bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characterization of brain tumors in S100β‐v‐erbB transgenic rats
Authors: Yokoo Hideaki , Tanaka Yuko , Nobusawa Sumihito , Nakazato Yoichi , Ohgaki Hiroko
Published: May 2008

Transgenic rats expressing v‐erbB (viral form of the EGF receptor) under transcriptional regulation by the S100β promoter develop brain tumors (Ohgaki et al. J Neuropathol Experimental Neurol 65: 1111–1117, 2006). In the present study, we carried out detailed immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characterization of the brain tumors that developed in these rats. Of 49 homozygous transgenic rats between 16 and 94 weeks of age (mean, 59 weeks), 31 rats were autopsied because they showed severe neurological symptoms and/or became moribund. Among these, 30 rats had brain tumors, which were classified histologically as malignant glioma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, and low‐grade oligodendroglioma. Six transgenic rats developed two different histologic types of brain tumor, which were considered to be of multiclonal origin, because of the lack of histological transitions. All brain tumors contained neoplastic cells immunoreactive for S100 and GFAP. Diffuse immunoreactivity for Olig2 and Nkx2.2 was observed in neoplastic cells in all seven anaplastic oligodendrogliomas and in all three low‐grade oligodendrogliomas analyzed, but in none of 26 malignant gliomas. Electron microscopy, carried out on four malignant gliomas and four anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, revealed the presence of intermediate filament bundles devoid of side arms, indicating glial differentiation. There was no evidence of cilia, microvilli, neurosecretory granules, synaptic structures or neurofilaments, excluding the possibility of ependymal or neuronal tumors. The present study thus provides additional evidence that the brain tumors developing in S100β‐v‐erbB transgenic rats are of glial origin, with or without oligodendroglial differentiation. Reproducible development of three distinct histologic types of brain tumor in unique localizations may be explained by activation of the v‐erbB transgene driven by the S100β promoter in specific precursor cells during development of the brain. Thus, S100β‐v‐erbB transgenic rats may be useful to study the histogenesis and molecular mechanisms of development of glial tumors due to disruption of the EGFR pathway.
Chordoid glioma of the third ventricle: A report of two cases, one with ultrastructural findings
Authors: Kawasaki Koichi , Kohno Mitsuo , Inenaga Chikanori , Sato Akihiko , Hondo Hiroaki , Miwa Atsuo , Fujii Yukihiko , Takahashi Hitoshi
Published: May 2008

Chordoid glioma, which generally occurs in adults, is a rare CNS tumor arising in the anterior part of the third ventricle. We report two cases of chordoid glioma of the third ventricle in a 42‐year‐old woman and a 51‐year‐old man, respectively. Both tumors showed essentially the same histological and immunohistochemical features; the tumors were composed of cords and nests of epithelioid, GFAP‐immunoreactive cells in a mucinous stroma with lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates at the tumor periphery. Ultrastructural examination in one case revealed that the tumor cells were characterized by the presence of hemidesmosomes and associated focal basal lamina formation, intermediate junctions, microvilli and cilia, and intercellular microrosettes with microvilli. Of interest was that small blood vessels with fenestrated endothelial cells were present in the stroma. In the brain, the presence of fenestrated endothelial cells is a feature of the circumventricular organs (except the subcommissural organ), among which the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis is located in the anterior part of the third ventricular floor that is lined by specialized ependymal cells known as tanycytes. These findings further strengthen the hypothesis that chordoid glioma may represent a peculiar clinicopathological subtype of ependymoma (chordoid ependymoma) originating from the lamina terminalis area.
Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor‐A and mRNA stability factor HuR in human astrocytic tumors
Authors: Ido Kazunori , Nakagawa Takao , Sakuma Takahiro , Takeuchi Hiroaki , Sato Kazufumi , Kubota Toshihiko
Published: May 2008

High‐grade astrocytic tumors, such as glioblastoma, possess rich vascular components, which are necessary for their growth. VEGF‐A is considered to be the major mediator of angiogenesis in malignant neoplasms including high‐grade astrocytic tumors. The upregulation of VEGF‐A expression in tumor cells is induced by two mechanisms: the transcriptional activation and the post‐transcriptional stabilization of VEGF‐A mRNA. While the former mechanism mediated by hypoxia inducible factor‐1 alpha (HIF‐1α) has been revealed, the latter mediated by mRNA stability factor HuR remains unclear in astrocytic tumors. In the present study, we investigated the expression of VEGF‐A and mRNA stability factor HuR in supratentorial astrocytic tumors of 27 adults using RT‐PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we studied the involvement of HuR in the upregulation of VEGF‐A expression using malignant astrocytoma cell lines. In higher‐grade astrocytic tumors, the level of VEGF‐A and microvascular density were elevated, cytoplasmic expression of HuR, which potentially means the protection of VEGF‐A mRNA from degradation by ribonucleases, appeared, and they were correlated positively. In in vitro experiments, the inhibition of the cytoplasmic translocation of HuR protein by leptomycin B (LMB) reduced the upregulation of VEGF‐A expression in malignant astrocytic tumor cells under hypoxic conditions. These findings suggest that the expression of VEGF‐A and cytoplasmic translocation of HuR relates to the histological grade, and that HuR is involved in the upregulation of VEGF‐A expression, in human astrocytic tumors.
Eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions in Purkinje neurons of children
Authors: Zherebitskiy Viktor , Del Bigio Marc R.
Published: May 2008

Eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions have been rarely described in Purkinje neurons of children with a variety of neurological conditions. Here we document these inclusions in five children from 3 to 14 years of age. One child had 7q deletion syndrome and a second had profound motor and cognitive delay (“cerebral palsy”) of unknown origin, while three others were neurologically normal prior to death. These inclusions stain with the PAS method, are not strongly ubiquitinated, and are located in the lumen of endoplasmic reticulum. Their appearance in a wide range of disorders and in neurologically normal children suggests that they are a nonspecific protein trafficking anomaly, possibly aggravated under degenerative conditions.
Risk factors for acute respiratory tract illness in military conscripts
Authors: JUVONEN Raija , BLOIGU Aini , PEITSO Ari , SILVENNOINEN‐KASSINEN Sylvi , SAIKKU Pekka , LEINONEN Maija , HARJU Terttu
Published: May 2008

Background and objective:  Acute respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of missed service days among military conscripts. The aim of this study was to identify factors that possibly predicted and contributed to frequent respiratory tract infections among military conscripts.

Methods:  Data on episodes of respiratory illness were collected during the 180‐day period of military service in Kajaani, Finland, between July 2004 and July 2005.

Results:  There were 518 military conscripts recruited, 124 of whom had a diagnosis of asthma. Conscripts with frequent (three or more) infections were more often atopic or suffered from allergic rhinitis or asthma. Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and previous respiratory tract infections were the two independent risk factors for frequent respiratory infections. Overall, 4.8% of those who had no risk factors, 10. 3% of those with one risk factor and 35.7% of those with two risk factors suffered from frequent respiratory infections (P for trend < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and previous respiratory tract infections are risk factors for frequent respiratory tract infections in young men during military service.
Enforced mouth breathing decreases lung function in mild asthmatics
Authors: HALLANI Mervat , WHEATLEY John R. , AMIS Terence C.
Published: May 2008

Background and objective:  Nasal breathing provides a protective influence against exercise‐induced asthma. We hypothesized that enforced oral breathing in resting mild asthmatic subjects may lead to a reduction in lung function.

Methods:  Asymptomatic resting mild asthmatic volunteers (n = 8) were instructed to breathe either nasally only (N; tape over lips) or orally only (O; nose clip) for 1 h each, on separate days. Lung function (% predicted FEV1) was measured using standard spirometry at baseline and every 10 min for 1 h. ‘Difficulty in breathing’ was rated using a Borg scale at the conclusion of the N and O periods.

Results:  Baseline FEV1 on the N (101.2 ± 3.8% predicted) and O (102.7 ± 3.9% predicted) days was not significantly different (P > 0.3). At 60 min, FEV1 on the O day (96.5 ± 4.1% predicted) was significantly less than on the N day (101.0 ± 3.5% predicted; P < 0.009). On the N day, FEV1 did not change with time (P > 0.3), whereas on the O day, FEV1 fell progressively (slope = −0.06 ± 0.01% FEV1/min, P < 0.0001; linear mixed effects modelling). Three subjects experienced coughing/wheezing at the end of the O day but none experienced symptoms at the end of the N day. Subjects perceived more ‘difficulty breathing in’ at the end of the O day (1.5 ± 0.4 arbitrary units) than on the N day (0.4 ± 0.3 arbitrary unit; P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Enforced oral breathing causes a decrease in lung function in mild asthmatic subjects at rest, initiating asthma symptoms in some. Oral breathing may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute asthma exacerbations.
mRNA expression of RRM1, ERCC1 and ERCC2 is not associated with chemosensitivity to cisplatin, carboplatin and gemcitabine in human lung cancer cell lines
Authors: SHIMIZU Junichi , HORIO Yoshitsugu , OSADA Hirotaka , HIDA Toyoaki , HASEGAWA Yoshinori , SHIMOKATA Kaoru , TAKAHASHI Takashi , SEKIDO Yoshitaka , YATABE Yasushi
Published: May 2008

Background and objective:  Expression of genes involved in DNA repair and/or DNA synthesis, including ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) and excision repair cross‐complementation 1 (ERCC1) has been reported to be associated with chemosensitivity to platinum agents and gemcitabine. The aim of this study was to test whether similar associations would be seen between mRNA expression for the RRM1, ERCC1 and ERCC2 genes and in vitro chemosensitivity in lung cancer.

