bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Registration of ‘CPCL 05‐1201’ Sugarcane
Authors: Edmé Serge J. , Davidson R. Wayne , Zhao Duli , Comstock Jack C. , Sandhu Hardev S. , Glaz Barry , Milligan Scott , Hu Chen-Jian , Sood Sushma , McCorkle Katherine , Gilbert Robert A. , Glynn Neil C.
Published: November 2015

‘CPCL 05‐1201’ (Reg. No. CV‐163, PI 672485) is a sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) hybrid cultivar bred by United States Sugar Corporation, tested in the breeding program led by the USDA–ARS, University of Florida, and Florida Sugarcane League, and released to Florida growers in October 2012. CPCL 05‐1201 combines the high‐sucrose genes of its female parent (CL 87‐2882) with the high tonnage genes of its male parent (CL 93‐2679). In the final selection stage, CPCL 05‐1201 was compared with 21 genotypes for 3 yr (2008–2012) on organic and sand soils in south Florida and the freeze tolerance tested for 2 yr (2011–2013) in north Florida. CPCL 05‐1201 is recommended for planting on muck and sand soils and for the successive cropping system. On muck, CPCL 05‐1201 yielded 5 to 10% higher sucrose than reference cultivars ‘CP 78‐1628’ and ‘CP 89‐2143’. On sand, CPCL 05‐1201 yielded sucrose comparable to CP 89‐2143 and 4% more than CP 78‐1628. Owing to high tonnage and moderate level of sucrose, CPCL 05‐1201 was 11% more profitable on muck and 26% more profitable on sand than CP 78‐1628 or CP 89‐2143. No yield decline was observed with CPCL 05‐1201 under the successive system. In addition, CPCL 05‐1201 is resistant to the most important diseases in Florida, except for Sugarcane yellow leaf virus. CPCL 05‐1201 has the Bru1 gene in its genome and is resistant to brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala H. & P. Sydow) and orange rust [caused by P. kuehnii (Kruger) E. Butler]. CPCL 05‐1201 has comparable freeze tolerance to CP89‐2143 to mild and severe freeze conditions.
On Limiting Behavior of Contaminant Transport Models in Coupled Surface and Groundwater Flows
Authors: Ervin Vincent , Kubacki Michaela , Layton William , Moraiti Marina , Si Zhiyong , Trenchea Catalin
Published: November 2015

There has been a surge of work on models for coupling surface-water with groundwater flows which is at its core the Stokes-Darcy problem. The resulting (Stokes-Darcy) fluid velocity is important because the flow transports contaminants. The analysis of models including the transport of contaminants has, however, focused on a quasi-static Stokes-Darcy model. Herein we consider the fully evolutionary system including contaminant transport and analyze its quasi-static limits.
Effective Thermal Conductivity of MOF-5 Powder under a Hydrogen Atmosphere
Authors: Wang Hui , Qu Zhiguo , Zhang Wen , Tao Wenquan
Published: November 2015

Effective thermal conductivity is an important thermophysical property in the design of metal-organic framework-5 (MOF-5)-based hydrogen storage tanks. A modified thermal conductivity model is built by coupling a theoretical model with the grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation (GCMC) to predict the effect of the H2 adsorption process on the effective thermal conductivity of a MOF-5 powder bed at pressures ranging from 0.01 MPa to 50 MPa and temperatures ranging from 273.15 K to 368.15 K. Results show that the mean pore diameter of the MOF-5 crystal decreases with an increase in pressure and increases with an increase in temperature. The thermal conductivity of the adsorbed H2 increases with an increased amount of H2 adsorption. The effective thermal conductivity of the MOF-5 crystal is significantly enhanced by the H2 adsorption at high pressure and low temperature. The effective thermal conductivity of the MOF-5 powder bed increases with an increase in pressure and remains nearly unchanged with an increase in temperature. The thermal conductivity of the MOF-5 powder bed increases linearly with the decreased porosity and increased thermal conductivity of the skeleton of the MOF-5 crystal. The variation in the effective thermal conductivities of the MOF-5 crystals and bed mainly results from the thermal conductivities of the gaseous and adsorption phases.
The mRNA Expression Status of Dopamine Receptor D2, Dopamine Receptor D3 and DARPP-32 in T Lymphocytes of Patients with Early Psychosis
Authors: Cui Yin , Prabhu Vishwanath , Nguyen Thong , Yadav Binod , Chung Young-Chul
Published: November 2015

