bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regional volatility: common or country-specific? Exploration of international stock market
Authors: Mobarek Asma , Li Michelle 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to test whether the volatility of regional stock markets’ is common or country-specific for 46 international markets of the Asian, European, African and Latin American regions using the Morgan Stanley Capital International daily prices in the period from January 1998 to December 2009. Further, the study has been divided into two sub-periods to distinguish the effects of the current sub-prime financial crisis and to determine whether the crisis has an impact on the fluctuations of common component of stock market volatility.Design/methodology/approach– The paper applies the time-varying weighting methodology of Lumsdaine and Prasad (2003) to determine whether the volatility fluctuation is country-specific or common across the countries.Findings– The results evidence that the volatility of stock returns is due to common factors, rather than country-specific ones, but this is not always the case. However, this common component is more stable in European and Latin American countries than in the Asia-Pacific and African regions. Furthermore, the results suggest that the influence of a common component has been enhanced significantly during the current sub-prime financial crisis.Practical implications– The study has implication for domestic and international investors, portfolio managers, as well as policy-makers to implement economic and financial policy that promote stability, reduce vulnerability to crises and encourage sustained growth and living standards.Originality/value– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to include four regional samples and test the common component of fluctuations of regional stock markets volatility.
Stock market predictability
Authors: John Camilleri Silvio , J. Green Christopher 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The main objective of this study is to obtain new empirical evidence on non-synchronous trading effects through modelling the predictability of market indices.Design/methodology/approach– The authors test for lead-lag effects between the Indian Nifty and Nifty Junior indices using Pesaran–Timmermann tests and Granger-Causality. Then, a simple test on overnight returns is proposed to infer whether the observed predictability is mainly attributable to non-synchronous trading or some form of inefficiency.Findings– The evidence suggests that non-synchronous trading is a better explanation for the observed predictability in the Indian Stock Market.Research limitations/implications– The indication that non-synchronous trading effects become more pronounced in high-frequency data suggests that prior studies using daily data may underestimate the impacts of non-synchronicity.Originality/value– The originality of the paper rests on various important contributions: overnight returns is looked at to infer whether predictability is more attributable to non-synchronous trading or to some form of inefficiency; the impacts of non-synchronicity are investigated in terms of lead-lag effects rather than serial correlation; and high-frequency data is used which gauges the impacts of non-synchronicity during less active parts of the trading day.
Are stock prices stationary? Some new evidence from a panel data approach
Authors: Shen Xin , J. Holmes Mark 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– This paper investigates whether mean reversion holds for a panel of 16 OECD stock price indices for the period 1970 to 2011.Design/methodology/approach– We employ seemingly unrelated regression (SUR)-based linear and non-linear unit root tests which are not only able to exploit the power of panel data analysis but also account for cross sectional dependencies as well as identify which panel members are stationary.Findings– In contrast to a literature that offers mixed findings on stationarity, it was found that most of our sample is characterized as mean- or trend-reverting with approximated half-lives in the region of three to five years.Originality/value– In contrast to other panel unit root tests of stock prices, the authors identify which individual panel members are stationary and non-stationary using a SURADF test. A further novelty of our approach is that we also develop a SUR-based panel KSS test that allows us to explore the possibility that stock prices exhibit non-linear stationarity.
Impacts of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) invasion on dry matter and carbon and nitrogen stocks in a broad‐leaved secondary forest located in Kyoto, western Japan
Authors: Fukushima Keitaro , Usui Nobuaki , Ogawa Ryo , Tokuchi Naoko 
Published: October 2014

