bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
7. Elections and voting
Authors: Blick Andrew
Published: August 2021

This chapter looks at how voting helps people to take a direct role in politics. The chapter discusses the rules by which the electoral system operates. It discusses the different types of electoral systems used in the UK. It connects General Elections and the formation of government at the national level. The chapter then offers a number of theoretical perspectives from which to consider voting in terms of fairness, mandates, and effectiveness. The chapter looks at the impact of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 and how the integrity of elections is maintained. Finally, it looks at the plan to equalize the size and reduce the number of UK parliamentary constituencies.
3. Multilevel Politics in Europe
Authors: De Vries Catherine E. , Hobolt Sara B. , Proksch Sven-Oliver , Slapin Jonathan B.
Published: August 2021

Thsi chapter considers territory in European politics. The idea is that policy-making in Europe acts like a system of multilevel governance. Here, policy authority which exists at the national level, is increasingly being shared with institutions at the supranational European Union (EU) level and by regional governments at the subnational level. The chapter also looks at concepts such as pooling, delegation of policy authority, federalism, and decentralization. Although we tend to think of nation-states as the building blocks of modern politics, more and more, this chapter agues, we must consider how these so-called building blocks interact with each other and also what they themselves are made up of. This is where the term multilevel governance is relevant. This term characterizes the complex relationship of policy authority between political actors situated at different territorial levels of governance.
5. Voting Decisions
Authors: De Vries Catherine E. , Hobolt Sara B. , Proksch Sven-Oliver , Slapin Jonathan B.
Published: August 2021

This chapter analyses how citizens in Europe vote across elections. Elections are an integral part of democracy as they allow citizens to shape collective decision-making. The chapter addresses the issue of trying to explain why people vote in the first place. It also looks at the inequality of turnout between citizens: why do some people just not bother to vote at all? The chapter also looks at different explanations of vote choice. This is achieved by introducing the proximity model of voting which assumes that voters and parties can be aligned on one ideological dimension. It presupposes that voters will vote for the party that most closely resembles their own ideological position. Complications can be added to this model, however, that consider the role of retrospective performance evaluations and affective attachments to social groups and political parties. The institutional context also needs to be considered, though, as this can influence voters’s decision-making.
12. Policy Outcomes in Europe
Authors: De Vries Catherine E. , Hobolt Sara B. , Proksch Sven-Oliver , Slapin Jonathan B.
Published: August 2021

This chapter explores policy outcomes by looking at a number of European countries. It considers some salient policy areas, including those that are decided primarily at the national level, for example health, and policies that are determined at the more macro, European Union (EU) level, for example trade. It also looks at policy areas that involve shared decision-making across different levels of government, examples here include immigration and the environment. The chapter also focuses on the role of position-taking by political parties and other groups, such as interest groups and social groups or movements. It considers how these explain variations in policy outcomes.
14. European Politics into the Future
Authors: De Vries Catherine E. , Hobolt Sara B. , Proksch Sven-Oliver , Slapin Jonathan B.
Published: August 2021

This chapter explores recent changes in European politics and looks to the future for European democracy as it stands now. The chapter explores the ongoing political change that can be seen within European countries and also at the European Union (EU) level. It aims to highlight four important debates about the state of democracy in Europe. These are: the debates about the rise of political fragmentation and its consequences for democracy; democratic backsliding in central and eastern Europe; the impact of the United Kingdom leaving the EU on democracy; and the democratic deficit in EU politics.
3. Traditional Theories in Global Politics
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: August 2021

This chapter examines traditional theories in global politics. Although much of the explicit theorizing about international politics did not begin until the twentieth century, both liberalism and realism have drawn on long-standing ideas in the history of political thought to address basic problems of international order. So too has the English School which, while encompassing aspects of both liberalism and realism, has focused much more attention on the social character of international or global relations, elaborating in particular the notion of international society and its normative underpinnings. While most theorizing has been carried out largely, but not exclusively, on the basis of Western philosophical ideas, a new Chinese school of moral realism draws from ancient Chinese thought. Ultimately, both liberalism and realism have been modified over the years with competing strands developing within them, so neither can be taken as a single body of theory.
8. International Law
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: August 2021

This chapter describes the broad challenges involved in establishing global order under conditions of anarchy through international law. The fact that there is no world government with powers akin to national governments means that maintaining cooperative relations between and among states is always a careful balancing act, given the problem of enforcing international law in the absence of a single, overarching sovereign authority. The chapter looks at law in the global sphere through the notion of rule of law. It then considers the emergence of international law in broad historical perspective. Moving on to international law in the twentieth century, and up to the present period, the chapter examines the nature of treaties, charters, and covenants which operate in multiple issue areas from postal services, trade, and aviation to communications, the environment, and human rights. It also focuses on two major international courts: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Finally, the chapter reflects on how the principles and practices of a rules-based international order are faring in the contemporary period with a focus on Russia, China, and the US.
10. Global Political Economy
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: August 2021

