bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renaissance Catholicism and Contemporary Liberalism
Authors: Hughes David A.
Published: January 2014

Contemporary (post‐1945) liberalism functions analogously to Roman Catholicism in the decades after 1443. Both ideologies, in their respective periods, represent the hegemonic ideology of Western civilization, despite the fact that both comprise a miscellany of competing belief systems. Both ideologies are dominated by a single hegemonic power—the United States and the Renaissance papacy, respectively—which strives for doctrinal stability. All who reject official “doctrine,” however, are rendered liable to violent suppression. In this, papal Catholicism and American liberalism display an ultra‐conservative outlook; but they also evince a powerfully millenarian streak, as evidenced by their dual proclamations of the “end of history” and their zealous missionary responses to macro‐historical events in the final decades of the fifteenth and twentieth centuries. For ideologues of both regimes, those events speak to an ultimate harmony of truth and value that only serves to entrench their own dogmatism. This, however, has dire consequences when it comes to war, as can be seen in the “crusading” character of contemporary liberal warfare. Ultimately, the Renaissance papacy proves unable to maintain its monopoly on Christian doctrine; and one has to wonder if a similar fate may befall America's perceived role as the champion of liberalism.
Humanism and Theoretical Pluralism
Authors: Jakelić Slavica
Published: January 2014

Christian Smith's What Is a Person? calls for a normative turn in sociology—the grounding of sociology in a theory of human nature. While offering a systematic account of a thick view of personhood—what it should look like, how it can be applied, and why it is needed—the book proposes a critical realist personalism as the best metatheoretical direction for sociology. The author of this essay agrees with the main questions and direction of Smith's project. However, by historicizing the origins and sociological implications of personalist moral theory, the author problematizes the personalism that is one of the foundations of Smith's project. She contrasts personalism with humanism, suggesting that the latter might possess both the normative robustness and comparative potential needed for contemporary sociological theory and practice. She ends her response to Smith's book by raising questions about the relationship between critical realist personalism and theoretical pluralism.
Embodied Critical Realism
Authors: Schilbrack Kevin
Published: January 2014

ChristianSmith'sWhat Is aPerson?provides an account of the person from the perceptive of critical realism. As a fellow critical realist,Isupport that philosophical position and in this responseIseek to support it by connecting it to the embodied realism developed byGeorgeLakoff andMarkJohnson. In order to bring the two forms of realism together,Icritique both the relativism of embodied realism and the idea, found in Smith, that the person's awareness of the world is mediated by her experience. The goal of this paper, then, is an embodied critical realism, a more coherent realist position that combines the best parts of each.
What is a Person? And Why it Matters in Religious Ethics
Authors: Smith Christian
Published: January 2014

Here I respond to four critics of my book, What Is a Person?, seeking to find areas of common ground and crucial disagreement. Most importantly, I explore the question of whether all human knowledge is conceptually mediated, acknowledging that, no, indeed, there are likely forms of experiential knowledge that are purely and directly acquired without conceptual mediation.
Neuroprotective effect of the proanthocyanidin-rich fraction in experimental model of spinal cord injury
Authors: Assis Lara Clemes , Hort Mariana Appel , de Souza Gisele Volpato , Martini Alessandra Cadete , Forner Stefânia , Martins Daniel Fernandes , Silva Jenniffer Carolina , Horst Heros , dos Santos Adair Roberto Soares , Pizzolatti Moacir Geraldo , Rae Giles Alexander , Koepp Janice , de Bem Andreza Fabro , do Valle Rosa Maria Ribeiro
Published: January 2014

Objectives

In this study, we evaluated the effect of the proanthocyanidins-rich fraction (PRF) obtained from Croton celtidifolius bark in an experimental animal model of spinal cord injury and cell death induced by glutamate.

Methods

Experiments were conducted using adult male Wistar rats (10 weeks old and weighing 270–300g). Experimental groups were randomly allocated into the following groups: spinal cord injury (SCI) + vehicle group: rats were subjected to SCI plus intraperitoneal administration of vehicle (saline 10 ml/kg); SCI + PRF: rats were subjected to SCI plus intraperitoneal administration of PRF (10 mg/kg) at 1 and 6 h after injury and sham operated.

Key findings

The treatment with the proanthocyanidin-rich fraction significantly improved not only motor recovery and grip force but also H2O2 or glutamate-induced cell death and reactive oxygen species generation induced by glutamate in dorsal root ganglion cells. In this study we demonstrate that the neuroprotective effect triggered by the proanthocyanidins-rich fraction appears to be mediated in part by the inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results demonstrate that PRF treatment ameliorates spinal cord injury and glutamatergic excitotoxicity and could have a potential therapeutic use.
Ibuprofen inhibits migration and proliferation of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells by inducing a differentiated phenotype: role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ
Authors: Dannoura Abeer , Giraldo Alejandro , Pereira Ines , Gibbins Jonathan M , Dash Phil R , Bicknell Katrina A , Brooks Gavin
Published: January 2014

Objectives

The search for agents that are capable of preventing restenosis and reduce the risk of late thrombosis is of utmost importance. In this study we aim to evaluate the in vitro effects of ibuprofen on proliferation and migration of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells and on endothelial cells.

