bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of the Overlap Syndrome and Its Association with Comorbidities in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Steveling Esther Helen , Clarenbach Christian F. , Miedinger David , Enz Claudia , Dürr Selina , Maier Sabrina , Sievi Noriane , Zogg Stefanie , Leuppi Jörg D. , Kohler Malcolm
Published: December 2014

Background: The occurrence of both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in an individual patient has been described as ‘overlap syndrome', which has been associated with poor prognosis. Little is known about the possible predictors of the overlap syndrome and its association with comorbidities contributing to impaired outcome. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and possible predictors of the overlap syndrome and its association with comorbidities in a cohort of COPD patients. Methods: Individuals with COPD (GOLD stages I-IV, risk groups A-D) were recruited from outpatient clinics. Information on age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), COPD assessment test, comorbidities, medications and exacerbations in the past year was collected and a spirometry was performed. Participants underwent a nocturnal polygraphy using the ApneaLink™ device at home. An apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >10 per hour was considered to indicate OSA. Results: We enrolled 177 COPD patients (112 men) with a mean age of 64 years (range 42-90), of whom 35 (20%) had an ESS score above 10. During nocturnal polygraphy, 33 patients (19%) had evidence of OSA. In multivariate analysis, BMI and pack years were positively associated with AHI, independent of other significant AHI determinants from univariate analysis. Arterial hypertension and diabetes were more common in patients with the overlap syndrome. Conclusions: Almost 20% of COPD patients also have OSA. BMI and smoking history seem to be predictors of the overlap syndrome, and these patients may be more often affected by hypertension and diabetes.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Pregnancy Complications: A Prospective Study
Authors: Azizieh Fawaz Y. , Raghupathy Raj G.
Published: December 2014

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in normal pregnancies and pregnancies with complications. Materials and Methods: Maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells from women with a recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (n = 35), premature rupture of fetal membranes (n = 30), preeclampsia (n = 27) and intrauterine fetal growth retardation (IUGR; n = 36) were stimulated with mitogen or antigen, and the levels of TNF-α produced were compared to those produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a normal pregnancy (n = 35). Results: The median levels of mitogen-induced TNF-α at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester, and at normal delivery were 1,176.4, 4,320.9, 7,307.4 and 2,463.0 pg/ml, respectively, while those produced in the recurrent spontaneous miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes and preeclampsia cases were 4,159.8, 3,489.5 and 4,149.2 pg/ml, respectively. The differences were statistically significantly higher in these pregnancy complications (p = 0.04, 0.024 and 0.014) as compared to the levels in normal pregnancy. Furthermore, antigen-induced TNF-α levels were produced at statistically significantly higher levels by women with IUGR (120.4 pg/ml) compared to women with normal pregnancies (17.9 pg/ml; p = 0.041). Conclusion: Higher levels of TNF-α seem to play a role in these pregnancy complications, suggesting its pathogenesis in such conditions.
Notch3 Is Necessary for Blood Vessel Integrity in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Henshall Tanya L. , Keller Annika , He Liqun , Johansson Bengt R. , Wallgard Elisabet , Raschperger Elisabeth , Mäe Maarja Andaloussi , Jin Shaobo , Betsholtz Christer , Lendahl Urban
Published: December 2014

Objective—

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are important for contraction, blood flow distribution, and regulation of blood vessel diameter, but to what extent they contribute to the integrity of blood vessels and blood–brain barrier function is less well understood. In this report, we explored the impact of the loss of VSMC in the
Notch3
−/−
mouse on blood vessel integrity in the central nervous system.

Approach and Results—

Notch3
−/−
mice showed focal disruptions of the blood–brain barrier demonstrated by extravasation of tracers accompanied by fibrin deposition in the retinal vasculature. This blood–brain barrier leakage was accompanied by a regionalized and patchy loss of VSMC, with VSMC gaps predominantly in arterial resistance vessels of larger caliber. The loss of VSMC appeared to be caused by progressive degeneration of VSMC resulting in a gradual loss of VSMC marker expression and a progressive acquisition of an aberrant VSMC phenotype closer to the gaps, followed by enhanced apoptosis and cellular disintegration in the gaps. Arterial VSMC were the only mural cell type that was morphologically affected, despite Notch3 also being expressed in pericytes. Transcriptome analysis of isolated brain microvessels revealed gene expression changes in
Notch3
−/−
mice consistent with loss of arterial VSMC and presumably secondary transcriptional changes were observed in endothelial genes, which may explain the compromised vascular integrity.

