bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Cost Efficiency of Indian Life Insurers: A comparison of Quantity vs Value based DEA Approach
Authors: Sen Subir 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
In the context of measuring economic performance, efficiency and productivity of Indian life insurance firms, there are studies using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology. In this paper, the difference between the quantity based approach and value based approach is highlighted and elaborated using data of Indian life insurers operational over the period 2005–06 to 2015–16. There are both advantages and disadvantages of using DEA, as highlighted in the theoretical literature. In particular, the efficiency estimates are heavily influenced by the selection of inputs and outputs. This study provides an insight on technical efficiency and innovates in terms of data use and is the first study on the Indian insurance industry to compute cost and allocative efficiencies. Four hypotheses were tested in the study. First, there were initially improvements in efficiency but in recent years, clearly there is stagnation. Second, the results support views of Tone and Sahoo (2005) and Sen (2010), that the public life insurer, the Life Insurance Corporation of India is cost inefficient. The private life insurers need to reallocate resources to improve overall efficiency. LICI was found to be technically efficient but remained cost inefficient. Third, the traditional Farrell based cost efficiency estimates are significantly different from Tone (2002) alternative approach. Therefore, choice of estimation method is important. Fourth, non-discretionary factors such as age, premium growth and size of the insurers along with regulations pertaining to solvency affect cost efficiency. Key financial ratios such as expense ratio, commission ratio, conservation ratio and persistency ratio, and retention ratio are used to statistically establish their relationship with the different efficiency estimates. Results also show that entry of a new insurer may negatively affect cost efficiency of an existing insurer but foreign equity could positively improve cost efficiency.
Introduction: Contemporary African and Black Diasporic Spaces in Europe
Authors: Rastas Anna , Nikunen Kaarina 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This special issue explores spaces where identifications with the African diaspora become articulated, (re)negotiated and, as demonstrated by many articles in this issue, established as a field of the collective agency with transformative power in European societies. The African diaspora communities and cultures in Europe are constructed not only by individuals’ engagements in Africa and its global diaspora but also through the collective agency, aiming at promoting change in European societies shadowed by the normative whiteness, nationalist discourses and policies, human rights violations and overt racism. In this introduction, we discuss the empirical studies presented in this special issue as examples of academic, political and artistic spaces of African and black diasporic agency. Together, the articles make visible the diversity of African and black diasporic spaces in Europe. They also challenge methodological nationalism as well as essentialising discourses of race and ethnicity by acknowledging the global circulation of African and black diaspora cultures and the meanings of the transnational connections for diaspora communities.
Black Women’s Transnational Activism and the World Council of Churches
Authors: Ohene-Nyako Pamela 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This article considers the internationalisation and institutionalisation of the fight against European and global racism and sexism within the World Council of Churches in the 1980s and 1990s. It presents the ways in which the Women Under Racism sub-programme, the SISTERS network that emerged from it, as well as their respective coordinators—the Afro-American activist Jean-Sindab and the Afro- Brazilian activist Marilia Schüller –facilitated encounters between Black-European women. In turn, this paper analyses Black-European women’s agency within these institutional and transnational antiracist and gendered spaces. I argue that the WUR and the SISTERS network were used by Black-European female activists to meet each other and other women of colour, and to voice and share their experiences publicly. These international gatherings also stimulated a transnationalisation and a Europeanisation of their activism, while being spaces where they affirmed multiple and overlapping identifications.
African Nightclubs of Lisbon and Madrid as Spaces of Cultural Resistance
Authors: Sedano Livia Jiménez 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
The main objective of this article involves describing how African nightclubs of Lisbon have become spaces for cultural resistance against certain representations of African-ness, taking Madrid as a contrasting case. Since the 1970s, the so-called African nightclubs of Lisbon have constituted spaces for gathering and nurturing a sense of community for immigrants from Portuguese-speaking Africa. Commonly regarded suspiciously by most Portuguese citizens, commodification of the couple dance labelled kizomba during the 1990s helped changed their status. However, most African research participants do not recognise their beloved dance in the commodified version of kizomba. In this context, I analyse the commodification process as a form of symbolic violence that disguises postcolonial structural inequalities and unsolved conflicts through a discourse of neutral “approaching of cultures” on the dance floor. Moreover, from the point of view of a meritocratic symbolism, this discourse portrays the performances displayed at African discos as “basic” and unworthy. After exploring several ways of resistance to commodified kizomba displayed by African discos clientele, I conclude reflecting on the increasing symbolic power of global industries for naming social groups, structuring practices and exercising symbolic violence in late modernity.
