bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
‘They Don’t Want Foreigners’: Zimbabwean migration and the rise of xenophobia in Botswana
Authors: Campbell Eugene , Crush Jonathan 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Xenophobia is becoming an increasingly common response to migration within the Global South, often taking the form of collective violence against migrants and refugees. It has also permeated central and local state structures leading to systemic discrimination, denial of basic rights and constant harassment of migrants and refugees. For a decade or more, South Africa has been plagued by xenophobic violence directed at Zimbabweans living in the country. Botswana is another major destination for Zimbabwean migrants but has not experienced violent attacks motivated by xenophobia. This does not mean that Zimbabweans are welcome in that country. On the contrary, xenophobic attitudes are highly prevalent amongst the citizenry and within government and manifested in a range of negative stereotypes. This article documents the rise of xenophobia in Botswana and provides empirical evidence from research with Zimbabwean migrants in Gaborone and Francistown of how xenophobia is actually experienced by its targets. In order to explain the existence of xenophobia in Botswana, usually considered one of Africa’s most stable, economically prosperous and stable countries, the article draws on the literature on new nationalisms in Africa.
Effect of Uterine Inflammatory Status as well as Calcium and Magnesium Concentrations on the Uterine Involution Process in Dairy Cows
Authors: Brodzki Piotr , Brodzki Adam , Kurek Łukasz , Szpetnar Maria , Bochniarz Mariola 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The aim of the study was a comparative analysis of uterine horn diameter, calcium and magnesium concentrations in blood serum and uterine washings in cows both with and without endometritis. The study was performed on 28 cows at 5, 22 and 42 DP (day post partum), of which 14 cows had been diagnosed with endometritis and the other 14 had no endometritis. The animals were selected based on clinical symptoms and cytological examination. Uterine horn diameter was determined in both examined groups of cows using an ultrasonographic device. The level of calcium and magnesium in the blood serum and uterine washings, and protein in uterine washings was determined using a BS-160 Mindray analyzer. Uterus diameter was similar in both examined groups of cows only at 5 DP, and on subsequent days of examination this parameter was higher in the endometritis group compared to the control (P<0.001). Calcium levels in the blood serum of cows with endometritis were lower than in cows without endometritis, both at 22 DP (P<0.001) and at 42 DP (P=0.004). The levels of calcium, magnesium and total proteins in uterine washings were higher in cows with endometritis compared to the group without endometritis, both at 22 and at 42 DPP (P<0.001). The results of this study confirm that the process of uterine involution is slower in cows with endometritis compared to cows without endometritis, and the myometrium of inflamed uterus does not utilize sufficient amounts of calcium and magnesium, which means that the concentrations of these elements in uterine fluid are higher than in cows without endometritis.
Making a Mark—Time Changing Politics from Estonia: An Alternative Idea for the British, Bulgarian and Estonian EU Presidency
Authors: Fischer Dirk-Hinnerk 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Estonia is famous among politicians for its e-Governance policies. One core ingredient for this progress is the abolishment of outdated technologies and standards as this kind of legacy policy slows down the innovation process. This short paper adapts the Estonian approach towards legacy policy and proposes a political symbol initiated by the EU Presidency Trio of the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Estonia. The entire topic was inspired by the motivation of the Estonian government to use the presidency to make a mark for Estonia. The twice-yearly occurring process of introducing and disabling the summertime, is not only annoying but has also almost exclusively negative impacts. Meanwhile, the summertime itself comes with many aspects of questionable impact and even opposing empirical results, but it also has some generally agreed upon positive influences. This paper takes side against the process of changing times, but does not take position for one of the possible solutions. This short article shall only inform and show the possibilities in regard to the summer time, the EU presidency and the political symbolism of celebrating the centenary of the First World War.
