bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive modeling informs interpretation of go/no-go task-related neural activations and their links to externalizing psychopathology
Authors: Weigard Alexander , Soules Mary , Ferris Bailey , Zucker Robert A. , Sripada Chandra , Heitzeg Mary
Published: April 2019

Background

Individuals with ADHD and other forms of externalizing psychopathology tend to display poor behavioral performance on the go/no-go task, which is thought to reflect deficits in inhibitory control. However, clinical neuroimaging studies using this paradigm have yielded conflicting results, raising basic questions about what the task measures and which aspects of the task relate to clinical outcomes of interest. We aimed to provide a clearer understanding of how neural activations from this paradigm relate to the cognitive mechanisms that underlie performance and the implications of these relationships for clinical research.

Methods

143 emerging adults (ages 18-21) performed the go/no-go task during fMRI scanning. We used the diffusion decision model (DDM), a mathematical modeling approach, to quantify distinct neurocognitive processes that underlie go/no-go performance. We then correlated DDM parameters with brain activation across several standard go/no-go contrasts and assessed relationships of DDM parameters and associated neural measures with clinical ratings.

Results

Fronto-parietal activations on correct inhibition trials, which have typically been assumed to isolate neural processes involved in inhibition, were unrelated to either individuals’ response biases or their efficiency of task performance. In contrast, responses to false alarms in brain regions putatively responsible for error monitoring were strongly related to more efficient performance on the task and correlated with externalizing behavior and ADHD symptoms.

Conclusions

Our findings cast doubt on conventional interpretations of go/no-go task-related activations as reflecting inhibition functioning. We instead find that error-related contrasts provide clinically-relevant information about neural systems involved in monitoring and optimizing cognitive performance.
Inter- and intra-specific variation of spider mite susceptibility to fungal infections: implications for the long-term success of biological control
Authors: Zélé Flore , Altıntaş Mustafa , Santos Inês , Cakmak Ibrahim , Magalhães Sara
Published: April 2019

Spider mites are severe pests of several annual and perennial crops worldwide, often causing important economic damages. Moreover, rapid evolution of pesticide resistance in this group hampers the efficiency of chemical control. Alternative control strategies, such as the use of entomopathogenic fungi, are thus being developed. However, while several studies have focussed on the evaluation of the control potential of different fungal species and/or isolates as well as their compatibility with other control methods (e.g. predators or chemical pesticides), knowledge on the extent of inter- and intraspecific variation in spider mite susceptibility to fungal infection is as yet incipient. Here, we measured the mortality induced by two generalist fungi,Beauveria bassianaandMetarhizium brunneum, in 12 spider mite populations belonging to differentTetranychusspecies:T. evansi,T. ludeni, the green form ofT. urticaeand the red form ofT. urticae, within a full factorial experiment. We found that spider mite species differed in their susceptibility to infection to both fungal species. Moreover, we also found important intraspecific variation for this trait. These results draw caution on the development of single strains as biocontrol agents. Indeed, the high level of intraspecific variation suggests that (a) the one-size-fits-all strategy will probably fail to control spider-mite populations and (b) hosts resistance to infection may evolve at a rapid pace. Finally, we propose future directions to better understand this system and improve the long-term success of spider mite control strategies based on entomopathogenic fungi.
Combining multiple data sources in species distribution models while accounting for spatial dependence and overfitting with combined penalised likelihood maximisation
Authors: Renner Ian W. , Louvrier Julie , Gimenez Olivier
Published: April 2019

The increase in availability of species data sets means that approaches to species distribution modelling that incorporate multiple data sets are in greater demand. Recent methodological developments in this area have led to combined likelihood approaches, in which a log-likelihood comprised of the sum of the log-likelihood components of each data source is maximised. Often, these approaches make use of at least one presence-only data set and use the log-likelihood of an inhomogeneous Poisson point process model in the combined likelihood construction. While these advancements have been shown to improve predictive performance, they do not currently address challenges in presence-only modelling such as checking and correcting for violations of the independence assumption of a Poisson point process model or more general challenges in species distribution modelling such as overfitting.

In this paper, we present an extension of the combined likelihood frame-work which accommodates alternative presence-only likelihoods in the presence of spatial dependence as well as lasso-type penalties to account for potential overfitting. We compare the proposed combined penalised likelihood approach to the standard combined likelihood approach via simulation and apply the method to modelling the distribution of the Eurasian lynx in the Jura Mountains in eastern France.

The simulations show that the proposed combined penalised likelihood approach has better predictive performance than the standard approach when spatial dependence is present in the data. The lynx analysis shows that the predicted maps vary significantly between the model fitted with the proposed combined penalised approach accounting for spatial dependence and the model fitted with the standard combined likelihood.

