Neural activity in the reward-related brain regions predicts implicit self-esteem: A novel validity test of psychological measures using neuroimaging

Self-esteem, arguably the most important attitudes an individual possesses, has been a premier research topic in psychology for more than a century. Following a surge of interest in implicit attitude measures in the 90s, researchers have tried to assess self-esteem implicitly in order to circumvent the influence of biases inherent in explicit measures. However, the validity of implicit self-esteem measures remains elusive. Critical tests are often inconclusive, as the validity of such measures is examined in the backdrop of imperfect behavioral measures. To overcome this serious limitation, we tested the neural validity of the most widely used implicit self-esteem measure, the implicit association test (IAT). Given (1) the conceptualization of self-esteem as attitude toward the self, and (2) neuroscience findings that the reward-related brain regions represent an individual’s attitude or preference for an object when viewing its image, individual differences in implicit self-esteem should be associated with neural signals in the reward-related regions during passive-viewing of self-face (the most obvious representation of the self). Using multi-voxel pattern analyses (MVPA) on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, we demonstrated that the neural signals in the reward-related regions were robustly associated with implicit (but not explicit) self-esteem, thus providing unique evidence for the neural validity of the self-esteem IAT. In addition, both implicit and explicit self-esteem were related, although differently, to neural signals in regions involved in self-processing. Our finding highlights the utility of neuroscience methods in addressing fundamental psychological questions and providing unique insights into important psychological constructs

Shedding light on the ‘dark side’ of phylogenetic comparative methods

ORCID: 0000-0003-4919-8655© 2016 The Authors. Methods in Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The attached file is the published version of the article

Activism, Science and the Infinite Game: Exploring the relationship between science and environmental activism

According to James Carse, humanity plays two types of games. We play games that are finite and games that are infinite. As human activity alters the biosphere, ecosystems are collapsing, biodiversity is declining, and the climate is changing. In the face of these challenges, the games of scientists, science communicators and environmental activists often align or intersect. This thesis explores the relationship between science and environmental activism, and how they affect one another’s finite and infinite games. The discussion covers how they positively affect one another’s games and how they negatively affect one another’s games, with case studies to illustrate each relationship. I found that science can be a tool in activists’ games to reform policy, challenge industries, and empower communities at the forefront of environmental conflicts. Activism can motivate scientific investigations, strategically further the public and political reach of research, and contribute to the epistemic integrity of the sciences. Activism can negatively affect science by obscuring scientific findings, jeopardising the credibility of scientific efforts, and perpetuating a combative approach to environmental challenges. Furthermore, science can negatively affect activism by diverting the public imagination from relationships that enable environmental injustice, by perpetuating epistemic injustice, and undermining emotions in environmental conflicts. This exploration sheds light on how the games of activists and scientists can further the infinite game for environmental justice, but also on the ways their games reinforce socio-political systems that underpin environmental injustices

The Idea of Absolute Ethical Life: Hegel’s Account of Freedom and Natural Law in His Early Philosophical Works

This dissertation project focuses on G.W.F. Hegel’s early philosophical writings, though primarily on the Natural Law essay (1802/3), and how, through those writings, Hegel positions himself in relation to other thinkers, such as Fichte. Broadly, the modern period saw with it the rise of accounts of what is called natural law. Philosophers prior to Hegel argued that the proper account of natural law must be rooted in some kind of universal framework: either the basis of law must be the shared empirical facts of human nature (empiricism), or the basis of law must be found in the universal demands on what it means to be a rational being (a priorism). Hegel’s essay presents a compelling argument for why such accounts for natural law are inadequate. The first part of this dissertation engages in the exegetical project of understanding Hegel’s critique of prior philosophical methods for generating accounts of natural law. Through an engagement with Fichte’s philosophical works related to the sciences of morality and legality, I recapitulate Hegel’s critique of key elements within Fichte’s philosophical system. These critiques focus on what Hegel argues are the problematic aspects of a philosophical system that is rooted in merely the concept of the Absolute, a one-sided articulation of reality that gives undue primacy to the subjective aspect of human life. I argue that these critiques frame the important philosophical insights that Hegel brings to bear on his account of natural law. Next, I provide an account of why Hegel thinks that the philosophical programs of empiricism and a priorism fail to capture the heart of what it means to think about law within a community. The second part of this dissertation provides an account of Hegel’s conception of absolute ethical life and its ramifications on our thinking about communal life. Beginning with Hegel’s conception of freedom, I explore Hegel’s argument for why a domain of meaning that is prior to individual reveals itself in both positive and negative ways. Furthermore, I show that this argument sets the stage for articulating the impossibility of a system of laws that address the real demands of freedom. Hegel’s argument for why the underlying logic of ethical life is on a path towards a point of indifference provides a compelling answer to the question of how we should understand the relationship between law and the community. One main conclusion of the Natural Law essay is that the basic mode of communal life is grounded in an ongoing tension between the positive content of the community and its institutions and the negative power of the individual to either participate or deny the claims of the community. I articulate why, given the logic of ethical life, the basic mode of participating in communal life involves participating in the birth, life, and death of laws, where the truth of this cycle is in the growth and maintenance of the community through its own tragic self-consumption. Furthermore, I argue that the Natural Law essay provides a framework for incorporating the empirical into an account of natural law through history. Finally, I close by offering some insights from Hegel’s account that are relevant to our current dialogues about what it means to live in a community, specifically that his account of natural law places a demand on how we should engage in dialogues within a historical perspective

