bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A BIOSEMIOTIC APPROACH TO THE QUESTION OF MEANING
Authors: Hoffmeyer Jesper 
Published: October 2015

Abstract.A sign is something that refers to something else. Signs, whether of natural or cultural origin, act by provoking a receptive system, human or nonhuman, to form an interpretant (a movement or a brain activity) that somehow relates the system to this “something else.” Semiotics sees meaning as connected to the formation of interpretants. In a biosemiotic understanding living systems are basically engaged in semiotic interactions, that is, interpretative processes, and organic evolution exhibits an inherent tendency toward an increase in semiotic freedom. Mammals generally are equipped with more semiotic freedom than are their reptilian ancestor species, and fishes are more semiotically sophisticated than are invertebrates. The evolutionary trend toward the production of life forms with an increasing interpretative capacity or semiotic freedom implies that the production of meaning has become an essential survival parameter in later stages of evolution.
TRANSCENDING IRONY
Authors: Katz Solomon H. 
Published: October 2015

Abstract.A more complete understanding of the biocultural evolutionary origins of the concept of ought as developed by David Hume and G. E. Moore may lower the philosophical barrier between is and ought and provide new insights about the separations between the domains of religion and science. If this conjecture is correct, the resulting wisdom will help transcend a major source of irony that Philip Hefner has so aptly identified in his essay.
NEW DIRECTIONS, NEW COLLABORATIONS
Authors: Pederson Ann 
Published: October 2015

Abstract.In a world where all of life is on the edge of extinction and destruction by humankind, those who practice religion‐and‐science within a mutual dialogue bear the responsibility of doing so with this edge of life in mind. To speak of religion‐and‐science as a field of inquiry is to acknowledge the ethical responsibilities it entails. If one task of Zygon is to reformulate religion in light of the future dialogue of religion‐and‐science, we need to think about what kind of hope for the future is needed. Clearly, we are not simply called to repeat the past or comment on what has already been done by other academics. To help accomplish these goals and to reflect on the mission and future of Zygon, I appeal to the metaphor of improvisation, particularly as it is embodied in the visual and performing arts.
STAGE‐TWO SECULARITY AND THE FUTURE OF THEOLOGY‐AND‐SCIENCE
Authors: Peterson Gregory R. 
Published: October 2015

Abstract.Charles Taylor has recently provided an in‐depth exploration of secularity, with a central characteristic being the understanding that religious commitment is optional. This essay extends this analysis, considering the possibility that American society may be entering a second stage of secularity, one in which the possibility of religious commitment ceases to be an option at all for many. The possible implications of such a development are considered for the theology‐and‐science dialogue.
LOOKING TO CHARLES TAYLOR AND JOSEPH ROUSE FOR BEST PRACTICES IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION
Authors: Walhout Matthew 
Published: October 2015

Abstract.People discussing science and religion usually frame their conversations in terms of essentialist assumptions about science, assumptions requiring the existence (but not the specification) of criteria according to which science can be distinguished from other forms of inquiry. However, criteria functioning at a level of generality appropriate to such discussions may not exist at all. Essentialist assumptions may be avoided if science is understood within a broader context of human practices. In a philosophy of practices, to label a practice as “scientific” is to make a practically motivated provision for a way of speaking. Charles Taylor and Joseph Rouse have produced complementary philosophies of practice that promote this kind of understanding. In this essay I review the work of Taylor and Rouse, identify apparent residues of essentialism that each seems to harbor, and offer a resolution to some of their disagreements. I also criticize a form of essentialism commonly employed in Christian circles and outline an anti‐essentialist view of science that may be helpful in science‐and‐religion discussions.
BROKEN SYMBOLS? RESPONSE TO F. LERON SHULTS
Authors: Robinson Andrew , Southgate Christopher 
Published: October 2015

