bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From lows to highs: using low-resolution models to phase X-ray data
Authors: Stuart David I. , Abrescia Nicola G. A.
Published: October 2013

The study of virus structures has contributed to methodological advances in structural biology that are generally applicable (molecular replacement and noncrystallographic symmetry are just two of the best known examples). Moreover, structural virology has been instrumental in forging the more general concept of exploiting phase information derived from multiple structural techniques. This hybridization of structural methods, primarily electron microscopy (EM) and X-ray crystallography, but also small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, is central to integrative structural biology. Here, the interplay of X-ray crystallography and EM is illustrated through the example of the structural determination of the marine lipid-containing bacteriophage PM2. Molecular replacement starting from an ∼13 Å cryo-EM reconstruction, followed by cycling density averaging, phase extension and solvent flattening, gave the X-ray structure of the intact virus at 7 Å resolution This in turn served as a bridge to phase, to 2.5 Å resolution, data from twinned crystals of the major coat protein (P2), ultimately yielding a quasi-atomic model of the particle, which provided significant insights into virus evolution and viral membrane biogenesis.
Phaser.MRage: automated molecular replacement
Authors: Bunkóczi Gábor , Echols Nathaniel , McCoy Airlie J. , Oeffner Robert D. , Adams Paul D. , Read Randy J.
Published: October 2013

Phaser.MRageis a molecular-replacement automation framework that implements a full model-generation workflow and provides several layers of model exploration to the user. It is designed to handle a large number of models and can distribute calculations efficiently onto parallel hardware. In addition,phaser.MRagecan identify correct solutions and use this information to accelerate the search. Firstly, it can quickly score all alternative models of a component once a correct solution has been found. Secondly, it can perform extensive analysis of identified solutions to find protein assemblies and can employ assembled models for subsequent searches. Thirdly, it is able to usea prioriassembly information (derived from, for example, homologues) to speculatively place and score molecules, thereby customizing the search procedure to a certain class of protein molecule (for example, antibodies) and incorporating additional biological information into molecular replacement.
(R)-(−)-Quinuclidin-3-ol
Authors: Rousselin Yoann , Clavel Alexandre , Bonnaventure Isabelle
Published: October 2013

The structure of the title compound [alternatively called (R)-(−)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-ol], C7H13NO, at 100 K has hexagonal (P61) symmetry. The structure shows a twist along the C—N pseudo-threefold axis. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaO—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming infinite chains along thec-axis direction. The crystal studied was twinned by merohedry (twin law: 010, 100, 00-1; population: 0.925:0.075)
N′-[(E)-4-Methoxybenzylidene]-2-(5-methoxy-2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)acetohydrazide
Authors: Akkurt Mehmet , Mague Joel T. , Mohamed Shaaban K. , Abelhamid Antar A. , Albayati Mustafa R.
Published: October 2013

The conformation adopted by the title compound, C20H21N3O3, in the crystal is `J'-shaped and appears to be at least partially directed by a weak intramolecular C—H...N hydrogen bond. In the crystal, molecules are linked by N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming dimers withR22(8) motifs. Furthermore, these dimers connect to each otherviaC—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional network.
Bis(L-serinium) oxalate dihydrate: polymorph II
Authors: Kulik Marta , Pazio Aleksandra , Wozniak Krzysztof
Published: October 2013

A corrected and improved structure of the polymorph II of 2C3H8NO3+·C2O42−·2H2O, based on single-crystal data, is presented. The structure is refined with anisotropic displacement parameters for all non-H atoms and all H atoms are located. Due to the charged moieties, the structure is classified as a molecular salt. Intermolecular O—H...O−, O—H...O and N+—H...O−hydrogen bonds link the components of the structure. The L-serinium cations and oxalate anions form a network of channels in [100] direction, filled with the water molecules of crystallization. The dihedral angle between the CO2units of the oxalate dianion is 10.2 (3)°
6,7-Diphenyl-5-thia-7-azaspiro[2.6]nonan-8-one
Authors: Yennawar Hemant P. , Silverberg Lee J.
Published: October 2013

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C19H19NOS, contains two independent molecules (AandB), in both of which the 1,3-thiazepan-4-one ring adopts a chair-type conformation. The dihedral angles between the two phenyl rings are 65.28 (8) and 60.31 (9)° for moleculesAandB, respectively. In the crystal, molecules are linked by weak C—H...O interactions, resulting in a three-dimensional network.
4-Methoxy-N-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]benzamide including an unknown solvate
Authors: Sreenivasa Swamy , Palakshamurthy Bandrehalli Siddagangaiah , Tonannavar Jagdish , Jayashree Yenagi , Sudha Achar Gurumurthy , Suchetan Parameshwar Adimoole
Published: October 2013

