bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Learning about Consumption Dynamics
Authors: JOHANNES MICHAEL , LOCHSTOER LARS A. , MOU YIQUN 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACTThis paper characterizes U.S. consumption dynamics from the perspective of a Bayesian agent who does not know the underlying model structure but learns over time from macroeconomic data. Realistic, high‐dimensional macroeconomic learning problems, which entail parameter, model, and state learning, generate substantially different subjective beliefs about consumption dynamics compared to the standard, full‐information rational expectations benchmark. Beliefs about long‐run dynamics are volatile, with counter‐cyclical conditional volatility, and drift over time. Embedding these beliefs in a standard asset pricing model significantly improves the model's ability to match the stylized facts, as well as the sample path of the market price‐dividend ratio.
Is tooth loss associated with irritable bowel syndrome?
Authors: Esmaillzadeh A. , Keshteli A. H. , Saneei T. , Saneei P. , Savabi O. , Adibi P. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryAlthough the relationship between number of teeth and gastric disturbances has been recognised, limited data are available linking tooth loss and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to investigate the relation between dental status and IBS among Iranian adults. In a cross‐sectional study on 4669 Iranian adults, dental status was evaluated using a self‐administered questionnaire. Participants were categorised into five main groups: those with full dentition (without denture), those with denture, individual who had lost 1–2 teeth, 3–5 teeth and half of one jaw or more. IBS and its subtypes were defined using Rome III criteria. After adjusting for different confounding variables, those who had lost 1–2 and 3–5 teeth had 1·35 and 1·33 times greater odds for IBS than fully dentate subjects, respectively. After controlling for different confounders, individuals who had denture had 103% greater odds to have constipation‐predominant IBS than those with full dentition (95% confidence interval: 1·29–3·21). Neither in crude nor in adjusted models were any significant association between dental status and other subtypes of IBS. In addition, we did not find any association between losing half of one jaw or more and IBS. We found that losing 1–2 or 3–5 teeth might significantly be associated with increased risk of IBS. Having denture might be related to constipation‐predominant IBS. There should be further prospective studies to confirm these findings.
How Ethical is Islamic Banking in the Light of the Objectives of Islamic Law?
Authors: Mansour Walid , Ben Jedidia Khoutem , Majdoub Jihed 
Published: January 2015

AbstractIslamic banking is based on moral foundations that make it distinct from conventional banking. Some argue that because of its foundation in Islam, Islamic banking may represent a more morally appealing alternative. Yet, evidence shows that this is not the case. Indeed, the current practice of Islamic banking has not been able to achieve its goals which are based on Islam's moral values: to enhance justice, equitability, and social well‐being. This essay examines the extent to which Islamic banking is ethical and concludes that the practice of the industry does not seem to be de facto ethical from the Islamic perspective of ethical values. It only consists in trading the same instruments of conventional banks without genuinely enforcing Islam's ethical vision. The practice of Islamic banking misrepresents Islam and does not contribute to solving social problems. The interaction between maqasid al‐shari᾽a (objectives of Islamic law) and qiyās (deductive analogy) provides a supplementary tool for interpreting the failure of the prior in terms of the practical misuse of the latter by Islamic banks. This essay provides an interpretive approach to the current debate about why Islamic banking has failed and suggests ways to move cautiously in the future.
Yeshayahu Leibowitz's Axiology
Authors: Brafman Yonatan 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis essay explicates and assesses Yeshayahu Leibowitz's axiology, and its relation to the value he claims halakhic (Jewish legal) practice instantiates: service of God. It argues that, while Leibowitz often affirms a relativist “polytheism of values,” he sometimes implies that the religious value is the “most valuable value.” However, this is not due to its material content, because serving God is objectively best; rather it is because, consonant with his negative theology, it most fully instantiates the formal properties of a value. The essay concludes by assessing the tenability of Leibowitz's metaethics as well as the argument for positing this contentless value as an intention and reason for halakhic practice.
Deliberating Just War
Authors: Norris Kristopher 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis essay responds to James Turner Johnson's critiques of my argument in “‘Never Again War’: Recent Shifts in the Roman Catholic Just War Tradition and the Question of ‘Functional Pacifism.’” (2014). It attends specifically to three of Johnson's objections and offers accounts of the meaning and use of the term “functional pacifism,” an understanding of classic just war thought as a tradition, and the concepts of peace and authority within just war and pacifist thought. It argues that my analysis of the Catholic Church's movement toward pacifism but ultimate theological inability to embrace a functional pacifism still stands in spite of Johnson's critiques. In addition, it suggests that Johnson offers a thin pacifistic conception of peace and promotes a restricted notion of ecclesial authority and democratic government.
Comparison of endoscopy and sonography findings in dogs and cats with histologically confirmed gastric neoplasia
Authors: Marolf A. J. , Bachand A. M. , Sharber J. , Twedt D. C. 
Published: January 2015

