bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atypical presentation of acoustic neuroma
Authors: Shaan Manohar , Vassalli Luca , Landolfi Mauro , Taibah Abdel , Russo Alessandra , Sanna Mario
Published: November 2015

Unilateral progressive sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and unsteadiness are the usual initial symptoms of acoustic neuroma. Of the last 100 consecutive cases of acoustic neuroma detected at our Centre, 14 had atypical symptoms, Five patients manifested sudden hearing loss; one of these had complete recovery. Three patients reported long‐standing unilateral hearing loss, ranging from 10 to 20 years. Six patients had normal hearing, one of whom was diagnosed incidently when the investigations were performed for contralateral glomus tumor. A second patient, a young woman, experienced weakness of lower limbs. The remaining four patients had only subjective symptoms of hearing loss or tinnitus. Acoustic tumors could have been overlooked easily in these patients. It is important to have a high index of suspicion in all cases of sudden hearing loss, asymmetric sensorineural loss of any duration, subjective sensation of hearing loss, and tinnitus. It is mandatory to investigate these cases with auditory brainstem responses, any abnormality of which makes it necessary to perform magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium.
Middle ear adenoma and adenocarcinoma
Authors: Amble Finn R. , Harner Stephen G. , Weiland Louis H. , McDonald Thomas J. , Facer George W.
Published: November 2015

Adenomas and adenocarcinomas originating from the middle ear are few in number and have met with significant controversy in the literature. Our experience with 11 previously described patients is updated and five new cases are added. These tumors were seen in persons whose ages ranged from 7 to 77 years. The most common initial symptom was decreased hearing (11 cases), followed by otorrhea (4 cases), and otalgia (4 cases). At the time of diagnosis, facial nerve weakness was present in several patients (seven), and this was a poor prognostic sign. These glandular tumors engender controversy regarding histologic origin and the pathologic demarcation between adenoma and adenocarcinoma. In this review, we show that otorrhea, bone erosion, facial nerve involvement, and aggressive clinical behavior can be the result of lesions that appear microscopically benign. Furthermore, we present evidence of the similarity of these glandular lesions to paragangliomas and carcinoid tumors. Finally, pathologic data are presented to develop the previously unreported theory that the origin for this group of tumors is paraganglionic tissue.
Effect of changes in mass on middle ear function
Authors: Nishihara Shinsei , Aritomo Hiroshi , Goode Richard L.
Published: November 2015

Vibrating systems such as the middle ear are affected by changes in mass. After disease or ear surgery, significant changes in mass may contribute positively or negatively to the postoperative hearing threshold. This article describes experiments in 15 human temporal bones of the addition or reduction of mass on the middle ear transfer function. Measurement of stapes and umbo vibration was performed using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer before and after the addition of different masses at several sites on the tympanic membrane (TM) and ossicular chain. The input was 61 pure tones swept from 147 to 19433 Hz at 80 dB SPL. The addition of mass onto the TM produced varying detrimental effects on sound transmission, depending on the location and amount of mass. The insertion of ventilation tubes, weighing 12 to 17 mg each, produced losses at 1.5 to 5.0 kHz compared with tympanotomy alone. Addition of mass to the umbo and malleus head produced a loss at mid and high frequencies, whereas addition of mass on the incus long process and stapes also produced a high‐frequency decrease in stapes displacement. Reduction of TM mass by removal of the epithelium produced an increase, especially at 2.0 to 4.0 kHz.
Bilateral vocal cord paralysis with shy‐drager syndrome
Authors: Bawa Rohit , Ramadan Hassan H. , Wetmore Stephen J.
Published: November 2015

Shy‐Drager syndrome consists of progressive autonomic nervous system failure with Parkinson's disease‐like symptoms and orthostatic hypotension. It can also result in airway compromise from bilateral vocal cord paralysis. Fewer than 30 cases of severe bilateral vocal cord paresis or paralysis associated with the Shy‐Drager syndrome have been reported in the English literature. We present a case of a 72‐year‐old man who had a 2‐year history of orthostatic hypotension, neurogenic bladder, impotence, anhydrosis, and extremity weakness and paresthesias. Hoarseness and dyspnea with stridor developed as a result of bilateral vocal cord paralysis in the median position and required an emergency tracheotomy. This combination of symptoms resulted in the diagnosis of Shy‐Drager syndrome. We present the case along with literature review of bilateral vocal cord paralysis with the Shy‐Drager syndrome.
Tympanic membrane perforation in survivors of a scud missile explosion
Authors: Patow Carl A. , Bartels Jeffrey , Dodd Kenneth T.
Published: November 2015