Abstract.In the preceding article in this section, F. LeRon Shults responds to our article preceding his, “Semiotics as a Metaphysical Framework for Christian Theology.” We respond here to his criticisms of our proposal. We discuss his concerns about the concept of “vestiges of the Trinity in creation” and argue that this does not undermine the absolute ontological difference between God and creation. We offer a clarification of our idea that the Incarnation may be understood, in terms of Peirce's taxonomy of signs, as a qualisign of God's being. Finally, we discuss the idea that all symbols “break on the infinite.”
Politics matter: changes in unionisation rates in rich countries, 1960–2010
Authors: Schmitt John , Mitukiewicz Alexandra 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACTWe use the Institutional Characteristics of Trade Unions, Wage Setting, State Intervention and Social Pacts database to examine the changes in collective bargaining coverage and union density among 21 OECD countries over the past 50 years. The observed patterns suggest that national politics are a more important determinant of recent trends in unionisation than globalisation or technological change.
Predictive validity of weekly monitoring of wound status using DESIGN‐R score change for pressure ulcer healing: A multicenter prospective cohort study
Authors: Iizaka Shinji , Sanada Hiromi , Matsui Yuko , Furue Masutaka , Tachibana Takao , Nakayama Takeo , Sugama Junko , Furuta Katsunori , Tachi Masahiro , Tokunaga Keiko , Miyachi Yoshiki ,   Scientific Education Committee of the Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers
Published: October 2015

AbstractThere are few studies on predictive validity of methods to monitor the healing process of pressure ulcers. We evaluated whether the change of DESIGN‐R (rating) score could predict subsequent healing, and determined the optimal cutoff points. In a multicenter prospective cohort study, patients were followed until wound healing or censoring. Wound severity was evaluated by the DESIGN‐R tool every week, and the score change was calculated over 1–4 weeks (n = 411, 286, 224, and 170, respectively). In the multivariate analyses stratified by depth, a one‐point improvement in DESIGN‐R score over any period was positively associated with healing within the next 30 days independent of initial wound severity (hazard ratios over each 1–4 weeks ranging from 1.16 to 1.33 for superficial ulcers and from 1.21 to 1.27 for deep ulcers; all p < 0.05). The optimal cutoff points over 1–4 weeks were set as negative change for superficial ulcers and as positive change of ≥two points for deep ulcers. Nonhealing rate was higher for ulcers with DESIGN‐R score change below the cutoff points than that aforementioned for both depths. Weekly monitoring by the DESIGN‐R tool will be advantageous for evaluating prognosis of pressure ulcers independent of initial wound severity and depth.
Evolution of the vertebrate jaw from developmental perspectives
Authors: Kuratani Shigeru 
Published: October 2015

SUMMARYAttainment of the biting jaw is regarded as one of the major novelties in the early history of vertebrates. Based on a comparison between lamprey and gnathostome embryos, evolutionary developmental studies have tried to explain this novelty as changes in the developmental patterning of the mandibular arch, the rostralmost pharyngeal arch, at the molecular and cellular levels. On the other hand, classical theories in the field of comparative morphology assumed the involvement of hypothetical premandibular arch(es) that ancestral animals would have possessed rostral to the mandibular arch, in the transition from agnathan to gnathostome states. These theories are highly biased toward the segmental scheme of the vertebrate head, and the concept of premandibular “arches” is no longer accepted by the current understanding. Instead, the premandibular domain has now become of interest in the understanding of cranial development, especially in its rostral part. As newer theories that consider involvement of the premandibular domain, the neoclassical and heterotopy theories are here compared from evolutionary developmental perspectives, in conjunction with the development of nasal and hypophyseal placodes, in the context of the evolutionary acquisition of the jaw. Given recent advances in understanding of the lamprey development, evolution of the Dlx code is also discussed together with the evolutionary scenario of jaw acquisition.
Vestiges, rudiments and fusion events: the zebrafish caudal fin endoskeleton in an evo‐devo perspective
Authors: Bensimon‐Brito Anabela , Cancela Maria Leonor , Huysseune Ann , Witten Paul Eckhard 
Published: October 2015

