bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome changes in the cambial region of poplar (Populus alba L.) in response to water deficit
Authors: Berta M. , Giovannelli A. , Sebastiani F. , Camussi A. , Racchi M. L.
Published: February 2010

A transcriptome analysis of the Populus alba cambial region was performed with the aim of elucidating the gene network underlying the response to water deficit within the cambium and differentiating derivative cambial cells. Water stress was induced in 1‐year‐old P. alba plants by withholding water for 9 days. At that time, leaf predawn water potential fell to −0.8 MPa, resulting in a significant reduction in stomatal conductance, CO2 assimilation and a consistent increment of stem shrinkage. These effects were almost fully reversed by re‐hydration. The water deficit resulted in changes in gene expression that affected several functional categories, such as protein metabolism, cell wall metabolism, stress response, transporters and transcriptional regulation. The function of up‐ and down‐regulated genes is discussed considering the physiological response of the plants to water deficit.
Immunomagnetic quantification of circulating tumor cells in patients with urothelial cancer
Authors: Okegawa Takatsugu , Hayashi Kenjiro , Hara Hidehiko , Nutahara Kikuo , Higashihara Eiji
Published: February 2010

Objectives:  To evaluate the relationship between circulating tumor cells (CTC) and clinical parameters in metastatic urothelial cancer (UC).

Methods:  CTC were enumerated with the CellSearch System, which was developed using an EpCAM antibody‐based immunomagnetic capture and automated staining methodology. UC cell lines (RT4, T24, TCC, UMUC3 and 253J) and mixed blood from healthy males were analyzed. Blood samples from 16 patients without metastatic UC and 20 patients with metastatic UC were also analyzed.

Results:  The accuracy and reliability of the assay were determined using spiked UC cells (RT4 and T24), which showed a strong linear correlation (r = 0.99) and recovery rate of 94% ± 5% and 84% ± 6%, respectively. Three UC cell lines (TCC, UMUC3 and 253J) tested negative. The 16 patients without metastatic UC tested negative as well. Eleven (55%) patients with metastatic UC tested positive for at least one CTC. Seven (35%) had two or more CTC. Significantly more CTC were seen in patients with two or more sites of metastasis than those with one site of metastasis (P = 0.004).

Conclusions:  Based on these findings, CTC could represent a potential marker to monitor the response to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic UC.
Higher peripheral neutrophil and monocyte counts are independent indicators of the presence and severity of proteinuria in apparently normal adults
Authors: Huang Z.‐S. , Chen Y.‐M. , Wu K.‐D. , Chen M.‐F.
Published: February 2010

Background: Proteinuria reflects disrupted renal function in which enhanced immuno‐inflammation activity plays a key role. So far, information concerning the relations between proteinuria and peripheral different leucocyte counts is limited. We thereby conducted this study aiming to obtain comprehensive information of the issue.

Methods: Study subjects were participants of a health check programme from 2000 to 2002. Additional two enrolment criteria were (i) leucocyte analysis was checked with a same blood cell counter and (ii) urinalysis showed no pyuria or haematuria. Data of subjects were retrospectively collected and analysed by using sas program.

Results: Higher neutrophil and monocyte counts, but not lymphocyte count, were significantly associated with both the presence and the severity of proteinuria (all P < 0.0001, n= 12 225). Such associations maintained significant after adjustments of age, sex, body mass index, mean blood pressure and blood levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglycerides and creatinine (all P≤ 0.001, n= 12 225). There was a sharp increase in the incidence of proteinuria in association with a neutrophil count ≥4.50 × 109/L (P≤ 0.0001).

Conclusion: Our study showed that in apparently normal adults the presence and the severity of proteinuria could be reflected by the peripheral neutrophil and monocyte counts, but not the lymphocyte count. These findings, together with the documented inflammatory basis of proteinuria and the diverse pathophysiological roles of differential leucocytes, suggest that peripheral differential leucocyte counting may be useful in predicting the course of an existing proteinuria. Perspective longitudinal follow‐up studies are needed to test this presumption.
Community‐acquired pneumonia in the central desert and north‐western tropics of Australia
Authors: Rémond M. G. W. , Ralph A. P. , Brady S. J. , Martin J. , Tikoft E. , Maguire G. P.
Published: February 2010

Background:Community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) results in significant morbidity in central and north‐western Australia. However, the nature, management and outcome of CAP are poorly documented. The aim of the study was to describe CAP in the Kimberley and Central Desert regions of Australia.

Methods:Prospective and retrospective cohort studies of inpatient management of adults with CAP at Alice Springs Hospital and six Kimberley hospitals were carried out. We documented demographic data, comorbidities, investigations, causes, CAP severity, outcome and concordance between prescribed and protocol‐recommended antibiotics.

