bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Jews, Be Ottomans!” Zionism, Ottomanism, and Ottomanisation in the Hebrew-Language Press, 1890–1914
Authors: Talbot Michael
Published: November 2016

In recent years the study of national and civic identities in the later Ottoman period has revealed huge degrees of complexity among previously homogenised groups, none more so that the Jewish population of the Sublime State. Those Jews who moved to the Ottoman Empire from the 1880s as part of a burgeoning expression of Jewish nationalism developed a complex relationship with an Ottomanist identity that requires further consideration. Through an examination of the Hebrew-language press in Palestine, run largely by immigrant Zionist Jews, complemented by the archival records of the Ottoman state and parliament, this paper aims to show the complexities of the engagement between Ottoman and Jewish national identities. The development of Jewish nationalism by largely foreign Jews came with an increase in suspicion from the Ottoman elites, sometimes manifesting itself in outright anti-Semitism, and strong expressions of nationalism in the Hebrew press were denounced both by Ottoman and non- and anti-nationalist Jewish populations. The controversy over immigrant Jewish land purchases in Palestine from the 1890s led to a number of discussions over how far foreign Jews could and should embrace an Ottoman cultural and political identity, with cultural, labour, and political Zionists taking different positions. The issue of Ottomanisation should also be taken in the context of the post-1908 political landscape in the Ottoman Empire, with separatist nationalisms increasingly under the spotlight, and the debates among the different forms of Jewish nationalism increasingly focusing on the limits of performative and civic Ottoman nationalism.
Visions of Ottomanism in Late Ottoman Education: The ıslahhane of Thessaloniki, 1874–1924
Authors: Dimitriadis Sotirios
Published: November 2016

In 1874, Midhat Paşa, then serving as governor-general in Thessaloniki, founded a vocational school (ıslahhane) in the city. The paşa had been a pioneer of vocational education in the Ottoman Empire and believed that ıslahhane schools could serve as models for his inclusivist Ottomanist policies. Soon after the ıslahhane of Thessaloniki was founded, however, official state ideology was reoriented towards consciously Islamic principles and symbols. During the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, the ıslahhane of Thessaloniki became associated with the local Muslim community and became the focal point for the emergence of an Ottoman Muslim civic identity in the city. After the Revolution of 1908, the Committee of Union and Progress expanded upon the policies of religious and ethnic partıcularism despite paying lip service to the legacy of Midhat; students of the ıslahhane provided the Committee with an activist base. After the Balkan Wars and the collapse of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, the school remained one of the most important links connecting the community to the empire.
Bringing the Empire Back In: The Gradual Discovery of the Ottoman Empire in Turkish Foreign Policy
Authors: Yanık Lerna K.
Published: November 2016

This article traces the emergence of references to the Ottoman Empire in the discourse and practice of Turkish foreign policy since the late 1940s. It argues that present-day emphasis on the Ottoman Empire and its legacy in Turkey has not happened in a vacuum, but rather has been a gradual process that has taken place over decades, helping to justify Turkey’s foreign policy. The article also shows that politicians from different sections of the political spectrum were crucial in reclaiming the Ottoman past in foreign policy. The consequences of this reclamation have been twofold. First, foreign policy, both in terms of practice and discourse, has become yet another venue, among many, for the continuous framing and reframing of Turkey’s past, paving the way for further Ottomanisation of the Turkish identity. Second, this Ottomanisation, or reclaiming of aspects that characterised the Ottoman Empire, has helped Turkey’s political actors justify and legitimise Turkey’s policies not only externally but, at times, also internally – as was the case in the 1990s, when some of these political actors tried to deal with Kurdish separatism by using the legacy of the Ottoman Empire.
Codification and Islamic Law: The Ideology Behind a Tragic Narrative
Authors: Emon Anver M.
Published: November 2016

This article repositions historigraphically a particular thesis in Islamic legal studies that characterizes Islamic law as utterly incompatible with codification, and by implication the modern administrative state. This article departs from that argument by situating codification efforts in Muslim majority polities alongside other efforts at codification, specifically 19th century Germany and the United States. The article shows that the thesis of incompatibility relies on a constricted reading of the “Islamic”, an overdetermined conception of the state, and an under-appreciation of the populist-cum-democratic ideology that animates the thesis in the first place. A more fruitful way forward is to reify the “state” rather than rarefy it as a theophanic specter. To better appreciate the relationship between Islamic law and codification, the argument suggests, requires that scholars attend to the “state” while resituating the history of the “Islamic” in terms of a history of the “legal”.
The Emergence of ngos in China and the Changing Role of the Party-State
Authors: Urio Paolo
Published: November 2016

