How home exams and peers affect college grades in unprecedented times

Leveraging administrative data from the University of Iceland, which cover more than 60% of the undergraduate population in the country, we examine how home exams and peer networks shape grades around the COVID-19 crisis. Using difference-in-difference models with a rich set of fixed effects, we find that home exams taken during university closures raised grades by about 0.5 points (≈ 7%) relative to invigilated in-person exams outside the pandemic period. Access to a larger share of high-school peers leads to an average grade increase of up to two-fifths of a point, and exposure to higher-quality peers yielded additional, but smaller gains. Interactions between peer-network measures and the COVID/home-exam indicators are near zero, providing no evidence that peer networks amplified home-exam gains during the pandemic

Decoding semantic categories: Insights from an fMRI ALE meta analysis

Objective.The human brain organizes conceptual knowledge into semantic categories; however, the extent to which these categories share common or distinct neural representations remains unclear. This study aims to clarify this organizational structure by identifying consistent, modality-controlled activation patterns across several widely used and frequently investigated semantic domains in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research. By quantifying the distinctiveness and overlap among these patterns, we provide a more precise foundation for understanding the brain's semantic architecture, as well as for applications such as semantic brain-computer interfaces (BCI).Approach.Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 75 fMRI studies covering six semantic categories: animals, tools, food, music, body parts, and pain. Using activation likelihood estimation, we identified convergent activation patterns for each category while controlling for stimulus modality (visual, auditory, tactile, and written). Subsequently, Jaccard-based overlap analyses were performed to quantify the degree of neural commonality and separability across concept-modality pairs, thereby revealing the underlying structure of representational similarity.Main results.Distinct yet partially overlapping activation networks were identified for each semantic category. Tools and animals showed shared activity in the lateral occipital and ventral temporal regions, reflecting common object-based visual processing. In contrast, food-related stimuli primarily recruited limbic and subcortical structures associated with affective and motivational processing. Music and animal sounds overlapped within the superior temporal and insular cortices, whereas body parts and pain engaged occipito-parietal and cingulo-insular networks, respectively. Together, these findings reveal a hierarchically organized and modality-dependent semantic architecture in the human brain.Significance.This meta-analysis offers a quantitative and integrative characterization of how semantic knowledge is distributed and differentiated across cortical systems. By demonstrating how conceptual content and sensory modality jointly shape neural organization, the study refines theoretical models of semantic cognition and provides a methodological basis for evaluating conceptual separability. These insights have direct implications for semantic neural decoding and for the development of BCI systems grounded in meaning-based neural representations

A survey on learning an autonomous dynamic system for human–robot skills transfer from demonstration

Autonomous dynamic systems (ADS) have become a key area of research in the field of robotics, aiming to enable robots to acquire human-like operational skills and perform complex tasks in dynamic environments without external intervention. Despite significant progress, current technologies have yet to enable robots to fully achieve autonomous skill transfer in real-world applications. The prevailing approach to bridge this gap is Learning from Demonstration (LfD), where robots learn by observing and imitating expert demonstrations. Dynamic systems-based methods, particularly those utilizing Lyapunov stability theory, have shown great potential in effectively encoding human motor skills, ensuring the stability, accuracy, and generalization of learned behaviors during the learning process. This survey provides an overview of the recent advancements in dynamic systems for skill transfer, focusing on methods that enable robots to replicate human actions, as demonstrated by experts. We present a classification of existing dynamic systems approaches, highlight landmark studies, and discuss their key features, advantages, and limitations. This paper also explores the applications of these methods and identifies major challenges that remain in both theoretical and practical aspects of robot skill learning

Repaying the trust: Social trust and the readability of Form 10-K reports

Purpose: This study explores the relationship between social trust and financial reporting obfuscation, defined as a lack of annual report readability. We propose that social trust is an important informal institution that promotes ethical behavior and accountability, leading corporate managers to produce clearer, more accessible annual reports for stakeholders. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a sample of 44,799 firm-year observations from 1,076 publicly listed U.S. firms, we analyze the impact of regional social trust on the readability of financial reports. We further investigate how this relationship varies across different organizational and managerial characteristics, including stakeholder orientation, geographical dispersion, monitoring environments, managerial capabilities, and CEO experience. Findings: Our results provide strong evidence that firms located in regions with higher social trust produce less obfuscated financial reports. This negative relationship is more pronounced in firms with higher stakeholder orientation, lower geographical dispersion, stronger monitoring environments, more capable managers, and CEOs with broader work experience (generalist CEOs). Practical Implications: The findings suggest that social trust is a significant driver of financial report readability. This has important implications for external stakeholders, managers, and policymakers in understanding the role of informal institutions in corporate reporting practices. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the accounting literature by identifying social trust as a key factor influencing the clarity of financial reports and by providing insights into the underlying mechanisms through which this relationship operates

Age is just a number: Clustering gait and functional measures.

