bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multilevel analysis of ambidexterity and tagging of specialised projects in project-based information technology firms
Authors: Sohani Shrihari Suresh , Singh Manjari
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the expression of ambidexterity at the “between” projects level as well as the “within” project level in project-based information technology firms (PBITF). The research also provides a framework for the classification of specialised projects. This classification is essential to clarify the level of attention the project will receive with respect to the appropriation of resources and the requisite management bandwidth.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on a nine-month long field-based qualitative study and ensures a rigorous triangulation of the findings through an analysis of archival data and actual project artefacts.

Findings

The authors bring forth three critical implications for practice. First, strategizing ambidexterity at the level of “between” projects and “within” projects is heavily dependent on the interaction among distributed actors and partners. Second, routines and actions to deal with manpower constraints are completely different at these two levels. Lastly, the classification framework of specialised projects proposed here should enable firms to appropriately apportion resources to engagements that are strategic in nature.

Originality/value

The study extends the concept of ambidexterity to the “within” project level and finds it relevant at the lowest level in the project-based structure. Also, the framework for the classification of specialised projects that is provided will assist decision makers in PBIT firms to decide the organisational response to such projects.
Impact of a varied understanding of school bullying
Authors: Chandler Tara
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Traditional school bullying is complex and overlapping, hence research suggests there is a varied definition of the term (Cantyet al., 2016). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential effects of the term bullying on adolescent experiences of bullying. Additionally, the study examined bully, victim, bully-victim, and bystander identity as a moderating factor of experience of the term.

Design/methodology/approach

Research appears to seldom offer adolescents the opportunity to discuss bullying using qualitative methods within naturalistic environments. Therefore, the current study adopted a phenomenological framework for adolescents to share their experiences. Data comprised recordings of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with adolescents (n=20) in high-school settings.

Findings

The current study supported the notion that adolescents perceive a varied use of the term bullying in schools. The sample experience a varied understanding of bullying in which they explain: increases exposure to bullying; impacts social perception of bullying; reduces trust in anti-bullying intervention; reduces coping self-efficacy amongst victims of bullying; and impacts negatively on friendships.

Originality/value

Findings suggest a knowledge deficit in transferring information about school bullying from experts to non-experts. The sample indicated that a varied use of the term bullying has negative impact on their social and emotional functioning particularly; in managing distress and maintaining relationships. Additionally, inconsistent understanding of the term was said to increase the frequency of bullying, perception of bullying, and trust in intervention amongst the sample. Limitations of the research, recommendations for practice and intervention are briefly discussed.
It is rotating leaders who build the swarm: social network determinants of growth for healthcare virtual communities of practice
Authors: Antonacci Grazia , Fronzetti Colladon Andrea , Stefanini Alessandro , Gloor Peter
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing the growth of healthcare virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) through a seven-year longitudinal study conducted using metrics from social-network and semantic analysis. By studying online communication along the three dimensions of social interactions (connectivity, interactivity and language use), the authors aim to provide VCoP managers with valuable insights to improve the success of their communities.

Design/methodology/approach

Communications over a period of seven years (April 2008 to April 2015) and between 14,000 members of 16 different healthcare VCoPs coexisting on the same web platform were analysed. Multilevel regression models were used to reveal the main determinants of community growth over time. Independent variables were derived from social network and semantic analysis measures.

Findings

Results show that structural and content-based variables predict the growth of the community. Progressively, more people will join a community if its structure is more centralised, leaders are more dynamic (they rotate more) and the language used in the posts is less complex.

Research limitations/implications

The available data set included one Web platform and a limited number of control variables. To consolidate the findings of the present study, the experiment should be replicated on other healthcare VCoPs.

Originality/value

The study provides useful recommendations for setting up and nurturing the growth of professional communities, considering, at the same time, the interaction patterns among the community members, the dynamic evolution of these interactions and the use of language. New analytical tools are presented, together with the use of innovative interaction metrics, that can significantly influence community growth, such as rotating leadership.
Embedding innovation pedagogy in teaching journalism
Authors: Drake Merja Mari-Anne
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test how to integrate innovation pedagogy into journalism and information and communication technology (ICT) teaching while creating a new product for a national media industry. The objectives of the study were to create a new joint course model in which students from different degree programmes would learn and create products and services together in three different stages: networked and collaborative learning, group-based learning and individual learning.

Design/methodology/approach

Innovation pedagogy is a practically oriented method and can be used for doing applied research. This new learning approach defines how knowledge is assimilated, produced and used while innovating. The research focus is on applied research, and one vital aim is to enhance students’ ability to participate in research and development activities with businesses and other organisations in society.

Findings

The learning outcomes based on learning at all stages, i.e. individual, group and networks, were successfully achieved, and a new course model was created. However, the model needs further development.

