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In her law journal article Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox, Lina Khan argued, using Amazon as an example, that current antitrust doctrine cannot identify certain types of anticompetitive conduct in platform and data-driven markets and, consequently, reforming antitrust is necessary to correct these deficiencies. Khan’s analysis of Amazon’s conduct and the conclusions she drew from it are flawed because she ignored or misapplied the economics of two-sided markets, mischaracterized competitive conditions, and did not consider the pro-competitive effects of Amazon’s conduct. In this article, we review the economics of two-sided markets and then assess Khan’s analysis of alleged predation in e-books and in the online sale of diapers, as well as alleged anticompetitive implications of Amazon’s vertical integration into logistics and its use of data. A careful assessment of Amazon’s conduct does not support Khan’s conclusion that antitrust reform is necessary because she has not demonstrated that Amazon’s conduct is anticompetitive.

Political conservatives' opposition to COVID-19 restrictions is puzzling given the well-documented links between conservatism and conformity, threat sensitivity, and pathogen aversion. We propose a resolution based on the Dual Foundations Theory of ideology, which holds that ideology comprises two dimensions, one reflecting trade-offs between threat-driven conformity and individualism, and another reflecting trade-offs between empathy-driven cooperation and competition. We test predictions derived from this theory in a UK sample using individuals' responses to COVID-19 and widely-used measures of the two dimensions – ‘right-wing authoritarianism’ (RWA) and ‘social dominance orientation’ (SDO), respectively. Consistent with our predictions, we show that RWA, but not SDO, increased following the pandemic and that high-RWA conservatives do display more concerned, conformist, pro-lockdown attitudes, while high-SDO conservatives display less empathic, cooperative attitudes and are anti-lockdown. This helps explain paradoxical prior results and highlights how a focus on unidimensional ideology can mask divergent motives across the ideological landscape.

In a phase 2 study, pimavanserin demonstrated efficacy as adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Subsequently, two phase 3 studies (NCT03968159 in the US; NCT03999918 in Europe) were initiated to examine the efficacy and safety of adjunctive pimavanserin in subjects with MDD and inadequate response to antidepressant treatment. Studies were combined with a prespecified statistical analysis plan owing to recruitment challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.The randomized, double-blind studies enrolled 298 patients with MDD and inadequate response to current antidepressants. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to pimavanserin or placebo added to current antidepressant for 6 weeks. Primary endpoint was change from baseline to week 5 in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 17-item version (HAM-D-17).There was no effect of pimavanserin in change from baseline to week 5 in the HAM-D-17 (pimavanserin [n = 138]: least-squares mean [LSM] [standard error {SE}], -9.0 [0.58]; placebo [n = 135]: -8.1 [0.58]; mixed-effects model for repeated measures LSM [SE] difference, -0.9 [0.82],Adjunctive pimavanserin did not significantly improve depressive symptoms, although pimavanserin was well tolerated.

Authority, an institutionalized form of social power, is one of the defining features of the large-scale societies that evolved during the Holocene. Religious and political authority have deep histories in human societies and are clearly interdependent, but the nature of their relationship and its evolution over time is contested. We purpose-built an ethnographic dataset of 97 Austronesian societies and used phylogenetic methods to address two long-standing questions about the evolution of religious and political authority: first, how these two institutions have coevolved, and second, whether religious and political authority have tended to become more or less differentiated. We found evidence for mutual interdependence between religious and political authority but no evidence for or against a long-term pattern of differentiation or unification in systems of religious and political authority. Our results provide insight into how political and religious authority have worked synergistically over millennia during the evolution of large-scale societies.

The myxozoan Ceratonova shasta was described from hatchery rainbow trout over 70 years ago. The parasite continues to cause severe disease in salmon and trout, and is recognized as a barrier to salmon recovery in some rivers. This review incorporates changes in our knowledge of the parasite's life cycle, taxonomy and biology and examines how this information has expanded our understanding of the interactions between C. shasta and its salmonid and annelid hosts, and how overarching environmental factors affect this host–parasite system. Development of molecular diagnostic techniques has allowed discrimination of differences in parasite genotypes, which have differing host affinities, and enabled the measurement of the spatio-temporal abundance of these different genotypes. Establishment of the C. shasta life cycle in the laboratory has enabled studies on host–parasite interactions and the availability of transcriptomic data has informed our understanding of parasite virulence factors and host defences. Together, these advances have informed the development of models and management actions to mitigate disease.

