bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tissue Extraction Techniques for Leiomyomas and Uteri During Minimally Invasive Surgery
Authors: Siedhoff Matthew T. , Cohen Sarah L.
Published: November 2017

Fragmented tissue extraction (morcellation) of uterine and leiomyoma tissue in gynecologic surgery has been performed for decades, but recent years have seen a vast expansion of techniques to address risks associated with tissue dispersion. Use of power, or electromechanical, morcellation has largely been replaced by manual morcellation with a scalpel. Morcellation can take place through a laparoscopic incision, a minilaparotomy incision, or through a colpotomy. Containment systems are now available for both power and manual morcellation, allowing tissue fragmentation to take place within an enclosed specimen bag. These products require additional training and skill and may add operating time, but have the potential to mitigate risks associated with tissue dissemination.
Transfusion Preparedness Strategies for Obstetric Hemorrhage
Authors: Einerson Brett D. , Stehlikova Zuzana , Nelson Richard E. , Bellows Brandon K. , Kawamoto Kensaku , Clark Erin A. S.
Published: November 2017

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of common obstetric transfusion preparedness strategies to prevent emergency-release transfusions.

METHODS:

A decision analytic model compared five commonly used transfusion preparedness strategies in a general obstetric population. Patients were classified as being at low, moderate, or high risk for transfusion. The most prepared strategy used a policy of universal type and screen plus crossmatch for high-risk patients. Other strategies used universal type and screen only, universal hold clot plus crossmatch for high-risk patients, selective type and screen only in high-risk patients, or no routine admission testing. Strategies were compared using transfusion-related cost and probability estimates derived from patient-level data and from the published literature. The primary outcome was incremental cost per emergency-release transfusion prevented. A strategy was considered cost-effective if the cost was less than $1,500 per emergency-release transfusion avoided as determined by expert consensus. Emergency-release transfusion included universal donor or type-specific packed red cells that are not crossmatched to the recipient. Along with the base-case analyses, we also conducted one- and two-way sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses using second-order Monte Carlo simulation. Variability in the willingness-to-pay threshold was explored in a cost-effectiveness acceptability analysis. The model was conducted from a hospital perspective.

RESULTS:

In the base-case analysis, the strategy of universal type and screen with crossmatch for high-risk patients yielded an incremental cost of $115,541 per emergency-release transfusion prevented compared with a strategy of universal hold clot. The universal hold clot strategy yielded a cost of $2,878 per emergency-release transfusion prevented compared with a strategy of no routine admission testing. Strategies using universal type and screen were cost-effective in zero of the 10,000 simulations at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $1,500 per emergency-release transfusion prevented. Even at willingness to pay greater than $10,000 to prevent an emergency-release transfusion, universal type and screen strategies were not cost-effective.

CONCLUSION:

Transfusion preparedness with universal type and screen is not cost-effective in a general obstetric population across a wide range of assumptions and variable ranges.
NONHEREDITARY IDIOPATHIC FOVEAL RETINOSCHISIS ASSOCIATED WITH NEW-ONSET PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Authors: Amram Alec L. , Kellogg Clint , Elkeeb Ahmed
Published: November 2017

Purpose:

To present a case of idiopathic foveal retinoschisis in a patient with new-onset proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Methods:

Single case report.

Results:

A 64-year-old African American man with Type 2 diabetes mellitus presented for a routine annual diabetic eye examination with mildly blurred vision at near and distance in the right eye. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated optic nerve leakage consistent with neovascularization of the disk but no leakage on or around the macula in the right eye. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated peripapillary macular retinoschisis within the outer plexiform layer without optic disk pit, epiretinal membrane, or diabetic tractional membrane. He underwent pan-retinal photocoagulation in the right eye; his acuity and schisis remained unchanged at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusion:

This is the first reported case of idiopathic acquired macular schisis with new-onset nontractional proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the same eye.
MACULAR HOLE FORMATION AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY FOR PRIMARY VITREORETINAL LYMPHOMA
Authors: Haruta Masatoshi , Taguchi Chikako , Yamakawa Ryoji
Published: November 2017

Purpose:

To report a case of primary vitreoretinal lymphoma in which a macular hole developed after a diagnostic pars plana vitrectomy.

Methods:

A retrospective interventional case report.

Results:

A 65-year-old woman presented with worsening vision in the left eye. Fundus examination showed vitreous haze and multifocal, yellow-white infiltrates in the retina and under the retinal pigment epithelium in the left eye. She underwent a diagnostic pars plana vitrectomy in that eye. Undiluted vitreous specimen showed an increased interleukin-10 level (1,470 pg/mL) with an elevated interleukin-10 to interleukin-6 ratio of 15.1; cytologic analysis of the vitreous showed atypical lymphoid cells with large irregular nuclei and scanty cytoplasm. The retinal and sub-retinal pigment epithelial infiltrates responded well to intravitreal methotrexate injections, but a macular hole developed in the left eye. The second pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and 20% sulfur hexafluoride gas tamponade successfully closed the macular hole.

