bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DACH1
, a Zona Glomerulosa Selective Gene in the Human Adrenal, Activates Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling and Suppresses Aldosterone Secretion
Authors: Zhou Junhua , Shaikh Lalarukh Haris , Neogi Sudeshna G. , McFarlane Ian , Zhao Wanfeng , Figg Nichola , Brighton Cheryl A. , Maniero Carmela , Teo Ada E.D. , Azizan Elena A. B. , Brown Morris J.
Published: March 2015

Common somatic mutations in
CACNAID
and
ATP1A1
may define a subgroup of smaller, zona glomerulosa (ZG)–like aldosterone-producing adenomas. We have therefore sought signature ZG genes, which may provide insight into the frequency and pathogenesis of ZG-like aldosterone-producing adenomas. Twenty-one pairs of zona fasciculata and ZG and 14 paired aldosterone-producing adenomas from 14 patients with Conn’s syndrome and 7 patients with pheochromocytoma were assayed by the Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array. Validation by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on genes >10-fold upregulated in ZG (compared with zona fasciculata) and >10-fold upregulated in aldosterone-producing adenomas (compared with ZG).
DACH1
, a gene associated with tumor progression, was further analyzed. The role of
DACH1
on steroidogenesis, transforming growth factor-β, and Wnt signaling activity was assessed in the human adrenocortical cell line, H295R. Immunohistochemistry confirmed selective expression of DACH1 in human ZG. Silencing of
DACH1
in H295R cells increased
CYP11B2
mRNA levels and aldosterone production, whereas overexpression of
DACH1
decreased aldosterone production. Overexpression of
DACH1
in H295R cells activated the transforming growth factor-β and canonical Wnt signaling pathways but inhibited the noncanonical Wnt signaling pathway. Stimulation of primary human adrenal cells with angiotensin II decreased
DACH1
mRNA expression. Interestingly, there was little overlap between our top ZG genes and those in rodent ZG. In conclusion, (1) the transcriptome profile of human ZG differs from rodent ZG, (2)
DACH1
inhibits aldosterone secretion in human adrenals, and (3) transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway is activated in
DACH1
overexpressed cells and may mediate inhibition of aldosterone secretion in human adrenals.
Proinflammatory Cytokines Upregulate Sympathoexcitatory Mechanisms in the Subfornical Organ of the Rat
Authors: Wei Shun-Guang , Yu Yang , Zhang Zhi-Hua , Felder Robert B.
Published: March 2015

Our previous work indicated that the subfornical organ (SFO) is an important brain sensor of blood-borne proinflammatory cytokines, mediating their central effects on autonomic and cardiovascular function. However, the mechanisms by which SFO mediates the central effects of circulating proinflammatory cytokines remain unclear. We hypothesized that proinflammatory cytokines act within the SFO to upregulate the expression of excitatory and inflammatory mediators that drive sympathetic nerve activity. In urethane-anesthetized Sprague–Dawley rats, direct microinjection of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (25 ng) or interleukin (IL)-1β (25 ng) into SFO increased mean blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity within 15 to 20 minutes, mimicking the response to systemically administered proinflammatory cytokines. Pretreatment of SFO with microinjections of the angiotensin II type-1 receptor blocker losartan (1 μg), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril (1 μg) or cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor NS-398 (2 μg) attenuated those responses. Four hours after the SFO microinjection of TNF-α (25 ng) or IL-1β (25 ng), mRNA for angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin II type-1 receptor, TNF-α and the p55 TNF-α receptor, IL-1β and the IL-1R receptor, and cyclooxygenase-2 had increased in SFO, and mRNA for angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin II type-1 receptor, and cyclooxygenase-2 had increased downstream in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Confocal immunofluorescent images revealed that immunoreactivity for the p55 TNF-α receptor and the IL-1 receptor accessory protein, a subunit of the IL-1 receptor, colocalized with angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin II type-1 receptor–like, cyclooxygenase-2, and prostaglandin E2 EP
3
receptor immunoreactivity in SFO neurons. These data suggest that proinflammatory cytokines act within the SFO to upregulate the expression of inflammatory and excitatory mediators that drive sympathetic excitation.
AT2R Agonist, Compound 21, Is Reno-Protective Against Type 1 Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Koulis Christine , Chow Bryna S.M. , McKelvey Maria , Steckelings Ulrike M. , Unger Thomas , Thallas-Bonke Vicki , Thomas Merlin C. , Cooper Mark E. , Jandeleit-Dahm Karin A. , Allen Terri J.
Published: March 2015

