bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myocardial Infarction and Stroke Risk in Young Healthy Men Treated with Injectable Testosterone
Authors: Tan Robert S. , Cook Kelly R. , Reilly William G.
Published: June 2015

This study was conducted to examine the association between testosterone therapy and new myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke events in a series of patients treated at Low T Centers across the United States, consisting of mainly young (mean age = 46), otherwise, healthy men. Electronic medical records were queried between the years 2009 and 2014 to identify patients diagnosed with hypogonadism, MI, and stroke, as indicated by ICD-9 codes. The incidence of MI and stroke events was compared to community-based registries. 39,936 patients recruited from 40 Low T Centers across the United States were treated and 19,968 met eligibility criteria for receiving testosterone treatment. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for MI in testosterone- (T-) treated versus nontreated patients was 0.14 (C.I. = 0.08 to 0.18,P<0.0001) whereas the IRR for stroke for T-treated versus nontreated patients was 0.11 (C.I. = 0.02 to 0.13,P<0.0001). There was no evidence of worsening preexisting MI or stroke in patients treated with testosterone. The experience in Low T Centers shows that, in an injectable testosterone patient registry, testosterone is generally safe for younger men who do not have significant risk factors. Of patients that developed MI with testosterone, there was no association with testosterone or hematocrit levels.
A Large Multiethnic Genome-Wide Association Study of Prostate Cancer Identifies Novel Risk Variants and Substantial Ethnic Differences
Authors: Hoffmann Thomas J. , Van Den Eeden Stephen K. , Sakoda Lori C. , Jorgenson Eric , Habel Laurel A. , Graff Rebecca E. , Passarelli Michael N. , Cario Clinton L. , Emami Nima C. , Chao Chun R. , Ghai Nirupa R. , Shan Jun , Ranatunga Dilrini K. , Quesenberry Charles P. , Aaronson David , Presti Joseph , Wang Zhaoming , Berndt Sonja I. , Chanock Stephen J. , McDonnell Shannon K. , French Amy J. , Schaid Daniel J. , Thibodeau Stephen N. , Li Qiyuan , Freedman Matthew L. , Penney Kathryn L. , Mucci Lorelei A. , Haiman Christopher A. , Henderson Brian E. , Seminara Daniela , Kvale Mark N. , Kwok Pui-Yan , Schaefer Catherine , Risch Neil , Witte John S.
Published: June 2015

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of prostate cancer in Kaiser Permanente health plan members (7,783 cases, 38,595 controls; 80.3% non-Hispanic white, 4.9% African-American, 7.0% East Asian, and 7.8% Latino) revealed a new independent risk indel rs4646284 at the previously identified locus 6q25.3 that replicated in PEGASUS (N = 7,539) and the Multiethnic Cohort (N = 4,679) with an overall P = 1.0 × 10−19 (OR, 1.18). Across the 6q25.3 locus, rs4646284 exhibited the strongest association with expression of SLC22A1 (P = 1.3 × 10−23) and SLC22A3 (P = 3.2 × 10−52). At the known 19q13.33 locus, rs2659124 (P = 1.3 × 10−13; OR, 1.18) nominally replicated in PEGASUS. A risk score of 105 known risk SNPs was strongly associated with prostate cancer (P < 1.0 × 10−8). Comparing the highest to lowest risk score deciles, the OR was 6.22 for non-Hispanic whites, 5.82 for Latinos, 3.77 for African-Americans, and 3.38 for East Asians. In non-Hispanic whites, the 105 risk SNPs explained approximately 7.6% of disease heritability. The entire GWAS array explained approximately 33.4% of heritability, with a 4.3-fold enrichment within DNaseI hypersensitivity sites (P = 0.004).

Significance: Taken together, our findings of independent risk variants, ethnic variation in existing SNP replication, and remaining unexplained heritability have important implications for further clarifying the genetic risk of prostate cancer. Our findings also suggest that there may be much promise in evaluating understudied variation, such as indels and ethnically diverse populations. Cancer Discov; 5(8); 878–91. ©2015 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 783
Through a Clear Cell, Darkly: HIF2α/PLIN2–Maintained Fat Droplets Protect ccRCCs from ER Stress
Authors: Sim Jingwei , Johnson Randall S.
Published: June 2015

Summary: Qiu and colleagues describe how a structural component of lipid droplets is markedly induced in pseudohypoxic renal tumors, where it maintains endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis. This adaptation is indispensable in tumor cells—where growth demands and a fluctuating blood supply place unnatural stresses on ER function—and is therefore an attractive therapeutic target. Cancer Discov; 5(6); 584–5. ©2015 AACR.