Peripheral blood lymphocytes are an attractive tool because there is accumulating evidence indicating that lymphocytes may be utilized as a biomarker in the field of psychiatric study as they could reveal the condition of cells distributed in the brain. Here, we measured the mRNA expression status of dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), DRD3, and dopamine and cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate regulated phosphoprotein-32 (DARPP-32) in T lymphocytes of patients with early psychosis by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and explored the relationships between their mRNA levels and the psychopathological status of patients. The present study demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of DRD3 in T lymphocytes were significantly different among controls, and in patients with psychotic disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) and schizophrenia/schizophreniform disorder. However, no significant differences in mRNA expression levels of DRD2 and DARPP-32 were found among the three groups. We found a significant positive correlation between the DRD2 mRNA level and the score of the excited factor of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in patients with schizophrenia/schizophreniform disorder. These findings suggest that DRD3 mRNA levels may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker differentiating patients with early psychosis from controls.
The Effect of Tellurite on Highly Resistant Freshwater Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophs and Their Strategies for Reduction
Authors: Maltman Chris , Yurkov Vladimir
Published: November 2015

Six fresh water aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (Erythromicrobium ezovicum, strain E1; Erythromicrobium hydrolyticum, E4(1); Erythromicrobium ramosum, E5; Erythromonas ursincola, KR99; Sandaracinobacter sibiricus, RB 16-17; and Roseococcus thiosulfatophilus, RB3) possessing high level resistance to TeO32− and the ability to reduce it to elemental Te were studied to understand their interaction with this highly toxic oxyanion. Tested organic carbon sources, pH, and level of aeration all had an impact on reduction. Physiological and metabolic responses of cells to tellurite varied among strains. In its presence, versus absence, cellular biomass either increased (KR99, 66.6% and E5, 21.2%) or decreased (RB3, 66.1%, E1, 57.8%, RB 16-17, 41.5%, and E4(1), 21.3%). The increase suggests a possible benefit from tellurite. Cellular ATP production was similarly affected, resulting in an increase (KR99, 15.2% and E5, 38.9%) or decrease (E4(1), 31.9%; RB 16-17, 48.8%; RB3, 55.9%; E1, 35.9%). Two distinct strategies to tellurite reduction were identified. The first, found in E4(1), requires de novo protein preparations as well as an undisturbed whole cell. The second strategy, in which reduction depended on a membrane associated constitutive reductase, was used by the remaining strains.
Bioreducible Micelles Self-Assembled from Poly(ethylene glycol)-Cholesteryl Conjugate As a Drug Delivery Platform
Authors: Baek Chulsu , Ha Tae-Lin , Kim Eunjoo , Jeong Sang , Lee Se , Lee Sung , Kim Hyun-Chul
Published: November 2015

The ability of polymeric micelles to self-assemble into nanosized particles has created interest in their application as potential anticancer drug delivery systems. A poly(ethylene glycol)-cholesteryl conjugate (Chol-ss-PEG-ss-Chol) connected by cleavable disulfide linkages was synthesized and used as a nanocarrier for in vitro release of doxorubicin (DOX). Owing to its amphiphilic structure, Chol-ss-PEG-ss-Chol was able to self-assemble into micelles with an average diameter 18.6 nm in aqueous solution. The micelles formed large aggregates due to the shedding of the PEG shell through cleavage of disulfide bonds in a reductive environment. The in vitro release studies revealed that Chol-ss-PEG-ss-Chol micelles released 80% and approximately 9% of the encapsulated DOX within 6 h under reductive and non-reductive conditions, respectively. The glutathione (GSH)-mediated intracellular drug delivery was investigated in a KB cell line. The cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded micelles indicated a higher cellular anti-proliferative effect against GSH-pretreated than untreated KB cells. Furthermore, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) measurement demonstrated that Chol-ss-PEG-ss-Chol micelles exhibited faster drug release in GSH-pretreated KB cells than untreated KB cells. These results suggest the potential usefulness of disulfide-based polymeric micelles as controlled drug delivery carriers.
Lateral Offset Quality Rating along Low Slip Rate Faults: Application to the Alhama de Murcia Fault (SE Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Ferrater Marta , Arrowsmith Ramon , Masana Eulàlia
Published: November 2015

Seismic hazard assessment of strike-slip faults is based partly on the identification and mapping of landforms laterally offset due to fault activity. The characterization of these features affected by slow-moving faults is challenging relative to studies emphasizing rapidly slipping faults. We propose a methodology for scoring fault offsets based on subjective and objective qualities. We apply this methodology to the Alhama de Murcia fault (SE Iberian Peninsula) where we identify 138 offset features that we mapped on a high-resolution (0.5 × 0.5 m pixel size) Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The amount of offset, the uncertainty of the measurement, the subjective and objective qualities, and the parameters that affect objective quality are independent variables, suggesting that our methodological scoring approach is good. Based on the offset measurements and qualifications we calculate the Cumulative Offset Probability Density (COPD) for the entire fault and for each fault segment. The COPD for the segments differ from each other. Tentative interpretation of the COPDs implies that the slip rate varies from one segment to the other (we assume that channels with the same amount of offset were incised synchronously). We compare the COPD with climate proxy curves (aligning using the very limited age control) to test if entrenchment events are coincident with climatic changes. Channel incision along one of the traces in Lorca-Totana segment may be related to transitions from glacial to interglacial periods.
Potential impacts of tolerance to herbivory on population dynamics of a monocarpic herb
Authors: Aikens Melissa L. , Roach Deborah A.
Published: November 2015

