bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Don’t lose hope early”: Hemorrhagic diffuse axonal injury on head computed tomography is not associated with poor outcome in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury patients
Authors: Henninger Nils , Compton Rebecca A. , Khan Muhammad W. , Carandang Raphael , Hall Wiley , Muehlschlegel Susanne
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) on magnetic resonance imaging has been associated with poor functional outcome after moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI). Yet, DAI assessment with highly sensitive magnetic resonance imaging techniques is unfeasible in the acute trauma setting, and computed tomography (CT) remains the key diagnostic modality despite its lower sensitivity. We sought to determine whether CT-defined hemorrhagic DAI (hDAI) is associated with discharge and favorable 3- and 12-month functional outcome (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≥4) after msTBI.

METHODS

We analyzed 361 msTBI patients from the single-center longitudinalOutcome Prognostication in Traumatic Brain Injurystudy collected over 6 years (November 2009 to November 2015) with prospective outcome assessments at 3 months and 12 months. Patients with microhemorrhages on CT were designated “CT-hDAI-positive” and those without as “CT-hDAI-negative.” For secondary analyses “CT-hDAI-positive” was stratified into two phenotypes according to presence (“associated”) versus absence (“predominant”) of concomitant large acute traumatic lesions to determine whether presence versus absence of additional focal mass lesions portends a different prognosis.

RESULTS

Seventy (19%) patients were CT-hDAI–positive (n = 36 predominant; n = 34 associated hDAI). In univariate analyses, CT-hDAI–positive status was associated with discharge survival (p= 0.004) and favorable outcome at 3 months (p= 0.003) and 12 months (p= 0.005). After multivariable adjustment, CT-hDAI positivity was no longer associated with discharge survival and functional outcome (allps > 0.05). Stratified by hDAI phenotype, predominant hDAI patients had worse trauma severity, longer intensive care unit stays, and more systemic medical complications. Predominant hDAI, but not associated hDAI, was an independent predictor of discharge survival (adjusted odds ratio, 24.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2–192.6;p= 0.002) and favorable 12-month outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.5–15.2;p= 0.01). Sensitivity analyses using Cox regression confirmed this finding for 1-year survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.3–23;p= 0.048).

CONCLUSION

The CT-defined hDAI was not an independent predictor of unfavorable short- and long-term outcomes and should not be used for acute prognostication in msTBI patients. Predominant hDAI patients had good clinical outcomes when supported to intensive care unit discharge and beyond.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic study, level III.
Platelet aggregation after blunt trauma is associated with the acute respiratory distress syndrome and altered by cigarette smoke exposure
Authors: Moazed Farzad , Hendrickson Carolyn , Nelson Mary , Conroy Amanda , Cohen Mitchell J. , Calfee Carolyn S.
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND

The risk of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is increased in passive and active smokers after blunt trauma. However, the mechanisms responsible, including the role of platelet aggregation, for this association are unknown.

METHODS

We analyzed 215 patients with severe blunt trauma from a prospective observational cohort at a Level I trauma center between 2010 and 2015. Subjects underwent impedance-based platelet aggregometry in response to platelet agonists arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate, collagen, and thrombin receptor activating peptide-6. Acute respiratory distress syndrome within the first 8 days of admission was adjudicated using Berlin criteria. Plasma cotinine was measured to assess cigarette smoke exposure. Regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between (1) platelet aggregation and ARDS and (2) cigarette smoke exposure and platelet aggregation.

RESULTS

At both 0 hour and 24 hours, impaired platelet aggregation was associated with increased odds of developing ARDS. Cigarette smoke exposure was associated with increased platelet aggregation upon arrival to the emergency department. However, at 24 hours, cigarette smoke exposure was associated with increased impairment in platelet aggregation, reflecting a statistically significant decline in platelet aggregation over the initial 24 hours after trauma. The relationship between this decline in platelet aggregation and ARDS differed by cigarette smoke exposure status, suggesting that impaired platelet activation differentially affects the risk of ARDS in those with cigarette smoke exposure (arachidonic acid, p for interaction: 0.005, collagen p for interaction: 0.02, adenosine diphosphate, p for interaction: 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Impaired platelet aggregation at 0 hour and 24 hours is associated with an increased risk of developing ARDS after severe blunt trauma. Cigarette smoke–exposed patients are more likely to develop impaired platelet aggregation over the first 24 hours of admission, which may contribute to their increased risk of ARDS.

