bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“With New Eyes”: Toward Advancing the Commitment of the World Council of Churches to Justice and Peace in Africa
Authors: Okpaleke Ikenna Paschal
Published: November 2018

In commemorating 70 years of the existence of the World Council of Churches (WCC), especially its global commitment to promoting justice and peace, there is need to enhance its work especially in Africa. While acknowledging and appraising the WCC’s efforts, this article suggests that the challenging case of Africa requires we seek and deploy fresh insights. This essay identifies poor ecumenical relations among churches in Africa as a key obstacle to the WCC’s effort. However, it argues that the principles of dialogue espoused by Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium could serve as powerful resources for the WCC in reimagining an ecumenical Africa that is committed to justice and peace.
Koinonia as Relation and Service in Ecumenical Dialogue
Authors: Zenoviu Bot Lucian
Published: November 2018

The concept of koinonia has been used in a wide range of Faith and Order studies and conferences since the 1980s. This article examines how such multilateral dialogue has used the notion of koinonia in relation to ecclesiology with a view to full visible eucharistic fellowship, exploring this dialogue in relation to koinonia and asking how close churches have come in building consensus around the notion. It then goes on to consider two aspects of koinonia: koinonia as relation and koinonia as service, and the concluding section draws out issues for further consideration within ecumenical dialogue.
”A Bold Enterprise”: The Ecumenical Review and the Beginnings of the World Council of Churches
Authors: Brown Stephen G.
Published: November 2018

The need for an “authoritative, Christian, ecumenical review” to serve as a platform for the nascent ecumenical movement was one of the elements of the proposals to bring together the movements on Faith and Order and Life and Work to form a single World Council of Churches (WCC). This article traces the main stages in creating such an ecumenical journal from the Oxford and Edinburgh conferences of 1937 to the launch of The Ecumenical Review immediately before the founding assembly of the WCC in Amsterdam in 1948, and the particular role played in this by Willem A. Visser ’t Hooft, the WCC’s first general secretary.
Genotype‐aggregated planting improves yield in Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) due to self/non‐self‐discrimination
Authors: Fukano Yuya , Guo Wei , Noshita Koji , Hashida Shoko , Kamikawa Shotaka
Published: November 2018

Accumulating evidence indicates that plants are capable of self/non‐self and kin/stranger discrimination. Plants increase biomass of and resource allocation to roots when they encounter roots of conspecific non‐self‐neighbors, but not when they encounter self roots. Root proliferation usually occurs at the expense of reproductive investment. Therefore, if clonal crops are capable of self/non‐self‐discrimination, spatially aggregated planting with seedlings of the same genotype may decrease root proliferation and produce a higher yield than planting without considering seedling genotype. To test this idea, we grew Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) in pot and field conditions and examined self/non‐self‐discrimination and the effectiveness of genotype‐aggregated planting. Plants grown in self pairs allocated less to root biomass than plants grown in non‐self pairs in both pot and field conditions; in field conditions, the self pairs produced 40% more tubers by weight than the non‐self pairs. When six sprouts from seed tuber of two different genotypes were grown together, with the two genotypes planted aggregately (AGG) or alternately (ALT), plants in the AGG group produced 14% more tubers than plants in the ALT group. These results suggest that spatial aggregation of genotypes increases tuber production in H. tuberosus. Because we found no evidence for trade‐offs between root biomass and tuber production, suppression of root proliferation may not be the only mechanism behind the benefits of genotype aggregation. By applying the concept of self/non‐self‐discrimination, farmers can increase crop production without additional external inputs or expansion of agricultural land use.
Vitrification of equine expanded blastocysts following puncture with or without aspiration of the blastocoele fluid
Authors: Wilsher S. , Rigali F. , Couto G. , Camargo S. , Allen W. R.
Published: November 2018

Background

Historically, cryopreservation of equine embryos >300 μm gave poor pregnancy rates until researchers collapsed the blastocoele cavity and aspirated the blastocoele fluid prior to vitrification.

Objective

To determine if aspiration of the blastocoele fluid prior to vitrification is essential for post warming survival.

Study design

In vivo experiments.

Methods

Fifty embryos were recovered on day 7–8 and washed in holding medium (HM; M‐199HEPES + 20% FBS + antibiotics). Embryos were punctured using a micromanipulator mounted 30 μm biopsy needle; following this 28 had >90% of their blastocoelic fluid actively aspirated while the remaining 22 were not‐aspirated. Embryos were then vitrified using a two‐step process with increasing concentrations of DMSO and ethylene glycol (7.5–15% v:v), and 0.5 mol/L sucrose in the final solution before being loaded onto a Cryolock device and plunged into liquid nitrogen. The embryos were warmed by plunging the Cryolock tip into HM with 1 mol/L sucrose at 37°C. After 1 min, the embryos were transferred to HM + 0.5 mol/L sucrose at RT for 4 min before transfer into HM for a further 4 min prior to transfer to a recipient mare.