Results:Two hundred and ninety‐three subjects were included. Aboriginal Australians were overrepresented (relative risk 8.1). Patients were notably younger (median age 44.5 years) and disease severity lower than in urban Australian settings. Two patients died within 30 days of admission compared with expected mortality based on Pneumonia Severity Index predictions of seven deaths (χ2,P= 0.09). Disease severity and outcome did not differ between regions. Management differences were identified, including significantly more investigations, higher rates of critical care and broader antibiotic cover in Central Australia compared with the Kimberley. Sputum culture results showed Gram‐negative organisms in both regions. However,Streptococcus pneumoniaewas the most frequent organism isolated in the Kimberley andHaemophilus influenzaein Central Australia.

Conclusion:CAP in this setting is an Aboriginal health issue. The low mortality observed and results of microbiology investigations support the use of existing antibiotic protocols. Larger studies investigating CAP aetiology are warranted. Addressing social and environmental disadvantage remains the key factors in dealing with the burden of CAP in this setting.
Relationship between renal function and heart failure in hypertensive patients
Authors: Luque M. , De Rivas B. , Divisón J. A. , Márquez E. , Sobreviela E. ,   HICAP Study Group Investigators
Published: February 2010

The HICAP (Hypertension and Heart Failure in Primary Care) study is a cross‐sectional, multicentre, epidemiological study conduced in primary care centres in Spain. The results indicate that among hypertensive patients without heart failure (HF), diagnosed renal dysfunction is associated with the risk for developing HF and that the renal function evaluation using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Group formula could be useful to detect hypertensive patients at high risk of developing HF.
Ventilatory failure in shrinking lung syndrome is associated with reduced chest compliance
Authors: Ernest D. , Leung A.
Published: February 2010

Shrinking lung syndrome is an extremely rare feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report on a 49‐year‐old woman with SLE who presented with dyspnoea in type 2 respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Medical imaging investigations revealed markedly reduced lung volumes and the absence of pulmonary emboli, pulmonary fibrosis or any significant parenchymal infiltrate consistent with shrinking lung syndrome. We observed significantly reduced chest compliance during positive pressure ventilation and noted that this contrasts with a widely held view that diaphragmatic weakness is the major pathophysiological mechanism for ventilatory failure in these patients. She was treated with high‐dose steroids and cyclophosphamide and weaned slowly off full mechanical ventilation. This report highlights an unusual cause of respiratory failure in a patient with SLE and provides support for reduced chest compliance rather than the diaphragmatic weakness as being the significant pathophysiological mechanism for ventilatory failure in these patients.
Hypocognition and evidence‐based medicine
Authors: Mariotto A.
Published: February 2010

The enthusiasm for evidence‐based medicine (EBM) has not been accompanied by the same success in bridging the gap between theory and practice. This paper advances the hypothesis that the phenomenon psychologists call hypocognition may hinder the development of EBM. People tend to respond to frames rather than to facts. To be accepted, a theory, however robust, must fit into a person's mental framework. The absence of a simple, consolidated framework is referred to as hypocognition. Hypocognition might limit the application of EBM in three ways. First, it fails to provide an analytical framework by which to orient the physician in the direction of continuous medical development and variability in individual people's responses. Second, little emphasis is placed on teaching clinical reasoning. Third, there is an imbalance between the enormous mass of available information and the practical possibilities. Possible solutions are described. We not only need more evidence to help clinicians make better decisions, but also need more research on why some clinicians make better decisions than others, how to teach clinical reasoning, and whether computerised supports can promote a higher quality of individualised care.
Overdose with modified‐release paracetamol results in delayed and prolonged absorption of paracetamol
Authors: Graudins A. , Chiew A. , Chan B.
Published: February 2010

A modified‐release formulation of paracetamol is currently available in Australasia and marketed under a number of different trade names. These include: Panadol Osteo, Panadol Extend Tablets, and Duatrol SR. We report four cases of intentional overdose with this formulation resulting in delay to peak plasma paracetamol concentrations and prolonged paracetamol absorption. Physicians must be aware that a single plasma paracetamol estimation four or more hours post‐ingestion may not be adequate in the risk assessment of patients requiring treatment with N‐acetylcysteine (NAC). Current Australasian guidelines for the management of modified‐release paracetamol overdose advise empiric commencement of NAC if the suspected ingested dose is greater than 10 grams or 200 mg/kg (whichever is the least), an initial plasma paracetamol concentration should be assayed four or more hours post‐ingestion and a second assay should be estimated four hours after the first. Treatment with NAC should continue if either concentration falls above the paracetamol treatment nomogram line. With massive ingestions of this paracetamol formulation (>50 grams) plasma concentrations may be elevated for several days and prolonged treatment with NAC is recommended. When modified‐release paracetamol overdose is suspected a clinical toxicologist or Poisons Information Centre should be consulted to help guide management decisions.
Landscape patterns and environmental controls of deciduousness in forests of central Panama
Authors: Bohlman Stephanie A.
Published: February 2010

Aim  Dry season deciduousness affects intra‐ and inter‐annual patterns of carbon, water and energy balance in seasonal tropical forests. Because it is affected by rainfall, temperature and solar radiation, deciduousness may be an indicator of the response of vegetation to climate change. Better understanding of how spatial patterns of deciduousness are affected by climate and other environmental gradients will improve the ability to predict responses to climate change. This study develops remote sensing methods for quantifying tropical forest deciduousness and examines the relationship between deciduousness and environmental factors in semi‐deciduous tropical forest.

