bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pragmatist approach to meaning making in children's discussions about gravity and the shape of the earth
Authors: Lidar Malena , Almqvist Jonas , Östman Leif
Published: December 2009

During the past few decades, researchers from a cognitive science tradition and a sociocultural perspective on learning have discussed how to understand students' conceptions of the earth. In this article, some of the questions discussed in this debate are elaborated in relation to meaning making in educational settings. The aim is to illustrate how an approach built on pragmatism and Wittgenstein's works makes it possible to take the role of both situation and experiences into account within a sociocultural perspective on learning. In video‐recordings of second and fourth–fifth graders working in pairs meaning making is studied using practical epistemology analysis, i.e., what children talk about as relevant and what experiences they reactualize when answering questions. By analyzing the role of reactualization of experience, the role of reactualization and situation in making questions and problems intelligible, and the individuals' encounters with artifacts and the consequences of this in meaning making, we elucidate why it is important to consider meaning making in situ as an empirical question. It is concluded that the way questions are made intelligible will direct the meaning making and when using an artifact to answer questions, it is not the artifact in itself, but the specific use of the artifact that mediates action. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 94:689–709, 2010
Gene identification using true discovery rate degree of association sets and estimates corrected for regression to the mean
Authors: Crager Michael R.
Published: December 2009

Analyses intended to identify genes with expression that is associated with some clinical outcome or state are often based on ranked p‐values from tests of point null hypotheses of no association. Van de Wiel and Kim take the innovative approach of testing the interval null hypotheses that the degree of association for a gene is less than some value of interest against the alternative that it is greater. Combining this idea with the false discovery rate controlling methods of Storey, Taylor and Siegmund gives a computationally simple way to identify true discovery rate degree of association (TDRDA) sets of genes among which a specified proportion are expected to have an absolute association of a specified degree or more. This leads to a gene ranking method that uses the maximum lower bound degree of association for which each gene belongs to a TDRDA set. Estimates of each gene's actual degree of association with approximate correction for ‘selection bias’ due to regression to the mean (RM) can be derived using simple bivariate normal theory and Efron and Tibshirani's empirical Bayes approach. For a given data set, all possible TDRDA sets can be displayed along with the gene ranking and the RM‐corrected estimates of degree of association in a concise graphical summary. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Further evaluation of the carbon11‐labeled D2/3agonist PET radiotracer PHNO: Reproducibility in tracer characteristics and characterization of extrastriatal binding
Authors: Egerton Alice , Hirani Ella , Ahmad Rabia , Turton David R. , Brickute Diana , Rosso Lula , Howes Oliver D. , Luthra Sajinder K. , Grasby Paul M.
Published: December 2009

[11C]‐(+)‐PHNO is a new dopamine D2/3receptor agonist radiotracer which has been successfully used to measure D2/3receptor availability in experimental animals and man. Here we report in vivo evaluation in the rat of the biodistribution, metabolism, specificity, selectivity, and dopamine sensitivity of carbon11‐labeled PHNO ([11C]‐3‐PHNO) produced by an alternative radiochemical synthesis method. [11C]‐3‐PHNO showed rapid metabolism and clearance from most peripheral organs and tissues. [11C]‐3‐PHNO, but not its polar metabolite, readily crossed the blood‐brain barrier and showed high levels of uptake in the D2/3‐rich striatum. Pretreatment with unlabeled PHNO and the D2/3receptor antagonist raclopride indicated that binding in the striatum was specific and selective to D2/3receptors. PET studies in anesthetized rats revealed significant reductions in [11C]‐3‐PHNO binding in the striatum following amphetamine administration, indicating sensitivity to increases in endogenous dopamine concentrations. D2/3antagonist pretreatment additionally indicated moderate levels of [11C]‐3‐PHNO specific binding in several extrastriatal brain areas—most notably the olfactory bulbs and tubercles, thalamus, and hypothalamus. Of particular interest, approximately 30% of [11C]‐3‐PHNO signal in the cerebellum—a region often used as a “low‐binding” reference region for PET quantification—was attributable to specific signal. These data demonstrate that [11C]‐3‐PHNO shows similar tracer characteristics to [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO, but additionally indicate that radiolabeled PHNO may be used to estimate D2/3receptor availability in select extrastriatal brain regions with PET. Synapse 64:301–312, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Kalte Normaldruck‐Jetplasmen zur lokalen Oberflächenbehandlung
Authors: Foest R. , Fricke K. , Kindel E. , Lange H. , Schäfer J. , Steiber M. , Weltmann K‐D.
Published: December 2009

Ein anisothermer, miniaturisierter Plasmajet (1.5 MHz, 13,56 MHz, 27,12MHz oder 40,78 MHz) dient unter Atmosphärendruckbedingungen zur Behandlung von Oberflächen. Das Gerät erlaubt außer dem Betrieb in Edelgasen, wie z.B. Argon, auch den Betrieb in Stickstoff bzw. Luft mit reaktiven Beimengungen. Zur Behandlung größerer Oberflächen lassen sich mehrere Module parallel betreiben bzw. in kontrollierter Bewegung über die zu behandelnde Oberflächen führen.

