bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In vitrofermentability and prebiotic potential of soyabean Okara by human faecal microbiota
Authors: Pérez-López E. , Cela D. , Costabile A. , Mateos-Aparicio I. , Rupérez P. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractAt present, there is a huge interest in finding new prebiotics from agrofood industrial waste, such as the soyabean by-product Okara, rich in insoluble dietary fibre. A previous treatment of Okara with high hydrostatic pressure assisted by the food-grade enzymeUltraflo®L achieved a 58·2 % increment in its soluble dietary fibre (SDF) contents. Therefore, potential prebiotic effect of both treated and native Okara was assayed using 48 h, pH-controlled, anaerobic batch cultures inoculated with human faecal slurries, which simulate the human gut. Changes in faecal microbiota were evaluated using 16S rRNA-based fluorescencein situhybridisation, whereas release of SCFA and lactic acid was assessed by HPLC. Both Okara samples exhibited potential prebiotic effects but Okara treated to maximise its SDF content showed higher SCFA plus lactic acid, better growth promotion of beneficial bacteria, including bifidobacteria after 4 and 48 h and lactobacilli after 4 h of fermentation, and a greater inhibition of potentially harmful bacterial groups such as clostridia and Bacteroides. Differences found between fructo-oligosaccharides and Okara substrates could be attributed to the great complexity of Okara’s cell wall, which would need longer times to be fermented than other easily digested molecules, thus allowing an extended potential prebiotic effect. These results support anin vitropotential prebiotic effect of Okara.
APULEIUS, METAMORPHOSES 11.23.5
Authors: Rudoni Elia R. 
Published: July 2016

quaeras forsitan satis anxie, studiose lector, quid deinde dictum, quid factum. dicerem, si dicere liceret; cognosceres, si liceret audire. sed parem noxam contraherent et aures et lingua[e] < … > illae temerariae curiositatis.
In spite of the reader's curiosity, the narrator will not break the secrecy of Isis’ mysteries. Precisely an act of curiositas had brought about Lucius’ transformation into an ass; at the end of the novel he demonstrates that he has learnt his lesson.
‘WHY ARE DIONYSIAN ARTISTS MOSTLY WORTHLESS PEOPLE?’ ARISTOTLE'S ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑΤΑ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΑ IN CONTEXT
Authors: Meeusen Michiel 
Published: July 2016

ὥστε καθάπερ τοὺς ὑποκρινομένους,οὕτως ὑποληπτέον λέγειν καὶ τοὺς ἀκρατευομένους.Arist. Eth. Nic. 7.3.1147a22-4In Attic Nights (= NA) 20.4, Aulus Gellius reports how his Athenian teacher, the Platonist L. Calvenus Taurus (fl. c.a.d. 145), advised one of his pupils to temper his devotion to stage actors and to turn his attention to the study of philosophy. Wishing to divert his (rich) student from associating with theatre people (hominum scaenicorum), Taurus assigned the daily reading of a specific chapter from Aristotle's Προβλήματα Ἐγκύκλια (= fr. 209 Rose). He sent his student an extract from the book, which Gellius quotes (in Greek): ‘Why are Dionysian artists mostly worthless people?’—the problem is still extant in the Aristotelian collection of Problemata physica that came down to us (Pr. 30.10.956b11–15). The explanation Aristotle suggested (in Gellius’ version) is that ‘these men are least familiar with reason and philosophy (λόγου καὶ φιλοσοφίας), since they devote most of their life to the necessary arts (ἀναγκαίας τέχνας), and because they are in an intemperate state (ἐν ἀκρασίαις) most of the time, sometimes even in difficulties (ἐν ἀπορίαις), both of which conditions cause meanness (φαυλότητος)’.
Victory and Defeat: The Contentious Politics of One Generation of State Workers in China since the 1960s
Authors: Li Ju 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBy analysing and comparing three waves of contentious collective action employed by the pioneering generation of Chinese state workers at one particular state-owned enterprise from the 1960s to the present, this study aims to explain its varying forms and to analyse its effectiveness in different historical periods. I argue that the changing political opportunity structure in various historical contexts has greatly conditioned workers’ “repertoire of contention” at each moment and, hence, significantly affected the processes, strategies, and outcomes of workers’ contentious collective action. This article highlights the paradoxical role of the socialist social contract as a potential but crucial component of “the repertoire of contention”, by arguing that different interpretations of the contract, as conditioned by a certain political opportunity structure in different historical periods, could either empower or disempower workers. Both archival and oral history research are used in this study.
National Liberation for Whom? The Postcolonial Question, the Communist Party of Great Britain, and the Party’s African and Caribbean Membership
Authors: Smith Evan 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) had a long tradition of anti-colonial activism since its foundation in 1920 and had been a champion of national liberation within the British Empire. However, the Party also adhered to the idea that Britain’s former colonies, once independent, would want to join a trade relationship with their former coloniser, believing that Britain required these forms of relationship to maintain supplies of food and raw materials. This position was maintained into the 1950s until challenged in 1956–1957 by the Party’s African and Caribbean membership, seizing the opportunity presented by the fallout of the political crises facing the CPGB in 1956. I argue in this article that this challenge was an important turning point for the Communist Party’s view on issues of imperialism and race, and also led to a burst of anti-colonial and anti-racist activism. But this victory by its African and Caribbean members was short-lived, as the political landscape and agenda of the CPGB shifted in the late 1960s.
What Is the Nature of Hedge Fund Manager Skills? Evidence from the Risk-Arbitrage Strategy
Authors: Cao Charles , Goldie Bradley A. , Liang Bing , Petrasek Lubomir 
Published: July 2016

