bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Fixed-Term Employment Have Spillover Effects on the Well-Being of Partners? A Panel Data Analysis for East and West Germany
Authors: Scheuring Sonja , Voßemer Jonas , Baranowska-Rataj Anna , Tattarini Giulia
Published: January 2021

This paper answers three research questions: What is the impact of fixed-term employment on the well-being of partners? How do these spillover effects differ by gender, and do gender differences depend on socialization in East or West Germany? Do individual well-being, perceived job insecurity, and financial worries mediate the spillover effects? We use longitudinal data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), 1995–2017, and a sample of heterosexual couples living together, to estimate fixed-effects panel regression models. In contrast to previous studies, we consider asymmetric effects of entering and leaving fixed-term contracts by focusing on transitions from unemployment into fixed-term and fixed-term into permanent jobs. Confirming previous research on spillover effects of unemployment, we find that fixed-term re-employment increases partners’ well-being and that these effects are larger in case of re-employment by men and partners’ socialization in West Germany. We also show that transitions from fixed-term to permanent jobs do not substantially increase the well-being of partners with little differences by gender and place of socialization. While the spillover effect of re-employment is mediated by changes in the well-being of the individual re-entering the labor market, changes in job insecurity and financial worries due to transitions from fixed-term to permanent jobs are too small to produce meaningful effects on well-being. Although fixed-term contracts have been referred to as a new source of inequality, our results show that they cause little difference in the well-being of individuals and their partners and that finding a job matters more than the type of contract.
Academic resilience: underlying norms and validity of definitions
Authors: Ye Wangqiong , Strietholt Rolf , Blömeke Sigrid
Published: January 2021

Academic resilience refers to students’ capacity to perform highly despite a disadvantaged background. Although most studies using international large-scale assessment (ILSA) data defined academic resilience with two criteria, student background and achievement, their conceptualizations and operationalizations varied substantially. In a systematic review, we identified 20 ILSA studies applying different criteria, different approaches to setting thresholds (the same fixed ones across countries or relative country-specific ones), and different threshold levels. Our study on the validity of these differences and how they affected the composition of academically resilient students revealed that the classification depended heavily on the threshold applied. When a fixed background threshold was applied, the classification was likely to be affected by the developmental state of a country. This could result in an overestimation of the proportions of academically resilient students in some countries while an underestimation in others. Furthermore, compared to the application of a social or economic capital indication, applying a cultural capital indicator may lead to lower shares of disadvantaged students classified as academically resilient. The composition of academically resilient students varied significantly by gender and language depending on which indicator of human capital or which thresholds were applied reflecting underlying societal characteristics. Conclusions drawn from such different results depending on the specific conceptualizations and operationalizations would vary greatly. Finally, our study utilizing PISA 2015 data from three countries representing diverse cultures and performance levels revealed that a stronger sense of belonging to a school significantly increased the chances to be classified as academically resilient in Peru, but not in Norway or Hong Kong. In contrast, absence from school was significantly associated with academic resilience in Norway and Hong Kong, but not in Peru.
Evidence for variable chlorophyll fluorescence of photosystem I in vivo
Authors: Schreiber Ulrich , Klughammer Christof
Published: January 2021

Room temperature fluorescence in vivo and its light-induced changes are dominated by chlorophyll a fluorescence excited in photosystem II, F(II), peaking around 685 nm. Photosystem I fluorescence, F(I), peaking around 730 nm, so far has been assumed to be constant in vivo. Here, we present evidence for significant contributions of F(I) to variable fluorescence in the green unicellular alga Chlorella vulgaris, the cyanobacterium Synechococcus leopoliensis and a light-green ivy leaf. A Multi-Color-PAM fluorometer was applied for measurements of the polyphasic fluorescence rise (O-I1-I2-P) induced by strong 440 nm light in a dilute suspension of Chlorella, with detection alternating between emission above 700 nm (F > 700) and below 710 nm (F < 710). By averaging 10 curves each of the F > 700 and F < 710 recordings even small differences could be reliably evaluated. After equalizing the amplitudes of the O-I1 phase, which constitutes a specific F(II) response, the O-I1-I2 parts of the two recordings were close to identical, whereas the I2-P phase was larger in F > 700 than in F < 710 by a factor of 1.42. In analogous measurements with Synechococcus carried out in the dark state 2 using strong 625 nm actinic light, after O-I1 equalization the I2-P phase in F > 700 exceeded that in F < 710 even by a factor of 1.99. In measurements with Chlorella, the I2-P phase and with it the apparent variable fluorescence of PS I, Fv(I), were suppressed by moderate actinic background light and by the plastoquinone antagonist DBMIB. Analogous measurements with leaves are rendered problematic by unavoidable light intensity gradients and the resulting heterogenic origins of F > 700 and F < 710. However, a light-green young ivy leaf gave qualitatively similar results as those obtained with the suspensions, thus strongly suggesting the existence of Fv(I) also in leaves.
Disclosure quality vis-à-vis disclosure quantity: Does audit committee matter in Omani financial institutions?
Authors: Al Lawati Hidaya , Hussainey Khaled , Sagitova Roza
Published: January 2021

