bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric Discounting in Intertemporal Choice
Authors: Weber E.U. , Johnson E.J. , Milch K.F. , Chang H. , Brodscholl J.C. , Goldstein D.G.
Published: June 2007

People are impatient and discount future rewards more when they are asked to delay consumption than when they are offered the chance to accelerate consumption. The three experiments reported here provide a process-level account for this asymmetry, with implications for designing decision environments that promote less impulsivity. In Experiment 1, a thought-listing procedure showed that people decompose discount valuation into two queries. Whether one considers delayed or accelerated receipt of a gift certificate influences the order in which memory is queried to support immediate versus delayed consumption, and the order of queries affects the relative number of patient versus impatient thoughts. Relative frequency and clustering of impatient thoughts predicts discounting and mediates the discounting asymmetry. Experiment 2 implicated query order causally: When participants listed reasons for immediate versus delayed consumption in the order used spontaneously in acceleration and delay decisions, the discounting asymmetry was replicated; reversing the order in which reasons were listed eliminated the asymmetry. The results of Experiment 3, which used an implicit-memory task, support a memory-interference account of the effect of query order.
Explaining European Union Adjustments in Sweden's Central Administration
Authors: Persson Thomas
Published: June 2007

Existing theories on why administrative reorganizations take place point in opposite directions. This article assesses which logic of action provides the most accurate characterization of reform activities in Sweden's central administration since accession to the European Union (EU) in 1995. In order to explain reorganization activities, two explanatory models are specified: a Rational Actor Model (RAM) and a Normative Organization Model (NOM). The results reveal that the Social Democratic government has been committed to realizing a comprehensive reorganization of the Government Offices. More powers have been concentrated in the Prime Minister's Office, while, for instance, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has lost many of its previous functions. This review of the machinery of government has been predominantly a rational activity with the explicit purpose of strengthening coordination of EU policy between ministries. Nonetheless, the reform activities involve normative considerations and demonstrate that the theoretical cleavage that has nurtured the debate between rational choice theorists and its opponents has been exaggerated.
Adapting the Optimal Job Search Model for Active Labour Market Policy
Authors: Boys Richard J. , Dolton Peter J. , Walker Neil R.
Published: June 2007

The structural theoretical framework for the analysis of duration of unemployment has been the optimal job search model. Recent advances in computational techniques in Bayesian inference now facilitate the analysis of incomplete data sets and the recovery of structural model parameters. The paper uses these methods on a UK data set of the long-term unemployed to illustrate how the optimal job search model can be adapted to model the effects of an active labour market policy. Without such an adaptation our conclusion is that the simple optimal job search model may not fit empirical unemployment data and could thus lead to a misspecified econometric model and incorrect parameter estimates.
Statistical Issues in First-In-Man Studies
Authors: Senn Stephen , Amin Dipti , Bailey Rosemary A. , Bird Sheila M. , Bogacka Barbara , Colman Peter , Garrett Andrew , Grieve Andrew , Lachmann Peter
Published: June 2007

Preface

In March 2006 a first-in-man trial took place using healthy volunteers involving the use of monoclonal antibodies. Within hours the subjects had suffered such adverse effects that they were admitted to intensive care at Northwick Park Hospital. In April 2006 the Secretary of State for Health announced the appointment of Professor (now Sir) Gordon Duff, who chairs the UK's Commission on Human Medicines, to chair a scientific expert group on phase 1 clinical trials. The group reported on December 7th, 2006 ( Expert Scientific Group on Clinical Trials, 2006a). Clinical trials have a well-established regulatory basis both in the UK and worldwide. Trials have to be approved by the regulatory authority and are subject to a detailed protocol concerning, among other things, the study design and statistical analyses that will form the basis of the evaluation. In fact, a cornerstone of the regulatory framework is the statistical theory and methods that underpin clinical trials. As a result, the Royal Statistical Society established an expert group of its own to look in detail at the statistical issues that might be relevant to first-in-man studies. The group mainly comprised senior Fellows of the Society who had expert knowledge of the theory and application of statistics in clinical trials. However, the group also included an expert immunologist and clinicians to ensure that the interface between statistics and clinical disciplines was not overlooked. In addition, expert representation was sought from Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (PSI), an organization with which the Royal Statistical Society has very close links. The output from the Society's expert group is contained in this report. It makes a number of recommendations directed towards the statistical aspects of clinical trials. As such it complements the report by Professor Duff's group and will, I trust, contribute to a safer framework for first-in-man trials in the future. Tim Holt (President, Royal Statistical Society)
The Teaching of Statistics in Uk Universities
Authors: Smith T. M. F. , Staetsky L.
Published: June 2007

