bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
piggyBac‐mediated somatic transformation of the two‐spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus
Authors: Shinmyo Yohei , Mito Taro , Matsushita Takashi , Sarashina Isao , Miyawaki Katsuyuki , Ohuchi Hideyo , Noji Sumihare
Published: September 2004

Transgenic insects have been artificially produced to study functions of interesting developmental genes, using insect transposons such as piggyBac. In the case of the cricket, however, transgenic animals have not yet been successfully artificially produced. In the present study, we examined whether the piggyBac transposon functions as a tool for gene delivery in embryos of Gryllus bimaculatus. We used either a piggyBac helper plasmid or a helper RNA synthesized in vitro as a transposase source. An excision assay revealed that the helper RNA was more effective in early Gryllus eggs to transpose a marker gene of eGFP than the helper plasmid containing the piggyBac transposase gene driven by the G. bimaculatus actin3/4 promoter. Further, only when the helper RNA was used, somatic transformation of the embryo with the eGFP gene was observed. These results suggest that the piggyBac system with the helper RNA may be effective for making transgenic crickets.
Human metapneumovirus in children with bronchiolitis or pneumonia in New Zealand
Authors: Werno AM , Anderson TP , Jennings LC , Jackson PM , Murdoch DR
Published: September 2004

Objectives:  To confirm the presence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in New Zealand and establish its prevalence in selected paediatric patient groups.

Methods:  Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected in two separate paediatric studies enrolling children clinically diagnosed with either bronchiolitis or pneumonia and tested for hMPV by polymerase chain reaction.

Results:  Nucleic acid detection tests demonstrated 5.3% of paediatric bronchiolitis cases were positive for hMPV RNA and 2.7% of children admitted with pneumonia tested positive for hMPV RNA.

Conclusions:  The presence of hMPV in New Zealand has been confirmed in two selected paediatric patient groups, namely children diagnosed with bronchiolitis and pneumonia. These results indicate that hMPV is associated with a minority of cases of bronchiolitis or pneumonia in this patient group.
Who should pay for intensive behavioural intervention in autism? A parent's view
Authors: Couper J
Published: September 2004

Abstract:  The evidence that early intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) is effective for young children with autism has persuaded parents worldwide to finance and advocate for IBI. Intensive behavioural intervention uses applied behavioural analysis to address the deficits of autism with an individualized and systematic approach. Communication, social, cognitive and adaptive gains are seen in the majority of children; a sizeable minority can catch up to near normal functioning, under ideal conditions. However there is not universal acceptance amongst professionals that IBI is the most proven intervention. What level of evidence is required for Australian states to provide adequate public funds for IBI?
An issue of access: Delivering equitable health care for newly arrived refugee children in Australia
Authors: Davidson N , Skull S , Burgner D , Kelly P , Raman S , Silove D , Steel Z , Vora R , Smith M
Published: September 2004

Abstract:  Newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers are faced with many difficulties in accessing effective health care when settling in Australia. Cultural, language and financial constraints, lack of awareness of available services, and lack of health provider understanding of the complex health concerns of refugees can all contribute to limiting access to health care. Understanding the complexities of a new health care system under these circumstances and finding a regular health provider may be difficult. In some cases there may be a fundamental distrust of government services. The different levels of health entitlements by visa category and (for some) detention on arrival in Australia may further complicate the provision and use of health services for providers and patients. Children are particularly at risk of suboptimal health care due to the impact of these factors combined with the effect of resettlement stresses on parents’ ability to care for their children. Unaccompanied and separated children, and those in detention experience additional challenges in accessing care. This article aims to increase awareness among health professionals caring for refugee children of the challenges faced by this group in accessing and receiving effective health care in Australia. Particular consideration is given to the issues of equity, rights of asylum seekers, communication and cultural sensitivities in health care provision, and addressing barriers to health care. The aim of the paper is to alert practitioners to the complex issues surrounding the delivery of health care to refugee children and provide realistic recommendations to guide practice.
Another cause of bloody diarrhoea in infancy: Cytomegalovirus colitis in an immunocompetent child
Authors: Hinds R , Brueton MJ , Francis N , Fell JM
Published: September 2004

Abstract:  Although a ubiquitous pathogen, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is very rarely thought to be the cause of significant gastrointestinal infection in the immunocompetent child. We report the case of a 2‐month‐old infant who presented with bloody diarrhoea and severe dehydration, which was subsequently diagnosed as CMV enterocolitis and resolved spontaneously without antiviral treatment.
Analysis of Human Peripheral Blood Samples from Fatal and Nonfatal Cases of Ebola (Sudan) Hemorrhagic Fever: Cellular Responses, Virus Load, and Nitric Oxide Levels
Authors: Sanchez Anthony , Lukwiya Matthew , Bausch Daniel , Mahanty Siddhartha , Sanchez Angela J. , Wagoner Kent D. , Rollin Pierre E.
Published: September 2004

