bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Islam in Southeast Asia to c. 1800
Authors: Feener R. Michael
Published: March 2019

Southeast Asia has been a historical crossroads of major world civilizations for nearly two millennia. Muslim traders were sojourning along the shores of the Indonesian archipelago from at least the 8th century, and by the turn of the 14th century local Muslim communities had taken root, and the region’s first sultanate was established in northern Sumatra. Since then, Muslim communities had been established across many other parts of Southeast Asia, where in the 21st century they comprise demographic majorities in the nation-states of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei and significant minority populations in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Singapore.

The Islamization of these societies, and their inclusion into an expanding constellation of Muslim societies in the medieval and early modern periods, was facilitated by intensifications of activity along the maritime trading routes linking Southeast Asia to ports on the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Swahili Coasts with those of India and China over the medieval and early modern periods. Over the course of this history, the expansion of Islam in the region was not dominantly directed from any single source but rather the result of diverse, interlaced strands of commercial and cultural circulations that connected the region to multiple points in an expanding Muslim world—adopting local traditions to produce diverse and dynamic vernacular forms of Islamic cultural expression.
Witchcraft in Africa: Political Power and Spiritual Insecurity from the Precolonial Era to the Present
Authors: Redding Sean
Published: March 2019

Historically, witchcraft in Africa has not comprised a stable or uniform set of beliefs. The idea of witchcraft, which might loosely be defined as the belief that people exist who use supernatural means to harm others, has existed in African societies from the precolonial, through the colonial, and into the postcolonial periods. But ideas about the kinds of powers that witches are alleged to use and the types of people often accused of using witchcraft have shifted in response to the changing political, economic, and social landscape. While witchcraft beliefs can sometimes be understood as metaphors for political forces and social ills, they must also be understood as separate systems of signs and meanings that have their own historical trajectories rooted in local cultures. Beliefs in witchcraft are beliefs in systems of power derived from unseen forces, and for those people who believe in supernatural powers those forces are quite real and are not merely metaphorical allusions to other phenomena. In the precolonial era, the political power that many chiefs and kings had was based in supernatural powers; these occult powers were potentially usable for either positive, socially accepted ends or for evil, selfish, and greedy ends. In the colonial and postcolonial eras, states and politicians have also been seen to have supernatural powers but are believed to have used them largely for self-enrichment or empowerment.

Systems of global trade, including the trans-Atlantic slave trade and later colonial production of various commodities, both created wealth for a few and inflicted harm on many people. The perceived immorality of these economic and social networks was often captured in stories of witches ambushing people and selling them or consuming their life forces. The spiritual insecurity represented in these beliefs in witchcraft has continued into the postcolonial era.
Uwilingiyimana, Agathe
Authors: Burnet Jennie
Published: March 2019

Agathe Uwilingiyimana was the first woman prime minister of Rwanda and only the second woman prime minister on the African continent. A Hutu from southern Rwanda, she was among the first Rwandans killed in the 1994 genocide of Tutsi. She was a political moderate from an opposition political party who rejected ethnic extremism. As the constitutional leader of the country in the wake of the president’s assassination, Hutu extremists killed her so that they could take control of the government. Born to uneducated parents, Uwilingiyimana was among the first women to obtain a bachelor’s degree from the National University of Rwanda in 1985. Before entering politics, she taught high-school science for over a decade. She dedicated her life to promoting women’s equality, removing obstacles to girls’ education, and speaking on behalf of the poor. As one of Rwanda’s first prominent women politicians, Uwilingiyimana faced intense misogyny, particularly from members of extremist Hutu political parties. The media frequently portrayed her naked or in sexual contexts. She was attacked in her own home on multiple occasions and menaced when she appeared in public. She was killed on April 7, 1994, along with her husband and an aide. The Belgian United Nations peacekeepers guarding her were also killed. Her death paved the way for Hutu extremists to take over the government and carry out a genocide targeting Tutsi, members of opposition political parties, human rights activists, and journalists.
Madagascar (Modern)
Authors: Hooper Jane
Published: March 2019

The French formally colonized Madagascar in 1896. After violently repressing resistance movements, the colonial government began efforts to transform the island into a profitable member of the French Empire by taxing their subjects and instituting a harsh forced labor regime. These exactions were resisted by Malagasy throughout the entire colonial period, culminating in a widespread revolt in 1947. In 1960 Malagasy held their first elections, but the French would continue to exercise political and economic influence over the island’s government for the next twelve years. Madagascar has been ruled by a series of strong presidents who were removed from office following popular unrest and military coups. The pro-French government of Philibert Tsiranana was forced out in 1972. In 1975 the new president, Didier Ratsiraka, implemented socialist policies in the country. After Madagascar experienced a sharp economic decline, Ratsiraka agreed to restructure the economy with the assistance of the IMF and World Bank in the 1980s. Since that period, leaders have struggled to deal with recurring environmental crises and to improve living standards for the island’s residents. The pro-business president Marc Ravalomanana was removed from office following mass protests in the capital, Antananarivo, in 2009. He was replaced by Antananarivo’s mayor, Andry Rajoelina. International groups, viewing such a move as unconstitutional, withdrew economic aid, an act that exacerbated economic crises in the country. Fresh elections were held in 2013 but the victor, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, has dealt with strong challenges from several ex-presidents.
Social Interactions in Health Behaviors and Conditions
Authors: Balsa Ana , Díaz Carlos
Published: March 2019