Results

Mean (±s.e.) embryo diameter was not significantly different between the punctured and punctured plus aspirated group (646.4 ± 61.7 vs. 754.8 ± 59.1 μm, respectively; P = 0.215). Nonaspirated and aspirated embryos gave pregnancy rates of 10/22 (45%) and 21/28 (75%) respectively (P = 0.061). Sub‐dividing embryos on the basis of size showed that vitrification of larger embryos (>550 μm) yielded a significantly higher pregnancy rate when they were aspirated vs. not‐aspirated (13/18 [72%] vs. 1/10 [10%], respectively; P = 0.006), whereas there was no difference for smaller embryos (8/10 [80%] vs. 9/12 [75%], respectively; P = 0.8).

Main limitations

Group sizes are limited.

Conclusion

Aspiration of blastocoele fluid from embryos ≤550 μm is not a pre‐requisite for successful vitrification.

The Summary is available in Spanish – see Supporting Information
Spatial structures and temporal patterns of purse seine fishing effort in the NW Mediterranean Sea estimated using VMS data
Authors: Quattrocchi Federico , Maynou Francesc
Published: November 2018

Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) represent a tool that can provide information on the spatial and temporal distribution of fishing activity and a quantitative evaluation of the fishing effort at both spatial and temporal scales. The aim of this study was to characterise the spatio‐temporal structure of the Catalan purse seiner fishing effort directed towards anchovy or sardine, which was estimated by filtering VMS data (from 2012 to 2014) by species and seasons. The results showed that the mean location of the fishing effort directed towards anchovy did not vary among the summer seasons, in contrast to the efforts in spring and autumn, whereas the mean location of the effort directed towards sardine was constant over the seasons. The concentration curves indicated that similar fishing effort patterns occurred during all seasons when directed towards sardine, whereas the effort directed towards anchovy was more concentrated in summer. The ranges of the variograms indicated that the fishing effort directed towards both species formed patches. The dimensions of these patches changed from season to season, with the smallest magnitudes during the summer seasons. In this study, a seasonal distribution pattern of the fishing efforts was recognised that adequately captured the features of the distributions of small pelagic populations.
Surface‐water availability governs survival of an amphibian in arid mountain streams
Authors: Zylstra Erin R. , Swann Don E. , Steidl Robert J.
Published: November 2018

Declines in amphibian populations worldwide have been linked to multiple factors, including recent changes in climate. Changes in precipitation, for example, can alter the availability of aquatic resources that are required by many amphibians for successful reproduction and larval development.

Changes in climate have the potential to affect other important demographic parameters, particularly for species that are active year‐round. Therefore, we studied survival of post‐metamorphic (snout‐vent length ≥50 mm) lowland leopard frogs (Lithobates yavapaiensis) in arid mountain canyons, where surface water is limited and its availability can vary markedly within and among years.

Between 2013 and 2015, we surveyed frogs 33–74 times in each of six stream reaches distributed across two catchments in southern Arizona and used capture–recapture methods based on in situ photographs to identify individuals. We used Cormack–Jolly–Seber models to explore how surface‐water availability, weather and vegetation influenced seasonal variation in apparent survival of post‐metamorphic individuals.

Overall, mean annual apparent survival in this dynamic, arid environment was low ( = 0.11, 95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.14). Survival varied with ambient temperature, dew point, perimeter groundcover and year, but especially with changes in surface‐water availability. When water levels were at or near 100% of maximum pool depths, mean monthly survival was high ( ≥ 0.88); when water levels were at 50%, survival decreased modestly ( = 0.81) and when at 20%, survival dropped sharply ( = 0.36).

A decrease in survival of post‐metamorphic frogs in response to severe drought almost certainly contributed to the extirpation of frogs from one catchment in 2015. We anticipate that predicted increases in frequency and severity of drought will decrease the probability that lowland leopard frogs persist in this region over the long‐term, as droughts are expected to increase local extirpations and limit the ability of individuals to disperse through an increasingly arid landscape.
Developing quality criteria for patient‐directed knowledge tools related to clinical practice guidelines. A development and consensus study
Authors: van der Weijden Trudy , Dreesens Dunja , Faber Marjan J. , Bos Nanne , Drenthen Ton , Maas Ingrid , Kersten Sonja , Malanda Uriëll , van der Scheur Sander , Post Heleen , Knops Anouk
Published: November 2018

Background

Patient‐directed knowledge tools such as patient versions of guidelines and patient decision aids are increasingly developed to facilitate shared decision making. In this paper, we report how consensus was reached within the Netherlands on quality criteria for development, content and governance of these tools.

Method

A 12‐month development and consensus study. The consortium worked on four work packages: (a) reviewing existing criteria; (b) drafting the quality criteria; (c) safe‐guarding the acceptability and feasibility of the draft criteria by participatory research in on‐going tool development projects; and (d) gaining formal support from national stakeholders on the quality criteria.

