bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tyrosine Isomers Mediate the Classical Phenomenon of Concomitant Tumor Resistance
Authors: Ruggiero Raúl A. , Bruzzo Juan , Chiarella Paula , di Gianni Pedro , Isturiz Martín A. , Linskens Susana , Speziale Norma , Meiss Roberto P. , Bustuoabad Oscar D. , Pasqualini Christiane D.
Published: November 2011

Concomitant tumor resistance (CR) is a phenomenon originally described in 1906 in which a tumor-bearing host is resistant to the growth of secondary tumor implants and metastasis. Although recent studies have indicated that T-cell–dependent processes mediate CR in hosts bearing immunogenic small tumors, manifestations of CR induced by immunogenic and nonimmunogenic large tumors have been associated with an elusive serum factor. In this study, we identify this serum factor as tyrosine in its meta and ortho isoforms. In three different murine models of cancer that generate CR, both meta-tyrosine and ortho-tyrosine inhibited tumor growth. In addition, we showed that both isoforms of tyrosine blocked metastasis in a fourth model that does not generate CR but is sensitive to CR induced by other tumors. Mechanistic studies showed that the antitumor effects of the tyrosine isoforms were mediated, in part, by early inhibition of mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway and inactivation of STAT3, potentially driving tumor cells into a state of dormancy. By revealing a molecular basis for the classical phenomenon of CR, our findings may stimulate new generalized approaches to limit the development of metastases that arise after resection of primary tumors, an issue of pivotal importance to oncologists and their patients. Cancer Res; 71(22); 7113–24. ©2011 AACR.
Elevation of both Reactive Oxygen Species and Antioxidant Enzymes in Vein Tissue of Infertile Men with Varicocele
Authors: Altunoluk Bülent , Efe Erkan , Kurutas Ergul Belge , Gul Ahmet Bora , Atalay Filiz , Eren Mustafa
Published: November 2011

Objective: To compare reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants in internal spermatic vein tissue of men with varicocele and a control group with inguinal hernia. Also to compare the levels of oxidants and antioxidants in infertile and fertile men with varicocele. Patients and Methods: 48 varicocele patients and 12 non-varicocele inguinal hernia patients participated in this study. The varicocele group was again divided into two groups – fertile men with varicocele and infertile men with varicocele. Internal spermatic vein tissue samples were obtained. The level of the malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of oxidative stress, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (defense systems) against oxidative stress such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were estimated in these tissue samples. Results: The mean level of MDA in the varicocele group was significantly higher than in the hernia group, whereas the levels of antioxidants (SOD and CAT) were significantly lower in the varicocele group than in the hernia group. When compared with the subgroups of the varicocele group, the MDA levels and SOD and CAT activities were significantly higher in the infertile varicocele group than in the fertile varicocele group. Conclusions: Antioxidant enzyme levels generally decrease due to a high consumption in varicocele patients. On the contrary, in our study both MDA and antioxidant enzymes increased in the internal spermatic venous wall of infertile varicocele patients. This situation may be explained by an adaptation against oxidative stress in varicocele, which could be defined as a chronic process.
Hallermann-Streiff Syndrome: No Evidence for a Link to Laminopathies
Authors: Kortüm F. , Chyrek M. , Fuchs S. , Albrecht B. , Gillessen-Kaesbach G. , Mütze U. , Seemanova E. , Tinschert S. , Wieczorek D. , Rosenberger G. , Kutsche K.
Published: November 2011

Hallermann-Streiff syndrome (HSS) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by malformations of the cranium and facial bones, congenital cataracts, microphthalmia, skin atrophy, hypotrichosis, proportionate short stature, teeth abnormalities, and a typical facial appearance with prominent forehead, small pointed nose, and micrognathia. The genetic cause of this developmental disorder is presently unknown. Here we describe 8 new patients with a phenotype of HSS. Individuals with HSS present with clinical features overlapping with some progeroid syndromes that belong to the laminopathies, such as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD). HGPS is caused by de novo point mutations in the LMNA gene, coding for the nuclear lamina proteins lamin A and C. MAD with type A and B lipodystrophy are recessive disorders resulting from mutations in LMNA and ZMPSTE24, respectively. ZMPSTE24 in addition to ICMT encode proteins involved in posttranslational processing of lamin A. We hypothesized that HSS is an allelic disorder to HGPS and MAD. As the nuclear shape is often irregular in patients with LMNA mutations, we first analyzed the nuclear morphology in skin fibroblasts of patients with HSS, but could not identify any abnormality. Sequencing of the genes LMNA, ZMPSTE24 and ICMT in the 8 patients with HSS revealed the heterozygous missense mutation c.1930C>T (p.R644C) in LMNA in 1 female. Extreme phenotypic diversity and low penetrance have been associated with the p.R644C mutation. In ZMPSTE24 and ICMT, no pathogenic sequence change was detected in patients with HSS. Together, we found no evidence that HSS is another laminopathy.
“Pen and Ink Communion”: Evangelical Reading and Writing in Antebellum America
Authors: Kelley Mary
Published: November 2011

