Physiology

CSUN Study Finds Land-Based Inputs Make Corals Vulnerable to Ocean Warming – CSUN Today

Danielle Becker on the left and CSUN marine biology professor Nyssa Silbiger on the right, collecting samples of Pocillopora acuta from one of the field sites in Moorea, French Polynesia. Photo by DM Barnas,

Land-based input including nutrient and sediment loading can have an adverse impact on a certain species of coral, making them more susceptible to the warmer seawater conditions brought on by climate change, according to a new study by California State University, Northridge marine biologists.

The study by Danielle Becker, who graduated from the university in August with a masters degree in biology, and marine biology professor Nyssa Silbiger offers insight into how human-driven stressors can impact corals metabolic rates, including photosynthesis, respiration and calcification.

Local and global anthropogenic, or human-caused, stressors are rapidly diminishing the biodiversity and structural complexity of coral reefs, Becker said. Therefore, a better understanding of the ecological ramifications of warming and land-based inputs such as sedimentation and nutrient loading on coral reef ecosystems is necessary.

Our findings helped us identify how nutrient-input and sedimentation influenced coral physiology and their ability to function during thermal stress, she continued. With this information, we can better understand how different metabolic rates of corals may change under human-driven stressors. Further, these results indicate that anthropogenic stressors on a local scale may make it even more difficult for corals to deal with global stressors, like climate change.

The study, Nutrient and sediment loading affect multiple facets of coral functionality in a tropical branching coral, appeared last month in the Journal of Experimental Biology (doi:10.1242/jeb.225045).

Our study estimated a range of responses in a branching coral species to nutrient and sediment loading, Silbiger said, measuring metabolism of individuals in the lab to percent cover on the reef. While our current study shows that nutrient and sediment loading are generally detrimental to corals, other studies have conflicting results, she continued. The different biological responses across studies highlight the importance of how many interacting variables, like water flow, depth and distance to shore, can affect a corals response to nutrient loading.

Becker, working with Silbiger, began her study in fall 2018, during the first year of her masters program. She surveyed six sites in fringing coral reefs along the north shore of Moorea in French Polynesia that represented a gradient in nutrient and sediment concentrations. At each site, she measured the percent cover of numerous coral species, including Pocillopora acuta, a fast-growing branching coral that is typically more resistant to human disturbances. She also collected a variety of environmental samples, including the nutrient concentration in the water, tissue nitrogen content in macroalgae and sedimentation rates.

She then measured the photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification rates of the corals, at increasing temperatures, to better understand their ability to perform during thermal stress, and the impact nutrient and sediment loading had on their performance.

Becker, now a first-year doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island, explained that nutrient and sediment loading can occur either naturally from such sources of fish excretion, nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae or submarine groundwater discharge or by human-derived sources such as industrial or agricultural waste and run-off, deforestation, stormwater run-off, coastal development or household products.

These various sources enter the water supply through run-off and drainage that can eventually make their way into our waterways and into ocean environments, especially along coastal cities or populations around the world, Becker said. Land-based inputs nutrients, sedimentation, toxins and pathogens can enter coral reef ecosystems and cause disease and mortality, disrupt ecological functions, change dynamics and feeding behaviors, and prevent coral growth and reproduction.

Becker and Silbiger found that coral metabolic responses significantly declined with exposure to high nutrient concentrations and sedimentation rates, which may have contributed to a decline in the Pocillopora acutacoral cover along the north shore fringing reefs in Moorea.

To our knowledge, this is one of the first published studies that provides evidence for the influences of nutrient and sediment loading on coral thermal performance that encompasses multiple aspects of coral functionality, Becker said. Our findings show that nutrient and sediment loading can have a range of effects on coral functionality, with increased levels of these stressors compromising corals ability to withstand thermal stress and their ability to perform necessary metabolic tasks to thrive in their natural environments.

Metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and calcification are important indicators of organismal health and are continuously being altered by organisms to adjust their physiological mechanisms in variable environments, she continued. Our study shows that these processes are compromised along a nutrient and sedimentation gradient which can have implications much larger than on an individual scale. Understanding how local-scale anthropogenic stressors influence the responses of corals to temperature can inform coral reef management.

Becker and Silbiger said their findings are relevant to coral reefs around the world.

Nutrient pollution is common anywhere that there is agriculture, coastal development and sewage outfalls, Becker said. French Polynesia has relatively low levels of anthropogenic nutrient and sediment loading compared to other areas of the world. If were seeing these detrimental effects on a lesser scale, it is worth investigating these relationships in other reefs around the world. Our findings also provide valuable information for the use of thermal performance curves to further understand how organisms across environments may respond to local- and global-scale anthropogenic stressors in concert.

College of Science and Mathematics, CORAL, Danielle Becker, Featured, Journal of Experimental Biology, Marine Biology, Nutrient and sediment loading, Nyssa Silbiger, Pocillopora acuta

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CSUN Study Finds Land-Based Inputs Make Corals Vulnerable to Ocean Warming - CSUN Today

Physiology

Exploring Eagle Hearing & Vision Capabilities To Reduce Risk At Wind Farms – CleanTechnica

Clean Power

Published on October 13th, 2020 | by U.S. Department of Energy

October 13th, 2020 by U.S. Department of Energy

Purdue University (Purdue) and the University of Minnesota (UMN) are studying the visual and auditory capabilities of bald and golden eagles to help improve the effectiveness of deterrents used around wind energy facilities. Findings from this research, which is funded by the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), will be made available to eagle deterrent technology developers.

Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in 2007 after a strong population recovery. Golden eagles were not listed, but both eagle species are federally protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), which prohibits the killing (or take) of eagles, unless permitted. This act requires that wind energy developers and operators do everything they can to minimize risks to eagles through methods such as careful siting, deterrents, or sensors that monitor for incoming wildlife and shut down wind turbines if an eagle approaches.

One way to reduce risks is to develop technologies that produce sound or a visual cue to deter eagles from entering the airspace around wind turbines. To develop highly effective deterrents based on sound or visual stimuli to which eagles are most sensitive, Purdue University explored both eagle hearing and vision, whereas UMN researchers studied eagle hearing and identified possible surrogate species with hearing capabilities similar to bald and golden eagles.

The Purdue research team worked with seven raptor rehabilitation centers to evaluate eagle hearing and vision ranges. They found that both bald and golden eagles have a blind spot near the tops of their heads (Figure 1) that hinders the birds ability to see a wind turbine ahead of them if looking downward (e.g., while hunting). This finding supports the need for a deterrent that is sufficiently alarming to an eagle to cause it to look up when hunting.

Figure 1. Visual field configurations of the golden eagle (left) and bald eagle (right). The Purdue University team found both species of eagles have a blind spot near the tops of their heads (bottom row). Illustration courtesy of Purdue University

The Purdue team also found that it is highly unlikely that golden or bald eagles can detect ultraviolet light. They identified candidate colors (blue/indigo and orange/red) that would be most visible to eagles against various backgrounds. Furthermore, golden eagles exhibited a higher proportion of stress-related behaviors to visual signals than to sound or light-plus-sound signals. Bald eagles showed a higher proportion of stress-related behavior to light-plus-sound signals. In other words, golden eagles are more likely to respond to visual signals, whereas bald eagles are more likely to respond to a combination of sight and sound. Both species showed some level of adaptation to stimuli over time, indicating the need for additional, randomized visual and auditory signal testing.

Purdue researchers concluded that the auditory systems of bald and golden eagles were sufficiently different to warrant species-specific deterrent signals. They discovered that:

The Purdue research team concluded that these types of signals would be good candidates for further testing with bald eagles but that deterrents for golden eagles should be complex tonal harmonics or modulated sounds that do not change very rapidly.

The UMN research team studied raptors admitted to the universitys Raptor Center for treatment and worked with Sia: the Comanche Nation Ethno-Ornithological Initiative in Cyril, Oklahoma, to assess eagle hearing ranges. Once data were collected, they developed a suite of audio test signals and worked with eagles at the Raptor Center to evaluate which of the signals generated the strongest response.

Researchers found that eagles can hear over a frequency range of at least four octaves, centered on 2 kHz, which is roughly a B note on a piano, three octaves above middle C, with an upper limit between 6 kHz and 10 kHz at 80 decibels, and a lower limit that likely extends below 0.2 kHz.

In addition to evaluating eagles physiological responses to synthetic tones, the research team evaluated the auditory properties of eagle vocalizations to better understand how their vocal repertoire might be used in a deterrent. The findings suggest that companies designing eagle deterrents should consider varying frequency and volume patterns to achieve the strongest and least-habituated responses. They also recommend against broadcasting sound outside the observed responsive frequency band of bald and golden eagles to avoid contributing unnecessarily to existing sound-pollution levels.

After exploring the usefulness of red-tailed hawks as potential surrogate species for field testing auditory deterrents, the UMN research team concluded that the hawks auditory systems are similar enough to bald and golden eagles that they may be used as surrogate species when testing new deterrent devices or signals.

This finding is important because of regulatory protections afforded eagles under the BGEPA. Being able to test on red-tailed hawks will provide a significant benefit to technology developers looking to test the usefulness of their systems prior to field trials. However, researchers noted that testing with eagles in a real-world environment, in addition to any testing on red-tailed hawks, will be critical to any deterrent validation study.

The final technical report on this research is pending publication. The University of Minnesota has published onearticleabout their research in theJournal of Comparative Physiology.

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Tags: Bald eagles, purdue, Purdue University, university of minnesota, US, wind turbines birds

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Exploring Eagle Hearing & Vision Capabilities To Reduce Risk At Wind Farms - CleanTechnica

Human Behavior

Researcher explains benefits of using geotagged content in research – UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff – University at Buffalo Reporter

In a recent commentary published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, UB geographic information science expert Yingjie Hu and colleague Ruo-Qian Wang wrote about how Twitters decision to remove users ability to tag the precise locations of Tweets might affect research in disaster response, public health and other areas.

The authors concluded that the change may not have a pivotal impact on studies that rely on this kind of content,as a large proportion of precisely geotagged posts in three Twitter datasets they examined originated from third-party apps like Instagram (the datasets were originally collected for other studies examining peoples reaction to extreme weather events). The researchers also noted that Twitter still allows for less precise geotagging, enabling users to tag places such as a restaurant, a park, a city or a country, as opposed to a precise latitude and longitude.