Methods

Cell proliferation was evaluated by trypan blue exclusion. Cell migration was assessed by wound-healing ‘scratch’ assay and time-lapse video microscopy. Protein expression was assessed by immunoblotting, and morphology by immunocytochemistry. The involvement of the PPARγ pathway was studied with the agonist troglitazone, and the use of selective antagonists such as PGF2α and GW9662.

Key findings

We demonstrate that ibuprofen inhibits proliferation and migration of HCASMCs and induces a switch in HCASMCs towards a differentiated and contractile phenotype, and that these effects are mediated through the PPARγ pathway. Importantly we also show that the effects of ibuprofen are cell type-specific as it does not affect migration and proliferation of endothelial cells.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results suggest that ibuprofen could be an effective drug for the development of novel drug-eluting stents that could lead to reduced rates of restenosis and potentially other complications of DES implantation.
Timing Product Replacements under Uncertainty—The Importance of Material–Price Fluctuations for the Success of Products That Are Based on New Materials
Authors: Fisch Jan Hendrik , Ross Jan‐Michael
Published: January 2014

Being first to market with new products is one of the most enduring pieces of strategic advice handed to managers. This view also emphasizes the importance of launching new products that are based on new materials as soon as possible. However, when the input costs of products that embody new materials are uncertain because of volatile material prices, the advantage of being an early mover comes along with the risk of paying unexpectedly high material prices. Real‐option theory suggests delaying material substitution under uncertainty even if the new material enables superior product performance. Firms who have created the flexibility to switch between alternative inputs can benefit from responding to opportunities or threats that arise from changes in the environment. The current study formalizes this logic in a switching‐option model and tests it on a sample of material substitution projects from the manufacturing sector. Our findings shed light on how input‐cost fluctuations influence the timing–performance relationship and bring into question the common advice to launch new products as soon as possible. Instead, our results suggest that firms who align the timing of market launch to trends and fluctuations of material prices improve their competitive positions. These insights suggest novel ways for new product development (NPD) managers how to successfully use external information at the back‐end of the NPD process and how to compete in an era defined by volatile material prices and technological change.
Innovation Process and Outcomes for Large Japanese Firms: Roles of Entrepreneurial Proclivity and Customer Equity
Authors: Matsuno Ken , Zhu Zhen , Rice Mark P.
Published: January 2014

The authors investigate the structural relationships among entrepreneurial proclivity, innovation process characteristics (technological strength, marketing strength, and marketing–R&D integration), and customer equity in achieving business growth and financial return in the Japanese context.

Following field interviews and a pilot test, survey data are collected from 207 pairs of marketing and R&D executives from strategic business units (SBUs) of large manufacturing companies in Japan. Based on the partial least squares analysis of data, the authors find nuanced effects of organizations' entrepreneurial proclivity on the critical organizational process, resource, and business performance. The study theorizes and empirically supports the idea that customer equity is a potent intermediary outcome that contributes to both top‐line (growth) and the bottom‐line (ROI) of a business. Specifically, the study shows that: (1) entrepreneurial proclivity directly and positively influences technology strength, marketing strength, and marketing‐R&D integration; (2) entrepreneurial proclivity's effect on business growth and financial return is positive and mediated by customer equity; (3) marketing–R&D integration has a moderating effect on the positive impact of technology strength on customer equity; and (4) customer equity is a strong driver of business growth and financial return.

There is a dearth of research on entrepreneurship in Asia; very few empirical studies have been reported from Japan in particular. This study contributes to boundary testing of the theoretical relationships. Although entrepreneurial proclivity appears to be an inspirational concept, its actual adoption remains an important question for many Japanese companies. Those Japanese firms that aspire to be entrepreneurial need to be mindful what innovation processes and resources it takes to fulfill the positive influences of entrepreneurship.
When Is Open Innovation Beneficial? The Role of Strategic Orientation
Authors: Cheng Colin C. J. , Huizingh Eelko K. R. E.
Published: January 2014

Various scholars have accomplished a great deal to better understand open innovation effectiveness. Case studies have detailed its performance effects, while other studies showed the effectiveness of an aspect of open innovation, such as collaboration with third parties, external technology commercialization, and cocreation. Though most studies report a positive relation between open innovation and innovation performance, some studies indicate possible negative effects. This has resulted in a call for research on what kind of organizational context suits open innovation best.

