bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive leader–member exchange differences between supervisors and subordinates
Authors: Shen Yan
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the influence of organizational identification (OI) on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) directed toward organization (OCB-O) and OCB directed toward individuals (OCB-I), and explore the moderating effects of turnover intention (TI) and the differences of the moderating effects of supervisors’ ratings of leader–member exchange quality (LMX-L) and subordinates’ ratings of LMX quality (LMX-S) in the process.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on social exchange theory, this study took administrative staff of private small and medium enterprises in China as population. A paired-samples design was used, and 437 valid paired samples were collected finally. Data analyses were conducted by using structural equation modeling.

Findings

OI indicated a positive influence on both OCB-O and OCB-I. TI showed a negative moderating effect on the positive relationship between OI and OCB-I, but no significant moderating effect on the positive relationship between OI and OCB-O. LMX-L and LMX-S were not in one same direction and showed different moderating levels. LMX-L had no significant effects on the relationship between OI and OCB-O, nor did on the relationship between OI and OCB-I. On the other hand, LMX-S strengthened both the positive relationship between OI and OCB-O, and the positive relationship between OI and OCB-I.

Originality/value

This study explored the relationships from social exchange perspective, found that OCB-O and OCB-I had different formation mechanisms and should be explored as distinct variables, and confirmed that it was necessary to use the paired-samples design when studying dyadic phenomena.
The risk in socially responsible investing: the other side of the coin
Authors: Burchi Alberto
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The field of socially responsible investment (SRI) has become a central theme in the mutual funds industry. The risk implications associated with this investment approach are less explored. This study further investigates the real contribution to the investor offered by the SRI alternative.The aim of this paper is to throw more light on this debate.

Design/methodology/approach

Analyzing a large sample of US companies, this study investigates the tendency to generate risk when the portfolio is built, taking into account SRI. The research is based on the backtest of the real performance obtainable by adopting different investment strategies in which the red line is the selection method based on the principles of corporate social responsibility.

Findings

The investor must pay a cost that depends on the degree of rigor in the selection criteria. The risk associated with SRI is influenced by the measure adopted. SRI has a better asymmetric risk behavior than other securities. The results suggest using different selection models according to the investor’s objectives. When the objective is to maximize the average return and the remuneration risk, the SRI selection model should be negative or at least as inclusive as possible. In the event that the investor’s objective is to contain risk indices, a restrictive approach to the selection of investments is advisable.

Originality/value

Academic research has long been investigating the ability to generate profits but often neglects the levels of risk implicit in such investment approaches. The originality of this research consists in the adoption of a model based on the continuous optimization of the portfolio. This approach allows the results to be assessed by the returns actually obtained.
Riskiness of lending to small businesses: a dynamic panel data analysis
Authors: Moyi Eliud
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The study aims to pose the question: Has lending to small businesses been a source of increased risk in microfinance institutions (MFIs)? This question is pertinent given the higher levels of perceived riskiness of lending to small business operators owing to their opacity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study accommodates panel bias by using system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimators on micro-level data from 2004 to 2014.

Findings

Study findings indicate that lending to small businesses by MFIs does not affect credit and insolvency risk in these institutions. However, using disaggregated data, there is evidence that lending to small businesses by cooperatives significantly reduces their insolvency risk exposure. Conversely, lending to small business by micro-banks, cooperatives, non-bank financial institutions and non-governmental organizations does not significantly affect their risk exposure.

Practical implications

These findings imply that the technologies that have been used by MFIs in lending to small enterprises have helped them mitigate the problems of adverse selection and moral hazard.

Originality/value

Information economics theory postulates that small firms are excluded from formal financial markets owing to their opacity. The hypothesis has not attracted much empirical research interest; hence, this study aims to bridge this gap in knowledge.
Entrepreneurial universities and strategy: the case of the University of Bari
Authors: Lombardi Rosa , Massaro Maurizio , Dumay John , Nappo Fabio
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate why entrepreneurial universities choose a particular business strategy focussing on diversification and multi-nationalisation, and the role of intellectual capital (IC) in supporting such strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The research question is answered through an exploratory case study of the University of Bari, Italy. Data were collected from strategic plans, annual reports, national evaluation reports and semi-structured interviews with the university’s board members and analysed using Secundoet al.’s (2016) collective intelligence framework.

Findings

The authors show how contingency factors, such as economic and historical reasons, justify both the diversification and internationalisation strategies, and how they both rely on IC.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be used by managers to support the development of entrepreneurial university strategies.

Originality/value

The paper is novel because it provides theoretical justification to strategy development in a university setting. Additionally, the findings contribute to the fourth stage of IC research by showing how IC can be used to support diversification and internationalisation in a university and support third mission goals. Finally, the paper provides an empirical application of the Secundoet al.’s (2016) model for understanding IC in universities.
Institutional investor preferences
Authors: Al-Jaifi Hamdan Amer , Al-Rassas Ahmed Hussien , Al-Qadasi Adel
Published: January 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the institutional investors’ preferences for internal governance mechanisms (internal audit function and audit committee effectiveness) in an emerging country like Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 2,020 yearly firm observations in Bursa Malaysia over the period 2009-2012 is used. The two-stage least squares using instrumental variables (IV-2SLS) analysis is used to examine the relationships. To corroborate the findings of this study, a regression based on a one-year lag of the independent variables is used. Furthermore, ordinary least square regression and Generalized Method of Moments using instrumental variables (IV-GMM) are used.

