bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The racialization of Muslim veils: A philosophical analysis
Authors: Al-Saji Alia
Published: October 2010

This article goes behind stereotypes of Muslim veiling to ask after the representational structure underlying these images. I examine the public debate leading to the 2004 French law banning conspicuous religious signs in schools and French colonial attitudes to veiling in Algeria, in conjunction with discourses on the veil that have arisen in other western contexts. My argument is that western perceptions and representations of veiled Muslim women are not simply about Muslim women themselves. Rather than representing Muslim women, these images fulfill a different function: they provide the negative mirror in which western constructions of identity and gender can be positively reflected. It is by means of the projection of gender oppression onto Islam, and its naturalization to the bodies of veiled women, that such mirroring takes place. This constitutes, I argue, a form of racialization. Drawing on the work of Fanon, Merleau-Ponty and Alcoff, I offer a phenomenological analysis of this racializing vision. What is at stake is a form of cultural racism that functions in the guise of anti-sexist and feminist liberatory discourse, at once posing a dilemma to feminists and concealing its racializing logic.
Collapse of communism, crisis of capitalism, and the state of humanity
Authors: Stojanovic Svetozar
Published: October 2010

This article argues the main following points. (1) Communism was fatefully dependent upon the action or inaction of its top leaders because of the vulnerability of the hyper-centralized power and hyper-centralized defense of the ruling class and the ruling party. No one was really able to seriously predict the historical contingencies such as Gorbachev and Yeltsin that played a decisive role. The most that social scientists and analysts could safely claim was that communism had become unsuccessful and problematical to such an extent that force alone could maintain it. However, given the overall history of communism, who could have anticipated that such force would not be used. (2) The United States is toiling now in an overwhelmingly difficult and dangerous transition, not only from a ‘superpower’ to ‘merely’ a big power, but from a totalistic and laissez-faire capitalism to a limited and state-regulated capitalism. It is the most efficacious way of production and primary distribution. However, unless capitalism, national and global, becomes regulated and combined with some kind of socialism (solidarism) that is yet to be established, global crises will keep recurring. The best chance for enlightened socialist (solidaristic) humanism lies in secondary distribution based on equality and justice as its fundamental principles. (3) The very term ‘superpower’ suggests a kind of superhuman, almost divine power. The United States does not have such power because (among other things) apocalyptic weapons are at the disposal of some considerably weaker states (in every other respect). (4) The possibility of the self-destruction of humankind has become the over-determination of all other over-determinations in history. It follows that auto-apocalypse must be separated from the categorical and epochal dichotomy between modernity/ modernism and postmodernity/postmodernism and given an absolute priority, both theoretical and practical. This break should be characterized as post-postmodernity and reflection upon it as post-postmodernism. We are in vital need of a total anti-apocalyptic turnaround in overall thought, sensitivity, activity and organization. Unfortunately, it can now safely be predicted that more and more states and societies, even those founded on (internal) freedoms and desirous to maintain them, will become transformed into states and societies focused on the struggle for survival in the face of auto-apocalyptic threats. I believe that confronted more and more with such threats liberalism will actually, and later probably also explicitly, yield the place of the fundamental operative (unlike declarative) view of the world, ideology, imagology, and principle of social organization — to humankind existentialism. We have entered an existentialist ‘end of history’ instead of the proclaimed liberalistic ‘end of history’.
A sententious divide: Erasing the two faces of liberalism
Authors: Tate John William
Published: October 2010

The political philosopher John Gray is a foremost critic of the liberal tradition. But while many have engaged with Gray concerning aspects of this tradition, few have challenged Gray’s conception of the tradition as a whole. Yet it is precisely this broader, background element in Gray’s account that is most problematic and that requires excavation if we are to reveal the deeper shortcomings of his critique as a whole. This article challenges Gray’s claim, made in 2000, that the liberal tradition is capable of being understood in terms of two faces — one representing the ‘universalist’ aspects of that tradition and the other representing the more pragmatic, value-pluralist, modus vivendi aspects. By focusing on Gray’s erroneous interpretation of the key universalist figure of John Locke, we see how his dichotomous account of the liberal tradition collapses at both ends. The article then looks at Gray’s most recent defence of his critique of liberalism, in 2007, and shows how many of the errors that characterize his 2000 account are compounded in 2007 as Gray seeks to build on his earlier position in contradictory directions. In all these ways therefore, this article seeks to defend the integrity of the liberal tradition by showing how Gray’s excoriating critique falls short.
A 2-week prognostic prediction model for terminal cancer patients in a palliative care unit at a Japanese general hospital
Authors: Ohde Sachiko , Hayashi Akitoshi , Takahasi Osamu , Yamakawa Sen , Nakamura Megumi , Osawa Ayako , Shapiro Mina L , Deshpande Gautam A , Tokuda Yasuharu , Omata Fumio , Ishida Yasushi , Soejima Kumiko , Hinohara Shigeaki , Fukui Tsuguya
Published: October 2010

Objective: We aimed to develop a prognostic prediction model for 2-week survival among patients with terminal cancer in a palliative care unit (PCU).

