bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Policymaker's Dilemma: The Risks and Benefits of a ‘Black Box’ Approach to Commissioning Active Labour Market Programmes
Authors: Considine Mark , O'Sullivan Siobhan , Nguyen Phuc 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn September 2009, the British Government launched a new employment assistance model called Flexible New Deal. It was soon replaced by Work Programme in 2011. Both prioritized what is often called a ‘black box’ approach to public employment assistance, whereby the government purchaser focuses predominantly on outcomes and does not seek to direct agency operations. Using a study of the orientations and strategies of frontline employment services staff in 2008 and 2012, we seek to enhance understanding of the impact of so‐called ‘black box’ commissioning on key aspects of service delivery. Black box advocates propose that it is a hands‐off approach that allows agencies to be innovative and to improve efficiency. These effects are thought to be due to improved local service quality and greater flexibility to tailor services to individual clients. Critics argue that this increased discretion facilitates under‐servicing of some jobseekers and agency profiteering. These practices are commonly referred to as ‘parking’ and ‘creaming’. In this UK study, we provide evidence of both positive and negative activities associated with black box commissioning. We find some small improvements in flexibility at the frontline, but little to no evidence of increased efficiency as measured by the reported rates of jobseekers moving into work. We also observe an increase in practices associated with creaming and parking. We conclude that improving efficiency and maximizing innovation are not guaranteed by black box commissioning, and that the aim of facilitating increased frontline flexibility, while also minimizing risk, persists as a major policy design tension.
Allen Newell's Program of Research: The Video‐Game Test
Authors: Gobet Fernand 
Published: March 2017

AbstractNewell (1973) argued that progress in psychology was slow because research focused on experiments trying to answer binary questions, such as serial versus parallel processing. In addition, not enough attention was paid to the strategies used by participants, and there was a lack of theories implemented as computer models offering sufficient precision for being tested rigorously. He proposed a three‐headed research program: to develop computational models able to carry out the task they aimed to explain; to study one complex task in detail, such as chess; and to build computational models that can account for multiple tasks. This article assesses the extent to which the papers in this issue advance Newell's program. While half of the papers devote much attention to strategies, several papers still average across them, a capital sin according to Newell. The three courses of action he proposed were not popular in these papers: Only two papers used computational models, with no model being both able to carry out the task and to account for human data; there was no systematic analysis of a specific video game; and no paper proposed a computational model accounting for human data in several tasks. It is concluded that, while they use sophisticated methods of analysis and discuss interesting results, overall these papers contribute only little to Newell's program of research. In this respect, they reflect the current state of psychology and cognitive science. This is a shame, as Newell's ideas might help address the current crisis of lack of replication and fraud in psychology.
Improved hydrological projections and reservoir management in the Upper Indus Basin under the changing climate
Authors: Khan Firdos , Pilz Jürgen , Ali Shaukat 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe availability of water resources plays an important role for the economy of a country. The nexus of energy‐food‐water are interlinked and of particular importance in the uncertain environment of developing countries. In Pakistan, agriculture contributes 25% to the gross domestic product. The Indus River contributes 44% of the available water to irrigation of crops and the ecosystem, and currently produces 5,112 MW electricity, with the potential to produce 38,602 MW electricity. This makes it important to investigate the status of water availability in the Upper Indus Basin under existing emission scenarios. In this study, the future availability of water is projected for the Indus River under the A2, B2, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. A meta‐analysis has been conducted to present a combined picture by combining the results from the emission scenarios. Our meta‐analysis shows higher confidence in RCPs projections. The results show that suffcient water will be available in the Indus River that will meet the demands of water in future but there will be scarcity of water in some months under each scenario. However, by proper management and optimum utilisation of the available water, this scarcity can be resolved.
Clonal Lineages of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Responsible for Acute Swine Erysipelas in Japan Identified by Using Genome-Wide Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis
Authors: Ogawa Yohsuke , Shiraiwa Kazumasa , Ogura Yoshitoshi , Ooka Tadasuke , Nishikawa Sayaka , Eguchi Masahiro , Hayashi Tetsuya , Shimoji Yoshihiro 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
causes swine erysipelas, an important infectious disease in the swine industry. In Japan, the incidence of acute swine erysipelas due to
E. rhusiopathiae
serovar 1a has recently increased markedly. To study the genetic relatedness of the strains from the recent cases, we analyzed 34
E. rhusiopathiae
serovar 1a swine isolates collected between 1990 and 2011 and further investigated the possible association of the live Koganei 65-0.15 vaccine strain (serovar 1a) with the increase in cases. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis revealed no marked variation among the isolates; however, sequencing analysis of a hypervariable region in the surface-protective antigen A gene (
spaA
) revealed that the strains isolated after 2007 exhibited the same
spaA
genotype and could be differentiated from older strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) revealed that the Japanese strains examined were closely related, showing a relatively small number of SNPs among them. The strains were classified into four major lineages, with Koganei 65-0.15 (lineage III) being phylogenetically separated from the other three lineages. The strains isolated after 2007 and the two older strains constituted one major lineage (lineage IV) with a specific
spaA
genotype (M203/I257-SpaA), while the recent isolates were further divided into two geographic groups. The remaining older isolates belonged to either lineage I, with the I203/L257-SpaA type, or lineage II, with the I203/I257-SpaA type. These results indicate that the recent increased incidence of acute swine erysipelas in Japan is associated with two sublineages of lineage IV, which have independently evolved in two different geographic regions.

