bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of two new and one known species of the closely related genera Cruznema Artigas, 1927 and Rhabpanus Massey, 1971 (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) with a discussion on their relationships
Authors: Tahseen Qudsia , Sultana Razia , Khan Rahmat , Hussain Ather
Published: April 2012

A new and a known species of Cruznema and a new species of the closely related Rhabpanus are described and illustrated. Cruznema helalii sp. n. is characterised by medium- to large-sized, robust individuals (L = 0.75-1.21 mm), punctate cuticle, sudden narrowing of body posterior to vulva, uterus with embryonating eggs, cuticularised and angular vulval lips, a pair of lateral cuticular flaps extending from anterior vulval lip up to anal opening, rounded peloderan, half-closed bursa and eight pairs of genital papillae in 2/2 + (P + 4) or 2/2 + (P + 3) + 1 configuration with precloacal papillae anteriorly directed. Cruznema tripartitum, the most commonly occurring species, is redescribed. Rhabpanus uniquus sp. n. is characterised by medium-sized, plump females (L = 0.61-0.63 mm, a = 11.0-11.2), punctate cuticle, six lateral lines, sexual dimorphism in lip region, anisomorphic metastegostom, presence of short post-uterine sac, a short conoid tail with small terminal spike, male with spicules having distinctly bilobed capitula and phasmids at level of GP6.
Suitability of celery cultivars to infection by populations of Meloidogyne hapla
Authors: Melakeberhan Haddish , Wang Wei
Published: April 2012

In addition to a limited number of commercially available cultivars, celery has least known status against plant-parasitic nematodes such as Meloidogyne hapla. The interactions of the cvs Dutchess and Green Bay, most widely used, and P-6848 Pybas and S-1355, new entries, and populations of M. hapla, Mh 1, Mh 2 and Mh 3, isolated from sandy/sandy loam soils, and Mh 4 and Mh 5, isolated from organic (muck) soil typical of celery production, were examined in a one nematode-generation glasshouse experiment. The tomato cv. Rutgers, a susceptible host on which the M. hapla populations were cultured, was used as a nematode viability control. Mh 5 followed by Mh 3 were the most infective of the populations of M. hapla. The celery cultivars ranged between 32% and 67% of the suitability of Rutgers tomato to M. hapla. In 3-month long experiments, inocula of 3500 and 9100 Mh 4 eggs (600 cm3 soil)−1 suppressed celery growth, suggesting the potential of these populations of M. hapla to cause yield loss. However, the varying degree of host suitability suggests that the severity of the problem will likely vary by cultivar and population of M. hapla. The study establishes numerical references for selecting cultivars and/or designing suitable location-specific management practices.
Revision and phylogeny of Tarvaia Allgén, 1934 (Nematoda: Tarvaiidae)
Authors: Holovachov Oleksandr , Holovachov Oleksandr , Fadeeva Natalia , Holovachov Oleksandr , Fadeeva Natalia , Tandingan De Ley Irma , Holovachov Oleksandr , Fadeeva Natalia , Tandingan De Ley Irma , Mundo-Ocampo Manuel , Holovachov Oleksandr , Fadeeva Natalia , Tandingan De Ley Irma , Mundo-Ocampo Manuel , Gingold Ruth , Holovachov Oleksandr , Fadeeva Natalia , Tandingan De Ley Irma , Mundo-Ocampo Manuel , Gingold Ruth , De Ley Paul
Published: April 2012

Descriptions of eight new and three known species of Tarvaia are given. Tarvaia pacifica sp. n. has cephalic capsule reaching posterior part of short amphids, amphidial shield without ornamentation, straight vagina with pars refringens vaginae, slightly asymmetrical spicules, gubernaculum with two dorsal apophyses, precloacal ridge present; T. algicola sp. n. has cephalic capsule with unevenly thickened walls reaching posterior part of short amphids, amphidial shield without ornamentation, straight vagina, apophyses absent, precloacal ridge present; T. carolinensis sp. n. has cephalic capsule reaching posterior part of short amphids, amphidial shield with ornamentation, sigmoid vagina, gubernaculum with a dorsal apophysis; T. longispiculata sp. n. has elongated cephalic capsule reaching posterior part of elongate amphids, amphidial shield without ornamentation, sigmoid vagina, unusually long spicules, gubernaculum with dorsal apophysis, precloacal ridge present; T. inaequalis sp. n. has short cephalic capsule reaching anterior third of elongate amphids, amphidial shield with ornamentation, straight vagina, strongly anisometric spicules, gubernaculum with caudal apophysis, precloacal ridge present; T. sakhalinensis sp. n. has short cephalic capsule reaching middle of short amphids, amphidial shield with distinct pores, symmetrical spicules, apophyses absent; T. tchesunovi sp. n. has cephalic capsule with unevenly thickened walls reaching posterior part of short amphids, amphidial shield without ornamentation, symmetrical spicules, apophyses absent; and T. ricordensis sp. n. has cephalic capsule reaching posterior part of short amphids, amphidial shield without ornamentation, straight vagina, symmetrical spicules, gubernaculum with dorsal apophyses. Updated descriptions of T. donsi, T. cladara and T. gerlachi are provided. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA suggests a close relationship between Tarvaia and Desmoscolecida.
The 16S rRNA gene of Pasteuria penetrans provides an early diagnostic of infection of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.)
Authors: Rao Uma , Mauchline Tim H. , Davies Keith G.
Published: April 2012

