bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theology in the Public Sphere in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Massingale Bryan N.
Published: November 2016

Several decades ago David Tracy wrote that theologians speak to three publics: the academy, the church, and society. Since then many theologians have exhibited, in Tracy's words, “that drive to publicness which constitutes all good theological discourse[,] … a drive from and to those three publics.”1 Our four roundtable authors discuss how and why theologians engage the public sphere in the twenty-first century. In arguing for the necessity of such engagement, they also draw attention to the promise and perils of doing public theology today.
Community- and Healthcare-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains: An Investigation Into Household Transmission, Risk Factors, and Environmental Contamination
Authors: Ng Wil , Faheem Amna , McGeer Allison , Simor Andrew E. , Gelosia Antonella , Willey Barbara M. , Watt Christine , Richardson David C. , Wong Henry , Ostrowska Krystyna , Vernich Lee , Muller Matthew P. , Gnanasuntharam Piraveina , Porter Vanessa , Katz Kevin
Published: November 2016

OBJECTIVE

To measure transmission frequencies and risk factors for household acquisition of community-associated and healthcare-associated (HA-) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study from October 4, 2008, through December 3, 2012.

SETTING

Seven acute care hospitals in or near Toronto, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

Total of 99 MRSA-colonized or MRSA-infected case patients and 183 household contacts.

METHODS

Baseline interviews were conducted, and surveillance cultures were collected monthly for 3 months from household members, pets, and 8 prespecified high-use environmental locations. Isolates underwent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing.

RESULTS

Overall, of 183 household contacts 89 (49%) were MRSA colonized, with 56 (31%) detected at baseline. MRSA transmission from index case to contacts negative at baseline occurred in 27 (40%) of 68 followed-up households. Strains were identical within households. The transmission risk for HA-MRSA was 39% compared with 40% (P=.95) for community-associated MRSA. HA-MRSA index cases were more likely to be older and not practice infection control measures (P=.002–.03). Household acquisition risk factors included requiring assistance and sharing bath towels (P=.001–.03). Environmental contamination was identified in 78 (79%) of 99 households and was more common in HA-MRSA households.

CONCLUSION

Household transmission of community-associated and HA-MRSA strains was common and the difference in transmission risk was not statistically significant.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–7
Is It Valid to Compare Surgical Site Infections Rates Between Countries? Insights From a Study of English and Norwegian Surveillance Systems
Authors: Meijerink Hinta , Lamagni Theresa , Eriksen Hanne Merete , Elgohari Suzanne , Harrington Pauline , Kacelnik Oliver
Published: November 2016

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether differences in surveillance methods or underlying populations significantly influence internationally reported national SSI rates by comparing surveillance data from 2 countries.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

England and Norway.

METHODS

We assessed the population under surveillance and surveillance methodology to compare SSI rates in 2 countries (September 2012–January 2015) for 4 surgical categories: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), colon surgery, cholecystectomy, and hip prosthesis (HPRO). We compared the inpatient SSI incidence using logistic regression, adjusting for the following known risk factors: sex, age, ASA score, wound class, postoperative hospital days, and operation duration. Subsequently, we restricted further analyses to the procedures reported by both countries.

RESULTS

There were important differences in case definitions for superficial infection, so we restricted our analyses to deep incisional and organ-space SSIs. For CABG, the crude odds ratio (OR) for England compared to Norway was 2.4 (95% CI, 1.4–4.4), whereas adjusted OR (aOR) lost significance (aOR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.57–2.0). For colon surgery the decreased odds (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56–0.81) remained significant after adjustment (aOR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.34–0.51). We found no associations for cholecystectomy. For HPRO, the crude OR suggested no significant difference (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.72–2.1), whereas the aOR was significantly lower in England (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.25–0.81). Including only the subset of procedures reported by both countries yielded comparable results.

CONCLUSION

Differences in case definitions and population under surveillance in the English and Norwegian SSI surveillance systems affected SSI estimates, making the comparison of crude rates unreliable. Standardized definitions and adjustment for established risk factors are essential for European comparisons to guide related public health actions.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:162–171
Tracing the electorate of the MoVimento Cinque Stelle: an ecological inference analysis
Authors: Russo Luana , Riera Pedro , Verthé Tom
Published: November 2016

The 2013 Italian parliamentary election was characterized by the outstanding performance of the MoVimento Cinque Stelle, which in its first participation in a general election obtained a remarkable 25% of the national vote. Where did these votes come from? Furthermore, is it possible to observe different electoral dynamics across geographical areas of Italy? In order to address these questions, we first estimate the flow of votes between the 2008 and 2013 general elections by applying an ecological inference method – the Goodman model – to the entire Italian voting population, and then we take a closer look at the differences in the four geopolitical areas in which Italy is traditionally divided. We find that the extraordinary performance of the MoVimento 5 Stelle was largely due to its capacity of attracting similar amounts of former Partito Democratico and Popolo della Libertà supporters, as well as a considerable amount of voters from their traditional allies: Lega Nord and Italia dei Valori. The MoVimento 5 Stelle was also able to mobilize previous non-voters. We shed light on the territorial features of these dynamics.
An Ottoman variation on the state of siege: The invention of theidare-i örfiyyeduring the first constitutional period
Authors: Lévy-Aksu Noémi
Published: November 2016