Health behaviors are a major source of morbidity and mortality in the developed and much of the developing world. The social nature of many of these behaviors, such as eating or using alcohol, and the normative connotations that accompany others (i.e., sexual behavior, illegal drug use) make them quite susceptible to peer influence. This chapter assesses the role of social interactions in the determination of health behaviors. It highlights the methodological progress of the past two decades in addressing the multiple challenges inherent in the estimation of peer effects, and notes methodological issues that still need to be confronted. A comprehensive review of the economics empirical literature—mostly for developed countries—shows strong and robust peer effects across a wide set of health behaviors, including alcohol use, body weight, food intake, body fitness, teen pregnancy, and sexual behaviors. The evidence is mixed when assessing tobacco use, illicit drug use, and mental health. The article also explores the as yet incipient literature on the mechanisms behind peer influence and on new developments in the study of social networks that are shedding light on the dynamics of social influence. There is suggestive evidence that social norms and social conformism lie behind peer effects in substance use, obesity, and teen pregnancy, while social learning has been pointed out as a channel behind fertility decisions, mental health utilization, and uptake of medication. Future research needs to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms behind peer influence in health behaviors in order to design more targeted welfare-enhancing policies.
Structural Breaks in Time Series
Authors: Casini Alessandro , Perron Pierre
Published: March 2019

This article covers methodological issues related to estimation, testing, and computation for models involving structural changes. Our aim is to review developments as they relate to econometric applications based on linear models. Substantial advances have been made to cover models at a level of generality that allow a host of interesting practical applications. These include models with general stationary regressors and errors that can exhibit temporal dependence and heteroskedasticity, models with trending variables and possible unit roots and cointegrated models, among others. Advances have been made pertaining to computational aspects of constructing estimates, their limit distributions, tests for structural changes, and methods to determine the number of changes present. A variety of topics are covered including recent developments: testing for common breaks, models with endogenous regressors (emphasizing that simply using least-squares is preferable over instrumental variables methods), quantile regressions, methods based on Lasso, panel data models, testing for changes in forecast accuracy, factors models, and methods of inference based on a continuous records asymptotic framework. Our focus is on the so-called off-line methods whereby one wants to retrospectively test for breaks in a given sample of data and form confidence intervals about the break dates. The aim is to provide the readers with an overview of methods that are of direct use in practice as opposed to issues mostly of theoretical interest.
Clearinghouses and the Swaps Market: A Decade On
Authors: Yadav Yesha
Published: March 2019

In the wake of the 2008 financial collapse, clearinghouses have emerged as critical players in the implementation of the post-crisis regulatory reform agenda. Recognizing serious shortcomings in the design of the over-the-counter derivatives market for swaps, regulators are now relying on clearinghouses to cure these deficiencies by taking on a central role in mitigating the risks of these instruments. Rather than leave trading firms to manage the risks of transacting in swaps privately, as was largely the case prior to 2008, post-crisis regulation requires that clearinghouses assume responsibility for ensuring that trades are properly settled, reported to authorities, and supported by strong cushions of protective collateral. With clearinghouses effectively guaranteeing that the terms of a trade will be honored—even if one of the trading parties cannot perform—the market can operate with reduced levels of counterparty risk, opacity, and the threat of systemic collapse brought on by recklessness and over-complexity.

But despite their obvious benefit for regulators, clearinghouses also pose risks of their own. First, given their deepening significance for market stability, ensuring that clearinghouses themselves operate safely represents a matter of the highest policy priority. Yet overseeing clearinghouses is far from easy and understanding what works best to undergird their safe operation can be a contentious and uncertain matter. U.S. and EU authorities, for example, have diverged in important ways on what rules should apply to the workings of international clearinghouses. Secondly, clearinghouse oversight is critical because these institutions now warehouse enormous levels of counterparty risk. By promising counterparties across the market that their trades will settle as agreed, even if one or the other firm goes bust, clearinghouses assume almost inconceivably large and complicated risks within their institutions. For swaps in particular—whose obligations can last for months, or even years—the scale of these risks can be far more extensive than that entailed in a one-off sale or a stock or bond. In this way, commentators note that by becoming the go-to bulwark against risk-taking and its spread in the financial system, clearinghouses have themselves become the too-big-to-fail institution par excellence.
Pay-for-Performance and Long-Term Care
Authors: Li Jun , Norton Edward C.
Published: March 2019

Pay-for-performance programs have become a prominent supply-side intervention to improve quality and decrease spending in health care, touching upon long-term care, acute care, and outpatient care. Pay-for-performance directly targets long-term care, with programs in nursing homes and home health. Indirectly, pay-for-performance programs targeting acute care settings affect clinical practice for long-term care providers through incentives for collaboration across settings.

