bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cigarette Smoking Impairs Adipose Stromal Cell Vasculogenic Activity and Abrogates Potency to Ameliorate Ischemia
Authors: Barwinska Daria , Traktuev Dmitry O. , Merfeld-Clauss Stephanie , Cook Todd G. , Lu Hongyan , Petrache Irina , March Keith L.
Published: March 2018

Cigarette smoking (CS) adversely affects the physiologic function of endothelial progenitor, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. However, the effect of CS on the ability of adipose stem/stromal cells (ASC) to promote vasculogenesis and rescue perfusion in the context of ischemia is unknown. To evaluate this, ASC from nonsmokers (nCS-ASC) and smokers (CS-ASC), and their activity to promote perfusion in hindlimb ischemia models, as well as endothelial cell (EC) survival and vascular morphogenesis in vitro were assessed. While nCS-ASC improved perfusion in ischemic limbs, CS-ASC completely lost this therapeutic effect. In vitro vasculogenesis assays revealed that human CS-ASC and ASC from CS–exposed mice showed compromised support of EC morphogenesis into vascular tubes, and the CS-ASC secretome was less potent in supporting EC survival/proliferation. Comparative secretome analysis revealed that CS-ASC produced lower amounts of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and stromal cell-derived growth factor 1 (SDF-1). Conversely, CS-ASC secreted the angiostatic/pro-inflammatory factor Activin A, which was not detected in nCS-ASC conditioned media (CM). Furthermore, higher Activin A levels were measured in EC/CS-ASC cocultures than in EC/nCS-ASC cocultures. CS-ASC also responded to inflammatory cytokines with 5.2-fold increase in Activin A secretion, whereas nCS-ASC showed minimal Activin A induction. Supplementation of EC/CS-ASC cocultures with nCS-ASC CM or with recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor, HGF, or SDF-1 did not rescue vasculogenesis, whereas inhibition of Activin A expression or activity improved network formation up to the level found in EC/nCS-ASC cocultures. In conclusion, ASC of CS individuals manifest compromised in vitro vasculogenic activity as well as in vivo therapeutic activity.
Die „WiNo-Methode“ zur Identifikation von Wissen in transdisziplinären Netzwerken mithilfe der Wissensbilanzierung
Authors: Bachinger Monika , Bleher Daniel , Rau Hannes , Prieß Rasmus
Published: March 2018

Die „WiNo-Methode“ dient dazu, das Wissen in typischerweise unverfassten transdisziplinären Netzwerken zu erfassen, gegliedert nach Humankapital, Strukturkapital und Beziehungskapital. Die Identifikation von Wissensbeständen aus wissenschaftlichen und außerwissenschaftlichen Quellen ist für transdisziplinäre Lernprozesse und transdisziplinäre Forschung zentral. Der Beitrag zeigt auf, wie die strukturierte Erfassung von Human-, Struktur- und Beziehungskapital in transdisziplinären Netzwerken gelingen kann. Die „WiNo-Methode“ greift auf bekannte Analysemethoden und den Ansatz der Wissensbilanzierung in Unternehmensnetzwerken zurück und passt diese den besonderen Anforderungen transdisziplinärer Forschung an. Der Fokus liegt dabei auf der Unverfasstheit von transdisziplinären Kooperationsnetzwerken und den daraus entstehenden Herausforderungen bei der Definition von Forschungsfragen. Das Anwendungsfeld der beschriebenen Vorgehensweise ist breit, da sie themenunabhängig und auch in verschiedenen Phasen von transdisziplinärer Forschung angewandt werden kann.
Partizipative Wissenserzeugung und Wissenschaftlichkeit – ein methodologischer Beitrag
Authors: Defila Rico , Di Giulio Antonietta
Published: March 2018

Reallabore und transdisziplinäre Projekte verbindet die partizipative Anlage und der Anspruch, neues Wissen zu produzieren. Der Beitrag ist der wissenschaftlichen Belastbarkeit partizipativ erzeugter Erkenntnisse gewidmet. Er fokussiert dabei auf Gütekriterien rund um Methoden. Die Relevanz des Themas für transdisziplinäre Forschung außerhalb und innerhalb von Reallaborforschung ergibt sich aus Zweifeln an der Gültigkeit partizipativ erzeugten Wissens innerhalb der Wissenschaft, aus dem Fehlen einer Diskussion über das Herstellen von Nachvollziehbarkeit solcher Ergebnisse und aus dem forschungspraktischen Bedarf nach einem Pool bewährter Methoden. Basierend auf einer Literaturanalyse wird – mit Blick auf die Wahl (inkl. Entwicklung) und Umsetzung von Methoden sowie auf die Dokumentation und Reflexion des methodischen Vorgehens – ein Katalog von Gütekriterien für Methoden der partizipativen Wissensproduktion vorgeschlagen. Dabei wird aus der Debatte v. a. über partizipative Forschung, Aktionsforschung, Handlungsforschung und Interventionsforschung geschöpft. Drei der vorgeschlagenen Kriterien beziehen sich auf das Ziel und den Kontext von Methoden, acht auf die Umsetzung und zwei auf die Reflexion der Erfahrungen.
Der Partizipationsmythos „Partizipation bedeutet, alle immer an allem zu beteiligen“
Authors: Seebacher Andreas , Alcántara Sophia , Quint Alexandra
Published: March 2018