OBJECTIVETo compare sonographic and endoscopic findings in a group of dogs and cats with histologically confirmed gastric neoplasia.METHODSRetrospective analysis of cases with concurrent abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy to evaluate the presence of gastric wall abnormalities, location and tumour appearance between the two examinations. Sonographic findings of the small intestines, liver, spleen and lymph nodes were recorded. Comparison of the findings from each test and assessment of predictive characteristics for neoplasia was evaluated.RESULTSIn total 17 dogs and 5 cats were included, Sonography identified 50% and endoscopy identified 95% of all gastric neoplasms. Lymphoma was the most commonly missed tumour by sonography. There was sonographic and endoscopic tumour location agreement in 36% of cases (Cohen's kappa = 0 · 25). Animals with sonographically normal small intestines had a statistically greater probability of gastric neoplasia (P = 0 · 035). All cats had lymphoma (P < 0 · 001).CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCESonography and endoscopy are useful for the diagnosis of gastric neoplasia. Endoscopy is more accurate in identifying gastric neoplasia; however, sonography can raise the clinical suspicion for gastric neoplasia and may provide a less invasive means of gathering information before endoscopy. Intraluminal gastric gas or fluid may limit diagnostic capabilities of sonographic evaluation.
Effects of food intake on pharmacokinetics of mosapride in beagle dogs
Authors: Chae J.‐W. , Song B.‐J. , Baek I.‐H. , Yun H.‐Y. , Ma J. Y. , Kwon K.‐I. 
Published: January 2015

