bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Strange Case of Tax‐Cutting in Sweden
Authors: Gergils Hakan
Published: May 2006

Will Sweden remain the most heavily taxed country in the OECD? Håkan Gergils reviews the current proposals for tax reform by the socialist Minister of Finance, Kjell‐Olof Feldt and the author questions whether the proposed reform will be a step in the right direction.
The Economics of Crime in Britain
Authors: Pyle D.J.
Published: May 2006

What lessons can economics teach about the best method of reducing crime? Dr D.J. Pyle, formerly a Home Office economist, argues that crime rates depend on unemployment, the probability of detection and the severity of punishment.
Value for Money in Science
Authors: Clarke Bryan C.
Published: May 2006

What should be the role of government in research? Professor Bryan Clarke, Professor of Genetics at Nottingham University, argues that the control of scientific research by the government is unlikely to be productive.
Economics at University
Authors:   ‘NGS’
Published: May 2006

What do you do when you have passed ‘A’ Level Economics? In the first of two articles, an anonymous critic takes a light‐hearted view of the teaching of undergraduate economics at university.
The Challenge Awaiting George Bush
Authors: Butler Stuart M.
Published: May 2006

What problems and opportunities face the Bush Administration? Stuart Butler of the Heritage Foundation in Washington, reviews the prospects and urges more privatisation.
Supply‐Side Economics and the Future
Authors: Roberts Paul Craig
Published: May 2006

How will supply‐side economics fare under the new administration? Paul Craig Roberts of the Center for Strategic and International Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, argues that supply‐side economics was the major success of President Reagan but that the new administration may not follow its predecessor's example.
Lessons of the Crash of 1987
Authors: Seeger Charles M.
Published: May 2006

In the light of the Crash of 1987, should the regulation of financial markets be changed? Charles Seeger of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, reviews, amongst others, the Brady Commission report on the working of the American markets and concludes that little good would be done by more regulation.
Denationalised Savings? The Folly of the Capital Bond
Authors: Lund Tim
Published: May 2006

What justification is there for a special Department of National Savings? Tim Lund of Chase Manhattan Securities, argues that the sale of National Savings, including the new Capital Bond, should be privatised.
Workers’ Egalitarianism: ‘Social Contract’ and the Theory of Second‐Best
Authors: Winiecki Jan
Published: May 2006

How egalitarian are workers in eastern Europe? Jan Winiecki of the Institute for Labour Economics in Warsaw, argues that opposition to reform is based on fear that cosmetic reforms will only reinforce the inefficiencies of the current system rather than egalitarianism.
Economics at University II
Authors:   ‘NGS”
Published: May 2006

In part II of his review of economics at university for undergraduates, our anonymous commentator continues his light‐hearted survey of the next step in economics after ‘A’ Level.
Ethics and Politics to the Rescue of Neoclassical Economics?
Authors: Winiecki Jan
Published: May 2006

Why is it so difficult to reform the economies of Eastern Europe? Jan Winiecki, of the Institute of Labour Economics in Warsaw, argues that the decline of moral standards under communism means that reform can only be brought about by people untainted by the old regime.
Do's and Don'ts for Last Minute Revision of Economics ‘A’ Level
Authors: Stokes Roger
Published: May 2006

Are you worried by the prospect of the ‘A’ Level Economics exam? Roger Stokes, Economics Master at Worth School, gives advice to the anxious examination candidate.
Resource Depletion and Third World Development; Is the West Guilty?
Authors: Osterfeld David
Published: May 2006

Is the Third World poor because of the prosperity of the West? David Osterfeld, of St Josephs College at Rensselaer in Indiana, argues that Western countries have become rich because of their open societies. To become rich the poor countries must follow their example.
Structural Change: Toward the 19th Century?
Authors: Winiecki Jan
Published: May 2006

Why do East European economies have such over‐large manufacturing sectors? Jan Winiecki, of the Institute of Labour Economics in Warsaw, argues that this characteristic of 19th century economies is caused by defects in the framework within which industry operates.
Some Virtues of Speculation
Authors: Kasper Wolfgang
Published: May 2006

Why are stock markets and foreign exchange markets so volatile? Professor Wolfgang Kasper, of the University of New South Wales, explains the difference between flow and asset markets and argues that changes in expectations cause the volatility of the latter.
Public Sector Debt Repayment, the Gilts Market, and the Economy
Authors: Wood Geoffrey
Published: May 2006

What is the significance of the budget surplus? Professor Geoffrey Wood, of the City University Business School, claims the Public Sector Debt Repayment and the repayment of the National Debt have advantages for the economy.
Not In My Back Yard
Authors: Stroup Richard L. , Leal Donald R.
Published: May 2006

How can governments solve the problem of ‘Not In My Back Yard’ in finding dumps for nuclear waste? Richard Stroup (left) and Donald R Leal, of the Political Economy Research Center in Montana, claim that there are market solutions which have worked in the United States.
Is Monetarism Dead at last?
Authors: Healey Nigel M.
Published: May 2006

Monetarism has been an essential ingredient of the Thatcher decade. Has it been a successful guide to monetary policy? Nigel Healey, of Leicester University, describes the development of monetarism in Britain in the 1980s and reviews its successes and failures.
The Case for Economic Thought
Authors: Sherman Alfred
Published: May 2006

