bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of brand equity and face saving in Chinese luxury consumption
Authors: Siu Noel Yee-Man , Kwan Ho Yan , Zeng Celeste Yunru
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of brand equity on Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes toward luxury brands and their behavioral intentions by applying the cognitive-affective model. The interaction effect between face saving and consumer’s affective attitude on luxury consumption is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

A field survey was conducted using a sample of 248 luxury consumers in three Chinese cities.

Findings

Brand equity was found positively to predict Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes and their willingness to pay a premium price for a luxury brand. Moreover, consumers who highly value face saving were found to be more willing to pay a premium price, even though they hold a less positive attitude toward the brand.

Research limitations/implications

The use of cross-sectional survey data with young Chinese consumers in first-tier cities may limit the generalizability of the findings as well as precluding the making of causal inferences.

Practical implications

Global luxury marketers who plan to enter the China market can utilize marketing strategies to create prestigious value and appeal to consumers who seek for social approval and status.

Originality/value

Previous published studies of brand equity and luxury consumption have primarily emphasized Western markets. These findings advance our understanding of luxury purchase intention among young Chinese consumers, for whom the need for social acceptance acts as a crucial motivator in luxury consumption. The results contribute to amplifying the brand equity concept by taking cultural context into consideration.
Field‐based experimental acidification alters fouling community structure and reduces diversity
Authors: Brown Norah E. M. , Therriault Thomas W. , Harley Christopher D. G.
Published: June 2016

Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are affecting ocean chemistry, leading to increased acidification (i.e. decreased pH) and reductions in calcium carbonate saturation state.

Many species are likely to respond to acidification, but the direction and magnitude of these responses will be based on interspecific and ontogenetic variation in physiology and the relative importance of calcification. Differential responses to ocean acidification (OA) among species will likely result in important changes in community structure and diversity.

To characterize the potential impacts of OA on community composition and structure, we examined the response of a marine fouling community to experimental CO2 enrichment in field‐deployed flow‐through mesocosm systems.

Acidification significantly altered the community structure by altering the relative abundance of species and reduced community variability, resulting in more homogenous biofouling communities from one experimental tile to the next both among and within the acidified mesocosms. Mussel (Mytilus trossulus) recruitment was reduced by over 30% in the elevated CO2 treatment compared to the ambient treatment by the end of the experiment. Strong differences in mussel cover (up to 40% lower in acidified conditions) developed over the second half of the 10‐week experiment. Acidification did not appear to affect the mussel growth, as average mussel sizes were similar between treatments at the end of the experiment. Hydroid (Obelia dichotoma) cover was significantly reduced in the elevated CO2 treatment after 8 weeks. Conversely, the percentage cover of bryozoan colonies (Mebranipora membranacea) was higher under acidified conditions with differences becoming apparent after 6 weeks. Neither recruitment nor final size of barnacles (Balanus crenatus) was affected by acidification. By the end of the experiment, diversity was 41% lower in the acidified treatment relative to ambient conditions.

Overall, our findings support the general expectation that OA will simplify marine communities by acting on important ecological processes that ultimately determine the community structure and diversity.
Can human rights standards help protect children and youth from the detrimental impact of alcohol beverage marketing and promotional activities?
Authors: Chapman Audrey R.
Published: June 2016

Background and aims

The alcohol industry in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region promotes demand for alcohol products actively through a number of channels, including advertising and sponsorship of sports and other events. This paper evaluates whether human rights instruments that Latin American countries have ratified can be used to limit children's exposure to alcohol advertising and promotion.

Methods

A review was conducted of the text of, and interpretative documents related to, a series of international and regional human rights instruments ratified by most countries in the LAC region that enumerate the right to health.

Results

The Convention on the Rights of the Child has the most relevant provisions to protect children and youth from alcohol promotion and advertising. Related interpretive documents by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child affirm that corporations hold duties to respect and protect children's right to health.

Conclusion

Human rights norms and law can be used to regulate or eliminate alcohol beverage marketing and promotional activities in the Latin American region. The paper recommends developing a human rights based Framework Convention on Alcohol Control to provide guidance.
Flattened plant bugs of the Pandanus‐inhabiting genus Frontimiris (Heteroptera: Miridae) and Pandanus spiralis–heteropteran associations in the East Kimberley
Authors: Cassis Gerasimos , Cheng Marina , Tatarnic Nikolai
Published: June 2016

The mirid genus Frontimiris Carvalho is recorded from Australia for the first time, including the description of three new species: F. bentickensis sp. nov., F. monteithi sp. nov. and F. pandanaphilus sp. nov. The last of these species was discovered in the East Kimberley in association with the monocot species Pandanus spiralis. Other true bug species found in association with P. spiralis are documented, including dry season aggregations of Pachygrontha austrina Kirkaldy (Pachygronthidae) and Oncocoris griseus McDonald (Pentatomidae).
Handheld reflectance confocal microscopy for the diagnosis of molluscum contagiosum: Histopathology and dermoscopy correlation
Authors: Lacarrubba Francesco , Verzì Anna Elisa , Ardigò Marco , Micali Giuseppe
Published: June 2016

