bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soviet Federalism and Ethnic Mobilization
Authors: Roeder Philip G.
Published: July 2006

Central among recent changes in the Soviet Union is an expanding and increasingly public politics of federalism. The Soviet developmental strategy assigned federalism and the cadres of national-territorial administration a central role in its response to the “nationalities question.” This strategy offers a key to three questions about the rise of assertive ethnofederalism over the past three decades: Why have federal institutions that provided interethnic peace during the transition to industrialization become vehicles of protest in recent years? Why have relatively advantaged ethnic groups been most assertive, whereas groups near the lower end of most comparative measures of socioeconomic and political success have been relatively quiescent? Why have major public demands—and the most important issues of contention between center and periphery—focused to such a large degree upon the details of the Soviet developmental strategy and upon federalism in particular
Political Consequences of Military Strategy: Expanding and Refining the Spiral and Deterrence Models
Authors: Glaser Charles L.
Published: July 2006

Analyses of military strategy often overlook its political consequences—its effect on the adversary's basic goals and understanding of the defender's resolve. As a result, they prescribe the wrong type of military policy and reduce states' security. This article explores how a variety of factors interact to produce political consequences. These factors include the type of adversary (specifically, its motives for expansion); the type of military strategy the defender adopts (offensive or defensive and unilateral or bilateral); the source of the adversary's misperceptions; and the process through which political consequences are generated. The article reformulates Jervis's spiral and deterrence models and argues that they overlook types of adversaries, including most importantly insecure greedy states; that shifts in the adversary's balance of domestic power offer an alternative to individual learning as the basic way in which political consequences are generated; that national-level failures of evaluation provide an alternative source of exaggerated insecurity; and that these differences can require the defender to follow different policies. Final sections explore military options for managing political consequences and implications for U.S. security policy.
The Salience of Gains in Third-World Integrative Systems
Authors: Mytelka Lynn Krieger
Published: July 2006

Integration theorists are increasingly turning their attention away from an examination of the relationship of gains to the integration process and towards the elaboration of complex models in which the salience of the former is obscured. As this variable appears to influence the durability of integrative systems among third-world countries and, by entering into actor calculations of alternatives, effects changes within the integrative system, an analysis is warranted which places the relationship of gains to the integration process in bolder relief.
Rational Hegemons, Excludable Goods, and Small Groups: An Epitaph for Hegemonic Stability Theory?
Authors: Gowa Joanne
Published: July 2006

In defining international free trade as a public good, “hegemonic stability theory” posited early in the 1970s that its reliable supply depended upon a distribution of international power analogous to that within a privileged group. More recently, however, critics have challenged three assumptions fundamental to hegemonic theory: its premises of free trade, public goods, and privileged groups. They have concluded that hegemony is not necessary for, and indeed may be antithetical to, a stable world economy based on market exchange.

The author argues that the critics overstate their case. The assumptions they attack allow hegemonic theory to represent analytically several critically important barriers to free trade among states. Among these are the existence of strategic interdependence among the actors and the prevalence of informational asymmetries. The most significant flaw in hegemonic theory is its neglect of the essence of the domain to which it applies: the politics of inter-state trade in an anarchic world.
Peasant-State Relations and the Social Base of Self-Help in Kenya
Authors: Barkan Joel D. , Holmquist Frank
Published: July 2006

Peasant-state relations in developing countries are often a function of the nature and extent of stratification in peasant populations. Where there is a rigid class structure, the prospects for cooperation by members of the peasantry are low, and large landowners tend to ally themselves with the state to exploit the rural poor. Where, on the other hand, the nature of rural stratification is ambiguous, “small” and “middle” peasants are able to organize themselves for collective action and to bargain effectively for state aid to their communities. The hypothesis is confirmed using survey data about the nature of peasant participation in the Harambee selfhelp development movement in rural Kenya. Effective peasant-state bargaining in Kenya has in turn contributed to the legitimacy of the Kenyan political system.
Beyond the State: Civil Society and Associational Life in Africa
Authors: Bratton Michael
Published: July 2006

The current scholarly preoccupation with the state may obscure more than it reveals for students of politics in sub-Saharan Africa. The weakly formed state in Africa—beset by decline in economic production and political authority—is now retreating from overambitious attempts at social transformation. The time is therefore ripe for societal actors to play an enhanced role in political change. This article reviews the current literature on state-society relations in Africa with particular emphasis on the nature of African associational life and the extent to which it is taking on a politically organized form as an identifiable civil society. The author proposes a theoretical framework and research agenda that takes account of the capacity of either state or societal actors to exercise a range of options to engage or disengage.
Insurgency: The Transformation of Peasant Rebellion
Authors: Desai Raj , Eckstein Harry
Published: July 2006

