bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying the Flypaper Effect in the Presence of Spatial Dependence: Evidence from Education inChina's Counties
Authors: Yu Yihua , Wang Jing , Tian Xi
Published: July 2015

In the context ofChina without a median voter system, this study examines whether the “flypaper effect,” an unconditional lump‐sum grant from the upper governments to the county governments increases spending in a greater proportion than an equivalent rise in local income, holds true inChina. UsingChina's county‐level education data during 2007, the models have been estimated using a spatial econometric technique that accounts for spatial interaction behavior on public education expenditure across local governments. We find that, in the presence of spatial interdependence, there is no evidence of a “flypaper effect” when different spatial weighting schemes and the endogeneity problem of education grants are accounted for. Rather, the “anti‐flypaper effect” is found. Important policy implications are drawn forChina's fiscal decentralization reform.
The Rise of Urban Entrepreneurs in China: Capital Endowments and Entry Dynamics
Authors: Liu Cathy Yang , Huang Xi
Published: July 2015

The rapid expansion of self‐employment has accompanied the rise of a market economy in urban China. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the state‐owned enterprises' share of the country's gross domestic product has declined from over 90 percent in 1978 to below 50 percent in 2005. Urban entrepreneurship and self‐employment is an emerging force that is shaping the economic and physical form of Chinese cities but is understudied in the academic literature. Using the 2007 Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) data, we investigate the rate and scale of urban entrepreneurship across Chinese cities, as well as the characteristics and earnings associated with self‐employment as compared to wage employment. We pay particular attention to the financial capital, human capital, and social capital factors underlying entrepreneurial entry and distinguish between “necessity entrepreneurs” and “opportunity entrepreneurs” and their respective socioeconomic characteristics.
Purulent pericarditis and pericardiac tamponade in a pregnant hemodialysis patient: A case report
Authors: Adam Fatma Ulku , Avci Begum , Koc Mevlut
Published: July 2015

Bacterial pericarditis is rare in chronic hemodialysis and has poor prognosis. In this case, we report a pregnant hemodialysis patient who developed purulent bacterial pericarditis and pericardiac tamponade in the 28th week of her pregnancy, and who had delivered a healthy living baby.
A maintenance hemodialysis diabetic patient with unexplained pulmonary and gastrointestinal involvement
Authors: Yuvaraj Anand , Abraham Georgi , Kurien Abraham , Koshy Priyanka , Nair Sanjeev , Ghosh Sudhakshina
Published: July 2015

A 50‐year‐old man with diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and end‐stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis, presented with persistent cough and hiccups, continued to be unwell with weight loss, poor appetite, and recurrent respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and cough. Whole body positron emission tomography‐computed tomography scan showed metabolically active lesions in liver, stomach/lesser sac, pancreas, and left sixth rib. As he had repeated bilateral transudative pleural effusion, left mini thoracotomy with pleural biopsy showed no evidence of granuloma or malignancy. Upper gastroscopy showed tiny gastric polyp; biopsy revealed benign lesion. Left posterior rib biopsy from the lesion and iliac crest biopsy showed no evidence of malignancy or granuloma. Further evaluation showed plasma chromogranin A −5737 μg/L (<100 μg/L) with a repeat value of 6950 μg/L (<100 μg/L). He was initiated on oral sunitinib 25 mg once a day and injection octreotide 20 mg subcutaneously once a month. The plasma chromogranin A level and his symptoms, however, showed an initial improvement, but gradually worsened after 4 months despite being on treatment. After 6 months, the patient developed a gangrenous lesion of his glans penis with necrosis. Due to severe pain on conservative measures, penectomy with perineal urethrostomy was performed. Biopsy of the lesion showed blood vessels with intimal calcifications and thrombosis suggesting penile necrosis.
Lopinavir and atazanavir in pregnancy: comparable infant outcomes, virological efficacies and preterm delivery rates
Authors: Perry MEO , Taylor GP , Sabin CA , Conway K , Flanagan S , Dwyer E , Stevenson J , Mulka L , McKendry A , Williams E , Barbour A , Dermont S , Roedling S , Shah R , Anderson J , Rodgers M , Wood C , Sarner L , Hay P , Hawkins D , deRuiter A
Published: July 2015

Objectives

The aim of the study was to identify differences in infant outcomes, virological efficacy, and preterm delivery (PTD) outcome between women exposed to lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and those exposed to atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r).

Methods

A retrospective case note review was carried out. The case notes of 493 women who conceived while on LPV/r or ATV/r or initiated LPV/r or ATV/r during pregnancy and who delivered between 1 September 2007 and 30 August 2012 were reviewed. Data collected included demographics, antiretroviral use, HIV markers, and pregnancy and infant outcomes. Infant outcomes, virological efficacies and PTD rates for LPV/r and ATV/r were compared.

