bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic evaluation of marine biogeographical barriers: perspectives from two widespread Indo‐Pacific snappers (Lutjanus kasmira and Lutjanus fulvus)
Authors: Gaither Michelle R. , Toonen Robert J. , Robertson D. Ross , Planes Serge , Bowen Brian W.
Published: September 2009

Aim  In the Indo‐Pacific, the mass of islands of the Indonesian archipelago constitute a major biogeographical barrier (the Indo‐Pacific Barrier, IPB) separating the Pacific and Indian oceans. Evidence for other, more localized barriers include high rates of endemism at the Marquesas and other isolated peripheral islands in the Pacific. Here we use mitochondrial‐sequence comparisons to evaluate the efficacy of biogeographical barriers on populations of the snappers Lutjanus kasmira and Lutjanus fulvus across their natural ranges.

Location  Pacific and Indian oceans.

Methods  Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data were obtained from 370 individuals of L. kasmira and 203 individuals of L. fulvus collected from across each species’ range. Allele frequency data for two nuclear introns were collected from L. kasmira. Phylogenetic and population‐level analyses were used to determine patterns of population structure in these species and to identify barriers to dispersal.

Results  Lutjanus kasmira lacks genetic structure across the IPB and throughout 12,000 km of its central Indo‐Pacific range. In contrast, L. fulvus demonstrates high levels of population structure at all geographical scales. In both species, highly significant population structure results primarily from the phylogenetic distinctiveness of their Marquesas Islands populations (L. kasmira, d = 0.50–0.53%; L. fulvus, d = 0.87–1.50%). Coalescence analyses of the L. kasmira data indicate that populations at opposite ends of its range (western Indian Ocean and the Marquesas) are the oldest. Coalescence analyses for L. fulvus are less robust but also indicate colonization from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean.

Main conclusions  The IPB does not act as a biogeographical barrier to L. kasmira, and, in L. fulvus, its effects are no stronger than isolating mechanisms elsewhere. Both species demonstrate a strong genetic break at the Marquesas. Population divergence and high endemism in that archipelago may be a product of geographical isolation enhanced by oceanographic currents that limit gene flow to and from those islands, and adaptation to unusual ecological conditions. Lutjanus kasmira shows evidence of Pleistocene population expansion throughout the Indo‐central Pacific that originated in the western Indian Ocean rather than the Marquesas, further demonstrating a strong barrier at the latter location.
Postural and dynamic masseter and anterior temporalis muscle EMG repeatability in serial assessments
Authors: SUVINEN T. I. , MALMBERG J. , FORSTER C. , KEMPPAINEN P.
Published: September 2009

Summary  Electromyographic (EMG) assessment has been used as a non‐invasive tool to objectively assess muscle function, although with controversial research and clinical potential. The aim of this study was to assess within‐, inter‐subject and between‐day repeatability of serial EMG recordings. The study sample included 10 asymptomatic subjects with no history of temporomandibular disorders or muscle parafunctions. Bilateral masseter and anterior temporalis muscle EMG parameters were assessed in two standardized serial recordings (day1 to day2) using a portable EMG equipment (ME 6000 recorder, Mega Electronics, Kuopio, Finland). The functional tasks included postural/resting activities as pre‐ and post‐recording series of 30 s each and jaw opening/closing, intercuspal and maximal voluntary clenching activities of 5 s, repeated three times. The assessed EMG parameters included the mean amplitude, s.d. and error. In addition, the power spectrum EMG parameter assessment included the median power frequencies and the averaged EMG spectrum data values. The results of the intraclass correlation coefficient analysis indicated reliability for nearly all of the intercuspal and all clenching EMG amplitude and power spectrum parameters. This was complemented by the repeated measures anova and post hoc analyses that indicated non‐significant differences between day 1 and 2 in task‐ and muscle‐related analyses. Most variability was noted in postural and some in opening/closing tasks. In conclusion this study assessed the reliability, repeatability and limitations of postural and various dynamic masseter and temporalis EMG recordings for serial assessment.
Choice vs. voice? PPI policies and the re‐positioning of the state in England and Wales
Authors: Hughes David , Mullen Caroline , Vincent‐Jones Peter
Published: September 2009

Context and Thesis Changing patient and public involvement (PPI) policies in England and Wales are analysed against the background of wider National Health Service (NHS) reforms and regulatory frameworks. We argue that the growing divergence of health policies is accompanied by a re‐positioning of the state vis‐à‐vis PPI, characterized by different mixes of centralized and decentralized regulatory instruments.

Method Analysis of legislation and official documents, and interviews with policy makers.

