bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-resolution imaging and near-infrared spectroscopy of penumbral decay
Authors: Verma M. , Denker C. , Balthasar H. , Kuckein C. , Rezaei R. , Sobotka M. , Deng N. , Wang H. , Tritschler A. , Collados M. , Diercke A. , González Manrique S. J.
Published: January 2018

Aims. Combining high-resolution spectropolarimetric and imaging data is key to understanding the decay process of sunspots as it allows us to scrutinize the velocity and magnetic fields of sunspots and their surroundings.

Methods. Active region NOAA 12597 was observed on 2016 September 24 with the 1.5-meter GREGOR solar telescope using high-spatial-resolution imaging as well as imaging spectroscopy and near-infrared (NIR) spectropolarimetry. Horizontal proper motions were estimated with local correlation tracking, whereas line-of-sight (LOS) velocities were computed with spectral line fitting methods. The magnetic field properties were inferred with the “Stokes Inversions based on Response functions” (SIR) code for the Si I and Ca I NIR lines.

Results. At the time of the GREGOR observations, the leading sunspot had two light bridges indicating the onset of its decay. One of the light bridges disappeared, and an elongated, dark umbral core at its edge appeared in a decaying penumbral sector facing the newly emerging flux. The flow and magnetic field properties of this penumbral sector exhibited weak Evershed flow, moat flow, and horizontal magnetic field. The penumbral gap adjacent to the elongated umbral core and the penumbra in that penumbral sector displayed LOS velocities similar to granulation. The separating polarities of a new flux system interacted with the leading and central part of the already established active region. As a consequence, the leading spot rotated 55° clockwise over 12 h.

Conclusions. In the high-resolution observations of a decaying sunspot, the penumbral filaments facing the flux emergence site contained a darkened area resembling an umbral core filled with umbral dots. This umbral core had velocity and magnetic field properties similar to the sunspot umbra. This implies that the horizontal magnetic fields in the decaying penumbra became vertical as observed in flare-induced rapid penumbral decay, but on a very different time-scale.
Global convergence of a class of networks on time scales
Authors: Bin Honghua , Wang Boyu , Huang Zhenkun
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we propose a class of simplified background neural networks model with two subnetworks on time scales. Some basic dynamic properties including positive invariance, boundedness, global attractivity and complete convergence of networks are analyzed. The main contributions in this paper are listed as follows: (1) the global attractive set of the model is verified and conditions for global attractivity are derived. (2) Complete convergence for the new networks are proved by constructing a novel energy function on time scales. Finally, three simulation examples are presented to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the obtained results.
Safeguarding China's water resources
Authors: Qiu Jane
Published: January 2018

Water is scarce in China. The country ekes by with only one-quarter of the global average for water per person. The scarcity is exacerbated by rampant pollution—with devastating consequences on ecosystems, food supply and public health. In the face of growing population, water pollution threatens the very survival of the Chinese nation.

In his speech at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last October, President Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized the importance to redress the balance between economic development and environmental protection. One of his most frequently cited phrases is ‘clean waters and lush mountains are gold and silver’. And he has matched his rhetoric with action. In April 2015, the State Council, China's cabinet, issued the Water Pollution and Control Action Plan (known as Shuishitiao or Water Ten Plan)—widely hailed as the toughest and most comprehensive water policy to date. Last October, it announced a five-year plan to tackle water pollution, with a budget of 700 billion yuan (US$106 billion). The country's top legislature has also revised the Water Prevention and Control Law, which will go into effect in early 2018.

In a forum chaired by National Science Review’s Executive Editor-in-Chief Mu-ming Poo, a panel of experts of diverse backgrounds and perspectives discussed the current status of China's water resources, their views on the comprehensive policy package, how national initiatives have been going, what the challenges are and why information transparency and public participation are absolutely essential in environmental protection.

Weijiang Liu

Hydrologist at the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing, China

Ji Shen

Environment scientist at Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China

Chunmiao Zheng

Hydrologist at Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Jun Ma

Founder and director of the non-governmental organization Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, Beijing, China

Tao Tao

Environment scientist at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering and the Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment at Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Mu-ming Poo (Chair)

Director, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Case Report: Facial Nerve Bifurcation Noted During Resection of Vestibular Schwannoma
Authors: Sokolowski Jennifer D , Ruhl Douglas S , Kesser Bradley W , Asthagiri Ashok R
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Resection of cerebellopontine angle tumors is challenging because the proximity of the facial nerve puts it at risk of inadvertent injury and subsequent dysfunction. It is critical to consider variations in anatomy and be aware of the potential deviations in the course of the nerve in order to avoid damage.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

We present a case of a facial nerve bifurcation identified during resection of a vestibular schwannoma.