Level of Evidence

Prognostic/Epidemiological, level III.
The higher the farther: distance-specific referential gestures in chimpanzees (
Pan troglodytes
)
Authors: Gonseth Chloe , Kawakami Fumito , Ichino Etsuko , Tomonaga Masaki
Published: November 2017

Referential signals, such as manual pointing or deictic words, allow individuals to efficiently locate a specific entity in the environment, using distance-specific linguistic and/or gestural units. To explore the evolutionary prerequisites of such deictic ability, the present study investigates the ability of chimpanzees to adjust their communicative signals to the distance of a referent. A food-request paradigm in which the chimpanzees had to request a close or distant piece of food on a table in the presence/absence of an experimenter was employed. Our main finding concerns the chimpanzees adjusting their requesting behaviours to the distance of the food such that higher manual gestures and larger mouth openings were used to request the distant piece of food. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that chimpanzees are able to use distance-specific gestures.
Model predictions of deformation, embolization and permeability of partially obstructive blood clots under variable shear flow
Authors: Xu Shixin , Xu Zhiliang , Kim Oleg V. , Litvinov Rustem I. , Weisel John W. , Alber Mark
Published: November 2017

Thromboembolism, one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is characterized by formation of obstructive intravascular clots (thrombi) and their mechanical breakage (embolization). A novel two-dimensional multi-phase computational model is introduced that describes active interactions between the main components of the clot, including platelets and fibrin, to study the impact of various physiologically relevant blood shear flow conditions on deformation and embolization of a partially obstructive clot with variable permeability. Simulations provide new insights into mechanisms underlying clot stability and embolization that cannot be studied experimentally at this time. In particular, model simulations, calibrated using experimental intravital imaging of an established arteriolar clot, show that flow-induced changes in size, shape and internal structure of the clot are largely determined by two shear-dependent mechanisms: reversible attachment of platelets to the exterior of the clot and removal of large clot pieces. Model simulations predict that blood clots with higher permeability are more prone to embolization with enhanced disintegration under increasing shear rate. In contrast, less permeable clots are more resistant to rupture due to shear rate-dependent clot stiffening originating from enhanced platelet adhesion and aggregation. These results can be used in future to predict risk of thromboembolism based on the data about composition, permeability and deformability of a clot under specific local haemodynamic conditions.
Terahertz: dictating the frequency of life. Do macromolecular vibrational modes impose thermal limitations on terrestrial life?
Authors: Hand Kieran , Yates Edwin
Published: November 2017

Conditions on exoplanets include elevated temperatures and pressures. The response of carbon-based biological macromolecules to such conditions is then relevant to the viability of life. The capacity of proteins and ribozymes to catalyse reactions or bind receptors, and nucleic acids to convey information, depends on them sampling different conformational states. These are determined by macromolecular vibrational states, or phonon modes, accessible using terahertz (THz: 10
12
Hz) absorption spectroscopy. THz spectra of biological macromolecules exhibit broad absorption at approximately 6 THz (equating to approx. 280 K) corresponding to dense transitions between phonon modes. There are also troughs at approximately 10 THz (approx. 500 K) implying diminishing numbers of available conformational states at higher temperatures; hence, fewer routes by which biochemical processes can be realized, as equilibrium is approached. Could this conformational bottleneck hinder the operation of biological macromolecules at higher temperatures? We suggest that the troughs at approximately 10 THz in absorbance spectra indicate that the hydrogen bonds, charge interactions and geometry of biological macromolecules associated with terrestrial life impose fundamental vibrational properties that could limit the upper temperature at which they may function.
On the buckling of an elastic holey column
Authors: Johnson C. G. , Jain U. , Hazel A. L. , Pihler-Puzović D. , Mullin T.
Published: November 2017

We report the results of a numerical and theoretical study of buckling in elastic columns containing a line of holes. Buckling is a common failure mode of elastic columns under compression, found over scales ranging from metres in buildings and aircraft to tens of nanometers in DNA. This failure usually occurs through lateral buckling, described for slender columns by Euler’s theory. When the column is perforated with a regular line of holes, a new buckling mode arises, in which adjacent holes collapse in orthogonal directions. In this paper, we firstly elucidate how this alternate hole buckling mode coexists and interacts with classical Euler buckling modes, using finite-element numerical calculations with bifurcation tracking. We show how the preferred buckling mode is selected by the geometry, and discuss the roles of localized (hole-scale) and global (column-scale) buckling. Secondly, we develop a novel predictive model for the buckling of columns perforated with large holes. This model is derived without arbitrary fitting parameters, and quantitatively predicts the critical strain for buckling. We extend the model to sheets perforated with a regular array of circular holes and use it to provide quantitative predictions of their buckling.
On the analysis of the double Hopf bifurcation in machining processes via centre manifold reduction
Authors: Molnar T. G. , Dombovari Z. , Insperger T. , Stepan G.
Published: November 2017