This paper focuses on a little-known aspect of the first constitutional period in the Ottoman Empire: the introduction ofidare-i örfiyye(an equivalent of the state of siege) into the Ottoman legal system. With a name rooted in the Ottoman legal tradition and a definition clearly inspired by the nineteenth-century French “état de siège,” theidare-i örfiyyewas a case of legal hybridization that combined the Ottoman political and legal tradition with transnational (or transimperial) legal circulation. This paper seeks to understand how and why different legal references were combined in order to make it possible, under exceptional circumstances, to suspend the ordinary legal order. At the same time, it analyzes the first application of theidare-i örfiyye, which occurred during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, to show how local and diplomatic reactions to this exceptional state of affairs were crucial for the further definition of the notion. Through a critical approach to legal texts and archival documents, the article discusses how various legal sources, the political context of the early Hamidian reign, and local experiences all shaped the notion ofidare-i örfiyye, soon transforming it into a tool of government for exceptional and (more frequently) non-exceptional times.
Conventionally Heated Microfurnace for the Graphitization of Microgram-Sized Carbon Samples
Authors: Yang Bin , Smith A M
Published: November 2016

A new type of miniaturized, externally heated graphitization reaction furnace, the microconventional furnace (MCF), was constructed following our development of the laser heated furnace (LHF). The MCF is comprised of a gas reactor, a cold finger cooling system, and a compact resistive heater, which can raise the temperature of the hot finger to 850°C. The gas reactor is provided with three integrated valves to connect with the hydrogen/vacuum manifold, to isolate the reactor, and to connect with sample vessels. We made two types of MCF: the type 1 furnace (volume of 0.9 mL), with an integral stainless steel cold finger, and the type 2 furnace (volume from 1.3 to 10 mL), with a changeable glass cold finger. The MCF is designed for above atmospheric pressure (up to 2500 mbar) operation to decrease the overall graphitization time and improve the carbon yield. The MCF provides an effective solution for producing graphite from carbon dioxide (CO2) sample gas from 5 to 2000 µg of carbon with only 0.083 μg of 100 pMC extraneous carbon added. Cross-contamination tests show that the MCFs have no memory effect from previous samples.
Change in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with antiretroviral treatment initiation and nutritional intervention in HIV-positive adults
Authors: Yilma Daniel , Kæstel Pernille , Olsen Mette F. , Abdissa Alemseged , Tesfaye Markos , Girma Tsinuel , Krarup Henrik , Mølgaard Christian , Michaelsen Kim F. , Ritz Christian , Kirk Ole , Andersen Åse B. , Friis Henrik
Published: November 2016

Low vitamin D level in HIV-positive persons has been associated with disease progression. We compared the levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in HIV-positive and HIV-negative persons, and investigated the role of nutritional supplementation and antiretroviral treatment (ART) on serum 25(OH)D levels. A randomised nutritional supplementation trial was conducted at Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. The trial compared 200 g/d of lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) with no supplementation during the first 3 months of ART. The supplement provided twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D (10 μg/200 g). The level of serum 25(OH)D before nutritional intervention and ART initiation was compared with serum 25(OH)D of HIV-negative individuals. A total of 348 HIV-positive and 100 HIV-negative persons were recruited. The median baseline serum 25(OH)D level was higher in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative persons (42·5 v. 35·3 nmol/l, P<0·001). In all, 282 HIV-positive persons with BMI>17 kg/m2 were randomised to either LNS supplementation (n 189) or no supplementation (n 93) during the first 3 months of ART. The supplemented group had a 4·1 (95 % CI 1·7, 6·4) nmol/l increase in serum 25(OH)D, whereas the non-supplemented group had a 10·8 (95 % CI 7·8, 13·9) nmol/l decrease in serum 25(OH)D level after 3 months of ART. Nutritional supplementation that contained vitamin D prevented a reduction in serum 25(OH)D levels in HIV-positive persons initiating ART. Vitamin D replenishment may be needed to prevent reduction in serum 25(OH)D levels during ART.
Patrimonial Economic Voting and Asset Value – New Evidence from Taxation Register Data
Authors: Persson Mikael , Martinsson Johan
Published: November 2016

Recent research on economic voting has moved beyond the traditional reward–punishment hypothesis, according to which the economy is merely considered a valence issue. Instead, patrimonial economic voting research looks at voters as property owners within the economic system. These studies have relied on survey items that measure whether individuals own different kinds of property to test the patrimonial dimension. This study emphasizes the importance of a surprisingly neglected aspect: the value of assets. It uses official register data files from the Swedish Tax Agency on the value of individuals’ assets merged with survey data from the 2006 Swedish National Election Study. The study finds that the relationship between patrimony and voting behavior in Sweden is similar to that found in other countries, but only when it is tested in a similar way as in these studies – that is, only when it is coded as whether voters own different assets. This study brings three important contributions to the debate. First, it offers a new empirically based categorization of the dimensionality of asset ownership and shows that the previous distinction between low- and high-risk assets is insufficient. Secondly, it shows that merely having assets or not, which is what previous studies have measured, is not what primarily matters; the relevant factor is the value of the assets. And thirdly, it demonstrates that only the value of some kinds of assets matters (especially stocks and real estate properties), while other assets (savings in bonds and funds) do not affect voting behavior or political opinions.
The Reeb Graph of a Map Germ from ℝ3 to ℝ2 with Isolated Zeros
Authors: Batista Erica Boizan , Costa João Carlos Ferreira , Nuño-Ballesteros Juan J.
Published: November 2016

