bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Apostate Rationalism and Maimon’s Hume
Authors: Thielke Peter
Published: October 2008

The paper examines the way in which Salomon Maimon (1753-1800) combines Humean skepticism and Leibnizian rationalism to mount an innovative challenge to Kant. Maimon’s position can be described as an “apostate rationalism,” which holds that reason makes unavoidable demands on us that are nonetheless not satisfied in experience. An appreciation of Maimon’s arguments also sheds new and interesting light on the surprising role that this apostate rationalism plays as a component of Hume’s skeptical naturalism.
Bolivia's Constitutional Breakdown
Authors: Lehoucq Fabrice
Published: October 2008

The attempt to revolutionize Bolivia that began with the election of Evo Morales in 2005 has led to the breakdown of constitutional democracy and the polarization of the country between the poorer, indigenous western highlands and the (slightly) more prosperous, more heavily mestizo , and more market-friendly eastern lowlands (what Bolivians call the media luna or “half-moon”). The trajectory of relative stability and economic growth followed from the 1980s onward now threatens to devolve into constitutional stalemate at best and violent civil conflict at worst.
Zimbabwe's Long Agony
Authors: Bratton Michael , Masunungure Eldred
Published: October 2008

What mechanisms have ensured ZANU-PF’s enduring rule? This article identifies five: an ideological belief in a right to rule in perpetuity, a party machinery that penetrates the organs of state, a corrupted economy vested in the hands of party loyalists, an institutionalized role in policy making for military commanders, and a heavy reliance on violence, increasingly outsourced to auxiliary forces. Because the ZANU-PF regime—a militarized form of electoral authoritarianism—will outlast the Robert Mugabe’s political career or biological lifespan, it will affect the nature of any political transition and future prospects for democracy in Zimbabwe.
Kenya: Back From the Brink?
Authors: Chege Michael
Published: October 2008

Previously considered one of Africa’s few emerging democracies with a growing market-economy, Kenya was rocked by the most violent inter-ethnic killings in her history following the December 2007 general elections. Far from being old-fashioned “tribal conflict” that is said to afflict Africa, the violence was in the first instance a reaction by supporters of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement to the disputed presidential election results in which their candidate, Raila Odinga, was declared to have lost. The violence turned into calculated attacks targeting the country’s economically-dominant minority, the Kikuyu, to which the declared winner, Mwai Kibaki belongs. International mediation stopped the mayhem just as it was turning into a civil war. Kenyan could revitalize her democracy and economy by devising a new constitution and electoral system better suited to her ethnically pluralistic character.
Pakistan After Musharraf: The 2008 Elections
Authors: Goodson Larry P.
Published: October 2008

Abstract: On 18 February 2008, for the first time in Pakistan’s 61-year history, a relatively free and fair national election brought about a peaceful transition of power after a government had completed its full term in office, setting the stage for General Pervez Musharraf’s resignation from the presidency six months later. Yet even given these favorable conditions, democracy in Pakistan may be derailed by deep-seated problems that democracy, by itself, cannot solve, including rising Islamist militancy, antigovernment feeling, and deepening poverty among masses of young people. Pakistan now faces the classic “chicken-and-egg” problem of democratic development.
Thailand Since the Coup
Authors: Pongsudhirak Thitinan
Published: October 2008

The 2006 overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra’s government at the hands of the Royal Thai Army signaled a major step backward for Thai democracy. The country’s 1997 Constitution—designed to promote the transparency and accountability of the political system and the stability and effectiveness of government—permitted Thaksin to convert his populist TRT party into an unstoppable political machine, one which would eventually fall victim to allegations of corruption and abuse of power. But the fundamental problem, a seemingly irreconcilable conflict between the traditional establishment—comprising the monarchy, military, and bureaucracy—and proponents of Thaksin-style populism, remains.
Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy: Why Democracies Fail
Authors: Kapstein Ethan B. , Converse Nathan
Published: October 2008

Abstract: Based on a new data set of democratizations occurring between 1960 and 2004, this paper explores the reasons for reversals in young democracies. Adverse initial conditions including poverty, inequality, and ethnic fragmentation are associated with the failure of democracy, but the relationship is not deterministic. Likewise, numerous young democracies have survived in spite of disastrous economic performance. Political institutions play a key role in preventing a return to authoritarianism, but the effectiveness of constraints on executive power appears more important than whether the regime is parliamentary or presidential in structure. These findings suggest a need for greater coordination between democracy promotion assistance and aid intended to foster economic development.
Pakistan After Musharraf: Praetorianism and Terrorism
Authors: Shah Aqil
Published: October 2008

