bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new change management approach for a law enforcement organization
Authors: Erciyes Erdem
Published: March 2018

This research uses a pilot study to investigate current change management implementation in a law enforcement organization. Based on the findings, a new change management approach is established for a law enforcement organization. The core research question that guides this study is: ‘How can change management be implemented successfully in a law enforcement organization?’. Taking into consideration the research aim, type and size of the sample, and to gain different and in-depth knowledge of the change management phenomenon, the operations division of the Turkish gendarmerie was chosen as the sphere of interest and semi-structured interviews as the research method. The results present a new change management model for the chosen division. The main original contribution is first Ackerman’s change categorization at a law enforcement organization [Ackerman, L. (1986) Development, transition or transformation: the question of change in organization. OD Practitioner 18(4): 1–8], and then developing a new change management approach for each type of change category in this context.
Place attachment and tourist engagement of major visitor attractions in Lisbon
Authors: Loureiro Sandra Maria Correia , Sarmento Eduardo Moraes
Published: March 2018

When regarding the literature on engagement, we may find the term associated to co-creation, interactions, processes, levels of knowledge, consumption frequency. Engagement goes beyond involvement and commitment and comprises a proactive relationship between a tourist and the object or place (e.g. attraction). Yet, more research is required to understand the drivers of consumer engagement. Therefore, the aims of the current study are (i) to investigate the relationship between place attachment, place authenticity and tourism engagement, (ii) the mediation role of place authenticity between place attachment and tourism engagement and (iii) the moderation effect of past experience in the relationship between place attachment and tourism engagement. A sample of 346 international tourists to major visitor attractions in Lisbon (capital of Portugal): Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery was used. The results indicate a positive correlation between place attachment and tourist engagement, place attachment and place authenticity and between place authenticity and tourist engagement. Place authenticity seems to have a partial mediation between place attachment and tourist engagement. Past experience has also a moderate effect on the relationship between place attachment and tourist engagement. Conclusions, implications and further research are discussed and suggested at the end of the study.
Building knowledge through images in physics
Authors: Doran YJ
Published: March 2018

This article considers the role of images in physics. Utilizing the Systemic Functional Linguistic dimension of field it shows that diagrams that present large classification and composition taxonomies as well as long sequences of activities can be overlaid upon graphs that show arrays of ordered data. Through an analysis using the concepts of semantic density and semantic gravity from Legitimation Code Theory, it is argued that this allows images to present large degrees of meaning in a single snapshot whilst also linking abstracted theory to specific instances of data. That is, the analysis shows that images play a significant role in developing technical physics knowledge through abstractions away from the empirical world. This article contributes to the growing body of research focusing on the structuring of knowledge and the non-linguistic semiotic resources used to organize it.
When Clients are Dying: Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives
Authors: Bye Rosalind A.
Published: March 2018

Occupational therapists working with people who are terminally ill potentially face a contradiction between the principles and assumptions of rehabilitation-oriented practice and the needs and experiences of clients who are dying. This research investigated experiences of occupational therapists working with clients who are terminally ill to examine if such a contradiction existed and, if so, how it was managed in daily practice. Ten occupational therapists working with people who are terminally ill shared their perspectives through in-depth interview and participant observation. Data analysis followed grounded theory procedures. Nine conceptual categories were generated from the data: Making a Difference, Referral to Occupational Therapy, Assessing the Situation, Goal Setting, Building Against Loss, “Normality Within a Changed Reality,” Client Control, Supported and Safe Care, and Closure. Analysis of relationships between categories resulted in the development of a conceptual framework of occupational therapy practice with people who are terminally ill. The core phenomenon of the framework emerged as Affirming Life: Preparing for Death. Results indicate that occupational therapists manage this contradiction between their rehabilitation training and their work with people who are dying by reframing the process and outcomes of practice to acknowledge clients’ dual states of living and dying.
RABP: Delay/disruption tolerant network routing and buffer management algorithm based on weight
Authors: Wang Hezhe , Feng Guangsheng , Wang Huiqiang , Lv Hongwu , Zhou Renjie
Published: March 2018

Delay/disruption tolerant network is a novel network architecture, which is mainly used to provide interoperability for many challenging networks such as wireless sensor network, ad hoc networks, and satellite networks. Delay/disruption tolerant network has extremely limited network resources, and there is typically no complete path between the source and destination. To increase the message delivery reliability, several multiple copy routing algorithms have been used. However, only a few can be applied efficiently when there is a resource constraint. In this article, a delay/disruption tolerant network routing and buffer management algorithm based on weight (RABP) is proposed. This algorithm estimates the message delay and hop count to the destination node in order to construct a weight function of the delay and hop count. A node with the least weight value will be selected as the relay node, and the algorithm implements buffer management based on the weight of the message carried by the node, for efficiently utilizing the limited network resources. Simulation results show that the RABP algorithm outperforms the Epidemic, Prophet, and Spray and wait routing algorithms in terms of the message delivery ratio, average delay, network overhead, and average hop count.
On the Other Side of the Table: Lessons Learned From Negotiations
Authors: Williams Heather P. , Peters Fritz
Published: March 2018

