Do you like school? Social class, gender, ethnicity and pupils' educational enjoyment.

This study investigates structural inequalities in educational enjoyment in a contemporary cohort of United Kingdom (UK) primary school children. Foundational studies in the sociology of education consistently indicate that the enjoyment of education is stratified by social class, gender, and ethnicity. Analysing data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, which is a major cohort study that tracks children born at the start of the 21st century, we examine children's enjoyment of both school and individual academic subject areas. The overarching message is that at age 11 most children enjoy their education. The detailed empirical analyses indicate that educational enjoyment is stratified by gender, and there are small differences between ethnic groups. However, there is no convincing evidence of a social class gradient. These results challenge orthodox sociological views on the relationship between structural inequalities and educational enjoyment, and therefore question the existing theoretical understanding of the wider role of enjoyment in education.

Enhancing Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Surveillance in New Jersey: Optimized Collection of Culiseta melanura.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) causes the most clinically severe neuroinvasive arboviral disease in the United States. The virus is endemic in eastern and Gulf Coast states and the Great Lakes region, causing cases annually. To detect EEEV circulation in its enzootic cycle before the virus infects humans and other mammals, mosquito control agencies in New Jersey have conducted mosquito surveillance using a series of permanent wooden resting box sites since 1975. We conducted 2 field studies, 1 evaluating resting traps and 1 evaluating efficacy of CO2 lures, to optimize collection of Culiseta melanura, the primary enzootic vector of EEEV. Resulting mosquito samples were subjected to molecular analysis to determine EEEV infection rates. Corrugated plastic boxes trapped more bloodfed Cs. melanura than other resting trap types (resting boxes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] resting traps, or fiber pots) and were similar to resting boxes in total number of female Cs. melanura caught. Further, non-baited CDC light traps were more successful in trapping host-seeking Cs. melanura than those baited with dry ice, a CO2 lure. The EEEV RNA was identified in Cs. melanura, Aedes vexans, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and Uranotaenia sapphirina. Our findings indicate that corrugated plastic boxes and non-CO2 baited traps could improve detection of Cs. melanura. Mosquito control agencies are encouraged to periodically assess their surveillance strategy for EEEV.

Field-Collected Ticks From Benton County, Arkansas, and Prevalence of Associated Pathogens.

The recovery of a Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) tick from a dog in Benton County, Arkansas, in 2018 triggered a significant environmental sampling effort in Hobbs State Park Conservation Area. The objective of the investigation was to assess the tick population density and diversity, as well as identify potential tick-borne pathogens that could pose a risk to public health. During a week-long sampling period in August of 2018, a total of 6,154 ticks were collected, with the majority identified as Amblyomma americanum (L), (Acari: Ixodidae) commonly known as the lone star tick. No H. longicornis ticks were found despite the initial detection of this species in the area. This discrepancy highlights the importance of continued monitoring efforts to understand the dynamics of tick populations and their movements. The investigation also focused on pathogen detection, with ticks being pooled by species, age, and sex before being processed with various bioassays. The results revealed the presence of several tick-borne pathogens, including agents associated with ehrlichiosis (n = 12), tularemia (n = 2), and Bourbon virus (BRBV) disease (n = 1), as well as nonpathogenic rickettsial and anaplasmosis organisms. These findings emphasize the importance of public health messaging to raise awareness of the risks associated with exposure to tick-borne pathogens. Prevention measures, such as wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, and conducting regular tick checks, should be emphasized to reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases. Continued surveillance efforts and research are also essential to improve our understanding of tick-borne disease epidemiology and develop effective control strategies.

Do Aedes triseriatus Respect State Boundaries?: A Paucity of La Crosse Virus in the South Carolina Appalachian Mountains.

