bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on the Extinction of an Adverse Associative Memory
Authors: Ashton John C. , Smith Paul F. , Darlington Cynthia L.
Published: August 2007

The cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is currently being employed or tested for a number of therapeutic uses. Cannabinoid CB1 receptors are critically involved in adverse memory extinction. It is not known whether an unintended effect of Δ9-THC is increased extinction rates of adverse memories. We therefore tested the effect of Δ9-THC on adverse memory extinction using an auditory-stimulus/foot shock paradigm. We found that repeated administration of a high dose of Δ9-THC over 6 days retarded extinction compared with controls. This is in contrast to other reports and might be a result of endocannabinoid signalling dysfunction due to cannabinoid receptor densensitization.
Selective Logging, Habitat Quality and Home Range Use by Sympatric Gorillas and Chimpanzees: A Case Study from an Active Logging Concession in Southeast Cameroon
Authors: Arnhem E. , Dupain J. , Drubbel R. Vercauteren , Devos C. , Vercauteren M.
Published: August 2007

We examined range use by great apes during logging activities and investigated associations between local variations in ape abundance and changes in the structure of the habitat or in the availability of fruits after disturbances. We carried out two annual censuses of western lowland gorilla(G. g. gorilla)and chimpanzee populations(Pan t. troglodytes)in an active logging concession in Southeast Cameroon. The results suggest that gorillas may adapt their range use to avoid most recently logged compartments, while chimpanzees appear to be more spatially resilient to logging. In our study site, selective logging affected 10% of the forest. After logging, gorillas nested in all types of vegetation, while chimpanzees nested exclusively in mixed mature forest. Fruit availability was not affected by logging and did not explain the distribution of ape nests in the study area.
A Case of Early Diagnosed Carnitine Deficiency Presenting with Respiratory Symptoms
Authors: Erguven Muferet , Yılmaz Oznur , Koc Seher , Cakı Suar , Ayhan Yusuf , Donmez Metin , Dolunay Gulderen
Published: August 2007

Introduction: Carnitine deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited disease characterized by a low carnitine concentration in plasma and tissues. Primary carnitine deficiency (PCD) is caused by a deficiency in the plasma membrane carnitine transporter, with urinary carnitine wasting causing systemic carnitine depletion. The most common presentation of PCD is hypoketotic hypoglycemic encephalopathy. Cardiomyopathy can also be seen. Case Report: A 9-month-old girl was admitted to our clinic with wheezing, respiratory distress and nighttime cough. She was pale, expirium was prolonged, breath sounds were coarse bilaterally and were increased in the right hemithorax. Results: She had hypochromic microcytic anemia and the serum CPK level was elevated. Cardiothoracic index was increased (0.62). In the chest X-ray there was hyperaeration especially in the upper regions of the left lung, and paracardiac infiltration in the right lung. The echocardiogram showed dilated cardiomyopathy. In pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy, perfusion of the right lung was 26% and of the left lung 74%. Cardiomegaly and dilatation in main the pulmonary artery was detected in the MR angiogram. Plasma carnitine and acylcarnitine levels were found to be significantly low. Fat accumulation in myocytes and rare atrophic fibers were detected in a muscle biopsy. Oral carnitine supplementation was started at a dose of 100 mg/kg. All the symptoms and findings regressed within a short period of time. Discussion: This case was presented to emphasize that carnitine deficiency can present with respiratory tract symptoms like wheezing and recurrent respiratory tract infections. Although PCD usually presents with hypoketotic hypoglycemia in infants, it also has to be suspected in the etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy. Treatment is very easy and lifesaving once the correct diagnosis is made, and the prognosis is excellent with lifelong carnitine supplementation.
Overall Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of Vegan Diets in Relation to Plasma Lipoproteins and Triacylglycerols
Authors: Waldmann Annika , Ströhle Alexander , Koschizke Jochen W. , Leitzmann Claus , Hahn Andreas
Published: August 2007

Background: To investigate the overall glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and intake of dietary fiber, and to examine the associations between these factors and plasma lipoproteins and triacylglycerols in adult vegans in the German Vegan Study (GVS). Methods: Cross-sectional study, Germany. Healthy men (n = 67) and women (n = 87), who fulfilled the study criteria (vegan diet for ≧1 year prior to study start; minimum age of 18 years; no pregnancy/childbirth during the last 12 months) and who participated in all study segments. Results: The average dietary GL of the GVS population was 144, and the average GI was 51.4. The adjusted geometric mean total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol concentrations decreased across the increasing quartiles of GL, carbohydrate and dietary fiber intake. The associations between total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and GL density and GI were inconsistent. Also, associations between GI, GL, the intake of carbohydrates, and triacylglycerol concentration were not observed. Conclusions: Fiber-rich vegan diets are characterized by a low GI and a low to moderate GL. The data do not support the hypothesis that a carbohydrate-rich diet per se is associated with unfavorable effects on triaclyglycerols that would be predicted to increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Implants of Estradiol Conjugated to Bovine Serum Albumin in the Male Rat Medial Preoptic Area Promote Copulatory Behavior
Authors: Huddleston Gloria G. , Paisley Jacquelyn C. , Graham Sean , Grober Matthew S. , Clancy Andrew N.
Published: August 2007

