bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the farsightedly and myopically stable international environmental agreements
Authors: Osmani Dritan , Tol Richard S.J. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWe investigate the stability of International Environmental Agreements. The analysis of Chwe is extended by investigating the question how to find farsightedly stable coalitions. The myopic stability concept of d'Aspremont, Jacquemin, Gabszeweiz, and Weymark and the farsighted stability concept of Chwe are compared. Farsighted stability, direct and indirect domination are discussed. Considering of the direct domination, we check for the single‐step stability by comparing the profits of every coalition member after one‐step deviation has occurred, while considering the indirect domination (farsightedness) we check for the multistep stability by comparing the profits of every coalition member after a series of deviations have come to an end. On the contrary, myopic stability assumes that players look only one step ahead. The improvement of farsightedly and myopically stable coalitions to the environment quality and welfare are compared. Only the farsightedly stable coalition improves the welfare and abatement by 20% and 79% in comparison to all three myopically stable coalitions together. Algorithms are developed, which can find all farsightedly stable coalitions structures.Considerations for ManagementTaking into account findings, management considerations may include:

Myopically stable coalitions are typically subsets of farsightedly stable coalitions.
Farsightedly stable coalitions are the largest stable coalitions without side payments, and bring the biggest improvement in environmental quality and welfare.
We predict the formation of coalitions that are bigger than myopically stable but smaller than farsightedly stable coalitions. This conclusion is valid under the assumption that transfers are not allowed.
Pharyngeal airway changes following maxillary expansion or protraction: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee W.‐C. , Tu Y.‐K. , Huang C.‐S. , Chen R. , Fu M.‐W. , Fu E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe aim of this meta‐analysis was to investigate the changes in airway dimensions after rapid maxillary expansion (RME) and facemask (FM) protraction. Using PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect and Web of Science, only controlled clinical trials, published up to November 2016, with RME and/or FM as keywords that had ≥6 months follow‐up period were included in this meta‐analysis. The changes in pharyngeal airway dimension in both two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional images were included in the analysis. Nine studies met the criteria. There are statically significant changes in upper airway and nasal passage airway in the intervention groups as compared to the control groups, assessed in two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional images. However , in the lower airway and the airway below the palatal plane, no statistically significant changes are seen in 2D and 3D images. RME/FM treatments might increase the upper airway space in children and young adolescents. However, more RCTs and long‐term cohort studies are needed to further clarify the effects on pharyngeal airway changes.
Global scenarios for fuel oil utilisation under new sulphur and carbon regulations
Authors: Alshammari Yousef M. , Benmerabet Moufid 
Published: December 2017