This chapter offers an overview of the field of Global Political Economy (GPE)—also known as International Political Economy (IPE). It builds on themes introduced in previous chapters, including connections with theories of global politics. These are discussed from a historical perspective to enable a better appreciation of how ideas, practices, and institutions develop and interact over time. These theories arose substantially within a European context, although the extent to which these may be applied uncritically to issues of political economy in all parts of the globe must be questioned. Significant issues for GPE include trade, labour, the interaction of states and markets, the nexus between wealth and power, and the problems of development and underdevelopment in the global economy, taking particular account of the North–South gap. The chapter then discusses the twin phenomena of globalization and regionalization and the way in which these are shaping the global economy and challenging the traditional role of the state. An underlying theme of the chapter is the link between economic and political power.
Archival Research
Authors: Brière Chloé
Published: August 2021

This chapter discusses archival research, starting with a description of archives. The various types of archives constitute a precious resource for researchers, and in many disciplines, such as sociology, political sciences, law, or history, archival research occupies a central place. Depending on the field of research, analysis may be limited to a single archive or require a comprehensive comparative analysis of various archives, taking into account their diverse nature and purposes. Archival research can be defined as finding, using, and correlating information within primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are sources created by persons directly involved in the event, reflecting their point of view, such as personal diaries or letters. In contrast, secondary sources are sources not based on a direct observation of an event, or on evidence directly associated with the subject, and they rely on pre-existing primary sources. The chapter then details the main steps of archival research and looks at the development of online archives and databases.
C. Case Selection
Authors: Gelhaus Laura , Leuffen Dirk
Published: August 2021

This chapter describes case selection, which is a crucial component of designing social research. Its importance can hardly be overstated because the cases you choose affect the answers you get. However, how should researchers select their cases? A careful inspection of the research question, the study’s objective, should be the starting point. The research question typically anchors the study in a research area, specifies the universe of cases, and guides its engagement with theory. Ideally, case selection is solely driven by methodology; however, practicality and feasibility considerations frequently make adjustments to the design necessary. Such considerations concern, for instance, the costs of data collection. The chapter introduces a few commonly used case selection strategies as well as two hotly debated topics in the literature on case selection: selecting on the dependent variable and random case selection.
Content Analysis
Authors: Bass Leeann , Semetko Holli A.
Published: August 2021

This chapter explains content analysis, which is a social science research method that involves the systematic analysis of text, media, communication, or information. The source, the message, the receiver, the medium, and the influence of the message are all topics that have been studied using content analysis and in combination with other methods. There are deductive and inductive approaches to content analysis. Two widely cited studies using content analysis take a deductive approach: using predefined categories and variables based on findings and best practices from prior research. Studies taking an inductive approach to content analysis, by contrast, have an open view of the content, usually involve a small-N sample, and are often based on a qualitative approach. Meanwhile, much has been written on methods and approaches to measuring reliability with human coders. Traditional content analysis uses human coders, whereas a variety of software has emerged that can be used to download and score or code vast amounts of textual news data. The chapter then identifies key benefits and challenges associated with new computational social science tools such as text analysis.
Covariance
Authors: Ingelgom Virginie Van , Versailles Alban
Published: August 2021

This chapter examines the covariance, which is either a comprehensive qualitative approach or the first step of a quantitative approach to the analysis of the relationship between two variables. On the one hand, in qualitative studies, and in particular in case study methods, covariation is an analytical approach used alongside causal process-tracing and congruence analysis. In the co-variational approach, causal inferences are drawn based on observed covariation between causal factors (independent variables) and causal effects (dependent variables). On the other hand, when the type of data allows a quantitative approach, looking at the covariance constitutes a first step in the statistical analysis. The covariance is then a measure of linear association between two variables.
Epistemology
Authors: Pellegrino Gianfranco
Published: August 2021

This chapter illustrates epistemology, which is the discipline devoted to the study of knowledge and justified belief. Epistemology concerns issues of the creation and dissemination of knowledge in particular fields of inquiry. Assuming that knowledge is distinguished from mere opinion for its being true — a common assumption in epistemology — truth is also connected to epistemology. In the social sciences, epistemology is a source for methodological criteria employed in research, as well as for guidance on ontological issues — such as the existence of theoretical entities and the relationships between the social and the natural world. The chapter then looks at the divide between scholars who understand social sciences as positive, objective disciplines, according to the model of natural sciences, and scholars who understand social sciences as less precise, more humanistic disciplines, with a looser standard of objectivity. This divide refers in its turn to an even broader topic, namely the discussion about when and whether objective knowledge can be obtained in the social sciences, and on the very meaning of ‘objectivity’ and ‘knowledge’. This topic belongs to the general field of epistemology.
M. Meta-Analysis
Authors: Laurens Noémie
Published: August 2021