On February 25, 1990, an Iraqi SCUD missile exploded inside a building housing United States military personnel in Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One hundred seventy‐two individuals who were near the impact site at the time of the blast were interviewed and examined to determine blast injury to the ear. Tympanic membrane (TM) perforation was used as the clinical marker for aural blast injury. Thirty‐four personnel had unilateral TM perforation and 28 had bilateral TM perforation. Eighty‐six sustained sufficient injury to be hospitalized. Fifty‐nine of hospitalized personnel (70%) had TM perforation. Of a total of 90 TM perforations, 39% were estimated to be 25% or less of the tympanic membrane surrface area, 36% were 26% to 50%, 16% were 51% to 75%, and 10% were greater than 75%. Morphology of the perforations and estimated proximity to the blast were documented. Personnel distant from the blast, in open doorways or wearing headphones, had relative protection from TM perforation. Historic nuclear blast data were used to estimate the SCUD blast waveform based on measurements of the SCUD impact crater. A mathematical model based on the estimated waveform was validated against the actual field data by comparing the proximity and incidence of TM perforations in the SCUD missile explosion.
Primary surgical management for rehabilitation of the paralyzed eye
Authors: Maas Corey S. , Benecke James E. , Holds John B. , Schoenrock Larry D. , Simo Frank
Published: November 2015

Protection of the eye is the primary concern in managing the patient with facial paralysis; however, the aesthetic consequences cannot be overlooked. Lagophthalmos has traditionally been treated with frequent ocular lubrication, medical eye care, and tarsorrhaphy. This approach is fraught with the difficulties of poor patient compliance and unacceptable cosmesis. We suggest a protocol for the complete ocular management with emphasis on Immediate rather than delayed surgical rehabilitation as a primary therapy in facial paralysis. Gold weight implantation to the upper lid and tightening of the lower lid at the lateral canthus are simple and reliable procedures that provide immediate functional and aesthetic improvement. This surgical technique has extremely low morbidity and Is reversible should facial function return. We have used this protocol in more than 30 patients with excellent results.
Manometric and Endoscopic Localization of Airway Obstruction after Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
Authors: Woodson B. Tucker , Wooten Marvin R.
Published: November 2015

The most widely reported surgical procedure for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. The success rate for this procedure is variable, and the reason for failure is incompletely understood. Failure in some patients is postulated to result from tongue‐base obstruction. To investigate this, we identified the level of collapse and obstruction in 11 cases of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty failure, using upper airway manometry and videoendoscopy, while patients slept. Airway manometry measured the initial level of complete obstruction. Videoendoscopy identified significant resting airway narrowing (> 75%) at the tongue base on obstructed compared with nonobstructed breaths. Results of manometry indicated that the palate was the primary level of obstruction in eight (73%) compared with the tongue base in three (27%). However, collapse on videoendoscopy at the tongue base was observed in an additional three patients. A total of six patients (54%) demonstrated significant tongue‐base abnormalities. In six patients with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty as the only pharyngeal surgery, one (17%) had an obstruction at the tongue base, as measured with manometry. Three of the six also had collapses at the tongue base, as measured endoscopically. Tongue‐base abnormalities were identified in four of six (67%). Two additional patients who had failed uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and franspalatal advancement pharyngoplasty had obstructions on manometry at the level of tongue base. Six of eight (75%) palatopharyngoplasty failures demonstrated tongue‐base collapse. In the three patients with tongue‐base surgery, all had obstructions on manometry at the palate and none had endoscopic tongue‐base collapse. These results indicate that in most uvulopalatopharyngoplasty failures the initial level of obstruction occurs at the palate. However, tongue‐base collapse is frequent, and the associated increases in upper airway resistance, changes in ventilation, airflow limitatioins, and changes in airway reflexes may contribute to persistent apnea through complex mechanisms. Both obstructed and nonobstructed upper airway segments must be included in a model for surgical failures.
Stapedotomy with Stapedius Tendon Preservation: Technique and Long‐Term Results
Authors: Colletti Vittorio , Fiorino Francesco G.
Published: November 2015

From 1975 to 1992, a total of 1459 primary stapedoplasty operations (i.e., stapedectomy, stapedotomy with tendon section, and stapedotomy with tendon preservation) were performed in 1323 subjects at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department of the University of Verona. Pure‐tone audiometry was carried out in all subjects who were operated on and who underwent 6‐month and 10‐year follow‐ups. To evaluate the influence of stapedius tendon preservation on functional outcome, we randomly selected subgroups of patients using the three different stapedoplasty techniques and tested them by multiple‐frequency tympanometry, psychoacoustic tuning curves, and speech discrimination in noise. Finally, to assess the effect of prosthesis diameter on middle ear transfer function, we used the electrocochleographic technique and examined the threshold and latency of cochlear nerve compound action potentials recorded during surgery from the round window. The results of this study show that the best auditory performance in otosclerotic subjects is achieved by performing a stapedotomy of 0.7 mm diameter, using a 0.6 wire‐Teflon piston, and preserving the stapedius tendon.
Parathyroid Autotransplantation in Patients Undergoing a Total Thyroidectomy: A Review of 261 Patients
Authors: Walker Regina P. , Paloyan Edward , Kelley Timothy F. , Gopalsami Chellam , Jarosz Harriet
Published: November 2015

