bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preventing postnatal growth restriction in infants with birthweight less than 1300 g
Authors: Lapointe M , Barrington KJ , Savaria M , Janvier A 
Published: October 2015

AbstractAimTo examine nutritional and growth outcomes in very preterm infants with a birthweight (BW) of ≤1300 g before and after the introduction of enhanced enteral and parenteral nutrition protocols.MethodsA comparison of two historical cohorts.ResultsThere were 153 infants in cohort 1 and 118 in cohort 2. A total of 19% were growth restricted at birth in both cohorts. Feeds advanced more quickly in cohort 2, with decreased duration of central lines and TPN; breastmilk fortification occurred sooner. Calorie and protein intakes were increased during all of the first 14 days of life. Adverse clinical outcomes were unchanged, including NEC. The proportion of infants discharged <10th percentile of expected weight, decreased from 23% to 9%. In cohort 2, the z‐score for body weight decreased by 0.39, compared to an average 1.03 in cohort 1 (p < 0.001). Head circumference and body weight were also significantly improved at discharge (p < 0.01), but length was improved to a lesser degree.ConclusionEarly and enhanced postnatal intravenous and enteral feeding can provide good postnatal growth among very immature infants without adverse effects. Calorie and particularly protein intake in early life could probably be further optimised.
Understanding chronic neutropenia: life is short
Authors: Bartels Marije , Murphy Kate , Rieter Ester , Bruin Marrie 
Published: October 2015

SummaryThe pathophysiological mechanisms underlying chronic neutropenia are extensive, varying from haematopoietic stem cell disorders resulting in defective neutrophil production, to accelerated apoptosis of neutrophil progenitors or circulating mature neutrophils. While the knowledge concerning genetic defects associated with congenital neutropenia or bone marrow failure is increasing rapidly, the functional role and consequences of these genetic alterations is often not well understood. In addition, there is a large group of diseases, including primary immunodeficiencies and metabolic diseases, in which chronic neutropenia is one of the symptoms, while there is no clear bone marrow pathology or haematopoietic stem cell dysfunction. Altogether, these disease entities illustrate the complexity of normal neutrophil development, the functional role of the (bone marrow) microenvironment and the increased propensity to undergo apoptosis, which is typical for neutrophils. The large variety of disorders associated with chronic neutropenia makes classification almost impossible and possibly not desirable, based on the clinical phenotypes. However, a better understanding of the regulation of normal myeloid differentiation and neutrophil development is of great importance in the diagnostic evaluation of unexplained chronic neutropenia. In this review we propose insights in the pathophysiology of chronic neutropenia in the context of the functional role of key players during normal neutrophil development, neutrophil release and neutrophil survival.
Incorporation of staphylococci into titanium‐grown biofilms: an in vitro “submucosal” biofilm model for peri‐implantitis
Authors: Thurnheer Thomas , Belibasakis Georgios N. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractObjectivesStaphylococcus spp. are postulated to play a role in peri‐implantitis. This study aimed to develop a “submucosal” in vitro biofilm model, by integrating two staphylococci into its composition.Materials and methodsThe standard “subgingival” biofilm contained Actinomyces oris, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Streptococcus oralis, Veillonella dispar, Campylobacter rectus, Prevotella intermedia, Streptococcus anginosus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola, and was further supplemented with Staphyoccous aureus and/or Staphylococcus epidermidis. Biofilms were grown anaerobically on hydroxyapatite or titanium discs and harvested after 64 h for real‐time polymerase chain reaction, to determine their composition. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization were used for identifying the two staphylococci within the biofilm.ResultsBoth staphylococci established within the biofilms when added separately. However, when added together, only S. aureus grew in high numbers, whereas S. epidermidis was reduced almost to the detection limit. Compared to the standard subgingival biofilm, addition of the two staphylococci had no impact on the qualitative or quantitative composition of the biofilm. When grown individually in the biofilm, S. epidermidis and S. aureus formed small distinctive clusters and it was confirmed that S. epidermidis was not able to grow in presence of S. aureus.ConclusionsStaphyoccous aureus and S. epidermidis can be individually integrated into an oral biofilm grown on titanium, hence establishing a “submucosal” biofilm model for peri‐implantitis. This model also revealed that S. aureus outcompetes S. epidermidis when grown together in the biofilm, which may explain the more frequent association of the former with peri‐implantitis.
Methylisothiazolinone contact allergy – a growing epidemic
Authors: Lundov Michael D. , Opstrup Morten S. , Johansen Jeanne D. 
Published: October 2015