A study of long-term potentiation in transgenic mice over-expressing mutant forms of both amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1

RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are.Abstract Synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices have been studied during ageing of a double transgenic mouse strain relevant to early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). This strain, which over-expresses both the 695 amino acid isoform of human amyloid precursor protein (APP) with K670N and M671L mutations and presenilin 1 with the A246E mutation, has accelerated amyloidosis and plaque formation. There was a decrease in synaptic transmission in both wildtype and transgenic mice between 2 and 9 months of age. However, preparing slices from 14 month old animals in kynurenic acid (1 mM) counteracted this age-related deficit. Basal transmission and paired-pulse facilitation was similar between the two groups at all ages (2, 6, 9 and 14 months) tested. Similarly, at all ages LTP, induced either by theta burst stimulation or by multiple tetani, was normal. These data show that a prolonged, substantially elevated level of Aβ are not sufficient to cause deficits in the induction or expression of LTP in the CA1 hippocampal region.Published versio

Outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, April–May, 2018: an epidemiological study

Background On May 8, 2018, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Équateur Province in the northwest of the country. The remoteness of most affected communities and the involvement of an urban centre connected to the capital city and neighbouring countries makes this outbreak the most complex and high risk ever experienced by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We provide early epidemiological information arising from the ongoing investigation of this outbreak. Methods We classified cases as suspected, probable, or confirmed using national case definitions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministère de la Santé Publique. We investigated all cases to obtain demographic characteristics, determine possible exposures, describe signs and symptoms, and identify contacts to be followed up for 21 days. We also estimated the reproduction number and projected number of cases for the 4-week period from May 25, to June 21, 2018. Findings As of May 30, 2018, 50 cases (37 confirmed, 13 probable) of Zaire ebolavirus were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 21 (42%) were reported in Bikoro, 25 (50%) in Iboko, and four (8%) in Wangata health zones. Wangata is part of Mbandaka, the urban capital of Équateur Province, which is connected to major national and international transport routes. By May 30, 2018, 25 deaths from Ebola virus disease had been reported, with a case fatality ratio of 56% (95% CI 39–72) after adjustment for censoring. This case fatality ratio is consistent with estimates for the 2014–16 west African Ebola virus disease epidemic (p=0·427). The median age of people with confirmed or probable infection was 40 years (range 8–80) and 30 (60%) were male. The most commonly reported signs and symptoms in people with confirmed or probable Ebola virus disease were fever (40 [95%] of 42 cases), intense general fatigue (37 [90%] of 41 cases), and loss of appetite (37 [90%] of 41 cases). Gastrointestinal symptoms were frequently reported, and 14 (33%) of 43 people reported haemorrhagic signs. Time from illness onset and hospitalisation to sample testing decreased over time. By May 30, 2018, 1458 contacts had been identified, of which 746 (51%) remained under active follow-up. The estimated reproduction number was 1·03 (95% credible interval 0·83–1·37) and the cumulative case incidence for the outbreak by June 21, 2018, is projected to be 78 confirmed cases (37–281), assuming heterogeneous transmissibility. Interpretation The ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has similar epidemiological features to previous Ebola virus disease outbreaks. Early detection, rapid patient isolation, contact tracing, and the ongoing vaccination programme should sufficiently control the outbreak. The forecast of the number of cases does not exceed the current capacity to respond if the epidemiological situation does not change. The information presented, although preliminary, has been essential in guiding the ongoing investigation and response to this outbreak

