True Grit Research Articles

True grit? Comparative anatomy and evolution of gizzards in fishes.

Gut morphology frequently reflects the food organisms digest. Gizzards are organs of the gut found in archosaurs and fishes that mechanically reduce food to aid digestion. Gizzards are thought to compensate for edentulism and/or provide an advantage when consuming small, tough food items (e.g., phytoplankton and algae). It is unknown how widespread gizzards are in fishes and how similar these structures are among different lineages. Here, we investigate the distribution of gizzards across bony fishes to (1) survey different fishes for gizzard presence, (2) compare the histological structure of gizzards in three species, (3) estimate how often gizzards have evolved in fishes, and (4) explore whether anatomical and ecological traits like edentulism and microphagy predict gizzard presence. According to our analyses, gizzards are rare across bony fishes, evolving only six times in a broad taxonomic sampling of 51 species, and gizzard presence is not clearly correlated with factors like gut length or dentition. We find that gizzard morphology varies among the lineages where one is present, both macroscopically (presence of a crop) and microscopically (varying tissue types). We conclude that gizzards likely aid in the mechanical reduction of food in fishes that have lost an oral dentition in their evolutionary past; however, the relative scarcity of gizzards suggests they are just one of many possible solutions for processing tough, nutrient-poor food items. Gizzards have long been present in the evolutionary history of fishes, can be found in a wide variety of marine and freshwater clades, and likely have been overlooked in many taxa.

Laws and Outlaws in Pastoral Comedy and Revenge Tragedy

The two genres of the title are not usually considered a pair. I argue that they share an important concern, namely, the clash between law and outlawry, city life and country life, abstraction and embodiment. The protagonists of both (often forced by the illegal actions of others) live outside the law and have to make their own laws. They often “take matters into their own hands.” Examples: paintings by Titian, Manet, Guercino, Marvell’s “The Garden,” Tasso’s Aminta, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and late plays, Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, the Coen brothers’ “True Grit,” and Jennifer Haley’s The Nether.

True Grit? The Relationship Between Grit and Intentions to Enter the Athletic Training Profession

Grit is a construct measuring increased perseverance for long-term goals. Research suggests that healthcare students with higher grit scores perform better academically and professionally. Grit has not been assessed in athletic training students. A total of 756 athletic training students completed the survey. Over 90% of students intended to work as an athletic trainer. Grit was a predictor of a student’s intention to practice as an athletic trainer. Females and graduate students were also more likely to enter the field of athletic training. A student’s grit score could help predict their intention to practice as an athletic trainer.

True grit and brain: Trait grit mediates the connection of DLPFC functional connectivity density to posttraumatic growth following COVID-19

BackgroundThere is increasing interest in identifying factors to predict posttraumatic growth (PTG), a positive psychological response following traumatic events (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic). Grit, a psychological trait of perseverance and passion to pursue long-term goals, has emerged as a promising predictor for PTG. This study aimed to examine the functional connectivity markers of grit and the potential brain-grit mechanism in predicting PTG. MethodsBaseline brain imaging scans and grit scale and other controlling measures were administered in 100 normal young adults before the COVID-19 pandemic, and follow-up PTG measurement was obtained during the period of community-level outbreak. Whole-brain correlation analysis and prediction analysis were used to identify the brain regions whose functional connectivity density (FCD) related to individuals' grit scores. Mediation analyses were performed to explore the mediation relation between FCD, grit and PTG. ResultsGrit was positively related to FCD in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a core hub implicated in self-regulation and reward-motivation processes. Furthermore, grit mediated the effect of right DLPFC FCD on COVID-related PTG. These results survived controlling for self-control and family socioeconomic status. LimitationsOur study is limited by only one-session neuroimaging data and self-reported behavioral measures in a sample of normal adults. ConclusionsThis study indicates grit and right DLPFC FCD as neuropsychological contributors for the development of PTG. It deepens our understanding of the neural bases of grit, and may have clinical potential to develop targeted brain interventions aimed at improving grit to raise PTG and mental health during the pandemic.

