bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MITOSCISSOR: A Useful Tool for Auto-Assembly of Mitogenomic Datasets in the Evolutionary Analysis of Fishes
Authors: Sun Zheng , Cheng Yuanzhi , Zhang Junbin
Published: June 2015

As a result of the development of rapid and efficient sequencing technologies, complete sequences of numerous mitochondrial genomes are now available. Mitochondrial genomes have been widely used to evaluate relationships between species in several fields, including evolutionary and population genetics, as well as in forensic identification and in the study of mitochondrial diseases in humans. However, the creation of mitochondrial genomes is extremely time consuming. In this paper, we present a new tool, MITOSCISSOR, which is a rapid method for parsing and formatting dozens of complete mitochondrial genome sequences. With the aid of MITOSCISSOR, complete mitochondrial genome sequences of 103 species from Tetraodontiformes (a difficult-to-classify order of fish) were easily parsed and formatted. It typically takes several days to produce similar results when relying upon manual editing. This tool could open the .gb file of Genbank directly and help us to use existing mitogenomic data. In the present study, we established the first clear and robust molecular phylogeny of 103 tetraodontiform fishes, a goal that has long eluded ichthyologists. MITOSCISSOR greatly increases the efficiency with which DNA data files can be parsed and annotated, and thus has the potential to greatly facilitate evolutionary analysis using mitogenomic data. This software is freely available for noncommercial users at http://www.filedropper.com/mitoscissor .
Effect of Different Thicknesses of Pressable Ceramic Veneers on Polymerization of Light-cured and Dual-cured Resin Cements
Authors: Cho Seok-Hwan , Lopez Arnaldo , Berzins David W , Prasad Soni , Ahn Kwang Woo
Published: June 2015

Aim

This study evaluated the effects of ceramic veneer thicknesses on the polymerization of two different resin cements.

Materials and methods

A total of 80 ceramic veneer disks were fabricated by using a pressable ceramic material (e.max Press; Ivoclar Vivadent) from a Low Translucency (LT) ingot (A1 shade). These disks were divided into light-cured (LC; NX3 Nexus LC; Kerr) and dual-cured (DC; NX3 Nexus DC; Kerr) and each group was further divided into four subgroups, based on ceramic disk thickness (0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 mm). The values of Vickers microhardness (MH) and degree of conversion (DOC) were obtained for each specimen after a 24-hour storage period. Association between ceramic thickness, resin cement type, and light intensity readings (mW/cm2) with respect to microhardness and degree of conversion was statistically evaluated by using analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

For the DOC values, there was no significant difference observed among the LC resin cement subgroups, except in the 1.2 mm subgroup; only the DOC value (14.0 ± 7.4%) of 1.2 mm DC resin cement had significantly difference from that value (28.9 ± 7.5%) of 1.2 mm LC resin cement (p < 0.05). For the MH values between LC and DC resin cement groups, there was statistically significant difference (p < 0.05); overall, the MH values of LC resin cement groups demonstrated higher values than DC resin cement groups. On the other hands, among the DC resin cement subgroups, the MH values of 1.2 mm DC subgroup was significantly lower than the 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm subgroups (p < 0.05). However, among the LC subgroups, there was no statistically significant difference among them (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The degree of conversion and hardness of the resin cement was unaffected with veneering thicknesses between 0.3 and 0.9 mm. However, the DC resin cement group resulted in a significantly lower DOC and MH values for the 1.2 mm subgroup.

Clinical Significance

While clinically adequate polymerization of LC resin cement can be achieved with a maximum 1.2 mm of porcelain veneer restoration, the increase of curing time or light intensity is clinically needed for DC resin cements at the thickness of more than 0.9 mm.

How to cite this article

Cho S-H, Lopez A, Berzins DW, Prasad S, Ahn KW. Effect of Different Thicknesses of Pressable Ceramic Veneers on Polymerization of Lightcured and Dual-cured Resin Cements. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):347-352.
Evaluation of an Innovative Digital Assessment Tool in Dental Anatomy
Authors: Lam Matt T , Kwon So Ran , Qian Fang , Denehy Gerald E
Published: June 2015

Aim

The E4D Compare software is an innovative tool that provides immediate feedback to students’ projects and competencies. It should provide consistent scores even when different scanners are used which may have inherent subtle differences in calibration. This study aimed to evaluate potential discrepancies in evaluation using the E4D Compare software based on four different NEVO scanners in dental anatomy projects. Additionally, correlation between digital and visual scores was evaluated.

Materials and methods

Thirty-five projects of maxillary left central incisors were evaluated. Among these, thirty wax-ups were performed by four operators and five consisted of standard dentoform teeth. Five scores were obtained for each project: one from an instructor that visually graded the project and from four different NEVO scanners. A faculty involved in teaching the dental anatomy course blindly scored the 35 projects. One operator scanned all projects to four NEVO scanners (D4D Technologies, Richardson, TX, USA). The images were aligned to the gold standard, and tolerance set at 0.3 mm to generate a score. The score reflected percentage match between the project and the gold standard. One-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in scores among the four NEVO scanners. Paired-sample t-test was used to detect any difference between visual scores and the average scores of the four NEVO scanners. Pearson's correlation test was used to assess the relationship between visual and average scores of NEVO scanners.

