bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A mechanism of leading-edge protrusion in the absence of Arp2/3 complex
Authors: Suraneni Praveen , Fogelson Ben , Rubinstein Boris , Noguera Philippe , Volkmann Niels , Hanein Dorit , Mogilner Alex , Li Rong
Published: January 2015

In the absence of the Arp2/3 complex, fibroblast cells adopt a leading edge with filopodia-like protrusions (FLPs) and maintain an ability to move. In this study, it is proposed that formins are required for the extension of FLPs and myosin II concentrated in arc-like regions in between FLPs is required for coordinated advancement of these regions.
Examining the Relationship between the Use of Supermarkets and Over‐nutrition in Indonesia
Authors: Umberger Wendy J. , He Xiaobo , Minot Nicholas , Toiba Hery
Published: January 2015

This study examines the relationship between the use of modern food retailers and health outcomes using data from a survey of 1,180 urban households in Indonesia. The dependent variables include adult and child body‐mass index and the share of individuals overweight and obese. After controlling for individual and household characteristics and using standard and Lewbel instrumental variable approaches to control for unobservable characteristics, we do not find a statistically significant relationship between use of supermarkets and adult nutrition measures. On the other hand, there is mixed evidence for a negative effect of supermarkets on child nutrition, particularly for those in high‐income households.
The anisotropic network model web server at 2015 (ANM 2.0)
Authors: Eyal Eran , Lum Gengkon , Bahar Ivet
Published: January 2015

Summary: The anisotropic network model (ANM) is one of the simplest yet powerful tools for exploring protein dynamics. Its main utility is to predict and visualize the collective motions of large complexes and assemblies near their equilibrium structures. The ANM server, introduced by us in 2006 helped making this tool more accessible to non-sophisticated users. We now provide a new version (ANM 2.0), which allows inclusion of nucleic acids and ligands in the network model and thus enables the investigation of the collective motions of protein–DNA/RNA and –ligand systems. The new version offers the flexibility of defining the system nodes and the interaction types and cutoffs. It also includes extensive improvements in hardware, software and graphical interfaces.

Availability and implementation: ANM 2.0 is available at http://anm.csb.pitt.edu

Contact:  eran.eyal@sheba.health.gov.il, eyal.eran@gmail.com
Selection of models for the analysis of risk-factor trees: leveraging biological knowledge to mine large sets of risk factors with application to microbiome data
Authors: Zhang Qunyuan , Abel Haley , Wells Alan , Lenzini Petra , Gomez Felicia , Province Michael A. , Templeton Alan A. , Weinstock George M. , Salzman Nita H. , Borecki Ingrid B.
Published: January 2015

Motivation: Establishment of a statistical association between microbiome features and clinical outcomes is of growing interest because of the potential for yielding insights into biological mechanisms and pathogenesis. Extracting microbiome features that are relevant for a disease is challenging and existing variable selection methods are limited due to large number of risk factor variables from microbiome sequence data and their complex biological structure.

Results: We propose a tree-based scanning method, Selection of Models for the Analysis of Risk factor Trees (referred to as SMART-scan), for identifying taxonomic groups that are associated with a disease or trait. SMART-scan is a model selection technique that uses a predefined taxonomy to organize the large pool of possible predictors into optimized groups, and hierarchically searches and determines variable groups for association test. We investigate the statistical properties of SMART-scan through simulations, in comparison to a regular single-variable analysis and three commonly-used variable selection methods, stepwise regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and classification and regression tree (CART). When there are taxonomic group effects in the data, SMART-scan can significantly increase power by using bacterial taxonomic information to split large numbers of variables into groups. Through an application to microbiome data from a vervet monkey diet experiment, we demonstrate that SMART-scan can identify important phenotype-associated taxonomic features missed by single-variable analysis, stepwise regression, LASSO and CART.

Availability and implementation: The SMART-scan approach is implemented in R and is available at https://dsgweb.wustl.edu/qunyuan/software/smartscan/

Contact: qunyuan@wustl.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Clonality inference in multiple tumor samples using phylogeny
Authors: Malikic Salem , McPherson Andrew W. , Donmez Nilgun , Sahinalp Cenk S.
Published: January 2015

Motivation: Intra-tumor heterogeneity presents itself through the evolution of subclones during cancer progression. Although recent research suggests that this heterogeneity has clinical implications, in silico determination of the clonal subpopulations remains a challenge.

Results: We address this problem through a novel combinatorial method, named clonality inference in tumors using phylogeny (CITUP), that infers clonal populations and their frequencies while satisfying phylogenetic constraints and is able to exploit data from multiple samples. Using simulated datasets and deep sequencing data from two cancer studies, we show that CITUP predicts clonal frequencies and the underlying phylogeny with high accuracy.