Results

A total of 306 women received LPV/r (82 conceiving while on the drug and 224 commencing it post‐conception) and 187 received ATV/r (96 conceiving while on the drug and 91 commencing it post‐conception). Comparing the two protease inhibitors (PIs), viral suppression rates were similar and, in women starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) post‐conception, the median times to first undetectable HIV viral load were not significantly different (P = 0.64). PTD rates did not differ by therapy overall (ATV/r, 13%; LPV/r, 14%) or when considering the timing of first exposure (conceiving on ART, P = 0.81; commencing ART in pregnancy, P = 0.08). Poor fetal outcomes were very uncommon. There were two transmissions, giving a mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) rate of 0.4% (95% confidence interval 0.05–1.5%).

Conclusions

Both ART regimens were well tolerated and successful in preventing MTCT. No significant differences in tolerability or in pregnancy or infant outcomes were observed, which supports the provision of a choice of PI in pregnancy.
Secondary phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) swelling response is a good indicator of T‐cell‐mediated immunity in free‐living birds
Authors: Santiago‐Quesada Francisco , Albano Noelia , Castillo‐Guerrero José Alfredo , Fernández Guillermo , González‐Medina Erick , Sánchez‐Guzmán Juan MANUEL
Published: July 2015

The validity of using the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) test to measure acquired immunity, one of the most widely used methods, is currently being debated due to new knowledge on the complex physiology of the process. As a greater secondary response to repeated challenges linked to increases of circulating lymphocyte levels would be indicative of a T‐cell‐mediated immune response, we performed for the first time an experiment under natural conditions with repeated PHA challenges in free‐living adult birds and chicks to shed light on this topic. We found significantly stronger secondary response to PHA injection independent of sex or age, while controlling for body condition, the second response being on average 90% larger than the first. Likewise, lymphocyte counts were significantly higher in the second PHA challenge, whereas no significant differences were found among untreated birds. Significant positive correlations between the PHA response and both lymphocyte counts and plasma protein levels (mainly albumin, globulin precursor) were recovered, whereas no significant differences were recovered in plasma protein levels between challenges. Our results are consistent with those from captive birds, supporting the validity of the PHA skin‐swelling test as an accurate gauge of acquired T‐cell‐mediated immunity in birds.
Do adolescents who are night owls have a higher risk of dental caries? – a case–control study
Authors: Lundgren A‐M , Öhrn K , Jönsson B
Published: July 2015

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the association between circadian rhythm and the risk of caries in adolescents, as well as their dietary and toothbrushing habits.

Methods

A group of 196 adolescents (15 and 16 years old) were divided into two equal groups based on caries risk (case = high risk; and control = low risk). Before their dental examinations, they were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on circadian rhythm, dietary and oral self‐care habits, and demographic variables. The participants were divided into three circadian types: evening types who are alert in the evening and tired in the morning; morning types who are the opposite; and neutral types who are neither particularly alert in the evening nor extremely tired in the morning.

Results

The most common sleep‐cycle group type was neutral (50%). After this came evening types (37%) and finally morning types (13%). Morning and neutral types reported more frequently than evening types that they had breakfast every morning and brushed their teeth twice a day. More evening types were categorized as at high risk of caries. Circadian rhythm, breakfast habits and toothbrushing frequency were associated with a high risk of caries. The predicted probability of being at high risk of caries was almost four times higher for evening types than for morning types (OR 3.8; 95% CI 1.3–10.9).

Conclusion

Adolescents who belonged to the evening circadian rhythm group brushed their teeth more seldom, ate breakfast less regularly and had a higher risk of caries than morning types. A patient's circadian rhythm should be considered when planning oral health education for adolescents with a high risk of caries.
Multiple periradicular radiolucencies mimicking endodontic lesions in renal osteodystrophy of the mandible: a case report
Authors: Jalali P. , Kim S. G.
Published: July 2015

Aim

To report a finding of multiple periapical radiolucencies mimicking endodontic lesions in a patient with renal osteodystrophy of the mandible.

A 47‐year‐old woman was referred by her general dentist to the postgraduate endodontic clinic for assessment and root canal treatment of multiple teeth with associated periapical radiolucencies. The patient's medical history included chronic renal failure. All mandibular teeth with periapical radiolucencies except tooth 37 had positive responses to pulp sensibility testing. A diagnosis of pulpal necrosis and associated periapical periodontitis was made on tooth 37, and root canal treatment was carried out. To determine the possible relationship between the patient's renal disease and the multiple periapical radiolucencies, an additional physician consultation and laboratory tests were requested. Secondary hyperparathyroidism was confirmed with the laboratory report showing an elevated level of parathyroid hormone and a normal serum calcium level. Renal osteodystrophy of the mandible caused by secondary hyperparathyroidism was the probable aetiology of the multiple mandibular periapical radiolucencies, and no root canal treatment was required.

Key learning points

Renal osteodystrophy of the mandible caused by secondary hyperparathyroidism can present as multiple periapical radiolucencies but is a rare finding.

Diverse orofacial manifestations such as loss of lamina dura, widening of periodontal ligament and demineralization of bone can be observed in renal osteodystrophy.

Thorough clinical and radiographic assessment along with the review of patient's medical history and haematological analysis is essential for the diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy.
The use of a single‐step regenerative approach for the treatment of a replanted mandibular central incisor with severe resorption
Authors: Chaniotis A.
Published: July 2015

Aim

To report the clinical and radiographic treatment outcome of an immature replanted mandibular incisor with severe inflammatory external root resorption following a single‐step regenerative approach.