District-level directors, principals, and human resource personnel can bring important viewpoints and information in assisting the school board and superintendent during the teacher negotiations process. Unfolding in this case study are the myriad pressures brought forth to the key players in the process, the negotiating process of interest-based bargaining (IBB), and the unique perspective of administrators who served as both labor negotiators and management negotiators in different settings. Also emphasized is the work of school boards and how fractious relations can lead to unintended consequences, as well as the key role of the superintendent in the negotiation process.
Allometric relationship between port throughput growth and urban population: A case study of Shanghai port and Shanghai city
Authors: Chen Jihong , Fei Yijie , Zhu Yuhua , Zhang Fangwei
Published: March 2018

Port throughput, as an indicator reflecting port scale, is associated with the port–city’s population base. By establishing an allometric growth model between the two, we can well verify the delicate relationship between port throughput and urban population. This article takes the throughput of Shanghai port and the population of Shanghai city as an example and studies the relative growth rate ratio between the two, that is, the scaling exponent b. In this example, the exponent b = 0.58 which is smaller than the theoretical value of 0.85, suggesting the improper development relationship between the two for the current phase. Shanghai urban population tends to be saturated, with the growth rate slowing down, and the contribution of urban population to port throughput decreasing. If this development trend proceeds for long, Shanghai port growth scale will be severely restricted. Apart from quantitative research on the relationship between the development rates of Shanghai port throughput and Shanghai urban population, this article also uses the Logistic model to forecast Shanghai port throughput and Shanghai urban population in the future to develop a scientific plan for Shanghai port scale so that port and city can achieve coordinated development.
Motion control of multiple autonomous ships to approach a target without being detected
Authors: Kim Jonghoek , Kim Sanghoek
Published: March 2018

We introduce a motion control which is a stealth strategy of a team of autonomous ships to approach a target without being detected. The target is equipped with a radar to detect a nearby ship. In the team, one ship, the leader, has a stealth ability not to be detected by a radar as it approaches the target. We steer the leader so that it moves to the target while appearing to be at the same bearing line from the target to the leader. Assuming that the target can readily observe optical flow, but only poorly sense looming, this type of motion by the leader is difficult to be detected by the target. We steer every ship, except for the leader, so that a pulse signal emitted from the radar on the target cannot reach any ship, since the signal is blocked by the leader. In this way, even in the case where multiple ships approach the target, the target cannot detect any ship. In our control law, a ship, except for the leader, does not have to access the position of the target in real time. However, a ship must access the bearing line from the target to the leader in real time. Our motion control is inspired by line-of-sight guidance control laws and is developed in discrete-time systems. We present MATLAB simulations to verify the performance of our motion control law.
Representing environmental harm and resistance on Twitter: The case of the TAP pipeline in Italy
Authors: Di Ronco Anna , Allen-Robertson James , South Nigel
Published: March 2018

This research explores a new methodological path for doing green cultural criminological research via social media. It provides original case-study data and aims to stimulate further empirical and theoretical debate. In particular, the study explores how Twitter users have represented the harms related to an ongoing pipeline project in Italy (referred to as TAP), and the resistance to those harms. To these ends, it offers a virtual and visual ethnography of Twitter posts and posted images.
Hypomagnesaemia and pregnancy
Authors: Morton Adam
Published: March 2018

Hypomagnesaemia is common in pregnancy, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Despite the frequent therapeutic use of magnesium in pregnancy, and the evidence regarding the association of hypomagnesaemia with adverse pregnancy outcomes in animal studies, it remains unclear whether hypomagnesaemia is associated with complications in human pregnancy. Three case reports of pregnancies complicated by moderate–severe hypomagnesaemia are presented and magnesium physiology in pregnancy is discussed. The evidence as to whether hypomagnesaemia may represent a direct cause, a consequence of other disease processes or an epiphenomenon in adverse pregnancies outcomes is reviewed.
The effect of pre-eclampsia on retinal microvascular caliber at delivery and post-partum
Authors: Soma-Pillay P , Pillay R , Wong TY , Makin JD , Pattinson RC
Published: March 2018

Background

The retinal microcirculation provides a unique view of microvessel structure by means of non-invasive, retinal image analysis. The aim of the study was to compare the retinal vessel caliber at delivery and one-year post-partum between women who have had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy to a normotensive control group.

Methods

Digital photos of the eye were taken at delivery and one-year post-partum. Retinal vessels were analysed and summarised as the corrected central retinal arteriolar equivalent and corrected central retinal venular equivalent.