The hemodynamic and nonhemodynamic effects of angiotensin II on diabetic complications are considered to be primarily mediated by the angiotensin II type 1 receptor subtype. However, its biological and functional effect mediated through the angiotensin II type 2 receptor subtype is still unclear. Activation of the angiotensin II type 2 receptors has been postulated to oppose angiotensin II type 1 receptor–mediated actions and thus attenuate fibrosis. This study aimed to elucidate the reno-protective role of the novel selective angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonist, Compound 21, in an experimental model of type 1 diabetic nephropathy. Compound 21 treatment significantly attenuated diabetes mellitus–induced elevated levels of cystatin C, albuminuria, mesangial expansion, and glomerulosclerosis in diabetic mice. Moreover, Compound 21 markedly inhibited the expression of various proteins implicated in oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis, in association with decreased extracellular matrix production. These findings demonstrate that monotherapy of Compound 21 is protective against the progression of experimental diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting renal oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Immigration Detention under the Return Directive: The Cjeu Shadowed Lights
Authors: Basilien-Gainche Marie-Laure
Published: March 2015

In its decisions with regard to pre-removal detention under Directive 2008/115/ec, the position the cjeu has adopted seems vague and elusive, offering leeway for national interpretations of the text. The Court makes recurrent references to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the eu (cfreu), but fails to give clear and uniform answers, leaving many aspects of pre-removal detention to evaluation by the referring national judges and, hence, to the discretion of Member States. What are the reasons that can be advanced and the conditions that need to be fulfilled in order to guarantee conformity with the ec norm of the national recourse to pre-removal detention? What are the intensity and the consequences of the judicial review of pre-removal detention by national jurisdictions? The Luxembourg Court has dealt with all these questions, casting some shadowed light on immigration detention under Directive 2008/115/ec.
Family Reunification for Third-Country Nationals: Minimum Age for Spouses, Integration Measures and the Application of the Individual Assessment. Comments on Noorzia and Dogan
Authors: Milios Georgios
Published: March 2015

The article analyses the Advocate General’s opinion and the Court of Justice’s judgment in the cases of Noorzia and Dogan, which concern the interpretation of the minimum age requirement for spouses in an application for family reunification and the integration measures that may be imposed on family members of third-country nationals in the same procedure. Specific attention is being paid to the issue of the individual assessment of an application for family reunification, especially as regards the two provisions at hand. The article argues that the Advocate General’s approach is reasonable and well-argued whereas the Court adopts a strict, unconvincing and inconsistent with its prior case law judgment.
Nishida and Plotinus
Authors: Okano Ritsuko
Published: March 2015

Kitarō Nishida is the most important and representative philosopher in modern Japan, who now attracts increasing attention internationally. He endeavored to give a logical foundation to the Eastern way of thinking through his confrontation with Western philosophers. The aim of this paper is to recover the modern and intercultural significance of Plotinus’ philosophy in the light of Nishida’s philosophy. Nishida refers to Plotinus repeatedly, expressing his deep empathy, though his philosophy, which professes itself to be highly critical, is not mysticism. When we compare him with Plotinus, we can find a great affinity in their fundamental structure. ‘Absolute nothingness (zettai mu)’, the basis of all reality in Nishida’s philosophy, is prior to both subjectivity and objectivity, and corresponds to the Plotinian One, which transcends both thinking and being. The correspondence between their logical structures consists in regarding subjectivity and objectivity as developments of an indefinite principle that transcends and precedes the discrimination of the two, and determination as determination of what is indeterminate. However, differing from Plotinus, Nishida lays stress on corporality, ordinariness and individuality. Though Plotinus was never pessimistic about this world, the experience emphasized in theEnneadswas not earthly, while Nishida’s ‘radical ordinariness’ was the standpoint to which we should attain in a mundane life. When we compare Plotinus with Nishida, we encounter the intersection of the West and the East, antiquity and modernity, and mysticity and ordinariness.
Modeling the Evolution of Creoles
Authors: Jansson Fredrik , Parkvall Mikael , Strimling Pontus
Published: March 2015

Various theories have been proposed regarding the origin of creole languages. Describing a process where only the end result is documented involves several methodological difficulties. In this paper we try to address some of the issues by using a novel mathematical model together with detailed empirical data on the origin and structure of Mauritian Creole. Our main focus is on whether Mauritian Creole may have originated only from a mutual desire to communicate, without a target language or prestige bias. Our conclusions are affirmative. With a confirmation bias towards learning from successful communication, the model predicts Mauritian Creole better than any of the input languages, including the lexifier French, thus providing a compelling and specific hypothetical model of how creoles emerge. The results also show that it may be possible for a creole to develop quickly after first contact, and that it was created mostly from material found in the input languages, but without inheriting their morphology.
The Placement of the Head that Minimizes Online Memory
Authors: Ferrer-i-Cancho Ramon
Published: March 2015