The molecular interactions between hosts and parasites is an active area of research, and the parasitism of root-knot nematodes, obligate parasites of plants, by the hyper-parasitic bacterium Pasteuria penetrans offers a model by which to investigate aspects of innate immunity. Using a pouch system we were able to demonstrate by PCR, infection of Meloidogyne incognita 4 days prior to any microscopic observations of parasitism. The pouch system, although not strictly axenic, offered a relatively clean, flexible approach with a greatly reduced number of contaminating microbial species than in any soil-based system, whereby the early stages of nematode infection could be manipulated and controlled.
Neochromadora alejandroi sp. n. (Chromadorida: Chromadoridae) and Cobbia macrodentata sp. n. (Monhysterida: Xyalidae), two new species of free-living marine nematodes from the Patagonian coast
Authors: Lo Russo Virginia , Pastor de Ward Catalina T.
Published: April 2012

Two new species belonging to the genera Neochromadora and Cobbia from the coastal zone of Patagonia, in the Río Negro and Chubut provinces of Argentina, are described. Neochromadora alejandroi sp. n. is characterised by gubernaculum and spicule shape, the presence of a thick cuticle on subventral tail area, shape of the pharyngeal bulb and length of the cephalic and somatic setae. Cobbia macrodentata sp. n. is characterised by the amphid position, the presence of a large dorsal tooth, the size and length of the cephalic setae, the shape of the gubernaculum which has small hooks at the distal end and the presence of precloacal pores. Keys to the species of both genera are provided.
Biological characterisation of Globodera pallida from Idaho
Authors: Blok Vivian C. , Phillips Mark S.
Published: April 2012

The white potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, was recently found in the USA and was identified using molecular and morphometric assessment. This paper examined some biological characteristics of the Idaho population of G. pallida. The samples of the original cysts showed that they had low rates of juvenile hatch and, consequently, low rates of reproduction when compared with glasshouse-reared populations. Virulence tests using sources of partial resistance from Solanum vernei and S. tuberosum ssp. Andigena CPC 2802 compared the Idaho population to European and South American populations of G. pallida. The Idaho population showed a virulence pattern comparable to other European populations in the Pa2/3 virulence group. The overall level of reproduction of the Idaho population on the resistant cultivars was the lowest of all the populations tested, suggesting that it is not highly virulent. These results are compatible with molecular characterisation, which indicates that this population is similar to the European gene pool.
Nematodes associated with the invasive quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) in the Colorado River Aqueduct reservoirs, southern California, USA
Authors: Reid Nicole J. , Holovachov Oleksandr , Anderson Michael A.
Published: April 2012

The nematode community inhabiting the mantle cavity of quagga mussels, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, in Copper Basin Reservoir and Lake Skinner was quantified and compared for the first time with the nematode community from the periphyton surrounding the mussels. Nematode species inhabiting the mantle cavity were also found in the periphyton, while the periphyton community always contained more species than the mantle cavity. Chromadorina bioculata was the dominant species in the mantle cavity and periphyton community in Lake Skinner and Copper Basin Reservoir. Our results suggest that nematodes found inside the mantle cavity of the mollusc do not have obligate symbiotic relationship with quagga mussels, but that they are free-living, entering from the periphyton community into the mantle cavity of the mussel, exhibiting neutralism.
Changes in the hepatic and renal structure and function after a growth promoter boldenone injection in rabbits
Authors: El-Moghazy Mostafa , Tousson Ehab , Sakeran Mohamed I.
Published: April 2012