AbstractTo understand the nature of hedge fund managers’ skills, we study the implementation of risk arbitrage by hedge funds using their portfolio holdings and comparing them with those of other institutional arbitrageurs. We find that hedge funds significantly outperform a naive risk-arbitrage portfolio by 3.7% annually on a risk-adjusted basis, whereas non–hedge fund arbitrageurs fail to outperform the benchmark. Our analysis reveals that hedge funds’ superior performance does not reflect fund managers’ ability to predict or affect the outcome of merger and acquisition deals; rather, hedge fund managers’ superior performance is attributed to their ability to manage downside risk.
The Price of Street Friends: Social Networks, Informed Trading, and Shareholder Costs
Authors: Cai Jie , Walkling Ralph A. , Yang Ke 
Published: July 2016

AbstractRecent studies suggest the transfer of privileged information via social ties but do not explicitly examine the cost of these ties to shareholders. We document a significant positive relation between stock transaction costs and a company’s social ties to the investment community. Social ties based on education and leisure activities, stronger ties, and ties to individuals responsible for trading have greater effects. Using investment connection deaths as natural experiments, we document that exogenous severance of ties reduces trading costs and trading activities by connected parties. Our evidence illustrates an important and previously undocumented consequence of social ties.
Corporate Boards and SEOs: The Effect of Certification and Monitoring
Authors: Ferreira Miguel , Laux Paul 
Published: July 2016

AbstractIn a sample of underwritten seasoned equity offerings (SEOs), issuers with boards dominated by independent directors experience higher abnormal announcement returns than issuers with boards dominated by insiders. Firm size, transparency, and other governance characteristics do not explain the effect of board independence. The positive relation between board independence and SEO returns is more pronounced for firms with lower monitoring costs and more severe financial constraints. The evidence suggests that independent directors have a positive effect because of their role in controlling both shareholder–manager conflicts (monitoring the use of funds) and current–new shareholder conflicts (certification of the issue’s value).
Risk, Uncertainty, and Expected Returns
Authors: Bali Turan G. , Zhou Hao 
Published: July 2016