Handheld reflectance confocal microscopy may represent an adjunctive, fast, non‐invasive tool for the diagnosis of molluscum contagiosum, revealing microscopic details closely related to histopathology, as demonstrated by this study evaluating 19 molluscum lesions in 11 patients. It permits the rapid examination of one or multiple skin lesions in real time and it is perfectly suitable for children.
Neuronal Soluble Fas Ligand Drives M1‐Microglia Polarization after Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Meng Hai‐Lan , Li Xiao‐Xi , Chen Yan‐Ting , Yu Lin‐Jie , Zhang He , Lao Jia‐Min , Zhang Xin , Xu Yun
Published: June 2016

Aims

This study explored sFasL expression in neurons and the potential role of neuronal sFasL in modulating the microglial phenotypes.

Methods

In vivo, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was induced in both FasL‐mutant (gld) and wild‐type (wt) mice. In vitro, primary cortical neuron or microglia or coculture from wt/gld mice was subjected to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD). sFasL level in the supernatant was evaluated by ELISA. Neuronal‐conditioned medium (NCM) or exogenous sFasL was applied to primary microglia with or without FasL neutralizing antibody. Protein expression of JAK2/STAT3 and NF‐κB pathways were determined by Western blot. The effect of microglia phenotype from wt/gld mice on the fate of ischemic neurons was further elucidated.

Results

In vivo, compared with wild‐type mice, M1 markers (CD16, CD32 and iNOS) were attenuated in gld mice after MCAO. In vitro, post‐OGD neuron released more sFasL. Both post‐OGD NCM and exogenous sFasL could trigger M1‐microglial polarization. However, this M1 phenotype shift was partially blocked by utilization of FasL neutralizing antibody or gld NCM. Consistently, JAK2/STAT3 and NF‐κB signal pathways were both activated in microglia after exogenous sFasL treatment. Compared with wild‐type mice, M1‐conditioned medium prepared from gld mice protected neuron against OGD injury.

Conclusions

Ischemic neurons release sFasL, which contributes to M1‐microglial polarization. The underlying mechanisms may involve the activation of JAK2/STAT3 and NF‐κB signaling pathways.
Statin use may reduce lower extremity peak force via reduced engagement in muscle‐strengthening activities
Authors: Loenneke Jeremy P. , Loprinzi Paul D.
Published: June 2016

Stain use is often associated with an increased likelihood of musculoskeletal complications such as injuries and pain. Consequently, it is plausible to suggest that statin use may indirectly influence lower extremity muscular strength via reduced engagement in muscle‐strengthening activities (MSA). However, this has yet to be examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether statin use was associated with muscular strength via engagement in MSA. Data from the 1999–2002 NHANES were used, with 2775 adults (50–85 years) constituting the analytic sample. Statin use was assessed from an interviewer, engagement in MSA (e.g. resistance training) was assessed via survey and lower extremity isokinetic knee extension strength (IKES) was assessed objectively using the Kin Com MP dynamometer. Weighted multivariable linear regression analysis showed no direct association between statin use and IKES (βadjusted = 7·0 newton ∆, P = 0·23). Statin use, however, was associated with a 35% reduced odds of engaging in MSA (ORadjusted = 0·65, P = 0·04), and engaging in MSA was positively associated with IKES (βadjusted = 19·9 newton ∆, P = 0·001). The bootstrap Barron and Kenny mediational analysis indeed demonstrated that statin use was indirectly associated with IKES via MSA (indirect effect coefficient: −0·005; 95% CI: −0·01 to −0·001; P<0·05). Statin use was not directly associated with IKES, but was indirectly associated with IKES via MSA. In conclusion, statin use may decrease muscle force by influencing engagement in MSA. We wish to suggest that a decrease in MSA may be related to an increase in muscle pain associated with statin therapy.
Putting susceptibility on the map to improve conservation planning, an example with terrestrial mammals
Authors: Polaina Ester , Revilla Eloy , González‐Suárez Manuela
Published: June 2016

Aim

To propose a general approach to spatially synthesize known predictors of vulnerability at the species level in order to identify areas directly associated with specific conservation problems. Under this problem‐detection framework, the coincidence or divergence of main strengths and weaknesses can be used to propose tailor‐made conservation strategies. This approach is illustrated for terrestrial mammal species evaluating two of their main components of vulnerability: life‐history traits and land‐use pressure.

Location

Global.

Methods

We determine, at the species level, the relationships between extinction risk and two well‐known predictors of vulnerability: life‐history traits (intrinsic) and land use (extrinsic). Transferring these findings into the spatial domain, we identify the areas of the world where one of these two facets is predominant and those areas where both coincide.

Results

The proposed approach allows us to recognize four types of areas: (1)double‐susceptibility areas: where both the characteristics of the species and the existing human activities pose a threat, therefore the simultaneous management of both species/habitats and human activities are needed; (2)intrinsic‐susceptibility areas: where species are naturally fragile and human presence is scarce, thus species‐specific management plans would be particularly efficient; (3)extrinsic‐susceptibility areas: where human pressure is high but species are not intrinsically vulnerable; which requires special attention to human activities; and (4)low‐susceptibility areas: where there are not remarkable threats for existing terrestrial mammals, which additionally are not particularly fragile.