Sons of the Waves: The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail

Sons of the Waves: The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail

True Grit: A Story of Perseverance Making Two Out of Three the First Non-Animal Testing Strategy (Adopted as OECD Guideline No. 497)

In the last two decades, great strides have been made in developing alternative methods to animal testing for regulatory and safety testing. In 2021, a breakthrough in regulatory testing was achieved in that the first test strategies employing non-animal test methods for skin sensitization have been accepted as OECD guideline 497, which falls under the mutual acceptance of data (MAD) by OECD member states. Achieving this goal was a story of hard work and perseverance of the many people involved. This review gives an overview of some of the many aspects and timelines this entailed—just from the perspective of one stakeholder. In the end, the true grit of all involved allowed us to achieve not only a way forward in using test strategies for skin sensitization, but also a new approach to address other complex toxicological effects without the use of animals in the future.

The Impact of Traumatic Childbirth on Women’s Breastfeeding Experiences

BackgroundResearchers are confirming that posttraumatic stress due to traumatic childbirth is significantly associated with lower rates of breastfeeding and low maternal attachment.PurposeThe purpose of this secondary qualitative data analysis was to identify metaphorical expressions women use to describe the impact their birth trauma had on their breastfeeding experiences.MethodsThe primary dataset used to conduct this analysis was a descriptive phenomenological study that focused on birth trauma and breastfeeding experiences of 52 women from New Zealand, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Metaphor Identification Procedure was used to identify metaphorical expressions.ResultsSix metaphors were identified. Breastfeeding after a traumatic birth is your head in a vise, an empty affair, mechanical, true grit, a guilt trip, and a form of forgiveness.ConclusionThe six metaphors provide a new voice for women who are attempting to breastfeed following a traumatic birth. Perinatal and neonatal nurses need to be attentive to any of the metaphors new mothers are using to help identify women struggling with the aftermath of birth trauma.

Women in Nephrology: The Journey, Barriers, Challenges and the Future

Women in Nephrology: The Journey, Barriers, Challenges and the Future

True grit: ingestion of small stone particles by hummingbirds in West Mexico

BackgroundGrit is used by birds mainly for grinding hard food items but can also serve a nutritional role as a source of minerals. Ingestion of grit by birds has been documented primarily in species that feed on seeds and invertebrates. Although feeding mainly on nectar and small arthropods, hummingbirds also ingest grit, but why they do so is unclear. We quantified the number of grit particles in the stomachs of six species of hummingbirds during an annual cycle in a seasonal ecosystem of West Mexico.MethodsWe compared the number of grit particles in the stomachs of different hummingbird species (Mexican Violetear Colibri thalassinus, Amethyst-throated Mountaingem Lampornis amethystinus, White-eared Hummingbird Basilinna leucotis, Rivoli’s Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens, Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus, and Rufous Hummingbird S. rufus), and between sex and age categories during the different seasons of a year. To determine if grit was used to grind ingested arthropods, we examined the relationships between the number of grit particles, the biomass of arthropods ingested, and their chitin content.ResultsAlthough species did not differ in the number of grit particles in their stomachs, we found that grit was mostly ingested by female individuals, with only one male of one species (Mexican Violetear) presenting grit in its stomach. We also found that female hummingbirds had grit in their stomachs during the rainy and the cold-dry season (June–February) but not during the warm-dry season (March–May). Our analyses revealed no relationship between the number of grit particles and the amount of ingested arthropods and arthropod chitin content. However, high grit consumption was related to wasp ingestion on Mexican Violetears.ConclusionsOur results indicate that grit is used mainly by female hummingbirds. The seasonal variation in the ingestion of grit by female individuals suggests that it can be used to meet mineral requirements related to breeding; however, this topic needs further exploration. Additionally, the use of grit was proportionally higher in juvenile individuals, suggesting it is used for grinding arthropods during a period of fast development.

The Gray Pains of Imprisonment: Examining the Perceptions of Confinement among a Sample of Sexagenarians and Septuagenarians.

