bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The stability of co-authorship structures
Authors: Cugmas Marjan , Ferligoj Anuška , Kronegger Luka
Published: November 2015

This article examines the structure of co-authorship networks’ stability in time. The goal of the article is to analyse differences in the stability and size of groups of researchers that co-author with each other (core research groups) formed in disciplines from the natural and technical sciences on one hand and the social sciences and humanities on the other. The cores were obtained by a pre-specified blockmodeling procedure assuming a multi-core–semi-periphery–periphery structure. The stability of the obtained cores was measured with the Modified Adjusted Rand Index. The assumed structure was confirmed in all analysed disciplines. The average size of the cores obtained is higher in the second time period and the average core size is greater in the natural and technical sciences than in the social sciences and humanities. There are no differences in average core stability between the natural and technical sciences and the social sciences and humanities. However, if the stability of cores is defined by the splitting of cores and not also by the percentage of researchers who left the cores, the average stability of the cores is higher in disciplines from the scientific fields of Engineering sciences and technologies and Medical sciences than in disciplines of the Humanities, if controlling for the networks’ and disciplines’ characteristics. The analysis was performed on disciplinary co-authorship networks of Slovenian researchers in two time periods (1991–2000 and 2001–2010).
The Dwelling Panel – A New Research Method for Studying Urban Change
Authors: Friedrichs Jürgen , Blasius Jörg
Published: November 2015

Classical panel studies, such as the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), and the British Household Panel Study (BHPS), are based either on households or persons in households. Any attempts to break down such data into smaller spatial units such as neighbourhoods, due migration and changes in a specific sample can only be described by the stayers and the out-movers. With the exception of new members in stayer households, there is no information on households moving into a given neighbourhood. Consequently, when using classical panel data, it is not possible to analyse appropriately changes in small areas. In order to solve the problem of population changes in small spatial units such as neighbourhoods, we recommend using an alternative sampling unit: instead of households, we suggest focusing on dwellings and houses. The dwelling panel allows us to examine processes, such as gentrification, poverty and voting behaviour in small urban areas. Drawing on an ongoing study, we shall discuss methodological issues and show how a dwelling panel can be constructed and maintained in several waves. In the process, we shall discuss panel attrition and compare possible replacement strategies in classical panels with those in dwelling panels.
Global DNA hypomethylation coupled to cellular transformation and metastatic ability
Authors: Funaki Soichiro , Nakamura Toshinobu , Nakatani Tsunetoshi , Umehara Hiroki , Nakashima Hiroyuki , Okumura Meinoshin , Oboki Keisuke , Matsumoto Kenji , Saito Hirohisa , Nakano Toru
Published: November 2015

Global DNA hypomethylation and DNA hypermethylation of promoter regions are frequently detected in human cancers. Although many studies have suggested a contribution to carcinogenesis, it is still unclear whether the aberrant DNA hypomethylation observed in tumors is a consequence or a cause of cancer. Here, we show that the enforced expression of Stella (also known as PGC7 and Dppa3) induced not only global DNA demethylation but also transformation of NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of Stella enhanced the metastatic ability of B16 melanoma cells, presumably through the induction of metastasis‐related genes. These results provide new insights into the function of global DNA hypomethylation in carcinogenesis.
Structural in silico dissection of the collagen V interactome to identify genotype–phenotype correlations in classic Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
Authors: Paladin Lisanna , Tosatto Silvio C.E. , Minervini Giovanni
Published: November 2015

Collagen V mutations are associated with Elhers–Danlos syndrome (EDS), a group of heritable collagenopathies. Collagen V structure is not available and the disease‐causing mechanism is unclear. To address this issue, we manually curated missense mutations suspected to promote classic type EDS (cEDS) insurgence from the literature and performed a genotype–phenotype correlation study. Further, we generated a homology model of the collagen V triple helix to evaluate the pathogenic effects. The resulting structure was used to map known protein–protein interactions enriched with in silico predictions. An interaction network model for collagen V was created. We found that cEDS heterogeneous manifestations may be explained by the involvement in two different extracellular matrix pathways, related to cell adhesion and tissue repair or cell differentiation, growth and apoptosis.
Molecular autopsy in victims of inherited arrhythmias
Authors: Semsarian Christopher , Ingles Jodie
Published: November 2015