The article analyses the changing role of the Party-State regarding the activities ofngos (both domestic and foreign) in China. It offers an explanation of the rationale of the apparently contradictory strategy that tries to give some freedom to thengos while maintaining them under control. The motives of the control ofngos (especially foreignngos) are explained, taking into consideration both the national and the international environment. For the latter, it is strongly suggested that the role played by international (mainly American)ngos in various parts of the world (and more recently in Ukraine) where they contribute to theusstrategy of “regime change”, is the main reason explaining China’s policy to find a satisfactory balance between freedom and control. Finally, the article suggest that China should be even more careful about the mega trade and investment treaties supported by theusand some of its allies and the multinational companies in theus, Europe and Japan. The development of foreignngos’ activities and the possible implementation of these mega treaties may constitute a serious threat to China independence and sovereignty.
Chu Hsi’s Thought of Charity and Practice of She-cang
Authors: Li Tao , Li Jin-chuang
Published: November 2016

Charity activities have a long history in China. As an epitome of Neo-Confucianism, Chu Hsi thought charity is an explosion of benevolence, and a process from loving their relatives to expanding their own love to others, and emphasized that it is the most important national affair to be concerned about the people’s suffering. For the shortcomings of establishing She-cang in city, Chu Hsi first established She-cang in the rural area, which used food allotted by the government as funds, was self-managed by rural officer and gentry, under the proper supervision of government. It mainly used a reasonable way of interest-bearing to ensure mobile appreciation of funds, effectively made up for the lack of government charity, and demonstrated the function of rural non-government charity organization. The successful practice of Chu Hsi was popularized by the emperor throughout the country and became the Chu His She-cang method, which was followed by later generations, was the good example of non-government charity organization in Chinese ancient time. But later, it showed some shortcomings. These have the important historical enlightenment and reference significance for development of today’s non-government charity organization.
Repositioning of Mass Organizations in the United Front
Authors: Li Jiao , Zhang Muyun
Published: November 2016

After forming the Anti-Japanese national united front, Chinese Communist Party (ccp) hoped to develop mass organizations in “open,” “democratic” and “mass-oriented” ways. The National Liberation Vanguards of China (nlvc) was a typical representative of left-wing mass organizations in kmt-controlled areas. During 1936-1939, nlvc’s life course was a microcosm of ccp’s adjustment in mass work. nlvc faced ordeals between inclusiveness and insistence, testing whether ccp could stick to principles in mass work. This paper conducts a case study centered on the nlvc, to analyze how ccp repositioned mass organizations during the Anti-Japanese War and explore how mass organizations affected the Party’s vitality.
Some taxonomic notes on the Caradrina (Eremodrina) filipjevi (Boursin, 1936) species group (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
Authors: VOLYNKIN ANTON V. , MATOV ALEXEY YU. , CHEN LIUSHENG
Published: November 2016

Caradrina Ochsenheimer, 1816 is a large xylenine genus restricted to Holarctic and Ethiopian regions. The full revision of the genus has been published by Hacker (2004). The genus subdivided into eight subgenera: Caradrina, Platyperigea Smith, 1894, Boursinidrina Hacker, 2004, Kalchbergiana Hacker, 2004, Eremodrina Boursin 1937, Levantrina Hacker, 2004, Weigertrina Hacker, 2004 and Paradrina Boursin 1937, and contains 156 described species (Hacker 2004; Hacker & Legrain 2006; Fibiger & Hacker 2007).
Braconid wasps of subfamily Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as endoparasitoids of Selachops flavocinctus Wahlberg, 1844 (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in the Central Urals, Russia
Authors: KOSTROMINA TATIANA S. , TIMOKHOV ALEXANDER V. , BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A.
Published: November 2016

The Agromyzidae fly Selachops flavocinctus Wahlberg, 1844 as host of the Alysiinae genera Asyntactus Marshall, 1898 (Alysiini) and Protochorebus Perepechaenko, 1997 (Dacnusini) is recorded for the first time. A new species from Central Urals, Protochorebus pervushini sp. nov., is described and illustrated. The new material for Asyntactus rhogaleus Marshall, 1898 is studied. A key to Protochorebus species is provided. Description of puparium of Selachops flavocinctus and new data on its life history are published for the first time.
Two new species of the genus Gibbotettix Zheng, 1992 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae, Cladonotinae) from China
Authors: DENG WEI-AN , ZHENG ZHE-MIN , WEI SHI-ZHEN
Published: November 2016

Taxonomy of a tetrigid genus Gibbotettix Zheng is reviewed. Two new species, Gibbotettix serrifemurus sp. nov. and Gibbotettix parvipulvillus sp. nov. are described from China.The distribution and an updated identification key to all known species of the genus are given.
Field-Scale Spatial Variability of Soil Moisture and L-Band Brightness Temperature from Land Surface Modeling
Authors: Garnaud Camille , Bélair Stéphane , Carrera Marco L. , McNairn Heather , Pacheco Anna
Published: November 2016

