bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Researching the Links between Education and Well‐being
Authors: DESJARDINS RICHARD
Published: January 2008

This article focuses on some of the conceptual and empirical issues relating to the links between education and well‐being. Recent research has made progress in this area, despite the complexity and the limitations of available measurements and other observations. The first part discusses the ill‐defined nature of education and the negative implications this has on research and policy. The second part outlines some of the major relationships that are being explored around the theme of education and well‐being. This is not exhaustive but provides an overview of distinct theoretical explanations for the potential causal links. Reference is made to available evidence so as to provide an overview of what is known empirically about some of these possible explanations. The third section discusses some of the empirical limitations and challenges to building up a robust evidence base in this area.
Understanding Individual Patterns of Learning: implications for the well‐being of students
Authors: O'TOOLE LINDA
Published: January 2008

This article analyses the link between learning and well‐being from the perspective that it is important to take into account the individual patterns of how young people learn and to encourage ways in which they can learn how they learn. Consideration is first given to recent insights and research in education and the cognitive and natural sciences that offer possibilities for new ways of thinking about learning and ‘learning how to learn’. Using these trends as a background to her own 30 years of action research, the author offers a simple proposal: even very young children can explore their own unique learning processes. Building this capacity for exploration and encouraging the ongoing engagement in this activity are presented as vital to how well‐being, and well‐becoming are perceived by the learner. An approach that focuses on exploring individual processes of learning is introduced and the conditions for using it are discussed, including the role of teachers and parents in helping children bring forth their needs for learning in specific ways. Implications of this approach for classroom management and teacher training are also considered.
Brain Research, Learning and Emotions: implications for education research, policy and practice1
Authors: HINTON CHRISTINA , MIYAMOTO KOJI , DELLA‐CHIESA BRUNO
Published: January 2008

Recent advancements in neuroscience heighten its relevance to education. Newly developed imaging technologies enable scientists to peer into the working brain for the first time, providing powerful insights into how we learn. Research reveals that the brain is not a stable and isolated entity, but a dynamic system that is keenly responsive to experience. This work underscores the crucial role of education in shaping the brain's abilities. Brain research provides scientific evidence that emotion is fundamental to learning. Neuroscience also gives insights into how we learn language, literacy and mathematics that can inform the design of the national/state curriculum and teacher training.
Developing Instruments to Capture Young People's Perceptions of how School as a Learning Environment Affects their Well‐Being
Authors: AWARTANI MARWAN , WHITMAN CHERYL VINCE , GORDON JEAN
Published: January 2008

This article describes the Universal Education Foundation's (UEF) activities to create research tools and methodologies that capture the voices of children concerning their perceptions of the effect of the school learning environment on their well‐being. UEF defines well‐being as the realisation of one's physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual potential. The Voice of Children (VOC) toolkit includes a survey and techniques to conduct focus groups as ways for young people to share their views. Young people participated in the development of the pilot instruments and, perhaps more importantly, they are involved as agents of change, presenting the findings through advocacy events to those who make decisions about policies and programmes that can have a positive impact on well‐being. While UEF will be examining the effects of many learning environments — school, information and communications technologies (ICT) and media, and health care settings — this article focuses on the school as one learning environment.

Methods to create Version One of the Voice of Children (VOC1) and preliminary findings from the initial pilot in Palestine are described. Steps taken to revise the instruments and create Version Two for Wales (VOC2) are discussed. UEF's definition of well‐being and its sub‐components, background research and theoretical framework, hypotheses and structure of the survey are reviewed. The overarching hypothesis is that learning environments — in this case the school — affect various aspects of young people's well‐being, both overall and in its sub‐components.
A Comparative Approach to Lifelong Learning Policies in Europe: the cases of the UK, Sweden and Greece
Authors: PROKOU ELENI
Published: January 2008

This article argues that, despite globalisation forces, national education and training systems have kept their particularities. Policies of convergence, enhanced by supranational organisations such as the European Commission, have not yet led to a homogenisation of national education and training systems. The latter are still influenced by the political, economic and social framework. Thus, no single model of lifelong learning prevailed in Europe. There were countries close to the demand‐led model of ‘voluntary partnership’ (e.g. UK), countries representative of the ‘formalised social partnership’ model (e.g. Sweden) and countries adhering to the ‘statist’ model (e.g. Greece).
SOME PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING
Authors: Caliendo Marco , Kopeinig Sabine
Published: January 2008