Findings In England, continued hierarchical control is combined with the delegation of responsibilities for the oversight and organization of PPI to external institutions such as theCare Quality Commissionand local involvement networks, in support of the government’s policy agenda of increasing marketization. In Wales, which has rejected market reforms and economic regulation, decentralization is occurring through the use of mixed regulatory approaches and networks suited to the small‐country governance model, and seeks to benefit from the close proximity of central and local actors by creating new forms of engagement while maintaining central steering of service planning. Whereas English PPI policies have emerged in tandem with a pluralistic supply‐side market and combine new institutional arrangements for patient ‘choice’ with other forms of involvement, the Welsh policies focus on ‘voice’ within a largely publicly‐delivered service.

Discussion While the English reforms draw on theories of economic regulation and the experience of independent regulation in the utilities sector, the Welsh model of local service integration has been more influenced by reforms in local government. Such transfers of governance instruments from other public service sectors to the NHS may be problematic.
Involving the public through participatory visual research methods
Authors: Lorenz Laura S. , Kolb Bettina
Published: September 2009

Objectives  To show how providing cameras to patients and community residents can be effective at involving the public in generating understanding of consumer, community, and health system problems and strengths.

Background  Health‐care institutions and systems may seek to include consumer perspectives on health and health care yet be challenged to involve the most vulnerable sectors, be they persons with disabilities or persons with low socio‐economic status living in societies where a top‐down approach to policy is the norm.

Methods  Drawing on study examples using photo‐elicitation and photovoice in Morocco and the United States, the authors explore issues of planning, data analysis, ethical concerns and action related to using participatory visual methods in different cultural and political contexts.

Results  Visual data generated by consumers can be surprising and can identify health system problems and strengths omitted from data gathered using other means. Statistical data may convince policy makers of the need to address a problem. Participant visual data may in turn encourage policy maker attention and action.

Conclusion  Health system decision making may be improved by having a broader range of data available. Participant‐generated visual data may support data gathered using traditional methods, or provide a reality check when compared with data generated by organizations, researchers and policy makers. The two study examples model innovative ways to surface health and health‐care issues as they relate to consumers’ real lives and engage vulnerable groups in systems change, even in contexts where expressing opinions might be seen as a risky thing to do.
User involvement in the construction of a mental health charter: an exercise in communicative rationality?
Authors: Hodge Suzanne M.
Published: September 2009

Background  This paper uses Jürgen Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action as a lens through which to examine the development of a local mental health charter.

Objective  To assess whether the Charter represents the product of a communicatively rational process.

Research design and setting  The paper is based on an analysis of the text of the Charter, and on documentation relating to its development, including notes of discussion groups used to identify its themes.

Findings  An analysis of the notes of the discussion groups against the text of the Charter shows that the Charter’s themes are based broadly on the views generated in the discussion groups. However, they also draw on norms derived from wider discourses not reflected in the discussion groups, and exclude other specific local issues. The strength of feeling expressed in the discussion groups is also toned down in the language of the Charter.

Discussion  The development of the Charter was based on a participatory process that can be said to have contained elements of both communicative and strategic rationality. The strategic rationality involved in translating service users’ views into language that would be acceptable to those working in the system can be seen as necessary for the Charter to succeed in bringing about change. In drawing also on communicatively generated norms from the wider public sphere the Charter can be seen as reflecting a form of generalized communicative rationality.

Conclusion  The Charter represents a ‘sluice’ by which communicative rationality is drawn into the mental health system.
Deliberation before determination: the definition and evaluation of good decision making
Authors: Elwyn Glyn , Miron‐Shatz Talya
Published: September 2009

Objectives In this article, we examine definitions of suggested approaches to measure the concept of good decisions, highlight the ways in which they converge, and explain why we have concerns about their emphasis onpost‐hocestimations and post‐decisional outcomes, their prescriptive concept of knowledge, and their lack of distinction between the process of deliberation, and the act of decision determination.

Background There has been a steady trend to involve patients in decision making tasks in clinical practice, part of a shift away from paternalism towards the concept of informed choice. An increased understanding of the uncertainties that exist in medicine, arising from a weak evidence base and, in addition, the stochastic nature of outcomes at the individual level, have contributed to shifting the responsibility for decision making from physicians to patients. This led to increasing use of decision support and communication methods, with the ultimate aim of improving decision making by patients. Interest has therefore developed in attempting to define good decision making and in the development of measurement approaches.

Method We pose and reflect whether decisions can be judged good or not, and, if so, how this goodness might be evaluated.

Results We hypothesize that decisions cannot be measured by reference to their outcomes and offer an alternative means of assessment, which emphasizes the deliberation process rather than the decision’s end results. We propose decision making comprises a pre‐decisional process and an act of decision determination and consider how this model of decision making serves to develop a new approach to evaluating what constitutes a good decision making process. We proceed to offer an alternative, which parses decisions into the pre‐decisional deliberation process, the act of determination and post‐decisional outcomes.