This study therefore addresses two questions: (1) does performing open innovation activities lead to increased innovation performance, and to which aspects of innovation performance is open innovation most strongly related? (2) what is the moderating impact of various kinds of strategic orientation on the relation between open innovation and innovation performance? In this study, we investigate three types of strategic orientations: entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and resource orientation.

In a survey among 223 Asian service firms, we first develop and test a comprehensive measurement scale for open innovation that captures the entire range of open innovation activities, including outside‐in activities, inside‐out activities, and coupled activities. The final scale comprises of 10 items and indicates to what extent a firm has implemented open innovation activities.

Next, we study the relation between open innovation and innovation performance. The results indicate that performing open innovation activities is significantly and positively related to all four dimensions of innovation performance: new product/service innovativeness, new product/service success, customer performance, and financial performance. The impact of open innovation is not limited to a particular aspect of innovation performance; it positively affects a broad range of innovation performance indicators. Though open innovation is positively related to all four dimensions of innovation performance, the effect sizes are not equal. The impact on new service innovativeness and financial performance is relatively stronger.

Regarding the influence of a firm's strategic orientation, we find that all significant moderation effects are positive. This suggests that, in general, having a more explicit strategic orientation enhances the effectiveness of open innovation. When comparing the three strategic orientations, entrepreneurial orientation strengthens the positive performance effects of open innovation significantly more than market orientation and resource orientation do. In turn, market orientation has a significantly stronger moderation effect than resource orientation. These findings provide empirical evidence of the context dependency of open innovation. Especially an entrepreneurial orientation, which is associated with proactive and entrepreneurial processes, seems to create a fertile setting for open innovation.
Computational Modeling of Food Oral Breakdown Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics
Authors: Harrison Simon M. , Eyres Graham , Cleary Paul W. , Sinnott Matthew D. , Delahunty Conor , Lundin Leif
Published: January 2014

The manner in which food breaks down during mastication directly influences not only perception of texture but also the temporal release of taste and aroma compounds and perception of flavor. Although sampling chewed food during mastication allows local quantitative measurement of particle properties and taste and aroma compound concentrations, it is not possible to measure the full spatiotemporal variations of these quantities. Computational modeling can be used to estimate the values of these quantities throughout the volume of the oral cavity at any point in the chewing cycle or allow controlled parametric analysis that would be impractical in physical experimentation. We present a coupled biomechanical‐smoothed particle hydrodynamics model of human mastication and predict the mechanical behavior and breakdown of two agar model foods. The results of these simulations show that our model has the potential to enhance the understanding of the relationship between food structure and oral breakdown during mastication.

Practical Applications

Development of a computational model of chewing and oral breakdown will enhance the understanding of the relationship between food structure, oral breakdown and flavor release during mastication. A functional model may be utilized to design the material and structural properties of food products that will break down in a desired fashion during chewing. Future model extensions that facilitate the prediction of flavor release given known mechanical properties will facilitate how to add flavor to provide a target sensory profile. This knowledge will fast‐track innovations in new food product development and facilitate reformulation of healthier food products without compromising sensory quality. In the future, the ability to predict the physical and chemical stimuli may facilitate the prediction of sensory perception from first principles.
Occult hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review
Authors: Huang X. , Hollinger F. B.
Published: January 2014

Occult hepatitis B (OHB) infection has been reported to play an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this systematic review, a significantly higher prevalence of OHB was observed in patients with HCC in the presence or absence of HCV infection when compared with control populations without HCC. Correspondingly, among adequately designed prospective studies, the cumulative probability of developing HCC was significantly greater among patients with OHB than among HBV DNA‐negative patients in the presence or absence of HCV infection. Study design, inclusion criteria, treatment options, methodology and potential confounding variables were evaluated, and immunopathogenic mechanisms that could be involved in OHB as a risk factor in HCC were reviewed. From this analysis, we conclude that although OHB is an independent risk factor in HCC development in anti‐HCV‐negative patients, a synergistic or additive role in the occurrence of HCC in HCV‐coinfected patients is more problematic due to the HCC risk attributable to HCV alone, especially in patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis.
The Intra‐household Division of Labor: An Empirical Analysis of Spousal Influences on Individual Time Allocation
Authors: Bredtmann Julia
Published: January 2014

Using the German Time Use Surveys 1991/92 and 2001/02, this paper analyses the interactions between the time‐use decisions of partners within one household. Thereby, an interdependent model of the partners' times allocated to paid and unpaid work that allows for simultaneity and endogeneity of the time allocation decisions of the spouses is applied. When including both weekdays and weekend days in the analysis, a complementary relationship between the partner's time allocations is found. When restricting the analysis to weekdays, however, men's time dedicated to paid and unpaid work is unaffected by their wives' time‐use decisions.
Interannual variation in the at‐sea behavior of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus)
Authors: Kuhn Carey E. , Costa Daniel P.
Published: January 2014