We examine the impact of audit committee (AC) characteristics (e.g. AC foreign members, AC female members, AC members with multiple directorships, AC members with share ownership and AC with financial and supervisory expertise) on forward-looking disclosure (FLD) quality and quantity. Using a sample of Omani financial companies listed on Muscat Securities Market over a five-year period (2014–2018), we find that a number of AC characteristics (such as AC size, AC female members and AC with multiple directorships) improve FLD quality. We make no such observation for FLD quantity. The results suggest that the responsibility of AC extends to improving the quality of FLD. We provide an additional analysis on the impact of AC effectiveness (ACE) on FLD quality, which suggests that companies’ compliance with CG code is beneficial for disclosure quality. We also find that the impact of ACE on FLD quality is influenced by corporate performance, leverage and the quality of external auditors. Our findings carry implications for the regulatory bodies’ efforts in encouraging companies to improve disclosure quality by considering AC characteristics as well as appointing more effective AC directors.
Gender differences in the sleep variables contributing to excessive daytime sleepiness among patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Honig Eliya , Green Amit , Dagan Yaron
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a main symptom in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, patients with OSA have significant variability in their reported EDS which cannot be fully explained by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences regarding the sleep test variables contributing to excessive daytime sleepiness.

Methods

Retrospective study of 578 men and 270 women with suspected OSA who underwent home overnight sleep test. We assessed the correlation between sleep test variables and EDS, using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

Results

Among the group of men, correlation was found between ESS to BMI (r = .107,p = .010), AHI (r = .158,p < .001), number of apneas (r = .129,p = .002), number of hypopneas (r = .115,p = .006), number of blood oxygen desaturations (r = .145,p  < .001), and percent of time the blood oxygen saturation was under 90% (r = .130,p = .002). However, among the group of women, no significant correlation was found between any of the sleep test parameters or BMI to ESS. Among the group of women, a negative correlation was found between age and EDS (r = − .208,p < .001).

Conclusion

Men showed correlations between sleep test variables and EDS, while women did not show such correlations. The results suggest that men’s sleepiness is more influenced by OSA and sleep variables compared to women. To our knowledge, this is the first study which shows difference between genders in the influence of sleep variables and OSA on EDS.
Nasal symptoms increase the risk of snoring and snoring increases the risk of nasal symptoms. A longitudinal population study
Authors: Värendh Maria , Janson Christer , Bengtsson Caroline , Hellgren Johan , Holm Mathias , Schlünssen Vivi , Johannessen Ane , Franklin Karl , Storaas Torgeir , Jõgi Rain , Gislason Thorarinn , Lindberg Eva
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Humans have a preference for nasal breathing during sleep. This 10-year prospective study aimed to determine if nasal symptoms can predict snoring and also if snoring can predict development of nasal symptoms. The hypothesis proposed is that nasal symptoms affect the risk of snoring 10 years later, whereas snoring does not increase the risk of developing nasal symptoms.

Methods

In the cohort study, Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE), a random population from Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, born between 1945 and 1973, was investigated by postal questionnaires in 1999–2001 (RHINE II, baseline) and in 2010–2012 (RHINE III, follow-up). The study population consisted of the participants who had answered questions on nasal symptoms such as nasal obstruction, discharge, and sneezing, and also snoring both at baseline and at follow-up (n = 10,112).

Results

Nasal symptoms were frequent, reported by 48% of the entire population at baseline, with snoring reported by 24%. Nasal symptoms at baseline increased the risk of snoring at follow-up (adj. OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.22–1.58) after adjusting for age, sex, BMI change between baseline and follow-up, and smoking status. Snoring at baseline was associated with an increased risk of developing nasal symptoms at follow-up (adj. OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02–1.47).

Conclusion

Nasal symptoms are independent risk factors for development of snoring 10 years later, and surprisingly, snoring is a risk factor for the development of nasal symptoms.
Interpretational Complexities in Developmental Research and a Piagetian Reading of the False-Belief Task
Authors: Choifer Alla
Published: January 2021

Theorizing about children’s early development is beset with interpretational complexities. I argue that there is a general tendency to over-interpret the experimental findings, and that one of the main causes of this is the difficulty of disengaging from our adult frame of reference when theorizing about the young child’s mind. One domain where this holds is children’s ability to differentiate themselves from others. In relation to this I first critically analyze some cases of interpretational complexities, and then apply my methodological and conceptual concerns to children’s perspective-taking abilities. This has a specific bearing on the classical false-belief task, which is a perspective-taking task. Part II proposes a new, what I call, a ‘Piagetian reading’ of the false-belief test. My new interpretation of the test suggests two different ways of perspective-taking of which one is egocentric in Piaget’s sense. Concluding Part III elaborates on some implications of the proposed reading of the test for a number of findings in the Theory-of-Mind field.
Il prelievo selettivo dalle vene surrenaliche nella diagnosi di sottotipo dell’iperaldosteronismo primario
Authors: Bollati Martina , Bioletto Fabio , Lopez Chiara , Parasiliti-Caprino Mirko , Ghigo Ezio , Maccario Mauro
Published: January 2021

