bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sidestep cutting technique and knee abduction loading: implications for ACL prevention exercises
Authors: Kristianslund Eirik , Faul Oliver , Bahr Roald , Myklebust Grethe , Krosshaug Tron
Published: December 2012

Background

Sidestep cutting technique is essential in programmes to prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. A better understanding of how technique affects potentially harmful joint loading may improve prevention programmes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sidestep cutting technique on maximum knee abduction moments.

Methods

Cross-sectional study. Whole-body kinematics and knee joint kinetics were calculated in 123 female handball players (mean±SD, 22.5±7.0 years, 171±7 cm, 67±7 kg) performing sidestep cutting. Three cuts from each side were analysed. Linear regression was applied between selected technique factors and maximum knee abduction moment during the first 100 ms of the contact phase. Furthermore, we investigated to what degree the abduction moment originated from the magnitude of the ground reaction force (GRF) or the knee abduction moment arm of the GRF.

Findings

Technique factors explained 62% of the variance in knee abduction moments. Cut width, knee valgus, toe landing, approach speed and cutting angle were the most significant predictors. An increase in one of these factors of 1 SD increased the knee abduction moment from 12% to 19%. The effect of the moment arm of the GRF was more important than the force magnitude for maximum knee abduction moments.

Interpretation

Lower knee abduction loads during sidestep cutting may be achieved if cuts are performed as narrow cuts with low knee valgus and toe landings. These factors may be targeted in ACL injury prevention programmes.
Transdiagnostic, affect-focused, psychodynamic, guided self-help for depression and anxiety through the internet: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Johansson Robert , Hesser Hugo , Ljótsson Brjánn , Frederick Ronald J , Andersson Gerhard
Published: December 2012

Introduction

Cognitive behaviour therapy delivered in the format of guided self-help via the internet has been found to be effective for a range of conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders. Recent results indicate that guided self-help via the internet is a promising treatment format also for psychodynamic therapy. However, to date and to our knowledge, no study has evaluated internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy as a transdiagnostic treatment. The affect-phobia model of psychopathology by McCulloughet alprovides a psychodynamic conceptualisation of a range of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study will be to test the effects of a transdiagnostic guided self-help treatment based on the affect-phobia model in a sample of clients with depression and anxiety.

Methods and analysis

This study will be a randomised controlled trial with a total sample size of 100 participants. The treatment group receives a 10-week, psychodynamic, guided self-help treatment based on the transdiagnostic affect-phobia model of psychopathology. The treatment consists of eight text-based treatment modules and includes therapist contact in a secure online environment. Participants in the control group receive similar online therapist support without any treatment modules. Outcome measures are the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale and the 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Process measures that concerns emotional processing and mindfulness are included. All outcome and process measures will be administered weekly via the internet and at 6-month follow-up.

Discussion

This trial will add to the body of knowledge on internet-delivered psychological treatments in general and to psychodynamic treatments in particular. We also hope to provide new insights in the effectiveness and working mechanisms of psychodynamic therapy based on the affect-phobia model.
Characterising physician listening behaviour during hospitalist handoffs using the HEAR checklist
Authors: Greenstein Elizabeth A , Arora Vineet M , Staisiunas Paul G , Banerjee Stacy S , Farnan Jeanne M
Published: December 2012

Background

The increasing fragmentation of healthcare has resulted in more patient handoffs. Many professional groups, including the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education and the Society of Hospital Medicine, have made recommendations for safe and effective handoffs. Despite the two-way nature of handoff communication, the focus of these efforts has largely been on the person giving information.

Objective

To observe and characterise the listening behaviours of handoff receivers during hospitalist handoffs.

Design

Prospective observational study of shift change and service change handoffs on a non-teaching hospitalist service at a single academic tertiary care institution.

Measurements

The ‘HEAR Checklist’, a novel tool created based on review of effective listening behaviours, was used by third party observers to characterise active and passive listening behaviours and interruptions during handoffs.

Results

In 48 handoffs (25 shift change, 23 service change), active listening behaviours (eg, read-back (17%), note-taking (23%) and reading own copy of the written signout (27%)) occurred less frequently than passive listening behaviours (eg, affirmatory statements (56%) nodding (50%) and eye contact (58%)) (p<0.01). Read-back occurred only eight times (17%). In 11 handoffs (23%) receivers took notes. Almost all (98%) handoffs were interrupted at least once, most often by side conversations, pagers going off, or clinicians arriving. Handoffs with more patients, such as service change, were associated with more interruptions (r=0.46, p<0.01).