Introduction: Sacral and presacral schwannomas are rare and account for a minority of spinal schwannomas. We aim to present our institution’s experience surgically treating sacral schwannomas over twenty-one years. Additionally, we assess the literature for surgical cases of sacral schwannomas to compare tumor characteristics and outcomes following resection.Methods: Data on demographics, presenting symptoms, lesion characteristics, surgical management, and outcomes were collected for 27 patients treated surgically for sacral or presacral schwannoma between 1997 and 2018 at all Mayo Clinic locations and compared to those of patients found in the literature. Results: We identified 31 studies in the literature containing 93 patients with sacral schwannoma treated surgically. Our patients and those in the literature experienced similar symptoms, with the most common symptom being pain and the least common being sexual dysfunction, and age at diagnosis. Most of our patients (59.3%) reported full recovery from preoperative symptoms, while a minority reported a partial recovery (33.3%) and no recovery (11.1%). A smaller percentage of patients found in the literature experienced full recovery (31.9%) and partial recovery (29.8%) but also no recovery (1.1%). Our patients experienced fewer complications (14.8% versus 25.5%).Conclusion: Outcomes of patients with sacral or presacral schwannomas vary based on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, symptoms, and surgical treatment. Among the range of symptoms experienced by these patients, the most common is pain. Prognosis improves and overall survival rate is high when the surgical approach towards sacral schwannomas is prepared and executed appropriately.

Many individuals consider themselves a fan of something (e.g. music, sports) and discuss these interests with others. However, these interactions may be risky: a positive interaction could make someone feel socially connected and valued by others, whereas a negative interaction may prompt feelings of exclusion. Thus, these interactions could impact one’s basic psychological needs (e.g. belonging, self-esteem) depending upon the specific conversation dynamics. Three experiments provide data supporting these hypotheses. Specifically, individuals who recalled discussing their fan interest with either a fellow fan or a non-fan who positively reacted to their passions reported increased basic need satisfaction, whereas individuals who recalled a negative interaction with a non-fan reported lower basic need satisfaction. Participants recalled these interactions as having similar effects on their perceived relational value (i.e. how valuable, close or important others perceive them). Collectively, these studies connect fan studies research to the psychology of social inclusion and exclusion, providing directions for future research.

Whilst some nations thrive and flourish, others experience profound problems. Predicting how and why national fortunes vary is a major challenge for the social sciences. This chapter reviews research on the cultural evolution of economic development around the globe, including the relationship between development outcomes and linguistic and religious ancestry, and the relative contributions of cultural differences in technology, institutions, norms and values. The chapter highlights that while the causal relationships between these domains of culture are complex and yet to be fully understood, it appears the least tangible aspects of culture, our norms and values, are among the most resistant to change and are critical to the adoption of technologies and institutions linked to development over the long term. The chapter concludes with a discussion of implications of this work for policy-makers and suggestions for future research.

Decades of research suggest that our political differences are best captured by two dimensions of political ideology. The dual evolutionary framework of political ideology predicts that these dimensions should be related to variation in social preferences for cooperation and group conformity. Here, we combine data from a New Zealand survey and a suite of incentivised behavioural tasks (n = 991) to test whether cooperative and conformist preferences covary with a pair of widely used measures of the two dimensions of political ideology—Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA)—and related policy views. As predicted, we find that cooperative behaviour is negatively related to SDO and economically conservative policy views, while conformist behaviour in the form of social information use is positively related to RWA and socially conservative policy views. However, we did not find the predicted relationships between punitive and rule following behaviours and RWA or socially conservative views, raising questions about the interpretation of punishment and rule following tasks and the nature of authoritarian conformist preferences. These findings reveal how cooperative and conformist preferences that evolved to help us navigate social challenges in our ancestral past continue to track our political differences even today.

BackgroundWe report outcomes of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) patients who underwent transvenous embolization of cerebrospinal fluid-venous fistulas (CSFVFs) confirmed on digital subtraction myelography (DSM) performed at our institution.MethodsThis is a retrospective evaluation of a prospectively collected database of SIH patients who underwent transvenous embolization of CSFVFs. Only patients who had fistulas confirmed on DSM performed at our institution were included. All patients had a baseline MRI and an MRI performed at least 90 days post-embolization, as well as clinical evaluation using the six item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scales. Paired t-test was used to report changes in Bern MRI scores and HIT-6 scores at follow-up.Results40 patients were included (29 female, 11 male). Mean age was 57.4±10.3 years. Mean Bern score improved from 5.7±3.0 at baseline to 1.3±2.0 at follow-up (pConclusionsTransvenous embolization of CSFVFs using Onyx is safe and effective, resulting in significant improvement in headache and overall clinical outcomes in nearly 90% of patients, and substantial improvements in brain MRI abnormalities.