Nevertheless, the recent change raises a number of issues that scientists must consider, Hu and Wang said in their Sept. 7 piece.

From a privacy protection perspective, Twitters decision reflects the concerns of society in general on privacy issues. Researchers should increase our awareness of the potential privacy and safety issues that may exist in our data and research practice, and should follow relevant guidelines, such as those from institutional review boards (IRBs), to protect the privacy of individuals, according to Hu, assistant professor of geography, College of Arts and Sciences, and Wang, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, Rutgers University-New Brunswick School of Engineering, writing in Nature Human Behavior.

In an interview with UBNow, Hu explained how geotagged social media content can enable valuable research.

After a major disaster, such as an earthquake or a hurricane, geotagged information can provide firsthand information about the situation on the ground, Hu said. Even before first responders arrive at those locations, information posted directly by the people from the disaster-affected area can inform disaster response.

Another application for geotagged content is in public health. From geotagged tweets, we can know what people are talking about and from which locations, and we can further identify the geographic areas where people are talking about flu, cough or other health-related keywords. In political science, geotagged posts can provide some understanding of peoples political opinions in different geographic locations, or of how people are reacting to new government policies.

As scientists conduct this type of research, Hu believes its vital not only for researchers like himself to think about privacy and ways to safeguard data, but for app developers and corporations to do the same. One important step involves transparency. He argues that its important for companies to make it clear to users how their data may be used. And that goes for both social media platforms that allow people to geotag posts, and for apps that engage in location-tracking, he says.

I think it will be good if individuals can have more information and get a better understanding of how their data are collected, Hu said.

Ultimately, he added, If we can provide good privacy-protection measures on location data, we can use those data for many applications that benefit our society, such as in disaster response, public health, transportation modeling and other areas.

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Researcher explains benefits of using geotagged content in research - UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff - University at Buffalo Reporter

Human Behavior

Navigating Office Politics When There Is No Office – Harvard Business Review

Executive Summary

What happens to office politics when you remove the office? Although virtual work has existed forsome time now, the pandemic has dramatically changed the context of work byfully removing the office, eliminating interpersonal contact and physical human interaction and with it, opportunities toengage in tacticsof manipulation or impression management.What does this all mean for office politics? Do the old norms and rules still apply? Can we expect a reduction in bias and nepotism, and an increase inmeritocratic talent managementpractices? Is technology sanitizing the dark side of human behavior at work, forcing us to focus on our actual job performance, reducing the impact of informal networks and soft power at work? To be sure, an office-less environment isnt a panacea. Human nature hasnt changed overnight, and back channel communication and power plays wont simply evaporate. But by following the strategies outlined in this article, youre far more likely to be politically successful during this liminal time as our conceptions of office life continue to shift.

Across jobs, companies, and industries, peoples success has always depended not just on what they produce or deliver, but also on their ability to navigate the murky waters of office politics. A great deal of scientific research has explored the hidden potent forces underlying the formal and informal power dynamics in any group or organization, unsurprisingly highlighting the pervasive and sometimes toxic nature of office politics.

But what happens to office politics when you remove the office? Although virtual work has existed for some time now, the pandemic has dramatically changed the context of work by fully removing the office, eliminating interpersonal contact and physical human interaction and with it, opportunities to engage in tactics of manipulation or impression management. As one of our clients recently lamented: Without the office, how can I pretend to work?

Many people have by now recovered a certain degree of normalcy by returning to the office, albeit less often, and without as many colleagues around. In fact, for a large proportion of the industrialized workforce, the big bulk of work continues to be done from home, with most work interactions confined to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.

What does this all mean for office politics? Do the old norms and rules still apply? Can we expect a reduction in bias and nepotism, and an increase in meritocratic talent management practices? Is technology sanitizing the dark side of human behavior at work, forcing us to focus on our actual job performance, reducing the impact of informal networks and soft power at work?

Even without the office, its nave to expect office politics to disappear, much like a companys culture isnt erased just because people are working from home. In our view, there are three key opportunities that professionals can seize during this transition to office-less work politics:

The opportunity to reset relationships. First, the shift to remote work has profoundly upended the patterns of how we interact at work, and this represents an opportunity to reset your relationships with your boss and colleagues. If youve been less than successful in the past at office politics, this is a moment to reflect on how you can turn the situation around.

Start by considering whether your boss had reason justified or not to question your ability to deliver on assignments as promised. The shift to virtual work is your chance to lay out expectations for both performance and communication channels. If youre crystal clear about how frequently she would like you to communicate with her, and in what way, it gives you the opportunity to over deliver and ensure that she never has to question whether youre working on the right things, or whether theyll be done in a timely fashion.

Then, consider the social side of office politics. Its possible that others invested more time and energy in building personal relationships with colleagues, while you held yourself at a remove. The pandemic provides a natural opportunity to engage more deeply whether or not youve done so in the past. Try suggesting catch-up calls or genuinely inquiring about others well-being.