Still Different After All These Years Extensive and Intensive Margins of Exports in East and West German Manufacturing Enterprises
Authors: Wagner Joachim 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
This paper uses a new tailor-made data set to investigate the differences in extensive and intensive margins of exports in manufacturing firms from East Germany and West Germany. It documents that these margins do still differ in 2010, 20 years after the re-unification of Germany. West German firms outperform East German firms at all four margins of exports – they have a larger propensity to export, export a larger share of total sales, export more goods and export to a larger number of countries. All these differences are large from an economic point of view. A decomposition analysis shows that in 2010 between 59 percent and 78 percent of the difference in margins can be explained by differences in firm characteristics.
Remarks on discrete and semi-discrete transparent boundary conditions for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation on the half-axis
Authors: Zlotnik Alexander , Zlotnik Ilya 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
We consider the generalized time-dependent Schrödinger equation on the half-axis and a broad family of finite-difference schemes with the discrete transparent boundary conditions (TBCs) to solve it. We first rewrite the discrete TBCs in a simplified form explicit in space step h. Next, for a selected scheme of the family, we discover that the discrete convolution in time in the discrete TBC does not depend on h and, moreover, it coincides with the corresponding convolution in the semi-discrete TBC rewritten similarly. Both moments allow us to prove the bound for the difference between the kernels of the discrete convolutions in the discrete and semi-discrete TBCs that is the first result of such kind. Numerical experiments on replacing the discrete TBC convolutions by the semi-discrete one exhibit truly small absolute errors though not relative ones in general. The suitable discretization in space of the semi-discrete TBC for the higher-order Numerov scheme is also discussed.
Analysis of Prognosis of Lowland River Bed Erosion Based on Geotechnical Parameters
Authors: Smaga Agnieszka 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The river erosion is a complex process, the dynamics of which is very difficult to predict. Its intensity largely depends on hydraulic conditions of the river channel. However, it is also thought that natural resistance of the subsoil has a great influence on the scale of the erosion process. Predicting the effects of this process is extremely important in the case of constructing a piling structure (for example, artificial reservoirs). The partition of the river channel causes significant lowering of the river channel bed downstream the dam which threatens the stability of hydro technical and engineering (bridges) buildings. To stop this unwanted phenomenon, stabilizing thresholds are built. However, random location of thresholds significantly reduces their effectiveness. Therefore, taking under consideration natural geotechnical conditions of the subsoil appears to be extremely important.
In the light of the current development of in-situ tests in geotechnics, an attempt to use results from these tests to predict the bed erosion rate was made. The analysis includes results from CPTU and DPL tests, which were carried out in the Warta River valley downstream the Jeziorsko reservoir. In the paper, the general diagrams for the procedure of obtaining and processing the data are shown. As a result, the author presents two multidimensional bed erosion rate models built based on hydraulic data and results from CPTU or DPL tests. These models allow taking more effective actions, leading to the neutralization of the effects of the intensive bed erosion process.
Phasic Dopamine Transmission Reflects Initiation Vigor and Exerted Effort in an Action- and Region-Specific Manner
Authors: Ko Daijin , Wanat Matthew J. 
Published: February 2016

Initiating a reward-seeking behavior involves deciding on an action, how fast to initiate the action (initiation vigor), as well as how much effort to exert. These processes are thought to involve the mesolimbic dopamine system. Dopamine levels in the ventral striatum rise before initiating a reliably reinforced behavior. However, it is unknown whether dopamine is similarly involved with unreinforced actions (inactive lever presses, premature food port entries, insufficient number of active lever presses). Furthermore, does the dopamine response when initiating an action reflect specific aspects of motivated behavior, such as initiation vigor and exerted effort? Here, we analyzed voltammetry recordings of dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) core and shell in rats working for food under a progressive ratio reinforcement schedule. We examined dopamine levels when rats initiated distinct actions (active lever presses, inactive lever presses, food port entries) that were temporally separated from cue- and reward-evoked dopamine release. Active lever pressing bouts were preceded by elevated dopamine release in the NAcc shell, as well as in the NAcc core, although only when rats exhibited high initiation vigor. Dopamine levels were transiently reduced in the NAcc core following an unreinforced food port entry and were unchanged throughout the NAcc when initiating inactive lever presses. The effort exerted and vigor to initiate a bout of active lever presses were signaled by dopamine transmission in the NAcc core, but not in the NAcc shell. These results demonstrate that the dopamine response when initiating a behavior is both region- and action-specific.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTExogenous activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system facilitates motivated behavior. However, a direct relationship has not been established between endogenous phasic dopamine transmission and measures of motivation, such as the vigor to initiate an action and the effort exerted in a bout of activity. The present work demonstrates that the dopamine response when initiating an action depends both upon where dopamine is released and what action is performed. Furthermore, dopamine reflects measures of motivated behavior selectively within the nucleus accumbens core.