Peripheral blood samples obtained from patients during an outbreak of Ebola virus (Sudan species) disease in Uganda in 2000 were used to phenotype peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), quantitate gene expression, measure antigenemia, and determine nitric oxide levels. It was determined that as the severity of disease increased in infected patients, there was a corresponding increase in antigenemia and leukopenia. Blood smears revealed thrombocytopenia, a left shift in neutrophils (in some cases degenerating), and atypical lymphocytes. Infected patients who died had reduced numbers of T cells, CD8
+
T cells, and activated (HLA-DR
+
) CD8
+
T cells, while the opposite was noted for patients who survived the disease. Expression levels of cytokines, Fas antigen, and Fas ligand (TaqMan quantitation) in PBMC from infected patients were not significantly different from those in uninfected patients (treated in the same isolation wards), nor was there a significant increase in expression compared to healthy volunteers (United States). This unresponsive state of PBMC from infected patients despite high levels of circulating antigen and virus replication suggests that some form of immunosuppression had developed. Ebola virus RNA levels (virus load) in PBMC specimens were found to be much higher in infected patients who died than patients who survived the disease. Similarly, blood levels of nitric oxide were much higher in fatal cases (increasing with disease severity), and extremely elevated levels (≥150 μM) would have negatively affected vascular tone and contributed to virus-induced shock.
Multiple Domains of the Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus Envelope Protein Are Required for Transformation of Rodent Fibroblasts
Authors: Hofacre Andrew , Fan Hung
Published: September 2004

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is an exogenous retrovirus of sheep that induces a contagious lung cancer, ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. We previously showed that the gene encoding JSRV envelope protein (Env) appears to function as an oncogene, since it can transform mouse NIH 3T3 cells. The cytoplasmic tail of the Env transmembrane protein (TM) is necessary for the transformation. However, previous experiments did not exclude the involvement of the Env surface protein (SU) in transformation. In this study, we created a series of nested deletion mutants through the SU domain and assessed their ability to transform rodent fibroblasts. All SU deletion mutants downstream of the predicted signal peptide were unable to transform murine NIH 3T3 or rat 208F cells. Transport to the plasma membrane of selected deleted Env proteins was confirmed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy of hemagglutinin-tagged versions. Additional sequential SU deletion mutants lacking 50-amino-acid (aa) blocks throughout SU also were unable to transform. Furthermore, minimal insertion mutants of two amino acids (Leu/Gln) at various positions in SU also abolished transformation. These data indicate that domains in SU facilitate efficient JSRV transformation. This could reflect a necessity of SU for appropriate configuration of the Env protein or independent activation by SU of a signaling pathway necessary for transformation. Complementation between SU and TM mutants for transformation supported the latter hypothesis. Cotransfection with ΔGP Y590F (mutant in the TM cytoplasmic tail) with ΔGP SUΔ103-352 (lacking most of SU) resulted in efficient transformation. The resulting transformants showed evidence for the presence and expression of both mutant plasmids.
Pharmacological Stabilization of Mast Cells Abrogates Late Thrombotic Events Induced by Diesel Exhaust Particles in Hamsters
Authors: Nemmar Abderrahim , Hoet Peter H.M. , Vermylen Jos , Nemery Benoit , Hoylaerts Marc F.
Published: September 2004

Background—

Particulate air pollution is associated with cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and Results—

We investigated the relationship between airway inflammation and thrombosis 24 hours after intratracheal (IT) instillation of diesel exhaust particles (DEP; 50 μg/hamster). Mild thrombosis was induced in the femoral vein by endothelial injury, and the consequences of airway inflammation on thrombogenicity were studied via online video microscopy. Lung inflammation and histamine analysis in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and plasma were performed after pretreatment with dexamethasone (DEX) or sodium cromoglycate (SC). DEP induced airway inflammation and histamine release in BAL and in plasma, and increased thrombosis, without elevating plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels. The IT instillation of 400-nm positively charged polystyrene particles (500 μg/hamster), serving as particles that do not penetrate into the circulation, equally produced airway inflammation, histamine release, and enhanced thrombosis. Histamine in plasma resulted from basophil activation. Intraperitoneal (IP) pretreatment with DEX (5 mg/kg) abolished the DEP-induced histamine increase in BAL and plasma and abrogated airway inflammation and thrombogenicity. The IT pretreatment with DEX (0.5 mg/kg) showed a partial but parallel inhibition of all of these parameters. Pretreatment with SC (40 mg/kg, IP) strongly inhibited airway inflammation, thrombogenicity, and histamine release.