Availability and implementation: CITUP is freely available at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/citup/.

Contact:  cenk@sfu.ca

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Top-down vs. bottom-up drivers of recruitment in a key marine invertebrate: investigating early life stages of snow crab
Authors: Émond Kim , Sainte-Marie Bernard , Galbraith Peter S. , Bêty Joël
Published: January 2015

Many snow crab fisheries have fluctuated widely over time in a quasi-cyclic way due to highly variable recruitment. The causes of this variability are still debated. Bottom-up processes related to climate variability may strongly affect growth and survival during early life, whereas top-down predator effects may be a major source of juvenile mortality. Moreover, intrinsic density-dependent processes, which have received much less attention, are hypothetically responsible for the cycles in recruitment. This study explored how climate, larval production, intercohort cannibalism and groundfish predation may have affected recruitment of early juvenile snow crab in the northwest Gulf of St Lawrence (eastern Canada) over a period of 23 years. Abundance of early juvenile snow crabs (2.5–22.9 mm in carapace width), representing the first 3 years of benthic life, came from an annual trawl survey and was used to determine cohort strength. Analyses revealed a cyclic pattern in abundance of 0+ crabs that may arise from cohort resonant effects. This pattern consisted of three recruitment pulses but was reduced to two pulses by age 2+, while the interannual variability of cohort strength was dampened. This reconfiguration of the earliest recruitment pattern was dictated primarily by bottom water temperature and cannibalism, which progressively overruled the pre-settlement factors of larval production and surface water temperature that best explained abundance of 0+ crabs. The results strongly suggest that bottom-up and density-dependent processes prevail over top-down control in setting the long-term trends and higher-frequency oscillations of snow crab early recruitment patterns.
Invasive Treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Zernikow Boris , Wager Julia , Brehmer Hannah , Hirschfeld Gerrit , Maier Christoph
Published: January 2015

AbstractAbstract

This review aimed to synthesize the current evidence on the effectiveness of invasive treatments for complex regional pain syndrome in children and adolescents. Studies on children and adolescents with complex regional pain syndrome that evaluated the effects of invasive treatment were identified in PubMed (search March 2013). Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Articles reported on a total of 173 children and adolescents with complex regional pain syndrome. Generally, many studies lack methodological quality. The invasive treatments applied most often were singular sympathetic blocks, followed by epidural catheters and continuous sympathetic blocks. Rarely, spinal cord stimulation and pain-directed surgeries were reported. An individual patient frequently received more than one invasive procedure. Concerning outcome, for approximately all patients, an improvement in pain and functional disability was reported. However, these outcomes were seldom assessed with validated tools. In conclusion, the evidence level for invasive therapies in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome in children and adolescents is weak.

Invasive treatments applied most often in children and adolescents with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome are singular sympathetic blocks, epidural catheters, and continuous sympathetic blocks. However, the current evidence on the effectiveness of this treatment is weak.
Resource allocation and service design in local government: a case study
Authors: Alam Manzurul
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Following the introduction of the New Zealand Local Government Amendment Acts (1996, 2002), some significant changes have taken place in resource allocation and service design of local government organizations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of local government reforms on budgetary processes and service design in a New Zealand local government entity.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper adopts a qualitative case study research involving semi-structured interviews with the key informants to understand the evolving role of resource allocation the study investigates the budgetary processes in a metropolitan city council.

Findings

– The traditional role of budget has changed to a more active and visible instrument in explaining the effectiveness and efficiency in the use and allocation of resources. Budgets have been given a central role in the management of local government finances. The reform process in New Zealand has enabled local government organizations to organize their activities by using the concepts of public and private goods.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a single local government entity case study. Any generalization of the conclusions from this study should undertaken with care even though there are similarities between New Zealand and other countries even though they operate under different institutional contexts in different countries.

Originality/value

– This paper makes important contribution by highlighting the implications of resource allocation on service design within New Zealand local government entities.
Outcomes of public health reform – service availability in rural areas
Authors: Immonen Mika , Vilko Jyri , Koivuniemi Jouni , Laasonen Kaisu
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the availability and demanded locations of health care services in a rural context. The authors analyse subjective experiences because mobility and other individual factors influence the availability of public services.

Design/methodology/approach

– Results from a mail survey in southeastern Finland are presented. Data collection was conducted using a random sample of 3,000 people from age 60 to 90 years. A total of 1,121 valid responses were received.

