Cryptocurrency’s popularity in the U.S. tied to conservative moral foundations

2023/10/21


In a recent study published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers provide evidence that cryptocurrency technology, specifically its current adopters in the United States, tends to align more closely with conservative moral values rather than liberal ones.

The world of cryptocurrency, often associated with decentralized financial systems, has surged in popularity in recent years. While many view it as a tool for financial freedom, its underlying motivations have remained relatively unexplored in academic circles. Prior research has examined the financial and technological aspects of cryptocurrencies but has largely ignored their sociopolitical implications.

Researchers at the University of Utah and Toronto Metropolitan University ventured into a study to understand the moral foundations of crypto advocates. Given the divisive nature of discussions surrounding cryptocurrency — with enthusiasts often promoting it as a solution to many economic woes — the study was rooted in understanding societal and political inclinations behind the topic.

In their research, the team analyzed a large set of tweets related to Bitcoin and conducted a controlled survey — overall, unpacking information learned across two studies. In the first study, a total of 959,393 tweets regarding crypto were analyzed for their usage of moral-language (such as words like “pure”, “impure”, and “theft”).

In the second study, a total of 500 participants, all based in the United States, were recruited through a study recruiting website called Prolific. 487 passed all attention checks and were included in the analysis, with 297 women and 190 men, averaging 37 years old. All of them answered a series of questions probing interest and attitudes towards cryptocurrency.

Then, researchers compared the alignment of crypto enthusiasts with what are known as “binding moral foundations” (Authority, Purity, and Loyalty) – typically associated with political conservatives – to “individualizing foundations” (Fairness and Care) which are often linked to liberals.

The findings were revealing. Crypto enthusiasts, especially in the U.S., seem to resonate more with the conservative values of Authority, Purity, and Loyalty than the liberal ideals of Fairness and Care. In simpler terms, those with an interest in cryptocurrency, based on tweet analysis and survey results, showed a stronger alignment with the moral values often held by political conservatives. This suggests that the appeal of cryptocurrencies might be deeply rooted in these moral principles, potentially influencing adoption decisions.

The researchers concluded that “our findings document convergent evidence indicating that crypto is best understood as ‘right-wing tech’ more closely aligned with conservative moral foundations at the current stage of adoption. Our analyses of a large set of Bitcoin tweets and a controlled survey indicate that binding moral foundations (Authority, Purity, and Loyalty) that are more closely associated with political conservatives better reflect one’s interest in cryptocurrency than individualizing foundations (Fairness and Care).”

However, it’s essential to understand the scope of these findings. While the research provides a novel insight into the moral alignments of cryptocurrency users, it’s mainly correlational. This means while there’s a noticeable link between conservative values and crypto interest, it doesn’t necessarily imply a direct causation. Also, this study primarily focused on crypto advocates within the U.S., so extrapolating these findings to a global audience might not be entirely accurate.

Furthermore, the research centered more on understanding the majority – those investing and showing interest in cryptocurrency. It didn’t dive deeply into the actions of a minority, like fraudulent businesses trying to scam investors. And while cryptocurrency’s decentralized and open-record nature might seem a deterrent for dishonest activities, it doesn’t mean dishonesty is entirely absent.

Sachin Banker of University of Utah, alongside Joowon Park and Eugene Chan of Toronto Metropolitan University, authored this study — titled “The moral foundations of cryptocurrency: evidence from Twitter and survey research“.

© PsyPost

Psychedelic users tended to have better mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

2023/10/20


A recently published study, which was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that individuals who have used psychedelic substances experience lower psychological distress, improved well-being, and enhanced post-traumatic growth. The new findings appear in the journal Scientific Reports.

The use of psychedelic drugs has long been a subject of fascination and debate. Historically, these substances have been associated with counterculture movements, and their effects have been portrayed in various ways in popular culture. However, in recent years, researchers have started to examine their therapeutic potential, particularly in addressing mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unusual opportunity to investigate the relationship between hallucinogenic drug use and mental health. With much of the world facing lockdowns and isolation, the researchers wondered whether these substances could play a role in mitigating the psychological toll of the pandemic.

“In a previous paper, we found for the first time that psychedelics may help with coping processes in stressful situations. The pandemic was a perfect opportunity to test the hypothesis,” said study author José Carlos Bouso, the scientific director for the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS)).

For their study, the researchers recruited a sample of 2,971 participants for the baseline assessment, with 1,024 participants at the first follow-up (two months later) and 455 participants at the last follow-up (six months after the baseline assessment).

To gather data, the team developed an online survey specifically designed for this study, which was made available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The survey reached individuals from over 80 countries, including Spain, Brazil, and many others, thanks to snowball sampling and online dissemination through various channels, including social media, scientific journals, and community websites.

