Slow Rate Of Change Research Articles

Monetary and Non-Monetary Inequalities in Modern Russian Society: Dynamics of the Recent Decade

The article examines the monetary and non-monetary inequalities dynamics in Russian society over the last decade through the prism of social stratification models using the RLMS HSE data. It is shown that the general configurations of monetary and non-monetary inequalities share similar characteristics and similar trends. As a result, Russian society today is not only a society of dominant middle strata, both in terms of income and quality of life, but is also characterized by a further dynamic of “median averaging” in the mass strata of the population. The middle stratum in terms of quality of life is larger than the median group in terms of income: more than two thirds of the population are now in a very similar position in terms of the qualitative characteristics of their daily lives, regardless of the fact that their income levels may differ. The configuration of non-monetary inequalities is characterized by greater volatility in the shares of the polar groups , which are more responsive to external changes in the socio-economic context, while the configuration of monetary inequality (assessed using the relative approach based on median income), is characterized by greater monotonicity and a slower rate of change over the last 10 years. In the long run, however, the configuration of income inequality has also changed quite significantly: the dominance of the median group became characteristic only in the last decade. At the micro level, the position in the income hierarchy is not strictly linked to the respective position in the quality of life hierarchy. The results show that the task of reducing inequality is not trivial.

Interpersonal sensitivity predicts slower change and less change in anxiety symptoms in cognitive behavioural therapy.

Patients in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) who are high in interpersonal sensitivity may have difficulty fully engaging in treatment because therapy sessions require intimate interpersonal interactions that are especially uncomfortable for these individuals. The current study tests the hypotheses that patients who are high in interpersonal sensitivity benefit less from CBT for symptoms of depression and anxiety, show a slower rate of change in those symptoms, and are more likely to drop out of treatment. Participants were 832 outpatients who received naturalistic CBT. We assessed interpersonal sensitivity before treatment began and depression and anxiety symptoms at every therapy session. We assessed early, premature, and uncollaborative termination after treatment ended. We constructed multilevel linear regression models and logistic regression models to assess the effects of baseline interpersonal sensitivity on the treatment outcome, the slope of change in depression and anxiety symptoms, and each type of dropout. Higher baseline interpersonal sensitivity was associated with a slower rate of change and less overall change in anxiety but not depressive symptoms. Baseline interpersonal sensitivity was not a predictor of dropout. Interpersonal sensitivity at baseline predicts less change and a slower rate of change in anxiety symptoms. Early detection of elevated interpersonal sensitivity can help therapists take action to address these barriers to successful treatment and help scientists build decision support tools that accurately predict the trajectory of change in anxiety symptoms for these patients.

Pressure monitoring and deformation analysis of a brine-filled salt cavern - A case study of Jianghan, China

Deformation stability plays a crucial role in the construction and operation of hydrocarbon storage salt caverns. Monitoring and analyzing wellhead pressure data under closed well conditions provide valuable insights into the evaluation of cavern stability. In this study, an analysis of five factors influencing internal brine pressure was conducted, which revealed that salt creep and brine thermal expansion contribute to an increase in internal brine pressure, while brine penetration, salt dissolution and cavern compressibility lead to a decrease. The atmospheric pressure, surface temperature, and earth tides are the other factors influencing wellhead pressure fluctuations. Through the analysis of wellhead pressure data from brine-filled salt cavern under closed conditions, the creep parameters of salt formations were calculated using the Norton-Hoff creep model. To further understand the behavior of brine-filled salt cavern, numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the brine temperature distribution and deformation stability. The volumetric average temperature of the brine exhibits a nonlinear increase over time, characterized by a rapid rise in the initial stage followed by a slower rate of change. Finally, the brine temperature stabilizes and converges toward the formation temperature. From deformation analysis, it was observed that the closed condition is more favorable for the maintenance of cavern stability in comparison to the open condition. The subsidence of the cavern roof is particularly sensitive and requires careful attention, especially for flat-roof salt caverns. Under closed conditions, it is crucial to control the brine pressure decrease rate and prevent excessively high brine pressure to ensure the mechanical and penetration stability of the brine-filled salt cavern. These findings provide valuable insights into the factors influencing internal brine pressure, the determination of creep parameters, the distribution of brine temperature, and the deformation stability of brine-filled salt caverns.