Location  Central Panama.

Methods  I applied spectral mixture analysis (SMA) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to Landsat images to predict deciduousness which was ground‐truthed with field observations of the percentage of overstorey deciduous trees. Using predicted deciduousness from SMA, patterns of deciduousness at three spatial scales were analysed. I determined how deciduousness varied spatially with rainfall and geological substrate.

Results  Both SMA and NDVI had strong correlations (r > 0.9) with field observations of deciduousness. On a landscape scale, deciduousness increased as rainfall decreased, but geological substrate altered this relationship. On some geological substrates, deciduousness was much greater than expected for a given rainfall total or showed a slight but significant increase with rainfall. At an intermediate spatial scale, there were highly deciduous patches from 3 to 250 ha in size embedded in non‐deciduous forest, which may have resulted from topography, soil variation or past land use.

Main conclusions  Dry season deciduousness can be accurately quantified using satellite images indicating that remote sensing can be a valuable tool for detecting change and understanding ecosystem processes in tropical forests from landscape to regional scales.
DETAILED ESTIMATION OF WORKLIFE EXPECTANCY FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL: ACCOUNTING FOR MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
Authors: Millimet Daniel L. , Nieswiadomy Michael , Slottje Daniel
Published: February 2010

Abstract Measuring an individual's human capital at a point in time as the present actuarial value of expected net lifetime earnings has a lengthy history. Calculating such measures requires accurate estimates of worklife expectancy. Here, worklife estimates for men and women in the USA categorized by educational attainment, race, marital status, parental status and current labour force status are presented. Race has a much larger impact on the worklife expectancy of men than women. Education is associated with larger worklife differentials for women. The association between marriage and worklife expectancy is significant, but of opposite sign, for men and women: married women (men) have a lower (higher) worklife expectancy than single women (men). Parenthood is associated with a reduction in the worklife expectancy of women; the association is smaller and varies from positive for some education/marital status groups to negative for others for men.
Agency, Institutional Change, and Continuity: The Case of the Finnish Civil War
Authors: Lamberg Juha‐Antti , Pajunen Kalle
Published: February 2010

abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of individual agency in the process of institutional change. We conducted a historical study to explore the motivations and activities of two prominent individuals in business and politics before, during, and after the Finnish Civil War. Our most important finding is that the improvised actions of individuals with complex interests were causally related to long‐term institutional changes. Specifically, our study contributes to theory development in the field of institutional analysis by showing how individual actors can be a mechanism for both institutional continuity and change. On the practical side, our account can help managers understand the power of improvised activities in the face of ambiguity and uncertainty, especially if there is the possibility of acting in concert.
Chandler's Living History:The Visible Handof Vertical Integration in Nineteenth Century America Viewed Under a Twenty‐First Century Transaction Costs Economics Lens
Authors: Bucheli Marcelo , Mahoney Joseph T. , Vaaler Paul M.
Published: February 2010

abstract

Alfred Chandler's recent passing is cause to review and celebrate his many contributions to business history. It also presents an opportunity to highlight links between his rich historical analyses concerning organizational and industrial innovation and contemporary management studies of the firm and industrial organization. We illustrate this point by applying transaction costs theory to several case studies from his 1977 masterwork narrating the emergence of vertically‐integrated firms in nineteenth‐century America,The Visible Hand. Vertical integration, organizational control, and innovation in manufacturing at McCormick Harvester and Singer Sewing Machines, and in transportation and distribution at Swift and United Fruit reflect managerial responses to classic transaction costs considerations including commercial relationships requiring the creation of specialized equipment and knowledge. Transaction costs analysis provides complementary historical insight on organizational innovation at these and other firms in the nineteenth century, and suggests when and where we might expect vertical integration strategies in emerging industries of the twenty‐first century.
Leptin and gastro‐intestinal malignancies
Authors: Howard J. M. , Pidgeon G. P. , Reynolds J. V.
Published: February 2010

