bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The digital traces of bubbles: feedback cycles between socio-economic signals in the Bitcoin economy
Authors: Garcia David , Tessone Claudio J. , Mavrodiev Pavlin , Perony Nicolas
Published: August 2014

What is the role of social interactions in the creation of price bubbles? Answering this question requires obtaining collective behavioural traces generated by the activity of a large number of actors. Digital currencies offer a unique possibility to measure socio-economic signals from such digital traces. Here, we focus on Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency. Bitcoin has experienced periods of rapid increase in exchange rates (price) followed by sharp decline; we hypothesize that these fluctuations are largely driven by the interplay between different social phenomena. We thus quantify four socio-economic signals about Bitcoin from large datasets: price on online exchanges, volume of word-of-mouth communication in online social media, volume of information search and user base growth. By using vector autoregression, we identify two positive feedback loops that lead to price bubbles in the absence of exogenous stimuli: one driven by word of mouth, and the other by new Bitcoin adopters. We also observe that spikes in information search, presumably linked to external events, precede drastic price declines. Understanding the interplay between the socio-economic signals we measured can lead to applications beyond cryptocurrencies to other phenomena that leave digital footprints, such as online social network usage.
Computational modelling of epidermal stratification highlights the importance of asymmetric cell division for predictable and robust layer formation
Authors: Gord Alexander , Holmes William R. , Dai Xing , Nie Qing
Published: August 2014

Skin is a complex organ tasked with, among other functions, protecting the body from the outside world. Its outermost protective layer, the epidermis, is comprised of multiple cell layers that are derived from a single-layered ectoderm during development. Using a new stochastic, multi-scale computational modelling framework, the anisotropic subcellular element method, we investigate the role of cell morphology and biophysical cell–cell interactions in the formation of this layered structure. This three-dimensional framework describes interactions between collections of hundreds to thousands of cells and (i) accounts for intracellular structure and morphology, (ii) easily incorporates complex cell–cell interactions and (iii) can be efficiently implemented on parallel architectures. We use this approach to construct a model of the developing epidermis that accounts for the internal polarity of ectodermal cells and their columnar morphology. Using this model, we show that cell detachment, which has been previously suggested to have a role in this process, leads to unpredictable, randomized stratification and that this cannot be abrogated by adjustment of cell–cell adhesion interaction strength. Polarized distribution of cell adhesion proteins, motivated by epithelial polarization, can however eliminate this detachment, and in conjunction with asymmetric cell division lead to robust and predictable development.
Signatures of active and passive optimized Lévy searching in jellyfish
Authors: Reynolds Andy M.
Published: August 2014

Some of the strongest empirical support for Lévy search theory has come from telemetry data for the dive patterns of marine predators (sharks, bony fishes, sea turtles and penguins). The dive patterns of the unusually large jellyfish
Rhizostoma octopus
do, however, sit outside of current Lévy search theory which predicts that a single search strategy is optimal. When searching the water column, the movement patterns of these jellyfish change over time. Movement bouts can be approximated by a variety of Lévy and Brownian (exponential) walks. The adaptive value of this variation is not known. On some occasions movement pattern data are consistent with the jellyfish prospecting away from a preferred depth, not finding an improvement in conditions elsewhere and so returning to their original depth. This ‘bounce’ behaviour also sits outside of current Lévy walk search theory. Here, it is shown that the jellyfish movement patterns are consistent with their using optimized ‘fast simulated annealing’—a novel kind of Lévy walk search pattern—to locate the maximum prey concentration in the water column and/or to locate the strongest of many olfactory trails emanating from more distant prey. Fast simulated annealing is a powerful stochastic search algorithm for locating a global maximum that is hidden among many poorer local maxima in a large search space. This new finding shows that the notion of active optimized Lévy walk searching is not limited to the search for randomly and sparsely distributed resources, as previously thought, but can be extended to embrace other scenarios, including that of the jellyfish
R. octopus
. In the presence of convective currents, it could become energetically favourable to search the water column by riding the convective currents. Here, it is shown that these passive movements can be represented accurately by Lévy walks of the type occasionally seen in
R. octopus
. This result vividly illustrates that Lévy walks are not necessarily the result of selection pressures for advantageous searching behaviour but can instead arise freely and naturally from simple processes. It also shows that the family of Lévy walkers is vastly larger than previously thought and includes spores, pollens, seeds and minute wingless arthropods that on warm days disperse passively within the atmospheric boundary layer.
Integration of binding peptide selection and multifunctional particles as tool-box for capture of soluble proteins in serum
Authors: Cusano Angela Maria , Causa Filippo , Moglie Raffaella Della , Falco Nunzia , Scognamiglio Pasqualina Liana , Aliberti Anna , Vecchione Raffaele , Battista Edmondo , Marasco Daniela , Savarese Marika , Raucci Umberto , Rega Nadia , Netti Paolo Antonio
Published: August 2014

