bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unconfusing Merely Confused Supposition in Albert of Saxony
Authors: Fitzgerald Michael J.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

In this essay I argue that Albert would reject the need for a separate fourth mode of common personal supposition, and that his view of merely confused supposition has not been fully explicated by modern scholars. I first examine the various examples of conjunct descent given by modern scholars from his Perutilis logica, and show that Albert clearly adopts it in resolving the sophistic examples involved. Second, I explicate the view of merely confused supposition that Albert defends in his Sophismata, and then attempt to answer the question: which view of merely confused supposition was his final view, the view articulated in the Perutilis logica or the view in the Sophismata? I conclude that based upon his Sophismata view of merely confused supposition, Albert came to realize the logical strength his revised theory of personal supposition afforded, and consequently, that he is one of the earliest 14th-century logicians to adopt conjunct terminal descent to resolve various sophisms, a move which gave his theory of personal supposition a logical symmetry having two sorts of propositional descents to singulars, and two sorts of terminal descents to singulars.
Aiming to Overthrow the State (Without Using the State): Political Opportunities for Anarchist Movements
Authors: Williams Dana M. , Lee Matthew T.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The anarchist movement utilizes non-statist and anti-statist strategies for radical social transformation, thus indicating the limits of political opportunity theory and its emphasis upon the state. Using historical narratives from present-day anarchist movement literature, we note various events and phenomena in the last two centuries and their relevance to the mobilization and demobilization of anarchist movements throughout the world (Bolivia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Greece, Japan, Venezuela). Labor movement allies, failing state socialism, and punk subculture have provided conditions conducive to anarchism, while state repression and Bolshevik success in the Soviet Union constrained success. This variation suggests that future work should attend more closely to the role of national context, and the interrelationship of political and non-political factors.
Democratic Self-determination and Non-citizen Residents
Authors: Lenard Patti Tamara
Published: November 2012

Abstract

In liberal democracies, citizens are entitled to a substantive package of rights, including the right to participate in politics. Without this right, citizens cannot be self-determining in any rich sense. As more and more people cross borders, the number of residents without citizenship is rising, as is the number of people who have little say in the political life of the communities in which they reside. I assess the normative status of long-term, non-citizen residents and conclude that, without the right to vote, and without the right to run for office, long-term, non-citizen residents are denied political self-determination. Using the “thick-thin” lens that unites the contributions to this issue, I propose granting non-citizen residents more expansive political rights.
Theorizing Europe as the Future of Modern Society: European Integration between Thick Norms and Thin Politics
Authors: Dahms Harry F.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Many Americans are overwhelmed when confronted with questions relating to the European Union. And sociologists who are not working directly on related themes, as well as social theorists concerned with incarnations of modern society, have long ignored the peculiar character and historical implications of the developing European Union. But now a growing number of European theorists have begun to focus on the significance of European integration for the very discipline of sociology. To situate and evaluate some of this recent work, I deploy Gregg’s (2003) distinction between thick norms and thin politics. That distinction helps us see that developments in the European Union point toward the formation of a new kind of modern society.
The Informal Sector as a Catalyst for Employment Generation in Lagos State, Nigeria
Authors: Akinwale Akeem Ayofe
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Unemployment remains high in Nigeria due to disintegration between the formal and informal sectors, among other factors. While the unemployed largely focus on the formal sector in search of jobs, there is inadequate interest in the informal sector. Yet, this sector provides livelihoods for the majority of the population. This paper examines the informal sector as a catalyst for generating employment in Lagos State, Nigeria, using the Social Capital Theory and a descriptive survey research design. Data were collected from 480 apprentices, 40 masters, 20 journeymen, and 120 members of various communities through a structured questionnaire, Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions, respectively. The findings showed that 64.8 percent of the respondents reported parental sponsorship of vocations in the informal sector, 14.2 percent of the respondents were self-sponsored, and the remainders (18.5 percent and 2.5 percent) were reportedly sponsored by their relatives and masters. Awareness of opportunities for self employment in the informal sector was demonstrated by 71 percent of the respondents. However, 66.3 percent of the respondents thought that schooling could be better than vocations in the informal sector. Mothers’ occupation significantly associated with individuals’ choice of vocation in the informal sector (χ2= 33.71; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the proposed plans for self employment among the respondents in furniture and tailoring workshops (χ2= 1.44; P > 0.05). Planning for self employment was significantly influenced by several factors including gender, age, mothers’ occupation, career plan, and satisfaction within the informal sector (t = 19.247, P < 0.01). The informal sector is vital for survival of youth in Lagos State, Nigeria. This sector should be supported for poverty eradication and entrepreneurial development.
Civil Society in Kuwait: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Al-Zuabi Ali Z.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Civil society organisations are an integral part of today’s societies throughout the world. They are the main partners of the state, along with the private sector, in the process of developing civil society. Here, we analyse various aspects of the social development of Kuwaiti society, the development strategies of the state, the challenges faced, and the role of civil society organisations by gathering and assessing information using structured questionnaires and statistical methods. The results reveal that civil associations are indispensable in the sustainable development of the state, especially considering the current economic and social challenges experienced in human societies. The study identifies internal and external challenges associated with implementing market-controlling mechanisms and directives for multifarious development under the private sector without inhibiting its growth. The article concludes by identifying the dominant obstacles and challenges development programs of Kuwait face and defines a set of mechanisms capable of solving those challenges effectively.
Public Theology and Political Ethics*
Authors: Bedford-Strohm Heinrich
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The article explains the fundamental features of the Lutheran two kingdoms doctrine and the Reformed doctrine of the Lordship of Christ and finds strong convergences of both in addressing political realities without leaving the Gospel perspective aside. Since Catholic concepts show a similar profile, an ecumenical public theology emerges. Six guidelines for a public church are presented to describe the consequences of a public theological approach to politics for the churches. Authentic faith witness is as much part of these guidelines as ‘bilinguality’, that is, the capability to talk the language of secular discourse and prophetic speech, which is put in relationship to the necessity of concrete daily political processes. Thus, in the end the article explains the profile of public theology in relation to liberation theology and political theology.
Justice between Fairness and Love? Christian Ethics in Dialogue with Rawls and Niebuhr*
Authors: Wright Jenny Anne
Published: November 2012