Lived Afropolitanism: Beyond the Single Story
Authors: Ankobrey Gladys Akom 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
It has been several years since the term “Afropolitanism” was coined and instigated an intense debate in both the offline and online world. Although Afropolitanism is celebrated for highlighting positive depictions of Africa, it has also been criticised for its supposedly exclusive and elitist focus. Several scholars have distinguished Afropolitanism from Pan-Africanism by framing it as the latter’s apolitical younger version. Following the discussion around these perceived differences, this paper investigates how Afropolitanism negotiates the African diaspora discourse in relation to Pan-Africanism. Thus far, the study of Afropolitanism has remained mostly limited to the field of literary and cultural studies. In order to move the discussion on this term further, this paper explores the lived experiences of twelve black Londoners with Afropolitanism and Pan-Africanism. By using the notion of “performance,” I show that Afropolitanism and Pan-Africanism are constructed and deconstructed in both diverse and overlapping ways. The narratives emerging out of this dialogue question the centrality of the Middle Passage epistemology and the tendency to essentialize experiences in the African diaspora discourse.
Dancing an Open Africanity: Playing with “Tradition” and Identity in the Spreading of Sabar in Europe
Authors: Aterianus-Owanga Alice 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This paper describes one of the constructions of African identity that occur through the spreading of sabar in European cities. Basing on a multi-sited fieldwork between Dakar, France and Switzerland, this paper traces the local roots and transnational routes of this Senegalese dance and music performance and presents the “transnational social field” (Levitt and Glick-Schiller) that sabar musicians and dancers have created in Europe. It analyses the representations of Africanity, Senegality and Blackness that are shared in Sabar dances classes, and describes how diasporic artists contribute to (re)invent “traditions” in migration. In this transnational dance world, “blackness” and Africanity are not homogenous and convertible categories of identification, on the contrary, they are made of many tensions and arrangements, which allow individuals to include or exclude otherness, depending on situations and contexts.
Too Dark to Support the Lions, But Light Enough for the Frontlines”: Negotiating Race, Place, and Nation in Afro-Finnish Hip Hop
Authors: Kelekay Jasmine Linnea 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
In this article, I examine cultural production as an avenue for mapping African diasporic identities and racialised experiences in Finland. Hip hop culture has long acted as a lingua franca for the African diaspora and has been central in the development of collective identities among second-generation European youth of colour. Prior to the 2010s, the landscape of Finnish hip hop was largely white with little engagement with race or hip hop’s roots as a Black American cultural form. This status quo was disrupted by the rise of Afro-Finnish rappers. Since gaining mainstream visibility, they have catapulted into the national consciousness with music that reclaims the language of racial and ethnic identities, interrogates assumptions about national belonging, and represents the lived experiences of first-generation Black/Afro-Finnish men. Approaching hip hop as a resource for resisting normative Whiteness and carving out space for Black/African diasporic collectivities in the Finnish cultural and political imaginary, I show how Afro-Finnish rappers articulate and navigate Blackness in relation to identity, racism, and national belonging in Finland. In doing so, I emphasise the tensions between racial, ethnic, and cultural hybridity, on the one hand, and the rigidity of Finnish Whiteness and national exclusion, on the other.
Structural change in the link between oil and the European stock market: implications for risk management
Authors: Ferreiro Javier Ojea 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
The relationship between the European stock market and the crude oil depends on the significance of the different industries in the European economy. The literature points to a structural change after the 2008 crisis without getting into details of which sectors lead this regime switch. The co-movement between oil prices and stock market is known to exhibit (1) non-linearity, (2) asymmetric tail dependence and (3) variation over time. I combine a copula approach with Switching Markov models to capture this complex linkage while the CoVaR measure translates the consequences of the tail dependence into potential losses. The results indicate a change in the lower tail dependence from negative to positive association between oil and Eurostoxx, meaning a shift in the exposure of our stock portfolio to commodity risk. There is a structural change in dependence after the 2008 financial crisis led by energy-intensive sector, e.g. basic materials and consumer goods. The economic cycle and its implications for profit margin and oil demand might explain this switch. Healthcare sector responds to oil shocks in an opposite way than Eurostoxx, displaying useful features to reduce the exposure of the stock portfolio to oil spillovers.
