bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ROLE OF GOVERNANCE IN EXPLAINING DOMESTIC INVESTMENT IN NIGERIA
Authors: AKANBI OLUSEGUN A. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThis study examines the determinants of domestic investment in Nigeria with a special focus on the role of governance. The estimations are carried out with time series data from 1975 to 2009 using the Johansen estimation techniques. The results conform to the findings of existing literature that real output, user cost of capital and level of financial development are significant determinants of domestic investment in Nigeria. The distinctive feature of the paper is the significant role played by governance in explaining the long‐term pattern of domestic investment in Nigeria. The results from the long‐run estimation and the impulse responses revealed that a well‐structured and stable socio‐economic environment will boost domestic investment over the long run. Therefore, in modelling domestic investment for Nigeria, it is imperative to incorporate the significant role played by governance.1
Does Charter Competition Foster Entrepreneurship? A Difference‐in‐Difference Approach to European Company Law Reforms
Authors: Braun Reiner , Eidenmüller Horst , Engert Andreas , Hornuf Lars 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThis article explores how company law reforms, particularly the reduction or abolition of minimum capital requirements, in various European jurisdictions affect the decision of entrepreneurs to incorporate by means of a private limited liability company (LLC). Since the landmark rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the years 1999, 2002 and 2003, entrepreneurs in the European Union (EU) have been able to choose the country of incorporation independently of their real seat. As a result, the proliferation of the United Kingdom private company limited by shares has posed a competitive threat to many European legislators. The article analyzes whether the reforms adopted in Spain, France, Hungary, Germany and Poland have promoted the popularity of domestic legal forms and encouraged entrepreneurship more generally. Using a difference‐in‐difference approach, a strong impact is recorded in both respects, especially if the minimum capital requirement was reduced or abolished.
Annual Research Review: Improved nutrition – a pathway to resilience
Authors: Yousafzai Aisha K. , Rasheed Muneera A. , Bhutta Zulfiqar A. 
Published: December 2012

Background: Early child nutritional deficiencies are prevalent in low‐ and middle‐countries with consequences linked not only to poor survival and growth, but also to poor development outcomes. Children in disadvantaged communities face multiple risks for nutritional deficiencies, yet some children may be less susceptible or may recover more quickly from malnutrition. A greater understanding is needed about factors which moderate the effects of nutrition‐related risks and foster resilience to protect against or ameliorate poor development outcomes.Methods: A literature review was undertaken from August to December 2011 and updated in August 2012. Key word searches using terms Nutrition, Malnutrition, Child Development, Responsive Care, Stimulation, Low and Middle Income Countries and Resilience were undertaken using PubMed and Psychinfo.Results: Dietary adequacy is critical for growth and development, but current evidence indicates that nutrition supplementation alone is insufficient to foster resilience to protect against, mitigate, and recover from nutritional threats and to promote healthy development. The combination of nutrition interventions with stimulation and responsive care is necessary. Combined nutrition and psychosocial stimulation approaches can potentially work effectively together to promote protective factors and mitigate risks for poor cognitive, motor, social, and affective functioning helping children to adapt in times of adversity. However, there are gaps in our existing knowledge to combine nutrition and psychosocial stimulation interventions effectively and promote these interventions at scale.Conclusions: Research needs to address barriers at the level of family, community, programme, and policy which have prevented thus far the uptake of combined nutrition and psychosocial intervention strategies. Further investigations are needed on how to provide support to caregivers, enabling them to implement appropriate care for feeding and stimulation. Finally, the effect of combined interventions on pathways of care and protective mediators that foster resilience need to be better understood to determine focus areas for content of combined intervention curricula which help families in high‐risk settings.
Plant competition and facilitation after extreme drought episodes in Mediterranean shrubland: does damage to vegetation cover trigger replacement by juniper woodland?
Authors: Lloret Francisco , Granzow‐de la Cerda Iñigo 
Published: December 2012