Results

We reached consensus on a 8‐step guidance; describing minimal quality criteria for (a) the team composition; (b) setting the scope; (c) identifying needs; (d) the content and format; (e) testing the draft; (f) finalizing and approval; (g) dissemination and application, and (h) ownership and revision. The participants of the on‐going tool development projects were positive about the quality criteria in general, but divided as to the degree of detail. Whereas some expressed a clear desire for procedural standards, others felt that it would be sufficient to provide only general directions. Despite the different views as to the degree of detail, consensus was reached in three stakeholder meetings.

Discussion

We successfully collaborated with all stakeholders and achieved formal support from national stakeholders on a set of minimum criteria for the development process, content and governance of patient‐directed knowledge tools.
Dirty Hands, the Scapegoat, and the Collective Responsibility of Religious Communities
Authors: Untea Ionut
Published: November 2018

The article connects the debates surrounding the problem of dirty hands with those regarding collective responsibility, mainly via René Girard’s scapegoat mechanism and his view on mimetic violence. By virtue of the distinction between group intentions and individual pre‐reflective intentions, the article will explore the notion that groups are morally responsible for acts accomplished with dirty hands, and whether individual participants in group actions are also responsible. Moreover, the article introduces a reflection on the collective shame of a larger community for what only a small group has done in its name. In a religious framework of thought, both the idea of a limited individual responsibility and that of collective guilt are valuable for furthering the dialogue on religious reconciliation.
Atopic dermatitis: the relationship to temperature and seasonality in the United States
Authors: Fleischer Alan B.
Published: November 2018

Background

Climatologic factors may affect atopic dermatitis (AD), and there have been few explorations into this topic. Because of its size, the United States (US) has a broad range of climates. The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between ambulatory office visits physicians for AD with temperature and season.

Methods

US region‐specific satellite‐derived data air temperature from the North America Land Data Assimilation System from 1993 to 2011 were studied in relation with ambulatory AD visits to all physicians from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Results

Over the 19‐year study period, in no regional location in the US is there clear evidence of a winter flare of AD. The greatest numbers of visits occur in May and June, and smaller peaks also occur in January and October. As the ambient air temperature increases, the likelihood of an AD visit rises (P < .0001). In the South, the hottest US climate, summer is responsible for substantially more AD visits. In every other region and the US overall, the largest number of AD visits occur in spring. AD visits appear to display regional variation in comparing the Northeast, South, Midwest, and West.

Conclusions

Increased temperatures predict increased likelihood of AD office visits.
Multi‐centre ethics and research governance review can impede non‐interventional clinical research
Authors: Duplancic Christine , Crough Tania , Bell Scott C. ,   for the Australian Non‐tuberculous Mycobacteria in Cystic Fibrosis Study Group
Published: November 2018

Background

The inter‐jurisdictional National Mutual Acceptance (NMA) scheme for Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approvals of human research is designed to reduce the reported delays and costs of ethical review. Introduction of the NMA set forth an uncoupling of the ethics and governance review processes, permitting a single ethical review for multiple sites, while continuing separate governance review for each centre covering financial and operational aspects of the research project.

Aim

To compare the time required to gain ethics and governance approvals in Australia for a non‐interventional investigator‐led study from December 2015 to approval times for an earlier pre‐NMA study utilising a similar study design and study sites and evaluate the effect that the NMA has had on total approval time for non‐interventional multi‐centre projects.

Methods

We recorded the time taken to obtain ethics and governance approval at 16 sites for our nationwide low‐risk non‐interventional study looking at the prevalence and aetiology of non‐tuberculous mycobacterial infection in people with cystic fibrosis in Australia.

Results

Applications were submitted to three hospitals and one university HREC to conduct our study at 16 hospital sites, HREC approval took from 16 to 79 days (median 28). Subsequent site‐specific governance approval at 15 hospital sites took 23–225 days (median 83). The entire process of gaining ethical and governance approval to conduct the study at 16 sites took 24 months at an estimated cost of AU$56000 (US$ 42 000).

Conclusion

Lengthy governance approval processes negate benefits gained from centralised ethics review under the NMA.
Projection‐Based Inference in Randomised Clinical Trials
Authors: Zhang Biao
Published: November 2018