The project on the teaching of statistics in UK universities has two phases. In phase 1 various data sources are explored and the Directory of Academic Statisticians is identified as the most reliable source of data on statistics teaching staff. The number of staff in core mathematical science groups peaked in 1996 and has declined since then. The decline is related to research assessment exercise score. Phase 2 is a survey of university groups that identify with the discipline of statistics within the mathematical sciences and which are the key groups for determining the future supply of statisticians. These groups can be categorized as strong, marginal or weak, depending on their recent history and perceived prospects. This categorization is used to make projections of staff numbers in 2010. A decline of between 7% and 22% is expected. The position in medical statistics is stable. Conclusions are drawn in the final section on the basis of the survey returns and the analysis of the Directory of Academic Statisticians data.
Marital Disruption and Economic Well-Being: a Comparative Analysis
Authors: Aassve Arnstein , Betti Gianni , Mazzuco Stefano , Mencarini Letizia
Published: June 2007

Though there is a considerable literature concerned with the economic consequences of marital breakdown, there is still substantial disagreement in terms of its magnitude. One of the major problems underlying this debate is how economic well-being is defined. We implement several measures of well-being of monetary and multidimensional nature by using data from the European Community Household Panel. Another issue in this literature concerns selection bias of divorcing couples. We tackle this issue by using a propensity score matching technique combined with a difference-in-differences estimator. Results confirm the importance of the definition of well-being. We find a strong gender bias when using monetary measures but a considerably lower bias, and for some countries non-existent, when using non-monetary indices.
The Effect of Frequency of Input‐Enhancements on Word Learning and Text Comprehension
Authors: Rott Susanne
Published: June 2007

Research on second language lexical development during reading has found positive effects for word frequency, the provision of glosses, and elaborative word processing. However, findings have been inconclusive regarding the effect of such intervention tasks on long‐term retention. Likewise, few studies have looked at the cumulative effect of interventions on word learning or text comprehension. This investigation sought to assess the effect of increased frequency of target words (TWs) comparing lexical gain of words that occurred once (F1) or four times (F4) in the input passage. The study further investigated the combined effect of frequency (F4) and semantic or visual enhancements. It compared the following reading conditions: (a) TWs were glossed four times in the text (four‐gloss: 4G); (b) TWs were first glossed, then retrieved in the first language, and bolded twice (gloss‐retrieval: GR); and (c) TWs were first glossed and then bolded three times (gloss‐bolding: GB). In addition, the study assessed the effect of these interventions on long‐term retention (4–6 weeks) of lexical knowledge and on text comprehension. Findings revealed that the GR and 4G reading conditions resulted in more productive word gain than the GB condition or when readers encountered a TW only once. Repeated visual enhancements seemed to have no effect on strengthening word encoding. The comprehension of main ideas was highest when the TW was glossed four times followed by the gloss‐bolding reading condition and the gloss‐retrieval task.
Word Family Size and French‐Speaking Children's Segmentation of Existing Compounds
Authors: Nicoladis Elena , Krott Andrea
Published: June 2007

The family size of the constituents of compound words, or the number of compounds sharing the constituents, affects English‐speaking children's compound segmentation. This finding is consistent with a usage‐based theory of language acquisition, whereby children learn abstract underlying linguistic structure through their experience with particular words. The family‐size effect is particularly strong for the modifier or the leftmost element. The present study tested whether the effect of family size also holds for left‐headed compounds as in French (e.g., chef de police“chief of police”) and whether the effect is due to headedness or left‐to‐right processing. Twenty‐eight French‐speaking children between 3;5 and 5;3 were asked to explain the meaning of existing compounds with constituents of varying family size. The children were more likely to mention a constituent when it came from a large family than a small family, suggesting that children's segmentation of compounds might be facilitated by analogy with existing compounds. Furthermore, as in the previous English study, children mentioned modifiers more often than heads, showing their sensitivity to the semantic roles of the constituents, rather than left‐to‐right processing.
Role of Phonological and Morphological Awareness in L2 Oral Word Reading
Authors: Schiff Rachel , Calif Sharon
Published: June 2007

In this study, 57 fifth‐grade native Hebrew speakers performed orthographic‐phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and oral word reading tasks in both Hebrew (first language [L1]) and English (second language [L2]). The results of the language‐specific task scores in the two languages reflect, with certain qualifications, participants' L1 proficiency and the language proximity of particular language features. The more similar the language feature (linear morphology), the more positive the cross‐language influence; conversely, the less similar the language feature (phonology), the less positive the influence. Hebrew (L1) language‐specific task scores related to English (L2) word reading. In addition, Hebrew (L1) and English (L2) word reading scores were only related when Hebrew orthographic‐phonological and/or morphological awareness was low. In contrast, when the (L1) Hebrew orthographic‐phonological and morphological awareness scores were high, there was no correlation between Hebrew and English word reading.
Development of English Skills Need Not Suffer as a Result of Immersion: Grades 1 and 2 Writing Assessment in a Korean/English Two‐Way Immersion Program
Authors: Bae Jungok
Published: June 2007