AbstractQuestionWe analyse the contribution of plant–plant interactions, particularly the outcome of plant competition and plant facilitation, on vegetation dynamics as a result of extreme drought episodes. These events will likely become more frequent under climate change, can induce vegetation die‐off and alter community dynamics. We study succession in a shrubland that tends to be replaced by juniper (Juniperus phoenicea) woodland. Due to drought, shrubland die‐off may result in competition release favouring J. phoenicea juveniles, and accelerating shrubland replacement. Alternatively, deleterious abiotic stress may increase after loss of vegetation cover protection.LocationMediterranean coastal shrublands, South Spain (Doñana National Park).MethodsField estimates of plant growth, production of needle‐like leaves, water‐use efficiency (WUE; leaf δ13C) and N leaf content of J. phoenicea juveniles in relation to plant size, drought‐induced damage, cover and habit characteristics of surrounding vegetation, and drought‐induced defoliation of the surrounding vegetation.ResultsJuniperus phoenicea juveniles growing beneath a dense vegetation canopy, particularly trees and large shrubs, were less damaged during the extreme drought episode. Plant size correlated negatively with damage. Post‐drought growth was higher in juveniles partially released from the vegetation canopy, supporting the existence of a balance between competition and facilitation. Cover of pines, large shrubs and spiny shrubs favoured growth of juveniles. Needle‐like juvenile leaves were more abundant in plants covered by the surrounding vegetation or in moderately damaged plants, but less abundant in plants without damage. Higher leaf δ13C values – indicating water stress – were measured in plants more damaged by drought and in those without canopy protection, or under vegetation strongly affected by drought. Leaf N content was lower in undamaged plants and individuals covered by surrounding vegetation.ConclusionWe did not find evidence that gaps opened by drought promoted growth of the potential replacing J. phoenicea. Thus, drought‐induced enhancement of successional replacement of shrublands with woodlands was not supported; instead, our findings foresee shrubland prevalence under future climate change conditions. Plant facilitation will play a relevant role in this process. Thus, we herein extend the relevance of plant–plant interactions to extreme drought episodes related to climate change, highlighting their role as drivers of community dynamics.
Compound ultrarefractory CAI‐bearing inclusions from CV3 carbonaceous chondrites
Authors: IVANOVA Marina A. , KROT Alexander N. , NAGASHIMA Kazuhide , MacPHERSON Glenn J. 
Published: December 2012