Although soil moisture is an essential variable within the Earth system and has been extensively investigated, there is still a limited understanding of its spatiotemporal distribution and variability. Thus, the objective of this study is to attempt to reproduce the spatial variability of soil moisture and brightness temperature as measured by point-based and airborne remote sensing measurements. To do so, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Surface Prediction System (SPS) is run at very high resolution (100 m) over a region of Manitoba (Canada) where an extensive soil moisture experiment took place in the summer of 2012 [SMAP Validation Experiment 2012 (SMAPVEX12)]. Results show that realistic finescale soil texture improves the quality of SPS outputs. Soil moisture spatial average evolution in time is well simulated by SPS. Simulated spatial variability is underestimated when compared to point-based measurements, although results are improved when examined domainwide versus comparisons using grid points corresponding to measurement sites. SPS brightness temperature fields compare well with remote sensing data in terms of spatial variability. It is shown that during drier periods, factors other than soil texture become important with respect to soil moisture spatial variability. However, during periods with plenty of precipitation, soil texture seems essential in improving simulated soil moisture spatial variability at high resolutions. These results support the conclusion that SPS could provide very high–resolution soil moisture products for research and operational purposes if high-resolution soil texture and vegetation products are made available on a larger scale.
Psychotherapy for Adolescents With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pediatrician’s Guide
Authors: Modesto-Lowe Vania , Charbonneau Victoria , Farahmand Pantea
Published: November 2016

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) presents with high levels of inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. ADHD starts in childhood and results in impairments that continue into adulthood. ADHD symptoms lead to decreased functionality in various life domains and result in poor academics, behavioral challenges, delayed independence, and strained relationships. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, persistent residual symptoms are common, highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies. This article aims to provide a review of the psychotherapeutic interventions available for teens that receive pharmacotherapy but continue to struggle with the residual symptoms of ADHD that interfere with academic function, relationship formation, and psychological development.
Combined Modality Intervention for ADHD With Comorbid Reading Disorders: A Proof of Concept Study
Authors: Tannock Rosemary , Frijters Jan C. , Martinussen Rhonda , White Erin Jacquelyn , Ickowicz Abel , Benson Nancy J. , Lovett Maureen W.
Published: November 2016

To evaluate the relative efficacy of two reading programs with and without adjunctive stimulant medication for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid reading disorder (ADHD+RD). Sixty-five children (7–11 years in age) were assigned randomly to one of three intensive remedial academic programs (phonologically or strategy-based reading instruction, or general academic strategy and social skills training) in combination with either immediate-release methylphenidate or placebo. Multiple-blind procedures were used for medication/placebo, given twice daily. Children received 35 hours of instruction in 10 weeks, taught by a trained teacher in a separate school classroom, in small matched groups of 2 to 3. Children’s behavior and reading abilities were assessed before and after intervention. Stimulant medication produced expected beneficial effects on hyperactive/impulsive behavioral symptoms (reported by classroom teachers) but none on reading. Children receiving a reading program showed greater gains than controls on multiple standardized measures of reading and related skills (regardless of medication status). Small sample sizes precluded interpretation of possible potentiating effects of stimulant medication on reading skills taught in particular reading programs. Intensive reading instruction, regardless of treatment with stimulant medication, may be efficacious in improving reading problems in children with ADHD+RD and warrants further investigation in a large-scale study.
Making Space for Spatial Proportions
Authors: Matthews Percival G. , Hubbard Edward M.
Published: November 2016

The three target articles presented in this special issue converged on an emerging theme: the importance of spatial proportional reasoning. They suggest that the ability to map between symbolic fractions (like 1/5) and nonsymbolic, spatial representations of their sizes or magnitudes may be especially important for building robust fractions knowledge. In this commentary, we first reflect upon where these findings stand in a larger theoretical context, largely borrowed from mathematics education research. Next, we emphasize parallels between this work and emerging work suggesting that nonsymbolic proportional reasoning may provide an intuitive foundation for understanding fraction magnitudes. Finally, we end by exploring some open questions that suggest specific future directions in this burgeoning area.
The governance of farming and natural resource management
Authors: Jiggins Janice , Blackmore Chris , Ison Ray , Röling Niels
Published: November 2016

Business as usual is impeding implementation of systemic change in the governance of the natural resources on which all forms of farming depend and the transformation of agricultural techniques, practices, and enterprises toward multifunctional sustainability. The contributions to the governance of farming and natural resource management explore how business as usual challenged and transformed by means of institutional change; cogeneration of knowledge and multi-actor learning; and new forms of governance. Studies of water resources management in agrarian landscapes in Denmark and other European countries, an on-line platform for co-learning among Australian agricultural researchers, and of Maöri dairy enterprises in New Zealand braid together these issues to demonstrate the barriers to and opportunities for transformative change. These papers are fronted by an opinion piece on institutions in agriculture and rounded off by an opinion piece on selected sociotechnical and institutional innovations that might offer pathways toward more sustainable agricultures and natural resource management.
Escape pathways
Authors: Jiggins Janice , Visser Marjolein
Published: November 2016