Implementation of sonopartogram: multicenter feasibility study.

Well-established clinical practice for assessing progress in labor involves routine abdominal palpation and vaginal examination (VE). However, VE is subjective, poorly reproducible and painful for most women. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of systematically integrating transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound assessment of fetal position, parasagittal angle of progression (psAOP), head-perineum distance (HPD) and sonographic cervical dilatation (SCD) to monitor the progress of labor in women undergoing induction of labor (IOL). We also aimed to determine if ultrasound can reduce women's pain during such examinations. Women were recruited as they presented for IOL in three maternity units. Ultrasound assessments were performed in 100 women between 37 + 0 and 41 + 6 weeks' gestation. A baseline combined transabdominal and transperineal scan was performed, including assessment of fetal biometry, umbilical artery and fetal middle cerebral artery Doppler, amniotic fluid index, fetal spine and occiput positions, psAOP, HPD, SCD and cervical length. Intrapartum scans were performed instead of VE, unless there was a clinical indication to perform a VE, according to protocol. Participants were asked to indicate their level of pain by verbally giving a pain score between 0 and 10 (with 0 representing no pain) during assessment. Repeated measures data were analyzed using mixed-effect models to identify significant factors that affected the relationship between psAOP, HPD, SCD and mode of delivery. A total of 100 women were included in the study. Of these, 20% delivered by Cesarean section, 65% vaginally and 15% by instrumental delivery. There were no adverse fetal or maternal outcomes. A total of 223 intrapartum ultrasound scans were performed in 87 participants (13 women delivered before intrapartum ultrasound was performed), with a median of two scans per participant (interquartile range (IQR), 1-3). Of these, 76 women underwent a total of 151 VEs with a median of one VE per participant (IQR, 0-2), with no significant difference between vaginal- or Cesarean-delivery groups. After excluding those with epidural anesthesia during examination, the median pain score for intrapartum scans was 0 (IQR, 0-1) and for VE it was 3 (IQR, 0-6). Cesarean delivery was significantly associated with a slower rate of change in psAOP, HPD and SCD. Comprehensive transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound assessment can be used to assess progress in labor and can reduce the level of pain experienced during examination. Ultrasound assessment may be able to replace some transabdominal and vaginal examinations during labor. © 2024 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Longitudinal Assessment of Peripapillary Microvasculature Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Cognitively Normal Adults.

Introduction: To evaluate longitudinal peripapillary changes in cognitively normal older adults using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Methods: Participants older than 50 years with no history of neurodegenerative disease or cognitive impairment were prospectively enrolled. OCT and OCTA images were obtained at the first visit and 2 years later. Results: The study comprised 189 eyes of 111 adults with a mean age (±SD) of 69.3 ± 5.8 years and mean follow-up of 2.1 ± 0.5 years. Woman experienced slower rate of decline than men in capillary perfusion density (0.000% ± 0.005% vs -0.002% ± 0.004%; P = .038) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (0.133 ± 1.617 µm vs -0.659 ± 1.431 µm; P = .008). At both timepoints, after controlling for sex, the capillary perfusion density (P < .001), capillary flux index (P < .001), and RNFL thickness (P = .005) were lower in older participants. The mean capillary perfusion density was higher in women than in men at both timepoints (P = .01 and P = .002, respectively), with no significant differences in the capillary flux index and RNFL thickness. Conclusions: In cognitively normal adults, there is a significant reduction in peripapillary capillary perfusion density, the capillary flux index, and RNFL thickness associated with aging beyond 50 years. Women had higher capillary perfusion density values with slower rates of change in capillary perfusion density and RNFL thickness. These values can serve as benchmarks, and variations could be suspicious for a pathologic process.