Methods:  Using a panel of 20 lung cancer cell lines, including 15 NSCLC and 5 small cell lung cancers (SCLC), the mRNA expression levels for the RRM1, ERCC1 and ERCC2 genes were examined by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription PCR. The in vitro cytotoxicity of cisplatin, carboplatin and gemcitabine was assessed using a tetrazolium‐based colorimetric assay (3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay).

Results:  Significantly, higher RRM1 mRNA expression was found in SCLC compared with NSCLC. However, there were no correlations between mRNA expression of the ERCC1, ERCC2 and RRM1 genes and chemosensitivity to cisplatin, carboplatin or gemcitabine.

Conclusions:  These in vitro results suggest that further studies are needed to evaluate the expression of the RRM1, ERCC1 and ERCC2 genes as predictive biomarkers for sensitivity to platinum agents and gemcitabine.
Dominance of putative marine benthic Archaea in Qinghai Lake, north‐western China
Authors: Jiang Hongchen , Dong Hailiang , Yu Bingsong , Ye Qi , Shen Ji , Rowe Harry , Zhang Chuanlun
Published: May 2008

Recent studies have revealed important and versatile roles that Archaea play in a wide variety of environmental processes on Earth. In this study, we investigated the abundance and diversity of archaeal communities in lake water and a 5 m sediment core collected from Qinghai Lake on the Tibetan Plateau, north‐western China. An integrated approach was employed including geochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR) and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Here, we show that Archaea dominated the prokaryotic community in the lake sediments. Members of putative marine benthic groups [Marine Benthic Group (MBG)‐B, ‐C and ‐D] and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group (MCG) were dominant, many of which were previously reported to be predominantly present in deep‐sea environments. These results demonstrate that these groups are not limited to marine sediments. Despite their ubiquitous presence in aquatic environments, metabolic functions of these important groups largely remain unknown. Whereas many of these groups (such as MBG‐B and ‐D) have typically been found in methane‐hydrate deposits in marine environments, our carbon isotopic and molecular results from Qinghai Lake sediments indicate a lacustrine origin.
Making a technological choice for disaster management and poverty alleviation in India
Authors: Srivastava Sanjay K.
Published: May 2008

The right mix of policy, institutional arrangements and use of technology provides the framework for a country's approach to disaster mitigation. Worldwide, there has been a shift away from a strictly ‘top‐down’ approach relying on government alone, to a combination of ‘top‐down’ and ‘bottom‐up’ approaches. The aim is to enhance the indigenous coping mechanisms of vulnerable communities; draw on their cooperative spirit and energy; and empower them through appropriate information and contextual knowledge to mitigate natural disasters. In light of this, the paper examines India's use of space technology in its disaster management efforts. Poverty alleviation and disaster management are almost inseparable in many parts of the country, as vulnerability to natural disasters is closely aligned with poverty. Addressing these issues together requires integrated knowledge systems. The paper examines how knowledge inputs from space technology have strengthened the national resolve to combat natural disasters in conjunction with alleviating rural poverty.
VTOL aircraft in emergency planning and management: a model for a helipad network
Authors: Caprì Salvatore , Ignaccolo Matteo , Inturri Giuseppe
Published: May 2008

The scientific literature regarding HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) planning lacks a method for defining optimal sites for helipads that takes into account risk distribution and hospital location. Such a method could minimise overall rescue time in emergency situations. In this paper a method that supports the decisions taken by disaster planners and managers is developed, focusing on the quantification of necessary air resources for the management of some probable calamities. Given a region characterised by a natural and non‐natural disaster risk map, along with a comprehensive transport system (also characterised by a risk map), a set of emergency destinations (hospitals), a set of heliports/helipads dislocated on the territory and a number of available HEMS rotorcraft, the aim of the paper is to assess the adequacy of the VTOL/FATO (Vertical Take‐Off and Landing/Final Take‐Off and Landing Area) system in order to deal with a set of possible emergencies.
Indirect assessment of economic damages from the Prestige oil spill: consequences for liability and risk prevention
Authors: Garza María Dolores , Prada Albino , Varela Manuel , Rodríguez María Xosé Vázquez
Published: May 2008

The social losses arising from the Prestige oil spill exceed the compensation granted under the IOPC (International Oil Pollution Compensation) system, with losses estimated at 15 times more than the applicable limit of compensations. This is far above the level of costs for which those responsible for hydrocarbons spills are liable. The highest market losses correspond to sectors of extraction, elaboration and commercialisation of seafood. However, damages to non‐commercial natural resources could constitute an outstanding group of losses for which further primary data are needed: these losses would only be compensable under the current system by means of a refund for cleaning and restoration costs. Results show that, in Europe, the responsibility for oil spills in maritime transport is limited and unclear. The consequence of this is net social losses from recurrent oil spills and internationally accepted incentives for risky strategies in the marine transport of hydrocarbons.
Combating Climate Change in the UK: Challenges and Obstacles1
Authors: CARTER NEIL
Published: May 2008

