Unifying Theme Research Articles

From Digital Mental Health Interventions to Digital "Addiction": Where the Two Fields Converge.

Scientific literature from the last two decades indicates that, when it comes to mental health, technology is presented either as panacea or anathema. This is partly because researchers, too frequently, have planted themselves either in the field of digital mental health interventions (variably called “telepsychiatry”, “digital therapeutics”, “computerized therapy”, etc.), or in that of the problems arising from technology, with little cross-fertilization between the two. Yet, a closer look at the two fields reveals unifying themes that underpin both the advantages and dangers of technology in mental health. This article discusses five such themes. First, the breakneck pace of technology evolution keeps digital mental health interventions updated and creates more potentially problematic activities, leaving researchers perennially behind, so new technologies become outdated by the time they are studied. Second, the freedom of creating and using technologies in a regulatory vacuum has led to proliferation and choice, but also to a Wild-West online environment. Third, technology is an open window to access information, but also to compromise privacy, with serious implications for online psychology and digital mental health interventions. Fourth, weak bonds characterize online interactions, including those between therapists and patients, contributing to high attrition from digital interventions. Finally, economic analyses of technology-enabled care may show good value for money, but often fail to capture the true costs of technology, a fact that is mirrored in other online activities. The article ends with a call for collaborations between two interrelated fields that have been—till now—mutually insular.

NATURALISMS

The word ‘naturalism’ has a bewildering array of uses in philosophy. Roughly speaking, it connotes pro-scientific attitudes and approaches. This article introduces the subject of naturalism by sketching a history of pro-scientific attitudes and approaches in philosophy, from their origins in the early modern period through to the present day. It then distinguishes a number of distinct families of naturalism: metaphysical, logico-linguistic, epistemological, and methodological. The resulting taxonomy encompasses a plurality of loosely related views rather than a number of variations on a single clear and unified theme.

Advances in Structural Vector Autoregressions with Imperfect Identifying Information

This paper examines methods for structural interpretation of vector autoregressions when the identifying information is regarded as imperfect or incomplete. We suggest that a Bayesian approach offers a unifying theme for guiding inference in such settings. Among other advantages, the unified approach solves a problem with calculating elasticities that appears not to have been recognized by earlier researchers. We also call attention to some computational concerns of which researchers who approach this problem using other methods should be aware. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.

Using a Student-Generated Mock Magazine Issue To Improve Students' Awareness of Diverse Scientists.

This study explores whether integrating multicultural content within a genetics laboratory course affected students’ awareness of diversity and their perceptions of scientists’ identities. Genetics laboratory curricula typically focus on content and experimental procedures, with cursory references to the scientists who made these discoveries. The resulting poor racial and gender representation in the curricula propagate biases about the abilities and contributions of scientists from underrepresented groups, which may adversely affect the retention and success of students in these groups. Initially, students completed a pre-test in which they were asked to recall the names of geneticists and their scientific contributions. Later students created a mock magazine issue featuring a diverse set of experts in genetics, specifically members of traditionally underrepresented gender/sexuality and/or racial/ethnic groups. To facilitate this assignment, students were randomly assigned a geneticist from a pool of active research scientists, spanning a wide range of scientific and cultural backgrounds and identities. Each student wrote a 500-word biography of their assigned geneticist and read biographies composed by peers. Then, in groups, the students categorized biographies based on student-selected unifying themes into a table of contents. On the final exam, the pre-test was repeated as a post-test. In the pre-test, scientists listed by students were 94% male and 6% female, with no members of other underrepresented groups included. In the post-test, scientists listed by students shifted to 84% male and 16% female with 18% from underrepresented groups. These data suggest that this intervention increases awareness of the multicultural nature of scientists.

