Substantive Differences Research Articles

Invited Session V: Binocular vision and interactions: Depth perception in virtual environments: The role of experience.

In this presentation I'll review results of stereoacuity, disparity matching and depth magnitude estimation studies in which comparison of so-called naïve and experienced observers shows substantive differences in performance. I will describe our working theory that the critical difference between these groups is their tolerance to conflicts between stereopsis and other sources of depth information. Further, I will review some recent data that suggest there are some conflicts that even experienced 3D participants cannot disregard.

Differential Host Response Contributing to Incidence of Arterial and Venous Thromboembolism at Index Hospitalization for Sars-Cov-2 Infection across Wuhan, Delta, Omicron and Omicron BA.x Variants

Introduction SARS-CoV-2 induced coagulopathy has been associated with increased risk of arterial and venous thromboembolism. Literature demonstrates that incidence of thromboembolism has varied widely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with many reports preceding emergence of Delta and Omicron variants. This study aimed to characterize the incidence of arterial and venous thromboembolic events among patients hospitalized with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection during Wuhan, Delta, Omicron, or Omicron BA.x waves. To our knowledge, this study debuts variant specific analyses to shed some light on reported substantive differences pooled across SARS-CoV-2 variants regarding host response, clinical course, and outcomes. Intensity of pathophysiologic anomalies may have been associated with macro- and micro-circulatory clotting. Therefore, we hypothesized variant idiosyncratic host responses would be evoked and aimed to link our patient's demographics and comorbidity patterns with risk of thromboembolism. Methods This is a retrospective study including patients with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who underwent index hospitalization during Wuhan (March 14, 2020- June 18, 2021), Delta (June 19, 2021- December 18, 2021), Omicron (December 19-March 30, 2022) or Omicron BA.x (March 31, 2022 - April 14, 2023) variant waves at an 820-bed academic public health trust hospital in Florida. Demographics, laboratory at presentation, ICD-10-CM-based comorbidity, SARS-CoV-2 directed treatment and administrative data were extracted under IRB exemption from electronic medical records. Generalized regression with adaptive LASSO identified variables associated with embolism in at least one variant wave controlling for extant dysrhythmia, chronic anticoagulation therapy, and COVID-19 directed treatment. Prespecified 2-way ANOVA examined interactions between intra- vs. inter-variant waves but was ruled out due to strong imbalances in variation. Thus, only within-variant contrasts were performed. Continuous data summarized with mean [±SD] were compared using an ANOVA test adjusting p-value for parametric vs. non-parametric distribution. Discrete data summarized as proportions were compared with chi-squared test. A p<.05 was considered significant. Results We studied 6490 patients consecutively discharged across Wuhan (n=2249), Delta (n=1196), Omicron (n=953) and Omicron BA.x (n=2092) variants with respective embolic event(s) of 3%, 2%, 2%, and 4%. Table 1 summarizes demographics, anthropometric, comorbidities and laboratory biomarkers obtained within 24h of hospitalization across variants. Table 2 presents clinical course and outcomes. Discussion Incidence of embolic events was isomorphically distributed among waves tending to affect older males harboring hypertension, neurologic disease, and/or heart failure. D-dimer levels at presentation significantly distinguished risk of thromboembolism with Wuhan, Delta, or Omicron, but not Omicron BA.x variant infection. Indeed, Omicron BA.x infection was associated with numerically lower ICU visits, mechanical ventilation requirement, hospital LOS and mortality. Elevated D-dimer consistently has been associated with excess risk of progression to severe illness and mortality (Milenkovic M et al., 2022), mostly via pooled results across SARS-CoV variant waves. Some have suggested that D-dimer guided anticoagulation management improves outcomes in patients with COVID-19 (Ronderos Botero DM et al., 2023). Deeper phenotyping of patients infected with Omicron BA.x variants may reveal unique prothrombotic features driving what appears to be a less severe hypercoagulable state.