AbstractFuel oil is an important derivative of crude oil used mainly in marine transport and power generation. The environmental impact of this important energy vector continues to be a major challenge due to its high sulphur and carbon content. In this work, we analyse the impact of sulphur cap and CO2 price on the inter‐competition between fuel oil and alternative low‐sulphur low‐carbon fuels. It was found that the increase in crude oil prices enhances the cost‐effectiveness of using middle distillates compared to using fuel oil with scrubbing systems. In addition, we found that imposing a CO2 price between $50–150/TonCO2 leads to reducing the emissions from fuel oil combustion by up to 87 per cent by 2040. In comparison with previous literature, we show that fuel oil will represent at least 56 per cent by 2030, under the low oil price scenario, if scrubbing systems are implemented in the shipping industry.
The policy implications of the relationship between energy consumption, energy intensity and economic growth in Ghana
Authors: Aboagye Solomon 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe 19739/74 and 1979/1980 oil price shocks coupled with the unreliability of its supply as against the ever‐increasing demand for energy‐based inputs, further reinforced the stern implications that energy may have on economic development reducing energy intensity is often advocated as a way to ensure efficient utilisation of energy resources and minimising the adverse effects of its shortage on economic development. Using the annual time series data set spanning 1981–2014 this study examined, in Ghana where energy crises continue to immense adverse effects on the economy, the relationships between energy consumption and economic growth at the one hand, and that between energy intensity and economic growth on the other hand within the standard Environmental Kuznets Curve framework. In Autoregressive Distributed Lagged model estimation, there was strong evidence of the existence of a valid long‐run relationship between energy consumption and economic growth as well as energy intensity and economic growth.
Factors that drive energy use in Africa: panel data evidence from selected Sub‐Sahara African countries
Authors: Kolawole Aisha , Adesola Sola , De Vita Glauco 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries need adequate energy to achieve socio‐economic growth and development. According to recent statistics, only 30 per cent of the entire population have access to power, making the region the highest in the world with people without access to electricity. This is in sharp contrast with the abundant energy resources available, which could be harnessed to provide the needed energy. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the determinants of aggregate energy demand in SSA. Reliable secondary macroeconomic and energy data were collected from publicly available and widely used databases. The study uses a panel cointegration technique to examine the determinants of energy demand in SSA, over the period from 1980 to 2014, for selected countries in the region. Our results reveal that income is the predominant factor behind the increase in energy demand in SSA, with the highest elasticity. Furthermore, energy demand in SSA conforms to a priori expectations of a negative price elasticity. The results are in line with the theory of demand. Significantly, we also find that urbanisation an important role for energy demand. Stringent energy conservation policy and other recommendations flow from the findings.
Survival and prognostic factors for patients with melanoma brain metastases in the era of modern systemic therapy
Authors: Tio Martin , Wang Xuan , Carlino Matteo S. , Shivalingam Brindha , Fogarty Gerald B. , Guminski Alexander D. , Lo Serigne , Hong Angela M. , Menzies Alexander M. , Long Georgina V. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryHistorically, the prognosis of patients with melanoma brain metastases is poor, with median overall survival (OS) of 4‐6 months. Little is known ofOSin the era of modern systemic therapies and local therapy with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or surgery. Patients diagnosed with melanoma brain metastases at Melanoma Institute Australia from January 2011 to December 2014 were included.OSand prognostic factors were analysed using Cox regression and Kaplan‐Meier survival analyses.355 patients were included. The medianOSwas 7.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0‐8.1). MedianOSdiffered by treatment modality: systemic therapy andSRSand/or surgery 14.9 months (95%CI10.7‐19.0),SRSand/or surgery with or without whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) 6.4 months (95%CI5.4‐7.5), systemic therapy 5.4 months (95%CI3.1‐7.7), systemic therapy andWBRT5.2 months (95%CI4.1‐6.4),WBRT4.4 months (95%CI2.4‐6.3), and best supportive care 1.8 months (95%CI1.2‐2.3).OSfor patients with melanoma brain metastases appears improved in the modern era, particularly for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy withSRSand/or surgery.
Cold plasma: a potential new method to manage postharvest diseases caused by fungal plant pathogens
Authors: Siddique S. S. , Hardy G. E. St. J. , Bayliss K. L. 
Published: December 2017

Development of alternative, chemical‐free approaches for control of postharvest fungi on a commercial scale has become a challenge for plant pathologists in recent years. Although there are several established techniques such as heat that are used as postharvest treatments, they often have disadvantages, including alteration of food quality due to physiological responses to the treatment, or environmental pollution. A promising new postharvest treatment is cold plasma, which is a gas‐derived mix of atoms, excited molecules and charged particles. Cold plasma has no known adverse effects on fresh produce or the environment. It is an established technology in the medical field and has been demonstrated to successfully control bacterial pathogens that cause food safety issues. This review focuses on the potential of cold plasma technology for postharvest disease control, especially those caused by fungi. An overview of plasma generation systems is provided, and in vivo and in vitro research is reviewed to consider benefits, limitations and research gaps in the context of cold plasma as a potential method for controlling postharvest fungal pathogens. Finally, recommendations are provided for the application of this technology in commercial facilities.
Progress toward Pay Equity in State Governments?
Authors: Lewis Gregory B. , Boyd Jonathan , Pathak Rahul 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAre state governments fulfilling their responsibilities to be model employers of women and minorities? Using U.S. Census Bureau data on individual employees from 1980 to 2015, this article looks at how much progress state governments have made toward eliminating racial and gender pay differences. It examines whether differences in education, age/experience, citizenship, English ability, hours worked, and occupation explain the pay differences. Patterns and explanations vary substantially by group, but state governments are doing a better job than private firms of closing pay gaps on almost every measure.
Construction of a Dose–Illness Relationship via Modeling Morbidity and Application to Risk Assessment of Wastewater Reuse
Authors: Gao Tingting , Chen Rong , Liu Yanzheng , Wang Xiaochang C. , Li Yuyou 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA disease burden (DB) evaluation for environmental pathogens is generally performed using disability‐adjusted life years with the aim of providing a quantitative assessment of the health hazard caused by pathogens. A critical step in the preparation for this evaluation is the estimation of morbidity between exposure and disease occurrence. In this study, the method of a traditional dose–response analysis was first reviewed, and then a combination of the theoretical basis of a “single‐hit” and an “infection‐illness” model was performed by incorporating two critical factors: the “infective coefficient” and “infection duration.” This allowed a dose–morbidity model to be built for direct use in DB calculations. In addition, human experimental data for typical intestinal pathogens were obtained for model validation, and the results indicated that the model was well fitted and could be further used for morbidity estimation. On this basis, a real case of a water reuse project was selected for model application, and the morbidity as well as the DB caused by intestinal pathogens during water reuse was evaluated. The results show that the DB attributed to Enteroviruses was significant, while that for enteric bacteria was negligible. Therefore, water treatment technology should be further improved to reduce the exposure risk of Enteroviruses. Since road flushing was identified as the major exposure route, human contact with reclaimed water through this pathway should be limited. The methodology proposed for model construction not only makes up for missing data of morbidity during risk evaluation, but is also necessary to quantify the maximum possible DB.
Investigating the influence of intraindividual changes in perceived stress symptoms on injury risk in soccer
Authors: Clement D. , Ivarsson A. , Tranaeus U. , Johnson U. , Stenling A. 
Published: December 2017