The single-degree-of-freedom model of orthogonal cutting is investigated to study machine tool vibrations in the vicinity of a double Hopf bifurcation point. Centre manifold reduction and normal form calculations are performed to investigate the long-term dynamics of the cutting process. The normal form of the four-dimensional centre subsystem is derived analytically, and the possible topologies in the infinite-dimensional phase space of the system are revealed. It is shown that bistable parameter regions exist where unstable periodic and, in certain cases, unstable quasi-periodic motions coexist with the equilibrium. Taking into account the non-smoothness caused by loss of contact between the tool and the workpiece, the boundary of the bistable region is also derived analytically. The results are verified by numerical continuation. The possibility of (transient) chaotic motions in the global non-smooth dynamics is shown.
Continuum modelling of pantographic sheets for out-of-plane bifurcation and vibrational analysis
Authors: Giorgio I. , Rizzi N. L. , Turco E.
Published: November 2017

A nonlinear two-dimensional (2D) continuum with a latent internal structure is introduced as a coarse model of a plane network of beams which, in turn, is assumed as a model of a pantographic structure made up by two families of equispaced beams, superimposed and connected by pivots. The deformation measures of the beams of the network and that of the 2D body are introduced and the former are expressed in terms of the latter by making some kinematical assumptions. The expressions for the strain and kinetic energy densities of the network are then introduced and given in terms of the kinematic quantities of the 2D continuum. To account for the modelling abilities of the 2D continuum in the linear range, the eigenmode and eigenfrequencies of a given specimen are determined. The buckling and post-buckling behaviour of the same specimen, subjected to two different loading conditions are analysed as tests in the nonlinear range. The problems have been solved numerically by means of the COMSOL Multiphysics finite element software.
Give one species the task to come up with a theory that spans them all: what good can come out of that?
Authors: Kokko Hanna
Published: November 2017

Does the progress in understanding evolutionary theory depend on the species that is doing the investigation? This question is difficult to answer scientifically, as we are dealing with an
n
= 1 scenario: every individual who has ever written about evolution is a human being. I will discuss, first, whether we get the correct answer to questions if we begin with ourselves and expand outwards, and second, whether we might fail to ask all the interesting questions unless we combat our tendencies to favour taxa that are close to us. As a whole, the human tendency to understand general biological phenomena via ‘putting oneself in another organism's shoes’ has upsides and downsides. As an upside, our intuitive ability to rethink strategies if the situation changes can lead to ready generation of adaptive hypotheses. Downsides occur if we trust this intuition too much, and particular danger zones exist for traits where humans are an unusual species. I argue that the levels of selection debate might have proceeded differently if human cooperation patterns were not so unique, as this brings about unique challenges in biology teaching; and that theoretical insights regarding inbreeding avoidance versus tolerance could have spread faster if we were not extrapolating our emotional reactions to incest disproportionately depending on whether we study animals or plants. I also discuss patterns such as taxonomic chauvinism, i.e. less attention being paid to species that differ more from human-like life histories. Textbooks on evolution reinforce such biases insofar as they present, as a default case, systems that resemble ours in terms of life cycles and other features (e.g. gonochorism). Additionally, societal norms may have led to incorrect null hypotheses such as females not mating multiply.
Indirectly connected: simple social differences can explain the causes and apparent consequences of complex social network positions
Authors: Firth Josh A. , Sheldon Ben C. , Brent Lauren J. N.
Published: November 2017

Animal societies are often structurally complex. How individuals are positioned within the wider social network (i.e. their indirect social connections) has been shown to be repeatable, heritable and related to key life-history variables. Yet, there remains a general lack of understanding surrounding how complex network positions arise, whether they indicate active multifaceted social decisions by individuals, and how natural selection could act on this variation. We use simulations to assess how variation in simple social association rules between individuals can determine their positions within emerging social networks. Our results show that metrics of individuals' indirect connections can be more strongly related to underlying simple social differences than metrics of their dyadic connections. External influences causing network noise (typical of animal social networks) generally inflated these differences. The findings demonstrate that relationships between complex network positions and other behaviours or fitness components do not provide sufficient evidence for the presence, or importance, of complex social behaviours, even if direct network metrics provide less explanatory power than indirect ones. Interestingly however, a plausible and straightforward heritable basis for complex network positions can arise from simple social differences, which in turn creates potential for selection to act on indirect connections.
Landscape predictors of pathogen prevalence and range contractions in US bumblebees
Authors: McArt Scott H. , Urbanowicz Christine , McCoshum Shaun , Irwin Rebecca E. , Adler Lynn S.
Published: November 2017