Conclusions

Using the ‘HEAR Checklist’, we can characterise hospitalist handoff listening behaviours. While passive listening behaviours are common, active listening behaviours that promote memory retention are rare. Handoffs are often interrupted, most commonly by side conversations. Future handoff improvement efforts should focus on augmenting listening and minimising interruptions.
The golden hour of shock – how time is running out: prehospital time intervals in Germany—a multivariate analysis of 15, 103 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®
Authors: Wyen Hendrik , Lefering Rolf , Maegele Marc , Brockamp Thomas , Wafaisade Arasch , Wutzler Sebastian , Walcher Felix , Marzi Ingo ,   the TraumaRegister DGU
Published: December 2012

Objectives

Although prehospital treatment algorithms have changed over the past years, the prehospital time of multiple trauma patients of some 70 min and the on-scene-treatment time (OST) of some 30 min have not changed since 1993. The aim of this study was to critically assess specific interventions and conditions at the scene in relation to their impact on prehospital rescue intervals.

Methods

We performed a retrospective data analysis of all multiple injured patients from the TraumaRegister DGU (English: German Trauma Society) from January 1993 to December 2010. Exclusion criteria were missing or implausible data regarding prehospital timelines. With OST as an independent variable, different models of multivariate regression were performed to identify parameters with relevant impact on the OST.

Results

15 103 datasets were included in this study. Based on the mean OST of 32.7 (±18.6) min and a constant absolute term of 16.2 (±1.5) min, we identified seven procedures and nine environmental parameters with significant impact on OST. Intubation (9.3±0.8 min) and being a car occupant (8.0±0.8 min) were associated with the most prolonged OSTs. A Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8 (−4.5±0.7 min) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (−2.8±1.7 min) resulted in its most relevant reduction. Admission to a Level III facility led to a reduced overall prehospital time (60.0±24.6 min) compared with Level I (70.0±28.5 min) and II (66.8±27.4 min) trauma centres.

Conclusions

This study identified characteristic interventions and conditions with significant impact on prehospital treatment times. Current treatment concepts should be re-evaluated with respect to these results.
Laying hen mortality by system – a welfare guide?
Authors: Burch David George Sidney
Published: December 2012

The production system is not necessarily a good guide to the welfare of laying hens, says David Burch, who notes that whatever the system, good management is essential
PURE SPINOR FORMALISM FOR ${\rm Osp}({\mathcal N}\vert 4)$ BACKGROUNDS
Authors: FRÉ PIETRO , GRASSI PIETRO ANTONIO
Published: December 2012

We start from the Maurer–Cartan (MC) equations of the [Formula: see text] superalgebras satisfied by the left-invariant superforms realized on supercoset manifolds of the corresponding supergroups and we derive some new pure spinor constraints. They are obtained by "ghostifying" the MC forms and extending the differential d to a BRST differential. From the superalgebras [Formula: see text] we single out different subalgebras [Formula: see text] associated with the different cosets [Formula: see text]: each choice of ℍ leads to a different weakening of the pure spinor constraints. In each case, the number of parameter is counted and we show that in the cases of Osp (6|4)/ U (3)× SO (1, 3), Osp (4|4)/ SO (3) × SO (1, 3) and finally Osp (4|4)/ U (2) × SO (1, 3) the bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom match in order to provide a c = 0 superconformal field theory. We construct both the Green–Schwarz and the pure spinor sigma model for the case Osp (6|4)/ U(3) × SO (1, 3) corresponding to AdS 4 ×ℙ3. The pure spinor sigma model can be consistently quantized.
THE EFFECT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF NEUTRINOS ON THE PHOTON–NEUTRINO DECOUPLING TEMPERATURE
Authors: İNAN S. C. , KÖKSAL M.
Published: December 2012

We examine the impact of electromagnetic properties of neutrinos on the annihilation of relic neutrinos with ultrahigh energy cosmic neutrinos for the [Formula: see text] process. For this process, photon–neutrino decoupling temperature is calculated via effective Lagrangian model beyond the standard model. We find that photon–neutrino decoupling temperature can be importantly reduced below the QCD phase transition with the model independent analysis defining electromagnetic properties of neutrinos.
DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF POST-BUCKLED PRECOMPRESSED PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR ELEMENTS
Authors: GIANNOPOULOS GEORGIOS , GROEN MARK , VOS ROELOF , BARRETT RON
Published: December 2012

Post-buckled precompressed (PBP) piezoelectric elements have recently been used to enable a new class of actuators that are able to provide far higher deflections compared to the traditional bimorph piezoelectric actuators while maintaining full force and moment generating capabilities. Past research has proven that PBP actuators are capable of generating deflections three times higher than conventional bimorph actuators. In this paper, this work has been extended to the dynamic response realm and the performance of PBP actuators is investigated under various axial loads, at various actuation frequencies. Both analytical and finite element models have been developed in order to evaluate the performance of the actuator regarding the natural frequency shift under increased axial loads. Experimental verification has shown that the overall damping ratio of the structure is a function of the axial forces. Values derived from experiments have been used in the Finite Element model to predict the displacement output, phase angle shifting and end rotation. Numerical and analytical results correlate very well with the experiments and thus give credit to the formulation presented in this work.
What Is the Best Sequential Treatment Strategy in the Treatment of Depression? Adding Pharmacotherapy to Psychotherapy or Vice Versa?
Authors: Dekker Jack , Van Henricus L. , Hendriksen Mariëlle , Koelen Jurrijn , Schoevers Robert A. , Kool S. , van Aalst G. , Peen Jaap
Published: December 2012

