bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Old Wine in a New Bottle: Land Settlement and Agrarian Problems in the Philippines
Authors: Krinks Peter 
Published: April 2011

SummaryThe homesteading system instituted in the Philippines in 1903 was intended to stimulate economic development through increased agricultural output from previously unoccupied lands and also to relieve agrarian problems in densely settled parts of the country. A case study shows that while early homesteaders did significantly improve their conditions, the intense demand for land rapidly led to the development of squatting and tenancy. Average farm sizes are declining but there are simultaneously indications of a trend towards concentration of land ownership, which accords with experience in other peasant economies.During the intense concern for economic development over the past 25 or so years, many governments have expressed their faith in the development of new agricultural land as at least a partial answer to a wide range of economic and social problems. These problems include regionally dense populations with inadequate farm sizes, inequitable systems of holding and renting land, inefficient methods of production and marketing, lack of capital and difficulties of capital formation, and low yields from land that is losing fertility through constant cropping. Frequently, ignorance, poverty or the agrarian structure inhibits the adoption of measures for improvement.Those countries with significant areas of little used land resources have tended to rely on developing these resources as an answer to agrarian problems rather than attempting to tackle defects in the whole structure. Since the structure is not changed, it is not surprising that in due course the firmly institutionalised problems of the older areas gradually established themselves in areas of new settlement too. This is essentially what Boeke referred to as “static expansion”. More recently, Mellor has pointed out, “Expanding the land area at constant productivity and incomes is not economic development in the usual sense — it is only a holding action in the face of a growing population”. Even with rising productivity such as associated with the Green Revolution, there is considerable evidence to suggest the continuation, if not exacerbation, of agrarian problems.By examining in detail a case study of colonisation in the Philippines, this paper will show that even if productivity and incomes in a new area are initially high, the operation of customary economic and social processes is likely to ensure the recreation of traditional problems. Such a conclusion is nothing new. It has been repeated depressingly often not only in recent decades but also of course throughout history.
On the Two-Gap Analysis of Foreign Aid
Authors: Ezaki Mitsuo 
Published: April 2011

The objective of this paper is to clarify the welfare implications of the two-gap analysis of foreign aid concentrating on the model developed by Chenery and Strout (1966) and to provide related numerical examples for four Southeast Asian countries (Republic of Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines) where the real series in national income statistics are available.The two gaps are of course the investment-saving gap (ISgap) and the importexport gap (MEgap), both of which are in theex antesense and must be consistent with the target growth rate of output.
Bridging the gap between aggregate data and individual patient management: A Bayesian approach
Authors: van der Wilt Gert Jan , Groenewoud Hans , van Riel Piet 
Published: April 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore whether Bayesian reasoning can be applied to therapeutic questions in a way that is similar to its application in diagnostics.Methods: A clinically relevant, therapeutic question was formulated in accordance with Bayesian reasoning for the clinical management of patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Prior probability estimates of response to drug treatment (methotrexate, MTX) were obtained from the literature. As a marker of treatment response, changes in the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores were assessed after three months of treatment. Likelihood ratios for this marker were calculated on the basis of data from a clinical registry, using changes in the Disease Activity Score (DAS) as gold standard. Using Bayes’ theorem, prior probability and likelihood ratios were combined to estimate posterior probabilities of treatment response in individual patients.Results: On the basis of the literature, the prior probability of response of RA patients to MTX was estimated 45 percent. At 3 months follow-up, this probability increased to 80 percent or decreased to 23 percent, depending on the changes that were observed in Health Assessment Questionnaire scores.Conclusions: Bayesian reasoning can be applied to therapeutic issues in a way that is conceptually fully compatible with its use in diagnostics. As such, it can be used to bridge the gap between aggregate data and individual patient management.
Drug-eluting stents in patients at high risk of restenosis: Assessment for France
Authors: Schapiro-Dufour Emmanuelle , Cucherat Michel , Velzenberger Elodie , Galmiche Hubert , Denis Catherine , Machecourt Jacques 
Published: April 2011

