bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The evolutionary advantage of cultural memory on heterogeneous contact networks
Authors: Carja Oana , Creanza Nicole
Published: November 2018

Cultural processes, as well as the selection pressures experienced by individuals in a population over time and space, are fundamentally stochastic. Phenotypic variability, together with imperfect phenotypic transmission between parents and offspring, has been previously shown to play an important role in evolutionary rescue and (epi)genetic adaptation of populations to fluctuating temporal environmental pressures. This type of evolutionary bet-hedging does not confer a direct benefit to a single individual, but instead increases the adaptability of the whole lineage.

Here we develop a population-genetic model to explore cultural response strategies to temporally changing selection, as well as the role of local population structure, as exemplified by heterogeneity in the contact network between individuals, in shaping evolutionary dynamics. We use this model to study the evolutionary advantage of cultural bet-hedging, modeling the evolution of a variable cultural trait starting from one copy in a population of individuals with a fixed cultural strategy. We find that the probability of fixation of a cultural bet-hedger is a non-monotonic function of the probability of cultural memory between generations. Moreover, this probability increases for networks of higher mean degree but decreases with increasing heterogeneity of the contact network, tilting the balance of forces towards drift and against selection.

These results shed light on the interplay of temporal and spatial stochasticity in shaping cultural evolutionary dynamics and suggest that partly-heritable cultural phenotypic variability may constitute an important evolutionary bet-hedging strategy in response to changing selection pressures.
Female variation in allocation of steroid hormones, antioxidants and fatty acids: a multilevel analysis in a wild passerine bird
Authors: Mentesana Lucia , Isaksson Caroline , Goymann Wolfgang , Andersson Martin N. , Trappschuh Monika , Hau Michaela
Published: November 2018

The environment where an embryo develops can be influenced by components of maternal origin, which can shape offspring phenotypes and therefore maternal fitness. In birds that produce more than one egg per clutch, females differ in the concentration of components they allocate into the yolk along the laying sequence. However, identification of processes that shape female yolk allocation and thus offspring phenotype still remains a major challenge within evolutionary ecology. A way to increase our understanding is by acknowledging that allocation patterns can differ depending on the level of analysis, such as the populationversusthe among-female (within-population) level. We employed mixed models to analyze at both levels the variation in allocation along the laying sequence of four steroid hormones, three antioxidants, and four groups of fatty acids present in the egg yolks of wild great tits (Parus major). We also quantified repeatabilities for each component to study female consistency. At a population level, the concentrations/proportions of five yolk components varied along the laying sequence, implying that the developmental environment is different for offspring developing in firstversuslast eggs. Females varied substantially in the mean allocation of components and in their plasticity along the laying sequence. For most components, these two parameters were negatively correlated. Females were also remarkably repeatable in their allocation. Overall, our data emphasize the need to account for female variation in yolk allocation along the laying sequence at multiple levels, as variation at a population level is underpinned by different individual patterns. Our findings also highlight the importance of considering both levels of analysis in future studies investigating the causes and fitness consequences of yolk compounds. Finally, our results on female repeatability confirm that analyzing one egg per nest is a suitable way to address the consequences of yolk resource deposition for the offspring.
Characterization of proprioceptive system dynamics in behavingDrosophilalarvae using high-speed volumetric microscopy
Authors: Vaadia Rebecca , Li Wenze , Voleti Venkatakaushik , Singhania Aditi , Hillman Elizabeth M.C. , Grueber Wesley B.
Published: November 2018

Proprioceptors provide feedback about body position that is essential for coordinated movement. Proprioceptive sensing of the position of rigid joints has been described in detail in several systems, however it is not known how animals with an elastic skeleton encode their body positions. Understanding how diverse larval body positions are dynamically encoded requires knowledge of proprioceptor activity patternsin vivoduring natural movement. Here we applied high-speed volumetric SCAPE microscopy to simultaneously track the position, physical deformation, and temporal patterns of intracellular calcium activity of multidendritic proprioceptors in crawlingDrosophilalarvae. During the periodic segment contraction and relaxation that occurs during crawling, proprioceptors with diverse morphologies showed sequential onset of activity throughout each periodic episode. A majority of these proprioceptors showed activity during segment contraction with one neuron type activated by segment extension. Different timing of activity of contraction-sensing proprioceptors was related to distinct dendrite terminal targeting, providing a continuum of position encoding during all phases of crawling. These dynamics could endow different proprioceptors with specific roles in monitoring the progression of contraction waves, as well as body shape during other behaviors. We provide activity measurements during exploration as one example. Our results provide powerful new insights into the body-wide neuronal dynamics of the proprioceptive system in crawlingDrosophila, and demonstrate the utility of our approach for characterization of neural encoding throughout the nervous system of a freely behaving animal.
Phase separation and nucleosome compaction are governed by the same domain of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
Authors: Plys Aaron J. , Davis Christopher P. , Kim Jongmin , Rizki Gizem , Keenen Madeline M. , Marr Sharon K. , Kingston Robert E.
Published: November 2018