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on terminal cancer patients in the PCU for 11 months at a general hospital in Tokyo, Japan. We collected data regarding demographics, treatment history, performance status, symptoms, and laboratory results. Patients who survived more than 2 weeks were labeled ‘long survivors’ and those who died within 2 weeks were grouped as ‘short survivors’. Stepwise logistic regression model was constructed for the model development and bootstrapping was used for the internal model validation.

Results: In 158 subjects whose data were available for the analysis, 109 (69%) subjects were categorized as long survivors and 49 (31%) subjects as short survivors. A prognostic prediction model with a total score of 8 points was constructed as follows: 2 points each for anorexia, dyspnea, and edema; 1 point each for blood urea nitrogen >25 mg/dl and platelets <260,000/mm3. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of this model was 83.2% (95% CI: 75.3–91.0%). Bootstrapped validation beta coefficients of the predictors were similar to the original cohort beta coefficients.

Conclusion: Our prognostic prediction model for estimating 14-day survival for patients with terminal cancer on the PCU ward included five clinical predictors that are readily available in the clinical setting and showed a relatively high accuracy. External validation is needed to confirm the model’s generalizability.
Medial versus Lateral Supraspinatus Tendon Properties
Authors: Wang Vincent M. , Wang FanChia , McNickle Allison G. , Friel Nicole A. , Yanke Adam B. , Chubinskaya Susan , Romeo Anthony A. , Verma Nikhil N. , Cole Brian J.
Published: October 2010

Background

Rotator cuff repair retear rates range from 25% to 90%, necessitating methods to improve repair strength. Although numerous laboratory studies have compared single-row with double-row fixation properties, little is known regarding regional (ie, medial vs lateral) suture retention properties in intact and torn tendons.

Hypothesis

A torn supraspinatus tendon will have reduced suture retention properties on the lateral aspect of the tendon compared with the more medial musculotendinous junction.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Human supraspinatus tendons (torn and intact) were randomly assigned for suture retention mechanical testing, ultrastructural collagen fibril analysis, or histologic testing after suture pullout testing. For biomechanical evaluation, sutures were placed either at the musculotendinous junction (medial) or 10 mm from the free margin (lateral), and tendons were elongated to failure. Collagen fibril assessments were performed using transmission electron microscopy.

Results

Intact tendons showed no regional differences with respect to suture retention properties. In contrast, among torn tendons, the medial region exhibited significantly higher stiffness and work values relative to the lateral region. For the lateral region, work to 10-mm displacement (1592 ± 261 N-mm) and maximum load (265 ± 44 N) for intact tendons were significantly higher (P < .05) than that of torn tendons (1086 ± 388 N-mm and 177 ± 71 N, respectively). For medial suture placement, maximum load, stiffness, and work of intact and torn tendons were similar (P >. 05). Regression analyses for the intact and torn groups revealed generally low correlations between donor age and the 3 biomechanical indices. For both intact and torn tendons, the mean fibril diameter and area density were greater in the medial region relative to the lateral (P ≤. 05). In the lateral tendon, but not the medial region, torn specimens showed a significantly lower fibril area fraction (48.3% ± 3.8%) than intact specimens (56.7% ± 3.6%, P < .05).

Conclusion

Superior pullout resistance of medially placed sutures may provide a strain shielding effect for the lateral row after double-row repair. Larger diameter collagen fibrils as well as greater fibril area fraction in the medial supraspinatus tendon may provide greater resistance to suture migration.

Clinical Relevance

While clinical factors such as musculotendinous integrity warrant strong consideration for surgical decision making, the present ultrastructural and biomechanical results appear to provide a scientific rationale for double-row rotator cuff repair where sutures are placed more medially at the muscle-tendon junction.
Hip Adduction and Abduction Strength Profiles in Elite Soccer Players
Authors: Thorborg Kristian , Serner Andreas , Petersen Jesper , Madsen Thomas Moller , Magnusson Peter , Hölmich Per
Published: October 2010

Background: An ipsilateral hip adduction/abduction strength ratio of more than 90%, and hip adduction strength equal to that of the contralateral side have been suggested to clinically represent adequate strength recovery of hip adduction strength in athletes after groin injury. However, to what extent side-to-side symmetry in isometric hip adduction and abduction strength can be assumed in soccer players remains uncertain.

Purpose: To compare isometric hip adduction and abduction strength on the dominant and nondominant side in injury-free soccer players.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: One hundred elite soccer players were included. Maximal unilateral isometric hip adduction and abduction strength on the dominant and nondominant side were measured with a handheld dynamometer, using a reliable test procedure.