Results

The corrected central retinal arteriolar equivalent and corrected central retinal venular equivalent were significantly lower in the pre-eclamptic group compared to the control group both at delivery and one-year post-partum ( p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Retinal artery and venular caliber changes that occur during pregnancies affected by pre-eclampsia persist for up to one-year post-partum. These changes may reflect a permanent, long-term microvascular dysfunction and may be useful as a biomarker of future vascular risk.
Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of white matter signal abnormalities
Authors: Datar Ravi , Prasad Asuri Narayan , Tay Keng Yeow , Rupar Charles Anthony , Ohorodnyk Pavlo , Miller Michael , Prasad Chitra
Published: March 2018

Background

White matter abnormalities (WMAs) pose a diagnostic challenge when trying to establish etiologic diagnoses. During childhood and adult years, genetic disorders, metabolic disorders and acquired conditions are included in differential diagnoses. To assist clinicians and radiologists, a structured algorithm using cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recommended to aid in establishing working diagnoses that facilitate appropriate biochemical and genetic investigations. This retrospective pilot study investigated the validity and diagnostic utility of this algorithm when applied to white matter signal abnormalities (WMSAs) reported on imaging studies of patients seen in our clinics.

Methods

The MRI algorithm was applied to 31 patients selected from patients attending the neurometabolic/neurogenetic/metabolic/neurology clinics at a tertiary care hospital. These patients varied in age from 5 months to 79 years old, and were reported to have WMSAs on cranial MRI scans. Twenty-one patients had confirmed WMA diagnoses and 10 patients had non-specific WMA diagnoses (etiology unknown). Two radiologists, blinded to confirmed diagnoses, used clinical abstracts and the WMSAs present on patient MRI scans to classify possible WMA diagnoses utilizing the algorithm.

Results

The MRI algorithm displayed a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 30.0% and a positive predicted value of 74.1%. Cohen’s kappa statistic for inter-radiologist agreement was 0.733, suggesting “good” agreement between radiologists.

Conclusions

Although a high diagnostic utility was not observed, results suggest that this MRI algorithm has promise as a clinical tool for clinicians and radiologists. We discuss the benefits and limitations of this approach.
Periodic Fluctuation of Perceived Duration
Authors: Shima Shuhei , Murai Yuki , Yuasa Kenichi , Hashimoto Yuki , Yotsumoto Yuko
Published: March 2018

In recent years, several studies have reported that the allocation of spatial attention fluctuates periodically. This periodic attention was revealed by measuring behavioral performance as a function of cue-to-target interval in the Posner cueing paradigm. Previous studies reported behavioral oscillations using target detection tasks. Whether the influence of periodic attention extends to cognitively demanding tasks remains unclear. To assess this, we examined the effects of periodic attention on the perception of duration. In the experiment, participants performed a temporal bisection task while a cue was presented with various cue-to-target intervals. Perceived duration fluctuated rhythmically as a function of cue-to-target interval at a group level but not at an individual level when the target was presented on the same side as the attentional cue. The results indicate that the perception of duration is influenced by periodic attention. In other words, periodic attention can influence the performance of cognitively demanding tasks such as the perception of duration.
Implicit and Explicit Evaluation of Visual Symmetry as a Function of Art Expertise
Authors: Weichselbaum Hanna , Leder Helmut , Ansorge Ulrich
Published: March 2018

In perception, humans typically prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. Yet, little is known about differences in symmetry preferences depending on individuals’ different past histories of actively reflecting upon pictures and patterns. To address this question, we tested the generality of the symmetry preference for different levels of individual art expertise. The preference for symmetrical versus asymmetrical abstract patterns was measured implicitly, by an Implicit Association Test (IAT), and explicitly, by a rating scale asking participants to evaluate pattern beauty. Participants were art history and psychology students. Art expertise was measured using a questionnaire. In the IAT, art expertise did not alter the preference for symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. In contrast, the explicit rating scale showed that with higher art expertise, the ratings for the beauty of asymmetrical patterns significantly increased, but, again, participants preferred symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. The results are discussed in light of different theories on the origins of symmetry preference. Evolutionary adaptation might play a role in symmetry preferences for art experts similarly to nonexperts, but experts tend to emphasize the beauty of asymmetrical depictions, eventually considering different criteria, when asked explicitly to indicate their preferences.
Amisulpride augmentation of clozapine for treatment-refractory schizophrenia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Barnes Thomas R.E. , Leeson Verity , Paton Carol , Marston Louise , Osborn David P. , Kumar Raj , Keown Patrick , Zafar Rameez , Iqbal Khalid , Singh Vineet , Fridrich Pavel , Fitzgerald Zachary , Bagalkote Hemant , Haddad Peter M. , Husni Mariwan , Amos Tim
Published: March 2018

Background:

A second antipsychotic is commonly added to clozapine to treat refractory schizophrenia, notwithstanding the limited evidence to support such practice.

Methods:

The efficacy and adverse effects of this pharmacological strategy were examined in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week randomized trial of clozapine augmentation with amisulpride, involving 68 adults with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and persistent symptoms despite a predefined trial of clozapine.

