bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic Association Analysis of Common Variants Influencing Antihypertensive Response to Hydrochlorothiazide
Authors: Turner Stephen T. , Boerwinkle Eric , O’Connell Jeffrey R. , Bailey Kent R. , Gong Yan , Chapman Arlene B. , McDonough Caitrin W. , Beitelshees Amber L. , Schwartz Gary L. , Gums John G. , Padmanabhan Sandosh , Hiltunen Timo P. , Citterio Lorena , Donner Kati M. , Hedner Thomas , Lanzani Chiara , Melander Olle , Saarela Janna , Ripatti Samuli , Wahlstrand Björn , Manunta Paolo , Kontula Kimmo , Dominiczak Anna F. , Cooper-DeHoff Rhonda M. , Johnson Julie A.
Published: June 2013

To identify novel genes influencing blood pressure response to thiazide diuretic therapy for hypertension, we conducted genome-wide association meta-analyses of ≈1.1 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a combined sample of 424 European Americans with primary hypertension treated with hydrochlorothiazide from the Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses study (n=228) and the Genetic Epidemiology of Responses to Antihypertensive study (n=196). Polymorphisms associated with blood pressure response at
P
<10
–5
were tested for replication of the associations in independent samples of hydrochlorothiazide-treated European hypertensives. The rs16960228 polymorphism in protein kinase C, α replicated for same-direction association with diastolic blood pressure response in the Nordic Diltiazem study (n=420) and the Genetics of Drug Responsiveness in Essential Hypertension study (n=206), and the combined 4-study meta-analysis
P
value achieved genome-wide significance (
P
=3.3×10
−8
). Systolic or diastolic blood pressure responses were consistently greater in carriers of the rs16960228 A allele than in GG homozygotes (>4/4 mm Hg) across study samples. The rs2273359 polymorphism in the
GNAS-EDN3
region also replicated for same-direction association with systolic blood pressure response in the Nordic Diltiazem study, and the combined 3-study meta-analysis
P
value approached genome-wide significance (
P
=5.5×10
−8
). The findings document clinically important effects of genetic variation at novel loci on blood pressure response to a thiazide diuretic, which may be a basis for individualization of antihypertensive drug therapy and identification of new drug targets.
Oral Formulation of Angiotensin-(1–7) Improves Lipid Metabolism and Prevents High-Fat Diet–Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Inflammation in Mice
Authors: Feltenberger John David , Andrade João Marcus Oliveira , Paraíso Alanna , Barros Lucas Oliveira , Filho Aristides Batista Maia , Sinisterra Ruben D.M. , Sousa Frederico B. , Guimarães André Luiz Sena , de Paula Alfredo Mauricio Batista , Campagnole-Santos Maria José , Qureshi Mahboob , dos Santos Robson Augusto Souza , Santos Sérgio Henrique Sousa
Published: June 2013

Angiotensin (Ang)-(1–7) has been described as an important tool on treating and preventing metabolic disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of an oral formulation of Ang-(1–7) included in hydroxypropylβ-cyclodextrin (HPβCD/Ang-[1–7]) on hepatic function, steatosis, and on liver inflammatory markers expression in mice treated with a high-fat diet. Male FVB/N mice were divided into 4 groups and fed for 60 days, with each group receiving 1 of the following diets: standard diet+HPβCD, standard diet+Ang-(1–7)/HPβCD, high-fat diet+HPβCD, or high-fat diet+Ang-[1–7]/HPβCD. Body weight, food intake, and blood parameters, such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, alaninetransaminases, and aspartate transaminases, were evaluated. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed for inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. Expression of angiotensin converting enzyme, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-β, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, carbohydrate-responsive element–binding protein, peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ, and sterol regulatory element–binding proteins-1c was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The major findings of our study included reduced liver fat mass and weight, decreased plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and alaninetransaminase enzyme levels in the oral Ang-(1–7)–treated groups compared with the control groups. These results were accompanied by a significant reduction in tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 mRNA expression in the liver. Analyses of liver adipogenesis-related genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that acetyl-CoA carboxylase, peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ, and sterol regulatory element–binding proteins-1c mRNA expression were significantly suppressed. In conclusion, we observed that treatment with Ang-(1–7) improved metabolism and decreased proinflammatory profile and fat deposition in liver of mice.
Upregulation of Renal D
5
Dopamine Receptor Ameliorates the Hypertension in D
3
Dopamine Receptor–Deficient Mice
Authors: Wang Xiaoyan , Escano Crisanto S. , Asico Laureano , Jones John E. , Barte Alan , Lau Yuen-Sum , Jose Pedro A. , Armando Ines
Published: June 2013