Fault detection of new and aged lithium-ion battery cells in electric vehicles

In this paper, a novel model-based fault detection in the battery management system of an electric vehicle is proposed. Two adaptive observers are designed to detect state-of-charge faults and voltage sensor faults, considering the impact of battery aging. Battery aging primarily affects capacity and resistance, becoming more pronounced in the later stages of a battery lifespan. By incorporating aging effects into our fault diagnosis scheme, our proposed approach prevents false or missed alarms for the aged battery cells. The aging effect of battery, capacity fading and resistance growth, are considered unknown parameters. An adaptive observer is employed to design a fault detector, considering unknown parameters in the battery model. The adaptive observers are designed for two different scenarios: In the first scenario, it is presumed that aging effects remain constant over time due to their slow rate of change. Then, it is assumed that aging effects are time-varying. Therefore, the fault detection scheme can detect faults of new battery cells as well as aged cells. Some simulations have been conducted on a Lithium-ion battery cell and extended to battery pack, to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach in more real-world scenarios. The results showed that the designed observers can detect faults correctly in a seven years old battery as well as a new one.

Differences in Alzheimer's Disease-Related Pathology Profiles Across Apolipoprotein Groups.

The apolipoprotein (APOE) ɛ4 allele is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas the ɛ2 allele is thought to be protective against AD. Few studies have examined the relationship between brain pathologies, atrophy, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and APOE status in those with the ɛ2ɛ4 genotype and results are inconsistent for those with an ɛ2 allele. Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging participants were divided into 1 of 4 APOE allele profiles (E4 = ɛ4ɛ4 or ɛ3ɛ4; E2 = ɛ2ɛ2 or ɛ2ɛ3; E3 = ɛ3ɛ3; or E24 = ɛ2ɛ4). Linear mixed models examined the relationship between APOE profiles and brain changes (i.e., regional WMHs, ventricle size, hippocampal and entorhinal cortex volume, amyloid level, and phosphorylated tau measures), while controlling for age, sex, education, and diagnostic status at baseline and over time. APOE ɛ4 was associated with increased pathology, whereas ɛ2 positivity is associated with reduced baseline and lower accumulation of pathologies and neurodegeneration. APOE ɛ2ɛ4 was similar to ɛ4 (increased neurodegeneration) but with a slower rate of change. The strong associations observed between APOE and pathology show the importance of how genetic factors influence structural brain changes. These findings suggest that ɛ2ɛ4 genotype is related to increased declines associated with the ɛ4 as opposed to the protective effects of the ɛ2. These findings have important implications for initiating treatments and interventions. Given that people with the ɛ2ɛ4 genotype can expect to have increased atrophy, they should be considered (alongside those with an ɛ4) in targeted interventions to reduce brain changes that occur with AD.

Investigation of variation in fluorescence intensity from rhodamine 6G dye in a trapped and levitated liquid micro-drop

Variation in fluorescence intensity from rhodamine 6 G dye was investigated. A small volume of dye solution, in the form of a trapped and levitated micro-drop, was optically excited with a 400 μW, 532 nm wavelength cw-laser light. The dye was dissolved in methanol and glycerol for a concentration of 10 mg/ml or 21 mMole per liter. With the optical excitation, initially the fluorescence intensity was observed to rise with time, and then it decayed, along with a steady shift of fluorescence peak from 562 nm to 543 nm. The observation of initial enhancement in fluorescence from start to 7 min of excitation, can partly be due to the low excitation power, less dimer formation and gradual rise in molecular population to excited state therefore slower rate of change (increase) of fluorescence intensity was observed with time. Simulation studies indicate that the photo bleaching was taking place from all the energy states of the dye molecules, which is an extension of the concept that the photo bleaching takes place at the excited triplet state whereas the fluorescence takes place due to transition between excited singlet states and ground states. A steady shift in fluorescence peak position, from 562 nm to 543 nm, was observed during the fluorescence life of the dye, at a rate of 0.0113 nm/s during fluorescence enhancement and 0.026 nm/s during photo-bleaching. The steady blue shift of fluorescence indicate insignificant dimer formation.