Die Temperatur des Jets verbleibt im Bereich von erhöhter Raumtemperatur bis ca. 100°C. Ein für den Betrieb an Luft unerwartet hoher Anteil an UV und VUVStrahlung wird gemessen, dessen Kenntnis wichtig zur gezielten Initiierung chemischer Oberflächenreaktionen bzw. zur Ausnutzung von keimreduzierenden Effekten oder der Beeinflussung der Proliferation von biologischen Zellen ist.

Applikationen zur Oberflächenmodifikation sind nicht auf flächige Substrate beschränkt. Die atmosphärischen Plasmajets besitzen ein hohes Anwendungspotential.

Ergebnisse des Einsatzes zur Erhöhung der Benetzbarkeit von Kunststoffen und Zellstoff liegen vor. Mit Hilfe des Plasmajets lassen sich Schichten mit kontrollierter chemischer Zusammensetzung herstellen.
Real Stories of Nursing Research: The Quest for Magnet Recognition
Authors: Cote Deb
Published: December 2009

Real Stories of Nursing Research: The Quest for Magnet Recognition M. Maureen Kirkpatrick McLaughlin and Sally A. Bulla 2010, Jones and Bartlett Publishers 362 $44.95 softcover
To Comfort Always: A Nurse's Guide to End‐of‐Life Care
Authors: Covey Shilo
Published: December 2009

To Comfort Always: A Nurse's Guide to End‐of‐Life Care Linda Norlander 2008, Sigma Theta Tau International 125 $19.95 softcover
On the role of the chaperonin CCT in the just‐in‐time assembly process of APC/CCdc20
Authors: Dekker Carien
Published: December 2009

The just‐in‐time hypothesis relates to the assembly of large multi‐protein complexes and their regulation of activation in the cell. Here I postulate that chaperonins may contribute to the timely assembly and activation of such complexes. For the case of anaphase promoting complex/cyclosomeCdc20 assembly by the eukaryotic chaperonin chaperonin containing Tcp1 it is shown that just‐in‐time synthesis and chaperone‐assisted folding can synergise to generate a highly regulated assembly process of a protein complex that is vital for cell cycle progression. Once dependency has been established transcriptional regulation and chaperonin‐dependency may have co‐evolved to safeguard the timely activation of important multi‐protein complexes.
In trans interaction of hepatitis C virus helicase domains mediates protease activity critical for internal NS3 cleavage and cell transformation
Authors: Pan Ren-You , Hung Tzu-Min , Kou Yi-Hen , Chan Nei-Li , Chang Ming-Fu , Chang Shin C.
Published: December 2009

MINT‐7306465: NS3 (uniprotkb:P29846) physically interacts (MI:0915) with NS3 (uniprotkb:P29846) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007).
Association of Bartonella species, feline calicivirus, and feline herpesvirus 1 infection with gingivostomatitis in cats
Authors: Dowers Kristy L. , Hawley Jennifer R. , Brewer Melissa M. , Morris Arianne K. , Radecki Steven V. , Lappin Michael R.
Published: December 2009

Feline gingivostomatitis (FGS) is a common syndrome in cats; feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), and Bartonella species are common differential diagnoses. In this study, blood from 70 cats with FGS and 61 healthy control cats was tested for Bartonella species antibodies in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot immunoassay and DNA in blood using a conventional polymerase chain reaction assay. Additionally, fresh oral biopsies from cats with FGS ( n=42) and 19 healthy controls were tested for FCV RNA, FHV-1 DNA and Bartonella species DNA. The prevalence rates for Bartonella species antibodies and DNA in the blood and the tissues did not differ between the two groups. FHV-1 DNA was also not significantly different between groups. Only FCV RNA was present in significantly more cats with FGS (40.5%) than control cats (0%). The results suggest that FCV was associated with FGS in some of the cats.
Pain-related fear, catastrophizing and pain in the recovery from a fracture
Authors: Steven J. Linton , Buer Nina , Samuelsson Lars , Harms-Ringdahl Karin
Published: December 2009

Background and aims

Pain-related fear and catastrophizing are prominently related to acute and persistent back pain, but little is known about their role in pain and function after a fracture. Since fractures have a clear etiology and time point they are of special interest for studying the process of recovery. Moreover, fracture injuries are interesting in their own right since patients frequently do not recover fully from them and relatively little is known about the psychological aspects. We speculated that catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs might be associated with more pain and poorer recovery after an acute, painful fracture injury.