In their shared, mutually supportive reading and writing practices, antebellum evangelicals like the Smith family prepared themselves for national conversion and global millennium. Institutionalizing the spiritual and intellectual rewards of their “pen and ink communion” in churches, schools, moral reform societies, and family relationships, they helped advance a powerful evangelicalism that continues to shape our world today.
Resisting the Scaffold: Self-Preservation and Limits of Obligation in Hobbes's Leviathan
Authors: Sheridan Patricia
Published: November 2011

The degree to which Hobbes's citizenry retains its right to resist sovereign power has been the source of a significant debate. It has been argued by a number of scholars that there is a clear avenue for legitimate rebellion in Hobbes's state, as described in the Leviathan – in this work, Hobbes asserts that subjects can retain their natural right to self-preservation in civil society, and that this represents an inalienable right that cannot, under any circumstances, be transferred to the sovereign. The conclusion frequently drawn from this feature of Hobbes's account is that it places a considerable limit on sovereign authority. The right to self-preservation has been taken as proof that Hobbes sought to ensure that the sovereign's power relies upon the continual consent of the individuals that make up his or her constituency. I want to examine Hobbes's account of this civil right in Leviathan in order to show that this line of interpretation is ultimately unfounded. While self-preservation results from the individual's own judgment of threats to her personal safety, it is justified in only the most strictly delineated contexts. Judgments regarding the overall peace and security of the state do not, and cannot, fall to individual experiences and judgments. Hobbes is quite adamant that individuals are not appropriate judges of right and wrong action in matters the sovereign legislates.
Hobbes, Signification, and Insignificant Names
Authors: Duncan Stewart
Published: November 2011

The notion of signification is an important part of Hobbes's philosophy of language. It also has broader relevance, as Hobbes argues that key terms used by his opponents are insignificant. However Hobbes's talk about names' signification is puzzling, as he appears to have advocated conflicting views. This paper argues that Hobbes endorsed two different views of names' signification in two different contexts. When stating his theoretical views about signification, Hobbes claimed that names signify ideas. Elsewhere he talked as if words signified the things they named. Seeing this does not just resolve a puzzle about Hobbes's statements about signification. It also helps us to understand how Hobbes's arguments about insignificant speech work. With one important exception, they depend on the view that names signify things, not on Hobbes's stated theory that words signify ideas. The paper concludes by discussing whether arguments about insignificant speech can provide independent support for Hobbes's views about other issues, such as materialism.
Philosophical Idealism and Utopian Capitalism: The Vekhi Authors and the Riabushinskii Circle
Authors: West James
Published: November 2011

The publication of the Vekhi ("Signposts") symposium in Moscow in 1909 was the literary event of the decade in Pre-Revolutionary Russia. Its critique of the radical collectivist traditions of the Russian intelligentsia in the name of "the primacy of spiritual life" was greeted with howls of condemnation from nearly every ideological camp. Contemporaries interpreted this appeal as turn away from the political struggle with autocracy toward mysticism and obscurantism. Historians have more charitably seen Vekhi as a way station in the ideological pilgrimage of its principal participants, Peter Struve, Nicholas Berdiaev, Sergei Bulgakov and Semion Frank, from Marxism through Liberalism toward more contemplative and ethereal realms of Idealist philosophy, Orthodox theology and imperialist nationalism. Both of these interpretative streams perpetuate the impression that Vekhi represented a drift from the practical to the spiritual, and that its message went, either deservedly or tragically, unheard and unheeded.

It is argued here that Vekhi's philosophical discourse contained within it some very concrete social and economic prescriptions, and that its message in fact fell on at least some receptive ears. Vehki found an attentive audience among a small group of liberal industialists in Moscow, led by Pavel Riabushinskii. It served as a catalyst for the creation of an entrepreneurial group known as the Riabushinskii Circle, and opened the way for a remarkable collaboration between intellectuals and entrepreneurs that lasted until the Bolshevik Revolution, and culminated in Riabushinskii's "Utopian Capitalist" vision for Russia.
Printing and Social Control in Russia 2: Decrees
Authors: Franklin Simon
Published: November 2011

On 16 March 1714 Peter I issued a decree on the printing of decrees. Previously all decrees (ukazy), and indeed almost all legislative texts apart from the 1649 law code (Ulozhenie) of Aleksei Mikhailovich, had been issued in manuscript and disseminated through hand-written copies and oral proclamation. Peter's decree on the use of print was a landmark in the administrative uses of printing in Russia. It was intended as such by Peter, and perceived as such by his successors. The continued success of this initiative is contrasted with the repeated failure of other projects for the systematic use of printing in legislation: the attempts to produce a new systematic code, and to publish regular chronological compilations of laws. This article considers the context, implications, and consequences of Peter's innovative ruling. The main questions under consideration are: why had printing not been used for these purposes earlier? what specific functions was the technology called upon to fulfil? and what were its relations with other technologies? Particular attention is paid to the perceived and actual roles of printing as an aid to (i) distribution, (ii) standardization, and (iii) the emblematic projection of authority. In each case, printing is considered not in isolation, but in its relations with the uses of manuscript and speech. A final section considers some ways in which Peter's instruction was followed or adapted by his 18th-century successors.
"Into the Wild Blue Yonder": Ten Novels of the U.S. Air Force and the Wars in Asia
Authors: Meilinger Phillip S.
Published: November 2011