IMPORTANCE
Using large-scale whole-genome sequence data from
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
isolates from a wide range of hosts and geographic origins, a recent study clarified the existence of three distinct clades (clades 1, 2, and 3) that are found across multiple continents and host species, representing both livestock and wildlife, and an “intermediate” clade between clade 2 and the dominant clade 3 within the species. In this study, we found that the
E. rhusiopathiae
Japanese strains examined exhibited remarkably low levels of genetic diversity and confirmed that all of the Japanese and Chinese swine isolates examined in this study belong to clonal lineages within the intermediate clade. We report that
spaA
genotyping of
E. rhusiopathiae
strains is a practical alternative to whole-genome sequencing analysis of the
E. rhusiopathiae
isolates from eastern Asian countries.
Competitive Exclusion Reduces Transmission and Excretion of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Broilers
Authors: Ceccarelli Daniela , van Essen-Zandbergen Alieda , Smid Bregtje , Veldman Kees T. , Boender Gert Jan , Fischer Egil A. J. , Mevius Dik J. , van der Goot Jeanet A. 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases (pAmpC) are enzymes able to hydrolyze a large variety of β-lactam antibiotics, including third-generation cephalosporins and monobactams. Broilers and broiler meat products can be highly contaminated with ESBL- and pAmpC-producing
Escherichia coli
strains, also known as extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant
E. coli
strains, and can be a source for human infections. As few data on interventions to reduce the presence of ESC-resistant
E. coli
in broilers are available, we used transmission experiments to examine the role of competitive exclusion (CE) on reducing transmission and excretion in broilers. A broiler model to study the transmission of ESC-resistant
E. coli
was set up. Day-old chickens were challenged with an ESBL-producing
E. coli
strain isolated from healthy broilers in the Netherlands. Challenged and not challenged chicks were housed together in pairs or in groups, and ESBL-producing
E. coli
transmission was monitored via selective culturing of cloacal swab specimens. We observed a statistically significant reduction in both the transmission and excretion of ESBL-producing
E. coli
in chicks treated with the probiotic flora before
E. coli
challenge compared to the transmission and excretion in untreated controls. In conclusion, our results support the use of competitive exclusion as an intervention strategy to control ESC-resistant
E. coli
in the field.