AbstractIn western and central Japan, the expansion of exotic moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex J. Houz.) populations into neighboring vegetation has become a serious problem. Although the effects of bamboo invasion on biodiversity have been well studied, shifts in nutrient stocks and cycling, which are fundamental for ecosystem functioning, are not fully understood. To explore the effects of P. pubescens invasion on ecosystem functions we examined above‐ and below‐ground dry matter and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks in a pure broad‐leaved tree stand, a pure bamboo stand, and two tree–bamboo mixed stands with different vegetation mix ratios in the secondary forest of Kyoto, western Japan. In the process of invasion, bamboo shoots offset broad‐leaved tree deaths; thus, no clear trend was apparent in total above‐ or below‐ground biomass or in plant C and N stocks during invasion. However, the ratio of above‐ground to below‐ground biomass (T/R ratio at the stand level) decreased with increasing bamboo dominance, especially in the early stages of invasion. This shift indicates that rapid bamboo rhizomatous growth is a main driver of substantial changes in stand structure. We also detected rises in the C/N ratio of forest‐floor organic matter during bamboo invasion. Thus major impacts of P. pubescens invasion into broad‐leaved forests include not only early shifts in biomass allocation, but also changes in the distribution pattern of C and N stored in plants and soil.
Chronological location analyses of giant bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) groves and their invasive expansion in a satoyama landscape area, western Japan
Authors: Suzuki Shigeo 
Published: October 2014

AbstractSince the 1980s, giant bamboo groves consisting mainly of naturalized Phyllostachys pubescens have been expanding in Japanese rural landscapes (satoyama). Using aerial photographs, I evaluated changes in bamboo grove distribution between 1947 and 2006 at Mount Hachiman, Ohmi‐hachiman City in western Japan, where there is an area of satoyama landscape adjacent to the suburbs. I also quantitatively determined the natural and artificial factors that accelerated bamboo grove expansion using a multiple logistic regression analysis with stepwise procedure. I attempted to describe the positions of bamboo groves in Japanese satoyama landscapes. The area of bamboo groves in the survey area expanded after 1967. The bamboo groves are located at the base of mountain slopes and on alluvial fans adjacent to residential areas, where they are most susceptible to human interferences (mainly disturbance). They mark the boundary between agricultural fields and secondary forests. The model analysis indicated that the abandonment of lands adjacent to bamboo groves caused bamboo‐grove expansion. As forests and agricultural land were abandoned, bamboo, mainly P. pubescens, invaded these areas by rhizomatous clonal growth. Bamboo grove expansion in Japanese satoyama landscapes is dependent on the type of land use, topography, and existing vegetation as well as the invasive life‐history traits of P. pubescens.
Embedding and Disembedding of Political Elites: A Filter System Approach
Authors: Davis Aeron 
Published: October 2014

This article looks at the issue of political disengagement in mature democracies and the growing tendency towards disconnect between citizens and their political representatives. It locates itself in relation to ‘demand-side’ (external to politics) and critical ‘supply-side’ (focused on the political centre) explanations of disengagement. It concentrates on the latter and, accordingly, builds on critical, post-Marxist and elite-oriented work. As such it follows on from earlier calls in the journal for a return to elite-based research ( Savage and Williams, 2008 ). Drawing on general concepts in economic sociology (Polanyi, Granovetter) the article presents an alternative embedding-disembedding paradigm for explaining and evaluating this tendency towards political elite disengagement. The propensity for politicians to disembed from wider society is explained by way of a series of eight ‘filters’. Such filters work, alone or cumulatively, both to socially embed political elites within the institutions and networks of formal politics and also to disembed them from wider society and the populace they represent. The interpretive framework outlined here draws on a combination of secondary literature and ongoing interview-based research with some 150 political actors (politicians, journalists, officials) working at Westminster. As such, the filters and embedding-disembedding paradigm focuses primarily on the UK case. However, the framework is easily adaptable to other nations and systems.
Auditor Mindsets and Audits of Complex Estimates
Authors: GRIFFITH EMILY E. , HAMMERSLEY JACQUELINE S. , KADOUS KATHRYN , YOUNG DONALD 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACTAuditors experience significant problems auditing complex accounting estimates, and this increasingly puts financial reporting quality at risk. Based on analyses of the specific errors that auditors commit, we propose that auditors need to be able to think more broadly and incorporate information from a variety of sources in order to improve audit quality for these important accounts. We experimentally demonstrate that a deliberative mindset intervention improves auditors’ ability to identify unreasonable estimates by improving their ability to identify and incorporate into their analyses contradictory information from diverse parts of the audit and improving their ability to think critically about the evidence. We perform additional analyses to demonstrate that our intervention improves auditor performance by causing them to think differently rather than simply to work harder. We demonstrate that critical thinking can improve the identification of unreasonable estimates and, in doing so, we provide new directions for addressing audit quality issues.
Suicide Case Due to Phosphoric Acid Ingestion: Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Aquila Isabella , Pepe Francesca , Di Nunzio Ciro , Ausania Francesco , Serra Arianna , Ricci Pietrantonio 
Published: October 2014

