bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of various factors on stock-induced food waste in Indian weddings
Authors: Sharma Neeta , Vrat Prem
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Weddings in India have become more extravagant in recent years. The ostentation goes well with the food also. Hundreds of varieties and great stock of food served making it a wasteful affair which would lead to the unsustainable demand for the natural resources. The purpose of this paper is to link the stock-induced consumption phenomenon with food waste generation in Indian weddings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study begins with the identification of the factors which would be responsible to make the food consumption stock-induced. A system dynamics (SD) model is developed using SD software STELLA (version 10.0) to assess the amount of stock-induced food waste. The impact of the factors on this waste is analyzed and estimation is made about the financial implications of this waste. Different scenarios have been analyzed to arrive at a most desirable scenario in the Indian context. Finally, the paper provides the recommendations for managerial implications to prevent the potential disastrous consequences of this waste.

Findings

A rigorous simulation analysis was conducted for different food-serving scenarios. The outcome of SD analysis shows that an enormous amount of food is wasted in the form of stock-induced consumption and dustbin waste. Impact analysis of factors on waste generation reveals that food wastage in marriages is entirely a behavioral phenomenon and can be controlled by exercising self and enforced behavioral control measures. Waste cost estimation gives an insight about the severity of the topic for policy making.

Social implications

The study has a very high social relevance and facilitates decision makers to take required actions to mitigate the stock-induced food waste in marriages. The study conducted will encourage the researchers to use SD in analyzing complex systems for quantitative estimations.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the food waste in Indian weddings in relation with the huge stock served using SD. The study provides valuable insights in the direction to make the country food secure.
The perceptions regarding social workers from within an integrated trust in an age of austerity
Authors: Phillipowsky Darryl James
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore community professionals’: opinions concerning social worker’s roles and statutory functions; understanding of collaborative and cooperative work; experiences of professional support; opinions on the aspects of anti-oppressive practices in social work; views on social work identity within multi-disciplinary team structures; exploring perceptions regarding the challenges of cultural; and contextual drivers of social work practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Design: thematic analysis of free-text data from a survey. Setting and participants: social workers, occupational therapists and nurses working within an integrated Health and Social Care NHS Trust. Main outcome measures: free-text coded and categorised by theme. Overarching themes are identified incorporating comment categories. Methods: 41 respondents (of n=600 survey respondents) provided free-text comments. Data were coded using a multistage approach: coding of comments into general categories (e.g. resources, budgets); coding of subcategories within main categories (e.g. s75 agreement, staffing levels); cross-sectional analysis to identify themes cutting across categories; and mapping of categories/subcategories to corresponding comparable research for comparison.

Findings

Most free-text respondents (51 per cent) were from social workers, with 32 per cent from occupational therapists and 17 per cent from nurses. These respondents provided comments that the authors developed into four overarching themes: first, culture – cultural biases and clashes of culture within an integrated care organisation which result in a negative experience for professionals and confusion for service users and/or carers. A lack of shared socialisation and the development of a shared culture. Second, austerity: the impact of economic austerity. Third, organisation: conceptual confusion in respect of defining/organising/structuring integrated care within a health organisation. Fourth, political: the political drivers of integration.

Originality/value

This study presents specific areas of concern for social workers and for integrated social care and health as a whole, revealing a number of themes present across the integration journey. While the majority of comments were negative, analysis reveals concerns shared by significant numbers of respondents: conceptual confusion in respect of organising integrated care within a health organisation, a lack of shared socialisation and the development of a shared culture within the integrated organisation, and the impact of economic austerity on integration.
Building and maintaining the family business-private equity relationship
Authors: Molly Vincent , Arijs Diane , Lambrecht Johan
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Adopting an integrated agency and stewardship perspective, the purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between family businesses (FBs) and private equity (PE) investors at three stages: entry, cooperation, and exit.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study combines the perspectives of 11 FB owners and/or managers, seven PE investors, and four intermediaries. The in-depth interviews of this purposive sample are analysed at the intra- and inter-case level using a template analysis approach up to reaching theoretical saturation.

Findings

Building and maintaining an effective relationship between the FB and the PE investor requires both a stewardship perspective (i.e. reciprocal principal-steward behaviour) and a necessary but insufficient agency perspective (i.e. principal-principal behaviour).

Research limitations/implications

More large-scale studies with an integrated agency-stewardship perspective on FBs using PE can increase the external validity of the insights from this research to build and maintain an effective relationship between both parties.

Practical implications

Providing insights into the relationship building process and best practices, this study helps reduce the knowledge and empathy gap that exists between FBs and PE.