In this paper, we report on a general approach for the detection of a specific tumoural biomarker directly in serum. Such detection is made possible using a protein-binding peptide selected through an improved phage display technique and then conjugated to engineered microparticles (MPs). Protein biomarkers represent an unlimited source of information for non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic tests; MP-based assays are becoming largely used in manipulation of soluble biomarkers, but their direct use in serum is hampered by the complex biomolecular environment. Our technique overcomes the current limitations as it produces a selective MP—engineered with an antifouling layer—that ‘captures’ the relevant protein staying impervious to the background. Our system succeeds in fishing-out the human tumour necrosis factor alpha directly in serum with a high selectivity degree. Our method could have great impact in soluble protein manipulation and detection for a wide variety of diagnostic applications.
Symplectic geometry spectrum analysis of nonlinear time series
Authors: Xie Hong-Bo , Guo Tianruo , Sivakumar Bellie , Liew Alan Wee-Chung , Dokos Socrates
Published: August 2014

Various time-series decomposition techniques, including wavelet transform, singular spectrum analysis, empirical mode decomposition and independent component analysis, have been developed for non-linear dynamic system analysis. In this paper, we describe a symplectic geometry spectrum analysis (SGSA) method to decompose a time series into a set of independent additive components. SGSA is performed in four steps: embedding, symplectic QR decomposition, grouping and diagonal averaging. The obtained components can be used for de-noising, prediction, control and synchronization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of SGSA in reconstructing and predicting two noisy benchmark nonlinear dynamic systems: the Lorenz and Mackey-Glass attractors. Examples of prediction of a decadal average sunspot number time series and a mechanomyographic signal recorded from human skeletal muscle further demonstrate the applicability of the SGSA method in real-life applications.
Collective defence portfolios of ant hosts shift with social parasite pressure
Authors: Jongepier Evelien , Kleeberg Isabelle , Job Sylwester , Foitzik Susanne
Published: August 2014

Host defences become increasingly costly as parasites breach successive lines of defence. Because selection favours hosts that successfully resist parasitism at the lowest possible cost, escalating coevolutionary arms races are likely to drive host defence portfolios towards ever more expensive strategies. We investigated the interplay between host defence portfolios and social parasite pressure by comparing 17 populations of two
Temnothorax
ant species. When successful, collective aggression not only prevents parasitation but also spares host colonies the cost of searching for and moving to a new nest site. However, once parasites breach the host's nest defence, host colonies should resort to flight as the more beneficial resistance strategy. We show that under low parasite pressure, host colonies more likely responded to an intruding
Protomognathus americanus
slavemaker with collective aggression, which prevented the slavemaker from escaping and potentially recruiting nest-mates. However, as parasite pressure increased, ant colonies of both host species became more likely to flee rather than to fight. We conclude that host defence portfolios shift consistently with social parasite pressure, which is in accordance with the degeneration of frontline defences and the evolution of subsequent anti-parasite strategies often invoked in hosts of brood parasites.
Social life histories: jackdaw dominance increases with age, terminally declines and shortens lifespan
Authors: Verhulst Simon , Geerdink Moniek , Salomons H. Martijn , Boonekamp Jelle J.
Published: August 2014

Behaviour may contribute to changes in fitness prospects with age, for example through effects of age-dependent social dominance on resource access. Older individuals often have higher dominance rank, which may reflect a longer lifespan of dominants and/or an increase in social dominance with age. In the latter case, increasing dominance could mitigate physiological senescence. We studied the social careers of free-living jackdaws over a 12 year period, and found that: (i) larger males attained higher ranks, (ii) social rank increased with age within individuals, and (iii) high-ranked individuals had shorter lifespan suggesting that maintaining or achieving high rank and associated benefits comes at a cost. Lastly, (iv) social rank declined substantially in the last year an individual was observed in the colony, and through its effect on resource access this may accelerate senescence. We suggest that behaviour affecting the ability to secure resources is integral to the senescence process via resource effects on somatic state, where behaviour may include not only social dominance, but also learning, memory, perception and (sexual) signalling. Studying behavioural effects on senescence via somatic state may be most effective in the wild, where there is competition for resources, which is usually avoided in laboratory conditions.
The emotion system promotes diversity and evolvability
Authors: Giske Jarl , Eliassen Sigrunn , Fiksen Øyvind , Jakobsen Per J. , Aksnes Dag L. , Mangel Marc , Jørgensen Christian
Published: August 2014

Studies on the relationship between the optimal phenotype and its environment have had limited focus on genotype-to-phenotype pathways and their evolutionary consequences. Here, we study how multi-layered trait architecture and its associated constraints prescribe diversity. Using an idealized model of the emotion system in fish, we find that trait architecture yields genetic and phenotypic diversity even in absence of frequency-dependent selection or environmental variation. That is, for a given environment, phenotype frequency distributions are predictable while gene pools are not. The conservation of phenotypic traits among these genetically different populations is due to the multi-layered trait architecture, in which one adaptation at a higher architectural level can be achieved by several different adaptations at a lower level. Our results emphasize the role of convergent evolution and the organismal level of selection. While trait architecture makes individuals more constrained than what has been assumed in optimization theory, the resulting populations are genetically more diverse and adaptable. The emotion system in animals may thus have evolved by natural selection because it simultaneously enhances three important functions, the behavioural robustness of individuals, the evolvability of gene pools and the rate of evolutionary innovation at several architectural levels.
A palaeoequatorial ornithischian and new constraints on early dinosaur diversification
Authors: Barrett Paul M. , Butler Richard J. , Mundil Roland , Scheyer Torsten M. , Irmis Randall B. , Sánchez-Villagra Marcelo R.
Published: August 2014