We consider finitely determined map germs f : (ℝ3, 0) → (ℝ2, 0) with f–1(0) = {0} and we look at the classification of this kind of germ with respect to topological equivalence. By Fukuda's cone structure theorem, the topological type of f can be determined by the topological type of its associated link, which is a stable map from S2 to S1. We define a generalized version of the Reeb graph for stable maps γ : S2→ S1, which turns out to be a complete topological invariant. If f has corank 1, then f can be seen as a stabilization of a function h0: (ℝ2, 0) → (ℝ, 0), and we show that the Reeb graph is the sum of the partial trees of the positive and negative stabilizations of h0. Finally, we apply this to give a complete topological description of all map germs with Boardman symbol Σ2, 1.
USING A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL TO IDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE AND ADOPTION OF A SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION BY SMALL-SCALE DAIRY FARMERS OF CENTRAL MEXICO
Authors: MARTÍNEZ-GARCÍA CARLOS GALDINO , ARRIAGA-JORDÁN CARLOS MANUEL , DORWARD PETER , REHMAN TAHIR , RAYAS-AMOR ADOLFO ARMANDO
Published: November 2016

This paper seeks to make an exploratory investigation regarding farmers who have been using an innovation for a relatively long period (established users), compared to farmers who have only recently started (recent users). Therefore, the aims of this research were to identify (i) the extent to which intentions, attitudes and social pressure are similar or different between these two groups and (ii) whether comparison of the groups can improve academic understanding and provide insights into what is influencing the uptake of innovations. The study was conducted with 80 farmers who are already engaged with the use of improved grassland. In order to develop an understanding of the differences in drivers of the adoption of new technology, the sample was divided into established users and recent users of the innovation. To identify differences between groups regarding farmer and farm characteristics, 11 quantitative variables were analysed through a dependent t-test. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) was used as a theoretical framework and the Spearman rank-order correlation was used in data analyses. To identify differences in farmers’ perceptions of the components of the TRA, we used the Mann–Whitney U test. The results showed that established users had stronger intention to use improved grassland in the next 12 months, which would be attributed to activity based on milk production as a main source of family income. Advantages of improved grassland included lower animal feeding expenses; increases in quantity, quality and availability of fodder production and increases in milk production. We concluded that established and recent users’ intention to use improved grassland over the 12 months was influenced in different ways. Established users’ intention to adopt was strongly influenced by normative beliefs, i.e. social pressure from salient referents, where the father, uncle and veterinarian played the most important role, whereas recent users’ intention was mainly influenced by behavioural beliefs (positive and negative beliefs regarding the innovation) and the variables that describe the farm characteristics, i.e. the advantages and disadvantages that farmers perceive of the use of improved grassland on their farms, which were also considered as drivers of adoption.
INFORMATION ABOUT METHODS RECEIVED BY CONTRACEPTIVE USERS IN INDIA
Authors: Jain Anrudh K.
Published: November 2016

Very little is known, at national and state levels, about how much information women in India are receiving about the method of contraception they are using. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap in knowledge. A Method Information Index (MII) was calculated from the responses of women who started using a modern contraceptive method five years prior to interview, and who were still using it at the time of interview, in the third National Family Health Survey conducted in India in 2005–06. The women were asked whether at the time they initiated contraceptive use they were told about other methods they could use, the side-effects of their selected method and what to do if they experienced these side-effects. The MII values (percentages of women who responded ‘yes’ to all three questions) were calculated for each category of women’s characteristics to show the relationship between MII and each characteristic. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to assess the independent effect of each variable after controlling for the effects of other variables on MII. The results indicate that contraceptive users in India in 2005–06 were receiving very little information about the method they were using: only 15.6% of contraceptive users reported receiving information on all three items. This low level was prevalent across different socioeconomic strata and across all the major states. There were a few exceptions, but the level was still quite low. Clearly, there is plenty of scope to improve the content of information exchanged between service providers and clients in order to ensure the rights of women to receive services of good quality, as well as improve informed choice and continuity of contraceptive use. Such a focus on improving quality of services is likely to help the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in making its stated transition from a ‘population control centric’ to a ‘reproductive rights based’ approach to family planning in India.
Measuring nasal nitric oxide in allergic rhinitis patients
Authors: Nesic V S , Djordjevic V Z , Tomic-Spiric V , Dudvarski Z R , Soldatovic I A , Arsovic N A
Published: November 2016

Objective:

This study aimed to compare two sampling methods for nasal nitric oxide in healthy individuals and allergic rhinitis patients, and to examine the within-subject reliability of nasal nitric oxide measurement.