Several species of bumblebees have recently experienced range contractions and possible extinctions. While threats to bees are numerous, few analyses have attempted to understand the relative importance of multiple stressors. Such analyses are critical for prioritizing conservation strategies. Here, we describe a landscape analysis of factors predicted to cause bumblebee declines in the USA. We quantified 24 habitat, land-use and pesticide usage variables across 284 sampling locations, assessing which variables predicted pathogen prevalence and range contractions via machine learning model selection techniques. We found that greater usage of the fungicide chlorothalonil was the best predictor of pathogen (
Nosema bombi
) prevalence in four declining species of bumblebees.
Nosema bombi
has previously been found in greater prevalence in some declining US bumblebee species compared to stable species. Greater usage of total fungicides was the strongest predictor of range contractions in declining species, with bumblebees in the northern USA experiencing greater likelihood of loss from previously occupied areas. These results extend several recent laboratory and semi-field studies that have found surprising links between fungicide exposure and bee health. Specifically, our data suggest landscape-scale connections between fungicide usage, pathogen prevalence and declines of threatened and endangered bumblebees.
T helper cells modulate intestinal stem cell renewal and differentiation
Authors: Biton Moshe , Haber Adam L. , Beyaz Semir , Rogel Noga , Smillie Christopher , Shekhar Karthik , Schnell Alexandra , Chen Zuojia , Wu Chuan , Ordovas-Montanes Jose , Alvarez David , Herbst Rebecca H. , Tirosh Itay , Burgin Grace , Dionne Danielle , Xifaras Michael E. , Zhang Mei , Shalek Alex K. , Andrian Ulrich H. von , Graham Daniel B. , Rozenblatt-Rosen Orit , Shi Hai Ning , Kuchroo Vijay , Yilmaz Omer , Regev Aviv , Xavier Ramnik J.
Published: November 2017

In the small intestine, a cellular niche of diverse accessory cell types supports the rapid generation of mature epithelial cell types through self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). However, not much is known about interactions between immune cells and ISCs, and it is unclear if and how immune cell dynamics affect eventual ISC fate or the balance between self-renewal and differentiation. Here, we used single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-Seq) of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to identify new mechanisms for ISC–immune cell interactions. Surprisingly, MHC class II (MHCII) is enriched in two distinct subsets of Lgr5+ crypt base columnar ISCs, which are also distinguished by higher proliferation rates. Using co-culture of T cells with intestinal organoids, cytokine stimulations, and in vivo mouse models, we confirm that CD4+ T helper (Th) cells communicate with ISCs and affect their differentiation, in a manner specific to the Th subtypes and their signature cytokines and dependent on MHCII expression by ISCs. Specific inducible knockout of MHCII in intestinal epithelial cells in mice in vivo results in expansion of the ISC pool. Mice lacking T cells have expanded ISC pools, whereas specific depletion of Treg cells in vivo results in substantial reduction of ISC numbers. Our findings show that interactions between Th cells and ISCs mediated via MHCII expressed in intestinal epithelial stem cells help orchestrate tissue-wide responses to external signals.
The Brain Dynamics Toolbox for Matlab
Authors: Heitmann Stewart , Aburn Matthew J , Breakspear Michael
Published: November 2017

Nonlinear dynamical systems are increasingly informing both theoretical and empirical branches of neuroscience. The Brain Dynamics Toolbox provides an interactive simulation platform for exploring such systems in MATLAB. It supports the major classes of differential equations that arise in computational neuroscience: Ordinary Differential Equations, Delay Differential Equations and Stochastic Differential Equations. The design of the graphical interface fosters intuitive exploration of the dynamics while still supporting scripted parameter explorations and large-scale simulations. Although the toolbox is intended for dynamical models in computational neuroscience, it can be applied to dynamical systems from any domain.
Gene regulatory network architecture in different developmental contexts influences the genetic basis of morphological evolution
Authors: Kittelmann Sebastian , Buffry Alexandra D. , Franke Franziska A. , Almudi Isabel , Yoth Marianne , Sabaris Gonzalo , Couso Juan Pablo , Nunes Maria D. S. , Frankel Nicolás , Gómez-Skarmeta José Luis , Pueyo-Marques Jose , Arif Saad , McGregor Alistair P.
Published: November 2017