Results

There was no significant difference in mean scores among four different NEVO scanners [F(3, 102) = 2.27, p = 0.0852 one-way ANOVA with repeated measures]. Moreover, the data provided strong evidence that a significant difference existed between visual and digital scores (p = 0.0217; a pairedsample t-test). Mean visual scores were significantly lower than digital scores (72.4 vs 75.1). Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.85 indicated a strong correlation between visual and digital scores (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The E4D Compare software provides consistent scores even when different scanners are used and correlates well with visual scores.

Clinical significance

The use of innovative digital assessment tools in dental education is promising with the E4D Compare software correlating well with visual scores and providing consistent scores even when different scanners are used.

How to cite this article

Lam MT, Kwon SR, Qian F, Denehy GE. Evaluation of an Innovative Digital Assessment Tool in Dental Anatomy. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):366-371.
The Effect of 3% Phosphate Ascorbyl Gel on Bond Strength of Composite Resin to Enamel treated with 35% Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: da Silva Monica Barros , de Castro Milena de Fátima Schalcher , Silva Alice Carvalho , Franco Marcela Mayana Pereira , Silva Ana Paula Brito , da Silva Bramante Fausto , Lima Darlon Martins , Pereira Adriana de Fátima Vasconcelos
Published: June 2015

Objective

To evaluate the effect of 3% phosphate ascorbyl gel (PA) in different times onto the microshear bond strength of composite resin (CR) to bovine enamel treated with 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP).

Materials and methods

Thirty enamel blocks of bovine incisors were made and divided into 5 groups (n = 6) with three specimens per group (n = 18), according to treatment: G1= No bleaching + CR; G2 = HP + CR after 15d; G3 = HP + CR after 24 hours; G4 = HP + PA (15 min) + CR after 24 hours; G5 = HP + PA (2 hours) + CR after 24 hours. The resin cylinders were made by Tygon matrices. Microshear bond strength test was performed using universal testing machine with a 50N load at a speed of 0.5 mm/min. Fracture modes were assessed by a stereomicroscope 40 ×. Microshear bond strength values were submitted to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) one-way and Tukey test (p < 0.05).

Results

G1 had significant results when compared to G3 and G5 (p < 0.01). However, G2, G3, G4 and G5 have showed no significant differences among groups (p > 0.05). Failure modes were categorized into adhesive (90%) and mixed (10%).

Conclusion

The use of 3% phosphate ascorbyl gel for 15 minutes was able to improve bond strength of composite resin to bleached bovine enamel, but when 3% phosphate ascorbyl gel was applied during 40 minutes it negatively interfered in the adhesion of the resin to bleached bovine enamel.

How to cite this article

de Castro MFS, Silva AC, Franco MMP, Silva APB, Bramante FS, da Silva MB, Lima DM, Pereira AFV. The Effect of 3% Phosphate Ascorbyl Gel on Bond Strength of Composite Resin to Enamel treated with 35% Hydrogen Peroxide. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):376-382.
An in vitro Comparison of Endodontic Medicaments Propolis and Calcium Hydroxide alone and in Combination with Ciprofloxacin and Moxifloxacin against Enterococcus Faecalis
Authors: Shrivastava Rahul , Rai Vivek Kumar , Kumar Aina , Sinha Sonal , Tripathi Prerna , Gupta Khushboo
Published: June 2015

Aim

To evaluate and compare the antimicrobial properties of propolis and calcium hydroxide alone and in combination with ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin against Enterococcus faecalis (E. Faecalis).

Materials and methods

The laboratory study was carried out to test the effectiveness of propolis and calcium hydroxidealone as well as in combination with the established endodontic medicaments (moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin). The various combinations were—group 1: propolis, group 2: calcium hydroxide, group 3: moxifloxacin, group 4: ciprofloxacin, group 5: propolis + moxifloxacin, group 6: propolis + Ciprofloxacin, group 7: calcium hydroxide + ciprofloxacin, group 8: calcium hydroxide + moxifloxacin. The efficacy of these medicaments was tested by checking for the zone of inhibition for the specific strain (ATCC 29212) of E. faecalis at different time intervals, i.e. 24, 48 and 72 hours.

Results

Mean zone of inhibition was maximum in group V (21.94 ± 4.26) followed by group VI (18.80 ± 1.93), g roup I (18.71 ± 4.26), group VIII (15.88 ± 2.59), group III (14.91 ± 1.00), group VII (14.57 ± 2.17), group IV (13.91 ± 1.00) and minimum in group II (12.89 ± 2.14). Mean zone of inhibition was found to be maximum at 72 hours and minimum at 24 hours. At all time intervals, the combination of Propalis with Moxiflocacin showed the maximum antimicrobial efficacy.