Originality/value

Innovation pedagogy is a new learning approach. Innovation has been a buzz word in education for at least for a decade – some universities have even embedded innovative thinking throughout their curricula, leading to a new learning approach called innovation pedagogy. Could innovation pedagogy help us to achieve better learning outcomes? Do journalists really need innovation competences? Could journalists and ICT students study together? To answer these questions, the authors began an experiment that uses innovation pedagogy.
Internationalization of mobile telecommunications: a systematic literature review
Authors: Dike Marcellinus C. , Rose Elizabeth L.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to map the relevant studies pertaining to internationalization in the mobile telecommunications (telecom) sector, with the aims of reflecting and categorizing what has already been studied on this topic, as a means of guiding future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the systematic literature review methodological approach, adopting the “Antecedents-Phenomenon-Consequences” theoretical framework as a guide. Consistent with this framework, they identify and categorize studies in the academic literature that have discussed the cross-border expansion of mobile telecom firms. Their review is based on 50 research publications, selected based on the relevance of their findings and their underlying arguments. The authors then categorized each piece’s findings and arguments into themes and sub-themes.

Findings

The authors find evidence that mobile network operators (MNOs) are driven into international markets by a collection of factors that can broadly be categorized as either firm-specific/country factors or the desire to capture first-mover advantages (FMAs). They also find evidence that the Uppsala stages model does not provide an appropriate explanation of MNOs’ internationalization patterns, with firms tending to skip posited stages. Market size, the regulatory environment and government policies appear to be key influences in MNOs’ choices of foreign investment locations, and despite being a driver of internationalization, FMAs often erode with the entry of competitors. MNOs tend to prefer collaborative entries over greenfield investments, especially in countries in which telecommunications infrastructure is already in place. Finally, there is no consensus with respect to whether internationality is positively associated with financial performance for MNOs.

Originality/value

This review of the literature offers value to both academia and practice, by providing both insights into what has already been studied with respect to the internationalization of mobile telecom firms and a guide for future research.
Factors affecting strategy implementation
Authors: Obeidat Bader Yousef , Al-Hadidi Alaa , Tarhini Ali , Masa’deh Ra’ed
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the operational process factors that affect successful strategy implementation in the Middle East.

Design/methodology/approach

Five operational process factors were studied (resource availability, communication, operational planning, people, control and feedback). Data were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire from employees who implement and/or are responsible for strategy implementation in 17 pharmaceutical companies. In total, 330 questionnaires were distributed, and a total of 259 were responded with a response rate of 78 per cent.

Findings

Findings revealed that four of the operational process factors, namely, resource availability, communication, operational planning in addition to control and feedback, strongly affect the success of strategy implementation. Further, resource availability was ascertained to be the most influential factor, followed by control and feedback, then by communication, while people factor showed no effect on the implementation process.

Practical implications

It is advised that, during the implementation phase, company management should provide staff employees with the necessary training and instructions to link employee performance with the overall reward and compensation system in the organization and to strengthen effective communication and coordination.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies that cover operational process factors and successful strategy implementation and is the first study to test the model on companies in the pharmaceutical sector in the Middle East.
Analysing the relational components of systemic family therapy through the lenses of self positions and therapeutic alliance: an exploratory study
Authors: Balestra Francesca
Published: July 2017

Several studies have stressed how relational components of therapy account for successful treatment more than techniques and therapeutic models. The relational domain lies at the heart of family therapy, yet systemic research on therapeutic relationship is still scarce. Process research developed different approaches identifying different aspects of the relational components that contribute to a successful psychotherapy. They have been usually considered separately. Building upon a qualitative analysis of the different Self positions in conversation by means of MAPP (Balestra and Fruggeri, ), and the analysis of therapeutic alliance by means of SOFTA (Friedlander et al., ), the purpose of this study is to explore how therapeutic alliance, which has often been considered the main component of the therapeutic relationship in common factors research, interrelates with the discursive construction of Self positions and contexts of meaning. The study stresses how these relational aspects interact in systemic marital and family therapy.

Practitioner points

Outcomes and process studies underline that engagement, alliance, and the emergence of new meanings are the key elements for a successful psychotherapy

Process research tools can detect the different components of the therapeutic relationship and their interconnection in the development of a session

By being aware of the multifaceted components of the therapeutic relationship, clinicians may improve their ability to manage change processes while therapy is progressing
Death From Butane Inhalation Abuse in Teenagers: Two New Case Studies and Review of the Literature
Authors: Alunni Véronique , Gaillard Yvan , Castier François , Piercecchi‐Marti Marie‐Dominique , Quatrehomme Gérald
Published: July 2017