See related article by Qiu and colleagues, p. 652.
The Epidemiology of Global Micronutrient Deficiencies
Authors: Bailey Regan L. , West Jr. Keith P. , Black Robert E.
Published: June 2015

Micronutrients are essential to sustain life and for optimal physiological function. Widespread global micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) exist, with pregnant women and their children under 5 years at the highest risk. Iron, iodine, folate, vitamin A, and zinc deficiencies are the most widespread MNDs, and all these MNDs are common contributors to poor growth, intellectual impairments, perinatal complications, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Iron deficiency is the most common MND worldwide and leads to microcytic anemia, decreased capacity for work, as well as impaired immune and endocrine function. Iodine deficiency disorder is also widespread and results in goiter, mental retardation, or reduced cognitive function. Adequate zinc is necessary for optimal immune function, and deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, major causes of death in those <5 years of age. Folic acid taken in early pregnancy can prevent neural tube defects. Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and repair, and deficiency results in macrocytic anemia. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and also impairs immune function and cell differentiation. Single MNDs rarely occur alone; often, multiple MNDs coexist. The long-term consequences of MNDs are not only seen at the individual level but also have deleterious impacts on the economic development and human capital at the country level. Perhaps of greatest concern is the cycle of MNDs that persists over generations and the intergenerational consequences of MNDs that we are only beginning to understand. Prevention of MNDs is critical and traditionally has been accomplished through supplementation, fortification, and food-based approaches including diversification. It is widely accepted that intervention in the first 1,000 days is critical to break the cycle of malnutrition; however, a coordinated, sustainable commitment to scaling up nutrition at the global level is still needed. Understanding the epidemiology of MNDs is critical to understand what intervention strategies will work best under different conditions.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Macrosomia: A Literature Review
Authors: KC Kamana , Shakya Sumisti , Zhang Hua
Published: June 2015

Background: Fetal macrosomia, defined as a birth weight ≥4,000 g, may affect 12% of newborns of normal women and 15-45% of newborns of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The increased risk of macrosomia in GDM is mainly due to the increased insulin resistance of the mother. In GDM, a higher amount of blood glucose passes through the placenta into the fetal circulation. As a result, extra glucose in the fetus is stored as body fat causing macrosomia, which is also called ‘large for gestational age'. This paper reviews studies that explored the impact of GDM and fetal macrosomia as well as macrosomia-related complications on birth outcomes and offers an evaluation of maternal and fetal health. Summary: Fetal macrosomia is a common adverse infant outcome of GDM if unrecognized and untreated in time. For the infant, macrosomia increases the risk of shoulder dystocia, clavicle fractures and brachial plexus injury and increases the rate of admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. For the mother, the risks associated with macrosomia are cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage and vaginal lacerations. Infants of women with GDM are at an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese at a young age (during adolescence) and are more likely to develop type II diabetes later in life. Besides, the findings of several studies that epigenetic alterations of different genes of the fetus of a GDM mother in utero could result in the transgenerational transmission of GDM and type II diabetes are of concern.
Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Plasma Concentration of the Appetite-Regulating Peptide Ghrelin
Authors: Koopmann Anne , Bez Jennifer , Lemenager Tagrid , Hermann Derik , Dinter Christina , Reinhard Iris , Hoffmann Heiko , Wiedemann Klaus , Winterer Georg , Kiefer Falk
Published: June 2015

Background: Weight gain is a common but only a partially understood consequence of smoking cessation. Existing data suggest modulating effects of the orexigenic peptide ghrelin on food intake. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of tobacco withdrawal on plasma concentration of acetylated and total ghrelin. Methods: Fifty four normal-weighted smokers and 30 non-smoking healthy controls were enrolled in our study. Concentrations of acetylated and total ghrelin were measured in blood plasma drawn two hours after a standardized meal and three hours after the smokers smoked their last cigarette. The severity of tobacco addiction was assessed based on cotinine plasma concentration, the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Results: The plasma concentration of acetylated ghrelin, but not total ghrelin, was significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Moreover, we found significant negative correlations between acetylated ghrelin and all measures of the severity of nicotine dependence. Conclusions: Early abstinence from tobacco smoking seems to be associated with increased plasma concentration of the orexigenic peptide acetylated ghrelin. This could be one reason for increased food craving during nicotine withdrawal and subsequent weight gain. Smokers might compensate these effects by increasing tobacco intake.
Mechanosensitive PPAP2B Regulates Endothelial Responses to Atherorelevant Hemodynamic Forces
Authors: Wu Congqing , Huang Ru-Ting , Kuo Cheng-Hsiang , Kumar Sandeep , Kim Chan Woo , Lin Yen-Chen , Chen Yen-Ju , Birukova Anna , Birukov Konstantin G. , Dulin Nickolai O. , Civelek Mete , Lusis Aldons J. , Loyer Xavier , Tedgui Alain , Dai Guohao , Jo Hanjoong , Fang Yun
Published: June 2015

Rationale:

PhosPhatidic Acid Phosphatase type 2B (PPAP2B), an integral membrane protein known as lipid phosphate phosphatase (LPP3) that inactivates lysophosphatidic acid, was implicated in coronary artery disease (CAD) by genome-wide association studies. However, it is unclear whether genome-wide association studies–identified coronary artery disease genes, including
PPAP2B
, participate in mechanotransduction mechanisms by which vascular endothelia respond to local atherorelevant hemodynamics that contribute to the regional nature of atherosclerosis.