Current characterizations of early dinosaur evolution are incomplete: existing palaeobiological and phylogenetic scenarios are based on a fossil record dominated by saurischians and the implications of the early ornithischian record are often overlooked. Moreover, the timings of deep phylogenetic divergences within Dinosauria are poorly constrained owing to the absence of a rigorous chronostratigraphical framework for key Late Triassic–Early Jurassic localities. A new dinosaur from the earliest Jurassic of the Venezuelan Andes is the first basal ornithischian recovered from terrestrial deposits directly associated with a precise radioisotopic date and the first-named dinosaur from northern South America. It expands the early palaeogeographical range of Ornithischia to palaeoequatorial regions, an area sometimes thought to be devoid of early dinosaur taxa, and offers insights into early dinosaur growth rates, the evolution of sociality and the rapid tempo of the global dinosaur radiation following the end-Triassic mass extinction, helping to underscore the importance of the ornithischian record in broad-scale discussions of early dinosaur history.
An evolutionary model explaining the Neolithic transition from egalitarianism to leadership and despotism
Authors: Powers Simon T. , Lehmann Laurent
Published: August 2014

The Neolithic was marked by a transition from small and relatively egalitarian groups to much larger groups with increased stratification. But, the dynamics of this remain poorly understood. It is hard to see how despotism can arise without coercion, yet coercion could not easily have occurred in an egalitarian setting. Using a quantitative model of evolution in a patch-structured population, we demonstrate that the interaction between demographic and ecological factors can overcome this conundrum. We model the coevolution of individual preferences for hierarchy alongside the degree of despotism of leaders, and the dispersal preferences of followers. We show that voluntary leadership without coercion can evolve in small groups, when leaders help to solve coordination problems related to resource production. An example is coordinating construction of an irrigation system. Our model predicts that the transition to larger despotic groups will then occur when: (i) surplus resources lead to demographic expansion of groups, removing the viability of an acephalous niche in the same area and so locking individuals into hierarchy; (ii) high dispersal costs limit followers' ability to escape a despot. Empirical evidence suggests that these conditions were probably met, for the first time, during the subsistence intensification of the Neolithic.
Biodiversity conservation in agriculture requires a multi-scale approach
Authors: Gonthier David J. , Ennis Katherine K. , Farinas Serge , Hsieh Hsun-Yi , Iverson Aaron L. , Batáry Péter , Rudolphi Jörgen , Tscharntke Teja , Cardinale Bradley J. , Perfecto Ivette
Published: August 2014

Biodiversity loss—one of the most prominent forms of modern environmental change—has been heavily driven by terrestrial habitat loss and, in particular, the spread and intensification of agriculture. Expanding agricultural land-use has led to the search for strong conservation strategies, with some suggesting that biodiversity conservation in agriculture is best maximized by reducing local management intensity, such as fertilizer and pesticide application. Others highlight the importance of landscape-level approaches that incorporate natural or semi-natural areas in landscapes surrounding farms. Here, we show that both of these practices are valuable to the conservation of biodiversity, and that either local or landscape factors can be most crucial to conservation planning depending on which types of organisms one wishes to save. We performed a quantitative review of 266 observations taken from 31 studies that compared the impacts of localized (within farm) management strategies and landscape complexity (around farms) on the richness and abundance of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate species in agro-ecosystems. While both factors significantly impacted species richness, the richness of sessile plants increased with less-intensive local management, but did not significantly respond to landscape complexity. By contrast, the richness of mobile vertebrates increased with landscape complexity, but did not significantly increase with less-intensive local management. Invertebrate richness and abundance responded to both factors. Our analyses point to clear differences in how various groups of organisms respond to differing scales of management, and suggest that preservation of multiple taxonomic groups will require multiple scales of conservation.
Description of Mariniphaga anaerophila gen. nov., sp. nov., a facultatively aerobic marine bacterium isolated from tidal flat sediment, reclassification of the Draconibacteriaceae as a later heterotypic synonym of the Prolixibacteraceae and description of the family Marinifilaceae fam. nov.
Authors: Iino Takao , Mori Koji , Itoh Takashi , Kudo Takuji , Suzuki Ken-ichiro , Ohkuma Moriya
Published: August 2014

