Hasil untuk "Social sciences (General)"

Kyle A. Thomas, Scott Clifford

M. Marshall

Lisa N Aguilar, Virginia L. F. Allen, Harshinie C. Amarat et al.

A. Irwin

J. K. Kirkegaard, D. Rudolph, S. Nyborg et al.

Татьяна Александровна Гаврилина

Погребальный обряд является одним из важнейших маркеров, позволяющих наиболее точно и достоверно охарактеризовать особенности мировоззрения представителей древних сообществ. В статье предпринята попытка выявить специфику погребального обряда прибрежных культур южноамериканского континента – пайхан (12800–9600 л.н.) и лас-вегас (10800–6600 л.н.), а также очертить возможные перспективы его изучения. Автор дает характеристику современного подхода к изучению погребений: для работы с костными останками активно привлекаются специалисты в области антропологии, генетики, проводятся исследования для определения характера повреждения костей, идентификации по гендерному признаку, диагностики патологий и т.д.

Maik Larooij, Petter Törnberg

Social media platforms have been widely linked to societal harms, including rising polarization and the erosion of constructive debate. Can these problems be mitigated through prosocial interventions? We address this question using a novel method - generative social simulation - that embeds Large Language Models within Agent-Based Models to create socially rich synthetic platforms. We create a minimal platform where agents can post, repost, and follow others. We find that the resulting following-networks reproduce three well-documented dysfunctions: (1) partisan echo chambers; (2) concentrated influence among a small elite; and (3) the amplification of polarized voices - creating a 'social media prism' that distorts political discourse. We test six proposed interventions, from chronological feeds to bridging algorithms, finding only modest improvements - and in some cases, worsened outcomes. These results suggest that core dysfunctions may be rooted in the feedback between reactive engagement and network growth, raising the possibility that meaningful reform will require rethinking the foundational dynamics of platform architecture.

Raul A. Barreto, Angus Flavel

We propose a model of cross-pollination among online social media (OSM) websites, where the dynamics of user interactions mimic insect-mediated pollen transfer by pollinators. A pollinator acts as a vehicle enabling users to visit multiple social media sites- akin to visiting different plants in the same field- within a single browsing session. This approach frames geitonogamy in self-incompatible plant species as analogous to the distribution of web traffic across the social media landscape. A theoretical pollinator, allowing users to choose among social media sites multiple times per trip, drives uneven increases in web traffic across platforms, disproportionately benefiting the largest social networks while providing tangible competitive advantages to smaller OSMs. This heterogeneous landscape fosters monopolistic competition among niche platforms, incentivizing smaller sites to promote cross-pollination despite the larger relative gains to their bigger competitors. Our findings underscore the broader value of cross-platform user engagement, highlighting how cross-pollination dynamics can intensify network effects and bolster interconnectivity. Cross pollination via new pass-through apps facilitates the movement of attention, deepening and distributing engagement across multiple destinations. As pass-through apps gain traction, their disproportionate impact on traffic to social media platforms will incentivize social media platforms, large and small, to embrace cross-pollination dynamics.

Qiqi Qiang

Understanding how emotions diffuse through social networks is central to computational social science. Recently, large language models (LLMs) have been increasingly used to simulate social media interactions, raising the question of whether LLM-generated data can realistically reproduce emotion diffusion patterns observed in real online communities. In this study, we conduct a systematic comparison between emotion diffusion in real-world social graphs and in LLM-simulated interaction networks. We construct diffusion graphs from Reddit discussion data and compare them with synthetic social graphs generated through LLM-driven conversational simulations. Emotion states are inferred using established sentiment analysis pipelines, and both real and simulated graphs are analyzed from structural, behavioral, and predictive perspectives. Our results reveal substantial structural and dynamic discrepancies between real and simulated diffusion processes. Real-world emotion diffusion exhibits dense connectivity, repeated interactions, sentiment shifts, and emergent community structures, whereas LLM-simulated graphs largely consist of isolated linear chains with monotonic emotional trajectories. These structural limitations significantly affect downstream tasks such as graph-based emotion prediction, leading to reduced emotional diversity and class imbalance in simulated settings. Our findings highlight current limitations of LLM-based social simulation in capturing the interactive complexity and emotional heterogeneity of real social networks. This work provides empirical evidence for the cautious use of LLM-generated data in social science research and suggests directions for improving future simulation frameworks.