There is a curious disjunction between the Labour Government's international actions and its domestic policy. Although Tony Blair did much to promote the climate change agenda on the international stage, domestically, with carbon emissions rising again, the Government will fail to meet its target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010. This article examines the weaknesses in the Labour Government's domestic record and assesses the significance of the recent transformation of climate change politics. Several obstacles to the design and delivery of more effective policies are identified, which can be categorised as either problems of ‘environmental politics’ or ‘environmental governance’. It is argued that the recent politicisation of climate change has overcome some of these obstacles ‐ albeit temporarily ‐ but whether the pressure for further policy measures can be sustained, with a long‐term impact on environmental governance, remains uncertain.
Why are Inheritance Taxes Unpopular?
Authors: DOWDING KEITH
Published: May 2008

There is a puzzle over why inheritance taxes are unpopular relative to other taxes since they are progressive and, assuming they are spent wisely on welfare goods, more people should gain than lose through inheritance tax. I examine four reasons why inheritance tax might be unpopular (a) propaganda, (b) fiscal illusion, (c) framing and developing the latter (d) an evolutionary basis in human reasoning. The latter suggests that the relative popularity of a tax is related to how far the money taxed is already ‘in the possession’ of the person taxed. Given these reasons I make a suggestion and examine some proposal for making inheritance tax less unpopular.
It's Only Made Things Worse: A Critique of Electoral Reform in Britain
Authors: KELLY RICHARD
Published: May 2008

Since it came to power, New Labour has introduced a range of new electoral system into the British political system, implicitly accepting the argument that Britain's traditional electoral system ‐ first‐past‐the‐post (FPTP) ‐ has been a cause of voter disenchantment with Britain's representative democracy. In this article, it is asserted that Labour's reforms have merely compounded this problem, while demonstrating that all electoral systems have significant flaws. Indeed, it is argued that the flaws of the new systems are more serious than those of FPTP and threaten an even greater disconnection between UK politicians and the people they represent.”
Climate Change and UK Politics: From Brynle Williams to Sir Nicholas Stern
Authors: McLEAN IAIN
Published: May 2008

In 2000 the UK Labour government abandoned annual real fuel duty increases ‐ a policy it had inherited from the preceding Conservative administration ‐ in the face of direct action by farmers and hauliers. A short‐term Conservative lead in the polls opened up. In 2006, the same Chancellor, Gordon Brown, announced an increase in air passenger duty from February 2007 in the light of the newly published Stern Review. The opposition parties denounced this as too feeble.

As Stern points out, all citizens in the world are in a global N‐person prisoners' dilemma. Everybody knows that a world without global warming is better than a world with it; but each actor is unconditionally better off from continuing to pollute than from restraining her polluting.

Everybody expects somebody else to drive less. Now, however, all parties have committed themselves to tax and/or emission trading policies to mitigate global warming. The paper examines this transition.
Wealth Taxes: Stories, Metaphors and Public Attitudes
Authors: PRABHAKAR RAJIV
Published: May 2008

Wealth taxes are currently high on the policy agenda in Britain. These taxes will not be political sustainable without public support. However, evidence exists that indicates substantial public opposition to wealth taxes. For example, inheritance tax appears to provoke hostility among the public. Some observers have suggested that the way that wealth taxes are presented ‐ particularly using stories and narratives ‐ could enhance public support. This paper summarises focus group evidence on this suggestion. I report that using narratives and stories can have an impact, although this should not be overstated and much depends on how the narratives are shaped.
Tintin in Australia: The Federal Election on 24 November 2007
Authors: QVORTRUP MATT
Published: May 2008

The Australian federal election on 24November 2007 ended more than a decade of dominance of the centre‐right Coalition government of John Howard. Despite his long reign, Howard leaves surprisingly little legacy in terms of fundamental changes, indeed, the main policy changes were already laid down by the Labor governments in the 1980s and early 1990s. Apart from general discontent with the long serving government, the environment, the close alliance with the US and opposition to work‐place legislation led to the Coalitions defeat in an election, in which even the PM lost his seat.
Is the Death of Inheritance Tax Inevitable? Lessons from America
Authors: ROWLINGSON KAREN
Published: May 2008

In 2001, George Bush repealed estate tax in America. This was a shock to many in the US as inherited privilege had never been popular in a country where individuals were supposed to secure the American Dream through their own efforts. The tax had existed for over a century and only 2 per cent of the richest Americans paid it. But the repeal lobby managed to build an unlikely and broad alliance against the ‘Death Tax’ (as they managed to rename it). The key to their campaign was a moral case against the tax, illustrated with a few well‐chosen narratives. The opposition fought back, ineffectively, with pragmatic arguments and statistics. This paper will apply lessons from America to the UK politics of taxation. It will focus on the role of lobby groups and the power of moral arguments and narrative evidence over more pragmatic arguments and ‘scientific’ forms of evidence.
No (Parliamentary) Gender Gap Please, We're British
Authors: ALLEN NICHOLAS , DEAN JONATHAN
Published: May 2008