Background: La Crosse virus is an important endemic public health concern in the North Carolina Appalachian Mountains; however, human incidence is not commonly noted in this region on the South Carolina side of the mountain range border. No relevant studies have been performed in South Carolina evaluating mosquito vector populations for La Crosse virus (LACV) infection; thus, a pilot mosquito surveillance study was executed in summer 2020. Material and Methods: Vector surveillance occurred at five South Carolina state parks bordering neighboring state endemic counties from May to August 2020. Collections were approved by the state park authority, as noted in Permit No. N-8-20. Results: All three competent mosquito vectors were collected during the study duration; however, these vectors were collected in low abundance: Aedes triseriatus (4.5% of all collected mosquitos); Aedes albopictus (2.0%); Aedes japonicus (1.4%). Principal mosquito vector specimens, Ae. triseriatus, were sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing of LACV by real-time reverse transcription PCR-all were negative. Discussion: While entomologic evidence suggests low transmission risk for this arbovirus in the South Carolina Appalachian Mountain region, further eco-epidemiologic investigations are warranted to understand this endemicity variance within a relatively small geographic area.

Students' and staffs' views and experiences of asymptomatic testing on a university campus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland: a mixed methods study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the acceptability of regular asymptomatic testing for SARS-CoV-2 on a university campus using saliva sampling for PCR analysis and the barriers and facilitators to participation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys and qualitative semistructured interviews. SETTING: Edinburgh, Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: University staff and students who had registered for the testing programme (TestEd) and provided at least one sample. RESULTS: 522 participants completed a pilot survey in April 2021 and 1750 completed the main survey (November 2021). 48 staff and students who consented to be contacted for interview took part in the qualitative research. Participants were positive about their experience with TestEd with 94% describing it as 'excellent' or 'good'. Facilitators to participation included multiple testing sites on campus, ease of providing saliva samples compared with nasopharyngeal swabs, perceived accuracy compared with lateral flow devices (LFDs) and reassurance of test availability while working or studying on campus. Barriers included concerns about privacy while testing, time to and methods of receiving results compared with LFDs and concerns about insufficient uptake in the university community. There was little evidence that the availability of testing on campus changed the behaviour of participants during a period when COVID-19 restrictions were in place. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of free asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 on a university campus was welcomed by participants and the use of saliva-based PCR testing was regarded as more comfortable and accurate than LFDs. Convenience is a key facilitator of participation in regular asymptomatic testing programmes. Availability of testing did not appear to undermine engagement with public health guidelines.

Geographic information system protocol for mapping areas targeted for mosquito control in North Carolina.

Geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to map mosquito larval and adult habitats and human populations at risk for mosquito exposure and possible arbovirus transmission. Along with traditional methods of surveillance-based targeted mosquito control, GIS can help simplify and target efforts during routine surveillance and post-disaster (e.g., hurricane-related flooding) to protect emergency workers and public health. A practical method for prioritizing areas for emergency mosquito control has been developed and is described here. North Carolina (NC) One Map was used to identify state-level data layers of interest based on human population distribution and mosquito habitat in Brunswick, Columbus, Onslow, and Robeson Counties in eastern NC. Relevant data layers were included to create mosquito control treatment areas for targeted control and an 18-step protocol for map development is discussed. This protocol is expected to help state, territorial, tribal, and/or local public health officials and associated mosquito control programs efficiently create treatment area maps to improve strategic planning in advance of a disaster. This protocol may be applied to any NC county and beyond, thereby increasing local disaster preparedness.

Independent evaluation of Wolbachia infected male mosquito releases for control of Aedes aegypti in Harris County, Texas, using a Bayesian abundance estimator.

Among disease vectors, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the most insidious species in the world. The disease burden created by this species has dramatically increased in the past 50 years, and during this time countries have relied on pesticides for control and prevention of viruses borne by Ae. aegypti. The small number of available insecticides with different modes of action had led to increases in insecticide resistance, thus, strategies, like the "Incompatible Insect Technique" using Wolbachia's cytoplasmic incompatibility are desirable. We evaluated the effect of releases of Wolbachia infected Ae. aegypti males on populations of wild Ae. aegypti in the metropolitan area of Houston, TX. Releases were conducted by the company MosquitoMate, Inc. To estimate mosquito population reduction, we used a mosquito abundance Bayesian hierarchical estimator that accounted for inefficient trapping. MosquitoMate previously reported a reduction of 78% for an intervention conducted in Miami, FL. In this experiment we found a reduction of 93% with 95% credibility intervals of 86% and 96% after six weeks of continual releases. A similar result was reported by Verily Life Sciences, 96% [94%, 97%], in releases made in Fresno, CA.

