bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Building program construction and verification tools from algebraic principles
Authors: Armstrong Alasdair , Gomes Victor B. F. , Struth Georg
Published: November 2015

We present a principled modular approach to the development of construction and verification tools for imperative programs, in which the control flow and the data flow are cleanly separated. Our simplest verification tool uses Kleene algebra with tests for the control flow of while-programs and their standard relational semantics for the data flow. It is expanded to a basic program construction tool by adding an operation for the specification statement and one single axiom. To include recursive procedures, Kleene algebras with tests are expanded further to quantales with tests. In this more expressive setting, iteration and the specification statement can be defined explicitly and stronger program transformation rules can be derived. Programming our approach in the Isabelle/HOL interactive theorem prover yields simple lightweight mathematical components as well as program construction and verification tools that are correct by construction themselves. Verification condition generation and program construction rules are based on equational reasoning and supported by powerful Isabelle tactics and automated theorem proving. A number of examples shows our tools at work.
Delegated bargaining in a competitive agent market: an experimental study
Authors: Choy Amy K. , Hamman John R. , King Ronald R. , Weber Roberto A.
Published: November 2015

We examine a variant of ultimatum bargaining in which principals may delegate their proposal decision to agents hired from a competitive market. Contrary to several prior studies, we find that when principals must use agents, the resulting proposals are significantly higher than when principals make proposals themselves. In reconciling our results with prior findings, we conclude that both the rejection power afforded to responders and the structure of principal-agent contracts can play significant roles in the nature of outcomes under delegated bargaining.
Novel pharmacodynamic biomarkers for MYCN protein and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway signaling in children with neuroblastoma
Authors: Smith Jennifer R. , Moreno Lucas , Heaton Simon P. , Chesler Louis , Pearson Andrew D.J. , Garrett Michelle D.
Published: November 2015

There is an urgent need for improved therapies for children with high‐risk neuroblastoma where survival rates remain low. MYCN amplification is the most common genomic change associated with aggressive neuroblastoma and drugs targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR, to activate MYCN oncoprotein degradation, are entering clinical evaluation. Our aim was to develop and validate pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers to evaluate both proof of mechanism and proof of concept for drugs that block PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activity in children with neuroblastoma. We have addressed the issue of limited access to tumor biopsies for quantitative detection of protein biomarkers by optimizing a three‐color fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) method to purify CD45−/GD2+/CD56+ neuroblastoma cells from bone marrow. We then developed a novel quantitative measurement of MYCN protein in these isolated neuroblastoma cells, providing the potential to demonstrate proof of concept for drugs that inhibit PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in this disease. In addition we have established quantitative detection of three biomarkers for AKT pathway activity (phosphorylated and total AKT, GSK3β and P70S6K) in surrogate platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) from pediatric patients. Together our new approach to neuroblastoma cell isolation for protein detection and suite of PD assays provides for the first time the opportunity for robust, quantitative measurement of protein‐based PD biomarkers in this pediatric patient population. These will be ideal tools to support clinical evaluation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway drugs and their ability to target MYCN oncoprotein in upcoming clinical trials in neuroblastoma.
Ambulatory Activity in People with Early Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Lamont Robyn M. , Morris Meg E. , Woollacott Marjorie H. , Brauer Sandra G.
Published: November 2015

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are encouraged to participate in physical activity levels equivalent to those recommended for the general population. Understanding factors that influence this activity is important for facilitating this participation. This study examined factors associated with participation in moderate and high intensity daily ambulatory activity in people with mild to moderate PD. Fifty community-dwelling people with mild-moderate PD were monitored with accelerometers over three days to characterise their daily ambulatory activity levels. Personal factors, disease characteristics, gait and cognitive capacity were measured. Prediction models were created to identify factors influencing ambulation activity. People with PD spent approximately 77 minutes walking per day, mostly at a moderate intensity resulting in a median of 6300 steps/day. Disease severity predicted time spent in moderate ambulation bouts (R2 = 0.116, p = .017). Gait (Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test) and executive function together predicted engagement in high intensity ambulatory activity (R2 > 0.170, p < .022). While disease severity, gait performance and executive function were predictive of engagement in moderate and high intensity walking activity, additional personal and social factors should be considered and are likely to also strongly impact on activity levels.
Comparison of Tamsulosin, Nifedipine, and Placebo for Ureteric Colic
Authors: Gottlieb Michael , Nakitende Damali
Published: November 2015

Clinical question

Do calcium channel blockers or alpha blockers improve renal stone passage when compared with placebo?

Article chosen

Pickard R, Starr K, MacLennan G, et al. Medical expulsive therapy in adults with ureteric colic: a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2015;386(9991):25-31, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60933-3.
‘It is not the State's fault that we have a person like this’: relations, institutions and the meaning of ‘rights’ to carers of People with Psychosocial Disabilities in Chile
Authors: Montenegro C. R. , Cornish F.
Published: November 2015

Background.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been adopted by national governments to advance the interests and wellbeing of people with psychosocial disabilities (PPSD). It is often assumed that the adoption of a ‘rights’ framework will advance the dignity and autonomy of PPSD. However, little is known about how families and communities understand ‘rights’. The present paper, based on research conducted in Santiago, Chile, takes a contextual approach to rights, asking: How do family carers of PPSD understand and use the idea of ‘rights’? How does the context of caregiving shape families’ understanding of rights?