A long‐time detractor of immersion education has been the concern that a substantial proportion of teaching in and about a language other than English might potentially lead to irreparable damage to immersion students' development in English and, hence, their ability to function in an English‐dominant society. The assessment in this article, however, indicates that the English language development of immersion students should not be a source of concern. Specifically, this study evaluates narrative English writing skills (coherence, grammar, content, and text length) evidenced by two groups in the Korean/English Two‐Way Immersion Program during an early phase of elementary immersion (K to grade 2) in the United States: One group consists of Korean‐American second‐generation children and the other consists of English‐dominant non‐Korean‐American students. The results show that the English writing skills are similar among the three second‐grade groups in the experiment: the two immersion groups and the English‐proficient students from typical all‐English classes. The results indicate that comparable English‐writing skills show up as early as the second grade (i.e., after 3 years of two‐way immersion education starting from kindergarten). Additionally, the second‐graders are found to perform significantly better than the first graders. The results of the study increase our understanding of immersion students' English development in light of the following unique features of this research: the less typical academic language combination (Korean/English), the study of writing development in earlier school grades, and the testing procedure developed and used.
Acquisition of Literacy in Bilingual Children: A Framework for Research
Authors: Bialystok Ellen
Published: June 2007

Much of the research that contributes to understanding how bilingual children become literate is not able to isolate the contribution of bilingualism to the discussion of literacy acquisition for these children. This article begins by identifying three areas of research that are relevant to examining literacy acquisition in bilinguals, explaining the contribution of each, and associating each type of research with a skill required by monolingual children in becoming literate. Three prerequisite skills for the acquisition of literacy are competence with the oral language, understanding of symbolic concepts of print, and establishment of metalinguistic awareness. A review of the literature explores the extent to which these skills that influence literacy acquisition in monolinguals develop differently for bilingual children. The conclusion is that the relation between bilingualism and the development of each of the three skills is different, sometimes indicating an advantage (concepts of print), sometimes a disadvantage (oral language competence), and sometimes little difference (metalinguistic concepts) for bilingual children. Therefore, bilingualism is clearly a factor in children's development of literacy, but the effect of that factor is neither simple nor unitary.

Since the publication of this article, our research has continued to explore the themes set out in this framework and provided more detail for the description of how bilingualism affects the acquisition of literacy. Two important advances in this research are the finding that some aspects of reading ability, notably phonological awareness, are rooted in general cognitive mechanisms and transfer easily across languages, whereas others, such as decoding, are more language dependent and language‐specific and need to be relearned with each new writing system (Bialystok, Luk, & Kwan, 2005). Second, writing systems and the differences between them have a greater impact on children's acquisition of literacy than previously believed. Not surprisingly, this relation has been found for emerging ability with phonological awareness (Bialystok, McBride‐Chang, & Luk, 2005) but, more surprisingly, has recently been shown to have a subtle influence on children's emerging concepts of print (Bialystok & Luk, in press).

The interpretation that bilingualism must be considered in terms of both advantages and disadvantages has also been pursued in studies of cognitive and linguistic processing in adults. Recent research has shown that adult bilinguals display disadvantages on tasks measuring lexical retrieval and fluency (Michael & Gollan, 2005) but advantages on tasks assessing cognitive control of attention (Bialystok, Craik, Klein, & Viswanathan, 2004). This approach leads to a more detailed and, ultimately, more accurate description of how bilingualism affects cognitive performance.
Inhibition or Compensation? A Multidimensional Comparison of Reading Processes in Dutch and English
Authors: Stevenson Marie , Schoonen Rob , de Glopper Kees
Published: June 2007

This study examined two competing hypotheses about second language reading processes: the inhibition hypothesis and the compensation hypothesis. Although the ideas expressed in these hypotheses have been reiterated in the literature, previous to this study, they had seldom been investigated systematically. The inhibition hypothesis states that in foreign language reading, the lack of fluent linguistic processes inhibits the amount of attention devoted to conceptual processes (e.g., Koda, 1996; Segalowitz, Watson, & Segalowitz, 1995). In contrast, the compensation hypothesis states that readers in a foreign language are able to skirt around comprehension problems by actually devoting more attention to global, conceptual reading processes.

Using the think‐aloud method, we compared the reading strategies of 22 Dutch high school students in Dutch (their first language [L1]) and English (their foreign language [FL]). Whereas previous studies have confined themselves to grouping strategies into categories along a single dimension, the present study used a three‐dimensional classification scheme that entails the following: Orientation of Processing (i.e., whether strategies are directed toward content or language); Type of Processing (i.e., whether strategies involve regulating the reading process, processing the meaning of the text, or rereading the text); and linguistic Domain of Processing (i.e., whether strategies are directed toward text elements at levels below, at, or above the clause). This multidimensional perspective allowed a comparison of reading strategies in the L1 and FL to be made with notable precision. By separating distinctions that were conflated in previous studies, we provide a greater degree of theoretical clarity concerning the nature of L1 and FL reading processes.