Objective: As we age, we walk slower, but it remains unclear whether this is consistent at an individual level. Current clinical assessment of function assumes movement deficits with older age, and clinical norms are linked to decades or specific age stratifications such as “old” or “oldest-old”. Current approaches stratifying by age may hide trends of higher and lower functioning individuals within each age bracket. Therefore, our aim was to cluster spatiotemporal data, from the 1000 Norms Project, to understand if patterns of function could be identified without using age as a factor. Methods: The 1000 Norms Project, a cross-sectional, observational study, collected gait, functional performance, and self-reported health data (participants (n = 695) aged 18–92 years). Spatiotemporal and functional data were clustered, after rendering the parameters dimensionless. Results: Three clusters were identified (n = 277, 208, 210). Although age significantly differed between clusters, each showed a broad range (e.g. 20–92 years). Additionally, walking speed (Froude number) did not differ between clusters, often used to separate by age. Our clusters defined 3 groups, ‘higher functioning’, ‘age average’ and ‘cautious gait’, whose spatiotemporal, functional performance, strength and quality of life measures vastly differed, independent of walking speed and including a wide range of ages. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that age should not be used to separate individuals into groups, and that our assumption of “age matters” may not be relevant when determining true functional movement ability. Further work is needed to understand normal senescence, true negative loss, and reversible loss within these functionally different groups

The organisational dynamics of integrating neurology services in an NHS hospital trust: A systems psychodynamic perspective

Background: The factors driving NHS integration are captured in the Neurology patient population, characterised by increased life expectancy, alongside high incidence of complex, degenerative, and long-term conditions. Organisational change is a requirement of integration, with the potential to undermine clinical care. Merger is introduced as an existing form of integration, where relational understanding has been subjugated. Literature Review: Research addressing professional views of organisational merger in NHS hospital trusts was systematically identified. A line of argument synthesis illustrates the distal influence of politics and place, borne out locally in assimilation, loss, and pragmatic progress. Aims: To explore what could be learned about a local integration from a psychodynamic method of observation, and to hypothesise unconscious aspects of integration relevant to wider UK health systems. Method: A philosophical and epistemological position consistent with the unconscious aspects of change in a public institution are set out in detail. This conceptual frame is operationalised into a three phase method of observation. Data generated from 6 in depth observations and reflective groups was analysed in line with reflective thematic analysis. Results: A rigid hierarchy underpinned anxiety at uncertain boundaries, indicating the task and structure of integration split off painful feelings. Systemic demands to quantify integration were hypothesised to obscure the painful task of caring for patients with degenerative conditions. These defensive structures also appeared liable to semi-sudden collapse, risking the sudden return and contagion of disavowed feelings. Conclusions: The capacity to flexibly contain painful feeling states is denatured by marketised competition and pressures to evidence quality. Associative forms of enquiry offer a means of integrating feeling states into the process of organisational change in the NHS. This form of knowledge is essential to integrate local systems, but is threatened by cycles of top down re-organisation, reverting power to the centre

Solidarity as a Fundamental Principle of EU Law

This article examines the principle of solidarity in the EU legal order by tracing the evolving contours of its meaning and operation in recent and emerging jurisprudence. It argues that interpreting solidarity through the lens of its underlying drivers (functional, axiological and identity based) offers a conceptually coherent account of its normative scope and boundaries. Solidarity has largely assumed an instrumental character, oriented towards securing the effective operation and systemic stability of the Union and its legal architecture. Yet the principle now stands at a transformative juncture, where a functional rationale no longer suffices to explain how it takes effect. Through instances that defy a purely instrumental logic, the article reconceptualises solidarity as a bearer of shared values and collective identity. This reframing is not only a matter of candour but indispensable for conceptual clarity and for engaging more directly with the constitutional stakes of sovereignty and belonging

The Impact of Toxic Masculinity on Restrictive Emotionality and Mental Health Seeking Support

Many men struggle, at least occasionally, to talk about their feelings and to seek mental health support. Previous research has attributed this to gendered social norms requiring men to be tough and confident. In the present research, we investigate, across two studies, the role toxic masculinity, defined as the over-exaggeration of masculine social norms that perpetuate misogyny, plays in restrictive emotionality and intention to seek health support, as well as underlying mechanisms. Consistent with our predictions, we found that toxic masculinity, and associated variables such as aggression and dominance, were strongly linked to restrictive emotionality. Contrary to our predictions however, restrictive emotionality, but not toxic masculinity, predicted men’s avoidance in seeking help for emotional problems and having suicidal thoughts. We discuss implications, limitations, and directions for future research to address issues surrounding men’s mental health and improving service accessibility

Blood Flow Restriction Does Not Impair Ankle Proprioception in Healthy Male Adults

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has been widely used to enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy at low loads, yet its impact on proprioception, particularly ankle joint position sense (JPS), is not fully understood. This study assessed the effect of BFR on ankle proprioception in 30 healthy male subjects, who were randomly assigned to control (n = 10), sham (n = 10), and BFR (n = 10) groups. Joint position sense was evaluated using constant error (CE) and variable error (VE) during passive ankle plantarflexion before, during, and after the intervention. The BFR group underwent 80% arterial occlusion pressure, whereas the sham group received minimal pressure. Results indicated a significant effect of the group on CE (p = 0.016), with subjects in the control group overshooting the target angle more than those in the BFR group. However, no significant differences in CE were found between the BFR and sham groups (p > 0.05). Variable error showed a significant effect of time point (p = 0.048), but no interaction effect with the group was observed. These findings suggest that BFR does not impair ankle JPS accuracy or consistency in healthy males. These results provide evidence that BFR can be safely incorporated into rehabilitation or training contexts without compromising proprioception, making it a valuable option for populations that cannot engage in high-load resistance training. Future studies should expand on these findings by exploring varied populations and refining BFR protocols for optimal proprioceptive function