Methods.

Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 25 family carers (predominantly mothers) of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and other severe neuropsychiatric conditions. Thematic analysis was conducted.

Results.

Carers’ experience of caregiving was marked by isolation, stigmatization, a lack of support and mistreatment by public services. Their family networks did not provide sustained help and support, and the public services they had used were characterized by scarce resources and inadequate support. Carers did not refer to rights of dignity or autonomy. Given an unsupportive context, and worries about who would care for their child after the carer's death, their primary interest in ‘rights’ was a right to guaranteed, long-term care. While carers endorsed the idea of universal, state-supported rights, appeals to compassion and the exchange of favours were spoken of as the most effective strategies for gaining a minimum level of services and support.

Conclusions.

Carers’ understandings, framed against a background of unmet needs and shaped by a history of unsatisfactory interactions with services and institutions, do not resonate with the principles of the CRPD. We suggest an expanded, relational struggle for rights that acknowledges the role of families and the tensions surrounding the distribution of rights within the family.
Standardizing Expert Wine Scores: An Application for Bordeaux en primeur
Authors: Cardebat Jean-Marie , Paroissien Emmanuel
Published: November 2015

In this paper we provide a simple and transparent non parametric methodology to express the scores of each wine expert on the same rating scale. We discuss the advantage of this methodology over a linear transformation. The non-paramatric method ensures the comparability of scores among experts and allows for a relevant average calculation of available wine scores. (JEL Classifications: Q13, L15, C14).
Gaffe Appeal A Field Experiment on Partisan Selective Exposure to Election Messages
Authors: Ryan Timothy J. , Brader Ted
Published: November 2015

The possibility that citizens expose themselves to information in biased ways—so-called selective exposure—has acquired new importance as the media environment has evolved to provide more choices concerning what to watch and read. But evidence for the most prominent idea in selective exposure research—that citizens prefer attitude-consistent information—is notably mixed. Methodological challenges likely contribute to the inconclusive nature of findings, as researchers face trade-offs between the artificiality of lab environments and the difficult-to-disentangle confounds of observational analysis. We improve understanding of selective exposure in two ways. First, we consider how message aspects other than attitude-consistency affect exposure decisions. Second, we study selective exposure with an innovative field experiment conducted in the United States that addresses limitations of other approaches. Our results allow us to reach more confident conclusions about the prevalence of motivated selective exposure, and help to illuminate underpinnings of the oft-lamented tendency for campaign media to focus on candidate miscues rather than substantive policy differences.
“A Trust That Cannot Be Delegated”: The Invention of Ratification Referenda
Authors: LENOWITZ JEFFREY A.
Published: November 2015

A ratification referendum is a procedure in which framers submit a constitution to the people for binding approval before implementation. It is widespread, recommended, and affects the contents and reception of constitutions, yet remains unstudied. Moreover, the reasons or justification for using the procedure remain unexplored. This is troubling because ratification referenda are optional, and thus should only be implemented for good reasons that, today, are no longer given. This article begins correcting this oversight by identifying those that brought about the first ratification referendum and explaining why they did so. I demonstrate that the Berkshire Constitutionalists called for the procedure during the events leading up to the creation of the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution, and that they justified their actions by asserting that the people have an unalienable right to ratify their constitution through a referendum, for this provided needed protection against potentially corrupt elites. This argument remains the most fully developed justification for the procedure to date. My analysis not only reveals ratification referenda to be another product of early American political thought, but also points the way forward for future evaluation of the procedure, and forces reflection upon the importance of having solid grounds for the choices involved in structuring a constitution-making process.
Effect of in ovo feeding of folic acid on the folate metabolism, immune function and epigenetic modification of immune effector molecules of broiler
Authors: Li Shizhao , Zhi Lihui , Liu Yanli , Shen Jing , Liu Lei , Yao Junhu , Yang Xiaojun
Published: November 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of in ovo feeding (IOF) of folic acid on the folate metabolism, immune function and the involved epigenetic modification of broilers. A total of 400 (Cobb) hatching eggs were randomly divided into four groups (0, 50, 100 and 150 µg injection of folic acid at embryonic age 11 d), and chicks hatched from each treatment were randomly divided into six replicates with 12 broilers/replicate after incubation. The results indicated that, in ovo, 100- and 150-µg folic acid injections improved the hatchability. The average daily gain and feed conversion ratio increased in the 150-µg group during the late growth stage. Simultaneously, in the 100- and 150-µg groups, an increase was observed in hepatic folate content and the expression of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (d1 and 42) and methionine synthase reductase (d21). IgG and IgM concentrations, as well as plasma lysozyme activity of broilers, showed a marked increase along with increasing folic acid levels. The splenic expression levels of IL-2 and IL-4 were up-regulated, whereas that of IL-6 was down-regulated, in the 100- and 150-µg folic acid treatment groups. In addition, histone methylation in IL-2 and IL-4 promoters exhibited an enrichment of H3K4m2 but a loss of H3K9me2 with the increased amount of folic acid additive. In contrast, a decrease in H3K4m2 and an increase in H3K9me2 were observed in the IL-6 promoter in folic acid treatments. Furthermore, in ovo, the 150-µg folic acid injection improved the chromatin tightness of the IL-2 and IL-4 promoter regions. Our findings suggest that IOF of 150 µg of folic acid can improve the growth performance and folate metabolism of broilers, and enhance the relationship between immune function and epigenetic regulation of immune genes, which are involved with the alterations in chromatin conformation and histone methylation in their promoters.
Postprandial nutrient-sensing and metabolic responses after partial dietary fishmeal replacement by soyabean meal in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.)
Authors: Xu Dandan , He Gen , Mai Kangsen , Zhou Huihui , Xu Wei , Song Fei
Published: November 2015

