bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
4D left ventricular resultant wall motion and blood flow assessed by phase‐shift velocity mapping at high‐field 3T MRI
Authors: Samnøy Stig F. , Cuypers Jochem , Greve Gottfried , Larsen Terje H. 
Published: February 2016

SummaryBackgroundContractility and elasticity of the myocardium are important variables for detecting anomalies that may influence pump function. It is important to assess both wall motion and blood flow to detect regional left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and abnormal flow patterns. This study discusses four‐dimensional (4D) phase‐contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneous quantification and visualization of LV wall motion and blood flow.MethodsIn thirteen healthy subjects, a three‐directional retrospective cardiac triggered phase‐shift velocity mapping technique was used to acquire velocity data of the LV throughout the cardiac cycle. All short‐axis slices of the LV wall were segmented in six sectors of 60° starting from the anterior hinge point between the right and left ventricles, from base to apex. Velocity data in resultant, radial, circumferential and longitudinal directions were calculated and presented as coloured three‐directional vectors.ResultsOur findings showed a reduction in maximum wall velocities from base to apex, whereas for the radial and circumferential directions no significant differences were noted (13·1 ± 2·7 and 13·0 ± 2·9 cm s−1, respectively. P = 0·9). The longitudinal maximum velocities (21·0 ± 0·6 cm s−1) were significantly higher than the radial and circumferential components (P = 0·002). We found that the inclination angle of the resultant blood flow was changed towards the left ventricular outflow tract during systole.ConclusionsUsing this 4D MRI velocity mapping technique, we present an improved method for quantification and visualization of ventricular wall velocities in the radial, circumferential and longitudinal directions, as well as for the intracavity blood flow.
Visualization of Innovation in Global Supply Chain Networks
Authors: Basole Rahul C. , Bellamy Marcus A. , Park Hyunwoo 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTThis methodological note identifies and describes a data‐driven visualization approach to study innovations in supply chain networks (ISCN). We demonstrate its value and applicability with illustrative examples to pertinent structure‐related ISCN research questions in the global electronics industry. Our visualization approach can be used to reveal and understand important clusters, patterns, trends, and outliers of ISCN not necessarily identified with traditional methods. The broader aim of this note is to demonstrate the complementary value of emerging visual analytic approaches in managerial decision‐making contexts and describe how actionable insights can be achieved.
Learning the association between a context and a target location in infancy
Authors: Bertels Julie , San Anton Estibaliz , Gebuis Titia , Destrebecqz Arnaud 
Published: February 2016

AbstractExtracting the statistical regularities present in the environment is a central learning mechanism in infancy. For instance, infants are able to learn the associations between simultaneously or successively presented visual objects (Fiser & Aslin, ; Kirkham, Slemmer & Johnson, ). The present study extends these results by investigating whether infants can learn the association between a target location and the context in which it is presented. With this aim, we used a visual associative learning procedure inspired by the contextual cuing paradigm, with infants from 8 to 12 months of age. In two experiments, in which we varied the complexity of the stimuli, we first habituated infants to several scenes where the location of a target (a cartoon character) was consistently associated with a context, namely a specific configuration of geometrical shapes. Second, we examined whether infants learned the covariation between the target location and the context by measuring looking times at scenes that either respected or violated the association. In both experiments, results showed that infants learned the target–context associations, as they looked longer at the familiar scenes than at the novel ones. In particular, infants selected clusters of co‐occurring contextual shapes and learned the covariation between the target location and this subset. These results support the existence of a powerful and versatile statistical learning mechanism that may influence the orientation of infants’ visual attention toward areas of interest in their environment during early developmental stages. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hm1unyLBn0
Energy Policy: The Return of the Regulatory State
Authors: Robinson Colin 
Published: February 2016