Findings

– The acceptable distance to service sites depends on learned behaviour where differences exist between suburban and rural residents. The authors found that service networks can be sparser in rural areas if the service sites are located in the daily activity space of the residents and travel burdens caused by distance and time are adequately solved. However, continuous downscaling of the provision may lead to the loss of health benefits which is harmful for individuals and expensive for society.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should assess a broader variety of residential areas from the perspective of service availability. The results presented do not enable a direct comparison of the service availability between cities and sparsely populated rural areas.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the debate on access barriers to public service in rural regions. The question of availability of public services is topical because increasing overall demand requires urgent productivity improvements in public services. Currently this is solved by centralisation to search economies of scale.
Portfolio management of development projects in Danish municipalities
Authors: Stentoft Arlbjørn Jan , Freytag Per Vagn , Thoms Lisa
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Danish municipalities are undergoing continuous changes. An important part of these changes are the introduction and implementation of a wide range of development projects. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the challenges of initiation and implementation of development projects in municipalities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The focus is on development projects, which are defined as projects undertaken to improve the workflow and processes of administrative functions in municipalities. The empirical component is based on two pilot interviews in two municipalities and a quantitative questionnaire distributed to all Danish municipalities.

Findings

– Extant literature contains limited contributions regarding the overall management of development projects in municipalities. There seems to be an awareness of the importance of developing working procedures to ensure greater efficiency in Danish municipalities, but this development is often not prioritised relative to operational tasks. The absence of prioritisation is an indication of the potential for improving the portfolio management of development projects.

Research limitations/implications

– The response to the quantitative questionnaire is provided by one employee in a municipality. As such, the research may reveal the views of one individual in particular and not those of the municipality in general.

Practical implications

– The paper provides empirical evidence of the ambidextrous challenges in the context of public sector management. At a more generic level, the paper highlights the importance of improving portfolio management of development projects.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first that one to focus on the orchestration of development projects in the public sector (here analysed through Danish municipalities). Management and control of such projects is much more sensitive to political decision processes than are similar tasks in the private sector.
Antecedents to local store loyalty: influence of culture, cosmopolitanism and price
Authors: Pandey Shivendra , Khare Arpita , Bhardwaj Preshth
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Cosmopolitanism is on the rise in India and traditionally shoppers have been known to patronize local stores. There is a need therefore to see the effect of cosmopolitanism and culture in context of loyalty towards local stores. Grocery items constitute major portion of purchase from local stores, therefore, pricing was also considered as a variable affecting store loyalty. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper used conclusive approach using a structured questionnaire for survey. The sample consisted of 710 respondents. There was almost an equal representation of both genders and also of metropolitan and non-metropolitan consumers.

Findings

– Culture and price affected local store loyalty directly. Cosmopolitanism was not found to have direct effect on loyalty. Within cultural dimensions, masculinity emerged as the most dominating trait. Minor modifications in cultural scale and major modifications in local store loyalty and cosmopolitanism are also suggested.

Research limitations/implications

– The study focuses only on three factors: price, culture, and cosmopolitanism. It does not examine influence of variables like personal values, lifestyle, and personality on local store loyalty behaviour. The research did not examine relationship between nature and type of product purchase decisions and its impact on store choice.

Practical implications

– Local stores need not be unduly worried with the incoming of organized players. The organized players should try to be cheaper and learn some tactics of local stores like customization, etc. There is a case for allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.

Originality/value

– Cosmopolitanism not affecting the local store loyalty directly is the original contribution of the paper. The finding casts doubts on the growth strategy of organized retailers who are opening new stores with the thinking that cosmopolitan consumer will shop from them instead of local retailers.
Impact of organizational justice on job performance in libraries
Authors: Shan Sidra , Ishaq Hafiz Muhammad , Shaheen Maqsood Ahmad
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of leader-member exchange in the relationship between organizational justice and job performance. The study primarily focused on the perception of university libraries personnel regarding organizational justice practices and the quality of their relationship with their supervisors and how such perceptions predict their job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study tested a sample of 15 university libraries of Islamabad, Pakistan. Data were accumulated through questionnaire and analyzed on SPSS. Descriptive and correlation analysis showed the positive and significant relationship between all variables. Series of separate hierarchical regression analysis were used to test the hypothesis.

Findings

– The result revealed that all three kinds of organizational justices (distributive justice, procedural justice and interactional justice) predict the job performance but interactional justice along with leader-member exchange impacts more strongly on job performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The result of this study will assist the library leadership to foster a greater sense of employee worth and teamwork among staff members by implementing organizational justice practices. The study would also enhance the interest of Pakistani Library Information Science professionals and researchers toward behavioral aspects of library administration. Limitation: The results of this study may not be generalized to all universities and other industries of Pakistan as data is collected only from 15 universities of Pakistan. Second, interpretations of results are limited by the cross-sectional design of study and does not allow casual conclusion.