In this study, we chose a carnivorous fish, turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.), to examine its nutrient-sensing and metabolic responses after ingestion of diets with fishmeal (FM), or 45 % of FM replaced by soyabean meal (34·6 % dry diet) balanced with or without essential amino acids (EAA) to match the amino acid profile of FM diet for 30 d. After a 1-month feeding trial, fish growth, feed efficiency and nutrient retention were markedly reduced by soyabean meal-incorporated (SMI) diets. Compared with the FM diet, SMI led to a reduction of postprandial influx of free amino acids, hypoactivated target of rapamycin signalling and a hyperactivated amino acid response pathway after refeeding, a status associated with reduced protein synthesis, impaired postprandial glycolysis and lipogenesis. These differential effects were not ameliorated by matching an EAA profile of soyabean meal to that of the FM diet through dietary amino acid supplementation. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the FM diet and SMI diets led to distinct nutrient-sensing responses, which in turn modulated metabolism and determined the utilisation efficiency of diets. Our results provide a new molecular explanation for the role of nutrient sensing in the inferior performance of aquafeeds in which FM is replaced by soyabean meal.
Determinants of changes in vitamin D status postpartum in Swedish women
Authors: Brembeck Petra , Winkvist Anna , Bååth Mari , Bärebring Linnea , Augustin Hanna
Published: November 2015

Low vitamin D status has been associated with unfavourable health outcomes. Postpartum, it is speculated that maternal vitamin D status decreases due to transfer of vitamin D from mother to child through breast milk. A few studies have investigated changes in maternal vitamin D postpartum and possible determinants. Thus, the aims of the present study were to determine changes in serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) between 2 weeks and 12 months postpartum in Swedish women and to evaluate lactation and other determinants for changes in 25(OH)D concentration postpartum. In total, seventy-eight women were studied at 2 weeks, 4 months and 12 months postpartum. Data collection included measurements of weight and height as well as information about lactation, sun exposure, use of oestrogen contraceptives and physical activity level. Blood samples were collected and serum 25(OH)D levels were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem MS. Dietary intake of vitamin D was recorded using 4-d food diaries. For all the women studied, mean serum 25(OH)D did not change between 2 weeks and 12 months postpartum (67 (sd 23) v. 67 (sd 19) nmol/l). No association was found between lactation and changes in serum 25(OH)D concentration postpartum. Significant determinants for postpartum changes in 25(OH)D concentration were use of vitamin D supplements (P=0·003), use of oestrogen contraceptives (P=0·013) and season (P=0·005). In conclusion, no changes were observed in 25(OH)D concentrations during the 1st year postpartum in these women and no association was found between lactation and changes in 25(OH)D concentration postpartum. The main determinants for the variation in changes in 25(OH)D concentrations postpartum were use of vitamin D supplements, use of oestrogen contraceptives and season.
Bilattices and Morita Equivalence of MASA Bimodules
Authors: Eleftherakis G. K.
Published: November 2015

We define an equivalence relation between bimodules over maximal abelian self-adjoint algebras (MASA bimodules), which we call spatial Morita equivalence. We prove that two reflexive MASA bimodules are spatially Morita equivalent if and only if their (essential) bilattices are isomorphic. We also prove that if are bilattices that correspond to reflexive MASA bimodules , and is an onto bilattice homomorphism, then

(i) if is synthetic, then is synthetic;

(ii) if contains a non-zero compact (or a finite or a rank 1) operator, then also contains a non-zero compact (or a finite or a rank 1) operator.
THE EFFECT OF THREE YEARS OF TILLAGE AND POULTRY MANURE APPLICATION ON SOIL AND PLANT NUTRIENT COMPOSITION, GROWTH AND YIELD OF COCOYAM
Authors: ADEKIYA ARUNA O. , AGBEDE TAIWO M. , OJENIYI STEPHEN O.
Published: November 2015