Background: Insufficient response to monotreatment for depression is a common phenomenon in clinical practice. Even so, evidence indicating how to proceed in such cases is sparse. Methods: This study looks at the second phase of a sequential treatment algorithm, in which 103 outpatients with moderately severe depression were initially randomized to either short-term supportive psychodynamic therapy (PDT) or antidepressants. Patients who reported less than 30% symptom improvement after 8 weeks were offered combined treatment. Outcome measures were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Clinical Global Impression of Severity and Improvement, the SCL-90 depression subscale and the EuroQOL questionnaire. Results: Despite being nonresponsive, about 40% of patients preferred to continue with monotherapy. At treatment termination, patients initially randomized to PDT had improved more than those initially receiving antidepressants, as indicated by the HAM-D and the EuroQOL, independently of whether the addition was accepted or not. Conclusions: Starting with psychotherapy may be preferable in mildly and moderately depressed outpatients. For patients who receive either PDT or antidepressants, combined therapy after early nonresponse seems to be helpful. Nevertheless, this sequential strategy is not always preferred by patients.
Attentional Bias Modification in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Schoorl Maartje , Putman Peter , Van Der Does Willem
Published: December 2012

Background: Attentional bias modification (ABM) is a new treatment for anxiety disorders. Three randomized controlled clinical trials have shown positive effects of ABM in social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. This study investigated the efficacy of ABM in outpatients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: Randomized controlled double-blind trial (n = 102). ABM and control treatment consisted of eight 20-min sessions over the course of 3 weeks. Symptoms and attentional bias were assessed before and after treatment and at 3-week follow-up. Results: ABM and the control treatment were equally effective in reducing the symptoms of PTSD. The effect sizes of the improvement (from before to after treatment) were 0.66 for ABM and 0.46 for the control treatment, which is comparable to the effect sizes of pill-placebos in pharmacotherapy trials of chronic PTSD. Both treatments did not affect attentional bias. The acceptability and tolerability of ABM was moderate. Conclusions: This version of ABM is not an effective treatment of PTSD.
Simultaneous and Sequential Concurrent Myeloproliferative and Lymphoproliferative Neoplasms
Authors: Hauck Gesa , Jonigk Danny , Kreipe Hans , Hussein Kais
Published: December 2012

Concurrent manifestation of two chronic-stage myeloid and lymphoid/plasmacytoid neoplasms in one patient is rare and occurs in ≤1% of patients. There has been no systematic analysis of which combinations are frequent/infrequent and whether two concurrent diseases in one patient are clonally related or represent independent diseases. We therefore characterised a series of cases from our own archive (n = 65) and collected a large number of previously reported cases of patients in whom myeloid and lymphoid/plasmacytoid neoplasms co-occurred (n = 185). The most frequent combination was Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm with concurrent B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, accounting for approximately 50% of double-disease patients. We compared the quantity of unsorted bone marrow cell-derived JAK2V617F and KITD816V alleles with the quantity of the lymphoid/plasmacytoid compartment and analysed a subfraction of cases with fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Although a common aberrant progenitor has been reported in some cases in the literature, we found evidence of two independent chronic-stage myeloid and lymphoid/plasmacytoid neoplasms.
Bonding and Expressed Emotion: Two Interlinked Concepts?
Authors: Duclos Jeanne , Maria Anne-Solène , Dorard Géraldine , Curt Florence , Apfel Alexandre , Vibert Sarah , Rein Zoé , Perdereau Fabienne , Godart Nathalie
Published: December 2012

Background: Bonding and expressed emotion (EE) are two concepts modeling family relationships. Two studies, with contradictory results, have explored whether these concepts and their corresponding instruments [the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and the Camberwell Family Interview] do indeed measure the same aspects of family relationships. Our first objective was to compare the adolescents' perceptions of family relationships using the PBI, and the parental viewpoint using the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS-EE). Secondly, we compared the PBI scores and EE levels of the parents. Sampling and Methods: Sixty adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa completed the PBI. The FMSS and a modified version of the PBI were administered to parents separately. Results: No significant link was identified between adolescent PBI scores and parental EE levels. However, a link between maternal ‘modified' PBI scores and maternal EE was observed: when mothers registered a high Final EE, they were more likely to deny their daughter's psychological autonomy compared to mothers with lower EE. Conclusions: Our empirical results do not support the hypothesis of an overlap between the two concepts. Indeed bonding and EE measure the same object, i.e. the quality of family relationships, but time scales differ and so do the perspectives (patient vs. parental viewpoint).
Relationship between the Phase Angle and Volume of Tumours in Patients with Lung Cancer
Authors: Castanho Ivany Alves , Lopes Agnaldo José , Koury Josely Correa , Tessarollo Bernardo , Silva Aristófanes Corrêa , Nunes Rodolfo Acatauassú
Published: December 2012