“The survey was released to the general population,” Bouso noted. “We did not disclose that we were conducting research about psychedelics to avoid biasing the answers.”

The study employed well-established psychometric measures to assess various aspects of mental health. These included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for screening psychological distress, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) for evaluating specific symptoms of psychopathology, the Peritraumatic Stress Inventory (PSI) to measure symptoms associated with traumatic experiences, and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PGI) to assess positive changes following such experiences.

Participants were also asked about their use of psychedelic drugs, including MDMA, ayahuasca, psilocybin-containing mushrooms, LSD, peyote, and others. The study categorized participants as regular users, occasional users, or never-users at the baseline assessment and tracked changes in drug use during follow-ups.

Individuals who reported lifetime use of psychedelic drugs tended to have better mental health outcomes during the pandemic. These outcomes included reduced psychological distress, fewer symptoms of mental health disorders, and enhanced psychological well-being.

Users of psychedelic drugs experienced fewer symptoms across various mental health dimensions, including obsessions or compulsions, depression, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. The overall severity of psychological symptoms, as indicated by the General Severity Index (GSI), was also lower among this group.

Compared to occasional and never-users, regular users of psychedelic drugs reported higher scores on the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTG), a measure of positive changes perceived following a traumatic event. These changes encompassed areas such as forming new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual growth, improved relationships, and an increased appreciation for life.

“Our hypotheses were confirmed: participating in structured psychedelic sessions seems to help with the adaptive process in stressful situations and may thus be a protective factor for mental health,” Bouso told PsyPost.

Another notable discovery was that hallucinogenic drug users were less reliant on information from the media and politicians. This is noteworthy because excessive exposure to pandemic-related news and information has been linked to higher levels of distress.

The study also explored differences between respondents from different language backgrounds (English, Spanish, and Portuguese). While variations were observed in their responses, no consistent pattern emerged, suggesting that these findings transcend cultural boundaries.

While these findings offer intriguing insights, it’s essential to acknowledge the limitations of this study. One notable limitation was the high dropout rate during follow-up assessments, which may have influenced the results. Additionally, the survey relied on self-report measures, which can introduce biases.

“This was an observational study,” Bouso said. “The next step should be to conduct a controlled trial.”

Future research should explore the mechanisms through which psychedelic drugs influence mental health and well-being, potentially shedding light on their therapeutic potential. The study’s authors also highlighted the need for reevaluating drug policies and reconsidering relationship between psychedelic experiences and mental health resilience.

“This study opens the door to using psychedelics as preventive strategies in mental health, not just as treatments when the problem has already become entrenched,” Bouso said.

The study, “Longitudinal and transcultural assessment of the relationship between hallucinogens, well-being, and post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic“, was authored by José Carlos Bouso, Dóra Révész, Genís Ona, Giordano N. Rossi, Juliana M. Rocha, Rafael G. dos Santos, Jaime E. C. Hallak, and Miguel Ángel Alcázar-Corcoles.

© PsyPost

© Orlando Sentinel

These Florida researchers are giving depressed, anxious people psychedelics
2023/10/17

Patricia Brown, vice president of clinical operations at CNS Healthcare in Orlando, in one of the clinic’ s patient therapy rooms used for the treatment of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

 - Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

ORLANDO, Fla. — A therapy session with Patricia Brown starts like any other. She leads her clients into a peaceful, quiet room, draped in beige and generic, calming artwork.

Then her clients lie down, close their eyes, put on a blindfold and headphones, and trip for six hours on psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in magic mushrooms.

Brown is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and head of clinical operations at CNS Healthcare. CNS in Thornton Park and APG Research near the Central Business District are two global clinical trial sites testing whether microdoses of psychedelics — typically about one-tenth of a recreational dose — can help people with depression and anxiety.

A growing number of clinical trials suggest single doses of psychedelics can have long-lasting impacts on the brain, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue “breakthrough therapy” designations to these drugs beginning in 2017.

These treatments could have untapped potential for helping the estimated one in three people with treatment-resistant depression, meaning they have tried at least two different antidepressants that haven’t worked, said Brown. The clinical trial she’s working on right now targets this group.

“This is the opportunity for us to take treatment for depression and anxiety to the next level,” Brown said.

The rebound in psychedelics’ popularity isn’t without controversy, however. A potentially troubling trend is emerging. From 2018 to 2021,a survey published in the scientific journal Addiction.) indicates a doubling of recreational psychedelic use in the U.S., with 8% of young adults having tried hallucinogens as of 2021. This is the highest number seen since the 1980s.
Recreational use sparks concern

This isn’t the first time these drugs have been studied for therapeutic benefits. These investigations have taken place since the 1940s, though research halted in the 1970s when the federal government classified these drugs as Schedule 1 due to their potential for abuse.