Conclusions—

We demonstrate that Notch3 is important for survival of VSMC, and reveal a critical role for Notch3 and VSMC in blood vessel integrity and blood–brain barrier function in the mammalian vasculature.
Mini-Cog Performance
Authors: Patel Apurva , Parikh Roosha , Howell Erik H. , Hsich Eileen , Landers Steven H. , Gorodeski Eiran Z.
Published: December 2014

Background—

Heart failure (HF) guidelines recommend screening for cognitive impairment (CI) but do not identify how. The Mini-Cog is an ultrashort cognitive “vital signs” measure that has not been studied in patients hospitalized for HF. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether CI as assessed by the Mini-Cog is associated with increased readmission or mortality risk after hospitalization for HF.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed 720 consecutive patients who completed the Mini-Cog as a part of routine clinical care during hospitalization for HF. Our primary outcome was time between hospital discharge and first occurrence of readmission or mortality. There was a high prevalence of CI as quantified by Mini-Cog performance (23% of cohort). During a mean follow-up time of 6 months, 342 (48%) patients were readmitted, and 24 (3%) died. Poor Mini-Cog performance was an independent predictor of composite outcome (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.47–2.44;
P
<0.0001) and was identified as the most important predictor among 55 variables by random survival forest analysis. Inclusion of Mini-Cog performance in risk models improved accuracy (bootstrapped
c
-index, 0.602 versus 0.624) and risk reclassification (category-free net reclassification improvement, 27%; 95% confidence interval, 14%–40%;
P
<0.001). Secondary analysis of initial 30 days post discharge showed effect modification by venue of discharge, whereby patients with CI discharged to a facility had longer time to outcome as compared with those discharged home.

Conclusions—

Mini-Cog performance is a novel marker of posthospitalization risk. Discharge to facility rather than home may be protective for those patients with HF and CI. It is unknown whether structured in-home support would yield similar outcomes.
Computed Tomography Identifies Patients at High Risk for Stroke After Transient Ischemic Attack/Nondisabling Stroke
Authors: Wasserman Jason K. , Perry Jeffrey J. , Sivilotti Marco L.A. , Sutherland Jane , Worster Andrew , Émond Marcel , Jin Albert Y. , Oczkowski Wieslaw J. , Sahlas Demetrios J. , Murray Heather , MacKey Ariane , Verreault Steve , Wells George A. , Dowlatshahi Dar , Stotts Grant , Stiell Ian G. , Sharma Mukul
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

Ischemia on computed tomography (CT) is associated with subsequent stroke after transient ischemic attack. This study assessed CT findings of acute ischemia, chronic ischemia, or microangiopathy for predicting subsequent stroke after transient ischemic attack.

Methods—

This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with transient ischemic attack or nondisabling stroke that had CT scanning within 24 hours. Primary outcome was subsequent stroke within 90 days. Secondary outcomes were stroke at ≤2 or >2 days. CT findings were classified as ischemia present or absent and acute or chronic or microangiopathy. Analysis used Fisher exact test and multivariate logistic regression.

Results—

A total of 2028 patients were included; 814 had ischemic changes on CT. Subsequent stroke rate was 3.4% at 90 days and 1.5% at ≤2 days. Stroke risk was greater if baseline CT showed acute ischemia alone (10.6%;
P
=0.002), acute+chronic ischemia (17.4%;
P
=0.007), acute ischemia+microangiopathy (17.6%;
P
=0.019), or acute+chronic ischemia+microangiopathy (25.0%;
P
=0.029). Logistic regression found acute ischemia alone (odds ratio [OR], 2.61; 95% confidence interval [CI[, 1.22–5.57), acute+chronic ischemia (OR, 5.35; 95% CI, 1.71–16.70), acute ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 1.33–18.07), or acute+chronic ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 8.04; 95% CI, 1.52–42.63) was associated with a greater risk at 90 days, whereas acute+chronic ischemia (OR, 10.78; 95% CI, 2.93–36.68), acute ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 8.90; 95% CI, 1.90–41.60), and acute+chronic ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 23.66; 95% CI, 4.34–129.03) had greater risk at ≤2 days. Only acute ischemia (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.01–7.18;
P
=0.047) was associated with a greater risk at >2 days.

Conclusions—

In patients with transient ischemic attack/nondisabling stroke, CT evidence of acute ischemia alone or acute ischemia with chronic ischemia or microangiopathy was associated with increased subsequent stroke risk within 90 days.
Missed Strokes Using Computed Tomography Imaging in Patients With Vertigo
Authors: Grewal Keerat , Austin Peter C. , Kapral Moira K. , Lu Hong , Atzema Clare L.
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of emergency department (ED) patients with a diagnosis of peripheral vertigo who received computed tomography (CT) head imaging in the ED and to examine whether strokes were missed using CT imaging.

Methods—

This population-based retrospective cohort study assessed patients who were discharged from an ED in Ontario, Canada, with a diagnosis of peripheral vertigo, April 2006 to March 2011. Patients who received CT imaging (exposed) were matched by propensity score methods to patients who did not (unexposed). If performed, CT imaging was presumed to be negative for stroke because brain stem/cerebellar stroke would result in hospitalization. We compared the incidence of stroke within 30, 90, and 365 days subsequent to ED discharge between groups, to determine whether the exposed group had a higher frequency of early strokes than the matched unexposed group.