Conclusion

On the basis of the results of the present study, it can be concluded that propolis and calcium hydroxide show synergistic effect with moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin against E. Faecalis. Propolis in combination with antibiotics and alone is more effective than calcium hydroxide.

Clinical significance

Since propolis alone and in combination with antibiotics was observed to be more effective than calcium hydroxide, propolis can be considered as an intracanal medicament when compared to traditional calcium hydroxide

How to cite this article

Shrivastava R, Rai VK, Kumar A, Sinha S, Tripathi P, Gupta K, Sabharwal S. An in vitro Comparison of Endodontic Medicaments Propolis and Calcium Hydroxide alone and in Combination with Ciprofloxacin and Moxifloxacin against Enterococcus Faecalis. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):394-399.
Resilon: Review of a New Material for Obturation of the Canal
Authors: Jafarzadeh Hamid , Mohammadi Zahed , Shalavi Sousan , Kinoshita Jun-Ichiro
Published: June 2015

Resilon is a thermoplastic synthetic polymer-based endodontic material alternative to gutta-percha. It contains bioactive glass and also radiopaque fillers. It has the same handling properties as gutta-percha. For endodontic retreatment, it may be dissolved with some solvents, such as chloroform or softened with heat. The composition of Resilon and its sealer (Epiphany) bond to dentin and form a monoblock. A review of the literature and a discussion of its properties comparing to other root canal filling materials are presented.

How to cite this article

Mohammadi Z, Jafarzadeh H, Shalavi S, Bhandi S, Kinoshita J-I. Resilon: Review of a New Material for Obturation of the Canal. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5): 407-414.
Comparison of START triage categories to emergency department triage levels to determine need for urgent care and to predict hospitalization
Authors: Hong, MD Rick , Sexton, MD Ryan , Sweet, MD Benjamin , Carroll, MD Gerard , Tambussi, BA Caitlin , Baumann, MD, MSCE Brigitte M.
Published: June 2015

Objective: To compare Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage levels and Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) triage colors for urgent care and hospitalization.Design: Cross sectional.Setting: Inner city emergency department (ED).Participants: Patients years transported by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) participating in the state triage tag exercise, October 9-15, 2011.Interventions: EMS assigned each patient a START triage tag. ED staff recorded tag number and color. Demographics, vital signs, 22 emergent interventions, and disposition were obtained via chart review. Institutional review board approval was obtained.Main outcome measures: Presence of more than two abnormal vital sign on arrival and need for more than one emergent intervention in ED were considered indicators of acuity and severity. START triage colors were recategorized as urgent (Red, Yellow) and less acute (Green, White), and ESI was recategorized as urgent (1, 2, 3) and less acute (4, 5). Results: Both ED and EMS staff were blinded to the study, and 95% confidence intervals were presented for statistical significance. Of 233 participants, START triage colors were Black = 0, Red = 12 percent, Yellow = 26 percent, Green = 53 percent, and White = 9 percent. ESI triage levels were level 1 = 1 percent, level 2 = 34 percent, level 3 = 51 percent, level 4 = 14 percent, and level 5 = 1 percent. ESI (1, 2, 3) identified 88 percent (75-95 percent) of 49 patients with abnormal vital signs; START (Red, Yellow) only identified 51 percent (35-64 percent). Twenty-one patients needed emergent intervention. ESI (1, 2, 3) identified 95 percent (76-99 percent) of these patients; START (Red, Yellow) identified 33 percent (17-55 percent). ESI (1, 2, 3) identified 98 percent of the 96(92-100 percent) admitted patients; only 48 percent (38-58 percent) were tagged START (Red, Yellow).Conclusion: ESI better identified patients with abnormal vital signs, those who needed emergent interventions, and those admitted than START.
Simple infrared thermometry in fever detection: Consideration in mass fever screening
Authors: Hogan, DO, MPH, FACEP David E. , Shipman, DO Stacia , Smith, DO Keri
Published: June 2015

Objective: The need to rapidly screen patients during outbreaks has prompted Cutaneous Infrared Thermometry (CIT) use. Little is known of CIT performance in this context. What are the performance characteristics of simple CIT in detecting fever?Design: Prospective cohort, sequential convenience sample.Participants: All patients presenting to the study Emergency Department for care.Intervention: CIT and oral temperature measurements.Main outcomes: Fever defined as oral temperature ≥ 38°C. CIT is measured simultaneously with oral temperatures. Comparisons of temperatures are expressed as means and 95% confidence intervals. Means are compared using Student's t test. Limits of agreement are measured using Bland-Altman. Receiver operating characteristics are determined.Results: There are 548 cases comprising 224 males, 324 females, with mean age 26 years. The mean temperaturedifference is 12.95°C, (13.18-9.08°C) p ≤ 0.0001. Bland-Altman demonstrates bias at 8.680 (−9.084 to −8.275) p ≤ 0.0001 with upper and lower level bias values of 18.124 (18.819-17.435) and 0.768 (0.076-1.459), respectively. Based on Receiver Operator Characteristics analysis, detection of hyperpyrexia at a CIT of 35.3°C provided sensitivity of 0.236 (0.143-0.359), specificity 0.977 (0.959-0.989), positive predictive value 0.589 (0.325-0.810), negative predictive value 0.904 (0.891- 0.919), and accuracy of 0.888 (0.861-0.913). Conclusions: The use of a readily available CIT measurement device predicted hyperpyrexia about 59 percent of the time and the absence of hyperpyrexia about 90 percent of the time. This is consistent with previous reports of more complex infrared measurement devices. Although commonly used in mass fever screening, the current performance characteristics of CIT are limited and may add little to detection of target diseases in a mass screening context.
Drug testing and adherence monitoring in pain management: Oral fluid testing
Authors: Moore, PhD, DSc, DABCC Christine
Published: June 2015