SummaryBackgroundThe prevalence of contact allergy to the isothiazolinone preservative methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) in combination with methylisothiazolinone (MI) and MI alone has increased in the last couple of years.ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence of contact allergy to MI, MCI/MI and benzisothiazolinone (BIT) among patch tested patients at Gentofte Hospital, as well as the use of MI in cosmetic products.MethodsPatients patch tested with either MI, MCI/MI or BIT from 2010 to 2012 were included in the study. The MOAHLFA index was registered in all patch tested patients, and relevant exposures were determined in patients with an isothiazolinone allergy. In a market survey, the ingredient labels of cosmetic products were investigated for MI content.ResultsThe prevalence of MI and MCI/MI contact allergy increased significantly from 2010 to 2012: from 2.0% to 3.7% for MI (n = 2766), and from 1.0% to 2.4% for MCI/MI (n = 2802). MI‐allergic patients had occupational, hand and face dermatitis significantly more often, and were aged > 40 years. Cosmetics were the most common substances causing relevant exposure found in both MCI/MI‐allergic and MI‐allergic patients. MI was found in 3.3% of cosmetics on the Danish retail market.ConclusionsThe increase in MI contact allergy is alarming, and urgent action is needed.
Recommendation to include methylisothiazolinone in the European baseline patch test series – on behalf of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis and the European Environmental and Contact Dermatitis Research Group
Authors: Bruze Magnus , Engfeldt Malin , Gonçalo Margarida , Goossens An 
Published: October 2015

SummaryBackgroundMethylisothiazolinone (MI) is used as a preservative in occupational and household products, and cosmetics. It is a part of the preparation of methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI)/MI, which is patch tested in water in the European baseline series. However, this preparation fails to detect a significant percentage of allergic contact reactions to MI.ObjectivesTo investigate whether a separate test preparation with MI should be included in the European baseline series.MethodsLiterature survey.ResultsIn consecutively tested dermatitis patients, the contact allergy rate for MI varies between 0.6% and 6%, with a marked increase in recent years. The contact allergy rate for MI alone, not detected with MCI/MI, varies between 0% and 1.6%. Most cases are relevant, as shown by repeated open application test studies, and are mainly related to exposure from cosmetic products.ConclusionsOwing to the increase in contact allergy to MI not detected with MCI/MI, it is recommended that MI in water at 2000 ppm be included in the European baseline series. With the Finn Chamber® (diameter, 8 mm) technique, a volume of 15 µl should be applied, giving a dose of 60 µg/cm2.
ICT, Social Media, and the Arab Transition to Democracy: From Venting to Acting
Authors: Aman Mohammed M. , Jayroe Tina J. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThere is widespread use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the Middle East and North African countries. Blogging and social media have played an important role in the recent calls for reform and change. Using these new communication systems and devices, citizens have been venting their anger and frustration with their autocratic governments and rulers. Most recently, the venting has turned into action, as shown by the eradication of the old regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, as well as the ongoing struggle in Syria. The most notable issues include lack of individual freedoms, deteriorating economic conditions, high unemployment, increased corruption, and violent treatment of citizens at the hands of security forces. The Arab Spring, or Awakening, and the events that have since followed have, in part, been promoted by ICT and other means of modern communications. Along with the popular Arab traditions of oral communication as well as Friday and Sunday sermons at mosques and churches, social media were used by organizers of the Arab Spring to call for and coordinate demonstrations against the regimes. Access to this newer media has circumvented the established and government‐controlled media such as printed press, radio, and television—outlets bent on appeasing the rulers and misinforming the masses. Arab authoritarian systems have discovered that they cannot simply flip a big red switch to stop the flow of information that they would rather keep hidden from the masses. Further discussed are digital democracies that are currently emerging because of the growing population of netizens, bloggers, and social media political activists throughout the Arab world and the many attempts to silence them.
The emergence of convergent price clusters in China
Authors: Zhu Yanjie , Oxley Les , Ma Hengyun , Wang Wenchao 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis paper reports new evidence on the existence of both large and small price divergent clusters for China's energy markets, 2000–2009. The largest convergent price clusters suggest that the coal and gasoline markets are well integrated, however, small convergent price clusters suggest that electricity and diesel markets are proving harder to integrate. The paper argues that the traditional approach to price convergence analysis should be applied with caution, especially in a transitional economy such as China where questions to be asked should relate to the ‘degree of market‐orientation’ and not simply whether it is a market‐based economy or not.
Developmental sequences of squamate reptiles are taxon specific
Authors: Andrews Robin M. , Brandley Matthew C. , Greene Virginia W. 
Published: October 2015

