bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neoliberalism and teacher certification
Authors: Greenblatt Deborah
Published: May 2018

The dominant discourse of teacher education is framed as the “construction of the problem of teacher education” (Cochran-Smith et al., 2013). From this neoliberal discourse came the push for more accountability, contributing to the promotion of a nationally scored standardized teacher performance assessment (edTPA). This article examines the impact of the assessment on those taking the elementary education edTPA in New York City, teacher educators and the teacher education curriculum. Based on survey and interview data from teacher candidates and faculty, there is a strong concern about the impact of the cost of the edTPA on economically disadvantaged teacher candidates and under-resourced schools of education. In many cases, teacher candidates were not encouraged to fight the neoliberal discourse but rather to “play the game” to pass a test. Because teacher educators felt it was their job to help their teacher candidates get certified, little resistance was found even among those who were not in support of the edTPA. In resistance to the standardization, teacher candidates were encouraged to be strategic, within the Pearson guidelines, in terms of their class size and composition as well as with the lessons that they taught. There were also accommodations made in teacher candidates placements to avoid testing grades or schools with a standardized curriculum; however, this potentially created new consequences with the avoidance of high-needs schools. Additionally, due to the intersection of the specific requirements of the edTPA and the mandated curricula, teacher candidates went outside the guidelines to pass the test. Furthermore, some teacher candidates decided not to take the edTPA and to get certified in another state or not to go into public education.
Finding a Way Forward: Flatland School District Reviews Their Decentralized Model
Authors: Moon Jodi Saxton
Published: May 2018

This case was developed for use with future school and district leaders in an educational setting. There are several topics of discussion that can be developed, including but not limited to decentralization as a large-scale reform, policy implementation, the superintendency, and urban schools. The setting is a fictional southwestern urban school district. Data are presented about student achievement and funding equity/inequity. Students will discuss potential next steps for the main player in the story: a relatively new superintendent whose school board has mixed feelings about the district’s decentralized model, implemented in 2007.
Circulating tumor DNA as prognostic markers for late stage NSCLC with bone metastasis
Authors: Jia Jiguang , Huang Bin , Zhuang Zhengling , Chen Sen
Published: May 2018

Purpose:

Bone metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are common, and current prognostic stratification methods are challenging to predict outcomes. The aim of the study is to examine circulating tumor DNA as a potential biomarker to gauge overall survival.

Methods:

Late stage NSCLC patients associated with bone metastasis were recruited for the study. Circulating tumor DNA was quantified using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, a sensitive assay that is capable to pick up low mutant DNA frequencies. KRAS and EGFR genes were serially profiled at monthly intervals to ascertain their variations in different patients during monitoring. These were correlated to overall survival as an endpoint measure.

Results:

Analysis of circulating tumor DNA and tumor tissues samples yielded a 94.7% overall agreement for KRAS and EGFR mutations. Higher circulating tumor DNA quantities of more than 1.4-fold were also detected in patients with bone metastases. To gauge the prognostic utility of circulating tumor DNA for these patient groups, circulating tumor DNA quantities as well as the patients’ genotypes were used to stratify patients in the survival analysis. Hazard ratios for patient groups with and without bone metastasis was 1.63. Patients groups separated by circulating tumor DNA quantity and molecular profile were 1.51 and 1.58, respectively. The results showed that circulating tumor DNA was a useful marker to identify patients with better survival outcomes.

Conclusion:

The good overall concordance in genetic profiling and circulating tumor DNA measurements associated with NSCLC patients with bone metastases supports plasma-based testing. This study presents exploratory evidence of the prognostic role of circulating tumor DNA that can be of value in the management of the disease.
Development of a novel diagnostic algorithm to predict NASH in HCV-positive patients
Authors: Gallotta Andrea , Paneghetti Laura , Mrázová Viera , Bednárová Adriana , Kružlicová Dáša , Frecer Vladimir , Miertus Stanislav , Biasiolo Alessandra , Martini Andrea , Pontisso Patrizia , Fassina Giorgio
Published: May 2018

Non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) is a severe disease characterised by liver inflammation and progressive hepatic fibrosis, which may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinical evidence suggests that in hepatitis C virus patients steatosis and NASH are associated with faster fibrosis progression and hepatocellular carcinoma. A safe and reliable non-invasive diagnostic method to detect NASH at its early stages is still needed to prevent progression of the disease. We prospectively enrolled 91 hepatitis C virus-positive patients with histologically proven chronic liver disease: 77 patients were included in our study; of these, 10 had NASH. For each patient, various clinical and serological variables were collected. Different algorithms combining squamous cell carcinoma antigen-immunoglobulin-M (SCCA-IgM) levels with other common clinical data were created to provide the probability of having NASH. Our analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between the histological presence of NASH and SCCA-IgM, insulin, homeostasis model assessment, haemoglobin, high-density lipoprotein and ferritin levels, and smoke. Compared to the use of a single marker, algorithms that combined four, six or seven variables identified NASH with higher accuracy. The best diagnostic performance was obtained with the logistic regression combination, which included all seven variables correlated with NASH. The combination of SCCA-IgM with common clinical data shows promising diagnostic performance for the detection of NASH in hepatitis C virus patients.
Spinal CXCL9 and CXCL11 are not involved in neuropathic pain despite an upregulation in the spinal cord following spinal nerve injury
Authors: Wu Xiao-Bo , He Li-Na , Jiang Bao-Chun , Shi Hui , Bai Xue-Qiang , Zhang Wen-Wen , Gao Yong-Jing
Published: May 2018