A review of the utility of oral fluid in drug testing and adherence monitoring in pain management is presented. The article includes a description of the “State of the Art”; drug deposition; advantages and drawbacks of oral fluid testing; and overall related literature.
The pharmacokinetics of oxycodone and its metabolites following single oral doses of Remoxy®, an abuse-deterrent formulation of extended-release oxycodone, in patients with hepatic or renal impairment
Authors: Malhotra, PhD Bimal K. , Schoenhard, PhD Grant L. , De Kater, PhD Annelies W. , Friedmann, PhD, MD Nadav
Published: June 2015

Objective: Remoxy® (Pain Therapeutics, Inc., Austin, TX) is an abuse-deterrent formulation of extended-release oxycodone. The effects of renal or hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of single, oral doses of Remoxy 20 or 10 mg, respectively, were assessed in two phase 1 studies in subjects aged 18-80 years.Methods: PK parameters included maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-t), and extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf). Adverse events (AEs) were monitored.Results: Mean (SD) oxycodone Cmax values following Remoxy 20-mg administration were 17.6 (9.1), 21.9 (11.2), 25.9 (18.2), and 31.6 (14.5) ng/mL and AUC0-t values were 210.7 (82.1), 271.6 (83.3), 299.5 (76.3), and 493.5 (175.9) ng·h/mL in subjects with normal or mild (n = 6 each), moderate (n = 5), and severely impaired renal function (n = 6), respectively. Mean (SD) oxycodone Cmax following Remoxy 10-mg administration was 7.6 (3.3), 7.8 (2.3), and 13.1 (5.3) ng/mL and AUC0-t was 105.7 (49.5), 134.7 (38.3), and 218.0 (74.1) ng·h/mL in subjects with normal, mild, and moderately impaired hepatic function (n = 6 each), respectively. Differences in exposure values between the different renal and hepatic groups were significant. Treatment-emergent AEs were reported by 14.3, 66.7, 66.7, and 50.0 percent of subjects with normal, mild, moderate, and severely impaired renal function, respectively, and by 50.0, 33.3, and 66.7 percent of subjects with normal, mild, and moderately impaired hepatic function, respectively.Conclusions: As renal or hepatic function decreased, oxycodone Cmax and AUC0-t were up to approximately twofold higher following single, oral doses of extended-release Remoxy. AEs were those typically reported for opioids. Lower doses of Remoxy may thus be safely prescribed to subjects with renal or hepatic impairment.
Validation of a new risk assessment tool: The Brief Risk Questionnaire
Authors: Jones, PhD Ted , Lookatch, MA Samantha , Moore, PhD Todd
Published: June 2015

Opioids remain a common method of treating chronic pain conditions despite some controversy. In an effort to address some of the risks of opioid medications, opioid risk assessment has become a standard of care when opioids are used to treat a chronic pain condition. Research to date has found that many currently available patient-completed written questionnaires are relatively poor at identifying which patients will engage in medication aberrant behavior in the future. Clinical interview techniques have been found to provide better prediction, but practitioners often prefer the convenience of patient-completed tools. In this study, a new brief patient-completed risk tool, the Brief Risk Questionnaire (BRQ), was created and compared with a structured clinical interview and two commonly used patient-completed risk assessment tools: the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) and Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R). The different risk assessment measures were administered to 454 patients at a pain clinic and their prediction of medication aberrant behavior at 6-month follow-up was compared. Results found that the BRQ was able to predict future medication aberrant behavior better than the other two patient-completed risk measures and almost as well overall as a structured clinical interview rating system. This study indicates that the BRQ could be a useful new tool for clinicians in conducting opioid risk assessment.
Opioid regimens in patients with chronic pain with multiple cytochrome P450 defects
Authors: Tennant, MD, DrPH Forest
Published: June 2015

There is a subgroup of patients with chronic pain who have multiple cytochrome P450 enzyme defects. These patients tend to use opioids that are not metabolized by the CYP450 system and most apparently require a higher than average dosage. A significant number require nonoral administration.
Hypogonadism associated with long-term opioid therapy: A systematic review
Authors: Birthi, MD Pravardhan , Nagar, MD Vittal R. , Nickerson, MD Robert , Sloan, MD Paul A.
Published: June 2015

