bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Privileged knowledge, privileged access: early universities in Australia
Authors: North Sue
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show that Australia’s first two universities were connected to class status. It challenges the idea that these universities extended the “educational franchise” at their outset, by interrogating the characteristics of the student population in comparison with the characteristics of the population in the colonies. It looks at the curricula within the university system to show it is always “interested”, never neutral – it may be unique to the social, cultural, political and economic location of each university, but ultimately it benefits those who hold power in these locations.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research involves empirical analysis of characteristics of university students in Australia in the 1850s, including country of birth, religion, age, previous education and fathers’ occupation, as well as population demographics from the censuses that took place in the colonies of NSW and Victoria at that time. It also involves an analysis of the sociology of knowledge in nineteenth century Australian universities in light of this empirical data.

Findings

– Socio-political influences on the establishment of the first universities in Australia highlight the power of conferring legitimacy to particular areas of knowledge and to whom this knowledge was made available.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is limited to using the student data for the first three years of enrolment because in order to make comparisons between the student population and the population of the colonies, the student data needed to be from a time as close to the population census as possible. The Sydney census was in 1851, so student data from the University of Sydney was 1852-1854. The Melbourne census was in 1854, so student data from the University of Melbourne was 1855-1857.

Originality/value

– Australian historiography suggests that early universities in Australia were open to all, regardless of background. This paper challenges this orthodoxy through empirical findings and theoretical analysis.
Facebook and sustainable development: a case study of a French supermarket chain
Authors: Gonzalez-Lafaysse Linda , Lapassouse-Madrid Catherine
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Over the past decade climate change has become an inescapable aspect of social responsibility for the major retail chains who have sought to incorporate the environmental considerations into their communication strategies. The purpose of this paper is to look more closely at communications campaigns based on environmental theme through social networks.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this respect, social media can be considered a direct communication tool conducive to the promotion of sustainable development. Therefore, the paper is based on a year-long study of one group’s official Facebook page.

Findings

– The conclusions highlight the need for retail chains to strengthen the perceived consistency of their communication strategies on this subject, in order to retain their credibility.

Practical implications

– Encouraging consumers’ contributions via Facebook may be considered as a relevant practice for greening retail, on the condition that internet users are convinced of the value and interest of this process, as examples of a company’s concrete actions, which provide hard evidence of its stated commitments. The authors also point out the implications of the results in the emerging context of omni-channel retailing.

Originality/value

– This paper provides two kinds of added value. First its explore retailers’ practice on the subject of green marketing. Second, it provides significant learnings regarding the potential impact of communication in social media.
Consumers’ evaluations of fitting rooms in retail clothing stores
Authors: Ayalp Nur , Yildirim Kemal , Bozdayi Müge , Cagatay Kubulay
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effect of age, gender and educational level on customer evaluations of the design characteristics of fitting rooms/dressing rooms, such as size, levels of illumination, number of hangers, materials and opening types of doors in retail clothing stores. In the light of these results, the study aims to increase the satisfaction of the customers in retail stores.

Design/methodology/approach

– These evaluations were analysed according to the demographic characteristics of consumers, such as age, gender and educational level. Since activities in fitting rooms require a certain level of privacy, the features that affected privacy were also considered in this study. The analysis was carried out with research designed for users of fitting rooms in Ankara, Turkey.

Findings

– Results indicated that demographic characteristics of the customers affected their evaluation of fitting rooms. The statistically significant results between evaluations of customers and their demographic backgrounds were determined. In these analyses, problems emerged due to usage of fitting rooms. Most of the problems complained about were an insufficient number of hangers, lack of mirrors, lack of sitting units, small-sized rooms and poorly illuminated rooms. Moreover, the results showed that customers preferred a totally closed panel door for privacy.

Originality/value

– This paper reveals a significant relationship between design characteristics of fitting rooms and customer evaluations of fitting rooms. The results of the study suggest that retailers and designers may be able to easily make stores more attractive for customers when installing fitting rooms.
Modeling property bubble dynamics in Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain
Authors: Klotz Philipp , Lin Tsoyu Calvin , Hsu Shih-Hsun
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain have been in the spotlight of the recent economic crisis in Europe. With their economy strongly reliant on the construction industry, these countries have become widely exposed to the downturn in the property sector. This paper aims to examine residential property bubble dynamics in the period from 2003 to 2014 and investigate the role of financing conditions in the formation of these bubbles.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on the present value model in conjunction with the rational bubble assumption, the study applies the discounted cash flow (DCF) approach and applies weighted average cost of capital (WACC) to capture real estate bubble dynamics in the four countries. Reduced form vector autoregression models are used to examine the relationship between financing conditions and the bubble indicator.

Findings

The bubble indicator suggests that Spain and Ireland experienced a large rise in the bubble relative to moderate increases in Portugal and Greece in the period from 2003 up to the collapse in 2008. Our findings from the empirical analysis indicate that central bank policy shifts that impact interest rates and lending volumes on the domestic level have a significant and leading effect on the formation of residential property bubbles.

