Polarization is the Psychological Foundation of Collective Engagement

The term polarization is used to describe both the division of a society into opposing groups (political polarization), and a social psychological phenomenon (group polarization) whereby people adopt more extreme positions after discussion. We explain how group polarization underpins the political polarization phenomenon: Social interaction, for example through social media, enables groups to form in such a way that their beliefs about what should be done to change the world – and how this differs from the stance of other groups - become integrated as aspects of a new, shared social identity. This provides a basis for mobilization to collective action

Polarization is the psychological foundation of collective engagement

The term polarization is used to describe both the division of a society into opposing groups (political polarization), and a social psychological phenomenon (group polarization) whereby people adopt more extreme positions after discussion. We explain how group polarization underpins the political polarization phenomenon: Social interaction, for example through social media, enables groups to form in such a way that their beliefs about what should be done to change the world—and how this differs from the stance of other groups—become integrated as aspects of a new, shared social identity. This provides a basis for mobilization to collective action

Enterovirus infection and type 1 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational molecular studies

Objective To review the association between current enterovirus infection diagnosed with molecular testing and development of autoimmunity or type 1 diabetes

Optimization of Software on High Performance Computing Platforms for the LUX-ZEPLIN Dark Matter Experiment

High Energy Physics experiments like the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment face unique challenges when running their computation on High Performance Computing resources. In this paper, we describe some strategies to optimize memory usage of simulation codes with the help of profiling tools. We employed this approach and achieved memory reduction of 10-30\%. While this has been performed in the context of the LZ experiment, it has wider applicability to other HEP experimental codes that face these challenges on modern computer architectures.Comment: Contribution to Proceedings of CHEP 2019, Nov 4-8, Adelaide, Australi

Aortic intima media thickness in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes : A systematic review

Aims Greater aortic intima media thickness (aIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, can identify individuals at risk of CVD. This systematic review with meta-analysis compared aIMT in youth with type 1 diabetes and healthy controls. Methods A systematic search of published literature (to July 2021) was undertaken using electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL and AMED. Eligible studies reported aIMT in participants aged <20 years with type 1 diabetes and healthy controls. Meta-analysis was used to combine outcome data, presented as forest plots. Moderator analysis and metaregression were conducted to identify study and participant characteristics associated with aIMT. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plot inspection. Results Meta-analysis of nine studies (n = 1030 with type 1 diabetes and n = 498 healthy control participants) indicated, with high heterogeneity (I2 98%), that youth with type 1 diabetes have higher aIMT compared with healthy controls (mean difference [95% CIs]: 0.11 [0.04, 0.18] mm, P = 0.003). Factors associated with greater aIMT in type 1 diabetes compared to controls included: use of a phased array probe versus linear array probe; longer diabetes duration; higher insulin dose; higher BMI z score and waist circumference; higher LDL cholesterol; higher triglycerides; and higher diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions Type 1 diabetes in youth is associated with higher aIMT compared with healthy control individuals. Longer duration of diabetes and major CVD risk factors were also associated with higher aIMT. Together, these findings provide a strong rationale for targeting modifiable risk factors in CVD prevention. Registered in PROSPERO on 8 August 2019 (CRD42019137559)

Evidence-Based intervention (Ebi) Mapping: a Systematic approach to Understanding the Components and Logic of Ebis

BACKGROUND: Despite the development of numerous evidence-based interventions (EBIs), many go unused in practice. Hesitations to use existing EBIs may be due to a lack of understanding about EBI components and what it would take to adapt it or implement it as designed. to improve the use of EBIs, program planners need to understand their goals, core components, and mechanisms of action. This paper presents EBI Mapping, a systematic approach based on Intervention Mapping, that can be used to understand and clearly describe EBIs, and help planners put them into practice. METHODS: We describe EBI Mapping tasks and provide an example of the process. EBI Mapping uses principles from Intervention Mapping, a systematic framework for planning multilevel health promotion interventions. EBI Mapping applies the Intervention Mapping steps retrospectively to help planners understand an existing EBI (rather than plan a new one). We explain each EBI Mapping task and demonstrate the process using the VERB Summer Scorecard (VSS), a multi-level community-based intervention to improve youth physical activity. RESULTS: EBI Mapping tasks are: 1) document EBI materials and activities, and their audiences, 2) identify the EBI goals, content, and mechanisms of action, 3) identify the theoretical change methods and practical applications of those methods, 4) describe design features and delivery channels, and 5) describe the implementers and their tasks, implementation strategies, and needed resources. By applying the EBI Mapping tasks, we created a logic model for the VSS intervention. The VSS logic model specifies the links between behavior change methods, practical applications, and determinants for both the at-risk population and environmental change agents. The logic model also links the respective determinants to the desired outcomes including the health behavior and environmental conditions to improve the health outcome in the at-risk population. CONCLUSIONS: EBI Mapping helps program planners understand the components and logic of an EBI. This information is important for selecting, adapting, and scaling-up EBIs. Accelerating and improving the use of existing EBIs can reduce the research-to-practice gap and improve population health

DNA methylation landscape of ocular tissue relative to matched peripheral blood

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Epigenetic variation is implicated in a range of non-communicable diseases, including those of the eye. However, investigating the role of epigenetic variation in central tissues, such as eye or brain, remains problematic and peripheral tissues are often used as surrogates. In this study, matched human blood and eye tissue (n = 8) were obtained post-mortem and DNA methylation profiling performed on blood, neurosensory retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid and optic nerve tissue using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 platform. Unsupervised clustering and principal components analysis revealed tissue of origin as the main driver of methylation variation. Despite this, there was a strong correlation of methylation profiles between tissues with >255,000 CpG sites found to have similar methylation levels. An additional ~16,000 show similarity across ocular tissues only. A small proportion of probes showing inter-individual variation in blood co-varied with eye tissues within individuals, however much of this variation may be genetically driven. An improved understanding of the epigenetic landscape of the eye will have important implications for understanding eye disease. Despite a generally high correlation irrespective of origin, tissue type is the major driver of methylation variation, with only limited covariation between blood and any specific ocular tissue

Mediterranean-type diet and brain structural change from 73 to 76 years in a Scottish cohort

STUDY FUNDING The data were collected by a Research into Ageing programme grant; research continues as part of the Age UK–funded Disconnected Mind project. The work was undertaken by The University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, part of the cross-council Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Initiative (MR/K026992/1), with funding from the BBSRC and Medical Research Council. Imaging and image analysis was performed at the Brain Research Imaging Centre (sbirc.ed.ac.uk/), Edinburgh, supported by the Scottish Funding Council SINAPSE Collaboration. Derivation of mean cortical thickness measures was funded by the Scottish Funding Council’s Postdoctoral and Early Career Researchers Exchange Fund awarded by SINAPSE to David Alexander Dickie. L.C.A.C. acknowledges funding from the Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division.Peer reviewedPublisher PD