Tillage and use of organic manure are important agronomic practices that sustain high crop and soil productivity. Hence, a three-year (2007 to 2009) study was conducted to evaluate the effect of site, tillage and poultry manure (PM) treatments on soil and plant nutrients composition, growth and yield of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium). The study was a 2 × 5 × 5 factorial experiment with two sites (Owo – site 1 and Obasooto – site 2), five tillage methods; manual clearing (MC), manual ridging (MR), manual mounding (MM), ploughing plus harrowing (P+H) and ploughing plus harrowing twice (P+2H) and five levels of PM (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 t ha−1). Treatments were replicated thrice. Soil OM, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and leaf nutrients reduced with increase in tillage intensity, thus MC conserved soil nutrients the most, and increased nutrient uptake. Soil and plant nutrient concentration was lowest under the P+2H treatment. The MC, MR and MM treatments led to faster growth and higher tuber yield. As PM increased from 0 to 10.0 t ha−1 soil pH, OM, soil and plant N, P, K, Ca and Mg increased. The 7.5 t ha−1 PM gave the highest leaf K, Ca and Mg values. Owo site had significantly higher yield and growth parameters of cocoyam compared with Obasooto site. Yield and growth parameters of cocoyam increased with increase in PM level up to 7.5 t ha−1. Out of all tillage cum manure treatments, MC+7.5 t ha−1 PM gave the highest values of yield and growth parameters.
DEVELOPMENT OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE (CA) SYSTEMS IN MALAWI: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 2005 TO 2014
Authors: THIERFELDER CHRISTIAN , BUNDERSON W. TRENT , JERE ZWIDE D. , MUTENJE MUNYARADZI , NGWIRA AMOS
Published: November 2015

Conservation agriculture (CA) was introduced to farmers in Malawi to address soil degradation, declining crop productivity and the need to adapt to climate variability and change. This research from 2005 to 2014 aimed at analysing the effects of CA on longer-term productivity and profitability compared with conventional systems as practiced in two communities of Central Malawi. CA treatments outyielded conventional ridge tilled control plots in Mwansambo and Zidyana on average by between 22 and 31%, respectively. An economic analysis from 2011 to 2014 found that, on average, income was 50 and 83% greater in CA systems than in conventional systems. The crops were produced with 28 -39 less labour days ha−1 compared with the conventional practice, leading to greater net benefits. Despite the higher returns with CA, there are still challenges with residue retention, weed control, adequate rotations, management of pests and diseases as well as other socio-economic constraints. At the same time, there are opportunities to address these challenges through site-specific and adaptive research using innovation systems approaches.
Borings in phosphatized Cambrian siltstone pebbles, Estonia (Baltica)
Authors: VINN OLEV , TOOM URSULA
Published: November 2015

The earliest known macroborings (Trypanites) from Baltica occur in early Cambrian phosphatized siltstone pebbles from Kopli quarry in Tallinn, Estonia.Trypanitesborings also occur in Furongian phosphatized siltstone pebbles in northern Estonia. The intensity of bioerosion on these Cambrian pebbles is low compared to analogue substrates from Ordovician deposits of Baltica. These bored phosphatized siltstone pebbles show that bioerosion of hard substrates occurred in relatively cold climate epicontinental seas during Cambrian time.
The impact of tinnitus characteristics and associated variables on tinnitus-related handicap
Authors: Degeest S , Corthals P , Dhooge I , Keppler H
Published: November 2015

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the characteristics of tinnitus and tinnitus-related variables and explore their possible relationship with tinnitus-related handicap.

Methods:

Eighty-one patients with chronic tinnitus were included. The study protocol measured hearing status, tinnitus pitch, loudness, maskability and loudness discomfort levels. All patients filled in the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire, the Hyperacusis Questionnaire and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. The relationship of each variable with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results:

Five univariables were associated with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score: loudness discomfort level, subjective tinnitus loudness, tinnitus awareness, noise intolerance and Hyperacusis Questionnaire score. Multiple regression analysis showed that the Hyperacusis Questionnaire score and tinnitus awareness were independently associated with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score.

Conclusion:

Hyperacusis and tinnitus awareness were independently associated with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score. Questionnaires on tinnitus and hyperacusis are especially suited to providing additional insight into tinnitus-related handicap and are therefore useful for evaluating tinnitus patients.
Aquatic Display: Navigating the Roman Imperial World in Acts 27
Authors: Carter Warren
Published: November 2015

This article reads Acts 27–28.10 as an ‘aquatic display’ that offers Christ-believers a spectacle of navigating the stormy imperial world. It argues that Pliny'sPanegyricussimilarly employs aquatic displays to instruct in negotiating the emperor Trajan's power. It identifies four means in Acts 27 that assert Rome's power – judicial, military, economic, and the sea as a contested site where the sovereignties of God and Rome compete and cooperate – and which Christ-believers must negotiate by various means including submission, awareness of danger, courage, social interaction, agency, contribution to well-being, and discernment of and contestive allegiance to God's greater sovereignty.
Using an Author's Consistency of Usage and Conjectures as Criteria to Resolve Textual Variation in the Greek New Testament
Authors: Elliott J. K.
Published: November 2015