Abstract: An uneasy relationship between military and civilian power hangs like a cloud over the future of democratic reform in Pakistan. Praetorianism has been a deeply-ingrained feature in Pakistani politics since the country’s birth, making depoliticization of the military a nettlesome task for any civilian government, particularly given that the military’s “prerogatives” comprise the defense sector, internal security, legal system, and even foreign relations and nuclear weapons. With the ever-present threat of terrorism and the public insecurity and unrest terrorist acts provoke, authoritarian backsliding remains a sobering possibility.
Georgia's Year of Turmoil
Authors: Lanskoy Miriam , Areshidze Giorgi
Published: October 2008

Russia’s invasion of South Ossetia in August 2008 was not the beginning of the former Soviet republic of Georgia’s troubles. Following the 2003 Rose Revolution, President Mikheil Saakashvili embarked on a program of sweeping reform and expanded the powers of the executive. Improved access to public goods and internationally-recognized achievements in the sphere of economic reform followed. The building of state capacity and its attendant project of renovating Georgian culture, however, seem to have come at a high cost to Georgian democracy, as opposition parties and the media find themselves marginalized and public unrest becomes increasingly difficult to quell.
Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy: The Latin American Experience
Authors: Fukuyama Francis
Published: October 2008

Abstract: “The Latin American Experience” argues that democratic stability requires policies that limit the society’s degree of substantive economic and social inequality. A case in point is Latin America, long recognized as having one of the world’s most unequal distributions of income and wealth. Observing growth patterns over the long run reveal that while the region has been capable of sustaining impressive growth for periods of a generation or more, they are almost always interrupted by political crisis and instability driven ultimately by a “fight for shares” on the part of excluded social groups. The solution to this problem lies not just in continuing economic growth, but in sustainable social policies targeted at the poor. While populist leaders have been putting poorly designed policies in place, Latin America has also seen the emergence of well-designed anti-poverty programs like conditional cash transfers that have for the first time demonstrably lessened the degree of economic inequality.
Pakistan After Musharraf: The Burden of History
Authors: Ganguly Sumit
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The origins, structure and ideology of the Pakistani nationalist movement coupled with critical elite choices made in the early years of the republic in large part explain Pakistan's current problems of governance. The Pakistani nationalist movement was woven around the charismatic personality of Mohammed Ali Jinnah but lacked a firm organizational and institutional structure. More to the point, it had little or no internal democracy. Not surprisingly, in the aftermath of the creation of Pakistan, the leadership, especially after Jinnah's early demise, proved singularly incapable of coping with an ethnically and socially diverse state and inept at handling competing demands and priorities. As public order rapidly deteriorated, the military, with the tacit support of the elitist civil service, seized power. Once in power, the military came to relish its privileges and even when it relinquished power it remained primus inter pares . Long periods of military rule led to the steady deterioration of fragile political institutions further undermining the prospects of democracy
Pakistan After Musharraf: The Media Take Center Stage
Authors: Khan Zafarullah , Joseph Brian
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The protests ignited by General Pervez Musharraf’s 9 March 2007 sacking of Chief Justice Chaudhry provided a testament to the newfound importance of Pakistan’s media. Coverage of the lawyers’ movement protests and the government’s crude attempts to suppress it were brought to millions via satellite television and FM radio. The media’s role in the events that lead up to Musharraf’s resignation on 18 August 2008 is a study in unintended consequences; the dictator’s earlier efforts to liberalize media had unleashed a force for public transparency and accountability that he could not fully control, and democratic prospects improved as a result.
Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy: Growth Without Prosperity in Africa
Authors: Lewis Peter
Published: October 2008

Abstract: There is a generally recognized link between governance, economic performance, and popular welfare in Africa. Authoritarian governments have generally failed to promote economic development or improvements in livelihoods. The trend toward democratization that swept the African continent in the early 1990s kindled hopes that political reform could lead to economic regeneration. However, a crucial paradox of growth without prosperity surrounds Africa’s new democracies. While political liberalization bolsters economic policy reform and enhances some of the requisites for economic performance, these improvements do not seem to foster significant reductions in poverty or inequality. This paradox presents a basic challenge for Africa’s new democracies. The paradox arises from the nature of patronage systems and institutions in countries undergoing political reform.
Pakistan After Musharraf: An Emerging Civil Society?
Authors: Zaidi S. Akbar
Published: October 2008

Abstract: Civil society became suddenly relevant to Pakistani politics following a 9 March 2007 incident in which military ruler General Pervez Musharraf demanded the resignation of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry from his seat on the Supreme Court, and then suspended him when he refused to comply. Almost immediately there arose a widespread protest movement—spearheaded by Pakistani lawyers—that denounced Musharraf’s action as illegal and demanded Chaudhry’s reinstatement. Is the lawyers’ movement evidence of a burgeoning civil society and a new democratic trajectory for Pakistan, or something more ambiguous?
The Role of Self-Publishing in Libraries
Authors: Dawson Laura
Published: October 2008