D
3
dopamine receptor (D
3
R)–deficient mice have renin-dependent hypertension associated with sodium retention, but the hypertension is mild. To determine whether any compensatory mechanisms in the kidney are involved in the regulation of blood pressure with disruption of
Drd3
, we measured the renal protein expression of all dopamine receptor subtypes (D
1
R, D
2
R, D
4
R, and D
5
R) in D
3
R homozygous (D
3
−/−
) and heterozygous (D
3
+/−
) knockout mice and their wild-type (D
3
+/+
) littermates. The renal immunohistochemistry and protein expression of D
5
R were increased (n=5/group) in D
3
−/−
mice; renal D
4
R protein expression was decreased, whereas renal protein expressions of D
1
R and D
2
R were similar in both groups. Renal D
5
R protein expression was also increased in D
3
+/−
(n=5/group) relative to D
3
+/+
mice, whereas D
1
R, D
2
R, and D
4
R protein expressions were similar in D
3
+/−
and D
3
+/+
mice. The increase in renal D
5
R protein expression was abolished when D
3
−/−
mice were fed a high-salt diet. Treatment with the D
1
-like receptor antagonist, SCH23390, increased the blood pressure in anesthetized D
3
−/−
but not D
3
+/+
mice (n=4/group), suggesting that the renal upregulation of D
5
R may have minimized the hypertension in D
3
−/−
mice. The renal D
5
R protein upregulation was not caused by increased transcription because renal mRNA expression of D
5
R was similar in D
3
−/−
and D
3
+/+
mice. Our findings suggest that the renal upregulation of D
5
R may have minimized the hypertension that developed in D
3
−/−
mice.
Perry Anderson on Europe
Authors: Callinicos Alex
Published: June 2013

Abstract

This intervention discusses Perry Anderson’s treatment of the European Union in The New Old World, tracing its origins in his intellectual and political history, and the ambivalences it reveals in his relationship to Marxism and to left politics. It identifies some of the key themes in a specifically Marxist analysis of the EU and explores the political possibilities implied by the present crisis.
Additional records of the pagurid hermit crab genus Trichopagurus de Saint Laurent, 1968 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura), with description of a new species from the Philippines
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI
Published: June 2013

The pagurid hermit crab genus Trichopagurus de Saint Laurent, 1968 is currently represented by three shallow water spe-cies from the tropical Indo-West Pacific region. In this paper, three species of the genus, including one new species, are reported. Trichopagurus tenuidactylus n. sp. is described on the basis of a single ovigerous female from the Bohol Sea, the Philippines, and compared with two close relatives, T. asper Komai & Poupin, 2012 and T. macrochela Komai & Os-awa, 2005. New locality records are provided for T. macrochela (the Philippines) and T. trichophthalmus (Forest, 1954) (Taiwan and Marianas). An identification key to the four species of the genus is presented.
The type specimens of Tachinidae (Diptera) housed in the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires
Authors: MULIERI PABLO RICARDO , PATITUCCI LUCIANO DAMIÁN , BACHMANN AXEL OSCAR , O’HARA JAMES E.
Published: June 2013

The type material of species of Tachinidae (Diptera) housed in the collection of the Entomology Division of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” were examined and are herein documented. The collection contains 202 type specimens consisting of 54 species described by E.E. Blanchard and 12 described by J. Brèthes. Comparison of their original descriptions with the label information reveals the existence of 24 holotypes, 1 lectotype, 141 syntypes and 36 paratypes. Complete information is given for each type, including reference to the original description, label data, and preservation condition.
Anserobilharzia gen. n. (Digenea, Schistosomatidae) and redescription of A. brantae (Farr & Blankemeyer, 1956) comb. n. (syn. Trichobilharzia brantae), a parasite of geese (Anseriformes)
Authors: BRANT SARA V. , JOUET DAMIEN , FERTE HUBERT , LOKER ERIC S.
Published: June 2013

A new genus, Anserobilharzia, is proposed to accommodate Anserobilharzia brantae n. comb. (syn. Trichobilharzia bran-tae Farr & Blankemeyer, 1956), a species of avian schistosome thus far found exclusively in anserini geese (Anser, Branta, Chen) from Europe and North America, and Gyraulus snails. Recent collections and subsequent molecular analyses showed that A. brantae was distinct from Allobilharzia and Trichobilharzia and grouped basal to Trichobilharzia. Using nuclear 28S, ITS and mitochondrial cox1 as genetic yardsticks, samples of A. brantae from North America and Europe were each other’s closest relative and distinct from Allobilharzia and Trichobilharzia. Anserobilharzia brantae was also distinct when compared morphologically with other species of closely related avian schistosomes. The following descrip-tion is based on males, females, eggs, and cercariae. The new genus is characterized by a) ovoid egg (72–145μm x 44– 89μm) with spine, b) male with >500 testes and caecal reunion anteriad to seminal vesicle, c) cercariae with 5+1 flame cells, and d) intermediate hosts are planorbid snails. The only confirmed species of snail host is Gyraulus parvus in North America. Based on presented data, we propose a new genus and new combination for A. brantae justified by morpholog-ical, host use, and molecular characteristics.
Varieties of No
Authors: Brown Robert E.
Published: June 2013

