bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Signs of muscle thixotropy during human ballistic wrist joint movements
Authors: Axelson H. W.
Published: October 2005

A study was conducted on healthy subjects to determine whether voluntary ballistic wrist flexion movements are influenced by immediately preceding conditioning of the forearm muscles. Single rapid wrist flexion movements were made in response to an auditory “Go” signal. Rectified surface EMG was recorded from wrist flexors and extensors, and joint position was measured by a goniometer. The movements were preceded (2–3 s) by four different conditioning routines: 40-s rest (Rest), 10-s voluntary alternating wrist joint flexion and extension movements (Osc), and 10 s of 25° weak isometric wrist extensor (Ext) or flexor contractions (Flex). When subjects made ballistic movements after Osc compared with Rest, peak velocity was higher ( P = 0.02) and movement time shorter ( P = 0.06), but there was no difference ( P = 0.83) in motor reaction time (time between the onset of the first agonist burst and movement onset). If the movements were preceded by Ext compared with Flex, motor reaction time was longer ( P = 0.01), indicating a longer electromechanical delay. There were no indications that postconditioning differences in agonist or antagonist muscle activity could explain the results. It was also demonstrated that, after Rest, peak velocity was lower ( P < 0.01) for the first than for the second of a series of repetitive ballistic movements. The observations corresponded to results from passive experiments in which the median nerve was electrically stimulated. In conclusion, history-dependent (thixotropic) changes in skeletal muscle resistance seem to have implications for voluntary ballistic wrist movements. The study also provided evidence that muscle conditioning influences the central nervous reaction time preceding ballistic contractions.
Gender-Specific Alteration of Adrenergic Responses in Small Femoral Arteries From Estrogen Receptor-β Knockout Mice
Authors: Luksha Leonid , Poston Lucilla , Gustafsson Jan-Åke , Aghajanova Lusine , Kublickiene Karolina
Published: October 2005

Estrogen receptor-β knockout mice become hypertensive as they age, and males have a higher blood pressure than females. We hypothesized that the absence of estrogen receptor-β may contribute to development of cardiovascular dysfunction by modification of adrenergic responsiveness in the peripheral vasculature. Small femoral arteries (internal diameter <200 μm) were isolated from estrogen receptor-β knockout and wild-type mice and mounted on a wire myograph. Concentration-response curves to phenylephrine and norepinephrine were compared and the contribution of adrenoceptor subtypes established using specific agonists and antagonists. The involvement of endothelial factors in the modulation of resting tone was also investigated and immunohistochemical analysis used to confirm the presence or absence of estrogen receptor expression. Compared with wild type, arteries from estrogen receptor-β knockout male, but not female, mice demonstrated gender-specific enhancement of the response to phenylephrine (α1-adrenoceptor agonist), which was accompanied by elevated basal tension attributable to endothelial factors. Contractile responses to the mixed adrenoceptor agonist norepinephrine did not differ significantly between estrogen receptor-β knockout and wild type; however, β-adrenoceptor inhibition unmasked an enhanced underlying α1-adrenoceptor responsiveness in estrogen receptor-β knockout males. β-adrenoceptor–mediated dilatation was also enhanced in estrogen receptor-β knockout versus wild-type males. We suggest that estrogen receptor-β modifies the adrenergic control of small artery tone in males but not in females.
Activation of Vascular BK Channel by Tempol in DOCA-Salt Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Xu Hui , Bian Xiaochun , Watts Stephanie W. , Hlavacova Alexandra
Published: October 2005

Large-conductance Ca
2+
-activated potassium (BK) channels modulate vascular smooth muscle tone. Tempol, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic, lowers blood pressure and inhibits sympathetic nerve activity in normotensive and hypertensive rats. In the present study, we tested the hypotheses depressor responses caused by tempol are partly mediated by vasodilation. It was found that tempol, but not tiron (a superoxide scavenger), dose-dependently relaxed mesenteric arteries (MA) in anesthetized sham and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. Tempol also reduced perfusion pressure in isolated, norepinephrine (NE) preconstricted MA from sham and DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Maximal responses in DOCA-salt rats were twice as large as those in sham rats. The vasodilation caused by tempol was blocked by iberiotoxin (IBTX, BK channel antagonist, 0.1 μmol/L) and tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) (1 mmol/L). Tempol did not relax KCl preconstricted arteries in sham or DOCA-salt rats, and
N
ω
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester (
l
-NAME), apamin, or glibenclamide did not alter tempol-induced vasodilation. IBTX constricted MA and this response was larger in DOCA-salt compared with sham rats. Western blots and immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased expression of BK channel
α
subunit protein in DOCA-salt arteries compared with sham arteries. Whole-cell patch clamp studies revealed that tempol enhanced BK channel currents in HEK-293 cells transiently transfected with
mslo
, the murine BK channel
a
subunit. These currents were blocked by IBTX. The data indicate that tempol activates BK channels and this effect contributes to depressor responses caused by tempol. Upregulation of the BK channel α subunit contributes to the enhanced depressor response caused by tempol in DOCA-salt hypertension.
Influence of Prolonged Baroreflex Activation on Arterial Pressure in Angiotensin Hypertension
Authors: Lohmeier Thomas E. , Dwyer Terry M. , Hildebrandt Drew A. , Irwin Eric D. , Rossing Martin A. , Serdar David J. , Kieval Robert S.
Published: October 2005

