bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Birth data accessibility via primary care health records to classify health status in a multi-ethnic population of children: an observational study
Authors: Bonner Rachel , Bountziouka Vassiliki , Stocks Janet , Harding Seeromanie , Wade Angela , Griffiths Chris , Sears David , Fothergill Helen , Slevin Hannah , Lum Sooky 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Background:
Access to reliable birth data (birthweight (BW) and gestational age (GA)) is essential for the identification of individuals who are at subsequent health risk.

Aims:
This study aimed to explore the feasibility of retrospectively collecting birth data for schoolchildren from parental questionnaires (PQ) and general practitioners (GPs) in primary care clinics, in inner city neighbourhoods with high density of ethnic minority and disadvantaged populations.

Methods:
Attempts were made to obtain birth data from parents and GPs for 2,171 London primary schoolchildren (34% White, 29% Black African origin, 25% South Asians, 12% Other) as part of a larger study of respiratory health.

Results:
Information on BW and/or GA were obtained from parents for 2,052 (95%) children. Almost all parents (2,045) gave consent to access their children’s health records held by GPs. On the basis of parental information, GPs of 1,785 children were successfully contacted, and GPs of 1,202 children responded. Birth data were retrieved for only 482 children (22% of 2,052). Missing birth data from GPs were associated with non-white ethnicity, non-UK born, English not the dominant language at home or socioeconomic disadvantage. Paired data were available in 376 children for BW and in 407 children for GA. No significant difference in BW or GA was observed between PQ and GP data, with <5% difference between sources regardless of normal or low birth weight, or term or preterm status.

Conclusions:
Parental recall of birth data for primary schoolchildren yields high quality and rapid return of data, and it should be considered as a viable alternative in which there is limited access to birth records. It provides the potential to include children with an increased risk of health problems within epidemiological studies.
Cloud computing approaches for prediction of ligand binding poses and pathways
Authors: Lawrenz Morgan , Shukla Diwakar , Pande Vijay S. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWe describe an innovative protocol for ab initio prediction of ligand crystallographic binding poses and highly effective analysis of large datasets generated for protein-ligand dynamics. We include a procedure for setup and performance of distributed molecular dynamics simulations on cloud computing architectures, a model for efficient analysis of simulation data and a metric for evaluation of model convergence. We give accurate binding pose predictions for five ligands ranging in affinity from 7 nM to > 200 μM for the immunophilin protein FKBP12, for expedited results in cases where experimental structures are difficult to produce. Our approach goes beyond single, low energy ligand poses to give quantitative kinetic information that can inform protein engineering and ligand design.
Distinguishing Proteins From Arbitrary Amino Acid Sequences
Authors: Yau Stephen S.-T. , Mao Wei-Guang , Benson Max , He Rong Lucy 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWhat kinds of amino acid sequences could possibly be protein sequences? From all existing databases that we can find, known proteins are only a small fraction of all possible combinations of amino acids. Beginning with Sanger's first detailed determination of a protein sequence in 1952, previous studies have focused on describing the structure of existing protein sequences in order to construct the protein universe. No one, however, has developed a criteria for determining whether an arbitrary amino acid sequence can be a protein. Here we show that when the collection of arbitrary amino acid sequences is viewed in an appropriate geometric context, the protein sequences cluster together. This leads to a new computational test, described here, that has proved to be remarkably accurate at determining whether an arbitrary amino acid sequence can be a protein. Even more, if the results of this test indicate that the sequence can be a protein and it is indeed a protein sequence, then its identity as a protein sequence is uniquely defined. We anticipate our computational test will be useful for those who are attempting to complete the job of discovering all proteins, or constructing the protein universe.
Kinetic analysis for the isomerization of glucose, fructose, and mannose in subcritical aqueous ethanol
Authors: Gao Da-Ming , Kobayashi Takashi , Adachi Shuji 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Fructose, glucose, and mannose were treated with subcritical aqueous ethanol for ethanol concentrations ranging from 0 to 80% (v/v) at 180–200 °C. The aldose–ketose isomerization was more favorable than ketose–aldose isomerization and glucose–mannose epimerization. The isomerization of the monosaccharides was promoted by the addition of ethanol. In particular, mannose was isomerized most easily to fructose in subcritical aqueous ethanol. The apparent equilibrium constants for the isomerizations of mannose to fructose, Keq,M→F, and glucose to fructose, Keq,G→F, were independent of ethanol concentration and increased with increasing temperature. Moreover, the Keq,M→F value was much larger than the Keq,G→F value. The enthalpies for the isomerization of mannose to fructose, ΔHM→F, and glucose to fructose, ΔHG→F, were estimated to be 18 and 24 kJ/mol, respectively, according to van’t Hoff equation. Subcritical aqueous ethanol can be used to produce fructose from glucose and mannose efficiently.