Conclusion:

Macular hole closure can be accomplished in eyes receiving intravitreal methotrexate injections for treating primary vitreoretinal lymphoma.
Safety and Efficacy of Reslizumab for Children and Adolescents With Eosinophilic Esophagitis Treated for 9 Years
Authors: Markowitz Jonathan E. , Jobe Laura , Miller Michelle , Frost Carrie , Laney Zegilor , Eke Ransome
Published: November 2017

Background:

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease characterized by infiltration of eosinophils in the esophageal epithelium. There are limited treatment options for EoE. The rationale of the study was to evaluate the long‐term safety and efficacy of reslizumab (RSZ) in pediatric patients who received RSZ in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and expanded access program.

Methods:

Records of patients who received RSZ in our center were reviewed. Patients received RSZ 2 mg/kg (or placebo) every 4 weeks as part of the RCT, open‐label extension (OLE), and compassionate use (CU). Data were analyzed as of their most recent evaluation in August 2017. Labwork, history, and examinations were conducted every 12 weeks. Biopsy results were compared from baseline (before RCT) and at the most recent evaluation. Adverse events (AE) were recorded.

Results:

Twelve patients entered the RCT at our center; 6 patients completed the OLE and 4 received RSZ through CU. Between the RCT, OLE, and CU periods, patients received 549 doses of RSZ (median 37, range 2–116). No serious AE were attributed to RSZ. Symptoms improved on treatment: dysphagia (42% vs 0%), abdominal pain (58% vs 0%), heartburn (18% vs 0%), vomiting (67% vs. 17%), reflux (58% vs. 0%). Median esophageal eosinophil count improved (35 eosinophils per high‐power field vs 3, P < 0.001). Patients receiving RSZ maintain a relatively unrestricted diet.

Conclusions:

RSZ appears to be safe in children with EoE over 9 years of treatment experience. Symptoms and eosinophil count improved considerably during treatment with RSZ despite a relatively unrestricted diet.
Hepatic Parenchymal Injury in Crigler‐Najjar Type I
Authors: Mitchell Ellen , Ranganathan Sarangarajan , McKiernan Patrick , Squires Robert H. , Strauss Kevin , Soltys Kyle , Mazariegos George , Squires James E.
Published: November 2017

Background:

Crigler‐Najjar syndrome type I (CNI) arises from biallelic variants of UGT1A1 that abrogate uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1) activity resulting in unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Historically, liver parenchyma in CNI was considered structurally and histologically normal. Recent review of CNI liver explants revealed fibrosis. Our aim was to investigate the association between hepatic histology and disease phenotype in CNI.

Methods:

We extracted data from the medical record at the time of liver transplant from 22 patients with CNI at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and reviewed explant histology. Continuous data were normally distributed, are presented as mean (±1 SD), and analyzed using two‐tailed Student t‐test. Categorical data were analyzed using the Chi‐square test.

Results:

Both alanine transaminase (ALT; mean 87.4 IU/L) and aspartate transaminase (AST; mean 54.6 IU/L) were elevated. Nine (41%) of 22 explants had significant fibrosis. Pericentral (n = 5), periportal (n = 2), and mixed (n = 2) patterns of fibrosis occurred. A significant difference in mean age of subjects with fibrotic versus non‐fibrotic livers (16.1 years vs 10.5 years; P = 0.02) was seen. There were no indices of synthetic liver dysfunction or portal hypertension. Neither a history of gallstone disease nor excess weight appeared to contribute to the development of fibrosis.

Conclusions:

For the first time, we report a 41% prevalence of clinically silent, yet histologically significant fibrosis among subjects with Crigler‐Najjar type 1. Risk for fibrosis appears to accrue with time, indicating that earlier intervention may be prudent whenever considering alternative treatments such as hepatocyte transplant, auxiliary liver transplant, or viral gene therapy.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Prostate
Authors: Alabed Yazan Z.
Published: November 2017

A 49-year-old man presented for routine general physical examination was found with an enlarged prostate gland without associated symptoms. Ultrasound followed by computed tomography (CT) of abdomen and pelvis confirmed a markedly enlarged heterogeneous prostate gland. Subsequently, a staging flourine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET/CT) scan revealed intensely FDG-avid mass involving the prostate, which was biopsied as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). The patient was treated with imatinib and a follow-up PET/CT scan showed complete metabolic response. 18F-FDG PET/CT scan is useful in staging and follow-up of this very rare extragastrointestinal stromal tumor (EGIST).
Pregnancy is detected via odour in a wild cooperative breeder
Authors: Mitchell J. , Cant M. A. , Nichols H. J.
Published: November 2017