The nature of insurgencies is an ambiguous concept. As a step toward theory about it and prudent action in regard to it, the authors argue that insurgency should be regarded as a syncretic phenomenon—a highly potent compound that combines the “spirit” of archaic peasant rebellions (their apocalyptic, millenarian passions) with modern revolutionary ideologies and organization, and the practice of guerrilla warfare. Insurgency thus supplies both the “steam” and the “piston box” that Trotsky considered an irresistible revolutionary combination. The syncretic mix of disparate elements in insurgency has stood in the way of proper conceptualization of the phenomenon, and of good theory and practice regarding it. The authors further maintain that insurgency is generally confused with the Latin American foco as well as with urban terrorism and guerrilla wars of all kinds; in fact thefoco may well foreshadow the end of insurgencies as a special type of collective political violence.
Testing Deterrence Theory: Rigor Makes a Difference
Authors: Huth Paul , Russett Bruce
Published: July 2006

There is no consensus among scholars on how to test hypotheses about deterrence systematically. The disputes are sometimes rooted in differences about theory or sources of data, but they are magnified by methodological confusion, especially over concepts and operational definitions that produce perverse empirical results. Serious theoretical errors include inadequate appreciation of the role of uncertainty in deterrence as well as selection biases that undermine empirical tests. Rigorous examination of our previous work in light of recent criticism discloses very robust findings on the conditions for deterrence success and failure.
Power Transitions and Great Power War from Westphalia to Waterloo
Authors: Kim Woosang
Published: July 2006

This study extends recent research on the power transition and hegemonic stability theory to the preindustrial era. It improves on the original power transition theory by relaxing an assumption and by extending the empirical domain. Unlike the original power transition theory, the revised version is not restricted to the period after the industrial revolution and can therefore be applied to the preindustrial era. This study examines the empirical record prior to the industrial revolution to see whether the power transition and hegemonic stability theory holds for that period. The data for 1648 to 1815 indicate strong support for the power transition contention that a rough equality of power between rival sides increases the likelihood of war. That is, when the challenging great power, with its allies' support, catches up with the dominant power, great power war is most likely.
Democratizing the Quasi-Leninist Regime in Taiwan
Authors: Cheng Tun-jen
Published: July 2006

Analysis of the process of democratization should focus not on socioeconomic change, but on the origin and development of political opposition and on the structure of political bargaining between the regime and its challengers. The recent democratic breakthrough in Taiwan is attributable to the capabilities of the political opposition in agenda setting, the shifting of bargaining arenas, and the creation of incentives for the reformist leaders of the regime to play the game. Democratization in Taiwan will continue because the ruling party has been able to maintain its dominant position in new political frameworks.
Specific Factors, Capital Markets, Portfolio Diversification, and Free Trade: Domestic Determinants of the Repeal of the Corn Laws
Authors: Schonhardt-Bailey Cheryl
Published: July 2006

Whereas the Ricardo-Viner specific factors model implies that owners of land and capital stood diametrically opposed to one another on the issue of free trade in nineteenth-century Britain, studies in the economic history literature posit that the economic interests of these two groups of factor owners were not mutually exclusive but rather overlapped as a result of rapid economic changes in the 1830s that intensified landowner diversification into nonagri-cultural ventures. Hence, the former views the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 as capital gaining the political upper hand over the landed elite, whereas the latter implies that landowners with diversified portfolios stood to gain from, or simply became indifferent to, free trade in grain. This paper alters the specific factors model to include the concepts of diversification and investment capital flows. It then tests the political implications of diversification, hypothesizing a positive correlation between constituency diversification and parliamentary voting on repeal of the Corn Laws. Both individual and aggregate sets of data confirm that diversified interests contributed to the free-trade policy outcome.
Crisis and Democracy in Latin America
Authors: Smith Peter H.
Published: July 2006

Democratization in Latin America took place throughout the 1980s within a context of acute economic crisis, thus posing a sharp challenge to established theory. This essay examines alternative explanations-economic, political, institutional, international-for this paradoxical outcome. It is argued that the political impact of the debt crisis differs for the short, medium, and long terms. The analysis also devotes considerable attention to the concept of “democratization” and to the quality of Latin American democracies, which tend to contain pervasive authoritarian features. Careful reading of these phenomena can lay the foundation for new and enduring theoretical frameworks about the relationship between macroeco-nomic transformation and political change.
Limits of State Strength: Toward an Institutionalist View of Economic Development
Authors: Doner Richard F.
Published: July 2006

