bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Further Examination of the Liberation Hypothesis in Capital Murder Trials
Authors: Bjerregaard Beth E. , Smith M. Dwayne , Cochran John K. , Fogel Sondra J.
Published: March 2015

The liberation hypothesis argues that the effects of extra-legal factors such as victim and/or offender race on sentencing outcomes are conditioned by legally relevant factors, particularly the severity or the strength of the case. Where the evidence is weak or contradictory or the offense is less severe, decision makers are most liberated to use extra-legal factors in reaching their decisions. This study uses data on a large sample of capital murder trials in North Carolina from 1977 to 2009 to test this hypothesis. The results show that the effects of extra-legal factors (specifically, the race of offender–race of victim dyad) vary across levels of offense severity, but in a complex manner. Most notably, Black defendant–White victim dyads demonstrated an increased probability of death sentences at high levels of severity, but decreased probabilities at lower levels of severity.
The Jesuits and Galileo: Fidelity to tradition and the adventure of discovery
Authors: Coyne George V
Published: March 2015

This paper investigates the tensions within the Society of Jesus, especially at the Roman College, at the time of Galileo and how they were resolved or not in a spirit of accommodation which was maturing at that time and which has entered into the Jesuit bloodstream. Jesuits at the Roman College confirmed Galileo’s earth-shaking observations, reported in his Sidereus Nuntius. Aristotle’s physics was crumbling. Would Aristotelian philosophy, which was at the service of theology, also collapse? Controversies over the nature of sunspots and of comets held implications for the very foundations of Christian belief. Some Jesuits saw the threat and faced it with an astute view into the future; others, though pioneers as scientists, could not face the larger implications of the scientific revolution to which they contributed with Galileo. Much of what occurred can be attributed to the strong personalities of the individual Jesuit antagonists, and Cardinal Robert Bellarmine will prove to be one of the most important of those personages.
The Acquaviva family from Atri: Books, culture and feudality
Authors: Palmieri Giorgio
Published: March 2015

Thanks to two recent publications, a little-known aspect of the cultural history of the powerful feudal family, the Acquaviva, has emerged. In a substantial chapter of the first of the two works analyzed, Giulio Sodano describes the Acquaviva’s well-stocked library (2402 books). He also shows how the members of the Acquaviva family, despite living in a small town in Abruzzo, took part in contemporary European cultural life through books. The second work analyzed presents research conducted by Maurizio Torrini, Domenica Falardo and Sebastiano Martelli which further attests to the Acquavivas’ interest in culture and the attention they paid to it. In particular, Martelli sheds light on the extraordinary persona of Cardinal Troiano, someone who in the first decades of the 18th century maintained relations with personalities such as Celestino Galiani, Giambattista Vico, Giacomo Casanova and Raimondo di Sangro.
Towards a new world: some inconvenient truths for Anglosphere public administration
Authors: Pollitt Christopher
Published: March 2015

On the global stage, public management has grown up over the past 30 years as a topic dominated by the ‘Anglosphere’. Now there are reasons to believe that this era is ending. There are three main reasons for this. First, the dominance of Anglosphere ideas and practices was never as complete as it may sometimes have appeared. Second, the effectiveness of typical Anglosphere reforms has been problematic. Recent scholarship indicates that only a modest proportion of such reforms can show evidence of substantial success. Third, other regions of the world are becoming economically and politically more influential and self-confident, and, in some cases, they also have long administrative traditions of their own. Far from being a reason for dismay, this opening-up offers an opportunity for difficult, but potentially very rewarding debates that will need to run across different cultures and administrative traditions.
Fighting the Cancer of Corruption and “Hostage-Taking” in the District Assemblies in Ghana
Authors: Nyendu Morgan
Published: March 2015

This article examines the increasing problem of corruption with its accompanying “hostage-taking” in the district assemblies, which are the core institutions in Ghana’s democratic decentralization program. I argue that the problems are both self-inflicted and out of the greed and pervasive corruption that have engulfed the political system in Ghana. The article concludes by recommending certain measures that must be put in place if the situation is to be brought under control.
HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: Health View
Authors: Susuman A Sathiya
Published: March 2015

The aim of the research is to examine the HIV risk factors affecting poor health in Ethiopia by epidemiological perspectives. The Demographic and Health Survey 2011 and other secondary data were used. Ethiopian population growth has slowed dramatically or stopped due to HIV and AIDS. A logistic regression and correlation between HIV positive towards AIDS, high risk factors leading to exposure to HIV infection was adopted with selected variables. The study confirmed that the high level of HIV positivity and poor health was highly affected by socio-economic and demographic factors.
Supplemental Vibrational Force During Orthodontic Alignment
Authors: Woodhouse N.R. , DiBiase A.T. , Johnson N. , Slipper C. , Grant J. , Alsaleh M. , Donaldson A.N.A. , Cobourne M.T.
Published: March 2015