Chemokines-mediated neuroinflammation in the spinal cord plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Chemokine CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 have been identified as a same subfamily chemokine which bind to CXC chemokine receptor 3 to exert functions. Our recent work found that CXCL10 is upregulated in spinal astrocytes after spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and acts on chemokine receptor CXCR3 on neurons to contribute to central sensitization and neuropathic pain, but less is known about CXCL9 and CXCL11 in the maintenance of neuropathic pain. Here, we report that CXCL9 and CXCL11, same as CXCL10, were increased in spinal astrocytes after SNL. Surprisingly, inhibition of CXCL9 or CXCL11 by spinal injection of shRNA lentivirus did not attenuate SNL-induced neuropathic pain. In addition, intrathecal injection of CXCL9 and CXCL11 did not produce hyperalgesia or allodynia behaviors, and neither of them induced ERK activation, a marker of central sensitization. Whole-cell patch clamp recording on spinal neurons showed that CXCL9 and CXCL11 enhanced both excitatory synaptic transmission and inhibitory synaptic transmission, whereas CXCL10 only produced an increase in excitatory synaptic transmission. These results suggest that, although the expression of CXCL9 and CXCL11 are increased after SNL, they may not contribute to the maintenance of neuropathic pain.
Prenatal maternal stress induces visceral hypersensitivity of adult rat offspring through activation of cystathionine-β-synthase signaling in primary sensory neurons
Authors: Wang Hong-Jun , Xu Xue , Xie Rui-Hua , Rui Yun-Yun , Zhang Ping-An , Zhu Xiao-Jue , Xu Guang-Yin
Published: May 2018

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of unknown etiology characterized by widespread, chronic abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements. Increasing amounts of evidence indicate that stressors presented during gestational periods could have long-term effects on the offspring’s tissue structure and function, which may predispose to gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of the present study is to determine whether prenatal maternal stressis a adverse factor affecting gastrointestinal sensitivity and to investigate possible mechanisms underlying prenatal maternal stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity in adult offspring. Prenatal maternal stress was induced in pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats by exposure to heterotypic intermitent stress from gestational day 7 to delivery. Prenatal maternal stress significantly increased visceromotor response to colorectal distention in adult offspring from the age of 6 weeks to 10 weeks. Prenatal maternal stress also enhanced neuronal excitability including depolarization of resting membrane potentials, reduction in rheobase, and an increase in the number of action potentials evoked by 2× and 3× rheobase current stimultion of colon-specific dorsal root ganglion neurons. Prenatal maternal stress remarkably enhanced expression of cystathionine-β-synthase and Nav1.7 in T13-L2 thoracolumbar dorsal root ganglions both at protein and mRNA levels. Intraperitoneal injection of aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of cystathionine-β-synthase, attenuated prenatal maternal stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity in a dose-dependent manner. A consecutive seven-day administration of aminooxyacetic acid reversed the hyperexcitability of colon-specific dorsal root ganglion neurons and markedly reduced Nav1.7 expression. These results indicate that the presence of multiple psychophysical stressors during pregnancy is associated with visceral hypersensitivity in offspring, which is likely mediated by an upregualtion of cystathionine-β-synthase and Nav1.7 expression. Prenatal maternal stress might be a significant contributor to irritable bowel syndrome, and cystathionine-β-synthase might be a potential target for treatment for chronic visceral hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Brand New Consumers: A Social Practice Approach to Young Immigrants Coping with Material Culture in Italy
Authors: Domaneschi Lorenzo
Published: May 2018

While the role of material culture in reproducing everyday routines and representations has been widely studied, only specific social groups – most of which are based in the US or Europe – have been studied qua ‘consumers’. This article draws on the heuristic potential of materiality for the analysis of consumption practices, and on Bourdieu’s theory of practice and notions of habitus and hysteresis, to explore what happens when immigrants bring their earlier dispositions to new social and material settings. Adopting the Bourdieusian notion of hysteresis, the article investigates the extent of creative adaptations enabled by the lagging of habitus. Findings from a two-year research project are presented, focusing on both verbal and visual representations of taste of a sample of young men and women of different national origins who have recently arrived in Italy. The article also discusses the potential of the photoelicitation technique in analysing social consumption practices and its overall contribution to studying the relationship between consumption practices and ethnic identification.
Intestinal ultrasound and management of small bowel Crohn’s disease
Authors: Kucharzik Torsten , Maaser Christian
Published: May 2018