A mesophilic, chemoheterotrophic bacterium, strain Fu11-5T, was isolated from tidal-flat sediment from Tokyo Bay, Chiba, Japan. Cells of strain Fu11-5Twere facultatively aerobic, Gram-negative, non-sporulating, non-motile and rod-shaped (1.9–6.9 µm long). Strain Fu11-5Tgrew optimally at 35–37 °C and pH 6.5–7.0 and with 1–2 % (w/v) NaCl. Oxygen andl-cysteine were used as an alternative electron acceptor and donor, respectively. Strain Fu11-5Talso grew fermentatively on some pentoses, hexoses and disaccharides and soluble starch. Succinic acid was the major end product fromd-glucose. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain Fu11-5Twas affiliated with the orderBacteroidales, and its nearest neighbours were members of the generaMeniscus,Prolixibacter,Sunxiuqinia,MangrovibacteriumandDraconibacterium,with 87–91 % sequence similarity. Cell morphology, optimum growth temperature and utilization of sugars of strain Fu11-5Tdistinguished the strain from phylogenetically related bacteria. On the basis of its phenotypic features and phylogenetic position, a novel genus and species are proposed to accommodate strain Fu11-5T, with the nameMariniphaga anaerophilagen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain ofMariniphaga anaerophilais strain Fu11-5T( = JCM 18693T = NBRC 109408T = DSM 26910T). We also propose to combine the familyDraconibacteriaceaeinto the familyProlixibacteraceaeas a later heterotypic synonym and to place the distinct sublineage of the genusMarinifilumin the familyMarinifilaceaefam. nov.
Psychrobium conchae gen. nov., sp. nov., a psychrophilic marine bacterium isolated from the Iheya North hydrothermal field
Authors: Nogi Yuichi , Abe Mariko , Kawagucci Shinsuke , Hirayama Hisako
Published: August 2014

A novel psychrophilic, marine, bacterial strain designated BJ-1T was isolated from the Iheya North hydrothermal field in the Okinawa Trough off Japan. Cells were Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, aerobic chemo-organotrophs and motile by means of a single polar flagellum. Growth occurred at temperatures below 16 °C, with the optimum between 9 and 12 °C. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the closest relatives of strain BJ-1T were

Shewanella denitrificans

OS-217T (93.5 % similarity),

Shewanella profunda

DSM 15900T (92.9 %),

Shewanella gaetbuli

TF-27T (92.9 %),

Paraferrimonas sedimenticola

Mok-106T (92.1 %) and

Ferrimonas kyonanensis

Asr22-7T (91.7 %). The major respiratory quinone was Q-8. The predominant fatty acids were C16 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0. The G+C content of the novel strain was 40.5 mol%. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic evidence, it is proposed that strain BJ-1T represents a novel species in a new genus, for which the name Psychrobium conchae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Psychrobium conchae is BJ-1T ( = JCM 30103T = DSM 28701T).
Seamless gene correction of β-thalassemia mutations in patient-specific iPSCs using CRISPR/Cas9 and piggyBac
Authors: Xie Fei , Ye Lin , Chang Judy C. , Beyer Ashley I. , Wang Jiaming , Muench Marcus O. , Kan Yuet Wai
Published: August 2014

β-thalassemia, one of the most common genetic diseases worldwide, is caused by mutations in the human hemoglobin beta (HBB) gene. Creation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from β-thalassemia patients could offer an approach to cure this disease. Correction of the disease-causing mutations in iPSCs could restore normal function and provide a rich source of cells for transplantation. In this study, we used the latest gene-editing tool, CRISPR/Cas9 technology, combined with the piggyBac transposon to efficiently correct the HBB mutations in patient-derived iPSCs without leaving any residual footprint. No off-target effects were detected in the corrected iPSCs, and the cells retain full pluripotency and exhibit normal karyotypes. When differentiated into erythroblasts using a monolayer culture, gene-corrected iPSCs restored expression of HBB compared to the parental iPSCs line. Our study provides an effective approach to correct HBB mutations without leaving any genetic footprint in patient-derived iPSCs, thereby demonstrating a critical step toward the future application of stem cell-based gene therapy to monogenic diseases.
Auxin Perception Is Required for Arbuscule Development in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis
Authors: Etemadi Mohammad , Gutjahr Caroline , Couzigou Jean-Malo , Zouine Mohamed , Lauressergues Dominique , Timmers Antonius , Audran Corinne , Bouzayen Mondher , Bécard Guillaume , Combier Jean-Philippe
Published: August 2014

Most land plant species live in symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi differentiate essential functional structures called arbuscules in root cortical cells from which mineral nutrients are released to the plant. We investigated the role of microRNA393 (miR393), an miRNA that targets several auxin receptors, in arbuscular mycorrhizal root colonization. Expression of the precursors of the miR393 was down-regulated during mycorrhization in three different plant species: Solanum lycopersicum, Medicago truncatula, and Oryza sativa. Treatment of S. lycopersicum, M. truncatula, and O. sativa roots with concentrations of synthetic auxin analogs that did not affect root development stimulated mycorrhization, particularly arbuscule formation. DR5-GUS, a reporter for auxin response, was preferentially expressed in root cells containing arbuscules. Finally, overexpression of miR393 in root tissues resulted in down-regulation of auxin receptor genes (transport inhibitor response1 and auxin-related F box) and underdeveloped arbuscules in all three plant species. These results support the conclusion that miR393 is a negative regulator of arbuscule formation by hampering auxin perception in arbuscule-containing cells.
The role of predation and food limitation on claims for compensation, reindeer demography and population dynamics
Authors: Tveraa Torkild , Stien Audun , Brøseth Henrik , Yoccoz Nigel G.
Published: August 2014

A major challenge in biodiversity conservation is to facilitate viable populations of large apex predators in ecosystems where they were recently driven to ecological extinction due to resource conflict with humans.