Ein Partizipationsmythos ist ein Komplex von individuellen und kollektiven Vorstellungen über Partizipation, die sich unter den Akteuren eines Reallabors als unhinterfragte Erwartungshaltung hartnäckig halten und – ohne ausreichende Evidenz – Entscheidungen (mit) beeinflussen. Der Kurz-Beitrag erörtert den Mythos, Partizipation in der Forschung sei nur dann gut, wenn alle an möglichst allen Aktivitäten mitwirken würden und an allen Entscheidungen beteiligt seien. Er zeigt, dass das nicht nur alle Beteiligten überfordern, sondern auch nicht den tatsächlichen Partizipationsbedarfen entsprechen würde. Im Buch werden zudem der Partizipationsmythos vollständiger Transparenz sowie der Partizipationsmythos unerlässlicher Repräsentativität diskutiert.
Akteure in Reallaboren – Reallabore als Akteure
Authors: Seebacher Andreas , Alcántara Sophia , Quint Alexandra
Published: March 2018

Der Beitrag stellt ein Modell vor, anhand dessen die Akteurskonstellation in einem Reallabor analysiert und geplant werden kann, und das auch für andere transdisziplinäre (und transformative) Kontexte eine Denkhilfe darstellen dürfte, wenn es um die Planung und Reflexion der Projektstruktur geht. In Reallaboren ist, das hat die Erfahrung gezeigt, eine Vielfalt von Akteuren zu unterscheiden, die in vielfältiger Weise und unterschiedlicher Intensität an den verschiedenen Aktivitäten partizipieren. Zugleich bedarf, aufgrund des Eingebettetseins von Reallaboren ‚in die reale Welt‘, die ‚Außengrenze‘ besonderer Aufmerksamkeit. Das vorgestellte Modell berücksichtigt diese Faktoren sowie die Dynamik und Fluktuation, die nicht Ausnahme, sondern Regel sind.
Tensor network formulation for two-dimensional lattice $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 Wess-Zumino model
Authors: Kadoh Daisuke , Kuramashi Yoshinobu , Nakamura Yoshifumi , Sakai Ryo , Takeda Shinji , Yoshimura Yusuke
Published: March 2018

Abstract

Supersymmetric models with spontaneous supersymmetry breaking suffer from the notorious sign problem in stochastic approaches. By contrast, the tensor network approaches do not have such a problem since they are based on deterministic procedures. In this work, we present a tensor network formulation of the two-dimensional lattice

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 1 Wess-Zumino model while showing that numerical results agree with the exact solutions for the free case.
NNLO predictions for Z-boson pair production at the LHC
Authors: Heinrich G. , Jahn S. , Jones S. P. , Kerner M. , Pires J.
Published: March 2018

Abstract

We present a calculation of the NNLO QCD corrections to Z-boson pair production at hadron colliders, based on the N-jettiness method for the real radiation parts. We discuss the size and shape of the perturbative corrections along with their associated scale uncertainties and compare our results to recent LHC data at

$$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$

s

=
13

TeV.
Negative relationship between diversity and productivity under plant invasion
Authors: Wu Ai‐Ping , Liu Jian , He Fei‐Fei , Wang Yan‐Hong , Zhang Xin‐Jie , Duan Xiao‐Di , Liu Yue , Qian Zi‐Yan
Published: March 2018

The relationship between diversity and productivity of plant community under plant invasion has been not well known up to now. Here, we investigated the relationship between diversity and productivity under plant invasion and studied the response of species level plant mass to species richness in native and invaded communities. A field experiment from 2008 to 2013 and a pot experiment in 2014 were conducted to study the effects of plant invasion on the relationship between diversity and productivity and the response of species level plant mass to species richness in native and invaded communities. The community level biomass was negatively correlated to plant species richness in invaded communities while the same relationship was positive in native communities. The species level plant mass of individual species responded differently to overall plant species richness in the native and invaded communities, namely, most of the species’ plant mass increased in native communities, but decreased in invaded communities with increasing species richness. The complementarity or selection effects might dominate in native communities while competition effects might dominate in invaded communities. Accordingly, the negative relationship between diversity and productivity under plant invasion is highlighted in our experiments.
Cerebrospinal fluid α‐synuclein contributes to the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Shi Min , Tang Lu , Toledo Jon B. , Ginghina Carmen , Wang Hua , Aro Patrick , Jensen Poul H. , Weintraub Daniel , Chen‐Plotkin Alice S. , Irwin David J. , Grossman Murray , McCluskey Leo , Elman Lauren B. , Wolk David A. , Lee Edward B. , Shaw Leslie M. , Trojanowski John Q. , Zhang Jing
Published: March 2018

Introduction

The ability of Alzheimer's disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (amyloid β peptide 1–42, total tau, and phosphorylated tau) to discriminate AD from related disorders is limited. Biomarkers for other concomitant pathologies (e.g., CSF α‐synuclein [α‐syn] for Lewy body pathology) may be needed to further improve the differential diagnosis.