Covariate information is often available in randomised clinical trials for each subject prior to treatment assignment and is commonly utilised to make covariate adjustment for baseline characteristics predictive of the outcome in order to increase precision and improve power in the detection of a treatment effect. Motivated by a nonparametric covariance analysis, we study a projection approach to making objective covariate adjustment in randomised clinical trials on the basis of two unbiased estimating functions that decouple the outcome and covariate data. The proposed projection approach extends a weighted least‐squares procedure by projecting one of the estimating functions onto the linear subspace spanned by the other estimating function that is E‐ancillary for the average treatment effect. Compared with the weighted least‐squares method, the projection method allows for objective inference on the average treatment effect by exploiting the treatment specific covariate–outcome associations. The resulting projection‐based estimator of the average treatment effect is asymptotically efficient when the treatment‐specific working regression models are correctly specified and is asymptotically more efficient than other existing competitors when the treatment‐specific working regression models are misspecified. The proposed projection method is illustrated by an analysis of data from an HIV clinical trial. In a simulation study, we show that the proposed projection method compares favourably with its competitors in finite samples.
Betulinic acid induces apoptosis and suppresses metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Wang Wei , Wang Yang , Liu Mingxing , Zhang Yifan , Yang Tao , Li Dongsheng , Huang Yinpeng , Li Qing , Bai Guang , Shi Linlin
Published: November 2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a high incidence and mortality malignant tumour globally. Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid with potential pro‐apoptotic activities which widely found in many plants. In this study, we determined the effects of BA on proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis in HCC cell lines and on tumour growth and pulmonary metastasis in mice. The results suggested that BA could inhibit cell viability and proliferation of HCC cell lines including HepG2, LM3, and MHCC97H. In addition, BA induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells characterised condensed nuclei and nuclear fragmentation. Moreover, western blot analysis showed that BA‐induced apoptosis associated with increasing of pro‐apoptotic protein Bax and cleaved caspase‐3 and decreasing of anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐2. Meanwhile, BA also reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Furthermore, BA also significantly inhibited HCC growth in vivo and blocked pulmonary metastasis of HCC by regulating the metastasis‐related proteins including MMP‐2, MMP‐9, and TIMP2 without obvious toxicity. In all, the present study suggested that BA might be a promising anti‐HCC drug candidate by inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and blocking metastasis.
Use of organic acids for preservation and safety of traditional meat products
Authors: Mir Sajad Ahmad , Masoodi Farooq Ahmad
Published: November 2018

The present study was designed to evaluate effect of sodium acetate (SA) on various quality attributes of rista (meat ball). Rista was treated with SA at 1% (SA1), 2% (SA2), and 3% (SA3) level, while as rista without addition of SA acted as control. Treated rista maintained significantly lower (p ≤ .05) value of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and free fatty acid (FFA) value as compared to control rista during storage. SA3 recorded the lowest value of TBARS (0.41 mg MDA/kg) as compared to SA2 (0.65 mg MDA/kg), SA1 (0.87 mg MDA/kg) and control (1.45 mg MDA/kg). The FFA value at the 15 day of storage for control rista was 0.98%, followed by SA1 (0.63%), SA2 (0.51%), and SA3 (0.39%) samples. Total plate count was significantly higher (p  ≤ 0.05) in control (6.82 cfu/g) as compared to SA1 (4.56 cfu/g), SA2 (3.08 cfu/g), and SA3 (2.35 cfu/g).

Practical applications

Spoilage of the traditional meat products is a major challenge in front of meat industry and results huge economic loss. Different preservation techniques are in practice to reduce the spoilage and enhance the safety of these meat products. Use of organic acids/salts as a preservative is one of the options to minimize the spoilage, with least impact on various quality attributes. Application of the organic acids/salts in the traditional meat products needs to be technologically up graded and authenticated.
Cell viability in three ex vivo rat models of spinal cord injury
Authors: Patar Azim , Dockery Peter , Howard Linda , McMahon Siobhan S.
Published: November 2018

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disorder that has a poor prognosis of recovery. Animal models of SCI are useful to understand the pathophysiology of SCI and the potential use of therapeutic strategies for human SCI. Ex vivo models of central nervous system (CNS) trauma, particularly mechanical trauma, have become important tools to complement in vivo models of injury in order to reproduce the sequelae of human CNS injury. Ex vivo organotypic slice cultures (OSCs) provide a reliable model platform for the study of cell dynamics and therapeutic intervention following SCI. In addition, these ex vivo models support the 3R concept of animal use in SCI research – replacement, reduction and refinement. Ex vivo models cannot be used to monitor functional recovery, nor do they have the intact blood supply of the in vivo model systems. However, the ex vivo models appear to reproduce many of the post traumatic events including acute and secondary injury mechanisms. Several well‐established OSC models have been developed over the past few years for experimental spinal injuries ex vivo in order to understand the biological response to injury. In this study, we investigated cell viability in three ex vivo OSC models of SCI: stab injury, transection injury and contusion injury. Injury was inflicted in postnatal day 4 rat spinal cord slices. Stab injury was performed using a needle on transverse slices of spinal cord. Transection injury was performed on longitudinal slices of spinal cord using a double blade technique. Contusion injury was performed on longitudinal slices of spinal cord using an Infinite Horizon impactor device. At days 3 and 10 post‐injury, viability was measured using dual staining for propidium iodide and fluorescein diacetate. In all ex vivo SCI models, the slices showed more live cells than dead cells over 10 days in culture, with higher cell viability in control slices compared with injured slices. Although no change in cell viability was observed between time‐points in stab‐ and contusion‐injured OSCs, a reduction in cell viability was observed over time in transection‐injured OSCs. Taken together, ex vivo SCI models are a useful and reliable research tool that reduces the cost and time involved in carrying out animal studies. The use of OSC models provides a simple way to study the cellular consequences following SCI, and they can also be used to investigate potential therapeutics regimes for the treatment of SCI.
Comparative transcriptomes and development of expressed sequence tag‐simple sequence repeat markers for two closely related oak species
Authors: Sun Jing‐Jing , Zhou Tao , Zhang Rui‐Ting , Jia Yun , Zhao Yue‐Mei , Yang Jia , Zhao Gui‐Fang
Published: November 2018