Methods

To this end we conducted a prospective cohort study recruiting 70 patients with fractures of the wrist or the ankle. Participants completed standardized assessments of fear, pain, catastrophizing, degree of self-rated recovery, mobility and strength within 24 h of injury, and at 3- and 9-month follow-ups. Participants were also categorized as having high or low levels of fear-avoidance beliefs by comparing their scores on the first two assessments with the median from the general population. To consolidate the data the categorizations from the two assessments were combined and patients could therefore have consistently high, consistently low, increasing, or decreasing levels.

Results

Results indicated that levels of fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing were fairly low on average. At the first assessment 69% of the patients expected a full recovery within 6 months, but in fact only 29% were fully recovered at the 9-month follow-up. Similarly, comparisons between the affected and non-affected limb showed that 71% of those with a wrist fracture and 58% with an ankle fracture were not fully recovered on grip strength and heel-rise measures. Those classified as having consistently high or increasing levels of fear-avoidance beliefs had a substantially increased risk of more intense future pain (adjusted OR = 3.21). Moreover, those classified as having consistently high or increasing levels of catastrophizing had an increased risk for a less than full recovery of strength by almost six-fold (adjusted OR = 5.87).

Conclusions and implications

This is the first investigation to our knowledge where the results clearly suggest that fear and catastrophizing, especially when the level increases, may be important determinants of recovery after an acute, painful, fracture injury. These results support the fear-avoidance model and suggest that psychological factors need to be considered in the recovery process after a fracture.
Anatomy-based surgery to remove thyroglossal duct cyst: two anomalous cases
Authors: Iwata T , Nakata S , Tsuge H , Koide F , Sugiura M , Otake H , Teranishi M , Nakashima T
Published: December 2009

Objective:

To review previous reports and to discuss the management of branching polycystic and giant thyroglossal duct cysts.

Case report:

We present two cases of thyroglossal duct cyst: one a branching, polycystic thyroglossal duct cyst in an 11-year-old boy, and the other a giant thyroglossal cyst in a 41-year-old man. Such cysts are rare. Both patients were operated upon according to the methods of Sistrunk and Horisawa, and both had a satisfactory post-operative course.

Discussion:

We discuss the most important aspects of such cyst removal procedures.

Conclusion:

Our experience suggests that surgery to remove an anomalous thyroglossal duct cyst should be performed using a technique based on the anatomy of the hyoid bone region.
Early outcomes after transoral CO2 laser resection of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: one centre's experience
Authors: Leong S C , Kathan C , Mortimore S
Published: December 2009

Objectives:

To review early oncological outcomes following transoral CO2 laser resection of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Design:

Retrospective review of hospital electronic database.

Setting:

Large district general hospital in England, UK.

Main outcome measures:

Patients' three-year disease-specific survival and disease-free survival were evaluated, including post-operative complications, voice quality and swallowing status.

Results:

Seventy-seven patients (16 women and 61 men) were identified. Transoral laser excision of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx was undergone by 65 patients, and the same procedure in the hypopharynx by 12. Patients with laryngeal cancer had statistically better disease-specific survival than those with hypopharyngeal cancer (p = 0.021), although the cumulative disease-free survival probability was 0.71 for both larynx and hypopharynx groups. Patients who underwent laryngectomy following failed laser treatment or as a salvage procedure had poorer outcomes.

Conclusions:

The overall results of this study were comparable with those of other, larger studies. At three-year follow up, cumulative disease-specific survival probabilities were 0.92 and 0.71 for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, respectively.
Simulation in ENT medical education
Authors: Abou-Elhamd K-E A , Al-Sultan A I , Rashad U M
Published: December 2009

Objectives:

Computer-based medical simulation has recently been adopted as a new method of medical education. This paper reviews the uses of medical simulation within the ENT specialty, and reports how such simulation is used in Al-Ahsa College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

We review our use of a simulation laboratory in ENT training. Students are taught ENT anatomy using physical models, ear diseases using physical models, and ENT examination by watching video recordings, and are taught the principles of common ENT surgery using a computerised mannequin (for laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy). A haptic temporal bone surgery simulator is used for mastoidectomy and functional endoscopic sinus surgery training, and a mannequin for cricothyrotomy and tracheotomy training.

Conclusion:

The use of such simulation methods has greatly improved our students' perception and comprehension.
Dizziness, migrainous vertigo and psychiatric disorders
Authors: Teggi R , Caldirola D , Colombo B , Perna G , Comi G , Bellodi L , Bussi M
Published: December 2009

Objectives:

This study sought to establish the prevalence of vestibular disorders, migraine and definite migrainous vertigo in patients with psychiatric disorders who were referred for treatment of dizziness, without a lifetime history of vertigo.

Study design:

Retrospective study.

Setting:

Out-patients in a university hospital.

Materials and methods:

Fifty-two dizzy patients with panic disorders and agoraphobia, 30 with panic disorders without agoraphobia, and 20 with depressive disorders underwent otoneurological screening with bithermal caloric stimulation. The prevalence of migraine and migrainous vertigo was assessed. The level of dizziness was evaluated using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory.