Findings

Positive associations are found between the internal audit function and audit committee effectiveness and the institutional ownership.

Research limitations/implications

These findings imply that institutional investors gravitate to firms that have high investment in internal audit function and effective audit committee. These findings are consistent with the conjecture that institutional investors try to minimize monitoring and exit costs and meet their fiduciary responsibility by investing in better internal audit firms.

Practical implications

This study offers insights to policymakers interested in enhancing internal governance mechanisms to attract institutional investors.

Originality/value

Limited empirical studies have examined the relation between internal governance mechanisms (internal audit function and audit committee effectiveness) and institutional ownership. This study adds to the existing literature on the importance of internal governance mechanisms by documenting an association between internal audit function and audit committee effectiveness and institutional ownership in an emerging country like Malaysia.
How can we decrease burnout and safety workaround behaviors in health care organizations? The role of psychosocial safety climate
Authors: Mansour Sari , Tremblay Diane-Gabrielle
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Conducted with a staff of 562 persons working in the health sector in Quebec, mainly nurses, the purpose of this paper is to test the indirect effects of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) on workarounds through physical fatigue, cognitive weariness and emotional exhaustion as mediators.

Design/methodology/approach

The structural equation method, namely CFA, was used to test the structure of constructs, the reliability and validity of the measurement scales as well as model fit. To test the mediation effects, Hayes’s PROCESS (2013) macro and 95 percent confidence intervals were used and 5,000 bootstrapping re-samples were run. The statistical treatments were carried out with the AMOS software V.24 and SPSS v.22.

Findings

The results based on bootstrap analysis and Sobel’s test demonstrate that physical fatigue, cognitive weariness and emotional exhaustion mediate the relationship between PSC and safety workarounds.

Practical implications

The study has important practical implications in detecting blocks and obstacles in the work processes and decreasing the use of workaround behaviors, or in converting their negative consequences into positive contributions.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between PSC, burnout and workaround behaviors. These results could contribute to a better understanding of this construct of workarounds and how to deal with it. Moreover, the test of the concepts of PSC in this study provides support for the theory of “conservation of resources” by proposing an extension of this theory.
Does short‐term habitat management for the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have lasting effects?
Authors: Encarnação Cláudia , Medinas Denis , Alves Paulo Célio , Mira António
Published: January 2019

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, a keystone species of Mediterranean ecosystems, is the target of several recovery and management plans throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The majority of these plans are limited in time by budget constraints and lack postintervention monitoring of population trends. This study was conducted in south‐west Portugal and aimed to understand the effect of habitat management and its early cessation on rabbit populations. We assessed rabbit presence and relative abundance before management (2007), during the implementation of measures (2008), immediately after (2009) and 3 years after measures ended (2012). We applied a model selection approach, using generalized linear models to determine the relative importance of MANAGED and UNMANAGED habitat features on rabbit presence in each year. We used spatial eigenvector mapping to describe the spatial autocorrelation in rabbit presence and a variation partitioning approach to quantify the relative effects of management‐related variables, unmanaged environmental descriptors and spatial characteristics on rabbit presence. Rabbit presence and abundance increased shortly after the management intervention but decreased 3 years after. Rabbit presence was positively related to the proximity of installed crops and the existence of favorable soils for digging. Habitat management‐related variables explained most of the variation in all models. Habitat improvement actions, particularly the sowing of pastures, contributed to increased rabbit presence. We propose a continued long‐term intervention and the cultivation of crops with auto‐regeneration properties (e.g., subterranean clover—Trifolium subterraneum) with the aim of continuing to increase rabbit presence and abundance in areas where rabbit populations are scarce.
The pleiotropic Legionella transcription factor LvbR links the Lqs and c‐di‐GMP regulatory networks to control biofilm architecture and virulence
Authors: Hochstrasser Ramon , Kessler Aline , Sahr Tobias , Simon Sylvia , Schell Ursula , Gomez‐Valero Laura , Buchrieser Carmen , Hilbi Hubert
Published: January 2019

The causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, Legionella pneumophila, colonizes amoebae and biofilms in the environment. The opportunistic pathogen employs the Lqs (Legionella quorum sensing) system and the signalling molecule LAI‐1 (Legionella autoinducer‐1) to regulate virulence, motility, natural competence and expression of a 133 kb genomic “fitness island”, including a putative novel regulator. Here, we show that the regulator termed LvbR is an LqsS‐regulated transcription factor that binds to the promoter of lpg1056/hnox1 (encoding an inhibitor of the diguanylate cyclase Lpg1057), and thus, regulates proteins involved in c‐di‐GMP metabolism. LvbR determines biofilm architecture, since L. pneumophila lacking lvbR accumulates less sessile biomass and forms homogeneous mat‐like structures, while the parental strain develops more compact bacterial aggregates. Comparative transcriptomics of sessile and planktonic ΔlvbR or ΔlqsR mutant strains revealed concerted (virulence, fitness island, metabolism) and reciprocally (motility) regulated genes in biofilm and broth respectively. Moreover, ΔlvbR is hyper‐competent for DNA uptake, defective for phagocyte infection, outcompeted by the parental strain in amoebae co‐infections and impaired for cell migration inhibition. Taken together, our results indicate that L. pneumophila LvbR is a novel pleiotropic transcription factor, which links the Lqs and c‐di‐GMP regulatory networks to control biofilm architecture and pathogen–host cell interactions.
Governmentality and Spatial Strategies: Towards Formalization of Street Vendors in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Huang Gengzhi , Xue Desheng , Wang Yang
Published: January 2019

A new policy approach that seeks to formalize street vendors by immobilizing them in designated places has been taken as an alternative to exclusion in Guangzhou, China. This article develops an analytical framework for understanding this spatial formalization by drawing upon Foucault's concept of governmentality. Formalization can be understood as a form of spatial governmentality that seeks to guide the behaviour of informal economic individuals towards officially desired norms by creating bounded spaces. While the formalization programme reflects a moral form of political rationality that directs modern governments towards principles of social justice, it is fundamentally founded on a dispositional spatial rationality that imagines the dependence of social control on the ordering of space. However, this spatial rationality entails a tension between the goal of formalization and its practical effects, resulting in a failure to respect vital attributes of street vending and vendors’ counter‐responses to it. The article concludes by questioning the government's formalization approach, given its ignorance of the reality of informality, and opens up the question of what might be good formalization.
The Neighbourhood in Pieces: The Fragmentation of Local Public Space in a Swedish Housing Area
Authors: Kärrholm Mattias , Wirdelöv Johan
Published: January 2019

In this article, we investigate the transformation of local public spaces in the ethnically and socially diverse housing area Norra Fäladen during 1970–2015. After being built, the area soon faced stigmatization and became known as a problem area. This was followed by a series of investments in local public spaces aiming for a stronger appropriation of the neighbourhood by its inhabitants. The production of a ‘neighbourhood spirit’ has, however, slowly deteriorated over the last two decades. Through the introduction of new areas, with large single‐family houses on the one hand, and a densification of the existing housing stock on the other, the inhabitants’ dependence on the existing (but now decreasing) public spaces within the area has been polarized. Local public spaces are also being increasingly relocated from central parts of the neighbourhood to the peripheries or outside the area. In this article, we investigate how this quite slow, yet steady, transformation has affected the local public spaces and the everyday life of the area.
Beauty, ugliness and the sublime
Authors: Schmidt Martin
Published: January 2019

Jung and Freud had very different ideas about the nature of analysis. This paper begins by exploring how Jung's gnostic approach, with its goal of individuation, is deeply informed by Buddhist and Taoist principles. His pluralistic, relational model regards truth as subjective and co‐constructed with the patient. In contrast, Freud's secular methodology has objective truth as its goal. His classical psychoanalysis is a form of reality testing where the analyst claims to know the painful, singular, objective reality which the patient tries to evade. The theory of aesthetic development (see Piaget 1951, Baldwin 1975, Parsons 1980, Housen 1992, Harris Williams 2010) proposes that artistic appreciation is linked to human development. The paper looks at how the apperception of beauty, related to both truth and meaning, acts as an indicator and facilitator of individuation in the clinical encounter. This is illustrated by a clinical case study. Through empirical research, support is given to the argument (Bollas 1978, Meltzer 1988) that our early experience of the feminine/maternal plays a central role in developing an aesthetic capacity. The experience of the sublime in analysis is examined and portrayed as a means by which aesthetic development may be reignited and narcissistic isolation shattered.
Solving Double‐Sided Puzzles: Automated Assembly of Torn‐up Banknotes Evidence
Authors: Yılmaz Seçkin , Nabiyev Vasif V.
Published: January 2019

Reconstruction of 2D object is a problem concerning many different fields such as forensics science, archiving, and banking. In the literature, it is considered as one‐sided puzzle problem. But this study handles torn banknotes as a double‐sided puzzle problem for the first time. In addition to that, a new dataset (ToB) is created for solving this problem. A selection approach based on the Borda count method is adopted in order to make the right decision as to which keypoint‐based method is to be used in the proposed reconstruction system. The selection approach was determined the Accelerated‐KAZE (AKAZE) as the most successful keypoint‐based method. This study also proposes new measures determining the success ratio of the reconstructed banknotes and calculating their loss ratio. When the torn banknotes were reconstructed with the AKAZE‐based reconstruction system, the average success rate was calculated as 95.55% by the proposed metric.
Market power and price discrimination in the US market for higher education
Authors: Epple Dennis , Romano Richard , Sarpça Sinan , Sieg Holger , Zaber Melanie
Published: January 2019