Sommario

L’iperaldosteronismo primario è la causa più frequente di ipertensione arteriosa secondaria e si associa ad aumentato rischio cardiovascolare. Il prelievo venoso selettivo surrenalico costituisce il gold standard nella diagnosi di sottotipo tra forme bilaterali e unilaterali, consentendo un adeguato approccio terapeutico. La sua diffusione è limitata in quanto si tratta di un esame di notevole difficoltà tecnica. Pertanto, risulta necessario eseguire tale procedura in centri di riferimento.
Implantation of the ZSI 475 FTM Erectile Device After Phalloplasty: A Prospective Analysis of Surgical Outcomes
Authors: Verla Wesley , Goedertier Wouter , Lumen Nicolaas , Spinoit Anne-Françoise , Waterloos Marjan , Waterschoot Mieke , Buncamper Marlon , Monstrey Stan , Hoebeke Piet
Published: January 2021

Background

Until recently, all available erectile devices were manufactured in accordance with the anatomy of a native penis and led to high explantation rates when implanted in the neophallus.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate surgical outcomes after implantation of the ZSI 475 FTM in the neophallus; this is the first erectile device specifically manufactured for implantation after phalloplasty.

Methods

This is a prospective observational study of patients undergoing implantation of the ZSI 475 FTM in the neophallus at a tertiary referral center since September 2017. Patients with a follow-up < 3 months were excluded from this analysis.

Outcomes

Intraoperative and postoperative complications were analyzed with descriptive statistics and explantation-free survival was assessed using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 57 patients were included with a median (IQR) follow-up of 16 (10-21) months. No intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperative complications were seen in 18 of 57 (32%) patients and included cylinder protrusion (1/57, 1.8%), infection (8/57, 14%), malpositioning (4/57, 7.0%), mechanical failure (4/57, 7.0%), and urinary retention (1/57, 1.8%). A total of 13 of 57 (23%) devices were explanted which corresponds with an estimated explantation-free survival rate (SD) of 84% (4.9), 80% (5.6), and 80% (5.6) after, respectively, 6, 12, and 18 months of follow-up.

Clinical implications

By better addressing the specific needs after phalloplasty, this innovative erectile device might lead to improved cylinder protrusion, malpositioning, and mechanical failure rates, but device infection remains common.

Strengths & limitations

This is the largest study on this topic to date and the first to report prospective data. Main limitations involve the relatively small sample size and the limited follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Short-term cylinder protrusion, malpositioning, and mechanical failure rates are encouraging, although device infection remains a common problem. These complications resulted in a device explantation rate of 23%.
Europe's ambition for digital sovereignty must not undermine the Internet's values
Authors: Komaitis Konstantinos
Published: January 2021

One reason for the Internet's success is that its architecture was not an outcome of politics. So it's important that Europe avoids imposing centralised control.

Digital sovereignty largely manifests itself in Europe in the form of data. However, focusing blindly on a strict interpretation of sovereignty, without trying to retrofit the Internet, will mean that the Internet will be weakened, to the detriment of Europe, its users and the Internet itself, argues Konstantinos Komaitis of the Internet Society.

Despite increased efforts for more integration, Europe has always been rife with social, cultural and economic contradictions. Some economic ones came to the forefront during the 2008 financial crisis and demonstrated the deep divide between Europe's north and south. That divide was put to rest through multiple bailout programmes that left many dissatisfied but which managed to put a brake on the trend towards separation and disunity.
Backsliding
Authors: Haggard Stephan , Kaufman Robert
Published: January 2021

Assaults on democracy are increasingly coming from the actions of duly elected governments, rather than coups. Backsliding examines the processes through which elected rulers weaken checks on executive power, curtail political and civil liberties, and undermine the integrity of the electoral system. Drawing on detailed case studies, including the United States and countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, the book focuses on three, inter-related causal mechanisms: the pernicious effects of polarization; realignments of party systems that enable elected autocrats to gain legislative power; and the incremental nature of derogations, which divides oppositions and keeps them off balance. A concluding chapter looks at the international context of backsliding and the role of new technologies in these processes. An online appendix provides detailed accounts of backsliding in sixteen country cases.
Filmfront Weimar
Authors: Kester Bernadette
Published: January 2021

How was Germany's experience of World War I depicted in film during the following years? Drawing on analysis of the films of the Weimar era-documentaries and feature films addressing the war's causes, life at the front, war at sea, and the home front-Bernadette Kester sketches out the historical context, including reviews and censors' reports, in which these films were made and viewed, and offers much insight into how Germans collectively perceived World War I during its aftermath and beyond.
Bastard Culture!
Authors: Schäfer Mirko Tobias
Published: January 2021