War Narratives, unit histories, memoirs, and letters home from the combatants offer good accounts, but they cannot always convey the tension, violence, fear, dedication, futility, and chance that are so a part of war and that are more easily drawn by a good novelist. This review article discusses the ten top air war novels involving the U.S. Air Force (or the U.S. Army Air Forces as it was known during World War II) and the wars in Korea and Vietnam. These ten novels most accurately reflect the unique character, culture, and achievements of air power in those Asian wars.
A Corpus-Based Study of SARS in English News Reporting in Malaysia and in the United Kingdom
Authors: Chung Siaw-Fong
Published: November 2011

This paper analyses English news reporting in Malaysia (New Straits Times) and in the United Kingdom (The Times) over several consecutive months during the SARS epidemic in 2003. While the physical features (word counts, standardised type/token ratio, number of sentences, etc.) of both corpora were consistent (and the two newspapers used mostly the same metaphorical lexis), differing features of the two newspapers were found in the rhetoric meaning. A corpus-based investigation of the presentation of news, selection of lexis, and the foci of reporting during the SARS epidemic is thus proposed. The results show that news from Malaysia focused on patriotism along with an emotional hopeful attitude, while news reporting in The Times seemed to be emotionally detached and less personal, reporting mainly on the fall of the stock markets and cancellations of cultural and sports events. In addition, The Times was found to have often considered manifestations of global economic status and power.
Dissimilarities in Perspective: a Reply to Kjøll
Authors: Wedgwood Daniel
Published: November 2011

Relevance theorists have claimed that successful communication need result only in similarity, not identity, of mental representations across communicator and addressee. Cappelen and Lepore have criticised this stance, partly on the basis that any definition of similarity must make reference to identity. Accepting this point, Kjøll (2010) argued in this journal that Relevance Theory has an appropriate notion of identical "shared content", in the shape of relevant contextual implications. While this is convincing on a technical level, Relevance Theory owes no such concessions to Cappelen and Lepore, and Kjøll's observations would in any case fail to meet their theoretical requirements. This relates to an important but under-appreciated distinction in analytical perspective that is instantiated in the difference between the cognitive pragmatics of Relevance Theory and the philosophical-semantic approach of Cappelen and Lepore – a distinction that is worthy of further reflection, having significant implications for linguistic theory, within and beyond pragmatics.
Theology Today – Currents and Directions
Authors: Fergusson David
Published: November 2011

While more fragmented than in mid-20th century, recent trends and directions in theology reveal some dominant approaches and particular sub-areas that have become the focus of significant attention. Although overlapping and intersecting, these are discernible both methodologically and thematically. Approaches include a commitment to cross-disciplinarity, contextuality, strategies of retrieval, articulation of confessional identity, and the re-appropriation of liberalism. Important sub-areas include the relationship with other religions, public theology, theology and Bible, philosophical theology, and apologetics. In conclusion, a plea for systematic theology is entered.
Childhood Maltreatment, Parental Monitoring, and Self-Control among Homeless Young Adults
Authors: Kort-Butler Lisa A. , Tyler Kimberly A. , Melander Lisa A.
Published: November 2011

Although parenting factors have been found to contribute to self-control, little is understood about how experiences of maltreatment affect the development of self-control and whether self-control mediates the relationship between maltreatment and negative social outcomes, especially among homeless individuals. This study examined whether lower parental monitoring, physical abuse, and neglect affected the development of self-control and if self-control mediated the relationship between parenting factors and negative social outcomes among a sample of homeless young adults. Results from path analyses indicated that lower parental monitoring and earlier age at first abuse contributed to less cognitive self-control. The effect of monitoring on criminal behavior was partially mediated by self-control. Independent of self-control, low monitoring, physical abuse, and neglect had direct effects on negative outcomes. Running away, a behavioral indicator of self-control, also had direct effects on negative outcomes.
Legal Cynicism, Legitimacy, and Criminal Offending
Authors: Reisig Michael D. , Wolfe Scott E. , Holtfreter Kristy
Published: November 2011

Prior research suggests that legal orientations (or domains of legal socialization), such as legitimacy and legal cynicism, influence compliance with the law (or criminal offending). The aim of this study was to assess a potential threat to the internal validity of these findings. Specifically, the authors test whether one potential confounder, low self-control, attenuates the observed effects of legal orientations on self-reported criminal offending. Using cross-sectional survey data from 626 adult participants, the results of regression models show that criminal offending is significantly shaped by both legal cynicism and legitimacy, even after taking into account individual variations in self-control. In short, the findings demonstrate that legitimacy and legal cynicism exert direct independent effects on law-violating behavior and that these relationships are not confounded by low self-control.
A Country of their Own: Women and Peacebuilding
Authors: Gizelis Theodora-Ismene
Published: November 2011