Pinus eldarica, P. halepensis and P. radiata are important conifer species native to Mediterranean regions that are cultivated in the southwestern United States for landscaping (Phillips and Gladfelter, 1991; Chambel et al., 2013). Among them, Monterey pine (P. radiata) is native to restricted areas of California and Mexico, but it is extensively grown for timber production in other countries, especially in the Southern Hemisphere (Rogers, 2004). From 2018 to 2022, severe dieback and cankers have been detected on more than 30 mature pines of the three species within a 40-ha urban forest in Orange County, Southern California. Symptoms initiate on the lower portion of the canopy and advance into the crown, leading to quick dieback and, in some cases, to tree death. Cross sections of affected branches revealed wedged cankers with irregular, indistinct margins, and cryptic discoloration (i.e., “ghost cankers”). Pycnidia were observed on the surface of each bark scale of branches with advanced infections. Two morphotypes of Botryosphaeriaceae colonies (n = 34 isolates) were recovered consistently from more than 90% of the symptomatic pines. Two isolates per morphotype were grown on pistachio leaf agar (Chen et al., 2014) for 14 days to induce pycnidia formation. Conidia (n = 50) were hyaline, thin-walled and fusoid to ellipsoidal in shape, ranging from 16.1 to 27.9 (22.6) × 5.4 to 8.2 (6.8) µm for the first morphotype and 11.5 to 20.4 (16.3) × 4.8 to 8.6 (6.3) µm for the second morphotype. The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (tub2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) partial gene regions were amplified and sequenced using the primers ITS5/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson, 1995), and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn, 1999), respectively. A multi-locus phylogenetic analysis revealed that isolates UCD9433 and UCD10439 clustered with the ex-type strain of Neofusicoccum mediterraneum (CBS:113083), and isolates UCD9161 and UCD9434 grouped with N. parvum (CMW:9081). Sequences were submitted to GenBank (nos. OP535391 to OP535394 for ITS, OP561946 to OP561949 for tef1-α, and OP561950 to OP561953 for tub2). Pathogenicity tests were performed with above-mentioned isolates on 20-mm-diameter healthy branches of mature Monterey pines (n = 10, 14 years old) located in a research field at UC Davis. Isolates were grown for 7 days on potato dextrose agar and inoculated in the internode area by removing a 5-mm-diameter disk of the bark with a sterile cork borer and placing a 5-mm-diameter mycelial plug. Controls were mock-inoculated with sterile agar plugs, and the experiment was performed twice. After three months, inoculations resulted in vascular lesions that ranged from 20.6 to 49.7 (32.7) mm with N. mediterraneum and from 13.5 to 71.0 (33.6) mm with N. parvum, and the same pathogens were reisolated (70 to 100% recovery). Controls remained symptomless and no botryosphaeriaceous colonies were recovered. Both N. mediterraneum and N. parvum are polyphagous pathogens associated with multiple woody plant hosts (Phillips et al., 2013). Previously, only N. parvum has been associated with pine cankers in Iran, however, the pine species was not indicated (Abdollahzadeh et al., 2013). The detection of these pathogens in urban forests raises concerns of potential spillover events to other forest and agricultural hosts in Southern California. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. mediterraneum and N. parvum causing Pine Ghost Canker on P. eldarica, P. halepensis and P. radiata.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES All US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for Tourette syndrome are antipsychotics, and their use is limited by the risk of weight gain, metabolic changes, and drug-induced movement disorders. Several small trials suggest that ecopipam, a first-in-class, selective dopamine 1 receptor antagonist, reduces tics with a low risk for these adverse events. This trial sought to further evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ecopipam in children and adolescents with moderate to severe Tourette syndrome. METHODS This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial. Subjects aged ≥6 to RESULTS Total tic scores were significantly reduced from baseline to 12 weeks in the ecopipam group compared with placebo (least squares mean differences −3.44, 95% confidence interval −6.09 to −0.79, P = .01). Improvement in Clinical Global Impression of Tourette Syndrome Severity was also greater in the ecopipam group (P = .03). More weight gain was seen in subjects assigned to placebo. No metabolic or electrocardiogram changes were identified. Headache (15.8%), insomnia (14.5%), fatigue (7.9%), and somnolence (7.9%) were the most common adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Among children and adolescents with TS, ecopipam reduces tics to a greater extent than placebo, without observable evidence of common antipsychotic-associated side effects.