Main conclusions

Our approach can spatially synthesize known predictors of vulnerability identifying areas where different factors predispose species to become extinct. This method builds on conservation planning approaches by targeting actions based on known strengths and weaknesses of a given area, and offering a new implementation of comparative studies of extinction risk. This approach may be applied to different species and to particular regions, focusing on different drivers, and complemented by incorporating social and economic trade‐offs.
Neoliberalism Redux: The Global Health Policy Agenda and the Politics of Cooptation in Latin America and Beyond
Authors: Birn Anne‐Emanuelle , Nervi Laura , Siqueira Eduardo
Published: June 2016

This article explores the neoliberal cooptation of social justice‐oriented global health policies over the last three decades, from primary health care and ‘health for all’ to various contemporary so‐called ‘health equity’ initiatives, such as Universal Health Coverage and ‘health convergence’. The authors illustrate and contextualize the different periods and approaches with examples from a range of Latin American countries, drawing on diverse political experiences and social struggles in the health arena. The analysis concludes with reflections about the region's experiences of resisting and challenging the neoliberal health agenda, in spite of domestic and global environments that have constrained these efforts, past and present. In this sense, the struggle for bona fide equity in health and health policy remains an important and ongoing priority.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor prevents dendritic retraction of adult mouse retinal ganglion cells
Authors: Binley Kate E. , Ng Wai S. , Barde Yves‐Alain , Song Bing , Morgan James E.
Published: June 2016

We used cultured adult mouse retinae as a model system to follow and quantify the retraction of dendrites using diolistic labelling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following explantation. Cell death was monitored in parallel by nuclear staining as ‘labelling’ with RGC and apoptotic markers was inconsistent and exceedingly difficult to quantify reliably. Nuclear staining allowed us to delineate a lengthy time window during which dendrite retraction can be monitored in the absence of RGC death. The addition of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) produced a marked reduction in dendritic degeneration, even when application was delayed for 3 days after retinal explantation. These results suggest that the delayed addition of trophic factors may be functionally beneficial before the loss of cell bodies in the course of conditions such as glaucoma.
How mutualisms arise in phytoplankton communities: building eco‐evolutionary principles for aquatic microbes
Authors: Kazamia Elena , Helliwell Katherine Emma , Purton Saul , Smith Alison Gail
Published: June 2016

Extensive sampling and metagenomics analyses of plankton communities across all aquatic environments are beginning to provide insights into the ecology of microbial communities. In particular, the importance of metabolic exchanges that provide a foundation for ecological interactions between microorganisms has emerged as a key factor in forging such communities. Here we show how both studies of environmental samples and physiological experimentation in the laboratory with defined microbial co‐cultures are being used to decipher the metabolic and molecular underpinnings of such exchanges. In addition, we explain how metabolic modelling may be used to conduct investigations in reverse, deducing novel molecular exchanges from analysis of large‐scale data sets, which can identify persistently co‐occurring species. Finally, we consider how knowledge of microbial community ecology can be built into evolutionary theories tailored to these species’ unique lifestyles. We propose a novel model for the evolution of metabolic auxotrophy in microorganisms that arises as a result of symbiosis, termed the Foraging‐to‐Farming hypothesis. The model has testable predictions, fits several known examples of mutualism in the aquatic world, and sheds light on how interactions, which cement dependencies within communities of microorganisms, might be initiated.
Defensive insect symbiont leads to cascading extinctions and community collapse
Authors: Sanders Dirk , Kehoe Rachel , van Veen FJ Frank , McLean Ailsa , Godfray H. Charles J. , Dicke Marcel , Gols Rieta , Frago Enric
Published: June 2016

Animals often engage in mutualistic associations with microorganisms that protect them from predation, parasitism or pathogen infection. Studies of these interactions in insects have mostly focussed on the direct effects of symbiont infection on natural enemies without studying community‐wide effects. Here, we explore the effect of a defensive symbiont on population dynamics and species extinctions in an experimental community composed of three aphid species and their associated specialist parasitoids. We found that introducing a bacterial symbiont with a protective (but not a non‐protective) phenotype into one aphid species led to it being able to escape from its natural enemy and increase in density. This changed the relative density of the three aphid species which resulted in the extinction of the two other parasitoid species. Our results show that defensive symbionts can cause extinction cascades in experimental communities and so may play a significant role in the stability of consumer‐herbivore communities in the field.
MILLENARIANISM IN BROMLEY‐BY‐BOW:QUIRINUS KUHLMANN AND THE STUARTS
Authors: Linton Anna
Published: June 2016

