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Parental education and income are linked to offspring cortical brain structure and psychopathology at 9–11 years
Full text linkBackground
A child's socioeconomic environment can shape central aspects of their life, including vulnerability to mental disorders. Negative environmental influences in youth may interfere with the extensive and dynamic brain development occurring at this time. Indeed, there are numerous yet diverging reports of associations between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and child cortical brain morphometry. Most of these studies have used single metric- or unimodal analyses of standard cortical morphometry that downplay the probable scenario where numerous biological pathways in sum account for SES-related cortical differences in youth.
Methods
To comprehensively capture such variability, using data from 9758 children aged 8.9–11.1 years from the ABCD Study®, we employed linked independent component analysis (LICA) and fused vertex-wise cortical thickness, surface area, curvature and grey-/white-matter contrast (GWC). LICA revealed 70 uni- and multimodal components. We then assessed the linear relationships between parental education, parental income and each of the cortical components, controlling for age, sex, genetic ancestry, and family relatedness. We also assessed whether cortical structure moderated the negative relationships between parental SES and child general psychopathology.
Results
Parental education and income were both associated with larger surface area and higher GWC globally, in addition to local increases in surface area and to a lesser extent bidirectional GWC and cortical thickness patterns. The negative relation between parental income and child psychopathology were attenuated in children with a multimodal pattern of larger frontal- and smaller occipital surface area, and lower medial occipital thickness and GWC.
Conclusion
Structural brain MRI is sensitive to SES diversity in childhood, with GWC emerging as a particularly relevant marker together with surface area. In low-income families, having a more developed cortex across MRI metrics, appears beneficial for mental health.publishedVersio
Det virtuelle speilet: En studie om hvordan unge kvinners selvbilde formes av influenser-markedsføring
Full text linkI første del av masteroppgaven har vi etablert et teoretisk rammeverk basert på tidligere forskning, som legger grunnlaget for vår studie. Vi fokuserer spesielt på teorier og forskning knyttet til sosial sammenligning, skjønnhetsidealer, ensomhet og velvære. Hensikten med oppgaven er å undersøke det komplekse forholdet mellom influenser-markedsføring og den individuelle utviklingen til unge kvinner, et dagsaktuelt tema som interesserer oss.
Masteroppgaven benytter en kombinert metodisk tilnærming, som inkluderer både kvantitative og kvalitative metoder for å analysere hvordan influenser-markedsføring kan påvirke unge kvinner. For den kvantitative delen har vi utviklet to hypoteser, mens den kvalitative delen baserer seg på to forskningsspørsmål. Hypotesene utforsker spesifikke sammenhenger og effekter, mens forskningsspørsmålene undersøker temaene sosial sammenligning og ensomhet.
Ved hjelp av analyseverktøy som SPSS og den tematiske analysen Gioia, har vi gjennomført en grundig analyse av de innsamlede dataene, noe som har gitt innsikt i mønstre og sammenhenger. Dette har bidratt til vår forståelse av hvordan influenser-markedsføring påvirker unge kvinners selvoppfatning og mentale velvære.
Resultater fra forskningen vår viser blant annet at sosial sammenligning med influensere kan redusere selvtilliten hos unge kvinner, samtidig som influenser-markedsføring kan bidra til å redusere ensomhet og øke følelsen av tilhørighet. Etter hvert som unge kvinner blir eldre, blir de mer selektive med hvem de følger på sosiale medier, noe som kan føre til mer positive opplevelser. Disse funnene har implikasjoner for forholdet mellom influenser-markedsføring og unge kvinners individuelle utvikling. Vi har diskutert behovet for bevisst bruk av sosiale medier og nevnt mulige tiltak for å begrense negative effekter av influenser-markedsføring.