Effect of change rates and directions of air temperature ramps on thermal responses of occupants under warm summer conditions

Understanding thermal comfort in dynamic environments is vital for developing various air temperature control strategies that consider energy flexibility. However, studies on the quantitative effects of air-temperature change rates and directions on human thermal responses in thermal environments with temperature ramps (TRs) are limited. In this study, 22 sex-balanced young adults were recruited to investigate the thermal perceptions and physiological responses to room air TRs at rates of 0.10–0.30 °C/min in a climate chamber. The results revealed that the air temperature change direction had no effect on the mean skin temperature (Tskin) but significantly affected the thermal sensation vote (TSV), that is, the TSV was approximately 0.5 scales lower when the temperature was decreasing than when it was increasing (P < 0.05). Moreover, the slow change rates of Tskin within the range of ±0.07 °C/min had no significant effect on dynamic TSV, unlike that in step-change environments with higher change rates. The head was the most thermally sensitive body part with the highest TSV/Tskin values and change rates of Tskin (up to ±0.08 °C/min) in warm TR environments. In most cases, the thermal response of limbs was delayed. The thermal experience and adaptation levels of occupants may play essential roles in thermal perceptions within TR environments. Preliminary thermal comfort models suitable for hot summer climates were proposed in this study, which could be used in TR control strategies, such as intermittent cooling or demand response control.

Main Factors Shaping Amino Acid Usage Across Evolution.

The standard genetic code determines that in most species, including viruses, there are 20 amino acids that are coded by 61 codons, while the other three codons are stop triplets. Considering the whole proteome each species features its own amino acid frequencies, given the slow rate of change, closely related species display similar GC content and amino acids usage. In contrast, distantly related species display different amino acid frequencies. Furthermore, within certain multicellular species, as mammals, intragenomic differences in the usage of amino acids are evident. In this communication, we shall summarize some of the most prominent and well-established factors that determine the differences found in the amino acid usage, both across evolution and intragenomically.

Thermal performance of CRTS Ⅱ slab track-bridge structure under extreme temperatures: Numerical simulation

Large thermal deformation of CRTS Ⅱ slab track due to thermal effect is harmful to the operational safety of the high-speed railway. In order to explore the thermal deformation of the CRTS Ⅱ slab track under extreme ambient temperatures, the parameters of two bilinear cohesive zone models (CZMs) of vertical interlayer and longitudinal slab interlayer are firstly deduced by the splitting and shearing modelling tests, respectively. Secondly, the transient heat transfer models of CRTS Ⅱ slab track-bridge structure incorporatedwith two CZMs are verified by our previous thermal experimental results. Finally, thermal responses (e.g. temperature distribution, stress, and displacement) of the track structure are calculated under two extreme high temperatures (i.e.50℃ and 60℃) and two low temperatures (i.e.-20℃ and −40℃), respectively. Results show that the heat transfer model could effectively reflect thermal performance of the CRTS II track-bridge structure under extreme high and low temperatures. The internal temperatures and stresses of the track slab rapidly change in two hours and then have a slow change rate, an obvious mutation is found in the stress and displacement response under extreme high temperatures. Furthermore, the maximum arching displacement change from the ends of the track slab under the 50℃ to the middle of the track slab under the 60℃, while both the maximum warping displacement occur at the ends of the track slab under the −20℃ and −40℃, respectively.

Inclusion as Assimilation, Integration, or Co-optation? A Post-Structural Analysis of Inclusion as Produced Through Mental Health Research on Peer Support.

