bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statelessness in the EU Framework for International Protection
Authors: Gyulai Gábor
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Every year Europe faces the arrival of thousands of stateless migrants in search of a more dignified life. Most of them are in need of protection. In most EU member states, statelessness is predominantly a migratory phenomenon and often linked to forced migration. Yet, statelessness has to-date not been part of mainstream European policy discussions on international protection. Consequently, statelessness frequently remains a hidden phenomenon in the EU, making persons without a nationality invisible and living on the margins of society. This article examines the EU framework for international protection and the forms of protection stateless forced migrants can currently count on in the Union.
Minorities, Citizenship and Statelessness in Europe
Authors: Cahn Claude
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Since 1989, questions of citizenship and statelessness in Europe are once again dynamic. On the one hand, exclusionary forces have become reinvigorated, including as a result of ethno-nationalism. In addition, new forms of status have been created, severely limiting participation and inclusion rights. Minorities have been particularly subject to exclusion, with Roma and Russians affected in particular. On the other hand, regional and international lawmaking has endeavoured to counteract these forces. This article attempts to summarize these developments, with a particular focus on EU and Council of Europe law.
The Possibility of Applying the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods by a Jordanian Judge
Authors: Al-Masadeh Nael
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Jordan is one of the countries that has not yet signed the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Nevertheless, in some cases related to Article 20 of the Jordanian Civil Code, Jordanian courts have space within which to manoeuvre for applying the Convention.
Hadith as a Means of Routinizing Charisma
Authors: Begg Rashid
Published: November 2012

Abstract

This article unpacks some of the important debates surrounding the Islamic science ofhadithcollection. Both Euro-American and Islamic methodologies in the deconstruction of the science are examined. More particularly, the authenticity ofhadithis brought into question by flagging the often spurious nature of oral transmissions, especially where chains of transmitters (isnads) are listed and can be checked. The deconstruction ofhadithis followed by a socio-historical analysis of the science using Max Weber’s theory on the routinization of charisma. In the end, this article implies that even the “historical” religions point towards an a-historical reality.
Justice for People with Disabilities: Philosophical and Theological Arguments
Authors: Eurich Johannes
Published: November 2012

Abstract

People with disabilities should, of course, enjoy the same right as others to a self-determined life of freedom and dignity as well as the same chances to attain such a life. The question is to what extent the concepts of justice in philosophy and theology take into account their interests and needs. In answering this question I shall refer to the theory of justice from John Rawls at first. In my second point I will focus on the criticism of this theory with regard to people with disabilities. Thirdly, at least in one respect the theological concepts of justice and love can supplement a needed element. Lastly, conclusions will be drawn with regard to an inclusive church.
Punish My Husband but not so Hard: Religion, Customary Values and Conventional Approaches to Human Rights in Ghana
Authors: Atiemo Abamfo O.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Incorporating international human rights provisions into domestic legislation and implementing them have always been a challenge for several African countries. This is especially so where religious and customary values are involved. The limitations of conventional approaches employing legislation, litigation and protests alone often become radically exposed in such contexts. This was illustrated by a long public debate that preceded the passage of Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act (Act 723), 2007. A national debate, facilitated by the proliferation of FM radio stations that employ both English and the leading mother-tongues, enabled citizens at the grassroots to also participate in the discussions. Using the debate mentioned above as a case-study, this article discusses constraints imposed on the growth of human rights culture in situations where religious and customary values are widely held. Since such values inspire behaviours and attitudes rooted in religious belief and custom, they remain largely resistant to purely secular methods. At the end the article proposes an integrative approach that combines conventional methods with religious and cultural resources in an effort to gain wide acceptance of international human rights norms in such societies.
The Concept of Honor and its Reflection in the Iranian Penal Code
Authors: Schneider Irene
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Honor is an extremely complex social and symbolic concept and a sensitive issue that has generated considerable legal and intellectual discussion in the Islamic world up to the present. The so-called ‘honor killing’ violates the principle of human rights. In this article the focus is on sexual honor and the understanding of the concept of honor and honor killing in the Iranian Penal Code of 1997, according to which a husband can kill his wife and her lover if he finds them committing an adulterous sexual act (zenāʾ). The questions asked are: How are honor killings described or dealt with in the Iranian Penal Code (IPC)? Are honor killings rooted in the Shiʿi jurisprudence (feqh) or custom (ʿorf)?
Foreign NGOs in China in the Context of a Global Civil Society—With a Discussion of the Internationalization of Chinese NGOs
Authors: Junkui Han
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Global civil society should be set up with NGOs and similar entities as organizational vectors, based on cross-border and trans-regional movements that have sprung out of the Millennium Development Goals. In this context, at the same time that foreign NGOs have made contributions to China, they have also encountered a number of obstacles. In the process of providing assistance to the government they have had to deal with the problem of a number of challenges and risks affecting sovereign states. As for Chinese NGOs, we need the help of foreign services to affect public diplomacy and improve China’s public image, however these activities are still in their early stages. Foreign Affairs is no trivial matter. Research into and the formulation of dedicated, specialized methods of administration and service of both external and internal entities urgently needs to be put on the agenda.
Foreign Chambers of Commerce in China: Trends, Challenges and Policy Responses
Authors: Qingjun Wang
Published: November 2012