Objective:

To establish the critical role of PPAP2B in endothelial responses to hemodynamics.

Methods and Results:

Reduced PPAP2B was detected in vivo in mouse and swine aortic arch (AA) endothelia exposed to chronic disturbed flow, and in mouse carotid artery endothelia subjected to surgically induced acute disturbed flow. In humans,
PPAP2B
was reduced in the downstream part of carotid plaques where low shear stress prevails. In culture, reduced PPAP2B was measured in human aortic endothelial cells under atherosusceptible waveform mimicking flow in human carotid sinus. Flow-sensitive microRNA-92a and transcription factor KLF2 were identified as upstream inhibitor and activator of endothelial
PPAP2B
, respectively. PPAP2B suppression abrogated atheroprotection of unidirectional flow; inhibition of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 restored the flow-dependent, anti-inflammatory phenotype in PPAP2B-deficient cells. PPAP2B inhibition resulted in myosin light-chain phosphorylation and intercellular gaps, which were abolished by lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1/2 inhibition. Expression quantitative trait locus mapping demonstrated
PPAP2B
coronary artery disease risk allele is not linked to
PPAP2B
expression in various human tissues but significantly associated with reduced
PPAP2B
in human aortic endothelial cells.

Conclusions:

Atherorelevant flows dynamically modulate endothelial PPAP2B expression through miR-92a and KLF2. Mechanosensitive PPAP2B plays a critical role in promoting anti-inflammatory phenotype and maintaining vascular integrity of endothelial monolayer under atheroprotective flow.
Anishinaabe Artists, of the Great Lakes? Problematizing the Exhibition of Place in Native American Art
Authors: Green Christopher T.
Published: June 2015

This article discusses the relationship between Native American art and place as a curatorial strategy in the recent exhibition Before and After the Horizon: Anishinaabe Artists of the Great Lakes. It is argued that while the Anishinaabe connection to the Great Lakes region as a spiritual, cultural, and epistemological center is essential to the art of the exhibition, the curators present this place as timeless and unchanging. The result is an interpretation of the Native American relationship to place that is idealized, ahistorical, and inaccurate to the tumultuous legacy of colonialism. Rather, as the art on display makes clear despite the curatorial context, the relationship to place is dynamic and changing. Other recent exhibitions of indigenous art show that these curatorial decisions were not unavoidable and that Native American art can be exhibited to show that its relationship to place has adapted and changed while still being maintained.
Unnaming the System? Retrieving Postmodernism's Contemporaneity
Authors: Roberts Bill
Published: June 2015

This article discusses the ongoing pertinence to the present of Fredric Jameson's work on postmodernism in the context of recent elaborations of “the contemporary” and “contemporaneity” in art history, theory and criticism. It is argued that, while postmodernism is fraught with contradiction and in any case irretrievable by now as a periodization of the present, it nonetheless remains crucially instructive for a fuller understanding and politicization of contemporaneity. In particular, both the nature of the relationship between culture and capital, as well as the theoretical imperative to totalize remain central to Jameson's problematic in ways that the discourse on the contemporary threatens to undo, in its resistance to historicism, and in its tendency to insist, not merely upon the heterogeneity, but upon the incommensurability of global cultures and space-times.
Simultaneous courtship and parenting in males and sex role reversal in females of the haremic bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli
Authors: Pradhan Devaleena S. , Willis Madelyne C. , Solomon-Lane Tessa K. , Thonkulpitak Kevin , Grober Matthew S.
Published: June 2015

While males typically compete for females, species with female biased sex ratios and/or large male investment in offspring care often exhibit reversed sex roles. Here we investigated, in a haremic fish species, the bluebanded goby,Lythrypnus dalli, the impact of male and female courtship behaviour on male reproductive success, measured as the total number of eggs in the nest and total number of developed eggs. Reproductive success was not associated with rates of male behaviour, such as parenting, approaching and courtship, but was associated with rates of female courtship. Consistent with predictions for a role-reversed reproductive strategy, only males demonstrated nest care and females exhibited high rates of courtship and intrasexual competition, such that alpha females interrupted courtship solicitations by beta females. Overall, these data are consistent with sex role reversal inL. dalliand show that the expression of male courtship behaviour does not interfere with paternal care.
Behavioural responses of ungulates to indirect cues of an ambush predator
Authors: Wikenros Camilla , Kuijper Dries P.J. , Behnke Robert , Schmidt Krzysztof
Published: June 2015

Ambush predators provide more persistent cues of predation risk compared to coursing predators and are predicted to exert stronger effects on behaviour of their prey. We studied anti-predator responses of ungulates by means of camera traps to an olfactory cue (fresh scat) of an ambush predator, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) both important prey species for lynx were not more vigilant when exposed to lynx scent, but reduced their visitation duration. Our results contrast with previously reported responses of red deer to scent from a coursing predator, the wolf (Canis lupus), where only vigilance and foraging behaviour but not visitation duration changed in response to wolf scat. This indicates that ungulates are able to recognize the risk of predation from predators with differing hunting modes based on olfactory cues and adjust their anti-predatory behaviour.
Interplay of male traits, male mating strategies and female mate choice in the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus
Authors: Chelliah Karpagam , Sukumar Raman
Published: June 2015

