bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Labor Demand Shocks on the Housing Market
Authors: Strobel Johannes , Nguyen Thanh Binh , Lee Gabriel 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis article shows that macroeconomic uncertainty affects the housing market in two significant ways. First, uncertainty shocks adversely affect housing prices but not the quantities that are traded. Controlling for a broad set of variables in fixed‐effects regressions, we find that uncertainty shocks reduce both housing prices and median sales prices in the amount of 1.4% and 1.8%, respectively, but the effect is not statistically significant for the percentage changes of all homes sold. Second, when both uncertainty and local demand shocks are introduced, the effects of uncertainty on the housing market dominate that of local labor demand shocks on housing prices, median sale prices, the share of houses selling for a loss and transactions. The aforementioned effects are largest for the states that exhibit relatively high housing price volatilities, suggesting real options effects in the housing market during the times of high uncertainty.
Serological, genetic and clinical associations with increased health‐care resource utilization in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Gu Phillip , Kapur Anshika , Li Dalin , Haritunians Talin , Vasiliauskas Eric , Shih David Q , Targan Stephan R , Spiegel Brennan MR , Mcgovern Dermot PB , Black Jeanne T , Melmed Gil Y 
Published: December 2017

OBJECTIVEInflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are associated with significant morbidity and economic burden. The variable course of IBD creates a need for predictors of clinical outcomes and health resource utilization (HRU) to guide treatment decisions. We aimed to identify clinical, serological or genetic markers associated with inpatient resource utilization in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).METHODSPatients with IBD with available genetic and serological data who had at least one emergency department visit or hospitalization in a 3‐year period were included. The primary outcome measure was HRU, as measured by the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Group classification system. Univariate and multivariate linear and logistic regression models were used to identify the associations with HRU.RESULTSAltogether 858 (562 CD and 296 UC) patients were included. Anti‐CBir1 seropositivity (P = 0.002, effect size [ES]: 0.762, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.512–1.012) and low socioeconomic status (P = 0.005, ES: 1.620 [95% CI 1.091–2.149]) were independently associated with a high HRU. CD diagnosis (P = 0.006, ES: –0.701 [95% CI –0.959 to –0.443]) was independently associated with a low inpatient HRU.CONCLUSIONIn patients with IBD who required at least one emergency department visit or hospitalization, anti‐CBir1 antibody status may be a useful biomarker of HRU when formulating management strategies to reduce disease complications and resource utilization.
How financial investment distorts food prices: evidence from U.S. grain markets
Authors: van Huellen Sophie 
Published: December 2017

AbstractConvergence between commodity futures prices and the underlying physical assets at each contract's expiration date is a pivotal condition for the market's functioning. Between 2005 and 2010, convergence failed for several U.S. grain markets. This article presents a price pressure‐augmented commodity storage model that links the scale of nonconvergence to financial investment channeled through indices, which are traded in commodity futures markets. The model is empirically tested, using Markov regime‐switching regression analysis. Regression results strongly support the model's predicted link between index investment and the extent of nonconvergence for three grains traded at the Chicago Board of Trade: wheat, corn, and soybeans.
Increasing agricultural productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in sub‐Saharan Africa: myth or reality?
Authors: Majiwa Eucabeth , Lee Boon L. , Wilson Clevo 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe motivation for this study stems from two major concerns that are interlinked. The first is the decades long food insecurity crisis faced by sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries which is still prevalent. The second is the negative impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture may have on future food production and which is likely to worsen the food insecurity problem. The conundrum SSA farmers face is how to increase food output through productivity growth while minimizing GHG emissions. To measure changes in productivity growth and GHG emissions, this study evaluates the agricultural performance of 18 SSA countries by utilizing the Malmquist–Luenberger index to incorporate good and bad outputs for the years 1980–2012. The empirical evidence demonstrates that productivity is overestimated when bad outputs are not considered in the production model. The analysis provides a better understanding of the effectiveness of previous mitigation methods and which informs an appropriate course of action needed to achieve the twin objectives of increasing agriculture productivity while reducing GHG emissions.