This prospective 3-arm parallel-group randomized clinical trial investigated the effect of supplemental vibrational force on rate of orthodontic tooth alignment with fixed appliances. Eighty-one subjects (40 males, 41 females; mean age, 14.1 y) undergoing first premolar extraction-based fixed appliance treatment were randomly allocated to treatment supplemented with daily use (20 min) of a removable intraoral vibrational device (AcceleDent; OrthoAccel Technologies Inc.; n = 29), an identical nonfunctional (sham) device ( n = 25), or fixed appliances only ( n = 27). Mandibular study casts were taken at baseline (treatment start: placement of 0.014-in. nickel-titanium arch wire), initial alignment (0.018-in. nickel-titanium arch wire), and final alignment (0.019 x 0.025–in. stainless steel arch wire). Overall mean irregularity index in the mandibular arch at baseline was 8.5 ± 3.8 mm (95% CI, 7.6 to 9.3) with no significant difference between groups ( P = 0.73). For the total sample, mean irregularity index at initial alignment was 2.7 ± 2.8 mm (95% CI, 2.2 to 3.4) with no significant difference between groups ( P = 0.40). Mean time from baseline to initial alignment was 59 ± 25 d (95% CI, 54.5 to 65.6); from initial to final alignment, 150 ± 62.5 d (95% CI, 136 to 165); and baseline to final alignment, 209 ± 65 d (95% CI, 195 to 224). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patterns of alignment were not significantly different among the 3 groups ( P = 0.66). Multivariate linear regression for initial and overall alignment rates using initial irregularity index as the covariate showed no significant differences among groups. The most important influence on both initial and overall rates of alignment was initial irregularity ( P = 0.1 × 10−4). This prospective randomized clinical trial found no evidence that supplemental vibrational force can significantly increase the rate of initial tooth movement or reduce the amount of time required to achieve final alignment when used in conjunction with a preadjusted edgewise fixed appliance ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02314975).
Comparison of the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of four odontological methods for age evaluation in Italian children at the age threshold of 14 years using ROC curves
Authors: Pinchi Vilma , Pradella Francesco , Vitale Giulia , Rugo Dario , Nieri Michele , Norelli Gian-Aristide
Published: March 2015

The age threshold of 14 years is relevant in Italy as the minimum age for criminal responsibility. It is of utmost importance to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of every odontological method for age evaluation considering the sensitivity, or the ability to estimate the true positive cases, and the specificity, or the ability to estimate the true negative cases. The research aims to compare the specificity and sensitivity of four commonly adopted methods of dental age estimation – Demirjian, Haavikko, Willems and Cameriere – in a sample of Italian children aged between 11 and 16 years, with an age threshold of 14 years, using receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve (AUC). In addition, new decision criteria are developed to increase the accuracy of the methods. Among the four odontological methods for age estimation adopted in the research, the Cameriere method showed the highest AUC in both female and male cohorts. The Cameriere method shows a high degree of accuracy at the age threshold of 14 years. To adopt the Cameriere method to estimate the 14-year age threshold more accurately, however, it is suggested – according to the Youden index – that the decision criterion be set at the lower value of 12.928 for females and 13.258 years for males, obtaining a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 88% in females, and a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 92% in males. If a specificity level >90% is needed, the cut-off point should be set at 12.959 years (82% sensitivity) for females.
Homicidal commotio cordis caused by domestic violence: A report of two cases
Authors: Mu Jiao , Zhang Ji , Liu Liang , Dong Hongmei
Published: March 2015

Commotio cordis is a rare and fatal mechano-electric arrhythmogenic syndrome, occurring mainly during sports activities. The present study describes two cases of sudden death due to homicidal commotio cordis caused violence from an intimate partner. The two decedents were both young women. They suffered from physical abuse by their intimate partner and collapsed immediately after being punched in the precordium. Electrocardiograms were recorded at the hospital and showed ventricular fibrillation in one case. An autopsy was performed in each case, and no structural cardiac damage, evident lesions of other internal organs or underlying diseases were found. Combined with the negative toxicological analysis, it was concluded that the cause of death was commotio cordis due to a blunt force to the anterior chest. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no published report on commotio cordis caused by physical abuse from an intimate partner. The accurate diagnosis of the cause of death is emphasised, as it is important for judicial fairness.
Living in two narratives: psychic splitting in South African survivors of chronic trauma
Authors: van der Merwe Amelia , Swartz Leslie
Published: March 2015

