The Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) Variant rs53576 Is Not Related to Emotional Traits or States in Young Adults

Background: To understand the genetic underpinnings of emotion, researchers have studied genetic variants in the oxytocin system, a hormone and neurotransmitter important to socio-emotional functioning. The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) variant rs53576 has been associated with emotional traits such as positive affect and related constructs such as optimism and self-esteem. Individuals carrying the A allele (AG and AA genotypes) of rs53576 have been found to score lower in these traits when compared to GG homozygotes, although not always. Given recent mixed evidence regarding this polymorphism, replication of these associations is critical.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, the present study tested the association between rs53576 and a wide variety of emotional traits and states in a sample of 611 young adults ages 18 – 25 of various ethnicities (European, Asian, Māori/Pacific Islander, other). Participants completed standard trait measures of positive and negative affect, depressive symptoms, life engagement, psychological well-being, optimism, and self-esteem. They also completed state measures of positive and negative affect and life engagement for 13-days using Internet daily diaries.Results: Controlling for ethnicity and gender, variation at the OXTR variant rs53576 obtained from blood samples was not related to any of the emotional traits or states. This null finding occurred despite measuring emotions in “near to real time” using daily diaries and having sufficient power to detect a medium effect size difference between homozygous genotype groups.Conclusion: These findings suggest that variation at the rs53576 locus may not be as involved in emotional differences as initial studies suggested

European language equality

This deep dive on data, knowledge graphs (KGs) and language resources (LRs) is the final of the four technology deep dives, as data as well as related models are the basis for technologies and solutions in the area of Language Technology (LT) for European digital language equality (DLE). This chapter focuses on the data and LRs required to achieve full DLE in Europe by 2030. The main components identified – data, KGs, LRs – are explained, and used to analyse the state-of-the-art as well as identify gaps. All of these components need to be tackled in the future, for the widest range of languages possible, from official EU languages to dialects to non- EU languages used in Europe. For all these languages, efficient data collection and sustainable data provision to be facilitated with fair conditions and costs. Specific technologies, methodologies and tools have been identified to enable the implementation of the vision of DLE by 2030. In addition, data-related business models and data-governance models are discussed, as they are considered a prerequisite for a working data economy that stimulates a vibrant LT landscape that can bring about European DLE.peer-reviewe

European Language Grid: An Overview

With 24 official EU and many additional languages, multilingualism in Europe and an inclusive Digital Single Market can only be enabled through Language Technologies (LTs). European LT business is dominated by hundreds of SMEs and a few large players. Many are world-class, with technologies that outperform the global players. However, European LT business is also fragmented – by nation states, languages, verticals and sectors, significantly holding back its impact. The European Language Grid (ELG) project addresses this fragmentation by establishing the ELG as the primary platform for LT in Europe. The ELG is a scalable cloud platform, providing, in an easy-to-integrate way, access to hundreds of commercial and non-commercial LTs for all European languages, including running tools and services as well as data sets and resources. Once fully operational, it will enable the commercial and non-commercial European LT community to deposit and upload their technologies and data sets into the ELG, to deploy them through the grid, and to connect with other resources. The ELG will boost the Multilingual Digital Single Market towards a thriving European LT community, creating new jobs and opportunities. Furthermore, the ELG project organises two open calls for up to 20 pilot projects. It also sets up 32 national competence centres and the European LT Council for outreach and coordination purposes

Trajetórias truncadas, trabalho e futuro: jovens fora de série na escola pública de ensino médio

Resumo O artigo discute resultados da etapa quantitativa da pesquisa Jovens fora de série: trajetórias truncadas de estudantes do ensino médio na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. A investigação tem como objetivo geral depreender e compreender trajetórias de escolarização e percursos biográficos de jovens estudantes de ensino médio de escolas públicas que se encontram em situação de defasagem escolar. Neste artigo, apresenta-se o perfil que emerge da aplicação do questionário estruturado a um universo de 593 jovens. A amostra exploratória e não probabilística foi distribuída entre 14 escolas localizadas nas zonas sul, centro, oeste e norte da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Os jovens participantes da pesquisa fazem parte de classes de Educação de Jovens Adultos (EJA) e do programa de correção de fluxo denominado Autonomia. Enfoque especial de análise é dado à combinação entre trabalho, estudo e constituição de projetos de futuro. Verificou-se que o abandono escolar cria mais problemas para o fluxo da escolarização do que as reprovações. Os dados apontam para a existência de uma superposição entre os tempos de trabalho e escola na vida dos jovens. Nesse sentido, ocorre um duplo efeito do trabalho nas trajetórias dos estudantes. Se, por um lado, trabalhar e estudar representam um desafio para a continuidade dos estudos sem truncamentos do fluxo da escolarização, por outro, a experiência de trabalho cria disposições relacionadas com a independência, a conquista da autonomia e o delineamento de projetos de futuro

The relationship between vitamin D, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being in a non-clinical population

Vitamin D has a well-established role in physical health, specifically bone formation and mineralization through its role in calcium homeostasis. Recently, new evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in mental health as well. For example, observational studies have shown that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the stable circulating form of vitamin D used as the marker of vitamin D status, is associated with a greater prevalence of depression, presence of depressive symptoms, and incidence of seasonal affective disorder. There is also some evidence from intervention studies, showing that vitamin D supplementation improves depressive symptoms, but the findings are conflicting. The aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate the role of vitamin D in mental health, focusing not only on depressive symptoms, but also expanding to a broader range of well-being measures, including some close-to-real time measures of well-being. To do this, I conducted an observational study followed by a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. The observational study aimed to replicate previous findings linking serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and depressive symptoms in a young adult sample, and to extend previous findings by testing novel links between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and a range of psychological well-being measures. University of Otago students (n=615) in Dunedin, New Zealand (45°52′S) completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and provided a non-fasting venous blood sample for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D analysis. Even after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, BMI, and time spent outdoors during two weeks prior to the blood sample collection, there was a strong association between serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D and the total CES-D score in line with previous research. Next, I examined the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with a broader range of well being outcomes, including positive and negative mood, subjective well-being, and flourishing in the same sample. Participants reported their well-being using global and daily reporting formats (“How they felt typically”, and “How they felt today” aggregated across 13 days, respectively). Interestingly, I found that higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was associated with greater global positive mood, global subjective well-being, and global flourishing, but there was no association between vitamin D and the daily measures. The randomised double blind placebo controlled trial aimed to test the causal effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on depression and well-being. A sample of premenopausal women (n=152) provided a baseline blood sample for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D analysis and took a monthly dose of either 50,000IU vitamin D3 or placebo over 6 months during the winter period in Dunedin, New Zealand. They completed monthly reports of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and global flourishing. Additionally, they reported on their daily positive and negative mood for three consecutive days every second month. At the end of the follow up period, participants provided another blood sample. The participants in the active ingredient group maintained their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D at near summer concentration, while the concentration decreased in the placebo group. Nevertheless, there were no group differences in depression, anxiety, or any of the well-being measures, suggesting that supplementation with vitamin D3 was not effective at improving these outcomes. The mixed results across the two studies indicate that while vitamin D is associated with depressive symptoms and psychological well-being, it is unlikely to be the causal agent. Even though low 25-hydroxyvitamin D is seen in depression and other mental health issues, there could be other factors influencing both mental health and vitamin D status. Such factors could include wavelengths of light other than the range required for vitamin D production, nitric oxide effects on cerebral vasculature, or the presence of inflammation. Future studies should investigate other factors involved in depression and psychological well-being, taking into account vitamin D status

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