Den konseptuelle modellen som er utviklet, illustrerer hvordan mottakelsen av budskap fra influensere avhenger av både influenserens egenskaper og følgernes forutsetninger, inkludert deres selvbilde og bruk av sosiale medier. Gjennom en grundig tilnærming og analyse søker vi å bidra til en dypere forståelse av dette komplekse emnet
Når fagarbeideres karriereutvikling blir fagets kompetansemangel En kvalitativ studie om fagarbeideres forestillinger om en vellykket karriere
Full text linkInternasjonal forskning på arbeidere innen bygg- og anleggsbransjen har blitt begrenset til generelle stereotypier. Målet med denne studien var derfor å få dypere innsikt i fagarbeideres holdninger, tanker og følelser om egen karriere. I denne studien har vi også undersøkt hva som kan fremme og hva som kan hemme karriereutvikling. Forskningen er utført ved hjelp av en enkel casestudie av en stor aktør i bygg- og anleggsbransjen i Norge. For å undersøke problemstillingen gjennomførte vi totalt ti semi strukturerte dybdeintervjuer med fagarbeidere på bedriftens hovedkontor, ute på prosjekt, og gjennom Microsoft Teams. Vi fant i hovedsak at utviklingsmuligheter, tilrettelegging i arbeidet, og anerkjennelse var sentrale komponenter i en vellykket karriere. Identifiserte faktorer som fremmer karriere var knyttet til medvirkning og variasjon i arbeidet, oppgavebetydning, oppgaveidentitet, tilbakemeldinger og samarbeid. Det vi fant som hemmer karriereutvikling var spesielt knyttet til et tydelig skille mellom funksjonærer og fagarbeidere, samt høy belastning. Funnene samsvarer med dimensjonene i jobbkarakteristikamodellen, og støttes også opp mot psykologisk trygghet og behov for kontroll og støtte opp mot krav. Vår forskning bidrar til det teoretiske gapet i litteraturen på fagarbeidere innen bygg og anlegg. I tillegg gir det implikasjoner for praksis ved å belyse nødvendigheten av tilrettelegging for utviklingsmuligheter, og behovet for økt involvering og anerkjennelse. Vår forskning belyser aspekter ved arbeidet som oppleves som positivt og negativt, og kan bidra til å øke attraktiviteten til yrket. Hensikten er at fagarbeidernes ønske om utvikling ikke skal gå på bekostning av de «på gulvet», for å forsterke den allerede utsatte kompetansekrisen
Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021: a systematic analysis with forecasts to 2050
Full text linkBackground
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an important global health challenge in the 21st century. A previous study has quantified the global and regional burden of AMR for 2019, followed with additional publications that provided more detailed estimates for several WHO regions by country. To date, there have been no studies that produce comprehensive estimates of AMR burden across locations that encompass historical trends and future forecasts.
Methods
We estimated all-age and age-specific deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to and associated with bacterial AMR for 22 pathogens, 84 pathogen–drug combinations, and 11 infectious syndromes in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. We collected and used multiple cause of death data, hospital discharge data, microbiology data, literature studies, single drug resistance profiles, pharmaceutical sales, antibiotic use surveys, mortality surveillance, linkage data, outpatient and inpatient insurance claims data, and previously published data, covering 520 million individual records or isolates and 19 513 study-location-years. We used statistical modelling to produce estimates of AMR burden for all locations, including those with no data. Our approach leverages the estimation of five broad component quantities: the number of deaths involving sepsis; the proportion of infectious deaths attributable to a given infectious syndrome; the proportion of infectious syndrome deaths attributable to a given pathogen; the percentage of a given pathogen resistant to an antibiotic of interest; and the excess risk of death or duration of an infection associated with this resistance. Using these components, we estimated disease burden attributable to and associated with AMR, which we define based on two counterfactuals; respectively, an alternative scenario in which all drug-resistant infections are replaced by drug-susceptible infections, and an alternative scenario in which all drug-resistant infections were replaced by no infection. Additionally, we produced global and regional forecasts of AMR burden until 2050 for three scenarios: a reference scenario that is a probabilistic forecast of the most likely future; a Gram-negative drug scenario that assumes future drug development that targets Gram-negative pathogens; and a better care scenario that assumes future improvements in health-care quality and access to appropriate antimicrobials. We present final estimates aggregated to the global, super-regional, and regional level.