Although the number of women MPs has increased in recent years, there continues to be a pronounced gender gap in the British House of Commons. Most attempts to close this gap have involved political parties selecting candidates on the basis of some form of electoral gender quota, but quotas are problematic, and more radical steps need to be taken if we are serious about women being equally represented in the Mother of Parliaments. This article proposes a possible solution that accords as far as possible with Britain's governing and representative traditions: the modification of current electoral arrangements so that voters in each constituency vote for and are represented by both a male and a female MP.
Electoral Reform and Party Adaptation: The Introduction of the Single Transferable Vote in Scotland
Authors: CLARK ALISTAIR , BENNIE LYNN
Published: May 2008

The 2007 Scottish Local Government Elections saw the first large scale use of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) in a mainland election in Britain. This presented a range of challenges for Scotland's political parties, more familiar with campaigning under first‐past‐the‐post or the Scottish parliament's semi‐proportional Additional Member System (AMS). Most crucially, STV meant the parties had to come to terms with multi‐member wards and the transferral of votes between parties. Following a short discussion of the results of the STV elections, this article assesses evidence on how the parties adapted to the new electoral system, focussing particularly on candidate and campaign strategies. The article argues that Scotland's parties showed some, but limited, signs of adapting to new electoral conditions. Rather than strategic adjustment, an element of ‘hoping for the best’ was evident in all parties.
Government and Public Services in Modern Britain: What Happens Next?
Authors: FAULKNER DAVID
Published: May 2008

This article reflects on the situation and prospects for public services in Great Britain, in the context of the changes in government and governance which have taken place over the last 25 years and in particular of the change of Prime Minister and the reconstruction of the government in the summer of 2007. It argues that government and public servants now need to think afresh about the way in which decisions are taken in government, and about the relationships between government, public services, and the citizens and communities they serve, and suggests the direction which their thinking might take.
‘It Wasn't Us and We Didn't Benefit’: The Discourse of Opposition to an Apology by Britain for Its Role in the Slave Trade
Authors: CUNNINGHAM MICHAEL
Published: May 2008

2007 was the bicentennary of the abolition of slave trading in British ships. It was marked by renewed calls for an apology for Britain's role in the slave trade. Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his regret for the trade but did not issue an apology.This article examines the discourse of popular opposition to an apology, as articulated in newspapers and on websites, and offers a commentary and critique on the positions adopted.'
Immigrants into Citizens
Authors: WHITE PATRICIA
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the citizenship test which is part of the UK naturalisation process. The test is based on the government publication Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship. A detailed analysis of its two editions (2004 and 2007) reveals that the conception of the citizen, and the picture of British government and society underlying each are very different. There is, additionally, a mismatch between the rationale offered for the Life in the United Kingdom test and what the latter can in fact test: the attitudes and civic virtues mentioned in the rationale are untestable on‐line. A society which aspires to be a democracy, it is argued, needs to scrutinise carefully the fairness and democratic appropriateness of its procedures for admitting new citizens.
The Effects of Trade Liberalization between Heterogeneous Countries on Endogenous Mergers
Authors: Calmette Marie‐Françoise
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the effects of trade liberalization on merger behavior. We endogenize merger choice among owners in an oligopolistic industry in asymmetric countries to analyze the consequences of trade cost reductions on competitiveness and welfare. In this context, the non‐cooperative game supports asymmetric market structures. We also find that trade liberalization is not necessarily pro‐competitive in countries with the competitive advantage, even if trade costs are completely abolished. Moreover, the tariff‐jumping explanation of international mergers does not necessarily apply. The welfare analysis shows that merger behavior can significantly alter any gains from liberalization. Countries should consider enforcing competition in regional agreements. Specifically, to avoid a reduction in domestic welfare following trade‐liberalizing reductions in trade costs, a high‐cost country's optimal policy may be to ban international mergers.
Maximum‐revenue versus Optimum‐welfare Export Taxes: a Delegation Game*
Authors: Clarke Roger , Collie David R.
Published: May 2008

In the Eaton and Grossman (1986) Bertrand duopoly model of strategic export taxes, both countries may be better off if they both delegate to policymakers who maximize tax revenue rather than welfare. However, both countries delegating to policymakers who maximize tax revenue is not a Nash equilibrium unless the degree of product substitutability is sufficiently high. For a wide range of values for the degree of product substitutability, the game is a prisoner's dilemma where both countries are better off delegating to policymakers who maximize tax revenue but both will delegate to policymakers who maximize welfare in the Nash equilibrium.
Reciprocal Dumping with Product Differentiation*
Authors: Friberg Richard , Ganslandt Mattias
Published: May 2008