Originality/value

Only little research on real estate bubbles takes financial leverage into account. This paper bridges this gap by applying the WACC in the DCF model to identify real estate bubbles. While using a distinct bubble indicator, this analysis provides new insights into the linkage between financing conditions and real estate bubbles.
Fraud risk in electronic payment transactions
Authors: Kovács Levente , David Sandor
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is the timely review of regulations on the security of electronic payments, payment innovations and their vulnerabilities and discussing the recommendations elaborated by the European Forum on the Security of Retail Payments.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the article presents a serious fraud case which happened in the Hungarian banking system. This case demonstrates all risks associated with the security of payment channels being used. Next, the article examines those international SecuRe Pay Forum recommendations which target the elimination of such fraud risks. Finally, the article compares current domestic regulations with these recommendations.

Findings

The fraud incidents and the speed of penetration of new fraud techniques and methods caught the attention of payment service providers, customers, supervisors and overseers. The result of their cooperation is the European Forum on the Security of Retail Payments. The forum elaborated three sets of recommendations on security of Internet payments, payment account access services and mobile payments, which are missing elements of the present Hungarian and pan-European regulations. Both domestic and international regulators should build on the revised Payment Services Directive and the recommendations in question, to avoid fraud incidents like the one this article initially portrayed.

Originality/value

The article presents a specific, true case which took place in Hungary in 2014.
Research on energy efficiency evaluation for overhead crane
Authors: Tong Yifei , Zhao Ruiwen , Ye Wei , Li Dongbo
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Crane plays a very important role in national economy with greatly reduced labor intensity, improved production efficiency and promoted social development as an indispensable auxiliary tool and process equipment. Therefore, its energy consumption becomes an unavoidable topic and in fact, energy consumption of crane is very huge. It has been proved to be the most cost-effective way for reducing energy consumption to establish and implement new energy efficiency standard. Thus, it is necessary to analyze and evaluate the energy efficiency for overhead crane so as to propose a new energy efficiency standard. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, four kinds of energy consumption sources of overhead crane is considered, based on which, an energy efficiency grading model for overhead crane based on BP neural network is proposed. Second, DS evidential theory is analyzed and based on it, an energy efficiency evaluation model based on BP neural network and DS evidential theory is proposed. The evaluation procedure is discussed in detail. Then, a case is demonstrated how the evaluation is carried out.

Findings

– If overhead cranes with different energy consumptions need to be graded according to energy efficiency, the criterions to establish the energy efficiency labels for overhead cranes is proposed in this paper.

Practical implications

– The research results can provide energy efficiency standard proposal of overhead crane for relative departments to monitor the design, manufacturing and use of overhead crane.

Originality/value

– An energy efficiency grading model for overhead crane based on BP neural network is proposed. An energy efficiency evaluation model based on BP neural network and DS evidential theory is proposed.
Efficacy and safety of alogliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A multicentre randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled Phase 3 study in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong
Authors: Pan Changyu , Han Ping , Ji Qiuhe , Li Chengjiang , Lu Juming , Yang Jinkui , Li Wenhui , Zeng Jiaoe , Hsieh An‐Tsz , Chan Juliana
Published: May 2016

Background

This study determined the efficacy and safety of once‐daily oral alogliptin in patients from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

In this Phase 3 multicenter double‐blind placebo‐controlled 16‐week trial, 506 patients were randomized to receive once‐daily alogliptin 25 mg or placebo: 185 in the monotherapy group, 197 in the add‐on to metformin group, and 124 in the add‐on to pioglitazone group. The primary efficacy variable was the change from baseline (CFB) in HbA1c at Week 16; other efficacy measures included CFB to Week 16 in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), incidence of marked hyperglycemia (FPG ≥11.1 mmol/L), and the incidence of clinical HbA1c ≤6.5 % (48 mmol/mol) and ≤7.0 % (53 mmol/mol) at Week 16. Safety was assessed throughout the trial.

Results

Alogliptin monotherapy provided a significantly greater decrease in HbA1c from baseline to Week 16 compared with placebo (−0.58 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI] –0.78 %, −0.37 %; P < 0.001). As an add‐on to metformin or pioglitazone, alogliptin also significantly decreased HbA1c compared with placebo (−0.69 % [95 % CI −0.87 %, −0.51 %; P < 0.001] and −0.52 % [95 % CI −0.75 %, −0.28 %; P < 0.001], respectively). In any treatment group versus placebo, alogliptin led to greater decreases in FPG (P ≤ 0.004) and a higher percentage of patients who achieved an HbA1c target of ≤6.5 % and ≤7.0 % (P ≤ 0.003). No weight gain was observed in any treatment group. A similar percentage of patients experienced drug‐related, treatment‐emergent adverse events in the alogliptin and placebo arms. Four and two patients in the alogliptin and placebo arms, respectively, experienced mild or moderate hypoglycemia.

