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Associations between emotional and attentional problem characteristics and problematic internet use patterns: a prospective cohort study
No full textAbstract
While most people use the Internet in a balanced and responsible way, some individuals develop problematic internet behaviour that can have severe, harmful consequences. This type of behaviour is strongly linked to attentional and emotional problems. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between problematic internet use patterns, and attentional and emotional problems. The present study was based on the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986; original N = 9432, 4865 males). Participants reported at two-time points (between the years 2000–2001 and 2019–2020) factors associated with internet activities and with attentional and emotional tendencies of adolescents and adults. Diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were gathered from Finnish nationwide registers. Results indicated that participants with depression were found to have a significantly higher risk of more elevated levels of PIU including general internet use and gaming after controlling for several confounding factors. Furthermore, cross-directional associations were found between higher degrees of general anxiety symptoms and ADHD characteristics, and all forms of PIU including general internet use, gaming, and social network use. Future studies should aim to further establish the course of development of PIU-related variables with the temporal order of the potential causal relations.Abstract
While most people use the Internet in a balanced and responsible way, some individuals develop problematic internet behaviour that can have severe, harmful consequences. This type of behaviour is strongly linked to attentional and emotional problems. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between problematic internet use patterns, and attentional and emotional problems. The present study was based on the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986; original N = 9432, 4865 males). Participants reported at two-time points (between the years 2000–2001 and 2019–2020) factors associated with internet activities and with attentional and emotional tendencies of adolescents and adults. Diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were gathered from Finnish nationwide registers. Results indicated that participants with depression were found to have a significantly higher risk of more elevated levels of PIU including general internet use and gaming after controlling for several confounding factors. Furthermore, cross-directional associations were found between higher degrees of general anxiety symptoms and ADHD characteristics, and all forms of PIU including general internet use, gaming, and social network use. Future studies should aim to further establish the course of development of PIU-related variables with the temporal order of the potential causal relations
Introduction
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In a rapidly urbanizing and globalized world, cities have been catalysts for the spread of infectious diseases (Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir 2020; Alirol et al. 2011) and epicenters of pandemics, such as the H1N1 influenza and the more recent COVID-19 outbreak. Many common characteristics of cities, such as congestion with unequal access to green spaces and walkable public spaces, as well as a constant decrease in the biodiversity of living environments, cause a severe threat to the management of future pandemic outbreaks and thus pose a challenge to human and societal welfare.Abstract
In a rapidly urbanizing and globalized world, cities have been catalysts for the spread of infectious diseases (Sharifi and Khavarian-Garmsir 2020; Alirol et al. 2011) and epicenters of pandemics, such as the H1N1 influenza and the more recent COVID-19 outbreak. Many common characteristics of cities, such as congestion with unequal access to green spaces and walkable public spaces, as well as a constant decrease in the biodiversity of living environments, cause a severe threat to the management of future pandemic outbreaks and thus pose a challenge to human and societal welfare
Urban Planning as Means for Promoting Health and Healthy Behaviours
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Urban planning significantly impacts public health. Early twentieth-century functionalist planning, exemplified by zoning, aimed to separate residential areas from industrial pollution and prevent infection outbreaks. This contributed to urban sprawl and car dependency, leading to increased chronic diseases due to sedentary lifestyles. Urban planning’s impact on chronic diseases has prompted a renewed collaboration between public health and urban planning, advocating for walkable, mixed-use, and sustainable environments. Though the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about compact urban forms, studies suggest density isn’t the primary risk factor for COVID-19 spread. Instead, chronic diseases linked to sedentary lifestyles promoted by urban sprawl are more significant. Physical activity strengthens the immune system and mitigates chronic disease, potentially reducing infection severity. Beyond urban form, green and blue spaces promote physical activity, reduce stress, and improve mental health. Biodiversity may further enhance immune function, and geodiversity, the variety of non-living environment, can influence physical activity and the aesthetic appeal of natural environments. Lower-income communities often have less access to green and blue spaces, exacerbating health disparities and calling for more equitable urban planning. Public participatory methods in planning processes are crucial for engaging diverse communities in shaping their environments, promoting health equity, and creating inclusive and sustainable cities.Abstract