In the wake of the recent far-reaching changes in the use and accessibility of technology in our society, the average person is far more engaged with digital culture than ever before. They are not merely subject to technological advances but actively use, create, and mold them in everyday routines – connecting with loved ones and strangers through the Internet and smart phones, navigating digital worlds for work and recreation, extracting information from vast networks, and even creating and customizing interfaces to best suit their needs. In this timely work, Mirko Tobias Schöfer delves deep into the realities of user participation, the forms it takes, and the popular discourse around new media. Drawing on extensive research into hacking culture, fan communities, and Web 2.0 applications, Schöfer offers a critical approach to the hype around user participation and exposes the blurred boundaries between industry-driven culture and the domain of the user.
Hizbullah's Identity Construction
Authors: Alagha Joseph
Published: January 2021

As the dominant political force in Lebanon and one of the most powerful post-Islamist organizations in the world, Hizbullah is a source of great controversy and uncertainty in the West. Despite the significant attention paid to this group by the media, the details of Hizbullah's evolution have frequently confounded politicians' and even scholars. In this important study, Joseph Alagha, a scholar with unprecedented access to the organization, exhaustively and objectively analyzes Hizbullah's historical evolution and offers a revolutionary new perspective on the political phenomenon of the organization.

Hizbullah's Identity Construction is a timely examination of one of the world's most turbulent regions; a major contribution to the study of contemporary Islamic political movements in the Middle East; and a refreshing departure from the bland hagiographies and ad hominem attacks that are all too common in studies of Hizbullah's murky history. Superbly documented and argued, and rooted in broad knowledge of contemporary Islamist political thought, this study brings much-needed clarity to a hot-button subject.

Joseph Alagha remains one of the most thorough and careful analysts of Hizbullah's political ideology and practice. Scholars, analysts, and policy makers will find in this work a veritable treasure trove of research and insights into this complex organization. Michaelle Browers, Wake Forest University
Attached to the World
Authors: Knapen Ben , Arts Gera , Kleistra Yvonne , Klem Martijn , Rem Marijke
Published: January 2021

Due to the rapid rise of globalization, the Netherlands has never been more politically, socially, and economically connected to other countries. To address this development, the Scientific Council for Government Policy is providing new reflections on Dutch foreign policy in this report. The most important suggestions include more governmental transparency, smart use of nongovernmental organizations, and adapting government structures to take advantage of the Netherlands' position within Europe.
Albania on the Move
Authors: Vullnetari Julie
Published: January 2021

Starting from a cluster of villages in southeast Albania, Albanian-born British scholar Julie Vullnetari follows rural migrants to domestic urban destinations such as Tirana and abroad to Thessaloniki in Greece. Vullnetari has conducted more than 150 interviews, and drawing upon this rich empirical material, she offers a profound account of Albanian migration from start to finish. A rare, exhaustive overview of Albania's post-communist internal and international migrations, Albania on the Move is a powerful combination of ethnography and multifaceted academic analysis, grounded in the personal experience of the author.
AIDS, Intimacy and Care in Rural KwaZulu-Natal
Authors: Henderson Patricia C.
Published: January 2021

Patricia C. Henderson, a South African anthropologist, resided from March 2003 to February 2006 in Okhahlamba, a municipality in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. In this book, she recounts her experience among this rural population who lived under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Spanning a period that starts before antiretrovirals were readily available to a time when these treatments were finally used to care for the ill, this powerful account of a terrible disease and the communities which it affects focuses on the ties between suffering and kinship in South Africa.
Accounting for Services
Authors: Marks Daan , Tillie Jean , Majdy Amin , Buijs Frank
Published: January 2021

The most intriguing question about Indonesia's economic development during the twentieth century is why the country's growth performance has been so erratic and displayed such a high degree of discontinuity. This is connected with the fundamental question about the nature of long-run economic development in Indonesia.

So far the economic historiography of Indonesia has been less systematic than what the available source material would permit. Indonesia is exceptionally well endowed with rich statistical sources, which carry the potential of supporting a rigorous and systematic quantitative approach to vital questions concerning the economic growth performance in the long run.

This book takes such an approach and presents new estimates for the long-run growth of the Indonesian service sector, and analyses the role of the various service sectors in economic development. Linking empirical and theoretical analysis in a creative fashion, Daan Marks provides a rich and original contribution to our understanding of the economic history of Indonesia. He shows that the service sector has played a crucial role in Indonesia's economic development. Or in other words, to fully understand Indonesia's economic development path services need to be accounted for.
In Splendid Isolation
Authors: Faasse Patricia E. , Waesberghe Eliane Smits van , Boutellier Hans , Outmany Fouzia
Published: January 2021

For almost a hundred years, the Willie Commelin Scholten laboratory was the hub of phytopathology research in the Netherlands, where generations of students learned the principles of plant pathology. In Splendid Isolation reconstructs the history of this unique institution, from its beginnings as a small private laboratory in the late nineteenth century to its final days as a renowned university research center. This unique volume chronicles how the laboratory's scientific reputation spread far beyond the country's borders as it diagnosed and researched thousands of plant diseases.
Investigating the neural substrates of Antagonistic Externalizing and social-cognitive Theory of Mind: an fMRI examination of functional activity and synchrony
Authors: Weiss Brandon , Jahn Andrew , Hyatt Courtland S. , Owens Max M. , Carter Nathan T. , Sweet Lawrence H. , Miller Joshua D. , Haas Brian W.
Published: January 2021

