bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching Heuristic Methods to Industrial Engineers: A Problem-Based Experience
Authors: Muñuzuri Jesús , Cortés Pablo , Grosso Rafael , Onieva Luis
Published: February 2016

Because of its mathematical and computational components, operations research (OR) is not simple to teach or to learn, despite its innumerable industry applications. However, advanced OR is included in many graduate degrees related to industrial engineering, where students need these techniques to solve complex optimization problems. Faced with the problem of teaching heuristic methods to master’s students at the University of Seville, we developed a problem-based approach whereby instead of listening to lectures and taking exams on these techniques, one algorithmic technique is randomly assigned to each student, who must apply it to solving a certain optimization problem. Here we discuss our approach to putting our heuristics course into practice, the problems we faced, how we addressed those problems, the positive results obtained, and the lessons learned.
Fake It Till You Make It: Reputation, Competition, and Yelp Review Fraud
Authors: Luca Michael , Zervas Georgios
Published: February 2016

Consumer reviews are now part of everyday decision making. Yet the credibility of these reviews is fundamentally undermined when businesses commit review fraud, creating fake reviews for themselves or their competitors. We investigate the economic incentives to commit review fraud on the popular review platform Yelp, using two complementary approaches and data sets. We begin by analyzing restaurant reviews that are identified by Yelp’s filtering algorithm as suspicious, or fake—and treat these as a proxy for review fraud (an assumption we provide evidence for). We present four main findings. First, roughly 16% of restaurant reviews on Yelp are filtered. These reviews tend to be more extreme (favorable or unfavorable) than other reviews, and the prevalence of suspicious reviews has grown significantly over time. Second, a restaurant is more likely to commit review fraud when its reputation is weak, i.e., when it has few reviews or it has recently received bad reviews. Third, chain restaurants—which benefit less from Yelp—are also less likely to commit review fraud. Fourth, when restaurants face increased competition, they become more likely to receive unfavorable fake reviews. Using a separate data set, we analyze businesses that were caught soliciting fake reviews through a sting conducted by Yelp. These data support our main results and shed further light on the economic incentives behind a business’s decision to leave fake reviews.

This paper was accepted by Lorin Hitt, information systems.
Corporate Postretirement Benefit Plans and Real Investment
Authors: Bartram Söhnke M.
Published: February 2016

This paper shows that the real investment by nonfinancial firms is systematically related to the size of their defined-benefit plan. In particular, these plans allow research and development (R&D)-intensive firms to retain and borrow from their employees, which is attractive since they have high adjustment costs, require a stable cash flow, have less collateral, have assets that are harder to value, and have high asymmetric information and agency costs. By contrast, capital expenditures benefit from credit multiplier effects with regard to regular debt, which substitutes for postretirement obligations. As a result, firms with defined-benefit plans have 12% more R&D and 5% less capital expenditure compared with otherwise similar firms, and they vary contributions as a function of cash flow and real investment. The role of postretirement plans is attenuated in countries with available alternative funding sources. The results are robust to controlling for other dimensions of financial policy—cash holdings, debt maturity, dividends, preferred stock, convertible debt, and leverage—that also affect real investment.

This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.
Sequential Sensor Installation for Wiener Disorder Detection
Authors: Dayanik Savas , Sezer Semih O.
Published: February 2016

We consider a centralized multisensor online quickest disorder detection problem where the observation from each sensor is a Wiener process gaining a constant drift at a common unobservable disorder time. The objective is to detect the disorder time as quickly as possible with small probability of false alarms. Unlike the earlier work on multisensor change detection problems, we assume that the observer can apply a sequential sensor installation policy. At any time before a disorder alarm is raised, the observer can install new sensors to collect additional signals. The sensors are statistically identical, and there is a fixed installation cost per sensor. We propose a Bayesian formulation of the problem. We identify an optimal policy consisting of a sequential sensor installation strategy and an alarm time, which minimize a linear Bayes risk of detection delay, false alarm, and new sensor installations. We also provide a numerical algorithm and illustrate it on examples. Our numerical examples show that significant reduction in the Bayes risk can be attained compared to the case where we apply a static sensor policy only. In some examples, the optimal sequential sensor installation policy starts with 30% less number of sensors than the optimal static sensor installation policy and the total percentage savings reach to 12%.
Allocating Emissions Among Co-Products: Implications for Procurement and Climate Policy
Authors: Sunar Nur , Plambeck Erica
Published: February 2016

Co-production (simultaneous production of multiple outputs) occurs in some emission-intensive basic material and agricultural industries. This paper is motivated by ones in which a supplier sells its primary product to a buyer that incurs an emissions cost (voluntarily, or due to government-imposed climate policy) and sells co-products into markets without emissions costs. Emission-accounting standards provide three candidate rules for allocating the supplier’s emissions among its products. This paper shows that under the value-based allocation, imposing an emissions tax on the primary product can increase emissions, by motivating the supplier to lower the price and sell a larger quantity. In contrast, with the socially optimal choice of allocation rule characterized in this paper, imposing the emissions tax on the primary product can greatly reduce emissions and increase welfare. In the absence of climate policy, under value-based allocation, a buyer might achieve greater profit by paying to offset its supply chain emissions. That can motivate supplier innovation to reduce its production cost. In numerical examples, considering the rare earth cerium oxide (co-produced with iron) and palm oil (co-produced with palm meal), the choice of allocation rule has a large impact on emissions, a buyer’s profit, and social welfare.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy: a clinical review for nurses
Authors: O'Donovan Kate
Published: February 2016