Methods:

The study included 23 allergic rhinitis patients without concomitant asthma and 10 healthy individuals. For all participants, nitric oxide levels were measured non-invasively from the lungs through the mouth (i.e. the oral fractional exhaled nitric oxide) and the nose. Nasal nitric oxide was measured by two different methods: (1) nasal aspiration via one nostril during breath holding and (2) single-breath quiet exhalation against resistance through a tight facemask (i.e. the nasal fractional exhaled nitric oxide).

Results:

Compared with healthy participants, allergic rhinitis patients had significantly higher average oral and nasal nitric oxide levels. All methods of nitric oxide measurement had excellent reliability.

Conclusion:

Nasal nitric oxide measurement is a useful and reliable clinical tool for diagnosing allergic rhinitis in patients without asthma in an out-patient setting.
Radiological and audiometric evaluation of high jugular bulb and dehiscent high jugular bulb
Authors: Sayit A T , Gunbey H P , Fethallah B , Gunbey E , Karabulut E
Published: November 2016

Objective:

To inform on the incidence of high jugular bulb and dehiscent high jugular bulb, and the symptoms related to these vascular anomalies.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was performed of temporal bone computed tomography scans of 3285 patients who attended our clinic with various symptoms. The medical records of patients with high jugular bulb and dehiscent high jugular bulb were analysed, and the clinical findings reviewed. Patients with dehiscent high jugular bulb were evaluated for hearing loss with pure tone audiometry.

Results:

High jugular bulb was evident in 730 patients (22 per cent) (510 right-sided, 220 left-sided; p < 0.01). Twenty-six high jugular bulb patients had dehiscent high jugular bulb. Ten of these 26 patients had vertigo, 15 had tinnitus and 1 had hearing disturbance. Ten dehiscent high jugular bulb patients had undergone pure tone audiometry: seven patients had conductive hearing loss, two had sensorineural hearing loss and one had mixed hearing loss.

Conclusion:

The incidences of high jugular bulb and dehiscent high jugular bulb were 22 per cent and 3.5 per cent, respectively. Tinnitus was the most common symptom of all patients. Dehiscent high jugular bulb was associated with various degrees of hearing loss, but not hearing disturbance.
Effects of two different local anaesthetic methods vs no anaesthesia on pain scores for intratympanic injections
Authors: Ata N , Erdur O , Görgülü M H , Yilmaz E
Published: November 2016

Objective:

This study compared the pain associated with the intratympanic injection combined with various local anaesthetics vs without anaesthesia.

Methods:

The study included 40 patients (aged 18–78 years) who received intratympanic steroid injections for sudden idiopathic hearing loss or tinnitus. Each patient underwent all three injection methods at one-week intervals. Patients received one of two local anaesthetics (lidocaine injection or lidocaine spray) or no anaesthesia before intratympanic injection, and used a visual analogue scale to indicate the pain level after 5 and 45 minutes.

Results:

Five minutes after injection, patients who did not receive anaesthesia and those who received lidocaine spray reported lower pain scores than those who received a lidocaine injection (p < 0.05). There was no difference in pain scores for all three methods at 45 minutes after intratympanic injection.

Conclusion:

Neither of the local anaesthetics was found to be superior to having no anaesthesia.
Ageing alters the impact of nutrition on immune function
Authors: Yaqoob Parveen
Published: November 2016

Immunosenescence during ageing is a major challenge which weakens the ability of older individuals to respond to infection or vaccination. There has been much interest in dietary strategies to improve immunity in older people, but there is an assumption that modulation of the immune response in older people will be based on the same principles as for younger adults. Recent evidence suggests that ageing fundamentally alters the impact of nutrition on immune function. As a result, interpretation of data from studies investigating the impact of diet on immune function is highly dependent on subject age. Study design is critically important when investigating the efficacy of dietary components, and most studies involving older people include rigorous inclusion/exclusion criteria based on medical history, laboratory tests, general health status and often nutritional status. However, immunological status is rarely accounted for, but can vary significantly, even amongst healthy older people. There are several clear examples of age-related changes in immune cell composition, phenotype and/or function, which can directly alter the outcome of an intervention. This review uses two case studies to illustrate how the effects of n-3 PUFA and probiotics differ markedly in young v. older subjects. Evidence from both suggests that baseline differences in immunosenescence influence the outcome of an intervention, highlighting the need for detailed immunological characterisation of subjects prior to interventions. Finally, future work elucidating alterations in metabolic regulation within cells of the immune system as a result of ageing may be important in understanding the impact of diet on immune function in older people.
Reputational concerns as a general determinant of group functioning
Authors: Faber Nadira S. , Savulescu Julian , Van Lange Paul A. M.
Published: November 2016

To understand a group's (dys)functionality, we propose focusing on its members' concerns for their reputation. The examples of prosocial behavior and information exchange in decision-making groups illustrate that empirical evidence directly or indirectly suggests that reputational concerns play a central role in groups. We argue that our conceptualization fulfills criteria for a good theory: enhancing understanding, abstraction, testability, and applicability.
Humans are not the Borg: Personal and social selves function as components in a unified self-system
Authors: Forsyth Donelson R.
Published: November 2016