SUMMARYThe vertebral column results from a controlled segmentation process associated with two main structures, the notochord and the somites. Pathological fusion of vertebral bodies can result from impaired segmentation during embryonic development or occur postnatally. Here, we explore the process of formation and subsequent fusion of the caudalmost vertebral bodies in zebrafish, where fusion is a normal process, mechanically required to support the caudal fin. To reveal whether the product of fusion is on an evolutionary or a developmental scale, we analyze the mode of formation of vertebral bodies, identify transitory rudiments, and characterize vestiges that indicate previous fusion events. Based on a series of closely spaced ontogenetic stages of cleared and stained zebrafish, parasagittal sections, and detection methods for elastin and mineral, we conclude that the formation of the urostyle involves four fusion events. Although fusion of preural 1 (PU1+) with ural 1 (U1) and fusion within ural 2 (U2+) are no longer traceable during centrum formation (phylogenetic fusion), fusion between the compound centrum [PU1++U1] and U2+ (ontogenetic fusion) occurs after individualization of the centra. This slow process is the last fusion and perhaps the latest fusion during the evolution of the zebrafish caudal fin endoskeleton. Newly described characters, such as a mineralized subdivision within U2+, together with the reinterpretation of known features in an evolutionary–developmental context, strongly suggest that the zebrafish caudal fin endoskeleton is made from more fused vertebral bodies than previously assumed. In addition, these fusion events occur at different developmental levels depending on their evolutionary status, allowing the dissection of fusion processes that have taken place over different evolutionary times.
The animal body plan, the prototypic body segment, and eye evolution
Authors: Gehring Walter J. 
Published: October 2015

SUMMARYDevelopmental genetics of Drosophila continue to have a great impact on our understanding of evolution. The specification of the body plan involves four conceptual steps: 1) Localization of maternal mRNAs in the egg cytoplasm. 2) Translation of these RNAs and formation of morphogen gradients. 3) Subdivision of the antero‐posterior gradient into a repetitive pattern of body segments. 4) Assignment of a specific identity to each segment by the Hox genes. The discovery of the Hox genes has uncovered a universal principle shared by all bilaterians; they serve as master control genes specifying organization along the antero‐posterior axis. The ancestral arthropods presumably consisted of a series of more or less identical segments, which may be represented by recently discovered precambrian Lobopodia which have a pair of legs and a pair of eyes in each segment. The progressive divergence of Hox genes has led to progressive cephalization and caudalization. From the amino acid sequences of the clustered homeodomains we can deduce that the mesothoracic segment represents the prototype from the more anterior and the more posterior segments evolved. Pax6 has been identified as a master control gene for eye development in all bilaterians. Since Pax6 is involved in eye development in all bilaterian phyla, this argues strongly for a monophyletic origin of the metazoan eye. With the same tool box of transcription factors all the different eye‐types can be constructed.
Determinants of the Credit Rating Fee in the Municipal Bond Market
Authors: ELY TODD L. , MARTELL CHRISTINE R. , KIOKO SHARON N. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractImproving transparency of prices paid by government can improve market and government efficiency. Governments regularly pay to access capital markets, yet municipal bond issuance costs remain largely hidden from public view. This study examines factors associated with credit rating fees using a decade of Texas municipal bond issuance data. We find that rating fees are lower in a competitive environment, when issuers have experience and a relationship with the rating agency, and higher when the issue is large and more complex. The findings provide evidence that credit rating agencies (CRAs) retained pricing power following the credit crisis despite reduced reputational quality.
Intergovernmental Transfers and Tax Collection in India: Does the Composition of Transfers Matter?
Authors: DASH BHARATEE BHUSANA , RAJA ANGARA V. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis study examines whether the impact of intergovernmental transfers on tax effort of Indian states depends on the composition of transfers (conditional vis‐à‐vis unconditional). It also tests the asymmetry hypothesis, which states that subnational governments respond to increases in transfers differently from losses. The evidence suggests that tax collections, including both indirect and direct taxes, are inversely related to unconditional transfers irrespective of whether they are increasing or decreasing. Imposition of conditions on transfers has prevented the Indian states from substituting such transfers for tax collection (direct tax collection is an exception). Direct tax collection responds most sensitively to transfers.
Phototherapy for hypopigmented mycosis fungoides in Asians
Authors: Wongpraparut Chanisada , Setabutra Piyaroj 
Published: October 2015