As one of its rules, thoroughgoing eclecticism in New Testament textual criticism puts great store by an author's consistency of language, style and usage when assessing variation. This article examines the theoretical justification for such a rule and sets out a number of examples from throughout the New Testament to show how such an application works, even when the preferred solutions may go against traditional principles of text-critics such as the age, quality or quantity of witnesses in supporting a selected initial text. One section deals with conjectural emendation.
Reading First Thessalonians as a Consolatory Letter in Light of Seneca and Ancient Handbooks on Letter-Writing
Authors: Luckensmeyer David , Neil Bronwen
Published: November 2015

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul addressed the occasion of deaths among Christians with stock arguments of the consolatory genre, without using the typical epistolary structure associated with consolation in ancient handbooks of letter-writing. It is demonstrated that three of Seneca the Younger's letters also employed stock arguments of consolation, but did not follow the usual structure for a letter of consolation. Using Seneca's letters as a test case for what constituted pagan ideas of consolation, we highlight some compelling reasons for reading First Thessalonians as a letter of consolation, a reading that offers some new insights into the passage on the right Christian attitude towards death in 1 Thess 4.13–5.11.
Mark, the Jerusalem Temple and Jewish Sectarianism: Why Geographical Proximity Matters in Determining the Provenance of Mark
Authors: Wardle Timothy
Published: November 2015

Rome or Syria? This article addresses the issue of the provenance of Mark's Gospel by exploring affinities between the second Gospel and Jewish sectarian groups of the first centuries bce and ce. It is argued that Mark displays certain sectarian tendencies, and that these tendencies, most notably seen in the Gospel's negative evaluation of the Jerusalem temple and its priestly overseers, strongly suggest that the Gospel was written in close geographical proximity to Jerusalem and its temple. Accordingly, an area in the Syrian Decapolis is a much more likely place of origin for Mark's Gospel than that of Rome.
Music teaching and the process of enculturation: A cultural dilemma
Authors: Otchere Eric Debrah
Published: November 2015

The history of music in Ghanaian school programmes can hardly be separated from the general history of education in Ghana. Since the time of colonial administration in Ghana, music (especially as manifested through singing) has formed part of the educational curriculum for different reasons, one being a tool for promoting the culture of the colonialists. Several advances (particularly after independence in Ghana) have been made to incorporate aspects of the Ghanaian culture into the educational curriculum. Over 50 years down the line, what is the extent to which Ghanaian (African) music is studied in Ghanaian schools? In this paper, the extent to which African music is taught in African (Ghanaian) universities is analysed by looking at the undergraduate music course content of two Ghanaian public universities. Although African music is taught, it only forms an infinitesimal proportion of the total music courses that are offered to music students in these two universities. Considering that the process of music education is also a process of enculturation, the concluding recommendation is that although a multicultural music programme is necessary, the teaching of African (Ghanaian) music in Ghanaian universities should be the dominant feature.
Music Education in Africa
Authors: MURPHY REGINA , FAUTLEY MARTIN
Published: November 2015

Coming from Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Kenya, the papers in this Special Issue on Music Education in Africa cannot portray a definitive story of music education in all 54 sovereign states in the Continent, but as a first step towards understanding what matters in this region of the world, the range of topics in this issue provides us with a focal point for dialogue.
POTENTIAL FOR PATIENTS AND PATIENT-DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE EVIDENCE FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Low Eric
Published: November 2015

This article gives a patient organization's perspective on health technology assessments (HTAs) and the role that such organizations can, and should, play in them.
RESPONSIVENESS, LANGUAGE, AND ALIGNMENT: REFLECTIONS ON SOME CHALLENGES FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Dillon Andrew
Published: November 2015

Health systems around the world cope with the challenge of difficult economic times, and the value of health technology assessment (HTA) is increasing. Making the right choices, with limited resources, in the face of increasingly complex technologies requires decisions informed by data and analyses that help us to manage the risks involved. Those who undertake and use HTA can play a greater role in helping decision makers meet these challenges; they need to think how to define innovation and respond to it, how to communicate their analyses, and, critically, how to align their work with the ambitions of their health systems. HTA can become a key health system enabler without compromising its objectivity or independence. It can say that it is too early to determine the value of a new technology when the data simply will not support a safe decision. However, it can also be bold and recommend the managed introduction of new technologies, even when the when the data is immature, provided that the health system understands the risks and there is a plausible case for believing that further research will support the value proposition. The goal for HTA is to be able confidently to do both.
THE EFFECTS OF IMPLICIT INSTRUCTION ON IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Godfroid Aline
Published: November 2015

This study extends the evidence for implicit second language (L2) learning, which comes largely from (semi-)artificial language research, to German. Upper-intermediate L2 German learners were flooded with spoken exemplars of a difficult morphological structure, namely strong, vowel-changing verbs. Toward the end of exposure, the mandatory vowel change was omitted, yielding ungrammatical verb forms (compare Leung & Williams, 2012). Two pre- and posttests—word monitoring and controlled oral production—gauged the development of learners’ implicit and explicit knowledge, respectively.