Urban planning significantly impacts public health. Early twentieth-century functionalist planning, exemplified by zoning, aimed to separate residential areas from industrial pollution and prevent infection outbreaks. This contributed to urban sprawl and car dependency, leading to increased chronic diseases due to sedentary lifestyles. Urban planning’s impact on chronic diseases has prompted a renewed collaboration between public health and urban planning, advocating for walkable, mixed-use, and sustainable environments. Though the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about compact urban forms, studies suggest density isn’t the primary risk factor for COVID-19 spread. Instead, chronic diseases linked to sedentary lifestyles promoted by urban sprawl are more significant. Physical activity strengthens the immune system and mitigates chronic disease, potentially reducing infection severity. Beyond urban form, green and blue spaces promote physical activity, reduce stress, and improve mental health. Biodiversity may further enhance immune function, and geodiversity, the variety of non-living environment, can influence physical activity and the aesthetic appeal of natural environments. Lower-income communities often have less access to green and blue spaces, exacerbating health disparities and calling for more equitable urban planning. Public participatory methods in planning processes are crucial for engaging diverse communities in shaping their environments, promoting health equity, and creating inclusive and sustainable cities
Etiology of Anterior Uveitis in a Finnish Single-Center Register Study - Differences in Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Outcomes, and Ocular Complications
No full textAbstract
Purpose:
To evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and complications in anterior uveitis (AU) with idiopathic, systemic disease-associated, infectious, postoperative, and posttraumatic etiology.
Methods:
Long-term analysis of a single-center register study from adults with AU in 2009. Etiology, age at onset, sex distribution, course of uveitis, visual outcomes, treatments, and ocular complications were studied during 1998–2018.
Results:
A total of 413 patients with AU were included. A total of 195 patients (47%) had idiopathic, 150 (36%) systemic disease-associated, 25 (6%) infectious, 26 (6%) postoperative, and 17 (4%) traumatic AU. Average onset age varied from 38 ± 13 (95% CI, 36.2–40.5) in systemic disease-associated to 59 ± 19 (95% CI, 51.5–66.5) in postoperative AU (p < 0.001). Sex distribution varied between 62% females in postoperative and 29% females in traumatic uveitis. Traumatic AU was predominantly acute (59%), and infectious AU recurrent (44%) or chronic (40%). Idiopathic (58%), systemic disease-associated (65%), and postoperative AU (62%) were commonly chronic (p = 0.036). After the active follow-up, traumatic patients gained +2 ETDRS letters, while vision remained stable in idiopathic (−0.5 letters) and systemic disease-associated (+0.8 letters) AU. Patients with infectious and postoperative AU lost −2 and −10 letters, respectively. Highest frequency of complications occurred in traumatic (50%) and the lowest in postoperative AU (35%). Three patients with idiopathic and two with postoperative AU were blind after the follow-up.
Conclusion:
The study underscores significant differences in the onset age, course of uveitis, vision, intraocular pressure, flare, and treatment modalities among the etiological subgroups of AU. However, no substantial differences were observed concerning complications or visual outcomes.Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and complications in anterior uveitis (AU) with idiopathic, systemic disease-associated, infectious, postoperative, and posttraumatic etiology.
Methods:
Long-term analysis of a single-center register study from adults with AU in 2009. Etiology, age at onset, sex distribution, course of uveitis, visual outcomes, treatments, and ocular complications were studied during 1998–2018.
Results:
A total of 413 patients with AU were included. A total of 195 patients (47%) had idiopathic, 150 (36%) systemic disease-associated, 25 (6%) infectious, 26 (6%) postoperative, and 17 (4%) traumatic AU. Average onset age varied from 38 ± 13 (95% CI, 36.2–40.5) in systemic disease-associated to 59 ± 19 (95% CI, 51.5–66.5) in postoperative AU (p < 0.001). Sex distribution varied between 62% females in postoperative and 29% females in traumatic uveitis. Traumatic AU was predominantly acute (59%), and infectious AU recurrent (44%) or chronic (40%). Idiopathic (58%), systemic disease-associated (65%), and postoperative AU (62%) were commonly chronic (p = 0.036). After the active follow-up, traumatic patients gained +2 ETDRS letters, while vision remained stable in idiopathic (−0.5 letters) and systemic disease-associated (+0.8 letters) AU. Patients with infectious and postoperative AU lost −2 and −10 letters, respectively. Highest frequency of complications occurred in traumatic (50%) and the lowest in postoperative AU (35%). Three patients with idiopathic and two with postoperative AU were blind after the follow-up.