Convergent phenotypic evolution is often caused by recurrent changes at particular nodes in the underlying gene regulatory networks (GRNs). The genes at such evolutionary ‘hotspots’ are thought to maximally affect the phenotype with minimal pleiotropic consequences. This has led to the suggestion that if a GRN is understood in sufficient detail, the path of evolution may be predictable. The repeated evolutionary loss of larval trichomes among Drosophila species is caused by the loss of shavenbaby (svb) expression. svb is also required for development of leg trichomes, but the evolutionary gain of trichomes in the ‘naked valley’ on T2 femurs in Drosophila melanogaster is caused by the loss of microRNA-92a (miR-92a) expression rather than changes in svb. We compared the expression and function of components between the larval and leg trichome GRNs to investigate why the genetic basis of trichome pattern evolution differs in these developmental contexts. We found key differences between the two networks in both the genes employed, and in the regulation and function of common genes. These differences in the GRNs reveal why mutations in svb are unlikely to contribute to leg trichome evolution and how instead miR-92a represents the key evolutionary switch in this context. Our work shows that variability in GRNs across different developmental contexts, as well as whether a morphological feature is lost versus gained, influence the nodes at which a GRN evolves to cause morphological change. Therefore, our findings have important implications for understanding the pathways and predictability of evolution.

Author Summary

A major goal of biology is to identify the genetic cause of organismal diversity. Convergent evolution of traits is often caused by changes in the same genes – evolutionary ‘hotspots’. shavenbaby is a ‘hotspot’ for larval trichome loss in Drosophila, however microRNA-92a underlies the gain of leg trichomes. To understand this difference in the genetics of phenotypic evolution, we compared the expression and function of genes in the underlying regulatory networks. We found that the pathway of evolution is influenced by differences in gene regulatory network architecture in different developmental contexts, as well as by whether a trait is lost or gained. Therefore, hotspots in one context may not readily evolve in a different context. This has important implications for understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic change and the predictability of evolution.
Complementary, Semi-automated Methods for Creating Multi-dimensional, PEG-based Biomaterials
Authors: Brooks Elizabeth A. , Jansen Lauren E. , Gencoglu Maria F. , Yurkevicz Annali M. , Peyton Shelly R.
Published: November 2017

Tunable biomaterials that mimic selected features of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as its stiffness, protein composition, and dimensionality, are increasingly popular for studying how cells sense and respond to ECM cues. In the field, there exists a significant trade-off for how complex and how well these biomaterials represent thein vivomicroenvironment, versus how easy they are to make and how adaptable they are to automated fabrication techniques. To address this need to integrate more complex biomaterials design with high-throughput screening approaches, we present several methods to fabricate synthetic biomaterials in 96-well plates and demonstrate that they can be adapted to semi-automated liquid handling robotics. These platforms include 1) glass bottom plates with covalently attached ECM proteins, and 2) hydrogels with tunable stiffness and protein composition with either cells seeded on the surface, or 3) laden within the three-dimensional hydrogel matrix. This study includes proof-of-concept results demonstrating control over breast cancer cell line phenotypes via these ECM cues in a semi-automated fashion. We foresee the use of these methods as a mechanism to bridge the gap between high-throughput cell-matrix screening and engineered ECM-mimicking biomaterials.
Tracking wakefulness as it fades: micro-measures of Alertness
Authors: Jagannathan Sridhar R. , Nassar Alejandro E. , Jachs Barbara , Pustovaya Olga V. , Bareham Corinne A. , Bekinschtein Tristan A.
Published: November 2017

A major problem in psychology and physiology experiments is drowsiness: around a third of participants show decreased wakefulness despite being instructed to stay alert. In some non-visual experiments participants keep their eyes closed throughout the task, thus promoting the occurrence of such periods of varying alertness. These wakefulness changes contribute to systematic noise in data and measures of interest. To account for this omnipresent problem in data acquisition we defined criteria and code to allow researchers to detect and control for varying alertness in electroencephalography (EEG) experiments. We first revise a visual-scoring method developed for detection and characterization of the sleep-onset process, and adapt the same for detection of alertness levels. Furthermore, we show the major issues preventing the practical use of this method, and overcome these issues by developing an automated method based on frequency and sleep graphoelements, which is capable of detecting micro variations in alertness. The validity of the automated method was verified by training and testing the algorithm using a dataset where participants are known to fall asleep. In addition, we tested generalizability by independent validation on another dataset. The methods developed constitute a unique tool to assess micro variations in levels of alertness and control trial-by-trial retrospectively or prospectively in every experiment performed with EEG in cognitive neuroscience.
Histone deacetylation promotes transcriptional silencing at facultative heterochromatin
Authors: Watts Beth Rosina , Wittmann Sina , Wery Maxime , Gautier Camille , Kus Krzysztof , Heo Dong-Hyuk , Kilchert Cornelia , Morillon Antonin , Vasiljeva Lidia
Published: November 2017