Abstract Propensity score matching (PSM) has become a popular approach to estimate causal treatment effects. It is widely applied when evaluating labour market policies, but empirical examples can be found in very diverse fields of study. Once the researcher has decided to use PSM, he is confronted with a lot of questions regarding its implementation. To begin with, a first decision has to be made concerning the estimation of the propensity score. Following that one has to decide which matching algorithm to choose and determine the region of common support. Subsequently, the matching quality has to be assessed and treatment effects and their standard errors have to be estimated. Furthermore, questions like ‘what to do if there is choice‐based sampling?’ or ‘when to measure effects?’ can be important in empirical studies. Finally, one might also want to test the sensitivity of estimated treatment effects with respect to unobserved heterogeneity or failure of the common support condition. Each implementation step involves a lot of decisions and different approaches can be thought of. The aim of this paper is to discuss these implementation issues and give some guidance to researchers who want to use PSM for evaluation purposes.
ECONOMETRIC TESTS OF ASSET PRICE BUBBLES: TAKING STOCK*
Authors: Gürkaynak Refet S.
Published: January 2008

Abstract Can asset price bubbles be detected? This survey of econometric tests of asset price bubbles shows that, despite recent advances, econometric detection of asset price bubbles cannot be achieved with a satisfactory degree of certainty. For each paper that finds evidence of bubbles, there is another one that fits the data equally well without allowing for a bubble. We are still unable to distinguish bubbles from time‐varying or regime‐switching fundamentals, while many small sample econometrics problems of bubble tests remain unresolved.
A SURVEY OF THE EFFECTS OF THE MINIMUM WAGE ON PRICES
Authors: Lemos Sara
Published: January 2008

Abstract It is well established in the literature that minimum wage increases compress the wage distribution. Firms respond to these higher labour costs by reducing employment, reducing profits, or raising prices. While there are hundreds of studies on the employment effect of the minimum wage, there are merely a handful of studies on its profit effects, and only a couple of dozen studies on its price effects. Furthermore, a comprehensive survey on minimum wage price effects is not available in the literature. Given the policy relevance of this neglected issue, in this paper we summarize and critically compare the available evidence on the effects of minimum wages on prices.
Taking stock as theories of word learning take shape
Authors: Booth Amy E. , Waxman Sandra R.
Published: January 2008

In this paper we consider the perceptual and conceptual contributions that shape early word learning, using research on theshape biasas a case in point. In our view, conceptual, linguistic, social‐pragmatic, and perceptual sources of information influence one another powerfully and continuously in the service of word learning throughout infancy and early childhood. We articulate several key points of convergence and divergence between our theoretical perspective and that of the attentional learning account. Finally, we consider the broader implications of this debate for clarifying the forces that constrain development.
Knowledge embedded in process: the self‐organization of skilled noun learning
Authors: Colunga Eliana , Smith Linda B.
Published: January 2008

Young children's skilled generalization of newly learned nouns to new instances has become the battleground for two very different approaches to cognition. This debate is a proxy for a larger dispute in cognitive science and cognitive development: cognition as rule‐like amodal propositions, on the one hand, or as embodied, modal, and dynamic processes on the other. After a brief consideration of this theoretical backdrop, we turn to the specific task set before us: an overview of the Attentional Learning Account (ALA) of children's novel noun generalizations, the constrained set of experimental results to be explained, and our explanation of them. We conclude with a consideration of what all of this implies for a theory of cognitive development.
How Reliable Are Hog Futures as Forecasts?
Authors: Carter Colin A. , Mohapatra Sandeep
Published: January 2008

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures contract was revamped in 1997 and it is one of the largest futures markets for a nonstorable commodity. The literature is divided on whether or not futures prices for nonstorables provide reliable forecasts of cash prices. We find that from 1998 to 2004, the hog futures market was an unbiased predictor of cash prices.
Spatial Dynamics of Water and Nitrogen Management in Irrigated Agriculture
Authors: Knapp Keith C. , Schwabe Kurt A.
Published: January 2008

Dynamic optimization of crop production with nonuniform irrigation and nitrogen carryover and leaching is considered. A production function system with thresholds, plateau maximum, and yield reduction is estimated from experimental data; rapid convergence to a steady‐state is observed. Spatial variability implies a 40% increase in applied water and a six‐fold increase in nitrate emissions, while dynamic optimization has more modest impacts. Nitrate emission control is accomplished primarily through reduced applied water, illustrating a strong cross‐policy effect. Significant levels of water conservation and nitrate pollution control are achieved at relatively low cost with traditional irrigation systems and baseline conditions.
Does Participation in the Food Stamp Program Increase the Prevalence of Obesity and Health Care Spending?
Authors: Meyerhoefer Chad D. , Pylypchuk Yuriy
Published: January 2008

We use panel data techniques and information on state‐level Food Stamp Program characteristics to obtain unbiased estimates of the impact of Food Stamp Program participation on weight status and health care spending among nonelderly adults. Our results suggest that program participation by women leads to a 5.9% (p = 0.07) increase in their likelihood of overweight and obesity, which is smaller than previous estimates, and to higher medical expenditures. The direct effect of program participation on medical spending through higher discretionary income is significantly larger than the indirect effect through changes in weight status.
The Impact of Regulations on Agricultural Trade: Evidence from the SPS and TBT Agreements
Authors: Disdier Anne-Célia , Fontagné Lionel , Mimouni Mondher
Published: January 2008