Discussion Evaluating the deliberation process, we propose, should comprise of a subjective sufficiency of knowledge, as well as emotional processing and affective forecasting of the alternatives. This should form the basis for a good act of determination.
Current management of allergic rhinitis in children
Authors: Georgalas Christos , Terreehorst Ingrid , Fokkens Wytske
Published: September 2009

Georgalas C, Terreehorst I, Fokkens W. Current management of allergic rhinitis in children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: e119–e126. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Over the last 20 years, there has been significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis, including the discovery of new inflammatory mediators, the link between asthma and allergic rhinitis (‘one airway–one disease’ concept) and the introduction of novel therapeutic modalities. These new insights have been documented in the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma guidelines and have led to the creation of evidence‐based management algorithms. We now understand the importance of a common strategy for treating allergic inflammation of the upper and lower airway as a way of improving outcome, reducing hospital admissions, providing better quality of life and perhaps, altering the natural course of the ‘allergic march’. A therapeutic ladder is suggested: Whereas for mild intermittent allergic rhinitis, allergen avoidance should be the first line of treatment with subsequent addition of a second generation topical or oral antihistamine, nasal saline or cromoglycate, in cases of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis, a nasal steroid is the treatment of choice. If a patient with moderate/severe persistent allergic rhinitis fails to improve after 4 wk of adequate treatment, patient compliance or the diagnosis must be re‐assessed. In such cases, when the diagnosis is in doubt, a careful clinical examination including nasal endoscopy is mandatory to assess for other potential causes of nasal obstruction. In children who suffer from concomitant allergic rhinitis and asthma, a management algorithm that addresses concurrently asthma and allergic rhinitis is vital, both from a theoretical and from a practical point of view: Parents overwhelmingly prefer a single strategy for the treatment of their child’s upper and lower airway symptoms; however, the overall quality of life in children with severe asthma can be significantly improved if rhinitis is adequately addressed.
Assessment of the upper limb in acute stroke: The validity of hierarchal scoring for the Motor Assessment Scale
Authors: Pickering Rebekah L. , Hubbard Isobel J. , Baker Kerry G. , Parsons Mark W.
Published: September 2009

Background/aim:  Stroke is the greatest contributor to disability in Australian adults and much of this disability results from a stroke‐affected upper limb. This study aimed to determine the validity of hierarchal scoring for the upper limb subscale of the Motor Assessment Scale (UL‐MAS) in acute stroke using Rasch analysis.

Method:  This study applied Rasch analysis to 40 UL‐MAS assessment results across 25 subjects to determine the validity of the hierarchy of the three upper limb subsets: upper arm function (six), hand movements (seven) and advanced hand activities (eight). Rasch analysis examines the relationship between ‘item difficulty’ and ‘person ability’ and produces an output which represents the difficulty of each item in relation to each other.

Results:  As hypothesised, the hierarchy was upheld within subset 6. In subset 7, the hierarchy was not upheld. Results indicated that item 3 was the least difficult, followed by items 1, 4, 2, 5 and 6 in order of increasing difficulty. In subset 8 the hierarchy was not upheld. Results indicated that item 1 was the least difficult, followed by item 6, then 2 and 5 of equal value and then 3 and 4 of equal value.

Conclusions:  The hierarchal scoring is not supported for subsets 7 and 8 and future research is required to explore the validity of alternate scoring methods. At present, the authors recommend that the UL‐MAS should be scored non‐hierarchally, meaning that every item within the subsets should be scored regardless of its place within the hierarchy (UL‐MAS‐NH).
New treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: JOHNSON PHILIP J
Published: September 2009

Although the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is likely to start falling in many countries following mass vaccination programmes, large numbers of new cases are likely to be seen for many years to come. For the majority of patients, only palliative treatments can be offered. Systemic chemotherapy does not improve survival. Locoregional therapy is widely used and certainly results in a consistent decrease in tumour size, but clear evidence of any improvement in overall survival remains elusive. We have recently described the application of selective internal radiotherapy using 90yttrium microspheres. Although response rates by conventional radiological criteria were only modest, several initially inoperable cases became operable and subsequent resection revealed complete pathological remission in some. The resection became possible, not only because of tumour shrinkage, but also because of hypertrophy of the non‐tumorous liver. To date, only a small number, probably less than 15% of patients with HCC will be suitable for an attempt at surgical resection and recurrence will occur in more than half of these. We have recently shown that postoperative intra‐arterial administration of Lipiodol I131 may significantly decrease this recurrence rate.
It’s about time: the temporal dynamics of phenotypic selection in the wild
Authors: Siepielski Adam M. , DiBattista Joseph D. , Carlson Stephanie M.
Published: September 2009