CONCLUSION

This is the only reported case of proximal facial nerve bifurcation. We review what is known about variations in proximal facial nerve anatomy, the rates of facial nerve injury after schwannoma resection, and the importance of neuromonitoring in identifying the nerve and predicting function postoperatively. Ultimately, understanding possible anatomic variations in the nerve is critical to minimize iatrogenic injury during surgery.
In-flight calibration of Hitomi Soft X-ray Spectrometer. (3) Effective area
Authors: Tsujimoto Masahiro , Okajima Takashi , Eckart Megan E , Hayashi Takayuki , Hoshino Akio , Iizuka Ryo , Kelley Richard L , Kilbourne Caroline A , Leutenegger Maurice A , Maeda Yoshitomo , Mori Hideyuki , Porter Frederick S , Sato Kosuke , Sato Toshiki , Serlemitsos Peter J , Szymkowiak Andrew , Yaqoob Tahir
Published: January 2018

We present the result of the in-flight calibration of the effective area of the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) on board the Hitomi X-ray satellite using an observation of the Crab nebula. We corrected for artifacts when observing high count rate sources with the X-ray microcalorimeter. We then constructed a spectrum in the 0.5–20 keV band, which we modeled with a single power-law continuum attenuated by interstellar extinction. We evaluated the systematic uncertainty of the spectral parameters by various calibration items. In the 2–12 keV band, the SXS result is consistent with the literature values in flux (2.20 ± 0.08 × 10−8 erg s−1 cm−2 with a 1 σ statistical uncertainty) but is softer in the power-law index (2.19 ± 0.11). The discrepancy is attributable to the systematic uncertainty of about +6%/−7% and +2%/−5% respectively for the flux and the power-law index. The softer spectrum is affected primarily by the systematic uncertainty of the Dewar gate valve transmission and the event screening.
Balance sheets after the EMU: an assessment of the redenomination risk
Authors: Durand Cédric , Villemot Sébastien
Published: January 2018

The probability of a partial or complete break-up of the euro has risen over the last years. Such an event could create a balance sheet problem for economic agents, if the redenomination process introduced significant currency mismatches between the asset and liability sides. We propose a new assessment of this redenomination risk, by country and by main institutional sector, for two scenarios: a single country exit and a complete break-up. Our main conclusion is that, even though the problem has to be taken seriously, its order of magnitude should not be exaggerated. Only a few sectors are at significant risk: public debts of Greece and Portugal, financial sectors of Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg. In particular, the balance sheet exposure of the non-financial private sector to the redenomination risk appears to be limited.
Fast automated reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic models for microbial species and communities
Authors: Machado Daniel , Andrejev Sergej , Tramontano Melanie , Patil Kiran Raosaheb
Published: January 2018

Genome-scale metabolic models are instrumental in uncovering operating principles of cellular metabolism and model-guided re-engineering. Recent applications of metabolic models have also demonstrated their usefulness in unraveling cross-feeding within microbial communities. Yet, the application of genome-scale models, especially to microbial communities, is lagging far behind the availability of sequenced genomes. This is largely due to the time-consuming steps of manual cura-tion required to obtain good quality models and thus physiologically meaningful simulation results. Here, we present an automated tool – CarveMe – for reconstruction of species and community level metabolic models. We introduce the concept of a universal model, which is manually curated and simulation-ready. Starting with this universal model and annotated genome sequences, CarveMe uses a top-down approach to build single-species and community models in a fast and scalable manner. We build reconstructions for two model organisms, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtillis, as well as a collection of human gut bacteria, and show that CarveMe models perform similarly to manually curated models in reproducing experimental phenotypes. Finally, we demonstrate the scalability of CarveMe through reconstructing 5587 bacterial models. Overall, CarveMe provides an open-source and user-friendly tool towards broadening the use of metabolic modeling in studying microbial species and communities.
Wnt signalling drives context-dependent differentiation or proliferation in neuroblastoma
Authors: Szemes Marianna , Greenhough Alexander , Melegh Zsombor , Malik Sally , Yuksel Aysen , Catchpoole Daniel , Gallacher Kelli , Kollareddy Madhu , Park Ji Hyun , Malik Karim
Published: January 2018

Neuroblastoma is one of the commonest and deadliest solid tumours of childhood, and is thought to result from disrupted differentiation of the developing sympathoadrenergic lineage of the neural crest. Neuroblastoma exhibits intra-and intertumoural heterogeneity, with high risk tumours characterised by poor differentiation, which can be attributable to MYCN-mediated repression of genes involved in neuronal differentiation. MYCN is known to co-operate with oncogenic signalling pathways such as Alk, Akt and MEK/ERK signalling, and, together with c-MYC has been shown to be activated by Wnt signalling in various tissues. However, our previous work demonstrated that Wnt3a/Rspo2 treatment of some neuroblastoma cell lines can, paradoxically, decrease c-MYC and MYCN proteins. This prompted us to define the neuroblastoma-specific Wnt3a/Rspo2-driven transcriptome using RNA sequencing, and characterise the accompanying changes in cell biology.