This work highlights the benefits of careful consideration of the presence-only components of the combined likelihood formulation, and allows greater flexibility and ability to accommodate real datasets.
Mapping cell migrations and fates from a gastruloid model to the human primitive streak
Authors: Martyn I. , Siggia E.D. , Brivanlou A.H.
Published: April 2019

Although fate maps of early gastrula embryos exist for nearly all model organisms, a fate map of the gastrulating human embryo remains elusive. Here we use human gastruloids to piece together part of a rudimentary fate map of the human primitive streak (PS). This is possible because stimulation with differing levels of BMP, WNT, and NODAL leads to self-organization of gastruloids into large and homogenous different subpopulations of endoderm and mesoderm, and comparative parallel analysis of these gastruloids, together with the fate map of the mouse embryo, allows the organization of these subpopulations along an anterior-posterior axis. We also developed a novel cell tracking technique that allowed the detection of robust fate-dependent cell migrations in our gastruloids comparable to those found in the mouse embryo. Taken together, our gastruloid derived fate map and recording of cell migrations provides a first coarse view of the embryonic human PS.
Evolution and genetic architecture of disassortative mating at a locus under heterozygote advantage
Authors: Maisonneuve Ludovic , Chouteau Mathieu , Joron Mathieu , Llaurens Violaine
Published: April 2019

The evolution of mate preferences may depend on natural selection acting on the mating cues and on the underlying genetic architecture. While the evolution of assortative mating with respect to locally adapted traits has been well-characterized, the evolution of disassortative mating is poorly characterized. Here we aim at understanding the evolution of disassortative mating for traits under strong balancing selection, by focusing on polymorphic mimicry as an illustrative example. Positive frequency-dependent selection exerted by predators generates local selection on wing patterns acting against rare variants and promoting local monomorphism. This acts across species boundaries, favouring Mullerian mimicry among defended species. In this well-characterized adaptive landscape, polymorphic mimicry is rare but is observed in a butterfly species, associated with polymorphic chromosomal inversions. Because inversions are often associated with recessive deleterious mutations, we hypothesize they may induce heterozygote advantage at the color pattern locus, putatively favoring the evolution of disassortative mating. To explore the conditions underlying the emergence of disassortative mating, we modeled both a trait locus (colour pattern for instance), subject to mutational load, and a preference locus. We confirm that heterozygote advantage favors the evolution of disassortative mating and show that disassortative mating is more likely to emerge if at least one allele at the trait locus is free from any recessive deleterious mutations. We modelled different possible genetic architectures underlying mate choice behaviour, such as self referencing alleles, or specific preference or rejection alleles. Our results showed that self referencing or rejection alleles linked to the color pattern locus can be under positive selection and enable the emergence of disassortative mating. However rejection alleles allow the emergence of disassortative mating only when the color pattern and preference loci are tightly linked. Our results therefore provide relevant predictions on both the selection regimes and the genetic architecture favoring the emergence of disassortative mating and a theoretical framework in which to interprete empirical data on mate preferences in wild populations.
TCR repertoire analysis reveals effector memory T cells differentiation into Th17 cells in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Jiang Xu , Wang Shi-yu , Zhou Chen , Wu Jing-hua , Jiao Yu-hao , Lin Li-ya , Lu Xin , Yang Bo , Zhang Wei , Xiao Xin-yue , Li Yue-ting , Wu Xun-yao , Wang Xie , Chen Hua , Zhao Li-dan , Fei Yun-yun , Yang Hua-xia , Zhang Wen , Zhang Feng-chun , Chen Hui , Zhang Jian-min , Li Bin , Yang Huan-ming , Wang Jian , He Wei , Cao Xue-tao , Liu De-pei , Liu Xiao , Zhang Xuan
Published: April 2019

The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by autoreactive T-cell accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine overproduction, is unclear. Systematically addressing T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires of different CD4+ T-cell subsets could help understand RA pathogenesis. Here, peripheral CD4+ T cells from treatment-naïve RA patients and healthy controls were sorted into seven subsets including naïve, effector, central memory, effector memory (EMT), Th1, Th17, and regulatory T cells. T-cell receptor β chain repertoires were then analyzed by next-generation sequencing. We identified T-cell clonal expansion in EMT and Th17 cells, with highly similar TCR repertoires between them. Ex vivo experiments demonstrated the preferred differentiation from EMT to Th17 cells in RA. Moreover, TCR diversity in subsets including Th17 was negatively correlated with RA disease activity indices such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Thus, shared and abnormally expanded EMT and Th17 TCR repertoires might be pivotal for RA pathogenesis.
Adaptive Bet-Hedging Revisited: Considerations of Risk and Time Horizon
Authors: Tal Omri , Tran Tat Dat
Published: April 2019

Models of adaptive bet-hedging commonly adopt insights from Kelly’s famous work on optimal gambling strategies and the financial value of information. In particular, such models seek evolutionary solutions that maximize long term average growth rate of lineages, even in the face of highly stochastic growth trajectories. Here, we argue for extensive departures from the standard approach to better account for evolutionary contingencies. Crucially, we incorporate considerations of volatility minimization, motivated by interim extinction risk in finite populations, within a finite time horizon approach to growth maximization. We find that a game-theoretic competitive-optimality approach best captures these additional constraints and derive the equilibria solutions under various fitness payoff functions.
Removing zero-lag functional connections can alter EEG-source space networks at rest
Authors: Rizkallah Jennifer , Amoud Hassan , Fraschini Matteo , Wendling Fabrice , Hassan Mahmoud
Published: April 2019