Association between distance to nearest automated external defibrillator and socioeconomic deprivation in Great Britain

Abstract Background Disparities in socioeconomic status manifest in death from out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Inequalities in access to automated external defibrillators (AED) due to socioeconomically determined location of AEDs may be associated with OHCA survival. Purpose To investigate distances between nearest AED location and postcode by socioeconomic deprivation for the population of Great Britain (GB). Methods AED location data for 2022 were drawn from the British Heart Foundation The Circuit registry. All 1,677,466 unit postcodes in Great Britain were linked to the Index of Deprivation for the corresponding Lower Layer Super Output Area using the 2019 Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government tool. The median distance by road from the centre of each postcode to the nearest AED was calculated using geographic information systems. The proportion available 24/7 was also reported. Multilevel linear mixed regression models fit by country and adjusted for urban/rural status and clustering to calculate predicted marginal mean distances to the nearest active AED, and nearest AED accessible 24/7 by deprivation decile. Results 78,425 unique AED locations were included in the analysis (Table 1). The median distance to nearest AED was 762.1m (IQR 410.8 - 1221.0) in GB; 742.7m (407.2 - 1340.7) in Scotland, 738.8m (422.6 - 1223.5) in England, and 511.5m (282.9 - 937.3) in Wales. For 24/7 access AEDs, median distances were greater: 964.0m (524.7 - 1667.5), 994.1m (538.5 – 1832.3), 990.8m (544.9 - 1683.3), and 569.7m (316.8 - 1033.4), respectively. Overall, there was little evidence of a trend in nearest AED distance by deprivation (fig 1). In Scotland the nearest AED was, on average, 108m further away in the most compared with the least deprived areas. In England, the nearest AED was closer to postcodes in the least deprived areas of England (predicted mean 20m) and Wales (predicted mean 95m). In England, AEDs with 24/7 access were further from postcodes with increasing deprivation (predicted mean 99m further than least deprived areas). In Scotland, nearest 24/7 access AEDs were 317m further away in the most deprived areas, and 62m closer in Wales, but with no evidence of a linear trend. At a typical walking speed (1.31m/sec), on average in GB it would take 17 minutes to retrieve an AED and 21 minutes out of hours. In England and Scotland out of hours, those in the most deprived areas would be delayed access to an AED by 2.5 and 8 minutes respectively compared the least deprived. Conclusions Overall, the median distance to nearest AED across postcodes in GB is at odds with the likelihood of successful resuscitation. Graded social inequalities were not observed in AED access across GB. However, substantive differences were observed in 24/7 AED access between most and least deprived areas of England and Scotland. Greater and more equitable access to AEDs has the potential to save lives and improve outcomes for people with OHCA.

Device specific quality of life in subcutaneous versus transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantations: results from the ATLAS multi-centre randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Newer innovative subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators (S-ICDs) offer an alternative to transverse ICDs (TV-ICDs), placing leads outside of the heart thereby potentially reducing lead-related complications. The ATLAS trial, a multi-centre randomized controlled trial, showed a significant reduction in perioperative complications in TV-ICD versus S-ICD patients. The following results report device-related quality-of-life (QoL) measured in the trial. QoL measures are recognized as key patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Purpose To compare TV-ICD and S-ICD post implantation device-related QoL in the ATLAS trial. Methods Sample included all randomized ATLAS trial patients. The Florida Patient Acceptance Survey (FPAS) was completed at 1- and 6-months post implantation. The FPAS includes a total score and 4 subscale scores; 1) return to function, 2) device-related distress, 3) positive appraisal, and 4) body image concerns. Scores are scaled from 0-100, with total scores below 63 suggesting poor device acceptance. The primary analysis was based on complete cases and used analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with 6-month scores as the dependent variable, group as the independent variable, and 1-month FPAS scores as the covariate. Change in FPAS total score over time within each group was explored using paired t-tests. Results There were 252 TV-ICD and 251 S-ICD patients enrolled in the main ATLAS trial, and of these, in the present analysis, 404 patients (197 TV-ICD; 207 S-ICD) had complete FPAS data. Sample mean age (SD) was 49.31 (11.54) years, males (74.3%) and Caucasian (83.7%). There were no substantive differences in patient characteristics between groups. The primary analyses found no differences between TV-ICD and S-ICD groups for FPAS total score (Mean Difference=-0.75; 95% CI, -3.15, 1.66; p=0.510) or FPAS subscale scores. Mean FPAS total scores increased from 74.43 (15.35) to 78.25 (15.88) and 73.73 (16.09) to 77.05 (16.13) between 1-month and 6-months in the TV-ICD and S-ICD groups respectively. The increase from 1-month to 6-months was statistically significant in both groups (p< 0.001). These findings suggest that regardless of ICD type, there is device acceptance in both groups from implantation and over time. Conclusion Analysis of the FPAS measure, a device-specific QoL measure, found both TV-ICD and S-ICD patients reported good acceptance of their devices, with no significant differences between groups for up to 6 months post implantation. These findings provide an important piece to the TV-ICD versus S-ICD line of inquiry in ICD patient populations particularly for this newer S-ICD innovation and can be included in decision making between health professionals and patients.

