bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The non‐lethal effects of predators and the influence of food availability on life history of adultChironomus tentans(Diptera: Chironomidae)
Authors: BALL S. L. , BAKER R. L.
Published: May 2006

1. We used a laboratory experiment to determine effects of a predator (other than straightforward prey consumption) and food availability, during the larval stage, on adult size, age at emergence and fecundity ofChironomus tentans.

2. Predator presence and decreased food availability resulted in reduced adult emergence.

3. Predator presence and food availability resulted in smaller size and greater age at emergence of male and female chironomids. There were no significant interactions between effects of predator presence and food availability.

4. Predator presence had no significant effect on fecundity.

5. Smaller size and greater age at emergence can have important implications for adult survival, size and age at first reproduction and, thus, intrinsic rate of population growth.
Food value of introduced eucalypt leaves for a Mediterranean stream detritivore: Tipula lateralis
Authors: CANHOTO C. , GRAÇA M.A.S.
Published: May 2006

1. Food preference, consumption and growth of Tipula lateralis feeding on leaves of one exotic (Eucalyptus globulus) and three native trees of central Portugal (Alnus glutinosa, Castanea saliva and Quercus faginea) were investigated.

2. Larvae preferred and consumed more alder than the other three species. Larvae fed oak and eucalyptus did not grow, while those fed alder had a faster mean specific growth than those fed chestnut. Alder also provided a higher and earlier peak growth rate, which occurred at 35 days vs. 91 days for chestnut.

3. High values of survivorship to 126 days were observed in larvae fed alder and chestnut. All larvae fed oak died within 63 days; those fed eucalyptus died within 91 days.

4. Leaf utilization by Tipula lateralis seems to be negatively correlated with cuticle thickness and polyphenolic content and positively correlated with microbial colonization and nutrient content of the leaves. We hypothesize that the replacement of the original deciduous forest by eucalyptus plantations may induce deleterious changes in the associated invertebrate communities and stream ecosystem processes.
Image analysis of aerial photography to quantify changes in channel morphology and instream habitat following placer mining in interior Alaska
Authors: GILVEAR DAVID J. , WATERS TERTIA M. , MILNER ALEXANDER M.
Published: May 2006

1. ‘Placer’ mining for alluvial deposits of gold in a number of stream systems in interior Alaska represents a major disturbance to the stream bed and affects habitat for biotic communities.

2. The potential of analysing aerial photographs to map changes in channel habitat and morphology within gravel‐bed rivers is outlined with reference to the impact and recovery of Faith Creek, a second‐order stream with a history of placer mining.

3. A strong correlation between the reflectance of the channel bed and water depth is necessary to use the technique succesfully, together with a knowledge of the effects of ‘broken’water on the spectral characteristics of rivers.

4. Image analysis demonstrated that a wide range of water depths and instream mesoscale habitats existed prior to mining. During mining, the stream was confined to a channellized reach with negligible deep water or habitat diversity.

5. Since mining ceased the stream has abandoned its channellized course and formed a new channel with few deep pools. It is suggested that geomorphological recovery and associated habitat recovery takes a number of large flood events and is likely to require more than 10 years.
Bacterial metabolism in the River Danube: parameters influencing bacterial production
Authors: BERGER BARBARA , HOCH BIRGIT , KAVKA GERHARD , HERNDL GERHARD J.
Published: May 2006

1. Microbial parameters were determined at five sampling sites in the River Danube up‐and downstream of Vienna, Austria, twice monthly over an annual cycle. Bacterial production (BP) was estimated from thymidine and leucine incorporations; additionally, the effect of turbulence on BP and the conversion factors for converting incorporation rates into bacterial cell production were determined using the cumulative approach.

2. BP under turbulent conditions was not significantly different from that under stagnant conditions. For thymidine, a mean annual conversion factor of 3.2 ± 1018 cells mol−1 thymidine incorporated was calculated. For leucine, the corresponding factor was 0.07 ± 1018 cells mol−1 leucine. Average annual BP calculated by thymidine incorporation was significantly higher than BP calculated from leucine incorporation and ranged from 47.2 to 77.5 μg C 1‐−1 day−1 depending on the tracer and the conversion factor used.

3. Bacterial growth rates ranged from 0.1 day−1 during winter to 1.7 day−1 in the summer. A strong correlation was found between temperature as well as chlorophyll a and bacterial growth when temperature was greater than 5 °C; a major spring phytoplankton bloom at a temperature below 5 °C did not increase BP.

4. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations varied between 2 and 7.2 mg C 1‐−1 and comprised between 50 and 92% of the total organic carbon pool in the River Danube, Based on the DOC concentration and an assumed bacterial growth yield of 20% we calculated mean DOC turnover times of around 60 days in the winter and less than 8 days during the summer.
Impact of submerged macrophytes on fish‐zooplanl phytoplankton interactions: large‐scale enclosure experiments in a shallow eutrophic lake
Authors: SCHRIVER PER , BØGESTRAND JENS , JEPPESEN ERIK , SøNDERGAARD MARTIN
Published: May 2006

1. The impact of changes in submerged macrophyte abundance on fish‐zooplankton‐phytoplankton interactions was studied in eighteen large‐scale (100 m2) enclosures in a shallow eutrophic take. The submerged macrophytes comprised Potamategon pectinatus L., P. pusillus L. and Callitriche hermaphroditica L. while the fish fry stock comprised three‐spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus acuteatus L., and roach, Rutilus rutilus L.

