bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Free Basics (of Facebook) debate in India
Authors: Tripuraneni Hanuman Chowdary 
Published: May 2016

Purpose
This paper aims to dispel and rebut an ideology inspired onslaught on Facebook’s offering of Free Basics, an Internet service described as free to enable the poor to get on to the Internet.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a comparison of Free Basics with several freely and selectively offered goods and services by the government of India and its companies and departments to help the poor.

Findings
Free Basics offered by Facebook is not anti-net neutrality nor discriminatory against innovative service offerings by start-ups or others.

Originality/value
The paper sdds to the material for consideration by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in determining its position on the issue.
Process landscape and efficiency in non-life insurance claims management
Authors: Mahlow Nils , Wagner Joël 
Published: May 2016

Purpose
In view of the fact that claim payouts account for about 70 per cent of annual direct costs in non-life insurance companies and that claims-handling staff sums up to 10-20 per cent of all employees, an optimal claims management environment is of strategic importance. The purpose of this paper is twofold, i.e. on the one hand, the authors introduce a standardized claims management process model and, on the other hand, they apply process benchmarks to various operational parameters.

Design/methodology/approach
The proposed claims management process landscape comprises current industry standards for claims handling from a theoretical perspective, supported by practice insights from the industry. Our model aims to reflect the most important claims processing activities. The claims-handling work flow is structured into five core steps, namely, notification, registration, coverage audit, settlement and closing of the claim. For these core steps, the authors differentiate between three claim complexity categories and their associated back-office levels. In the second part of the paper, the authors assess the industry’s claims-handling efficiency. The authors benchmark industry processes with reference to detailed claims management data from 11 insurers in Germany and Switzerland.

Findings
The benchmarks are based on the previously defined claims management model and are applied separately to the three retail business lines of car, property and liability insurance. We measure claim process times (cycle times) as well as claim quantities and average claim payouts at different levels. Overall, within each business line, more than 30 data points are gathered from each respondent insurer. This allows us to compare the process performance of different insurance companies and to describe significant differences in their process patterns. Furthermore, principal findings are derived from descriptive statistics as well as ad hoc data analyses.

Originality/value
The paper seeks to contribute to the discussion of how different insurance companies perform in claims management and to define best practice. Our findings are relevant to academics and practitioners alike.
Soil‐mediated eco‐evolutionary feedbacks in the invasive plant Alliaria petiolata
Authors: Evans Jeffrey A. , Lankau Richard A. , Davis Adam S. , Raghu S. , Landis Douglas A. 
Published: May 2016

Summary

Ecological and evolutionary processes historically have been assumed to operate on significantly different time‐scales. We know now from theory and work in experimental and model systems that these processes can feed back on each other on mutually relevant time‐scales.

Here, we present evidence of a soil‐mediated eco‐evolutionary feedback on the population dynamics of an invasive biennial plant, Alliaria petiolata.

As populations age, natural selection drives down production of A. petiolata's important antimycorrhizal allelochemical, sinigrin. This occurs due to density‐dependent selection on sinigrin, which is favoured under interspecific, but disfavoured under intraspecific, competition.

We show that population stochastic growth rates (λS) and plant densities are positively related to sinigrin concentration measured in seedling roots. This interaction is mediated by sinigrin's positive effect on seedling and summer survival, which are important drivers of λS.

Together, these illustrate how the evolution of a trait shaped by natural selection can influence the ecology of a species over a period of just years to decades, altering its trajectory of population growth and interactions with the species in the soil and plant communities it invades.

Our findings confirm the predictions that eco‐evolutionary feedbacks occur in natural populations. Furthermore, they improve our conceptual framework for projecting future population growth by linking the variation in plant demography to a critical competitive trait (sinigrin) whose selective advantages decrease as populations age.
Prospective evaluation of 68Gallium‐prostate‐specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography for preoperative lymph node staging in prostate cancer
Authors: van Leeuwen Pim J. , Emmett Louise , Ho Bao , Delprado Warick , Ting Francis , Nguyen Quoc , Stricker Phillip D. 
Published: May 2016