The opportunity for substance to prevail. At one time or another, almost all of us have had an irritating coworker who is all hat and no cattle, touting their (minimal) accomplishments and charming their way into undeserved promotions. That form of office politics is almost universally reviled and thankfully, its much harder for braggarts and showboats to prevail in a virtual environment. They dont have easy access to interstitial moments in the breakroom or walking out to the parking lot after work to press their agendas. And in a world where every extra minute on a Zoom meeting feels like a lifetime, their bloviating and chest-thumping can be seen for the waste of time that it is. A virtual work environment offers much more of an opportunity to be judged on the output of your work, rather than your messaging around it.

In some cases, the shift to virtual may even help limit unconscious biases. Automattic, the company behind WordPress, actually hires job candidates via chat; new employees often have never spoken to someone live before they start the job. Were always looking at what we can do to make it as much about the work, company founder Matt Mullenweg told The New York Times, and not extraneous stuff, like how youre dressed, how you showed up, how you sound, how you look, where you live. All those things ultimately dont matter, particularly for an internet company. So, lets just remove it from the process entirely.

The opportunity to diversify your networks. These days, many companies if not most are international. The discussion around working virtually often focuses on the fact that its harder to network with colleagues with whom you used to share an office, for the obvious reason that we tend to build deeper emotional and social connections with people who are physically closer to us. But working from remote locations also gives you an advantage: the opportunity to build relationships with colleagues and clients worldwide that you may have neglected otherwise. In that sense, virtual work is a great leveler, because it reduced our bias for working with those who are close to us, which, by extension, invites us to work with people who are not just physically distant, but also psychologically more diverse (culture and values travel together).

So, this is a great opportunity to diversity your networks. You can do this by setting up one-on-one calls, or even engaging in small ways, such as sending an email to check in, or forwarding interesting articles. This becomes an important competitive advantage because so many professionals because they havent consciously focused on it tend to have remarkably homogeneous networks, filled with people who work at their same company or in their same office. You can make your network much more resilient, and ultimately more useful, by focusing on developing bridging capital building heterogeneous connections with colleagues who are different from you and connecting with colleagues in other parts of the world.

To be sure, an office-less environment isnt a panacea. Human nature hasnt changed overnight, and back channel communication and power plays wont simply evaporate. Its also possible that, as the world slowly reopens and some professionals come back to the office, we run the risk of developing a two-tiered system of office politics, where the people who are able to be together in the office experience preferential treatment compared to those who are still working from home, even in the absence of actual performance differences between both groups. Those are legitimate concerns. But by following the strategies above, youre far more likely to be politically successful during this liminal time as our conceptions of office life continue to shift.

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Navigating Office Politics When There Is No Office - Harvard Business Review

Human Behavior

Find ways to lessen the escalation by being a calming presence – austin360

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased anxiety levels for many of us. Would you agree that the pandemic along with economic insecurity and political animosities are making our collective society more anxious?

My good friend, mentor, and colleague pastor, Peter Steinke, passed away in July at the age of 82. The author of 14 books, he was the premier interpreter for faith community leaders of an influential human behavior theory called "family systems." Pete was especially adept at helping clergy properly understand the workings of anxiety in social settings.

In a 2015 interview, I asked him to expound on the role of anxiety in social interactions. He responded: "Anxiety is not a negative. Anxiety just is. It becomes a negative when it intensifies or becomes prolonged because it interferes with clear thinking. Anxiety is an informer, rather than an enemy. It tells us something about ourselves and the world around us."

Petes teaching and work is especially instructive during this time of heightened anxiety for many individuals, and for society as a whole. "Uproar: Calm Leadership in Anxious Times" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) is the last book written by Steinke. Intended for a general audience, its relatively short and encourages the practice of what he called "non-anxious presence" as a balm for conflicted relationships. To boot, an unanxious presence is also a good practice for keeping your cool while driving on Interstate 35.

I first met Pete 30 years ago when I was a newly ordained pastor in Houston. My church council hired Pete to guide staff conversations to help determine expectations and roles. The day-long retreat focused, among other things, on the importance of staying connected even when disagreements surface. In situations of conflict, the practice of unanxious presence, as opposed to the responses of defensiveness or attacking others, helps defuse potentially volatile situations which in turn frees up participants to consider best options for problem solving.

In John 8, Jesus is tracked down by a mob wanting his approval to stone to death a woman "caught" in adultery. It was a set-up and Jesus knew it. The womans male partner also guilty in the affair was nowhere to be seen. As if contemplating another topic while seated on the ground, Jesus paid the fomenting mob scant attention as he drew figures in the sand with a stick. He didnt meet the mobs energy level, but defused it with his supposed indifference.

He then spoke: "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." One by one, stones falling from unclenched fists plunked harmlessly upon the ground. The crowd dispersed. Jesus blessed the woman on her way and invited her to live in a new way.

Pete Steinke would say that Jesus in John 8 modeled an unanxious presence. Dont misunderstand: There are appropriate times for lifting voices in loud protest, or publicly and forcibly confronting wrongdoing, or using anger as fuel for a much needed stand of self-protection. An enraged Jesus cleaned out the Jerusalem temple of greedy marketers who were taking advantage of poor and powerless pilgrims. Most of the time, however, Jesus chose not the path of violent force, but of calm confrontation as he challenged listeners to change their ways.

