Self-guardianship at automated teller machines

Automated teller machines (ATMs) are central to the functioning of developed economies, but by their very nature operate without human supervision, making them vulnerable to criminal abuse. This study sought to understand how customers protect themselves from theft while using ATMs. Observations of and surveys with ATM customers were used to identify how individuals protect themselves from theft of cash, card or personal details while using an ATM. The most common self-guardianship measure was to use only ATMs believed to be safe. The majority of customers did not cover the ATM keypad while entering their personal identification number (PIN), despite long-running publicity campaigns encouraging this behaviour. This suggests that self guardianship is important at ATMs, but many customers fail to take even basic measures to protect themselves, their money and their bank details from theft. Banks and crime-prevention practitioners should do more to facilitate and encourage self guardianship at ATMs

Tyrosine kinase fusion genes in chronic myeloproliferative diseases

With the exception of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPDs) are a heterogeneous spectrum of conditions for which the molecular pathogenesis is not well understood. Most cases have a normal or aneuploid karyotype, but a minority present with a reciprocal translocation that disrupts specific tyrosine kinase genes, most commonly PDGFRB or FGFR1. These translocations result in the production of constitutively active tyrosine kinase fusion proteins that deregulate hemopoiesis in a manner analogous to BCR-ABL. With the advent of targeted signal transduction therapy, an accurate clinical and molecular diagnosis of CMPDs has become increasingly important. Currently, patients with PDGFRB or ABL fusion genes are candidates for treatment with Imatinib (STI571), but it is likely that alternative strategies will be necessary for the treatment of most other patients