Abstract

As China opened up over the last thirty years and as huge numbers of foreign-invested enterprises flooded into China, foreign chambers of commerce, offering services to their members, have emerged and become increasingly influential. Foreign chambers of commerce have appeared mainly in China’s more economically prosperous regions and cities; their legal status varies; and they can be grouped into three types based on three general types of background. They also differ in terms of their internal governance and in terms of their members’ relations with the government and Party departments. Generally speaking, foreign chambers of commerce in China face certain institutional and administrative challenges. We must concentrate more attention on the development of foreign chambers of commerce in China. The principle of “one nation, one chamber” should be reformed and improved. We must re-establish integrated registration and filing systems for chambers, establish localized administration of chambers, and generally strengthen supervision and management of foreign chambers of commerce in China.
Towards a Civil Society Based on Organic Solidarity: The Significance of Inter-Organizational Cooperation for Chinese Society
Authors: Bingzhong Gao
Published: November 2012

Abstract

This article focuses on the continuous development of equal cooperation between nonprofit organizations in Chinese society over recent years. It attempts to explicate this phenomenon as a manifestation of accelerated structural differentiation of Chinese society as organic solidarity is formed. This article adopts Durkheim’s concept of “organic solidarity” to frame the features involved in this phenomenon, such as autonomy in defining objectives of voluntary cooperation, and equal consultation as an indicator of the level of development of China’s civil society. This is done in order to understand the mechanism by which horizontal linkages are created in contemporary Chinese society, and what their positive significance is for the healthy development of Chinese civil society. In view of this, the author further believes that at the same time we consider social science, we can only achieve a better understanding of China’s current development into a modern, complex society by considering social differentiation and solidarity as well.
Control and Support: Research on Two Independent Relationships between State and Society: The State of Chinese Rural Society
Authors: Chuanjin Tao
Published: November 2012

Abstract

This paper uses theoretical analysis and substantial evidence to show that aside from the relationship of power control (权利控制) existing between state and society, there exists also assistance and support provided to society through the state’s use of public power. Moreover, this supportive relationship creates an independent dimension of interaction between state and society that cannot be simplified to the dimension of power control, a condition which we here deem the “dual-axis” relationship between state and society.

The “dual-axis” relationship is opposed to the single-axis relationship espoused in traditional theories of civil society. The latter emphasize a zero-sum relationship of strength and weakness between state and society. The dual-axis relationship is not equivalent to simply proposing that there can be a constructive relationship between state and society, but rather emphasizes the structure comprised by these two relationships, and says that support can be independent of control and exhibit an effect all its own.
“We Might As Well Write Japan Off”: The State Department Deals with the Girard Crisis of 1957
Authors: Curtin Neil
Published: November 2012

The Girard Crisis of 1957 erupted after a young American serviceman, William S. Girard, shot and killed Mrs. Naka Sakai, a Japanese woman collecting shell cases on an army firing range in Japan. While this incident caused an immediate storm of Japanese protest against American military bases, controversy erupted in the United States only when it was revealed that the Army would waive criminal jurisdiction and hand Girard over to Japanese courts for trial. American press and congressional critics charged that the decision to “surrender” Girard under the provisions of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) threatened the constitutional rights of all American servicemen overseas, while Japan and other Asian countries hotly resented the one-sided SOFAs and lenient treatment of American soldiers in military courts. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson bickered over responsibility, but both worried that the jurisprudential dispute would fatally undermine Japanese support for the Security Treaty and threaten the entire U.S. alliance system in the Far East. Although the administration, with President Eisenhower’s shrewd help, eventually defused the crisis, its initial responses were confused. This article focuses on State Department handling of the diplomatic and jurisdictional issues in Asia and development of a coherent administration strategy in the face of public anger at home.
International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law in Russian Courts*
Authors: Marochkin Sergei Yu. , Popov Vladimir A.
Published: November 2012

The paper investigates the implementation of the norms of international humanitarian and human rights law in the Russian courts. It may be viewed as a specific feature that these two categories are considered close in part of the Russian doctrine and, as we will see below, in some judicial cases. Since the adoption of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993 international law has been granted a specific status and significance in the Russian legal system. According to the Constitution and legislation, Russian courts have had the opportunity to play a special role in the implementation of international humanitarian and human rights law. That being said, judicial practice relating to the implementation and the application of these norms is different from that of other international law norms. It is, however, explained, in particular, by the fact, that there are not many cases which either mention directly or use humanitarian law. Often, courts make abstract or general references to international treaties or make decisions only on the basis of the national law, though the considered cases fall directly under the regulation of international humanitarian or human rights law. In conclusion, at present the practice of Russian courts is rather diverse and needs further unification.
Victims and Perpetrators of International Crimes: The Problem of the ‘Legal Person’
Authors: Campbell Kirsten
Published: November 2012