Does the current state of the British economy provoke a sense of déjà vu? Sir Alfred Sherman, the co‐founder and former Director of Studies at the Centre for Policy Studies, argues that monetarism is not enough.
New Directions in Competition Policy
Authors: Beesley M. E.
Published: May 2006

How will competition policy develop in the 1990s? Michael Beesley, a part‐time member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, explains how competition theory has developed and the likely consequences for policy.
Leveraged Acquisitions and the Market for Corporate Control
Authors: Wright Mike , Thompson Steve , Robbie Ken
Published: May 2006

What is the function of the market for corporate control? Mike Wright and two colleagues outline the advantages of an active market in corporate control and review the consequences of leveraged buyouts.
Budget Prospects: The Problem of the Sterling Balances
Authors: Lewis Stephen
Published: May 2006

Does the balance of payments deficit matter? Stephen Lewis, of Fifth Horseman Publications and UBS Phillips & Drew, suggests that the build‐up in sterling balances provides an ominous background to the budget.
How Well Should We Pay Our Business Leaders?
Authors: Goldsmith Walter
Published: May 2006

How much should businessmen be paid? Walter Goldsmith, the Chairman of Food from Britain argues that the pay of leading businessmen should reflect their performance: excellence is worth paying for — and paying handsomely.
Economic Reform in the Soviet Republics and the Prospects for the Federation
Authors: Illarionov A.
Published: May 2006

Can the Soviet Union survive as one country? A. Illarionov, of Leningrad University, argues that economic reform could lead to a Euro‐Asian free trade area.
Problems of Privatisation in the USSR
Authors: Zabelin A.
Published: May 2006

How easy will it be to reform the Soviet economy? A. Zabelin, of the USSR Trade Mission in Hungary, reviews the difficulties that will have to be surmounted on the way to privatisation and the market economy.
The Case for Free Banking
Authors: Dowd Kevin
Published: May 2006

can the private sector satisfactorily supply monetary services without state support? Kevin Dowd, of the University of Nottingham, argues the case for full privatisation of the monetary system.
Homelessness and the Housing Market
Authors: Ashton Paul
Published: May 2006

Can the problem of homelessness be solved by increasing the number of Shelters? Paul Ashton, of Liverpool University, argues that the homelessness need yet more liberalistion of the housing market.
Shakespeare plc
Authors: Whelan Robert
Published: May 2006

Does the Royal Shakespeare Company require subsidies from the taxpayer? Robert Whelan, a former actor with the RSC, argues that the RSC could survive without subsidy by putting on popular plays and not indulging the vanity of directors.
The Rise and Fall of the South African Industrial Colour Bar
Authors: Gardner John
Published: May 2006

Why was the South African government forced to negotiate with the AN C? John Gardner argues that the apartheid system was in the process of being destroyed by the pace of capitalist economic growth.
Little England's Missed Opportunity
Authors: McGurn William , Simon Julian
Published: May 2006

Can Britain benefit from immigration from Hong Kong? William McGurn and Julian Simon, drawing on experience from America, argue that Britain has much to gain from migrants from Hong Kong.
The Economics and Theology of Giving
Authors: Bracewell‐Milnes Barry
Published: May 2006

What can economics add to the theology of charity? Dr Barry Bracewell‐Milnes explains how charity increases total wealth and explores the relationship between his economic analysis and Christianity.
GATTCHA! protecting our way to a slump
Authors: Lewis Russell
Published: May 2006

Although the GATT negotiations have been saved from collapse they could yet run into the sand. Russell Lewis shows that the danger of a repeat of a 1930s‐style slump is still very real.
mortgage interest tax relief reform
Authors: Wilkinson Roy , Wilkinson Margaret
Published: May 2006

Mortgage interest tax relief is unjustified, say Professor Roy Wilkinson, of the Sheffield University School of Management, and Margaret Wilkinson. They argue that it should be phased out.
trade figures: set fair?
Authors: Parsons Nick
Published: May 2006

Are the trade figures set to improve? Nick Parsons of Union Discount argues that although the figures are likely to improve, a structural deficit is likely to remain.
South‐north migration in Europe today
Authors: Salt John
Published: May 2006

What will be the consequences of immigration from North Africa to the European Community? Dr John Salt, of the Department of Geography at University College, London, argues that the effects will not be limited to the Mediterranean members of the European Community.
an anti‐trust regime for Britain
Authors: Miller Robert
Published: May 2006

Britain needs a complete transformation of its policy towards monopoly. Robert Miller argues that freedom of entry is the vital ingredient of policy for regulating monopolies and public utilities.
limehouse blues
Authors: Phibbs Harry
Published: May 2006

Harry Phibbs interviewed Dr David Owen MP and discovered a friend of the market economy. Dr Owen seemed even more enthusiastic about privatisation than many Conservatives but confessed to little understanding of the market when he first became an MP in 1966.
latin lessons
Authors: Belgranou Eduardo
Published: May 2006