A 7‐year‐old female patient was referred 1 week following an extrusion injury to her mandibular central incisor (tooth 31). There was a history of a 6 months previous avulsion injury to the same tooth, which had been replanted after 20 min of extra‐oral time. On clinical examination, all teeth were asymptomatic and there was an arch wire splint placed on the mandibular incisors. Radiographic examination revealed severe inflammatory external root resorption of tooth 31. A diagnosis of necrotic pulp and asymptomatic apical periodontitis was made. Under local anaesthesia and rubber dam isolation, an access cavity was prepared. The canal was irrigated using 6% NaOCl solution delivered through the EndoVac negative pressure irrigation system (Endo Vac, Axis/SybronEndo, Coppell, TX, USA). A 17% EDTA solution was used for 5 min followed by a final rinse of sterile water. The periapical tissues were probed using a K‐file, and bleeding was induced. A blood clot was allowed to form filling the entire canal. A thick plug of MTA was placed in direct contact with the blood clot. The tooth was restored with composite resin. All procedures were performed in a single visit. The splint was removed 2 weeks later. Recall examination after 24 months revealed healthy soft tissues with normal periodontal probing and mobility. The 24 months radiographic evaluation revealed healing of the severe inflammatory external root resorption and continuous root development/dentine wall thickening of the apical third. No signs of ankylosis or significant discoloration was present.
Guided access cavity preparation using cone‐beam computed tomography and optical surface scans – an ex vivo study
Authors: Buchgreitz J. , Buchgreitz M. , Mortensen D. , Bjørndal L.
Published: July 2015

Aim

To evaluate ex vivo, the accuracy of a preparation procedure planned for teeth with pulp canal obliteration (PCO) using a guide rail concept based on a cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan merged with an optical surface scan.

Methodology

A total of 48 teeth were mounted in acrylic blocks. An apical canal preparation was created to simulate remnants of an apical root canal that acted as the target for a drill path. The test blocks were surface scanned, and merged with a CBCT scan, and a guide rail was made. A pathway for the bur was created through a metal sleeve within the guide rail into dentine. The distance was measured between the centres of the performed drill path and the apical target by two examiners. A maximum distance of 0.7 mm was defined based on the radius of the bur (0.6 mm) and the radius of a root canal just visible on a radiograph (0.1 mm). The t‐test was used for evaluation, and intra‐ and inter‐examiner reproducibility was expressed by intraclass correlation coefficients.

Results

The mean distance between the drill path and the target was significantly lower than 0.7 mm, and null hypothesis H0: μ = 0.7 was rejected (CI 95%: 0.31;0.49, P < 0.001). Intra‐ and inter‐examiner agreements reached excellent levels.

Conclusions

The combined use of CBCT and optical scans for the precise construction of a guide rail led to a drill path with a precision below a risk threshold. The present technique may be a valuable tool for the negotiation of partial or complete pulp canal obliteration.
Single and combined effects of body composition phenotypes on carotid intima‐media thickness
Authors: Melo X. , Santa‐Clara H. , Santos D. A. , Pimenta N. M. , Pinto R. , Minderico C. S. , Fernhall B. , Sardinha L. B.
Published: July 2015

Background

Central fatness might be a more sensitive predictor of atherosclerotic changes in children than are total body fat measures. However, it is unclear whether a total body fat measure coupled with an estimate of a more central pattern of fat accumulation predicts increased carotid intima‐media‐thickness (cIMT) better than either measure alone.

Objective

The objective of the study is to identify the ability of a combination of simple anthropometric screening tools or a combination of objective measures of body composition to predict cIMT.

Methods

cIMT was assessed on the common carotid artery in 349 children aged 11–12 years old (183 girls). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) were dichotomized according to established criteria and indices of total body (TBFI) and abdominal (ABFMI) fat were assessed by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and categorized (increased risk ≥85%). Single and combined associations among anthropometric and laboratorial measures with the risk of having increased cIMT (≥85%) and discriminatory performance were tested with logistic regression analysis and Receiver Operator Curve analysis.

Results

Children with higher total fatness (BMI and TBFI) or higher central pattern of fat accumulation (WC, WHtR and BFMI) were in higher risk for increased cIMT [odds ratio (OR): 2.08–3.24). The risk for increased cIMT was not higher among children who coupled high total and high central fatness (OR: 2.27–3.10).

Conclusions

Combination of total and central measures of fat does not improve the prediction of increased cIMT in children. Simple surrogate measures of fatness can be used to predict increased cIMT urging special attention to those children who exhibit increased abdominal fat.
The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN): a new platform to describe the epidemiology of severe influenza
Authors: Puig‐Barberà Joan , Tormos Anita , Trushakova Svetlana , Sominina Anna , Pisareva Maria , Ciblak Meral A. , Badur Selim , Yu Hongjie , Cowling Benjamin J. , Burtseva Elena ,   the GIHSN Group
Published: July 2015

Background

Influenza is a global public health problem. However, severe influenza only recently has been addressed in routine surveillance.