In the title compound, C15H15NO4S, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 78.62 (16)°. In the crystal, adjacent molecules are linked along thecaxis intoC(4) chains through strong N—H...O hydrogen bonds. Molecules are further connected through C—H...O hydrogen bonds into a hexameric unit generating anR66(66) motif. Another C—H...O interaction connects the molecules along thecaxis, formingC(5) chains. A region of disordered electron density, most probably disordered methanol–water solvent molecules, was treated with the SQUEEZE routine inPLATON[Spek (2009).Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155]. The formula mass and unit-cell characteristics do not take into account this disordered solvent.
Triphenyltelluronium(IV) bromide acetone hemisolvate
Authors: Närhi Sari M. , Oilunkaniemi Raija , Laitinen Risto S.
Published: October 2013

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, 2C18H15Te+·2Br−·C3H6O or Ph3TeBr·0.5Me2CO, contains two crystallographically independent triphenyltelluronium cations, two bromide anions, and one disordered [site-occupancy ratio = 0.581 (7):0.419 (7)] solvent molecule. Interionic Te...Br interactions connect the cations and anions into a tetrameric step-like structure. The primary coordination spheres of both Te atoms are TeC3trigonal pyramids: three short secondary tellurium–bromine interactions expand the coordination geometry of one of the Te atoms to an octahedron. While the other Te atom shows only two Te...Br secondary bonding interactions, it is also six-coordinated due to a Te...π interaction [3.769 (2) Å] with one of the phenyl rings of the adjacent cation.
[1,1′-Bis(diphenylphosphanyl)cobaltocenium-κ2P,P′](η5-cyclopentadienyl){2-[4-(4-ethynylphenyl)phenyl]ethynyl-κC}ruthenium(II) hexafluoridophosphate
Authors: Zeng Ling-Zhen , Wu Yun-Ying , Tian Guang-Xuan , Li Zhen
Published: October 2013

In the title compound, [CoRu(C5H5)(C16H9)(C17H14P)2]PF6, the RuIIatom is coordinated by a cyclopentadienyl ring in an η5-mode, one C atom from a 4,4′-diethynyl-1,1′-biphenyl ligand and two P atoms from a chelating 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)cobaltocenium ligand, giving a three-legged piano-stool geometry. In the crystal, weak C—H...F hydrogen bonds link the complex cations and hexafluoridophosphate anions into a three-dimensional supramolecular structure.
N,N,N′-Tris[(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]ethane-1,2-diamine
Authors: Li Yan-Jun , Wang De-Ju
Published: October 2013

In the title molecule, C29H29N5, the indole ring systems are essentially planar, with maximum deviations of 0.020 (2), 0.023 (2) and 0.016 (2) Å. The dihedral angles formed between the mean planes of the three indole ring systems are 38.08 (7), 89.64 (8) and 58.28 (8)°. In the crystal, molecules are connected by N—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers. An intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond is also observed.
Bis(2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazin-1-ium) 2-[bis(carboxylatomethyl)azaniumyl]acetate trihydrate
Authors: Hoxha Kreshnik , Prior Timothy J.
Published: October 2013

The title compound, 2C3H7N6+·C6H7NO62−·3H2O, was obtained by mixing melamine and nitrilotriacetic acid in aqueous solution. There is proton transfer from the nitrilotriacteic acid to melamine to produce two melaminium cations and an internal proton transfer to generate the [HN(CH2COO)]2−zwitterion. The melaminium cations are arranged in hydrogen-bonded tapes formed by N—H...N interactions. These tapes extend parallel to the [010] direction and are stacked parallel to theaaxis at a mean separation of 3.3559 (11) Å. Between these tapes lie the anions and lattice water molecules. Further O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen bonds exist between the water molecules, the anions, and the melaminium cations, generating a three-dimensional array. The crystal examined was found to be twinned by a twofold rotation about the direct lattice direction [100]. The two twin components were present in the ratio 0.5918:0.4082 (14).
Rubidium pentaaqua(L-serine)cobalt(II) hexahydrogenhexamolybdocobaltate(III)L-serine monosolvate decahydrate
Authors: Iijima Jun , Naruke Haruo , Takiyama Hiroshi
Published: October 2013

The Co2+ion in the title compound, Rb[Co(C3H7NO3)(H2O)5][H6CoMo6O24]·C3H7NO3·10H2O, is coordinated by five water molecules and oneO-monodentate L-serine ligand in a slightly distorted octahedral geometry. The Rb+ion is irregularly coordinated by nine O atoms. In the crystal, the [H6CoIIIMo6O24]3−polyanions are stacked along theb-axis direction, mediated by bridging Rb—O bonds. N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds are observed involving the L-serine molecules.
Pimobendan B from powder diffraction data
Authors: Zvirgzdins Alvis , Delina Mara , Mishnev Anatoly , Actins Andris
Published: October 2013