This chapter illustrates meta-analysis, which is a specific type of literature review, and more precisely a type of research synthesis, alongside traditional narrative reviews. Unlike in primary research, the unit of analysis of a meta-analysis is the results of individual studies. And unlike traditional reviews, meta-analysis only applies to: empirical research studies with quantitative findings hat are conceptually comparable and configured in similar statistical forms. What further distinguishes meta-analysis from other research syntheses is the method of synthesizing the results of studies — i.e. the use of statistics and, in particular, of effect sizes. An effect size represents the degree to which the phenomenon under study exists.
Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Geometric Data Analysis
Authors: Tawfik Amal , Davidshofer Stephan
Published: August 2021

This chapter focuses on multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), which is a factor analysis statistical method used to analyse relations between a large set of categorical variables. Developed by Jean-Paul Benzécri in the early 1970s, MCA is one of the principal methods of geometric data analysis (GDA). Three different statistical methods can be identified as GDA: correspondence analysis (CA), which enables the cross-tabulation of two categorical variables; MCA for the analysis of a matrix of individuals and categorical variables; and principal component analysis (PCA), which uses numerical variables. In GDA, data is represented as a cloud of points to allow statistical interpretations. Although MCA is a relational method, it differs from social network analysis (SNA) as it focuses on the objective relations that characterize actors or groups, rather than the effective relations.
Paradigms and Research Programmes
Authors: Dimmelmeier Andreas , Dow Sheila
Published: August 2021

This chapter studies paradigms and research programmes. A paradigm consists of a set of understandings of a scientific community during a historical period. At the most fundamental level, paradigms employ ontological assumptions. This means that the scientific community agrees on which things and phenomena exist and are meaningful for scientific inquiry. These assumptions determine the type of scientific investigations that are deemed worth pursuing. In addition, scientists inside a paradigm share a common methodological understanding of how to do science. Against the background of these broad and general understandings, scientists inside a paradigm formulate theories and carry out empirical research. Imre Lakatos developed the concept of ‘research programmes’ as an alternative to ‘paradigms’.
Regression Analysis
Authors: Marcinkiewicz Kamil , Schnapp Kai-Uwe
Published: August 2021

This chapter evaluates regression analysis, which uses quantitative and sometimes also qualitative independent variables to explain or predict change in a quantitative dependent variable. To attain this goal, it relies on the principles of covariance and correlation. Its most basic form is linear regression, also known as ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. In addition, there are many other varieties of regression methods for different research questions and data characteristics, such as time-oriented questions or data with a limited range of values. Researchers use regression analysis especially to analyse complex patterns of correlation in situations with more than one explanatory variable. Often such patterns are interpreted in the context of causal theories. The concept of regression goes back to Francis Galton’s study on human height.
Sampling Techniques
Authors: Haute Emilie van
Published: August 2021

This chapter assesses sampling techniques. Researchers may restrict their data collection to a sample of a population for convenience or necessity if they lack the time and resources to collect data for the entire population. Therefore, a sample is any subset of units collected from a population. Research sampling techniques refer to case selection strategy — the process and methods used to select a subset of units from a population. While sampling techniques reduce the costs of data collection, they induce a loss in terms of comprehensiveness and accuracy, compared to working on the entire population. The data collected are subject to errors or bias. Two main decisions determine the size or margin of error and whether the results of a sample study can be generalized and applied to the entire population with accuracy: the choice of sample type and the sample size.
Systems Analysis
Authors: Morin Jean-Frédéric , Olsson Christian , Atikcan Ece Özlem
Published: August 2021

This chapter examines systems analysis, which broadly refers to the theories and methods used in the study of interdependent elements forming a complex whole. Proponents of systems analysis hold that interacting systems exhibit properties that one cannot understand by only looking at their individual parts. Complexity science notably aims to explain the properties that govern complex systems such as non-linearity, emergence, self-regulation, and adaptation. In both natural and social sciences, the systems view of life has gained traction in recent years; the number of studies adopting a systemic lens is increasing. Yet, systems analysis remains relatively marginal. The goal of systems analysis is to understand how interactions between individual parts give rise to properties that cannot be explained by looking at them separately.
A Framework for Investigating Rules of Life Across Disciplines
Authors: Poust Ashley W , Bogar Laura , Robinson W Douglas , Poole Geoffrey
Published: August 2021