While the overall United States prison population has decreased over the last 10 years, the number of sentenced individuals above the age of 50 nearly doubled during the same period. The focus of this study, the pains of imprisonment experienced by the aging, is an under-researched area in the prison literature. Results from a sample of 134 male participants of True Grit, a structured living program for older prisoners, indicate strong agreement among sexagenarians, among septuagenarians, and between them. Previous studies of the pains of imprisonment found similar evaluations of the most and least difficult aspects of incarceration. While different instruments were used, collectively these studies suggest some commonality in the greatest hardships and least problematic aspects of incarceration. Policy implications derived from the present research are considered.

When cheap talk is not that cheap – interviewing the super-rich about illegal wildlife consumption

ABSTRACT Obtaining insights on the illicit consumption of endangered wildlife products is challenging, especially when the study objects are the super-rich. This research note draws upon my experience interviewing nearly 1,000 rhino horn consumers in Vietnam. Trust is crucial in such interactions. No interviews could have been conducted without good rapport between interviewers and respondents. Nonetheless, soliciting interviews requires skills that one cannot expect to teach enumerators in the short term. This includes a winning sense of humour, colourful life experience, and true grit. Once good rapport is established, the use of specialised questionning techniques or bias-mitigation tools becomes unnecessary. Instead I suggest a practical approach to study consumers of illegal and luxury wildlife products in an Asian context.

True Grit in Learning Math: The Math Anxiety-Achievement Link Is Mediated by Math-Specific Grit.

In this study, we tested a possible mechanism of the association between math anxiety and math achievement: the mediating role of math-specific grit (i.e., sustaining effort in the face of adversity when learning math). In Study 1, a sample of 10th grade students (N = 222) completed a battery of personality and attitude questionnaires, and math achievement was indexed by curriculum-based examination scores. Mediation analyses indicated that math-specific grit, but not domain-general grit, mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement. In Study 2, we replicated and extended the above findings with another sample of 11th grade students (N = 465). Mediation analyses indicated that math-specific grit and math-specific procrastination played sequential mediating roles in the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement. That is, individuals with higher math anxiety were less gritty in math learning, possibly further leading them to be more procrastinated in performing math work, which may finally result in worse math achievement. In summary, the current study provides the first evidence that math-specific grit may mediate the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement. Furthermore, it also demonstrated the value of math-specific grit over domain-general grit in predicting math success, which invites a broader investigation on subject-specific grit.

True Grit: How Important is the Concept of Grit for Education? A Narrative Literature Review

An abundance of literature exists that explores the potential applications of grit in predicting several academic outcomes. Regardless, the concept of grit has been heavily criticised due to the number of inconsistencies among current research. Fully understanding the usefulness of grit in an educational context is a worthwhile pursuit and could yield incredibly influential implications. The current narrative review aimed to address and explore these inconsistencies to determine the true impact of grit on the academic outcomes of school students. Such that, it aimed to establish whether grit was useful in improving outcomes such as academic achievement, attendance and retention. Research posits that grit is a strong predictor of academic outcomes for many, but not all, students. Furthermore, it seems that the predictive abilities of grit can be enhanced by concentrating on the perseverance of efforts component of grit, rather than overall grit. While the importance of grit’s perseverance component has been confirmed; there are several recommendations for future research. Likewise, a number of inconsistencies are discussed relating to grits practical applications within an educational context. Cultivating grittiness, specifically perseverance of efforts, in student populations would reap huge rewards. Indeed, the educational rewards for students would be substantial, as well as the financial benefits for schools and educating institutions. The usefulness of cultivating a perseverance of efforts in students is discussed.

True Grit and the Positivity of Faith

Most contemporary accounts of the nature of faith explicitly defend what we call ‘the positivity theory of faith’ – the theory that faith must be accompanied by a favourable evaluative belief, or a desire towards the object of faith. This paper examines the different varieties of the positivity theory and the arguments used to support it. Whilst initially plausible, we find that the theory faces numerous problematic counterexamples, and show that weaker versions of the positivity theory are ultimately implausible. We discuss a distinct property of faith that we call ‘true grit’, such that faith requires one to be resilient toward the evidential, practical, and psychological challenges that it faces. We show how true grit is necessary for faith, and provides a simpler and less problematic explanation of the evidence used to support the positivity theory.