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of heart failure occurring within the last month of pregnancy and in the post-partum period. The pathophysiology is poorly understood and may be multi-factorial. Abnormal prolactin secretion, the presence of myocarditis, an autoimmune component, and nutritional causes are several potential aetiologies. Very little is known about its true prevalence as most data are derived from single-centre case series. The diagnosis is one of exclusion of other causes of symptoms, with echocardiography possessing an integral role in the diagnostic process ( Sliwa et al, 2010 ). Treatment is similar to that of other forms of heart failure, albeit with exclusion of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone inhibition in the pre-partum period. The clinical course is highly variable ranging from full recovery of left ventricular function to refractory heart failure resulting in the need for mechanical support and/or cardiac transplantation. Holistic nursing care involves early recognition of symptoms, haemodynamic instability and evaluation of the therapies administered. Care of the foetus needs to be addressed with foetal monitoring and an established birthing plan. Education regarding selfcare and counselling regarding future pregnancy and family planning is an integral component of nursing care. Follow-up with periodic echocardiography is essential in detecting improvement or persistent left ventricular dysfunction. There is a paucity of data and empirical evidence regarding this condition and the establishment of the EURObservational registry ( Sliwa et al, 2014 ) serves to increase knowledge and awareness of PPCM.
Reasons to be cheerful? Policy prospects in 2016
Authors: Walshe Kieran
Published: February 2016

Kieran Walshe, Professor of health policy and management at Alliance Manchester Business School asks what lies ahead for the health service in 2016
High tibial osteotomy in knee laxities: Concepts review and results
Authors: Robin Jonathan G. , Neyret Philippe
Published: February 2016

Patients with unstable, malaligned knees often present a challenging management scenario, and careful attention must be paid to the clinical history and examination to determine the priorities of treatment. Isolated knee instability treated with ligament reconstruction and isolated knee malalignment treated with periarticular osteotomy have both been well studied in the past. More recently, the effects of high tibial osteotomy on knee instability have been studied. Lateral closing-wedge high tibial osteotomy tends to reduce the posterior tibial slope, which has a stabilising effect on anterior tibial instability that occurs with ACL deficiency. Medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy tends to increase the posterior tibia slope, which has a stabilising effect in posterior tibial instability that occurs with PCL deficiency. Overall results from recent studies indicate that there is a role for combined ligament reconstruction and periarticular knee osteotomy. The use of high tibial osteotomy has been able to extend the indication for ligament reconstruction which, when combined, may ultimately halt the evolution of arthritis and preserve their natural knee joint for a longer period of time.

Cite this article: Robin JG, Neyret P. High tibial osteotomy in knee laxities: Concepts review and results. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:3-11. doi: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000001.
Individual Colorimetric Observer Model
Authors: Asano Yuta , Fairchild Mark D. , Blondé Laurent
Published: February 2016

This study proposes a vision model for individual colorimetric observers. The proposed model can be beneficial in many color-critical applications such as color grading and soft proofing to assess ranges of color matches instead of a single average match. We extended the CIE 2006 physiological observer by adding eight additional physiological parameters to model individual color-normal observers. These eight parameters control lens pigment density, macular pigment density, optical densities of L-, M-, and S-cone photopigments, and λmax shifts of L-, M-, and S-cone photopigments. By identifying the variability of each physiological parameter, the model can simulate color matching functions among color-normal populations using Monte Carlo simulation. The variabilities of the eight parameters were identified through two steps. In the first step, extensive reviews of past studies were performed for each of the eight physiological parameters. In the second step, the obtained variabilities were scaled to fit a color matching dataset. The model was validated using three different datasets: traditional color matching, applied color matching, and Rayleigh matches.
Journalism education in China: The reality and challenges in the digital era
Authors: Long Yun , Zeng Xin
Published: February 2016

With the rise of digital technologies and the opening-up in society, China’s journalism education has entered a period of fast growth. While the media environment is adapting to the changes, journalism education is still developing in a traditional manner, thus failing to provide up-to-date teaching for students. Meanwhile, because of gaps between academics and professionals, graduates are not appreciated by media industries. On the basis of the background of media development and social reality in China, the article endeavours to elaborate on issues and challenges of Chinese journalism education by revealing the relationship between policy, media and journalism education. The article suggests that the problems in journalism education are caused by the social system rather than by education. Therefore, instead of focusing on issues invited by the new technology, market or the conflict between the academic and professionals, it is more crucial for Chinese journalism education to face the challenge caused by the social system, balancing between policy and professionalism, in order to find a way for journalism education to develop in a Chinese context.
Brotherhood in Dispossession: State Violence and the Ethics of Expectation in Turkey
Authors: Tambar Kabir
Published: February 2016