As a whole, pay-for-performance programs entail the identification of problems it seeks to solve, measurement of the dimensions it seeks to incentivize, methods to combine and translate performance to incentives, and application of the incentives to reward performance. For the long-term care population, pay-for-performance programs must also heed the unique challenges specific to the sector, such as patients with complex health needs and distinct health trajectories, and be structured to recognize the challenges of incentivizing performance improvement when there are multiple providers and payers involved in the care delivery.

Although empirical results indicate modest effectiveness of pay-for-performance in long-term care on improving targeted measures, some research has provided more clarity on the role of pay-for-performance design on the output of the programs, highlighting room for future research. Further, because health care is interconnected, the indirect effects of pay-for-performance programs on long-term care is an underexplored topic. As the scope of pay-for-performance in long-term care expands, both within the United States and internationally, pay-for-performance offers ample opportunities for future research.
Business, Legal, and Policy Issues in Relation to Increased Private Space Activity
Authors: Sundahl Mark J.
Published: March 2019

Throughout the history of human activity in outer space, the role of private companies has steadily grown, and, in some cases, companies have even replaced government agencies as the primary actors in space. As private space activity has grown and diversified, the laws and regulations that govern private actors have been forced to evolve in reaction to the new realities of the industry. On the international level, the treaties concluded in the 1960s and 1970s continue to be in force today. However, these treaties only govern state activity in space. The rules regulating private industry are necessarily domestic in nature, and it is in these domestic laws that the evolution of space law can be most clearly seen. That said, new industries, such as asteroid mining, are testing the limits of international law and have forced the international community to examine whether changes to long-standing laws are needed.
Authority in World Politics
Authors: Hickmann Thomas
Published: March 2019

Much of the contemporary literature in the field of international studies deals with the concept of authority. Scholars concerned with global policymaking often suggest that the increasing importance of transnational actors, such as subnational networks, nonprofit organizatons, and business associations, leads to a loss of authority at the expense of state-based forms of governance. This perspective is closely linked to the concept of global governance and challenges classical approaches to international politics and conventional concepts of authority in world politics. However, other scholars take a different view and contend that the development of transnational governance initiatives does not imply a one-sided shift of authority from national governments and international institutions to sub- and nonstate actors. While these authors recognize the emergence of novel forms of authority in global policymaking, they stress the persistent authority of nation-states and underline the centrality of established modes of interstate cooperation. In terms of a theoretical middle ground between these two perspectives, one can argue that we observe a reconfiguration of authority across various actors and levels of decision making. This development does not automatically question the prevailing position of national governments and their institutions. Instead, state power seems to be expressed and rearticulated in new ways within a changing global environment. This ongoing debate pertaining to the changing patterns of authority is key to our understanding of the role and function of state and sub- and nonstate actors as well as their interactions in contemporary global politics.
Women and Sexual Assault in the United States, 1900–1940
Authors: Keire Mara
Published: March 2019

In the United States, the history of sexual assault in the first half of the 20th century involves multiple contradictions between the ordinary, almost invisible accounts of women of all colors who were raped by fathers, husbands, neighbors, boarders, bosses, hired hands, and other known individuals versus the sensational myths that involved rapacious black men, sly white slavers, libertine elites, and virginal white female victims. Much of the debate about sexual assault revolved around the “unwritten law” that justified “honorable” white men avenging the “defilement” of their women. Both North and South, white people defended lynching and the murder of presumed rapists as “honor killings.” In courtrooms, defense attorneys linked the unwritten law to insanity pleas, arguing that after hearing women tell about their assault, husbands and fathers experienced an irresistible compulsion to avenge the rape of their women. Over time, however, notorious court cases from New York to San Francisco, Indianapolis and Honolulu, to Scottsboro, Alabama, shifted the discourse away from the unwritten law and extralegal “justice” to a more complicated script that demonized unreliable women and absolved imperfect men. National coverage of these cases, made possible by wire services and the Hearst newspaper empire, spurred heated debates concerning the proper roles of men and women. Blockbuster movies like The Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind and Book of the Month Club selections such as John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Richard Wright’s Native Son joined the sensationalized media coverage of high-profile court cases to create new national stereotypes about sexual violence and its causes and culprits. During the 1930s, journalists, novelists, playwrights, and moviemakers increasingly emphasized the culpability of women who, according to this narrative, made themselves vulnerable to assault by stepping outside of their appropriate sphere and tempting men into harming them.
Thomas Jefferson and US Foreign Relations
Authors: Cogliano Francis D.
Published: March 2019

