A cautionary tale of topography and tilt from Kīlauea Caldera

We conduct finite element analysis to investigate the effect of sharp topography on surface ground deformation caused by pressure changes in a magma reservoir. Tilt data expresses the horizontal gradient of vertical deformation and therefore can emphasise small variations in deformation that go unnoticed using other methods. We find that the vertical displacement profile at a surface with a cliff can be thought of as the superposition of the deformation from shallow and deeper sources. This combination can create a small peak in vertical displacement that acts as a pseudo‐source, creating a reversal of the deformation gradient and therefore anomalous tilt magnitude and a rotation of up to 180° . We apply these models to Kīlauea Caldera and find that surface geometry creates a tilt rotation of ∼10°, partially explaining anomalous tilt that has been observed. Our analysis highlights the importance of considering topography when assessing tilt measurements at active volcanoes

Exploring the relationship between sexual compulsivity and attentional bias to sex-related words in a cohort of sexually active individuals

Background/Aims: If sexual compulsivity and other addictive behaviours share common aetiology, contemporary proposals about the role of attentional processes in understanding addictive behaviours are relevant. Methods: To examine attentional biases for sex-related words amongst sexually active individuals and the relationship between sexual compulsivity and sexual behavioural engagement with attentional bias, 55 sexually active individuals completed a modified Stroop task and the sexual compulsivity scale. Results: Findings showed attentional bias towards sex-related stimuli among sexually active participants. In addition, amongst those with low levels of sexual compulsivity, levels of attentional bias were the same across all levels of sexual experience. Amongst those with higher levels of sexual compulsivity, greater attentional bias was linked with lower levels of sexual experience. Conclusion: Attentional preference for concern-related stimuli varies as a function of the interaction between how long a person has been active sexually and how compulsive their sexual behaviour is

Colored Conventions in a Box

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: Described by the creators as “Colored Conventions in a Box,” the curriculum materials of the Colored Conventions Project aims to serve as a “curricular package that supports instructors as they engage in teaching that transforms the minutes of the convention they’ve chosen to teach into a rich and engaging series of cultural biographies and visual artifacts.” The curriculum includes memos of understanding for students and teachers, lesson plans, sample exercises and syllabi, and strategies for grading work using the convention material. Along with classroom exercises and pedagogy, the curriculum materials model best practices for instructors interested in using the archival material on the site and teaching diverse subjects or sensitive topics. Instructors can use the curriculum as is alongside the Colored Conventions Project or adapt elements (like the memo of understanding) to guide students developing their own projects

Using the Web to Collect Data on Sensitive Behaviours: A Study Looking at Mode Effects on the British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.

BACKGROUND: Interviewer-administered surveys are an important method of collecting population-level epidemiological data, but suffer from declining response rates and increasing costs. Web surveys offer more rapid data collection and lower costs. There are concerns, however, about data quality from web surveys. Previous research has largely focused on selection biases, and few have explored measurement differences. This paper aims to assess the extent to which mode affects the responses given by the same respondents at two points in time, providing information on potential measurement error if web surveys are used in the future. METHODS: 527 participants from the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), which uses computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) and self-interview (CASI) modes, subsequently responded to identically-worded questions in a web survey. McNemar tests assessed whether within-person differences in responses were at random or indicated a mode effect, i.e. higher reporting of more sensitive responses in one mode. An analysis of pooled responses by generalized estimating equations addressed the impact of gender and question type on change. RESULTS: Only 10% of responses changed between surveys. However mode effects were found for about a third of variables, with higher reporting of sensitive responses more commonly found on the web compared with Natsal-3. CONCLUSIONS: The web appears a promising mode for surveys of sensitive behaviours, most likely as part of a mixed-mode design. Our findings suggest that mode effects may vary by question type and content, and by the particular mix of modes used. Mixed-mode surveys need careful development to understand mode effects and how to account for them

Discrete strategies to reduce intake of discretionary food choices: a scoping review

On a population level, dietary improvement strategies have had limited success in preventing the surge in overweight and obesity or reducing risk factors for chronic disease. While numerous multi-component studies have examined whole-of-diet strategies, and single component (i.e. discrete) dietary intervention strategies have targeted an increase in core foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables, dairy), there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of dietary intervention strategies targeting a decrease in discretionary choices. The aim of this review was to identify dietary intervention strategies that are potentially relevant to reducing intake of discretionary choices in 2–65 year olds. A scoping review was carried out to map the literature on key discrete dietary intervention strategies that are potentially applicable to reducing discretionary choices, and to identify the targeted health/nutrition effects (e.g. improve nutrient intake, decrease sugar intake, and reduce body weight) of these strategies. Studies conducted in participants aged 2–65 years and published in English by July 20, 2015, were located through electronic searches including the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus. Three thousand two hundred and eighty three studies were identified from the search, of which 44 met the selection criteria. The dietary intervention strategies included reformulation (n = 13), substitution (n = 5), restriction/elimination (n = 9), supplementation (n = 13), and nutrition education/messages (n = 4). The key findings of the review were: restricting portion size was consistently beneficial for reducing energy intake in the acute setting; reformulating foods from higher fat to lower fat could be useful to reduce saturated fat intake; substituting discretionary choices for high fibre snacks, fruit, or low/no-calorie beverages may be an effective strategy for reducing energy intake; supplementing nutrient dense foods such as nuts and wholegrain cereals supports an improved overall diet quality; and, a combination of permissive and restrictive nutrition messages may effectively modify behavior to reduce discretionary choices intake. Longer-term, well-controlled studies are required to assess the effectiveness of the identified dietary strategies as interventions to reduce discretionary choices intake

A large genome-wide association study of age-related macular degeneration highlights contributions of rare and common variants

Advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly with limited therapeutic options. Here, we report on a study of \u3e12 million variants including 163,714 directly genotyped, most rare, protein-altering variant. Analyzing 16,144 patients and 17,832 controls, we identify 52 independently associated common and rare variants (P \u3c 5×10–8) distributed across 34 loci. While wet and dry AMD subtypes exhibit predominantly shared genetics, we identify the first signal specific to wet AMD, near MMP9 (difference-P = 4.1×10–10). Very rare coding variants (frequency \u3c 0.1%) in CFH, CFI, and TIMP3 suggest causal roles for these genes, as does a splice variant in SLC16A8. Our results support the hypothesis that rare coding variants can pinpoint causal genes within known genetic loci and illustrate that applying the approach systematically to detect new loci requires extremely large sample sizes

Development and Validity of a Workplace Health Promotion Best Practices Assessment

Objective: To explore the factor structure of the HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer (HERO Scorecard) to develop a reduced version and examine the reliability and validity of that version. Methods: A reduced version of the HERO Scorecard was developed through formal statistical analyses on data collected from 845 organizations that completed the original HERO Scorecard. Results: The final factors in the reduced Scorecard represented content pertaining to organizational and leadership support, program comprehensiveness, program integration, and incentives. All four implemented practices were found to have a strong, statistically significant effect on perceived effectiveness. Organizational and leadership support had the strongest effect (β = 0.56), followed by incentives (β = 0.23). Conclusion: The condensed version of the HERO Scorecard has the potential to be a promising tool for future research on the extent to which employers are adopting best practices in their health and well-being (HWB) initiatives