Elaborate male traits with no apparent adaptive value may have evolved through female mate discrimination. Tusks are an elaborate male-only trait in the Asian elephant that could potentially influence female mate choice. We examined the effect of male body size, tusk possession and musth status on female mate choice in an Asian elephant population. Large/musth males received positive responses from oestrous females towards courtship significantly more often than did small/non-musth males. Young, tusked non-musth males attempted courtship significantly more often than their tuskless peers, and received more positive responses (though statistically insignificant) than did tuskless males. A positive response did not necessarily translate into mating because of mate-guarding by a dominant male. Female elephants appear to choose mates based primarily on traits such as musth that signal direct fertility benefits through increased sperm received than for traits such as tusks that may signal only indirect fitness benefits.
‘Frisii cur dicant opbinden?’ – Dierschade in de Friese Landsordonnantie
Authors: de Jong Hylkje
Published: June 2015

In case someone else’s cattle damaged a field, in the law of the province of Friesland as in the Republic of the United Netherlands, art. 2,3,3 of the general provincial statute (the ‘Landsordonnantie’, L.O.) overrides the Roman rule of D. 9,2,39,1. Art. 2,3,3 L.O. (both of 1602 and 1723) allows those who suffer damage to retain (opbinden) this cattle until their owner has compensated the caused damage, contrary to Roman law which forbids inclusion. In the handwritten comments to art. 2,3,3 L.O., the juridical meaning of the term opbinden is explained. According to the manuscript ‘Saeckma’ opbinden should not be interpreted as a lien, but has the function to allow to feed the cattle. The other manuscripts, on the other hand, indeed interpret opbinden as a lien. The legal works on agrarian law also follow this interpretation and elaborate it moreover in a comparative way. Where Gerhard Feltman and Paulus Cornelis Hoynck van Papendrecht point to a mere Frisian custom as explanation for the opbinden, Christiaan Hendrik Trotz tries to give reasons for opbinden as something specific Frisian.
Legal education in the Low Countries
Authors: Druwé Wouter
Published: June 2015

This contribution reviews four recent publications on the history of the Law Faculties of Ghent, Leuven, Rotterdam en Tilburg.
On Comparability
Authors: de Wet Chris L.
Published: June 2015

This study examines the instance of comparatism in African biblical hermeneutics, particularly the comparison of ancient cultural contexts with modern ‘African’ contexts. The study critically interrogates the conceptual dynamics of this process, and aims to discern some possible power strategies in this process. A definitive sample of studies on ancient backgrounds and African contexts are examined and the process of comparatism is delineated. Thereafter, the study traces the development of biblical-historical “background” studies in the nineteenth and twentieth century, and thereafter makes some suggestions in the supplementation of background studies in the (Southern-) African hermeneutical enterprise, namely a focus not so much on postcoloniality, but on current colonising enterprises and a more critical operation of historical and cultural comparatism.
Patristic Exegesis
Authors: Ramelli Ilaria L.E.
Published: June 2015

This essay will argue that in several – often unnoticed – respects patristic exegesis can be relevant to contemporary biblical hermeneutics and can be a source of fruitful inspiration for it. From several quarters, contemporary scholars have called for an integrative approach to biblical hermeneutics, especially one that conjoins the historico-critical method and theological hermeneutics. A similar integrative approach was already adopted by patristic exegetes in Origen’s line, with their integration of historical reading and noetic exegesis, and with their hermeneutics of multiplicity that is another respect in which patristic exegesis proves highly relevant to contemporary biblical hermeneutics. The present relevance of scriptural passages is also a core principle of both patristic exegesis and contemporary hermeneutics, as well as the tenet of the unity of Scripture, which was emphasised by patristic exegetes and is to be taken into account in contemporary biblical hermeneutics with respect to the Bible as supertext. Also, philosophical investigation applied to scriptural hermeneutics is one of the most remarkable features of Origen’s and his followers’ hermeneutics. A reflection will thus be devoted to the relationship between philosophy and biblical hermeneutics, as well as between theology and philosophy, and a parallel will be drawn with philosophy of religion.
The ‘Bowl of Jelly’: The us Department of State during the Kennedy and Johnson Years, 1961-1968
Authors: Colman Jonathan
Published: June 2015

This article explores efforts to reform the us State Department under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, with the intention of making the Department better able to lead and coordinate the sprawling foreign policy apparatus. When Kennedy soon gave up on what he described as the ‘bowl of jelly’, the reform effort was left to his successor Johnson. Under Johnson, there were attempts to boost the State Department’s internal efficiency and its ability to support counterinsurgency efforts. Yet there was a justified perception by the end of 1968 that the State Department was unredeemed managerially and in terms of its standing in the foreign policy nexus. The reasons for the lack of progress include sporadic presidential engagement, and Secretary of State Dean Rusk’s limited aptitude for managerial affairs.
The European Union’s Public Diplomacy towards the Arab Spring: The Case of Egypt
Authors: Samei Marwa Fikry Abdel
Published: June 2015

