The Role of Anxiety in Smoking Onset, Severity, and Cessation-Related Outcomes: a Review of Recent Literature

After reviewing some of the recent literature on non-causal and mathematical explanation, this chapter develops an argument as to why renormalization group (RG) methods should be seen as providing non-causal, yet physical, information about certain kinds of systems/phenomena. The argument centres on the structural character of RG explanations and the relationship between RG and probability theory. These features are crucial for the claim that the non-causal status of RG explanations involves something different from simply ignoring or “averaging over” microphysical details—the kind of explanations common to statistical mechanics. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role of RG in treating dynamical systems and how that role exemplifies the structural aspects of RG explanations which in turn exemplifies the non-causal features.

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An International Review to Characterize the Role, Responsibilities, and Optimal Setting for Health Literacy Mediators

Global Pediatric Health ◽

10.1177/2333794x211025401 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 2333794X2110254

Author(s):

Madeline Spencer ◽

Nenagh Kemp ◽

Vaughan Cruickshank ◽

Claire Otten ◽

Rosie Nash

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Literacy Development ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Important Determinant ◽

Literacy Education ◽

International Review ◽

Optimal Setting ◽

Role Responsibilities ◽

The Life Course

Health literacy is a critically important determinant of health and is influenced by access to supportive social networks and services. Global investment in education throughout the life course is required to support health literacy development. The aim of this review is to characterize the role, responsibilities, and the optimal setting for the emergent role of a Health Literacy Mediator (HLM). A scoping review of recent literature was conducted. The review revealed a lack of consensus on who should be teaching health literacy, and variability in confidence when teaching health literacy. Professionals reported facing barriers such as a lack of time, a lack of knowledge, and recognized that the health literacy needs of children worldwide are not being met. Further research into the role of HLM is required to determine who is best suited to this role and what their responsibilities will be to ensure consistent health literacy education.

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Who’s Afraid of Adversariality? Conflict and Cooperation in Argumentation

Topoi ◽

10.1007/s11245-020-09736-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Catarina Dutilh Novaes

Keyword(s):

Conflict Management ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Intrinsic Property ◽

Prima Facie ◽

Consensus Building ◽

Conflict And Cooperation ◽

Contextual Features

AbstractSince at least the 1980s, the role of adversariality in argumentation has been extensively discussed within different domains. Prima facie, there seem to be two extreme positions on this issue: argumentation should (ideally at least) never be adversarial, as we should always aim for cooperative argumentative engagement; argumentation should be and in fact is always adversarial, given that adversariality (when suitably conceptualized) is an intrinsic property of argumentation. I here defend the view that specific instances of argumentation are (and should be) adversarial or cooperative to different degrees. What determines whether an argumentative situation should be primarily adversarial or primarily cooperative are contextual features and background conditions external to the argumentative situation itself, in particular the extent to which the parties involved have prior conflicting or else convergent interests. To further develop this claim, I consider three teloi that are frequently associated with argumentation: the epistemic telos, the consensus-building telos, and the conflict management telos. I start with a brief discussion of the concepts of adversariality, cooperation, and conflict in general. I then sketch the main lines of the debates in the recent literature on adversariality in argumentation. Next, I discuss the three teloi of argumentation listed above in turn, emphasizing the roles of adversariality and cooperation for each of them.

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Open-mindedness as a Corrective Virtue

Philosophy ◽

10.1017/s0031819120000352 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 96 (1) ◽

pp. 73-97

Author(s):

Hassan Alsharif ◽

John Symons

Keyword(s):

Recent Literature ◽

Confirmation Bias ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Shed Light

AbstractThis paper argues that open-mindedness is a corrective virtue. It serves as a corrective to the epistemic vice of confirmation bias. Specifically, open-mindedness is the epistemically virtuous disposition to resist the negative effects of confirmation bias on our ability to reason well and to evaluate evidence and arguments. As part of the defense and presentation of our account, we explore four discussions of open-mindedness in the recent literature. All four approaches have strengths and shed light on aspects of the virtue of open-mindedness. Each mentions various symptoms of confirmation bias and some explore aspects of the corrective role of open-mindedness. However, ours is the first to explicitly identify open-mindedness as a corrective virtue to the specific epistemic vice of confirmation bias. We show how the corrective account also permits a response to the concern that open-mindedness might not actually count as a virtue.

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The microbial world in a changing environment

Revista chilena de historia natural ◽

10.1186/s40693-021-00099-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 94 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Vicuña ◽

Bernardo González

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Complete Evaluation ◽

Microbial World ◽

Sustainable Environment ◽

Entire Planet ◽

New Strategies

Abstract Background In this article we would like to touch on the key role played by the microbiota in the maintenance of a sustainable environment in the entire planet. For obvious reasons, this article does not intend to review thoroughly this extremely complex topic, but rather to focus on the main threats that this natural scenario is presently facing. Methods Recent literature survey. Results Despite the relevance of microorganisms have in our planet, the effects of climate change on microbial communities have been scarcely and not systematically addressed in literature. Although the role of microorganisms in emissions of greenhouse gases has received some attention, there are several microbial processes that are affected by climate change with consequences that are presently under assessment. Among them, host-pathogen interactions, the microbiome of built environment, or relations among plants and beneficial microbes. Conclusions Further research is required to advance in knowledge of the effect of climate change on microbial communities. One of the main targets should be a complete evaluation of the global microbial functional diversity and the design of new strategies to cope with limitations in methods to grow microorganisms in the laboratory. These efforts should contribute to raise a general public awareness on the major role played by the microbiota on the various Earth ecosystems.