Analyses of economic growth have drawn on the experiences of the East Asian newly industrializing countries to highlight the contribution of cohesive and autonomous states in the resolution of market failures. Within an explicit collective action and public goods framework, this article argues for an institutionalist approach to development that incorporates, but also goes beyond, statism. Through an examination of auto manufacturing in five countries in Southeast and Northeast Asia, the article identifies specific collective action problems central to the development process, and it explores limits to the capacities of even strong states to resolve such problems. The article stresses the role of private sectors and joint publicprivate sector institutions, identifies systematic differences within and among local entrepreneurs with regard to development issues, emphasizes the need for research on factors influencing the supply of institutions; and argues for an approach to development that emphasizes cooperation among domestic interests rather than domination.
Soviet Behavior in Regional Conflicts: Old Questions, New Strategies, and Important Lessons
Authors: Herrmann Richard K.
Published: July 2006

Regional conflicts have played a major role in American interpretations of Soviet foreign policy. They have affected judgments about Soviet intentions and have served as a barometer of Moscow's competitiveness. This study looks at the change in Soviet policy under Gorbachev. It proposes a strategic framework for the analysis of Soviet behavior and then examines Moscow's actions in terms of military support, active involvement, and the terms for peace. Special attention is paid to Soviet behavior in Southwest Asia. The study finds that Soviet behavior changed but in ways that were more subtle than often realized. Moscow pulled back having achieved partial success through compromise more often than it retreated in defeat. The shift to a strategy of detente had numerous causes, but a simple American peace-through-strength explanation that stresses external constraints and Soviet internal weakness is inadequate. Such explanations underestimate the importance of changing perceptions of threat and mistakenly affirm a deterrence conception of reciprocity (i.e., that force begets restraint). The evidence in regional conflicts suggests that a spiral model of reciprocity (i.e., that escalation begets escalation) is more apt.
The State and The Effective Control of Foreign Capital: The Case of South Korea
Authors: Mardon Russell
Published: July 2006

The literature on the political economy of developing nations has focused attention upon the weakness and vulnerability of the nation-state and its limited ability to deal with and effectively alter the dominant forces of the international economy. Despite common international structures, however, the empirical pattern of foreign ownership and control of the means of production varies in newly industrializing nations. Domestic political structures and alternative state strategies may therefore have a significant impact on the pattern of foreign ownership and on the degree of control that foreign capital may exert on a developing economy.

The author examines the principal legal and bureaucratic mechanisms utilized by the South Korean state to regulate the domestic economy's interaction with international capital, as well as the impact of these mechanisms upon domestic production patterns. The South Korean case demonstrates that, through the formulation and implementation of appropriate policy, the state in a developing nation possesses the capacity to shape the pattern of interaction with international economic forces. Legal and bureaucratic mechanisms have facilitated an industrial development that is predominantly owned and effectively controlled by Korean nationals.
Understanding International Trade Policies: An Emerging Synthesis
Authors: Odell John S.
Published: July 2006

The international trade problems of the 1980s stimulated an expansion of scholarship on trade policies by economists and political scientists. At least four distinct theoretical perspectives weave their way through recent literature that concentrates on the United States—emphasizing market conditions, policy beliefs and values, national political institutions, and global structures, respectively. New studies in each of these traditions advance beyond the work of their predecessors, but none of the perspectives has yet proved adequate as a single unifying vehicle. Nevertheless, we can also see clear movement toward a synthesis, with single works blending insights from several traditions. Thus, the books under review do not all fall neatly into the familiar exclusive categories of “economics” or “political science.” The emerging synthesis needs strengthening in several ways, including the development of “conditioning hypotheses” that will reduce remaining apparent confusions.
Crisis Diplomacy, Interdependence, And The Politics of International Economic Relations
Authors: Morse Edward L.
Published: July 2006

During the past decade policy makers and academic observers have become increasingly aware of the political importance of economic relations, especially among the advanced industrialized states. Some of this awareness came precipitously when monetary crises threatened not only individual currencies such as sterling, the franc, or the dollar, but also the basic structure of the international monetary system. Some of this awareness was more incremental, as with the growing fear that neomercantilist trade policies might result in a reversal of the postwar policies of trade liberalization pursued by the Western industrialized states.
The USSR as a “Weak State”: Agrarian Origins of Resistance to Perestroika
Authors: Atta Don Van
Published: July 2006

The party-state apparatus's structure, which makes it incapable of implementing systemic reforms, is a principal source of resistance to Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of radical reconstruction (perestroika) in the USSR. This apparatus took form in the struggle to subdue the peasantry in the 1930s. Its basic means for managing agricultural production (and, to some extent, industrial production as well), is the mobilizational campaign. But campaigns are by nature intermittent and thus ineffective at eliciting subtle, long-term changes in organizational or individual behavior. For perestroika to succeed, alternative instruments for policy implementation which offer effective political and economic incentives for increased production must be developed. Despite its pervasiveness and intrusiveness, the Soviet state is incapable of effectively implementing many kinds of change in society. In that sense, it is a “weak state.”
The Study of Chinese Foreign Policy: Problems and Prospect
Authors: Yu Bin
Published: July 2006

