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I would like to buy one of these portable microscopes, because it seems like it could be handy, particularly when on field trips and travelling, but I''d like to buy the best option (it seems some of these over promise and under deliver). Any advice?

Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and professional development. Chances are, more than a couple of the most common resolutions will look familiar to you:

* Exercise more

* Lose weight

* Get organized

* Learn a new skill or hobby

* Live life to the fullest

* Save more money / spend less money

* Quit smoking

* Spend more time with family and friends

* Travel more

I have used the IPAQ-A to measure domain-specific physical activity in one intervention (n=700 approx) and one control school (n=600 approx) pre and post intervention. There was 12 months between surveys. I'm unsure about the most suitable statistical test to use. I've considered Ancova controlling for differences between groups at baseline and over time but fear that this may be inappropriate. Any help would be much appreciated.

Dear RG community,

I am looking at the limits of ACTIVE flight of various animals.

I am only interested in animals that are capable of active flight. Active flight (also called powered flight) is a type of animal flight that uses muscles to generate aerodynamic force that is sufficient to generate enough lift and thrust. So no flying fish, no frogs that jump from the treetops and use membranes between their fingers to controllably parachute and fall-down, and no flying squirrels etc. Such examples do not count as active flight under the above definition of active flight.

I am interested in limits of ACTIVE flight of the following animal groups:

a) insects

b) birds

c) reptiles (extinct, like pterosaurus)

d) mammals

I am particularly interested in the data on the following:

1). Maximum Altitude (km) a given flying animal was observed

2). Longest Travel Distance (km) - I intend it to be only continuous flight, from initial take off to landing (i.e. without landing and resuming flight afterwards for the second time), otherwise a lot of organisms essentially have no limit to distance.

3). Maximum Speed Observed (but it is less critical)

If any of you know papers or studies that show such limits for example organisms of insects, birds, extinct reptiles and mammals please let me know.

Thank you very much for your help, time and consideration.

JJ

One thing that ALSO raises my interest and confidence in the "Human Ethology and Development" Project is that all sorts of phenomenon as described in the theories of TODAY (i.e. constructs), are not directly empirically based or clearly related to an empirical basis and yet they are not just supposedly existing but also important (but THAT is doubtful, and certainly doubtful in the universality given them and the role given them), _AND_ these loaded, unclear CONSTRUCTS  can be explained away and the key phenomenon (of behavior change -- THAT which is to be explained) is explained in another way -- and a way that is more empirical (in every sense) (and rather easily). The more-than-debatable constructs include: 

mind-reading

future seeing

time travel

executive processes  -- as always and necessary for development

strange "forward thinking"

all the meta's (metacognition and the rest)

inner processes working on the mind, just with the mind

BASIC core "embeddedness" connected (often in implausible and elaborate

     ways) to SOMETHING not clearly involving the environment

Strange self-supporting (theory supporting) sorts of 'social learning' (of a highly

    doubtful, or at least of an unreliable nature)

Major developmental shifts essentially occurring without the environment

(and these are just things that came to mind with just a minute's thought. )

I need to "believe in" or posit NONE of these things, with NOTHING LOST, taking the perspective of "A Human Ethogram ... " (major paper in the fore-mentioned Project).  If you can explain things equally well and more empirically (not to mention ecologically) THEN faith in one's alternative theory gets very strong.  And, this is all in spite of admitted SERIOUS (and unsatisfactory) vaguenesses in the theory; the vaguenesses get rather excused, if even the vague forms (of types of phenomenon posited) provide an adequate outlook and still give one a clear idea of a better explanation.*  (The theory has serious vaguenesses because the hypotheses need refinement and to be tested; unfortunately, I am not the person for any of that -- see the latest Project LOG entry, for more explanation of this.)  [ It may be helpful, for part of the thinking I use for the perspective (to posit overt behavioral alternative explanations), to view the thought expressed in the following post I made: https://www.researchgate.net/post/Can_we_remember_just_one_thing_about_evolution  <-- Perhaps now one can see how just vague definitions of "perceptual biases" or "shifts" can be seen not only to suffice to show the nature of a better answer, but also to maintain empiricism.  Then, you can stop having any worries from the footnote, below.  ]

[* FOOTNOTE: (Or, maybe you might think it is the Eastern, naturalist Buddhist outlook helping out . The Ethogram Theory developmental theory was developed at the same time a purely rational, realistic (real-world) CORE of Buddhism was realized 'ON THE SIDE'; BUT this, and nothing else either, had any negative effect on logic, possible pertinent facts, or empiricism -- and certainly provided no "hocus-pocus" of any kind.)]