As Crohn’s disease (CD) is predominantly located within the small bowel, imaging of the small bowel plays an intriguing role in the primary diagnosis as well as in the monitoring of patients with CD. Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) offers several advantages over endoscopy and other imaging modalities. Obvious advantages of IUS include noninvasiveness, rapid availability and cost effectiveness. IUS has been shown to have high accuracy in detecting small bowel CD and determining intra- and extramural complications such as stenoses, fistulae and abscesses. IUS has also been shown to be highly effective in determining postoperative disease recurrence and in follow up of patients under treatment. The following review summarizes current developments in the use of IUS for the detection of small bowel lesions and complications. The aim of this review is to suggest algorithms on how to use IUS in managing patients with small bowel CD in clinical practice. Suggested applications on the use of high frequency IUS in CD are extended by discussing new developments such as contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and elastography.
A retrospective review of treatment patterns of antiemetic agents for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
Authors: Alamri Abdulrahman , Alawlah Yousef A , Qiao Yanru , Wang Junling
Published: May 2018

Objectives:

To evaluate the treatment pattern of antiemetic agents used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

Over a period of 7 weeks, all new chemotherapy order sheets were collected and evaluated for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting management. We compared each antiemetic regimen used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting prophylaxis with three international antiemetic guidelines by the following organizations: the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for the clinician.

Results:

A total of 152 cancer patients were included in the study, for whom 289 chemotherapy physician orders included antiemetic regimens. Approximately 17.3% of the chemotherapy protocols had total minimal emetogenicity risk, 22.5% had low risk, 37.02% had moderate risk, and 23.18% had high risk. For acute emesis, 27.57% of the antiemetic regimens followed at least one of the three reference guidelines. For delayed emesis, only 20.16% of the antiemetic regimens adhered to at least one of the three reference guidelines.

Conclusion:

Adherence to treatment recommendations and antiemetics prescribing for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting was suboptimal at this hospital. However, institutional antiemetic guidelines and oncology pharmacists could play an important role in better assessment and management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Diabetes hospitalizations and deaths in a cohort of treatment-seeking illicit drug users
Authors: Aregbesola Alex , Onyeka Ifeoma N , Olubamwo Olubunmi , Ronkainen Kimmo , Tiihonen Jari , Föhr Jaana , Kauhanen Jussi
Published: May 2018

Background:

Studies on diabetes among illicit drug users are scarce in Finland. This study aimed to describe hospitalization and death due to diabetes among treatment-seeking illicit drug users.

Methods:

Information of 4817 treatment-seeking drug users (3365 men and 1452 women) aged 11–65 years (mean 24.5 years) was linked to the Finnish national hospital discharge register and the national death registry to identify those clients who were hospitalized or died from diabetes mellitus during 1997–2013.

Results:

Fifty-three persons (42 men and 11 women) had primary diagnoses of diabetes, with a total of 146 hospitalizations (121 among men and 25 among women). The total length of stay among men (1183 days) far exceeded those of women (138 days). Overall, type 1 diabetes was the main contributor to hospitalizations (67%, n = 98/146). The proportion of Type 1 diabetes with complications was 31% in men (n = 37/121) and 44% in women (n = 11/25). All cases of deaths due to diabetes (n = 7) occurred in men.

Conclusion:

Diabetes hospitalizations were mainly due to Type 1 diabetes. Longer length of hospital stay was observed in men, and all diabetes deaths occurred among men. Male drug users and drug users in general would require more support to reduce morbidity and mortality due to diabetes.
The treatment works: Revisiting a key link in contextual theories of political behavior
Authors: Wilcox-Archuleta Bryan
Published: May 2018

The use of self-reported contextual factors is prominent in political science. While recent research demonstrates that perceptions of contextual factors positively associate with census measured factors, it is less clear for whom and under what conditions this relationship holds. In this paper, I examine the relationship between census measured racial and ethnic composition and perceived racial and ethnic neighborhood composition. I use the 2008 and 2012 Collaborative Multi-Racial Post-Election Study (CMPS) datasets and append US Census data to test how well respondents understand the racial and ethnic composition of their neighborhood. Leveraging the non-White oversamples in the CMPS, I am able to test this relationship among Latinos, Blacks, and Whites. I find a positive relationship between perceived neighborhood composition and census measured composition. Respondents who live in areas with higher proportions of a racial/ethnic group are more likely to perceive that their neighborhood is composed of that group. These findings hold across Black, Latino, and White sub-samples. These findings complement and extend recent work about how well respondents understand their local environment.
Who joins counter-hegemonic IGOs? Early and late members of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Authors: Rodrigues Vieira Vinícius
Published: May 2018