In October 1689 Quirinus Kuhlmann, a Silesian poet laureate, millenarian and admirer of Jakob Boehme, met a heretic's end in Moscow, one of many cities visited by this self‐styled ‘son of the Son of God’, ‘Jesuel’, in his attempt to establish his ‘Kühlmonarchie’, which would usher in the Last Days. His travels took him to Amsterdam, Paris, London, Edinburgh, and Turkey, where he hoped to convert the Sultan and enlist him in his campaign to overthrow the Roman Catholic Church. In the 1670s and 1680s Kuhlmann spent extended periods in England and Scotland, visiting York and Edinburgh, and lived for several years in Bromley‐by‐Bow, drawing on common ground shared with various English Nonconformist groups. These groups flourished not least because of the political upheavals following the Civil War, the execution of Charles I, the Interregnum, the Popish Plot of 1678, and the ensuing Exclusion Crisis. This article analyses the poems Kuhlmann wrote on the death of Charles II and the accession of his brother James to the throne in 1685, locating them within the Kühlpsalter, his poetic account of and commentary on his physical and spiritual journeys, and drawing links with his wider millenarian vision.

Im Oktober 1689 wurde der schlesische Dichter und Chiliast Quirinus Kuhlmann in Moskau als Ketzer verbrannt. Der Anhänger Jakob Böhmes, der sich selbst als ‘Sohn des Sohnes Gottes’ und ‘Jesuel’ bezeichnete, reiste herum, um seine ‘Kühlmonarchie’ einzuleiten, die der Endzeit vorausgehen sollte. Er hielt sich in Amsterdam, Paris und London auf, und reiste sogar in die Türkei, um die Bekehrung des Sultans herbeizuführen, die unter Chiliasten als eine Vorbedingung für den Sturz der römischen Kirche galt. In den 1670er und 1680er Jahren war Kuhlmann dreimal in England und Schottland. Er besuchte York und Edinburgh, und wohnte in Bromley‐by‐Bow. In London waren chiliastische Sekten, die Aspekte seiner Mission teilten. Diese Sektierer profitierten sowohl von den politischen Umbrüchen des Bürgerkriegs und des Interregnums, als auch von der sogenannten Papistenverschwörung (1678) und den darauf folgenden Versuchen, den katholischen Herzog von York als Thronfolger zu enterben. 1685 schrieb Kuhlmann Gedichte auf den Tod von Charles II. und die Thronbesteigung von James II., die als Anhang eines 1681 geschriebenen Kühlpsalms über James im fünften Buch seines Kühlpsalters erschienen. Sie werden hier im Kontext seiner breiteren chiliastischen Mission analysiert.
FEMALE DESIRE AND THE MIND‐BODY BINARY IN FIN DE SIÈCLE FICTION BY HEDWIG DOHM, LOU ANDREAS‐SALOMÉ AND GABRIELE REUTER
Authors: Woodford Charlotte
Published: June 2016

In the late nineteenth century, women writers seek to emancipate the feminine subject from the plots of a phallocentric tradition which transmitted repressive models of femininity. The short stories ‘Werde, die Du bist’ (1894) by Hedwig Dohm, ‘Eine Ausschweifung’ (1898) by Lou Andreas‐Salomé, and Gabriele Reuter's Ellen von der Weiden (1900) show how women writers of the fin de siècle engaged with the binary opposition of body and mind in Western philosophy and thus with the problem of the patriarchal identification of the mind with the masculine and the body with the feminine. In stories juxtaposing male doctors with women whose gendered identity is placed under scrutiny, the authors criticise the contemporary medicalisation of female sexual desire, and they explore the gender anxiety of modernity, drawing, inter alia, on Nietzsche's critique of bourgeois morality. Analysing these works against the background of feminist theory, I argue that they powerfully reveal the connection between contemporary social discourses and women's experience of desire.

Die Geschlechterstereotype der bürgerlichen Literatur, die die bestehenden Machtverhältnisse unterstützten, wurden im ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert häufig in den Werken von Schriftstellerinnen in Frage gestellt. Auf der Grundlage von Analysen von Hedwig Dohms ‘Werde, die Du bist’ (1894), ‘Eine Ausschweifung’ (1898) von Lou Andreas‐Salomé und Gabriele Reuters Ellen von der Weiden (1900) zeigt dieser Beitrag, wie sich Autorinnen mit der binären Opposition von Körper und Seele auseinandersetzen und darüber hinaus auch das binäre System der Geschlechter problematisieren. Unter Rückgriff auf Nietzsches Kritik der abendländischen Kultur beleuchten diese Erzählungen die Geschlechterkrise der Moderne. Durch die Figurenkonstellationen von (männlichen) Ärzten und ihren Patientinnen verweisen Dohm, Andreas‐Salomé und Reuter kritisch auf die Medikalisierung der weiblichen Sexualität um die Jahrhundertwende und gehen der Frage nach, wie die weibliche Körperwahrnehmung über soziale Diskurse beeinflusst wurde.
Development, feasibility, and efficacy of a customized exercise device to deliver intradialytic resistance training in patients with end stage renal disease: Non‐randomized controlled crossover trial
Authors: Chan Danwin , Green Simon , Fiatarone Singh Maria , Barnard Robert , Cheema Birinder S.
Published: June 2016

Introduction This study assessed the feasibility and efficacy of a novel resistance training device used within an intradialytic progressive resistance training (PRT) intervention.