This study was performed to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of mosapride in fasting and fed states. A single 5‐mg oral dose of mosapride was administered to fasted (n = 15) and fed (n = 12) beagle dogs, and the plasma concentrations of mosapride were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The resultant data were analyzed by noncompartmental analysis (NCA). Mosapride was absorbed in fasted and fed dogs with similar Tmax. Both Cmax and AUC were significantly higher in the fasting group than in fed dogs, being four times (10.51 μg/mL vs. 2.76 μg/mL) and 3.5 times higher (38.53 h·μg/mL vs. 10.22 h·μg/mL), respectively. These findings suggest that food intake affects the pharmacokinetics of mosapride and that the dosage regimen for this drug need to be reconsidered.
Compositional stability of boreal understorey vegetation after overstorey harvesting across a riparian ecotone
Authors: MacDonald Rebecca L. , Chen Han Y.H. , Bartels Samuel F. , Palik Brian J. , Prepas Ellie E. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractQuestionsUnderstanding factors that contribute to the stability of an ecosystem following harvesting is central to predicting responses of boreal ecosystems to increasing human disturbances. While the response of understorey vegetation to harvesting is well understood for upland sites, little is known about compositional stability of riparian understorey vegetation. We examined how compositional stability changes with or without harvesting along an upland to streamside gradient and tested whether compositional stability is affected by pre‐harvest species diversity and composition.LocationLower Foothills sub‐region of the Boreal Plain, ca. 20 km northwest of Whitecourt, Alberta, CA.MethodsWe repeatedly sampled understorey vegetation of four winter‐harvested and four unharvested sites in western Canadian boreal forest. Species covers were measured during the summer prior to harvesting in 2003 (year 0) and in 2004, 2008 and 2010 (1, 5 and 7 yrs after, respectively). We used non‐metric multidimensional scaling to ordinate plots using species covers, and measured vector length in the ordination space to quantify floristic dissimilarity of each plot between year 0 and years 1, 5 and 7, an inverse measure of compositional stability.ResultsFloristic dissimilarity between year 0 and subsequent years was significantly greater in harvested than unharvested sites for all subsequent sampling years. Furthermore, along the upland to stream gradient, floristic dissimilarity was larger on upland than stream sites. Additional analyses revealed that floristic dissimilarity was related negatively to pre‐harvesting species richness and evenness, but positively to bryophyte cover.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that understorey compositional stability is strongly influenced by harvesting, and streamside communities are more stable than upland communities. Our results indicate that compositional stability of understorey vegetation in response to harvesting is associated positively with pre‐disturbance species richness and evenness, but negatively with bryophyte dominance.
Using parentage analysis to estimate rates of straying and homing in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Authors: Ford Michael J. , Murdoch Andrew , Hughes Michael 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWe used parentage analysis based on microsatellite genotypes to measure rates of homing and straying of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) among five major spawning tributaries within the Wenatchee River, Washington. On the basis of analysis of 2248 natural‐origin and 11594 hatchery‐origin fish, we estimated that the rate of homing to natal tributaries by natural‐origin fish ranged from 0% to 99% depending on the tributary. Hatchery‐origin fish released in one of the five tributaries homed to that tributary at a far lower rate than the natural‐origin fish (71% compared to 96%). For hatchery‐released fish, stray rates based on parentage analysis were consistent with rates estimated using physical tag recoveries. Stray rates among major spawning tributaries were generally higher than stray rates of tagged fish to areas outside of the Wenatchee River watershed. Within the Wenatchee watershed, rates of straying by natural‐origin fish were significantly affected by spawning tributary and by parental origin: progeny of naturally spawning hatchery‐produced fish strayed at significantly higher rates than progeny whose parents were themselves of natural origin. Notably, none of the 170 offspring that were products of mating by two natural‐origin fish strayed from their natal tributary. Indirect estimates of gene flow based on FST statistics were correlated with but higher than the estimates from the parentage data. Tributary‐specific estimates of effective population size were also correlated with the number of spawners in each tributary.
Tissue‐specific FLAGELLIN‐SENSING 2 (FLS2) expression in roots restores immune responses in Arabidopsis fls2 mutants
Authors: Wyrsch Ines , Domínguez‐Ferreras Ana , Geldner Niko , Boller Thomas 
Published: January 2015

Summary

The flagellin receptor of Arabidopsis, At‐FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2), has become a model for mechanistic and functional studies on plant immune receptors. Responses to flagellin or its active epitope flagellin 22 (flg22) have been extensively studied in Arabidopsis leaves. However, the perception of microbe‐associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) and the immune responses in roots are poorly understood.

Here, we show that isolated root tissue is able to induce pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) responses upon flg22 perception, in contrast to elf18 (the active epitope of elongation factor thermo unstable (EF‐Tu)). Making use of fls2 mutant plants and tissue‐specific promoters, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis lines expressing FLS2 only in certain root tissues. This allowed us to study the spatial requirements for flg22 responses in the root.

Remarkably, the intensity of the immune responses did not always correlate with the expression level of the FLS2 receptor, but depended on the expressing tissue, supporting the idea that MAMP perception and sensitivity in different tissues contribute to a proper balance of defense responses according to the expected exposure to elicitors.

In summary, we conclude that each investigated root tissue is able to perceive flg22 if FLS2 is present and that tissue identity is a major element of MAMP perception in roots.
Mycorrhizal type determines the magnitude and direction of root‐induced changes in decomposition in a temperate forest
Authors: Brzostek Edward R. , Dragoni Danilo , Brown Zachary A. , Phillips Richard P. 
Published: January 2015

Summary

Although it is increasingly being recognized that roots play a key role in soil carbon (C) dynamics, the magnitude and direction of these effects are unknown. Roots can accelerate soil C losses by provisioning microbes with energy to decompose organic matter or impede soil C losses by enhancing microbial competition for nutrients.