Among mammals, scent has long been known to encode oestrus; however, in many species, detecting pregnancy may also be important in terms of both competition and mate-choice. Here, we show, through odour presentation experiments, that pregnancy is discernible via scent by both sexes in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose,
Mungos mungo
. Males spent more time investigating and were more likely to scent mark the odours of non-pregnant females, compared to pregnant females. Females showed increased levels of scent marking when odours were of the same reproductive state as themselves. These results present the first direct demonstration that pregnancy is detectable via scent in wild cooperative breeders. Detecting pregnancy may be particularly important in cooperative breeders as, in addition to the competition between males for receptive mates, there is also intense competition between females for access to alloparental care. Consequently, dominant females benefit from targeting reproductive suppression towards subordinates that represent direct threats, such as pregnant females.
Left-handedness and time pressure in elite interactive ball games
Authors: Loffing Florian
Published: November 2017

According to the fighting hypothesis, frequency-dependent selection gives relatively rarer left-handers a competitive edge in duel-like contests and is suggested as one mechanism that ensured the stable maintenance of handedness polymorphism in humans. Overrepresentation of left-handers exclusively in interactive sports seems to support the hypothesis. Here, by referring to data on interactive ball sports, I propose that a left-hander's advantage is linked to the sports’ underlying time pressure. The prevalence of left-handers listed in elite rankings increased from low (8.7%) to high (30.39%) time pressure sports and a distinct left-hander overrepresentation was only found in the latter (i.e. baseball, cricket and table tennis). This indicates that relative rarity and the interactive nature of a contest are not sufficient
per se
to evoke a left-hander advantage. Refining the fighting hypothesis is suggested to facilitate prediction and experimental verification of when and why negative frequency-dependent selection may benefit left-handedness.
Effects of spanwise flexibility on the performance of flapping flyers in forward flight
Authors: Kodali Deepa , Medina Cory , Kang Chang-kwon , Aono Hikaru
Published: November 2017

Flying animals possess flexible wings that deform during flight. The chordwise flexibility alters the wing shape, affecting the effective angle of attack and hence the surrounding aerodynamics. However, the effects of spanwise flexibility on the locomotion are inadequately understood. Here, we present a two-way coupled aeroelastic model of a plunging spanwise flexible wing. The aerodynamics is modelled with a two-dimensional, unsteady, incompressible potential flow model, evaluated at each spanwise location of the wing. The two-way coupling is realized by considering the transverse displacement as the effective plunge under the dynamic balance of wing inertia, elastic restoring force and aerodynamic force. The thrust is a result of the competition between the enhancement due to wing deformation and induced drag. The results for a purely plunging spanwise flexible wing agree well with experimental and high-fidelity numerical results from the literature. Our analysis suggests that the wing aspect ratio of the abstracted passerine and goose models corresponds to the optimal aeroelastic response, generating the highest thrust while minimizing the power required to flap the wings. At these optimal aspect ratios, the flapping frequency is near the first spanwise natural frequency of the wing, suggesting that these birds may benefit from the resonance to generate thrust.
Porcine circovirus type 1 was undetected in vaccine but could be cultured in the cell substrate of Lanzhou lamb rotavirus vaccine
Authors: Yu Qingchuan , Liu Yan , Du Jialiang , Liu Yueyue , Zhang Lili , Guo Tai
Published: November 2017

In 2010, Rotarix was found to be contaminated with infectious porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1). In China, the Lanzhou lamb rotavirus (LLR) vaccine is the only vaccine used to prevent rotavirus disease. From 2006 to September 2014, more than 54 million doses of LLR vaccines have been lot released. It is a safety issue whether PCV1 is present in the LLR vaccine. Although the cell substrate of LLR, bovine kidney (BK), is different from that of Rotarix, we have investigated the cell’s permissivity for PCV1 by both infectivity and full-length PCR analysis. We have assessed the LLR using a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. A total of 171 random batches of LLR final products over a period of 5 years were tested, and no PCV1 was detected (0/171). Infectivity studies showed that two strains of PCV1, the PCV1-prototype, which was derived from PK-15 cells, and the mutant, PCV1-GSK, which was isolated from Rotarix, were capable of replicating in BK cells over a wide m.o.i. ranging from 10 to 0.01. After culture for 6 days, copies of PCV1-prototype DNA were higher than those of PCV1-GSK on average. The genome of the virus was detected at 6 days post-infection. In summary, the LLR vaccine is free of PCV1. Nevertheless, because PCV1 can replicate in the BK cell substrate, manufacturers need to be vigilant in monitoring for this adventitious agent.
Spontaneous eye blink rate and dopamine synthesis capacity: Preliminary evidence for an absence of positive correlation
Authors: Sescousse Guillaume , Ligneul Romain , van Holst Ruth J. , Janssen Lieneke K. , de Boer Femke , Janssen Marcel , Berry Anne S. , Jagust William J. , Cools Roshan
Published: November 2017