The findings of the study call into question whether either the inhibition hypothesis or the compensation hypothesis provides an adequate representation of FL reading processes—at least in the context examined. On the one hand, there was little evidence that readers focused less on global text content in the FL. On the other hand, there was no evidence that readers compensated for language problems by focusing more on global text content in English. Instead, the findings suggest a model of FL reading processes in which readers are able to compensate for language problems by focusing attention on them, without this extra focus on linguistic processes necessarily being detrimental to global reading processes.
Commonalities and Differences in Word Identification Skills Among Learners of English as a Second Language
Authors: Wang Min , Koda Keiko
Published: June 2007

This study examined word identification skills between two groups of college students with different first language (L1) backgrounds (Chinese and Korean) learning to read English as a second language (ESL). Word identification skills were tested in a naming experiment and an auditory category judgment task. Both groups of ESL learners demonstrated faster and more accurate naming performance on high‐frequency words than low‐frequency words and faster and more accurate naming performance on regular words than exception words. Moreover, for both groups, the difference in naming accuracies between regular and exception words was more pronounced for low‐frequency words than for high‐frequency words. An L1 effect was observed: The Korean students were overall more accurate than were the Chinese students in naming all categories of words. Furthermore, the Korean students showed a higher percentage of regularization errors in naming low‐frequency exception words than did Chinese students. The Korean students were also more accurate and faster in auditory meaning retrieval than were the Chinese students.

 These findings contribute to current knowledge about whether learning to read a second language (L2) involves universal or language‐specific processes. Our findings suggest that L2 readers with different L1 orthographic backgrounds engage in both universal and language‐specific processes. On the one hand, properties of the L2 writing system affect L2 processing similarly across learners irrespective of L1 backgrounds. On the other hand, L1 reading experiences also come into play in L2 reading. Particularly, systematic differences exist in L2 processing among learners with alphabetic and nonalphabetic L1 backgrounds, as would be predicted from crossinguistic analyses. We argue for an interactive view of L2 reading. The properties of both L1 and L2 interact with one another, jointly contributing to L2 reading processes.
Sustaining economic expansion in Pakistan in an era of energy shortfalls: growth options to 20351
Authors: Looney Robert
Published: June 2007

Pakistan's recent economic acceleration together with rapid rates of population growth is having a significant impact on the country's energy supply/demand balances. Energy supplies in turn affect the pace and pattern of the country's economic expansion. Drawing on the empirically‐based complex links between energy and the economy, several alternative scenarios of growth and energy needs are developed in an attempt to answer several key questions. In particular, what are some of the key interrelationships between sources of energy demand and supply? What are the economic growth consequences of alternative energy availabilities and, in turn, how do these growth patterns affect the subsequent energy supply and demand patterns? What energy strategies are suggested by the interconnection between the country growth requirements and energy needs? Are these significantly modified under rising or falling energy prices? Based on this analysis, several guidelines are drawn for the country's future energy policy.
HALF A CHEER FOR FAIR TRADE
Authors: Booth Philip , Whetstone Linda
Published: June 2007

The fair trade movement claims that the products it provides are sourced ‘justly’ and that purchasing fair trade products brings economic benefits for the poor. Whilst it is clear that fair trade might bring some benefits to particular groups, whether it brings significant net benefits to the poor in general is questionable. Moreover, the claim that fair trade transactions are more ‘just’ cannot be substantiated. Customers also might be surprised to learn that the majority of the Fairtrade Foundation's net income is spent on promoting its own brand.
From Bismarck to Friedman
Authors: Niemietz Kristian
Published: June 2007

Chile provides the most frequently quoted example of a change from an established state PAYGO pension system to a privately funded scheme based on personal savings. Most of the key results have been impressive and a lot of the often‐heard criticisms of funded schemes have been disproved. A number of shortcomings remain. These shortcomings are seldom caused by features inherent to funded schemes, but rather by elements specific to the Chilean arrangement which could be altered given the political will.
ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ON LVT
Authors: Foldvary Fred E.
Published: June 2007

This article rebuts the arguments against land value taxation expressed by Oliver Marc Hartwich in the December 2006 ‘Economic Viewpoints’. This rebuttal argues that taxing land as a surplus is both feasible and consistent with modern economic concepts such as marginal productivity. Entrepreneurship is enhanced rather than hampered by eliminating taxes on wages and enterprise and shifting public revenue to the economic rent of land.
THE RISE OF BUREAUCRATISM: VON MISES’ WARNING – A REVIEW ESSAY ON BUREAUCRACY BY LUDWIG VON MISES1
Authors: Peacock Alan
Published: June 2007