Abstract

There are many different approaches to justice, both theological and secular. These different approaches and diverse theories need not be exclusive, but can play an important role in a dialogue on justice. Since justice is never completely just, it is imperative to always be critical of laws and policies while guarding against moral superiority and oppression. To this end, this article seeks to enter into a critical dialogue between John Rawls and Reinhold Niebuhr from a theological perspective. It critically examines their main ideas and focuses on the role of community, the importance of moral dialogue, the priority of the poor and the unique issues raised by globalization.
Introduction: Speech and Oral Culture in Early Modern Europe and Beyond
Authors: Horodowich Elizabeth
Published: November 2012

Abstract

From preaching to academic discussion, from intimate conversation to the circulation of rumors in the marketsquare, the exchange of ideas and information in the early modern world was predominantly and overwhelmingly by word of mouth. Despite the growing impact of the printing press, texts themselves circulated and were received in a context that was pervasively oral. The majority of the population communicated primarily in speech rather than in writing, and even when they accessed written texts, they were most likely to do so through the mediation of speech by listening to others read out loud. Many literary and scholarly genres moreover, from poetry to theater, were conceived for oral diffusion. From the Renaissance interest in the study of classical rhetoric to conversation manuals, from civic decrees punishing blasphemy to the preoccupation with rumors and the collection of word-of-mouth testimonies in judicial settings, this was a culture that thought deeply about talk.
Misinformation and Disinformation in Late Jacobean Court Politics
Authors: Coast David
Published: November 2012

Abstract

This article explores the role of rumor in late Jacobean court politics. It argues that misinformation and disinformation were not incidental to the jostling for power and the interplay of faction that took place at court, but were instead major political forces, capable of affecting the fortunes of even the most powerful courtiers. Perception, as this article demonstrates, was everything at court, since false rumors that individual courtiers would be granted offices or would soon fall from power had a self-fulfilling potential. While contemporaries were quick to assume that rumors were spread deliberately, this paper demonstrates that such false reports were sometimes mere speculation and wishful thinking passed on as fact. False rumors made decisions about court appointments or the disgrace of ministers much more of a collective act, and much less the preserve of the king, than historians have hitherto realized.
Beyond Tribalism: The Hutu-Tutsi Question and Catholic Rhetoric in Colonial Rwanda
Authors: Carney J.J.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Post genocide commentaries on colonial Rwandan history have emphasized the centrality of the Hamitic Hypothesis in shaping Catholic leaders’ sociopolitical imagination concerning Hutu and Tutsi identities. For most scholars, the resulting racialist interpretation of Hutu and Tutsi categories poisoned Rwandan society and laid the groundwork for postcolonial ethnic violence. This paper challenges the simplicity of this standard narrative. Not only did colonial Catholic leaders possess a complex understanding of the terms ‘Hutu’ and ‘Tutsi’, but the Hutu-Tutsi question was not the exclusive or even dominant paradigm of late colonial Catholic discourse. Even after the eruption of Hutu-Tutsi tensions in the late 1950s, Catholic bishops and lay elites continued to interpret the Hutu-Tutsi distinction in a wide variety of ways. Catholic attitudes and the escalation of Hutu-Tutsi tensions stemmed more from contextual political factors than immutable anthropological theories, however flawed.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch as a Peshat Commentator: Literary Aspects of His Commentary on the Pentateuch
Authors: Jacobs Jonathan
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The heart of Samson Raphael Hirsch’s literary corpus is his great commentary on the Pentateuch. In the commentary’s heyday, the German Jewish communities treated it with the reverence traditionally accorded Rashi on the Torah, and it was always to be found on the desks of both scholars and laypersons.