Findings
In 2021, we estimated 4·71 million (95% UI 4·23–5·19) deaths were associated with bacterial AMR, including 1·14 million (1·00–1·28) deaths attributable to bacterial AMR. Trends in AMR mortality over the past 31 years varied substantially by age and location. From 1990 to 2021, deaths from AMR decreased by more than 50% among children younger than 5 years yet increased by over 80% for adults 70 years and older. AMR mortality decreased for children younger than 5 years in all super-regions, whereas AMR mortality in people 5 years and older increased in all super-regions. For both deaths associated with and deaths attributable to AMR, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus increased the most globally (from 261 000 associated deaths [95% UI 150 000–372 000] and 57 200 attributable deaths [34 100–80 300] in 1990, to 550 000 associated deaths [500 000–600 000] and 130 000 attributable deaths [113 000–146 000] in 2021). Among Gram-negative bacteria, resistance to carbapenems increased more than any other antibiotic class, rising from 619 000 associated deaths (405 000–834 000) in 1990, to 1·03 million associated deaths (909 000–1·16 million) in 2021, and from 127 000 attributable deaths (82 100–171 000) in 1990, to 216 000 (168 000–264 000) attributable deaths in 2021. There was a notable decrease in non-COVID-related infectious disease in 2020 and 2021. Our forecasts show that an estimated 1·91 million (1·56–2·26) deaths attributable to AMR and 8·22 million (6·85–9·65) deaths associated with AMR could occur globally in 2050. Super-regions with the highest all-age AMR mortality rate in 2050 are forecasted to be south Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. Increases in deaths attributable to AMR will be largest among those 70 years and older (65·9% [61·2–69·8] of all-age deaths attributable to AMR in 2050). In stark contrast to the strong increase in number of deaths due to AMR of 69·6% (51·5–89·2) from 2022 to 2050, the number of DALYs showed a much smaller increase of 9·4% (–6·9 to 29·0) to 46·5 million (37·7 to 57·3) in 2050. Under the better care scenario, across all age groups, 92·0 million deaths (82·8–102·0) could be cumulatively averted between 2025 and 2050, through better care of severe infections and improved access to antibiotics, and under the Gram-negative drug scenario, 11·1 million AMR deaths (9·08–13·2) could be averted through the development of a Gram-negative drug pipeline to prevent AMR deaths.
Interpretation
This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of the global burden of AMR from 1990 to 2021, with results forecasted until 2050. Evaluating changing trends in AMR mortality across time and location is necessary to understand how this important global health threat is developing and prepares us to make informed decisions regarding interventions. Our findings show the importance of infection prevention, as shown by the reduction of AMR deaths in those younger than 5 years. Simultaneously, our results underscore the concerning trend of AMR burden among those older than 70 years, alongside a rapidly ageing global community. The opposing trends in the burden of AMR deaths between younger and older individuals explains the moderate future increase in global number of DALYs versus number of deaths. Given the high variability of AMR burden by location and age, it is important that interventions combine infection prevention, vaccination, minimisation of inappropriate antibiotic use in farming and humans, and research into new antibiotics to mitigate the number of AMR deaths that are forecasted for 2050.publishedVersio
Associations between sociodemographic exposures, growth and development during infancy with development at the age of eight years among children: Analysis of a maternal education trial in rural Uganda
Full text linkBackground
Links between early life exposures and child development later in life are not sufficiently explored in low- and middle-income countries. We studied associations between sociodemographic variables, growth and development at six to eight months with developmental outcomes at eight years.
Methods
We used data from a maternal education trial which included 511 mother-infant pairs at children’s age of six to eight months (baseline). In this follow-up study, data from 361 mother-child pairs were available. Questionnaires were used to collect sociodemographic variables. Growth (anthropometry) was measured by study personnel and converted to z-scores according to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference. Child development (cognitive, motor and language) at baseline was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant and Todler Development, third edition (BSID-III). Development at eight years was measured using two neuropsychological tools: Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children Second Edition (KABC-II) and Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA).
