The Gendered Pathways Into Giving and Volunteering: Similar or Different Across Countries?

There has been a steady increase in research studying the role of gender in prosocial behavior, such as charitable giving and volunteering. We provide an extensive review of the interdisciplinary literature and derive hypotheses about three different pathways that lead men and women to differ in their display of giving and volunteering: pathways through social capital, motivations, and resources. We test these hypotheses across 19 countries by analyzing 28,410 individuals, using generalized structural equation models. Our results support previous research, conducted in single countries, that there are distinct different pathways that lead men and women to engage in giving and volunteering: Women report stronger motivations to help others, but men report more of the financial resources that make giving and volunteering possible. The gendered pathways to giving and volunteering that lead through social capital, educational achievement, and financial security vary by country.

Steady increase in geomagnetic reversal frequency after the Cretaceous Normal Superchron

The Earth's core is constantly and efficiently cooled by mantle convection. The heat flux transferred from the core to the mantle through the core-mantle boundary (CMB) is critical for understanding the dynamics of solid Earth. Although it is difficult to estimate the CMB heat flux, its history could be reconstructed from geomagnetic reversal frequency. However, overlooked short geomagnetic reversals may exist in the geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS), which affects the estimation of the heat flux history. Here, we report four new high-precision 40Ar/39Ar ages of the Oligocene Ethiopian traps. The traps may contain undiscovered reversals in marine magnetic anomaly. Based on the ages, we identified new reversals in Chron C12n, which was not found in marine magnetic anomalies. Our non-parametric analysis of GPTS suggests four potential periods of missing geomagnetic reversals, which correspond to long polarity intervals in GPTS. We found that C12n correspond to one of the periods. This indicates that several undetected reversals may exist within or near the edge of long polarity intervals after the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (prolonged stable polarity period). Considering the undetected reversals, we conclude that the CMB heat flux increased more slowly and monotonically after the Superchron than that ever estimated.

The WOOL Dialogue Platform: Enabling Interdisciplinary User-Friendly Development of Dialogue for Conversational Agents

Health coaching applications can include (embodied) conversational agents as coaches. The development of these agents requires an interdisciplinary cooperation between eHealth application developers, interaction designers and domain experts. Therefore, proper dialogue authoring tools and tools to integrate these dialogues in a conversational agent system are essential in the process of creating successful agent-based applications. However, we found no existing open source, easy-to-use authoring tools that support multidisciplinary agent development. To that end, we developed the WOOL Dialogue Platform. The WOOL Dialogue Platform provides the eHealth and conversational agent communities with an open source platform, consisting of a set of easy to use tools that facilitate virtual agent development. The platform consists of a dialogue definition language, an editor, application development libraries and a web service. To illustrate the platform’s possibilities and use in practice, we describe two use cases from EU Horizon 2020 research projects. The WOOL Dialogue Platform is an ‘easy to use, and powerful if needed’ platform for the development of conversational agent applications that is seeing a slow but steady increase in uptake in the eHealth community. Developed to support dialogue authoring for embodied conversational agents in the health coaching domain, this platform’s strong points are its ease of use and ability to let domain experts and agents technology experts work together by providing all parties with tools that support their work effectively.

The Public Economics of Changing Longevity

Our societies are witnessing a steady increase in longevity. This demographic evolution is accompanied by some convergence across countries, but at the same time substantial longevity inequalities persist within nations across income classes. This Element aims to survey some crucial implications of changing longevity on the design of optimal public policy. For that purpose, it first focuses on some difficulties raised by risky and varying lifetime for the representation of individual and social preferences. Then, it explore some central implications of changing longevity for optimal policy making, regarding prevention against premature death, pension policies, education, health care and long-term care. The author distinguishes between the case when longevity is partially the responsibility of individuals and the case when longevity is plainly exogenous.