ANALISA PEMILIHAN PENYEDIA JASA PELAKSANA KONSTRUKSI PEMERINTAH SUMBER DANA PINJAMAN/HIBAH BANK DUNIA

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Subcortical life, evolution of flattened body, and constrained mating posture in the earwig Platylabia major (Insecta: Dermaptera: "Anisolabididae").

Many animals take advantage of the shaded, humid, and protected environments in subcortical spaces, i.e., thin spaces under the loosened bark of dead trees. Permanent inhabitants of subcortical spaces often show specialized morphologies, such as a miniaturized or dorsoventrally flattened body. However, the evolutionary consequences of these specialized morphologies on behavioral, ecological, and life-history traits have been little studied. We studied the mating biology and anatomy of Platylabia major (usually placed in the family Anisolabididae), which is an obligate inhabitant of subcortical spaces with a paper-like flattened body, and compared them with those of two thicker, spongiphorid earwigs, Nesogaster amoenus and Paralabellula curvicauda. Mating trials in various settings showed that Pl. major requires thin spaces sandwiched by two planes to accomplish genital coupling and insemination. In contrast, the thicker species, although also frequently found in subcortical spaces, could mate on a single horizontal plane due to the ability of the male to twist its abdomen through approximately 180°. Examination by micro-computed tomography and a reagent-based clearing technique revealed no substantive differences in the configuration of mid-abdominal musculature between the species. The dorsal and lateral muscles of Pl. major, which are almost parallel to the antero-posterior body axis for accommodation within the thin abdomen, seemed incapable of producing the power to twist the abdomen. The abdominal musculature conforms to a simple pattern in both male and female earwigs, which is repeated in each of the pregenital segments. We conclude that small differences in the range of motion of each abdominal segment can result in large differences in possible mating postures and positions. Surgical experiments also demonstrated that both right and left penises of Pl. major are competent and used for insemination with no lateral bias, as in most other earwigs with twin penises studied to date.

The South African Pollen Monitoring Network: Insights from 2years of national aerospora sampling (2019-2021).

Pollen monitoring has been discontinuously undertaken in South Africa, a country with high biodiversity, a seasonal rainfall gradient, and nine biomes from arid to subtropical. The South African Pollen Monitoring Network was set up in 2019 to conduct the first long-term national aerospora monitoring across multiple biomes, providing weekly reports to allergy sufferers and healthcare providers. Daily airborne pollen concentrations were measured from August 2019 to August 2021 in seven cities across South Africa. Updated pollen calendars were created for the major pollen types (>3%), the average Annual Pollen Index over 12 months was calculated, and the results were compared to available historical data. The main pollen types were from exotic vegetation. The most abundant taxa were Poaceae, Cupressaceae, Moraceae and Buddleja. The pollen season start, peak and end varied widely according to the biome and suite of pollen taxa. The main tree season started in the last week of August, peaked in September and ended in early December. Grass seasons followed rainfall patterns: September-January and January-April for summer and winter rainfall areas, respectively. Major urban centres, for example, Johannesburg and Pretoria in the same biome with similar rainfall, showed substantive differences in pollen taxa and abundance. Some major differences in pollen spectra were detected compared with historical data. However, we are cognisant that we are describing only 2years of data that may be skewed by short-term weather patterns. Differences in pollen spectra and concentrations were noted across biomes and between geographically close urban centres. Comparison with historical data suggests pollen spectra and seasons may be changing due to anthropogenic climate change and landscaping. These data stress the importance of regional and continuous pollen monitoring for informed care of pollinosis.