Background: Sexual dysfunction and Opioid-Induced Sexual Hormone Deficiency (OPISHD) have been associated with patients on long-term opioid pain therapy. There have been few comprehensive reviews to establish a relation between hypogonadism with chronic opioid pain management. The OPISHD is often not treated and literature guiding this topic is scarce.Objective: To investigate hypogonadism associated with long-term opioid therapy based on qualitative data analysis of the available literature.Study design: Systematic review.Interventions: The review included relevant literature identified through searches of PubMed, Cochrane, Clinical Trials, US National Guideline Clearinghouse, and EMBASE, for the years 1960 to September 2013. The quality assessment and clinical relevance criteria used were the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Review Group Criteria for randomized control trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale Criteria for observational studies. The level of evidence was classified as good, fair, and poor, based on the quality of evidence.Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measures were clinical symptoms and laboratory markers of hypogonadism. Secondary outcome measure was management of OPISHD.Results: Thirty-one studies were identified, of which 14 studies met inclusion criteria. There were no randomized control trials and eight of 14 studies were of moderate quality. The remaining studies were of poor quality. Four studies report most patients on long-term oral opioid therapy have associated hypogonadism and three studies of patients receiving intrathecal opioid therapy suggest that hypogonadism is common.Conclusions: There is lack of high-quality studies to associate chronic opioid pain management with hypogonadism. At present, there is fair evidence to associate hypogonadism with chronic opioid pain management, and only limited evidence for treatment of OPISHD.
The post-2015 Global Agenda – a role for local government
Authors: Slack Lucy
Published: June 2015

Introduction:The Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2015 – Local Government 2030: Achieving the Vision is taking place at a crucial time of flux and change. The period of implementation for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is drawing to a close, and the global community has been and indeed, still is, actively debating what should replace them. Local government is working hard to ensure that the post-2015 global development agenda reflects the important role of local government in defining, implementing and monitoring the new targets. It is a unique opportunity for local government to make its voice heard, to promote the importance of localisation in the debate, and to position local government as a key partner in the implementation of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Who will look after England’s rural disadvantaged now?
Authors: Morris Gordon
Published: June 2015

For more than 100 years, non-landed and non-Establishment interests in rural England were represented by a succession of three quasi-independent government bodies (quangos). These were the Development/Rural Development Commissions, the Countryside Agency, and the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC). Their roles embraced, to varying degrees, policy, practice, and advocacy. In 2013 the British government closed the CRC and absorbed aspects of its responsibilities into the civil service. The implications of this decision for the disadvantaged people and places of rural England are explored. The potential for land-related interest groups and traditional elites to increase their influence as a consequence, is considered.First, by way of context, the histories of the three quangos and the main interest groups are described. The views of the latter – and others with related interests - were sought (unsuccessfully), together with the opinions of people involved in one or more of the quangos, and, or, the civil service successor unit. These are presented and discussed. Conclusions relating to consequential ‘gaps’ in independent policy and research are drawn.The aim is to stimulate discussion about the implications for rural England of closing the CRC, for it is possible that the loss of this small organization may have unexpected long-term consequences. The eventual significance of this decision has yet to be determined.
Local government finance: challenges in revenue-raising at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Simanti
Published: June 2015

The main objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which the capital city of Delhi has gained financial autonomy over the years. In order to better understand its progress, the paper compares the periods before and after the submission of the Third State Finance Commission Report of Delhi. The main findings suggest there have been some efforts to reduce reliance on transfers from upper tiers of government and to strengthen ‘own revenues’ atthe Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). A greater diversification of tax and non-tax revenue sources is responsible for this improvement. In the second period, other tax sources such as corporation tax and electricity tax gained in importance.  Non-tax revenues were also strengthened by higher collection of certain components such as conversion charges. However, own revenues have been inadequate to meet growing expenditure requirements, resulting in high revenue expenditure gaps. Further, the growth in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP has not led to a rise in own revenues for MCD.Rather, the paper finds that higher GSDP and its tertiary sector components are associated with higher expenditures in MCD. As far as local revenues are concerned, higher GSDP is associated with higher transfers, but has no discernible impact on own revenues.
Rise in resident associational life in response to service delivery decline by urban councils in Zimbabwe
Authors: Musekiwa Norbert , Chatiza Kudzai
Published: June 2015

This article links the decline of service delivery in urban councils in post-independence Zimbabwe to a rise in levels of associational life. Poorer urban residents cannot easily escape poor public sector service delivery by resorting to the private market. In response to declining service delivery by councils, ratepayers form residents’ associations to do three main things. First, they confront councils and pressure them to restore delivery capability. Second, they produce those services that councils are unable or unwilling to provide. Third, they defend residents against the predatory actions of councils. However, the capacities of residents’ associations in these three areas have yet to be established. Notably, limited formal opportunities exist for engagement between councils and residents’ associations which restricts their effectiveness. This paper argues that, if supported, residents’ associations can deepen local democracy while simultaneously facilitating the repair of councils’ capabilities – thus meeting disparate community demands and organising members to contribute to council recovery.
Expanding entrepreneurship opportunities through local governance: the case of Barbados
Authors: Pounder Paul
Published: June 2015