Counting the Dead: Traditions of Enumeration and the Italian Wars*
Authors: Gagné John 
Published: January 2015

AbstractMethods for counting war deaths developed alongside structural changes in the ways that states enumerated mortality (for both fighters and citizens) between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. This paper argues that an alternative way to interpret observers’ comments on the magnitude and novelty of war damages during the Italian Wars (1494–1559) is to trace the history of enumerating mortality from the fourteenth century, using the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death as departure points. Military heralds counted dead soldiers in Northern Europe and civic record keepers registered public mortality in Italy. Numbers carried cultural value. In war, disputants and observers used numbers rhetorically to argue political cases and to emphasize the scale of victories and defeats. By 1500, the proliferation of specific mortality numbers in public discourse — amplified by printed war reporting — forced observers to reckon with their meaning. The article concludes by illustrating how numbers entered memorial culture: monuments from the Italian Wars featured numbers as an index of the perceived magnitude of war in the sixteenth century.
Competition in argument interpretation: Evidence from the neurobiology of language
Authors: Bornkessel‐Schlesewsky Ina , Schlesewsky Matthias 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis chapter presents an approach to competition in incremental argument interpretation based on the latest version of the extended Argument Dependency Model (eADM; Bornkessel and Schlesewsky 2006). It argues that, during real time language comprehension, each potential argument (i.e. every “nouny” constituent in a sentence) competes for three cardinal categories (CCs) of argument interpretation: actor, subject (privileged syntactic argument), and topic. The CCs serve to anchor arguments in the current event (actor), the upcoming discourse (subject), and the preceding discourse (topic). It outlines a neurobiological processing architecture based on the CCs and independent assumptions about information processing in the human brain and discusses existing evidence in favor of this approach as well as testable new predictions.
On system pressure competing with economic motivation
Authors: Haspelmath Martin 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis chapter starts out from the observation that grammatical marking is typically economical, i.e. the more frequent member of a grammatical opposition tends to be coded by zero, while the rarer member is coded overtly. This can be seen in many domains of grammar, for example in number marking, in person marking, in argument coding, and in adnominal possessive marking. But if this motivating factor had no competition, we would expect a lot more variation than we actually find, because different lexemes show different frequencies. Grammatical coding is fairly uniform within word classes, and there are rarely more than two or three different classes. Thus, system pressure (the tendency for words to behave like other similar words) must be a powerful competing motivation which leads languages to have many patterns with a local lack of economy.
Formal vs. functional motivations for the structure of self‐repair in German
Authors: Pfeiffer Martin 
Published: January 2015

AbstractIn recent years, comparative studies in interactional linguistics have shown that the syntactic organization of self‐repair is influenced by the different morphosyntactic characteristics of the respective languages. However, it is yet largely unknown to what extent functional motivations compete with formal motivations in determining the syntax of self‐repair in a specific language. By focusing on the influence of the cognitive and interactional needs of speakers and hearers on the structure of self‐repair, this chapter addresses an aspect of self‐repair that has not yet been subject to systematic investigation. Applying a competing motivations model (cf. Du Bois 1985), it will be demonstrated how formal (grammatical) and functional (cognitive and interactional) motivations shape the structure of different types of self‐repair.
Motivating competitions
Authors: Du Bois John W. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis chapter is about motivations, competitions, and resolutions: about the motivations that shape the organization of grammar, the competitions that arise between these motivations, and the resolution of these competitions through the systematic and systematizing processes of grammaticization. It is in the real‐time decision‐making of verbalization and interpretation that competitions first arise, and ultimately must be resolved. Competing motivations are pervasive and powerful in language, and thus play a critical role in answering the fundamental functional question: Why are grammars as they are? The chapter explores how real competitions between functional units relate to speakers' strategies for achieving their communicative goals; clarifies and problematizes the functional frequency principle (“Grammars code best what speakers do most”); revisits the idea of competing motivations in relation to language as a complex adaptive system; and theorizes how competition and motivation interact to produce competing motivations, with important consequences for the adaptive emergence of grammar.
Where do motivations compete?
Authors: Newmeyer Frederick J. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis chapter is devoted to analyzing the locus of competing functional motivations. There are, broadly speaking, two positions on this issue, called “direct competition” (DC) and “indirect competition” (IC). In DC, there is direct synchronic linkage between properties of particular grammars and functional motivations for those properties. In IC, there is no direct linkage. Several arguments lead to the conclusion that IC is correct. In a nutshell, we can pinpoint parsing ease, iconicity, etc. as motivating factors for grammatical structure, even though, contra DC, there is no hope of identifying parsing or iconicity as motivators for particular structures or rules in particular languages.