Although the vast literature on Hirsch focuses on his life and his doctrine of Torah im Derech Eretz, much has been written about various aspects of the commentary on the Pentateuch, including Hirsch’s approach to the reasons for the precepts, his etymological method, his attitude toward the modern world, his treatment of the patriarchs’ transgressions, and his method as a translator. In addition to these interests, Hirsch’s commentary on the Pentateuch is marked by a fine and well-developed literary sensitivity that comes to the fore in many places. Not only has this not been studied in detail; it is never even mentioned in the various introductions to and studies of Hirsch.

It must be acknowledged that the literary elements of Hirsch’s commentary are heavily outnumbered by what can be defined as derash. Still, the extensive attention to other facets of his personality and exegesis has led to the total neglect of the literary aspects of Hirsch’s commentaries and has overshadowed his aesthetic and literary sensitivity. Thus there is good reason for examining this aspect of his work—and that is the goal of the present article.

I focus on four literary phenomena that Hirsch addresses systematically: multiple points of view; the designations applied to biblical characters; the phenomenon of consecutive statements; and word order.
Fishing, Finning and Tourism: Trends in Pacific Shark Conservation and Management
Authors: Techera Erika J.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Sharks have a key position in the ocean food chain and their removal could have far-reaching implications beyond the species themselves. Yet since the 1980s the harvesting of sharks, primarily for their fins, and their extraction as bycatch have resulted in a rapid decline in numbers. It is against this backdrop that the Pacific is leading the way in legal developments for shark conservation: from the US shark conservation law, and finning bans in Hawai’i, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, to the declaration of Palau’s shark sanctuary. These national initiatives have been complemented by regional action, including the adoption of a Regional Plan of Action for sharks by the Pacific nations. This article examines the legal developments and the emerging leadership role the region is taking. The lessons that they offer are explored, as well as some of the remaining challenges.
The New Greek Statute on Organ Donation — Yet Another Effort to Advance Transplants
Authors: Bottis Maria
Published: November 2012

Abstract

In 2011, the new law on organ transplants was voted by the Greek Parliament. Major changes include the selection of presumed consent system (opt-out) for organ transplants from dead donors. The system will take effect in 2013. In organ donations from living donors, a class of potential donors was added: a person with whom the organ recipient has a personal relationship and is emotionally connected. In this special case though, the truth of the altruistic motives is necessarily examined in court. Also, a detailed list of risks and consequences is part of the content of the obligation to inform a potential organ donor.
The US Class Action Settlement Agreement in Cobell v. Salazar – An Adequate Redress for 120 Years of Mismanagement of Indian Lands and Funds?
Authors: Göcke Katja
Published: November 2012

In June 1996, five Indian beneficiaries filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all present and past individual Indian trust beneficiaries against the US Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury for failing to properly manage and account for Indian trust assets, which have been held in trust by the US government for individual Indians since the end of the 19th century. On 7 December 2009, after thousands of court filings and over 80 published opinions, the parties settled the issue out of court by concluding the Cobell settlement agreement, which was subsequently endorsed by the US Congress and gained final approval from the competent court. According to the settlement agreement, the US government is obliged to pay USD 3.412 billion, thus making the Cobell settlement the largest settlement the US government has ever entered into.
Defining Roma Identity in the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Farget Doris
Published: November 2012