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer: A Comparative Analysis of Ontario and the USA.

Comparative studies evaluating quality of care in different healthcare systems can guide reform initiatives. This study seeks to characterize best practices by comparing utilization and outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) in the USA and Ontario, Canada. Patients (age ≥ 66 years) with PC were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and SEER-Medicare databases from 2006 to 2015. Demographics and treatment (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or multimodality (surgery and chemotherapy)) were described. In resected patients, neoadjuvant therapy, readmission, and 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were calculated. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. This study includes 38,858 and 11,512 patients with PC from the USA and Ontario, respectively. More female patients were identified in the USA (54.0%) versus Ontario (46.9%). In the entire cohort, US patients received more radiation in addition to other therapies (18.8% vs. 13.5% Ontario) and chemotherapy alone (34.3% vs. 19.0% Ontario). While rates of resection were similar (13.4% USA vs.12.5% Ontario), multimodality therapy was more common in the UAS (9.0% vs. 6.4%). Among resected patients, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was uncommon in both groups, although more frequent in the USA (12.0% vs. 3.2% Ontario). The 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were lower in Ontario vs. the USA (30-day: 3.26% vs. 4.91%; 90-day: 7.08% vs. 10.96%), however, overall survival was similar between the USA and Ontario. We observed substantive differences in treatment and outcomes between PC patients in the USA and Ontario, which may reflect known differences in healthcare systems. Close evaluation of healthcare policies can inform initiatives to improve care quality.

Measuring the monetization strategies of websites with application to pro- and anti-vaccine communities

Anti-vaccine content and other kinds of misinformation are hypothesized to be more heavily monetized than other kinds of online content. We test this hypothesis by applying several novel and scalable measures of website monetization strategies to more than 400,000 links shared by 261 anti-vaccine Facebook pages and 190 pro-vaccine ones. Contrary to expectations, websites promoted in pro-vaccine venues do more to monetize attention than those promoted in anti-vaccine venues. This is a consequence of how intensely monetized news websites are—pro-vaccine venues share more links to news. The specific news sites shared by anti-vaccine venues are rated less credible by fact-checking organizations, but we find little substantive difference in their monetization strategies. These results emphasize the need to interpret measures of monetization within the context of the broader “attention economy”.

Oritavancin in vitro activity against Gram-positive organisms from European medical centers: a 10-year longitudinal overview from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (2010–2019)

To assess oritavancin in vitro activity against clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens in European (EU) hospitals, a total of 51,531 consecutive and unique clinical isolates collected in 2010–2019 were evaluated. All isolates were tested by CLSI broth microdilution methods. The key resistance phenotypes differed considerably between Eastern Europe (E-EU) and Western Europe (W-EU), respectively: methicillin-resistant (MR) Staphylococcus aureus 27.7%/22.9%; multidrug resistant (MDR) S. aureus, 19.7%/15.2%; MR coagulase-negative staphylococci, 77.3%/61.9%; vancomycin-resistant enterococci (E. faecium), 44.2%/20.9%; and MDR E. faecium, 63.8%/55.4%. There were no substantive differences in oritavancin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for the different species/organism groups over time or by EU region. Oritavancin inhibited 99.9% and 99.1% of all S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci at 0.12 mg/L, respectively, and all isolates of E. faecalis and E. faecium at ≤0.5 mg/L. Oritavancin susceptibility rates against β-hemolytic and Viridans group streptococci isolates were 98.1% and 99.4%, respectively. Oritavancin had potent activity in vitro against this contemporary collection of European Gram-positive isolates from 2010 to 2019.