Quercus species comprise the major genera in the family Fagaceae and they are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Many Quercus species, including several endemics, are distributed in China. Genetic resources have been established for the important genera but few transcriptomes are available for Quercus species in China. In this study, we used Illumina paired‐end sequencing to obtain the transcriptomes of two oak species, Q. liaotungensis Koidz. and Q. mongolica Fisch. ex Turcz. Approximately 24 million reads were generated and then a total of 103 618 unigenes were obtained after assembly for both species. Comparative transcriptome analyses of both species identified a total of 12 981 orthologous contigs. The Ka/Ks estimation and enrichment analysis indicated that 1179 (9.08%) orthologs showed rapid evolution, and most of these orthologs were related to functions comprising “DNA repair”, “response to cold”, and “response to drought”. This findings could provide some insights into how these two closely related Quercus species adapted to extreme environments characterized by aridity and cold. The divergence time (approximately 4.27–5.93 Mya) between the two Quercus species was estimated according to the Ks distribution. Moreover, 16 608 simple sequence repeat loci were detected and 12 363 primer pairs were designed. Subsequently, 158 of the 12 363 primer pairs were randomly selected to test the polymorphisms and 92 of the primer pairs were successfully amplified in the two oak species. The resultant orthologs and simple sequence repeat markers are valuable for genetic differentiation analyses and evolutionary studies of Quercus.
Molecular and morphological evidence for a new species of liverwort, Lejeunea heinrichsii (Marchantiophyta: Lejeuneaceae) from Taveuni, Fiji
Authors: Lee Gaik Ee , Bechteler Julia , Pócs Tamás , Schäfer‐Verwimp Alfons
Published: November 2018

A new species from Fiji, Lejeunea heinrichsii is described and illustrated herein based on morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analyses. The taxonomic descriptions of L. heinrichsii and the comparison with their allies are presented, together with the Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of two chloroplast regions (trnL‐trnF, rbcL) and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region. This delicate and rather minute species is characterized by its autoicy, eplicate perianths, the oblong‐rectangular leaf lobes, the distantly arranged underleaves with lobes to 1/2‐2/3 underleaf length, and the leaf cells without well‐developed trigones and intermediate thickenings. In the molecular phylogeny, L. heinrichsii is placed sister to the Asian L. compressiuscula from Indonesia and forms an independent lineage including accessions of Neotropical L. adpressa from the Dominican Republic and the widespread Palaeotropical L. anisophylla from São Tomé and Príncipe. Morphologically, L. heinrichsii is very similar to L. capensis, however the result based on the molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the two species are very distinct.
Landless and “Childless” in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: High School Students’ Perceptions of Gendered Constitutional Rights
Authors: Mulumeoderhwa Maroyi
Published: November 2018

This study draws on a qualitative study to examine, using the attitudes of high school male and female students, the possibilities for change in current practices concerning women's rights to inherit property and to take the custody of children in the event of divorce. The results show that male participants view their sisters as temporary residents in the family, and believe her inheritance may benefit her husband and her children who do not belong to her father's clan. Therefore, they strongly contest her inheritance right. However, a minority of boys were receptive to certain notions of women's rights and quite ambivalent about the gender status quo. Female participants, on the other hand, perceived the customary laws and patrilineal attitudes as a hindrance for women and girls to claim their inheritance's rights although the Congolese Family Code grants them such a right. Although the law grants both husband and wife this right, socio-cultural norms and customary law render women victims of violence. Both male and female participants also mentioned that in case of divorce, women are denied child custody.
Oil Prices and Personal Consumption Expenditures: Does the Source of the Shock Matter?
Authors: Alsalman Zeina N. , Karaki Mohamad B.
Published: November 2018

This paper studies the effect of structural oil shocks on personal consumption expenditures (PCE). First, we estimate a nonlinear simultaneous equation model, compute impulse responses by Monte Carlo integration, and conduct a test of the symmetry of the impulse response functions. We find that aggregate PCE responds asymmetrically to positive and negative oil‐specific demand shocks. Second, we find that aggregate PCE responds negatively to positive oil demand shocks, while adverse oil supply shocks are of limited effect. Third, we find important heterogeneity in the magnitude, sign and timing of the disaggregate PCE responses to structural shocks in the crude oil market. Our results clearly indicate that the response of PCE to an unexpected oil price increase depends on the source of the oil price shock. Our findings are robust to different nonlinear transformations for the real price of oil.
Experimental Evaluation of Mail Questionnaires in a Probability Sample on Victimization
Authors: Michael Brick J. , Lohr Sharon
Published: November 2018