Originality/value

– According to researcher knowledge very few studies have been conducted on the management side of libraries in Pakistan. This paper is the first study in Pakistan Librarianship that examines the linkage between organizational justice, leader-member exchange and job performance.
A conceptual model of Open Access Institutional Repository in Indonesia academic libraries
Authors: Farida Ida , Tjakraatmadja Jann Hidajat , Firman Aries , Basuki Sulistyo
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to attempt to build a conceptual model of Open Access Institutional Repositories (OAIR) in Indonesia academic libraries, viewed from knowledge management (KM) perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

– Literature-based conceptual analysis of previous studies related to open access, institutional repositories viewed from KM perpective.

Findings

– The conceptual model of OAIR emphasizes three variables – people collaboration, process, and technology functions. These variables, with their many elements, are integrated together in order to help the university or Higher Education (HE) institution in capturing its own scholarship produced as a whole. Besides, that integration aims at facilitating knowledge sharing so as to enrich knowledge content and to enhance global access. A process chart of OAIR based on the conceptual model is built to illustrate knowledge content recruitment in Indonesia academic libraries.

Research limitations/implications

– The conceptual model proposed in this paper is not yet formally tested. It needs more research to understand the Indonesian context of OAIR to build a more accurate model, based on the experiences in developing and implementing OAIR in Indonesia HE institutions.

Originality/value

– Many academic libraries in Indonesia develop OAIR to increase the visibility of the scholarship of the parent HE institution. It is significant to view the practice of OAIR in academic library from the KM perspective. KM implementation is almost unheard of in Indonesia universities. However, The OAIR phenomenon in Indonesia academic libraries can be viewed as a KM initiative.
Identifying values of special library professionals of India with reference to the JOCLAI Code of Ethics
Authors: Dutta Nandini
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify a shared set of professional values relevant to the special library professionals of India. This paper deals only with the process of compilation of a master list of relevant values which is a prerequisite for a survey to study preferences of values of the community of library professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

– Review of literature, both Indian and international, and content analysis were undertaken to develop a set of common professional values relevant to the Indian special library professionals. Findings of empirical studies on core values and statements of core values of library associations provided the basis for identifying the values.

Findings

– The final shortlisted 16 common core values relevant to the Indian special library professionals include: accountability, collaboration, confidentiality, copyright, cultural diversity, diversity of opinion, equality of access, information literacy, innovation, integrity, intellectual freedom, leadership, literacy, preservation of the record, professional neutrality and service. This master list of values has been derived from the merger of the lists of values derived from JOCLAI Code of Ethics and Koehleret al.’s list along with SLA’s statement of core values. This list can be also used with some modifications for study of preferences of core values of all sections of the Indian library professionals.

Originality/value

– This paper is about an original initiative undertaken to develop a set of core values relevant to both the special library professionals and the Indian library professionals in general.
Collection development and management within public libraries in Delhi
Authors: Kaur Prabhjeet , Walia Paramjeet Kaur
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to find out about the collection development and management in the public libraries governed by the government or its agencies in Delhi and compare them with the international standards for public libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

– In all, Delhi has three chains of public libraries namely Delhi Public Library (DPL), like Hardayal Municipal Public Library (HMPL) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) public libraries. The librarian/heads of selected branches were approached with a structured questionnaire aimed at collecting information on the collection development and managements in these libraries and selected branches. The data were then analysed and interpreted.

Findings

– It was found that with the advent of ICT and its impact on the society, it is evident that the public libraries are not making the desired effort to reach out to the public and make it more appealing to the users. The main problem with the library remains to be the lack of membership. A few initiatives have been taken, but still there were not many digital services being provided by these public libraries in the present day digital environment.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was limited to the public libraries within the physical region of Delhi only.

Practical implications

– The evaluation sheds light on the existing scenario of public libraries in Delhi and may contribute in their future development.

Social implications

– With the acceptance of the international standards as suggested in the study, the public libraries in Delhi would be better able to provide information resources and services to the masses. The better learned masses make the society more advanced. An information rich society would thus lead to an overall growth and development of the state.

Originality/value

– There have been many studies in the past on DPL but none have intended to cover other public libraries chains like HMPL and NDMC public libraries which are governed by the government or its agencies and are established with aim of imparting information to the population of Delhi. Also, a similar the comparison with international standards was never done earlier.
Comparison of core full text coverage in CINAHL Complete, ProQuest’s Nursing and Allied Health Source and Lippincott Wilkins and Wilson’s Nursing & Health Professionals Premier Collection
Authors: McGowan Beth , Ayers Meredith
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to assess relative full-text coverage of core nursing and allied health journals in three databases: CINAHL Complete, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source and Lippincott Wilkins and Wilson (LWW)’s Nursing & Health Professionals Premier Collection.

Design/methodology/approach

– The 2012 Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section (NAHRS) of the MLA list of 213 core nursing journals and the 1996 Brandon Hill list of 75 important allied journals were checked against full-text coverage of the three databases.