AbstractIngesting caustic substances represents a common event which may result in serious injuries of the gastrointestinal system. Severity of injury depends on the type of ingested substance: Caustic burns are more frequently associated with acid ingestion and their severity depends on type, concentration, time of exposure, and amount of the ingested substance. We report a case of phosphoric acid ingestion leading to death in a patient with depressive disorder. While reports ingestion of other acids and organophosphates can be found in the literature, there are no reports detailing a death due to phosphoric acid ingestion. We hope that presenting the findings in this case can aid death investigators in future cases that may involve ingestion of such a substance. After autopsy pH, phosphate and calcium ions concentration in the blood were analyzed. The cause of death was due to systemic effects: metabolic acidosis, hypophosphatemia, hypocalcemia, and hyperkalemia.
Scribes in an Australian private emergency department: A description of physician productivity
Authors: Walker Katherine , Ben‐Meir Michael , O'Mullane Phebe , Phillips David , Staples Margaret 
Published: October 2014

AbstractObjectiveThe study aims to determine if trained scribes in an Australian ED can assist emergency physicians (EPs) to work with increased productivity.MethodsThis was a pilot, prospective, observational study conducted at a private ED in Melbourne. A scribe is a trained assistant who works with an EP and performs non‐clinical tasks that reduce the time spent providing clinical care for patients. Shifts with and without a scribe were compared. The primary outcomes were patients per hour per doctor and billings per patient. Additional analyses included total patient time in ED; individual doctor productivity; time to see a doctor; time on ambulance bypass; and complaints/issues identified with scribes.ResultsThere was an overall increase in doctor consultations per hour of 0.32 patients (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17, 0.47). This varied between doctors from an increase in patients per hour of 0.16 (95% CI −0.09, 0.40) to 0.65 (95% CI 0.41, 0.89). Billings per patient were increased (AUD15.24; 95% CI −AUD18.51, AUD48.99), but the increase was not statistically significant; time to see a doctor reduced by 22 min (95% CI 11, 33); bypass episodes reduced by 66 min per shift (95% CI 11, 122), total patient ED stay remained constant.ConclusionsIn this pilot study, scribe usage was feasible, and overall improvements in consultations per hour were seen. Overall income improved by AUD104.86 (95% CI AUD38.52, AUD171.21) per scribed hour. Further study is recommended to determine if results are sustained or improved over a longer period.
Alcohol Alters Insulin‐Like Growth Factor‐1‐Induced Transforming Growth Factor β1 Synthesis in the Medial Basal Hypothalamus of the Prepubertal Female Rat
Authors: Hiney Jill K. , Srivastava Vinod K. , Volz Claire E. , Dees William L. 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundInsulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) are produced in hypothalamic astrocytes and facilitate luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone (LHRH) secretion. IGF‐1 stimulates release by acting directly on the LHRH nerve terminals and both peptides act indirectly through specific plastic changes on glial/tanycyte processes that further support LHRH secretion. Because the relationship between these growth factors in the hypothalamus is not known, we assessed the ability of IGF‐1 to induce TGFβ1 synthesis and release and the actions of alcohol (ALC) on this mechanism prior to the onset of puberty.MethodsHypothalamic astrocytes were exposed to medium only, medium plus IGF‐1 (200 ng/ml), or medium plus IGF‐1 with 50 mM ALC. After 18 hours, media were collected and assayed for TGFβ1. For the in vivo experiment, prepubertal female rats were administered either ALC (3 g/kg) or water via gastric gavage at 07:30 hours and at 11:30 hours. At 09:00 hours, saline or IGF‐1 was administered into the third ventricle. Rats were killed at 15:00 hours and the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) was collected for assessment of TGFβ1, IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1R), and Akt.ResultsIGF‐1 induced TGFβ1 release (p < 0.01) from hypothalamic astrocytes in culture, an action blocked by ALC. In vivo, IGF‐1 administration caused an increase in TGFβ1 protein compared with controls (p < 0.05), an action blocked by ALC as well as a phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt inhibitor. IGF‐1 stimulation also increased both total (p< 0.01) and phosphorylated (p)‐IGF‐1R (p < 0.05) protein levels, and phosphorylated (p)‐Akt levels (p < 0.01), which were also blocked by ALC.ConclusionsThis study shows that ALC blocks IGF‐1 actions to stimulate synthesis and release of hypothalamic TGFβ1, total and p‐IGF‐1R, and p‐Akt levels further demonstrating the inhibitory actions of ALC on puberty‐related events associated with hypothalamic LHRH release.
The future of smoking‐attributable mortality: the case of England & Wales, Denmark and the Netherlands
Authors: Stoeldraijer Lenny , Bonneux Luc , van Duin Coen , van Wissen Leo , Janssen Fanny 
Published: October 2014