Conclusions—

Our results are compatible with the triggering of mast cell degranulation and histamine release by DEP. Histamine plays an initial central role in airway inflammation, further release of histamine by circulating basophils, and peripheral thrombotic events. Antiinflammatory pretreatment can abrogate the peripheral thrombogenicity by preventing histamine release from mast cells.
Sensing Tissue Ischemia
Authors: Pan Hui-Lin , Chen Shao-Rui
Published: September 2004

Background—

Chest pain is a hallmark of myocardial ischemia, but its underlying signaling mechanisms remain poorly understood. The capsaicin receptor, vanilloid receptor-1 (VR
1
), is an important cation channel present on primary nociceptive neurons. We have shown that the VR
1
is expressed on sensory nerve endings of the heart. In the present study, we determined the role of VR
1
s in activation of cardiac spinal afferent nerves caused by myocardial ischemia.

Methods and Results—

Single-unit activity of cardiac afferents was recorded from the sympathetic chain of anesthetized ferrets. Cardiac afferents responded to 5 minutes of regional myocardial ischemia and topical application of 10 μg/mL bradykinin in a reproducible manner. Topical application of a specific VR
1
antagonist, iodoresiniferatoxin (50 μmol/L), to the receptive field of afferents produced a large attenuation of the firing activity of cardiac afferents caused by myocardial ischemia. Iodoresiniferatoxin also significantly reduced the afferent response to bradykinin applied to the receptive field. Furthermore, treatment with a VR
1
channel blocker, ruthenium red (200 μmol/L), had a similar inhibitory effect on the afferent responses to myocardial ischemia and bradykinin.

Conclusions—

This study provides the first functional evidence that ischemic stimulation of cardiac spinal afferent nerves is mediated through VR
1
s. The VR
1
on the cardiac sensory nerve may function as a molecular sensor to detect tissue ischemia and activate cardiac nociceptors.
Epistatic Interaction Between β
2
-Adrenergic Receptor and Neuropeptide Y Genes Influences LDL-Cholesterol in Hypertension
Authors: Tomaszewski Maciej , Charchar Fadi J. , Lacka Beata , Pesonen Ullamari , Wang William Y.S. , Zukowska-Szczechowska Ewa , Grzeszczak Wladyslaw , Dominiczak Anna F.
Published: September 2004

β
2
-Adrenergic receptor gene and neuropeptide Y gene may potentially influence lipid metabolism and overall energy balance. Therefore, we examined associations of these genes with lipid fractions and obesity-related phenotypes in hypertensive subjects. A total of 638 white individuals from 212 Polish families with clustering of essential hypertension were phenotyped for cardiovascular risk determinants. Each subject was genotyped for functional polymorphisms of β
2
-adrenergic receptor gene (Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu) and neuropeptide Y (Leu7Pro). Of 3 common haplotypes of β
2
-adrenergic receptor gene, Arg16Gln27 was overtransmitted to offspring with elevated levels of total cholesterol (
Z
=2.2;
P
=0.026) and LDL-cholesterol (
Z
=3.2;
P
=0.002). Individually, Leu7Pro was not associated with any of the metabolic phenotypes in family-based tests or case-control analyses. However, in the presence of Arg allele of Arg16Gly and Gln allele of Gln27Glu, homozygosity for Leu variant of the Leu7Pro polymorphism was associated with 2.1-increased odds ratio (confidence interval, 1.10 to 3.81;
P
=0.024) of elevated LDL in hypertensive subjects, independent of age, gender, body mass index, adjusted blood pressures, antihypertensive therapy, and use of nonselective β-blockers and diuretics. Consistently, there was a significant multilocus association among variants of Arg16Gly, Gln27Glu, and Leu7Pro in hypertensive probands with elevated LDL (cases;
P
=0.028) but not in hypertensive subjects with normal LDL (controls). This study revealed an association of LDL-cholesterol with β
2
-adrenergic receptor gene haplotype and provided evidence for epistatic interaction between β
2
-adrenergic receptor gene and neuropeptide Y gene in determination of LDL-cholesterol in patients with essential hypertension.
Mormon Clients’ Experiences of Conversion Therapy
Authors: Beckstead A. Lee , Morrow Susan L.
Published: September 2004

Perspectives were gathered of 50 Mormon individuals who had undergone counseling to change their sexual orientation. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method and participant verification, thereby developing a grounded theory. A model emerged that depicted participants’ intrapersonal and interpersonal motivations for seeking conversion or “reparative” therapy, their perceived benefits and harms of such interventions, and the factors that facilitated self-acceptance and consolidation of a positive self-identity. Based on these descriptions, this study provides the foundation for a broader-based treatment approach (besides one focused solely on changing sexual orientation or adopting a lesbian, gay, or bisexual identity), which is designed to produce individualized congruent solutions for religiously conflicted, same-sex-attracted clients.
The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Good Governance in the Republic of South Africa
Authors: Mafunisa Mutuwafhethu John
Published: September 2004