Early visual outcomes and optical quality after femtosecond laser small‐incision lenticule extraction for myopia and myopic astigmatism correction of over −10 dioptres
Authors: Qin Bing , Li Meiyan , Chen Xun , Sekundo Walter , Zhou Xingtao 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPurposeTo investigate early visual and refractive outcomes, corneal stability and optical quality after femtosecond laser small‐incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) for treating myopia and myopic astigmatism over −10 D.MethodsThirty eyes (30 patients) with myopia and myopic astigmatism of over −10 D were treated with VisuMax® femtosecond laser (version 3.0; Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany). Six months postoperative safety, efficacy and predictability were evaluated. Corneal Scheimpflug topography was measured preoperatively, 1 day, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. Wavefront aberrations were measured preoperatively, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively.ResultsSix months postoperatively, LogMAR uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were −0.013 ± 0.086 and −0.073 ± 0.069, respectively. 73% (97%) of eyes were within 0.5 (1) D of target refraction. No eyes lost CDVA, 43% (13 eyes) gained one line and 7% (two eyes) gained two lines. Mean corneal back curvature (KMB) and posterior central elevation (PCE) did not change significantly comparing preoperative and 6 months postoperative data (p = 0.91 and 0.77, respectively). Comparing 1 day with 6 months postoperative data, central corneal thickness (CCT), mean corneal front curvature (KMF), KMB and PCE did not change significantly (p = 0.27, 0.07, 0.52, 0.71, respectively). Total higher‐order aberration (HOA), spherical aberration and coma increased significantly (p < 0.01) but trefoil remained stable (p = 0.49).ConclusionOur results indicate that SMILE can correct myopia and myopic astigmatism of over −10 D predictably. No early ectasia was observed. Long‐term changes in visual quality and corneal stability require further investigation.
Tendinous tissue properties after short‐ and long‐term functional overload: Differences between controls, 12 weeks and 4 years of resistance training
Authors: Massey G. J. , Balshaw T. G. , Maden‐Wilkinson T. M. , Folland J. P. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAimThe potential for tendinous tissues to adapt to functional overload, especially after several years of exposure to heavy‐resistance training, is largely unexplored. This study compared the morphological and mechanical characteristics of the patellar tendon and knee extensor tendon‐aponeurosis complex between young men exposed to long‐term (4 years; n = 16), short‐term (12 weeks; n = 15) and no (untrained controls; n = 39) functional overload in the form of heavy‐resistance training.MethodsPatellar tendon cross‐sectional area, vastus lateralis aponeurosis area and quadriceps femoris volume, plus patellar tendon stiffness and Young's modulus, and tendon‐aponeurosis complex stiffness, were quantified with MRI, dynamometry and ultrasonography.ResultsAs expected, long‐term trained had greater muscle strength and volume (+58% and +56% vs untrained, both P < .001), as well as a greater aponeurosis area (+17% vs untrained, P < .01), but tendon cross‐sectional area (mean and regional) was not different between groups. Only long‐term trained had reduced patellar tendon elongation/strain over the whole force/stress range, whilst both short‐term and long‐term overload groups had similarly greater stiffness/Young's modulus at high force/stress (short‐term +25/22%, and long‐term +17/23% vs untrained; all P < .05). Tendon‐aponeurosis complex stiffness was not different between groups (ANOVA, P = .149).ConclusionDespite large differences in muscle strength and size, years of resistance training did not induce tendon hypertrophy. Both short‐term and long‐term overload demonstrated similar increases in high‐force mechanical and material stiffness, but reduced elongation/strain over the whole force/stress range occurred only after years of overload, indicating a force/strain specific time‐course to these adaptations.
Detecting Treatment Differences in Group Sequential Longitudinal Studies with Covariate Adjustment
Authors: Jeffries Neal O. , Troendle James F. , Geller Nancy L. 
