bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Effect of Thymol Combined with Lactic Acid or Sodium Lactate on Psychrophilic Bacteria and Salmonella Spp. on Chicken Drumstick
Authors: İlhak Osman İrfan , İncili Gökhan Kürşad , Durmuşoğlu Halil
Published: September 2016

This study was carried out to evaluate the combined antimicrobial effect of thymol with lactic acid or sodium lactate on Salmonella and psychrophilic bacteria on chicken drumstick. Drumstick samples were artificially contaminated with Salmonella spp., then sprayed with sterile 0.85% NaCl solution (control), and thymol (0.25% w/v) with lactic acid (2% and 4% v/v) or sodium lactate (2% and 4% v/v), alone or in combination, for 30 s. The samples were stored at 4°C and analyzed on days 0, 2 and 4 for Salmonella and psychrophilic bacteria. Thymol alone did not show antibacterial effect on Salmonella and psychrophilic bacteria on chicken drumstick when compared with the control group during storage period. Spray with 4% lactic acid + thymol reduced Salmonella and psychrophilic bacteria by 1.4 and 1.8 log10 CFU/ml on day 0, respectively. A significant decrease in the number of Salmonella and psychrophilic bacteria was observed in the samples sprayed with 4% lactic acid and 4% lactic acid + thymol on days 2 and 4 when compared to the control (P<0.05). The combinations of thymol with lactic acid or sodium lactate did not show synergistic or additive effect on Salmonella and psychrophilic bacteria present on chicken drumstick with skin.
The Effects of Strain and Caponisation on Carcass and Meat Traits of Cockerels Aged Twenty Weeks
Authors: Adamski Marek , Kuźniacka Joanna , Banaszak Mirosław
Published: September 2016

The analysis of slaughter yield and meat quality was performed on a total number of 96 birds from four medium-heavy weight pedigree strains. Based on their strain, cockerels were divided into the following groups: group I - strain N88 (originating from New Hampshire), group II - strain R55 (Rhode Island Red), group III - strain S11 (Sussex) and group IV - strain P55 (Plymouth Rock). Each group consisted of 24 birds. At 12 weeks of age, half of the cockerels from each group was caponised. In total, 48 birds were caponised (12 birds in each strain). Based on the strain, capons were then divided into groups V (N88), VI (R55), VII (S11) and VIII (P55). It was noted that the strain and caponisation had influence on differences in such traits as the weight of eviscerated carcass with neck and slaughter yield. On the other hand, it was observed that caponisation did not affect significantly the total weight, percentage share of breast and drumstick muscles in carcasses of birds from analysed strains. No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of physicochemical properties of meat. The highest content of water in breast and drumstick muscles was observed among cockerels and capons from strain N88 (groups I and V). Protein content in cockerels’ breast muscles differed depending on their strain whilst among capons (groups V-VIII) it was similar. It was also noted that capons originating from strains S11 (VII) and P55 (VIII) stood out significantly with higher fat content in breast muscles compared to cockerels from the same strain (groups III and IV). The effect of caponisation on higher fat content in drumstick muscles was confirmed in all observed groups. Capons from all strains had more fat in drumstick muscles compared to cockerels of the same origin.
Eligibility of Lying Boxes at Different THI Levels in a Freestall Barn
Authors: Angrecka Sabina , Herbut Piotr
Published: September 2016

Cattle show a high sensitivity to changeability of microclimate conditions and heat stress that causes changes in the welfare and behaviour of cows. The presented study aimed at determining the relationship between the temperature humidity index (THI) value during the summer period and daily behaviour of dairy cows, including eligibility of lying boxes. All these aspects were measured under real production conditions. The investigated area, where microclimate conditions measurements were conducted, was a free-stall barn with single and double boxes, with manure and feeding alleys, housing 40 Holstein-Friesian cows. Observations were made on the behaviour of the cows based on a preference test concerning their choice of the best areas with respect to three ranges of THI values: neutral (N), warm (W) and hot (H). During the warm and hot period the research demonstrated a positive correlation between the level of THI and the share of standing cows (in period W - P<0.03 and H - P<0.008), and an inversely proportional one between the level of THI with participation of lying down cows (periods: W - P<0.06; H - P<0.004) and the length of their laying bouts in double boxes. The double boxes area was predominantly occupied, whereas single boxes area was the least often used. The occupation of manure alley areas was positively correlated with the level of THI.
Inflammation-related oxidative stress in white adipose tissues of an inbred obese pig
Authors: Yang X. F. , Jiang Z. Y. , Tian Z. M. , Qiu Y. Q. , Wang L. , Gao K. G. , Hu Y. J. , Ma X. Y.
Published: September 2016