The expression of mating behavior in male rats is dependent on estrogen-responsive neurons in the medial preoptic area (MPO). Previous reports showed that mating is attenuated if the aromatization of testosterone to estradiol (E2) is blocked in the MPO and that mating is maintained by MPO E2 implants. However, the mechanisms by which E2 exerts its action are not fully understood. It had been thought that E2 acted exclusively by binding to nuclear estrogen receptors to exert it effects; however, recent reports suggest that E2 also binds to membrane-associated receptors activating downstream intracellular cascade responses. In this study, we aimed to determine if an action of E2 at the cell surface is sufficient to support mating behavior. Therefore, either vehicle, E2, or E2 conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA-E2: a complex of E2 and a large protein that will not cross the plasma membrane, thereby restricting the action of E2 to cell surface signaling) was chronically administered bilaterally to the MPO of castrated, dihydrotestosterone-treated male rats. Mating behavior was supported by MPO BSA-E2 implants, suggesting that E2 operates in the MPO via a cell surface mechanism to facilitate male rat mating behavior.
Podocyte Antigens and Glomerular Disease
Authors: Ronco Pierre , Debiec Hanna
Published: August 2007

Background: Membranous nephropathy (MN), a major cause of nephrotic syndrome in the adult, is an immune-mediated disease characterized by the accumulation of subepithelial immune deposits leading to complement activation and podocyte injury. However, the target antigens of circulating antibodies are unknown. Current treatments for patients with MN are entirely empirical, and concept-driven therapies are dramatically lacking. Methods: Specificity of circulating antibodies and composition of glomerular deposits were analyzed in Heymann nephritis (HN), a faithful rat model of MN, and in a subset of patients with antenatal MN. Results: 20 years after the identification of megalin as the podocyte target antigen of nephritogenic antibodies in HN, we identified the human counterpart of megalin, the enzymatic podocyte antigen neutral endopeptidase (NEP). Antibodies to megalin or NEP induce formation of subepithelial immune deposits and of C5b-9, the membrane attack complex of complement. Conclusion: It is likely that antigens involved in idiopathic MN are expressed at the podocyte membrane. Their identification together with that of immunodominant epitopes may lead to specific antigen/ epitope-based immunotherapy aimed at inducing specific tolerance.
Justice, Cynicism, and Commitment
Authors: Bernerth Jeremy B. , Armenakis Achilles A. , Feild Hubert S. , Walker H. Jack
Published: August 2007

Recent theoretical and empirical studies have begun to address the commonality between organizational justice and organizational change efforts. In the present study, the authors build on these efforts by investigating the interactive effects of three forms of organizational justice on affective change commitment following the spin-off of a durable goods manufacturer from its parent corporation. Results indicated interactional justice interacted with both procedural and distributive justice. The authors also found procedural and interactional justice predicted organizational cynicism, and each form of justice interacted with cynicism to predict change commitment. Implications for organizations going through a change are discussed.
Down but Not Out: Union Resurgence and Segmented Neocorporatism in Argentina (2003–2007)
Authors: Etchemendy Sebastián , Collier Ruth Berins
Published: August 2007

The shift from state-led import-substitution industrialization to more market-oriented economic models often has the result of shrinking and demobilizing the labor movement. Yet, evidence from Argentina suggests that a subsequent resurgence of even a downsized labor movement may occur and furthermore that a type of “segmented neocorporatism” may be established in the new economic context. We argue that the establishment of this new form of interest intermediation is driven by economic and political factors that are both immediate and longer term. In addition to the short-term condition of the labor market and the political strategy of the government in power, of longer-term importance are structural and institutional conditions that derive from the earlier process of market reform, specifically the nature of sectoral shifts in the economy and the degree of labor law deregulation affecting the “associational power” of unions.
The Social Construction of Sex Trafficking: Ideology and Institutionalization of a Moral Crusade
Authors: Weitzer Ronald
Published: August 2007