ObjectivesTo assess the accuracy of 68Gallium‐prostate‐specific membrane antigen (68Ga‐PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for lymph node (LN) staging in intermediate‐ and high‐risk prostate cancer (PCa).Materials and MethodsFrom April to October 2015, 30 patients with intermediate‐ (n = 3) or high‐risk (n = 27) PCa were prospectively enrolled. Patients underwent preoperative 68Ga‐PSMA PET/CT. Both visual and semi‐quantitative analyses were undertaken. Subsequently, all patients underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) with an extended pelvic lymph node dissection. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for LN status of 68Ga‐PSMA were calculated using histopathology as reference.ResultsEleven patients (37%) had lymph node metastases (LNMs); 26 LNMs were identified in the 11 patients. Patient analysis showed that 68Ga‐PSMA PET/CT had a sensitivity of 64% for the detection of LNMs, its specificity was 95%, the PPV was 88%, and the NPV was 82%. In total, 180 LN fields were analysed. In the LN‐region‐based analysis, the sensitivity of 68Ga‐PSMA PET/CT for detection of LNMs was 56%, the specificity was 98%, the PPV was 90% and the NPV was 94%. The mean size of missed LNMs was 2.7 mm. Receiver‐operating characteristic curve analysis showed a high accuracy of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) for the detection of LNMs, with an area under the curve of 0.915 (95% confidence interval 0.847–0.983); the optimum SUVmax was 2.0.ConclusionsIn patients with intermediate‐ to high‐risk PCa, 68Ga‐PSMA PET/CT had a high specificity and a moderate sensitivity for LNM detection. 68Ga‐PSMA PET/CT had the potential to replace current imaging for LN staging of patients with PCa scheduled for RP.
Bone augmentation at peri‐implant dehiscence defects comparing a synthetic polyethylene glycol hydrogel matrix vs. standard guided bone regeneration techniques
Authors: Thoma Daniel S. , Jung Ui‐Won , Park Jin‐Young , Bienz Stefan P. , Hüsler Jürg , Jung Ronald E. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of the study was to test whether or not the use of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel with or without the addition of an arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) sequence applied as a matrix in combination with hydroxyapatite/tricalciumphosphate (HA/TCP) results in similar peri‐implant bone regeneration as traditional guided bone regeneration procedures.Material and methodsIn 12 beagle dogs, implant placement and peri‐implant bone regeneration were performed 2 months after tooth extraction in the maxilla. Two standardized box‐shaped defects were bilaterally created, and dental implants were placed in the center of the defects with a dehiscence of 4 mm. Four treatment modalities were randomly applied: i)HA/TCP mixed with a synthetic PEG hydrogel, ii)HA/TCP mixed with a synthetic PEG hydrogel supplemented with an RGD sequence, iii)HA/TCP covered with a native collagen membrane (CM), iv)and no bone augmentation (empty). After a healing period of 8 or 16 weeks, micro‐CT and histological analyses were performed.ResultsHistomorphometric analysis revealed a greater relative augmented area for groups with bone augmentation (43.3%–53.9% at 8 weeks, 31.2%–42.8% at 16 weeks) compared to empty controls (22.9% at 8 weeks, 1.1% at 16 weeks). The median amount of newly formed bone was greatest in group CM at both time‐points. Regarding the first bone‐to‐implant contact, CM was statistically significantly superior to all other groups at 8 weeks.ConclusionsBone can partially be regenerated at peri‐implant buccal dehiscence defects using traditional guided bone regeneration techniques. The use of a PEG hydrogel applied as a matrix mixed with a synthetic bone substitute material might lack a sufficient stability over time for this kind of defect.
Direct current stimulation of prefrontal cortex modulates error‐induced behavioral adjustments
Authors: Mansouri Farshad A. , Fehring Daniel J. , Feizpour Azadeh , Gaillard Alexandra , Rosa Marcello G.P. , Rajan Ramesh , Jaberzadeh Shapour 
Published: May 2016

AbstractCommission of errors and conflict between choices might induce behavioral modulations through adjustments in the executive control of behavior and altered patterns of these modulations are detected in neuropsychiatric disorders. We examined the effects of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on error‐ and conflict‐induced behavioral modulations. Two separate cohorts of participants performed two clinically relevant tests of executive control, respectively. In the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the relevant rule for matching items frequently changed and therefore participants had to detect these unannounced changes by trial and error and alter their rule‐based behavior. In the Stop task, participants had to rapidly respond to a directional go‐signal but inhibit their responses when a stop signal appeared after the go‐signal. Each participant received tDCS (sham, cathodal or anodal) in three separate sessions. Errors led to a slower response in the next trial (post‐error slowing) in both tasks. The tDCS significantly modulated the post‐error slowing in both tasks but did not affect the behavioral adjustments induced by the conflict. The modulation of post‐error slowing by tDCS were polarity‐dependent and also trial specific appearing immediately after errors. In the WCST and Stop task, the post‐error slowing may reflect different processes involved in shifting the behavior‐guiding rule and adjustments in inhibitory control of responses, respectively, and we found that the effective tDCS polarity differed between the two tasks. Here, we show that in two separate cognitive tasks direct current stimulation of DLPFC significantly modulated error‐induced behavioral modulations.
The segmental diffusivity profile of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated white matter degeneration
Authors: Schuster C. , Elamin M. , Hardiman O. , Bede P. 
Published: May 2016

