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Transnational youth mobility through trajectories and temporalities
Get PDFThe physical mobility of young people affected by their own or their parents’ international migration – whom we call ‘transnational youth’ – has been under-researched due to assumptions about young people’s sedentarism and the dominance of a nation-state perspective. This Special Issue brings together eight articles on transnational youth mobility studied through the lenses of trajectories and temporalities, including cases from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The articles analyse various types of transnational youth mobility over time and space, by contextualising mobility experiences in young people’s broader life courses (trajectories) and focusing on the way in which young people experience time in relation to their mobility (temporalities). This introduction presents the five main conceptual and methodological advancements of these investigations: de-nationalising the study of youth mobility; embedding youth mobility in (infra)structures; viewing mobility as processual and non-linear; capturing the embodied and emotional nature of youth mobility; and experimenting with methodological innovations relating to visualisation methods, ‘following’ mobility, and youth-centricity. This introduction proposes a research agenda for conceptual, theoretical, and methodological developments that can shed greater light on the role that physical mobility plays in the lives of transnational youth in the Global South and North
Transcending time, space, and culture:International online collaboration competencies in health professions education
Get PDFAligning attention bias for pain information with context changes and goal pursuit:an experimental approach
No full textChronic pain affects millions of people, reducing their quality of life. One key factor in chronic pain is attention bias—the tendency to focus excessively on pain-related information. This can make pain feel worse and harder to manage. However, recent research suggests that attention to pain is not always harmful. Instead, it should be flexible, adapting to different situations. For example, if pain can be avoided, focusing on it might help, but in safe environments or when pursuing important goals, shifting attention away from pain is crucial. This ability to adjust attention—called attention bias alignment—may be more important for well-being than simply reducing attention to pain. This thesis explores how this flexibility in attention affects pain perception and whether difficulties in adjusting attention contribute to chronic pain. Understanding this could lead to better treatments that focus on improving attentional flexibility rather than just suppressing pain-related thoughts
Audio-Language Datasets of Scenes and Events:A Survey
No full textAudio-language models (ALMs) generate linguistic descriptions of sound-producing events and scenes. Advances in dataset creation and computational power have led to significant progress in this domain. This paper surveys 69 datasets used to train ALMs, covering research up to September 2024 (https://github.com/GLJS/audio-datasets). The survey provides a comprehensive analysis of dataset origins, audio and linguistic characteristics, and use cases. Key sources include YouTube-based datasets such as AudioSet, with over two million samples, and community platforms such as Freesound, with over one million samples. The survey evaluates acoustic and linguistic variability across datasets through principal component analysis of audio and text embeddings. The survey also analyzes data leakage through CLAP embeddings, and examines sound category distributions to identify imbalances. Finally, the survey identifies key challenges in developing large, diverse datasets to enhance ALM performance, including dataset overlap, biases, accessibility barriers, and the predominance of English-language content, while highlighting specific areas requiring attention: multilingual dataset development, specialized domain coverage and improved dataset accessibility
Advanced Contactless Bioassembly Approaches:Leveraging Sound, Optical, and Magnetic Fields
No full textThe native structure of tissues and organs is characterized by a hierarchical architecture, where various cell types and extracellular matrix components are closely interconnected. The precise organization of these entities is crucial for ensuring the proper functionality of tissues and organs. Therefore, engineering the spatial complexity of living systems is essential not only to mimic in vivo architecture but also to govern the microenvironments where embedded cells reside. Bioassembly is an innovative toolset for in vitro modeling and regenerative medicine. It enables the precise assembly and patterning of cells, biomaterials, and bioactive substances into 3D structures using automated and cell-friendly fabrication methods. In this review, the focus is centered on three contactless bioassembly approaches that are driven by sound, optical, and magnetic field. These technologies are thoroughly discussed, with a particular emphasis on their mechanism of action and their applications
Associations Between Ecological Determinants and Weight Status Changes Among Children from Vulnerable Populations:Empirical Findings from a National Panel Survey in South Korea
No full textBackground: Pandemic-related weight gain disproportionately has affected children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. However, key determinants of childhood obesity among these vulnerable children remain relatively underexplored.Methods: In a secondary data analysis using a longitudinal dataset, the relationships between child weight status and its individual and environmental influences among vulnerable children were examined based on an ecological model. We analyzed three-point time-series data for 1308 participants from a Korean national panel survey of vulnerable children. Adiposity estimates were calculated using body mass index (BMI) z-scores.Results: The panel regression analysis revealed that 2 factors, namely "lack of adequate sleep time" at the individual level and "suboptimal relationships with childcare teachers" at the interpersonal level, had a significant impact on the BMI z-scores of vulnerable children.Conclusions: It is crucial to develop strategies that ensure sufficient sleep time and to actively involve childcare centers in implementing place-based interventions and initiatives to prevent obesity among vulnerable children. Moreover, it is essential to continue efforts in identifying the significant determinants of childhood obesity among vulnerable populations by considering the major environments in which these children live and grow
Sodium-Potassium Competition as a Tool for Chemoselective Cucurbit[<i>n</i>]uril-Xenon Host-Guest Complexation in Imaging Applications