To be successful, marine predators must alter their foraging behavior in response to changes in their environment. To understand the impact and severity of environmental change on a population it is necessary to first describe typical foraging patterns and identify the underlying variability that exists in foraging behavior. Therefore, we characterized the at‐sea behavior of adult female California sea lions (n = 32) over three years (2003, 2004, and 2005) using satellite transmitters and time‐depth recorders and examined how foraging behavior varied among years. In all years, sea lions traveled on average 84.7 ± 11.1 km from the rookery during foraging trips that were 3.2 ± 0.3 d. Sea lions spent 42.7% ± 1.9% of their time at sea diving and displayed short (2.2 ± 0.2 min), shallow dives (58.5 ± 8.5 m). Among individuals, there was significant variation in both dive behavior and movement patterns, which was found in all years. Among years, differences were found in trip durations, distances traveled, and some dive variables (e.g., dive duration and bottom time) as sea lions faced moderate variability in their foraging habitat (increased sea‐surface temperatures, decreased upwelling, and potential decreased prey abundance). The flexibility we found in the foraging behavior of California sea lions may be a mechanism to cope with environmental variability among years and could be linked to the continuing growth of sea lion populations.
Do man‐made structures and water depth affect the diel rhythms in click recordings of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)?
Authors: Brandt Miriam J. , Hansen Sophie , Diederichs Ansgar , Nehls Georg
Published: January 2014

The construction of industrial offshore structures may lead to colonization by a variety of marine organisms resulting in locally enhanced biodiversity and biomass, which may then affect the habitat use and behavior of marine predators. For harbor porpoises high nocturnal echolocation activity was demonstrated near industrial structures and it was hypothesized that this was caused by increased feeding opportunities at night. Here we tested the hypothesis that bridge pillars will lead to more nocturnal echolocation activity by porpoises near them than at positions further away. The daily rhythms in porpoise detections near bridge pillars tended to be slightly more pronounced and a greater proportion of clicks occurred during the night. However, water depth had a greater impact on these rhythms, with more nocturnal porpoise echolocation activity and more pronounced daily rhythms in deeper waters. This may be related to different feeding techniques and prey choice by porpoises in deep and shallow water. In deeper water porpoises may be feeding pelagically on herring and cod, which show more activity and are easier to catch at night. In shallow water they may be targeting mainly gobies using a bottom feeding technique and this may not be more efficient at night.
The role of surgery in the treatment of invasive fungal infection in paediatric haematology patients: a retrospective single‐centre survey
Authors: Cesaro Simone , Pegoraro Anna , Tridello Gloria , Pillon Marta , Cannata Elisa , Faggin Stefano , Cecchetto Giovanni
Published: January 2014

Surgery may improve the control of fungal disease and patient survival. The aim of this study was to report a single‐centre experience in using surgery for the treatment of paediatric invasive fungal infection (IFI). From 2001 to 2009, 18 paediatric onco‐haematology patients underwent 24 surgical procedures as treatment of IFI. At surgery, severe thrombocytopenia and neutropenia were present in four and one episodes respectively. Complications were one pleural effusion, one pleural effusion and surgical wound infection, one pneumothorax with wound dehiscence and one wound dehiscence. None of them required repeat surgery. The median duration of hospitalisation for four complicated procedures was 11 days, range 3–16, and 7 days, range 2–13, for the 20 uncomplicated procedures. No surgery‐related deaths occurred. Fourteen patients resumed chemotherapy after a median of 26 days, range 9–77, whereas nine patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after a median of 42 days, range 27–110. At 3 months from IFI, 17 patients were alive (94%) and one patient (6%) died from mycosis; the 3‐month overall survival (OS) being 94.4%, CI 66.6–99.2. After a median follow‐up of 7.1 years (CI 2.8–7.5), the OS was 54.5%, CI 29.2–74.2. Surgery is a feasible and valuable option in paediatric patients because it is associated with a low incidence of complications and an acceptable delay in resuming the chemotherapeutic plan.
Barriers to Transforming Hostile Relations: Why Friendly Gestures Can Backfire
Authors: Menon Tanya , Sheldon Oliver J. , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: January 2014

Friendly gestures (e.g., smiles, flattery, favors) typically build trust and earn good will. However, we propose that people feel unsettled when enemies initiate friendly gestures. To resolve these sensemaking difficulties, people find order through superstitious reasoning about friendly enemies. Supporting this theorizing, friendly enemies created sensemaking difficulty, which in turn mediated people's tendencies to blame them for coincidental negative outcomes (Experiment 1). Further implicating these processes, individuals high in need for structure were especially prone to make these attributions (Experiment 2). Finally, we explored consequences of such blame, showing that blame mediates people's beliefs that mere contact with friendly enemies is unlucky and should be avoided (Experiment 3). Taken together, these results suggest that, rather than transforming hostile relationships, an enemy's friendliness can be so unnerving that it sometimes leads people down blind alleys of superstitious reasoning.
Reaching a Mutual Agreement: Readiness Theory and Coalition Building in the Aceh Peace Process
Authors: Schiff Amira
Published: January 2014