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Mammalian herbivores, particularly white‐tailed deer, can have a major impact on plant abundance and distribution. However, plants can tolerate herbivory by increasing seed production or seed quality. We used the monocarpic perennial Prenanthes roanensis to examine tolerance to mammalian herbivory through seed quality and modeled the effects of tolerance on population growth rate.

METHODS:

We examined seed quality (proportion of viable seeds, seed mass, germination, and seedling size) on damaged and undamaged plants to determine the extent to which plants tolerate herbivory. We then varied seed quality parameters over a range of values in population models to compare population growth rates under “no‐tolerance” conditions (herbivory, but no tolerance) to those under “tolerance” conditions.

KEY RESULTS:

In most populations, plants damaged by herbivores had a greater proportion of viable seeds per plant or a greater probability of seed germination. Incorporating observed tolerance into population models did not significantly increase population growth rate. However, at low germination rates, increased germination of seeds from damaged plants has the potential to significantly increase population growth rate.

CONCLUSIONS:

Damaged plants can compensate for loss of reproductive heads by increasing seed viability and germination rates in the remaining seeds. This study is one of the first to demonstrate that tolerance through seed quality has the potential to affect population growth rate. Our results suggest that incorporating tolerance into population models may help elucidate mechanisms by which plant populations persist despite herbivory.
An investigation of the relationship between tear meniscus height and the subjective severity of ocular symptoms in keratoconus
Authors: Nicholas Deanne L. , Gillan Wayne D.H.
Published: November 2015

Keratoconus is a debilitating disease in which the cornea does not develop its characteristic round shape but develops into a conical form affecting both functional vision as well as ocular comfort. Depending on the severity of the keratoconus as well as the presence of any associated conditions, keratoconic individuals may complain of various symptoms that include discomfort, irritation, dryness, reflex tearing and foreign body sensation. There are various subjective and objective measures that can be used to determine the severity of these symptoms. A subjective method that is widely used is the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) which has been shown to be fairly accurate when diagnosing dry eye disease; however, these symptoms do not correlate with objective measures of dry eye. Research has revealed the various structural and biochemical changes that take place within a keratoconic cornea; however, the tear dimensions of keratoconic subjects have not been extensively investigated. It is possible that the symptoms experienced by many keratoconic individuals might be linked to alterations within the quantity of the tears of these patients. The present study compared the symptoms experienced by keratoconic individuals with the symptoms of control patients. The differences in tear meniscus heights between keratoconic individuals and those of control individuals were also compared using the Oculus Keratograph 4 (OK4). The results of the study show the absence of a relationship between the subjective symptoms experienced and the height of the tear meniscus.
Gedagtes oor die arbeidsregtelike posisie van predikante, pastore en priesters as werknemers van die kerk
Authors: Van Jaarsveld Fanie
Published: November 2015

Thoughts on the labor law position of pastors and priests as employees of the church. The issue of labour-law relationships between pastors or priests and their employers (churches) is controversial because they (pastors or priests) are often regarded as employees and often not. These issues are discussed on the basis of problems in the South-African positive law and English law. In discussing the question about the nature of this labour-law relationship, a two-stage approach is suggested, especially when bearing in mind that the employment contract forms the basis of the labour-law relationship between the two parties.
For Amusement Only: The Availability and Distribution of Simulated Slot Machines in an Urban Center
Authors: McArdle Patrick F. , Levy Lauren , Tracy J. Kathleen
Published: November 2015

