Elevating neuroscience literacy and an approach for physiologists

The field of neuroscience has made notable strides that have contributed to progress and change in a number of academic pursuits. However, the lack of understanding of basic neuroscience concepts among the general public is likely to hinder, and in some instances possibly even prevent, the appropriate application of scientific advancements to issues facing society today. Greater neuroscience literacy among the general public is necessary for the benefits of neuroscientific discovery to be fully realized. By actively enhancing neuroscience literacy, scientists can dispel falsehoods established by early research that harmed underrepresented communities, ensure that public conversations concerning neuroscience (e.g., legalization of psychotropic substances) revolve around facts, and empower individuals to make better health decisions. The widespread implementation of communication technologies and various forms of media indicate there are numerous means to engage classroom learners across disciplines and age cohorts and the public to increase neuroscience knowledge. Thus, it is not only necessary but timely that neuroscientists seek meaningful ways to bridge the widening knowledge gap with the public.

Impacts of the Pandemic on Older Adults’ Social Isolation

The risk of COVID-19 exposure and likelihood of severe illness have been critical concerns among older adults during the pandemic. Meanwhile, social distancing has worsened social isolation, with severe impacts on connectedness among seniors. Effects of the pandemic may lead to an extended crisis, with impacts on health outcomes. Our primary purpose was to summarize emerging research describing impacts of the pandemic on social isolation and related health outcomes among older adults. A streamlined search was conducted to fit the scope of this review, with key terms determined to identify relevant publications. Common research databases and mainstream resources were utilized. We focused on research published or released since the start of 2020, primarily rapidly reviewed studies, to align with the timing of the pandemic. Early research suggests that the pandemic has worsened social isolation among older adults. Social isolation is now more urgent, as many seniors lost their usual connections due to social distancing. While these measures help to prevent virus exposure, this approach must be balanced with maintaining social connectedness. Thus, a “COVID-19 paradox” has emerged: safety protocols protect older adults but concurrently place them at risk of social isolation. Adapted approaches are urgently needed to safely address the consequences of a potential long-term social recession.

Sight of Sound: Designing for the Senses

<p>It has been agreed that one of Interior Architecture’s primary roles is to create atmosphere. This is generally achieved by engaging the senses in specific spatial conditions that shift the emotions and create moods. This view of interior is more particularly relevant to the needs of inhabitants/ users with sensory impairment. The intention within this thesis is for individuals with hearing and sight impairment to experience space/ interiors, with at least the same, wholeness as those with the capacity of full range of sense. Pallasmaa states that “it is evident that ‘life-enhancing’ architecture has to address all of the senses simultaneously” (Pallasmaa (C) 11). It has been suggested that if a sense is taken away there is a higher importance placed on the remaining senses. Early research has indicated that people, specifically children with sight impairment “perceive the built environment very differently and pay more attention to tactile, haptic, auditory and olfactory aspects” compared to a person with full sensory abilities (Vermeersch et al. 1). Engagement with all possible senses allows a connection with space and orientation within architecture. It is this engagement with surroundings which “is a key component of happiness” (Fox, “Emotion Science”). This helps to achieve the independence that is desired among the sensory impaired. “A dialogue between architects and people with visual impairment can therefore contribute to a more multi-sensory design approach to architecture” (Vermeersch et al. 1). While specific senses engage with mood to stimulate a learning experience for those with hearing and sight impairment, this design research demonstrates how the play of light and water can be used as a tool in creating specific atmospheres. These in turn influence moods in creation of interiors for multisensory experience. Henry Plummer’s light categories are the basis for which this research invents categories of sound. It is also proposed as a tool for interior designers to think about space for people with sensory impairment and to design with specific guidance. This invention will be tested by applying a program, Gallery of the Senses, to a Wellington site.</p>