The category of minority has been constitutive of the concept of the people in Turkey, distilling those who do not belong to the history and destiny of the nation from those who do. Minority, in this sense, is not simply a demographic classification, nor merely a matter of legal recognition. It carries the weight of a historical judgment, which scaffolds political community by delineating which populations, languages, and religions remain beyond the framework of collective obligation and responsibility. This essay examines comments delivered by a pro-Kurdish political party and a largely Kurdish mothers-of-the-disappeared group during Turkey’s Gezi Park protests of 2013. These moments of public address participated in the broader spirit of state critique on display during those demonstrations. They were noteworthy, however, for recasting the Gezi events as a late occurrence in a longer history of state violence, prefigured by a century of dispossession experienced by those who have been classed as minorities or threatened with that designation. The essay asks how these invocations of history enabled interventions into imagined futures. The commentaries were not primarily aimed at repudiating the historical judgment of minority as discriminatory or contrary to law, but instead sought to delocalize the judgment vested in the category of minority, to see in that judgment an increasingly generalized economy of state violence, and to view it as prefiguring a political community to come.
Decomposition as Life Politics: Soils, Selva, and Small Farmers under the Gun of the U.S.–Colombia War on Drugs
Authors: Lyons Kristina Marie
Published: February 2016

How is life in a criminalized ecology in the Andean-Amazonian foothills of southwestern Colombia? In what way does antinarcotics policy that aims to eradicate la mata que mata (the plant that kills) pursue peace through poison? Relatedly, how do people keep on cultivating a garden, caring for forest, or growing food when at any moment a crop-duster plane may pass overhead, indiscriminately spraying herbicides over entire landscapes? Since 2000, the U.S.–Colombian War on Drugs has relied on the militarized aerial fumigation of coca plants, coupled with alternative development interventions that aim to forcibly eradicate illicit livelihoods. Through ethnographic engagement with small farmers in the frontier department of Putumayo, the gateway to the country’s Amazon and a region that has been the focus of counternarcotic operations, this article explores the different possibilities and foreclosures for life and death that emerge in a tropical forest ecology under military duress. By following farmers, their material practices, and their life philosophies, I trace the ways in which human-soil relations come to potentiate forms of resistance to the violence and criminalization produced by militarized, growth-oriented development. Rather than productivity—one of the central elements of modern capitalist growth—the regenerative capacity of these ecologies relies on organic decay, impermanence, decomposition, and even fragility that complicates modernist bifurcations of living and dying, allowing, I argue, for ecological imaginaries and life processes that do not rely on productivity or growth to strive into existence.
Increased expression and secretion of recombinant hIFNγ through amino acid starvation-induced selective pressure on the adjacent HIS4 gene in Pichia pastoris
Authors: Razaghi Ali , Huerlimann Roger , Owens Leigh , Heimann Kirsten
Published: February 2016

Transcriptional co-regulation of adjacent genes has been observed for prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, alike. High levels of gene adjacency were also found in a wide variety of yeast species with a high frequency of co-regulated gene sets. The aim of this research was to study how selective pressure on the Histidinol dehydrogenase gene (HIS4), using amino acid starvation, affects the level of expression and secretion of the adjacent human interferon gamma gene (hIFNγ) in the recombinant Pichia pastoris GS115 strain, a histidine-deficient mutant. hIFNγ was cloned into the pPIC9 vector adjacent to the HIS4 gene, a gene essential for histidine biosynthesis, which was then transformed into P. pastoris. The transformed P. pastoris was cultured under continuous amino acid starvation in amino acid-free minimal medium for ten days, with five inoculations into unspent medium every second day. Under these conditions, only successfully transformed cells (hIFNγ -HIS4+) are able to synthesise histidine and therefore thrive. As shown by ELISA, amino acid starvation-induced selective pressure on HIS4 improved expression and secretion of the adjacent hIFNγ by 55% compared to unchallenged cells. RT-qPCR showed that there was also a positive correlation between duration of amino acid starvation and increased levels of the hIFNγ RNA transcripts. According to these results, it is suggested that these adjacent genes (hIFNγ and HIS4) in the transformed P. pastoris are transcriptionally co-regulated and their expression is synchronised. To the best of the knowledge of the authors; this is the first study demonstrating that amino acid starvationinduced selective pressure on HIS4 can alter the regulation pattern of adjacent genes in P. pastoris.
Determination of Omega-3/Omega-6 Ratio in Swine Brain Homogenate as an Animal Model for Human Nervous Tissue
Authors: Tero-Vescan Amelia , Osz Bianca-Eugenia , Vari Camil-Eugen , Imre Silvia , Hancu Gabriel
Published: February 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine the omega-3/omega-6 ratio in swine brain homogenate by HPLC with UV detection and to discuss the values obtained by comparison to the human species. Materials and methods: Determinations were performed by HPLC method using as mobile phase an isocratic mixture (A:B - 5:95) of mobile phase A = 25% acetonitrile in water and B = acetonitrile with a flow-rate of 1.2 mL/min and UV detection at 205nm. Chromatographic column: Phenomenex C8 150x4.6 mm 5μm. 50 g swine brain was hydrolyzed with 100 mL 0.5N HCl, the organic phase was extracted in 50 mL hexane, concentrated by evaporation and resumed in 200 μL acetonitrile. Results: Polyunsaturated fatty acids were separated as follows arachidonic acid (AA) - Rt = 2.69 min, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - Rt = 3.12 min and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) - Rt = 3.97 min. The following omega-3/omega-6 ratios were calculated (DHA + EPA)/ AA = 0.572 ± 0.451, EPA/AA = 0.027 ± 0.015 and DHA/AA = 0.689 ± 0.612. Conclusions: The values obtained for these ratios should be balanced, but in reality they are in favor of the ratio denominator. Considering the physiological and nutritional similarities and that an accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease is set in post-mortem, swine brain homogenate could serve as an animal model for human nervous tissue.
Internal Structure Quality Control of Solid Pharmaceuticals. A Comparative Study
Authors: Imre Silvia , Haidu Timea , Ponta Oana , Vancea Szende , Vari Camil-Eugen , Tero-Vescan Amelia
Published: February 2016