Like Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. knew the power of an unanxious presence. Practicing and teaching the burdensome arts of nonviolent resistance to their followers, they knew the societal changes they sought would not be wrought by violent force.

The use of an unanxious presence can be a better first option for many of us in situations of conflict. If more of us choose to practice it, our collective society could be less antagonistic and would exhibit other improved outcomes.

Steinke also told me in that same interview: "Weve got to work together more often . . . but when youre anxious, what do you do? You pull apart, you separate, you get into your own little fortress, which is the opposite of what we need to do.

"Were here to cooperate with one another thats civil society."

The Rev. T. Carlos Anderson directs social ministry efforts for Austin City Lutherans, and is the author of "There is a Balm in Huntsville."

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Find ways to lessen the escalation by being a calming presence - austin360

Human Behavior

Some birds leave no one behind they share their food with those less fortunate – ZME Science

Helping others is a key feature of human behavior but its not necessarily something exclusive to humans, according to a new study. Researchers found birds care about the fate of conspecific birds, noticing how much food others have and sharing theirs with individuals that are going hungry.

Food-sharing observed among humans in daily-life events such as dinner parties, and there is evidence that this was present even in pre-historic humans. But food-sharing is also relatively common in the wild, especially between individuals and their offspring.

My earlier research has shown that birds also sometimes do something for someone else, said Jorg Massen, lead-author, in a statement. The question was, however, whether this is an instinctive behavior that is ingrained, or whether this behavior is flexible, and whether these birds might also take into account how great the need of the other animal is.

To investigate sociality in birds, Massen worked with Azure-winged magpies in an experiment. He gave one bird an abundance of mealworms, a popular delicacy for these birds, while the rest had limited access or were given nothing at all. The magpie had the chance to share the mealworms through a wire mesh.

The researchers found out that the birds were inclined to share food with their peers. They differentiate, however, between others that have or do not have food, and subsequently cater to that lack. Females shared with the ones that had nothing, while males always shared, likely as a way to showcase themselves as generous.

The magpies were more inclined to share food as a response to begging but would share with those less fortunate even if they werent asked. This shows that they might truly notice the need of others, even without specific behavior from other birds. They may even show sympathy, according to Massen.

The study shows that magpies can exhibit prosocial behavior just like people, and that they may well have the same motivation as we do to engage in such behavior. This might indicate that they can empathize with the situation in which their peers find themselves and act accordingly. Still, further work is needed to tell if this is the case.

At the same time, the research also confirmed what scientists previously found in other animal species: cooperative breeders that raise their young together have a strong tendency to help each other.

Because we let our children grow up in groups, we have become prosocial and can work well together. We now also see this in the azure-winged magpies, said Massen.

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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Some birds leave no one behind they share their food with those less fortunate - ZME Science

Human Behavior

Thriving in Defiance of Evil – Theravive

What is evil? There are multiple lenses through which we can search for a definition: moral, spiritual, mystical, etc. When forced to choose a characterization of this trait there is no one description to rely upon. Evil is very much a subjective element that incites fear.

For purposes of this discussion evil will be described as the intention to cause harm and the celebratory surge success provides. The examination is in terms of human behavior, not religious, metaphysical or other.

Some researchers say that no one is born evil. Others contend that each individual has the potential for evil behavior. Both of these theories would increase focus on the nurture aspect of human development. None of these assumptions can account for the Jeffrey Dahmers, Hitlers, and Aileen Wuornoss of the world. Why some who have been abused and neglected have lived what some would call normal lives, and others have committed nearly unimaginable crimes against others has never been verified.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, In his book The Gulag Archipelago says

the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

In the field of mental health it is accepted that those who would be considered to be evil share all components of the Dark Triad. The Dark Triad Is: Psychopathy the lack of empathy for others. Narcissism intense focus on the self; believing that oneself is the only person in the universe whose needs and desires carry importance. Machiavellianism whatever means this individual employs to get his/her way are justified by the ends.

All researchers agree that the evil individual has no conscience. There are those who believe that acts of evil are caused by mental illness. This assumption is not accepted by other members of the mental health community. Their argument is that the patient with the mental illness is the one who suffers. Although harm may come to others, that is not a planned-for goal. Those who are considered to be evil gain satisfaction from their ability to hurt others. The professionals who work with individuals with confused and disturbed minds fear that equating evil with mental illness will be used to justify unjustifiable acts.

Why discuss the problem of evil at this particular time? With constraints on personal freedom as a result of the covid-19 crises and the escalating fury exhibited by individuals with differing political viewpoints, daily life has changed radically worldwide. This provides fertile ground for those who lust for the feeling of power that, for them, can only be grasped when dominating and harming another. Destruction becomes, for some, essential and warranted.

When large numbers of people believe that those with opposing ideas and outlooks are the enemy, the door that admits evil is cracked open. In todays world it is hard to locate an opinion page or news channel that leaves anger and blame out of the narrative.