Boldenone is an androgenic steroid that improves the growth and food conversion in food producing animals. In most countries worldwide, this anabolic steroid is forbidden for meat production. Recently, it is used by bodybuilders in both off-season and pre-contest, where it is well known for increasing vascularity while preparing for a bodybuilding contest. Therefore, our study was designed to investigate the possible effect of using growth promoter boldenone undecylenate on the rabbit liver and kidney structure and functions. Thirty-two adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into four groups. Control group includes animals that injected intramuscularly with olive oil and dissected after 3 weeks. Three experimental groups include animals that receive one, two and three intramuscular injections of 5 mg/kg body weight boldenone, respectively and dissected after 3, 6 and 9 weeks respectively, where the interval of each dose of boldenone was three weeks. Intramuscular injection of rabbits with boldenone increased the serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), urea and creatinine compared with the control group. We also found significant increases in the total protein, total lipid, nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver and kidney tissues compared with the control group. Intramuscular injection of rabbits with boldenone exhibited mild to severe histopathological lesions in liver tissue as hepatocellular vacuolation in the centrilobular region and sinusoids and in the kidney, the renal glomerulei had completely lost their typical shape with the appearance of some vacuoles of different shapes and sizes with markedly congested sinusoidal and dilated blood vessels. These findings suggest that misuse of growth promoter boldenone undecylenate may contribute to continuous damage of the hepatic and renal function and structure that may lead to a progressive hepatic and renal diseases, so people should be careful if they want to use such steroids to enhance their strength and endurance.
One new Myxosporean species, Triangula cirrhini sp. nov., and one known species, T. ludhianae (syn. M. ludhianae Gupta and Khera, 1991) comb. n. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea), infecting Indian major carp in Harike wetland of Punjab
Authors: Kaur Harpreet , Singh Ranjeet
Published: April 2012

Myxozoans are important metazoan parasites infecting variety of fishes all over the world. During our study of myxosporean parasites of fishes of Harike wetland, India,Triangula cirrhinisp. nov. and one already known species,Triangula ludhianae(syn.M. ludhainaeGupta and Khera, 1991) were recorded from mucous membrane covering the epithelial lining of primary gill lamellae ofCirrhina reba(Ham.) (Cyprinidae: Cypriniformes). Spores of the first species,T. cirrhinisp. nov., measure 6.7 × 6.6 μm, triangular, bowl-shaped in valvular view having broad and flattened anterior end and narrow rounded posterior end. 4-5 prominent sutural edge markings (parietal folds) are present around the posterior margin of shell valves. In some spores, 7-8 sutural edge markings are also present all around the circumference. Polar capsules are two, equal measuring 3.3 × 3.1 μm, running parallel to each other, bottle-shaped with fine ducts opening divergently at the anterior corner of the spore. A very large intercapsular process is present. Spores of the second species,Triangula ludhianae(syn.M. ludhianaeGupta and Khera, 1991) measure 8.4 × 6.9 μm, conical in valvular view having broad and flattened anterior end and narrow blunt posterior end. Polar capsules are two, large, equal, measuring 3.3 × 3.0 μm and bottled-shaped with fine ducts opening wide apart at the anterior corners of the spore. An intercapsular process is absent but a crescent-shaped depression is present at the anterior end in the intercapsular space. In the present study,M. ludhianaeis transferred to the genusTriangulaon the basis of spore morphology.
Multiple paternity in different populations of the sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna
Authors: Girndt Antje , Riesch Rüdiger , Schröder Christiane , Schlupp Ingo , Plath Martin , Tiedemann Ralph
Published: April 2012

Rates of multiple paternities were investigated in the sailfin molly (Poecilialatipinna), using eight microsatellite loci. Genotyping was performed for offspring and mothers in 40 broods from four allopatric populations from the south-eastern U.S.A. along a geographic stretch of 1200 km in west-east direction and approximately 200 km from north to south. No significant differences regarding rates of multiple paternities were found between populations despite sample populations stemming from ecologically divergent habitats. Even the most conservative statistical approach revealed a minimum of 70% of the broods being sired by at least two males, with an average of 1.80-2.95 putative fathers per brood. Within broods, one male typically sired far more offspring than would be expected under an assumed equal probability of all detected males siring offspring.
Annual variation in lung associated immunity and season dependent invasion of Alternaria alternata in lungs of Indian jungle bush quail, Perdicula asiatica
Authors: Kharwar R.K. , Haldar C.
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate annual variation in lung associated immune system (LAIS) along with general immunity ofPerdiculaasiaticaan Indian tropical bird. Variation in immunological parameters such as size of bronchus associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) and non-BALT nodules, percent stimulation ratio (%SR) of isolated lung lymphocytes, total leukocyte count (TLC) and lymphocyte count (LC) was noted along with circulatory hormonal levels i.e. melatonin and testosterone for two consecutive years. Lowest immune status in terms of small BALT and non-BALT nodular size, %SR, TLC and LC was noted in the month of April. Considering the relation between annual variation of the peripheral hormones melatonin and testosterone and immune status of this bird, we observed an inverse relationship. It could be that high testosterone (an immunosuppressor) and low melatonin (an immunostimulator) levels during summer months are responsible for low immunity. While studying annual variation in LAIS we observed a fungal pathogenAlternaria alternatapresent in the lungs only during April suggesting that invasion occurred at a particular month of harvest (April). During the month of April low lung immune status was recorded, which could be responsible for such an invasion. This bird is a game bird and consumed as food by common rural people. If this fungus is being ingested along with the birds it may cause diseases like bronchitis, asthma, etc. in human being. Hence, gaming of this bird during summer month (April) should be avoided.
The composition of fish communities of nine Ethiopian lakes along a north-south gradient: threats and possible solutions
Authors: Vijverberg Jacobus , Dejen Eshete , Getahun Abebe , Nagelkerke Leopold A.J.
Published: April 2012