The uneven development of adipose tissues reflects a differential occurrence of biological events in vivo while the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In the present study, the in vivo inflammatory status of an inbred obese porcine model, Lantang pig, was assessed, aiming to provide evidence for obesity biology. Compared with genetically lean pigs (crossbred, Duroc × Landrace × Large White), Lantang pigs exhibited a larger amount of ultra large adipocytes in subcutaneous adipose tissue accompanied with higher expression of macrophage/monocytes markers and pro-inflammatory genes (TLR4, CD14, CD11β, MCP1, TNFα, IL1β and IL6) and lower expression of cellular antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, 2 and 3). Plasma concentrations of LPS and TNF-α were also higher in Lantang pigs than in lean pigs. Among adipose tissues of Lantang pigs, the subcutaneous tissue had the most abundant expression of inflammation related genes (TLR4, CD14, TNFα and IL6) and the lowest level of cellular antioxidant genes (SOD 1 and 2), while the perirenal adipose tissue had opposite profile. Significant activation of p38 MAPK pathway was indicated by increased phosphorylation of p38 in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of Lantang pigs. Collectively, the bacteria-derived LPS induced inflammation-associated oxidative stress indeed exists in adipose tissues of Lantang pig, and the differential expressions of inflammatory and antioxidant genes, to some extent, account for the uneven development of the adipose tissue within bodies.
Alterations in intestinal and liver histomorphology and basal hematological and biochemical parameters in relation to different sources of dietary copper in adult rats
Authors: Tomaszewska Ewa , Dobrowolski Piotr , Kwiecień Małgorzata
Published: September 2016

Copper (Cu) is required for all basic biochemical and physiological processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different sources of dietary Cu on the histomorphometry of liver and jejunal epithelium in adult rats. Male 12-week-old rats were used in a 12-week experiment. The control diet provided the required Cu level from sulfate, and other two diets were supplemented with Cu as a glycine complex at 75% and 100% of daily requirement. Basal hematological and plasma biochemical analyses were also performed. There was no effect of Cu supplementation on the liver weight and the plasma and liver Cu concentration. Histomorphometric analysis of liver tissue showed an increase in the collagen amount and intracellular space in the group supplemented with Cu amino acid. Cu given in the organic form at 100% of daily requirement decreased the muscular and submucosa layer and the crypt depth. In turn, organic copper given at 75% of daily requirement did not influence the intestinal morphology. Dietary Cu given to adult rats as copper sulfate or a glycine complex meeting 100% of the daily requirement appears to be less harmful with regard to intestinal epithelium than when given as a glycine complex at 100% of daily requirement.
Multifunctional biomaterial coatings: synthetic challenges and biological activity
Authors: Pagel Mareen , Beck-Sickinger Annette G.
Published: September 2016

A controlled interaction of materials with their surrounding biological environment is of great interest in many fields. Multifunctional coatings aim to provide simultaneous modulation of several biological signals. They can consist of various combinations of bioactive, and bioinert components as well as of reporter molecules to improve cell-material contacts, prevent infections or to analyze biochemical events on the surface. However, specific immobilization and particular assembly of various active molecules are challenging. Herein, an overview of multifunctional coatings for biomaterials is given, focusing on synthetic strategies and the biological benefits by displaying several motifs.
The seriousness of ethnic jokes: Ethnic humor and social change in the Netherlands, 1995–2012
Authors: Kuipers Giselinde , van der Ent Barbara
Published: September 2016

How serious are ethnic jokes? This article investigates this question by looking at the relation between ethnic jokes and ethnic relations in the Netherlands. It analyzes two corpora covering the range of ethnic jokes collected using an (almost) identical survey among high school students in 1995 (
A Semiotic Analysis of Political Cartoons in Jordan in Light of the Arab Spring
Authors: Al-Momani Kawakib , Badarneh Muhammad A. , Migdadi Fathi
Published: September 2016

This paper provides a semiotic analysis of political cartoons published in Jordan prior to and during the 2013 elections. It seeks to depict the sociopolitical context after the 2011 Arab Spring and focuses on the changes to people’s practices and stances toward politics and politicians. The data consist of political cartoons by the Jordanian cartoonist Imad Hajjaj drawn during the parliamentary election campaigns in 2007, 2010, and 2013. This paper argues that the humor generated in cartoons conveys strong messages that require an analysis of the interaction between the different signs in cartoons and their social and ideological implications. A model of analysis derived from Barthes’ perception of denotation and connotation theories is adopted. This model is comprised of three types of messages: linguistic, literal, and symbolic. The analysis identifies different messages in the cartoons before and after 2011. Unlike the cartoons from 2007 and 2010, the linguistic and denoted messages in the cartoons of 2013 connoted a sense of salvation, achievement, victory, freedom, dignity, and democracy, merits that had rarely been highlighted in previous cartoons. This attitude is reflected by themes such as the positive image of the young, public awareness of political and national issues, and resistance towards corruption. The study sheds light on this neglected area of visual communication in the Arab world and hopes to provide new insights into the fields of semiotics, pragmatics, multimodal analysis, and critical discourse analysis.
International Trade and the Skill Structure of Wages and Employment in West Germany / Außenhandel und die Qualifikationsstruktur von Löhnen und Beschäftigung in Westdeutschland
Authors: Fitzenberger Bernd
Published: September 2016

Building on a Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson framework with factor price rigidities, this paper provides an empirical analysis of the relationship between trade, technical progress, and the labor market in West Germany for the period from 1970 until 1990. The analysis builds on relative product prices as the major transmission channel of trade effects on the labor market and allows for three skill types of labor. The major findings are that, relative to skilled labor, wages were increasing disproportionately both for low- and high-skilled labor whereas employment trends were favoring higher skill levels monotonically. Import competition as well as total factor productivity were increasing disproportionately in those industries using low- or high-skilled labor intensively. These results are consistent with trade effects dominating for low-skilled labor and technology effects for high-skilled labor while wage bargaining institutions were holding up relative wages of low-skilled labor. The combined effect accounts for the disproportionate increase of unemployment for low-skilled workers.
Zur Wirkung des technischen Fortschritts auf die Qualifikationsstruktur der Beschäftigung und die Entlohnung / The Impact of Technical Progress on the Structure of Employment and Wages with Respect to Qualifications
Authors: Klotz Stefan , Pfeiffer Friedhelm , Pohlmeier Winfried
Published: September 2016