The boom in self-publishing has created a market of hundreds of thousands of new books a year. The Library of Congress doesn't catalog most of these. Is it fair to dismiss these books as "vanity publications," or are there some valuable resources in this book glut for collections-development librarians to explore? Are there sensible ways of acquiring these books? And how do Web searches affect types of content we haven't always seen as having value?
Digital Text Collections, Linguistic Research Data, and Mashups: Notes on the Legal Situation
Authors: Lehmberg Timm , Rehm Georg , Witt Andreas , Zimmermann Felix
Published: October 2008

Comprehensive data repositories are an essential part of practically all research carried out in the digital humanities nowadays. For example, library science, literary studies, and computational and corpus linguistics strongly depend on online archives that are highly sustainable and that contain not only digitized texts but also audio and video data as well as additional information such as metadata and arbitrary annotations. Current Web technologies, especially those that are related to what is commonly referred to as the Web 2.0, provide a number of novel functions such as multiuser editing or the inclusion of third-party content and applications that are also highly attractive for research applications in the areas mentioned above. Hand in hand with this development goes a high degree of legal uncertainty. The special nature of the data entails that, in quite a few cases, there are multiple holders of personal rights (mostly copyright) to different layers of data that often have different origins. This article discusses the legal problems of multiple authorships in private, commercial, and research environments. We also introduce significant differences between European and U.S. law with regard to the handling of this kind of data for scientific purposes.
The End of the Gutenberg Era
Authors: Epstein Jason
Published: October 2008

Digitization has brought the five hundred-year-old Gutenberg era to an end. Gutenberg's press opened the gates to our modern rational, secular world. The cultural impact of today's digital technologies, which will bring multilingual literacy to the far corners of the earth, foreshadows far greater changes. Gutenberg's contemporaries could not begin to imagine the effect of movable type on the centuries to come, nor can we imagine the far greater changes that digitization will bring, but we can see even now that the book publishing industry is in for a radical transformation.
Information Discovery in Ambiguous Zones of Research
Authors: Sukovic Suzana
Published: October 2008

Electronic environments for information discovery are considered in relation to open-ended and dynamic research practices in the humanities, but a system suitable for these scholars would have many other applications as well. Considerations of flexible electronic environments that would support research are based on the holistic view of information processes and the requirements that information systems enable connections, as well as the trustworthiness and authenticity of information. The proposed electronic environment consists of flexible networks of connections between information of different granularity. Strong and weak information paths are established through use, which contributes to the development and informational value of the system. Organizational support, as well as new forms of information provision and services, are required to enable novel approaches to information discovery and research.
The Other Side of Sprawl: A County-Level Analysis of Farm Loss in Florida
Authors: Basu Pratyusha , Chakraborty Jayajit
Published: October 2008

Even as ex-urban population growth has shifted attention to possible economic revitalization, rural communities in the U.S. continue to exhibit long-standing trends of agricultural decline. This article focuses on the nature and extent of farm losses in the rapidly urbanizing state of Florida. It aims to provide a rural perspective on contemporary concerns with urban sprawl, and contrast national-level studies of farm decline with regional understandings. Recent county-level changes in farm proprietorship are measured in terms of the difference in number of farms between 1997 and 2002. This change is related through regression models to four categories of explanatory factors: degree of urbanization, farm operator demographics, economic characteristics, and agrarian land use characteristics. A detailed understanding of agricultural decline is obtained by contrasting variables that significantly affect likelihood of farm loss across all counties with those that influence magnitude of farm loss among counties experiencing decline.
Workforce Shortages in the Manufacturing Sector: Evidence from Charlotte
Authors: Kalafsky Ronald
Published: October 2008

This paper examines skilled labor dynamics for manufacturing firms in a region of rapid economic transformation. Evidence from a recent survey of manufacturers within the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area suggests that for many firms, the skilled labor shortage is a serious competitive concern, especially with regard to high-end positions. Firms located in regions with the greatest job losses in manufacturing are also among those that see the labor shortage as a salient competitive concern. Further results indicate that advanced manufacturers accord importance to higher education institutions as recruitment and training sources. Policy implications of this issue and its future impacts on manufacturing are discussed.
A Public Participation GIS Application for Citizen-based Watershed Monitoring in the Pamlico-Tar River Basin, North Carolina
Authors: Luchette Joseph A. , Crawford Tom
Published: October 2008

Water quality is a serious concern throughout eastern North Carolina due to development pressure, agricultural runoff, and animal operations. A local environmental organization was concerned that water quality monitoring in the Pamlico-Tar River basin is hampered due to a sparse network of sampling sites and inconsistent data collection. Consequently, a volunteer watershed monitoring project was initiated by Pamlico-Tar River Foundation (PTRF). University researchers partnered with the PTRF to assist by providing two GIS-based solutions: (1) guidance for the selection of water quality monitoring sites, and (2) distribution of water quality data to the public in mappable form via the Internet. A multi-criteria evaluation was performed that mapped and quantified a pollution potential index for all 167 local watersheds in the basin to guide site selection. An interactive Web mapping tool was designed using Manifold IMS software and deployed on university and commercial hosts. The online map service has been operational since 2005 and provides the general public valuable information regarding the health of local water resources. The results reported here demonstrate a collaborative partnership between university researchers and a grass roots environmental organization that can be characterized as a form of Public Participation GIS.
Inside the Gilded Cage: The Lives of Latino Immigrant Males in Rural Central Kentucky
Authors: Shultz Benjamin J.
Published: October 2008