We estimate an equilibrium model of private and state college competition that generates realistic pricing patterns for private colleges using a large national data set from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). Our analysis distinguishes between tuition variation that reflects efficient pricing to students who generate beneficial peer externalities and variation that reflects arguably inefficient exercise of market power. Our findings indicate substantial exercise of market power and, importantly, sizable variation in this power along the college quality hierarchy and among students with different characteristics. Finally, we conduct policy analysis to examine the consequences of increased availability of quality public colleges in a state.
Lactate versus acetate buffered crystalloid solutions: Protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Ellekjaer Karen L. , Jensen Martine Marker , Perner Anders , Møller Morten Hylander
Published: January 2019

Background

Intravenous (IV) fluid therapy has become a ubiquitous intervention in everyday clinical practice. Several types of fluid are available including isotonic crystalloid fluids. Among crystalloid fluids, buffered solutions (derivatives of the original Hartmann's and Ringer's solutions) are increasingly recommended as first‐line resuscitation fluids. However, the choice between different buffered solutions appears to be difficult with limited data to support the use of lactate vs. acetate buffered solutions. Accordingly, we aim at systematically describing the body of evidence on the use of the different types of buffered crystalloid solutions in hospitalised patients.

Methods

We will conduct a scoping review of all study designs (i.e. no study design will per se be excluded from the proposed review) in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Results

We will provide descriptive analysis of the included studies/trials, i.e. no meta‐analyses will be conducted. We will include studies on adult hospitalised patients receiving IV fluid for any reason. Studies must compare any crystalloid solution primarily buffered with lactate versus any primarily acetate buffered solution. All outcome measures will be reported. The quality of evidence will be assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

Conclusion

This outlined scoping review will provide a summary of the current body of evidence on the use, effects and side‐effects of buffered crystalloid solutions. This will provide an important update of the current evidence on the use, of “buffered” crystalloid solutions including evidence of potential benefits and harms.
The role of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus in the augmentation of heroin seeking induced by chronic food restriction
Authors: Chisholm Alexandra , Iannuzzi Jessica , Rizzo Damaris , Gonzalez Natasha , Fortin Émilie , Bumbu Alexandra , Batallán Burrowes Ariel A. , Chapman C. Andrew , Shalev Uri
Published: January 2019

Drug addiction is a chronic disorder that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and involves cycling between periods of compulsive drug use, abstinence, and relapse. In both human addicts and animal models of addiction, chronic food restriction has been shown to increase rates of relapse. Previously, our laboratory has demonstrated a robust increase in drug seeking following a period of withdrawal in chronically food‐restricted rats compared with sated rats. To date, the neural mechanisms that mediate the effect of chronic food restriction on drug seeking have not been elucidated. However, the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) appears to be a promising target to investigate. The objective of the current study was to examine the role of the PVT in the augmentation of heroin seeking induced by chronic food restriction. Male Long‐Evans rats were trained to self‐administer heroin for 10 days. Rats were then removed from the training chambers and experienced a 14‐day withdrawal period with either unrestricted (sated) or mildly restricted (FDR) access to food. On day 14, rats underwent a 1‐hour heroin‐seeking test under extinction conditions, during which neural activity in the PVT was either inhibited or increased using pharmacological or chemogenetic approaches. Unexpectedly, inhibition of the PVT did not alter heroin seeking in food‐restricted or sated rats, while enhancing neural activity in the PVT‐attenuated heroin seeking in food‐restricted rats. These results indicate that PVT activity can modulate heroin seeking induced by chronic food restriction.
The role of artery‐preserving varicocelectomy in subfertile men with severe oligozoospermia: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Almekaty K. , Zahran M. H. , Zoeir A. , Minhas S. , Salem K.
Published: January 2019

Background

There is wide agreement nowadays that a clinical varicocoele should be ligated to treat male factor infertility. However, the significance of testicular artery preservation in patients with severe oligozoospermia has not been addressed before.

Objectives

To assess the outcome of varicocelectomy in infertile men with severe oligozoospermia and clinical varicocoeles and to compare internal spermatic artery preservation vs. artery ligation.

Materials and Methods

This prospective randomized study included 302 infertile patients with severe oligozoospermia and clinical (grade II/III) varicocoeles. Patients were randomized into two groups: group A (150 patients) underwent artery‐preserving varicocelectomy (APV) and group B (152 patients) underwent artery‐ligating varicocelectomy (ALV). The primary outcome was to assess the changes in sperm density and motility at 3 and 6 months postoperatively in both groups. The secondary outcome was to compare the natural pregnancy rate at 1‐year of follow‐up. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors affecting pregnancy rate.

Results

In both groups, there was a statistically significant improvement in sperm density and motility at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. In group A, there was a greater improvement in sperm density (p < 0.001) and motility (p < 0.001) compared to group B. At 1‐year follow‐up, overall 35.1% achieved a natural pregnancy. Group A achieved a significantly higher natural pregnancy rate (40% vs. 30%, p value = 0.03) compared to group B. Smaller testicular volume and ALV were the independent predictors of lower pregnancy rate ((HR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.2–8.3, p = 0.01) and (HR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.4–7.1, p = 0.003), respectively).