Ineffective governance and lack of effective service delivery features prominently as crises of governance in Africa. Democratic political and governmental institutions could play a role in reducing such social factors as a high rate of illiteracy and poverty. This, however, is only possible if ‘the rule of law’ prevails and if civil society is allowed to participate in a political, social and economic sense. This article looks at the role of civil society in promoting good governance in South Africa. The article argues that good governance is a cornerstone of reconstruction and sustainable development. The provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) form the foundation for the involvement of civil society in issues of governance. An assessment of the effectiveness of these policies and programmes is made.
Embedding African Democracy and Development: The Imperative of Institutional Capital
Authors: Kalu Kalu N.
Published: September 2004

The concept of democracy has remained central in most academic and political discourse on African development. Beyond the state-centric model of democracy, what alternative approaches are open to African states and how could they enhance the nature of state-society relations and the process of economic development? While this question informs the general thesis as well as the specific arguments advanced in this article, suffice it then to state that Africa’s peculiar condition presents a case not so much about transitions to democracy (since these have been attempted in many cases) but about the consolidation of enduring democracies. The missing link is in the acquisition of critical institutional capital that would facilitate a systemic shift from traditional models of development to more pragmatic and integrative approaches. In order of priority, what Africa needs most are institutional reconstruction, state consolidation, and democratic governance.
Tensile Strength of Carbon–Carbon Composites: II – Effect of Heat Treatment Temperature
Authors: Hatta Hiroshi , Aoi Tatsuji , Kawahara Itaru , Kogo Yasuo
Published: September 2004

The effects of heat treatment temperature, HTT, on the tensile strength (u) of PAN-based carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon matrix composites (C–Cs) were examined. In order to understand the mechanisms yielding variation of the tensile strength, the distribution of fiber strength and the interfacial strength between the fiber and the matrix were also determined as a function of HTT. The us of the C–Cs and the PAN-based-fiber was found to decrease with increasing HTT. The degradations of the fiber strength proceeded with distortion of the fiber cross section and reduction of the fiber diameter. The interfacial strength slightly decreased with increasing HTT. The tensile strength of C–Cs is generally enhanced by the reduction of the interfacial bonding strength. Thus, the interfacial change is not a main source of the strength degradation. Finally, a comparison of u between two types of C–Cs, showed that the only difference was reinforcing fibers and led to the conclusion that the primary factor yielding the degradation of C–C strength by HTT was the fiber degradation.
Design, Analysis, Manufacture, and Test of APC-2/AS4 Thermoplastic Composite Pressure Vessels for Deep Water Marine Applications
Authors: Yousefpour Ali , Ghasemi Nejhad Mehrdad N.
Published: September 2004

A general design and analysis methodology is presented for the development of thick-wall thermoplastic composite pressure vessels for deep-water marine applications. A parametric study was performed to determine the optimum tapered radius, initial radial clearance, and plug length of the plug-supported end-caps employed here as end-closures since it was found that these optimum parameters could improve the performance of the composite pressure vessels by minimizing bending and shear stresses near the ends. Stress and buckling nonlinear finite element analyses (FEA) were performed taking hygrothermal effects into account. An equivalent coefficient of thermal expansion to model coefficient of moisture expansion for FEA software, where moisture absorption is not an input, is introduced to fully model hygrothermal effects. Based on the FEA results and taking the pressure vessel weight, ease of fabrication, mechanical and environmental performance, and cost into account APC-2/AS4 thermoplastic composite was found to be a suitable material system for the pressure vessel. An in situ thermoplastic composite filament winding/tape laying system employing infrared local and global heaters was developed in the Advanced Materials Manufacturing Laboratory of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and was employed to manufacture the thick-wall composite pressure vessels. The manufactured pressure vessels had excellent quality, were instrumented by strain gages, and then successfully tested in the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics of the University of Hawaii at Manoa high-pressure water-filled pressure chamber. The strain gage results from the experiments were compared with those obtained from the FEA and excellent agreements were achieved.
Britain and the ‘Hand-Over’ of Italian War Criminals to Yugoslavia, 1945–48
Authors: Pedaliu Effie G.H.
Published: September 2004

This article focuses on British policy towards the treatment of alleged Italian war criminals at the end of the second world war and, in particular, those requested by Yugoslavia for extradition. It reveals that far from conspiring to shield Italians registered as war criminals by the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC), Britain endeavoured to ensure that they were brought to justice. It also assesses the pressures that affected the implementation of British ‘hand-over’ policy and examines the developments that led to the decision by the British government to pass on to the Italians the responsibility of implementing ‘hand-overs’ and punishing Italian war criminals.
Adults Desires for Childrens Emotions across 48 Countries
Authors: Diener Marissa L. , Lucas Richard E.
Published: September 2004

The present study examined college students’desires for their children’s emotions across cultures. Atotal of 10,175 respondents from 48 countries on six continents participated. Across nations, people desired high levels of happiness and fearlessness for their children. The desire for anger suppression showed greater variability than desires for happiness and fearlessness. Greater desires for happiness were predicted by being female, by greater individual and national levels of positive affect, by greater beliefs about the appropriateness of positive affect, and by individualism. Greater desires for fearlessness were predicted for sons versus daughters, by being male, by greater individual levels of and beliefs about the appropriateness of positive affect, by lower national wealth, and by higher national levels of negative affect and greater beliefs about the appropriateness ofworrying. Greater desires for anger suppression were predicted for sons versus daughters, by being male, by greater individual and national levels of negative affect, and by lower national wealth.
On Being Mentored: A Tribute to Henri Nouwen
Authors: Sharp Jeff
Published: September 2004