Results: The dominant side was stronger than the nondominant side for both isometric hip adduction (2.45 ± 0.54 vs 2.37 ± 0.48 Nm/kg, P = .02) and hip abduction (2.35 ± 0.33 vs 2.25 ± 0.31 Nm/kg, P < .001), corresponding to a 3% and 4% difference, respectively. Isometric hip adduction was greater than isometric hip abduction for both the dominant (2.44 ± 0.53 vs 2.35 ± 0.33 Nm/kg, P = .04) and nondominant (2.37 ± 0.48 vs 2.26 ± 0.33 Nm/kg, P = .03) side. Isometric hip adduction/abduction ratio was not different between the dominant (1.04 ± 0.18) and nondominant (1.06 ± 0.17, P = .40) side. A post hoc analysis showed that isometric hip adduction/abduction ratio was significantly lower in players with groin pain during hip adduction testing compared with players with a pain-free test (0.80 ± 0.14, P < .001)

Conclusion: The marginal difference between the dominant and the nondominant side is within the measurement variation of the test procedure, and contralateral isometric hip adduction strength can therefore be used as a simple clinical reference point of full recovery of hip adduction muscle strength in soccer players. Furthermore, it is suggested that the ipsilateral hip adduction/abduction strength ratio is used as a guideline for evaluating hip adduction strength recovery in soccer players with bilateral groin problems.
Multimedia CAI Program for Students With Mathematics Difficulties
Authors: Seo You-Jin , Bryant Diane
Published: October 2010

This study investigated the effectiveness of Math Explorer at enhancing the word problem-solving skills of students with mathematics difficulties (MD). The study, which had a multiple-probe-across-subjects design, was conducted over 18 weeks. Four students with MD in Grades 2 and 3 participated. All students were able to use the four-step cognitive and three-step metacognitive strategies to solve addition and subtraction word problems and improved their word problem-solving performance on the computer- and paper/pencil-based tests. After the intervention phase, three out of the four students successfully maintained their improved word problem-solving performance levels during the follow-up phase. Implications for teachers and future software programmers are discussed, and directions for future computer-assisted instruction (CAI) research are suggested.
Education in Child Neurology: The Role of the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA)
Authors: Curatolo Paolo
Published: October 2010

Recent progress in pediatric neurosciences has greatly increased the divide between the possibilities for diagnosis and intervention among developed countries and resource-poor countries, where child neurologists suffer from the lack of adequate training, the absence of a network with professionals around the world, and the shortage of infrastructure. The International Child Neurology Association (ICNA) is the only child neurology association that can deal with these important issues and promote the reduction of this gap. In this article, the author reviews the role played by ICNA in the past 2 decades in supporting education worldwide, in offering teaching seminars and visits by senior members, and in addressing the needs of the global community of child neurologists. The challenges and success of ICNA in the promotion of educational resources and recommendations for the future are discussed.
Body Mass Index of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Dubnov-Raz Gal , Perry Assaf , Berger Itai
Published: October 2010

An association between overweight and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children was previously suggested. We examined the prevalence of overweight, anthropometric changes, and the effect of methylphenidate treatment in 275 children with ADHD without neurological comorbidities and in controls. Data were extracted from medical charts, for up to 17 months of follow-up. Height, weight, body mass index, and their z scores did not differ between the ADHD and control groups. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was lower in the ADHD group compared with controls (19% vs 35%, P = .02, and 7% vs 16%, P = .05, respectively). During a follow-up of up to 17 months, no significant changes in height or body mass index z scores were found, including in a subgroup of overweight children. We conclude that compared with local controls, children with ADHD have rates of overweight and obesity that are lower, but that are similar to national estimates. Methylphenidate treatment did not significantly affect height, weight, or overweight status.
Muscle Volume Estimation by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Sproule Douglas M. , Punyanitya Mark , Shen Wei , Dashnaw Stephan , Martens Bill , Montgomery Megan , Montes Jacqueline , Battista Vanessa , Finkel Richard , Darras Basil , De Vivo Darryl C. , Kaufmann Petra
Published: October 2010

Thigh muscle volume was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging in 16 subjects with spinal muscular atrophy. Scans were successful for 14 of 16 subjects (1 type 1, 6 type 2, and 7 type 3) as young as 5.7 years. Muscle volume with normal and abnormal signal was measured using blinded, semiautomated analysis of reconstructed data. Results were compared with segmental lean mass estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and correlated with clinical and electrophysiological measures of disease severity. Muscle volume was reduced with abnormal signal quality. Test-retest reliability (r = .99) and correlation with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (r = .91) were excellent. Type 2 subjects had lower volume (3.5 ± 1.6 vs 6.3 ± 2.8 mL/cm height; P = .06) and higher percentage of muscle with abnormal signal (68% ± 20% vs 47% ± 27%; P = .14) than type 3. Reproducibility, tolerability, and strong correlation with clinical measures make magnetic resonance imaging a candidate biomarker for clinical research.
Risperidone Use in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Retrospective Review of a Clinic-Referred Patient Population
Authors: Lemmon Monica E. , Gregas Matt , Jeste Shafali S.
Published: October 2010