Conclusion

In men with severe oligozoospermia and a clinical varicocoele, APV results in improved outcomes as compared to ALV with respect to semen parameters and natural pregnancy rates. Therefore, all attempts should be made to preserve internal spermatic arteries (ISA) during varicocelectomy in men with severe oligozoospermia.
Circumcising human subjects: An evaluation of experimental foreskin amputation using the Declaration of Helsinki
Authors: Drash Michael
Published: January 2019

This paper explores ethical considerations for active studies of circumcision, i.e., the amputation of the foreskin, in the form of a case study of three major trials performed in African countries in the early 2000s. The paper outlines the function of the foreskin and method and history of its amputation as well as its current use in attempting to combat the global AIDS crisis. These trials are then interrogated in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. In particular, the irreversible nature of amputation is given great consideration. The case studies are found to have serious failures in terms of the modern iteration of the Declaration of Helsinki. This paper calls for extreme scrutiny in accordance with international norms relating to the ethical treatment of human subjects in a research context of studies of circumcision if and when they are proposed again.
Hypereosinophilic syndrome presenting with inflammation in the retroparotid space and showing Villaret's syndrome
Authors: Seino Yusuke , Nakamura Takumi , Hirohata Mie , Kawarabayashi Takeshi , Shoji Mikio
Published: January 2019

Background

Hypereosinophilia syndrome (HES) is a rare disease characterized by the association between hypereosinophilia and eosinophil‐mediated organ infiltration and damage or dysfunction. The cause of hypereosinophilia is classified as neoplastic, reactive and idiopathic. However, hypereosinophilia causes tissue and organ damage, regardless of the underlying etiology. The common manifestations are pulmonary, skin and gastrointestinal. Rarely, neurological lesions are manifested. As neurological lesions of HES, mononeuritis multiplex, radiculopathy, optic neuritis, meningitis and cerebral infarction have been reported.

Case presentation

A 43‐year‐old woman suffered from dysphagia and hoarseness, after symptoms of fever and sore throat 1 month earlier. On admission, her physical examination was unremarkable, except for neck pain on the right side. The neurological examination showed “Villaret's syndrome”: Horner's sign on the right side, and paralysis of the right glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve, accessory nerve and hypoglossal nerve. Laboratory tests showed marked eosinophilia and it gradually worsened. The maximum eosinophil count increased to 3474/mm3. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a high‐intensity area with contrast effect spreading in the retroparotid space in the short T1 inversion recovery image, and a high‐intensity area spreading in the deep gray matter of the cerebrum in the fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery image. Treatment started with steroid pulse therapy. After therapy, eosinophils normalized on the next day, and multiple cranial nerve palsy improved gradually and normalized. Six months later, the abnormal signal of the retroparotid space had disappeared on magnetic resonance imaging.

Conclusions

HES is a multisystem dysfunction secondary to eosinophilic infiltration. In rare cases, HES causes inflammation in the retroparotid space and causes Villaret's syndrome.
Artificial intelligence and colonoscopy: Current status and future perspectives
Authors: Kudo Shin‐ei , Mori Yuichi , Misawa Masashi , Takeda Kenichi , Kudo Toyoki , Itoh Hayato , Oda Masahiro , Mori Kensaku
Published: January 2019

Background and Aim

Application of artificial intelligence in medicine is now attracting substantial attention. In the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy, computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) for colonoscopy is the most investigated area, although it is still in the preclinical phase. Because colonoscopy is carried out by humans, it is inherently an imperfect procedure. CAD assistance is expected to improve its quality regarding automated polyp detection and characterization (i.e. predicting the polyp's pathology). It could help prevent endoscopists from missing polyps as well as provide a precise optical diagnosis for those detected. Ultimately, these functions that CAD provides could produce a higher adenoma detection rate and reduce the cost of polypectomy for hyperplastic polyps.

Methods and Results

Currently, research on automated polyp detection has been limited to experimental assessments using an algorithm based on ex vivo videos or static images. Performance for clinical use was reported to have >90% sensitivity with acceptable specificity. In contrast, research on automated polyp characterization seems to surpass that for polyp detection. Prospective studies of in vivo use of artificial intelligence technologies have been reported by several groups, some of which showed a >90% negative predictive value for differentiating diminutive (≤5 mm) rectosigmoid adenomas, which exceeded the threshold for optical biopsy.