IMPORTANCE
Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases are a primary cause of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics among members of the family
Enterobacteriaceae
in humans, animals, and the environment. Food-producing animals are not exempt from this, with a high prevalence being seen in broilers, and there is evidence pointing to a possible foodborne source for human contamination. We investigated the effect of administration of a commercial probiotic product as an intervention to reduce the amount of ESBL-producing
Escherichia coli
in broilers. Our results showed a substantial reduction in the level of colonization of broiler intestines by ESBL-producing
E. coli
after administration of commercial probiotic product. The protective effect provided by these probiotics could be implemented on a larger scale in poultry production. Reductions in the levels of ESBL-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
in the food chain would considerably benefit public health.
Randomised controlled trial comparing ofatumumab to rituximab in children with steroid-dependent and calcineurin inhibitor-dependent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome: study protocol
Authors: Ravani Pietro , Bonanni Alice , Ghiggeri Gian Marco 
Published: March 2017

IntroductionOral steroids induce remission in about 90% of children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), which is characterised by severe proteinuria and hypoalbuminaemia. Some children become steroid-dependent (SD) and require addition of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to maintain remission. Since these oral agents are toxic, alternative interventions are needed for long-term treatment. The anti-CD20 antibody rituximab has shown promising steroid-sparing properties in clinical trials, but benefits are less convincing in complicated forms of SD-INS. Ofatumumab, a new anti-CD20 antibody with stronger affinity to CD20, may be superior to rituximab in maintaining oral steroid-free and CNI-free disease remission in children with SD-INS.Methods and analysisThis open-label, two-parallel-arm, controlled, phase II randomised clinical trial will enrol children with SD-INS maintained in remission with oral steroids and CNI. Children will be randomised to either ofatumumab or rituximab infusion. After infusion of either antibody, steroids will be maintained for 30 days and then tapered off by 0.3 mg/kg/week until complete withdrawal. 1 week after complete steroid withdrawal, CNI will be decreased by 50% and withdrawn within 2 additional weeks. We will enrol 140 children to detect as significant at the 2-sided p value of 0.01 with a power of >0.8, a reduction in the risk of 1-year relapse (primary end point) of at least 0.3 (ie, from 0.65 to 0.35; (risk ratio 0.54)) in the ofatumumab arm when compared with the rituximab arm. We will compare the amount of steroids required to maintain complete disease remission at 6 and 24 months, relapse-free period, relapse rate per year as secondary end points. Circulating cell populations will be studied as biomarkers or predictors of the anti-CD20 response.Ethics and disseminationThe trial received ethics approval from the local ethics board. We will publish study results and present them at international scientific meetings.Trial registration numbersNCT02394119; 2015-000624-28; Pre-results.
Post-fossilization processes and their implications for understanding Ediacaran macrofossil assemblages
Authors: Matthews Jack J. , Liu Alexander G. , McIlroy Duncan 
Published: March 2017

Abstract
Fossil assemblages from Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula preserve diverse examples of the enigmatic Ediacaran macrobiota, offering some of the earliest evidence for large and complex multicellular life. These fossils are exposed on extensive coastal bedding planes in extraordinary abundances, permitting palaeoecological studies based on census data from spatially extensive palaeocommunities. Such studies have been used to constrain the reproductive strategy and phylogenetic placement of Ediacaran organisms. Geological mapping and stratigraphic correlation in the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve reveal that some fossil-bearing surfaces can be tracked over distances of several kilometres. These laterally extensive surfaces reveal that the modern processes by which the sediment overlying a fossil surface is removed may impose important controls on the observed composition of fossil assemblages. Weathering and erosion – along with factors associated with tectonics, metamorphism and discovery – are here grouped as ‘post-fossilization processes’ and introduce biases that are often not explicitly accounted for in palaeoecological studies. Specifically, post-fossilization processes may differentially influence the preservational fidelity of individual specimens on a given surface and generate features that could be mistaken for original morphological characters. We therefore recommend that post-fossilization processes must be considered when undertaking palaeoecological studies in Ediacaran successions in Newfoundland and, potentially, elsewhere.
Decoupling of Broadband Optical MIMO Systems Using the Multiple Shift SBR2 Algorithm
Authors: Wang Zeliang , Sandmann André , McWhirter John G. , Ahrens Andreas 
Published: March 2017