This paper examines if international trade can reduce total welfare in an international oligopoly with differentiated goods. We show that intra‐industry trade, i.e. “reciprocal dumping,” can result in lower total surplus than autarky in a Cournot model for any degree of product differentiation. Moreover, trade can reduce welfare compared to autarky in a Bertrand model when the local markets are sufficiently competitive and products are sufficiently close substitutes. Otherwise it unambiguously increases welfare.
Debt and Currency Crises—Complements or Substitutes?*
Authors: Herz Bernhard , Tong Hui
Published: May 2008

Debt and currency crises are closely interlinked through the government's intertemporal budget constraint. The default tax and the inflation/devaluation tax can be considered as alternative means of financing. Our empirical analysis finds that high‐debt countries choose default rather than inflation/devaluation for financing, while a high money stock reduces the probability of debt crises. Further, we find strong evidence that debt and currency crises share common fundamental causes. Finally, there is a Granger causality running from debt crises to currency crises, but only weakly in the other direction.
Māori “Conversion” to the Rule of Law and Nineteenth‐Century Imperial Loyalties
Authors: PATERSON LACHY
Published: May 2008

Missionaries were among the first Europeans to interact with the New Zealand Māori, bringing an evangelical message with a strict set of “laws” for Māori to follow. Māori, whose own religious beliefs required rigid observance to ritual, took time to convert to missionary Christianity but, like many Oceanic peoples, did so with fervour, regulating their daily lives according to the Laws of the missionaries’ God. With the advent of British rule in New Zealand in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi gave Māori the same rights as British subjects, but also (in the Māori‐language version) guaranteed tribal autonomy. As the British administration established itself, it slowly attempted to bring Māori under the authority of the Queen's Laws, using persuasion rather than force. This article, using Māori‐language newspapers of the mid‐nineteenth century, discusses how some Māori approached the question of Law in a similar way to how they had converted to Christianity. This was partly due to their own, now Christianised, worldview, but it was also due to how the colonial authorities presented the principles of Law to them.
Constructing Colonial Christianities: With Particular Reference to Anglicanism in Australia, ca 1850–1940*
Authors: WELCH PAMELA
Published: May 2008

This paper argues the need for new histories of the various settler churches or Christian confessions of Australia and for a new approach to colonial confessional history itself. It suggests that the confessions should be seen not as transplants (as is commonly done) but as variants of their churches of origin and, taking Australian Anglicanism as the primary example, demonstrates a method by which their evolution might be examined. The shaping effect of an assortment of influences, ideas, events, and pressures is explored in a series of settings, from the global to that of local micro‐cultures. It is suggested that if the many forms each of the churches has taken in myriad contexts can be identified in this way it should be possible to construct new, variegated colonial confessional histories.
Religion and the “Evil Empire”*
Authors: CAREY HILARY
Published: May 2008

This paper provides an historiographical review of the rhetorical and historical sources for religious suspicion of empires and imperialism in the west. It begins with an analysis of Ronald Reagan's celebrated “evil empire” speech of March 1983, and traces its polemical roots to scriptural precedents, notably in the Book of Revelation, in which “empire” is equated with the unjust rule of Babylon. Some comparisons are made between the general use of religious ideologies to support imperial regimes in ancient and other, more modern, world empires including China and Islam. The final section considers the debate about the role of religion in supporting — or critiquing — modern, secularised empire states such as the second British Empire. The paper argues that it is not possible to understand the problematical relationship of religion and empire in modern societies without recognising the ongoing force of Christian polemic even when religious arguments have not specifically been invoked.
Introduction: Religion and Empire, an Historiographical Perspective*
Authors: GASCOIGNE JOHN
Published: May 2008

The relations between empires and Christianity have been the subject of considerable historiographical attention and it is the object of this paper to review the major issues in this recent literature to provide a context for the specialised papers which follow. Major issues on which discussion is focussed include the extent to which missionaries can be said to be agents of empire, the significance of missionary critique of imperial practice and the extent to which missionary activity was a form of “cultural imperialism.” Examples are chosen chiefly from the British Empire but there is also some comparative material drawn from the history of the Roman, Spanish, and French empires.
Beyond neuropathy in hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: cognitive evaluation
Authors: De Andrade D. C. , Baudic S. , Attal N. , Rodrigues C. L. , Caramelli P. , Lino A. M. M. , Marchiori P. E. , Okada M. , Scaff M. , Bouhassira D. , Teixeira M. J.
Published: May 2008

Background and purpose:  Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) type V is a very rare disorder. It is characterized by the absence of thermal and mechanical pain perception caused by decreased number of small diameter neurons in peripheral nerves. Recent genetic studies have pointed out the aetiological role of nerve growth factor beta, which is also involved in the development of the autonomic nervous system and cholinergic pathways in the brain. HSAN type V is usually reported not to cause mental retardation or cognitive decline. However, a structured assessment of the cognitive profile of these patients has never been made.

Methods and results:  We performed a throughout evaluation of four HSAN type V patients and compared their performance with 37 normal individuals. Our patients showed no cognitive deficits, not even mild ones.