Those who meticulously plan a logical chain of events that will lead to slaughter are far beyond clinical madness. The evil individual has no conscience. The result of such an individuals behavioral choices shatters the recipients view of the world. Those who have been touched by evil cannot regain a feeling of balance ever. The concept of what is whole and right becomes permanently skewed. The connection between the diagnosis of PTSD and what is perceived to be evil would provide a rich topic for research. It is important to remember that agency is a critical element in the DNA of evil.

The target of malevolence is always a situation that contains a degree of innocence. Like the schoolyard bully, evil does not confront what it perceives to be of equal strength. A corollary to that is that those who have been afflicted by evil will often feel shame. This is found in children who have been preyed upon as well as prisoners of war. Many of those who survived Auschwitz were, initially, unable to recount what had happened in the camp because there was such a strong degree of shame and a feeling of failure. Why could I not have protected myself and/or others?

If confronted with evil it is necessary to remember that this is a condition that cannot be cured. The doer does not wish to change. Trying to cajole this individual is useless. Such a person may feign interest in what one has to say, but, the plan to harm has already begun. No one can reverse this with words.

When dealing with this individual one must put on emotional raincoat. It is crucial to protect oneself from both flattery and insult. The goal of the perpetrator is to get under the victims skin. As soon as that person can see that he/she has struck gold the prey exactly where the oppressor wants him/her to be. One must distract oneself from the words being hurled.

Do not rely on an individual with evil characteristics . Promises that are made will not be kept. Avoid emotional confrontation, as it feeds the fire. The best course of action is to distance oneself as quickly as possible. If the snake hadnt convinced Eve to bite the apple, we might all be living in the Garden of Eden (who knows)

If this message is coming across as irrelevant drama, as well it might, check out the research on group mentality in relation to fear and anger. The lynchings during the Jim Crow era in the South incorporated evil. Otherwise, why would a group hang a person, and, after that persons death proceed to mutilate and decapitate the corpse?

Fear is most likely the underpinning in the appearance of evil. The abuser does not feel his/her own fear. The actions that destroy hope, productivity, self-confidence,and agency arise from an unfathomable fear of inadequacy on the part of the enforcer. It cannot be touched.

On the optimistic side of this discussion is the ability to avoid falling into the trap of hopelessness. Pay attention when someone, randomly, is helpful. Reflect on the love that has been available (it doesnt have to be romantic). When one looks for joy, it will probably be found.

Difficult times do pass. It is important to keep moving forward in mind, body, and spirit. There are always survivors and lessons learned. Doing ones best is all one can do.

Citations

Brown, L.(06/28/16) Evil People: 20 Things They do and How to Handle Them hackspirit.com

Elkhatib, O (06/09/18) The Problem with Labeling Evil as Mental Illness fordhamobserver.com

Evans, B/ Forti, S. (09/16/2016) Who is Evil and Who is the Victim? nytimes.com

Fey, S. (06/26/2020)7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Evil People beliefnet.com

Popova, M (06/21/2016) Mary McCarthy on Human Nature,Moral Choice, and How We Decide Whether Evil is Forgivable. brainpickings.org

Romig, R. (07/25/2012)What do we Mean by Evil? newyorker.com

Solzhenitsyn, A. The Gulag Archipelago (1973)

I bring with me +30 years of experience as a clinician. My Masters degrees are from: Assumption College, Worcester, MA, Master of Arts in Psychology & Counseling/ and Boston University School of Social Work, Boston, MA, an MSW in Clinical Social Work. This is the 11th year I have written a monthly newsletter that is sent to approximately 500 individuals. The archive can be found on my website, http://www.foreverfabulousyou.com.

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Thriving in Defiance of Evil - Theravive

Human Behavior

How will COVID-19 impact the flu in Florida? – ABC Action News

The flu season has officially started in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Now, add in an ongoing global health crisis and were all wondering just how the coronavirus pandemic will impact flu season in Florida this year.

Its a great question and something we are talking a lot about in the hospital, said Dr. Nicole Iovine, an associate professor and Chief Epidemiologist at the University of Florida Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

Dr. Marissa Levine, a public health expert and professor at the University of South Florida, is also paying close attention to the season, which has already started slowly.

Both are cautiously optimistic this years flu season could be one for the record books, in a good way.

Id hate to predict and say definitively thats going to happen but we have potential to have an insignificant season, said Levine.

It all depends on human behavior which is the big black box, said Iovine.

With travel down, mask-wearing up and social distancing a way of life, these doctors say the same practices were taking to ward off COVID-19 will also, likely, lower our risk of catching the flu.

But more telling is what just happened during peak season on the other side of the world.

If you look at the southern hemisphere for example, where theyve already experienced winter. Places like Australia had not just a mild, but an absent flu season, explained Levine.

Still, these doctors warn we all have reason to remain concerned about the flu season which peaks in January.

We see respiratory co-infections all the time. Theres no reason we cant see COVID and influenza affect a person at the same time and that will not be a good situation, said Iovine.

Both doctors advise individuals to wear their mask, keep socially distancing practices in place and get a flu shot.

It is extremely worrisome. This is unprecedented times so we are very, very concerned about the combination of flu and the coronavirus, said Iovine.