Methods Non‐randomized, within‐subjects crossover design with outcomes assessed at baseline (week 0), postcontrol (week 13) and post‐PRT intervention (week 26). Twenty‐two hemodialysis patients (59% men, 71 ± 11 years) performed PRT three sessions per week for 12 weeks. The resistance training device was developed to enable the performance of 2 upper body and 3 lower body exercises, unilaterally and bilaterally, both before and during dialysis, with loads of 2.5 to 59 kg. Feasibility outcomes included adverse events, adherence and training load progression. Changes in upper and lower body muscular strength, six‐minute walk, aspects of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression were evaluated.

Findings The PRT intervention was delivered without serious adverse events, resulted in 71.2% ± 23.3% adherence and significant adaptation of all training loads from pre to mid to post training (83.8%–185.6%, all P < 0.05). Lower body strength (P < 0.001) and HRQoL subscales (Role‐Physical, Social Functioning, Role‐Emotional) significantly increased (all P < 0.01) and a trend toward reduced depression was noted (P = 0.06). No significant changes were noted in other outcomes.

Discussion PRT using the novel resistance training device was feasible and improved measures of physical and psychological health. This device can be utilized in most dialysis centers. Future studies are required to evaluate dose‐response effects of PRT prescriptions in subpopulations, and the translation of PRT to standard dialysis practice.
Projecting the impact of hypothetical early life interventions on adiposity in children living in low‐income households
Authors: Nianogo Roch A. , Wang May C. , Wang Aolin , Nobari Tabashir Z. , Crespi Catherine M. , Whaley Shannon E. , Arah Onyebuchi A.
Published: June 2016

Background

It is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing early childhood obesity using randomized trials.

Objective

To illustrate how observational data can be analysed using causal inference methods to estimate the potential impact of behavioural ‘interventions’ on early childhood adiposity.

Methods

We used longitudinal data from 1054 children 1–5 years old enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and followed (WIC) from 2008 to 2010 for a mean duration of 23 months. The data came from a random sample of WIC families living in Los Angeles County in 2008. We used the parametric g‐formula to estimate the impact of various hypothetical behavioural interventions.

Results

Adjusted mean weight‐for‐height Z score at the end of follow‐up was 0.73 (95% CI 0.65, 0.81) under no intervention and 0.63 (95% CI 0.38, 0.87) for all interventions given jointly. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was the most effective intervention [population mean difference = −0.11 (95% CI −0.22, 0.01)]. Other interventions had little or no effect.

Conclusions

Compared with interventions promoting healthy eating and physical activity behaviours, breastfeeding was more effective in reducing obesity risk in children aged 1–5 years. When carefully applied, causal inference methods may offer viable alternatives to randomized trials in etiologic and evaluation research.
Is Induced Abortion Really Declining in Armenia?
Authors: Jilozian Ann , Agadjanian Victor
Published: June 2016

As in other post‐Soviet settings, induced abortion has been widely used in Armenia. However, recent national survey data point to a substantial drop in abortion rates with no commensurate increase in modern contraceptive prevalence and no change in fertility levels. We use data from in‐depth interviews with women of reproductive age and health providers in rural Armenia to explore possible underreporting of both contraceptive use and abortion. While we find no evidence that women understate their use of modern contraception, the analysis suggests that induced abortion might indeed be underreported. The potential for underreporting is particularly high for sex‐selective abortions, for which there is growing public backlash, and medical abortion, a practice that is typically self‐administered outside any professional supervision. Possible underreporting of induced abortion calls for refinement of both abortion registration and relevant survey instruments. Better measurement of abortion dynamics is necessary for successful promotion of effective modern contraceptive methods and reduction of unsafe abortion practices.
Empowering Adolescent Girls in Socially Conservative Settings: Impacts and Lessons Learned from the Ishraq Program in Rural Upper Egypt
Authors: Sieverding Maia , Elbadawy Asmaa
Published: June 2016

In rural Upper Egypt, adolescence is a critical period in girls’ transition to adulthood during which they are at risk for a number of negative outcomes, including restricted mobility and early marriage and childbearing. This study evaluates and presents lessons learned from Ishraq, an educational program that established safe spaces for out‐of‐school adolescent girls in rural Upper Egypt. Baseline and endline surveys were administered to all households containing an eligible girl in the program areas. We analyze the predictors of program enrollment and dropout and use difference‐in‐differences estimation to evaluate the impact of the program on participants as compared to non‐participating eligible girls. Although we find positive impacts on literacy, attitudes toward sports, and reproductive health knowledge, little impact was found on broader indicators of empowerment, and no impact on the attitudes of participants’ mothers or brothers. The experience of the Ishraq program highlights several key challenges facing safe spaces programs for adolescent girls, including targeting of a dispersed population with restricted mobility, reaching girls at a young age, achieving community‐level attitudinal change, and the need for long‐term follow‐up of participants to measure behavioral change.
REVO4‐Based Nanomaterials (RE = Y, La, Gd, and Lu) as Hosts for Yb3+/Ho3+, Yb3+/Er3+, and Yb3+/Tm3+ Ions: Structural and Up‐Conversion Luminescence Studies
Authors: Tymiński Artur , Grzyb Tomasz , Lis Stefan
Published: June 2016