This article is a first-person account of the author’s experience of being mentored by the late Henri Nouwen, an inspiring priest and professor. The article describes the ongoing positive impact of that relationship upon the author’s growth and development during his college years and early adulthood. The author argues that compassionate and inspiring mentors are of critical value to young men in today’s world, particularly for individuals raised with distant, absent, or ineffective fathers. Key aspects of the mentoring process are deconstructed and delineated.
Phronesis
Authors: Birmingham Carrie
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this article is to describe a paradigm of reflection that explicitly synthesizes varied perspectives of reflection into a coherent model grounded on the ancient conception of virtue. Previous conceptions of reflection have considered its moral implications and connections but have stopped short of claiming that reflection is essentially of moral value. This model identifies reflection with the classical moral virtue phronesis by merging contemporary work on reflection in teaching with philosophical work on phronesis. The article concludes with an account of the value and utility of conceptualizing reflection as phronesis.
Traditional versus Integrated Preservice Teacher Education Curriculum
Authors: Kim Mikyong Minsun , Andrews Richard L. , Carr Deborah L.
Published: September 2004

This empirical study is intended to assess whether a standards-based integrated teacher preparation curriculum is more beneficial in developing professional competencies than a traditional course-oriented curriculum at a college of education in a state university. Using multivariate analysis of variance, we found that students who went through the new integrated curriculum reported higher levels of professional preparation in all 13 standards and competency areas than those who went through the traditional course-oriented curriculum. This finding remained strong even when the teaching majors were included and controlled as another factor variable. Students in the integrated curriculum and those in the traditional curriculum had comparable characteristics, high school grade point averages (GPAs), and college GPAs. Additional related findings and suggestions for future studies also emerged.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: An Analysis of Kansas V. Crane and the Fine Line between Civil and Criminal Sanctions
Authors: Wilson Franklin T.
Published: September 2004

The social intolerance surrounding repeat sexual offenders has spawned numerous legal remedies through the years including sexual psychopath laws, Megan’s Law, chemical castration, and sexually violent predator (SVP) legislation. In the past 12 years, several states have implemented what many consider to be the resurrection of the old sexual psychopath laws of the 1930s and 1940s. This newest legal remedy is most often referred to as SVP legislation and allows for the indefinite civil commitment of those offenders who have served their prison sentences but have been determined to be SVPs still. Based on this legislation, this article analyzes the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kansas v. Crane, the latest in a series of cases that address an issue that many feel runs dangerously close to crossing the fine line between civil commitment and criminal sanctions.
Modeling Clustered Task Graphs for Scheduling Large Parallel Programs in Distributed Systems
Authors: Roig Concepció , Ripoll Ana , Luque Emilio
Published: September 2004

The recent development of distributed processing platforms, such as clusters of workstations, makes the use of distributed applications more extensive. A fundamental issue affecting performance in distributed systems is the scheduling of tasks to processors. The problem of solving the scheduling of parallel programs modelled with a task precedence graph (TPG) has been extensively studied. Scheduling algorithms of TPGs can be solved by a one-step method when a fixed number of processors is considered or through a two-step method by first creating an unbounded number of groups of tasks (clusters) and subsequently assigning these clusters to a bounded number of processors. The goal of this work is to present a new mapping algorithm called TASC (Task ASsignment exploiting Concurrency) to solve this second step of assigning clusters to processors. The effectiveness of TASC is established through simulation for a set of synthetic graphs that model real applications.
Simulating a Robotic Arm in a Box: Redundant Kinematics, Path Planning, and Rapid Prototyping for Enclosed Spaces
Authors: Wunderlich Joseph T.
Published: September 2004

Robotic arms often perform industrial tasks requiring complex dextrous manipulation within constrained spaces. For example, automobile unibody assembly can require more than 5000 welds, with many performed within the vehicle’s interior. An arm can be designed specifically for this type of task by permuting link lengths and degrees of freedom (DOF) to find a set of feasible designs. Each design can be evaluated for joint-angle displacement, dexterity, simulated speed, and consumption of available redundancy. A heuristic search increases the probability of having the needed kinematic structure. Hyperredundant designs of up to 10 DOF can be created, and searches often yield minimized-DOF designs. The path-planning technique combines pseudo-inverse velocity control with the concept of attractive poles to allow maneuvering through complex enclosures while avoiding many obstacles. This research provides a means of rapid-prototyping robotic arms for enclosed spaces and can yield many designs locally optimized for given tasks and environments.
The European Constitutional Convention and the Stateless Nations
Authors: MacCormick Neil
Published: September 2004

