Background
The relationship between ethnicity, service use and perceptions of service effectiveness is inconclusive. This study examined differences in service use and perceptions of service ...effectiveness between Israeli Jewish (Jewish) and Israeli Arab (Arab) parental caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities and dual diagnosis of psychopathology.
Methods
Parental caregivers (n = 186) of individuals with intellectual disabilities or dual diagnosis, aged 10 to 30 years, completed a self‐report questionnaire.
Results
Arab parental caregivers perceived health services to be more accessible than did Jewish caregivers, but there was no difference between the two groups in the use of the services. Overall, greater enabling factors and accessibility were associated with higher use of education and social services. No differences were found between the groups in their perceptions of service effectiveness.
Conclusion
Arab family caregivers use education and social services less than do their Jewish peers, possibly because they have fewer enabling resources. The finding that both groups reported similar use of health services may be explained by a shared perception that informal help may not be suitable for dealing with situations of psychopathology. The similar perceptions of service effectiveness may be explained by extensive services available in Israel, to the satisfaction of both groups, or by the fact that participants perceived these services as their only alternative, and therefore fear losing them.
A number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to regulate transcription via recruitment of chromatin modifiers or bridging distal enhancer elements to gene promoters. However, the ...generality of these modes of regulation and the mechanisms of chromatin attachment for thousands of unstudied human lncRNAs remain unclear. To address these questions, we performed stringent nuclear fractionation coupled to RNA sequencing. We provide genome-wide identification of human chromatin-associated lncRNAs and demonstrate tethering of RNA to chromatin by RNAPII is a pervasive mechanism of attachment. We also uncovered thousands of chromatin-enriched RNAs (cheRNAs) that share molecular properties with known lncRNAs. Although distinct from eRNAs derived from active prototypical enhancers, the production of cheRNAs is strongly correlated with the expression of neighboring protein-coding genes. This work provides an updated framework for nuclear RNA organization that includes a large chromatin-associated transcript population correlated with active genes and may prove useful in de novo enhancer annotation.
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•∼60% of annotated lncRNAs are chromatin enriched•The chromatin-associated RNA population is much larger than previously appreciated•Thousands of chromatin-enriched RNAs are found near active protein-coding regions•The majority of chromatin-associated transcripts are tethered by RNAPII
Werner and Ruthenburg report a compendium of tightly chromatin-associated human lncRNAs, which is substantially larger than previously appreciated and also encompasses thousands of chromatin-enriched RNAs (cheRNAs) largely attached to chromatin via RNAPII. CheRNAs may provide a way to annotate enhancers de novo.
Background
It has been argued that interpersonal contact is the best intervention for reducing negative attitudes and discrimination toward individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). In Israel, ...the Equal in Uniform project makes it possible for individuals with ID to serve alongside soldiers without ID in ordinary military units in the Israeli Defense Forces. The project provided the opportunity to examine the effect of contact on the attitudes of soldiers without ID.
Methods
Data analyses are based on data collected from 220 soldiers without ID via a self‐administered questionnaire based on the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale. Of these, 138 were in contact with soldiers with ID as part of the project.
Results
A mediation model showed that the impact of contact with a soldier with ID on withdrawal behaviour was mediated by cognitive attributions and negative affect. Contact was directly associated with prosocial behaviour.
Discussion
Results support the importance of contact between soldiers with and without ID to bring about improved attitudes toward the former.
Galgani, F., Hanke, G., Werner, S., and De Vrees, L. 2013. Marine litter within the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1055-1064.There have been ...numerous anthropogenic-driven changes to our planet in the last half-century. One of the most evident changes is the ubiquity and abundance of litter in the marine environment. The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) establishes a framework within which EU Member States shall take action to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES) of their marine waters by 2020. GES is based on 11 qualitative descriptors as listed in Annex I of the MSFD. Descriptor 10 (D 10) concerns marine litter. As a follow-up to the related Commission Decision on criteria and methodological standards (2010/477/EU) in which 56 indicators for the achievement of GES are proposed, the EC Directorate-General for the Environment, on the request of the European Marine Directors, established a Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter (TSG ML) under the Working Group on GES. The role of TSG ML is to support Member States through providing scientific and technical background for the implementation of MSFD requirements with regard to D 10. Started in 2011, TSG ML provides technical recommendations for the implementation of the MSFD requirements for marine litter. It summarizes the available information on monitoring approaches and considers how GES and environmental targets could be defined with the aim of preventing further inputs of litter to, and reducing its total amount in, the marine environment. It also identifies research needs, priorities and strategies in support of the implementation of D 10. The work of TSG ML also focuses on the specification of monitoring methods through the development of monitoring protocols for litter in the different marine compartments, and for microplastics and litter in biota. Further consideration is being given to monitoring strategies in general and associated costs. Other priorities include the identification of sources of marine litter and a better understanding of the harm caused by marine litter.
Background
Stigma may negatively impact individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). However, most studies in the field have been based on the use of direct measurement methods for assessing ...stigma. This study examined public stigma towards individuals with ID within a representative sample of the Israeli public by comparing direct versus indirect questioning.