Recently developed quantitative models of psychopathology (i.e., Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology) identify an Antagonistic Externalizing spectrum that captures the psychological disposition toward criminal and antisocial behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine relations between Antagonistic psychopathology (and associated Five-Factor model Antagonism/Agreeableness) and neural functioning related to social-cognitive Theory of Mind using a large sample (N= 973) collected as part of the Human Connectome Project (Van Essen et al., 2013a). No meaningful relations between Antagonism/Antagonistic Externalizing and Theory of Mind-related neural activity or synchrony were observed (p< .005). We conclude by outlining methodological considerations (e.g., validity of social cognition task and low test–retest reliability of functional biomarkers) that may account for these null results, and present recommendations for future research.
Response to crowded conditions reveals compact nucleus for amyloid formation of folded protein
Authors: Werner Tony E.R. , Horvath Istvan , Wittung-Stafshede Pernilla
Published: January 2021

Although the consequences of the crowded cell environments may affect protein folding, function and misfolding reactions, these processes are often studied in dilute solutions in vitro. We here used biophysical experiments to investigate the amyloid fibril formation process of the fish protein apo-β-parvalbumin in solvent conditions that mimic steric and solvation aspects of the in vivo milieu. Apo-β-parvalbumin is a folded protein that readily adopts an amyloid state via a nucleation–elongation mechanism. Aggregation experiments in the presence of macromolecular crowding agents (probing excluded volume, entropic effects) as well as small molecule osmolytes (probing solvation, enthalpic effects) revealed that both types of agents accelerate overall amyloid formation, but the elongation step was faster with macromolecular crowding agents but slower in the presence of osmolytes. The observations can be explained by the steric effects of excluded volume favoring assembled states and that amyloid nucleation does not involve monomer unfolding. In contrast, the solvation effects due to osmolyte presence promote nucleation but not elongation. Therefore, the amyloid-competent nuclei must be compact with less osmolytes excluded from the surface than either the folded monomers or amyloid fibers. We conclude that, in contrast to other amyloidogenic folded proteins, amyloid formation of apo-β-parvalbumin is accelerated by crowded cell-like conditions due to a nucleation process that does not involve large-scale protein unfolding.
COMPARING DIRECT CARBONATE AND STANDARD GRAPHITE 14C DETERMINATIONS OF BIOGENIC CARBONATES
Authors: Bright Jordon , Ebert Chris , Kosnik Matthew A , Southon John R , Whitacre Katherine , Albano Paolo G , Flores Carola , Frazer Thomas K , Hua Quan , Kowalewski Michal , Martinelli Julieta C , Oakley David , Parker Wesley G , Retelle Michael , do Nascimento Ritter Matias , Rivadeneira Marcelo M , Scarponi Daniele , Yanes Yurena , Zuschin Martin , Kaufman Darrell S
Published: January 2021

The direct carbonate procedure for accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dating of submilligram samples of biogenic carbonate without graphitization is becoming widely used in a variety of studies. We compare the results of 153 paired direct carbonate and standard graphite 14C determinations on single specimens of an assortment of biogenic carbonates. A reduced major axis regression shows a strong relationship between direct carbonate and graphite percent Modern Carbon (pMC) values (m = 0.996; 95% CI [0.991–1.001]). An analysis of differences and a 95% confidence interval on pMC values reveals that there is no significant difference between direct carbonate and graphite pMC values for 76% of analyzed specimens, although variation in direct carbonate pMC is underestimated. The difference between the two methods is typically within 2 pMC, with 61% of direct carbonate pMC measurements being higher than their paired graphite counterpart. Of the 36 specimens that did yield significant differences, all but three missed the 95% significance threshold by 1.2 pMC or less. These results show that direct carbonate 14C dating of biogenic carbonates is a cost-effective and efficient complement to standard graphite 14C dating.
Do Commodity Price Shocks Cause Armed Conflict? A Meta-Analysis of Natural Experiments
Authors: BLAIR GRAEME , CHRISTENSEN DARIN , RUDKIN AARON
Published: January 2021

Scholars of the resource curse argue that reliance on primary commodities destabilizes governments: price fluctuations generate windfalls or periods of austerity that provoke or intensify civil conflict. Over 350 quantitative studies test this claim, but prominent results point in different directions, making it difficult to discern which results reliably hold across contexts. We conduct a meta-analysis of 46 natural experiments that use difference-in-difference designs to estimate the causal effect of commodity price changes on armed civil conflict. We show that commodity price changes, on average, do not change the likelihood of conflict. However, there are cross-cutting effects by commodity type. In line with theory, we find price increases for labor-intensive agricultural commodities reduce conflict, while increases in the price of oil, a capital-intensive commodity, provoke conflict. We also find that price increases for lootable artisanal minerals provoke conflict. Our meta-analysis consolidates existing evidence, but also highlights opportunities for future research.
Comparison of two criteria on the essential number calculation of Andrena camellia
Authors: Huang Dunyuan , Kou Ruomei , Orr Michael C. , Li Hongying , Dou Feiyue , Zhu Chaodong
Published: January 2021