Parathyroid autotransplantation was first described in 1907 by Halsted. However, this simple and effective method of preserving parathyroid function has been used with increasing frequency only during the past 25 years. Beginning in the late 1960s, our group has transplanted normal parathyroid tissue into the ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle whenever these glands could not be preserved in situ with adequate blood supply. In addition, if the blood supply of all four parathyroid glands appeared compromised, cryopreservation of parathyroid tissue was performed in case the autotransplanted tissue did not function after surgery. Since 1970, 393 patients underwent a total thyroidectomy. Parathyroid glands that could not be saved in situ were biopsied to confirm their identity by frozen section and then autotransplanted. Of the 393 patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy, 261 patients required transplantation of one or more glands. Among those 261 patients who underwent selective parathyroid autotransplantation, 33 (13%) required temporary calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Of these 33 patients, 2 (less than 1%) had permanent hypoparathyroidism and are receiving long‐term vitamin D therapy.
Hair Cell Regeneration in the Inner Ear
Authors: Tsue Terance T. , Oesterle Elizabeth C. , Rubel Edwin W.
Published: November 2015

Hearing and balance disorders caused by the loss of inner ear hair cells Is a common problem encountered in otolaryngology‐head and neck surgery. The postembryonic production of hair cells in cold‐blooded vertebrates has been known for several decades, and recent studies in the avian inner ear after ototoxic drug and noise damage have demonstrated a remarkable capacity for both anatomic and functional recovery. The regeneration of sensory hair cells has been shown to be integral to this repair process. Current work is focusing on the cellular progenitor source of new hair cells and the trigger mechanism responsible for inducing hair cell regeneration. Preliminary studies suggest that reparative proliferation may also occur in the mammalian inner ear. Work in this field is moving at a rapid pace. The results thus far have yielded optimism that direct stimulation of hair cell production or transplantation of living hair cells may eventually become treatment modalities for the damaged human inner ear. These proposals would have been considered unrealistic less than 10 years ago, but they now have caught the full attention of both clinician and researcher.
Agency Theory and the MBO
Authors: Pinfold John F.
Published: November 2015

Agency theory has focused attention on the role conflict between the interests of managers and owners plays in a firms’ financial performance. It could be claimed that the management buy-out is the most effective weapon in the war against agency problems. This paper investigates the reasons behind the continuing popularity of buy-out funds and how they generate superior financial performance by aligning the interest of managers and investors. It follows the buy-out market from its origins to the present, and points to pitfalls for investors in a market that is now reaching maturity. In particular the popularity of buy-out funds as an investment choice has led to an oversupply of funding and signs are emerging that the market has become overheated. Deals are being done that lack the characteristics that are indicative of successful buy-out performance due to agency problems inherent in the way that buy-out funds are remunerated.
Alex Kerr’s Dogs and Demons and the Problems of Contemporary Japan: A Review Note
Authors: Burton Therese , Dollery Brian
Published: November 2015

In his controversial new book Dogs and Demons: The Fall of Modern Japan, Alex Kerr (2001) maintains that modern Japan represents ‘a case of failed modernization’ due to a deep-seated ‘cultural malaise’ that arises ‘because of a severe mismatch between Japan’s bureaucratic systems and the realities of modern life’. Kerr argues this thesis by means of examples drawn from the arts, culture, economics, politics and other aspects of contemporary Japan. This review note attempts to provide a critical examination of Kerr’s economic arguments. We contend that he has radically overstated his case, ignored much existing critical literature on Nippon, and ‘exoticised’ Japanese society unnecessarily.
Selfish Chromosomal Deletions and Other Delusions for Which Bioeconomics Provides Viable Alternatives
Authors: Ghiselin Michael T.
Published: November 2015

Technical terms are apt to be misunderstood when they bear deceptive resemblance to ones used in every day language. Terms that are vague or equivocal can be misleading even to those who use them routinely. Sociobiological discourse is particularly misleading because it implicitly suggests metaphysical notions that conflict with the fundamentals of evolutionary thinking. Its language is misleading about agency, or the role of various entities in evolutionary processes. Calling genes ‘replicators’ falsely implies that they are active agents in the process of replicating something, when in fact they are passively replicated.

Calling a gene ‘selfish’ suggests that it is some kind of economic agent. A reductio adabsurdum of such claims is provided by ‘selfish chromosomal deletions’ that confer higher fitness than their alleles do upon the organisms that contain them. To avoid linguistic and metaphysical pitfalls one needs to ask what the various evolutionary units are and what they do. Calling something a unit that is replicated rather than a replicator reduces the confusion. In economics and bioeconomics some clarity is gained by focusing upon the units that are resources and those that exploit them. Genes and routines are resources; organisms and firms are what make use of them. The latter might be called ‘exploiters’ to make the distinction clear.
From ‘shadowy cabal’ to new profession: Networks of cooperation and competition in UK Higher Education fundraising
Authors: Warren Adam , Hoyler Michael , Bell Morag
Published: November 2015