Research has shown that high levels of stress and stress responsivity can increase the risk of injuries. However, most of the research that has supported this notion has focused on between‐person relationships, ignoring the relationships at the within‐person level. As a result, the objective of this study was to investigate if within‐person changes in perceived stress symptoms over a 1‐month time period could predict injury rates during the subsequent 3 months. A prospective design with two measurement points (Time 1—at the beginning of the season and Time 2—1 month into the season) was utilized. A total of 121 competitive soccer players (85 males and 36 females; Mage = 18.39, SD = 3.08) from Sweden and the United States completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (KPDS) and a demographic sheet at Time 1. The KPDS was also completed at Time 2, and all acute injuries that occurred during the subsequent 3‐month period were recorded. A Bayesian latent change scores model was used to determine whether within‐person changes in stress symptoms could predict the risk of injury. Results revealed that there was a credible positive effect of changes in stress symptoms on injury rates, indicating that an increase in reported stress symptoms was related to an increased risk for injury. This finding highlights the importance of creating caring and supportive sporting environments and relationships and teaching stress management techniques, especially during the earlier portion of competitive seasons, to possibly reduce the occurrence of injuries.
Selling Priorities in Space Science: The Power of Scientific Community Consensus
Authors: Alexander Joseph 
Published: December 2017

ObjectiveThis article examines the characteristics of the decadal strategy surveys in the space sciences that have made them so successful, the ways in which that success has been manifested, and the extent to which the process might be adopted by other scientific fields.MethodsThe research draws on available documents (including both contemporary and archival records as well as the author.s personal notes for the period 1980.2012). A key aspect of the research utilizes interviews with approximately 50 current and former government officials and nongovernment scientists who played key roles in the decadal survey process from the 1970s to the present.ResultsThere is probably no space science advisory product that has earned the attention and reputation, year after year, or had an impact to rival that of the National Research Council decadal science strategy surveys. Both government officials and members of the scientific community view those advisory studies as the premier mechanisms for gaining insight into strategic priorities for their fields.ConclusionsThe success of the decadal surveys in selling priorities for the space sciences to both the executive branch and Congress has been mainly due to four factors: (1) broad community participation and consensus, (2) a foundation built on fundamental scientific goals, (3) translation of the goals into rank‐ordered program priorities, and (4) consideration of strategic approaches for dealing with unforeseen problems. Other agencies and scientific communities outside the space sciences would need to be willing and able to commit the time, energy, and resources to embrace all four attributes if they wish to successfully adopt the decadal survey process.
NASA's Quest for Human Spaceflight Popular Appeal*
Authors: Launius Roger D. 
Published: December 2017