Published: December 2017

Summary
In longitudinal studies comparing two treatments over a series of common follow-up measurements, there may be interest in determining if there is a treatment difference at any follow-up period when there may be a non-monotone treatment effect over time. To evaluate this question, Jeffries and Geller (2015) examined a number of clinical trial designs that allowed adaptive choice of the follow-up time exhibiting the greatest evidence of treatment difference in a group sequential testing setting with Gaussian data. The methods are applicable when a few measurements were taken at prespecified follow-up periods. Here, we test the intersection null hypothesis of no difference at any follow-up time versus the alternative that there is a difference for at least one follow-up time. Results of Jeffries and Geller (2015) are extended by considering a broader range of modeled data and the inclusion of covariates using generalized estimating equations. Testing procedures are developed to determine a set of follow-up times that exhibit a treatment difference that accounts for multiplicity in follow-up times and interim analyses.
Cucurbitacin‐B attenuates CCl4‐induced hepatic fibrosis in mice through inhibition of STAT‐3
Authors: Sallam Alaliaa M. , Esmat Ahmed , Abdel‐Naim Ashraf B. 
Published: December 2017

Liver fibrosis is a major health concern worldwide. Inhibitors of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) have been reported to attenuate experimental liver fibrosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential ameliorative effect of cucurbitacin‐B (Cucu‐B) against CCl4‐induced liver fibrosis in mice. Treatment with Cucu‐B (5 mg/kg) preserved hepatocellular membrane integrity and amended the metabolic function as indicated by preventing the rise of serum liver function markers. This was confirmed histologically. CCl4‐induced oxidative stress was improved by Cucu‐B treatment (1 and 5 mg/kg). Furthermore, Cucu‐B treatment ameliorated the fibrotic state as evidenced by inhibiting the rise of hydroxyproline liver content and mitigating the overexpressions of collagen‐1α, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) as well as the downexpression of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) mRNA. Importantly, STAT3 activity was inhibited by Cucu‐B as confirmed by decreased phosphorylation of STAT3 without changing total STAT3 expression. This was substantiated by the reduced Bcl‐2 together with increased Bax mRNA expressions with subsequent elevation of Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio. In conclusion, Cucu‐B hampers CCl4‐induced liver fibrosis in mice. This can be attributed—at least partly—to inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and STAT3 signalling.
The social functions of babbling: acoustic and contextual characteristics that facilitate maternal responsiveness
Authors: Albert Rachel R. , Schwade Jennifer A. , Goldstein Michael H. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWhat is the social function of babbling? An important function of prelinguistic vocalizing may be to elicit parental behavior in ways that facilitate the infant's own learning about speech and language. Infants use parental feedback to their babbling to learn new vocal forms, but the microstructure of parental responses to babbling has not been studied. To enable precise manipulation of the proximal infant cues that may influence maternal behavior, we used a playback paradigm to assess mothers’ responsiveness to prerecorded audiovisual clips of unfamiliar infants’ noncry prelinguistic vocalizations and actions. Acoustic characteristics and directedness of vocalizations were manipulated to test their efficacy in structuring social interactions. We also compared maternal responsiveness in the playback paradigm and in free play with their own infants. Maternal patterns of reactions to babbling were stable across both tasks. In the playback task, we found specific vocal cues, such as the degree of resonance and the transition timing of consonant‐vowel syllables, predicted contingent maternal responding. Vocalizations directed at objects also facilitated increased responsiveness. The responses mothers exhibited, such as sensitive speech and vocal imitation, are known to facilitate vocal learning and development. Infants, by influencing the behavior of their caregivers with their babbling, create social interactions that facilitate their own communicative development.
Ulama in Islamic Law‐Making and Adjudication in Contemporary Egypt
Authors: Alaoudh Abdullah 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe article examines the legislative and judicial tasks of Islamic jurists and how they carried it out in constitutional or general legal structure. While the Pakistani experiment was inspired by the Iranian model of jurists' involvement in legislatures, Egypt took a different path by not recognizing any official role for Islamic jurists with ambiguous recognition of Islamic jurisprudence. The legislative role could take the form of incorporating Islamic jurists into the legislature, establishing a committee partially made up of Islamic jurists, or handing over some legislative task to an Islamic jurisprudential institution. Despite the fact that Islamization was intended to respond to the people's requests, it employed autocratic and authoritarian mechanisms. The project attempted to replace the typical class of socially recognized jurists with appointed committees entrusted with Islamic codification. The experiment was challenged for its operation and its Islamicity but never introduced Shari'a courts or Islamic clerical legislation.