Synopsis

Clearly and usefully defining the Rules of Life has long been an attractive yet elusive prospect for biologists. Life persists because requirements for existence and successful transmission of hereditary information are met. These requirements are met through mechanisms adopted by organisms, which produce solutions to environmentally imposed constraints on life. Yet, constraints and their suites of potential solutions are typically context-specific, operating at specific levels of organization, or holons, and having cascading effects across multiple levels, or the holarchy. We explore the idea that the interaction of constraints, mechanisms, and requirements within and across levels of organization may produce rules of life that can be productively defined. Although we stop short of listing specific rules, we provide a conceptual framework within which progress towards identifying rules might be made.
The Gut Microbiome of Healthy Vietnamese Adults and Children Is a Major Reservoir for Resistance Genes Against Critical Antimicrobials
Authors: Pereira-Dias Joana , Nguyen Ngoc Minh Chau , Tran Thi Hong Chau , Nguyen Thi Nguyen To , Ha Thanh Tuyen , Zellmer Caroline , Chung The Hao , Pike Lindsay , Higginson Ellen E , Baker Stephen
Published: August 2021

Antimicrobials are a key group of therapeutic agents. Given the animal/human population density and high antimicrobial consumption rate in Southeast Asia, the region is a focal area for monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Hypothesizing that the gastrointestinal tract of healthy individuals in Vietnam is a major source of AMR genes that may be transferred to pathogens, we performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing on fecal samples from 42 healthy Vietnamese people (21 children and 21 adults). We compared their microbiome profiles by age group and determined the composition of AMR genes. An analysis of the taxonomic profiles in the gut microbiome showed a clear differentiation by age, with young children (age <2 years) exhibiting a unique structure in comparison to adults and older children. We identified a total of 132 unique AMR genes, with macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin class resistance genes (ermB and lnuC) and tetracycline resistance genes being almost ubiquitous across the study population. Notably, samples from younger children were significantly associated with a greater number of AMR genes than other age groups, including key signature genes associated with AMR pathogens (eg, blaCTX-M, mphA). Our data suggest that the gut microbiome of those living in Vietnam, particularly young children, is a substantial reservoir of AMR genes, which can be transferred to circulating enteric pathogens. Our data support the generation of longitudinal cohort studies of those living in urban and rural areas of developing countries to understand the behavior of these AMR reservoirs and their role in generating multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant pathogens.
Some thoughts about the Intersection between Data Protection and Competition Law: A View from Brazil
Authors: Macedo Alexandre Cordeiro
Published: August 2021

This article presents some thoughts about the relationship between Data Protection and Competition Law—focusing on the implementation of the New Brazilian Data Protection Law (LGPD). The Digital Era, the Digital Economy, and the Data-Driven Market (although they present different definitions, they are all concepts that have a strong connection between their meanings) are significantly changing a variety of aspects in our lives. In terms of legal consequences, the Digital Era has created a new, unique and specialized field (Data Protection). Although Data Protection is affecting Competition Law, as well as other fields of law, it is always important to have in mind its purposes and goals in order to not merge what should not be merged.
Assessing the Single and Combined Toxicity of the Bioinsecticide Spear and Cry3Bb1 Protein Against Susceptible and Resistant Western Corn Rootworm Larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Pereira Adriano E , Huynh Man P , Carlson Alvar R , Haase Alexandra , Kennedy Robert M , Shelby Kent S , Coudron Thomas A , Hibbard Bruce E
Published: August 2021

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), poses a serious threat to maize (Zea mays L.) growers in the U.S. Corn Belt. Transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner is the major management tactic along with crop rotation. Bt crops targeting WCR populations have been widely planted throughout the Corn Belt. Rootworms have developed resistance to nearly all management strategies including Bt corn. Therefore, there is a need for new products that are not cross-resistant with the current Bt proteins. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of WCR strains resistant and susceptible to Cry3Bb1 to the biological insecticide Spear-T (GS-omega/kappa-Hexatoxin-Hv1a) alone and combined with Cry3Bb1 protein. The activity of Hv1a alone was similar between Cry3Bb1-resistant and susceptible strains (LC50s = 0.95 mg/cm2 and 1.50 mg/cm2, respectively), suggesting that there is no cross-resistance with Cry3Bb1 protein. Effective concentration (EC50), molt inhibition concentration (MIC50), and inhibition concentration (IC50) values of Hv1a alone were also similar between both strains, based on non-overlapping confidence intervals. Increased mortality (64%) was observed on resistant larvae exposed to Hv1a (0.6 mg/cm2) + Cry3Bb1 protein (170.8 µg/cm2) compared to 0% mortality when exposed to Cry3Bb1 alone and 34% mortality to Hv1a alone (0.3 mg/cm2). The time of larval death was not significantly different between Hv1a alone (3.79 mg/cm2) and Hv1a (0.6 mg/cm2) + Cry3Bb1 (170.8 µg/cm2). New control strategies that are not cross-resistant with current insecticides and Bt proteins are needed to better manage the WCR, and Hv1a together with Cry3Bb1 may fit this role.
Highlights of Medical Entomology, 2020
Authors: Stone Chris M
Published: August 2021