AbstractAimsWe formally estimate future smoking‐attributable mortality up to 2050 for the total national populations of England & Wales, Denmark and the Netherlands, providing an update and extension of the descriptive smoking‐epidemic model.MethodsWe used smoking prevalence and population‐level lung cancer mortality data for England & Wales, Denmark and the Netherlands, covering the period 1950–2009. To estimate the future smoking‐attributable mortality fraction (SAF) we: (i) project lung cancer mortality by extrapolating age–period–cohort trends, using the observed convergence of smoking prevalence and similarities in past lung cancer mortality between men and women as input; and (ii) add other causes of death attributable to smoking by applying a simplified version of the indirect Peto–Lopez method to the projected lung cancer mortality.FindingsThe SAF for men in 2009 was 19% (44 872 deaths) in England & Wales, 22% (5861 deaths) in Denmark and 25% (16 385 deaths) in the Netherlands. In our projections, these fractions decline to 6, 12 and 14%, respectively, in 2050. The SAF for women peaked at 14% (38 883 deaths) in 2008 in England & Wales, and is expected to peak in 2028 in Denmark (22%) and in 2033 in the Netherlands (23%). By 2050, a decline to 9, 17 and 19%, respectively, is foreseen. Different indirect estimation methods of the SAF in 2050 yield a range of 1–8% (England & Wales), 8–13% (Denmark) and 11–16% (the Netherlands) for men, and 7–16, 12–26 and 13–31% for women.ConclusionsFrom northern European data we project that smoking‐attributable mortality will remain important for the future, especially for women. Whereas substantial differences between countries remain, the age‐specific evolution of smoking‐attributable mortality remains similar across countries and between sexes.
Angiomyxoma of the nasal dorsum treated by Mohs surgery
Authors: Kahn Steven L , Juhl Mark E , Sidiropoulos Michael , Guitart Joan , Antonijevic Sasha , Krunic Aleksandar L 
Published: October 2014

AbstractCutaneous angiomyxomas are myofibroblastic neoplasms with locally aggressive behaviour and a high risk of recurrence. We describe a case of a solitary cutaneous angiomyxoma presenting on the nasal dorsum of a 28‐year‐old man, excised with Mohs surgery using permanent section control and repaired with an advancement flap. Histology showed myxoid nests of bland CD34‐positive and vimentin‐positive stellate and spindled cells in the deep dermis and abundant thin‐walled blood vessels. An echocardiogram, performed to rule out the possibility of a cardiac myxoma with cutaneous embolisation, was normal.
Uterine Cytokine Profile in a Rat Model of Endometritis
Authors: Xu Daojun , Xiong Hailin , Xiao Zhonglin , He Jun , Liao Qing , Xue Liqun , Wang Naidong , Yang Qing 
Published: October 2014