The first casino with slot machines in Baltimore City opened in August of 2014. Slot machines have been available in Baltimore City for years, however, under the euphemism “For Amusement Only.” Since 2011, Baltimore City has granted licenses for “simulated slot machines” under the condition that the machines not pay out winnings to the players. In this report, we investigate the number and geospatial patterns of these licensed simulated slot machines. The number of machines began decreasing prior to the opening of the new casino, dropping by as much as 50% over 7 years. These machines tend to be in low-income White neighborhoods and are positively correlated with property crime rates. Understanding the historical context of slot machine play in Baltimore City is important for investigating the impact of the introduction of state-sanctioned slot play in an urban environment.
Global dimming and urbanization: did stronger negative SSR trends collocate with regions of population growth?
Authors: Imamovic A. , Tanaka K. , Folini D. , Wild M.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Global dimming refers to the decrease in surface solar radiation (SSR) observed from the 1960s to the 1980s at different measurement sites all around the world. It is under debate whether anthropogenic aerosols emitted from urban areas close to the measurement sites are mainly responsible for the dimming. In order to assess this urbanization impact on SSR, we use spatially explicit population density data of 0.08° resolution to construct population indices (PI) at 157 high data quality sites. Our study extends previous population-based studies by incorporating distance-weighting as a simple aerosol diffusion model. We measured urbanization in the surrounding of a site as the PI change form 1960 to 1990 and found no negative correlation with the corresponding SSR trends from 1964 to 1989 for the 92 sites in Europe and Japan. For the 39 sites in China the correlation coefficients are significant at the 5 % level and reach around −0.35, while for the 26 remaining Asian, mostly Russian sites the correlation coefficients reach around −0.55 at the 1 % significance level. Results are similar, when the absolute levels of PIs are taken as an indicator for urbanization. Our findings call into question the existence of an urbanization effect for the sites in Europe and Japan, while such an effect cannot be ruled out for the sites in Asia, especially in Russia.
Interhemispheric structure and variability of the 5-day planetary wave from meteor radar wind measurements
Authors: Iimura H. , Fritts D. C. , Janches D. , Singer W. , Mitchell N. J.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. A study of the quasi-5-day wave (5DW) was performed using meteor radars at conjugate latitudes in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. These radars are located at Esrange, Sweden (68° N) and Juliusruh, Germany (55° N) in the Northern Hemisphere, and at Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (54° S) and Rothera Station, Antarctica (68° S) in the Southern Hemisphere. The analysis was performed using data collected during simultaneous measurements by the four radars from June 2010 to December 2012 at altitudes from 84 to 96 km. The 5DW was found to exhibit significant short-term, seasonal, and interannual variability at all sites. Typical events had planetary wave periods that ranged between 4 and 7 days, durations of only a few cycles, and infrequent strongly peaked variances and covariances. Winds exhibited rotary structures that varied strongly among sites and between events, and maximum amplitudes up to ~ 20 m s−1. Mean horizontal velocity covariances tended to be largely negative at all sites throughout the interval studied.
How to Study History: Nicolas Lenglet Dufresnoy and the Heritage of ars historica
Authors: Eriksen Anne
Published: November 2015

Nicolas Lenglet Dufresnoy first published his Méthode pour Étudier L’Histoire in 1713. A very popular work in its own time, it saw numerous translations and editions during the eighteenth century. The article investigates Lenglet’s work as part of the early modern tradition of ars historica. In the eighteenth century this once so fashionable art of reading history did no longer represent a methodological novelty, but had become more a pedagogical tool. The article explores the ars historica in its late phase of popularization and general distribution.To Lenglet and his contemporaries, history was a collection of instructive examples, serving as ‘the teacher of life’. The lessons to be learned were about psychology, emotions, and ethical values. The reader of history was to get to know himself, but also, in more general ways, to know ‘the opinions and passions of men.’ History was a mirror of humanity. The article investigates how the understanding of history as a collection of examples reflects early modern experiences of temporality, as well as how it influenced assessment of historical truth.
Changing Amazon biomass and the role of atmospheric CO2 concentration, climate, and land use
Authors: de Almeida Castanho Andrea D. , Galbraith David , Zhang Ke , Coe Michael T. , Costa Marcos H. , Moorcroft Paul
Published: November 2015

The Amazon tropical evergreen forest is an important component of the global carbon budget. Its forest floristic composition, structure, and function are sensitive to changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and land use. In this study biomass and productivity simulated by three dynamic global vegetation models (Integrated Biosphere Simulator, Ecosystem Demography Biosphere Model, and Joint UK Land Environment Simulator) for the period 1970–2008 are compared with observations from forest plots (Rede Amazónica de Inventarios Forestales). The spatial variability in biomass and productivity simulated by the DGVMs is low in comparison to the field observations in part because of poor representation of the heterogeneity of vegetation traits within the models. We find that over the last four decades the CO2 fertilization effect dominates a long‐term increase in simulated biomass in undisturbed Amazonian forests, while land use change in the south and southeastern Amazonia dominates a reduction in Amazon aboveground biomass, of similar magnitude to the CO2 biomass gain. Climate extremes exert a strong effect on the observed biomass on short time scales, but the models are incapable of reproducing the observed impacts of extreme drought on forest biomass. We find that future improvements in the accuracy of DGVM predictions will require improved representation of four key elements: (1) spatially variable plant traits, (2) soil and nutrients mediated processes, (3) extreme event mortality, and (4) sensitivity to climatic variability. Finally, continued long‐term observations and ecosystem‐scale experiments (e.g. Free‐Air CO2 Enrichment experiments) are essential for a better understanding of the changing dynamics of tropical forests.
Development and evaluation of a physically based multiscalar drought index: The Standardized Moisture Anomaly Index
Authors: Zhang Baoqing , Zhao Xining , Jin Jiming , Wu Pute
Published: November 2015