Risperidone is widely used in children with autism spectrum disorders for behavioral modification. In this study, the authors aimed to (1) describe a clinic-referred sample of patients with an autism spectrum disorder on risperidone, (2) identify differences between the success and nonsuccess groups, and (3) describe our experience with young children (< age 5 years) on risperidone. Eighty patients were initiated on risperidone. Indications included aggression (66%), impulsivity (14%), and stereotypies (4%). Sixty-six percent met criteria for success at 6 months and 53% at 1 year. Sixty-seven percent of the nonsuccess group reported side effects, compared to 47% of the success group. Weight gain was the most common side effect in both groups, followed by somnolence. Somnolence was the most robust predictor of nonsuccess. In our clinic-referred sample, the short-term success rate of risperidone was more than 50%, and side effects limited its use. Although weight gain was common, somnolence more significantly influenced treatment discontinuation.
Breast Milk Expression and Maintenance in Mothers of Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Supports and Barriers
Authors: Sisk Paula , Quandt Sara , Parson Nikki , Tucker Jenna
Published: October 2010

The study objective was to identify patterns of factors that supported or hindered initiation of breast milk expression and maintenance of breast milk production after the birth of a very low birth weight (VLBW) infant in a sample of US women with varied prenatal infant feeding intentions. In-depth interviews were conducted 1 to 6 months after delivery in 32 women who initiated breast milk expression after encouragement from hospital staff. Pregnancy complications, anxiety regarding their infant’s health, and lack of privacy interfered with initiation of milk expression. After hospital discharge, using manual or small electric breast pumps, travel to the neonatal intensive care unit, return to work, and difficulty with time management interfered with maintenance of breast milk production. Family support, positive attitudes toward pumping, and anticipation of breastfeeding supported maintenance of breast milk production. From these data emerge points of intervention where additional support could improve mothers’ experiences and increase duration of breast milk feeding.
Parental Volunteering
Authors: Wang Lili , Fahey Didi
Published: October 2010

The No Child Left Behind legislation stipulates that schools offer volunteer opportunities to parents. This study examines the growth patterns of parent volunteerism after implementation of this legislation by national region, metropolitan status, gender, ethnicity, and immigrant status. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data on volunteers between 2002 and 2008 in a 2-year increment, we find the rate of parental volunteering for education actually decreased since 2002. Even after controlling for parents’ social-demographic characteristics, the likelihood of parents’ engaging in educational volunteering is still lower in 2008 than in prior years. Those who live in the Midwest region and nonmetropolitan areas are more likely to volunteer for education. Mothers, non-Hispanic Whites and citizens also have a higher chance of being involved in educational volunteering. In addition, Hispanic parents in the West are more likely to volunteer for education than their counterparts in the Northeast and South region.
Acute toxicity and synergism of binary mixtures of antifouling biocides with heavy metals to embryos of sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis
Authors: Xue Xu  , Xia Wang  , Yan Li  , Yonghua Wang  , Yuan Wang
Published: October 2010

Acute toxicity and synergism of four antifouling biocides (Irgarol 1051, dichlofluanid, tolylfluanid and Sea-Nine 211) and five heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu) are investigated using the sea urchin embryos of Glyptocidaris crenularis (G. crenularis) at six typical developmental stages, that is, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, blastula, gastrula and 4-arm pluteus. Our results show that the toxicity of the four biocides is in an order of Sea-Nine 211 > tolylfluanid > dichlofluanid > Irgarol 1051 and their —log EC50 values at all stages are strongly linearly correlated with the 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log P) values (correlation coefficients R > 0.72) indicating the importance of hydrophobicity for the embryonic toxicity. For the five heavy metals, the EC50 ranges from 0.36 to 30.78 μM and the toxicity follows an order of Cu > Pb > Zn > Cd >Ni. The significant correlation (R > 0.79) between the —log EC50 and the bioconcentration factor (log BCF) values of metals also indicate that the bioaccumulation property of metals contributes to their aquatic toxicity. In addition, the joint effects of the biocides with the heavy metals in embryonic development are assessed by using a concentration addition model. Synergistic effects are observed in almost all 25 mixtures, showing that Cu yields the strongest while Ni the weakest synergistic toxic effects on the embryos development.
Protective role of Vernonia cinerea L. against gamma radiation—induced immunosupression and oxidative stress in mice
Authors: Pratheeshkumar P. , Kuttan Girija
Published: October 2010