The ready availability of butane makes butane abuse frequent. Fatalities are rare. This study presents two cases of death by butane overdose. The postmortem analyses were carried out using headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. It revealed femoral blood butane concentrations of 18 and 22 mg/L, respectively, as well as specific combinations of adjuvants in each victim. In one of the victims, brain and fatty tissue also contained butane, pointing to chronic consumption. The originality of this study is to show that the identification of specific combinations of adjuvants can be helpful for identifying the brand of deodorant used. Also, sampling the skin and mucosa can help identify the method of drug delivery. The histological examination documented both the direct toxic effect of the gas on the respiratory mucosa and signs of chronic abuse. Volatile substance intoxications should be systematically considered in case of sudden death in a teenager.
When is a sentinel node biopsy indicated for patients with primary melanoma? An update of the ‘Australian guidelines for the management of cutaneous melanoma’
Authors: Gyorki David E , Barbour Andrew , Hanikeri Mark , Mar Victoria , Sandhu Shahneen , Thompson John F
Published: July 2017

A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a surgical staging procedure performed for patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who are clinically lymph‐node negative to determine whether there is low volume nodal metastasis in the draining lymph node field. A systematic review was recently performed to update the Australian clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of melanoma, addressing the question, ‘When is a sentinel lymph node biopsy indicated?’ This article discusses the findings of the systematic review and the evidence base for the updated guidelines.
DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa: a historical review
Authors: Rex A. S. , Aagaard J. , Fedder J.
Published: July 2017

Sperm DNA Fragmentation has been extensively studied for more than a decade. In the 1940s the uniqueness of the spermatozoa protein complex which stabilizes the DNA was discovered. In the fifties and sixties, the association between unstable chromatin structure and subfertility was investigated. In the seventies, the impact of induced DNA damage was investigated. In the 1980s the concept of sperm DNA fragmentation as related to infertility was introduced as well as the first DNA fragmentation test: the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA). The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labelling (TUNEL) test followed by others was introduced in the nineties. The association between DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa and pregnancy loss has been extensively investigated spurring the need for a therapeutic tool for these patients. This gave rise to an increased interest in the aetiology of DNA damage. The present decade continues within this research area. Some of the more novel methods recently submerging are sorting of cells with increased DNA fragmentation and hyaluronic acid (HA) binding techniques. The clinical value of these tests remains to be elucidated. In spite of half a century of research within the area, this analysis is not routinely implemented into the fertility clinics. The underlying causes are multiple. The abundance of methods has impeded the need for a clinical significant threshold. One of the most promising methods was commercialized in 2005 and has been reserved for larger licensed laboratories. Myriads of reviews and meta‐analyses on studies using different assays for analysis of DNA fragmentation, different clinical Artificial Reproductive Treatments (ART), different definitions of successful ART outcome and small patient cohorts have been published. Although the area of DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa is highly relevant in the fertility clinics, the need for further studies focusing on standardization of the methods and clinical implementation persists.
Control of the Fluid Viscosity in a Mock Circulation
Authors: Boës Stefan , Ochsner Gregor , Amacher Raffael , Petrou Anastasios , Meboldt Mirko , Schmid Daners Marianne
Published: July 2017

A mock circulation allows the in vitro investigation, development, and testing of ventricular assist devices. An aqueous‐glycerol solution is commonly used to mimic the viscosity of blood. Due to evaporation and temperature changes, the viscosity of the solution drifts from its initial value and therefore, deviates substantially from the targeted viscosity of blood. Additionally, the solution needs to be exchanged to account for changing viscosities when mimicking different hematocrits. This article presents a method to control the viscosity in a mock circulation. This method makes use of the relationship between temperature and viscosity of aqueous‐glycerol solutions and employs the automatic control of the viscosity of the fluid. To that end, an existing mock circulation was extended with an industrial viscometer, temperature probes, and a heating nozzle band. The results obtained with different fluid viscosities show that a viscosity controller is vital for repeatable experimental conditions on mock circulations. With a mixture ratio of 49 mass percent of aqueous‐glycerol solution, the controller can mimic a viscosity range corresponding to a hematocrit between 29 and 42% in a temperature range of 30–42°C. The control response has no overshoot and the settling time is 8.4 min for a viscosity step of 0.3 cP, equivalent to a hematocrit step of 3.6%. Two rotary blood pumps that are in clinical use are tested at different viscosities. At a flow rate of 5 L/min, both show a deviation of roughly 15 and 10% in motor current for high rotor speeds. The influence of different viscosities on the measured head pressure is negligible. Viscosity control for a mock circulation thus plays an important role for assessing the required motor current of ventricular assist devices. For the investigation of the power consumption of rotary blood pumps and the development of flow estimators where the motor current is a model input, an integrated viscosity controller is a valuable contribution to an accurate testing environment.
Serotonergic paraneurones in the female mouse urethral epithelium and their potential role in peripheral sensory information processing
Authors: Kullmann F. A. , Chang H. H. , Gauthier C. , McDonnell B. M. , Yeh J.‐C. , Clayton D. R. , Kanai A. J. , de Groat W. C. , Apodaca G. L. , Birder L. A.
Published: July 2017

Aim

The mechanisms underlying detection and transmission of sensory signals arising from visceral organs, such as the urethra, are poorly understood. Recently, specialized ACh‐expressing cells embedded in the urethral epithelium have been proposed as chemosensory sentinels for detection of bacterial infection. Here, we examined the morphology and potential role in sensory signalling of a different class of specialized cells that express serotonin (5‐HT), termed paraneurones.