This article highlights examples of transition pathways towards more sustainable natural resources management and farming systems. The common thread is that all involve ‘changing the boundaries’ in one or more significant ways, including new ways of thinking about core businesses and stakeholder involvement, creating new spaces and processes for experimentation and co-learning, discovering new practices and technological opportunities, and finding a new balance between public and private standard setting and regulation. Each promises greater resilience in the face of uncertainties associated with climate change, market risks and policy fluctuations that are unforeseeable as to scale, timing, intensity or consequence. Each involves purposeful change in the institutions governing current mainstream practice.
Operational impact estimation of container inspections at Dalian Port: the application of simulation
Authors: Wang Wenyuan , Zhou Yong , Song Xiangqun , Tang Guolei , Fang Zexing
Published: November 2016

For the security of ports and the container shipping industry, a key problem for a container terminal is the planning and design of the inspection area. The main goal of this paper is to address an inspection investment planning problem for the international container terminal at Dalian Port using the simulation method. Considering various types of container ships and flexible container truck scheduling and routing, we propose a framework combining an Arena-based simulation model with a developed optimization procedure. Two components of this integrated framework realize information communication via the interface of Visual Basic for Applications. Under the potential inspection protocol, simulation experiments are designed and carried out for investigating the operational impact of container inspections for different allocations of inspection resources at the terminal, including the turnaround time of external trucks, the number of trucks waiting in the inspection area, etc. This paper includes the description of the conceptual framework, the detailed simulation model, the experimental design, and the simulation results.
A New Approach to Identify High Burnout Medical Staffs by Kernel K-Means Cluster Analysis in a Regional Teaching Hospital in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Yii-Ching , Huang Shian-Chang , Huang Chih-Hsuan , Wu Hsin-Hung
Published: November 2016

This study uses kernel k-means cluster analysis to identify medical staffs with high burnout. The data collected in October to November 2014 are from the emotional exhaustion dimension of the Chinese version of Safety Attitudes Questionnaire in a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. The number of effective questionnaires including the entire staffs such as physicians, nurses, technicians, pharmacists, medical administrators, and respiratory therapists is 680. The results show that 8 clusters are generated by kernel k-means method. Employees in clusters 1, 4, and 5 are relatively in good conditions, whereas employees in clusters 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 need to be closely monitored from time to time because they have relatively higher degree of burnout. When employees with higher degree of burnout are identified, the hospital management can take actions to improve the resilience, reduce the potential medical errors, and, eventually, enhance the patient safety. This study also suggests that the hospital management needs to keep track of medical staffs’ fatigue conditions and provide timely assistance for burnout recovery through employee assistance programs, mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, positivity currency buildup, and forming appreciative inquiry groups.
Television format as cultural technology transfer: importing a production format for daily drama
Authors: Keinonen Heidi
Published: November 2016

Since the 1990s, TV formats have become an essential part of the global trade on television programmes. While many of the most popular television programmes today are format adaptations, theorisations on television formats have remained few. This article introduces production format as a specific type of television format. While television formats usually trade both programme content and a mode of production, production format solely contains information on how production can be best managed and organised. Production format can thus be studied as cultural technology transfer. A Finnish daily drama titled Salatut elämät serves as an example of importing and adapting a production format created by the Australian-based Grundy company. The article first presents some theorisations on television formats and reviews technology transfer theory, then tracing the origin of Grundy’s production format and analysing the acquisition and adaptation of the format in Finland. Finally, the production format is evaluated in both industrial and scholarly terms. By establishing a new concept for analysing television formats, the study will contribute to format studies and production studies.
Sex Differences in Human and Animal Toxicology
Authors: Gochfeld Michael
Published: November 2016

Sex, the states of being female or male, potentially interacts with all xenobiotic exposures, both inadvertent and deliberate, and influences their toxicokinetics (TK), toxicodynamics, and outcomes. Sex differences occur in behavior, exposure, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and genetics, accounting for female–male differences in responses to environmental chemicals, diet, and pharmaceuticals, including adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Often viewed as an annoying confounder, researchers have studied only one sex, adjusted for sex, or ignored it. Occupational epidemiology, the basis for understanding many toxic effects in humans, usually excluded women. Likewise, Food and Drug Administration rules excluded women of childbearing age from drug studies for many years. Aside from sex-specific organs, sex differences and sex × age interactions occur for a wide range of disease states as well as hormone-influenced conditions and drug distribution. Women have more ADRs than men; the classic sex hormone paradigm (gonadectomy and replacement) reveals significant interaction of sex and TK including absorption, distribution, metabolisms, and elimination. Studies should be designed to detect sex differences, describe the mechanisms, and interpret these in a broad social, clinical, and evolutionary context with phenomena that do not differ. Sex matters, but how much of a difference is needed to matter remains challenging.
Should I sell my shares to an external buyer? The role of the entrepreneurial team in entrepreneurial exit
Authors: Piva Evila , Rossi-Lamastra Cristina
Published: November 2016