Recent UK government policy initiatives have encouraged universities to seek funding from philanthropic sources. Yet, there has been little investigation into the work of the emergent Higher Education professionals expected to deliver this additional income. In this paper, we consider the role of professional networks in facilitating knowledge exchange amongst university fundraisers. Through interviews with senior UK philanthropy professionals in the 1960s universities, we identify significant variations amongst professional networks and peer groups. We argue that professional networks are multi-layered and often exclusionary. Yet, among participants, these associations provide both open spaces of learning and a means of achieving competitive advantage. Moreover, the networks permit university philanthropy professionals to develop new distinctive identities, transcending the institutional and locational setting of their employing organisations. This paper advances theoretical debates on the complexities of knowledge exchange across spatial scales and the role of these networks in the establishment of a new profession.
Perceptions of institutional complexity and lobbyists' decisions to join lobbying coalitions – Evidence from the European Union context
Authors: Barron Andrew , Trouille Jean-Marc
Published: November 2015

We use data from in-depth interviews with business lobbyists in Brussels to investigate why they choose to join lobbying coalitions. We find that lobbyists face two competing institutional incentives. First, they are confronted with incentives to ally with other European organisations, develop multi-lateral policy messages and communicate messages to the Commission and the Parliament. Simultaneously, they face inducements to join narrower coalitions, develop bilateral policy messages and direct those messages at the Council. Lobbyists' receptivity to these incentives – and thus their choices of lobbying coalitions – differs with their age, educational background and with the type and ownership structure of the organisations they represent. Combined, our findings contribute to the limited, mainly American literature on interest coalitions by demonstrating that lobbyists operate in complex institutional environments, and that their interpretations of and reactions to institutional complexity are shaped by individual- and organisational-level factors.
Oxygen Consumption and Online Blood Gas Determinations during Rewarming on Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Philbin DM , Inada E , Sims N , Philbin DM , Misiano D , Schneider Robert C
Published: November 2015

The online measurement of blood gases during rewarming on hypothermic CPB was performed with sensors utilizing optical fluorescence. In 20 patients, blood samples were obtained at 25°C. 30°C. 34°C and 36°C respectively for determination of oxygen content and calculation of VO2 to determine the actual changes in VO2 which occurred and to see if the continuous online measurements of blood oxygen tensions would provide useful information. VO2 decreased to 31·28 ml/min/m2 at 25°C. close to the predicted. With rewarming. VO2 increased to 36% of predicted at 30°C. and at 36°C. was only 67% of predicted. Online measurement of PvO2 provided a reasonably accurate reflection of the changing metabolic requirements during this period, more so than PaO2. These data suggest that the continuous measurement of blood oxygen tensions, particularly PvO2 provides a simple and effective method of monitoring the adequacy of oxygen delivery.
Integral Pulse Frequency Modulated Ultrasound for the Detection and Quantification of Gas Microbubbles in Flowing Blood
Authors: Wright Gordon , Furness Anthony , Haigh Susan
Published: November 2015

An integral pulse frequency modulated gas microbubble detector is described. When used in conjunction with an electromagnetic blood flowmeter, the ultrasound pulse repetition frequency can be regulated to reduce multiple counting errors due to variations in blood flow rate. A special detector mounting head eliminates problems due to wall curvature and pulsation, permits reliable and reproducible transducer coupling and makes it possible to gate the ultrasound field electronically in order to avoid spurious counts due to crystal and wall artefacts and low intensity regions.

Results obtained from the detector during an in vitro evaluation of bubble oxygenators suggest that the number of arterial line gas microbubbles is less than has been claimed previously and that the total volume of gas liberated in the form of microbubbles may be too small to have any demonstrable primary clinical effects.
Ketamine in Cancer Pain: An Update
Authors: Mercadante Sebastiano
Published: November 2015

Ketamine has been shown to have potent analgesic properties at low dosages. Bioavailability is high when it is given parenterally, but low after oral or rectal administration. Active metabolites should account for part of the analgesic effect of ketamine during long-term oral administration. NMDA receptor inhibition by ketamine may reflect a wind-down phenomenon, and should alleviate NMDA-related neuropathic pain, reversing the rightward shift of the opioid-response curve. A synergistic effect between ketamine and opioids has been observed in cancer pain patients who have lost an analgesic response to high doses of morphine. Further studies need to be carried out to confirm the benefits of ketamine in cancer pain, and to determine the best route of administration, dosages and the incidence of side effects.
Disclosure of Diagnostic Information to Cancer Patients in Greece
Authors: Mystakidou Kyriaki , Liossi Christina , Vlachos Lambros , Papadimitriou Joannis
Published: November 2015

Truth-telling to cancer patients is controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate oncologists', radiotherapists', and palliative care specialists' attitudes and truth-telling practices in Greece. A postal survey of a representative sample of 300 oncologists, radiotherapists, and palliative care specialists was made in February 1993. A total of 228 doctors completed and returned the questionnaires. It appears that withholding the truth from cancer patients remains very common in Greece.
Constructing the Victim: Theoretical Reflections and Empirical Examples
Authors: Strobl Rainer
Published: November 2015