In this review of von Mises’Bureaucracy, the contribution of von Mises to our understanding of some of the pernicious effects of the use of bureaucracies to allocate goods and services is analysed.
Henry VII in Context: Problems and Possibilities
Authors: GUNN STEVEN
Published: June 2007

Clearer understanding of Henry VII's reign is hindered not only by practical problems, such as deficiencies in source material, but also by its liminal position in historical study, at the end of the period conventionally studied by later medievalists and the beginning of that studied by early modernists. This makes it harder to evaluate changes in the judicial system, in local power structures, in England's position in European politics, in the rise of new social groups to political prominence and in the ideas behind royal policy. However, thoughtful combination of the approaches taken by different historical schools and reflection on wider processes of change at work in Henry's reign, such as in England's cultural and economic life, can make a virtue out of Henry's liminality. Together with the use of more unusual sources, such an approach enables investigation for Henry's reign of many themes of current interest to historians of the later Tudor period. These include courtly, parliamentary and popular politics, political culture, state formation and the interrelationships of different parts of the British Isles and Ireland.
Everyday Tragedies: Justice, Scandal and Young People in Contemporary Britain
Authors: DRAKEFORD MARK , BUTLER IAN
Published: June 2007

Abstract: Scandals do not simply take place, they have to be created. This article investigates the failure of scandal‐generation in contemporary British youth justice, despite the ample raw material, and the conspicuous efforts of authoritative figures to do so. It suggests a series of reasons why scandal has not taken place. The article also argues that such an outcome is not inevitable. It cites a recent example in the field of child care as a deliberate, and successful attempt to draw public attention to policy failure and to bring about improvement. It argues that such techniques are applicable and necessary in the field of youth justice.
Probation and the Tragedy of Punishment
Authors: CANTON ROB
Published: June 2007

Abstract: Discussions of probation values have not always given sufficient emphasis to two important considerations – first, that probation practice takes place in the contested area of penality, so that aims and values are inherently disputable; second, that there is a tight conceptual link between values and practice. Values should be expressed in action; reciprocally, experiences of trying to realise aims and values should contribute to their progressive refinement. These considerations and awareness of diversity imply wide discretion and other characteristics that sit uncomfortably with contemporary managerialism. Probation is a morally significant activity and not reducible to techniques of effectiveness.
Social Partnership in Ireland and New Social Pacts
Authors: ROCHE WILLIAM K.
Published: June 2007

Social partnership in Ireland has attracted considerable international attention. This paper examines the origins, focus, and institutional architecture of the Irish social partnership model. The paper also examines social partnership in the context of the theory of social pacts and suggests that the institutionalization of social partnership can be attributed to the continuing significance of compensatory political exchange, the influences of partnership networks, and the effects of new mechanisms for conflict resolution.
Labor Market Outcomes of Persons with Mental Disorders
Authors: BALDWIN MARJORIE L. , MARCUS STEVEN C.
Published: June 2007

We present nationally representative estimates of unexplained employment and wage differentials between nondisabled persons and persons with mental disorders, a disabled group subject to exceptionally strong stigma. Estimates are provided for persons with mental disorders overall, and for subgroups of mood, anxiety, adjustment, and psychotic disorders. The results reveal distinctly different patterns of outcomes across subgroups, consistent with a severity gradient such that persons with adjustment disorders experience the most favorable outcomes, while persons with psychotic disorders experience the least favorable.
New Evidence on Gender Differences in Promotion Rates: An Empirical Analysis of a Sample of New Hires
Authors: BLAU FRANCINE D. , DEVARO JED
Published: June 2007

Using a large sample of establishments drawn from the Multi‐City Study of Urban Inequality employer survey, we studied gender differences in promotion rates and in the wage gains attached to promotions. Several unique features of our data distinguish our analysis from the previous literature on this topic. First, we have information on the wage increases attached to promotions, and relatively few studies on gender differences have considered promotions and wage increases together. Second, our data include job‐specific worker performance ratings, allowing us to control for performance and ability more precisely than through commonly used skill indicators such as educational attainment or tenure. Third, in addition to standard information on occupation and industry, we have data on a number of other firm characteristics, enabling us to control for these variables while still relying on a broad, representative sample, as opposed to a single firm or a similarly narrowly defined population. Our results indicate that women have lower probabilities of promotion and expected promotion than men do but that there is essentially no gender difference in wage growth with or without promotions.
Defending Dock Workers—Globalization and Labor Relations in the World's Ports
Authors: TURNBULL PETER J. , WASS VICTORIA J.
Published: June 2007