Monetary compensation for losses of livestock due to predation is currently a key instrument to encourage human–carnivore coexistence. However, a lack of quantitative estimates of livestock losses due to predation leads to disagreement over the practice of compensation payments. This disagreement sustains the human–carnivore conflict.

The level of depredation on year‐round, free‐ranging, semi‐domestic reindeer by large carnivores in Fennoscandia has been widely debated over several decades. In Norway, the reindeer herders claim that lynx and wolverine cause losses of tens of thousands of animals annually and cause negative population growth in herds. Conversely, previous research has suggested that monetary predator compensation can result in positive population growth in the husbandry, with cascading negative effects of high grazer densities on the biodiversity in tundra ecosystems.

We utilized a long‐term, large‐scale data set to estimate the relative importance of lynx and wolverine predation and density‐dependent and climatic food limitation on claims for losses, recruitment and population growth rates in Norwegian reindeer husbandry.

Claims of losses increased with increasing predator densities, but with no detectable effect on population growth rates. Density‐dependent and climatic effects on claims of losses, recruitment and population growth rates were much stronger than the effects of variation in lynx and wolverine densities.

Synthesis and applications. Our analysis provides a quantitative basis for predator compensation and estimation of the costs of reintroducing lynx and wolverine in areas with free‐ranging semi‐domestic reindeer. We outline a potential path for conflict management which involves adaptive monitoring programmes, open access to data, herder involvement and development of management strategy evaluation (MSE) models to disentangle complex responses including multiple stakeholders and individual harvester decisions.
Experimental evidence that feral cats cause local extirpation of small mammals in Australia's tropical savannas
Authors: Frank Anke S. K. , Johnson Chris N. , Potts Joanne M. , Fisher Alaric , Lawes Michael J. , Woinarski John C. Z. , Tuft Katherine , Radford Ian J. , Gordon Iain J. , Collis Mary‐Anne , Legge Sarah
Published: August 2014

Small mammal species are declining across northern Australia. Predation by feral cats Felis sylvestris catus is one hypothesised cause. Most evidence of cat impacts on native prey comes from islands, where cat densities are often high, but cats typically occur at low densities on mainland Australia.

We conducted a field experiment to measure the effect of predation by low‐density cat populations on the demography of a native small mammal. We established two 12·5‐ha enclosures in tropical savanna in the Northern Territory. Each enclosure was divided in half, with cats allowed access to one half but not the other. We introduced about 20 individuals of a native rodent, Rattus villosissimus, into each of the four compartments (two enclosures × two predator‐access treatments). We monitored rat demography by mark‐recapture analysis and radiotracking, and predator incursions by camera surveillance and track and scat searches.

Rat populations persisted over the duration of the study (18 months) in the predator‐proof treatment, where we detected no predator incursions, but declined to extinction in both predator‐accessible compartments. In one case, cat incursions were frequently detected and the rat population was rapidly extirpated (<3 months); in the other, cat incursions were infrequent, and the population declined more gradually (c. 16 months) due to low recruitment. We detected no incursions by dingoes Canis dingo, the other mammalian predator in the area.

Synthesis and applications. This is the first study to provide direct evidence that cats are capable of extirpating small mammals in a continental setting, in spite of their low population densities. This finding supports the hypothesis that predation by feral cats is contributing to declines of small mammals in northern Australia. The conservation management of native small mammals in northern Australia may require intensive control of cat populations, including large cat‐free enclosures.
Growth and carbon relations of temperate deciduous tree species at their upper elevation range limit
Authors: Lenz Armando , Vitasse Yann , Hoch Günter , Körner Christian
Published: August 2014

Temperature is one of the most important drivers of range limits in plants. Here, we aimed at disentangling the direct effect of low temperature and the indirect temperature effect via the length of the growing season on radial growth and carbon resources of deciduous temperate tree species at their high‐elevation limit in the Swiss Alps.

Trees of eight species were cored along three elevational gradients of ca. 1000 m up to the specific high‐elevation range limit. We correlated basal area increment (BAI) with mean temperature during the growing season and length of the growing season, derived from a thermal time model. Stem sapwood of cored trees was analysed for non‐structural carbohydrate concentrations.

The frequency of negative event years (exceptionally narrow tree rings) did not significantly increase with elevation except forFagus sylvatica. Late season non‐structural carbohydrate concentrations remained at a high level across elevations in all species, suggesting that trees are not carbon‐limited at their high‐elevation limit.