Results:

Dizzy patients with panic disorders and agoraphobia had a significantlyp = 0.05 regarding the prevalence of peripheral vestibular abnormalities in the group of subjects with PD and agoraphobia and in those with depressive disorders. Migraine was equally represented in the three groups, but panic disorder patients had a higher prevalence of migrainous vertigo definite migrainous vertigo. Almost all patients with a peripheral vestibular disorder had a final diagnosis of definite migrainous vertigo according to Neuhauser criteria. These patients had higher Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory total score was higher in the subgroup of patients with panic disorders with agoraphobia also presenting unilateral reduced caloric responses or definite migrainous vertigo, compared with the subgroup of remaining subjects with panic disorders with agoraphobia (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Our data support the hypothesis that, in patients with panic disorders (and especially those with additional agoraphobia), dizziness may be linked to malfunction of the vestibular system. However, the data are not inconsistent with the hypothesis that migrainous vertigo is the most common pathophysiological mechanism for vestibular disorders.
The Mexican Supreme Court and the Juntas de Conciliación y Arbitraje, 1917–1924: The Judicialisation of Labour Relations after the Revolution
Authors: SUAREZ-POTTS WILLIAM J.
Published: December 2009

This article reviews Mexican Supreme Court decisions concerning the legal status of juntas de conciliación y arbitraje (state labour boards of conciliation and arbitration) between 1917 and 1924. During this period the Court played an important role in legitimising these administrative boards, which have since become a constituent part of Mexico's state–labour regime. This examination of the Court's decisions shows how judge-made law contributed to the evolution of industrial relations in the country in the early 1920s. Furthermore, the article's discussion of the connection between the Court's evolving case law and its changing membership in this period indicates how its legal decisions were sensitive to political changes. This presents an early instance of the more recent trend toward the judicialisation of politics in Latin America.
Plenary Lecture 1 Dietary strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity
Authors: Rolls Barbara J.
Published: December 2009

Obesity is a rapidly-growing public health problem that is related in part to the foods available in the eating environment. Properties of foods such as portion size and energy density (kJ/g) have robust effects on energy intake; large portions of energy-dense foods promote excess consumption and this effect starts in early childhood. Studies show, however, that in both adults and children these food characteristics can also be used strategically to moderate energy intake, as well as to improve diet quality. Dietary energy density can be reduced by increasing intake of water-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits. Their high water content allows individuals to eat satisfying portions of food while decreasing energy intake. Filling up at the start of a meal with vegetables or fruit and increasing the proportion of vegetables in a main course have been found to control hunger and moderate energy intake. Data from several clinical trials have also demonstrated that reducing dietary energy density by the addition of water-rich foods is associated with substantial weight loss even though participants eat greater amounts of food. Population-based assessments indicate that beginning in childhood there is a relationship between consuming large portions of energy-dense foods and obesity. These data suggest that the promotion of diets that are reduced in energy density should be an important component of future efforts to both prevent and treat obesity.
Symposium 1: Overnutrition: consequences and solutions Foresight Report: the obesity challenge ahead
Authors: Kopelman Peter
Published: December 2009

Successfully tackling obesity is a long-term commitment. Current levels of obesity in the population have been ≥30 years in the making. Not only will this position take time to reverse but there will be a considerable time lag before health and economic benefits are achieved through reductions in the morbidity from obesity-related diseases. There is clear evidence that policies aimed only at individuals will be inadequate and that increasing small-scale interventions will not suffice. Major action to prevent excess weight gain at a population level is required. The Foresight Report has confirmed that a ‘whole system’ approach is critical. This approach will require a broad portfolio of integrated policy responses including both national and local measures. This strategy requires action by government, both central and local, industry and communities and by families and the societies in which they live.
Postgraduate Symposium The MTHFR C677T polymorphism, B-vitamins and blood pressure
Authors: Wilson C. P. , McNulty H. , Scott J. M. , Strain J. J. , Ward M.
Published: December 2009

High blood pressure (BP) and elevated homocysteine are reported as independent risk factors for CVD and stroke in particular. The main genetic determinant of homocysteine concentrations is homozygosity (TT genotype) for the C677T polymorphism in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, typically found in approximately 10% of Western populations. The B-vitamins folate, vitamin B12and vitamin B6are the main nutritional determinants of homocysteine, with riboflavin more recently identified as a potent modulator specifically in individuals with the TT genotype. Although observational studies have reported associations between homocysteine and BP, B-vitamin intervention studies have shown little or no BP response despite decreases in homocysteine. Such studies, however, have not considered the MTHFR C677T polymorphism, which has been shown to be associated with BP. It has been shown for the first time that riboflavin is an important determinant of BP specifically in individuals with the TT genotype. Research generally suggests that 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring provides a more accurate measure of BP than casual measurements and its use in future studies may also provide important insights into the relationship between the MTHFR polymorphism and BP. Further research is also required to investigate the association between specific B-vitamins and BP in individuals with different MTHFR genotypes in order to confirm whether any genetic predisposition to hypertension is correctable by B-vitamin intervention. The present review will investigate the evidence linking the MTHFR C677T polymorphism to BP and the potential modulating role of B-vitamins.
Session 1: Public health nutrition Physical activity prescription for public health
Authors: Murphy Marie H. , McNeilly Andrea M. , Murtagh Elaine M.
Published: December 2009