Mammalian development requires effective mechanisms to repress genes whose expression would generate inappropriately specified cells. The Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) family complexes are central to maintaining this repression1. These include a set of canonical PRC1 complexes that each contain four core proteins, including one from the CBX family. These complexes have previously been shown to reside in membraneless organelles called Polycomb bodies, leading to speculation that canonical PRC1 might be found in a separate phase from the rest of the nucleus2,3. We show here that reconstituted PRC1 readily phase separates into droplets in vitro at low concentrations and physiological salt conditions. This behavior is driven by the CBX2 subunit. Point mutations in an internal domain of CBX2 eliminate phase separation. These same point mutations eliminate the formation of puncta in cells, and have previously been shown to eliminate nucleosome compaction in vitro4 and to generate axial patterning defects in mice5. Thus, a single domain in CBX2 is required for phase separation and nucleosome compaction, a finding that relates these functions to each other and to proper development.
Rickettsia Sca2 Recruits Two Actin Subunits for Nucleation but Lacks WH2 Domains
Authors: Alqassim SS , Lee IG , Dominguez R
Published: November 2018

The Rickettsia ~1,800 amino acid autotransporter protein Sca2 promotes actin polymerization on the surface of the bacterium to drive its movement using an actin comet tail mechanism. Sca2 mimics eukaryotic formins in that it promotes both actin filament nucleation and elongation and competes with capping protein to generate filaments that are long and unbranched. However, despite these functional similarities, Sca2 is structurally unrelated to eukaryotic formins and achieves these functions through an entirely different mechanism. Thus, while formins are dimeric, Sca2 functions as a monomer. However, Sca2 displays intramolecular interactions and functional cooperativity between its N- and C-terminal domains that are crucial for actin nucleation and elongation. Here, we map the interaction of N- and C-terminal fragments of Sca2 and their contributions to actin binding and nucleation. We find that both the N- and C-terminal regions of Sca2 interact with actin monomers, but only weakly, whereas the full-length protein binds two actin monomers with high affinity. Moreover, deletions at both ends of the N- and C-terminal regions disrupt their ability to interact with each other, suggesting that they form a contiguous ring-like structure that wraps around two actin subunits, analogous to the formin homology-2 (FH2) domain. The discovery of Sca2 as an actin nucleator followed the identification of what appeared to be a repeat of three WH2 domains in the middle of the molecule, consistent with the presence of WH2 domains in most actin nucleators. However, we show here that contrary to previous assumptions Sca2 does not contain WH2 domains, and that the corresponding region is folded as a globular domain that cooperates with other parts of the Sca2 molecule for actin binding and nucleation.
Untangling the Evolutionary History of European Bison (Bison bonasus)
Authors: van Loenen Ayla L. , Hofman-Kamińska Emilia , Mitchell Kieren J. , Llamas Bastien , Bocherens Hervé , Soubrier Julien , Heiniger Holly , Pacher Martina , Makowiecki Daniel , Piličiauskienė Giedrė , Drucker Dorothée , Kowalczyk Rafał , Cooper Alan
Published: November 2018

European bison (Bison bonasus) are the largest endemic vertebrates in Europe, and one of the few megafaunal species to have survived the mass megafaunal extinction during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition (12-9 thousand years ago). Untangling their evolutionary history would provide valuable information about the response of European megafauna to periods of rapid environmental change. However, a severe and recent population bottleneck obscures much of the population history that could be inferred from the genomes of modern individuals. While several studies have attempted to analyse ancient European bison populations directly using ancient DNA, their datasets were limited in temporal and geographic range. In this study we present the most comprehensive dataset of ancient European bison mitochondrial genomes to date, with 131 ancient bison samples from across the Eurasian continent covering over 50 thousand years. We reveal patterns of bison distribution and concurrent environmental changes across a broad geographical and temporal range. In particular, population expansions following periods of extensive forest reduction combined with a decrease in anthropogenic pressures suggest that European bison remain preferentially adapted to an open steppe environment through to the present day.
Sparse Binary Relation Representations for Genome Graph Annotation
Authors: Karasikov Mikhail , Mustafa Harun , Joudaki Amir , Javadzadeh-No Sara , Rätsch Gunnar , Kahles André
Published: November 2018