Here we report the identification of ninety Wnt target genes, and show that Wnt signalling is upstream of numerous transcription factors and signalling pathways in neuroblastoma. Using live-cell imaging, we show that Wnt signalling can drive differentiation of SK-N-BE(2)-C and SH-SY5Y cell-lines, but, conversely, proliferation of SK-N-AS cells. We show that cell-lines that differentiate show induction of pro-differentiation BMP4 and EPAS1 proteins, which is not apparent in the SK-N-AS cells. In contrast, SK-N-AS cells show increased CCND1, phosphorylated RB and E2F1 in response to Wnt3a/Rspo2, consistent with their proliferative response, and these proteins are not increased in differentiating lines. By meta-analysis of the expression of our 90 genes in primary tumour gene expression databases, we demonstrate discrete expression patterns of our Wnt genes in patient cohorts with different prognosis. Furthermore our analysis reveals interconnectivity within subsets of our Wnt genes, with one subset comprised of novel putative drivers of neuronal differentiation repressed by MYCN. Assessment of β-catenin immunohistochemistry shows high levels of β-catenin in tumours with better differentiation, further supporting a role for canonical Wnt signalling in neuroblastoma differentiation.
Mathematical modelling elucidates core mechanisms underpinning GnRH pulse generation
Authors: Voliotis Margaritis , Li Xiao Feng , De Burgh Ross , Lass Geffen , Lightman Stafford L , O’Byrne Kevin T. , Tsaneva-Atanasova Krasimira
Published: January 2018

Fertility critically depends on the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator, a neural construct comprised of hypothalamic neurons co-expressing kisspeptin, neurokoinin-B and dynorphin that drives the pulsatile release of GnRH. How this neural network generates and controls the appropriate ultradian frequency essential for gametogenesis and ovulation is unknown. Here, we present a mathematical model of the GnRH pulse generator with theoretical evidence and in vivo experimental data showing that robust pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone, a proxy for GnRH, emerges abruptly as we increase the basal activity of the neuronal network using continuous low frequency optogenetic stimulation of the neural construct. Further increases in basal activity markedly increase pulse frequency. Model predictions that such behaviors are concomitant of non-linear positive and negative feedback interactions mediated through neurokinin-B and dynorphin signaling respectively are confirmed neuropharmacologically. Our mathematical model sheds light on the long-elusive GnRH pulse generator offering new horizons for fertility regulation.
Assembly of Long Error-Prone Reads Using Repeat Graphs
Authors: Kolmogorov Mikhail , Yuan Jeffrey , Lin Yu , Pevzner Pavel. A.
Published: January 2018

The problem of genome assembly is ultimately linked to the problem of the characterization of all repeat families in a genome as a repeat graph. The key reason the de Bruijn graph emerged as a popular short read assembly approach is because it offered an elegant representation of all repeats in a genome that reveals their mosaic structure. However, most algorithms for assembling long error-prone reads use an alternative overlap-layout-consensus (OLC) approach that does not provide a repeat characterization. We present the Flye algorithm for constructing the A-Bruijn (assembly) graph from long error-prone reads, that, in contrast to the k-mer-based de Bruijn graph, assembles genomes using an alignment-based A-Bruijn graph. In difference from existing assemblers, Flye does not attempt to construct accurate contigs (at least at the initial assembly stage) but instead simply generates arbitrary paths in the (unknown) assembly graph and further constructs an assembly graph from these paths. Counter-intuitively, this fast but seemingly reckless approach results in the same graph as the assembly graph constructed from accurate contigs. Flye constructs (overlapping) contigs with possible assembly errors at the initial stage, combines them into an accurate assembly graph, resolves repeats in the assembly graph using small variations between various repeat instances that were left unresolved during the initial assembly stage, constructs a new, less tangled assembly graph based on resolved repeats, and finally outputs accurate contigs as paths in this graph. We benchmark Flye against several state-of-the-art Single Molecule Sequencing assemblers and demonstrate that it generates better or comparable assemblies for all analyzed datasets.
Genome-wide gene-environment analyses of depression and reported lifetime traumatic experiences in UK Biobank
Authors: Coleman Jonathan R.I. , Purves Kirstin L. , Davis Katrina A.S. , Rayner Christopher , Choi Shing Wan , Hübel Christopher , Gaspar Héléna A. , Kan Carol , Van der Auwera Sandra , Adams Mark James , Lyall Donald M. , Peyrot Wouter J. ,   Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Dunn Erin C. , Vassos Evangelos , Danese Andrea , Grabe Hans J. , Lewis Cathryn M. , O’Reilly Paul F. , McIntosh Andrew M. , Smith Daniel J. , Wray Naomi R. , Hotopf Matthew , Eley Thalia C. , Breen Gerome
Published: January 2018