It is important to accurately regulate the expression of genes involved in development and environmental response. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, meiotic genes are tightly repressed during vegetative growth. Despite being embedded in heterochromatin these genes are transcribed and believed to be repressed primarily at the level of RNA. However, the mechanism of facultative heterochromatin formation and the interplay with transcription regulation is not understood. We show genome-wide that HDAC-dependent histone deacetylation is a major determinant in transcriptional silencing of facultative heterochromatin domains. Indeed, mutation of class I/II HDACs leads to increased transcription of meiotic genes and accumulation of their mRNAs. Mechanistic dissection of the pho1 gene where, in response to phosphate, transient facultative heterochromatin is established by overlapping lncRNA transcription shows that the Clr3 HDAC contributes to silencing independently of SHREC, but in an lncRNA-dependent manner. We propose that HDACs promote facultative heterochromatin by establishing alternative transcriptional silencing.
Recovery of attention with renewal
Authors: Nelson James Byron , Craddock Paul , Molet Mikael , Renaux Charlotte
Published: November 2017

One experiment determined the relationship between renewed associative strength and attention. Following cue1–outcome pairings in Context A, cue1 was extinguished in Context B while cue2 was conditioned. On test cue2 was chosen as a predictor of the outcome in Context B. Both cues were chosen equally often as predictors in Context A. Consistent with attributing attention to effective associative strength (as noted in a previous study), participants could locate only cue2 in Context B while both were located in Context A, regardless of having been chosen as a predictor. Attention varied as a function of both cues’ associative strengths across contexts.
Familiarity with a vocal category biases the compartmental expression ofArc/Arg3.1in core auditory cortex
Authors: Ivanova Tamara N. , Gross Christina , Mappus Rudolph C. , Kwon Yong Jun , Bassell Gary J. , Liu Robert C.
Published: November 2017

Learning to recognize a stimulus category requires experience with its many natural variations. However, the mechanisms that allow a category's sensorineural representation to be updated after experiencing new exemplars are not well understood, particularly at the molecular level. Here we investigate how a natural vocal category induces expression in the auditory system of a key synaptic plasticity effector immediate early gene,Arc/Arg3.1, which is required for memory consolidation. We use the ultrasonic communication system between mouse pups and adult females to study whether prior familiarity with pup vocalizations alters howArcis engaged in the core auditory cortex after playback of novel exemplars from the pup vocal category. A computerized, 3D surface-assisted cellular compartmental analysis, validated against manual cell counts, demonstrates significant changes in the recruitment of neurons expressingArcin pup-experienced animals (mothers and virgin females “cocaring” for pups) compared with pup-inexperienced animals (pup-naïve virgins), especially when listening to more familiar, natural calls compared to less familiar but similarly recognized tonal model calls. Our data support the hypothesis that the kinetics ofArcinduction to refine cortical representations of sensory categories is sensitive to the familiarity of the sensory experience.
Behavioural insights into benefits claimants’ training
Authors: Gloster Rosie , Buzzeo Jonathan , Cox Annette , Bertram Christine , Tassinari Arianna , Schmidtke Kelly Ann , Vlaev Ivo
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the behavioural determinants of work-related benefits claimants’ training behaviours and to suggest ways to improve claimants’ compliance with training referrals.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 Jobcentre Plus staff and training providers, and 60 claimants. Claimants were sampled based on whether or not they had been mandated to training and whether or not they subsequently participated. Along with general findings, differences between these groups are highlighted.

Findings

Claimants’ behaviours are affected by their capabilities, opportunities, and motivations in interrelated ways. Training programmes should appreciate this to better ensure claimants’ completion of training programmes.

Originality/value

Whilst past papers have largely examined a limited number of factors that affect claimants’ training behaviours, this report offers a synchronised evaluation of all the behavioural factors that affect claimants’ training behaviours.
AI empowered context-aware smart system for medication adherence
Authors: Wu Qiong , Zeng Zhiwei , Lin Jun , Chen Yiqiang
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Poor medication adherence leads to high hospital admission rate and heavy amount of health-care cost. To cope with this problem, various electronic pillboxes have been proposed to improve the medication adherence rate. However, most of the existing electronic pillboxes use time-based reminders which may often lead to ineffective reminding if the reminders are triggered at inopportune moments, e.g. user is sleeping or eating.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors propose an AI-empowered context-aware smart pillbox system. The pillbox system collects real-time sensor data from a smart home environment and analyzes the user’s contextual information through a computational abstract argumentation-based activity classifier.