Research on women and post-conflict reconstruction tends to focus primarily on women as victims and passive targets for aid rather than conceptualizing peacebuilding as a process where greater participation by women may help increase the prospects for success. Here, I argue that women’s social status is a dimension of social capital that is largely independent of general economic development. Societies and communities where women enjoy a relatively higher status have greater prospects for successful peacebuilding, as cooperation by the local population with peacebuilding policies and activities increases. Thus, in the presence of a UN-led peacebuilding operation, women’s status has a direct and independent impact on post-conflict reconstruction. The theoretical claims are empirically assessed by looking at variation in levels of cooperation and conflict during the UN peacebuilding missions within the countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Simultaneity between Trade and Conflict: Endogenous Instruments of Mass Destruction
Authors: Goenner Cullen F.
Published: November 2011

According to the classical liberal belief, trade, which economically benefits countries, creates ties binding the interests of countries and reduces conflict. While the vast majority of the empirical literature supports this view, recent research questions these findings by also considering the reciprocal relationship between trade and conflict. If conflict also influences trade, then trade is an endogenous right-hand side regressor and previous estimates which ignore this are inconsistent. This article determines when one uses appropriate instruments for the endogenous regressors that trade reduces conflict and conflict reduces trade. Failure to use such instruments results in inconsistent estimates and can lead to the spurious conclusion that trade increases conflict. The lesson is the use of inappropriate instruments can be worse than not using them at all.
The Escalation of Terror: Hate and the Demise of Terrorist Organizations
Authors: Langlois Catherine C. , Langlois Jean-Pierre P.
Published: November 2011

Our goal in this article is to examine the strategic interaction between terror groups, hosts, and the United States in order to better understand the parameters of the interaction and the elements of a winning strategy. We adopt a game theoretic approach assuming that each player has a well defined goal and accounts for the anticipated behavior of the others to develop strategy. The game that we develop is a repeated game in which the host and the US must decide whether to fight a terrorist organization whose membership and resources will grow indefinitely if left unchecked. Our model predicts circumstances in which a host will begin to push back against the terrorists in anticipation of a future involvement of the US. It also predicts circumstances in which the terrorist organization’s hatred of the US prompts attacks that seal its fate and early demise.
Rivalry, Instability, and the Probability of International Conflict
Authors: Daxecker Ursula E.
Published: November 2011

This article addresses the effect of political instability and domestic conflict on the probability of militarized interstate disputes. Existing research on the subject has produced inconsistent findings. I hypothesize that the effect of political instability on international disputes is conditional on states’ involvement in civil conflict. More specifically, I argue that while political instability provides leaders with the willingness to use force, civil war creates the necessary opportunities for initiating conflict abroad. A directed-dyad analysis of international rivals for the 1816–2000 time period shows that instability coupled with civil war increases the probability of militarized interstate dispute initiation among rival states. Results are consistent for alternative indicators of political instability and civil war.
Anti-genotoxic potential of casein phosphopeptides (CPPs): a class of fermented milk peptides against low background radiation and prevention of cancer in radiation workers
Authors: Balaji Raja R , Arunachalam Kantha D
Published: November 2011

Background: Radiation workers are constantly exposed to low background radiation which is their occupational hazard. This continuous and prolonged exposure produces genotoxicity and cancerous condition in many workers. The authors have tested casein phosphopeptides (CPP) as a radioprotectant against low background radiation using animal models. Methods: Fermented milk was produced by addition of a bacterial culture, Lactobacillus acidophilus to a commercially available milk brand. After the fermentation process is completed in the milk, CPP is isolated from fermented milk by enzymatic hydrolysis-based method. The radioprotective role of CPP was proved using albino mice and Catla catla fish. Results: The micronucleus assay showed higher level of cell deformation and micronucleus formation in the control animal cells than the test animal cells. CPP has found to be having radioprotective activity potential. Conclusions: This radioprotective potential of CPP can be harnessed to produce formulations which can be used by radiation workers and personnel exposed to low ionization background as an occupational hazard, thus reducing the risk and preventing any type of cancer.
An Empirical Research for the Jumboizing Strategy of General Hospitals in Korea
Authors: Ryu Chung-kul
Published: November 2011

Objective: To study whether the number of hospital beds is effective or not for the main strategy of the general hospitals of Korea. Many small- and medium-sized hospitals find it difficult to maintain their man-agement and about 10 per cent of the hospitals in the whole country every year give up the management, including quitting of one’s business or the transfer of the right of ownership. However, some university hospitals adopt the hospital strategy in which they jumboize the number of hospital bed.

The data consisted of 181 general hospitals with more than 100 beds, which included 28 public hospitals, 73 corporate hospitals, 64 university hospitals and 16 private hospitals. This study used hospitals from the Korean Hospital Association (data of the 181 hospitals enrolled with the Korean Hospital Association) published in 2004, and divided the hospitals into five groups according to the number of hospital beds.