Background: In unselected patients, the incidence of restenosis is lower after placement of drug-eluting stents (DES) than bare-metal stents (BMS) without difference in safety at a time horizon of 4 years. However, DES appears less effective in “off label” patients.Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess available evidence of DES efficacy and safety by patient category to establish when DES placement may be recommended for reimbursement by the French national health insurance.Methods: Based on a systematic review by patient category (January 2002 to August 2009), two health technology assessment (HTA) reports and thirty-eight clinical studies not covered by the HTA reports (eleven meta-analysis including ours, eleven randomized trials and sixteen cohort studies) were selected. After assessment of the methodological quality, the studies mostly comparing DES with BMS were reviewed by a panel of health professionals who defined a priori the most relevant end points of safety and efficacy.Results: Seven to fourteen patients treated with DES were needed to avoid one target lesion revascularization (TLR) in patients with lesions >15 mm long, vessel diameter <3 mm, or diabetes, and with some complex lesions (total coronary occlusion, BMS in-stent restenosis multivessel disease, unprotected left main stenosis). DES appeared as safe as other alternatives over a follow-up of up to 4 years when dual antiplatelet therapy was continued for at least 1 year, but statistical power remains limited to conclude for some clinical features.Conclusions: For reimbursement, DES use should be limited to certain categories of patients. Treatment of particular cases requires a multidisciplinary approach.
The Logic of the Tenure Decision: In Dubio Contra “Reum”
Authors: Weyland Kurt 
Published: April 2011

AbstractSince tenure decisions concern the award of an employment guarantee, the burden of proof ought to rest on the candidate; in cases of doubt, the vote should be negative. However, a number of corrosive tendencies often weaken the strict application of this principle. To counteract these tendencies, this article advocates a strategy of pre-commitment to fairly objective standards and reliance on the professional judgments of a variety of anonymous outside experts, as reflected in a candidate's success in the double-blind peer review process.
Ranking Scholarly Publishers in Political Science: An Alternative Approach
Authors: Garand James C. , Giles Micheal W. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractPrevious research has documented how political scientists evaluate and rank scholarly journals, but the evaluation and ranking of scholarly book publishers has drawn less attention. In this article, we use data from a survey of 603 American political scientists to generate a ranking of scholarly publishers in political science. We used open-ended questions to ask respondents to identify those scholarly publishers (1) to which they would submit “a very strong book manuscript” in their area of expertise, and (2) that they “read regularly or otherwise rely for the best research” in their area of expertise. Based on these results, we created rankings of scholarly presses based on publication and reading preferences. We find that certain high-profile university presses constitute a clear first tier in American political scientists' preference orderings, followed by a mix of university and commercial presses that represent the second tier and beyond. Moreover, we confirm the validity of our approach by comparing the results of our rankings (based on open-ended questions) with results from previous research based on respondents' evaluations and derived from close-ended lists of scholarly presses. Our results demonstrate that the rankings of scholarly publishers are similar for both approaches. These rankings can be used to guide political scientists as they decide where to send their best book-length work.
Nudging Students' Creative Problem-Solving Skills
Authors: Griffin Dana 
Published: April 2011

AbstractPeople often make choices that go against their own best interests. In the controversial bestseller Nudge, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein argue that people can benefit from simple “nudges” to improve their decision-making. In an upper-level undergraduate course on political decision-making, I created a series of assignments around Nudge. In the project, students designed their own “nudges” to solve a variety of political and social problems. Students gave this assignment rave reviews, not only for the course content they learned, but also for what they discovered about their connections to society and its problems. In this article, I describe the assignment and report students' evaluations of it. This assignment could be tailored to any course on political behavior, public policy, or public administration.
A 60 GHz 14 dBm power amplifier with a transformer-based power combiner in 65 nm CMOS
Authors: Zhao Dixian , He Ying , Li Lianming , Joos Dieter , Philibert Wim , Reynaert Patrick 
Published: April 2011