The increased prevalence of CVD deaths in the past 60 years is a result in considerable part of the influence of environmental and lifestyle changes, including decreased daily energy expenditure through physical exertion. Physical activity prescription has therefore become an important public health issue. Exercise guidelines have evolved considerably since their first publication by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in 1978. Guidelines initially focused on moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise to develop and maintain cardiorespiratory fitness. However, in the face of escalating physical inactivity, public health agencies sought to develop an exercise prescription more palatable to the sedentary majority and in 1995 recommended the accumulation of 30 min moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week. The unexpected result of this message was that some individuals believed that vigorous exercise was not necessary, whilst others believed that low levels of physical activity were sufficient. In 2008 the ACSM and the American Heart Association sought to clarify this position and published an updated recommendation in which: the beneficial role of vigorous-intensity exercise is explicitly stated; adults are encouraged to combine moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise to meet the minimum recommendation of moderate-intensity physical activity for a 30 min on 5 d/week or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for 20 min on 3 d/week; the dose–response relationship between physical activity and health is reinforced. The immense challenge for public health professionals now lies in encouraging the sedentary population to adopt a more active lifestyle.
The squaring operation on -generators of the Dickson algebra.
Authors: HƯNG NGUYỄN H. V. , QUỲNH VÕ T. N.
Published: December 2009

We study the squaring operation Sq0 on the dual of the minimal -generators of the Dickson algebra. We show that this squaring operation is isomorphic on its image. We also give vanishing results for this operation in some cases. As a consequence, we prove that the Lannes–Zarati homomorphism vanishes (1) on every element in any finite Sq0-family in $Ext_{\cala}^*(\Fd, \Fd)$ except possibly the family initial element, and (2) on almost all known elements in the Ext group. This verifies a part of the algebraic version of the classical conjecture on spherical classes.
Epilogue: Anxieties About Culture and Tradition—Property as Reification
Authors: Busse Mark
Published: December 2009

The articles in this special issue on intellectual property in the Pacific document anxieties about culture and tradition, and about the intrusion of ideas of property into previously uncommodified areas of peoples' lives. These include fears that traditional knowledge and skills are not being passed on to young people (Nason and Peter; Pigliasco); that migrants in a globalized world will take aspects of culture with them when they leave (Nason and Peter); that anthropologists and other scholars will wrongfully appropriate and use aspects of the cultures they study for their own benefit (Van Meijl); and that profits from the commercialization of traditional knowledge, practices, and products will not go to the people who consider themselves their owners and caretakers (Lindstrom). In addition, Jo Recht's contribution provides a discussion of attempts to protect culture and tradition through international conventions and national laws. Finally, Andrew Moutu and Michael Goldsmith describe claims of ownership over aspects of nature to reflect on fundamental aspects of intellectual property and ownership more generally.
Who Owns Native Nature? Discourses of Rights to Land, Culture, and Knowledge in New Zealand
Authors: Goldsmith Michael
Published: December 2009

Michael Brown famously asked ‘Who owns native culture?’ This paper revisits that question by analyzing what happens to culture when the culturally defined boundary between it and nature becomes salient in the context of disputes between indigenous and settler populations. My case study is the dispute between the New Zealand government and Maori tribal groupings concerning ownership of the foreshore and seabed. Having been granted the right to test their claims in court in 2003, Maori groups were enraged when the government legislated the right out of existence in 2004. Though the reasons for doing so were clearly political, contrasting cultural assumptions appeared to set Maori and Pakeha (New Zealanders of European origin) at odds. While couching ownership of part of nature as an IPR issue may seem counter-intuitive, I argue that as soon as a property claim destabilizes the nature/culture boundary, IPR discourse becomes pertinent.
The Dialectic of Creativity and Ownership in Intellectual Property Discourse
Authors: Moutu Andrew
Published: December 2009

Ownership is often understood merely as a function of social relations, that is, it emerges merely because of the relations between people with respect to the things that they own. Concomitantly ownership is also seen as being dependent upon creativity to bring its force into motion. Far from dismissing such a view of ownership, it is acknowledged that such a view possibly comes from a world that is preoccupied with creativity. This discussion aims to show a particular kind of dialectic between creativity and ownership that underlies discourses about intellectual property especially in countries like Papua New Guinea. Through an ethnographic concern with personal names and their attendant claims to ownership and creativity, this paper aims to show how two trajectories of ownership co-exist in a Papua New Guinea society.
Māori Intellectual Property Rights and the Formation of Ethnic Boundaries
Authors: van Meijl Toon
Published: December 2009