Interviews revealed 33 out of 38 L2 learners remained unaware of the ungrammatical verbs in the input flood; however, they showed significant sensitivity during listening as evidenced by a reaction time slowdown on ungrammatical trials. The unaware learners also improved significantly from pretest to posttest on the word-monitoring task, but not the oral production measure, unless the verbs’ salience in the input flood had resonated with them. Thus, implicit instruction affected implicit knowledge primarily, although prior knowledge and memory could potentially account for interactions between implicit processing, implicit knowledge, and explicit knowledge.
Increasing incidence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Michigan and association with clinical illness
Authors: TSENG M. , SHA Q. , RUDRIK J. T. , COLLINS J. , HENDERSON T. , FUNK J. A. , MANNING S. D.
Published: November 2015

Infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) by serotypes other than O157 (non-O157) have been increasingly reported in the United States. This increase in reporting is primarily due to the improvements in diagnostic tests. We analysed 1497 STEC cases reported in Michigan from 2001 to 2012. A significant increase in the number of non-O157 STEC cases was observed over time, and similar incidence rates were observed for O157 and non-O157 STEC cases in certain time periods. The odds of hospitalization was two times higher in O157 STEC cases relative to non-O157 STEC cases when adjusted for age and gender, suggesting that O157 STEC causes more severe clinical outcomes in all age groups. The use of population-based surveillance to better define trends and associations with disease severity are critical to enhance our understanding of STEC infections and improve upon current prevention and control efforts.
Epidemic myalgia and myositis associated with human parechovirus type 3 infections occur not only in adults but also in children: findings in Yamagata, Japan, 2014
Authors: MIZUTA K. , YAMAKAWA T. , KUROKAWA K. , CHIKAOKA S. , SHIMIZU Y. , ITAGAKI T. , KATSUSHIMA F. , KATSUSHIMA Y. , ITO S. , AOKI Y. , MATOBA Y. , TANAKA S. , YAHAGI K.
Published: November 2015

We previously reported an association between human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) and epidemic myalgia with myositis in adults during summers in which an HPeV3 outbreak occurred in children. However, this disease association has not yet been reported elsewhere. We have since continued our surveillance to accumulate data on this disease association and to confirm whether myalgia occurs in children as well as adults. Between June and August 2014, we collected 380 specimens from children with infectious diseases. We also collected clinical specimens from two adult and three paediatric patients suspected of myalgia. We then performed virus isolation and reverse-transcription–PCR using the collected specimens. We detected HPeV3 in 26 children with infectious diseases, which we regarded as indicating an outbreak. We also confirmed HPeV3 infection in all patients suspected of myalgia. In particular the symptoms in two boys, complaining of myalgia and fever, closely matched the criteria for adult myalgia. Based on our findings from 2008, 2011 and 2014, we again urge that clinical consideration be given to the relationship between myalgia and HPeV3 infections during HPeV3 outbreaks in children. Furthermore, our observations from 2014 suggest that epidemic myalgia and myositis occur not only in adults but also in children.
Non-local effects in an integro-PDE model from population genetics
Authors: LI F. , NAKASHIMA K. , NI W.-M.
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we study the following non-local problem:\begin{equation*} \begin{cases} \displaystyle u_t=d{1\over\rho}\nabla\cdot(\rho V\nabla u)+b(\bar{u}-u)+ g(x) u^2(1-u) &\displaystyle \quad \textrm{in} \; \Omega\times (0,\infty),\\[3pt] \displaystyle 0\leq u\leq 1 & \quad\displaystyle \textrm{in}\ \Omega\times (0,\infty),\\[3pt] \displaystyle \nu \cdot V\nabla u=0 &\displaystyle \quad \textrm{on} \; \partial\Omega\times (0,\infty).\vspace*{-2pt} \end{cases} \end{equation*}This model, proposed by T. Nagylaki, describes the evolution of two alleles under the joint action of selection, migration, andpartial panmixia – a non-local term, for thecomplete dominancecase, whereg(x) is assumed to change sign at least once to reflect the diversity of the environment. First, properties for general non-local problems are studied. Then, existence of non-trivial steady states, in terms of the diffusion coefficientdand the partial panmixia rateb, is obtained under different signs of the integral ∫Ωg(x)dx. Furthermore, stability and instability properties for non-trivial steady states, as well as the trivial steady statesu≡ 0 andu≡ 1 are investigated. Our results illustrate how the non-local term – namely, the partial panmixia – helps the migration in this model.
Are simultaneous interpreters expert bilinguals, unique bilinguals, or both?
Authors: BABCOCK LAURA , VALLESI ANTONINO
Published: November 2015