The issue of sex trafficking has become increasingly politicized in recent years due to the efforts of an influential moral crusade. This article examines the social construction of sex trafficking (and prostitution more generally) in the discourse of leading activists and organizations within the crusade, and concludes that the central claims are problematic, unsubstantiated, or demonstrably false. The analysis documents the increasing endorsement and institutionalization of crusade ideology in U.S. government policy and practice.
Competitive Equilibrium and the Social Ethos: Understanding the Inegalitarian Dynamics of Liberal Market Economies
Authors: Tsakalotos Euclid
Published: August 2007

Economic explanations of inequality in liberal economies often appeal to social norms. This article argues that recent economic policies and institutional interventions, in favor of deregulation and away from participatory practices in both the political and economic spheres, have elicited norms that increasingly resemble those of the economic theory that has informed these interventions. This has altered the social ethos in an inegalitarian direction—individuals are more likely to conceive of themselves as acquisitive maximizers in their daily life, and there has been a reduction in the number of institutional settings for people to deliberate on their values, commitments, and other priorities.
Deficits, Expectations and Paradigms in British and American Drug Safety Assessments
Authors: Abraham John , Davis Courtney
Published: August 2007

This article examines the regulation of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), with particular focus on products approved for marketing in the United Kingdom, while denied marketing approval in the United States on safety grounds, and then subsequently withdrawn from the UK market on those grounds. Using international comparison of regulatory data never before accessed outside government and companies, together with interviews with relevant industry scientists and regulators, the article demonstrates the importance of regulatory expectations, deficits and paradigms. It is argued both that these sociological concepts can be enriched by their application to detailed comparative case study of regulatory science, and that they provide an important policy-relevant framework with which to understand discrepant drug regulatory processes in a sociohistorical context. It is found that regulatory expectations and paradigms may be regarded as mediating factors between political culture and structural interests, on the one hand, and the outcomes of regulatory science (including deficits), on the other.
Media, Metaphors and Modelling
Authors: Nerlich Brigitte
Published: August 2007

The relation between theoretical models and metaphors has been studied since at least the 1950s. The relation between metaphors and mathematical modelling is less well researched. This article takes the media coverage of the foot and mouth modelling exercise in 2001 as an occasion to examine the metaphors of mathematical modelling that were proposed by the UK press during that time to make sense of this new scientific policy tool. One can detect a gradual change in metaphor use by the newspapers from conceptualizing modellers as detectives and models as mapping tools to modellers as soldiers and heroes, to modellers as liars and models as tools to distort the truth. This seems to indicate a shift in reporting from seeing models as a legitimate and "objective" basis used by decision makers to pursue science-based policies towards seeing models as tools used to legitimize increasingly difficult political decisions.
Crossing Boundaries Social Science in the Policy Room
Authors: Webster Andrew
Published: August 2007

This article discusses the relationship between a deconstructivist method in science and technology studies (STS) and the more recent moves towards a reconstructivist engagement with science and science policy making. Drawing on examples from the author's own research, the article identifies three forms of engagement and their relative utility and limitations. The article argues that these are typical of STS work that seeks direct engagement with science policy making and which could form the basis for a more "serviceable STS" that retains its critical and independent perspective on science. The paper concludes by arguing that the analysis has important implications for the ways in which STS expertise can articulate with science policy making.
How Many Policy Rooms are There?
Authors: Nowotny Helga
Published: August 2007

In my response to Andrew Webster's examples I point to certain limitations, while fully supporting the thrust of his argument for a re-engagement of science and technology studies (STS) with policy making. When analyzing the policy implications of knowledge, the larger context must be considered. New criteria, like transparency, have arisen and the tendency for evidence-based policy making has become widespread. The managerial side of policy making emphasizes that "only what can be measured, can be managed." The crucial question is how well prepared-and how willing-the STS community is to tackle policy making in this new guise. In the end, what is needed are institutions that are capable of developing their own reflexivity-a task to which STS can certainly contribute, but the road to be taken may be less direct than Andrew Webster suggests.
Dazzled by the Mirage of Influence?
Authors: Wynne Brian
Published: August 2007

Andrew Webster proposes that science and technology studies (STS) align itself more thoroughly with practical policy contexts, actors and issues, so as to become more useful, and thus more a regular actor in such worlds. This commentary raises some questions about this approach. First, I note that manifest influence in science or policy or both should not become-by default, or deliberately-a criterion of intellectual quality for STS research work. I distinguish between (1) reflective historical work, which delineates the contingent ways in which existing policy and technoscientific cultures have become entrenched as such inscribed and perhaps dysfunctional institutional habit; and (2), work of the kind that Webster's three case studies exemplify, that is, geared to influence policy-decision outcomes. I suggest that many of the important issues facing STS-and "policy"-are not explicit "policy-decision issues" as such, but implicit "policy syndromes" that need naming, diagnosing and open, if enforced, institutional reflection.
Young Adolescent Boys and Dating Violence
Authors: Próspero Moisés
Published: August 2007