Fish populations of nine Ethiopian freshwater lakes were quantitatively sampled with a standardized protocol, using multi-mesh gill nets. In total, 27 species were identified, but only 14 species were common. Based on the common species, the fish communities showed large differences in their species composition, except for Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo which were similar. Most fish species were observed in only one or two lakes. Compared with the information reported in literature the present study generally underestimated the species richness. The empirical model of Amarasinghe and Welcomme (2002) for African lakes was used to estimate fish species richness, which was compared with species presence reported in literature. Biodiversity in the two northern highland lakes is low, but not lower than the model estimate. Lake Tana has a high biodiversity which is close to what is estimated by the model, but three Rift Valley lakes have low biodiversity, lower than estimated by the model. There are also strong indications for the Rift Valley lakes that species richness was higher in the past because the species richness reported in the older literature was generally much higher than those observed by us in the present study and those reported in the more recent literature. Threats like overfishing, high sediment load and degradation of habitats were identified. It is recommended that Ethiopia should develop guidelines for fishery legislation and implement it through an enforcement agency. Moreover, catchments management should be practiced to save the water bodies and their fish communities.
International Governance, Responsibility and Management of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction
Authors: Freestone David
Published: April 2012

Abstract

This article is a summary of a keynote address given at the Symposium held at the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea at the University of Utrecht on 8 July 2011, the articles from which are collected in this Special Issue. It considers the threats facing the high seas and open ocean, and it considers the defects of the current state of governance of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), using the current efforts to protect the Sargasso Sea as an example. It then puts forward the case for the restatement of principles of ocean governance as part of a process within the UN to develop a new instrument to govern ABNJ.
Governance Principles for Areas beyond National Jurisdiction
Authors: Oude Elferink Alex G.
Published: April 2012

Abstract

There is a widely held view that there is a need to formulate a comprehensive set of general principles for the legal regime of maritime areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). On the basis of existing suggestions for a list of governance principles, the present report investigates how these principles might be formulated in more detail. The report concludes that most of the principles are already part of international law. The report submits that an advantage of drawing up an instrument on governance principles for ABNJ would be that it brings them together in one single document and would unequivocally recognize their relevance. To be effective, such an instrument should, in addition: contain commitments to apply and operationalize these principles; identify institutions and other actors which have a role in the implementation of these principles; and provide for reporting by these institutions and other actors to a global body allowing the assessment of the stage of implementation of the principles.
A discriminating education system: religious admission policies in Irish schools and international human rights law
Authors: Mawhinney Alison
Published: April 2012

Irish equality legislation permits discrimination in favour of co-religionists in admission policies to state-funded schools. This article examines whether Irish policies and practice in the area of pupil admissions meet and satisfy international human rights standards. In doing so it draws on material from interviews with parents and a survey to schools to provide an insight into how religious admission polices impact on the lives and rights of individuals. It concludes that by providing exemptions from equality legislation to religious schools, in a situation where these schools are in a near-monopolistic position, the Irish State is disregarding its responsibility to protect the right to non-discrimination, the right to education and the right to freedom of religion of those children and parents who do not adhere to the ethos of these religious bodies.
The Global Water Partnership: Between Institutional Flexibility and Legal Legitimacy
Authors: Fromageau Edouard
Published: April 2012

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) represents a new kind of institution that raises various interesting questions in terms of international institutional law. Established in 1996 as a “virtual organization”, it progressively evolved to become in 2002 a twofold institution structured around, on the one hand, a network without legal personality and, on the other hand, an international organization with full legal personality under international law. This article aims to analyze this unique structure and its consequences on membership and organic issues. The reasons underpinning this evolution will also be studied. If institutional flexibility prevailed in the early life of the institution, practical problems and concerns about legal legitimacy have led to a more formal structure in its later life. Principles such as those developed by the Global Administrative Law (GAL) project, namely legitimacy, transparency and accountability, have been also widely used to shape and organize this structure.
National “Beauty” and Yahweh’s “Glory” as a Dialectical Key to Ezekielian Theology
Authors: Willis John T.
Published: April 2012