Chronic trauma, shame, and dissociation, as well as the relation between them, are acutely understudied, both in South Africa and internationally. Despite high levels of chronic trauma and shame-related psychopathology in South Africa in particular, research focusing on the relationship between these constructs remains lacking. In response to this gap in the literature, we conducted a qualitative study exploring experiences of chronic trauma, shame, and psychopathology in single interviews with 19 South African survivors of chronic trauma (intimate partner violence) using narrative analysis. The narratives of four of these women are presented and explored here. These women presented with both a concealed and shameful authentic self, and the socially conforming projected false self, two polarised parts of the psyche. Splitting is the foundation of dissociation. This research suggests that shame and dissociative splitting are part of the same psychological process. We would argue that a global pattern of negative self-evaluative responses associated with the authentic self – and the compensatory function of the false self – is the process underlying a shame-prone emotional style borne out of repeated exposure to trauma. Following this argument, chronically traumatised individuals are likely to have shame-based self-esteems and make use of dissociative splitting to protect the chronically injured psyche, which we would argue should be included as diagnostic criteria for all chronic trauma-based syndromes.
The still point of the turning world? Building on Balint
Authors: Elder Andrew
Published: March 2015

In this article, I will respond to the conference title “Building on Balint” by briefly considering some of the inherent obstacles to Balint work, before describing the current state of play in the UK. I will argue that Balint work might benefit from exploring its relationship with attachment theory more fully. In particular, I emphasize an important new role for Balint groups within contemporary health-care organizations—one that enhances a feeling of emotional security for the professional within the organization and also benefits the teamwork and morale of the organization itself. I will give an example of a Balint group in a health-care organization for vulnerable doctors and finish by giving a report on the development of Balint groups for medical students in the UK.
Dualities of Latin America
Authors: Katz Claudio
Published: March 2015

Determining whether the current situation of Latin America is better described as “post-neoliberalism” or as “commodities consensus” requires an analysis of recent changes in the region. Capitalism has expanded in agriculture and mining, accentuating the preeminence of basic exports. Traditional industry is declining, and remittances and tourism have increased in importance. Local capitalists associated with foreign corporations have replaced the national bourgeoisie, while the exodus of peasants consolidates labor precariousness, poverty, and inequality. At the same time, the United States is deploying troops to reorganize its domination. The South American rebellions have limited neoliberal aggression and achieved unusual victories in other parts of the world. The concept of post-neoliberalism emphasizes the region’s political turn toward autonomy but overlooks the persistence of the economic model generated during the previous phase. The opposing concept, commodities consensus, highlights the extractivism prevailing throughout the region but plays down the extreme divergences among right-wing, center-left, and radical governments in all other areas. Both concepts contain part of the truth, but neither fully explains the regional scenario.

Para determinar si la situación actual de Latinoamérica es mejor descrita como “post-neoliberalismo” o como un “consenso de los commodities” hay que hacer un análisis de los cambios recientes en la región. El capitalismo se ha expandido en la agricultura y la minería, acrecentando la preeminencia de las exportaciones básicas. La industria tradicional ha disminuido, y la importancia del turismo y las remesas ha aumentado. Los capitalistas locales asociados con empresas extranjeras han reemplazado a la burguesía nacional, mientras que el éxodo de los campesinos ha consolidado la precariedad laboral, la pobreza y la desigualdad. Al mismo tiempo, Estados Unidos despliega tropas para reorganizar su dominio. Las rebeliones en América del Sur han puesto barreras a la agresión neoliberal y logrado victorias inusuales en otras partes del mundo. El concepto del post-neoliberalismo destaca el giro político de la región hacia la autonomía pero con una tendencia a la persistencia del modelo económico generado durante la fase anterior. El otro concepto, el consenso de las commodities, destaca el extractivismo que prevalece en toda la región pero minoriza las divergencias entre los gobiernos de derecha, centro-izquierda y radicales en todas las demás áreas. Ambos conceptos son parcialmente ciertos, pero no explican totalmente el escenario regional.
Bureaucratic Politics, Role Conflict, and the Internal Dynamics of US Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan
Authors: Keane Conor , Wood Steve
Published: March 2015

Among the many challenges confronting the United States and its allies in Afghanistan were cohesion and communication problems in state-building programs. Merging role theory and bureaucratic politics approaches, this article argues that US Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), the composite groups charged with implementing these programs, suffered from incompatibilities between sectors of government, among which the military was dominant. US PRTs were affected by role conflict, resulting from varying and often competing organizational cultures with divergent role conceptions.
Dose limits to the lens of the eye: International Basic Safety Standards and related guidance
Authors: Boal T.J. , Pinak M.
Published: March 2015

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety requirements: ‘General Safety Requirements Part 3 – Radiation protection and safety of radiation sources: International Basic Safety Standards’ (BSS) was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors at its meeting in September 2011, and was issued as General Safety Requirements Part 3 in July 2014. The equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye for occupational exposure in planned exposure situations was reduced from 150 mSv year−1 to 20 mSv year−1, averaged over defined periods of 5 years, with no annual dose in a single year exceeding 50 mSv. This reduction in the dose limit for the lens of the eye followed the recommendation of the International Commission on Radiological Protection in its statement on tissue reactions of 21 April 2011.

