Genetic and Environmental Influences on Individual Differences in Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: An Australian Twin Study

Previous research has shown that many heterosexuals hold negative attitudes toward homosexuals and homosexuality (homophobia). Although a great deal of research has focused on the profile of homophobic individuals, this research provides little theoretical insight into the aetiology of homophobia. To examine genetic and environmental influences on variation in attitudes toward homophobia, we analysed data from 4,688 twins who completed a questionnaire concerning sexual behaviour and attitudes, including attitudes toward homosexuality. Results show that, in accordance with literature, males have significantly more negative attitudes toward homosexuality than females and non-heterosexuals are less homophobic than heterosexuals. In contrast with some earlier findings, age had no significant effect on the homophobia scores in this study. Genetic modelling showed that variation in homophobia scores could be explained by additive genetic (36%), shared environmental (18%) and unique environmental factors (46%). However, corrections based on previous findings show that the shared environmental estimate may be almost entirely accounted for as extra additive genetic variance arising from assortative mating for homophobic attitudes. The results suggest that variation in attitudes toward homosexuality is substantially inherited, and that social environmental influences are relatively minor

DiMIZA : a dispersion modeling based impact zone assessment of mercury (Hg) emissions from coal-fired power plants and risk evaluation for inhalation exposure

Coal-fired combined heat and power plants (CHPPs) serving large districts are among the major sources of mercury (Hg) emissions globally, including Central Asia. Most CHPPs reside on the outskirts of urban areas, thus creating risk zones. The impact of atmospheric Hg levels on health is complex to establish due to the site-specific nature of the relationship between CHPP emissions and hotspots (i.e., localized areas where Hg concentrations greatly exceed its background value). However, a methodological identification of "emission impact zones" for atmospheric Hg emissions from CHPPs with potential adverse public health outcomes has not yet been fully studied. The present work suggests an easy-to-use and cost-free impact zone identification method based on HYSPLIT dispersion modeling for atmospheric Hg emissions from CHPPs. The dispersion modeling based impact zone assessment, DiMIZA, merges short-term dispersion runs (e.g., hourly) into long-term emission impacts (e.g., yearly), which allows to identify the source impact zones. To perform a case study using the suggested method, a CHPP plant in Nur-Sultan (capital of Kazakhstan) was selected. First, traditional ad-hoc measurements were performed to identify the level of dispersions at ground level in different atmospheric stability characteristics. Then, HYSPLIT dispersion model was run for the same days and times of those particular periods when the field measurements were performed. The model results were evaluated via a comparison with the ground measurements and assessed for their atmospheric stability and diel conditions. Due to different emission loads in heating and non-heating periods, two separate pairs of impact zone maps were generated, and public Hg exposure health risks (acute and chronic) were assessed

Longitudinal Associations Between Perceived Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence

This longitudinal study examined bidirectional paths between perceived parent-adolescent relationship quality and depressive symptoms, as well as the moderating role of sex, age, and personality type. 1313 Dutch adolescents (51% girls) from two cohorts (923 12-year olds and 390 16-year olds at Wave 1) reported on their personality, depressive symptoms, and perceived relationship quality to parents in four waves. Consistent with a relationship erosion perspective, depressive symptoms negatively predicted perceived relationship quality with parents. Relationship quality to mothers predicted depressive symptoms for boys and girls, but relationship quality to fathers predicted depressive symptoms only for boys. Personality type only moderated initial associations between relationship quality with mothers and depressive symptoms, which were stronger for Overcontrollers and Undercontrollers than for Resilients. Results thus reveal a pattern of mutual influence between perceived relationship quality and depressive symptoms that is moderated by the interplay among parent and adolescent sex and adolescent personality type

Kinetics of O3 with Ca+ and Its Higher Oxides CaOn+ (n = 1–3) and Updates to a Model of Meteoric Calcium in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

The room-temperature rate constants and product branching fractions of CaOn+ (n = 0–3) + O3 are measured using a selected ion flow tube apparatus. Ca+ + O3 produces CaO+ + O2 with k = 9 ± 4 × 10–10 cm3 s–1, within uncertainty equal to the Langevin capture rate constant. This value is significantly larger than several literature values. Most likely, those values were underestimated due to the reformation of Ca+ from the sequential chemistry of higher calcium oxide cations with O3, as explored here. A rate constant of 8 ± 3 × 10–10 cm3 s–1 is recommended. Both CaO+ and CaO2+ react near the capture rate constant with ozone. The CaO+ reaction yields both CaO2+ + O2 (0.80 ± 0.15 branching) and Ca+ + 2O2. Similarly, the CaO2+ reaction yields both CaO3+ + O2 (0.85 ± 0.15 branching) and CaO+ + 2O2. CaO3+ + O3 yield CaO2+ + 2O2 at 2 ± 1 × 10–11 cm3 s–1, about 2% of the capture rate constant. The results are supported using density functional calculations and statistical modeling. In general, CaOn+ + O3 yield CaOn+1+ + O2, the expected oxidation. Some fraction of CaOn+1+ is produced with sufficient internal energy to further dissociate to CaOn–1+ + O2, yielding the same products as the oxidation of O3 by CaOn+. Mesospheric Ca and Ca+ concentrations are modeled as functions of day, latitude, and altitude using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM); incorporating the updated rate constants improves agreement with concentrations derived from lidar measurements