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Using time use data to investigate gender inequalities: enduring patterns and new dimensions
Get PDFResearch on the gender revolution highlights the slowing convergence between men and women in paid and unpaid work time. This review considers both seminal studies from the 2000s and more recent analyses, drawing on comparative time-diary data, to assess progress in narrowing gender gaps in paid work and unpaid domestic work, and to outline future research directions in light of shifting family structures, flexible working arrangements, and evolving norms of parenthood and care.
Time-use diaries, long central to the study of gender inequality, consistently reveal women’s disproportionate share of unpaid domestic work. Historically, such data were concentrated in Western industrialised societies. Recent developments, however, extend harmonisation to East Asia, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China, thereby broadening the comparative framework.
The expanding availability of time-use data creates important opportunities to examine cross-national differences in paid and unpaid work, and to investigate how policies and cultural norms may shape gender equality. Beyond employment and domestic labour, these data reveal disparities in leisure, rest, and caregiving, the effects of family structures and life events, and the implications of flexible working. Future research should also consider under-explored groups—such as children, adolescents, and older people—and the sequencing of daily activities
Evaluating the potential of CsBiSCl2 as a solar absorber
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‘The language of the future’? Exploring motivations for learning Chinese in English secondary schools
Get PDFThe last decade has seen significant investment in Chinese language learning in English schools. This investment carries with it an expectation of future economic benefits for individuals and society. However, anglophone learners often find Chinese more difficult than European languages and take longer to reach professional competence. The ability of school provision to motivate sustained learning is therefore key to its success. The present study aims to investigate the motivations of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners in English secondary schools after several years of instruction. Motivation is examined in the context of upcoming examinations and related to pupils’ beliefs about difficulty and enjoyment. Self-determination theory (SDT) was chosen as the primary motivational framework. A total of 122 participants were recruited from five schools in southern England. A mixed-methods design was used to allow a full, nuanced understanding of learner experiences and beliefs. Quantitative data on student motivation and beliefs were collected using a questionnaire and supplemented by qualitative data from group interviews. Self-determination theory appeared appropriate for measuring Chinese learning motivation in the English secondary school context. Results suggested a strongly self-determined pattern of motivation among participants. Learners appeared to enjoy the process of learning a typologically different language despite its challenges. However, instrumentalist beliefs were also a strong motivator, and interview participants found repetitive or compelled activities demotivating. These findings suggest that current approaches are generally effective, and confirm Mandarin as an attractive MFL subject for English schools. Given that all participant schools were affiliated with the Mandarin Excellence Programme, the findings of the present study also provide encouraging evidence that direct investment may be having positive results
Innovative design and modelling to improve sex and gender analysis in clinical trials
Get PDFJane Hirst and colleagues argue that novel modelling approaches using routinely collected data can be only as representative and complete as the original data, and that bridging the sex and gender gap through contemporary, innovative clinical trial designs could be a crucial way forwar
Fermionic non-invertible symmetries in (1+1)d: Gapped and gapless phases, transitions, and symmetry TFTs
Get PDFWe study fermionic non-invertible symmetries in (1+1)d, which are generalized global symmetries that mix fermion parity symmetry with other invertible and non-invertible internal symmetries. Such symmetries are described by fermionic fusion supercategories, which are fusion \pi π -supercategories with a choice of fermion parity. The aim of this paper is to flesh out the categorical Landau paradigm for fermionic symmetries. We use the formalism of Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT) to study possible gapped and gapless phases for such symmetries, along with possible deformations between these phases, which are organized into a Hasse phase diagram. The phases can be characterized in terms of sets of condensed, confined and deconfined generalized symmetry charges, reminiscent of notions familiar from superconductivity. Many of the gapless phases also serve as phase transitions between gapped phases. The associated fermionic conformal field theories (CFTs) can be obtained by performing generalized fermionic Kennedy-Tasaki (KT) transformations on bosonic CFTs describing simpler transitions. The fermionic non-invertible symmetries along with their charges and phases discussed here can be obtained from those of bosonic non-invertible symmetries via fermionization or Jordan-Wigner transformation, which is discussed in detail
Comparative risk of end-stage renal disease, myocardial infarction and stroke in young and older onset diabetes in UK Biobank
Get PDFIn recent years, coinciding with the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents, the global prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are rising year on year. In contrast, the mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke in people with diabetes have been declining. The precise cause of the disparate vascular outcomes in diabetes remains unexplored. To elucidate the relationship, we conducted a retrospective cohort study on the UK Biobank data. In our study, the exposure variables were the age of diabetes and hypertension diagnosis, while the outcome variables were ESRD, myocardial infarction, angina, and stroke. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to assess odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Model performance was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on participants who developed diabetes before and after the age of 20 years and with and without female participants. Univariable logistic regression showed that compared to those diagnosed after the age of 60, the odds of ESRD for those diagnosed at ages < 20, 20–40, and 41–60 years were 5.26 (3.00 – 9.40), 7.78 (4.81 – 13.16) and 2.33 (1.50 – 3.84), respectively. Myocardial infarction and stroke did not have a statistically significant relationship with younger age of diabetes diagnosis. In those with a dual diagnosis of diabetes and hypertension, irrespective of the age of diabetes diagnosis, the age of hypertension diagnosis at age < 20, 20–40, and 41–60 years, compared to those who developed it after the age of 60 years, had a greater risk of ESRD, 2.20 (1.58 – 3.11), 5.03 (3.79 – 6.81), and 1.53 (1.16 – 2.06), respectively. After adjusting for sex and albuminuria, multivariable logistic regression model 1 showed that compared to those who developed diabetes above the age of 60, those who developed it < 20, 20–40 and 41–60 had a higher risk of ESRD, 4.71 (2.47 – 9.28), 4.67 (2.63 – 8.78), and 1.94 (1.16 – 3.49), respectively. Likewise, in model 2, when the duration of diabetes was used as the explanatory variable, each year of increased duration of diabetes increased the odds of ESRD by 2%, with an odds ratio of 1.02 (1.01–1.03). Younger onset of hypertension but not diabetes increased the odds of myocardial infarction (MI). There was no statistically significant relationship between the age of diabetes, and hypertension diagnoses with angina and stroke. Model performance was excellent, with over 80% of the data points falling below the area under the curve. Sensitivity analyses showed young-onset diabetes as a significant determinant of ESRD. Young-onset and longer-duration of diabetes increase the risk of ESRD. For those with diabetes and hypertension, a younger onset of hypertension but not diabetes may also increase the risk of MI
Electromagnetic navigation-guided posterior hemivertebra resection in adult congenital spinal deformity
Get PDFHemivertebra is a congenital spinal anomaly often associated with unpredictable progression of spinal deformity, for which early conservative or surgical intervention is generally recommended. While well-documented in pediatric populations, literature on the management of symptomatic adult congenital spinal deformity remains limited. We report two consecutive cases of adult congenital scoliosis caused by an L3 hemivertebra, both successfully treated with one-stage, electromagnetic navigation (EMN)-guided posterior total hemivertebra resection and instrumented spinal fusion. EMN-guided posterior total hemivertebra resection offers a safe and accurate solution for managing symptomatic adult congenital scoliosis, while also minimizing intraoperative radiation exposure. This technique highlights its clinical utility in achieving precise resection, as evidenced by the two presented cases
The small world web of AI
Get PDFThe rise of generative AI has transformed many fields, including networking. While generative AI is already used for network management and operation, little was done to fundamentally change the way we use the web. In this paper, we make the case for reimagining the web in the age of AI. With just minor changes to HTTP, we demonstrate that web content can be distributed as prompts turned into content on end user devices. This new small world web (SWW) of AI reduces storage demands and network load, and has the potential to improve Internet sustainability over time
Multifaceted Assessment of Amazonian Tree Diversity Reveals Pervasive Impacts of Human Modification
Get PDFTropical forests harbour the majority of tree species on the planet but are increasingly subjected to deforestation and human‐driven disturbances. Understanding how human modifications impact various facets of diversity—i.e., taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic—is crucial, as their responses can differ significantly. Additionally, the influence of species dominance and individual size class on the recovery trajectories of future forests is often overlooked. Here, we address these knowledge gaps by comparing the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities of large (≥ 10 cm DBH) and small (≤ 2 cm DBH < 10 cm DBH) trees in undisturbed and human‐modified Amazonian forests, considering different weights of species dominance using Hill Numbers. We sampled 25,313 large and 30,070 small trees across 215 forest plots distributed in two different regions of Eastern Amazonia and representing a range of human modification (i.e., undisturbed, logged, logged‐and‐burned, and secondary forests). Our findings indicate that human modifications significantly reduce the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities of both large and small trees, regardless of dominance weightings. Secondary forests exhibited the lowest alpha‐diversity and were the most dissimilar to undisturbed forests, while logged‐and‐burned forests were as distinct from undisturbed forests as they were from secondary forests across all diversity facets. Taxonomic and functional diversity showed similar sensitivity to human modification, while phylogenetic diversity was the least sensitive in alpha‐diversity but equally sensitive in community composition analyses. Overall, we showed that human modification explained 55% of the effect size variation found in alpha‐diversity and 42% of that found in community composition, with diversity facet, tree size and dominance weighting explaining either ≤ 5%. Given the deleterious impacts of human modification on the diversity of tropical forests, it is imperative to protect remaining undisturbed areas from selective logging and wildfires. Nevertheless, even disturbed primary forests still harbour more taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity than secondary forests
Decentralized UV disinfection systems in rural areas or low-resource contexts: a case study compilation
Get PDFWater disinfection using ultraviolet (UV) light is an emerging tool for improving access to safely managed drinking water in rural areas and low-resource regions. However, there is little information comparing existing UV systems in those contexts, towards improving the effectiveness of future UV systems. This work presents 19 case studies of small, decentralized UV water disinfection systems being used during the last 30 years to improve water access. The case studies cover a wide range of project types, including schools, hospitals, communities, households and healthcare facilities, spanning four continents. A variety of energy sources, water sources and social environments are also reviewed. In general, the use of UV immediately improved the microbiological quality of the water; however, long-term tracking of system performance is largely missing. UV system effectiveness was limited by several factors, including the potential for recontamination after UV disinfection, insufficient maintenance, and the absence of regulatory frameworks that allow the more widespread adoption of UV disinfection compared to more conventional disinfectants. This paper is intended to be supporting evidence for the utility of UV technologies for improving safe water access in low-resource settings, and to support practitioners in improving UV system design and implementation