This article discusses the European Constitutional Convention and its ‘parliamentarian’ character, based on the author’s experience of participating in the process. It examines openness and democracy at the Convention, and the opportunities for stateless nations. It also examines the ‘European Free Alliance’ (EFA) approach to the Convention, namely, self-determination as a principle; support for the constitution but not a superstate; relations of Commission and Council; and subsidiarity and the ‘Regions’. Ten particular EFA points are discussed: ‘region’ or ‘nation’; reforming parliamentary representation – ‘digressive proportionality’; the Committee of the Regions – reform or abolish; rights to pre-legislative consultation; regional ministers in Council; access to the Court of Justice; subsidiarity criteria and mechanisms; connecting to COSAC; language rights; and territorial cohesion. How satisfactory is the Convention’s Draft Constitution from the point of view of stateless nations?
‘Masters and Novices’: Socialization and Social Learning through the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Authors: Flockhart Trine
Published: September 2004

This article explores the process of identity constructions in Central and Eastern Europe through democracy promotion in NATO-PA. Utilizing social group theory and social identity theory, the article is concerned with the processes of socialization and social learning taking place at the agent level, which seem to explain how in-groups and outgroups are formed, and whyagents want to belong to the in-group. It is assumed that the complex process of new identity constructions as part of the effort of joining the dominant in-group cannot be explained purely by reference to the usual theory of the agent based on rationality, but that it has more to do with less tangible factors such as positive self-esteem and a desire to belong to a positively valued in-group.
School-Related Stress and Psychosomatic Symptoms among Norwegian Adolescents
Authors: Murberg Terje A. , Bru Edvin
Published: September 2004

This study examines the relationships between school-related stress, gender and psychosomatic symptoms in a sample of 531 adolescents pupils in years (grades) 8, 9 and 10 (aged 13-16 years) from two compulsory schools in Norway. Results showed that 18.1 percent reported being ‘very much’ affected by at least one of the assessed psychosomatic symptoms. Girls reported significantly more psychosomatic symptoms than did boys. Tests of the dimensionality of the school-related stress that was assessed in the present study showed four main categories: (1) difficulties with peers at school; (2) worries about school achievement; (3) schoolwork pressure and (4) conflicts with parents and/or teachers. Results from multiple regression analyses showed that scores for the different stressors were significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms. Findings suggest that frequency of psychosomatic symptoms might be related to how well or otherwise pupils adapt to the demands of school and to the interpersonal climate of the school. Gender seems to play a differentiating role here. Girls reported significantly more stress that was related to worries about school achievement, whereas boys reported significantly more stress arising from conflicts with parents and/or teachers. Finally, stress due to difficulties with peers at school was more closely correlated with psychosomatic symptoms among boys than among girls.
The Death of the Feel-Good Factor?
Authors: Humphrey Neil
Published: September 2004

The role of self-esteem in academic achievement has been one of the most controversial issues in educational psychology in recent years. A recent research review in this area has suggested that there is little evidence that self-esteem influences achievement in any meaningful way (Baumeister et al., 2003). However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that positive self-esteem should be pursued by educators as an important outcome in itself. This article examines the key issues and research findings in this important debate, and provides some insight as to the wider role of self-esteem in the facilitation of inclusive educational practices. It is suggested that whilst self-esteem plays an important role in the education system, practitioners need to be cautious in their approach to making children feel valued and worthy.
Effects of Attitude Action Identification on Congruence between Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions toward Social Groups
Authors: McIntyre Rusty B. , Paulson René M. , Lord Charles G. , Lepper Mark R.
Published: September 2004

Attitude Representation Theory (ART) holds that attitude-relevant responses are informed by mental representations of the attitude object, which include the individual’s actions toward that object. Action Identification Theory (AIT) holds that the same action can be identified at multiple levels. Individuals who identify their actions at lower levels have less flexibility in how they perform the action, and thus enact the action less consistently. An integration of ART and AIT suggested that individuals who spontaneously (Experiment 1) or through manipulation (Experiments 2 and 3) identify their attitude-relevant actions toward a social group at lower levels might display less attitude-intention congruence than would individuals who identify their attitude-relevant actions at higher levels. ART and AIT are discussed as having links with each other and with other theories of attitude and judgment processes.
The Name of the Game: Predictive Power of Reputations versus Situational Labels in Determining Prisoner’s Dilemma Game Moves
Authors: Liberman Varda , Samuels Steven M. , Ross Lee
Published: September 2004