Objectives

The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) was established to study the epidemiology of severe influenza in consecutive seasons in different countries. Our objective is to describe the GIHSN approach and methods.

Methods

The GIHSN uses prospective active surveillance to identify consecutive influenza admissions in permanent residents of well‐defined geographic areas in sites around the world. A core common protocol is followed. After consent, data are collected on patient characteristics and clinical outcomes, respiratory swabs are obtained, and the presence of influenza virus and subtype or lineage is ascertained by polymerase chain reaction. Data are collated and analyzed at the GIHSN coordination center.

Results

The GIHSN has run its activities for two consecutive influenza seasons, 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, and hospitals in Brazil, China, France, Russian Federation, Turkey, and Spain have been involved in one or both seasons. Consistency on the application of the protocol and heterogeneity for the first season have been addressed in two previous publications. During both seasons, 19 677 eligible admissions were recorded; 11 843 (60%) were included and tested, and 2713 (23%) were positive for influenza: 991 (37%) A(H1N1); 807 (30%) A(H3N2); 583 (21%) B/Yamagata; 56 (2%) B/Victoria and 151 (6%) influenza A; and 125 (5%) influenza B were not characterized.

Conclusions

The GIHSN is a platform that provides information on severe influenza worldwide, applying a common core protocol and a consistent case definition.
Developing a diagnostic tool and policy instrument for the realization of decent work
Authors: WEBSTER Edward , BUDLENDER Deborah , ORKIN Mark
Published: July 2015

Based on nine of the indicators identified by the ILO's 2008 Tripartite Meeting of Experts on the Measurement of Decent Work, the authors develop a questionnaire, supplemented by in‐depth interviews, to assess job quality in the security, farming and hospitality industries in South Africa's Gauteng province. Their diagnostic tool differs from the standard ILO index in that it focuses on individual workers at industry level rather than conditions at country level. This approach, the authors argue, can be used to monitor progress towards decent work while enabling key actors at industry level to develop evidence‐led strategies to overcome decent work deficits.
Employment effects of trade in intermediate and final goods: An empirical assessment
Authors: JIANG Xiao
Published: July 2015

The steady growth of international trade in intermediate goods and services has made the relationship between trade and the international division of labour more complex. For 39 countries, the author decomposes the employment effects of international trade into five components, namely, the labour content of – or employment generated by – (1) exports; (2) imports; (3) the import content of exports; (4) the export content of imports; and (5) the third‐country import content of imports. He shows that in 2009, trade in intermediate goods accounted for some 88 million jobs – 14 per cent of all jobs generated by international trade – while the import content of exports accounted for 44 million jobs.
More but not better jobs in Chile? The fundamental importance of open‐ended contracts
Authors: RUIZ‐TAGLE Jaime , SEHNBRUCH Kirsten
Published: July 2015

Chilean governments since 1990 have relied on economic growth to generate employment, higher wages and better conditions of employment. But the results of this policy have been mixed: quantitative improvements in employment and wages have not been matched by improvements in job quality. Contrasting Chile's seemingly rigid regulatory framework with its actual labour market flexibility, the authors stress the importance of employment conditions in assessing labour market performance. They empirically explore the effects of individual and job characteristics on employment and income‐generating capabilities, whose most powerful determinant, they find, is employment under an open‐ended contract. They conclude with a discussion of policy implications.
A facultative endosymbiont in aphids can provide diverse ecological benefits
Authors: Heyworth E. R. , Ferrari J.
Published: July 2015

Ecologically important traits of insects are often affected by facultative bacterial endosymbionts. This is best studied in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, which is frequently infected by one or more of eight facultative symbiont species. Many of these symbiont species have been shown to provide one ecological benefit, but we have little understanding of the range of effects that a single strain can have. Here, we describe the phenotypes conferred by three strains of the recently discovered bacterium known as X‐type (Enterobacteriaceae), each in their original aphid genotype which also carries a Spiroplasma symbiont. All comparisons are made between aphids that are coinfected with Spiroplasma and X‐type and aphids of the same genotype that harbour only Spiroplasma. We show that in all cases, infection with X‐type protects aphids from the lethal fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis, and in two cases, resistance to the parasitoid Aphidius ervi also increases. X‐type can additionally affect aphid stress responses – the presence of X‐type increased reproduction after the aphids were heat‐stressed. Two of the three strains of X‐type are able to provide all of these benefits. Under benign conditions, the aphids tended to suffer from reduced fecundity when harbouring X‐type, a mechanism that might maintain intermediate frequencies in field populations. These findings highlight that a single strain of a facultative endosymbiont has the potential to provide diverse benefits to its aphid host.
Older Adults and Unanticipated Hospital Admission within 30 Days of Ambulatory Surgery: An Analysis of 53,667 Ambulatory Surgical Procedures
Authors: De Oliveira Gildasio S. , Holl Jane L. , Lindquist Lee Ann , Hackett Nicholas J. , Kim John Y. S. , McCarthy Robert J.
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To evaluate whether age is independently associated with greater rate of unanticipated hospital admission within 30 days of ambulatory surgery.

Design

Retrospective database study.

Setting

The 2012 National Surgical Quality Improvement Project data set.