This article examines the state of the field in the Western study of Chinese foreign policy. After briefly surveying the earlier generations of scholarship, it critiques the current narrow focus and apolitical tendency in studying Chinese foreign policy-making institutions and perceptions of foreign policy makers and specialists. The author argues for a more balanced and more comprehensive approach that combines analytical vigor and empirical validity.
Writing the Intifada Collective Action in the Occupied Territories
Authors: Lustick Ian S.
Published: July 2006

The five-year-old Palestinian uprising, the intifada, was the first of many mass mobilizations against nondemocratic rule to appear in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, East Asia, and the former Soviet Union between 1987 and 1991. Although the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is seldom included by the media or by social scientists in their treatments of this putative wave of “democratization,” many studies of the uprising are available. Although largely atheoretic in their construction of the intifada and in their explanations for it, the two general questions posed by most of these authors are familiar to students of collective action and revolution. On the one hand, why did it take twenty years for the Palestinians to launch the uprising? On the other hand, how, in light of the individual costs of participation and the negligible impact of any one person's decision to participate, could it have occurred at all? The work under review provides broad support for recent trends in the analysis of revolution and collection action, while illustrating both the opportunities and the constraints associated with using monographic literature as a data base.
Financial Incentives and Central Bank Authority in Industrializing Nations
Authors: Maxfield Sylvia
Published: July 2006

Institutionalist models of macroeconomic performance in advanced industrial countries focus on central bank independence. In newly industrializing countries, however, the behavioral authority of the central bank is a much more significant predictor of inflation than is legal independence, because laws there are not the source of central bank ability to create or defend macroeconomic stability. Financial structures and the incentives they create for government politicians, private bankers, and industrialists explain cross-national variation in the interest and capacity of central banks in developing countries. The greater public sector deficits are, the weaker and/or more dependent private banks are on state assistance; and the larger the portion of industry finance covered by commercial bank loans or state credits, the less likely it is that there will be an authoritative, conservative central bank. Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, and South Korea are the four country cases considered in depth.
Barriers to Collective Action: Steelworkers and Mutual Dependence in the Former Soviet Union
Authors: Crowley Stephen
Published: July 2006

The author examines the question of why labor in the former Soviet Union has remained so quiet during this tumultous period. He conducts a most similar case study of coal miners, who have struck and organized militant trade unions, and of steelworkers in the same communities, who have not. To explain the lack of strike activity, the concept of mutual dependence is developed, whereby the enterprise is dependent on workers in a labor-short economy and workers in turn have been dependent on the enterprise for the provision of goods and services in short supply. The provision of a high level of such goods and services through the workplace was found to prevent independent worker activity in steel mills and certain coal mines. Implications are drawn for theories of collective action and the study of the former Soviet Union and its economic and political transformation.
Predicting Spray Processing Parameters from Required Coating Structural Attributes by Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Kanta A.‐F. , Montavon G. , Coddet C.
Published: July 2006

Predicting processing parameters to manufacture a coating with the required structural attributes is of prime interest to reduce the associate development costs. Such an approach permits, among other advantages, to select the most appropriate scheme among several possible to implement. This paper intends to present such an approach. The specific case of predicting plasma spray process parameters to manufacture a grey alumina (Al2O3‐TiO2, 13% by wt.) coating was considered.
Thermal Spray Coatings for Tribological Applications in the Automotive Industry
Authors: Barbezat G.
Published: July 2006

New advanced thermal spray technology allows providing wear resistant coatings on the cylinder surface of aluminum or magnesium engines. The obtained special surface topography after the finishing allows to decrease significantly the coefficient of friction and to decrease the fuel consumption of an amount of 2 to 4 percents. Engine tests on diesel and gasoline engines have confirmed the value of this technology regarding the aspect of energy saving.
Direct Current Plasma Spraying: Diagnostics and Process Simulation
Authors: Vardelle A. , Fauchais P. , Vardelle M. , Mariaux G.
Published: July 2006

This paper presents our current knowledge in direct current (d.c.) plasma spraying with conventional stick‐type cathode plasma torches. It deals with the experimental methods and models used to better understand and /or control the characteristics of plasma jet, particles in‐flight and at impact. The first part refers to measurements and on‐line monitoring or control. The emphasis is on (i) the effect of arc root fluctuations and electrode wear on particle treatment and coating formation; (ii) the drastic importance of the interface between the flattening particles and substrate. The second part examines the models used to predict gas flow field and particle parameter distributions at impact. It presents: (i) steady and 2‐D models that allow optimal experimental design with a limited number of experiments as well as education and training; (ii) 3‐D and time dependent models that make it possible to take account of the arc root fluctuation at the anode and a stochastic and time‐dependent particle injection description.
Advanced Homogenization Strategies in Material Modeling of Thermally Sprayed TBCs
Authors: Bobzin K. , Lugscheider E. , Nickel R. , Kashko T.
Published: July 2006