This article discusses the public diplomacy of the European Union (eu) towards the Arab Spring by focusing on the case of Egypt. It argues that despite its clear efforts, the eu’s response to the Arab Spring was a missed opportunity to establish Europe’s normative power. The eu has simply maintained its pre-Arab Spring policies. By analysing and comparing the content of the Facebook pages of both the eu delegation to Egypt and the European External Action Service (eeas) during the period from 14 October 2012 until 16 August 2013, the article demonstrates the differences between the messages and image presentations that were promoted in each page. Comparing these public diplomacy messages with specific eu policies reveals the gap between the words and deeds. The article explains this gap with reference to the discrepancy between Europe’s perception of the region, which results in certain policies, and its internal identity-building considerations.
Explaining Spain’s Casas: An Instrument of Networked Public Diplomacy
Authors: Ruiz María Claver
Published: June 2015

Spain has created an innovative foreign policy instrument: its network of public diplomacy Casas, comprising Casa América, Casa Asia, Casa Árabe, Casa África, Casa Mediterráneo, and Centro Sefarad-Israel. The network of Casas is, today, an essential asset of Spanish foreign policy, one with an ever-increasing international projection. Located in landmark buildings in different Spanish cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Alicante and Córdoba), the Casas have a threefold advantage. First, they are much more than a cultural space — they are institutions that help strengthen relations with a region or group of countries in many aspects (scientific and economic, among others). Second, they are spaces for collaboration, both among public administrations (national, regional and local) and with private partners. Last but not least, they were created and function as a public diplomacy instrument, to keep in touch — through an increasing use of new technologies — with civil society representatives from different countries.
Regulating eu Climate and Energy Matters through Conclusions: The Limits of Consensus
Authors: Boysen Sigrid , von Unger Moritz
Published: June 2015

The practice of governing by action-driven conclusions is particularly evident in the field of climate and energy policy, in which a large number of substantial decisions, at a remarkable level of detail, are pre-set by the Council or the European Council, before they enter the formal decision-making process. The article discusses whether there are formal requirements for the adoption of Council conclusions and conclusions of the European Council, respectively. It also questions whether the practice of either body to channel a wide range of policy details through the adoption of conclusions by consensus is in line with the constitutional architecture of the Treaties.
Recent Developments in eu Environmental Policy and Legislation
Authors: Gordeeva Yelena M.
Published: June 2015

This section briefly describes the significant political initiatives and acts of legislation in the environmental field adopted from November 2014 until March 2015.
Government-npo Relations in Service Procurement
Authors: Han Junkui
Published: June 2015

The government’s delivery of public services through non-profit organizations (npos) has become a hot subject of current research aboutnpos. Because of neglecting the fact that Chinesenpos feature a pluralistic structure and they organize activities at multiple administrative levels, the explanation framework of pluralism and corporatism greatly simplifies the complexity of the Chinese society. Through the matrix of four dimensions, i.e., competition, non-competition, high organizational legitimacy and low organizational legitimacy, we may find that some cases are similar to pluralistic buying. And other cases are similar to corporatist buying. The reason why pluralism and corporatism are not sufficient to explain the current practice of service procurement in China is that both theories are based on Western liberalism. In whichever way services may be procured in the future, we must be on high alert in particularistic trading currently between the government andnpos in the procurement of services.
Technology with an Impact
Authors: Wintjes Jorit
Published: June 2015

Ever since its invention around the beginning of the 4th centurybcartillery found employment not only during sieges, but also in the field. By the time of the Roman principate, artillery was regularly employed as field artillery, and to considerable effect; field artillery was both an integral and an important element of Roman land forces. The present article focuses on the operational challenges posed by integrating artillery into a land battle, which were considerable, but obviously met by the Romans – though unfortunately the evidence is mostly insufficient to reconstruct Roman operating procedures.
Adapting to Change
Authors: Tiegs Robert
Published: June 2015

This paper examines an invention by Simon Stevin (1548–1620) which was intended for use in fortifications and economic activities in the Dutch Republic. Stevin was a prominent innovator and engineer who served as an important link between the military and public spheres. He published his ideas for his new invention in New Manner of Fortification through Pivoted Sluices (1617) detailing how his device could help maintain the wet ditches surrounding the Republic’s towns and defenses. These ditches were an important component of the Netherlandish style of fortification developed by Stevin and others. Simultaneously, Stevin also believed that his device could be employed beyond military purposes. In particular he argued that his pivoted sluice lock could benefit the Dutch economy through its use in navigation, land reclamation, and peat harvesting. In short, Stevin envisioned a system in which the military and economic needs of the Republic could be harmoniously combined.
A Comparison of Filial Piety in Ancient Judaism and Early Confucianism
Authors: Youde Fu , Qiangwei Wang
Published: June 2015