High-throughput DNA sequencing data is accumulating in public repositories, and efficient approaches for storing and indexing such data are in high demand. In recent research, several graph data structures have been proposed to represent large sets of sequencing data and to allow for efficient querying of sequences. In particular, the concept of labeled de Bruijn graphs has been explored by several groups. While there has been good progress towards representing the sequence graph in small space, methods for storing a set of labels on top of such graphs are still not sufficiently explored. It is also currently not clear how characteristics of the input data, such as the sparsity and correlations of labels, can help to inform the choice of method to compress the graph labeling. In this work, we present a new compression approach, Multi-BRWT, which is adaptive to different kinds of input data. We show an up to 29% improvement in compression performance over the basic BRWT method, and up to a 68% improvement over the current state-of-the-art for de Bruijn graph label compression. To put our results into perspective, we present a systematic analysis of five different state-of-the-art annotation compression schemes, evaluate key metrics on both artificial and real-world data and discuss how different data characteristics influence the compression performance. We show that the improvements of our new method can be robustly reproduced for different representative real-world datasets.
Extraordinary Fast-Twitch Fiber Abundance in Elite Weightlifters
Authors: Serrano Nathan , Colenso-Semple Lauren M. , Lazauskus Kara K. , Siu Jeremy W. , Bagley James R. , Lockie Robert G. , Costa Pablo B. , Galpin Andrew J.
Published: November 2018

Human skeletal muscle fibers exist across a continuum of slow → fast-twitch. The amount of each fibertype(FT) influences muscle performance but remains largely unexplored in elite athletes, particularly from strength/power sports. To address this nescience,vastus lateralis(VL) biopsies were performed on World/Olympic (female, n=6, “WCF”) and National-caliber (female, n=9, “NCF”; and male, n=6, “NCM”) American weightlifters. Participant accolades included 3 Olympic Games, 19 World Championships, 25 National records, and >170 National/International medals. Samples were analyzed for myosin heavy chain (MHC) content via SDS-PAGE using two distinct techniques: single fiber (SF) distribution (%) and homogenate (HG) composition. These athletes displayed the highest MHC IIa concentrations ever reported in healthyVL(23±9% I, 5±3% I/IIa, 67±13% IIa, and 6±10% IIa/IIx), with WCF expressing a notable 71±17% (NCF=67±8%, NCM=63±16%). The heavyweights accounted for 91% of the MHC IIa/IIx fibers. When compared to SF, HG overestimated MHC I (23±9 vs. 31±9%) and IIx (0±0 vs. 3±6%) by misclassifying I/IIa fibers as I and IIa/IIx fibers as IIx. These findings suggest athlete caliber (World vs. National), training experience, and body mass determine FT% more than sex and refutes the common pronouncement that women possess more slow and fewer fast-twitch fibers than men. Our results also show the abundance of pure MHC IIa and rarity of IIx in elite strength/power-trained athletes, indicate a potential link between MHC IIa/IIx frequency and body mass, and question the fidelity of HG as a measure of FT% distribution. The extreme fast-twitch abundance partially explains how elite weightlifters generate high forces in rapid time-frames. These data highlight the need for more cellular and molecular muscle research on elite anaerobic athletes.
Short-term fasting selectively influences impulsivity in healthy individuals
Authors: Howard Maxine , Roiser Jonathan P , Gilbert Sam , Burgess Paul W , Dayan Peter , Serpell Lucy
Published: November 2018

Previous research has shown that short-term fasting in healthy individuals (HIs) is associated with changes in risky decision-making. The current experiment was designed to examine the influence of short-term fasting in HIs on four types of impulsivity: reflection impulsivity, risky decision-making, delay aversion, and action inhibition. HIs were tested twice, once when fasted for 20 hours, and once when satiated. Participants demonstrated impaired action inhibition when fasted; committing significantly more errors of commission during a food-related Affective Shifting Task. Participants also displayed decreased reflection impulsivity when fasted, opening significantly more boxes during the Information Sampling Task (IST). There were no significant differences in performance between fasted and satiated sessions for risky decision-making or delay aversion. These findings may have implications for understanding eating disorders such as Bulimia Nervosa (BN). Although BN has been characterised as a disorder of poor impulse control, inconsistent findings when comparing individuals with BN and HIs on behavioural measures of impulsivity question this characterisation. Since individuals with BN undergo periods of short-term fasting, the inconsistent findings could be due to differences in the levels of satiation of participants. The current results indicate that fasting can selectively influence performance on the IST, a measure of impulsivity previously studied in BN. However, the results from the IST were contrary to the original hypothesis and should be replicated before specific conclusions can be made.
Structure and properties of Na5FeSi4O12 crystallized from 5Na2O–Fe2O3–8SiO2 glass
Authors: Ahmadzadeh Mostafa , Olds Travis A. , Scrimshire Alex , Bingham Paul A. , McCloy John S.
Published: November 2018