Electro-encephalography (EEG) source connectivity is an emerging approach to estimate brain networks with high time/space resolution. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of different functional connectivity (FC) methods on the EEG-source space networks at rest. The two main families of FC methods tested are: i) the FC methods that do not remove the zero-lag connectivity including the Phase Locking Value (PLV) and the Amplitude Envelope Correlation (AEC) and ii) the FC methods that remove the zero-lag connections such as the Phase Lag Index (PLI) and orthogonalisation approach combined with PLV (PLVorth) and AEC (AECorth). Methods are evaluated on resting state dense-EEG signals recorded from 20 healthy participants. Networks obtained by each FC method are compared with fMRI networks at rest (from the Human Connectome Project -HCP-, N=487). Results show low correlations for all the FC methods, however PLV and AEC networks are significantly correlated with fMRI networks (ρ = 0.12, p = 1.93×10−8 and ρ = 0.06, p = 0.007, respectively), while other methods are not. These observations are consistent for each EEG frequency bands and for different FC matrices threshold. Furthermore, the effect of electrode density was also tested using four EEG montages (dense-EEG 256 electrodes, 128, 64 and 32 electrodes). Results show no significant differences between the four EEG montages in terms of correlations with the fMRI networks. Our main message here is to be careful when selecting the FC methods and mainly those that remove the zero-lag connections as they can affect the network characteristics. More comparative studies (based on simulation and real data) are still needed in order to make EEG source connectivity a mature technique to address questions in cognitive and clinical neuroscience.
Rational programming of history-dependent logic in cellular populations
Authors: Zúñiga Ana , Guiziou Sarah , Mayonove Pauline , Meriem Zachary Ben , Camacho Miguel , Moreau Violaine , Ciandrini Luca , Hersen Pascal , Bonnet Jerome
Published: April 2019

Genetic programs operating in an history-dependent fashion are ubiquitous in nature and govern sophisticated processes such as development and differentiation. The ability to systematically and predictably encode such programs would advance the engineering of synthetic organisms and ecosystems with rich signal processing abilities. Here we implement robust, scalable history-dependent programs by distributing the computational labor across a cellular population. Our design is based on recombinase-driven DNA scaffolds expressing different genes according to the order of occurrence of inputs. These multicellular computing systems are highly modular and any program can be built by differential composition of strains containing well-characterized logic scaffolds. We developed an automated workflow that researchers can use to streamline program design and optimization. We anticipate that the history-dependent programs presented here will support many applications using cellular populations for material engineering, biomanufacturing and healthcare.

One Sentence Summary

Systematic and automated frameworks for implementing robust history-dependent genetic programs in cellular populations.
The Vc2 cyclic di-GMP dependent riboswitch ofVibrio choleraeregulates expression of an upstream small RNA by controlling RNA stability
Authors: Pursley Benjamin R. , Waters Christopher M.
Published: April 2019

Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a bacterial second messenger molecule that is important in the biology ofVibrio cholerae, but the molecular mechanisms by which this molecule regulates downstream phenotypes have not been fully characterized. We have previously shown that the Vc2 c-di-GMP-binding riboswitch, encoded upstream of the genetfoY, functions as an off-switch in response to c-di-GMP. However, the mechanism by which c-di-GMP controls expression oftfoYhas not been fully elucidated. During our studies of this mechanism, we determined that c-di-GMP binding to Vc2 also controls the abundance and stability of upstream non-coding small RNAs (sRNA) with 3’-ends located immediately downstream of the Vc2 riboswitch. Our results suggest these sRNAs are not generated by transcriptional termination but rather by preventing degradation of the upstream untranslated RNA when c-di-GMP is bound to Vc2.

IMPORTANCE

Riboswitches are typically RNA elements located in the 5’ untranslated region of mRNAs. They are highly structured and specifically recognize and respond to a given chemical cue to alter transcription termination or the translation initiation. In this work, we report a novel mechanism of riboswitch mediated gene regulation inVibrio choleraewhereby a 3’ riboswitch, named Vc2, controls the stability of upstream untranslated RNA upon binding to its cognate ligand, the second messenger cyclic di-GMP, leading to the accumulation of previously undescribed sRNAs. We further demonstrate that binding of the ligand to the riboswitch prevents RNA degradation. As binding of riboswitches to their ligands often produces compactly structure RNA, we hypothesize this mechanism of gene regulation could be widespread.
LFMD: detecting low-frequency mutations in high-depth genome sequencing data without molecular tags
Authors: Ye Rui , Zhuang Xuehan , Ruan Jie , Qi Yanwei , An Yitai , Xu Jiaming , Mak Timothy , Liu Xiao , Zhang Xiuqing , Yang Huanming , Xu Xun , Baum Larry , Nie Chao , Sham Pak Chung
Published: April 2019