SUMMARYRecent studies in comparative vertebrate embryology have focused on two related questions. One concerns the existence of a phylotypic period, or indeed any period, during development in which sequence variation among taxa is constrained. The second question concerns the degree to which developmental characters exhibit a phylogenetic signal. These questions are important because they underpin attempts to understand the evolution of developmental characters and their links to adult morphology. To address these questions, we compared the sequence of developmental events spanning the so‐called phylotypic period of vertebrate development in squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), from the formation of the primary optic placode to the first appearance of scale anlagen. We used Bayesian phylogenetic ancestral state reconstruction analyses and estimates of Bayesian posterior probabilities of the rank order of developmental events to determine the level of support for phylogenetically associated variation in development. We assessed the amount of variation in event sequences by plotting the proportions of reconstructed ranks (excluding unlikely events, PP < 0.05) associated with each event. Sequence variability was the lowest towards the middle of the phylotypic period and involved three events (allantois contacts chorion, maximum number of pharyngeal slits, and appearance of the apical epidermal ridge [AER]); these events each had only two reconstructed ranks. Squamate clades also differed in the rank order of developmental events. Of the 20 events in our analyses, 12 had strongly supported (PP ≥ 0.95) sequence ranks that differed at two or more internal nodes of the tree. For example, gekkotans are distinguished by the late appearance of the allantois bud compared to all other squamates (ranks 7 and 8 vs. rank 3, respectively) and Serpentes are distinguished by the earlier completion of torsion (rank 3) compared to acrodonts and pleurodonts (ranks 7 and 5, respectively). Clade specific sequences of developmental events mean that investigators should not extend observations on the development on particular squamate species to distantly related taxa for use in comparative studies.
Effect of vegetation on density thresholds of adult desert locust gregarization from survey data in Mauritania
Authors: Cisse Sory , Ghaout Saïd , Mazih Ahmed , Babah Ebbe Mohamed Abdallahi Ould , Benahi Ahmed Salem , Piou Cyril 
Published: October 2015