Over the last few decades, there’s been a resurgence in promising scientific research, continuing the work of 50 years ago. But it’s dangerous to use these drugs outside a medical setting, especially without a guide, said Dr. Robert Molpus, a psychiatrist and addiction researcher.

Molpus leads the CNS Healthcare location of a clinical trial of small doses of LSD on people with anxiety. The study is run by Mind Medicine, a biotech pharmaceutical company seeking approval for its proprietary form of LSD.

“What we have here is pharmaceutical-grade medication produced under very strict tolerances and standards,” said Molpus. “Whatever you buy on the street, it’s not pharmaceutical grade and you actually have no idea what’s in it or what the dose is.”

Psychedelics theoretically alleviate mental illnesses by creating new connections in the brain, according to the National Institutes of Health. Negative connections can be created just as easily as positive ones, Molpus warned.

“The idea is that things are connected wrong because of experience or trauma. And so, what you want to do, is get them reconnected; you want to break this bad connection,” Molpus said. “You don’t want a different set of bad connections. That’s where the therapy piece comes in.”

Licensed mental health counselor Elizabeth Lindell Mendez says recreational psychedelics worsened pre-existing mental illnesses and addiction issues in some of her clients. She worked for six years in community mental health residential and day treatment programs before moving to Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry in Maitland a few months ago.

“When you actively hallucinate, the more you do it, the less likely you might be to come back, especially if you have a hereditary predisposition that you’re unaware of,” she said. “It can actually increase and exacerbate symptoms.”

She emphasized that she hasn’t seen any clients who took these drugs within a controlled medical setting.

The American Psychological Association released a statement in 2022 calling preliminary research into psychedelics “promising” but cautioned about a lack of evidence.

“There is currently inadequate scientific evidence for endorsing the use of psychedelics to treat any psychiatric disorder except within the context of approved investigational studies,” the statement read.
Studies combat stigma

Brown is confident that current clinical trials are not dangerous.

“I think there really is a stigma that we have to overcome,” she said.

The ongoing trials at CNS are regulated by the FDA and don’t allow people with psychotic and personality disorders to participate. People with other mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder and people who would take other psychiatric medications during the study can’t participate either.

Brown is working on a randomized clinical trial testing the impact of a single dose of psilocybin. The study, conducted by biotech company COMPASS Pathways, will include therapy before the psilocybin dose, a therapist present for the eight-hour period a patient is high, and additional therapy afterward to process what the participant has experienced and help them integrate what they’ve learned.

Another point to keep in mind is that psychedelics do not typically lead to addiction, said Molpus.

“Can you overuse it? Absolutely, you can. But it’s actually not all that common,” Molpus said. “It can happen, and it does happen, but it’s not like meth or heroin that can really capture and trap people in addiction.”

Decades of research back up that assertion, according to the National Institutes of Health.
A push to roll back restrictions

The FDA labels psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, peyote and MDMA (ecstasy) as having “high abuse potential” and no recognized medical use, hence their Schedule 1 classification.

This designation is theoretically reserved for the most dangerous and addictive drugs in the U.S. In recent years, advocates have questioned it. Molpus labeled psychedelics’ classification “more political than medical.”

Marijuana, too, is Schedule 1, despite decades of evidence of its potential therapeutic benefits. The majority of states, including Florida, have legalized it for medical use.

Amid mounting arguments that these drugs should be more accessible, a handful of countries and U.S. locations like Oregon have decriminalized or legalized MDMA and mushrooms.

In 2021 and 2022, Florida lawmakers introduced legislation that would have ordered state-funded research into the therapeutic applications of psilocybin, ketamine and MDMA for treating conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and migraines. The bills failed to achieve widespread support.

Nationally, more than 60% of U.S. voters support legalizing psychedelic therapy, a 2023 poll done by the University of California, Berkeley, found.
The future of psychedelics

A potential roadmap for magic mushrooms and LSD can be seen with ketamine, another drug with hallucinogenic or psychoactive properties.

The FDA approved a derivative of ketamine called esketamine — manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and sold as a patented nasal spray called Spravato — in 2018.

It’s only available for people with treatment-resistant depression through a restricted distribution system with strict guidelines.

Ketamine differs from traditional psychedelics, however, because it has been used in medical settings for decades and is not as tightly regulated. Physicians who don’t want to jump through federal government hurdles or work with insurance companies are allowed to prescribe traditional ketamine off-label as a treatment for mental health conditions.

Meanwhile, the only foray into selling mushrooms commercially in Florida so far was unsuccessful.

In 2022, Ybor City’s Chillum Mushroom Hemp Dispensary briefly bypassed Florida’s restrictions by selling psychedelic mushrooms that didn’t contain the banned ingredient of psilocybin. It advertised itself as the first magic mushroom dispensary in the U.S., and was so successful it opened a second St. Petersburg location.