Experiments to evaluate questionnaires or methods for data collection are often conducted in the context of a probability sample that collects data from various primary sampling units or sites. Statistics used to evaluate treatment effects for these experiments have different interpretations and variances in different inferential frameworks. We discuss four frameworks for inference about treatment effects: inference to the finite population, to a superpopulation of future sites, to the mean of the site treatment effects and to individual respondents. For each framework, we consider the parameters of interest, the properties of statistics used to estimate those parameters, and the optimal design for the experiment. We consider the four inferential frameworks for an experiment conducted on a mail survey measuring criminal victimization and community attitudes towards law enforcement. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the frameworks could be applied to other experiments.
Could a national oral health promotion program improve the oral hygiene of persons attending special care establishments in France? Evaluation of a pilot program
Authors: Catteau Céline , Faulks Denise , Pereira Bruno , Hennequin Martine
Published: November 2018

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an oral health promotion intervention implemented in special care establishments by dentists trained online. Twenty‐six dentists intervening in 27 French special care establishments undertook a standardised oral health promotion intervention, including a conference presentation for care staff and hands‐on toothbrushing workshops. Oral hygiene status of the residents was performed at baseline and at 6 months, and were compared using the McNemar test. Mixed logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with an improvement of dental plaque removal. The oral health intervention was completed by 890 residents: 445 children, 373 adults and 72 elderly adults. At baseline, dental plaque was observed for 79.8% of the 797 dentate residents. Among the 691 dentate residents included in the final analysis, dental plaque removal was improved for 34%. Improvement in dental plaque removal was recorded more often for the group of 13 to 20‐year‐old residents (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.15–3.38). The results indicate that this programme failed to significantly improve the dental plaque removal of the residents. More research is needed to understand the limiting factors of such interventions.
Diverted from the “Correct Vote”? Foreign Policy Influence on Electoral Behavior*
Authors: Martini Nicholas F. , Schutt Samuel
Published: November 2018

Objective

We consider the influence foreign policy issues and events can have on the voting calculations of individuals; specifically, how foreign policy influences the probability of “correct voting.”

Method

We use data from the 2004 American National Election Study along with a measure of “correct voting” from Richard Lau and David P. Redlawsk (1997, American Political Science Review, 91(3): 585–98) and Lau, Andersen, and Redlawsk (2008, American Journal of Political Science, 52(2): 395–411).

Results

Our results indicate that salient foreign policy issues viewed to be favorably handled by the incumbent have the potential to alter voting calculations to favor the incumbent. In the 2004 presidential election, individuals who should have voted for Kerry were more likely to vote incorrectly if terrorism was a salient issue. This pattern was not observed on another foreign policy issue: Iraq.

Conclusion

This research further clarifies the strong link foreign policy can have with the electoral behavior of individuals. It speaks to the correct voting literature in expanding upon what elements can modify voter calculations. It also speaks to researchers in foreign policy and public opinion by expanding our understanding of the conditions for when foreign policy issues and voter behavior can be fused.
Time interval between antibody investigations among patients who demonstrate serial red cell antibody formation
Authors: Dinh Anh , Eliason Kent , Dzik Walter (Sunny)
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

Current national standards for pretransfusion testing do not address the frequency or optimal time interval to repeat antibody identification testing for patients in whom antibodies have been previously detected.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of patients with existing red blood cell (RBC) antibodies who subsequently developed new antibody specificities. Data were drawn from a single institution where the antibody investigation was repeated if the screen suggested a new antibody or if 14 days had elapsed since the previous investigation. Clinically insignificant or drug‐dependent antibodies were excluded. Among cases in which new antibodies were detected within 30 days of a previous sample that already demonstrated existing antibodies, the median and lower 95% confidence intervals for the number of days between the detection of the existing and new antibodies were determined.

RESULTS

Over a 9‐year period, among 2114 patients with more than 1 antibody, 699 (33%) had serially detected antibodies from separate samples. Among 152 patients whose subsequent antibody was detected within 30 days of the existing antibodies, the median time interval to detection of the new antibody was 13 days. The lower 95% confidence interval was 1 day. By Day 3, 18% of the new antibodies had already appeared.