This study investigated gender and age differences in the perceptions of dating violence using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Focus groups were conducted to develop culturally appropriate questionnaires consisting of dating scenarios that may lead to dating violence. The participants were asked to provide their perceptions and behavioral reactions to the dating scenarios. The study found that young adolescent boys were significantly more likely to respond aggressively toward dating partners than were young adolescent girls, women, and men. These findings have implications for practitioners who are charged with preventing dating violence among adolescents, specifically boys.
Economic Education for Battered Women
Authors: Sanders Cynthia K. , Weaver Terri L. , Schnabel Meg
Published: August 2007

Economic education programs that are intended to improve financial literacy have gained significant attention in recent years as one strategy for promoting social and economic development, especially among poor and disadvantaged groups. The aims of such programs are to increase awareness of financial choices, opportunities, and consequences. The role that poverty and financial matters play in intimate partner violence has also received increasing attention among advocates for victims of domestic violence. This study examined the financial literacy outcomes of an economic education program that was created specifically for battered women using a quasi-experimental design. The findings indicate limited gains in financial knowledge and significant improvements in financial self-efficacy and highlight the need for further research.
Domestic Violence Training Policies
Authors: Payne Brian , Carmody Dianne Cyr , Plichta Stacey , Vandecar-Burdin Tancy
Published: August 2007

Victims of domestic violence rely on various human services professionals for an assortment of needs. Consequently, professionals must be prepared to recognize the signs of domestic violence, the needs of victims, and strategies to serve victims effectively. It is believed that in-service training programs are useful in better preparing social services workers for these areas. Many workers, however, may not participate in such training. This study examined how the presence of domestic violence training policies influences participation in training programs and awareness of domestic violence. Implications for practice are provided.
Research Libraries: Connecting Users to Numeric and Spatial Resources
Authors: Bennett Terrence B. , Nicholson Shawn W.
Published: August 2007

The burgeoning use of numeric data resources across all academic disciplines raises significant questions about the library's role in providing data services and promoting quantitative literacy. This study analyzes the content of web pages to determine the presence and promotion of data resources and services at a random sample of large research libraries (and their related institutions) in North America. The results prompt the authors to challenge libraries to more fully engage their users in efforts at richer discovery, use, and analysis of data.
How Demographic Characteristics Affect Mode Preference in a Postal/Web Mixed-Mode Survey of Australian Researchers
Authors: Diment Kieren , Garrett-Jones Sam
Published: August 2007

Early promise for the Internet as a tool to make social research questionnaires easier and cheaper to deliver is not fully realized. This study reports a mixed-mode survey of 1,100 Australian researchers. When respondents were given the choice to complete either web- or paper-based versions of a questionnaire, the majority chose the paper-based mode. Web respondents were more likely to be young, male, middle ranking, and working in information technology—related sectors. The authors highlight the need to determine how far alternate delivery modes increase response rates. For mixed-mode surveys to be financially and methodologically worthwhile, the authors propose that the initial sample size be at least 1,000 individuals, this figure depending on the demographic characteristics of the sample.
Humor on the Next Frontier
Authors: Baumgartner Jody C.
Published: August 2007

The author reports results of a two-pronged experimental analysis of the influence of online political humor on the attitudes of 18- to 24-year-old college students. First an analysis of the control group of the relationship between online humor viewing habits and political attitudes of youth is presented. Consistent with the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, online political humor viewership had a negative effect on trust in political institutions and evaluations of President George W. Bush. The author then presents results of the online experiment, measuring the effects of an online first-person parody of Bush starting his second term in office from JibJab.com. The clip had a negative effect on trust in political institutions among members of the experimental group. However, it had a positive effect on evaluations of the president's evaluations. This is likely because the JibJab clip differs in form from most online humor, functioning as a form of self-deprecating humor.
Compensating for Low Topic Interest and Long Surveys
Authors: Marcus Bernd , Bosnjak Michael , Lindner Steffen , Pilischenko Stanislav , Schütz Astrid
Published: August 2007

Certain survey characteristics proven to affect response rates, such as a survey's length and topic, are often under limited control of the researcher. Therefore, survey researchers sometimes seek to compensate for such undesired effects on response rates by employing countermeasures such as material or nonmaterial incentives. The scarce evidence on those factors' effects in web survey contexts is far from being conclusive. This study is aimed at filling this gap by examining the effects of four factors along with selected interactions presumed to affect response rates in web surveys. Requests to complete a web-based, self-administered survey were sent to 2,152 owners of personal websites. The 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 fully crossed factorial design encompassed the experimental conditions of (a) high versus low topic salience, (b) short versus long survey, (c) lottery incentive versus no incentive, and (d) no feedback and general feedback (study results) versus personal feedback (individual profile of results). As expected, highly salient and shorter surveys yielded considerably higher unit-response rates. Moreover, partial support was found for interaction hypotheses derived from the leverage-salience theory of survey participation. Offering personalized feedback compensated for the negative effects of low topic salience on response rates. Also, the lottery incentive tended to evoke more responses only if the survey was short (versus long), but this interaction effect was only marginally significant. The results stress the usefulness of a multifactorial approach encompassing interaction effects to understand participation differences in web surveys.
Assessing Relationship Closeness Online
Authors: Le Benjamin , Moss William B. , Mashek Debra
Published: August 2007