Despite recent evidence indicating sustained activation of the baroreflex during chronic infusion of angiotensin II (Ang II), sinoaortic denervation does not exacerbate the severity of the hypertension. Therefore, to determine whether Ang II hypertension is relatively resistant to the blood pressure-lowering effects of the baroreflex, the carotid baroreflex was electrically activated bilaterally for 7 days in 5 dogs both in the presence and absence of a continuous infusion of Ang II (5 ng/kg per minute) producing high physiological plasma levels of the peptide. Under control conditions, basal values for mean arterial pressure (MAP) and plasma norepinephrine concentration (NE) were 93±1 mm Hg and 99±25 pg/mL, respectively. By day 7 of baroreflex activation, MAP and NE were reduced to 72±4 mm Hg (−21±3 mm Hg) and 56±15 pg/mL, respectively, but PRA was unchanged (control=0.41±0.06 ng ANG I/mL per hour). All values returned to basal levels by the end of a 7-day recovery period. After 7 days of Ang II infusion, MAP increased from 93±3 to 129±3 mm Hg, whereas NE fell from 117±15 to 86±23 pg/mL. During the next 7 days of baroreflex activation/Ang II infusion, further reductions in NE were not statistically significant, and on the final day of baroreflex activation, the reduction in MAP was only 5±1 mm Hg, compared with 21±3 mm Hg in the control normotensive state. These findings indicate that long-term baroreflex-mediated reductions in arterial pressure are markedly diminished, but not totally eliminated, in the presence of hypertension produced by chronic infusion of Ang II.
Genome-Wide Scan for Linkage to Obesity-Associated Hypertension in French Canadians
Authors: Pausova Zdenka , Gaudet Daniel , Gossard Francis , Bernard Manon , Kaldunski Mary L. , Jomphe Michele , Tremblay Johanne , Hudson Thomas J. , Bouchard Gerard , Kotchen Theodore A. , Cowley Allen W. , Hamet Pavel
Published: October 2005

Essential hypertension is a heterogeneous disorder that is thought to develop because of several overlapping subsets of underlying mechanisms. One such causal pathway may involve pathophysiological alterations induced by obesity. In the present study, we examined whether investigating clinically defined subtypes of hypertension, such as obesity-associated hypertension, facilitates the search for its genes. Fifty-five extended families were selected on the basis of having ≥2 siblings affected by hypertension from a geographically remote French-Canadian population. Fifteen of these families showed a high prevalence (≥70%) of obesity. Genome-wide scan using qualitative multipoint linkage analysis (GeneHunter 2.1; marker density <10 cM) was performed in the entire set of hypertensive families and the subset with high prevalence of obesity. In the scan involving all 55 families, the most significant loci (logarithm of odds [LOD] score=2.5) were identified on chromosomes 1 (D1S1597) and 11 (D11S1999). In the scan including only the subset of families with obesity-hypertension, the most significant locus (LOD score=3.1) was found on chromosome 1 in the same region as the scan involving all families (D1S1597). Genotyping additional markers increased the significance of this locus (LOD score=3.5) and refined its position (D1S2672). Several candidate genes of obesity-hypertension are located in close proximity; these include the tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 and atrial natriuretic peptide genes. These results suggest that investigating clinically defined subtypes of hypertension, such as obesity-associated hypertension, may facilitate the search for genes of this complex disorder.
Neurocirculatory Abnormalities in Parkinson Disease With Orthostatic Hypotension
Authors: Goldstein David S. , Eldadah Basil A. , Holmes Courtney , Pechnik Sandra , Moak Jeffrey , Saleem Ahmed , Sharabi Yehonatan
Published: October 2005

Patients with Parkinson disease often have orthostatic hypotension. Neurocirculatory abnormalities underlying orthostatic hypotension might reflect levodopa treatment. Sixty-six Parkinson disease patients (36 with orthostatic hypotension, 15 off and 21 on levodopa; 30 without orthostatic hypotension) had tests of reflexive cardiovagal gain (decrease in interbeat interval per unit decrease in systolic pressure during the Valsalva maneuver; orthostatic increase in heart rate per unit decrease in pressure); reflexive sympathoneural function (decrease in pressure during the Valsalva maneuver; orthostatic increment in plasma norepinephrine); and cardiac and extracardiac noradrenergic innervation (septal myocardial 6-[
18
F]fluorodopamine-derived radioactivity; supine plasma norepinephrine). Severity of orthostatic hypotension did not differ between the levodopa-untreated and levodopa-treated groups with Parkinson disease and orthostatic hypotension (−52±6 [SEM] versus −49±5 mm Hg systolic). The 2 groups had similarly low reflexive cardiovagal gain (0.84±0.23 versus 1.33±0.35 ms/mm Hg during Valsalva; 0.43±0.09 versus 0.27±0.06 bpm/mm Hg during orthostasis); and had similarly attenuated reflexive sympathoneural responses (97±29 versus 71±23 pg/mL during orthostasis; −82±10 versus −73±8 mm Hg during Valsalva). In patients off levodopa, plasma norepinephrine was lower in those with (193±19 pg/mL) than without (348±46 pg/mL) orthostatic hypotension. Low values for reflexive cardiovagal gain, sympathoneural responses, and noradrenergic innervation were strongly related to orthostatic hypotension. Parkinson disease with orthostatic hypotension features reflexive cardiovagal and sympathoneural failure and cardiac and partial extracardiac sympathetic denervation, independent of levodopa treatment.
Occult Cardiac Contractile Dysfunction in Dystrophin-Deficient Children Revealed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Strain Imaging
Authors: Ashford M.W. , Liu W. , Lin S.J. , Abraszewski P. , Caruthers S.D. , Connolly A.M. , Yu X. , Wickline S.A.
Published: October 2005

Background—

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited disease characterized by early onset of skeletal muscle degeneration and progressive weakness. Although dilated cardiomyopathy may occur during adolescence, it is often undetected early in its course because of physical inactivity and generalized debilitation. The purpose of this study was to apply the technique of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) tagging to detect occult cardiac dysfunction in young subjects with DMD by measuring myocardial strain and torsion.

Methods and Results—

Thirteen DMD pediatric subjects without clinically apparent heart disease and 9 age-matched healthy males were recruited. Each was scanned on a 1.5-T clinical scanner to acquire contiguous short-axis planes from the apex to the mitral valve plane and then 3 tagged images at base, midventricle, and apex. Global and segmental myocardial net twist and circumferential strain were computed with the use of 2D homogeneous strain analysis. Ventricular torsion was computed by normalizing net twist by the distance from apex to mitral valve plane. DMD patients exhibited normal left ventricular volumes and ejection fractions but manifested reduced midventricular and basal cross-sectional global circumferential strain compared with the reference group (
P
<0.005). These alterations also appeared in segmental analyses in the septal, anterior, lateral, and inferior walls (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

In patients predisposed to cardiomyopathies because of dystrophinopathy, occult regional cardiac dysfunction can be diagnosed with CMR tagging. This method of strain imaging analysis may offer a sensitive approach for delineating the presence and progression of cardiovascular disease and for assessing therapies designed to modulate the onset and course of heart failure.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
Authors: Peng Hongmei , Carretero Oscar A. , Vuljaj Nikola , Liao Tang-Dong , Motivala Apurva , Peterson Edward L. , Rhaleb Nour-Eddine
Published: October 2005

Background—

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are valuable agents for the treatment of hypertension, heart failure, and other cardiovascular and renal diseases. The cardioprotective effects of ACE inhibitors are mediated by blockade of both conversion of angiotensin (Ang) I to Ang II and kinin hydrolysis. Here, we report a novel mechanism that may explain the cardiac antifibrotic effect of ACE inhibition, involving blockade of the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP).

Methods and Results—

To study the role of Ac-SDKP in the therapeutic effects of the ACE inhibitor captopril, we used a model of Ang II–induced hypertension in rats treated with the ACE inhibitor either alone or combined with a blocking monoclonal antibody (mAb) to Ac-SDKP. These hypertensive rats had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as well as increases in cardiac fibrosis, cell proliferation, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression, and phosphorylation of Smad2 (P-Smad2), a signaling mediator of the effects of TGF-β. The ACE inhibitor did not decrease either blood pressure or LVH; however, it significantly decreased LV collagen from 13.3±0.9 to 9.6±0.6 μg/mg dry wt (
P
<0.006), and this effect was blocked by the mAb (12.1±0.6;
P
<0.034, ACE inhibitor versus ACE inhibitor+mAb). In addition, analysis of interstitial collagen volume fraction and perivascular collagen (picrosirius red staining) showed a very similar tendency. Likewise, the ACE inhibitor significantly decreased LV monocyte/macrophage infiltration, cell proliferation, and TGF-β expression, and these effects were blocked by the mAb. Ang II increased Smad2 phosphorylation 3.2±0.9-fold; the ACE inhibitor lowered this to 0.6±0.1-fold (
P
<0.001), and the mAb blocked this decrease to 2.1±0.3 (
P
<0.001, ACE inhibitor versus ACE inhibitor+mAb). Similar findings were seen when the ACE inhibitor was replaced by Ac-SDKP.

Conclusions—

We concluded that in Ang II–induced hypertension, the cardiac antifibrotic effect of ACE inhibitors is a result of the inhibition of Ac-SDKP hydrolysis, resulting in a decrease in cardiac cell proliferation (probably fibroblasts), inflammatory cell infiltration, TGF-β expression, Smad2 activation, and collagen deposition.
Endogenous Vascular Hydrogen Peroxide Regulates Arteriolar Tension In Vivo
Authors: Suvorava Tatsiana , Lauer Nadine , Kumpf Stephanie , Jacob Ralf , Meyer Wilfried , Kojda Georg
Published: October 2005

Background—

Although many studies suggested direct vasomotor effects of hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) in vitro, little is known about the vasomotor effects of H
2
O
2
in vivo.

Methods and Results—

We have generated mice overexpressing human catalase driven by the Tie-2 promoter to specifically target this transgene to the vascular tissue. Vessels of these mice (cat
++
) expressed significantly higher levels of catalase mRNA, protein, and activity. The overexpression was selective for vascular tissue, as evidenced by immunohistochemistry in specimens of aorta, heart, lung, and kidney. Quantification of reactive oxygen species by fluorescence signals in cat
++
versus catalase-negative (cat
n
) mice showed a strong decrease in aortic endothelium and left ventricular myocardium but not in leukocytes. Awake male cat
++
at 3 to 4 months of age had a significantly lower systolic blood pressure (sBP, 102.7±2.2 mm Hg, n=10) compared with their transgene-negative littermates (cat
n
, 115.6±2.5 mm Hg,
P
=0.0211) and C57BL/6 mice (118.4±3.06 mm Hg, n=6). Treatment with the catalase inhibitor aminotriazole increased sBP of cat
++
to 117.3±4.3 mm Hg (
P
=0.0345), while having no effect in cat
n
(118.4±2.4 mm Hg, n=4,
P
>0.05). In contrast, treatment with the NO-synthase inhibitor nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester (100 mg · kg BW
−1
· d
−1
) increased sBP in cat
++
and C57Bl/6 to a similar extent. Likewise, phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein in skeletal muscle, left ventricular myocardium, and lung was identical in cat
++
and cat
n
. Endothelium- and NO-dependent aortic vasodilations were unchanged in cat
++
. Aortic KCl contractions were significantly lower in cat
++
and exogenous H
2
O
2
(10 μmol/L)–induced vasoconstriction.

Conclusions—

These data suggest that endogenous H
2
O
2
may act as a vasoconstrictor in resistance vessels and contribute to the regulation of blood pressure.
Introduction to the Major Contribution
Authors: Mallen Michael J. , Vogel David L.
Published: October 2005

This article introduces the Major Contribution, which focuses on online counseling. Several acronyms and terms are presented to familiarize the reader with distance-communication technology, including a definition of online counseling. The authors show how counseling psychology provides a framework for specific questions related to the theory, research, and practice of online counseling. In addition, they discuss counseling psychology’s emphasis on the scientist-practitioner model, history of process and outcome research, and unifying themes to provide a context for the succeeding articles on the research and practice of online counseling.
Online Counseling
Authors: Mallen Michael J. , Vogel David L. , Rochlen Aaron B. , Day Susan X
Published: October 2005

This article reviews the online-counseling literature with an emphasis on current applications and considerations for future research. It focuses on primary themes of counseling psychology including the history of process-outcome research and multiculturalism. It explores current gaps in the literature from a counseling psychology framework, including the field’s focus on normal and developmental challenges and tasks, client strength and resilience, education and career development, prevention and wellness, and multiculturalism. In general, current evidence indicates that online counseling may be a viable service option for some clients, especially those who are typically isolated; however, questions remain regarding the effectiveness and appropriateness of online counseling.
The Practical Aspects of Online Counseling
Authors: Mallen Michael J. , Vogel David L. , Rochlen Aaron B.
Published: October 2005

This article addresses the practical aspects of online counseling, including ethics, training, supervision, technology, and competency issues. The authors discuss online counseling’s strengths and limitations and present guidelines for what types of clients and counseling psychologists may be appropriate for online counseling. To illustrate the components and skills associated with online counseling, the authors present and discuss an example of a synchronous-chat online session.
Online Counseling
Authors: Chang Tai
Published: October 2005

This reaction article extends the research and practice recommendations for online counseling from the Major Contribution to the November 2005 issue of The Counseling Psychologist by prioritizing research and practice in online psychoeducation, self-help, and mutual help. Research suggests that tens of millions of Americans use the Internet for psychoeducation, self-help, and support and that this number far exceeds those who would use the Internet for one-on-one counseling. The purpose of this reaction is to advocate and prioritize a research and practice agenda that will reach the tens of millions of Americans and millions more abroad who are already seeking online mental health information, self-help, and mutual help for mental health problems.
The Online-Counseling Debate
Authors: Sanchez-Page Delida
Published: October 2005

This article responds to some important issues that Mallen, Vogel, Rochlen, and Day raise in “Online Counseling: Reviewing the Literature From a Counseling Psychology Framework.” This reaction reviews the appropriateness of online counseling for underserved populations. The author provides suggestions for better serving historically undeserved populations via the Internet. In addition, she describes the ways in which the Internet is currently useful for psychoeducational purposes.
Kurt Baschwitz and the Founding Of Gazette
Authors: Wieten Jan
Published: October 2005

Kurt Baschwitz had to flee from Germany in the 1930s, like so many other social scientists. Though perhaps less well-known internationally than some of his colleagues, he was a pioneer in communication science and mass psychology and has contributed much to the international exchange of information and research among scholars in our field of studies. After 1945, one of his major efforts was to re-establish contacts that had been lost because of the war. Gazette, the international journal that he founded in 1955, was intended to serve these different purposes. Since then Gazette has continued to act as a liaison centre for research and researchers from different parts of the world. Its scope may have widened considerably, both in choice of subjects and in a geographical sense - reflecting the developments in our discipline and the scientific interests of successive editors - still through the years the journal has remained true to the scientific and humanistic aims of its founder.
Journalism in the Global Age
Authors: Josephi Beate
Published: October 2005

This review article looks at books on journalism and the media coming from within the dominant discourse and concerning themselves with journalism globally or the media in several countries. It finds that in an era of growing global awareness research is only reluctantly acknowledging models other than the Anglo-American one. This has implications for the professional model of journalism and serves to perpetuate the gap between the principles of journalism and professional practice. It has further implications for journalism research in that the normative expectations skew results and veil actual practice.
The Integration of Social Justice in Teacher Education
Authors: McDonald Morva A.
Published: October 2005

This article examines the integration of social justice in teacher education and defines dimensions of teachers’ opportunities to learn. Findings come from a comparative case study of two elementary teacher education programs: the Teachers for Tomorrow’s Schools Program at Mills College and the Teacher Education Intern Program at San José State University. Combining concepts from sociocultural theory and a theory of justice for the conceptual framework, this study illustrates how these programs addressed social justice in university courses and how teachers’ opportunities to learn varied across specific dimensions. Specifically, this article highlights teachers’ opportunities to develop conceptual and practical tools related to social justice as emphasizing the needs of students identified by their membership in educational categories and the needs of students identified by their status in oppressed groups. In addition, it addresses how variation in teachers’ opportunities informed their conceptions of students and their preparation.
Preparing Community-Oriented Teachers
Authors: Boyle-Baise Marilynne
Published: October 2005

The Banneker History Project (BHP) reconstructed the history of a local, segregated school. The Benjamin Banneker School served African American youth from 1915 to 1951. Oral histories from surviving alumni as well as primary documents from the times were sought. This article focuses on ways that one group of participants, 24 preservice teachers of color, experienced and interpreted the BHP. Data are reported in response to three questions: (a) Whose community does service learning serve? (b) What meanings do preservice teachers make of culturally responsive teaching? and (c) Does a community orientation count in teacher education? The author reflects on and draws insights from these data. She considers implications of this effort for community-oriented teacher education.
Staging the Work of Teacher Education Through Public Conversation
Authors: Lippincott Ann C. , Peck Charles A. , D’Emidio-Caston Marianne , Snyder Jon
Published: October 2005

The value of university-based programs of teacher education in preparing high-quality teachers is currently the focus of increasingly contentious debate among researchers, policy makers, and media experts. To a large extent, public awareness and understanding of the work of teacher education is filtered through one or another of these lenses because direct public experience with programs of teacher education is limited. The authors developed a capstone event, termed the “Public Conversation,” for their graduate-level, Teacher Education Program as a means of introducing graduates to the community and engaging a variety of community members in substantive dialogue around significant and enduring issues related to teaching and learning in the public schools. This article reports on impacts of the Public Conversation on community members, public school professionals, and university faculty, who participated as critical friends in this process.
Womanist Lessons for Reinventing Teaching
Authors: Beauboeuf-Lafontant Tamara
Published: October 2005

Although teaching is regarded as “women’s work,” few calls for change in the multicultural and social justice literature focus attention on the teaching self as a socially constructed gendered identity. Given Black women’s prominence in this literature as successful educators of students underserved in contemporary schools, the author suggests connections between their pedagogy and an empowered female self that transgresses many historical and contemporary mainstream feminine beliefs and ways of being. Drawing on the work of womanist scholars explicating Black women’s epistemological standpoint, the author analyzes data from a life history interview study with six Black teachers committed to social justice. Findings suggest three womanist stances shaping the teachers’ acknowledgment of social ills, resistance to complicity within educational systems, and belief in the possibility of social change. The author concludes the article by raising gender-related questions to guide the reinvention and unlearning called for by the educational social justice literature.
Technology- and Product-Oriented Movements: Approximating Social Movement Studies and Science and Technology Studies
Authors: Hess David J.
Published: October 2005

Technology- and product-oriented movements (TPMs) are mobilizations of civil society organizations that generally include alliances with private-sector firms, for which the target of social change is support for an alternative technology and/or product, as well as the policies with which they are associated. TPMs generally involve “private-sector symbiosis,” that is, a mixture of advocacy organizations/networks and private-sector firms. Case studies of nutritional therapeutics, wind energy, and open-source software are used to explore the tendency for large corporations in established industries to incorporate the products and technologies advocated by the TPM. As the incorporation process proceeds, the alternative technologies undergo design transformations that make them more compatible with existing products and technological systems. As the technological/product field undergoes diversification, “object conflicts” erupt over a range of design possibilities, from those advocated by the more social movement–oriented organizations to those advocated by the established industries.
When Is a Work-Around? Conflict and Negotiation in Computer Systems Development
Authors: Pollock Neil
Published: October 2005

The notion of a “work-around” is a much-used resource within the sociology of technology, reflecting an interest in showing how users are not simply shaped by technologies but how they, through adopting artifacts in ways other than those for which they were designed or intended, are also shapers of technology. Using the language and concerns of actor-network theory and focusing on recent developments within computer-systems implementation, this article seeks to explore and add to our understanding of work-arounds through unpacking the work of one group of “users” as they attempt to tailor and roll out a system within the administration departments of their university. This article argues that paying attention to the various networks that lead to and from work-arounds can improve our understanding of the way users both shape and are shaped by technologies. Focusing on work-arounds as “networks in place” also allows us to highlight some of their contingencies; for example, the other actors and entities on which these depend and are constituted.
Expected-Utility Voting in Taiwan’s Legislative Elections: 1995, 1998, and 2001
Authors: Tsai Chia-Hung , Hsu Yung-Ming
Published: October 2005

We propose, in this article, a model for multimember districts in which voting choice is a function of the product of relative benefits and the probability of breaking a tie between their preferred party and its trailing party. We transform people’s perception of the parties’ positions on specific issues in order to obtain the probability of each party winning. “Feeling thermometer” and “like/dislike” questions are employed to measure the perceived benefit that an individual might expect to receive from each party if elected. We test our model using the 1995, 1998, and 2001 legislative elections in Taiwan, simulating the level of closeness with logistic estimates. Based on the simulation, we identify four types of voting behavior: sincere, straightforward, irrational, and strategic. The study of these four types of voting behavior sheds light on party competition in Taiwan and provides models likely to be useful elsewhere as well.
Government Surveillance and Political Participation on the Internet
Authors: Krueger Brian S.
Published: October 2005

Although more is probably known about the causes of political participation than any other political behavior, the research program suffers in that it generally assumes citizens operate within an unproblematic surveillance context. This article argues that the growing use of the Internet for political participation and the government’s expanded electronic surveillance capacities make this assumption increasingly dubious. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s insights concerning surveillance and resistance, this article develops empirical hypotheses related to surveillance and Internet political participation. Testing these hypotheses using data derived from a unique probability sample survey of U.S. Internet users, surveillance is shown to influence online political activity. Those who oppose the current administration, and who perceive the government monitors their Internet behavior, participate in politics online at the highest rates. Finally, the implications of these results are discussed.
Information Technology and Surveillance
Authors: Haque Akhlaque
Published: October 2005

The PATRIOT Act of 2001 has introduced significant legislative changes affecting how public managers collect, disseminate, and evaluate information for decision making. The article describes the theoretical underpinnings of information gathering and decision making and argues that more information gathering and subsequent use of sophisticated information gathering tools serves as an important myth promoting greater legitimacy and confidence in the government’s ability to provide security to the citizens. The article suggests that the rational choice approach to security is limited in its ability to evaluate values that are embedded into the decision-making processes. However, being cognizant of the nonrational rulings placed on technology-based policy initiatives, public managers can be guided toward “responsible values” to avoid the dark path of control, surveillance, and the loss of freedom.
Cognition and Emotion
Authors: Kafetsios Konstantinos , LaRock Eric
Published: October 2005

In much of the debate concerning the philosophy and psychology of cognition and emotion, Aristotle’s theory is taken to support a functionalist, cognition-first account. This brand of functionalism emphasizes functional role over occupant, or supervenient over physiochemical, the so-called ‘software vs hardware’ distinction. We argue, instead, that this functionalist reading misrepresents Aristotle because it downgrades the significance of his ideas about the biological bases of emotions and, in particular, affect-first processes in emotions. In addition to presenting a detailed critique of this functionalist interpretation of Aristotelian psychology, we offer an alternative reading of Aristotle’s theory of cognition and emotion that brings to bear certain biological considerations evidenced in his arguments on the integration of form and matter (hylomorphism) and the hierarchical organization of the biological world. Based on this new reading, we identify affinities with contemporary research in the cognitive neuroscience of emotion and developmental research on emotion.
Governance and Concerted Regulation of Employment in Europe
Authors: Léonard Evelyne
Published: October 2005

This article analyses the changes and challenges involved in the governance of employment in the EU-15 over the past decade. Several interrelated changes are examined: the European Employment Strategy; social pacts at national level; and bipartite bargaining covering employment issues. One can argue that raising employment levels currently constitutes a consensus-making factor at European level and within countries, but that there is a progressive shift in the rules of the game: we are witnessing both procedural and substantive changes in the governance of labour markets.
Adaptive and Reflexive Governance: The Limits of Organized Decentralization
Authors: van der Meer Marc , Visser Jelle , Wilthagen Ton
Published: October 2005

How robust is coordinated decentralization in socio-economic governance, especially in wage bargaining, when national economies are torn between internationalization on the one hand and decentralization or increased internal diversity on the other? How should the national state influence the behaviour of trade unions and employers’ organizations? What constitutes an effective public policy towards industrial relations? Are there any general design principles for such policies? These are the questions that we seek to answer in this article, mainly using the Dutch consultation economy as our example.
Corporate Directors and Entrepreneurial Innovation
Authors: Hung Humphry , Mondejar Reuben
Published: October 2005

This paper presents the findings of a study of the association between corporate governance and entrepreneurial innovation in a major Asian metropolitan city. We identified three primary attributes of entrepreneurial innovation: preference for risk–taking, acceptance of changes, and development of new initiatives. While we intended to establish the relationship between corporate governance and entrepreneurial innovation, our research yielded mixed results. CEO/Chairman duality was found to be positively related to preference for risk–taking and development of new initiatives of firms, but not to the acceptance of changes in firms. Results also showed that whether directors were executive or non–executive had no significant impact on the level of entrepreneurial innovation of their firms. However, share–ownership of directors was found to be related to risk–taking preference, but not to acceptance of changes and development of new initiatives of firms.
The Role of Credit for Small Business Success
Authors: Kuzilwa Joseph Andrew
Published: October 2005

The objective of this article is to examine the role of credit in generating entrepreneurial activities. The paper is based on a recent research combining case studies with a sample survey of businesses that gained access to credit from a Tanzanian government financial source. A substantially increased output is observed following access to credit. The findings reveal that the enterprises whose owners received business training and extension advice performed better than those that did not. The study further shows that many of the problems faced by the entrepreneurs are not related to capital, but rather arise as a result of macroeconomic and institutional constraints. Examples of the reported business barriers are poor infrastructural support and stiff competition amongst the micro and small–scale producers.
The Story of The Devil and Daniel Webster as a Post–modern Allegory to Individualism in Negotiation
Authors: Lindsay Mary
Published: October 2005

This article considers why individuals take beyond their own needs at the cost of others. Within the context of negotiations, a story is employed in framing an examination of the advancement of self–interest over connections of interdependence and civic membership. Forces of natural predisposition and environment are juxtaposed to formulate an understanding of the struggle involved in acting ethically. Notions of distributive and procedural justice are discussed with respect to claims of American citizenship, religious right, and the centrality of happiness, resulting in a call for the substantive justice of interest–based negotiation.
How Should We Express Moral Concern?
Authors: Scarsbrook Matthew Graham
Published: October 2005

In this article I discuss whether talk of ‘rights’ or talk of ‘needs’ should be used to express moral concerns. I argue that needs are the fundamental basis of morality: hence, we should only move beyond them to talk of ‘rights’ if rights can offer us a conception that cannot be included in the term ‘needs’. I then to show that all the traditional strong points of rights can be included within the term ‘needs’ (albeit with some qualification), that is, needs can allow us to make claims on others, and can protect us from the government; as can needs promote the individualism and self–respect usually associated with rights. Apart from adding clarity to moral debates, I argue that expressing morality in terms of needs also offers us two main advantages over rights: it discourages anthropocentrism (a view greatly responsible for the environmental destruction we cause the planet) and it assists those trying to alleviate human suffering.
Biotechnology for Medical Applications
Authors: Sáenz Tirso W.
Published: October 2005

The objective of this article is to analyse the development of biotechnology in Cuba in connection with its medical applications, the main factors responsible for its interesting and encouraging results in the successful innovation processes, and some of the threats and challenges confronting its future.1 This article is based on the analysis of documentary information and interviews held in Cuba with several responsible scientific leaders in the field and personal experiences of the author.
Science and Technology Development Indicators in the Arab Region
Authors: O.M. Nour Samia Satti
Published: October 2005

In this article the OECD (1997) definition of S&T indicators is used, as well as the descriptive and comparative approaches to S&T development in the Arab Gulf and Mediterranean countries. It was found that neither the Gulf nor the Mediterranean countries possessed sufficient financial and human resources necessary to promote S&T for development. Hence, they have manifestly lagged behind the rapidly advancing Asian countries in terms of S&T input and output indicators; the poor S&T input indicators lead to poor S&T output indicators. In both regions most R&D and S&T activities are allocated within the public and university sectors, with very small contribution from the private sector. When comparing S&T indicators in the two regions, the great disparity in terms of S&T input and output indicators is noted. Despite the high standard of economic development as measured by GDP per capita income and HDI in the Gulf countries, the Mediterranean countries show better performance in terms of most of S&T input and output indicators. Moreover, there is very limited scientific cooperation within and between the Gulf and Mediterranean countries and between them and other Arab countries.
Hot or Cold? A Comparison of Different Approaches to the Pricing of Weather Derivatives
Authors: Oetomo Teddy , Stevenson Max
Published: October 2005

This article reviews six different temperature forecasting models proposed by prior literature for pricing weather derivatives. Simulation of these models is used to estimate daily temperature and, as a consequence, the metrics used for pricing temperature derivatives. The models that rely on an auto-regressive moving average (ARMA) process exhibit a better goodness-of-fit than those that are established under Monte Carlo simulations. However, the superiority of ARMA-type models is not reflected over the forecast horizon. Over that period, the models that rely on Monte Carlo simulations exhibit a tendency to over-forecast the monthly accumulated heating degree day (AccHDD) index and to under-forecast the monthly accumulated cooling degree day (AccCDD) index. Alternatively, models established under the ARMA approach both under-forecast and over-forecast the monthly accumulated indices. All models consistently over-forecast the average daily temperature. The most appropriate pricing model varies between cities and months. Finally, the models examined in this study generate a more accurate AccHDD futures price than the price traded on the market. However, the ability of these models to estimate the AccCDD futures price is significantly poorer than that of the market.
The Determinants of Lending Relationships in the Tunisian Context
Authors: Omri Abdelwahed , Bellouma Meryem , Omri Mohamed Ali
Published: October 2005

The quantity and quality of information generated through the development of lending relationships influences the bank's decision concerning granting of credit. Indeed, the need for a strong guarantee and the setting up of an adequate interest rate are not the only means that allow creditors to overcome the problem of inadequate information about the client. To establish the main determinants of the customer's relationship in Tunisia, our study is based on a sample of 76 companies dealing with a Tunisian bank over a period from 1998 to 2000. We found that the interest rate charged by the bank, the guarantees required and the risk level of the firms are the main determinants of the customer's relationship, and the only three control variables that are significant.
Index Futures Trading and Spot Price Volatility
Authors: Spyrou Spyros I.
Published: October 2005

This article contributes to the debate whether the introduction of derivative instruments stabilises or destabilises markets for underlying assets. It has often been argued that due to the higher degree of leverage, futures markets tend to attract uninformed speculative investors and thus destabilise cash markets by increasing volatility. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that futures markets increase the overall market depth and informativeness, are important for price discovery, allow the transfer of risk, and may actually reduce spot volatility. The empirical evidence is controversial and has been concentrated on large capitalisation markets. This paper investigates the issue for a dynamic emerging market, the Athens Stock Exchange, employing a methodology that allows the examination of changes in the nature of volatility rather than changes in volatility per se, and allowing for asymmetric responses to news. To anticipate the results, spot volatility appears unaffected with some evidence to suggest that uncertainty is actually reduced following the introduction of futures trading.
Consolidation In Pakistan's Retail Sector*
Authors: Ghani Jawaid Abdul
Published: October 2005

This paper reviews changes which occurred over the last decade in the retail sector in urban Pakistan, in terms of a decrease in traditional ‘kiryana’ stores, an increase in general stores, and the emergence of new formats such as superstores, malls, and retail chains. These trends are discussed in the context of broader socio–economic changes, including growth in the urban middle class and disposable incomes. The paper discusses similar trends that occurred in the late nineteenth century in North America and Europe, the recent rise in international retailing, and the possibility of global retailers such as Germany's Metro and the French Carrefour, entering the Pakistani market. The entry of such firms has often resulted in profoundly altering the retail landscape, as has been the experience in the less developed markets of East Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region.

It is estimated that in 2002, about 6.8 million of the 50 million people living in urban Pakistan belonged to the upper and upper–middle class, and represented a grocery market worth $1.7 billion. This segment, projected to grow to 17 million people by the year 2010, is expected to be the first to switch to modern retail stores. This paper projects the impact global retailers might have on Pakistan's retail landscape.
Coupling Multicomponent Models with MPH on Distributed Memory Computer Architectures
Authors: He Yun , Ding Chris H. Q.
Published: October 2005

A growing trend in developing large and complex applications on today’s Teraflop-scale computers is to integrate standalone and/or semi-independent program components into a comprehensive simulation package. One example is the Community Climate System Model, which consists of atmosphere, ocean, land-surface, and sea ice components. Each component is semi-independent and has been developed at a different institution. We study how this multicomponent, multi-executable application can run effectively on distributed memory architectures. For the first time, we clearly identify five effective execution modes and develop the MPH library to support application development utilizing these modes. MPH performs component-name registration, resource allocation and initial component handshaking in a flexible way.