The title molecule, C19H18N4O2{systematic name: (RS)-6-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl]-5-methyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one}, adopts an extended conformation. The dihedral angles between the central benzimidazole ring sytem and the pendant methoxyphenyl and pyridazinone residues are 1.41 (18) and 9.7 (3)°, respectively. In the crystal, N—H...N hydrogen bonds link the imadazole groups into [001] chains, and pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the pyridazinone groups into dimers. Together, these generate a two-dimensional supramolecular structure parallel to (010). The layers are linked by C—H...π interactions.
(4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)(phenyl)methanone
Authors: Dileep C. S. , Prashanth T. , Jeyaseelan S. , Khanum S. A. , Sridhar M. A.
Published: October 2013

In the molecule of the title compound, C15H14O2, the dihedral angle between the benzene and phenyl rings is 61.27 (8)°. In the crystal, O—H...O and weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into chains extending along thec-axis direction.
Shariah supervisory system in Islamic financial institutions
Authors: Grassa Rihab
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to review the different steps of development of Shariah governance system and to discuss the different practices of Shariah governance in Islamic financial institutions internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper has a particular focus on the other contributions of relevant literature and existing laws and regulations for Islamic financial institutions which provides a reflective synthesis on practical work of Shariah governance system across different jurisdictions.

Findings

– The main attention of this paper is Islamic financial institutions and a key issue arising is that the typical structure, functions, duties and responsibilities are different from country to country.

Practical implications

– The paper put forward various suggestions to the regulatory authorities and to the Islamic Financial Services Board to enhance the Shariah governance system and to standardize the different practices of Shariah governance worldwide.

Originality/value

– The originality and the value of the paper lie in its critical review of current Shariah governance practices worldwide. As well, some key issues pertaining to Shariah governance in Islamic financial institutions are addressed to encourage further investigation by academics and practitioners in the field.
Myths of exponential growth in populations and wealth: an emergent perspective
Authors: R. Yezdani Omer
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the dilemma of exponential growth in economic policy and its implications on sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

– The future of the world economy is premised in part on the assumption of an implicit law of increasing returns that has remained unchanged for centuries. Drawing on current data in per capita gross domestic product and population data, this paper explores the relationship between growth in populations and the distribution of wealth. Implications on economic and social policy reform are discussed, with an exemplar focus on economic incentives employed in several nations that are premised on an assumed relationship between population growth and economic return.

Findings

– This paper demonstrates that much of current economic and social policy is grounded in centuries-old assumptions that may be inadequate for today's highly interrelated global and economic society, and that changing these policies would require a fundamental shift of mindset to recognise domestic human values within a global context.

Originality/value

– Previous literature has paid less attention to the underlying assumptions of perpetual growth inherent to social and economic policy and the practicalities of its reconceptualization on global society.
Applying IT governance balanced scorecard and importance-performance analysis for providing IT governance strategy in university
Authors: Jairak Kallaya , Praneetpolgrang Prasong
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the current situation and the future improvement for IT governance and controls in developing country like Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

– Thai universities were selected and used as subjects for capturing the perception of IT executives on IT governance performance measures. In the first step, a global IT governance perspective was drawn from the literature review. In the second step, the important-performance analysis was applied to the metrics of IT governance balanced scorecard with collected survey data from 64 IT executives.

Findings

– From a global perspective, the critical points that need to be concerned before implementing IT governance have been illustrated. From a regional perspective, the paper generated the strategic IT governance guidance for Thai universities.

Practical implications

– This paper is beneficial for chief information officers, executive managers, IT managers, and academics. They will gain more knowledge and understanding about the mixed method of using metrics in IT governance balanced scorecard and importance-performance analysis in order to identify the current situation of IT governance and controls in their organizations. Additionally, the practical idea with this method can be applied to draw IT governance strategy in their contexts.

Originality/value

– This paper specifies the critical points and directions of IT governance for Thai universities. The analysis covers global and regional viewpoints. This paper also provides the method for applying IT governance balanced scorecard metrics and importance-performance analysis to contribute IT governance strategy.
Modelling the challenges of green supply chain management practices in Indian mining industries
Authors: Barve Akhilesh , Muduli Kamalakanta
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Green supply chain management (GSCM) has received growing attention in the last few years. Almost all industries including mining industries are hit by green fever. In this context, this study aims to identify various challenges faced by the Indian mining industries during GSCM implementation and practices and to represent in a hierarchical manner.

Design/methodology/approach

– Various barriers and contextual relationships among them have been identified. Classification of barriers has been carried out based upon dependence and driving power (DP) with the help of MICMAC analysis. In addition to this, a structural model of the barriers to GSCM practices in Indian mining industries has been put forward using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique.

Findings

– In the present work, 11 numbers of relevant barriers have been identified from literature and subsequent discussions with experts from academia and industry. Lack of environmental awareness, poor legislation and inadequate pressure from societies positioned at the bottom of the hierarchy are found to be the key barriers. These barriers have high DP and less dependence.

Research limitations/implications

– A model of these barriers has been developed based upon expert's opinions and literature survey. This model is not statistically validated. This model also does not quantify the adverse effect of each of the variables on GSCM practices in Indian mining industries.