Results
Higher weight-for-age z-scores (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53, 0.98; P = 0.04), better maternal education (aOR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.78, 0.96; P = 0.03). and better household head education (aOR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.78, 0.96; P = 0.03) at six to eight months of age were associated with lower odds of scoring below average on KABC-II categorical scores at eight years of age. Motor composite scores and maternal parity at six to eight months of age were positively associated with auditory and visual TOVA scores (all P-values <0.05) at eight years. Cognitive composite scores at six to eight months of age were positively associated with visual TOVA scores (P < 0.05). In contrast, weight-for-length z-scores and household head age were negatively associated with both auditory and visual TOVA scores (P < 0.05). Being a female child was associated with lower auditory and visual TOVA scores (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
At six to eight months of age, growth and development, gender, maternal education and parity, and household head age and education were associated with child development at eight years. Interventions emphasising improved growth and development in infancy, as well as parental educational attainment, may improve long-term developmental outcomes.publishedVersio
Nonparametric estimation of allocative efficiency using indirect production theory: Application to container ports in Norway
Full text linkAdaption to prices is an important feature of productivity development. This paper proposes an extension of the StoNED model to accommodate estimation of allocative efficiency. It demonstrates how indirect production theory is suited for assessing allocative efficiency and helps alleviating the curse of dimensionality for stochastic nonparametric estimators compared to conventional measures of allocative efficiency. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the appropriate cost of capital for the estimation of allocative efficiency. The proposed model framework is utilized to study allocative efficiency of Norwegian container ports, thereby adding to the literature on seaport terminal efficiency studies.Nonparametric estimation of allocative efficiency using indirect production theory: Application to container ports in NorwaypublishedVersio
Fra #Hashtags til handlekurver: En kvalitativ studie av generasjons Zs kjøpsintensjoner på TikTok
Full text linkDenne masteroppgaven undersøker de komplekse dynamikkene bak kjøpsprosesser blant unge forbrukere i den digitale sfæren, med særlig fokus på TikTok som en innflytelsesrik medieplattform. Gjennom en kvalitativ studie basert på fokusgruppeintervjuer, søker oppgaven å avdekke hvordan informasjonssøk, trendadopsjon og sosial påvirkning på TikTok former Generasjon Zs kjøpsintensjoner.
Studien er forankret i sosial påvirkningsteori, forbrukeratferdsteori og teknologisk akseptanseteori. Disse teoretiske perspektivene gir en omfattende forståelse av hvordan sosiale medier påvirker forbrukeratferd. Studien viser at TikTok fungerer som en sentral arena hvor algoritmer og sosiale interaksjoner spiller en avgjørende rolle i trendadopsjon blant unge forbrukere, og at visuelle presentasjoner og brukergenererte anmeldelser har en betydelig innvirkning på vurderinger av produkters troverdighet og nytteverdi.
Metodologisk legger studien vekt på presis datainnsamling og analyse. Dette inkluderer transkribering av fokusgruppeintervjuer og systematisk koding av data for å identifisere hovedtemaene: informasjonssøk, trendadopsjon og påvirkning på kjøpsintensjon. Den kvalitative metodologien tillater en dypere forståelse av deltakernes opplevelser, meninger og holdninger, noe som gir en nyansert innsikt i de kontekstuelle aspektene ved deres interaksjoner med TikTok.
Oppgaven konkluderer med at TikTok har en betydelig innflytelse på unges kjøpsbeslutninger gjennom en kombinasjon av sosial bevissthet, visuell overbevisning og teknologisk brukervennlighet. Plattformen muliggjør en form for elektronisk word-of-mouth (eWOM) som forsterkes av dens algoritmer og evne til å skape virale effekter. Dette gir viktige implikasjoner for både fremtidig forskning og praktisk anvendelse innen digital markedsføring og forbrukeratferd. Studien bidrar til en dypere forståelse av hvordan TikTok som sosial medieplattform kan påvirke og endre forbrukernes kjøpsatferd, og gir dermed verdifulle innsikter for markedsførere som ønsker å nå denne målgruppen
Global, regional, and national burden of neck pain, 1990–2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Full text linkBackground
Neck pain is a highly prevalent condition that leads to considerable pain, disability, and economic cost. We present the most current estimates of neck pain prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) by age, sex, and location, with forecasted prevalence to 2050.