Depression is more frequently observed among individuals exposed to traumatic events. The relationship between trauma exposure and depression, including the role of genetic variation, is complex and poorly understood. The UK Biobank concurrently assessed depression and reported trauma exposure in 126,522 genotyped individuals of European ancestry. We compared the shared aetiology of depression and a range of phenotypes, contrasting individuals reporting trauma exposure with those who did not (final sample size range: 24,094-92,957). Depression was heritable in participants reporting trauma exposure and in unexposed individuals, and the genetic correlation between the groups was substantial and not significantly different from 1. Genetic correlations between depression and psychiatric traits were strong regardless of reported trauma exposure, whereas genetic correlations between depression and body mass index (and related phenotypes) were observed only in trauma exposed individuals. The narrower range of genetic correlations in trauma unexposed depression and the lack of correlation with BMI echoes earlier ideas of endogenous depression.
De novo origins of multicellularity in response to predation
Authors: Herron Matthew D. , Borin Joshua M. , Boswell Jacob C. , Walker Jillian , Chen I-Chen Kimberly , Knox Charles A. , Boyd Margrethe , Rosenzweig Frank , Ratcliff William C.
Published: January 2018

The transition from unicellular to multicellular life was one of a few major events in the history of life that created new opportunities for more complex biological systems to evolve. Predation is hypothesized as one selective pressure that may have driven the evolution of multicellularity. Here we show that de novo origins of simple multicellularity can evolve in response to predation. We subjected outcrossed populations of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to selection by the filter-feeding predator Paramecium tetraurelia. Two of five experimental populations evolved multicellular structures not observed in unselected control populations within ~750 asexual generations. Considerable variation exists in the evolved multicellular life cycles, with both cell number and propagule size varying among isolates. Survival assays show that evolved multicellular traits provide effective protection against predation. These results support the hypothesis that selection imposed by predators may have played a role in some origins of multicellularity.
MITOMIX, an Algorithm to Reconstruct Population Admixture Histories Indicates Ancient European Ancestry of Modern Hungarians
Authors: Maróti Zoltán , Török Tibor , Neparáczki Endre , Raskó István , Nagy István , Maróti Miklós , Varga Tamás , Bihari Péter , Boldogkői Zsolt , Tombácz Dóra , Kalmár Tibor
Published: January 2018

By making use of the increasing number of available mitogenomes we propose a novel population genetic distance metric, named Shared Haplogroup Distance (SHD). Unlike FST, SHD is a true mathematical distance that complies with all metric axioms, which enables our new algorithm (MITOMIX) to detect population-level admixture based on SHD minimum optimization. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of our methodology we analyzed the relation of 62 modern and 25 ancient Eurasian human populations, and compared our results with the most widely used FSTcalculation. We also sequenced and performed an in-depth analysis of 272 modern Hungarian mtDNA genomes to shed light on the genetic composition of modern Hungarians. MITOMIX analysis showed that in general admixture occurred between neighboring populations, but in some cases it also indicated admixture with migrating populations. SHD and MITOMIX analysis comply with known genetic data and shows that in case of closely related and/or admixing populations, SHD gives more realistic results and provides better resolution than FST. Our results suggest that the majority of modern Hungarian maternal lineages have Late Neolith/Bronze Age European origins (partially shared also with modern Danish, Belgian/Dutch and Basque populations), and a smaller fraction originates from surrounding (Serbian, Croatian, Slovakian, Romanian) populations. However only a minor genetic contribution (<3%) was identified from the IXthHungarian Conquerors whom are deemed to have brought Hungarians to the Carpathian Basin. Our analysis shows that SHD and MITOMIX can augment previous methods by providing novel insights into past population processes.
Small interfering RNAs based on huntingtin trinucleotide repeats are highly toxic to cancer cells
Authors: Murmann Andrea E. , Gao Quan Q. , Putzbach William , Patel Monal , Bartom Elizabeth T. , Law Calvin , Bridgeman Bryan , Chen Siquan , McMahon Kaylin M. , Thaxton C. Shad , Peter Marcus E.
Published: January 2018

Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansions in the genome cause a number of degenerative diseases. A prominent TNR expansion involves the triplet CAG in the huntingtin (HTT) gene responsible for Huntington’s disease (HD). Pathology is caused by protein and RNA generated from the TNR regions including small siRNA-sized repeat fragments. An inverse correlation between the length of the repeats in HTT and cancer incidence has been reported for HD patients. We now show that siRNAs based on the CAG TNR are toxic to cancer cells by targeting genes that contain long reverse complimentary TNRs in their open reading frames. Of the 60 siRNAs based on the different TNRs, the 6 members in the CAG/CUG family of related TNRs are the most toxic to both human and mouse cancer cells. siCAG/CUG TNR-based siRNAs induce cell deathin vitroin all tested cancer cell lines and slow down tumor growth in a preclinical mouse model of ovarian cancer with no signs of toxicity to the mice. We propose to explore TNR-based siRNAs as a novel form of anti-cancer reagents.
Focused learning promotes continual task performance in humans
Authors: Flesch Timo , Balaguer Jan , Dekker Ronald , Nili Hamed , Summerfield Christopher
Published: January 2018