Improving water service to the urban poor through delegated management: Lessons from the city of Kisumu, Kenya
Authors: Nzengya Daniel M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPartnerships like the delegated management model (DMM), in which a utility delegates management of infrastructure and service delivery to slum residents, are being promoted to improve services to the urban slums in sub‐Saharan Africa. However, there is little empirical evidence of the benefits that DMM offers beneficiaries and its potential limitations. This study, conducted in 2013, compared water service in two slums in the city of Kisumu in Kenya where DMM has been implemented with another where it has not been implemented. Results showed that DMM had lowered the cost of water compared to water kiosks in neighbourhoods in which DMM had not been implemented. The study findings contribute toward an evidence base for stakeholders and regulators who see an opportunity in the integration of DMM into local drinking water provision solutions in urban slums.
Cortical stimulation relieves parkinsonian pathological activity in vitro
Authors: Aparicio‐Juárez Ariadna , Duhne Mariana , Lara‐González Esther , Ávila‐Cascajares Fátima , Calderón Vladimir , Galarraga Elvira , Bargas José 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPreviously, we have shown that chemical excitatory drives such as N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) are capable of activating the striatal microcircuit exhibiting neuronal ensembles that alternate their activity producing temporal sequences. One aim of this work was to demonstrate whether similar activity could be evoked by delivering cortical stimulation. Dynamic calcium imaging allowed us to follow the activity of dozens of neurons with single‐cell resolution in mus musculus brain slices. A train of electrical stimuli in the cortex evoked network activity similar to the one induced by bath application of NMDA. Previously, we have also shown that the dopamine‐depleted striatal microcircuit increases its spontaneous activity generating dominant recurrent ensembles that interrupt the temporal sequences found in control microcircuits. This activity correlates with parkinsonian pathological activity. Several cortical stimulation protocols such as transcranial magnetic stimulation reduce motor signs of Parkinsonism. Here, we show that cortical stimulation in vitro temporarily eliminates the pathological activity from the dopamine‐depleted striatal microcircuit by turning off some neurons that sustain this activity and recruiting new ones that allow transitions between network states, similar to the control circuit. When cortical stimulation is given in the presence of L‐DOPA, parkinsonian activity is eliminated during the whole recording period. The present experimental evidence suggests that cortical stimulation such as that generated by transcranial magnetic stimulation, or otherwise, may allow reduce L‐DOPA dosage.
Do Pro‐Diversity Policies Improve Corporate Innovation?
Authors: Mayer Roger C. , Warr Richard S. , Zhao Jing 
Published: December 2017

AbstractUsing new product announcements, patents, and patent citations as measures of corporate innovation, we find that corporate policies that promote more pro‐diversity cultures, specifically treatment of women and minorities, enhance future innovative efficiency. This positive effect is stronger during economic downturns and in firms that are more innovative, value intangibles and human capital more highly, have greater growth options, have higher cash flow, and have stronger governance. Pro‐diversity policies also increase firm value via this stimulating effect on innovative efficiency. Our results suggest a channel through which workforce diversity may enhance firm value.
Voter‐Approved Annexations in an Urban Growth Boundary Regime: The Impacts on Housing Values, Density, and Economic Equity
Authors: Lewis Rebecca , Parker Robert , Zou Zhenpeng , Hovekamp Winston , Mcgowen Megan , Sherrard Ryan 
Published: December 2017

AbstractOregon is known for its strict Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) policies. While UGBs are designed to accommodate land supply for 20 years of growth, land within UGBs must be annexed into city limits before it can be developed at urban densities and serviced. In Oregon, cities use a variety of municipal annexation and voter‐approved annexation policies (VAAPs), providing an opportunity to study how different annexation policies affect land and housing markets, and affect urban density. Previous research on annexation has not considered how annexation policy influences housing values. This paper examines how VAAPs impact land growth, housing development, and density at the city level. It also examines how VAAPs impact housing values. Based on city‐level and tax‐lot‐level statistical analyses from 107 cities outside Portland Metro area, the results suggest that VAAPs negatively impact the availability of developable land within city limits. VAAPs also positively impact residential density and housing value. Lastly, VAAPs inequitably affect housing value between relatively high‐value housing and relatively low‐value housing, posing economic equity impacts for lower value housing. These findings provide important lessons for Oregon and other states. While VAAPs may increase residential density in cities, the policies may exacerbate affordability problems.