A 52–61 GHz power amplifier (PA) is implemented in 65 nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The proposed PA employs a transformer-based power combiner to sum the output power from two unit PAs. Each unit PA uses transformer-coupled two-stage differential cascode topology. The differential cascode PA is able to increase the output power and ensure stability. The transformer-based passives enable a compact layout with the PA core area of only 0.3 mm2. The PA achieves a peak power gain of 10.2 dB with 3-dB bandwidth of 9 GHz. The measured saturated output power is 14.8 dBm with a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 7.2%. The reverse isolation is smaller than −33 dB from 25 to 65 GHz. The PA consumes a quiescent current of 143 mA from a 1.6 V supply.
Treating co-morbid chronic medical conditions and anxiety/depression
Authors: Cimpean D. , Drake R. E. 
Published: April 2011

Aims.This systematic review examines interventions for care of people with co-morbid chronic medical illness and anxiety/depression disorders – a group with high risks for morbidity and mortality.Methods.Systematic search of Medline 1995 to January 2011 for randomized controlled trials of treatment interventions designed for adult outpatients with diagnosed chronic medical illness (diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorders, and chronic respiratory disorders) and anxiety/depression disorders.Results.Six trials studied complex interventions based on the chronic care model, and eight trials studied psychosocial interventions. Most interventions addressed the mental health aspect of the co-morbidity and showed improvements in anxiety/depression but not in the co-morbid medical disorder.Conclusions.Further research might focus on interventions integrating mental health treatment with enhanced medical care components, incorporating shared-decision making and information technology advances.
Botswana alcohol policy and the presidential levy controversy
Authors: Pitso Joseph M. N. , Obot Isidore S. 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTAim  To assess the state of alcohol policy in Botswana in the context of a substantial levy imposed on alcohol sales by the President.Design, measurements  Analysis of policy documents and media reports to describe the drivers of policy formation.Setting, participants  Botswana.Findings  Legislation aimed at addressing the problem of excessive consumption of alcohol in the country has been proposed and enacted since independence in 1966 and a draft national alcohol policy is currently being debated. The policy recognizes the need to protect the rights of adult citizens of Botswana to purchase and consume alcohol in a safe and well‐regulated manner and the role of government in ensuring that vulnerable members of the community are protected against the impact of harmful use of alcohol. In 2008, controversy erupted over the proposal by the President of the country to impose a 70% levy on alcohol products, later reduced to 30%. The industry responded by threatening to go to court and has since focused their response on what they claim to be serious economic losses due to reduced consumption of their products.Conclusions  The ongoing controversy in Botswana calls attention to the role of the industry in influencing the debate on alcohol and the need to keep in mind overall public health interest in efforts to develop and implement a national alcohol policy.
Lateral fold growth and linkage in the Zagros fold and thrust belt (Kurdistan, NE Iraq)
Authors: Bretis Bernhard , Bartl Nikolaus , Grasemann Bernhard 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTThe Zagros fold and thrust belt is a seismically active orogen that has accommodated the N–S shortening between the Arabian and Eurasian plates since the Miocene. Whereas the southeast parts of the belt have been studied in detail, the northwest extent has received considerably less attention, being part of the Republic of Iraq. In this study, we investigate fold growth in the area NE of Erbil (Kurdistan, Iraq). In particular, we focus on the interaction of the transient development of drainage patterns along growing antiforms, as this directly reflects the kinematics of progressive fold growth. Detailed geomorphological studies of the Bana Bawi‐, Permam‐ and Safeen‐fold trains show that these anticlines did not develop from a single embryonic fold but by lateral linkage of several different fold segments. These segments, with length between 5 and 25 km, have been detected by mapping ancient and modern river courses; these initially cut the nose of growing folds until eventually defeated, leaving curved wind gaps behind. Depending on the alignment of the initial embryonic folds, the segments can either record a linear‐ or an en‐echelon linkage. Comparison of natural examples from the Zagros fold and thrust belt in Iraq with published numerically modelled fold growth suggests that both linear‐linkage and en‐echelon linkage are mechanically feasible and are common processes during progressive shortening and fold growth.
Myeloid‐derived suppressor cells – their role in haemato‐oncological malignancies and other cancers and possible implications for therapy
Authors: Tadmor Tamar , Attias Dina , Polliack Aaron 
Published: April 2011

SummaryMyeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells at different stages of maturation that play a role in cancer tolerance and function as an immune‐suppressive cell subpopulation. They utilize different mechanisms to block both innate and adaptive arms of anti‐tumour immunity, mostly through inhibition of T cell activation and expansion. Further advances in our understanding of this cell population in both murine models and humans has enabled more accurate characterization of their phenotype and the recognition of two major classes of MDSCs: granulocytic and monocytic. Recently, the mechanism of action and clinical importance of MDSCs has been more clearly defined and their interactions with cancer cells have been shown to be among the factors influencing tumour development and induction of tolerance. Most of the earlier studies were performed using murine models, but recent clinical investigations have shown their potential role in human cancers. Here, we review the origin of MDSCs, their mechanisms of action, the factors influencing their production and related signalling pathways. We focus on their role in human solid tumours and haemato‐oncological malignancies, and relate to possible novel therapeutic approaches targeting MDSCs which could be considered together with other anticancer strategies in the not too distant future.
The role of intestinal dendritic cells subsets in the establishment of food allergy
Authors: Smit J. J. , Bol‐Schoenmakers M. , Hassing I. , Fiechter D. , Boon L. , Bleumink R. , Pieters R. H. H. 
Published: April 2011

Cite this as: J. J. Smit, M. Bol‐Schoenmakers, I. Hassing, D. Fiechter, L. Boon, R. Bleumink and R. H. H. Pieters, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 890–898.SummaryBackground
Food allergy affects approximately 6% of children and is the leading cause of hospitalization for anaphylactic reactions in westernized countries. Crucial in the establishment of allergy is the activation of dendritic cells (DC) leading to T helper 2‐mediated responses.Objective
We, therefore, investigated whether changes in DC subsets precede the establishment of food allergy, and which DC subsets have functional relevance during allergic sensitization in a mouse model.Methods
Changes in DC populations in the intestine were analysed after exposure to cholera toxin alone and in combination with peanut extract (PE) as an allergen. To study the functional role of DC subsets in relation to food allergy, we used expansion of DC in vivo by treatment with Flt3L.Results
Sensitization to PE in this mouse model was accompanied by a shift in DC subsets in intestinal tissues towards more CD11b+DC and less CD103+DC. No significant changes in the plasmacytoid DC (pDC) numbers were observed. Flt3L treatment, resulting in the expansion of all DC subtypes, inhibited allergic manifestations in our model, including Th2 cytokine production, PE‐specific IgE and PE‐induced mast cell degranulation. pDC depletion reversed Flt3L‐induced inhibition of IgE responses and mast cell degranulation.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
The establishment of food allergy is accompanied by profound changes in DC subsets in the intestine towards more inflammatory CD11b+DC. In addition, expansion of DC numbers by Flt3L, in particular pDC, inhibits the establishment of allergic manifestations in the intestine. These findings are of relevance for understanding the role of DC subsets early during the process of allergic sensitization, and may lead to new therapeutic or prophylactic opportunities to prevent food allergy.
Genetic determinism of anatomical and hydraulic traits within an apple progeny
Authors: LAURI PIERRE‐ÉRIC , GORZA OLIVIER , COCHARD HERVÉ , MARTINEZ SÉBASTIEN , CELTON JEAN‐MARC , RIPETTI VÉRONIQUE , LARTAUD MARC , BRY XAVIER , TROTTIER CATHERINE , COSTES EVELYNE 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTThe apple tree is known to have an isohydric behaviour, maintaining rather constant leaf water potential in soil with low water status and/or under high evaporative demand. However, little is known on the xylem water transport from roots to leaves from the two perspectives of efficiency and safety, and on its genetic variability. We analysed 16 traits related to hydraulic efficiency and safety, and anatomical traits in apple stems, and the relationships between them. Most variables were found heritable, and we investigated the determinism underlying their genetic control through a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis on 90 genotypes from the same progeny. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that all traits related to efficiency, whether hydraulic conductivity, vessel number and area or wood area, were included in the first PC, whereas the second PC included the safety variables, thus confirming the absence of trade‐off between these two sets of traits. Our results demonstrated that clustered variables were characterized by common genomic regions. Together with previous results on the same progeny, our study substantiated that hydraulic efficiency traits co‐localized with traits identified for tree growth and fruit production.
Characterization of quantitative trait locus for days to heading in near‐isogenic lines with genetic background of Indica‐type rice variety IR64 (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Fujita Daisuke , Santos Rizza E. , Ebron Leodegario A. , Fukuta Yoshimichi , Kobayashi Nobuya 
Published: April 2011