Medical Entomology as a field is inherently global – thriving on international and interdisciplinary collaborations and affected dramatically by arthropod and pathogen invasions and introductions. This past year also will be remembered as the year in which the SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 pandemic affected every part of our lives and professional activities and impacted (or changed, sometimes in good ways) our ability to collaborate and detect or respond to invasions. This incredible year is the backdrop for the 2020 Highlights in Medical Entomology. This article highlights the broad scope of approaches and disciplines represented in the 2020 published literature, ranging from sensory and chemical ecology, population genetics, impacts of human-mediated environmental change on vector ecology, life history and the evolution of vector behaviors, to the latest developments in vector surveillance and control.
The Reproduction of Stratified (Assisted) Reproduction
Authors: Harris Lisa H.
Published: August 2021

This chapter considers epidemiological, historical, and ideological forces that constructed infertility as a “white” ailment and in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a treatment for the infertility of white professional women in their late 30s, 40s, and beyond. The author begins with a case from her own practice and then returns to IVF’s origins in the United States in the 1980s to show how in its practice and its technical details it reproduces race and class inequalities. Ultimately, the author argues that IVF grew out of an ideology of stratified reproduction, in which the fertility, reproduction, and motherhood of white, professional women was valued and that of poor women and women of color was not. While usual bioethical analyses of infertility treatment focus on the questions raised in sensational cases, here the author considers the race and class coding of infertility as a moral issue because, as she concludes, it is a question of whose lives matter.
Preimplantation Genetics
Authors: Koch Valerie Gutmann
Published: August 2021

This chapter highlights the uses and ethical implications of preimplantation genetic testing and addresses the topic of liability as it applies to use of this technology to screen and select embryos for chromosomal abnormalities and genetic traits prior to implantation. When errors or wrongs occur, there may be significant medical, psychological, and economic implications for those individuals who sought preimplantation testing to avoid a genetic disease or to improve the chance of achieving pregnancy. Informed consent, wrongful birth, and wrongful life claims may be available to those who are harmed due to these errors.
Ethical Issues in Oocyte Donation
Authors: Klock Susan C.
Published: August 2021

Oocyte or gamete donation has allowed for the reproductive process to be broken down into its component parts (genetic mother, gestating mother, and rearing mother) and has introduced the inclusion of a third party for female infertility. Gamete donation has enabled previously infertile individuals to have children. This chapter reviews three ethical issues in gamete donation: the payment of donors, the medical and psychological well-being of donors after donation, and the issues related to information sharing between donors, parents and offspring.
Refusing to Force Treatment
Authors: Watson Katie
Published: August 2021

Abortion is illegal after viability in most US states. However, the law permits, and ethics require, clinicians to respect pregnant people’s refusal of medical treatment throughout pregnancy and delivery even when it might prevent fetal demise or harm. This chapter explains why these seemingly contradictory standards are in fact consistent. It contextualizes pregnant people’s right to refuse medical intervention within the history of the legal and moral status of women, viable fetuses, and women pregnant with viable fetuses, and argues that the principle of justice breaks the tie that some people perceive between autonomy (of women) and beneficence (to fetuses), pushing the scales in favor of women. Finally, it offers ethically sound steps that obstetricians confronted with refusals should take to maximize care, and it considers the moral distress these unusual cases invariably invoke.
Doing Harm
Authors: Flavin Jeanne , Paltrow Lynn M.
Published: August 2021

Under the guise of “protecting the unborn,” anti-abortion and related measures such as feticide laws are being used as the basis for arresting pregnant women and new mothers. It is often the case that the initial disclosure of information that led to the involvement of criminal law, child welfare, or other state authorities has been made by healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and hospital social workers. Pregnant patients—like other patients—should expect that their medical health is a private matter and that healthcare provider–patient confidentiality will be respected. Such disclosures have legal, social, and public health consequences and frequently lead to interventions that are punitive and counterproductive, not protective. This chapter describes the ethical obligations of healthcare professionals, including their duty to advocate for the protection of confidential information and to work to change unjust practices, policies, and laws.
Gastrointestinal and liver-related symptoms in paediatric palliative care
Authors: Laddie Jo , Terblanche Alta , Meiring Michelle
Published: August 2021

The gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) is a complex and essential organ that is the source of much distress from several and varied causes in palliative care. These causes include diseases of the gastro-intestinal system itself, and virtually every other system in the body. Medications used to treat underlying diseases (esp. cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)) often cause GIT side effects and even drugs used for palliation (esp. opioids) are often culprits. This chapter covers the management of common GIT symptoms and also discusses palliative care for children with intestinal failure and liver disease that were not covered in the last edition of this textbook.
Resetting the brain
Authors: Letheby Chris
Published: August 2021