AnnualBAIshowed no significant change over a wide range of elevations, before it gradually decreased over the last few hundred (300–500) metres below the range limit, with an abrupt decrease in few species at the range limit. AnnualBAIcorrelated with the mean temperature during the growing season in the uppermost 400 m of elevation. The length of the growing season had only a significant effect onBAIat warm mean temperatures during the growing season (i.e. at lower elevation or during warmest summers).

Synthesis. While temperature has a strong effect on wood formation, the length of the growing season is negligible for stem growth at high elevation due to the low rate of wood formation at low temperature and the over‐proportional increase of growth with warmer temperatures. We ruled out a direct growth limitation by low temperature as the limiting factor of the upper distribution limits and rather suggest that the formation of range limits (not necessary the rate of growth) is set by a minimum requirement of warmth and season length to fully mature key tissues such as seeds, shoots or winter hardy buds.
Civic (Re)socialisation: The Educative Effects of Deliberative Participation
Authors: Knobloch Katherine R. , Gastil John
Published: August 2014

This article examines the subjective experience of cognitive and behavioural change following public deliberation in two different nations. It examines short- and long-term survey data from two highly structured deliberative forums – the 2009 Australian Citizens' Parliament and the 2010 Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review. Results showed increases in reported deliberative and internal efficacy, some measures of external efficacy, and communicative and community-based engagement, though participants rarely reported increases in institutionalised political participation. Participants in an online process in Australia reported limited increases in their internal and external efficacy and communicative engagement. These findings suggest that well-structured deliberative governance can transform the meaning and practice of citizenship.
Playing at Soldiers: British Loyalism and Juvenile Identities during the Napoleonic Wars
Authors: Gleadle Kathryn
Published: August 2014

This article focuses on British children's play as a medium through which to examine the construction of loyalist identities during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The display of juvenile patriotic identities was a significant feature of the neighbourhood political cultures formed in response to the invasion threat. Turning the spotlight on the ‘cultural presence of children’ demonstrates the extent to which the young were not simply passive recipients of socialisation processes, but could be significant agents in the constitution and reproduction of cultures themselves.
Non‐verbal communication in meetings of psychiatrists and patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Lavelle M. , Dimic S. , Wildgrube C. , McCabe R. , Priebe S.
Published: August 2014

Objective

Recent evidence found that patients with schizophrenia display non‐verbal behaviour designed to avoid social engagement during the opening moments of their meetings with psychiatrists. This study aimed to replicate, and build on, this finding, assessing the non‐verbal behaviour of patients and psychiatrists during meetings, exploring changes over time and its association with patients' symptoms and the quality of the therapeutic relationship.

Method

40‐videotaped routine out‐patient consultations, involving patients with schizophrenia, were analysed. Non‐verbal behaviour of patients and psychiatrists was assessed during three fixed, 2‐min intervals using a modified Ethological Coding System for Interviews. Symptoms, satisfaction with communication and the quality of the therapeutic relationship were also measured.

Results

Over time, patients' non‐verbal behaviour remained stable, whilst psychiatrists' flight behaviour decreased. Patients formed two groups based on their non‐verbal profiles, one group (n = 25) displaying pro‐social behaviour, inviting interaction and a second (n = 15) displaying flight behaviour, avoiding interaction. Psychiatrists interacting with pro‐social patients displayed more pro‐social behaviours (P < 0.001). Patients' pro‐social profile was associated reduced symptom severity (P < 0.05), greater satisfaction with communication (P < 0.001) and positive therapeutic relationships (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Patients' non‐verbal behaviour during routine psychiatric consultations remains unchanged, and is linked to both their psychiatrist's non‐verbal behaviour and the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
High‐dose alcohol intoxication differentially modulates cognitive subprocesses involved in response inhibition
Authors: Stock Ann‐Kathrin , Schulz Tom , Lenhardt Martin , Blaszkewicz Meinolf , Beste Christian
Published: August 2014

Aside from well‐known physiological effects, high‐dose alcohol intoxication (a.k.a. binge drinking) can lead to aversive social and legal consequences because response inhibition is usually compromised under the influence of alcohol. Although the behavioral aspects of this phenomenon were reported on extensively, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms mediating this disinhibition are unclear. To close this gap, we used both behavioral and neurophysiological measures (event‐related potentials, ERPs) to investigate which subprocesses of response inhibition are altered under the influence of high‐dose alcohol intoxication. Using a within‐subject design, we asked young healthy participants (n = 27) to complete a GO/NOGO task once sober and once intoxicated (approximately 1.2‰). During intoxication, high‐dose alcohol effects were highest in a condition where the participants could not rely on automated stimulus–response mapping processes during response inhibition. In this context, the NOGO‐P3 (ERP), that likely depends on dopaminergic signaling within mesocorticolimbic pathways and is thought to reflect motor inhibition and/or the evaluation of inhibitory processes, was altered in the intoxicated state. In contrast to this, the N2 component, which largely depends on nigrostriatal dopamine pathways and is thought to reflect inhibition on a pre‐motor level, was not altered. Based on these results, we demonstrate that alcohol‐induced changes of dopaminergic neurotransmission do not exert a global effect on response inhibition. Instead, changes are highly subprocess‐specific and seem to mainly target mesocorticolimbic pathways that contribute to motor inhibition and the evaluation of such.
By Any Means Necessary: Urban Regeneration and the “State of Exception” in Glasgow's Commonwealth Games 2014
Authors: Gray Neil , Porter Libby
Published: August 2014