2. In the absence of macrophytes zooplankton biomass was low and dominated by cyclopoid copepods regardless of fish density, while the phytoplankton biovolume was high (up to 38 mm31) and dominated by small pennate diatoms and chlorococcales. When the lake volume infested by submerged macrophytes (PVI) exceeded 15–20% and the fish density was below a catch per unit effort (CPUE) of 10 (approx. 2 fry m−2), planktonic cladoceran biomass was high and dominated by relatively large‐sized specimens, while the phytoplankton biovolume was low and dominated by small fast‐growing flagellates. At higher fish densities, zooplankton biomass and average biomass of cladocerans decreased and a shift to cyclopoids occurred, while phytoplankton biovolume increased markedly and became dominated by cyanophytes and dinoflagellates.

3. Stepwise multiple linear regressions on log‐transformed data revealed that the biomass of Daphnia, Bosmina, Ceriodaphmia and Chydorus were all significantly positively related to PVI and negatively to the abundance of fish or PVI x fish. The average individual biomass of cladocerans was negatively related to fish, but unrelated to PVI. Calculated zooplankton grazing pressure on phytoplankton was positively related to PVI and negatively to PVI x fish. Accordingly the phytoplankton biovolume was negatively related to PVI and to PVI x zooplankton biomass. Cyanophytes and chryptophytes (% of biomass) were positively and Chlorococcales and diatoms negatively related to PVI, while cyanophytes and Chlorococcales were negatively related to PVI x zooplankton biomass. In contrast diatoms and cryptophytes were positively related to the zooplankton biomass or PVI x zooplankton.

4. The results suggest that fish predation has less impact on the zooplankton community in the more structured environment of macrophyte beds, particularly when the PVI exceeds 15–20%. They further suggest that the refuge capacity of macrophytes decreases markedly with increasing fish density (in our study above approximately 10 CPUE). Provided that the density of planktivorous fish is not high, even small improvements in submerged macrophyte abundance may have a substantial positive impact on the zooplankton, leading to a lower phytoplankton biovolume and higher water transparency. However, at high fish densities the refuge effect seems low and no major zooplankton mediated effects of enhanced growth of macrophytes are to be expected.
Genetic ablation of the transcription repressor Bach1 leads to myocardial protection against ischemia/reperfusion in mice
Authors: Yano Yoko , Ozono Ryoji , Oishi Yoshihiko , Kambe Masayuki , Yoshizumi Masao , Ishida Takafumi , Omura Shinji , Oshima Tetsuya , Igarashi Kazuhiko
Published: May 2006

Bach1 is a transcriptional repressor of heme oxygenase‐1 gene (Hmox‐1) and β‐globin gene. Heme oxygenase (HO)‐1 is an inducible cytoprotective enzyme that degrades pro‐oxidant heme to carbon monoxide (CO) and biliverdin/bilirubin, which are thought to mediate anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant actions of HO‐1. In the present study, we investigated the role of Bach1 in tissue protection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in vivo using mice lacking the Bach1 gene (Bach1−/−) and wild‐type (Bach1+/+) mice. In Bach1−/− mice, myocardial expression of HO‐1 protein was constitutively up‐regulated by 3.4‐fold compared to that in Bach1+/+ mice. While myocardial I/R induced HO‐1 protein in ischemic myocytes in both strains of mice, the extent of induction was significantly greater in Bach1−/− mice than in Bach1+/+ mice. Myocardial infarction was markedly reduced in size by 48.4% in Bach1−/− mice. Pretreatment of Bach1−/− mice with zinc‐protoporphyrin, an inhibitor of HO activity, abolished the infarction‐reducing effect of Bach1 disruption, indicating that reduction in the infarct size was mediated, at least in part, by HO‐1 activity. Thus, Bach1 plays a pivotal role in setting the levels of both constitutive and inducible expression of HO‐1 in the myocardium. Bach1 inactivation during I/R appears to be a key mechanism controlling the activation level of cytoprotective program involving HO‐1.
Perspectives and experiences of homeless young people
Authors: Josephine Ensign B.
Published: May 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a study describing the experiences and perspectives of homeless young people as research participants.

Background.  Worldwide, homeless young people are an especially vulnerable group due to their age, socio‐economic disadvantage, and stigmatized status, and can suffer from human rights abuses. Researchers and advocates have noted that we know relatively little about the effects of research participation on adolescents in general, and much less about marginalized adolescents such as homeless young people; nor do we know about their perceptions and experiences as research participants. There is a lack of studies reported to help guide the ethical conduct of research with homeless young people.