IAEA has developed guidance on the implications of the new dose limit for the lens of the eye. This paper summarises the process that led to the inclusion of the new dose limit for the lens of the eye in the BSS, and the implications of the new dose limit.
Implications of the implementation of the revised dose limit to the lens of the eye: the viewof IRPA professionals
Authors: Broughton J. , Cantone M.C. , Ginjaume M. , Shah B. , Czarwinski R.
Published: March 2015

In April 2011, the International Commission on Radiological Protection issued a statement on reduction of the equivalent dose limits for the lens of the eye, and strongly recommended its consideration in the revision of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Basic Safety Standards on Radiation Protection. The reduced dose limit was incorporated in the final version of the Basic Safety Standards. As significant concern was expressed by radiation protection professionals worldwide, the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) established a task group to assess the impact of implementation of the revised dose limit for the lens of the eye for occupational exposure. IRPA Associate Societies (ASs) were asked for their views using a questionnaire addressing three topics: implications for dosimetry, implications for methods of protection, and wider implications. The responses received indicate various methods of approach and express different points of view, reflecting nuances of particular ASs or specific professional groups. Topic experts nominated by ASs were selected to assist with collation of responses, and a report was produced by the task group. Conclusions were drawn on the three issues, including potential cost implications. A number of recommendations were drawn from the responses received including: the request for more understanding about the relationship between exposure of the lens of the eye and cataract formation, and further guidance to assist implementation; the importance of economic and social considerations when introducing the limits into national regulations; the need to propose or define procedures related to employment of people with existing or pre-cataract conditions; and the practical aspects relating to dosimetry and protective equipment.
Application of the Commission’s recommendations to naturally occurring radioactive material
Authors: Lecomte J-F.
Published: March 2015

Since publication of the 2007 Recommendations (ICRP Publication 103), the International Commission on Radiological Protection has focused on preparing a series of publications dedicated to different types of existing exposure situations, such as radon exposure, cosmic exposure in aviation, and exposure to naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The publication related to NORM will present the main types of corresponding activities, and describe the characteristics of NORM exposure. It will also develop a conceptual framework for the practical application of the Commission’s system to NORM exposure. In particular, the publication will explain why NORM activities are generally considered to be existing exposure situations, and when some of them should be managed as planned exposure situations. It will indicate when the workers should be considered as occupationally exposed. It will also provide recommendations regarding application of the three principles of radiological protection. The need to consider the justification of the re-use or recycling of residues carefully will be highlighted. Guidance will be provided for selection of the reference level, and for implementation of the optimisation process through a graded approach including both prevention and mitigation of exposures. Flexibility will be recommended for the application of dose limits, notably when the situation is managed as a planned exposure situation.
Wake-up call
Authors: Dubberley Sarah , Jones Iolo Madoc , Parry Odette , Graham Karen , Roscoe Karen
Published: March 2015

Community disposals, which are privileged over custody as a response to young offenders, incorporate both punitive and rehabilitative elements in order to punish, deter and rehabilitate. Failure to comply with them has serious implications for young people, in both the short and longer term. In the literature a clear distinction is made between short term formal compliance with requirements of community orders, and more substantive (less measurable) engagement with the spirit of the endeavour to help young people turn away from crime. The article draws on a small qualitative study of young people in receipt of community orders and YOT workers, to explore aspects of supervision of young people in receipt of community disposals. In particular it focuses on ways in which YOT workers support young people to achieve compliance, how this support is received by young people and the implications for their longer term outcomes. The article suggests that while driven by an imperative to avoid breach among young people, levels and type of support provided may not necessarily enable young people to realize the longer term objective of desistance from crime.
The effect of a structured programme to increase patient activity during inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a Phase I cohort study
Authors: Tyson SF , Burton L , McGovern A
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To develop an intervention and undertake a proof-of-concept evaluation of its feasibility, acceptability, and impact on recorded patient activity levels during inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

Design:

A longitudinal cohort design.

Setting:

Three inpatient stroke rehabilitation services.

Subjects:

Stroke survivors receiving inpatient rehabilitation.

Intervention:

A programme designed to increase patient activity, including individualised patient timetables, independent practice, therapeutic group work, and structured social activities was developed and implemented without additional resource.