Obesity is a well‐established risk factor for the development and mortality from several cancers, including adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus, oesophago‐gastric junction and colorectum. Despite a large body of epidemiological evidence describing this relationship, the mechanisms relating obesity and cancer are only starting to be uncovered. The altered secretion of metabolically active, pro‐inflammatory adipocytokines from adipose tissue is believed to play a key role, and leptin is believed to be a key player in obesity‐related carcinogenesis, as well as being the most extensively studied of the adipokines. In this literature review, we aim to examine the association between leptin and cancers of the gastro‐intestinal tract. For each individual cancer, we examine and present the published data examining the role of leptin in both cell and animal models, the association between circulating leptin levels and cancer risk, and finally the expression of the leptin system in human gastro‐intestinal tract tumours, in relation to tumour biology, stage and patient outcome.
From glamour‐oriented idolatry to achievement‐oriented idolatry: A framing experiment among adolescents in Hong Kong and Shenzhen
Authors: Yue Xiao Dong , Cheung Chau‐kiu , Wong Dennis Sing Wing
Published: February 2010

The present study examined the framing effect of two modes of idolatry among a sample of 1095 secondary school students in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Two experimental conditions were set up: in the glamour frame condition, subjects were exposed to frames that enhanced perfection and mystification of idols' personal or ideological characteristics; in the achievement frame condition, subjects were exposed to frames that enhanced emulation and identification of idols' pro‐social behaviours or desirable dispositional traits. The experiment selected a prominent pop music and movie star well known in Chinese societies, Andy Lau, as the target idol. Subjects showed a consistently and significantly greater desire to glorify, idealize, identify with, emulate, and attach to Andy Lau in the achievement frame condition than in the glamour frame condition. The finding suggests that an achievement frame can heighten young people's adoration of an idol by emphasizing the idol's achievement processes. This suggestion is favourable to the possibility of transforming an idol into a role model for young people to learn to pursue career success.
Rural‐urban differences in generation of Chinese and Western exemplary persons: The case of China
Authors: Chen Xia , Chiu Chi‐yue
Published: February 2010

Chinese adolescents in urban cities (Beijing, Chengdu) and rural towns (Wei Shan Zhuang, Zheng Xing) generated Chinese and Western exemplary persons and rated the values these exemplary persons represent. The results showed that the tendency to differentiate Chinese culture from Western culture was greater among urban (vs rural) Chinese. Specifically, only urban Chinese consistently attributed Chinese moral values (more than other types of values) to self‐generated Chinese exemplary persons and Western moral values (more than other types of values) to self‐generated Western exemplary persons. Because urban Chinese have more frequent exposure to foreign cultures, our results suggest that frequent exposure to foreign cultures can lead to enhanced perceptions of cultural differences.
Asians as the model minority: Implications for US Government's policies
Authors: Chao Melody Manchi , Chiu Chi‐yue , Lee Jamee S.
Published: February 2010

Asian Americans are often perceived as a ‘model minority’– an ethnic minority that are high achieving, hardworking, self‐reliant, law‐abiding, as well as having few social and mental health problems. Although the impact of the model minority image on the US government's redistributive policies is a widely contested topic in public discourses, there has been little research on the association between the model minority image, people's worldviews, and attitudes towards the US government's redistributive policies. In an experiment that measured American participants' worldviews and manipulated the salience of the model minority image, we have demonstrated that those who believed in a malleable social reality were relatively unsupportive of government policies that help the Asian American (vsAfrican American) communities. Theoretical and practical implications of this finding are discussed.
THE CRITICAL NEED TO REINVENT MANAGEMENT
Authors: Birkinshaw Julian
Published: February 2010

Julian Birkinshaw believes that management is undervalued today – and for good reasons. Management, he says, has failed at the big‐picture level. It's time to reinvent the profession.
HOW IN THE WORLD?
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: February 2010

We may think of management as a recent phenomenon, but its roots lie in the first organizing activities of our ancestors. Stuart Crainer looks at the emergence of management as a profession. He finds that the road to modern management leads to a paradox. How do we change that?
RISK MANAGEMENT STARTS AT THE TOP
Authors: Strebel Paul , Lu Hongze
Published: February 2010

Paul Strebel and Hongze Lu asked why, at the end of 2008, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and UBS had well over $40 billion in sub‐prime write‐downs and credit losses, while some of their competitors were much less exposed. Their research into the situation revealed correlations of great import to today's firms.
SEGMENTING WHEN IT MATTERS
Authors: Birnik Andreas , Moat Richard
Published: February 2010

Andreas Birnik and Richard Moat argue that business complexity is directly linked to the degree of segmentation implemented by a company. They propose an approach to map business activities at the segment level to make sure that complexity is only introduced when it really matters to customers.
MORE POWER TO YOUR PRESENTATION
Authors: Grimshaw Roly
Published: February 2010

You might wonder what similarities there can be between a Russian oligarch and an entrepreneur. When it comes to persuading people to invest, there are plenty, according to Roly Grimshaw.
START FILLING YOUR TALENT GAP‐NOW
Authors: Bird Alan , Flees Lori , DiPaola Paul
Published: February 2010

As businesses steer their way out of turbulence, they have a unique opportunity to identify their leadership supply and demand and then to close the talent gap in their organization. Alan Bird, Lori Flees and Paul DiPaola explain how you can take immediate steps to build the right team now – and lay the groundwork for a long‐term approach for nurturing talent within the organization.
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION IS OVER. LONG LIVE THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION!
Authors: Lanzolla Gianvito , Anderson Jamie
Published: February 2010