Andrena camellia Wu is one of the primary pollinators of Camellia oleifera A. in China. In this paper, the essential number of individuals for efficient pollination by this species was calculated via two criteria, based on various indicators including counts of pollen grains in provisions, from single visits, and from single foraging trips overall; single flower visit duration; single flight period duration; number of eggs laid by a single female over their lifetime; and the average number of flowers per plant. Based on the number of pollen grains collected per flower visit, the essential number of females necessary is 2107 in a 1-ha Camellia oleifera garden with 1800 plants, while only 1998 female individuals are essentially needed when estimated based on the mean number of pollen grains collected in a single flight period. We argue that the essential number estimated by the former method is more reasonable and accurate for practical applications.
Modelling of post-diapause development and spring emergence of Cydia nigricana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Riemer Natalia , Schieler Manuela , Racca Paolo , Saucke Helmut
Published: January 2021

The prediction of the post-diapause emergence is the first step towards a comprehensive decision support system that can contribute to a considerable reduction of pesticide use by forecasting a precise spraying date. The cumulative field emergence can be described as a function of the cumulative development rate. We investigated the impact of seven constant temperatures and five light regimes on post-diapause development in laboratory experiments. Development rate depended significantly on temperature but not on photoperiod. We therefore fit non-linear thermal performance curves, a better and more modern approach over past linear models, to describe the development rate as a function of temperature. The four parameter Brière function was the most suitable and was subsequently applied to temperature data from 36 previous pea fields, where pea moth emergence was measured with pheromone traps in Northern Hesse (Germany). In order to describe the variation in development times between individuals, we fit five nonlinear distribution models to the cumulative development rate as a function of cumulative field emergence. The three parameter Gompertz model was selected as the best fitted model. We validated the model performance with an independent field data set. The model correctly predicted the first moth in the trap and the peak emergence in 81.82% of cases, with an average deviation of only 2.00 and 2.09 days respectively.
Fertility transition and socioeconomic development in districts of India, 2001–2016
Authors: Chatterjee Sayantani , Mohanty Sanjay K.
Published: January 2021

The fertility–development relationship is bi-directional, context-specific, multi-phased and inconsistent over time. Indian districts provide an ideal setting to study this association due to their size, diversity and disparity in socioeconomic development. The objective of this study was to understand the association of fertility and socioeconomic development among the 640 districts of India. Data were drawn from multiple sources: Censuses of India 2001 and 2011; DLHS-2; NFHS-4; and other published sources. A district-level data file for Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and a set of developmental indices were prepared for the 640 districts for 2001 and 2016. Computation of a composite index (District Development Index, DDI), Ordinary Least Squares, Two Stage Least Squares and panel regressions were employed. By 2016, almost half of all Indian districts had attained below-replacement fertility, and 15% had a TFR of above 3.0. The DDI of India increased from 0.399 in 2001 to 0.511 by 2016 and showed large variations across districts. The correlation coefficient between TFR and DDI was –0.658 in 2001 and –0.640 in 2016. Districts with a DDI of between 0.3 and 0.6 in 2001 had experienced a fertility decline of more than 20%. The fertility–development relationship was found to be strongly negative, convex and consistent over time, but the level of association varied regionally. For any given level of DDI, fertility in 2016 was lower than in 2001; and the association was stronger in districts with a DDI below 0.45. The negative convex association between the two was prominent in the northern, central and eastern regions and the curves were flatter in the west, south and north-east. The increasing number of districts with low fertility and low development draws much attention. Some outlying districts in the north-eastern states had high TFR and high DDI (>0.6). Based on the findings, a multi-layered strategy in districts with low socioeconomic development is recommended. Additional investment in education, child health, employment generation and provisioning of contraceptives would improve the human development to achieve India’s demographic goals.
Theory and predictions for the development of morphology and syntax: A Universal Grammar + statistics approach
Authors: Pearl Lisa
Published: January 2021

The key aim of this special issue is to make developmental theory proposals concrete enough to evaluate with empirical data. With this in mind, I discuss proposals from the “Universal Grammar + statistics” (UG+stats) perspective for learning several morphology and syntax phenomena. I briefly review why UG has traditionally been part of many developmental theories of language, as well as common statistical learning approaches that are part of UG+stats proposals. I then discuss each morphology or syntax phenomenon in turn, giving an overview of relevant UG+stats proposals for that phenomenon, specific predictions made by each proposal, and what we currently know about how those predictions hold up. I conclude by briefly discussing where we seem to be when it comes to how well UG+stats proposals help us understand the development of morphology and syntax knowledge.
Neurosciences in the Third Reich: from Ivory Tower to Death Camps
Authors: Shevell Michael I.
Published: January 2021