Methods

Urethrae, dorsal root ganglia neurones and spinal cords were isolated from adult female mice and used for immunohistochemistry and calcium imaging. Visceromotor reflexes (VMRs) were recorded in vivo.

Results

We identified two morphologically distinct groups of 5‐HT+ cells with distinct regional locations: bipolar‐like cells predominant in the mid‐urethra and multipolar‐like cells predominant in the proximal and distal urethra. Sensory nerve fibres positive for calcitonin gene‐related peptide, substance P, and TRPV1 were found in close proximity to 5‐HT+ paraneurones. In vitro 5‐HT (1 μm) stimulation of urethral primary afferent neurones, mimicking 5‐HT release from paraneurones, elicited changes in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) mediated by 5‐HT2 and 5‐HT3 receptors. Approximately 50% of 5‐HT responding cells also responded to capsaicin with changes in the [Ca2+]i. In vivo intra‐urethral 5‐HT application increased VMRs induced by urethral distention and activated pERK in lumbosacral spinal cord neurones.

Conclusion

These morphological and functional findings provide insights into a putative paraneurone‐neural network within the urethra that utilizes 5‐HT signalling, presumably from paraneurones, to modulate primary sensory pathways carrying nociceptive and non‐nociceptive (mechano‐sensitive) information to the central nervous system.
MICAL2 promotes breast cancer cell migration by maintaining epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) stability and EGFR/P38 signalling activation
Authors: Wang Y. , Deng W. , Zhang Y. , Sun S. , Zhao S. , Chen Y. , Zhao X. , Liu L. , Du J.
Published: July 2017

Aim

MICAL2, a cytoskeleton dynamics regulator, is identified associated with survival and metastasis of several types of cancers recently. This study was designed to investigate the role of MICAL2 in breast cancer cell migration as well as its underlying mechanisms.

Methods

The relationship between MICAL2 and EGF/EGFR signalling was analysed by gene overexpression and knock‐down techniques. Cell migration was measured by wound‐healing assays. Activation of EGF/EGFR signalling pathways were evaluated by immunofluorescence, qPCR, Western blotting and zymography techniques. Rac1 activity was assessed by pull‐down assay. Correlation of MICAL2 and EGFR in breast cancer specimens was examined by immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

Ectopic expression of MICAL2 in MCF‐7 cells augmented EGFR protein level, accompanied by the promotion of cell migration. Silencing MICAL2 in MDA‐MB‐231 cells destabilized EGFR and inhibited cell migration. In mechanism, the maintaining effect of MICAL2 on EGFR protein content was due to a delay in EGFR degradation. Expression of MICAL2 was also shown positively correlated with the activation of P38/HSP27 and P38/MMP9 signallings, which are the main downstream signalling cascades of EGF/EGFR involved in cell migration. Further analysis indicated that Rac1 activation contributed to the maintaining effect of MICAL2 on EGFR stability. In addition, analysis of breast cancer specimens revealed a positive correlation between MICAL2 and EGFR levels and an association between MICAL2 expression and worse prognosis.

Conclusion

MICAL2 is a major regulator of breast cancer cell migration, maintaining EGFR stability and subsequent EGFR/P38 signalling activation through inhibiting EGFR degradation in a Rac1‐dependent manner.
Correlation between the proportion of stained eggs and the number of mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) monitored using a ‘non‐parallel board trap’
Authors: Odaka Makiko , Ogino Kazumasa , Shikada Michitaka , Asada Kenichi , Kasa Syoujirou , Inoue Takahiro , Maeda Ken
Published: July 2017

The poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) is a serious problem for the poultry industry worldwide. However, the relationship between the mite population and the damage that they cause is still unclear. In this study, the mite population in poultry houses was examined using an established trap method, and the risk of blood‐stained eggs caused by the mites was assessed. Traps were placed once a week outside the egg channels and/or on the floor in two poultry farms in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, from April 2012 to July 2014. The numbers of blood‐stained eggs and total eggs were counted at weekly intervals. The results showed that the number of mites increased from April to May, and reached a peak around the beginning of June when the average temperature and humidity were >24°C and 70–90%, respectively. In the segmented model, the correlation between the proportion of blood‐stained eggs and the number of mites or temperature was positive over a threshold. In conclusion, our established trap method is useful for monitoring mites and can be used to predict when poultry farms should be treated to prevent appearance of blood‐stained eggs.
Diplectrum radiale (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Serranidae): A rare case of simultaneous hermaphroditism in a teleost fish
Authors: Costa Eudriano F. S. , Dias June F. , Murua Hilario
Published: July 2017

