Protecting the ingroup? Authoritarianism, immigration attitudes, and affective polarization

What makes people affectively polarized? Affective polarization is based on the idea that partisanship can be a social identity leading to polarization in the form of intergroup distancing between the own party and other parties. In this article, we argue that perceived threats from an outgroup can spur affective polarization. To investigate this, we use the issue of immigration, often framed as a threat by right-wing groups, to examine whether individual-level differences influence how sensititivity to the perception of immigration as a threat. One such factor is the trait right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), which is characterized by emphasis on submission to authority and upholding norms of social order. The emphasis among individuals with this trait on protecting the ingroup from threats means that negativity toward immigration is likely to extend toward political opponents, resulting in an increase in affective polarization. Thus, we hypothesize that affective polarization is likely to increase when individuals interpret immigration as threatening, particularly for individuals who are high in RWA. We evaluate and find support for this claim using a large-scale survey performed in Sweden (N = 898). The results, showing a conditional effect of immigration attitudes on affective polarization, are consistent across three commonly used measures of affective polarization; trait ratings, a social distance measure, and feeling thermometers. Overall, our results show that it is important to consider intergroup threats and intergroup differences in the context of sensitivity to such threats when explaining affective polarization

Authoritarianism and immigration attitudes in the UK

Opposition to immigration has featured prominently in the ‘cultural backlash’ to globalizationin Western nations and was a key determinant of Britain’s Brexit referendum. In this paper, we draw on theories of intergroup threat to examine the effect of ‘right-wing authoritarianism’ (RWA) on immigration attitudes in the UK. Previous research suggests that cultural aspects of immigration are especially important in shaping anti-immigrant attitudes. We use an original survey measuring attitudes towards immigration from differing skill levels and national origins. We find that RWA is a much stronger predictor of immigration attitudes than other attributes. Additionally, the effect of RWA varies by origin, most strongly predicting opposition towards culturally distant immigrant groups. We also find evidence that these effects are driven by the ‘aggression’ component of RWA, a facet of authoritarianism that captures a predisposition toward the enforcement of group norms

Do all chlorophyll fluorescence emission wavelengths capture the spring recovery of photosynthesis in boreal evergreen foliage?

Chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) is closely related to photosynthesis and can be measured remotely using multiple spectral features as solar-induced fluorescence (SIF). In boreal regions, SIF shows particular promise as an indicator of photosynthesis, in part because of the limited variation of seasonal light absorption in these ecosystems. Seasonal spectral changes in ChlF could yield new information on processes such as sustained nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ(S)) but also disrupt the relationship between SIF and photosynthesis. We followed ChlF and functional and biochemical properties of Pinus sylvestris needles during the photosynthetic spring recovery period to answer the following: (a) How ChlF spectra change over seasonal timescales? (b) How pigments, NPQ(S), and total photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorption drive changes of ChlF spectra? (c) Do all ChlF wavelengths track photosynthetic seasonality? We found seasonal ChlF variation in the red and far-red wavelengths, which was strongly correlated with NPQ(S), carotenoid content, and photosynthesis (enhanced in the red), but not with PAR absorption. Furthermore, a rapid decrease in red/far-red ChlF ratio occurred in response to a cold spell, potentially relating to the structural reorganization of the photosystems. We conclude that all current SIF retrieval features can track seasonal photosynthetic dynamics in boreal evergreens, but the full SIF spectra provides additional insight.Peer reviewe

Solar eclipse demonstrating the importance of photochemistry in new particle formation

Solar eclipses provide unique possibilities to investigate atmospheric processes, such as new particle formation (NPF), important to the global aerosol load and radiative balance. The temporary absence of solar radiation gives particular insight into different oxidation and clustering processes leading to NPF. This is crucial because our mechanistic understanding on how NPF is related to photochemistry is still rather limited. During a partial solar eclipse over Finland in 2015, we found that this phenomenon had prominent effects on atmospheric on-going NPF. During the eclipse, the sources of aerosol precursor gases, such as sulphuric acid and nitrogen-containing highly oxidised organic compounds, decreased considerably, which was followed by a reduced formation of small clusters and nanoparticles and thus termination of NPF. After the eclipse, aerosol precursor molecule concentrations recovered and reinitiated NPF. Our results provide direct evidence on the key role of the photochemical production of sulphuric acid and highly oxidized organic compounds in maintaining atmospheric NPF. Our results also explain the rare occurrence of this phenomenon under dark conditions, as well as its seemingly weak connection with atmospheric ions.Peer reviewe

Clinical practice selectively follows acute appendicitis guidelines

Peer reviewe

Monitoring of ticks and tick-borne pathogens through a nationwide research station network in Finland