Rare‐earth vanadates of the form REVO4 (RE = Y, La, Gd, and Lu) doped by Yb3+/Ho3+, Yb3+/Er3+, or Yb3+/Tm3+ lanthanide ions were successfully synthesized using the sol–gel method and annealing at 600°C in an air atmosphere. The structure and morphology of the prepared nanocrystals were investigated by X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. All prepared materials were homogenous and had nanosized dimensions. Their elemental compositions were confirmed by optical emission spectrometry. Spectroscopic analysis of the materials was carried out by measuring excitation and emission spectra, luminescence decays, and dependence between the intensity of the luminescence and the laser energy. Following effective excitation by NIR radiation, Ln3+ co‐doped vanadate matrices exhibited a strong up‐conversion (UC) luminescence. Differences in spectroscopic properties between monoclinic LaVO4 and tetragonal YVO4, GdVO4, or LuVO4 doped by Ln3+ ions were observed, indicating the influence of the crystal structure on the UC emission. Drawing conclusions from these spectroscopic investigations, the UC mechanisms were proposed, including energy‐transfer processes between Yb3+ ions and emitting ions.
Prediction of genetic gain in finite populations with heterogeneous predicted breeding values accuracies
Authors: Elsen J.‐M.
Published: June 2016

The algebraic expression of the genetic selection differential (expected genetic superiority of breeders after a selection on their Predicted Breeding Values) was derived when a limited number of individuals were selected from a limited sample of candidates on the basis of their predicted genetic value, with heterogeneous reliabilities. A formula is proposed for situations in which these reliabilities can be clustered in a few classes. We show that the expected genetic selection differential increases with the number of classes, the mean reliability being constant. In the panel of cases simulated, this increase reached up to 18% of the values obtained in the homogeneous situation. We used the proposed formulae to estimate selection differentials and compared it numerically with performing simulations. In terms of speed of computation, our algebraic formulae performed better than simulations in populations of limited size.
Quality of life and disease severity in patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Holm J.G. , Agner T. , Clausen M.‐L. , Thomsen S.F.
Published: June 2016

Background

Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects quality of life (QoL) negatively in patients and their families. We examined the relationship between disease severity and QoL in patients with AD.

Methods

Consecutive, newly referred outpatients with AD, 4 years of age or older, were assessed from January 2012 onwards by means of the dermatology life quality index (DLQI, range 0–30), the Scoring of AD (SCORAD) disease severity score (range 0–103), filaggrin gene (FLG) mutation status and paraclinical tests related to allergy.

Results

A total of 250 patients with a mean age of 26.0 years were identified with complete data on DLQI; 148 (59.2%) females and 102 (40.8%) males. Of these 45.6% had asthma, 46.8% had hay fever, 22.7% had a loss‐of‐function mutation in FLG, and 61.9% had one or more inhalant allergic sensitizations. The correlation between SCORAD and DLQI was 0.42 (P < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment there was an increasing mean DLQI score with increasing disease severity measured by SCORAD (DLQI in mild = 5.30, moderate = 8.59 and severe = 11.94 AD), P‐value for difference between groups <0.001; a higher mean DLQI among females than males (9.73 vs. 8.34), P = 0.028; and among patients reporting facial eczema (9.88 vs. 6.24), P = 0.012. No statistically significant influence on DLQI was found for hand or foot eczema, age, blood eosinophil count, allergic sensitization, asthma, hay fever, FLG mutation status and smoking. FLG null mutation status was not significantly associated with SCORAD.

Conclusion

AD impacts negatively on the QoL, proportional to the severity of the disease. Furthermore, female sex and facial eczema are associated with low QoL. Positive FLG null mutation status is not associated with QoL or disease severity.
Effects of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the resin‐glass ceramic adhesion properties
Authors: Sattabanasuk Vanthana , Charnchairerk Paleenee , Punsukumtana Lada , Burrow Michael F.
Published: June 2016

Aim

Intraoral repair of fractured ceramic restorations using resin composite is practical for dental treatment. In the present study, we investigated whether differences in surface treatments for glass ceramic would affect resin adhesion.

Methods

Leucite‐reinforced glass ceramic plates (IPS Empress Esthetic) were ground with 320‐grit silicon carbide paper, cleaned using phosphoric acid, and then etched with hydrofluoric acid (IPS Ceramic Etching Gel) or left unetched, and silanized using silane coupling agent (RelyX Ceramic Primer) or kept unsilanized. Either conventional (Adper Scotchbond Multi‐Purpose) or universal (Scotchbond Universal) adhesive was used to bond the resin composite to ceramic surfaces. Specimens were subjected to microshear test after 37°C water storage for 24 h, and fractured surfaces were examined. Ceramic surface hydrophobicity after treatments was verified with contact angle measurements. Data were analyzed using anova and Tukey's tests.