Two experiments, one conducted with American college students and one with Israeli pilots and their instructors, explored the predictive power of reputation-based assessments versus the stated “name of the game” (Wall Street Game vs. Community Game) in determining players’ responses in an N- move Prisoner’s Dilemma. The results of these studies showed that the relevant labeling manipulations exerted far greater impact on the players’ choice to cooperate versus defect—both in the first round and overall—than anticipated by the individuals who had predicted their behavior. Reputation-based prediction, by contrast, failed to discriminate cooperators from defectors. A supplementary questionnaire study showed the generality of the relevant short-coming in naïve psychology. The implications of these findings, and the potential contribution of the present methodology to the classic pedagogical strategy of the demonstration experiment, are discussed.
Explaining the Discrepancy between Intentions and Actions: The Case of Hypothetical Bias in Contingent Valuation
Authors: Ajzen Icek , Brown Thomas C. , Carvajal Franklin
Published: September 2004

An experiment was designed to account for intention-behavior discrepancies by applying the theory of planned behavior to contingent valuation. College students (N = 160) voted in hypothetical and real payment referenda to contribute $8 to a scholarship fund. Overestimates of willingness to pay in the hypothetical referendum could not be attributed to moderately favorable latent dispositions. Instead, this hypothetical bias was explained by activation of more favorable beliefs and attitudes in the context of a hypothetical rather than a real referendum. A corrective entreaty was found to eliminate this bias by bringing beliefs, attitudes, and intentions in line with those in the real payment situation. As a result, the theory of planned behavior produced more accurate prediction of real payment when participants were exposed to the corrective entreaty.
Reconsidering the Divergence between Elderly, Child, and Overall Poverty
Authors: Brady David
Published: September 2004

This study challenges the conventional wisdom that elderly, child, and overall poverty are divergent. Comparing the official U.S. measure with the Luxembourg Income Study’s (LIS) measure, the author shows that the official measure underestimates elderly poverty by a significant amount and child poverty by a lesser amount. Both the elderly and children are much more likely to be poor than the overall population. Analyses of 18 rich Western democracies show that overall and child poverty are very strongly positively correlated, whereas elderly poverty is moderately correlated with those two. Multivariate analyses show some commonalities and some differences in the sources of these three. Two measures of the welfare state significantly reduce overall, elderly, and child poverty. Whereas female labor force participation reduces all three, manufacturing employment, economic performance, and demographic variables only influence one or two of the dependent variables
The Characteristics of Chinese Personal Ties (Guanxi): Evidence from Hong Kong
Authors: Chow Irene Hau-Siu , Ng Ignace
Published: September 2004

A widely held view in management is that guanxi(or Chinese personal connections) are a key element in the success of East Asian economies. In spite of their importance, very little is known about the various characteristics of guanxi. Using data obtained from Hong Kong respondents, we found that classmates, club members, and family friends are guanxibases from which the respondents developed close relationships. Contrary to expectations, associates who work with the respondents or are distant family relatives, or both, tend to have distant relationships with the respondents. We also found that the effect of gender on the closeness of relationships is asymmetrical, with female-to-female dyads being close and male-to-male dyads being distant. Further, our study shows that there is a tendency to request ‘costly’ favors from family members instead of nonfamily members. Lastly, we provide some evidence linking the size of one’s network to one’s ‘face’ in society. Overall, the results suggest a weakening of the family unit in Chinese societies.
The Paradox of Managerial Downsizing
Authors: Littler Craig R. , Innes Peter
Published: September 2004

Delayering and the flattening of organizational hierarchies was a widespread trend through the 1990s. Peters (1992) in the USA promoted .attening as an organizational strategy and Keuning and Opheij (1994) promoted the prescriptions in Europe. Despite these strategies and apparent structural changes, the number and ratio of managers appears to have grown. This paradox of managerial downsizing has not been adequately probed in the literature. The predominant explanation, that there has been a ‘myth of managerial downsizing’, is associated with Gordon (1996). However, this debate has been shaped by the US experience and data. There is a need to reassess the dynamics of the 1990s in relation to other economies. This article focuses on a semi-peripheral economy, that of Australia. A study of the population of firms over time is necessary in order to resolve the issues. The article utilizes a comprehensive range of data, including several national surveys and a longitudinal database of all larger private-sector firms in Australia during the 1990s. The results indicate that the ‘myth of managerial downsizing’ must be rejected. There were dramatic effects on managers through the course of the 1990s in larger Australian firms. The dynamics of the process are analysed, tracking 4,153 firms across the decade and the paradox explained. The theoretical implications are discussed.
Community Property: Digital Music and the Economic Modalities of Transmission and Ritual Modes of Communication
Authors: Giese Mark
Published: September 2004

Using the evolution of the peer-to-peer music-sharing phenomenon as a spring-board, this article explores the economic modalities inherent in two different but not mutually exclusive theoretic constructs of communication advanced by James Carey. The transmission mode of communication theorizes that communication is the transmission of information from one point to another. The ritual mode of communication theorizes forms of communication whose primary purpose is to strengthen communal bonds by sharing communication/communal experiences. Religious ceremonies and music are two prime examples of communication experiences whose primary purpose is not to transmit information. This article examines the role digital recording technologies, the Internet, and the World Wide Web play in pointing out the economic conflicts inherent in these two modes of communication. The recent spate of lawsuits initiated by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against music swapping and file sharing over the Internet is one tangible example of these economic conflicts.
A Disunited Nation and a Legacy of Contradiction: Queer Nation’s Construction of Identity
Authors: Rand E. J.
Published: September 2004