A continuous measure of relationship closeness inspired by the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale was designed using Java. This new measure allows for closeness to be assessed on a continuous scale of zero to 100, with output values corresponding to the degree of overlap and distance between the objects in the applet. In addition, the applet includes options to enhance its flexibility and usefulness in research applications. In particular, the behavior of the applet, and properties of objects included in it, can be customized. The construction of the applet is described, and methodological and theoretical considerations regarding this new measure are discussed.
Using Spatial Analysis for Monitoring Fraud in a Public Delivery Program
Authors: Kim Yushim
Published: August 2007

In this article, fraud in public delivery programs is approached using spatial analysis. By examining welfare recipients' consumer behaviors in a spatial framework, it is possible to identify stores that draw an anomalous clientele, such as those who travel long distances and avoid stores in their local area, indicating that these stores may be committing fraud. This article shows how this idea can be operationalized for monitoring fraud to secure public accountability.
Toward Increased Capacity for Practice-Based Research Among Health Professionals: Implementing a Multisite Qualitative Research Project With Dietitians
Authors: Chapman Gwen E. , Sellaeg Kari , Levy-Milne Ryna , Barr Susan I.
Published: August 2007

Despite repeated efforts to encourage health professionals to conduct practice-based research, including qualitative research, few practitioners have become active researchers. Mentoring, networking, and hands-on experience have been identified as potential approaches for changing this situation. In this article, the authors describe how they implemented a research mentoring/training component in a national study exploring Canadian dietitians' attitudes and practices with regard to obesity and weight management. They discuss the successes and challenges experienced by mentors and trainees, and provide recommendations for future initiatives to enhance capacity for qualitative, practice-based research among health care practitioners.
Establishing Terminal Status in End-of-Life Discussions
Authors: Aldridge Matthew , Barton Ellen
Published: August 2007

The communicative purpose of an end-of-life discussion is to change the goals of treatment for a terminal patient from therapeutic to comfort care. In this study, the authors present a comparative discourse analysis of end-of-life discussions that reached a consensus to change the goals of treatment and discussions that did not. They found that the presentation of medical information was subtly different across these discussions: Decision-making discussions were based on a consistent accumulation of negative evidence, whereas non—decision-making discussions were inconsistent in this respect, including mention of positive rather than negative outcomes of medical problems, discussion of possible treatment options, and mitigating summary statements. The authors note that end-of-life discussions with these specific features do not progress to a decision to change the goals of treatment to comfort care.
Diaries Written for ICU Patients
Authors: Roulin Marie-José , Hurst Samia , Spirig Rebecca
Published: August 2007

Diaries are written for critically ill patients, to help them understand their intensive care stay and come to terms with their illness. The aim of this content analysis of eight such diaries is to understand the potential benefits for patients and families of this care intervention. A main category emerged: Sharing throughout the ICU time. Four themes were identified: (a) Sharing the story, (b) Sharing the presence, (c) Sharing feelings, and (d) Sharing through support. The first theme reflects the narration of daily events. The second is the perceived presence of health professionals and family at the patient's bedside and the presence of the patient as a person through the diary entries. The third theme describes the expression of feelings as written throughout the text. The last theme refers to the support offered to the patient. The diaries reflect the commitment and care of contributors to the patients' welfare.
Using Focus Groups to Improve the Validity of Cross-National Survey Research: A Study of Physician Decision Making
Authors: O'Donnell Amy B. , Lutfey Karen E. , Marceau Lisa D. , McKinlay John B.
Published: August 2007

In this article, the authors demonstrate how qualitative methods can form a foundation for quantitative research by improving instrument validity, informing the data collection process, and improving cost-effectiveness in a study of physician decision making. To test terminology, applicability, and comprehension of a quantitative questionnaire for doctors in the United States and United Kingdom, each country's researchers conducted physician focus groups with questions organized around the experiment, including (a) validity of video vignettes of actor “patients,” (b) population accessibility, (c) level of remuneration, (d) appropriate endorsement figure, and (e) question comprehension. Focus group data collected during instrument development and fieldwork planning streamlined processes and achieved cost efficiencies and effectiveness for the overall study. Beyond simply adding a post hoc qualitative component to an already free-standing quantitative methodology, focus groups were used in the study formulation, where the qualitative methodology was integrated into the process of developing a valid survey instrument.
Painful Childhood: Children Living With Juvenile Arthritis
Authors: Guell Cornelia
Published: August 2007