Findings

– CINAHL Complete provided 126 of 213 titles or 59 per cent of NAHRS titles and 31 of 75 or 41 per cent of the Brandon Hill titles; ProQuest provided 74 of 213 titles or 35 per cent of NAHRS titles and 27 of 75 or 36 per cent of the Brandon Hill titles; LWW provided 42 of 213 or 20 per cent of NAHRS titles and 5 of 75 or 6 per cent of the Brandon Hill titles.

Research limitations/implications

– If researchers have access to CINAHL Complete, they have access with that single database to significant coverage of quality nursing and allied health titles. The other two databases provide additional coverage and some unique title coverage, but their offerings are more limited.

Originality/value

– As no studies comparing full-text coverage of core nursing and allied health journals in three databases, CINAHL Complete, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source and LWW’s Nursing & Health Professionals Premier Collection, exist, this study fills that need for librarians.
Organizational learning, knowledge management practices and firm’s performance
Authors: Jain Ajay K. , Moreno Ana
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The study aims at investigating the impact of organizational learning (OL) on the firm’s performance and knowledge management (KM) practices in a heavy engineering organization in India.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data were collected from 205 middle and senior executives working in the project engineering management division of a heavy engineering public sector organization. The organization manufactures power generation equipment. Questionnaires were administered to collect the data from the respondents.

Findings

– Results were analyzed using the exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis techniques. The findings showed that all the factors of OL, i.e. collaboration and team working, performance management, autonomy and freedom, reward and recognition and achievement orientation were found to be the positive predictors of different dimensions of firm’s performance and KM practices.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications are discussed to improve the OL culture to enhance the KM practices so that firm’s performance could be sustained financially or otherwise. The study is conducted in one division of a large public organization, hence generalizability is limited.

Originality/value

– This is an original study carried out in a large a heavy engineering organization in India that validates the theory of OL and KM in the Indian context.
A Bioecological framework to evaluate communicative participation outcomes for preschoolers receiving speech–language therapy interventions in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Cunningham Barbara J. , Rosenbaum Peter L.
Published: January 2015

Background

The Preschool Speech and Language Program (PSLP) in Ontario, Canada, is a publically funded intervention service for children from birth to 5 years with communication disorders. It has begun a population‐level programme evaluation of children's communicative participation outcomes following therapy. Data are currently being collected for all children who access this service—over 50 000 children each year.

Aims

To understand and evaluate how therapeutic interventions in speech–language therapy impact the everyday lives of children and families by applying a theoretical framework.

Main Contribution

This discussion paper critically examines how the Bioecological Model of Development can be applied to the study of communicative participation outcomes following speech and language therapy. This model will be used in future analyses of communicative participation outcomes data in Ontario's PSLP. The strengths and challenges of this approach are reviewed.
Gezi Park Protests in Turkey: A Party Politics View
Authors: YARDIMCI‐GEYİKÇİ ŞEBNEM
Published: January 2015

One year on from the widespread protests in Turkey, the question of why small environmental protests against the building of a shopping mall on Gezi Park in the centre of Istanbul turned into the biggest example of mass civil movement in the republic's history remains unanswered. This article suggests that one can easily detect signs of instability and social unrest in the country long before these mass demonstrations took place. By analysing the evolution of the Turkish party system over the past decade, I argue that the political upheaval in the country is the result of a crisis of representation. This has two aspects: a high degree of polarisation has left certain segments of society unrepresented, while the AKP government has ceased to maintain the balance between responsiveness and responsibility.
The ‘Othering’ of ‘Red Ed’, or How the Daily Mail ‘Framed’ the British Labour Leader
Authors: GABER IVOR
Published: January 2015

This article takes as its starting point the attack on the late Ralph Miliband, the left‐wing intellectual and father of the current Labour leader Ed Miliband, by the Daily Mail in late 2013. It argues that this attack was a response by the Mail to its failed campaign to dub the Labour leader ‘Red Ed’. The article demonstrates that ever since Miliband won the Labour leadership in 2009, the Mail has sought to ‘other’ him by presenting him as ‘alien’—this by constant references to his Jewish background, his upbringing in a wealthy North London intellectual milieu, his supposed extreme left‐wing views and his ineffable ‘oddness’—at least, an oddness as characterised by the newspaper. The paper will conclude by asking why the Daily Mail's ‘Red Ed’ moniker failed to catch on, while noting that their ‘Odd Ed’ moniker seems to have had more resonance.
Proving, Pleasing and Persuading? Rhetoric in Contemporary British Politics
Authors: FINLAYSON ALAN
Published: January 2015