The radioprotective effect of Vernonia cinerea extract was studied in balb/c mice. Whole-body irradiation of γ-rays (6 Gy) given to animals reduced the white blood cell count, bone marrow cellularity and α-esterase positive cells in control animals, which were elevated by the administration of V. cinerea extract (20 mg/kg body weight [b.wt.], intraperitoneally [i.p.]). The elevated levels of serum enzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate pyruvate transferases (GPT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) after irradiation were also reduced with V. cineria extract administration. V. cinerea treatment also significantly enhanced the animal’s antioxidant status by enhancing the activities superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) level in irradiated animals. Histopathological analysis of liver and small intestine also suggests that V. cinerea could reduce the tissue damages induced by radiation. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) elevated after irradiation, which were significantly reduced by V. cinerea extract administration. On the other hand, the extract stimulated the production of other cytokines such as granulocyte monocyte—colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in animals exposed to radiation. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA isolated from bone marrow of control animals showed heavy DNA damage, but a reduced DNA damage was seen in animals treated with V. cinerea extract. Administration of V. cinerea did not compromise the anti-neoplastic efficiency of radiation. In fact, there was a synergistic action of radiation and V. cinerea in reducing the solid tumours in mice. Methanolic extract of V. cinerea given i.p. showed a significant radioprotective activity without compromising the radiotherapeutic efficacy of radiation, indicating its possible use as an adjuvant during radiotherapy.
An unusual syncope cause in the ED: Favism
Authors: Soyuncu Secgin , Bektas Fırat , Isik Soner , Yigit Ozlem
Published: October 2010

Favism is an acute hemolytic syndrome occurring in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient individuals after the consumption of fava beans. The highest incidence is in boys aged 2-6 years. We report a 56-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with recurrent syncope attacks due to favism. In our knowledge, this is the first report of favism-caused syncope in an adult patient without a G6PD deficiency diagnosis in the past and diagnosed in ED.
Close Encounters: Lessons From an Indigenous MBA Program
Authors: Stewart Daniel , Pepper Molly B.
Published: October 2010

Entrepreneurship is perceived to be a key to revitalizing the economies of American Indian communities. Gonzaga University offers an MBA specifically designed to prepare tribal college instructors to teach entrepreneurship. Beginning with the relevant background on the need for and benefit of indigenous management education, this article describes the elements of this unique program such as the cohort system, on-line and on-campus courses, and culturally appropriate curriculum changes. The program is analyzed through a qualitative examination of an alumni survey. The survey reveals that the foremost challenge for the program is the integration of indigenous cultural values and management practices with mainstream business curricula. The most prominent success factor the survey reveals is the fit between the program’s goals and the mission of the Jesuit institution in which the program resides. Finally, the survey results provide some insight into the impact the program is having on indigenous communities.
Psychometric Testing of the Gordon Facial Muscle Weakness Assessment Tool
Authors: Gordon Shirley C. , Blum Cynthia Ann , Parcells Dax Andrew
Published: October 2010

School nurses may be the first health professionals to assess the onset of facial paralysis/muscle weakness in school-age children. The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Gordon Facial Muscle Weakness Assessment Tool (GFMWT) developed by Gordon. Data were collected in two phases. In Phase 1, 4 content experts independently rated each of the 22 items on the GFMWT for content relevance. The ratings were used to generate Item and Scale Content Validity Index (CVI) scores. In Phase 2, school nurses ( N = 74) attending a state conference independently rated referral urgency on a set of 10 clinical scenarios using the GFMWT. The GFMWT had an item and scale CVI of 1.0. Overall, the interrater reliability was .602 ( p < .001). When used by school nurses, the GFMWT was shown to be both a reliable and a valid tool to assess facial muscle weakness in school-age children.
Defining by naming: Israeli civic warring over the Second Lebanon War
Authors: Ish-Shalom Piki
Published: October 2010

Politics is a public effort directed at the allocation of resources, both material and symbolic. Quite often it involves conflict in the form of a public struggle over the allocation of resources. Informed by Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, this article offers a political reading of constructivism (a theoretical perspective here called Political Constructivism). It maintains that politics is guided by a conscious effort by political agents to control the commonsensical understanding of social reality using the media of political concepts, metaphors, symbols, and — the focus of this article — names and definitions. Political agents regard controlling the commonsense as one of the most effective political tools. They understand that it can be controlled by attaching meanings to political concepts, by linking metaphors and symbols to ideas, and by linking events to classes of events through naming and defining. This article examines the civic warring in Israel over the defining and naming of the Second Lebanon War as a case in point. Defining and naming the event involved a political struggle to frame the commonsense, gain the upper hand in the political process of constructing socio-political reality, and reap the political gains. The article argues that the political struggle was resolved by what I call a weak Kripkean-like defining, in other words, defining by naming.
The enforcement–exploitation trade-off in international cooperation between weak and powerful states
Authors: Urpelainen Johannes
Published: October 2010

According to the imperative of enforcement, states must threaten defectors with sanctions or reciprocal suspension of international cooperation. I show that in international cooperation between the weak and the powerful, states should nevertheless limit the supply of collective enforcement power. Strong sanctions allow exploitative international agreements, so weak states refuse to engage in negotiations with powerful states in the first place. For powerful states, toothless international agreements are a credible commitment to limit power politics. The result holds even if sanctions can be used only to enforce international agreements and not for coercion. It implies that under power asymmetry, states must accept constraints on the use of power, as opposed to simply maximizing the supply of collective enforcement power. The theory offers a new perspective to international cooperation and a synthesis of the enforcement and managerial schools of international cooperation. It produces precise analytical boundary conditions and generates falsifiable empirical hypotheses.
Multilateralism: America’s insurance policy against loss
Authors: Tierney Dominic
Published: October 2010