Main measures:

Patients’ recorded activity levels were compared for two weeks before and after implementation of the programme. Data regarding the estimated time spent in different types of activity were extracted from patient treatment records, patients’ and therapists’ diaries, or timetables (if used) to measure patient activity levels

Results:

At baseline, recorded activity levels were low; patients undertook a mean of 61 minutes (SD = 39) of activity per day. After implementation of the programme, recorded activity levels significantly increased to a mean of 123 minutes (SD = 88) per day ( p = 0.0001). The time spent in all types of recorded activity increased ( p = 0.0001–0.002), except psychology where the increase did not reach significance ( p = 0.670).

Conclusions:

A structured programme can significantly increase recorded patient activity levels during inpatient stroke rehabilitation without additional resource.
Risk of emergency medical treatment following consumption of cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids in a large global sample
Authors: Winstock Adam , Lynskey Michael , Borschmann Rohan , Waldron Jon
Published: March 2015

Background:

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have become increasingly popular in recent years. Diverse in chemical structure, many have been subjected to legislative regulation, but their availability and use persists. Often marketed to reflect their similar effects to cannabis, their use has been associated with a range of negative health effects. We sought to determine the relative risk of seeking emergency medical treatment (EMT) following use of SCs and natural cannabis.

Methods:

We utilized an anonymous online survey of drug use, obtaining data from 22,289 respondents. We calculated the relative risk of seeking EMT between the two substances using an estimate for days used in the past year.

Results:

Thirty-seven cannabis users (0.2%) and 21 SC users (1.0%) had sought EMT during the past year following use. The relative risk associated with the use of SCs was 30 (95% CI 17.5–51.2) times higher than that associated with cannabis. Significantly more symptoms ( p=0.03) were reported by respondents seeking treatment for SCs than for cannabis.

Conclusions:

Whilst these findings must be treated with caution, SCs potentially pose a greater risk to users’ health than natural forms of cannabis. Regulation is unlikely to remove SCs from the market, so well-informed user-focused health promotion messages need to be crafted to discourage their use.
Cross-Cultural Validation of Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale in Three Asian Countries
Authors: Ruan Jiening , Nie Youyan , Hong Ji , Monobe Gumiko , Zheng Guomin , Kambara Hitomi , You Sula
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this study is to validate the widely adopted Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) for the East Asian context. The researchers seek to find out whether TSES holds validity and reliability and is appropriate for use to measure teacher efficacy in China, Korea, and Japan. 489 teachers from the three countries participated in the study. CFA models were used to test the factorial structures of TSES for both 24-item long and 12-item short forms, and three-factor models were tested for both forms. The results showed that three-factor models did not fit well for all three country groups for the long form. The short form models’ fit indices for all three countries were acceptable. The researchers proposed an 11-item three-factor model by removing one item from the original TSES short form and further tested the revised 11-item TSES for the three Asian groups. Results suggested that the 11-item model provided good model-data fit. In the following measurement invariance test, the 11-item TSES was used as the baseline model. The results from the test of the measurement invariance of the revised 11-item TSES scale suggested that this scale can be used in cross-culture studies about teacher efficacy in the East Asian context. The instrument may produce results that are possible to conduct comparisons across the three cultures.
The baseline-inflated multinomial logit model for international relations research
Authors: Bagozzi Benjamin E.
Published: March 2015

International relations scholars are often interested in nominal dependent variables, and commonly analyze such variables with multinomial logit (MNL) models that treat status quo outcomes (e.g. “peace”) as a homogeneous baseline-choice category. However, recent studies of zero-inflation processes within international relations suggest that these baseline cases may often arise from two distinct sources. Specifically, some status quo responses are likely to correspond to observations that actively opted for this choice over all others, while the remaining status quo outcomes are likely to arise from observations that were unable to realistically register a non-status quo choice under any reasonable circumstances. Including both sets of responses within an MNL model’s baseline category can bias the estimated effects of covariates, leading to faulty inferences. As a solution to this problem, this study considers a recently proposed baseline-inflated MNL (BIMNL) model that explicitly estimates and tests for heterogeneous populations of status quo observations. After discussing the model and its theoretical underpinnings, I demonstrate the BIMNL’s utility through replications of two existing studies of political violence and cooperation within the areas of international relations and civil war.
Rebel constituencies and rebel violence against civilians in civil conflicts
Authors: Ottmann Martin
Published: March 2015