Practical implications

– The development of a hierarchy helps in the classification and categorization of the barriers, and thereby formulates their respective strategies and policies while providing clarity of thought. Also this hierarchy facilitates the allocation of resources in a rational manner at the time of scarcity of resources and to achieve the maximum benefits of the available resources.

Originality/value

– The structured model developed will help to understand interdependence of the barriers. Using ISM, this paper has developed a hierarchy of these barriers which is useful to identify the hierarchy of actions to be taken for handling different barriers.
Viral marketing through e-mail: the link company-consumer
Authors: Miquel-Romero María-José , Adame-Sánchez Consolacion
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the antecedents that may determine the opening of e-mails from companies that endeavour to promote their products, and what may motivate individuals to forward such messages to others.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper presents exploratory research to approach the nature of the viral process and descriptive research for testing the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

– The opening of an e-mail is determined by the value that an individual may perceive that the message might contain. Forwarding of the message is determined by its opening, and by the individual's perception about the value of the message it may provide to others, besides the need for communication with others held by the individual. Also, the higher the value perceived by the recipient with respect to the message, the better the associations given to the source of the message. When it is considered that the message may be relevant to others and when an individual has a need for interpersonal communication, better environmental conditions will be perceived to forward the message.

Research limitations/implications

– The study provides a starting point for further research in the field of viral marketing where companies should play a more active role.

Practical implications

– Guidelines in the development of a viral marketing campaign through e-mail are proposed.

Originality/value

– Most of the studies focused on viral marketing consider the reception of a message only from another person, not from a company. This study focuses on the opening of a message from a company and its forwarding to a colleague.
ISO and OHSAS certifications
Authors: Qi Guoyou , Zeng Saixing , Yin Haitao , Lin Han
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This research aims to empirically investigate the influence of stakeholders on the corporate decision of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 certifications and how that influence differs across different certification types.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper utilizes a survey of 1,268 industrial enterprises in China, using logistic regressions to analyze corporate decision towards management standards use.

Findings

– The results show that stakeholder influence varies across different management standard certifications. Foreign customers and neighboring community are significant drivers for ISO 9001 certification. Foreign investors, being publicly listed, and neighboring community each demonstrate a significant impact on ISO 14001 certification. Only being publicly listed shows significant explanatory power for certifying with OHSAS 18001.

Research limitations/implications

– This study does not touch upon performance issues. The relationship between stakeholder pressure, certifications, and performance would be interesting to explore.

Practical implications

– Information disclosure may be an effective tool to motivate firms to be more responsible for environment and society. Furthermore, measures should be taken to raise stakeholder awareness of corporate occupational health and safety (OH&S).

Originality/value

– Although sustainability management demands attention to the three pillars of sustainability, empirical research tends to focus on only one aspect of it when studying standardized management practices use. This study investigates all three pillars using a unified framework. Furthermore, existing studies have focused predominantly on developed countries. The paper conducts research in China, one of the major developing economies. Lastly, the paper utilizes firm-level data on corporate sustainability management, which is hard to obtain in China.
Renewable source-based polyurethane coatings by using monoglycerides of vegetable oils and its modification by nano TiO2
Authors: V. Gite Vikas , B. Chaudhari Ashok , Dattatraya Kulkarni Ravindra , G. Hundiwale Dilip
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The primary purpose of this work is to prepare the renewable source-based polyurethanes coatings which can be used to substitute petroleum-based materials. In the secondary purpose, the paper included improvement in the properties of said PU coatings using modified nano TiO2 for industrial PU coatings.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors have synthesised low molecular weight polyols (monoglycerides) based on vegetable oils such as castor, linseed, coconut, mustard, sunflower and rice bran oils. These monoglycerides were successfully utilised in the preparation of polyurethane coatings. In order to improve the performance of these coatings, modified nano TiO2 was incorporated into them. The particle size of TiO2 was determined by transmission electron microscopy. Coatings prepared were characterised for their properties such as gloss, scratch resistance, impact resistance, flexibility, cross cut adhesion and chemical resistance. The thermal stability of coatings was also studied by thermo gravimetric analyzer.

Findings

– The polyurethane coatings prepared from six monoglycerides of different oils with polymeric diphenyl methane diisocyanate showed good chemical resistance and thermal stability. Coating properties like impact resistance, flexibility and adhesion were excellent for all of the prepared samples of PU coatings. PU coatings with excellent hardness up to 5B were found with the modification of nano TiO2 by silane coupling agent. The authors successfully prepared the renewable source-based (monoglycerides of oil) PU coatings.

Practical implications

– Practically the authors are able to convert renewable source that is vegetable oils into polyurethane coatings which may have strong potential to be used as industrial surface coating. The properties of the PU coatings were evaluated before and after the incorporation of different concentration of surface-modified nano TiO2 which revealed that the presence of 1 percent nano TiO2 showed significant enhancement in coating properties.