Methods

CSF total α‐syn, phosphorylated α‐syn at Ser129, and AD CSF biomarkers were evaluated with Luminex immunoassays in 367 participants, followed by validation in 74 different neuropathologically confirmed cases.

Results

CSF total α‐syn, when combined with amyloid β peptide 1–42 and either total tau or phosphorylated tau, improved the differential diagnosis of AD versus frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body disorders, or other neurological disorders. The diagnostic accuracy of the combined models attained clinical relevance (area under curve ∼0.9) and was largely validated in neuropathologically confirmed cases.

Discussion

Combining CSF biomarkers representing AD and Lewy body pathologies may have clinical value in the differential diagnosis of AD.
Equality of care between First Nations and non-First Nations patients in Saskatoon emergency departments
Authors: Batta Rachit , Carey Robert , Sasbrink-Harkema Martin Ashley , Oyedokun Taofiq Olusegun , Lim Hyun J. , Stempien James
Published: March 2018

Objective

Studies show that First Nations patients have worse health outcomes than non-First Nations patients, raising concerns that treatment within the healthcare system, including emergency care, is inequitable.

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart review of Status First Nations and non-First Nations patients presenting to two emergency departments in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with abdominal pain and a Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale score of 3. From 190 charts (95 Status First Nations and 95 non-First Nations), data extracted included time to doctor, time to analgesia, length of stay, specialist consult, bloodwork, imaging, physical exam and history, and disposition. Univariate comparisons and multiple regression modelling were performed to compare care outcomes between patient groups. Equivalence testing comparing time intervals was also undertaken.

Results

No statistically significant differences in presentation characteristics were observed, although Status First Nations subjects showed a greater tendency towards weekend presentation and younger age. Care parameters were similar, although a marginally significant difference was observed in Status First Nations versus non-First Nations subjects for imaging (46% versus 60%, p=0.06), which resolved on adjustment for age and weekend presentation. Time to physician was found to be similar among First Nations patients on equivalence testing within a 15-minute margin.

Conclusion

In this study, First Nations patients presenting with abdominal pain did not receive delayed care. There were no detectable differences in the time-related care parameters/variables that were provided relative to non-First Nations patients. Meaningful and important qualitative factors need to be examined in the future.
Tracer particle dispersion around elementary flow patterns
Authors: Goudar Manu V. , Elsinga Gerrit E.
Published: March 2018

The motion of tracer particles is kinematically simulated around three elementary flow patterns; a Burgers vortex, a shear-layer structure with coincident vortices and a node-saddle topology. These patterns are representative for their broader class of coherent structures in turbulence. Therefore, examining the dispersion in these elementary structures can improve the general understanding of turbulent dispersion at short time scales. The shear-layer structure and the node-saddle topology exhibit similar pair dispersion statistics compared to the actual turbulent flow for times up to $3{-}10\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$, where, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$ is the Kolmogorov time scale. However, oscillations are observed for the pair dispersion in the Burgers vortex. Furthermore, all three structures exhibit Batchelor’s scaling. Richardson’s scaling was observed for initial particle pair separations $r_{0}\leqslant 4\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ for the shear-layer topology and the node-saddle topology and was related to the formation of the particle sheets. Moreover, the material line orientation statistics for the shear-layer and node-saddle topology are similar to the actual turbulent flow statistics, up to at least $4\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$. However, only the shear-layer structure can explain the non-perpendicular preferential alignment between the material lines and the direction of the most compressive strain, as observed in actual turbulence. This behaviour is due to shear-layer vorticity, which rotates the particle sheet generated by straining motions and causes the particles to spread in the direction of compressive strain also. The material line statistics in the Burgers vortex clearly differ, due to the presence of two compressive principal straining directions as opposed to two stretching directions in the shear-layer structure and the node-saddle topology. The tetrad dispersion statistics for the shear-layer structure qualitatively capture the behaviour of the shape parameters as observed in actual turbulence. In particular, it shows the initial development towards planar shapes followed by a return to more volumetric tetrads at approximately $10\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$, which is associated with the particles approaching the vortices inside the shear layer. However, a large deviation is observed in such behaviour in the node-saddle topology and the Burgers vortex. It is concluded that the results for the Burgers vortex deviated the most from actual turbulence and the node-saddle topology dispersion exhibits some similarities, but does not capture the geometrical features associated with material lines and tetrad dispersion. Finally, the dispersion around the shear-layer structure shows many quantitative (until 2–$4\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$) and qualitative (until $20\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$) similarities to the actual turbulence.
Systematics and paleobiogeography of Sardolagus obscurus n. gen. n. sp. (Leporidae, Lagomorpha) from the early Pleistocene of Sardinia
Authors: Angelone Chiara , Čermák Stanislav , Moncunill-Solé Blanca , Quintana Josep , Tuveri Caterinella , Arca Marisa , Kotsakis Tassos
Published: March 2018