‘Resetting the brain’ examines the hypothesis that (i) large-scale neural networks become stuck in dysfunctional configurations in pathology, and (ii) psychedelics cause therapeutic benefits by disrupting these configurations, providing an opportunity to ‘reset’ the relevant networks into a healthier state. This chapter argues that this view is correct but limited; per Chapter 5, it needs to be supplemented with an account of these networks’ cognitive functions. To this end, the chapter introduces the predictive processing (PP) theory of cognition, which views the brain as an organ for prediction error minimisation. One PP-based theory of psychedelic action claims that (i) the networks targeted by psychedelics encode high-level beliefs, and (ii) psychedelic disruption of these beliefs provides an opportunity to revise them. This is the cognitive process that corresponds to the ‘resetting’ of neural networks. The chapter concludes by proposing that the beliefs most often revised in successful psychedelic therapy are self-related beliefs.
Unbinding the self
Authors: Letheby Chris
Published: August 2021

‘Unbinding the self’ outlines the predictive self-binding account of psychedelic therapy introduced by Letheby and Gerrans (2017). On this account, the networks targeted by psychedelics integrate or ‘bind’ information from multiple sources into a hierarchical predictive model of the self. In pathological conditions, detrimental forms of self-modelling can become rigidly entrenched. By ‘unbinding’ the self-model, psychedelics facilitate experiences of ego dissolution and psychological insight in which pathological self-models can be revised. On this view, psychedelic therapy has a two-factor structure: it involves (a) the induction of neural and psychological plasticity, and (b) the discovery and consolidation of new forms of self-modelling. The chapter shows how this account can subsume many candidate mechanisms of psychedelic therapy, including feelings of connectedness and acceptance, psychological insight, emotional breakthrough, and mindfulness-related capacities. The chapter concludes with some brief remarks on philosophical questions about self and self-consciousness.
Western spirituality: A historical epistemology
Authors: Berrios German E. , Marková Ivana S.
Published: August 2021

Despite the vast amount of literature on ‘spirituality’, the concept remains nebulous and unwieldy. This is only partially explained by the quality of the publications. A more convincing explanation must be sought in the history of the concept of spirituality itself. Until the eighteenth century, this history was just a subplot of the history of religion but, late during this period and encouraged by the rationalism of the Enlightenment, spirituality started to claim its independence from religion. Achieving such autonomy has not been easy and to this day there are publications still claiming that ‘real’ spirituality cannot be conceived of outside the space of religion. A method of analysis is offered in this chapter that may contribute to the shaping of a form of authentic lay or secular spirituality.
The proper motion of Andromeda from Gaia EDR3: confirming a nearly radial orbit
Authors: Salomon J-B , Ibata R , Reylé C , Famaey B , Libeskind N I , McConnachie A W , Hoffman Y
Published: August 2021

We present an analysis of the proper motion of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), based on the Early Third Data Release of the Gaia mission. We use the Gaia photometry to select young blue main sequence stars, and apply several quality cuts to obtain clean samples of these tracers. After correcting the proper motion measurements for the internal rotation of the M31 disk motion, we derive an apparent motion of 52.5 ± 5.8 μas/yr with respect to the Gaia reference frame, or 61.9 ± 9.7 μas/yr after applying a zero-point correction determined from quasars within $20\deg$ from M31 and a correction from systemic biases. Accounting for the Solar reflex motion we deduce a relative velocity between Andromeda and the Milky way (in a non-rotating frame at the current location of the Sun) of 42.2 ± 39.3 km s−1 along right ascension (40.0 ± 39.3 km s−1 along galactic longitude) and −59.4 ± 30.3 km s−1 along declination (−60.9 ± 30.3 km s−1 along galactic latitude), with a total transverse velocity of Vtrans = 82.4 ± 31.2 km s−1. These values are consistent with (but more accurate than) earlier Hubble Space Telescope measurements that predict a future merger between the two galaxies. We also note a surprisingly large difference in the derived proper motion between the blue stars in M31 and samples of red stars that appear to lie in that galaxy. We propose several hypotheses to explain the discrepancy but found no clear evidence with the current data to privilege any one of them.
Interconversion mechanisms of PN and PO in the interstellar medium through simple atom–diatom collisions
Authors: Souza André C , Silva Mateus X , Galvão Breno R L
Published: August 2021