Even though the mushrooms technically didn’t include any banned ingredients, they were not approved to be sold as food. The store tried out a loophole, labeling them as intended “only for education or spiritual purposes,” not for consumption.

This wasn’t enough to stop the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services from shutting down Chillum Mushroom Hemp Dispensary’s sales.

The dispensary reluctantly stopped offering the mushroom in August, according to a statement on its website.

Crusty creatures with ‘rather complex’ genitalia found in caves. It’s a new species

MUGWUMPS,THEIR GENITALIA IS ON THEIR HEADS

2023/10/25

Scientists found crusty animals with "rather complex" genitalia in caves of Brazil and discovered a new species, a study said. 

- Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Deep within a cave in Brazil, a crusty creature crawled along the moist, rocky ground. Something about the subterranean animal caught the attention of nearby scientists.

The scientists were surveying wildlife in the reddish, iron-rich cave system of the Carajás Mountains, according to a study published Sept. 13 in the journal Zoosystema. These “extensive surveys” took place between 2005 to 2019, “resulting in a considerable amount of material available for study.”

During these cave surveys, scientists collected over 1,300 millipedes and preserved the specimens in museum collections but did not identify them, the study said.

Intrigued, another group of researchers analyzed the millipedes and discovered they belonged to a new species: Pseudoporatia kananciue, or the Kananciuê millipede.

Kananciuê millipedes have 19 body segments, or “body rings,” that are “crusted by sediments of iron ore,” the study said. The millipedes have an unspecified number of legs, which are “not visible from above.”

The Kananciuê millipede is considered “relatively big,” reaching about 0.3 inches in length, study co-author Luiz Iniesta told McClatchy News in an Oct. 24 email.

Photos show several Kananciuê millipedes. The animal’s body is a whitish cream color with speckles of orange-red, the same color as the surrounding dirt. Their “body rings” look almost like waxy pieces and appear held together by the thinner worm-like body underneath.

A close-up photo of a single Kananciuê millipede shows a pair of antennae extending horizontally from its head.

Male Kananciuê millipedes have “rather complex” genitalia, researchers said. Its genitalia is located near its head segments and has an oval shape, photos in the study show.

Kananciuê millipedes have a subterranean and cave-dwelling lifestyle. They prefer “moist areas with any organic debris” in the sections of the cave with minimal light, the study said. Large groups of millipedes were found around “huge deposits” of bat guano.

The new species is “widely distributed” in rocky, iron-rich caves of the Carajás Mountains, researchers said. These caves are “connected with each other by a huge network of small channels.”

Despite this habitat, the new species has “no clear morphological adaptations” for subterranean living, Iniesta said.

Researchers said they named the new species after Kananciuê, the main deity of the indigenous Karajás tribe that lives in the Carajás Mountains where the millipedes were discovered.

The Carajás Mountains are part of a national forest in the state of Pará and about 700 miles northwest of Brasília, the capital city.

The new species was identified by its body segments, genitalia and other subtle physical features, the study said. Researchers did not provide a DNA analysis of the new species.

“The species richness of millipedes remains vastly underestimated in the Amazonian rainforest,” researchers said.

The research team included Iniesta, Rodrigo Bouzan, Claudio Souza, Robson Zampaulo, Igor Cizauskas and Antonio Brescovit.

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© The Charlotte Observer

Can this team create a ‘perfect’ reef? Why the US military is banking on it

2023/10/26

University of Miami professor Andrew Baker poses in a wet lab with a coral on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in Miami at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. - 

Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS

MIAMI -- The nation’s military has been working on a new weapon: Creating a "perfect," self-healing coral reef that can withstand disease, warming temperatures and sea rise.

Many U.S. military bases along the coasts are feeling the effects of climate change, and their current methods of defense — like sea walls — aren’t working against flooding and erosion. A reef would break up waves before they crash against the base.

So for the past 14 months, the Department of Defense has been working with three international teams of scientists, including from the University of Miami, to build a hybrid reef made of concrete and coral.

If it works, it may be a solution for cities and regions that face the worst effects of climate change, such as Miami. And the military appears to think it’s worth banking on.

The project is expected to receive its next second infusion of grant funding, on top of the $7.5 million it’s already received. By the end of the project, the team could receive more than $20 million.

It’s also a race against time, after higher-than-normal temperatures caused widespread bleaching of thousands of corals in the Florida Keys.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, selected UM to lead the Atlantic coral project. Rutgers University in New Jersey is focusing on oysters on the Gulf Coast; and the University of Hawaii is using coral from the Pacific Ocean.

The UM-led project, called X REEFS, was given 5 years to take the concept from design to production and cost evaluation.

UM’s team is made up of 12 organizations that in ordinary circumstances would not cross academic paths. Coral biologists are working with aerospace engineers, manufacturers and hydrologists to make the hybrid reef a reality.