When the United States faces loss or defeat in war, it is often loath to negotiate, make concessions to its adversary, and cut its losses. But the presence of allies and international organizations in the US coalition can help to correct this bias against compromise through a combination of simple bargaining, complex bargaining, and political cover. The costs of multilateralism can be considered a premium that is paid when operations are successful, so that the United States has an insurance policy to minimize loss in times of failure. The article contributes to a number of major debates over the costs and benefits of multilateralism and the impact of less powerful allies and international organizations on US foreign policy.
Targeting: Precision and the production of ethics
Authors: Zehfuss Maja
Published: October 2010

War necessarily involves destruction. The development of precision-guided munitions seems to have made it possible to produce intended damage with increasing efficiency and to reduce ‘collateral’ damage. This has given rise to the expectation that fighting with such weapons reduces the extent of destruction and, crucially, that it is therefore becoming increasingly possible to protect non-combatants during war. This article examines this idea by exploring in some detail what is meant by ‘precision’ and asking how far this actually entails protection for non-combatants. The article shows how praise for precision not only produces Western warfare as ethical but also both relies upon and reproduces a particular kind of ethics, based on the notion of non-combatant protection. The conclusion draws together the implications of the faith in precision for how we think about war and challenges the underlying assumption that more precision is better.
Factors from the Transtheoretical Model Differentiating between Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) User Groups
Authors: Kraemer Silvie M. , Mosler Hans-Joachim
Published: October 2010

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a sustainable household water treatment technique that could prevent millions of deaths caused by diarrhoea. The behaviour change process necessary to move from drinking raw water to drinking SODIS is analysed with the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM). User groups and psychological factors that differentiate between types of users are identified. Results of a 1.5 year longitudinal study in Zimbabwe reveal distinguishing factors between groups, from which it can be deduced that they drive the development of user groups. Implications are drawn for campaigns with the aim of bringing all user types to a regular use.
Depression May Mediate the Relationship between Sense of Coherence and Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: Floyd Andrea , Dedert Eric , Ghate Sameer , Salmon Paul , Weissbecker Inka , Studts Jamie L. , Stetson Barbara , Sephton Sandra E.
Published: October 2010

Lung cancer patients generally experience high levels of physical and psychological distress and decreased quality of life (QOL). Sense of coherence (SOC) has been conceptualized as a personality orientation reflecting the degree to which an individual perceives their world as comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. The present study investigated the associations of SOC with QOL in lung cancer. It also examined potential psychological mediators by which SOC may exert its influences on QOL. Fifty-six participants with non-small cell lung cancer were administered self-report assessments of SOC, QOL and psychological distress. Results revealed that SOC was positively associated with QOL and this relationship may be mediated by depressive symptoms. The current study supports the notion that SOC may be a protective factor with regard to psychological adjustment and QOL in cancer survivors.
Transforming Your Life: An Environmental Modification Approach to Weight Loss
Authors: Carels Robert A. , Young Kathleen M. , Koball Afton , Gumble Amanda , Darby Lynn A. , Wagner Oehlhof Marissa , Wott Carissa B. , Hinman Nova
Published: October 2010

This investigation compared a traditional behavioral weight loss program with a weight loss intervention emphasizing environmental modification and habit formation and disruption. Fifty-four overweight and obese adults (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to either a 14-week LEARN or TYL intervention. Forty-two participants completed the six-month follow-up assessment. Treatment outcomes between LEARN and TYL participants were equivalent. During the six-month no-treatment follow-up period, participants evidenced a 3.3 lb (SD = 9.2) weight gain. The TYL intervention appears to represent an attractive option for individuals seeking an alternative to the traditional behavioral approach to weight loss.
Improved Functional Recovery After Facial Nerve Reconstruction by Temporary Denervation of the Contralateral Mimic Musculature With Botulinum Toxin in Rats
Authors: Guntinas-Lichius Orlando , Glowka Tim R. , Angelov Doychin N. , Irintchev Andrey , Neiss Wolfram F.
Published: October 2010

