bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CEO Bonus Compensation and Bank Default Risk: Evidence from the U.S. and Europe
Authors: Vallascas Francesco , Hagendorff Jens
Published: April 2013

We investigate the link between the incentive mechanisms embedded in CEO cash bonuses and the riskiness of banks. For a sample of U.S. and European banks, we employ the Merton distance to default model to show that increases in CEO cash bonuses lower the default risk of a bank. However, we find no evidence of cash bonuses exerting a risk‐reducing effect when banks are financially distressed or when banks operate under weak bank regulatory regimes. Our results link bonus compensation in banking to financial stability and caution that attempts to regulate bonus pay need to tailor CEO incentives to the riskiness of banks and to regulatory regimes.
Default Risk Estimation, Bank Credit Risk, and Corporate Governance
Authors: Switzer Lorne N. , Wang Jun
Published: April 2013

This study explores the relationship between credit risks of banks and the corporate governance structures of these banks from the perspective of creditors. The cumulative default probabilities are estimated for a sample of US commercial and savings banks to measure their risk taking behavior. The results show that one year and five year cumulative default probabilities are time‐varying, with a significant jump observed in the year prior to the financial crisis of 2008–09. Generally speaking, corporate governance structures have a greater impact on US commercial banks than on savings institutions. We provide evidence that, after controlling for firm specific characteristics, commercial banks with larger boards and older CFOs are associated with significantly lower credit risk levels. Lower ownership by institutional investors and more independent boards also have lower credit risk levels, although these effects are somewhat less significant. For all the banks in our sample, large board size, older CFO, and less busy directors are associated with lower credit risk levels. When we restrict the sample to consider the joint effects of the governance variables, the results on board size and busy directors are maintained.
Turning the Switch: An Evaluation of the Minimum Wage in the German Electrical Trade Using Repeated Natural Experiments
Authors: Boockmann Bernhard , Krumm Raimund , Rattenhuber Pia , Neumann Michael
Published: April 2013

The introduction, abolition and subsequent re-introduction of the minimum wage in the German electrical trade gave rise to series of natural experiments, which are used to study minimum wage effects. We find similar impacts in all three cases on wages, employment and the receipt of public welfare benefits. Average wages are raised by the minimum wage in East Germany, but there is almost no evidence for employment effects. The results also show that the wage effect is quickly undone after the abolition of the minimum wage.
Effect of application timing and grass height on the nitrogen fertilizer replacement value of cattle slurry applied with a trailing‐shoe application system
Authors: Lalor S. T. J. , Schröder J. J. , Lantinga E. A. , Schulte R. P. O.
Published: April 2013

This study investigated the effect of using a trailing‐shoe system to apply cattle slurry, under different conditions of grass height (low [LG]: freshly cut sward [4–5 cm height] vs. high [HG]: application delayed by 7–19 d and applied to taller grass sward [4–11 cm] height) and month of application (June vs. April), on the nitrogen fertilizer replacement value (NFRV) and apparent N recovery (ANRS) of cattle slurry applied to grassland. NFRV was calculated using two methods: (i) NFRVN based on the apparent recovery of slurry‐N relative to that of mineral‐N fertilizer; and (ii) NFRVDM based on DM yield. The effect of applying slurry into HG swards, relative to LG swards, decreased the DM yield by 0·47 t ha−1 (P ≤ 0·001), N uptake by 5 kg ha−1 (P = 0·05), ANRS by 0·05 kg kg−1 (P = 0·036), NFRVN by 0·05 kg kg−1 (P = 0·090) and NFRVDM by 0·11 kg kg−1 (P < 0·001). It was concluded that the main factor causing these decreases with HG, compared with LG applications, was wheel damage affecting subsequent N uptake and growth of the taller grass sward.
Angiotensin II‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis are promoted in mice lacking Fgf16
Authors: Matsumoto Emi , Sasaki Sayaka , Kinoshita Hideyuki , Kito Takuya , Ohta Hiroya , Konishi Morichika , Kuwahara Koichiro , Nakao Kazuwa , Itoh Nobuyuki
Published: April 2013

Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) are pleiotropic proteins involved in development, repair and metabolism. Fgf16 is predominantly expressed in the heart. However, as the heart function is essentially normal in Fgf16 knockout mice, its role has remained unclear. To elucidate the pathophysiological role of Fgf16 in the heart, we examined angiotensin II‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in Fgf16 knockout mice. Angiotensin II‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis were significantly promoted by enhancing Tgf‐β1 expression in Fgf16 knockout mice. Unexpectedly, the response to cardiac remodeling was apparently opposite to that in Fgf2 knockout mice. These results indicate that Fgf16 probably prevents cardiac remodeling, although Fgf2 promotes it. Cardiac Fgf16 expression was induced after the induction of Fgf2 expression by angiotensin II. In cultured cardiomyocytes, Fgf16 expression was promoted by Fgf2. In addition, Fgf16 antagonized Fgf2‐induced Tgf‐β1 expression in cultured cardiomyocytes and noncardiomyocytes. These results suggest a possible mechanism whereby Fgf16 prevents angiotensin II‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by antagonizing Fgf2. The present findings should provide new insights into the roles of Fgf signaling in cardiac remodeling.
Clinical efficacy of combination therapy with ME3738 and pegylated interferon‐alpha‐2a in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1
Authors: Saibara Toshiji , Enomoto Nobuyuki , Kaneko Shuichi , Chayama Kazuaki , Sata Michio , Imawari Michio , Onishi Saburo , Okita Kiwamu
Published: April 2013