Background/Aims: The phase angle (PA) obtained by bioelectrical impedance has been used as a predictor of nutritional status in cancer. This study aimed to verify the association between the PA and tumour volume in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: Volumetric determination of the tumour mass was performed using a computerised image analysis system incorporated in helical tomography. Lesion segmentation was performed by a semi-automatic process using a region growth algorithm with voxel aggregation. The PA was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Results: A total of 30 male patients with a mean age of 65.6 years were evaluated. The mean values observed for body mass index, PA and tumour volume were 22.5 ± 4.19, 5.66 ± 0.9° and 163.2 ± 207.5 ml, respectively. The tumour volumes were negatively correlated with the PA (r = –0.55; p < 0.001) and positively correlated with the ratio between the extracellular mass and the body cell mass (ECM/BCM) (r = 0.59; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, independent predictors for both PA and ECM/BCM were tumour volume and Karnofsky performance status score. Conclusions: In NSCLC, the PA is closely associated with tumour volume, which may be important in early nutritional intervention.
Infantile Intracranial Aggressive Fibromatosis: Report of Two Cases with a Review of the Literature
Authors: Wang Baocheng , Ma Jie , Jin Huiming
Published: December 2012

Aggressive fibromatosis (AF) is characterized by a nonmetastatic fibroblastic proliferative lesion that is histologically benign with infiltrative growth and frequent recurrence. To our knowledge, infantile AF is rarely reported. There are no clear guidelines regarding the management and treatment strategies for intracranial infantile AF because of its rarity. In China, there are few reports in the clinical literature concerning intracranial infantile AF. We describe 2 cases of intracranial infantile AF and review the relevant literature to better understand the pathological features, differential diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
Spinal Congenital Dermal Sinus Presenting as a Diagnostic Conundrum
Authors: Chopra Abhisek , Patra Bijoy , Aneja Satinder , Mukherjee Sharmilla , Maheswari Anu , Seth Anju
Published: December 2012

Spinal congenital dermal sinus is a rare entity. Still rarer is its location over the thoracic and cervical spine. Secondary to congenital dermal sinus, intramedullary abscesses of the spinal cord are uncommon. Only few cases of such an association have been reported in the literature. We report such an interesting case of thoracic spinal congenital dermal sinus associated with intramedullary abscess in an 18-month-old boy who presented with a diagnostic conundrum. The pathogenesis, clinical presentation, neuroimaging and management of such cases are discussed. Awareness, detection, timely referral and definitive operative intervention for a better neurological outcome are emphasized.
Cumulative Meta-Analysis for Genetic Association: When Is a New Study Worthwhile?
Authors: Rotondi Michael A. , Bull Shelley B.
Published: December 2012

Objectives: In this paper, we address the questions: how large a sample size would be required to show genome-wide significance between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and a genetic trait in a meta-analysis of a newly planned study together with the existing ones? Or alternatively: will a planned study of size n be able to provide evidence of a genetic association when this study is combined with a current meta-analysis? Methods: We examine the potential impact of a newly planned genetic study on an existing meta-analysis through the use of a simulation-based algorithm. The proposed approach provides an empirical estimate of the power of the updated meta-analysis to detect genome-wide significance (p < 5.0 × 10-8) of a complex trait and each of a set of specific SNPs of interest or the expected p value of the updated meta-analysis including the current and proposed studies. Results: This technique is illustrated in the context of an updated meta-analysis of case-control studies in Paget's disease. A second example illustrates the impact of adding a newly planned study to a large meta-analysis of SNP associations with human height. Conclusions: The proposed algorithm is particularly useful for the design of studies to assess a selected set of high-priority SNP associations that are ‘nearly' significant in meta-analysis of existing studies. The results may help investigators decide whether an updated meta-analysis is likely to achieve genome-wide significance.
MiR-17-3p Inhibits Angiogenesis by Downregulating Flk-1 in the Cell Growth Signal Pathway
Authors: Yin Runting , Wang Rubing , Guo Le , Zhang Wei , Lu Yong
Published: December 2012