Filial piety is one of the most comparable ethical elements in the Jewish and Confucian traditions, both of which possess a clear overall ethical orientation. Ancient Judaism and early Confucianism advocate extremely similar expressions of filial piety, such as providing for and respecting one’s parents, inheriting their legacy, properly burying and mourning them, and tactful remonstration of elders. However, ancient Judaism and early Confucianism differ on the degree to which one should be filial, the scope of filial piety, and its status within each respective ethical system. Confucianism advocates a more comprehensive and nuanced version of respect for parents than Judaism, while both systems hold distinctive views regarding the extent and scope of filial piety. Both traditions advocate similar kinds of filial piety primarily because they are based on bonds of familial affection and gratitude, and their differences are cultural in nature. Two such decisive cultural factors are Judaism’s theocentrism and Confucianism’s humanism. Furthermore, the different social institutions and systems of governance brought about by these cultural differences account for the dissimilarities in Jewish and Confucian filial piety. The transcendent nature and emphasis on equality between individuals inherent in Judaism can play an informative role in the revival and reestablishment of Confucian ethics.
Lilium saccatum: A new synonym of L. souliei (Liliaceae) for Flora of China
Authors: Yang Lang-Sheng , Zhuang Guo-Qing
Published: June 2015

Lilium saccatum S. Y. Liang (1987: 540) was published in the Flora of Xizangica based on the material of Qinghai-Xizang Expedition (No. 74-3754) collected on July 30th, 1974. In the protologue, the author compared this species to L. souliei (Franchet) Sealy (1950: 296) and indicated that the former had basally saccate tepals compared to the latter, and based on this point the new species was recognized. However, the original description and type specimens of L. souliei has already displayed this feature (Fig. 3J–M in Sealy 1950; our Fig. 1A), until now, this feature has not been listed in both the Flora of Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (Liang 1980), and Flora of China (Liang & Tamura 2000).
Integrating Remote Sensing Data on Evapotranspiration and Leaf Area Index with Hydrological Modeling: Impacts on Model Performance and Future Predictions
Authors: Parr Dana , Wang Guiling , Bjerklie David
Published: June 2015

Using the Connecticut River basin as an example, this study assesses the extent to which remote sensing data can help improve hydrological modeling and how it may influence projected future hydrological trends. The dynamic leaf area index (LAI) derived from satellite remote sensing was incorporated into the Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC) to enable an interannually varying seasonal cycle of vegetation (VICVEG); the evapotranspiration (ET) data based on remote sensing were combined with ET from a default VIC simulation to develop a simple bias-correction algorithm, and the simulation was then repeated with the bias-corrected ET replacing the simulated ET in the model (VICET). VICET performs significantly better in simulating the temporal variability of river discharge at daily, biweekly, monthly, and seasonal time scales, while VICVEG better captures the interannual variability of discharge, particularly in the winter and spring, and shows slight improvements to soil moisture estimates. The methodology of incorporating ET data into VIC as a bias-correction tool also influences the modeled future hydrological trends. Compared to the default VIC, VICET portrays a future characterized by greater drought risk and a stronger decreasing trend of minimum river flows. Integrating remote sensing data with hydrological modeling helps characterize the range of model-related uncertainties and more accurately reconstruct historic river flow estimates, leading to a better understanding and prediction of hydrological response to future climate changes.
Intrinsic Variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at Interannual-to-Multidecadal Time Scales
Authors: Grégorio Sandy , Penduff Thierry , Sérazin Guillaume , Molines Jean-Marc , Barnier Bernard , Hirschi Joël
Published: June 2015

The low-frequency variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is investigated from 2, ¼°, and ° global ocean–sea ice simulations, with a specific focus on its internally generated (i.e., “intrinsic”) component. A 327-yr climatological ¼° simulation, driven by a repeated seasonal cycle (i.e., a forcing devoid of interannual time scales), is shown to spontaneously generate a significant fraction R of the interannual-to-decadal AMOC variance obtained in a 50-yr “fully forced” hindcast (with reanalyzed atmospheric forcing including interannual time scales). This intrinsic variance fraction R slightly depends on whether AMOCs are computed in geopotential or density coordinates, and on the period considered in the climatological simulation, but the following features are quite robust when mesoscale eddies are simulated (at both ¼° and ° resolutions); R barely exceeds 5%–10% in the subpolar gyre but reaches 30%–50% at 34°S, up to 20%–40% near 25°N, and 40%–60% near the Gulf Stream. About 25% of the meridional heat transport interannual variability is attributed to intrinsic processes at 34°S and near the Gulf Stream. Fourier and wavelet spectra, built from the 327-yr ¼° climatological simulation, further indicate that spectral peaks of intrinsic AMOC variability (i) are found at specific frequencies ranging from interannual to multidecadal, (ii) often extend over the whole meridional scale of gyres, (iii) stochastically change throughout these 327 yr, and (iv) sometimes match the spectral peaks found in the fully forced hindcast in the North Atlantic. Intrinsic AMOC variability is also detected at multidecadal time scales, with a marked meridional coherence between 35°S and 25°N (15–30 yr periods) and throughout the whole basin (50–90-yr periods).
Why the Nonexistence of Biological Races Does Not Mean the Nonexistence of Racism
Authors: Graves Joseph L.
Published: June 2015