This article advances the debate on entrepreneurial exit by shedding new light on the role of the entrepreneurial team (ET) in the exit process. We analyse how ET characteristics influence a founder choice to exit by selling shares to an external buyer versus selling to another team member. Our main argument being that ET characteristics indicate the level of team cohesion. In cohesive ETs, members are resistant to the entry of newcomers; thus, they attempt to induce exiting founders to sell their shares to other team members. Accordingly, we formulate hypotheses on how three indicators of ET cohesion (team size, heterogeneity and the presence of family ties within the ET) affect the probability that a founder will exit by selling her shares to an external buyer rather than another ET member. The hypotheses are tested through econometric estimates using data on 986 founders of 365 Italian high-tech entrepreneurial ventures.
A novel biocompatible antibacterial product: Nanoliposomes loaded with poly(hexamethylene biguanide chloride)
Authors: Ahani Elnaz , Montazer Majid , Toliyat Tayebeh , Mahmoudi Rad Mahnaz
Published: November 2016

In this study, nanoliposome-loaded poly(hexamethylene biguanide) is introduced as a novel biocompatible antibacterial product with higher activity than microliposomes. Soy lecithin as a clean product was used to prepare various nanoliposomes through sonication, high-pressure homogenizer, and normal homogenizer and also microliposomes through two methods of lipid film hydration and incubation methods. The nanoliposomes were formed under sonication with the size of 50 nm. The prepared liposomes were then loaded with poly(hexamethylene biguanide chloride) and the inclusion percentage was measured. The release profile of liposomes in buffer showed a release of 92% for poly(hexamethylene biguanide) during 24 h. The loaded liposomes were characterized with particle size analyzer, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The antibacterial properties of different micro and nanoliposomes were investigated against a Gram-negative ( Escherichia coli) and a Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. The poly(hexamethylene biguanide)–loaded nanoliposomes indicated higher antibacterial activities than microliposomes. Nanoliposomes have the potential to entrap lower poly(hexamethylene biguanide) dosages while retaining optimum therapeutic efficacy in the target site having lower cytotoxicity with lower side effects. The cytotoxicity of poly(hexamethylene biguanide) entrapped in liposomes was studied in human dermal fibroblasts and compared with free poly(hexamethylene biguanide) and blank liposomes. The maximum cytotoxicity was observed for free poly(hexamethylene biguanide) that is substantially decreased through loading within liposomes structure. Overall, the encapsulation of poly(hexamethylene biguanide) in liposomes improved the biocompatibility and safety of the product introducing a useful biocompatible antibacterial polymer for treatments of infectious diseases.
Development of pH-responsive starch–glycol chitosan nanogels for proapoptotic (KLAKLAK)2 peptide delivery
Authors: Kim Seong Kyeong , Youn Yu Seok , Oh Kyung Taek , Lee Eun Seong
Published: November 2016

In this study, we report pH-responsive polysaccharidic nanogels for cytosolic peptide delivery. We conjugated starch to water-soluble glycol chitosan and pH-responsive 3-diethylaminopropylamine (starch–(glycol chitosan–3-diethylaminopropylamine)). Starch–(glycol chitosan–3-diethylaminopropylamine) self-organizes in aqueous solution, with the glycol chitosan blocks on the hydrophilic outer shell and starch and 3-diethylaminopropylamine blocks in the hydrogel inner core. The experimental results demonstrated that the protonation of 3-diethylaminopropylamine at pH 6.0 (endosomal pH) allowed for accelerated release of the encapsulated D-(KLAKLAK)2 proapoptotic peptide from the nanogels as a result of electrostatic repulsion between D-(KLAKLAK)2 and 3-diethylaminopropylamine. A hemolysis test using red blood cell membranes (as an endosomal membrane model) revealed the excellent endosomolytic activity of these nanogels, which likely stems from the proton-sponge effect of 3-diethylaminopropylamine at pH 6.0. As a result, these nanogels resulted in increased KB tumor cell ablation.
How Committed Are Australian Universities to Environmental Sustainability? A Perspective on and from the University of Melbourne
Authors: Baer Hans A. , Gallois Arnaud
Published: November 2016

