bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of the Late Devonian (Famennian) Strata in the Northwestern Border of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwestern China
Authors: MA Xueping , ZHANG Meiqiong , ZONG Pu , ZHANG Yubo , LÜ Dan 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe base of the Saerba Member (Mbr) of the Hongguleleng Formation (Fm.) probably lies in the Famennian Palmatolepis crepida Zone; the Longkou Mbr is probably a sedimentary wedge that thins out northwards; the Duguer Mbr has an approximate age from the upper part of the Pa. marginifera Zone or the Lower Pa. rugosa trachytera Zone through the top of the Pa. perlobata postera Zone; the Wulan Mbr has an age approximately corresponding to the whole Pa. gracilis expansa Zone. In the Bulongguoer section, the Lower Mbr of the Hongguleleng Fm. corresponds to Famennian Pa. crepida Zone through Pa. marginifera Zone; the Middle Mbr probably ranges from the Pa. r. trachytera Zone through the Pa. g. expansa Zone. The basal Namu Mbr of the Heishantou Fm. is probably the product during and after the Hangenberg Event in the upper part of the Siphonodella praesulcata Zone, which is still within the Devonian. In this context, the underlying Chasi Mbr may approximately correspond to the lower part of the S. praesulcata Zone (before the Hangenberg Event). Lateral distribution of strata indicates that the Upper Devonian in the Gennaren and Saerba areas each constitutes a structure of syncline, which differs from the previous recognition of a monocline structure.
Follow the Money: How Trends in Financing Are Changing Governance at International Organizations
Authors: Graham Erin R. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis article considers how trends in financing are changing governance at intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Over the course of the twentieth century IGO funding rules changed in two important ways. First, they were altered to allow states greater control over the financial contributions they provide, allowing states to ‘earmark’ contributions. Second, funding rules made private actors eligible contributors, providing an important entry point for private actor influence. I focus on three primary effects of these changes on IGO governance: (1) how the increased reliance on earmarked contributions undermines traditional conceptions of multilateral governance; (2) how private actors are empowered by their ability to earmark resources as they emerge as major funders; and (3) on the surge in ‘minilateral’ governance associated with the rise of pooled funding mechanisms. I draw on delegation theory to illustrate these changes conceptually and provide examples from a wide variety of institutions within and outside the UN system. I conclude by outlining fruitful avenues for research on financing IGOs.
Resourcing Global Justice: The Resource Management Design of International Courts
Authors: Squatrito Theresa 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis article examines the resource management design of international courts (ICs) and asks: how are ICs designed in terms of the management of resources and what factors contribute to the resource management design of ICs? Theoretically, this article draws on existing literature to conceptualize resource management as a design feature of international courts and considers three causal mechanisms that might shape the resource management design of ICs: diffusion by emulation, the uploading of domestic governance norms, and bureaucrats who pursue institutional independence and sustainability. Empirically, I examine the resource management design of 24 ICs and assess who selects their chief administrators and approves their budgets. A case study on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is also analyzed in order to gain traction on the causal mechanisms generating resource management design of ICs. The article shows that there is a strong tendency for ICs to have greater control over the appointment of their chief administrators, but less control over their budgets. States generally retain authority to approve ICs’ budgets. Moreover, it suggests that domestic judicial norms and national legal bureaucrats influenced the design of the CCJ's resource management.
Contested Implementation: The Unilateral Influence of Member States on Peacebuilding Policy in Kosovo
Authors: Eckhard Steffen , Dijkstra Hylke 
Published: August 2017

AbstractInternational organizations play an important role in policy implementation. As member states do not necessarily resolve political disagreements before delegating tasks, this article focuses on how individual member states seek to influence policy implementation by international organizations. It argues that the institutional context in which delegation takes place affects the opportunities for such unilateral influence. Particularly when the agent has considerable autonomy, implementation is likely to be a contested process. The article presents evidence on the implementation of peacebuilding policy by three international organizations in Kosovo after independence in 2008. Despite the fact that the member states within the UN, OSCE and EU fundamentally disagree on the legal status of Kosovo, the organizations have deployed substantial peacebuilding missions. The UN, OSCE and EU have, however, different institutional designs: implementing agents in the UN and OSCE have, by default, more autonomy than those in the EU. We analogously observe variation in how and to what extent member states exert unilateral influence during implementation of peacebuilding policy on the ground in Kosovo.