Methods
Systematic reviews identified population-representative surveys used to estimate the prevalence of and YLDs from neck pain in 204 countries and territories, spanning from 1990 to 2020, with additional data from opportunistic review. Medical claims data from Taiwan (province of China) were also included. Input data were pooled using DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool. Prevalence was forecast to 2050 using a mixed-effects model using Socio-demographic Index as a predictor and multiplying by projected population estimates. We present 95% UIs for every metric based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of 100 draws of the posterior distribution.
Findings
Globally, in 2020, neck pain affected 203 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 163–253) people. The global age-standardised prevalence rate of neck pain was estimated to be 2450 (1960–3040) per 100 000 population and global age-standardised YLD rate was estimated to be 244 (165–346) per 100 000. The age-standardised prevalence rate remained stable between 1990 and 2020 (percentage change 0·2% [–1·3 to 1·7]). Globally, females had a higher age-standardised prevalence rate (2890 [2330–3620] per 100 000) than males (2000 [1600–2480] per 100 000), with the prevalence peaking between 45 years and 74 years in male and female sexes. By 2050, the estimated global number of neck pain cases is projected to be 269 million (219–322), with an increase of 32·5% (23·9–42·3) from 2020 to 2050. Decomposition analysis of the projections showed population growth was the primary contributing factor, followed by population ageing.
Interpretation
Although age-standardised rates of neck pain have remained stable over the past three decades, by 2050 the projected case numbers are expected to rise. With the highest prevalence in older adults (higher in females than males), a larger effect expected in low-income and middle-income countries, and a rapidly ageing global population, neck pain continues to pose a challenge in terms of disability burden worldwide. For future planning, it is essential we improve our mechanistic understanding of the different causes and risk factors for neck pain and prioritise the consistent collection of global neck pain data and increase the number of countries with data on neck pain.publishedVersio
Affordances of Digital Detox Applications: Exploring Gamification and Undesign as Design Principles
Full text linkWhile smartphones and mobile apps offer convenience and entertainment, they also contribute to distractions and experience of stress in users’ lives. In response to these challenges, digital detox – the voluntary restriction of digital media use – has surged as a significant sociocultural phenomenon. To meet this growing demand, numerous products and services, particularly mobile applications with self-restricting features, have emerged. This study investigates the affordances of digital detox applications that incorporate gamified and self-inhibiting design to limit smartphone usage. Adopting the conceptual frameworks of gamification and undesign, we conducted an app walkthrough study analyzing four smartphone apps: Forest, Hold, Cleverest, and Freedom. Our analysis provides a systematic overview of how gamification and undesign elements are integrated into smartphone applications. Additionally, we explore the connection between these affordances and the monetization models of the apps, revealing the paradox of using technology to mitigate technology overuse. This study provides critical insights into implications of digital detox apps, contributing to the broader discourse on digital disconnection and well-being research.publishedVersio
Technical Expertise in Newsrooms: Understanding Data Journalists’ Roles and Practices
Full text linkIn recent years, there has been a notable increase in the integration of technology and the employment of technological experts within newsrooms. However, there remains a paucity of scholarly research examining the evolution and maturation of these practices. This article addresses this gap by analyzing data from ten semi-structured qualitative interviews with developers embedded in the editorial departments of Norwegian news outlets. The findings reveal that developers have become fully integrated and indispensable actors within newsrooms. They contribute comprehensively to the journalistic news production process, engaging in routine tasks such as news visualization as well as participating in extensive investigative projects. Furthermore, developers navigate their work and practices within the framework of journalistic logic, culture, and the principles of objectivity, thereby reinforcing the democratic function of journalism in society. Interestingly, the integration of developers has also induced spill-over effects among non-technical staff. While developers are the primary bearers of technical expertise, there is an increasing expectation for reporters to acquire technical competencies.publishedVersio