What makes states join intergovernmental organizations intended to challenge a hegemon? The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), founded in June 2015, targets the primacy of the US-led Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Asia-Pacific region, and is a crucial case for answering this question. I argue that early AIIB members are likely to be politically distant from the US in both international and domestic terms. In contrast, subsequent states seeking AIIB membership include democratic states, existing ADB members and countries internationally aligned with the US, as measured by voting similarity at the United Nations General Assembly. Through logit models, I test these propositions and analyze which states adhered to the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding that signaled Beijing’s willingness to form the Bank and which states joined the AIIB subsequently at its foundation in 2015. The results support my claim that early members tend to score low in democratic governance, while late members are US allies.
State’s Response to Intra-state Conflicts: The Case of North-East India
Authors: Bijen Meetei Nameirakpam
Published: May 2018

Contemporary state politics is marked by intra-state conflicts, many of which have ignited civil wars. In the midst of diversity, and despite her success in sustaining democracy, India still faces intra-state conflicts, which often threaten its territorial integrity. Presently, Jammu and Kashmir and the North-Eastern States are the most talked about cases in this regard. This article studies the nature of conflicts in North-Eastern India and the way the state has responded to such conflicts. The study finds the existence of five major types of conflicts and almost an equal number of responses from the state. Though, over the years, India has successfully resolved many forms of disputes, in the case of the North-Eastern States, on the contrary, state’s responses have resulted into new cases of conflicts. Thus, in the absence of adequate principles and institutions, bringing a lasting solution to these issues does not look like achievable in the immediate future.
Institutional Paradox and Tenure Insecurity in Ethiopian Pastoral Land Administration
Authors: Sisay Mulugeta Getu , Zeleke Ashenafi Negash , Gulte Habtamu Hailemeskel
Published: May 2018

Laws governing pastoral communal lands are barely developed in Ethiopia. The Federal Constitution firmly recognizes uninterrupted land use right of pastoralists including for grazing. Federal land laws, however, mention pastoralists’ issues incidentally and are far from being comprehensive frameworks. This research is the review of pillars of federal and regional land laws, examination of their implementation, synergy between state and customary land administration system, and the implication of gaps in accessing land for different programmes in Ethiopian Afar and Somali regional states. The findings revealed that in the absence of any federal laws that effectively regulate communal lands uses, regional laws were found to be precarious, feeble and far from being comprehensive. Ironically, the regional laws offered more protection to crop fields than communal (pastoral) land. It is also shown that customary and state land administration systems that operate simultaneously in the areas lack synergy and created stalemate.
Under the radar? ‘Soft’ residential densification in England, 2001–2011
Authors: Bibby Peter , Henneberry John , Halleux Jean-Marie
Published: May 2018

Urban compaction policies have been widely adopted in developed countries in pursuit of more sustainable cities. Compactness is achieved through a process of ‘densification’, of developing and using land and buildings more intensively. However, empirical evidence on the processes and outcomes of urban densification is lacking. The paper addresses this lacuna. It considers densification in England, a country that has long experience of applying policies of urban containment and consolidation; and one where new data sources allow the analysis of recent land use change at a level of detail not hitherto possible. In England between 2001 and 2011, the bulk of additional dwellings were accommodated within urban areas, increasing their density. Yet, there were wide inter- and intra-regional variations in the pattern of densification: for example, in the contributions of large scale, formal development and of small scale, informal, gradual change – of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ densification – to the process. The significant differences in local experiences of densification that result raise major issues for policy.
Are EBV-related and EBV-unrelated Hodgkin lymphomas different with regard to susceptibility to checkpoint blockade?
Authors: Carbone Antonino , Gloghini Annunziata , Carlo-Stella Carmelo
Published: May 2018

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–related and EBV-unrelated classical Hodgkin lymphomas (cHLs) are morphologically and phenotypically indistinguishable. However, the tumor microenvironment of EBV-related cHLs contains higher numbers of macrophages and higher expression levels of PD-L1 than that of EBV-unrelated cHLs. Moreover, viral oncoprotein LMP1 may sustain an immunosuppressive microenvironment by inducing/enhancing production of immunosuppressive cytokines and the expression of PD-1. The presence of enhanced immunosuppressive features in EBV-related cHL should make EBV-related cHL patients more susceptible to checkpoint blockade.
Year 1 in the Molecular Era of Pediatric Brain Tumor Diagnosis: Application of Universal Clinical Targeted Sequencing in an Unselected Cohort of Children
Authors: Cole Bonnie L. , Lockwood Christina M. , Stasi Shannon , Stevens Jeffrey , Lee Amy , Ojemann Jeffrey G. , Ellenbogen Richard G. , Leary Sarah E.S.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Next-generation sequencing is gaining acceptance as a clinical tool to aid diagnosis and guide treatment of pediatric cancer. Prior pilot studies have evaluated the feasibility and utility of clinical genomic profiling in a subset of selected patients with brain tumors. Here, we report an unselected prospective cohort study to evaluate the clinical use of universal targeted sequencing in pediatric patients with brain tumors.