Originality/value

The results clarify the need to reconcile an agency and stewardship perspective to thoroughly understand the relationship and behaviour of FBs and PE investors, and to help the parties understand and benefit from each other’s added value.
Group art therapy: supporting social inclusion through an ancient practice?
Authors: Holttum Sue
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Group art therapy involves art-making, which has been used throughout human history to symbolise struggle and transformation with group support. The purpose of this paper is to discuss two recent papers on how and why group art therapy may be helpful.

Design/methodology/approach

A search was carried out to find recent papers on group art therapy, with a focus on how and why it may be helpful.

Findings

One paper reported on 119 accounts of why group art therapy may be helpful. Five things seemed specific to group art therapy: using artworks to express experiences symbolically, connect with others, place confusing feelings outside oneself, and be playful, and following a set routine with others. The other paper reported in detail on group art therapy sessions with people who had a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Group interaction became most supportive when the art therapist clearly focused on people’s thoughts and feelings about artworks made by group members.

Originality/value

It has been unclear how group art therapy may help people. Understanding this means researchers can do more rigorous research on it. The two papers discussed represent probably the largest synthesis of different sources on how group art therapy might work, and the most detailed observation of what happens in practice. Both papers suggest group art therapy uses art to symbolise struggle and transformation with support from others, thus normalising this process and including those going through it rather than marginalising them. Parallels can be drawn with older healing rituals, in which crisis and struggle were viewed as normal.
Scrutinization of thermal stratification, nonlinear thermal radiation and quartic autocatalytic chemical reaction effects on the flow of three-dimensional Eyring-Powell alumina-water nanofluid
Authors: Koriko O.K. , Animasaun I.L. , Reddy M. Gnaneswara , Sandeep N.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the effects of nonlinear thermal radiation and thermal stratification effects on the flow of three-dimensional Eyring-Powell 36 nm alumina-water nanofluid within the thin boundary layer in the presence of quartic autocatalytic kind of chemical reaction effects, and to unravel the effects of a magnetic field parameter, random motion of the tiny nanoparticles and volume fraction on the flow.

Design/methodology/approach

The chemical reaction between homogeneous (Eyring-Powell 36 nm alumina-water) bulk fluid and heterogeneous (three molecules of the catalyst at the surface) in the flow of magnetohydrodynamic three-dimensional flow is modeled as a quartic autocatalytic kind of chemical reaction. The electromagnetic radiation which occurs within the boundary layer is treated as the nonlinear form due to the fact that Taylor series expansion may not give full details of such effects within the boundary layer. With the aid of appropriate similarity variables, the nonlinear coupled system of partial differential equation which models the flow was reduced to ordinary differential equation boundary value problem.

Findings

A favorable agreement of the present results is obtained by comparing it for a limiting case with the published results; hence, reliable results are presented. The concentration of homogeneous bulk fluid (Eyring-Powell nanofluid) increases and decreases with ϕ and Pr, respectively. The increase in the value of magnetic field parameter causes vertical and horizontal velocities of the flow within the boundary layer to decrease significantly. The decrease in the vertical and horizontal velocities of Eyring-Powell nanofluid flow within the boundary layer is guaranteed due to an increase in the value of M. Concentration of homogeneous fluid increases, while the concentration of the heterogeneous catalyst at the wall decreases with M.

Originality/value

Considering the industrial applications of thermal stratification in solar engineering and polymer processing where the behavior of the flow possesses attributes of Eyring-Powell 36 nm alumina-water, this paper presents the solution of the flow problem considering 36 nm alumina nanoparticles, thermophoresis, stratification of thermal energy, Brownian motion and nonlinear thermal radiation. In addition, the aim and objectives of this paper fill such vacuum in the industry.
Are earnings strings restrained after SOX?
Authors: Kohlbeck Mark , Sankara Jomo , Stewart Errol G.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether external monitors (auditors and analysts) constrain earnings strings, an indicator of earnings management, and whether this monitoring is more effective after the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), given the emphasis of SOX on improving auditing, financial reporting and the information environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Agency theory establishes the premise between external monitoring and earnings strings. Auditor tenure and number of analysts following provide measures for external monitoring quality. Using prior research, empirical models explaining the presence of an earnings strings and earnings strings trend are developed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Pre-SOX, extreme auditor tenure, indicating lower quality external monitoring, is associated with greater earnings strings trend, and analyst coverage is associated with increased likelihood of earnings strings and greater earnings strings trend consistent with analyst pressure on management. More effective auditor and analyst monitoring occurs post-SOX in terms of reduced likelihood of earnings strings and earnings strings trend.

Originality/value

The authors provide evidence on how elements of external monitoring are associated with increased earnings strings pre-SOX. Further, they contribute to the debate on the impact of SOX on external firm monitoring and the overall financial information environment. By focusing on earnings strings, the outcome of earnings management, the authors provide a unique understanding of external monitoring that also provides insight on the overvaluation of equity and ultimate destruction of firm value. The evidence demonstrates how regulation has contributed to an improved financial reporting environment and external monitoring.
Auditors’ assessment of the capital market liability of foreignness
Authors: Smith Deborah Drummond , Gleason Kimberly C. , Wiggenhorn Joan , Kannan Yezen H.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to apply the Capital Market Liability of Foreignness (CMLOF) framework to the audit fees of a sample of foreign firms listed on US exchanges to examine whether American auditors price foreignness.