This study generates, for the first time, information on the reproductive traits of the simultaneous hermaphrodite Diplectrum radiale. The specimens were captured bimonthly in two distinct ecosystems along the south‐eastern Brazilian coast. The mature ovotestes were removed, preserved in formalin and examined using histological techniques. The results revealed indeterminate fecundity with asynchronous ovarian organization. All spermatogenesis occurs within cysts, and the spermatogonial distribution indicated an unrestricted testicular type. The testicular and ovarian tissues were separated from each other by different ducts, indicating no possibility of internal self‐fertilization. The hydrated oocytes were stored in the accessory reproductive structure for at least 24 hr. The presence of atretic hydrated oocytes within this structure and the positive periodic acid–Schiff reaction of the villi‐like projections revealed the function of the ovary sinus as absorbing unspawned oocytes. The relative batch fecundity ranged from 62 to 209 oocytes/g (126 ± 42) for specimens from the coast and from 52 to 203 oocytes/g (113 ± 57) for those sampled in the estuary. The potential batch fecundity was linearly related to size, weight, and the gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices, revealing that these parameters significantly affect the reproductive potential of D. radiale.
When Time Stood Still: Thoughts about Time in Primitive Mental States
Authors: Schellekes Alina
Published: July 2017

Deciphering the way patients experience time provides an additional key to primitive mental areas which do not express themselves in the usual verbal or symbolic ways and can help us and our patients better understand these deep layers of the psyche. It is when the issue of time moves to the centre of experience as a separate and predominant aspect of existence, that there and then occurs a disturbance in our continuous and natural transition between various temporalities, one that often exposes an inner rupture, many times of a very early origin. The paper first focuses on a number of art works which portray attempts to deal with death anxiety by capturing the moment, or watching, controlling, organizing, cataloguing the movement of time as though such attempts could freeze time and make it endlessly prolongued. Second, theoretical aspects and clinical vignettes focus on understanding the experience of time as fractured and fragmented; on experiences of timelessness, and, on stereotypical, ritualistic, autistic‐like relations to time, perceived as frozen still. In addition, conceptualizing the analyst/writer's experience of time in the presence of her patients provided a unique tool for expanding the understanding of the patients' internal world.
Apprehending the Translucent in the Art of Supervision
Authors: Ellis Sian
Published: July 2017

The supervisory relationship is complex and multi‐layered, given the multiple sources of unconscious dynamics between patient, supervisee and supervisor. The concept of the parallel process has brought greater depth and understanding to the supervisor's countertransference as reflective of the dynamics within the analytic relationship. The tendency, however, is to consider the parallel process as occurring in one direction only: from the analytic relationship into the supervisory one. In this paper, I consider the multidirectional movement of transference and countertransference between both relationships, including where the supervisor might be the point of origin, rather than the recipient. Clinical material from two patients brought to supervision is analysed from four different vertices: the parallel process; the developmental aspects of the supervisory relationship and of the supervisee; my own potential transferences onto the supervisee and/or the patient; and the potential effect of my transference onto the supervisee, the patient and their interaction. I also refer to some paintings by Richard Diebenkorn, as these offer a powerful metaphor for understanding the challenges in supervision of creating a secure frame, while also allowing for a more ‘translucent’ space, within which the multi‐layered dimensions can be imagined and become capable of continual transformation.
Methoxetamine affects brain processing involved in emotional response in rats
Authors: Zanda M T , Fadda P , Antinori S , Di Chio M , Fratta W , Chiamulera C , Fattore L
Published: July 2017

Background and Purpose

Methoxetamine (MXE) is a novel psychoactive substance that is emerging on the Internet and induces dissociative effects and acute toxicity. Its pharmacological effects have not yet been adequately investigated.

Experimental Approach

We examined a range of behavioural effects induced by acute administration of MXE (0.5–5 mg·kg−1; i.p.) in rats and whether it causes rapid neuroadaptive molecular changes.