SummaryBackgroundHypopigmented mycosis fungoides (MF) is an uncommon variant of MF. It is rare in Caucasians but more common in young skin‐of‐color individuals. To date, there are only a few reports on UV‐based treatment for this condition.ObjectivesTo analyze the efficacy of PUVA photochemotherapy and narrowband UVB (NBUVB) phototherapy for hypopigmented MF.MethodsA retrospective study of nine patients who received PUVA or NBUVB was performed. The clinical response, total number of treatments, cumulative UV doses, disease‐free interval and adverse effects were recorded.ResultEight patients had stage IA and one patient had stage IB. Six patients received NBUVB and three patients received PUVA. Three patients (50%) in the NBUVB group and three patients (100%) in the PUVA group had complete response (CR). Total UV dose to get maximal clinical response ranged from 27.1–59.6 J/cm2 in the NBUVB group and 244–669.1 J/cm2 in the PUVA group. In six patients who had CR, recurrence was found in four (66.7%), and the disease‐free interval ranged from 2 months to 6 years.ConclusionPUVA and NBUVB are effective for hypopigmented MF. Comparing between these two methods, PUVA provided a better response than NBUVB. Although the disease responded well to phototherapy, relapse was common.
Recalcitrant eosinophilic pustular folliculitis of Ofuji with palmoplantar pustulosis: dramatic response to narrowband UVB phototherapy
Authors: Lim Hua Liang , Chong Wei‐Sheng 
Published: October 2015

SummaryEosinophilic pustular folliculitis of Ofuji is a recalcitrant disease typified by non‐infective eosinophilic spongiosis involving the infundibular region of the hair follicle. We present a case of a 49‐year‐old Chinese man with known palmoplantar pustulosis and acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau which was promptly resolved with methotrexate therapy. He returned with an erythematous papulopustular eruption with coalescence to annular plaques, occurring over the face, chest and back with active palmoplantar pustulation. Histology from skin biopsy of the palmar lesion was in keeping with palmoplantar psoriasis, while biopsy of the facial and truncal lesions revealed florid perifollicular eosinophilic congregation diagnostic of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis of Ofuji. Indomethacin was initiated with partial improvement of lesions with cyclical flares. A trial of narrowband ultraviolet‐B phototherapy at a frequency of thrice weekly achieved sustained clearance of both eosinophilic pustular folliculitis and palmoplantar lesions. Indomethacin was tailed down and eventually discontinued with maintenance of narrowband ultraviolet‐B therapy; this achieved successful control of the disease.
Determination of a comfortable volume of mouthwash for rinsing
Authors: Keukenmeester RS , Slot DE , Rosema NAM , Van der Weijden GA 
Published: October 2015

AbstractAimThe purpose of this study was to assess patient comfort when rinsing for 30 s with 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 ml volumes of mouthwash, with the goal of establishing the most agreeable volume.Material and methodsThe study was designed as a single‐blind, clinical trial with duplicate assessments. Participants were asked to rinse with five different volumes of mouthwash in randomized order. All participants received a questionnaire to evaluate their attitudes towards the volumes used based on aVisualAnalogueScale (VAS). The extremes of theVASwere 0 (far too little) to 10 (far too much), with a score of five representing the optimal score. After 1 week, the participants returned, and the assessment was repeated to evaluate the validity of the estimate. Volumes were tested for differences regarding participants' perceptions of comfort usinganovaand pairedt‐tests, and the duplicate answers of the participants were analysed for validity by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient.ResultsIn total, 62 participants completed both assessments, which provided valuable data. The 15‐ml volume resulted in a mean score of 5.40, whereas the 5, 10, 20 and 30 ml volumes resulted in mean scores of 1.89, 3.71, 6.54 and 8.65, respectively. The differences between the mean scores for all five tested volumes were statistically significant. A correlation between the first and secondVASscores was 0.4–0.6.ConclusionOn the basis of the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that 15 ml is perceived as the most comfortable volume.
Dental hygienists in The Netherlands: the past, present and future
Authors: Jongbloed‐Zoet C , Bol‐van den Hil EM , La Rivière‐Ilsen J , van der Sanden‐Stoelinga MSE 
Published: October 2015