This article is an evaluation based on a selection of the European Court of Human Rights’ case law concerning Roma people, namely the three main decisions dealing with the right to a Gypsy way of life. In those cases, the Court interpreted the right to respect for private and family life as giving rise to a ‘positive obligation to facilitate the Gypsy way of life’. This obligation involves a definition of Roma identity and reveals that the Court’s position, founded on specific perceptions of Romanity is restrictive, distorted and stereotyped. Indeed, regarding this European legal protection, I wonder whether the legal conception of Roma identity conveyed by the Court is relevant, since it does not always accord with sociological or anthropological studies on that topic, taking into account a constructivist approach of identity, nor with the description of a wide range of members of that people. First, this article aims at underlying which stereotypes dealing with Roma identity are involved in the Court’s discourse. Second, it shows how these ‘manipulated conceptions’ are fed by the arguments of Roma applicants and those of the respondent State.
The Modern Interpretation of the Diyat Formula for the Quantum of Damages: The Case of Homicide and Personal Injuries
Authors: Ismail Siti Zubaidah
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Diyat is an old concept evolving from the custom of blood revenge practiced during pre-Islamic Arabia. The Qu’rān authorizes diyat as a kind of retaliation for homicide in lieu of qiṣāṣ in which the victim’s family pardons the offender, while the Ḥadīth elaborate in detail upon the typology, characteristics and quantum for murder and various types of physical injury. In reality, pecuniary compensation is an ancient practice that predates the pre-Islamic era, and, furthermore, this divine principle shows that Islam recognizes the human practice. To ensure that its dynamic is embraced in the contemporary situation, the methods of payment, i.e., value in camels and dinar, need revisiting. This article contributes to the subject thereby adding to the literature concerning diyat by reinterpreting the mechanism of restoring the value of gold dinar as an exchange for modern implementation.
Legal Maxims and Islamic Financial Transactions: A Case Study of Mortgage Contracts and the Dilemma for Muslims in Britain
Authors: Zakariyah Luqman
Published: November 2012

Abstract

This article aims to focus on legal maxims related to financial transactions to explore whether they offer any solutions for Muslims concerned with this dilemma, and to investigate how such legal maxims can be used to shape the way in which Muslims in the West perceive today’s mortgage issues. Some questions raised are the following. When entering a mortgage contract, does a Muslim’s intention change the ruling of the transaction under the pretext of the two maxims al-ʿumūr bi maqāṣidihā (“matters considered according to intention”) and hal al-ʿibrah fī l-ʿuqūd bi l-maqāṣid wa l-maʿanī aw bi l-alfāẓ wa l-mabānī (“in contracts, is effect given to intention and the meaning or expression and form”)? Can one be certain that mortgages are completely ḥarām (unlawful) when considering the maxim al-yaqīn lā yazūl bi l-shakk (“certainty cannot be repelled by doubt”)? What aspects of ḥarām are found in mortgages and can they be marginalized by the maxim al-ḍarūrāt tubīh al-maḥẓūrāt (“necessity makes the unlawful thing lawful”)? If Islam allows bayʿ al-istiṣnāʿ (contract for manufacture) on the basis of ʿurf (custom), can mortgages also be permitted under the maxim al-ʿādah muḥakkamah (“custom is authoritative”)?
Factor Analysis of the Spiritual Well-being Questionnaire Using a Sample of South African Adolescents
Authors: Moodley Trevor , Esterhuyse Karel G. F. , Beukes Roelf B. I.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

In 2003 Gomez and Fisher developed the Spiritual Well-being Questionnaire (SWBQ) based on a theoretical model of spiritual well-being proposed by Fisher. According to Fisher, spiritual well-being comprises the personal, communal, environmental and transcendental domains, which are interrelated and cohere to create a global spiritual well-being dimension. Their study showed that the SWBQ was reliable and valid. A further study in 2005 using item response theory analysis of the SWBQ suggested general support for the psychometric properties of the SWBQ. However, there were indications that certain items in the questionnaire needed to be improved. The present study was undertaken to do a factor analysis of the SWBQ using a sample of South African adolescents to gauge its suitability. Gomez and Fisher’s recommendation was considered and certain items were added to the SWBQ for factor analysis with the aim of replacing some of the original items. The factor structure that was found in this study corresponds with that in Gomez and Fisher’s study. Acceptable coefficients of internal consistency for the different subscales (factors) and for the global score of the SWBQ were found. Moreover, in line with Gomez and Fisher’s recommendation, this revised SWBQ scale seems to have been improved in terms of its psychometric properties and appears to be a reliable instrument in measuring the spiritual well-being of adolescents.
Reconciliation Paradigm in the Post Colonial Africa: A Critical Analysis
Authors: Gathogo Julius
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The article sets out to stir up the debate on reconciliation project in the post colonial Africa. As we strategise on ways and means of delivering the promise of reconstruction, there is need to pay more attention on the reconciliation for individual and society. In other words, does reconciliation mean blanket forgiveness or reparation? How can we ensure that those who looted Africa account for their misdeeds without further complicating the situation? The article is set on the premise that even though there are many paradigms in African theology of the twenty-first century, minor paradigms (refer to reconciliation, liberation, inculturation, market-theology and charismatic among others) and the dominant paradigm (refer to reconstruction) are both critical in the holistic rebuilding of the post colonial Africa. This said; it is imperative to critically assess reconciliation as an important paradigm – as it runs concurrently with other paradigms in Africa today. In particular, are the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions taking place in various countries of the tropical Africa, since Tutu’s South African sample of 1995, rooted in African cultural and religious heritage, and hence authentic? How can Africa go about her reconciliative phase?
Africa’s Imperial Presidents: Immunity, Impunity and Accountability
Authors: Fombad Charles Manga , Nwauche Enyinna
Published: November 2012