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC), obtained by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), have a complex microstructure (lamellar, porous, micro‐cracked). Process parameters take an influence on this microstructure. Two methods based on the homogenization for periodic structures are presented in this article. The methods are used to calculate the effective material behavior of APS‐TBCs made of partially yttria stabilized zirconia (PYSZ) depending on the microstructure.
Development of Nano‐reinforced HVOF Sprayed Ceramic Coatings
Authors: Turunen E. , Keskinen J. , Heczko O. , Lintunen P. , Gustafsson T. , Ge Y. , Arponen M. , Hannula S‐P.
Published: July 2006

HVOF spraying has been demonstrated to produce dense ceramic coatings with improved density and mechanical properties compared to the conventional plasma sprayed ceramic coatings. Nanocrystalline, nanocomposite coatings have been found to offer improved mechanical properties compared to their conventional counterparts. In this paper we describe the development of nanocrystalline Al2O3 composite coatings, where the grain size of Al2O3 has been decreased and a few percents of nanostructured alloying component have been added in order to toughen the coating.
Recent Developments and Potential Applications of Cold Spraying
Authors: Gärtner F. , Schmidt T. , Stoltenhoff T. , Kreye H.
Published: July 2006

Whereas coating formation in thermal spraying is related to complete or partial melting of the feedstock material, bonding in cold spraying occurs only due to the high kinetic energy upon particle impact. Thus, undesired thermal effects on the spray material can be avoided, making the method suitable to retain properties of the feedstock powder in cold sprayed coatings and unlocking new potentials for metal powder spraying. Since bonding occurs by high velocity impacts of solid particles, the description of bonding requests new concepts, which have to be linked to conditions to reach maximum acceleration. The evaluation of such concepts supplies more general tools to predict necessary requirements for cold spraying of metallic materials and to tune optimum spray conditions.
Particle Image Velocimetry in Thermal Spraying
Authors: Bach Fr.‐W. , Möhwald K. , Engl L. , Drößler B. , Hartz K.
Published: July 2006

In thermal spraying processes, particle velocities are a key parameter influencing the coating properties. In addition, the analysis of particle velocities can often enhance our understanding of the processes themselves. Suitable diagnostic methods for particle velocity measurements addressing the requirements of thermal spraying are therefore needed. One diagnostic method currently being field‐tested is Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). In this paper, the principle of PIV and methods of analyzing PIV images will be presented.
Assessment of the Microplasma Spraying Process for Coating Application
Authors: Lugscheider E. , Bobzin K. , Zhao L. , Zwick J.
Published: July 2006

Among the different existing plasma spraying processes, Microplasma Spraying (MPS) is comparatively new and offers specific and unique properties. MPS is particularly characterised by a very low plasma power, low plasma gas flow rate, small spray spot and low heat input into the substrate. These properties are very advantageous for the application of coatings on small parts or with high accuracy. However, until today the MPS process has been barely studied and its potential as well as limitations are vaguely known. This paper presents results from a fundamental study of the MPS process. Sprayed materials include metallic, ceramic and cermet materials.
Thermal Cycling Behaviour of Lanthanum Zirconate as EB‐PVD Thermal Barrier Coating
Authors: Bobzin K. , Lugscheider E. , Bagcivan N.
Published: July 2006

Thermal cycling tests with two different EB‐PVD thermal barrier coatings (TBC) were performed in a furnace cycle test. The results of these tests showed an increase of endurable cycle number when pyrochloric La2Zr2O7 was used as TBC. 1865 cycles were reached with La2Zr2O7 and 1380 cylces with 7 weigth‐% yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) EB‐PVD TBC. Additional investigation was made with scanning electron microscope (SEM) to investigate morphology and to determine chemical composition by electron dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. X‐Ray diffraction was performed to analyze structural constitution of deposited coatings.
Iron‐Niobium Intermetallics Processing by Plasma Transferred Arc
Authors: d'Oliveira A. S. C. M. , Chiquitto P. R. , Miccoli W.
Published: July 2006

Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA) hardfacing technique is recognized for the high quality welded surfaces produced. Processing features make this technique an excellent tool for surface alloying and in‐situ processing. This can be of particular interest for the development of high temperature resistant coatings usually associated with low room temperature toughness materials.
Wire Design Influence on the Melting Behavior in the High elocity Combustion Wire Spraying Process
Authors: Wielage B. , Rupprecht C. , Wank A. , Zimmermann S. , Landes K.
Published: July 2006