Findings

Based on user’s different contextual states, the smart pillbox will generate reminders at appropriate time and on appropriate devices.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel context-aware smart pillbox system that uses argumentation-based activity recognition and reminder generation.
Complex crowdsourcing task allocation strategies employing supervised and reinforcement learning
Authors: Cui Lizhen , Zhao Xudong , Liu Lei , Yu Han , Miao Yuan
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Allocation of complex crowdsourcing tasks, which typically include heterogeneous attributes such as value, difficulty, skill required, effort required and deadline, is still a challenging open problem. In recent years, agent-based crowdsourcing approaches focusing on recommendations or incentives have emerged to dynamically match workers with diverse characteristics to tasks to achieve high collective productivity. However, existing approaches are mostly designed based on expert knowledge grounded in well-established theoretical frameworks. They often fail to leverage on user-generated data to capture the complex interaction of crowdsourcing participants’ behaviours. This paper aims to address this challenge.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes a policy network plus reputation network (PNRN) approach which combines supervised learning and reinforcement learning to imitate human task allocation strategies which beat artificial intelligence strategies in this large-scale empirical study. The proposed approach incorporates a policy network for the selection of task allocation strategies and a reputation network for calculating the trends of worker reputation fluctuations. Then, by iteratively applying the policy network and reputation network, a multi-round allocation strategy is proposed.

Findings

PNRN has been trained and evaluated using a large-scale real human task allocation strategy data set derived from the Agile Manager game with close to 500,000 decision records from 1,144 players in over 9,000 game sessions. Extensive experiments demonstrate the validity and efficiency of computational complex crowdsourcing task allocation strategy learned from human participants.

Originality/value

The paper can give a better task allocation strategy in the crowdsourcing systems.
A study on MCIN model in intelligent clothing industry
Authors: Nan Yixuan , Liu Yi , Shen Jianping , Chai Yueting
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to study the material conscious information network (MCIN) to present new models of clothing products and persons and propose new crowd-designing patterns to reconstruct an improved supply–demand relationship in clothing industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper aims to study the MCIN to present new models of clothing products and persons and propose new crowd-designing patterns to reconstruct an improved supply–demand relationship in clothing industry.

Findings

At last, this paper implements a prototype system of novel e-commerce platform based on the CDCI to illustrate the effectiveness and soundness of the CDCI modeling.

Originality/value

Different from most related works just focusing on the physiology dimension in the matching of customer and clothing, this paper proposes that the dimension of physiology, character, knowledge and experience should be synthetically considered.
Town centre cooperation: changing perception of property owners
Authors: Håkansson Johan , Lagin Madelen , Wennström Johanna
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if, and how, different stakeholders perceive property owners (PO) have changed their activities in a town centre after increased competition, and if this has led to a different perception of the PO’ stakeholder group.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative follow-up case study is conducted through semi-structured interviews on changes in the town centre management (TCM) stakeholders’ perceptions of the role, benefit, and contribution of PO. The interviews are carried out before and after the establishment of a big-box retailer, which makes it possible to analyse possible changes in the perceptions in relation to the overall role of the PO when retail competition increases.

Findings

A limited number of PO and local authorities have started working more strategically and proactively by creating a time-restricted alliance that goes beyond the work of the TCM organisation. Although the activities of the PO have increased, this is not fully understood by everyone in the town centre, especially the retailers.

Research limitations/implications

In comparison with other studies, this study clearly indicates that the property owner plays a key strategic role in enabling town centre development. This role is broader than what the original TCM literature suggests and is based on the aspects of resource coordination and distribution.

Practical implications

In order to create the opportunity to develop a town centre in the long run, it is of strategic importance that the PO are in agreement with the development plans. In addition, it is necessary to consider those members who should be part of the strategic alliance.

Originality/value

By conducting a comparative follow-up case study, the authors are able to contribute with a deeper understanding of how stakeholders’ perceptions change over time. The authors extend the current literature by showing that the PO are a key stakeholder due to their organisational resources and their ability to facilitate town centre development.
Idea-generation communities: when should host firms intervene?
Authors: Ponnamma Divakaran Pradeep Kumar
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore when, why and to what extent firms should intervene in firm-hosted idea-generation communities, and to develop a framework for firm-intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

A single case-study is conducted in a highly successful firm-hosted idea-generation community called Dell IdeaStorm, whereby the netnographic approach is applied.

Findings

The findings indicate that, overall, firm-participation is minimal and passive, and varies according to the three stages of the idea lifecycle in the community, such as ideation stage – here firm-participation is limited to acknowledgement of new ideas, checking for redundancy, managing search tool and profanity filtering; discussion and development stage – here firm-participation is more active by providing feedback and clarification when needed, troubleshooting, asking for additional input on an idea, etc.; and completion stage – here a firm intervenes to screen and select the most promising ideas for implementation and also provides status updates on ideas.