Objective: The aim of the study was a comparative investigation by spectral and thermal analysis in order to asses a number of characteristics of different varieties ofrawmaterials of ursodeoxycholic acid and ibuprofen. The different dissolution behavior of two ursodeoxycholic acid pharmaceutical product by crystallinity pattern was investigated. Methods: Raw materials of ursodeoxycholic acid and ibuprofen were used. IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-Ray Diffraction Analysis were applied. Results: The results show no crystallinitydifferences for different batches of the tested drugs. No solid solid transition was proved during sample preparation for transmission IR analysis. Conclusions: A combination of two more affordabletests by IR spectrometry and differential scanning calorimetry lead to the same results as X-Ray diffraction analysis for crystallinity similarity assessment of the studied substances. The dissolution differences of test drugs were not related to the polymorphism of the raw materials.
Snake Venom Metalloproteinases
Authors: Gâz Florea Şerban Andrei , Gâz Florea Adriana , Kelemen Hajnal , Muntean Daniela-Lucia
Published: February 2016

As more data are generated from proteome and transcriptome analysis revealing that metalloproteinases represent most of the Viperid and Colubrid venom components authors decided to describe in a short review a classification and some of the multiple activities of snake venom metalloproteinases. SVMPs are classified in three major classes (P-I, P-II and P-III classes) based on the presence of various domain structures and according to their domain organization. Furthermore, P-II and P-III classes were separated in subclasses based on distinctive post-translational modifications. SVMPs are synthesized in a latent form, being activated through a Cys-switch mechanism similar to matrix metalloproteinases. Most of the metalloproteinases of the snake venom are responsible for the hemorrhagic events but also have fibrinogenolytic activity, poses apoptotic activity, activate blood coagulation factor II and X, inhibit platelet aggregation, demonstrating that SVMPs have multiple functions in addition to well-known hemorrhagic function.
Diagnosis and Treatment Algorythm in Lyme Neuroborreliosis
Authors: Țilea Brîndușa , Bălașa Rodica , Fodor Andrea , Ioan Țilea
Published: February 2016

Lyme neuroborreliosis is an infection of the nervous system caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensulato group. Neurological clinical manifestations usually present a steady evolution and are different in patients from Europe compared to those from America, possibly due to vector agents and different bacterial species. Various diagnostic markers were studied in consideration of a clear or possible diagnosis of the disease, because evolution and complications depend on early diagnosis and initiation of therapy. The isolation of the bacterium is difficult, microscopic examination and the bacterial dezoxiribonucleic acid amplification shows low sensitivity. However, the diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis is mainly based on serological methods that have a satisfactory sensitivity and specificity. A correct diagnosis can be performed by strictly respecting clinical guidelines and protocols and carefully interpreting the serological tests. The presence of anti-borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid with evidence of intrathecal antibody production is the gold standard diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis. Early administration of antibiotic treatment (third generation cephalosporins, cyclins, aminopenicillins) can produce the remission of neurological symptoms, the eradication of spirochetes in acute phase of the disease, thus avoiding the development of the chronic disease.
Unified theory for certain generalized types of closed sets and some separation axioms
Authors: Roy Bishwambhar
Published: February 2016

In this paper the notion of μνg-closed sets and certain characterizations of such sets have been given. As an application of μνg-closed sets, the notion of (μ, ν)-regular spaces and (μ, ν)-normal spaces have been introduced and some characterizations of such spaces are also given.
On certain upper bounds for the sum of divisors function σ(n)
Authors: Sándor József , Kovács Lehel István
Published: February 2016

Upper bounds for σ(n) are provided in terms of other arithmetic functions as ϕ(n), d(n), ψ(n), P(n), etc. Comparision of older results are given, too.
Properties of certain class of analytic functions with varying arguments defined by Ruscheweyh derivative
Authors: Páll-Szabó Ágnes Orsolya , Engel Olga
Published: February 2016

In the paper are studied the properties of the image of a class of analytic functions defined by the Ruscheweyh derivative trough the Bernardi operator.
The Effects of Unemployment on Fertility: Evidence from England
Authors: Aksoy Cevat Giray
Published: February 2016

This paper reinvestigates the causal effects of local unemployment on fertility. It argues that contradicting results in the existing empirical research may have arisen due to a neglect of sub-demographic differences and failure to recognize endogeneity. It hypothesizes that male and female unemployment will have different impacts on fertility across subgroups of the population. Drawing on the UK Labor Force Survey and the Birth Statistics data from the Office for National Statistics, the results of this study suggest that female unemployment tends to increase births, whereas male unemployment has the opposite effect. More importantly, the reported results indicate the unemployment and fertility relation exhibits strong variation across demographic subgroups. Lastly, a persistent countercyclical fertility pattern is also documented at the county level.
How do English translations differ from non-translated English writings? A multi-feature statistical model for linguistic variation analysis
Authors: Hu Xianyao , Xiao Richard , Hardie Andrew
Published: February 2016

