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Changes and continuities in gambling careers during the COVID-19 pandemic:a longitudinal qualitative study of regular sports bettors in Britain
No full textBACKGROUND: To explore continuities and changes in gambling behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors that influenced these among a sample of regular sports bettors.METHODS: A longitudinal qualitative study using in-depth interviews. Sixteen sports bettors living in Britain took part in the first interviews in July-November 2020, and 13 in the follow-up interviews in March-September 2021.RESULTS: Individual patterns of gambling were episodic: it was common for gambling to increase during some periods of the pandemic and to decrease during others, reflecting the dynamic and (often) challenging circumstances which people were living through at the time. Changes and continuities in gambling during the pandemic were influenced by a range of factors which we have grouped into two main themes relating to 'gambling and the sports landscape' and 'disruption to day-to-day life'. It was common for a constellation of factors to influence gambling behaviour rather than a single factor. These constellations of factors varied from person to person and at different times during the pandemic.CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the present study are consistent with earlier literature examining gambling careers before the advent of COVID-19 showing that gambling trajectories are non-linear. Our research suggests that 'typical' patterns of gambling behaviour (e.g. being episodic), and the broader known risk and protective factors within individuals, families, communities and societies have been amplified during the pandemic. Findings highlight the adaptability of the gambling industry to continue to reach consumers through product offerings and marketing even in a period of unprecedented restrictions on supply, and show the potential resulting harms of these actions among gamblers at risk of experiencing gambling problems. Taken together, findings from this study provide important new insights relevant to discussions about gambling regulation, and support calls for multifaceted and comprehensive policy, regulatory, and treatment approaches, to minimise gambling-related harms.</p
Enantioconvergent nucleophilic substitution via synergistic phase-transfer catalysis
No full textCatalytic enantioconvergent nucleophilic substitution reactions of alkyl halides are highly valuable transformations, but they are notoriously difficult to implement. Specifically, nucleophilic fluorination is a renowned challenge, especially when inexpensive alkali metal fluorides are used as fluorinating reagents due to their low solubility, high hygroscopicity and Brønsted basicity. Here we report a solution by developing the concept of synergistic hydrogen bonding phase-transfer catalysis. Key to our strategy is the combination of a chiral bis-urea hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and an onium salt—two phase-transfer catalysts essential for the solubilization of potassium fluoride—as a well-characterized ternary HBD–onium fluoride complex. Mechanistic investigations indicate that this chiral ternary complex is capable of enantiodiscrimination of racemic benzylic bromides and α-bromoketones, and upon fluoride delivery affords fluorinated products in high yields and enantioselectivities. This work provides a foundation for enantioconvergent fluorination chemistry enabled through the combination of a HBD catalyst with a co-catalyst specifically curated to meet the requirement of the electrophile. (Figure presented.)</p
Satellite remote sensing can operationalise the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology in the biome-diverse North-East of Brazil
No full textAccurate biome delineation is difficult where biomes occupy the same climatic space, as is the case for tropical dry forest and savanna. The resulting confusion limits our ability to understand and manage impacts of global change on these biomes. To address this, we developed an unsupervised, repeatable method to delineate biomes and their component functional ecosystems, based on landscape-level vegetation structure measured using remote sensing and an understanding of the ecology of the region. This approach contrasts with previous definitions, based on climate differences amongst savanna, dry forest and rain forest.Using the heterogeneous north-east Brazil, where several biomes interdigitate, as a case study, a hierarchical functional ecosystem classification is proposed that aligns with both the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) and previous work. Based on fuzzy clustering of remotely sensed vegetation attributes, seven groups were found, identified as rain forest, cerrado (savanna) and five caatinga vegetation groups. These groups broadly align with the literature, for example, sedimentary and arboreal caatinga. These groups align with three ‘Ecosystem Functional Groups’ (EFGs) described by the IUCN GET and, additionally, suggest there is a new, fourth EFG in the region: non-pyric shrublands. Random Forest models showed soil pH was the most important environmental variable distinguishing these vegetation groups.These results suggest a remotely sensed structure-based approach is an effective method for operationalising the IUCN GET. North-East Brazil – where many EFGs are interdigitated – serves as a challenging case study and, therefore, we hope our approach will have generality for other regions globally
Political ecologies of professional practice: Plurality and possibilities in environmental governance, Introduction to the Special Section