Während die qualifikatorische Lohnstruktur in Deutschland in den vergangenen beiden Jahrzehnten relativ stabil war, mußte vor allem bei den unteren Qualifikationsgruppen ein deutlicher Beschäftigungsverlust konstatiert werden. In diesem Beitrag werden die Wirkungen des technischen Fortschritts auf die Qualifikationsstruktur der Arbeitnehmerschaft unter expliziter Berücksichtigung der Rolle des Lohnbildungsprozesses untersucht. Dazu wird eine Insider-Outsider-Variante eines Right-to-Manage-Ansatzes verwendet, der für die Gruppe der hochqualifizierten Angestellten einen kompetitiven Teilarbeitsmarkt unterstellt. Der Lohn der übrigen Qualifikationsgruppen wird in einer Nash-Verhandlung zwischen Gewerkschaften und Unternehmensleitung gefunden. Ein semi-strukturelles Modell wird auf der Basis von Daten für die Hauptgruppen des westdeutschen Verarbeitenden Gewerbes geschätzt. Der Ansatz erlaubt es, die indirekten Effekte des technischen Fortschritts, die sich aus dem Verhandlungsprozeß ergeben, zu quantifizieren. Diese indirekten Effekte auf die qualifikatorische Beschäftigungsstruktur erweisen sich als quantitativ bedeutsam. Arbeiter sind in Bezug auf die Beschäftigung nicht per se die Verlierer des technischen Fortschritts, sondern werden dies in einigen Wirtschaftszweigen erst durch die Lohnpolitik. Die Hypothese, daß der deutsche Arbeitsmarkt durch Insider-Outsider-Mechanismen gekennzeichnet ist, kann nicht verworfen werden.
Flexibilität der Qualifikationsstruktur aus betrieblicher Sicht: Substitutionalität oder Komplementarität / Flexibility of Firms’ Labor Demand: Substitutability or Complementarity
Authors: Bellmann Lutz , Bender Stefan , Schänk Thorsten
Published: September 2016

Auf der Basis eines zusammengefügten Datensatzes aus dem IAB-Betriebspanel und der Historikdatei der Beschäftigtenstatistik wurde für 1995 für das westdeutsche Produzierende Gewerbe ein Translog-Kostensystem für sechs Qualifikationsgruppen (Arbeiter und Angestellte jeweils in un-/angelernte, qualifizierte und hochqualifizierte Beschäftigte unterteilt) geschätzt. Untersucht wurden die aus der betrieblichen Kostenfunktion für unterschiedlich qualifizierte Qualifikationsgruppen sich ergebenden Substitutionsmöglichkeiten. Die ermittelten Substitutionsbeziehungen innerhalb der einzelnen Arbeitergruppen sind denen innerhalb der einzelnen Angestelltengruppen sehr ähnlich: Qualifizierte - und zu einem geringeren Maße auch Hochqualifizierte - erweisen sich als Substitute für Un-/Angelernte. Dies könnte zumindest teilweise den Anstieg der Arbeitslosigskeit der Un- und Angelernten erklären. Demgegenüber werden Qualifizierte und Hochqualifizierte vom Lohn der jeweils anderen Gruppe nicht beeinflußt. Eine mit der Qualifikation abnehmende Eigenlohnelastizität zeigt sich zwischen Qualifizierten und Hochqualifizierten, nicht jedoch zwischen Un-/Angelernten und Qualifizierten. Zwischen Arbeitern und Angestellten sind die Substitutionsbeziehungen relativ gering, wobei un-/angelernte, qualifizierte und hochqualifizierte Arbeiter jeweils zur analogen Angestelltengruppe in komplementärer Beziehung stehen. Schließlich kann die These einer stärkeren Komplementarität zwischen qualifizierten Arbeitskräften und Sachkapital als zwischen nicht formal qualifizierten Arbeitskräften und Sachkapital nicht bestätigt werden.
Mobilität nach der beruflichen Erstausbildung: Eine empirische Studie für Westdeutschland / Job Mobility after Apprenticeship Training in West Germany
Authors: Franz Wolfgang , Zimmermann Volker
Published: September 2016