Dopamine is central to a number of cognitive functions and brain disorders. Given the cost of neurochemical imaging in humans, behavioral proxy measures of dopamine have gained in popularity in the past decade, such as spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR). Increased sEBR is commonly associated with increased dopamine function based on pharmacological evidence and patient studies. Yet, this hypothesis has not been validated using in vivo measures of dopamine function in humans. In order to fill this gap, we measured sEBR and striatal dopamine synthesis capacity using [18F]DOPA PET in 20 participants (9 healthy individuals and 11 pathological gamblers). Our results, based on frequentist and Bayesian statistics, as well as region-of-interest and voxel-wise analyses, argue against a positive relationship between sEBR and striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. They show that, if anything, the evidence is in favor of a negative relationship. These results, which complement findings from a recent study that failed to observe a relationship between sEBR and dopamine D2 receptor availability, suggest that caution and nuance are warranted when interpreting sEBR in terms of a proxy measure of striatal dopamine.
Viral hijacking of the nucleolar DNA-damage response machinery: a novel mechanism to regulate host cell biology
Authors: Rawlinson Stephen M. , Zhao Tianyue , Rozario Ashley M. , Rootes Christina L. , McMillan Paul J. , Purcell Anthony W. , Woon Amanda , Marsh Glenn A. , Lieu Kim G. , Wang Lin-Fa , Netter Hans J. , Bell Toby D. , Stewart Cameron R. , Moseley Gregory W.
Published: November 2017

Recent landmark studies indicate that nucleoli play critical roles in the DNA-damage response (DDR) via interaction of DDR machinery including NBS1 with nucleolar Treacle protein, a key mediator of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription and processing, implicated in Treacher-Collins syndrome. Here, using proteomics, confocal/super-resolution imaging, and infection under BSL-4 containment, we present the first report that this nucleolar DDR pathway is targeted by infectious pathogens. We find that Treacle has antiviral activity, but that matrix protein of Henipaviruses and P3 protein of rabies virus, highly pathogenic viruses of the order Mononegavirales, interact with Treacle and inhibit its function, thereby silencing rRNA biogenesis, consistent with mimicking NBS1-Treacle interaction during a DDR. These data identify a novel mechanism for viral modulation of host cells by appropriating the nucleolar DDR; this appears to have developed independently in different viruses, and represents, to our knowledge, the first direct intra-nucleolar function for proteins of any mononegavirus.
Genetic dissection of an ancient divergence in yeast thermotolerance
Authors: Weiss Carly V. , Roop Jeremy I. , Hackley Rylee K. , Chuong Julie , Grigoriev Igor V. , Arkin Adam P. , Skerker Jeffrey M. , Brem Rachel B.
Published: November 2017

Some of the most unique and compelling survival strategies in the natural world are fixed in isolated species. To date, molecular insight into these ancient adaptations has been limited, as classic experimental genetics has focused on interfertile individuals in populations. Here we use a new mapping approach, which screens mutants in a sterile interspecific hybrid, to identify eight housekeeping genes that underlie the growth advantage ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeover its distant relativeS. paradoxusat high temperature. Pro-thermotolerance alleles at these mapped loci were required for the adaptive trait inS. cerevisiaeand sufficient for its partial reconstruction inS. paradoxus. The emerging picture is one in whichS. cerevisiaeimproved the heat resistance of multiple components of the fundamental growth machinery in response to selective pressure. This study lays the groundwork for the mapping of genotype to phenotype in clades of sister species across Eukarya.
A neuronal theory of sequential economic choice
Authors: Hayden Benjamin , Moreno-Bote Ruben
Published: November 2017

Principles derived from recent studies have begun to converge and point to a consensus for the neural basis of economic choice. These principles include the idea that evaluation is limited to the option within the focus of attention and that we accept or reject that option relative to the entire set of alternatives. Rejection leads attention to a new option, although it can later switch back to a previously rejected one. The referent of a value-coding neuron is dynamically determined by attention and not stably by labeled lines. Comparison results not from explicit competition between discrete representations, but from value-dependent changes in responsiveness. Consequently, comparison can occur within a single pool of neurons rather than by competition between two or more neuronal populations. Comparison may nonetheless occur at multiple levels (including premotor levels) simultaneously through a distributed consensus. This framework suggests a solution to a set of otherwise unresolved neuronal binding problems that result from the need to link options to values, comparisons to actions, and choices to outcomes.
GDF15 Concentrations in Maternal Serum Associated with Vomiting in Pregnancy: the Cambridge Baby Growth Study
Authors: Petry Clive J. , Ong Ken K. , Burling Keith A. , Barker Peter , Perry John R.B. , Acerini Carlo L. , Hughes Ieuan A. , Dunger David B. , O’Rahilly Stephen
Published: November 2017