AbstractEnergy is regulated by the state in most countries. The United Kingdom had a period, around the turn of the present century, when traditional regulation was reduced and the energy sector was exposed to market forces, but there has since been reversion to the regulatory norm. The recent history of energy policy, especially as it concerns electricity generation, is examined and the stated reasons for having such a policy are discussed: for example, enhancing security of supply, avoiding the effects of fossil fuel price increases and combating future climate change and its effects. These reasons are found to lack substance and a case is made for moving away from centralised action, returning to a much more competitive market with less government intervention.
The Economic Impact and Civic Pride Effects of Sports Teams and Mega‐Events: Do The Public and the Professionals Agree?
Authors: Groothuis Peter A. , Rotthoff Kurt W. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractOften sports leagues, organising committees, and team owners justify the use of public funds to build sports stadiums by the perceived economic impacts and civic pride generated by the teams or mega‐events. Since the 1980s many economic studies have examined the economic impact and civic pride created by professional sports teams. Most of the economic literature finds sports teams or mega‐events have little or no economic impact, but there are mixed findings on the magnitude of civic pride. Overall, most of the economic literature suggests that the benefits created by sports teams or events do not outweigh the cost of public subsidies provided. We conduct a survey of public opinion on US residents’ perceptions of economic impacts and civic pride benefits from mega‐events such as the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics. Our study asks the question: Do residents believe that mega‐events and sports teams generate positive economic impacts and civic pride or not? We find that, like economists, the public doubts that public funding of mega‐events is a good idea.
The Thirteenth‐Century Economics of Thomas Aquinas
Authors: Koehler Benedikt 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn the Middle Ages, discourse on economics, such as it was, proceeded for the most part as an application of theological doctrine. But economic analysis as an independent discipline per se was taking shape in thirteenth‐century scholasticism. This is shown by a review of relevant sections of Thomas Aquinas’ Summa theologiae regarding property rights and the division of labour; wealth and income policies; consumer protection and fair trade; and the distinction between usurious and licit financial returns.
Is The Television Licence fee fit for Purpose in the Digital Era?
Authors: Weeds Helen 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn the context of the UK's ongoing review of the BBC's Royal Charter, this article discusses the future of the television licence fee. As channels proliferate and new ways of watching television take hold, there is increasing pressure on the TV licence system. Drawing on an analysis of the rationale for public service broadcasting, the article considers whether the licence fee can be adapted to reflect this new world or should be replaced by a different funding model. It concludes that while modernising the TV licence fee to close the ‘iPlayer loophole’ would patch up the current system, it would be preferable to replace the licence fee altogether, perhaps with a household levy. Subscription may be a useful top‐up for non‐essential services where a broad reach is less important. The ban on the carrying of advertising by the BBC should also be reconsidered.
Distinct expression patterns of inwardly rectifying potassium currents in developing cerebellar granule cells of the hemispheres and the vermis
Authors: Brandalise Federico , Lujan Rafael , Leone Roberta , Lodola Francesco , Cesaroni Valentina , Romano Chiara , Gerber Urs , Rossi Paola 
Published: February 2016

AbstractG‐protein‐coupled inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels play a crucial role during the migration and maturation of cerebellar granule cells (GCs) in the vermis. In the cerebellar hemispheres, however, only minor effects on the development of GCs are observed in mice with GIRK channel impairment. This regional difference may reflect distinct ontogenetic expression patterns of GIRK channels. Therefore, inwardly rectifying responses in mice were characterized at different stages of development in the vermis and the hemispheres. In the vermis, GCs in the premigratory zone (PMZ) at P7–P15 exhibit GIRK current but not constitutive inwardly rectifying potassium (CIRK) current, and are relatively depolarized at rest. In contrast, premigratory GCs in the hemispheres express only CIRK channels, which accounts for their more hyperpolarized resting membrane potential. Furthermore, the pattern of voltage‐dependent inward currents in the PMZ GCs of cerebellar hemispheres is consistent with a more mature stage of development than the corresponding GCs in the vermis, resulting in robust firing properties mediated by sodium channels. Later in development (P21–P22), CIRK current is then observed in the majority of vermis GCs. This developmental pattern, revealed by electrophysiological recordings, was confirmed by immunohistological experiments that showed greater reactivity for GIRK2 in the PMZ of the vermis than in the hemispheres during development (P7–P15). These findings suggest that regional differences in development are responsible for the differential expression of inwardly rectifying potassium channels in the vermis and in the hemispheres.
Audio‐visual multisensory training enhances visual processing of motion stimuli in healthy participants: an electrophysiological study
Authors: Grasso Paolo A. , Benassi Mariagrazia , Làdavas Elisabetta , Bertini Caterina 
Published: February 2016