Jingfu Lu, Fatime Gulzar, Yifan Lai

In the context of China's transportation sector, which has faced escalating challenges in carbon emissions, this study delves into the intricate nexus between sustainable finance strategies and the imperative of achieving carbon neutrality. Spanning the years 2010–2022 across 30 provinces of China and employing a rigorous Panel Model methodology, our research sets out to achieve several pivotal objectives. These include assessing the tangible impact of sustainable finance initiatives on curtailing carbon emissions within the transportation domain, discerning the pivotal drivers that influence the trajectory of carbon neutrality endeavors, and critically evaluating the efficacy of policy interventions aimed at fostering sustainability. Our findings unearth a compelling narrative. Firstly, we observe a discernible positive correlation between the implementation of sustainable finance mechanisms—such as green bonds, sustainable investment portfolios, and innovative financial instruments—and the tangible reduction of carbon emissions within the transportation sector. Secondly, our analysis underscores the indispensable role of key drivers, ranging from technological advancements and regulatory frameworks to evolving consumer behavior and public consciousness, in steering the course towards carbon neutrality. Thirdly, our research underscores the pivotal impact of targeted policy interventions, emphasizing the efficacy of measures aimed at incentivizing sustainable practices, fostering stakeholder collaborations, and bolstering industry-wide accountability frameworks. In light of these insights, our study advocates for a nuanced policy landscape characterized by a multifaceted approach. By aligning financial incentives with sustainability goals, fostering technological innovation, and fostering robust regulatory frameworks, policymakers can catalyze a paradigm shift towards carbon neutrality in the transportation sector.

Gholamreza Faghani, Amir Azarniya

The growing need for developing reliable and efficient wound dressings has led to recent progress in designing novel materials and formulations for different kinds of wounds caused by traumas, burns, surgeries, and diabetes. In cases of extreme urgency, accelerating wound recovery is of high importance to prevent persistent infection and biofilm formation. The application of nanotechnology in this domain resulted in the creation of distinct nanoplatforms for highly advanced wound-healing therapeutic approaches. Recently developed nanomaterials have been used as antibacterial agents or drug carriers to control wound infection. In the present review, the authors aim to review the recently published research on the effects of incorporating emerging nanomaterials into novel wound dressings and investigate their distinct roles in the wound healing process. It was determined that the metallic nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit antimicrobial and regenerative properties, metal oxide NPs regulate inflammation and promote tissue regeneration, MXene NPs enhance cell adhesion and proliferation, while metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer controlled drug delivery capabilities. Further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms and optimize the applications of these NPs in wound healing.

Antonio Sergio Altieri de Moraes Pitombo

O artigo trata da questão da decretação de prisão cautelar como instrumento de agentes da Justiça Criminal  para influir na autodeterminação do preso quanto à ampla defesa, constrangendo-o a barganhar direitos, por meio de colaboração processual. Discute-se se a teoria do dilema do prisioneiro não se exibe uma forma de tortura psicológica, sob a perspectiva dos tratados internacionais.

Bastián González-Bustamante

The TextClass Benchmark project is an ongoing, continuous benchmarking process that aims to provide a comprehensive, fair, and dynamic evaluation of LLMs and transformers for text classification tasks. This evaluation spans various domains and languages in social sciences disciplines engaged in NLP and text-as-data approach. The leaderboards present performance metrics and relative ranking using a tailored Elo rating system. With each leaderboard cycle, novel models are added, fixed test sets can be replaced for unseen, equivalent data to test generalisation power, ratings are updated, and a Meta-Elo leaderboard combines and weights domain-specific leaderboards. This article presents the rationale and motivation behind the project, explains the Elo rating system in detail, and estimates Meta-Elo across different classification tasks in social science disciplines. We also present a snapshot of the first cycle of classification tasks on incivility data in Chinese, English, German and Russian. This ongoing benchmarking process includes not only additional languages such as Arabic, Hindi, and Spanish but also a classification of policy agenda topics, misinformation, among others.