Can FSH influence longevity?
Authors: Bartke Andrzej 
Published: August 2017

SummaryIt was recently reported that the extragonadal actions of follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) include regulation of brown and white adipose tissue function and thermogenesis. Based on these findings and on our evidence for reduced FSH levels and enhanced thermogenesis in long‐lived growth hormone (GH)‐deficient mice and GH‐resistant mice, we suggest that FSH may have a role in the control of aging and longevity. We speculate that alterations in FSH secretion may represent one of the mechanisms of trade‐offs between reproduction and aging.
Allergic FcεRI‐ and pseudo‐allergic MRGPRX2‐triggered mast cell activation routes are independent and inversely regulated by SCF
Authors: Babina M. , Guhl S. , Artuc M. , Zuberbier T. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWhile allergic mast cell (MC) degranulation occurs by FcεRI aggregation and varies in strength among subjects, the analogous pseudo‐allergic route was recently uncovered to proceed via MRGPRX2. Here, we examine interindividual variability in skin MC responses to FcεRI triggering vs those evoked by MRGPRX2. While population‐based variability is comparable between the routes, FcεRI‐ and MRGPRX2‐stimulated pathways are completely independent from each other, and responsiveness to one has therefore no predictive value for the other. Conversely, degranulation triggered by compound 48/80 is highly correlated to the process elicited by substance P. MRGPRX2 mRNA shows pronounced population‐based variability (coefficient of variation 102.9%). Surprisingly, stem cell factor (SCF) as the MC‐supportive mediator par excellence potently inhibits pseudo‐allergic degranulation, while it simultaneously promotes allergic stimulation via FcεRI. We conclude that SCF can have selective MC‐dampening functions. Clinically, the data imply that subjects highly reactive in one pathway are not automatically hyper‐responsive in terms of the alternative route.
Gastric bypass surgery does not increase the risk for sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Morén Åsa , Sundbom Magnus , Ottosson Johan , Granstam Elisabet 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPurposeTo study the occurrence and level of diabetic retinopathy (DRP) before and after planned bariatric surgery and to investigate potential risk factors for deterioration of DRP.MethodsThe Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg) was used to identify diabetic patients who underwent gastric bypass (GBP) surgery at three centres in Sweden during 2008–2010. Information regarding DRP screening was obtained from ophthalmological patient charts. Patients who had DRP screening before and after GBP surgery were included in the study.ResultsThe survey included 117 patients. Mean age was 50 (SD 10) years, body mass index (BMI) 43 (SD 8) kg/m2 and HbA1c 64 (SD 18) mmol/mol before surgery. One year post‐GBP, BMI was reduced to 31 (SD 6) kg/m2. HbA1c was 43 (SD 10) mmol/mol, and in 66% (77/117) treatment for diabetes had been discontinued. Occurrence of DRP before GBP was as follows: no DRP 62%, mild 26%, moderate 10%, severe 0% and proliferative DRP 2%. No significant changes in occurrence of DRP after surgery were observed. Twelve patients (16%) developed mild DRP. In seven patients with pre‐existing DRP, deterioration was observed and two of these patients required treatment for sight‐threatening DRP. No association between preoperative BMI, HbA1c or reduction in HbA1c and worsening of DRP was found.ConclusionIn a majority of patients, no deterioration of DRP following GBP was observed. Screening for DRP before planned surgery is recommended for all diabetic patients about to undergo bariatric surgery to identify any pre‐existing DRP.
