strategy of global dominance. The authors criticize the illusions about the possibility of changing the fundamental principles of US foreign policy, which has remained consistent since 1941. The paper emphasizes the continuation of a strategy aimed at fostering global dependence on the West, despite anti-colonial rhetoric. The article explores the complex interplay between domestic movements for social justice and decolonization, and the pragmatic realities of international relations. It argues that the deconstruction of Orientalism, while challenging the legitimacy of historical colonial practices, has not transformed the core geopolitical interests of Western states.The authors contend that the apparent dichotomy between internal anti-colonial discourse and external policy reflects both the complexity and strength of states like the US, where domestic and foreign policies can be shaped by different institutional and ideological forces. The paper also discusses the expansion of the concept of liberal democracy as an export product to regions deemed lacking in popular sovereignty.In conclusion, the article suggests that the critique of Orientalism, despite its academic and cultural impact, has been effectively neutralized in geopolitical practice. This is achieved through a shift in focus to regions not traditionally considered part of the «old» Western colonies, allowing for the implementation of economic partnership policies without the moral self-flagellation associated with charges of Orientalism. The paper ultimately argues that renaming reality does not change its underlying structure, and that the postmodern belief in the power of language to transform geopolitical realities is akin to magical thinking. It concludes that the critique of Orientalism has not fundamentally altered the eternal principles and interests guiding global geopolitical strategies.

Digitizing the green revolution: E-commerce as a catalyst for clean energy transition in rural China

Currently, numerous rural regions face the dual challenges of energy poverty and environmental pollution, which highlight the urgent need to improve the clean energy consumption structure in these areas. Against the backdrop of digital development, this study employs a series of exogenous treatment effect models to estimate the impact of e-commerce on the transition to clean energy in rural areas and explore its underlying mechanisms using agricultural census big data from China. The results indicate that the adoption of e-commerce can significantly facilitate the transition to clean energy, which remains robust even after addressing endogenous issues. Specifically, villages equipped with an e-commerce delivery station experience a 25% to 41.33% improvement in their natural gas connection rate compared to villages without such facilities. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of e-commerce on promoting clean energy transition is more pronounced in villages located in the underdeveloped western and highland regions, as well as those with public transportation systems and village secretaries who have education levels below high school. Furthermore, as the likelihood of a village participating in e-commerce decreases, the impact of e-commerce on the clean energy transition strengthens. Lastly, the underlying mechanisms suggest that e-commerce contributes to the transition towards clean energy by strengthening collective action, promoting rural commerce development, and increasing participation in pension insurance. These findings suggest that promoting e-commerce development in rural areas is a crucial strategy for effectively driving energy transition, especially in underdeveloped rural areas.

Foraging Educators as Vectors of Environmental Knowledge in Europe

Widely accessible education on edible wild plants is increasingly in demand as more people search for ways to explore wild culinary uses. Despite this growing trend of nature exploration, few scholars have investigated the contribution of this new mode of engagement to human–nature connection and pro-environmental attitudes. Therefore, this research aims to explore the societal role of such foraging educators. Through convenience and snowball sampling, we recruited 31 foraging educators across Europe. Through semi-structured interviews, we inquired about their sources of knowledge, modalities of transmission and their roles as educators. The interviews revealed individuals who convey ethnobotanical knowledge to improve human–nature connection through experiences within nature. The educators gained their knowledge through written sources, vertical and horizontal sharing. Finally, foraging educators consider themselves social bridges of ecological knowledge, bringing scientific ethnobotanical information to a varied audience in an experiential way. Foraging stimulates the sharing of ecological knowledge, and it could be seen as a broader agroecological practice, enhancing the benefits of nature's contribution to people. There is great potential for emerging environmental education platforms and, correspondingly, for rethinking the food system.

Universal acceleration and fuzzy dark matter

Observations of velocity dispersions of galactic structures over a wide range of scales point to the existence of a universal acceleration scale [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m/s2. Focusing on the fuzzy dark matter paradigm, which proposes ultralight dark matter with mass around [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV and de Broglie wavelength [Formula: see text] parsecs, we highlight the emergence of the observed acceleration scale from quantum effects in a fluid-like description of the dark matter dynamics. We then suggest the possibility of a natural connection between the acceleration scale and dark energy within the same paradigm.

Nurtured by nature: Body appreciation and adaptive appearance management increase with nature exposure

Nature-based interventions have demonstrated positive effects on health behaviours and psychological states. Recent research has expanded to investigate the impact of nature exposure on body image, leaving ample room for further exploration into the influence of nature exposure on positive concerns related to appearance management. This paper examined the effect of nature exposure on body appreciation, adaptive appearance management, and the underlying psychological mechanism through an outdoor field study and two psychological experiments. Study 1 demonstrated that natural outdoor recreation increased body appreciation, and this effect was mediated by individuals' level of nature connectedness. Study 2 found that viewing images of natural outdoor environments facilitated greater adaptive appearance management. This relationship was sequentially mediated by both nature connectedness and body appreciation. Study 3 conducted a field study and revealed that viewing images of natural outdoor environments not only fostered body appreciation but also influenced participants’ intention to purchase grooming products, which are regarded as practices related to adaptive appearance management. These findings provide empirical evidence regarding the beneficial outcomes of exposure to natural outdoor environment, thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the domain of body image and appearance management.