How can the perennial problem of inflation in Latin America be cured? Eduardo Belgrano, a Mexican economist, argues that Latin American governments have always found it difficult to match spending with revenue and have found it easy to resort to the inflation tax. Conventional currency reforms have regularly failed to work and the solution is to adapt Hayek's proposal for competition in currencies.
Why do some students fail ‘A’‐Level?
Authors: Maunder Peter
Published: May 2006

Peter Maunder,‘A’‐Level economics Chief Examiner, reviews the reasons that candidates fail ‘A’‐Level ‐ apart from the obvious.
hayek's constitutionalism
Authors: Barry Norman
Published: May 2006

Hayek's contribution to the analysis of a free society may be his most important achievement, Norman Barry, of Buckingham University, explains how Hayek argued that the malaise in western politics was the result of the politics becoming inextricably involved in the law and the consequent extension of government.
Capital gains tax V. the venture capitalist
Authors: Joy Anthony
Published: May 2006

Does Capital Gains Tax frustrate the venture capitalist? Anthony joy, of CINVen, argues that CGT mesns that individual entreneurs suffer while companies go free of tax.
reflections post‐maastricht
Authors: Minford Patrick
Published: May 2006

Patrick Minford, one of the ‘Liverpool Six’, gives a sceptical view of the Maastricht agreements, but concludes that the terms of monetary treaty could have been worse.
THE NHS REFORMS: from ration‐book collectivism to market socialism
Authors: Green David
Published: May 2006

Could the Conservative government's NHS reforms ever be successful? Dr David Green, of the IEA Health and Welfare Unit, outlines how the reforms should operate but remains sceptical of the ultimate effectiveness.
what's wrong with electricity privatisation
Authors: Lord Rodney
Published: May 2006

Was the privatisation of the British electricity industry misconceived from the start? Rodney Lord, of Privatisation International, out‐lines the errors of judgement that led to the current state of quasi competition.
edward elgar economics
Authors: Elgar Edward
Published: May 2006

Edward Elgar, managing director of publishers Edward Elgar, outlines his publishing plans for the coming year.
barriers to private insurance
Authors: Smith Fred
Published: May 2006

The American insurance industry is shackled by regulations and restrictions on all sides. Fred Smith, of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, assesses the harm done. Could Britain follow?
BRITAIN'S FISCAL POLICY NIGHTMARE
Authors: Durrant Brain
Published: May 2006

What should the Chancellor do about the burgeoning budget deficit or Public Sector Borrowing Requirement. Brian Durrant, of the futures brokers GNI Ltd, outlines the problems posed by a PSBR that could exceed £50bn.
STORM CLOUDS AHEAD
Authors: Coleman David
Published: May 2006

Should the PSBR be the only indicator to keep the Chancellor awake? David Coleman suggests that the deterioration in the Balance of Payments may impose significant limits on Mr Lamont's freedom to manoeuvre.
gary becker – nobel prizewinner
Authors: Shackleton J.R. (Len)
Published: May 2006

Who is Gary Becker and why did he win the 1992 Nobel Prize for economics? J.R. Shackleton, of Westminster University, explains why Gary Becker has earned his high reputation as an economist and gives an outline of his major publications.
harvester Wheatsheaf economics
Authors: Jethi Pradeep
Published: May 2006

Pradeep Jethi outlines Harvester Wheatsheaf's plans for economics books.
the costs of privatisation
Authors: Chown John
Published: May 2006

Has privatisation been too expensive? John Chown, managing director of the tax consultants J.F. Chown, examines the practice of ‘Priority Applicants’ and argues that the cost to the taxpayer has been as much as £2bn.
BRITAIN: privatise the post office
Authors: Senior Ian
Published: May 2006

How can the Post Office be privatised? Ian Senior, of REMIT consultants, explains how Post Office services could be provided by the private sector.
the minister for deregulation
Authors: Phibbs Harry
Published: May 2006

Harry Phibbs interviews the minister with responsibility for deregulation at the DTI, Neil Hamilton MP, and finds him an enthusiastic supporter of free markets.
for whom the road tolls
Authors: Keating Giles
Published: May 2006

How strong is the case for road pricing? Giles Keating, of Credit Suisse First Boston, argues the case for a comprehensive system of road pricing. It would reduce both congestion and the budget deficit by £16·5bn.
training in germany: a dissident view
Authors: Shackleton J.R. (Len) , Lange Thomas
Published: May 2006

The German system of training is often seen as an example for Britain. Len Shackleton and David Lange, of Westminster University, argue that, in fact, it handicaps the German economy.
Prospects for the British Economy
Authors: Martin Bill
Published: May 2006

Bill Martin warns of a twin‐deficit syndrome ‐ budget and trade ‐ leading to a ‘one‐deficit horror’, a collpse of sterling and soaring inflamation.
Emerging Markets Will Curb OECD's Growth
Authors: Minford Patrick
Published: May 2006

World‐wide industrial competition means tougher times for all OECD countries. Britain must continue its supply‐side policies, with low taxes and public spending, and low real interest rates.
ECONOMIC PROSPECTS AND POLICY
Authors: Foley Patrick
Published: May 2006