Considerable scholarly attention has been paid to the putatively corrosive power of negativity on American politics and culture. This article focuses, instead, not on the ethics of negativity but on the less studied distinctions between simpler and complex negativity strategies, rhetorically and performatively. Negativity strategies are examined across a continuum from the conventional (i.e., simple, credibility-damaging attack) to more complex negativities marked by irony, inspiration, and poetics. The article’s frame of reference includes, but is not limited to, the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign that matched incumbent Democrat Barack Obama against his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.
A Discreet Critique of Discrete Regime Type Data
Authors: Wilson Matthew C.
Published: June 2013

To understand the limitations of discrete regime type data for studying authoritarianism, I scrutinize three regime type data sets provided by Cheibub, Gandhi, and Vreeland, Hadenius and Teorell, and Geddes. The political narratives of Nicaragua, Colombia, and Brazil show that the different data sets on regime type lend themselves to concept stretching and misuse, which threatens measurement validity. In an extension of Fjelde’s analysis of civil conflict onset, I demonstrate that interchangeably using the data sets leads to divergent predictions, it is sensitive to outliers, and the data ignore certain institutions. The critique expounds on special issues with discrete data on regime type so that scholars make more informed choices and are better able to compare results. The mixed-methods assessment of discrete data on regime type demonstrates the importance of proper concept formation in theory testing. Maximizing the impact of such data requires the scholar to make more theoretically informed choices.
Exogenous Shocks and Democratic Accountability
Authors: Remmer Karen L.
Published: June 2013

This study attempts to contribute to the growing debate over democratic accountability by focusing on the electoral impact of natural disasters and economic crises in the Caribbean. Although largely ignored by political science, the polities in the region share a long history of democratic governance as well as extreme vulnerability to adverse weather conditions and global economic fluctuations. The Caribbean thus offers unusually fertile opportunities for research on the capacity of voters to make rational electoral decisions. Two key questions are addressed. First, to what extent do citizens of the Caribbean punish incumbents for exogenous economic and climatic shocks? Second, what factors, if any, help to insulate democratic leaders from blame for conditions largely outside their control? Contrary to recent research on natural disasters and economic downturns in other contexts, the analysis provides no evidence that voting in the Caribbean has been characterized by systematic attribution errors or electoral myopia. The pattern of citizen attribution of responsibility to policy makers, however, has varied significantly with national independence and political scale.
Ukukipita (Cohabiting): Socio-Cultural Constraints in Urban Zulu Society
Authors: Posel Dorrit , Rudwick Stephanie
Published: June 2013

In South Africa non-marital cohabitation rates among Africans remain low, and particularly in the context of very low marriage rates. Through qualitative interviews with urban isiZulu-speakers we explore attitudes towards ukukipita (cohabiting) in contemporary Zulu society. These in-depth interviews capture the meanings associated with non-marital cohabitation and they provide insights into why cohabitation is widely viewed as unacceptable in Zulu society unless the man has initiated ilobolo (bridewealth) negotiations and concrete marriage plans are in place. Cohabitation without ilobolo payment is widely interpreted as akin to behaving disrespectfully towards Zulu culture and tradition, the immediate family and the Zulu community more broadly.
Honoring the Ancestors
Authors: Clark Adam
Published: June 2013

This article puts forth an argument for Afrocentric orientation in Black theology. First-generation Black theologians used the civil rights and Black power movements as primary sources for a theology of liberation. This article explores Afrocentricity as a moral resource for a new generation of Black pastors and theological scholars in carving out a theology of liberation from their own history and culture. The dialogue between Afrocentricity and Christian faith is not without pitfalls. Some Black churches argue that Afrocentricity is a hostile diversion from faith in Jesus Christ. Afrocentrists, in the main, claim that Christianity is irredeemably Eurocentric; it stunts the development of people of African descent. Building on the works of James Cone, Molefi Asante, and Maulana Karenga, I argue for a concept of double belonging; one can be nurtured by and belong to African and Christian traditions at the same time. I conclude with a brief discussion of the liberatory significance of Afrocentricity for the Black church.
Diverging Interests
Authors: Palmer Robert T. , Wood J. Luke , Spencer Dorsey
Published: June 2013

The United States has sought to racially diversify its public colleges since 1964. Laws have been implemented and court challenges have occurred to facilitate the racial diversification of public universities. Racially diversifying higher education is particularly important for states that have a desegregation agreement with Office for Civil Rights for operating policies traceable to de jure segregation. Although many states have used affirmative action to diversify their colleges, as these policies continue to be attacked and prohibited, colleges are abandoning race-sensitive policies to foster diversity. This article explains these diverging issues and offers recommendations for universities that are legally able to use affirmative action to diversify their campuses but are apprehensive about doing so because of litigation concerns.
Restoring Africa’s Heartland
Authors: Kunnie Julian E.
Published: June 2013