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How will COVID-19 impact the flu in Florida? - ABC Action News

Human Behavior

Advice for international graduate students who come to study in the US (opinion) – Inside Higher Ed

One of us, Paola, was among 500,000-plus international students enrolled in an academic program in the United States in 2006. Being trained in the country would allow her to have a professional life in Ecuador, a dream she nurtured since she was an undergraduate student in biological sciences.

The other of us, Irina, came to the United States as part of an exchange while she studied literature in Russia. With no specific goal in mind, but possessing a love for the study of human behavior, she ended up in the College of Medicine, pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.

Both our journeys were challenging, and as it turned out, similar to those of many international students now enrolled in advanced degree programs across the country. Along the way, we learned many important things wed like to share with the international graduate STEM community and those who support it, in hopes of making their training more successful.

No.1: Financial support for international researchers is important but scarce. The majority of international researchers come to the United States using personal/family savings or fellowship funds. Paola wasnt an exception, as she was the recipient of a two-year fellowship with a modest $15,000 to $20,000 per year stipend. Unfortunately, the fellowship could not cover all personal expenses, and Paola had to find supplementary income while doing full-time research. In contrast, Irina pursued her Ph.D. in a medical school, where she had full access to funding because of her permanent resident status and the nature of her biomedical research.

Comparing our stories, we realized: first, international students receive very few funding opportunities and, second, such opportunities depend significantly on immigration status, academic discipline/department and research alignment. For instance, the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health provide solid support for students with citizenship or permanent residency, yet seldom offer stipends to international trainees. A similar situation occurs when a lab is funded by large grants with aims unrelated to the international students dissertation research.

Knowing this, we suggest starting a money conversation with a potential or new adviser while choosing programs or as soon as you join a lab. Asking the following questions will help you to survey the funding landscape while highlighting your determination toward your academic career.

In case your principal investigator is unsure about funding opportunities, a pre-award office or a grant section would be a good initial starting point to explore internal fellowships and small private grants. Another way to get ahead of the financial scarcity is to plan for research agendas that dont require substantial funding. Those could include chapters with research performed locally at your institution, topic reviews, meta-analyses and/or surveys.

On a personal note, we advise you to be prepared for rejections when applying to widely available financial and safety net programs. Due to immigration restrictions and a lack of credit history, you are more likely to encounter no to credit requests and might be assessed higher fees and offered unreasonable credit card rates. That said, the longer you stay in the United States, the easier it becomes to establish a presence comparable to that in your home country.

No.2: Not all advisers and programs are created equal. Once you are in a graduate program with secured finances, it is time to re-evaluate your fit with the program and the adviser. Being extremely grateful for the opportunity to conduct research in a top research-conducting county, international researchers might often overlook red flags that are perhaps more visible to citizens who grew up in the United States. In our past, we witnessed unfairness or experienced disrespect at times, but we didnt dare to question authority because it was deemed inappropriate in both Ecuador and Russia. Any graduate student could find themselves in a similar situation, but understanding the cultural dos and donts is harder for international trainees who are unfamiliar with the distinct characteristics and customs of North American culture. More often than not, international students can feel trapped by limited opportunities and visa restrictions, making it difficult to entertain other options such as switching labs, looking for additional mentors or transferring to another department.

While no blanket advice will fit everyone, if your program doesnt clearly involve supportive peers and an understanding and experienced PI, we encourage you to investigate other places where multiple faculty members serve as advisers, or seek out departments that share your passion for a specific research question. Also, connecting with officials in the central administration, like Graduate Affairs, could give you additional support outside individual departments in case you decide to switch labs, find committee members or meet out-of-field mentors who are eager to contribute to your growth.

Another option is to look for labs that are known for successfully hosting international and national researchers, or programs that emphasize diverse and international agendas. Their agendas are aimed at bringing like-minded people together, and you may find yourself in the midst of a vibrant, globally oriented workforce.

No.3: Mental health should be your No.1 priority. Being a graduate student is not easy for anyone, but international researchers face additional challenges related to being far from their support network. The fact that international students might look, sound, communicate and think differently may also exacerbate culture shock and elicit microaggressions. Thus, international trainees commonly feel misunderstood and isolated even in a welcoming work environment.

Irina vividly remembers days when she was unable to bring herself to go to the lab because of an incredible amount of stress stemming from failing experiments, time pressures and unbearable homesickness. She was used a hierarchical work structure and a direct communication style, so the North American work environment was confusing, overwhelming and extremely lonely. And, despite full access to mental health providers, the stigma around mental health issues brought from her home country prevented her from seeking immediate help.

Turning to Paola, emotions were there to be felt in her culture. But she experienced being unheard in difficult situations and constantly lacked the financial support and training that would have helped her better teach undergraduate students in the United States. In the beginning, she didnt know she had access to mental health assistance, but she then found a mental health counselors office to be a place where she could express herself and feel comfortable in her own skin. Moreover, the counselor helped her understand the perception of her host culture regarding mental health.

We recently learned that academic articles have reinforced our experiences, showing that international students tend to use available counseling services less than domestic students for a wide array of reasons, including a lack of awareness and cultural attitudes. As beneficiaries of such services, we highly recommend contacting mental health providers as soon as you notice the first signs of anxiety, homesickness, loneliness or difficulties in cultural adjustments.