Protecting victims and punishing perpetrators are now seen as integral elements of the implementation and enforcement of humanitarian norms. However, how international law constructs the victims and perpetrators of international crimes as entities with rights and duties remains insufficiently examined. This paper explores the different models of victims and perpetrators as legal persons in international criminal law. It argues that the legal person takes two forms: the victim of human rights and the perpetrator of criminal responsibility. While the legal regime presents these as autonomous and singular individuals, it also constitutes them as members of groups that criminal norms seek to protect or punish. Contemporary international criminal law resolves this tension between individual and collective rights and responsibilities by reconstituting legal subjectivity through an intersubjective conception of the universal community of humans. Ultimately, this ‘legal person’ relies on the idea of ‘humanity’, the collectivity of all humans, to hide this problematic conceptual basis of the rights and duties of victims and perpetrators in ICL.
Eye Movements in Patients with Glaucoma When Viewing Images of Everyday Scenes
Authors: Smith Nicholas D. , Crabb David P. , Glen Fiona C. , Burton Robyn , Garway-Heath David F.
Published: November 2012

This study tests the hypothesis that patients with bilateral glaucoma exhibit different eye movements compared to normally-sighted people when viewing computer displayed photographs of everyday scenes. Thirty glaucomatous patients and 30 age-related controls with normal vision viewed images on a computer monitor whilst eye movements were simultaneously recorded using an eye tracking system. The patients demonstrated a significant reduction in the average number of saccades compared to controls (; mean reduction of 7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3–11%)). There was no difference in average saccade amplitude between groups but there was between-person variability in patients. The average elliptical region scanned by the patients by a bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) analysis, was more restricted compared to controls (; mean reduction of 23% (95% (CI): 11–35%)). A novel analysis mapping areas of interest in the images indicated a weak association between severity of functional deficit and a tendency to not view regions typically viewed by the controls. In conclusion, some eye movements in some patients with bilateral glaucomatous defects differ from normal-sighted people of a similar age when viewing images of everyday scenes, providing evidence for a potential new window for looking into the functional consequences of the disease.
Effects of Stimulus Eccentricity on the Perception of Visually Induced Self-motion Facilitated by Simulated Viewpoint Jitter
Authors: Nakamura Shinji
Published: November 2012

The present investigation aimed to examine the effects of stimulus eccentricity in the facilitation of vection by a jittering visual inducer. A psychophysical experiment revealed that the central region of the visual field is more critical in facilitation by perspective viewpoint jitter than the peripheral area. The results suggest that the perceptual mechanism underlying the facilitation by jitter may be different from that responsible for generating standard vection from non-jittering visual motion, because the effects of stimulus eccentricity were quite different in these two situations.
Simultaneous Brightness and Apparent Depth from True Colors on Grey: Chevreul Revisited
Authors: Dresp-Langley Birgitta , Reeves Adam
Published: November 2012

We show that true colors as defined by Chevreul (1839) produce unsuspected simultaneous brightness induction effects on their immediate grey backgrounds when these are placed on a darker (black) general background surrounding two spatially separated configurations. Assimilation and apparent contrast may occur in one and the same stimulus display. We examined the possible link between these effects and the perceived depth of the color patterns which induce them as a function of their luminance contrast. Patterns of square-shaped inducers of a single color (red, green, blue, yellow, or grey) were placed on background fields of a lighter and a darker grey, presented on a darker screen. Inducers were always darker on one side of the display and brighter on the other in a given trial. The intensity of the grey backgrounds varied between trials only. This permitted generating four inducer luminance contrasts, presented in random order, for each color. Background fields were either spatially separated or consisted of a single grey field on the black screen. Experiments were run under three environmental conditions: dark-adaptation, daylight, and rod-saturation after exposure to bright light. In a first task, we measured probabilities of contrast, assimilation, and no effect in a three-alternative forced-choice procedure (background appears brighter on the ‘left’, on the ‘right’ or the ‘same’). Visual adaptation and inducer contrast had no significant influence on the induction effects produced by colored inducers. Achromatic inducers produced significantly stronger contrast effects after dark-adaptation, and significantly stronger assimilation in daylight conditions. Grouping two backgrounds into a single one was found to significantly decrease probabilities of apparent contrast. Under the same conditions, we measured probabilities of the inducers to be perceived as nearer to the observer (inducers appear nearer on ‘left’, on ‘right’ or the ‘same’). These, as predicted by Chevreul’s law of contrast, were determined by the luminance contrast of the inducers only, with significantly higher probabilities of brighter inducers to be seen as nearer, and a marked asymmetry between effects produced by inducers of opposite sign. Implications of these findings for theories which attempt to link simultaneous induction effects to the relative depth of object surfaces in the visual field are discussed.
Royal Loges and Reserved Seats: From the History of State Theaters in 1917
Authors: Николаевич Гордеев Пётр
Published: November 2012