MicroRNAs (miRs) are endogenously expressed small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Previous works indicated that the miR-17-92 cluster could regulate endothelial cell (EC) functions involved in angiogenesis. miR-17-3p, a component of the miR-17-92 cluster, could control the angiogenic activity of human umbilical vein ECs in a cell-autonomous manner in vitro. A 21-bp fragment from the Flk-1 3′-untranslated region containing miR-17-3p targeting sites was required for the rapid downregulation of Flk-1 expression by in silico and experimental analysis. Subsequently, the downstream cell growth pathway was inhibited by forced upregulation of miR-17-3p. Based on these data, we conclude that miR-17-3p is a negative regulator of the angiogenic phenotype of ECs through its ability to modulate the expression of Flk-1, which is implicated in the pleiotropic effects of miR-17-92 in angiogenesis.
Tissue-Specific Neutrophil Recruitment into the Lung, Liver, and Kidney
Authors: Rossaint Jan , Zarbock Alexander
Published: December 2012

The recruitment of immune cells is crucial for the development of inflammatory processes. The classical recruitment cascade of neutrophils into inflamed tissues is well understood and consists of capturing, rolling, slow rolling, arrest, postadhesion strengthening, crawling, and transmigration. While this commonly agreed paradigm might be applicable to most peripheral tissues, recruitment mechanisms may substantially vary in different organs such as the lung, liver, and kidney. These organs are highly specialized tissues with unique cell populations and structural organization, which enables them to fulfill their individual functions. The published research over the last decade has shed some light on organ-specific mechanisms of neutrophil recruitment and helped to generate a deeper understanding of the specific recruitment mechanisms involved in this process. The aim of this review is to highlight current concepts of tissue-specific differences and similarities of neutrophil recruitment into the lung, liver, and kidney.
Rosuvastatin Attenuates Inflammation, Apoptosis and Fibrosis in a Rat Model of Cyclosporine-Induced Nephropathy
Authors: Nam Hyun Kyung , Lee Seong Joo , Kim Moo Hyun , Rho Jee Hyun , Son Young Ki , Lee Su Mi , Kim Seong Eun , Kim Ki Hyun , An Won Suk
Published: December 2012

Background/Aim: Cyclosporine (CsA)-induced kidney injury is characterized by renal dysfunction with inflammatory cell infiltrations, apoptosis and fibrosis. Pleiotropic effects of statins may exert anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and antifibrotic actions beyond lipid control. The aim of this study is to investigate whether rosuvastatin (RUS) has anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and antifibrotic effects on chronic CsA-induced nephropathy in a rat model. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a low-sodium diet were divided into three treatment groups: control (0.9% saline injection), CsA (15 mg/kg/day by subcutaneous injection), CsA + RUS (10 mg/kg/day by gastric gavage). Renal function, CsA level and lipid levels were measured at the end of 4 weeks. The expression of ED-1, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) for inflammation and fibrosis were examined by Western blot analysis. The expression levels of apoptosis-associated factors were examined by Western blot analysis. Apoptosis was evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. Results: Kidney function was decreased in CsA-treated rats compared with controls, which was attenuated by RUS. RUS did not affect the lipid level or the blood CsA level. TUNEL staining showed that RUS inhibited CsA-induced tubular apoptosis. RUS decreased CsA-induced increased expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The expressions of ED-1, α-SMA, TGF-β1, Smad2/3, Smad4 and p-JNK were increased in CsA-treated rats, which were attenuated by RUS. Tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis in CsA-treated rats were attenuated by RUS supplementation. Conclusion: RUS supplementation attenuates proinflammatory and apoptosis-related factors and inhibits the fibrotic pathways including the smad-dependent and smad-independent pathways in a rat model of CsA-induced nephropathy.
2012 Report
Authors: Hutman Heidi , Lantz Melanie M.
Published: December 2012

The Student Affiliates of Seventeen (SAS) serves as the representative body for the Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology; SCP) student affiliates. Our central aims are to ensure that students are informed of current events and to facilitate access to opportunities within SCP and the American Psychological Association. In so doing, we strive to provide tomorrow’s professionals with the tools needed to accomplish their academic and career goals. In this report, updates are provided and future goals are discussed.
Attracting public service motivated employees: how to design compensation packages
Authors: Andersen Lotte Bøgh , Eriksson Tor , Kristensen Nicolai , Pedersen Lene Holm
Published: December 2012

Public sector managers want to attract employees with high public service motivation as they are expected to perform better. The public service motivation literature rarely gives practical advice on how this can be done. Recognizing that compensation packages act as a sorting device that can be used to attract specific types of workers, we combine empirical measures of public service motivation with a newly developed approach to employees’ monetary valuation of compensation packages. This tool can be used to improve recruitment and retention of employees with high public service motivation. We find that public service motivated employees have a lower preference for bonus payments and stronger preferences for health care packages, but the associations depend on the specific context in which the employees work. This implies that the employees’ perceptions of the compatibility between the compensation package elements and societal interest should be taken into account, when the employees are motivated by doing good for society.