In this study, a new physically based multiscalar drought index, the Standardized Moisture Anomaly Index (SZI), was developed and evaluated, which combines the advantages of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The SZI is based on the water budget simulations produced with a sophisticated hydrological model, and it also includes a multiscalar feature to quantify drought events at different temporal scales taken from SPEI. The Chinese Loess Plateau was selected to evaluate the performance of the SZI. Our evaluation indicates that the SZI accurately captures the onset, duration, and ending of a multiyear drought event through its multiscalar feature, while the PDSI, which lacks this feature, is often unable to describe the evolution of a multiyear drought event. In addition, the variability of the SZI is more consistent with observed streamflow and the satellite normalized difference vegetation index than that of the Standardized Precipitation Index and the SPEI. Although the SPEI includes potential evapotranspiration (PE) as water demand, water demand is often unrealistically estimated based solely on PE, especially over arid and semiarid regions. The improved drought quantification with the SZI is the result of a more reasonable estimation of water demand by including evapotranspiration, runoff, and any change in soil moisture storage. In general, our newly developed SZI is physically based and includes a multiscalar feature, which enables it to provide better information for drought monitoring and identification at different temporal scales.
Manipulation
Authors: Steiner Jürg
Published: November 2015

Political manipulation is a multidimensional phenomenon: True preferences may be hidden, information may be framed in a one‐sided way or even lied about, and certain issues may be prevented from getting on to the political agenda. If politicians constantly manipulate each other and the voters, a political system loses its legitimacy. If they continue to be deceptive in withholding their true preferences, framing information to their advantage or even lying about it, and covertly keeping important issues from entering the political agenda, language becomes meaningless. It is impossible to interpret what others say. There is no longer any meaningful communication among members of a political system. A sense of community fades away, and the system loses its legitimacy.
Discourse Analysis
Authors: Álvarez‐Benito Gloria , Íigo‐Mora Isabel M.
Published: November 2015

The main objective of Discourse Analysis is the study of language in use, either oral or written, and verbal or nonverbal, by particular speakers on particular occasions. Discourse Analysis focuses not only on what is said but also on how it is said, to whom, when, and where. In political communication, it is important to take into account not only what politicians say but how, when, to whom, and in what context. Sometimes their gestures say much more than their words. There are different schools in Discourse Analysis and all of them focus on language not as an abstract system but rather as the means of communication. Some of the most widely known perspectives are: Pragmatics, Interactional Sociolinguistics, Conversational Analysis, Ethnography of Communication, Variation Analysis, Functional Perspective, Discursive Psychology, and Critical Discourse Analysis. They study how people use language and how they do things with language (express feelings, entertain others, or exchange information). Depending on the perspective, studies can focus on: cooperative principle and conversational maxims, speech acts, explicature and implicature, inferences, felicity conditions, face‐work, politeness, topic organization, turn‐taking, language variation, information structure, expression of attitude and emotion, or power relations.
Underdog Effect
Authors: Schmitt‐Beck Rüdiger
Published: November 2015

The term “underdog effect” denotes a phenomenon of public opinion impinging upon itself: When at an election or referendum or with regard to opinions on issues citizens perceive a particular party, candidate, or political position to be the likely winner, or at least to be dominant, they support an alternative that is expected to lose. It has most intensely been discussed with regard to elections, and usually alongside the corresponding phenomenon of bandwagon effects. Supportive empirical evidence is rather weak. A plausible theoretical interpretation has been developed only recently. The utility of the concept for more complex choice situations, especially multiparty systems, appears doubtful.
Agenda‐Setting
Authors: Weaver David H.
Published: November 2015

The idea of agenda‐setting as an important and fundamental political media effect was first tested empirically in the 1968 US presidential election by University of North Carolina journalism professors Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw. This approach originally focused on the ability of the mass media to tell the public what to think
about
rather than what to think. This was a sharp break from previous media effects studies that had focused on what people
thought
(their opinions and attitudes) and on behaviors such as voting. It was also, in the words of highly respected political communication scholar Steven Chaffee, “that rarity, a scholarly topic that was invented within the field of mass communication research. … News analysts today take for granted that we know what they mean when they distinguish the media's agenda‐setting power from more direct forms of political persuasion.”
Historical Materialism
Authors: Peck Janice
Published: November 2015

Historical materialism is a theory of history developed by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels who proposed that human labor is the foundation of individual experience, social relationships, and historical development. Although often characterized as a simple economic determinism, the concept has undergone significant development and debate over the long history of Marxism. Central to that debate is the question of the relationship of the economic structure to the political and ideological superstructure, which is a key concern in the field of political communication.
Personalization of Politics
Authors: Balmas Meital , Sheafer Tamir
Published: November 2015