Results—

Among 41 794 qualifying patients, 8596 (20.6%) received ED head CT imaging, and 99.8% of these patients were able to be matched to a control. Among exposed patients, 25 (0.29%) were hospitalized for stroke within 30 days when compared with 11 (0.13%) among matched nonexposed patients. The relative risk of a 30- and 90-day stroke among exposed versus unexposed patients was 2.27 (95% confidence interval, 1.12–4.62) and 1.94 (95% confidence interval, 1.10–3.43), respectively. There was no difference between groups at 1 year. Strokes occurred at a median of 32.0 days (interquartile range, 4.0–33.0 days) in exposed patients, compared with 105 days (interquartile range, 11.5–204.5) in unexposed patients.

Conclusions—

One fifth of patients diagnosed with peripheral vertigo in Ontario received imaging that is not recommended in guidelines, and that imaging was associated with missed strokes.
Coping with “the Riff-Raff and Mob”: Representations of Order and Disorder in the Patrona Halil Rebellion (1730)
Authors: Konrad Felix
Published: December 2014

In 1730, the so-called ‘Patrona Halil rebellion’ resulted in the abdication of Sultan Aḥmed III (r. 1703–1730) and in the execution of his long-serving Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Dāmād İbrāhīm Paşa (r. 1718–1730). This article addresses the question of how contemporary Ottoman chroniclers came to terms with this unusual situation of political and social tension and, in particular, how they coped with lower-strata individuals and groups involved in the rebellion. It is argued that the chroniclers had considerable problems in explaining that lower-strata people whom they perceived as “the riff-raff and mob” possessed an agency of their own, even if they might be a useful instrument in intra-elite quarrels. Despite nuances of judgement, the chroniclers represent the lower strata in a highly negative fashion by rendering their political activities as unruly violations of norms. The chroniclers employed discoursive strategies based on the elite concepts of morality, purity, honour and order, which they used both, for delegitimising the social and political behaviour of the urban lower strata, and for criticising İbrāhīm Paşa and his government. When the new regime of Maḥmūd I (r. 1730–1754) resorted to violence in order suppress the rebels, this was unanimously welcomed by the chroniclers as the re-establishment of order. Thus, their representations of the rebellion clearly reaffirm elite notions of social and political order.
The Private Affairs of Public Officials: Mixed Marriage and Diplomacy in Interwar and Post-Mubarak Egypt
Authors: Kholoussy Hanan
Published: December 2014

This article examines the 1933 legislation that criminalized Egyptian diplomats abroad who married foreign, especially European, women. While this law emerged during a period of anticolonial nationalist struggle against British colonial rule, it continues to be implemented in contemporary Egypt. This article situates the law in the broader public debates about bachelorhood and mixed marriage that dominated the pages of the Egyptian press in the 1920s and 1930s. The diplomatic legislation served as an arena to define the rights and duties of upper-class Egyptian national men who represented the semi-independent nation internationally in its newly created foreign service. It was a vehicle for the state to shape the normative national subject vis-à-vis its intervention into the private lives of public officials. By exploring the various ways in which Egyptian legislators, journalists, and social commentators conceptualized mixed marriage and national service, this article sheds light on upper-class masculinity in early 20th-century Egypt and its intersections with new formations of gender, governmentality, and national identity.
Conditional Residence for Unauthorised Immigrant Parents
Authors: Sullivan Michael J.
Published: December 2014

In this article, I argue that states have a long-term public policy interest in applying the best interests of the child standard that they use for domestic child welfare determinations in immigration cases that involve deportable non-citizen parents. But I also recognise that the interests of existing citizens in effective immigration regulation and enforcement need to be taken into consideration. The burden lies with parents who entered and continued to reside without authorisation in a country to show that their right to remain is of benefit to existing citizens. This means that unauthorised immigrant parents should only be given conditional permission to stay in their children’s country of long-term residence to raise them. Otherwise deportable parents should not be immediately legalised outright. Rather, they should be held to account for discharging their duty to their children in the same manner as immigrants whose residence is conditional for other reasons.
Australia’s Digital Policy Agenda
Authors: O’Brien Wendy
Published: December 2014

Children’s engagement with online technologies may seem second nature, yet the impact that the Internet has on their lives is shaped by a powerful public policy agenda that largely overlooks children’s interests. Australia’s digital policy framework is dominated by discourses of safety and risk on the one hand and, on the other, neoliberal arguments about the possibilities for economic growth offered by e-commerce. In the midst of such powerful discourses it is difficult for children’s voices to be heard. This paper offers a close textual analysis of the Australian public policy context for regulating cyberspace. Finding a discursive duopoly that overlooks children’s interests, the author identifies two key features of a rights-based approach to challenge the dominant narratives currently serving the interests of the private sector and the State.
Religion and Environmental Concern in Europe
Authors: Muñoz-García Antonio
Published: December 2014