Sight of Sound: Designing for the Senses

<p>It has been agreed that one of Interior Architecture’s primary roles is to create atmosphere. This is generally achieved by engaging the senses in specific spatial conditions that shift the emotions and create moods. This view of interior is more particularly relevant to the needs of inhabitants/ users with sensory impairment. The intention within this thesis is for individuals with hearing and sight impairment to experience space/ interiors, with at least the same, wholeness as those with the capacity of full range of sense. Pallasmaa states that “it is evident that ‘life-enhancing’ architecture has to address all of the senses simultaneously” (Pallasmaa (C) 11). It has been suggested that if a sense is taken away there is a higher importance placed on the remaining senses. Early research has indicated that people, specifically children with sight impairment “perceive the built environment very differently and pay more attention to tactile, haptic, auditory and olfactory aspects” compared to a person with full sensory abilities (Vermeersch et al. 1). Engagement with all possible senses allows a connection with space and orientation within architecture. It is this engagement with surroundings which “is a key component of happiness” (Fox, “Emotion Science”). This helps to achieve the independence that is desired among the sensory impaired. “A dialogue between architects and people with visual impairment can therefore contribute to a more multi-sensory design approach to architecture” (Vermeersch et al. 1). While specific senses engage with mood to stimulate a learning experience for those with hearing and sight impairment, this design research demonstrates how the play of light and water can be used as a tool in creating specific atmospheres. These in turn influence moods in creation of interiors for multisensory experience. Henry Plummer’s light categories are the basis for which this research invents categories of sound. It is also proposed as a tool for interior designers to think about space for people with sensory impairment and to design with specific guidance. This invention will be tested by applying a program, Gallery of the Senses, to a Wellington site.</p>

Parent Contributions to the Development of Political Attitudes in Adoptive and Biological Families

Where do our political attitudes originate? Although early research attributed the formation of such beliefs to parent and peer socialization, genetically sensitive designs later clarified the substantial role of genes in the development of sociopolitical attitudes. However, it has remained unclear whether parental influence on offspring attitudes persists beyond adolescence. In a unique sample of 394 adoptive and biological families with offspring more than 30 years old, biometric modeling revealed significant evidence for genetic and nongenetic transmission from both parents for the majority of seven political-attitude phenotypes. We found the largest genetic effects for religiousness and social liberalism, whereas the largest influence of parental environment was seen for political orientation and egalitarianism. Together, these findings indicate that genes, environment, and the gene–environment correlation all contribute significantly to sociopolitical attitudes held in adulthood, and the etiology and development of those attitudes may be more important than ever in today’s rapidly changing sociopolitical landscape.

Appraisal of Experimental Methods to Manage Menopause and Infertility: Intraovarian Platelet-Rich Plasma vs. Condensed Platelet-Derived Cytokines

The first published description of intraovarian platelet-rich plasma (PRP) appeared in mid-2016, when a new experimental technique was successfully used in adult human ovaries to correct the reduced fertility potential accompanying advanced maternal age. Considering the potential therapeutic scope of intraovarian activated PRP and/or condensed platelet cytokines would likely cover both menopause treatment and infertility, the mainstream response has ranged from skeptical disbelief to welcome astonishment. Indeed, reports of restored menses in menopause (as an alternative to conventional hormone replacement therapy) and healthy term livebirths for infertility patients (either with IVF or as unassisted conceptions) after intraovarian PRP injection continue to draw notice. Yet any proper criticism of ovarian PRP applications will be difficult to rebut given the heterogenous patient screening, varied sample preparations, wide differences in platelet incubation and activation protocols, surgical/anesthesia techniques, and delivery methods. Notwithstanding these features, no adverse events have been reported thus far and ovarian PRP appears well tolerated by patients. Here, early research guiding the transition of &lsquo;ovarian rejuvenation&rsquo; from experimental to clinical is outlined. Likely mechanisms are presented to explain results observed in both veterinary and human ovarian PRP research. Current and future challenges for intraovarian cytokine treatment are also discussed.