Between 1990 and 2006, Kentucky's Latino population grew by 300 percent. Using semi-structured interviews, this paper offers a qualitative account that incorporates immigrants' stories into explanations of how Latino males arrived in rural Central Kentucky and the adjustments they faced upon arriving. Rather than moving from traditional settlement states or large metro areas, study participants move first to "new gateway" states of the Southeast, especially Georgia and North Carolina, before coming to Kentucky. Upon arriving in Kentucky, they initially find accepting communities with low competition for employment and good pay, but simultaneously experience social isolation and strenuous work days. These Latino men must negotiate the paradoxes of immigration in the contemporary United States as they adjust to their new lives in this non-traditional destination.
Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Predictive Medical Genetic Tests: Assessment of Current Practices and Policy Recommendations
Authors: Liu Yuping , Pearson Yvette E.
Published: October 2008

This research reviews the current state of affairs in the fast-growing area of direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic tests. The authors identify the unique nature of genetic tests and the ensuing consumer vulnerability. They also present a comprehensive examination of the current legal environment and an empirical analysis of genetic testing companies’ online marketing practices. On the basis of the analysis and review, they make a set of policy recommendations that consists of consumer education, physician intervention and education, and direct regulation of marketing activities, especially as they relate to the online medium.
Regulatory Perceptions of Marketing: Interpreting U.K. Competition Authority Investigations from 1950 to 2005
Authors: Ashton John K. , Pressey Andrew D.
Published: October 2008

This study quantifies the link between marketing and rulings on competition or antitrust law made by U.K. competition authorities. To determine whether differences in competition systems influence how marketing actions are interpreted by a European Union competition agency, the authors conduct a comprehensive examination of U.K. competition rulings from 1950 to 2005. Business activities judged to be permissible in the United States and anticompetitive acts in the United Kingdom and European Union occur frequently and are closely linked to marketing behaviors in U.K. competition investigations. The authors conclude that marketers in international firms need to develop a greater awareness of different national competition law systems and to contribute more to the ongoing discussion about the present and future form of competition policy.
Controlling Deceptive Advertising in China: An Overview
Authors: Gao Zhihong
Published: October 2008

Deceptive advertising has been a key topic of advertising regulation research. However, the existing literature focuses primarily on the Western experience, and practices in developing countries have received little attention. As an initial effort to investigate the topic in the context of an emerging market, this article applies Petty and Kopp's framework to examine how China controls deceptive advertising from five aspects: initiation, interpretation, deception, verification, and remediation. The author discusses the contradictions in the Chinese system and explores implications for foreign firms operating in China.
Economic Reality versus Consumer Perceptions of Monopoly
Authors: Sundie Jill M. , Gelb Betsy D. , Bush Darren
Published: October 2008

When a Senate committee considered regulating access to a popular National Football League (NFL) broadcast in 2007, the context was familiar to marketers: accusations of abusing monopoly power. The specific issue of NFL telecasts was eventually resolved outside the public policy arena, but it raises a more general question: What “monopolies” should governments regulate? Antitrust laws in the United States arose from a desire to protect competition. However, public policy is beginning to apply them in marketplaces that are monopolies only in the sense that consumers perceive a lack of competition, even though, in actuality, competitors are free to operate. Examples range from the NFL to iPod to De Beers. The authors refer to the dominant suppliers in these markets as “psychological monopolies” created by consumer beliefs and feelings, not by economic reality. The authors argue that the regulation of such monopolies is misguided.
Smokeless Tobacco Products as a Harm-Reduction Mechanism: A Research Agenda
Authors: Taylor Charles R. , Capella Michael L.
Published: October 2008

Increased awareness of the dangers of cigarettes has failed to prevent millions of Americans from continuing to smoke. Thus, policy makers should consider viable options to reduce the harmful effects of smoking. Among the proposed options is increasing public awareness of the relative health risk of smokeless tobacco in comparison with cigarettes. Compelling scientific evidence indicates that smokeless tobacco is considerably less harmful than cigarettes. Therefore, innovative approaches to nicotine replacement, such as smokeless tobacco, may provide an effective means of reducing the overall harm associated with smoking and ultimately may reduce smoking prevalence in the United States. The underlying principle of harm reduction is that a product that has adverse health consequences is promoted as a substitute for one that has more severe adverse health consequences. As a result, the authors review the relevant literature and put forth a research agenda to advance this notion of tobacco harm reduction. The policy debate would be enhanced by evidence of the constructs and relationships outlined in the proposed model. Specifically, the authors discuss five particular areas of needed research.
Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is a novel substrate for arginine methylation by PRMT5
Authors: Bruns Alexander-Francisco , Grothe Claudia , Claus Peter
Published: October 2008