We experimentally reduced belowground C supply to soils via tree girdling, and contrasted responses in control and girdled plots for three consecutive growing seasons. We hypothesized that decreases in belowground C supply would have stronger effects in plots dominated by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees rather than arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees.

In ECM‐dominated plots, girdling decreased the activity of enzymes that break down soil organic matter (SOM) by c. 40%, indicating that, in control plots, C supply from ECM roots primes microbial decomposition. In AM‐dominated plots, girdling had little effect on SOM‐degrading enzymes, but increased the decomposition of AM leaf litter by c. 43%, suggesting that, in control plots, AM roots may intensify microbial competition for nutrients.

Our findings indicate that root‐induced changes in soil processes depend on forest composition, and that shifts in the distribution of AM and ECM trees owing to climate change may determine soil C gains and losses.
Distribution Pattern(s) of Sperm Protein at 22 kDa (SP22) on Fresh, Cooled and Frozen/Thawed Equine Spermatozoa and Expression of SP22 in Tissues from the Testes and Epididymides of Normal Stallions
Authors: Miller LMJ , Woodward EM , Campos JR , Squires EL , Troedsson MHT 
Published: January 2015

ContentsThe objectives of this study were to (i) verify localization of SP22 on fresh, cooled, and frozen/thawed equine spermatozoa and to (ii) determine SP22 mRNA and protein expression in equine testicular and epididymal tissues. Immunocytochemistry and Western blots were performed on the spermatozoa samples. Northern blots and Western blots were performed on the tissue samples. The immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of SP22 in all samples tested. The fresh spermatozoa stained predominantly over the equatorial segment as did the samples cooled for 1 and 2 days. The samples cooled for 3 days, and the frozen/thawed samples had an increased proportion of no staining. The Western blots revealed SP22 was present on all semen samples tested. The Northern blot of the tissues revealed a 1.0 kb mRNA transcript present in each of the tissues, and the Western blot revealed the presence of SP22 in each of the tissues. As expected, SP22 was found to be altered on cooled and frozen/thawed spermatozoa. Our results suggest that the equatorial pattern is the normal pattern in spermatozoa, while a complete loss of SP22 from the surface of spermatozoa seems to be the staining pattern indicating the most extreme abnormality with scattered staining of the head indicating intermediate damage.
Insulin‐Like Growth Factor‐1 Regulates the Expression of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor and Steroid Production in Bovine Granulosa Cells
Authors: Rawan AF , Yoshioka S , Abe H , Acosta TJ 
Published: January 2015