As next-generation sequencing (NGS) and liquid biopsy become more prevalent in research and in the clinic, there is an increasing need for better methods to reduce cost and improve sensitivity and specificity of low-frequency mutation detection (where the Alternative Allele Frequency, or AAF, is less than 1%). Here we propose a likelihood-based approach, called Low-Frequency Mutation Detector (LFMD), which combines the advantages of duplex sequencing (DS) and the bottleneck sequencing system (BotSeqS) to maximize the utilization of duplicate reads. Compared with the existing state-of-the-art methods, DS, Du Novo, UMI-tools, and Unified Consensus Maker, our method achieves higher sensitivity, higher specificity (< 4 × 10−10errors per base sequenced) and lower cost (reduced by ~70% at best) without involving additional experimental steps, customized adapters or molecular tags. LFMD is useful in areas where high precision is required, such as drug resistance prediction and cancer screening. As an example of LFMD’s applications, mitochondrial heterogeneity analysis of 28 human brain samples across different stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) showed that the canonical oxidative damage related mutations, C:G>A:T, are significantly increased in the mid-stage group. This is consistent with the Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging, suggesting that AD may be linked to the aging of brain cells induced by oxidative damage.
TMC1 Confers a Leak Conductance to Modulate Excitability of Auditory Hair Cells in Mammals
Authors: Liu Shuang , Wang Shufeng , Zou Linzhi , Li Jie , Song Chenmeng , Chen Jiaofeng , Hu Qun , Liu Lian , Xiong Wei
Published: April 2019

Hearing sensation relies on the mechano-electrical transducer (MET) channel of cochlear hair cells, in which Transmembrane channel-like 1 (TMC1) and TMC2 have been proposed to be the pore-forming subunits. Meanwhile it has been reported that TMCs regulate other biological processes in a variety of lower organisms ranging from sensations to motor functions. However, it is still an open question whether TMCs play roles other than their function in MET in mammals. In this study, we report that in mouse hair cells TMC1, but not TMC2, provides a background leak conductance, with properties distinct from those of the MET channels. By cysteine substitution, 4 amino acids of TMC1 are characterized critical for the leak conductance. The leak conductance is essential for action potential firing and tonotopic along the cochlear coil. Taken together, our results suggest that TMC1 confers a background leak conductance that modulates membrane excitability in cochlear hair cells.
Neo-sex chromosomes, genetic diversity and demographic history in the Critically Endangered Raso lark
Authors: Dierickx Elisa , Sin Simon , Veelen Pieter van , Brooke M. de L. , Liu Yang , Edwards Scott , Martin Simon
Published: April 2019

Small effective population sizes could expose island species to inbreeding and loss of genetic variation. Here we investigate factors shaping genetic diversity in the Raso lark, which has been restricted to a single islet for ~500 years, with a population size of a few hundred. We assembled a reference genome for the related Eurasian skylark and then assessed diversity and demographic history using RAD-seq data (75 samples from Raso larks and two related mainland species). We first identify broad tracts of suppressed recombination in females, indicating enlarged neo-sex chromosomes. It is plausible that these regions might inadvertently and temporarily preserve pre-existing allelic variation in females that would otherwise be lost through genetic drift. We then show that genetic diversity across autosomes in the Raso lark is lower than in its mainland relatives, but inconsistent with long-term persistence at its current population size. Finally, we find that genetic signatures of the recent population contraction are overshadowed by an ancient expansion and persistence of a very large population until the human settlement of Cape Verde. Our findings show how genome-wide approaches to study endangered species can help avoid confounding effects of genome architecture on diversity estimates, and how present day diversity can be shaped by ancient demographic events.
The influence of canopy radiation parameter uncertainty on model projections of terrestrial carbon and energy cycling
Authors: Viskari T. , Shiklomanov A. , Dietze M.C. , Serbin S.P.
Published: April 2019

Reducing uncertainties in Earth System Model predictions requires carefully evaluating core model processes. Here we examined how canopy radiative transfer model (RTM) parameter uncertainties, in combination with canopy structure, affect terrestrial carbon and energy projections in a demographic land-surface model, the Ecosystem Demography model (ED2). Our analyses focused on temperate deciduous forests and tested canopies of varying structural complexity. The results showed a strong sensitivity of tree productivity, albedo, and energy balance projections to RTM parameters. Impacts of radiative parameter uncertainty on stand-level canopy net primary productivity ranged from ~2 to > 20% and was most sensitive to canopy clumping and leaf reflectance/transmittance in the visible spectrum (~400 – 750 nm). ED2 canopy albedo varied by ~1 to ~10% and was most sensitive to near-infrared reflectance (~800 – 1200 nm). Bowen ratio, in turn, was most sensitive to wood optical properties parameterization; this was much larger than expected based on literature, suggesting model instabilities. In vertically and spatially complex canopies the model response to RTM parameterization may show an apparent reduced sensitivity when compared to simpler canopies, masking much larger changes occurring within the canopy. Our findings highlight both the importance of constraining canopy RTM parameters in models and valuating how the canopy structure responds to those parameter values. Finally, we advocate for more model evaluation, similar to this study, to highlight possible issues with model behavior or process representations, particularly models with demographic representations, and identify potential ways to inform and constrain model predictions.

Key points

Uncertainties in vegetation radiative parameter affect carbon, water and energy balances in ecosystem models.