The study presents an analysis of the conflict resolution process in the Aceh conflict between the Government of Indonesia (GoI) and the Free Aceh Movement (Gerekan Aceh Merdeka or GAM). Starting with unofficial efforts by the Indonesian side from mid‐2003, which eventually led the parties to the negotiation table and to the signing of the MoU in August 2005, the peace process put an end to the 30‐year conflict over the independence of Aceh. The peaceful resolution of the Aceh conflict will be examined using readiness theory, which posits the factors that lead parties to negotiate, and the theory's hypotheses will be applied to understand the factors that contribute to success in negotiating a peace agreement. The study also examines the Aceh peace process from the perspective of central coalition theory, which relates to the readiness of the actors in the internal political debate to negotiate and reach an agreement.
Ghrelin and motilin receptor agonists: time to introduce bias into drug design
Authors: Sanger G. J.
Published: January 2014

Ghrelin and motilin receptor agonists increase gastric motility and are attractive drug targets. However, 14 years after the receptors were described (18–24 years since ligands became available) the inactivity of the ghrelin agonist TZP‐102 in patients with gastroparesis joins the list of unsuccessful motilin agonists. Fundamental questions must be asked. Pustovit et al., have now shown that the ghrelin agonist ulimorelin evokes prolonged increases in rat colorectal propulsion yet responses to other ghrelin agonists fade. Similarly, different motilin agonists induce short‐ or long‐lasting effects in a cell‐dependent manner. Together, these and other data create the hypothesis that the receptors can be induced to preferentially signal (‘biased agonism’) via particular pathways to evoke different responses with therapeutic advantages/disadvantages. Biased agonism has been demonstrated for ghrelin. Are motilin agonists which cause long‐lasting facilitation of human stomach cholinergic function (compared with motilin) biased agonists (e.g., camicinal, under development for patients with gastric hypo‐motility)? For ghrelin, additional complications exist because the therapeutic aims/mechanisms of action are uncertain, making it difficult to select the best (biased) agonist. Will ghrelin agonists be useful treatments of nausea and/or as suggested by Pustovit et al., chronic constipation? How does ghrelin increase gastric motility? As gastroparesis symptoms poorly correlate with delayed gastric emptying (yet gastro‐prokinetic drugs can provide relief: e.g., low‐dose erythromycin), would low doses of ghrelin and motilin agonists relieve symptoms simply by restoring neuromuscular rhythm? These questions on design and functions need addressing if ghrelin and motilin agonists are to reach patients as drugs.
Beyond Being and Becoming
Authors: PRIGOGINE ILYA
Published: January 2014

If the 20th Century was the century of physics, the 21st Century is the century of cybernetics, biology and ecology. Technological advance has both crossed new frontiers and discovered old limits.

Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine broke new ground with his understanding that nature, including its human component, seeks to establish order out of chaos by “self‐organizing,” not only according to pre‐determined laws, but through random creative choices as well that are responsible for the endless novelty and potentiality of being.

The technologically‐armed purposive role of humans in the Anthropocentric Age thus takes on a new significance: “What we do today depends on our image of the future rather than the future depending on what we do today” as Prigogine puts it. “The equations of the future are written in our actions as well as in nature. Time becomes construction.”

Nowhere is this truer than in the new science of genomics, which touches the soul, and in the effort to preserve the ecological balance that has enabled humanity to flourish within the narrow band of earth's livable climate.

In this section we bring together leading thinkers, scientists and technologists of our age to address these issues of mankind's fate.
Anthropo‐Technology
Authors: SLOTERDIJK PETER
Published: January 2014

If the 20th Century was the century of physics, the 21st Century is the century of cybernetics, biology and ecology. Technological advance has both crossed new frontiers and discovered old limits.

Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine broke new ground with his understanding that nature, including its human component, seeks to establish order out of chaos by “self‐organizing,” not only according to pre‐determined laws, but through random creative choices as well that are responsible for the endless novelty and potentiality of being.

The technologically‐armed purposive role of humans in the Anthropocentric Age thus takes on a new significance: “What we do today depends on our image of the future rather than the future depending on what we do today” as Prigogine puts it. “The equations of the future are written in our actions as well as in nature. Time becomes construction.”

Nowhere is this truer than in the new science of genomics, which touches the soul, and in the effort to preserve the ecological balance that has enabled humanity to flourish within the narrow band of earth's livable climate.