Methods.  Individual interviews with 30 street and clinic‐based homeless young people aged 15–23 years and two focus groups with a total of 13 additional homeless young people were conducted in a large West‐coast city in the United States of America. The study took place between January and June 2003. Interviews and focus groups were tape‐recorded, transcribed, preliminarily coded, with final coding crosschecked and verified with a second researcher.

Findings.  The majority of young people reported positive experiences as research participants in the past. None reported coercive research experiences; however, many stated that they would have liked more information about how the data they provided would be used by the researchers. All participants reported that it was important to be provided with research incentives, and thought that small monetary or pre‐paid phone cards were appropriate incentives. They did express concerns that larger research incentives could be coercive and harmful for some homeless young people.

Conclusion.  Researchers working with homeless young people should seek greater input from them on the overall design of the study, especially concerning the appropriate use of research incentives.
Living with early‐stage dementia: a review of qualitative studies
Authors: Steeman Els , De Casterlé Bernadette Dierckx , Godderis Jan , Grypdonck Mieke
Published: May 2006

Aim. This paper presents a literature review whose aim was to provide better understanding of living with early‐stage dementia.

Background. Even in the early stages, dementia may challenge quality of life. Research on early‐stage dementia is mainly in the domain of biomedical aetiology and pathology, providing little understanding of what it means to live with dementia. Knowledge of the lived experience of having dementia is important in order to focus pro‐active care towards enhancing quality of life. Qualitative research is fundamentally well suited to obtaining an insider's view of living with early‐stage dementia.

Method. We performed a meta‐synthesis of qualitative research findings. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO and reviewed the papers cited in the references of pertinent articles, the references cited in a recently published book on the subjective experience of dementia, one thesis, and the journalDementia. Thirty‐three pertinent articles were identified, representing 28 separate studies and 21 different research samples. Findings were coded, grouped, compared and integrated.

Findings. Living with dementia is described from the stage a person discovers the memory impairment, through the stage of being diagnosed with dementia, to that of the person's attempts to integrate the impairment into everyday life. Memory loss often threatens perceptions of security, autonomy and being a meaningful member of society. At early stages of memory loss, individuals use self‐protecting and self‐adjusting strategies to deal with perceived changes and threats. However, the memory impairment itself may make it difficult for an individual to deal with these changes, thereby causing frustration, uncertainty and fear.

Conclusions. Our analysis supports the integration of proactive care into the diagnostic process, because even early‐stage dementia may challenge quality of life. Moreover, this care should actively involve both the individual with dementia and their family so that both parties can adjust positively to living with dementia.
Heart‐ and skeletal muscle‐specific antigens recognized by trichinellosis patient sera
Authors: PRATESI F. , BONGIORNI F. , KOCIECKA W. , MIGLIORINI P. , BRUSCHI F.
Published: May 2006

The heart can be seriously affected in human trichinellosis, and cardiac involvement can cause death. Experimental infections in rats have suggested the possible participation of immunopathological processes. The aim of the present paper was to investigate the possible presence in trichinellosis patient sera of antibodies recognizing host tissues and particularly the myocardium. Nineteen sera from late period trichinellosis patients, who acquired infection in the Poznan region (Poland), were tested by immunoblot on extracts from normal rat or human heart ventricle wall, spleen, placenta, kidney and skeletal muscle. Patients’ sera recognized several antigens that were not recognized by normal sera. On rat and human heart ventricle wall, a high proportion of sera (42%) reacted with a protein of 68 kDa (P < 0·05 compared to normal sera). The reactivity with this antigen, however, was not significantly different in patients with or without cardiac involvement. When sera were tested on skeletal muscle we found that 47% reacted with a protein of 27 kDa and 53% reacted with a protein of 41 kDa (P < 0·05 for both proteins, compared with normal sera). The reactivity against the 68 kDa antigen and against the 27 and 41 kDa skeletal muscle antigens was not observed on kidney, placenta and spleen extracts. Moreover, very few bands were observed on these tissues as compared to heart and skeletal muscle tissues, thus suggesting a high tissue specificity of the reactivity of trichinellosis sera. In conclusion, this study identifies organ‐specific autoantibodies in trichinellosis patient sera, their role in the pathogenesis of cardiac involvement being still unclear.
Effects of temperature on germination and hyphal growth from conidia of Ramularia rhei and Ascochyta rhei, causing spot diseases of rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum)
Authors: Zhao Y. , Grout B. W. , Xu X.
Published: May 2006