A Cacophony of Policy Responses
Authors: Bryan Shane 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Phenomenal increases in food prices over 2007–8 caused governments around the globe to panic. During the chaos which ensued, most developing countries responded to the crisis with a convoluted array of policies intended to stabilize domestic markets, placate consumers and other stakeholders, protect the vulnerable and, occasionally, address long-term food security concerns. However, there was a great deal of variation in the extent of intervention and the types of policies selected. Even among particular policy types, there was tremendous heterogeneity in timing, scale, implementation mechanisms, and other features. Utilizing a newly compiled sample of country-level case studies, this chapter assimilates available evidence to compare the specifics of crisis responses. In this regard it differs from other policy response studies which focus more on policy types and titles, ignoring the details.
A Political Economy Synthesis
Authors: Watson II Derrill D. 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
The food price crisis revealed contradictions in creating food policy. Much of the common policy response can be explained by a benevolent, unitary government. To understand the variance between countries, however, requires understanding fractured government decision-making, path dependency, and institutional constraints. Governments’ relationships with the private sector are very complex. They reveal both the firms’ lobbying successes as well as how the deep distrust between private and public sectors lead to perverse policy incentives and unintended consequences that undermine intended outcomes. Decision makers’ private interests and riot prevention played significant roles in selected cases, but were not leading factors overall. Understanding why governments prefer one policy set to another may improve policy analysts’ ability to encourage pro-poor policies which are more likely to be enacted, or to adapt policies which are more palatable to policy elites.
The Political Economy of Food Price Policy in Malawi
Authors: Chirwa Ephraim W. , Chinsinga Blessings 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
The chapter examines the underlying political economy motivations of the government’s policy responses to food price increases in 2007/08 focusing particularly on maize as the main staple crop. The main government policy responses to the food price spikes in 2007/08 were price control, bans on domestic and international trade. We argue that although there has been increased openness in policy debates and dialogue relating to the question of food security since the transition to democracy in May 1994, the process continues to be unclear, dominated by presidential interventions, and tends to be highly motivated by electoral politics and considerations. Malawi was suggested as a model for the rest of the countries on the continent to emulate for achieving and accelerating the attainment of a uniquely African green revolution.
The Political Economy of Food Price Policy in Zambia
Authors: Chapoto Antony 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
The global food price crisis of 2007–8 raised fears about the impacts of higher and more volatile food prices for the poor in Zambia. Like in the past, the implementation of the strategies to deal with the rising food prices, especially for the staple crop maize were delayed due to ineffective response policies, mistrust between government and private sector, protracted discussions, inaction amongst key agriculture stakeholders and rent-seeking behaviour by some. Using the political economy framework, this study examines how the country responded to the 2007/08 global food crisis and the lessons learnt for dealing with future food crises.
The Political Economy of Food Price Policy in Vietnam
Authors: Manh Hai Nguyen , Talbot Theodore 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Rice is a key agricultural commodity in Vietnam, and the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector remains a major source of employment. This chapter uses episodes of rice price volatility to understand how the interplay of market forces and political economy factors caused domestic and world prices to diverge, depriving producers of windfall profits, and preventing markets from clearing. The welfare consequences of mutually-inconsistent agricultural policies suggest that Vietnam and other transition economies must emphasize policy coherence by developing institutions capable of balancing the needs of distinct constituencies, such as net rice producers and consumers. Policies that influence rice production and prices provide a lens through which to understand broader agricultural policies both in Vietnam and economies where agriculture remains one of the major components of national income.
The Political Economy of Food Price Policy in Brazil
Authors: Mueller Bernardo , Mueller Charles 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
This chapter argues that the effects of the food price crisis of 2007–8 put pressure on two variables that are of central importance to the Brazilian government: inflation and social inclusion. The chapter describes how political institutions in Brazil have given rise to a policy-making process where fiscal stability and social inclusion are the overarching priorities, irrespective of the party in power. It could be expected that the food price crisis would have led to significant reactions by the government to safeguard those two central policy objectives. However, government and social groups’ reactions were relatively subdued, compared to other countries. The authors explain this by showing that the negative impacts of the food price increases on consumers was partly counterbalanced by the benefits from agricultural production. Before the crisis the country already possessed a series of mechanisms offering protection to the poor.