Points for practitioners

The findings of the article have implications for public managers who want to improve performance in their organizations by attracting employees with a high level of public service motivation. Our results indicate that bonuses should then be avoided, especially in administrative positions and when an emotion-based orientation towards doing good for others and society is important. Health care packages are generally a good idea, when it is important to attract employees who want to do good for the specific users of the service. Private health packages should, however, be avoided in public health care organizations.
The application of information technology and environmental protection
Authors: Ivanović Mirjana Drenovak
Published: December 2012

The Aarhus Convention became a part of the Serbian legal system through the adoption of the Law on Ratification of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in May 2009. Although the legislation in Serbia, prior to the ratification of the Aarhus Convention, pointed, to some extent, to the realization of ideas promoted by it, following the ratification, there was the formal possibility of the consistent application of rights stipulated by the Convention. This article analyses the role of information technology (IT) in providing public access to environmental information. There are three basic ways IT may be applied in environmental protection. First, through the use of IT for environmental matters, the public can be informed about the general condition of the environment. In the legal system of Serbia, the Agency for Environmental Protection is obliged to collect environmental information from local government and compile annual reports on the environment that should be presented on the Agency website. This article analyses the information systems of the Serbian Agency for Environmental Protection and the further possibilities of using these. Second, IT can be used as a way of regular communication between government and citizens. In accordance with the principle of transparency, government bodies are obliged to provide an adequate way for the public to have an insight into their work. In addition, the authorized person is responsible for the accuracy of this information and for providing public access within a reasonable timeframe. In this sense, the article analyses the legal framework of e-access to environmental information and the relevant practice of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection. Third, the application of IT in environmental matters can promote public participation in environmental decision-making. If there were a legal framework, the public would be able to participate in procedures, such as environmental impact assessments, by submitting their opinions as e-documents. This article points out the relations between the application of IT and the level of public awareness about the environment, and the impact these relations have on environmental protection.

Points for practitioners

The article examines whether there is a possibility of using IT as a means of achieving daily communication between government and citizens in matters of the protection, preservation and improvement of the environment in Serbia, how the application of information technology achieves wider public participation in environmental decision-making, and whether the application of IT can eliminate deficiencies in the assessment of environmental impacts which occur in practice. The article provides an overview of environmental legislation in Serbia, which regulates the possibility of using IT in environmental protection and administrative practice.
The role of social capital within policy networks: evidence from EU cohesion policy in Spain
Authors: Jordana Jacint , Mota Fabiola , Noferini Andrea
Published: December 2012

This article focuses on the policy process stemming from European cohesion policy at the regional level and at its programming stage (which precedes the implementation phase). It aims to explain how the formally introduced EU ‘partnership’ principles and rules work in practice in different political environments. The article argues that externally introduced procedural decision rules have different impacts on effective policymaking processes. In particular, we suggest that the patterns of social capital linkages carried by the actors involved produce different regional policy networks, even though the existing formal rules are similar. Relying on social network analysis as its main methodological tool, the article presents empirical evidence drawn from two similar Spanish regions, identifies the characteristics of the actors’ social capital and compares the structures of the policy networks dealing with the programming tasks in the two regions. Our findings suggest that the structures differ according to the amount of linking social capital displayed by the actors involved in the policy networks. We discuss in detail our exploratory hypothesis, considering also other possible variables that might account for these variations.

Points for practitioners

In this article we demonstrate that the EU partnership principle, as a set of formal rules, does not always work in practice as expected; we found that only when the actors involved share a certain level of trust does it produce and reinforce the expected pluralist and deliberative contexts for decision-making. In fact, EU partnership rules contribute to making policymaking more transparent and better procedurally organized by essentially sorting out the social capital resources already possessed by public and private actors involved in the policy network. This suggests that investing in the creation of social capital for regional elites might significantly improve the current EU institutional design of regional policy. More generally, we argue that partnership designs that provide stronger incentives for political and social elites to build their own social capital resources could make the implementation of decentralized regional policies more effective.
Autonomy and local democracy in Africa: an illustration using the case of Senegal
Authors: Touré Ibrahima
Published: December 2012

This contribution analyzes from a retrospective and synchronous perspective the often conflicting power relations between the French colonial, the Senegalese post-colonial central states and the decentralized collectivities. Reflecting on the effective autonomy of the local collectivities in the management and running of the competences which are transferred to them through the decentralization laws, the article shows how, on the basis of real cases, the intervention of the central power in local affairs not only questions democracy but also and above all diverts the regionalization policies from their initial objectives.