Rhubarb leaf and petiole spot disease, caused by Ramularia rhei and Ascochyta rhei, has gradually become more noticeable in the UK field crop. Conidial germination and subsequent colony growth of R. rhei and A. rhei were investigated under in vitro conditions on potato dextrose agar and in vivo on leaf discs. Results indicated that the two fungi responded differently to temperature. Ramularia rhei was better adapted to temperatures ≤ 25°C, with an optimum around 20°C, whereas A. rhei was more adapted to temperatures ≥ 15°C, with an optimum > 25°C. Overall, conidia of R. rhei germinated and subsequent colonies grew at greater rates than those of A. rhei on leaf discs at temperatures ≤ 25°C. These results indicated that it is important to identify the causal agent of leaf and petiole spot diseases in rhubarb field crops in order to estimate disease risks accurately.
The prevalence of skin diseases in the elderly: analysis of 4099 geriatric patients
Authors: Yalçın Başak , Tamer Emine , Toy Güneş Gür , Öztaş Pınar , Hayran Mutlu , Allı Nuran
Published: May 2006

Background  The geriatric population is composed of persons over 65 years of age, and few studies are available on the dermatologic diseases in this group.

Methods  Data on a total of 4099 geriatric patients admitted between the years 1999–2003 were analyzed. Hospital‐based patient registry records were used for data collection. The data were analyzed according to age, sex, and time of admittance.

Results  The five most frequently encountered diseases in elderly patients were eczematous dermatitis, fungal infections, pruritus, and bacterial and viral infections. The most common disorders in males were fungal, bacterial, and viral infections, disorders of the feet, cutaneous ulcers, and vesiculo‐bullous diseases, whereas, in females, they were immune‐rheumatologic diseases and disorders of the mucous membranes. The five most frequently encountered diseases were significantly different in geriatric age subgroups. In the younger age group, pruritus, disorders due to sun exposure, and precancerous lesions and skin carcinomas were less common, whereas eczematous dermatitis was more common. The frequencies of some diseases showed significant seasonal variations. Infestations were more common in spring and summer, fungal infections were more common in summer but less so in winter, pruritus was more common in autumn but less so in spring, disorders due to sun exposure were more common in spring, and benign neoplasia were more common in autumn. In 2003, benign neoplasia, precancerous lesions and skin carcinomas, and immune‐rheumatic disorders were more common, but vesicular and bullous diseases, fungal infections, and cutaneous lymphomas were less common when compared with the year 1999.

Conclusions  This study provides important data on the frequency of dermatologic diseases in elderly patients, and shows variations in the frequency depending on age, gender, and season. We believe that this study will create awareness about the extent and patterns of dermatologic problems in geriatric patients.
Determination of survival and hazard functions for pemphigus patients in Kerman, a southern province of Iran
Authors: Shamsadini Sadollah , Fekri Alireya R. , Esfandiarpoor Iraj , Saryazdi Simin , Rahnama Zahra , Zandi Soodabeh , Farajzadeh Saeideh
Published: May 2006

Background Pemphigus has in the past been associated with a high mortality rate. However, with the discovery of corticosteroids, patient median survival has improved. Our purpose was to assess median survival after confirmed diagnosis of pemphigus in patients in Kerman, a southern province of Iran.

Methods All patients who were either admitted to the hospital or treated as outpatients in Kerman from 22 September 1987 to 22 September 1999 and who had confirmed pemphigus were included in the study. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the following variables were evaluated in a univariate analysis for an association with survival: age, sex, type of pemphigus, and type of therapy.

Results A total of 55 patients (38 female and 17 male) were identified. No significant differences were found between genders. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 46.0 years. Older groups had a lower survival rate than younger groups (P < 0.001). The majority (82%) of cases were vulgaris/vegetans, and no significant differences were found in 10‐year survival for type of pemphigus (P > 0.05). The patients who had been treated with corticosteroids alone had longer median survival times than those who had been treated with corticosteroids plus azathioprine (P < 0.001). A total of 11 patients died; the median follow‐up time for those still alive was 5.9 years (range 2–12 years). Estimated survival at 2, 6 and 10 years was 92.7, 86.8 and 61.5%, respectively.

Conclusion Overall median survival rate in patients with pemphigus was 10 years, regardless of gender or subtype of pemphigus. Survival was adversely affected by late onset. Those patients treated with immunosuppressives and corticosteroids also appeared to have reduced survival times when compared to those treated with corticosteroids alone.
Species differences in carbon isotope ratios, specific leaf area and nitrogen concentrations in leaves of Eucalyptus growing in a common garden compared with along an aridity gradient
Authors: Schulze Ernst‐Detlef , Turner Neil C. , Nicolle Dean , Schumacher Jens
Published: May 2006