In the last 20years, research on the inclusion of peer support within mental health settings has burgeoned, paralleling the broad adoption of service user inclusion within policy as a moral imperative and universally beneficial. Despite the seemingly progressive impetus behind inclusion, increasingly peer support workers talk of exhaustion working within mental health systems, the slow rate of change to oppressive values and practices, and ongoing experiences of workplace exclusion. Such experiences suggest differences in the way in which inclusion is produced across different stakeholder groups and contexts. In this article, we adopt Bacchi's 'what's the problem represented to be?' approach to identify how mental health research, often understood as an a-political activity, produces versions of inclusion. We argue current research predominantly produces inclusion as 'assimilation' and 'integration'. We use critical inclusion, mental health, and survivor scholarship to evaluate the effects these productions have for peer support and peer support workers, finding that both problematise peer support workers and those seeking support. We consider possibilities for more liberatory productions of inclusion, building on the notion of inclusion as 'co-optation'. Our analysis points to the need for researchers to engage with an uncomfortable reflexivity to enable more emancipatory possibilities regarding inclusion and peer support.

Effects of HAR1 on cognitive function in mice and the regulatory network of HAR1 determined by RNA sequencing and applied bioinformatics analysis.

Background: HAR1 is a 118-bp segment that lies in a pair of novel non-coding RNA genes. It shows a dramatic accelerated change with an estimated 18 substitutions in the human lineage since the human-chimpanzee ancestor, compared with the expected 0.27 substitutions based on the slow rate of change in this region in other amniotes. Mutations of HAR1 lead to a different HAR1 secondary structure in humans compared to that in chimpanzees. Methods: We cloned HAR1 into the EF-1α promoter vector to generate transgenic mice. Morris water maze tests and step-down passive avoidance tests were conducted to observe the changes in memory and cognitive abilities of mice. RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the experimental and control groups. Systematic bioinformatics analysis was used to confirm the pathways and functions that the DEGs were involved in. Results: Memory and cognitive abilities of the transgenic mice were significantly improved. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that Neuron differentiation, Dentate gyrus development, Nervous system development, Cerebral cortex neuron differentiation, Cerebral cortex development, Cerebral cortex development and Neurogenesis are all significant GO terms related to brain development. The DEGs enriched in these terms included Lhx2, Emx2, Foxg1, Nr2e1 and Emx1. All these genes play an important role in regulating the functioning of Cajal-Retzius cells (CRs). The DEGs were also enriched in glutamatergic synapses, synapses, memory, and the positive regulation of long-term synaptic potentiation. In addition, "cellular response to calcium ions" exhibited the second highest rich factor in the GO analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of the DEGs showed that the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway was the most significantly enriched pathway, and DEGs also notably enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, axon guidance, and cholinergic synapses. Conclusion: HAR1 overexpression led to improvements in memory and cognitive abilities of the transgenic mice. The possible mechanism for this was that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HAR1A affected brain development by regulating the function of CRs. Moreover, HAR1A may be involved in ligand-receptor interaction, axon guidance, and synapse formation, all of which are important in brain development and evolution. Furthermore, cellular response to calcium may play an important role in those processes.