Thomas Jefferson was a key architect of early American foreign policy. He had a clear vision of the place of the new republic in the world, which he articulated in a number of writings and state papers. The key elements to his strategic vision were geographic expansion and free trade. Throughout his long public career Jefferson sought to realize these ends, particularly during his time as US minister to France, secretary of state, vice president, and president. He believed that the United States should expand westward and that its citizens should be free to trade globally. He sought to maintain the right of the United States to trade freely during the wars arising from the French Revolution and its aftermath. This led to his greatest achievement, the Louisiana Purchase, but also to conflicts with the Barbary States and, ultimately, Great Britain. He believed that the United States should usher in a new world of republican diplomacy and that it would be in the vanguard of the global republican movement. In the literature on US foreign policy, historians have tended to identify two main schools of practice dividing practitioners into idealists and realists. Jefferson is often regarded as the founder of the idealist tradition. This somewhat misreads him. While he pursued clear idealistic ends—a world dominated by republics freely trading with each other—he did so using a variety of methods including diplomacy, war, and economic coercion.
Anticommunism in 20th-Century Chile: From the “Social Question” to the Military Dictatorship
Authors: Casals Marcelo
Published: March 2019

Anticommunism was a central force in the history of the Chilean political conflict in the 20th century. Not only did several political actors define their identities and actions by their opposition to Marxist-inspired revolutionary projects, but also the state in different moments excluded and persecuted everything identified as “communist.” To a great extent, anticommunism relied on three main “frameworks”: Catholicism, nationalism, and liberalism, all of which were crucial elements in the construction of the Republic since the 19th century. Different combinations and interpretations within each framework resulted in different anticommunist expressions, from pro-fascist movements and nationalist groups to the conservative-liberal right wing, the Social Christian center and even moderate socialists. Many of them, especially in the second half of the 20th century, understood anticommunism as a defense of different variations of capitalism. Of course, anticommunism was not a uniquely Chilean phenomenon. It was, in fact, an ideological trend worldwide. This conditioned the reception in Chile of global events and ideas, while it enabled the construction of transnational networks among related actors. The enactment of the Law of Permanent Defense of Democracy in 1948, which outlawed the Communist Party, symbolized the alignment of Chilean politics to Cold War bipolarity. However, the Marxist left was able to recover during the “long Sixties,” in a political and cultural environment marked by the Cuban Revolution. The Popular Unity government was the materialization of all anticommunist fears. The counter-revolutionary bloc created then paved the way to the 1973 coup and the subsequent military dictatorship, which used anticommunism as state ideology. Human rights violations were legitimated by the dictatorship from that ideological framework. Anticommunism decayed by the late 1980s alongside socialist experiences around the world.
Anonymus Londiniensis
Authors: Manetti Daniela
Published: March 2019

An anonymous work, preserved in a manuscript of the 1st century ce from Egypt, about several medical issues (definition of basic concepts, medical historiography on the causes of disease, physiology of digestion), Anonymus Londiniensis represents a rare example of an autograph from antiquity. An important source for peripatetic doxography and the reception of Hellenistic medicine.
Pidgins and Creoles
Authors: McWhorter John
Published: March 2019

Creole languages have mostly resulted from interactions between Europeans and subordinated peoples amid colonization, trade, and imperialism. Given that the creation of these languages was usually driven as much by adults as children, second-language acquisition has a larger effect upon creole language structures than it does under most other conditions of language change and contact. Namely, it has traditionally been supposed that creole languages begin as makeshift pidgin varieties, expanded from this into full languages. However, various creolists have proposed that most creoles did not in fact emerge in this way; some argue that creoles are relexifications of indigenous languages, while others argue that nothing distinguishes creole genesis from language contact more generally.
Case Interactions in Syntax
Authors: Coon Jessica , Parker Clint
Published: March 2019

The phenomenon of case has been studied widely at both the descriptive and theoretical levels. Typological work on morphological case systems has provided a picture of the variability of case cross-linguistically. In particular, languages may differ with respect to whether or not arguments are marked with overt morphological case, the inventory of cases with which they may be marked, and the alignment of case marking (e.g., nominative-accusative vs. ergative-absolutive). In the theoretical realm, not only has morphological case been argued to play a role in multiple syntactic phenomena, but current generative work also debates the role of abstract case (i.e., Case) in the grammar: abstract case features have been proposed to underlie morphological case, and to license nominals in the derivation.