Models for the abundances of phosphorus-bearing molecules, such as PO and PN, rely on rate coefficients guessed from similar reactions of NO. Given the importance of these molecules in pre-biotic chemistry, in this work we carry out accurate multireference configuration interaction calculations on the N+PO and O+PN reactions, unravelling their underlying mechanisms and potential energy barriers. The collisions may occur in two triplet electronic states and involve six potential wells lying under the N+PO limit. The interaction between atomic nitrogen and PO is shown to occur barrierlessly only when dynamical correlation is included in the calculations. The theoretical results confirm the assumptions used in the astrochemical models that depletion of PO by nitrogen atoms occurs fast, with a branching ratio largely favouring O+PN over the more exothermic P+NO. Among other results, we predict that PN should be stable with respect to collisions with oxygen atoms under low-temperature environments, but will be depleted to P + NO in shocks and other conditions with higher translational energies.
Years delayed gamma-ray and radio afterglows originated from TDE wind–torus interactions
Authors: Mou Guobin , Wang Wei
Published: August 2021

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) that occur in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with dusty tori are a special class of sources. TDEs can generate ultrafast and large opening-angle wind, which will almost inevitably collide with the pre-existing AGN dusty tori a few years later after the TDE outburst. The wind–torus interactions drive two kinds of shocks: the bow shocks at the windward side of the torus clouds, and the cloud shocks inside the torus clouds. In a previous work, we proved that the shocked clouds will give rise to considerable X-ray emissions which can reach 1041 − 42 erg s−1 (so called years delayed X-ray afterglows). In this work, we focus on the radiations of high energy particles accelerated at both shocks. Benefiting from the strong radiation field at the inner edge of the torus, the inverse Compton scatterings of AGN photons by relativistic electrons at bow shocks dominate the overall gamma-ray radiation. The gamma-ray luminosity can reach $10^{41}~{\rm erg~s^{-1}}(L_{\rm kin}/10^{45}\, {\rm erg \, s^{-1}})$, where Lkin is the kinetic luminosity of TDE wind. Synchrotron radiation at bow shocks contributes to the radio afterglow with a luminosity of 10$^{38-39} ~{\rm erg~s^{-1}}(L_{\rm kin}/10^{45}\, {\rm erg \, s^{-1}})$ at 1–10 GHz if the magnetic field is 100 mGauss, and extends to infrared with a luminosity of $\sim 10^{39-40}~{\rm erg \, s^{-1}} (L_{\rm kin}/10^{45}\, {\rm erg \, s^{-1}})$. Our scenario provides a prediction of the years delayed afterglows in multiple wavebands for TDEs and reveals their connections.
Egg masses and larval development of the Antarctic cephalaspidean snail Waegelea antarctica (Cephalaspidea: Antarctophilinidae), with notes on egg masses of the related Antarctophiline alata
Authors: Moran A L , Toh M-W A , Lobert G T , Ely T , Marko P B
Published: August 2021

We describe, for the first time, egg masses and larval developmental mode of a recently described Antarctic philinoid snail, Waegelea antarctica. Egg masses resembled the gelatinous, attached masses of many temperate philinoid species and contained very large offspring that hatched as developmentally advanced veligers with many juvenile features. Like other Antarctic heterobranch egg masses, development in the masses of W. antarctica appeared to be largely synchronous despite low internal oxygen levels. Hatched larvae could both swim and crawl, and we did not observe metamorphosis over several days. Molecular barcoding using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) showed an almost perfect (<0.002% difference) match between our specimens from McMurdo Sound in the Ross Sea and a single sequence from a specimen collected >8,000 km away in the Weddell Sea, suggesting either high realized larval dispersal or a recent range expansion. We also describe the egg mass of the related Antarctophiline alata (identified using COI barcoding) from the Ross Sea, which differed from published descriptions in having considerably smaller embryos.
The bacterial iron sensor IdeR recognizes its DNA targets by indirect readout
Authors: Marcos-Torres Francisco Javier , Maurer Dirk , Juniar Linda , Griese Julia J
Published: August 2021

The iron-dependent regulator IdeR is the main transcriptional regulator controlling iron homeostasis genes in Actinobacteria, including species from the Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium and Streptomyces genera, as well as the erythromycin-producing bacterium Saccharopolyspora erythraea. Despite being a well-studied transcription factor since the identification of the Diphtheria toxin repressor DtxR three decades ago, the details of how IdeR proteins recognize their highly conserved 19-bp DNA target remain to be elucidated. IdeR makes few direct contacts with DNA bases in its target sequence, and we show here that these contacts are not required for target recognition. The results of our structural and mutational studies support a model wherein IdeR mainly uses an indirect readout mechanism, identifying its targets via the sequence-dependent DNA backbone structure rather than through specific contacts with the DNA bases. Furthermore, we show that IdeR efficiently recognizes a shorter palindromic sequence corresponding to a half binding site as compared to the full 19-bp target previously reported, expanding the number of potential target genes controlled by IdeR proteins.
Tumor volumes as a predictor of response to the anti-EGFR antibody drug conjugate depatuxizumab mafadotin
Authors: Gan Hui K , Parakh Sagun , Lassman Andrew B , Seow Aidan , Lau Eddie , Lee Sze Ting , Ameratunga Malaka , Perchyonok Yuliya , Cao Diana , Burvenich Ingrid J G , O’Keefe Graeme J , Rigopoulos Angela , Gomez Erica , Maag David , Scott Andrew M
Published: August 2021

Background

The adverse impact of increasing brain tumor size on the efficacy of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) was investigated preclinically then validated with clinical data.