Humans can learn to perform multiple tasks in succession over the lifespan (“continual” learning), whereas current machine learning systems fail. Here, we investigated the cognitive mechanisms that permit successful continual learning in humans. Unlike neural networks, humans that were trained on temporally autocorrelated task objectives (focussed training) learned to perform new tasks more effectively, and performed better on a later test involving randomly interleaved tasks. Analysis of error patterns suggested that focussed learning permitted the formation of factorised task representations that were protected from mutual interference. Furthermore, individuals with a strong prior tendency to represent the task space in a factorised manner enjoyed greater benefit of focussed over interleaved training. Building artificial agents that learn to factorise tasks appropriately may be a promising route to solving continual task performance in machine learning.

Significance Statement

Humans learn to perform many different tasks over the lifespan, such as speaking both French and Spanish. The brain has to represent task information without mutual interference. In machine learning, this "continual learning" is a major unsolved challenge. Here, we studied the patterns of errors made by humans and state-of-the-art deep networks whilst they learned new tasks from scratch and without instruction. Humans, but not machines, seem to benefit from training regimes that focussed on one task at a time, especially when they had a prior bias to represent stimuli in a way that facilitated task separation. Machines trained to exhibit the same prior bias suffered less interference between tasks, suggesting new avenues for solving continual learning in artificial systems.
Rail Franchises, Competition and Public Service
Authors: Prosser Tony , Butler Luke
Published: January 2018

The use of franchises to deliver rail services has raised major problems. Franchises restrict competition in the market, whilst competitive bidding for franchises has met with difficulties, notably in relation to risk transfer and the recent use of short‐term contracts that have not been awarded competitively. Further, franchise agreements are detailed and highly stipulative and do not achieve the flexibility and opportunities for innovation originally intended. This reflects an underlying lack of trust resulting from the arrangements adopted on privatisation. By contrast, in Sweden regional services have been procured through contracts with limited risk transfer, and in Italy provision of services has been entrusted to a dominant operator with comparatively limited detailed service specifications; both seem to have been more successful. For the future in the UK, possibilities include greater use of competition, a return to public ownership, regionalisation, and the use of concessions with limited risk transfer to secure stability.
Universal Credit, ‘Positive Citizenship’, and the Working Poor: Squaring the Eternal Circle?
Authors: Larkin Philip M.
Published: January 2018

This article examines the potential effects of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 on the United Kingdom social security system, and on claimants. This legislation illustrates new modes of thought and ideology underlying the British welfare state. The introduction of the ‘Universal Credit’ has the potential to solve the ‘poverty trap’, where claimants are better off in receipt of welfare benefits rather than engaging with employment, and may assist low‐paid individuals into ‘positive’ citizenship. However, the practicalities of implementing Universal Credit might undermine legislators’ ambitions. It may be that the Act attempts too much reform to the social security system, trying to impose legislative uniformity on a highly complex set of socio‐economic circumstances which may be impervious to such rationalisation. This could result in the scheme requiring further reform, or even abolition. The ideological and historical underpinnings of Universal Credit are also examined to understand more clearly its nature and structure.
Freedom and the psychoanalytic ontology of quantum physics
Authors: Gullatz Stefan , Gildersleeve Matthew
Published: January 2018

Jung's paper ‘Synchronicity – an acausal connecting principle’, defining the phenomenon as a ‘meaningful’ coincidence depending on archetypal activation, was published in 1952, together with a conceptually related piece by physicist and Nobel Laureate Wolfgang Pauli entitled, ‘The influence of archetypal ideas on the scientific theories of Kepler’. Slavoj Žižek, inThe Indivisible Remainder: On Schelling and Related Matters,suggests that, in contrast to any notion of a ‘pre‐modern Jungian harmony’, the main lesson of quantum physics was that not only was the psychoanalytic, empty subject of the signifier constitutively out‐of‐joint with respect to the world, but that the Real in itself was already incomplete, out‐of‐joint, ‘not‐all’. Yet while Žižek frequently tries to separate Jung from his own ontology, this paper shows that his ontology is not as different as he suggests. Consistent with our earlier publications on Jung and Zizek, a closer investigation reveals an underlying congruence of both of their approaches. In this paper we show that this affinity lies in the rejection by both Jung and Žižek of the ideology of reductive materialism, a rejection that demonstrably draws on quantum physics in similar ways. While Jung posits an inherently meaningful universe, Žižek attempts to salvage the freedom of human subjectivity by opposing his Lacanian ‘dialectical materialism’ to reductive materialism.
And the dish ran away with the spoon: a hodgepodge of reflections, as rigorous as they are rambling, on the true subject
Authors: Mogenson Greg
Published: January 2018