Conclusions

Alogliptin 25 mg once daily reduced HbA1c and FPG and enhanced clinical response compared with placebo when used as monotherapy or as an add‐on to metformin or pioglitazone. Therapy with alogliptin was well tolerated.
A review of interventions to reduce inter‐observer variability in volume delineation in radiation oncology
Authors: Vinod Shalini K , Min Myo , Jameson Michael G , Holloway Lois C
Published: May 2016

Introduction

Inter‐observer variability (IOV) in target volume and organ‐at‐risk (OAR) delineation is a source of potential error in radiation therapy treatment. The aims of this study were to identify interventions shown to reduce IOV in volume delineation.

Methods

Medline and Pubmed databases were queried for relevant articles using various keywords to identify articles which evaluated IOV in target or OAR delineation for multiple (>2) observers. The search was limited to English language articles and to those published from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2014. Reference lists of identified articles were scrutinised to identify relevant studies. Studies were included if they reported IOV in contouring before and after an intervention including the use of additional or alternative imaging.

Results

Fifty‐six studies were identified. These were grouped into evaluation of guidelines (n = 9), teaching (n = 9), provision of an autocontour (n = 7) and the impact of imaging (n = 31) on IOV. Guidelines significantly reduced IOV in 7/9 studies. Teaching interventions reduced IOV in 8/9 studies, statistically significant in 4. The provision of an autocontour improved consistency of contouring in 6/7 studies, statistically significant in 5. The effect of additional imaging on IOV was variable. Pre‐operative CT was useful in reducing IOV in contouring breast and liver cancers, PET scans in lung cancer, rectal cancer and lymphoma and MRI scans in OARs in head and neck cancers.

Conclusion

Inter‐observer variability in volume delineation can be reduced with the use of guidelines, provision of autocontours and teaching. The use of multimodality imaging is useful in certain tumour sites.
Changes in the pattern of cytokine production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with infliximab and their relation to plasma arginase activity
Authors: Miyoshi Fumihiko , Sato Kojiro , Mimura Toshihide
Published: May 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to quantify the production of T‐cell cytokines from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of RA patients before and after treatment with anti‐tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α infliximab (IFX).

Method

We stimulated the PBMCs of RA patients (n = 24) in vitro and quantified the cytokines in the culture supernatant using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Unexpectedly, the cytokines tested, interferon (IFN)‐γ, interleukin (IL)‐4 and IL‐17, were all found to have increased, rather than decreased, after the treatment. When the patients were divided into two groups according to the plasma activity of arginase, which is implicated in the immune‐suppressive function of myeloid‐derived suppressor cells, the substantial increase in the cytokine production ex vivo was only detected in the group in which the arginase activity was decreased after the treatment with IFX. In fact, although the ex vivo production of IL‐21 increased along with the other cytokines, the plasma concentration of IL‐21 decreased significantly after IFX treatment.

Conclusion

It is important to exercise caution in interpreting ex vivo cytokine production data, in that they can be negatively influenced by the immune‐suppressive mechanisms that prevent excessive inflammation. Thus, to analyze the T‐cell response accurately, T‐cell markers that are detectable in the serum or plasma need to be discovered. The concentrations of IFN‐γ, IL‐4 and IL‐17 were all below detection limits, but that of IL‐21 was detectable in the plasma and inversely correlated with the production of IL‐21 ex vivo. This may indicate the involvement of Th17 response in the pathogenesis of RA.
Quality of life in patients with chronic vulvovaginal candidiasis: A before and after study on the impact of oral fluconazole therapy
Authors: Nguyen Yvonne , Lee Andrew , Fischer Gayle
Published: May 2016

Background/Objective

Chronic vulvovaginal candidiasis (CVVC) is a disorder characterised by the signs and symptoms of vulvovaginal inflammation and causally associated with the presence of Candida spp. in the vagina. This study aimed to establish the impact of treatment with fluconazole in CVVC on patients' quality of life (QoL).

Methods

This was a before and after study conducted in vulval dermatology clinics in Sydney, Australia. Patients were assessed at baseline by the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) grading of erythema at baseline and at 12 weeks after an oral fluconazole regime. The primary outcome measures were a change in their DLQI score and VAS grading. The secondary outcome measures were its tolerability and adverse events.

Results

A total of 82 of 91 patients (90%) completed the study. The mean drop in their DLQI score was 11.6 [95% CI (10.1, 13.0)] (P < 0.001). The post‐treatment VAS scores were significantly lower than the pretreatment scores (P < 0.001). Adverse effects requiring cessation of fluconazole occurred in 4% of patients.

Conclusions

Fluconazole treatment at a dose of 50–100 mg daily achieved a significant observable and improvement in the QoL of 96% of patients with CVVC within 12 weeks of treatment. Adverse effects were minimal.
Children born preterm and full term have similar rates of feeding problems at three years of age
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Tjitske , Verhagen Elise A. , Bos Arend F. , van Dijk Marijn W. G.
Published: May 2016

Aim

We determined the prevalence of feeding problems and their association with perinatal risk factors in three‐year‐old children born preterm and compared them with a full‐term reference group.