Rethinking the national quality framework: Improving the quality and safety of alcohol and other drug treatment in Australia

AbstractThe national quality framework (NQF) has been implemented to improve the safety and quality of alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment and provide a nationally consistent approach to treatment quality in Australia. At the same time, concerns have been raised that, in the absence of appropriate regulatory structures to support the NQF, the quality and safety of AOD treatment services cannot be guaranteed in Australia. An effective enforcement strategy is critical to the ability of the NQF to provide a nationally consistent approach to the delivery of AOD treatment in Australia. The monitoring and enforcement strategy proposed by the NQF encompasses two different mechanisms. For specialist AOD treatment providers in receipt of government funding, monitoring and enforcement of the NQF will occur via contractual arrangements. For providers not in receipt of government funding, monitoring and enforcement will be managed by regulatory mechanisms as decided by each jurisdiction. This proposed enforcement strategy raises the question of whether contractual arrangements are the most effective mechanism for monitoring and enforcing the NQF in publicly funded specialist AOD treatment providers. This paper considers whether a licensing regime may address the shortcomings that arise from the proposed strategy. It argues that the pluralistic approach to the monitoring and enforcement of the NQF will result in substantive differences in how the NQF is enforced both within individual jurisdictions and on a broader national level. A licensing regime, therefore, would be a more appropriate monitoring and enforcement strategy.

Exploring the relevance and relative importance of interpreting aptitude constructs and their underlying factors: A data-driven tripartite investigation

AbstractThis study aims to explore the relevance and underlying factors of an array of interpreting aptitude constructs, and, on that basis, the collective and group-specific perception of their relative importance. To meet the research purposes, a questionnaire survey was designed and distributed to interpreting trainers, trainees and professional interpreters, asking respondents to evaluate the relative importance of 40 aptitude constructs drawn from an extensive literature review. A total of 769 valid responses were collected. An explorative factor analysis retained 23 constructs divided into three factors focusing on cognitive skills for online information processing, personality traits and temperaments, and foundational linguistic skills respectively. While personality traits and temperaments were regarded as a stable and distinctive dimension of interpreting aptitude, cognitive skills for information processing were viewed as the most important factor. Particularly, listening and speaking in B enjoyed the highest rating. Although statistically significant differences existed in the relative importance of certain constructs, the substantive differences indicated by the effect sizes were small. Compared with trainees, trainers and professional interpreters demonstrated a more sharpened awareness of market demands and industrial priorities, but otherwise the three groups converged more than they diverged in the evaluation of aptitude constructs and factors.

Moving time zones in a flash with light therapy during sleep

In humans, exposure to continuous light is typically used to change the timing of the circadian clock. This study examines the efficiency of a sequence of light flashes (“flash therapy”) applied during sleep to shift the clock. Healthy participants (n = 10) took part in two 36-h laboratory stays, receiving a placebo (goggles, no light) during one visit and the intervention (goggles, 2-ms flashes broad-spectrum light for 60 min, delivered every 15 s, starting 30 min after habitual sleep onset) during the other. Circadian phase shift was assessed with changes in salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO). Sleep, measured with polysomnography, was analyzed to assess changes in sleep architecture and spectral power. After 1 h of flashes, DLMO showed a substantial delay (1.13 ± 1.27 h) compared to placebo (12 ± 20 min). Two individuals exhibited very large shifts of 6.4 and 3.1 h. There were no substantive differences in sleep architecture, but some evidence for greater instability in sleep. 1 h of flash therapy during sleep evokes large changes in circadian timing, up to 6 h, and does so with only minimal, if any, impact on sleep. Flash therapy may offer a practical option to delay the circadian clock in shift workers and jet travelers.

Periodontitis-resistant and -susceptible matriline regulation of gingival transcriptome in nonhuman primates.

This report identified if gingival gene expression transcriptomes demonstrated unique profiles that discriminated periodontitis-susceptible (PDS) and periodontitis-resistant (PDR) animals in health and disease. Nonhuman primates generally organize their social groups based upon matriline origin. We have used a multi-generational colony of rhesus macaques to identify matrilines presenting with significant differences in periodontitis (e.g., earlier age onset, greater prevalence, and severity). Animals from 12 to 23 years of age (n = 17; 8 - PDR, 9 - PDS) were entered into a ligature-induced periodontitis trial. Gingival biopsies were taken at baseline and 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 months post-ligation, and microarray analysis was used to quantify gene expression in samples at each time point. Over 1000 genes showed significant (p < .01) differences in the PDR versus PDS animals at baseline. The frequency of differences generally decreased during the disease process, and increased with resolution (i.e., 5 months). A nearly 2:1 ratio of elevated gene levels was noted in baseline PDR samples that included up-regulated MMPs, Fc receptors, chemokines, interleukins, and innate immune receptors, and down-regulated genes particularly related to epithelial biology. Most dramatically, there was a skewed differential expression of adaptive immune response genes in the PDR and epithelial cell structure/function genes in PDS samples. The results demonstrate substantive differences in gingival tissue response capacity/programming in PDR and PDS samples that may contribute to the differences in clinical outcomes related to the heritability of disease risk through matrilines.