It is well known that the length of a syntactic dependency determines its online memory cost. Thus, the problem of the placement of a head and its dependents (complements or modifiers) that minimizes online memory is equivalent to the problem of the minimum linear arrangement of a star tree. However, how that length is translated into cognitive cost is not known. This study shows that the online memory cost is minimized when the head is placed at the center, regardless of the function that transforms length into cost, provided only that this function is strictly monotonically increasing. Online memory defines a quasi-convex adaptive landscape with a single central minimum if the number of elements is odd and two central minima if that number is even. We discuss various aspects of the dynamics of word order of subject (S), verb (V) and object (O) from a complex systems perspective and suggest that word orders tend to evolve by swapping adjacent constituents from an initial or early SOV configuration that is attracted towards a central word order by online memory minimization. We also suggest that the stability of SVO is due to at least two factors, the quasi-convex shape of the adaptive landscape in the online memory dimension and online memory adaptations that avoid regression to SOV. Although OVS is also optimal for placing the verb at the center, its low frequency is explained by its long distance to the seminal SOV in the permutation space.
Reply to the Commentary “Be Careful When Assuming the Obvious” by P.M. Alday
Authors: Ferrer-i-Cancho Ramon
Published: March 2015

Here we respond to some comments by Alday concerning headedness in linguistic theory and the validity of the assumptions of a mathematical model for word order. For brevity, we focus only on two assumptions: the unit of measurement of dependency length and the monotonicity of the cost of a dependency as a function of its length. We also revise the implicit psychological bias in Alday’s comments. Notwithstanding, Alday is indicating the path for linguistic research with his unusual concerns about parsimony from multiple dimensions.
Unexpected Frontiers of Black Internationalism: African Americans in Soviet Central Asia, 1930–1976
Authors: Biss Athan Andreas
Published: March 2015

Central Asia has long captured the imagination of Western travelers as an exotic and mysterious destination. After the region was incorporated into the Soviet Union, it became a centerpiece of the Soviet modernization campaign. African Americans in particular were greatly interested in Soviet Central Asia and what they perceived as an alternative to Western imperialism and American racial segregation. This article explores how Soviet Central Asia appeared to African Americans who traveled, worked, and lived in the region in the 1930s and compares these impressions with those of African American tourists who visited the region three decades later. Did African American engagement with Central Asia act as an emancipatory, creative force for interracial solidarity or did it constitute another form of Orientalist discourse?
The Sarcophaginae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Southern South America. I. The species of Microcerella Macquart from the Patagonian Region
Authors: MULIERI PABLO RICARDO , MARILUIS JUAN CARLOS , PATITUCCI LUCIANO DAMIÁN , OLEA MARÍA SOFÍA
Published: March 2015

A revision is given of the species placed in the genus Microcerella Macquart, known from the southern extreme of South America, the so-called Patagonian Region. A new diagnosis of the genus is given on the basis of the revision of a large number of Neotropical species. A total of 25 valid species are recognized in the region. Most of these (21 species) are divided into four species-groups on the basis of general groundplan of genitalia and external characters. Four new species are described, M. deliae sp. nov., M. holmbergi sp. nov., M. nataliae sp. nov. and M. paetoi sp. nov. One new synonymy is established: Austrohartigia shannoni Lopes as a new junior synonym of Microcerella spinosa (Hall), syn. nov. A lectotype is designated for Doringia subandina Blanchard [a junior synonym of Microcerella spinigena (Rondani)]. Two species are recorded from Argentina for the first time: M. chicoensis (Lopes) and M. engeli (Hall). Three nominal species were not examined and are treated as nomina dubia within Microcerella: M. apicalis (Townsend), M. rufomaculata Macquart and M. sarcophagina Thomson. An illustrated key is provided to the males of Patagonian species of Microcerella allowing for separation of 25 species. Additionally, a series of images of male genitalia based on color photography and illustrations is provided to aid in the identification of these species of Microcerella. Biological information is given for the species, where known.
The Impact of Grid and Spectral Nudging on the Variance of the Near-Surface Wind Speed
Authors: Vincent Claire Louise , Hahmann Andrea N.
Published: March 2015

Grid and spectral nudging are effective ways of preventing drift from large-scale weather patterns in regional climate models. However, the effect of nudging on the wind speed variance is unclear. In this study, the impact of grid and spectral nudging on near-surface and upper boundary layer wind variance in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model is analyzed. Simulations are run on nested domains with horizontal grid spacing of 15 and 5 km over the Baltic Sea region. For the 15-km domain, 36-h simulations initialized each day are compared with 11-day simulations with either grid or spectral nudging at and above 1150 m above ground level (AGL). Nested 5-km simulations are not nudged directly but inherit boundary conditions from the 15-km experiments. Spatial and temporal spectra show that grid nudging causes smoothing of the wind in the 15-km domain at all wavenumbers, both at 1150 m AGL and near the surface where nudging is not applied directly, while spectral nudging mainly affects longer wavenumbers. Maps of mesoscale variance show spatial smoothing for both grid and spectral nudging, although the effect is less pronounced for spectral nudging. On the inner, 5-km domain, an indirect smoothing impact of nudging is seen up to 200 km inward from the dominant inflow boundary at 1150 m AGL, but there is minimal smoothing from the nudging near the surface, indicating that nudging an outer domain is an appropriate configuration for wind-resource modeling.
An Assessment of Direct Radiative Forcing, Radiative Adjustments, and Radiative Feedbacks in Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Models
Authors: Chung Eui-Seok , Soden Brian J.
Published: March 2015