Conclusion

We introduce the potential of using CAD for colonoscopy and describe the most recent conditions for regulatory approval for artificial intelligence‐assisted medical devices.
The role of echocardiography in anomalous origin of coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA): Simple tool for a complex diagnosis
Authors: Saedi Sedigheh , Parsaee Mozhgan , Farrashi Melody , Noohi Feridoun , Mohebbi Bahram
Published: January 2019

Anomalous origin of coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare coronary anomaly usually presenting in the first year of life. Adult presentation suggests a wide range of differential diagnosis such as myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and coronary artery disease. We have presented here the major distinctive echocardiographic features of ALCAPA through 4 cases. Since echocardiography is often used as the first imaging modality in these clinical scenarios, recognizing the characteristics of ALCAPA in a routine echocardiographic examination can transform a readily available, low‐cost tool into a valuable discriminative modality.
Mechanisms of cnidocyte development in the moon jellyfish Aurelia
Authors: Gold David A. , Lau Clive Long Fung , Fuong Holly , Kao Gregory , Hartenstein Volker , Jacobs David K.
Published: January 2019

Stinging cells called cnidocytes are a defining trait of the cnidarians (sea anemones, corals, jellyfish, and their relatives). In hydrozoan cnidarians such as Hydra, cnidocytes develop from interstitial stem cells set aside in the ectoderm. It is less clear how cnidocytes develop outside the Hydrozoa, as other cnidarians appear to lack interstitial stem cells. We addressed this question by studying cnidogenesis in the moon jellyfish (Aurelia) through the visualization of minicollagen—a protein associated with cnidocyte development—as well as transmission electron microscopy. We discovered that developing cnidoblasts are rare or absent in feeding structures rich in mature cnidocytes, such as tentacles and lappets. Using transmission electron microscopy, we determined that the progenitors of cnidocytes have traits consistent with epitheliomuscular cells. Our data suggests a dynamic where cnidocytes develop at high concentrations in the epithelium of more proximal regions, and subsequently migrate to more distal regions where they exhibit high usage and turnover. Similar to some anthozoans, cnidocytes in Aurelia do not appear to be generated by interstitial stem cells; instead, epitheliomuscular cells appear to be the progenitor cell type. This observation polarizes the evolution of cnidogenesis, and raises the question of how interstitial stem cells came to regulate cnidogenesis in hydrozoans.
Spandrels and trait delimitation: No such thing as “architectural constraint”
Authors: Olson Mark E.
Published: January 2019

Forty years ago, Gould and Lewontin used the metaphor of a building's “spandrels” to highlight that organismal traits could be the inevitable consequence of organismal construction, with no alternative configurations possible. Because adaptation by natural selection requires variation, regarding a trait incapable of variation as an adaptation could be a serious error. Gould and Lewontin's exhortation spurred biologists’ efforts to investigate biases and limitations in development in their studies of adaptation, a major methodological advance. But in terms of the metaphor itself, over the past 40 years there are virtually no examples of “spandrels” in the primary literature. Moreover, multiple serious confusions in the metaphor have been identified and clarified, for example, that the “spandrels” of San Marco are pendentives, and pendentives are perfect examples of adaptation. I look back over the sparse empirical fruits of the “spandrels” metaphor, and ask what the clarifications of the past 40 years mean for biological theory and practice. I conclude that if there is anything to be rescued from the clarified spandrels metaphor, it is not “constraint” at all. Instead, it is the still‐unresolved issue of trait delimitation, which is how to parse organisms into subsets that are tractable and biologically appropriate for study.
Conspecific and heterospecific interactions modify the functional response of Harmonia axyridis and Propylea japonica to Aphis citricola
Authors: Feng Yi , Zhou Zhao‐Xu , An Meng‐Ru , Li Yu‐Dan , Liu Zhi‐Guo , Wang Lin‐Lin , Ren Jin‐Ze , Liu Tong‐Xian
Published: January 2019

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and Propylea japonica (Thunberg) (both Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are two common aphidophagous predators that overlap in their natural niche; therefore, interactions between these two predator species could affect their overall prey consumption. The consequences of intraguild interactions on the foraging efficiency of the two coccinellid species were investigated by evaluating the functional responses of single beetles and intra‐ and interspecific combinations to densities of the spirea aphid, Aphis citricola van der Goot (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on apple seedlings, during 2 and 12 h under laboratory conditions. A type II functional response was observed in all the bioassays. Solitary H. axyridis consumed significantly more aphids than single P. japonica in both exposure periods. However, at intermediate prey densities the prey consumption of P. japonica was slightly greater than that of H. axyridis. The 95% confidence intervals of the functional response curves of conspecific and heterospecific pairs overlapped at 2 h. In contrast, conspecific pairs of H. axyridis showed a higher functional response curve at 12 h compared to a combination of H. axyridis and P. japonica. Prey's predation risk reduction was only detected for paired H. axyridis and mixed predators compared to their estimated functional responses at the 2‐h foraging period. By comparing functional responses between intraguild predatory lady beetle combinations, we could further predict the potential ecosystem service provided by these natural enemies.
River modification reduces climate resilience of brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in Ireland
Authors: O'Briain Rossa , Coghlan Brian , Shephard Samuel , Kelly Fiona L.
Published: January 2019

This study investigated interactions between eco‐hydromorphological state, riparian vegetation cover, water temperature and fish community composition in lowland rivers in Ireland. Physical habitat modification of study sites corresponded with degraded eco‐hydromorphological state (degree of ecological and physical modification) and reduced thermal buffering capacity (greater temperature fluctuation and increased frequency of extreme temperature events). This impact was reflected in the fish community, with a shift from a brown trout‐dominated (Salmo trutta L.) fish assemblage to predominance of the more thermally plastic minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus (L.), and stone loach, Barbatula barbatula (L.). Eco‐hydromorphological state may be a central factor affecting the ability of temperate rivers to resist temperature change in a warming climate and to maintain suitable conditions for salmonids and other cold‐water biota. Strategies aimed at climate change proofing of temperate rivers should focus on preserving or re‐establishing the eco‐hydromorphological processes that create habitat complexity and buffer stream temperature.
E and ID proteins regulate cell chirality and left–right asymmetric development in Drosophila
Authors: Ishibashi Tomoki , Hatori Ryo , Maeda Reo , Nakamura Mitsutoshi , Taguchi Tomohiro , Matsuyama Yoko , Matsuno Kenji
Published: January 2019

How left–right (LR) asymmetric forms in the animal body is a fundamental problem in Developmental Biology. Although the mechanisms for LR asymmetry are well studied in some species, they are still poorly understood in invertebrates. We previously showed that the intrinsic LR asymmetry of cells (designated as cell chirality) drives LR asymmetric development in the Drosophila embryonic hindgut, although the machinery of the cell chirality formation remains elusive. Here, we found that the Drosophila homologue of the Id gene, extra macrochaetae (emc), is required for the normal LR asymmetric morphogenesis of this organ. Id proteins, including Emc, are known to interact with and inhibit E‐box‐binding proteins (E proteins), such as Drosophila Daughterless (Da). We found that the suppression of da by wild‐type emc was essential for cell chirality formation and for normal LR asymmetric development of the embryonic hindgut. Myosin ID (MyoID), which encodes the Drosophila Myosin ID protein, is known to regulate cell chirality. We further showed that Emc‐Da regulates cell chirality formation, in which Emc functions upstream of or parallel to MyoID. Abnormal Id‐E protein regulation is involved in various human diseases. Our results suggest that defects in cell shape may contribute to the pathogenesis of such diseases.
Cardiovascular disease‐related mortality and factors associated with cardiovascular events in the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD)
Authors: Bijker R , Jiamsakul A , Uy E , Kumarasamy N , Ditango R , Chaiwarith R , Wong WW , Avihingsanon A , Sun LP , Yunihastuti E , Pujari S , Do CD , Merati TP , Kantipong P , Nguyen KV , Kamarulzaman A , Zhang F , Lee MP , Choi JY , Tanuma J , Ng OT , Sim BLH , Ross J , Kiertiburanakul S ,   the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD) of IeDEA Asia‐Pacific
Published: January 2019

Objectives

With aging of the HIV‐positive population, cardiovascular disease (CVD) increasingly contributes to morbidity and mortality. We investigated CVD‐related and other causes of death (CODs) and factors associated with CVD in a multi‐country Asian HIV‐positive cohort.

Methods

Patient data from 2003–2017 were obtained from the Therapeutics, Research, Education and AIDS Training in Asia (TREAT Asia) HIV Observational Database (TAHOD). We included patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with > 1 day of follow‐up. Cumulative incidences were plotted for CVD‐related, AIDS‐related, non‐AIDS‐related, and unknown CODs, and any CVD (i.e. fatal and nonfatal). Competing risk regression was used to assess risk factors of any CVD.

Results

Of 8069 patients with a median follow‐up of 7.3 years [interquartile range (IQR) 4.4–10.7 years], 378 patients died [incidence rate (IR) 6.2 per 1000 person‐years (PY)], and this total included 22 CVD‐related deaths (IR 0.36 per 1000 PY). Factors significantly associated with any CVD event (IR 2.2 per 1000 PY) were older age [sub‐hazard ratio (sHR) 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36–3.58 for age 41–50 years; sHR 5.52; 95% CI 3.43–8.91 for ≥ 51 years, compared with < 40 years], high blood pressure (sHR 1.62; 95% CI 1.04–2.52), high total cholesterol (sHR 1.89; 95% CI 1.27–2.82), high triglycerides (sHR 1.55; 95% CI 1.02–2.37) and high body mass index (BMI) (sHR 1.66; 95% CI 1.12–2.46). CVD crude IRs were lower in the later ART initiation period and in lower middle‐ and upper middle‐income countries.

Conclusions

The development of fatal and nonfatal CVD events in our cohort was associated with older age, and treatable risk factors such as high blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol and BMI. Lower CVD event rates in middle‐income countries may indicate under‐diagnosis of CVD in Asian‐Pacific resource‐limited settings.
Lnc‐SOX6‐1 upregulation correlates with poor risk stratification and worse treatment outcomes, and promotes cell proliferation while inhibits apoptosis in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Guan Xianmin , Wen Xianhao , Xiao Jianwen , An Xizhou , Yu Jie , Guo Yuxia
Published: January 2019

Introduction

To investigate the correlation of long noncoding RNA‐SOX6‐1 (lnc‐SOX6‐1) with clinicopathological features and treatment outcomes in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, and further explore its function in AML cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Methods

A total of 146 de novo pediatric AML patients and 73 nonhematologic malignancy patients/donors were recruited. Bone marrow samples were obtained, followed by measurement of lnc‐SOX6‐1 expression by qPCR. Besides, lnc‐SOX6‐1 expression in various AML cells and control cells was detected. Blank overexpression (NC (+)), lnc‐SOX6‐1 overexpression (Lnc RNA (+)), blank shRNA (NC (−)), and lnc‐SOX6‐1 shRNA plasmids (Lnc RNA (−)) were transferred into KG‐1 cells and THP‐1 cells. Cell proliferation rate and cell apoptosis rate were detected by CCK‐8 assay and AV/PI assay, respectively.