AbstractEvidence from electrophysiological and imaging studies suggests that audio‐visual (AV) stimuli presented in spatial coincidence enhance activity in the subcortical colliculo‐dorsal extrastriate pathway. To test whether repetitive AV stimulation might specifically activate this neural circuit underlying multisensory integrative processes, electroencephalographic data were recorded before and after 2 h of AV training, during the execution of two lateralized visual tasks: a motion discrimination task, relying on activity in the colliculo‐dorsal MT pathway, and an orientation discrimination task, relying on activity in the striate and early ventral extrastriate cortices. During training, participants were asked to detect and perform a saccade towards AV stimuli that were disproportionally allocated to one hemifield (the trained hemifield). Half of the participants underwent a training in which AV stimuli were presented in spatial coincidence, while the remaining half underwent a training in which AV stimuli were presented in spatial disparity (32°). Participants who received AV training with stimuli in spatial coincidence had a post‐training enhancement of the anterior N1 component in the motion discrimination task, but only in response to stimuli presented in the trained hemifield. However, no effect was found in the orientation discrimination task. In contrast, participants who received AV training with stimuli in spatial disparity showed no effects on either task. The observed N1 enhancement might reflect enhanced discrimination for motion stimuli, probably due to increased activity in the colliculo‐dorsal MT pathway induced by multisensory training.
Integrity of the corpus callosum in patients with benign temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Caligiuri Maria Eugenia , Labate Angelo , Cherubini Andrea , Mumoli Laura , Ferlazzo Edoardo , Aguglia Umberto , Quattrone Aldo , Gambardella Antonio 
Published: February 2016

SummaryObjectiveCorpus callosum (CC) abnormalities are frequently reported in patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (rMTLE). However, whether CC structural alterations are related to the epileptic syndrome itself or to refractoriness is still unknown. Thus, we aimed to compare patterns of CC change in patients with rMTLE and benign MTLE (bMTLE), the latter of which represents a useful resource to better disentangle factors that contribute to refractoriness.MethodsThe study group included 79 patients with bMTLE (mean age 43.2 ± 14. 8 years), 61 with rMTLE (mean age 45.2 ± 12.4 years) and 134 healthy volunteers. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed to measure thickness, mean diffusivity (MD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) over 50 regions of interest along the cross‐sectional CC profile. Statistical analysis comprised analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post hoc Tukey's Honest Significant Difference test.ResultsWe found that all imaging metrics of the CC splenium were altered in rMTLE patients compared to bMTLE and controls. We also found significantly reduced thickness and FA of the anterior CC in rMTLE compared to controls and that FA was reduced only in rMTLE compared to bMTLE. Patients with bMTLE did not differ from controls. Differences between disease subgroups were found in the midbody composed of sensorimotor fibers.SignificanceWe found altered multimodal imaging metrics of the CC in rMTLE but not in bMTLE. These findings were independent of the radiologic presence of hippocampal sclerosis, suggesting that differences in the distribution of such alterations might be related to refractoriness.
A Missed Opportunity: The Fundamental Rights Agency and the Euro Area Crisis
Authors: Hinarejos Alicia 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis paper focuses on the role played by the Agency for Fundamental Rights in the wake of the euro area crisis. The Agency was created as part of a wider trend towards a broader, more pro‐active strategy for the protection of fundamental rights that includes administrative and political rights promotion as a complement to judicial enforcement. In the context of the euro crisis, however, the Agency has not been able to fulfil this role. This paper will analyze the reasons for this missed opportunity, as well as its consequences. It will argue that the sidelining of the Agency in this area is due to the confluence of two factors: on the one hand, the Agency's lack of discretion in setting its own agenda; and, on the other, the predominance of the executive, and resulting resurgence of intergovernmentalism, that have been a feature of post‐crisis developments.Ultimately, this paper argues that the sidelining of the Agency in this context is an unfortunate result, given the magnitude of the political debate in this area and the valuable role that the Agency might have played or could still play in informing it.
Did the Financial Crisis Change European Citizenship Law? An Analysis of Citizenship Rights Adjudication Before and After the Financial Crisis
Authors: Šadl Urška , Madsen Mikael Rask 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis article analyses the impact of the 2007–2008 global financial crisis on the adjudication of EU citizenship rights, combining long‐term quantitative empirical legal study with qualitative socio‐legal analysis. We find that, first, the Court of Justice of the EU continues to interpret the provisions of the treaty and secondary legislation broadly and reaches largely pro‐individual outcomes in its citizenship case‐law. Second, it has been more explicit in drawing the line between core citizenship rights of European citizens, such as the primary rights to move and reside freely, and the rights that are tied to these core citizenship rights, including social security and social advantages on the one hand, and the rights of Third Country Nationals, which they derive from their relationship with EU citizens on the other hand. On this basis, we conclude that the economic crisis has had limited impact on EU citizenship law and remained confined to the edges of the notion of EU citizenship.
Fundamental Rights and Legal Wrongs: The Two Sides of the Same EU Coin