In this study, radiative kernels are used to separate direct radiative forcing from radiative adjustments to that forcing to quantify the magnitude and intermodel spread of tropospheric and stratospheric adjustments in coupled ocean–atmosphere climate models. Radiative feedbacks are also quantified and separated from radiative forcing by assuming that feedbacks are a linear response to changes in global-mean surface temperature. The direct radiative forcing due to a quadrupling of CO2 is found to have an intermodel spread of ~3 W m−2. In contrast to previous studies, relatively small estimates of cloud adjustments are obtained, which are both positive and negative. This discrepancy is at least partially attributable to small, but nonnegligible, global-mean surface warming in fixed sea surface temperature experiments, which aliases a surface-driven feedback response into estimates of the adjustments. This study suggests that correcting for the bias induced from this global-mean surface warming offers a more accurate estimate of tropospheric adjustments. It is shown that the regional patterns in the tropospheric adjustments tend to oppose the radiative feedback. This compensation is closely tied to spatial inhomogeneities in the initial rate of surface warming, suggesting that a substantial part of the spatial variation in the estimated tropospheric adjustment is an artifact of the linear regression methodology. Even when assuming that the global-mean estimates of the tropospheric adjustments are valid, neglecting them introduces little uncertainty in estimates of the total forcing, feedback, or effective climate sensitivity relative to the intermodel spread in these values.
Understanding Uncertainties in Future Projections of Seasonal Tropical Precipitation
Authors: Kent Chris , Chadwick Robin , Rowell David P.
Published: March 2015

Projected changes in regional seasonal precipitation due to climate change are highly uncertain, with model disagreement on even the sign of change in many regions. Using a 20-member CMIP5 ensemble under the RCP8.5 scenario, the intermodel uncertainty of the spatial patterns of projected end-of-twenty-first-century change in precipitation is found not to be strongly influenced by uncertainty in global mean temperature change. In the tropics, both the ensemble mean and intermodel uncertainty of regional precipitation change are found to be predominantly related to spatial shifts in convection and convergence, associated with processes such as sea surface temperature (SST) pattern change and land–sea thermal contrast change. The authors hypothesize that the zonal-mean seasonal migration of these shifts is driven by 1) the nonlinear spatial response of convection to SST changes and 2) a general movement of convection from land to ocean in response to SST increases. Assessment of tropical precipitation model projections over East Africa highlights the complexity of regional rainfall changes. Thermodynamically driven moisture increases determine the magnitude of the long rains (March–May) ensemble mean precipitation change in this region, whereas model uncertainty in spatial shifts of convection accounts for almost all of the intermodel uncertainty. Moderate correlations are found across models between the long rains precipitation change and patterns of SST change in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Further analysis of the capability of models to represent present-day SST–rainfall links, and any relationship with model projections, may contribute to constraining the uncertainty in projected East Africa long rains precipitation.
On Uncertainty in Global Terrestrial Evapotranspiration Estimates from Choice of Input Forcing Datasets*
Authors: Badgley Grayson , Fisher Joshua B. , Jiménez Carlos , Tu Kevin P. , Vinukollu Raghuveer
Published: March 2015

Evapotranspiration ET is a critical water, energy, and climate variable, and recent work has been published comparing different global products. These comparisons have been difficult to interpret, however, because in most studies the evapotranspiration products were derived from models forced by different input data. Some studies have analyzed the uncertainty in regional evapotranspiration estimates from choice of forcings. Still others have analyzed how multiple models vary with choice of net radiation forcing data. However, no analysis has been conducted to determine the uncertainty in global evapotranspiration estimates attributable to each class of input forcing datasets. Here, one of these models [Priestly–Taylor JPL (PT-JPL)] is run with 19 different combinations of forcing data. These data include three net radiation products (SRB, CERES, and ISCCP), three meteorological datasets [CRU, Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Aqua, and MERRA], and three vegetation index products [MODIS; Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS); and Fourier-Adjusted, Sensor and Solar Zenith Angle Corrected, Interpolated, Reconstructed (FASIR)]. The choice in forcing data produces an average range in global monthly evapotranspiration of 10.6 W m−2 (~20% of global mean evapotranspiration), with net radiation driving the majority of the difference. Annual average terrestrial ET varied by an average of 8 W m−2, depending on choice of forcings. The analysis shows that the greatest disagreement between input forcings arises from choice of net radiation dataset. In particular, ISCCP data, which are frequently used in global studies, differed widely from the other radiation products examined and resulted in dramatically different estimates of global terrestrial ET.
Updated Screening Procedures for GPROF2010 over Land: Utilization for AMSR-E
Authors: Meyers Patrick C. , Ferraro Ralph R. , Wang Nai-Yu
Published: March 2015