This paper discusses the debatable hypotheses of “Translation Universals”, i. e. the recurring common features of translated texts in relation to original utterances. We propose that, if translational language does have some distinctive linguistic features in contrast to non-translated writings in the same language, those differences should be statistically significant, consistently distributed and systematically co-occurring across registers and genres. Based on the balanced Corpus of Translational English (COTE) and its non-translated English counterpart, the Freiburg-LOB corpus of British English (FLOB), and by deploying a multi-feature statistical analysis on 96 lexical, syntactic and textual features, we try to pinpoint those distinctive features in translated English texts. We also propose that the stylo-statistical model developed in this study will be effective not only in analysing the translational variation of English but also be capable of clustering those variational features into a “translational” dimension which will facilitate a crosslinguistic comparison of translational languages (e. g. translational Chinese) to test the Translation Universals hypotheses.
‘Mind your Local Accent’ Does accent training resonate to college students’ English use?
Authors: Fang Fan (Gabriel)
Published: February 2016

The recent development of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has encouraged language policy makers and educators to view the English language and ELT from an alternative but critical perspective that challenges some language ideologies, such as standard language and linguistic imperialism. Current ELT practices seem to neglect the trend towards the development of the global status of English. In addition, ELT is still largely native-oriented and less ELF-oriented. A Chinese university is the context of this case study. From an ELF perspective, this paper addresses some ELT issues, particularly with regard to teaching pronunciation, through the analysis of two documents and a discussion of the student participants’ interview comments. It is argued that current pronunciation teaching is still native-oriented and based on the English as a foreign language (EFL) perspective. The ELF concept is emergent and has not been fully recognised. This paper proposes a teaching approach called Teaching of Pronunciation for Intercultural Communication (ToPIC), which suggests ELF-informed pronunciation teaching strategies for intercultural communication in relation to students’ wider language-use goals in the conclusion.
The Taxonomy of Legal Systems under Effect of Globalization: Classification of China and the United States
Authors: Müller Lukas Frederik
Published: February 2016

This article examines the scope and nature of current global legal transformations as a result of economic globalization. It takes the idea that legal systems are already by nature highly impacted by economical, political, and societal developments as a starting point and continues to discuss in particular the legal consequences of economic global assimilation and the widespread decline of state sovereignty. Following these ideas, the article discusses how the current substantial legal transformations will affect the comparative method of classifying the legal systems of the world and suggests a modern, unbiased, and flexible model of taxonomy that is suitable to display the ongoing economic and legal globalization trends beyond Euro-American centrism. On the basis of this model of taxonomy, this article considers the classification of the United States and Chinese legal system and evaluates the historic factors that have formed them. In particular, special emphasis is directed towards the impact of professional, political, and traditional social norms and the degree of state sovereignty for each that led to the development of their respective legal systems today.
Developing Eastern Germany: The Effects of Economics Promotion in the Eastern German States after Reunification
Authors: Kölling Arnd
Published: February 2016

This study investigates the impact of public funding on the performance of establishments in Eastern Germany. Using data from the German Institute for Employment Research (IAB) Establishment Panel from 1996 through 2012, the effect of economic promotion in the eastern part of Germany is studied on a number of indicators that provide insight into the topic. For this purpose, conditional difference-in-differences estimators were derived using a propensity score matching approach. Treated establishments in the area of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) invested more, had a higher value added and requested more labour than untreated firms when the amount of public funding is considered. However, on average, establishments with a history of previous investments also receive more funding than establishments that do not receive promotion. Also, some of the results are not permanent, such as the share of investment. Other effects of economic promotion in Germany include increases in wages, but these effects are rather small when compared to the size of the economic promotion. In addition, outcome for firms’ productivity is always insignificant and close to zero.
Predictors Of Mortality In Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction And Resuscitated Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Bărcan Andreea , Chițu Monica , Benedek Edvin , Rat Nora , Korodi Szilamer , Morariu Mirabela , Kovacs Istvan
Published: February 2016

Introduction: In patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) complicating an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the survival depends largely on the restoration of coronary flow in the infarct related artery. The aim of this study was to determine clinical and angiographic predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with OHCA and STEMI, successfully resuscitated and undergoing primary percutaneous intervention (PCI).

Methods: From January 2013 to July 2015, 78 patients with STEMI presenting OHCA, successfully resuscitated, transferred immediately to the catheterization unit and treated with primary PCI, were analyzed. Clinical, laboratory and angiographic data were compared in 28 non-survivors and 50 survivors.