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) affects 70-90% of all pregnant women but its pathogenesis is unknown. Growth and Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15), secreted from the trophoblast and decidual stromal cells, is present at high levels in the blood of pregnant women. The receptor for GDF15 has recently been identified and is specifically expressed in the hindbrain where it transmits aversive signals including nausea and conditioned taste aversion. We explored the relationship between GDF15 concentrations in maternal serum during pregnancy and self-reported NVP. In a study of 791 women from the Cambridge Baby Growth Study maternal GDF15 concentrations were higher in women who reported vomiting in the 2nd trimester (geometric mean: 11,670 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval: 11,056-12,318) and were even higher in the eleven women who reported taking anti-emetics during pregnancy (13,376 (10,821-16,535) compared to those who reported no nausea or vomiting during pregnancy (10,657 (10,121-11,222); P=0.02 and P=0.04, respectively, adjusted for gestational age at sampling and maternal BMI). In conclusion serum GDF15 concentrations early in the second trimester of pregnancy are significantly and positively associated with second trimester vomiting and with maternal anti-emetic use. In the context of the recently revealed biology of GDF15 this data suggests that antagonism of GDF15 may have some potential for therapeutic benefit in NVP.
Replay of large-scale spatio-temporal patterns from waking during subsequent slow-wave sleep in human cortex
Authors: Jiang Xi , Shamie Isaac , Doyle Werner , Friedman Daniel , Dugan Patricia , Devinsky Orrin , Eskandar Emad , Cash Sydney S. , Thesen Thomas , Halgren Eric
Published: November 2017

Animal studies support the hypothesis that in slow-wave sleep, replay of waking neocortical activity under hippocampal guidance leads to memory consolidation. However, no intracranial electrophysiological evidence for replay exists in humans. We identified consistent sequences of population firing peaks across widespread cortical regions during complete waking periods. The occurrence of these Motifs were compared between sleeps preceding the waking period (Sleep-Pre) when the Motifs were identified, and those following (Sleep-Post). In all subjects, the majority of waking Motifs (most of which were novel) had more matches in Sleep-Post than in Sleep-Pre. In rodents, hippocampal replay occurs during local sharp-wave ripples, and the associated neocortical replay tends to occur during local sleep spindles and down-to-up transitions. These waves may facilitate consolidation by sequencing cell-firing and encouraging plasticity. Similarly, we found that Motifs were coupled to neocortical spindles, down-to-up transitions, theta bursts, and hippocampal sharp-wave ripples. While Motifs occurring during cognitive task performance were more likely to have more matches in subsequent sleep, our studies provide no direct demonstration that the replay of Motifs contributes to consolidation. Nonetheless, these results confirm a core prediction of the dominant neurobiological theory of human memory consolidation.
The association between theHLA-DRB1shared epitope alleles and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis is influenced by massive gene-gene interactions
Authors: Diaz-Gallo Lina-Marcela , Ramsköld Daniel , Shchetynsky Klementy , Folkersen Lasse , Chemin Karine , Brynedal Boel , Uebe Steffen , Okada Yukinori , Alfredsson Lars , Klareskog Lars , Padyukov Leonid
Published: November 2017

In anti-citrullinated protein antibody positive rheumatoid arthritis (ACPA-positive RA), a particular subset ofHLA-DRB1alleles, called shared epitope alleles (SE), is the highest genetic risk factor. Here, we aimed to investigate whether gene-gene interactions influence thisHLA-DRB1related major disease risk; specifically, we set out to test if non-HLA SNPs, conferring low diseases risk on their own, can modulate theHLA-DRB1SE effect to develop ACPA-positive RA.

To address this question, we computed the attributable proportion (AP) due to additive interaction at genome-wide level for two independent ACPA-positive RA cohorts: the Swedish EIRA and the North American NARAC. We found a strong enrichment of significant interactions (AP p-values<0.05) between theHLA-DRB1SE alleles and a group of SNPs associated with ACPA-positive RA in both cohorts (Kolmogorov-Smirnov [KS] test D=0.35 for EIRA and D=0.25 for NARAC, p<2.2e-16 for both). Interestingly, 201 out of 1,492 SNPs in consistent interaction for both cohorts, were eQTLs in SE alleles context in PBMCs from ACPA-positive RA patients. Finally, we observed that the effect size ofHLA-DRB1SE alleles for disease decreases from 5.2 to 2.5 after discounting the risk alleles of the two top interacting SNPs (rs2476601 and rs10739581, AP FDR corrected p <0.05).

Our data demonstrate that the association between theHLA-DRB1SE alleles and the risk of ACPA-positive RA is modulated by massive genetic interactions with non-HLA genetic variants.
GMSE: an R package for generalised management strategy evaluation
Authors: Duthie A. Bradley , Cusack Jeremy J. , Jones Isabel L. , Minderman Jeroen , Nilsen Erlend B. , Pozo Rocío A. , Rakotonarivo O. Sarobidy , Moorter Bram Van , Bunnefeld Nils
Published: November 2017

Management strategy evaluation (MSE) is a powerful tool for simulating all key aspects of natural resource management under conditions of uncertainty.

We present the R package GMSE, which applies genetic algorithms to provide a generalised tool for simulating adaptive decision-making management scenarios between stakeholders with competing objectives under complex social-ecological interactions and uncertainty.

GMSE models can be agent-based and spatially explicit, incorporating a high degree of realism through mechanistic modelling of links and feedbacks among stakeholders and with the ecosystem; additionally, user-defined sub-models can also be incorporated as functions into the broader GMSE framework.

We show how GMSE simulates a social-ecological system using the example of an adaptively managed waterfowl population on an agricultural landscape; simulated waterfowl exploit agricultural land, causing conflict between conservation interests and the interest of food producers maximising their crop yield.