According to World Trade Organization rules, countries may adopt regulations under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phyto‐Sanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). We analyze the structure of these measures in agricultural trade. The inventory approach suggests that European countries have among the lowest coverage ratios of all OECD countries. Using a gravity equation, we also estimate their stringency. Our results suggest that they significantly reduce developing countries' exports to OECD countries, but do not affect trade between OECD members. Furthermore, European imports are more negatively influenced by SPS and TBTs than imports of other OECD countries.
A Comparison of the Economic Well‐Being of Farm and Nonfarm Households
Authors: Katchova Ani L.
Published: January 2008

This study compares the economic well‐being of farm and nonfarm households using data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey and the Survey of Consumer Finances. Comparisons are made in terms of income and wealth using parametric and nonparametric tests, regression analyses, and inequality measures. The results show that the economic well‐being of households differs based on their degree of involvement in business activities and their life‐cycle stages. The main conclusion is that the income of rural residence and intermediate farms is comparable to that of wage‐earning nonfarm households, while commercial farms are similar in well‐being to nonfarm households with businesses.
Agro‐Manufactured Export Prices, Wages and Unemployment
Authors: Porto Guido G.
Published: January 2008

This article estimates the impacts of world agricultural trade liberalization on wages and unemployment in Argentina in the presence of individual labor supply responses and adjustment costs in labor demand. After a 10% increase in agro‐manufactured export prices, I find that: (a) the employment probability would increase by 1.36 percentage points, matched by a decline in the unemployment probability of 0.75 percentage points and an increase in labor market participation of 0.61 percentage points; (b) the unemployment rate would decline by 1.23 percentage points; (c) expected wages would increase by 10.3%, mostly due to higher employment probabilities.
Homogeneity and Supply
Authors: LaFrance Jeffrey T. , Pope Rulon D.
Published: January 2008

Supply functions in the ubiquitous Gorman class are examined for their homogeneity properties. Homogeneity places surprisingly strong restrictions on functional forms. These forms facilitate testing of aggregability given homogeneity or homogeneity given aggregability or testing both.
WHICH NATURALISM FOR BIOETHICS? A DEFENSE OF MODERATE (PRAGMATIC) NATURALISM
Authors: RACINE ERIC
Published: January 2008

There is a growing interest in various forms of naturalism in bioethics, but there is a clear need for further clarification. In an effort to address this situation, I present three epistemological stances: anti‐naturalism, strong naturalism, and moderate pragmatic naturalism. I argue that the dominant paradigm within philosophical ethics has been a form of anti‐naturalism mainly supported by a strong ‘is’ and ‘ought’ distinction. This fundamental epistemological commitment has contributed to the estrangement of academic philosophical ethics from major social problems and explains partially why, in the early 1980s, ‘medicine saved the life of ethics’. Rejection of anti‐naturalism, however, is often associated with strong forms of naturalism that commit the naturalistic fallacy and threaten to reduce the normative dimensions of ethics to biological imperatives. This move is rightly dismissed as a pitfall since ethics is, in part, a struggle against the course of nature. Rejection of naturalism has drawbacks, however, such as detering bioethicists from acknowledging the implicit naturalistic epistemological commitments of bioethics. I argue that a moderate pragmatic form of naturalism represents an epistemological position that best embraces the tension of anti‐naturalism and strong naturalism: bioethics is neither disconnected from empirical knowledge nor subjugated to it. The discussion is based upon historical writings in philosophy and bioethics.
Examining the Antecedents and Consequences of Corporate Reputation: A Customer Perspective
Authors: Walsh Gianfranco , Mitchell Vincent‐Wayne , Jackson Paul R. , Beatty Sharon E.
Published: January 2008

This paper extends previous work to examine the antecedents and customer‐related consequences of corporate reputation for one important stakeholder group, customers, and within a special service sector where product and corporate associations are synonymous. We begin by linking the concept of corporate reputation to related concepts. Then, using structural equation modelling on customer survey data (n=511), we examine the impact of customer satisfaction and trust on corporate reputation, as well as how corporate reputation affects customer loyalty and word of mouth behaviour. The management implications of these results are discussed.
Liberal Justifications for Local Government in Britain: The Triumph of Expediency over Ethics
Authors: Chandler James A.
Published: January 2008

It is shown in this article how theories justifying local government in Britain are largely based on the expedience of providing administrative efficiency or stable democracy for the central state rather than ethical grounds that justify local government as an independent entity in its own right. The article critically reviews the development of theories justifying local government within Britain and argues that it is possible on the basis of Mill's arguments within On Liberty to establish a strong ethical justification for local government. It is shown how Mill did not develop this line of thought but established substantive arguments concerning the value of local government for securing a stable liberal democracy and how successive mainstream theorists have modified but not substantially departed from this approach.
Controlling Regulatory Agencies
Authors: Lægreid Per , Roness Paul G. , Rubecksen Kristin
Published: January 2008