Thermal spray processes using wire feedstock are advantageous in respect of the achievable deposition rate and efficiency. However, the coating material needs to be provided in wire shape, which limits the material choice significantly. Cored wires permit large expansion of the applicable material spectrum. But the influence of the wire design and chemical composition of the velum and filler material on the process stability and finally the coating properties is currently not known. A high speed CCD camera is used to study the wire melting behavior during high velocity combustion wire spraying (HVCW). The observations during the spraying process are used to deduce a correlation between wire design, processing conditions and resultant coating properties.
Influence of Input Parameters on Splat Formation and Coating Thermal Diffusivity in Plasma Spraying
Authors: Prochazka Z. , Khor K. A. , Cizek J.
Published: July 2006

Plasma spraying is a cost effective method for protecting materials and components against severe operational environments. As the demand for more specific properties of coatings increases, it is necessary to study the relationships between plasma spray parameters and the final coating properties. In this study the influence of six input plasma spray parameters on splat formation and final alumina coating properties was investigated.
Cover Picture: Advanced Homogenization Strategies in Material Modeling of Thermally Sprayed TBCs (Adv. Eng. Mater. 7/2006)
Authors: Bobzin K. , Lugscheider E. , Nickel R. , Kashko T.
Published: July 2006

The cover shows the results of FEM models used for advanced homogenization strategies in material modeling of thermally sprayed TBCs. More on this topic can be found in the article by K. Bobzin et al. on page 663.
Experimental and computational studies of membrane extraction of Cu(II)
Authors: Yang Qian , Jiang Jianwen , Chung Tai‐Shung , Kocherginsky Nikolai M.
Published: July 2006

This article has been retracted due to an issue with its authorship. Please see Letter to the Editor at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122604534/abstract
The impact of work‐related musculoskeletal disorders on workers' caregiving activities
Authors: Franche Renée‐Louise , Pole Jason D. , Hogg‐Johnson Sheilah , Vidmar Marjan , Breslin Curtis
Published: July 2006

Background

The purpose of the study was to describe and quantify the impact of work‐related musculoskeletal disorders on workers' caregiving activities.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in which a telephone survey was administered to 187 lost‐time workers' compensation claimants from Ontario, of whom 49.2% were women. Forty‐eight percent of the injured workers were providing unpaid care prior to the injury.

Results

Injured workers providing caregiving reported an average reduction in time spent in caregiving activities of 5.5 hr/week, 8 months post‐injury. A Sex X Return‐to‐work status ANCOVA was conducted with difference in caregiving hours as the dependent variable, and with the following covariates: Mean number of caregiving hours, comorbidities, site of injury, and education. Independent of weekly hours of caregiving, decreases in caregiving hours were significantly higher if the worker was a woman or had not returned to work.

Conclusions

Work‐related musculoskeletal disorders have a significant impact on workers' time spent in unpaid caregiving activities, an example of the social consequences of occupational injuries. Occupational and caregiving roles are limited by work‐related disorders in a parallel fashion. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Socioeconomic status, particulate air pollution, and daily mortality: Differential exposure or differential susceptibility
Authors: Forastiere Francesco , Stafoggia Massimo , Tasco Carola , Picciotto Sally , Agabiti Nerina , Cesaroni Giulia , Perucci Carlo A.
Published: July 2006

Background

Short‐term increases in particulate air pollution are linked with increased daily mortality and morbidity. Socioeconomic status (SES) is a determinant of overall health. We investigated whether social class is an effect modifier of the PM10 (particulate matter with diameter <10 micron)‐daily mortality association, and possible mechanisms for this effect modification.

Methods

Area‐based traffic emissions, income, and SES were available for each resident in Rome. All natural deaths (83,253 subjects) occurring in Rome among city residents (aged 35+ years) during the period 1998–2001 were identified. For each deceased individual, all the previous hospitalizations within 2 years before death were available via a record linkage procedure. PM10 daily data were available from two urban monitoring sites. A case‐crossover analysis was utilized in which control days were selected according to the time stratified approach (same day of the week during the same month). Conditional logistic regression was used.

Results

Due to the social class distribution in the city, exposure to traffic emissions was higher among those with higher area‐based income and SES. Meanwhile, people of lower social class had suffered to a larger extent from chronic diseases before death than more affluent residents, especially diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Overall, PM10 (lag 0–1) was strongly associated with mortality (1.1% increase, 95%CI = 0.7–1.6%, per 10 µg/m3). The effect was more pronounced among persons with lower income and SES (1.9% and 1.4% per 10 µg/m3, respectively) compared to those in the upper income and SES levels (0.0% and 0.1%, respectively).