Diese ökonometrische Studie befaßt sich mit der Übernahme sowie der Betriebszugehörigkeitsdauer von Ausbildungsabsolventen im Lehrbetrieb. Die Bestimmungsfaktoren beider Entscheidungen liegen sowohl auf Seiten des Auszubildenden als auch des Ausbildungsbetriebes. Die Firmen haben einerseits ein Interesse am Verbleib der Ausgebildenden im Betrieb, um die Erträge aus den Investitionen, die sie häufig in Form von Nettoausbildungskosten in das Humankapital der Auszubildenden getätigt haben, zu sammeln. Andererseits entlassen Firmen ehemalige Lehrlinge, wenn die Ausbildung als Verfahren zur Personalauswahl eingesetzt wird oder Auszubildende Tätigkeiten verrichten, für die sonst nicht ausgebildete Arbeitskräfte eingestellt werden müßten. Der Auszubildende seinerseits gründet seine Entscheidung, im Betrieb zu bleiben oder zu wechseln, unter anderem auf der Überlegung, den Arbeitsplatz zu finden, auf dem er die höchste Produktivität erzielt. In diese Überlegung geht die Situation auf dem Arbeitsmarkt ein. Die empirische Analyse wird mit Hilfe von Individualdaten für den Zeitraum von 1980 bis 1991 in Verbindung mit einem Hazardraten-Modell durchgeführt.
Employment Effects of Publicly Financed Training Programs – The East German Experience / Beschäftigungseffekte von Fortbildungs- und Umschulungsmaßnahmen in Ostdeutschland
Authors: Kraus Florian , Puhani Patrick , Steiner Viktor
Published: September 2016

We analyze the effectiveness of publicly financed training and retraining programs in east Germany as measured by their effects on individual re-employment probabilities after training. These are estimated by discrete hazard rate models on the basis of individual-level panel data. We account for unobserved individual heterogeneity in both the training participation and outcome equation. The latter differentiates between transitions into “stable” and “unstable” employment after the completion of a training program. Our findings are that in the first phase of the east German transition process, when the institutions delivering the training programs were being set up, there are no positive effects of training on the probability to find stable employment. For the period of September 1992 to November 1994, when the institutional structure for the programs was in place, we find positive effects of both on-the-job and off-the-job training for women, and positive effects of off-the-job training for men.
On the Monetary Transmission Mechanism in Europe / Zum Transmissionsmechanismus in Europa
Authors: Gottschalk Jan
Published: September 2016

This paper presents an analysis of a money demand system for the euro area. The objective is to investigate some aspects of the monetary transmission mechanism. Of particular interest is the interest rate channel, which asserts that monetary policy works by affecting the long real rate. The evidence suggests that the long bond rate is mainly determined by inflation expectations and that the long real rate appears to have been beyond the influence of monetary policy makers. In addition real money effects are considered. At least in the short-run excess money has positive significant effects on output and inflation.
Structuring Tchebycheff-Type Inequalities – A Systematical Approach / Systematisierung tschebyscheffartiger Ungleichungen – Ein Überblick
Authors: Strotmann Harald
Published: September 2016

Though there is a huge variety of different Tchebycheff-type inequalities in the literature a systematised structuring is missing. The few existing surveys remain rather enumerative. Therefore in this paper a structuring of Tchebycheff-type inequalities is suggested which is based on three complementary criteria, with the type of the available information serving as the main criterion. This structuring is used as a basis for a review on important Tchebycheff-type inequalities, some of which are almost forgotten in the literature. A special emphasis is met on the various relationships between different Tchebycheff-type inequalities, with some figures illustrating the results.
Kontrolle von Chaos am Beispiel des Kaldor-Modells / Controlling Chaos in the Kaldor Modell
Authors: Heilig Stephan , Schöbel Rainer
Published: September 2016

Am Beispiel des Konjunkturmodells von Kaldor wird gezeigt, wie die Kontrolle eines chaotischen ökonomischen Systems mit begrenzten Ressourcen auch dann noch durchgeführt werden kann, wenn es sich bei dem zu stabilisierenden Gleichgewicht nicht mehr um einen sogenannten Sattelpunkt handelt. Diese Problemstellung hat erhebliche Relevanz, da nicht von vornherein unterstellt werden kann, daß sinnvolle ökonomische Gleichgewichte diese Sattelpunkteigenschaft besitzen.

Als Kontrollvariable wird das staatliche Investitionsvolumen gewählt. Es zeigt sich, daß sich die speziellen Eigenschaften chaotischer ökonomischer Systeme vorteilhaft zur Konjunktursteuerung einsetzen lassen. Sie besitzen eine Anpassungsflexibilität, die herkömmlichen nichtchaotischen Modellen vorenthalten bleibt.
Familiäre Arbeitsteilung - Versagt der ökonomische Erklärungsansatz? / The Division of Labour between Family Members - Is the Economic Approach Obsolete?
Authors: Seel Barbara
Published: September 2016

Die steigende Arbeitsmarktbeteiligung westdeutscher verheirateter Mütter wird in der Literatur als Element eines Prozesses der Despezialisierung der Geschlechter interpretiert, der durch den produktionstechnischen Ansatz der „Neuen Haushaltstheorie” nicht zu erklären sei. In diesem Beitrag wird dagegen die Erklärungskraft des produktionstheoretischen Ansatzes ausgelotet. Dazu wird ein lineares produktionstheoretisches Modell der intrafamilialen Allokation von Konsum und Arbeit entwickelt. Spezialisierungs- und Despezialisierungsprozesse im Familienzusammenhang werden als Resultate eines komplexen Zusammenwirkens von Restriktionen am Arbeitsmarkt, Konsumansprüchen und Eigenschaften der Konsumtechnologie des Haushalts modelliert. Dabei wird von einem mehrdimensionalen Zeitkonzept ausgegangen. Implikationen des verbundenen Konsums werden berücksichtigt. Die methodische Vorgehensweise besteht in der Simulation alternativer Datenkonstellationen auf der Basis eines Linearen-Optimierungs-Modells, das der Tradition des konsumtheoretischen Ansatzes von Lancaster folgt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß Despezialisierung nicht notwendigerweise als Beweis für das Versagen des produktionstheoretischen Ansatzes angesehen werden muß.
Der Zensus - Ein Bericht zu Tradition und Moderne / A Report on some Traditions and Recent Developments of the Census
Authors: Wiegert Rolf
Published: September 2016