Participants

All individuals with “outpatient” recorded as their status in the data set.

Measurements

The primary outcome of interest was all‐cause hospital admission in the 30‐day period after surgery. Multivariate models were constructed to control for covariate bias. Assessment of interactions of terms in the final model was performed using a conditional tree analysis.

Results

The final analysis included 53,667 ambulatory surgical cases. There were 1,370 (2.5%, 99% confidence interval (CI) = 2.4–2.7%) hospital admissions among the cases evaluated. After adjusting for potential confounders, age (<70 vs ≥70) was independently associated with hospital admission (odds ratio = 1.54, 99% CI = 1.29–1.84). A classification tree analysis of the cases without postoperative morbidity identified age (<60 vs ≥60) as an important decision point leading to greater likelihood of admission (P < .001) within 30 days after ambulatory surgery.

Conclusion

Even after adjusting for comorbidities, older adults are at greater risk of unanticipated hospital admission within 30 days of ambulatory surgery. Renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, current cancer treatment, diabetes mellitus, and history of amputation or revascularization were also associated with greater likelihood of hospital admission. Interventions to improve transitions of care for older adults after ambulatory surgery are needed.
Incidence‐ Versus Prevalence‐Based Measures of Inappropriate Prescribing in the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Lund Brian C. , Carrel Margaret , Gellad Walid F. , Chrischilles Elizabeth A. , Kaboli Peter J.
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To describe variations in potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) and characterize the extent to which switching to an incidence‐based indicator would affect health system quality rankings.

Design

Observational study.

Setting

Veterans Health Administration in 2011.

Participants

Older adults receiving outpatient primary care.

Measurements

PIP was defined according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance High‐Risk Medications in the Elderly list. Ranks were separately assigned for prevalent and incident PIP at the regional, network, and healthcare system levels.

Results

National PIP prevalence was 12.3% (167,766/1,360,251), and incidence was 5.8% (78,604/1,360,251). PIP prevalence ranged from 3.5% to 33.1% across healthcare systems (interquartile range (IQR) = 9.2–15.5%). PIP incidence ranged from 1.2% to 14.9% (IQR = 4.1–7.2%). Rank order in PIP prevalence and incidence was correlated (Spearman correlation; ρ = 0.934, P < .001), although substantial changes in ranks were seen for some healthcare systems, with seven of 139 (5.0%) systems shifting more than 30 rank positions and 21 (15.1%) systems shifting 16 to 30 positions.

Conclusion

Prevalence‐ and incidence‐based indicators of prescribing quality were strongly correlated. Transitioning to incidence‐based indicators would not produce an initial disruption in quality rankings for most healthcare systems and might yield more‐salient measures for tracking healthcare quality.
The Virtuous Fall
Authors: Dubois Danielle C.
Published: July 2015

The medieval Church's concern with moral reform contributed to the emergence of a genre of literature in the thirteenth century dedicated to the vices and virtues. Inspired by monastic and scholastic traditions, treatises such as Laurent d'Orléans's Somme le roi encouraged the avoidance of sin and provided the faithful with a moral taxonomy that ultimately ensured their access to heaven. Marguerite Porete's Mirror of Simple Souls and Meister Eckhart's Discourses of Instruction challenge this virtue‐centered approach to salvation. Relying on their shared claim that the fall of the just man is in fact a virtue, this essay argues that their moral theology is grounded not on the a posteriori act of penance needed for salvation, but on the a priori consent of the will. This alternative view of moral life finds support in previous strands of the Christian tradition, and in particular in Peter Abelard's theory of intentionalism.
Environmental Modesty
Authors: Hartman Laura M.
Published: July 2015

Despite this virtue's history as an instrument of women's oppression, modesty, at its most basic, means voluntary restraint of one's power, undertaken for the sake of others. It is a mechanism that modifies unequal power relationships and encourages greater compassion and fairness. I use a Christian perspective with influences from Jewish and Muslim sources to examine modesty. The modest person, I argue, must be in relationship with others, must be honestly aware of her impacts on others, must be sensitive to those impacts, compassionate toward others, and willing to hold back for others' sakes. Moreover, modesty is not only a virtue that pertains to sexuality and clothing, but it also can promote virtuous environmental behavior, particularly as it leads to awareness of, and sensitivity to, the effects of everyday behaviors on vulnerable others.
Rethinking the Comparative Study of Religious Ethics
Authors: Little David
Published: July 2015

This essay describes the author's change of approach to the comparative study of religious ethics from the one contained in a book on the subject (with Sumner B. Twiss), published in 1978. The change resulted from interactions with Abdulaziz Sachedina, the noted scholar of Islam, demonstrating the importance of comparing different ethical systems in reference to global topics like human rights, particularly the right to freedom of conscience.
Religious Ethics and the Environment
Authors: Pedersen Kusumita P.
Published: July 2015