SOIL MOISTURE VARIABILITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE HYDROLOGY, EROSION AND MANAGEMENT OF GULLIED CATCHMENTS IN CENTRAL SPAIN

In semi-arid environments, the combination of a non-uniform distribution of vegetation, an often highly irregular terrain and complex geological, pedological and management histories have frequently given rise to considerable spatial variability in the physical and hydrological properties of soils. Heterogeneity within the soil's physical and hydrological properties can result in pronounced differences in infiltration and soil moisture. The hydrological response of semi-arid landscapes to rainfall events may therefore be spatially non-uniform. Quantifying the spatial pattern of hydrological response is important for identifying those areas within the landscape which arc vulnerable to runoff and erosion. Since soil moisture is considered to be a key factor in determining hydrological response and its spatial distribution is a function of the soil's physical and hydrological properties, the spatial and temporal measurement of soil moisture may be used to identify contrasting areas of hydrological response. In a badlands environment located approximately 70 km north of Madrid, central Spain, an experiment was established to describe the temporal and spatial variability in soil moisture at three scales, with the primary aim of furthering the understanding of the hydrological and geomorphological processes operating in semi-arid landscapes. At each measurement scale, the macroscale (25m sampling interval), the mesoscale (gully catchments, 5m sampling interval) and the microscale (1 m sampling interval), two distinct groups of soil moisture conditions emerged related to dry and wet weather conditions. At each measurement scale the maximum variability in soil moisture is similar (>20% volumetric content difference between immediately adjacent sampling points). At the meso and microscale the spatial pattern of soil moisture could be described as a mosaic pattern which during the dry period was more fragmented and variable than during the wet period. The spatial pattern of soil moisture during wet conditions is more uniform due to the development of extensive wet areas within the catchments. During these conditions the range of spatial correlation in soil moisture may double (to greater than 30m) compared to dry conditions, indicating an increase in the spatial continuity of soil moisture. The spatial variability in soil moisture therefore displays a temporal dependency; the mosaic soil moisture pattern is more fragmented and spatially discontinuous during dry than wet conditions. A striking characteristic of the study area is the near horizontal interbedding of sediment horizons which may strongly contrast in their textural composition over relatively short distances. This variability in soil texture and the associated changes in pore size characteristics, were the principal controlling factors in determining the spatial patterns of soil moisture and overrides the known influence of vegetation and topography on soil moisture. During dry conditions the non-uniform uptake of soil moisture by vegetation may partly explain the greater variability in soil moisture observed during this period. The mosaic patterns of soil moisture represent areas of contrasting hydrological response. During dry periods when the mosaic pattern is more fragmented, source areas of overland flow are spatially isolated and surrounded by 'sink' areas capable of re-absorbing runoff and sediment deposition. Hydrological pathways are therefore discontinuous resulting in minimal runoff reaching the catchments channels. Since soil moisture values during this period are below saturation, any runoff which does occur is generated as infiltration excess overland flow. In semi-arid areas spatial variability in soil properties or vegetation patterns may therefore be beneficial for runoff and erosion control by creating a self-regulating system in which runoff producing areas are surrounded by buffer zones capable of re-absorbing the runoff. During wet periods extensive areas of the catchments may be saturated. source areas are no longer spatially isolated and continuous hydrological pathways may develop rapidly during this period. During the wet period when conditions arc above a critical saturation threshold value widespread runoff will occur regardless of the spatial variability in the soil's physical and hydrological properties. The creation of a mosaic pattern in which buffer zones are adjacent to potential runoff producing areas, as identified from spatial soil moisture patterns, may provide the most effective management strategy in runoff and erosion control for degraded semi-arid environments. The creation of a mosaic pattern is most applicable at the watershed scale allowing several land uses, including those which are potentially degrading, to co-exist. Increasing the critical threshold value above which widespread runoff occurs should also.be included as part of this management strategy

SLSC Harford School Letter Regarding Political Unrest

Correspondence from William Fitzjohn to Dr. Addington, mentioning the political unrest and violence in Sierra Leone