When compulsory purchase for urban regeneration is combined with a sporting mega‐event, we have an archetypal example of what Giorgio Agamben called the “state of exception”. Through a study of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) on the site of the Athletes' Village for Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games, we expose CPOs as a classed tool mobilised to violently displace working class neighbourhoods. In doing so, we show how a fictionalised mantra of “necessity” combines neoliberal growth logics with their obscene underside—a stigmatisation logic that demonises poor urban neighbourhoods. CPOs can be used progressively, for example to abrogate the power of slum landlords for social democratic ends, yet with the increasing urbanisation of capital they more often target marginalised neighbourhoods in the pursuit of land and property valorisation. The growing use of CPOs as an exceptional measure in urbanisation, we argue, requires urgent attention in urban political struggles and policy practice.
Randomised clinical trial: prevention of recurrence of peptic ulcers by rabeprazole in patients taking low‐dose aspirin
Authors: Iwakiri R. , Higuchi K. , Kato M. , Fujishiro M. , Kinoshita Y. , Watanabe T. , Takeuchi T. , Yamauchi M. , Sanomura M. , Nakagawa H. , Sugisaki N. , Okada Y. , Ogawa H. , Arakawa T. , Fujimoto K.
Published: August 2014

Background

Few studies have evaluated the effects of rabeprazole on low‐dose aspirin (LDA)‐induced gastroduodenal injuries.

Aim

To conduct a randomised, double‐blind, triple‐dummy, active‐controlled, multicentre trial, named the PLANETARIUM study, to assess the efficacy, dose–response relationship and safety of rabeprazole for peptic ulcer recurrence in Japanese patients on long‐term LDA therapy.

Methods

Eligible patients had a history of endoscopically confirmed peptic ulcers and were receiving long‐term LDA (81 or 100 mg/day) therapy for cardiovascular or cerebrovascular protection. Subjects were randomly segregated into three groups receiving rabeprazole 10 mg once daily (standard dose in Japan), rabeprazole 5 mg once daily, or teprenone (geranylgeranylacetone; mucosal protective agent commercially available in Japan) 50 mg three times per day as an active control. The primary endpoint was recurrence of peptic ulcers over 24 weeks.

Results

Among 472 randomised subjects, 452 subjects (n = 151, 150, 151, respectively) constituted the full analysis set. The cumulative recurrence rates of peptic ulcers over 24 weeks in the 10‐ and 5‐mg rabeprazole groups were 1.4% and 2.8%, respectively, both of which were significantly lower than that in the teprenone group (21.7%). The cumulative occurrence rate of bleeding ulcers over 24 weeks in the teprenone group was 4.6%, while bleeding ulcers were not observed in the 10‐ or 5‐mg rabeprazole groups. Rabeprazole was well tolerated at both doses.

Conclusion

Rabeprazole prevents the recurrence of peptic ulcers with no evidence of a major dose–response effect in subjects on low‐dose aspirin therapy.
Sustainable city education: the pedagogical challenge of mobile knowledge and situated learning
Authors: Moore Susan , Rydin Yvonne , Garcia Brian
Published: August 2014

This paper seeks to reflect on recent developments in higher education for planning sustainable cities and to draw out the insights from relevant literature emerging from the underexplored interface of the geographies of higher education and policy mobilities. It emerges from an informal review of our own institution's marketing, coordination and monitoring of sustainable cities‐relevant programmes and a systematic review of similar programmes offered globally. This we present as a critical provocation responding to a key pedagogical challenge of sustainable cities education, that of promoting mobile knowledge and/or situated learning. We conclude by offering three possibilities for how higher education programme developers might embrace and operationalise this creative tension.
Targeting PI3‐kinase (PI3K), AKT and mTOR axis in lymphoma
Authors: Blachly James S. , Baiocchi Robert A.
Published: August 2014

Targeted therapy represents a transformation in oncology, a field that has relied primarily on non‐selective cytotoxic therapies. Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) is a family of ubiquitous signalling molecules involved in a wide variety of cellular processes and likewise, in a broad selection of human cancers. The discovery that the p110‐δ form of PI3K is differentially expressed in normal and malignant lymphocytes has led to the development of specific inhibitors that are currently in clinical trials for lymphoma. Downstream effectors of PI3K, including v‐akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT; also termed AKT1) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (serine/threonine kinase) (mTOR) are similarly important in lymphoma, and agents targeting these components of the PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR axis are also underway, although at earlier stages of development. In this review we examine the role of PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR in normal and malignant lymphocytes, as well as the preclinical and clinical status of a number of inhibitors of this pathway.
Rice prolamin extract ameliorates acute murine colitis by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B and modulating intestinal apoptosis and cell proliferation
Authors: Chung C-Y , Park Y-L , Kim N , Oh H-H , Myung D-S , Kim J-S , Cho S-B , Lee W-S , Kim H-S , Ahn B-W , Joo Y-E
Published: August 2014