Abstract

The message of the book of Ezekiel is addressed to three nations: Phoenicia (chaps 26-28), Egypt (chaps 29-32), and Judah. Its judgment oracles are predominantly “announcements of doom.” But at certain junctures the author states the “reason” for the coming destruction. In each case, the fundamental “reason” for imminent divine punishment is trust in one’s own “beauty” (yph): Phoenicia (27:3, 4, 11; 28:12, 17); Egypt (31:3, 8, 9); Judah (16:14, 15, 25). In stark contrast to this self-fascination, Yahweh’s “glory” (kbd) appears in a theophanic vision recurring throughout the book: over against Phoenicia (18:22), Egypt (31:18, by implication), and Judah/Jerusalem (1:28; 3:12, 23 [2x]; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4 [2x], 18, 19; 11:22, 23; 43:2 [2x], 4, 5; 44:4). This dialectic between Yahweh’s “glory” and nations’ preoccupation with their own “beauty” seems to be the theological thread which holds the book of Ezekiel together.
Age Related Changes to Perceptual Surround Suppression of Moving Stimuli
Authors: Karas Renee , McKendrick Allison M.
Published: April 2012

Perceptual analogues of centre–surround suppression have been applied as indirect measures of cortical inhibitory function in several clinical disorders. Two tasks have been used: a centre–surround contrast perception task and a motion direction discrimination task, where the stimulus size and contrast is varied to measure surround suppression effects. The tasks are markedly different, yet previous literature implies that both measures indirectly assess inhibitory function and that results will be complementary. This is not the case for age-related effects on surround suppression, however, as previous reports using the different measures are conflicting. Here we use a low-spatial frequency, drifting grating version of the centre–surround contrast perception task, and compare results to those obtained with the motion direction task in a single group of older observers. Older adults demonstrate significantly increased perceptual surround suppression of contrast for drifting, high contrast stimuli. Using the motion discrimination task, older observers showed similar amounts of surround suppression for the largest stimulus. This study confirms that visual surround suppression is altered by ageing. The complexity of neuronal systems involved in centre–surround interactions makes it unlikely that a single perceptual task will be sufficient to describe the effects of clinical disorders on surround suppression.
Quantifying Eye Stability During a Fixation Task: A Review of Definitions and Methods
Authors: Castet Eric , Crossland Michael
Published: April 2012

Several definitions, measurements, and implicit meanings of ‘fixation stability’ have been used in clinical vision research, leading to some confusion. One definition concerns eye movements observed within fixations (i.e., within periods separated by saccades) when observing a point target: drift, microsaccades and physiological tremor all lead to some degree of within-fixation instability. A second definition relates to eye position during multiple fixations (and saccades) when patients fixate a point target. Increased between-fixation variability, combined with within-fixation instability, is known to be associated with poorer visual function in people with retinal disease such as age-related macular degeneration. In this review article, methods of eye stability measurement and quantification are summarised. Two common measures are described in detail: the bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) and the within-isolines area. The first measure assumes normality of the underlying positions distribution whereas the second does not. Each of these measures can be applied to two fundamentally different kinds of eye position data collected during a period of target observation. In the first case, mean positions of eye fixations are used to obtain an estimate of between-fixation variability. In the second case, often used in clinical vision research, eye position samples recorded by the eyetracker are used to obtain an estimate that confounds within- and between-fixation variability.

We show that these two methods can produce significantly different values of eye stability, especially when reported as BCEA values. Statistical techniques for describing eye stability when the distribution of eye positions is multimodal and not normally distributed are also reviewed.
Bilirubin Levels and the Burden of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients With STEMI
Authors: Sahin Omer , Akpek Mahmut , Elcik Deniz , Karadavut Serhat , Simsek Vedat , Tulmac Murat , Orscelik Ozcan , Calapkorur Bekir , Ergin Ali , Kaya Mehmet G.
Published: April 2012

We investigated whether serum bilirubin level (a marker of heme oxygenase activity) is a predictor of high levels of SYNTAX score (SXscore) in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Patients (n = 281; male 77%; mean age 60 ± 12) who were admitted with ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was defined as SXscore <22 and group 2 was defined as SXscore ≥22. Total bilirubin levels were significantly higher in the high-SXscore group than in the low-SXscore group (0.86 ± 0.42 vs 1.02 ± 0.51, P = .005). A significant correlation was detected between total bilirubin and SXscore ( r = .42; P = .001). At multivariate analysis, total bilirubin (odds ratio: 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.04-3.35; P = .038) was an independent risk factor for high SXscore in patients with STEMI. In conclusion, serum bilirubin level is independently associated with SXscore in patients with STEMI.
Exploration of factors associated with social worker attitudes toward suicide
Authors: Kodaka Manami , Inagaki Masatoshi , Poštuvan Vita , Yamada Mitsuhiko
Published: April 2012

Background:

Social workers are expected to play important roles in suicide intervention. Caregiving behaviours of medical personnel to suicidal individuals have been reported to be influenced by their own attitudes toward suicide. In this context, only a limited number of studies have examined social workers’ attitudes toward suicide.