Patrick Foley agrees with Tim Congdon on the unimportance of the current account and with Patrick Minford on the economy's medium‐term growth prospects.
Aviation and the Pursuit of Contestability
Authors: Barrett Sean D.
Published: May 2006

Pro‐contestability policies are required to promote efficient airlines. The problem is acute in Europe where protectionist policies have led to high‐fare, low‐profit, low‐productivity airlines and a steady loss of market than of world aviation to the low‐cost profitable airlines of the Asia‐Pacific region.
Free‐Market Environmentalism: Can it Save the Planet?
Authors: Jeffreys Kent
Published: May 2006

Private property rights hold the key to pollution prevention and sustainabel resource use.
Regulation of Labour Markets in the European Union
Authors: Siebert Stan
Published: May 2006

EU regulation of labour markets under the Social Charter and Protocol to improve ‘employment rights’ may appear loudable but can prove costly for firms. Mandates will probably make the unskilled more difficult to employ.
The Evidence of History
Authors: Seldon Arthur
Published: May 2006

The historical method of the ‘counter‐factual’ is used in this symposium to shed light on the circumstances in which the welfare state came over time to supplant voluntary private services in education, health, pensions, etc. The fundamental cost of the welfare state is its displacement of these services.
Medical Care Before the NHS
Authors: Green David G.
Published: May 2006

Before 1911 three‐quarters of those covered by the 1911 National Insurance Act were already paying for primary medical care. By 1939 about 60% of acute hospital care was provided by voluntary hospitals. The huge scope of private provision demonstrates that iswas unnecessary for the state to take over medical care.
Housing Without the State
Authors: Ricketts Martin
Published: May 2006

State intervention in housing since rent control was introduced in 1915 has so distorted the pattern of investment that it is difficult to assess how the market might have developed without it. It has been hugely redistributive and massively inefficient.
An Economic Programme for the 1990s
Authors: Congdon Tim
Published: May 2006

Outlines how a refurbished Medium‐Term Financial Stralegy could restore economic stability and remove the necessity for (fallible) economic forecsting by the Treasury.
Unemployment: Subsidies and Minimum Wages
Authors: Walters Alan
Published: May 2006

The author outlines the 1981 ‘Youth Workers Scheme’ he devised, and contends it was both successful and cheap. Minimum wages and wages councils are pernicious, the first ensuring that young people are priced out of hobs and the second leading to the suppression of competition.
Financial Regulation—The Underlying Issues
Authors: Rose Harold
Published: May 2006

Financial regulation has become a growth industry because of the growth of the financial sector and because regulation itself tends to expand when it is seen not to be able to prevent collapse, fraud or other abuses, ‘Public Choice’ sheds light here, and on the costs of regulation.
Disinhibition of somatosensory evoked potential recovery in alcoholics
Authors: Mochizuki H. , Masaki T. , Matsushita S. , Kamakura K. , Motoyoshi K. , Higuchi S.
Published: May 2006

The pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in alcoholics remains unclear. Previous studies suggested that diffuse white matter atrophy is associated with cognitive impairment in alcoholics. To elucidate this issue, the present study evaluated alcoholics with cognitive impairment using the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) recovery method, which is suitable for detecting subtle dysfunction at the cortical level. Subjects comprised 12 alcoholics with mild cognitive impairment [Mild group: Mini Mental State Examination Score (MMSE), ≥24; mean, 27.9 ± 1.6], 12 alcoholics with moderate to severe cognitive impairment (Moderate group: MMSE score, < 24; mean, 21.0 ± 2.5) and 12 normal subjects (Control group). SEP was recorded from the hand sensory area contralateral to the median nerve stimulated at the wrist. Single‐pulse or paired‐pulse stimuli at various interstimulus intervals (10–300 ms) were administered. Recovery functions of N9 (a peripheral nerve component), N20, N20‐P25 and P25‐N33 (cortical components) were studied. N20 recovery curves of both alcoholic groups were less suppressive than those of Controls, and P25‐N33 recovery curves of the Moderate group were more excitatory than those of the Mild or Control groups. A disinhibited recovery pattern of N20 indicates subcortical dysfunction, and a disinhibited pattern of P25‐N33 would be induced by cortical dysfunction. Therefore, subcortical dysfunction indicated by an abnormal N20 recovery pattern may contribute to the early cognitive impairment of alcoholics, whilst the cortical dysfunction indicated by an abnormal P25‐N33 recovery pattern may contribute to the later cognitive impairment of alcoholics.
Über den Niedergang der Kompositionskunst: eine Technisch‐Kritische Untersuchung
Authors: SCHENKER HEINRICH , DRABKIN WILLIAM
Published: May 2006

Towards the end of 1905, while putting the finishing touches to his Harmonielehre, Schenker conceived an essay that would show how the course of music after Beethoven moved essentially in two directions: the first in which the ‘aristocratic’ genius of the classical masters (Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and – in the realm of cyclic composition – Mendelssohn and Brahms) continued to develop according to autonomous musical principles, and a second whereby the emphasis on external associations, or the primacy of the word, gave rise to programmatic music (Berlioz, Liszt) and music drama (Wagner), genres that aimed at a lower musical level and thus appealed more to the uninitiated listener.