“We essentially examined, is it going to cost more in the long run to adapt to climate change,” said Laura Cherney, program manager from AECOM. “And we found it’s not. And to adapt now, because there is saving.”
How it’s going to work

Compared to other artificial reef projects that are typically offshore and intended for fishing or deep water dives, the hybrid reef needs to be close to shore and must stay submerged at 12 feet, the lowest tide.

The reef design is made up of three stacked layers. The bottom layer is a concrete chamber called the “sea hive” after its honeycomb shape. As waves hit the bottom row of sea hives, turbulence is reduced from underneath.

“We are trying everything we can do to move the water over, under and through,” said Borja G. Reguero, a researcher at the University of California-Santa Cruz.

The middle layer consists of concrete lattices that are gyroid-shaped. If the term gyroid doesn’t ring a bell from geometry class, think of a shape that’s infinitely connected with no straight lines and plenty of holes, like the inside of a bone or a butterfly wing. It’s one reason the team picked the gyroid shape: It already occurs in nature.

“Nobody else has done this, created these large concrete gyroid shapes, we’re definitely forging a path here,” said Michael Yukish, a Penn State aerospace engineering professor.

The top layer features “coral mimics” — squishy and fragile foam that is coated with an epoxy and fiberglass to give it strength. Within that structure, living coral fragments will be seeded. As the sea rises, the coral should slowly grow, too, building its own skeleton around the concrete.

“I mean the idea is if 100 years from now, a ship runs into it, they’d say, ‘Oh my gosh. There’s concrete inside it.’ It should be a hidden fact that we created the scaffolding first,” Yukish said.
Breeding resistant coral

The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science at UM is considered the “Noah’s Ark” for the coral that’s being used in the hybrid reef project.

There, the coral is housed in large tanks where temperatures can be measured to the decimal point. The team makes sure the corals are well-fed, implanted with the correct algae and given plenty of light and a lot of water flow.

“The last four years have been the growing pains of getting this built, working out the kinks and incrementally making improvements along the way to make things better and better,” said Andrew Baker, the UM professor leading the team on the project. “We’ve finally met that pipeline stage.”

The Florida Aquarium also is helping the UM team breed coral. They’re looking for the “hardiest coral” that grows quickly but can withstand stressors like temperature.

If they find the 100 ‘best’ coral, then they can breed those species into thousands, kind of like tomato plants being modified over generations for taste and color.

In a year, the Florida Aquarium tripled the amount of coral spawned in a tank.

“It just gives us hope that OK, some of these babies might be the one. They might be the deep tolerance we are looking for,” said Keri O’Neil, with the Florida Aquarium.
Military test

The X-REEFS team is waiting for results from the military’s first milestone test, proving the reef reduces wave “energy” by at least 70 percent. The calculation is complicated, but they’re measuring wave height and velocity to get the results. The team is optimistic because they tested their reef in UM’s wind-wave tank that can create Category 5 hurricane force winds of up to 155 mph, and it met the requirement.

“If you think of a wave that breaks, like if you’re going to the beach it can knock you over,” said Catherine Campbell, the DARPA project manager. “But if you take all the energy out of the wave, it’s lapping at your feet.”

The second phase is moving out of the lab and onto collecting data about how the reef performs in the ocean. The team met in Miami last month to visit the possible sample test site, which is less than a half mile off of Elliot Key at Biscayne National Park.

U.S. military installations have experienced more than $10 billion in damage from storms and flooding over the past five years, and more than 1,700 posts may be affected by sea level rise.

“We’ve already seen this damage, we see the erosion every day,” Campbell said. “We’ve seen a lot of good successes in the laboratory that show us it’s possible to selectively breed coral, to be more thermally tolerant, to be more resistant to disease.”

“We’re trying to push science forward,” she said.

____

Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.

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Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS

© Miami Herald

Instagram and body perception: New study reveals racial discrepancies among young women

2023/10/25


In a recent study published in psychological journal Computers in Human Behavior, researchers discovered that the way young women interact with Instagram — whether by just browsing or actively posting self-images — has varying impacts on how they perceive their bodies, depending largely on their racial background.

Instagram, the popular photo-sharing app, has often been flagged as a platform for possibly fostering body image issues, especially among young women. The picture-based platform promotes visual content that could encourage its users to frequently compare their own appearances with others. Such interactions, over time, could potentially lead to dissatisfaction or other negative feelings about one’s own body.

This new research was ignited by an observation that not all Instagram users might be affected in the same way. The team sought to explore whether there were differences in body image perceptions based on racial backgrounds, factoring in Instagram usage patterns.