This study was to analyze the relation between the number of medi-cal specialists per 100 beds and managerial performance per medical specialist on the each group. Thus, this research was tested using regression analysis, setting up the number of medical specialists per 100 beds as independent variable and the index of hospital managerial per-formance as dependent variable. For the part used as index of hospital managerial performance, medical revenue index is used for total income and growth index is used for the number of outpatients and inpatients. To analyze this study, the statistical program used is SPSS WIN 12.0.

The result of analysis is to identify that the big hospitals with greater number of beds and medical specialists have shown greater revenue per medical specialist despite the smaller number of patients per medical specialist. This means that the non-financial measurement called the number of hospital beds influences the hospital revenue which is a fi-nancial, and the big hospitals with greater number of beds is higher pro-fitability on the hospital revenue.

Under the current health care medical charge system, this is empiric-ally to certify that jumboizing hospital on the number of hospital beds is the best strategy in order to maintain a stable hospital management and to improve the medical profitability.
Utilization of Emergency Medical Services in Mauritius
Authors: Kassean Hemant , Poordil M.
Published: November 2011

The SAMU, ‘Service d’ Aide Medicale Urgente’, was set up in Mauritius in December 1997 in collaboration with University of Bordeaux II, with the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life and the Mauritian Institute of Health in a bid to offer pre-hospital emergency treatment to people in distress. Recorded data concerning the public use of the service were analyzed: 1,967 run sheets were investigated and trends were identi-fied. The study showed that a large proportion of the service is being used by the aged, and the commonest reasons for calling SAMU were road traffic accidents, cardiac problems and bronchial asthmas. The rate of use of the service is almost the same for every day of the week, although it is more in demand between 0900 hours to 1500 hours. The emergency teams of Jeetoo and Victoria hospitals are more solicited than the others, and the Flacq hospital team was utilized in only 10 per cent of the total number of interventions. As expected, the demand on the service is increasing, resulting in a need for additional staff and other resources. Future studies could examine response times and patients’ satisfaction with the service.
Morbidity, Health Expenditure and Willingness to Pay for Health Insurance amongst the Urban Poor
Authors: Ghosh Soumitra , Mondal Shinjini
Published: November 2011

The study aimed to assess the demand for health insurance, gather evidence on willingness to pay (WTP) for health insurance and its determining factors amongst the urban poor in Mumbai. This was as-certained through dichotomous bidding process on 300 households (HHs). The findings reveal characteristics of a low-income group with a burden of disease and treatment financed through out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure, which is at times catastrophic. These factors justify the demand for health care insurance in the study population expressed by one-third of the population. Results of the multivariate regression model suggest that HHs with presence of morbid conditions and prior experience of inpatient admissions were more likely to join and pay for health insurance. Within the ‘urban poor’, the relatively better-off HHs expressed greater WTP for health insurance. The results clearly indicate the need for a state-subsidized insurance scheme as more than 50 per cent of the people willing to pay expressed their inability to pay more than 1 per cent of the annual income.
Technology Transfer, Foreign Direct Investment, Licensing and the Developing Countries’ Terms of Trade
Authors: Saadi Mohamed
Published: November 2011

We reconsider technology transfer à la Kojima–Ozawa originating from a developed (North) country’s comparatively disadvantaged industry and going to developing (South) country’s comparatively advantaged industry. We study the effects of free technology transfer, technology transfer via licensing and foreign direct investment (FDI) on the North–South terms of trade and welfare in a two-good, two-country Ricardian model. We show that the developed country, which has an absolute advantage in production technology, gains by transferring its advanced technology to the developing country’s export sector. The developed country benefits from technology transfer regardless of the modes of transfer due to an improvement in its terms of trade. Licensing or FDI allows the North to further extract surplus from the South. However, we cast doubt on Kojima–Ozawa propositions about the mutual welfare gain and we show that while the technology transfer allows the South to improve its comparative advantage and production efficiency, its welfare gain depends on how much it needs to pay to the North via licensing or FDI. In our next step, we provide an empirical follow-up on the theoretical assessment. Our empirical analysis is based on panel data on the developing countries. We find a worsening terms of trade effect of FDI and royalties payment for the developing countries.
Crisis, economic uncertainty and union members' attitudes towards immigration in Europe
Authors: Artiles Antonio Martín , Molina Oscar
Published: November 2011

The literature identifies three key factors that shape attitudes towards immigration: socio-economic uncertainty, ideology and the institutional framework. The aim of this article is to take a closer look at the differences in trade union members' attitudes to immigration and the factors that determine them. We test three hypotheses by addressing three questions. First, what are the differences between the attitudes of trade union members and non-members with regard to immigration? Second, how are attitudes affected by material socio-economic variables? Third, how do different institutional frameworks and contexts affect trade union members' attitudes? We conclude that attitudes can be explained by the interaction between economic and ideological variables. This has important implications for trade union strategies geared towards the integration of migrant workers.