Results:

There were no statistically significant differences between the amisulpride and placebo groups on the primary outcome measure (clinical response defined as a 20% reduction in total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score) or other mental state measures. However, the trial under recruited and was therefore underpowered to detect differences in the primary outcome, meaning that acceptance of the null hypothesis carries an increased risk of type II error. The findings suggested that amisulpride-treated participants were more likely to fulfil the clinical response criterion, odds ratio 1.17 (95% confidence interval 0.40–3.42) and have a greater reduction in negative symptoms, but these numerical differences were not statistically significant and only evident at 12 weeks. A significantly higher proportion of participants in the amisulpride group had at least one adverse event compared with the control group ( p = 0.014), and these were more likely to be cardiac symptoms.

Conclusions:

Treatment for more than 6 weeks may be required for an adequate trial of clozapine augmentation with amisulpride. The greater side-effect burden associated with this treatment strategy highlights the need for safety and tolerability monitoring, including vigilance for indicators of cardiac abnormalities, when it is used in either a clinical or research setting.
Validation of the 2016 USPSTF recommendations for primary cardiovascular prevention in a large contemporary cohort
Authors: Schonmann Yochai , Bleich Oz , Matalon Andre , Yeshua Hanny
Published: March 2018

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) cholesterol recommendations in a contemporary non-US cohort.

Methods and results

This is a historical cohort analysis of electronic records from Israel's largest health provider. All patients in the Tel Aviv district eligible for primary cardiovascular prevention were followed between January 2005 and December 2015. Risk was estimated by the pooled cohort equations. Statin eligibility was determined by USPSTF and American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) recommendations. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events were retrieved from electronic registration. The mean ± standard deviation age of the 10,889 (98,258 person-years) participants was 60.3 ± 9.4 years, and 69.1% were women. Outcome events were recorded for 1351 patients (12.4%). Treatment recommendations were discordant in 901 patients (8.3%) whose treatment was indicated only by the ACC/AHA guidelines, implying a 26% reduction in newly eligible patients for statin treatment had the USPSTF recommendations been implemented. Among the statin-naive patients, the pooled cohort equations underestimated the risk, with a predicted-to-observed event ratio of 0.88. The recommended treatment thresholds provided excellent calibration, with ratios of 1.0 for USPSTF and 0.98 for ACC/AHA-eligible patients. Both models showed similar discrimination (Harrel's C = 0.63 (0.62–0.65) for USPSTF vs. 0.64 (0.63–0.66) for ACC/AHA, P = 0.26). The USPSTF recommendations were less sensitive and more specific for the detection of outcome events than the ACC/AHA recommendations (61% vs. 75% and 68% vs. 55%, respectively). The net reclassification index was −0.01.

Conclusions

Calibration, discrimination and net reclassifications were very similar for USPSTF and ACC/AHA recommendations. Applying the USPSTF recommendations could reduce over-treatment.
Understanding perception of algorithmic decisions: Fairness, trust, and emotion in response to algorithmic management
Authors: Lee Min Kyung
Published: March 2018

Algorithms increasingly make managerial decisions that people used to make. Perceptions of algorithms, regardless of the algorithms' actual performance, can significantly influence their adoption, yet we do not fully understand how people perceive decisions made by algorithms as compared with decisions made by humans. To explore perceptions of algorithmic management, we conducted an online experiment using four managerial decisions that required either mechanical or human skills. We manipulated the decision-maker (algorithmic or human), and measured perceived fairness, trust, and emotional response. With the mechanical tasks, algorithmic and human-made decisions were perceived as equally fair and trustworthy and evoked similar emotions; however, human managers' fairness and trustworthiness were attributed to the manager's authority, whereas algorithms' fairness and trustworthiness were attributed to their perceived efficiency and objectivity. Human decisions evoked some positive emotion due to the possibility of social recognition, whereas algorithmic decisions generated a more mixed response – algorithms were seen as helpful tools but also possible tracking mechanisms. With the human tasks, algorithmic decisions were perceived as less fair and trustworthy and evoked more negative emotion than human decisions. Algorithms' perceived lack of intuition and subjective judgment capabilities contributed to the lower fairness and trustworthiness judgments. Positive emotion from human decisions was attributed to social recognition, while negative emotion from algorithmic decisions was attributed to the dehumanizing experience of being evaluated by machines. This work reveals people's lay concepts of algorithmic versus human decisions in a management context and suggests that task characteristics matter in understanding people's experiences with algorithmic technologies.
What We Do and Do Not Know About Women and Kidney Diseases; Questions Unanswered and Answers Unquestioned: Reflection on World Kidney Day and International Woman’s Day
Authors: Piccoli Giorgina B. , Alrukhaimi Mona , Liu Zhi-Hong , Zakharova Elena , Levin Adeera
Published: March 2018

Background:

Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 10% of the world’s adult population: It is within the top 20 causes of death worldwide, and its impact on patients and their families can be devastating. World Kidney Day and International Women’s Day in 2018 coincide, thus giving an occasion to reflect on open questions on the importance of kidney health in women for the present and the future generations.