This article describes the regulatory agencies in Norway as part of the population of state agencies by focusing on who controls and what is controlled and how. The authors analyze whether regulatory agencies are regulated and controlled to different degrees, by different external actors, and in different ways than other agencies, and on whether this control focuses on different aspects. They also examine whether the variation in regulation and control according to type of agency task is sustained if one controls for structural and cultural features. The empirical basis is a broad survey of Norwegian state agencies carried out in 2004, and the theoretical approaches embrace a task‐specific, a structural‐instrumental and a cultural‐institutional perspective. The authors find that regulatory tasks represent a major activity for state agencies in Norway and that external control by both the executive and the legislative bodies of agencies is rather significant. Moreover, in contrast to what one would expect, given current regulatory orthodoxy, regulatory agencies are controlled to a larger extent than other agencies.
The Puzzling Lack of a Social Dilemma
Authors: Hinnfors Jonas
Published: January 2008

Among theories dealing with welfare state policy development, theories of social dilemmas and of key actor‐group influence over government policy formation are increasingly holding sway. These theories emphasise that few would risk being unilateral contributors to the systems without any compensating elements. Thus, selective, means‐testing systems or stingy universal systems in which some citizens ‘contribute’ while others ‘receive’ may risk being regarded as unfair in the eyes of the contributors in spite of the redistributive intentions. The degree of welfare state programme ‘fairness’ and reciprocity would, then, explain the degree of support for the welfare state. However, by using data from the United Kingdom and Sweden, this article will, first, claim that the social dilemma research turns a blind eye to the fact that public opinion in general as well as key groups appears to be able to yield its support even when welfare states contain distinctly selective elements and low‐compensation universal programmes. Second, the article will elaborate on the confusion surrounding welfare state taxonomies as one plausible reason for why social dilemma theories may risk missing the target. Finally, the article will elaborate on the future of the welfare state as we know it. The main points are that given the fact that the welfare states in the two countries really already are conglomerates of different types of welfare programmes and, given a weak relationship between key groups and policy formation, the most likely future for the welfare state is that policies will continue to follow mixed paths.
‘We Got to Figure it Out’: Information‐sharing and Siblings' Negotiations of Conflicts of Interests
Authors: Ram Avigail , Ross Hildy
Published: January 2008

Given the importance of mutual understanding for constructive conflict resolution, this study investigated the influence of information‐sharing on siblings faced with conflicts of interests. Thirty‐two sibling dyads (ages 4.5 to 8) participated. Siblings were asked to negotiate the division of five toys between themselves. Half of the pairs first shared information on which toys they wanted and why. Results indicated that information‐sharing increased children's knowledge of one another's interests, the likelihood of achieving maximally beneficial outcomes, and the involvement of younger siblings in problem‐solving.
Geographic Concentration and China's Agricultural Export Instability
Authors: Xin Xian , Liu Jing
Published: January 2008

This paper investigates the impacts of geographic concentration on China's agricultural export instability with a multiple‐region variance decomposition approach. The decomposition results suggest that China's agricultural export concentration into the Japanese market greatly lowers agricultural export instability, while concentration into the Hong Kong, South Korea, ASEAN, the US, and Russian Federation markets increases export instability. China's exports to the EU also lower its agricultural export instability. Further decomposition results indicate that the impacts of geographic concentration on different agricultural product export instabilities are different.
The Consequences of Globalisation: India's Software Industry and Cross‐border Labour Mobility1
Authors: Commander Simon , Chanda Rupa , Kangasniemi Mari , Winters L. Alan
Published: January 2008

The Indian software industry is a prime example of globalisation. The industry has been characterised by large cross‐border mobility of its skilled labour force. Using a unique survey of Indian software firms, our paper quantifies the extent and impact of mobility on firm behaviour and performance. Cross‐border labour mobility in the paper refers to both temporary and permanent labour flows by Indian software professionals. The picture that emerges is of a highly mobile world in which temporary mobility has been an important characteristic of the industry. A significant number of workers have work experience abroad in a developed country. Moreover, the share of skilled workers with such experience has been positively associated with the incidence of skilled migration from the firm. This suggests network effects are at work. In terms of the impact on performance – as measured by the change in turnover per worker and the change in the employment size of the firm – the paper finds little evidence of a robust adverse effect. Further, the evidence suggests that there have been important external effects at work, as through changes in the willingness of workers to acquire skills, as well as through increased provision of educational services. These have further abated the risk of a brain drain. However, the software industry may be rather different from other industries. Our results need to be interpreted as the outcome of a particular case of skilled migration and not one necessarily representative of all types of skilled migration and source sectors.
Are ASEAN Countries Havens for Japanese Pollution‐Intensive Industry?
Authors: Elliott Robert J. R. , Shimamoto Kenichi
Published: January 2008