Methods

This pilot study assessed feeding problem scores in 35 preterm children, with a median gestational age of 30 weeks (range 26–32) and median birthweight of 1260 grams (730–2250), who were enrolled during their admission to a neonatal intensive care unit. These were compared with existing data on 248 term children from child healthcare centres at the age of three. We excluded children with severe perinatal complications from the reference group. The Screeningslijst Eetgedrag Peuters (SEP), a validated Dutch version of the Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale, was used to identify feeding problems.

Results

We found no difference in SEP scores between the preterm children and the reference group (p = 0.217) and did not identify any perinatal risk factors for developing feeding problems. Only 23% of the parents of preterm or term children with moderate‐to‐severe feeding problems consulted a medical professional.

Conclusion

Using a parental report instrument showed that the prevalence of feeding problems in three‐year‐old preterm children was low and similar to that of term children.
Adding family history to faecal immunochemical testing increases the detection of advanced neoplasia in a colorectal cancer screening programme
Authors: Kallenberg F. G. J. , Vleugels J. L. A. , de Wijkerslooth T. R. , Stegeman I. , Stoop E. M. , van Leerdam M. E. , Kuipers E. J. , Bossuyt P. M. M. , Dekker E.
Published: May 2016

Background

Faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has suboptimal sensitivity for detecting advanced neoplasia. To increase its performance, FIT could be combined with other risk factors.

Aim

To evaluate the incremental yield of a screening programme using a positive FIT or a CRC family history, to offer a diagnostic colonoscopy.

Methods

For this post hoc analysis, data were collected in the colonoscopy arm of a colonoscopy or colonography for screening study. In this study, 6600 randomly selected, asymptomatic men and women (50–75 years) were invited for screening colonoscopy. 1112 Participants completed a FIT and a questionnaire prior to colonoscopy. We compared the yield of FIT‐only and FIT combined with CRC family history, defined as having one or more first‐degree relatives with CRC.

Results

At a 10 μg Hb/g faeces FIT‐positivity threshold the combined strategy would increase the yield from 36 (3.2%; CI: 2.4–4.5%) to 53 (4.8%; CI: 3.7–6.2%) cases of advanced neoplasia, at the expense of 148 additional negative colonoscopies. Sensitivity in detecting advanced neoplasia would increase from 36% (CI: 26–46%) to 52% (CI: 42–63%), whereas specificity would decrease from 93% (CI: 92–95%) to 79% (CI: 76–81%). The strategy will be preferred if one accepts 8.8 false positives for every additional participant in whom advanced neoplasia can be detected.

Conclusions

Offering colonoscopy to those with a positive FIT or CRC family history increases the yield of a FIT‐based screening programme. Depending on the number of negative colonoscopies one accepts, this combined approach can be considered for improving CRC screening.
Hypoxanthine enhances the cured meat taste
Authors: Ichimura Sayaka , Nakamura Yukinobu , Yoshida Yuka , Hattori Akihito
Published: May 2016

We evaluated the enhancement of cured meat taste during maturation by sensory analysis. We focused on the heat‐stable sarcoplasmic fraction (HSSF) to identify the factors related to cured meat taste. Because the dry matter of HSSF contained more than 30% nitrogen, nitrogen compounds such as free amino acids, small peptides and adenosine triphosphate‐related compounds seemed to be the important components of HSSF. The samples cured with HSSF for 2 h exhibited the same taste profile as ones cured without HSSF for 168 h. Therefore, the changes in the amount and fractions of nitrogen compounds were examined in HSSF during incubation from 0 to 168 h. The concentration of hypoxanthine (Hx) gradually increased, while inosine‐5′‐monophosphate decreased during the incubation. The samples cured with pickles containing various concentrations of Hx were subjected to sensory analysis. The addition of Hx, in a dose‐dependent fashion, enhanced cured meat taste by maturation for 2 h. It was concluded that Hx is essential for the enhancement of cured meat taste.
THE FOCAL POINT IN THE TRAVELLER'S DILEMMA: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Authors: Morone Andrea , Morone Piergiuseppe
Published: May 2016

This paper provides an experimental test of the traveller's dilemma. Our investigation aims to address the research hypothesis that introducing a reference point à la Schelling (set equal to the Pareto optimal solution) might drive people away from rationality even when the size of the penalty/reward is high. Experimental findings reported in this paper provide answers to this question showing that the reference point did not encourage coordination around the Pareto optimal choice.
The promoter polymorphisms of receptor for advanced glycation end products were associated with the susceptibility and progression of sepsis
Authors: Shao Y. , Shao X. , He J. , Cai Y. , Zhao J. , Chen F. , Tao H. , Yin Z. , Tan X. , He Y. , Lin Y. , Li K. , Cui L.
Published: May 2016

