A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries. The autonomy-supportive message decreased feelings of defying social distancing recommendations relative to the controlling message, and the controlling message increased controlled motivation, a less effective form of motivation, relative to no message. Message type did not impact intentions to socially distance, but people’s existing motivations were related to intentions. Findings were generalizable across a geographically diverse sample and may inform public health communication strategies in this and future global health emergencies. Abstract Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

The impact of dune stabilisation on the conservation status of sand dune systems in Wales

Sand dunes in Wales are becoming increasingly stable, reducing their biodiversity value, particularly for obligate and near obligate dune species. A case study shows that in the 1950s, 75 % of one dune site consisted of mobile dunes and embryonic dune slacks with open vegetation, but by the 1990s only about 6 % of the site could be classed as mobile or open, and embryonic dune slacks were virtually non-existent. This is now considered to be a trend that has affected all dune systems in Wales and most in north-west Europe. As a result, certain plant and fungus species associated with early successional stages and invertebrates that rely on open sandy areas may be facing local extinction. Drivers influencing stabilization can be external, such as sediment supply, nutrient enrichment, climate change, and predicted sea-level rise, and internal, such as soil development, grazing management, and scrub control together with recent measures to counter stabilization. The latter includes the new restoration technique of topsoil inversion or deep ploughing, with early results suggesting success in rejuvenating sand movement. Mobilization will also enable landward migration, providing a mechanism to help conserve the overall sand body in the face of sea-level rise

Factors controlling soil development in sand dunes: evidence from a coastal dune soil cronosequence

Aerial photographs, maps and optically stimulated luminescence dates were combined with existing soil data to construct high resolution chronosequences of soil development over 140 years at a temperate Atlantic UK dune system. Since soil formation had progressed for varying duration under different climate and nitrogen deposition regimes, it was possible to infer their relative influence on soil development compared with location-specific variables such as soil pH, slope and distance to the sea. Results suggest that soil development followed a sigmoid curve. Soil development was faster in wet than in dry dune habitats. In dry dunes, rates were greater than in the literature: they increased with increasing temperature and nitrogen deposition and decreased with increasing summer gales. The combination explained 62% of the variation. Co-correlation meant that effects of nitrogen deposition could not be differentiated from temperature. In wet dune habitats rates increased with temperature and decreased with gales. The combination explained only 23% of the variation; surprisingly, rainfall was not significant. Effects of location-specific variables were not significant in either habitat type. Nitrogen accumulation was faster in wet than dry dune habitats, averaging 43 kg N ha−1 per year overall. Nitrogen accumulation greatly exceeded inputs from atmospheric deposition, suggesting rates of input for biological N fixation are 10–60 kg N ha−1 per year. Recent climate and/or nitrogen deposition regimes may have accelerated soil development compared with past rates. These data suggest the importance of changing climate on soil development rates and highlight the contribution of biological N fixation in early successional systems

The Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 Signaling in Duodenal Atresia

Introduction: Duodenal atresia (DA) is a congenital bowel obstruction requiring major surgery in the first week of life. Three morphological phenotypes are described, reflecting increasing degrees of obstruction and discontinuity of the duodenum. The cause of DA is not known. Tandler's original "solid cord" hypothesis conflicts with recent biological evidence, and is unable to account for differing DA types. In humans, a genetic etiology is supported by the association between Trisomy 21 and DA, and reports of familial inheritance patterns. Interruption of FGF10/FGFR2b signaling is the best demonstrated genetic link to DA in mice, with 35-75% of homozygous knockout embryos developing DA. Purpose: This review examines the current evidence surrounding the etiology of DA. We focus on research regarding FGF10/FGFR2b signaling and its role in duodenal and other intestinal atresia. Further, we outline planned future research in this area, that we consider necessary to validate and better understand this murine model in order to successfully translate this research into clinical practice. Conclusion: Determining the etiology of DA in humans is a clinical and scientific imperative. Fgf10/Fgfr2b murine models represent current science's best key to unlocking this mystery. However, further research is required to understand the complex role of FGF10/FGFR2b signaling in DA development. Such complexity is expected, given the lethality of their associated defects makes ubiquitous interruption of either Fgf10 or Fgfr2b genes an unlikely cause of DA in humans. Rather, local or tissue-specific mutation in Fgf10, Fgfr2b, or their downstream targets, is the hypothesized basis of DA etiology

Clinical data and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL (TM)) scores for children with duodenal atresia

This article presents raw data obtained from a prospectively collected database of children with duodenal atresia at tertiary pediatric surgery hospital. For all potential participants, pertinent demographic, clinical and operative data was obtained from the database. Potential participants were then contacted and invited to complete a Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) 4.0 core score and gastrointestinal module questionnaires. Participant's response to each item in the questionnaires is provided, as well as their calculated health related quality of life scores. Data has the potential to be reused in future studies examining quality of life in duodenal atresia, paediatric gastrointestinal conditions, surgical neonatal conditions and children with trisomy 21. Further analysis and discussion is contained in related research article titled "Quality of life outcomes in children born with duodenal atresia" [1]

Topsoil inversion as a restoration measure in sand dunes, early results from a UK field-trial

Over-stabilisation and eutrophication affect many dune systems in north-west Europe. This leads to lower diversity of typical dune species and an accumulation of soil nutrients. Existing management techniques to remove excess nutrients include mowing, with removal of cuttings, and turf stripping. A new restoration technique called topsoil inversion or deep ploughing may also be able to counter some of the negative effects of eutrophication. It simulates the burial of established soils with fresh mineral sand, by inverting the soil profile. A trial was carried out on two small blocks of eutrophic dune grassland in North Wales, UK. Nutrient-rich surface soils were buried beneath mineral sub-sand using a double-bladed plough, designed to plough to depths of up to 100 cm. Results show that the organic soil horizons were buried to a depth of 80 cm, and covered with 40–50 cm of mineral sand. The pH and organic matter of the surface layers became comparable to those of mobile dunes. Fifteen months after ploughing, bare sand cover was still 70–90%, but significant sand loss through wind erosion resulted in a thinning of the mineral sand over-burden, leaving the buried organic layer closer to the surface. Natural vegetation colonisation was slow, with the first surviving plants observed after 8 months. The majority of species present at 15 months were present before ploughing and had regenerated from rhizomes or root fragments. The effect of excluding disturbance caused by rabbits, people and dogs was assessed within fenced areas. After 11 months, vegetation cover was greater in the fenced areas than in plots exposed to disturbance, therefore disturbance replaced physical conditions as the dominant influence on plant growth and establishment. These early results suggest the trial has been partially successful, but that topsoil inversion could be combined with other methods such as turf stripping or by stabilisation of the ploughed surface by planting with pioneer species, depending on the ultimate restoration goal

Construindo pontes entre ciência, política e práticas em saúde coletiva

O artigo analisa elementos nucleares no debate nacional e internacional acerca da necessária integração entre ciência, política e práticas em Saúde Coletiva e apresenta subsídios para essa integração. São assinalados alguns obstáculos situados tanto no plano conceitual como aqueles presentes nas relações que se processam em outras esferas e se interpõem à pretendida integração. Dentre os elementos assinalados, evidencia-se que ciência, política e o âmbito das práticas no setor não são campos homogêneos nem tampouco contínuos, implicando relações situadas em diferentes planos e envolvendo diferentes atores. Tais processos desenvolvem-se em arenas distintas, sustentados igualmente por distintas ações, paradigmas e interesses, não isentos de conflitos. Portanto, tal integração é um desafio de grande magnitude, dada sua complexidade e diversidade, objetiva e subjetiva