Drawing upon our experiences at the University of Melbourne, we examine the issue of how environmentally sustainable that university and other Australian universities are in an era increasingly impacted by anthropogenic climate change. We argue that while indeed the University of Melbourne has embarked upon a variety of activities and programs that exhibit some commitment to the notion of environmental sustainability, it continues to engage in practices that are not sustainable, the most glaring of which is ongoing investments in fossil fuels. We argue that, like other universities in Australia and around the world, it needs to not only financially divest from environmentally damaging practices but review some of the fundamental institutional logics that universities have adopted since industrialization, and more intensively since the burgeoning of the combined forces of globalization and neoliberalism under which governments have reduced financial support for universities.
Fragments of the Body in Christian, Bioethical and Social Imaginaries
Authors: Scherz Paul
Published: November 2016

Human tissue samples are essential to biomedical research, but recent controversies reveal disagreement over how to relate these fragments to donors. Deidentification has become impossible, a property model contravenes legal and religious traditions, and there is conflict over procedures for informed consent. While Michael Banner draws on Augustine and ethnographies to emphasize the role of fragments of the body in mourning, ethnographies actually suggest that many people believe that tissues and organs retain an ongoing connection to their donors. The Christian practice of the veneration of relics and the doctrine of the resurrection of the body support the idea of an ongoing tie between the person and the dead body, a connection affirmed by theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa even when it is unnecessary for their anthropology. This relationship of the donor to tissue supports the ongoing participation of the donor or her family in decisions on research.
Brain aluminium accumulation and oxidative stress in the presence of calcium silicate dental cements
Authors: Demirkaya K , Demirdöğen B Can , Torun Z Öncel , Erdem O , Çırak E , Tunca YM
Published: November 2016

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a calcium silicate dental cement used for various applications in dentistry. This study was undertaken to test whether the presence of three commercial brands of calcium silicate dental cements in the dental extraction socket of rats would affect the brain aluminium (Al) levels and oxidative stress parameters. Right upper incisor was extracted and polyethylene tubes filled with MTA Angelus, MTA Fillapex or Theracal LC, or left empty for the control group, were inserted into the extraction socket. Rats were killed 7, 30 or 60 days after operation. Brain tissues were obtained before killing. Al levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were determined using spectrophotometry. A transient peak was observed in brain Al level of MTA Angelus group on day 7, while MTA Fillapex and Theracal LC groups reached highest brain Al level on day 60. Brain TBARS level, CAT, SOD and GPx activities transiently increased on day 7 and then returned to almost normal levels. This in vivo study for the first time indicated that initial washout may have occurred in MTA Angelus, while element leaching after the setting is complete may have taken place for MTA Fillapex and Theracal LC. Moreover, oxidative stress was induced and antioxidant enzymes were transiently upregulated. Further studies to search for oxidative neuronal damage should be done to completely understand the possible toxic effects of calcium silicate cements on the brain.
New thiazacridine agents: Synthesis, physical and chemical characterization, and in vitro anticancer evaluation
Authors: Chagas MBO , Cordeiro NCC , Marques KMR , Rocha Pitta MG , Rêgo MJBM , Lima MCA , Pitta MGR , Pitta IR
Published: November 2016

A series of new thiazacridine agents were synthesized and evaluated as antitumor agents, in terms of not only their cytotoxicity but also their selectivity. The cytotoxicity assay confirmed that all compounds showed cytotoxic activity and selectivity. The new compound, 3-acridin-9-ylmethyl-5-(5-bromo-1 H-indol-3-ylmethylene)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione (LPSF/AA29 – 7a), proved to be the most promising compound as it presents lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values (ranging from 0.25 to 68.03 µM) depending on cell lineage. In HepG2 cells, the lowest IC50 value was exhibited by 3-acridin-9-ylmethyl-5-(4-piperidin-1-yl-benzylidene)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione (LPSF/AA36 – 7b; 46.95 µM). None of the synthesized compounds showed cytotoxic activity against normal cells (IC50 > 100 µM). The mechanism of death induction and cell cycle effects was also evaluated. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the compounds LPSF/AA29 – 7a and LPSF/AA36 – 7b significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells and induced G2/M arrest in the cell cycle progression. Therefore, these new thiazacridine derivatives constitute promising antitumor agents whose cytotoxicity and selectivity properties indicate they have potential to contribute to or serve as a basis for the development of new cancer drugs in the future.
A simple method to estimate the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve with right censored data
Authors: Li Liang , Greene Tom , Hu Bo
Published: November 2016