Polynomial singular value decomposition (PSVD) plays a very important role in broadband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. One of its applications lies in the decoupling of MIMO convolutive mixing channel matrixin order to recover the transmitted signals corrupted by the channel interference (CI) at the receiver. In this paper, a novel algorithm, known as multiple shift second order sequential best rotation (MS-SBR2), is proposed to compute the approximate PSVD of the broadband MIMO channel matrix. Experimental examples, including a measured (2 × 2) optical MIMO channel impulse response using the multi-mode fiber (MMF) testbed, are presented to examine the proposed algorithm. Bit error rate (BER) performances are evaluated among different transmission schemes. In addition, power allocation (PA) schemes are investigated to further optimize the BER performance.
ICMP-based Third-Party Estimation of Cloud Availability
Authors: Naldi Maurizio 
Published: March 2017

Cloud availability is an important parameter present in a typical Service Level Agreement (SLA). In order to check compliance with SLA commitments, a third party availability measurement is strongly needed. An availability estimation methods is evaluated here, based on the periodic repetition of sequence of probing packets in ICMP. Majority Voting, which declares a cloud to be available only if a majority of probing packets gets an echo from the cloud, appears to provide an accurate estimation even when the packet loss probability is rather high.
Russian Journalists in Ukraine: Caught in Limbo?
Authors: Malyutina Darya 
Published: March 2017

Since the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukrainian media have provided a number of Russian journalists an alternative place to continue their career, whether they were looking for a comparatively free and pluralistic media space, a new job, or safety. The number of Russian media professionals in Ukraine increased in the subsequent years. Euromaidan and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, followed by Russia’s military intervention in Donbas, have contributed to decisions to move or extend their stay in Ukraine. However, these events have also complicated the position of Russian journalists in Ukraine.
This paper seeks to explore the challenges connected with being a Russian journalist and working in Ukraine-based media during Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine. This population of migrant media workers has arrived from an aggressor country, where mainstream media have been producing manipulative anti-Ukrainian discourse. They are diverse in terms of social backgrounds and migration histories, but mostly are qualified and experienced professionals. They do not form a tightly knit migrant community, and do not work for media outlets targeting such a community. This article addresses the experiences of a number of these media personalities, drawing upon a series of interviews conducted in late 2015, and open source materials. I argue that the Maidan, the annexation of Crimea, and the ongoing conflict have had a significant impact on Russian migrant journalists in Ukraine, by providing a migration context, influencing their work ethics and making them particularly sensitive to the ideas of responsibility and journalistic subjectivity.
“Near Ground” Vertical Vorticity in Supercell Thunderstorm Models
Authors: Rotunno Richard , Markowski Paul M. , Bryan George H. 
Published: March 2017

Abstract
Numerical models of supercell thunderstorms produce near-ground rotation about a vertical axis (i.e., vertical vorticity) after the development of rain-cooled outflows and downdrafts. The physical processes involved in the production of near-ground vertical vorticity in simulated supercells have been a subject of discussion in the literature for over 30 years. One cause for this lengthy discussion is the difficulty in applying the principles of inviscid vorticity dynamics in a continuous fluid to the viscous evolution of discrete Eulerian simulations. The present paper reports on a Lagrangian analysis of near-ground vorticity from an idealized-supercell simulation with enhanced vertical resolution near the lower surface. The parcel that enters the low-level maximum of vertical vorticity has a history of descent during which its horizontal vorticity is considerably enhanced. In its final approach to this region, the parcel’s enhanced horizontal vorticity is tilted to produce vertical vorticity, which is then amplified through vertical stretching as the parcel rises. A simplified theoretical model is developed that exhibits these same features. The principal conclusion is that vertical vorticity at the parcel’s nadir (its lowest point), although helpful, does not need to be positive for rapid near-surface amplification of vertical vorticity.
Remission of chronic headache: Rates, potential predictors and the role of medication, follow-up results of the German Headache Consortium (GHC) Study
Authors: Henning Verena , Katsarava Zaza , Obermann Mark , Moebus Susanne , Schramm Sara 
Published: March 2017