Observing many researchers using the same data and hypothesis reveals a hidden universe of uncertainty.

This study explores how researchers' analytical choices affect the reliability of scientific findings. Most discussions of reliability problems in science focus on systematic biases. We broaden the lens to emphasize the idiosyncrasy of conscious and unconscious decisions that researchers make during data analysis. We coordinated 161 researchers in 73 research teams and observed their research decisions as they used the same data to independently test the same prominent social science hypothesis: that greater immigration reduces support for social policies among the public. In this typical case of social science research, research teams reported both widely diverging numerical findings and substantive conclusions despite identical start conditions. Researchers' expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes. More than 95% of the total variance in numerical results remains unexplained even after qualitative coding of all identifiable decisions in each team's workflow. This reveals a universe of uncertainty that remains hidden when considering a single study in isolation. The idiosyncratic nature of how researchers' results and conclusions varied is a previously underappreciated explanation for why many scientific hypotheses remain contested. These results call for greater epistemic humility and clarity in reporting scientific findings.

Childhood disability, social class and social mobility: A neglected relationship.

Disability theorists have long highlighted the role of institutional, social, and environmental barriers in constructing disability, emphasizing its parallels with other socially constructed axes of stratification. However, despite theoretical developments toward sociological understandings of disability, social stratification and life-course research have largely neglected childhood disability as a social division. As a result, we still know little surrounding the socio-economic attainment of disabled children and young people. Drawing on Next Steps data, this research note highlights stark overlooked inequalities between disabled and non-disabled young people's activity status and social mobility in early adulthood. We specifically focus on the importance of social class for disabled young people's outcomes, emphasizing the need for intersectional analyses of disability inequalities. We also outline longitudinal survey data enhancements necessary for life-course research on childhood disability and its intersections.

Perceived Risk of Mosquito-Borne Arboviruses in the Continental United States.

The United States experienced local transmission of West Nile Virus (WNV) for the first time in 1999, and Zika Virus (ZIKV) in 2016. These introductions captured the public's attention in varying degrees. The research presented here analyzes the disproportional perception of ZIKV risk compared to WNV transmission risk, by the public and vector control personnel. The risk perception of vector control was measured through purposive sampled interviews (24 interviews in 13 states; May 2020-June 2021), while the public's perception was estimated from news publications (January 2000-December 2020), and Google searches (January 2004-December 2020). Over time, we observed a decrease in the frequency of press reporting and Google searches of both viruses with decreasing annual peaks in the summer. The highest peak of ZIKV news, and searches, surpassed that of WNV. We observed clear differences in the contents of the headlines for both viruses. We propose that the main reason in risk perception differences between the viruses were psychological. Zika infections (mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted) can result in devastating symptoms in fetuses and newborns, observations that frequently appeared in ZIKV-related headlines. Our results highlight the likely influence the news media has on risk perception and the need for public health agencies to play active roles in the conversation, helping disseminate timely and accurate information. Understanding the factors that shape risk perceptions of vector-borne diseases will hopefully lead to better use of resources by providing better guidance.

Highlights of Medical Entomology 2018: The Importance of Sustainable Surveillance of Vectors and Vector-Borne Pathogens.

The theme of the 2018 Entomological Society of America, Entomological Society of Canada, and Entomological Society of British Columbia Joint Annual Meeting was Crossing Borders: Entomology in a Changing World. Following the theme of the meeting, papers selected for the 2018 'Highlights of Medical Entomology' included reports of expanded ranges for Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae), Culex coronator Dyar and Knab (Diptera: Culicidae), Mansonia titillans (Walker) (Diptera: Culicidae), and Wyeomyia mitchellii (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae); a first report of mosquito feeding on earthworms and leeches; Cache Valley virus detection in Ae. j. japonicus; surveillance in high-risk areas of Canada for Lyme Disease; and increasing lone-star tick detections in Connecticut. The selection of papers served as a reminder of the increasingly difficult challenge of sustaining vector surveillance programs. Fluctuating funding and a decline in vector taxonomists and identification expertise contribute to the erosion of vector surveillance.