The extreme rareness of Sardinian fossil sites older than Middle and Late Pleistocene makes the Monte Tuttavista karst complex (E Sardinia, Italy) very important. Remarkable lagomorph material, recovered from several fissure infillings of Monte Tuttavista referable to the Capo Figari/Orosei 1 and Orosei 2 faunal sub-complexes (early Pleistocene, ~2.1/1.9–1.1 Ma), allowed us to describe a new endemic insular leporid, Sardolagus obscurus n. gen. n. sp. The new taxon is characterized by a peculiar combination of an advanced p3 (Lepus-type) and a primitive P2 lacking deep flexa. The origin of such discrepancy, unprecedented among continental and insular endemic European leporids, is unclear. It could be the result of: (1) an independent evolution of p3 from an ancestor bearing the primitive P2/p3 (e.g., Alilepus, Hypolagus), or (2) a selective reversal morphocline from an Oryctolagus/Lepus-like leporine. The lack of data about the phylogenetic origin of the new taxon makes any inference about its possible arrival to Sardinia problematic. Crossing the European leporid records and evidence of migrations to Sardinia, we hypothesize three possible ages in which the ancestor of Sardolagus obscurus could have arrived in Sardinia, restricted to the late Miocene–early/late Pliocene (~8–3.6 Ma). The phylogenetic relationship between Sardolagus obscurus n. gen. n. sp. and the oldest Sardinian leporid, recorded from Capo Mannu D1 and dated at the early/late Pliocene boundary (~3.6 Ma), is unclear at present, however it is quite likely that they pertain to the same lineage.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/ca8e0023-7c9d-4b00-a294-d166c37c5c71
Structure-preserving equivalent martingale measures for ℋ-SII models
Authors: Criens David
Published: March 2018

In this paper we relate the set of structure-preserving equivalent martingale measures ℳsp for financial models driven by semimartingales with conditionally independent increments to a set of measurable and integrable functions 𝒴. More precisely, we prove that ℳsp ≠ ∅ if and only if 𝒴 ≠ ∅, and connect the sets ℳsp and 𝒴 to the semimartingale characteristics of the driving process. As examples we consider integrated Lévy models with independent stochastic factors and time-changed Lévy models and derive mild conditions for ℳsp ≠ ∅.
A large sample test for the length of memory of stationary symmetric stable random fields via nonsingular ℤd-actions
Authors: Bhattacharya Ayan , Roy Parthanil
Published: March 2018

Based on the ratio of two block maxima, we propose a large sample test for the length of memory of a stationary symmetric α-stable discrete parameter random field. We show that the power function converges to 1 as the sample-size increases to ∞ under various classes of alternatives having longer memory in the sense of Samorodnitsky (2004). Ergodic theory of nonsingular ℤd-actions plays a very important role in the design and analysis of our large sample test.
Multiple drawing multi-colour urns by stochastic approximation
Authors: Lasmar Nabil , Mailler Cécile , Selmi Olfa
Published: March 2018

A classical Pólya urn scheme is a Markov process where the evolution is encoded by a replacement matrix (Ri, j)1 ≤ i, j ≤ d. At every discrete time-step, we draw a ball uniformly at random, denote its colour c, and replace it in the urn together with Rc, j balls of colour j (for all 1 ≤ j ≤ d). We study multiple drawing Pólya urns, where the replacement rule depends on the random drawing of a set of m balls from the urn (with or without replacement). Many particular examples of this situation have been studied in the literature, but the only general results are due to Kuba and Mahmoud (2017). These authors proved second-order asymptotic results in the two-colour case, under the so-called balance and affinity assumptions, the latter being somewhat artificial. The main idea of this work is to apply stochastic approximation methods to this problem, which enables us to prove analogous results to Kuba and Mahmoud, but without the artificial affinity hypothesis, and, for the first time in the literature, in the d-colour case (d ≥ 3). We also provide some partial results in the two-colour nonbalanced case, the novelty here being that the only results for this case currently in the literature are for particular examples.
Recursive formula for the double-barrier Parisian stopping time
Authors: Dassios Angelos , Lim Jia Wei
Published: March 2018

In this paper we obtain a recursive formula for the density of the double-barrier Parisian stopping time. We present a probabilistic proof of the formula for the first few steps of the recursion, and then a formal proof using explicit Laplace inversions. These results provide an efficient computational method for pricing double-barrier Parisian options.
A temporal approach to the Parisian risk model
Authors: Li Bin , Willmot Gordon E. , Wong Jeff T. Y.
Published: March 2018

In this paper we propose a new approach to study the Parisian ruin problem for spectrally negative Lévy processes. Since our approach is based on a hybrid observation scheme switching between discrete and continuous observations, we call it a temporal approach as opposed to the spatial approximation approach in the literature. Our approach leads to a unified proof for the underlying processes with bounded or unbounded variation paths, and our result generalizes Loeffen et al. (2013).
On a jump-telegraph process driven by an alternating fractional Poisson process
Authors: Di Crescenzo Antonio , Meoli Alessandra
Published: March 2018

The basic jump-telegraph process with exponentially distributed interarrival times deserves interest in various applied fields such as financial modelling and queueing theory. Aiming to propose a more general setting, we analyse such a stochastic process when the interarrival times separating consecutive velocity changes (and jumps) have generalized Mittag-Leffler distributions, and constitute the random times of a fractional alternating Poisson process. By means of renewal theory-based issues we obtain the forward and backward transition densities of the motion in series form, and prove their uniform convergence. Specific attention is then given to the case of jumps with constant size, for which we also obtain the mean of the process. Finally, we investigate the first-passage time of the process through a constant positive boundary, providing its formal distribution and suitable lower bounds.
The Structure of Labor Markets in the US and China: Social Capital andGuanxi
Authors: DiTomaso Nancy , Bian Yanjie
Published: March 2018