Background. Even optimal nerve reconstruction after facial nerve damage leads to defective reinnervation because of misdirected axonal sprouting and polyinnervation of the end plates of the facial muscles. Objective. The authors studied whether temporary chemical denervation of the contralateral nonlesioned hemiface with botulinum toxin (BTX) would increase regeneration of the lesioned buccal branch of the facial nerve and improve functional recovery of the whisker pad. Methods. The experiments were performed in 65 adult rats distributed in 4 interventions: (1) buccal–buccal nerve anastomosis (BBA), (2) BBA plus ipsilateral injection of BTX into the whisker pad, (3) BBA plus contralateral BTX injection, or (4) BTX injection without any surgery. Sequential preoperative and postoperative retrograde fluorescence tracing at 4 weeks after surgery quantified the accuracy of reinnervation. Functional recovery was measured by biometrical image analysis of whisking behavior at 12 weeks after surgery. Results. After BTX injection without any surgery, muscle paralysis was transient, and the animals restored normal nerve terminals and normal vibrissal function at 8 weeks after treatment. After BBA and ipsilateral or contralateral BTX injection, the degree of correct reinnervation increased significantly to 61% in comparison to 27% after BBA without any other intervention. Enhanced correct reinnervation was accompanied by a significant improvement of whisking after contralateral but not after ipsilateral injection of BTX. Conclusions. These results provide evidence that transient contralateral muscle paralysis helps improve the morphological and functional regeneration after facial nerve repair.
Bilateral and Unilateral Arm Training Improve Motor Function Through Differing Neuroplastic Mechanisms
Authors: Whitall Jill , Waller Sandy McCombe , Sorkin John D. , Forrester Larry W. , Macko Richard F. , Hanley Daniel F. , Goldberg Andrew P. , Luft Andreas
Published: October 2010

Background and Purpose. This randomized controlled trial tests the efficacy of bilateral arm training with rhythmic auditory cueing (BATRAC) versus dose-matched therapeutic exercises (DMTEs) on upper-extremity (UE) function in stroke survivors and uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine effects on cortical reorganization. Methods. A total of 111 adults with chronic UE paresis were randomized to 6 weeks (3×/week) of BATRAC or DMTE. Primary end points of UE assessments of Fugl-Meyer UE Test (FM) and modified Wolf Motor Function Test Time (WT) were performed 6 weeks prior to and at baseline, after training, and 4 months later. Pretraining and posttraining, fMRI for UE movement was evaluated in 17 BATRAC and 21 DMTE participants. Results. The improvements in UE function (BATRAC: FM Δ = 1.1 + 0.5, P = .03; WT Δ = −2.6 + 0.8, P < .00; DMTE: FM Δ = 1.9 + 0.4, P < .00; WT Δ = −1.6 + 0.7; P = .04) were comparable between groups and retained after 4 months. Satisfaction was higher after BATRAC than DMTE ( P = .003). BATRAC led to significantly higher increase in activation in ipsilesional precentral, anterior cingulate and postcentral gyri, and supplementary motor area and contralesional superior frontal gyrus ( P < .05). Activation change in the latter was correlated with improvement in the WMFT ( P = .01). Conclusions. BATRAC is not superior to DMTE, but both rehabilitation programs durably improve motor function for individuals with chronic UE hemiparesis and with varied deficit severity. Adaptations in brain activation are greater after BATRAC than DMTE, suggesting that given similar benefits to motor function, these therapies operate through different mechanisms.
What Does Answering the Phone Mean? A Sociology of the Phone Ring and Musical Ringtones
Authors: Licoppe Christian
Published: October 2010

I provide here an analysis of how users choose and design personalized ringtones as an example of subjects’ current concerns with the management of social accessibility. As a result of the growing demands of ‘connected presence’ mobile phone users are faced with the proliferation of ringing phones in their soundscapes. They therefore exploit the new resources for customizing their ringtones with an orientation towards the management of the interactional problems which the development of ‘ubiquitous summoning’ may entail. Musical ringtones are chosen or designed by users, so that the shaping of the summons becomes a personal project of the recipients. They are shaped as ambiguous cues inviting two kinds of responsive actions, that is, treating them as a summons (inviting their being answered to) or as a music (inviting their being listened to). Their design becomes the locus of diverging rationales, with some users trying to exacerbate the summoning power of their phone ring and others to maximize their ambiguousness. Moreover musical ringtones are selected so as to constitute a personal gratification that the user addresses to himself (and sometimes also to potential bystanders). They become a ‘treat’ that users juxtapose and contrast with the obligation to answer that the ringtone incarnates. This provides evidence for a more general ‘crisis of the summons’ occurring as a collateral effect of increased availability requirements, which reshapes the ways we experience and perform the normative social order which underlies all social encounters.
Competitive Sets for Lodging Properties
Authors: Kim Jin-young , Canina Linda
Published: October 2010

This article illustrates the differences in the composition, characteristics, and performance evaluation of competitive sets of hotels determined using two methods—the common product type classification scheme and the less commonly used cluster analysis based on average daily rate (ADR) as the clustering variable. The analysis examined annual ADR, occupancy, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) for a group of hotels in a portion of a single U.S. metropolitan market. The comparison of the two methods shows the following: the average variability of ADR and RevPAR is less for the cluster-based competitors than it is for competitor groups determined using product type; most clusters contain a variety of product types (confirming that competition occurs across product types); most product types are categorized into different clusters; and the average RevPAR difference between the particular hotel and its reference competitive group is less for the ADR-cluster-based reference group than it is for the product type reference group, indicating that the performance of hotels within cluster competitive groups is more similar than in product type competitive groups. Comparing competing hotels based on the two methods can provide information regarding the extent of congruence between the hotel’s intended competitive position and its position as seen by customers.
Shivers and Timbres
Authors: Nusbaum Emily C. , Silvia Paul J.
Published: October 2010