Design/methodology/approach

The four components of the CMLOF are institutional distance (civil versus common law system and enforcement), information asymmetry (disclosures and mandatory IFRS adoption), unfamiliarity (exports, English language and geographical distance) and cultural difference [Hofstede (1980) dimensions of culture]. These variables are examined in a regression model that explains audit fees to determine the auditor perception of risk associated with the CMLOF.

Findings

Examining the factors that mitigate perceived agency costs, this investigation determines that auditors price risk according to each component of the liability of foreignness. Audit fees are higher for shareholders of firms headquartered in countries exhibiting greater institutional distance, unfamiliarity and cultural distance. Audit fees are higher for firms when their home country requires additional disclosures or the adoption of IFRS to reduce information asymmetry.

Practical implications

CMLOF is costly for capital market participants and has implications for auditors, shareholders of foreign firms and managers considering listing in the US Auditors, and investors should carefully assess this risk for pricing and valuation, and managers should take action, to the extent possible, to reduce the firm-specific level of unfamiliarity and increase transparency.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to apply the CMLOF to examine whether auditors price aspects of foreignness of their non-US-headquartered clients.
The effectiveness of risk disclosure practices in the European insurance industry
Authors: Malafronte Irma , Starita Maria Grazia , Pereira John
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether risk disclosure practices affect stock return volatility and company value in the European insurance industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a self-constructed “risk disclosure index for insurers” (RDII) to measure the extent of information disclosed on risks and using panel data regression on a sample of European insurers for 2005-2010, it tests the relationship between RDII and stock return volatility; whether this relationship is affected by financial crisis; and whether RDII affects insurance companies’ embedded value.

Findings

The main results indicate that higher RDII contributes to higher volatility, suggesting that “less is more” rather than “more is good”. However, higher RDII leads to lower volatility when the insurer has a positive net income, thus “more is good when all is good” and “less is good when all is bad”. Furthermore, the relationship between RDII and stock return volatility is not affected by financial crisis, raising concerns regarding the effectiveness of insurers’ risk disclosure to reassure the market. Moreover, higher RDII is found to impact positively on embedded value, thus contributing toward higher firm value.

Practical implications

The findings could drive insurers’ choices on communication and transparency, alongside regulators’ decisions about market discipline. They also suggest that risk disclosure could be used to strengthen market discipline and should be added to the other variables traditionally used in stock return volatility and firm value estimation models in the insurance industry.

Originality/value

This paper offers new insights in the debate on the bright and dark sides of risk disclosure in the insurance industry and provides interesting implications for insurers and their stakeholders.
Consistent temporal variation in the diet of an endangered alpine lizard across two south‐eastern Australian sky‐islands
Authors: Atkins Zak S. , Clemann Nick , Schroder Mellesa , Chapple David G. , Davis Naomi E. , Robinson Wayne A. , Wainer John , Robert Kylie A.
Published: December 2017

A species' diet and feeding strategy directly affect fitness and environmental interactions. Understanding spatial and temporal variation in diets can identify key resources, inform trophic relationships, and assist in managing threatened species. The nationally endangered Guthega skink, Liopholis guthega, is restricted to two isolated Australian alpine plateaux, the Bogong High Plains (BHP) in Victoria and Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) in New South Wales. We compared this species' foraging ecology over the summer period between these ‘sky‐islands’ separated by ~100 km of lowland valleys. Scat composition did not differ between the two lizard populations, despite differences in the invertebrate assemblages present. However, L. guthega diet varied temporally over summer at both locations. Invertebrates, predominantly Hymenoptera and Coleoptera, were the dominant food group in early summer (78% volume (V), 100% frequency occurrence (F)) and mid‐summer (80% V, 100% F). A significant dietary shift occurred in late summer, when lizards consumed predominantly plant material (63% V, 95.5% F), consisting primarily of seasonally abundant berries from the snow beard heath, Acrothamnus montanus. In contrast to similar‐sized Egerniinae species, it appears L. guthega is capable of opportunistically shifting its diet towards plant material in response to temporal variation in resource availability. Furthermore, the prevalence of intact seeds in scats indicates L. guthega may play a significant role in seed dispersal. Understanding these trophic interactions will assist conservation management of L. guthega, allowing conditions for an already established captive colony to mimic the temporally variable diets present in situ, as well as informing revegetation initiatives aimed at maintaining and expanding wild populations.
Weight‐based carbohydrate treatment of hypoglycaemia in people with Type 1 diabetes using insulin pump therapy: a randomized crossover clinical trial
Authors: McTavish L. , Corley B. , Weatherall M. , Wiltshire E. , Krebs J. D.
Published: December 2017

Aim

To test whether weight‐based treatment is more effective than usual care in people with Type 1 diabetes receiving continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy with regard to both hypoglycaemia and avoiding excessive rebound hyperglycaemia.