This article examines how the civilian constituencies of rebel groups affect their use of violence against civilians. While past research has acknowledged the importance of rebel constituencies, they are primarily seen as only having an indirect effect on rebel behavior. In this study, I conceptualize rebel constituencies as central political opportunity structures for rebel groups providing incentives and imposing restraints on their use of strategic violence and the violent behavior of individual rebel fighters. In particular, I hypothesize that a constituency overlap between rebels and the government of a state acts as a restraint making large-scale violence against civilians less likely. In contrast, high levels of constituency fractionalization and polarization induce strategic violence and predatory behavior, increasing the chances of large-scale civilian victimization. I conduct a statistical analysis of rebel one-sided violence in sub-Saharan Africa using newly collected data on rebel constituencies to test these hypotheses. The results only provide limited empirical support for the hypothesized relationship between constituency overlap and rebel violence against civilians. There is clear empirical evidence, however, that heavily fractionalized and polarized rebel constituencies are associated with higher levels of violence against civilians.
Domestic institutions, leader tenure and the duration of civil war
Authors: Uzonyi Gary , Wells Matthew
Published: March 2015

Why do some civil wars end sooner than others? Extant theory focuses on how exogenous factors, such as resources or third parties, exacerbate the commitment problem faced by belligerents. In explaining the duration of civil war, we focus on factors endogenous to the disputing parties. We advance a theory suggesting that the tenure of a state’s leader influences war duration. Specifically, we argue that longer-tenured leaders tend to fight longer civil wars. This is because long-tenured leaders have a more predictable policy reputation. Based on this predictable reputation, opposition groups have decided to fight the leader rather than bargain peacefully. Therefore, they will be unlikely to believe any policy concessions the leader might offer. This commitment problem looms larger for leaders who do not have domestic institutions that can credibly commit the leader to policy changes. We find robust statistical support for our conjecture. The findings have important implications for leader-centric studies of conflict, as well as for our understanding of bargaining during war.
Casualties, regime type and the outcomes of wars of occupation
Authors: Wells Matthew
Published: March 2015

Conventional wisdom has long held that conducting counterinsurgency wars overseas is an invitation for foreign policy difficulty, if not outright disaster for democracies. However, current research lacks systematic evidence to support such a claim, fostering uncertainty regarding the connection between regime type and the outcomes of such conflicts and leaving open the question if such a link even exists. I address these issues by linking the level of casualties suffered by an occupying force to its leadership’s decision to withdraw from the territory. Using a dataset of wars of occupation from 1800 to 2005, I find that, while democracies are no more likely to lose than their autocratic counterparts, they consistently abandon these conflicts at significantly lower levels of casualties.
Annexin A5 promotes macrophage activation and contributes to pulmonary fibrosis induced by silica particles
Authors: Luo C , Ji X , Fan J , Hou Z , Wang T , Wu B , Ni C
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To investigate the contributions and underlying molecular mechanisms of annexin A5 toward silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods:

Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups and instilled intratracheally with silica, saline, or air. Mice were euthanized at 3, 7, 14, or 28 days following treatment. Annexin A5 levels in serum and lung tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) assays or Western blots. The association of annexin A5 levels with silica-induced lung fibrosis was further investigated in the macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. Following exposure of these cells to silica at a concentration of 200 μg/ml for 6 or 12 h, the expression levels of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin 1α (IL-1α), Fas ligand (FasL), and their downstream targets were evaluated by Western blots. Furthermore, annexin A5 and FasL were knocked down by small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) and TGF-β1 secretion into the cell culture medium was measured by ELISA assays or Western blots.

Results:

Mice treated with silica demonstrated lung fibrosis at 28 days following exposure, whereas, in controls, only mild and transient inflammation was evident at day 3 and day 7 postinstillation and was not present at day 14. Furthermore, silica-exposed mice exhibited significantly ( p < 0.05) elevated levels of annexin A5 in serum and lung tissues, relative to control groups. Consistent with these findings, silica exposure of RAW264.7 cells for 6 or 12 h, led to an annexin A5-dependent increase in the expression levels of TGF-β1, IL-1α, FasL, and their downstream target molecules. These silica-induced changes were reversed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of annexin A5, but downregulation of FasL led to increased annexin A5 expression and reduced levels of TGF-β1, IL-1α, and FasL downstream target molecules.

Conclusions:

These findings define a role of annexin A5 in promoting macrophage activation via Fas/FasL pathways in silica-induced lung fibrosis.
Pushing Boundaries
Authors: Jakelski Lisa
Published: March 2015

This article examines how the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music facilitated mobility across socialist borders in the 1960s. The Warsaw Autumn was one of the most important zones of cross-border cultural contact during the Cold War, for its eclectic programming featured musical works and performers from both the Soviet and American zones of cultural, political, and economic influence. The article demonstrates that the festival enabled multiple connections to form across socialist borders. Some of these were top–down, international contacts among socialist state institutions, which resulted in carefully curated performances of cultural diplomacy that tended to reinforce prevailing notions of East–West opposition. Other connections involved informal, personal ties that facilitated the transnational circulation of musical modernism throughout the socialist bloc. The article proposes that the Warsaw Autumn’s advocacy of modernist music by unofficial Soviet composers exposed and encouraged the development of cultural affinities that challenged the socialist bloc’s presumptive hierarchies while also mitigating the Cold War’s broadly drawn divisions between East and West. The article further suggests that the significance of mobility at the Warsaw Autumn in the 1960s depended on the continued fixity of borders in other areas—between states, the Cold War’s geopolitical regions, and contrasting musical styles.
Multiple Candidacies and the Role of the Lowest Electoral Tier for Individualized Campaigning
Authors: Chiru Mihail
Published: March 2015