The phase Na5FeSi4O12 [pentasodium iron(III) silicate] crystallizes readily from the Na2O–Fe2O3–SiO2 glass system in a relatively large compositional range. However, its crystal structure and properties have not been studied in detail since its discovery in 1930. In this work, the Na5FeSi4O12 phase was crystallized from a host glass with 5Na2O·Fe2O3·8SiO2 stoichiometry, and both the glass and the crystal were studied. It was found that the Na5FeSi4O12 phase crystallizes at ∼720 °C from the glass and melts at ∼830 °C when heated at a rate of 10 °C min−1. The crystal structure was solved using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and the refined data are reported for the first time for the Na5FeSi4O12 phase. It exhibits trigonal symmetry, space group R\overline{3}c, with a = 21.418 and c = 12.2911 Å. The Na atoms located between adjacent structural channels exhibit positional disorder and splitting which was only refined by using low-temperature data collection (150 K). While ∼7% of the total Fe cations occur as Fe2+ in the glass, four-coordinated Fe3+ constitutes ∼93% of the total Fe cations. However, iron in the crystal, which exhibits a paramagnetic behavior, is solely present as six-coordinated Fe3+. The magnetic and vibrational properties of the glass and crystal are discussed to provide additional insight into the structure.
New triple molybdate Rb2AgIn(MoO4)3: synthesis, framework crystal structure and ion-transport behaviour
Authors: Spiridonova Tatyana S. , Solodovnikov Sergey F. , Savina Aleksandra A. , Kadyrova Yulia M. , Solodovnikova Zoya A. , Yudin Vasiliy N. , Stefanovich Sergey Yu. , Khaikina Elena G.
Published: November 2018

A new triple molybdate, Rb2Ag1+3x
In1–x
(MoO4)3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.02), was found in the course of a study of the system Rb2MoO4–Ag2MoO4–In2(MoO4)3 and was synthesized as both powders and single crystals by solid-state reactions and spontaneous crystallization from melts. The structure of Rb2Ag1+3x
In1–x
(MoO4)3 (x ≈ 0.004) is of a new type crystallizing in the centrosymmetric space group R\overline{3}c [a = 10.3982 (9), c = 38.858 (4) Å, Z = 12 and R = 0.0225] and contains (In,Ag)O6 octahedra and distorted Ag1O6 trigonal prisms linked by common faces to form [Ag(In,Ag)O9] dimers connected to each other via MoO4 tetrahedra into an open three-dimensional (3D) framework. Between two adjacent [Ag(In,Ag)O9] dimers along the c axis, an extra Ag2O6 trigonal prism with about 1% occupancy was found. The Ag1O6 and Ag2O6 prisms are located at levels of z ≈ 1/12, 1/4, 5/12, 7/12, 3/4 and 11/12, and can facilitate two-dimensional ionic conductivity. The 12-coordinate Rb atoms are in the framework cavities. The structure of Rb2AgIn(MoO4)3 is a member of the series of rhombohedral 3D framework molybdate structure types with a ≈ 9–10 Å and long c axes, which contain rods of face-shared filled and empty coordination polyhedra around threefold axes. Electrical conductivity of ceramics is measured by impedance spectroscopy. Rb2AgIn(MoO4)3 undergoes a `blurred' first-order phase transition at 535 K with increasing electrical conductivity up to 1.1 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 720 K. Thus, the compound may be of interest for developing new materials with high ionic conductivity at elevated temperatures.
Increasing diversity, awareness, and inclusion in corporate culture: investigating communities of practice and resource groups among employees
Authors: Dutton Kelly
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Diversity is increasing and there are huge benefits to organizations in supporting this, both for their employees and their customer base. A means of providing support to employees is the creation of employee resource groups (ERGs) which provide a safe community to discuss issues, have a voice, increase visibility, and receive learning and development opportunities, both formally and informally. ERGs can raise awareness throughout the organization to non-members and business leaders alike, reducing stereotypical thinking and increasing integration. This has wider benefits in terms of reducing employee turnover and creating an inclusive, productive workforce.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information, and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Managing mining project documentation using human language technology
Authors: Tomašević Aleksandra , Stanković Ranka , Utvić Miloš , Obradović Ivan , Kolonja Božo
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a system, which would enable efficient management and exploitation of documentation in electronic form, related to mining projects, with information retrieval and information extraction (IE) features, using various language resources and natural language processing.

Design/methodology/approach

The system is designed to integrate textual, lexical, semantic and terminological resources, enabling advanced document search and extraction of information. These resources are integrated with a set of Web services and applications, for different user profiles and use-cases.

Findings

The use of the system is illustrated by examples demonstrating keyword search supported by Web query expansion services, search based on regular expressions, corpus search based on local grammars, followed by extraction of information based on this search and finally, search with lexical masks using domain and semantic markers.

