Function of B cells expressing a human immunoglobulin M rheumatoid factor autoantibody in transgenic mice.

We have generated transgenic mice that express the immunoglobulin (Ig)M heavy chain and kappa light chain genes coding for a human IgM rheumatoid factor (RF), Les. Transgenic B cells expressing human IgM RF show striking similarities to their counterparts in normal humans. They comprise a significant proportion of the adult B cell population, but secrete only low levels of RF into the serum. The RF transgene-expressing B cells localize to primary B cell follicles and the mantle zone regions of secondary follicles in the spleen. Using these mice we have been able to show that one of the central functions of normal RF-expressing B cells may be to act as highly efficient antigen-presenting cells for low concentrations of immune-complexed antigen. High levels of secretion of IgM RF can not be induced under normal circumstances, although RF-expressing B cells proliferate well in vitro to both aggregated human IgG and anti-human IgM antibodies. However, these mice are not intrinsically secretion deficient. By crossing the RF transgenic mice with the autoimmune MRL/lpr background, we find a dramatic increase, > 200-fold, in levels of serum RF. The results strongly suggest that a major function of normal resting RF B cells is unrelated to antibody secretion. Rather, the RF B cells in the follicles may play a role in antigen presentation and regulation of immune responses to antibody-bound nonself-, and possibly self-antigens. This physiologic role of RF B cells may be disrupted in RF-associated autoimmune disease

The development of a theoretical framework of Organisational Rhythm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to understand organisational rhythm as a stimulus for further study into organisational change. Design/methodology/approach This paper studies the experiences of the medical discipline colleges in the Netherlands as they underwent significant reorganisation and transfer of ministerial authority. The data set consists of correspondence, reports and tapes of the meetings over 14 months and interviews with 26 employees. Findings This research identified five sub-themes of rhythm (emphasis, intonation, pace, period and repetition). Putting these together, the authors present a framework to understand organisational rhythm during organisational change. Research limitations/implications This study begins to develop understanding of how rhythms function but the authors did not compare multiple rhythms in this study. Practical implications The authors argue that by unpacking and exploring in more detail the sub-themes of rhythm (emphasis, intonation, pace, period and repetition), the authors can help to explain why complex change management initiatives may stall or fail to gain traction. By understanding the concept of rhythm as movement, the authors can offer recommendations to organisations about how to move forward and overcome challenges associated with progress. Originality/value In this paper, the authors make an important distinction between rhythm in terms of movement and flow of activity, which has often been overlooked by research, which focusses on the temporal aspects of organisations, which the authors classify as frequency – relating to the sequencing and duration of change

Managing major health service and infrastructure transitions: A comparative study of UK, US and Canadian hospitals

increasingly common as health systems evolve in response to innovations and process improvements, and to the changing demands for healthcare. Sometimes new health service designs need to be supported by changes to the healthcare infrastructure if they are to be successfully implemented and sustained ? service delivery models and its built and technical infrastructure must be transformed simultaneously. Just tackling one of these issues is challenging for all involved. Doing both these tasks at the same time can be overwhelming and risky. But there can also be advantages in such radical change. It can provide an opportunity to radically rethink ways of delivering healthcare. Conducting simultaneous infrastructure renewal and service redesign means that care processes, not plausible in the old infrastructure, may be more easily designed into the new facility. Major restructuring efforts are rarely systematically evaluated with outcomes measured or best practice shared (Walston and Chadwick, 2003). However, we do know that ?whole system? organisational change in healthcare ? change which impacts on all areas of the organisation across all levels and stakeholder groups ? is often hampered by a failure to plan effectively (NHS, 2008). It is generally accepted that the successful introduction of healthcare innovations requires the approval of relevant stakeholders (e.g. physicians, government bodies, primary care providers), and that planning and implementing major changes in healthcare service or infrastructure design requires practice- based examples to learn from. While there is considerable experience in the planning and implementation of health services changes, there is little written about combined services and infrastructure change. Organisations searching for such information may have to look for examples beyond those found in their own country. Studying similar cases across different organisational and international contexts also increases the likelihood of determining pivotal factors that underpin success

The dynamic nature of social accounts: an examination of how interpretive processes impact on account effectiveness

Social accounts are a powerful tool in influencing the behavior of organizational members during major change. Examination of their effectiveness has largely focused on the design of accounts to influence behavioral and affective responses. However, when used in real life practice, more individualized, interpretive and agentic responses to social accounts have been found to influence effectiveness. Using an example of large-scale organizational change, moving from one hospital facility to another, we explore the dynamic and contextual interpretation of social accounts over time. Our findings expand social account theory by examining how potentially successful change communications are derailed by the relevance of the account in relation to an individual's past, by the individuals' ability to express agency and by temporality; how over time, lived experience can alter the perceived truthfulness of an account and alter its potency

Galaxy groups in the 2dF redshift survey: The catalogue

We construct a galaxy groups catalogue from the public 100K data release of the 2dF galaxy redshift survey. The group identification is carried out using a slightly modified version of the group finding algorithm developed by Huchra & Geller. Several tests using mock catalogues allow us to find the optimal conditions to increase the reliability of the final group sample. A minimum number of 4 members, an outer number density enhancement of 80 and a linking radial cutoff of $200 km sec^{-1}$, are the best obtained values from the analysis. Using these parameters, approximately 90% of groups identified in real space have a redshift space counterpart. On the other hand the level of contamination in redshift space reaches to 30 % including a $\sim 6$ of artificial groups and $\sim 24$ of groups associated with binaries or triplets in real space. The final sample comprise 2209 galaxy groups covering the sky region described by Colless et al. spanning over the redshift range of $0.003 \leq z \leq 0.25$ with a mean redshift of 0.1.Comment: Accepted for publication in the MNRAS. 8 figures 8 page

Inherited predisposition to spontaneous preterm delivery

Peer reviewedPreprin

Exact results of a mixed spin-1/2 and spin-S Ising model on a bathroom tile (4-8) lattice: effect of uniaxial single-ion anisotropy

Effect of uniaxial single-ion anisotropy upon magnetic properties of a mixed spin-1/2 and spin-S (S>=1) Ising model on a bathroom tile (4-8) lattice is examined within the framework of an exact star-triangle mapping transformation. The particular attention is focused on the phase diagrams established for several values of the quantum spin number S. It is shown that the mixed-spin bathroom tile lattice exhibits very similar phase boundaries as the mixed-spin honeycomb lattice whose critical points are merely slightly enhanced with respect to the former ones. The influence of uniaxial single-ion anisotropy upon the total magnetization vs. temperature dependence is particularly investigated as well.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Increasing Access to Natural Areas: Connecting Physical and Social Dimensions

Report of the 2015 Berkley Workshop Held at the Asticou Inn, Northeast Harbor, Maine - July 201