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The Colorado potato beetle in movement

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/n02-008 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 135 (1) ◽

pp. 1-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

G. Boiteau ◽

A. Alyokhin ◽

D.N. Ferro

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Leptinotarsa Decemlineata ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Orientation Process ◽

Potato Beetle ◽

Host Habitat ◽

Subject Areas ◽

Refuge Areas

AbstractThe recent introduction of the concept of refuge areas for the management of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae), on resistant potato highlighted the existence of important gaps in our knowledge and understanding of this pest's movement within and between habitats. The objective of this review is to synthesize the information available for the benefit of crop managers and to identify subject areas in need of additional research. A traditional, somewhat encyclopedic, review of the old and recent literature on research methods, basics of flight and walking, as well as abiotic and biotic conditions for dispersal, revealed a considerable volume of information accumulated since the early 1900s. There is a consensus on the role of abiotic factors on flight and walking, but a better understanding of the biotic factors will be required before the variability of the dispersal response can be fully explained or predicted. Cybernetic models of orientation proposed in the literature were pulled together into a schematic representation of the orientation process in walking L. decemlineata. The model begins the integration of the different conditions and underlying suggested mechanisms responsible for the orientation of the walking beetle. There is remarkably little information on the orientation of potato beetles during flight. Finally, the seasonality of walking and flight dispersal is reviewed in relation to the host habitat and overwintering sites.

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Heart Failure Therapy in 2016

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1177/1060028016672245 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 79-82

Author(s):

Douglas L. Jennings

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Angiotensin Receptor ◽

Heart Failure Therapy ◽

Call To Action ◽

Neprilysin Inhibitor ◽

Drug Regimens ◽

Contemporary Practice

Heart failure (HF) continues to afflict millions of Americans, resulting in substantial clinical and economic burden to our society. Recent literature has highlighted the role of 2 novel therapies (an angiotensin receptor blocker/neprilysin inhibitor and ivabradine) in further reducing residual disease in HF. Simultaneously, evidence has mounted suggesting that older therapies like digoxin are not effective in contemporary practice and, in fact, may be harmful. This editorial summarizes the most recently published articles pertaining to both new and old HF therapies and provides a call to action to pharmacists on how to shift patients toward effective drug regimens.

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The Value of Standardized Testing

Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1177/2372732215601116 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 13-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Aaron S. Benjamin ◽

Hal Pashler

Keyword(s):

Political Parties ◽

Standardized Testing ◽

Common Core ◽

Recent Literature ◽

The United States ◽

Instructional Interventions ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Educational Benefits ◽

Philanthropic Organizations

Recent years have seen an increased push toward the standardization of education in the United States. At the federal level, both major national political parties have generally supported the institution of national guidelines known as Common Core—a curriculum developed by states and by philanthropic organizations. A key component of past and present educational reform measures has been standardization of tests. However, increased reliance upon tests has elicited criticism, limiting their popular acceptance and widespread adoption. Tests are not only useful for assessment purposes, however. The goal of this article is to review evidence from the recent literature in psychology that indicates that tests produce direct educational benefits for students. A reconsideration of how and how many tests are implemented based on these principles may help soften the focus on testing solely as a means of assessment and help promote wider recognition of the role of tests as potent instructional interventions.

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Activation mechanisms of the E3 ubiquitin ligase parkin

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bcj20170476 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 474 (18) ◽

pp. 3075-3086 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Nikhil Panicker ◽

Valina L. Dawson ◽

Ted M. Dawson

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Ubiquitin Ligase ◽

Recent Literature ◽

E3 Ubiquitin Ligase ◽

Mitochondrial Damage ◽

Cytosolic Protein ◽

Mitochondrial Functions ◽

Activation Mechanisms

Monogenetic, familial forms of Parkinson's disease (PD) only account for 5–10% of the total number of PD cases, but analysis of the genes involved therein is invaluable to understanding PD-associated neurodegenerative signaling. One such gene, parkin, encodes a 465 amino acid E3 ubiquitin ligase. Of late, there has been considerable interest in the role of parkin signaling in PD and in identifying its putative substrates, as well as the elucidation of the mechanisms through which parkin itself is activated. Its dysfunction underlies both inherited and idiopathic PD-associated neurodegeneration. Here, we review recent literature that provides a model of activation of parkin in the setting of mitochondrial damage that involves PINK1 (PTEN-induced kinase-1) and phosphoubiquitin. We note that neuronal parkin is primarily a cytosolic protein (with various non-mitochondrial functions), and discuss potential cytosolic parkin activation mechanisms.

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