Originality/value

The presented system is the first software solution for implementation of human language technology in management of documentation from the mining engineering domain, but it is also applicable to other engineering and non-engineering domains. The system is independent of the type of alphabet (Cyrillic and Latin), which makes it applicable to other languages of the Balkan region related to Serbian, and its support for morphological dictionaries can be applied in most morphologically complex languages, such as Slavic languages. Significant search improvements and the efficiency of IE are based on semantic networks and terminology dictionaries, with the support of local grammars.
Fred Harvey and the Harvey girls
Authors: Ford Robert C. , Van Fleet David D.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the management innovations developed and implemented by the Harvey House restaurants with specific attention to those human resource policies and procedures that were created to use what many believe to be the first large-scale use of single women working away from home, the famous Harvey Girls. A second purpose of this paper is to use bricolage theory to frame the innovations that Harvey pioneered to illustrate how the theory pertains to this entrepreneur who civilized dining in the “Wild West.”

Design/methodology/approach

This paper relies on secondary and archival sources to inform its points and rationale.

Findings

Fred Harvey applied his experience-gained knowledge to invent a system that would provide meals to railroad travelers along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad that were not only consistently excellent and reasonably priced but also could be served within the tight time limits of train stops for fuel and water. The precision of his service standards was innovative and required trained and disciplined servers. To deliver the quality of service for which his company became known across the “Wild West.” Harvey invented his famous Harvey Girls.

Originality/value

Fred Harvey’s invention of the Harvey Girls represents the first large-scale employment of women and required the invention of human resource management policies, procedures and processes. This is the story of how this management innovator successfully applied entrepreneurial bricolage to bring civilized dining to the “Wild West.”
Place–brand stereotypes: does stereotype-consistent messaging matter?
Authors: Bauer Brittney C. , Johnson Clark D. , Singh Nitish
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address an overarching question: Does matching consumer place–brand associations with stereotype-consistent messaging affect consumer perceptions of an advertisement?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents two experiments that examine participants’ differing evaluations of advertisements under various experimental conditions. Study 1 examines the match of place–brand warmth versus competence stereotypes and the use of symbolic versus utilitarian advertising messaging for both new foreign and domestic brands. Study 2 examines this match for global brands.

Findings

The paper reveals that stereotype-consistent messaging increases the perceived fit between the advertisement and the brand for new foreign brands but not for new domestic or global brands. Furthermore, in a post-hoc analysis, this congruence is found to improve attitude towards the brand, purchase intentions and brand response, through the mediating effect of attitude towards the ad.

Originality/value

Place–brand stereotypes impact consumer attitudes and opinions regarding brands from different countries. This paper applies two universal social judgment dimensions from social psychology—warmth and competence—to the novel context of advertising messaging to examine previously unexplored facets of the place–brand image.
A corpus of debunked and verified user-generated videos
Authors: Papadopoulou Olga , Zampoglou Markos , Papadopoulos Symeon , Kompatsiaris Ioannis
Published: November 2018

Purpose

As user-generated content (UGC) is entering the news cycle alongside content captured by news professionals, it is important to detect misleading content as early as possible and avoid disseminating it. The purpose of this paper is to present an annotated dataset of 380 user-generated videos (UGVs), 200 debunked and 180 verified, along with 5,195 near-duplicate reposted versions of them, and a set of automatic verification experiments aimed to serve as a baseline for future comparisons.

Design/methodology/approach

The dataset was formed using a systematic process combining text search and near-duplicate video retrieval, followed by manual annotation using a set of journalism-inspired guidelines. Following the formation of the dataset, the automatic verification step was carried out using machine learning over a set of well-established features.

Findings

Analysis of the dataset shows distinctive patterns in the spread of verified vs debunked videos, and the application of state-of-the-art machine learning models shows that the dataset poses a particularly challenging problem to automatic methods.

Research limitations/implications

Practical limitations constrained the current collection to three platforms: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, there exists a wealth of information that can be drawn from the dataset analysis, which goes beyond the constraints of a single paper. Extension to other platforms and further analysis will be the object of subsequent research.

Practical implications

The dataset analysis indicates directions for future automatic video verification algorithms, and the dataset itself provides a challenging benchmark.

Social implications

Having a carefully collected and labelled dataset of debunked and verified videos is an important resource both for developing effective disinformation-countering tools and for supporting media literacy activities.

Originality/value

Besides its importance as a unique benchmark for research in automatic verification, the analysis also allows a glimpse into the dissemination patterns of UGC, and possible telltale differences between fake and real content.
What empowers Egyptian women: resources versus social constrains?
Authors: Nazier Hanan , Ramadan Racha
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to tackle an important question related to women’s economic empowerment in highly patriarchal societies like Egypt. The paper discusses individual, household, wealth and location factors determining women empowerment, as measured by two dimensions: decision-making power and mobility.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the “Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey” (ELMPS) 2012, a Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model was estimated to study the main economic resources and social constraints that determine women empowerment as measured by the power of women over household decisions and her freedom of movement in Egypt.