Childhood maltreatment and suicide risk: The mediating role of self-compassion, mentalization, depression

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment (CM) is a well-established risk factor for depression and increased suicide risk. This study aimed to investigate the distinctive mechanisms of individual types of CM on young adult suicide risk, by exploring the potential mediating role of mentalization, self-compassion, and depression. MethodsA total of 4873 adults completed a survey screening for experiences of CM, self-compassion, mentalization, depression, and suicide risk. ResultsThe path analysis revealed significant direct effects of mentalization, self-compassion, and depression on suicide risk. Moreover, mentalization, self-compassion, and depression mediated the relationship between emotional abuse/neglect and suicide risk, whereas physical neglect contributed to suicide risk only through mentalization and depression. Furthermore, sexual abuse had a significant direct effect on suicide risk, whereas physical abuse did not show any direct or indirect effects. LimitationsThe cross-sectional design of the study limits its ability to establish causality, and the risk of recall bias in reporting physical or sexual abuse cannot be ignored. ConclusionsThis study represents the first identification of disturbances in self-compassion, mentalization, and depression that mediate the relationship between various types of CM and suicide risk in young adults. Our findings suggest substantive differences in the impact of emotional CM compared to other forms of CM. Enhancing self-compassion and mentalization abilities could be valuable intervention strategies for individuals with a history of emotional CM. Addressing factors that hinder the recall of relevant subjective experiences of physical and sexual abuse is also critical.

Dimensions of Empathy and Bystander Intervention Action in Bullying Across Age

ABSTRACT This study aimed to extend the literature by examining how bystander intervention (i.e. when a witness to a bullying episodes does something to address the situation) varies with respect to the type of bystander intervention (i.e. direct intervention, emotional intervention, involving an adult, ignore) across victim status (friend, unknown), intervener age (elementary, high school), and dimensions of empathy (affective, cognitive) in the intervener. Given substantive differences in both empathy (especially cognitive empathy) and bystander intervention when comparing children to older adolescents, the association between empathy and intervening may differ across age groups. Self-report survey data were collected from 370 racially diverse participants in grades 3–5 ; (n = 158) and grades 9–12 (n = 212) in the southeastern area of the United States. Multi-group path analysis was conducted. Results varied by intervener age, type of intervention, and type of empathy. Affective empathy for high school students was not related to intervention at all, but affective empathy for elementary students was related to emotional intervention. For both age groups, cognitive empathy was related to emotional intervention and reporting to adults for all unknown victims, as well as for known victims in high school students. For known victims, no clear pattern emerged for age groups and how empathy was associated with each type of intervention. Overall, the findings suggest that bystander intervention in bullying is not a “one size fits all” behavior. Bystander intervention programs for bullying should provide more nuanced training regarding types of interventions and encourage empathy and action for both known and unknown victims.

Consistency of Supervisory Interpretations of Stop-Search Justification in London: A Vignette Assessment Analysis

Research QuestionDo police supervisors reach different conclusions about the legality of a decision to stop and search in survey vignettes using similar facts with the ethnicity of subjects described as either black or white?DataWe utilize a vignette survey design, presenting 15 real-world stop and search examples from within the South Basic Command Unit policing area to 118 frontline uniformed supervisors (Sergeants and Inspectors) in the Metropolitan Police Service of London.MethodsWe introduce a randomised characteristic assignment of the ethnicity of the subject featured in the vignette to compare officer decision-making when the suspect is black or white. Using both Likert scale and free-text responses, a combination of descriptive statistics, inferential methods, and text mining is applied to the survey data.FindingsWe found no substantive difference in the justification of stop and search powers by officers between white suspects and black suspects. We did find substantial variability in supervisor assessments of whether vignettes provided sufficient legal grounds for conducting a stop and search.ConclusionsWithin the limits of the methodology, we conclude that there is no racial disparity in perceptions of legal thresholds for conducting searches across a range of circumstances. We must also conclude that there is a substantial range of opinion regarding different specific circumstances that are understood to provide a threshold of sufficient evidence to search.