Objectives:

In this review, we summarize some aspects that are unique to women’s kidney health, offering an opportunity to reflect on the importance of women’s health and specifically their kidney health, on the community, and the next generations, as well as to strive to be more curious about the unique aspects of kidney disease in women so that we may apply those learnings more broadly.

Findings:

Girls and women, who make up approximately 50% of the world’s population, are important contributors to society and their families. Gender differences continue to exist around the world in access to education, medical care, and participation in clinical studies. Pregnancy is not only a unique state for women, offering an opportunity for diagnosis of kidney disease, but also a state where acute and chronic kidney diseases may manifest, and which may impact future generations with respect to kidney health. There are various autoimmune and other conditions that are more likely to impact women with profound consequences for childbearing, and on the fetus. Women have different complications on dialysis than men, and are more likely to be donors than recipients of kidney transplants.

Conclusion:

Improving knowledge on women, kidney health, and kidney disease, may be a way to improve outcomes of kidney diseases worldwide.
Traumatic L7 articular processes fracture and spondylolisthesis following dorsal lumbosacral laminectomy in a cat
Authors: Suñol Anna , Montoliu Patricia , López Marta , Mascort Joan , Morales Carles
Published: March 2018

Case summary

A 12-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented to our referral hospital with a chronic history of tenesmus and lumbosacral pain. A diagnosis of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLSS) was made and a standard dorsal L7–S1 laminectomy was performed uneventfully, with complete recovery within 1 month. The cat was brought back 4 months later for investigation of lumbosacral pain after having suffered a minor traumatic event. Neurological examination identified a low tail carriage, weakness, exercise intolerance, left pelvic limb lameness and diminished withdrawal reflexes in both pelvic limbs with severe sacrocaudal pain. A traumatic facet fracture of the L7 articular processes and subsequent spondylolisthesis was diagnosed. A second surgery was performed to stabilise the region. The cat was normal on neurological examination 1 month later and no further clinical signs were noted.

Relevance and novel information

This is the first description of a fracture and spondylolisthesis as a possible postoperative complication after L7–S1 dorsal laminectomy in a cat. The case highlights the importance of postoperative changes in the supportive structures of the lumbosacral spine in cats after surgical treatment of DLSS.
Development and internal validation of a prediction rule for post-stroke infection and post-stroke pneumonia in acute stroke patients
Authors: Westendorp Willeke F , Vermeij Jan-Dirk , Hilkens Nina A , Brouwer Matthijs C , Algra Ale , van der Worp H. Bart , Dippel Diederik WJ , van de Beek Diederik , Nederkoorn Pual J
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Patients with acute stroke are at high risk for infection. These infections are associated with unfavourable outcome after stroke. A prediction rule can identify the patients at the highest risk for strategies to prevent infection. We aim to develop a prediction rule for post-stroke pneumonia and other infections in patients with acute stroke.

Patients and methods

We used data from the Preventive Antibiotics in Stroke Study, a multicentre randomised trial comparing preventive ceftriaxone vs. standard stroke care in patients with acute stroke. Possible predictors for post-stroke pneumonia or infection were selected from the literature. Backward elimination logistic regression analysis was used to construct prediction rules for pneumonia or infection. Internal validation was performed and a risk chart was constructed. We adjusted for preventive antibiotic use.

Results

Pneumonia was diagnosed in 159 of the 2538 included patients, and infection in 348. Pneumonia was predicted by higher age, male sex, pre-stroke disability, medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, more severe stroke, dysphagia and intracerebral haemorrhage (rather than ischaemic stroke). Infections were predicted by higher age, male sex, history of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, more severe stroke, dysphagia, use of bladder catheter, preventive antibiotic use and intracerebral haemorrhage. With the prediction rule developed, risks for pneumonia ranged from 0.4% to 56.2% and from 1.8% to 88.0% for infection. Discrimination of the score was good (C-statistic, 0.84; 95% CI: 0.81–0.87 and 0.82; 95% CI: 0.79–0.84 for pneumonia and infection).

Conclusions

The Preventive Antibiotics in Stroke Study pneumonia and infection rule identify patients at the highest risk for post-stroke pneumonia or infection and may be used for future studies and novel therapies, after confirmation in an external population.
Active enhancer and chromatin accessibility landscapes chart the regulatory network of primary multiple myeloma
Authors: Jin Yi , Chen Kenian , De Paepe Ayla , Hellqvist Eva , Krstic Aleksandra D. , Metang Lauren , Gustafsson Charlotte , Davis Richard E. , Levy Yair M. , Surapaneni Rakesh , Wallblom Ann , Nahi Hareth , Mansson Robert , Lin Yin C.
Published: March 2018