Originality/value

– The beauty of this work includes synthesis of polyurethanes coatings from renewable source material (monoglycerides of vegetable oils) to substitute petroleum-based materials. The incorporation of silane-modified TiO2 nanoparticles in renewable source-based PU coatings is another originality of the work. This article is also representing comparative study of various vegetable oils on PU coatings.
Synthesis, characterisation and optical band gap of Cr1.3Fe0.7O3 nanopigments
Authors: Enhessari Morteza
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Inorganic pigments have been widely investigated due to their chemical stability such as resistance to chemical attacks by acids and alkalis, excellent hardness and high temperature stability. Cr1.3Fe0.7O3 which is considered as a ceramic nanopigment also seems to be a highly efficient photovoltaic material. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this work, the paper reports the synthesis of a novel and high purity Cr1.3Fe0.7O3 nanopigment via sol-gel process using stearic acid as complexing agent. The method includes formation of an organic precursor with metallic cations homogeneously distributed all over the matrix. Sample characterisations were performed by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, UV-vis diffused reflectance spectra and photoluminescence. The transport properties and colour characteristics were also investigated by spectroscopic and technological characterisation of the synthesised nanoparticles.

Findings

– The prepared nanopigments were uniform in distribution and a spherical morphology with an average size of about 200 nm was observed. Cr1.3Fe0.7O3 nanoparticles showed a direct band gap value of 2.85 eV and the colour efficiency of the nanopigments evaluated by colourimetric analysis resulted characteristic values of L*=39.96, a*=3.67 and b*=3.12.

Originality/value

– This method for synthesis of nanopigments is novel and could be employed for various applications in synthesis of wide variety of nanoceramics.
Regulation of remuneration policy in the financial sector
Authors: Ben Shlomo Jonathan , Eggert Wolfgang , Nguyen Tristan
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The recent financial crisis has shown that in substantial parts of the banking industry, bonus payments have a short-term focus and are not risk-adjusted. These remuneration structures persist as the banking industry is constrained by pressures on the labour market. The unilateral introduction of a longer-term focus in variable remuneration could put a bank at a first-mover disadvantage. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper derives from a literature overview and empirical evidence possible reform measurements toward a longer-term focus in variable remuneration. The paper also discusses the recent reforms in European law regarding remuneration policy.

Findings

– The paper argues that an efficient regulation of remuneration policy should be directed at ensuring that remuneration policies and practices are aligned with effective risk management. The financial authorities should therefore closely observe market developments in this perspective and take countermeasures if necessary.

Originality/value

– This seminar work gives some interesting insights about opportunistic behaviour and a CEO's short-term incentives from an economic point of view. It provides lawmakers, regulators and firms with a comprehensive comparison of recent remuneration reforms in Europe.
The impact of nursing quality on nursing home efficiency: evidence from Taiwan
Authors: Chang Shyr-Juh , Cheng Mei-Ai
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of nursing quality on Taiwan nursing homes, and differences of efficiency among different management types of nursing homes.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study employs data envelopment analysis (DEA) to investigate the efficiency of nursing homes with and without quality variable. The impacts of nursing quality on the efficiency of nursing homes were studied. Finally, Tobit regression is used to explore the factors influencing efficiency in nursing homes.

Findings

– The analysis shows that nursing quality has significant impacts on operating efficiency of nursing homes. When quality variables are included, all efficiencies were significantly improved, except scale efficiency of government-expense nursing homes (GEH); return of scale status of GEH decrease substantially; the licensed nursing staff can always improve efficiency; higher occupancy rate increase efficiency; private-operated veteran homes performs better than government-operated homes.

Practical implications

– Nursing quality has a significant effect on the efficiency measures. Thus, the nursing quality cannot be ignored in assessing the performance of nursing homes. Otherwise, it may result in biased results. The efficiencies of private-operated nursing homes are better than the government operation. Government-operated nursing homes should take private nursing homes as the benchmark.

Originality/value

– The paper demonstrates the nursing quality is an important factor in the efficiency measure of nursing homes. It also shows that privatized operation has higher efficiency than the government operation.
Using Quantile Regression to Examine Health Care Expenditures during the Great Recession
Authors: Chen Jie , Vargas‐Bustamante Arturo , Mortensen Karoline , Thomas Stephen B.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To examine the association between the Great Recession of 2007–2009 and health care expenditures along the health care spending distribution, with a focus on racial/ethnic disparities.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Secondary data analyses of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005–2006 and 2008–2009).

Study Design

Quantile multivariate regressions are employed to measure the different associations between the economic recession of 2007–2009 and health care spending. Race/ethnicity and interaction terms between race/ethnicity and a recession indicator are controlled to examine whether minorities encountered disproportionately lower health spending during the economic recession.

Principal Findings

The Great Recession was significantly associated with reductions in health care expenditures at the 10th–50th percentiles of the distribution, but not at the 75th–90th percentiles. Racial and ethnic disparities were more substantial at the lower end of the health expenditure distribution; however, on average the reduction in expenditures was similar for all race/ethnic groups. The Great Recession was also positively associated with spending on emergency department visits.