We investigated the impact of rice prolamin extract (RPE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor (NF)-κB signalling in intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages, and determined the therapeutic efficacy of RPE in acute murine colitis. The effect of RPE on LPS-induced NF-κB signalling and proinflammatory gene expression was evaluated by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), Western blotting, immunofluorescence and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The in-vivo efficacy of RPE was assessed in mice with 3% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Apoptotic and cellular proliferative activities were evaluated by immunostaining with cleaved caspase-3 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibodies. RPE inhibited LPS-induced expression of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and LPS-induced NF-κB signalling in intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages. RPE-fed, DSS-exposed mice showed less weight loss, longer colon length and lower histological score compared to control diet-fed, DSS-exposed mice. Immunostaining analysis revealed a significant decrease of cleaved caspase-3 positive cells in RPE-fed, DSS-exposed mice compared to DSS-exposed mice. Also, the number of PCNA-positive cells within intact colonic crypts decreased significantly in RPE-fed, DSS-exposed mice compared to control diet-fed, DSS-exposed mice. DSS-induced NF-κB signalling was inhibited by RPE. RPE ameliorates intestinal inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB activation and modulating intestinal apoptosis and cell proliferation in an acute murine colitis.
Survey of training and education of cytotechnologists in Europe
Authors: Anic V. , Eide M. L.
Published: August 2014

Objective

This report presents the results of a survey of the training and education of cytotechnologists (CTs) in 15 European countries and suggests guidelines on which future education should be developed.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent to 25 countries in 2011: 14 with and 11 without a European Advisory Committee of Cytotechnology (EACC) member or representative. We received responses from 18 countries, among which three were excluded from the survey because they did not have CTs in training.

Results

The number of fully trained and employed CTs in these 15 European countries varied from 35 to 2600. The level of responsibility for most CTs in 14 of these countries was intermediate (signing out negative and inadequate gynaecological samples), whereas seven also had a minority of CTs at an advanced level (signing out abnormal gynaecological samples). Basic education was equally divided (7/8) between countries requiring a bachelor degree or training in medical technology before entry into cytology training. The training in cytology was given as a separate course/education or a combination of separate courses and in‐house training, but was often confined to gynaecological cytology. It was recognized that CTs should extend their activities with the advent of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and vaccination. The training requirement for CTs was usually decided by the national professional society. Most cytology training programmes were accredited by academic institutions at university level and were recognized nationally in almost all of the countries. For most of the countries, the optimal education in the future should be at university level with a diploma in cytotechnology certified or accredited by the European Federation of Cytology Societies.

Conclusion

The survey showed variation in basic education and cytology training, especially with respect to non‐gynaecological cytology, although graduate entry was favoured. The role of CTs is changing and the education and training programmes need to adapt to these changes.
A normal colposcopy examination fails to provide psychological reassurance for women who have had low‐grade abnormal cervical cytology
Authors: Cotton S. C. , Sharp L. , Little J. , Gray N. M. , Walker L. G. , Whynes D. K. , Cruickshank M. E. ,   the TOMBOLA Group
Published: August 2014

Objective

Worldwide, each year, large numbers of women are referred for colposcopy following low‐grade abnormal cervical cytology. Many have no visible abnormality on examination. The risk of cervical intra‐epithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 (CIN2/3) in these women is low. It is unknown whether, for women, a normal colposcopy resolves the anxiety which often follows the receipt of an abnormal cytology result. We investigated the prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes over 30 months following a normal colposcopy.

Methods

This cohort study was nested within the UK TOMBOLA randomized controlled trial. Women aged 20–59 years, with recent low‐grade cytology, who had a satisfactory colposcopy examination and normal transformation zone, completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Process Outcome Specific Measure (POSM) at recruitment and during follow‐up (12, 18, 24 and 30 months post‐recruitment). Outcomes included percentages reporting significant anxiety (HADS anxiety subscale score ≥11), significant depression (HADS depression subscale score ≥8) or worries about the result of the next cytology test, cervical cancer, having sex, future fertility and general health at each time point (point prevalence) and during follow‐up (cumulative prevalence).

Results

The study included 727 women. All psychological measures (except depression) had high prevalence at recruitment, falling substantially by 12 months. During follow‐up, the cumulative prevalence of significant anxiety was 27% and significant depression was 21%. The most frequently reported worry was that the next cytology test would be abnormal (cumulative prevalence of 71%; point prevalence of ≥50% at 12 and 18 months). The cumulative prevalence values of worries about cervical cancer, having sex and future fertility were 33%, 20% and 16%, respectively.

Conclusions

For some women who have low‐grade cytology, a normal colposcopy does not appear to provide psychological reassurance.