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is expressed in isoforms of different molecular masses from one mRNA species by alternative start of translation. The higher molecular mass isoforms (FGF-221 and 23) contain an arginine-rich N-terminus organized in RG-motifs followed by the 18 kDa FGF-2 (FGF-218) core which is common to all isoforms. Both isoforms localize differentially to the nucleus. Here, we analyzed the nuclear localization of FGF-221. Surprisingly, the lack of one RG-motif in FGF-221 resulted in the nucleolar distribution characteristic of FGF-218. We have previously shown that 23 kDa FGF-2 (FGF-223) interacts specifically with the survival of motoneuron (SMN) protein, an assembly protein for small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles. For this assembly, Sm-proteins methylated by protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) are required. In our study, we aimed to analyze whether FGF-223 is also a substrate for symmetrical methylation by PRMT5. We could confirm that both proteins exist in a common complex. Moreover, PRMT5 methylates FGF-223
in vitro, whereas mutated inactive PRMT5 does not. FGF-223 is therefore a new substrate of PRMT5. With regard to function, inhibition of methyltransferase activity in HEK293T cells leads to cytoplasmic enrichment of FGF-2, indicating the importance of arginine methylation for shuttling of FGF-223 to the nucleus.
Glycosphingolipids from bovine milk and milk fat globule membranes: a comparative study. Adhesion to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains
Authors: Sánchez-Juanes Fernando , Alonso Josefa M. , Zancada Lorena , Hueso Pablo
Published: October 2008

Several components of milk fat globule membranes (MFGMs) have been reported to display beneficial health properties and some of them have been implicated in the defense of newborns against pathogens. These observations prompted us to determine the glycosphingolipid content of MFGMs and their interaction with pathogens. A comparative study with whole milk components was also carried out. Milk fat globules and MFGMs were isolated from milk. Gangliosides and neutral glycosphingolipids were obtained from MFGMs and whole milk and their fatty acid contents were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). MFGMs and whole milk showed similar ganglioside and neutral glycosphingolipid contents, with whole milk having more GM3 and glucosylceramide and less GD3, O-acetyl GD3, O-acetyl GT3, and lactosylceramide. The fatty acid content of gangliosides from both sources showed a similar composition. However, the neutral glycosphingolipid fatty acid content seemed to be quite different. Whole milk had fewer very-long-chain fatty acids (18.1% vs. 46.4% in MFGMs) and more medium-chain and unsaturated C18:1 and C18:2 fatty acids. Milk fat globules, MFGMs, lactosylceramide, and gangliosides GM3 and GD3 were observed to bind enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains. Furthermore, bacterial hemagglutination was inhibited by MFGMs and glycosphingolipids.
Toward a Better Understanding of Dimensional Changes in Zircaloy-4: What is the Impact Induced by Hydrides and Oxide Layer?
Authors: Blat-Yrieix M. , Ambard A. , Foct F. , Miquet A. , Beguin S. , Cayet N.
Published: October 2008

In pressurized water reactors, new operating conditions (higher burnup, new chemistry, etc.) can have an effect on the dimensional stability of the fuel assembly skeleton. Previous studies have shown that the fuel assembly growth is, among others parameters (free growth, creep), strongly driven by corrosion. Oxide layer and hydrides precipitation could both induce an increase of the dimensional parameters. The scope of the present study is, regardless of irradiation effect, to quantify and to understand the separate effects of hydrogen and oxide layers on the Zircaloy-4 dimensional changes. Experimental works have been performed in laboratory on stress relieved annealed (SRA) and recrystallized (RXA) Zircaloy-4 strips. First, the hydrogen impact on dimensional changes has been studied without the effect of the oxide layer. The measurements were performed at room temperature on strips previously pre-hydrided by the gaseous charging method. The hydrogen content of the samples was between 100 ppm and 2000 ppm. Results indicate a linear correlation between hydrogen content and length variation. RXA material is more affected by the hydrogen effect than the SRA material. Nevertheless, in comparison with data issued from out-of-reactor measurement, the impact of hydrides is not sufficient (with irradiation growth) to explain the post-irradiation examinations (PIE) results. To understand these differences, the oxide layer contribution must be quantified. Second, the impact of the oxide layer was therefore studied on RXA Zircaloy-4 strips. Corrosion tests have been performed in autoclave at 360°C in primary water (2 ppm Li-1000 ppm B–H2) on as-received and pre-hydrided materials. To obtain thicker oxide layer within a shorter duration, samples have been also oxidized in furnace at 415°C. Moreover, as no significant hydriding occurs during oxidation in air, we are able to characterize properly the specific effect of the oxide layer. As for hydrides’ effect, an increase of strain is observed as the oxide thickness becomes thicker. The contributions of hydrides and oxide layer are then discussed with regard to the metallurgical properties of the alloy. Finally, all these results are compared with PIE observations. Free growth, hydride precipitation, and oxide thickness seem to be the three main parameters to explain the dimensional changes in Zircaloy-4 observed in reactor.
Progesterone concentration in the marsupial Sminthopsis macroura: relationship with the conceptus, uterine glandular regeneration and body weight
Authors: Menkhorst E M , Hinds L A , Selwood L
Published: October 2008

Close examination of hormonal profiles and uterine morphology in the marsupial reproductive cycle highlights significant differences between pregnant and non-pregnant cycles. In the polyovular dasyurid marsupialSminthopsis macroura, we identified changes associated with gestation by comparing ovarian and plasma progesterone concentrations, uterine weights, uterine epithelial mitoses, body weights and gestation lengths between pregnant and non-pregnant luteal phases. The plasma progesterone profile ofS. macrourawas biphasic, peaking during unilaminar blastocyst expansion and on the day of implantation. Periods of rapid embryonic development were associated with increasing plasma progesterone concentrations and animal body weight. For the first time in a polyovular marsupial, we identified 1) a correlation between ovarian progesterone concentration and conceptus number during the luteal phase just prior to implantation (total ovarian progesterone), indicating a conceptus influence on progesterone concentration; 2) a pulse of uterine epithelial mitotic activity at the time of implantation and 3) increased mitotic activity in pregnant animals during unilaminar blastocyst formation compared with non-pregnant animals. Gestation length was reduced by up to 15%, due to the loss of, or reduction in, the four-cell arrest and more rapid definitive blastocyst expansion. This is the first time a conceptus influence on gestation length has been identified in a dasyurid. This study provides further evidence for the modification of the luteal phase by pregnancy inS. macroura.
Evidence for an inhibitory role of bone morphogenetic protein(s) in the follicular–luteal transition in cattle
Authors: Kayani Amjad R , Glister Claire , Knight Philip G
Published: October 2008

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and their receptors are expressed in ovarian theca cells (TC) and granulosa cells (GC) and BMPs have been implicated in the regulation of several aspects of follicle development including thecal androgen production and granulosal oestrogen production. Their potential involvement in luteal function has received less attention. In this study, we first compared relative abundance of mRNA transcripts for BMPs, activin-βA and BMP/activin receptors in bovine corpus luteum (CL) and follicular theca and granulosa layers before undertaking functionalin vitroexperiments to test the effect of selected ligands (BMP6 and activin A) on luteinizing bovine TC and GC. Relative to β-actin transcript abundance, CL tissue contained moreBMP4and-6mRNA than granulosa, moreBMP2mRNA than theca but much less activin-βA mRNA than both granulosa and theca. Transcripts for all seven BMP/activin receptors were readily detected in each tissue and two transcripts (BMPRII, ActRIIA) were more abundant in CL than either theca or granulosa, consistent with tissue responsiveness.In vitroluteinization of TC and GC from antral follicles (4–6 mm) was achieved by culturing with 5% serum for 6 days. Treatment with BMP6 (0, 2, 10, and 50 ng/ml) and activin A (0, 2, 10 and 50 ng/ml) under these conditions dose-dependently suppressed forskolin-induced progesterone (P4) secretion from both cell types without affecting cell number. BMP6 reduced forskolin-stimulated upregulation ofSTARmRNA and raised ‘basal’CYP17A1mRNA level in theca-lutein cells without affecting expression ofCYP11A1or hydroxy-Δ-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 β- and steroid Δ-isomerase 1 (HSD3B1). In granulosa-lutein cells, STAR transcript abundance was not affected by BMP6, whereas forskolin-induced expression ofCYP11A1,HSD3B1,CYP19A1and oxytocin transcripts was reduced. In both cell types, follistatin attenuated the suppressive effect of activin A and BMP6 on forskolin-induced P4 secretion but had no effect alone. Granulosa-lutein cells secreted low levels of endogenous activin A (∼1 ng/ml); BMP6 reduced this, while raising follistatin secretion thus decreasing activin A:follistatin ratio. Collectively, these findings support inhibitory roles for BMP/activin signalling in luteinization and steroidogenesis in both TC and GC.
Bold Transmutations: Rereading Hasan Hanafi's Early Writings on Fiqh
Authors: Kersten Carool
Published: October 2008

Following Ebrahim Moosa?s suggestion regarding fresh approaches to the study of religion by relying on other scholarly specializations such as Translation Studies, this article attempts to apply the achievements made in that relatively new field of academic inquiry to the Egyptian philosopher Hasan Hanafi?s contributions to the radical rereading of u??l al-fiqh. Refracting Hanafi?s first publication, Les méthodes d‘exégèse, through notions and concepts developed in Translation Studies will demonstrate the boldness of Hanafi?s innovations. Such an alternative assessment of this early work will also evince that the theoretical foundations for his better-known writings from the 1980s, on “Leftist Islam” and the ambitious “heritage and renewal” project, can already be discerned in this text from the 1960s.
Hasan al-Hudaybi and the Muslim Brotherhood: Can Islamic Fundamentalism Eschew the Islamic State?
Authors: Johnston David L.
Published: October 2008

Beginning with an examination of the writings of the Muslim Brotherhood‘s second General Guide, Hasan al-Hudaybi (from 1951 to 1973), this paper questions the general assumption that Islamic ?fundamentalism,? or Islamism, is necessarily a ?political Islam? that seeks to overthrow existing political entities in order to install an ?Islamic state.? Hudaybi personally denounced any violent means to promote the Brotherhood‘s cause and in his writings defined the Islamic state as a state in which the moral injunctions of the sacred texts are promoted—a program on which in Egypt Muslims and Christians can easily agree. The paper concludes that the key difference between Islamic activists who seek to overthrow existing structures and those who only seek a moral revitalization of society is to be found in their theological approach— both their hermeneutic and the choice of classical authorities they consult.
A Closer Look at al-Tabar?’s Accounts of the Khaybar Spoils, or the Intersection of Law, Historiography, and Exegesis
Authors: Khalil Mohammad Hassan
Published: October 2008

Although the extent is unclear, considerations of fiqh are known to have influenced various genres of Muslim scholarly works produced during the formative period. In the present study, building on the work of Marco Schöller, I identify what I consider to be a legally motivated discrepancy between al- abar?’s (d. 310/923) historical and exegetical accounts of the Prophet’s distribution of spoils following the battle of Khaybar (7/628).
Establishing Religion in Iraq: Islam and the Modern State
Authors: Elfenbein Caleb
Published: October 2008

The institutional development of the “new Iraq” provides an object lesson in the necessity of drawing from disparate academic disciplines in the study of modern forms of Islam. Understanding historical formations of Islam and governing institutions is an integral part of ascertaining what place Islam may hold in post-occupation Iraq. At the same time, to present as complete a picture as possible it is equally important to draw from areas of study that provide insight into the institutions and practices of the modern state, the place of religion therein, and the practices and techniques of modern forms of colonialism. Bringing these different resources to bear on the analysis of Iraq?s constitution sheds tremendous light on the relationship between Islam and state imagined by the authors of the document, the chief threats to this vision (as the authors envision them), and the measures they have taken to forestall the potential transformation of the form and place of Islam active in governing institutions.
“Guest of the Inmost Heart”:Conceptions of the Divine Beloved among Early Sufi Women
Authors: Dakake Maria Massi
Published: October 2008

In the works of Sufi love mysticism, the Sufi seeker is often represented as a male lover in relation to God as the symbolically “feminine” Beloved. However, women themselves were not infrequently the practitioners of the mystical path in Islam, and it is clear from the words attributed to them that female Sufis developed their own image of the Divine Beloved as the symbolically masculine object of their female desire. In this paper, I examine short poetic pieces and sayings attributed to Sufi women in both hagiographical and biographical works in an attempt to identify a specifically feminine brand of Islamic “love” mysticism, reflecting a distinctly and traditionally female experience of loving and spiritual longing.
The Place for Others in Islam
Authors: AliIbasic Ahmet
Published: October 2008

The following article deals with the place of the other in Islamic sources and law. It first elaborates general Qur‘anic principles and precedents from the early history of Islam that might serve as a theoretical basis for co-existence in Islam.

Those include co-existence as God‘s will, supremacy of justice over religious formalism, separation of legitimacy of the other, and belief in the correctness of his/her views, and less-known examples of cooperation and mutual support between the Prophet Muhammad and pagans of Mecca. The second part surveys norms of Islamic law that provide for protection of non-Muslims‘ life, property, religious freedom, legal autonomy, and social justice and security. The overall aim of the study is to show that even classical Islamic law provides solid foundation for normal functioning of multi-religious societies.
Modification of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A phenotype by cell membrane proximity of RET mutations in exon 10
Authors: Machens Andreas , Hauptmann Steffen , Dralle Henning
Published: October 2008