Results

Regardless of the adhesive tested, hydrofluoric acid‐etched ceramics showed higher bond strengths. Ceramic primer application improved resin bonding, even in non‐etched groups, and also influenced fractography (P < 0.001). Contact angles on ceramics treated with ceramic primer were higher than those treated with silane‐containing universal adhesive (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Mechanical and chemical retentions contribute to resin adhesion to glass ceramic. Universal adhesive seems to not function in the same manner as a silane coupling agent.
On the Oral Health and Chewing Enjoyment of the Elderly: A Review from the Point of Mechanics
Authors: Xu Xianzhong
Published: June 2016

With the advent of an aging society, the biggest challenge for the study of food science and technology is how to provide the best diet for older people with reduced chewing ability. General health is usually associated with oral health and healthy ageing is affected by what humans eat. Foods for the elderly should give them the maximum masticatory pleasure while satisfying their nutritional needs. It is well known that food oral processing is not only dominated by oral cavity structure and physiological state of human body, but also affected by the mechanical processes of food destruction in the mouth. Perception of food texture is thought to be the cognition of the human brain to the information of food deformation and fracture during oral processing. Increasing chewing difficulty due to the impaired dental functions is an major problem affecting the ability of food intake for many older people. From the viewpoint of mechanics, the manner of the deformation or breaking of an object is strongly dominated by its mechanical and geometrical properties of the materials and the conditions in which the object is loaded. It is therefore suggested that the food destruction process in the mouth might be investigated using the methods established in the engineering field. In this review, the main factors that affecting chewing behaviors of the elderly are analysed and discussed. The possibility of applying fracture mechanics theory and material structural optimization techniques to the design and production of food structures for older people is proposed.

Practical Applications

Population aging means that the food industry is required to provide best diet for older consumers who may encounter chewing difficulty and dysphagia problems. People with deficient oral strategy need foods not only having easy‐to‐chew/swallow feature, but also can satisfy their chewing pleasure. Food structure design is a new direction of food science for the development of food products. The fundamental issue is to have a proper understanding how designed food is formed and fractured in the mouth. This work analyses the main factors that influence the chewing behaviors of the elderly and introduces fracture mechanics theory into the field of food oral processing. It will provide a new view‐angle to understand both the food destruction process and the texture perception mechanism in the mouth.
Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and saprotrophic fungal diversity are linked to different tree community attributes in a field‐based tree experiment
Authors: Nguyen Nhu H. , Williams Laura J. , Vincent John B. , Stefanski Artur , Cavender‐Bares Jeannine , Messier Christian , Paquette Alain , Gravel Dominique , Reich Peter B. , Kennedy Peter G.
Published: June 2016

Exploring the link between above‐ and belowground biodiversity has been a major theme of recent ecological research, due in large part to the increasingly well‐recognized role that soil microorganisms play in driving plant community processes. In this study, we utilized a field‐based tree experiment in Minnesota, USA, to assess the effect of changes in plant species richness and phylogenetic diversity on the richness and composition of both ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal communities. We found that ectomycorrhizal fungal species richness was significantly positively influenced by increasing plant phylogenetic diversity, while saprotrophic fungal species richness was significantly affected by plant leaf nitrogen content, specific root length and standing biomass. The increasing ectomycorrhizal fungal richness associated with increasing plant phylogenetic diversity was driven by the combined presence of ectomycorrhizal fungal specialists in plots with both gymnosperm and angiosperm hosts. Although the species composition of both the ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal communities changed significantly in response to changes in plant species composition, the effect was much greater for ectomycorrhizal fungi. In addition, ectomycorrhizal but not saprotrophic fungal species composition was significantly influenced by both plant phylum (angiosperm, gymnosperm, both) and origin (Europe, America, both). The phylum effect was caused by differences in ectomycorrhizal fungal community composition, while the origin effect was attributable to differences in community heterogeneity. Taken together, this study emphasizes that plant‐associated effects on soil fungal communities are largely guild‐specific and provides a mechanistic basis for the positive link between plant phylogenetic diversity and ectomycorrhizal fungal richness.
A Kierkegaardian Guide to Reading Scripture
Authors: Torrance Andrew
Published: June 2016

Kierkegaard is well known for being critical of a scholarly reading of the bible. It is generally understood that his primary concern was that “objective” biblical scholarship was undermining the possibility of a reader's subjective life being affected, challenged and provoked by its message. That is, it encourages an overly detached reading of Scripture that distracts persons from responding to its call to discipleship. It is indeed the case that Kierkegaard devoted himself to challenging the fact that the nominal Christians in Denmark were not actively responding Scripture. However, I shall argue that there is something much more fundamental to his critique of biblical scholarship. For Kierkegaard, the faithful reader is not primarily called to respond to the message of Scripture but to the living God who communicates to persons through Scripture. This paper will look at how Kierkegaard sought to remind Christians that Scripture is not an end in itself but a witness to the living God (who is the primary focus of the Christian life).
Asymmetries in US demand for gasoline
Authors: Baghestani Hamid , Genc Ismail , Kherfi Samer
Published: June 2016