Key Results

MXE (0.5–5 mg·kg−1) affected motor activity in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner, inducing hypermotility and hypomotility at low and high doses respectively. At low and intermediate doses (0.5 and 1 mg·kg−1), MXE induced anxious and/or obsessive–compulsive traits (marble burying test), did not significantly increase sociability (social interaction test) or induce spatial anxiety (elevated plus maze test). At a high dose (5 mg·kg−1), MXE induced transient analgesia (tail‐flick and hot‐plate test), decreased social interaction time (social interaction test) and reduced immobility time while increasing swimming activity (forced swim test), suggesting an antidepressant effect. Acute MXE administration did not affect self‐grooming behaviour at any dose tested. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that behaviourally active doses of MXE (1 and 5 mg·kg−1) increased phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Conclusions and Implications

MXE differentially affected motor activity, behaviour and emotional states in rats, depending on the dose tested. As reported for ketamine, phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 was increased in MXE‐treated animals, thus providing a ‘molecular snapshot’ of rapid neuroadaptive molecular changes induced by behaviourally active doses of MXE.
EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS OF THE MINIMUM WAGE: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM CANADIAN PROVINCES
Authors: Rybczynski Kate , Sen Anindya
Published: July 2017

Recent U.S. studies offer conflicting evidence on minimum wage impacts. This paper studies the effects of 185 amendments to minimum wage on employment rates using panel data across Canadian provinces from 1981 to 2011. Ordinary least squares and instrumental variables (IV) estimates imply a 10% increase in minimum wage is associated with a 1%–4% reduction to employment rates for both male and female teens. We also find that an increase in the minimum wage is associated with lower employment of prime‐aged immigrants. Our results are robust to a wide array of IV and the use of controls for spatial heterogeneity. (JEL J30, J71, J23)
Nucleic acid storage on FTA cards from cytological samples
Authors: Caputo V. , Picariello C. , Lucchese L. , Selleri C. , Zeppa P. , Peluso A. L.
Published: July 2017

DNA from lymphoid cells can be stored on FTA cards and are suitable for molecular investigations. RNA was not obtained, from the same samples, with the same procedure. The weaknesses of FTA card RNA storage may be due to the high fragmentation of RNA on this support.
A phylogenomic analysis of Marek's disease virus reveals independent paths to virulence in Eurasia and North America
Authors: Trimpert Jakob , Groenke Nicole , Jenckel Maria , He Shulin , Kunec Dusan , Szpara Moriah L. , Spatz Stephen J. , Osterrieder Nikolaus , McMahon Dino P.
Published: July 2017

Virulence determines the impact a pathogen has on the fitness of its host, yet current understanding of the evolutionary origins and causes of virulence of many pathogens is surprisingly incomplete. Here, we explore the evolution of Marek's disease virus (MDV), a herpesvirus commonly afflicting chickens and rarely other avian species. The history of MDV in the 20th century represents an important case study in the evolution of virulence. The severity of MDV infection in chickens has been rising steadily since the adoption of intensive farming techniques and vaccination programs in the 1950s and 1970s, respectively. It has remained uncertain, however, which of these factors is causally more responsible for the observed increase in virulence of circulating viruses. We conducted a phylogenomic study to understand the evolution of MDV in the context of dramatic changes to poultry farming and disease control. Our analysis reveals evidence of geographical structuring of MDV strains, with reconstructions supporting the emergence of virulent viruses independently in North America and Eurasia. Of note, the emergence of virulent viruses appears to coincide approximately with the introduction of comprehensive vaccination on both continents. The time‐dated phylogeny also indicated that MDV has a mean evolutionary rate of ~1.6 × 10−5 substitutions per site per year. An examination of gene‐linked mutations did not identify a strong association between mutational variation and virulence phenotypes, indicating that MDV may evolve readily and rapidly under strong selective pressures and that multiple genotypic pathways may underlie virulence adaptation in MDV.
Sales performance and athletic outcome in young Thoroughbreds with pericarditis
Authors: Sprayberry K. A. , Slovis N. M.
Published: July 2017

Background

Pericarditis is a sporadic, but important cause of critical illness in horses of all ages. There is limited information on whether Thoroughbred horses that survive pericarditis are able to reach athletic potential.

Objectives

To determine how pericarditis affected horses that had the disease as young animals with regard to selling price in public sales and the ability to race successfully.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

Medical records were searched to identify pericarditis cases. Signalment and month of diagnosis were noted and Thoroughbreds with ultrasonographically confirmed pericarditis that presented from 2 months to 3 years old were identified. For this subgroup data on sales and racing performed were obtained from publicly available databases to determine long‐term survival and post‐treatment outcomes from these horses and their unaffected half‐siblings.

Results

Horses that survived pericarditis as young animals may recover growth and maturation rates quickly enough to reach expected sales prices at public sales for horses of racing age and recovered horses can have successful racing careers.

Main limitations

The number of horses in this case series was not sufficient to enable statistical comparisons between affected horses and unaffected half‐siblings, but description of sales prices and race earnings nevertheless yields information about the chances for affected young horses to achieve their intended purposes.