In this article, the topic of ‘the true subject’ is explored in terms of a dialectical mode thinking which is in keeping with Jung's great insight concerning psychology's lack of an Archimedean vantage‐point distinct from its topics and subject matters. Evocative and expository, the emphasis is upon the performative poetics of such thinking within the sphere of our soul‐making. The interpretative mode of practice presented in the article is richly illustrated with examples from Biblical texts, literary images, and proverbial sayings, as well as from the sur‐real of nursery rhyme and the genre of the murder mystery. Essential insights of Jung's concerning the infinite and the finite as dimensions of self are revisited in terms of that contemporary trend of Jungian thought known as psychology as the discipline of interiority.
Public opinion polarisation and protest behaviour
Authors: KLEINER TUULI‐MARJA
Published: January 2018

Does an increasing divide in normative notions within a population influence citizens’ political protest behaviour? This article explores whether public opinion polarisation stimulates individuals to attend lawful demonstrations. In line with relative deprivation theory, it is argued that in an environment of polarisation, individuals’ normative notions are threatened, increasing the probability that they will actively participate in the political decision‐making process. Using the European Social Survey from the period 2002–2014 and focusing on subnational regions, multilevel analyses are conducted. Thereby a new index to measure public opinion polarisation is introduced. Depending on the issue, empirical results confirm the effect of polarisation. While average citizens are not motivated to demonstrate over the issue of whether people from other countries are a cultural threat, they are motivated by the issues of reducing inequality and of homosexuality. The article goes on to examine in a second step whether ideological extremism makes individuals more susceptible to environmental opinion polarisation. Findings show that members of the far left are more likely to protest when their social environment is divided over the issue of income inequality. In contrast, members of the far right are motivated by rising polarisation regarding homosexuality. In sum, citizens become mobilised as their beliefs and values are threatened by public opinion polarisation.
Improved Academic Performance and Student Perceptions of Learning Through Use of a Cell Phone‐Based Personal Response System
Authors: Ma Sihui , Steger Daniel G. , Doolittle Peter E. , Stewart Amanda C.
Published: January 2018

Personal response systems, such as clickers, have been widely used to improve the effectiveness of teaching in various classroom settings. Although hand‐held clicker response systems have been the subject of multiple prior studies, few studies have focused on the use of cell phone‐based personal response system (CPPRS) specifically. This study explores students’ academic performance and their perceptions of learning through the use of a CPPRS (TopHat) in an undergraduate Food Science class. In this study, students did not use the CPPRS during the first half of the semester‐long course, but did during the second half. When CPPRS was used, students responded to 2 multiple‐choice questions at 3 points during the class, (a) at the beginning of class, (b) in the middle of the class, and (c) at the end of the class. Student performance was measured by correctness rates on eight 10‐item multiple choice quizzes, 4 quizzes each covering the class content that was delivered with compared with without CPPRS. A survey was conducted at the end of the semester asking (n = 28) students’ perceptions of CPPRS. The average correctness rate for quizzes covering content delivered with CPPRS (85% ± 9%) was significantly higher than for content delivered without CPPRS (82% ± 10%) (P = 0.016). In addition, students perceived that CPPRS was easy to use (5.04 ± 0.58 on a 1 to 6 scale with 1 being strongly disagree and 6 being strongly agree) and positively impacted their learning (4.52 ± 0.99 using the same scale). When used correctly, CPPRS can facilitate student learning in lectures.
Melatonin inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells induced by bisphenol A via targeting estrogen receptor‐related pathways
Authors: Wang Tianjiao , Liu Bowen , Guan Yanan , Gong Miaomiao , Zhang Weiying , Pan Jinjin , Liu Yanan , Liang Rui , Yuan Yuhui , Ye Lihong
Published: January 2018

Background

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen‐like chemical widely contained in daily supplies. There is evidence that environmental exposure to BPA could contribute to the development of hormone‐related cancers. As is reported in numerous studies, melatonin, an endogenous hormone secreted by the pineal gland, could markedly inhibit estrogen‐induced proliferation of breast cancer (BC) cells. In this study, we intended to reveal the effects of melatonin on BPA‐induced proliferation of estrogen receptor‐positive BC cells.

Methods

Methods: We used methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium, luciferase reporter gene and western blotting assays to testify the effect of melatonin on BPA‐mediated proliferation of MCF‐7 and T47D cells.

Results

Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and colony formation assays showed that melatonin could significantly abolish BPA‐elevated cell proliferation. Meanwhile, BPA‐upregulated phosphorylation of ERK and AKT was decreased by melatonin treatment. Mechanistically, we found that BPA was capable of upregulating the protein levels of steroid receptor coactivators (SRC‐1, SRC‐3), as well as promoting the estrogen response element activity. However, the addition of melatonin could remarkably block the elevation of steroid receptor coactivators expression and estrogen response element activity triggered by BPA.