The phenomenon of case has been argued to play a role in at least three areas of the syntax reviewed here: (a) agreement, (b) A-movement, and (c) A’-movement. Morphological case has been shown to determine a nominal argument’s eligibility to participate in verbal agreement, and recent work has argued that languages vary as to whether movement to subject position is case-sensitive. As for case-sensitive A’-movement, recent literature on ergative extraction restrictions debates whether this phenomenon should be seen as another instance of “case discrimination” or whether the pattern arises from other properties of ergative languages. Finally, other works discussed here have examined agreement and A’-extraction patterns in languages with no visible case morphology. The presence of patterns and typological gaps—both in languages with overt morphological case and in those without it—lends support to the relevance of abstract case in the syntax.
Phonetics of Vowels
Authors: Ericsdotter Nordgren Christine
Published: March 2019

Speech sounds are commonly divided into two main categories in human languages: vowels, such as ‘e’, ‘a’, ‘o’, and consonants, such as ‘k’, ‘n’, ‘s’. This division is made on the basis of both phonetic and phonological principles, which is useful from a general linguistic point of view but problematic for detailed description and analysis. The main differences between vowels and consonants are that (1) vowels are sounds produced with an open airway between the larynx and the lips, at least along the midline, whereas consonants are produced with a stricture or closure somewhere along it; and (2) that vowels tend to be syllabic in languages, meaning that they embody a sonorous peak in a syllable, whereas only some kinds of consonants tend to be syllabic. There are two main physical components needed to produce a vowel: a sound source, typically a tone produced by vocal fold vibration at the larynx, and a resonator, typically the upper airways. When the tone resonates in the upper airways, it gets a specific quality of sound, perceived and interpreted as a vowel quality, for example, ‘e’ or ‘a’. Which vowel quality is produced is determined by the shape of the inner space of the throat and mouth, the vocal tract shape, created by the speaker’s configuration of the articulators, which include the lips, tongue, jaw, hard and soft palate, pharynx, and larynx. Which vowel is perceived is determined by the auditory and visual input as well as by the listener’s expectations and language experience. Diachronic and synchronic studies on vowel typology show main trends in the vowel inventories in the worlds’ languages, which can be associated with human phonetic aptitude.
Spanish in Contact with South-American Languages, with Special Emphasis on Andean and Paraguayan Spanish
Authors: Zúñiga Fernando
Published: March 2019

The effect of indigenous languages of South America on Spanish is strongest in the lexicon (especially with toponyms, zoonyms, and phytonyms) and identifiable, but much more modest, in phonetics/phonology (e.g., vowel variability and reduction and nasalization) and morphosyntax (e.g., the different use of selected verb forms and constituent order). The phenomena called Media Lengua and Yopará differ from this picture in that the former roughly consists of a Spanish lexicon combined with Quechua grammar, while the latter is a fluid Guaraní-based system with numerous borrowings from Spanish. The effects of contact are socially and areally variable, with low-prestige, typically rural, varieties of South American Spanish showing the most significant systemic impact, while high-prestige, typically urban, varieties (including the national standards) show little more than lexical borrowings in the semantic fields mentioned. This result is hardly surprising, due to historical/sociolinguistic factors (which often led to situations of dominance and language shift) and to the typological dissimilarities between Spanish and the indigenous languages (which typically hinders borrowing, especially of morphological elements).
Climate Adaptation Governance in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Syed-Muhammad , Khan Akhtar Naeem , Shakeel Hamna
Published: March 2019

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the security of water, food, and energy in Pakistan. Pakistan has seen increased visibility of direct and indirect impacts of climate change since the early 1990s. Pakistan’s government achieved a milestone in 2012 when the first National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) was proposed. In response to dynamic climate trends, it provided a broad set of adaptation measures for vulnerable sectors such as power, food, water, and health. In 2014, a more precise follow-up framework was developed which proposed strategies to achieve the objectives of the NCCP. The government is also cooperating with national and international organizations and societies to make vulnerable sectors and local communities resilient against water shortages, flash floods, cyclones, and temperature extremes. Analysis of the existing state of adaptation actions and systems exposes several deficiencies. There is a huge knowledge gap between researchers and policymakers which needs to be bridged. Stakeholders, local communities, and experts from relevant fields need to be involved in the process of policy making for the development of a comprehensive adaptation plan. Educational and research institutes in Pakistan are deficient in expertise and modern tools and technologies for predicting future climatic trends and the risks they pose to various sectors of the country. Lack of awareness in the general public, related to climate change and associated risks, is also an obstacle in developing climate-resilient communities. The government of Pakistan is giving due importance to the development of policies and capacity building of relevant implementing departments and research institutes. However, there is still a need for a strong enforcement body at the national, provincial, and municipal levels to successfully implement government strategies.
Pollen, Allergens, and Human Health
Authors: McInnes Rachel N.
Published: March 2019

Allergenic pollen is produced by the flowers of a number of trees, grasses, and weeds found throughout the world. Human exposure to such pollen grains can exacerbate pollen-related asthma and allergenic conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever). While allergenic pollen comes from three main groups of plants—certain trees, grasses, and weeds—many people are sensitive to pollen from one or a few taxa only. Weather, climate, and environmental conditions have a significant impact on the levels and varieties of pollen grains present in the air. These allergenic conditions significantly reduce the quality of life of affected individuals and have been shown to have a major economic impact.