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is considered a major pattern recognition receptor, which plays an important role in the development of sepsis. Increasing evidence showed an association between RAGE polymorphisms and the susceptibility to several inflammatory‐related diseases. However, little is known about the clinical relationship between RAGE polymorphisms and sepsis. In this study, we analyzed the association of sepsis with three functional RAGE gene polymorphisms (rs1800624, rs1800625 and rs2070600) in a Chinese Han population (372 sepsis cases and 400 healthy controls). Significant differences were observed in the rs1800624 and rs1800625 genotype/allele distributions between the sepsis and controls, but no significant difference was observed in the rs2070600 genotype/allele. Moreover, our results also revealed a significant difference in the genotype/allele frequencies of the rs1800624 and rs1800625 polymorphisms between the sepsis and severe sepsis subtypes, the rs1800624 TT or rs1800625 TT genotype carriers exhibited a significant increase in RAGE mRNA, sRAGE, TNF‐α and IL‐6 expression compared with the rs1800624 AT/AA or rs1800625 CT/CC carriers in sepsis patients. Overall, this study might provide valuable clinical evidence between the RAGE gene polymorphisms and the risk or the development of sepsis.
Peri‐implant and periodontal microbiome diversity in aggressive periodontitis patients: a pilot study
Authors: Sousa Vanessa , Nibali Luigi , Spratt David , Dopico Jose , Mardas Nikos , Petrie Aviva , Donos Nikolaos
Published: May 2016

Aim

To investigate the bacterial microbiome in periodontal and peri‐implant biofilms deriving from aggressive periodontitis patients (AgP) in conditions of health and disease.

Material and methods

Ninety‐one plaque samples were collected from 18 patients previously diagnosed and treated for AgP. The samples were taken from (i) 24 residual periodontal pockets (TD) (n = 6 patients), (ii) 24 healthy periodontal sites (TH) (n = 6 patients), (iii) 24 dental sites from the same implant patients (TM) (n = 6 patients), (iv) 5 peri‐implantitis sites (II) (n = 2 patients), (v) 6 peri‐mucositis sites (IM) (n = 2 patients) and (vi) 8 healthy implant sites (IH) (n = 2 patients). All subjects underwent periodontal clinical and radiographic assessments. Bacterial DNA was extracted, PCR amplified using 16S rRNA gene V5‐V7 primers (barcoded amplicons 785F;1175R), purified, pooled at equimolar concentrations and sequenced (MiSeq, Illumina) yielding 250 bp paired‐end reads. The 16S rRNA reads were filtered, assembled and analysed.

Results

The genera Propionibacterium, Paludibacter, Staphylococcus, Filifactor, Mogibacterium, Bradyrhizobium and Acinetobacter were unique to peri‐implant sites (P = 0.05). In TM samples, different proportions and bacterial spp. were found when compared with the same patients' samples at implant sites. Specifically, Actinomyces (P = 0.013) and Corynebacterium (P = 0.030) genera showed to be significantly more abundant in the TM group when compared to the II. The highest phylogenetic diversity was observed in residual periodontal pocket sites (TD). Increased annual tooth loss rate and residual pocketing was related to high proportions of the genera Actinomyces, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Streptococcus, Actinomycetaceae, TM7‐3, Selenomonas, and Dialister, Treponema, Parvimonas and Peptostreptococcus in the TD group.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this pilot study, the periodontal and peri‐implant microbiome presents a dissimilar taxonomic composition across different niches within AgP patients. The host response, the habitat structure and the vast coexistence of strains and species surrounding implants and teeth in health and disease are likely to be shaping the heterogeneous composition of the subgingival biofilms. The TM7 phylum was found only in TD cases. The investigation of the impact of periodontal and peri‐implant keystone species on these complex ecosystems in states of health and disease seems to be essential.
Mapping fires and American Red Cross aid using demographic indicators of vulnerability
Authors: Lue Evan , Wilson John P.
Published: May 2016

Social vulnerability indicators can assist with informing disaster relief preparation. Certain demographic segments of a population may suffer disproportionately during disaster events, and a geographical understanding of them can help to determine where to place strategically logistical assets and to target disaster‐awareness outreach endeavours. Records of house fire events and American Red Cross aid provision over a five‐year period were mapped for the County of Los Angeles, California, United States, to examine the congruence between actual events and expectations of risk based on vulnerability theory. The geographical context provided by the data was compared with spatially‐explicit indicators of vulnerability, such as age, race, and wealth. Fire events were found to occur more frequently in more vulnerable areas, and Red Cross aid was found to have an even stronger relationship to those places. The findings suggest that these indicators speak beyond vulnerability and relate to patterns of fire risk.
Inborn error metabolic screening in nonsyndromic autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Reiner Gail
Published: May 2016

This commentary is on the original article by Campistol et al. on pages 842–847 of this issue.
Brain injury in neonatal incontinentia pigmenti: the role of multimodality neuroimaging
Authors: Poretti Andrea , Northington Frances J
Published: May 2016

This commentary is on the original article by Soltirovska Salamon et al. on pages 1076–1084 of this issue.
Linking species functional roles to their network roles
Authors: Coux Camille , Rader Romina , Bartomeus Ignasi , Tylianakis Jason M.
Published: May 2016