Abstract

A fundamental tenet of modern constitutionalism is that nobody, regardless of his status in society, is above the law. Constitutional reforms in the 1990s saw the introduction in many African countries of constitutions which for the first time provide some prospects for promoting constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law. This article reviews the extent to which these reforms have addressed the issue of presidential absolutism and the abuses that go with it. It examines some of the factors that made African presidents to be so powerful that the conventional constitutional checks and balances could not restrain their excesses. It also reviews the attempts to limit impunity through immunity provisions. It concludes that unfortunately, the 1990 reforms did not adequately address the problem of presidential absolutism. A number of ways, nationally and internationally, in which presidential accountability could be enhanced and the culture of impunity ended is suggested.
Transfer of cases from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to Domestic Jurisdictions
Authors: Obote-Odora Alex
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The article examines Rule 11bis on the transfer of cases from the Rwanda Tribunal to domestic jurisdictions. It discusses the criteria for transfer under Rule 11bis and reflects on reasons for the denial of all the Prosecutor’s requests for transfer except in the recent Uwinkindi’s Appeals Chamber decision. The article also examines how the Appeals Chamber resolved the ambiguity between the Death Penalty Law vis-à-vis Imprisonment in Isolation in Munyakazi, on the one hand, and ambiquity in Article 59 of the Rwanda Code of Criminal Procedure (“RCCP”) vis-à-vis Articles 13(10) and 25 of the Transfer Law, on the other hand, opening the way for the transfer of Uwinkindi to Rwanda. The article recognizes the high standards the Appeals Chamber has established for the transfer of cases to domestic jurisdictions and notes that only few States satisfactorily meet these requirements. In sum, the article welcomes the Uwinkindi decision and recognises a positive development in international criminal law and procedure. However, it also cautions that in practice the precedent may not necessarily translate into a flood of cases being transferred to Rwanda because many States will not be able to meet the Rule 11bis high international standards.
The Prohibition of Incitement to National, Racial or Religious Hatred: The Case of West Asian Arab Countries
Authors: Eltayeb Mohamed Saeed M.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

This article aims at examining the question of the prohibition of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred in the Arab countries in West Asia, and the extent to which the promotion of freedom of expression requires states to punish advocacy that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. In analysing the legislation of Arab countries relating to the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial and religious hatred, the article notes that the emphasis has been on anti-blasphemy laws, which are essentially purported to protect religions or related beliefs rather than addressing the issue of the prohibition of incitement to hatred. Since those countries are characterized by an increasing national, racial and religious diversity as well as increasingly multicultural societies, it is of an utmost importance for them to adhere to the international framework for combating incitement to national, racial or religious hatred as articulated in this article.
Pascal and the Persistence of Platonism in Early Modern Thought
Authors: Wills Bernard
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The following paper argues that Blaise Pascal, in spite of his famous opposition between the God of the Philosophers and the God of “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” has significant affinities with the tradition of Renaissance Platonism and is in fact a Platonist in his overall outlook. This is shown in three ways. Firstly, it is argued that Pascal’s skeptical fideism has roots in the notion of faith developed in post-Plotinian neo-Platonism. Secondly, it is argued that Pascal makes considerable use of the Platonic notion of an indefinite dyadic principle. Thirdly, it is argued that Pascal’s religious psychology gives a centrality to the body that brings it close to the theurgical standpoint of figures like Iamblichus. Pascal is then contrasted to figures like Cusanus and Pico in that a dyadic principle of opposition is more prominent in his work than a triadic logic of mediation.
The Conception of Revolution in Persianate Political Thought
Authors: Arjomand Saïd Amir
Published: November 2012