Conclusions

The results confirm previous suggestions of a stronger effect of particulate air pollution among people in low social class. Given the uneven geographical distributions of social deprivation and traffic emissions in Rome, the most likely explanation is a differential burden of chronic health conditions conferring a greater susceptibility to less advantaged people. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50: 208–216, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of protective filters on fire fighter respiratory health during simulated bushfire smoke exposure
Authors: De Vos Annemarie J.B.M. , Cook Angus , Devine Brian , Thompson Philip J. , Weinstein Philip
Published: July 2006

Background

Bushfire fighters are potentially subject to risks from bushfire smoke. Although many different protective masks and filters are available, it is not clear which is the most effective from a health and safety perspective. The effect of protective filters on the respiratory health of Western Australian urban career fire fighters under controlled simulated conditions is investigated.

Methods

Sixty‐four healthy Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) urban career fire fighters were subjected to controlled simulated bushfire smoke in an open smoke chamber for 15 min. The fire fighters were allocated one of the three types of protective filters: particulate only (P), particulate/organic vapor (POV), and a particulate/organic vapor/formaldehyde (POVF) filter using a double‐blind randomized procedure. Personal air sampling inside the fire fighters' masks, spirometry, oximetry, and self‐reported symptom data were collected at baseline and at two time intervals after the smoke exposure.

Results

A significant decline in oxygen saturation was seen immediately after exposure, however, the decline was small and no significant relationships could be established between this and the type of filter used. A significantly higher number of participants in the P and POV filter groups self‐reported an increase in coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath compared to the POVF group. Air sampling demonstrated a significantly higher level of formaldehyde and acrolein inside the masks fitted with P filters compared to POV and POVF filters.

Conclusions

Testing the effectiveness of P, POV, and POVF filters under controlled conditions has demonstrated that the POVF filter provides statistically significant better protection for the fire fighters' airways in a simulated bushfire exposure chamber. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Organization of the somatosensory cortex in elephant shrews (E. edwardii)
Authors: Dengler‐Crish Christine M. , Crish Samuel D. , O'Riain M. Justin , Catania Kenneth C.
Published: July 2006

The superorder Afrotheria consists of a diverse group of mammals, including elephants, hyraxes, dugongs, sea cows, aardvarks, tenrecs, golden moles, and elephant shrews. Recent studies suggest this clade diverged from other placental mammals 100 million years ago and thus may represent the sister group to the remaining placental mammals. Despite this important taxonomic position, relatively few studies have investigated cortical organization in these species. Here we present results of an investigation of the somatosensory cortex in the Cape elephant shrew (Elephantulus edwardii). Using multiunit electrophysiological recording techniques, we identified a topographic map of the elephant shrew's body in a location and orientation consistent with the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). The elephant shrew's elongated snout, extensive facial vibrissae, and long tongue accounted for a large portion of the somatosensory representation, located in a relatively rostral area of cortex. Evidence for an additional somatosensory area, presumed to be secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), was found just lateral to S1. Visual and auditory responsive areas were also identified and the extent of visual cortex appeared to be quite large in these highly visual mammals. Despite the elephant shrew's exceptionally well‐developed eyes, ears, and vibrissae, there were no anatomical correlates to sensory areas, or body part representations (e.g., barrels), that could be identified in the flatted cortex. Anat Rec Part A, 288A:859–866, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Meta-analysis of pancreaticojejunostomyversuspancreaticogastrostomy reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: McKay A , Mackenzie S , Sutherland F R , Bathe O F , Doig C , Dort J , Vollmer C M , Dixon E
Published: July 2006

Background

Pancreaticoduodenectomy is the primary treatment for periampullary cancer. Associated morbidity is high and often related to pancreatic anastomotic failure. This paper compares rates of pancreatic fistula, morbidity and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients having reconstruction by pancreaticogastrostomy with those in patients having reconstruction by pancreaticojejunostomy.

Methods

A meta-analysis was performed of all large cohort and randomized controlled trials carried out since 1990.

Results

Eleven articles were identified for inclusion: one prospective randomized trial, two non-randomized prospective trials and eight observational cohort studies. The meta-analysis revealed a higher rate of pancreatic fistula associated with pancreaticojejunostomy reconstruction (relative risk (RR) 2·62 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 1·91 to 3·60)). A higher overall morbidity rate was also demonstrated in this group (RR 1·43 (95 per cent c.i. 1·26 to 1·61)), as was a higher mortality rate (RR 2·51 (95 per cent c.i. 1·61 to 3·91)).