Political personalization is a process in which politicians become the main anchor of interpretation and evaluation in the political arena. This entry contains definitions of the different types of personalization studied and reviews the literature citing evidence of their occurrence. It then elaborates on antecedents of the personalization trend and examines its variations across time and countries, and its manifestations in the international arena. Finally, it discusses positive and negative implications of personalization for democratic processes, voting behavior, and political interest and knowledge.
Social and Political Trust
Authors: Uslaner Eric M.
Published: November 2015

Trust was not a central topic in social science until people noticed that it was falling fast. The social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s led to a sharp decline in social trust in the United States and a similarly large downturn in trust in government across a wide range of countries.
Issue Management
Authors: Röttger Ulrike
Published: November 2015

Issue management is described as a systematic, organized procedure concerned with external and internal circumstances that have a potential or actual influence on an organization's strategic scope for action. It aims to identify these circumstances at an early stage, to analyze them, and to exert an active influence on them through appropriate measures. As a management function, issue management is fundamentally concerned with preventing crises (issues as risk) as well as building reputation and proactively establishing and accentuating promotional themes (issues as opportunity). The entry gives an overview of key stages of the issue‐management process and introduces essential formative conditions and measures relating to the organization.
Public Connection
Authors: Markham Tim
Published: November 2015

Public connection refers to an orientation on the part of citizens toward an arena in which issues of shared concern are deliberated and potentially resolved. It differs from political interest in that it does not presume that that to which individuals collectively attend is narrowly political in content, although not allowing that
anything
collectively attended to can form the basis of a deliberative space. Public connection further differs from public engagement in that it does not presume that the quality of connection is stable and substantive, nor that its experience is rewarding and empowering. Public connection is a heuristic rather than normative term, whose presence or absence can be empirically ascertained.
Watchdog Journalism
Authors: Waisbord Silvio
Published: November 2015

Watchdog journalism stands as one of the most important contributions of the press to democratic life. It is identified with reporting that denounces wrongdoing in government and the private sector with the hope of increasing accountability and spearheading positive changes. Although it is commonly associated with the actions of individual reporters and editors, it reflects the interests of various organizations to make democracy more transparent and powerful actors accountable to citizens.
Cognitions, Political
Authors: Andersen David J.
Published: November 2015

Political cognition is the process of turning political information and political communications into meaningful judgments, evaluations, and decisions within the human mind. Over the past 70 years, political cognition research has expanded from studying how people should consider political decisions, to focus on how they actually do. The earliest work examined how people should rationally approach the process of political decision‐making by incorporating cost‐benefit analysis and probabilistic considerations about potential outcomes. This was subsequently augmented by behavioral studies that demonstrated that people are simply not able to conduct such complex calculations and instead operate within the limitations of the human mind. By using cognitive shortcuts, people make decisions that approximate rational decisions, but are not perfect. The most recent developments in the field now incorporate theories of how emotions and biological predispositions influence cognition, preceding our conscious awareness and directing the manner in which cognition occurs.
Media Bias
Authors: Hahn Kyu S. , Lee Hye‐Yon , Lee Jihye
Published: November 2015

This entry examines the existing empirical evidence concerning partisan bias in the American news media. Many scholars have demonstrated that news slant influences voters. On the other hand, since the pioneering study by Efron, research on media's partisan bias has yielded inconclusive findings, arousing controversy within the scholarly community. Research emphasizing the organizational incentives of individual journalists or media ownership has met with severe criticism. Although surveys of journalists suggest that many individual journalists are liberal ideologues, journalism scholars argue that there are too many professional incentives that require their political neutrality. Other research has been hampered by the lack of an objective yardstick for measuring partisan bias. Recent research on partisan media bias has taken two new directions. A group of researchers has demonstrated that there are financial incentives for producing slanted news. With the increased emphasis on the bottom line in news‐making, these theoretical findings seem convincing. Another line of research has attempted to develop objective measures of partisan bias. Although they have their own limitations, these sophisticated new measures, requiring little arbitrary decision‐making, have provided useful additions to our knowledge of media bias.
Journalism, Political
Authors: Van Dalen Arjen
Published: November 2015

This entry surveys the main questions and research findings from the study of political journalism. Political journalism fulfills an important mediating role in democracy. The work of journalists on the political beat is characterized by pack journalism and close contacts with politicians and their spin doctors. Political journalists and politicians are mutually dependent actors whose relation can best be understood from a power‐balance perspective. One of the main topics in the study of political news is the question whether political journalism is balanced or biased. Over time the journalistic approach to politicians has changed from a respectful and sacerdotal approach to a more critical and pragmatic one. Political journalists are semi‐independent political actors who can influence the political process but whose work also reflects and is dependent on political settings. Changes in society and new technologies challenge the boundaries of political journalism and affect the relation between journalists and politicians.
Lobbying
Authors: Hoffmann Jochen
Published: November 2015