Leaves produced in 2004 of 422 species of Eucalyptus whose natural habitat is southern Australia were sampled at the Currency Creek Arboretum in South Australia where the annual (mainly winter) rainfall is about 400 mm. Tree height, leaf area, leaf dry weight, leaf nitrogen (N) concentration and leaf carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) were measured and the specific leaf area (SLA) calculated. Among the 422 species, the SLA varied from 1.5 to 8.8 m2 kg−1 and N concentration varied from 0.6 to 2.1%, much greater than in 64 species collected along an aridity transect from southwestern Western Australia to central Australia in 2003. Also, the range of leaf δ13C values was similar in the common garden to that across the aridity transect. For the 45 species present in both studies, the SLA and leaf N concentration in the common garden were similar to those measured in leaves along the aridity transect, indicating that these characteristics are inherent in the species and vary little with environment. The variation in leaf δ13C in the common garden was just as great as along the transect, but the values measured in the one location were poorly correlated with those along the transect. This was not expected, as the variation in δ13C at one common site in South Australia was anticipated to be less than along the aridity gradient where annual rainfall varied from 250 to 1200 mm. Path analysis on the 45 species common to both studies indicated that rainfall did not have a direct effect on δ13C, but the differences in δ13C resulted from indirect effects of rainfall on SLA and N concentration. δ13C was negatively correlated with SLA but positively correlated with N. Thus, both effects may compensate for each other so that no significant relationship between δ13C and rainfall was observable. However, there is a large degree of variation of δ13C at any level of rainfall. The origin and ecological implications of this observation are discussed.
Optimizing thermal imaging as a technique for detecting stomatal closure induced by drought stress under greenhouse conditions
Authors: Grant Olga M. , Chaves M. Manuela , Jones Hamlyn G.
Published: May 2006

Temperature of leaves or canopies can be used as an indicator of stomatal aperture, which is considered a sensitive response to soil water deficit. In this paper we analyse the robustness and sensitivity of thermal imaging for detecting changes in stomatal conductance and leaf water status in a range of plant species. Thermal imaging successfully distinguished between irrigated and non‐irrigated plants of a variety of species under greenhouse or controlled chamber conditions, with strong correlations between thermal indices and stomatal conductance measured by porometry. Our results also highlighted issues that need to be addressed in order to be confident of always detecting drought stress using this technique. These include variability in leaf angles and the limited reliability of ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ leaves to represent leaves with stomata fully open or stomata fully closed. These results should assist the design of protocols for application in crop production or ecosystem monitoring.
Significant upgrading affects a third of men diagnosed with prostate cancer: predictive nomogram and internal validation
Authors: CHUN FELIX K.‐H. , BRIGANTI ALBERTO , SHARIAT SHAhROKH F. , GRAEFEN MARKUS , MONTORSI FRANCESCO , ERBERSDOBLER ANDREAS , STEUBER THOMAS , SALONIA ANDREA , CURRLIN EIKE , SCATTONI VINCENZO , FRIEDRICH MARTIN G. , SCHLOMM THORSTEN , HAESE ALEXANDER , MICHL UWE , COLOMBO RENZO , HEINZER HANS , VALIQUETTE LUC , RIGATTI PATRIZIO , ROEHRBORN CLAUS G. , HULAND HARTWIG , KARAKIEWICZ PIERRE I.
Published: May 2006

OBJECTIVE

To explore the rate of significant upgrading from biopsy to radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens in a contemporary cohort, and to develop a prognostic model capable of predicting the probability of significant upgrading, as previous reports indicate that up to 43% of men with low‐grade prostate cancer at biopsy will be diagnosed with high‐grade cancer at RP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study cohort comprised 4789 men (median age 63 years, range 39–82) treated with RP, with available clinical stage, prostate‐specific antigen levels, biopsy and RP Gleason sum values. These variables were used as predictors in multivariate logistic regression models (LRMs) addressing the rate of significant Gleason sum upgrading, defined as a Gleason sum increase either from ≤ 6 to ≥ 7 or from 7 to ≥ 8 between the biopsy and RP specimens. Regression coefficients were used to develop and validate (200 bootstrap re‐samples) a nomogram predicting significant biopsy Gleason sum upgrading.

RESULTS

Significant biopsy Gleason sum upgrading was recorded in 1349 (28.2%) patients. In multivariate LRMs, all predictors were highly significant (all P < 0.001). The bootstrap‐corrected accuracy of the nomogram predicting the probability of significant Gleason sum upgrading between biopsy and RP specimens was 75.7%.

CONCLUSION

Our nomogram might prove highly useful when the possibility of a more aggressive Gleason variant could change the treatment options.
THRESHOLDS AND PAYOFFS IN LIST SYSTEMS OF PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION *
Authors: LIJPHART AREND , GIBBERD ROBERT W.
Published: May 2006

Building on to the earlier work by Stein Rokkan and by Douglas Rae, Victor Hanby, and John Loosemore on the relationship of parties' vote shares and seat shares at the district level in list proportional representation (P.R.) systems, we propose sets of formulas for (1) the thresholds of representation and exclusion that a party has to cross to win its first seat, and (2) the minimum and maximum proportions of the vote required to obtain a given number of seats. The electoral systems on which we focus our analysis are the main variants of list P.R. that have been used in practice: the d'Hondt, modified Saint‐Laguë, and largest remainder systems. The thresholds of representation and the minimum vote shares tend to show greater differences among systems than the thresholds of exclusion and the maximum vote shares. These differences, however, may be outweighed by two other factors: the number of seats in a district, and the number of parties presenting lists.
THE SOVIET POLITICAL SYSTEM: THREE MODELS
Authors: TARSCHYS DANIEL
Published: May 2006

