Overview: On the transport and transformation of pollutants in the outflow of major population centres – observational data from the EMeRGe European intensive operational period in summer 2017

Megacities and other major population centres (MPCs) worldwide are major sources of air pollution, both locally as well as downwind. The overall assessment and prediction of the impact of MPC pollution on tropospheric chemistry are challenging. The present work provides an overview of the highlights of a major new contribution to the understanding of this issue based on the data and analysis of the EMeRGe (Effect of Megacities on the transport and transformation of pollutants on the Regional to Global scales) international project. EMeRGe focuses on atmospheric chemistry, dynamics, and transport of local and regional pollution originating in MPCs. Airborne measurements, taking advantage of the long range capabilities of the High Altitude and LOng Range Research Aircraft (HALO, https://www.halo-spp.de, last access: 22 March 2022), are a central part of the project. The synergistic use and consistent interpretation of observational data sets of different spatial and temporal resolution (e.g. from ground-based networks, airborne campaigns, and satellite measurements) supported by modelling within EMeRGe provide unique insight to test the current understanding of MPC pollution outflows. In order to obtain an adequate set of measurements at different spatial scales, two field experiments were positioned in time and space to contrast situations when the photochemical transformation of plumes emerging from MPCs is large. These experiments were conducted in summer 2017 over Europe and in the inter-monsoon period over Asia in spring 2018. The intensive observational periods (IOPs) involved HALO airborne measurements of ozone and its precursors, volatile organic compounds, aerosol particles, and related species as well as coordinated ground-based ancillary observations at different sites. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracer releases and model forecasts supported the flight planning, the identification of pollution plumes, and the analysis of chemical transformations during transport. This paper describes the experimental deployment and scientific questions of the IOP in Europe. The MPC targets – London (United Kingdom; UK), the Benelux/Ruhr area (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany), Paris (France), Rome and the Po Valley (Italy), and Madrid and Barcelona (Spain) – were investigated during seven HALO research flights with an aircraft base in Germany for a total of 53 flight hours. An in-flight comparison of HALO with the collaborating UK-airborne platform Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) took place to assure accuracy and comparability of the instrumentation on board. Overall, EMeRGe unites measurements of near- and far-field emissions and hence deals with complex air masses of local and distant sources. Regional transport of several European MPC outflows was successfully identified and measured. Chemical processing of the MPC emissions was inferred from airborne observations of primary and secondary pollutants and the ratios between species having different chemical lifetimes. Photochemical processing of aerosol and secondary formation or organic acids was evident during the transport of MPC plumes. Urban plumes mix efficiently with natural sources as mineral dust and with biomass burning emissions from vegetation and forest fires. This confirms the importance of wildland fire emissions in Europe and indicates an important but discontinuous contribution to the European emission budget that might be of relevance in the design of efficient mitigation strategies. The present work provides an overview of the most salient results in the European context, with these being addressed in more detail within additional dedicated EMeRGe studies. The deployment and results obtained in Asia will be the subject of separate publications

The connection between alexithymia and spontaneous facial mimicry in emotion recognition

Aktuellen Theorien zufolge spielt körperliches Erleben eine zentrale Rolle bei der Emotionserkennung. Oftmals werden emotionale Gesichtsausdrücke des Gegenübers automatisch imitiert – man nennt dies Facial Mimicry. Alexithymie ist ein dimensionales Persönlichkeitskonstrukt, das sich durch Schwierigkeiten beim Erkennen und Beschreiben von Gefühlen bei sich und anderen auszeichnet. Es wird daher auch mit einer verminderten Fähigkeit, Emotionen aus Gesichtsausdrücken zu erkennen, in Verbindung gebracht. Interozeption beschreibt die Wahrnehmung und Interpretation von Signalen aus dem eigenen Körper, wobei ein starker Zusammenhang mit Emotionserkennung zu bestehen scheint, sowie eine negative Korrelation mit Alexithymie. Unser Ziel war es, die Verbindung zwischen Facial Mimicry, Alexithymie und Interozeption bei der Emotionserkennung zu untersuchen. Eine Stichprobe von 64 Probandinnen im Alter 18-35 wurde herangezogen und Personen mit geringen (LA) und hohen Alexithymiewerten (HA) wurden verglichen. Wir vermuteten, dass die HA-Gruppe weniger Facial Mimicry zeigt (H1), weniger interozeptive Fähigkeiten aufweist (H2), in der Emotionserkennungs-Aufgabe weniger oft richtig (H3), sowie langsamer (H4) antwortet und dieser Effekt für negative Emotionen stärker ist (H5). Eine EMG-Messung am Corrugator Supercilii und dem Zygomaticus Major wurde während der Emotionserkennungs-Aufgabe durchgeführt. In unserer Stichprobe zeigte sich kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den Gruppen in der Ausprägung von Facial Mimicry (H1) und Interozeption (H2). Außerdem zeigten sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den Gruppen bezüglich der Richtigkeit (H3) und Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit (H4) bei der Emotionserkennung und somit auch kein stärkerer Effekt für negative Emotionen (H5). Die Verbindung der Variablen ist in der Theorie valide und plausibel, ließ sich jedoch anhand unserer Daten nicht bestätigen. Die größte Limitation unserer Studie liegt in der Stichprobe, die nur eine geringe Varianz in den Alexithymiewerten aufwies.According to recent theories somatic experience is strongly inter-dependent with emotion recognition (ER). Other people’s emotional facial expressions are often automatically imitated by the observer – a process called facial mimicry. Alexithymia is a dimensional personality construct characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings in the self and others and is linked to impaired facial ER. Interoception, the ability to percept and interpret signals emerging from the own body, seems to be connected to emotional experience and negatively linked to alexithymia. This study aimed to investigate the connection between facial mimicry, alexithymia and interoception in ER. A sample of 64 female participants, age 18-35, was conducted and individuals with low (LA) versus high alexithymia (HA) were compared. We assumed that the HA group shows less facial mimicry (H1), less interoceptive abilities (H2), recognizes emotions less accurate (H3) and slower (H4) and that these effects are stronger for negative emotions (H5). EMG was recorded during an Emotion Recognition Task (ERT) for the corrugator supercilii and the zygomaticus major. In our sample LA and HA showed no significant differences in the extent of facial mimicry (H1) and interoceptive abilities (H2). We further found no significant differences between LA and HA regarding accuracy (H3) and reaction time (H4) during the ERT and with that no stronger effect for negative emotions (H5). At a theoretical level, the association of our variables is valid and plausible, but our data failed to support it. The main limitation of the study is attributable to the sample and the small variance of alexithymia scores