Selection is a central process in nature. Although our understanding of the strength and form of selection has increased, a general understanding of the temporal dynamics of selection in nature is lacking. Here, we assembled a database of temporal replicates of selection from studies of wild populations to synthesize what we do (and do not) know about the temporal dynamics of selection. Our database contains 5519 estimates of selection from 89 studies, including estimates of both direct and indirect selection as well as linear and nonlinear selection. Morphological traits and studies focused on vertebrates were well‐represented, with other traits and taxonomic groups less well‐represented. Overall, three major features characterize the temporal dynamics of selection. First, the strength of selection often varies considerably from year to year, although random sampling error of selection coefficients may impose bias in estimates of the magnitude of such variation. Second, changes in the direction of selection are frequent. Third, changes in the form of selection are likely common, but harder to quantify. Although few studies have identified causal mechanisms underlying temporal variation in the strength, direction and form of selection, variation in environmental conditions driven by climatic fluctuations appear to be common and important.
Daytime profile of the intraocular pressure and tear production in normal dog
Authors: Giannetto Claudia , Piccione Giuseppe , Giudice Elisabetta
Published: September 2009

Objective To evaluate the circadian rhythms of intraocular pressure (IOP) and tear production in dog exposed to a natural photoperiod.

Animals studied We used 12 clinically healthy Beagles dog housed under natural photoperiod at indoor temperature and humidity.

Procedure Intraocular pressure and Schirmer tear test (STT) I were measured every 4 h over a 48‐h period in both eyes in each animal. Statistical analysis of the data was performed by one‐way repeated‐measuresanova, Student’st‐test, and single cosinor method.

Results On each day, there was a highly significant effect of time on both parameters. A statistically significant difference of STT I values was observed comparing left and right eyes (P < 0.0001). Robust daily rhythms were observed for both parameters, IOP values showed diurnal acrophase (left eye: 09:33 ± 00:50 h; right eye: 09:25 ± 00:22 h), while STT I values showed nocturnal acrophase (left eye: 20:27 ± 00:46 h; right eye: 20:00 ± 00:05 h).

Conclusion This study has demonstrated circadian rhythms in both IOP and STT I.
Iris abscesses with and without intralenticular fungal invasion in the horse
Authors: Brooks Dennis E. , Taylor David P. , Plummer Caryn E. , Quinn Rick , Kallberg Maria E. , Sheppard Barbara , Barrie Kathleen P. , Blackwood Sarah E. , Nunnery Catherine M. , Ben‐Shlomo Gil , Clark Carol J. , Woodworth Avery A.
Published: September 2009

Objective To describe clinical and histologic findings in horses with iris abscesses.

Design Retrospective medical records study.

Animals studied Medical records of horses that had iris abscesses at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center, Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital, and Veterinary Eye Specialists of London, Ontario, from 2005 to 2008 were reviewed.

Procedure Data collected from the medical records included signalment, clinical and histologic descriptions of ocular lesions, therapy, complications, and visual outcomes.

Results The medical records of two Quarterhorses, one pony, one warmblood, one Westphalian, and one Arab horse with unilateral iris abscesses were identified. Mild‐to‐severe clinical signs of iridocyclitis were present in all six eyes with iris abscesses. The eyes of two horses with iris abscesses were also associated with deep stromal abscesses and responded to medical therapy alone in one case, and medical therapy and corneal transplantation in the other. Iris abscesses in two horses were also associated with intralenticular invasion due to aCladosporiumand aFusarium‐type fungus respectively, and resulted in enucleations. Two horses with iris abscesses and no apparent lens involvement resolved with medical therapy in one case and surgical removal of the iris abscess and medical therapy in the other.

Conclusions This is the first clinical report of iris abscesses in the horse, and the first histologic report of fungal invasion of the horse lens.
Bilateral typical complete colobomas in a donkey: Retinographic and fluorangiographic description
Authors: Martín‐Suárez Eva María , Galán Alba , Gallardo Galero José María , Molleda Jose María
Published: September 2009

An 18‐year‐old male donkey was referred with a history of blindness. On ocular examination a complete bilateral typical colobomatous defect involving iris, ciliary body, lens, choroid, retina and optic nerve was observed. An optic pit was presented at the temporal side of the right optic head. Ophthalmoscopic and fluorangiographic characteristics are described.
α‐Luminol prevents decreases in glutamate, glutathione, and glutamine synthetase in the retinas of glaucomatous DBA/2J mice
Authors: Gionfriddo Juliet R. , Freeman Kate S. , Groth Allyson , Scofield Virginia L. , Alyahya Khaleel , Madl James E.
Published: September 2009

Objective  To test the hypothesis that in DBA/2J mice, oxidative stress decreases glutamine synthetase (GS) levels resulting in a loss of neuronal glutamate and that the antioxidant α‐luminol (GVT®) decreases this stress and glutamate loss in some types of glaucoma.

Animals  DBA/2J mice were separated into two groups, of which one was not treated, and the other treated with GVT in the drinking water. At 7 months of age, retinas were examined from five untreated DBA/2J mice, seven GVT‐treated mice, and five C57BL/6 mice (negative controls).

Methods  Serial 0.5 μm plastic sections were immunogold stained for glutamate, GS, and total glutathione, followed by image analysis for staining patterns and density.