The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve is often used to study the diagnostic accuracy of a single continuous biomarker, measured at baseline, on the onset of a disease condition when the disease onset may occur at different times during the follow-up and hence may be right censored. Due to right censoring, the true disease onset status prior to the pre-specified time horizon may be unknown for some patients, which causes difficulty in calculating the time-dependent sensitivity and specificity. We propose to estimate the time-dependent sensitivity and specificity by weighting the censored data by the conditional probability of disease onset prior to the time horizon given the biomarker, the observed time to event, and the censoring indicator, with the weights calculated nonparametrically through a kernel regression on time to event. With this nonparametric weighting adjustment, we derive a novel, closed-form formula to calculate the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve. We demonstrate through numerical study and theoretical arguments that the proposed method is insensitive to misspecification of the kernel bandwidth, produces unbiased and efficient estimators of time-dependent sensitivity and specificity, the area under the curve, and other estimands from the receiver operating characteristic curve, and outperforms several other published methods currently implemented in R packages.
The Viability of Weather-index Insurance in Managing Drought Risk in Rural Australia
Authors: Adeyinka Adewuyi Ayodele , Krishnamurti Chandrasekhar , Maraseni Tek Narayan , Chantarat Sommarat
Published: November 2016

Agriculture is the trade of rural Australians and managing weather risk have implications for Australian demographics. Consequently, we looked into the strategies farmers adopted to manage their revenue risk due to drought with a focus on wheat farmers. The prospects of managing the challenges of indemnity-based insurance with rainfall index insurance were discussed. We established the relationship between yield and cumulative standardized precipitation indices and concluded that a strong relationship between the rainfall index and yield does not necessarily lead to high hedging efficiency. The hedging efficiency of the product was analyzed using the mean root square loss, conditional tail expectation and certainty equivalence of revenue while the spatial and temporal nature of the risk were captured with loss ratios. It was observed that the inverse relationship between price and yield offsets some risks and reduces the efficiency of weather hedges. Differences were observed in the hedging efficiency across locations and efficiency was noted to be dependent on the methodology adopted. The results from the loss ratio analysis showed that pooling insurance contracts reduced risk to the insurer. We concluded that other variables would have to be taken into consideration in order to make the design of weather-index insurance more robust and that tax incentives on insurance premium would motivate farmers to be profitable.
Decline of Cultivators and Growth of Agricultural Labourers in India from 2001 to 2011
Authors: Gupta Nitin
Published: November 2016

According to Census data, the proportion of working to the total population in India grew from 39.1 per cent in 2001 to 39.8 per cent in 2011. The working population comprises four categories: cultivators (C.L.),1 agricultural labourers (A.L.),2 household industry workers (H.H.) 3 and other workers (O.W.).4

The decade of 2001–11 has seen a decline in the number of cultivators and high increase in the number of agricultural labourers. This is disturbing the development for India. For the first time since independence, agricultural labourers have outnumbered cultivators. There are many reasons for this development such as decreasing average size of operational holdings, farming becoming infeasible, increasing agricultural wages, rampant selling of agricultural land and shift of employment from the agricultural to non-agricultural sector (Figure 3). The decade of 2001–11 also witnessed three drought years. This article explains these reasons in detail. Cultivators are decreasing and such decline in agriculture is replaced by increase in agricultural labourers. There has been a definite marginalization of agrarian interest in the national policy and reforms are certainly needed. This article tries to study the pattern of growth of cultivators and agricultural labourers for the states having population of more than 25 million as per Census 2011. There is a marginal increase in the number of household industry workers but high increase in the number of other workers.
Low Carbon Technologies for Our Cities of Future: Examining Mechanisms for Successful Transfer and Diffusion
Authors: Mehta Chandrika , Shankar Uday , Bandopadhyay Tapas K.
Published: November 2016

The urge to adopt the proceedings at the recently concluded COP-21 with a binding legal status is indicative of the fact that nations now realise the seriousness of the issue, alike. The international community is just paving way for a low carbon, energy efficient planet. Rapid urbanisation has led to overpopulated cities that demand better quality of life for its residents. On the one hand, there is a global urge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and on the other hand, the world is moving towards a ‘smart’ future. Both these suppositions are interspersed by a common goal of sustainable development. Alternately, the discussion tends to focus on use of clean energy technologies. Cities will be at the centre of this unique and unprecedented challenge. This research seeks to explore the role that city governance plays in climate mitigation and adaptation at the global level. Furthermore, the article examines and evaluates low carbon technology as a choice to be inculcated in encountering climate change hazards and essentially looks into the modus operandi of the transfer and diffusion of low carbon/clean energy technologies.
Knocked out: Ritual disruption and the decline of Spanish boxing
Authors: Astor Avi , Riba Jofre
Published: November 2016

Scholars have written extensively on the emergence of mass sports in modern industrial societies, and the factors that have facilitated the development of ‘hegemonic sports cultures’. Less has been written on how the structure and content of ‘national sport spaces’ change over time, and the reasons that certain sports cultures have failed to sustain their popular appeal amid processes of political, social and cultural transformation. This article analyses the sharp decline in the popularity of Spanish boxing during the 1970s and 1980s. In explaining this decline, we draw attention to a series of developments that disrupted rituals of spectatorship that were key to sustaining the sport’s fan base. Our findings highlight the importance of ritual to the reproduction of hegemonic sports cultures and identify ‘ritual disruption’ as a mechanism through which broad societal changes may alter the configuration of national sport spaces.
Benzodiazepine Initiation and Dose Escalation
Authors: Skinner Brian W. , Johnston Elizabeth V. , Saum Lindsay M.
Published: November 2016