AbstractIn the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), the threshold density inducing the gregarization phenomenon has never been determined under natural conditions. The influence of environmental factors on this phenomenon has been studied mostly in controlled environments. Based on data collected during several years by the survey teams of the National Center for Locust Control in Mauritania, we analyzed the influence of locust density, vegetation cover, and vegetation status on the probability of observing gregarious locusts. We assumed that a probability to observe gregarious locusts of 0.5 corresponded to the density threshold of gregarization. The results showed in detail the change in the threshold of gregarization according to the cover and status of the vegetation. Low cover and dry vegetation led to a low density threshold of gregarization probably due to high probability of individuals to touch each other. Dense and green vegetation favored a high threshold of gregarization probably due to a dispersion of the individuals and a low probability of individual encounters. These findings should help the management of locusts and decision making during control operations.
Rebound spiking properties of mouse medial entorhinal cortex neurons in vivo
Authors: Tsuno Yusuke , Chapman George W. , Hasselmo Michael E. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe medial entorhinal cortex is the gateway between the cortex and hippocampus, and plays a critical role in spatial coding as represented by grid cell activity. In the medial entorhinal cortex, inhibitory circuits are robust, and the presence of the h‐current leads to rebound potentials and rebound spiking in in vitro experiments. It has been hypothesized that these properties, combined with network oscillations, may contribute to grid cell formation. To examine the properties of in vivo rebound spikes, we performed whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings in medial entorhinal cortex neurons in anaesthetized mice. We injected hyperpolarizing inputs representing inhibitory synaptic inputs along with sinusoidal oscillations and found that hyperpolarizing inputs injected at specific phases of oscillation had a higher probability of inducing subsequent spikes at the peak of the oscillation in some neurons. This effect was prominent in the cells with large sag potential, which is a marker of the h‐current. In addition, larger and longer hyperpolarizing current square‐pulse stimulation resulted in a larger probability of eliciting rebound spikes, though we did not observe a relationship between the amplitude or duration of hyperpolarizing current pulse stimulation and the delay of rebound spikes. Overall these results suggest that rebound spikes are observed in vivo and may play a role in generating grid cell activity in medial entorhinal cortex neurons.
Comparative Institutional Analysis, the European Court of Justice and the General Principle of Non‐Discrimination—or—Alternative Tales on Equality Reasoning
Authors: Croon Johanna 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe general principle of equality in European law is often held to be inconsistently applied by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and insufficiently supported by methodology. Contrary to this assessment, this paper argues that there is substantial coherence and theoretical underpinning to the court's equality reasoning. First, it shows that the respective case‐law can be subdivided into three groups, depending on the level of scrutiny applied. Second, it establishes that the prevailing accounts have difficulty in explaining the court's choice of scrutiny due to their limited selection of analytical parameters. Third, it concludes that comparative institutional analysis offers an alternative framework to make the ECJ's testing approaches in equality matters more intelligible.
From Rhetoric to Practice: The Case of Spanish Local Government Reforms
Authors: Brusca Isabel , Montesinos Vicente 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis paper aims to explore what performance management tools are implemented in practice in Spanish local governments and whether they have led to an improvement in public management and accountability. We also analyse the usefulness of performance reporting, comparing it with that of accrual financial reporting. The results show that most of the entities that have introduced performance indicators do not use them for decision‐making or accountability. After two decades of reforms in financial and management systems, financial directors still consider that budgetary reporting is the most useful, basically because the control of expenditure is still based on the budget.
A Comparison of Budgeting and Accounting Reforms in the National Governments of France, Germany, the UK and the US
Authors: Jones Rowan , Lande Evelyne , Lüder Klaus , Portal Marine 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis paper compares technical aspects of accrual‐based budgeting and accounting reforms of the national governments of France, Germany, the UK and the US. It shows that there is no consensus among the four countries about the complete package of technical reform possibilities that is most appropriate; there is also no consensus among the four countries about each one of the possibilities that is most appropriate. What is clear is the resilience of traditional budgetary accounting systems. It is also clear that, in the fundamental context and content of the reforms, the UK is the striking exception.
Accounting for Competition, ‘Circuits of Power’ and Negotiated Order Between Not‐For‐Profit and Public Sector Organisations
Authors: Mutiganda Jean C. , Hassel Lars G. , Fagerström Arne 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis study analyses the role of accounting information in negotiating contractual relationships in the framework of circuits of power during a competitive tendering process. The study asks how institutionalised accounting information affects taken‐for‐granted ways of thinking and acting by institutional actors in negotiating inter‐organisational order when analysed using the framework of circuits of power. Field research took place in a Finnish not‐for‐profit aged care organisation and municipality from 2008 to 2012. The study shows that institutionalised accounting information cannot be taken‐for‐granted to prevail in obligatory passage points of the circuits of power in negotiating order.
Father Involvement and Early Intervention: Effects of Empowerment and Father Role Identity
Authors: Fox Greer L. , Nordquist Vey M. , Billen Rhett M. , Savoca Emily Furst 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThe family‐centered service delivery model used in early intervention is meant to empower families of children with disabilities. The present analysis examined the effects of empowerment and father identity on father involvement with children with disabilities. Father involvement was measured using three indices: attachment (i.e., feeling a strong connection to the child), engagement (i.e., participating in activities with the child), and responsibility (i.e., meeting the child's needs). Father empowerment and father identity, measured as salience, satisfaction, and reflected appraisals, consistently predicted higher levels of father involvement in hierarchical regression models. In addition, mediation analyses revealed that father identity partially mediated the relationship between empowerment and father involvement. These findings support the family‐centered service delivery model and suggest that it may be able to improve the lives of children with disabilities by enhancing father role identity and subsequent fathering activities.
Determinants of Sovereign Wealth Fund Cross‐Border Investments
Authors: Megginson William L. , You Miao , Han Liyan 
Published: October 2015

AbstractUsing a sample of 1,590 purchases of stock by sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in listed firms in 78 target countries between 1985 and 2011, we study the country‐level determinants of SWF cross‐border investment. We find that SWFs from countries with high levels of openness and economic development, but with less developed local capital markets, will make more cross‐country transactions, while target countries with higher levels of investor protection and more developed capital markets will attract more SWF investment. Our findings support the investment facilitation hypothesis, suggesting that SWFs act purely or principally as commercial investors facilitating cross‐border corporate investment.
Using Facebook Data to Analyze Learner Interaction During Study Abroad
Authors: Back Michele 
Published: October 2015

AbstractAlthough study abroad is viewed as an ideal environment for interaction in the target language, research in this area has relied mostly upon self‐reported data, which pose challenges regarding recall bias and participant commitment. This article shows how Facebook data can be used to analyze naturally occurring learner interactions during study abroad. Drawing from a 10‐month, Web‐based ethnography of three learners, findings indicate an overall increase in Portuguese use during study abroad, as well as acquisition of computer‐mediated communication–relevant terms in Portuguese. Comparisons to Language Contact Profile data show the advantages of using social media data to gain a detailed view of learner interactions while abroad. Implications for language instructors and the use of social media in the classroom setting are also discussed.