The R package GMSE is open source under GNU Public License; source code and documents are freely available on GitHub.
Dynamics of a Form-Fitting Protein in a Nanopore: Avidin in ClyA
Authors: Lu Bo , Stokes Chris , Fahie Monifa , Chen Min , Golovchenko Jene A. , Hau Lene Vestergaard
Published: November 2017

We probe the molecular dynamics of a protein, avidin, as it is captured and trapped in a nanopore, ClyA, with time-resolved single-molecule electrical conductance measurements, and we present a method for visualizing this process from the data. The case of avidin in ClyA has rich time-dependent conductance spectra of discrete levels that correlate with different configurations of the protein in the pore. One is very long-lasting, stable and noise-free, and portends the use of this system as a platform for more general studies of proteins and other molecules, where avidin acts as a shuttle that ferries analytes into the pore for probing. We demonstrate this by the sensitive detection of a biotin molecule attached to avidin captured by the pore. We also present an approach to determining the nanopore size based on a 3D printed model of the pore.
Hydrogen bonds are a primary driving force forde novoprotein folding
Authors: Lee Schuyler , Wang Chao , Liu Haolin , Xiong Jian , Jiji Renee , Hong Xia , Yan Xiaoxue , Chen Zhangguo , Hammel Michal , Wang Yang , Dai Shaodong , Wang Jing , Jiang Chengyu , Zhang Gongyi
Published: November 2017

The protein-folding mechanism remains a major puzzle in life science. Purified soluble activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is one of the most difficult proteins to obtain. Starting from inclusion bodies containing a C-terminally truncated version of AID (residues 1–153; AID153), an optimizedin vitrofolding procedure was derived to obtain large amounts of AID153, which led to crystals with good quality and to final structural determination. Interestingly, it was found that the final refolding yield of the protein is proline residue-dependent. The difference in the distribution ofcisandtransconfigurations of proline residues in the protein after complete denaturation is a major determining factor of the final yield. A point mutation of one of four proline residues to an asparagine led to a near-doubling of the yield of refolded protein after complete denaturation. It was concluded that the driving force behind protein folding could not overcome thecis-to-transproline isomerization, orvice versa, during the protein-folding process. Furthermore, it was found that successful refolding of proteins optimally occurs at high pH values, which may mimic protein foldingin vivo. It was found that high pH values could induce the polarization of peptide bonds, which may trigger the formation of protein secondary structures through hydrogen bonds. It is proposed that a hydrophobic environment coupled with negative charges is essential for protein folding. Combined with our earlier discoveries on protein-unfolding mechanisms, it is proposed that hydrogen bonds are a primary driving force forde novoprotein folding.
Structural insight into the rearrangement of the switch I region in GTP-bound G12A K-Ras
Authors: Xu Shenyuan , Long Brian N. , Boris Gabriel H. , Chen Anqi , Ni Shuisong , Kennedy Michael A.
Published: November 2017

K-Ras, a molecular switch that regulates cell growth, apoptosis and metabolism, is activated when it undergoes a conformation change upon binding GTP and is deactivated following the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP. Hydrolysis of GTP in water is accelerated by coordination to K-Ras, where GTP adopts a high-energy conformation approaching the transition state. The G12A mutation reduces intrinsic K-Ras GTP hydrolysis by an unexplained mechanism. Here, crystal structures of G12A K-Ras in complex with GDP, GTP, GTPγS and GppNHp, and of Q61A K-Ras in complex with GDP, are reported. In the G12A K-Ras–GTP complex, the switch I region undergoes a significant reorganization such that the Tyr32 side chain points towards the GTP-binding pocket and forms a hydrogen bond to the GTP γ-phosphate, effectively stabilizing GTP in its precatalytic state, increasing the activation energy required to reach the transition state and contributing to the reduced intrinsic GTPase activity of G12A K-Ras mutants.
A structured method for innovating in entrepreneurship pedagogies
Authors: Balan Peter , Maritz Alex , McKinlay Matthew
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a dynamic and continuous process for evaluating entrepreneurship pedagogies to implement continuous improvement of entrepreneurship education in order to achieve increased student engagement in face-to-face classes. Pedagogy is argued to be a significant contributor to entrepreneurship education programmes, consisting of dynamic activities and initiatives within the scope of defined entrepreneurship education ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach

A “minute paper” was used as a quick and convenient method to obtain qualitative data on student perceptions of different pedagogies. The research adopted an action-research strategy where data were analysed using concept mapping to identify key themes that the educator can use to further develop or modify the pedagogy during course delivery.

Findings

The research identified student perceptions of the nature of engagement with pedagogies, and of possible improvements that were used by the educator to increase student engagement during course delivery. Different pedagogies were found to have varying outcomes on students’ engagement with entrepreneurship learning, and as such, contextual and spatial factors have to be taken into account when implementing new and/or adjusted pedagogies.