Conclusion

Conclusions: Therefore, these results demonstrated that melatonin could abrogate BPA‐induced proliferation of BC cells. Therapeutically, melatonin could be regarded as a potential medication for BPA‐associated BC.
The nominal group technique in ecology & conservation: Application and challenges
Authors: Hugé Jean , Mukherjee Nibedita
Published: January 2018

The nominal group technique (NGT) is a qualitative method to elicit judgement from stakeholders.

This paper reviews its application in the field of ecology and conservation. We aim to identify patterns in methodological variants, topics covered, scope, advantages and limitations of the technique.

Although still not widely used, NGT has been used in ecology and conservation to achieve four main goals: to support biodiversity management, to identify stakeholder preferences and attitudes, to prioritize in capacity‐building exercises and to explore novel concepts.

Most NGT studies have been applied at local level. NGT is quite flexible and has been used in combination with a range of techniques (surveys, with the Delphi method and with multi‐criteria analysis, as well as with the collection of ecological data).

The amalgamation of individual and collective reflection and the coproduction of knowledge among participants in NGT allows for a depolarizing approach to the study and management of conservation issues.
The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation
Authors: O.Nyumba Tobias , Wilson Kerrie , Derrick Christina J. , Mukherjee Nibedita
Published: January 2018

Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in‐depth understanding of social issues. The method aims to obtain data from a purposely selected group of individuals rather than from a statistically representative sample of a broader population. Even though the application of this method in conservation research has been extensive, there are no critical assessment of the application of the technique. In addition, there are no readily available guidelines for conservation researchers.

Here, we reviewed the applications of focus group discussion within biodiversity and conservation research between 1996 and April 2017. We begin with a brief explanation of the technique for first‐time users. We then discuss in detail the empirical applications of this technique in conservation based on a structured literature review (using Scopus).

The screening process resulted in 170 articles, the majority of which (67%, n = 114,) were published between 2011 and 2017. Rarely was the method used as a stand‐alone technique. The number of participants per focus group (where reported) ranged from 3 to 21 participants with a median of 10 participants. There were seven (median) focus group meetings per study. Focus group discussion sessions lasted for 90 (median) minutes. Four main themes emerged from the review: understanding of people's perspectives regarding conservation (32%), followed by the assessment of conservation and livelihoods practices (21%), examination of challenges and impacts of resource management interventions (19%) and documenting the value of indigenous knowledge systems (16%). Most of the studies were in Africa (n = 76), followed by Asia (n = 44), and Europe (n = 30).

We noted serious gaps in the reporting of the methodological details in the reviewed papers. More than half of the studies (n = 101) did not report the sample size and group size (n = 93), whereas 54 studies did not mention the number of focus group discussion sessions while reporting results. Rarely have the studies provided any information on the rationale for choosing the technique. We have provided guidelines to improve the standard of reporting and future application of the technique for conservation.
Multi‐criteria decision analysis for nature conservation: A review of 20 years of applications
Authors: Adem Esmail Blal , Geneletti Davide
Published: January 2018

Multi‐criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a method to support decision‐making, by exploring the balance between the pros and cons of different alternatives to accomplish a specific goal. It assists in framing decision problems, illustrating the performance of alternatives across criteria, exploring trade‐offs, formulating a decision and testing its robustness. This paper provides a structured review of empirical applications of MCDA to nature conservation published in the scientific literature over the last 20 years. The paper aims at taking stock of past experiences, and comparing them with best practices and common pitfalls identified in the literature, to provide recommendations for better MCDA application to conservation.

The review follows the structure of a generalized MCDA process consisting of three key stages: (1) decision context and problem structuring, (2) analysis and (3) decision.

The search identified 86 papers that describe MCDA applications to a range of topics, including conservation prioritization and planning; protected areas management and zoning; forest management and restoration; and mapping of biodiversity, naturalness and wilder. The results show that, concerning problem structuring, a small percentage of the reviewed MCDA engaged stakeholders other than the authors in identifying alternatives and formulating criteria (15% and 35% respectively). Concerning the analysis, criteria assessment was adequately justified by the authors (47%), at times also by involving other stakeholders (22%). Weighting was performed in almost all applications, whereas criteria aggregation was mostly based on the weighted linear combination (63%). Sensitivity analysis was largely overlooked (57%). Concerning decision, 45% of the articles provided only an overall ranking or suitability of alternatives, while 22% included additional rankings according to specific criterion, and 8% further analyses and clustering of stakeholders’ preferences.