In this article the author explores the everyday life and coping of children living with juvenile arthritis. The author considered the children as experts on their illness who can give valuable insights into illness management from a patient's perspective. This is in contrast to most research, which lets others, such as caregivers, speak in the place of children. She used an ethnographic approach with open-ended interviews and participant observation to capture the complexity of chronic illness's impact on everyday life. Results of the study indicate that living with juvenile arthritis entails a constant taking control over one's body and achieving normality in life. These children must negotiate between their protected status of being a sick child and their immense responsibility in illness management. The author suggests that existing research on adult chronic illness has only limited relevance to understanding children's illness experience and that further research with children is needed.
Hope Is Forked: Hope, Loss, Treatments, and AIDS Dementia
Authors: Kelly Angela
Published: August 2007

In the HIV epidemic hope and loss are temporally structured according to pre, and post highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART). AIDS dementia is a neurological condition on which HAART has had an important impact, yet this form of dementia has received little sociocultural attention. In this article, the author explores ethnographically personal hope from the perspective of “Matthew,” a significant other to a person with AIDS dementia, and how treatments influence this. Hope is present in Matthew's narrative, but its nature is complex and fluctuates with the arrival and perceived failure of HAART. The author concludes by suggesting that hope in this context is forked, which is suggestive of the tenacious nature of hope in the context of AIDS dementia in the era of HAART.
Everybody Has a Story: Listening to Imprisoned Sexual Offenders
Authors: Waldram James B.
Published: August 2007

In this article the author addresses two basic questions found at the intersection of ethics and qualitative research methodology: Why are some people reluctant to share their stories? and Are there some people whose stories ought not to be heard? Focusing on imprisoned sexual offenders, the author argues that the establishment of trust in the research relationship is essential to creating safe places for people living with “problem experiences” to tell their stories. He also argues that however repugnant, the stories of society's worst offenders must be heard if we as a society are to better understand their actions and protect ourselves.
Daughters Caring for Dying Parents: A Process of Relinquishing
Authors: Read Trudy , Wuest Judith
Published: August 2007

Caring for elderly, dying parents is challenging for daughters as they try to balance other obligations and responsibilities. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explain the domain of daughters' caregiving experiences in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The primary author interviewed 12 women whose parents had died. Three types of turmoil (emotional, relational, and societal) emerged as the central issue for these women. The authors discovered a substantive theory of Relinquishing with interdependent processes of Keeping Vigil, Navigating Systems, Facing Loss, and an end process of Coming to Terms. In moving through the process of Relinquishing, social conditions of personal ideals, family expectations, and societal demands determine strategies employed by any one daughter to manage her turmoil. The findings fill a gap in knowledge related to daughters' caregiving for dying parents by contributing a theoretical framework that will inform women, health care providers, researchers, and health policy makers.
Lesbian Body Image Perceptions: The Context of Body Silence
Authors: Kelly Laura
Published: August 2007

As are all women, lesbians are influenced by Western society's expectations of what a woman should look like. However, they are also influenced by the lesbian subculture. One of the author's aims was to explore how the sociocultural contexts in which lesbians belong influence their perceptions of body image. She purposively selected 20 lesbians and used constant comparative analysis to guide data collection and analyze the resulting transcribed interviews. The internalization of the dominant culture's beauty expectations coupled with the adoption of a lesbian identity caused the participants to contend with a multitude of oppressive mandates from both sociocultural contexts. The author interpreted the outcomes of these oppressions through the lens of stigma theory. The results of the stigma assisted in the development of the context of Body Silence. The study results might serve to provide a better understanding of lesbian body image as an important component of lesbians' mental health.
The Paradox of Term Limit Support
Authors: Weissert Carol S. , Halperin Karen
Published: August 2007

The public has evidenced continuing support for state legislative term limits, while those who most closely observe the impacts of term limits often support their repeal or extension. This article examines this paradox of term limit support among two groups of knowledgeable observers—party chairs and lobbyists in Florida. The findings support the idea that to know term limits is NOT to love them. They also suggest that among these political elites, support for the repeal of term limits is not a matter of self-interest, but rather reflects a concern about the institutional viability of an important state representative body.
Presidents, Political Context, and Economic Accountability
Authors: Gélineau François
Published: August 2007