This article will examine the issue of the environmental devastation and cultural despoliation of the African continent, rooted in the destruction of the Earth conceptualized in medieval and postmedieval European industrial cultures that viewed the Earth as a commodity for extraction and exploitation. The subsequent industrially induced erasure of forests; decimation of the landscape; pollution of rivers, seaways, and water systems; vitiation of clean air; and the continued subjugation of women has produced a continent now in social, economic, and cultural decay in many respects. The article is concerned with addressing the crisis of environmental degradation, economic underdevelopment, and concomitant disempowerment of women. It painstakingly proposes Indigenous cultural and cosmological approaches in the 21st century as ways of addressing the crisis of environmental despoliation and gender oppression in Africa so that humans and all life on the continent are empowered to live in community and harmony with each other, and conjointly build sustainable socioeconomies that serve the needs of Africa’s people, particularly those who reside in impoverished contexts.
Numerical simulation of reaction injection molding with polyurethane foam
Authors: Samkhaniani Nima , Gharehbaghi Ahmadreza , Ahmadi Zahed
Published: June 2013

In this study, numerical approach for simulation of mold filling is presented. Polyurethane foam formation includes several complex phenomena such as chemical reactions, heat generation and blowing agent evaporation. Foam properties are variable during formation, foam viscosity increases and conductivity reduces. Foam phase is considered compressible and two phases are immiscible. Foam front will be captured by volume of fluid and appropriate governing equations will be implemented in OpenFOAM. This study prepares a numerical model to reduce several experimental runs with expensive prototypes for mold design.
Patient Stratification for Preventive Care in Dentistry
Authors: Giannobile W.V. , Braun T.M. , Caplis A.K. , Doucette-Stamm L. , Duff G.W. , Kornman K.S.
Published: June 2013

Prevention reduces tooth loss, but little evidence supports biannual preventive care for all adults. We used risk-based approaches to test tooth loss association with 1 vs. 2 annual preventive visits in high-risk (HiR) and low-risk (LoR) patients. Insurance claims for 16 years for 5,117 adults were evaluated retrospectively for tooth extraction events. Patients were classified as HiR for progressive periodontitis if they had ≥ 1 of the risk factors (RFs) smoking, diabetes, interleukin-1 genotype; or as LoR if no RFs. LoR event rates were 13.8% and 16.4% for 2 or 1 annual preventive visits (absolute risk reduction, 2.6%; 95%CI, 0.5% to 5.8%; p = .092). HiR event rates were 16.9% and 22.1% for 2 and 1 preventive visits (absolute risk reduction, 5.2%; 95%CI, 1.8% to 8.4%; p = .002). Increasing RFs increased events ( p < .001). Oral health care costs were not increased by any single RF, regardless of prevention frequency ( p > .41), but multiple RFs increased costs vs. no ( p < .001) or 1 RF ( p = .001). For LoR individuals, the association between preventive dental visits and tooth loss was not significantly different whether the frequency was once or twice annually. A personalized medicine approach combining gene biomarkers with conventional risk factors to stratify populations may be useful in resource allocation for preventive dentistry (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01584479).
Can seeds help mice with the daily grind?
Authors: Pritchett-Corning KR , Keefe R , Garner JP , Gaskill BN
Published: June 2013

Some laboratory mice gnaw food pellets without ingesting much of the gnawed material, resulting in the production of waste material called ‘orts’. The fact that this food grinding behavior is not seen in all individuals of a particular strain suggests that it might be abnormal, and thus indicate a welfare concern. Furthermore, the increased rate of feed consumption and cage soiling is undesirable from a husbandry perspective. To try to determine possible motivations for the behavior, and identify potential treatments, outbred Crl:CD1(Icr) mice exhibiting food grinding were selected for one of three treatments placed in the feeder: no enrichment, a chewing device, or sunflower seeds. Both enrichment groups showed a significant decrease ( P < 0.05) in ort production when compared with baseline measurements, but only mice provided with sunflower seeds maintained the decreased rate of food wastage after the treatment was withdrawn. A relationship between body weight and ort production was also found, in that cages with greater average body weights had lower levels of ort production. This suggests that a simple need to gnaw cannot alone explain food grinding, and that a nutritional motivation may also be involved.
Interpreting Young Women’s Accounts of Drink Spiking: The Need for a Gendered Understanding of the Fear and Reality of Sexual Violence
Authors: Brooks Oona
Published: June 2013

In recent years the public discourse around drink spiking has evolved from that of an ‘epidemic’ to an ‘urban myth’. This article examines the narratives of 35 young women interviewed in relation to the contested issue of drink spiking. The suggestion that young women invoke the drink spiking discourse to provide a feminine framework for the masculine practice of binge drinking is challenged. It is argued that, on the contrary, young women’s accounts of drink spiking are characterised by uncertainty, minimisation, self-blame and a reluctance to disclose their experiences. Further, young women’s fear of drink spiking represents a contemporary extension of the conventional gendered fear of sexual violence. Hence a gendered lens, sensitive to the fear and reality of sexual violence, is a prerequisite to a nuanced interpretation of young women’s accounts of drink spiking within the sexualised environment of the night-time economy.
Multi-drug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Kassala State, Eastern Sudan
Authors: Abdul-Aziz Ahmed A , Elhassan Mogahid M , Abdulsalam Salma A , Mohammed Eman O , Hamid Mohamed E
Published: June 2013