Clinical Skills Updated During the Pandemic

At the time of writing this article, we are at 23 Million COVID19 cases worldwide, with just over 800,000 dead (Coronavirus Update (Live): WorldoMeter, 2020). The word Pandemic is becoming an idiom synonymous with a crisis that is shaping global healthcare systems. It shouldn’t be a word to describe solely the current epoch rather, how it will shape the societies of the future. Similarly, to when the term once had a different meaning “pandemos’’, meaning “all the people’’. The Greek physician Hippocrates became the first to give this term a medical association. Society as we know it is slowly morphing and adapting to a state of existence never anticipated before. This showcases the strength of mankind that is, adapting to changing environments. If we are good at one thing, this is it: our resilience and primordial genes assist us to adapt around situations and scenarios to continue to build ourselves and others, for mutual merit or for crafty degeneration. Ever since the efforts in Wuhan to combat the virus circulated across the internet, healthcare professionals have been applying their knowledge and skillsets in a new environment and at pace which has never been programmed into a clinical skills training session. A new dimension to the practice of medicine was emerging in the harshest conditions known to healthcare professionals. Extremely long hours and the inadequacies of personal protective equipment’s, not only tested the tangible manufacturer’s capacity of producing protective materials under huge demand, but also the true grit of each and every individual who worked in a hospital and especially the ones that were at the bedside of a deteriorating Covid-19 patient.

From True Grit to “Big Damn Heroes”: Cowboys, Pirates, and Relational Ethics

When I was a kid, cowboys ruled. Every week, my heroes—Lucas McCain, the Cartwrights, Matt Dillon, Paladin, Big John Cannon—were taming the “wild west.” These were good guys, in charge and on a mission. But in the world around us, everything was changing. 1969 was a turning point. Everything was suddenly in Technicolor, and as we gave up on the West and turned to outer space for our hero-adventures, our heroes morphed from Cowboys to Space-Pirate-Cowboys. These space-pirate-cowboys (or big damn heroes) manage to do the right thing as they improvise their (opportunistic) ethics of friendship.

True grit? Learning points from a facial soft tissue wound

We write this short piece regarding a recently referred case to our oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) unit, which highlights several important learning points for OMFS junior staff. We describe a pertinent case in which the importance of history, examination and relevant investigations during the workup of soft tissue facial injuries is illustrated. Fundamentally, all facial traumatic wounds require a thorough assessment that is performed with a high index of suspicion of foreign body implantation. This case report highlights that all facial traumatic wounds require a thorough assessment performed with a high index of suspicion for foreign body implantation.

“I Thought I Knew You”

“I Thought I Knew You”

True Grit: Dirt, Subjectivity and the Female Body in Contemporary Westerns

AbstractThis article considers the significance of dirt to three Western texts:Lonesome Land,Mudbound, andBrokeback Mountain. The overall argument is that the more complicated and ambiguous dirt is permitted to be, the more imaginative and critical potential it has for the iconography of the contemporary Western. Taking B.M. Bower’s 1912 Western Romance as a model, it is argued that the dirt aesthetic is crucial to how Westerns construct the myth of the American character. This is further complicated by intersections between representations of the White rural poor, women (as for bothLonesome LandandMudbound, there are connotations of sexual impurity in the dirty White female body), and representations of queerness. In the two versions ofBrokeback Mountain, Annie Proulx’s short story and Ang Lee’s film, we see the ambiguity of dirt: it can be read as an essential part of the American land, or as polluting waste matter. The critical framework draws on feminist history and criticism via Kathleen Healey and Phyllis Palmer; sociological theories of imagining poverty in North America via Kate Cairns and Winfried Fluck; and queer theory via Christopher Schmidt.

Horse and Class in True Grit

This essay returns to Jane Tompkins’ original theory of horses in her 1992 book West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns as a means of analyzing Charles Portis’ 1968 novel True Grit, a work which Tompkins does not address. Arguing for a Marxist ideology critique of True Grit with a focus on the main character (and narrator) Mattie Ross and her horse named Little Blackie, the essay offers a critique of Tompkins’ idea of the “material presence” of horses in American Western narratives.