Lobbying is persuasive communication with politicians and public administration. It aims to influence public policy on behalf of a corporation or interest group. The term often comes with a critical connotation and has increasingly merged into a broader understanding of public affairs as the management of communication with all politically relevant publics constituting increasingly fluid societal environments.
Values
Authors: Manabe Kazufumi
Published: November 2015

A great deal of research has already been conducted on the topic of values, and a vast amount of literature on this subject already exists. The literature contains a great deal of diversity in terms of how the concept of values is defined. This entry examines the concept of values in various fields of the social sciences. The next task is to examine efforts to operationalize values based on that conceptualization. In other words, it is to empirically examine the measures, indices, and scales of values. This entry, then, examines a new research trend of cross‐national comparison and cross‐cultural comparison. This is the series of values research projects known as the European Values Survey (EVS) and the World Values Survey (WVS).
Commercialization of Politics
Authors: McAllister Matthew P. , Applequist Janelle
Published: November 2015

The commercialization of politics applies the logic and economics of the market and advertising to the political domain, as evidenced by the prevalence of advertising, the framing of politics within a commercial media system, campaign financing/moneyed influences, selective appeals that privilege some voters over others, the collection of individual voter profiles, and the adoption by political practice globally of marketing professionals and their terminology. Developments such as policy decisions that favor corporate contributions and increased spending, shifting media revenues, and the adaption of digital media and data mining in marketing will continue to intensify the effects of commercialism and marketing upon politics.
Political Communication Research inAfrica
Authors: White Robert A.
Published: November 2015

There has been a steady development of research on political communication in Africa, especially in the areas of historical documentation of the continuing confrontation of authoritarian political regimes from the colonial period into the independence period, the ongoing critical analysis of the restrictions by political leaders on editorial freedom and responsibility in the form of bribery, legal repression by antiquated legislation dating from the colonial period, the political control of the judiciary, and the defensive practice of self‐censorship. Research on investigative reporting is limited, especially investigation of improper election procedures and the failure to implement freedom of information legislation. In spite of the weaknesses of political communication research in Africa, there are promising signs of an increasingly coherent body of theory of political communication based on stronger links with political science research.
Public Choice
Authors: Harada Hiroo
Published: November 2015

Public choice theory refers to a branch of political economy that deals with nonmarket transactions and decision‐making and their outcome, impact, and context. Standard economics analyzes and assesses market economy transactions and decision‐making, as well as their outcomes. Regardless of whether the subject of the study is the public or private domain, transactions and decision‐making in the public domain have, generally and conventionally, been the domain of political science. Public choice theory interprets and studies nonmarket transactions and decision‐making using the analytical techniques of economics.
Systems Theory
Authors: Marcinkowski Frank , Steiner Adrian
Published: November 2015

Two influential variants of thinking in terms of systems have emerged in the social sciences: structural functionalism and the theory of self‐referential social systems. Common to both variants are the notion of system, the concept of emergence, and the logic of functional analysis. Equivalence functionalism and the idea of operatively closed communication systems, both of which have gained in importance in recent theoretical developments, provide comparative political communication with interesting ideas that have so far only been taken up very occasionally.
Referendum
Authors: De Vreese Claes H.
Published: November 2015

Referendum is a term denoting a range of different types of popular votes. Political communication can be of greater importance during referendum campaigns than in general election contexts, given the nature of the decision and a number of factors causing uncertainty for political elites, media, and citizens.
Advertising, Political
Authors: Benoit William L.
Published: November 2015

This essay discusses televised political advertising, which has become a mainstay of election campaigns in countries around the world. These messages have significant effects on voters, although both negative and positive ads are persuasive for viewers.TVspots from candidates are more likely to use positive appeals (acclaims) than negative ones (attacks); ads from other sources (political parties, outside groups) have a tendency to emphasize attacks. Incumbent candidates are inclined to acclaim more, and attack less, than challengers. Election commercials usually discuss policy more than character. Candidate spots tend to discuss issues on which their party has a positive reputation; candidate ads for national office stress national issues more than ads for state governors.
Nonverbal Communication
Authors: Coen Sharon
Published: November 2015

The entry describes the historical, theoretical, and empirical development of scholarship concerning nonverbal communication spanning across disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and communication. It illustrates how the study of nonverbal communication has been fruitfully applied to political rhetoric to further the understanding of processes involved in an individual's political attitudes and behavior.
Selective Exposure
Authors: Kobayashi Tetsuro
Published: November 2015