AbstractDental hygiene education in the Netherlands started in 1968 after a long political debate about roles, functions and the working domain. From a slow start with five students in a school based on the American model with a 2‐year curriculum, dental hygiene education is now a 4‐year, higher professional education with an admission of 300 students annually who pursue the degree of Bachelor of Health at a University of Applied Sciences. In the 45 years of its existence, the dental hygiene profession has undergone a tremendous change. In the beginning, dental hygienists worked under the supervision of a dentist, which changed in 1992 to their working ‘under referral’ from a dentist, and again in 2006, when dental hygienists became directly accessible. One‐third of the working force of approximately 2700 dental hygienists (2010) is now working in their own independent practice. The focus of professional practice has changed from the prevention of caries via periodontology to the relationship between dental health and general health and well‐being. The profession, the education and the Dutch Dental Hygienists' Association (Nederlandse Vereniging van Mondhygiënisten) have matured, and its members are now serious partners in oral health care.
Using Primary Care Prescribing Databases to Determine Drug Switching and Continuation of Care
Authors: Mohamed Isa Naina , Helms Peter J. , McLay James S. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractDrug switching is a common medical practice. It indicates continuation of treatment regardless of the reason why the original therapy was stopped and switched. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop a novel method for determining drug switching from routinely acquired NHS health data and to explore the aspect of continuation of care for patients. Patients who were first prescribed ramipril, simvastatin and an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) between 1 March 2004 and 28 February 2007 and discontinued their medication within 6 months of the index prescription were identified from the PTI database. The identified patients were then categorized into three groups: i) patients who were switched to a different drug for the same medical condition, ii) patients who were being prescribed with other types of antihypertensive/lipid‐regulating drug prior to the initiation of study; and iii) patients who were without any continuation of care or therapy. Twenty percent (808), 29%(1429) and 14%(455) of the identified patients discontinued ramipril, simvastatin and ARB, respectively, within 6 months of an index prescription. Among the ramipril discontinuation group, 36.4% of the patients were switched to another antihypertensive, while another 31.6% of them were without continuation of care. In patients discontinuing ARB, 30.6% were switched, while another 30.1% were without continuation of treatment. In patients discontinuing simvastatin, 28.8% were switched to another lipid‐regulating medicine, while another 63.1% of them were without continuation of care. The results of this study confirm that primary care prescribing databases can be used to determine drug‐switching information and continuation of care/therapy.
A return to two‐party politics?
Authors: Curtice John , McWhirter Iain , Wyn Jones Richard , Asato Jessica 
Published: October 2015

In the first of three articles by writers looking back at the UK local and devolved elections in May and considering their implications for the future, electoral reform expert John Curtice asks whether the elections signaled the end of the beginning of political pluralism in the UK.Iain McWhirter finds a re‐elected Scottish National Party playing the long game in the quest for independence.Richard Wyn Jones examines the aftermath of the devolved elections, as the Labour Party forms a minority government in Wales.Director of the Labour Yes to AV campaign Jessica Asato argues that a ‘people's campaign’ with no grassroots appeal was doomed from the start.
The Law, Policy, and Ethics of Employers' Use of Financial Incentives to Improve Health
Authors: Madison Kristin M. , Volpp Kevin G. , Halpern Scott D. 
Published: October 2015

Individuals can often take steps to preserve or improve their own health. They can eat appropriate quantities of healthy foods, exercise, and refrain from smoking. They can obtain preventive care and adhere to their physicians’ advice about how best to manage their health. But they often fail to take these steps.A widespread failure to adopt healthy behaviors can significantly erode public health while increasing health care costs. Obesity, for example, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and certain cancers. By one estimate, it is responsible for almost 10 percent of medical spending in the United States, or about $147 billion per year. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung disease, and cancer; it accounts for nearly 20 percent of deaths each year in the United States and about $96 billion in health care expenditures.