The Goddard profiling algorithm 2010 (GPROF2010) was revised for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (EOS; AMSR-E) instrument. The GPROF2010 land algorithm was developed for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), which observes slightly different central frequencies than AMSR-E. A linear transfer function was developed to convert AMSR-E brightness temperatures to their corresponding TMI frequency for raining and nonraining instantaneous fields of view (IFOVs) using collocated brightness temperature and TRMM precipitation radar (PR) measurements. Previous versions of the algorithm separated rain from surface ice, snow, and desert using a series of empirical procedures. These occasionally failed to separate raining and nonraining scenes, leading to failed detection and false alarms of rain. The new GPROF2010, version 2 (GPROF2010V2), presented here, prefaced the heritage screening procedures by referencing annual desert and monthly snow climatologies to identify IFOVs where rain retrievals were unreliable. Over a decade of satellite- and ground-based observations from the Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS) and AMSR-E allowed for the creation of a medium-resolution (0.25° × 0.25°) climatology of monthly snow and ice cover. The scattering signature of rain over ice and snow is not well defined because of complex emissivity signals dependent on snow depth, age, and melting, such that using a static climatology was a more stable approach to defining surface types. GPROF2010V2 was subsequently used for the precipitation environmental data record (EDR) for the AMSR2 sensor aboard the Global Change Observation Mission–Water 1 (GCOM-W1).
Implementation of Deterministic Weather Forecasting Systems Based on Ensemble–Variational Data Assimilation at Environment Canada. Part I: The Global System
Authors: Buehner Mark , McTaggart-Cowan Ron , Beaulne Alain , Charette Cécilien , Garand Louis , Heilliette Sylvain , Lapalme Ervig , Laroche Stéphane , Macpherson Stephen R. , Morneau Josée , Zadra Ayrton
Published: March 2015

A major set of changes was made to the Environment Canada global deterministic prediction system during the fall of 2014, including the replacement of four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVar) by four-dimensional ensemble–variational data assimilation (4DEnVar). The new system provides improved forecast accuracy relative to the previous system, based on results from two sets of two-month data assimilation and forecast experiments. The improvements are largest at shorter lead times, but significant improvements are maintained in the 120-h forecasts for most regions and vertical levels. The improvements result from the combined impact of numerous changes, in addition to the use of 4DEnVar. These include an improved treatment of radiosonde and aircraft observations, an improved radiance bias correction procedure, the assimilation of ground-based GPS data, a doubling of the number of assimilated channels from hyperspectral infrared sounders, and an improved approach for initializing model forecasts. Because of the replacement of 4DVar with 4DEnVar, the new system is also more computationally efficient and easier to parallelize, facilitating a doubling of the analysis increment horizontal resolution. Replacement of a full-field digital filter with the 4D incremental analysis update approach, and the recycling of several key variables that are not directly analyzed significantly reduced the model spinup during both the data assimilation cycle and in medium-range forecasts.
The effect of storage conditions on sample stability in the routine clinical laboratory
Authors: Kift Rebecca L , Byrne Christopher , Liversidge Richard , Babbington Fiona , Knox Catherine , Binns Jeff , Barth Julian H
Published: March 2015

Background

‘Add-on’ tests are often requested for samples already in the laboratory. This study was carried out to assess the stability of common analytes in uncapped samples stored in different conditions, and therefore their suitability for ‘add-on’ requests.

Methods

Storage conditions evaluated included initial storage at room temperature for 16 hours, followed by storage at 4℃ (Group 1: current conditions employed in the laboratory), compared with storage at 4℃ immediately following analysis (Group 2: optimum storage conditions).

Results

Some analytes were not suitable for ‘add-ons’ when samples were stored in either storage condition, whereas some were suitable for ‘add-ons’ irrespective of storage condition. Storage conditions influenced the suitability of ‘add-on’ tests for a proportion of analytes including urea, amylase, total protein, alkaline phosphatase, adjusted calcium, lactate dehydrogenase, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and total cholesterol; these analytes were stable in optimum conditions (Group 2) but not in current conditions (Group 1).

Conclusions

‘Add-on’ tests can only be safely performed on a proportion of routine analytes. For some analytes, storage conditions affect their suitability for delayed analysis.
An Empirical Examination of Firm, Industry, and Temporal Effects on Corporate Social Performance
Authors: Short Jeremy C. , McKenny Aaron F. , Ketchen David J. , Snow Charles C. , Hult G. Tomas M.
Published: March 2015