An investigation of social class inequalities in general cognitive ability in two British birth cohorts.

The 'Flynn effect' describes the substantial and long-standing increase in average cognitive ability test scores, which has been observed in numerous psychological studies. Flynn makes an appeal for researchers to move beyond psychology's standard disciplinary boundaries and to consider sociological contexts, in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive inequalities. In this article we respond to this appeal and investigate social class inequalities in general cognitive ability test scores over time. We analyse data from the National Child Development Study (1958) and the British Cohort Study (1970). These two British birth cohorts are suitable nationally representative large-scale data resources for studying inequalities in general cognitive ability. We observe a large parental social class effect, net of parental education and gender in both cohorts. The overall finding is that large social class divisions in cognitive ability can be observed when children are still at primary school, and similar patterns are observed in each cohort. Notably, pupils with fathers at the lower end of the class structure are at a distinct disadvantage. This is a disturbing finding and it is especially important because cognitive ability is known to influence individuals later in the lifecourse.

The role of administrative data in the big data revolution in social science research.

The term big data is currently a buzzword in social science, however its precise meaning is ambiguous. In this paper we focus on administrative data which is a distinctive form of big data. Exciting new opportunities for social science research will be afforded by new administrative data resources, but these are currently under appreciated by the research community. The central aim of this paper is to discuss the challenges associated with administrative data. We emphasise that it is critical for researchers to carefully consider how administrative data has been produced. We conclude that administrative datasets have the potential to contribute to the development of high-quality and impactful social science research, and should not be overlooked in the emerging field of big data.

Cohort profile: UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS).

The UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) is an observational, multidisciplinary cohort study that was set up to follow the lives of children born at the turn of the new century. The MCS is nationally representative and 18 552 families (18 827 children) were recruited to the cohort in the first sweep. There have currently been five main sweeps of data collection, at ages 9 months and 3, 5, 7 and 11 years. A further sweep of data collection is planned for age 14 years. A range of health-related data have been collected as well as measures concerning child development, cognitive ability and educational attainment. The data also include a wealth of information describing the social, economic and demographic characteristics of the cohort members and their families. In addition, the MCS data have been linked to administrative data resources including health records. The MCS provides a unique and valuable resource for the analysis of health outcomes and health inequalities. The MCS data are freely available to bona fide researchers under standard access conditions via the UK Data Service (http://ukdataservice.ac.uk) and the MCS website provides detailed information on the study (http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/mcs).

Efficacy of aerial ultra-low volume applications of two novel water-based formulations of unsynergized pyrethroids against riceland mosquitoes in Greece.

We assessed the efficacy of ultra-low volume aerial adulticiding with 2 new water-based, unsynergized formulations of Aqua-K-Othrin (2% deltamethrin) and Pesguard S102 (10% d-phenothrin) against the riceland mosquitoes of Greece. A helicopter with Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation, real-time weather recording, and spray dispersal modeling (AgDISP) was utilized to accurately treat the experimental blocks by adjusting spray line positions to changing meteorological conditions. Two application rates were applied per formulation that corresponded to 0.75 and 1.00 g AI/ha of deltamethrin and 7.50 and 10.00 g AI/ha of d-phenothrin. The mosquitoes used for the trials were the main nuisance species found in rice field areas of Thessaloniki, which were primarily Aedes caspius, followed by Culex modestus and Anopheles sacharovi. Overall mean mortality of caged mosquitoes was 69.2% and 64.8% for deltamethrin and d-phenothrin, respectively. Mean population decrease in wild mosquito populations within the treatment areas was 76.5% and 78% for deltamethrin and d-phenothrin, respectively. The AgDISP dispersal model, coupled with GPS navigation and real-time weather recording, enabled accurate placement of the spray cloud such that the majority of the treatment area received sufficiently high droplet densities to result in uniform caged-mosquito mortality across all sampling sites.