AbstractA conditional asset pricing model with risk and uncertainty implies that the time-varying exposures of equity portfolios to the market and uncertainty factors carry positive risk premia. The empirical results from the size, book-to-market, momentum, and industry portfolios indicate that the conditional covariances of equity portfolios with market and uncertainty predict the time-series and cross-sectional variation in stock returns. We find that equity portfolios that are highly correlated with economic uncertainty proxied by the variance risk premium (VRP) carry a significant annualized 8% premium relative to portfolios that are minimally correlated with VRP.
Delusional disorder and schizophrenia: a comparative study across multiple domains
Authors: Peralta V. , Cuesta M. J. 
Published: July 2016

BackgroundDelusional disorder (DD) is an under-researched condition and its relationship to schizophrenia (SZ) controversial. This study aimed to further characterize DD and to examine multi-domain evidence for the distinction between DD and SZ.MethodUsing univariate analyses we examined 146 subjects with DD, 114 subjects with paranoid SZ and 244 subjects with non-paranoid SZ on 52 characteristics from several domains including demographics, risk factors, premorbid features, illness characteristics, index episode features, delusional-related features, response to treatment and outcome. In a further step, we searched for independent associations of the examined characteristics with DD v. SZ.ResultsUnivariate analyses showed that DD differed from either form of SZ in 40 characteristics, the pattern of findings indicated that paranoid SZ was much more similar to non-paranoid SZ than DD. Relative to subjects with SZ, those with DD were more likely to have drug abuse before illness onset, better premorbid sexual adjustment, later age at illness onset, higher levels of affective symptoms and lack of insight, poorer response to antipsychotic medication, better functioning in the domains of personal care, paid work and social functioning; last, subjects with DD had fewer but more severe delusions and higher ratings of conviction of delusional experience than those with SZ. Predominance of jealousy and somatic delusions was confined to subjects with DD.ConclusionsDD and SZ represent two distinct classes of disorders, the differential features of DD being of nosological, aetiological and therapeutic relevance.
The long-term outcome of subthreshold depression in later life
Authors: Jeuring H. W. , Huisman M. , Comijs H. C. , Stek M. L. , Beekman A. T. F. 
Published: July 2016

BackgroundSubthreshold depression (SUBD) in later life is common and important as prodromal state and prominent risk factor in the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). Indicated prevention can reduce the incidence of MDD among people with SUBD substantially, but needs to be targeted to those that are truly at risk of developing MDD.MethodN = 341 eligible participants with SUBD were included from the first (1992/1993), second (1995/1996) and third (1998/1999) cycle from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) by using a two-stage screening design. LASA is an ongoing prospective cohort study in The Netherlands among the older population (55–85 years). At baseline (1992/1993) N = 3107 participants were interviewed and follow-up cycles were conducted every 3 years until 2008/2009, resulting in maximal 17 years of observational period. The proportion of people that developed MDD, remained SUBD, or recovered from SUBD was measured and Cox proportional regression analyses were performed to investigate 29 putative predictors of MDD and recovery from SUBD.ResultsN = 153 (44.9%) recovered from SUBD, N = 138 (40.5%) remained chronically SUBD, and N = 50 (14.7%) developed MDD (incidence rate 15.1/1000 person-years). Women, high neuroticism, more chronic diseases, high body mass index, smoking and less social support predicted conversion to MDD. Men, low neuroticism and absence of pain predicted recovery from SUBD.ConclusionsAlthough older people with SUBD are clearly at risk of developing MDD, the majority did not, even after a long and thorough follow-up. Given the risk factors that were uncovered, targeting and prevention of MDD in those at very high risk is feasible.
Patterns of tree species composition at watershed-scale in the Amazon ‘arc of deforestation’: implications for conservation
Authors: MORANDI PAULO SÉRGIO , MARIMON BEATRIZ SCHWANTES , EISENLOHR PEDRO V. , MARIMON-JUNIOR BEN HUR , OLIVEIRA-SANTOS CLAUDINEI , FELDPAUSCH TED R. , DE OLIVEIRA EDMAR ALMEIDA , REIS SIMONE MATIAS , LLOYD JON , PHILLIPS OLIVER L. 
Published: July 2016