Originally entitled Beethoven or Wagner?, and planned as an ‘afterword’ to Harmonielehre, the study eventually took shape as an independent piece; it was typed out in 1906 and revised over the next couple of years. Although it never appeared in print in Schenker's lifetime, the fact that it is referred to periodically throughout his published writings is a sign that it remained dear to his heart, and an important expression of the cause he espoused as a theorist. While the definitive title suggests a pessimistic attitude to the music of his own time (in the critiques of Bruckner, Wolf and Strauss, specific passages from well‐known works are discussed), many valuable insights are also offered into a range of compositions from the Classical‐Romantic era. A large section of the essay is dedicated to close readings of three numbers from Mozart's Don Giovanni; these present a dimension of Schenker's activity ‐ opera criticism ‐not found elsewhere in the published canon.
CAN A GIFT BE WRAPPED? JOHN MILBANK AND SUPERNATURAL SOCIOLOGY
Authors: IZUZQUIZA DANIEL
Published: May 2006

Do secular sciences provide theology with a neutral description of reality, as raw material for theology to reflect upon? Or, on the other side, can theology be considered a full‐blown social theory? What would a ‘supernatural sociology’ imply and look like? This essay addresses these questions following the insights of John Milbank. This British theologian has challenged mainline modern assumptions with his ‘radical orthodoxy’ project, stirring a fruitful debate not exempt from polemical exchanges. This essay offers a presentation of Milbank's position, followed by a detailed and critical analysis of his views. The author then offers a theological framework within which to reconceive Milbank's proposal, extending some of his own claims regarding Karl Barth, Henri de Lubac, and Clodovis Boff. Finally this essay explores the possibilities, the scope, and some examples of what a ‘supernatural sociology’ might look like.
Abnormal Blink Reflex Studies in a Patient With Supraorbital Neuralgia
Authors: Cohen AS , Gantenbein AR , Goadsby PJ
Published: May 2006

A 44-year-old female with gabapentin-responsive supraorbital neuralgia is presented. She had pre- and post-treatment nociceptive-specific blink reflexes carried out which tracked the good clinical outcome from treatment. The results of the electrophysiological testing imply some central component to the pathophysiology of supra-orbital neuralgia.
British sociology and public intellectuals: consumer society and imperial decline
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: May 2006

The following is the lecture given for the BJS 2005 Public Sociology Debate given at the London School of Economics and Political Science on ll October 2005

This lecture on the character of British sociology provides a pretext for a more general inquiry into public intellectual life in postwar Britain. The argument put forward falls into several distinctive sections. First, British social science has depended heavily on the migration of intellectuals, especially Jewish intellectuals who were refugees from fascism. Second, intellectual innovation requires massive, disruptive, violent change. Third, British sociology did nevertheless give rise to a distinctive tradition of social criticism in which one can argue there were (typically home‐grown) public intellectuals. The main theme of their social criticism was to consider the constraining and divisive impact of social class, race and gender on the enjoyment of expanding social citizenship. Fourth, postwar British sociology came to be dominated by the analysis of an affluent consumer society. Finally, the main failure of British sociology in this postwar period was the absence of any sustained, macro‐sociological analysis of the historical decline of Britain as a world power in the twentieth century.
Re‐counting ‘illiteracy’: literacy skills in the sociology of social inequality
Authors: Payne Geoff
Published: May 2006

Recent media reports have repeated claims that there are very large numbers of illiterate people in Britain, seven million adults being the most common figure. The moral panic this engendered has helped to justify educational initiatives and greater public spending on basic skills. However, a closer investigation of definitions and measurements of illiteracy in major national studies reveals the peculiarity of this social construction of illiteracy. Not least, it is argued that the numbers actually suffering significant literacy deficits are much lower than reported. Partly because British sociology has given literacy little attention (despite the advent of the ‘New Literacy Studies’), official accounts of illiteracy remain unduly ‘normative’, seriously under‐estimating cultural differences like gender, ethnicity and class. A new classification of low literacy skills is proposed, with the intention of demonstrating connections with structural accounts of social inequality and sociological theory. Low levels of literacy skill remain important because they are related to other forms of social inequality, even when the number of people disadvantaged in this way is much smaller than previously claimed.
Material civilization: things and society
Authors: Dant Tim
Published: May 2006

This paper argues that although classical sociology has largely overlooked the importance of social relations with the material world in shaping the form of society, Braudel's concept of ‘material civilization’ is a useful way to begin to understand the sociological significance of this relationship. The limitations of Braudel's historical and general concept can be partially overcome with Elias's analysis of the connection between ‘technization’ and ‘civilization’ that allows for both a civilizing and a de‐civilizing impact of emergent forms of material relation that both lengthen and shorten the chains of interdependence between the members of a society. It is suggested that the concept of the ‘morality of things’ employed by a number of commentators is useful in summarizing the civilizing effects of material objects and addressing their sociological significance. From the sociology of consumption the idea of materiality as a sign of social relationships can be drawn, and from the sociology of technology the idea of socio‐technical systems and actor‐networks can contribute to the understanding of material civilization. It is argued that the concept of ‘material capital’ can usefully summarize the variable social value of objects but to understand the complexity of material civilization as it unfolds in everyday life, an analysis of ‘material interaction’ is needed. Finally the paper suggests some initial themes and issues apparent in contemporary society that the sociological study of material civilization might address; the increased volume, functional complexity and material specificity of objects and the increased social complexity, autonomy and substitutability that is entailed. A theory of ‘material civilization’ is the first step in establishing a sociology of objects.
Life‐long protein malnutrition in the rat (Rattus norvegicus) results in altered patterns of craniofacial growth and smaller individuals
Authors: Lobe Shannon L. , Bernstein Marica C. , German Rebecca Z.
Published: May 2006