Globalization has precipitated a major restructuring of the world's ports and brought in its wake a marked deterioration in dock workers’ terms and conditions of employment. Many trade unions have found it difficult to protect their members’ interests against this international “race to the bottom,” most notably in those countries where dock labor has been historically poorly organized but also where industrial restructuring has been used as a vehicle to de‐unionize the industry. Other unions have been more successful, either by working in concert with private employers and public port authorities or by mobilizing their membership to contest and contain the process of industrial restructuring.
Finance, Corporate Governance, and the Employment Relationship
Authors: BLACK BOYD , GOSPEL HOWARD , PENDLETON ANDREW
Published: June 2007

This comparative paper examines the relationship between equity markets and corporate governance on one hand, and job tenure, training, and pay on the other. Two dimensions of equity markets and corporate governance are used: share trading activity and mergers and acquisitions. There is support for the posited links between these measures and job tenure, employee stock ownership plans, pay dispersion, and collective bargaining arrangements. Evidence on the relationship with training is more mixed.
A review of international human resource management: Integration, interrogation, imitation
Authors: De Cieri Helen , Cox Julie Wolfram , Fenwick Marilyn
Published: June 2007

International human resource management (IHRM) represents an important dimension of international management. Over the past three decades, there has been considerable growth in research and practice in IHRM. While there have been extensive developments in this field, numerous scholars have identified aspects requiring review and revision. Hence, this paper reviews and interrogates the progress in IHRM's theoretical development. The review leads to the conclusion that research in IHRM has tended to emphasize integration over other forms of progress. In response, and in provocation, imitation rather than integration is suggested as an approach for the development of future theoretical and conceptual directions in IHRM.
‘Polyphonic’ welfare: Luhmann's systems theory applied to modern social work
Authors: Villadsen Kaspar
Published: June 2007

This article applies a series of concepts from Niklas Luhmann's systems theory in an analysis of modern welfare organisations. The point of departure is that social help in late modern welfare states has become ‘polycentric’ in that ‘help’ is today being defined by various different agents: public, voluntary and private care providers. Empirically, this article investigates re‐housing work with homeless people, a kind of social work which involves several different welfare organisations. The case study shows how these organisations define themselves by making internal constructions of their surroundings, and how their self‐enclosed nature creates a certain ‘insensitivity’ towards one another. How to coordinate and translate within this ‘polyphony’ of incomparable observations and values represents a major managerial challenge for present‐day social workers.
Anselm, Defensor Fidei
Authors: SONDEREGGER KATHERINE
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Recently, Anselm's treatise on the atonement of Christ, Cur Deus Homo, has come in for sharp criticism as a ‘model of the atonement’ which teaches and subserves morbid, oppressive suffering, and ignores the particular deeds and words of Christ. A close reading of Anselm's treatise suggests another interpretation of Anselm's doctrine, in which ‘restoration’ is the central note, and the exemplary course of Christ's whole life is accented.
The Protomodern Augustine? Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine
Authors: GREEN BRAD
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  The late Colin Gunton often criticized Augustine in two key areas: (1) Augustine's supposed emphasis of the one over the many effectively severed any meaningful link between creation and redemption (contra the theological understanding of Irenaeus); and (2) because of Augustine's supposed emphasis on the timeless essence of God at the expense of the three real persons, Augustine failed to bequeath to the Western intellectual tradition the benefits of a truly Christian ontology (effectively losing the insights of theologians such as the Cappadocian Fathers). This article argues that for all of Gunton's insights – and there are many – a close reading of Augustine actually shows that Augustine is not guilty of such weaknesses and that in fact Augustine provides some of the very theological insights and strengths Gunton wishes to mine from other sources.
Restructuring a Peripheral Coastal Community: The Case of a Galician Fishing Town
Authors: LINDKVIST KNUT BJØRN , ANTELO ANGELES PIÑEIRO
Published: June 2007

This article is a case study of a peripheral fishing community and its capacity to regenerate and maintain local economic growth processes. The discussion of growth ability is based on a categorization of European peripheries and the concept of local production systems. Taking the fishing community of Muros in Galicia, northwest Spain, as its focus, the article discusses the ability of a community of its type to undertake the industrial restructuring of its fishing industry, mussel farming activities, tourism, and electricity generation by wind turbines. It also reveals how, during the processes of renewal, Muros has become more deeply dependent on its fishery due to an inability amongst the actors of the production system to leave the evolutionary paths laid down by earlier investment in the fishing industries.

