Foundational guiding principles for a flourishing Earth System

In this perspectives article, we maintain that the current local to global sustainable development predicaments we face are the result of humanity's impact on the Earth System (ES)—that is to say, on the very systemic fabric of the ES (i.e., its functioning and configuration), combined with an insufficiently coherent application of sustainable development policy to address and resolve this systemic problem. In response to what is an urgent crisis, we propose four foundational guiding principles, which we contend provide an overarching framing that, if implemented, would offer an approach to steer global sustainable development policy in a manner that would be to the benefit of the ES and the securing of a flourishing future for all. Our principles are applicable at the levels from a local business ecosystem, national-regional networks, to global policy

The varieties of vitality: A cross-cultural lexical analysis

Vitality has been underappreciated and underexplored by academia at large. This oversight is potentially explained by the Western-centric nature of most fields, with vitality having been comparatively neglected in the West relative to elsewhere. One explanation for this lacuna is that vitality is not easily pigeonholed within the ontological categories dominant in the West, such as mind and body. This paper therefore aims to learn from cultures that have cultivated a greater understanding of vitality, doing so by engaging with relevant ‘untranslatable’ words (i.e., those without exact equivalent in English), thus enriching our conceptual map of this topic. Over 200 relevant terms were located and analyzed using an adapted form of grounded theory. Three themes were identified, each with four subthemes: spirit (life force, channels, soul, and transcendence); energy (fortitude, channeling, willpower, and recharging); and heart (desire, passion, affection, and satisfaction). The paper thus refines our understanding of this important topic and provides a foundation for future research.

odML-Tables as a Metadata Standard in Microneurography

Metadata is essential for handling medical data according to FAIR principles. Standards are well-established for many types of electrophysiological methods but are still lacking for microneurographic recordings of peripheral sensory nerve fibers in humans. Developing a new concept to enhance laboratory workflows is a complex process. We propose a standard for structuring and storing microneurography metadata based on odML and odML-tables. Further, we present an extension to the odML-tables GUI that enables user-friendly search functionality of the database. With our open-source repository, we encourage other microneurography labs to incorporate odML-based metadata into their experimental routines

Evaluating the association of TRPA1 gene polymorphisms with pain sensitivity:a protocol for an adaptive recall by genotype study

BACKGROUND: Pain is a complex polygenic trait whose common genetic underpinnings are relatively ill-defined due in part to challenges in measuring pain as a phenotype. Pain sensitivity can be quantified, but this is difficult to perform at the scale required for genome wide association studies (GWAS). Existing GWAS of pain have identified surprisingly few loci involved in nociceptor function which contrasts strongly with rare monogenic pain states. This suggests a lack of resolution with current techniques. We propose an adaptive methodology within a recall-by-genotype (RbG) framework using detailed phenotyping to screen minor alleles in a candidate ‘nociceptor’ gene in an attempt to estimate their genetic contribution to pain. METHODS/DESIGN: Participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children will be recalled on the basis of genotype at five common non-synonomous SNPs in the ‘nociceptor’ gene transient receptor potential ankylin 1 (TRPA1). Those homozygous for the common alleles at each of the five SNPs will represent a control group. Individuals homozygous for the minor alleles will then be recruited in a series of three sequential test groups. The outcome of a pre-planned early assessment (interim) of the current test group will determine whether to continue recruitment or switch to the next test group. Pain sensitivity will be assessed using quantitative sensory testing (QST) before and after topical application of 10% cinnamaldehyde (a TRPA1 agonist). DISCUSSION: The design of this adaptive RbG study offers efficiency in the assessment of associations between genetic variation at TRPA1 and detailed pain phenotypes. The possibility to change the test group in response to preliminary data increases the likelihood to observe smaller effect sizes relative to a conventional multi-armed design, as well as reducing futile testing of participants where an effect is unlikely to be observed. This specific adaptive RbG design aims to uncover the influence of common TRPA1 variants on pain sensation but can be applied to any hypothesis-led genotype study where costly and time intensive investigation is required and / or where there is large uncertainty around the expected effect size. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN16294731. Retrospectively registered 25th November 2021. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-022-01156-5