Originality/value

This study contributes by developing a new framework for firm-participation, which is useful for the early diagnosis of community issues in idea generation. The framework is also a tactical tool which can be used to guide community managers in selecting the correct moderation approach, depending on the specific stage in the idea lifecycle.
Managing brand identity strategy: how professional football wins the game
Authors: Blumrodt Jens , Huang-Horowitz Nell C.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

While research on brand identity is abundant, an area that is less explored is whether an organisation’s communication about itself directly translates to key stakeholders’ perception of that organisation. The purpose of this study is to explore whether certain Web-based communication strategies are more effective in aligning organisations’ communicated identity (CI) with their perceived identity (PI).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed-methods design in the context of professional football league clubs. The CI was determined through an analysis of the clubs websites (n = 20), and PI was investigated through interviews with spectators (n = 244). Both CI and PI were operationalised using image categories.

Findings

Three main strategies of identity communication are observed. The results show that the strategy focusing on product-related categories leads to discrepancy. WBC with non-product related categories and benefits shows better CI-PI alignment. The study also found that clubs emphasising their CI as local, engaged in community and family-friendly are more likely to achieve greater alignment.

Practical implications

The quality of the brand identity depends on the discrepancy or congruence of brand image categories. Best practices are observed for brands having largely updated WBC of all categories, attitudes and engagement in the community.

Originality/value

The interrelated nature of brand identity communication and perception makes it necessary to empirically test how the two may be bridged with one. The developed concepts provide insight into which strategies better contribute to a consistent, coherent brand identity.
Expanding the scope of affect: taxonomy construction for emotions, tones, and associations
Authors: Spiteri Louise , Pecoskie Jen
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an examination of emotional experiences, particularly how they are situated in the readers’ advisory (RA) literature and the literatures from a variety of outside disciplines in order to create taxonomies of affect from this context.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach of this study is twofold. First, this work reviews the literature on affect in Library and Information Science (LIS) and ancillary disciplines in order to understand the definition of affect. Second, using extant taxonomies and resources noted from the literature review, taxonomies are created for three aspects of affect: emotions, tones, and associations.

Findings

This paper contextualises and defines affect for the LIS discipline. Further, a result of the work is the creation of three taxonomies through an RA lens by which affective experiences can be classified. The resulting three taxonomies focus on emotion, tone, and associations.

Practical implications

The taxonomies of emotion, tone, and associations can be applied to the practical work of bibliographic description, helping to expand access and organisation through an affective lens. These taxonomies of affect could be used by readers’ advisors to help readers describe their desired reading experiences. As the taxonomies have been constructed from an RA perspective, and can be applied to the RA literature, they could expand the understanding of RA theory, especially that of appeal.

Originality/value

This study furthers the exploration of affect in LIS and provides tangible taxonomies of affect for the LIS discipline in an RA context, which have not been previously produced.
Understanding and overcoming negative impacts of tourism in city destinations: conceptual model and strategic framework
Authors: Postma Albert , Schmuecker Dirk
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the mechanisms of conflict between residents and tourists and to propose a conceptual model to assess the impact of such conflicts on city tourism and to suggest a framework to develop strategies to deal with such conflicts and mitigate negative impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on desk research a conceptual model was developed which describes the drivers of conflicts between residents and visitors. Building blocks of the model are visitors and their attributes, residents and their attributes, conflict mechanisms and critical encounters between residents and visitors, and indicators of the quality and quantity of tourist facilities. Subsequently the model was used to analyse the situation in Hamburg. For this analysis concentration values were calculated based on supply data of hotels and AirBnB, app-data, and expert consultations.

Findings

The study shows that in Hamburg there are two key mechanisms that stimulate conflicts: (1) the number of tourists in relation to the number of residents and its distribution in time and space; (2) the behaviour of visitors measured in the norms that they pose onto themselves and others (indecent behaviour of tourists).

Research limitations/implications

The model that was developed is a conceptual model, not a model with which hypotheses can be tested statistically. Refinement of the model needs further study.

Practical implications

Based on the outcomes of the study concrete strategies were proposed with which Hamburg could manage and control the balance of tourism.

Originality/value

City tourism has been growing in the last decades, in some cases dramatically. As a consequence, conflicts between tourists, tourism suppliers and inhabitants can occur. The rise of the so-called sharing economy has recently added an additional facet to the discussion. The ability to assess and deal with such conflicts is of importance for the way city tourism can develop in the future. This study is an attempt to contribute to the understanding of the mechanism behind and the nature of those conflicts, and the way they can be managed and controlled. Besides it illustrates how data generated by social media (apps) can be used for such purposes.