This study investigates the prevalence of drug resistance and mutations in rpoB gene among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Kassala State, Sudan. In a cross-sectional study during 2011, sputum specimens ( n = 90) were examined microscopically and grown cultures were identified by analysing IS6110 insertion sequence. Antimicrobial sensitivity and mutations in the rpoB gene were determined. Of the 90 specimens found which were positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), 65 (72.2%) showed growth of mycobacteria. Sixty (66.7%) of these were M. tuberculosis, 5 (5.6%) were rapidly growing mycobacteria and 10 (11.1%) revealed no growth. Of the 60 M. tuberculosis, 31 (51.7%) were drug resistant, including 18 multidrug resistant TB (30%), and 15 (83.3%) demonstrated mutations in the rpoB gene. Isoniazid and rifampicin revealed the highest resistance rates (64.5%, 61.3%, respectively). In conclusion, drug resistance M. tuberculosis in Kassala State was high (30%) and was found to be mainly (83.3%) due to mutations in the rpoB gene.
Sonographic response in the liver and urinary bladder of children 14 months after treatment for schistosomiasis
Authors: Strahan Rodney , McAdam David , Schneider Michal E
Published: June 2013

After praziquantel treatment for schistosomiasis, parasitological cure rates of 60%–90% are usual. Does this response to treatment correlate with the improvement in liver and bladder changes seen on ultrasound in children? This study shows that ultrasound is an effective way to evaluate liver and bladder changes caused by schistosomiasis infection in children and to assess treatment effects after mass treatment programmes.
Atypical small bowel obstruction following repair of inguinal hernia: a case of intestinal stenosis of Garre
Authors: Weledji Elroy P , Theophile Nana
Published: June 2013

We report an atypical case of small bowel obstruction 10 days after the repair of an inguinal hernia that had been recurrently reduced. A preoperative diagnosis of the rare intestinal stenosis of Garre is difficult, and was based on the clinical, operative and pathological findings. Forced reduction of a hernia is not recommended because of the risk of rendering its contents ischaemic with subsequent fibrotic stenosis, or reducing a strangulated bowel into the abdominal cavity with subsequent perforation and peritonitis.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients With Neuromuscular Diseases With Chronic Respiratory Failure
Authors: Badireddi Sridhar , Bercher Anita J. , Holder Jason B. , Mireles‐Cabodevila Eduardo
Published: June 2013

Background: The prevalence and clinical implications of vitamin D deficiency have never been studied in patients with underlying neuromuscular diseases complicated with chronic respiratory failure. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, its relationship with other bone markers, and mode of nutrition. Materials and Methods: Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels along with calcium, serum albumin, and phosphorus levels were obtained from 57 patients with chronic respiratory failure due to underlying neuromuscular diseases. These levels were obtained during their first visit to a chronic respiratory diseases clinic. Data with regard to nutrition, respiratory muscle function, and level of mobility were also obtained at the same time. Results: Seventy‐five percent of patients had serum 25(OH)D levels ≤30 ng/mL. There is a negative correlation between parathyroid hormone and 25(OH)D levels (P = .006) and corrected calcium levels (P = .066). Serum 25(OH)D levels varied with the mode of nutrition. Patients on enteral nutrition had the highest serum levels of 25(OH)D, whereas combined oral and tube feeds had the lowest 25(OH)D levels (P = .006). Conclusion: Low serum 25(OH)D levels are highly prevalent in patients with neuromuscular disease and chronic respiratory failure. The route of nutrition has an impact on these levels.
The Many Futures of Contracts
Authors: Schepker Donald J. , Oh Won-Yong , Martynov Aleksey , Poppo Laura
Published: June 2013

In this article, we review the literature on interfirm contracting in an effort to synthesize existing research and direct future scholarship. While transaction cost economics (TCE) is the most prominent perspective informing the “optimal governance” and “safeguarding” function of contracts, our review indicates other perspectives are necessary to understand how contracts are structured: relational capabilities (i.e., building cooperation, creating trust), firm capabilities, relational contracts, and the real option value of a contract. Our review also indicates that contract research is moving away from a narrow focus on contract structure and its safeguarding function toward a broader focus that also highlights adaptation and coordination. We end by noting the following research gaps: consequences of contracting, specifically outcome assessment; strategic options, decision rights, and the evolution of dynamic capabilities; contextual constraints of relational capabilities; contextual constraints of contracting capabilities; complements, substitutes, and bundles; and contract structure and social process.
Competing risks and deposit insurance governance convergence
Authors: Gandrud Christopher
Published: June 2013