Abstract

The modern Persian term for “revolution,”enqelāb, often used in conjunction withdawlatas the divinely ordained turn in power, stretches way back to the medieval period, and was in fact even used shortly before the revival of literary Persian to describe the Khorasanian uprising against the Umayyads. We find two very different ideas of revolution in the Persianate literature. The first is a deterministic theory of revolution in earthly kingdoms as a natural phenomenon; this has received little or no attention in the secondary literature on the subject. The idea had Indian origins, was developed in the late Sasanian Iran and absorbed in the astronomical theories of the early ʿAbbasid period. The second conception is a normative one, and belongs to the literature on statecraft and political ethics. It explains revolution as a consequence of the moral decay of the ruler and his failure to uphold the principles of statecraft. According to this second theory, revolutionary upheaval and changes of dynasty result from the failure of the rulers to maintain the prosperity of the kingdom through justice. This conception, too, can be traced to the Khorasan uprising. The mutual articulation and reconciliation of the deterministic and the normative conceptions of revolution represents the Persianate understanding of human agency within the framework of cosmic laws.
Simeon Bekbulatovich and Mongol Influence on Ivan IV’s Muscovy
Authors: Halperin Charles J.
Published: November 2012

Donald Ostrowski’s article “Simeon Bekbulatovich’s Remarkable Career as Tatar Khan, Grand Prince of Rus’, and Monastic Elder” is a masterful summary of the sources and scholarly works which discuss Simeon’s career. However, Ostrowski does not consistently apply the principles of source criticism to his sources, mention sources which we would expect to refer to Simeon but do not, discuss popular views of Simeon, or put scholarly theories of Ivan’s motives in abdicating and elevating Simeon to the throne into the context of their author’s views of Ivan or Mongol influence on Russia. Ostrowski’s theory that Ivan, according to Imperial envoy Daniel Printz’s assertion, was responding to a boyar plot to replace him with Devlet-Girei, Khan of the Crimea, fails to take into account such facts as that Devlet-Girei was a Muslim. Nor does Ostrowski integrate his theory of Simeon’s installation into his own theory of Mongol influence on Russia or his diverse observations on the conception of the Muscovite tsar’ as a khan, by Ivan and the Muscovite elite. In fact Ostrowski’s conclusions on Mongol institutional and social influence can be contested. It may be more likely that by his role-reversal with Simeon, Ivan was just satirizing his own autocratic pretensions, as epitomized in his famous “petition” to Simeon that he be granted the right to establish his own appanage.
The Costs of Realism: The Nixon Administration, the People’s Republic of China, and the United Nations
Authors: Torelli Angela
Published: November 2012

The Nixon presidency has been pivotal in debates on American Cold War foreign policy and domestic politics. Recent access to primary sources now allows more precise analyses of the relationship between the Nixon administration and the United Nations in general and the problem of Chinese UN representation in particular. The representation question conditioned the actions of the UN starting from the 1950s and was in turn influenced by the new policy adopted by Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger toward the People’s Republic of China in 1971. Until now, analysis of White House strategy toward the PRC concentrated on the period preceding Peking’s admission to the United Nations or considered the admission question only marginally. This essay focuses on PRC admission to the United Nations, setting it within the context of the opening of dialog between the United States and China and of the realist strategy adopted by the White House, underlining the differences between the positions of the White House and of the Department of State.
Making Sense of Scents: The Colour and Texture of Odours
Authors: Spector Ferrinne , Maurer Daphne
Published: November 2012

The purpose of this study was to document colour and texture associations to odours using a variety of odours including both pleasant and unpleasant odours, some of which were likely to be unfamiliar. We asked non-synaesthetic adults () to make colour and shape/texture associations to 22 odours. A subset of the participants () smelled the odours a second time in order to identify them. Each odour stimulus was associated consistently to one or more specific colours and/or textures (all p’s < 0.01 by binomial probability statistics). Associations to the four odours that were identified accurately (cinnamon, lemon, peppermint and licorice) seemed to be based on learning/memory (e.g. lemon = yellow). The associations to the 18 odours that were not identified accurately are less likely to be based on learning/memory (e.g. ginger = black, rough, sharp; lavender = green, white, liquid, sticky). We speculate that sensory associations to odours, like those to pitch and letters (e.g. Mondloch and Maurer, 2004; Spector and Maurer, 2008), may result from the joint influence of learning and natural biases linking dimensions across sensory systems. Such links may reflect inherent neural organization that is modifiable with learning and that can manifest as cross-modal associations or synaesthetic percepts.
Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in Libya: Ghosts of the Past Haunting the Future
Authors: O’Shea Elizabeth
Published: November 2012