The connection between alexithymia and spontaneous facial mimicry in emotion recognition

Aktuellen Theorien zufolge spielt körperliches Erleben eine zentrale Rolle bei der Emotionserkennung. Oftmals werden emotionale Gesichtsausdrücke des Gegenübers automatisch imitiert – man nennt dies Facial Mimicry. Alexithymie ist ein dimensionales Persönlichkeitskonstrukt, das sich durch Schwierigkeiten beim Erkennen und Beschreiben von Gefühlen bei sich und anderen auszeichnet. Es wird daher auch mit einer verminderten Fähigkeit, Emotionen aus Gesichtsausdrücken zu erkennen, in Verbindung gebracht. Interozeption beschreibt die Wahrnehmung und Interpretation von Signalen aus dem eigenen Körper, wobei ein starker Zusammenhang mit Emotionserkennung zu bestehen scheint, sowie eine negative Korrelation mit Alexithymie. Unser Ziel war es, die Verbindung zwischen Facial Mimicry, Alexithymie und Interozeption bei der Emotionserkennung zu untersuchen. Eine Stichprobe von 64 Probandinnen im Alter 18-35 wurde herangezogen und Personen mit geringen (LA) und hohen Alexithymiewerten (HA) wurden verglichen. Wir vermuteten, dass die HA-Gruppe weniger Facial Mimicry zeigt (H1), weniger interozeptive Fähigkeiten aufweist (H2), in der Emotionserkennungs-Aufgabe weniger oft richtig (H3), sowie langsamer (H4) antwortet und dieser Effekt für negative Emotionen stärker ist (H5). Eine EMG-Messung am Corrugator Supercilii und dem Zygomaticus Major wurde während der Emotionserkennungs-Aufgabe durchgeführt. In unserer Stichprobe zeigte sich kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den Gruppen in der Ausprägung von Facial Mimicry (H1) und Interozeption (H2). Außerdem zeigten sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den Gruppen bezüglich der Richtigkeit (H3) und Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit (H4) bei der Emotionserkennung und somit auch kein stärkerer Effekt für negative Emotionen (H5). Die Verbindung der Variablen ist in der Theorie valide und plausibel, ließ sich jedoch anhand unserer Daten nicht bestätigen. Die größte Limitation unserer Studie liegt in der Stichprobe, die nur eine geringe Varianz in den Alexithymiewerten aufwies.According to recent theories somatic experience is strongly inter-dependent with emotion recognition (ER). Other people’s emotional facial expressions are often automatically imitated by the observer – a process called facial mimicry. Alexithymia is a dimensional personality construct characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings in the self and others and is linked to impaired facial ER. Interoception, the ability to percept and interpret signals emerging from the own body, seems to be connected to emotional experience and negatively linked to alexithymia. This study aimed to investigate the connection between facial mimicry, alexithymia and interoception in ER. A sample of 64 female participants, age 18-35, was conducted and individuals with low (LA) versus high alexithymia (HA) were compared. We assumed that the HA group shows less facial mimicry (H1), less interoceptive abilities (H2), recognizes emotions less accurate (H3) and slower (H4) and that these effects are stronger for negative emotions (H5). EMG was recorded during an Emotion Recognition Task (ERT) for the corrugator supercilii and the zygomaticus major. In our sample LA and HA showed no significant differences in the extent of facial mimicry (H1) and interoceptive abilities (H2). We further found no significant differences between LA and HA regarding accuracy (H3) and reaction time (H4) during the ERT and with that no stronger effect for negative emotions (H5). At a theoretical level, the association of our variables is valid and plausible, but our data failed to support it. The main limitation of the study is attributable to the sample and the small variance of alexithymia scores

Medicaid Expansions: Probing Medicaid’s Filling of the Cancer Genetic Testing and Screening Space

Cancer is the third largest source of spending for Medicaid in the United States. A working group of the American Public Health Association Genomics Forum Policy Committee reviewed 133/149 pieces of literature addressing the impact of Medicaid expansion on cancer screening and genetic testing in underserved groups and the general population. Breast and colorectal cancer screening rates improved during very early Medicaid expansion but displayed mixed improvement thereafter. Breast cancer screening rates have remained steady for Latina Medicaid enrollees; colorectal cancer screening rates have improved for African Americans. Urban areas have benefited more than rural. State programs increasingly cover BRCA1/2 and Lynch syndrome genetic testing, though testing remains underutilized in racial and ethnic groups. While increased federal matching could incentivize more states to engage in Medicaid expansion, steps need to be taken to ensure that they have an adequate distribution of resources to increase screening and testing utilization