Why do policies often seem to converge across countries at the same time? This question has been studied extensively in the diffusion literature. However, past research has not examined complex choice environments, especially where there are many alternatives. This article fills this gap in the literature. I show how Fine and Gray’s Competing Risks Event History Analysis can be used to tease apart the causes of policy convergence. I apply the method to an examination of the reasons why, from the mid-1990s to 2007, many countries created independent deposit insurers. I find an interaction between international recommendations and regional peers’ choices, particularly in the European Union. However, convergence appears to slow under the particular conditions of a banking crisis, regardless of how well independence is promoted. Possibly due to electoral incentives, democracies seem to have been more likely to create independent insurers. Ultimately, I demonstrate how competing risks analysis can help enable future research on policy choices, complementing methods previously applied in political economy.
The impact of institutional decentralization on protest in Western Europe
Authors: Quaranta Mario
Published: June 2013

There are many explanations for variation in political protest. However, they have not focused sufficiently on institutions and the influence the latter exert on protest. This article, by using multilevel analysis and cross-national survey data, suggests that political protest depends on the level of institutional decentralization. In fact, decentralization increases the number of state actors, implies a multiplication of access points to the political system, and provides greater chances of influencing the decision-making process. Furthermore, it is shown that the effect of mobilizing agencies, such as political parties and trade unions, also depends on the level of decentralization.
Impact of Individual Personality on Turnover Intention
Authors: Jeswani Saket , Dave Sumita
Published: June 2013

The study is conducted to examine the main effects of personality of faculty members of technical educational institutes of India on their turnover intentions. Five antecedents of personality were identified using Personality Big-Five Factors ( Goldberg, 1981 ). 13-item instrument was generated using Turnover Intention Scale and Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Questionnaire was designed and administered online to collect data from sample of 261 faculty members using non-probabilistic convenience sampling method. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was used to determine construct validity and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha to determine the scale internal consistency. Regression analysis was used to determine the causal relationship between the antecedents of personality and turnover intention. The results revealed that both extraversion and agreeableness has inverse significant impact on turnover intention. The study suggest management should adopt appropriate strategies and enhance human resource practices that lead to positive personality traits which lead to increased retention of faculty members.
Relationship between Team Member Personality and Team Cohesion
Authors: Aeron Sapnaa , Pathak Suman
Published: June 2013

In this study, the authors investigated the relationship between personality characteristics of team members and two distinct aspects of team cohesion: ( i) task cohesion and ( ii) social cohesion. Information technology professionals were assessed on a broad range of traits organized around the framework of the Big Five personality factors. Across the set of Big Five traits, agreeableness was positively related to task cohesion and extraversion to social cohesion. As expected, neuroticism was negatively related to both task and social cohesion. Contrary to the expectations, one other personality construct, conscientiousness, was unrelated to task cohesion at the individual level. The implications of these findings and future research needs are discussed.
Zootechnologies: Swarming as a Cultural Technique
Authors: Vehlken Sebastian
Published: June 2013

This contribution examines the media history of swarm research and the significance of swarming techniques to current socio-technological processes. It explores how the procedures of swarm intelligence should be understood in relation to the concept of cultural techniques. This brings the concept into proximity with recent debates in posthuman (media) theory, animal studies and software studies. Swarms are conceptualized as zootechnologies that resist methods of analytical investigation. Synthetic swarms first emerged as operational collective structures by means of the reciprocal computerization of biology and biologization of computer science. In a recursive loop, swarms inspired agent-based modelling, which in turn provided biological researchers with enduring knowledge about dynamic collectives. This conglomerate led to the development of advanced, software-based ‘particle systems’. Swarm intelligence has become a fundamental cultural technique related to dynamic processes and an effective metaphor for the collaborative efforts of society.
Technology as Fetish: Marx, Latour, and the Cultural Foundations of Capitalism
Authors: Hornborg Alf
Published: June 2013

This article discusses how the way in which post-Enlightenment humans tend to relate to material objects is a fundamental aspect of modern capitalism. The difficulties that conventional academic disciplines have in grasping the societal and political aspect of ‘technology’ stem from the predominant Cartesian paradigm that distinguishes the domain of material objects from that of social relations of exchange. This Cartesian paradigm has constrained the Marxian analysis of capital accumulation from extending the concept of fetishism to the domain of technology. Both Marxian and mainstream thought represent technological objects as empowered by their intrinsic properties, which derive from human ingenuity and tend to progress over time. To transcend this paradigm will be possible only through the kind of post-Cartesian perspective on material artefacts that has been championed by Bruno Latour. However, Latour’s own neglect of technological systems as social strategies of exploitation reflects his lack of concern with global inequalities.
TV programming in times of changing political communication: A longitudinal analysis of the political information environment
Authors: van Santen Rosa , Vliegenthart Rens
Published: June 2013

Debate about the quantity of political information often tends to evaluate television negatively since it became a widely used mass medium. Systematic data on the supply and proportion of political information on television, however, are scarce. This research fills this gap by presenting a longitudinal analysis of broadcast time for political information. The authors examine specifically how time spent on the broad categories of information, infotainment and entertainment on television in the Netherlands has evolved from 1957 to 2006. Results show that over time both public and commercial broadcasters have dedicated more time to information programming, but these programmes have moved out of prime time, especially on commercial channels. Overall, time spent on entertainment has gone down, contrary to expectations, while time for infotainment programmes has gone up, in concordance with existing beliefs.
Corporate media work and micro-dynamics of mediatization
Authors: Pallas Josef , Fredriksson Magnus
Published: June 2013