Key Points

Gene regulatory features in MM patients reveal a key regulatory network and epigenetic changes that underpin the disease.
Epigenetic regulation of NFE2 overexpression in myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Peeken Jan C. , Jutzi Jonas S. , Wehrle Julius , Koellerer Christoph , Staehle Hans F. , Becker Heiko , Schoenwandt Elias , Seeger Thalia S. , Schanne Daniel H. , Gothwal Monika , Ott Christopher J. , Gründer Albert , Pahl Heike L.
Published: March 2018

Key Points

Overexpression of NFE2 in MPNs is associated with H3Y41 phosphorylation by JAK2V617F. JMJD1C is an NFE2 target gene and acts in a positive feedback loop contributing to NFE2 overexpression in MPNs.
Induction of fetal hemoglobin synthesis by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the human β-globin locus
Authors: Antoniani Chiara , Meneghini Vasco , Lattanzi Annalisa , Felix Tristan , Romano Oriana , Magrin Elisa , Weber Leslie , Pavani Giulia , El Hoss Sara , Kurita Ryo , Nakamura Yukio , Cradick Thomas J. , Lundberg Ante S. , Porteus Matthew , Amendola Mario , El Nemer Wassim , Cavazzana Marina , Mavilio Fulvio , Miccio Annarita
Published: March 2018

Key Points

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of the β-globin locus architecture reactivates fetal γ-globin expression in adult erythroblasts. Fetal γ-globin reactivation and sickle β-globin downregulation leads to the amelioration of the SCD cell phenotype.
Determination of target-oriented parameters for computation of curvature attributes
Authors: Hunt Lee , Beshry Bahaa , Chopra Satinder , Webster Cole
Published: March 2018

The application of curvature attributes on seismic horizons or 3D seismic volumes has been discussed in the literature in several ways. Such discussion largely ignores the detail of parameter selection that must be made by the working interpreter or the expert processor. Parameter selection such as window size and filtering methods for seismic curvature estimates have not been extensively compared in the literature and have never been validated using quantitative ground truthing to log or drilling data. Of even greater relevance to the interpreter is the lack of discussion of curvature parameters as they are relevant to interpretive and operational concerns. We focus on the seismic most-positive curvature attribute, its parameterization, and filtering for the overpressured tight sand target in the Falher F formation of the deep basin of Alberta, Canada. This sand has numerous natural fractures that constitute an occasional drilling hazard due to mud losses. Various parameterizations on horizon- and volume-based curvature extractions are made and examined in the context of the drilling results of four horizontal wells, one of which has image log fracture density along the lateral portion of the well. We compared different lateral (and vertical where applicable) window sizes in the initial curvature estimates, as well as different postcurvature filtering approaches including unfiltered, Gaussian-filtered, and Fourier-filtered products. The different curvature attribute estimates have been evaluated by way of map comparisons, cross-section seismic line comparisons, and correlations with the upscaled fracture density log data. We found that our horizon-based estimates of positive curvature suffered from mechanical artifacts related to the horizon picking process, and the volume-based methods were generally superior. Of the volume-based methods, we found that the Fourier-filtered curvature estimates were the most stable through smaller analysis windows. Gaussian-filtering methods on volumetric curvature gave results of varying quality. Unfiltered volumetric curvature estimates were only stable when very large time windows were used, which affected the time localization of the estimate. The comparisons give qualitative and quantitative perspective regarding the best parameters of curvature to predict the key properties of geologic target, which in this case are the potentially hazardous natural fractures within the overpressured Falher F sandstone.
Sporadic and recurrent non-suicidal self-injury before age 14 and incident onset of psychiatric disorders by 17 years: prospective cohort study
Authors: Wilkinson Paul O. , Qiu Tianyou , Neufeld Sharon , Jones Peter B. , Goodyer Ian M.
Published: March 2018

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent in adolescents and may be a behavioural marker for emergent mental illnesses.

Aims

To determine whether sporadic or recurrent NSSI up to the age of 14 years predicted increased risk of new onset of psychiatric disorder in the subsequent 3 years, independent of psychiatric symptoms and social risk factors.

Method

In total, 945 individuals aged 14 years with no past/present history of mental illness completed a clinical interview and completed a questionnaire about NSSI at the ages of 14 and 17 years.

Results

Recurrent NSSI at baseline predicted total disorders, depression and eating disorders. Sporadic baseline NSSI predicted new onset of anxiety disorders only.

Conclusions

NSSI (especially recurrent NSSI) in the early-adolescent years is a behavioural marker of newly emerging mental illnesses. Professionals should treat both recurrent and sporadic NSSI as important risk factors, and prevention strategies could be targeted at this vulnerable group.