Points for practitioners

This article is a reference tool for understanding the history and evolution of decentralization in Senegal. By examining several questions, it supplies evidence on the functioning of decentralized communities, local governance, land management and the system of financial adjustment. It proposes means of decision-making and useful actions for those who are interested in the feasibility of democracy and local development in Senegal.
Analyzing the relationship between perceived grand corruption and petty corruption in developing countries: case study of Iran
Authors: Mashali Behzad
Published: December 2012

Corruption often spreads because of ignorance and lack of adequate knowledge about the subject as well as how to correct and contain it. On the other side, corrupt legal, political, bureaucratic, and other social system(s) help corruption swell further. The current article sets out to discuss the question: Is there is a relation between perceived grand corruption and petty corruption? In Iran, too, these two types of corruption have recently become debatable issues. And as in Iran, corruption has become the most challenging issue in many developing countries. With respect to the above relationship, while the theoretical literature makes ambiguous predictions, empiricists, too, have focused little on this subject. The present article tries to examine this issue systematically and, hence, suggests that the perceived grand corruption is significantly associated with the petty corruption. Similar results persist even when grand corruption originates in a country’s legal system. In a nutshell, the article identifies a positive correlation between perceived grand corruption and petty corruption.
The post-independence civil service in Kosovo: A message of politicization
Authors: Doli Dren , Korenica Fisnik , Rogova Artan
Published: December 2012

This contribution discusses the politicization of the civil service system in Kosovo as a framework through which politicians exert influence in the system. The article employs the concept of formal-political discretion, as a means of explaining and elucidating the extent to which both the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and current legislation regulating civil service preconditions/pre-favours the politicization of the senior civil service in Kosovo. It first discusses the concept of politicization based upon current scholarship and gives hints on the way in which these concepts fit with both UNMIK and Kosovo’s current situation. Next, the article discusses and compares the previous civil service system built by UNMIK with the current one – built in post-independence Kosovo based upon the formal-political discretion model. The article further argues that the former system of civil service – in contrast to the current system – provided less formal-political discretion to political elites with which to politicize the senior civil service. The article concludes by suggesting that the current post-independence legislation regulating the civil service grants the executive institutions a significant level of formal-political discretion in the appointment, dismissal and promotion of civil servants.

Points for practitioners

The articles offers a thorough, both theoretical and practical, policy explanation of the model and structure of Kosovo's civil service, hinting on the previous and current legislative gaps that allow for partisan influence and control. The article also portrays the routes via which the politicization of the civil service in Kosovo is being developed, giving insights on how civil servants perceive such a process. Comparing the previous civil service system with the current one, the article informs practitioners on the directions that the new reform on Kosovo's civil service should take. Finally, the article provides in-depth policy information on the means to redesign the key protection mechanisms of Kosovo's senior civil service management.
From performance measurement to learning: a new source of government overload?
Authors: Lewis Jenny M , Triantafillou Peter
Published: December 2012

Over the last few decades accountability has accommodated an increasing number of different political, legal and administrative goals. This article focuses on the administrative aspect of accountability and explores the potential perils of a shift from performance measurement to learning. While this is inherently positive in its intentions, we argue that it might constitute a new source of government overload. We propose four explanations for why this may be so. First, a learning approach is more likely to supplement than replace performance management. Second, more rather than less data will be needed to comply with accountability requirements, because of the first point. Third, the costs of compliance are likely to increase because learning requires more participation and dialogue. Fourth, accountability as learning may generate a ‘change for the sake of change’ mentality, creating further government overload. We conclude with some comments on limiting the undesirable consequences of such a move.

Points for practitioners

Public administrators need to identify and weigh the (human, political and economic) benefits and costs of accountability regimes. While output-focused performance measurement regimes increase transparency and improve value for money in many cases, there are also undesirable side-effects. Accountability regimes attuned to learning appear conducive to quality improvement, but may also become new sources of government overload. This article examines the potential problems of such a move, and considers how these possible perils might be limited by managers and practitioners. Public managers must ask themselves just how much accountability is actually necessary. More specifically, they may want to delimit the scope of the accountability regimes employed, undertake a cost–benefit evaluation of these, and consult those subjected to such regimes, in order to ensure a suitable design.
The Odyssey of the Ananda Marga: A Comparative Study
Authors: Sil Narasingha P
Published: December 2012

This paper seeks to examine the ideology and theology of the Ananda Marga (Path of Bliss), a new radical Hindu sect of postcolonial India, by comparing its odyssey with an almost radical Christian sect of Reformation Europe, the Anabaptists. Like the Anabaptists, the Ananda Marga began as a movement of the common man. Both were also millennial movements with lay leadership arising as responses to the social, cultural, and economic crises of their respective historical times. Both sought to recover the pristine and authentic ethos of their respective religious traditions and thus antagonized their respective governments. Consequently, both endured persecution but both survived their ordeal by re-forming their ideology and theology under competent leadership to emerge as peaceful, fruitful, and resourceful members of their societies.
Celebration and disillusionment in contemporary India: Narrating the Muslim wedding and its aftermath in Shama Futehally’s Tara Lane and Samina Ali’s Madras on Rainy Days
Authors: Jackson Elizabeth
Published: December 2012