Beyond a single story: The heterogeneity of human flourishing in 22 countries

Contemporary cross-cultural research on flourishing and development has been limited by a focus on Western populations and typically Western priorities, and by attention to only a few indicators of flourishing, such as life satisfaction, life expectancy, or GDP per capita. This paper highlights some significant challenges for robust cross-national and cross-cultural research on the domains and drivers of flourishing. Using data from the recently proposed Global Comparison Framework and the Gallup World Poll, we explore the within- and between-country heterogeneity of flourishing and its determinants across the 22 countries which are the subject of the Global Flourishing Study. Sources of heterogeneity considered include potential tradeoffs among domains of flourishing; the effects of cultural differences on the conceptualization and actualization of flourishing; and the cultural specificity of core analytical concepts, including “life evaluation” and “nation.

Individual Value-Driven Rent Dissipation in Limited-Entry Fisheries: Experimental Evidence

Economists have devoted considerable attention to rent-dissipation in limited-entry fisheries as a result of excessive use of capital inputs, or "capital stuffing." We may refer to this mechanism of rent dissipation as "cost-driven rent dissipation." An alternative potential mechanism of rent dissipation, which we refer to as "value-driven rent dissipation," may occur if limited-entry management causes fishermen to receive a lower price for their fish than would be possible under an alternative management system. In theory, value-driven rent dissipation may occur if the marginal value to a fisherman from fishing differently (for example, more slowly to take better care of the fish and improve quality) is positive but less than the marginal cost from a reduced catch share. This paper describes an economic experiment to study value-driven rent dissipation in a limited entry fishery. Following an approach developed by Knapp and Murphy (2010), subjects "fish" competitively for beans by scooping them out of a large bowl and "delivering" them to a pitcher. Given the choice of delivering to a pitcher placed close by for a lower price or a pitcher placed farther away for a higher price, unless the price differential is sufficiently high, subjects choose the closer but lower-priced pitcher. With the introduction of an individual quota to replace the competitive fishery, value dissipation ends as subjects choose the higher-priced pitcher. This simple experiment provides a powerful demonstration of a less-appreciated mechanism of rent dissipation, which is useful for both research and teaching.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Fish and Aquaculture Sectors Development, Contributions of Fisheries to Socioeconomic Wellbein

The Student Movement Volume 108 Issue 19: Where did you Portu-Go for Spring Break?

HUMANS Women\u27s History Month Interview: Dr. Vanessa Corredera, Interviewed by Lauren Kim Food for a Sustainable Student, Interviews by Savannah Tyler Assistant to the President for Mission and Culture Interview: Willie Edward Hucks II (Diversity Officer), Interviewed by Lauren Kim ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Tumbling Through the Decades: A Look at the Early Years of the Andrews University Gymnics, Madison Vath Men in Black: Student Conductors Take Over AUSO, Aiko J. Ayala Rios Pilipino Cultural Night: Salika!, Lexie Dunham NEWS Updates and Changes from This Year\u27s Board of Trustees Meeting, Melissa Moore How Andrews Started Offering the Degrees We Know Today, Melissa Moore New Diversity Officer Hired, Andrew Francis Summit on Social Consciousness 2024: How Far Andrews Has Come and How Far We Have Left, Andrew Francis IDEAS Racing Against the Algorithm: The Challenge of Crafting Laws for Rapid AI Advancement, Abby Shim Don\u27t Quit Your Day Job: The Rise and Fall of Influencers, Katie Davis PULSE To Bon Appétit or not?, Anna Rybachek What you Could Have Don for Spring Break, Nate Miller LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jim Walters, Challenges Facing AU, My Alma Mater LAST WORD Food for Thought, Nathaniel Reidhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/sm-108/1018/thumbnail.jp