Radiative properties can lead to significant changes in demography and canopy structure even if aggregate model responses appear unchanged
Natural Amelioration of Mn-induced Chlorosis Facilitated by Mn Down-regulation, Ammonium and Rainwater in Sugarcane Seedlings
Authors: Ling Gui Zhi , Wang Xiao Xia , Yang Shu , Tang Xin Lian , Jia Shi Jin , Chang Min Min , Li Xiao Feng
Published: April 2019

We had previously reported that manganese (Mn)-induced chlorosis is a serious problem in ratoon sugarcane seedlings grown in acidic soils. To further monitor the progression of chlorosis and elucidate the corresponding mechanism, both plant growth and nutrient status of sugarcane plants and soils were investigated in the growth seasons of ratoon cane seedlings in 2016 and 2018. The impacts of rainfall and ammonium on chlorosis were also investigated hydroponically. The results showed that the chlorotic seedlings could green in mid-summer; Mn content in the first expanded leaf decreased significantly, whereas iron (Fe) content increased significantly during the progression of greening. The leaf Mn content in the greened seedlings decreased by up to 78.1% when compared with that in the initial chlorotic seedlings. The seedlings also showed a significant increase in seedling height and weight of the expanded leaves, accompanied by a decrease in plant Mn content during the progression of greening. Moreover, young seedlings with less Mn content showed earlier greening than older seedlings with more Mn content. The exchangeable ammonium content in the soils increased significantly during the progression of greening, and the addition of 1 mM ammonium to the chlorotic seedlings resulted in a decrease in leaf Mn content by up to 80%. Furthermore, leaf SPAD value and Fe content increased by 2.0-fold and 1.4-fold, respectively, after rainwater was applied to the chlorotic seedling. These results indicate Mn-induced chlorotic seedlings can turn naturally green, and downregulation of plant Mn content, rainfall in summer, and soil ammonium contribute to the greening of chlorotic seedlings.
Optimization of spray drying conditions for the production of quality ber (Zizyphus mauritianaLamk.) fruit powder
Authors: Pandey Sonika , Poonia Amrita , Rai Suman
Published: April 2019

Purpose

To overcome the need of seasonal fruit ber, consumers prefer to use fruits in such a form that can be prepared easily or consumed instantly. By transforming them into powders, they can be effortlessly attained as well as preserved, stored and processed.

Design/methodology/approach

To optimize the spray drying conditions for development of ber fruit powder, response surface methodology was used. The experimental design consisted of 13 runs. The levels of independent variables, i.e. inlet air temperature, varied from 153.79ºC to 196.21ºC and maltodextrin concentration, from 4.17 to 9.83 per cent. The responses were moisture content, bulk density, solubility, vitamin C, ΔE and L value.

Findings

The second-order polynomial model fitted for moisture content, bulk density, solubility, vitamin C, ΔE and L value was highly significant (p< 0.001) for each response. The inlet air temperature showed maximum influence on moisture content, bulk density, solubility and vitamin C, whereas the maltodextrin concentration showed maximum influence on bulk density, solubility, ΔE and L value. The predicted values were attained as moisture 4.90 per cent, bulk density 0.35g/ml, solubility 89.11 per cent, vitamin C 91.06mg/100g, ΔE 31.03 and L 87.78. The recommended optimum spray drying conditions were inlet air temperature and maltodextrin concentration of 166.64°C and 9.26 per cent, respectively.

Originality/value

Spray drying of the underused Indian fruit ber has enhanced its utility. Ber powder can further be used as an instant beverage, in sweets, as a flavoring agent and in soft drinks.
Ishikawa diagrams and Bayesian belief networks for continuous improvement applications
Authors: Rodgers Mark , Oppenheim Rosa
Published: April 2019

Purpose

In continuous improvement (CI) projects, cause-and-effect diagrams are used to qualitatively express the relationship between a given problem and its root causes. However, when data collection activities are limited, and advanced statistical analyses are not possible, practitioners need to understand causal relationships. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the authors present a framework that combines cause-and-effect diagrams with Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) to estimate causal relationships in instances where formal data collection/analysis activities are too costly or impractical. Specifically, the authors use cause-and-effect diagrams to create causal networks, and leverage elicitation methods to estimate the likelihood of risk scenarios by means of computer-based simulation.

Findings

This framework enables CI practitioners to leverage qualitative data and expertise to conduct in-depth statistical analysis in the event that data collection activities cannot be fully executed. Furthermore, this allows CI practitioners to identify critical root causes of a given problem under investigation before generating solutions.

Originality/value

This is the first framework that translates qualitative insights from a cause-and-effect diagram into a closed-form relationship between inputs and outputs by means of BBN models, simulation and regression.
Understanding the Gender Gap in Financial Literacy: Evidence from Australia
Authors: Preston Alison C. , Wright Robert E.
Published: April 2019

Using micro‐data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, and the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition technique, this paper examines the determinants of the gender gap in financial literacy. The analysis suggests that human capital variables, such as age and education, are not important in explaining the gender gap in financial literacy. Labour market variables, such as sector, occupation, industry, union membership and labour market status, are important and explain around 16 per cent of the gap. This finding is dependent on the assumption that these variables are exogenous. There is a large unexplained gap, suggesting that the main determinants are neither human capital nor labour market factors.
The case for psychology in human resource management research
Authors: Troth Ashlea C. , Guest David E.
Published: April 2019

A recent literature has developed criticising the growing influence of a psychological perspective within research on human resource management (HRM). This paper addresses and rebuts the various criticisms and outlines the positive contribution of work and organisational psychology to HRM research. In looking to the future and the continuing development of HRM research, we argue that there is a need to engage in research that is multidisciplinary, multilevel, multistakeholder, and multimethod. We propose a number of research topics that meet these criteria and to which work and organisational psychology can offer a distinctive contribution. We call for other disciplines to make a more positive contribution to ensure that HRM research continues to flourish.
Defoe's Tour and the Historiography of Early Modern Britain
Authors: Rogers Pat
Published: April 2019

The most heavily quarried contemporary source on Britain in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries is Daniel Defoe's Tour (1724‐6). Its findings have been exploited in accounts of the politics, society, economy, architecture, literature and geography of the early modern nation. It has been used by historians of the family, women, religion, art, popular culture, shopping, weather, landscape, transport, leisure, travel and tourism, topography, antiquarianism, archaeology, gambling, the Navy, Civil War battlefields, dialect and industrial archaeology. This article charts the extent of Defoe's influence on our understanding of the age, analysing its value as a connected survey of Britain.
Lactate dehydrogenase and baseline markers associated with clinical outcomes of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with camrelizumab (SHR‐1210), a novel anti‐PD‐1 antibody
Authors: Wang Xi , Zhang Bo , Chen Xuelian , Mo Hongnan , Wu Dawei , Lan Bo , Li Qun , Xu Binghe , Huang Jing
Published: April 2019

Background

A small proportion of patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) could benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors; however, reliable peripheral blood biomarkers for outcomes of anti‐PD‐1 immunotherapy in ESCC have not been identified.

Methods

The data of 43 patients in the ESCC cohort of a phase I trial at our center were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were administered intravenous camrelizumab (SHR‐1210), a novel anti‐PD‐1 antibody, at doses of 60 mg, 200 mg, or 400 mg (4‐week interval after first dose followed by a 2‐week schedule) until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Associations between lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and other peripheral blood biomarkers at baseline and the efficacy of camrelizumab were also investigated.

Results

After median follow‐up of 19.6 months, the overall response rate was 25.6% (11/43), including one complete response. Median progression‐free and overall survival rates were 2.0 and 8.0 months, respectively. Patients with an elevated baseline LDH had lower tumor response rates (P = 0.02) and shorter progression‐free (P = 0.002) and overall (P < 0.0001) survival than patients with normal LDH levels. An increase in LDH levels during treatment was significantly associated with disease progression. Multivariate Cox analysis identified LDH (hazard ratio [HR] 0.18), CRP (HR 0.27), the number of organs involved (HR 0.31), absolute monocyte count (HR 0.33), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (HR 0.36) as independent prognostic factors.

Conclusions

Serum LDH, which is readily available in routine clinical practice, is a potential marker for response and a powerful independent factor for survival in advanced ESCC patients treated with anti‐PD‐1 therapy.
The effect of emotional clarity and attention to emotion on job satisfaction: A mediating role of emotion regulation among Chinese medical staff
Authors: Wang Man , Hu Chuanlin , Huang Miner , Xie Yongbiao , Zhu Wenzhen
Published: April 2019

The present study examined the relationships among attention to emotion, emotional clarity, emotion regulation, and job satisfaction, and tested whether the plausible associations between emotional processes (e.g., attention to emotion, emotional clarity) and job satisfaction can be mediated by emotion regulation in a sample of Chinese medical staff. In total, 1,766 medical staff in Guangdong province completed questionnaires including the demographics, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, Emotional Clarity, Attention to Emotion, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Results showed significant direct effect of emotional clarity, but not attention to emotion on job satisfaction. Cognitive reappraisal significantly mediated the associations between emotional processes (e.g., attention to emotion, emotional clarity) and job satisfaction whereas expressive suppression was not a statistically significant mediator. These results suggest that attention to emotion and emotional clarity contribute to job satisfaction by increasing certain emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal. Intervention or medical education programs targeting enhancing emotional clarity and reappraisal may be beneficial for increasing job satisfaction of medical staff in China.
A new biomechanical glaucoma factor to discriminate normal eyes from normal pressure glaucoma eyes
Authors: Pillunat Karin R. , Herber Robert , Spoerl Eberhard , Erb Carl , Pillunat Lutz E.
Published: April 2019

Background

To test the ability of the newly calculated Dresden biomechanical glaucoma factor (DBGF) based on dynamic corneal response (DCR) deformation and corneal thickness parameters, to discriminate between healthy and normal pressure glaucoma (NPG) eyes.