It is commonly thought that the horrific medical abuses occurring during the era of the Third Reich were limited to fringe physicians acting in extreme locales such as the concentration camps. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there was a widespread perversion of medical practice and science that extended to mainstream academic physicians. Scientific thought, specifically the theories of racial hygiene, and the political conditions of a totalitarian dictatorship, acted symbiotically to devalue the intrinsic worth to society of those individuals with mental and physical disabilities. This devaluation served to foster the medical abuses which occurred. Neurosciences in the Third Reich serves as a backdrop to highlight what was the slippery slope of medical practice during that era. Points on this slippery slope included the “dejudification” of medicine, unethical experimentation in university clinics, systematic attempts to sterilize and euthanasize targeted populations, the academic use of specimens obtained through such programs and the experimental atrocities within the camps.
The influence of prescriber and patient gender on the prescription of benzodiazepines: results from the Florida Medicaid Dataset
Authors: Lui Leanna M. W. , Lee Yena , Lipsitz Orly , Rodrigues Nelson B. , Gill Hartej , Ma Jifeng , Wilkialis Linas , Tamura Jocelyn K. , Siegel Ashley , Chen-Li David , Rosenblat Joshua D. , Mansur Rodrigo B. , McPherson Marie A. , McIntyre Roger S.
Published: January 2021

Background

Benzodiazepine (BZD) prescription rates have increased over the past decade in the United States. Available literature indicates that sociodemographic factors may influence diagnostic patterns and/or prescription behaviour. Herein, the aim of this study is to determine whether the gender of the prescriber and/or patient influences BZD prescription.

Methods

Cross-sectional study using data from the Florida Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance Program from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Eligible recipients ages 18 to 64, inclusive, enrolled in the Florida Medicaid plan for at least 1 day, and were dually eligible. Recipients either had a serious mental illness (SMI), or non-SMI and anxiety.

Results

Total 125 463 cases were identified (i.e., received BZD or non-BZD prescription). Main effect of patient and prescriber gender was significant F(1, 125 459) = 0.105, P = 0 .745, partial η2 < 0.001. Relative risk (RR) of male prescribers prescribing a BZD compared to female prescribers was 1.540, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [1.513, 1.567], whereas the RR of male patients being prescribed a BZD compared to female patients was 1.16, 95% CI [1.14, 1.18]. Main effects of patient and prescriber gender were statistically significant F(1, 125 459) = 188.232, P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.001 and F(1, 125 459) = 349.704, P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.013, respectively.

Conclusions

Male prescribers are more likely to prescribe BZDs, and male patients are more likely to receive BZDs. Further studies are required to characterize factors that influence this gender-by-gender interaction.
Trends in suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in a major German city
Authors: Radeloff Daniel , Papsdorf Rainer , Uhlig Kirsten , Vasilache Andreas , Putnam Karen , von Klitzing Kai
Published: January 2021

Aims

It remains unclear whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having an impact on suicide rates (SR). Economic insecurity and mental disorders are risk factors for suicide, which may increase during the pandemic.

Methods

Data on suicide events in a major city in Germany, and the corresponding life years (LY) were provided by the local authorities. For the year 2020, periods without restrictions on freedom of movement and social contact were compared with periods of moderate and severe COVID-19 restrictions. To avoid distortions due to seasonal fluctuations and linear time trends, suicide risk during the COVID-19 pandemic was compared with data from 2010 to 2019 using an interrupted time series analysis.

Results

A total of 643 suicides were registered and 6 032 690 LY were spent between 2010 and 2020. Of these, 53 suicides and 450 429 LY accounted for the year 2020.

In 2020, SR (suicides per 100 000 LY) were lower in periods with severe COVID-19 restrictions (SR = 7.2,χ2= 4.033,p= 0.045) compared with periods without restrictions (SR = 16.8). A comparison with previous years showed that this difference was caused by unusually high SR before the imposition of restrictions, while SR during the pandemic were within the trend corridor of previous years (expected suicides = 32.3, observed suicides = 35; IRR = 1.084,p= 0.682).

Conclusions

SR during COVID-19 pandemic are in line with the trend in previous years. Careful monitoring of SR in the further course of the COVID-19 crisis is urgently needed. The findings have regional reference and should not be over-generalised.
Response of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) and sugarbeet to desmedipham and phenmedipham
Authors: Beiermann Clint W. , Creech Cody F. , Knezevic Stevan Z. , Jhala Amit J. , Harveson Robert , Lawrence Nevin C.
Published: January 2021