No full textThis Special Section explores the plurality of professional practice in the environment and development sector, and centers the possibilities this offers for more transformative and just futures. We bring together and foreground a uniquely (feminist) political ecology perspective on those working in environment and development, centering power and politics as a necessary component of political ecology as 'hatchet', and unpacking the often-stereotyped category 'professionals', extending solidarity and care to them as a necessary component of political ecology as 'seed.' Each of the eight articles in this Special Section offers their own version and vision of a political ecology of professional practice, articulating and evidencing a plurality of practices, perceptions and politics among the professionals they engage with. They bring to the fore the contradictory positions some professionals find themselves in, and the ways in which structural factors limit their opportunities for engaging in or promoting transformative change. They also highlight the importance of sharing ideas and practices, both in creating tensions in the workplace, but also as offering opportunities for learning and doing things differently. With regards to possibilities for more transformative and just futures, the articles may be read as both disheartening and hope-ful. Whilst the limits of individual agency are a source of despondency, it is in the coming together and collective efforts of individuals that hope emerges. The everyday 'implicit activism' of some professionals is amplified and accelerated when others learn of/from them and join with them, and when care is centered in these relationships and actions, the emotional labor is shared and thus the ultimate cause is better supported. Political ecologists have an important role to play in creating new or engaging with existing collective efforts that actively pursue more transformative and just futures
The influence of subglacial lake discharge on Thwaites Glacier ice-shelf melting and grounding-line retreat
No full textThe retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is conventionally attributed to increased ocean melting of ice shelves, potentially enhanced by internal instability from grounding lines near retrograde bed slopes. Ocean melting is enhanced by increased intrusion of modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) into ice shelf cavities. Upwelling from the release of subglacial meltwater can enhance mCDW’s melting ability, though its efficacy is not well understood and is not represented in current ice sheet loss projections. Here we quantify this process during an exceptional subglacial lake drainage event under Thwaites Glacier. We found that the buoyant plume from the subglacial discharge temporarily doubled the rate of ocean melting under Thwaites, thinning the ice shelf. These events likely contributed to Thwaites’ rapid thinning and grounding line retreat during that period. However, simulations and observations indicate that a steady subglacial water release would more efficiently enhance basal melt rates at Thwaites, with melt rate increasing like the square root of the subglacial discharge. Thus, it remains unclear whether increased subglacial flooding events provide a stabilizing influence on West Antarctic ice loss by reducing the impact of subglacial water on ocean melting, or a destabilizing influence by triggering rapid changes at the grounding zone
Variability and learning in language change:The case of V2
No full textThe loss of V2 has received considerable attention in the past with some theories linking it to learning (e.g. Lightfoot 1999, Yang 2002). Here, we use artificial language learning experiments to test, in a controlled set-ting, what factors affect learning of V2. Specifically, we build on previous work demonstrating a general beneficial effect of input variability. We explore the role of variation in clause-initial constituents by comparing artificial languages that differ both in the kinds of grammatical functions that tend to appear in initial position, and the level of variability present. We find that these different distributions of clause-initial constituents indeed affect V2 learning outcomes. However, contrary to our predictions, a language with the highest level of variability is not the best learnt. Rather, a language containing many adjunct-initial sentences was learnt best. We discuss the possibility that a high quantity of clause-initial adjuncts is in fact important to acquiring V2 grammars in natural language. We find further support for this in corpus data indicating a high proportion of adjunct-initial sentences in stable V2 languages and a low proportion in languages that had been in the process of losing V2. We also discuss the role of variability in grammatical categories rather than roles, which might give languages with many clause-initial adjuncts an advantage. Taken together, our findings establish the first evidence for a causal link between the reduction of evidence and the loss of V2
Meta-analysis of genome-wide associations and polygenic risk prediction for atrial fibrillation in more than 180,000 cases
Get PDFAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm abnormalityand is a leading cause of heart failure and stroke. This large-scalemeta-analysis of genome-wide association studies increased the powerto detect single-nucleotide variant associations and found more than 350AF-associated genetic loci. We identified candidate genes related to musclecontractility, cardiac muscle development and cell–cell communicationat 139 loci.Chromatin accessibility was assessed using assayfor transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing and histone H3lysine 4 trimethylation in stem cell-derived atrial cardiomyocytes. A marked increase in chromatin accessibility for our sentinel variants and prioritized genes in atrial cardiomyocytes was observed. A polygenic risk score (PRS) based on the updated effect estimates in this improved AF risk prediction compared with previous risk estimates.<br/
Mapping commercial practices of the pesticide industry to shape science and policymaking: a scoping review
Get PDFThere is a growing body of evidence for how health harming industries (HHIs) engage in similar practices to influence science and policymaking. However, limited attention has been paid to the pesticide industry within the commercial determinants of health (CDOH) field. We conducted a scoping review to map practices adopted by the pesticide industry to influence science and policymaking and to assess the breadth and focus of the associated literature. We included 31 documents and categorized the extracted data using a typology of commercial practices. The documents described how major pesticide companies, and their trade bodies, have acted to influence science and maintain favourable regulatory environments while undermining the credibility of researchers and agencies that publish findings threatening to their commercial interests. A large proportion of the literature consists of historical analyses, narrative reviews, commentaries/perspective pieces, and investigative reports published in the grey literature, predominantly informed by analysis of internal industry documents and freedom of information requests. Most studies focus on high-income settings. There were a limited number of primary peer-reviewed empirical studies that explicitly aimed to study the practices of the pesticide industry from a CDOH perspective. However, our findings show that major pesticide companies adopt political and scientific practices highly similar to other HHIs. The review shows a critical need for research on the pesticide industry’s current practices in low- and middle-income countries where the negative impacts of its activities on health and the environment are likely to be more marked
Transcriptomic characterisation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia cell lines bearing the same t(9;11) driver mutation reveals different molecular signatures
Get PDFBackground Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia,accounting for 20% of cases in children and adolescents. Genome-wide studies have identified genes that are commonly mutated in AML, including many epigenetic regulators involved in either DNA methylation (DNMT3A, TET2, IDH1/2) or histone post-translational modifications (ASXL1, EZH2, MLL1). Several cell lines derived from AML patients are widely used in cancer research. Whether important differences in these cell lines exist remains poorly characterised.Results Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to contrast the transcriptome of four commonly used AML-derived cell lines: THP-1, NOMO-1, MOLM-13 bearing the common initiating t(9;11) translocation, and MV4.11 bearing the t(4;11) translocation. Gene set enrichment analyses and comparison of key transcription and epigenetic regulator genes revealed important differences in the transcriptome distinguishing these AML models. Among these, we found striking differences in the expression of clusters of genes located on chromosome 19 encoding Zinc Finger (ZNF) transcriptional repressors. Low expression of many ZNF genes within these clusters is associated with poor survival in AML patients.Conclusion The present study offers a valuable resource by providing a detailed comparativecharacterisation of the transcriptome of cell lines within the same AML subtype used as models for leukemia research
Perspectives on the social sciences in global animal health governance: A qualitative study of experts
Get PDFA global discourse continues to emphasize the importance of integrating the social sciences into health governance and systems research, including in the global animal health sector. By comparison to human health, however, it is unclear how far this discourse has changed institutional practices in animal health and what opportunities exist to strengthen this integration. We conducted a qualitative study to address these knowledge gaps, based on 29 semi-structured key informant interviews (KII) with experts involved in the global governance of animal health and biosecurity across five regions between November 2022 and June 2023. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse results, which were triangulated with findings from primary and secondary data sources. We divide our analysis into three sections: 1) governance landscape; 3) prioritization; and 3) the role of social science. First, we found that KII consider the global animal health governance landscape shaped by five main actor networks who operate under different institutional norms and mandates: international organizations, bilateral donors, the private sector, national governments, and regional organizations. Informants believed that bilateral donors have disproportionate levels of control and influence; national governments struggle with realistic fiscal planning; engaging the private sector remains challenging; international organizations exhibit tensions in their conflicting mandates; and regional organizations need to be more involved. Second, we found that the key priorities of the actor networks were influenced by core uncertainties and tensions. This included different narratives about risk and methods of risk assessment; conflicting values between health and economic development; and capacity scale problems between global and local networks. The field is perceived to be dominated by the global health security agenda and international trade, and disproportionately focused on pandemic threats. Third, we found that barriers to the integration of social science included disciplinary boundaries, given the dominance of the veterinary sciences; the preponderance of instrumentalized goals; and structural conditions that limited opportunities for knowledge translation. Overall, we found that while the social sciences are increasingly part of a global discourse improving global animal health governance and systems, their current application appears to be of limited range and effectiveness. Coordinated investment in truly interdisciplinary networks, with sufficient disciplinary independence, may help address these problems.</p
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