This article questions and contextualizes the emergence of a discourse of intellectual property rights in Māori society. It is argued that Māori claims regarding intellectual property function primarily to demarcate ethnic boundaries between Māori and non-Māori. Māori consider the reinforcement of ethnic boundaries necessary since they experience their society and distinctive way of life as endangered both by the foreign consumption or misappropriation of aspects of their authentic cultural forms and by the intrusion of foreign cultural elements. Following Simon Harrison (1999) it is argued that the first threat is often represented as an undesired form of cultural appropriation, piracy or theft, while the second threat is viewed as a form of cultural pollution. This argument is elaborated with a case-study of each so-called danger, namely a claim regarding native flora and fauna submitted to the Waitangi Tribunal, which is considered as an example of resistance against cultural appropriation, and the increasing hostility of Māori to foreign interest and research in Māori culture and society, which is analysed as an example of opposition to putative pollution.
A prospective study of eating away-from-home meals and weight gain in a Mediterranean population: the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) cohort
Authors: Bes-Rastrollo Maira , Basterra-Gortari Francisco Javier , Sánchez-Villegas Almudena , Marti Amelia , Martínez José Alfredo , Martínez-González Miguel Angel
Published: December 2009

Objective

The traditional Mediterranean food pattern is more easily preserved when meals are eaten at home; however, as a result of recent socio-economic changes, away-from-home meal consumption has increased rapidly in Mediterranean countries. Little research has been conducted so far to investigate the long-term health effects of these changes in the Mediterranean area.

Design

In a prospective Spanish dynamic cohort of 9182 university graduates (the SUN Study; Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra Follow-up) with a mean age of 37 years, followed up for an average of 4·4 years, we assessed the association between the frequency of eating out of home and weight gain or incident overweight/obesity. Dietary habits were assessed with an FFQ previously validated in Spain.

Results

During follow-up, eating-out consumers (two times or more per week) had higher average adjusted weight gain (+129 g/year, P < 0·001) and higher adjusted risk of gaining 2 kg or more per year (OR = 1·36; 95 % CI 1·13, 1·63) than non-eating-out consumers. Among participants with baseline BMI < 25 kg/m2, we observed 855 new cases of overweight/obesity. Eating away-from-home meals was significantly associated with a higher risk of becoming overweight/obese (hazard ratio = 1·33; 95 % CI 1·13, 1·57).

Conclusions

A higher frequency of meals eaten out of home may play a role in the current obesity epidemic observed in some Mediterranean countries.
Television, Power, and the Public in Russia. By Ellen Mickiewicz. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 220p. $81.00 cloth, $29.99 paper.
Authors: Bennett W. Lance
Published: December 2009

This book opens and closes with the puzzle of how Russian rulers can control, distort, and bend the news to their own ends without worrying about how the audience receives it. On its first page, Ellen Mickiewicz asks: “[W]ouldn't these political leaders want anxiously to know what viewers make of the news?” And on its last page (p. 206) we are told that “political leaders and broadcasters persist in imagining an undifferentiated, unsophisticated mass on the other side of the screen.” While there is no direct evidence in the rest of the book to indicate that leaders do not know what to make of their audience, or that they assume it to be an undifferentiated, unsophisticated mass, these assumptions set up an interesting look at what audiences actually make of television news in Russia.
Response to Ellen Mickiewicz's review of When the Press Fails: Political Power and the News Media from Iraq to Katrina
Authors: Bennett W. Lance
Published: December 2009

Ellen Mickiewicz has done an excellent job of presenting the key elements of our argument and empirical analysis about why the mainstream press proved incapable of independent news framing at critical junctures in the Iraq War. She then raises a series of excellent broader questions: What about the responsibility of government institutions to hold those in power accountable? What about the independent force of public opinion? Were earlier administrations as able to spin the press as successfully as the Bush administration? Each of these questions might well fuel a book. I can only address them briefly in this response.
The Cartel Party Thesis: A Restatement
Authors: Katz Richard S. , Mair Peter
Published: December 2009

We restate and clarify the idea of the “cartel party,” a concept that has found considerable traction in studies of parties throughout the democratic world, including those far from the original research site and data on which the cartel model was based. The cartel party thesis holds that political parties increasingly function like cartels, employing the resources of the state to limit political competition and ensure their own electoral success. The thesis has been subject to varied empirical testing and to substantial theoretical evaluation and criticism. Against this background, we look again at the cartel party thesis in order to clarify ambiguities in and misinterpretations of the original argument. We also suggest further refinements, specifications and extensions of the argument. Following a background review of the original thesis, we break it down into its core components, and then clarify the terms in which it makes sense to speak of cartelization and collusion. We then go on to explore some of the implications of the thesis for our understanding of contemporary democracies and patterns of party organization and party competition and we identify a possible agenda for future research in party scholarship.
Should We Elect the US Supreme Court?
Authors: Zeisberg Mariah
Published: December 2009