In revisiting a selection of the literature about this topic, this article briefly considers the historical development of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the gap between legality and legitimacy it is designed to bridge. It goes on to critically reflect upon its application in Libya, arguing that R2P is posed as a simple solution to a complex problem. It considers how this intervention represents the culmination of a legal trajectory that finds it origins in colonialism. While it remains a rhetorically compelling legal doctrine, it falls apart in practice. Such an outcome behoves international legal thinkers to reflect upon the normative value of the doctrine and critically consider humanitarian objectives when they are used to justify war. At present, failure to do so is gravely undermining the legitimacy and universality of international law. If international legal thinkers are genuinely committed to upholding universal human rights principles, an alternative must be to create consistency in how crimes against humanity are defined and acted upon. The example of Libya raises fundamental questions as to the capacity of international law to create pathways to peace and justice.
Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for depression: A feasibility open trial for older adults
Authors: Dear Blake F , Zou Judy , Titov Nickolai , Lorian Carolyn , Johnston Luke , Spence Jay , Anderson Tracy , Sachdev Perminder , Brodaty Henry , Knight Robert G
Published: November 2012

Background:

Depression is an important health issue amongst older adults. Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) may help to reduce barriers and improve access to treatment, but few studies have examined its use with older adults. The present study evaluated the efficacy, acceptability and feasibility of a brief iCBT program, the Managing Your Mood Program, to treat depression amongst adults aged 60 years and older.

Method:

Using an open trial design, 20 participants with elevated symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) total scores ≥ 10) received access to five educational lessons and homework summaries, additional resources, a moderated discussion forum and weekly telephone or email contact from a clinical psychologist. Eighty percent of the sample met diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode at pre-treatment.

Results:

Completion rates and response rates were high, with 16/20 participants completing the five lessons within the 8 weeks, and post-treatment and 3-month follow-up data being collected from 17/20 participants. Participants improved significantly on the PHQ-9 and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), with large within-group effect sizes (Cohen’s d) at follow-up of 1.41 and 2.04, respectively. The clinician spent a mean time of 73.75 minutes (SD = 36.10 minutes) contacting participants within the trial and the program was rated as highly acceptable by participants.

Conclusions:

The results are encouraging and support the potential value of iCBT in the treatment of depressive symptoms amongst older adults.
A review of anti-inflammatory agents for symptoms of schizophrenia
Authors: Keller William R , Kum Lionel M , Wehring Heidi J , Koola Maju Mathew , Buchanan Robert W , Kelly Deanna L
Published: November 2012

Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating mental disorder that affects about 1% of the US population. The pathophysiology and etiology remain unknown, thus new treatment targets have been challenging and few novel treatments with new mechanisms of action have come to market in the past few decades. Increasing attention has been paid to the role of inflammation in schizophrenia and new data suggests that decreasing inflammation and inflammatory biomarkers may play some role in schizophrenia treatment. This review summarizes the clinical trial literature regarding medications that possess anti-inflammatory properties that have been tested for schizophrenia symptoms and covers such medications as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, such as the cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors and aspirin, omega-3 fatty acids, neurosteroids and minocycline. Overall, there is accumulating evidence, albeit mostly adjunctive treatments, that agents working on inflammatory pathways have some benefits in people with schizophrenia. In the next few years the field will begin to see data on many treatments with anti-inflammatory properties that are currently under study. Hopefully advancements in understanding inflammation and effective treatments having anti-inflammatory properties may help revolutionize our understanding and provide new targets for prevention and treatment in schizophrenia.
Stability criterion for aluminium alloy milling expressed by recurrence plot measures
Authors: Rafal Rusinek
Published: November 2012

This article presents a stability problem of milling process of the Al7075 aluminium alloy. The problem of cutting process stability was often considered in the past but mainly as theoretical research. Here, the stability limit of real cutting process is shown. First, stability lobes diagram was created on the basis of parameters obtained during impact test of end mill cutter. Next, the cutting forces were measured during the test at increasing axial cutting depth. Finally, a methodology of stability analysis based on recurrence plot and recurrence quantification analysis was applied to experimental data. Additionally, new stability indexes were proposed.
Eliminating the head instability of an axial-flow pump using axial grooves
Authors: Goltz Isabel , Kosyna Günter , Delgado Antonio
Published: November 2012

This article presents a new type of casing treatment which completely eliminates the drop in the head characteristic of a single-stage, axial-flow pump without any noticeable negative effect on the pump efficiency. The casing treatment consists of 60 shallow axial grooves, which are located only in front of the rotor. These shallow axial grooves differ from other commonly investigated types of casing treatments with respect to their mechanism of action. For a qualitative as well as a quantitative analysis of the mechanism of action of grooves, oil flow pictures were taken and also radial velocity profiles were measured using calibrated pressure probes. These investigations reveal that, unlike other types of casing treatments, the grooves do not delay the onset of stall by controlling the rotor inflow before reaching the stall point. However, when stall occurs, the shallow axial grooves reduce the detrimental swirl component of the stall cell, which otherwise leads to the drop in pump head at the stall point. The pump efficiency at design is not affected by these types of grooves. In deep stall, the efficiency is even higher for the grooved casing due to better inlet flow conditions.
R.D. Burman and Rhythm: “Making the Youth of This Nation to Dance”
Authors: Booth Gregory D.
Published: November 2012