Does joining groups trigger a cascade of psychological processes that can result in a loss of individuality and lead to such outcomes as social loafing and poor decision-making? Rather than privileging the self comprising primarily individual qualities as the “true self,” a multilevel, multicomponent approach suggests that, in most cases, personal and collective identities are integrated and mutually sustaining.
Group members differ in relative prototypicality: Effects on the individual and the group
Authors: Hogg Michael A.
Published: November 2016

All groups are differentiated into more or less group-prototypical members. Central members readily influence and lead the group, and they define its identity. Peripheral members can feel voiceless and marginalized, as well as uncertain about their membership status – they may engage in extreme behaviors to try to win acceptance. These relative prototypicality dynamics sometimes benefit group performance but sometimes compromise performance.
Vicarious contagion decreases differentiation – and comes with costs
Authors: Sezer Ovul , Norton Michael I.
Published: November 2016

Baumeister et al. propose that individual differentiation is a crucial determinant of group success. We apply their model to processes lying in between the individual and the group – vicarious processes. We review literature in four domains – attitudes, emotions, moral behavior, and self-regulation – showing that group identification can lead to vicarious contagion, reducing individual differentiation and inducing negative consequences.
Not even wrong: Imprecision perpetuates the illusion of understanding at the cost of actual understanding
Authors: Smaldino Paul E.
Published: November 2016

The target article is plagued by imprecision, making it largely impossible to evaluate the authors' theory in a scientific manner.
Group effort in resuscitation teams
Authors: Spiegel Rainer
Published: November 2016

Baumeister and colleagues underline that individual identification and differentiation of selves are important characteristics for group performance. They name specialization, moral responsibility, and efficiency as vital components of well-functioning groups. In my commentary, I transfer their framework to the group effort within resuscitation teams to discuss for the first time how these components determine teamwork during resuscitation.
Fashioning the sixties: fashion narratives of older women
Authors: GOODE JACKIE
Published: November 2016

The popular media suggest that we are witnessing ‘a fashion for older women’ and that ‘the latest new faces to light up campaigns and covers’ are retirees (The Guardian, 16 September 2012). Do fashion designers know this? On the one hand, Sir Christopher Frayling, former Rector of the Royal College of Art in the United Kingdom, observes that we need a change in mind-set for the art school of the future since design students’ attitudes to designing for older people is that it is really boring (‘Start the Week’, BBC Radio 4, 19 November 2012). On the other hand, the sculptor Antony Gormley states that ‘Art schools are the things that reinforce agency in the world’. This paper emerges out of an ongoing conversation between a group of women friends about how they feel about clothes and the fashion choices on offer to them. The women constitute a sub-group of women in their sixties who grew up in the 1960s, against a background of ‘cultural revolution’ in British fashion that emerged out of the art schools.
Gay-friendly elderly care: creating space for sexual diversity in residential care by challenging the hetero norm
Authors: LEYERZAPF H. , VISSE M. , DE BEER A. , ABMA T. A.
Published: November 2016

Studies on older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults in residential care point to their discrimination, invisibility and the taboo on LGBT lifestyles, and call for development of ‘gay-friendly’ care. Yet, the literature is short on how to create inclusive residential care for older LGBT people. We aim to acquire in-depth understanding of experiences and needs of LGBT older people concerning their inclusion and participation in care settings to contribute to development of inclusive and responsive care that structurally enhances visibility, ‘voice’ and wellbeing of LGBT residents. Responsive, multi-stakeholder research using interviews, participant observations and focus groups was conducted within three elderly care homes in the Netherlands. Thematic, interpretative analysis was performed. LGBT respondents reported social exclusion and the need to feel safe and at home and be yourself. Exclusive activities for LGBT people foster personal and relational empowerment. However, heterogenous activities seem crucial in dealing with stereotypical imaging, heteronormativity and an equality-as-sameness discourse that influenced culture and daily practice in the homes and negatively affected the position of LGBT older adults. For development of gay-friendly elderly care exclusionary social norms need to be addressed. Dialogical sharing of narratives can help to empower LGBT older adults and stimulate understanding and shared responsibility between LGBT and heterosexual older people, as well as professionals.
ON STOCHASTIC COMPARISONS FOR LOAD-SHARING SERIES AND PARALLEL SYSTEMS
Authors: Finkelstein Maxim , Hazra Nil Kamal
Published: November 2016

We study the allocation strategies for redundant components in the load-sharing series/parallel systems. We show that under the specified assumptions, the allocation of a redundant component to the stochastically weakest (strongest) component of a series (parallel) system is the best strategy to achieve its maximal reliability. The results have been studied under cumulative exposure model and for a general scenario as well. They have a clear intuitive meaning; however, the corresponding additional assumptions are not obvious, which can be seen from the proofs of our theorems.
EVOLUTIONARY COMPETITION AND PROFIT TAXES: MARKET STABILITY VERSUS TAX BURDEN
Authors: Schmitt Noemi , Westerhoff Frank
Published: November 2016