The effects of mixed electoral systems on politicians’ incentives and work in the legislature are most often studied in isolation from the possibly mediating role of campaign behavior. The tier in which a candidate runs might determine a particular style and content of campaigning, more or less party centered and more or less constituency oriented, which in turn could shape how the elected politician will perceive her mandate and act upon it. But what type of campaigning prevails when candidacy in multiple tiers is the rule and the majoritarian element is the dominant component of the mixed electoral system? The present study draws on a survey of 431 candidates in the 2010 Hungarian parliamentary elections and uses linear, logistic regressions and marginal effects to estimate the effect of the above-mentioned electoral system characteristics as well as of organizational and career attributes on campaign norm, constituency-related agenda, and independent campaigning. What appears to matter the most for the degree of campaign individualization is the lowest electoral tier in which the candidate runs, irrespective of her electoral security. The study also reveals the significant effects of two dimensions previously ignored by the literature: the level of nomination and the local politics profile (years of experience and the prospect of holding a dual mandate).
The evolution of false self-employment in the British construction industry: a neo-Polanyian account of labour market formation
Authors: Behling Felix , Harvey Mark
Published: March 2015

Governments in Europe and elsewhere have renewed their attention to the fiscal regulation of their economies in order to close tax loopholes and boost revenues in response to the financial crisis. The article uses a neo-Polanyian ‘instituted economic process’ approach to explore and explain the uniquely high level of bogus self-employment in the UK construction industry, facilitated by confused law and stimulated by a bespoke construction fiscal regime, resulting in endemic tax evasion. It examines how the co-evolution of employment status law and a sector-specific fiscal regime maps tightly onto the emergence of mass self-employment, as evidenced by comparative labour market and sectoral statistics. Seeing competition as an instituted process within these distinctive market arrangements, it identifies a form of ‘degenerative competition’, driving out both genuine direct-employment and self-employment, and driving in bogus self-employment, with its attendant substantial fiscal losses, failed skill reproduction and poor productivity.
A multi-national survey of the contact geometry between wheels and rails
Authors: Zacher Manfred , Nicklisch Dirk , Grabner Gerald , Polach Oldrich , Eickhoff Bridget
Published: March 2015

The project DynoTRAIN, which was funded under the European Seventh Framework Programme, was set-up in order to close the open points in the Technical Specification of Interoperability (TSI) of the trans-European rail system. The project was divided in seven work packages. The focus in work package 3 (WP 3) was the contact geometry between wheels and rails. More general information about the DynoTRAIN project is given in the foreword of this special edition. WP 3 was split into several tasks. In the first and second tasks worn wheel and rail profiles were collected. Since the wear behaviour of wheels and rails depends (among other factors) on bogie design, operating conditions, rail inclination and curve radius, a large number of wheel and rail profiles were investigated in order to obtain a representative picture of the contact conditions on the trans-European network. The wheel and rail profiles were analysed in terms of equivalent conicity, which is an important indicator for the running stability of railway vehicles. Based on the collected data, reference profiles for wheels and rails were defined for the calculation of conicity maps. The reference wheel and rail profiles act as a sort of coordinate (scaling) system for the conicity maps. The conicity maps were calculated from selected wheel and rail profiles that had the same frequency distribution as the whole sample. The conicity maps were calculated for different speed categories and for wheels operating on networks with rail inclinations of 1/20 and 1/40. Finally, limit values of the equivalent concity for the authorization of vehicles and in-service limits for tracks were derived from these conicity maps. This approach enabled the open point ‘equivalent conicity’ in the TSI: Locomotives and Passenger Rolling Stock and TSI: Infrastructure to be closed.
Typical model design to measure aerodynamic coefficients in the presence of supersonic plume
Authors: Suresh K , Desikan SLN , Patil MM , Raveendran PG
Published: March 2015