Conclusion

This study shows that the relationship between the Great Recession and health care spending varied along the health expenditure distribution. More variability was observed in the lower end of the health spending distribution compared to the higher end.
An Essay on Distributive Justice and the Equal Ownership of Natural Resources
Authors: Pullen John
Published: October 2013

The article argues that, in seeking to establish criteria for distributive justice, consideration should be given to the manner in which Earth's natural resources are owned. The views of seven notable authorities on this issue are presented, ranging from an unrestricted right of private ownership to some form of public or collective ownership. The possibility of a system of ownership that is private but equal is discussed.
Financialization and Income Inequality in the United States, 1967–2010
Authors: Van Arnum Bradford M. , Naples Michele I.
Published: October 2013

This article presents a historical overview of the late 20th‐century advent of financialization, that is, the unprecedented growth of the financial sector. We summarize its origins and consequences, particularly greater income inequality. An econometric model quantifies the relationship. We conclude that along with higher unemployment and an eroding minimum wage, the growth of the U.S. financial sector has contributed to the exacerbation of inequality in recent decades.
Conspicuous Consumption as Routine Expenditure and its Place in the Social Provisioning Process
Authors: Todorova Zdravka
Published: October 2013

The article utilizes the framework of social provisioning to argue that conspicuous consumption is an essential process of capitalism, and should be explored as a routine practice rather than an exceptional behavior. The objectives are: 1) to discuss conspicuous consumption as a process within a heterodox social provisioning framework; and 2) to emphasize the need for formulating theoretical concepts and discussions that are consistent with heterodox frameworks such as social provisioning.
Lost in Translation: WhyGeneralizedDarwinism is a Misleading Strategy for Studying Socioeconomic Evolution
Authors: Liagouras George
Published: October 2013

The article is based on Lewontin's distinction between transformational and variational evolution. Given that transformational evolution is dominant in the social realm while variational evolution reigns in the organic world, the question is ifHodgson andKnudsen'sGeneralizedDarwinism bridges the ontological gap between the two types of evolution. It is argued that the three successive strategies of the authors—deconstruction ofLamarckism, appropriation of the Price equation, redefinition of the replication notion—are all based on controversial semantic innovations. Most importantly, it is shown thatGeneralizedDarwinism, in its effort to address the transformational character of social evolution through the notion of generative replication, is compelled to radically restrict the importance ofDarwinian natural selection.
Staging of intestinal‐ and diffuse‐type gastric cancers with theOLGAandOLGIMstaging systems
Authors: Cho S.‐J. , Choi I. J. , Kook M.‐C. , Nam B.‐H. , Kim C. G. , Lee J. Y. , Ryu K. W. , Kim Y.‐W.
Published: October 2013

Background

Operative link on gastritis assessment (OLGA) and Operative link on gastric intestinal metaplasia assessment (OLGIM) staging systems have been proposed for gastric cancer (GC) risk estimation.

Aim

To validate theOLGAandOLGIMstaging systems in a region with high risk ofGC.

Methods

This retrospective study included 474GCpatients and age‐ and sex‐matched health screening control persons in a cancer centre hospital. We classified gastritis patterns according to theOLGAandOLGIMsystems using the histological database that a pathologist prospectively evaluated using the updated Sydney system.GCrisk according to theOLGAandOLGIMstages was evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

Results

MoreGCpatients hadOLGAstagesIII–IV(46.2%) than controls (26.6%,P < 0.001), particularly among patients with intestinal‐type GCs (62.2%) compared with diffuse‐type GCs (30.9%).OLGAstagesIIIandIVwere significantly associated with increased risk ofGC[odds ratios (ORs), 2.09;P = 0.008 and 2.04;P = 0.014 respectively] in multivariate analysis. The association was more significant for intestinal‐type (ORs, 4.76;P = 0.001 and 4.19;P = 0.002 respectively), but not diffuse‐typeGC.OLGIMstages from I to IV were significantly associated with increased risk of both intestinal‐type (ORs, 3.64, 5.15, 7.89 and 13.20 respectively) and diffuse‐typeGC(ORs, 1.84, 2.59, 5.08 and 6.32 respectively) with a significantly increasing trend.

Conclusion

As highOLGAandOLGIMstages are independent risk factors forgastric cancer, the staging systems may be useful for risk assessment in high‐risk regions, especially for intestinal‐type gastric cancer.
Population pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modelling in oncology: a tool for predicting clinical response
Authors: Bender Brendan C. , Schindler Emilie , Friberg Lena E.
Published: October 2013