We describe Ceratomyxa saurida Zhao et al. 2015 and Ceratomyxa mai sp. nov. (Myxozoa: Ceratomyxidae) from the East China Sea. C. saurida was found in the gallbladders of 3/13 specimens of its type host, Saurida elongata Temminck and Schlegel 1846 (Aulopiformes). Myxospore characters were consistent with the original description to which we have added small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene data. C. mai sp. nov. was found in gallbladders of 3/13 specimens of S. elongata and 5/13 specimens of Neobythites sivicola Jordan and Snyder 1901 (Ophidiiformes). Mature myxospores of C. mai sp. nov. were crescentic in sutural view, with a deeply concave posterior angle 142.2±8.2° (125.8‒158.2°) and an arched anterior side. Shell valves were smooth and equal, 20.9±1.9 (17.3‒24.7) µm thick and 9.2±0.5 (8.1‒9.9) µm long, and joined at a straight, thin sutural plane passing between two nematocysts (polar capsules). The nematocysts were equal-sized, pyriform, 2.6±0.2 (2.4‒2.9) µm long and 2.7±0.2 (2.4‒3.3) µm wide, with their tapered ends pointed toward each other, located in the anterior third of the spore. Sequences of the SSU rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer 1 showed that the isolates of C. mai sp. nov. obtained from S. elongata and N. sivicola were identical. The SSU rRNA gene sequence of C. mai sp. nov. was distinct from all known myxosporeans and clustered with C. saurida, and then with Ceratomyxa filamentosi Kalatzis, Kokkari and Katharios 2013, both of which also infect Aulopiformes fishes.

Objectives To examine the use of two coding systems used in the THIN UK primary care research database for the coding of telephone encounters between patient and healthcare professional in primary care. This is relevant to other research databases built on GP clinical systems. Consideration of telephone consultations was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic as remote interactions between patient and GP are more numerous than before and are likely to remain at a higher frequency. Results Telephone encounters could either be indicated by a consultation-type code or by a Read code. All three possible combinations (coded by one method, the other method and both) were in use. In 2014, 30% were coded by the consultation-type, 55% by Read codes and 15% by both. In contrast, in 2000, 77% were coded by the consultation-type, 21% by Read codes and 2% by both. This has important implications because national and regional consultation rates by GPs are often estimated from these research databases by looking only at the consultation-type codes and consequently many encounters will not be detected.

While global patterns of human genetic diversity are increasingly well characterized, the diversity of human languages remains less systematically described. Here we outline the Grambank database. With over 400,000 data points and 2,400 languages, Grambank is the largest comparative grammatical database available. The comprehensiveness of Grambank allows us to quantify the relative effects of genealogical inheritance and geographic proximity on the structural diversity of the world's languages, evaluate constraints on linguistic diversity, and identify the world's most unusual languages. An analysis of the consequences of language loss reveals that the reduction in diversity will be strikingly uneven across the major linguistic regions of the world. Without sustained efforts to document and revitalize endangered languages, our linguistic window into human history, cognition and culture will be seriously fragmented. Genealogy versus geography Constraints on grammar Unusual languages Language loss Conclusion

Plastic films are abundant, but seldom recycled in the United States (US). It is both economically and operationally challenging to recycle plastic films because their light weight makes accumulating material difficult. Additionally, films are not allowed in most curbside recycling programs in the US because they tangle around equipment used at material recovery facilities (MRFs) and effect a MRFs' ability to effectively sort other materials. As a result, the only recycling pathway for post-consumer plastic films in the US is retail return collection programs. Currently, only the most abundant type of post-consumer plastic film, polyethylene (PE), is accepted by these programs in the US. Although PE films come in many forms, grocery bags are the most well-known, and therefore most abundant, film in the retail return recycling stream. The New York State (NYS) Plastic Bag Waste Reduction Law prohibits the distribution of single use plastic bags. This work explored how ending the distribution of grocery bags impacted retail return recycling programs for PE films in Western New York. We show that a loss of the most recognizable and abundant PE film results in a 1.4 - 2.8x increase in contamination rates, devaluing films that are still collected. As a result, increased contamination rates may threaten the viability of this recycling pathway. The study also provides a complete speciation of this recycling stream with a novel level of detail, as existing research on this recycling pathway is limited.