Background and purposeMagnetic resonance diffusivity indices have been repeatedly proposed as biomarkers of neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but no consensus exists as to which diffusivity parameter is the most sensitive to identify early degenerative changes. Despite numerous studies, surprisingly little is known of the segmental vulnerability of the corticospinal tracts and corpus callosum. Our objective was to characterize the core three‐dimensional white matter signature of ALS, to describe phenotype‐specific patterns of white matter degeneration and to evaluate the diffusivity profile of individual patients and controls in specific white matter segments.MethodsA large neuroimaging study was undertaken with 62 patients and 55 age‐matched healthy controls. White matter alterations were explored based on fractional anisotropy and radial, mean and axial diffusivity indices. Atlas‐based region of interest analyses were carried out in the corona radiata, internal capsules, cerebral peduncles, and in the splenium, body and genu of the corpus callosum. Percentage change and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to characterize disease‐state discriminating diffusivity measures and white matter regions.ResultsBulbar onset patients exhibit extensive corticobulbar tract involvement in the genu of the internal capsule and in the lateral fibres of the corona radiata subjacent to the bulbar representation of the motor homunculus. Spinal onset patients show predominantly posterior internal capsule involvement and medial corona radiata pathology. ROC curve analyses revealed that diffusivity measures of the cerebral crura best discriminate patients and controls (area under the curve 80.1%).ConclusionsAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis is associated with a core, disease‐specific three‐dimensional white matter signature which is best demonstrated by radial diffusivity measurements. The main ALS motor phenotypes are manifestations of the relatively selective involvement of corticospinal and corticobulbar fibres.
Fatal hepatocellular carcinoma presenting with oral metastasis in a patient with synchronic primary malignancies of prostate and liver
Authors: Rodrigues Maria Fernanda Setúbal Destro , Esteves Carina Magalhães , de Oliveira Márcio Augusto , de Andrade Nathália Paiva , Sedassari Bruno Tavares , Soares Fernando Augusto , Nunes Fabio Daumas 
Published: May 2016

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent type of liver cancer and its occurrence in the oral cavity as a metastatic neoplasm is a rare event. We describe a fatal case of HCC with oral metastasis in a patient firstly diagnosed with prostatic and hepatic carcinomas. The histopathological examination revealed a hepatocyte‐like tumour cells arranged in organoid structures as well as positivity to cytokeratin 8 and Hep Par 1. The present findings highlight the importance of a complete medical evaluation of the patient to identify possible oral repercussions of primary diseases.
Formation of electrostatic complexes using sodium caseinate with high‐methoxyl pectin and carboxymethyl cellulose and their application in stabilisation of curcumin
Authors: Cho Hyunnho , Jung Hana , Lee HeeJae , Kwak Ho‐Kyung , Hwang Keum Taek 
Published: May 2016

SummaryDespite many reported bioactivities of curcumin, its application is limited due to its low bioavailability, solubility and stability. Proteins have been reported to stabilise curcumin in aqueous media, and stabilisation of curcumin could be enhanced when proteins form an electrostatic complex with polysaccharides. In this study, electrostatic complexes of sodium caseinate (NaCas) were prepared using high‐methoxyl pectin (HMP and NaCas‐HMP) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC and NaCas‐CMC). NaCas to polysaccharide ratio of 1:2 resulted in the lowest turbidity and sedimentation. The electrostatic complexes were more stable than native NaCas against pH change and ionic strength. Binding of curcumin to NaCas and the electrostatic complexes were confirmed by UV‐vis and fluorescence spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). The electrostatic complexes showed a higher binding constant and protected curcumin better than the native NaCas. This study suggests that the electrostatic complexes may be a superior carrier to NaCas at an acidic environment.
A role for amyloid precursor protein translation to restore iron homeostasis and ameliorate lead (Pb) neurotoxicity
Authors: Rogers Jack T. , Venkataramani Vivek , Washburn Cecilia , Liu Yanyan , Tummala Vinusha , Jiang Hong , Smith Ann , Cahill Catherine M. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractIron supplementation ameliorates the neurotoxicity of the environmental contaminant lead (Pb); however, the mechanism remains undefined. Iron is an essential nutrient but high levels are toxic due to the catalytic generation of destructive hydroxyl radicals. Using human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells to model human neurons, we investigated the effect of Pb on proteins of iron homeostasis: the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP), which stabilizes the iron exporter ferroportin 1; and, the heavy subunit of the iron‐storage protein, ferritin (FTH). Lead (Pb(II) and Pb(IV) inhibited APP translation and raised cytosolic iron(II). Lead also increased iron regulatory protein‐1 binding to the cognate 5′untranslated region‐specific iron‐responsive element (IRE) of APP and FTH mRNAs. Concurrent iron treatment rescued cells from Pb toxicity by specifically restoring APP synthesis, i.e. levels of the APP‐related protein, APLP‐2, were unchanged. Significantly, iron/IRE‐independent over‐expression of APP695 protected SH‐SY5Y cells from Pb toxicity, demonstrating that APP plays a key role in maintaining safe levels of intracellular iron. Overall, our data support a model of neurotoxicity where Pb enhances iron regulatory protein/IRE‐mediated repression of APP and FTH translation. We propose novel treatment options for Pb poisoning to include chelators and the use of small molecules to maintain APP and FTH translation.
imageWe propose the following cascade for Lead (Pb) toxicity to neurons; by targeting the interaction between Iron regulatory protein‐1 and Iron‐responsive elements, Pb caused translational repression of proteins that control intracellular iron homeostasis, including the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP) that stabilizes the iron exporter ferroportin, and the ferroxidase heavy subunit of the iron‐storage protein, ferritin. When unregulated, IRE‐independent over‐expression of APP695 protected SH‐SY5Y neurons from Pb toxicity. There is a novel and key role for APP in maintaining safe levels of intracellular iron pertinent to lead toxicity.
Interplay of enzymatic and structural functions of CaMKII in long‐term potentiation
Authors: Kim Karam , Saneyoshi Takeo , Hosokawa Tomohisa , Okamoto Kenichi , Hayashi Yasunori 
Published: May 2016