Discussion and Conclusions:  Although newer mutations on this and related disorders are continuously described, their clinical characterization has been restricted to the peripheral aspects of these conditions. A broader characterization of this rare disorder may contribute to better understand the mechanisms of the nociceptive and cognitive aspects of pain.
Fatal Accident Inquiries into 97 Deaths Over Five Years in Scottish Prison Custody: Long Elapsed Times and Recommendations
Authors: BIRD SHEILA M.
Published: May 2008

Abstract: In March 2005, The Herald newspaper reported the findings of a fatal accident inquiry into JCB's death in a Scottish prison on 11 January 2002. Statistically, how exceptional was an elapsed time of 38 months? Freedom of Information requests yielded answers for 97 deaths over five years in Scottish prison custody. Written determinations were made in 42/97 fatal accident inquiries: waiting for dissemination took more than 90 days (10) or from death to dissemination more than 455 days (10) for nearly a third (13/42). Three written determinations identified precautions that might have prevented the prisoner's death. From death to end of inquiry took over a year for 21 inquiries, eight of which made only formal findings. Long elapsed times, prisoner's young age or exceptional cause of death suggested three epidemiological rules for helping lawyers in selecting past inquiries for scrutiny, and sheriffs in deciding to make a written determination. Missed suicide watches featured in four determinations but stringency of judgment differed.
Community Wardens in Scotland: Practitioners' Views
Authors: DONNELLY DANIEL
Published: May 2008

Abstract: Community wardens in Scotland have had a positive impact on anti‐social behaviour and environmental problems since their introduction in 2003. There are several models throughout the council areas and cultural and acceptance difficulties exist with some police and partner agencies but the public in general is happy with the service. Issues surrounding funding, enforcement and accountability still need to be resolved.
It's a long way to Auchterarder! ‘Negotiated management’ and mismanagement in the policing of G8 protests1
Authors: Gorringe Hugo , Rosie Michael
Published: May 2008

Recent analyses of protest policing in Western democracies argue that there has been a marked shift away from oppressive or coercive approaches to an emphasis on consensus based negotiation. King and Waddington (2005) amongst others, however, suggest that the policing of international summits may be an exception to this rule. This paper examines protest policing in relation to the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. We argue that ‘negotiated management’ cannot be imported wholesale as a policing strategy. Rather it is mediated by local history, forms of police knowledge and modes of engagement. Drawing on interviews and participant observation we show that ‘negotiated management’ works best when both sides are committed to negotiation and that police stereotyping or protestor intransigence can lead to the escalation of any given event. In closing we note the new challenges posed by forms of ‘global’ protest and consider the implications for future policing of protest.
Attitudes towards globalization and cosmopolitanism: cultural diversity, personal consumption and the national economy
Authors: Woodward Ian , Skrbis Zlatko , Bean Clive
Published: May 2008

One of the widely accepted consequences of globalization is the development of individual outlooks, behaviours and feelings that transcend local and national boundaries. This has encouraged a re‐assessment of important assumptions about the nature of community, personal attachment and belonging in the face of unprecedented opportunities for culture, identities and politics to shape, and be shaped by, global events and processes. Recently, the upsurge of interest in the concept of cosmopolitanism has provided a promising new framework for understanding the nexus between cosmopolitan dispositions and global interconnectedness across cultural, political and economic realms. Using data from a representative social survey of Australians this paper investigates the negotiation of belonging under the conditions of globalization. The data tap into attitudes and behaviours associated with a broad gamut of cosmopolitan traits in the domains of culture, consumption, human rights, citizenship, and international governance. They show how cosmopolitan outlooks are shaped by social structural factors, and how forms of identification with humanity and the globe are fractured by boundaries of self and others, threats and opportunities, and the value of things global and local.
Double‐edged swords? Collective identity and solidarity in the environment movement1
Authors: Saunders Clare
Published: May 2008

Perhaps by virtue of its theoretical slipperiness, collective identity is often hailed as an important feature of social movements for the role it plays in unifying activists and organizations, and so helping them to develop shared concerns and engage in collective action. However, this paper argues that collective identity is the result of group rather than movement level processes, and although it can unite activists within a single movement organization, it is not always beneficial for the broader social movement. Although movements consist of networks of activists and organizations that have a broad shared concern, differing collective identities within the movement can actually be quite divisive. Based on case studies of three organizations in the environmental movement, this paper shows that activists who are most committed to an organization with an encompassing collective identity develop a strong sense of solidarity with other activists similarly committed to that organization. The resultant solidarity leads to the construction of a ‘we–them’ dichotomy between organizations within the same movement, increasing the chances of hostility between organizations and factions within the movement.
Climate change, travel and complex futures1
Authors: Urry John
Published: May 2008