Species roles in ecological networks combine to generate their architecture, which contributes to their stability. Species trait diversity also affects ecosystem functioning and resilience, yet it remains unknown whether species’ contributions to functional diversity relate to their network roles. Here, we use 21 empirical pollen transport networks to characterise this relationship. We found that, apart from a few abundant species, pollinators with original traits either had few interaction partners or interacted most frequently with a subset of these partners. This suggests that narrowing of interactions to a subset of the plant community accompanies pollinator niche specialisation, congruent with our hypothesised trade‐off between having unique traits vs. being able to interact with many mutualist partners. Conversely, these effects were not detected in plants, potentially because key aspects of their flowering traits are conserved at a family level. Relating functional and network roles can provide further insight into mechanisms underlying ecosystem functioning.
Richard Beer‐Hofmann's Die Historie von König David: Jewish Biblical Drama and the Limits of Epic Theater
Authors: Kita Caroline
Published: May 2016

In 1898 the Austrian‐Jewish poet Richard Beer‐Hofmann began to sketch out a plan for a tetralogy of biblical dramas entitled Die Historie von König David. This project would occupy him over the course of the next forty‐five years, until he finally abandoned it in exile in New York, shortly before his death. Each of the dramatic cycle's three completed sections, Jaákobs Traum, Der junge David, and Vorspiel auf dem Theater zu König David, embodies a radically different theatrical form, ranging from festival drama to closet drama to a fragmentary dialogue between a narrator and the audience. In this article, I trace the development of Die Historie von König David as the poet engaged with multiple visions of “epic” drama that converged in Austrian theater in the early decades of the twentieth century: the Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk, symbolist drama, and the movement towards anti‐theatricality in the modern theater.
Text und Textilien: Ornament und Mode in Hermann Brochs Die Schlafwandler
Authors: Wray Miriam
Published: May 2016

In Brochs literarischem Werk zeigen sich Reminiszenzen eines textilwirtschaftlichen und ‐technischen Denkens am Motiv der Kleidung und dessen bewusst eingesetzten Variationen. Am Kleidungsverhalten der Gesellschaft demonstriert Broch in seiner Romantrilogie nicht nur historische Etappen eines epochalen Zerfallsprozesses, sondern auch den Unterschied zwischen Dekoration und Ornament. Kunst kann ohne Ornamentik nicht bestehen, da das Ornament als Synopsis für das Denken einer ganzen Epoche steht. Diese Disposition zum Ornament zeigt sich nicht nur in der Architektur, im Tanz und in der Musik, sondern auch in der Mode.
The Betrayal of the Urbs Fidelissima: Habsburg Trieste in Robert Musil's Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften
Authors: Pappalardo Salvatore
Published: May 2016

The Habsburg port city of Trieste has long fascinated German‐Austrian writers. Robert Musil's travels in Italy and his military service during World War I acquainted him with the political tensions in the city. In Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften, Musil portrays the city of Trieste as the ultimate repository of an allegedly pre‐modern Habsburg Landespatriotismus that constituted a challenge to the rise of nationalism. In the characters of the aristocrat Count Leinsdorf and the Jewish banker Leo Fischel, Musil illustrates respectively the city's dwindling dynastic patriotism and the supranational mentality of its mercantile bourgeoisie. By depicting the Adriatic city as the last, crumbling bastion of non‐national allegiances, Musil models Trieste as a synecdoche for the empire's fate, making the city a microcosm for the Habsburg state.
Nostalgia for the Storyteller: Joseph Roth's Narratology in Beichte eines Mörders erzählt in einer Nacht
Authors: Battegay Caspar
Published: May 2016

Borrowing from Svetlana Boym's concept of “reflective nostalgia,” this article advances a specific understanding of nostalgia in Joseph Roth's late literary work, conceptualizing it not in a psychological or political sense, but as a poetics of storytelling. At the center of this discussion is the notion of narrative performativity in Beichte eines Mörders erzählt in einer Nacht (1936), and I argue that the practice of storytelling can be read as a nostalgic and ironic gesture that comments on the modern crisis of the perception of time. While the hypodiegetic narrator of Beichte is stylized as an authentic oral storyteller, who nostalgically recounts his experiences and opens up a space that transcends the chronological notion of time, his nostalgia is undermined by the ironic frame narrative in which it is embedded. The metaleptic structure at the end of the novel breaks the narrative illusion of a realistic plot and negates any nostalgic appropriations. Experiencing the storyteller does not create a meaningful community of listeners, but instead forms strange echoes—doublings—that confuse the narrative order. This reading shows Roth as a genuine modern writer who provides a model for the function of literature as an answer to the modern obsession with progress and newness.
Pathways to Institutional Legitimacy in Postconflict Societies: Perceptions of Process and Performance in Nepal
Authors: Fisk Kylie , Cherney Adrian
Published: May 2016

Rebuilding institutional legitimacy is considered essential for stability in postconflict societies, yet the factors that influence citizen perceptions of legitimacy in this context remain underresearched. In this article, we examine citizen evaluations of government legitimacy in terms of instrumental antecedents (service delivery, distributive justice) and procedural antecedents (procedural justice, voice), using data collected in the context of a nationwide study of postconflict governance in Nepal. We find that procedural justice is more strongly associated with citizen perceptions of institutional legitimacy than instrumental outcomes such as service delivery, distributive justice, and outcome favorability. Results indicate that the relationship between service delivery and legitimacy is not as simple as previously assumed. We conclude that procedural justice is crucial for building perceptions of government legitimacy in postconflict societies and discuss implications for policy and practice relating to postconflict governance and institutional trust building.
Birth weight and subsequent body mass index in children: an international cross‐sectional study
Authors: Mitchell E. A. , Stewart A. W. , Braithwaite I. , Hancox R. J. , Murphy R. , Wall C. , Beasley R. ,   ISAAC Phase Three Study Group
Published: May 2016

Background

The reported association between birth weight and subsequent body mass index (BMI) is conflicting.