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a rare but devastating complication of a number of underlying cardiovascular diseases. While coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction are the most common causes of SCD in older populations, inherited cardiac disorders comprise a substantial proportion of SCD cases aged less than 40 years. Inherited cardiac disorders include primary inherited arrhythmogenic disorders such as familial long QT syndrome (LQTS), Brugada syndrome (BrS), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), and inherited cardiomyopathies, most commonly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In up to 40% of young SCD victims (defined as 1–40 years old, excluding sudden unexplained death in infancy from 0 to 1 years, referred to as SIDS), no cause of death is identified at postmortem [so‐called “autopsy negative” or “sudden arrhythmic death syndrome” (SADS)]. Management of families following a SCD includes the identification of the cause of death, based either on premorbid clinical details or the pathological findings at the postmortem. When no cause of death is identified, genetic testing of DNA extracted from postmortem tissue (the molecular autopsy) may identify a cause of death in up to 30% of SADS cases. Targeted clinical testing in a specialized multidisciplinary clinic in surviving family members combined with the results from genetic testing, provide the optimal setting for the identification of relatives who may be at risk of having the same inherited heart disease and are therefore also predisposed to an increased risk of SCD.
Influence of primary and secondary prevention indications on anxiety about the implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator
Authors: Rahmawati Anita , Chishaki Akiko , Ohkusa Tomoko , Sawatari Hiroyuki , Tsuchihashi‐Makaya Miyuki , Ohtsuka Yuko , Nakai Mori , Miyazono Mami , Hashiguchi Nobuko , Sakurada Harumizu , Takemoto Masao , Mukai Yasushi , Inoue Shujirou , Sunagawa Kenji , Chishaki Hiroaki
Published: November 2015

Background

Implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs) have been established for primary and secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias. However, little is known about the influence of ICD indications on quality of life (QOL) and psychological disturbances. This study aimed to examine whether there were differences in QOL and psychological distress in patients that have an ICD for primary or secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias.

Methods

A multicenter survey of 179 consecutive outpatients (29.1% primary prevention) with ICD implantations completed the Short Form‐8 (SF‐8), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Impact of Event Scale‐Revised (IES‐R), State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Worries about ICD (WAICD).

Results

Patients with an ICD for primary prevention had a higher trait anxiety score and worries about ICD score than patients with an ICD for secondary prevention (41.7±12.4 vs. 34.7±12.3, p=0.001 and 39.6±18.0 vs. 30.0±18.9, p=0.002, respectively), even after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. In multivariable analysis of variance, primary prevention ICD recipients reported a poorer QOL on the vitality subscale of the SF‐8.

Conclusions

In our study population, which mostly consisted of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I and II subjects, primary prevention ICD recipients were more prone to experience worries about their ICD, anxiety, and a poorer QOL compared to secondary prevention ICD recipients. In clinical practice, primary prevention ICD patients should be closely monitored. If warranted, they should be offered psychological intervention, as anxiety and low QOL were predictors of mortality.
TESTIFYING UNDERSTANDING
Authors: Boyd Kenneth
Published: November 2015

While it is widely acknowledged that knowledge can be acquired via testimony, it has been argued that understanding cannot. While there is no consensus about what the epistemic relationship of understanding consists in, I argue here that regardless of how understanding is conceived there are kinds of understanding that can be acquired through testimony: easy understanding (e.g. understanding simple and mundane information) and easysunderstanding (e.g. understanding information that might be complex, but is nevertheless easy for an expert S). I address a number of aspects of understanding that might stand in the way of being able to acquire understanding through testimony, focusing on understanding's paradigmatic form and what it means to say that in order to understand something you need to “grasp” some information or the relationship between bits of information. I argue that in cases of both easy and easys understanding, no aspect of understanding stands in the way of it being able to acquire it through testimony. As a result, while not all understanding can be acquired through testimony in all instances and for all subjects, this failure of acquisition is only a product of the complexity of the relevant information or one's unfamiliarity with it, and not a product of the epistemic relationship of understanding.
Internet Sites and Apps Available to Students Seeking Counselling, and What School Counsellors Should Know About Them
Authors: Furlonger Brett , Budisa Sonja
Published: November 2015

Consumers are increasingly turning to both the internet and apps for mental health assistance. Mobile technologies such as smart phones and tablets offer swift and anonymous access for students to internet sites and app environments. Availability, however, does not guarantee quality or credibility. This web-based pilot study was undertaken to evaluate internet sites and apps on their ability to provide quality and credible information about counselling and counsellors. Of the 69 internet sites identified, only five met the inclusion criteria, and of the 30 apps identified, only eight met the inclusion criteria for quality and credibility. Inter-observer agreement was found to be 95.6% for the inclusion processes and 93% for quality and credibility. The findings strongly suggested that while there was a vast amount of information on the web, both internet sites and apps rarely met criteria for quality and credibility. The role of school counsellors in helping students use web-based counselling tools was discussed.
Depression and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in older adults living at northern latitudes – AGES-Reykjavik Study
Authors: Imai Cindy M. , Halldorsson Thorhallur I. , Eiriksdottir Gudny , Cotch Mary F. , Steingrimsdottir Laufey , Thorsdottir Inga , Launer Lenore J. , Harris Tamara , Gudnason Vilmundur , Gunnarsdottir Ingibjorg
Published: November 2015