A Mosaic of Land Tenure and Ownership Creates Challenges and Opportunities for Transboundary Conservation in the US-Mexico Borderlands

In the Madrean Sky Islands of western North America, a mixture of public and private land ownership and tenure creates a complex situation for collaborative efforts in conservation. In this case study, we describe the current ownership and management structures in the US-Mexico borderlands where social, political, and economic conditions create extreme pressures on the environment and challenges for conservation. On the United States side of the border, sky island mountain ranges are almost entirely publicly owned and managed by federal, state, and tribal organizations that manage and monitor species, habitats, and disturbances including fire. In contrast, public lands are scarce in the adjacent mountain ranges of Mexico, rather, a unique system of private parcels and communal lands makes up most of Mexico’s Natural Protected Areas. Several of the Protected Area reserves in Mexico form a matrix that serves to connect scattered habitats for jaguars dispersing northward toward public and private reserves in the United States from their northernmost breeding areas in Mexico. Despite the administrative or jurisdictional boundaries superimposed upon the landscape, we identify two unifying management themes that encourage collaborative management of transboundary landscape processes and habitat connectivity: jaguar conservation and wildfire management. This case study promotes understanding of conservation challenges as they are perceived and managed in a diversity of settings across the US-Mexico borderlands. Ultimately, recognizing the unique and important contributions of people living and working under different systems of land ownership and tenure will open doors for partnerships in achieving common goals. Una versión en español de este artículo está disponible como descarga.

Increasingly Enumerable Submonoids of : Music Theory as a Unifying Theme

We analyze the set of increasingly enumerable additive submonoids of , for instance, the set of logarithms of the positive integers with respect to a given base. We call them ω-monoids. The ω-monoids for which consecutive elements become arbitrarily close are called tempered monoids. This is, in particular, the case for the set of logarithms. We show that any ω-monoid is either a scalar multiple of a numerical semigroup or a tempered monoid. We will also show how we can differentiate ω-monoids that are multiples of numerical semigroups from those that are tempered monoids by the size and commensurability of their minimal generating sets. All the definitions and results are illustrated with examples from music theory.

¿Es posible enseñar a Roberto Bolaño? Dificultades, retos y posibilidades desde la didáctica de la literatura

Leer a Bolaño plantea una serie de dificultades y retos, pero también de posibilidades para la didáctica de la literatura. Por esta razón, nos planteamos desde esta perspectiva de enseñanza e investigación varias preguntas sobre las cuales ofreceremos algunas aproximaciones que contribuyan a disfrutar y comprender una de las obras de la literatura latinoamericana y universal más heterodoxas y provocadoras: ¿Es posible enseñar a Roberto Bolaño? ¿En qué niveles escolares podría emprenderse la enseñanza de la literatura de Bolaño? o ¿su enseñanza solo podría orientarse a los estudiantes de licenciatura en letras en la educación superior? ¿Qué textos de Bolaño serían más o menos “enseñables” para las nuevas generaciones dentro del proyecto del alumno? Entre nuestras primeras conclusiones argumentamos que la gran complejidad de las obras mayores como Los detectives salvajes y 2666 las haría inaccesibles para estudiantes de bachillerato, pero que sus poemas, sus ensayos y cuentos, y una novela breve como Estrella distante podrían constituir una puerta de entrada a su obra. Finalmente, proponemos un tema aglutinador como proyecto didáctico: el estudio de la vocación del escritor, que en los textos de Bolaño está cargada de una connotación de aventura salvaje por países, culturas y luchas interiores lo cual lo acercaría mucho a los jóvenes de esta época.

Indigenous Rock Art Tourism in Australia: Contexts, Trajectories, and Multifaceted Realities

This paper focuses on Australian Indigenous rock art tourism, a field that has received limited research attention. Our aim is to identify aspects which are invisible in tourism promotions. We note trends in rock art tourism and related research, survey the Australian situation, and employ a case study approach to outline the development of Indigenous rock art tourism in Kakadu National Park (KNP) and parts of the Quinkan (Laura Cooktown) region. In both regions, Aboriginal communities inherited legacies of top down decision-making and bureaucratic methods. Although the Laura people transitioned to a community-based system and a successful ranger program, they face challenges in achieving their aspirations for sustainable rock art tourism. KNP communities, subsumed into an unwieldy joint management arrangement for the World Heritage listed National Park, are faced with competing values and perspectives of the dominant government system. A centerpiece of the Balnggarrawarra tourism initiative is the ranger/tour guide system of the type which operated for some years at Laura and was introduced briefly at KNP. The model incorporates key elements of sustainable Indigenous tourism–traditional owner control and jobs, land care, conservation, cultural preservation, partnerships, and public education. Notwithstanding contemporary challenges and realities, a unifying theme is caring for rock art.