In an era of closer worldwide economic integration, the role that environmental regulations play in shaping a country's comparative advantage is greater than ever. This has led to fears that ‘dirty’ firms will relocate from developed to developing countries where environmental regulations may be less stringent – the so‐called pollution haven hypothesis. To date, however, there is little support for the existence of pollution havens despite anecdotal evidence and the theoretical predictions. In this paper we employ a unique industry‐level dataset for Japan and examine whether Japanese industries have relocated production to their ASEAN neighbours in response to the relative stringency of Japanese environmental regulations. Not only do we find no evidence for pollution‐haven‐consistent behaviour but also some indication that the complex relationship between the characteristics of Japanese dirty industries and environmental regulations may actually have reduced Japanese outward FDI to the Philippines.
The Journal of Public Economic Theory at Ten Years Old
Authors: CONLEY JOHN P. , WOODERS MYRNA
Published: January 2008

Thanks.
Strategy‐Proofness and the Tops‐Only Property
Authors: WEYMARK JOHN A.
Published: January 2008

A social choice function satisfies the tops‐only property if the chosen alternative only depends on each person's report of his most‐preferred alternatives on the range of this function. On many domains, strategy‐proofness implies the tops‐only property provided that the range of the social choice function satisfies some regularity condition. The existing proofs of this result are model specific. In this paper, a general proof strategy is proposed for showing that a strategy‐proof social choice function satisfies the tops‐only property when everyone has the same set of admissible preferences.
Redistribution and Provision of Public Goods in an Economic Federation
Authors: ARONSSON THOMAS , BLOMQUIST SÖREN
Published: January 2008

This paper concerns redistribution and public good provision in an economic federation with two levels of government: a local government in each locality and a (first mover) central government. Each locality is characterized by two ability‐types, and the ability‐distribution differs across localities. The central government redistributes via a nonlinear income tax and a lump‐sum transfer to each local government, while the local governments use proportional income taxes and provide local public goods. We show how the redistributive role of taxation is combined with a corrective role, and how the central government can implement the second best resource allocation.
Should We Tax Capital Income in the Short Run?
Authors: REINHORN LESLIE J.
Published: January 2008

In contrast to Shao (2005), we should tax capital income in the short run.
Indexicality and experience: Exploring the meanings of /aw/‐monophthongization in Pittsburgh1
Authors: Johnstone Barbara , Kiesling Scott F.
Published: January 2008

In this paper we test the hypothesis that monophthongal /aw/ is semiotically associated with local identity in Pittsburgh. We compare results of an experimental task that directly elicits participants' sense of the indexical value of /aw/‐monophthongization with the occurrence of this variant in the same people's speech. People who hear monophthongal /aw/ as an index of localness areunlikelyto have this feature in their own speech, and many of the people whodomonophthongize /aw/ do not associate this variant with localness. Exploring how four of these participants talk about this feature and its meanings, we show that the indexical meanings of speech features can vary widely within a community, and we illustrate the danger of confusing the meaning assigned by hearers to a linguistic form with the meaning users would assign to it. We suggest that a phenomenological approach, attending to the multiplicity and indeterminacy of indexical relations and to how such relations arise historically and in lived experience, can lead to a more nuanced account of the distribution of social meanings of variant forms than can studies of perception or production alone.
Sociological consciousness as a component of linguistic variation1
Authors: Dodsworth Robin
Published: January 2008

While practice theory has provided a valuable framework for establishing connections between individual‐level sociolinguistic variation and social structures,Bourdieu's (1977)formulation of practice theory has been argued to inadequately address subjectivity. The sociologistC. Wright Mills' (1959)concept of the sociological imagination – consciousness of links among personal experiences, social structures, and historical processes – is posited as a partial solution, as it offers a framework for modeling one aspect of subjectivity. Use of the sociological imagination concept is demonstrated through a quantitative acoustic analysis of /o/ fronting in Worthington, Ohio, a Columbus suburb confronting acute urban sprawl. The distribution of /o/ fronting across 21 speakers largely resists traditional sociolinguistic explanations. A close analysis of four speakers' mental representations of the local tensions surrounding urban sprawl reveals significant differences which are argued to account for their variable use of fronted /o/.
Patterns of age‐based linguistic variation in American English1
Authors: Barbieri Federica
Published: January 2008

In prior sociolinguistic research, speaker age has been considered the principal correlate of language change, but it ‘has not yet been explicitly studied as a sociolinguistic variable’ (Eckert 1997: 167). Consequently, little is known about how language varies across the life span. The present study employs key word analysis on a large corpus of casual conversation in American English to explore age‐based linguistic variation in spontaneous conversation. Analyses of the key words point to two major patterns of age‐based lexico‐grammatical variation: use of slang, and use of stance and involvement markers. Younger speakers' talk is characterized by an unusually frequent use of slang and swear words, and by a marked use of features indexing speaker's stance and emotional involvement, including intensifiers, stance adverbs, discourse markers, personal pronouns, and attitudinal adjectives; older speakers favor modals. These patterns are suggestive of functional differences in the discourse of youth and adults. It is argued that the expression of personal stance is more explicit and plays a key role in younger speakers' discourse.
Cognition, Language Contact, and the Development of Pragmatic Comprehension in a Study‐Abroad Context
Authors: Taguchi Naoko
Published: January 2008