AbstractSince the discovery of long‐term potentiation (LTP) about a half‐century ago, Ca2+/CaM‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has been one of the most extensively studied components of the molecular machinery that regulate plasticity. This unique dodecameric kinase complex plays pivotal roles in LTP by phosphorylating substrates through elaborate regulatory mechanisms, and is known to be both necessary and sufficient for LTP. In addition to acting as a kinase, CaMKII has been postulated to have structural roles because of its extraordinary abundance and diverse interacting partners. It now is becoming clear that these two functions of CaMKII cooperate closely for the induction of both functional and structural synaptic plasticity of dendritic spines.
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Because of its extraordinary abundance within neuronal cells, calmodulin kinase CaMKII has been believed to act as a structural protein as well as an enzyme during synaptic plasticity. In this review, we summarized studies in CaMKII field and provide an insight into how enzymatic and structural functions of CaMKII cooperate with each other for long‐term potentiation (LTP) in neurons.
This article is part of a mini review series: “Synaptic Function and Dysfunction in Brain Diseases”.
The evolution of genomic islands by increased establishment probability of linked alleles
Authors: Yeaman Sam , Aeschbacher Simon , Bürger Reinhard 
Published: May 2016

AbstractGenomic islands are clusters of loci with elevated divergence that are commonly found in population genomic studies of local adaptation and speciation. One explanation for their evolution is that linkage between selected alleles confers a benefit, which increases the establishment probability of new mutations that are linked to existing locally adapted polymorphisms. Previous theory suggested there is only limited potential for the evolution of islands via this mechanism, but involved some simplifying assumptions that may limit the accuracy of this inference. Here, we extend previous analytical approaches to study the effect of linkage on the establishment probability of new mutations and identify parameter regimes that are most likely to lead to evolution of islands via this mechanism. We show how the interplay between migration and selection affects the establishment probability of linked vs. unlinked alleles, the expected maximum size of genomic islands, and the expected time required for their evolution. Our results agree with previous studies, suggesting that this mechanism alone is unlikely to be a general explanation for the evolution of genomic islands. However, this mechanism could occur more readily if there were other pre‐adaptations to reduce local rates of recombination or increase the local density of mutational targets within the region of the island. We also show that island formation via erosion following secondary contact is much more rapid than island formation from de novo mutations, suggesting that this mechanism may be more likely.
Cross-Validatory Extreme Value Threshold Selection and Uncertainty with Application to Ocean Storm Severity
Authors: Northrop Paul J. , Attalides Nicolas , Jonathan Philip 
Published: May 2016

SummaryDesign conditions for marine structures are typically informed by threshold-based extreme value analyses of oceanographic variables, in which excesses of a high threshold are modelled by a generalized Pareto distribution. Too low a threshold leads to bias from model misspecification, and raising the threshold increases the variance of estimators: a bias–variance trade-off. Many existing threshold selection methods do not address this trade-off directly but rather aim to select the lowest threshold above which the generalized Pareto model is judged to hold approximately. In the paper Bayesian cross-validation is used to address the trade-off by comparing thresholds based on predictive ability at extreme levels. Extremal inferences can be sensitive to the choice of a single threshold. We use Bayesian model averaging to combine inferences from many thresholds, thereby reducing sensitivity to the choice of a single threshold. The methodology is applied to significant wave height data sets from the northern North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis
Authors: Shen Jenny I. , Lum Erik L. , Chang Tara I. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBecause large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence‐based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial, we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, whereas low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well‐designed, well‐conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward.