bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental temperature manipulations alter songbird autumnal nocturnal migratory restlessness
Authors: Berchtold Adrienne , Nightingale Ira , Vandermeer Caitlin , MacDougall-Shackleton Scott A.
Published: February 2017

Migrating birds may respond to a variety of environmental cues in order to time migration. During the migration season nocturnally migrating songbirds may migrate or stop-over at their current location, and when migrating they may vary the rate or distance of migration on any given night. It has long been known that a variety of weather-related factors including wind speed and direction, and temperature, are correlated with migration in free-living birds, however these variables are often correlated with each other. In this study we experimentally manipulated temperature to determine if it would directly modulate nocturnal migratory restlessness in songbirds. We experimentally manipulated temperature between 4, 14, and 24°C and monitored nocturnal migratory restlessness during autumn in white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). White-throated sparrows are relatively shortdistance migrants with a prolonged autumnal migration, and we thus predicted they might be sensitive to weatherrelated cues when deciding whether to migrate or stopover. At warm temperatures (24°C) none of the birds exhibited migratory restlessness. The probability of exhibiting migratory restlessness, and the intensity of this restlessness (number of infra-red beam breaks) increased at cooler (14°C, 4°C) temperatures. These data support the hypothesis that one of the many factors that birds use when making behavioural decisions during migration is temperature, and that birds can respond to temperature directly independently of other weather-related cues.
Somatisms with the LexemesLábin Hungarian,Nogain Serbian, andLeg/Footin English
Authors: Halupka-Rešetar Sabina , Andrić Edit
Published: February 2017

Somatisms are phraseologisms which contain at least one body-part term as a constituent. They make up a considerable part of the phrasemes of any language. In this paper, we focus on the extent to which the equivalent(s) of the termláboccur(s) in Serbian and English somatisms. The research is based on a corpus extracted from both monolingual and bilingual phraseological dictionaries of Hungarian, Serbian, and English. The data are analysed primarily from a cognitive point of view, with the aim of establishing whether the three languages are comparable in terms of the meaning of the idiom as a whole. Degrees of equivalence are established based on whether there is an idiomatic expression in Serbian/English containing the lexemenogaorleg/foot, respectively. Another issue addressed in the paper is the choice of the English term (legvsfoot) in somatisms and the question of whether this choice is arbitrary. Though structure is of secondary importance only, we also take it into account in establishing the degree of equivalence between the items listed in the corpus. Lastly, we stress the similarities and differences noted in the way the body-part terms mentioned are employed in the phraseologisms of the three languages.
Using OLAP Data Cubes in Business Intelligence
Authors: Cristescu Marian Pompiliu
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that it is possible to develop business intelligence projects in big and medium-size organizations, only with Microsoft products, used in accordance with standard OLAP cube technology, and presented possible alternatives, in relation with the requested functions.
Democracy's Twin Challenges: Hans Kelsen and the Problem of Extremist Speech
Authors: Hong Quoc Loc
Published: February 2017

It is well-known that democracy's enemies could rely on the democratic right to free speech to destroy democracy itself. The classic dilemma to be solved, then, is the question whether democracy could defend itself against hostile speech in a way, which would not also endanger the right that forms its own political heart.

What makes the resolution of this dilemma such an arduous task is the principle of consent, which has traditionally constituted democracy's source of legitimacy. This principle is precisely what forms the theoretical Achilles' heel in democracy's self-defense as well, should enemies of this political system choose to pursue its destruction by means of the ballot box. Under that scenario, they would rely on democratic liberties in general, and the right to free speech in particular, to conquer power through the process of majority formation, and subsequently proceed to abolish the process that has made possible their conquest of power in the first place. If democratic government, however, seeks to neutralize this threat by restricting or suspending the democratic rights of democracy's enemies, then it would expose itself to the allegation of betraying the very principle, which constitutes the source of its legitimacy. Democracy's enemies could, after all, credibly allege that laws which are specifically enacted to deprive them of the rights to democratic participation cannot somehow be rooted in their own consent, whereas consent is a sine qua non for the democratic legitimacy of a law. The first challenge to be addressed, therefore, is whether democracy may be able to defend itself against hostile speech in a selfconsistent way.

Related to this is the challenge of how to prevent democracy's efforts at selfdefense from degenerating into a suppression of political dissent in general. Would it be possible for a democratic government to combat extremist speech without endangering the right to free speech itself? This second challenge is one that we have to face whenever a democratic government feels compelled to take measures to defend itself against its enemies. As Susanne Baer has pointed out, “a state engaged in self-defence tends to go too far.”

Drawing on a theory of democracy elaborated by Hans Kelsen under the Weimar Republic, we shall argue in this Article that it is entirely possible for a democratic regime to both suppress the expression of antidemocratic ideas and preserve freedom of speech at the same time.
Public Corruption: Limiting Criminal Immunity of Legislative, Executive and Judicial Officials in Europe
Authors: Hoppe Tilman
Published: February 2017

The constitutions of European states often contain too many categories of officials covered by too broadly defined immunities. At the same time, there is consensus among international organizations that immunities have to be limited to allow effective prosecution of corruption offences. This article examines how public law in European states could limit criminal immunities for officials.
Constitutional Right to Property in Changing Times: The Indian Experience
Authors: Babu R. Rajesh
Published: February 2017

The constitutional right to property has undergone a significant change since India's independence. In the past few decades, the guarantee of property for both alien and domestic right holders went for considerable dilution to sanction the unrestrained power of eminent domain. The arbitrary expropriation of property was justified in the then social and political context of a nascent state. However, since India embarked on the path of liberalization with the policy of promoting international trade and foreign investments, there appeared a progressive and selective modification if its legal regime on property rights to favour alien property and corporate interests. Part of the policy shift involved guarantee and strengthening of the legal environment for protection of foreign property and investment. India's international commitments under the WTO Agreements and several investment protection treaties guaranteed capital and IP exporting states safe and secure property rights in the host state - India, much beyond the existing protection for citizen's property. Remedies for breach and standard of compensation for expropriation, direct or indirect, were judged by international rules and practices, beyond the control of local courts. To the extent that international expropriation and compensation rules provide foreign investors and IPR holders with stronger rights than India’s laws, they are also likely to provide them with stiffer property rights. In addition, change was evident in the nature of ownership of expropriated property. Nationalization (state ownership), which was the primary character of expropriations, was replaced by ‘corporate’ ownership with no respect for public purpose or just compensation. The recent stints of compulsory acquisition of land for SEZ underline the ‘reverse-discrimination’ or double standards perpetrated by the Indian state. The paper attempts to highlight this paradox in India’s property rights regime in the changing global context. The paper argues for a constitutional rethinking on right to property, in the post liberalization context, considering the new social and political realities, particularly from the viewpoint of individual private owners whose identity and livelihood are attached to the property.
Constitutional recognition of the agrarian collective and their rights to govern mineral resources in South Sudan
Authors: Carleton Alexandra
Published: February 2017

Both the ICCPR and the African Charter embody, as a primary principle, the right of a peoples' to freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources (article 1(2) and article 21(1) respectively). Whilst hotly debated as to its legal and political status, operationalising a right could enable agrarian communities to contest the disposal of their mineral wealth. However, such a right ought to be embodied in the constitution, where its alterability is perhaps less subject to political change. Without constitutional standing for collectives to assert claims over land, the State could potentially lease or sell mineral rights (sometimes to multiple extractors at once) irrespective of the environmental, labour and economic considerations.

The secession of South Sudan is demonstrative of the South Sudanese peoples' active reclamation of their natural (and substantial mineral) wealth. This article is a critique of whether the new Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (TCRSS) effectively embodies and operationalises article 1(2) of the ICCPR. It concludes that the TCRSS is dedicated to articulating and protecting (competing) agrarian interests in land and natural resources and in so doing demonstrates the reality of multiple and overlapping mineral and land interests.
A Constitutional Tradition in the Making: The Presidents’ Cases and the Role of Kosovo’s Constitutional Court in the Process of Democratic Consolidation
Authors: Qerimi Qerim , Qorrolli Vigan
Published: February 2017

In a period of less than a year, two decisions of the newly established Constitu­tional Court of the Republic of Kosovo resulted in the resignation of two Presidents of the new State. Ruling on the unconstitutionality of the act of simultaneously holding the position of the head of State and that of his political party, in one case; and ruling on the unconstitutionality of his election due to procedural irregularities in the other, the Court prompted fundamental changes to the political landscape of Kosovo that in the first case led to new and extraordinary elections, whereas in the second to a political arrangement that would ultimately lead to constitutional reforms. Following the Court’s decisions, both Presidents (Sejdiu and Pacolli) resigned from their posts.

This article offers a textual analysis of the merits and controversies surrounding both decisions, which will be situated in the broader context of the seemingly powerful role of Constitutional Courts in certain societies in transition. The overall analysis demonstrates the weaknesses inherent to the initial stages of State formation, and to the foundational con­stitutional instrument, indicating the importance of the Constitution’s clarity for political stability. In an environment characterized by a dominant perception of a politicized judiciary, the Court’s decisions testify to the judicial activism of the Constitutional Court and, in terms of the substance and consequences of its key decisions, also to judicial supremacy. The Court’s decisions have also had some significance for testing the country’s political culture, a test that has been met in both cases eventually with compliance by those most affected.
Egypt’s Constitution: What went Wrong?
Authors: Abdelaal Mohamed
Published: February 2017

Egypt is going through the early phases of the throes of democratization. Right after the Revolution in 2011, which ended thirty years of repression and dictatorship under the regime of ex-president Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians found themselves with the serious challenge of electing a new president and building a new Egypt; in particular by drafting a new constitution capable of building lasting stability, maintaining equality, and offering op­portunities for betterment. However, the newly drafted constitution has failed Egyptians’ ambitions regarding the establishment of democratic governance and preserving human rights, freedoms, and Egypt’s moderate secular nature.
Animals as Sentient Beings
Authors: Zoethout Carla M.
Published: February 2017

The twenty-first century is witnessing a number of initiatives to improve the liv­ing conditions of animals - worldwide, at the regional and the national level. While the debate on which status should be granted to animals is still undecided, a consensus has emerged about the need for animal welfare and the (moral and legal) obligations of hu­mans towards non-human animals. Today, animal welfare and our moral obligations to­wards animals have come to be accepted as part of public morality. This article draws at­tention to this change in moral and legal thinking over the past decades. The consequenc­es of this change are put to the test with regard to a specific protective measure concern­ing animals - the prohibition of un-stunned (ritual) slaughter. It will be argued that if public morality in the 21st century does indeed include respect for the welfare of animals, it may serve as a legitimate aim to limit the freedom of religion and with that, the practice of un-stunned ritual slaughter.
The International Validity of the Venezuelan Denunciation of the American Convention on Human Rights
Authors: Núñez Emercio José Aponte
Published: February 2017

This paper analyzes the Venezuelan denunciation of the American Convention on Human Rights from a constitutional and an international approach, taking into account the Venezuelan Constitution, the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights and the interpretative rules of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), to demonstrate that, even with the existence of article 78 of the American Convention, the denunciation is contrary to the Inter-American System as a system of two levels and therefore it shall be considered unlawful and invalid.
Are Austrian Courts Obliged to Consider the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights when Interpreting the ECHR?
Authors: Mayer Claudia , Wutscher Herwig
Published: February 2017

According to the prevailing opinion, ECtHR judgments do not bind the members of the Council of Europe beyond the individual case. The aim of this paper is to present arguments against this prevailing opinion and make a case for a legally binding effect of ECtHR judgments beyond the individual case within the Austrian legal order. We demon­strate that such an obligation follows from the system and telos of the ECHR and the con­stitutional principles of legal certainty and equality before the law and not only arises when a systematic problem in Austria is concerned, but also where well-established case-law of the Court exists. Moreover, we approach the question from an EU law perspective and ar­gue in favour of a legally binding, albeit limited, effect of the Court’s judgments by virtue of EU law.
Undermining Trial by Jury in Russia in Counterterrorism and the Wider Criminal Law
Authors: Davis Fergal F , Tyulkina Svetlana
Published: February 2017

The re-adoption of trial by jury in Russia in 1993 was heralded as a significant break with the discredited legal system of a crumbling regime. However, in less than twenty years the jury in Russian criminal trials has been significantly undermined; that process is particularly evident in the field of counterterrorism. This article examines the history of trial by jury in Russia, the constitutional and legislative provisions adopted in the 1990s, and the rolling back of these provisions in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Given the adoption of jury trial in a number of democracies in the early 1990s the underlying causes of the rapid Russian retrenchment are of significance beyond the Rus­sian Federation. The jury was not a legal transplant in Russia and it was hoped that conditions were fertile for the jury to flourish. This has not proven to be the case: Russian jury trial may have a long history but it has shallow roots.
Comparing Constitutional Adjudication
Authors: Karahodžić Mirha
Published: February 2017

CoCoA Summer School, which has been initially run for four seasons (2006- 2009) by the Faculty of Law of the University of Trento under the European Marie Curie Programme, has been offered again in 2014 furthering the previous profitable experiences and keeping the same main features and purposes like providing an opportunity for senior (guest speakers) and junior scholars (tutors), legal advisors to Constitutional Court judges as well as younger researchers, post-doc students and PhD candidates (participants) to meet, interact, train and being trained and plan future research in comparative constitu­tional adjudication. The Summer School aims at comparing judicial decisions from national and European (ECtHR, ECJ) jurisdictions on selected constitutional issues. This year the topic was ‘Constitutional Adjudication in Education Law: A Comparative Approach within the Council of Europe’.
On Resilience of Constitutions. What Makes Constitutions Resistant to External Shocks?
Authors: Contiades Xenophon , Fotiadou Alkmene
Published: February 2017

Over the last years resilience has become a key concept in understanding how rule-making choices are made in the context of risk prevention and disaster. This paper probes the relationship between constitutions and resilience in light of the way constitu­tions responded to the shock of the global financial crisis. What makes constitutions able to anticipate and resist external shocks, or bounce back after a disaster that affects core constitutional functions such as the balance of powers and the protection of fundamental rights? The ability of a constitution not only to withstand a severe shock, but also to enable the legal order whose ground rules it sets out to seek recovery within the constrains of these ground rules, lies at the heart of constitutional resilience. Analysing constitutional functions in terms of resilience could offer a new prism through which to look at national constitutions in an increasingly complex globalized environment. The recent crisis, through the interconnectedness of the multiple pressures it put on the legal orders it struck and the multiplicity of legal responses it demanded, allows exploring how resilience thinking can affect constitutional theory.
Foreign Precedents in Austrian Constitutional Litigation
Authors: Gamper Anna
Published: February 2017

This paper analyzes the Austrian Constitutional Court’s use of foreign precedents in the Court’s own case law. As the survey shows, the Austrian Constitutional Court is still reluctant to use foreign precedents, even though there has been a slight increase of cases dealing with foreign case law over the last decade. Among the various reasons for this attitude, the Court’s methodology deriving from legal positivism as well as the doctrine of self-containedness of Austrian constitutional law have been most important. Quite conversely, the same Court strongly engages in the ‘dialogue’ with European courts and has for a long time used to cite case law of both the ECtHR and the ECJ. Still, and with good reasons, the Court is far from becoming a radically cosmopolitan court.
The Place of the Niqab in the Courtroom
Authors: Narain Vrinda
Published: February 2017

This paper analyzes the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in R v NS, 2012 SCC 72 where the Court considered if a witness who wears a niqab for religious reasons can be required to remove it while testifying. The Court identified the two Charter rights engaged: the witness’ freedom of religion and the accused’s fair trial rights, including the right to make full answer and defense. This paper focuses on those aspects of the Supreme Court’s decision that relate to religious freedom, multiculturalism and reasonable accommodation. Analyzing the Court’s reasoning through the lens of critical multiculturalism, I consider the potential of the reasonable accommodation framework to forward minority rights. I suggest that had the Supreme Court applied an intersectional framework to adjudicating NS’s claim, it could have crafted a more contextual response based on her location along multiple axes of discrimination: gender, religion and racialised minority. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of mediating individual and group tensions, to move towards a more inclusive notion of citizenship than can foster a commitment to a shared multicultural future.
The Most Significant Issues of Power Theory in Hungary from 2010 to 2014
Authors: Bárándy Gergely
Published: February 2017

Between the years of 2010 and 2014, the most significant change in the public law system took place in Hungary since the democratic transition of 1989. According to some, this has been a reform, whereas others regard it as destruction. During the trans­formation, of course, relations between all branches of power and their relationship with other factors of power had been a subject of debate. Yet - apart from the general question of how much the state policy established by 2014 complies with the democratic principles of the rule of law based on the division of power - from the viewpoint of power theory there had been three major issues that instigated fierce debates. They concerned the status of the president of the republic, the legitimacy of the constitution (Fundamental Law) and the relationship between the constitution-making power and the constitutional court. The present study aims to address the above questions.
Religious Symbols and Garments in Public Places – a Theory for the Understanding of S.A.S. v France
Authors: Sanader Teresa
Published: February 2017

This article analyses the ECtHR’s case law on Article 9 ECHR, with an emphasis on displaying religious symbols and garments in public places. It provides a theory for the better understanding of the ECtHR’s poor protection of individual believers and its defer­ence to the member states in the light of a wide margin of appreciation, the lack of a Eu­ropean consensus regarding the role of religion in society in the member states and the absence of an in-depth analysis of proportionality in these cases. With the exception of Ahmet Arslan v Turkey no violation was ever found in the context of religious dresses in public places. Therefore, the article offers an explanation for the Grand Chamber’s judg­ment of S.A.S. v France according to the theory of religion as an ‘adjudication stopper’ for the ECtHR and it argues that this latest judgment was not surprising but in line with the Court’s rather cautious approach.
The Eternity Clause in the Czech Constitution as Limit to European Integration
Authors: Vyhnánek Ladislav
Published: February 2017

The article raises one principle question: Does the Czech Eternity Clause pose a possible threat to a further integration of the European Union? In a concise introductory part, the article analyses the concept of the Eternity Clause of the Czech Constitution from both the substantive and procedural point of view. Afterwards, the article goes on to eval­uate whether certain aspects of the Eternity Clause (as interpreted by the Czech Constitu­tional Court) might indeed create practical problems for the EU. The opinion of the author is that the ‘danger’ is quite negligible. This is mostly due to the fact that the Czech Consti­tutional Court generally (with an exception that is not to be overestimated) adheres to euro-friendly interpretation and it has even interpreted the Eternity Clause itself (espe­cially concepts like democracy or sovereignty) with respect to the logic and nature of Eu­ropean integration. The euro-friendliness of the Czech Constitutional Court is further com­plemented by the respect that the EU law pays to national (especially constitutional) iden­tity of the member states.
Drafting the Preamble for the Satversme: A New Approach to one of the Oldest Still-Functioning Republican Basic Laws
Authors: Jarinovska Kristīne
Published: February 2017

The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia (the Satversme) is the oldest East Central European constitution still in force and the sixth oldest still-functioning specimen of republican basic laws in the world. Unlike other Baltic states, Latvia did not have to adopt a new constitution after re-establishing its constitution previously in force before the So­viet occupation. Laconic wording, sufficiency and precision of norms and yet substantial regulatory coverage, on the one hand, and holding to the established légistique tradition, on the other hand, made it possible for the Satversme to step into the 21st century. Along with its longevity and precise drafting, there is a further aspect which makes the Satversme special. In drafting the Satversme, the Constitutional Assembly followed the constitutional trends of the time, with direct popular participation being one of them. Replicating traditions of the 1919 German Constitution, it provides multiple forms of direct popular participation. Moreover, there are some limitations with respect to the subjects of referenda and the tim­ing for organising referenda. Nonetheless, these prove to be few. While designed to em­power citizenry engagement within the process of legal framing, these limitations have recently been associated with problems related to the misuse of popular will.

Though the legal system of Latvia provides several ways to prevent the misuse of popular will through administrative measures, judicature, constitutional justice and legislation, nei­ther of these were effectively used to solve ‘constitutional strokes’. Similarly, the quest of legal scholars for a cure for the misuse of popular will within the prevailing ‘dogma on perfection of the Satversme’ reached a deadlock. Thus, the cure for the strokes has been sought within constitutional theory, in particular by defining ‘the core of the Satversme’ in the preamble of the Satversme. This article discusses the preamble of the Satversme, its historical background and its travaux préparatoires.
You Break it, You Own it: South African Assembly Jurisprudence after Garvis
Authors: Woolman Stu
Published: February 2017

Can one square the invariably raucous natures of demonstrations and gatherings, and the fundamental right to assembly, with the imposition of strict liability upon the organizers for any harm to person or damage to property caused by an assembly, demonstration and gathering? The South African Constitutional Court in Garvis1 suggests that one can. This article contends that a court cannot.
The Use and Abuse of Definitions in Constitutional Law
Authors: Walen Alec
Published: February 2017

Justice Roberts′s dissent in Obergefell v Hodges - the case in which the US Supreme Court found a constitutional right for same sex couples to marry - rested on the premise the Court cannot invoke the right to marry as a basis for changing the definition of marriage. But his argument works only if the Court has no obligation to find a constitutional meaning for the term. I argue here that it has such an obligation. I argue further that an analogy with the concept of ‘person’ throws light on how that obligation should work. And finally, I argue that the most plausible constitutional definition would include same sex couples.
The Enigma of the Hong Kong Injunction Cases – A Perspective on Political Question Doctrine, Separation of Powers, Rule of Law and Universal Suffrage
Authors: Lone Fozia Nazir
Published: February 2017

On 31 August 2014, disputes over Beijing’s plans to retain control over the political reform relating to the Chief Executive elections in Hong Kong led to the eruption of a mass civil disobedience campaign and the occupation of public places. In response to the aforesaid movement, pro-government groups approached the courts of Hong Kong for an injunction as a strategy to clear those public places (the Injunction Cases) and thereby put an end to the civil disobedience campaign. The courts heard the Injunction Cases and ruled in favour of the plaintiffs by upholding findings of public nuisance.

The primary objective of this article is to demystify the enigma of the Injunction Cases by reviewing them from the perspective of justiciability, acts of state, rule of law and separation of powers. This article also seeks to map the dialectical disconnect between accepted practices in Hong Kong on matters of justiciability and how the courts of Hong Kong dealt with it in the Injunction Cases. It is argued that the courts should have first determined whether the Injunction Cases were justiciable from common law perspective and constitutional doctrines before proceeding to hear such cases.

For the purpose of facilitating a more complete discussion, notable cases in relation to the doctrine of justiciability will be discussed. Other issues within the framework of the rule of law, separation of powers and right to democracy will also be reflected upon.
Due Process Prior to Administrative Decisions and Effective Judicial Protection in Brazil: A New Perspective?
Authors: Perlingeiro Ricardo
Published: February 2017

In view of the increasing number of repetitive judicial actions in public law issues, this text proposes reconsidering the guarantees of administrative due process of law - enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 -, among them the effective independence of the administrative authorities, based on a comparative perspective between the Anglo-Saxon and Continental-European models concerning judicial protection of individual rights. The author is visibly concerned with searching for a better understanding of topics that are considered to be established dogmas in Brazilian law, such as the contradiction between the self-enforceability of administrative decisions and the need for the public authorities to initiate judicial actions against individuals; the distinction between the administrative procedure and the (judicial and non-judicial) administrative proceeding and their implications for individuals in court proceedings; impartiality without independence of the authorities in conducting a non-judicial administrative proceeding; scope of judicial review of the utilization of the margin of appreciation of factual/scientific matters in decisions made by public administrative authorities.
The Right to an Unchanging World – Indirect Expropriation in International Investment Agreements and State Sovereignty
Authors: Pupolizio Ivan
Published: February 2017

This paper examines indirect expropriation in international investment agreements and compares current foreign investments protection with property protection in the XIXth century USA, when the US Supreme Court adhered to an abstract and de-physicalized conception of property later contested by legal realists. Its central claim is that investor state arbitration poses a serious and underestimated challenge to state sovereignty, granting arbitrators a ‘proto-constitutional’ power of judicial review on regulatory powers, including the legislative one. Moreover, the indeterminacy of indirect expropriation leads to a potential transformation of property rights protection that could eventually give transnational enterprises a new ‘right to an unchanging world’, as the US Supreme Court did more than a century ago, albeit this time on a global scale.
“‘to subscribe unto GODS BOOK’: The Bible as Material Culture in Seventeenth-Century New England Colonialism”
Authors: Plane Ann Marie
Published: February 2017

Reading scripture in the vernacular forged a unique discursive community in colonial New England, just as it had in post-Reformation England and elsewhere. But just as important were the many ways the bible functioned as a physical object imbued with special power, serving as talisman as much as text. In the colonial context, missionary activity among New England Indians introduced both aspects of scripture to indigenous communities, which in their turn, endowed it with meanings of their own. This essay first reviews the role of the Bible as physical object among the English colonists, before turning to its reception, rejection, and uses among New England’s Algonquian peoples. Examining bibles as items of material culture in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut reveals the creativity and creolization inherent in the introduction of the Bible to this colonial context. The intellectual, practical, and talismanic properties of the Bible so familiar to the English were cast into new relief in the colonial contest between Europeans and Indians, between literate and oral cultures, and between these vastly different religious systems.
Children’s Electronic Gaming Content Preferences and Psychosocial Factors
Authors: Brandtzæg Petter Bae , Heim Jan
Published: February 2017

The gaming industry has dramatically increased the range of choices for different game genres and content. Despite this, research on psychosocial factors in children and electronic gaming has primarily focused on time spent on games rather than on content preferences. The present study goes beyond the traditional focus on electronic game frequency by investigating whether children’s personal gaming content preferences are associated with psychosocial factors (self-concept, social competence and parental monitoring). This is accomplished by surveying 825 schoolchildren between ten and twelve years of age (5th, 6thand 7thgrade) in Norway. A preference for violent games was moderately associated with low social acceptance among peers. Preference for pedagogical games was associated with high scholastic and athletic competence as well as perceived levels of parental monitoring. A preference for fantasy gaming was positively related to scholastic competence. Finally, preference for competitive games was strongly associated with experienced athletic competence.
The Holy Versus the Sacred: Offering a Little Trouble for a Multiple Religious Belonging
Authors: Weidenbaum Jonathan
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this essay is to illustrate a difficulty which may arise in the attempt to simultaneously identify with more than one religious tradition. Drawing upon the philosophical insights of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas, I demonstrate how some of the most cardinal themes in one faith or theological perspective may set itself against the central notions of another. Along the way, Kierkegaard, the perennial philosophy, process theology, and even Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic Dune are woven into the discussion.
Research Article. Role of ascorbic acid and iron in mechanical and oxygen absorption properties of starch and polycaprolactone multilayer film
Authors: Mahieu Angelique , Terrie Caroline , Leblanc Nathalie
Published: February 2017

A trilayer film based on thermoplastic starch (TPS) for the core layer and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) for the skin layers was obtained by coextrusion. Ascorbic acid and iron powder were added at respectively 15% and 1.5% w/w in the TPS layer for their capacity to act as oxygen scavenger, making the film usable as active food packaging. This study demonstrates that these compounds also play a role in the interactions between the different layers. FTIR measurements show that ascorbic acid migrates at the interface between TPS and PCL, where it acts as a compatibiliser between both polymers, probably by creating new interactions between polar functions of both polymers. This leads to a better adhesion of the different layers, demonstrated by the increase of the adhesion energy from 4.10−3 N·mm−1 for the multilayer film TPS-PCL to 12.10−3 N·mm−1 for the multilayer film containing the active components. Thanks to this compatibilising effect, the mechanical properties of the multilayer film containing ascorbic acid and iron are widely improved with an average maximal tensile strength of 7 MPa, against 3.7 MPa for the multilayer film without the active components and with an elongation at break of respectively 1450% against 290%. However, despite the hydrophobicity of PCL, the water sorption of the TPS-based layer is only slightly reduced. The multilayer film shows active oxygen scavenging properties but the rate of this reaction is divided by two compared to the active film without PCL layers (15 days to reach less than 1% oxygen for the active film without PCL layers and approximately 30 days to reach the same oxygen level with the multilayer active film).
Fiscal Policy, FDI and Macroeconomic Stabilization
Authors: Albulescu Claudiu Tiberiu , Ianc Nicolae Bogdan
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of counter-cyclical fiscal policies and FDI inflows on macroeconomic stabilization in the selected Euro area countries. Performing a panel data analysis for 9 economies over the timespan 1980-2014 and, using a Pooled Mean Group estimator, it was shown that a counter-cyclical fiscal policy, associated with a lower tax burden during turbulent economic times, contributes to the reduction of output volatility. At the same time, increased FDI inflows positively influence the macroeconomic stabilization. In addition, a reduced volatility of investment inflows has a positive impact on the economic growth stabilization, but this result is sensitive to the way the tax burden is calculated. In a nutshell, the findings show that, in the long-run, authorities should resort to counter-cyclical fiscal policies and encourage FDI inflows to stabilize the economy and, thus, reduce the amplitude of business cycles.
Gastronomy as a tourism attraction for Łódź
Authors: Stasiak Andrzej
Published: February 2017

Over the last 25 years, a rapid development in gastronomic services in Łódź and other large Polish cities has been observed, as a result of a growing interest in good cooking both on the part of inhabitants and visitors (culinary tourism). The article is an attempt to describe the potential of gastronomic resources in Łódź as a possible basis for creating a new tourism product for the city. The paper presents a historical outline of Łódź gastronomy, the specificity of the local cuisine and its delicacies, the major culinary events, and the structure and location of gastronomic establishments at the beginning of the 21st c., as well as other elements which may be used to create an attractive offer for tourists.
Muscular Strength Adaptations and Hormonal Responses After Two Different Multiple-Set Protocols of Resistance Training in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Nunes Paulo R.P. , Barcelos Larissa C. , Oliveira Anselmo A. , Furlanetto Roberto , Martins Fernanda M. , Resende Elizabete A.M.R. , Orsatti Fábio L.
Published: February 2017

Nunes, PRP, Barcelos, LC, Oliveira, AA, Furlanetto, R, Martins, FM, Resende, EAMR, and Orsatti, FL. Muscular strength adaptations and hormonal responses after two different multiple-set protocols of resistance training in postmenopausal women. J Strength Cond Res 33(5): 1276–1285, 2019—We studied the effects of 2 different resistance training (RT) multiple-set protocols (3 and 6 sets) on muscle strength and basal hormones concentrations in postmenopausal women (PW). Postmenopausal women were randomly allocated into 3 groups: control (CT, n = 12), low RT volume (LV = 3 sets for each exercise, n = 10), and high RT volume (HV = 6 sets for each exercise, n = 12). The LV and HV groups performed 8 exercises of a total body RT protocol 3 times a week, at 70% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) for 16 weeks. Muscle strength and basal hormone concentrations were measured before and after RT. Our findings show that 3 sets or 6 sets at 70% of 1RM protocol increased muscular strength similarly after 16 weeks (sum of all exercises, LV: 37.7% and HV: 34.1% vs. CT: 2.1%, p < 0.001). Moreover, the RT volume does not affect basal levels of testosterone (TT) (LV: 0.02%, HV: −0.12%, and CT: 0.006%, p = 0.233), cortisol (C) (LV: 72.4%, HV: 36.8%, and CT: 16.8%, p = 0.892), insulin-like growth factor-1 (LV: 6.7%, HV: 7.3%, and CT: 4.1%, p = 0.802), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (LV: 0.1%, HV: −4.5%, and CT: −6.7%, p = 0.885), and TT:C ratio (LV: −0.9%, HV: −1.6%, and CT: −0.4%, p = 0.429). Our results suggest that 3 sets and 6 sets at 70% of 1RM seem to promote similar muscle strength gain. Thus, 3-set RT is a time efficient protocol for strength gain after 16 weeks in PW.
Self-reported Measures of Strength and Sport-Specific Skills Distinguish Ranking in an International Online Fitness Competition
Authors: Serafini Paul R. , Feito Yuri , Mangine Gerald T.
Published: February 2017

Serafini, PR, Feito, Y, and Mangine, GT. Self-reported measures of strength and sport-specific skills distinguish ranking in an international online fitness competition. J Strength Cond Res 32(12): 3483–3493, 2018—To determine if self-reported performance measures could distinguish ranking during the 2016 CrossFit Open, data from 3,000 male (n = 1,500; 27.2 ± 8.4 years; 85.2 ± 7.9 kg; 177.0 ± 6.5 cm) and women (n = 1500, 28.7 ± 4.9 years; 63.7 ± 5.8 kg; 163.7 ± 6.6 cm) competitors was used for this study. Competitors were split by gender and grouped into quintiles (Q1–Q5) based upon their final ranking. Quintiles were compared for one-repetition maximum (1RM) squat, deadlift, clean and jerk (CJ), snatch, 400 m sprint, 5,000 m run, and benchmark workouts (Fran, Helen, Grace, Filthy-50, and Fight-Gone-Bad). Separate one-way analyses of variance revealed that all competitors in Q1 reported greater (p ≤ 0.05) 1RM loads for squat (men: 201.6 ± 19.1 kg; women: 126.1 ± 13.0 kg), deadlift (men: 232.4 ± 20.5 kg; women: 148.3 ± 14.5 kg), CJ (men: 148.9 ± 12.1 kg; women: 95.7 ± 8.4 kg), and snatch (men: 119.4 ± 10.9 kg; women 76.5 ± 7.6 kg) compared with other quintiles. In addition, men in Q1 (59.3 ± 5.9 seconds) reported faster (p ≤ 0.05) 400 m times than Q3 only (62.6 ± 7.3 seconds), but were not different from any group in the 5,000 m run. Women in Q2 (67.5 ± 8.8 seconds) reported faster (p ≤ 0.05) 400 m times than Q3–Q5 (73.5–74.8 seconds), and faster (21.3 ± 1.8 minutes, p < 0.02) 5,000 m times than Q4 (22.6 ± 2.2 minutes) and Q5 (22.6 ± 1.9 minutes). Faster (p ≤ 0.05) Fran times were reported by Q1 (men: 138.2 ± 13.3 seconds; women: 159.4 ± 28.3 seconds) compared with other groups, while the results of other workouts were variable. These data indicate that the most successful athletes excel in all areas of fitness/skill, while lower-ranking athletes should focus on developing strength and power after achieving sufficient proficiency in sport-specific skills.
Novel SPECT Technologies and Approaches in Cardiac Imaging
Authors: Slomka Piotr , Hung Guang-Uei , Germano Guido , Berman Daniel S.
Published: February 2017

Recent novel approaches in myocardial perfusion single photon emission CT (SPECT) have been facilitated by new dedicated high-efficiency hardware with solid-state detectors and optimized collimators. New protocols include very low-dose (1 mSv) stress-only, two-position imaging to mitigate attenuation artifacts, and simultaneous dual-isotope imaging. Attenuation correction can be performed by specialized low-dose systems or by previously obtained CT coronary calcium scans. Hybrid protocols using CT angiography have been proposed. Image quality improvements have been demonstrated by novel reconstructions and motion correction. Fast SPECT acquisition facilitates dynamic flow and early function measurements. Image processing algorithms have become automated with virtually unsupervised extraction of quantitative imaging variables. This automation facilitates integration with clinical variables derived by machine learning to predict patient outcome or diagnosis. In this review, we describe new imaging protocols made possible by the new hardware developments. We also discuss several novel software approaches for the quantification and interpretation of myocardial perfusion SPECT scans.
Distinct Oscillatory Frequencies Underlie Excitability of Human Occipital and Parietal Cortex
Authors: Samaha Jason , Gosseries Olivia , Postle Bradley R.
Published: February 2017

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of human occipital and posterior parietal cortex can give rise to visual sensations called phosphenes. We used near-threshold TMS with concurrent EEG recordings to measure how oscillatory brain dynamics covary, on single trials, with the perception of phosphenes after occipital and parietal TMS. Prestimulus power and phase, predominantly in the alpha band (8–13 Hz), predicted occipital TMS phosphenes, whereas higher-frequency beta-band (13–20 Hz) power (but not phase) predicted parietal TMS phosphenes. TMS-evoked responses related to phosphene perception were similar across stimulation sites and were characterized by an early (200 ms) posterior negativity and a later (>300 ms) parietal positivity in the time domain and an increase in low-frequency (∼5–7 Hz) power followed by a broadband decrease in alpha/beta power in the time–frequency domain. These correlates of phosphene perception closely resemble known electrophysiological correlates of conscious perception of near-threshold visual stimuli. The regionally differential pattern of prestimulus predictors of phosphene perception suggests that distinct frequencies may reflect cortical excitability in occipital versus posterior parietal cortex, calling into question the broader assumption that the alpha rhythm may serve as a general index of cortical excitability.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAlpha-band oscillations are thought to reflect cortical excitability and are therefore ascribed an important role in gating information transmission across cortex. We probed cortical excitability directly in human occipital and parietal cortex and observed that, whereas alpha-band dynamics indeed reflect excitability of occipital areas, beta-band activity was most predictive of parietal cortex excitability. Differences in the state of cortical excitability predicted perceptual outcomes (phosphenes), which were manifest in both early and late patterns of evoked activity, revealing the time course of phosphene perception. Our findings prompt revision of the notion that alpha activity reflects excitability across all of cortex and suggest instead that excitability in different regions is reflected in distinct frequency bands.
Traveling with Charlie: The Voyage of the Beagle as an Introduction to the Natural History of South America
Authors: Voltzow Janice
Published: February 2017

Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle is a very readable, insightful travelogue that provides a detailed description of the habitats, organisms, and people he encountered on the five-year journey. In this exercise, students read passages corresponding to one of Darwin's principal inland expeditions in South America and write short response papers about the passage, which they then discuss in class. Through this exercise, students gain an appreciation for the diversity of terrestrial habitats and organisms in South America as well as for the young Darwin's interpretations of his experience. His insights include the negative impact of invasive and introduced species on native organisms and the anthropogenic effects on species’ distributions. Thus students will also recognize the foundations of many important principles of modern ecology and conservation biology in this historic narrative.