A fluorescent protein-readout for transcriptional activity reveals regulation of APP nuclear signaling by phosphorylation sites
Authors: Konietzko Uwe , Gersbacher Manuel T. , Streuli Jeremy , Krüger Maik , Thöni Sarina , Kins Stefan , Nitsch Roger M. 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Signaling pathways that originate at the plasma membrane, including regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), enable extracellular cues to control transcription. We modified the yeast Gal4 transcription system to study the nuclear translocation of transcriptionally active complexes using the fluorescent protein citrine (Cit) as a reporter. This enabled highly sensitive quantitative analysis of transcription in situ at the single cell level. The Gal4/UAS-Cit transcription assay displayed a sigmoidal response limited by the number of integrated reporter cassettes. We validated the assay by analyzing nuclear translocation of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) intracellular domain (AICD) and confirmed the requirement of Fe65 for nuclear translocation of AICD. In addition to the strong on-off effects on transcriptional activity, the results of this assay establish that phosphorylation modifies nuclear signaling. The Y682F mutation in APP showed the strongest increase in Cit expression, underscoring its role in regulating Fe65 binding. Together, we established a highly sensitive fluorescent protein-based assay that can monitor transcriptional activity at the single cell level and demonstrate that AICD phosphorylation affects Fe65 nuclear activity. This assay also introduces a platform for future single cell-based drug screening methods for nuclear translocation.
Identification of the molecular determinants for nuclear import of PRV EP0
Authors: Cai Mingsheng , Wang Ping , Wang Yuanfang , Chen Tao , Xu Zuo , Zou Xingmei , Ou Xiaowen , Li Yiwen , Chen Daixiong , Peng Tao , Li Meili 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Pseudorabies virus (PRV) early protein EP0 is a homologue of the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early protein ICP0, which is a multifunctional protein and important for HSV-1 infection. However, the definite function of EP0 during PRV infection is not clear. In this study, to determine if EP0 might localize to the nucleus, as it is shown for its homologue in HSV-1, the subcellular localization pattern and molecular determinants for the nuclear import of EP0 were investigated. EP0 was demonstrated to predominantly target the nucleus in both PRV infected- and plasmid-transfected cells. Furthermore, the nuclear import of EP0 was shown to be dependent on the Ran-, importin α1-, α3-, α7-, β1- and transportin-1-mediated multiple pathways. Taken together, these data will open up new horizons for portraying the biological roles of EP0 in the course of PRV lytic cycle.
A concise proof to the spectral and nuclear norm bounds through tensor partitions
Authors: Kong Xu 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
On estimations of the lower and upper bounds for the spectral and nuclear norm of a tensor, Li established neat bounds for the two norms based on regular tensor partitions, and proposed a conjecture for the same bounds to be hold based on general tensor partitions [Z. Li, Bounds on the spectral norm and the nuclear norm of a tensor based on tensor partition, SIAM J. Matrix Anal. Appl., 37 (2016), pp. 1440-1452]. Later, Chen and Li provided a solution to the conjecture [Chen B., Li Z., On the tensor spectral p-norm and its dual norm via partitions]. In this short paper, we present a concise and different proof for the validity of the conjecture, which also offers a new and simpler proof to the bounds of the spectral and nuclear norms established by Li for regular tensor partitions. Two numerical examples are provided to illustrate tightness of these bounds.
A categorical approach to abstract convex spaces and interval spaces
Authors: Wang Bing , Li Qing-Hua , Xiu Zhen-Yu 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
In this paper, we establish the axiomatic conditions of hull operators and introduce the category of interval spaces. We also investigate their relations with convex spaces from a categorical sense. It is shown that the category CS of convex spaces is isomorphic to the category HS of hull spaces, and they are all topological over Set. Also, it is proved that there is an adjunction between the category IS of interval spaces and the category CS of convex spaces. In particular, the category CS(2) of arity 2 convex spaces can be embedded in IS as a reflective subcategory.
A Three-Dimensional Evaluation of Interface Shear Behavior between Granular Material and Rough Surface
Authors: Zhao Cheng , Zhang Rui , Zhao Chunfeng , Wang Wendong , Wang Youbao 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
As one of the constitutive features of the interface, the surface geometry has a significant influence on the shear behavior. To investigate the influence of surface roughness on a granular material/structure interface, both the direct shear test under constant normal stress and simple numerical modeling were carried out. Sand with colored pillars were used to provide a three-dimensional observation method to record the thickness variation and spatial distribution of shear zone. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of the shear zone is not uniform, showing a tendency toward a thick center and thin ends in the shear direction; the thickness of the shear zone is between 8–14 times the average particle size. With the support of numerical modeling, it can be concluded that the development mechanism of the shear zone changes as the interface roughness increases. The mosaic effect dominates the shear deformation when the normalized roughness parameter (Rn) is 1.25, whereas it is the compact effect for much larger Rn.
Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation of FRP Laminate-Concrete Bond Strength Using Ultrasound Tomography
Authors: Riad Mina , Yazdani Nur , Gonzalez Enrique , Sapkota Kamal 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminate is one of the most popular and practical solutions for the strengthening and retrofitting of deteriorated or under-strengthened concrete structures, adding strength, ductility, and durability. The quality of the FRP–concrete bond is critical in stress transfer and composite action at the interface, and in situ evaluation of the bond strength is a challenging issue. To quantitatively evaluate the bond strength, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) with ultrasound tomography was utilized on 32 small-scale concrete beams strengthened with carbon FRP laminates. Various parameters that may affect the bond strength, such as surface roughness, surface voids, epoxy type and thickness, and FRP type, were considered. The associated bond capacities were found through a bending test and correlated through finite element modeling. Quantitative relationships involving the NDE output values and associated bond strengths, with parametric inputs, were developed. Simple numeric examples are provided, showing application of the developed equations, which will be very useful in estimating the in-service bond conditions of applied FRP laminates on concrete structures. This may lead to quantitative estimation of the expected strength contribution of the laminates to the overall flexural capacity of structural members.
Modified Formula for Settlement of Reinforced Ground with Floating Soil-Cement Columns
Authors: Yao Kai , Yao Zhanyong , Song Xiuguang , Jiang Hongguang 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Low improvement ratio soil-cement columns adopted in ground improvement are cost-effective with less environmental impact. However, the settlement mechanism of the reinforced area has not been clearly established, and the traditional settlement estimation formula only treats the reinforced area as an elastic block. Settlement of the reinforced area for a soft foundation with low improvement ratio soil-cement columns was investigated by conducting a series of 1-g model tests. By reconsidering the effect of column length, the traditional formula was modified by adopting a stiffness ratio with the function of capturing the effect of skin friction between the column and surrounding soils.
Mixed Mode I/II Fracture Strength of Modified HMA Concretes Subjected to Different Temperature Conditions
Authors: Pirmohammad Sadjad , Shabani Hamid 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
In this article, the effects of fixed and variable temperature conditions on the fracture toughness of three different hot mix asphalt (HMA) concretes were investigated. The first HMA concrete contained a normal binder, the second one was modified with crumb rubber (CR), and the third mixture was modified with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS). The pure mode I, pure mode II, and three different mixed mode I/II fracture toughness values were calculated by performing fracture experiments on the semicircular bend specimens made of the aforementioned HMA concretes. The results displayed that the variable temperature condition reduced fracture strength of the HMA concretes. Moreover, the addition of SBS and CR improved the fracture strength of HMA concretes significantly, such that the CR enhanced the fracture strength between 2 and 22 % depending on the loading mode and environmental conditions. These values were between 6 and 34 % for the HMAs modified by SBS. Therefore, the fracture strength of HMA was more improved by the SBS than the CR. Furthermore, the HMA concretes were subjected to a critical condition under mixed mode I/II loading rather than pure mode I.
The economic burden of constipation therapy
Authors: Albu Anamaria , Farcas Andreea , David Liliana , Dumitrascu Dan L. 
Published: May 2019

Background and aim. Constipation is a widespread condition that requires adequate therapy. Given the large use of laxatives, it is important to know the burden of the treatment of this condition on the healthcare budget.
Methods. We collected information on the number of therapeutic units (boxes) of five frequently used laxatives delivered by prescription or over the counter in 30 pharmacies randomly selected in two adjacent counties from Romania for two consecutive years. We calculated also the cost value of the laxatives delivered.
Results. The total cost of laxatives in the group of pharmacies investigated was on average 62,500 euros per year. We extrapolated that the laxative consumption in Romania should be over 15 million Euro.
Conclusions. To our knowledge this is the first study on the burden of constipation in this country. Although therapeutic units of laxatives are not expensive, the wide use of these drugs represents an economic burden for the patient.
Microvascular obstruction in acute myocardial infarction: an old and unsolved mystery
Authors: Marc Mãdãlin Constantin , Iancu Adrian Corneliu , Bãlãnescu Şerban , Dregoesc Mihaela Ioana 
Published: May 2019

In the setting of acute myocardial infarction, flow restoration in the culprit epicardial coronary artery is not synonymous with efficient reperfusion. Microvascular obstruction occurs in 50% of cases and represents a predictor of a long-term unfavorable outcome. Its prevalence has remained constant in recent years despite various treatment attempts. However, the success of targeted therapies could be mainly a problem of timing.
Recent data bring evidence with regard to the role of pre-procedural distal embolization and highlight the relation between distal embolism, microvascular obstruction and intramyocardial inflammation. As a result, early detection of microvascular injury represents the first step in the development of targeted, individualized therapeutic approaches.
In this context, the identification of new invasive surrogate parameters for the timely assessment and quantification of microvascular obstruction in the catheterization laboratory has become an important subject of current research. Among these, coronary wedge pressure is the most practical and revealing in the setting of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. It may offer comprehensive details on the mechanisms of microvascular injury and may therefore offer guidance for appropriate treatment selection.