The seminal cobweb model by Brock and Hommes reveals that fixed-point dynamics may turn into increasingly complex dynamics, as firms switch more quickly between competing expectation rules. While policy makers may be able to manage such rational routes to randomness by imposing a proportional profit tax, the stability-ensuring tax rate may cause a very high tax burden for firms. Using a mix of analytical and numerical tools, we show that a rather small profit-dependent lump-sum tax may even be sufficient to take away the competitive edge of cheap destabilizing expectation rules, thereby contributing to market stability.
Chromatin Fractal Organization, Textural Patterns, and Circularity of Nuclear Envelope in Adrenal Zona Fasciculata Cells
Authors: Pantic Igor , Nesic Dejan , Basailovic Milos , Cetkovic Mila , Mazic Sanja , Suzic-Lazic Jelena , Popevic Martin
Published: November 2016

Despite previous research efforts in the fields of histology and cell physiology, the relationship between chromatin structural organization and nuclear shape remains unclear. The aim of this research was to test the existence and strength of correlations between mathematical parameters of chromatin microarchitecture and roundness of the nuclear envelope. On a sample of 240 nuclei of adrenal zona fasciculata cells stained using the DNA-specific Feulgen method, we quantified fractal parameters such as fractal dimension and lacunarity, as well as textural parameters such as angular second moment (ASM), entropy, inverse difference moment, contrast, and variance. Circularity of the nuclear envelope was determined from the nuclear area and perimeter. The results indicate that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between chromatin ASM and circularity. Moreover, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between chromatin fractal dimension and envelope circularity. This is the first study to demonstrate these relationships in adrenal tissue, and also one of the first studies to test the connection between circularity and fractal and gray-level co-occurrence matrix parameters in DNA-specific Feulgen stain. The results could be useful both as an addition to the current knowledge on chromatin/nuclear envelope interactions, and for design of future computer-assisted research software for evaluation of nuclear morphology.
BIRKHOFF ORTHOGONALITY IN CLASSICAL -IDEALS
Authors: WÓJCIK PAWEŁ
Published: November 2016

The Birkhoff orthogonality has been recently intensively studied in connection with the geometry of Banach spaces and operator theory. The main aim of this paper is to characterize the Birkhoff orthogonality in ${\mathcal{L}}(X;Y)$ under the assumption that ${\mathcal{K}}(X;Y)$ is an $M$-ideal in ${\mathcal{L}}(X;Y)$. Moreover, we survey the known results, as well as giving some new and more general ones. Furthermore, we characterize an approximate Birkhoff orthogonality in ${\mathcal{K}}(X;Y)$.
Electoral Laws and Monitoring of Campaign Financing during the 2015 Presidential Election in Nigeria
Authors: NWANGWU CHIKODIRI , ONONOGBU OLIHE ADAEZE
Published: November 2016

The emergence of politicians with overwhelming financial muscle in Nigeria since 1990s has complicated the relationship between money and politics in the country. This has been intensified by lack of clear legislation on how political parties should seek funding for their campaigns. Although effective supervision of political parties’ finance is critical to the survival and consolidation of any democracy, the relevant electoral laws in Nigeria have not been effectively enforced. This is evident in the unbridled deployment of financial and other material resources by moneyed politicians and corporations during party campaign fundraising and electioneering. Among other things, this paper investigated the interface between the electoral laws and monitoring of campaign financing during the 2015 Presidential Election in Nigeria. The study is a documentary research and data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive method. Utilizing the Marxist theory of the post-colonial state, the paper established that the electoral laws are generally couched ambiguously by politicians with vested interests in order to weaken the enforcement capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as facilitate the advancement of the electoral interests of the ‘political entrepreneurs’. Thus, the unbundling of the Commission is recommended as a sine qua non for effective monitoring and supervision of political parties in the country.
Wither Social Citizenship? Lived Experiences of Citizenship In/Exclusion for Recipients of Out-of-Work Benefits
Authors: Patrick Ruth
Published: November 2016

Drawing on a qualitative longitudinal study that examined experiences of welfare reform among a small group of recipients of out-of-work benefits, this paper considers how individuals’ social citizenship rights, responsibilities and status are all affected by processes of welfare reform. It discusses the ways in which welfare conditionality impacts upon targeted individuals’ citizenship status, noting a trend towards ‘conditioning’, where people seek to govern and manage their own behaviour(s) in order to meet the demands of contemporary citizenship. The paper considers the extent to which even a ‘modicum of economic welfare and security’ is now denied to so many Britons, concluding with a discussion of what if any emancipatory potential social citizenship still holds.
Motivational Values, Parental Influences and the Experience of Discrimination among Romanian and Moroccan Young Immigrants in Spain
Authors: Espinosa Pablo , Clemente Miguel , Uña Octavio
Published: November 2016