Abstract–Two compound calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), 3N from the oxidized CV chondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 3118 and 33E from the reduced CV chondrite Efremovka, contain ultrarefractory (UR) inclusions. 3N is a forsterite‐bearing type B (FoB) CAI that encloses UR inclusion 3N‐24 composed of Zr,Sc,Y‐rich oxides, Y‐rich perovskite, and Zr,Sc‐rich Al,Ti‐diopside. 33E contains a fluffy type A (FTA) CAI and UR CAI 33E‐1, surrounded by Wark‐Lovering rim layers of spinel, Al‐diopside, and forsterite, and a common forsterite‐rich accretionary rim. 33E‐1 is composed of Zr,Sc,Y‐rich oxides, Y‐rich perovskite, Zr,Sc,Y‐rich pyroxenes (Al,Ti‐diopside, Sc‐rich pyroxene), and gehlenite. 3N‐24’s UR oxides and Zr,Sc‐rich Al,Ti‐diopsides are 16O‐poor (Δ17O approximately −2‰ to −5‰). Spinel in 3N‐24 and spinel and Al‐diopside in the FoB CAI are 16O‐rich (Δ17O approximately −23 ± 2‰). 33E‐1’s UR oxides and Zr,Sc‐rich Al,Ti‐diopsides are 16O‐depleted (Δ17O approximately −2‰ to −5‰) vs. Al,Ti‐diopside of the FTA CAI and spinel (Δ17O approximately −23 ± 2‰), and Wark‐Lovering rim Al,Ti‐diopside (Δ17O approximately −7‰ to −19‰). We infer that the inclusions experienced multistage formation in nebular regions with different oxygen‐isotope compositions. 3N‐24 and 33E‐1’s precursors formed by evaporation/condensation above 1600 °C. 3N and 33E’s precursors formed by condensation and melting (3N only) at significantly lower temperatures. 3N‐24 and 3N’s precursors aggregated into a compound object and experienced partial melting and thermal annealing. 33E‐1 and 33E avoided melting prior to and after aggregation. They acquired Wark‐Lovering and common forsterite‐rich accretionary rims, probably by condensation, followed by thermal annealing. We suggest 3N‐24 and 33E‐1 originated in a 16O‐rich gaseous reservoir and subsequently experienced isotope exchange in a 16O‐poor gaseous reservoir. Mechanism and timing of oxygen‐isotope exchange remain unclear.
Fetal growth and birth size is associated with maternal anthropometry and body composition
Authors: Thame Minerva , Osmond Clive , Trotman Helen 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe objective was to investigate the association of maternal weight, height and body composition with fetal growth. We recruited 425 women at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica, who had singleton pregnancies, were less than 15 weeks gestation and had no systemic illness. Maternal weight, height and skinfold thicknesses were measured at the first antenatal visit and lean mass was calculated. Sonographic measurements of the fetus were made at 15, 25 and 35 weeks gestation. Weight, crown‐heel length and head circumference were measured at birth. Analyses were confined to 360 (85%) women; 65 women did not complete the study. Maternal height was positively associated with femoral length at 25 and 35 weeks gestation and with head circumference at 35 weeks (all P < 0.02). Maternal weight was positively associated with abdominal circumference and femoral length at 25 weeks, and with larger head and abdominal circumference and longer femur at 35 weeks (all P < 0.02). Maternal lean mass had similar associations to maternal weight and they were both positively associated with estimated fetal weight (all P < 0.02). All three maternal measurements were positively associated with birthweight, length and head circumference. Maternal size was associated with fetal size as early as 25 weeks gestation, with height strongly associated with femoral length, and with weight and lean mass strongly associated with abdominal circumference.
Factors impacting membership and non‐membership in nursing associations: A qualitative study
Authors: Esmaeili Maryam , Dehghan‐Nayeri Nahid , Negarandeh Reza 
Published: December 2012

AbstractIn this study, the factors impacting membership and non‐membership of nurses in nursing associations were identified and described. Participation in semistructured interviews was undertaken by 14 nurses working in a teaching hospital in an urban area of Iran. A qualitative design using a content analysis approach was used to analyze the data, from which three categories emerged: organizations' support of nurses' rights, professional obligations, and organizational power. Each of these categories contained several subcategories. Nurses' expectations of professional organizations might be one of the factors impacting associations being able to increase their membership, while retaining their existing members. Supporting nurses, tackling their professional problems, attempting to increase the power of legislative authorities, and clear explanations of their objectives are among the measures adopted by organizations in aiming to increase membership numbers and enhance organizational power.
Assessment of rectal afferent neuronal function and brain activity in patients with constipation and rectal hyposensitivity
Authors: Burgell R. E. , Lelic D. , Carrington E. V. , Lunniss P. J. , Olesen S. S. , Surguy S. , Drewes A. M. , Scott S. M. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Blunted rectal sensation (rectal hyposensitivity: RH) is present in almost one‐quarter of patients with chronic constipation. The mechanisms of its development are not fully understood, but in a proportion, afferent dysfunction is likely. To determine if, in patients with RH, alteration of rectal sensory pathways exists, rectal evoked potentials (EPs) and inverse modeling of cortical dipoles were examined.Methods  Rectal EPs (64 channels) were recorded in 13 patients with constipation and RH (elevated thresholds to balloon distension) and 11 healthy controls, in response to electrical stimulation of the rectum at 10 cm from the anal verge using a bipolar stimulating electrode. Stimuli were delivered at pain threshold. Evoked potential peak latencies and amplitudes were analyzed, and inverse modeling was performed on traces obtained to determine the location of cortical generators.Key Results  Pain threshold was higher in patients than controls [median 59 (range 23–80) mA vs 24 (10–55) mA; P = 0.007]. Median latency to the first negative peak was 142 (±24) ms in subjects compared with 116 (±15) ms in controls (P = 0.004). There was no difference in topographic analysis of EPs or location of cortical activity demonstrated by inverse modeling between groups.Conclusions & Inferences  This study is the first showing objective evidence of alteration in the rectal afferent pathway of individuals with RH and constipation. Prolonged latencies suggest a primary defect in sensory neuronal function, while cerebral processing of visceral sensory information appears normal.
Quantification of microfibril angle in secondary cell walls at subcellular resolution by means of polarized light microscopy
Authors: Abraham Yael , Elbaum Rivka 
Published: December 2012