Low vitamin D status may be associated with depression. Few studies have examined vitamin D and depression in older adults living at northern latitudes. The present study cross-sectionally investigated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status and depression among 5006 community-dwelling older persons (66–96 years) living in Iceland (latitudes 64–66°N). Depressive symptoms were measured by the fifteen-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Current major depressive disorder was assessed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Serum 25(OH)D was analysed using chemiluminescence immunoassay and categorised into three groups: deficient (<30 nmol/l); inadequate (30–49·9 nmol/l); and adequate (≥50 nmol/l). There were twenty-eight (2 %) men and fifty (1 %) women with current major depressive disorder. Mean GDS-15 scores for men and women with adequate vitamin D concentrations were 2·1 and 2·2, respectively. Men and women with deficientv.adequate vitamin D status had more depressive symptoms (higher GDS-15 scores) (difference 0·7 (95 % CI 0·4, 0·9) and 0·4 (95 % CI 0·1, 0·6), respectively). Furthermore, men with deficient vitamin D status were more likely to have current major depressive disorder (adjusted OR 2·51; 95 % CI 1·03, 6·13) compared with men with adequate vitamin D status. Associations among women were not significant. In this older population living at northern latitudes, deficient vitamin D status may be associated with depression. Further investigations are warranted to evaluate the pathways that may be associated with risk of depression among older adults.
Relocation of nucleolar fibrillarin in Trypanosoma cruzi during stationary phase
Authors: GUERRERO-SÁNCHEZ ERNESTO , CEVALLOS ANA MARÍA , MARTÍNEZ-CALVILLO SANTIAGO , LÓPEZ-VILLASEÑOR IMELDA , HERNÁNDEZ ROBERTO
Published: November 2015

Trypanosoma cruziis the aetiological agent of Chagas disease. Our group has focused on the study of ribosomal RNA and nucleolar structure in this organism. In this work, we address the cellular location of fibrillarin in epimastigotes. As a conserved and unreported feature in trypanosomatids, fibrillarin inT. cruziis encoded by two genes that differ by approximately 35% in their deduced amino acid sequences (TcFib 1 and TcFib 2). Chimaeric fluorescent versions ofTcFib1andTcFib2were individually expressed inT. cruzicells. Both transfected cultures showed cells with a nucleolar fluorescent signal. We have not found any evident distinction between the structure or expression of Tcfibrillarins to propose a functional difference in cells. With the aid of an anti-TcFib 2 antibody, it was found that the endogenous protein relocates outside of the nucleolus in stationary epimastigotes. This was also the case in metacyclic trypomastigotes observed from aged cultures. The significance of this observation is not known, but a deficiency of fibrillarin nucleolar retention correlates with the observed reduction in the abundance of the pre-ribosomal RNAs species at stationary phase, and suggests that the nucleolar location of this protein depends on physiological processes.
Sharpening Our Understanding of Social Problems in Asian Societies: The Roles of Culture and Theory in Socially Engaged Social Psychology
Authors: Bernardo Allan B.I. , Liu James H.
Published: November 2015

This thematic Special Issue is the second in a five-year series on social psychology of social change that aims to feature the science and practice of interventions for social change. But, current work in the social psychology of social change still focuses on theoretical analysis of social problems; the action-oriented approach to social psychology research is not yet a strong movement in social psychology in the region. This is reflected in the research features in the Special Issue, where only one exemplifies the action research approach. Nevertheless, there is progress towards applying the theoretical lenses and methodological tools of social psychology to develop sharper understanding of particular social problems and the theoretical analysis that draws from close social contextual analysis and from indigenous concepts plays an important role in this progress. Even as we reflect on the challenges for moving towards action-oriented social psychology research, we note how social psychologists in the Asian and Pacific region are focusing their attention on local social concerns.
The Impact of Persistent Terrorism on Political Tolerance: Israel, 1980 to 2011
Authors: PEFFLEY MARK , HUTCHISON MARC L. , SHAMIR MICHAL
Published: November 2015

How do persistent terrorist attacks influence political tolerance, a willingness to extend basic liberties to one's enemies? Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have produced a number of valuable insights into how citizens respond to singular, massive attacks like 9/11. But they are less useful for evaluating how chronic and persistent terrorist attacks erode support for democratic values over the long haul. Our study focuses on political tolerance levels in Israel across a turbulent 30-year period, from 1980 to 2011, which allows us to distinguish the short-term impact of hundreds of terrorist attacks from the long-term influence of democratic longevity on political tolerance. We find that the corrosive influence of terrorism on political tolerance is much more powerful among Israelis who identify with the Right, who have also become much more sensitive to terrorism over time. We discuss the implications of our findings for other democracies under threat from terrorism.
Rights to the Realm: Reconsidering Western Political Development
Authors: SALTER ALEXANDER WILLIAM
Published: November 2015

I explore how political property rights to revenues from governance relate to generality norms in governance. I do so by examining the rise of Western constitutional liberalism from the perspective of property rights economics and political economy. While it is true that Western political development has been the result of bargains between political elites (Congleton 2011), the implications of the fact that parties to these bargains historically were “owners of the realm” have been underappreciated. I argue the unintended consequence of these political bargains among “owners of the realm” was ade factosupermajority rule, approaching conceptual unanimity for those party to the bargains. In developing this argument I elaborate on the relationship between political and economic property rights, noting that while they were and will continue to be intertwined, there was a hierarchy of rights that became inverted over the course of elites’ constitutional bargains.
Social Samaritan Justice: When and Why Needy Fellow Citizens Have a Right to Assistance
Authors: VALENTINI LAURA
Published: November 2015