SUMMARYThe loss of biodiversity in transitional forests between the Cerrado and Amazonia, the two largest neotropical phytogeographic domains, is an issue of great concern. This extensive region is located within the ‘arc of deforestation’ zone where tropical forests are being lost at the fastest rate on the planet, but floristic diversity and variation among forests here is still poorly understood. We aimed to characterize the floristic composition of forests in this zone and explored the degree and drivers of differentiation within and across Araguaia and Xingu watersheds. In 10 sites we identified all trees with diameter ≥10 cm; these totaled 4944 individuals in 257 species, 107 genera and 52 families. We evaluated the data for multivariate variation using TWINSPAN and DCA to understand the species distribution among sites. There was a larger contribution from the Amazonian flora (169 species) than that of the Cerrado (109) to the transitional forests. Remarkably, 142 species (55%) were restricted to only one sampling site, while 29 species (>16%) are endemic to Brazil, suggesting potentially large loss of species and unique forest communities with the loss and fragmentation of large areas. Our results also suggest that watersheds may be a critical factor driving species distribution among forests in the Amazonian–Cerrado transition zone, and quantifying their role can provide powerful insight into devising better conservation strategies for the remaining forests.
Effect of waist circumference on the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and serum lipids: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2006
Authors: Vogt Susanne , Baumert Jens , Peters Annette , Thorand Barbara , Scragg Robert 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the interaction between waist circumference (WC) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level in their associations with serum lipids.DesignCross-sectional study. The associations of serum 25(OH)D with total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), LDL-C:HDL-C and TAG were examined using multiple linear regression. Effect modification by WC was assessed through cross-product interaction terms between 25(OH)D and WC categories (abdominal overweight, 80–<88 cm in females/94–<102 cm in males; abdominal obesity, ≥88 cm in females/≥102 cm in males).SettingThe US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey waves 2001–2006.SubjectsNon-pregnant fasting participants (n 4342) aged ≥20 years.ResultsLower 25(OH)D levels were significantly associated with lower HDL-C levels as well as with higher LDL-C:HDL-C and TAG levels in abdominally obese participants, but not in abdominally overweight or normal-waist participants. In contrast, lower 25(OH)D levels were associated with lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C in abdominally overweight and normal-waist participants only, but this association was only partly significant. However, a significant difference in the association between 25(OH)D and the lipids according to WC category was found only for LDL-C:HDL-C (P for interaction=0·02).ConclusionsOur results from this large, cross-sectional sample suggest that the association between lower 25(OH)D levels and an unfavourable lipid profile is stronger in individuals with abdominal obesity than in those with abdominal overweight or a normal WC.
The nutrition transition and adolescents’ diets in low- and middle-income countries: a cross-cohort comparison
Authors: Aurino Elisabetta , Fernandes Meena , Penny Mary E 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate changes in dietary diversity and dietary composition among adolescents in four developing countries.DesignWe analysed dietary diversity and consumption of seven food groups and foods with added sugars as reported by adolescents from two cohorts growing up 8 years apart, when they were aged about 12 years.SettingEthiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam in 2006 and 2013.SubjectsAdolescents (n3659) from the older cohort (OC) born in 1995/96 and adolescents (n7422) from the younger cohort (YC) born in 2001/02 (N11 081).ResultsControlling for other factors, dietary diversity increased in Peru (OC=4·89, YC=5·34,P<0·001) and Ethiopia (OC=3·52, YC=3·94,P=0·001). Dietary diversity was stable in India (OC=4·28, YC=4·29,P=0·982) and Vietnam (OC=4·71, YC=4·73,P=0·814); however, changes in dietary composition were observed. YC adolescents were more likely to consume eggs (India: +32 %,P=0·038; Vietnam: +50 %,P<0·001) and milk and dairy (India: +12 %,P=0·029; Vietnam: +46 %,P<0·001). Other notable shifts included meat consumption in Peru (+72 %,P<0·001) and consumption of fruit and vegetables in Ethiopia (+36 %,P<0·001). Compared with OC, the prevalence of added sugar consumption was greater among the YC in Ethiopia (+35 %,P=0·001) and Vietnam (+44 %P<0·001). Between 2006 and 2013, disparities in dietary diversity associated with household wealth and place of residence declined, although this varied by country. No marked gender disparities in dietary diversity were evident.ConclusionsWe found significant changes over time in dietary diversity among adolescents in four countries consistent with the hypothesis of the nutrition transition.