This study examined two issues: (a) whether there are gains in accurate and speedy comprehension of second language (L2) pragmatic meaning over time and (b) whether the gains are associated with cognitive processing ability and the amount of language contact in an L2 environment. Forty‐four college students in a US institution completed three measures three times over a 4‐month period: (a) the pragmatic listening test that measured the ability to comprehend implied speaker intentions, (b) the lexical access test that measured ability to make speedy semantic judgment, and (c) the language contact survey that examined the amount of time learners spent in L2 outside the class. The learners' pragmatic comprehension was analyzed for accuracy (the scores on the pragmatic listening test) and comprehension speed (the average time taken to answer items correctly). Results showed that the learners made significant improvement on comprehension speed but not on accuracy of comprehension. Lexical access speed was significantly correlated with comprehension speed but not with accuracy. The amount of speaking and reading outside class that the students reported on the language contact survey significantly correlated with the gains in comprehension speed but not with accuracy of comprehension.
Acquisition of German Word Order in Tutored Learners: A Cross‐Sectional Study in a Wider Theoretical Context
Authors: Jansen Louise
Published: January 2008

This article presents the results from a cross‐sectional study that tests predictions of processability theory (PT) regarding the acquisition of German word order. Spontaneous production data were elicited from 21 tutored second language learners of German who are native speakers of English. Each learner engaged in a 45‐min informal conversation with a native speaker of German. The conversations were transcribed, analyzed, and implicationally scaled with respect to stages in the acquisition of German word order as predicted by PT. Applying the emergence criterion for acquisition set by PT, the implicational scale strongly confirmed the predictions with a 100% fit. The study focused on four subhypotheses drawn from PT. Two (the order and cumulative nature of predicted stages) were strongly supported. Support for the third hypothesis on the sequential nature of the stages was less clear. The final hypothesis on universality was assessed through a comparison with previous studies on different learner groups and appeared to be supported with one exception. Because PT focuses on procedural knowledge, the study's empirical findings were also viewed in the light of the theory of modulated structure building (MSB), which seeks to explain the acquisition of representational knowledge. Three differences between stages predicted by PT versus MSB were identified and examined. The data did not support the different MSB‐specific predictions, but it contained some counterevidence for all three hypotheses.
No Human Resource is an Island: Gendered, Racialized Access to Work as a Performer
Authors: Dean Deborah
Published: January 2008

This article explores the reproduction of gendered, racialized conceptions of age and appearance in structuring access to performing work. Analysis of this issue leads to discussion of a key supposition: that central work experiences of women performers are manifestations of their position as formal and informal proxies for women's experiences in wider society. Women performers are formal proxies in that they are employed to ‘be women’; to represent women for consumption in the circuit of culture. They are informal proxies in that they are allocated to highly segmented labour markets based on wider patterns of gendered, racialized social relations.
Prisoners as Citizens in a Democracy
Authors: CHENEY DEBORAH
Published: January 2008

Abstract: This article looks at voting rights for sentenced prisoners in the UK. A number of approaches are adopted by governments of the Council of Europe and the UK is one of 13 member states which operate a blanket ban on prisoners voting. Following a European Court of Human Rights judgment in 2006, the UK is now obliged to review this policy which has been held to breach an individual's right to contribute to free elections. The options open to the UK are to retain prisoner disenfranchisement or enfranchise certain serving prisoners based on criteria such as sentence length and offence seriousness.
Clinical Features, Polysomnography and Outcome in Patients with Hypnic Headache
Authors: Liang J-F , Fuh J-L , Yu H-Y , Hsu C-Y , Wang S-J
Published: January 2008

Hypnic headache is rarely reported in Asians, and the proposed International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-2 criteria have never been field-tested. We studied 17 consecutive Taiwanese patients (M/F: 9/8, mean age at onset 69.6 years) with hypnic headache from a headache clinic. Fifteen patients (88%) reported >15 headache attack days per month. Polysomnography studies done on 11 patients recorded 12 attacks in seven patients: two during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, three during non-REM sleep and two having both. Five of the seven patients reported their headache profile during polysomnography studies. The clinical course was mostly episodic without recurrence ( n = 9, 53%), followed by relapsing/remitting ( n = 5) and chronic ( n = 3). The ICHD-2 criteria were not fulfilled in 35% (6/17) patients based on patient recall or 60% (3/5) patients based on direct questioning during polysomnography studies. The major reason was the presence of pulsatile rather than dull headache in our patients. Unlike previous studies, our study showed hypnic headache occurred equally in both REM and non-REM sleep, and most patients ran an episodic course.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Causes Marked Cephalic Vasodilation, but does not Induce Migraine
Authors: Rahmann A , Wienecke T , Hansen JM , Fahrenkrug J , Olesen J , Ashina M
Published: January 2008