Aim:

The purpose of this study was to explore associations between personal or occupational factors of social workers and their attitudes toward suicide.

Methods:

A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 2,999 study participants registered with the Tokyo chapter of the Japanese Association of Certified Social Workers. We adopted the Attitudes Toward Suicide Scale (ATTS) to measure attitudes toward suicide. MANCOVA was used to test for the effects of demographic, personal and occupational factors on ATTS sub-scale scores.

Results:

Participants with a history of suicidal thoughts had stronger attitudes regarding the right to suicide than those with no history; these attitudes were not affected by a history of participating in suicide-prevention training.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that suicide education should incorporate programmes directed at altering permissive attitudes toward suicide.
Contesting religious educational discourses and institutions in contemporary Egypt
Authors: Aşik Mehmet Ozan
Published: April 2012

The author aims to examine the perceptions and practices of the state and different Islamist groups with regard to religious education in Egypt from the 1970s onwards. The rise of Islamism in Egypt has created strife between the ruling elites and dissident Islamist groups, as both sides seek to capture the religious discourse and control religious socialization through mass education. This strife has resulted in the emergence of alternative Islamic educational areas such as private Islamic schools and Al-Azhar schools. The Mubarak government in Egypt seeks to institutionalize a discourse in state religious education. The reactions of moderate and radical Islamist groups to such efforts have produced important, unintended consequences that may be seen to have undermined the legitimacy of the regime.
Fundamentalism and the changing religious field
Authors: Duschinsky Robbie
Published: April 2012

Drawing on sources from across the sociology of religion, this article argues that processes associated with modernisation have facilitated the emergence of fundamentalist movements by transforming the religious field. First, an increase in certain forms of reflexivity has disrupted the close fit between the field and the disposition of individuals, causing them to look for new narratives that can give authenticity to their lives. Second, in every religion there exists to some extent a plurality of sites of authority, but the intensification of this plurality has resulted in the emergence of new strategies in the religious field and the formation of new social organisations. Third, the failure of national institutions to provide economic and social certainties and security has made these new organisations attractive to individuals seeking a source of social and symbolic order.
Religion as the source of the self: Max Weber’s hypothesis
Authors: Farris Sara R
Published: April 2012

Amidst the recent resurgence of interest in religion as one of the main ‘sources of the self’, Max Weber’s argument in the Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie can make an important contribution. The importance of individuation 1 to the rise of capitalism in Weber’s account has usually been related to the process of autonomisation of the individual from the ‘community of blood’ that took place in the Jewish-Christian tradition in the West. The author argues that Weber in fact proposed a much more sophisticated reconstruction of the processes of individuation than is commonly supposed. By means of a comparative reconstruction of the relation between religion, individual and society in several cultural contexts, Weber proposed a complex analysis of different processes of individuation, in which the notion of ‘personality’ plays a crucial role.
La religion en pratique. Le port du voile dans l’espace sportif en Tunisie
Authors: Lachheb Monia
Published: April 2012

The author aims to analyze the experience of wearing the veil in the sporting space in Tunisia. This experience articulates, in effect, two contradictory social practices: the practice of religion that respects Islamic values and the practice of sport characterized by specific ways of presenting the body in a space dominated by men. The qualitative analysis of a corpus of semi-structured interviews reveals a logic of negotiation adopted by veiled women engaging in sport. It can be identified in the way they adjust their movements when engaging in sport and the way they cope with mixed sporting activities. The practices thereby identified reflect the shifting religious attitudes in Tunisia and the plurality of modes of being a veiled woman in Islamic countries.
The aristocracy of the will: a critique of Pierre Bourdieu with illustrations from Chile
Authors: Thumala Olave María Angélica
Published: April 2012

While the consumption of cultural products has for long been recognised as a marker of social status, cultural consumption constitutes only one possible type of high status signal. Ethical preferences and religiously inspired behaviour can be important sources of prestige. The present article focuses on the Catholic tradition of the education of the will and the exercise of religious virtues as part of an aristocratic ideal amongst Chile’s business elite. The interpretation provided, however, does not equate religious preferences to strategic behaviour. Contrary to Bourdieu’s work on distinction and to the analyses produced by sociologists who apply his conceptual apparatus to the study of religion, the author argues that the religiously inspired ideals of self-discipline and ethical action cannot be understood fully if they are seen as guided by interests. The author’s analysis takes seriously the idea that individuals may pursue religious aims because they value them in themselves and have true commitments to religious norms.
Criminal Self-Efficacy
Authors: Brezina Timothy , Topalli Volkan
Published: April 2012