Who sets the agenda in Soviet politics? Three answers to that question are considered in this review article. According to thetotalitarianmodel, the selection of action goals is the privilege of a relatively autonomous supreme leadership in control of hierarchically structured sub‐systems. Thepluralistmodel, by contrast, is based on the assumption that issues acquire significance through efficient pressures by mobilized group interests. While the totalitarian interpretation emphasizes the active element in the conduct of the supreme leadership, the pluralist model stresses the reactive and reflective ingredients. Thebureaucraticmodel similarly assumes that vertical information flows can to a large extent be controlled from below, but it differs from the pluralist model in that it defines the key political conflicts as tensions among various bureaus. As a theory of fragmentation in large organizations, the bureaucratic model of the Soviet political system may have considerable relevance for the study of Western European government as well.
THE AMBIGUOUS POLITICS OF WESTERN GERMANY: POLITICIZATION IN A “STATE” SOCIETY
Authors: DYSON KENNETH
Published: May 2006

This paper explores the problems which are involved in the interpretation of the character of West German politics. Its politics is at once coherent in composing a pattern and preserving a continuity of identity because it is focused upon a particular and traditional idea of political rule, the state; and incoherent as this idea is interpreted to support contrasting views about the proper scope of politicization and depoliticization in the context of different and changing conceptions of interest and need. One such incoherence is between theories which underpin the depoliticized character of the Bundesbank and theories which support party “penetration” of German public institutions. These theories are an interesting indication of how the opportunities and problems which are posed by politicization have been perceived in society and illuminate the standards with reference to which politicization is evaluated.

The paper's conclusions are:

(1) The idea of the state provides a political language which is flexible enough to encompass a variety of views. At the same time it provides a frame which lends some coherence to German politics and is not to be dismissed as rhetorical decoration. The state is constitutive of political activity.

(2) Neither an individual theory of the state nor even the concept itself can offer more than a partial portrayal of German politics, of the complex mixture of normative and utilitarian considerations which enter into political calculation. Adoption of one or the other of these views has authoritarian implications and does not illuminate the political practice of the Federal Republic.
How does Politics Matter?: Structure or Agency in the Determination of Public Policy Outcomes*
Authors: CASTLES FRANCIS G.
Published: May 2006

The controversy about whether ‘politics matters’ in the determination of public policy outcomes is frequently overlaid by assumptions concerning the role of structure and agency in human affairs. However, although it is usually assumed that the debate is about the rival explanatory claims of economic structure and political choice, the studies undertaken in the public policy field are almost invariably structural in character. Explicit recognition that the debate is about political and economic structures and the linkages between them will strengthen our ability to understand the nature of policy determination in the contemporary state. This view is illustrated by discussion and re‐analysis of Cameron's thesis that the structure of international trade is the major determinant of the expansion of the public economy. What we do is to look at the relationship between the international economy and a wide variety of public expenditure patterns in eighteen capitalist democracies both in the early 1960s and mid‐1970s. The analysis suggests that Cameron mis‐specifies the relationship between political and economic structure, and that an important factor conditioning contemporary expenditure patterns is the way in which the emergence of modern party systems structured the opportunity for lower and middle‐class participation in political life.
Towards an Examination of the General Causes of Coups d'Etat
Authors: O'KANE ROSEMARY H. T.
Published: May 2006

Existing theories about the causes of coups d'état are examined by multiple regression analysis with a dummy dependent variable, using cross‐section data for, in turn, all independent countries and restricted areas. The exercise aims to demonstrate the value of the method in examining general hypotheses in their entirety as opposed to the usual piecemeal correlation analyses. The exercise also suggests the relative strengths and weaknesses of the theories examined. In particular it produces supportive results for Zolberg's theory but finds that it would be better applied generally than limited to the countries of tropical Africa.
The Persistence of Materialist and Post‐Materialist Value Orientations*
Authors: VAN DETH JAN W.
Published: May 2006

The theory of the Silent Revolution relates value change to the process of population replacement. Materialist and post‐materialist values are seen as reflections of the conditions that prevailed during one's pre‐adult years. This assumption is tested here by analysing a Dutch panel, questioned in 1974 and in 1970. The change actually found at the individual level is not in line with the predictions of the theory and leads to a dilemma. The first option implies a rejection of the socialization hypothesis ‐ one of the cornerstones of the theory. The second option places considerable doubts on the reliability of the instrument. Moreover, the validity of the instrument seems to be questionable too. The remarkably similar marginal distribution of the materialist and post‐materialist value types in both years, accompanied by massive shifts between the types, points into the direction of political attitudes and non‐attitudes instead of basic orientations or basic outlooks.
The Politics of Inner Space: Tragedies of Three Commons
Authors: LAVER MICHAEL
Published: May 2006