Expressions of disaffection with politics are often connected with criticism of the ways in which contemporary politicians speak and communicate. In this article I show how political speech is in part a product of the way in which a society organises and arranges communication institutionally, technologically and aesthetically. The art of rhetoric is most fundamentally concerned with how, in the midst of political dispute and contestation, political arguments may be made persuasive through their connection with the ‘common sense’ of audiences. This process enables a people to reflect on its beliefs and values and to assess their adequacy in particular circumstances. Decline in this art may be attributed to social and technological change but also, and above all, to the dominance of ideologies hostile to the concepts of ‘common sense’ and ‘common good’, and which privilege the arts of behaviour change and choice management over those of argument, debate and persuasion.
Beyond Hollowing Out: Straitjacketing the State
Authors: CLIFTON JUDITH
Published: January 2015

For two decades, the metaphor of ‘hollowing out’ dominated discussions about the changing role of the state in delivering public services. Today, this metaphor no longer captures important contemporary developments. European Union policy has expanded deeper and deeper into public service sectors, increasingly constraining government's capacities to deliver these services. I suggest a new metaphor to capture this: straitjacketing the state. People are straitjacketed when they are perceived to be at risk of damaging themselves through self‐harm. Straitjacketing the state occurs when a state signs up to a new set of supranational rules which purportedly will help avoid it damaging itself, by restricting room for localised inefficient practices. However, due to the strength of the straitjacket, governments become significantly restricted in choosing policies for domestic implementation according to their preferences.
The Role of Undisclosed Reserves in English Open Outcry Auctions
Authors: Stevenson Simon , Young James
Published: January 2015

This study considers the role that reserve prices may play in residential property auctions. In comparison to much of the previous empirical work, this study has access to undisclosed reserve prices from English auctions. Consistent with theoretical arguments in the auction literature, the results obtained illustrate that while higher reserve prices increase the revenue obtained for the seller, they also reduce the probability of sale. The findings also highlight the importance of auction participation, with the number of individual bidders and the number of bids significant in most specifications.
Dental and Chronological Age in Children Under Oncological Treatment
Authors: Flores Antonieta Pérez , Monti Claudia Fierro , Brunotto Mabel
Published: January 2015

The current oncology treatment has improved the survival of children with several types of cancer, and the effect of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatment on dental maturation in comparison with chronological age is not widely known. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare the impact of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatment during dental maturation with chronological age in Chilean children diagnosed with cancer. Study Design was cross‐sectional study on children diagnosed with different types of cancer and treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy when they were ages of 0.1 to 13 years. Demirjian tables for both girls and boys are used to determine the dental age. The association between chronological and dental age was highly significant. Nevertheless, a linear relation between chronological and dental age was not observed when the data were stratified by BMI and type of treatment. This study confirmed that dental age is an indicator of chronological age but that other variables, such as body mass index, in children with cancer could be confounder variables. Thus, further studies are necessary to investigate the influence of BMI on tooth eruption/maturation in children under oncological treatment.
Genetic Variants in KCNE1, KCNQ1, and NOS1AP in Sudden Unexplained Death During Daily Activities in Chinese Han Population
Authors: Huang Jinglu , Wang Xiaoguang , Hao Bo , Chen Yijiu , Liu Hong , Quan Li , Tang Dawei , Sheng Lihui , Li Ming , Huang Erwen , Liu Chao , Luo Bin
Published: January 2015

Fifty‐six sudden unexplained death (SUD) cases were collected from Chinese Han population, which occurred during daily activities and were autopsy negative in comprehensive postmortem autopsy. The coding exons of potassium channel genes KCNE1, KCNQ1, and nitric oxide synthase gene NOS1AP were sequenced. A synonymous mutation, KCNE1 F54F T>C was identified in 2 SUD cases, which was absent in the control subjects. Neither genotype nor allele frequencies of KCNE1 and KCNQ1 exhibited a significant difference between the SUD and control group. In contrast, the allele frequency (p = 2.7 × 10−10) and genotype frequency (p = 5.9 × 10−7) of rs3751284, and the genotype frequency (p = 2.9 × 10−2) of rs348624 in NOS1AP of SUD were significantly different from that of controls (p < 0.05). Our study suggested that rs3751284 and rs348624 might be susceptibility loci for SUD during daily activities. Larger sample sizes and further molecular studies are needed to confirm or exclude an effect of the NOS1AP SNPs on SUD risk.
Ammonia‐oxidizing Bacteria of the Nitrosospira cluster 1 dominate over ammonia‐oxidizing Archaea in oligotrophic surface sediments near the South Atlantic Gyre
Authors: Lagostina Lorenzo , Goldhammer Tobias , Røy Hans , Evans Thomas W. , Lever Mark A. , Jørgensen Bo B. , Petersen Dorthe G. , Schramm Andreas , Schreiber Lars
Published: January 2015