Self-efficacy refers to the belief that one can perform successfully at a given task or endeavor. Previous research indicates that self-efficacy in relation to conventional pursuits (e.g., performance in school) is associated with positive social adjustment. However, the possibility that individuals may develop self-efficacy in relation to nonconventional pursuits—including crime and delinquency—remains largely unexplored. In this study, the authors adopt a multimethod approach to explore (a) offenders’ personal judgments regarding their level of effectiveness or “success” at crime, (b) the factors that contribute to high criminal self-efficacy, and (c) the impact of self-efficacy judgments on offenders’ future intentions. Results of quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal that many offenders maintain a strong sense of criminal efficacy despite past arrests, convictions, and incarceration. Moreover, criminal self-efficacy tends to reduce their intentions to desist from crime. Implications for punishment, deterrence, and criminological theory are discussed.
The American Occupation Regime in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Lammers Cornelis J.
Published: April 2012

Taking as a starting point the case of Iraq, it is argued that the administration of this country by the Coalition from May 2003 onward, is an American example of a culture-bound type of occupation. Already in the early eighteenth-century international differences in occupation regimes between France, England, and the Dutch Republic are discernable. Therefore, in all likelihood, the United States also developed in the course of their history a characteristic pattern of controlling foreign territories. This American modus occupandi could very well stem from the English style of occupying, but may differ in two important respects: it usually is a “short-winded affair,” and it can either come down to a rather peaceful “laissez-faire” or to a war-like type of occupation. Finally, the question is discussed in how far such a style of occupation can result in a more or less “constructive” form of foreign domination. In the author’s impression, occupational “success” or “failure” probably depends as much, if not more, on the state of the occupied system—to wit, the degree of unison between native elites—as on the strategy of the occupant.
The Turkish Military
Authors: Sarigil Zeki
Published: April 2012

One of the defining features of Turkish politics has been the strong influence of the military in civilian politics. However, since the early 2000s, we have seen unprecedented developments, substantially constraining the political powers of the military. How can we interpret this period from a historical perspective? What are the continuities and discontinuities in Turkish civil–military relations? Do these developments mark the end of military guardianship in the country? Employing the principal–agent framework, this study shows that the path of Turkish civil–military relations has been cyclical, where the status of the military has swung between agent and principal. Such swings have led to a significant degree of variance in the nature of the military guardianship. Thus, this study identifies two distinct stages of military tutelage during the Republican period: symbolic (1924–1960) and overt/ assertive (1960–2001). It is further argued that the recent reversion of the military back to agent of the civilian principals has initiated a post-guardianship era in Turkey.
Population Growth in Late-Nineteenth-Century Bogotá
Authors: Sowell David
Published: April 2012

A lack of reliable statistical information hampers the analysis of Bogotá’s nineteenth-century demographic history. Census data suggest rapid changes—both declines and increases—that challenge the accuracy of official statistics. Two heretofore unused sources suggest a more stable rate of demographic expansion over the course of the nineteenth century, indicating that the 1851 and 1870 censuses seriously undercounted the city’s residents. The rapid expansion after 1870 stemmed from increased native birth rates, but more importantly by migrants from eastern highland communities.
The Machine in the City
Authors: Schmucki Barbara
Published: April 2012

This article explores how tramways were publically appropriated, in what way people responded to the new modes of transport, and how they integrated them into their lives and urban environments. The approach of public appropriation shifts the focus away from the technology and tramway companies to the users of the new modes and opens the field to the analysis of the interrelationship between transport technology and urban cultures in a comparative perspective. The study concludes that people were more critical of horse than of electric tramways. The often-quoted “massive public opposition” to electrification turns out to be much weaker than hitherto assumed. Only by the mid-1910s had the urban masses, upper classes, and workers fully appropriated them as modes to serve their working and leisure habits, as fashionable and as a very positive and visual sign for the ability and prestige of the city and an urban community.
“A Period of Turmoil”
Authors: Ribeiro Alyssa
Published: April 2012

Though riots themselves have often been studied, scholars know little about their short-term effects. This article considers the five-year period following Pittsburgh’s April 1968 riots, which allows scholars to see a moment of possibility not as evident in the long term. The riots ushered in opportunity for reform by making an abstract sense of crisis acute. They influenced change in local government, soured already strained police–community relations, hurt black business districts, and exacerbated racial tensions. Pittsburgh’s black community still made some incremental progress. But overall, local power structures persisted as budget concerns and an increasingly polarized community prevented sweeping changes to improve racial disparities. The Pittsburgh case bears similarity to national trends and reveals both the possibilities and limitations of this type of protest.
Oldest Old Long-Term Care Recipients
Authors: Park-Lee Eunice , Sengupta Manisha , Bercovitz Anita , Caffrey Christine
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine socio-demographic and health characteristics of the oldest old receiving services from three types of long-term care (LTC) providers. About 45% of nursing home residents in 2004 and 22% of home health care patients and 38% of discharged hospice care patients in 2007 were 85 years and older. The oldest old across the three LTC settings were predominantly White and women. More than two thirds of oldest old nursing home residents, home health care patients, and discharged hospice care patients needed assistance in performing three or more activities of daily living (ADLs) and were bladder incontinent. Hypertension and heart disease were the two most common chronic health conditions that the oldest old LTC recipients had across the care settings. Results provide a baseline that can be used to make comparisons with other new and emerging LTC providers like residential care and home care.
Predictors of Subjective Life Expectancy Among African Americans
Authors: Irby-Shasanmi Amy
Published: April 2012