Summary

The cell walls constitute the mechanical support of plants. Crystalline cellulose building the walls forms rigid microfibrils that set the stiffness of the cell and the direction in which it expands during growth. Therefore, the determination of the directions of the microfibrils is important in both mechanical and developmental assays.

We adapted polarized light microscopy to estimate the cellulose microfibril orientations at subcellular resolution. The optical information supplements X‐ray scattering data, Raman microspectroscopy, and electron microscopy.

We analyzed samples from three plant tissues: cells from an Araucaria excels branch, in which we revealed lower cellulose density in regions where the cell wall curvature becomes bigger, namely, the cell wall corners; a wheat (Triticum turgidum) awn's hygroscopically active region, which revealed a gradient in the cellulose microfibril angles that spans across four cell rows; and a stork's bill's (Erodium gruinum) coiling awn, which revealed that the cellulose in the cell wall is organized in two orientations seamed together, rather than in a continuous helix.

The unique spatial information is easily obtained from microscopic specimens and further illuminates new aspects in the mechanical tissues.
Ultrasound‐Guided Continuous Superficial Peroneal Nerve Block below the Knee for the Treatment of Nerve Injury
Authors: Jaffe J. Douglas , Henshaw Daryl S. , Nagle Pamela C. 
Published: December 2012

Abstract(CRPS) describes a constellation of symptoms including pain, trophic changes, hyperesthesia, allodynia, and dysregulation of local blood flow often following trauma. It is often confined to the extremities. Treatment of this disorder consists of a variety of modalities including systemic pharmacotherapy, local anesthetic injections or infusions, psychological nonpharmacotherapy, physical rehabilitation, and surgical intervention. Chronic pain not related to CRPS can also be treated with similar interventions. Despite the array of available therapies, it can still be difficult to manage. We report a case of a 19‐year‐old patient diagnosed by her surgeon as having CRPS Type II, secondary to foot trauma, which was treated with a continuous infusion of local anesthetic at the superficial peroneal nerve (SPN). While placement of peripheral nerve block catheters to augment chronic pain therapy is not novel, the application of a perineural catheter at the SPN has not been previously described.
Palliative Medicine Update: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Authors: Vissers Kris C. P. , van den Brand Maria W. M. , Jacobs Jose , Groot Marieke , Veldhoven Carel , Verhagen Constans , Hasselaar Jeroen , Engels Yvonne 
Published: December 2012