TWEAK (tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis) is a member of the TNF superfamily that controls a multitude of cellular events including proliferation, migration, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and inflammation. TWEAK control of these events is via an expanding list of intracellular signalling pathways which include NF-κB, ERK/MAPK, Notch, EGFR and AP-1. Two receptors have been identified for TWEAK – Fn14, which targets the membrane bound form of TWEAK, and CD163, which scavenges the soluble form of TWEAK. TWEAK appears to elicit specific events based on the receptor to which it binds, tissue type in which it is expressed, specific extrinsic conditions, and the presence of other cytokines. TWEAK signalling is protective in healthy tissues, but in chronic inflammatory states become detrimental to the tissue. Consistent data show a role for the TWEAK/FN14/CD163 axis in metabolic disease, chronic autoimmune diseases, and acute ischaemic stroke. Low circulating concentrations of soluble TWEAK are predictive of poor cardiovascular outcomes in those with and without diabetes. This review details the current understanding of the TWEAK/Fn14/CD163 axis as one of the chief regulators of immune signalling and its cell-specific role in metabolic disease development and progression.

Purpose Given the unclear lines between traditional and newly emerged luxury, this research aims to explore which luxury consumption values are important to young consumers (aged 18–44) in the USA and how such new luxury consumption is driven by their personal values. This research thus has two aims. The first is to define new luxury by examining the consumption values that distinguish it from traditional luxury. The second is to examine the personal values that drive these new luxury consumption values, which affect consumers’ intentions to engage with a new luxury brand. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, a conceptual framework was developed to define new luxury from the consumption value perspective, based on a comprehensive review of the traditional luxury and emerging or new luxury literature. In Study 2, the framework was further extended to include the driving sources (personal values) and the consequences (intentions to engage with a new luxury brand), which were subsequently examined with empirical model testing. The data were collected via an online survey with consumers recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 318) and examined with exploratory factor analyses and path analyses. Findings The results suggest five major new luxury consumption values that help empirically define new luxury, revealing a trend shift in luxury consumption: inconspicuous consumption, self-directed pleasure, intrinsic experiential value, personal fulfillment and sustainability. Among these five values, three (intrinsic experiential value, personal fulfillment and sustainability) were the most significant factors in directly affecting customer intention to engage with a new luxury brand. The results also found five notable personal values driving new luxury consumption: achievement, benevolence, self-direction, self-esteem and ecocentrism. Originality/value While new luxury concepts have been explored conceptually and qualitatively in previous studies, there is a lack of empirical research that clearly defines what new luxury is and that offers testable constructs. This study’s empirical framework for new luxury expands the line of investigation into new luxury consumers, brands and products.

Teeth affected with enamel defects (EDs) are at an increased risk of dental caries. In spite of improving oral health status overall in Australia, Indigenous Australians still experience higher rates of dental caries than non-Indigenous Australians. This study reports on the prevalence of EDs and dental caries experience among Indigenous children in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.Health status of all the primary teeth (ICDAS II criteria) and the presence of EDs on index teeth (modified Dental Defects of Enamel index; DDE) of young Indigenous children that participated in a 2-arm intervention trial was recorded. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate the association between EDs and dental caries and effect estimates were presented as odds ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals.Person level prevalence, from 237 children (mean age 3.6 years, SD 1.7) assessed for EDs, was 58% and tooth level prevalence was 24%. Teeth affected with demarcated or diffuse defects were associated with a two-fold higher odds of having caries experience, OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-3.7 and OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.7-4.0, respectively.The presence of EDs among young Indigenous children was associated with a higher odds of caries experience among affected teeth. © 2022 Australian Dental Association.

When interacting with infants, humans often alter their speech and song in ways thought to support communication. Theories of human child-rearing, informed by data on vocal signalling across species, predict that such alterations should appear globally. Here, we show acoustic differences between infant-directed and adult-directed vocalizations across cultures. We collected 1,615 recordings of infant- and adult-directed speech and song produced by 410 people in 21 urban, rural and small-scale societies. Infant-directedness was reliably classified from acoustic features only, with acoustic profiles of infant-directedness differing across language and music but in consistent fashions. We then studied listener sensitivity to these acoustic features. We played the recordings to 51,065 people from 187 countries, recruited via an English-language website, who guessed whether each vocalization was infant-directed. Their intuitions were more accurate than chance, predictable in part by common sets of acoustic features and robust to the effects of linguistic relatedness between vocalizer and listener. These findings inform hypotheses of the psychological functions and evolution of human communication.