Many businesses are now involved in the digital marketplace. Yet Gianvito Lanzolla and Jamie Anderson argue that the new reality of numerous companies offering overlapping digital products means that it is critical for managers to understand digital convergence and to observe the imperatives for remaining competitive.
Bagehot Smiling: Gordon Brown's ‘New Constitution’ and the Revolution that Did Not Happen
Authors: FLINDERS MATTHEW
Published: February 2010

The MPs expenses scandal that erupted in May 2009 has certainly rekindled interest in the next stage of constitutional reform and democratic renewal in Britain. This article examines how Gordon Brown's tenure as Prime Minister has differed from Tony Blair's in relation to the ‘new politics’ narrative. It argues that despite his long‐term personal commitment to major constitutional reforms, the role of crises in recalibrating the political opportunity structure and the manner in which electoral incentives can alter elite attitudes to institutional change that Brown's tenure can be characterised by optimism followed by timidity. Gordon Brown may have flown a few kites in relation to a written constitution, electoral reform, English devolution and the future of the House of Lords but he has left things far too late for a ‘constitutional moment’. Brown may have the political inclination but he lacks the capacity to deliver far‐reaching reform; Cameron is likely to have the capacity but not the inclination.
Safe as Houses? Conservative Social Policy, Public Opinion and Parliament
Authors: BOCHEL HUGH , DEFTY ANDREW
Published: February 2010

Social policy is of key importance to contemporary society, accounting for two thirds of public expenditure and, through provision such as the NHS, pensions, benefits, schools, universities and social care, touching on the lives of much of the population on a daily basis. It has also been one of the areas where the Conservative party have sought to change their image, and to some extent policies, under David Cameron. Drawing upon a range of evidence, including interviews with more than ten per cent of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, this article examines the potential challenges for a Conservative government of either stance, focusing on the extent of possible support for the Conservatives' approach to social policy amongst three key groups: the public, MPs, and members of the House of Lords.
Religion and Politics in Western and Islamic Political Thought: A Clash of Epistemologies?
Authors: BLACK ANTONY
Published: February 2010

Early Christianity viewed religion and politics as largely separate; early Islam viewed them as largely concurrent. But from the eighth to the eleventh centuries each modified their original position, so that they almost converged. However, they subsequently diverged again. This was because, in the West, political thought became secularised following the eleventh‐century papal reform movement and then the Protestant Reformation. Muslim thinkers, on the other hand, beginning with al‐Mawardi (974–1058), sought to restore the subsumption of politics into religion, notably during the sixteenth‐century Shi'ite revolution in Iran. While today the West views religion and politics as largely separate categories, Muslims see them as necessarily intertwined; attempts to separate them have so far largely failed. Hence Muslim political thought is based primarily on revelation (interpreted in various ways), while Western political thought is based on philosophy.
The Politics of Climate Policy: Strategic Options for National Governments
Authors: COMPSTON HUGH
Published: February 2010

This article summarises the results so far of an international investigation aimed at identifying political strategies that make it easier for national governments to take more effective action against climate change while avoiding significant political damage. The numerous strategic options identified included strategies involving unilateral action by governments, strategies of persuasion, damage limitation strategies, strategies that can be used in political exchange with other political actors, and strategies designed to improve the bargaining position of governments by altering the terms of political exchange. The article concludes with a shortlist of especially promising strategies.
The Worst of All Worlds? Electoral Reform and Britain's 2009 European Elections
Authors: KELLY RICHARD
Published: February 2010

At the 2009 European elections, Britain again elected its MEPs under the ‘closed list’ system of proportional representation (PR)—the third time it had done so since 1999. This article looks at claims that these elections vindicated PR by producing a ‘fairer’ relationship between the parties' share of votes and their share of seats, a truer reflection of diverse political allegiance in modern Britain, and (thanks to multi‐member constituencies) a more efficient and sensitive system for representing voters. However, the article will also inspect the idea that the case for electoral reform was gravely weakened by the 2009 Euro elections. It will recall how PR again failed to boost turnout, again employed a method of counting that most voters did not understand, and again involved constituencies too large for meaningful representation. Furthermore, it will recall that PR allowed the election of two MEPs from the far‐right British National Party. (With just 6% of votes, it is unlikely that the BNP would have secured seats under Britain's traditional electoral system.) The article will argue that, as a result, PR has had a centrifugal effect on the British party system and, potentially, a polarising effect on our political culture. Consequently, the article will assert that, owing to the success of the BNP in 2009, arguments about PR for Westminster have been ‘ideologically neutralised’. The article will thus suggest that we can now take a more objective view of hung Parliaments and coalitions (the likely effects of PR at general elections), free from the assumption that they entrench centrist governments and progressive politics.
Better Government with Older Citizens: A Test of Democracy
Authors: GROOMBRIDGE BRIAN
Published: February 2010