Declaration of interest

None.
Aerial Aftermaths
Authors: Kaplan Caren
Published: March 2018

From the first vistas provided by flight in balloons in the eighteenth century to the most recent sensing operations performed by military drones, the history of aerial imagery has marked the transformation of how people perceived their world, better understood their past, and imagined their future. In Aerial Aftermaths Caren Kaplan traces this cultural history, showing how aerial views operate as a form of world-making tied to the times and places of war. Kaplan’s investigation of the aerial arts of war—painting, photography, and digital imaging—range from England's surveys of Scotland following the defeat of the 1746 Jacobite rebellion and early twentieth-century photographic mapping of Iraq to images taken in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Throughout, Kaplan foregrounds aerial imagery's importance to modern visual culture and its ability to enforce colonial power, demonstrating both the destructive force and the potential for political connection that come with viewing from above.
The Social Life of Financial Derivatives
Authors: LiPuma Edward
Published: March 2018

In The Social Life of Financial Derivatives Edward LiPuma theorizes the profound social dimensions of derivatives markets and the processes, rituals, and belief systems that drive them. In response to the 2008 financial crisis and drawing on his experience trading derivatives, LiPuma outlines how they function as complex devices that organize speculative capital as well as the ways derivative-driven capitalism not only produces the conditions for its own existence, but also penetrates the fabric of everyday life. Framing finance as a form of social life and highlighting the intrinsically social character of financial derivatives, LiPuma deepens our understanding of derivatives so that we may someday use them to serve the public well-being.
Vitamin D deficiency in the ApcPirc/+ rat does not exacerbate colonic tumorigenesis, while low dietary calcium might be protective
Authors: Irving Amy A. , Duchow Elizabeth G. , Plum Lori A. , DeLuca Hector F.
Published: March 2018

Human studies have shown that individuals with colon cancer tend to have lower serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] levels compared with healthy controls, but whether this link is causative, a result of the disease or an indicator of another factor altogether has yet to be demonstrated. In humans, vitamin D, calcium and UV exposure are inextricably linked; therefore, understanding the individual and combined roles of each of these will require animal models specifically designed to address these questions. To begin to untangle this network, our group has employed the ApcPirc/+ rat, which contains a truncating mutation in the Apc gene, leading to the development of colonic tumors. Our group previously utilized this model to demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation above normal does not reduce colonic tumor burden and, in fact, increased tumor multiplicity in a dose-dependent manner. In the current study, we tested whether vitamin D deficiency plays a causative role in tumor development using two strains which differ in their susceptibility to intestinal tumorigenesis. In the colon, vitamin D deficiency did not increase the development of tumors in either strain, and was actually protective in one strain. Unexpectedly, low dietary calcium combined with vitamin D deficiency significantly suppressed tumor development in the small intestine and colon of both strains. The vast majority of tumors in the human intestine occur in the colon, and we find no evidence to support a direct role of vitamin D deficiency in increasing colonic tumorigenesis, and low calcium might protect against tumor development.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Mitotic spindle assembly and γ-tubulin localisation depend on the integral nuclear membrane protein Samp1
Authors: Larsson Veronica J. , Jafferali Mohammed Hakim , Vijayaraghavan Balaje , Figueroa Ricardo A. , Hallberg Einar
Published: March 2018

We have investigated a possible role for the inner nuclear membrane protein Samp1 (also known as TMEM201) in the mitotic machinery. Live-cell imaging showed that Samp1a–YFP (Samp1a is the short isoform of Samp1) distributed as filamentous structures in the mitotic spindle, partially colocalising with β-tubulin. Samp1 depletion resulted in an increased frequency of cells with signs of chromosomal mis-segregation and prolonged metaphase, indicating problems with spindle assembly and/or chromosomal alignment. Consistent with this, mitotic spindles in Samp1-depleted cells contained significantly lower levels of β-tubulin and γ-tubulin, phenotypes that were rescued by overexpression of Samp1a–YFP. We found that Samp1 can bind directly to γ-tubulin and that Samp1 co-precipitated with γ-tubulin and the HAUS6 subunit of the Augmin complex in live cells. The levels of HAUS6, in the mitotic spindle also decreased after Samp1 depletion. We show that Samp1 is involved in the recruitment of HAUS6 and γ-tubulin to the mitotic spindle. Samp1 is the first inner nuclear membrane protein shown to have a function in mitotic spindle assembly.
Are we what we eat? Changes to the feed fatty acid composition of farmed salmon and its effects through the food chain
Authors: Sissener Nini H.
Published: March 2018

‘Are we what we eat?’ Yes and no. Although dietary fat affects body fat, there are many modifying mechanisms. In Atlantic salmon, there is a high level of retention of the n-3 fatty acid (FA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) relative to the dietary content, whereas saturated FAs never seem to increase above a specified level, which is probably an adaptation to low and fluctuating body temperature. Net production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and especially DHA occurs in salmon when dietary levels are low; however, this synthesis is not sufficient to maintain EPA and DHA at similar tissue levels to those of a traditional fish oil-fed farmed salmon. The commercial diets of farmed salmon have changed over the past 15 years towards a more plant-based diet owing to the limited availability of the marine ingredients fish meal and fish oil, resulting in decreased EPA and DHA and increased n-6 FAs. Salmon is part of the human diet, leading to the question ‘Are we what the salmon eats?’ Dietary intervention studies using salmon have shown positive effects on FA profiles and health biomarkers in humans; however, most of these studies used salmon that were fed high levels of marine ingredients. Only a few human intervention studies and mouse trials have explored the effects of the changing feed composition of farmed salmon. In conclusion, when evaluating feed ingredients for farmed fish, effects throughout the food chain on fish health, fillet composition and human health need to be considered.
Exercise-induced adaptations to white and brown adipose tissue
Authors: Lehnig Adam C. , Stanford Kristin I.
Published: March 2018