ContentsLuteinizing hormone LH plays important roles in follicular maturation and ovulation. The effects of LH are mediated by LH receptor (LHR) in the ovary. However, the factors that regulate the expression of LHR in bovine granulosa cells (GCs) are not well known. Insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) is known to play a key role in the acquisition and maintenance of functional dominance. To better understand the roles of LHR expression and IGF‐1, we conducted three experiments to determine (i) mRNA expression of LHR in the GCs of developing follicles, (ii) the effects of IGF‐1 on LHR mRNA expression in cultured GCs and (iii) the effects of IGF‐1 on estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and androstenedione (A4) production by non‐luteinized GCs. In experiment 1, small follicles (<6 mm Ø) expressed lower levels of LHR than mid‐sized follicles (6–8 mm Ø) and large follicles (≥9 mm Ø) expressed the highest levels of LHR mRNA (p < 0.05). In experiment 2, IGF‐1 (1 and 100 ng/ml) increased (p < 0.05) the expression of LHR mRNA in GCs from small and large follicles. In experiment 3, IGF‐1 (0.1–100 ng/ml) increased A4 and E2 in GCs from both small and large follicles but increased P4 only in large follicles. IGF‐1 in combination with LH (0.1 and 1 ng/ml) increased P4 and A4 in large follicles, and increased E2 and A4 in GCs of small follicles. These findings strongly support the concept that IGF‐1 upregulates LHR mRNA expression as well as A4 and E2 production in GCs and that IGF‐1 is required for determining which follicle becomes dominant and acquires ovulatory capacity.
Parental expectations and school enrolment decisions: Evidence from rural Ghana
Authors: Ahiakpor Ferdinand , Swaray Raymond 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWe use field data to investigate factors that influence parents' decisions to enrol children in schools in rural Ghana. The empirical results identified a host of socio‐economic and household‐level factors including remittances parents expect from investing in education, parents perception of a child's desirable professions, cost of schooling and discount rate as significant determinants of parental school enrolment decision. When gender of the child and remittances are taken into account, we show male parents are more likely to invest in education of boys than girls because they expect significantly higher returns from their investment in boys. Female parents do not show such gender preference. The proportion of children enrolled in school is positively related to average cost of schooling for male parents Gender of parent plays a significant role in school enrolment decision making.
Optimal Two Sector Growth Models with Three Factors
Authors: Sanderson W. , Tarasyev A. , Usova A. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe paper is devoted to construction of optimal trajectories in the model, which balances growth trends of investments in capital and labor efficiency. The model is constructed within the framework of classical approaches of the growth theory. It is based on three production factors: capital, educated labor and useful work. GDP level is described by a production function of the Cobb–Douglas type. The utility function of the growth process is given by an integral consumption index discounted on the infinite horizon. The optimal control problem is posed to balance investments in capital and labor efficiency. The problem is solved on the basis of dynamic programming principles. A novelty of the solution consists in constructing nonlinear stabilizers constructed on the feedback principle, which leads the system from any current position to a steady state. Growth and decline trends of the simulated trajectories are studied for all components included in the model.
Financial Deepening and Economic Growth in Advanced and Emerging Economies
Authors: Bhattarai Keshab 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWhile over‐financing caused crises and slow growth in advanced economies including Germany, France and the UK after 2008, more prudent financial deepening sustained higher economic growth in China and India—two major emerging economies in the world. The actual financial deepening ratios (AFDR) observed in the non‐consolidated balance sheet from the OECD exceeded by factors of 3.5, 2.4 and 5.1 the optimal financial deepening ratios (OFDR) obtained from the solutions of dynamic general equilibrium (DGE) models of those three advanced economies. The corresponding factors were 2.3 and 0.49 for China and India respectively. Labor intensive production technology and a low OFDR relative to a high AFDR in China allowed it to grow at 10% between 1990 and 2010 period that ended with the global financial crisis. With a reasonable OFDR and low AFDR India also managed to grow at 6.5%. Thus huge gaps between the optimal and actual financial deepening ratios led to massive macroeconomic consequences as observed after the crises in 2008. Smooth, sustainable and efficient economic growth requires adoption of strategies for separating equilibria in line of Miller–Stiglitz–Roth mechanisms avoiding problems of asymmetric information in the process of financial intermediation with as narrower gaps as possible between the AFDRs and OFDRs.
A New Method for Protecting Interrelated Time Series with Bayesian Prior Distributions and Synthetic Data
Authors: Schneider Matthew J. , Abowd John M. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryOrganizations disseminate statistical summaries of administrative data via the Web for unrestricted public use. They balance the trade-off between protection of confidentiality and quality of inference. Recent developments in disclosure avoidance techniques include the incorporation of synthetic data, which capture the essential features of underlying data by releasing altered data generated from a posterior predictive distribution. The US Census Bureau collects millions of interrelated time series microdata that are hierarchical and contain many 0s and suppressions. Rule-based disclosure avoidance techniques often require the suppression of count data for small magnitudes and the modification of data based on a small number of entities. Motivated by this problem, we use zero-inflated extensions of Bayesian generalized linear mixed models with privacy-preserving prior distributions to develop methods for protecting and releasing synthetic data from time series about thousands of small groups of entities without suppression based on the magnitudes or number of entities. We find that, as the prior distributions of the variance components in the Bayesian generalized linear mixed model become more precise towards zero, protection of confidentiality increases and the quality of inference deteriorates. We evaluate our methodology by using a strict privacy measure, empirical differential privacy and a newly defined risk measure, the probability of range identification, which directly measures attribute disclosure risk. We illustrate our results with the US Census Bureau's quarterly workforce indicators.