Recent analysis of interactions and relations between media, individuals and organizations is commonly based on the notion of mediatization. Research in journalism and media studies, political studies as well as business studies has explored mediatization as prevailing transformation influencing communication activities of individuals as well as organizations. In the field of organizational studies an increasing interest has been paid to the mediatized settings in which organizations conduct their activities. But despite the growing interest we still lack a sufficient understanding of the inner dynamics of these processes. Contemporary research often focuses on the effects of mediatization and, therefore, relatively little is known about how agents are involved in the creation, maintenance, reshaping and interruption of the institutional properties of mediatization. This article seeks to examine the dynamics of mediatization and how it is shaped, reproduced and reshaped through activities of individual corporations. The aim of the article is to show how mediatization evokes processes of skilful and purposeful activities of actors involved in the creation, maintenance and disturbance of the shared rules, norms and practices that guide organizations in their effort to deal with media-related issues. The article, therefore, goes beyond examining the media activities of individual organizations as a result of mediatization, and focuses on these activities as a constituent of the processes in which mediatization is reconstructed and enacted. The analysis is based on a study of 13 Swedish publicly listed corporations and their media activities. The material was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant observations.
The impact of connectivity technology on home-based business venturing: The case of women in the North East of England
Authors: Wynarczyk Pooran , Graham Jayne
Published: June 2013

This article aims to assess the extent to which connectivity technology has contributed to home-based business activities of women in the North East of England. Based on an empirical survey of 98 women-owned home-based businesses, the article concludes that technology has reframed the concept of ‘home economics’, providing an effective medium for engaging women in the labour market. The article argues that home-based business venturing needs to be further promoted via appropriate policy channels and support networks as a viable and serious employment opportunity, as well as a solution to dual-role conflict experienced by some women who may otherwise be deterred from playing active roles in the local and regional economic development.
Numerical simulation research on curing process of composite overwrap considering a die model
Authors: Jiazhong Xu , Ying Yu , Ming Qiao , Xue Wang , Bo You
Published: June 2013

During curing process of composite overwrap the die shows a significant influence on the temperature field, curing degree distribution, and curing deformation. The curing process can thus not be accurately simulated without a die. In this paper, a model of the composite overwrap with a die and two models without dies were respectively created. The finite element method was employed to solve the equations for describing the thermo-chemical model coupled with the cure kinetic model. The validity of the simulation was experimentally verified. The temperature distribution and the curing degree field of the composite overwrap were outlined and the effect of the die on the curing process was evaluated for each model. With the aid of the thermal analysis, the curing deformation as a result of the thermo-chemical shrinkage was presented and the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the composite overwrap and the die was illustrated. The effect of the stacking sequence of multi-layers on the curing deformation of the composite overwrap was also evaluated, taking into account the changes in the resin properties during the curing process.
Transversal flow-induced deformation of fibres during composites manufacturing and the effect on permeability
Authors: Lundström TS , Hellström J Gunnar I , Frishfelds Vilnis
Published: June 2013

Low Reynolds number flow of a viscous fluid through bundles in non-crimp stitched fabrics is considered for different arrangements of the fibres within the bundles. Using a previous derived model, two-dimensional Navier–Stokes solutions are sampled for the flow between a few fibres with a subsequent minimisation of the dissipation rate in the total system of fibres. Based on the detailed geometry of the fabrics flow induced elastic deformations of the fibre bundles are then derived and the overall permeability is computed for different pressure gradients. The permeability of random arrays of a large number of as well mono-dispersed as poly-dispersed fibres increases as the flow-induced deformation increases and despite the relative shift of the fibres is small the overall change in permeability is essential. For a system with gaps between bundles the change in permeability depends on the orientation of the flow field with respect to the geometry studied while for a regular packing the alteration in permeability is negligible.
Experimental study on dynamic mechanical properties of reinforced concrete column
Authors: Wang Debin , Li Hong-Nan , Li Gang
Published: June 2013

This article focuses on the study of the mechanical properties of the reinforced concrete columns with different specifications under different loading rates. The dynamic properties of the reinforced concrete column under bidirectional loading conditions are investigated as well. The initial stiffness, stiffness degradation, strength degradation, ductility, ultimate resistance capacity, yield resistance capacity, energy absorption and damage of members are analyzed according to experimental results. Based on the above analyses, some significant conclusions are obtained for engineering practice.
Determination of fossil carbon content in Swedish waste fuel by four different methods
Authors: Jones Frida C , Blomqvist Evalena W , Bisaillon Mattias , Lindberg Daniel K , Hupa Mikko
Published: June 2013