Conclusion:
The study underscores significant differences in the onset age, course of uveitis, vision, intraocular pressure, flare, and treatment modalities among the etiological subgroups of AU. However, no substantial differences were observed concerning complications or visual outcomes
A Novel Physical Activity Recognition Approach Using Deep Ensemble Optimized Transformers and Reinforcement Learning
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In recent years, human physical activity recognition has increasingly attracted attention from different research fields such as healthcare, computer-human interaction, lifestyle monitoring, and athletics. Deep learning models have been extensively employed in developing physical activity recognition systems. To improve these models, their hyperparameters need to be initialized with optimal values. However, tuning these hyperparameters manually is time-consuming and may lead to inaccurate results. Moreover, the application of these models to different data resources and the integration of their results into the overall data processing pipeline are challenging issues in physical activity recognition systems. In this paper, we propose a novel ensemble method for physical activity recognition based on a deep transformer-based time-series classification model that uses heart rate, speed, and distance time-series data to recognize physical activities. In particular, we develop a modified arithmetic optimization algorithm to automatically adjust the optimal values of the classification models’ hyperparameters. Moreover, a reinforcement learning-based ensemble approach is proposed to optimally integrate the results of the classification models obtained using heart rate, speed, and distance time-series data and, subsequently, recognize the physical activities. Experiments performed on a real-world dataset demonstrated that the proposed method achieves promising efficiency in comparison to other state-of-the-art models. More specifically, the proposed method increases the performance compared to the second-best performer by around 3.44 %, 9.45 %, 5.43 %, 2.54 %, and 7.53 % based on accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, and F1-score evaluation metrics, respectively.Abstract
In recent years, human physical activity recognition has increasingly attracted attention from different research fields such as healthcare, computer-human interaction, lifestyle monitoring, and athletics. Deep learning models have been extensively employed in developing physical activity recognition systems. To improve these models, their hyperparameters need to be initialized with optimal values. However, tuning these hyperparameters manually is time-consuming and may lead to inaccurate results. Moreover, the application of these models to different data resources and the integration of their results into the overall data processing pipeline are challenging issues in physical activity recognition systems. In this paper, we propose a novel ensemble method for physical activity recognition based on a deep transformer-based time-series classification model that uses heart rate, speed, and distance time-series data to recognize physical activities. In particular, we develop a modified arithmetic optimization algorithm to automatically adjust the optimal values of the classification models’ hyperparameters. Moreover, a reinforcement learning-based ensemble approach is proposed to optimally integrate the results of the classification models obtained using heart rate, speed, and distance time-series data and, subsequently, recognize the physical activities. Experiments performed on a real-world dataset demonstrated that the proposed method achieves promising efficiency in comparison to other state-of-the-art models. More specifically, the proposed method increases the performance compared to the second-best performer by around 3.44 %, 9.45 %, 5.43 %, 2.54 %, and 7.53 % based on accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, and F1-score evaluation metrics, respectively
How to engage: Kindergarteners telling on their peers and recruiting adults’ assistance
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This paper studies how children initiate telling-on sequences in kindergartens. The focus is on multimodal practices that children (6–7-year-olds) employ when engaging adults (teachers/caregivers) and peers in the telling-on sequences. The paper demonstrates how children utilise varying multimodal resources as well as display their moral stances in their telling-ons to recruit the adults’ intervention in the conflicts. The analyses also illustrate how the varying participation frameworks co-constructed by the participants have the potential to influence the organisation of the telling-ons and overall conflict resolution. The findings are based on video-recorded naturally occurring interactions in an English-speaking kindergarten in Finland. The data are analysed using the principles of multimodal conversation analysis.Abstract