In Deutschland wurde seit bald 13 Jahren keine Volkszählung mehr abgehalten. Die Kontroversen um den letzten Zensus im Jahre 1987 waren so nachhaltig, daß keine Neigung vorhanden war, die Öffentlichkeit mit dieser heiklen Thematik zu konfrontieren. Die Empfehlung von EUROSTAT aus dem Jahre 1997, in der EU einen Zensus nach einheitlichen Vorschriften um das Jahr 2001 herum abzuhalten, zwang die Politik und die amtliche Statistik in Deutschland, sich damit zu befassen. In Berichtsform werden einige Traditionen des Zensus und die Stationen der jüngsten Entwicklungen auf dem Wege zu einer Volkszählung neuer Art im Jahre 2001 + x Jahre dargestellt und kommentiert.
Statistics and semantics in the acquisition of Spanish word order: Testing two accounts of the retreat from locative overgeneralization errors
Authors: Aguado-Orea Javier , Otero Nuria , Ambridge Ben
Published: September 2016

Native speakers of Spanish (children aged 6–7, 10–11 and adults) rated grammatical and ungrammatical ground- and figure-locative sentences with high frequency, low frequency and novel verbs (e. g.,Lisallenó/forró/nupóla caja con papel; *Lisallenó/forró/nupópapel en la caja, ‘Lisa filled/lined/nupped the box with paper’; ‘Lisa filled/lined/nupped paper into the box’) using a 5-point scale. Echoing the findings of a previous English study (a language with some important syntactic differences relevant to the locative), participants rated errors as least acceptable with high frequency verbs, more acceptable with low frequency verbs, and most acceptable with novel verbs, suggesting that learners retreat from error using statistically-based learning mechanisms regardless of the target language. In support of the semantic verb class hypothesis, adults showed evidence of using the meanings assigned to novel verbs to determine the locative constructions in which they can and cannot appear. However, unlike in the previous English study, the child groups did not. We conclude that the more flexible word order exhibited by Spanish, as compared to English, may make these types of regularities more difficult to discern.
Usage-based perspectives on diachronic morphology: A mixed-methods approach towards English ing-nominals
Authors: Fonteyn Lauren , Hartmann Stefan
Published: September 2016

This paper illustrates how different methodological approaches can be combined to reveal complex patterns of constructional variation and change in the diachronic development of Englishing-nominals. More specifically, we argue that approaching the data from a schema-based (rather than morpheme-based) perspective shows that nominal gerunds in English, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, have undergone a semantic drift towards more “nouny” construal variants. This hypothesis is supported not only by raw frequency counts, but also by association measures and by a detailed analysis of hapax legomena.
Dialogue, responsibility and literary writing: Mikhail Bakhtin and his Circle
Authors: Petrilli Susan
Published: September 2016

Mikhail Bakhtin cannot be discussed without discussing his friends and collaborators forming the Bakhtin Circle. The name Bakhtin itself announces a polyphony of different voices and viewpoints, internally to Bakhtin’s own voice and externally, all evidencing the word’s capacity for dialogism and otherness, the possibility of cohabitation and interference among different voices in the same word, the propensity for participative listening, ultimately the inevitability of responsiveness/responsibility toward the other, that is, the other’s singularity. The name “Bakhtin” or, better, the expression “Bakhtin Circle,” offers a concrete perspective for a world constructed in terms of multiplicity, diversity, and hospitality toward the other. This essay presents some characteristic aspects of Bakhtinian philosophy, keeping account of the writings collected in the 2014 bilingual volume Opere 1919–1930, presented by the renowned Italian Bakhtin scholar Augusto Ponzio.
Normative Reference of Standing Long Jump for Colombian Schoolchildren Aged 9–17.9 Years: The FUPRECOL Study
Authors: Ramírez-Vélez Robinson , Martínez Martin , Correa-Bautista Jorge E. , Lobelo Felipe , Izquierdo Mikel , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Fernando , Cristi-Montero Carlos
Published: September 2016