Methods
Vignette methodology was utilised with two questionnaire versions. In the direct questionnaire (n = 306), the participants were asked how they would think, feel and behave if a man with ID asked them a question in a public place. In the indirect questionnaire (n = 301), the participants were asked to report how a hypothetical ‘other man’ would think, feel and behave in the same situation.
Results
Higher levels of stigma were reported among participants that answered the indirect questionnaire version. Furthermore, among those participants that answered the indirect questionnaire version, subjective knowledge of ID was a less important correlate of stigma than for those participants that answered the direct questionnaire.
Conclusion
Several explanations are suggested for the finding that indirect questioning elicits more negative stigmatic attitudes. Among others, indirect questioning may be a more appropriate methodology for eliciting immediate beliefs. Furthermore, the results call for implementing a comprehensive, multi‐level programme to change stigma.
Background
Studies have shown that beyond public and self stigma, stigma can also impact family members. Only scant research has examined the internalised aspects of stigma, known as affiliate ...stigma, among family caregivers of individuals with disabilities. This study examined affiliate stigma among family caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities via a comparison between caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and physical disabilities (PD) in Israel.
Methods
Family caregivers (n = 171) of individuals with developmental disabilities, mainly ID (22.4%), ASD (32.9%) and PD (27.1%), completed a self‐report structured questionnaire including the Affiliate Stigma Scale and background variables.
Results
Results supported a one‐factor structure for the Affiliate Stigma Scale. Overall, affiliate stigma was relatively low in this sample, but was found to be higher among caregivers of individuals with ASD when compared with caregivers of individuals with ID or PD.
Conclusion
Findings from this study point to the importance of supporting caregivers of individuals with ASD to decrease their feelings of stigma. It is also important to further develop scales measuring affiliate stigma in order to capture the multi‐dimensional nature of the concept.
This study presents a methodology to assess annual excess heat volumes from fuel combustion activities in energy and industry sector facilities based on carbon dioxide emission data. The aim is to ...determine regional balances of excess heat relative heat demands for all third level administrative regions in the European Union (EU) and to identify strategic regions suitable for large-scale implementation of district heating. The approach is motivated since the efficiency of current supply structures to meet building heat demands, mainly characterised by direct use of primary energy sources, is low and improvable. District heating is conceived as an urban supply side energy efficiency measure employable to enhance energy system efficiency by increased excess heat recoveries; hereby reducing primary energy demands by fuel substitution. However, the importance of heat has long been underestimated in EU decarbonisation strategies and local heat synergies have often been overlooked in energy models used for such scenarios. Study results indicate that 46% of all excess heat in EU27, corresponding to 31% of total building heat demands, is located within identified strategic regions. Still, a realisation of these rich opportunities will require higher recognition of the heat sector in future EU energy policy.
•EU27 energy and industry sector heat recycling resources are mapped and quantified.•Target regions for large-scale implementation of district heating are identified.•46% of total EU27 excess heat volume is seized in 63 strategic heat synergy regions.•Large urban zones have lead roles to play in transition to sustainability in Europe.•Higher recognition of heat sector is needed in future EU energy policy for realisation.
► We present systematically derived crater-size frequencies for all chronostratigraphic boundaries. ► We present a new boundary definition for the Late Hesperian–Early Amazonian transition. ► We ...infer model-absolute ages for all boundaries. ► Mixed chronometer schemes lead to significant errors in the chronostratigraphic assignment of surface units.
For the boundaries of each chronostratigraphic epoch on Mars, we present systematically derived crater-size frequencies based on crater counts of geologic referent surfaces and three proposed “standard” crater size–frequency production distributions as defined by (a) a simple −2 power law, (b) Neukum and Ivanov, (c) Hartmann. In turn, these crater count values are converted to model-absolute ages based on the inferred cratering rate histories. We present a new boundary definition for the Late Hesperian–Early Amazonian transition. Our fitting of crater size–frequency distributions to the chronostratigraphic record of Mars permits the assignment of cumulative counts of craters down to 100
m, 1
km, 2
km, 5
km, and 16
km diameters to martian epochs. Due to differences in the “standard” crater size–frequency production distributions, a generalized crater-density-based definition to the chronostratigraphic system cannot be provided. For the diameter range used for the boundary definitions, the resulting model absolute age fits vary within 1.5% for a given set of production function and chronology model ages. Crater distributions translated to absolute ages utilizing different curve descriptions can result in absolute age differences exceeding 10%.
Impact basin formation ages give insight into the early evolution of a planet. The martian basins Hellas, Isidis and Argyre provide an important time-marker for the cessation of the magnetic dynamo ...and the crustal thickness distribution, both established before 4 Ga ago. No martian surfaces are older than 4.15 Ga based on crater count statistics, and all are younger than the oldest lunar ones. I show that the heavy bombardment period on the Moon and Mars evolved similarly, but endogenic processes have removed the oldest martian basin record. The basin-forming projectile population appears to be different from the impactor population observed today in the inner Solar System. It is yet uncertain whether the heavy bombardment period is cataclysmic or characterized by the decaying flux of planetary formation.
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