Understanding global variation in democratic outcomes is critical to efforts to promote and sustain democracy today. Here, we use data on the democratic status of 221 modern and historical nations stretching back up to 200 years to show that, particularly over the last 50 years, nations with shared linguistic and, more recently, religious ancestry have more similar democratic outcomes. We also find evidence that for most of the last 50 years the democratic trajectory of a nation can be predicted by the democratic status of its linguistic and, less clearly, religious relatives years and even decades earlier. These results are broadly consistent across three democracy indicators (Polity 5, Vanhanen's Index of Democracy, and Freedom in the World) and are not explained by geographic proximity or current shared language or religion. Our findings suggest deep cultural ancestry remains an important force shaping the fortunes of modern nations, at least in part because democratic norms, institutions and the factors that support them are more likely to diffuse between close cultural relatives. Introduction Methods - Results National democratic indicators are more similar among cultural relatives - Diffusion of democracy between cultural relatives Discussion

Background Constipation may be a feature of ulcerative colitis (uc) especially in left sided or distal disease. UC associated constipation (UCAC) can cause significant morbidity; treatment is typically with dietary fibre changes and laxatives. Diagnosis may be challenging but adequate treatment may improve clinical outcomes. The cause is incompletely understood with few studies of motility and transit. Study populations often having heterogenous groups, with limited assessment of right sided colonic motility. Cine MRI is a novel technique that can assess pan-colonic motility. Using this technique, We aim to investigate regional colonic motility in patients with active disease and UCAC symptoms. Methods The study was performed prospectively with 30 participants at a single-centre. Disease extent was confirmed to be distal to the splenic flexure. Active disease was defined as a faecal calprotectin >250, partial Mayo score ≥ 4 (rectal bleeding score ≥ 1) or an endoscopic mayo score >1. The 3 groups comprised 10 healthy controls with no symptoms of IBS/ constipation, 11 patients with active uc with symptoms of UCAC, and 9 patients with active uc without symptoms of UCAC. UCAC subjects met American Gastroenterology Association constipation criteria. Exclusion criteria comprised the use of drugs affecting motility, concomitant GI conditions, and recent laxative use. Subjects underwent two constipation questionnaires. Subjects were fasted > 8 hours and subjects consumed 1.4 litres of 2% mannitol over 90 minutes prior to a morning MRI scan. Post drink cine MRI was not acquired until the mannitol had reached the ascending colon (AC). Images were acquired over the entire abdomen for 10 minutes and using GI Quant software®(Motilent) regional colonic motility was assessed (Figure A), generating a motility index (MI) score (range 0-1000). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U (with Holm-Bonferroni correction) statistics were used. Results Baseline characteristics and questionnaire scores are outlined in Figure B and MI scores in Figure C. There was no clear trend for differences in motility in the caecum or AC. In the transverse colon (TC) there was a trend to reduced MI in patients with UCAC compared to controls which was nearly significant (p=0.06). Conclusion We present a new technique for assessing regional colonic motility in patients with uc with a 10-minute scan, and offers a method to study the dysmotility that underpins UCAC. Motility appears to be reduced in the TC in patients with left sided uc and symptoms of UCAC compared to controls. Although not statistically significant this suggests hypomotility may be a contributing factor to UCAC. It suggests that stimulants/prokinetic may be more effective than change to dietary fibre in its treatment.

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N = 10, 535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported beta = 0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported beta = 0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates. Funding: Australian Research Council [DP180102384]; Cogito Foundation [R10917]; French Agence Nationale de la Recherche [17-EURE-0017, 10-IDEX-0001-02]; National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship [GR100544, DGE-2139841]; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research [406-17-568, 016.Vici.170.083, 016.Vidi.188.001]; John Templeton Foundation [60663]; Templeton Religion Trust [TRT 0154]; German Research Foundation [GRK 2277]

The rock glacier of Corral del Veleta is located in the southwest of the Mediterranean basin, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Spain), being the highest in the Iberian Peninsula. It is located in the Quaternary circus of Guarnón at an altitude of 3,100 m, below the peak of Veleta at 3,398 m and facing northeast. The monitoring carried out during the 2001-2019 period has been carried out through different geomatic techniques: Topography, Photogrammetry, GNSS, TLS, UAV & GPR. Thermal measurements of the active layer have been added to these techniques. The analysis and results of the monitoring carried out show that it is in an accelerated process of immobilization and the relict glacial ice and permafrost on which it sits show a continuous degradation. The origin of the changes can be related to the variations in the dominant climate in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada, particularly since the last third of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.