Results: The clinical baseline characteristics of the study population showed no significant differences between the survivors and non-survivors in respect to age (p=0.06), gender (p=0.8), the presence of hypertension (p=0.4), dyslipidemia (p=0.09) obesity (p=1), smoking status (p=0.2), presence of diabetes (p=0.2), a clinical history of acute myocardial infarction (p=0.7) or stroke (p=0.17). Compared to survivors, the non-survivor group exhibited a significantly higher incidence of cardiogenic shock (50% vs 24%, p=0.02), renal failure (64.3% vs 30.0%, p=0.004) and anaemia (35.7% vs 12.0%, p=0.02). Three-vessel disease was significantly higher in the non-survivor group (42.8% vs. 20.0%, p=0.03), while there was a significantly higher percentage of TIMI 3 flow postPCI in the infarct-related artery in the survivor group (80.% vs. 57.1%, p=0.03). The time from the onset of symptoms to revascularization was significantly higher in patients who died compared to those who survived (387.5 +/- 211.3 minutes vs 300.8 +/- 166.1 minutes, p=0.04), as was the time from the onset of cardiac arrest to revascularization (103.0 +/- 56.34 minutes vs 67.0 +/- 44.4 minutes, p=0.002). Multivariate analysis identified the presence of cardiogenic shock (odds ratio [OR]: 3.17, p=0.02), multivessel disease (OR: 3.0, p=0.03), renal failure (OR: 4.2, p=0.004), anaemia (OR: 4.07, p=0.02), need for mechanical ventilation >48 hours (OR: 8.07, p=0.0002) and a duration of stay in the ICU longer than 5 days (OR: 9.96, p=0.0002) as the most significant independent predictors for mortality in patients with OHCA and STEMI.

Conclusion: In patients surviving an OHCA in the early phase of a myocardial infarction, the presence of cardiogenic shock, renal failure, anaemia or multivessel disease, as well as a longer time from the onset of symptoms or of cardiac arrest to revascularization, are independent predictors of mortality. However, the most powerful predictor of death is the duration of stay in the ICU and the requirement of mechanical ventilation for more than forty-eight hours.
The literature of the Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – characteristics of the Tatar writings and areas of research
Authors: Lewicka Magdalena
Published: February 2016

The literature of the Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania constitutes the most important and richest part of their cultural heritage, as well as a lasting trace of Tatar settlements in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The literature that flourished during the spiritual revival of the Renaissance and Reformation somewhere in the seemingly God-forsaken, remote Eastern Borderlands has not been forgotten; on the contrary, it has been recognised as a unique phenomenon of great spiritual, literary and cultural value. This phenomenon manifests itself in the extraordinary combination of the Oriental Islamic culture and Christian culture, two components that appear to be mutually exclusive but are in fact in perfect harmony with each other, both in the life of society and in the literary works of Polish-Lithuanian Tatars.

The paper is dedicated to literary manuscripts of the Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, including their genesis at the background of the Tatar settlement in the territory of the Republic of Poland, characteristic features and typology of the manuscripts on the basis of the criteria of form and content. Furthermore, the author discusses the research areas, beginning with the description of the state of research on Tatar manuscripts from the point of view, through the characteristics of the current research on this matter, as well as reporting the institutions running and coordinating the interdisciplinary and international activities within the scope of the research, editing and popularization of the issues connected with the kitabistics.
Retrospective Investigation on the Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension in Dogs with Bronchial and Upper Respiratory Diseases
Authors: Locatelli Chiara , Montrasio Daniela , Spalla Ilaria , Riscazzi Giulia , Gobbetti Matteo , Savarese Alice , Romussi Stefano , Brambilla Paola G.
Published: February 2016

Bronchial and upper respiratory diseases have been associated with hypoxia and subsequent development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, there are no known studies assessing the prevalence of PAH in dogs with these conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of PAH in dogs with bronchial and upper respiratory diseases. Medical records of dogs with confirmed diagnosis (by endoscopic examination) of bronchial and/or upper respiratory diseases referred for cardiovascular investigation (January 2009 - May 2013) were retrospectively reviewed. Diagnosis of PAH was made by echocardiography (tricuspid regurgitation > 2.8 m/s and/or pulmonic regurgitation > 2.2 m/s); possible PAH was diagnosed when two or more specific echocardiographic findings were present. 52 dogs (30 with upper respiratory diseases, 17 with bronchial disease and 5 with both) were included. Diagnosis of PAH was performed in 3 dogs (5.7%). Two dogs were considered as probably affected by PAH; a total of 5 dogs (9.4%) resulted in being affected or probably affected by PAH. Our study shows that the prevalence of PAH in dogs with bronchial and/or upper respiratory diseases is low; PAH seems to occur mostly in older dogs and/or with very advanced disease: echocardiography may therefore be a useful tool in this category of patients.
Fast and accurate methodology for direct mercury determination in hair and nails
Authors: Vicent A. , Cervera M.L. , Morales-Rubio A.
Published: February 2016

A solvent-free, easy, fast and waste-free methodology was developed for the determination of total mercury levels in hair and nails. Samples were taken from several volunteers and directly analysed, with levels of mercury in the range between 0.5 and 8 ng/mg. The influence of quantity of hair, as well as the addition of small amount of solvent and the necessity of previous treatment were studied. Also, a history of mercury exposure was provided by the distance of the hair from the scalp of each volunteer, the results of which were correlated with fish consumption. Furthermore, a short study of mercury in nails was carried out and correlated to the results from hair mercury levels. A small quantity of 5 mg of hair with an addition of 50 μL of water to the sample without previous treatment was adequate to get a representative result in less than 10 minutes. The accuracy of the proposed method was confirmed by analysing certified reference materials including Coal Fly Ash-NIST SRM 1633b, Fucus-IAEA 140 and three unpolished Rice Flour NIES-10. The observed results were found to be in good agreement with the certified values.
Innovation und Organisation: Drei Thesen zum Passungsverhältnis zweier Formen der Moderne
Authors: Besio Cristina , Jungmann Robert J.
Published: February 2016

