A case for a quantum informed approach to health communication research

Foundational social science has dominated health communication research, especially in the mainstream of Western scholarship. Alternative ways of conceptualizing, including most if not all indigenous ways of thinking, have often been relegated to second class status, if regarded at all. For those who questioned prevailing wisdom in the past, the choice regarding theory and research seemed to be one of going in a more interpretive or critical direction and leaving “science” behind or staying within a framework they found wanting in many ways. Ironically, the work of such Communication scholars as Pearce, Dutta, and others, often born from interpretative and critical perspectives, is much more consonant with quantum framed science than social science as practiced. Indeed, much of the body of indigenous perspectives align with quantum theory informed science better than social science as practiced. As we move through the 21st century, it is time that communication theory and research, especially in health communication, moves to reclaim science in ways that shift us from a Newtonian understanding of the world to more a quantum paradigm. As we do so, we will likely find that many who have been on the margins can and should move their work to the mainstream, albeit with a process that synthesizes their work with quantum science. This would help us move forward in ways that not only invite more inclusion, but also create more meaningful ways of conceptualizing communication and its relationship to health

Innovations in Addressing Mental Health Needs in Humanitarian Settings: A Complexity Informed Action Research Case Study

Addressing mental health challenges in humanitarian settings, where needs are many and resources are scarce, requires innovative solutions. In this manuscript, we describe a quantum complexity informed intervention, Communication for Whole Health (CWH), developed at the request of a large Jordanian healthcare NGO to address mental health needs of patients and staff. In the humanitarian aid context, this health domain is referred to by the acronym MHPSS (mental health and psychosocial support). The focus of this participatory action research project, presented here as a case study, was the collaborative elaboration of an MHPSS intervention in an urban primary healthcare clinic serving mostly Syrian refugees. The intervention capitalizes on the synergistic effects generated from the systemic nature of communication where every interaction is an intervention, and the health implications of research demonstrating communication is bioactive. Rather than treating mental health as an add-on medical specialty targeting patients with “psychiatric disorders,” systemic MHPSS starts from the premise that everyone has mental health, which is inextricably linked to physical and social health. Emphasis is on integrating awareness of mental health as part of whole health and taking advantage of every interaction to facilitate well-being for patients and staff. The intervention facilitated the transformation of the communication ecology of the clinic from a culture of reactivity to a culture of receptivity by strengthening communication resources and practices. Staff reported feeling more empowered to help patients and displayed increased motivation to find innovative ways to use available resources. They felt better equipped to manage their own stress response and support coworkers. Patients learned basic stress management skills, helping them better manage chronic health conditions, and reported sharing this information with family members. Staff reported many examples of patients responding positively to interventions to reduce patient reactivity, leading to beneficial behavior change and improved health outcomes. Results suggest a systemic MHPSS approach can contribute to ameliorating health inequities by expanding resources for patients and staff, empowering them to act into their current circumstances to support whole health. The CWH approach has potential in similar contexts to address mental health needs in a cost-effective and impactful way

The AIMS approach: regulating receptivity in patient-provider vaccine conversations

The World Health Organization named vaccine hesitancy a leading global health threat of modern time. Addressing this public health issue requires a multi-front strategy, one such strategic effort is training health care professionals to respond to reluctant patients/caregivers or those who refuse vaccines. AIMS (Announce, Inquire, Mirror, and Secure) is designed to help HCPs engaged in more productive conversations with patients/caregivers to secure trust, a key behavior leading to higher vaccination rates

Tracing fetal and childhood exposure to lead using isotope analysis of deciduous teeth

We report progress in using the isotopic composition and concentration of Pb in the dentine and enamel of deciduous teeth to provide a high resolution time frame of exposure to Pb during fetal development and early childhood. Isotope measurements (total Pb and 208Pb/206Pb, 207Pb/206Pb ratios) were acquired by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry at contiguous 100 micron intervals across thin sections of the teeth; from the outer enamel surface to the pulp cavity. Teeth samples (n=10) were selected from two cohorts of children, aged 5–8 years, living in NE England. By integrating the isotope data with histological analysis of the teeth, using the daily incremental lines in dentine, we were able to assign true estimated ages to each ablation point (first 2–3 years for molars, first 1–2 years for incisors+pre-natal growth). Significant differences were observed in the isotope composition and concentration of Pb between children, reflecting differences in the timing and sources of exposure during early childhood. Those born in 2000, after the withdrawal of leaded petrol in 1999, have the lowest dentine Pb levels (0.4 µgPb/g) with 208Pb/206Pb (mean ±2σ: 2.145–2.117) 208Pb/206Pb (mean ±2σ: 0.898–0.882) ratios that can be modelled as a binary mix between industrial aerosols and leaded petrol emissions. Short duration, high intensity exposure events (1–2 months) were readily identified, together with evidence that dentine provides a good proxy for childhood changes in the isotope composition of blood Pb. Our pilot study confirms that laser ablation Pb isotope analysis of deciduous teeth, when carried out in conjunction with histological analysis, permits a reconstruction of the timing, duration and source of exposure to Pb during early childhood. With further development, this approach has the potential to study larger cohorts and appraise environments where the levels of exposure to Pb are much higher

Comparative Economics: Responses to the Assurance Game in Monkeys, Apes, and Humans Using Equivalent Procedures