This article provides an overview of selective exposure research, with an emphasis on the relationship between selective exposure and the evolving media environment. First, a brief history of selective exposure studies in social psychology and political communication is presented within the context of contemporaneous social and technological changes. Next, the consequences and democratic implications of selective exposure are discussed. In addition, arguments about the scale of partisan selective exposure, absence of selective avoidance, and normatively positive aspects of selective exposure are reviewed.
Presidential Communication
Authors: Carlin Diana B.
Published: November 2015

A country's president fulfills the duties of the office, creates an image as a leader, and establishes a legacy for an administration through language and symbols. Classical and contemporary rhetorical theories provide a basis for understanding both the consistent and dynamic rhetorical strategies and channels of message delivery over the past 200 years. Presidential communication worldwide follows similar patterns but adapts for cultural and gender differences among leaders. The Internet and social media expand both the reach and the challenges of presidential communication.
Human Rights
Authors: Rai Mugdha
Published: November 2015

Human rights refer to fundamental rights and freedoms that are inherent to all human beings and are regularly protected as legal rights by national and international law. In the sphere of public and political communication, concerns of human rights have grown in prominence with media and advocacy groups drawing increased attention to them. But media reporting primarily focuses on wars and crises and remains selectively defined by western agendas and perspectives. Still, as media networks and actors grow more diverse and expand transnationally, everyday media coverage is gradually engaging with a broader, more “universal” definition of human rights.
Polarization, Political
Authors: Wojcieszak Magdalena
Published: November 2015

Polarization has been studied in three different forms: on a social, group, and individual level. This entry first focuses on the undisputed phenomenon of elite polarization (i.e., increasing adherence of policy positions among the elites) and also outlines different approaches to assessing mass polarization (i.e., political positions among the public, differences between issue preferences of supporters of the major parties, and partisan sorting or the alignment of partisan and ideological identities). Second, group polarization and attitude polarization, most often studied in social psychology, are outlined, with the focus on how both have been empirically tested. Group polarization typically refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of individual members, whereas attitude polarization is usually detected when an individual's own attitude following media exposure or political talk becomes more extreme but in the same direction as their pretest attitude.
Government Communication
Authors: Canel María José , Sanders Karen B.
Published: November 2015

Government communication is the area of practice and study of communication directed to key publics in the pursuit of both political and civic purposes. This communication is carried out by
executive
politicians and officials, usually in a managed way, working for public institutions that are constituted on the basis of citizens' indirect or direct consent. Government communication is multilayered, oriented to diverse stakeholders, public in character, and complex in relation to goals, structures, and resources. It uses approaches and techniques typical of the fields of public relations, corporate communication, psychology, and marketing. Challenges for the study of government communication include the application and development of a multifaceted theoretical approach that includes comparative research; defining and understanding professionalism and professionalization of government communication; developing appropriate assessment frameworks and examining the
purpose
of governments when they communicate with citizens and if and how it can be directed toward democracy building.
Socialism
Authors: Dobek‐Ostrowska Bogusława
Published: November 2015

The term “socialism” was used in the English language for the first time by Robert Owen in an article published in 1827. He claimed that capitalism had to be “socialized”—that economic and social relationships had to be built on the foundations of cooperation. The term is used to denote a wide spectrum of reformist and revolutionary ideas popular in many countries, including Western Europe and the USA. Socialism appeared in two different forms in the 20th century. On the one hand, there was “real socialism” found in countries with a deficit of democracy, poor economy and a lack of security, created in Soviet‐dominated Central and Eastern Europe. On the other hand, socialist ideas also inspired “social democracy,” the democratic welfare states in Western Europecharacterized by freedom of speech and citizenship rights, a strong civil society, and well‐developed economies. The term “socialism” can be used to describe a theory, an ideology, a social and economic system, a political movement and a family of political parties.
Public Journalism Movement
Authors: Glasser Theodore L.
Published: November 2015

The public journalism movement, which began in the early 1990s and lost momentum a decade later, sought to revitalize public life and civic engagement by encouraging the press to promote and improve opportunities for public debate and discussion. It invited journalists to find ways, through their coverage of local issues, to empower the community.
Political Communication
Authors: Blumler Jay G.
Published: November 2015

This entry specifies certain characteristic features of the political communication field, including the nature of its messages, their importance in politics, attributes of scale, relations to other disciplines, and main publication outlets. The special role of election campaigns in political communication research is also explained. The bulk of the entry is devoted to four main perspectives through which much of the subject's cumulativity and many of its debates have evolved. They are: a power perspective; a systemic perspective; a dynamic perspective; and a normative perspective. In conclusion, the entry discusses the implications of the advent of the Internet for political communication and for political communication research. It also identifies certain other lines of analysis and research that have emerged more recently, including new ways of defining “political communication” itself.