Ramírez-Vélez, R, Martínez, M, Correa-Bautista, JE, Lobelo, F, Izquierdo, M, Rodríguez-Rodríguez, F, and Cristi-Montero, C. Normative reference of standing long jump for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9-17.9 years: The FUPRECOL study. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2083–2090, 2017—The purpose of this study was to generate normative values for the standing long jump (SLJ) test in 9- to 17.9-year olds and to investigate sex and age-group differences. The sample comprised 8,034 healthy Colombian schoolchildren [boys n = 3,488 and girls n = 4,546; mean (SD) age 12.8 (±2.3) years old]. Each participant performed two SLJ. Centile smoothed curves, percentile, and tables for the third, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles were calculated using Cole's Lambda-Mu-Sigma method. The 2-way analysis of variance tests and Cohen's d showed that the maximum SLJ (centimeter) was higher in boys than in girls across age groups (p < 0.01), reaching the peak at 13 years. Posthoc analyses within the sexes showed yearly increases in SLJ in all ages. In boys, the 50th percentile SLJ score ranged from 109 to 165 cm. In girls, the 50th percentile jump ranged from 96 to 120 cm. For girls, jump scores increased yearly from age 9 to 12.9 years before reaching a plateau at an age between 13 and 15.9. Our results provide, for the first time, sex- and age-specific SLJ reference values for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9–17.9 years. The normative values presented in this study provide the basis for the determination of the proposed age- and sex-specific standards for the FUPRECOL (Association for Muscular Strength with Early Manifestation of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Colombian Children and Adolescents) Study—Physical fitness battery for children and adolescents.
Cost–utility analysis comparing radioactive iodine, anti-thyroid drugs and total thyroidectomy for primary treatment of Graves’ disease
Authors: Donovan Peter J , McLeod Donald S A , Little Richard , Gordon Louisa
Published: September 2016

Objective

Little data is in existence about the most cost-effective primary treatment for Graves’ disease. We performed a cost–utility analysis comparing radioactive iodine (RAI), anti-thyroid drugs (ATD) and total thyroidectomy (TT) as first-line therapy for Graves’ disease in England and Australia.

Methods

We used a Markov model to compare lifetime costs and benefits (quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)). The model included efficacy, rates of relapse and major complications associated with each treatment, and alternative second-line therapies. Model parameters were obtained from published literature. One-way sensitivity analyses were conducted. Costs were presented in 2015£ or Australian Dollars (AUD).

Results

RAI was the least expensive therapy in both England (£5425; QALYs 34.73) and Australia (AUD5601; 30.97 QALYs). In base case results, in both countries, ATD was a cost-effective alternative to RAI (£16 866; 35.17 QALYs; incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) £26 279 per QALY gained England; AUD8924; 31.37 QALYs; ICER AUD9687 per QALY gained Australia), while RAI dominated TT (£7115; QALYs 33.93 England; AUD15 668; 30.25 QALYs Australia). In sensitivity analysis, base case results were stable to changes in most cost, transition probabilities and health-relative quality-of-life (HRQoL) weights; however, in England, the results were sensitive to changes in the HRQoL weights of hypothyroidism and euthyroidism on ATD.

Conclusions

In this analysis, RAI is the least expensive choice for first-line treatment strategy for Graves’ disease. In England and Australia, ATD is likely to be a cost-effective alternative, while TT is unlikely to be cost-effective. Further research into HRQoL in Graves’ disease could improve the quality of future studies.
Lipid accumulation product as a marker of cardiometabolic susceptibility in women with different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Božić-Antić Ivana , Ilić Dušan , Bjekić-Macut Jelica , Bogavac Tamara , Vojnović-Milutinović Danijela , Kastratovic-Kotlica Biljana , Milić Nataša , Stanojlović Olivera , Andrić Zoran , Macut Djuro
Published: September 2016

Objective

There are limited data on cardiometabolic risk factors and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) across the different PCOS phenotypes in Caucasian population. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is a clinical surrogate marker that could be used for evaluation of MetS in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to analyze metabolic characteristics and the ability of LAP to predict MetS in different PCOS phenotypes.

Design

Cross-sectional clinical study analyzing 365 women with PCOS divided into four phenotypes according to the ESHRE/ASRM criteria, and 125 healthy BMI-matched controls.

Methods

In all subjects, LAP was determined and MetS was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria. Logistic regression and ROC curve analyses were used to determine predictors of MetS in each PCOS phenotype. All analyses were performed with age and BMI adjustment.

Results

All PCOS phenotypes in comparison to controls had higher prevalence of MetS assessed by NCEP-ATP III criteria, and only classic phenotypes when IDF and JIS criteria were used. All phenotypes had the same prevalence of MetS irrespective of used definition. LAP and exhibited the highest diagnostic accuracy and was an independent predictor of MetS in all phenotypes.

Conclusion

LAP is an independent and accurate clinical determinant of MetS in all PCOS phenotypes in our Caucasian population. All PCOS phenotypes, including non-classic ones, are metabolically challenged and with cardiovascular risk, particularly phenotype B.
WOMEN IN CANCER THEMATIC REVIEW: Thyroid-stimulating hormone in thyroid cancer: does it matter?
Authors: Nieto Hannah , Boelaert Kristien
Published: September 2016

Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and the incidence is increasing rapidly worldwide. Appropriate diagnosis and post-treatment monitoring of patients with thyroid tumours are critical. Fine needle aspiration cytology remains the gold standard for diagnosing thyroid cancer, and although there have been significant refinements to this technique, diagnostic surgery is often required for patients suspected to have malignancy. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is higher in patients with malignant thyroid nodules than in those with benign disease, and TSH is proportionally increased in more aggressive tumours. Importantly, we have shown that the pre-operative serum TSH concentration independently predicts the presence of malignancy in subjects presenting with thyroid nodules. Establishing the use of TSH measurements in algorithms identifying high-risk thyroid nodules in routine clinical practice represents an exciting, cost-efficient and non-invasive approach to optimise thyroid cancer diagnosis. Binding of TSH to receptors on thyrocytes stimulates a number of growth promoting pathways both in normal and malignant thyroid cells, and TSH suppression with high doses of levothyroxine is routinely used after thyroidectomy to prevent cancer recurrence, especially in high-risk tumours. This review examines the relationship between serum TSH and thyroid cancer and reflects on the clinical potential of TSH measurements in diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Human Cloning: Who’s Concern?
Authors: Bridgewater Ayman T. , Worden Michael P. Worden , Wang Fuzhou
Published: September 2016