We hypothesized that intravenous infusion of the parasympathetic transmitter, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), might induce migraine attacks in migraineurs. Twelve patients with migraine without aura were allocated to receive 8 pmol kg-1min-1VIP or placebo in a randomized, double-blind crossover study. Headache was scored on a verbal rating scale (VRS), mean blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery ( Vmean mca) was measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, and diameter of the superficial temporal artery (STA) by high-frequency ultrasound. None of the subjects reported a migraine attack after VIP infusion. VIP induced a mild immediate headache (maximum 2 on VRS) compared with placebo ( P = 0.005). Three patients reported delayed headache (3-11 h after infusion) after VIP and two after placebo ( P = 0.89). Vmean mcadecreased (16.3 ± 5.9%) and diameter of STA increased significantly after VIP (45.9 ± 13.9%). VIP mediates a marked dilation of cranial arteries, but does not trigger migraine attacks in migraineurs. These data provide further evidence against a purely vascular origin of migraine.
Epicrania Fugax: An Ultrabrief Paroxysmal Epicranial Pain
Authors: Pareja JA , Cuadrado ML , Fernández-de-las-Peñas C , Caminero AB , Nieto C , Sánchez C , Sols M , Porta-Etessam J
Published: January 2008

Ten patients (one man and nine women, mean age 48.8 ± 20.1) presented with a stereotypical and undescribed type of head pain. They complained of strictly unilateral, shooting pain paroxysms starting in a focal area of the posterior parietal or temporal region and rapidly spreading forward to the ipsilateral eye ( n = 7) or nose ( n = 3) along a lineal or zigzag trajectory, the complete sequence lasting 1-10 s. Two patients had ipsilateral lacrimation, and one had rhinorrhoea at the end of the attacks. The attacks could be either spontaneous or triggered by touch on the stemming area ( n = 2), which could otherwise remain tender or slightly painful between the paroxysms ( n = 5). The frequency ranged from two attacks per month to countless attacks per day, and the temporal pattern was either remitting ( n = 5) or chronic ( n = 5). This clinical picture might be a variant of an established headache or represent a novel syndrome.
Modulation of Meningeal Nociceptors Mechanosensitivity by Peripheral Proteinase-Activated Receptor-2: The Role of Mast Cells
Authors: Zhang X-C , Levy D
Published: January 2008

Inflammatory-related activation and sensitization of meningeal nociceptors is believed to play a key role in promoting the intracranial throbbing pain of migraine. We have shown recently that mast cell activation and various mast cell-derived inflammatory mediators can promote activation and sensitization of meningeal nociceptors. Mast cell tryptase has also been proposed to promote pain hypersensitivity by activating the proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) that is expressed on nociceptive neurons. In this study using in vivo single-unit recording in the trigeminal ganglion of anaesthetized rats, we found that local meningeal activation of PAR2 using the specific agonist SLIGRL-NH2 promoted sensitization of the threshold response while provoking desensitization of the suprathreshold responses. SLIGRL-NH2 also excited a subpopulation of meningeal nociceptors. Chronic mast cell depletion enhanced the sensitizing effects of PAR2 activation while curbing its desensitizing effects. Mast cell depletion did not change the PAR2-mediated excitatory effect. We propose that by enhancing the mechanical sensitivity of meningeal nociceptors local PAR2 activation could play a role in promoting the throbbing pain of migraine and that local mast cell degranulation may modulate such an effect.
‘Indotest’ in Atypical Hemicrania Continua
Authors: Baldacci F , Nuti A , Cafforio G , Lucetti C , Logi C , Cipriani G , Orlandi G , Bonuccelli U
Published: January 2008

Hemicrania continua (HC) is an indomethacin-responsive headache characterized by a chronic, strictly unilateral, side-locked without side-shifting, persistent headache. We report three cases of HC with atypical features in which an acute administration of indomethacin 50 mg IM (INDOTEST) was performed. In all three cases INDOTEST predicted chronic responsiveness to indomethacin. Thus, in cases of HC with atypical features, INDOTEST could help for a correct diagnosis and therapy.
Hypothalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Cluster Headache: Experience From a New Multicase Series
Authors: Bartsch T , Pinsker MO , Rasche D , Kinfe T , Hertel F , Diener HC , Tronnier V , Mehdorn HM , Volkmann J , Deuschl G , Krauss JK
Published: January 2008