Aim

ME3738, a derivative of soyasapogenol B, enhances the anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) effect of interferon in an in vitro replication system and an in vivo mouse model of HCV infection. ME3738 plus pegylated interferon (PEG IFN)‐α‐2a treatment for 12 weeks decreased HCV RNA levels in enrolled late virus responder (LVR) patients with relapsed HCV. Half of the patients reached undetectable HCV RNA level. The present clinical study of ME3738 was conducted in naïve chronic hepatitis C patients to investigate the sustained virological response (SVR) and safety of 48‐week treatment with ME3738 plus PEG IFN‐α‐2a.

Methods

Subjects (n = 135) with genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C with high viral loads were divided into three groups (ME3738 50 mg b.i.d., 200 mg b.i.d. or 800 mg b.i.d.). ME3738 was administrated p.o. and PEG IFN‐α‐2a (180 μg/week) s.c. for 48 weeks, and SVR was assessed at 24 weeks of treatment‐free follow up.

Results

The viral disappearance rates at 12 and 48 weeks were 23.0% and 48.9%, respectively. SVR was seen in 5.9% of subjects. ME3738 did not worsen the adverse reactions generally seen with PEG IFN‐α‐2a treatment, and any adverse reactions specific to ME3738 were not observed.

Conclusion

ME3738 plus PEG IFN‐α‐2a treatment to naïve chronic hepatitis C patients showed an antiviral effect and a good safety profile up to 48 weeks. However, HCV RNA was again detected in many subjects after treatment termination. Even though ME3738 is not enough to suppress HCV reproduction in this treatment. ME3738 was concurrently used with PEG IFN‐α‐2a treatment; however, a clear additional effect on SVR was not confirmed.
Risking Aggression: Toleration of Threat and Preventive War
Authors: Beard Matthew
Published: April 2013

Generally speaking, just war theory (JWT) holds that there are two just causes for war: self‐defence and ‘other‐defence’. The most common type of the latter is popularly known as ‘humanitarian intervention’. There is debate, however, as to whether these can serve as just causes for preventive war. Those who subscribe to JWT tend to be unified in treating so‐called preventive war with a high degree of suspicion on the grounds that it fails to satisfy conventional criteria for jus ad bello; – particularly the just cause and last resort criteria. Francisco di Vitoria held that the only just cause for war was ‘a wrong received’, which renders impossible any justification for preventive war. There are assumptions implicit in recent military practice, however – most notably, the US‐led invasion of Iraq in 2003 – that challenge this ban on preventive war.

Interestingly, both supporters and critics attempt to justify their views through the broader logic of JWT; viz., through a conception of what is good for both political communities and individuals, and through a legitimate defence of these goods. Supporters point to situations where so‐called rogue states represent ‘grave and imminent risk’ of committing acts of aggression as grounds that justify preventive war; critics argue that to attack another political community on the basis of crimes not yet committed is a breach of the very rights JWT was created to defend.

The advocate of preventive war does not appreciate important aspects concerning the morality of war. In the ongoing tension between Iran and The United States and her allies – if the rhetoric is to be believed – I am asked to tolerate a threat to my security and liberty, and to risk suffering aggression in defence of the rights of the antagonistic, but not yet aggressive, state. The crucial question is how such tolerance and risk fit in with the logic of just war: at what point, if any, does the risk of being attacked become great enough to justify declaring war in anticipation?

In this paper I highlight some of the theoretical and practical difficulties in determining what counts as a grave and imminent threat, focusing especially on the complicated case of ‘imminence’ in the face of so‐called ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’. Secondly, I will argue that not only is the notion of preventive war inconsistent with the defence of the rights of political communities that JWT requires; it is also forbidden by the proportionality requirement of jus ad bellum. A risk of being subjected to aggression is the price for global peace. Whilst political communities can do much to prevent aggression and prepare themselves in case it occurs, the conditions for just war require that this prevention and preparation stop short of declaring war. We must live with a certain degree of risk in this area.
Dielectric Properties of Boron Nitride in THz Region Synthesized with Nonenergetic CVD
Authors: Janek Marián , Vincze Andrej , Darmo Juraj , Szöcs Vojtech , Matejdes Marián , Zacher Tomáš , Kavecký Štefan , Danielik Vladimír , Velič Dusan , Lorenc Dušan , Srnánek Rudolf , Šatka Alexander , Haško Daniel , Matuška Jozef , Uherek František
Published: April 2013

Pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) was prepared with a nonenergetic chemical vapor deposition. Two tests were performed (i) short time deposition to investigate rate and volume deposition of injected reaction gases and (ii) long time deposition to characterize possible qualitative differences of the formed BN layer. SEM, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and Terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy proved that there are small qualitative differences in the pBN deposited at various distances from the blast pipe. The quality of the phase synthesized was resolved with highly sensitive THz‐TDS technique, the index of refraction npBN varied at 2.0 THz (66.6 cm) from 2.018 ± 0.003 to 2.124 ± 0.005.
Correlation between Sn substitution for Ti and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Magnesium Titanate Ceramics
Authors: Yu Hongtao , Xue Xiaomei , Xu Guangliang
Published: April 2013

The relationship between Sn substitution for Ti and microwave dielectric properties of Mg(Ti1‐xSnx)O3ceramics was investigated. Sn4+could substitute for Ti4+in MgTiO3and increase the crystal volume. All samples exhibited the MgTiO3‐type phase with ilmenite structure as main phase. At the x range from 0 to 0.05, the secondary phase of Mg2TiO5was observed. Upon further increasing Sn content up to 0.15, the SnO2phase appeared. When thexvalue increased from 0 to 0.05, the dielectric constant decreased slightly and the quality factor increased sharply, whereas the dielectric constant increased and the quality factor decreased as thexvalue varied from 0.05 to 0.15. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency moved toward positive value with Sn substitution. In particular, at the x range from 0.05 to 0.07, the ceramic sintered at 1360°C for 4 h exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties ofεr = 16.8–17.1,Qf = 298,000–312,000 andτf = −53~−50 ppm/°C.
Optical Active Nano‐Glass‐Ceramics
Authors: Komatsu Takayuki , Honma Tsuyoshi
Published: April 2013

This paper reviews the synthesis and characterization of several transparent glass‐ceramics with optical active nanocrystals. Glass‐ceramics containing ferroelectric SrxBa1‐xNb2O6 nanocrystals with an ellipsoidal shape show optical phase modulations in the presence of alternative electric fields. In the glass‐ceramics with Ba2TiSi2O8 (BTS) nanocrystals, BTS crystalline layers with a thickness of approximately 120 nm are formed at the surface and ellipsoidal‐shaped crystallites with a diameter of 100–200 nm are dispersed in the glass matrix. Some TeO2‐based and GeO2‐based glasses show a prominent nanocrystallization. RE‐doped CaF2 nanocrystals are patterned in a spatially selected region by laser irradiations. The size, morphology, and dispersion state of nanocrystals should be carefully checked in each glass system and composition. The basic concept for the design of glass system and composition is also discussed. Some data on optical active performances in transparent glass‐ceramics with nanocrystals were introduced.
Children's perspective on the dentist's attire
Authors: Panda Anup , Garg Iti , Bhobe Anamaya P.
Published: April 2013

Background

Despite many advances in paediatric dentistry, the greatest challenge for any paediatric dentist is to remove the anxiety related to a dental visit and get the child patient to accept the treatment readily. The manner in which the dentist presents himself plays an important role in cementing a friendly relation with the child.

Aim

To assess school children's perceptions and preferences towards dentist's attire so as to understand their psych and promote a successful relationship with the patient.

Design

A questionnaire designed to evaluate children's attitudes and preferences towards dentists was distributed in public schools and was completed by 619 children (322 males, 297 females) aged between 6–14 years.

Results

The study found that majority of children preferred dental professionals to wear traditional formal attire with a white coat and name badge. They preferred the use of plain masks and white gloves but disliked protective eyewear or headcaps. Most children liked dentists with closed shoes and no jewellery but preferred the use of a wrist watch.

Conclusions

The results obtained from this study can help dentists decide what is appropriate to wear when dealing with children so as to minimise their anxiety and improve delivery of health care.
The Cosmopolitan Grassroots City as Megaphone: Reconstructing Public Spaces through Urban Activism in Jakarta
Authors: Padawangi Rita
Published: April 2013

Discussions on social movements in Asian cities are inseparable from the abundance of public rallies in the region. In this article, I look at the case of Thamrin‐Sudirman, the main thoroughfare in Jakarta, Indonesia, to uncover how physical urban spaces constituting part of the city as living systems broaden the reach of social movements' agendas. The study involved continuous observation at rallies, interviews with social movement leaders and participants, and a look at simultaneous public rallies in various cities. This article analyzes the sites of public rallies as ‘megaphones’, based on the patterns of issues featured in the rallies, the groups participating, and the nodes and paths that they constructed. Two key dimensions of the megaphone are: (1) the symbolic and historical significance of the sites of rallies; (2) the relationship between the space and the media. Particular sites in cities become places where information is gathered, distributed and transferred through the media, facilitating a network among cities. This article concludes that cities are agents of political actions that amplify ideas and spread them across the globe. The urban centers' megaphonic function results from the synergy between the public space in the built environment and the public sphere, and is reflective of the recentering of the city.
Contribution of rare and common species to richness patterns at local scales
Authors: Heegaard Einar , Gjerde Ivar , Sætersdal Magne
Published: April 2013

Several studies have recently reported that common species are more important for species richness patterns than rare species. However, most such studies have been based on broad‐scale atlas data. We studied the contribution of different species occupancy, i.e. number of plots occupied, to species richness patterns emerging from species data in 50 by 50 m plots within six 140–200 ha forests in Norway. The study included vascular plants, lichens, bryophytes, and polypore fungi. We addressed the following questions: 1) are common species more correlated with species richness than rare species? 2) How do occupancy classes combine at various levels of species richness? 3) Which occupancy class is best in identifying the overall most species‐rich sites (hotspots) by sampling?