Simultaneous interpretation is a cognitively demanding process that requires a high level of language management. Previous studies on bilinguals have suggested that extensive practice managing two languages leads to enhancements in cognitive control. Thus, interpreters may be expected to show benefits beyond those seen in bilinguals, either as an extension of previously-seen benefits or in areas specific to interpretation. The present study examined professional interpreters (N = 23) and matched multilinguals (N = 21) on memory tests, the color-word Stroop task, the Attention Network Test, and a non-linguistic task-switching paradigm. The interpreters did not show advantages in conflict resolution or switching cost where bilingual benefits have been noted. However, an interpretation-specific advantage emerged on the mixing cost in the task-switching paradigm. Additionally, the interpreters had larger verbal and spatial memory spans. Interpreters do not continue to garner benefits from bilingualism, but they do appear to possess benefits specific to their experience with simultaneous interpretation.
CONVERGENCE OF SOLUTIONS TO SOME ELLIPTIC EQUATIONS IN BOUNDED NEUMANN THIN DOMAINS
Authors: DE OLIVEIRA CÉSAR R. , VERRI ALESSANDRA A.
Published: November 2015

Consider the (elliptic) stationary nonlinear reaction–diffusion equation in a sequence of bounded Neumann tubes in a space that is squeezed to a reference curve. It is supposed that the forcing term is square integrable and that the nonlinear one satisfies some growth and dissipative conditions. A norm convergence of the resolvents of the operators associated with the linear terms of such equations is proven, and this fact is used to provide new and simpler proofs of the asymptotic behaviour of the solutions to the full nonlinear equations (previously known in similar singular problems).
Art therapy among palliative cancer patients: Aesthetic dimensions and impacts on symptoms
Authors: Lefèvre Cédric , Ledoux Mathilde , Filbet Marilène
Published: November 2015

Objective:

This study aimed to explore whether aesthetic beauty and the pleasure that results from artistic activity can contribute to a reduction in the symptoms experienced by palliative care patients, and to improve the effectiveness of art therapy sessions.

Method:

A self-assessment of six symptoms (pain, anxiety, ill-being, tiredness, sadness, and depression) adapted from the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) was completed by patients before and after a one-hour art therapy session. This assessment was completed after the session with a self-assessment of aesthetic feeling. A correlation analysis was then performed.

Results:

From July of 2012 to December of 2013, 28 patients took part in 63 art therapy sessions. On the whole, these sessions reduced the global distress of patients by 47% (p< 0.0001). There was a significant reduction in all the symptoms studied; pain (p= 0.003), anxiety (p< 0.0001), ill-being (p< 0.0001), tiredness (p< 0.0001), sadness (p< 0.0001), and depression (p< 0.0001). A study of the significant correlations (0.35 <rs< 0.52,p< 0.05) indicated that technical satisfaction, aesthetic beauty, and pleasure are all involved to varying degrees in reduction of symptoms.

Significance of results:

Our findings confirm the benefits of art therapy in reducing distress within the palliative context. We also make suggestions for the future direction and improvement of these sessions.
Assessing sustainability and improvements in US Midwestern soybean production systems using a PCA–DEA approach
Authors: Dong Fengxia , Mitchell Paul D. , Knuteson Deana , Wyman Jeffery , Bussan A.J. , Conley Shawn
Published: November 2015

Documentation of on-farm sustainability in agricultural sectors is becoming an essential element to ensure market access. An assessment process was developed to help soybean farmers document practices and verifiable advances in community, environmental and economic sustainability. Technical difficulties in analyzing and summarizing such assessment data include a large number of practices, correlation in variables, and use of discrete measures. By combining non-negative principal components analysis and common-weight data envelopment analysis, we overcame these difficulties to calculate a composite sustainability index for each individual farm and for the farm group as a whole. Applying this method to assessment data from 410 US Midwestern soybean farmers gave average sustainability scores of 0.846 and 0.842 for the soybean-specific and whole-farm assessments, respectively. Scenario analysis examined the impact if the bottom 10% of growers adopted the top ten sustainability drivers identified by the analysis. The average sustainability score only increased by 2%, but the minimum score increased from 0.515 to 0.647 for the soybean-specific assessment, and from 0.624 to 0.685 for the whole-farm assessment, while the lowest 10th percentile increased from 0.635 to 0.819 for the soybean-specific assessment, and from 0.634 to 0.920 for the whole-farm assessment. These results suggest that significant advancements could be made through focused efforts to improve adoption of sustainable practices by soybean farmers at the lower end of the spectrum.
Profiles of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the Elderly
Authors: Peraita Herminia , Chacón José , Díaz-Mardomingo Carmen , Martínez-Arias Rosario
Published: November 2015

We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to a set of neuropsychological data with the aim of corroborating the three cognitive profiles of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) described in the literature, namely: healthy, amnestic, non-amnestic, and multidomain. The ultimate purpose of the LCA was to try to find the underlying classification of MCI and related pathologies by means of the participants’ response patterns, rather than on more classical psychometric criteria, such as the standard deviation of the mean. We computed 547 neuropsychological assessments derived from 223 participants who were assessed annually for three consecutive years. The battery included tests of memory, language, executive function, and praxis. The results obtained by means of LCA, with a four-group solution and using the 40th percentile as the criterion, confirm prior classifications obtained with more questionable psychometric criteria, while providing longitudinal data on the course of MCI and the stability of group assignment over time.
Indigenismo Occupied: Indigenous Youth and Mexico's Democratic Opening (1968–1975)
Authors: Dillingham A. S.
Published: November 2015