Color-blind racism is an ideology that allows persons of the dominant socially defined race (European Americans) to claim that racism is no longer the central factor determining the life chances of persons of non-European descent (particularly dark-skinned individuals of African descent). They argue that instead of the ongoing institutional and individual racism of American society, nonracial factors such as market dynamics, naturally occurring phenomena, and the cultural attitudes of minorities themselves are the main causal factors of their social subordination. Concurrent with the rise of this ideology has been the scientific determination that the human species does not really contain biological races. Thus, many color-blind racists have co-opted this fact to further argue that racism can no longer exist, since we have no biological races. This article will not only outline the nature of human biological variation, why that variation does not justify the classification of biological races within the species, but also why this fact has absolutely nothing to do with the ongoing racial discrimination faced by persons with dark skins in the United States. Furthermore, it will explain why membership in a socially defined race has real biological consequences including reducing the mental and physical well-being of the socially subordinated.
Disrupting the Mantra of Multiculturalism
Authors: Perry Barbara
Published: June 2015

While Canada proclaims itself to be among the most diverse and inclusive nations, the persistence of hate crime challenges this vision. The “myth of multiculturalism” is laid bare by exclusionary acts of harassment and violence. This article traces the tropes of multiculturalism before assessing the ways in which bias-motivated violence reveals the fissures in this facade. Optimistically, however, it concludes with a consideration of the unintended constructive impacts of ongoing patterns of hostility. That is, the rhetoric of multiculturalism still has some capacity to provide a foundation for critical discourse inspired by victimization.
Comparison of Serum Uric Acid, Bilirubin, and C-Reactive Protein as Prognostic Biomarkers of In-Hospital MACE Between Women and Men With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Baumann Stefan , Huseynov Aydin , Koepp Johanna , Jabbour Claude , Behnes Michael , Becher Tobias , Renker Matthias , Lang Siegfried , Borggrefe Martin , Lehmann Ralf , Akin Ibrahim
Published: June 2015

Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid (UA), and total bilirubin (TB) are associated with coronary artery disease and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We retrospectively included 1167 patients with STEMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and routine blood sampling. The study cohort consisted of 803 patients (73.1% male, mean age 62.5 ± 13.4 years). In men, the levels of CRP, TB, and UA were significantly higher in the MACE than in the non-MACE group ( P < .05). The receiver–operating characteristic (ROC) analysis shows that CRP (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53-0.66; P = .014) and TB (AUC: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.51-0.65; P = .019) are significantly associated with MACE but not UA (AUC: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.42-0.76; P = .083). Logistic regression revealed CRP (odds ratio [OR] 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00-1.01; P = .006) and TB (OR 2.03; 95% CI: 1.12-3.40; P = .007) as an independent predictor for MACE. In women, none of the biomarkers was associated with MACE by ROC analysis or logistic regression analysis. This study demonstrated that high CRP and TB serum levels have a prognostic association with in-hospital MACE in male patients with STEMI.
How Does Calibration Timing and Seasonality Affect Item Parameter Estimates?
Authors: Wyse Adam E. , Babcock Ben
Published: June 2015

Continuously administered examination programs, particularly credentialing programs that require graduation from educational programs, often experience seasonality where distributions of examine ability may differ over time. Such seasonality may affect the quality of important statistical processes, such as item response theory (IRT) item calibration and equating. The lead time required for producing pre-equated test forms in the continuous testing framework further complicates issues. This study examines the effect of seasonality in test data on Rasch IRT item parameter estimates. Data came from four credentialing examination programs that represented both programs with and without seasonality, as well as medium and low examinee volume. Results showed that calibrating items during certain times can lead to quite poor item parameter estimates. While certain programs could conduct IRT calibrations without waiting for the full examination cycle to be completed, other types of programs should wait as long as possible before calibrating items.
Linking administrative career patterns and politicization: signalling effects in the careers of top civil servants in Germany
Authors: Veit Sylvia , Scholz Simon
Published: June 2015

This article explores the influence of two types of signalling on the career success of civil servants in the federal ministerial bureaucracy of Germany. Whereas ‘ability signalling’ displays bureaucratic expertise in the sense of both political craft and administrative management competencies, ‘intention signalling’ indicates party politicization. Data are drawn from the biographies of 341 civil servants within the two highest ranks in federal ministries and the chancellery who held office between 2002 and 2013. Taking gender, formal education and career patterns into consideration, we are able to find clear evidence for ‘intention signalling’, whereas ‘ability signalling’ plays only a minor role. Over time, the accelerating effect of ‘intention signalling’ on administrative careers is increasing.