Despite the major cultural and political differences between the United States and China, in both countries access to jobs is supposed to be guided by fair and equitable procedures. In the US, there is a presumption of an open labor market in which potential employees compete on the basis of their qualifications, where the fairness of decisions is guided by anti-discrimination laws and normative organizational policies. In China, although there is a history of close relationships that guide the exchange of favors, following the 1949 revolution, Communist Party leaders were given the authority to allocate positions in ways that were supposed to eliminate special privileges of class and background. Yet recent research has suggested that social connections are an important part of getting a job in both the US and China for two-thirds to three-quarters of job seekers. In the US context, such connections are described as social capital. In the Chinese context, connections are defined asguanxi. In this article, we review research on labor market processes in both the US and China to address three important questions: (a) How can we understand the similar functioning of labor markets in such distinct cultural and political systems as the US and China? (b) What are the mechanisms or processes by which people find jobs in the US and China, and how are people able to access these mechanisms or processes in the context of constraining social structures and legal environments? and (c) What are the theoretical implications of the ‘generalized particularism’ that seems to shape labor markets in both the US and China.
COUNTING CONJUGACY CLASSES IN
Authors: HULL MICHAEL , KAPOVICH ILYA
Published: March 2018

We show that if a finitely generated group$G$has a nonelementary WPD action on a hyperbolic metric space$X$, then the number of$G$-conjugacy classes of$X$-loxodromic elements of$G$coming from a ball of radius$R$in the Cayley graph of$G$grows exponentially in$R$. As an application we prove that for$N\geq 3$the number of distinct$\text{Out}(F_{N})$-conjugacy classes of fully irreducible elements$\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}$from an$R$-ball in the Cayley graph of$\text{Out}(F_{N})$with$\log \unicode[STIX]{x1D706}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D719})$of the order of$R$grows exponentially in$R$.
Excess free fructose, high-fructose corn syrup and adult asthma: the Framingham Offspring Cohort
Authors: DeChristopher Luanne R. , Tucker Katherine L.
Published: March 2018

There is growing evidence that intakes of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), HFCS-sweetened soda, fruit drinks and apple juice – a high-fructose 100 % juice – are associated with asthma, possibly because of the high fructose:glucose ratios and underlying fructose malabsorption, which may contribute to enteral formation of pro-inflammatory advanced glycation end products, which bind receptors that are mediators of asthma. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess associations between intakes of these beverages and asthma risk, with data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Diet soda and orange juice – a 100 % juice with a 1:1 fructose:glucose ratio – were included for comparison. Increasing intake of any combination of HFCS-sweetened soda, fruit drinks and apple juice was significantly associated with progressively higher asthma risk, plateauing at 5–7 times/weekv. never/seldom, independent of potential confounders (hazard ratio 1·91,P<0·001). About once a day consumers of HFCS-sweetened soda had a 49 % higher risk (P<0·011), moderate apple juice consumers (2–4 times/week) had a 61 % higher risk (P<0·007) and moderate fruit drink consumers had a 58 % higher risk (P<0·009), as compared with never/seldom consumers. There were no associations with diet soda/orange juice. These associations are possibly because of the high fructose:glucose ratios, and fructose malabsorption. Recommendations to reduce consumption may be inadequate to address asthma risk, as associations are evident even with moderate intake of these beverages, including apple juice – a 100 % juice. The juice reductions in the US Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in 2009, and the plateauing/decreasing asthma prevalence (2010–2013), particularly among non-Hispanic black children, may be related. Further research regarding the consequences of fructose malabsorption is needed.
Thoughts on a Thirteen-year Editorship of CEH
Authors: Barkin Kenneth D.
Published: March 2018

When I assumed the editorship of CEH in 1991 the discipline of history was changing rapidly. Political, diplomatic, and economic history seemed to be fading after a long run, and even the nation state was being challenged as a central focus of research. Given the increasing interest in gender, race, post-colonialism, and memory, I had to consider “whither goeth” CEH. In part that decision is made for the editor by the manuscripts that are submitted to the journal. My own belief is that excellent history can be written based on a variety of theories, and with the employment of a diverse number of methodologies. I also concluded that weak and unconvincing history could equally be based on very different foundations as well.
Memories of Central European History, 1997–2005
Authors: Gispen Kees
Published: March 2018

I became involved with what was then called the Conference Group for Central European History in early 1997, when I accepted Roger Chickering's invitation to succeed him as Executive Secretary and Treasurer. This put me in charge of preparing and distributing the biannual (now defunct) Newsletter and of carrying out a variety of other duties, including keeping track of the money and organizing the annual executive meeting and the Bierabend—a cash bar and convivial get-together for historians of Central Europe—at the annual conference of the American Historical Association. The Newsletter kept members of the Conference Group informed about matters relevant to Central European history, such as upcoming events, panels on German and Austrian history at the American Historical Association meeting, scholarships, fellowships, as well as events at the German Historical Institute in Washington, DC, including the annual Transatlantic Doctoral Seminar. At one point, it was mailed separately to members and then, sometime later, published in Central European History.
Foreign Relations: Where Germans Sell
Authors: Gray William Glenn
Published: March 2018