Февральская революция внесла значительные изменения в деятельность бывших императорских театров, ставших теперь государственными. Одним из них стала борьба за бывшие «царские» ложи, владельцы которых (члены императорской фамилии) уже не могли ими пользоваться. Наряду с этим, дебатировался вопрос о том, кто при новом режиме имеет право на получение бесплатного места в зрительном зале. Некоторые радикально настроенные артисты и театральные критики предлагали отменить любые привилегии при посещении театров. Но представители правительства (комиссар Временного Правительства над бывшим Министерством императорского двора Ф.А. Головин и главноуполномоченный по государственным театрам Ф.Д. Батюшков) выработали новые правила, согласно которым многие привилегии были сохранены. Большинство «царских» лож было передано в пользование членам Временного Правительства, что вызвало разочарование у ряда театральных деятелей. Анализ борьбы за «царские ложи» и бесплатные места показывает, что преобразования, осуществленные Временным Правительством в государственных театрах, были далеко не такими глубокими, как ожидали многие артисты и работники сцены сразу после Февраля.
On the Formation of the Petersburg School of Medievalists in the Early Twentieth Century
Authors: Вадимович Свешников Антон
Published: November 2012

Статья посвящена рассмотрению процесса формирования петербургской школы медиевистики начала ХХ века. На основании понимания школы как малой социальной группы в статье вводится понятие «школообразующие практики». В качестве примера «школообразующих практик» петербургского сообщества медиевистов начала ХХ века рассматриваются учебные занятия, проводимые лидером школы, профессором И.М. Гревсом, и организованные им экскурсии учащихся в Италию.
Remembering Joseph Brodsky
Authors: Ramer Samuel C.
Published: November 2012

The present article is a memoir that recalls the author’s friendship with the Russian poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky. The author first met Brodsky in Leningrad in 1969 while a graduate student on the US-Soviet scholarly exchange, and they remained friends until Brodsky’s death in 1996. The memoir is chiefly devoted to the author’s encounters with Brodsky himself, but also offers a portrait of his parents and some of his friends within Russia. Brodsky emigrated from the Soviet Union in 1972, after which he took up residence in the United States. The memoir discusses the challenges that emigration posed, the ways that Brodsky met them, and finally the significant influence that Brodsky had on American literary culture.
Between the State and the Malam: Understanding the Forces that Shape the Future of Nigeria’s Qur’anic Schools
Authors: Baba Nasir Mohammed
Published: November 2012

The present paper attempts to answer the question: what accounts for the persistence of Qur’anic schools as separate schools operating at cross-purposes with the Nigerian state in the provision of education to millions of Muslim children officially reported to be “out of school?” To answer this question, the paper traces the long years of mutual isolation between the state and Islamic institutions, particularly in northern Nigeria, that was at first a product of colonisation, but subsequently a reflection of state failure to meet its obligations toward a people struggling to come to terms with the loss of their cultural and religious values as western influences became pervasive. The paper suggests that by remaining faithful to those values, ideas, and practices that hold together the cultural-religious essence of life, Qur’anic schools and their owners fill a void that neither the new religious elite nor the post-colonial Nigerian state has been able to recognize. The paper expresses concern, however, that although culturally-relevant, the bond between Qur’anic schools and their communities further isolates young generations of Nigerian Muslims from constructively engaging with the state. An inclusive state policy on education based on constructive engagement with the hidden clients of Nigeria’s submerged Qur’anic schools is what the country needs if these schools are to play any future positive role in education.
Developments in the Inter-American Human Rights System 2011-12: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Domestic Violence
Authors: Amao Olufemi
Published: November 2012

This article examines two recent and significant case law developments in the key institutions of the Inter-American Human Rights System, namely the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The cases are Karen Atala Riffo and Children v Chile and Jessica Lenahan (Gonzales) v United States. The two cases examined are significant because of the creativity employed in the interpretation of human rights provisions and the application of regional human rights standards to domestic violence issues.
Wealth and Growth-based Policies Augment Global Poverty and Erode Human Rights: A Return to Human-Centred Thinking
Authors: Bantekas Ilias
Published: November 2012