Cette étude de cas porte sur une communauté périphérique de pêcheurs et sur sa capacitéà régénérer et préserver les processus de croissance économique locaux. L’analyse de la capacité de croissance s’appuie sur une catégorisation des périphéries européennes et sur le concept des systèmes de production locaux. En s’intéressant à la communauté de pêcheurs de Muros en Galice (nord‐ouest de l’Espagne), l’article examine l’aptitude d’une communauté de ce type à prendre en charge la restructuration industrielle de sa pêche, ses élevages de moules, son tourisme et la génération d’électricitééolienne. Il explique aussi comment, au cours des processus de renouvellement, Muros est devenue extrêmement dépendante de sa pêche, certains acteurs du système de production se révélant incapables de quitter les trajectoires dictées par les investissements antérieurs dans les activités industrielles de la pêche.
Local Capitalisms, Local Citizenship and Translocality: Rescaling from Below in the Pearl River Delta Region, China
Authors: SMART ALAN , LIN GEORGE C.S.
Published: June 2007

Chinese economic reforms have profoundly changed the scale at which things get done. Much of the existing literature on scale has concentrated on the politics of rescaling from above. Less has been written about rescaling initiatives from below, the focus of this study. It distinguishes three important localisms.Local capitalismstreats capitalism as subordinate to local social and political processes that provide crucial conditions of existence.Local citizenshipsees processes of entitlement and exclusion as accomplished locally rather than through national frameworks.Translocalitydescribes the ways in which claims are made on the loyalties of those possessing capital but residing elsewhere and the promotion of the place through image‐building and physical/social infrastructural enhancements. These three distinct localisms overlap and interact in a variety of ways to shape a new social and spatial order in post‐reform China. A detailed study of the practices of localism in the Dongguan city‐region reveals the ways in which the emergence of capitalism has been dependent on pre‐existing social connections and based on villages and townships. The entitlements of citizenship are polarized between the localhukoupopulation and the migrant workers irrespective of the national definition of social safety net and regardless of the physical presence of the individuals.

En Chine, les réformes économiques ont profondément modifié l'échelon auquel les choses se font. Les publications traitant de cet aspect se consacrent en général aux politiques de redimensionnement venues des instances supérieures, et abordent plus rarement les initiatives venues d'en bas, objets de cette étude. Cette dernière distingue trois localismes importants:les capitalismes locaux, le capitalisme apparaissant subordonné aux processus sociaux et politiques locaux qui déterminent les conditions d'existence;la citoyenneté localepour qui les processus d'habilitation et d'exclusion s'effectuent au plan local et non en fonction de cadres nationaux;la translocalitéqui décrit comment est sollicitée la loyauté de ceux qui possèdent le capital mais résident ailleurs, et comment des projets de création d'image et d'infrastructure matérielle ou sociale dynamisent la promotion du lieu. Ces trois localismes se chevauchent et interagissent diversement, façonnant un nouvel ordre social et spatial dans la Chine de l'après‐réforme. Une étude détaillée du localisme pratiqué dans la ville de Dongguan fait apparaître les modalités d'un capitalisme émergent, dépendant des liens sociaux existants et basé sur des villages ou municipalités. L'accès à la citoyenneté définit un clivage entre la population locale ayant sonhukouet les travailleurs migrants, indépendamment de la notion nationale de filet de protection sociale ou de la présence physique des individus.
An alternate‐day corticosteroid regimen for pemphigus vulgaris. A 13‐year prospective study
Authors: Ch Chaidemenos G , Mourellou O , Koussidou T , Tsatsou F
Published: June 2007

Background  Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) at the early, usually oral and relatively stable stage, represents the majority of PV patients. Treatment modalities usually do not differ compared to those for the fully established disease.

Objectives  To prospectively assess a standardized and effective therapeutic approach that aims at less morbidity due to adverse reactions.

Methods  The following regimen, also known as Lever's mini treatment (LMT), was used. Forty mg of oral prednisone on alternate days plus 100 mg azathioprine every day were administered until the complete healing of all lesions. A gradual monthly and later bimonthly decrease of prednisone was followed by the tapering of a second immunosuppressive agent, in a one‐year period.

Results  Seventy‐four patients suffering from early‐stage‐PV, and representing 70% of all PV patients seen through the years 1991–2003, were eligible in the study. Total follow‐up period was 76 ± 37 (26–180) months. During the 53 ± 26 months of LMT, 6 (8%) patients dropped out of therapy, 9 (12%) required a change to another treatment, two (3%) died and 57 (77%) achieved a lesion‐free condition. Forty‐five (61%) patients were in complete remission for 27 ± 29 months. Significant morbidity was estimated 4/74 (5.2%). Disease ‘breakthroughs’ necessitating treatment adjustments occurred in 30 patients, usually throughout the last phase of therapy and post‐treatment follow‐up.

Conclusion  LMT may be a standardized therapeutic approach for the early and relatively stable stage of PV, resulting in high efficacy, safety and quality of life profile.
Topographical and laminar distribution of cortical input to the monkey entorhinal cortex
Authors: Mohedano‐Moriano A. , Pro‐Sistiaga P. , Arroyo‐Jimenez M. M. , Artacho‐Pérula E. , Insausti A. M. , Marcos P. , Cebada‐Sánchez S. , Martínez‐Ruiz J. , Muñoz M. , Blaizot X. , Martinez‐Marcos A. , Amaral D. G. , Insausti R.
Published: June 2007

Hippocampal formation plays a prominent role in episodic memory formation and consolidation. It is likely that episodic memory representations are constructed from cortical information that is mostly funnelled through the entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus. The entorhinal cortex returns processed information to the neocortex. Retrograde tracing studies have shown that neocortical afferents to the entorhinal cortex originate almost exclusively in polymodal association cortical areas. However, the use of retrograde studies does not address the question of the laminar and topographical distribution of cortical projections within the entorhinal cortex. We examined material from 60 Macaca fascicularis monkeys in which cortical deposits of either 3H‐amino acids or biotinylated dextran‐amine as anterograde tracers were made into different cortical areas (the frontal, cingulate, temporal and parietal cortices). The various cortical inputs to the entorhinal cortex present a heterogeneous topographical distribution. Some projections terminate throughout the entorhinal cortex (afferents from medial area 13 and posterior parahippocampal cortex), while others have more limited termination, with emphasis either rostrally (lateral orbitofrontal cortex, agranular insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, perirhinal cortex, unimodal visual association cortex), intermediate (upper bank of the superior temporal sulcus, unimodal auditory association cortex) or caudally (parietal and retrosplenial cortices). Many of these inputs overlap, particularly within the rostrolateral portion of the entorhinal cortex. Some projections were directed mainly to superficial layers (I–III) while others were heavier to deep layers (V–VI) although areas of dense projections typically spanned all layers. A primary report will provide a detailed analysis of the regional and laminar organization of these projections. Here we provide a general overview of these projections in relation to the known neuroanatomy of the entorhinal cortex.
Physiological roles of nonselective cation channels in plants: from salt stress to signalling and development
Authors: Demidchik Vadim , Maathuis Frans J. M.
Published: June 2007

Nonselective cation channels (NSCCs) catalyse passive fluxes of cations through plant membranes. NSCCs do not, or only to a small extent, select between monovalent cations, and several are also permeable to divalent cations. Although a number of NSCC genes has been identified in plant genomes, a direct correlation between gene products andin vivoobserved currents is still largely absent for most NSCCs. In this review, physiological functions and molecular properties of NSCCs are critically discussed. Recent studies have demonstrated that NSCCs are directly involved in a multitude of stress responses, growth and development, uptake of nutrients and calcium signalling. NSCCs can also function in the perception of external stimuli and as signal transducers for reactive oxygen species, pathogen elicitors, cyclic nucleotides, membrane stretch, amino acids and purines.

ContentsSummary387I.Introduction388II.Constitutive plasma membrane NSCCs389III.NSCCs activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS‐NSCCs)392IV.Cyclic nucleotide‐gated channels (CNGCs)393V.Amino acid‐gated NSCCs395VI.Purine signalling396VII.Mechanosensitive ion channels396VIII.Vacuolar NSCCs396IX.Cation channels sensitive to elicitors397X.NSCCs acting in concert398XI.Conclusions and perspectives398References400
Oxysterols, cholesterol homeostasis, and Alzheimer disease
Authors: Vaya Jacob , Schipper Hyman M.
Published: June 2007

Aberrant cholesterol metabolism has been implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD) and other neurological disorders. Oxysterols and other cholesterol oxidation products are effective ligands of liver X activated receptor (LXR) nuclear receptors, major regulators of genes subserving cholesterol homeostasis. LXR receptors act as molecular sensors of cellular cholesterol concentrations and effectors of tissue cholesterol reduction. Following their interaction with oxysterols, activation of LXRs induces the expression of ATP‐binding cassette, sub‐family A member 1, a pivotal modulator of cholesterol efflux. The relative solubility of oxysterols facilitates lipid flux among brain compartments and egress across the blood‐brain barrier. Oxysterol‐mediated LXR activation induces local apoE biosynthesis (predominantly in astrocytes) further enhancing cholesterol re‐distribution and removal. Activated LXRs invoke additional neuroprotective mechanisms, including induction of genes governing bile acid synthesis (sterol elimination pathway), apolipoprotein elaboration, and amyloid precursor protein processing. The latter translates into attenuated β‐amyloid production that may ameliorate amyloidogenic neurotoxicity in AD brain. Stress‐induced up‐regulation of the heme‐degrading enzyme, heme oxygenase‐1 in AD‐affected astroglia may impact central lipid homeostasis by promoting the oxidation of cholesterol to a host of oxysterol intermediates. Synthetic oxysterol‐mimetic drugs that activate LXR receptors within the CNS may provide novel therapeutics for management of AD and other neurological afflictions characterized by deranged tissue cholesterol homeostasis.