Metachronous solitary mediastinal lymph node metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma treated by video‐assisted thoracic surgery twice: Report of a case
Authors: Taniguchi Masatake , Hyodo Masanobu , Tezuka Kenji , Shinohara Shoichi , Hayashi Hirofumi , Inoue Yasuhiro , Satoh Hirotake , Tsukahara Munetoshi , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Okada Masaki , Yasuda Yoshikazu 
Published: August 2017

AbstractSolitary mediastinal lymph node metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare. We report a case of metachronically solitary mediastinal metastases of HCC treated by video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) twice. A 66‐year‐old man underwent repeated laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation or trans‐arterial catheter chemo‐embolization against HCC for more than 10 years. The level of alpha fetoprotein protein was elevated, and radiological modalities including FDG‐PET revealed solitary mediastinal tumor metachronically. VATS was performed bilaterally twice. The postoperative course was uneventful and there had no recurrence of extra‐hepatic metastases and tumor markers are within normal limits at 18 months after second VATS. VATS is a minimally invasive and useful procedure for solitary mediastinal lymph node metastasis of HCC. If primary HCC was controlled and lymph node metastasis was solitary, mediastinum lymphadenectomy using VATS might give good short and long term results.
Bisphenol A Exposure Impairs Epididymal Development during the Peripubertal Period of Rats: Inflammatory Profile and Tissue Changes
Authors: Ogo Fernanda Mithie , de Lion Siervo Glaucia Eloisa Munhoz , Staurengo‐Ferrari Larissa , de Oliveira Mendes Leonardo , Luchetta Nicla Renata , Vieira Henrique Rodrigues , Fattori Victor , Verri Waldiceu Aparecido , Scarano Wellerson Rodrigo , Fernandes Glaura Scantamburlo Alves 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic non‐steroidal oestrogen used in the production of plastics. BPA can cause alterations in the endocrine system of human beings and animals at varied stages of development. During puberty, altered morphological, sexual behaviour and completion of the epididymal development occur. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of BPA on epididymal development during the peripubertal period of rats. Male Wistar rats were treated with BPA via gavage at doses of 20 μg/kg or 200 μg/kg per day [post‐natal day (PND] 36–66). The control group received the vehicles under the same conditions. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. On PND 67, the epididymis was removed, weighed, divided into caput/corpus and cauda sections. It was then used for sperm count determination; histopathological and stereological evaluation; inflammatory cell enzymatic profiling (myeloperoxidase activity – MPO; N‐acetylglucosaminidase – NAG); immunohistochemistry for IL‐6; and evaluation of superoxide anion levels and malondialdehyde (MDA). Exposure to BPA at 200 μg/kg caused a significant increase of MPO activity and immunoreactivity to IL‐6 (interleukin‐6) as well as remodelling of tissue components in the caput/corpus and cauda regions of the epididymis. Under these experimental conditions, it is concluded that BPA alters post‐natal epididymal development.
Students' insights on the use of video lectures in online classes
Authors: Scagnoli Norma I. , Choo Jinhee , Tian Jing 
Published: August 2017

AbstractVideo lectures (VL), considered an effective means for delivering course content and infusing teaching presence in the virtual environment, have become very popular in education. The purpose of this study was to investigate online student experiences with VL focusing on their opinion of usefulness of VL, their satisfaction with them and their perception of learning derived from them. Our findings show that students' satisfaction with VL has a strong relationship with positive overall learning experience and perception of impact of video on learning. Furthermore, VL can enhance a feeling of engagement with content because of learners' control of the media and instructors' presence. The findings also alert us on the importance of careful planning and balanced integration of VL with other course materials. This provides important information on the effectiveness of video‐lectures in college teaching and learning and implications for practice in online course design.