This paper looks at the government and local governance structures of Barbados, arguing that local governance should be leveraged to expand entrepreneurship opportunities at the community level. It examines the links between local governance and entrepreneurship, and proposes a framework aimed at strengthening the relationship between Barbados’ newly formed constituency councils and its government institutions supporting entrepreneurship. The research concludes that there are many inefficiencies in the interaction between government agencies and constituency councils, which the proposed framework is a first step toward remedying.  The research suggests that local governance is a complex issue worldwide. More specifically in Barbados, even though the role of the constituency councils is defined, there are weak formal arrangements which undermine the processes and activities to support community entrepreneurship. The proposed framework highlighted in the research is a first step in formalising a way forward for entrepreneurship in the community.
Challenges to implementing of development plans at local-level government in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Barcson Benjamin Saimbel
Published: June 2015

The 1995 local-level government reforms undertaken in Papua New Guinea (PNG) were largely in response to increasing concern that the public service was failing in its responsibility towards the people.  As a result, the 1995 Organic Law on Provincial and Local Governments (OLPLLG) was established.  The prime purpose of this was to address this issue through deeper engagement of the lower levels of government, particularly local-level governments (LLGs). Almost two decades on, poor socio-economic conditions and deterioration in infrastructure/services suggest that the proposed change has not materialised.  The purpose of this paper is to address the question of whether the lower tiers of government are capable of implementing the development plans under the reforms.  The paper finds that the 1995 reforms have made LLGs dependent upon their Joint District Planning and Budget Priorities Committee (JDP & BPC) and their district administration, which have become the main impediment to local government effectiveness.  This in turn has greatly hindered LLG capacity and has reinforced unequal relations, rather than assisting service delivery in PNG.  There is therefore a need to make LLGs more effective players.
The politics of municipal fragmentation in Ghana
Authors: Mohammed Abdulai Kuyini
Published: June 2015

The scholarly debate over the rival merits of local government consolidation and fragmentation is an old but enduring one. However, in this debate very little attention has been focused on the political dimension of council amalgamation and fragmentation – yet political considerations play a central role in both the formulation and outcomes of de-concentration policy. The purpose of this article is to fill a gap in the literature by examining local government fragmentation in Ghana from 1988 to 2014. The article does this by identifying the key players and analysing their interests and gains, as well as the tensions arising from the fragmentation exercise. The implications from the Ghanaian case for more general theories of fragmentation are drawn out.
Determinants of property rate default: evidence from the Ashanti Region, Ghana
Authors: Awunyo-Vitor Dadson , Osae Eric Oduro , Donani Sterling
Published: June 2015

This study seeks to assess the determinants of property rates default in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to study 540 respondents from one municipal and five district assemblies within the region. A structured questionnaire collected data from the sampled respondents. Descriptive statistics (means, frequency distribution and percentages) and the probit regression model were then used to analyse the data with the help of SPSS and STATA respectively. The study found that most respondents who default are not aware of their obligation to pay property rates, and those who are aware fail to pay because they don’t know where to go to pay, or think the rate is too high. The study also revealed that a demographic characteristic such as income level, property value and property location influences rates of default. The study recommends raising awareness about the need to pay property rates and the penalty for any default.
Property rating potentials and hurdles: what can be done to boost property rating in Ghana?
Authors: Kuusaana Elias Danyi
Published: June 2015

Population growth in many of Africa’s towns and cities has outpaced local authority capacity to provide efficient management, infrastructure and financing. There is already debate over the capability and capacity of urban local governments to provide basic services to a growing population, due to budget constraints and inability to raise the required local-level revenue. This paper looks at how the potential of property rating can be harnessed to generate the bulk of revenue needed for local-level development, despite the huge default rates across Ghana. Focusing on Wa Municipality as a case study, the study finds that the major hurdles to property rating are poor property data systems, political interference, non-enforcement of the law, low budget deficit in financing revaluation, insufficient staffing, and insufficient technical capacity of the few staff available at the municipal valuation and rating divisions. Despite these constraints, however, field data still indicates that property rating in Ghana, and especially in Wa Municipality, can generate up to 30% of local government revenue needed. This is conditional on streamlining current challenges and improving resources for the rating and valuation units. There is extensive non-payment of property rates in Wa Municipality due to lack of awareness of the purpose of this tax, of how to pay and of the penalties for defaulting payees.
Mobilising sustainable local government revenue in Ghana: modelling property rates and business taxes
Authors: Biitir Samuel B , Assiamah John K
Published: June 2015

Property rates and business operating license fees constitute the major revenue sources for local government authorities. Accurate assessment of these revenues enhances the revenue base and effectiveness of their generation. Assessment of property rates and business operating license fees have been identified as one of the limiting factors that inhibit the revenue potential of local government authorities. Assessment must obey the principles of taxation such as efficiency, equity and fairness, adequacy, administrative feasibility and political acceptability. Over the years, the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) acknowledges that, it has had problems in ensuring equity and fairness in the assessment of property rates and business operating license fees. The paper reports on a computer modelling study carried out to introduce measure to ensure equity and fairness in assessing tax objects. A computer application has been developed with quantitative measures to evaluate and assess equity in tax assessment. A test run of the system has been successful and a pilot test is currently being implemented by STMA.
Women in Local Government Elections in Trinidad and Tobago 1946-2013
Authors: Singh Sandra
Published: June 2015

“Pioneering research” is how the publication Women in Local Government Elections in Trinidad and Tobago 1946-2013 introduces itself. Indeed, the Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women has created a historic record, of the nation’s women who faced the polls at the Local Government level since the system of Local Government was extended throughout the country by virtue of the introduction of County Councils. Until 1946 Local Government was limited to the three municipalities viz: the capital city of- Port of Spain, and the boroughs of San Fernando and Arima.
Impact of particle shape on the morphology of noctilucent clouds
Authors: Kiliani J. , Baumgarten G. , Lübken F.-J. , Berger U.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Noctilucent clouds (NLC) occur during summer in the polar region at altitudes around 83 km. They consist of ice particles with a typical size around 50 nm. The shape of NLC particles is less well known, but important both for interpreting optical measurements and modeling ice cloud characteristics. In this paper, NLC modeling is adapted to use cylindrical instead of spherical particle shape. The optical properties of the resulting ice clouds are compared directly to NLC 3-color measurements by the ALOMAR RMR-Lidar between 1998 and 2014. Shape distributions including both needle- and disc-shaped particles are consistent with lidar measurements. The best agreement occurs if disc shapes are 60 % more common than needles, with a mean axis ratio of 2.8. Cylindrical particles cause stronger ice clouds on average than spherical shapes by ≈ 30 %, this difference is less pronounced for bright than for weak ice clouds. Cylindrical shapes also cause NLC to have larger but a smaller number of ice particles than for spherical shapes.
The use of a raindrop aggregate destruction device to evaluate sediment and soil organic carbon transport
Authors: Xiao L. , Hu Y. , Greenwood P. , Kuhn N. J.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Raindrop impact and subsequent aggregate breakdown can potentially change the movement behaviour of soil fractions and thus alter their transport distances when compared against non-impacted aggregates. In a given water layer, the transport distances of eroded soil fractions, and thus that of the associated substances across landscapes, such as soil organic carbon (SOC) and phosphorous, are determined by the settling velocities of the eroded soil fractions. However, using mineral size distribution to represent the settling velocities of soil fractions, as often applied in current erosion models, would ignore the potential influence of aggregation on the settling behaviour of soil fractions. The destructive effects of raindrops impacting onto aggregates are also often neglected in current soil erosion models. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a proxy method to effectively simulate aggregate breakdown under raindrop impact, and further identify the settling velocity of eroded sediment and the associated SOC. Two agricultural soils with different sandy and silty loam textures were subjected to rainfall using a raindrop aggregate destruction device (RADD). The aggregates sustained after raindrop impact were fractionated by a settling tube into six different classes according to their respective settling velocities. The same mass amount of bulk soil of each soil type was also dispersed and sieved into the same six classes, to form a comparison in size distribution. The SOC content was measured for each settled and dispersed class. Our results show the following: (1) for an aggregated soil, applying dispersed mineral grain size distribution, rather than its actual aggregate distribution, to soil erosion models would lead to a biased estimation on the redistribution of eroded sediment and SOC; (2) the RADD designed in this study effectively captures the effects of raindrop impact on aggregate destruction and is thus able to simulate the quasi-natural sediment spatial redistribution; (3) further RADD tests with more soils under standard rainfall combined with local rainfalls are required to optimize the method.
Estimating the long-term historic evolution of exposure to flooding of coastal populations
Authors: Stevens A. J. , Clarke D. , Nicholls R. J. , Wadey M. P.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Coastal managers face the task of assessing and managing flood risk. This requires knowledge of the area of land, the number of people, properties and other infrastructure potentially affected by floods. Such analyses are usually static; i.e. they only consider a snapshot of the current situation. This misses the opportunity to learn about the role of key drivers of historical changes in flood risk, such as development and population rise in the coastal flood plain, as well as sea-level rise. In this paper, we develop and apply a method to analyse the temporal evolution of residential population exposure to coastal flooding. It uses readily available data in a GIS environment. We examine how population and sea-level change have modified exposure over two centuries in two neighbouring coastal sites: Portsea and Hayling Islands on the UK south coast. The analysis shows that flood exposure changes as a result of increases in population, changes in coastal population density and sea level rise. The results indicate that to date, population change is the dominant driver of the increase in exposure to flooding in the study sites, but climate change may outweigh this in the future. A full analysis of changing flood risk is not possible as data on historic defences and wider vulnerability are not available. Hence, the historic evolution of flood exposure is as close as we can get to a historic evolution of flood risk. The method is applicable anywhere that suitable floodplain geometry, sea level and population data sets are available and could be widely applied, and will help inform coastal managers of the time evolution in coastal flood drivers.
Brief Communication: Newly developing rift in Larsen C Ice Shelf presents significant risk to stability
Authors: Jansen D. , Luckman A. J. , Cook A. , Bevan S. , Kulessa B. , Hubbard B. , Holland P. R.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. An established rift in the Larsen C Ice Shelf, formerly constrained by a suture zone containing marine ice, grew rapidly during 2014 and is likely in the near future to generate the largest calving event since the 1980s and result in a new minimum area for the ice shelf. Here we investigate the recent development of the rift, quantify the projected calving event and, using a numerical model, assess its likely impact on ice shelf stability. We find that the ice front is at risk of becoming unstable when the anticipated calving event occurs.
"As if" and the Surplus of Being in Ricoeur's Poetics
Authors: Helenius Timo
Published: June 2015