The results showed that rare species were better correlated with species richness than common species when the information content was accounted for, that high species richness was associated with a higher proportion of less frequent species, and that the best occupancy class for local hotspot identification was species present in 10–30% of the plots within a forest.

We argue that the observed correlations between overall richness and sub‐assembly richness are primarily structured by the combination of the distributions of species richness and species occupancy. Although these distributions result from general ecological processes, they may also be strongly affected by idiosyncratic elements of the individual datasets caused by the specific environmental composition of a study area. Hence, different datasets collected in different areas may lead to different results regarding the relative importance of common versus rare species, and such effects should be expected on both broad and fine spatial scales. Despite these effects, we suggest that infrequent species will tend to be more strongly correlated to species richness at local scales than at broader scales as a result of more right‐skewed species‐occupancy distributions.
An Acetic Acid‐Based Extraction Protocol for the Recovery of U, Th and Pb from Calcium Carbonates for U‐(Th)‐Pb Geochronology
Authors: Mason Andrew J. , Henderson Gideon M. , Vaks Anton
Published: April 2013

A new method for the simultaneous recovery of U, Th and Pb from ca. 0.5 g calcium carbonate samples for the purpose of U‐(Th)‐Pb geochronometry is presented. The protocol employs ion‐exchange chromatography. Standard anion exchange resin (AG 1‐X8 100–200 mesh) was used as the static phase, and 90% acetic acid was used as the mobile phase to elute the unwanted matrix components; dilute nitric acid was used to elute the U, Th and Pb. Blanks of 1.8 pg Th, 6.4 pg Pb and 8.4 pg U were obtained. The protocol was evaluated by determining the isotopic composition of U‐Th‐Pb separates obtained from an in‐house reference material (prepared from a natural speleothem) by MC‐ICP‐MS. An independently dated speleothem was also reanalysed. Based on these tests, the extraction protocol had an acceptable blank and produced a Pb separate sufficiently free of matrix‐induced instrumental biases to be appropriate for U‐Th‐Pb chronology.
Effect of Li+ Ions Doping on Microstructure and Upconversion Emission of Y2Ti2O7:Er3+/Yb3+ Nanophosphors Synthesized Via a Sol–Gel Method
Authors: Chen Zhongsheng , Chen Tengfei , Gong Weiping , Xu Wenyuan , Wang Dianyuan , Wang Qingkai
Published: April 2013

Er3+/Yb3+/Li+‐tridoped Y2Ti2O7 nanophosphors were synthesized via a facile sol–gel process. The samples were characterized by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP‐AES), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and infrared‐to‐visible upconversion (UC) luminescence spectra. XRD analysis showed that the crystallization temperature of pyrochore‐type Y2Ti2O7 was reduced due to the flux effect of Li+ ions, whereas TEM measurements confirmed that the particles size of (Y0.815Er0.01Yb0.075Li0.10)2Ti2O7 was about 30–40 nm when calcining at 800°C for 1.0 h. The calcining temperature and Li+ ion concentration dependence on UC luminescence spectra were investigated. It was found that, when incorporating 10.0 mol% Li+ ion, the UC red and green emission intensity was drastically increased by a factor of 18.6 and 8.3, respectively. The enhancement of UC emission may be mainly attributed to the modification of local symmetry around Er3+ ions by tridoping Li+ ions. And also, the pump power dependence of the emission intensity was investigated to understand the fundamental UC mechanism.
Synthesis, Microstructure, and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Spinel ZnGa2O4 Ceramics
Authors: Xue Juanjuan , Wu Songping , Li Jianhui
Published: April 2013

Spinel ZnGa2O4 ceramics were synthesized by conventional solid‐state method and their microwave dielectric properties were investigated. The phase evolution and microstructures of specimens were studied by XRD and SEM. The textured surface microstructures of ZnGa2O4 ceramics formed at high sintering temperatures. The spinel‐structured ZnGa2O4 ceramics sintered at 1385°C exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties: a dielectric constant (εr) of 10.4, a quality factor (Q × f) of 94.600 GHz, and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) of −27 ppm/°C. ZnGa2O4 ceramics have a low sintering temperature, a wide temperature region, and a small negative τf value. They are promising candidate materials for millimeter‐wave devices.
Modeling of Random Relaxation Paths of Amorphous Material
Authors: Ruan H. H. , Zhang L. C.
Published: April 2013