Conclusion

Current literature suggests that the safer means of pancreatic reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy is pancreaticogastrostomy, but much of the evidence comes from observational cohort study data.
Randomized clinical trial of the influence of local water-filtered infrared A irradiation on wound healing after abdominal surgery
Authors: Hartel M , Hoffmann G , Wente M N , Martignoni M E , Büchler M W , Friess H
Published: July 2006

Background

Postoperative local water-filtered infrared A (wIRA) irradiation improves tissue oxygen partial pressure, tissue perfusion and tissue temperature, which are important in wound healing.

Methods

The effect of wIRA irradiation on abdominal wound healing following elective gastrointestinal surgery was evaluated. Some 111 patients undergoing moderate to major abdominal surgery were randomized into one of two groups: wIRA and visible light irradiation (wIRA group) or visible light irradiation alone (control group). Uncovered wounds were irradiated twice a day for 20 min from days 2–10 after operation.

Results

Irradiation with wIRA improved postoperative wound healing in comparison to visible light irradiation alone. Main variables of interest were: wound healing assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) by the surgeon (median 88·6 versus 78·5 respectively; P < 0·001) or patient (median 85·8 versus 81·0; P = 0·040), postoperative pain (median decrease in VAS score during irradiation 13·4 versus 0; P < 0·001), subcutaneous oxygen tension after irradiation (median 41·6 versus 30·2 mmHg; P < 0·001) and subcutaneous temperature after irradiation (median 38·9 versus 36·4 °C; P < 0·001). The overall result, in terms of wound healing, pain and cosmesis, measured on a VAS by the surgeon (median 79·0 versus 46·8; P < 0·001) or patient (79·0 versus 50·2; P < 0·001) was better after wIRA irradiation.

Conclusion

Postoperative irradiation with wIRA can improve normal postoperative wound healing and may reduce costs in gastrointestinal surgery.
Systematic review of laparoscopic versus open surgery for colorectal cancer
Authors: Reza M M , Blasco J A , Andradas E , Cantero R , Mayol J
Published: July 2006

Background

This study compares the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery (LS) and open surgery (OS) for colorectal cancer.

Methods

An electronic search of the literature was undertaken to identify primary studies and systematic reviews. Information on the efficacy and safety of LS versus OS was analysed. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine long-term outcomes.

Results

A systematic review published in 2000 and 12 more recent randomized clinical trials were identified. Compared with OS, LS reduced blood loss and pain, and resulted in a faster return of bowel function and earlier resumption of normal diet. Hospital stay was up to 2 days shorter after LS. No significant differences between the techniques were noted in the incidence of complications or postoperative mortality. The time required to complete LS was significantly longer (0·5–1·0 h more). No significant differences were found between the two procedures in terms of overall mortality, cancer-related mortality or disease recurrence.

Conclusion

LS takes longer than OS but offers several short-term benefits. However, complication rates are similar for both procedures and no differences were found in long-term outcomes.
Brand placements Bollywood style
Authors: Nelson Michelle R , Devanathan Narayan
Published: July 2006

The globalization of media allows brand placements subtle ways to reach local and international consumers. This study examines Indians' responses to brand placements in a Bollywood film. Psychological processing of embedded brands was assessed by gauging the effects of film involvement and brand consciousness on recall. Film involvement showed an adverse effect on brand recall, while brand consciousness had a positive effect. Brand consciousness was also positively related to the notion that brand placements enhanced film realism, but was not related to attitudes toward product placement in general.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cognitive anthropology and the problem‐solving behaviour of green consumers
Authors: Wagner‐Tsukamoto Sigmund , Tadajewski Mark
Published: July 2006

This paper examines the contextual aspects of problem‐solving behaviour of ‘green’, environmentally oriented consumers. It is argued that by profiling the consumer in cognitive terms, a more robust understanding of green consumer behaviour can be provided.

To illustrate this, we draw upon the cognitive anthropological concepts of practical thinking and bricolage. These are used to integrate ‘context’ into a model of cognition via qualitative, interview‐based research which examined how consumers assess the environmental friendliness of supermarket products.

In order to increase external validity two respondent groups were compared, British and German consumers. Different levels of successful and unsuccessful practical thinking and bricolage were identified.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of counterfeiting on consumer search
Authors: Gentry James W , Putrevu Sanjay , Shultz Clifford J
Published: July 2006

Counterfeit products and the brand pirates who make, distribute, and sell them continue to be a challenge for many marketers around the globe. Estimates of global sales for bogus products are in the hundreds of billions of dollars and recent evidence suggests that fakes are prevalent in both developed and developing countries. We investigate brand/product counterfeiting from a consumer search perspective. As the quality of counterfeits improves, it is becoming more difficult for the consumer to identify them. Interviews with 102 international informants yield a picture of the cues consumers use to detect counterfeits and the roles of face and taste in decisions to purchase or not to purchase fake goods. We conclude with a discussion of some managerial implications.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.