Research examining firm and industry effects on performance has primarily focused on the financial aspects of firm performance. Corporate social performance (CSP) is a major aspect of firm performance that has been under-examined empirically in the literature to date. Adding to the fundamental debate regarding firm versus industry effects on performance, this study uses data drawn from the Kinder, Lydenberg and Domini Co. (KLD) database to examine the degree to which CSP is related to firm, industry, and temporal factors. The results of these analyses suggest that CSP tends to change in a linear manner over time; however, the slope of this line varies across firms and industries. These findings are supported by several robustness checks accounting for autocorrelation, alternative measures of industry, different samples commonly used when using KLD data to measure CSP, and alternative measures of CSP when using the KLD database. The authors also directly compare firm, industry, and temporal effects between CSP and financial performance.
Ecological Responsiveness and Corporate Real Estate
Authors: Eichholtz Piet M. A. , Kok Nils , Quigley John M.
Published: March 2015

Firms’ real estate choices significantly affect their sustainability, due to real estate’s impact on the natural environment. This paper investigates the ecological responsiveness of firms in specific industries by analyzing the decisions these firms make in occupying office space. We analyze the decisions of more than 11,000 tenants to choose office space in green buildings or in, otherwise comparable, conventional buildings nearby. Controlling for building quality and location, we find that corporations in the oil and banking industries, as well as non-profit organizations, are among the most prominent green tenants. Furthermore, measures of an industry’s human capital intensity are positively related to the propensity to lease green office space. These empirical findings confirm the theoretical framework on economic advantage and institutional pressure as important determinants for the ecological responsiveness of firms.
Environmental Management, Climate Change, CSR, and Governance in Clusters of Small Firms in Developing Countries
Authors: Puppim de Oliveira Jose A. , Jabbour Charbel Jose Chiappetta
Published: March 2015

One of the key debates in the literature on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries has to do with the role that local industrial districts, or so-called industrial clusters, play in the promotion of CSR in those countries. While there is now an embryonic literature on this subject, we lack systematic, integrated analytical frameworks that can improve our understanding of the role that governance of clusters play in addressing CSR concerns in SMEs in developing countries. This article develops such a conceptual framework drawing on the literatures on cluster governance, CSR, SMEs, and environmental management (EM) as they relate to the developing countries. The authors argue that environmental improvements in SME clusters can be achieved through three basic types of cluster governance: legal enforcement, supply chain pressure, and voluntary engagement in CSR. The proposed framework is an attempt to show how each type of cluster governance is likely to induce different responses in cluster-based SMEs. These responses are related to stages of CSR in which SMEs engage, the barriers to EM they face, the types of EM practices they use, the climate change strategy types they use, and the kinds of benefits that accrue to SMEs from engagement in CSR. The authors put foward a framework that can be useful for both academics and practitioners as they seek to reflect on the interconnectedness of these themes from a research, policy, and practice perspective.
Effect of Ethnicity on Parenting Styles and Attitudes Toward Violence Among Jewish and Arab Muslim Israeli Mothers
Authors: Shechory-Bitton Mally , Ben David Sarah , Sommerfeld Eliane
Published: March 2015

The cultural heterogeneity of Israeli society creates a unique opportunity to study the effects of ethnicity and intergenerational differences on parenting styles, attitudes, and practices. Three groups of mother–daughter dyads took part in the study: Native-born Jewish (NBJ) Israelis (155 dyads), Jewish Mizrahi (JM) immigrants (immigrants from Muslim countries (133 dyads), and native-born Arab Muslim (NBA) Israelis (86 dyads). Participants were located through a “snowball” process in which participants referred their friends to the researchers or gave the researchers names of potential participants. Interethnic differences were found in the mothers’ generation, with JM mothers falling in between NBJ and NBA mothers. This trend changed when we examined differences between the daughters. Although intergenerational differences were found in all groups, the differences were more prominent among Jewish mother–daughter dyads than among mother–daughter dyads in the Muslim population. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the parenting style of JM women was closer to that of NBJ mothers than to NBA mothers. The findings are discussed with reference to the complexity of Israeli society and to the encounter between the culture of the immigrant women who came from Muslim countries and the Western culture of the host society.
The Benefits of High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) for Youth With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Wagner Mary M. , Newman Lynn A. , Javitz Harold S.
Published: March 2015

Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2), this study examines the career and technical education (CTE) course taking of high school students with learning disabilities (LD) in the context of the national movement toward higher standards for determining whether students leave high school “college and career ready.” Descriptive analyses document the extent of general education CTE course taking overall by students with LD and their engagement in a concentrated program of occupationally specific general education CTE, a level of course taking early research has linked to improved post–high school employment outcomes. Propensity score modeling was used to determine whether either type of CTE course taking is related to higher odds of full-time employment after high school and whether results differ with the length of time youth were out of high school. Results show no benefits of CTE course taking overall, but demonstrate a significant positive effect for participating in a concentration of occupationally specific CTE in the first 2 post–high school years; effects are nonsignificant for later years. The implications for high school programming and transition planning for students with LD are discussed.
Special Issue Introduction
Authors: Al-Yagon Michal
Published: March 2015