Methods

We applied a universal sequencing protocol for all tumors of the CNS undergoing diagnostic workup at Seattle Children’s Hospital during the study period of November 2015 to November 2016. All tumors were sequenced using the UW-OncoPlex platform, which is a multiplexed targeted deep gene sequencing panel that detects genetic alterations in 262 cancer-related genes performed in a College of American Pathologists–accredited Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments–certified laboratory.

Results

Eighty-eight patients underwent diagnostic evaluation during the study period, of which 85 tumors (95%) yielded sufficient DNA for sequencing, including 59 newly diagnosed and 26 relapsed. Clinically relevant genetic alterations were identified in 68 of 85 patients (80%). Of these, 57 (67%) had disease-defining or disease-modifying mutations, 44 (52%) had potentially targetable mutations, and 31 (36%) had mutations requiring germline follow-up. As of the last follow-up, seven patients had been prescribed targeted agents on the basis of sequencing results, and nine had confirmed deleterious germline mutations.

Conclusion

Clinically validated molecular profiling of pediatric brain tumors aids diagnosis and treatment of patients with a variety of high- and low-grade primary and relapsed pediatric brain tumors.
Tension-loaded bone marrow stromal cells potentiate the paracrine osteogenic signaling of co-cultured vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Jiang Yu Nan , Zhao Jun , Chu Feng Ting , Jiang Yang Yang , Tang Guo Hua
Published: May 2018

Co-culture of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and vascular endothelial cells (VECs) is a promising strategy for better osteogenesis and pre-vascularization in bone tissue engineering. Recent reports have shown that mechanical stretching further promotes osteogenesis in BMSC/VEC co-culture systems, but the underlying mechanism of this process remains unclear. In this study, noncontact co-cultures of rat primary BMSCs and VECs were employed to interrogate paracrine cell-to-cell communications in response to tensions. Exposure of VECs to 6% tension for 48 h elicited neither ALP activity nor mRNA expression of OCN and OPN in BMSCs incubated in a shared culture medium. Instead, BMSCs subjected to tension induced robust VEGF release, and its conditioned medium enhanced the proliferation and tubular formation of VECs with a concurrent increase in BMP-2 and IGF-1 production. Conditioned medium from activated VECs in turn promoted expression of osteogenic genes in BMSCs, followed by an increase in matrix mineralization. The addition of VEGF-R inhibitor Tivozanib to these systems abrogated the tension-induced paracrine effects on VECs and subsequently impaired BMSC osteogenesis. These results clearly demonstrate that the response of BMSCs to tension potentiates paracrine osteogenic signaling from VECs; this positive feedback loop is initiated by VEGF release.
Nitric oxide-mediated intersegmental modulation of cycle frequency in the crayfish swimmeret system
Authors: Yoshida Misaki , Nagayama Toshiki , Newland Philip
Published: May 2018

Crayfish swimmerets are paired appendages located on the ventral side of each abdominal segment that show rhythmic beating during forward swimming produced by central pattern generators in most abdominal segments. For animals with multiple body segments and limbs, intersegmental coordination of central pattern generators in each segment is crucial for the production of effective movements. Here we develop a novel pharmacological approach to analyse intersegmental modulation of swimmeret rhythm by selectively elevating nitric oxide levels and reducing them with pharmacological agents, in specific ganglia. Bath application of L-arginine, the substrate NO synthesis, increased the cyclical spike responses of the power-stroke motor neurons. By contrast the NOS inhibitor, L-NAME decreased them. To determine the role of the different local centers in producing and controlling the swimmeret rhythm, these two drugs were applied locally to two separate ganglia following bath application of carbachol. Results revealed that there was both ascending and descending intersegmental modulation of cycle frequency of the swimmeret rhythm in the abdominal ganglia and that synchrony of cyclical activity between segments of segments was maintained. We also found that there were gradients in the strength effectiveness in modulation, that ascending modulation of the swimmeret rhythm was stronger than descending modulation.
Cell-autonomous role of GFRα1 in the development of olfactory bulb GABAergic interneurons
Authors: Zechel Sabrina , Fernandez-Suarez Diana , Ibáñez Carlos F.
Published: May 2018