No full textCucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]) are a family of macromolecules, capable of encapsulating neutral or charged species. Due to their low toxicity, good solubility, and transport properties resulting from the structure forming the cage, they have gained popularity in imaging-oriented studies. In vitro studies have shown that one of the guests compatible with the CB[n] hosts are Xe atoms, leading to high-resolution 129Xe magnetic resonance signals in pulmonary medical imaging. This prompts the question of whether similar results could be achieved in vivo in other tissues and body fluids. Here, we demonstrate how the varying efficacy of Xe encapsulation by a CB[6] cage is governed by the Na+ : K+ molecular ratio in simulated body fluids. Moving from a high concentration of Na+ to an excess of K+ in the solution significantly increases Xe encapsulation by the macromolecules. This finding indicates chemoselectivity of cucurbit[6]uril host-guest interactions. Since Na+ and K+ are the most abundant ions in human body fluids, our results provide a theoretical foundation for future liquid-state in vivo Xe imaging in medical applications
A qualitative study exploring depressed participants' experiences of receiving Augmented Depression Therapy (ADepT)
No full textObjectives The current study aimed to explore participants' views on the acceptability, impact and mechanisms of change of Augmented Depression Therapy (ADepT), a novel wellbeing-focused and recovery-oriented psychological therapy for depression. Design A semi-structured qualitative interview design was used, with data analysed using the framework approach. Participants 20 participants with anhedonic depression who had received up to 20 sessions of ADepT, sampled from a pilot randomised controlled trial of ADepT versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Setting A primary care psychological therapy clinic in Devon, UK, with interviews occurring between May 2018 and February 2020. Results Participants found the wellbeing focus of ADepT acceptable. Helpful aspects of therapy were a positive therapeutic bond, the structure and flow of therapy scaffolding the learning journey, the tools and techniques of therapy helping building wellbeing and booster sessions supporting long-term recovery. Negative aspects for some participants were therapy feeling too intense and triggering feelings of failure. Participants reported significant positive impacts of treatment on wellbeing, functioning and hope. Perceived mechanisms of change were reorienting to the positive, engaging with valued goals, taking a proactive life stance, gaining confidence and motivation for change, breaking down tasks into small steps, cultivating self-care and self-compassion, enhancing help seeking and interpersonal effectiveness, changing the relationship to depression, and rediscovering the self beyond depression. Conclusions Findings suggest that the wellbeing focus of ADepT is acceptable and leads to positive impacts, supports the logic model underpinning the intervention, and warrants continuation to a definitive trial. Trial registration number ISRCTN85278228
Changes in alcohol consumption among Belgian adults participating in the internet-based one-month-abstinence campaign 'Tournée Minérale'
No full textBackground and objectiveTemporary abstinence campaigns (TAC) are a promising approach to reduce alcohol consumption. This study examined changes in (at-risk) alcohol consumption and determinants of alcohol consumption among Belgian adults participating in the Tourn & eacute;e Min & eacute;rale Campaign (TMC, Belgian TAC). In addition, moderating effects of age, sex, education level, successfully refraining from alcohol during TMC, risk drinking, drinking levels and binge drinking were investigated. MethodsTMC is a fully automated mass media prevention campaign challenging Belgian adults to refrain from alcohol during the month February. This study includes a baseline, post- (four weeks after TMC) and follow-up (six months after TMC) test using online recruitment and an online questionnaire. Participants were self-selected by signing up on the TMC website. Repeated measures ANCOVAs were used to examine changes over time in alcohol consumption (log transformed due to skewness) and determinants among TMC participants (n = 8,730, 48.4 +/- 12.9 years old, 37.4% males) who filled in all three measurements. Moderation effects were assessed for age, sex, education level, successfully refraining from alcohol during TMC, risk drinking, drinking levels and binge drinking at baseline. McNemar tests were used to examine the change in prevalence of risk drinking and binge drinking. ResultsTMC participants showed a significant decrease in weekly alcohol consumption (mean exp(x)-1) and CI) from baseline (6.2 [6.4,6.7]) to post (4.2 [4.1,4.3], F = 22.0, p < .001 d = -2.4 [-2.4,-2.3]) and from baseline to follow-up (5.1 [4.9,5.2], F = 24.2, p < .001, d = -1.5 [-1.5,-1.4]), and an increase from post to follow-up (F = 21.1, p < .001). In the short term (from baseline to post), the decreases were stronger among older, male and lower educated TMC participants, those successfully refraining during TMC, higher risk drinkers and binge drinkers. In the medium term (from baseline to follow-up), changes in alcohol consumption were moderated by education (stronger among lower educated) and risk drinking (increase in lower risk drinkers and decrease in higher risk drinkers). Participants' baseline drinking level moderated changes in alcohol consumption. Both short and medium term increases in alcohol consumption were observed among those with a low drinking level (those who drank 0 to < 4 glasses at baseline), while short and medium term decreases were observed among those with higher drinking levels, i.e. those with moderate (>= 4 to <= 10 glasses), high (> 10 to <= 17 glasses) and highest (> 17 glasses) drinking level at baseline. A reduction in the proportion of risk drinkers and binge drinkers and changes in determinants of alcohol consumption (e.g. attitudes towards drinking less alcohol and habit of drinking alcohol) were observed among TMC participants. ConclusionsTMC participants reported favourable changes in (the underlying determinants of) alcohol consumption in the short and medium term. Higher level drinkers appear to be especially attracted to participate in TMC and to experience the strongest decreases in alcohol consumption. However, without comparison with a control group of non-participants or comparison points, we cannot simply attribute the changes over time to participation in TMC. Future research with a stronger study design is needed to rule out possible bias (e.g., selection bias, seasonal effects or regression to the mean) and to examine mechanisms and longer term effects of TACs