In oncology trials, overall survival (OS) is considered the most reliable and preferred endpoint to evaluate the benefit of drug treatment. Other relevant variables are also collected from patients for a given drug and its indication, and it is important to characterize the dynamic effects and links between these variables in order to improve the speed and efficiency of clinical oncology drug development. However, the drug‐induced effects and causal relationships are often difficult to interpret because of temporal differences. To address this, population pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PKPD) modelling and parametric time‐to‐event (TTE) models are becoming more frequently applied. Population PKPD and TTE models allow for exploration towards describing the data, understanding the disease and drug action over time, investigating relevance of biomarkers, quantifying patient variability and in designing successful trials. In addition, development of models characterizing both desired and adverse effects in a modelling framework support exploration of risk‐benefit of different dosing schedules. In this review, we have summarized population PKPD modelling analyses describing tumour, tumour marker and biomarker responses, as well as adverse effects, from anticancer drug treatment data. Various model‐based metrics used to drive PD response and predict OS for oncology drugs and their indications are also discussed.
Severity of Deliberate Acute Baclofen Poisoning: A Nonconcurrent Cohort Study
Authors: Pommier Philippe , Debaty Guillaume , Bartoli Mireille , Viglino Damien , Carpentier Françoise , Danel Vincent , Maxime Maignan
Published: October 2013

Interest in high‐dose baclofen treatment for alcohol dependence has increased over the past few years. In the meantime, the rate of acute baclofen poisoning has increased and life‐threatening cases have been reported. Thus, severity of acute poisoning could lessen the benefit of baclofen treatment. Our aim was to evaluate the severity of acute baclofen poisoning independently of confounders and to assess whether severity is correlated with the reported ingested dose. We prospectively included consecutive patients with acute and deliberate baclofen overdose and compared them with gender and age‐matched patients from a retrospective cohort of common acute medicine self‐poisoning. The primary end‐point was the adjusted risk ratio of mechanical ventilation. We also analysed the lengths of mechanical ventilation and risks of aspiration pneumonitis and convulsions. We finally examined the correlation between the supposed reported ingested dose and the severity of poisoning. Fourteen baclofen‐poisoned patients were included and matched to 56 poisoned patients. Median age was 45y/o (40–58), and men comprised 43% of patients. In logistic regression, the adjusted risk ratio of mechanical ventilation was 7.9 (1.4–43.5; p = 0.02) for baclofen‐treated patients. Aspiration pneumonitis was more frequent in baclofen‐treated patients (29% versus 2%; p = 0.005), and the length of mechanical ventilation was significantly correlated with the reported ingested dose of baclofen (Spearman coefficients: 0.48; p < 0.001). Our results show that acute baclofen poisoning is more severe than other acute medicine overdoses, and severity seems to be correlated with the ingested dose of baclofen. These results raise some questions about the safety of high‐dose baclofen treatment for alcohol dependence.
Young Children's Understanding of Ownership
Authors: Nancekivell Shaylene E. , Van de Vondervoort Julia W. , Friedman Ori
Published: October 2013

Ownership influences the permissibility of people's use of objects. Understanding ownership is therefore necessary for socially appropriate behavior and is an important part of children's social‐cognitive development. Children are sophisticated in their reasoning about ownership early in development. They make a variety of judgments about ownership, including judgments about how ownership is acquired, who owns what, and ownership rights. Understanding how children reason about ownership can also inform broader questions about the nature and origins of ownership.
Self‐Regulation Underlies Temperament and Personality: An Integrative Developmental Framework
Authors: Denissen Jaap J. A. , van Aken Marcel A. G. , Penke Lars , Wood Dustin
Published: October 2013

In this article, we present an integrative perspective on temperament and personality development. Personality and temperament are conceptualized as regulatory systems that start as physiological reactivity to environmental features early in life, but are increasingly supplemented by regulation efforts oriented toward reference values such as personal goals and social norms. These reference values change during development as society expects increasingly mature behaviors, but it takes regulatory resources and incremental practice before people can conform to these higher standards. Consistent with this view, a meta‐analysis of mean‐level development of personality traits in adolescence revealed a decrease in conscientiousness and openness during early adolescence. Negative discrepancies between reference values and actual behavior are apparently responsible for decreases in perceived maturity, but more direct evidence is needed to support this claim.
Is Self‐Esteem a Cause or Consequence of Social Support? A 4‐Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Marshall Sarah L. , Parker Phillip D. , Ciarrochi Joseph , Heaven Patrick C.L.
Published: October 2013

Considerable research has been devoted to examining the relations between self‐esteem and social support. However, the exact nature and direction of these relations are not well understood. Measures of self‐esteem, and social support quantity and quality were administered to 961 adolescents across five yearly time points (Mage = 13.41 years). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test between a self‐esteem antecedent model (self‐esteem precedes changes in social support), self‐esteem consequence model (social support precedes change in self‐esteem), and a reciprocal influence model. Self‐esteem reliably predicted increasing levels of social support quality and network size across time. In contrast, the consequence model was not supported. The implications of this for helping adolescents to develop higher quality social support structures are discussed.
Children's Norm Enforcement in Their Interactions With Peers
Authors: Köymen Bahar , Lieven Elena , Engemann Denis A. , Rakoczy Hannes , Warneken Felix , Tomasello Michael
Published: October 2013