In 2015 a long-term, nationwide tick and tick-borne pathogen (TBP) monitoring project was started by the Finnish Tick Project and the Finnish Research Station network (RESTAT), with the goal of producing temporally and geographically extensive data regarding exophilic ticks in Finland. In the current study, we present results from the first four years of this collaboration. Ticks were collected by cloth dragging from 11 research stations across Finland in May September 2015-2018 (2012-2018 in Seili). Collected ticks were screened for twelve different pathogens by qPCR: Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia valaisiana, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia miyamotoi, Babesia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Francisella tularensis, Bartonella spp. and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Altogether 15 067 Ixodes ricinus and 46 Ixodes persulcatus were collected during 68 km of dragging. Field collections revealed different seasonal activity patterns for the two species. The activity of I. persulcatus adults (only one nymph detected) was unimodal, with activity only in May July, whereas Ixodes ricinus was active from May to September, with activity peaks in September (nymphs) or July August (adults). Overall, tick densities were higher during the latter years of the study. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were the most common pathogens detected, with 48.9 +/- 8.4% (95% Cl) of adults and 25.3 +/- 4.4% of nymphs carrying the bacteria. No samples positive for F. tularensis, Bartonella or TBEV were detected. This collaboration project involving the extensive Finnish Research Station network has ensured enduring and spatially extensive, long-term tick data collection to the foreseeable future.Peer reviewe

Antenatal screening for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella susceptibility in the EU/EEA : A Member State survey of policies and practices in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission

The results of this survey and the available surveillance data indicate that there is ongoing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella, especially among certain high-risk populations. This suggests that the effectiveness of the antenatal screening practice – despite of considerable breaths – can be optimised. Factors that compromise effectiveness include low screening coverage, limited access to antenatal care services, and limited access to testing for several subpopulations. While the case rates of MTCT of HIV and congenital syphilis are below the WHO global targets for the elimination in the EU/EEA (<50 cases per 100 000 live births), antenatal care coverage and testing still needs to be scaled up in several countries, with increased attention to be given to improving access to antenatal screening for vulnerable groups. Few countries collect data robust enough for a comprehensive evaluation of antenatal screening programme effectiveness, and even fewer countries make the results of such evaluations publically available. It would therefore be helpful to develop a set of process and outcome indicators to guide countries in the monitoring and evaluation of antenatal screening programme effectiveness. Several national surveillance systems in EU/EEA countries do not currently identify and record all MTCT cases in people born in the reporting country. Recording these cases is essential for the informative value of national screening programmes. In addition, the notification of congenital syphilis cases is not mandatory in some countries. Enhanced surveillance of MTCT cases with comprehensive collection of information about the mother and the child would improve the assessment of the incidence of MTCT and would provide valuable information on risk factors. This information could then be used to inform national policies and would probably lead to scaled-up antenatal screening for the most-at-risk subpopulations. Ongoing mother-to-child transmission particularly affects certain vulnerable groups that are not adequately reached by, or do not have access to, testing services and prevention interventions that are available to the majority of the population. Member States should consider targeted interventions for such populations at risk, based on an assessment of disease epidemiology and risk profile. ECDC is currently developing an evidence-based guidance to strengthen antenatal screening among vulnerable groups. The guidance will answer two central questions: a) What are the decisive elements of national programmes for antenatal infection screening with regard to their effectiveness and b) how can vulnerable groups be reached to increase the uptake of prenatal care in order to prevent or reduce mother-to-child transmission of infectious diseases

Neutrophil cell surface receptors and their intracellular signal transduction pathways

AbstractNeutrophils play a critical role in the host defense against bacterial and fungal infections, but their inappropriate activation also contributes to tissue damage during autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Neutrophils express a large number of cell surface receptors for the recognition of pathogen invasion and the inflammatory environment. Those include G-protein-coupled chemokine and chemoattractant receptors, Fc-receptors, adhesion receptors such as selectins/selectin ligands and integrins, various cytokine receptors, as well as innate immune receptors such as Toll-like receptors and C-type lectins. The various cell surface receptors trigger very diverse signal transduction pathways including activation of heterotrimeric and monomeric G-proteins, receptor-induced and store-operated Ca2+ signals, protein and lipid kinases, adapter proteins and cytoskeletal rearrangement. Here we provide an overview of the receptors involved in neutrophil activation and the intracellular signal transduction processes they trigger. This knowledge is crucial for understanding how neutrophils participate in antimicrobial host defense and inflammatory tissue damage and may also point to possible future targets of the pharmacological therapy of neutrophil-mediated autoimmune or inflammatory diseases

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages