bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Olfactory marker protein regulates refinement of the olfactory glomerular map
Authors: Albeanu Dinu F. , Provost Allison C. , Agarwal Prateek , Soucy Edward , Murthy Venkatesh N.
Published: May 2018

The olfactory glomerulus is the anatomical and functional unit of the olfactory bulb, defined by convergent input from olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons expressing the same type of odorant receptor (OR). A key marker of mature OSNs is the olfactory marker protein (OMP), whose deletion has been associated with deficits in OSN signal transduction and odor discrimination. Here, we have investigated glomerular odor responses and anatomical architecture in mice in which one or both alleles of OMP were replaced by the fluorescent synaptic activity reporter, synaptopHluorin (OMP+/− and OMP−/− mice, respectively). Functionally heterogeneous glomeruli, that is, ones with micro-domains with distinct odor responses were rare in OMP+/− mice, but occurred frequently in OMP−/− mice. Genetic targeting of single ORs revealed that these micro-domains arise from anomalous co-innervation of individual glomeruli by OSNs expressing different ORs. The glomerular mistargeting of OSNs in the absence of OMP is restricted to a local neighborhood of a few glomerular diameters. Our studies document functional heterogeneity in sensory input within individual glomeruli and uncover its anatomical correlate, revealing an unexpected role for OMP in the formation and refinement of the glomerular olfactory map.
OligoPVP: Phenotype-driven analysis of individual genomic information to prioritize oligogenic disease variants
Authors: Boudellioua Imane , Kulmanov Maxat , Schofield Paul N , Gkoutos Georgios V , Hoehndorf Robert
Published: May 2018

Purpose

An increasing number of Mendelian disorders have been identified for which two or more variants in one or more genes are required to cause the disease, or significantly modify its severity or phenotype. It is difficult to discover such interactions using existing approaches. The purpose of our work is to develop and evaluate a system that can identify combinations of variants underlying oligogenic diseases in individual whole exome or whole genome sequences.

Methods

Information that links patient phenotypes to databases of gene–phenotype associations observed in clinical research can provide useful information and improve variant prioritization for Mendelian diseases. Additionally, background knowledge about interactions between genes can be utilized to guide and restrict the selection of candidate disease modules.

Results

We developed OligoPVP, an algorithm that can be used to identify variants in oligogenic diseases and their interactions, using whole exome or whole genome sequences together with patient phenotypes as input. We demonstrate that OligoPVP has significantly improved performance when compared to state of the art pathogenicity detection methods.

Conclusions

Our results show that OligoPVP can efficiently detect oligogenic interactions using a phenotype-driven approach and identify etiologically important variants in whole genomes.
Ghrelin enhances food odor conditioning in healthy humans: an fMRI study
Authors: Han Jung Eun , Frasnelli Johannes , Zeighami Yashar , Larcher Kevin , Boyle Julie , McConnell Ted , Malik Saima , Jones-Gotman Marilyn , Dagher Alain
Published: May 2018

Vulnerability to obesity includes eating in response to food cues, which acquire incentive value through conditioning. The conditioning process is largely subserved by dopamine, theorized to encode the discrepancy between expected and actual rewards, known as the reward prediction error (RPE). Ghrelin is a gut-derived homeostatic hormone that triggers hunger and eating. Despite extensive evidence that ghrelin stimulates dopamine, it remains unknown in humans if ghrelin modulates food cue learning. Here we show using functional magnetic resonance imaging that intravenously administered ghrelin increased RPE-related activity in dopamine-responsive areas during food odor conditioning in healthy volunteers. Participants responded faster to food odor-associated cues and perceived them to be more pleasant following ghrelin injection. Ghrelin also increased functional connectivity between hippocampus and ventral striatum. Our work demonstrates that ghrelin promotes the ability of cues to acquire incentive salience, and has implications for the development of vulnerability to obesity.
Characterization of a human-specific tandem repeat associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
Authors: Song Janet , Lowe Craig B. , Kingsley David M.
Published: May 2018

Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are highly heritable diseases that affect over 3% of individuals worldwide. Genomewide association studies have strongly and repeatedly linked risk for both of these neuropsychiatric diseases to a 100 kb interval in the third intron of the human calcium channel gene CACNA1C. However, the causative mutation is not yet known. We have identified a novel human-specific tandem repeat in this region that is composed of 30 bp units, often repeated hundreds of times. This large tandem repeat is unstable using standard polymerase chain reaction and bacterial cloning techniques, which may have resulted in its incorrect size in the human reference genome. The large 30-mer repeat region is polymorphic in both size and sequence in human populations. Particular sequence variants of the 30-mer are associated with risk status at several flanking single nucleotide polymorphisms in the third intron of CACNA1C that have previously been linked to BD and SCZ. The tandem repeat arrays function as enhancers that increase reporter gene expression in a human neural progenitor cell line. Different human arrays vary in the magnitude of enhancer activity, and the 30-mer arrays associated with increased psychiatric disease risk status have decreased enhancer activity. Changes in the structure and sequence of these arrays likely contribute to changes in CACNA1C function during human evolution, and may modulate neuropsychiatric disease risk in modern human populations.
Recurrent Loss of APOBEC3H Activity during Primate Evolution
Authors: Garcia Erin I. , Emerman Michael
Published: May 2018

Genes in the APOBEC3 family encode cytidine deaminases that provide a barrier against viral infection and retrotransposition. Of all APOBEC3 genes in humans, APOBEC3H (A3H) is the most polymorphic: some haplotypes encode stable and active A3H proteins, while others are unstable and inactive. Such variation in human A3H affects interactions with the lentiviral antagonist Vif, which counteracts A3H via proteasomal degradation. In order to broaden our understanding of A3H-Vif interactions as well as its evolution in Old World monkeys, we characterized A3H variation within four African green monkey (AGM) subspecies. We found that A3H is highly polymorphic in AGMs and has lost antiviral activity in multiple Old World monkeys. This loss of function was partially related to protein expression levels but was also influenced by amino acid mutations in the N-terminus. Moreover, we demonstrate that the evolution of A3H in the primate lineages leading to AGMs was not driven by Vif. Our work suggests that activity of A3H is evolutionarily dynamic and may have a negative effect on host fitness, resulting in its recurrent loss in primates.

Importance

Adaptation of viruses to their hosts is critical for transmission of viruses between different species. Previous studies had identified changes in a protein from the APOBEC3 family that influenced species-specificity of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) in African green monkeys. We studied the evolution of a related protein in the same system, APOBEC3H, which has experienced a loss of function in humans. This evolutionary approach revealed that recurrent loss of APOBEC3H activity has taken place during primate evolution suggesting that APOBEC3H places a fitness cost on hosts. The variability of APOBEC3H activity between different primates highlights the differential selective pressures on the APOBEC3 gene family.
Further expansion of methane metabolism in the Archaea
Authors: Wang Yulin , Hua Zheng-Shuang , Goh Kian Mau , Evans Paul N. , Liu Lei , Mao Yanping , Hugenholtz Philip , Tyson Gene W. , Li Wen-Jun , Zhang Tong
Published: May 2018

The recent discovery of key methane-metabolizing genes in the genomes from the archaeal phyla Bathyarchaeota and Verstraetearchaeota has expanded our understanding of the distribution of methane metabolism outside of the phylum Euryarchaeota. Here, we recovered two near-complete crenarchaeotal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from circumneutral hot springs that contain genes for methanogenesis, including the genes that encode for the key methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) complex. These newly recovered archaea phylogenetically cluster with Geoarchaeota (deep lineage of archaeal order Thermoproteales), and the MCR-encoding genes clustered with the recently reported methanogens within the Verstraetearchaeota. In addition, genes encoding hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase were identified in the newly recovered methanogens, indicating they might carry out the β-oxidation process. Together, our findings further expanded the methane metabolism outside the phylum Euryarchaeota.
Dynamic gait transition in theScolopendromorpha scolopocryptops rubiginosus L. Kochcentipede
Authors: Kuroda Shigeru , Uchida Nariya , Nakagaki Toshiyuki
Published: May 2018

Crawling using locomotory waves is a common method of locomotion for limbless and many-legged invertebrates. It is generally believed that the direction of locomotory waves is fixed for a given species. However, by recording and performing detailed analyses of the gait patterns of aScolopendromorpha scolopocryptops rubiginosus L. Kochcentipede in various conditions, we found that it dynamically generated its gait to allow for locomotory waves that varied in direction. By introducing thewave-indexorder parameter to characterise locomotory waves, we showed that gait patterns were associated with control of stride rather than rotation frequency.
A high-throughput method for unbiased quantitation and categorisation of nuclear morphology
Authors: Skinner Benjamin Matthew , Rathje Claudia Cattoni , Bacon Joanne , Johnson Emma Elizabeth Philippa , Larson Erica Lee , Kopania Emily Emiko Konishi , Good Jeffrey Martin , Yousafzai Gullalaii , Affara Nabeel Ahmed , Ellis Peter James Ivor
Published: May 2018

The physical arrangement of chromatin in the nucleus is cell type and species specific. This is particularly evident in sperm, in which most of the cytoplasm has been lost; the shape of the nucleus reflects the shape of the cell. Mice have distinctive falciform (‘hook shaped’) sperm heads and nuclei. Quantification of the differences in shape variation between mouse species and lines often relies on manual measurement and classification that leads to subjective results, making comparisons within and between samples difficult.

We have developed an analysis program for assessing the morphology of asymmetric nuclei, and characterised the sperm of mice from a range of inbred, outbred and wild-derived mouse lines. We find that laboratory lines have elevated sperm shape variability both within and between samples in comparison to wild-derived inbred lines, and that sperm shape in the F1 offspring of CBA and C57Bl6J lines is subtly affected by the direction of the cross.

Hierarchical clustering can distinguish distinct sperm shapes with greater efficiency and reproducibility than even experienced manual assessors. We quantified the range of morphological defects in the inbred BALB/c line, demonstrating we can identify different morphological subgroups. This approach has applications for studies of sperm development, infertility and toxicology.
Diagnostic Use of PCR in Carbapenamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE): An Improved Method to Overcome the presence of inhibitors for DNA Extraction from Blood Cultures
Authors: Salmuna Zeti Norfidiyati , Hassan Murnihayati
Published: May 2018

Background

Carpanenamase-producingEnterobacteriaceae(CPE) has emerged as a threat to hospitalized patients. Phenotypic test such as Modified hodge test was less sensitive and specific especially to detectblaNDM-1 which is the most predominant genotype in this region. Nucleic acid amplification technology offers improved specificity and sensitivity. However, there is limitation in this method which is failed amplification due to the presence of inhibitors. In this study, we try to use previous method described by Villumseen et al with some modification using another DNA extraction kit.

Methodology/Principle findings

Three confirmed isolates ofblaNDM-1 carbapenamase-producingKlebsiella pneumoniaewas spiked with 10 mls sterile whole blood in an aerobic Bactec Plus until the growth was detected. The blood specimen was taken and was subjected to DNA extraction method using two commercialized kits followed with multiplex PCR. All the three isolates revealedblaNDM-1 genotypes. Internal control was amplified in all three isolates.

Conclusion/significance

This study proved that we can get a specific and early diagnosis of CPE by using nucleic acid amplification technique directly from blood culture bottle and eliminate the effect of inhibitors.
Krüppel like factor 2 - deficient myeloid cells promote skeletal muscle regeneration after injury
Authors: Manoharan Palanikumar , Song Taejeong , Radzyukevich Tatiana L , Sadayappan Sakthivel , Lingrel Jerry B , Heiny Judith A
Published: May 2018

Regeneration of adult skeletal muscle after injury is coordinated by complex interactions between the injured muscle and the innate immune system. Myeloid lineage cells predominate in this process. This study examined the role of Krüppel like factor 2 (KLF2), a zinc-finger transcription factor that regulates myeloid cell activation state, in muscle regeneration. Gastrocnemius muscles of wild-type and myeKlf2-/- mice, which lack KLF2 in all myeloid cells, were subjected to cardiotoxin injury and followed for 21 days. Injured muscles of myeKlf2-/- contained more infiltrating, inflammatory Ly6C+ monocytes, with elevated expression of inflammatory mediators. Infiltrating monocytes matured earlier into pro-inflammatory macrophages with phenotype Ly6C+, CD11b+, F4/80+. Inflammation resolved earlier and progressed to myogenesis, marked by an earlier decline of Ly6C+ macrophages and their replacement with anti-inflammatory Ly6C- populations, in association with elevated expression of factors that resolve inflammation and promote myogenesis. Overall, regeneration was completed earlier. These findings identify myeloid KLF2 as a central regulator of the innate immune response to acute skeletal muscle injury. Manipulating myeloid KLF2 levels may be a useful strategy for accelerating regeneration.
Diverse homeostatic responses to visual deprivation by uncovering recurrent subnetworks
Authors: Sweeney Yann , Barnes Samuel J. , Clopath Claudia
Published: May 2018

Multiple homeostatic plasticity mechanisms are thought to be critical for the prevention of excessively high or aberrantly low neural activity in the adult cortex. In L2/3 of adult mouse visual cortex the interplay between disinhibition and local functional interactions may support homeostatic recovery following visual deprivation. Despite blanket disinhibition only a subset of L2/3 excitatory neurons are observed to exhibit homeostatic recovery. Recovering neurons tend to be correlated with each other, forming functional networks prior to deprivation. How homeostatic recovery occurs in this way is therefore unclear, particularly in conditions of global disinhibition.

Here, we employ a computational modelling approach to investigate the origin of diverse homeostatic responses in the cortex. This model finds network size to be a critical determinant of the diverse homeostatic activity profiles observed following visual deprivation, as neurons which belong to larger networks exhibit a stronger homeostatic response. Our simulations provide mechanistic insights into the emergence of diverse homeostatic responses, and predict that neurons with a high proportion of enduring functional associations will exhibit the strongest homeostatic recovery. We test and confirm these predictions experimentally.
MECP2 duplication and mutations impair NSCs differentiation via miR-197 regulated ADAM10
Authors: Wang Yu-Meng , Zheng Yu-Fang , Yang Si-Yu , Yang Zhang-Min , Zhang Lin-Na , He Yan-Qin , Gong Xiao-Hong , Liu Dong , Finnell Richard H. , Qiu Zi-Long , Du Ya-Song , Wang Hong-Yan
Published: May 2018

How MECP2 (Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2) duplication affects cortex development remains elusive. We found that elevated MeCP2 expression promotes neurogenesis during cortex development in Tg(MECP2) mouse brain. Ectopic expression of MeCP2 in NPCs inhibits ADAM10 and hence compromises the NOTCH pathway during NPC differentiation. MeCP2 up-regulates miR-197 to down-regulate ADAM10. The enhanced NPC differentiation/migration in Tg(MECP2) embryonic brain can be repressed by overexpression of ADAM10 or a miR-197 inhibitor.

Consistently, the reduced neurogenesis induced by three rare MeCP2 missense mutations (H371R, E394K, G428S) identified in a Han Chinese autism spectrum disorders (ASD) cohort, can be reversed by miR-197 both in vitro and in vivo. Our results revealed that a regulatory axis involving MeCP2, miR-197, ADAM10, and NOTCH signaling is critical for neurogenesis, which is affected by both MeCP2 duplication and mutation.
DNA Gap Repair-Mediated Site-Directed Mutagenesis is Different from Mandecki and Recombineering Approaches
Authors: Lyozin George T. , Brunelli Luca
Published: May 2018

Site-directed mutagenesis allows the generation of mutant DNA sequences for downstream functional analysis of genetic variants involved in human health and disease. Understanding the mechanisms of different mutagenesis methods can help select the best approach for specific needs. We compared three different approaches for in vivo site-directed DNA mutagenesis that utilize a mutant single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide (ssODN) to target a wild type DNA sequence in the host Escherichia coli (E. coli). The first method, Mandecki, uses restriction nucleases to introduce a double stranded break (DSB) into a DNA sequence which needs to be denatured prior to co-transformation. The second method, recombineering (recombination-mediated genetic engineering), requires lambda red gene products and a mutant ssODN with homology arms of at least 20 nucleotides. In a third method described here for the first time, DNA gap repair, a mutant ssODN targets a DNA sequence containing a gap introduced by PCR. Unlike recombineering, both DNA gap repair and Mandecki can utilize homology arms as short as 10 nucleotides. DNA gap repair requires neither red gene products as recombineering nor DNA denaturation or nucleases as Mandecki, and unlike other methods is background-free. We conclude that Mandecki, recombineering, and DNA gap repair have at least partly different mechanisms, and that DNA gap repair provides a new, straightforward approach for effective site-directed mutagenesis.
Cortical spike multiplexing using gamma frequency latencies
Authors: Ballard Dana H. , Zhang Ruohan
Published: May 2018

One of the fundamental problems in understanding the brain, in particular the cerebral cortex, is that we only have a partial understanding of the basic communication protocols that underlie signal transmission. This makes it difficult to interpret the significance of particular phenomena such as basic firing patterns and oscillations at different frequencies. There are, of course, useful models. Motivated by single-cell recording technology, Poisson statistics of cortical action potentials have long been a basic component in models of signal representation in the cortex. However, it is increasingly difficult to integrate Poisson spiking with spike timing signals in the gamma frequency spectrum. A potential way forward is being sparked by new technologies that allow the exploration of very low-level communication strategies. Specifically, the voltage potential of a cell’s soma now can be recorded with very high fidelity in vivo, allowing correlation of its fine structure to be correlated with behaviors. To interpret this data, we have developed a unified model (gamma spike multiplexing, or GSM) wherein a cell’s somatic gamma frequencies can modulate the generation of action potentials. Such spikes can be seen as the basis for a general-purpose method of modulating fast communication in cortical networks. In particular, the model has several important advantages over traditional formalisms: 1) It allows multiple, independent processes to run in parallel, greatly increasing the processing capability of the cortex 2) Its processing speed is 102 to 103 times faster than population coding methods 3) Its processes are not bound to specific locations, but migrate across cortical cells as a function of time, facilitating the maintenance of cortical cell calibration.
Generation of white-eyedDaphnia magnamutants lackingscarletfunction
Authors: Binti Ismail Nur Izzatur , Kato Yasuhiko , Matsuura Tomoaki , Watanabe Hajime
Published: May 2018

The crustaceanDaphnia magnais an important model in multi-disciplinary scientific fields such as genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, toxicology, and ecology. Recently, draft genome sequence and transcriptome data became publicly available for this species. Genetic transformation by introduction of plasmid DNA into a genome has been achieved. To further advanceD. magnafunctional genomics, identification of a screenable marker gene and generation of its mutant are indispensable. BecauseDaphniais more closely related to insects among crustaceans, we hypothesized that eye color-related genes can function as a marker gene as used inDrosophilagenetics. We searched orthologs ofDrosophilaeye pigment transporters White, Scarlet, and Brown in the genome ofD. magna. Amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis suggested thatD. magnahas sixwhiteand onescarletorthologs, but lacks thebrownortholog. Due to a multiplicity ofwhiteorthologs, we analyzed function of thescarletortholog,DapmaSt, using RNA interference.DapmaStRNAi embryos showed disappearance of black pigments both in the compound eye and in the ocellus, suggesting thatDapmaStis necessary for black pigmentation inDaphniaeyes. To disruptDapmaStby using the Crispr/Cas9 system, we co-injectedDapmaSt-targeting gRNAs with Cas9 mRNAs into eggs and established white-eyedDapmaStmutant lines that lack eye pigments throughout their lifespan. Our results suggest thatDapmaStcan be used as a transformation marker inD. magng+aand theDapmaStmutants would be an important resource for genetic transformation of this species in the future.
Hot Start Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Authors: Green Michael R. , Sambrook Joseph
Published: May 2018

The purpose of hot start polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is to optimize the yield of the desired amplified product in PCRs and, simultaneously, to suppress nonspecific amplification and formation of primer dimers. This is achieved by withholding an essential component of the PCR—the DNA polymerase, or the primers, for example—until the reaction mixture has been heated to a temperature that inhibits hybridization of primers to one another or to nonspecific regions of the template.
Crystal structures of K2[XSi5O12] (X = Fe2+, Co, Zn) and Rb2[XSi5O12] (X = Mn) leucites: comparison of monoclinic P21/c and Ia{\overline 3}d polymorph structures and inverse relationship between tetrahedral cation (T = Si and X)—O bond distances and intertetrahedral T—O—T angles
Authors: Bell Anthony M. T. , Henderson C. Michael B.
Published: May 2018

The leucite tectosilicate mineral analogues K2
X
2+Si5O12 (X = Fe2+, Co, Zn) and Rb2
X
2+Si5O12 (X = Mn) have been synthesized at elevated temperatures both dry at atmospheric pressure and at controlled water vapour pressure; for X = Co and Zn both dry and hydrothermally synthesized samples are available. Rietveld refinement of X-ray data for hydrothermal K2
X
2+Si5O12 (X = Fe2+, Co, Zn) samples shows that they crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/c and have tetrahedral cations (Si and X) ordered onto distinct framework sites [cf. hydrothermal K2MgSi5O12; Bell et al. (1994a), Acta Cryst. B50, 560–566]. Dry-synthesized K2
X
2+Si5O12 (X = Co, Zn) and Rb2
X
2+Si5O12 (X = Mn) samples crystallize in the cubic space group Ia{\overline 3}d and with Si and X cations disordered in the tetrahedral framework sites as typified by dry K2MgSi5O12. Both structure types have tetrahedrally coordinated SiO4 and XO4 sharing corners to form a partially substituted silicate framework. Extraframework K+ and Rb+ cations occupy large channels in the framework. Structural data for the ordered samples show that mean tetrahedral Si—O and X—O bond lengths cover the ranges 1.60 Å (Si—O) to 2.24 Å (Fe2+—O) and show an inverse relationship with the intertetrahedral angles (T—O—T) which range from 144.7° (Si—O—Si) to 124.6° (Si—O—Fe2+). For the compositions with both disordered and ordered tetrahedral cation structures (K2MgSi5O12, K2CoSi5O12, K2ZnSi5O12, Rb2MnSi5O12 and Cs2CuSi5O12 leucites) the disordered polymorphs always have larger unit-cell volumes, larger intertetrahedral T—O—T angles and smaller mean T—O distances than their isochemical ordered polymorphs. The ordered samples clearly have more flexible frameworks than the disordered structures which allow the former to undergo a greater degree of tetrahedral collapse around the interframework cavity cations. Multivariant linear regression has been used to develop equations to predict intertetrahedral T—O—T angle variation depending on the independent variables Si—O and X—O bond lengths, cavity cation ideal radius, intratetrahedral (O—T—O) angle variance, and X cation electronegativity.
Oscillation phenomenon and its mechanism of an energy-saving and emission-reduction system
Authors: Yin Jiuli , Bian Lishuang , Fan Qin , Fan Xinghua , Ai Huaqiang , Tian Lixin
Published: May 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study the oscillation phenomenon before chaos as well as its mechanism of occurrence in the energy-saving and emission-reduction system.

Design/methodology/approach

The system dynamics analysis, phase portrait analyses, equilibrium point analysis and bifurcation curve were applied to this paper.

Findings

First, the authors find an oscillation phenomenon previous to chaos. Second, on the one hand, the existence of two unstable saddles is the reason for the occurrence of oscillation phenomenon. On the other hand, the increasing of carbon emissions can arouse oscillation phenomenon.

Originality/value

This paper finds an oscillation phenomenon previous to chaos in the energy-saving and emission-reduction system. The mechanism of occurrence of oscillation phenomenon is studied. The existence of two unstable saddles is the reason for the occurrence of such oscillation phenomenon. The oscillation is related with fold bifurcation. The study also provides a theoretical basis for the further study of chaos control.
An intelligent algorithm for optimizing emergency department job and patient satisfaction
Authors: Azadeh Ali , Yazdanparast Reza , Abdolhossein Zadeh Saeed , Keramati Abbas
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Resilience engineering, job satisfaction and patient satisfaction were evaluated and analyzed in one Tehran emergency department (ED) to determine ED strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to improve safety, performance, staff and patient satisfaction. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The algorithm included data envelopment analysis (DEA), two artificial neural networks: multilayer perceptron and radial basis function. Data were based on integrated resilience engineering (IRE) and satisfaction indicators. IRE indicators are considered inputs and job and patient satisfaction indicators are considered output variables. Methods were based on mean absolute percentage error analysis. Subsequently, the algorithm was employed for measuring staff and patient satisfaction separately. Each indicator is also identified through sensitivity analysis.

Findings

The results showed that salary, wage, patient admission and discharge are the crucial factors influencing job and patient satisfaction. The results obtained by the algorithm were validated by comparing them with DEA.

Practical implications

The approach is a decision-making tool that helps health managers to assess and improve performance and take corrective action.

Originality/value

This study presents an IRE and intelligent algorithm for analyzing ED job and patient satisfaction – the first study to present an integrated IRE, neural network and mathematical programming approach for optimizing job and patient satisfaction, which simultaneously optimizes job and patient satisfaction, and IRE. The results are validated by DEA through statistical methods.
New centrality measure for nodes based on user social status and behavior on Facebook
Authors: Forouzandeh Saman , Sheikhahmadi Amir , Rezaei Aghdam Atae , Xu Shuxiang
Published: May 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the role of influential nodes on other users on Facebook social media sites by social and behavioral characteristics of users. Hence, a new centrality for user is defined, applying susceptible-infected recovered (SIR) model to identify influence of users. Results show that the combination of behavioral and social characteristics would be determined the most influential users that influence majority of nodes on social networks.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors define a new centrality for users, considering node status and behaviors. Thus, this node has a high level of influence. Node social status includes node degree, clustering coefficient and average neighbors’ node, and social status of node refers to user activities on Facebook social media website such as sending posts and receiving likes from other users. According to social status and user activity, the new centrality is defined. Finally, through the SIR model, the authors explore infection power of nodes and their influences of other node in the network.

Findings

Results show that the proposed centrality is more effective than other centrality approaches, infecting more nodes in social network. Another significant point in this research is that users who have high social status and activities on Facebook are more influential than users who have only high social status on the Facebook social media.

Originality/value

The influence of user on others in social media includes two key factors. The first factor is user social status such as node degree and clustering coefficient in social media graph and the second factor is related to user social activities in social media sites. Most centralities focused on node social status without considering node behavior. This paper analyzes the role of influential nodes on other users on Facebook social media site by social and behavioral characteristics of users.
From “clone towns” to “slow towns”: examining festival legacies
Authors: Duignan Michael B. , Kirby Seth I. , O’Brien Danny , Everett Sally
Published: May 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the role of grassroots (food) festivals for supporting the sustainability of micro and small producers, whilst exploring potential productive linkages between both stakeholders (festivals and producers) for enhancing a more authentic cultural offering and destination image in the visitor economy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is exploratory, qualitative and inductive. Evidence is underpinned by a purposive sample, drawing on ten in-depth interviews and 17 open-ended survey responses collected across 2014 and 2015 – drawing perspectives from traders participating in the EAT Cambridge festival.

Findings

This paper unpacks a series of serendipitous [as opposed to “strategic”] forms of festival and producer leveraging; strengthening B2C relationships and stimulating business to business networking and creative entrepreneurial collaborations. Positive emergent “embryonic” forms of event legacy are identified that support the longer-term sustainability of local producers and contribute towards an alternative idea of place and destination, more vibrant and authentic connectivity with localities and slower visitor experiences.

Originality/value

This study emphasises the importance of local bottom-up forms of “serendipitous leverage” for enhancing positive emergent “embryonic” legacies that advance “slow” tourism and local food agendas. In turn, this enhances the cultural offering and delivers longer-term sustainability for small local producers – particularly vital in the era of “Clone Town” threats and effects. The paper applies Chalip’s (2004) event leverage model to the empirical setting of EAT Cambridge and conceptually advances the framework by integrating “digital” forms of leverage.
An experimental test of whether pyrodiversity promotes mammal diversity in a northern Australian savanna
Authors: Davies Hugh F. , McCarthy Michael A. , Rioli Willie , Puruntatameri José , Roberts Willie , Kerinaiua Colin , Kerinauia Vivian , Womatakimi Kim Brooks , Andersen Alan N. , Murphy Brett P.
Published: May 2018

The increasing awareness that a fire regime that promotes biodiversity in one system can threaten biodiversity in another has resulted in a shift away from fire management based on vague notions of maximising pyrodiversity, towards determining the optimal fire regime based on the demonstrated requirements of target species.

We utilised a long‐running, replicated fire experiment on Melville Island, the largest island off the northern Australian coast, to test the importance of pyrodiversity for native mammals in a northern Australian savanna landscape. We first developed statistical models to determine how native mammal abundance has responded to nine years of experimentally‐manipulated fire frequency. Next, given each species' modelled response to fire frequency, we identified the level of pyrodiversity and optimal mix of fire frequencies that would be expected to maximise mammal diversity and abundance, and minimise extinction risk. This was done for both the entire mammal assemblage and for the mammal species currently declining on Melville Island.

Fire frequency was a significant predictor of abundance of the northern brown bandicoot Isoodon macrourus, black‐footed tree‐rat Mesembriomys gouldii, brush‐tailed rabbit‐rat Conilurus penicillatus, grassland melomys Melomys burtoni, pale field‐rat Rattus tunneyi, and mice/dunnarts but not for the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula.

The geometric mean abundance (GMA) of the entire mammal assemblage was positively associated with pyrodiversity, but peaked at an intermediate value. Hence, maximising pyrodiversity would reduce native mammal assemblage GMA below its potential maximum. The fire history for an area that maximised the entire native mammal assemblage GMA consisted of 57% long‐unburnt, 43% triennially burnt and <1% annually burnt. Pyrodiversity did not reduce the extinction risk, nor increase the GMA of declining mammals above that predicted in areas entirely annually or triennially burnt.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate a useful approach with which to develop fire management strategies based on the demonstrated requirements of target species. By comparing the optimal fire regime identified for the conservation of threatened species and that identified for the entire mammal assemblage, we demonstrate the flexibility of this approach to tailor fire management to address specific management priorities in other fire‐prone environments.
False advertising
Authors: Rhodes Andrew , Wilson Chris M.
Published: May 2018

There is widespread evidence that some firms use false advertising to overstate the value of their products. We consider a model in which a policy maker can punish such false claims. We characterize an equilibrium where false advertising actively influences rational buyers and analyze the effects of policy under different welfare objectives. We establish precise conditions where policy optimally permits a positive level of false advertising and show how these conditions vary intuitively with demand and market parameters. We also consider the implications for product investment and industry self‐regulation and connect our results to the literature on demand curvature.
How consumers respond to product certification and the value of energy information
Authors: Houde Sébastien
Published: May 2018

I study how consumers respond to competing pieces of information that differ in their degree of complexity and informativeness. In particular, I study the choice of refrigerators in the United States, where a mandatory disclosure labelling program provides detailed information about energy cost, and a certification labelling program provides a simple binary‐star rating related to energy use. I find that the coarse certification may help some consumers to pay attention to energy information, but for others, it may crowd out efforts to process more accurate, but complex, energy information. The effect of the certification on overall energy use is thus ambiguous.
Primary pulmonary meningioma presenting as a micro solid nodule: A rare case report
Authors: Xu Kai‐kai , Tian Feng , Cui Yong
Published: May 2018

An ectopic meningioma, such as a primary pulmonary meningioma (PPM), is a rare type of tumor that primarily originates outside of the central nervous system. A 65‐year‐old female patient underwent a thoracoscopic lung wedge resection of the right lower lobe for a micro solid nodule detected via computed tomography. The histologic result revealed a PPM. PPMs manifested with micro solid nodules are a very rare occurrence in clinical practice. Increased awareness of the clinical and pathological characteristics of this rare disease can assist thoracic surgical teams to apply adequate management.
IgG4 anti‐infliximab in treated patients: Clinical impact and temporal evolution
Authors: Vultaggio A. , Nencini F. , Carraresi A. , Pratesi S. , Movérare R. , Eriksson C. , Venemalm L. , Maggi E. , Matucci A.
Published: May 2018

Background

Infliximab (IFX) carries potential risk of immunogenicity with the production of anti‐drug antibodies (ADA). ADA may belong to different isotypes and are usually measured by ELISA bridging assay. This test is not designed to detect IgG4 antibodies. The aim was to measure IgG4 anti‐IFX antibodies in a cohort of IFX‐treated patients and to evaluate their relationship with ADA and their clinical impact.

Methods

Anti‐drug antibodies were detected using a bridging ELISA in the serum of 222 treated patients with different clinical outcomes to IFX. The same samples were analyzed for IgG4 anti‐IFX antibodies using an experimental ImmunoCAP assay with reduced serum IgG4 background levels. A longitudinal evaluation was performed in a subgroup of 38 patients to define the temporal evolution of IgG4 anti‐IFX.

Results

IgG4 anti‐IFX was found in 26.6% of patients. Eighty of 222 patients were ADA+ (36%) and the majority (57/80, 71.3%) had IgG4 anti‐IFX. Two IgG4‐positive but ADA‐negative patients were identified. IgG4 anti‐IFX levels correlated with the serum levels of ADA. IgG4 anti‐IFX was more common in both reactive and nonresponder patients than in tolerant/responder patients. Patients who had experienced IgE‐mediated reactions displayed significantly higher IgG4 anti‐IFX than IgE‐negative reactive patients. The majority of patients tested positive for IgG4 anti‐IFX after the first seven infusions.

Conclusions

IgG4 anti‐IFX is common in treated patients and a large part of ADA producing patients produce IgG4 antibodies. The IgG4 anti‐IFX response does not prevent hypersensitivity reactions to IFX and correlates with the IgE anti‐IFX response.
The effect of parity on risk of complications in pregnant women with epilepsy: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Danielsson Kim C. , Borthen Ingrid , Gilhus Nils E. , Morken Nils H.
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Women with epilepsy have increased risk of complications in pregnancy with consequences for the mother and child. There are no studies on the influence of parity on complications in women with epilepsy.

Material and methods

This was a population‐based cohort study of all first and second births in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway 1999–2013. Risks were estimated and complication rates were compared in distinct women with epilepsy treatment categories. Outcomes were any hypertensive disorder, bleeding in pregnancy, induction of labor, cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage and preterm birth.

Results

We examined 361 588 women, of whom 211 248 had a second birth and 1074 (0.5%) of these had a diagnosis of epilepsy in both births. Of these, 406 used antiepileptic drugs in both pregnancies with lamotrigine (n = 118), carbamazepine (n = 83), valproate (n = 44) and levetiracetam (n = 27) being the four most common monotherapies. In the second birth, only risk of elective cesarean section (adjusted odds ratio 1.7, 95% confidence interval 1.4–2.0) and induction of labor (adjusted odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.2–1.7) were increased in women with epilepsy compared with women without epilepsy. There was a significant reduction in any hypertensive disorder, mild preeclampsia, emergency cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage (>500 mL) and preterm birth from first to second birth in women with epilepsy, and also a significant increase in elective cesarean section.

Conclusions

Second births in women with epilepsy do not represent an increased risk of non‐iatrogenic complications, independent of antiepileptic drug use. There is a significant reduction in complications from first to second births in women with epilepsy.
Pretreatment evaluation of fluorescence resonance energy transfer‐based drug sensitivity test for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia treated with dasatinib
Authors: Kondo Takeshi , Fujioka Mari , Tsuda Masumi , Murai Kazunori , Yamaguchi Kohei , Miyagishima Takuto , Shindo Motohiro , Nagashima Takahiro , Wakasa Kentaro , Fujimoto Nozomu , Yamamoto Satoshi , Yonezumi Masakatsu , Saito Souichi , Sato Shinji , Ogawa Kazuei , Chou Takaaki , Watanabe Reiko , Kato Yuichi , Takahashi Shuichiro , Okano Yoshiaki , Yamamoto Joji , Ohta Masatsugu , Iijima Hiroaki , Oba Koji , Kishino Satoshi , Sakamoto Junichi , Ishida Yoji , Ohba Yusuke , Teshima Takanori ,   the Inter‐Michinoku Dasatinib Study Group (IMIDAS)
Published: May 2018

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are used for primary therapy in patients with newly diagnosed CML. However, a reliable method for optimal selection of a TKI from the viewpoint of drug sensitivity of CML cells has not been established. We have developed a FRET‐based drug sensitivity test in which a CrkL‐derived fluorescent biosensor efficiently quantifies the kinase activity of BCR‐ABL of living cells and sensitively evaluates the inhibitory activity of a TKI against BCR‐ABL. Here, we validated the utility of the FRET‐based drug sensitivity test carried out at diagnosis for predicting the molecular efficacy. Sixty‐two patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML were enrolled in this study and treated with dasatinib. Bone marrow cells at diagnosis were subjected to FRET analysis. The ΔFRET value was calculated by subtraction of FRET efficiency in the presence of dasatinib from that in the absence of dasatinib. Treatment response was evaluated every 3 months by the BCR‐ABL1 International Scale. Based on the ΔFRET value and molecular response, a threshold of the ΔFRET value in the top 10% of FRET efficiency was set to 0.31. Patients with ΔFRET value ≥0.31 had significantly superior molecular responses (MMR at 6 and 9 months and both MR4 and MR4.5 at 6, 9, and 12 months) compared with the responses in patients with ΔFRET value <0.31. These results suggest that the FRET‐based drug sensitivity test at diagnosis can predict early and deep molecular responses. This study is registered with UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000006358).
Calciphylaxis in end‐stage liver and renal disease patients before and after transplant
Authors: Couri Thomas , Stier Matthew , Mikolajczyk Adam , Aronsohn Andrew
Published: May 2018

Calciphylaxis is a rare vascular disorder characterized by calcification of arterioles which causes tissue inflammation and necrosis. It is associated with the metabolic disturbances seen in end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) and has also been described in patients with cirrhosis with preserved kidney function. Characteristic calciphylaxis lesions are black eschars surrounded by retiform purpura, and the gold standard for diagnosis is skin biopsy. Reported 1‐year mortality rates range between 45% and 80%. No treatment modality has been evaluated in a prospective randomized trial, and reports of treatment efficacy vary. Kidney transplant has been reported as a successful therapy for calciphylaxis; however, cases exist of the initial onset of calciphylaxis following kidney transplant as well as simultaneous liver‐kidney (SLK) transplant. The decision to maintain a patient with end‐stage renal and liver disease on the waiting list for SLK transplant following the onset of calciphylaxis must consider the high 1‐year mortality associated with this condition. More research is necessary to understand how to allocate donor allografts to manage patients with calciphylaxis and ESRD and/or cirrhosis effectively.
Prognosis and complications of immature teeth following lateral luxation: A systematic review
Authors: Clark Danielle , Levin Liran
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims

Lateral luxation injuries are a type of traumatic dental injury in which the tooth becomes displaced in the palatal/lingual or labial direction. This injury is common among children and can result in pulp canal obliteration or pulp necrosis. The objective of this systematic review was to gather existing data on lateral luxation injuries to immature teeth to evaluate their overall prognosis.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted using Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, Lilacs, EMBASE and Cochrane databases in October 2017. Reference lists were also hand‐searched to identify additional literature. Prospective and retrospective observational studies were included. A total of 502 articles were screened and six articles were included in the study.

Results

Pulp canal obliteration was the most frequent complication of immature teeth with lateral luxation (31.3%). This was followed by pulp necrosis (17.5%), inflammatory resorption (5.7%), and surface resorption (3.2%). Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a meta‐analysis was not attempted. There was great variation in the reported outcomes among the studies.

Conclusion

Accurate prognosis evaluation of traumatic dental injuries is difficult due to the nature of current studies being retrospective or prospective cohort studies. Lateral luxation is a common traumatic dental injury and has life‐long concerns for a patient. It is important for future studies to report on the same outcomes to increase the quality of evidence regarding prognosis and treatment interventions, not only for lateral luxation injuries, but for all traumatic dental injuries.