This study aims to understand the viscosity variation of amorphous materials, and hence establish a theoretical model for reliable applications. The investigation was carried out by simplifying an amorphous system to a mixture of many subsystems which switch their energy states and relaxation processes stochastically. The response of the macroscopic system is then treated as an ensemble average of relaxations of individual subsystems. Our derivation illuminates the transition from exponential to nonexponential relaxation and that the sudden increase of fragility in the viscosity–temperature relation with reducing temperature could be attributed to the bifurcation from the harmonic mean of the subsystems towards the arithmetic mean. The successful application of our model to the amorphous selenium indicates that the model captures the fundamental mechanism of viscosity variation.
Two‐step Synthesis of Platelike Potassium Sodium Niobate Template Particles by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Bai Shan , Karaki Tomoaki
Published: April 2013

Two‐step hydrothermal synthesis of platelike potassium sodium niobate (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN) template particles was investigated. Platelike K4Na4Nb6O19·9H2O (KNN‐hydrate) particles were synthesized in 4 mol/L aqueous alkali at 150°C by the sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) surfactant‐assisted hydrothermal method, which were used as crystal nucleus in the second step of hydrothermal synthesis. The two‐step synthesized KNN‐hydrate particles with 0.6 μm thickness and 7 μm width were prepared at 80°C after 10 h of the second step. After calcination of the KNN‐hydrate particle at 600°C, platelike KNN particles were obtained, which were used as templates for textured ceramics. Particles obtained by the two‐step synthesis showed regular morphology and uniform distribution, with a marked improvement in grain size.
Complex Impedance Spectra of Polymer‐Derived Silicon Oxycarbides
Authors: Wang Kewei , Ma Baisheng , Wang Yiguang , An Linan
Published: April 2013

The complex impedance spectra of polymer‐derived amorphous silicon oxycarbides synthesized at different temperatures are reported. Analysis of the spectra using equivalent circuit models showed that the conduction of current is dominantly through the matrix and free carbon in series, instead of through the matrix or free carbon only. We found that the conductivity of both matrix and free‐carbon phase increases with increasing synthesis temperature, whereas the relaxation time of the matrix is much shorter than that of the free carbon. The results are correlated with the structures of the materials.
Oxidation Behavior of MAX Phase Ti2Al(1−x)SnxC Solid Solution
Authors: Bei Guoping , Pedimonte Birgit‐Joana , Fey Tobias , Greil Peter
Published: April 2013

MAX phase Ti2Al(1−x)SnxC solid solution with x = 0, 0.32, 0.57, 0.82, and 1 was synthesized by pressureless sintering of uniaxially pressed Ti, Al, Sn, and TiC powder mixtures. Annealing in air atmosphere at 200°C–1000°C triggered a sequence of oxidation reactions which reveal a distinct influence of solid solution composition on the oxidation process. With decreasing Al/Sn ratio, the characteristic temperature of accelerated oxidation reaction of A‐element was reduced from 900°C (x = 0) to 460°C (x = 1). SnO2 was formed at temperatures significantly lower than TiO2 (rutile) and Al2O3. Substitution of A‐element in MAX phase solid solution by low‐melting elements such as Sn may offer potential for reducing oxidation‐induced crack healing temperatures.
Awareness contexts revisited: indeterminacy in initiating discussions at the end‐of‐life
Authors: Richards Naomi , Ingleton Christine , Gardiner Clare , Gott Merryn
Published: April 2013

Aims

To explore if and how information about a transition to a palliative care approach was communicated to patients recently discharged from hospital and who fulfilled standardized criteria for palliative care need.

Background

Palliative care philosophy and, more recently, UK palliative care policy, endorse a context of ‘open’ awareness, where all parties openly acknowledge that the patient's death is approaching. The perceived benefits of making the patient aware of their prognosis encompass a variety of planning activities, which mean that death, when it occurs, is arguably more in keeping with the wishes of the patient.

Design

A qualitative inductive interview study conducted in 2010–2011.

Methods

Fifteen semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients and 3 family carers. All patients were identified as having palliative care needs according to standardized criteria, 3–6 months after discharge from hospital. A thematic analysis was undertaken.

Findings

Contrary to the professed ideal of ‘open’ awareness, some participants were only partially aware and others wholly unaware that they were likely to be approaching the end‐of‐life. Those identified as unaware were over 85. Participants displayed a reluctance to acquire knowledge which would require them to face the imminence of death.

Conclusion

Philosophy and policy aside, people do not always conform to the autonomy paradigm of a self‐directed life followed by a self‐directed death.
Histological evaluation of different abutments in the posterior maxilla and mandible: an experimental study in humans
Authors: Schwarz Frank , Mihatovic Ilja , Becker Jürgen , Bormann Kai Hendrik , Keeve Philip L. , Friedmann Anton
Published: April 2013

Objectives

To histologically evaluate and compare the performance of healing abutments with either hydrophobic or hydrophilic surface properties in humans.