Methods

Children and adults on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion were enrolled into a study with a crossover design. Each episode of hypoglycaemia (defined as capillary glucose <4.0 mmol/l) was randomly assigned one of two treatment protocols using glucose tablets: either 0.3 g/kg body weight or usual treatment with 15 g (adults) or 10 g (children) for capillary glucose levels 3–3.9 mmol/l or twice these doses for capillary glucose levels <3 mmol/l. All participants received each treatment in random order for up to 10 hypoglycaemic episodes. Glucose levels were re‐tested 10 min after treatment, with a repeat dose if still <4 mmol/l.

Results

Of the 37 participants enrolled, 35 (aged 6–68 years) completed the study. Twenty‐four participants completed all treatment episodes, while 10 participants had <10 hypoglycaemic episodes and two withdrew without data. The mean glucose difference between weight‐based and usual treatment after 10 min was 0.33 mmol/l (95% CI 0.005 to 0.66; P=0.047) in adults and 0.45 (95% CI 0.18 to 0.72; P=0.001) in children. The odds ratios for resolution of hypoglycaemia at 10 min with a single treatment using weight‐based compared with usual treatment were 3.12 (95% CI 1.38 to 7.02; P=0.0070) in adults and 2.61 (95% CI 1.19 to 5.74; P=0.017) in children.

Conclusions

Weight‐based treatment using 0.3 g/kg glucose was more effective for symptomatic hypoglycaemia in children and adults with Type 1 diabetes who were using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion than treatment based on current international recommendations.
Fetal interventions for structural heart disease
Authors: Schidlow David N. , Freud Lindsay , Friedman Kevin , Tworetzky Wayne
Published: December 2017

Fetal cardiac intervention (FCI) offers the potential to alter in utero anatomy and physiology. For aortic stenosis with evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome and pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum with evolving hypoplastic right heart syndrome, FCI may result in maintenance of a biventricular circulation, thus avoiding single‐ventricle palliation and its attendant complications. In the case of hypoplastic left heart syndrome with intact atrial septum, FCI may ameliorate in utero pathophysiology and portend a more favorable postnatal prognosis. In all cases, a detailed fetal echocardiographic assessment to identify the appropriate FCI candidate is essential. This article reviews the three aforementioned lesions for which FCI can be considered. The pathophysiology and rationale for intervention, echocardiographic assessment, patient selection criteria, and outcomes for each lesion will be reviewed. A primary focus will be the echocardiographic evaluation of each lesion.
Pulmonary hypoplasia in fetuses with congenital conotruncal defects
Authors: Wang Qian , Zhao Ying , Han Ling , Zhang Ye , Ge Shuping , He Yihua
Published: December 2017

Objectives

We sought to investigate pulmonary hypoplasia (PH) and associated risk factors in fetuses with congenital conotruncal defect (CTD).

Methods

A total of 75 fetuses with CTD (gestational age (GA): 22–32 weeks) and 150 normal GA‐matched fetuses as the control group were studied. We measured diameters of aorta (Ao); main, left, and right pulmonary artery (PA); and their Z‐scores by fetal echocardiography (FE). We also measured the lung area, lung area/chest area ratio (LCR), lung‐to‐head circumference ratio (LHR), right lung area/head circumference2 (quantitative lung index, QLI), and Z‐scores.

Results

The PA, left pulmonary artery (LPA), RPA, and their Z‐scores and the lung area measurements (except for QLI) were significantly smaller in the CTD group, compared with the normal control group. Subgroup analysis showed the following: (1) CTD with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) had smaller main and branch PA dimensions and small lung areas in contrast to CTD without RVOTO. (2) CTD with pulmonary atresia had smaller LPA and RPA dimensions but no difference in lung areas. (3) In the common types of CTD, lung area variables were mostly smaller in double outlet right ventricle (DORV) and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), but there was no difference in transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

Conclusions

CTD is associated with hypoplastic main and branch pulmonary arteries as well as PH. Risk factors for PH included defect types (DORV and TOF but not TGA) and RVOTO. It is plausible that pulmonary blood flow, rather than the type of CTD, RVOTO, or pulmonary artery dimensions, plays a key role in PH.
Introduction: From fetal echocardiography to fetal cardiology: A journey of over half a century
Authors: Ge Shuping , Maulik Dev
Published: December 2017