Characteristics of Mendeley Readership for Earth and Planetary Science Articles

The scientific community considers readership analysis of academic artifacts to be a significant endeavor. The reference manager’s readership count is a momentous indication for early research evaluation. In response, this study demonstrates the characteristics of Mendeley readership for EPS articles from twelve narrow disciplines and compares them with citations. The bibliographic and citation data have been collected from Scopus and the corresponding readers’ data from Mendeley. The Spearman correlation was performed among citations and readers for all unique articles for all investigated disciplines. Further, we also looked at the relationships between articles with non-zero readers, as well as articles satisfied by percentile ranking of the top 75 per cent, 50 per cent, and 25 per cen treaders. The result indicates large correlations among citations and readers (avg. 0.669) for all investigated disciplines. If we analysed only non-zero readers, as well as a percentile ranking of articles, the correlation results show a decreasing trend. Around 98.57 per cent of articles have at least one reader in Mendeley and AS (97.53 %) discipline has registered the highest one. The CES discipline had registered the largest MRS of 32.25 and MCS of 12.75. Most of the readers come from post-doctoral students and Ph.D. students. The correlation results indicate that the readership statistics should be used as an impact indicator for EPS discipline.

EARLY RESEARCH OF PALEOZOIC AGNATHANS AND FISHES: THE STUDIES OF STEPAN SEMYONOVICH KUTORGA (1805-1861)

Agnathans and fishes with massive bone armors were widely spread among the vertebrates in the Early Paleozoic. Their remains were well preserved in fossil state. At present, many species of Devonian agnathans and fishes have been described and studied. Different taxonomic systems have been suggested based on their fossil exoskeletal elements. But in the first part of the nineteenth century, when scientists first came across such remains, their nature was not immediately understood. Discovered remains of armored ichthyofauna were identified as bones of reptiles and amphibians even by outstanding scientists of that time. Professor of the Imperial St. Petersburg University Stepan Semyonovich Kutorga was among them. This article supplies a brief biography of the scientist and an analysis of his works in the formative period of vertebrate paleontology in Russia. S. S. Kutorga was at the origin of the system of monographic descriptions and collections - the most important source of information in fundamental paleontological research. Kutorga’s collection, currently stored at the St. Petersburg State University, is the first monographic collection of Devonian ichthyofauna in our country.

COVID-19 outbreak among French firefighters, Marseille, France, 2020

We investigated a COVID-19 outbreak at a fire station in Marseille, France. Confirmed cases were defined as individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and/or neutralising antibodies. All 85 firefighters at work during the outbreak period were included after questioning and sampled for RT-PCR and viral neutralisation assay. Twenty-three firefighters were confirmed positive, 19 of them were symptomatic, and four asymptomatic cases were confirmed by virus neutralisation. A total of 22 firefighters had specific neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Neutralising antibodies were found in four asymptomatic and 18 symptomatic cases. Eleven symptomatic cases had high titres (≥ 1:80). The earliest detection of neutralising antibodies was 7 days after symptom onset, and 80% had neutralising antibodies 15 days after onset. One viral culture was positive 13 days after onset. The attack rate was 27%. We identified two introductions of the virus in this outbreak, through a presymptomatic and a paucisymptomatic case. Asymptomatic cases were not the source of a third generation of cases, although they worked without wearing a mask, indicating that asymptomatic cases did not play a significant role in this outbreak. Management and strategy based on early research of clinical signs associated with self-quarantine was effective.

CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED TRANSPORT IN THE LONG LEVEL 4

Connection and automation are the instrumental drivers of change in the transport system – yet they are two fundamentally different trends that are not necessarily related to one another (Perret et al. 2017: 6). Despite this, there is growing emphasis on their simultaneity and parallel development: whereas early research frequently spoke of autonomous driving or autonomous vehicles, more recent articles increasingly use the term “connected and automated vehicles”: “Even though automated vehicles do not necessarily need to be connected and connected vehicles do not require automation, it is expected that in the medium term connectivity will be a major enabler for automated vehicles” (European Commission 2018: 4).