This article examines representations of Muslim weddings and their aftermaths in two contemporary anglophone novels by Indian Muslim women: Shama Futehally’s Tara Lane (1993) and Samina Ali’s Madras on Rainy Days (2004). These two first-person narratives contrast strikingly with each other, thus illustrating the wide diversity of cultural practices even within the same (privileged) class of Indian Muslims. Tara Lane is set in Bombay and Madras on Rainy Days in Hyderabad, with the added element of diasporic influences on the protagonist’s attitudes and perspectives in the latter novel. Each text centres on an arranged marriage, with sharply different attitudes displayed by the protagonists. Tara, in Futehally’s Tara Lane, enters her arranged marriage enthusiastically, considering herself fortunate to be marrying such a desirable young man who seems perfect for her. By contrast, Layla in Ali’s Madras on Rainy Days embarks on her arranged marriage unwillingly, having initially resisted it. Both novels contain strong feminist criticism, with Madras on Rainy Days focusing on patriarchal control of women’s bodies and Tara Lane focusing on women’s exclusion from power within the family and within the economy. Both texts point to the potentially restrictive nature of arranged marriage, but also challenge popular stereotypes of Muslim women in India, suggesting that women are oppressed not by Islam, but by cultural attitudes and practices which are not essentially religious in nature.
Shaping the Urban Renaissance: New-build Luxury Developments in Berlin
Authors: Marquardt Nadine , Füller Henning , Glasze Georg , Pütz Robert
Published: December 2012

Inner-city living is a hot topic in Germany. Policy-makers long for new middle- and upper-class residents; evidence of urban in-flight has been documented by scholars, and debates on reurbanisation are in full swing. This trend has also led to the emergence of a new housing product in German metropolises: high-priced, centrally located and newly built apartment and townhouse developments. In this paper, these luxury developments are analysed as part of a general process of urban restructuring and a focus is on the contradictions inherent to the idea of urbanity taking shape here. Guided by Foucault’s governmentality approach, new luxury developments are understood as a powerful reworking of how the city, its uses and users are imagined and governed. In doing so, the paper aims to show that the concept of governmentality enables a critique of current processes of urban restructuring that may enrich the on-going debates on gentrification.
Conflict and Resilience in an Urban Squatter Settlement in Dili, East Timor
Authors: Scambary James
Published: December 2012

Since the end of the Indonesian occupation in 1999, East Timor’s capital Dili has experienced a continuous rural–urban influx. This urban population growth has been concentrated in clusters of crowded and socially fragmented new squatter settlements, posing profound challenges for informal social control and community cohesion. Such neighbourhoods have continued to suffer from endemic communal tensions and gang violence. Using a case study of an urban squatter settlement in Dili, this paper makes two arguments. First, it is argued that, to engage with these communities and address conflict within them, it is imperative to understand the intricate and dynamic linkages between rural–urban migration, urban settlement patterns and communal violence. Secondly, it is argued here that the profuse variety of non-state groups inhabiting such settlements should be viewed from the context of the migrant experience, as unique forms of community resilience to this challenging environment.
Centrality of Field Action in Social Work Education: A Case for Socio-legal Work
Authors: Dave Anjali , Raghavan Vijay , Solanki Durgesh
Published: December 2012

This article attempts to highlight the role of Field Action Projects (FAPs) and field education for students of social work, the role that institutions of higher education can play in grounding students in critical areas of practice and innovation towards relevant interventions at multiple levels in society. The article is divided into two sections. The first section delineates the historical underpinnings of professional social work education in the country and the importance of field work and field action in social work education. The second section discusses two FAPs in the area of socio-legal practice and its impact on the field, policy and curriculum which Tata Institute of Social Sciences has initiated and developed over the past three decades.
Transforming Clinical Legal Education: An Opening for Dialogue
Authors: Gullapalli Vaidya , Paltrowitz Scott
Published: December 2012

Clinical legal education has the potential to both utilise law students as agents of social change in India and create future lawyers dedicated to social, economic, political and legal justice. However, to serve these ends, the current system of clinical legal education requires a fundamental transformation. This article advocates legal education in which clinical components involve intense action aimed at positively serving traditionally marginalised segments of society and in which social justice principles permeate the entire law school experience. The article thus hopes to spark a conversation about steps to take towards such a transformation by outlining and discussing multiple alternative models and ideas related to a clinical legal education programme.