Sediments across the Namibian continental margin feature a strong microbial activity gradient at their surface. This is reflected in ammonium concentrations of < 10 μM in oligotrophic abyssal plain sediments near the South Atlantic Gyre compared with ammonium concentrations of > 700 μM in upwelling areas near the coast. Here we address changes in apparent abundance and structure of ammonia‐oxidizing archaeal and bacterial communities (AOA and AOB) along a transect of seven sediment stations across the Namibian shelf by analysing their respective ammonia monooxygenase genes (amoA). The relative abundance of archaeal and bacterial amoA (g−1 DNA) decreased with increasing ammonium concentrations, and bacterial amoA frequently outnumbered archaeal amoA at the sediment–water interface [0–1 cm below seafloor (cmbsf)]. In contrast, AOA were apparently as abundant as AOB or dominated in several deeper (> 10 cmbsf), anoxic sediment layers. Phylogenetic analyses showed a change within the AOA community along the transect, from two clusters without cultured representatives at the gyre to Nitrososphaera and Nitrosopumilus clusters in the upwelling region. AOB almost exclusively belonged to the Nitrosospira cluster 1. Our results suggest that this predominantly marine AOB lineage without cultured representatives can thrive at low ammonium concentrations and is active in the marine nitrogen cycle.
Defining reintroduction success using IUCN criteria for threatened species: a demographic assessment
Authors: Robert A. , Colas B. , Guigon I. , Kerbiriou C. , Mihoub J‐B. , Saint‐Jalme M. , Sarrazin F.
Published: January 2015

Despite recent efforts to develop the science of reintroduction biology, there is still no general and broadly accepted definition of reintroduction success. We investigate this issue based on the postulates (1) that successful reintroduction programs should produce viable populations and (2) that reliable assessments of ultimate success require that populations have reached their regulation phase. We assessed if the viability of these reintroduced populations could be evaluated using the same criteria as for remnant populations, such as the Internation Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. Using modeling, we projected the viabilities of theoretical populations with various life history and environmental characteristics and we tested whether population sizes (criterion D of the IUCN) and other potential predictors are relevant proxies of the risk of extinction (criterion E of the IUCN) in the case of remnant populations with an unknown past history and in the case of reintroduced populations that have reached their carrying capacity. We found that, as for remnant populations, population size can be used as a relevant indicator (although subject to considerable uncertainty) of the viability of reintroduced populations. However, the results demonstrate the importance of the reintroduction failure filter, that is, the fact that the reintroduced populations that have successfully reached their carrying capacity are those with the highest and more stable growth rates, especially if populations have been reintroduced with a few individuals. As a consequence, the general relationship between the current size of a population and its projected viability will, most likely, differ considerably between remnant and reintroduced populations. Overall, our results demonstrate that there are no theoretical limitations on the application of some of the criteria widely used for remnant populations to define reintroduction success, although these criteria are very conservative for reintroduced populations and might be rescaled to account for the demographic filter that early extinction constitutes for these populations.
On the Importance of the Traders’ Rules for Pricing Options: Evidence From Intraday Data
Authors: Kim Sol , Lee Changjun
Published: January 2015

Using intraday data from the KOSPI 200 Index options, we examine the pricing performance of alternative option pricing models. For comparison, we consider the Black and Scholes (Journal of Political Economy, 81, 1973, 637) model, a simple traders’ rule known as the ad hoc Black‐Scholes model, the deterministic volatility model, the stochastic volatility model, and the stochastic volatility with jumps model. Contrary to the findings of Jackwerth and Rubinstein (Recovering stochastic processes from option prices), Li and Pearson (A “horse race” among competing option pricing models using S&P 500 Index options), and Kim (Journal of Futures Markets, 29, 2009, 999) using daily data, we find that the most complicated model, namely the stochastic volatility with jumps model, shows the best performance for pricing the KOSPI 200 Index options. Overall, our evidence from intraday data indicates that the traders’ rules do not dominate mathematically more sophisticated models.
A Decomposition of Korean Sovereign Bond Yields: Joint Estimation Using Sovereign CDS and Bond Data
Authors: Kim Jungmu , Lee Changjun
Published: January 2015

We suggest a methodology to decompose sovereign bond yields into four components (risk‐free, default risk, risk premium, and non‐default) using both sovereign credit default swaps and bond data. Applying the methodology to one of the largest emerging markets, Korea, we find that each fraction varies over time and across bonds. In addition, the default risk accounts for only a small fraction of sovereign yield spreads, and a substantial portion is attributable to risk premium and non‐default components. In particular, the risk premium is substantially time‐varying; moreover, it increases in order to account for a major portion of the heightened yield spread during a financial crisis, implying that global investors prefer to hold safer assets. Therefore, higher risk premiums per unit risk are required than before. Our findings provide evidence on both flight‐to‐quality and time‐varying risk premium.
High Speed Equities Trading: 1993–2012
Authors: Stoll Hans R.
Published: January 2015