This article discusses the social construction of the victim and analyses conditions for ascription of the victim role. As a neutral point of reference a scientific construction of the victim is presented. It is agued that for the concept of victimisation to apply within the realm of victimological research and practice five minimum criteria should be fulfilled. Suffering directly or indirectly from victimisation, as defined in this way, is regarded as a precondition for ascription of the victim role. Additional conditions in given social contexts are discussed and a theoretical model for the successful communication of victimisation introduced. Results from interviews with Turkish men and women living in Germany are presented in order to illustrate the model.
Justice Even for the Crime Victim: Implementing International Standards
Authors: Waller Irvin
Published: November 2015

In November 1985, the United Nations General Assembly (1985) adopted a charter of victim rights — the ‘Declaration on the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power’. Governments and international organisations are now faced with the challenge of implementing these principles. The UN Declaration and the Recommendations of the Council of Europe propose specific ways by which justice and services can be improved.

Countries such as Canada, England, France and the United States are passing legislation. However, even there much more is required. All governments must ensure that the principles are put into practice by the police, in victim support agencies, in mental health approaches, in reparation to victims, and for acceptable participation by the person immediately hurt by crime. Further, the United Nations, governments, and private organisations need to establish commissions to assess the needs of victims, the state of services and justice, and solutions to meet needs better. However such commissions must have a role in implementation and prevention if communities are going to be safer and ‘Justice is going to open her eyes to victims’.
Strain- and Diet-Related Lesion Variability in Aging DBA/2, C57BL/6, and DBA/2xC57BL/6 F1 Mice
Authors: Harbison C. E. , Lipman R. D. , Bronson R. T.
Published: November 2015

Genetic and environmental factors both play a role in the occurrence of age-related disease. To examine the genetic contribution to the development of spontaneous lesions in aging animals, a complete range of tissues was comprehensively analyzed by histopathology from 180 individually housed ad libitum–fed or 40% calorically restricted 24-month-old male and female mice of 2 parental strains—DBA/2NNia (D2) and C57BL/6NNia (B6)—and the F1 cross B6D2F1/NNia. Several strain- and diet-dependent patterns of lesions were identified. Many lesions were genotype dependent and exhibited recessive phenotypic expression, defined as being common in 1 parental strain but infrequently observed in the F1 cross (eg, glomerulonephritis in B6 mice), while others were maintained from 1 parental strain to the F1 with similar frequencies (eg, reproductive tract leiomyoma in D2 mice). Other lesions were common regardless of genotype (osteoarthritis, periodontitis). Only rare lesions were more common in the F1 but underrepresented in the 2 parental strains. Furthermore, F1 mice had a lower number of overall total lesions and a lower number of tumors than either parental strain. Caloric restriction reduced the total number of lesions and neoplasms regardless of genotype but differentially affected genotype-dependent lesions in B6 and D2 mice, with B6 mice more sensitive to the effects of caloric restriction than D2 mice. In summary, genetics and environmental factors (eg, dietary restriction) both substantially contribute to the pattern of lesions that develop as animals age.
Canine Mammary Epithelial Neoplasms: Biologic Implications of Morphologic Characteristics Assessed in 232 Dogs
Authors: Gilbertson S. R. , Kurzman I. D. , Zachrau R. E. , Hurvitz A. I. , Black M. M.
Published: November 2015

We studied 232 dogs that underwent mastectomy for mammary epithelial neoplasms. The mastectomy specimens were evaluated according to structural parameters found to be prognostically significant in human mammary neoplasms, such as grade of atypia in non-invasive proliferations of duct epithelium, extent of malignant disease, and nuclear differentiation in malignant neoplasms. In this study, the biologic behavior of mammary lesions was assessed according to the frequency of development of de novo or recurrent invasive carcinoma within two years. Our data indicate that we can recognize structural variables which permit classification of mammary neoplasms into categories with distinct patterns of biologic behavior. In addition to normotypic proliferative lesions and invasive malignant neoplasms, we were able to identify precancerous atypic and non-invasive malignant neoplasms that are considered precursor lesions in women. Also, as in women, nuclear differentiation was found to be a prognostically significant variable. Lymphoid cellular reactions, considered to be structural correlates of host-tumor immune responses in women, were noted in 35% of dogs with precancerous or malignant neoplasms. Application of the described parameters should facilitate comparative studies of canine and human mammary carcinogenesis and use of the dog as a model for the development of new therapeutic modalities and immunoprophylaxis of human mammary cancer.
The Enemy Inside: The Western Involvement with Bosnia and the Problem of Securing Identities
Authors: Behnke Andreas
Published: November 2015

That the ascetic ideal has meant so much to man reveals a basic fact of human will, its horror vacui; it needs an aim—, and it prefers to will nothingness rather than not will.—Do I make myself understood? … Have I made myself understood? … “Absolutely not, sir!”—So let us start at the beginning.
European Identity, EU Expansion, and the Integration/Exclusion Nexus
Authors: Neumann Iver B.
Published: November 2015