Review of the AFIS 2018 Academy‐Industry Meetings in Nancy ‐ The Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of AFIS!

The Academy-Industry meetings were organized on 4-6 December 2018 in Nancy at the University of Lorraine. They brought together up to 165 participants in 6 complementary events: the Preforum at the LF2L-ENSGSI, the RobAFIS 2018 competition at the Faculty of Science and Technology, the 8th Academy-Industry Forum 2018, the Doctoral Seminar 2018, the Thesis Prize 2018, the celebration of the 20th anniversary of and the Gala Dinner of the Forum with the theme AFIS celebrates its 20th anniversary! These meetings provide opportunities for exchanges between academic and industrial communities on the theme of Systems Engineering, its industrial implementation, teaching and related research issues. The unifying theme chosen for this edition was: From the complexity of systems to their acceptance and ease of use. This theme is linked to the expertise, teaching and research in Systems Engineering, developed by the teachers-researchers of the University of Lorraine, organizers of these events. This theme is stated in the form of a paradox, a challenge faced by manufacturers in a context of change from a product economy to a service or even experience economy. How to design systems to control their complexity and ensure simplicity/acceptance of uses? How are Systems Engineering processes and methods impacted by this rationale, how can Systems Engineering facilitate this transition within companies?

Shape- and Material-Dependent Self-Propulsion of Photocatalytic Active Colloids, Interfacial Effects, and Dynamic Interparticle Interactions.

Active colloids powered by self-generated, local chemical concentration gradients exhibit dynamics that are a function of the particles' morphology and material properties. These characteristics also govern how the active colloids interact with surfaces, including other particles and nearby walls. Thus, by targeted design, the dynamic behavior, on average, can be engineered, despite a lack of "external" control such as an applied magnetic field. This allows for the development of new applications and the investigation of novel effects that arise when self-propelled active colloids have complex shapes and material composition. Here, we explore some of our recent work on this topic including the dynamics and interactions of photoactivated, self-propelled colloids with such multifaceted properties. We also delve into some special cases, such as a new variety of active particle-particle interaction that we recently developed, in which direct contact between the active colloids is forbidden, and the direction of propulsion for pairs of particles is correlated. The unifying theme of the work highlighted herein is the relationship between the physical, chemical, and material properties of active colloids and their motive behavior, the understanding of which opens up a wide range of new possibilities as we move toward the ultimate goal of realizing functional, man-made micro- and nanomachinery.

NEUROENDOCRINE NETWORKS IN AGING

It has become clear that nutrient regulatory pathways are the major determinants of lifespan. From early studies on caloric restriction to genetic ablation studies in yeast, worms, flies, and more recently mice, a unifying theme has emerged that suppressing nutrient sensing pathways and neuroendocrine networks results in lifespan extension. This work has laid the foundation for interventions designed to ameliorate late-life dysfunction. Inhibition of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway using rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug used clinically to inhibit solid organ rejection, is one of the most promising of these interventions. It has been demonstrated that rapamycin enhances longevity in mice, even when initiated in relatively old animals. We will discuss the development of anti-aging therapies, the potential for emerging therapies, and pitfalls associated with clinical trials designed to test these therapies.