To investigate this, the researchers surveyed a diverse group of 533 people — all of whom identified as a woman, were U.S. citizens, and had an Instagram account. Recruitment, which was completed through websites like Reddit and Prolific or extra-credit offers at southwestern universities, was narrowed down to United States-based individuals only, as it allowed research to be framed in a U.S.-based context. The sample primarily composed of White, Latina, Black, and Asian women.

The participants were asked about their Instagram use — specifically how frequently they engaged in activities such as browsing posts or sharing images of themselves. They were also queried about how they felt towards their own bodies, using carefully crafted statements to gauge feelings of body appreciation or dissatisfaction. Statements were rooted in identifying how curvy participants wanted to be, how much fat they wanted to have, and how dissatisfied with their body they were overall (i.e. hair texture, complexion, body proportions, etc).

The results were nuanced. For Latinas and White women, actively posting images of themselves was more closely linked to how they internalized societal beauty standards. Contrastingly, for Asian-American and Black women, it was simply using Instagram, not necessarily posting self- images, that showed a significant connection. Specifically, Asian-American participants who internalized these beauty ideals showed a preference for a thinner body type, while Black participants showed a preference for a curvier figure.

Overall, across all racial groups, increased internalization from social media was tied to greater body dissatisfaction and reduced body appreciation.

As with any study, it is crucial to acknowledge any limitations. Firstly, the cross-sectional nature means it captures only a snapshot in time, rather than observing changes or patterns over a longer duration. The reliance on self-reported data also leaves room for potential inaccuracies or biases in the participants’ responses. There’s also the matter of uneven sample sizes among racial groups, which might influence the overall results.

The study, “Instagram influences: An examination of the tripartite influence model of body image among a racially diverse sample of young-adult women“, Heather Gahler, Leah Dajches, Larissa Terán, Kun Yan, and Jennifer Stevens Aubrey.

© PsyPost

BMW criticizes German government and EU

2023/10/26

Milan Nedeljkovic, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for production, gives his keynote address at a press event at BMW's Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC) in Parsdorf. 

Matthias Balk/dpa

Carmaker BMW sternly criticized the German government and the European Union in an unusual move, before BMW's chief of production outlined the company's plans.

Board member Milan Nedeljković stated in Parsdorf near Munich on Thursday that the business world is "increasingly confronted with short-term legislative changes and growing bureaucracy," hampering investments.

In terms of infrastructure, Germany is falling behind internationally, he said. Unreliable transport routes, high energy costs, as well as inadequate network coverage are not acceptable for a modern industrial location," Nedeljković added.

Germany and Europe must ensure that they do not fall behind as an industrial hub in competition with other economic regions, the chief of production urged.

In two years, BMW plans to introduce a fundamentally new generation of electric cars to the market, with 30% more range and charging speed. Nedeljković launched the production of the necessary battery cells in a new €170 million ($179 million) pilot plant in Parsdorf.

The facility can produce 1 million cells annually, which are expected to be used in the New Class models from 2025.

The company stated that its long-term goal is a fully recyclable battery cell, which is economically necessary given the expensive raw materials. BMW has already produced initial battery cells from 100% recycled cathode material.

The first models of the New Class are set to be produced at the main plant in Munich and in the east Hungarian city of Debrecen.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

German, EU wind-energy industry unsure it can meet expansion targets

2023/10/26

The wind turbines in a wind farm stand out of the morning fog. The European Commission presented on Tuesday new measures to boost the European wind power industry to reach the European Union's targets for renewable energy generation by 2030. Jan Woitas/dpa

Doubts are rising in the German and European Union wind-energy industry as to whether ambitious expansion targets are feasible, according to the organizers of the WindEnergy trade fair.

"It is true that the wind industry continues to be viewed optimistically for the most part," a statement said.

Based on market research conducted by the WindEnergy Trend Index (WEtix), compiled for the WindEnergy Hamburg trade fair, organizers said, "The results are clear: The general concerns about whether the expansion targets can be achieved."

The survey also asked market participants about the consequences of a lack of resources for the first time.

More than 500 market players reportedly took part in the survey in September and October.

"A large proportion of respondents see a strong to very strong impediment to the expansion targets due to the global lack of resources," it said.

Furthermore, the industry barometer sees a "low probability of achieving the expansion targets."

Industry representatives have long complained about high raw material prices and inflation.

Also, there is a widespread shortage of skilled workers and lengthy authorization processes for wind turbines stand in the way.

In view of the climate and energy crisis, the global assessment in the wind industry "continues to be quite positive, the mood predominantly good, both onshore and offshore," the industry barometer states.

"However, in Germany and Europe in particular, weaker negative changes can currently be observed, both in the short term and in the long term," it said.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

UN food chief criticizes strict Rafah crossing checks for limiting Gaza aid

2023/10/27


By Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Overly stringent checks on trucks at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza were slowing the flow of humanitarian aid to a "dribble" as hunger grows among Palestinians there, U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain told Reuters on Thursday.