Better Government for Older People: this ambitious project to involve older citizens in the improvement of policies affecting them, celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2008. Then the Government decided to close it down, setting up an Advisory Forum as an alternative. BGOP's considerable achievements were widely recognised (and acknowledged in the DWP review by John Elbourne) but there were real shortcomings. BGOP's previous history is summarised, with special reference to its work with the Older People's Advisory Group. Some activists and observers believe BGOP's weaknesses could and should have been remedied, but the Government decided to start again. There are strongly opposed interpretations of why this happened. Former BGOP staff and OPAG members have since set up ChangeAGEnts, a Co‐operative charity, to continue their work. The specific issue is intrinsically and demographically important, but it also throws light on consultation in many other policy areas.
How Honest Do Politicians Need to Be?
Authors: BIRCH SARAH , ALLEN NICHOLAS
Published: February 2010

This article reports findings from a recent survey of citizens' attitudes towards standards in British public life. It provides further evidence that people hold their political leaders to high standards, yet are often disappointed by the reality, and suggests that many citizens tend to blame the practice and institutions of politics for making politicians less honest and trustworthy than they would ideally like. The article argues that reforms to the political system are needed to regain the confidence of the population, but that the manner in which the most recent round of ethics reforms in the House of Commons were introduced may lower the prospects of their achieving this goal.
Moderate Secularism, Religion as Identity and Respect for Religion
Authors: MODOOD TARIQ
Published: February 2010

Political secularism takes many forms but a fundamental distinction is between radical and moderate kinds. The latter is a genuine secularism and not just a failure to take secularism to its logical conclusion. The failure to appreciate this obscures the secularism that exists in western Europe. Namely, an accommodation of organised religion which sees it as a potential public good or national resource (not just a private benefit), which the state can in some circumstances assist to realise—even through an ‘established’ church. I adumbrate five types of reasons the state might be interested in religion: truth, danger, utility, identity and respect. The challenge facing such secularism today is whether it can be pluralised or multiculturalised, in particular whether it can accommodate Muslims. A ground for optimism is the respect that some people, especially some Muslims, have for religions other than their own.
Political Science and History: Friends and Neighbours
Authors: McLean Iain
Published: February 2010

Against Anne Norton, it is argued that political science and history are good neighbours. Instances are given to show that the two disciplines need each other, both in political thought and in comparative government. Political scientists need historians to help understand important but improbable events. Historians need political scientists to help understand sampling issues and statistical methodology.
Political Theory and Practical Public Reasoning
Authors: Weale Albert
Published: February 2010

Political theory and political philosophy (used interchangeably in this article) have always played a role in public life. The argument pursued here is that this is not accidental. We cannot understand in an explanatory sense developments in public policy without understanding the structure of ideas that influence those developments, including the normative presuppositions at the core of those structures of ideas. However, we can pass from explanation in the narrow sense to justification and the evaluation of the merits of those ideas. The techniques of normative political theory are invaluable in this context of justification and evaluation. Two examples are given to illustrate this last claim.
Crossing the Interdisciplinary Divide: Political Science and Biological Science
Authors: Greaves Justin , Grant Wyn
Published: February 2010

This article argues that interdisciplinary collaboration can offer significant intellectual gains to political science in terms of methodological insights, questioning received assumptions and providing new perspectives on subject fields. Collaboration with natural scientists has been less common than collaboration with social scientists, but can be intellectually more rewarding. Interdisciplinary work with biological scientists can be especially valuable given the history of links between the two subjects and the similarity of some of the methodological challenges faced. The authors have been involved in two projects with biological scientists and this has led them critically to explore issues relating to the philosophy of science, in particular the similarities and differences between social and natural science, focusing on three issues: the problem of agency, the experimental research design and the individualistic fallacy. It is argued that interdisciplinary research can be fostered through shared understandings of what constitutes ‘justified beliefs’. Political science can help natural scientists to understand a more sophisticated understanding of the policy process. Such research brings a number of practical challenges and the authors explain how they have sought to overcome them.
New Worlds in Political Science
Authors: Dunleavy Patrick
Published: February 2010

‘Political science’ is a ‘vanguard’ field concerned with advancing generic knowledge of political processes, while a wider ‘political scholarship’ utilising eclectic approaches has more modest or varied ambitions. Political science nonetheless necessarily depends upon and is epistemologically comparable with political scholarship. I deploy Boyer's distinctions between discovery, integration, application and renewing the profession to show that these connections are close woven. Two sets of key challenges need to be tackled if contemporary political science is to develop positively. The first is to ditch the current unworkable and restrictive comparative politics approach, in favour of a genuinely global analysis framework. Instead of obsessively looking at data on nation states, we need to seek data completeness on the whole (multi-level) world we have. A second cluster of challenges involves looking far more deeply into political phenomena; reaping the benefits of ‘digital-era’ developments; moving from sample methods to online census methods in organisational analysis; analysing massive transactional databases and real-time political processes (again, instead of depending on surveys); and devising new forms of ‘instrumentation’, informed by post-rational choice theoretical perspectives.
Adolescent stress: Evaluation of the factor structure of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N)
Authors: MOKSNES UNNI KARIN , BYRNE DON G. , MAZANOV JASON , ESPNES GEIR ARILD
Published: February 2010

Moksnes, U. K., Byrne, D. G., Mazanov, J. & Espnes, G. A. (2010). Adolescent stress: Evaluation of the factor structure of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 203–209.