A typical model design was carried out to study the effect of plume–freestream interaction on aerodynamic coefficients. Towards this, a blunt-cone-cylinder-flare model was designed and fabricated. A strain gauge balance was accommodated to measure forces and moments due to plume–freestream interaction. The criticality of the model design such as isolation of metric–non-metric parts and elimination of jet reaction force were addressed in this paper. A finite element analysis was carried out to ensure proper isolation of metric and non-metric parts. The results showed that the maximum deflection of the model under aerodynamic loads is 0.41 mm, whereas the clearance between the metric and non-metric parts is 1.35 mm. Also, the experiments under plume alone condition revealed that the aerodynamic coefficients (CN, Cm and CA) have negligible values of the order of 0.003, 0.008 and 0.009, respectively, which ascertain the isolation of metric–non-metric parts and jet reaction force. The numerical and experimental results showed that the model design is in order. Also, typical experiments were carried out at α = 4° to study the plume–freestream interaction and the results show that as the jet pressure ratio (Pj/Pinf) increases, loss in CN, Cm and CA is observed.
Noise suppression using local acceleration feedback control of an active absorber
Authors: Pelegrinis Michail T , Pope Simon A , Zazas Ilias , Daley Stephen
Published: March 2015

A popular approach for active noise control problems has been the use of the adaptive filtered-X least mean square algorithm. A fundamental problem with feedforward design is that it requires both reference and error sensors. In order to reduce the size, cost and physical complexity of the control system, a feedback controller can be utilised. In contrast to filtered-X least mean square, a feedback controller utilises local acceleration measurements of a sound-absorbing surface instead of global pressure measurements. Most control problems, including active noise control, can be formulated in the general control configuration architecture. This type of architecture allows for the systematic representation of the process and simplifies the design of a vast number of controllers that include [Formula: see text] and controllers. Such controllers are considered ideal candidates for active noise control problems as they can combine near-optimal performance with good robustness characteristics. This article investigates the problem of reflected noise suppression in acoustic ducts and the possibilities and trade-offs of applying [Formula: see text] control strategies. Hence, by controlling locally the reflecting boundary structure, a global cancellation of the undesired noise can be accomplished. In this article, the [Formula: see text] local feedback control strategy and performance are investigated using an experimental pulse tube. The [Formula: see text] design was chosen because it was able to provide consistently a stable response in contrast to the design.
A general Bayesian framework for ellipse-based and hyperbola-based damage localization in anisotropic composite plates
Authors: Fendzi C , Mechbal N , Rébillat M , Guskov M , Coffignal G
Published: March 2015

This article focuses on Bayesian Lamb wave-based damage localization in structural health monitoring of anisotropic composite materials. A Bayesian framework is applied to take account of uncertainties from experimental time-of-flight measurements and angle-dependent group velocity within the composite material. An original parametric analytical expression of the direction dependence of group velocity is proposed and validated numerically and experimentally for anisotropic composite and sandwich plates. This expression is incorporated into time-of-arrival (ellipse-based) and time-difference-of-arrival (hyperbola-based) Bayesian damage localization algorithms. This way, the damage location and the group velocity profile are estimated jointly and a priori information is taken into consideration. The proposed algorithm is general as it allows us to take into account uncertainties within a Bayesian framework, and to model effects of anisotropy on group velocity. Numerical and experimental results obtained with different damage sizes or locations and for different degrees of anisotropy validate the ability of the proposed algorithm to estimate both the damage location and the group velocity profile as well as the associated confidence intervals. Results highlight the need to consider for anisotropy in order to increase localization accuracy, and to use Bayesian analysis to quantify uncertainties in damage localization.
Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Intravenous Immunoglobulin–Induced Headaches
Authors: Thornby Krisy-Ann , Henneman Amy , Brown Dana A.
Published: March 2015

Objective: To review the literature evaluating pharmacotherapeutic and nonpharmacotherapeutic options available to reduce migraines or headaches associated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. Data Sources: A search of MEDLINE (1946 to February 2015) and other secondary resources was performed using the terms immunoglobulin, immune globulin, intravenous immunoglobulins, migraine, and headache. Other relevant articles referenced from the MEDLINE search were also utilized. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Data sources were limited to English language clinical trials and case studies. In all, 6 clinical studies and 2 case reports met the criteria. Data Synthesis: Headaches or migraines are common adverse effects associated with the administration of IVIG. We evaluated 6 clinical studies and 2 case reports discussing this adverse event in patients treated with IVIG. Strategies used were hydration, switching to an alternate IVIG product, decreased infusion rates, or treating with oral analgesics, opioids, propranolol, sumatriptan, or dihydroergotamines before, during, or after the IVIG infusion. Overall, the majority of patients experienced improvement in headache symptoms, suggesting benefit, after using the various strategies discussed. However, the evidence is limited to case reports and clinical studies with small sample sizes that do not directly measure cause and effect of headache resolution and therapy given in those treated with IVIG. Conclusions: An individualized treatment plan consisting of a pharmacotherapy or nonpharmacotherapy strategy used in the literature should be recommended after careful consideration of the patient’s condition, specific IVIG product used, history of migraine, and previously failed and successful therapies.