Empirical research on the effect of religion on attitudes toward the environment remains divided into two opposing points of view, which claim a positive or negative effect on pro-environmental attitudes. This study analyses these relationships in a Spanish sample from a multidimensional perspective. The results of this study show, this time in a European context, the negative relationship between religious literalism and concern for the environment previously found in studies based on American samples. They also show the negative influence of specific aspects of expressions of Judaeo-Christian religiosity, especially the rigidity characteristic of some non-traditional dimensions of religiosity, which arguably can be present without the co-presence of biblical literalism, and also the positive effect of quest-oriented religiosity and approaches focusing on existential well-being. The unique contributions of these variables in explaining concern for the environment are mapped to specific variances in the outcome variables.
Dimensions of Religious/Spiritual Well-Being, Personality, and Mental Health
Authors: Stefa-Missagli S. , Huber H. P. , Fink A. , Sarlo Michela , Unterrainer H. F.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to adapt the Austrian-German version of the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being (MI-RSWB) into the Italian language and culture, and to investigate possible associations between the RSWB dimensions, “Big Five” personality factors and mental illness within an Italian student sample. Hence, the first Italian translation of the MI-RSWB scale was applied on a sample of 412 undergraduate students in three different cities and regions of Italy: Padova (northern Italy), Rome (central Italy), and Palermo (southern Italy). Like the original Austrian-German scale, we were able to find convincing psychometric properties for the new Italian version of the scale. By mirroring previous research, the RSWB-dimensions turned out to be substantially associated with personality dimensions, as well as negatively related with a global measure of mental illness. Our initial results confirm that these RSWB-dimensions are important facets of personality and mental health.
Global Citizenship Identification and Religiosity
Authors: Katzarska-Miller Iva , Barnsley Carole A. , Reysen Stephen
Published: December 2014

In four studies we examine the associations between religiosity, global citizenship identification, and various kinds of values (e.g., exclusionary, prosocial). Across the studies, general trends emerged showing that religiosity is unrelated to global citizenship identification, and positively related to exclusionary values (e.g., sexual prejudice, ethnocentrism, restricting outgroups). However, examination of the varied motivations to be religious (i.e., intrinsic, extrinsic, quest) showed that quest religious motivation is positively related to global citizenship identification, as well as inclusionary and prosocial values. Furthermore, quest religious motivation was found to positively influence the antecedents and outcomes of global citizenship identification.
Mentalizing and Religion
Authors: Schaap-Jonker Hanneke , Corveleyn Jozef M. T.
Published: December 2014

Mentalizing is an important actual topic, both in psychodynamic theory and in clinical practice. Remarkably, mentalizing has been explicitly related to religion or psychology of religion only to a limited extent. This article explores the relevance of the concept of mentalizing for psychology of religion by first describing mentalizing, its development, and neuropsychological underpinnings. Second, to illustrate how the concept gives more insight into the psychology of religious phenomena, mentalizing is related to an almost universal religious practice, namely religious prayer. Empirical studies from different psychological subdisciplines are interpreted from the perspective of mentalizing. Finally, its relevance for the discipline of psychology of religion is discussed. In this way, the potential of the concept as both an explaining psychological mechanism and a bridging notion that overcomes differences between psychological subdisciplines is demonstrated.
The Threefold Nature of Spirituality (TNS) in a Psychological Cognitive Framework
Authors: Skrzypińska Katarzyna
Published: December 2014

This article describes a new theoretical, psychological model characterizing the concept, structure and functioning of spirituality in relation to the phenomenon of religiousness. The structural and processual approaches are indispensable when examining the spiritual sphere. The theory suggests that the psychological nature of spirituality can be considered from a threefold perspective: (1) as a cognitive scheme (the most constricted understanding), (2) as a dimension of personality (the broader understanding), (3) as an attitude towards life (the most extensive perspective). The Threefold Nature of Spirituality (TNS) model binds these perspectives together and describes the phenomena and processes inherent in spiritual functioning: looking for the sacred or a-sacred, for the meaning of life, and for personal fulfilment. Theoretical and empirical examples are presented here in support of the TNS, although further exploration is necessary.
On the genus Hermippus Simon, 1893 (Araneae: Zodariidae, Zodariinae) in India with the description of three new species from the Western Ghats and proposing a new biogeographical hypothesis for the distribution of the genus
Authors: SANKARAN PRADEEP M. , JOBI MALAMEL J. , JOSEPH MATHEW M. , SEBASTIAN POTHALIL A.
Published: December 2014

Three new species of the ant-eating spider genus Hermippus Simon, 1893, H. globosus sp. nov., H. inflexus sp. nov. and H. gavi sp. nov. are described and illustrated from the Western Ghats in the Kerala region of southern India. The genus is redefined and two species groups are recognized: the cruciatus-group with all the five described Oriental species including H. cruciatus Simon, 1905, H. arjuna Gravely, 1921, H. inflexus sp. nov., H. globosus sp. nov. and H. gavi sp. nov. and the loricatus-group representing all the seven described Afrotropical species including H. loricatus Simon, 1893, H. affinis Strand, 1906, H. schoutedeni Lessert, 1938, H. septemguttatus Lawrence, 1942, H. minutus Jocqué, 1986, H. tenebrosus Jocqué, 1986 and H. arcus Jocqué, 1989. The biogeographic distribution and possible migratory route of Hermippus spp. from Africa to the Oriental region are given.
Regional Assessments of Low Clouds against Large-Scale Stability in CAM5 and CAM-CLUBB Using MODIS and ERA-Interim Reanalysis Data
Authors: Kubar Terence L. , Stephens Graeme L. , Lebsock Matthew , Larson Vincent E. , Bogenschutz Peter A.
Published: December 2014