Pollen production depends on both the current meteorological conditions (including day length, temperature, irradiation, precipitation, and wind speed/direction), and the water availability and other environmental and meteorological conditions experienced in the previous year. The climate affects the types of vegetation and taxa that can grow in a particular location through availability of different habitats. Land-use or land management is also crucial, and so this field of study has implications for vegetation management practices and policy.

Given the influential effects of weather and climate on pollen, and the significant health impacts globally, the total effect of any future environmental and climatic changes on aeroallergen production and spread will be significant. The overall impact of climate change on pollen production and spread remains highly uncertain, and there is a need for further understanding of pollen-related health impact information. There are a number of ways air quality interacts with the impact of pollen. Further understanding of the risks of co-exposure to both pollen and air pollutants is needed to better inform public health policy. Furthermore, thunderstorms have been linked to asthma epidemics, especially during the grass pollen seasons. It is thought that allergenic pollen plays a role in this “thunderstorm asthma.”

To reduce the exposure to, or impact from, pollen grains in the air, a number of adaptation and mitigation options may be adopted. Many of these would need to be done either through policy changes, or at a local or regional level, although some can be done by individuals to minimize their exposure to pollen they are sensitive to. Improved aeroallergen forecast models could be developed to provide detailed taxon-specific, localized information to the public. One challenge will be combining the many different sources of aeroallergen data that are likely to become available in future into numerical forecast systems. Examples of these potential inputs are automated observations of aeroallergens, real-time phenological observations and remote sensing of vegetation, social sensing, DNA analysis of specific aeroallergens, and data from symptom trackers or personal monitors. All of these have the potential to improve the forecasts and information available to the public.
Colonic Mucosa With Polypoid Hyperplasia
Authors: Hissong Erika , Fernandes Helen , Jessurun Jose
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Define the morphologic and molecular features of colonic polyps with subtle histologic features.

Methods

Two hundred specimens were obtained of surveillance colonoscopies. Endoscopic findings were reviewed. Histologic features of the polyps were compared with the flat mucosa. Next-generation sequencing was performed on 30 study polyps and 20 control samples.

Results

Polyps with subtle changes comprised 12% of all polyps. All polyps were sessile and small (<0.5 cm) and were located predominantly in the distal colon (60%). Synchronous hyperplastic, sessile serrated, and dysplastic polyps were found in 30%, 7%, and 51% of patients, respectively. A total of 169 (84.5%) polyps showed wide, nonserrated crypts, increased intraluminal mucus, and patent openings. KRAS alterations were present in 30% of polyps.

Conclusions

Most polyps with subtle histologic features have recognizable morphologic changes. About one-third harbored KRAS alterations. These polyps should not be regarded as variants of hyperplastic polyps.
Extended Mortality Follow-up of a Cohort of 25,460 Workers Exposed to Acrylonitrile
Authors: Koutros Stella , Lubin Jay H , Graubard Barry I , Blair Aaron , Stewart Patricia A , Beane Freeman Laura E , Silverman Debra T
Published: March 2019

We extended the mortality follow-up of a cohort of 25,460 workers employed at 8 acrylonitrile (AN)-producing facilities in the United States by 21 years. Using 8,124 deaths and 1,023,922 person-years of follow-up, we evaluated the relationship between occupational AN exposure and death. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) based on deaths through December 31, 2011, were calculated. Work histories and monitoring data were used to develop quantitative estimates of AN exposure. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. All-cause mortality and death from total cancer were less than expected compared with the US population. We observed an excess of death due to mesothelioma (SMR = 2.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39, 3.42); no other SMRs were elevated overall. Cox regression analyses revealed an elevated risk of lung and bronchial cancer (n = 808 deaths; for >12.1 ppm-year vs. unexposed, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.81; P for trend = 0.05), lagged 10 years, that was robust in sensitivity analyses adjusted for smoking and co-exposures including asbestos. Death resulting from bladder cancer (for >2.56 ppm vs. unexposed, lagged 10-year HR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.38, 6.34; P for trend = 0.02) and pneumonitis (for >3.12 ppm-year vs. unexposed, HR = 4.73, 95% CI: 1.42, 15.76; P for trend = 0.007) was also associated with AN exposure. We provide additional evidence of an association between AN exposure and lung cancer, as well as possible increased risk for death due to bladder cancer and pneumonitis.
Feasibility of Identifying Household Contacts of Rifampin-and Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis Cases at High Risk of Progression to Tuberculosis Disease
Authors: Gupta Amita , Swindells Susan , Kim Soyeon , Hughes Michael D , Naini Linda , Wu Xingye , Dawson Rodney , Mave Vidya , Sanchez Jorge , Mendoza Alberto , Gonzales Pedro , Kumarasamy Nagalingeswaran , Comins Kyla , Conradie Francesca , Shenje Justin , Fontain Sandy Nerette , Garcia-Prats Anthony , Asmelash Aida , Nedsuwan Supalert , Mohapi Lerato , Lalloo Umesh G , Ferreira Ana Cristina Garcia , Mugah Christopher , Harrington Mark , Jones Lynne , Cox Samyra R , Smith Betsy , Shah N Sarita , Hesseling Anneke C , Churchyard Gavin
Published: March 2019