Materials and Methods

According to a parallel‐group design, titanium implants placed in the posterior mandible and maxilla of 30 patients were randomly assigned to either (1) hydrophobic machined (M), (2) chemically modified hydrophilic (mod) acid etched (MA) titanium (Ti) (modMA1) or (3) modMATi‐ Zirconium alloy (modMA2) healing abutments and left to heal in a transmucosal position. At 8 weeks, the abutments and a limited soft tissue biopsy were harvested according to a standardized procedure and processed for histological analysis (primary outcomes: percentage epithelial‐ (EC) and subepithelial connective tissue contact (CTC) to the abutment surface).

Results

The surgical procedure was associated with an incomplete mucosal coverage of the study abutments in nine patients, and an unintentional submerged healing procedure in three patients. Per protocol analysis (18 patients) has pointed to an improved quantitativeEC[modMA2 (53.45 ± 28.25) > modMA1 (32.25 ± 24.3) >M(23.15 ± 16.09)] andCTC[modMA2 (75.12 ± 43.22) > modMA1 (69.41 ± 46.74) > M (47.63 ± 19.28)] (%) to modMAsurfaced abutments.

Conclusions

It was concluded that modMAsurfaces may have the potential to enhance soft tissue adhesion at the transmucosal aspect of titanium dental implants.
Executive functions in girls with and without childhood ADHD: developmental trajectories and associations with symptom change
Authors: Miller Meghan , Loya Fred , Hinshaw Stephen P.
Published: April 2013

Background

We prospectively followed an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of girls with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 140) and a matched comparison sample (n = 88) from childhood through young adulthood to evaluate developmental trajectories of executive functions (EF) and associations between EF trajectories and dimensional measures of ADHD symptoms. We hypothesized that (a) EF trajectories would be similar in girls both with and without childhood ADHD, with the ADHD group showing greater impairment across time; and (b) changes in EF abilities would predict changes in ADHD symptoms across time, consistent with the theory that ADHD symptom reductions partially result from prefrontally mediated EF development.

Method

Latent growth curve models were used to evaluate development of sustained attention, response inhibition, working memory, and global EF abilities, and associations between EF trajectories and ADHD symptom trajectories.

Results

Girls with childhood‐diagnosed ADHD showed greater improvement across development on measures of sustained attention and global EF, but similar rates of improvement on measures of working memory and response inhibition. Changes in the global EF measure predicted changes in both inattentive and hyperactive‐impulsive symptoms across time, whereas changes in response inhibition predicted changes in hyperactive‐impulsive symptoms; associations between changes in other EF variables and symptoms were not significant.

Conclusions

Findings suggest variability in patterns of EF improvement over time in females with ADHD histories and indicate that EF development may play a role in symptom change.
Price Effects and the Commerce Clause: The Case of State Wine Shipping Laws
Authors: Ellig Jerry , Wiseman Alan E.
Published: April 2013

In the wake of Granholm v. Heald, numerous states passed new laws to regulate interstate direct shipment of alcohol that would seem to contradict the spirit, if not the explicit content, of the Commerce Clause. We build on existing scholarship analyzing the empirical impacts of direct shipment barriers to identify how these new laws are likely to influence local market conditions. Drawing on new data that measure posted winery prices and aggregate production levels in 2002 and 2004, we demonstrate how many of these new laws would be expected to effectively diminish, if not altogether remove, the benefits that would normally accrue to consumers from legalized interstate direct shipment of wine. Although empirical analysis of price effects currently plays a very limited role in dormant Commerce Clause cases, our analysis suggests how price data can be used to ascertain whether a state restriction constitutes discrimination against out‐of‐state economic interests.
Building a Taxonomy of Litigation: Clusters of Causes of Action in Federal Complaints
Authors: Boyd Christina L. , Hoffman David A. , Obradovic Zoran , Ristovski Kosta
Published: April 2013

This project empirically explores civil litigation from its inception by examining the content of civil complaints. We utilize spectral cluster analysis on a newly compiled federal district court data set of causes of action in complaints to illustrate the relationship of legal claims to one another, the broader composition of lawsuits in trial courts, and the breadth of pleading in individual complaints. Our results shed light not only on the networks of legal theories in civil litigation but also on how lawsuits are classified and the strategies that plaintiffs and their attorneys employ when commencing litigation. This approach permits us to lay the foundation for a more precise and useful taxonomy of federal litigation than has been previously available, one that, after the Supreme Court's recent decisions in Bell Atlantic v. Twombly (2007) and Ashcroft v. Iqbal (2009), has also arguably never been more relevant than it is today.
Do Jurors Give Appropriate Weight to Forensic Identification Evidence?
Authors: Thompson William C. , Kaasa Suzanne O. , Peterson Tiamoyo
Published: April 2013