The Rafah crossing, which is controlled by Egypt and does not border Israel, has become the main point of aid delivery since Israel imposed a "total siege" of Gaza in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants from the coastal strip on Oct. 7.

The United States is leading negotiations with Israel, Egypt and the U.N. to try to create a sustained delivery mechanism for aid to Gaza. They are wrangling over procedures for inspecting aid and bombardments on the Gaza side of the border.

"We’ve gotten a few – a dribble, just a dribble – of trucks in," McCain said in an interview. "We need to get a large amount in. We need safe, unfettered access into Gaza so that we can feed and make sure that people don’t starve to death, because that’s what’s happening."

While there have been some limited deliveries of food, water and medicine since Saturday, no fuel has been allowed in. Israel is concerned about the possible diversion of fuel deliveries by Hamas.

Three WFP trucks carrying about 60 tons of food - enough to feed 200,000 people for a day - entered Gaza on Saturday. One additional WFP truck has crossed since then, according to the agency.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said on Thursday it had received 74 aid trucks.

The daily average of trucks allowed into Gaza prior to the hostilities was about 500, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.

The U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian civilians, UNRWA, has almost exhausted its fuel reserves and has begun significantly reducing its operations, he said.

McCain, who visited Egypt and met with officials, said each truck has to offload its cargo at a checkpoint for inspection, then reload it when the check is complete.

"The bureaucracy is insane," McCain said, adding that while she understood checks were needed to ensure arms and ammunition were not being smuggled, it should be easier to get food in.

The government of Egypt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. officials, including Special Envoy David Satterfield, who is in the region, are working to improve the process, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Thursday.

"We need to speed up the inspection regime, and we're working to do that," Miller said.

WFP needs to raise $100 million to feed over a million people in Gaza to the end of this year, McCain said, amid a wider crisis in funding humanitarian aid caused by multiple emergencies around the world, rising food prices due to Russia's war in Ukraine and what McCain called "donor fatigue."

In Washington to meet with U.S. officials and lawmakers, McCain said she has heard concerns that aid could be diverted by Hamas militants, but said WFP has systems in place to make sure aid gets to those who need it.

"It's a war zone. Things are going to happen. And so I can't say 100% that nothing's going to wind up in the hands of the bad guys. But we will do everything in our power to make sure it doesn't," she said.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; additional reporting by Aidan Lewis and Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis)


© Reuters

UN expects eight aid trucks in Gaza on Friday as supplies dwindle

A REGULAR DAY WOULD SEE 104 TRUCKS ENTER GAZA

2023/10/27

Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip arrive from the Egyptian side to the Palestinian side at the Rafah border crossing. A fourth convoy of 20 aid trucks passed through the Rafah crossing from Egypt to the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Wednesday, an aid official said. 

Mohammed Talatene/dpa

Eight more lorries carrying drinking water, food and medical supplies for hospitals are due to arrive in the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to the United Nations.

The supplies are nowhere near enough to alleviate the plight of about 2.3 million people in Gaza, said Lynn Hastings, the UN coordinator for humanitarian aid in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Territories, on Friday from Jerusalem.

She said that, before the start of the war in Gaza, about 450 lorries with aid entered Gaza every day. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had previously said 500 lorries a day.

Among the current hurdles to supplying Gaza is Israel's insistence on extensive inspections of every lorry to ensure that only humanitarian aid is actually on board, which requires each truck to be fully unloaded so that the pallets can each be inspected.

Hastings said that dozens of lorries are waiting to enter the strip, and additional aid supplies had arrived in the region but not yet been loaded onto lorries.

Fuel supplies in Gaza are also running low, Hastings said, although UNRWA has about 1 million litres of petrol in a storage facility near the Rafah border crossing to Egypt. Hastings said the fuel was supplied by Israel before the October 7 attacks and was paid for by Qatar.

UNRWA has managed to retrieve about 200,000 litres from the depot in recent days, but Israeli strikes on Gaza often interrupt or cancel trips to retrieve fuel.

Hastings said that UNRWA typically used 130,000 litres of fuel a day for activities including supporting the desalination of drinking water and the operation of hospitals, schools and bakeries.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

Palestinian emergency personnel rescue the victims trapped under the rubble of a destroyed house, following an Israeli air strike on Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Palestinian emergency personnel rescue the survivors and remove the bodies of those who were trapped under the rubble of a destroyed house, following an Israeli air strike on Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

WHO: Gaza conditions catastrophic, regardless of death toll accuracy

2023/10/27

Palestinian women bake traditional saj bread over a wood fire and paper, in a shelter for families displaced from the Northern Gaza Strip, to a United Nations-run school in Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has criticized the debate over the accuracy of casualty figures provided by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip.