In April 1975, indigenous youth in Mexico occupied regional development centers throughout the southern state of Oaxaca. From the Sierra Sur town of Miahuatlán, to the arid highlands of the Mixteca Alta, to the valley of the Papaloapan Dam project, these youth took control of Instituto Nacional Indigenista (INI) coordinating centers and held them for more than a month. Trained aspromotores bilingües(bilingual agents of education and development projects) by a separate regional development agency (the Instituto de Investigación y Integración Social del Estado de Oaxaca, or IIISEO), they demanded professional training and the creation of positions for themselves as federal teachers. Their banners accused the Mexican government of ethnocide against native peoples, denouncing the government's celebration of indigenous culture as a mask for continued exploitation.
Luis Nicolau Parés: Reply to the Review of J. Lorand Matory
Authors: Parés Luis Nicolau
Published: November 2015

Professor J. Lorand Matory's thorough critique of the English translation of my book, which was first published in Brazil in 2006, did not come to me as a complete surprise. He and I have known each other for some years, and we have shared with each other interests in the cultural history of Candomblé, in particular the place and role of the Jeje nation. We have discussed our interpretative divergences in private and in public, and I have referred to some of them in writing (Nagôization, 2005; Birth, 2005; Formation). I do appreciate and feel honored that such a distinguished scholar has devoted some of his precious time to reviewing my book, giving me the chance to revisit my over-a-decade-old argument in the light of his provoking challenges. Yet, after reading his essay (certainly more than a standard review), I wondered why he had taken the effort to write 15 single-spaced pages of meticulous criticism on a work he ultimately dismisses as theoretically old-fashioned and full of errors and inconsistencies. If it is so worthless, why care about it in the first place?
Dark Triad, Tramps, and Thieves
Authors: Lyons Minna , Jonason Peter K.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Although previous research has demonstrated a link between personality and thieving, research has not yet considered individual differences in impulsivity and the Dark Triad (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) and commonplace, low-level thefts. In this on-line questionnaire study (N = 254) we examined how the Dark Triad traits and dysfunctional and functional impulsivity provide insights into individual differences in petty theft. Those who admitted having stolen something in their lifetime were higher on primary and secondary psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and dysfunctional impulsivity than those who had not stolen anything. In addition, secondary psychopathy predicted stealing from a wider range of targets than primary psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. We discussed the results in relation to how psychopathy may be part of an adaptive suite of traits that enable a “cheater” strategy.
Gender Difference in Timing of Nocturnal Rise of Subjective	Sleepiness
Authors: Putilov Arcady A.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Experimental research of diurnal variations in body temperature and melatonin secretion consistently revealed an earlier entrained circadian phase in women than in men. Since it is well documented that daily fluctuations in self-reported level of sleepiness closely follow the circadian rhythms of melatonin and body temperature, one can predict that gender differences in phase characteristics of the 24-hour fluctuations of subjective sleepiness resemble the differences revealed by research of physiological and hormonal rhythms. Analysis of sleepiness self-scored by 46 male and 54 female participants of sleep deprivation experiments showed that female participants scored significantly higher their midnight sleepiness level. The model-based simulations of sleepiness curves confirmed the prediction of a relatively earlier phase of 24-hour oscillations of sleepiness in women. Such gender differences persisted after accounting for individual variation in habitual sleep times and morning-evening preference. In today’s environment, the earlier circadian phase in women can cause a larger delaying phase shift in response to midnight exposure to artificial light, but, on the other hand, the earlier rise of subjective sleepiness can make them less vulnerable to the delaying shifts.
The Dark Tetrad
Authors: Međedović Janko , Petrović Boban
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy are personality traits understood to be dispositions toward amoral and antisocial behavior. Recent research has suggested that sadism should also be added to this set of traits. In the present study, we tested a hypothesis proposing that these four traits are expressions of one superordinate construct: The Dark Tetrad. Exploration of the latent space of four “dark” traits suggested that the singular second-order factor which represents the Dark Tetrad can be extracted. Analysis has shown that Dark Tetrad traits can be located in the space of basic personality traits, especially on the negative pole of the Honesty-Humility, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotionality dimensions. We conclude that sadism behaves in a similar manner as the other dark traits, but it cannot be reduced to them. The results support the concept of “Dark Tetrad.”
New Insights into the Complicated World of Tropical Convection
Authors: Strelich Lily
Published: November 2015

New study identifies key variables that move solar heat from the ocean to the troposphere in the tropics.
Climate Variability Across Scales Affects Ecosystems over Time
Authors: Strelich Lily
Published: November 2015

Given enough time, short-term variations in temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation influence the fluxes of water and carbon through ecosystems.