This study investigates how children negotiate social norms with peers. In Study 1, 48 pairs of 3‐ and 5‐year‐olds (N = 96) and in Study 2, 48 pairs of 5‐ and 7‐year‐olds (N = 96) were presented with sorting tasks with conflicting instructions (one child by color, the other by shape) or identical instructions. Three‐year‐olds differed from older children: They were less selective for the contexts in which they enforced norms, and they (as well as the older children to a lesser extent) used grammatical constructions objectifying the norms (“It works like this” rather than “You must do it like this”). These results suggested that children's understanding of social norms becomes more flexible during the preschool years.
Got Water? Social Divisions and Access to Public Goods in Rural India
Authors: Balasubramaniam Divya , Chatterjee Santanu , Mustard David B.
Published: October 2013

Data from the 2001 Census of India is used to examine how social divisions are associated with access to tap water across rural India. Different types of social fragmentation are associated with different outcomes for tap water access. Communities that are heterogeneous in terms of caste have lower access to tap water, while communities that are fragmented across religions have higher access. This underscores the importance of heterogeneity both within and across religions. Aggregated measures of social fragmentation may thus conceal the differential effects of its component measures, and obscure important information that may affect the design of public policies.
Echocardiographic Evaluation of External Iliac Artery Doppler Waveform in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Styczynski Grzegorz , Szmigielski Cezary , Kaczynska Anna , Kuch‐Wocial Agnieszka
Published: October 2013

Visual interpretation of the Doppler waveform in the common femoral or distal external iliac artery (EIA) was reported to be useful in screening for proximal peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) in patients with lower limb ischemia. Commonly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for echocardiography have coexistent arterial pathology. Therefore, we decided to study whether echocardiographic evaluation of the distal EIA flow can be useful for detection of PAOD in patients with CAD. We studied 150 consecutive patients (pts) with CAD referred for echocardiography. At the end of an echocardiographic examination, evaluation of the flow in the distal EIA with an echocardiographic probe was performed. The Doppler waveform was classified as normal—with early diastolic flow reversal or abnormal–without early diastolic flow reversal. Echocardiographic findings were compared in a blinded fashion with the results of the ankle brachial index measurements (ABI). Based on the ABI ≤ 0.9, peripheral artery disease was diagnosed in 54 pts (36%) and abnormal external iliac Doppler waveform was found in 27 pts (18%). Sensitivity of abnormal external iliac Doppler waveform in predicting PAOD was 48%, specificity 99%, positive predictive value (PPV) 96%, and negative predictive value 77%. Peripheral arterial occlusive disease is common in patients with CAD referred for echocardiographic study. Echocardiographic assessment of distal EIA Doppler waveform has low sensitivity, but high specificity and high PPV in the diagnosis of peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
Multimodality Imaging of Submitral Left Ventricular Aneurysm
Authors: Kharwar Rajiv Bharat , Sethi Rishi , Sanguri Ritesh , Singh Vikas , Narain Varun Shankar
Published: October 2013

Submitral left ventricular aneurysms are a rare nonischemic aneurysm thought to be developmental in origin. These aneurysms invariably occur at the site of posterior mitral annulus and lead to mitral valve incompetence. We hereby describe a case of a 30‐year‐old adult with a rare form of submitral left ventricular aneurysm involving whole of the posterior mitral annulus. Multimodality imaging with two‐dimensional echocardiography, three‐dimensional echocardiography, computed tomography and invasive left ventriculography helped the patient to undergo successful resection of the aneurysm along with mitral valve replacement.
Two‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking–Derived Strain to Distinguish Acute Coronary Syndrome from a Marked Early Repolarization in a Patient with Chest Pain: A Fancy Gadget or a Useful Tool?
Authors: Stankovic Ivan , Cvorovic Vojkan , Putnikovic Biljana , Vuksanovic Ivica , Panic Milos , Neskovic Aleksandar N.
Published: October 2013

Background

With a potential of detecting subtle myocardial injury, two‐dimensional (2D) speckle tracking–derived strain could help to distinguish between ischemic and nonischemic ST‐segment elevation. Little is known if limitations of strain imaging could prevent its applicability in acute cardiac care settings.

Case Presentation

We present a 56‐year‐old male with persistent ST‐segment elevation in the inferolateral leads and suspected hypokinesia of the inferior wall. Semiautomated 2D speckle tracking strain analysis showed normal longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) in all segments of the inferior wall, ruling out wall‐motion abnormalities in this region. Stationary reverberations and spuriously low values of LPSS in the posterolateral wall required operator's expertise to distinguish pathological myocardial deformation from artifacts. Additional workup revealed that early repolarization pattern was mistaken for the inferior wall acute myocardial infarction in our patient.

Conclusions

Semiautomated quantification of regional left ventricular function by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography could facilitate decision making even in the emergency settings. Due to intrinsic limitations of this novel method, its actual clinical value in acute cardiac care settings may depend on the expertise of the operator and is yet to be determined.