By now there is not much resistance to the notion that historians of modern Germany should pay heed to events outside the borders of theReichor nation-state (though, even now, Austria and Switzerland often remain an afterthought). At the 2006 annual conference of the German Studies Association in Pittsburgh, Michael Geyer spoke of transnational history as “the new consensus.” His keynote address bore the title “Where Germans Dwell”—a clear indication that the subject matter of German history must include transplants such as Jürgen Klinsmann and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the German diaspora of prior centuries. In keeping with this agenda, H. Glenn Penny has played a significant role in organizing scholarship on Germans abroad, whereas Kira Thurman is exploring how African Americans experienced German musical culture. The scope of transnational German history remains vast.
Habsburg History, Eastern European History … Central European History?
Authors: Bryant Chad
Published: March 2018

Germany and all things German have long been the primary concern ofCentral European History(CEH), yet the journal has also been intimately tied to the lands of the former Habsburg monarchy. As the editor stated in the first issue, published in March 1968,CEHemerged “in response to a widespread demand for an American journal devoted to the history of German-speaking Central Europe,” following the demise of theJournal of Central European Affairsin 1964. The Conference Group for Central European History sponsoredCEH, as well as the recently mintedAustrian History Yearbook(AHY). Robert A. Kann, the editor ofAHY, sat on the editorial board ofCEH, whose second issue featured a trenchant review by István Deák of Arthur J. May'sThe Passing of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914–1918. The third issue contained the articles “The Defeat of Austria-Hungary in 1918 and the Balance of Power” by Kann, and Gerhard Weinberg's “The Defeat of Germany in 1918 and the Balance of Power.” That same year,East European Quarterlypublished its first issue.
Decentering Modern German History àl'américaine:A Look at the French Historiography
Authors: Kott Sandrine
Published: March 2018

Every good humanities journal emerges from and is produced by a specific scientific community that shapes its content and its style.Central European History(CEH) is no exception. For me, i.e., a French historian of Germany teaching at a Swiss university in Geneva,CEHisthejournal to read in order to follow the more recent and innovative English-language scholarship on the history of Germany and German-speaking countries. Most of the articles published in the journal are written by historians based in the United States or in the United Kingdom (and its dominions), and most of the books that are reviewed originate from the same community, with the notable exception of ones by German authors.
Retracing theSattelzeit: Thoughts on the Historiography of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Eras
Authors: Williamson George S.
Published: March 2018

The era of the French Revolution and the Napoleon Wars left a deep mark not only on political, social, and cultural life in German-speaking Europe, but also on German academic historiography as it emerged over the course of the nineteenth century. Both before and after the formation of theKaiserreich, professional historians like Leopold von Ranke, Johann Gustav Droysen, Heinrich von Sybel, and Heinrich von Treitschke sought in their scholarship to justify Prussia's leadership role in Germany, and the French revolutionary and Napoleonic years figured centrally in this effort. For Friedrich Meinecke, writing in the Wilhelmine years, a remembrance of this era was crucial if Germany was to retain its intellectual and moral bearings: “One thing is clear: the survival and continuity of German intellectual life is somehow related to the events between 1807 and 1815—the liberation of Germany from foreign rule, and the transformation of Prussia, her most powerful state, into a freer, more national political entity.” InDas Zeitalter der deutschen Erhebung(1906), Meinecke related the process by which the formerly apolitical, individualistic musings of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm von Humboldt, and Johann Gottlieb Fichte were given practical, political implementation in the reforms of Karl vom Stein, Karl von Hardenberg, and Gerhard von Scharnhorst, and then in the Wars of Liberation: “By descending to the state, the spirit not only preserved its own endangered existence as well as that of the state, it secured a reservoir of moral and psychological wealth, a wellspring of creative power for later generations.”
Short Covering Trades
Authors: Boehmer Ekkehart , Duong Truong X. , Huszár Zsuzsa R.
Published: March 2018

Short sellers are known to have private information about security prices. Empirical evidence of short selling, however, is based on only half of short sellers’ trading activity; specifically, the opening of the position. Using disclosed large-short-position data from the Japanese stock market, we provide the first detailed evidence of covering trades and find a positive reaction to short covering that only partially reverses. Although these results are consistent with substantial transaction costs for closing large short positions, they also reveal that some short sellers are privately informed about positive future events and have timing ability in covering positions.
To grow or to reproduce? Sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic allometry in two Sesarmidae species (Crustacea: Brachyura)
Authors: Marochi Murilo Zanetti , Costa Marcelo , Daldin Leite Renata , Da Cruz Isis Danniele Cury , Masunari Setuko
Published: March 2018