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the posterior hypothalamus was found to be effective in the treatment of drug-resistant chronic cluster headache. We report the results of a multicentre case series of six patients with chronic cluster headache in whom a DBS in the posterior hypothalamus was performed. Electrodes were implanted stereotactically in the ipsilateral posterior hypothalamus according to published coordinates 2 mm lateral, 3 mm posterior and 5 mm inferior referenced to the mid-AC-PC line. Microelectrode recordings at the target revealed single unit activity with a mean discharge rate of 17 Hz (range 13-35 Hz, n = 4). Out of six patients, four showed a profound decrease of their attack frequency and pain intensity on the visual analogue scale during the first 6 months. Of these, one patient was attack free for 6 months under neurostimulation before returning to the baseline which led to abortion of the DBS. Two patients had experienced only a marginal, non-significant decrease within the first weeks under neurostimulation before returning to their former attack frequency. After a mean follow-up of 17 months, three patients are almost completely attack free, whereas three patients can be considered as treatment failures. The stimulation was well tolerated and stimulation-related side-effects were not observed on long term. DBS of the posterior inferior hypothalamus is an effective therapeutic option in a subset of patients. Future controlled multi-centre trials will need to confirm this open-label experience and should help to better define predictive factors for non-responders.
Coastal–marine discontinuities, critical patch size and isolation: implications for marine otter conservation
Authors: Medina‐Vogel G. , Merino L. O. , Monsalve Alarcón R. , Vianna J. de A.
Published: January 2008

The consequences of habitat fragmentation include reduced habitat availability, increased isolation and patch extinction. This study investigates the occupancy patterns of Lontra felina, a little known and endangered marine otter, on naturally discontinuous habitat and the relationship between otter occupancy and rocky seashore patches, patch size and isolation and human influences. Marine otter occupancy was determined through direct sightings and the presence/absence of spraints, and measured by logistic regression and general linear models. The study was conducted in Chile between 28°S and 40°S, and consisted of eight study sites. Within these sites, a total of 23 rocky seashore patches, 2.3–63.8 km long, were surveyed from January 2005 to March 2006. The strongest predictors of marine otter occurrence were rocky seashore patches larger than 5 km long and <6 km apart. These networks should be no farther than 20 km from contiguous (without sandy beaches) rocky seashore patches over 15 km long.
Hind limb scaling of kangaroos and wallabies (superfamily Macropodoidea): implications for hopping performance, safety factor and elastic savings
Authors: McGowan C. P. , Skinner J. , Biewener A. A.
Published: January 2008

The aim of this study was to examine hind limb scaling of the musculoskeletal system in the Macropodoidea, the superfamily containing wallabies and kangaroos, to re‐examine the effect of size on the locomotor mechanics and physiology of marsupial hopping. Morphometric musculoskeletal analyses were conducted of 15 species and skeletal specimens of 21 species spanning a size range from 0.8 to 80 kg that included representatives of 12 of the 16 extant genera of macropodoids. We found that unlike other groups, macropodoids are able to match force demands associated with increasing body size primarily through a combination of positive allometry in muscle area and muscle moment arms. Isometric scaling of primary hind limb bones suggests, however, that larger species experience relatively greater bone stresses. Muscle to tendon area ratios of the ankle extensors scale with strong positive allometry, indicating that peak tendon stresses also increase with increasing body size but to a lesser degree than previously reported. Consistent with previous morphological and experimental studies, large macropodoids are therefore better suited for elastic strain energy recovery but operate at lower safety factors, which likely poses an upper limit to body size. Scaling patterns for extant macropodoids suggest that extinct giant kangaroos (~250 kg) were likely limited in locomotor capacity.
Phenotypic variability and craniofacial dysmorphology: increased shape variance in a mouse model for cleft lip
Authors: Parsons Trish E. , Kristensen Erika , Hornung Lynnette , Diewert Virginia M. , Boyd Steven K. , German Rebecca Z. , Hallgrímsson Benedikt
Published: January 2008

Cleft lip and palate (CL/P), as is true of many craniofacial malformations in humans, is etiologically complex and highly variable in expression. A/WySn mice are an intriguing model for human CL/P because they develop this dysmorphology with a variable expression pattern, incomplete penetrance and frequent unilateral expression on a homogeneous genetic background. The developmental basis for this variation in expression is unknown, but of great significance for understanding such expression patterns in humans. As a step towards this goal, this study used three‐dimensional geometric morphometric and novel high throughput morphometric techniques based on three‐dimensional computed microtomography of mouse embryos to analyze craniofacial shape variation during primary palate formation. Our analysis confirmed previous findings based on two‐dimensional analyses that the midface in A/WySn embryos, and the maxillary prominence in particular, is relatively reduced in size and appears to be developmentally delayed. In addition, we find that shape variance is increased in A/WySn embryos during primary palate formation compared to both C57BL/6J mice and the F1 crosses between these strains. If the reduction in midfacial growth caused by the Wnt9b hypomorphic mutation pushes A/WySn mice closer on average to the threshold for cleft lip formation, the elevated shape variance may explain why some, but not all, embryos develop the dysmorphology in a genetically homogeneous inbred line of mice.