La littérature specialisée identifie trois facteurs clé qui déterminent les attitudes vis-à-vis de l’immigration: les incertitudes socio-économiques, l’idéologie et le cadre institutionnel. Le but de cet article est d’examiner de plus près les différences dans les attitudes des syndiqués à l’égard de l’immigration et les facteurs qui déterminent ces différences. Nous testons trois hypothèses en examinant trois questions. Primo, quelles sont les différences entre les attitudes des syndiqués et des non-syndiqués à l’égard de l’immigration? Secundo, comment ces attitudes sont-elles affectées par des variables socio-économiques significatives? Tertio, comment des cadres et des contextes institutionnels différents affectent-t-ils les attitudes des syndiqués? Nous concluons que les attitudes peuvent s'expliquer par l’interaction entre des variables économiques et idéologiques. Cela a d’importantes conséquences pour les stratégies syndicales visant l’intégration des travailleurs migrants.

In der Fachliteratur werden drei Schlüsselfaktoren genannt, die die Einstellungen zur Immigration beeinflussen: sozioökonomische Unsicherheit, Ideologie und institutionelle Rahmenbedingungen. Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Unterschiede in den Einstellungen von Gewerkschaftsmitgliedern zur Zuwanderung und die entscheidenden Faktoren dafür. Wir überprüfen drei Hypothesen anhand von drei Fragestellungen: Welche Unterschiede bestehen zwischen den Einstellungen von Gewerkschaftsmitgliedern und nicht gewerkschaftlich organisierten Arbeitnehmern zur Immigration? Welchen Einfluss haben materielle sozioökonomische Variablen auf diese Einstellungen? Und wie wirken sich verschiedene institutionelle Rahmenbedingungen auf die Einstellungen von Gewerkschaftsmitgliedern aus? Wir gelangen zu dem Schluss, dass sich die Einstellungen aus der Interaktion wirtschaftlicher und ideologischer Variablen ergeben. Diese Erkenntnis hat bedeutende Folgen für die Gewerkschaftsstrategien zur Integration von Wanderarbeitnehmern.
Why do workers leave unions? Group differences between workers in CCOO-Catalonia
Authors: Jódar Pere , Alós Ramon , Vidal Sergi
Published: November 2011

This article analyses the characteristics of members leaving trade unions in Spain – specifically the Catalonia branch of Workers' Commissions (CCOO-Catalonia) – alongside their reasons for leaving, using a variety of data sources. Our findings indicate higher union attrition among members in more precarious employment situations (i.e. temporary employment, low seniority). In general, union leavers confirm that their job situation is an important reason for leaving the union. We therefore conclude that efforts made by unions to support members in vulnerable labour market positions are also important in order to reduce rates of union attrition.

Cet article analyse les caractéristiques des membres qui quittent les syndicats en Espagne – plus particulièrement la branche catalane des Commissions ouvrières (CCOO-Catalonia) – ainsi que les motifs de leur départ, en utilisant des données provenant d’un large éventail de sources. Il montre que la désyndicalisation concerne davantage les membres qui connaissent une situation d’emploi plus précaire (par ex. emploi temporaire, ancienneté limitée). En général, ceux qui quittent le syndicat confirment que leur situation professionnelle est un motif important d'abandon du syndicat. Nous concluons dès lors que les efforts consentis par les syndicats pour soutenir les membres qui se trouvent dans des positions vulnérables sur le marché du travail sont également importants pour réduire le taux de désyndicalisation.

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Merkmale von Gewerkschaftsmitgliedern, in diesem Fall Mitgliedern des katalanischen Gebietsverbandes der CC.OO, die aus der Gewerkschaft ausgetreten sind, sowie die Gründe, die sie dazu veranlasst haben. Die Analyse von Daten aus unterschiedlichen Quellen zeigt, dass vor allem Gewerkschaftsmitglieder in prekären Beschäftigungsverhältnissen (das heißt mit zeitlich befristen Arbeitsverträgen oder kurzer Betriebszugehörigkeit) aus der Gewerkschaft austreten. Im Allgemeinen geben die Betroffenen an, dass ihre berufliche Situation ein wichtiger Grund für den Austritt aus der Gewerkschaft war. Um die Zahl der Abgänge zur verringern, ist es daher wichtig, dass die Gewerkschaften auch Anstrengungen unternehmen, um Mitglieder mit einer unsicheren Stellung auf dem Arbeitsmarkt zu unterstützen.
Understanding innovation in communication industries through alternative economic theories
Authors: Rogers Jim , Sparviero Sergio
Published: November 2011

This article argues that communication scholars should collaborate with pluralist economists rather than traditional ones, as alternative economic theories are better suited to understanding the complex process of innovation in communication industries and to integration into multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks. In order to illustrate this point, first the main features of traditional economics that are incompatible with the study of the communication sector are outlined, then, a selection of theories and concepts from complexity economics, modularity and service innovation studies are presented. Moreover, as an illustration of the value of alternative economic theories in explaining change in the communication sector, these concepts are used to outline some of the most important changes and trends that have affected the music industry as a result of its digitization.
Inhibition of GSK3 by Wnt signalling – two contrasting models
Authors: Metcalfe Ciara , Bienz Mariann
Published: November 2011