Research limitations/implications

Repeated application of the research method to different pedagogies was carried out in several deliveries of an undergraduate entrepreneurship foundation course in one university. As such, further research requires testing in various institutional and delivery contexts as well as comparisons of learning and other outcomes including entrepreneurial intentions between classes where particular pedagogies may or may not be used.

Practical implications

The approach described is relatively straightforward to implement, with marginal resource and time. It provides rich data that gives insights into student perceptions of engagement with an individual pedagogy that the educator can use to modify to modify in order to increase student engagement.

Originality/value

The paper describes a practical method for educators to evaluate and develop optimal pedagogies for a particular class or group of students. This method can be applied to small as well as large class sizes, and data analysis can be carried out in real time to make improvements during course delivery. Although this method is described in the context of entrepreneurship education, it can be applied to other fields of instruction.
Mobile banking behavior and flow experience
Authors: Jamshidi Dariyoush , Keshavarz Yousef , Kazemi Fazlollah , Mohammadian Moghaddaseh
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Mobile banking or m-banking enables consumers to carry out their banking affairs with the help of mobile devices. Mobile-user banking interactions in the context of technology services create opportunities for positive experiences that can nurture trust, foster brand equity and eventually lead to long-term relationship building. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concepts of m-banking customer flow experiences and their role in affecting customer intention in the continued use of m-banking.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this main objective, a research model was developed by taking theoretical backgrounds and specific characteristics of m-banking into consideration for testing. The study to test this model was carried out in Iran, a developing country in the Middle East.

Findings

Results of the PLS-SEM analysis of 927 bank customers showed that the flow experience is positively influenced by both hedonic and utilitarian features. While, flow experiences influence trust and brand equity, individual mobility has a stronger effect on the intention to continue the use of m-banking compared with trust, flow experience and brand equity.

Originality/value

The current research provides various useful insights into customer engagement for conducting banking tasks via mobile technologies. Managers and decision makers can take into account the following insights to enhance positive flow experiences and loyalty intention of customers toward m-banking.
Farm types and adoption of proven innovative practices in smallholder bean farming in Angonia district of Mozambique
Authors: Makate Clifton , Makate Marshall , Mango Nelson
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Improving the adoption rates of proven innovative practices in bean farming and their impacts on livelihoods requires persistent promotion of practices, complemented by rigorous socioeconomic analysis that recognises the diversity of smallholder farmers. The purpose of this paper is to typify farm households in Angonia district of Mozambique, based on their socioeconomic characteristics prompting the adoption of proven innovative practices in bean production, management, and marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a multivariate statistical analysis approach that combines principal component analysis, and cluster analysis to clearly identify five distinctive farm household types with respect to the adoption of proven innovative practices in smallholder bean farming using socio-economic factors.

Findings

The study findings show that various socioeconomic factors define clusters and can be associated with the adoption and use of innovative practices in smallholder bean farming. The five farm types identified are: female landowners with small farm sizes (29.52 per cent); educated farmers with access to credit (6.63 per cent); relatively rich male land owners with large farm sizes and low education (8.73 per cent); youthful, inexperienced and poor male farmers (6.33 per cent); and experienced female farmers with high labour endowments (8.43 per cent). The respective farm types seemed to have different patterns in the adoption of proven innovative practices in bean farming.

Originality/value

The authors recommend that policy makers promote strategies meant to raise adoption of innovative practices in bean production, management and marketing in Mozambique that takes into account household diversity. The farm types identified by this study can be a good starting point for guiding such future efforts.
Flexible flexibility! Food categorization flexibility and utilitarian preference
Authors: Ghosh Chowdhury Tilottama , Murshed Feisal , Khare Adwait
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose that high categorization flexibility’s positive influence on hedonic or affect-laden choice is attenuated by conservation and nutrition mind-sets. Further, categorization flexibility can also promote utilitarian or cognitively superior preference and may have a role in steering customers toward healthier dietary choices.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experimental studies document that the pro-utilitarian impact of food categorization flexibility can be facilitated by priming conservation mind-set and nutrition mind-sets.

Findings

The results of this study show that conservation and nutrition mind-sets not only mitigate the earlier-demonstrated facilitative influence of food categorization flexibility on hedonic food preference, but also facilitate utilitarian food preference.

Originality/value

The current study provides the first evidence that food categorization flexibility can facilitate both hedonic and utilitarian preferences. The findings contribute to literature streams on categorization flexibility, resource-scarcity and hedonic versus utilitarian consumption. In addition, the findings offer specific prescriptions about encouraging customers to choose utilitarian and relatively more healthful food options, which in turn will improve the general welfare of the society.
Principals’ conceptions of their current power basis revealed through phenomenography
Authors: Özaslan Gökhan
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the variations in the ways that principals conceptualize their basis of power in schools.

Design/methodology/approach

Phenomenography was used as the research method of this study. The interviewees consisted of 16 principals, eight from public schools and eight from private schools.