Tropical Arctic

Tropical Arctic asks us to imagine the Arctic as a lush, green paradise (think Miami) through the story of an expedition to Greenland and the subsequent analysis of the fossils collected there by a team including an artist, botanist, and paleobotanist. The expedition team was specifically interested in a mass extinction event that occurred during a period of catastrophic climate change 200 million years ago between the Triassic and Jurassic periods. The team targeted particular fossil beds to help them find the answers they were looking for. They collected more than a metric ton of fossils and used the data to put together a picture of what the ancient Arctic ecosystem looked like by determining which plants were dominant and which were rare both before and after the mass extinction. They then used the fossils to create three-dimensional models to increase their understanding of the plant characteristics. This provided insight into which plants were resilient in the face of change and which characteristics might have contributed to that resilience. The team coupled this evidence with laboratory evidence on extant plants that measured their response to conditions similar to ancient Earth’s.What was a dense forest canopy in the Triassic transitioned to lower-growing plants that had to survive harsh atmospheric conditions in addition to frequent fire in the early Jurassic. When conditions stabilized, those plants able to survive could thrive. The team hypothesized that the slow rate of change of Earth’s conditions contributed to the plants’ ability to migrate, essentially germinating where conditions were favorable. Certain species were better adapted for conditions on one side of the boundary. The book ends with lessons for the future, pinpointing the magnitude of temperature change associated with a reduction in biodiversity and loss of species and what it might mean for Earth’s future.While the photographs and illustrations are beautiful, I found the story hard to follow. At the end of the book, I wished some of the information presented in Chapter 4 had been presented earlier. I was less motivated to learn about the expedition and all of the fossils collected because I didn’t know the story of the conditions on Earth that led to and followed the mass extinction. Had that context come first, it would have provided framing for the expedition, sparking curiosity about what the team found. I found myself wanting a map or a timeline to help me track Earth’s history both spatially and temporally.It may be beyond the scope of this book, but I was left wondering about the conditions in the Arctic that allowed all that plant life to grow in the first place. How does the 40,000-year cyclical change in the Earth’s tilt play into the story of energy and matter in the Arctic? Does that explain why it was lush there once but cold and icy there now? And how will the anthropogenic changes we have made to Earth’s system interact with that natural cycle?Today, many high school biology teachers are tasked with integrating Earth and space science standards into their curricula. Using historical events that caused changes to Earth’s system as phenomena can help students understand the flow of energy and matter and provide a context for understanding why the mechanisms of photosynthesis and cellular respiration are so important. Tropical Arctic is a beautiful text and illuminates a part of Earth’s history that I knew little about. On its own, it is missing necessary pieces to spark the interest of someone who lacks expertise in the field, but it would be a worthwhile complement to other texts on the topic.

Negative Symptom Trajectories in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: Differences Based on Deficit Syndrome, Persistence, and Transition Status.

Negative symptom trajectory in clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis is ill defined. This study aimed to better characterize longitudinal patterns of change in negative symptoms, moderators of change, and differences in trajectories according to clinical subgroups. We hypothesized that negative symptom course will be nonlinear in CHR. Clinical subgroups known to be more severe variants of psychotic illness-deficit syndrome (DS), persistent negative syndrome (PNS), and acute psychosis onset-were expected to show more severe baseline symptoms, slower rates of change, and less stable rates of symptom resolution. Linear, curvilinear, and stepwise growth curve models, with and without moderators, were fitted to negative symptom ratings from the NAPLS-3 CHR dataset (N = 699) and within clinical subgroups. Negative symptoms followed a downward curvilinear trend, with marked improvement 0-6 months that subsequently stabilized (6-24 months), particularly among those with lower IQ and functioning. Clinical subgroups had higher baseline ratings, but distinct symptom courses; DS vs non-DS: more rapid initial improvement, similar stability of improvements; PNS vs non-PNS: similar rates of initial improvement and stability; transition vs no transition: slower rate of initial improvement, with greater stability of this rate. Continuous, frequent monitoring of negative symptoms in CHR is justified by 2 important study implications: (1) The initial 6 months of CHR program enrollment may be a key window for improving negative symptoms as less improvement is likely afterwards, (2) Early identification of clinical subgroups may inform distinct negative symptom trajectories and treatment needs.

Deep soil CO2 flux with strong temperature dependence contributes considerably to soil-atmosphere carbon flux