GFRα1, a receptor for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), is critical for the development of the main olfactory system. The olfactory bulb (OB) of Gfra1 knock-out mice shows significant reductions in the number of olfactory sensory neurons, mitral and tufted cells, as well as all major classes of OB GABAergic interneurons. However, the latter do not express significant levels of GFRα1, leaving the mechanism of action of GFRα1 in OB interneuron development unexplained. Here we report that GFRα1 is highly expressed in the precursor cells that give rise to all major classes of OB interneurons, but is downregulated as these neurons mature. Conditional ablation of GFRα1 in embryonic GABAergic cells recapitulated the cell losses observed in global Gfra1 knock-outs at birth. GFRα1 was also required for the sustained generation and allocation of OB interneurons in adulthood. Conditional loss of GFRα1 altered the migratory behavior of neuroblasts along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) as well as RMS glial tunnel formation. Together, these data indicate that GFRα1 functions cell-autonomously in subpopulations of OB interneuron precursors to regulate their generation and allocation in the mammalian OB.
Galectins at a glance
Authors: Johannes Ludger , Jacob Ralf , Leffler Hakon
Published: May 2018

Galectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are involved in many physiological functions, such as inflammation, immune responses, cell migration, autophagy and signalling. They are also linked to diseases such as fibrosis, cancer and heart disease. How such a small family of only 15 members can have such widespread effects remains a conundrum. In this Cell Science at a Glance article, we summarise recent literature on the many cellular activities that have been ascribed to galectins. As shown on the accompanying poster, these include carbohydrate-independent interactions with cytosolic or nuclear targets and carbohydrate-dependent interactions with extracellular glycoconjugates. We discuss how these intra- and extracellular activities might be linked and point out the importance of unravelling molecular mechanisms of galectin function to gain a true understanding of their contributions to the physiology of the cell. We close with a short outlook on the organismal functions of galectins and a perspective on the major challenges in the field.
Markets with Multidimensional Private Information
Authors: Guerrieri Veronica , Shimer Robert
Published: May 2018

This paper explores price formation when sellers are privately informed about their preferences and the quality of their asset. There are many equilibria, including a semi-separating one in which each seller's price depends on a one-dimensional index of her preferences and asset quality. This multiplicity does not rely on off-the-equilibrium path beliefs and so is not amenable to standard signaling game refinements. The semi-separating equilibrium may not be Pareto efficient, even if it is not Pareto dominated by any other equilibrium. Instead, efficient allocations may require transfers across uninformed buyers, inconsistent with any equilibrium. (JEL D11, D52, D82)
Revisiting the Relationship between Competition and Price Discrimination
Authors: Chandra Ambarish , Lederman Mara
Published: May 2018

We revisit the relationship between competition and price discrimination. Theoretically, we show that if consumers differ in terms of both their underlying willingness-to-pay and their brand loyalty, competition may increase price differences between some consumers while decreasing them between others. Empirically, we find that competition has little impact at the top or the bottom of the price distribution but a significant impact in the middle, thus increasing some price differentials but decreasing others. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the relevant sources of consumer heterogeneity and can reconcile earlier conflicting findings. (JEL D12, D22, D43, L13, L93, M31)
Prenatal maternal stress and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Manzari Nicla , Matvienko-Sikar Karen , Baldoni Franco , O'Keeffe Gerard W. , Khashan Ali
Published: May 2018

Background: Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) is defined as the experience of significant levels of prenatal stress, depression or anxiety during pregnancy. PNMS has been associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in exposed offspring. However, these findings are inconsistent and other studies found no association, meaning a clear consensus on the impact of PNMS on ASD and ADHD risk is required. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize and critically review the existing literature on the effects of PNMS on ASD and ADHD risk.

Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus and EMBASE) will be searched for articles following a detailed search strategy. We will include cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies that assessed maternal exposure to psychological and/or environmental stress and had ASD or ADHD as an outcome. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles, abstracts and full articles to identify eligible studies. We will use a standardised data extraction form for extracting data and a bias classification tool for assessing study quality. This systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The generic inverse variance method will be used if possible to perform meta-analyses.

Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required for this study because it will not involve the conduct or inclusion of any experimental or personal data that would require informed consent.  The systematic review will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals.

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018084222.
Clinical picture, pathogenesis and psychometric assessment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Authors: Wójciak Paweł , Rybakowski Janusz
Published: May 2018