Selective Disruption of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5-Homer Interactions Mimics Phenotypes of Fragile X Syndrome in Mice
Authors: Guo Weirui , Molinaro Gemma , Collins Katie A. , Hays Seth A. , Paylor Richard , Worley Paul F. , Szumlinski Karen K. , Huber Kimberly M. 
Published: February 2016

Altered function of the Gq-coupled, Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors, specifically mGlu5, is implicated in multiple mouse models of autism and intellectual disability. mGlu5 dysfunction has been most well characterized in the fragile X syndrome mouse model, theFmr1knock-out (KO) mouse, where pharmacological and genetic reduction of mGlu5 reverses many phenotypes. mGlu5 is less associated with its scaffolding protein Homer inFmr1KO mice, and restoration of mGlu5-Homer interactions by genetic deletion of a short, dominant negative of Homer,H1a, rescues many phenotypes ofFmr1KO mice. These results suggested that disruption of mGlu5-Homer leads to phenotypes of FXS. To test this idea, we examined mice with a knockin mutation of mGlu5 (F1128R; mGlu5R/R) that abrogates binding to Homer. Although FMRP levels were normal, mGlu5R/Rmice mimicked multiple phenotypes ofFmr1KO mice, including reduced mGlu5 association with the postsynaptic density, enhanced constitutive mGlu5 signaling to protein synthesis, deficits in agonist-induced translational control, protein synthesis-independent LTD, neocortical hyperexcitability, audiogenic seizures, and altered behaviors, including anxiety and sensorimotor gating. These results reveal new roles for the Homer scaffolds in regulation of mGlu5 function and implicate a specific molecular mechanism in a complex brain disease.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAbnormal function of the metabotropic, or Gq-coupled, glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, including a genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism called fragile X syndrome. In brains of a mouse model of fragile X, mGlu5 is less associated with its binding partner Homer, a scaffolding protein that regulates mGlu5 localization to synapses and its ability to activate biochemical signaling pathways. Here we show that a mouse expressing a mutant mGlu5 that cannot bind to Homer is sufficient to mimic many of the biochemical, neurophysiological, and behavioral symptoms observed in the fragile X mouse. This work provides strong evidence that Homer-mGlu5 binding contributes to symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Neural Correlates of Vocal Production and Motor Control in Human Heschl's Gyrus
Authors: Behroozmand Roozbeh , Oya Hiroyuki , Nourski Kirill V. , Kawasaki Hiroto , Larson Charles R. , Brugge John F. , Howard Matthew A. , Greenlee Jeremy D.W. 