Dietary protein is a limiting factor in mammalian growth, significantly affecting the non‐linear trajectories of skeletal growth. Young females may be particularly vulnerable to protein malnutrition if the restriction is not lifted before they become reproductive. With such early malnutrition, limited amino acids would be partitioned between two physiological objectives, successful reproduction vs. continued growth. Thus, the consequences of protein malnutrition could affect more than one generation. However, few studies have quantified these cross‐generational effects. Our objective was to test for differences in skeletal growth in a second generation of malnourished rats compared with rats malnourished only post‐weaning, the first generation and with controls. In this longitudinal study we modelled the growth of 22 craniofacial measurements with the logistic Gompertz equation, and tested for differences in the equation's parameters among the diet groups. The female offspring of post‐weaning malnourished dams did not catch up in size to the first generation or to controls, although certain aspects of their craniofacial skeleton were less affected than others. The second generation's growth trajectories resembled the longer and slower growth of the first malnourished generation. There was a complex interaction between developmental processes and early nutritional environment, which affected variation of adult size.
Identification and location of bone‐forming cells within cartilage canals on their course into the secondary ossification centre
Authors: Blumer Michael J. F. , Schwarzer Christoph , Pérez Maria Teresa , Konakci Kadriye Zeynep , Fritsch Helga
Published: May 2006

Osteoblasts and osteocytes derive from the same precursors, and osteocytes are terminally differentiated osteoblasts. These two cell types are distinguishable by their morphology, localization and levels of expression of various bone cell‐specific markers. In the present study on the chicken femur we investigated the properties of the mesenchymal cells within cartilage canals on their course into the secondary ossification centre (SOC). We examined several developmental stages after hatching by means of light microscopy, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Cartilage canals appeared as extensions of the perichondrium into the developing distal epiphysis and they were arranged in a complex network. Within the epiphysis an SOC was formed and cartilage canals penetrated into it. In addition, they were successively incorporated into the SOC during its growth in the radial direction. Thus, the canals provided this centre with mesenchymal cells and vessels. It should be emphasized that regression of cartilage canals could never be observed in the growing bone. Outside the SOC the mesenchymal cells of the canals expressed type I collagen and periostin and thus these cells had the characteristics of preosteoblasts. Periostin was also expressed by numerous chondrocytes. Within the SOC the synthesis of periostin was down‐regulated and the majority of osteoblasts were periostin negative. Furthermore, osteocytes did not secret this protein. Tissue‐non‐specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) staining was only detectable where matrix vesicles were present. These vesicles were found around the blind end of cartilage canals within the SOC where newly formed osteoid started to mineralize. The vesicles originated from osteoblasts as well as from late osteoblasts/preosteocytes and thus TNAP was only expressed by these cells. Our results provide evidence that the mesenchymal cells of cartilage canals express various bone cell‐specific markers depending on their position. We suggest that these cells differentiate from preosteoblasts into osteocytes on their course into the SOC and consider that cartilage canals are essential for normal bone development within the epiphysis. Furthermore, we propose that the expression of periostin by preosteoblasts and several chondrocytes is required for adhesion of these cells to the extracellular matrix.
Phosphoinositide regulation of neuroexocytosis: adding to the complexity
Authors: Osborne Shona L. , Wen Peter J. , Meunier Frederic A.
Published: May 2006

Exocytosis of neurotransmitter containing vesicles supports neuronal communication. The importance of molecular interactions involving specific lipids has become progressively more evident and the lipid composition of both the synaptic vesicle and the pre‐synaptic plasma membrane at the active zone has significant functional consequences for neurotransmitter release. Several classes of lipids have been implicated in exocytosis including polyunsaturated fatty acids and phosphoinositides. This minireview will focus on recent developments regarding the role of phosphoinositides in neurosecretion.
Cell and agonist‐specific regulation of genes for matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors by primary glial cells
Authors: Crocker Stephen J. , Milner Richard , Pham‐Mitchell Ngan , Campbell Iain L.
Published: May 2006

