Announcements and credibility under inflation targeting

We inspect how inflation target announcements are instrumental in building central bank credibility and shaping inflation expectations. Investigating the role of announcements by using a time varying credibility measure, we find that both the accuracy and the frequency of inflation announcements have a positive impact on how much attention the public pays to target announcements. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Monitoring of trace metals, biochemical composition and growth of Axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne Risso, 1827) in offshore Copper alloy net cage

The study was conducted to assess trace metal contents, biochemical composition and growth performance of axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne Risso, 1827) cultured in a copper alloy mesh cage. A total of 400 axillary seabream (initial mean weight: 176.0±14.0 g), a new candidate species for the Mediterranean aquaculture, were stocked into a high-density polyethylene frame gravity cage and fed a commercial seabream diet for a period of 6 months. At the end of the feeding trial, fish reached a final weight of 264.8±16.8 g with a weight increase of 88.8 g and a feed conversion rate of 2.51. Overall, relative growth rate, specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio were satisfactory and comparable to the pelagic fishes such as gilthead seabream or European seabass, which are presently the main fish species for the Mediterranean aquaculture industry. Trace elements in fish grown in copper alloy net cages over a 6-month period showed satisfactory results, as the metal concentrations in fish tissues such as liver, skin, muscle and gills were below the reported upper limits for human consumption, indicating that copper alloy net is an acceptable and safe material for finfish cage aquaculture. Furthermore, from the growth performance data obtained in the present study, it can be concluded that axillary seabream showed potential for cage farming, and thus is a promising new candidate for the Mediterranean aquaculture industry

Carbapenem Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae Not Detected by Automated Susceptibility Testing

Detecting β-lactamase–mediated carbapenem resistance among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and other Enterobacteriaceae is an emerging problem. In this study, 15 blaKPC-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae that showed discrepant results for imipenem and meropenem from 4 New York City hospitals were characterized by isoelectric focusing; broth microdilution (BMD); disk diffusion (DD); and MicroScan, Phoenix, Sensititre, VITEK, and VITEK 2 automated systems. All 15 isolates were either intermediate or resistant to imipenem and meropenem by BMD; 1 was susceptible to imipenem by DD. MicroScan and Phoenix reported 1 (6.7%) and 2 (13.3%) isolates, respectively, as imipenem susceptible. VITEK and VITEK 2 reported 10 (67%) and 5 (33%) isolates, respectively, as imipenem susceptible. By Sensititre, 13 (87%) isolates were susceptible to imipenem, and 12 (80%) were susceptible to meropenem. The VITEK 2 Advanced Expert System changed 2 imipenem MIC results from >16 μg/mL to <2 μg/mL but kept the interpretation as resistant. The recognition of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae continues to challenge automated susceptibility systems

The outcome of kidney transplants with multiple renal arteries

BACKGROUND: The use of grafts with multiple renal arteries has been considered a relative contraindication because of the increased incidence of vascular and urologic complications The aim of this study is to determine whether the kidney grafts with multiple arteries have any adverse effect upon post-transplant graft and patient survival. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 225 adult kidney transplants done consecutively at our institution. Twenty-nine patients (12.8%) had grafts with multiple renal arteries. We analyzed the incidence of post-transplant hypertension and vascular complications, mean creatinine levels, patient and graft survival. In 17 cases reconstruction was done as conjoined anastomosis between two arteries of equal size, and in 6 cases as end-to-side anastomosis of smaller arteries to larger arteries. Multiple anastomoses were performed in 6 cases. RESULTS: In one patient postoperative bleeding occurred. Mean systolic blood pressures, creatinine levels at first year and last follow-up and complication rates were all in acceptable ranges. There was no significant difference in graft and patient survival between multiple and single renal artery allografts. CONCLUSION: Although the kidney grafts with multiple renal arteries have been considered a relative contraindication because of the increased risk of complications, in our study allografts with multiple arteries were used successfully in kidney transplantation

Somatic PDGFRB activating variants in fusiform cerebral aneurysms

The role of somatic genetic variants in the pathogenesis of intracranial-aneurysm formation is unknown. We identified a 23-year-old man with progressive, right-sided intracranial aneurysms, ipsilateral to an impressive cutaneous phenotype. The index individual underwent a series of genetic evaluations for known connective-tissue disorders, but the evaluations were unrevealing. Paired-sample exome sequencing between blood and fibroblasts derived from the diseased areas detected a single novel variant predicted to cause a p.Tyr562Cys (g.149505130T>C [GRCh37/hg19]; c.1685A>G) change within the platelet-derived growth factor receptor β gene (PDGFRB), a juxtamembrane-coding region. Variant-allele fractions ranged from 18.75% to 53.33% within histologically abnormal tissue, suggesting post-zygotic or somatic mosaicism. In an independent cohort of aneurysm specimens, we detected somatic-activating PDGFRB variants in the juxtamembrane domain or the kinase activation loop in 4/6 fusiform aneurysms (and 0/38 saccular aneurysms; Fisher's exact test, p < 0.001). PDGFRB-variant, but not wild-type, patient cells were found to have overactive auto-phosphorylation with downstream activation of ERK, SRC, and AKT. The expression of discovered variants demonstrated non-ligand-dependent auto-phosphorylation, responsive to the kinase inhibitor sunitinib. Somatic gain-of-function variants in PDGFRB are a novel mechanism in the pathophysiology of fusiform cerebral aneurysms and suggest a potential role for targeted therapy with kinase inhibitors

Automating the Communication of Cybersecurity Knowledge: Multi-Case Study

Cybersecurity is essential for the protection of companies against cyber threats. Traditionally, cybersecurity experts assess and improve a company's capabilities. However, many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) consider such services not to be affordable. We explore an alternative do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to bringing cybersecurity to SMBs. Our method and tool, CYSEC, implements the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to guide and motivate SMBs to adopt good cybersecurity practices. CYSEC uses assessment questions and recommendations to communicate cybersecurity knowledge to the end-user SMBs and encourage self-motivated change. In this paper, the operationalisation of SDT in CYSEC is presented and the results of a multi-case study shown that offer insight into how SMBs adopted cybersecurity practices with CYSEC. Effective automated cybersecurity communication depended on the SMB's hands-on skills, tools adaptedness, and the users' willingness to documenting confidential information. The SMBs wanted to learn in simple, incremental steps, allowing them to understand what they do. An SMB's motivation to improve security depended on the fitness of assessment questions and recommendations with the SMB's business model and IT infrastructure. The results of this study indicate that automated counselling can help many SMBs in security adoption. The final publication is available at Springer via https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-59291-2_8Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure, 13th World Conference on Information Security Educatio