Results

Lnc‐SOX6‐1 expression was upregulated in pediatric AML patients compared to controls, and its high expression correlated with the presence of monosomal karyotype, severer risk stratification, lower possibility of complete response achievement, shorter event‐free survival, and poor overall survival. Furthermore, lnc‐SOX6‐1 expression was elevated in various AML cells compared to normal cells. In KG‐1 cells and THP‐1 cells, cell proliferation rate was elevated in Lnc RNA (+) group but reduced in Lnc RNA (−) group at 48 and 72 hours, and cell apoptosis rate was decreased in Lnc RNA (+) group but increased in Lnc RNA (−) group at 72 hours compared to the corresponding control groups.

Conclusion

Lnc‐SOX6‐1 is highly expressed and correlates with worse risk stratification and poor treatment outcomes, and promotes cell proliferation while represses apoptosis in pediatric AML.
Acute myeloid leukemia with t(10;11)(p11‐12;q23.3): Results of Russian Pediatric AML registration study
Authors: Zerkalenkova Elena , Lebedeva Svetlana , Kazakova Anna , Tsaur Grigory , Starichkova Yulia , Timofeeva Natalia , Soldatkina Olga , Aprelova Evgenia , Popov Aleksandr , Ponomareva Natalia , Baidun Ludmila , Meyer Claus , Novichkova Galina , Maschan Michael , Maschan Aleksey , Marschalek Rolf , Olshanskaya Yulia
Published: January 2019

Introduction

Translocations involving the KMT2A gene (also known as MLL) are frequently diagnosed in pediatric acute leukemia cases with either lymphoblastic or myeloid origin. KMT2A is translocated to multiple partner genes, including MLLT10/AF10 localizing at chromosomal band 10p12. KMT2A‐MLLT10 is one of the common chimeric genes diagnosed in acute leukemia with KMT2A rearrangement (8%), especially in acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 18%). MLLT10 is localized in very close proximity to two other KMT2A partner genes at 10p11‐12—NEBL and ABI1, so they could not be distinguished by conventional cytogenetics.

Methods

In this work, we present a cohort of 28 patients enrolled into Russian Pediatric AML registration study carrying rearrangements between chromosomal regions 11q23.3 and 10p11‐12. G‐banding, FISH, reverse transcription PCR, and long‐distance inverse PCR were used to characterize the KMT2A gene rearrangements in these patients.

Results

We demonstrate that 25 patients harbor the KMT2A‐MLLT10 rearrangement, while three patients show the rare KMT2A rearrangements (2× KMT2A‐NEBL; 1× KMT2A‐ABI1).

Conclusions

Therefore, the combination of cytogenetic and molecular genetic methods is of high importance in diagnosing cases with t(10;11)(p11‐12;q23.3).
Olive oil in pharmacological and cosmetic traditions
Authors: Gorini Ilaria , Iorio Silvia , Ciliberti Rosagemma , Licata Marta , Armocida Giuseppe
Published: January 2019

Among the numerous natural substances used in medical remedies, oil certainly plays an important role and, over the centuries, there have been many functions and properties attributed to it. We present the processes that have seen it as protagonist in the pharmacological field and in the cosmetic field.
Toward a multigene phylogeny of the Cymatosiraceae (Bacillariophyta, Mediophyceae) II: morphological and molecular insights into the taxonomy of the forgotten species Campylosira africana and of Extubocellulus, with a description of two new taxa
Authors: Dąbek Przemysław , Ashworth Matt P. , Górecka Ewa , Krzywda Marta , Bornman Thomas G. , Sato Shinya , Witkowski Andrzej
Published: January 2019

New molecular and morphological insights are presented on Campylosira africana and two new species, Extubocellulus cupola sp. nov. and Plagiogrammopsis castigatus sp. nov. Species descriptions were based on LM/SEM micrographs and a data set with concatenated sequences of SSU, rbcL and psbC loci constructed from 56 cymatosiroid strains isolated from global geographic locations. Extubocellulus cupola is distinguished by a mesh‐like marginal ridge and dome‐shaped areolation, and P. castigatus, by a prominent marginal extension at the valve center. Campylosira africana, a species from South Africa described by Professor Malcolm Giffen, has never been documented through LM or SEM, which led some authors to place it in synonymy under Campylosira cymbelliformis. We confirm that C. africana is a distinct species and provide microphotographic documentation and DNA sequences. We present morphological evidence for the well‐known cymatosiroid species Extubocellulus spinifer possessing complete pili, and we emend the generic description of Extubocellulus.