Background: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) place patients at a significant risk of falling. The current literature does not address if this risk is increased during initiation or dose escalations of BZDs. Objective: To determine if initiation or dose escalations of BZD regimens are associated with an increased risk of falls in hospitalized patients compared with patients maintained on their home dose or who had their dose decreased from baseline. Methods: This retrospective case-control study evaluated hospitalized patients aged 45 years or older who received a BZD. Patients who did not fall were collected in a 3:1 ratio to patients who fell. Comparisons were made between BZD regimens prior to admission and those 48 hours prior to the index date. The date of fall served as the index date for patients who fell, and the median time-to-fall served as the index date for all other patients. Results: A total of 132 patients were included in the study (33 falls and 99 without a fall). No significant differences were noted in demographics, baseline mobility, or past medical history. Patients who fell had a significantly longer median length of stay (15 vs 10 days; P = 0.025). Additionally, patients who fell were more likely to have had their BZD regimen initiated or dose escalated compared with patients who did not fall (63.6% vs 41.4%; P = 0.043). Conclusions: The risk of falling while on a BZD is increased on initiation and dose escalations. Hospitals should ensure judicious use of BZDs in inpatients to reduce the risk of falls.
Single-Tablet Regimens for the Treatment of HIV-1 Infection
Authors: Sebaaly Jamielynn C. , Kelley Denise
Published: November 2016

Objective: To review the pharmacokinetics, safety, drug-drug interactions, and advantages and disadvantages of currently available single-tablet regimens (STRs) for HIV-1 infection. Data Sources: A search using PubMed was conducted (up to September 2016) using the following keywords: single tablet regimen AND HIV. Additionally, a PubMed search was conducted for each individual STR using the generic names of the agents. Articles were evaluated for content, and additional references were identified from a review of literature citations. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Studies included were predominantly phase III clinical trials with the exception of tenofovir alafenamide because phase I and phase II trials were also relevant for this new antiretroviral agent. Data Synthesis: Six STRs are currently available for the treatment of HIV-1. Each agent has unique pharmacokinetic, safety, and drug-drug interaction profiles that result in distinct advantages and disadvantages. Three of these agents are first-line recommended therapies per national guidelines because of high virological efficacy and tolerability. Conclusions: STRs have significantly advanced HIV management by minimizing pill burden and improving patient compliance. It is important to consider the nuances of each STR in regard to renal and hepatic function, drug interactions, and tolerability, to ensure safe and effective use.
Patient perspectives on the barriers associated with medication adherence to oral chemotherapy
Authors: Muluneh Benyam , Deal Allison , Alexander Maurice D , Keisler Meredith D , Markey Janell M , Neal Jennifer M , Bernard Stephen , Valgus John , Dressler Lynn G
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Appropriate use of oral chemotherapy is a challenge for patients and clinicians. The purpose of this study was to analyze cancer patients’ use of oral chemotherapies and identify opportunities to improve adherence.

Methods

We developed a 30-question survey to address frequency and reasons for reducing/skipping doses; sources of information for oral chemotherapy use; perceived importance of food–drug effects; and ease of understanding labeling directions.

Results

Ninety-three patients taking oral chemotherapies with chronic myeloid leukemia, renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer completed the survey. This was a well-educated population with 69% (n = 62) having completed some college; 51% (n = 47) female and 59% (n = 54) older than 50 years of age. Thirty percent of patients reported forgetting to take their oral chemotherapy at least “sometimes”. Younger patients (<50 vs. ≥50, p = 0.002), shorter treatment duration (<6 vs. ≥6 months p = 0.03), or with chronic myeloid leukemia (vs. other diagnoses, p = 0.015) forget to take their oral chemotherapy at higher rates. Twenty-three percent (n = 21) indicated they intentionally skipped their oral chemotherapies and 38% (n = 8) of those did not inform their physicians. Forty-one percent (n = 28) taking drugs with significant food–drug effects did not think about their last meal before taking their oral chemotherapy and 80% (n = 55) did not understand the potential interactions. Additionally, 39% (n = 36/92) never looked at labeling and 15% (n = 14/91) had difficulty understanding label directions.

Conclusion

There are three main barriers associated with appropriate use of oral chemotherapies: misunderstanding about the timing of drug with food; stopping drug without informing physicians; and difficulty understanding labeling directions. A multipronged approach is needed to optimize communication of directions for optimal oral chemotherapy use.