Findings

The analysis of the interviews revealed eight ways of understanding a principal’s power basis. These potential power bases were: teachers’ sense of reciprocity; teachers’ sense of responsibility; organizational rules and regulations; principals’ deep knowledge and experience; in-service training; principals’ reputation for being fair and impartial; teachers’ sense of identification with their principal; and principals’ control over teachers’ employment. Participants from public and private schools held generally similar conceptions. The conception of in-service training remained limited to private school principals. The power basis of principals’ control over teachers’ employment was not emphasized but could still be perceived as a conception in certain statements by participants.

Research limitations/implications

Coercive power and legitimate power of reciprocity need to be investigated more thoroughly in the field of educational administration.

Practical implications

There is an urgent need for training for principals to raise their awareness of the adverse effect that coercive power has on teachers.

Originality/value

This study is the first known to explore variations in the ways that principals conceptualize their power basis.
Risk in mental health: a review on and of the psychiatrist
Authors: Newton-Howes Giles
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the perceptions of risk from the viewpoint of the psychiatrist, in the context of the expectations of patients, staff and society.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a reflection on clinical practice and narrative review of the literature.

Findings

There are significant problems in the prediction of risk, to do with the difficulty in attempting to predict any low prevalence outcome. Additional complications relate to societal expectations and the legal frameworks within which mental health is practiced. The evidence related to poor outcomes, such as suicide is very complex, occasionally appears contradictory, and caution is required in application. The paradigm of recovery provides a way forward in the assessment and management of risk that moves away from any pretence of future prediction and aims to engage with service users and their families in a supportive and complimentary way.

Practical implications

Use of a recovery framework, with a focus on need, as opposed to risk, would appear to benefit patients, carers and those delivering service.

Originality/value

This viewpoint enables a broader gestalt of the literature in the context of day-to-day clinical practice. This prevents the limitation of only examining the (largely) epidemiological literature, or just commenting on one clinician’s practice. It provides for a conceptualization of a way to move forward in the consideration of risk.
Questions for conversation theory or conversation theory in one hour
Authors: Pangaro Paul
Published: November 2017

Purpose

In an ideal situation, the author would like to answer each of the following questions: What is Conversation? What is Theory? What is Conversation Theory, anyhow? How did it arise? Who participated? How is it a theory? Where did it end up? Is it interesting? How might it be useful? Where has it been applied? Why should you care? What does it offer the practice of education? Of design? Of ethics? Where is it headed? (Sorry, steering joke, since Conversation Theory is situated in cybernetics, the art of steering). The purpose of this paper is to answer as many of these questions as practical.

Design/methodology/approach

The seeds of Conversation Theory lie in Gordon Pask’s instincts and in his “making”. This paper begins by describing some of the machinery he constructed to explore human interaction. Next, a skeletal model of conversation is offered, and connections to Pask’s own diagrams are drawn. Complementary to these models of the structure of conversations are their consequences, which are described in broad terms rather than given in detail. Lastly, Pask’s approach to proposing a scientific theory, and his means of achieving it, are explained.

Originality/value

Conversation Theory is a thoroughly original body of work, unmatched by its range and specificity. It is little known and yet potentially profound, with a scope that has already influenced educational psychology, second-order cybernetics, knowledge modeling and software design. By describing its origins, models and implications, the author hopes its value can be extended to new generations and to new domains.
Contextual ambidexterity and innovation in healthcare in India: the role of HRM
Authors: Malik Ashish , Boyle Brendan , Mitchell Rebecca
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine innovation in the resource-constrained context of India’s healthcare industry. It is argued that the process of innovation in addressing healthcare management challenges in such a context occurs through organisational ambidexterity and that human resource management (HRM) plays an important role.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research methodology is applied to explore the role of HR practices in facilitating contextual ambidexterity and subsequent innovations in healthcare in India. The unit of analysis is the “case” of healthcare providers in India and in-depth interview and documentary data in two case sites are analysed to reveal the role of HRM in facilitating contextual ambidexterity and innovation. Data analysis was undertaken first at a within-case and then at a cross-case analysis level using interpretive manual coding based on how the data explained the role of HRM in delivering innovative outcomes and supporting organisational ambidexterity.

Findings

The authors found evidence of the use of sets of high-involvement HRM practices for exploration of new ideas and efficiency-driven HRM practices for creating contextual ambidexterity in the case organisations. Further, managerial/leadership style was found to play an important role in creating cultures of trust, openness, risk-taking and employee empowerment, supported by an appropriate mix of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Finally, training was also reported as being central to creating an ambidextrous context for delivering on various innovations in these healthcare providers.

Originality/value

This study represents an exploration of innovation in the context of India’s healthcare sector through intersecting literatures of ambidexterity, innovation and HRM practices. In light of the emerging economy research context, an important empirical contribution is palpable. Moreover, through a study design which included collecting data from multiple informants on the role of human resources in facilitating innovative outcomes, the authors reveal the role of HR-related initiatives, beyond formal HR practices in creating contextual ambidexterity. This study also reveals the degree to which contextual idiosyncrasies enhance our understanding of the role of HR in facilitating innovation in emerging economies.