The tragedy of the commons is now a widely used allegory on the problems of collective action. This paper shows, however, that generalizations from the original story to other applications are dangerous. This is because several key properties of a common influence the most appropriate method of avoiding the tragedy. The argument is developed using discussion of three space commons. These are the broadcasting frequency spectrum, the geostationary satellite orbit and the Moon. Each has different properties that involve different tragedies and invite different solutions.
Age and Turnout Among the Newly Enfranchised: Life Cycle versus Experience Effects*
Authors: NIEMI RICHARD G. , STANLEY HAROLD W. , EVANS C. LAWRENCE
Published: May 2006

Through comparison of the relationship between age and voter turnout in new and established electorates, this article tests life cycle versus experience‐related explanations of political participation. The relationship between age and turnout for the newly enfranchised should resemble that for the previously enfranchised if life cycle forces dominate: turnout increasing with age until peaking in the middle years, then declining with old age. If experience with the vote dominates, the relationship of age to turnout should differ: with new electorates there should be a much smaller difference between the turnout of the young and the middle‐aged, peak turnout should occur at an earlier age than for established electorates, drop‐off among the elderly should be especially steep, and such differences between the electorates should decline over time after enfranchisement. The evidence examined for new electorates ‐data spanning 18 national elections in eight countries ‐ shows that the same relationship between age and turnout characterizes new and established electorates. Lack of experience with the vote, or resistance to acquiring new attitudes and behaviour, does not seem to alter appreciably the relationship of age to turnout in new electorates. Implications of this finding for the development of democratic participation and socialization theories of adult change are considered.
Social Movements and the Greens: New Internal Politics in Germany*
Authors: MÜLLER‐ROMMEL FERDINAND
Published: May 2006

This article is concerned with the relationship between the supporters of new social movements (peace, ecology, and anti‐nuclear power) and the Green Party in contemporary Germany. In theoretical terms the research interest lies in the question of the extent to which the new social movements in Germany are responsible for a change in the nature of the party system. Particular attention is given to the historical and electoral ties as well as the value system and the ideological orientation of the Green voters and the followers of new social movements. Their over‐all impact on future party system is still controversial: on the one hand, the Greens could prepare the way for a dealignment, and on the other hand they could determine the process of realignment within the German party system.
Elements of Consociational Democracy in Kenya
Authors: BERG‐SCHLOSSER DIRK
Published: May 2006

This paper attempts to apply and test some of the major propositions advanced by the ‘consociational school’ of democratic theory to the case of a Third World country, Kenya. These propositions concern both the specific, highly fragmented ‘plural’ social bases of politics and particular institutional arrangements (such as a ‘grand coalition’, proportional representation, etc.), Kenya is shown to be an interesting, though somewhat ‘deviant’, case in this regard. The analysis is based on available published sources, official documents and data from a general population survey conducted by the author. The concluding section discusses some of the inherent constraints in the Kenyan case and indicates some of the more general limitations of the concept of consociational democracy.
Local Politics in Centralized Systems: the Case of French Education
Authors: DUCLAUD‐WILLIAMS ROGER
Published: May 2006

This article reports on a research project on local educational politics in France, particularly on relations between the bureaucracy and the teachers’ unions. Three principal conclusions are reached. First, the local bureaucracy does not succeed in insulating itself from the political environment, nor does it seek to do so. Although curriculum decisions remain highly centralized, there has been sufficient administrative deconcentration to make lively local politics possible. Second, Communist control of the primary‐school teachers’ union does not restrict communication between union and local bureaucracy. Nor does it prevent the effective representation of individuals and groups. But it does make bureaucracy/union relations more formal than they are in other departments, and it does break down the clear barrier which exists elsewhere between the professional and the bureaucrat, through the creation of a coalition of teachers, parents and sympathetic local politicians. Third, the unions constrain administrative action more effectively at the departmental than at the regional level. This contrast is explained mainly in terms of the different responsibilities of departmental and regional authorities in education.
Cause and consequence in legislation: an introduction
Authors: GERLICH Peter
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Legislation has traditionally been studied from different but usually limited perspectives. To analyse the process of law‐making as an extended process including the causes as well as the consequences of legislation, the initiation as well as the implemention of legislative decisions, may contribute to a better understanding of the effects and limits of contemporary politics, to the meaning of different policy styles, and to the role of interest groups both before and after formal decision making has taken place. It may also sharpen our awareness of the basic assumptions from which participants in the political process proceed and direct our attention to changes in the prevailing patterns in political decision making and their possible consequences.
An approach to the legislative production of the Spanish parliament (1979–1982)
Authors: SUBIRATS Joan
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Analysis of Spain's first constitutional legislature (1979–1982) reveals (with the logical reservations derived from the fact that this was the first democratic legislature after the many years of Franco's dictatorship) the Spanish Parliament's important influence on the legislative process in terms of both initiating legislation and proposing amendments to bills introduced. This influence may possibly have stemmed from the fragile government of Union de Centro Democrático (UCD) at a time when the party had only a relative majority in Parliament and was torn by serious internal problems, both ideological and personal, which caused it to all but disappear in the 1982 election. All of this took place within the framework of a system of centralized political decision‐making in which political leaders played a starring role.
National identity and political violence in the Basque country
Authors: JAUREGUI Gurutz
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The phenomenon of ETA derives from the interaction of two factors: Basque nationalism and Francoism. The fundamental elements of ETA, both ideological and strategical‐political, were already well defined and developed in the Basque nationalism of the pre‐war period, particularly in its intransigent and radical sector represented by Aberri and Jagi‐Jagi groups. Later, ETA acquired characteristics of its own which separated it from the traditional nationalism. The regime of terror and repression imposed by Francoism exerted a fundamental influence on this state of affairs, inclining ETA definitively towards extremely radical and intransigent postures. In this way the activism of ETA arose. This activism should be understood as the sublimation of praxis to the detriment of theory, and the structure of ETA as an armed group and the adoption of a third world, anticolonialist‐style guerrilla strategy.
The interaction between economics and politics: modelling cycles
Authors: VAN WINDEN Frans , SCHRAM Arthur , GROOT Fons
Published: May 2006

Abstract. In this article simulation results are used to analyze the capacity of a general politico‐economic model, developed by one of the authors, to generate cycles of various lengths. The model describes behaviour of individuals and organizations in the economic as well as the political sphere. The interaction between both spheres gives rise to short term (business) cycles as well as long term (Kondratieff) cycles. The analyses concentrate on the effect variations in the political sector (regarding, e.g., party identification on non‐economic grounds, the sensitivity of voters, and the discount parameter for past economic results) have on the cycles found.
Organizational power and distributional conflict within OECD nations
Authors: WIDMAIER Ulrich
Published: May 2006

Abstract. This article claims that a predator‐prey model of cyclical growth is a useful concept for studying the dynamic relationship between wage and salary shares of GDP and employment. The rate of growth of employment is considered as an indicator of union bargaining strength; the change of the wage share is treated as a reflection of an ongoing distributional conflict between profits and wages. The paper discusses some of the analytic properties of the formal model. It continues with an attempt to fit the model to West German data for the period from 1960 to 1985. Given the formal rigidity of the model, this strategy is only partially successful. As a consequence, a more complex model is introduced which also relies heavily on the idea of a predator‐prey cycle. As a fully‐fledged political‐economic model of the OECD type of systems, it allows us to study, among other issues, the implications of different union policies under the constraint of a serious unemployment problem.
From gold field discoveries to institutional sclerosis
Authors: GLISMANN Hans H.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The paper gives a brief overview of long wave analyses by embedding them into a general growth model of the Schumpeterian kind. A theory is presented which rests on price distortions in product and factor markets, and on the observation that institutional sluggishness prevents a society from reacting quickly to such distortions. This, it is argued, breeds cycles of the Kondratieff type. Empirical evidence to support this theory is presented for Germany and for Argentina.
Ideological constraint, political interest and gender: a Swedish‐American comparison
Authors: SIDANIUS JIM , BREWER ROSE M. , BANKS ELLIOT , EKEHAMMAR BO
Published: May 2006

Abstract. American and Swedish university and gymnasia students were examined in order to discover whether or not evidence could be found for higher levels of: a) ideological coherence, b) political interest, c) ideological variance, and d) strength of interface between political party preference and political self‐concept on the one hand and socio‐political attitudes on the other for Swedish citizens as compared to American citizens. The results confirmed the hypotheses in almost all cases and the results are discussed in terms of differences between the nations’ political party environments.
Class voting and left voting in Scandinavia
Authors: SAINSBURY DIANE
Published: May 2006

Abstract. This article examines the effects of different definitions of the working class on the measurement of class voting and left voting in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. First, the similarities and differences in how the working class has been operationalized in the three countries are summarized. To determine the effects of different operationalizations, Swedish election survey data are recoded to conform more closely to the classification procedures used in Danish and Norwegian studies. The analysis shows that if a similar operationalization is used, the level of left voting in both the Swedish working and middle classes increases and the Alford index of class voting declines. Class voting and left voting in the younger and older generations and among women and men are also discussed. Dissimilar patterns of class voting and left voting among women in the three countries are largely a product of different classification schemes. The concluding discussion points to a number of problems in using the Alford index as a summary statistic in cross‐national comparisons.
The organizational cohesion and political access of business: a study of comprehensive associations
Authors: COLEMAN WILLIAM , GRANT WYN
Published: May 2006

Abstract. This article utilizes an internationally comparative data set to examine the potentiality of comprehensive business associations to define and articulate the interests of business as a whole. We argue that the organizational structures of comprehensive associations ‐ the degree to which they integrate diverse interest areas and they compete with one another‐ are critical to the degree of probable influence gained in a given country. Using data from seven countries ‐ Austria. Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom ‐ a concept of business cohesion is constructed based on these structural properties. Having differentiated among the countries in terms of the cohesion of business associations, we then relate these differences to variations in the participation of associations in the formulation and implementation of public policy.