Results  Focal decreases in glutamate immunostaining were common in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of DBA/2J retinas, but not in C57BL/6 or GVT‐treated DBA/2J retinas. Decreases in glutathione and GS immunostaining were found in DBA/2J retinal regions where neuronal glutamate immunostaining was reduced. Retinas from GVT‐treated DBA/2J had no significant decreases in INL levels of glutamate, glutathione, or GS.

Conclusions  Retinas of dogs with primary glaucoma are reported to have focal depletion of neuronal glutamate. In DBA/2J mice, similar changes occur prior to the development of clinical disease. In these focal glutamate‐depleted regions, levels of glutathione and GS are also reduced, consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative stress contributes to retinal changes in glaucoma. The ability of GVT, an antioxidant, to inhibit retinal abnormalities in DBA/2J mice provides further support for this hypothesis.
The Rich Tradition of Australian Realism
Authors: Wesley Michael
Published: September 2009

Australian International Relations (IR) developed as a discipline at the same time as its emergence in the rest of the Anglophone world. A deep reading of Australian writing on international relations since the 1920s reveals a distinctive tradition of IR scholarship, shaped very much by this country's international circumstances and the pragmatic culture of political inquiry that pervaded its universities and diplomatic institutions. Three characteristics frame the Australian Realist outlook. The first is experiential, a preoccupation with the particularities of Australia's international position — size, isolation, wealth, population, culture — and how these factors can help understand the ways in which Australia relates to the world beyond its shores. The second is systemic pessimism, a tendency to be apprehensive about broader global stability. The third is pragmatism, a predilection for understanding the essential attributes of the situation itself, rather than using the situation to inquire into the general nature of the international system. These characteristics have fostered sustained attention to three sets of issues: geography, demographics and race, and power differentials in Australian Realist scholarship.
The Politics of Asian Engagement: Ideas, Institutions, and Academics
Authors: Beeson Mark , Jayasuriya Kanishka
Published: September 2009

The study of Australia's Asian engagement — just as much as the history of the process itself — has been shaped by structural shifts in the international system and the global political economy as they reverberate through domestic political debates. As a consequence, ideas about Asian engagement tell us as much about the character of national political debates as they do about Australian policy‐makers’perceptions of the region. Understandings of Asia as a transnational political space are shaped by national conflicts and struggles over issues such as communism or national identity. Ideas and disputes over Australia's relationship with Asia become closely aligned with conflict between conservative and radical academic approaches to Asia. With the end of the Cold War in the 1980s and 1990s, the triumph of neoliberalism and the waning of ideological politics of the 1960s were mirrored in academic approaches that adopted a policy or cultural approach to Asia.
The Impact of Neo‐liberalism on South Korea's Public Pension: A Political Economy of Pension Reform
Authors: Jung Chang Lyul , Walker Alan
Published: September 2009

This article examines the recent Korean pension reforms from a political economy perspective. It argues that these reforms are of particular interest because, unlike major pay‐as‐you‐go pension schemes in Europe, the Korean pension scheme is a funded one and, therefore, is subject to market exposure. Also in contrast to the problems that public pension reforms have encountered in European and other OECD countries, especially ‘blame avoidance’, the more radical Korean reforms were implemented without significant challenge or resistance. First of all, the National Pension Scheme is described prior to the 1997 Asian economic crisis. Then the impact of this crisis on the Korean welfare state and, especially, its pension system are analysed. The main part of the article consists of a political economy of the pension reform process, in which the key roles of the international governmental organizations and the domestic neo‐liberal policy elite are pinpointed. This neo‐liberal ideology was critical in developing and sustaining an influential discourse on the ‘crisis’ in Korea's national pension fund. The article concludes by arguing, against the neo‐liberal tide, for the inclusion of a pay‐as‐you‐go element in the national pension in order to tackle escalating poverty in old age.
Employment and Wage Trajectories for Mothers Entering Low‐skilled Work: Evidence from the British Lone Parent Cohort
Authors: Stewart Kitty
Published: September 2009

UK government policy encourages mothers of young children in low‐income families to enter or return to work, via tax credit subsidies and support for childcare. Maternal employment is seen a central plank in the campaign against child poverty, both because it raises income immediately and because working now is seen as paving the way to better employment prospects in the future. But there is little evidence about medium‐ and long‐term outcomes for mothers entering low‐skilled employment. We know little about how likely such women are to remain in work, let alone how likely they are to progress to higher‐skilled and better‐paid jobs. This article uses the British Lone Parent Cohort, a data set which tracked lone mothers from 1991 to 2001, to examine employment trajectories for up to 560 mothers with a youngest child under five at the start of the period. It creates a typology of trajectories over the decade, identifying the share of women broadly stable in work, those remaining at home and those following unstable pathways between the two. It goes on to explore the factors associated with different pathways, asking whether individual and household characteristics, job characteristics, or changes in circumstances such as new health problems are most important. Finally, the article examines differences in wage progression across groups of women following different pathways, and similarly tries to identify the main factors associated with faster progress.
Targets and Taxes: Explaining the Welfare Orientations of the Australian Public
Authors: Wilson Shaun , Spies‐Butcher Ben , Stebbing Adam
Published: September 2009