The present study reports an evaluation of the factor structure of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N) among 723 students. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed nine internally consistent dimensions of adolescent stress. Scales constructed from this PCA correlated positively with measures of depression and anxiety and negatively with self‐esteem. Girls reported higher stress levels than boys in seven of the nine scales and age was also positively correlated with the scale scores of adolescent stress. The results revealed that the instrument has potential for measuring adolescent stress. The stability of the ASQ‐N needs to be tested repeatedly, across cohorts and over time, to establish the adequacy for use in Norwegian adolescent studies.
Geostatistical Inference Under Preferential Sampling
Authors: Diggle Peter J. , Menezes Raquel , Su Ting-li
Published: February 2010

Geostatistics involves the fitting of spatially continuous models to spatially discrete data. Preferential sampling arises when the process that determines the data locations and the process being modelled are stochastically dependent. Conventional geostatistical methods assume, if only implicitly, that sampling is non-preferential. However, these methods are often used in situations where sampling is likely to be preferential. For example, in mineral exploration, samples may be concentrated in areas that are thought likely to yield high grade ore. We give a general expression for the likelihood function of preferentially sampled geostatistical data and describe how this can be evaluated approximately by using Monte Carlo methods. We present a model for preferential sampling and demonstrate through simulated examples that ignoring preferential sampling can lead to misleading inferences. We describe an application of the model to a set of biomonitoring data from Galicia, northern Spain, in which making allowance for preferential sampling materially changes the results of the analysis.
ARE FREEDOM AND EQUALITY NATURAL ENEMIES? A CHRISTIAN‐THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: VORSTER NICO
Published: February 2010

It is often difficult to balance the conflicting interests of freedom and equality in the public domain. This article attempts to provide a Christian perspective on freedom and equality that might help to reconcile some of the conflicts between freedom and equality that are likely to arise. The first section discusses the significance of religious ethics for social justice, the second section attempts to provide a conceptual framework for freedom and equality from a theological perspective. The third section offers a societal framework within which conflicts between freedom and equality can be resolved. The conclusion arrived at is that freedom and equality are compatible values as long as they are used in a conceptually correct manner which upholds the inherent principles governing societal processes.
Self‐scaffolding mediated by languaging: microgenetic analysis of high and low performers
Authors: Knouzi Ibtissem , Swain Merrill , Lapkin Sharon , Brooks Lindsay
Published: February 2010

The growing literature about the positive effect of languaging or self‐explaining has so far failed to determine why some learners benefit from languaging more than others. We attempt to address this gap through a microgenetic analysis of the languaging behaviour of two university students learning French as a second language, whom we identify as a high and a low languager. We trace the development of their understanding of the grammatical concept of voice in French. Our findings suggest that languaging is a self‐scaffolding tool that our high languager used efficiently to solve cognitive conflicts, mediate mental processes, and construct meaning in general. On the basis of our results, we call for a change in educational practices that would allow for more learner agency through self‐scaffolding mediated by languaging.
The geolinguistics of English as an academic lingua franca: citation practices across English‐medium national and English‐medium international journals
Authors: Lillis Theresa , Hewings Ann , Vladimirou Dimitra , Curry Mary Jane
Published: February 2010

To explore how the global status of English influences knowledge production and circulation, this paper focuses on citations in English‐medium national and English‐medium international journal articles. Drawing on text, ethnographic, and corpus data from a longitudinal study in four national contexts, we argue that citation practices vary significantly along geolinguistic lines – that is, in terms of who gets cited, where and by whom – and that such differences are highly consequential. We argue that multilingual scholars face particularly difficult decisions which can in part be understood as a tension between the politics of knowledge building and knowledge measuring. We conclude by calling for greater recognition of this tension in discussions about English as an academic lingua franca and in Anglophone centre gatekeeping practices.