Econophysics and Fractional Calculus: Einstein’s Evolution Equation, the Fractal Market Hypothesis, Trend Analysis and Future Price Prediction

This paper examines a range of results that can be derived from Einstein’s evolution equation focusing on the effect of introducing a Lévy distribution into the evolution equation. In this context, we examine the derivation (derived exclusively from the evolution equation) of the classical and fractional diffusion equations, the classical and generalised Kolmogorov–Feller equations, the evolution of self-affine stochastic fields through the fractional diffusion equation, the fractional Poisson equation (for the time independent case), and, a derivation of the Lyapunov exponent and volatility. In this way, we provide a collection of results (which includes the derivation of certain fractional partial differential equations) that are fundamental to the stochastic modelling associated with elastic scattering problems obtained under a unifying theme, i.e., Einstein’s evolution equation. This includes an analysis of stochastic fields governed by a symmetric (zero-mean) Gaussian distribution, a Lévy distribution characterised by the Lévy index γ ∈ [ 0 , 2 ] and the derivation of two impulse response functions for each case. The relationship between non-Gaussian distributions and fractional calculus is examined and applications to financial forecasting under the fractal market hypothesis considered, the reader being provided with example software functions (written in MATLAB) so that the results presented may be reproduced and/or further investigated.

Concepts of geoparks establishment in Bulgaria and their geothermal resources

Bulgaria is the third country in the world by number of mineral springs after Japan and Iceland. The Bulgarian-Russian collaboration in geological, environmental and landscape conservation provided a new development of the methodology for identification, evaluation and characterization of geodiversity including their geotermal resources. Individual approach to the concepts of the national geoparks stressed on their scientific and geodiversity features, environmental conditions and economic premises by defining one major geopark theme and many minor topics. Regardless of their radically different themes, the geothermal activity in geoparks is the common feature, which provides them with a great balneological potential. The concept of Geopark “Iskar Canyon” is based on the remarkable geodiversity of the Iskar River Canyon with a number of wonderful landscapes and scenic outcrops of various rock types ranging from Precambrian to Quaternary. The concept of Geopark “Belogradchik Rocks” lies on the famous Lower Triassic sandstone pinnacles. Geopark “Rila” is based on its remarkable glacial landscapes - glacier valleys, cirques, moraines, arêtes and horns. The major theme of Geopark “Burgas Lakes” is related with the ancient sea-level changes and balneo-healing properties of their humus mud. The unifying theme of these geoparks is the high spa potential of their thermal springs that have been used since the Roman Age.

Inclusion health in UK-relevant policy reviews of health inequalities: a thematic, multilevel, governance document analysis

BackgroundSome practitioners and researchers have advocated for greater attention to extreme health disadvantages associated with experiences of social exclusion (eg, homelessness, substance use, or imprisonment), which are not captured by conventional measures of socioeconomic position. It is therefore timely to examine whether such so-called inclusion health concerns feature in health inequalities policy in the UK. We analysed how flagship reviews on health inequalities described, explained, and made recommendations relating to these experiences. MethodsOur purposive sample comprised the five most recent health inequalities policy reviews from different levels of governance in the UK (ie, devolved, national, and international), spanning 2008–14. We undertook thematic analysis using the framework method. The results of line-by-line coding were summarised into framework matrices using NVivo 11 and interpreted using mind-mapping, cross-comparison, and discussion among the project team. FindingsDocuments differed in which experiences were featured and who was constructed as “excluded” or “vulnerable”. Documents proposed various explanations for health inequalities associated with these experiences, from micro (eg, individual behaviours) through meso factors (eg, access to services), to macro forces (eg, globalisation and climate change). Concepts of the life course and so-called intergenerational transmission were also important explanatory themes. Although recommendations spanned all levels from individual to structural, unifying themes included partnership working; early years intervention; and access to health care. Acknowledgement of intersectional aspects of inequalities was largely limited to descriptions and explanations and was less often reflected in recommendations. InterpretationUnderstanding how health inequalities are framed is important, because such framings reflect and shape what the problem is perceived to be, what solutions are proposed, and how success is defined. Although these flagship policy reviews of health inequalities did acknowledge some inclusion health experiences, they used concepts of inclusion, vulnerability, and disadvantage ambiguously. Focus on health care was disproportionate in both explanations and recommendations. To address potential tensions between different framings of health inequalities, policy making in this area would benefit from a clear conceptual framework encompassing diverse forms of social stratification, advantage, and disadvantage. FundingEJT, SVK, and FP are funded by the Medical Research Council grant MC_UU_12017/13 and by the Chief Scientist Office grant SPHSU13. EJT, SVK, and HT are funded by the Medical Research Council grant MC_UU_12017/15 and by the Chief Scientist Office grant SPHSU15. In addition, EJT is funded by a Chief Scientist Office Clinical Academic Fellowship (CAF/17/11) and SVK by an NRS Scottish Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCAF/15/02).