The paper concludes by suggesting key elements of successful MCDA applications, including clear construction of the decision context; collaborative identification of alternatives and criteria that reflect the values at stake; adequate justification and communication of the methods for criteria assessment and weighting; reasoned choice of the criteria aggregation method, and comprehensive sensitivity analysis.
Comparison of techniques for eliciting views and judgements in decision‐making
Authors: Mukherjee Nibedita , Zabala Aiora , Huge Jean , Nyumba Tobias Ochieng , Adem Esmail Blal , Sutherland William J.
Published: January 2018

Decision‐making is a complex process that typically includes a series of stages: identifying the issue, considering possible options, making judgements and then making a decision by combining information and values. The current status quo relies heavily on the informational aspect of decision‐making with little or no emphasis on the value positions that affect decisions.

There is increasing realization of the importance of adopting rigorous methods for each stage such that the information, views and judgements of stakeholders and experts are used in a systematic and repeatable manner. Though there are several methodological textbooks which discuss a plethora of social science techniques, it is hard to judge the suitability of any given technique for a given decision problem.

In decision‐making, the three critical aspects are “what” decision is to be made, “who” makes the decisions and “how” the decisions are made. The methods covered in this paper focus on “how” decisions can be made. We compare six techniques: Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Interviews, Q methodology, Multi‐criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Nominal Group Technique and the Delphi technique specifically in the context of biodiversity conservation. All of these techniques (with the exception of MCDA) help in understanding human values and the underlying perspectives which shape decisions.

Based on structured reviews of 423 papers covering all six methods, we compare the conceptual and logistical characteristics of the methods, and map their suitability for the different stages of the decision‐making process. While interviews and FGD are well‐known, techniques such the Nominal Group technique and Q methodology are relatively under‐used. In situations where conflict is high, we recommend using the Q methodology and Delphi technique to elicit judgements. Where conflict is low, and a consensus is needed urgently, the Nominal Group technique may be more suitable.

We present a nuanced synthesis of methods aimed at users. The comparison of the different techniques might be useful for project managers, academics or practitioners in the planning phases of their projects and help in making better informed methodological choices.
Qualitative methods for ecologists and conservation scientists
Authors: Sutherland William J. , Dicks Lynn V. , Everard Mark , Geneletti Davide
Published: January 2018

Conservation of biodiversity involves dealing with problems caused by humans, by applying solutions that comprise actions by humans. Understanding human attitudes, knowledge and behaviour are thus central to conservation research and practice.

The special feature brings together authors from a range of disciplines (ecology, human geography, political science, land economy, management) to examine a set of qualitative techniques used in conservation research: Interviews, Focus group discussion, The Nominal Group Technique and multi‐criteria decision analysis.

These techniques can be used for a range of purposes—most notably to understand people's perspectives, values and attitudes and to gather information about approaches to management of species, ecosystems or natural resources.

Incorporating human values, perceptions, judgements and knowledge into conservation decision making is an important role for qualitative techniques; they provide robust means for submitting this information or knowledge as evidence.

The articles in this special feature highlight a worrying extent of poor justification and inadequate reporting of qualitative methods in the conservation literature.

To improve and encourage greater use of these techniques in conservation science, we urge improved reporting of rationales and methods, along with innovation, adaptation and further testing of the methods themselves.
Private Property in the Context of Community
Authors: Hoffman Matthew
Published: January 2018

The dominant philosophy of private land ownership—that private property exists for the benefit of its owner and that use and ownership should be determined by market forces—is not the only philosophy in the American tradition. Classical republicanism's proprietarian perspective was equally in favor of private property, but held that private property exists for the benefit of society. This article begins by presenting the proprietarian view of private property rights, drawing on the legal scholarship where this perspective has been revived. Next, I use the case of contemporary land reform in Scotland to exemplify the rationale for this perspective. Lastly, I attempt to import the lessons of Scottish land reformers without importing their model, instead considering ways in which private land ownership might be embedded in non‐market institutions in the United States.
Real Estate, Public Works, and Political Organization in Winnipeg, 1870–1885
Authors: Velasco Gustavo F.
Published: January 2018

The second half of the 19th century represented an era of great territorial expansion in almost all the countries of “recent settlement.” In Canada, Winnipeg, the capital of the Province of Manitoba, went from a small hamlet located at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers to become the third largest Canadian city at the turn of the century. I argue that the development of a real estate market and the organization of the local political institutions in Winnipeg were interconnected mechanisms that the emerging business elite used to obtain political and economic power during the years of city organization (1870–1885). The disputes over land ownership and the uncertain distribution of land titles among parties related by business and family ties showed how individuals exploited the weakness of the state to secure personal benefits. In this era, old settlers, newcomers, speculators, and business representatives of central Canada and British firms, acting alone or in partnership, attempted to obtain political control of a city in its making and to acquire power and economic benefits through the commodification of urban land. After a period of corruption and mismanagement, a new group organized within the Board of Trade obtained political control of the city and initiated a new cycle of political stability.