In this section we bring together leading thinkers, scientists and technologists of our age to address these issues of mankind's fate.
Neural Darwinism
Authors: EDELMAN GERALD
Published: January 2014

If the 20th Century was the century of physics, the 21st Century is the century of cybernetics, biology and ecology. Technological advance has both crossed new frontiers and discovered old limits.

Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine broke new ground with his understanding that nature, including its human component, seeks to establish order out of chaos by “self‐organizing,” not only according to pre‐determined laws, but through random creative choices as well that are responsible for the endless novelty and potentiality of being.

The technologically‐armed purposive role of humans in the Anthropocentric Age thus takes on a new significance: “What we do today depends on our image of the future rather than the future depending on what we do today” as Prigogine puts it. “The equations of the future are written in our actions as well as in nature. Time becomes construction.”

Nowhere is this truer than in the new science of genomics, which touches the soul, and in the effort to preserve the ecological balance that has enabled humanity to flourish within the narrow band of earth's livable climate.

In this section we bring together leading thinkers, scientists and technologists of our age to address these issues of mankind's fate.
China Has Good Laws, But They Should Apply to the Party
Authors: GUANGCHENG CHEN
Published: January 2014

The return of the Middle Kingdom to the center stage of history is the most significant geo‐civilizaitonal development of the 21st Century. China's rise raises anew the great question, thought settled after the Cold War, of what system of governance will stand on the right or wrong side of history. In this section the leading ideologists of the China model and its “peaceful rise” appear alongside the fiercest critics of China's way.
The Freedom of Seduction
Authors: GÖLE NILÜFER
Published: January 2014

For most of human history, the other half of the species, women, were on the sidelines. Now they are central actors in all our societies as we negotiate the fraught transition from male‐dominated tradition to modernity and beyond. In this section we hear the voices of powerful women who in their own lives are making this historic shift.
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis: A severe allergic eye disease with remodeling changes
Authors: Vichyanond Pakit , Pacharn Punchama , Pleyer Uwe , Leonardi Andrea
Published: January 2014

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is an unusually severe sight‐threatening allergic eye disease, occurring mainly in children. Conventional therapy for allergic conjunctivitis is generally not adequate for VKC. Pediatricians and allergists are often not familiar with the severe clinical symptoms and signs of VKC. As untreated VKC can lead to permanent visual loss, pediatric allergists should be aware of the management and therapeutic options for this disease to allow patients to enter clinical remission with the least side effects and sequelae. Children with VKC present with severe ocular symptoms, that is, severe eye itching and irritation, constant tearing, red eye, eye discharge, and photophobia. On examination, giant papillae are frequently observed on the upper tarsal conjunctiva (cobblestoning appearance), with some developing gelatinous infiltrations around the limbus surrounding the cornea (Horner‐Trantas dot). Conjunctival injections are mostly severe with thick mucus ropy discharge. Eosinophils are the predominant cells found in the tears and eye discharge. Common therapies include topical antihistamines and dual‐acting agents, such as lodoxamide and olopatadine. These are infrequently sufficient and topical corticosteroids are often required for the treatment of flare ups. Ocular surface remodeling leads to severe suffering and complications, such as corneal ulcers/scars. Other complications include side effects from chronic topical steroids use, such as increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma, cataract and infections. Alternative therapies for VKC include immunomodulators, such as cyclosporine A and tacrolimus. Surgery is reserved for those with complications and should be handled by ophthalmologists with special expertise. Newer research on the pathogenesis of VKC is reviewed in this article. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is a very important allergic eye disease in children. Complications and remodeling changes are unique and can lead to blindness. Understanding of pathogenesis of VKC may lead to better therapy for these unfortunate patients.
The start of the transplant journey: Referral for pediatric solid organ transplantation
Authors: Shellmer Diana , Brosig Cheryl , Wray Jo
Published: January 2014

The focus of the majority of the psychosocial transplant literature is on post‐transplant outcomes, but the transplant journey starts much earlier than this, at the point when transplantation is first considered and a referral for transplant evaluation is made. In this review, we cover information regarding the meaning of the referral process for solid organ transplantation. We discuss various factors of the referral for transplantation including the impact of referral on the pediatric patient and the family, potential expectations and misconceptions held by pediatric patients and parents, the role of health literacy, decision‐making factors, and the informational needs of pediatric patients and parents. We elucidate steps that providers can take to enhance transplant referral and provide suggestions for much needed research within this area.
Optimal Inventory Control with Retail Pre‐Packs
Authors: Gao Long , Thomas Douglas J. , Freimer Michael B.
Published: January 2014