Daily gridded cloud data from MODIS and ERA-Interim reanalysis have been assessed to examine variations of low cloud fraction (CF) and cloud-top height and their dependence on large-scale dynamics and a measure of stability. To assess the stratocumulus (Sc) to cumulus (Cu) transition (STCT), the observations are used to evaluate two versions of the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5), both the base model and a version that has implemented a new subgrid low cloud parameterization, Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals (CLUBB).

The ratio of moist static energy (MSE) at 700–1000 hPa (MSEtotal) is a skillful predictor of median CF of screened low cloud grids. Values of MSEtotal less than 1.00 represent either conditionally or absolutely unstable layers, and probability density functions of CF suggest a preponderance of either trade Cu (median CF < 0.4) or transitional Sc clouds (0.4 < CF < 0.9). With increased stability (MSEtotal > 1.00), an abundance of overcast or nearly overcast low clouds exists. While both MODIS and ERA-Interim indicate a fairly smooth transition between the low cloud regimes, CAM5-Base simulates an abrupt shift from trade Cu to Sc, with trade Cu covering both too much area and occurring over excessively strong stabilities. In contrast, CAM-CLUBB simulates a smoother trade Cu to Sc transition (CTST) as a function of MSEtotal, albeit with too extensive coverage of overcast Sc in the primary northeastern Pacific subsidence region. While the overall CF distribution in CAM-CLUBB is more realistic, too few transitional clouds are simulated for intermediate MSEtotal compared to observations.
Money use in the Deccan, c. 1350–1687: The role of Vijayanagara hons in the Bahmani currency system
Authors: Wagoner Phillip B.
Published: December 2014

This article examines the interactions between two distinct currency systems that dominated the Deccan during the period c. 1350–1687—that of the Bahmani sultanate and its successor states, and that of the Vijayanagara kingdom and its successors. Based on a GIS database of over 300 reported coin hoards containing material issued by either state, the study demonstrates that while the Bahmani currency was limited in circulation to Bahmani territory, the coinage of Vijayanagara in contrast enjoyed wide circulation throughout the entire Deccan region. This was evidently due to a high demand in rural areas for the small, conveniently-sized gold coins of Vijayanagara known as hon, since gold coins of similar weight, purity and fabric had customarily been used throughout the Deccan to pay agricultural taxes since the late tenth century. By the opening years of the sixteenth century, agricultural and commercial taxes within the Bahmani territory were being assessed and collected in Vijayanagara-issued hons. The Vijayanagara hon circulated in such great numbers in Bahmani territory that it became an integral part of the economy of the Bahmanis and their successors, prompting Firishta to note (in 1607 CE) that ‘even up to the present day, that same infidel coinage is current among the Muslims’.
Book Review: National Archives of India, Imperial Records Department, Calendar of Persian Correspondence: Being Letters, referring mainly to Affairs in Bengal, which passed between some of the Company’s Servants and Indian Rulers and Notables, Vols I-V
Authors: Arafath P.K. Yasser
Published: December 2014

National Archives of India, Imperial Records Department, Calendar of Persian Correspondence: Being Letters, referring mainly to Affairs in Bengal, which passed between some of the Company’s Servants and Indian Rulers and Notables, Vol. 1, 1759–1767, Delhi: Primus Books, 2013, pp. 509;

National Archives of India, Imperial Records Department, Calendar of Persian Correspondence: Being Letters which passed between some of the Company’s Servants and Indian Rulers and Notables, Vol. II, 1767–1769, Delhi: Primus Books, 2013, pp. 470 + supplement;

National Archives of India, Imperial Records Department, Calendar of Persian Correspondence: Being Letters which passed between some of the Company’s Servants and Indian Rulers and Notables, Vol. III, 1770–1772, Delhi: Primus Books, 2013, pp. 285;

National Archives of India, Imperial Records Department, Calendar of Persian Correspondence: Being Letters which passed between some of the Company’s Servants and Indian Rulers and Notables, Vol. IV, 1772–1775, Delhi: Primus Books, 2013, pp. 365;

National Archives of India, Imperial Records Department, Calendar of Persian Correspondence: Being Letters which passed between some of the Company’s Servants and Indian Rulers and Notables, Vol. V, 1776–1780, Delhi: Primus Books, 2013, pp. 507.
Book Review: Veronique Benei, Schooling India: Hindus, Muslims and the Forging of Citizens
Authors: Kamat Sangeeta
Published: December 2014