A prepackaged mixture of desmedipham + phenmedipham was previously labeled for control of Amaranthus spp. in sugarbeet. Currently, there are no effective POST herbicide options to control glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth in sugarbeet. Sugarbeet growers are interested in using desmedipham + phenmedipham to control escaped Palmer amaranth. In 2019, a greenhouse experiment was initiated near Scottsbluff, NE, to determine the selectivity of desmedipham and phenmedipham between Palmer amaranth and sugarbeet. Three populations of Palmer amaranth and four sugarbeet hybrids were evaluated. Herbicide treatments consisted of desmedipham and phenmedipham applied singly or as mixtures at an equivalent rate. Herbicides were applied when Palmer amaranth and sugarbeet were at the cotyledon stage, or two true-leaf sugarbeet stage and when Palmer amaranth was 7 cm tall. The selectivity indices for desmedipham, phenmedipham, and desmedipham + phenmedipham were 1.61, 2.47, and 3.05, respectively, at the cotyledon stage. At the two true-leaf application stage, the highest rates of desmedipham and phenmedipham were associated with low mortality rates in sugarbeet, resulting in a failed response of death. The highest rates of desmedipham + phenmedipham caused a death response of sugarbeet; the selectivity index was 2.15. Desmedipham treatments resulted in lower LD50 estimates for Palmer amaranth compared to phenmedipham, indicating that desmedipham can provide greater levels of control for Palmer amaranth. However, desmedipham also caused greater injury in sugarbeet, producing lower LD50 estimates compared to phenmedipham. Desmedipham + phenmedipham provided 90% or greater control of cotyledon-size Palmer amaranth at a labeled rate but also caused high levels of sugarbeet injury. Neither desmedipham, phenmedipham, nor desmedipham + phenmedipham was able to control 7-cm tall Palmer amaranth at previously labeled rates. Results indicate that desmedipham + phenmedipham can only control Palmer amaranth if applied at the cotyledon stage and a high level of sugarbeet injury is acceptable.
Quantifying glyphosate plus 2,4-D or dicamba removal from the surface of totally impermeable film using analytical and bioassay techniques
Authors: Hand Lavesta C. , Eason Kayla M. , Randell Taylor M. , Grey Timothy L. , Richburg John S. , Culpepper A. Stanley
Published: January 2021

The loss of methyl bromide led vegetable growers to rely more heavily on herbicides to control weeds. Although herbicides can be effective, limited options in vegetable production challenge growers. Identifying new, effective tools to be applied over plastic mulch before planting, for improved weed control with minimal crop injury, would be beneficial. The objective of these experiments was to evaluate the persistence of preplant applications of glyphosate (1,125 or 2,250 g ae ha−1) plus 2,4-D (1,065 or 2,130 g ae ha−1) or dicamba (560 g ae ha−1) over plastic mulch, using analytical techniques and subsequent yellow squash and watermelon response. Glyphosate and 2,4-D were not analytically detected at damaging concentrations on plastic mulch when at least 3.5 cm of rainfall was received after application and before planting. In addition, bioassay results showing less than 10% visual injury for either squash and watermelon, with no growth or yield suppression observed, supported analytical results. In contrast, dicamba concentrations on plastic mulch, regardless of rainfall amount or time between application and planting, remained at damaging levels. Squash yields were reduced by dicamba applied 1 to 30 d before planting, whereas watermelon was more resilient. 2,4-D plus glyphosate applied preplant over plastic mulch can provide an additional herbicide option for vegetable growers. More research is needed to understand the impact of residual activity of 2,4-D when transplants land directly in holes in plastic mulch at the time of application. The relationship of dicamba with plastic mulch is complex, because the herbicide cannot be easily removed by rainfall. Thus, dicamba should not be included in a weed management system in plasticulture vegetable production.
Source selection and source use as a basis for evidence-informed teaching
Authors: Kiemer Katharina , Kollar Ingo
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Pre-service teachers rarely deal with problematic classroom situations in an evidence-informed way. One reason is that they often hold unfavourable beliefs about the utility of educational theories and evidence for competently dealing with classroom problems. Unfavourable beliefs about the utility of educational theories and evidence may weaken not only their actual use, but also already the selection of scientific information sources. Furthermore, beliefs about the utility of non-scientific theories and evidence might play a role in this process. We assessed N = 202 pre-service teachers' beliefs about the utility of educational research, subjective theories and anecdotal evidence in dealing with problematic classroom situations. They were presented with a case vignette of a fictitious teacher's unsuccessful attempts to deal with a problematic classroom situation and asked to provide feedback. Before giving feedback, participants could select up to four different information sources, namely (a) an educational theory, (b) the results of an empirical study, (c) a subjective theory, or (d) anecdotal evidence. Results showed that participants had significantly more positive beliefs about the utility of anecdotal evidence compared to educational research and subjective theories. Moreover, they selected educational theory significantly less often than any other source, and anecdotal evidence more frequently than educational theory and evidence. However, in students' feedback, educational theory was used as often as anecdotal evidence and significantly more often than educational evidence and subjective theories. Students' beliefs about the utility of educational theories and evidence were predictive for both selection and use of scientific sources, albeit with rather small effect sizes. The selection and use of non-scientific sources was not predicted by students' beliefs. Pre-service teacher education should not only target future teachers' skill and knowledge acquisition regarding evidence-informed teaching, but also help them develop more favourable beliefs about the utility of scientific theories and evidence.