Cloning is basically a biological mechanism in which parthenogenetic reproduction employed by one or more genetically identical cells, plants or organisms are derived from one parent. The word clone is from the Greek word “klon”, meaning a twig or slip from a plant. By taking many cuttings from one parent plant, genetic replicas with identical features and functions can be developed. The recent successful cloning from an adult sheep cell has raised the possibility of using asexual means to replicate humans. Through cloning the following clinical questions might be resolved: the course of spontaneous abortions, embryogenesis, carcinogenesis, and the use of embryonic tissue for transplantation. However, reproducing humans by use of cloning has raises serious legal, religious, and social problems. There are two methods used for cloning humans namely nuclear cloning and embryo splitting. Nuclear cloning in human reproduction should be prohibited because there are no extra major benefits by its application. It can only create additional medical, ethical, and social problems. The potential of cloning by embryo splitting for minimizing clinical costs and risks as well as increasing the rate of success for couples who are infertile and having children for them is a challenge. The minor legal and religious problems can finally be settled. If policymaker’s guidelines win international acceptance and if they succeed, it may take less time to reach this goal.
COMMONWEALTH Forum: Should Pennsylvania Abolish the Property Tax for Schools?
Authors: Argall David G. , Hopcraft Jon , Fischel William A.
Published: September 2016

In November 2015, the Pennsylvania Senate narrowly failed to pass legislation abolishing the local school property tax and replacing it with state revenues raised by higher income and sales tax rates and the extension of the sales tax to a range of goods and services now exempt. The legislation, supported by dozens of citizen tax reform groups across Pennsylvania, was defeated 25–24 when Lt. Governor Michael Stack cast a tiebreaking vote against an amendment embodying the changes.State Senators David Argall and Judith Schwank were principal sponsors of the legislation and vowed to continue the fight. Indeed, legislation to replace, reform, and reduce the property tax, particularly for schools, has been proposed and debated for decades, and some relief measures have been enacted, but the tax remains the principal levy to fund schools in Pennsylvania and in most states. Citizens in Pennsylvania and nationally consistently tell pollsters that it is the worst tax, and few if any elected officials will defend the levy, except on the pragmatic grounds that replacing it would require unrealistically large increases in state taxes.COMMONWEALTH invited Senator Argall, chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and Jon Hopcraft, the committee’s executive director, to summarize the argument that the tax is an antiquated and unfair levy and should be abolished. We invited Dartmouth College economist William A. Fischel, a nationally recognized expert who attended Pennsylvania public schools, to summarize his argument that, compared to statewide taxes, the local levy provides voters—even in households without school children—with stronger incentives to support high quality public schools.
Screening for Persistent Psychopathology in 4-Year-Old Children
Authors: Hamre Sveen Trude , Berg-Nielsen Turid Suzanne , Lydersen Stian , Wichstrøm Lars
Published: September 2016

OBJECTIVE:

To inform primary care screening and preventive intervention efforts, the authors examined the screening efficiency of the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQP4-16) for persistent disorders relative to transient disorders and its capacity to distinguish between the two.

METHODS:

Persistence and transience in preschool-onset psychiatric disorders were identified by using data from a large population-based cohort study in Norwegian children initially assessed at age 4 and followed up at age 6 (n = 1038). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, diagnoses at both time points were assigned by using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment Interview, against which the SDQP4-16 was compared through receiver operating characteristics analysis.

RESULTS:

The screening efficiency for persistent disorders exceeded that for transient disorders with a specificity of 86.1%, a sensitivity of 79.3%, and an area under the curve value of 0.85. The SDQP4-16 was able to discriminate persistent disorders from transient disorders at an area under the curve value of 0.71. At the selected cutoff of 10, the negative predictive value was 99.6%, whereas the positive predictive value was 9.5%, partly due to the low prevalence (1.8%) of persistent disorders.

CONCLUSIONS:

The SDQP4-16 is a sensitive tool for detecting persistent psychiatric disorders in young children. However, a large proportion of positive screens are nonpersistent cases, as indicated by the high false-positive rate. Thus, the clinical utility of the SDQP4-16 in primary care screening for persistent disorders is uncertain, particularly in samples in which the rate of psychiatric disorders is low.
Support for an Independent South Among Contemporary White Southerners
Authors: McLean William P. , Rice Tom W.
Published: September 2016

In this brief paper we explore the extent to which contemporary white Southerners favor an independent South. Using recent data from the University of North Carolina’s Southern Focus Poll we show that ten percent of white Southerners think that the South would be better off as an independent nation. Given that there are 70 million whites in the South today, this means that the region is home to about seven million people who support, at least to some degree, Southern independence. Compared to other Southern whites, these separatists tend to be less educated, less well off financially, younger, and more rural. They also tend to be more conservative racially and morally, more sympathetic toward the Confederacy, and more likely to feel that Northerners have contempt for Southerners. We speculate on the potential influence of these Southern nationalists.
Balancing the Green and the Gold in the Natural State: Citizen Trust, Economic Growth, and Environmental Protection in Arkansas
Authors: Hansen Kenneth N.
Published: September 2016