In this Special Issue of the Journal, 8 review articles that represent the new developments and applications of fetal echocardiography and fetal cardiology for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of fetal cardiovascular disease are included. The goal was to provide an updated review of the evidence for the current and emerging use of fetal echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance, improved diagnosis of challenging congenital heart disease, new tools for evaluation of fetal systolic and diastolic function, better prognosis and risk stratification of newborns with congenital heart diseases, and new and promising therapies for fetuses with cardiovascular disease.
CAPITAL CONTROLS, MONETARY POLICY, AND BALANCE SHEETS IN A SMALL OPEN ECONOMY
Authors: Kitano Shigeto , Takaku Kenya
Published: December 2017

We develop a small open economy, New Keynesian model that incorporates a financial accelerator in combination with liability dollarization. Applying a Ramsey‐type analysis, we compare the welfare implications of an optimal monetary policy under flexible exchange rates and an optimal capital control policy under fixed exchange rates. In an economy without the financial accelerator, an optimal monetary policy under flexible exchange rates is superior to an optimal capital control policy under fixed exchange rates. In contrast, in an economy with the financial accelerator, an optimal capital control under fixed exchange rates yields higher welfare than an optimal monetary policy under flexible exchange rates.(JEL E44, E52, F32, F38, F41)
The Use and Abuses of Emulation as a Pedagogical Practice
Authors: Jonas Mark E. , Chambers Drew W.
Published: December 2017

From the late eighteenth through the end of the nineteenth century, educational philosophers and practitioners debated the benefits and shortcomings of the use of emulation in schools. During this period, “emulation” referred to a pedagogy that leveraged comparisons between students as a tool to motivate them to higher achievement. Many educationists praised emulation as a necessary and effective motivator. Other educationists condemned it for its tendency to foster invidious competition between students and to devalue learning. Ultimately, by the late nineteenth century emulation as a specific pedagogical practice had disappeared in American educational culture. In this article, Mark Jonas and Drew Chambers ask whether the disappearance of emulation is something to be celebrated or lamented. To answer this question they examine the historical concept of educational emulation and analyze the bases on which proponents and opponents argued. Parties on both sides of the debate framed their arguments in close relation to the way emulation was being used at that time, which prioritized actual competitions and prizes. In that context, the opponents made a better case, which presumably contributed to emulation's disappearance in schools afterwards. However, as earlier proponents of emulation argued, emulation need not be restricted to competitions and prizes. Instead, these proponents offered a philosophically and psychologically rich defense of emulation, but these were not carried through to an appropriate degree. The authors conclude that, construed appropriately, emulation not only had tremendous educational potential then, but still does today. With intentional effort on the part of teachers, emulation can greatly enrich students' lives and act as a powerful learning motivator.
Dynamic Agency and Large‐Risk Taking
Authors: Li Rui
Published: December 2017

I propose a dynamic investment model with moral hazard under which greater exposure to future uncertainties about losses could enhance incentive provisions and improve firm value. The model provides an explanation for why many financial companies and investment banks choose to improve their short‐run performance by putting themselves at greater risk of catastrophic losses in the future, as what happened prior to the 2007 financial crisis.
A mutation in the progesterone receptor predisposes to HEV infection in HIV‐positive patients
Authors: Debes Jose D. , Pas Suzan D. , Groothuismink Zwier M. A. , van der Ende Marchina E. , de Man Robert A. , Boonstra Andre
Published: December 2017

Background and Aims

Infection with Hepatitis E virus (HEV) can cause chronic liver disease in immunocompromised hosts. In transplant recipients, the use of certain immunosuppressants and food habits has been proposed as risk factors for HEV. In individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), risk factors for HEV infection are less clear. We aimed to study the association between a mutation in the progesterone receptor (PR) named PROGINS and HEV‐infected in HIV‐positive individuals.

Methods

We evaluated the presence of the SNP PROGINS via KASP in serum samples of 64 HIV‐positive individuals and 187 healthy controls. We performed ELISA tests to address the serum levels of IL‐10 and IL‐12, as well as T‐cell stimulation assays in peripheral blood to address immune response in individuals with PROGINS.

Results

We found a significant association between the presence of PROGINS mutation and HEV seroprevalence in individuals infected with HIV (30% in HIV+/HEV+ versus 2% in HIV+/HEV, respectively, P = .009). Moreover, we found that HIV+/HEV+ individuals expressing the PROGINS mutation had lower serum levels of IL‐10 and higher levels of IL‐12. The presence of the mutation led to a reduced response upon stimulation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared to those without the mutation, suggesting an immune modulation associated with PROGINS.