A pre‐pack is a collection of items used in retail distribution. By grouping multiple units of one or more stock keeping units (SKU), distribution and handling costs can be reduced; however, ordering flexibility at the retail outlet is limited. This paper studies an inventory system at a retail level where both pre‐packs and individual items (at additional handling cost) can be ordered. For a single‐SKU, single‐period problem, we show that the optimal policy is to order into a “band” with as few individual units as possible. For the multi‐period problem with modular demand, the band policy is still optimal, and the steady‐state distribution of the target inventory position possesses a semi‐uniform structure, which greatly facilitates the computation of optimal policies and approximations under general demand. For the multi‐SKU case, the optimal policy has a generalized band structure. Our numerical results show that pre‐pack use is beneficial when facing stable and complementary demands, and substantial handling savings at the distribution center. The cost premium of using simple policies, such as strict base‐stock and batch‐ordering (pre‐packs only), can be substantial for medium parameter ranges.
With or Without Forecast Sharing: Competition and Credibility under Information Asymmetry
Authors: Gümüş Mehmet
Published: January 2014

Forecast sharing among trading partners lies at the heart of many collaborative and contractual supply chain management efforts. Even though it has been praised in both academic and practitioner circles for its critical role in increasing demand visibility, some concerns remain: The first one is related to the credibility of forecast sharing, and the second is the fear that it may turn into a competitive disadvantage and induce suppliers to increase their price offerings. In this study, we explore the validity of these concerns under a supply chain with a competitive upstream structure, focusing specifically on (i) when and how a credible forecast sharing can be sustainable, and (ii) how it impacts on the intensity of price competition. To address these issues, we develop a supply chain model with a buyer facing a demand risk and two heterogeneous suppliers competing for order allocation from the buyer. The extent of demand is known only to the buyer. The buyer submits a buying request to the suppliers via a commonly used procurement mechanism called request for quotation (RFQ). We consider two variants of RFQ. In the first type, the buyer simply shares the estimated order quantity with no further specifications. In the second one, in addition to this, the buyer also specifies minimum and/or maximum order quantities. We fully characterize equilibrium decisions and profits associated with them under symmetric and asymmetric information scenarios. Our main findings are that the buyer can use a RFQ with quantity restrictions as a credible signal for forecast sharing as long as the degree of demand information asymmetry is not too high, and that, contrary to above concerns, the equilibrium prices that emerge between competing suppliers under asymmetric information may indeed increase if the buyer can not share forecast information credibly with its upstream partners.
The Impact of Complexity on Knowledge Transfer in Manufacturing Networks
Authors: Lang Markus , Deflorin Patricia , Dietl Helmut , Lucas Eric
Published: January 2014

Coordinating knowledge transfer within multi‐plant manufacturing networks is a challenging task. Using a computational model, we examine when it is beneficial to create production knowledge within a central unit, the “lead factory,” and transfer it to geographically dispersed plants. We demonstrate that the knowledge transfer generates a trade‐off between a positive cost‐saving effect due to fewer adaptations in each plant, and a negative transfer cost effect due to the costly knowledge transfer itself. The complexity of the production process moderates the performance implications of the knowledge transfer because it determines the relative strength of these two effects. For production processes with low complexity, knowledge transfer can engender superior network performance. Here, an optimal extent of knowledge transfer exists, and thus, a complete knowledge transfer is not performance maximizing. For production processes with medium and high levels of complexity, performance is reduced rather than enhanced through knowledge transfer so that it is optimal not to transfer any knowledge from the lead factory to the plants. While we analyze knowledge transfer within a manufacturing network, our results are transferable to other settings that consist of a knowledge sending and receiving unit.
Inventory Control with a Fixed Cost and a Piecewise Linear Convex Cost
Authors: Lu Ye , Song Miao
Published: January 2014

This paper studies the optimal policy for a periodic‐review inventory system in which the production costs consist of a fixed cost and a piecewise linear convex variable cost. Such a cost function can arise from alternate sources of supply or from the use of overtime production. We fully characterize the structure of the optimal policy for the single‐period problem. For the multi‐period problem, the optimal policy can have disconnected production regions and complicated optimal produce‐up‐to levels, which implies that implementation of the optimal policy may not be practical. Fortunately, careful investigation shows that the optimal policy has some interesting properties. The structure of the optimal policy outlined by these properties leads to a practical and close‐to‐optimal heuristic policy. In an extensive numerical study, the average gap is only 0.02% and the worst gap is 1.37%.
Strategic Information Sharing in Competing Channels
Authors: Guo Liang , Li Tian , Zhang Hongtao
Published: January 2014