Matthias Gegenwart

This paper analyses, if the Intertemporal Guarantee of Freedom, that was developed by the German Federal Constitutional Court (GFCC), can be used to expand the protection of human rights against the harms of climate change. The case of the Swiss Senior Women shows that there are jurisdictions, where the Intertemporal Guarantee of Freedom could be applied to improve standing and the control standard of states’ climate change action. Within international law bodies with jurisdiction over human rights treaties there are distinctive standards of protection against the harms of climate change. A major deficit within the international human rights protection against climate change lies within the focus on the positive obligations and the corresponding wide margin of appreciation granted to the states. The Intertemporal Guarantee of Freedom could provide a protection expansion in this regard, especially in the case of the European Court of Human Rights. It could also enable and legitimise present human rights concerns focused on the future actions of states following their past inaction. One considerable hurdle that is not addressed by it are procedural hurdles like the Plaumann formula applied by the European Court of Justice. The Intertemporal Guarantee of Freedom cannot solve major problems for climate change litigation like procedural hurdles. Yet, it can provide a new approach for complaints to address unambitious mitigation legislation which will lead to future human rights infringements.

Kamendra Kumar, Kamal Datta, Albert J. Fornace, Jr. et al.

Low-LET photon radiation-induced persistent alterations in bone marrow (BM) cells are well documented in total-body irradiated (TBI) rodents and also among radiotherapy patients. However, the late effects of protons and high-LET heavy-ion radiation on BM cells and its implications in osteoclastogenesis are not fully understood. Therefore, C57BL6/J female mice (8 weeks; n = 10/group) were irradiated to sham, and 1 Gy of the proton (0.22 keV/μm), or high-LET 56Fe-ions (148 keV/μm) and at 60 d post-exposure, mice were sacrificed and femur sections were obtained for histological, cellular and molecular analysis. Cell proliferation (PCNA), cell death (active caspase-3), senescence (p16), osteoclast (RANK), osteoblast (OPG), osteoblast progenitor (c-Kit), and osteoclastogenesis-associated secretory factors (like RANKL) were assessed using immunostaining. While no change in cell proliferation and apoptosis between control and irradiated groups was noted, the number of BM megakaryocytes was significantly reduced in irradiated mice at 60 d post-exposure. A remarkable increase in p16 positive cells indicated a persistent increase in cell senescence, whereas increased RANKL/OPG ratio, reductions in the number of osteoblast progenitor cells, and osteocalcin provided clear evidence that exposure to both proton and 56Fe-ions promotes pro-osteoclastogenic activity in BM. Among irradiated groups, 56Fe-induced alterations in the BM cellularity and osteoclastogenesis were significantly greater than the protons that demonstrated a radiation quality-dependent effect. This study has implications in understanding the role of IR-induced late changes in the BM cells and its involvement in bone degeneration among deep-space astronauts, and also in patients undergoing proton or heavy-ion radiotherapy.

Dina Benedicte Stensen, Rafael Adolfo Nozal Cañadas, Lars Småbrekke et al.

Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage increases risk of infection and has been associated with lifestyle behavior and biological host characteristics. We used social network analysis to evaluate whether contacts have the same S. aureus genotype, or whether contagiousness is an indirect effect of contacts sharing the same lifestyle or characteristics. The Fit Futures 1 study collected data on social contact among 1038 first level students in the same high school district in Norway. S. aureus persistent carriage was determined from two nasal swab cultures and genotype from spa-typing of a positive throat swab culture. Bootstrap, t-tests, logistic regression, and autocorrelation were used to evaluate social network influence on host risk factors and S. aureus carriage. Both persistent carriage and spa-type were transmitted in the social network (p<0.001). The probability of carriage increased by 3.7% and 5.0% for each additional S. aureus positive friend, in univariable regression and multivariable autocorrelation analysis respectively. Male sex was associated with a 15% lower risk of transmission compared to women, although the prevalence of carriage was higher for men (36% versus 24%). Medium physical activity, medium and high alcohol-use, and normal-weight students had higher number of contacts, and increased risk of transmission (p<0.002). We demonstrate direct social transmission of S. aureus in a general youth population. Lifestyle factors are associated with risk of transmission suggesting indirect social group effects from having more similar environmental exposures. The predominance in carriage is determined by sex-specific predisposing host characteristics as social transmission is less frequent than in females. Better understanding of how social interactions influence S. aureus carriage dynamics in the population is important for developing new preventive measures.

M. Mann, C. Schleifer

Abstract:The decline in trust in the scientific community in the United States among political conservatives has been well established. But this observation is complicated by remarkably positive and stable attitudes toward scientific research itself. What explains the persistence of positive belief in science in the midst of such dramatic change? By leveraging research on the performativity of conservative identity, we argue that conservative scientific institutions have manufactured a scientific cultural repertoire that enables participation in this highly valued epistemological space while undermining scientific authority perceived as politically biased. We test our hypothesized link between conservative identity and scientific perceptions using panel data from the General Social Survey. We find that those with stable conservative identities hold more positive attitudes toward scientific research while simultaneously holding more negative attitudes towards the scientific community compared to those who switch to and from conservative political identities. These findings support a theory of a conservative scientific repertoire that is learned over time and that helps orient political conservatives in scientific debates that have political repercussions. Implications of these findings are discussed for researchers interested in the cultural differentiation of scientific authority and for stakeholders in scientific communication and its public policy.

Jaehyuk Park, Bogdan State, Monica Bhole et al.

Due to their essential role as places for socialization, "third places" - social places where people casually visit and communicate with friends and neighbors - have been studied by a wide range of fields including network science, sociology, geography, urban planning, and regional studies. However, the lack of a large-scale census on third places kept researchers from systematic investigations. Here we provide a systematic nationwide investigation of third places and their social networks, by using Facebook pages. Our analysis reveals a large degree of geographic heterogeneity in the distribution of the types of third places, which is highly correlated with baseline demographics and county characteristics. Certain types of pages like "Places of Worship" demonstrate a large degree of clustering suggesting community preference or potential complementarities to concentration. We also found that the social networks of different types of social place differ in important ways: The social networks of 'Restaurants' and 'Indoor Recreation' pages are more likely to be tight-knit communities of pre-existing friendships whereas 'Places of Worship' and 'Community Amenities' page categories are more likely to bridge new friendship ties. We believe that this study can serve as an important milestone for future studies on the systematic comparative study of social spaces and their social relationships.

David Garcia, Max Pellert, Jana Lasser et al.

Social media generate data on human behaviour at large scales and over long periods of time, posing a complementary approach to traditional methods in the social sciences. Millions of texts from social media can be processed with computational methods to study emotions over time and across regions. However, recent research has shown weak correlations between social media emotions and affect questionnaires at the individual level and between static regional aggregates of social media emotion and subjective well-being at the population level, questioning the validity of social media data to study emotions. Yet, to date, no research has tested the validity of social media emotion macroscopes to track the temporal evolution of emotions at the level of a whole society. Here we present a pre-registered prediction study that shows how gender-rescaled time series of Twitter emotional expression at the national level substantially correlate with aggregates of self-reported emotions in a weekly representative survey in the United Kingdom. A follow-up exploratory analysis shows a high prevalence of third-person references in emotionally-charged tweets, indicating that social media data provide a way of social sensing the emotions of others rather than just the emotional experiences of users. These results show that, despite the issues that social media have in terms of representativeness and algorithmic confounding, the combination of advanced text analysis methods with user demographic information in social media emotion macroscopes can provide measures that are informative of the general population beyond social media users.

R. Plotnikoff, S. Costigan, Nandini Karunamuni et al.