Objectives To estimate remission rates of chronic headache (CH), focusing on potential predictors of headache remission and medication. Methods We used data from the longitudinal population-based German Headache Consortium (GHC) Study (n = 9,944, 18–65 years). Validated questionnaires were used at baseline (t0, 2003–2007, response rate: 55.2%), first follow-up after 1.87 ± 0.39 years (t1, 37.2%) and second follow-up after 3.26 ± 0.60 years (t2, 38.8%) to assess headache type and frequency, use of analgesics and anti-migraine drugs, medication overuse, education, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption. CH was defined as ≥ 15 headache days/month at t0 over three months. Outcomes were: CH remission (<15 headache days/month at both follow-ups), CH persistence (≥ 15 headache days/month at both follow-ups); all others were considered as partially remitted. To estimate predictors of remission, univariate and multiple logistic regression were calculated. Results At baseline, 255 (2.6%) participants were identified with CH. Of these, 158 (62.0%) participants responded at both follow-ups. Remission was observed in 58.2% of participants, partial remission in 17.7% and persistence in 24.1%. Remission was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio: 3.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–9.08) and no medication overuse (4.16, 1.45–11.94) compared to participants with persistent CH; participants with higher headache frequency at t0 were less likely to remit (0.90, 0.84–0.97). Medication, age, education, BMI, smoking and drinking showed no effects on remission. Similar results were observed for partial remission. Conclusion The majority of CH participants remitted from CH. Female sex, no overuse of pain medication and lower headache frequency were associated with remission.
Does Perceived Safety Modify the Effectiveness of a Walking-Group Intervention Designed to Promote Physical Activity?
Authors: Kwarteng Jamila L. , Schulz Amy J. , Mentz Graciela B. , Israel Barbara A. , Shanks Trina R. , Perkins Denise White 
Published: March 2017

Purpose: To examine whether perceived safety modified the effectiveness of the Walk Your Heart to Health (WYHH) intervention in promoting physical activity and reducing central adiposity in predominantly non-Latino black (henceforth black) and Latino communities. Design: Generalized estimation equations were used to assess modifying effects of perceived safety on the route and perceived neighborhood safety on (1) WYHH participation at 8 weeks and 32 weeks, (2) associations between participation and physical activity, and (3) associations between physical activity and central adiposity. Setting: Community-based and faith-based organizations in black and Latino communities. Participants: There were 603 adults, aged 18 years and older, who were predominantly black, Latino, and female. Measures: Participation and physical activity (piezoelectric pedometer) were measured at each walking session. Perceived safety on the route (questionnaire), perceived neighborhood safety (questionnaire), and waist circumference were measured at baseline, 8 weeks, and 32 weeks. Analysis: Secondary analysis of repeated measures using generalized estimation equations. Results: Retention was 90% at 8 weeks and 64% at 32 weeks. Perceived safety on the route, but not perceived neighborhood safety, dampened participation at 8 weeks but not 32 weeks. Consistent participation in the intervention increased physical activity and reduced central adiposity irrespective of perceived safety on the walking route or perceived neighborhood safety. Conclusion: Efforts to improve safety in conjunction with interventions focused on increasing physical activity can work toward improving physical activity for blacks and Latinos, leading to a myriad of improved health outcomes including reduced central adiposity.