'There's more to life than money and health': Family caregivers' views on the role of Power of Attorney in proxy decisions about research participation for people living with dementia.

People living with dementia may experience difficulties when making decisions for themselves in the later stages of the condition. While there are mechanisms in England and Wales for appointing an attorney to make decisions about welfare and finances on their behalf, there are no provisions for appointing an attorney to make future decisions about research participation. This is despite a growing focus on Advanced Care Planning and other processes that provide opportunities to discuss future preferences and ensure that decisions are made in line with those preferences. This qualitative study with 15 family caregivers who had acted as research proxies explored the role of Power of Attorney in their decisions about research, and their views about extending current legal arrangements to include research. Five themes were identified: the holistic nature of decision-making; the 'power' of attorney; making decisions by putting yourself in their shoes; support for bringing research under the umbrella of attorney arrangements and a unifying theme of trusting relationships. Legal provisions for prospectively appointing a research proxy may encourage discussion about future wishes and so enable decisions about research to be made that are in accordance with the person's preferences and wishes. However, further consultation with the public including people living with dementia and their families, and a range of stakeholders is needed. Providing guidance to families, people living with dementia and the wider research community may provide greater clarity and improve decision-making in the meantime.

General regular variation, Popa groups and quantifier weakening

We introduce general regular variation, a theory of regular variation containing the existing Karamata, Bojanic-Karamata/de Haan and Beurling theories as special cases. The unifying theme is the Popa groups of our title viewed as locally compact abelian ordered topological groups, together with their Haar measure and Fourier theory. The power of this unified approach is shown by the simplification it brings to the whole area of quantifier weakening, so important in this field.

Client Perspectives and Experiences With HIV Patient Navigation in the United States: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

Patient navigation is increasingly utilized to link and (re)engage persons with HIV to care. Understanding client experiences with HIV patient navigation can facilitate intervention design and translation of evidence to practice. We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis of client experiences with HIV patient navigation. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. We identified seven relevant studies; all collected data via in-depth interviews with persons with HIV who participated in HIV patient navigation. Four interrelated themes emerged from analysis that pertain to (1) the complexity of the health and social service environment and the holistic approaches taken by the navigator, (2) the profound significance of the client-navigator relationship, (3) client reluctance to end the navigation program, and (4) client self-efficacy and feelings of hope and psychological change as a result of their navigation experience. The unifying theme across all studies was the value and impact of the client-navigator relationship on client experience and quality of life. Programs should consider hiring navigators who possess strong relational skills and are peers of the clients, and clearly delineating the role of the navigator. Research should examine the impact of the client-navigator relationship on client outcomes and further investigate how participating in patient navigation affects client self-efficacy, client resiliency, and the role of posttraumatic growth to achieve improved HIV outcomes. This review underscores the significance of the relationship within intensive, multilevel interventions for individuals and communities marginalized and isolated from health and social service systems.

Systematic Representative Design: Panacea? Not really. Useful? Probably.

When writing this commentary, it was difficult to decide upon a unifying theme. The system the authors have proposed is meant to be all-encompassing and seems to promise something (meaningful) for ...

Planetary health: from concept to decisive action

Planetary health: from concept to decisive action

Lincoln and Liberty: Wisdom for the Ages

Lincoln and Liberty: Wisdom for the Ages