Background

We assessed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases and their household contacts (HHCs) to inform the development of an interventional clinical trial.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of adult MDR-TB cases and their HHCs in 8 countries with high TB burdens. HHCs underwent symptom screenings, chest radiographies, sputum TB bacteriologies, TB infection (TBI) testing (tuberculin skin test [TST] and interferon gamma release assay [IGRA]), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing.

Results

From October 2015 to April 2016, 1016 HHCs from 284 MDR-TB cases were enrolled. At diagnosis, 69% of MDR-TB cases were positive for acid-fast bacilli sputum smears and 43% had cavitary disease; at study entry, 35% remained smear positive after a median MDR-TB treatment duration of 8.8 weeks. There were 9 HHCs that were diagnosed with TB prior to entry and excluded. Of the remaining 1007 HHCs, 41% were male and the median age was 25 years. There were 121 (12%) HHCs that had new cases of TB identified: 17 (2%) were confirmed, 33 (3%) probable, and 71 (7%) possible TB cases. The TBI prevalence (defined as either TST or IGRA positivity) was 72% and varied by age, test used, and country. Of 1007 HHCs, 775 (77%) were considered high-risk per these mutually exclusive groups: 102 (10%) were aged <5 years; 63 (6%) were aged ≥5 and were infected with HIV; and 610 (61%) were aged ≥5 years, were negative for HIV or had an unknown HIV status, and were TBI positive. Only 21 (2%) HHCs were on preventive therapy.

Conclusions

The majority of HHCs in these high-burden countries were at high risk of TB disease and infection, yet few were receiving routine preventive therapy. Trials of novel, preventive therapies are urgently needed to inform treatment policy and practice.
The Effect of the Post-Socialist Transition on Inequality of Educational Opportunity: Evidence from German Unification
Authors: Betthäuser Bastian A
Published: March 2019

In 1990, German unification led to an abrupt and extensive restructuring of the educational system and economy of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) as the latter was reintegrated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). However, the consequences of this large-scale institutional change for the educational inequality between children from different social class backgrounds in East Germany continue to be poorly understood. This article seeks to shed new light on this question by using a quasi-experimental approach to examine the difference in educational inequality between East and West Germany before and after German unification. We compare changes in the class gradient in the attainment of comparable school and university qualifications in East and West Germany across six birth cohorts, including three cohorts of individuals who completed their schooling after unification. We find that before unification, inequality of educational opportunity at the mid-secondary, upper-secondary and tertiary level was substantially lower in East Germany than in West Germany and that unification led to a substantial and sustained convergence of the level of inequality of educational opportunity in East Germany towards that of West Germany.
GmYUC2a mediates auxin biosynthesis during root development and nodulation in soybean
Authors: Wang Youning , Yang Wei , Zuo Yanyan , Zhu Lin , Hastwell April H , Chen Liang , Tian Yinping , Su Chao , Ferguson Brett J , Li Xia
Published: March 2019

Auxin plays central roles in rhizobial infection and nodule development in legumes. However, the sources of auxin during nodulation are unknown. In this study, we analyzed the YUCCA (YUC) gene family of soybean and identified GmYUC2a as an important regulator of auxin biosynthesis that modulates nodulation. Following rhizobial infection, GmYUC2a exhibited increased expression in various nodule tissues. Overexpression of GmYUC2a (35S::GmYUC2a) increased auxin production in soybean, resulting in severe growth defects in root hairs and root development. Upon rhizobial infection, 35S::GmYUC2a hairy roots displayed altered patterns of root hair deformation and nodule formation. Root hair deformation occurred mainly on primary roots, and nodules formed exclusively on primary roots of 35S::GmYUC2a plants. Moreover, transgenic 35S::GmYUC2a composite plants showed delayed nodule development and a reduced number of nodules. Our results suggest that GmYUC2a plays an important role in regulating both root growth and nodulation by modulating auxin balance in soybean.
Quantitative measures of lexical complexity in modern prose fiction
Authors: Jones Ewan , Nulty Paul
Published: March 2019