This study examines the role that motivational values play in the experience of discrimination in young immigrants in Spain and how this role is mediated by parental values. Participants in the study were 193 dyads of pre-adolescent to young adult first and second generation immigrants and one of their parents. All participants were either of Moroccan or Romanian ascent, the two largest immigrant groups in Spain. The proposed SEM model had an adequate fit, χ2(2, N = 193) = 2.272, p = .321, RMSEA = .027, CFI = .999, NFI = .994, and yielded a large R2, both for the Moroccan group (R2 = .79, p < .01), and the Romanian group (R2 = .80, p < .01). It showed that the value dimension openness to change vs. conservation is positively related to their experience of discrimination (β = .35, p < .01, for Moroccans group; and β = .29, p < .001, for Romanians). This relationship was mediated by parental values and their parents’ experience of discrimination. A possible explanation is that immigrants high in openness to change are likely to pursue contact with the host culture more intensely, and thus increase the probability of interactions involving discrimination. Additionally, parental values and their own experience of discrimination influences their children, making them more vulnerable to discrimination stress and more likely to perceive discrimination. While most research is focused on external or environmental variables, this study highlights the importance of value orientations and parental influences in immigrants’ experience of discrimination.
Assessing Positive Orientation With the Implicit Association	Test
Authors: Costantini Giulio , Perugini Marco , Dentale Francesco , Barbaranelli Claudio , Alessandri Guido , Vecchione Michele , Caprara Gian Vittorio
Published: November 2016

Abstract. Positive orientation (PO) is a basic predisposition that consists in a positive outlook toward oneself, one’s life, and one’s future, which is associated to many desirable outcomes connected to health and to the general quality of life. We performed a lexical study for identifying a set of markers of PO, developed an Implicit Association Test (the PO-IAT), and investigated its psychometric properties. The PO-IAT proved to be a reliable measure with a clear pattern of convergent validity, both with respect to self-report scales connected to PO and with respect to an indirect measure of self-esteem. A secondary aim of our studies was to validate a new brief adjective scale to assess PO, the POAS. Our results show that both the PO-IAT and the self-reported PO predict the frequency of depressive symptoms and of self-perceived intelligence.
Is Reliability Compromised Towards the End of Long Personality	Inventories?
Authors: Bäckström Martin , Björklund Fredrik
Published: November 2016

Abstract. During very long self-rating sessions there is a risk that respondents will be tired and/or lose interest. Is this a concern for users of long personality inventories, such that the reliability becomes threatened in the latter half when respondents have made hundreds of personality self-ratings? Two thousand three hundred fifty-two volunteers completed long (≈ 500 items) personality inventories on the Internet, where items were presented in a unique random order for each participant. Perhaps counterintuitively, there was no evidence that reliability is threatened as respondents approach the end of a long personality inventory. If anything, the ratings in the second half of the inventories had higher reliability than ratings in the first half. Ratings were quicker towards the end of the inventories, but equally reliable. The criterion validity, estimated using Paunonen’s Behavior Report Form, was maintained too. The current results provide little reason to mistrust responses to items that appear towards the end of long personality inventories.
Former U.S. Science Academy President Ralph Cicerone Dies at 73
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2016

Cicerone was a leading authority on atmospheric chemistry and climate change and an outspoken advocate for science during a tumultuous political period.
Identification of two novel mutations in the GALNT3 gene in a Chinese family with hyperphosphatemic familial tumoral calcinosis
Authors: Sun Lihao , Zhao Lin , Du Lianjun , Zhang Peipei , Zhang Minjia , Li Min , Liu Tingting , Ye Lei , Tao Bei , Zhao Hongyan , Liu Jianmin , Ding Xiaoyi
Published: November 2016

Hyperphosphatemic familial tumoral calcinosis (HFTC) is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disease. This disease is characterized by the progressive calcification of soft tissues leading to symptoms of pressure and hyperphosphatemia but normal concentrations of serum calcium with or without an elevation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 levels.HFTC is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the GALNT3, FGF23 or KL genes. Here, we identified two novel mutations in the GALNT3 gene in a Chinese family with HFTC. Identification of a novel genotype in HFTC provides clues for understanding the phenotype–genotype relationships in HFTC and may assist not only in the clinical diagnosis of HFTC but also in the interpretation of the genetic information used for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.
De novo genic mutations among a Chinese autism spectrum disorder cohort
Authors: Wang Tianyun , Guo Hui , Xiong Bo , Stessman Holly A.F. , Wu Huidan , Coe Bradley P. , Turner Tychele N. , Liu Yanling , Zhao Wenjing , Hoekzema Kendra , Vives Laura , Xia Lu , Tang Meina , Ou Jianjun , Chen Biyuan , Shen Yidong , Xun Guanglei , Long Min , Lin Janice , Kronenberg Zev N. , Peng Yu , Bai Ting , Li Honghui , Ke Xiaoyan , Hu Zhengmao , Zhao Jingping , Zou Xiaobing , Xia Kun , Eichler Evan E.
Published: November 2016