The series of articles presented in this special issue focus on investigating two highly relevant objectives for adolescents and young adults with learning disabilities and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: (a) examination of neuropsychological, educational, familial, and socioemotional features among individuals with these disabilities, in the adolescence and young adulthood developmental phases, and (b) exploration of specific dimensions of interventional programs and contextual (e.g., class) environments aiming to enhance these youngsters’ academic achievements. Corresponding with these objectives, the six studies in this special issue provide new evidence regarding these two major topics, utilizing mixed qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods.
Symptom Manifestation and Impairments in College Students With ADHD
Authors: Gray Sarah A. , Fettes Peter , Woltering Steven , Mawjee Karizma , Tannock Rosemary
Published: March 2015

To better understand the nature of impairment resulting from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for students in a post-secondary education (PSE) setting, the authors analyzed the symptoms and associated impairment of 135 students with a diagnosis of ADHD who were recruited via Student Disability Services in Canadian post-secondary institutions. The authors (a) developed a novel semistructured telephone interview based on the 6-item Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Screener–Telephone Interview With Probes (ASRS-TIPS) to elicit students’ descriptions of their behavior for each symptom they endorsed, (b) administered standardized tests of executive functioning (EF) and academic fluency, and (c) obtained self-reports of grade point averages (GPAs), EF, cognitive failures, psychopathology, distress, and resilience. Qualitative analysis of the ASRS-TIPS revealed significant impairment relating to symptoms of ADHD in the PSE setting. Students reported clinically significant symptoms of ADHD, psychological distress, and impairment in EF (67%, severe range) and cognitive failure (62%, atypical range) in everyday life. By contrast, their GPAs and standardized scores of EF and academic fluency were in the average range. Standardized scores and GPAs did not capture the impairment that participants experienced in their PSE settings. The ASRS-TIPS may provide a useful tool to help document how these students’ symptoms impair functioning in the PSE setting.
The effect of Syphacia muris on nutrient digestibility in laboratory rats
Authors: Plachý V , Litvinec A , Langrová I , Horáková B , Sloup V , Jankovská I , Vadlejch J , Čadková Z , Borkovcová M
Published: March 2015

This study was carried out to investigate how pinworm infection in rats affects nutrient digestibility in the hosts. Twenty-four male outbred Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups of 12 rats each. The rats from the first group (GI) were kept in cages with bedding containing pinworm eggs, and the second (control) group (GII) were kept in a separate room in clean, uncontaminated filter-top cages. The animals were put into individual metabolic cages later. Metabolic trials lasted five days and records of animal weight, food ingestion, and faecal weight were taken daily. Based on laboratory analysis of the feed and faecal nutrient content, digestibility values were determined. On day 15 of the experiment, the animals were euthanized. Although Syphacia muris were found in all rats from the GI group, animals exhibited no clinical signs. In our experiment, S. muris infection reduced the overall digestibility of all measured nutrients ( P < 0.01). The most significant differences in digestibility were observed in the case of crude fibre and mineral matter ( P < 0.01).
Igniting the Fire Within Marginalized Youth: The Role of Critical Civic Inquiry in Fostering Ethnic Identity and Civic Self-Efficacy
Authors: Hipolito-Delgado Carlos P. , Zion Shelley
Published: March 2015

Critical Civic Inquiry (CCI) is a transformative student voice initiative that engages students in critical conversations about educational equity and inquiry-based learning to increase student voice and promote civic action. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to assess if participation in CCI increased the psychological empowerment (as measured through ethnic identity and civic self-efficacy) of high school students. Students who participated in CCI pedagogy reported increases in ethnic identity and civic self-efficacy. These findings indicate the importance of supportive adult relationships, inquiry-based learning, and critical conversations about social and educational inequities in promoting the psychological empowerment of marginalized students.
Using Isocrates to Teach Technical Communication and Civic Engagement
Authors: Brizee Allen
Published: March 2015

Building on work by Dubinsky, Haskins, and Simmons and Grabill, this article explains how a technical communication instructor used Isocrates and informal usability testing to help guide a service-learning project involving the One Laptop Per Child XO-1 notebook. For the project, engineering students received feedback from peers and elementary school teachers to determine the feasibility of using the XO-1 with at-risk children aged 6 to 9. Despite initial positive impressions, the service-learning students discovered that the XO-1 was not suitable in this situation. This article discusses Isocratean theory and how his ideas can inform a pedagogy of civic engagement in technical communication.
Political Trust in the American States
Authors: Weinschenk Aaron C. , Helpap David J.
Published: March 2015

This article illustrates that trust in state government varies considerably across states. Using newly available public opinion data, the authors investigate the effects of political polarization, corruption, income inequality, unemployment, state fiscal conditions, median income, ideology, state size, tax rates, and social capital on differences in trust in state government. A number of these variables have statistically significant effects on trust in state government, including state fiscal conditions, unemployment, state ideology, and corruption. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for policy makers and elected officials.
Caught at the Bottom? Redistribution and Local Government in an Era of Devolution
Authors: Craw Michael
Published: March 2015