The diffusion of CO2 produced by carbon mineralization in vertical profiles is an important CO2 emission process. However, because of the relatively slow rate of change in the subsoil environment compared with the surface soil, carbon mineralization and diffusion are often ignored, and the mechanisms that transfer deep carbon to the soil-atmosphere interface are still unclear. We studied vertical differences in CO2 flux and its driving mechanism in layers situated from 0 to 200 cm in Robinia pseudoacacia plantations with different stand ages on the Loess Plateau under a typical temperate continental semi-arid monsoon climate. The results showed that (1) in the 0–200 cm layer, CO2 flux showed a bimodal seasonal trend, and total CO2 flux of Robinia pseudoacacia forests with a 10 years stand age fluctuated more actively among the months (Standard Deviation: 3.28%–9.57%). (2) Dynamic evaluation of contribution rate showed a stable (21.81–24.42%) contribution of deep CO2 flux to soil atmosphere interface. (3) Temperature sensitivity of CO2 flux (expressed as Q10) significantly increased with soil depth, moisture and soil CO2 flux presented stronger quadratic function relation in deep layers than shallow layers. There was a significant positive correlation between deep CO2 flux and soil organic carbon (SOC), but there was a weak negative correlation in the shallow layers. The CO2 flux in the shallow layers was mainly regulated by soil organic carbon, whereas that in the deep layers was more regulated by soil temperature.(4) Compared with the traditional hydrothermal two-factor model, the new T&M&C (temperature & moisture & organic carbon) model can improve the model precision by 20–25%, especially in the prediction of CO2 flux in deep layers. Overall, this study is significant for understanding the stability and dynamic changes in the soil carbon pool, and the mechanism of deep organic carbon diffusion to the soil-atmosphere interface in the Loess Plateau.

A Comparison of the Representation of Women in Editor Positions at Major Medical Journals in 2021 vs 2011.

There continues to be a disparity in the representation of women across medicine, including in editor positions at major medical journals. The authors repeated a study they had conducted in 2011 to compare the representation of women in editor-in-chief and editorial board member positions in 2011 and 2021. The authors included in their analysis the 60 journals from their original 2011 study and the top 5 ranked journals by Journal Impact Factor in each of 12 disciplines in 2021. This led to the inclusion of 86 journals. The authors collected the names and genders of the editors-in-chief and editorial board members at these journals, using information provided by the journals and a Google search for the photos and/or pronouns of the remaining editors. They compared results across years (2021 vs 2011), editor positions, disciplines, Journal Impact Factors, and ranks. Twenty-two of the 90 editors-in-chief (24.4%) were women in 2021 compared with 10 of 63 (15.9%) in 2011, an increase of 8.5%. Of the 6,285 editorial board members, 1,756 were women (27.9%) in 2021 compared with 719 of 4,112 (17.5%) in 2011, an increase of 10.4%. Journals with women editors-in-chief gained 3.5 ranks and 9.1 points in Journal Impact Factor on average over this 10-year period, compared with no gain in rank and an increase of 4.7 points in Journal Impact Factor for journals with men editors-in-chief; both are statistically significant differences (P = .045 and P = .016, respectively). In almost all evaluated disciplines and editor positions, there was an increase in the percentage of women at top-ranked medical journals over a 10-year period. Despite this increase, improvements are still needed to accelerate the currently slow rate of change in these positions to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion for women in medicine.

Three decades of The Necks: Reciprocal Patterns of Improvised Music and Organisational Behaviour

This article explores the nature of organisational behaviour within a long-standing improvised music group and its reciprocal relationship with their musical practice. It uses ideas from Ingrid Monson (1996) relating to social activities expressing the values and aesthetics of musical practice and adopts research findings from business management literature, in particular Kenneth Bettenhausen’s (1991) notion that the task patterns of a group play a role in shaping attitudes and behaviour, informing our understanding of the way improvisational music practices correlate with social and organisational behaviour. The Australian piano trio, The Necks, perform minimalist extended improvisations with ritual-like patterns in performance and social behaviour. Being self-managed with the same line-up since 1987, they present a unique case study in how a band’s organisational behaviour has a mutual relationship to its musical practice. This study traces out their organisational patterns to show how these have developed in tandem with an improvisational ethos in which members undertake slowly evolving group minimalist improvisations guided by an unspoken set of behavioural patterns with adaptable parameters for change. The findings reveal an underlying narrative of tension between group homogeneity and individual autonomy, experiences of group flow, the use of varying modes of communication for varying contexts, similarities between their musical improvisation parameters and their social interaction, and strategies for implementing change and innovation. The article sketches how their social and organisational behaviour converges with their musical process: a slow rate of change, effortless, and yet with a long arc of possibilities.