CONCLUSION

In patients who form multiple antibodies, the serial emergence of clinically significant antibodies is common. In some patients, detection of a new specificity occurs in a sample drawn shortly after the sample that demonstrated the first antibody. These results have implications for the frequency of pretransfusion testing.
Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging is a feasible method for characterizing regional lymph nodes in canine patients with head and neck disease
Authors: Stahle Jessica A. , Larson Martha M. , Rossmeisl John H. , Dervisis Nick , Neelis Dana
Published: November 2018

In dogs diagnosed with solid tumors, regional lymph node involvement or evidence of distant metastasis can predict worse prognoses and significantly decreased survival. Lymph node size alone has been shown to be insufficient as a predictor for the accurate clinical staging of some canine neoplasia. However, certain regional lymph nodes (including those of the oral cavity) are difficult to access for routine tissue sampling. Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated the ability to differentiate metastatic from inflammatory/benign lymph nodes in clinical studies with human cancer patients through the calculation of quantitative values of diffusion termed apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC). The objective of this prospective, exploratory study was to evaluate diffusion‐weighted MRI and ADC as potential methods for detecting metastatic lymph nodes in dogs with naturally occurring disease. We hypothesized that diffusion‐weighted MRI would identify significantly different ADC values between benign and metastatic lymph nodes in a group of canine patients with head or neck disease. Our study population consisted of eight client‐owned canine patients, with a total of 20 lymph nodes evaluated (six metastatic, 14 benign). Our results demonstrated that two of four observers identified a significant difference between the mean ADC values of the benign and metastatic lymph nodes. When data from all four observers were pooled, the difference between the mean apparent diffusion coefficients values of the benign and metastatic lymph nodes did not reach significance (P‐value = 0.0566). Findings indicated that diffusion‐weighted MRI is a feasible method for further characterizing enlarged lymph nodes in dogs with head and neck disease, however measured ADC values did not differ for benign vs. metastatic lymph nodes in this small sample of dogs.
English for Islamic Studies: Should I Learn English? – From the Eyes of Islamic Studies Students
Authors: Sayed Abudhahir Rabiathul Adhabiyyah , Mohamad Ali Afida
Published: November 2018

English for Islamic Studies or EIS is rather a new branch in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Currently there is no specific tailor-made syllabus and materials designed specifically in this field. It is important to take note of students’ opinion in designing any new program. The focus of this paper is on the perspectives of Islamic Studies students on the importance of learning the English Language. 30 Islamic Studies students from an Islamic Higher Institution were given the needs analysis questionnaire. The data was analysed quantitatively. The result of this study shows that students have a positive perception to learn English Language. The result will be discussed in detail later in the paper.
Industries’ Requirements and Expectations of Graduates: A Revisit
Authors: C. Alih Nur Ashiquin , Md. Yusof Masdinah Alauyah , Abdul Raof Abdul Halim , Wan Zakaria Wan Zarina , Shamsudin Sarimah , Mohd Omar Noor Abidah , Ismail Fauziah , Jobil Johana
Published: November 2018

Graduate employability has become more rigid nowadays whereby industries demand not only for graduates’ academic qualifications but also their ability to communicate in English. However, there is hardly any exit test instrument available in higher learning institutions that could gauge the graduates’ communicative competence before graduation. Thus, to address this matter, the Test of English for Communication Skills (UTM-TECS) was developed aims to provide potential employers with a more accurate measure of graduates’ readiness to function in the workplace. Given that the demand of English in the workplace is continuously changing through time, it is therefore important to ensure the assessment scale used to assess graduates’ oral competency takes into account the latest and up-dated requirements and expectations sought by industries. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the current criteria that the industries adopt in recruiting new graduates.  Besides that, the study also aims to compare the industries’ assessment criteria with the criteria used in the UTM-TECS scale. This study utilized interviews as the data collection method and eight Human Resource personnel from different firms in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur were involved. The study reveals that academic degree is needed for screening purposes; i.e. to shortlist the potential employees. In addition to that, soft skills which comprise of communication skill especially the English language speaking skill, team work, attitude, professional image and critical thinking ability are amongst the criteria used to select graduates for employment. It was discovered that the criteria listed by the respondents were almost similar to the criteria found in the scale except for one criterion; attitude which is not present in the UTM-TECS assessment scale. The respondents also viewed professional image as the highest of importance as compared to the UTM-TECS assessment weightage. The findings from the study could be useful in re-validating the UTM-TECS oral interaction scale so as to ensure its quality and to improve it tobecome a better yardstick for graduates’ employability and marketability.
ESL Students’ Evaluation of Online Information in Academic English Reading Classrooms
Authors: Md Naw Sofwah i , Ahmad Haryati , Kadir@Shahar Hazila , Sain Noridah
Published: November 2018

In English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom context, the Internet is also part of the learning repertoire as students often refer to online sources to fulfil their academic needs. However, despite the common assumption that the current students are ‘digital natives’, past studies have revealed that Malaysian undergraduates struggled to evaluate the credibility of online information when accessing online reading materials. In fact, it was reported that the execution of information literacy education in Malaysia continues to be a challenge and requires further research. Such revelation points to the current dilemma of the students not possessing the appropriate skills needed as tertiary learners. As such skill is paramount to help them complete their academic reading tasks, the students’ understanding of credible Internet sources is therefore worth investigating. To investigate the undergraduates’ online reading practices in the Malaysian ESL classroom, data was obtained from two local public universities in the Southern state of Malaysia. The quantitative data from the activities conducted suggests that the participants possess limited ability in evaluating the accuracy of online information. Qualitative data from the semi-structured interviews and classroom observations meanwhile provides the evidence of the students’ lack of skills in online information evaluation and their lack of interest to participate in the activities. The findings address the growing concern regarding the need to improve the undergraduates’ competence in assessing the trustworthiness of online sources.
Related graphs of the conjugacy classes of a 3-generator 5-group
Authors: Mohd Noor Alia Husna , Sarmin Nor Haniza , Rahmat Hamisan
Published: November 2018