Points for practitioners

How important is political loyalty for senior civil servants in merit bureaucracies? This article investigates the relationship between the merit principle and politicization in the German federal bureaucracy. By analysing the importance of certain career steps, we find clear evidence for party politicization. Employment in positions that signal party political loyalty accelerates the careers of ministerial officials, even if the data also prove that there is no distinct ‘fast track’ to leading administrative positions in Germany. Moreover, our analysis reveals an under-representation of women in administrative top positions, as well as the continuing dominance of lawyers. Regarding career patterns, considerable differences between state secretaries and directors-general are evident.
Do Cultural Values Matter? A Cross-Cultural Study of the Third-Person Effect and Support for the Regulation of Violent Video Games
Authors: Hong Seong Choul
Published: June 2015

This article aims to extend third-person effect research into a cross-cultural context. How and why the third-person perception (perceptual gaps between media effect on self and others) has dissimilar association with the willingness to support regulation of media content in the United States and South Korea is investigated. The survey results demonstrate a larger third-person perception among U.S. respondents than among Korean respondents. Regression and mediation analyses reveal that the different levels of third-person perception mainly result from the direct influence of nationality, while cultural values were not statistically significant in accounting for the third-person perception. In contrast, Koreans show a greater level of support for the censorship of violent video games than Americans. The national difference in behavioral intention is the direct effect of nationality on the intention to support regulation and by the indirect effect of cultural values such as collectivism. In addition, gender, age, religiosity, negative prejudice against violent video games, collectivism, and the presumption of media effects on others contributed to support for preemptive behavioral measures such as censorship. However, more frequent playing of violent video games decreases support for regulation. In addition, the implications for research on third-person perception and the intention to support media content regulation are discussed.
The Sensus Fidelium and the Threefold Office of Christ: A Reinterpretation of Lumen Gentium No. 12
Authors: Ekpo Anthony
Published: June 2015

Priest, prophet, and king are three offices attributed to Christ. The threefold office is used in Vatican II as an overarching framework in its articulation of the nature of the church and the participation of all the faithful in the life and mission of Christ. The author argues that the treatment of the sensus fidelium in the council, precisely in Lumen gentium no. 12, is done within the narrow framework of the teaching office. He maintains that further synthesis that includes the kingly and priestly offices is needed.
The Ravages of Resettlement: A Ghanaian Case Study
Authors: Owusu-Ofori Brenda , Obeng-Odoom Franklin
Published: June 2015

Tensions characterise life in a resettlement community in Ghana, over 40 years after it was formed. Media reports trace the problem to a 30-acre parcel of land. However, interviews with ordinary people and opinion leaders in the community and officials who played key roles in planning the resettlement scheme reveal that the land conflict is only one part of the problem. More structural and institutional problems exist as the key drivers of poverty and unrest in this resettlement town. From this perspective, some mitigating policies are suggested.
Ethno-nationalism: Competing Micro-nationalist Dissents in Manipur
Authors: Kom Ch. Sekholal
Published: June 2015

Despite the overlapping settlement patterns of ethnic population, ethno-territoriality has been explicitly asserted by the various ethnic groups inhabiting Manipur. Augmented by mobilisation and counter-mobilisation of ethnic identities, the tendency of different groups seeking territorial concession on the ground of constituting a majority in their specific geographical settlements appeared to be the rationale behind competing micro-nationalist ventures.
Book Review: Mandira Ghosh, Impact of Famine on Bengali Literature
Authors: Mohanty Bidyut
Published: June 2015

Mandira Ghosh, Impact of Famine on Bengali Literature, New Delhi, Blauyanske Publishing, 2014, 339 pp., ₹1,199, ISBN 978-81-928510-0-6.
Book Review: Manish K. Jha and Pushpendra (eds), Traversing Bihar: The Politics of Development and Social Justice
Authors: Mishra Prashant
Published: June 2015

Manish K. Jha and Pushpendra (eds), Traversing Bihar: The Politics of Development and Social Justice, New Delhi, Orient Blackswan, 2014, 368 pp., ₹850, ISBN 978-81-250-5567-9.
Safeguarding Education as Public Good and Regulating Private Providers
Authors: Singh Kishore
Published: June 2015

Mushrooming of privatisation which one witnesses at all levels in education aggravates marginalisation and exclusion. It has a crippling effect on the principle of equality of opportunity in education, which is a fundamental principle established by almost all international human rights conventions. Instead of supplementing education, private providers are supplanting it. Rather than controlling this phenomenon, governments even provide subsidy to private providers. There is widespread concern with the negative effects of privatisation in education in scholarly writings by intellectual community, civil society organisations and international organisations.

Every child is entitled to education free of cost as an inalienable right, and access to education should not be based on capacity to pay fees which often are exorbitant. This also puts in jeopardy the principles of social justice and equity, which are key pillars of the United Nations system. Safeguarding education as a public good and fostering its humanist mission is of paramount importance. Under no circumstances education should be allowed to be mercantalised. States have the obligation to ensure that when education is provided by non-State entities, the principles and norms underlying right to education are respected, and education is not allowed to be reduced to business. They have the obligation to regulate and control all private providers in education and protect public interest in education. Abusive practices by private providers denote the failure of States to adequately monitor and regulate privatised education. This calls for strengthening human rights mechanisms to effectively address and sanction all abusive practices. In this, governments can be inspired by numerous decisions by courts and emerging jurisprudence.