Conclusions

Our study identified a mutation in the PR that provides significant insights into mechanisms of HEV infection in immunosuppressed individuals.
From Common Prayer to Common Ancestor: The Quest for Anglican Liturgical Identity and the Legacy of the Reformation
Authors: Nichols Bridget
Published: December 2017

Anglicanism's relationship with its Reformation heritage represents a tension. It looks to the Reformation as the movement from which an English Church, independent of papal authority, was inaugurated. At the same time, it refuses to be labelled as a “church of the Reformation”, pointing to its continuity with a much longer history of Christian practice in Britain. The growth of the Anglican Communion and current controversies over church order, the interpretation of scripture and the exercise of authority make Anglican identity difficult to define. Identity would once have been sought in liturgy, but the view that liturgy completely enshrines Anglican doctrine has been convincingly put to rest by scholarship since the 1970s. This paper argues that the liturgical legacy of the Reformation (especially use of the vernacular, concern for the orderly reading and interpretation of scripture, and attention given to the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist) offers categories that can help to form possible approaches to the current crisis of Anglican identity.
The Effects of Immigration on Household Services, Labour Supply and Fertility
Authors: Romiti Agnese
Published: December 2017

Fertility and female labour force participation are no longer negatively correlated in developed countries. At the same time, increased immigration affects supply and prices of household services, which are relevant to fertility and employment decisions. This paper analyses the effect of immigration on labour supply and fertility of native women in the UK. Adopting an instrumental variable approach, I find that immigration increases female labour supply without affecting fertility. My results show that immigration increases the size of the childcare sector, and reduces its prices, suggesting that immigrants may ease the trade‐off between working and child rearing among native women.
A Markov Switching Factor‐Augmented VAR Model for Analyzing US Business Cycles and Monetary Policy
Authors: Huber Florian , Fischer Manfred M.
Published: December 2017

This paper develops a Markov switching factor‐augmented vector autoregression to investigate the transmission mechanisms of monetary policy for distinct stages of the US business cycle. We assume that autoregressive parameters and covariance matrices of the error terms are regime dependent, driven by an unobserved Markov indicator. Endogenously determined transition probabilities are governed by an underlying probit model that features a large set of possible predictors. The empirical findings provide evidence for differences in the transmission of monetary policy shocks that mainly stem from heterogeneity in the responses of financial market quantities.
Axially Decorated SiIV‐phthalocyanines Bearing Mannose‐ or Ammonium‐conjugated Siloxanes: Comparative Bacterial Labeling and Photodynamic Inactivation,
Authors: Grüner Malte C. , Niemann Silke , Faust Andreas , Strassert Cristian A.
Published: December 2017

Herein, we present a comparative study about the photoinactivation of Staphylococcus aureus (Gram‐positive model) and Escherichia coli (Gram‐negative model) employing a neutral and a dicationic axially functionalized SiIV‐phthalocyanine. Depending on the charge of the siloxane moiety (neutral monosaccharide or cationic ammonium salt), different interactions with the bacteria were observed, and a differential photoinactivation was facilitated. The intensity of the fluorescence labeling correlated with the photoinactivation of the two types of bacteria: While the neutral species only significantly affected the Gram‐positive cells, we observed that the positively charged photosensitizer interacted both with the Gram‐positive and with the Gram‐negative models. The dicationic photosensitizer labeled both models with a characteristic deep‐red fluorescence and photoinactivated both classes of prokaryotes. In general, our study clearly demonstrates that axially ammoniumsiloxane‐functionalized Si(IV) phthalocyaninates constitute excellent photosensitizers due to their weak aggregation in aqueous environments. In particular, we also show that charge‐based targeting with axial ammonium groups leads toward broad‐spectrum SiIV‐phthalocyanines for photodynamic inactivation of bacteria.
Global Warming and the G22 Nations: On the Failure of the Unfccc and Chaos Theory
Authors: Lane Jan-Erik
Published: December 2017

Economic outcomes tend to be best when there is no market failure, the standard textbook teaches us. Yet, the global economy in a broad sense, covering all consumers, firms and households is today plagued by externalities and free riding, as benefits from and costs for greenhouses gases are not tied together (Stern, 2007, 2015). Neither the UNFCCC nor the IPCC delivers real policy implementation against climate change (Conka, 2015; Vogler, 2016). This common pool regime (CPR) has too many members, resulting in transaction costs skyrocketing. It confounds sustainable development in general with specific anti-global warming policy-making and implementation of real results. The focus should be on the G20 countries plus Iran, as they are responsible for more than 2/3ds of all CO2s.
Spatial atomic layer deposition for coating flexible porous Li-ion battery electrodes
Authors: Yersak Alexander S. , Sharma Kashish , Wallas Jasmine M. , Dameron Arrelaine A. , Li Xuemin , Yang Yongan , Hurst Katherine E. , Ban Chunmei , Tenent Robert C. , George Steven M.
Published: December 2017