In late 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the U.S., causing much suffering and devastation. Those who could have easily helped Sandy's victims had a duty to do so. But was this a rightfully enforceable duty of justice, or a nonenforceable duty of beneficence? The answer to this question is often thought to depend on the kind of help offered: the provision of immediate bodily services is not enforceable; the transfer of material resources is. I argue that this double standard is unjustified, and defend a version of what I call “social samaritanism.” On this view, within political communities, the duty to help the needy—whether via bodily services or resource transfers—is always an enforceable demand of justice, except when the needy are reckless; across independent political communities, it is always a matter of beneficence. I defend this alternative double standard, and consider its implications for the case of Sandy.
ON THE PROBABILITY OF GENERATING NILPOTENT SUBGROUPS IN A FINITE GROUP
Authors: JAFARIAN AMIRI S. M. , MADADI H. , ROSTAMI H.
Published: November 2015

Let $G$ be a finite group. We denote by ${\it\nu}(G)$ the probability that two randomly chosen elements of $G$ generate a nilpotent subgroup and by $\text{Nil}_{G}(x)$ the set of elements $y\in G$ such that $\langle x,y\rangle$ is a nilpotent subgroup. A group $G$ is called an ${\mathcal{N}}$-group if $\text{Nil}_{G}(x)$ is a subgroup of $G$ for all $x\in G$. We prove that if $G$ is an ${\mathcal{N}}$-group with ${\it\nu}(G)>\frac{1}{12}$, then $G$ is soluble. Also, we classify semisimple ${\mathcal{N}}$-groups with ${\it\nu}(G)=\frac{1}{12}$.
Microsatellite markers for Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) and other Cryptolestes species
Authors: Wu Y. , Li F. , Li Z. , Stejskal V. , Kučerová Z. , Opit G. , Aulicky R. , Zhang T. , He P. , Cao Y.
Published: November 2015

Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens, 1831) is an important insect pest of stored products. Due to its broad host range, short life cycle, and high reproductive capacity, this species has rapidly colonized temperate and tropical regions around the world. In this study, we isolated 18 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci from an enriched genomic library based on a biotin/streptavidin capture protocol. These loci will be useful tool to better understand the genetic structure and migration patterns of C. ferrugineus throughout the world. The genetic parameters were estimated based on 80 individual C. ferrugineus from two natural populations. The results revealed that 18 loci were different polymorphic levels. The numbers of alleles ranged from 3 to 12, and eleven loci demonstrated polymorphic information contents greater than 0.5. The observed (HO) and expected (HE) heterozygosities ranged from 0.051 to 0.883 and 0.173 to 0.815, respectively. Five locus/population combinations significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. We also demonstrated the potential utility of the C. ferrugineus microsatellites as population and species markers for four additional Cryptolestes species.
Geodesics in Trees of Hyperbolic and Relatively Hyperbolic Spaces
Authors: Gautero François
Published: November 2015

We present a careful approximation of the quasi-geodesics of trees of hyperbolic and relatively hyperbolic spaces. As an application we prove a dynamical and geometric combination theorem for trees of relatively hyperbolic spaces, with both Farb's and Gromov's definitions.
Pure Injective and Absolutely Pure Sheaves
Authors: Enochs Edgar , Estrada Sergio , Odabaşi Sinem
Published: November 2015

We study two notions of purity in categories of sheaves: the categorical and the geometric. It is shown that pure injective envelopes exist in both cases under very general assumptions on the scheme. Finally, we introduce the class of locally absolutely pure (quasi-coherent) sheaves with respect to the geometrical purity, and characterize locally Noetherian closed subschemes of a projective scheme in terms of the new class.
DETERMINANTS OF FERTILIZER MICRODOSING-INDUCED YIELD INCREMENT OF PEARL MILLET ON AN ACID SANDY SOIL
Authors: IBRAHIM ALI , ABAIDOO ROBERT CLEMENT , FATONDJI DOUGBEDJI , OPOKU ANDREWS
Published: November 2015

Recent studies have reported the benefits of fertilizer microdosing in increasing crop yields in low input cropping systems. Little information is however available on the mechanisms underlying this effect. The objective of this study was therefore to explore the root-based mechanisms governing the growth enhancing phenomena of the fertilizer microdosing technology. A two-year experiment was conducted at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Research Station in Niger. Four treatments comprising (i) 2 g hill−1of diammonuim phosphate (DAP), (ii) 6 g hill−1of compound fertilizer NPK, (iii) broadcasting of 200 kg ha−1of compound fertilizer NPK (recommended rate) and (iv) unfertilized control was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. On average, fertilizer microdosing treatments (2-g DAP hill−1and 6-g NPK hill−1) achieved 86% and 79% of the grain yields recorded from broadcasting of 200-kg NPK ha−1, respectively, in 2013 and 2014. The leaf area index and leaf chlorophyll content significantly increased with fertilizer microdosing at the early stage of millet growth. At the same stage, fertilizer microdosing enhanced the lateral root length density in the topsoil (0–20 cm) by 72% and 40% at respective lateral distances of 25 cm and 50 cm from the centre of the hill compared with broadcast of 200-kg NPK ha−1. Fertilizer microdosing did not significantly change soil pH in the root zone. It is concluded that the positive effect of fertilizer microdosing in increasing millet yield results from the better exploitation of soil nutrients due to early lateral roots proliferation within the topsoil.
Top-cited articles of the last 30 years (1985–2014) in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery
Authors: Lenzi R , Fortunato S , Muscatello L
Published: November 2015