Authors: Chalmers Damian , Trotter Sarah 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis article argues that the relationship of EU fundamental rights to the rest of EU law can only be understood if the former are seen as an integral part of a general vision of what EU law is about. This vision conceives EU law as concerned to secure the government of a European political economy. In turn, it has come to shape the interpretation and incidence of EU fundamental rights with the latter conceived as a central tool for incorporating the individual into and asserting her place within the government of the European political economy. A paradox has therefore emerged. EU fundamental rights have become ever more pervasive in EU law, and it is couched more frequently in their terms, but these same fundamental rights seem ineffectual to deal with the suffering caused by events such as the crisis.
Financing social security out of contributions: About origins, present discussions and prospects of a success story
Authors: Scholz Wolfgang 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn writing the overture to an issue on contribution financed social security one cannot but speak of Bismarck; it must also address Beveridge who saw contributions, although in their design and role clearly differently from Bismarck, as one core revenue tool to finance his vision. Beveridge attributed to the private financial sector a prominent role in securing people against the negative effects on income of shocks and crises, while Bismarck did not. Beveridge's concept, when first published, had, and still has today, the most attractive charm of rigorously satisfying peoples' striving for equitable and inclusive societal solutions. Bismarck's concept intrinsically offers income security only to those who contribute, while the level of protection depends on the level of contributions paid (with the exception of health insurance). In reality, both concepts, where implemented, had to face the realities of socio‐economic and political developments: Beveridge's vision was achieved in respect of access to health services where his proposal, in its predominantly tax‐financed version, has since turned into a worldwide blueprint for health schemes; in its other components, it was not resilient enough to achieve the intended standards and now is replete with means‐tested (poor relief) elements. Bismarck's scheme has proven its potential to achieve “universality”, not necessarily by theoretical design but as a matter of fact, i.e. covering people from cradle to grave (like Beveridgean schemes). With globalization, schemes of both origins have had to face massive neoliberal attacks over the last three decades. Which of the approaches is best able to survive must be left an open question: in the current worldwide context of rapid change, both have weak and strong points, and whether a symbiosis of the two offers the answer to future challenges remains to be seen.
Social security contributions: Economic and public finance considerations
Authors: Goudswaard Kees , Caminada Koen 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSocial security contributions make up around a fourth of total tax revenue in OECD countries. However, there are concerns on the economic effects of high levies on labour. Recent studies suggest that at least a third of taxes on labour are shifted onto employers, leading to higher wage costs. We find substantial evidence in the literature that the nature of social security contributions matters. With a clear connection between contributions and rights, the employee will perceive this contribution as a price and not as a tax. As a consequence, these contributions will be less distortive in terms of labour supply, wage costs and private savings.
Contributions‐financed cash benefits: Selected examples of tiered pension systems
Authors: Geraci Marco 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis article addresses the link between pensions and occupational earnings using the example of social security contributions in selected OECD countries. The rules of the pension schemes studied point towards a very strong link between occupational earnings and pension level. However, certain pension calculation methods, through pension calculation parameters or through the existence of tools to compensate for certain career discontinuities, may distort this link in the majority of the countries studied. Therefore, the examination of pension calculation parameters and of solidarity measures attached to retirement is necessary to provide a more finely‐tuned evaluation of the link between occupational earnings and pension level. Ultimately, comparison of pension systems across countries remains challenging given their specificities.
Including informal economy workers in contributory social protection: Current challenges in Latin America
Authors: Sojo Ana 
Published: February 2016

AbstractOwing to a favourable economic situation and to national labour market and social protection policy reforms, Latin America has witnessed significant progress in social protection coverage. Some countries, however, have seen weaker progress, with stagnant coverage levels. Several factors underlie the extension of pensions and health care coverage and the formalization of the labour market: substantial improvements in the quality of employment, more flexible eligibility criteria for contributory coverage, and the strengthening of the supervisory and regulatory roles of the State. This article first addresses the link between social protection and informality in Latin America to show the relationship between informal labour markets, the lack of social protection and the scale of unpaid contributions. Also highlighted is regional progress in extending social protection as a result of labour market formalization. Countries in the region have used various policies to encourage formalization and these have also helped to reduce wage inequalities, since formalization has had especially beneficial effects on low‐income sectors. Finally, we discuss dichotomous views on social protection financing in the region that tend to place contributory and non‐contributory financing in opposition to one another but do so in favour of the latter, tend to support proposals for limited coverage, and which do not challenge the stratification of access to social protection. The move towards a convergence of benefits is deemed essential: strategies to universalize social protection in the region should not focus exclusively on increasing resources, but must address institutional change as a crucial part of the locus of innovation.