With 3 figures and 3 tablesAbstractDays to heading (DTH) is considered as one of the most important traits for rice cultivation. A total of 334 introgression lines (ILs) of rice (Oryza sativa L.), with variation in agronomic traits in the genetic background of an Indica‐type variety, ‘IR64’, were developed and used in this study. Two ILs derived from ‘IR65600‐87‐2‐2‐3’ and ‘Hoshiaoba’ showed earlier heading than ‘IR64’, whereas two ILs from ‘IR65598‐112‐2’ and ‘IR69125‐25‐3‐1‐1’ showed later heading. To ascertain the genetic basis of four ILs, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for DTH was conducted using F2 populations. Three QTLs for short DTH were detected on chromosome 8 in ‘IR65600‐87‐2‐2‐3’ and on chromosomes 6 and 11 in ‘Hoshiaoba’. Two QTLs for long DTH were detected on chromosome 6 in ‘IR65598‐112‐2’ and on chromosome 11 in ‘IR69125‐25‐3‐1‐1’. Three near‐isogenic lines (NILs) having a QTL from ‘IR65600‐87‐2‐2‐3’ and ‘Hoshiaoba’ were developed through marker‐assisted selection and they showed earlier heading than ‘IR64’, while two NILs from ‘IR65598‐112‐2’ and ‘IR69125‐25‐3‐1‐1’ showed later heading. These NILs for DTH are useful as research and breeding materials.
Underestimated biodiversity as a major explanation for the perceived rich secondary metabolite capacity of the cyanobacterial genus Lyngbya
Authors: Engene Niclas , Choi Hyukjae , Esquenazi Eduardo , Rottacker Erin C. , Ellisman Mark H. , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Gerwick William H. 
Published: April 2011

SummaryMarine cyanobacteria are prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites responsible for harmful algal blooms as well as rich sources of promising biomedical lead compounds. The current study focused on obtaining a clearer understanding of the remarkable chemical richness of the cyanobacterial genus Lyngbya. Specimens of Lyngbya from various environmental habitats around Curaçao were analysed for their capacity to produce secondary metabolites by genetic screening of their biosynthetic pathways. The presence of biosynthetic pathways was compared with the production of corresponding metabolites by LC‐ESI‐MS2 and MALDI‐TOF‐MS. The comparison of biosynthetic capacity and actual metabolite production revealed no evidence of genetic silencing in response to environmental conditions. On a cellular level, the metabolic origin of the detected metabolites was pinpointed to the cyanobacteria, rather than the sheath‐associated heterotrophic bacteria, by MALDI‐TOF‐MS and multiple displacement amplification of single cells. Finally, the traditional morphology‐based taxonomic identifications of these Lyngbya populations were combined with their phylogenetic relationships. As a result, polyphyly of morphologically similar cyanobacteria was identified as the major explanation for the perceived chemical richness of the genus Lyngbya, a result which further underscores the need to revise the taxonomy of this group of biomedically important cyanobacteria.