Background:

The frequency with which a scientific article is cited by other studies is one way to measure its academic influence.

Methods:

A comprehensive search was performed to identify journal articles in the otorhinolaryngology subject category of the 2013 Journal Citation Report Science Edition over the last 30 years (1985–2014). The 100 most cited articles were reviewed and basic information including the publication year, country of origin, source journal, article type and research field was collected.

Results:

The 100 most cited articles were published in 15 of the 44 otorhinolaryngology journals. The number of citations per article ranged between 208 and 1559. The leading research field was otology and neurotology (n = 50), followed by rhinology (n = 23) and head and neck surgery (n = 11). Most papers originated in the USA (n = 64).

Conclusion:

The possibility of an article being cited is influenced by the publication language, country of origin and source journal.
‘Self-Help which Ennobles a Nation’: Development, citizenship, and the obligations of eating in India's austerity years
Authors: SIEGEL BENJAMIN
Published: November 2015

In the years immediately following independence, India's political leadership, assisted by a network of civic organizations, sought to transform what, how, and how much Indians ate. These campaigns, this article argues, embodied a broader post-colonial project to reimagine the terms of citizenship and development in a new nation facing enduring scarcity. Drawing upon wartime antecedent, global ideologies of population and land management, and an ethos of austerity imbued with the power to actualize economic self-reliance, the new state urged its citizens to give up rice and wheat, whose imports sapped the nation of the foreign currency needed for industrial development. In place of these staples, India's new citizens were asked to adopt ‘substitute’ and ‘subsidiary’ foods—including bananas, groundnuts, tapioca, yams, beets, and carrots—and give up a meal or more each week to conserve India's scant grain reserves. And as Indian planners awaited the possibility of fundamental agricultural advance and agrarian reform, they looked to food technology and the promise of ‘artificial rice’ as a means of making up for India's perennial food deficit. India's women, as anchors of the household—and therefore, the nation—were tasked with facilitating these dietary transformations, and were saddled with the blame when these modernist projects failed. Unable to marshal the resources needed to undertake fundamental agricultural reform, India's planners placed greater faith in their ability to exercise authority over certain aspects of Indian citizenship itself, tying the remaking of practices and sentiments to the reconstruction of a self-reliant national economy.
Earthquakes in Japan
Authors: HUNTER JANET
Published: November 2015

This review article examines three monographs that make conspicuous contributions to our understanding of major earthquake disasters in Japan from the mid-nineteenth century through to 2011. They focus on different events and different time periods, and ask different questions, but raise a host of shared issues relating to the on-going importance of disaster in Japan's history over the long term. They cause us to consider how seismic disaster is explained, understood, interpreted, and actualized in people's lives, how the risks are factored in, and how people respond to both immediate crisis and longer term consequences. One recurrent issue in these volumes is the extent to which these large natural disasters have the capacity to change—and actually do change—the ways in which societies organize themselves. In some cases disaster may be perceived as opportunity, but the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that a desire to return to the previous ‘normality’ is a powerful impulse in people's responses to major natural disasters. The review also argues that the issue of trust lies at the core of both individual and collective responses. A lack of trust may be most conspicuous in attitudes to government and elites, but is also inherent in more everyday personal interactions and market transactions in the immediate aftermath of disaster.
The Number of Variants in the Greek New Testament: A Proposed Estimate
Authors: Gurry Peter J.
Published: November 2015

Since the publication of John Mill's Greek New Testament in 1707, scholars have shown repeated interest in the number of textual variants in our extant witnesses. Past estimates, however, have failed to tell who estimated, how the estimate was derived, or even what was being estimated. This study addresses all three problems and so offers an up-to-date estimate based on the most extensive collation data available. The result is a higher number than almost all previous estimates. Proper use shows that the number reflects the frequency with which scribes copied more than their infidelity in doing so.
Jakobus und Paulus über das Innere des Menschen und den Ursprung seiner ethischen Entscheidungen
Authors: Niebuhr Karl-Wilhelm
Published: November 2015