This study aimed to determine the content of fossil carbon in waste combusted in Sweden by using four different methods at seven geographically spread combustion plants. In total, the measurement campaign included 42 solid samples, 21 flue gas samples, 3 sorting analyses and 2 investigations using the balance method. The fossil carbon content in the solid samples and in the flue gas samples was determined using 14C-analysis. From the analyses it was concluded that about a third of the carbon in mixed Swedish waste (municipal solid waste and industrial waste collected at Swedish industry sites) is fossil. The two other methods (the balance method and calculations from sorting analyses), based on assumptions and calculations, gave similar results in the plants in which they were used. Furthermore, the results indicate that the difference between samples containing as much as 80% industrial waste and samples consisting of solely municipal solid waste was not as large as expected. Besides investigating the fossil content of the waste, the project was also established to investigate the usability of various methods. However, it is difficult to directly compare the different methods used in this project because besides the estimation of emitted fossil carbon the methods provide other information, which is valuable to the plant owner. Therefore, the choice of method can also be controlled by factors other than direct determination of the fossil fuel emissions when considering implementation in the combustion plants.
Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy for Enterally Fed Patients With Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Nicolo Michele , Stratton Kathleen W. , Rooney Wanda , Boullata Joseph
Published: June 2013

Administration of pancreatic enzymes (pancrelipase) to adult patients with cystic fibrosis when receiving enteral nutrition through a feeding tube is challenging. A number of techniques for preparing and administering the drug may result in complications that include feeding tube occlusion and inadequate enzyme delivery to the patient. A series of inpatient encounters is described.
Critical Care in Patients Undergoing Lumbar Spine Fusion
Authors: Memtsoudis Stavros G. , Stundner Ottokar , Sun Xuming , Chiu Ya-Lin , Ma Yan , Fleischut Peter , Kerr Gregory E. , Girardi Federico P. , Walz J. Matthias
Published: June 2013

Background:

Data on the utilization of critical care services (CCSs) among patients who underwent spine fusion are rare. Given the increasing popularity of this procedure, information regarding demographics and risk factors for the use of these advanced services is needed in order to appropriately allocate resources, educate clinical staff, and identify targets for future research.

Methods:

We analyzed hospital discharge data of patients who underwent lumbar spine fusion in approximately 400 US hospitals between 2006 and 2010. Patient, procedure, and health care system-related demographics for those requiring CCS were compared to those who did not. Outcomes such as mortality, complications, disposition status, and hospital charges were compared among groups and risk factors for the utilization of CCS identified.

Results:

A total of 95 434 entries of patients who underwent posterior lumbar spine fusion surgery between 2006 and 2010 were identified. Approximately 10% of the patients required CCS. On average, patients requiring CCS were older and had a higher comorbidity burden, developed more complications, had longer hospital stays and higher costs, and were less likely to be discharged home compared to non-CCS patients. Risk factors with increased odds for requiring CCS included advanced age, increasing comorbidity burden, increasing surgical invasiveness, and presence of postoperative complications, especially pulmonary.

Conclusions:

Approximately, 10% of the patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery require CCS. Utilizing the present data, critical care physicians and administrators can identify patients at risk, educate clinical staff, identify targets for intervention, and allocate resources to meet the needs of this particular patient population.
Analytical method for optimal component tolerances based on manufacturing cost and quality loss
Authors: Liu Shao-Gang , Jin Qiu , Liu Chao , Xie Rui-Jian
Published: June 2013

Optimal component tolerances can reduce product cost and improve enterprise competitiveness. In order to obtain optimal tolerances accurately and efficiently, analytical methods are applied to solve tolerance optimization model. In this article, both manufacturing cost and quality loss are included in the total cost, and two kinds of constraints, including assembly tolerance constraint and process accuracy constraints, are considered in the tolerance optimization model. In order to allocate the optimal tolerances among the related components, the following procedure is presented. First, the two kinds of constraints are ignored, and analytical method is applied to find the initial values of component tolerances. If the initial component tolerances cannot satisfy assembly tolerance constraint, the Lagrange multiplier method is executed and the Lambert W function is applied to solve the corresponding equations to obtain the new values of component tolerances. Then, process accuracy constraints are satisfied through the adjustment of component tolerances. Finally, an example is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method proposed in this article.
Disciplining the Dasi: Cintamani and the Politics of a New Sexual Economy
Authors: Kaali Sundar
Published: June 2013

This article analyzes the representation of the figure of the dasi in early Tamil film. Against the backdrop of the abolition of the devadasi system in the Madras Presidency and the reformist activity associated with it, the article attempts to look at how the figure of the dasi underwent a strong repression in the cinematic discourses of the 1930s and 1940s. This was part of nationalist modernity, a project that sought to secure a new sexual economy in which the dasi was eventually narrativized out of Tamil film and pushed to the cultural margins of Tamil society. The article focuses on one film, Cintamani or Bilvamangal (1937) and shows how in this text the repression of the figure of the dasi was accompanied by an irruption of the real, the “uncanny.” It argues that there existed a nexus between sexuality and vision in early Tamil film, and that cinema itself acted as a safeguard against the trouble of the excessive sexuality embodied in the dasi.