We investigate strategic information sharing in two competing channels. The retailer in a channel can ex post decide whether to share private demand information with his upstream manufacturer after the content of information becomes known. We find that a retailer discloses low demand and withholds high demand to induce lower wholesale prices from his manufacturer. We show that a retailer should share less information when the retail market becomes more competitive, but should disclose more information when his capability to acquire information improves. When a decentralized supply chain competes with an integrated channel, we show that firms in the supply chain benefit from the rival channel's effort to improve information capability, that the incentive for the retailer in the supply chain to improve his information capability increases with the intensity of competition and with the rival channel's information capability, and that the retailer may not want to pursue perfect information acquisition even when doing so is costless. Extensive numerical studies demonstrate that similar results also hold for two decentralized supply chains competing with each other.
Operational Hedging and Diversification under Correlated Supply and Demand Uncertainty
Authors: Sting Fabian J. , Huchzermeier Arnd
Published: January 2014

When facing supply uncertainty caused by exogenous factors such as adverse weather conditions, firms diversify their supply sources following the wisdom of “not holding all eggs in one basket.” We study a firm that decides on investment and production levels of two unreliable but substitutable resources. Applying real options thinking, production decisions account for actual supply capabilities, whereas investment decisions are made in advance. To model triangular supply and demand correlations, we adapt the concepts of random capacity and stochastic proportional yield while using concordant ordered random variables. Optimal profit decreases monotonically in supply correlation and increases monotonically in supply–demand correlation. Optimal resource selection, however, depends on the trivariate interplay of supply and demand and responds non‐monotonically to changing correlations. Moreover, supply hedges (i.e., excess capacity at alternative sources) can be optimal even if supply resources are perfectly positively correlated. To accommodate changing degrees of correlation, the firm adjusts the lower margin capacities under random capacity; but under stochastic proportional production capability, it uses either low‐ or high‐margin capacities to create tailored “scale hedges” (i.e., excess capacity at one source which can partially substitute for diversification).
The Path‐Dependent Nature of R&D Search: Implications for (and from) Competition
Authors: Oraiopoulos Nektarios , Kavadias Stylianos
Published: January 2014

We formalize R&D as a search process for technology improvements across different technological domains. Technology improvements from a specific domain draw upon a common knowledge base, and as such they share technological content. Moreover, different domains may rely on similar scientific principles, and therefore, knowledge about the technology improvements by one domain might be transferable to another. We analyze how such a technological relatedness shapes the direction of R&D search when knowledge generated from past search efforts disseminates to rival firms. We show that firms optimally diversify their search efforts, even toward domains that are riskier and less promising on expectation. This is amplified for higher competition intensity, i.e., higher cross‐product substitutability. Our work also suggests that different sources of learning about the domains may have opposite effects on the direction of search. Higher ability to infer the potential of an explored domain prompts the clustering of searches, whereas the ability to learn across domains prompts diversification. Finally, we discuss the technological landscape properties that prompt firms to engage in a sequential R&D search, instead of a parallel competitive search.
The Distinction Between Risk and Hazard: Understanding and Use in Stakeholder Communication
Authors: Scheer Dirk , Benighaus Christina , Benighaus Ludger , Renn Ortwin , Gold Stefan , Röder Bettina , Böl Gaby‐Fleur
Published: January 2014

A major issue in all risk communication efforts is the distinction between the terms “risk” and “hazard.” The potential to harm a target such as human health or the environment is normally defined as a hazard, whereas risk also encompasses the probability of exposure and the extent of damage. What can be observed again and again in risk communication processes are misunderstandings and communication gaps related to these crucial terms. We asked a sample of 53 experts from public authorities, business and industry, and environmental and consumer organizations in Germany to outline their understanding and use of these terms using both the methods of expert interviews and focus groups. The empirical study made clear that the terms risk and hazard are perceived and used very differently in risk communication depending on the perspective of the stakeholders. Several factors can be identified, such as responsibility for hazard avoidance, economic interest, or a watchdog role. Thus, communication gaps can be reduced to a four‐fold problem matrix comprising a semantic, conceptual, strategic, and control problem. The empirical study made clear that risks and hazards are perceived very differently depending on the stakeholders’ perspective. Their own worldviews played a major role in their specific use of the two terms hazards and risks in communication.
Disability Costs and Equivalence Scales in the Older Population in Great Britain
Authors: Morciano Marcello , Hancock Ruth , Pudney Stephen
Published: January 2014

We use a standard of living (SoL) approach to estimate older people's disability costs, using data on 8000 individuals from the U.K. Family Resources Survey. We extend previous research in two ways. First, by allowing for a more flexible relationship between SoL and income, the structure of the estimated disability cost and equivalence scale is not dictated by a restrictive functional form assumption. Second, we allow for the latent nature of disability and SoL, addressing measurement error in the disability and SoL indicators in surveys. We find that disability costs are strongly related to severity of disability, and vary with income in absolute and proportionate terms. Older people above the median disability level require an extra £99 per week (2007 prices) on average to reach the SoL of an otherwise similar person at the median. Costs faced by older people in the highest decile of disability average £180.