Veronique Benei, Schooling India: Hindus, Muslims and the Forging of Citizens, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2009, pp. 368.
Book Review: Gaurav Desai, Commerce with the Universe: Africa, India, and the Afrasian Imagination
Authors: Walz Jonathan
Published: December 2014

Gaurav Desai, Commerce with the Universe: Africa, India, and the Afrasian Imagination, New York: Columbia University Press, 2013, pp. 291.
Export Sophistication, Export-Led Growth and Product Space: Evidence from Selected Asian Economies
Authors: Bayudan-Dacuycuy Connie , Lim Joseph Anthony Y
Published: December 2014

This research aims to examine the sophistication of export portfolios of selected Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) and developed Asian economies. It aims to provide evidence of where exactly ASEAN economies are in the context of exports sophistication and structural transformation. Results from a product space analysis indicate that although limited in product scope, there are prospects for ASEAN economies to converge to the level of export sophistication of developed Asian countries. The analysis finds a need for governments to take a more active role in promoting more appropriate industrial and economic policies.
Combinatorial Effects of Arginine and Fluoride on Oral Bacteria
Authors: Zheng X. , Cheng X. , Wang L. , Qiu W. , Wang S. , Zhou Y. , Li M. , Li Y. , Cheng L. , Li J. , Zhou X. , Xu X.
Published: December 2014

Dental caries is closely associated with the microbial disequilibrium between acidogenic/aciduric pathogens and alkali-generating commensal residents within the dental plaque. Fluoride is a widely used anticaries agent, which promotes tooth hard-tissue remineralization and suppresses bacterial activities. Recent clinical trials have shown that oral hygiene products containing both fluoride and arginine possess a greater anticaries effect compared with those containing fluoride alone, indicating synergy between fluoride and arginine in caries management. Here, we hypothesize that arginine may augment the ecological benefit of fluoride by enriching alkali-generating bacteria in the plaque biofilm and thus synergizes with fluoride in controlling dental caries. Specifically, we assessed the combinatory effects of NaF/arginine on planktonic and biofilm cultures of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Porphyromonas gingivalis with checkerboard microdilution assays. The optimal NaF/arginine combinations were selected, and their combinatory effects on microbial composition were further examined in single-, dual-, and 3-species biofilm using bacterial species–specific fluorescence in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We found that arginine synergized with fluoride in suppressing acidogenic S. mutans in both planktonic and biofilm cultures. In addition, the NaF/arginine combination synergistically reduced S. mutans but enriched S. sanguinis within the multispecies biofilms. More importantly, the optimal combination of NaF/arginine maintained a “streptococcal pressure” against the potential growth of oral anaerobe P. gingivalis within the alkalized biofilm. Taken together, we conclude that the combinatory application of fluoride and arginine has a potential synergistic effect in maintaining a healthy oral microbial equilibrium and thus represents a promising ecological approach to caries management.
Talker Versus Dialect Effects on Speech Intelligibility: A Symmetrical Study
Authors: McCloy Daniel R. , Wright Richard A. , Souza Pamela E.
Published: December 2014

This study investigates the relative effects of talker-specific variation and dialect-based variation on speech intelligibility. Listeners from two dialects of American English performed speech-in-noise tasks with sentences spoken by talkers of each dialect. An initial statistical model showed no significant effects for either talker or listener dialect group, and no interaction. However, a mixed-effects regression model including several acoustic measures of the talker’s speech revealed a subtle effect of talker dialect once the various acoustic dimensions were accounted for. Results are discussed in relation to other recent studies of cross-dialect intelligibility.
Long-term outcomes of patients on the 1988 West of Scotland renal transplant waiting list
Authors: Murray Eleanor C , McMillan Margaret
Published: December 2014

Background

The prevalent population with established renal failure continues to grow.

Method

Using the Renal Electronic Patient Record, we assess the long-term outcomes of the adult population in the West of Scotland who were awaiting kidney transplantation in 1988 ( n = 219), and compare the demographics to the 2011 transplant waiting list ( n = 409).

Results

Comparing the 2011 transplant waiting list, there are now more patients, but they are older, more likely to be female, and are more likely to have diabetes as a cause of renal failure. Seventy-four percent received a transplant; of these, 41% of the transplants ultimately failed and the patient returned to dialysis; 39% of patients died with a functioning graft and 20% remain alive with continuing transplant function. Life expectancy for those with renal failure was less than 60 years, significantly lower than the general population, though 29% survived for 20 years, half of these with a functioning kidney transplant and half having returned to dialysis.

Conclusion

As survival with a transplant improves, attention is required to reduce the causes of mortality, in particular cardiovascular disease, and malignancy and infection associated with immunosuppression.
Screening and management of gestational diabetes mellitus in Scottish obstetric units: a national survey
Authors: Stirrat Laura I , Denison Fiona C , Love Corinne DB , Lindsay Robert S , Reynolds Rebecca M
Published: December 2014

Background and aims

The last study of screening practices for gestational diabetes (GDM) in the UK concluded that a lack of consensus about screening was due to a lack of clinical guidelines. We aimed to determine current practices in Scotland since new guidelines recommended that diagnosis should be made at a lower level of hyperglycaemia.