Australia's welfare model – targeted payments alongside low but progressive taxation – exemplifies the targeted approach, prioritizing the needs of poorer citizens within the constraints of low taxation. But does this approach match the welfare orientations of Australia's voters? Does the public hold other views about welfare, emerging out of competing interests in welfare debates? We consider results of two questions included in the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes 2005. The first question asks respondents about four welfare goals that outline competing welfare orientations: targeting poverty, expanding health and education, enforcing the welfare rules and reducing welfare. The second question asks about four taxation goals drawing on similar orientations as established for welfare: targeting tax cuts, taxing for welfare, enforcing tax rules and reducing overall tax. Asking about both enables us to tell whether voters approach tax and welfare ‘consistently’ and to see whether, in Australia's case, there is a preference for Australia's targeting model. We reach three conclusions: (1) voters hold diverse preferences about welfare and taxes, but the targeted model has a relatively strong voter base; (2) voters hold ‘pro‐welfare’ orientations, choosing poverty reduction and expanding public services over both paternalism and cutting welfare, and (3) multivariate analysis indicates a level of consistency in welfare and tax orientations among voters.
Movement Societies and Digital Protest: Fan Activism and Other Nonpolitical Protest Online
Authors: Earl Jennifer , Kimport Katrina
Published: September 2009

Sociologists of culture studying “fan activism” have noted an apparent increase in its volume, which they attribute to the growing use of the Internet to register fan claims. However, scholars have yet to measure the extent of contemporary fan activism, account for why fan discontent has been expressed through protest, or precisely specify the role of the Internet in this expansion. We argue that these questions can be addressed by drawing on a growing body of work by social movement scholars on “movement societies,” and more particularly on a nascent thread of this approach we develop that theorizes the appropriation of protest practices for causes outside the purview of traditional social movements. Theorizing that the Internet, as a new media, is positioned to accelerate the diffusion of protest practices, we develop and test hypotheses about the use of movement practices for fan activism and other nonpolitical claims online using data on claims made in quasi-random samples of online petitions, boycotts, and e-mailing or letter-writing campaigns. Results are supportive of our hypotheses, showing that diverse claims are being pursued online, including culturally-oriented and consumer-based claims that look very different from traditional social movement claims. Findings have implications for students of social movements, sociologists of culture, and Internet studies.
Body to Body: On the Political Anatomy of Crowds
Authors: Borch Christian
Published: September 2009

This article challenges the negative image that, since the late 19th century, has been associated with crowds, and it does so by focusing on a number of bodily-anatomic aspects of crowd behavior. I first demonstrate that the work of one of the leading crowd psychologists, Gustave Le Bon, instigated a racist body politics. As a contrast to Le Bon's political program, I examine Walt Whitman's poetry and argue that the crowd may embody a democratic vision that emphasizes the social and political import of sexuality and body-to-body contact. Further, I dispute classical crowd theory's idea of an antagonistic relationship between crowds and individuality. Following Elias Canetti, I claim instead that the bodily compression of crowds in fact liberates individuals and creates a democratic transformation. The analysis results in a rehabilitation of crowds and briefly suggests how a reinterpretation of crowd behavior may inform current debates in social theory.
Happiness at Work
Authors: Fisher Cynthia D.
Published: September 2009

Happiness in the form of pleasant moods and emotions, well‐being, and positive attitudes has been attracting increasing attention throughout psychology research. The interest in happiness has also extended to workplace experiences. This paper reviews what is known about the definition, causes and consequences of happiness at work, drawing also on insights from the expanding positive psychology literature on happiness in general. Many discrete organizational behavior constructs arguably belong to a larger family of happiness‐related constructs, and share some common causes and consequences. Happiness at work includes, but is far more than, job satisfaction. A comprehensive measure of individual‐level happiness might include work engagement, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment. Aspects of happiness have been (and should be) conceptualized and measured at multiple levels, including transient experiences, stable person‐level attitudes, and collective attitudes, and with respect to multiple foci, such as discrete events, the job, and the organization. At all levels, there is evidence that happiness has important consequences for both individuals and organizations. Past research has tended to underestimate the importance of happiness at work.
Hyperinsulinaemia in migraineurs is associated with nitric oxide stress
Authors: Gruber H-J , Bernecker C , Pailer S , Fauler G , Horejsi R , Möller R , Lechner A , Fazekas F , Truschnig-Wilders M
Published: September 2009