Recurrent de novo (DN) and likely gene-disruptive (LGD) mutations contribute significantly to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) but have been primarily investigated in European cohorts. Here, we sequence 189 risk genes in 1,543 Chinese ASD probands (1,045 from trios). We report an 11-fold increase in the odds of DN LGD mutations compared with expectation under an exome-wide neutral model of mutation. In aggregate, ∼4% of ASD patients carry a DN mutation in one of just 29 autism risk genes. The most prevalent gene for recurrent DN mutations is SCN2A (1.1% of patients) followed by CHD8, DSCAM, MECP2, POGZ, WDFY3 and ASH1L. We identify novel DN LGD recurrences (GIGYF2, MYT1L, CUL3, DOCK8 and ZNF292) and DN mutations in previous ASD candidates (ARHGAP32, NCOR1, PHIP, STXBP1, CDKL5 and SHANK1). Phenotypic follow-up confirms potential subtypes and highlights how large global cohorts might be leveraged to prove the pathogenic significance of individually rare mutations.
Genomic analyses identify recurrent MEF2D fusions in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Gu Zhaohui , Churchman Michelle , Roberts Kathryn , Li Yongjin , Liu Yu , Harvey Richard C. , McCastlain Kelly , Reshmi Shalini C. , Payne-Turner Debbie , Iacobucci Ilaria , Shao Ying , Chen I-Ming , Valentine Marcus , Pei Deqing , Mungall Karen L. , Mungall Andrew J. , Ma Yussanne , Moore Richard , Marra Marco , Stonerock Eileen , Gastier-Foster Julie M. , Devidas Meenakshi , Dai Yunfeng , Wood Brent , Borowitz Michael , Larsen Eric E. , Maloney Kelly , Mattano Jr Leonard A. , Angiolillo Anne , Salzer Wanda L. , Burke Michael J. , Gianni Francesca , Spinelli Orietta , Radich Jerald P. , Minden Mark D. , Moorman Anthony V. , Patel Bella , Fielding Adele K. , Rowe Jacob M. , Luger Selina M. , Bhatia Ravi , Aldoss Ibrahim , Forman Stephen J. , Kohlschmidt Jessica , Mrózek Krzysztof , Marcucci Guido , Bloomfield Clara D. , Stock Wendy , Kornblau Steven , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Konopleva Marina , Paietta Elisabeth , Willman Cheryl L. , L. Loh Mignon , P. Hunger Stephen , Mullighan Charles G.
Published: November 2016

Chromosomal rearrangements are initiating events in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Here using RNA sequencing of 560 ALL cases, we identify rearrangements betweenMEF2D(myocyte enhancer factor 2D) and five genes (BCL9,CSF1R,DAZAP1,HNRNPUL1andSS18) in 22 B progenitor ALL (B-ALL) cases with a distinct gene expression profile, the most common of which isMEF2D-BCL9. Examination of an extended cohort of 1,164 B-ALL cases identified 30 cases withMEF2Drearrangements, which include an additional fusion partner,FOXJ2; thus,MEF2D-rearranged cases comprise 5.3% of cases lacking recurring alterations.MEF2D-rearranged ALL is characterized by a distinct immunophenotype, DNA copy number alterations at the rearrangement sites, older diagnosis age and poor outcome. The rearrangements result in enhanced MEF2D transcriptional activity, lymphoid transformation, activation ofHDAC9expression and sensitive to histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment. Thus,MEF2D-rearranged ALL represents a distinct form of high-risk leukaemia, for which new therapeutic approaches should be considered.
Recent pause in the growth rate of atmospheric CO2 due to enhanced terrestrial carbon uptake
Authors: Keenan Trevor F , Prentice I. Colin , Canadell Josep G , Williams Christopher A , Wang Han , Raupach Michael , Collatz G. James
Published: November 2016

Terrestrial ecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon cycle and offset a large fraction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The terrestrial carbon sink is increasing, yet the mechanisms responsible for its enhancement, and implications for the growth rate of atmospheric CO2, remain unclear. Here using global carbon budget estimates, ground, atmospheric and satellite observations, and multiple global vegetation models, we report a recent pause in the growth rate of atmospheric CO2, and a decline in the fraction of anthropogenic emissions that remain in the atmosphere, despite increasing anthropogenic emissions. We attribute the observed decline to increases in the terrestrial sink during the past decade, associated with the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 on vegetation and the slowdown in the rate of warming on global respiration. The pause in the atmospheric CO2 growth rate provides further evidence of the roles of CO2 fertilization and warming-induced respiration, and highlights the need to protect both existing carbon stocks and regions, where the sink is growing rapidly.
The persistence of low-grade inflammatory monocytes contributes to aggravated atherosclerosis
Authors: Geng Shuo , Chen Keqiang , Yuan Ruoxi , Peng Liang , Maitra Urmila , Diao Na , Chen Chun , Zhang Yao , Hu Yuan , Qi Chen-Feng , Pierce Susan , Ling Wenhua , Xiong Huabao , Li Liwu
Published: November 2016

Sustained low-grade inflammation mediated by non-resolving inflammatory monocytes has long been suspected in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis; however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the sustainment of non-resolving inflammatory monocytes during atherosclerosis are poorly understood. Here we observe that subclinical endotoxemia, often seen in humans with chronic inflammation, aggravates murine atherosclerosis through programming monocytes into a non-resolving inflammatory state with elevated Ly6C, CCR5, MCP-1 and reduced SR-B1. The sustainment of inflammatory monocytes is due to the disruption of homeostatic tolerance through the elevation of miR-24 and reduction of the key negative-feedback regulator IRAK-M. miR-24 reduces the levels of Smad4 required for the expression of IRAK-M and also downregulates key lipid-processing molecule SR-B1. IRAK-M deficiency in turn leads to elevated miR-24 levels, sustains disruption of monocyte homeostasis and aggravates atherosclerosis. Our data define an integrated feedback circuit in monocytes and its disruption may lead to non-resolving low-grade inflammation conducive to atherosclerosis.