The key read-out of Wnt signalling is a change in the transcriptional profile of the cell, which is driven by β-catenin. β-catenin levels are normally kept low by a phosphorylation event that is mediated by glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3, α- and β-isoforms), which targets β-catenin for ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation. Wnt blocks this phosphorylation event, thereby allowing β-catenin to accumulate and to co-activate transcription in the nucleus. Exactly how Wnt inhibits GSK3 activity towards β-catenin is unclear and has been the focus of intensive research. Recent studies on the role of conserved PPPSPxS motifs in the cytoplasmic tail of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP, isoforms 5 and 6) culminated in a biochemical model: Wnt induces the phosphorylation of LRP6 PPPSPxS motifs, which consequently access the catalytic pocket of GSK3 as pseudo-substrates, thus directly blocking its activity against β-catenin. A distinct cell-biological model was proposed more recently: Wnt proteins induce the uptake of GSK3 into multivesicular bodies (MVBs), an event that sequesters the enzyme away from newly synthesised β-catenin substrate in the cytoplasm, thus blocking its phosphorylation. This new model is based on intriguing observations but also challenges a body of existing evidence, so will require further experimental consolidation. We shall consider whether the two models apply to different modes of Wnt signaling: acute versus chronic.
ON–OFF Switching of the Solvatochromic Behavior of a Copper(II)–Hydrazone Complex Induced by Protonation/Deprotonation
Authors: Chang Mee , Kobayashi Atsushi , Chang Ho-Chol , Nakajima Kiyohiko , Kato Masako
Published: November 2011

A new copper(II)–hydrazone complex, [Cu(paph)Cl(CH3OH)] (Hpaph: 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde 2-pyridylhydrazone) (1) has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and UV–vis spectroscopy. This complex shows distinctive color changes by the protonation/deprotonation and exhibits interesting ON–OFF switching of solvatochromic behavior on the basis of the protonation/deprotonation of the hydrazone moiety.
Protein Nanotube Arrays Immobilized on Solid Substrates: Molecular Trap in Aqueous Medium
Authors: Kato Ryunosuke , Komatsu Teruyuki
Published: November 2011

We describe template-assisted synthesis of protein nanotube arrays immobilized on solid substrates (e.g., glass plate) using a nanoporous polycarbonate membrane and the arrays’ molecule-trapping capabilities in aqueous medium. The uniform array of human serum albumin-based nanotubes bearing an avidin surface interior captured efficiently fluorescein-labeled biotin in water.
Quaternary-ammonium-bearing Aromatic Surfactants: Effect of the Alkyl Chain Positions on Their Micelle and DNA-complex Structures
Authors: Matsuo Takuma , Fujii Shota , Kamikawa Yumi , Nishimura Tomoki , Sanada Yusuke , Mochizuki Shinichi , Sakurai Kazuo
Published: November 2011

The isomeric effect was investigated for a newly synthesized series of quaternary aromatic ammoniums with alkyl chains of different substitution position. Their micellar and DNA-complex structures were investigated with synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering and isomeric effect is discussed. For the dodecyloxy tail, the meta–meta showed a hexagonally packed cylinder, while the meta–para formed a lamella. After addition of DNA, both showed a lamella with DNA sandwiched between the surfactant bilayers.
Spontaneous Conversion of 3-Alkyl-substituted 3-Hydroperoxypyrrolidine-2,4-diones into 5-Alkyl-5-hydroxyoxazolidin-4-ones
Authors: Haque Md Aminul , Ishikawa Hayato , Nishino Hiroshi
Published: November 2011

3-Hydroperoxypyrrolidine-2,4-diones substituted with an alkyl group at the 3-position were spontaneously transformed into 5-hydroxyoxazolidin-4-one derivatives at room temperature in air accompanied by the evolution of carbon monoxide.
Diameter Control of Silver Nanowires by Chloride Ions and Its Application as Transparent Conductive Coating
Authors: Chang Ya-Hsing , Lu Yu-Chieh , Chou Kan-Sen
Published: November 2011

A simple method for the synthesis of silver nanowires (NW) in ethylene glycol is presented here with its diameter controlled by addition of chloride ions. The synthetic process consists of two separating steps, i.e., nucleation and growth. The resulting diameter, between 100 and 55 nm, becomes smaller when more chloride ions are added in the second step. Different silver nanowires are then coated on the glass substrate to fabricate transparent electrodes. A sheet resistance of 10 Ω/sq with optical transmittance of 80% can be obtained.
Assembling and Patterning of Diatom Frustules onto PDMS Substrates Using Photoassisted Chemical Bonding
Authors: Wang Yu , Pan Junfeng , Cai Jun , Li Aobo , Chen Mingli , Zhang Deyuan
Published: November 2011