An imbalance in the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) : tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP) ratio may be associated with tissue injury. Here, we studied the regulation of TIMP and MMP gene expression in primary glial cultures to ascertain the factors involved in the regulation of these genes in conditions of inflammatory neuropathology. Astrocytes were found to basally express TIMP‐1 and TIMP‐3 mRNA while microglia expressed only TIMP‐2 mRNA. TIMP‐4 mRNA was not detectable in either cell type. Treatment with interferon‐α (IFN‐α), IFN‐γ, interleukin‐3 (IL‐3), IL‐6 or tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) did not alter expression of the TIMP genes. However, in astrocytes, but not in microglia, serum, IL‐1β or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) evoked a dose‐ and time‐dependent increase in TIMP‐1 mRNA and a coincident down‐regulation of the TIMP‐3 gene. Astrocytes were found to express mRNA constitutively for MMPs ‐3, ‐11 and ‐14. In contrast, microglia expressed only MMP‐12 mRNA under basal conditions. IL‐1β enhanced MMP‐3 mRNA levels while LPS increased the MMP‐3, ‐9, ‐12, ‐13 and ‐14 mRNAs. Our findings reveal that regulatory control of TIMP and MMP gene expression by glial cells is agonist‐ and cell‐type specific, and suggest that innate immune signals govern the temporal and spatial expression patterns of TIMP and MMP genes in neuroinflammatory conditions of the CNS.
POLITICAL ORIENTATIONS AND PARTICIPATION IN DEMONSTRATIONS AMONG SWEDISH STUDENTS*
Authors: PETERSSON OLOF
Published: May 2006

The attitudinal antecedents of participation in political demonstrations are analyzed on the basis of a survey of 1.723 students in Göteborg, Sweden, in 1969. Highest participation rate is found in the strong left group, lowest in the strong right category (using a self‐placement indicator). It is found that sudden change in basic value preference produces increased propensity to engage in political demonstrations. Students most likely to take part in demonstrations are those combining strong leftist views with high system distrust. The association between distrust and participation, however, turns out to be rather complex because of a curvilinear relationship between distrust and left–right placement. Furthermore, the strength of the link between propensity to engage in demonstrations and actual participation is a function of left–right position as well as system distrust.
POLITICAL PARTIES, SOCIETIES AND REGIMES IN EUROPE: SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE LITERATURE*
Authors: URWIN DEREK W.
Published: May 2006

Many studies of European party systems have not taken into account fully the complexity and richness of party life on the continent. We need more multi‐level, multi‐dimensional analyses within a cross‐national framework in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the relationships between parties, social structure and regimes. The discussion of some of the lacunae in the existing literature and of various ways of looking at political parties‐emphasizes that because of the large number of alternative approaches available to the political sociologist, there is no single source of data, unit or level of analysis suitable for considering all facets of the subject. By crossing back and forth between levels or units of analysis, we may well gain in precision and detail what might be lost in methodological purity.
THE EMERGENCE OF RADICAL SOCIALISM: STRUCTURAL VS. CULTURAL EXPLANATIONS
Authors: LAFFERTY WILLIAM M.
Published: May 2006

The relationship between ecological structures and political radicalism is a long‐pursued but little‐systematized topic among political sociologists. Only recently are we becoming aware of the fact that many of the difficulties in this area actually arise from metascientific preconceptions rather than from the processes themselves. Erik Allardt's analyses of radicalism in Finland are perhaps the best illustration of both the promise and problems of political ecology, and his theories, methods, and metaperspectives are used here as the backdrop for analysing Norwegian data.

One of Allardt's more recent six‐fold models is applied to the well‐known emergence of Norwegian radicalism between 1900 and 1921. Factor analysis, incorporating both synchronic and diachronic indicators, is used to test the model and the results show a considerable amount of success in predicting the structural basis of radical socialism. Predictors as to moderate socialism prove to be more problematical, however, and it is in the context of this problem that the general relationship between “structural” and “cultural” explanations is taken up. A deeper analysis of the Norwegian case leads to the conclusion that both types of explanation are, or at least should be, complementary turns of a more fundamental research dialectic.
A STRUCTURAL‐FUNCTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS OF UNICAMERAL AND BICAMERAL PARLIAMENTS*
Authors: COTTA MAURIZIO
Published: May 2006

What is the significance of a bicameral system in the organization of parliamentary structures? This is the basic question with which this essay is concerned. Its scope is limited, however, to proposing a theoretical framework for the comparative investigation of the phenomenon. The approach is structural‐functional. In order to clarify the choice between the unicameral and the bicameral solution, a general survey is conducted of the many different structural dimensions of legislatures, and a structural typology of parliamentary assemblies, which provides finer distinctions between unicameral and bicameral parliaments, is outlined. The next step is the analysis of the functional aspects of the problem. The essay surveys the major parliamentary functions and then attempts to define a number of criteria for evaluating performances. The final step is the elaboration of a set of hypotheses concerning the structural‐functional relationships that appear both plausible and theoretically interesting. Such relationships may be of a quantitative or qualitative nature. Moreover, they may be either particular or general in their scope, i.e. they may be focused on single functions or on the general features of the political system.
DYNAMIC FACTORS IN GOVERNMENT COALITION FORMATION*
Authors: LAVER MICHAEL
Published: May 2006

This note attempts to add a historical dimension to formal theories of coalition formation. It is based on the electoral success of previous government coalition members. The modified theories are tested using data collected for a previous article, “Government Coalitions in Western Europe.” Furthermore, the hypothesis that coalitions correctly predicted by the simple theories also last longer is tested, using the same data.
EXPLORATIONS IN UNORTHODOX POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR: A SCALE TO MEASURE “PROTEST POTENTIAL”*
Authors: MARSH ALAN
Published: May 2006

A method of measuring attitudes towards examples of unorthodox behaviour is developed, found to be reliable and to possess considerable population and construct validity when deployed among a target‐group sample of students, young workers, older workers, and older middle‐class groups. The structure of attitudes towards unorthodox political behaviour is examined in detail and is found to be characterised by a powerful unidimensional factor of “positive‐to‐negative affect” traversed by strongly related dimensions like approval, justification, behavioural intentions, and even evaluative dimensions like “effectiveness”. A model (akin to Fishbein's formulation) for combining these dimensions into a single measure of “Protest Potential” is derived from regression analysis.