Findings

Three key messages could be delivered. First, women’s own economic resources as captured by her employment status are an important source of her empowerment. Second, contrary to theoretical prediction education is not playing its expected role in developing awareness and transforming ideas concerning gender roles in Egypt. Third, the importance of social local context is fundamental for Egyptian women empowerment.

Originality/value

This study is an attempt to address some of the gaps in the literature for the Egyptian case, where there is a lack in rigorous studies measuring women empowerment and examining its determinates. This is done by first, tackling multiple dimension of women’s empowerment, decision-making inside households and freedom of mobility. Second, using MIMIC model, which is a modeling approach that allows for studying the relations between several causes of a given latent variable, such as “Empowerment” in our case, and a number of its possible indicators, without a directly observable measure of the latent variable. Third, using the most recent set of data; the ELMPS 2012 which has a special focus on women’s resources and agency that permits greater content validity of the multidimensional setup. Forth, the macro level differences in women’s status are tackled through using location dummy variables. Finally, given the important correlation between wealth level and women empowerment, the paper is considered a first attempt to analyze such impact by including a variable that captures the wealth level of the woman’s household as one determinant of empowerment.
Intra‐survey reservoir fluctuations – implications for quantitative 4D seismic analysis
Authors: Omofoma Veronica , MacBeth Colin , Amini Hamed
Published: November 2018

During the time taken for seismic data to be acquired, reservoir pressure may fluctuate as a consequence of field production and operational procedures and fluid fronts may move significantly. These variations prevent accurate quantitative measurement of the reservoir change using 4D seismic data. Modelling studies on the Norne field simulation model using acquisition data from ocean‐bottom seismometer and towed streamer systems indicate that the pre‐stack intra‐survey reservoir fluctuations are important and cannot be neglected. Similarly, the time‐lapse seismic image in the post‐stack domain does not represent a difference between two states of the reservoir at a unique base and monitor time, but is a mixed version of reality that depends on the sequence and timing of seismic shooting. The outcome is a lack of accuracy in the measurement of reservoir changes using the resulting processed and stacked 4D seismic data. Even for perfect spatial repeatability between surveys, a spatially variant noise floor is still anticipated to remain. For our particular North Sea acquisition data, we find that towed streamer data are more affected than the ocean‐bottom seismometer data. We think that this may be typical for towed streamers due to their restricted aperture compared to ocean‐bottom seismometer acquisitions, even for a favourable time sequence of shooting and spatial repeatability. Importantly, the pressure signals on the near and far offset stacks commonly used in quantitative 4D seismic inversion are found to be inconsistent due to the acquisition timestamp. Saturation changes at the boundaries of fluid fronts appear to show a similar inconsistency across sub‐stacks. We recommend that 4D data are shot in a consistent manner to optimize aerial time coverage, and that additionally, the timestamp of the acquisition should be used to optimize pre‐stack quantitative reservoir analysis.
Fencing for wildlife disease control
Authors: Mysterud Atle , Rolandsen Christer M.
Published: November 2018

Fencing is a contentious issue due to its impact on conservation. The Danish government aims to establish a 70 km fence towards the border of Germany and the agricultural ministry of Bulgaria erected 133 km fences along the border with Romania to prevent the spread of African swine fever by wild boar. The Norwegian government recently erected 24 km of fencing as part of combating chronic wasting disease among reindeer. Europe therefore faces a new situation: fencing to limit emerging wildlife diseases. There is, however, surprisingly little scientific literature available on the efficacy of fencing for controlling wildlife disease.

Fencing to combat disease include (a) “perimeter fencing” aiming for containment and reducing likelihood of geographic spread, and (b) “hot spot fencing” aiming to lower transmission rates within endemic disease areas. Critical limitations of perimeter fencing include: numerous practical and construction details, differences in animal behaviour relative to fences, animal contact along fences, placement relative to natural barriers, human infrastructure that disrupt continuous fencing, and mode of disease transmission including human‐aided disease spread.

Hot spot fencing is a potentially important way of reducing transmission of diseases once endemic but materials and construction of fences need to be well thought through. A single fence breach does not have the same consequences as for perimeter fencing.