Ultrathin atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings on the electrodes of Li-ion batteries can enhance the capacity stability of the Li-ion batteries. To commercialize ALD for Li-ion battery production, spatial ALD is needed to decrease coating times and provide a coating process compatible with continuous roll-to-roll (R2R) processing. The porous electrodes of Li-ion batteries provide a special challenge because higher reactant exposures are needed for spatial ALD in porous substrates. This work utilized a modular rotating cylinder spatial ALD reactor operating at rotation speeds up to 200 revolutions/min (RPM) and substrate speeds up to 200 m/min. The conditions for spatial ALD were adjusted to coat flexible porous substrates. The reactor was initially used to characterize spatial Al2O3 and ZnO ALD on flat, flexible metalized polyethylene terephthalate foils. These studies showed that slower rotation speeds and spacers between the precursor module and the two adjacent pumping modules could significantly increase the reactant exposure. The modular rotating cylinder reactor was then used to coat flexible, model porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. The uniformity of the ZnO ALD coatings on the porous AAO membranes was dependent on the aspect ratio of the pores and the reactant exposures. Larger reactant exposures led to better uniformity in the pores with higher aspect ratios. The reactant exposures were increased by adding spacers between the precursor module and the two adjacent pumping modules. The modular rotating cylinder reactor was also employed for Al2O3 ALD on porous LiCoO2 (LCO) battery electrodes. Uniform Al coverages were obtained using spacers between the precursor module and the two adjacent pumping modules at rotation speeds of 25 and 50 RPM. The LCO electrodes had a thickness of ∼49 μm and pores with aspect ratios of ∼12–25. Coin cells were then constructed using the ALD-coated LCO electrodes and were tested to determine their battery performance. The capacity of the Al2O3 ALD-coated LCO battery electrodes was measured versus the number of charge-discharge cycles. Both temporal and spatial ALD processing methods led to higher capacity stability compared with uncoated LCO battery electrodes. The results for improved battery performance were comparable for temporal and spatial ALD-coated electrodes. The next steps are also presented for scale-up to R2R spatial ALD using the modular rotating cylinder reactor.
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a guided internet- and mobile-based depression intervention for individuals with chronic back pain: protocol of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Lin Jiaxi , Sander Lasse , Paganini Sarah , Schlicker Sandra , Ebert David , Berking Matthias , Bengel Jürgen , Nobis Stephanie , Lehr Dirk , Mittag Oskar , Riper Heleen , Baumeister Harald
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Depression often co-occurs with chronic back pain (CBP). Internet and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) might be a promising approach for effectively treating depression in this patient group. In the present study, we will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a guided depression IMI for individuals with CBP (eSano BackCare-D) integrated into orthopaedic healthcare.

Methods and analysis

In this multicentre randomised controlled trial of parallel design, the groups eSano BackCare-D versus treatment as usual will be compared. 210 participants with CBP and diagnosed depression will be recruited subsequent to orthopaedic rehabilitation care. Assessments will be conducted prior to randomisation and 9 weeks (post-treatment) and 6 months after randomisation. The primary outcome is depression severity (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17). Secondary outcomes are depression remission and response, health-related quality of life, pain intensity, pain-related disability, self-efficacy and work capacity. Demographic and medical variables as well as internet affinity, intervention adherence, intervention satisfaction and negative effects will also be assessed. Data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis with additional per-protocol analyses. Moreover, a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis will be conducted from a societal perspective after 6 months.

Ethics and dissemination

All procedures are approved by the ethics committee of the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg and the data security committee of the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung). The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented on international conferences.

Trial registration number

DRKS00009272; Pre-results.
Applicability of evidence from previous systematic reviews on immunotherapy in current practice of childhood asthma treatment: a GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) systematic review
Authors: van de Griendt Erik-Jonas , Tuut Mariska K , de Groot Hans , Brand Paul L P
Published: December 2017

Objective

Because most children with asthma now use inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), the added benefit of immunotherapy in asthmatic children needs to be examined. We re-assessed the effectiveness of subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in childhood asthma treatment focusing on studies with patient-relevant outcome measures and children using ICS.

Methods

We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to systematically search and appraise the evidence using predefined critical patient-relevant outcomes (asthma symptoms, asthma control and exacerbations). We searched to retrieve systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials on immunotherapy for asthma in children (1960–2017). We assessed the quality of the body of evidence with GRADE criteria.

Results

The quality of the evidence for SCIT was very low due to a large risk of bias and indirectness (dated studies in children not using ICS). No effect of SCIT was found for asthma symptoms; no studies reported on asthma control. For asthma exacerbations, studies favoured SCIT. We have little confidence in this effect estimate, due to the very low quality of evidence. For SLIT, quality of the evidence was very low due to a large risk of bias, indirectness and imprecision. The outcome ‘asthma symptoms’ could not be calculated due to lack of standardisation and large clinical heterogeneity. Other predefined outcomes were not reported.