Do jurors give appropriate weight to forensic identification evidence? When judging the value of forensic evidence, are they sensitive to the probability of a false match? To answer these questions, we conducted two jury simulation experiments—the first with undergraduate participants, the second with members of a county jury pool. The experiments examined the weight that participants gave to forensic DNA evidence relative to Bayesian norms when evaluating a hypothetical criminal case. We found that aggregate judgments were generally consistent with Bayesian expectations, although people overvalued the DNA evidence when the probability of a false report of a match was high relative to the random match probability. Judgments of the chances the defendant was guilty varied appropriately in response to the variation in the probability of a false report of a match, as did verdicts. Our findings refute claims that jurors are always conservative Bayesians when evaluating forensic evidence and suggest, instead, that they use a variety of judgmental strategies and sometimes engage in fallacious statistical reasoning. In light of these findings, we identify circumstances in which forensic evidence may be overutilized, discuss implications for legal policy, and suggest additional lines of research.
Weight loss expectations and body dissatisfaction in young women attempting to lose weight
Authors: Siervo M. , Montagnese C. , Muscariello E. , Evans E. , Stephan B. C. M. , Nasti G. , Papa A. , Iannetti E. , Colantuoni A.
Published: April 2013

Background

Unrealistic weight loss expectations (WLEs) and greater body dissatisfaction may be associated with the poor long‐term outcomes of dietary and lifestyle weight loss treatments. We evaluated the association between body size, WLEs and body dissatisfaction in young women attempting to lose weight.

Methods

Forty‐four young healthy women [age range 18–35 years, body mass index (BMI) range 23–40 kg/m2] were recruited. Women were classified as obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) and non‐obese (BMI <30.0 kg/m2). The Body Dissatisfaction scale of the Eating Disorder Inventory‐2 and the Body Image Assessment for Obesity silhouette charts were used to assess body dissatisfaction. WLEs were categorised according to personal (ideal, happiness, satisfaction, weight history), lifestyle (fitness) and social (career, family acceptance, peer acceptance, mass media, social pressure) factors. Individual WLEs were compared with recommended clinical targets (5%, 10% and 20%) for weight loss.

Results

Body dissatisfaction was lower in non‐obese subjects and was directly associated with BMI (P < 0.05). WLEs were directly associated with BMI and the obese group reported greater expectations. Five non‐obese subjects (23%) desired to lose more than 20% of their body weight, whereas the proportion was significantly higher in the obese group (17 subjects; 74%). Subjects derived the greatest WLEs from mass media, whereas they perceived that family and friends were supportive of a lesser degree of weight loss.

Conclusions

We observed a mismatch between clinical and personal expectations, and social pressure and interpersonal relationships appear to have a prominent role with respect to influencing the association.
Sexual understanding, sources of information and social networks; the reports of young people with intellectual disabilities and their non‐disabled peers
Authors: Jahoda A. , Pownall J.
Published: April 2013

Background

Sexual development plays a vital part in young people's emotional adjustment.

Method

This study compared the sexual understanding of 30 adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) and 30 non‐disabled adolescents, along with their reports of where they obtained sexual information, and the nature of their social networks and support.

Results

As expected, the non‐disabled young people had superior levels of knowledge. However, an interaction was found between group and gender. The non‐disabled young women had a better grasp of sexual matters than men, whereas the opposite was the case for those with ID. The non‐disabled young people reported more formal and informal sources of sexual information and described larger social networks than those with ID.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the need to tackle the barriers to sexual knowledge faced by young people with ID, and the need to take account of the broader social context of their lives when doing so. This includes the attitudes to the developing sexuality of young women with ID in particular.
Obstacle course training can improve mobility and prevent falls in people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Van Hanegem E. , Enkelaar L. , Smulders E. , Weerdesteyn V.
Published: April 2013

Background

Persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) constitute a special‐needs population at high risk of falling. This is the first study to evaluate whether obstacle course training can improve mobility and prevent falls in this population.

Methods

The intervention was implemented as part of an institution‐wide health care improvement plan aimed at reducing falls at a residential facility for people with ID. It comprised an annual screening of each resident for his or her individual fall risk. Subsequently, the group of ambulatory persons with a moderate to high fall risk (n = 39) were offered 10‐session obstacle course training to improve their balance and gait abilities. Mobility was assessed pre‐intervention, mid‐term and post‐intervention with the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the 10‐meter walking test. The number of falls was compared between the year before and after intervention.

Results

The number of falls decreased by 82% (P < 0.001). POMA scores significantly improved from pre‐intervention to mid‐term (mean difference ± SD, 1.8 ± 2.9, P = 0.001), from mid‐term to post‐intervention (2.0 ± 2.9, P < 0.001), and from pre‐intervention to post‐intervention (3.8 ± 4.3, P < 0.001). Participants completed the 10‐meter walking test faster at the post‐intervention compared with the pre‐intervention assessment (difference ± SD, 2.1 ± 5.1 s, P = 0.022). TUG scores did not improve significantly.