A photoassisted chemical bonding method was used to accurately position diatom frustules into complex microscale patterns on a PDMS surface. The micropores and fine features of the diatom frustules were perfectly preserved because neither pressure exerted on diatoms nor etchant contacted in the whole process. This method has the potential to enable diatom device applications utilizing the functionalized frustules especially for biosensors, biodetection chips, and microfluidic chips.
Maximal Lattice-Free Polyhedra: Finiteness and an Explicit Description in Dimension Three
Authors: Averkov Gennadiy , Wagner Christian , Weismantel Robert
Published: November 2011

A convex set with nonempty interior is maximal lattice-free if it is inclusion maximal with respect to the property of not containing integer points in its interior. Maximal lattice-free convex sets are known to be polyhedra. The precision of a rational polyhedron P in ℝd is the smallest natural number s such that sP is an integral polyhedron. In this paper we show that, up to affine mappings preserving ℤd, the number of maximal lattice-free rational polyhedra of a given precision s is finite. Furthermore, we present the complete list of all maximal lattice-free integral polyhedra in dimension three. Our results are motivated by recent research on cutting plane theory in mixed-integer linear optimization.
The Simplex and Policy-Iteration Methods Are Strongly Polynomial for the Markov Decision Problem with a Fixed Discount Rate
Authors: Ye Yinyu
Published: November 2011

We prove that the classic policy-iteration method [Howard, R. A. 1960. Dynamic Programming and Markov Processes. MIT, Cambridge] and the original simplex method with the most-negative-reduced-cost pivoting rule of Dantzig are strongly polynomial-time algorithms for solving the Markov decision problem (MDP) with a fixed discount rate. Furthermore, the computational complexity of the policy-iteration and simplex methods is superior to that of the only known strongly polynomial-time interior-point algorithm [Ye, Y. 2005. A new complexity result on solving the Markov decision problem. Math. Oper. Res. 30(3) 733–749] for solving this problem. The result is surprising because the simplex method with the same pivoting rule was shown to be exponential for solving a general linear programming problem [Klee, V., G. J. Minty. 1972. How good is the simplex method? Technical report. O. Shisha, ed. Inequalities III. Academic Press, New York], the simplex method with the smallest index pivoting rule was shown to be exponential for solving an MDP regardless of discount rates [Melekopoglou, M., A. Condon. 1994. On the complexity of the policy improvement algorithm for Markov decision processes. INFORMS J. Comput. 6(2) 188–192], and the policy-iteration method was recently shown to be exponential for solving undiscounted MDPs under the average cost criterion. We also extend the result to solving MDPs with transient substochastic transition matrices whose spectral radii are uniformly below one.
‘Truth’ junkies: using evaluation in UK public policy
Authors: Sullivan Helen
Published: November 2011

This article explores the relationships of policy makers and academic evaluators with each other and with evaluation over the life of the United Kingdom's (UK) New Labour. Drawing on experience of central government-funded evaluations and employing insights from governance and governmentality theories, it illustrates how the idea of evaluation as a source of ‘truth’ was valorised by policy makers as a means of dealing with emergent doubt, delineates the competing manifestations of ‘truth’ that were negotiated in the context of ‘new governance’, and reviews the contribution of new evaluation approaches to uncovering evidence of ‘the truth’. The article concludes that, despite considerable investment in UK policy evaluation, a disconnection between ‘evidence’ and ‘argument’ has limited the role of academic evaluators in the policy process.
‘What will yours grow into?’ Governmentality, governance, social science and the Child Trust Fund
Authors: Finlayson Alan
Published: November 2011

This article demonstrates a governmentality approach to policy, taking as an example the Child Trust Fund devised and implemented by the New Labour government in the United Kingdom (UK). I argue that in making sense of such a policy we should, as interpretive theories of governance tell us, pay attention to the ideas and beliefs that shaped it and to the longer genealogy that made those ideas possible. In addition, I argue, it is important to study a policy not only as an outcome of the actions of various agents but also as a cause of events in the domains into which it enters. Examining how policies ‘emerge’ out of a complex of activities, and how they then become a part of these, is, I suggest, a vital complement to other methodologies, and enables us to ask broad political-theoretical questions of both policy and politics.
The OECD's thinking on the governing of unemployment
Authors: Triantafillou Peter
Published: November 2011

Based on Foucault's notion of governmentality and problematisation, I analyse the problematisations, causal assumptions and policy recommendations found in the documents of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) concerning labour market issues. The article shows that, since the mid-1970s, the OECD's strategies on employment have consistently evolved around the problematisation of ‘structural unemployment’. Demand management and other ways of tackling unemployment have been dismissed in favour of interventions seeking to stimulate the self-governing capacities of the unemployed, entrepreneurs, students and others. While the emphasis on the self-governing capacities of citizens may very broadly be characterised as a supply-side strategy, it has really nothing to do with a laissez-faire approach that assumes the existence of perfect, self-governing markets.