In this paper I examine various sociologies of the future. I argue that one future, of global climate change, is now exceptionally significant. This future is based upon certain sociological presumptions and thus sociology is central to its emerging contours and to its analysis. I examine one aspect of such a future, the role of travel and especially automobility within this emerging dystopia. I use some formulations from complexity theory to examine what might constitute an alternative to global heating and the scenario of ‘tribal trading’. It is suggested that one feasible alternative is a ‘digital panopticon’ and I examine some small changes that might tip the system to such a post‐automobility system. But there is no free lunch here. It is argued that the world may be torn between two bleak scenarios as a consequence of the twentieth century's exceptional degree of resource use, between a Hobbesian war of all against all and an Orwellian digital panopticon. The twentieth century would seem to be reaping its bitter revenge.
Integrating institutional, relational and embodied structure: an emergentist perspective1
Authors: Elder‐Vass Dave
Published: May 2008

This paper begins to develop an emergentist and realist account of normative social institutions. The argument is developed as a response to Lopez and Scott's historical portrait of the debate on social structure as a dialogue between two different concepts of structure: institutional structure and relational structure, integrated more recently through the concept of embodied structure. The paper argues that all these approaches tend to neglect the idea of structure as a whole and suggests that we cannot understand social structures without recognizing the nature of the corresponding wholes, and how they relate to the human individuals that comprise them. Such a perspective makes clear that embodiment alone is inadequate as a means of integrating institutional and relational conceptions of structure. For a fuller resolution, we must set social structure in an emergentist framework, which can reconcile the complementary roles of institutional structure, relational structure, and indeed embodiment, as aspects of the production of social structures as wholes.
Ignorance as an under‐identified social problem1
Authors: Ungar Sheldon
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the persistence and intensification of ignorance in the ostensible knowledge society. Given the ubiquity of ignorance, it focuses on research and observations dealing with functional knowledge deficits that challenge the ideal of the well‐informed citizen. These developments are traced back to the contradictory dynamics of the knowledge society, specifically information explosions in the knowledge economy and the resultant knowledge–ignorance paradox. The theoretical unfolding of this paradox in terms of entry and speech barriers suggests that pockets of observed public knowledge – rather than ignorance – are exceptional and require specific explanation. While ignorance among individuals, as well as experts and organizations, is a serious social problem with potentially deadly consequences, ignorance remains relatively unrecognized since it has major liabilities as a marketable issue. The conclusion points to the importance of future research on the cultural and institutional production of ignorance.
Education effects on authoritarian–libertarian values: a question of socialization1
Authors: Stubager Rune
Published: May 2008

Over the past decades an authoritarian–libertarian value dimension has become increasingly important to electoral behaviour across western countries. Previous analyses have shown that education is the most important social antecedent of individuals’ positions on this value dimension; high education groups tend towards the libertarian pole and low education groups tend towards the authoritarian pole. It remains an open question, however, what aspects of education cause this relationship. The article examines a range of explanatory models: a psychodynamic, a cognitive, a socialization, and an allocation effects model. The results strongly favour the socialization model in which the relationship between education and authoritarian–libertarian values is explained as a result of differences in the value sets transferred to students in different educational milieus. The value differences between the educational groups should thus not be seen as reflecting economic differences between the groups but rather as the result of a more fundamental value conflict.
The contribution of media consumption to civic participation1
Authors: Livingstone Sonia , Markham Tim
Published: May 2008

A national UK survey (N = 1017) examined the association between media consumption and three indicators of civic participation – likelihood of voting, interest in politics, and actions taken in response to a public issue of concern to the respondent. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the variance explained by media use variables after first controlling for demographic, social and political predictors of each indicator of participation. Media use significantly added to explaining variance in civic participation as follows. In accounting for voting, demographic and political/social factors mattered, but so too did some media habits (listening to the radio and engagement with the news). Interest in politics was accounted for by political/social factors and by media use, especially higher news engagement and lower media trust. However, taking action on an issue of concern was accounted for only by political/social factors, with the exception that slightly fewer actions were taken by those who watched more television. These findings provided little support for the media malaise thesis, and instead were interpreted as providing qualified support for the cognitive/motivational theory of news as a means of engaging the public.
Religion and Altruistic U.S. Foreign Policy Goals: Evidence from a National Survey of Church Members
Authors: WUTHNOW ROBERT , LEWIS VALERIE
Published: May 2008

Interest in the possible role of religion in shaping attitudes toward the U.S. foreign policy has increased significantly in recent years, but relatively few studies have been conducted. Drawing on a new national survey of church members, we examine the relationships of religious identity, religious involvement, and congregational programs to attitudes about the importance of altruistic foreign policy goals. We find no support for popular claims that evangelical Protestants hold particularly supportive attitudes toward international human rights and humanitarian aid policies. We find only modest support for the idea that attendance at worship services encourages people to be altruistic in a way that influences their views about foreign policy. However, we do find considerable support for the idea that congregations can shape members' views about foreign policy through intentional activities that raise awareness of needs at home and abroad.