The relationships between this new measure and more familiar socio‐political attitudes are examined and some substantive conclusions are indicated, in particular, the role of politicised personal dissatisfaction.
THE NATURE OF THE CONCEPT OF POWER
Authors: ALLISON LINCOLN
Published: May 2006

The tests of successful conceptual analysis are (1) fidelity to the working of natural language; (2) precise criteria for the application of a concept; and (3) operational applicability to political situations.

Power can be shown to be a partially‐quantifiable concept with logical properties similar to those of wealth and intelligence and radically different from those of height and specific gravity. For this reason, comparisons and measurements of power cannot be used except for making rather general and obvious comments about political situations. The prime difficulty is the need to study power in terms of intentions, which involve considerable ambiguity even within a given “scope” and “domain”.

The logical properties (and consequent limitations) of the concept of power are often ignored because power is an “obsessive” concept in our culture. That is to say, whatever its logical inadequacies as a concept, we nevertheless want to talk about it.
ARMS RACE MODELS: WHERE DO WE STAND?
Authors: LUTERBACHER URS
Published: May 2006

This review article is an attempt to analyze the econometric approach to the question of mathematical arms race models. It tries to show that the major contributions of this perspective are its data analysis techniques which lead to the estimation of the relevant parameters in the arms interaction equations. Some weaknesses of these statistical procedures are exposed. The most important one is the inability of these methods to give reliable estimates for parameters of unstable arms race systems.
CONFESSIONAL ATTACHMENT AND ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR IN THE NETHERLANDS*
Authors: MILLER WARREN E. , STOUTHARD PHILIP C.
Published: May 2006

The analysis presented in this paper seeks to outline some of the political consequences of a general decline in the place of the church and religious faith in peoples’ daily lives in the Netherlands. It juxtaposes a reconstruction of religious origins or backgrounds against current assessment of the strength of confessional attachments. Erosion of traditional ties to the church of one's early loyalties is depicted as accompanied by withdrawal from formal participation in the electoral process. Interest in politics and informal participation remain high, but the rejection of institutionalized religion is associated with what appears to be an active rejection of institutionalized politics. For those who do remain in the active electorate, a continued decline in confessional attachment appears to forecast a continued decline in confessional party vote.

Insofar as change in the future involves general depillarization, or decreased political relevance of the church for all degrees of confessional attachment, the political beneficiaries may be the parties of center and right as well as left. An across‐the‐board drop in level of confessional voting would mean that many voters with strong confessional attachments would be turning to the secular parties and in doing so – if the recent past is any guide – would turn no more often to the left than to the other options open to them. However, insofar as the future brings a decline in confessional attachment without a diminution in the relevance of confessional attachment for confessional voters, the parties of the left will benefit disproportionately as the newly deconfessionalized turn away from the parties of tradition and seek out the parties of change.
COGNITIVE STRUCTURE, UNCERTAINTY, AND THE RATIONALITY OF POLITICAL ACTION: A SYNTHESIS OF ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES*
Authors: LEHNER FRANZ
Published: May 2006

This article proposes a social‐psychological modification to the economic theory of politics, in particular to the theory of Anthony Downs. Its focal point is the relationship between political behavior and uncertainty. The social‐psychological modification permits a more systematic examination of the individual processing of information and its consequences for individual and collective behavior, and is not concerned with the entire field of application of the economic theory of politics. The argument is presented theoretically, and no empirical evidence is offered in support of the proposed modification.
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND URBANISM IN EUROPE: SOME LESSONS FROM THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE*
Authors: MCKAY DAVID H.
Published: May 2006

The main research emphases of American political science research on urban politics are outlined, and it is concluded that many American conceptual frameworks have been determined by American political culture and by the nature of urban development in the U.S. This research has only limited utility for Europeans because in many important respects European urban development is distinctive, and because where North American and European urbanism do have similarities, American political science studies have generally not generated theories which are useful for guiding comparative research.
STRATEGIC CAMPAIGN BEHAVIOUR FOR ELECTORS AND PARTIES: THE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY ELECTION OF 1973
Authors: LAVER MICHAEL
Published: May 2006

The article attempts to show how the application of a “rational choice” model of electoral decision making to the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly Election campaign points to some need for a reorientation of this approach, although there is no basic reason why the model cannot be made to work in a seemingly “irrational” situation. Aspects of strategic behaviour other than simple ideological manoeuvring are discussed and related to the campaign itself. These include strategic use of information and resources. Finally the actual vote transfers are used to test the proposition that some degree of rationality did exist in voter choice at the election.