Methods

Seventy healthy and 70 NPG patients of Caucasian origin were recruited for this multicentre cross‐sectional pilot study, which included both eyes for analysis. Logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equation (GEE) models to account for correlations between eyes and a threefold cross‐validation were performed to determine the optimal combination of Corvis ST parameters in order to separate normal from NPG eyes.

Results

The DBGF was calculated using 5 Corvis ST parameters, which showed the best discrimination power: deformation amplitude ratio progression, highest concavity time, pachymetry slope, the biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure and pachymetry. In a threefold cross‐validation, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve confirmed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.814 with a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 77% using a logit cut‐off value of a DBGF = 0.5.

Conclusion

The DBGF shows to be sensitive and specific to discriminate healthy from NPG eyes. Since diagnosis of NPG is often challenging, the DBGF may help with the differential diagnosis of NPG in daily clinical practice. Therefore, it might be considered as a new possible screening method for NPG.
Cytological diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis: A series of 47 cases
Authors: Phulware Ravi Hari , Guleria Prerna , Iyer Venkateswaran K , Bakhshi Sameer , Seth Rachna , Mridha Asit R , Jain Deepali , Mallick Saumyaranjan , Arava Sudheer Kumar , Agarwal Shipra , Kaushal Seema , Yadav Rajni , Mathur Sandeep R.
Published: April 2019

Objective

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease affecting predominantly children and young adults but can be found in any age group. Diagnosis of LCH is often difficult and can be delayed because of its rarity. The present study highlights the cytomorphological features in a large cohort of cases. An accurate cytological diagnosis may avoid unnecessary biopsy and guide appropriate management.

Method

Fourty seven (47) cases of LCH diagnosed on cytological material & fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) over a period of 14 years (2003‐2016) were retrieved from the archives. The cytological smears were evaluated and microscopic findings collected by semi‐quantitative assessment done by two different pathologists

Result

The age at the diagnosis of the patients ranged from 9 months to 28 years. The majority of cases were in the age group of 0‐5 years. The most common site was head and neck region, which included cervical lymphadenopathy and scalp swelling. Two cases were diagnosed each from inguinal lymph node and bronchio‐alveolar lavage (BAL). Cytological smears in the majority of the cases were moderate to highly cellular (58%) and showing abundant Langerhans cell in (72%) of cases. Areas of necrosis were seen in 38%, while 78% of cases showed giant cells. The majority of cases showed mild eosinophilia (61%), sparse lymphocytosis (83%) and mild neutrophilic infiltration (64%). There were 1‐2 mitoses per 10 high power field in 12 cases (25.5%). No abnormal mitoses were identified.

Conclusion

The presence of cells with features of Langerhans cells associated with the expression of selected immunohistochemical markers allow the diagnosis of LCH on cytological samples, sparing more invasive procedure as a biopsy.
Thinking and Working Politically: Learning from practice. Overview to Special Issue
Authors: McCulloch Neil , Piron Laure‐Hélène
Published: April 2019

Over the last 15 years, a set of ideas now referred to as “thinking and working politically” (TWP) has coalesced into a “second orthodoxy” about how to take context into account when implementing development interventions. This approach stresses the importance of obtaining a better understanding of the local context (“thinking politically”) in order to support local actors to bring about sustainable developmental change (“working politically”). However, the evidence base to justify this new approach remains thin, despite a growing number of programmes which purport to be implementing it. Officials in development agencies struggle with putting it into practice and it is unclear how TWP differs—or not—from similar approaches, such as Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) and Doing Development Differently (DDD). This Special Issue sheds light on what TWP means in practice by examining a set of initiatives undertaken by both development partners and government departments in Nigeria, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, China and India. This overview article outlines, in brief, each of the Special Issue's four papers and then draws out five lessons—for funders and for practitioners—from across all the papers. Our five lessons are: (1) the fundamental importance of undertaking political economy analysis (PEA) to adapt programmes to their contexts; (2) the importance of having a realistic level of ambition for interventions; (3) the need to support local ownership—not just “agreement ownership” (between a donor agency and government) or local “management ownership” of the programme, but critically “driver ownership” by generating trust with the key local actors driving change; (4) the need for a more effective set of tools for measuring results in complex programmes that attempt to achieve improvements in long‐run governance; and, (5) that although the political economy of donors is often seen as a barrier to applying TWP, the articles show how much can be done with a TWP approach if the analysis takes into account the political economy of donors as well as that of the local context. We conclude with a set of operational recommendations for donors and implementors, as well as suggestions of avenues for further research.
Telling off Justinian: Theudebert I, the Epistolae Austrasicae, and communication strategies in sixth‐century Merovingian–Byzantine relations
Authors: Gillett Andrew
Published: April 2019

The death of the powerful Frankish king Theudebert I (r. 533–47) gave rise to a diplomatic imbroglio between the courts of the eastern emperor Justinian, who condemned the late king, and Theudebert's son and successor Theudebald, who aggressively defended his father's memory. This dispute provides two opportunities: first, to parse the sixth‐century sources into separate political discourses; and secondly, to examine the diplomatic letters of Theudebert and Theudebald, preserved in the Gallic letter collection Epistolae Austrasicae, as evidence for creative experimentation with the genre of letters, expanding the functions and forcefulness of the basic media of long‐range communication.
Franks, Greeks, and Saracens: violence, empire, and religion in early medieval southern Italy
Authors: Whitten Sarah
Published: April 2019