Conventional wisdom in public finance holds that local governments should avoid committing resources to social welfare programs. Yet many local governments have assumed significant responsibilities in this area. This article reexamines theories of fiscal federalism based on the experiences of local government with redistributive policy. Theories of fiscal federalism make assumptions about the mobility of capital and labor, the range of choices in a metropolitan region, and the extent of fiscal-independence-afforded local governments. Empirical variation in these conditions, however, results in differing outcomes from local redistribution across place and over time.
Embracing Crowdsourcing
Authors: Sievers Jesse A.
Published: March 2015

Over the last century, state and local governments have been challenged to keep proactive, emergency planning efforts ahead of the after-the-disaster, response efforts. After moving from decentralized to centralized planning efforts, the most recent policy has returned to the philosophy that a decentralized planning approach is the most effective way to plan for a disaster. In fact, under the Obama administration, a policy of using the “whole community” approach to emergency planning has been adopted. This approach, however, creates an obvious problem for state and local government practitioners already under pressure for funding, time, and the continuous need for higher and broader expertise—the problem of how to actually incorporate the whole community into emergency planning efforts. This article suggests one such approach, crowdsourcing, as an option for local governments. The crowdsourcer-problem-crowd-platform-solution (CPCPS) model is suggested as an initial framework for practitioners seeking a practical application and basic comprehension. The model, discussion, and additional examples in this essay provide a skeletal framework for state and local governments wishing to reach the whole community while under the constraints of time, budget, and technical expertise.
Morality Politics and Municipal LGBT Policy Adoption
Authors: Cravens Royal G.
Published: March 2015

Why do municipal governments adopt lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inclusive policies? The preponderance of literature suggests urbanism and social diversity are the most likely explanations for LGBT municipal policies. This research tests these assumptions using the morality politics model. Using rare-events logistic regression, municipalities in the state of Florida with LGBT antidiscrimination ordinances are compared with municipalities that do not have such policies. The results contradict theories of urbanism and highlight the shortcomings of the morality politics model. Specifically, the results indicate that even under highly salient conditions, LGBT advocacy resources play an important role in the policy adoption process.
Cosmopolitanism – Not a ‘major ideology’, but still an ideology
Authors: Sørensen Asger
Published: March 2015

Today the idea of cosmopolitanism has become widely accepted as an appropriate answer to what we now call globalization. A key reference is Kant who argues for a Recht of the world citizen, and this is normally understood as a cosmopolitan law. Apparently Kant lets the law of the world citizen be limited to a right to visit, but somehow his peace project must imply something more than just this very modest claim. Following a hint from Kant himself I take a closer look at the material aspect of cosmopolitanism, i.e. the economy of travelling, and it appears that cosmopolitanism can function as an ideology for letting possible investors look for business cases, that is, for promising places for capitalist exploitation. As an answer to such strong material processes cosmopolitanism is insufficient, both as a moral imperative and as a stipulated right. What we need is a more comprehensive political and legal perspective and the solutions this indicates. To get inspiration for this, however, we can turn to Kant again, since it turns out that he does not argue for cosmopolitanism at all, neither as a programme nor as an ideology. For Kant the overall goal is perpetual peace, and the law of the world citizen represents only one subordinate element. As an answer to globalization we should thus drop the limited ideal of cosmopolitanism and follow Kant in his ambition of a threefold political constitution comprising state law, law of the people and law of the world citizen.
Quality of Life (QoL) Assessment in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2)
Authors: Cosetti Maura K. , Golfinos John G. , Roland J. Thomas
Published: March 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop a multidimensional metric for assessing quality of life (QoL) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2).

Study Design

Electronically distributed questionnaire.

Setting

University tertiary care hospital, NF2 support groups.

Subjects and Methods

Structured interviews with NF2 providers and patients identified relevant domains. Items in each domain were extracted from validated QoL modules, then combined with items unique to NF2 and pretested on NF2 providers and patients. The final 61‐item questionnaire was administered electronically to patients with NF2 (N = 118). The form assessed overall QoL and 11 additional domains, including hearing, balance, facial function, vision, oral intake, future uncertainty, psychosocial, cognition, sexual activity, pain, and vocal communication. Responses were compared with reference values for the general population, patients with head and neck cancer, and patients with brain cancer.

Results

Overall, QoL in patients with NF2 was lower than that of the general population (P <. 01) and similar to that of patients with cancer. Patients with more facial weakness, hearing loss, and imbalance reported significantly lower QoL. However, domains most predictive of overall QoL were psychosocial, future uncertainty, and pain. Compared with patients with head and neck and brain cancer, patients with NF2 demonstrated significantly higher levels of psychosocial stressors, including disease‐related anxiety, personal and financial stress, and lack of social support (P <. 01).

Conclusion

Psychosocial stress and pain significantly affect QoL in NF2, indicating that mental health, pain management, and financial counseling could have an important impact on QoL in this population.