In addition, it is a good idea to build a new support system in the host country to increase your sense of groundedness and belonging. This new tribe could include people who are not directly related to your program or school, but share something in common such as love for books, similar hobbies or religious affiliation. Building a social life and making regular trips to the psychologists office might seem like an unjustifiable distraction from your research, but it is a tested way to build the resilience and grit necessary to finish Ph.D. training.

No.4: Career development experts can help reconcile cultural differences during job searches or other professional activities. The reality for international students is that they grew up in another culture and came to the States with previously established ways of living, working and job seeking. Unaware of cultural differences in career management and development, international trainees might continue to utilize strategies not appropriate to their current situation. Moreover, they might have a hard time embracing American self-promotion and networking behaviors.

For example, Paola grew up in a family where humility was valued. Thus, the intense activity of self-promotion she saw in American peers was overwhelming at times. She felt more comfortable promoting and focusing on the care and well-being of others, rather than talking about herself.

For her part, Irina was apprehensive about using her well-crafted elevator pitch at networking events because of Russian societal norms. And her Russian accent undermined her confidence.

From where we stand now in our lives and careers, we can clearly see the importance of expanding our horizons by engaging in our own professional and career development. Attending workshops and panel discussions and setting up informational interviews allowed us to see what was possible in academia and beyond. As a result, we encourage you to reach out to career centers at your university and/or seek the services graduate schools offer. Career development professionals are ready to help you to reconnect with yourself by identifying your strengths, values and purpose. Knowing those key components of your core identity will boost your resilience during challenging times as well as offer a compass on your quest to find a career where you can make the greatest impact. These exercises can also deepen your understanding of your cultural background and pinpoint any misalignments with your current environment.

If possible, take advantage of meeting with a career coach who will work with you to improve your application materials, conduct mock interviews and practice negotiation strategies. Many of those activities will put you outside your comfort zone and stretch your limits, but the resulting personal and professional growth will pay off in no time when you are on the job market.

Looking back, we agree that leaving our home countries led to many financial and emotional sacrifices. Both of us were overwhelmed with change and felt unsupported and rootless until we slowly assimilated into American culture. But this journey taught us how to use our strengths and harness our distinct knowledge and awareness of multiple cultures. We have learned that being international means being adaptable, flexible, global, culturally intelligent and, most importantly, marketable. We are confident that with institutional resources and strong peer networks, you can make the very best of your training experience and become as competitive as a graduate student can be on the way to a fulfilling career.

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Advice for international graduate students who come to study in the US (opinion) - Inside Higher Ed

Human Behavior

funded study links adolescent brain differences to increased waist circumference – National Institutes of Health

News Release

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Differences in the microstructure of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a region in the brain that plays an important role in processing food and other reward stimuli, predict increases in indicators of obesity in children, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and nine other institutes, all part of the National Institutes of Health. The paper, published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The ABCD Study will follow nearly 12,000 children through early adulthood to assess factors that influence individual brain development and other health outcomes.

Findings from this study provide the first evidence of microstructural brain differences that are linked to waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) in children. These microstructural differences in cell density could be indicative of inflammatory processes triggered by a diet rich in high fat foods.

We know that childhood obesity is a key predictor of adult obesity and other poor health outcomes later in life, said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of NIDA. These results extend previous animal studies to reveal what may prove to be a vicious cycle in which diet-related inflammation in brain striatal regions promotes further unhealthy eating behaviors and weight gain.

Evidence from past human imaging studies has demonstrated the relationship between the NAcc and unhealthy eating behavior in adults. In this study, the researchers leveraged new diffusion MRI imaging techniques to examine the cellular structure of areas that comprise the striatal reward pathway in the brain to investigate disproportionate weight gain in youth.

This study included data from 5,366 ABCD Study participants, ages 9- to 10-years-old at baseline, of whom 2,133 returned for a one-year follow-up visit. The mean waist circumference of the participants, used here as a measure of body fat, increased an average of 2.76 centimeters per participant from the baseline through the one-year follow-up. The researchers used a noninvasive MRI technique to show that an alleged marker of cellular density in the NAcc reflected differences in waist circumference at baseline and predicted increased waist circumference at one-year follow-up.

Because the ABCD Study is longitudinal, it will allow to assess if this association holds or changes over the course of adolescent development, and what factors may influence this trajectory.

Obesity in the United States affects approximately 35% of children and adolescents and is associated with negative health consequences, mentally and physically, as well as higher mortality rates. Children who are obese have more than a fivefold likelihood of becoming obese as adults. Predictive models of weight gain in youth, coupled with knowledge about factors that could impact this trajectory, would benefit public health and individual wellbeing.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and ABCD Study are registered trademarks and service marks, respectfully, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the worlds research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit http://www.drugabuse.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

Rapuano, KM; Laurent, JS; Hagler, Jr. DJ; Hatton, SN; Thompson, WK; Jernigan, TL; Dale, AM; Casey, BJ; Watts, R.Nucleus accumbens cytoarchitecture predicts weight gain in children.PNAS.October 12, 2020.

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funded study links adolescent brain differences to increased waist circumference - National Institutes of Health