The complexity of literary language proves stubbornly difficult to isolate, for reasons that we can label as both absolute and relative. On the one hand, complexity is commonly understood as an intrinsic property of literature, which distinguishes it from whatever we take to be ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ language. Literature is complexity, whether through vocabulary, metaphors, syntax, narrative structure, temporality, etc. It would be hard enough to capture any or all of these features, even were they to remain constant across time. But this is not the case. For both the quantitative nature and the qualitative effect of literary complexity change throughout history. While a reader may naturally find Homer’s Iliad or Shakespeare’s King Lear heavy going, it is really only in the 19th century—and then more powerfully still with the access of modernism—that a common perception emerges of literature, or at least a specific subset of literature, as characteristically ‘difficult’. The differing expectations that a modern reader brings to bear upon a text change the nature of that text. Faced with the dual character of complexity, even the massively more powerful computational tools that now exist can come to seem like blunt instruments. This article argues that we can usefully model literary complexity, notwithstanding these significant challenges. We do not believe that our own suggestions—which develop a new measure, and bring it into contact with existing approaches—tell the whole story; far from it. But we do believe that our methodology might usefully signpost future possible work in the field.
NetworkAnalyst 3.0: a visual analytics platform for comprehensive gene expression profiling and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Guangyan , Soufan Othman , Ewald Jessica , Hancock Robert E W , Basu Niladri , Xia Jianguo
Published: March 2019

The growing application of gene expression profiling demands powerful yet user-friendly bioinformatics tools to support systems-level data understanding. NetworkAnalyst was first released in 2014 to address the key need for interpreting gene expression data within the context of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. It was soon updated for gene expression meta-analysis with improved workflow and performance. Over the years, NetworkAnalyst has been continuously updated based on community feedback and technology progresses. Users can now perform gene expression profiling for 17 different species. In addition to generic PPI networks, users can now create cell-type or tissue specific PPI networks, gene regulatory networks, gene co-expression networks as well as networks for toxicogenomics and pharmacogenomics studies. The resulting networks can be customized and explored in 2D, 3D as well as Virtual Reality (VR) space. For meta-analysis, users can now visually compare multiple gene lists through interactive heatmaps, enrichment networks, Venn diagrams or chord diagrams. In addition, users have the option to create their own data analysis projects, which can be saved and resumed at a later time. These new features are released together as NetworkAnalyst 3.0, freely available at https://www.networkanalyst.ca.
A note on the two-dimensional electrostatic field produced by a line charge near a dielectric wedge
Authors: Rawlins A D
Published: March 2019

We shall consider the problem of determining the correct electrostatic field produced when an infinite two-dimensional line source is influenced by an adjacent infinite dielectric wedge. This result corrects a number of previous attempts at this problem, which are shown to be in error. The method avoids using the Mellin transform which has lead to some of these earlier errors. The method is used to solve a more general problem of the electrostatic field produced by an arbitrary number of line sources located in an arbitrary number of contiguous dielectric wedges.
Long-acting reversible contraceptives
Authors: Turner Jennifer H.
Published: March 2019

NPs caring for adolescent females have an opportunity to reduce US teen pregnancy rates through unbiased counseling on contraception options, including highly effective long-acting reversible methods. Intrauterine devices and subdermal implants are safe, effective contraception options for adolescents, but their rates of use remain low among this patient population. This article discusses current adolescent contraceptive practices, barriers to access, and current recommendations for long-acting reversible contraceptive use.
A Useful Tip for Removal of a Well-fixed Trabecular Metal Tibial Cone
Authors: Blackmer Michael J. , Brazier Brett G. , Alhadeff Joseph E.
Published: March 2019

We present a technique for removal of a well-fixed porous tantalum tibial cone in the setting of a revision total knee arthroplasty. The following case is of a 56-year-old man who required a repeat 2-stage revision of an infected total knee implant that included a porous tantalum tibial cone (Trabecular Metal). The patient had previously undergone a 2-stage revision and achieved excellent fixation with a stemmed, posterior stabilized, rotating platform revision implant, and a well-ingrown porous tantalum tibial cone. To potentiate a successful outcome and avoid further bone loss, this technique was implemented for tibial cone extraction. Using the Ultra-Drive Ultrasonic Revision System the well-fixed porous tantalum tibial cone was removed with minimal bone loss and without intraoperative fracture. While this was only 1 case, it provides a strategy for arthroplasty surgeons to successfully remove well-ingrown porous tantalum tibial cones in the setting of infection.