No cultural identity presents itself as the opaque body of an untranslatable idiom, but always, on the contrary, as the irreplaceable inscription of the universal in the singular, the unique testimony to the human essence and to what is proper to man. Each time, it has to do with the discourse of responsibility: I have, the unique I has, the responsibility of testifying for universality. Each time, the exemplarity of the example is unique. This is why it can be put into series and formalized into a law.1
How Drugs Affect Decisions by Burglars
Authors: Cromwell Paul F. , Olson James N. , Avary D'Aunn W. , Marks Alan
Published: November 2015

Thirty drug-using burglars participated in reconstructions of past burglaries and were interviewed extensively over a period of 16 months. Unlike previous research with burglars, the informants were ACTIVE burglars interviewed in their own environment. The study attempted to determine whether their decision-making processes were rational and to what extent drug and alcohol use affected those decisions. Their drug use and their criminal activity were found to be inextricably interrelated. Heroin addicts were found to be more rational than previously believed and capable of controlling their drug use to a significant extent. Drug use was found to facilitate the commission of crimes for some burglars. Public policy implications are discussed.
Of Fruit and Corpses and Wordplay Visions: Picturing Amos 8.1–3
Authors: Sherwood Yvonne
Published: November 2015

This paper was never designed to be read but ideally to be heard and seen: in this silent format the words can be looked at alongside the images that are meant to do much more than passively ‘serve’ as illustration. The paper is a consideration of the relationship between the ear and the eye and an exploration of Amos 8.1–3 as audio-vision. The passage, which is usually read as a ‘wordplay vision’ (a term that is oxymoronically revealing in itself), can also be imagined as a still life with fruit with the caption ‘women wailing, corpses lying everywhere’. By comparing Yhwh's bizarre vision-works with similar (in fact, obligingly similar) artworks by René Magritte, I explore the vision as a way into both the convulsive poetics of Amos (the book set over the earthquake) and, on an even larger scale, the whole poetics of prophetic/divine speech.
Schoenberg's Moses Und Aron and the Judaic Ban on Images
Authors: Batnitzky Leora
Published: November 2015

This article argues that Schoenberg's monumental opera Moses und Aron reflects a broader German-Jewish concern with the philosophical meaning of the Second Commandment and its relation to German-Jewish identity. By way of the aesthetic theory of the German-Jewish philosopher Hermann Cohen, the article analyzes Moses und Aron and suggests that Cohen's theory offers a context through which to understand the philosophical and cultural underpinnings of Schoenberg's music and drama. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the social and political milieu in which Moses und Aron was created and its implications for understanding Schoenberg's and the German-Jewish intellectual struggle for identity.
Virgins, Viragos and Virtuo(U)SI among Judiths in Opera and Oratorio
Authors: Elder Linda Bennett
Published: November 2015

In the present inquiry I explicate through a Feminist lens, curious and often amusing metamorphoses of Judith's integrity and complexity as a female hero in Israel as they are expressed in opera and oratorio. Within the purview of these genres the integrity of the apocryphal Judith's characterization is variously maintained, elaborated, ignored, transferred to other characters, transformed, or obliterated by librettists and animateurs. Diverse methodological perspectives inform observations pertinent to librettos, music, mise en scene and aspects of characterization as they are animated in the artistic process/product and transmitted via their critics in the media.
Biblical Perspectives on Power
Authors: Smith Carol
Published: November 2015

Images of power and powerlessness pervade the Old Testament. While the predominant picture is of men who are more powerful than women, kings who are more powerful than their subjects, and Yahweh who is more powerful than other gods, a more ambivalent picture of power emerges in many passages. This article discusses a number of such cases, with particular attention given to Genesis 19 and 38, 2 Samuel 11, 1 Kings 1, and 2 Kings 3. In each case the depicted power relationships mutate and develop, with the result that the Bible can be seen to be frequently undermining its own assumptions of where power should and does lie. There are enough ‘temporary challenges’ to the standard viewpoint to be significant, and scholars who seek to discover ‘the biblical view of power’ may well be unsuccessful.
Muscle Activity as a Releasing Factor for Pain in the Shoulder and Neck
Authors: Westgaard RH
Published: November 2015