A corrupção na percepção da sociedade brasileira: persistência e resiliência

Political corruption is one of the most severe and complex problems facing new and old democracies. Fundamentally, it involves the abuse of public power for any kind of private benefit, including advantages to governing parties over their opposition. It thus defeats the principle of political equality inherent in democracy, as its protagonists can obtain or maintain power and political benefits disproportionate to what they would achieve through legitimate and forms of political competition. At the same time, it distorts the republican dimension of democracy because it makes public policies result, not from debate and public dispute between different projects, but from behind-the-scenes agreements that favor spurious interests. Despite the efficiency of classical methodological instruments such as opinion polls with structured questionnaires and qualitative research with focus groups, it is still possible to identify biases in the quality of the information collected on corruption. This article aims to address this issue by introducing two survey experiments, one conducted in 2014 and one in 2018. The 2014 survey indicated that there is a substantive difference between the direct question and the experimental question. The level of tolerance for corruption is much higher than the other methodological instruments point out. Comparison with the 2018 experiment allowed the validation and extrapolation of the results found by Moisés and Nunes de Oliveira (2018).

International Law Must Respond to the Reality of Future Generations: A Reply to Stephen Humphreys

Abstract Stephen Humphreys in his article ‘Against Future Generations’ in this journal argues against intergenerational framings in the climate context, claiming that such framings work against future generations by carrying forward today’s structural inequalities into the future. He contends that those using such framings tend to subordinate global intra-generational equity to local intergenerational equity, glossing over very significant differences in power and wealth amongst those impacted by climate change. This response to Humphreys’ article argues that Humphreys has set up a false dichotomy: it is not only developed countries that care about future generations – developing countries are concerned about addressing poverty now and their own future generations. Humphreys’ claim that climate litigation has and should limit itself to harms to persons alive now is also unconvincing. Most climate litigation involving children or young people to date has included claims brought by them both in relation to their own interests (now and in the future) and on behalf of future generations. The response points to cases where, contrary to Humphreys’ position – harms extending to future generations have made a substantive difference in legal outcomes.

Phylogenomic analysis of 155 helminth species reveals widespread absence of oxygen metabolic capacity.

The terminal electron acceptor of most aerobic respiratory chains, cytochrome c oxidase (COX), has been highly conserved throughout evolution, from aerobic prokaryotes to complex eukaryotes. Oxygen metabolism in parasitic helminths differs significantly from that of most aerobic eukaryotes, as these organisms can switch between aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms throughout their life cycles. Early studies suggested a lack of COX activity in certain parasitic helminths, and the role of COX in helminth mitochondria remains unclear. To determine whether a functional COX is widely present in helminths, we analyzed the phylogenetic distribution of oxygen metabolism systems across 155 helminth genomes, investigating three distinct sets of protein-coding genes involved in different aspects of oxygen metabolism: COX and its assembly factors, peroxisomes, and the most abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS)-metabolizing proteins. While glycolytic and citric acid cycle enzymes are highly conserved in helminthic species, we observed an apparent widespread absence of essential COX genes across 52% of helminth species investigated. While the most common proteins involved in the defense against ROS are highly maintained across virtually all lineages, we also observed an apparent absence of essential peroxisomal protein-coding genes in 42% of species investigated. Our results suggest that a subset of parasitic helminths utilize oxygen differently from related, non-parasitic species such as C. elegans, with significant differences in their mitochondrial electron transport chains and peroxisomes. The identification of substantive differences between parasite and host metabolism offers a new avenue for the development of anthelmintic agents that could target these divergent pathways.