A dolgozat országos és nemzetközi tudományos szakfolyóiratok hivatkozási gyakorlatát elemzi, és azt vizsgálja, hogyan befolyásolja az angol nyelv globális státusza a tudományos ismeretalkotás és ismeretközlés folyamatát. Négy különböző országban végeztünk longitudinális kutatást, és szövegelemzéssel, valamint etnográfiai és korpuszalapú módszerekkel nyert adatainkból megállapítottuk: a hivatkozás gyakorlata nagymértékben függ geolingvisztikai tényezőktől, vagyis az, hogy mely szerzők, mely országokban, kikre hivatkoznak, igen eltérő lehet, és ezek az eltérések jelentős következményekkel járnak. Ebből számunkra kitűnik, hogy a több nyelven publikáló kutatóknak különösen nehéz döntésekkel kell szembesülniük, melyek egyik forrása az a feszültség, amely a tudománypolitika ismeretépítéstés ismeretértékelést szolgáló irányelvei között húzódik. Dolgozatunk következtetésében rámutatunk, hogy ennek a feszültségnek több figyelmet kellene kapnia az angol, mint tudományos közvetítő nyelv szerepéről szóló elemzésekben, valamint az angol nyelvű publikációs központok szerzőkkel szemben támasztott követelményrendszerében és szelekciós gyakorlatában.
The Assessment of Executive Functioning in Children
Authors: Henry Lucy A. , Bettenay Caroline
Published: February 2010

Background:  Executive functioning is increasingly seen as incorporating several component sub‐skills and clinical assessments should reflect this complexity.

Method:  Tools for assessing executive functioning in children are reviewed within five key areas, across verbal and visuospatial abilities, with emphasis on batteries of tests.

Results:  There are many appropriate tests for children, although the choice is more limited for those under the age of 8 years.

Conclusions:  Whilst there are several batteries of executive functioning suitable for children, clinicians may prefer to cherry‐pick from a broader range of measures that assess specific components of executive functioning.
Divergent trends of euroscepticism in countries and regions of the European Union
Authors: LUBBERS MARCEL , SCHEEPERS PEER
Published: February 2010

Changes in different aspects of euroscepticism developed at different paces and in varying directions in the regions and countries of the European Union (EU) from 1994 to 2004. Using Eurobarometer data, along with data on country and region characteristics, information on the positions of the political parties and media attention paid to the EU, it is tested in detail whether opposite developments in euroscepticism were associated with opposite developments in influencing contextual characteristics. The authors found that the Netherlands became systematically more sceptical towards the EU, whereas the opposite trend was found in Spain. The introduction of the Euro partially explains these divergent trends, but the direction of this effect varies with countries' GDP. Changes in media attention on the EU further explain the changes in the public's attitude. However, this effect is contingent upon specific circumstances. Growing media attention increases political euroscepticism in countries with a negative EU budget balance, whereas it decreases such scepticism in countries with a positive balance. The effect of left‐right ideological placement is contingent upon the EU budget balance as well. Finally, the effect of education on euroscepticism is found to be smaller in countries with a higher GDP.
Predictors of Chain Acquisition among Independent Dialysis Facilities
Authors: Pozniak Alyssa S. , Hirth Richard A. , Banaszak‐Holl Jane , Wheeler John R. C.
Published: February 2010

Objective. To determine the predictors of chain acquisition among independent dialysis providers.

Data Sources. Retrospective facility‐level data combined from CMS Cost Reports, Medical Evidence Forms, Annual Facility Surveys, and claims for 1996–2003.

Study Design. Independent dialysis facilities' probability of acquisition by a dialysis chain (overall and by chain size) was estimated using a discrete time hazard rate model, controlling for financial and clinical performance, practice patterns, market factors, and other facility characteristics.

Data Collection. The sample includes all U.S. freestanding dialysis facilities that report not being chain affiliated for at least 1 year between 1997 and 2003.

Principal Findings. Above‐average costs and better quality outcomes are significant determinants of dialysis chain acquisition. Facilities in larger markets were more likely to be acquired by a chain. Furthermore, small dialysis chains have different acquisition strategies than large chains.

Conclusions. Dialysis chains appear to employ a mix of turn‐around and cream‐skimming strategies. Poor financial health is a predictor of chain acquisition as in other health care sectors, but the increased likelihood of chain acquisition among higher quality facilities is unique to the dialysis industry. Significant differences among predictors of acquisition by small and large chains reinforce the importance of using a richer classification for chain status.
Long‐Term Trends in Medicare Payments in the Last Year of Life
Authors: Riley Gerald F. , Lubitz James D.
Published: February 2010

Objective. To update research on Medicare payments in the last year of life.

Data Sources. Continuous Medicare History Sample, containing annual summaries of claims data on a 5 percent sample from 1978 to 2006.

Study Design. Analyses were based on elderly beneficiaries in fee for service. For each year, Medicare payments were assigned either to decedents (persons in their last year) or to survivors (all others).

Results. The share of Medicare payments going to persons in their last year of life declined slightly from 28.3 percent in 1978 to 25.1 percent in 2006. After adjustment for age, sex, and death rates, there was no significant trend.

Conclusions. Despite changes in the delivery of medical care over the last generation, the share of Medicare expenditures going to beneficiaries in their last year has not changed substantially.