Synthesis and applications. Fencing as a tactic to mitigate the spread of disease appears appealing to politicians, but implementation uncertainty is considerable. We fear efforts may be futile unless more attention is paid to both practical and biological detail. There is also an urgent need to build a more evidence‐based approach using experience from other sectors.
Seed moisture content as a primary trait regulating the lethal temperature thresholds of seeds
Authors: Tangney Ryan , Merritt David J. , Fontaine Joseph B. , Miller Ben P.
Published: November 2018

Fire has long shaped biological responses of plants and plant communities in many ecosystems; yet, uncontrolled wildfire frequently puts people and infrastructure at risk. Fuel or hazard reduction burning outside of the historic fire season is a common and widespread practice aimed at reducing the risk of high‐severity fires, which ideally also considers biodiversity values. Within fire‐prone systems, seed banks are critical for plant species’ regeneration, and seeds are typically adapted to survive the passage of fire and to regenerate in response to cues associated with historic fire regimes. However, species‐specific tolerances to the heat from fire exist; likely influenced by a range of physical, physiological, and morphological seed traits, which may differ between seasons. The identification of these tolerances and associated seed traits may inform fire and species management.

We determined the lethal temperatures for seeds in relation to their moisture content, and other key traits that we hypothesised may be associated with survival. Seeds from 14 native species and 4 species non‐native to fire‐prone Mediterranean climate Banksia woodlands of south‐west Western Australia were exposed to temperatures between 50 and 180°C for 3 min at three different moisture contents. The temperature at which half the seeds were killed (T50) was estimated using nonlinear modelling. Seed mass, seed shape, embryo type, plant resprouting ability, seed storage syndrome, and native/non‐native status were quantified and modelled for their relationship with T50.

Increased moisture content was a significant predictor of elevated seed mortality. Seeds with higher moisture (95% relative humidity [RH]) content perished at much lower temperatures. Seeds with low moisture content (15% or 50% RH) were able to survive significantly higher temperatures (median increase of 38 and 31°C higher respectively). Seeds with basal embryos showed significantly lower T50 than other embryo types.

Synthesis. Seeds with elevated moisture contents have lower lethal temperature thresholds, leading to increased seed mortality during fire events when seeds (and soils) are moist. Thermal tolerance varied among coexisting species within this fire‐prone system. These data suggest potential concern for the impacts of aseasonal burning practices (i.e., cool/wet season burning), and highlight the importance of taking seed moisture content into account when planning and implementing prescribed burning.
Class and status: on the misconstrual of the conceptual distinction and a neo‐Bourdieusian alternative
Authors: Paalgard Flemmen Magne , Jarness Vegard , Rosenlund Lennart
Published: November 2018

In this article, we address the classical debate about the relationship between the economic and cultural aspects of social stratification, typically cast in terms of Weber’s distinction between class and status. We discuss in particular Chan and Goldthorpe’s influential, yet largely unchallenged, attempt to reinstate a strict version of the class‐status distinction, mounted as an attack on ‘Bourdieusian’ accounts. We argue that this is unconvincing in two respects: There are fundamental problems with their conceptualization of status, producing a peculiar account where one expression of status honour explains the other; in addition, their portrayal of the Bourdieusian approach as one‐dimensional is highly questionable. In contradiction of a reading of Bourdieu as discarding the class‐status distinction, we develop an alternative, neo‐Bourdieusian account that recognizes class and status as distinct aspects of stratification, thereby allowing for a subtle analysis of their empirical entwinement. The fruitfulness of this approach is demonstrated by analysing the homology between the space of lifestyles and the social space through Multiple Correspondence Analysis of unusually rich data about lifestyles. Importantly, we highlight the relative autonomy of these spaces: Although they exhibit a similar structure, they do not overlap completely.
Sex‐specific influence of the vacuolar adenosine triphosphatase a2 isoform on outcome in twin pregnancies
Authors: Sisti Giovanni , Di Tommaso Mariarosaria , Paccosi Sara , Parenti Astrid , Di Rienzo Giulia , Campana Dante , Witkin Steven S.
Published: November 2018

Problem

The influence of fetal sex on immune responses in multifetal pregnancies remains incompletely elucidated. The a2 isoform of vacuolar adenosine triphosphatase (a2V) is expressed on the cell membrane of maternal lymphoid cells and contributes to down‐regulation of pro‐inflammatory immune responses during gestation. The association between fetal sex and a2V expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from mothers with twin gestations was assessed.

Method of study

Patients in this prospective study were 93 women with twin pregnancies in their mid‐second or early third trimester—27 with two male, 30 with two female and 36 with one male and one female fetus. PBMCs were isolated and a2V was measured by ELISA in cell lysates. Demographic and clinical data were subsequently obtained and correlations between a2V and fetal sex, birthweight and pregnancy outcome were assessed by the Mann‐Whitney and Spearman rank correlation tests.

Results

The mean a2V level was highest when both fetuses were male (2.0 ng/mL) and lowest when both were female (1.5 ng/mL; P = 0.0184). Only when both fetuses were female did the a2V concentration negatively correlate with birthweight of the 1st (P = 0.0011) and 2nd (P = 0.0044) born fetus and with gestational age at delivery (P = 0.0018). There were no associations between a2V and these outcomes in male only or mixed twin pregnancies.