Exploring Possible Strategies in Improving Teacher and Learner Mathematics Performance

The performance of high school students in Mathematics has a direct link to a country's scientific and technological advancement. The students' ability in Mathematics and Sciences is critical to their social and economic well-being (Othman, Yusof, &amp; Mahmood, 2012 &amp; Reddy, et al., 2015). According to the 2015 TIMMS report, the slow rate of change in the context conditions contributes to the country's levels of poverty and nature of inequality, and this rate of change is insufficient to meet the country's educational expectations and needs (Reddy, et al., 2016). Reddy, et al. conclude in the 2019 TIMMS report that the rate of improvement in Mathematics has slowed (Reddy, et al., 2020). The analysis of the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate Results from 2016 to 2019 of the high schools in the Phambela Circuit, revealed that learners' performances in Mathematics have had a negative impact on the overall pass rate of Grade 12 learners, within each high school, in the Phambela Circuit. Furthermore, parents expressed concern that the low Mathematics pass rate will prevent their children from enrolling in Mathematics and Science-related courses at institutions of higher learning. It is in this context, the researchers set out to investigate the status of teaching and learning of Mathematics in the Phambela Circuit and explore possible strategies that would assist to improve its teaching and learning. Keywords: Conceptual Development, Mathematical Proficiency

Abstract P224: Optimism And Favorable Cardiovascular Health Maintenance Among African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Background: Higher optimism is associated with maintaining favorable cardiovascular health (FCH) among White adults, but evidence for this relationship is limited among African American adults, whose cardiovascular disease risk is higher than Whites. We investigated whether higher optimism is associated with more FCH over ~12 years among African American adults. Methods: Data were drawn from African-American women (n=2,730) and men (n=1,479) in the Jackson Heart Study (age=20-93 years). Participants free of CVD at baseline (2000–2004) were included in the analyses. Optimism was measured using the Life Orientation Test-Revised at the baseline period, and examined as a binary variable due to its skewed distribution. FCH was characterized according to whether participants had healthy status on each of five components of cardiovascular functioning (i.e., blood pressure, lipids, body mass index, type 2 diabetes, and smoking status) repeatedly assessed 3 times over ~ 12 years of follow-up; measures were obtained either from a clinical visit or via self-report. Linear mixed-effects models examined whether optimism predicted FCH level over time or FCH change rate, adjusting for covariates such as sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors. In secondary analyses, we evaluated potential effect modification by sex and income as well as the likelihood of meeting the recommendation for each FCH component separately in relation to optimism using generalized estimating equations with the Poisson distribution. Results: Adjusting for all covariates, higher (vs. lower) optimism was associated with better FCH pooled across time (β=0.10, 95% confidence interval=0.02–0.17) but not with the rate of change in FCH level. We did not find sufficient evidence for effect modification by sex and income (p-interactions&lt;0.05), which may be due to lack of power. In the analyses examining FCH sub-components, optimism was not associated with the rate of change in meeting the guidelines, except smoking; unexpectedly, participants with higher optimism had a slower rate of change towards non-smoking (p-interaction=0.03). However, this is likely driven by large differences at baseline: optimistic participants’ non-smoking proportion changed from 89.3% (baseline) to 93.2 % (visit 3) vs. 84.8% (baseline) to 92.9% (visit 3) in participants with lower optimism. In the analyses examining FCH sub-components without time-interaction, higher vs. lower optimistic participants had a higher likelihood of not being diabetic (RR=1.03, 95% confidence interval=0.99-1.07) in the fully adjusted model. Conclusions: Optimism may contribute to establishing future patterns of FCH in adulthood, but other factors may be more strongly related to how slowly or quickly favorable FCH declines over time.