Conclusions

The present study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of obstacle course training in improving mobility and preventing falls in people with ID. As falls are a significant health concern in this population, further research is advocated to provide conclusive evidence for the suggested beneficial effects of exercise interventions.
Rediscovering contact inhibition in the embryo
Authors: STRAMER B.M. , DUNN G.A. , DAVIS J.R. , MAYOR R.
Published: April 2013

The cellular reaction called contact inhibition of locomotion was initially characterised by Michael Abercrombie more than 60 years ago. In his most general definition, it is defined as the stopping of the continued locomotion of a cell in the direction which has produced a collision with another cell. This deceptively simple response has been widely studied in vitro in a number of cell types over the years, yet it is still often misunderstood by the scientific community. Abercrombie spent much of his life studying the failure of the response shown by cancer cell types and how this might lead to malignant invasion of normal tissue. However, since Abercrombie's time, a role for this response in living organisms has been left to the realm of speculation. Here, we discuss the history of contact inhibition research, clarify some of the misconceptions about the response and reclaim misused terminology. We will also highlight our recent work, which for the first time elucidates a functional role for contact inhibition in vivo during embryogenesis.
The relationship between sagittal curvature and extensor muscle volume in the lumbar spine
Authors: Meakin Judith R. , Fulford Jonathan , Seymour Richard , Welsman Joanne R. , Knapp Karen M.
Published: April 2013

A previous modelling study predicted that the forces applied by the extensor muscles to stabilise the lumbar spine would be greater in spines that have a larger sagittal curvature (lordosis). Because the force‐generating capacity of a muscle is related to its size, it was hypothesised that the size of the extensor muscles in a subject would be related to the size of their lumbar lordosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were obtained, together with age, height, body mass and back pain status, from 42 female subjects. The volume of the extensor muscles (multifidus and erector spinae) caudal to the mid‐lumbar level was estimated from cross‐sectional area measurements in axial T1‐weighted MRIs spanning the lumbar spine. Lower lumbar curvature was determined from sagittal T1‐weighted images. A stepwise linear regression model was used to determine the best predictors of muscle volume. The mean lower lumbar extensor muscle volume was 281 cm3 (SD = 49 cm3). The mean lower lumbar curvature was 30 ° (SD = 7 °). Five subjects reported current back pain and were excluded from the regression analysis. Nearly half the variation in muscle volume was accounted for by the variables age (standardised coefficient, B = −3.2, P = 0.03) and lower lumbar curvature (B = 0.47, P = 0.002). The results support the hypothesis that extensor muscle volume in the lower lumbar spine is related to the magnitude of the sagittal curvature; this has implications for assessing muscle size as an indicator of muscle strength.
An investigation of the dynamic relationship between navicular drop and first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsal excursion
Authors: Griffin Nicole L. , Miller Charlotte , Schmitt Daniel , D'Août Kristiaan
Published: April 2013

The modern human foot is a complex biomechanical structure that must act both as a shock absorber and as a propulsive strut during the stance phase of gait. Understanding the ways in which foot segments interact can illuminate the mechanics of foot function in healthy and pathological humans. It has been proposed that increased values of medial longitudinal arch deformation can limit metatarsophalangeal joint excursion via tension in the plantar aponeurosis. However, this model has not been tested directly in a dynamic setting. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that during the stance phase, subtalar pronation (stretching of the plantar aponeurosis and subsequent lowering of the medial longitudinal arch) will negatively affect the amount of first metatarsophalangeal joint excursion occurring at push‐off. Vertical descent of the navicular (a proxy for subtalar pronation) and first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsal excursion were measured during steady locomotion over a flat substrate on a novel sample consisting of asymptomatic adult males and females, many of whom are habitually unshod. Least‐squares regression analyses indicated that, contrary to the hypothesis, navicular drop did not explain a significant amount of variation in first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsal excursion. These results suggest that, in an asymptomatic subject, the plantar aponeurosis and the associated foot bones can function effectively within the normal range of subtalar pronation that takes place during walking gait. From a clinical standpoint, this study highlights the need for investigating the in vivo kinematic relationship between subtalar pronation and metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion in symptomatic populations, and also the need to explore other factors that may affect the kinematics of asymptomatic feet.
A retrospective and prospective look at medical education in the United States: trends shaping anatomical sciences education
Authors: Drake Richard L.
Published: April 2013

During the last decade of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, curricular reform has been a popular theme. In fact, reform on the current scale has not occurred since the early 1900s, when Abraham Flexner released his landmark report ‘Medical Education in the United States and Canada’. His report, suggesting major changes in how physicians were educated, became the norm and few changes occurred until the last quarter of the 20th century. During this period increased demands on medical school curriculums due to the explosion of knowledge in biomedical sciences and the pressure to add additional clinical experiences increased the momentum for curriculum reform. In 1984 an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report, ‘Physicians for the Twenty‐First Century: The Report of the Panel on the General Professional Education of the Physician (GPEP) and College Preparation for Medicine’, discussed many items related to reforming medical education including the value of integration, increased use of active learning formats, more self‐directed learning, improved communication skills and increased problem‐solving activities. This was followed by a report released in 1993 entitled ‘Educating Medical Students: Assessing Change in Medical Education – The Road to Implementation’ (ACME‐TRI), which identified educational problems by surveying medical school deans, suggested ways to deal with these issues and presented a plan of action. Recently, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching released ‘Education Physicians: A Call for Reform of Medical School and Residency’ with additional suggestions. At this point the question that might be asked is – Where is all this going and how is it going to affect anatomy education?