On the one hand, the WHO has had no reason to doubt the figures provided by the Gaza health authorities for years, Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian Territories, said from Jerusalem on Friday.

In another sense, however, Peeperkorn said that it makes no difference whether there are a thousand more or a thousand fewer victims. Either way, he said, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic and the number of people killed by Israeli attacks is enormous.

Peeperkorn said that 23 of the 35 hospitals in Gaza remain at least partially open, although doctors at some hospitals now must operate on the floor. But he said the situation is deteriorating amid Israeli's near-total blockade of the strip and repeated airstrikes.

About 94,000 litres of fuel are needed every day just to run generators at just the 12 most important hospitals in Gaza in order to provide minimal care for life-threatening illnesses and injuries, Peeperkorn said.

Two-thirds of the 72 smaller health clinics have been closed, he said.

A young Palestinian boy walks through the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli air strikes targeted Khan Yunis at dawn. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

Young Palestinians walk through the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli air strikes targeted Khan Yunis at dawn. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

A Palestinian searches through the rubble of a destroyed building after Israeli air strikes targeted Khan Yunis at dawn. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

Relatives of the nurse Heba Qadeeh, who was killed in an Israeli air strike, grieve in front of her body at Nasser Hospital. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

Palestinian emergency personnel search for survivors under the rubble of a destroyed house, following an Israeli air strike on Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Palestinian emergency personnel rescue the survivors and remove the bodies of those who were trapped under the rubble of a destroyed house, following an Israeli air strike on Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

China announces further humanitarian aid for Gaza

2023/10/26

Palestinian mourners gather to pray for the leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Jarghun, who was killed in an Israeli air strike on his house. 

Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

China has announced further humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza, Chinese state media reported on Thursday, citing a spokesman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

Out of concern for the humanitarian situation and the high number of civilian casualties in the Middle East conflict, China will provide 15 million yuan ($2.05 million) in form of food, medicine and other goods, it said.

Beijing has already provided aid for the people in Gaza before.

A

 general view of the destruction caused by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Mohammed Abu Elsebah/dpa

A Palestinian man inspects the destruction following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Mohammed Abu Elsebah/dpa

P

Palestinians inspect the destruction following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Mohammed Abu Elsebah/dpa

A Palestinian man puts down hotspots at the remains of a destroyed building, following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Mohammed Abu Elsebah/dpa

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

Hamas calls for global demonstrations on Friday
2023/10/26

Palestinian protesters hold placards during a protest called by the Fatah movement in Nablus to support the people of the Gaza Strip and denounce Israeli aggression. A

yman Nobani/dpa

The Islamist Hamas group in the Gaza Strip has called on Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims across the world to demonstrate over the weekend for the Rafah border crossing to Egypt to open and allow urgently needed aid, medicine and fuel deliveries.

Dozens of trucks carrying drinking water, food and medicine have entered the Rafah border crossing since Saturday, but the United Nations states that around 100 truckloads are needed per day to provide for the over 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas' statement, released on Thursday, also demanded an end to Israel's "genocidal war" on the Gaza Strip.

A similar call by Hamas two weeks ago led to massive protests in neighbouring countries of Israel, including Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. In Germany, several pro-Palestinian demonstrations were banned in multiple cities due to security concerns.

Terrorists from Gaza carried out a massacre of civilians in Israel nearly three weeks ago. More than 1,400 people in Israel lost their lives in the attack and subsequent days. Militants kidnapped over 220 individuals. Since then, Israel's air force has been targeting hundreds of locations in the densely populated coastal area, resulting in the deaths of over 7,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

Striking Hollywood actors pass counteroffer ahead of further talks with studios

2023/10/27


(Reuters) -Striking Hollywood actors have made a comprehensive counteroffer to the major studios, the SAG-AFTRA performers' union said in a post on social media platform X.

Negotiators for the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the group representing Walt Disney Netflix and other major media companies, meet again on Friday, the actors union said.

Ahead of Friday's talks, a group of SAG-AFTRA members published an open letter to the union leadership, urging the negotiating committee to continue fighting for improved compensation, royalties and workplace protections.

"We have not come all this way to cave now," wrote the group calling itself Members In Solidarity. "We have not gone without work, without pay, and walked picket lines for months just to give up on everything we’ve been fighting for."

The latest counteroffer submitted by the actors union on Thursday comes after media companies and the union representing striking U.S. actors returned to the bargaining table on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, negotiations between Hollywood studios and SAG-AFTRA were suspended as the two sides clashed over streaming revenue, the use of artificial intelligence and other issues at the core of a three-month work stoppage.

Members of SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 actors and other media professionals, have been on strike since July. The work stoppage has scrambled next year’s film slate and delayed the return of primetime television comedies and dramas. It also has created hardships for crew members, who have been out of work for months.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jonathan Oatis)

© Reuters