Conclusion

The beneficial effects of immunotherapy in childhood asthma found in earlier reviews are no longer considered applicable, because of indirectness (studies performed in children not being treated according to current asthma guidelines with ICS). There was absence of evidence to properly determine the effectiveness or lack thereof of immunotherapy in asthma treatment in children with ICS.
Why don’t key populations access HIV testing and counselling centres in Nepal? Findings based on national surveillance survey
Authors: Shrestha Rachana , Philip Sairu , Shewade Hemant Deepak , Rawal Bir , Deuba Keshab
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To assess the demographic, behavioural, psychosocial and structural factors associated with non-utilisation of HIV testing and counselling (HTC) services by female sex workers (FSWs) and men who have sex with men/transgender (MSM/TG).

Methods

This study involved a cross-sectional design. We used the national surveillance survey data of 2012, which included 610 FSWs and 400 MSM/TG recruited randomly from 22 and three districts of Nepal, respectively. Adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using modified Poisson regression was used to assess and infer the association between outcome (non-utilisation of HTC in last year) and independent variables.

Results

Non-utilisation of HTC in the last year was 54% for FSWs and 55% for MSM/TG. The significant factors for non-utilisation of HTC among FSWs were depression (aPR=1.4 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.6)), injectable drug abuse (ever) (aPR=1.4 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.8)), participation (ever) in HIV awareness programmes (aPR=1.2 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.4)), experience of forced sex in previous year (aPR=1.1 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.3)) and absence of dependents in the family (aPR=1.1 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.3)). Non-utilisation of HTC among MSM/TG had significant association with age 16–19 years (aPR=1.4 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.7)), non-condom use (aPR=1.2 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.4)), participation (ever) in HIV awareness programmes (aPR=1.6 (95% CI 1.3 to 2.0)), physical assault in previous year (aPR=1.8 (95% CI 1.0 to 3.1)), experience of forced sex in previous year (aPR=0.5 (95% CI 0.3 to 0.9)).

Conclusion

Although limited by cross-sectional design, we found many programmatically relevant findings. Creative strategies should be envisaged for effective behavioural change communication to improve access to HIV testing. Psychosocial and structural interventions should be integrated with HIV prevention programmes to support key populations in accessing HIV testing.
Performance of syndromic management for the detection and treatment of genitalChlamydia trachomatis,Neisseria gonorrhoeaeandTrichomonas vaginalisamong women attending antenatal, well woman and sexual health clinics in Papua New Guinea: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Vallely Lisa M , Toliman Pamela , Ryan Claire , Rai Glennis , Wapling Johanna , Gabuzzi Josephine , Allen Joyce , Opa Christine , Munnull Gloria , Kaima Petronia , Kombuk Benny , Kumbia Antonia , Kombati Zure , Law Greg , Kelly-Hanku Angela , Wand Handan , Siba Peter M , Mola Glen D L , Kaldor John M , Vallely Andrew J
Published: December 2017

Objective

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has among the highest estimated prevalences of genitalChlamydia trachomatis(CT),Neisseria gonorrhoeae(NG) andTrichomonas vaginalis(TV) of any country in the Asia-Pacific region. Diagnosis and treatment of these infections have relied on the WHO-endorsed syndromic management strategy that uses clinical presentation without laboratory confirmation to make treatment decisions. We evaluated the performance of this strategy in clinical settings in PNG.

Design

Women attending antenatal (ANC), well woman (WWC) and sexual health (SHC) clinics in four provinces were invited to participate, completed a face-to-face interview and clinical examination, and provided genital specimens for laboratory testing. We estimated the performance characteristics of syndromic diagnoses against combined laboratory diagnoses.

Results

1764 women were enrolled (ANC=765; WWC=614; SHC=385). The prevalences of CT, NG and TV were highest among women attending ANC and SHC. Among antenatal women, syndromic diagnosis of sexually transmitted infection had low sensitivity (9%–21%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (7%–37%), but high specificity (76%–89%) and moderate negative predictive value (NPV) (55%–86%) for the combined endpoint of laboratory-confirmed CT, NG or TV. Among women attending WWC and SHC, ‘vaginal discharge syndrome’ had moderate to high sensitivity (72%–78%) and NPV (62%–94%), but low specificity (26%–33%) and PPV (8%–38%). ‘Lower abdominal pain syndrome’ had low sensitivity (26%–41%) and PPV (8%–23%) but moderate specificity (66%–68%) and high NPV (74%–93%) among women attending WWC, and moderate-high sensitivity (67%–79%) and NPV (62%–86%) but low specificity (26%–28%) and PPV (14%–33%) among SHC attendees.

Conclusion

The performance of syndromic management for the detection and treatment of genital chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas was poor among women in different clinical settings in PNG. New diagnostic strategies are needed to control these infections and to prevent their adverse health outcomes in PNG and other high-burden countries.