Method and results

An online questionnaire designed to investigate the screening and management of GDM was distributed to all maternity units in Scotland managing women with GDM ( n = 15) for completion by relevant clinical team members. The response rate was 100%. Considerable variation in clinical practice existed between units. Thirteen units (86.7%) had adopted the lower glucose tolerance values for diagnosis of GDM (fasting ≥5.1 mmol/L; 2-h ≥8.5 mmol/L) recommended by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in 2010. Available data from units using this guideline ( n = 3) revealed a significant increase in the percentage of women diagnosed with GDM between 2010 and 2012 (2010: 1.28%, 2012: 2.54%; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Despite provision of clinical guidelines, there are still inconsistencies in screening and management of GDM in Scotland. If a similar increase in the prevalence of GDM is experienced across Scotland, there will be major implications for health care provision and resource allocation.
Going Dutch? The export of sustainable land-use and transport planning concepts from the Netherlands
Authors: Pojani Dorina , Stead Dominic
Published: December 2014

The Netherlands is often viewed as a world model of urban planning and sustainable transport practices. This article reports on a study which charts the planning policy transfer activity between the Netherlands and other countries. The study reveals that many foreign ‘policy tourists’ are impressed and inspired by Dutch planning achievements. However, policy transfer efforts based on Dutch examples of planning have rarely resulted in concrete actions or hard outcomes abroad. Contextual differences in culture, social setup, language, planning legislation and financial resources, as well as the failure to involve political elites in transfer processes, are potential obstacles to embedding Dutch planning policies elsewhere.
The Relation Between Auditor-Provided Tax Service Fees and Audit Fees After the Sarbanes–Oxley Act
Authors: Halperin Robert , Lai Kam-Wah
Published: December 2014

The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) permits the provision of tax services by auditors and restricts other major non-audit services previously provided by auditors for their audit clients. This article examines the relation between auditor-provided tax fees and audit fees after SOX. The results, using a tax fee model and an audit fee model with a larger set of non-overlapping independent variables in both models, show a positive relationship between tax and audit fees, after controlling for factors that could drive both fees. An additional test shows that firms that employ (do not employ) their incumbent auditors also for tax service are likely to pay higher (lower) audit fees than in the case when they only (also) employ their auditors for audit service. The results of other tests are also consistent with the suggestion that auditors cross-sell their non-audit services to their audit clients.
Strategic Accounting Choice Around Firm-Level Labor Negotiations
Authors: García Osma Beatriz , Mora Araceli , Sabater Ana M.
Published: December 2014

Prior literature argues that managers make opportunistic income-decreasing accounting choices to limit the concessions made to trade unions. However, empirical research to date presents mixed evidence, potentially due to a common theoretical approach that views labor bargaining as a one-shot game in nature. Using a sample of U.S. firms that engage in firm-level labor collective agreement negotiations, we study whether managers act strategically to reduce the transfer of wealth to employees, and its consequences over investment efficiency. We expect that the repeated nature of this negotiation leads to cooperation among the parties and limits the incentives for earnings manipulation, particularly, over long windows. Our findings suggest that managers take both real and accounting actions, but that these choices are informative rather than opportunistic. In particular, we find evidence consistent with strategic timing of the negotiation and with increased conditional conservatism in the year when the agreement is signed. We do not find evidence of earnings manipulation through discretionary accruals or of decreased investment efficiency around labor bargaining.
Women’s Business Ownership: Operating Within the Context of Institutional and In-Group Collectivism
Authors: Bullough Amanda , Renko Maija , Abdelzaher Dina
Published: December 2014

The development of women’s entrepreneurship has positive implications for societal and economic growth. In this study, we examine the effects of culture and, more specifically, collectivism on women’s businesses. With a mixed-method and multilevel approach, we conducted a quantitative country-level analysis followed by a qualitative study of women entrepreneurs. Our results indicate that collectivism at the in-group level (family and close friends and colleagues) is a particularly important predictor of women’s business ownership. Furthermore, it is a balance of both collectivism and individualism at the in-group level that is most conducive to women’s business ownership. Institutional collectivism (at the societal level) acts as a background condition that influences the way in which in-group collectivism directly affects women’s business ownership. More specifically, when engaging in business development, women are primarily influenced by their in-groups. The freedom to pursue individual goals, combined with support from the in-group, provides the most beneficial environment for women to develop businesses, especially in societal-level cultures at the extreme ends of the collectivism spectrum—highly collectivistic or highly individualistic. A better understanding of these cultural factors should help with designing better business development training programs for women entrepreneurs and properly advising policy makers.
Stepping Out of the Fish Tank
Authors: Mohamed Hoosen Carrim Nasima
Published: December 2014