In this review, the evidence for trapezius muscle activity as a releasing factor for shoulder and neck pain is considered, mainly on the basis of studies in our laboratory. Two lines of evidence are produced, (i) vocational studies in an occupational setting, where muscle activity pattern is recorded by surface EMG and a clinical examination of the shoulder region of the subjects performed; and (ii) laboratory studies where muscle activity patterns and pain development are recorded in an experimental situation with mental stress and minimal physical activity. The vocational studies demonstrate pain development in the shoulder and neck despite very low muscle activity recorded, making it very difficult to assume muscular involvement for all cases with such complaints. However, the hypothesis of pain development through overexertion of a subpopulation of low-threshold motor units also makes it difficult to draw a firm negative conclusion. The laboratory experiments, on the other hand, show that trapezius activity patterns in response to stress have many features that would be expected if muscle activation induces pain symptoms. It is further noted that the trapezius is the only muscle with activity patterns that show these features. Possibly, we observe the effects of parallel physiological phenomena, e.g., a systemic autonomic activation that induces pain symptoms and also facilitates the motor response of some muscles. Evidence of autonomic activation of trapezius is presented by the observation of low-level, rhythmic EMG activity during sleep. However, this is not firm evidence for the above hypothesis, which at present best serves as a basis for further experimentation.
Cervicogenic Headache: A Comparison with Migraine and Tension-Type Headache
Authors: Vincent MB , Luna RA
Published: November 2015

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a neck-generated headache syndrome. Attacks may be similar to migraine (M) or tension-type headache (TTH). In order to test the accuracy of the IHS diagnostic criteria for M and episodic TTH and of the criteria for CEH of Sjaastad et al., 33 CEH, 65 M, and 29 TTH were evaluated according to the CEH criteria, and CEH patients were tested for M and TTH according to the IHS criteria. Only 30% of the CEH patients met the criteria for M, 3% met the criteria for TTH, and 66% were neither M nor TTH. The mean number of criteria met, sex, age, and age of onset were also analysed, and the results indicate an inequality among these three headache types. The most important differentiating aspects were the site and radiation of the pain, the temporal pattern, and the induction of attacks from neck posture, movements, and/or digital pressure. CEH clearly differs from M and TTH. Existing criteria adequately distinguish the three headaches.
Asian American Women's Retrospective Reports of Their Sexual Socialization
Authors: Kim Janna L.
Published: November 2015

This study used qualitative research methods to investigate the sexual socialization experiences of young Asian American women, a group often overlooked in psychological research on sexuality. Focus group interviews were conducted with 30 ethnically diverse young Asian American women to explore their perceptions and interpretations of the direct and indirect sexual communication they received from parents during adolescence. Interviews were analyzed using open and focused coding techniques based on principles of grounded theory. Although most participants initially reported that sexuality was a closed or taboo topic of discussion in their family, they described several indirect, implicit, and nonverbal strategies their parents used to clearly convey their sexual attitudes and expectations, most of which were restrictive in nature. Women interpreted parents' silence and restrictiveness about sexuality as tied to their upbringing and cultural heritage and as a feature characterizing Asian parents more broadly.
Work–Family Policy Trade-Offs for Mothers? Unpacking the Cross-National Variation in Motherhood Earnings Penalties
Authors: Budig Michelle J. , Misra Joya , Boeckmann Irene
Published: November 2015

Recent scholarship suggests welfare state interventions, as measured by policy indices, create gendered trade-offs wherein reduced work–family conflict corresponds to greater gender wage inequality. The authors reconsider these trade-offs by unpacking these indices and examining specific policy relationships with motherhood-based wage inequality to consider how different policies have different effects. Using original policy data and Luxembourg Income Study microdata, multilevel models across 22 countries examine the relationships among country-level family policies, tax policies, and the motherhood wage penalty. The authors find policies that maintain maternal labor market attachment through moderate-length leaves, publicly funded childcare, lower marginal tax rates on second earners, and paternity leave are correlated with smaller motherhood wage penalties.
Critical Issues in Response-To-Intervention, Comprehensive Evaluation, and Specific Learning Disabilities Identification and Intervention: An Expert White Paper Consensus
Authors: Hale J. , Alfonso V. , Berninger V. , Bracken B. , Christo C. , Clark E. , Cohen M. , Davis A. , Decker S. , Denckla M. , Dumont R. , Elliott C. , Feifer S. , Fiorello C. , Flanagan D. , Fletcher-Janzen E. , Geary D. , Gerber M. , Gerner M. , Goldstein S. , Gregg N. , Hagin R. , Jaffe L. , Kaufman A. , Kaufman N. , Keith T. , Kline F. , Kochhar-Bryant C. , Lerner J. , Marshall G. , Mascolo J. , Mather N. , Mazzocco M. , McCloskey G. , McGrew K. , Miller D. , Miller J. , Mostert M. , Naglieri J. , Ortiz S. , Phelps L. , Podhajski B. , Reddy L. , Reynolds C. , Riccio C. , Schrank F. , Schultz E. , Semrud-Clikeman M. , Shaywitz S. , Simon J. , Silver L. , Swanson L. , Urso A. , Wasserman T. , Willis J. , Wodrich D. , Wright P. , Yalof J.
Published: November 2015