This essay discusses three recent books which each offer an integrative account of religious ethics and the environment. Religious environmental ethics is an area of inquiry within the larger field of religion and ecology. After a narrative that contextualizes the development of religious environmental ethics in relation to the environmental social movement, I describe the formation of the field including its focus on worldview, the “cosmological turn,” and its engagement with science, the “cosmic turn.” Elizabeth Johnson exemplifies the cosmic turn by developing a Christian theology of life in nature which explicitly accepts Darwin's theory of evolution. Willis Jenkins advocates a prophetic pragmatism and critiques a focus on worldview that is abstracted from practice and defers moral responsibility. Larry Rasmussen joins analysis of worldview with reflection on cross‐cultural resources for “anticipatory communities” of moral formation to catalyze change. I argue with Rasmussen that religious environmental ethics needs multiple approaches and should allow room for methodological pluralism.
PARETO OR LOG‐NORMAL? BEST FIT AND TRUNCATION IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ALL CITIES*
Authors: Fazio Giorgio , Modica Marco
Published: July 2015

In the literature, the distribution of city size is a controversial issue with two common contenders: the Pareto and the log‐normal. While the first is most accredited when the distribution is truncated above a certain threshold, the latter is usually considered a better representation for the untruncated distribution of all cities. In this paper, we reassess the empirical evidence on the best‐fitting distribution in relation to the truncation point issue. Specifically, we provide a comparison among four recently proposed approaches and alternative definitions of U.S. cities. Our results highlight the importance to look at issue of the best‐fitting distribution together with the truncation issue and provide guidance with respect to the existing tests of the truncation point.
Duo‐Trio Difference‐Preference Test with Two Replications: Use of Psychological Biases for Measuring Meaningful Preference
Authors: Kim Min‐A , Lee Hye‐Seong
Published: July 2015

A new paradigm of the duo‐trio difference‐preference (DT‐Preference) test was developed as alternatives to the paired‐preference test with a no preference option, to correct the overestimation of preference responses. Triadic sample presentation in a preference test elicits odd sample bias, i.e., preferring the sample selected as the same as the reference. In the two replicated DT‐Preference test applied for fermented milk product testing using 208 consumers, this psychological bias in preference responses was apparent in the first test. This bias referred to as the tried first reference bias was eliminated by treating those responses that changed depending on which reference was presented as though no preference had been expressed, leading to more reliable sample preferences, meaningful to consumers. The perceptual discriminability in DT‐Preference tests was not decreased in comparison to the sole difference tests, while when the preferred sample was used as a reference, the discrimination increased.

Practical Applications

Consumer acceptance mainly determines the sensory quality of products. Paired‐preference test with a no preference option is a broadly used sensory acceptance test method. Yet this preference test method suffers from preference bias caused by the order of sample presentation and/or hidden demand characteristic of the preference test. Such a psychological bias can generate preference responses toward either product presented in a pair for slight or no differences in sample preference, which is not meaningful for consumer behavior. The new paradigm of the duo‐trio difference‐preference test with a perceptual reference introduced in this article uses another type of psychological bias – odd sample bias – as a means to regulate such biased preferences expressed in a predictable manner. Using this approach, the validity and reliability of preference data analysis can be improved by finding more accurate response proportions of two‐way preference responses versus no preference responses.
Empirical Likelihood for Outlier Detection and Estimation in Autoregressive Time Series
Authors: Baragona Roberto , Battaglia Francesco , Cucina Domenico
Published: July 2015

Identification and estimation of outliers in time series is proposed by using empirical likelihood methods. Theory and applications are developed for stationary autoregressive models with outliers distinguished in the usual additive and innovation types. Some other useful outlier types are considered as well. A simulation experiment is used for studying the behaviour of the empirical likelihood‐based method in finite samples and indicates that the proposed methods are preferable when dealing with the non‐Gaussian data. Our simulations suggest that the usual sequential procedure for multiple outlier detection is suitable also for the methods based on empirical likelihood.
Air Writing as a Technique for the Acquisition of Sino‐Japanese Characters by Second Language Learners
Authors: Thomas Margaret
Published: July 2015

This article calls attention to a facet of the expertise of second language (L2) learners of Japanese at the intersection of language, memory, gesture, and the psycholinguistics of a logographic writing system. Previous research has shown that adult L2 learners of Japanese living in Japan (similarly to native speakers of Japanese) often spontaneously produce highly articulated movements of the fingertips or hands when learning or recalling Sino‐Japanese orthographic characters (kanji). These movements, known in Japanese as kūsho (air writing), trace out abstract representations of kanji, or parts of kanji, presumably as a kinesthetic aid to learning and recall. The current study tests that presumption with respect to learning, by comparing the accuracy with which adult L2 learners of Japanese (N = 75) memorize the shapes of complex, novel kanji under three different learning conditions. Results show that kūsho is associated with a small but statistically significant advantage in accuracy of recall, compared to either passive visual inspection or the conventional technique of memorizing the shapes of kanji by iterative paper‐and‐pen copying.
Rifaximin vs. lactulose in treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: Sidhu Sandeep S. , Goyal Omesh , Parker Richard A. , Kishore Harsh , Sood Ajit
Published: July 2015

Background & Aims

Lactulose and rifaximin have already been shown to improve both cognitive functions and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in MHE patients. We aimed to compare the efficacy of rifaximin with lactulose in reversal of MHE and improvement in HRQOL in cirrhotic patients with MHE.