Objawy negatywne schizofrenii są poważnym problemem diagnostycznym i terapeutycznym w psychiatrii. Stanowią istotną przyczynę zaburzającą stan zdrowia, funkcjonowanie społeczne i jakość życia pacjentów, a leczenie tych objawów jest bardzo trudne. W pracy przedstawiono rozwój koncepcji schizofrenii, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem problematyki objawów negatywnych. Omówiono modele objawów pozytywnych i negatywnych schizofrenii, jakie przedstawili w latach 1980-tych Timothy Crow i Nancy Andreasen. Zaprezentowano koncepcję Williama Carpentera dotyczącą tzw. zespołu deficytowego, a także kryteria podziału objawów negatywnych na pierwotne i wtórne. Opisano aktualne poglądy na patogenezę objawów negatywnych z uwzględnieniem badań neuroobrazowych, zaburzeń neuroprzekaźnictwa, deficytów neuropsychologicznych oraz badań genetycznych, immunologicznych i epidemiologicznych.
Oddzielny podrozdział poświęcono narzędziom diagnostycznym służącym rozpoznawaniu oraz ocenie nasilenia objawów negatywnych. Narzędzia te, ze względu na chronologię ich wprowadzenia można podzielić na skale I i II generacji. Do pierwszej należą skale Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome (SDS) i Proxy for Deficit Syndrome. Do drugiej generacji należą, powstałe w następstwie rekomendacji grupy amerykańskich ekspertów w 2006 roku, skale kliniczne Brief Negative Syndrome Scale (BNSS) i Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) oraz skale samooceny: Motivation and Pleasure Scale- Self Report (MAP-SR) i Self-assessment of Negative Symptoms (SNS). Szczegółowo omówiono skalę BNSS oraz skalę samooceny SNS, których polskie wersje zostały opracowane w Klinice Psychiatrii Dorosłych UM w Poznaniu.
Museums "in situ" as Places of Reconciliation
Authors: Suszkiewicz Katarzyna
Published: May 2018

Museums at former concentration and death camps pose great challenges for their curators. The Holocaust – as a symbol of the collapse of European values – is interpreted differently by certain nations and states. These approaches are connected both with the past and with current historical policy, as well as with collective memory. This article focuses on the moment of the physical encounter between different national groups during educational activities at museums in situ such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the State Museum at Majdanek, and the Museum of Struggle and Martyrdom in Treblinka. Such meetings may (or should) be an opportunity to learn about and understand (sometimes very) different national perspectives. Participation in educational projects may also become a catalyst to understand and promote reconciliation with the Other. The analysis is based on the philosophy of dialogue of Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and Józef Tischner.
Some Remarks on Memory and Heritage in Europe
Authors: Mach Zdzisław
Published: May 2018

The text concludes the contributions of the volume, accentuating the general reflections on European heritage which can be found described herein by the articles’ authors. The conclusion refers to the general ideas of Europe with its specific values and the concepts of democratization, dealing with collective trauma as well as various narrative strategies used in the process of heritage invention and social use. Finally, a significant example of heritage interpretation is provided and focused on in the form of the #heritage exhibition held at the National Museum in Kraków. Special attention in this case is drawn to two contradictory paradigms of heritage interpretation, while the exhibition becomes a symbol of the complexity of the present debate on European identity in contemporary Poland/Europe.
ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS APPLICATION FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSE FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT BUDGET ALLOCATION IN DURANGO, MEXICO
Authors: Tecle Aregai
Published: May 2018

A very important aspect of natural resources management is determining optimal budget allocation to satisfy the needs and aspirations of multiple stakeholders. This is especially the case in developing countries like Mexico where budgetary funds are in short supply. There has been an increasing debate in Durango, Mexico, for example, about determining the most efficient way of allocating a budget for multi-purpose forest management. The debate has been triggered by a growing number of interests and stakeholders, which in addition to optimal timber production, have the desire to improve environmental conditions, water resource development, range and other non-timber resources production, and to provide better amenity values and expanded recreational opportunities. CONAFOR (COmisión NAcionale FORestal), the Mexican agency in charge of allocating funds to promote sustainable forest resources development, has been implementing four national programs: developments of forest resources, tree plantations, non-timber products, and water resources.  In addition to these programs, the forest resources management decision-making process involves four interest groups and six management objectives independently connected in a hierarchical framework.  Accordingly, the most suitable multi-objective/multi-criterion decision-making (MODM/MCDM) technique for optimal allocation of scarce budgetary funds among the four natural resources development programs is the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).  The two programs that receive the most funds are forest resources development and water resources/ environmental services development.  In this way, the AHP can be used to optimally distribute scarce financial resources among competing programs to improve regional economic development and better satisfy the needs of various interest groups.
INTEGRATION OF DELPHI TECHNIQUE AND ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS IN SELECTING THE TYPE OF DAM: A CASE STUDY OF BUNGOH CATCHMENT IN SARAWAK, MALAYSIA
Authors: Kaw KarMun , Abd Manaf Latifah
Published: May 2018