Extensive political science research reveals that the decisions of the US Supreme Court are deeply political. And both advocates and critics of judicial elections concede that partisan elections are a democratic method of judicial selection. Does the value of democratic representation mean that US Supreme Court Justices should be selected through partisan elections? I argue not. Partisan judicial elections are actually far poorer institutional mechanisms for capturing the judgment of the people on legal matters than has been recognized. The role of parties in structuring a campaign distorts the deliberative environment surrounding judicial elections, creating significant barriers to voters expressing a judgment on matters of legal meaning. The kind of distortion is best understood through reference to aprocessualcriterion of deliberative democracy, which provides a fitting normative template to ground theoretical inquiry into the reason-giving possibilities of existing democratic institutions and practices. Hence, answering why the US Supreme Court should not be elected on democratic grounds also reveals new insights about the role of parties in sustaining (or subverting) deliberative democratic ideals.
Democracy and Judicial Review: Are They Really Incompatible?
Authors: Lever Annabelle
Published: December 2009

This article shows that judicial review has a democratic justification, although it is not necessary for democratic government and its virtues are controversial and often speculative. Against critics like Waldron and Bellamy, it shows that judges, no less than legislators, can embody democratic forms of representation, accountability and participation. Hence, judicial review is not undemocratic simply because it enables unelected judges to over-rule elected legislators when people disagree about rights. Against recent defenders of judicial review, such as Eisgruber and Brettschneider, it shows that democratic arguments for judicial review do not require judges to be better at protecting rights than legislators. Hence a democratic justification for judicial review does not depend on complex and inevitably controversial interpretations and evaluations of judicial as opposed to legislative judgments. Democratic government does not demand special virtue, competence or wisdom in its citizens or their leaders. From a democratic perspective, therefore, the case for judicial review is that it enables individuals to vindicate their rights against government in ways that parallel those they commonly use against each other. This makes judicial review normatively attractive whether or not it leads to better decisions than would be made by other means.
Lockean Switching: Imagination and the Production of Principles of Toleration
Authors: Liebell Susan P.
Published: December 2009

John Locke'sA Letter Concerning Tolerationintroduces an early form of John Rawls's “original position” in order to shift the rhetorical ground in seventeenth-century England in favor of religious toleration. His method, which I call “Lockean switching,” seeks to induce readers to switch perspectives on the question of coercion of religious belief. This method yields three insights. First, although liberals typically assume that group identification stimulates passions beyond our ability to reason, Lockean switching reveals that the emotive qualities of group interest can actually help reinforce our commitment to and understanding of liberal principles. Locke thus insists that imagination and emotional response canencouragereason and increase impartiality. Locke's carefully crafted scenarios force readers to consider hard political questions, something underscored by comparing Locke's rhetorical strategies with those of two other important liberals, Montesquieu and Rawls. Second, Locke's invocation of remote “outsiders” such as Jews and pagans humanizes the hated minorities of his time and place. But it also risks reifying the majority group and inflaming prejudice. Finally, Lockean switching reminds us that liberals must be alert to the dangers of pushing readers to accept principles that are reasonable but impossible to implement. By exploring Locke's method of shifting perspectives, and connecting it to a broader liberal tradition of “switching,” I argue that contemporary liberals can use imagination and group identification to help reinforce the commitment of individuals and groups to liberal principles with which they might not otherwise identify. I conclude by illustrating this with regard to controversies surrounding the toleration of gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals in the US.
The Electoral College after Census 2010 and 2020: The Political Impact of Population Growth and Redistribution
Authors: Burmila Edward M.
Published: December 2009

The combined effects of an aging population, domestic migration, and the geographically heterogeneous effects of foreign immigration are producing politically significant changes in the distribution of the American population. Using statistical projections of state populations in the 2010 and 2020 US Censuses combined with statewide estimates of the normal vote based on the last five presidential elections (1992–2008), I show that by 2024 Republican presidential candidates will receive a net benefit of at least eight electoral votes due to the declining population of the Northeast and upper Midwest relative to the rapidly-growing Sun Belt. Democratic presidential candidates will find it increasingly difficult to win elections without having some success in the South and Southwest as Barack Obama did in 2008 but many previous candidates failed to do. While migration will also benefit some solid Democratic states such as California, on balance Republican presidential candidates are poised to benefit from the status of Sun Belt states as magnets for both foreign immigration and domestic migration from a retirement cohort of unprecedented size.
Apportionment Matters: Fair Representation in the US House and Electoral College
Authors: Gaines Brian J. , Jenkins Jeffery A.
Published: December 2009