There is great interest in the evolution of economic behavior. In typical studies, species are asked to play one of a series of economic games, derived from game theory, and their responses are compared. The advantage of this approach is the relative level of consistency and control that emerges from the games themselves; however in the typical experiment, procedures and conditions differ widely, particularly between humans and other species. Thus, in the current study we investigated how three primate species, capuchin monkeys, chimpanzees, and humans, played the Assurance (or Stag Hunt) Game using procedures which were, to the best of our ability, the same across species, particularly with respect to training and pre-testing. Our goal was to determine what, if any, differences existed in the ways in which these species made decisions in this game. We hypothesized differences along phylogenetic lines, which we found. However, the species were more similar than might be expected. In particular, humans who played using ‘non-human primate-friendly’ rules did not behave as is typical. Thus, we find evidence for similarity in decision-making processes across the Order Primates. These results indicate that such comparative studies are possible and moreover that in any comparison rating species’ relative abilities, extreme care must be taken in ensuring that one species does not have an advantage over the others due to methodological procedures

Responses to the Assurance Game in Monkeys, Apes, and Humans Using Equivalent Procedures

There is great interest in the evolution of economic behavior. In typical studies, species are asked to play one of a series of economic games, derived from game theory, and their responses are compared. The advantage of this approach is the relative level of consistency and control that emerges from the games themselves; however, in the typical experiment, procedures and conditions differ widely, particularly between humans and other species. Thus, in the current study, we investigated how three primate species, capuchin monkeys, chimpanzees, and humans, played the Assurance (or Stag Hunt) game using procedures that were, to the best of our ability, the same across species, particularly with respect to training and pretesting. Our goal was to determine what, if any, differences existed in the ways in which these species made decisions in this game. We hypothesized differences along phylogenetic lines, which we found. However, the species were more similar than might be expected. In particular, humans who played using “nonhuman primate-friendly” rules did not behave as is typical. Thus, we find evidence for similarity in decision-making processes across the order Primates. These results indicate that such comparative studies are possible and, moreover, that in any comparison rating species’ relative abilities, extreme care must be taken in ensuring that one species does not have an advantage over the others due to methodological procedures

Contributions of regional transport and local sources to ozone exceedances in Houston and Dallas: Comparison of results from a photochemical grid model to aircraft and surface measurements

[1] During the 2000 Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS) and 2006 Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II) field experiments, aircraft measured ozone concentrations upwind, across, and downwind of the Houston and Dallas urban areas. Background ozone transported into Houston contributed, on average, approximately 50% and 66% of the total ozone on 8-h ozone exceedance days investigated by aircraft flights during TexAQS and TexAQS II, respectively. Analysis of a flight over Dallas on one exceedance day showed that transported ozone constituted 72% of the total ozone concentration. The aircraft measurements show that these two major metropolitan areas can be brought close to exceeding the 1997 8-h National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone of 0.08 ppm solely by the ozone contribution of regional transport before additional contribution from local sources. Large local contributions were also observed, particularly in Houston. Transport contributions to Dallas area ozone were quantified using the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) photochemical grid model and source apportionment methods. Model-predicted ozone concentrations were compared to ozone measurements from the aircraft and the surface monitoring network, and showed agreement on the importance of regional transport and local ozone formation. These results emphasize the benefits of regional control strategies, and suggest that local controls alone may not be sufficient to ensure attainment of the 8-h ozone standard in Houston and Dallas

Ozone-CO Correlations Determined by the TES Satellite Instrument in Continental Outflow Regions

Collocated measurements of tropospheric ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) aboard the EOS Aura satellite provide information on O3-CO correlations to test our understanding of global anthropogenic influence on O3. We examine the global distribution of TES O3-CO correlations in the middle troposphere (618 hPa) for July 2005 and compare to correlations generated with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and with ICARTT aircraft observations over the eastern United States (July 2004). The TES data show significant O3-CO correlations downwind of polluted continents, with dO3/dCO enhancement ratios in the range 0.4–1.0 mol mol−1 and consistent with ICARTT data. The GEOS-Chem model reproduces the O3-CO enhancement ratios observed in continental outflow, but model correlations are stronger and more extensive. We show that the discrepancy can be explained by spectral measurement errors in the TES data. These errors will decrease in future data releases, which should enable TES to provide better information on O3-CO correlations.Earth and Planetary SciencesEngineering and Applied Science

Examination and reconstruction of three ancient endogenous parvovirus capsid protein gene remnants found in rodent genomes

Parvovirus-derived endogenous viral elements (EVEs) have been found in the genomes of many different animal species, resulting from integration events that may have occurred from more than 50 million years ago to much more recently. Here, we further investigate the properties of autonomous parvovirus EVEs and describe their relationships to contemporary viruses. While we did not find any intact capsid protein open reading frames in the integrated viral sequences, we examined three EVEs that were repaired to form full-length sequences with relatively few changes. These sequences were found in the genomes of Rattus norvegicus (brown rat), Mus spretus (Algerian mouse), and Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse). The R. norvegicus sequence was not present in the genomes of the closely related species R. rattus, R. tanezumi, R. exulans, and R. everetti, indicating that it was less than 2 million years old, and the M. spretus and A. sylvaticus sequences were not found in the published genomes of other mouse species, also indicating relatively recent insertions. The M. spretus VP2 sequence assembled into capsids, which had high thermal stability, bound the sialic acid N-acetylneuraminic acid, and entered murine L cells. The 3.89-Å structure of the M. spretus virus-like particles (VLPs), determined using cryo-electron microscopy, showed similarities to rodent and porcine parvovirus capsids. The repaired VP2 sequences from R. norvegicus and A. sylvaticus did not assemble as first prepared, but chimeras combining capsid surface loops from R. norvegicus with canine parvovirus assembled, allowing some of that capsid’s structures and functions to be examined