The Political Determinants of Economic Growth: An Analytical Review
Authors: Sen Kunal 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
This chapter is an assessment of what we know about the political determinants of economic growth. It begins by setting out the stylized facts of economic growth. The chapter suggests that there is a need to shift away from much of the previous literature’s emphasis on the determinants of long-run average economic growth (including political determinants), to an understanding of the determinants of within-country growth patterns. The chapter proposes a conceptual framework to understand the political channels of within-country growth. Using this framework, it reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the political determinants of economic growth. It argues that the theoretical and empirical literature does not provide an adequate understanding as yet of the political dynamics of economic growth, and suggests future directions for research in this area.
The Politics of What Works in Service Delivery
Authors: Mcloughlin Claire 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
This chapter examines the evidence on the forms of politics likely to promote inclusive social provisioning and enable, as opposed to constrain, improvements in service outcomes. It focuses on eight relatively successful cases of delivery in a range of country contexts and sectors (roads, agriculture, health, education) where independent evaluations demonstrate improved outcomes. The chapter traces the main characteristics of the political environment for these cases, from the national political context, to the politics of sector policymaking, to the micro politics of implementation. The findings indicate that it is possible to identify connections between good performance and better outcomes at the point of delivery and the main forms of politics operating at local, sector, and national levels.
Ethnicity, State Capacity, and Development: Reconsidering Causal Connections
Authors: Singh Prerna , vom Hau Matthias 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
A large and influential literature in political economy argues that ethnic fractionalization impedes public goods provision. This chapter critically reassesses the main causal mechanism that supports this body of scholarship. Most of the works in this research tradition focus on inter-ethnic cooperation, hypothesizing that ethnic fractionalization leads to conflicting preferences, which in turn prevent inter-ethnic cooperation, either to generate desired goods or to pressure the state to provide them. Yet, such an exclusive focus on inter-ethnic cooperation ignores a wide array of other plausible causal pathways. In response, this chapter identifies three broad sets of mechanisms through which ethnicity might impact on state capacity: collective action by ethnic groups (whether in the form of inter-ethnic cooperation or ethnic mobilization), the actions and perceptions of other collective actors (whether societal elites or state officials), and institutional change (whether of formal or informal institutions).
The Politics of Aid Revisited: A Review of Evidence on State Capacity and Elite Commitment
Authors: de Haan Arjan , Warmerdam Ward 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Based on a systematic review of the impacts of aid on both state capacity for, and elite commitment to sustainable development, this chapter concludes that a better understanding of the impact of aid has the potential to directly inform practices of international development. This requires better empirical insight into how donors interact with formal and informal institutions in the countries where they work, particularly in aid-dependent countries. Furthermore, it is critical to see aid as part of a spectrum of international exchange, rather than in isolation. This implies a significant research agenda, combining quantitative and in-depth qualitative analysis, as there are barriers for more informed political analysis to inform practice; and little analysis exists of how donors, even where they do start adopting a political perspective, do influence local institutions and the people they work with.
Tropical transitions in colonial counter-insurgency
Authors: Hack Karl 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis chapter asks how far ‘colonial transitioning’ can provide insights for contemporary conflicts. It demonstrates how ‘transitioning’ in the Malayan Emergency of 1948–60 was deep-rooted, with key activities such as building elections from local level upwards, and the creation of a strong ethos for local forces, took place across and beyond counterinsurgency (COIN) phases. It also shows how smooth transitioning was predicated on COIN control having been intertwined with military–civilian committees throughout. This, and the posting of British as employed or seconded local staff, avoided COIN being an alien accretion, and allowed the gradual localization of those posts initially controlled by British civil, military, and police officials. Rather than suggesting colonial case studies as too alien to modern conditions, the Malayan example offers a distinct paradigm of long-term COIN implementation and transitioning, in which the assisting power embeds into and then eases out of the host nation’s structures.
Exit from empire
Authors: Anderson David M. 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Britain’s exit from Kenya came after a four-year war against an armed insurgency, and an eight-year State of Emergency. Provoked by official admission of excessive state violence in the treatment of detainees from the insurgency, the decision to leave came in summer 1959. The British brought the State of Emergency to an end, reactivated local politics to generate a ‘friendly’ successor regime, and devised strategies to protect their strategic interests. The chapter explains how the war was won between 1952 and 1956, and at what cost, and describes how the British sought to ‘make the peace’ in Kenya between 1956 and 1959. The period of exit, from June 1959 was relatively short, with departure in December 1963. In this phase, compromise and containment were key themes, pragmatism regularly trumping principle. The final discussion elucidates the implications for other ‘exits’ that might be drawn from the Kenya case.