Methods—Preclinical study

The impact of tumor size on ADC tumor delivery and treatment response was evaluated in an EGFR-amplified patient-derived glioblastoma (GBM) model following treatment with Depatuxizumab mafadotin (Depatux-M). Biodistribution and imaging studies correlated drug distribution with starting treatment volume and anti-tumor activity.

Methods—Clinical study

M12-356 was a Phase I study of Depatux-M in patients with GBM. Blinded volumetric analysis of baseline tumor volumes of M12-356 patients was undertaken by two reviewers and results correlated with response and survival.

Results

Preclinically, imaging and biodistribution studies showed specific and significantly higher tumor uptake of zirconium-89 labeled Depatux-M (89Zr-Depatux-M) in mice with smaller tumor volume (~98 mm3) versus those with larger volumes (~365 mm3); concordantly, mice with tumor volumes ≤100 mm3 at treatment commencement had significantly better growth inhibition by Depatux-M (93% vs 27%, P < .001) and significantly longer overall survival (P < .0001) compared to tumors ≥400 mm3. Clinically, patients with tumor volumes <25 cm3 had significantly higher response rates (17% vs. 0%, P = .009) and longer overall survival (0.5 vs 0.89 years, P = .001) than tumors above 25 cm3.

Conclusion

Both preclinical and clinical data showed intra-tumoral concentration and efficacy of Depatux-m inversely correlated with tumor size. This finding merit further investigation with pretreatment tumor volume as a predictor for response to ADCs, in both gliomas and other solid tumors.
Meta-analysis shows that overabundant deer (Cervidae) populations consistently decrease average population abundance and species richness of forest birds
Authors: Crystal-Ornelas Robert , Brown Jeffrey A , Valentin Rafael E , Beardsley Caroline , Lockwood Julie L
Published: August 2021

Local-scale studies have shown that an overabundance of Cervidae species (deer, elk, moose) impacts forest bird communities. Through meta-analysis, we provide a generalized estimate of the overall direction and magnitude of the indirect effects overabundant cervids have on avian species. We conducted 2 distinct meta-analyses that synthesized data on 130 bird species collected from 17 publications. These analyses compared bird species’ population abundance and/or species richness at sites with overabundant cervids to sites with lower cervid abundance or without cervids. We evaluated whether the impacts of overabundant cervids are generally in the same direction (positive, negative) across avian species and locations and if effects vary in magnitude according to avian nesting location and foraging habitat. We found that where cervids were overabundant, there was a significant decrease in mean bird population abundance and species richness. Species that nest in trees, shrubs, and on the ground showed the largest decreases in abundance, as did species whose primary habitat is forest and open woodland and species that are primarily insectivores or omnivores. We did not find significant decreases in abundance for avian species that nest in cavities, whose primary habitat is grassland or scrub, nor for species that mainly eat seeds. Our results indicate that overabundant cervids, likely through their direct effects on vegetation and indirect effects on insects and forest birds, negatively impact individual bird populations and decrease overall avian species richness.
Response of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) cell quotas to oxidative stress in three phytoplankton species
Authors: Royer C , Gypens N , Cardol P , Borges A V , Roberty S
Published: August 2021

Several phytoplankton species produce the metabolites dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) but their intracellular roles need to be better understood. To improve the understanding of the DMSP antioxidant function suggested by Sunda et al. (2002), we exposed the diatom Skeletonema costatum, the Prymnesiophyceae Phaeocystis globosa and the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa triquetra to experimental treatments known to cause potential oxidative stress (high light intensities (HL); HL with 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU); menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB)). DMSP and DMSO concentrations decreased after 6 h in all treatments indicating an interaction with Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) produced. DMSP and DMSO-to-cell ratios in control conditions were higher for H. triquetra, while being unable to grow under HL. DMSP and DMSO-to-cell carbon were the highest for P. globosa, while the other species had similar values. During long-term treatment, these ratios were not increased in high-light grown cells of P. globosa and S. costatum. Overall, this illustrates that (1) the DMSP- and DMSO-to-cell or carbon seems to be not indicative of the capability of the species to tolerate an oxidative stress, (2) these molecules could react with ROS and lower their cellular concentration, but no clues demonstrated that these molecules are part of the antioxidant response of the cell.