The study on conjugacy class has started since 1968. A conjugacy class is defined as an equivalence class under the equivalence relation of being conjugate. In this research, let be a 3-generator 5-group and the scope of the graphs is a simple undirected graph. This paper focuses on the determination of the conjugacy classes of where the set omega is the subset of all commuting elements in the group. The elements of the group with order 5 are identified from the group presentation. The pair of elements are formed in the form of  which is of size two where  and  commute. In addition, the results on conjugacy classes of are applied into graph theory. The determination of the set omega is important in the computation of conjugacy classes in order to find the generalized conjugacy class graph and orbit graph. The group action that is considered to compute the conjugacy classes is conjugation action. Based on the computation, the generalized conjugacy class graph and orbit graph turned out to be a complete graph.
Isolator-free, widely tunable thulium/holmium fiber laser
Authors: Sharbirin Anir Syazwan , Ismail Mohammad Faizal , Ahmad Harith
Published: November 2018

An isolator-free thulium/holmium-doped fiber laser with a broadly tunable wavelength output is proposed and demonstrated for the first time. A theta resonator configuration is implemented in order to produce rectification of lasing direction without the need for an optical isolator, thus, making it a more cost-effective setup in comparison to the conventional ring resonator. Over 160 nm of wavelength tunability can be generated, which covers a huge range of the two-micron region starting from 1888 nm up to a maximum of 2048 nm. The laser exhibits excellent wavelength control with its short-range wavelength tuning capability, whereby the shortest tuning spacing obtainable is as small as ~0.1 nm. The tunable laser peaks maintain a strong optical-signal-to-noise (OSNR) value for the whole tuning range, reaching more than 60 dB, also a full-width half-maximum (FWHM) value less than ~0.2 nm with a maximum output power of 6.82 mW. The isolator-free cavity indicates a significant improvement in the slope efficiency of the laser in comparison to a ring cavity setup with similar components. The proposed laser would have substantial use as a laser seed for application in sensing and spectroscopy.
Controlled physical and optical traits of magnesium-zinc sulphophosphate glass: Role of europium ions
Authors: Danmallam Ibrahim Mohammed , Ghoshal Sib Krishna , Ariffin Ramli , Jupri Siti Aisha , Sharma Sunita
Published: November 2018

Trivalent rare earth ions doped sulfophosphate glasses became demanding owing to their several notable attributes that are advantageous for diverse photonic devices. To fulfil such goal, preparation of sulfophosphate glasses with optimized composition by selecting appropriate modifier and subsequent characterizations are essential. Driven by this idea, we synthesized a new series of europium (Eu3+) ions doped magnesium-zinc-sulfophosphate glasses of composition (65–x) P2O5–20MgO-15ZnSO4–xEu2O3 (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mol%) using simple melt-quenching method. As-prepared glasses were characterized thoroughly at room temperature via various analytical techniques to determine the Eu2O3 concentration-dependent physical and optical properties. Transparent (pinkish) and thermally stable glasses were achieved. XRD pattern confirmed the amorphous nature of the studied glasses. Glass density was increased from 2.603 to 2.789 g/cm-3 with the increase of Eu2O3 contents from 0 to 2.0 mol%. FTIR spectra revealed the characteristics bonding vibrations (symmetric and asymmetric stretching and bending of nS (P-O), naS (P-O-P), nS (P-O-P), nS P3O, nS (P-O-P)of phosphate networks linkages. The UV-Vis-NIR spectra of the glasses disclosed six significant absorption peaks centred at 360, 380, 394, 414, 465, and 531 nm accompanied by two NIR peaks around 2091 and 2205 nm allocated to various transitions from the ground state to the excited states of Eu3+ ion. Furthermore, the optical absorption data were further used to calculate the energies of direct (2.0 to 3.85 eV) and indirect (3.74 to 5.0 eV) band gap as well as Urbach energies (0.1909 to 0.2440 eV). The photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra of glasses displayed four peaks entered at 593, 613, 654 and 701 nm assigned to the 5Do→7Fo, 5Do→7F2, 5Do→7F3 and 5Do→7F4 transitions of Eu3+ ion. The PL peak at 613 nm showed the highest emission intensity. The PL intensity was enhanced with the increase of Eu3+ content up to 1.5 mol% and quenched thereafter. It was concluded that controlled physical and optical properties can be obtained by appropriately optimizing the glass composition useful for photonic purposes.