This paper studies how children initiate telling-on sequences in kindergartens. The focus is on multimodal practices that children (6–7-year-olds) employ when engaging adults (teachers/caregivers) and peers in the telling-on sequences. The paper demonstrates how children utilise varying multimodal resources as well as display their moral stances in their telling-ons to recruit the adults’ intervention in the conflicts. The analyses also illustrate how the varying participation frameworks co-constructed by the participants have the potential to influence the organisation of the telling-ons and overall conflict resolution. The findings are based on video-recorded naturally occurring interactions in an English-speaking kindergarten in Finland. The data are analysed using the principles of multimodal conversation analysis
Effect of warm rolling on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a Ni–W–Co–Ta medium-heavy alloy
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The microstructure and mechanical properties influenced by warm rolling in a Ni–W–Co–Ta medium-heavy alloy (MHA) is studied in this work in order to explore the optimal processing-microstructure-property paradigm. The results show that the initially equiaxed grains evolves into a fibrous structure, aligned with the rolling direction, as the rolling progresses. Texture analysis reveals a transition from Brass-type component to a mixed texture component of Brass-type and Copper-type with increasing deformation. Concurrently, dislocation density rise, and nano deformation twins and precipitation of Ni4W take place. The strength is significantly enhanced. However, the trade-off between strength and ductility still persists. An optimal combination of strength and ductility has been achieved at a 50 % rolling deformation. These demonstrate that warm rolling is an effective processing route for manufacturing high-strength and still ductile MHA.Abstract
The microstructure and mechanical properties influenced by warm rolling in a Ni–W–Co–Ta medium-heavy alloy (MHA) is studied in this work in order to explore the optimal processing-microstructure-property paradigm. The results show that the initially equiaxed grains evolves into a fibrous structure, aligned with the rolling direction, as the rolling progresses. Texture analysis reveals a transition from Brass-type component to a mixed texture component of Brass-type and Copper-type with increasing deformation. Concurrently, dislocation density rise, and nano deformation twins and precipitation of Ni4W take place. The strength is significantly enhanced. However, the trade-off between strength and ductility still persists. An optimal combination of strength and ductility has been achieved at a 50 % rolling deformation. These demonstrate that warm rolling is an effective processing route for manufacturing high-strength and still ductile MHA
Quantitative recurrence problem on some Bedford-McMullen carpets
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In this paper, we study the Hausdorff dimension of the quantitative recurrent set of the canonical endomorphism on the Bedford–McMullen carpets whose Hausdorff dimension and box dimension are equal.Abstract
In this paper, we study the Hausdorff dimension of the quantitative recurrent set of the canonical endomorphism on the Bedford–McMullen carpets whose Hausdorff dimension and box dimension are equal
Governing complexity: the UNESCO World Heritage System
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This chapter discusses the governance structure of UNESCO's World Heritage system. It begins with a brief background and presentation of the overarching structure of this system, broken down by scales, with a separate analysis of the specific context at the World Heritage Committee level, which is noted as being distinct from the rest of the overall system. Following this, the chapter shifts into a more in-depth conversation about the practicalities of this system and the functionalities of governance across scales in various contexts. In particular, there is an emphasis on the difficulties in integrating bottom-up systems in non-complementary governance frameworks, as well as the challenges faced by local community inclusion, including a discussion of indigenous communities and land rights in this context.Abstract
This chapter discusses the governance structure of UNESCO's World Heritage system. It begins with a brief background and presentation of the overarching structure of this system, broken down by scales, with a separate analysis of the specific context at the World Heritage Committee level, which is noted as being distinct from the rest of the overall system. Following this, the chapter shifts into a more in-depth conversation about the practicalities of this system and the functionalities of governance across scales in various contexts. In particular, there is an emphasis on the difficulties in integrating bottom-up systems in non-complementary governance frameworks, as well as the challenges faced by local community inclusion, including a discussion of indigenous communities and land rights in this context