The beneficial effects of exercise on skeletal muscle and the cardiovascular system have long been known. Recent studies have focused on investigating the effects of exercise on adipose tissue and the effects that these exercise-induced adaptations have on overall metabolic health. Examination of exercise-induced adaptations in both white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) has revealed marked differences in each tissue with exercise. In WAT, there are changes to both subcutaneous WAT (scWAT) and visceral WAT (vWAT), including decreased adipocyte size and lipid content, increased expression of metabolic genes, altered secretion of adipokines and increased mitochondrial activity. Adaptations specific to scWAT include lipidomic remodeling of phospholipids and, in rodents, the beiging of scWAT. The changes to BAT are less clear: studies evaluating the effect of exercise on the BAT of humans and rodents have revealed contradictory data, making this an important area of current investigation. In this Review, we discuss the exercise-induced changes to WAT and BAT that have been reported by different studies and highlight the current questions in this field.
Adipogenesis in fish
Authors: Salmerón Cristina
Published: March 2018

White adipose tissue (AT) is the main lipid storage depot in vertebrates. Initially considered to be a simple lipid store, AT has recently been recognized as playing a role as an endocrine organ that is implicated in processes such as energy homeostasis and as a rich source of stem cells. Interest in adipogenesis has increased not only because of the prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in humans, but also in aquaculture because of the excessive fat deposition experienced in some cultured fish species, which may compromise both their welfare and their final product quality. Adipocyte development is well conserved among vertebrates, and this conservation has facilitated the rapid characterization of several adipogenesis models in fish. This Review presents the main findings of adipogenesis research based in primary cultures of the preadipocytes of farmed fish species. Zebrafish has emerged as an excellent model for studying the early stages of adipocyte fish development in vivo. Nevertheless, larger fish species are more suitable for the isolation of preadipocytes from visceral AT and for studies in which preadipocytes are differentiated in vitro to form mature adipocytes. Differentiated adipocytes contain lipid droplets and express adipocyte marker genes such as those encoding the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (pparγ), CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α (c/ebpα), lipoprotein lipase (lpl), fatty acid synthase (fas), fatty acid binding protein 11 (fabp11), fatty acid transporter protein1 (fatp1), adiponectin and leptin. Differentiated adipocytes also have elevated glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity. To better understand fish adipocyte development and regulation, different adipokines, fatty acids, growth factors and PPAR agonists have been studied, providing relevant insights into which factors affect these processes and counterbalance AT dysregulation.
The Science of Monetary Policy: An Imperfect Knowledge Perspective
Authors: Eusepi Stefano , Preston Bruce
Published: March 2018

This paper reevaluates the basic prescriptions of monetary policy design in the new Keynesian paradigm through the lens of imperfect knowledge. We show that while the basic logic of monetary policy design under rational expectations continues to obtain, perfect knowledge and learning can limit the set of policies available to central banks, rendering expectations management in general more difficult. Nonetheless, the desirability of some form of price-level targeting, inducing inertia in interest-rate policy, paramount under rational expectations, is robust to the assumption of imperfect knowledge. (JEL D84, E13, E31, E52, E58)
Markets and Manipulation: Time for a Paradigm Shift?
Authors: Basu Kaushik
Published: March 2018

There is a growing appreciation in economics that people have emotional vulnerabilities, commitments to social norms, and systematic irrationalities that impact their decision making and choice in the market place. The flip side of this is that human beings are susceptible to being manipulated by unscrupulous agents single-minded about marketing their services and wares. This paper reviews George Akerlof and Robert Shiller's Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception, alongside other writings in the field, and discusses how this research agenda can be taken forward. The paper shows how this new research can shed light on the ubiquity of corruption in so many societies, and proposes ideas for controlling corruption. (JEL D11, D90, M31, Z13)
A Review Essay onSocial Neuroscience: Can Research on the Social Brain and Economics Inform Each Other?
Authors: Alós-Ferrer Carlos
Published: March 2018

Social neuroscience studies the “social brain,” conceived as the set of brain structures and functions supporting the perception and evaluation of the social environment. This article provides an overview of the field, using the book Social Neuroscience: Brain, Mind, and Society (Russell K. Schutt, Larry J. Seidman, and Matcheri S. Keshavan, editors) as a starting point. Topics include the evolution of the social brain, the concept of “theory of mind,” the relevant brain networks, and documented failures of the social brain. I argue that social neuroscience and economics can greatly benefit from each other because the social brain underlies interpersonal decision making, as studied in economics. (JEL D11, D71, D87, Z13)