AbstractPalliative medicine is a young specialty that is officially recognized in relatively few countries. The World Health Organization published an adapted definition in 2002, describing palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life‐threatening illness. When the accent is shifting from curative to palliative, the goal of management is the maintenance or improvement of the patient's quality of life. The different dimensions of palliative care and the multitude of types of care to be provided require a multidisciplinary, well‐functioning team, effective communication and a clear task division between primary and hospital care.Considering the complexity of care for incurable patients, a multidisciplinary approach is a prerequisite to balance curative and palliative intervention options. Optimal functioning of a team requires excellent training, communication and a description of the tasks and responsibilities of each team member. More and more advanced care planning is introduced in palliative care, focusing on an early identification of patients in a palliative trajectory and on the prevention of annoying symptoms, hoping that this approach results in an improved quality of life for the individual patient, less useless technical investigations and a better end‐of‐life care on the place the patient and his family desires.
Investigation of rice blast development in susceptible and resistant rice cultivars using a gfp‐expressing Magnaporthe oryzae isolate
Authors: Campos‐Soriano L. , Valè G. , Lupotto E. , San Segundo B. 
Published: December 2012

In this study, an isolate of Magnaporthe oryzae expressing the green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) was used to monitor early events in the interaction of M. oryzae with resistant rice cultivars harbouring a blast resistance (R) gene. In the resistant cultivars Saber and TeQing (Pib gene), M. oryzae spores germinated normally on the leaf surface but produced morphologically abnormal germ tubes. Germling growth and development were markedly and adversely affected in leaves of these resistant cultivars. Penetration of host cells was never seen, supporting the idea that disruption of germling development on the leaf surface might be one of the resistance mechanisms associated with Pib function. Thus, this particular R gene appeared to function in the absence of host penetration by the fungal pathogen. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of M. oryzae‐infected susceptible rice cultivars showed the dimorphic growth pattern that is typically observed during the biotrophic and necrotrophic stages of leaf colonization in susceptible cultivars. The suitability of the gfp‐expressing M. oryzae isolate for further research on R‐gene function and identification of resistant genotypes in rice germplasm collections is discussed.
Spatial and temporal dynamics of Meloidogyne minor on creeping bentgrass in golf greens
Authors: Morris K. , Horgan F. G. , Griffin C. T. 
Published: December 2012

Meloidogyne minor, first reported on potatoes in the Netherlands in 2004, is an emerging nematode pest in Europe. It damages turfgrass, particularly creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) grown on sandy soils such as those of golf greens. However, little is known of the nematode's life history and pathology. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of M. minor on a creeping bentgrass green in Ireland was determined over a 15 month period. Cores were taken on transects across yellowing patches of grass caused by nematode damage. Second‐stage juveniles (J2) were absent from the soil from November to February, when soil temperatures were below 10°C. Both galls and egg masses were present throughout the year but were more abundant in late summer and early autumn. More J2, galls and egg masses were present in the top 10 cm of soil than at a depth of 11–20 cm. The nematode population tended to decrease as distance from the centre of the yellow patches increased. The diameter of visual symptoms (yellow patches) was also recorded over the 15 months. The mean diameter of five sampled patches increased from 23·7 cm in June 2003 to 45·2 cm in August 2004. There were 158–193 galls per 100 cm3 soil at the margin of the visible infested area, indicating that this could be the threshold level for visible symptoms.
Types of knowledge utilization of regulatory impact assessments: Evidence from Swiss policymaking
Authors: Rissi Christof , Sager Fritz 
Published: December 2012

AbstractEx ante policy appraisals, such as Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs), are promoted because they are expected to inform decisionmakers and, thus, to lead to better quality regulation. Such instrumental use is not the only possible use of RIAs. Ex ante policy appraisal can affect the policy process in various ways. However, a consolidated theory on the conditions for utilization of RIAs in the policy process has yet to be developed. In order to explore these conditions, we analyze three case studies of Swiss decisionmaking processes and apply concepts from knowledge utilization literature. In conclusion, we find that policy arenas matter more than the institutional context and design of RIA procedures. In line with previous literature, political use seems to be a prevalent type of utilization. Yet we find that, under specific conditions, RIAs also provide a basis for the optimization of policy designs (instrumental use), help improve interagency relations (policy‐process use), and may change how a policy issue is understood (conceptual use).