ProblemEndometritis is a common reproductive disorder in female domestic animals. Roles of cytokines and chemokines have been implicated in this disease. To date, no comprehensive panel of the cytokine profile in inflammatory sites of endometritis has been reported.Method of studyTo address cytokine profiles in endometritis, a bacteria‐induced rat model of endometritis was developed and levels of 27 cytokines were measured in paired uterine horn tissues using a multiple cytokine array.ResultsOf the 27 cytokines, five pro‐inflammatory mediators, including three cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemo‐attractant (CINC)‐1, CINC‐2 and CINC‐3, interleukin (IL)‐1a and CXC family member CXCL5/LIX were increased upon the stimulation of bacteria.ConclusionsHigh expression of CINCs as well IL‐1a and CXCL5/LIX suggests their potent roles in the pathogenicity of endometritis.
Recent trends in the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors in the United States
Authors: Ghazarian A. A. , Trabert B. , Devesa S. S. , McGlynn K. A. 
Published: October 2014

SummaryTesticular germ cell tumors (TGCT), which comprise 98% of all testicular malignancies, are the most commonly occurring cancers among men between the ages of 15 and 44 years in the United States (US). A prior report from our group found that while TGCT incidence among all US men increased between 1973 and 2003, the rate of increase among black men was more pronounced starting in 1989–1993 than was the rate of increase among other men. In addition, TGCT incidence increased among Hispanic white men between 1992 and 2003. To determine whether these patterns have continued, in the current study, we examined temporal trends in incidence through 2011. Between 1992 and 2011, 21 271 TGCTs (12 419 seminomas; 8715 non‐seminomas; 137 spermatocytic seminomas) were diagnosed among residents of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 13 registry areas. The incidence of TGCT was highest among non‐Hispanic white men (6.97 per 100 000 man‐years) followed by American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN; 4.66), Hispanic white (4.11), Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI; 1.95), and black (1.20) men. Non‐Hispanic white men were more likely to present with smaller tumors (3.5 cm) and localized disease (72.6%) than were men of other races/ethnicities. Between 1992 and 2011, TGCT incidence increased significantly among Hispanic white [annual percent change (APC) = 2.94, p < 0.0001], black (APC = 1.67, p = 0.03), non‐Hispanic white (APC = 1.23, p < 0.0001), and A/PI (APC = 1.04, p = 0.05) men. Incidence rates also increased, although not significantly, among AI/AN men (APC = 2.96, p = 0.06). The increases were greater for non‐seminoma than seminoma. In summary, while non‐Hispanic white men in the US continue to have the highest incidence of TGCT, they present at more favorable stages of disease and with smaller tumors than do other men. The increasing rates among non‐white men, in conjunction with the larger proportion of non‐localized stage disease, suggest an area where future research is warranted.
International patterns and trends in testicular cancer incidence, overall and by histologic subtype, 1973–2007
Authors: Trabert B. , Chen J. , Devesa S. S. , Bray F. , McGlynn K. A. 
Published: October 2014

SummaryIncidence rates of testicular cancer in Northern European and North American countries have been widely reported, whereas rates in other populations, such as Eastern Europe, Central/South America, Asia, and Africa, have been less frequently evaluated. We examined testicular cancer incidence rates overall and by histologic type by calendar time and birth cohort for selected global populations 1973–2007. Age‐standardized incidence rates over succeeding 5‐year periods were calculated from volumes 4–9 of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents electronic database (CI5plus) and the newly released CI5X (volume 10) database. Annual percent change over the 35‐year period was calculated using weighted least squares regression. Age‐period‐cohort analyses were performed and observed rates and fitted rate ratios presented by birth cohort. Incidence rates of testicular cancer increased between 1973–1977 and 2003–2007 in most populations evaluated worldwide. Of note, incidence rates in Eastern European countries rose rapidly and approached rates in Northern European countries. Rates in Central and South America also increased and are now intermediate to the high rates among men of European ancestry and low rates among men of Asian or African descent. Some heterogeneity in the trends in seminoma and nonseminoma were observed in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and among US whites, particularly in recent generations, with rapid and uniform increases in the incidence of both histologic types in Slovakia. Reasons for the rising incidence rates among European and American populations remain unexplained; however, changing distributions in the prevalence of risk factors for testicular cancer cannot be ruled out.