Using individual-level data collected in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela, this article argues that electoral accountability revolves around the centralized nature of presidential regimes in the region and the relatively low level of institutionalization of party systems, which, under certain circumstances, constrain the ability of voters to hold the incumbent party responsible for past economic performance. In addition to probing the broader applicability of the economic voting models developed with reference to well-established democracies, the analysis contributes to improving our understanding of the interaction between institutional design and electoral behavior.
Getting Attention
Authors: Peters C. Scott
Published: August 2007

This article asks two questions stemming from a conflict in the literature on the U.S. Supreme Court's attention to issues: (1) Are levels of legal mobilization explained by salient Court decisions? (2) Is the Court's level of attention explained by levels of legal mobilization? To answer them, the author tests hypotheses from the public policy and public law literature on data from seven specific issue areas. The author finds that levels of legal mobilization cannot be explained by past salient decisions of the Court but finds some evidence that changes in the Court's levels of attention are explained by levels of mobilization.
Retrospective Economic Accountability under Authoritarianism
Authors: Gang Guo
Published: August 2007

The relationship between the turnover of government leaders and economic performance has rarely been studied in authoritarian regimes. In mainland China the reforms of the past quarter century have increased the economic accountability of local leaders. At the same time, there is some evidence that informal and idiosyncratic factors are more likely to operate at lower levels of government. An analysis of a comprehensive panel data set shows that Chinese county leaders are frequently replaced and that revenue growth increases the probability of promotion of county chief executives. Newly installed or minority nationality chief executives are less likely to be replaced.
Economic Voting and Political Sophistication in the United States
Authors: Godbout Jean-François , Bélanger Éric
Published: August 2007

The authors propose a reexamination of the conditioning effect of political sophistication on economic voting in U.S. presidential elections. Replicating Gomez and Wilson's (2001) analysis with survey data from the past five American presidential elections (1988—2004), they show that low sophisticates strictly rely on sociotropic economic judgments in their intention to support the incumbent party's candidate. For their part, high sophisticates appear to use both sociotropic and pocketbook evaluations in their voting intention, but only in elections where the sitting incumbent is running for reelection (1992, 1996, and 2004). Most of these findings do not hold, however, once the postelectoral reported vote is used as the dependent variable. Indeed, the authors find that pocketbook evaluations do not have a significant impact on high sophisticates' reported vote choice, and they also find important variance in economic voting effects among low sophisticates. The results indicate that high sophisticates continue to use sociotropic evaluations in their voting decision, but only in incumbent elections. Overall, the analysis raises doubts about some of the previous studies' conclusions and underlines the importance of considering the moderating role of contextual factors such as incumbency and political campaigns in economic voting studies.
Nonvoting and the Decisiveness of Electoral Outcomes
Authors: Abramson Paul R. , Diskin Abraham , Felsenthal Dan S.
Published: August 2007

The authors reexamine the relationship between closeness and turnout by looking at aggregate-level variables and studying fifty-seven elections. They also attempt to estimate how much voter turnout is likely to change as a function of change in the closeness of elections. Specifically, they hypothesize that in first-past-the-post elections, turnout will be affected by the voters' expectation of how close the elections are going to be, by the turnout in the previous election, and by the closeness of the previous election. The authors test their hypotheses using turnout and closeness data for all fourteen general elections held in the United Kingdom since 1955 and all forty-three congressional elections held in the United States between 1920 and 2004. Their findings strongly support their hypotheses.
How Sophisticated Can a Voter Be to Make Causal Attributions? A Response to Gomez and Wilson's Comment
Authors: Godbout Jean-François , Bélanger Éric
Published: August 2007

The authors present a response to Gomez and Wilson's comments related to their article “Economic Voting and Political Sophistication in the United States: A Reassessment,” published in this issue of Political Research Quarterly.
Talking Locally and Voting Globally
Authors: Clough Emily
Published: August 2007

The heterogeneity of discussion networks has been shown to have an effect on citizens' ideas and behavior. In this article, the author undertakes to show that the relative heterogeneity of political discussion networks affects voter coordination on two parties in a single-member plurality system. Specifically, if voters do not have access to polling information about the relative standing of candidates, voters whose discussion networks are ideologically heterogeneous are more likely to coordinate on two parties than voters whose discussion networks are ideologically homogeneous. The author examines this hypothesis using an agent-based model.
Experienced Advocates and Litigation Outcomes
Authors: Haynie Stacia L. , Sill Kaitlyn L.
Published: August 2007

While the facts and the attendant law are essential components of understanding litigation outcomes, extralegal factors, such as the experience of the attorney representing each party, are also significantly related. The authors assert that the capability of the attorney, as evidenced in previous litigation success, is more significant than experience alone. They test this assertion for the South African appellate court from 1970 to 2000. After controlling for the effects of a number of variables, the results suggest that the previous success of the advocate is a far better predictor of litigation outcomes than previous experience, litigant status, or court ideology.
The Persuasive Power of Russian Courts
Authors: Baird Vanessa A. , Javeline Debra
Published: August 2007