Method

This prospective, randomized, open label, non‐inferiority trial, was conducted at the Gastroenterology department of a tertiary care institute in Northern India. MHE was diagnosed if any two of the five neuro‐psychometric (NP) tests were positive. HRQOL was assessed using the sickness impact profile (SIP) questionnaire (John Hopkins University, USA).

Results

Of 527 cirrhotics screened, 351 were found eligible and tested for MHE. A total of 112 (31.9%) patients were found to have MHE and then randomized into two groups group A (lactulose; 30–120 ml/day) and B (Tablet. rifaximin; 400 mg thrice a day). Based on the intention‐to‐treat population, the proportion of patients with MHE reversal at 3 months was 73.7% (42/57) in the rifaximin arm and 69.1% (38/55) in the lactulose arm [4.6% difference (90% CI −9.3% to 18.4%)]. However, non‐inferiority of rifaximin over lactulose could not be established as the pre‐specified non‐inferiority margin (−5%) lies within the two‐sided 90% confidence interval of the difference. HRQOL was significantly improved in both groups (P = 0.20). However, the proportion of patients with flatulence (P = 0.004) and diarrhoea (P = 0.0002) was significantly higher in patients who took lactulose.

Conclusion

Non‐inferiority of rifaximin over lactulose for MHE reversal was not established.
The Opportunistic President: How US Presidents Determine Their Legislative Programs
Authors: Gelman Jeremy , Wilkenfeld Gilad , Adler E. Scott
Published: July 2015

The president is the most influential policy actor in US politics, and his legislative program greatly influences Congress's agenda. Yet little research has focused on what factors affect the president's choices when constructing his agenda. We develop a theory that determines when a president will include an issue in his program. We hypothesize that presidents structure their agendas around the congressional calendar for consideration of expiring laws and salient issues. Using data over 28 years and across 12 policy areas, we find presidents build their programs around these policymaking opportunities. We assert that presidential agendas are less driven by individual priorities than previous accounts have concluded.
Parties and Electoral Performance in the Market for Political Consultants
Authors: Martin Gregory J. , Peskowitz Zachary
Published: July 2015

We investigate whether the hiring relationships of candidates and political consulting firms better resembles the predictions of the “adversarial” or “allied” models of consultant‐party interaction. We find that the highest‐quality consultants are not allocated to the most competitive races, consultant‐candidate relationships persist even as candidates' electoral prospects change, and firms who work for challengers face a higher risk of market exit than firms working for incumbents. The market focuses entirely on win‐loss records and ignores the information on consultant performance available in candidates' vote shares. These findings depict a market driven by individual candidate, rather than aggregate party, goals.
Monetary Policy Preferences of the EMU and the UK
Authors: Arestis Philip , Karoglou Michail , Mouratidis Kostas
Published: July 2015

We estimate the central bank policy preferences for the European Monetary Union and for the UK. In doing so, we extend the theoretical framework suggested by Cecchetti et al. (The Manchester School, Vol. 70 (2002), pp. 596–618), by assuming that policy preferences change across different regimes. Our empirical results suggest that the weight that policy makers put on inflation is typically profound. Furthermore, it appears that volatility shifts of the economic disturbances are the main factor, which generates variation in policy preferences.
The role of fungal sensitisation in clinical presentation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Agarwal Kshitij , Gaur Shailendra Nath , Chowdhary Anuradha
Published: July 2015

Atopic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demonstrate more severe symptoms than their non‐atopic counterparts. Also, Aspergillus hypersensitivity is known in COPD. However, allergic sensitisation to non‐Aspergillus fungi has never been studied in COPD patients. To evaluate the prevalence of fungal sensitisation and its impact on the clinical presentation and outcome of COPD patients. Sensitisation to 17 fungi was studied in 55 COPD patients through skin prick tests, fungus‐specific IgE, precipitating antibodies, total IgE and eosinophil counts. The clinical symptoms of patients were monitored thorough a patient‐administered questionnaire. Overall, 5.4% (n = 3) of COPD patients were fungus sensitive. The sensitisation was noted to Alternaria alternata and Schizophyllum commune in two patients each, whereas another was sensitive to A. tamarii, Rhizopus spp. and Aspergillus fumigatus. Eosinophils were higher in fungus‐sensitised patients (P = 0.001 vs. 0.003). No differences were noted in the clinical presentation of patients sensitised to fungi compared to those not sensitised to fungi or non‐atopic. Although low, fungal sensitisation occurs in COPD but it is not limited to Aspergilli alone. Fungus‐sensitised patients exhibit greater eosinophilia, implying more severe inflammation. Thus, such patients should be followed up regularly to recognise clinical worsening or development of ABPM.
Faith, Reason and History in Early Modern Catholic Biblical Interpretation : Fr. Richard Simon and St. Thomas More
Authors: Morrow Jeffrey L.
Published: July 2015

This article contrasts St. Thomas More's theoretical work on the role of faith and history in biblical exegesis with that of Fr. Richard Simon. I argue that, although Simon's work appears to be a critique of his more skeptical contemporaries like Hobbes and Spinoza, in reality he is carrying their work forward. I argue that More's union of faith and reason, theology and history, is more promising than Simon's for Catholic theological biblical exegesis.
Identification of early environmental risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome and dyspepsia
Authors: Koloski N. A. , Jones M. , Weltman M. , Kalantar J. , Bone C. , Gowryshankar A. , Walker M. M. , Talley N. J.
Published: July 2015

Background

The role of childhood environment including exposure to infection via siblings and pets in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and dyspepsia is relatively unknown. We assessed proxy measures of microbial exposure in early childhood to assess if these are associated with IBS and functional dyspepsia in later life.