Dass Innovation und Organisation eng miteinander verbunden sind, wird sowohl in der Innovations-, wie in der Organisationsforschung umfangreich diskutiert. Einerseits wird die zentrale Rolle von Organisationen in Innovationsprozessen und andererseits die Relevanz der Innovation für die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von Organisationen betont. Obwohl ihre Passung immer wieder aufgezeigt wird, fehlt es bis dato an Ansätzen, die diese überzeugend erklären. Ein vielversprechender Ausgangspunkt ist u. E., sowohl Organisation als auch Innovation als spezifisch moderne Formen aufzufassen. Hiervon ausgehend diskutiert der Text das Wechselspiel zwischen Innovation und Organisation aus Perspektive der Gesellschaftstheorie Niklas Luhmanns neu. Dabei gerät die spezifische Passung zwischen absichtsvoller Neuheit und den Entscheidungsdynamiken der Organisation in den Blick. Insbesondere wird es möglich zu erklären, welche Eigenschaften Organisationen zu privilegierten Orten der Innovation machen. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass Organisationen in dreifacher Hinsicht in Innovationsprozessen wirksam sind: sie können durch Entscheidungen reflexiv die Bedingungen für eine gesteigerte Produktion sowie eine erfolgreiche Selektion und Stabilisierung des Neuen schaffen.
Verbundbezogenes Eigenkapital für Kreditgenossenschaften
Authors: Hofinger Hans , Blisse Holger
Published: February 2016

Sollte der Eigenkapitalbedarf der kreditgenossenschaftlichen Verbundorganisationen in Europa in Zukunft noch weiter steigen, so werden Vorschläge zur Eigenkapitalbildung in der genossenschaftlichen Rechtsform ein Dauerthema bleiben. Längst haben die großen Verbundgruppen auch für die Aufnahme von Eigenkapital den Kapitalmarkt entdeckt und es sind bereits einzelne Zentral- bzw. Spezialinstitute als Aktiengesellschaft z. B. in Finnland, Frankreich und Österreich börsennotiert. Dass es zu einem Börsengang auch andere eigentümer-, insbesondere mitgliederorientierte Alternativen gibt, wird am Beispiel der österreichischen Volksbank Gruppe sowie einem Vorschlag für die deutschen Kreditgenossenschaften verdeutlicht.
Die Struktur der SCE und ihre Anwendungsmöglichkeiten im italienischen und österreichischen Recht
Authors: Miribung Georg
Published: February 2016

Die Societas Cooperativa Europaea (SCE) ist eine neue Gesellschaftsform, die dem Rechtsanwender seit dem 18. August 2006 zur Verfügung steht. Neben einer Generalversammlung sind als Verwaltungsorgane entweder ein Aufsichts- und ein Leitungsorgan (dualistisches System) oder ein Verwaltungsorgan (monistisches System) zu wählen, wobei ergänzend einschlägiges nationales Recht zur Anwendung kommt. Dieser Beitrag beleuchtet die entsprechenden nationalen Normen, welche die Verwaltungsstrukturen einer SCE italienischer bzw. österreichischer Prägung bestimmen.
Die Staatsaufsicht über die genossenschaftlichen Prüfungsverbände – Relikt der Vergangenheit oder System mit Zukunft?
Authors: Esser Ingeborg , Keßler Jürgen
Published: February 2016

Die Staatsaufsicht über die Prüfungsverbände sowie die Qualitätskontrolle erfüllen divergierende Zwecke. Ist es einerseits um die Qualität der Abschlussprüfung zu tun, so ist die Staatsaufsicht unverzichtbarer Bestandteil des Systems der genossenschaftlichen Pflichtprüfung. Diese Aufgabentrennung ist verfassungs- und europarechtlich geboten.
Die Reform der genossenschaftlichen Pflichtprüfung bei Kleinunternehmen
Authors: Keßler Jürgen , Kühnberger Manfred
Published: February 2016

Die am 18. August 2006 in Kraft getretene Genossenschaftsreform1 hat kleine Genossenschaften von der bisher obligatorischen Prüfung des Jahresabschlusses befreit. Ziel des Gesetzgebers war es, zu einer deutlichen Kostenentlastung hinsichtlich der Prüfungskosten beizutragen. Der Erfolg der Reform erscheint fraglich, bestehen doch die Kreditgeber regelmäßig auf der Vorlage eines geprüften Jahresabschlusses. Wenn schon eine Revision angebracht ist – wofür wenig spricht –, so hätte es sich nach Ansicht der Autoren empfohlen, künftig auf die Geschäftsführungsprüfung zu verzichten.
Risikogerechte Gestaltung der Corporate Governance: auch ein Thema für Primärgenossenschaften
Authors: Zieger Thomas
Published: February 2016

Corporate Governance ist bei Genossenschaften zwingend vor dem Hintergrund der Rechtsformspezifika zu diskutieren. Verstanden als risikogerechte Organisation der Unternehmensleitung und -kontrolle, umfasst die Gestaltung der „Cooperative Governance“ die Analyse, Handhabung sowie Kontrolle und Kommunikation der im genossenschaftlichen Managementsystem liegenden Risiken vor dem Hintergrund einer ex ante festzulegenden Risikozielstruktur. Diese idealisierten Schritte werden im vorliegenden Beitrag erläutert.
Anfechtungsrechte einfacher Mitglieder der Kreditgenossenschaft
Authors: Olfen Michael , Pannier Stefan
Published: February 2016