There is growing evidence that alterations in the insulin and glucose metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of migraine. Nitric oxide (NO) stress has been associated with migraine. However, the role of NO on the insulin and glucose metabolism in migraineurs has remained elusive to date. The aim of the present study was to investigate the insulin and glucose metabolism in migraineurs and to determine possible interactions with the NO pathway. One hundred and twenty non-obese probands participated in this study, including 48 migraineurs and 72 healthy volunteers. Various parameters of the NO pathway, glucose metabolism as well as body measurement parameters were determined. We found a highly significantly increased insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA)-index in migraine patients, whereas fasting glucose was decreased. Logistic regression revealed an odds ratio of 5.67 for migraine, when comparing the lowest with the highest quartile of HOMA. Multivariate analysis showed that HOMA, waist-to-length ratio and nitrite as parameters of NO stress were highly significantly correlated. We show here that hyperinsulinaemia is associated with migraine and, furthermore, is correlated with increased NO stress. These findings represent a new pathophysiological mechanism that may be of clinical relevance.
Soluble immune receptor serum levels are associated with age, but not with clinical phenotype or disease severity in childhood atopic dermatitis
Authors: Ott H , Wilke J , Baron J M , Höger PH , Fölster‐Holst R
Published: September 2009

Background  Soluble immune receptors (SIRs) have been proposed as biomarkers in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). However, their clinical applicability in affected children has rarely been studied.

Objective  To assess the diagnostic usefulness of serum SIRs in childhood AD by correlating the obtained receptor profiles with serological parameters and clinical features such as age, AD phenotype and disease severity.

Methods  We investigated 100 children with AD. The sCD14, sCD23, sCD25, sCD30, total IgE (tIgE) and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) were determined using sera of all children. The clinical phenotype was classified as extrinsic AD (ADe) or intrinsic AD (ADi) by the presence of allergen‐specific IgE antibodies.

Results  A total of 55 male and 45 female children were recruited. The sCD23, sCD25 and sCD30 serum levels revealed significant age‐dependency. At a mean SCORAD of 40 (range 8–98), none of the evaluated SIRs was correlated to disease severity. In all, 73% of patients suffered from ADe while 27% showed the ADi phenotype. None of the analysed SIRs differed significantly between ADe and ADi patients, while tIgE and ECP levels were elevated in the ADe subgroup.

Conclusion  The current study provides evidence that sCD23, sCD25 and sCD30 serum levels are highly age‐dependent. Serum concentrations of all investigated SIRs did not significantly correlate with disease severity in children with AD and were not differentially expressed in patients of different AD phenotypes. Therefore, we believe that the studied SIRs cannot be regarded as clinically useful biomarkers for the assessment of childhood AD.
Clinical and laboratory study of rosacea in northern Greece
Authors: Lazaridou E , Apalla Z , Sotiraki S , Ziakas NG , Fotiadou C , Ioannides D
Published: September 2009

Background  Numerous factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rosacea, which remains obscure.

Objectives  To examine the epidemiological characteristics of rosacea patients, the histopathological alterations, the prevalence of gastric Helicobacter pylori infection and the role of ultraviolet radiation, to detect the presence of Demodex folliculorum on affected skin and to elucidate the immunological nature of this disorder.

Methods  The study included 100 patients with rosacea. Each patient was assessed with a clinical, haematological, biochemical and histological examination; serology test for the detection of antibodies against H. pylori; direct immunofluorescence on perilesional, sun exposed skin and indirect immunofluorescence with monkey oesophagus as a substrate; antinuclear antibody titre and a skin surface biopsy to search for Demodex folliculorum.

Results  Women were more frequently affected. Half of our patients were 51–70 years old. About two‐thirds were phototypes I and II and 73% complained of worsening of conditions after sun exposure. An almost permanent histopathological feature was solar elastosis. Higher prevalence of H. pylori was not established. Prevalence and mean density of Demodex folliculorum were significantly increased in rosacea patients. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence tests were positive in 6.4% and 6.7% respectively. Antinuclear antibody titres were found in 21.1%.

Conclusions  Our results suggest the pivotal role of chronic sun exposure in the pathogenesis of rosacea. Demodex folliculorum represents a significant cofactor that may contribute to the transition of the disease from a vascular to an inflammatory stage. The low positive results of direct and indirect immunofluorescence do not support a potential autoimmune role in the development of rosacea.
Staff Stress and Burnout in Intellectual Disability Services: Work Stress Theory and its Application
Authors: Devereux Jason , Hastings Richard , Noone Steve
Published: September 2009

Background  Staff in intellectual disability services can be at risk of stress and burnout at work. Given that staff well‐being has implications for the quality of life of the staff themselves and people with intellectual disabilities themselves, this is an important research and practical topic. In this paper, we review work stress theories that have been applied within intellectual disability research.

Method  A search of the literature identified five stress theories that have been applied in intellectual disability research: person–environment, demand–support–control, cognitive‐behavioural, emotional overload, and equity theory.

Results  Each of the five work stress theories is described and the extent to which data within intellectual disability research relates to these theories is explored. Some of the key theoretical constructs within these work stress models have been explored in intellectual disability research but frequently the underlying processes within work stress models have not been fully tested.