Differences between sexes may arise either during development or at the adult stage only. In both cases growth rate during development and level of allometry may influence sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic trajectories. To analyse the period in which sexual dimorphism appears during ontogeny and assess allometric ontogeny in Sesarmidae crabs, we evaluated: (1) sexual dimorphism in shape and size of the carapace and cheliped propodus of juveniles and adultAratus pisoniiandArmases rubripes, and (2) their ontogenetic trajectory, using geometric morphometric (GM) techniques. We tested the hypothesis that sexual dimorphism in sesarmid crab shape takes place before the puberty moult. InAratus pisoniithere was sexual dimorphism in the shape of the carapace in juveniles (before puberty moult) and variation between juveniles and adults was size-dependent, especially in the frontal region of the carapace. ForArmases rubripesthis shape sexual dimorphism was detected only after the puberty moult (adult phase). For males, carapace variation between juveniles and adults was also size-dependent, especially in the carapace frontal region, but for females, there was a change in shape with different trajectories. Our results also indicated that shape variation is a common pattern during growth for Sesarmidae species. This ontogenetic shape variation may be associated with spatial partitioning between juveniles and adults.
Political control and policy-making uncertainty in executive orders: the implementation of environmental justice policy
Authors: Provost Colin , Gerber Brian J.
Published: March 2018

Environmental justice (EJ) has represented an important equity challenge in policymaking for decades. President Clinton’s executive order (EO) 12898 in 1994 represented a significant federal action, requiring agencies to account for EJ issues in new rulemakings. We examine the impact of EO 12898 within the larger question of how EO are implemented in complex policymaking. We argue that presidential preferences will affect bureaucratic responsiveness and fire alarm oversight. However, EJ policy complexity produces uncertainty leading to bureaucratic risk aversion, constraining presidential efforts to steer policy. We utilise an original data set of nearly 2,000 final federal agency rules citing EO 12898 and find significant variation in its utilisation across administrations. Uncertainty over the nature of the order has an important influence on bureaucratic responsiveness. Our findings are instructive for the twin influences of political control and policy-making uncertainty and raise useful questions for future EJ and policy implementation research.
Morbidity, mortality and long-term sequelae of West Nile virus disease in Québec
Authors: Ouhoumanne N. , Lowe A-M. , Fortin A. , Kairy D. , Vibien A. , K-Lensch J. , Tannenbaum T-N. , Milord F.
Published: March 2018

We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of West Nile patients reported in Québec in 2012 and 2013 and to document physical, mental and functional status 24 months after symptom onset according to illness severity. The cases were recruited by a public health professional. Data were collected from public health files, medical records and two standardised phone questionnaires: the Short Form-36 and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. In all, 92 persons participated in the study (25 had West Nile fever (WNF), 18 had meningitis and 49 had encephalitis). Encephalitis participants were older, had more underlying medical conditions, more neurological symptoms, worse hospital course and higher lethality than meningitis or WNF participants. Nearly half of the surviving hospitalised encephalitis patients required extra support upon discharge. At 24-month follow-up, encephalitis and meningitis patients had a lower score in two domains of the mental component: mental health and social functioning (P = 0.0025 and 0.0297, respectively) compared with the norms based on age- and sex-matched Canadians. Physical status was not affected by West Nile virus (WNV) infection. In addition, 5/36 (15%) of encephalitis, 1/17 (6%) of meningitis and 1/23 (5%) of WNF participants had new functional limitations 24 months after symptom onset. In summary, mental and functional sequelae in encephalitis patients are likely to represent a source of long-term morbidity. Preventive measures should target patients at higher risk of severe illness after WNV infection.
The Gospel of Reform: The Social Gospel and Health Care Reform Attitudes
Authors: McDaniel Eric L. , Miller Kenneth M.
Published: March 2018

Most research on the social gospel, a religious interpretation that obliges people to care for the less fortunate and correct social inequalities, has focused on elite rhetoric. However, it is not clear the extent to which members of the public also adhere to this socioreligious philosophy. The moralistic tone of the 2010 health care reform debate has led many to argue that there is a revival of the social gospel. To what extent has this debate gained traction among citizens writ large? Which individuals will be most likely to be influenced by elite discourse that draws social gospel? Using two unique surveys and an experiment, we demonstrate that Social Gospel adherents have distinctive political attitudes. Specifically, they are more attentive to social policy issues and are more supportive of expanding the social safety net. Second, we demonstrate that elite rhetoric that draws from the Social Gospel tradition can influence policy preferences.
Caliphates and Juntas: Ottoman Legacies in Today's Controversies over Religion and State in the Arab World
Authors: Cole Juan
Published: March 2018

Egypt and Iraq display contrasting policies in the relationship between state and religion. Egypt's nationalist officer corps has subordinated political Islam, stigmatized the Muslim Brotherhood, and bended clerics to its will. While Arab Iraq presents two models, both hold a similar stance on religion: one an elected, parliamentary government dominated by political Islam and Shiite clerics; the other a theocratic Sunni caliphate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Egypt and Iraq are heirs to two differing Ottoman solutions to the problem of religion-state relations, the legacy of which is often overlooked. The most prevalent model subordinates clergy and religion to the state in the tradition of Mehmet I. This model is characteristic of the empire in its glory years and would have been recognized by Suleyman the Magnificent. In the other model, the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Hamidian caliphate, the head of state claimed temporal and religious authority to combat colonial penetration. Neither Ottoman nor colonial norms of governance, nor nationalist states succeeding them, developed methods to deal with multiethnic states or avoid a tyranny of the majority. Unlike the modernizing Ottoman caliphate, however, the caliphates of Mulla Omar and Ibrahim al-Samarra'i display a literalist reading of sharia and a ruthless disregard of humane prohibitions in mainstream Islamic law against killing innocents. Of the two models, the likely victor is the state-centric subordination of religion because latter-day caliphates have flourished only briefly as radical and sectarian movements in rugged territories where power vacuums existed.
Bronchoskopische Lungenvolumenreduktion beim schweren Emphysem: Ventile oder Coils?
Authors: Straub Gilles , Franzen Daniel
Published: March 2018