Conclusion

We conclude that the a2V‐mediated regulation of maternal immunity during twin pregnancies is influenced by fetal sex.
Pre‐treatment wait time for head and neck cancer patients in Western Australia: description of a new metric and examination of predictive factors
Authors: Flukes Stephanie , Garry Stephen , Hinton‐Bayre Anton , Lindsay Andrew
Published: November 2018

Background

Prolonged pre‐treatment wait times in head and neck cancer are associated with increased morbidity and reduced survival. Traditional metrics exclude delays prior to biopsy, which represents an important and measurable period of time. This study aims to describe total wait time for head and neck cancer patients in our institution, to define a more accurate representation of the clinically relevant pre‐treatment wait time, and to evaluate predictive factors for prolonged wait times.

Methods

A retrospective review of head and neck cancer patients treated over 2 years in a tertiary referral centre was conducted. Patient demographics, referral symptoms, tumour details, treatment plan and key dates were analysed to identify total wait time and factors predictive of increased wait time.

Results

Two hundred and ninety‐four patients were included. Mean total wait time from initial referral to treatment initiation was 71.6 (median 61) days. The period from referral to biopsy represented 29% of mean total wait time. Factors predictive of increased wait time included presenting symptom of hoarseness, laryngeal cancer and treatment with definitive radiotherapy.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that time from referral to biopsy represents a significant portion of total wait time, and we suggest that this be incorporated into future wait time metrics for improved clinical relevance. Furthermore, we have identified factors predicting increased wait time which can be targeted for future service improvement.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: defecography should be a first‐line diagnostic modality in patients with refractory constipation
Authors: Grossi Ugo , Di Tanna Gian Luca , Heinrich Henriette , Taylor Stuart A. , Knowles Charles H. , Scott S. Mark
Published: November 2018

Background

Defecography is considered the reference standard for the assessment of pelvic floor anatomy and function in patients with a refractory evacuation disorder. However, the overlap of radiologically significant findings seen in patients with chronic constipation (CC) and healthy volunteers is poorly defined.

Aim

To systematically review rates of structural and functional abnormalities diagnosed by barium defecography and/or magnetic resonance imaging defecography (MRID) in patients with symptoms of CC and in healthy volunteers.

Methods

Electronic searches of major databases were performed without date restrictions.

Results

From a total of 1760 records identified, 175 full‐text articles were assessed for eligibility. 63 studies were included providing data on outcomes of 7519 barium defecographies and 668 MRIDs in patients with CC, and 225 barium defecographies and 50 MRIDs in healthy volunteers. Pathological high‐grade (Oxford III and IV) intussuscepta and large (>4 cm) rectoceles were diagnosed in 23.7% (95% CI: 16.8‐31.4) and 15.9% (10.4‐22.2) of patients, respectively. Enterocele and perineal descent were observed in 16.8% (12.7‐21.4) and 44.4% (36.2‐52.7) of patients, respectively. Barium defecography detected more intussuscepta than MRID (OR: 1.52 [1.12‐2.14]; P = 0.009]). Normative data for both barium defecography and MRID structural and functional parameters were limited, particularly for MRID (only one eligible study).

Conclusions

Pathological structural abnormalities, as well as functional abnormalities, are common in patients with chronic constipation. Since structural abnormalities cannot be evaluated using nonimaging test modalities (balloon expulsion and anorectal manometry), defecography should be considered the first‐line diagnostic test if resources allow.
Flagging the nations: Citizens’ active engagements with everyday nationalism in Patagonia, Chile
Authors: Benwell Matthew C. , Núñez Andrés , Amigo Catalina
Published: November 2018

Geographical scholarship examining banal and everyday nationalism has tended to frame national flags as abstract and passive objects that are taken for granted and incorporated into the daily lives of citizens in mindless ways. In contrast, this paper acknowledges flags as lively material objects that can be enrolled by citizens to make political points and generate certain “affective atmospheres.” It argues that the recognition of agency in debates concerning everyday nationalism needs to be pushed further to acknowledge the conscious and active negotiations of national objects like flags, to account for the diverse ways nations can be practised and performed by citizens. To illustrate our arguments we focus on the memories and reflections of citizens involved in protests in the Aysén region of Chilean Patagonia in 2012. During these incidents, citizens deployed different flags in provocative ways to draw attention to their reclamations and apply pressure on the Chilean state to improve socio‐economic conditions in the region. The legacies of events like the 2012 protests and the associated (re)appropriation of national flags enables an interrogation of citizens’ everyday identifications with nations in this border region of Patagonia. More broadly, we use the example to call for the materialities of flags as active objects to be the subject of further geographical inquiry, as one way to reinvigorate explorations of political agency and everyday nationalism.