Results of a multicentre UK‐wide retrospective study evaluating the efficacy of brentuximab vedotin in relapsed, refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma in the transplant naive setting
Authors: Eyre Toby A. , Phillips Elizabeth H. , Linton Kim M. , Arumainathan Arvind , Kassam Shireen , Gibb Adam , Allibone Suzanne , Radford John , Peggs Karl , Burton Cathy , Stewart Gillian , LeDieu Rifca , Booth Catherine , Osborne Wendy L. , Miall Fiona , Eyre David W. , Ardeshna Kirit M. , Collins Graham P. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryRelapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is associated with a poor outcome when standard chemotherapy fails. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an anti‐CD30 monoclonal antibody‐drug conjugate licensed for use at relapse after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following two prior therapies in those unsuitable for ASCT. There are limited data assessing the ability of BV to enable curative SCT. We performed a UK‐wide retrospective study of 99 SCT‐naïve relapsed/refractory cHL. All had received 2 prior lines and were deemed fit for transplant but had an insufficient remission to proceed. The median age was 32 years. Most had nodular sclerosis subtype, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0–1 and advanced stage disease. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 5·6 months and median overall survival (OS) was 37·2 months. The overall response rate was 56% (29% complete response; 27% partial response). 61% reached SCT: 34% immediately post‐BV and 27% following an inadequate BV response but were salvaged and underwent deferred SCT. Patients consolidated with SCT had a superior PFS and OS to those not receiving SCT (P < 0·001). BV is an effective, non‐toxic bridge to immediate SCT in 34% and deferred SCT in 27%. 39% never reached SCT with a PFS of 3·0 months, demonstrating the unmet need to improve outcomes in those unsuitable for SCT post‐BV.
Editorial: Values based child and adolescent mental health systems
Authors: Hindley Peter , Whitaker Fran 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThere are significant concerns, in countries around the world, about the mental health of children and young people and their access to appropriate services (Kutcher, McLuckie, & for the Child and Youth Advisory Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada, ; Mental Health Commission, ; Paula, Lauridsen‐Ribeiro, Wissow, Bordin, & Evans‐Lacko, ; Wolfe & McKee, ; Department of Health, ). Common themes include: difficulties in accessing services, especially for some vulnerable groups, levels of resourcing, waiting times and training and staffing levels, although there are variations in emphasis.
What the child “SAID” to the dentist: A UK randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yee R. , Jones L. M. , Hosey M. T. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe electronic Survey of Anxiety and Information for Dentists (eSAID) allows children to tell dentists about their feelings and coping preferences. It is a computer “quiz” with 26 questions and free‐text responses that produces a report for the children that they can then hand to their dentist. This is the first study to report the use of eSAID in a hospital paediatric dental clinic.MethodsThis was a randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether children thought that eSAID benefitted them, made them less anxious, and improved cooperation and their treatment satisfaction. Fifty‐one children aged 8–13 years were randomized to complete either eSAID or a control version in the waiting room before their scheduled dental appointment. The study group had a 26‐item questionnaire; the control had only two items. Both groups scored their anxiety on a 7‐point anxiety scale at the start and again at the end of the quiz. All subjects handed the resultant eSAID report as a printout to their dentist. Dental treatment proceeded as planned. After treatment, each child reported how they thought the eSAID quiz had benefitted them by scoring on a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale and their satisfaction on the Modified Treatment Evaluation Inventory. The operating dentists scored the children's cooperation using a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale.ResultsOverall, the baseline anxiety levels were low (study: mean 1.2; control: mean 1.5). The study group's post‐survey anxiety reduced by 0.4, whereas controls' increased by 0.2; this difference is statistically significant (p = .04). However, it made no difference to the children's self‐reported benefit (p = .30), satisfaction (p > .05), or cooperation (p = .34).ConclusionseSAID reduced pre‐treatment anxiety but made no difference to children's perceived benefit, satisfaction, or cooperation. Future study should include known anxious children.