Objectives

To examine the relationship between birth weight and BMI in children aged 6–7 years.

Methods

Secondary analysis of data from a multi‐centre, multi‐country, cross‐sectional study (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three). Parents/guardians of children aged 6–7 years completed questionnaires about their children's birth weight, current height and weight and whether their mother smoked in the first year of the child's life. A general linear mixed model was used to determine the association between BMI and birth weight.

Results

A total of 72 111 children (17 countries) were included in the analysis. There was a positive association of birth weight with BMI (for each kg increase in birth weight the BMI at 6–7 increased by 0.47 (SE 0.02) kg/m2; p < 0.0001) with a clear gradient by birth weight category. There was no statistically significant interaction between birth weight and Gross National Income (GNI).

Conclusions

There is a positive linear relationship between birth weight and BMI in 6–7 year old children, which is present in both high and low income countries.
Functional and mutational analyses of an omega‐class glutathione S‐transferase (GSTO2) that is required for reducing oxidative damage in Apis cerana cerana
Authors: Zhang Y.‐Y. , Guo X.‐L. , Liu Y.‐L. , Liu F. , Wang H.‐F. , Guo X.‐Q. , Xu B.‐H.
Published: May 2016

Glutathione S‐transferases perform a variety of vital functions, particularly in reducing oxidative damage. Here, we investigated the expression patterns of Apis cerana cerana omega‐class glutathione S‐transferase 2 (AccGSTO2) under various stresses and explored its connection with antioxidant defences. We found that AccGSTO2 knockdown by RNA interference triggered increased mortality in Ap. cerana cerana, and immunohistochemistry revealed significantly decreased AccGSTO2 expression, particularly in the midgut and fat body. Further analyses indicated that AccGSTO2 knockdown resulted in decreases in catalase and glutathione reductase activities, ascorbate content and the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione, and increases in H2O2, malondialdehyde and carbonyl contents. We also analysed the transcripts of other antioxidant genes and found that many genes were down‐regulated in the AccGSTO2 knockdown samples, revealing that AccGSTO2 may be indispensable for attaining a normal lifespan by enhancing cellular oxidative resistance. In addition, the roles of cysteine residues in AccGSTO2 were explored using site‐directed mutagenesis. Mutants of Cys28 and Cys124 significantly affected the enzyme and antioxidant activities of AccGSTO2, which may be attributed to the changes in the spatial structures of mutants as determined by homology modelling. In summary, these observations provide novel insight into the structural and functional characteristics of GSTOs.
Identification and expression profile of odorant‐binding proteins in Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: Paula D. P. , Togawa R. C. , Costa M. M. C. , Grynberg P. , Martins N. F. , Andow D. A.
Published: May 2016

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is a devastating invasive species in the USA. Similar to other insects, olfaction plays an important role in its survival and reproduction. As odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs) are involved in the initial semiochemical recognition steps, we used RNA‐Sequencing (RNA‐Seq) to identify OBPs in its antennae, and studied their expression pattern in different body parts under semiochemical stimulation by either aggregation or alarm pheromone or food odorants. Thirty full‐length putative HhalOBPs were identified, corresponding to 22 ‘classic’ OBPs and eight ‘Plus‐C’ OBPs. The similarity amongst them ranged from 4.95–70.92%, and with another 325 hemipteran OBPs similarity ranged from 1.94–91.51%, the highest levels being with other stink bug OBPs. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the monophyly of seven groups of stink bug and other hemipteran OBPs. All 30 HhalOBPs were expressed and about 2/3 were expressed primarily in antennae. The expression of 21 HhalOBPs was higher in the antennae under alarm pheromone stimulus, indicating that multiple OBPs may be responding to this pheromone. Two were highest in antennae under aggregation pheromone stimulus. These findings should provide a basis for understanding the physiological functions of HhalOBPs and the chemosensory perception of this pest, which may help to uncover new control targets for behavioural interference.
Safe and effective: anti‐tumour necrosis factor therapy use in pregnant patients with Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis
Authors: Kiely C. J. , Subramaniam K. , Platten J. , Pavli P.
Published: May 2016

Biological therapy, particularly the anti‐tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antibodies, infliximab and adalimumab, are used for the maintenance of remission for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We present 21 pregnancies in IBD patients exposed to anti‐TNF agents between 2007 and 2014. Our study demonstrates that anti‐TNF therapy is safe and effective in pregnancy. Rates of foetal complications are similar to IBD cohorts from the pre anti‐TNF era.
Use of renin angiotensin system inhibitors in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Adam W. R. , Wright J. R.
Published: May 2016

Current guidelines recommend renin angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) as key components of treatment of hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), because of their effect on reducing the future rate of loss of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A common risk of RASI in CKD is a haemodynamically mediated, and reversible, fall in GFR of varying severity and duration, any time after commencement of the Inhibitors. A benefit of the acute reduction in filtration rate with RASI may be a reduction in the future rate of loss in GFR: the greatest benefit likely to be in those patients with a greater rate of loss of GFR prior to, and a lesser acute loss of GFR after, introduction of RASI; and in those patients with significant proteinuria. An acute loss of GFR of >25% following the introduction of RASI is an indication to cease the RASI. An acute loss of GFR < 25% requires consideration of the likely risks of the lower GFR and benefits of any future reduced rate of loss of GFR. A fall in GFR in patients while on RASI is usually associated with a remediable cause. When the cause for the fall in GFR is not revealed, and the fall is less than 25%, hopeful expectancy is recommended. Hyperkalaemia in patients with CKD on RASI is more common with more severe disease, potassium retaining diuretics and hypoaldosteronism. Treatment should be modified to maintain a plasma potassium <6 mmol/L.
The Ex‐Ante Monitoring Role of Accounting Covenants in Public Debt
Authors: Bozanic Zahn
Published: May 2016

In contrast to what is known about accounting covenants in private debt, little empirical evidence on the role of accounting covenants in public debt exists. Diffuse ownership, arm's length monitoring, and collective action problems are unique to the public debt setting and raise the question of whether these covenants serve their intended role. As such, this study investigates whether including covenants reliant upon accounting inputs influences borrowers’ actions to prevent adverse credit events. Accounting covenants in the public debt setting provide firms with a disciplining mechanism to renegotiate ahead of costly technical default – a stark contrast to the ex‐post renegotiation ‘trip wire’ role covenants play in private debt. In particular, the results show that including accounting covenants in public debt is associated with an increased probability of ex‐ante renegotiation, that is, negotiation through consent solicitations ahead of covenant violation. This ex‐ante renegotiation, in turn, is associated with decreased adverse credit events. Cross‐sectional results support these findings as the ex‐ante renegotiation role of accounting covenants varies with bondholders’ and trustees’ monitoring ability.
Periodontally diseased tooth roots used for lateral alveolar ridge augmentation. A proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Schwarz Frank , Golubovic Vladimir , Mihatovic Ilja , Becker Jürgen
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To assess the efficacy of periodontally diseased tooth roots used as autografts for lateral ridge augmentation and two‐stage early osseointegration of titanium implants.

Material and Methods

Ligature‐induced periodontitis lesions were established at the maxillary premolars in n = 8 foxhounds. Extracted, scaled and root planed pre‐molar roots (PM‐P) as well as retromolar cortical autogenous bone (AB) blocks were used for horizontal ridge augmentation of mandibular chronic‐type defects. At 12 weeks, titanium implants were inserted and left to heal for another 3 weeks. Histological analyses included crestal ridge width (CW), augmented area (AA) and bone‐to‐implant contact (BIC).

Results

Both PM‐P and AB grafts were gradually organized and replaced by newly formed bone. Median CW (PM‐P: 3.83 versus AB: 3.67 mm), AA (PM‐P: 10.18 versus AB: 9.82 mm2) and BIC (PM‐P: 50.00% versus AB: 35.21%) values did not reach statistical significance between groups (p > 0.05, respectively). Histologically, PM‐P grafts were not associated with any inflammatory cell infiltrates.

Conclusions

PM‐P autografts may reveal a structural and biological potential to serve as an alternative autograft to AB.
2015 Yutaka Seino Distinguished Leadership Award Lecture: The Japanese American Community Diabetes Study and the ‘canary in the coal mine’
Authors: Fujimoto Wilfred Y
Published: May 2016

The rising tide of diabetes in Asia has been preceded by high prevalence rates of diabetes among migrant Asian populations in the USA and elsewhere. A 1963 report from Hawaii showed that diabetes was much more prevalent in Japanese Americans than in Caucasians. The Japanese American Community Diabetes Study was begun in Seattle, Washington, to examine why this was the case, and explore the etiology and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes among Japanese Americans who were Nisei (second generation) and Sansei (third generation) descendants of the original immigrants to the USA from Japan. This research was planned to be a metabolically‐based longitudinal epidemiological study that assessed lifestyle factors, insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and adiposity, including measurements of body fat distribution by anthropometry and computed tomography (CT). An important conclusion from this research was that visceral adiposity was a powerful risk factor for metabolic disease. Our observations suggested that among susceptible Japanese Americans lifestyle led to weight gain, especially in visceral fat depots, that in turn led to decreased insulin sensitivity that unmasked a reduced β‐cell reserve, resulting in hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes. This process can be prevented by dietary and exercise intervention. Thus, the Japanese American population has served as an early warning system for type 2 diabetes in Asians, just as caged canaries were used by coal miners as an early warning system for harmful gases in coal mines.