Most people report that listening to music sometimes creates chills—feeling goose bumps and shivers on the neck, scalp, and spine—but some people seem to never experience them. The present research examined who tends to experience music-induced chills and why. A sample of young adults completed measures of chills, the Big Five domains, and their music preferences, habits, and experiences. Latent variable models found that openness to experience was the strongest predictor of the typical experience of chills during music. Several mediation models considered likely mediators of this effect. Openness to experience predicted music preferences, particularly for reflective and complex genres, but genre preferences did not in turn predict chills. In contrast, several markers of people’s experience and engagement with music in everyday life, such as listening to music more often and valuing music, did mediate openness's effects. Some implications for bridging state and trait approaches to the chills experience are considered.
Modelling of electromagnetic processes in system ‘welding arc – evaporating anode’ Part 1 – Model of anode region
Authors: Krivtsun I. , Demchenko V. , Lesnoi A. , Krikent I. , Poritsky P. , Mokrov O. , Reisgen U. , Zabirov A. , Pavlyk V.
Published: October 2010

A mathmatical model of electromagnetic processes occurring in the ‘arc column – anode region – evaporating anode’ system is presented. The anode region of electric arc with an evaporating metallic anode is described by a model, under which the non-equilibrium near anode plasma containing atoms and ions of the evaporated metal, along with atoms and ions of the ambient (inert) gas, is subdivided into a space charge layer immediately adjoining the anode surface and ionisation region adjacent to the arc column. This model allows determining the potential drop between welding arc column plasma and anode surface depending on the current density and plasma temperature near the anode, as well as upon the temperature of its surface.
Study of microstructural evolution of friction taper plug welded joints of C–Mn steels
Authors: Unfried J.S. , Paes M. T. P. , Hermenegildo T. F. C. , Bastian F. L. , Ramirez A. J.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes the microstructural evolution of friction taper plug welded joints of C–Mn steels. Experimental and numerical analyses included calculations based on Calphad and continuous cooling transformation curves, and characterisation techniques. The studied friction taper plug welded joint contains three macroregions: plug material, thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and base material. The thermomechanical conditions imposed in the studied friction taper plug welded joint precluded the formation of a heat affected zone. However, seven subregions were identified within the TMAZ region and details are discussed. The interface zone is found in the TMAZ region, where the most relevant phase transformations take place. It is suggested that the phase transformations in TMAZ region depend on local conditions, such as chemical composition, deformation rate, thermal history and the previous thermomechanical history of the parent materials.
Structural and antimicrobial properties of human pre-elafin/trappin-2 and derived peptides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Bellemare Audrey , Vernoux Nathalie , Morin Sébastien , Gagné Stéphane M , Bourbonnais Yves
Published: October 2010

Background

Pre-elafin/trappin-2 is a human innate defense molecule initially described as a potent inhibitor of neutrophil elastase. The full-length protein as well as the N-terminal "cementoin" and C-terminal "elafin" domains were also shown to possess broad antimicrobial activity, namely against the opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa. The mode of action of these peptides has, however, yet to be fully elucidated. Both domains of pre-elafin/trappin-2 are polycationic, but only the structure of the elafin domain is currently known. The aim of the present study was to determine the secondary structures of the cementoin domain and to characterize the antibacterial properties of these peptides against P. aeruginosa.

Results

We show here that the cementoin domain adopts an α-helical conformation both by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses in the presence of membrane mimetics, a characteristic shared with a large number of linear polycationic antimicrobial peptides. However, pre-elafin/trappin-2 and its domains display only weak lytic properties, as assessed by scanning electron micrography, outer and inner membrane depolarization studies with P. aeruginosa and leakage of liposome-entrapped calcein. Confocal microscopy of fluorescein-labeled pre-elafin/trappin-2 suggests that this protein possesses the ability to translocate across membranes. This correlates with the finding that pre-elafin/trappin-2 and elafin bind to DNA in vitro and attenuate the expression of some P. aeruginosa virulence factors, namely the biofilm formation and the secretion of pyoverdine.

Conclusions

The N-terminal cementoin domain adopts α-helical secondary structures in a membrane mimetic environment, which is common in antimicrobial peptides. However, unlike numerous linear polycationic antimicrobial peptides, membrane disruption does not appear to be the main function of either cementoin, elafin or full-length pre-elafin/trappin-2 against P. aeruginosa. Our results rather suggest that pre-elafin/trappin-2 and elafin, but not cementoin, possess the ability to modulate the expression of some P.aeruginosa virulence factors, possibly through acting on intracellular targets.