Selective release of miRNAs via extracellular vesicles is associated with house‐dust mite allergen‐induced airway inflammation
Authors: Gon Y. , Maruoka S. , Inoue T. , Kuroda K. , Yamagishi K. , Kozu Y. , Shikano S. , Soda K. , Lötvall J. , Hashimoto S. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryBackgroundMicroRNAs (miRNAs) may facilitate cell‐to‐cell communication via extracellular vesicles (EVs). The biological roles of miRNAs in EVs on allergic airway inflammation are unclear.MethodsAirway‐secreted EVs (AEVs) were isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of control and house‐dust mite (HDM) allergen‐exposed HDM‐sensitized mice. The expression of miRNAs in AEVs or miRNAs and mRNAs in lung tissue was analysed using miRNA microarray.ResultsThe amount of AEV increased 8.9‐fold in BALF from HDM‐exposed mice compared with that from sham‐control mice. HDM exposure resulted in significant changes in the expression of 139 miRNAs in EVs and 175 miRNAs in lung tissues, with 54 miRNAs being common in both samples. Expression changes of these 54 miRNAs between miRNAs in AEVs and lung tissues after HDM exposure were inversely correlated. Computational analysis revealed that 31 genes, including IL‐13 and IL‐5Ra, are putative targets of the miRNAs up‐regulated in AEVs but down‐regulated in lung tissues after HDM exposure. The amount of AEV in BALF after HDM exposure was diminished by treatment with the sphingomyelinase inhibitor GW4869. The treatment with GW4869 also decreased Th2 cytokines and eosinophil counts in BALFs and reduced eosinophil accumulation in airway walls and mucosa.ConclusionThese results indicate that selective sorting of miRNA including Th2 inhibitory miRNAs into AEVs and increase release to the airway after HDM exposure would be involved in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation.
Eliciting Willingness‐to‐Pay through Multiple Experimental Procedures: Evidence from Lab‐in‐the‐Field in Rural Ghana
Authors: Banerji A. , Chowdhury Shyamal , De Groote Hugo , Meenakshi J. V. , Haleegoah Joyce , Ewool Manfred 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis paper has the objectives of (a) comparing estimated willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) across three elicitation mechanisms (a Becker‐DeGroot‐Marschak [BDM] auction, a kth price auction, and a choice experiment [CE]) and (b) examining how these vary by participation fee. The product under consideration is kenkey made with nutritious maize, biofortified with vitamin A, which gives it a distinct orange color, in contrast to the white and yellow varieties that are traditionally consumed. We use an experiment consisting of 14 treatment arms, conducted in rural Ghana. Our estimation strategy explicitly accounts for the censored (typically at the market price) nature of the bids in the auctions, and the apparently lexicographic choices of several individuals in the CE. We find no evidence of economically meaningful (defined by the minimum currency unit of five pesewas) differences in WTP (although they may be statistically significant) across elicitation mechanisms, or by participation fee, a result that is in contrast to that found in much of the literature. A secondary finding is that the provision of nutrition information positively and significantly affects the marginal WTP for the new maize.
Untangling the proximate causes and underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Myanmar
Authors: Lim Cheng Ling , Prescott Graham W. , De Alban Jose Don T. , Ziegler Alan D. , Webb Edward L. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPolitical transitions often trigger substantial environmental changes. In particular, deforestation can result from the complex interplay among the components of a system—actors, institutions, and existing policies—adapting to new opportunities. A dynamic conceptual map of system components is particularly useful for systems in which multiple actors, each with different worldviews and motivations, may be simultaneously trying to alter different facets of the system, unaware of the impacts on other components. In Myanmar, a global biodiversity hotspot with the largest forest area in mainland Southeast Asia, ongoing political and economic reforms are likely to change the dynamics of deforestation drivers. A fundamental conceptual map of these dynamics is therefore a prerequisite for interventions to reduce deforestation. We used a system‐dynamics approach and causal‐network analysis to determine the proximate causes and underlying drivers of forest loss and degradation in Myanmar from 1995 to 2016 and to articulate the linkages among them. Proximate causes included infrastructure development, timber extraction, and agricultural expansion. These were stimulated primarily by formal agricultural, logging, mining, and hydropower concessions and economic investment and social issues relating to civil war and land tenure. Reform of land laws, the link between natural resource extraction and civil war, and the allocation of agricultural concessions will influence the extent of future forest loss and degradation in Myanmar. The causal‐network analysis identified priority areas for policy interventions, for example, creating a public registry of land‐concession holders to deter corruption in concession allocation. We recommend application of this analytical approach to other countries, particularly those undergoing political transition, to inform policy interventions to reduce forest loss and degradation.