Rearranged during transfection (RET) germ-line mutations in exon 10 are peculiar because they produce both gain-of-function multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A and loss-of-function Hirschsprung's disease phenotypes. Drawing on 38 medullary thyroid cancer patients harboring germ-line mutations in codon 620 (n=8), 618 (n=19), 611 (n=10), and 609 (n=1), this study aimed to test the hypothesis that closer proximity of RET germ-line mutations in exon 10 to the cell membrane may translate into earlier or more advanced disease. The closer mutations in codon 620, 618, and 611 were located to the transmembrane domain (codons 657–636) of the RET receptor, the greater were mean primary tumor diameters (23.5, 18.7, and 7.5 mm, P=0.020), the frequency of lymph node metastasis (75, 68, and 30%, P=0.11) and pheochromocytoma (38, 16, and 0%, P=0.11). Periods of observation were broadly comparable for these groups (mean age 33.4–39.3 years; P=0.71). When mutations in adjoining codons were collapsed (codons 620/618 vs 611/609), the differences in mean primary tumor diameter (20.1 vs 7.4 mm, P=0.005) and lymph node metastasis (70 vs 36%; P=0.07) were accentuated. Compared with 80 carriers of exon 11 mutations (codon 634, n=78; codon 630, n=2), the 38 carriers of exon 10 mutations, which are rarer and confer a weaker transforming activity in vitro than exon 11 mutations, required significantly more time to develop fewer tumors. Although limited in numbers, these data suggested that membrane proximity is an important determinant of tumor development in carriers of RET mutations in exon 10.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Interoceptive Exposure in the Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders: Novel Applications and Mechanisms of Action
Authors: Stewart Sherry H. , Watt Margo C.
Published: October 2008

Interoceptive exposure (IE) involves having an individual repeatedly induce and experience feared arousal-related sensations (e.g., shortness or breath, heart palpitations, dizziness) as a means of reducing the fear of those sensations. IE exercises such as hyperventilation, chair spinning, and breathing through a straw have been demonstrated effective in the treatment of panic attacks and panic disorder, both as part of a broader cognitive-behavioral program and as a stand-alone intervention. This article introduces a special issue of the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy focusing on cutting-edge findings on novel applications of IE in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders and research that begins to investigate IE’s mechanisms of action. We set the stage for the following series of six original articles by first providing a historical review of the use of IE in cognitive-behavioral treatments of panic. We then provide a brief overview of the various theoretical perspectives that can be applied to understanding the mechanisms of action of IE in reducing fear of fear: conditioning, cognitive restructuring, emotional processing, self-efficacy, and emotional acceptance. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the articles included in the special issue. This special issue should prove helpful to cognitive-behavioral therapists in improving and expanding their use of IE in clinical practice. The issue also should stimulate additional research on the mechanisms of action of IE to ultimately permit refinement of treatments for anxiety and related disorders and, it is hoped, enhance the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy.
Interoceptive Exposure in the Treatment of Health Anxiety and Hypochondriasis
Authors: Walker John R. , Furer Patricia
Published: October 2008

The experience of health anxiety is seen in a range of different anxiety and somatoform disorders. Bodily sensations are often cues for anxiety or emotional distress in persons with problems with health anxiety and hypochondriasis. In treating these problems, there are advantages to including interoceptive exposure (IE) as a component of treatment. We explore the frequency of problems with bodily symptoms in community and clinical populations, the assessment of physical symptoms, and the theoretical rationale for the use of IE in treatment. This exposure strategy involves deliberately and repeatedly producing feared bodily sensations. Given that some of the anxiety-producing symptoms commonly seen in health anxiety are difficult to produce voluntarily, we also have clients use strategies involving deliberately focusing on existing bothersome sensations and using imaginal techniques to simulate body sensations. The goal of IE is to help the individual to be more accepting of and less distressed by the uncomfortable bodily symptoms. The integration of this approach with other treatment components for health anxiety, such as cognitive reappraisal, exposure to feared thoughts and behaviors, and reducing avoidance, is emphasized. Detailed guidelines for the application of IE with health anxiety are provided.
Overwinter alterations in energy stores and growth in juvenile fishes inhabiting areas receiving metal mining and municipal wastewater effluents
Authors: Driedger Kimberlea , Weber Lynn P. , Rickwood Carrie J. , Dubé Monique G. , Janz David M.
Published: October 2008

The winter stress syndrome hypothesis proposes that the combination of winter conditions and contaminant exposure reduces overwinter survival in juvenile fishes, mainly due to increased depletion of stored energy (lipids). To test this hypothesis in the field, juvenile fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) were collected from three exposure sites along Junction Creek, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, representing cumulative inputs from metal mining and municipal wastewater. Overwinter survival potential was determined through measurements of growth (length, weight, muscle RNA/DNA ratio, muscle proteins) and energy stores (whole body triglycerides) in fish collected just prior to and following the overwinter period. We hypothesized that fish collected from exposure sites would exhibit reduced growth and energy storage compared to reference fish in both fall and spring, and that fish from all sites would exhibit reduced energy storage in spring compared to the previous fall. Whole body Se concentrations were elevated (11–42 μg/g dry wt) in juvenile fathead minnows and white sucker collected at two exposure sites in comparison to fish collected from the reference site (3–6 μg/g dry wt). In contrast to our hypothesis, fathead minnows were larger with greater triglyceride stores at exposure sites compared to the reference site. White suckers were smaller at exposure sites but did not differ in triglycerides among sites. Overall, the results in these fish species exposed to metal mining and municipal wastewaters do not support the winter stress syndrome hypothesis. It is recommended that future studies focus on relating growth and energy storage with other environmental factors such as habitat and food availability in addition to anthropogenic contamination.