Growth-based policies only incidentally enhance socio-economic rights because the primary intended beneficiaries are those who provide capital for investment, namely investors and traders. Given, however, that investors are solely concerned with profit maximisation they have no direct interest in the wellbeing of local communities. The same is true for traders who have no qualms about commodifying the staple produce of an entire nation if it can fetch an adequate price in international markets. Since States compete each other on the basis of growth, they must also necessarily compete in reducing their public deficit, even if this means slashing pensions, free education, medical welfare and other fundamental socio-economic rights. One way of thinking of human-centred financial policies is by premising and validating them on their benefits to people rather to the State as an abstract financial entity. The second, and far more radical, argues against the use of money and monetary instruments and their replacement by wellbeing-based incentives.
Africanising Human Rights in the 21st Century: Gay Rights, African Values and the Dilemma of the African legislator
Authors: Ebobrah Solomon T.
Published: November 2012

Since the late 1990s, African political leaders have personified the disgust that African societies supposedly hold against homosexuality and sexual minorities. Relying on international human rights norms that require the protection of sexual minority rights, advocates have mounted sustained pressure on parliaments in Africa to decriminalise homosexuality and make law advantageous to sexual minorities. This article argues that focus on parliaments is not the best option as legislators face a dilemma when they have to choose between respect for international human rights norms and responsiveness to their electorates. This article does not argue that African lawmakers should be excused from a duty to ensure compliance with international human rights obligations undertaken by their respective states by decriminalising homosexuality. Rather, the article points out that in comparative terms, the judicial arms of African governments are better situated to provide leadership by recognising and safeguarding the rights of the most vulnerable minorities.
Interaural Differences of Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission Amplitudes in Patients with Unilateral Tinnitus
Authors: Park Joon Pyo , Lim Hyun Woo , Shim Byoung Soo , Kim Tae Su , Chung Jong Woo , Yoon Tae Hyun , Park Hong Ju
Published: November 2012

Objective

We aimed to determine whether abnormalities in outer hair cell (OHC) function were related to tinnitus through interaural comparison of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs).

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Tertiary care university teaching hospital.

Participants

Twenty‐seven patients with unilateral tinnitus and pure‐tone average of both ears ≤25 dB hearing loss (HL) at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz were included.

Subjects and Methods

Pure‐tone thresholds observed at 500 to 16,000 Hz and DPOAE amplitudes at f2 frequencies of 1001 to 6348 Hz were compared between the tinnitus ears and nontinnitus ears in patients with unilateral tinnitus.

Results

The pure‐tone averages (13 ± 6 dB HL) in the nontinnitus ears were similar to those (15 ± 6 dB HL) in the tinnitus ears. There were no differences in pure‐tone averages at all frequencies tested. While the DPOAE amplitudes measured at f2 frequencies of 1001 to 3174 Hz in tinnitus ears were not different from those in the nontinnitus ears, the tinnitus ears showed significantly reduced DPOAE amplitudes when compared with the nontinnitus ears at frequencies of 4004 to 6348 Hz.

Conclusion

OHC dysfunction was correlated with tinnitus at high frequencies, and DPOAE amplitudes can provide additional information about cochlear dysfunction, which is complementary to pure‐tone audiometry.
Listeners as spectators? Audio-visual integration improves music performer identification
Authors: Mitchell Helen F. , MacDonald Raymond A. R.
Published: November 2012

Listeners take for granted their capacity to distinguish between musical instruments, and their ability to discriminate between performers playing the same instrument by their sound alone. Sound perception is usually considered a purely auditory process, but there is significant debate on how auditory and visual information are integrated during listening. Two experiments examined how listeners perceive individual performers. Saxophonists ( n = 5) performed three jazz standards for an audio and video recording. Experiment 1 investigated listeners’ ability to identify individual saxophonists by ear. Listeners heard one saxophonist, and were later asked to identify him from a line-up of saxophonists. Only 52% of listeners could correctly identify their target. Experiment 2 explored the integration of cross-modal sensory experiences (audio and visual) in saxophonist identification. Participants either watched a silent video clip of a saxophonist playing and matched it to an audio clip of the same performer, or heard an audio clip of a saxophonist and matched it to a silent video clip. Listener/viewers reliably identified their target saxophonists, and results suggest that listeners combine cross-modal perceptions to identify individual performers, and can use the information about a performer in one modality and match it to the same performer in another modality.
Looking at the (mis) fortunes of others while listening to music
Authors: Arriaga Patrícia , Esteves Francisco , Feddes Allard R.
Published: November 2012

The present study examined whether eye movements when regarding pictures of other people in fortunate (positive) and unfortunate (negative) circumstances are influenced by background music. Sixty-three participants were randomly assigned to three background music conditions (happy music, sad music, or no music) where pairs of negative–positive pictures were shown. Participants’ eye movements were recorded throughout the experiment to assess distinct phases of attentional processes, i.e., initial orienting to, and subsequent engagement with, visual scenes. We found that these attentional processes were not uniformly influenced by the music. The type of background music had no effect on initial visual attention but played a relevant role in guiding subsequent gaze behaviour by maintaining attention in a mood-congruent fashion: sad music enhanced attentional bias to visual images of others in unfortunate circumstances, whereas happy music contributed to longer gazes at images of others in fortunate circumstances. These results support the notion that attention is affected by background music and reflected by gaze behaviour.
Peer workers’ role in smoking-cessation groups for people with mental illness
Authors: Ashton Maxie , Mulconray Sheryl , Weston Mark , Rigby Ashlee , Galletly Cherrie
Published: November 2012

Objectives:

The objective of this article is to evaluate the impact of peer workers’ involvement as co-leaders in smoking-cessation programmes provided within mental health services.