High speed trading has drawn the attention of regulators who fear that such trading harms markets and leads to excessive speculation. The Flash Crash of May 6, 2010 is taken as evidence of the potential harmful effects of high frequency trading. On the other hand, some view high frequency trading as a manifestation of technological advances that have reduced the optimal trade size and improved order routing. From that perspective, high speed trading is a continuation of a long‐standing trend to more rapid and more efficient trading. This study shows that the speed of trading has changed dramatically. The average number of trades per day for large cap New York Stock Exchange stocks has risen from about 500 to more than 40 000 in the period 1993–2011. At the same time, the average trade size has fallen from 1600 shares to 200 shares. The ultimate sources of these changes are the technology that has automated almost all aspects of trading and the regulatory developments that have helped reduce bid‐ask spreads and made markets more accessible. The result of these developments is that markets are considerably more liquid and less costly. High frequency traders draw on this liquidity and also contribute to it.
Icariside II prevents high‐glucose‐induced injury on human cavernous endothelial cells through Akt‐eNOS signaling pathway
Authors: Li H. , Xu Y. , Guan R. , Matheu M. , Lei H. , Tian W. , Gao Z. , Lin G. , Guo Y. , Xin Z. , Song W.
Published: January 2015

Dysfunction of human cavernous endothelial cells (HCECs) is a common pathological alteration caused by elevated high blood glucose levels associated with diabetes. To explore the protective effects of Icariside II (ICA II) on human cavernous endothelial cells, HCECs were isolated from non‐diabetic human donors, cultured under high glucose (HG) conditions and treated with ICA II. The cell apoptosis and proliferation, expression of Ki67 and Erk1/2, antioxidant capacity, and expression of Akt and eNOS were examined. Changes in cell apoptosis and proliferation indicated that HG treatment inhibited HCEC proliferation with lower percentage of Ki67‐positive cells and lower expression and phosphorylation of Erk1/2. Furthermore, the total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) of HCECs was reduced under HG conditions. In line with these findings, both expression and phosphorylation of Akt as well as eNOS was down regulated after HG treatment. The reduction in proliferative capacity, p‐Erk1/2, p‐Akt, and p‐eNOS were partially prevented by ICA II in a concentration‐dependent manner. The protective effects of ICA II rescued HCEC from injury and dysfunction induced by HG in vitro. ICA II may be a candidate for prevention of the development of diabetic erectile dysfunction.
Infliximab reverses inflammatory muscle wasting (sarcopenia) in Crohn's disease
Authors: Subramaniam K. , Fallon K. , Ruut T. , Lane D. , McKay R. , Shadbolt B. , Ang S. , Cook M. , Platten J. , Pavli P. , Taupin D.
Published: January 2015

Background

Muscle wasting or sarcopenia arising from chronic inflammation is found in 60% of patients with Crohn's disease. Transcriptional protein NF‐κB reduces muscle formation through MyoD transcription and increases muscle breakdown by proteolysis.

Aim

As TNF is a potent activator of NF‐κB, and anti‐TNF agent infliximab (IFX) prevents NF‐κB activation, to determine whether or not Crohn's patients treated with IFX gain muscle volume and strength.

Methods

We performed a prospective, repeated‐measures cohort study in adult Crohn's disease patients with an acute disease flare. Patients were instructed not to vary diet or activity. Concomitant medications were kept stable. At week 1 (pre‐treatment), week 16 (post‐IFX induction) and week 25 (post‐first IFX maintenance dose), we assessed (i) MRI volume of quadriceps femoris at anatomical mid‐thigh; (ii) maximal concentric quadriceps contractions strength at three specific speeds of contraction; (iii) physical activity by validated instrument (IPAQ); (iv) Three‐day food record of intake and composition (food‐weighing method); (v) Serum levels of IL6.

Results

Nineteen patients (58% female; mean age 33.2 ± 10.7 years) were recruited. IFX increased muscle volume in both legs from baseline (right, 1505 cm3) to week 25 (right, 1569 cm3; P = 0.010). IFX also increased muscle strength in both legs from baseline (right 30°/s, 184.8 Nm) to week 25 (right 30°/s, 213.6 Nm; P = 0.002). Muscle volume gain correlated with male gender (P = 0.003). Significant gains in muscle volume and strength were unrelated to prednisolone use. Serum IL6 levels decreased by week 25 (P = 0.037).

Conclusion

The anti‐TNF agent infliximab reverses inflammatory sarcopenia in patients with Crohn's disease.