Pauline Anthropology has long been seen as the key to the quest for the human being in New Testament theology. But there are other concepts in ancient Roman and early Jewish religious-philosophical thinking that deserve our attention in this regard. Exegetical analyses of James 1.2–18 and 3.13–18 point to a view of the human being that traces the ability to do what is good back to God's working within and his bestowal of wisdom. Surveys of ethical passages in theWisdom of Solomonand Epictetus indicate that the origin of ethical decisions can be understood in psychological as well as religious terms. In the light of such anthropological discourses the Pauline argument about the human being in Romans 5–8 can be seen from a new perspective.
Creatio ex Nihilo and Romans 4.17 in Context
Authors: Worthington Jonathan
Published: November 2015

Rom 4.17d is often read as referring to creation, perhaps even creatio ex nihilo. Others argue that this doctrine was not yet conceptually available. After exploring what ‘nothing’ means in similar phrases in Paul's ancient context (2 Macc 7.28 and Philo), the first conclusion is that if Rom 4.17d refers to creation then Paul's ‘nothings’ most likely do not refer to an absolute nihil. However, after exploring Rom 4.17 in the context of Paul's argument, the final conclusion is that in Rom 4.17d Paul does present absolute ‘nothings’, though in God's speech to Abraham, not at creation. Paul's theology encompasses God's authority and causation ex nihilo.
Elisha Typology in Jesus’ Miracle on the Jordan River (Papyrus Egerton 2, 2v.6–14)
Authors: Zelyck Lorne R.
Published: November 2015

Previous reconstructions of the ‘Miracle on the Jordan River’ (Papyrus Egerton 2, 2v.6–14) are unconvincing because they lack clear parallels with known texts. This short article proposes a new transcription, based on the apparent parallels with Elisha's miracles in 2 Kings and Josephus, Jewish War 4.460–4. It concludes that the author of the Egerton Gospel used Elisha typology in the depiction of Jesus’ miracle on the Jordan.
Diversity of extracellular proteins during the transition from the ‘proto-apicomplexan’ alveolates to the apicomplexan obligate parasites
Authors: TEMPLETON THOMAS J. , PAIN ARNAB
Published: November 2015

The recent completion of high-coverage draft genome sequences for several alveolate protozoans – namely, the chromerids,Chromera veliaandVitrella brassicaformis; the perkinsidPerkinsus marinus; the apicomplexan,Gregarina niphandrodes, as well as high coverage transcriptome sequence information for several colpodellids, allows for new genome-scale comparisons across a rich landscape of apicomplexans and other alveolates. Genome annotations can now be used to help interpret fine ultrastructure and cell biology, and guide new studies to describe a variety of alveolate life strategies, such as symbiosis or free living, predation, and obligate intracellular parasitism, as well to provide foundations to dissect the evolutionary transitions between these niches. This review focuses on the attempt to identify extracellular proteins which might mediate the physical interface of cell–cell interactions within the above life strategies, aided by annotation of the repertoires of predicted surface and secreted proteins encoded within alveolate genomes. In particular, we discuss what descriptions of the predicted extracellular proteomes reveal regarding a hypothetical last common ancestor of a pre-apicomplexan alveolate – guided by ultrastructure, life strategies and phylogenetic relationships – in an attempt to understand the evolution of obligate parasitism in apicomplexans.
Clients and Communities
Authors: Auerbach Adam Michael
Published: November 2015

India’s urban slums exhibit dramatic variation in their levels of infrastructural development and access to public services. Why are some vulnerable communities able to demand and secure development from the state while others fail to? Based on ethnographic fieldwork and original household survey data, the author finds that party networks significantly influence the ability of poor urban communities to organize and demand development. In slums with dense party networks, competition among party workers generates a degree of accountability in local patron-client hierarchies that encourages development. Dense party networks also strengthen organizational capacity and provide settlements with vertical connectivity to politicians and officials. The presence of multiparty networks, however, may attenuate the positive influence of party network density. Interviews with political elites and the survey data suggest that politicians are less likely to provide services to slums with multiparty networks. From within settlements, partisan competition also creates perverse incentives for rival networks to undermine each other’s development efforts. This article contributes to scholarship on clientelism, which has overlooked variation in the density and partisan balance of patron-client networks across poor urban communities and the resulting divergences in democratic responsiveness and development that face those communities. It also contributes to research on distributive politics and the political economy of development.
A novel planar parallel manipulator with high orientation capability for a hybrid machine tool: kinematics, dimensional synthesis and performance evaluation
Authors: Assal Samy F. M.
Published: November 2015

In order to potentially realize the advantages of planar parallel manipulators to be used for hybrid machine tools, the inherently abundant singularities which diminish the usable workspace must be eliminated. Proper structure synthesis and dimensional synthesis can provide a good solution. So, a non-conventional architecture of a three-PPR planar parallel manipulator is proposed in this paper for a hybrid machine tool. The proposed architecture permits a large dexterous workspace with unlimited orientation capability and no singularities. It also provides partially decoupled motion which permits independent actuators control. The kinematic, singularity, orientation capability and workspace analyses of the proposed manipulator are studied to verify those advantages. Based on a non-dimensional design parameter space, the highly important indices for this application namely the workspace index (WI), the motion/force transmission index, the kinematic and dynamic dexterity indices and the stiffness index are selected to be maximized yielding proper dimensions of the design parameters. Those performance indices are proven to be uniform over all the workspace achieving highly important characteristics of uniform accuracy, acceleration characteristics, rigidity and force transmissibility. Performance evaluation is finally presented to verify the high performance of the proposed non-singular planar parallel manipulator with high orientation capability.
Working towards educational transformation through action research with Botswana's music teachers
Authors: Chadwick Sheelagh
Published: November 2015