The 2000 presidential election made various electoral institutions—from ballot format to voting mechanisms—suddenly prominent in public debate. One institution that garnered little attention, but nonetheless affected the outcome, was apportionment. A few commentators, looking ahead to 2004, noticed that Bush would have won more comfortably had the apportionment based on the 2000 census already been in place for the 2000 election. Little attention, however, was paid to the method by which 1990 census data were used to generate the 1992–2000 apportionment, even though there are many ways to perform that allocation, the United States has used different methods over its history, and the precise algorithm turned out, in this instance, to matter. More generally, previous discussions of apportionment methods have neglected the point that allocation to states of US House seats simultaneously determines Electoral College weights. Since the Electoral College has built-in biases favoring small states, an apportionment method that partially offsets this bias might be justifiable. We revisit some criteria by which one might prefer one apportionment rule to another, in light of this double duty.
The Politics of the Death Penalty
Authors: Shapiro Robert Y.
Published: December 2009

This is one of the most interesting books I have read on the mass media, public opinion, and policymaking. Capital punishment is an important and compelling issue in its own right, which makes the first part of the book a great read, devoid of technical detail and filled with stunning descriptions of specific cases. Moreover, the rise and staying power of the idea of innocence—that innocent people sit on death row and may be executed—is clear. There continues to be a stream of news stories and commentaries about convicted murderers making plausible appeals for DNA tests that may set them free. While the overturning of murder convictions based in new evidence or faulty defenses preceded the use of DNA testing, this testing became important since it could confirm guilt or prove innocence.
The Politics of the Death Penalty
Authors: Gottschalk Marie
Published: December 2009

The death penalty is declining in the United States. The number of people executed each year has fallen by about half since the late 1990s. Opinion polls show support for capital punishment is waning. It now stands at about two-thirds, down from a high point of 86% in 1995, according to Gallup polls (p. 173).
The Politics of the Death Penalty
Authors: Sarat Austin
Published: December 2009

What seemed unimaginable a decade ago, namely, the abolition of the death penalty in the United States, today seems well within the horizon of possibility. Indeed, supporters of capital punishment now seem to be very much on the defensive. To take but one example, in April 2005, then Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney filed a long-awaited bill to reinstate the death penalty in his state. The bill, which Romney called “a model for the nation” and the “gold standard” for capital punishment legislation, was remarkable for its hesitations and qualifications. Thus, it limited death eligibility to a narrow set of crimes, including deadly acts of terrorism, killing sprees, murders involving torture, and the killing of law enforcement authorities. It excluded entire categories of crimes that many believe also warrant the death penalty, including the murders of children and the rape-murders of women. It also laid out a set of hurdles for meting out capital punishment sentences, in an effort to neutralize the kind of problems that have led to dozens of death row exonerations across the nation in recent years. The measure called for verifiable scientific evidence, such as DNA, to be required before a defendant can be sentenced to death, and a tougher standard of “no doubt” of guilt (rather than the typical “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt” standard) for juries to sentence defendants to death. The limited nature of Romney's bill, which nonetheless ultimately was defeated in the Massachusetts legislature, provides one vivid sign that the tide has turned in the national conversation about capital punishment.
Measuring the Quality of Life in the U.S.: Political Reflections
Authors: Hacker Jacob
Published: December 2009

Reports from abroad on the American condition have a special place in the canon of social commentary. There is Lord Bryce's American Commonwealth (1888), Gunnar Myrdal's American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy (1944), Werner Sombart's Why Is There No Socialism in the United States? (1906) and, of course—the standard setter—Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America in 1835. What makes these works touchstones is not just the quality of the analysis or the fame of their authors but the privileged status they have come to enjoy as works of external reflection and criticism. For a people prone to ignore the rest of the world or see abroad only a mirror image of themselves, Americans have always had a surprisingly soft spot for the foreign observer willing to discourse on what makes their nation unique.
Measuring the Quality of Life in the U.S.: Political Reflections
Authors: Stone Deborah
Published: December 2009

In Charles Dickens's novel about capitalism run amok, a teacher asks: “Now, this schoolroom is a Nation. And in this nation, there are fifty millions of money. Isn't this a prosperous nation? Girl number twenty, isn't this a prosperous nation, and an't you in a thriving state?” “Girl number twenty” (the teacher doesn't dignify the pupils with names) later confides to a friend how she got it all wrong: “I said I didn't know. I thought I couldn't know whether it was a prosperous nation or not, and whether I was in a thriving state or not, unless I knew who had got the money, and whether any of it was mine. But that had nothing to do with it. It was not in the figures at all” (Hard Times [1854] 1997, 64).
Measuring the Quality of Life in the U.S.: Political Reflections
Authors: Mead Lawrence M.
Published: December 2009

The economist Amartya Sen has said that world development ought to focus on the capabilities that people achieve, and not simply on aggregate economic indicators. In that spirit, the United Nations since 1990 has published several Human Development (HD) reports that assess nations in terms of health and education conditions, as well as income or wealth. Many countries have assessed their own HD. InThe Measure of America,Sarah Burd-Sharps, Kristen Lewis, and Eduardo Borges Martins apply this approach to the United States. They describe variation in health, education, and income conditions across American states, congressional districts, and social groups.