Also see: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Human-Ethology-and-Development-Ethogram-Theory

I am currently researching the Aokigahara Forest, otherwise known as the Jukai, the Sea of Trees, and the infamous "suicide forest." The forest is the second most popular location to die in the world behind the Golden Gate Bridge and Japan herself is often called the "suicide nation." I am currently seeking a doctorate in Mythological Studies with a Depth Psychology Emphasis from Pacifica Graduate Institute in CA. The research is a cultural, historical, phenomenological, eco-psychological, and holistic study of shinrin-yoku, using the works of Hayao Kawai (considered the first Japanese Jungian analyst) Dr. Qing Li, (renowned forest bathing expert at University of Nippon Medical Center in Tokyo). C.G. Jung, James Hillman, Christine Downing, David Abram, Lori Pye, Ginette Paris, Mark C. Taylor, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Edgar Casey, Martin Buber, Heidegger, Thomas Berry, and many other renowned scholars. Joseph Campbell states that any myths of the future must include the environment and there are no new mytho-genetic zones. I argue that the current return one such zone, the forest through ritual forest bathing, is one space where reciprocity with the more-than-sensuous Earth is still possible for healing the psyche, the human body, as well as a positive step towards opening more liminal space and dialogue for the pursuit and engagement of other current eco-psychological inquiries. A new story in the forest amidst a completely different story is complex and proves that our old stories or myths need not completely die for the new ones to emerge. Thus, this phenomena I have discovered pivoting out of another myth or ritual examples a complex emergent system that can cross cultural and continental lines and opens the possibility of further inquiries using forest bathing as a guide or "methodology of eco- psychological reciprocity." I wish to go experience the Aokigahara Forest first hand to have an informed and credible outcome for the project. I am studying the health benefits and it can be considered as a health fundable project. Any suggestions or considerations are deeply appreciated and will be acknowledged accordingly.

ABSTRACT

The Aikogahara Forest in Japan at the base of Mount Fuji is steeped in ancient mythology and folklore. In the 1960s, a Japanese novel tells of a young couple who go to the forest and commit suicide. Since that time, the forest has become the second most popular place for suicides in the world. In response to the crisis, the Japanese government conducted over 400 studies proving that time spent in forests has many positive effects. The Aokigahara is now a spot for "forest bathing." The forest that has been a place of death is now a place of healing. The old myth that the Aokigahara forest is a place of suicide and death appears to be pivoting in place, suggesting that perhaps our old myths do not have to die for the pattern to change. The new myths or stories may come from the active loam the old have left in place. We do not have to wait for them, nor think they must emerge afresh. The complex emergence of healing effected in the Aokigarhara forest suggests that forests are spaces that contain archetypal transference fields that once activated, involve positive reciprocity for humans and the more-than-human world, creating a bridge for further eco-psychological research opportunities.

“The Human Biology of Movement Behaviours” is the 2024 annual conference of the Society for the study of Human Biology (SSHB). We are inviting submissions of research focusing on:

The conference aims to be an interdisciplinary meeting with a maximum of 200 participants, and will include a mixture of invited lectures and presentations from submitted abstracts.

--> REGULAR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE extended to 31/Jan/2024 (possibility of oral or poster presentation);

Late-breaking abstracts (poster-only presentation) submission opens on 1/Feb/2024 and closes on 30/Apr/2024

--> Fantastic line-up of invited speakers:

Prof Lauren Sherar Loughborough University, UK

Prof Peter Katzmarzyk, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, USA

Dr Catherine Draper, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Dr Pedro Saint-Maurice, The Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal

Dr Asmaa El Hamdouchi, National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Morocco

Prof Adam Baxter-Jones, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Dr Clarice Lucena Martins, Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil

Prof Tim Lightfoot, Texas A & M University, USA

Dr Kathryn Hesketh, MRC Epidemiology Unit, UK

Prof José Maia, University of Porto, Portugal

Dr Andy Daly-Smith, University of Bradford, UK

--> Very affordable registration fee, e.g.:

* registration including conference dinner for non-SSHB member PhD student from a high-income country £130, middle-income country £105, and low-income country £85, and lower if you become a member (only £15 for the duration of your studies)

* registration including conference dinner for non-SSHB member Faculty staff from a high-income country £310, middle-income country £185, and low-income country £135 (again lower if becoming a member, £30/year)

--> To actively promote and support academics from low-and middle-income countries and in early career stages, the Society will grant one New Investigator Award, one Low- and Middle-Income Investigator Award (both to support travel & accommodation, conference dinner, & registration fee waived), and one Best Student Poster Award – see the abstract submission form for further details and eligibility criteria.

--> This will also be a parent/carer-friendly conference: we are very aware that sometimes caring demands/commitments can be a barrier for researchers to submit and present their work at scientific conferences (some of us from first hand experience!). If you would like to submit your work but have perhaps decided not to because of, for example, having to take care of a young child or because you are still breastfeeding your baby – the organising committee are happy to help by looking after your child/baby during your presentation slot (and some other agreed presentations of special interest to you, as possible with our human resources), and you are very welcome to bring your baby along and breastfeed within the venue while the conference is occurring.

More information available at:

I want to use logistic regression to estimate the probability of whether an organism is active or not. My independent variable is time of day and my dependent variable is binary (1 = active, 0 = not active) 

While time is continuous, in this case it loops back into itself. After 24 hours (or 1440 minutes) the t-variable resets to zero. This would mean that the graph would have to travel upwards and then back down into itself. I also suspect that the curvature upwards may be different from the curvature downwards.

Is there a sub-classification of logistic regression that accomplishes this?

Does anyone know if a habituated physical activity, such as cycling to work or study place everyday as a mode of transportation, would help to save corporeal energy by adjusting the function in muscle to a level that consumes less calories?

I am writing an article on habituated active travel behavior, walking and biking, and would appreciate it if someone could suggest an article or two on the above question.