80SiO2‐20LaF3 oxyfluoride glass ceramic coatings doped with Nd3+ for optical applications
Authors: Gorni Giulio , Balda Rolindes , Fernández Joaquín , Velázquez Jose J. , Pascual Laura , Mosa Jadra , Durán Alicia , Castro Yolanda 
Published: December 2017

AbstractTransparent glass ceramic (GC) films and self‐supported layers of composition 80SiO2‐20LaF3 doped with Nd3+ were prepared by sol‐gel method for the first time. GC films were deposited by dip coating on different substrates and heat‐treated between 350°C and 850°C for 1, 3, and 80 hours. The structural analysis of thin films was performed by GI‐XRD and HR‐TEM to check the LaF3 nanocrystals precipitation in the SiO2 matrix, revealing a crystal size lower than 5 nm. The emission and excitation spectra and lifetimes of the films have been obtained for different thermal treatments and Nd3+ contents. The luminescence intensity of the 4F3/2 →4I11/2 laser transition increases with the treatment temperature and Nd3+ content, whereas a reduction for the luminescence lifetime is observed compared to those observed in bulk samples prepared by melting quenching.
“Moroccan youngsters”: category politics in the Netherlands
Authors: Roggeband Conny , van der Haar Marleen 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe article analyses the categorization of “Moroccan youngsters” as a problem group in the Netherlands. Since the 1990s Dutch‐Moroccan boys and young men are set apart as a problematic group that presents a social and security threat and an emblem of the failure of multicultural society. We analyse the intersectional “category politics” of Dutch politicians to situate Moroccan‐Dutch youngsters as problematic outsiders. Our analysis makes clear how national origin, culture, class and gender intersect in the categorization of “Moroccan youngsters” constituting a national‐cultural category, which is also defined in terms of a disadvantaged socio‐economic position. This categorization has important implications for policy arrangements and proposed measures. Existing schooling and training measures are seen as inadequate to end incessant intergenerational patterns of dependence and poverty. Intervention in the sphere of the family and parenting are deemed necessary to transform “Moroccan youngsters” into “good citizens.”
The family of the interleukin‐1 receptors
Authors: Boraschi Diana , Italiani Paola , Weil Sabrina , Martin Michael U. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryThe extracellular forms of the IL‐1 cytokines are active through binding to specific receptors on the surface of target cells. IL‐1 ligands bind to the extracellular portion of their ligand‐binding receptor chain. For signaling to take place, a non‐binding accessory chain is recruited into a heterotrimeric complex. The intracellular approximation of the Toll‐IL‐1‐receptor (TIR) domains of the 2 receptor chains is the event that initiates signaling. The family of IL‐1 receptors (IL‐1R) includes 10 structurally related members, and the distantly related soluble protein IL‐18BP that acts as inhibitor of the cytokine IL‐18. Over the years the receptors of the IL‐1 family have been known with many different names, with significant confusion. Thus, we will use here a recently proposed unifying nomenclature. The family includes several ligand‐binding chains (IL‐1R1, IL‐1R2, IL‐1R4, IL‐1R5, and IL‐1R6), 2 types of accessory chains (IL‐1R3, IL‐1R7), molecules that act as inhibitors of signaling (IL‐1R2, IL‐1R8, IL‐18BP), and 2 orphan receptors (IL‐1R9, IL‐1R10). In this review, we will examine how the receptors of the IL‐1 family regulate the inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory functions of the IL‐1 cytokines and are, more at large, involved in modulating defensive and pathological innate immunity and inflammation. Regulation of the IL‐1/IL‐1R system in the brain will be also described, as an example of the peculiarities of organ‐specific modulation of inflammation.