Through a survey of 767 Arkansas residents, we determine to what extent residents trust state officials to balance the ìgreenî of environmental protection with the ìgoldî of economic development. We find respondents are split on their feelings of trust, with only a little over half stating they trust state officials on this matter. Feelings of trust are related to positive attitudes toward the state's environmental protection agency, assessments of the state leadersí desire for input, projections of the general direction of the state, personal retrospective economic evaluations, residence in a non-farming region, and a liberal political ideology. The degrees to which respondents stated they thought economic development and environmental protection were priorities which were not related to feelings of trust, suggesting that trust is a product of a variety of factors, none of which include assessments of how state officials are, in fact, balancing the "green" and the "gold."
By Invitation Only: Controlling Interest Group Access to the Oval Office
Authors: Holyoke Thomas
Published: September 2016

Does the exchange model used to explain interest group influence with Congress and the bureaucracy hold leverage over patterns of lobbyist contact with the president? In this paper I argue that there is good reason to believe that it does not. Rather, I argue that the president and his immediate staff often keep interest groups at arm’s length. Instead of being able to acquire face time with senior administration staff to press their own cases, lobbyists are largely granted access only when they are needed to build support for the president’s policy agenda in Congress or with the public. Using data drawn in part from the 1996 filings of interest groups under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, I analyze lobbyists’ contact with the White House to learn what types of circumstances appear to drive contact between interest groups and the president. The evidence suggests that the president-interest group connection is largely determined by the White House based on ideological congruence rather than a two-way flow of communication and influence.
Agenda Setting, Innovation, and State Gay Rights Policy: An Event History Analysis
Authors: Colvin Roddrick A.
Published: September 2016

By using gay rights policy as a framework, this research attempts to link the process of agenda-setting with the diffusion of innovation across the United States both theoretically and empirically. Based on independent variables that reflect both agenda-setting and diffusion, it is hypothesized that stronger predictive models will result from linking agenda-setting to innovation. While many scholars have found state-specific variables to be the strongest predictors of gay rights policy adoption, by joining agenda-setting and innovation, this research also suggests that other variables play an important role in the adoption of such policies. These variables are: previous adoption by a state’s capital city, the party of the governor, corporate policy adoptions in the state, the diversity of the state’s population, and the size of the gay and lesbian population.
Committee Power and Amendment Rights in the U.S. House
Authors: Finocchiaro Charles J. , Marshall Bryan W.
Published: September 2016

Much of the extant literature on legislative organization treats Congress’ jurisdictional framework as an exogenous facet of the political landscape. While bill referral and statutory rules are key institutional determinants shaping the politics of committee jurisdiction, we argue that important choices affecting committee power occur at post-referral stages of the legislative process, including actions taken by the Rules Committee. The analysis suggests that variation in amendment challenges to committee bills resulting from special rule decisions is systematically affected by key factors related to organizational theories of Congress. The findings have at least two important implications for committee power in the U.S. House. Special rule decisions can shape committee power by closing or opening access to committee products bill by bill. This result diminishes the significance of prior referral decisions granting committees the prerogative to exercise uninhibited discretion over policies within their jurisdiction. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that patterns in amendment rights conferred by special rules respond systematically to majority party interests.
A Comparison of Incumbency Across Institutions: A Look at the House, Senate, and Governorships
Authors: Lockerbie Brad
Published: September 2016

Using the American National Election Studies of 1990, 1994, and 1998, we can see that there is an incumbency advantage for governors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives. There is, however, some variability to the magnitude of the incumbency advantage. Moreover, it appears to follow a rather sensible pattern. It appears to be strongest for members of the House and weakest for Governors. When looking at House elections, we can see that incumbency is more powerful than is party identification. When we look at senatorial and gubernatorial elections, the items appear to be more evenly matched. When we look at evaluations of the national parties performance and expectations of performance, the picture becomes much more muddy. Gubernatorial candidates consistently avoid being held accountable for their national parties past economic performance. Candidates for the House and Senate are largely able to avoid responsibility for the past economic performance of their national parties. Economic expectations, however, are modestly more related to vote choice.
Lifetime Term Limits: The Impact on Four State Legislatures
Authors: Southwell Priscilla L. , Lindgren Eric A. , Smith Ryan A.
Published: September 2016

This research examines the roll call voting record of state legislators in Arkansas, California, Michigan, and Missouri in order to assess if there are any substantive differences between those legislators who are nearing retirement due to term limits (“last term” legislators) and those legislators who are at an earlier stage of their legislative careers. These are the only four states in the United States that have lifetime term limits in full effect. Binomial logit analysis of key roll call votes suggests that these “last term” legislators stand apart from their other colleagues on certain issues. This characteristic arises from the increased tendency of last-term legislators to defy the party leadership, albeit on a limited number of bills. This “independent streak” of last-term legislators is even more pronounced among Republican legislators, although this effect is not present in the state of California. Therefore, term limits appear to have a modest, but potentially significant effect on the policy preferences of legislators.