Published: February 2016

The present study investigated how pitch frequency, a perceptually relevant aspect of periodicity in natural human vocalizations, is encoded in Heschl's gyrus (HG), and how this information may be used to influence vocal pitch motor control. We recorded local field potentials from multicontact depth electrodes implanted in HG of 14 neurosurgical epilepsy patients as they vocalized vowel sounds and received brief (200 ms) pitch perturbations at 100 Cents in their auditory feedback. Event-related band power responses to vocalizations showed sustained frequency following responses that tracked voice fundamental frequency (F0) and were significantly enhanced in posteromedial HG during speaking compared with when subjects listened to the playback of their own voice. In addition to frequency following responses, a transient response component within the high gamma frequency band (75–150 Hz) was identified. When this response followed the onset of vocalization, the magnitude of the response was the same for the speaking and playback conditions. In contrast, when this response followed a pitch shift, its magnitude was significantly enhanced during speaking compared with playback. We also observed that, in anterolateral HG, the power of high gamma responses to pitch shifts correlated with the magnitude of compensatory vocal responses. These findings demonstrate a functional parcellation of HG with neural activity that encodes pitch in natural human voice, distinguishes between self-generated and passively heard vocalizations, detects discrepancies between the intended and heard vocalization, and contains information about the resulting behavioral vocal compensations in response to auditory feedback pitch perturbations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe present study is a significant contribution to our understanding of sensor-motor mechanisms of vocal production and motor control. The findings demonstrate distinct functional parcellation of core and noncore areas within human auditory cortex on Heschl's gyrus that process natural human vocalizations and pitch perturbations in the auditory feedback. In addition, our data provide evidence for distinct roles of high gamma neural oscillations and frequency following responses for processing periodicity in human vocalizations during vocal production and motor control.
Distinct β Band Oscillatory Networks Subserving Motor and Cognitive Control during Gait Adaptation
Authors: Wagner Johanna , Makeig Scott , Gola Mateusz , Neuper Christa , Müller-Putz Gernot 
Published: February 2016

Everyday locomotion and obstacle avoidance requires effective gait adaptation in response to sensory cues. Many studies have shown that efficient motor actions are associated with μ rhythm (8–13 Hz) and β band (13–35 Hz) local field desynchronizations in sensorimotor and parietal cortex, whereas a number of cognitive task studies have reported higher behavioral accuracy to be associated with increases in β band power in prefrontal and sensory cortex. How these two distinct patterns of β band oscillations interplay during gait adaptation, however, has not been established. Here we recorded 108 channel EEG activity from 18 participants (10 males, 22–35 years old) attempting to walk on a treadmill in synchrony with a series of pacing cue tones, and quickly adapting their step rate and length to sudden shifts in pacing cue tempo. Independent component analysis parsed each participant's EEG data into maximally independent component (IC) source processes, which were then grouped across participants into distinct spatial/spectral clusters. Following cue tempo shifts, mean β band power was suppressed for IC sources in central midline and parietal regions, whereas mean β band power increased in IC sources in or near medial prefrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex IC cluster, the β band power increase was stronger during (more effortful) step shortening than during step lengthening. These results thus show that two distinct patterns of β band activity modulation accompany gait adaptations: one likely serving movement initiation and execution; and the other, motor control and inhibition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTUnderstanding brain dynamics supporting gait adaptation is crucial for understanding motor deficits in walking, such as those associated with aging, stroke, and Parkinson's. Only a few electromagnetic brain imaging studies have examined neural correlates of human upright walking. Here, application of independent component analysis to EEG data recorded during treadmill walking allowed us to uncover two distinct β band oscillatory cortical networks that are active during gait adaptation to shifts in the tempo of an auditory pacing cue: (8–13 Hz) μ rhythm and (13–35 Hz) β band power decreases in central and parietal cortex and (14–20 Hz) β band power increases in frontal brain areas. These results provide a fuller framework for electrophysiological studies of cortical gait control and its disorders.
The Site Frequency Spectrum for General Coalescents
Authors: Spence Jeffrey P , Kamm John A , Song Yun S 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
General genealogical processes such as Λ- and Ξ-coalescents, which respectively model multiple and simultaneous mergers, have important applications in studying marine species, strong positive selection, recurrent selective sweeps, strong bottlenecks, large sample sizes, and so on. Recently, there has been significant progress in developing useful inference tools for such general models. In particular, inference methods based on the site frequency spectrum (SFS) have received noticeable attention. Here, we derive a new formula for the expected SFS for general Λ- and Ξ-coalescents, which leads to an efficient algorithm. For time-homogeneous coalescents, the runtime of our algorithm for computing the expected SFS is O(n2), where n is the sample size. This is a factor of n2 faster than the state-of-the-art method. Furthermore, in contrast to existing methods, our method generalizes to time-inhomogeneous Λ- and Ξ-coalescents with measures that factorize as Λ(dx)/ζ(t) and Ξ(dx)/ζ(t), respectively, where ζ denotes a strictly positive function of time. The runtime of our algorithm in this setting is O(n3). We also obtain general theoretical results for the identifiability of the Λ measure when ζ is a constant function, as well as for the identifiability of the function ζ under a fixed Ξ measure.
VITAMIN E EFFECT IN A RAT MODEL OF TOLUENE DIISOCYANATE-INDUCED ASTHMA
Authors: Muti Andrea Daniela , Pârvu Alina Elena , Muti Leon Adrian , Moldovan Remus , Mureșan Adriana 
Published: February 2016

Background and aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate vitamin E effect upon oxidative stress associated with toluene -2, 4-diisocyanate (TDI)-induced asthma in rats.Methods. The five study groups were: control, vehicle, TDI, vehicle+E, TDI+E. TDI animals were sensitized by nasal administration of TDI 10% (5µl/nostril) between days 1-7 and 15-21. Between days 22-28 groups TDI+E and vehicle+E rats received vitamin E (50 mg/kg, i. v.), and control , vehicle and TDI groups received saline solution. On day 29 the rats were challenged by intranasal application of 5% TDI (5 μl/nostril). On day 30 blood, BALF and lung biopsy were harvested. Oxidative stress tests were malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PC), total thiols (tSH), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and reduced glutathione (GSH).Results. TDI sensitization increased oxidative stress systemically, but also locally in the respiratory airways and lung tissue. There was an increase of MDA and PC formation associated with a deficiency of the antioxidant defense reflected by DPPH decreases. There were no differences between systemic and local lung concentrations of oxidized molecules. After vitamin E treatment oxidative stress was reduced mostly due to serum, BALF and lung tissue GSH and DPPH increase.Conclusion. The study showed that in rat TDI-induced asthma there was oxidative stress caused by increased ROS production and antioxidants deficiency, and vitamin E reduced ROS production and improved antioxidant defense.
Obesity and Mortality Risk in Critically Ill Children
Authors: Ross Patrick A. , Newth Christopher J.L. , Leung Dennis , Wetzel Randall C. , Khemani Robinder G. 
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Childhood obesity is epidemic and may be associated with PICU mortality. Using a large multicenter PICU database, we investigated the association between obesity and PICU mortality, adjusting for initial severity of illness. We further investigated whether height- and weight-based classifications of obesity compared with a weight-based classification alone alter the mortality distribution.

METHODS:
This retrospective analysis used prospectively collected data from the Virtual PICU Systems database. Height, weight, age, and gender were used to calculate z score groups based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization growth curves. A random effects mixed logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between obesity and PICU mortality, controlling for hospital, initial severity of illness, and comorbidities.

RESULTS:
A total of 127 607 patients were included; the mortality rate was 2.48%. Being overweight was independently associated with increased PICU mortality after controlling for severity of illness with the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 score and preexisting comorbidities. Mortality had a U-shaped distribution when classified according to weight-for-age or weight-for-height/BMI. When classifying patients using weight-for-age without respect to height, the nadir of the mortality curve was shifted, potentially falsely implying a benefit to mild obesity.

CONCLUSIONS:
Risk-adjusted PICU mortality significantly increases as weight-for-height/BMI increases into the overweight and obese ranges. We believe that height data are necessary to correctly classify body habitus; without such information, a protective benefit from mild obesity may be incorrectly concluded.