Conclusion  Partial exploration of work stress theories means that theoretical understanding of how best to explain work stress in intellectual disability staff is limited. Suggestions for future research are discussed, particularly concerning the relationship between empirical research and work stress theory.
The Effect of Active Support Interactive Training on the Daily Lives of Adults with an Intellectual Disability
Authors: Totsika Vasiliki , Toogood Sandy , Hastings Richard P. , McCarthy Jonathan
Published: September 2009

Background  Interactive training (IT) is one of the two staff training components of the active support (AS) model. The present study explores how effective IT is when offered to staff divorced in time from the AS workshops, the other training component. We explored the effects of IT on resident activity engagement, challenging behaviours and staff assistance.

Materials and Methods  Twenty‐one adults with an intellectual disability living in residential settings participated. Observations and ratings of staff and resident behaviours were obtained before, immediately after the training sessions, and at 6 months follow‐up.

Results  Group‐level analyses indicated a short‐lived improvement in quality of staff support but, in general, there was an overall lack of change in staff behaviours, resident engagement and – observed and rated – challenging behaviours. However, subgroup analyses indicated that there was a significant improvement in engagement immediately after IT for a distinct subgroup of participants; those who had significantly higher aggressive behaviour ratings at the beginning of the study.

Conclusions  Findings support the combination of the training components of AS for improvements in the quality of life for people with intellectual disability. IT may also be worthy of future study as a potential stand‐alone intervention for people with the most difficult challenging behaviours.
Caregiver Perceptions of the Understanding of Death and Need for Bereavement Support in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: MacHale Rosemary , McEvoy John , Tierney Edel
Published: September 2009

Background  Care staff are an important source of information and support for people with intellectual disabilities following bereavement. The purpose of this study was to explore staff perceptions of service users’ conceptualizations of death, reactions to bereavement, required levels of support and staff confidence in providing post‐bereavement support.

Method  Forty‐two staff rated individuals with intellectual disabilities with whom they worked on a regular basis.

Results  In general, staff believed that service users had a good concept of death, though staff tended to overestimate levels of understanding and possibly underestimate the potential for dysfunctional behaviour post‐bereavement. Although staff expressed confidence in their ability to recognize grief symptoms, they were less confident in their ability to provide post‐bereavement support.

Conclusions  The overall picture was positive with good agreement between staff, though ensuring that staff consider the potential for psychopathology following bereavement is important in providing support. The implications for staff training and post‐bereavement support are considered.
Visuo‐spatial processing and the N1 component of the ERP
Authors: Wascher Edmund , Hoffmann Sven , Sänger Jessica , Grosjean Marc
Published: September 2009

Asymmetries in posterior ERP components, such as the N1, are generally taken to reflect the visual processing of spatial information in absolute (fixation‐based) coordinates. Yet, it is also well established that the position of an object can be coded relative to the position of other objects. To examine the ERP correlates of relative spatial coding, two experiments were conducted in which spatially neutral target stimuli were preceded, accompanied, or followed by laterally presented, task‐irrelevant accessory stimuli. Targets presented simultaneously with a lateral accessory evoked, despite physical asymmetry, a bilateral, symmetric N1. Targets that followed the accessory evoked, despite physical symmetry, an asymmetric N1, with a maximum contralateral to the accessory N1. Thus, lateralizations in the N1 range already reflect relative spatial coding rather than just the processing of the absolute location of incoming information.
Nuclear expression of μ‐opioid receptors in a human mesothelial cell line
Authors: Khorram‐Manesh A. , Nordlander S. , Novotny A. , Bengtsson C. , Nylund G. , Levin M. , Nordgren S. , Delbro D. S.
Published: September 2009

1 Possibly acting via μ‐opioid receptors (MORs), morphine inhibits the formation of experimentally induced postoperative abdominal adhesions in rats. Mesothelial cells may participate in adhesion formation by secreting mediators that interfere negatively with fibrinolysis. Morphine may prevent adhesions by inhibiting the release of pro‐adhesion mediators from mesothelial cells. This study aimed to investigate whether human mesothelial cells express ΜΟR‐1; if so, such could constitute a site of action for morphine in adhesion prevention.

2 Cells from Met‐5A, a human mesothelial cell line were seeded and prepared for immunocytochemistry and Western blotting.

3 Immunocytochemistry showed MOR‐1 expression in mesothelial cells, predominantly in the nuclei. Western blotting showed two bands (c. 35 and 50 kDa) which correspond to those obtained with a control lysate from cells known to express MORs. In addition, we found MOR‐1 expression with nuclear and cytoplasmatic localization in biopsies from human abdominal adhesions.

4 The current findings may suggest that morphine could interact directly with mesothelial cells via MOR‐1 receptors, and thereby modulate adhesion formation, possibly by interfering with the release of pro‐adhesion factors from these cells.