Kann ein einfaches Genossenschaftsmitglied Beschlüsse der Vertreterversammlung an- fechten, obwohl es nicht zum Vertreter einer Vertreterversammlung gewählt wurde?Und besteht eine Klagebefugnis eines Mitglieds bei Wahlen zum Aufsichtsrat, an der es selbst teilgenommen hat? Mit diesen beiden Fragen zum genossenschaftlichen Anfechtungsrecht setzt sich der vorliegende Artikel anhand einer soweit ersichtlich erstmalig ergangenen obergerichtlichen Entscheidung auseinander. Dabei wild auch die Möglichkeit der Heilbarkeit nach § 242 Abs. 2 AktG von den Verfassern aufgegriffen.
Garantiegenossenschaften als wirtschaftspolitisches Instrument zur Konjunkturbelebung in Italien
Authors: Kiesswetter Oscar
Published: February 2016

Der Autor analysiert die Bedeutung der Garantiegenossenschaften bei der Beschaffung von Bankkrediten für ihre Mitgliedsunternehmen. Nach dem Kommentar der vom Gesetzgeber und der Bankenaufsichtsbehörde erlassenen Bestimmungen zur Neuordnung der Garantiegenossenschaften, wird ihre Rolle bei der Umsetzung der Maßnahmenpakete zur Konjunkturbelebung und zur Überwindung der verringerten Kreditbereitschaft der Banken in Folge der Finanzkrise erörtert.abzufassen.
Generationengerechtigkeit und Rentenreform am Beispiel der Rentenanpassungsformel
Authors: Lechevalier Arnaud
Published: February 2016

Die Debatte über die Rentenreform in Deutschland steht seit mehreren Jahren im Zeichen der Generationengerechtigkeit. Dabei spielt die Rentenanpassungsformel eine entscheidende Rolle für die langfristige finanzielle Lage der gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung sowie für die Lastenverteilung zwischen den Generationen. Aufgrund eines „kommutativen“ Ansatzes der Generationengerechtigkeit und angesichts der höheren Rendite, die der privaten kapitalgedeckten Altersvorsorge zugeschrieben wird, ist die betriebene Rentenanpassungspolitik so konzipiert worden, dass nur eine Senkung des Rentenniveaus innerhalb der Gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung (GRV) einen Beitrag zur Generationengerechtigkeit zu leisten vermag. Hauptanliegen dieses Artikels ist es, die Grundlage und die Auswirkungen dieser in Deutschland vorherrschenden These zu prüfen und ein alternatives Verständnis der Generationengerechtigkeit und ihrer Folgen für die Rentenanpassungspolitik vorzustellen.
Krise des Normalarbeitsverhältnisses – ein Umbauprogramm
Authors: Ulrich Mückenberger
Published: February 2016

Vor genau 25 Jahren wurde in der Zeitschrift für Sozialreform Ulrich Mückenbergers Beitrag „Die Krise des Normalarbeitsverhältnisses“ veröffentlicht (ZSR 31: 415–475). Die folgenden Beiträge nehmen eine Neubewertung dieses Aufsatzes vor. Sie sind darin einig, dass, was damals prognostiziert wurde – ein zunehmender Flickenteppich deregulierter flexibler Arbeitsgestaltungen –, weithin Wirklichkeit geworden ist, dass aber die gestaltenden Akteure (einschließlich der europäischen Gewerkschaften) keine wirksamen Lösungskonzepte entwickeln und durchsetzen konnten. Kontrovers ist die Bewertung der Folgerungen: Mal werden Notwendigkeit und Möglichkeit eines erweiterten Schutzes auf Basis der bestehenden Arbeitsbeziehungen betont (Jongerius, Dörre), mal stärker der grundsätzliche Umbau in den Arbeits- und Geschlechterbeziehungen eingefordert (Mückenberger, Boulin, Jepsen, Jürgens).
Der religiöse Faktor in der Familienpolitik
Authors: Stadelmann-Steffen Isabelle , Traunmüller Richard
Published: February 2016

In unserem Beitrag untersuchen wir die Rolle der Religion für die Ausgestaltung der Familienpolitik. Während die „klassische“ Staatstätigkeitsforschung den Einfluss von Religion vornehmlich auf die Stärke christdemokeratischer Parteien oder auf generelle kulturelle Ländermuster zurückführt, betonen „neuere“ Ansätze der Wohlfahrtsstaatforschung die Bedeutung religiöser Werte in der Bevölkerung, die Ausgestaltung des Staat-Kirche-Verhältnisses sowie die historische Rolle verschiedener Strömungen des Protestantismus für die Entwicklung und Ausgestaltung von Wohlfahrtsstaatlichkeit. Unser Beitrag kontrastiert die beiden Forschungsstränge im Rahmen eines systematischen quantitativen Vergleichs von 27 OECD-Staaten und evaluiert die relative Erklärungskraft der klassischen und neueren theoretischen Argumente, um auf diese Weise zu einem differenzierteren 'Verständnis des Zusammenhangs von Religion und öffentlicher Familienpolitik. zu gelangen.