Zusammenfassung. Die endoskopische Lungenvolumenreduktion (ELVR) hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren in ausgewählten Patienten mit schwerem Lungenemphysem als valable Alternative zur chirurgischen Lungenvolumenreduktion etabliert. Die Wahl der ELVR-Technik richtet sich danach, ob zwischen dem zu behandelnden und dem benachbarten Lungenlappen Kollateralventilation vorhanden ist, was mittels computertomografischer und endoskopischer Techniken festgestellt werden kann. Als Vorteile der ELVR-Verfahren sind die geringe Invasivität mit entsprechend geringer Mortalität und Morbidität bei niedrigen Kosten zu nennen, zudem ist die Ventileinlage bei Bedarf reversibel. Die Wirksamkeit der ELVR-Verfahren (Ventile, Coils) wurde in mehreren prospektiven, randomisierten Studien belegt. Die Wahl des für den Patienten geeigneten Verfahrens zur Lungenvolumenreduktion sollte weiterhin in einer interdisziplinären Besprechung mit Thoraxchirurgen und spezialisierten Pneumologen erfolgen. La réduction du volume pulmonaire par endoscopie est devenue une importante alternative à la chirurgie chez les malades présentant un emphysème pulmonaire sévère. Le choix de la technique au niveau individuel dépend principalement de l’intégrité de la fissure interlobaire et de la présence d’une ventilation collatérale, cette dernière pouvant être déterminée par tomographie computérisée quantitative et des techniques endoscopiques. Les avantages de la réduction du volume pulmonaire par endoscopie consistent en son caractère minimalement invasif ( procédure utilisant un orifice naturel) et des coûts potentiellement réduits. Par ailleurs ce mode de réduction du volume pulmonaire permet de restaurer la ventilation en cas de besoin. Le choix de la technique appropriée chez un malade donné devrait être discuté de manière interdisciplinaire dans le cadre d’un groupe comportant des pneumologues interventionnels et des chirurgiens thoraciques.
Winter Conditions Are Changing Rapidly in Alpine Lake Ecosystems
Authors: Bruder Andreas , Kainz Martin , Tonolla Mauro
Published: March 2018

LimnoAlp Workshop; Lake Cadagno, Switzerland, 10–15 September 2017
Instability of expanding bacterial droplets
Authors: Sokolov Andrey , Rubio Leonardo Dominguez , Brady John F. , Aranson Igor S.
Published: March 2018

Suspensions of motile bacteria or synthetic microswimmers, termed active matter, manifest a remarkable propensity for self-organization, and formation of large-scale coherent structures. Most active matter research deals with almost homogeneous in space systems and little is known about the dynamics of strongly heterogeneous active matter. Here we report on experimental and theoretical studies on the expansion of highly concentrated bacterial droplets into an ambient bacteria-free fluid. The droplet is formed beneath a rapidly rotating solid macroscopic particle inserted in the suspension. We observe vigorous instability of the droplet reminiscent of a violent explosion. The phenomenon is explained in terms of continuum first-principle theory based on the swim pressure concept. Our findings provide insights into the dynamics of active matter with strong density gradients and significantly expand the scope of experimental and analytic tools for control and manipulation of active systems.
High temperature measurements and condensed matter analysis of the thermo-physical properties of ThO2
Authors: Pavlov T. R. , Wangle T. , Wenman M. R. , Tyrpekl V. , Vlahovic L. , Robba D. , Van Uffelen P. , Konings R. J. M. , Grimes R. W.
Published: March 2018

Values are presented for thermal conductivity, specific heat, spectral and total hemispherical emissivity of ThO2 (a potential nuclear fuel material) in a temperature range representative of a nuclear accident - 2000 K to 3050 K. For the first time direct measurements of thermal conductivity have been carried out on ThO2 at such high temperatures, clearly showing the property does not decrease above 2000 K. This could be understood in terms of an electronic contribution (arising from defect induced donor/acceptor states) compensating the degradation of lattice thermal conductivity. The increase in total hemispherical emissivity and visible/near-infrared spectral emissivity is consistent with the formation of donor/acceptor states in the band gap of ThO2. The electronic population of these defect states increases with temperature and hence more incoming photons (in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range) can be absorbed. A solid state physics model is used to interpret the experimental results. Specific heat and thermal expansion coefficient increase at high temperatures due to the formation of defects, in particular oxygen Frenkel pairs. Prior to melting a gradual increase to a maximum value is predicted in both properties. These maxima mark the onset of saturation of oxygen interstitial sites.