Conclusions

Young Thoroughbreds with pericarditis warrant treatment and can sell and have successful racing careers.
Pulmonary nodule diagnosis using dual‐modal supervised autoencoder based on extreme learning machine
Authors: Qiang Yan , Ge Lei , Zhao Xin , Zhang Xiaolong , Tang Xiaoxian
Published: July 2017

In recent years, deep learning techniques have been applied to the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. In order to improve the pulmonary nodule diagnostic performance effectively, we propose a novel pulmonary nodule diagnosis method using dual‐modal deep supervised autoencoder based on extreme learning machine for which discriminative features are automatically learnt from the input data. The network is fed with nodule images in pairs obtained from computed tomography and positron emission tomography respectively. For each pair image, the high‐level discriminative features of nodules in computed tomography and positron emission tomography are extracted from stacked supervised autoencoder layers. The outputs of the proposed architecture are combined using an ideal fusion method to get the final classification. In the experiments, 5‐fold cross‐validation method is used to validate the proposed method on 1,600 pulmonary nodule images and our method reaches high‐classification sensitivities of 91.75% at 1.58 false positives per scan. Meanwhile, compared with other deep learning diagnosis methods, our method achieves better discriminative results and is highly suited to be used for pulmonary nodule diagnosis.
Air Compressibility Effect on Bouwer and Rice Seepage Meter
Authors: Peng Xin , Zhan Hongbin
Published: July 2017

Measuring a disconnected streambed seepage flux using a seepage meter can give important streambed information and help understanding groundwater‐surface water interaction. In this study, we provide a correction for calculating the seepage flux rate with the consideration of air compressibility inside the manometer of the Bouwer and Rice seepage meter. We notice that the effect of air compressibility in the manometer is considerably larger when more air is included in the manometer. We find that the relative error from neglecting air compressibility can be constrained within 5% if the manometer of the Bouwer and Rice seepage meter is shorter than 0.8 m and the experiment is done in a suction mode in which air is pumped out from the manometer before the start of measurement. For manometers longer than 0.8 m, the relative error will be larger than 5%. It may be over 10% if the manometer height is longer than 1.5 m and the experiment is done in a no‐suction mode, in which air is not pumped out from the manometer before the start of measurement.
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma: validation of World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology grading
Authors: Dagher Julien , Delahunt Brett , Rioux‐Leclercq Nathalie , Egevad Lars , Srigley John R , Coughlin Geoffrey , Dunglinson Nigel , Gianduzzo Troy , Kua Boon , Malone Greg , Martin Ben , Preston John , Pokorny Morgan , Wood Simon , Yaxley John , Samaratunga Hemamali
Published: July 2017

Aims

In 2012, the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) introduced a novel grading system for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and papillary renal cell carcinoma. This system is incorporated into the latest World Health Organization renal tumour classification, being designated WHO/ISUP grading. This study was undertaken to compare WHO/ISUP and Fuhrman grading and to validate WHO/ISUP grading as a prognostic parameter in a series of clear cell RCC.

Methods and results

Analysis of 681 cases of ccRCC showed that 144 tumours could not be assigned a Fuhrman grade on the basis of ambiguous grading features. The application of WHO/ISUP grading resulted in a general down‐grading of cases when compared with Fuhrman grading. In a sub‐group of 374 cases, for which outcome data were available, 9.3% were WHO/ISUP grade 1, 50.3% were grade 2, 24.1% grade 3 and 16.3% grade 4, while the distribution of Fuhrman grades was 0.4% grade 1, 48.7% grade 2, 29.4% grade 3 and 21.5% grade 4. There were no recurrence/metastases amongst patients with WHO/ISUP grade 1 tumours and there was a significant difference in outcome for WHO/ISUP grades 2, 3 and 4. For Fuhrman grading the cancer‐free survival was not significantly different for grade 2 and grade 3 tumours. On multivariate analysis WHO/ISUP grade and pT staging category were found to retain prognostic significance.

Conclusions

The study demonstrates that FG cannot be applied in >20% of cases of ccRCC and the WHO/ISUP provides superior prognostic information.
Evolutionary Cell Biology of Proteins from Protists to Humans and Plants
Authors: Plattner Helmut
Published: July 2017