Effects of a lifestyle modification programme to reduce the number of risk factors for metabolic syndrome: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Watanabe Mariko , Yokotsuka Masako , Yamaoka Kazue , Adachi Misa , Nemoto Asuka , Tango Toshiro 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of a personal support lifestyle education programme (PSMetS) for reducing risk factors in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS).DesignA two-arm randomised controlled trial.SettingCompanies in metropolitan Tokyo, Japan.SubjectsMale workers with diagnosed MetS or a high risk for MetS according to the Counselling Guidance Program, Japan (n 193).ResultsThe reduction in the number of risk factors for MetS (as defined according to the criteria published by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in April 2007 (MHLW-MetS)) in the PSMetS group was not significantly different from that in the usual care group by van Elteren’s test (baseline-adjusted P=0·075) for intention-to-treat (ITT), while it was significant (baseline-adjusted P=0·038) for per-protocol set (PPS). The proportion of MHLW-MetS was significantly different between groups by van Elteren’s test (baseline-adjusted P=0·031). Two components of MHLW-MetS showed significant reductions in the PSMetS group: waist circumference (baseline-adjusted P=0·001) and BMI (baseline-adjusted P=0·002). PPS and ITT analyses showed similar results.ConclusionsFor male workers with MHLW-MetS or a high risk of MHLW-MetS, PSMetS reduced the number of risk factors for MHLW-MetS.
Association between dietary patterns and blood lipid profiles among Chinese women
Authors: Zhang Jiguo , Wang Zhihong , Wang Huijun , Du Wenwen , Su Chang , Zhang Ji , Jiang Hongru , Jia Xiaofang , Huang Feifei , Zhai Fengying , Zhang Bing 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe present study aimed to identify dietary patterns and explore their associations with blood lipid profiles among Chinese women.DesignIn a cross-sectional study, we identified dietary patterns using principal component analysis of data from three consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. The China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) collected blood samples in the morning after an overnight fast and measured total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and TAG.SettingData were from the 2009 wave of the CHNS.SubjectsWe studied 2468 women aged 18–80 years from the CHNS.ResultsWe identified three dietary patterns: traditional southern (high intakes of rice, pork and vegetables), snack (high intakes of fruits, eggs and cakes) and Western (high intakes of poultry, fast foods and milk). The traditional southern pattern was inversely associated with HDL-C (β=−0·68; 95 % CI −1·22, −0·14; P<0·05). The snack pattern was significantly associated with higher TAG (β=4·14; 95 % CI 0·44, 7·84; P<0·05). The Western pattern was positively associated with TC (β=2·52; 95 % CI 1·03, 4·02; P<0·01) and LDL-C (β=2·26; 95 % CI 0·86, 3·66; P<0·01).ConclusionsWe identified three dietary patterns that are significantly associated with blood lipid profiles. This information is important for developing interventions and policies addressing dyslipidaemia prevention among Chinese women.
Consistency and trust in peer data exchange systems
Authors: BERTOSSI LEOPOLDO , BRAVO LORETO 
Published: July 2016

AbstractWe propose and investigate a semantics for peer data exchange systems where different peers are related by data exchange constraints and trust relationships. These two elements plus the data at the peers' sites and their local integrity constraints are made compatible via a semantics that characterizes sets of solution instances for the peers. They are the intended – possibly virtual – instances for a peer that are obtained through a data repair semantics that we introduce and investigate. The semantically correct answers from a peer to a query, the so-called peer consistent answers, are defined as those answers that are invariant under all its different solution instances. We show that solution instances can be specified as the models of logic programs with a stable model semantics. The repair semantics is based on null values as used in SQL databases, and is also of independent interest for repairs of single databases with respect to integrity constraints.