This article explores the ethnic identity work in which Indian parents engage with regard to allowing their daughters to pursue a tertiary education and a career. Life story interviews were conducted on a purposive sample of 12 sets of South African Indian parents. The results indicate that these parents, especially mothers experience tremendous inner identity conflict, as they are torn between ensuring that daughters maintain their honor and dignity as respectable Indian women, and allowing daughters the freedom to venture away from the protective space of the home and family. The study highlighted that although parents were living in the postapartheid era ethnic identity work was still influenced by the lingering impact of apartheid regarding the status of women. Daughters were still not accorded the same status as sons although they were perceived as future breadwinners in their natal families.
Aligning Preparation and Practice
Authors: Vogel Linda , Weiler Spencer C.
Published: December 2014

Principal standards and license requirements in each of the 50 states are analyzed in this qualitative study in light of federal Race to the Top incentives for states to strengthen school leadership preparation and practice. Nineteen states have adopted the 2008 Educational Leadership Consortium Council (ELCC) standards verbatim and the remaining 31 state principal standards include the basic tenets of ELCC standards, as well as additional standards that reflect each state’s particular focus. These standards are increasingly being used as the basis of practicing principals’ evaluations as part of states’ initiatives to secure federal Race to the Top funds. The ELCC standards also serve as the criteria for national principal preparation accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educational Programs. State requirements for obtaining a principal license, however, do not necessarily align with these professional standards of practice, which might indicate a gap in the principal development pipeline. Common license requirements focus primarily on basic requirements of teaching experience, degree or program completion, and passing a state assessment, but many states do not specify that preparation programs must be accredited, nor are state assessments necessarily aligned with ELCC standards. A rubric is provided for assessing the alignment of the components of a state school leadership licensure system that is aligned with the ELCC standards and reflects best practices found in the research regarding qualifications for school leadership.
Food for Thought
Authors: Ventresca Matt , Brady Jennifer
Published: December 2014

Relatively little scholarly attention has been given to the theoretical and epistemological assumptions through which food and eating are implicated as vehicles to reproduce the athletic body. The purpose of this research note is to consider potential avenues for critical inquiry into the connections between food, sport, and athletic performance. More specifically, we will investigate the relationships of food to understandings of performance-enhancing technologies. While these studies tend to focus their attention on how certain substances and practices become classified as illicit or unnatural, we argue that much can be learned by examining the other side of this binary opposition and by considering why certain substances and practices are firmly positioned outside the realm of performance enhancers. We highlight food and eating as especially fruitful sites for this type of analysis and interrogate how food is firmly positioned as unquestionably more “natural” than illicit performance enhancers.
Embedding Quality and Safety in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Education
Authors: McCormick Michael E. , Stadler Michael E. , Shah Rahul K.
Published: December 2014

Education in patient safety (PS) and quality improvement (QI) helps both medical students and residents understand the health care environment in the United States, where these concepts are now incorporated into virtually every aspect of patient care. The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education has made PS/QI a mandatory component of resident education, and a number of specialties have published their experiences with incorporating PS/QI into their training programs. In otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, a strong curriculum can be built by teaching residents about the principles of PS/QI through both didactic and experiential learning, and morbidity and mortality and QI conferences can serve as the cornerstone of this curriculum. Understanding the potential challenges in PS/QI education can allow training programs to plan their strategy effectively for successful incorporation into their existing curricula.
Objectively measured physical activity in obese women with and without migraine
Authors: Bond Dale S , Thomas J Graham , O’Leary Kevin C , Lipton Richard B , Peterlin B Lee , Roth Julie , Rathier Lucille , Wing Rena R
Published: December 2014

Aim

The aim of this article is to cross-sectionally compare objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels and their association with migraine characteristics in obese women with and without migraine.

Methods

Obese women seeking weight loss treatment were divided into migraine ( n = 25) and control ( n = 25) groups matched by age and body mass index (BMI). Participants wore the SenseWear Armband monitor for seven days to objectively evaluate daily light-(LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA). Migraine diagnosis was confirmed by a neurologist using ICHD-3-beta criteria. Migraine characteristics were tracked daily using a smartphone-based diary over a four-week period immediately preceding the objective PA assessment.

Results

Migraine participants spent 57.9 fewer minutes/day in LPA (141.1 ± 56.4 vs. 199.1 ± 87.7, p = 0.019) and 24.5 fewer minutes/day in MVPA (27.8 ± 17.0 vs. 52.3 ± 26.0, p < 0.001), compared to controls. Migraine participants reported 4.8 ± 3.1 migraine days/month (mean duration = 17.1 ± 8.9 hours; mean maximum pain severity = 6.4 ± 1.7 on a 0–10 scale). Higher BMI ( p < 0.05), but not migraine characteristics, were related to lower total PA. Additionally, total objectively measured PA was not associated with how often PA was reported to exacerbate migraine attacks during the four-week diary assessment.

Conclusions

Obese women with migraine spent nearly 1.5 hours/day less in PA compared to controls; however, lower PA was not related to migraine characteristics. Further research is needed to identify PA barriers and effective interventions in obese women with migraine.