Developed in concert with the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), this White Paper regarding specific learning disabilities identification and intervention represents the expert consensus of 58 accomplished scholars in education, psychology, medicine, and the law. Survey responses and empirical evidence suggest that five conclusions are warranted: 1) The SLD definition should be maintained and the statutory requirements in SLD identification procedures should be strengthened; 2) neither ability-achievement discrepancy analysis nor failure to respond to intervention alone is sufficient for SLD identification; 3) a “third method” approach that identifies a pattern of psychological processing strengths and weaknesses, and achievement deficits consistent with this pattern of processing weaknesses, makes the most empirical and clinical sense; 4) an empirically-validated RTI model could be used to prevent learning problems, but comprehensive evaluations should occur for SLD identification purposes, and children with SLD need individualized interventions based on specific learning needs, not merely more intense interventions; and 5) assessment of cognitive and neuropsychological processes should be used for both SLD identification and intervention purposes.
Positive Employee Performance: An Innovative Approach to Employee Discipline
Authors: Riccucci Norma M. , Wheeler Gary R.
Published: November 2015

Positive discipline is a disciplinary process which replaces the use of punishment as a way to modify undesirable employee behaviors. This article addresses the application of this almost exclusively private-sector disciplinary tool to the Pinellas County, Florida labor force. A preliminary examination of its operation indicates that supervisors support the use of positive discipline because of its efficacy in addressing and responding to disciplinary problems. Positive discipline appears to be part of a larger trend that favors participative management and progressive disciplinary policies as responses to the changing values of the American work force.
The Public Employment Relationship and the Supreme Court in the 1980S
Authors: Rosenbloom David H.
Published: November 2015

During the 1980s, Supreme Court decisions on the public employment relationship tended to constitutionalize public personnel administration further and to promote adjudicatory processes within it. The Court has been highly divided on issues involving the public employment relationship and, for the most part, has not developed broad general doctrines that comprehensively define the scope of public employees' constitutional rights. Rather, it has opted frequently for balancing approaches that promote a case-by-case jurisprudence that may fail to afford public personnelists adequate guidance. This article reviews Supreme Court decisions in the areas of public employees' substantive constitutional rights, their constitutional rights to procedural due process and equal protection, and their qualified immunity/liability for breaches of others' constitutional and/or federally protected statutory civil rights.
Political Responsiveness and Neutral Competence in the Developing Countries
Authors: Kearney Richard C.
Published: November 2015

This article examines the role of merit-based career systems in developing countries. Using the neutral competence/political responsiveness paradigm as a point of departure, the author analyzes the experiences of two countries, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. A predictable conclusion emerges, i.e., that a rational-legal bureaucratic model is preferable to any known alternative when efficient and effective development administration is the evaluative criterion.
Self-interest, partisanship, and the conditional influence of taxation on support for war in the USA
Authors: Kriner Douglas , Lechase Breanna , Cappella Zielinski Rosella
Published: November 2015

Does the imposition of taxation inevitably erode public support for war? Through a pair of survey experiments we show that whether a war tax decreases public support for military action critically depends on the design of the taxation instrument itself. Broad-based, regressive taxes decrease support for war; progressive taxes targeted on the wealthy do not. We also uncover the mechanisms through which Americans incorporate information about war taxation into their wartime policy preferences. Economic self-interest, alone, cannot explain the individual-level variation in reactions to war taxation. Rather, Americans assess war taxation both through the lens of economic self-interest and by using partisan heuristics. The negative effect of taxation on war support is both conditional on the design of the taxation instrument and variable across segments of the public.
Expert Evaluation of Municipal Revenues and Expenditures by Land Use Category
Authors: Heikkila Eric , Leckie Peter
Published: November 2015

This paper outlines a method for assessing experts' evaluation of how municipal revenues and expenditures are allocated across land use categories. The method includes selection of experts, the nature of their interactions, and the process by which their diverse opinions may be meaningfully aggregated. This method is implemented for the City of Vancouver, using two distinct groups of experts. The results from these two groups' efforts are strikingly similar, suggesting that vacant and commercial land uses are net fiscal contributors, while residential and industrial uses do not on average contribute revenues that cover the cost of services rendered by the municipality.
Computer Adoption and Use in California Planning Agencies: Implications for Education
Authors: French Steven P. , Wiggins Lyna L.
Published: November 2015

This paper presents the results of a mail survey of 501 California city and county planning directors and microcomputer managers on the number of computers local planning agencies have and the types of computers, software, and applications these agencies use or will use. Staff training and hardware and software funding are found to be common problems. Measures of effective utilization of computers are developed and associated factors that have contributed to successful implementation are explored. Based on these analyses, several changes in planning curricula are suggested. An outline for a specialization in planning information systems within the planning curriculum is presented.
Communicating to Effect Behavioral Change: A Framework for Public Education Programs
Authors: Contant Cheryl K.
Published: November 2015

Planners are often involved in enacting public education programs designed to influence individuals' behaviors. In this paper, a new framework for public education programs is developed to encourage communication that is more persuasive, action oriented, and targeted toward altering individuals' behaviors. To critically review this framework, a study was conducted of Iowa farmers who were the targets of an education program designed to encourage the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices to protect groundwater quality. Results suggest that this framework, which is strategically developed to persuade, translate, present, and gather adaptive information from appropriate segments of the audience, enhances the likelihood of behavioral change.