This essay examines Queer Nation’s “Queers Read This” flyer, combining a textual analysis of the flyer with an exploration of its uptake in print media. The author contends that the flyer rhetorically constitutes a queer identity by establishing unity among disparate individuals through a shared relationship to violence and anger while defining them against a seemingly dissimilar “gay and lesbian” identity. This queer identity, the author argues, is always necessarily contingent and internally contradictory and therefore enables a proliferation of discourses that both negotiate and exploit the fundamental contradictions of the resignification of queer.
Topical Profiling
Authors: Kellermann Kathy , Palomares Nicholas A.
Published: September 2004

This research profiles the topics of everyday talk, pinpointing topical patterns that are emergent, co-occurring, and relationally defining. Participants reported topics of their conversations with particular types of people (e.g., parents, significant others, bosses, professors, service people, etc.). The most commonly emerging topics were those most central to participants’ lives and that helped them “check in” with (i.e., update) and “check out” from (i.e., depart) others. Topics co-occurred to carry out conversational routines (e.g., starting and ending), fulfill communicative functions (e.g., informing), and achieve interpersonal agendas (e.g., comforting). Topics differed in their absolute prospects of arising within particular relational types and in their relative prospects of arising across relational types. The relational type was predictable more than 45% of the time by knowing only which topics occurred (and which did not). The profile of people’s topical talk is one of patterns in the topics that arise in their lives, that co-occur in their conversations, and that define their relationships.
Short-Term Consequences of Severe Marital Stressors
Authors: Cano Annmarie , O’leary K. Daniel , Heinz Wanda
Published: September 2004

The current longitudinal study was conducted to examine the short-term impact of severe marital stressors and marital discord on psychological distress and marital dissolution in two groups of women. One group consisted of women reporting a recent severe marital stressor (e.g., infidelity, threat of separation), whereas the maritally discordant group consisted of women denying a recent marital stressor but reporting similar levels of marital discord. Results indicated that baseline marital discord was related to later depressive and anxiety symptoms for the control group only. In addition, women experiencing a marital stressor reported reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms within several months after the event, after which their symptoms leveled off. In contrast, the control group’s symptoms remained stable over all three assessments. Those in the marital stressor group were significantly more likely to separate or divorce than were those in the control group. These results are discussed in light of models of marital and psychological distress.
Aid and Influence: Health-Promoting Exchanges of Older Married Partners
Authors: Franks Melissa M. , Wendorf Craig A. , Gonzalez Richard , Ketterer Mark
Published: September 2004

Dyadic exchanges of support and control were investigated in couples in which the husband was recently treated or assessed for heart disease. Each partner in 61 marital dyads ( N = 122 participants) reported the frequency with which both social support and social control to promote a healthy lifestyle were provided to and received from one another. Multivariate findings demonstrated the influence of intrapersonal (or actor) and interpersonal (or partner) contributions of providing support and control to each spouse’s perception of receiving such exchanges from the other. These findings reveal that marital partners’ perspectives of receipt of health-related exchanges of support and control are associated not only with the behavior of the partner, but also with their own initiation of health-promoting exchanges on their partner’s behalf.
An Exploration of Illness-Related Narratives in Marriage: The Identification of Illness-Identity Scripts
Authors: Walker Kandi L. , Dickson Fran C.
Published: September 2004

This study describes illness-related talk in marriage. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were employed to identify and examine emergent themes of how couples talk about not feeling well. Fifty-three couples jointly participated in an open-ended interview and individually completed a series of questionnaires. Narrative analysis supports the notion that couples’ illness-related narratives are indicative of the couples’ relationship culture and identity. Five distinct couple types emerged from the illness-related scripts that the couples presented: the sympathetic couple, the independent couple, the mixed couple, the nonreciprocal couple, and the rejecting couple. Statistical analyses revealed several patterns of satisfaction and health perceptions that varied by sex.
Reading Outside the Library: How the Internet has Affected Reading in China
Authors: Qunqing Huang
Published: September 2004

Edited version of a paper presented at the World Library and Information Congress, 69th IFLA General Conference, Berlin, Germany, 1-8 August 2003. There are already more than 20.83 million host computers and 59.10 million Internet users in China. Most of them get access to the Internet at home, office or school, and a few at the library. Their needs for e-books or science and education are among what they mostly searched for through the Internet. It has been predicated that a lot of reading is done outside the library. How has the Internet been used to encourage reading in China? This paper looks at three noticeable ways starting from news online, digital journals and e-books, the printed editions of which are the main categories of traditional publications. It is also pointed out what would improve reading further, and how traditional publishing and libraries have been affected.