Methods

Participants (n = 767, response rate = 53%) were a random population sample from Sydney, Australia who previously responded to a validated survey. IBS and functional dyspepsia were defined using Rome III criteria. Early environmental risk factors assessed included type of birth delivery, premature birth, breastfeeding, bedroom sharing, and pet exposure (the latter two then combined as early hygiene factors) up to 5 years of age. Post infectious IBS (PI‐IBS) was assessed by development of IBS following gastroenteritis.

Key Results

In this sample, in adult life 17% developed IBS (of which 20% had PI‐IBS) and 12% functional dyspepsia. Development of IBS was associated with childhood factors—a shorter duration of breastfeeding (odds ratios [OR] = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78–0.97, p = 0.01), sharing a bedroom (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.73–3.08, p = 0.01), exposure to a herbivore pet (OR = 1.65 (1.10, 2.48), p = 0.02), and hygiene factors (OR = 4.39; 95% CI: 1.89–10.21, p = 0.001). The sole factor associated with functional dyspepsia was exposure to a herbivore pet (1.79; 95% CI: 1.19–2.87, p = 0.02).

Conclusions & Inferences

Childhood environment factors, particularly bedroom sharing and pet exposure, combined with subsequent risk of microbial exposure are a risk factor for IBS in later life. These associations however need confirmation to rule out any risk of a type I error.
Conifer genomics and adaptation: at the crossroads of genetic diversity and genome function
Authors: Prunier Julien , Verta Jukka‐Pekka , MacKay John J.
Published: July 2015

Conifers have been understudied at the genomic level despite their worldwide ecological and economic importance but the situation is rapidly changing with the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. With NGS, genomics research has simultaneously gained in speed, magnitude and scope. In just a few years, genomes of 20–24 gigabases have been sequenced for several conifers, with several others expected in the near future. Biological insights have resulted from recent sequencing initiatives as well as genetic mapping, gene expression profiling and gene discovery research over nearly two decades. We review the knowledge arising from conifer genomics research emphasizing genome evolution and the genomic basis of adaptation, and outline emerging questions and knowledge gaps. We discuss future directions in three areas with potential inputs from NGS technologies: the evolutionary impacts of adaptation in conifers based on the adaptation‐by‐speciation model; the contributions of genetic variability of gene expression in adaptation; and the development of a broader understanding of genetic diversity and its impacts on genome function. These research directions promise to sustain research aimed at addressing the emerging challenges of adaptation that face conifer trees.

Contents

Summary
44

I.
Introduction
44

II.
Why conifer genomics?
45

III.
Conifer genome structure and evolution
46

IV.
Genomics of adaptation in conifers
49

V.
Emerging research directions toward a more integrated understanding of genetic diversity and genome function
57

VI.
Conclusion
58

Acknowledgements
58

References
58
Local Administration of Methylcobalamin and Lidocaine for Acute Ophthalmic Herpetic Neuralgia: A Single‐Center Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Xǔ Gang , Xu Site , Cheng Chao , Xú Gang , Tang Wei‐Zhen , Xu Jie
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To determine the therapeutic efficacy of combined methylcobalamin and lidocaine for acute ophthalmic herpetic neuralgia (AOHN).

Methods

Based on the onset, patients with AOHN (n = 98) were randomly allocated into groups A (≤ 3 days) and B (4 to 7 days) and then subdivided into control (A0, B0; received intramuscular methylcobalamin in addition to local lidocaine injection) and treatment (A1, B1; received local injection of the methylcobalamin and lidocaine combination for 14 days) groups. Treatment efficacy was assessed based on rash healing time, alteration of pain intensity, and interference with quality of life. Multilevel modeling and survival analysis were performed.

Results

The time (hours) to start and full opening of the affected eye and the time (hours) to start and full crusting were significantly reduced in both treatment groups (P < 0.05 vs. controls). The mean pain scores in A1 (2.6 ± 0.7) and B1 (1.2 ± 0.8) decreased significantly compared with those in A0 (7.0 ± 1.7) and B0 (5.6 ± 1.9), and the difference between the two therapeutic strategies significantly increased over time. The median minimum intervention time was 6 days in B1 and 11 days in A1. The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was 2.04% at 3 months.

Conclusions

Methylcobalamin combined with lidocaine mediated detumescence and improved cutaneous healing of the affected area, as well as a significant and sustained analgesic effect on AOHN. The incidence of PHN was also significantly decreased. Local methylcobalamin intervention within 4 to 7 days of onset may be an effective therapeutic option for AOHN.