Many studies have investigated the asymmetric responses of energy demand to changes in income and price. In estimating the US demand function for gasoline, we also consider consumer sentiment as a determining factor. In line with the income ratchet effect in consumption, our findings for 1991Q1–2015Q1 indicate that gasoline demand asymmetrically responds to deviation of income from its long‐run trend. Similar asymmetric responses are found with respect to deviation of consumer sentiment from its long‐run trend. In contrast, gasoline demand responds symmetrically to the deviation of price from its long‐run trend and to the gap between actual and desired spending. Further results indicate that gasoline demand is price‐inelastic, income‐inelastic and inelastic with respect to consumer sentiment both in the short and long run.
Impacts of oil price, exchange rate and inflation on the economic activity of Malaysia
Authors: Mantai Mohammed Mahmoud , Alom Fardous
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the short and long‐run impacts of crude oil price (CP), exchange rate (EXR) and inflation (CPI) on the economic activity (GDP) of Malaysia within the framework of the vector error correction model (VECM). The results suggest thatCPpositively affectsGDPin the short‐run and the tests do not identify any significant impacts ofEXRandCPIon theGDP. However, all these variables maintain a long‐run relationship withGDP. The causality tests have shown unidirectional Granger causality that run fromCPtoGDPand not fromEXRandCPItoGDP. The findings of this study are expected to provide insights for practitioners and policy makers to understand the impacts of theCPshocks and its spillovers in the economic activity of Malaysia.
Oil price volatility and fiscal policies in oil‐exporting countries
Authors: Alley Ibrahim
Published: June 2016

The meteoric decline in oil price in late 2014, a manifestation of crude oil price volatility, pressured the fiscal positions of many oil‐exporting countries (OECs). This study examined the relationship between oil price volatility andOECs’ fiscal policy [proxied by primary fiscal balance (PFB)] responses. It estimated a small open‐economy aggregate demand model in which oil price is externally determined. Using various measures of oil price volatility in a vector error correction (VEC) model, this study established that fiscal policies inOECwere not procyclical but driven by oil price volatility. Oil price volatility reduced PFB in the short run. In the long run however, PFB rose in response to price volatility, suggesting thatOECs’ governments eventually consolidate their fiscal positions to reduce short‐run fiscal deficit induced by oil price volatility. Though their fiscal policies were pressured in the short run, OECs were able to stabilise their fiscal dynamics in the long run.
Crude oil price, exchange rate and gross domestic product nexus in an emerging market: A cointegration analysis
Authors: Mensah Emmanuel Kwasi , Triacca Umberto , Bondzie Eric Amoo , Fosu Gabriel Obed
Published: June 2016

Crude oil plays an important role in the economic development of many emerging markets. This study examines the role of global crude oil price on the exchange rate (EXR) and gross domestic product (GDP) of Ghana (a new oil producing country) using the Johansen modelling technique for the period, 1980–2013. Following the cointegration of the variables, the vector error correction model was developed, which revealed that oil price could increase theGDPgrowth by 3 per cent but can negatively affect theEXRin the long run. The short‐term analysis points to Granger causality from oil price andGDPto energy consumption. It further reveals causality from oil price andEXRtoGDP, which indicates that development in the global oil price as well as the performance of the currency can impact economic growth. No significant evidence of the oil price role inEXRvolatility was found; however, the ‘Dutch disease’ syndrome was eminent throughEXRappreciation. Moreover, the overall response ofGDPto oil price shocks for the forecast period is insignificantly positive even though oil price shock tends to retard economic growth in the first 3 years.
Four Kinds of Perspectival Truth
Authors: Massimi Michela
Published: June 2016

In this paper, I assess recent claims in philosophy of science about scientific perspectivism being compatible with realism. I clarify the rationale for scientific perspectivism and the problems and challenges that perspectivism faces in delivering a form of realism. In particular, I concentrate my attention on truth, and on ways in which truth can be understood in perspectival terms. I offer a cost‐benefit analysis of each of them and defend a version that in my view is most promising in living up to realist expectations.
Disability in the Islamic Tradition
Authors: Ghaly Mohammed
Published: June 2016

This article gives an overview of how disability, or more broadly the phenomenon of ‘physical/mental otherness’, was represented in the Islamic tradition. It is argued that the pre‐modern Islamic tradition had a significantly different approach to this phenomenon than the approaches produced in the post‐industrialization modern world. This study is divided into two main sections. The first section examines the question of terminology and its seminal role in framing both pre‐modern and contemporary deliberations on Islam and disability. The second section reviews how people with disabilities were represented in a number of scholarly disciplines within the Islamic tradition. Besides giving the reader an overall idea about disability in the pre‐modern Islamic tradition, the article also gives extensive references to modern studies on Islam and disability so that the reader gets acquainted with modern scholarship in this emerging field of study.