Dams are built ancient structures, which serve to retain, collect, and store water. Over the years, the function of dams has been diversified to flood prevention, water level regulation, and even recreational purposes. However, selecting a suitable type of dam based on the characteristics of a potential dam site is consistently a concern in the preliminary construction stage. Therefore, this study attempts to integrate the Delphi technique and Analytical Hierarchy Process (D-AHP) to develop a set of influential attributes, which assists in the selection of a suitable type of dam for the potential dam site. These influential attributes are determined based on comprehensive literature reviews and corroborated by twelve experts from relevant fields through three rounds of interviews. Using the Delphi technique, 9 important criteria and 25 sub-criteria are finalized. Expert’s judgments are measured through pairwise comparisons to derive eigenvectors. Based on prioritisation of AHP, the gravity dam scores the highest total weight, and is selected as the optimal type of dam for Bungoh catchment. The selection of the gravity dam is quantified based on the developed influential attributes, which include environmental criteria, social criteria, and engineering criteria. Essentially, the selection takes the characteristics of the potential dam site into account during the pairwise comparison process. In this context, the developed set of influential attributes could objectively assist related organizations in their decision making process. These attributes are also applicable in the preliminary stage of any dam development project.[1] 
This work is supported by Exploratory Research Grant Scheme (ERGS/1/11/STWN/UPM/02/8-5527027)
VENTURE CAPITALISTS DECISION MAKING: APPLYING ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS TO THE STARTUPS EVALUATION
Authors: Milkova Maria , Andreichikova Olga , Andreichikov Alexander
Published: May 2018

The idea of synthesizing analytical and heuristic approaches is proposed in order to join different approaches to the Venture Capitalists (VCs) decision making. The research applies Analytic Network Process (ANP) methodology to the comparative evaluation of four e-commerce startups. The proposed ANP model represents the decision problem as a structure of Benefits-Opportunities and Risks networks with dependences and feedbacks between decision criteria and alternatives. Based on VCs judgments that are checked for consistency, the ANP approach helps choose the best startup for funding or to estimate the target startup versus other startups. The ratings that are obtained may be used as weights for determining a startups valuation.  In the model, heuristics is used without reducing the complexity of the task and thus helps avoid the systematic error. Moreover, the idea of applying ANP to the VCs decision making serves to make the decision process transparent and understandable. To implement the ANP model, Multichoice software has been developed.
AN AHP BASED PRIORITIZATION MODEL FOR RISK EVALUATION FACTORS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Authors: Topcu Ilker , Unver Berna , Isik Mine , Kabak Ozgur
Published: May 2018

Due to product variety and modeling structure, the automotive manufacturing process requires state-of-the art production methods that cause a high complexity level in operations which assembly operators work in a mixed-assembly environment. To maintain a competitive advantage, companies should take a different approach that considers the methodologies which ensure excellence in operations. This study aims to identify and prioritize potential risk factors that cause errors and failures by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process to improve the production quality in a manufacturing process of mixed model assembly lines in the automobile industry. Thus, numerous risk factors under three main categories including human-focused, design and process-driven are discussed in this work. The most important contribution of this study is the application of this methodology to find and rank the risk factors based on their importance in a world-leading automotive company in Turkey.
‘Don’t talk like that: It’s not just what you say but how you say it’: The process of developing an applied theatre performance to teach undergraduate nursing students communication skills around paediatric end-of-life care
Authors: Reeves Alison , Neilson Sue
Published: May 2018

The project aimed to explore the effectiveness of drama and nursing students working collaboratively to develop communication skills based on situations nurses face working with children in palliative and end-of-life care. Interactive theatre techniques were developed in the participatory performance and embedded in Noddings’ concept of care education. Based on findings from pre and post intervention student feedback the results demonstrate and exemplify how performance can offer new ways of understanding the caring encounter. Through facilitating re-enactment of their real-life scenarios pre-registration nursing students both discussed and practiced nurse: patient interactions, reflecting on how caring and uncaring communication sounds and feels. Role-play and simulation is not new in training nursing students but the innovative aspect of this project was the way working with drama students enabled participation and reflection through elements of ‘Simultaneous Dramaturgy’ and ‘Forum Theatre’ in this paediatric palliative context.
‘Our Lives’ and ‘Life Happens’, from stigma to empathy in young people’s depictions of sexual health and relationships
Authors: Senior Kate , Grozdanovski Laura , Chenhall Richard , Minton Stephen
Published: May 2018

This article describes qualitative research undertaken to explore young people’s understanding of sex and relationships that used a scenario-driven body-mapping technique. This art-based method was designed to allow young people to think deeply about the subject and build upon each other’s ideas through the medium of decorating a life-sized human body. Although this method produced rich information the depictions of young people tended to be highly stigmatized. We further refined the method to encourage young people to empathize with the character that they created and the resultant research became the basis for the sexual health resource ‘Life Happens’.
Life after Trafficking: A gap in the UK’s modern slavery efforts
Authors: Roberts Kate
Published: May 2018

The Modern Slavery Act (2015) was a symbol of the UK’s commitment to combatting exploitation and human trafficking. Yet the Act offers little help to people who have been trafficked to, or in, the UK to recover and build a new life.