Contrary to government policy, schooling in Botswana remains largely teacher-centred, with music teaching being no exception. However, other possibilities for classroom dynamics arise under the pressure of practical examinations and when some students have better instrumental facility than their teachers. This article describes initial explorations into action research with music teachers in Botswana and outlines the possibilities and potential for change – both in teachers’ views of their work, and for approaches that bring students’ knowledge and skills to the forefront of music classrooms. Researcher mistakes and learning are also explored, demonstrating the need for ongoing critical reflection and adaptation in this complex setting.
Training music teachers through distance learning: The case of teaching practice mentoring at one primary school teacher training college in Zimbabwe
Authors: Bhebhe Sithulisiwe , Runhare Tawanda , Monobe Ratau John
Published: November 2015

This study sought to examine the quality of teaching practice (TP) mentoring in the teaching of music at primary school level through the distance mode of training at one college of education in Zimbabwe. The study examined the experiences and perceptions of lecturers and student teachers on TP mentoring in music within the context of a distance mode of teacher training. A purposive sample of 17 music student teachers and 11 lecturers was selected. The study employed a qualitative case study research design in which one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions and documentary analysis were used to collect data. The main conclusion from the study was that the distance approach to teacher training was not effectively utilised for teacher preparation in music due to inadequate music knowledge and skills of mentor teachers as well as weaknesses of the school curriculum. Recommendations drawn from these conclusions are that the teaching practice period should not be the same for all subjects and more demanding subjects such as music deserve to be practiced more. Student teachers specialising in music must be placed for teaching practice where there are music specialist teachers. This study also recommends that the placement of music student teachers for teaching practice be undertaken jointly by the teaching practice coordinators and the music specialist lecturer.
WHY BEHAVIOURAL POLICY NEEDS MECHANISTIC EVIDENCE
Authors: Grüne-Yanoff Till
Published: November 2015

Proponents of behavioural policies seek to justify them as ‘evidence-based’. Yet they typically fail to show through which mechanisms these policies operate. This paper shows – at the hand of examples from economics and psychology – that without sufficient mechanistic evidence, one often cannot determine whether a given policy in its target environment will be effective, robust, persistent or welfare-improving. Because these properties are important for justification, policies that lack sufficient support from mechanistic evidence should not be called ‘evidence-based’.
DECISION-MAKING ALIGNED WITH RAPID-CYCLE EVALUATION IN HEALTH CARE
Authors: Schneeweiss Sebastian , Shrank William H. , Ruhl Michael , Maclure Malcolm
Published: November 2015

Background: Availability of real-time electronic healthcare data provides new opportunities for rapid-cycle evaluation (RCE) of health technologies, including healthcare delivery and payment programs. We aim to align decision-making processes with stages of RCE to optimize the usefulness and impact of rapid results. Rational decisions about program adoption depend on program effect size in relation to externalities, including implementation cost, sustainability, and likelihood of broad adoption.

Methods: Drawing on case studies and experience from drug safety monitoring, we examine how decision makers have used scientific evidence on complex interventions in the past. We clarify how RCE alters the nature of policy decisions; develop the RAPID framework for synchronizing decision-maker activities with stages of RCE; and provide guidelines on evidence thresholds for incremental decision-making.

Results: In contrast to traditional evaluations, RCE provides early evidence on effectiveness and facilitates a stepped approach to decision making in expectation of future regularly updated evidence. RCE allows for identification of trends in adjusted effect size. It supports adapting a program in midstream in response to interim findings, or adapting the evaluation strategy to identify true improvements earlier. The 5-step RAPID approach that utilizes the cumulating evidence of program effectiveness over time could increase policy-makers' confidence in expediting decisions.

Conclusions: RCE enables a step-wise approach to HTA decision-making, based on gradually emerging evidence, reducing delays in decision-making processes after traditional one-time evaluations.
Geographic, environmental and biotic sources of variation in the nutrient relations of tropical montane forests
Authors: Dalling James W. , Heineman Katherine , González Grizelle , Ostertag Rebecca
Published: November 2015