ObjectiveAnalyze NASA's efforts to “sell” both its mission and its successes from its origins in 1958 to the present.MethodsUse public opinion polling and qualitative sources to establish change over time.ResultsStudy suggests that NASA's public support was less important than most have previously asserted, and that the overall activities of NASA have been advanced by a small base of supporters, challenged by a small group of opponents, and sustained by a larger number of people who accept a status quo in space exploration.ConclusionA general public lack of support for expending many dollars on spaceflight has been a fundamental reality of NASA since its beginning. It is not changing, and probably not changeable, in the predictive future. Accordingly, NASA's quest for human spaceflight's popular appeal remains an elusive goal.
Kidney transplantation and waitlist mortality rates among candidates registered as willing to accept a hepatitis C infected kidney
Authors: Shelton Brittany A. , Sawinski Deirdre , Mehta Shikha , Reed Rhiannon D. , MacLennan Paul A. , Locke Jayme E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundHCV‐infected (HCV+) ESRD patients derive significant survival benefit from kidney transplantation (KT) over remaining on dialysis. Given high mortality rates on dialysis and the unique ability to accept HCV+ and HCV‐ donor kidneys, understanding their access to KT is essential.MethodsThree thousand nine hundred and sixty‐three adult kidney‐only candidates reported as willing to accept an HCV+ kidney from 2008 to 2014 were identified and assumed to be HCV+. Time‐at‐risk began at date of listing. Cumulative incidence of transplant and waitlist mortality were assessed using competing risks, and separate mixed effects Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine waitlist mortality and transplantation rates. All models were adjusted for candidate demographic and clinical characteristics with a random effect for listing organ procurement organization with nested listing center.ResultsHCV+ candidates were commonly older (>50 years: 82.6%), African American (52.8%), and male (73.6%). Five years after listing, 35.5% of candidates were transplanted with an HCV+ donor kidney, 9.7% transplanted with an HCV‐ donor kidney, and 23.6% died on the waitlist. Overall transplant rates exceeded waitlist mortality rates (22.69 vs 11.45 per 100 person‐years [PY]), largely driven by transplantation with HCV+ donor kidneys. Utilization of HCV+ donor kidneys was associated with increased transplantation rate (17.72 per 100 PY), while rate of transplant with HCV‐ donor kidneys was much lower (4.97 per 100 PY) than waitlist mortality (11.45 per 100 PY).ConclusionIn light of effective HCV therapies, it may be prudent to institute strategies to decrease waiting time and waitlist mortality for HCV+ candidates by increasing utilization of HCV+ donor kidneys.
Development of a theoretical framework of factors affecting patient safety incident reporting: a theoretical review of the literature
Authors: Archer Stephanie , Hull Louise , Soukup Tayana , Mayer Erik , Athanasiou Thanos , Sevdalis Nick , Darzi Ara 
Published: December 2017

ObjectivesThe development and implementation of incident reporting systems within healthcare continues to be a fundamental strategy to reduce preventable patient harm and improve the quality and safety of healthcare. We sought to identify factors contributing to patient safety incident reporting.DesignTo facilitate improvements in incident reporting, a theoretical framework, encompassing factors that act as barriers and enablers ofreporting, was developed. Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R) and PsycINFO were searched to identify relevant articles published between January 1980 and May 2014. A comprehensive search strategy including MeSH terms and keywords was developed to identify relevant articles. Data were extracted by three independent researchers; to ensure the accuracy of data extraction, all studies eligible for inclusion were rescreened by two reviewers.ResultsThe literature search identified 3049 potentially eligible articles; of these, 110 articles, including >29 726 participants, met the inclusion criteria. In total, 748 barriers were identified (frequency count) across the 110 articles. In comparison, 372 facilitators to incident reporting and 118 negative cases were identified. The top two barriers cited were fear of adverse consequences (161, representing 21.52% of barriers) and process and systems of reporting (110, representing 14.71% of barriers). In comparison, the top two facilitators were organisational (97, representing 26.08% of facilitators) and process and systems of reporting (75, representing 20.16% of facilitators).ConclusionA wide range of factors contributing to engagement in incident reporting exist. Efforts that address the current tendency to under-report must consider the full range of factors in order to develop interventions as well as a strategic policy approach for improvement.
Computational studies of the Mn4/Ca cluster in photosystem II
Authors: Baituti Bernard 
Published: December 2017

Computational chemistry with the data from more detailed X-ray diffraction (XRD) oxygen evolving complex (OEC) structure has been used extensively of late in exploring the mechanisms of water oxidation in the OEC. The study reported in this paper involves density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate whether the data are in agreement with the four manganese ions in the OEC, being organized as a ‘3[Formula: see text]1’ (trimer plus one) model [Gatt et al. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51, 12025–12028, 2012; Petrie et al. Chemistry - A European Journal, 21, 6780–6792, 2015; Terrett et al. Chemical Communications, 50, 3187–3190, 2014] or ‘dimer of dimers’ model. [Terrett et al. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 162, 178–189, 2016]. The data analysis method used involves quantum chemical DFT calculations on relevant models of the OEC cluster. DFT calculations were performed using both the so-called ‘open’ and ‘closed’ forms [Terrett et al. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 162, 178–189, 2016] of the S2OEC structure models with total spin ([Formula: see text]) 1/2, 7/2, 9/2 and 15/2 within the MnIIIMnIVMnIIIMnIII‘low’ oxidation paradigm to examine exchange coupling within the OEC cluster. The results show that the [Formula: see text]-coupling in the ‘closed’ form: [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]. In the ‘closed’ form, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] represent the two largest exchange interactions within the manganese cluster, whereas [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are small and almost net cancel. The magnetic coupling between the four Mn ions is close to ‘dimer of dimers’, with both dimers anti-ferromagnetically coupled internally and with weak inter-dimer net coupling.