Based on the double character of “as if,” it is argued in this paper that “the surplus of meaning” turns out to be “the surplus of being,” which reveals a human being who interprets his or her own being and also acknowledges this being as be-ing at the same time. In this article, 1) the notion of “as if” is retrieved from Ricoeur’s early work in relation to the “poetics of being” aspired to by him. This leads us to 2) examine the relation between the “semantic surplus” and the “becoming of being.” 3) Addressing the problem of metaphorical reference, the key philosophical problem of poetics, is, therefore, inevitable. Only after this analysis will we 4) be able to consider whether there is a kind of “poetics of being” in the work of Paul Ricoeur.
“Demeurer vivant jusqu’à...”: La question de la vie et de la mort et le “religieux commun” chez le dernier Ricœur
Authors: Sugimura Yasuhiko
Published: June 2015

Malgré sa distinction nette qu’il maintient délibérément entre le discours philosophique et le discours confessionnel, Ricoeur laisse s’entrecroiser ces deux niveaux de sa pensée lorsqu’il s’agit de la “conviction” profonde qui la motive. L’idée d’ “attestation ”, considérée comme le “mot de passe” à sa dernière “herméneutique du soi”, en témoigne particulièrement. Tout en renfermant une connotation religieuse, ce terme renvoie à l’ontologie fondamentale heideggérienne, où l’attestation (Bezeugung) est totalement dé-théologisée pour désigner la manière dont le Dasein assume sa propre mort. Mais Ricoeur ne reprend cette notion de Heidegger qu’en lui faisant subir une profonde modification. Il remplace “l’être-pour-la-mort” par le “ demeurer vivant jusqu’à...”, dans la profondeur de laquelle Ricoeur parvient à discerner “ le religieux en commun”. De cette démarche tortueuse, comment peut-on tirer une possible conception de la “philosophie de la religion”? Cet article constitue une première étape pour répondre à cette question.
Non-Performing Loans in Emerging Economies – Case Study of India
Authors: Reddy Sriharsha
Published: June 2015

Recovery of non-performing assets is considered as one of the biggest problems for the entire banking industry as the earning capacity and profitability of many banks are adversely affected by the high level of NPAs. In this paper an attempt is made to outline the problem of NPAs in Indian banking system. The objectives of the paper are to observe the trends in the incidence of NPAs in Indian banking system, to understand the problem of NPAs in India in comparison with select economies in the world and to outline the policy measures to curtail incidence of NPAs in India. It is observed that the public sector and to some extent the private banks accounts for the bulk of the NPA problem during recent years due to global financial turmoil. Thus, while the policies that have been implemented to address the NPA problem may have been largely successful, there are further steps that can be taken by the RBI as well as by the banks themselves to tackle the problem of NPAs.
Perceptions towards Codes of Behaviour: A Study of CAOs, CFOs and Other Employees in Bahrain
Authors: Wakil Amal Abdel , Shamim Farkhanda
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study is to investigate the factors that affect Chief Accounting Officers (CAOs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and other employees’ perception of codes of behavior in their organizations in the Kingdom of Bahrain and whether an ethical work environment is influenced by factors such as the establishment of a code of behavior, corporate ethics committee, and/or policy empowerment. The paper is interpretive in nature for which data is collected using survey questionnaires. The findings validate components of an effective code of behavior similar to those identified in the literature which include: implementation of codes of behavior, checking on compliance by internal audit committees, achievement of their goals, follow-up on complaints and confidential channels for reporting ethics violations. Also, results show that the organizations under study generally comply with the values in their codes of behavior. However, the results indicate that the ethical work environment as it currently exists in the Kingdom of Bahrain lacks three aspects. First, setting of a code of behavior seems to be a mixed responsibility between legal departments and outside councils, with minimal participation from the employees. Second, the responsibility to check ethics complaints does not necessarily rest with the ethics committee. Third, lack of a robust mechanism that increases accountants’ and financiers’ awareness of the importance of COE. 