Tropical montane forests (TMF) are associated with a widely observed suite of characteristics encompassing forest structure, plant traits and biogeochemistry. With respect to nutrient relations, montane forests are characterized by slow decomposition of organic matter, high investment in below-ground biomass and poor litter quality, relative to tropical lowland forests. However, within TMF there is considerable variation in substrate age, parent material, disturbance and species composition. Here we emphasize that many TMFs are likely to be co-limited by multiple nutrients, and that feedback among soil properties, species traits, microbial communities and environmental conditions drive forest productivity and soil carbon storage. To date, studies of the biogeochemistry of montane forests have been restricted to a few, mostly neotropical, sites and focused mainly on trees while ignoring mycorrhizas, epiphytes and microbial community structure. Incorporating the geographic, environmental and biotic variability in TMF will lead to a greater recognition of plant–soil feedbacks that are critical to understanding constraints on productivity, both under present conditions and under future climate, nitrogen-deposition and land-use scenarios.
General AltBOC Modulation with Adjustable Power Allocation Ratio for GNSS
Authors: Yan Tao , Wei Jiaolong , Tang Zuping , Zhou Zhihui , Xia Xuan
Published: November 2015

Alternative Binary Offset Carrier (AltBOC) modulation signal has the constraint of an equal power allocation scheme. Thus, it is not flexible enough to meet different requirements. To solve this problem, we propose a General AltBOC (GAltBOC) modulation. The proposed technique can achieve the same function as AltBOC. Meanwhile, its power allocation ratio can be adjusted when required. The detailed derivation of the GAltBOC modulation is presented, and three representative cases as well as the signal properties are discussed. To further improve the combination efficiency, we develop the Interlacing GAltBOC (IGAltBOC) modulation based on the GAltBOC modulation. The Power Spectrum Density (PSD) and correlation functions of the proposed signals are verified by simulation. The code tracking error and implementation complexities are analysed and compared with existing methods. Results show the proposed signals indeed enhance the flexibility of power allocation ratio with the same level code tracking accuracy. Compared with AltBOC modulation, the proposed signal can reach a higher combination efficiency at the expense of relatively higher implementation complexity. Compared with Asymmetric Constant Envelope Double-sideband (ACED) modulation, the proposed signals have significantly lower complexity of signal generation, which is helpful in simplifying the signal generation in the payload transmitter.
A prevalence study ofSalmonellaspp.,Yersiniaspp.,Toxoplasma gondiiand porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in UK pigs at slaughter
Authors: POWELL L. F. , CHENEY T. E. A. , WILLIAMSON S. , GUY E. , SMITH R. P. , DAVIES R. H.
Published: November 2015

An abattoir-based study was undertaken between January and May 2013 to estimate the prevalence ofSalmonellaspp. andYersiniaspp. carriage and seroprevalence of antibodies toToxoplasma gondii andporcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) in UK pigs at slaughter. In total, 626 pigs were sampled at 14 abattoirs that together process 80% of the annual UK pig slaughter throughput. Sampling was weighted by abattoir throughput and sampling dates and pig carcasses were randomly selected. Rectal swabs, blood samples, carcass swabs and the whole caecum, tonsils, heart and tongue were collected.Salmonellaspp. was isolated from 30·5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26·5–34·6] of caecal content samples but only 9·6% (95% CI 7·3–11·9) of carcass swabs, which was significantly lower than in a UK survey in 2006–2007.S.Typhimurium andS.4,[5],12:i:- were the most commonly isolated serovars, followed byS.Derby andS.Bovismorbificans. The prevalence ofYersinia enterocoliticacarriage in tonsils was 28·7% (95% CI 24·8–32·7) whereas carcass contamination was much lower at 1·8% (95% CI 0·7–2·8). The seroprevalence of antibodies toToxoplasma gondiiand PRRSv was 7·4% (95% CI 5·3–9·5) and 58·3% (95% CI 53·1–63·4), respectively. This study provides a comparison to previous abattoir-based prevalence surveys forSalmonellaandYersinia, and the first UK-wide seroprevalence estimates for antibodies toToxoplasmaand PRRSv in pigs at slaughter.
Assortative mixing as a source of bias in epidemiological studies of sexually transmitted infections: the case of smoking and human papillomavirus
Authors: LEMIEUX-MELLOUKI P. , DROLET M. , BRISSON J. , FRANCO E. L. , BOILY M.-C. , BAUSSANO I. , BRISSON M.
Published: November 2015

For studies examining risk factors of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), confounding can stem from characteristics of partners of study subjects, and persist after adjustment for the subjects’ individual-level characteristics. Two conditions that can result in confounding by the subjects’ partners are: (C1) partner choice is assortative by the risk factor examined and, (C2) sexual activity is associated with the risk factor. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the potential impact of the assortativity bias in studies examining STI risk factors, using smoking and human papillomavirus (HPV) as an example. We developed an HPV transmission-dynamic mathematical model in which we nested a cross-sectional study assessing the smoking–HPV association. In our base case, we assumed (1) no effect of smoking on HPV, and (2) conditions C1–C2 hold for smoking (based on empirical data). The assortativity bias caused an overestimation of the odds ratio (OR) in the simulated study after perfect adjustment for the subjects’ individual-level characteristics (adjusted OR 1·51 instead of 1·00). The bias was amplified by a lower basic reproductive number (R0), greater mixing assortativity and stronger association of smoking with sexual activity. Adjustment for characteristics of partners is needed to mitigate assortativity bias.