This paper examines the violence between Carolingians, Saracens, and Byzantines in southern Italy during the second half of the ninth century. Traditionally these conflicts have been viewed as violence between Muslims and Christians. This paper argues that contemporary southern Italians did not perceive this violence to be religiously motivated, because they did not understand Saracens to be Muslims. Instead, these tensions were about local and foreign claims to political authority and control of territory.
Keratin 19‐expressing hepatocellular carcinoma and small‐duct type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma show a similar postoperative clinical course but have distinct genetic features
Authors: Akita Masayuki , Ajiki Tetsuo , Fukumoto Takumi , Itoh Tomoo , Zen Yoh
Published: April 2019

Aims

The present study aimed to systematically compare clinicopathological and genetic features between keratin 19 (K19)‐expressing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA).

Methods and results

Consecutive cases of HCC (n = 430) were classified into K19+ and K19− using immunohistochemistry. ICCA cases were also separated into small‐(S‐iCCA; n = 36) and large‐duct types (n = 22) based on recently proposed criteria, with the former being used in the present study. Mutational hot‐spots in TERT, CTNNB1, KRAS and IDH1 were sequenced. Twenty‐six cases (6%) of HCC expressed K19. K19+ HCC was more strongly associated with chronic hepatitis B than K19− HCC and S‐iCCA (46% versus 17% and 6%; both P < 0.001). Lymph node metastasis was observed in K19+ HCC (8%) and S‐iCCA (22%), but was exceptional in K19− HCC (1%). K19+ HCC had TERT promoter mutations less frequently than K19− HCC (31% versus 59%; P = 0.022), and lacked alterations in KRAS and IDH1. CTNNB1 mutations were similarly observed in K19+ and K19− HCC (23% and 19%, respectively), but rare in S‐iCCA (3%). The postoperative survival curve of K19+ HCC was almost identical to that of S‐iCCA in the first 5 years (approximately 50% at 5 years), and significantly worse than that of K19− HCC (P = 0.040). Extrahepatic recurrence was more common in K19+ HCC (50%) and S‐iCCA (35%) than in K19− HCC (15%) (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Although K19+ HCC and S‐iCCA showed similar biological behaviours, they did not share any driver gene mutations, suggesting the possible involvement of epigenetic alterations in the iCCA‐like features of K19+ HCC.
Non‐inferiority of microencapsulated mesenchymal stem cells to free cells in cardiac repair after myocardial infarction: A rationale for using paracrine factor(s) instead of cells
Authors: Karpov Andrey A. , Puzanov Maxim V. , Ivkin Dmitry Yu. , Krasnova Marina V. , Anikin Nikita A. , Docshin Pavel M. , Moiseeva Olga M. , Galagudza Michael M.
Published: April 2019

A major translational barrier to the use of stem cell (SC)‐based therapy in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) is the lack of a clear understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying the cardioprotective effect of SCs. Numerous paracrine factors from SCs may account for reduction in infarct size, but myocardial salvage associated with transdifferentiation of SCs into vascular cells as well as cardiomyocyte‐like cells may be involved too. In this study, bone marrow‐derived rat mesenchymal SC (MSCs) were microencapsulated in alginate preventing viable cell release while supporting their secretory phenotype. The hypothesis on the key role of paracrine factors from MSCs in their cardioprotective activity was tested by comparison of the effect of encapsulated vs free MSCs in the rat model of MI. Intramyocardial administration of both free and encapsulated MSCs after MI caused reduction in scar size (12.1 ± 6.83 and 14.7 ± 4.26%, respectively, vs 21.7 ± 6.88% in controls, P = 0.015 and P = 0.03 respectively). Scar size was not different in animals treated with free and encapsulated MSC (P = 0.637). These data provide evidence that MSC‐derived growth factors and cytokines are crucial for cardioprotection elicited by MSC. Administration of either free or encapsulated MSCs was not arrhythmogenic in non‐infarcted rats. The consistency of our data with the results of other studies on the major role of MSC secretome components in cardiac protection further support the theory that the use of live, though encapsulated, cells for MI therapy may be replaced with heart‐targeted‐sustained delivery of growth factors/cytokines.
Gamification in employee selection: The development of a gamified assessment
Authors: Georgiou Konstantina , Gouras Athanasios , Nikolaou Ioannis
Published: April 2019

Gamification has attracted increased attention among organizations and human resource professionals recently, as a novel and promising concept for attracting and selecting prospective employees. In the current study, we explore the construct validity of a new gamified assessment method in employee selection that we developed following the situational judgement test (SJT) methodology. Our findings support the applicability of game elements into a traditional form of assessment built to assess candidates' soft skills. Specifically, our study contributes to research on gamification and employee selection exploring the construct validity of a gamified assessment method indicating that the psychometric properties of SJTs and their transformation into a gamified assessment are a suitable avenue for future research and practice in this field.