Given the centralization of power in contemporary Russia, can nonexecutive institutions exercise some power, especially institutions such as high courts, which are critical to establishing the rule of law? In particular, can high courts influence the Russian public through their power to persuade? Using experiments embedded in three surveys of more than 6,000 Russians each, the authors find that the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, as well as the Duma, have persuasive power but greater potential to persuade tolerant Russians to be intolerant than vice versa. The findings have powerful implications for understanding the judicial role in protecting the rights and liberties of minorities.
Institutions, Interests, and Judicial Outcomes
Authors: Curry Brett
Published: August 2007

Since 1789, diversity of citizenship jurisdiction has been a staple of the American judicial system. After presenting a general theory of jurisdictional change and reviewing diversity jurisdiction's development, the author undertakes a quantitative analysis of congressional activity vis-à-vis diversity jurisdiction. That analysis provides evidence that both administrative concerns and attention to federal judicial outcomes have impacted legislative decisions concerning the scope of diversity jurisdiction. These findings also suggest that members of Congress are selective in dealing with the jurisdiction of federal courts and that approaches to jurisdictional oversight vary in response to the salience of the legal issues at hand.
Minority Empowerment and Environmental Justice
Authors: Chambers Stefanie
Published: August 2007

In Hartford, Connecticut, environmental health problems disproportionately affect poor and minority residents of the city. Minority group activists in Hartford have created a multiracial organization composed of urban and suburban residents to fight for environmental justice. The organization has achieved a measure of success in terms of governmental responsiveness to their concerns. This article highlights the strategies used by the organization to advance its interests. These strategies are framed within the minority empowerment and environmental justice literature to develop a theoretical explanation for the organization's success. Additionally, this article provides a model for other communities fighting for environmental justice.
Event History Analysis of the Formation of Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils
Authors: Jun Kyu-Nahm
Published: August 2007

This article investigates the impacts of community contexts such as divergence with the city, differences within the community, and community capacity on the successful formation of Neighborhood Councils (NCs) in the City of Los Angeles. To date, 86 certified NCs out of 97 communities submitted application for certification. Event history analysis is conducted as an effective method to understand NC formation and the timing of the event. The results indicate that community heterogeneity characteristics such as race/ethnicity and income heterogeneity have dissimilar influence on the formation of NCs. Community capacity is also found to be positively related to earlier formation of NCs.
Resource Exchange in Urban Governance
Authors: Poppelaars Caelesta
Published: August 2007

An explanatory framework based on the classic resource dependency perspective is used to explain a broad variety of urban government-interest group interactions that are not fully explained by current urban governance theories. A case study of Dutch urban immigrant integration shows that one must combine considerations of information and intermediation capacity to explain why Dutch urban governments interact with immigrant organizations, in addition to common findings about institutional heritage. Their information and intermediation capacity allows local governments to get in touch quickly with immigrant groups during periods that potentially threaten the social order and public safety and creates incentives to maintain grants and keep in touch, whereas contributions of such groups to effective implementation are at least doubted.
National Private Duty Association: Helping States Make Home Care Standards a Priority
Authors: Hager Allen
Published: August 2007

The following article provides an update on the latest efforts of the National Private Duty Association (NPDA) to help states enact standards and guidelines for the private duty home care industry. The article provides a recap on the status of legislation in specific states as well as goals of the organization to help protect consumers and build credibility for the industry.
Private Home Care and Hospice: The Call for Collaboration
Authors: Holohan Barth
Published: August 2007

This article examines the role private home care providers can assume as they work alongside hospice professionals and volunteers caring for dying patients and assisting with the development and implementation of a plan of care for that process. It includes what home care workers need to know about the hospice role in caring for patients, how the two are different, and how to best communicate for the benefit of the client and family. The article will summarize how the two types of care providers—private providers and hospice staff and volunteers—can best support each other in providing a compassionate and professional environment for people coping with terminal illness.
When the Barriers are Broken: An Oncology Perspective that Questions the Reality of How Nurses Navigate the Nurse–Patient Relationship Boundary
Authors: Shaffer Lisa C.
Published: August 2007

Through the care of David,* an extraordinary patient with lymphoma, the nurses on the oncology unit have come face-to-face with questions that do not have readily accessible answers. These questions regarding our daily practice make us turn an inward eye on how we cognitively and emotionally cope with the care of dying patients, and cause us to evaluate the nurse—patient boundaries we establish and maintain. The purpose of the following article is to shed light on the questions, rather than to provide all the answers.