During evolution, the cell as a fine‐tuned machine had to undergo permanent adjustments to match changes in its environment, while “closed for repair work” was not possible. Evolution from protists (protozoa and unicellular algae) to multicellular organisms may have occurred in basically two lineages, Unikonta and Bikonta, culminating in mammals and angiosperms (flowering plants), respectively. Unicellular models for unikont evolution are myxamoebae (Dictyostelium) and increasingly also choanoflagellates, whereas for bikonts, ciliates are preferred models. Information accumulating from combined molecular database search and experimental verification allows new insights into evolutionary diversification and maintenance of genes/proteins from protozoa on, eventually with orthologs in bacteria. However, proteins have rarely been followed up systematically for maintenance or change of function or intracellular localization, acquirement of new domains, partial deletion (e.g. of subunits), and refunctionalization, etc. These aspects are discussed in this review, envisaging “evolutionary cell biology.” Protozoan heritage is found for most important cellular structures and functions up to humans and flowering plants. Examples discussed include refunctionalization of voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels in cilia and replacement by other types during evolution. Altogether components serving Ca2+ signaling are very flexible throughout evolution, calmodulin being a most conservative example, in contrast to calcineurin whose catalytic subunit is lost in plants, whereas both subunits are maintained up to mammals for complex functions (immune defense and learning). Domain structure of R‐type SNAREs differs in mono‐ and bikonta, as do Ca2+‐dependent protein kinases. Unprecedented selective expansion of the subunit a which connects multimeric base piece and head parts (V0, V1) of H+‐ATPase/pump may well reflect the intriguing vesicle trafficking system in ciliates, specifically in Paramecium. One of the most flexible proteins is centrin when its intracellular localization and function throughout evolution is traced. There are many more examples documenting evolutionary flexibility of translation products depending on requirements and potential for implantation within the actual cellular context at different levels of evolution. From estimates of gene and protein numbers per organism, it appears that much of the basic inventory of protozoan precursors could be transmitted to highest eukaryotic levels, with some losses and also with important additional “inventions.”
Calibration of the garnet–biotite–Al2SiO5–quartz geobarometer for metapelites
Authors: Wu Chun‐Ming
Published: July 2017

A garnet–biotite–Al2SiO5–quartz (GBAQ) geobarometer was empirically calibrated using more than 700 natural metapelites with a broad compositional range of garnet and biotite under P–T conditions of 450–950°C and 1–17 kbar. In the calibration, activity models of garnet and biotite identical to those in the garnet–biotite (GB) geothermometer of Holdaway [American Mineralogist 2000, 85:881–892] were used. Therefore, the GBAQ geobarometer and the GB geothermometer can be simultaneously applied to iteratively estimate metamorphic P–T conditions. Successful applications of the GBAQ geobarometer to natural metapelites certify its validity. Most importantly, when plagioclase is absent or CaO components in garnet and/or plagioclase are deficient, this geobarometer may prove useful for estimating metamorphic pressures. The random error of the present GBAQ geobarometer is inferred to be around ±1.8 kbar. An electronic spreadsheet is available as Table S4 to apply the GBAQ geobarometer in combination with the GB geothermometer.
NAD+: A key metabolic regulator with great therapeutic potential
Authors: Sultani G. , Samsudeen A. F. , Osborne B. , Turner N.
Published: July 2017

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a ubiquitous metabolite that serves an essential role in the catabolism of nutrients. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in NAD+ biology, with the recognition that NAD+ influences many biological processes beyond metabolism, including transcription, signalling and cell survival. There are a multitude of pathways involved in the synthesis and breakdown of NAD+, and alterations in NAD+ homeostasis have emerged as a common feature of a range of disease states. Here, we provide an overview of NAD+ metabolism and summarise progress on the development of NAD+‐related therapeutics.
Homology, homoplasy and cusp variability at the enamel–dentine junction of hominoid molars
Authors: Ortiz Alejandra , Bailey Shara E. , Hublin Jean‐Jacques , Skinner Matthew M.
Published: July 2017

Evolutionary studies of mammalian teeth have generally concentrated on the adaptive and functional significance of dental features, whereas the role of development on phenotypic generation and as a source of variation has received comparatively little attention. The present study combines an evolutionary biological framework with state‐of‐the‐art imaging techniques to examine the developmental basis of variation of accessory cusps. Scholars have long used the position and relatedness of cusps to other crown structures as a criterion for differentiating between developmentally homologous and homoplastic features, which can be evaluated with greater accuracy at the enamel–dentine junction (EDJ). Following this approach, we collected digital models of the EDJ and outer enamel surface of more than 1000 hominoid teeth to examine whether cusp 5 of the upper molars (UM C5) and cusps 6 and 7 of the lower molars (LM C6 and LM C7) were associated each with a common developmental origin across species. Results revealed that each of these cusps can develop in a variety of ways, in association with different dental tissues (i.e. oral epithelium, enamel matrix) and dental structures (i.e. from different cusps, crests and cingula). Both within and between species variability in cusp origin was highest in UM C5, followed by LM C7, and finally LM C6. The lack of any species‐specific patterns suggests that accessory cusps in hominoids are developmentally homoplastic and that they may not be useful for identifying phylogenetic homology. An important and unanticipated finding of this study was the identification of a new taxonomically informative feature at the EDJ of the upper molars, namely the post‐paracone tubercle (PPT). We found that the PPT was nearly ubiquitous in H. neanderthalensis and the small sample of Middle Pleistocene African and European humans (MPAE) examined, differing significantly from the low frequencies observed in all other hominoids, including Pleistocene and recent H. sapiens. We emphasize the utility of the EDJ for human evolutionary studies and demonstrate how features that look similar at the external surface may be the product of different developmental patterns. This study also highlights the importance of incorporating both developmental and morphological data into evolutionary studies in order to gain a better understanding of the evolutionary significance of dental and skeletal features.