Few researchers examine how long African Americans expect to live. Using the fifth wave of the Harlem Longitudinal Study of Urban Black Youth, 1993-1994, the author explores the extent to which established predictors of subjective life expectancy (SLE), identified in predominantly and exclusively White samples, predict SLE among African Americans living in an urban area. The analyses reveal that some established predictors are associated with how long African Americans expect to live; others are not. Additionally, I examine two unexplored categories of SLE: stress and social network characteristics. Findings suggest that some measures of stress have a negative relationship to SLE, while other forms of stress have a positive relationship to SLE. In general, network characteristics are associated with how long African Americans expect to live.
About the heart, where it hurt exactly, and how often
Authors: Gavins Joanna , Stockwell Peter
Published: April 2012

Stylisticians were among the first to draw on the insights emerging from cognitive science in order to explore literary works. Recent years have witnessed a wider diffusion of the cognitive turn across literary scholarship, with developments into literary cultural studies and historiography. Unfortunately, this has sometimes been accompanied by a relative neglect of textuality and texture. In this article, we argue again for the necessary centrality of stylistics in literary scholarship, and the continuing requirement to make textuality an integral part of cognitive poetic exploration. We demonstrate the value of Text World Theory ( Gavins, 2007a , Werth, 1999 ) in requiring this integration as an inherent feature of the approach, in the process of exploring reading responses to an emotionally involving poem by Simon Armitage.
Health Care Access Affects Attitudes About Health Outcomes and Decisions to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits
Authors: Chapman Shawna L. , Hall Jean P. , Moore Janice M.
Published: April 2012

This article reports on qualitative findings from a mixed methods study that explored the efficacy of providing enhanced health benefits and services to people with chronic health conditions to reduce their application rates to federal disability programs. Comparing an intervention and control group, the study found that those who received enhanced benefits had reduced health decline. To explore reasons for this reduction, authors conducted focus groups with a sample of participants from both groups. Four themes emerged: (a) Due to the effects of their conditions, most participants believed their health would worsen over time; (b) Intervention group members said their health deterioration would be slowed or prevented, while control group members worried about more rapid decline and the future; (c) Intervention group members related their beliefs about continued health to their ability to access care; (d) Control group members were more likely than intervention group members to indicate they applied or were interested in applying for social security disability benefits. These themes suggest that people who believe they have access to quality health care feel their health can and will improve over time. If health care reform leads to the availability of more comprehensive coverage for people with potentially disabling conditions, growth in federal disability programs may slow.
Examining the Experiences and Decisions of Parents/Guardians
Authors: Gross Judith M. S. , Wallace Luchara , Blue-Banning Martha , Summers Jean Ann , Turnbull Ann
Published: April 2012

Participant direction is a service delivery model in which the consumer of public benefits, or his or her surrogate decision maker, exercises some level of choice and control over the consumer’s supports and services. In this case study, the authors examined the decisions and experiences of parents/guardians who directed supports and services for an adult with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (SIDD). Respondents included the parents/guardian of the adult as well as others in the circle of support identified by the parents/guardians. Data analysis revealed an overarching theme in which respondents perceived participant direction as a means to achieve an end, with the end being their desired outcomes for the adult with SIDD. Implications for policy include developing and providing supportive services to adults with SIDD and their parents/guardians due to the increased responsibilities associated with directing supports and services for the adult with a SIDD.
Auditory Spatial Processing in the Human Cortex
Authors: Salminen Nelli H. , Tiitinen Hannu , May Patrick J. C.
Published: April 2012

The auditory system codes spatial locations in a way that deviates from the spatial representations found in other modalities. This difference is especially striking in the cortex, where neurons form topographical maps of visual and tactile space but where auditory space is represented through a population rate code. In this hemifield code, sound source location is represented in the activity of two widely tuned opponent populations, one tuned to the right and the other to the left side of auditory space. Scientists are only beginning to uncover how this coding strategy adapts to various spatial processing demands. This review presents the current understanding of auditory spatial processing in the cortex. To this end, the authors consider how various implementations of the hemifield code may exist within the auditory cortex and how these may be modulated by the stimulation and task context. As a result, a coherent set of neural strategies for auditory spatial processing emerges.