Method:

Group smoking-cessation programmes were provided for people living with mental illness. Peer workers were involved in the development and delivery of these programmes. Group participants and mental health workers were asked to respond to a questionnaire about their experience of the peer workers. The questionnaire included both Likert scales and qualitative responses.

Results:

Thirty-three mental health workers and 108 group participants completed the questionnaire. The majority of participants believed that the peer workers increased their confidence, helped them to learn about smoking cessation and promoted well-being. Mental health workers were also positive about the role of peer workers in the groups.

Conclusions:

This study supports the role of peer workers providing support and guidance within smoking-cessation programmes for people with mental illness. The results suggest that peer workers make a substantial contribution and that greater peer worker involvement in such programmes is likely to improve their acceptability and efficacy.
Effects of wear of friction material on performance of ultrasonic motor
Authors: Qu Jianjun , Guo Wenfeng , Wang Yanli
Published: November 2012

Friction material is one of the key components in an ultrasonic motor. The wear of the material affects the contact friction and output performance of the motor. A method which utilizes the equivalent wear of friction material to simulate the wear during operation is proposed based on the wear characteristics of the ultrasonic motor’s contact interface. A relationship between wear and performances of the ultrasonic motor is constructed. The influences of wear on output performance, friction coefficient of the contact interface, and wear morphology are researched in the experiments. According to the experiment’s results, with wear of friction material (decreasing thickness), the output performance of the ultrasonic motor presents a downward trend, the friction coefficient between contact interfaces decreases gradually, the friction-reducing ratio between contact interfaces increases gradually, and the wear between contact interfaces decreases. The results are helpful to understand operating performance, design, and select friction material of ultrasonic motor.
Using self-referential pronouns in writing: The effect of explicit instruction on L2 writers at two levels of proficiency
Authors: Abbuhl Rebekha
Published: November 2012

Skilled writers have at their disposal a range of rhetorical strategies for positioning themselves as competent members of a particular discourse community, including the judicious use of self-referential pronouns (e.g. I, she, he) to overtly signal authorial presence. However, while researchers routinely recommend that second language (L2) writers receive instruction on the use of this rhetorical strategy, empirical studies on the effect of such instruction are rare. The present study investigates the effect of explicit instruction on the ability of non-native speakers of English (NNS) ( n = 77) at two different levels of proficiency to use two signals of authorial presence (first person pronouns and self-referential third person pronouns/phrases) while writing specially constructed essay types. Using a controlled/posttest design with stimulated recall data, the study found that the instructed students significantly outperformed their non-instructed counterparts on Essay 1 (immediately after treatment), Essay 2 (one week later) and a quiz (one month later). The effect of the instruction did not depend on the proficiency of the student. Implications for L2 writing instruction are discussed.
Colesevelam improved lipoprotein particle subclasses in patients with prediabetes and primary hyperlipidaemia
Authors: Goldberg Ronald B , Rosenson Robert S , Hernandez-Triana Eric , Misir Soamnauth , Jones Michael R
Published: November 2012

Background:

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated lipid- and glucose-lowering effects of colesevelam in patients with prediabetes and primary hyperlipidaemia. We report the effect of colesevelam on lipoprotein particle concentration and particle size (determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) in these patients.

Methods:

Adults with prediabetes (World Health Organization criteria), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥ 100 mg/dL (≥2.6 mmol/L) and triglycerides < 500 mg/dL (<5.6 mmol/L) were randomised to colesevelam 3.75 g/day or placebo for 16 weeks. The intent-to-treat population comprised 103 colesevelam and 106 placebo recipients.

Results:

At the end of the study, mean reduction from baseline in total LDL particle concentration was significantly greater with colesevelam versus placebo (mean treatment difference: −113 nmol/L; p = 0.02). Increases in total very low-density lipoprotein particle concentration (VLDL-P) and high-density lipoprotein particle concentration (HDL-P) did not differ significantly between the groups; however, with colesevelam versus placebo, there were significantly ( p < 0.05) greater increases in large and medium VLDL-P and large HDL-P and reductions in small VLDL-P. Mean size increases were significantly greater with colesevelam for VLDL (mean treatment difference: 5.3 nm; p < 0.0001) and HDL (0.1 nm; p = 0.002).

Conclusions:

Colesevelam improved the overall atherogenic lipoprotein profile in adults with prediabetes and primary hyperlipidaemia, despite potentially less favourable changes in VLDL particles.
Evidence-based initiative to improve influenza immunisation participation among undergraduate nursing students
Authors: Koharchik Linda S , Hardy Elaine , Salman Khlood
Published: November 2012

This evidence-based practice study presents the outcome of specific intervention strategies that have been implemented to improve the immunisation status among undergraduate nursing students in a local university. These interventions included education about the importance of the influenza vaccine, email reminders about convenient times and influenza clinic locations, raffles, and an appeal to the moral responsibility that healthcare personnel have to their patients to increase immunisation. Despite these strategies, the overall percentage of nursing students receiving the influenza immunisation only slightly improved: from 43.1% (influenza season 2010–2011) to 46.3% (influenza season 2011–2012). Similar outcomes have been found with employers who have sought to improve employee influenza immunisation rates without mandating immunisation. Given the clinical settings where students are engaged, schools of nursing, regulatory agencies, and clinical sites should not overlook the impact of students on patients regarding influenza. In order to promote patient welfare, while employer-mandated influenza immunisation as a condition for employment becomes more prevalent, perhaps a similar approach may be required to promote influenza immunisation among nursing students.
CCX-CKR deficiency alters thymic stroma impairing thymocyte development and promoting autoimmunity
Authors: Bunting Mark D. , Comerford Iain , Seach Natalie , Hammett Maree V. , Asquith Darren L. , Körner Heinrich , Boyd Richard L. , Nibbs Robert J. B. , McColl Shaun R.
Published: November 2012

The atypical chemokine receptor CCX-CKR regulates bioavailability of CCL19, CCL21, and CCL25, homeostatic chemokines that play crucial roles in thymic lymphopoiesis. Deletion of CCX-CKR results in accelerated experimental autoimmunity induced by immunization. Here we show that CCX-CKR deletion also increases incidence of a spontaneous Sjögren's syndrome-like pathology, characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates in salivary glands and liver of CCX-CKR−/− mice, suggestive of a defect in self-tolerance when CCX-CKR is deleted. This prompted detailed examination of the thymus in CCX-CKR−/− mice. Negatively selected mature SP cells were less abundant in CCX-CKR−/− thymi, yet expansion of both DP and immature SP cells was apparent. Deletion of CCX-CKR also profoundly reduced proportions of DN3 thymocyte precursors and caused DN2 cells to accumulate within the medulla. These effects are likely driven by alterations in thymic stroma as CCX-CKR−/− mice have fewer cTECs per thymocyte, and cTECs express the highest level of CCX-CKR in the thymus. A profound decrease in CCL25 within the thymic cortex was observed in CCX-CKR−/− thymi, likely accounting for their defects in thymocyte distribution and frequency. These findings identify a novel role for CCX-CKR in regulating cTEC biology, which promotes optimal thymocyte development and selection important for self-tolerant adaptive immunity.
A high density recombination map of the pig reveals a correlation between sex-specific recombination and GC content
Authors: Tortereau Flavie , Servin Bertrand , Frantz Laurent , Megens Hendrik-Jan , Milan Denis , Rohrer Gary , Wiedmann Ralph , Beever Jonathan , Archibald Alan L , Schook Lawrence B , Groenen Martien AM
Published: November 2012

Background

The availability of a high-density SNP genotyping chip and a reference genome sequence of the pig (Sus scrofa) enabled the construction of a high-density linkage map. A high-density linkage map is an essential tool for further fine-mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for a variety of traits in the pig and for a better understanding of mechanisms underlying genome evolution.

Results

Four different pig pedigrees were genotyped using the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip. Recombination maps for the autosomes were computed for each individual pedigree using a common set of markers. The resulting genetic maps comprised 38,599 SNPs, including 928 SNPs not positioned on a chromosome in the current assembly of the pig genome (build 10.2). The total genetic length varied according to the pedigree, from 1797 to 2149 cM. Female maps were longer than male maps, with a notable exception for SSC1 where male maps are characterized by a higher recombination rate than females in the region between 91–250 Mb. The recombination rates varied among chromosomes and along individual chromosomes, regions with high recombination rates tending to cluster close to the chromosome ends, irrespective of the position of the centromere. Correlations between main sequence features and recombination rates were investigated and significant correlations were obtained for all the studied motifs. Regions characterized by high recombination rates were enriched for specific GC-rich sequence motifs as compared to low recombinant regions. These correlations were higher in females than in males, and females were found to be more recombinant than males at regions where the GC content was greater than 0.4.

Conclusions

The analysis of the recombination rate along the pig genome highlighted that the regions exhibiting higher levels of recombination tend to cluster around the ends of the chromosomes irrespective of the location of the centromere. Major sex-differences in recombination were observed: females had a higher recombination rate within GC-rich regions and exhibited a stronger correlation between recombination rates and specific sequence features.
In vitroantimalarial susceptibility and molecular markers of drug resistance in Franceville, Gabon
Authors: Zatra Rafika , Lekana-douki Jean Bernard , Lekoulou Faustin , Bisvigou Ulrick , Ngoungou Edgard Brice , Ndouo Fousseyni S Toure
Published: November 2012

Background

Malaria remains a major public health problem, due largely to emergence and widespread P. falciparum drug resistance. WHO recommends artemisinine combination based therapy (ACT) to overcome P. falciparum drug resistance, but reports of declining ACT efficacy have been published. A thorough understanding of the molecular bases of P. falciparum resistance to existing drugs is therefore needed. The aims of this study were to analyze the in vitro sensitivity of P. falciparum field isolates from Franceville, Gabon, to chloroquine (CQ), mefloquine (MF), dihydroartemisinine (DHA) and monodesethylamodiaquine (MDAQ), and to investigate polymorphisms associated with drug resistance.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 53 field isolates. Field isolates sensitivity to CQ, MF, DHA and MDAQ was assessed using the colorimetric DELI test. The Pfmdr1 codons 86 and 1246, Pfcrt (haplotype codon 72 to 76) and the PfATPAse6 codons 110 and 2694 were analysed by PCR-RFLP. Associations between drug sensitivity and parasite gene polymorphisms were evaluated with the Chi square test, and routine hematological parameters were analyzed with Fisher’s exact test implemented with Epinfo software. In all statistical tests, significance was assumed at p<0.05.

Results

A total of 46 P. falciparum isolates were successfully cultured in vitro and their sensitivity was tested. The proportions of isolates resistant to CQ, MF and MDAQ were 43.5%, 23.4% and 56.5%, respectively. Some isolates (23.9%) had DHA IC50 values higher than 10 nM. The median IC50 values were 71.67 (interquartile range (IQR, 1–438.2), 6.59 (IQR, 0.08-96), 64.79 (IQR, 0.09-448) and 6.45 nM (IQR, 0.09-23) for CQ, MF, MDAQ and DHA, respectively. The strongest correlation between diminished DHA sensitivity and MF resistance was observed (r2=0.73), followed by correlation between diminished DHA sensitivity and CQ resistance. Cross-resistance between CQ and MF was also observed. The prevalence of the 86Y and 1246Y mutations in Pfmdr1, 76T in Pfcrt, and 110A and 2694T in PfATPase6 was respectively 42% and 17.1%, 97.8%, and 0% and 22.2%.

Conclusion

These high levels of antimalarial drug resistance in Franceville, Gabon, call for reinforced surveillance of drug efficacy.
Testosterone deficiency causes penile fibrosis and organic erectile dysfunction in aging men. Evaluating association among Age, TDS and ED
Authors: Iacono Fabrizio , Prezioso Domenico , Ruffo Antonio , Illiano Ester , Romis Leo , Di Lauro G , Romeo Giuseppe , Amato Bruno
Published: November 2012

Introduction

We studied the possible correlation between age, testosterone deficiency, cavernosal fibrosis and erectile dysfunction (ED).

Methods

47 patients with ED were enrolled between September 2010 and October 2011. IIEF-EF score, NPTR test using the Rigiscan method, total and free testosterone levels, and cavernosum biopsy were carried out on all patients. Patients aged 65 or over were defined as Old Age (OA) while patients under 65 were defined Young age (YA). The strength of the relationships found was estimated by Odds Ratio.

Results

74% of patients with values of over 52% collagen fibers in the corpora cavernosa were found to have organic ED. A significant difference was found in age, percentage of collagen fibers, testosterone levels between patients with Positive Rigiscan (PR) and Negative Rigiscan (NR). Hypotestosteronaemia increased the risk of ED with PR (OR: 21.4, 95% CI: 20.2-22.6) and in both young age patients (OR: 4.3, 95% CI: 2.4-6.2) and old age patients (OR: 15.5, 95% CI: 13.4-17.6). Moreover cavernosal fibrosis increased the risk of ED with PR in both young age patients (OR: 8.2, 95% CI: 6.4-10.0 and old age patients (OR: 24.6, 95% CI: 20.8-28.4).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a strong association among age, testosterone deficiency, cavernosal fibrosis and ED with PR. Age, testosterone deficiency and cavernosal fibrosis are potentially correctable factors of cavernosal fibrosis and organic ED. Further, prospective studies are needed to evaluate if testosterone treatment, alone or in association with PDE5 inhibitors, may lower the risk of cavernosal fibrosis or decrease the severity the fibrosis in ED patients.