Modulation of Sleep Architecture by Whole-Body Static Magnetic Exposure: A Study Based on EEG-Based Automatic Sleep Staging

A steady increase in sleep problems has been observed along with the development of society. Overnight exposure to a static magnetic field has been found to improve sleep quality; however, such studies were mainly based on subjective evaluation. Thus, the presented data cannot be used to infer sleep architecture in detail. In this study, the subjects slept on a magneto-static mattress for four nights, and self-reported scales and electroencephalogram (EEG) were used to determine the effect of static magnetic field exposure (SMFE) on sleep. Machine learning operators, i.e., decision tree and supporting vector machine, were trained and optimized with the open access sleep EEG dataset to automatically discriminate the individual sleep stages, determined experimentally. SMEF was found to decrease light sleep duration (N2%) by 3.51%, and sleep onset latency (SOL) by 15.83%, while it increased deep sleep duration (N3%) by 8.43%, compared with the sham SMFE group. Further, the overall sleep efficiency (SE) was also enhanced by SMFE. It is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, where the change in sleep architecture was explored by SMFE. Our findings will be useful in developing a non-invasive sleep-facilitating instrument.

Clinical and statistical assessment of the reproductive health of fertilized women in the Tyumen region and the risks of miscarriage in Western Siberia

Introduction. Loss of pregnancy remains an extremely acute public health problem today. Live birth accounts for only 30% of gestational outcomes, all other pregnancies that occur end in reproductive losses: 30% – implantation, 30% – postimplantation, 10% – spontaneous miscarriages. In conditions of declining birth rates, reducing reproductive losses is the most important element of the state’s demographic policy.Аim. Тo assess the reproductive health of women of fertile age in the Tyumen region, registered in antenatal clinics and other medical institutions in connection with pregnancy, as well as the risks associated with an increase in the frequency of diseases endemic for the West Siberian region.Materials and methods. The study used data from federal statistical observation. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using the statistical program Statistica (version 13.0). Quantitative features are described by absolute and relative (percent) indicators. The difference is considered significant at p < 0.05. Results. Despite the increase in the number of women of reproductive age, fertility rates are declining both in the Tyumen region and in the Ural Federal District, as well as in Russia as a whole. The 5-year dynamics of registered pregnancies in the Tyumen region correlates with the dynamics of the birth rate. The incidence of HIV and hepatitis C among pregnant women for five years and for each of the given nosologies exceeds 1% of the number of patients admitted under the supervision of health care facilities. At the same time, since 2018, the incidence of ectopic pregnancy associated with HIV has significantly increased (p >< 000.1). These data also indicate an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in HIV-infected pregnant women (p >< 000.1). From 2016 to 2019, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of ectopic pregnancies and spontaneous abortion in primary pregnant women. The situation has improved somewhat in 2020. Noteworthy is the high share of medical abortion in birth control. Сonclusions. Despite the increase in the number of women of reproductive age, fertility rates are declining both in the Tyumen region and in the Ural Federal District, as well as in Russia as a whole. The 5-year dynamics of registered pregnancies in the Tyumen region correlates with the dynamics of the birth rate. >< 0.05.Results. Despite the increase in the number of women of reproductive age, fertility rates are declining both in the Tyumen region and in the Ural Federal District, as well as in Russia as a whole. The 5-year dynamics of registered pregnancies in the Tyumen region correlates with the dynamics of the birth rate. The incidence of HIV and hepatitis C among pregnant women for five years and for each of the given nosologies exceeds 1% of the number of patients admitted under the supervision of health care facilities. At the same time, since 2018, the incidence of ectopic pregnancy associated with HIV has significantly increased (p < 000.1). These data also indicate an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in HIV-infected pregnant women (p >< 000.1). From 2016 to 2019, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of ectopic pregnancies and spontaneous abortion in primary pregnant women. The situation has improved somewhat in 2020. Noteworthy is the high share of medical abortion in birth control. Сonclusions. Despite the increase in the number of women of reproductive age, fertility rates are declining both in the Tyumen region and in the Ural Federal District, as well as in Russia as a whole. The 5-year dynamics of registered pregnancies in the Tyumen region correlates with the dynamics of the birth rate. >< 000.1). These data also indicate an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in HIV-infected pregnant women (p < 000.1). From 2016 to 2019, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of ectopic pregnancies and spontaneous abortion in primary pregnant women. The situation has improved somewhat in 2020. Noteworthy is the high share of medical abortion in birth control. Сonclusions. Despite the increase in the number of women of reproductive age, fertility rates are declining both in the Tyumen region and in the Ural Federal District, as well as in Russia as a whole. The 5-year dynamics of registered pregnancies in the Tyumen region correlates with the dynamics of the birth rate. >< 000.1). From 2016 to 2019, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of ectopic pregnancies and spontaneous abortion in primary pregnant women. The situation has improved somewhat in 2020. Noteworthy is the high share of medical abortion in birth control.Сonclusions. Despite the increase in the number of women of reproductive age, fertility rates are declining both in the Tyumen region and in the Ural Federal District, as well as in Russia as a whole. The 5-year dynamics of registered pregnancies in the Tyumen region correlates with the dynamics of the birth rate.

أثر الإنفاق العام على البطالة في السودان خلال الفترة (1992-2018)

The study deals with the impact of current and capital public spending on unemployment in Sudan during the period (1992-2018), and the importance of the study, from the fact that it deals with topics of great scientific and practical importance, and the aim of the study to know the nature of public spending in the current and capital aspects, the nature of unemployment, in addition to an alysing the relationship between these variables, and the problem of study was that there is a steady increase in Current and capital public spending during the study period and therefore the unemployment situation in Sudan did not improve, as the study used the descriptive and analytical approach, in addition to the standard method to know the relationship between the variables studied, and the study reached many results, the most important of which is: that there is a expulsionrelation ship with statistical significance Between current spending and the unemployment rate, there is also a morally inverse relationship between capital spending and the unemployment rate. The most important recommendations recommended by the study are to increase capital spending and direct this spending in creating and expanding the scope of productive projects, as well as to spend on vocational training centers and develop them and to transfer the experience of the countries that preceded Sudan in this area, which contributes to reducing the unemployment rate

Eosinophilic esophagitis in children: Updates and practical aspects of management for allergists in a non‐tertiary care private practice setup

Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune and/or antigen-mediated disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of mucosa (≥15 eosinophils per high power field) without any secondary etiology. Non‐immunoglobulin E mediated mechanisms predominate in EoE. Objective: This review concentrated on a stepwise approach for the allergist working in non‐tertiary care private practice. Methods: A medical literature search that focused on several areas of the latest developments in the diagnosis and management of EoE was conducted. Results: There has been a steady increase in the prevalence and incidence of EoE. Clinical symptoms can vary from dysphagia to failure to thrive, depending on the age at presentation; some children develop adaptive behaviors to compensate for dysphagia, such as food preferences and slow eating. The diagnosis is based on a high index of clinical suspicion and is confirmed with endoscopy with biopsies after ruling out other causes of esophageal eosinophilia. Treatment options may include dietary therapy, pharmacologic therapies, or combination therapy. Therapeutic options may also include endoscopic dilation for stricturing disease. Conclusion: Providers should be aware of recent recommendation changes in the diagnostic workup, the role of skin-prick testing, and role of the proton-pump inhibitor as first-line therapy for EoE. Also, clinicians should be aware of the emerging role of empiric dietary therapy as a preferable therapeutic option when compared with the testing-directed diet and the elemental diet. Furthermore, topical glucocorticoid therapies are available, and new developing therapies are being investigated. Reevaluation of esophageal mucosa with biopsies is required approximately 2 months after therapy for a response and after a change in therapies to confirm continued resolution.

An Analysis of Sector-Based Water Supply and Demand

This chapter sought to assess sector-based current water use levels in Sanyati catchment, assess a possibility of new ways of managing the catchment water using inter-basin transfer systems, and assess future water demands projection using WEAP model. The study was both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Interviews and observations were the main primary data collection instruments. Findings showed that the main sectors and institutions that utilised water in the catchment were mining, agriculture, manufacturing industry, and local authorities. Local authorities and farming sectors were the major users of water. WEAP model results showed a steady increase in demand for water as a result of both population growth and agricultural activities water demand. The study mapped possible inter-basin transfer routes and recommends water harvesting as part of development and management in Sanyati catchment to address the problem of water shortage.