Rhythmic intensity and complexity are frequently defined as key elements in the innovative success of the songs of film composer R.D. Burman (1939–1994). In a primarily musicological study, this article uses key rhythmic theory to examine the rhythmic innovations heard in the songs that were generated in Burman’s music workshop. These innovations are considered in the context of their relationship to the newly expressive and increasingly rhythm-oriented choreographic practice that appears in the film scenes of which those songs were part. These developments are further juxtaposed with Burman’s famous and largely successful engagement with global popular music styles, especially musical and cinematic representations of foreign “youth” culture that were featured in many films that Burman’s music accompanied.
Cine-sangeet Indra ka ghora hai aur Akashvani uska samman karti hai!/Film Music is Lord Indra’s Horse and Akashvani Respects It!
Authors: Sharma Narendra , Ravikant
Published: November 2012

Narendra Sharma was for long associated with All India Radio, headed its Vividh Bharti station, was a well known literary figure, and contributed as a writer to the Bombay film industry. The piece reproduced here, published in Madhuri, Filmfare’s sister publication, captures the ambivalent relationship Hindi literati had to film music and dialogue. Poised at a key moment of transition in national radio, on the anvil of commercial development, the article displays awareness of the great popularity of the film song, and of its value as repository of folk and classical traditions. It also shows an attempt to think about distinctions between the audiences of radio and cinema. In its overall tone, the article showcases the instincts of a Hindi literati, ironically often retailed with great wit and literary verve, to discipline and even censor film songs for their culturally deracinating effects.
Service user involvement in the evaluation of psycho-social intervention for self-harm: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ward James , de Motte Claire , Bailey Di
Published: November 2012

Background

The efficacy of interventions and treatments for self-harm is well researched. Previous reviews of the literature have highlighted the lack of definitively effective interventions for self-harm and have highlighted the need for future research. These recommendations are also reflected in clinical guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence ( NICE, 2004 ) which also call for service user involvement in studies of treatment efficacy.

Aims

A systematic review was undertaken to determine: a) what contributions service users have made to the evaluation of psycho-social interventions; b) by what methods have service users been involved; c) in what ways could service user involvement supplement empirical evidence for interventions.

Methodology

Electronic searches were completed on the 28th January 2011 of the Medline (1950–present), Web of Science (1898–Present), Web of Science (including Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index), the Cochrane database of systematic reviews, and Psychinfo (1979–present) databases using a combination of 13 search terms. References were independently sifted according to set criteria by two of the authors to ensure inter-rater reliability.

Results

Sixty-five references were included in the review. Of these, 59% of studies were empirically based, and 26% used qualitative data collection methods to gather service user narratives. Only 8% of studies used a mixed-methodology to combined qualitative and quantitative data collection. No studies featured service user involvement.

Conclusion

Service user involvement is a rarity in the evaluation of psycho-social interventions, despite its use being mandated by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and evidenced as effective in other areas of mental health ( Leader, 1998 ). The authors make a number of recommendations for future involvement in future self-harm research.
The proximal first dorsal metacarpal artery free flap for reconstruction of complex digital defects
Authors: Hyza P. , Kubek T. , Vesely J. , Drazan L. , Choudry U.
Published: November 2012

We describe our experience and outcome with the ‘Proximal first dorsal metacarpal artery free flap’. Ten consecutive cases utilizing the proximal first dorsal metacarpal artery free flap for complex digital defects were studied. Surgical technique, patient demographics, and flap outcome data were collected. Patient satisfaction was analysed using a questionnaire. All defects healed successfully with no loss of free flaps. The short-pedicle proximal first dorsal metacarpal artery free flap enables primary closure of the donor site up to 2 cm of width (in nine of the ten donor sites). The flap is a reliable and versatile alternative in selected cases of complex digital injuries.
CLEC5A is critical for dengue virus–induced inflammasome activation in human macrophages
Authors: Wu Ming-Fang , Chen Szu-Ting , Yang An-Hang , Lin Wan-Wan , Lin Yi-Ling , Chen Nien-Jung , Tsai I-Shuen , Li Lei , Hsieh Shie-Liang
Published: November 2012

Persistent high fever is one of the most typical clinical symptoms in dengue virus (DV)–infected patients. However, the source of endogenous pyrogen (eg, IL-1β) and the signaling cascade leading to the activation of inflammasome and caspase-1, which are essential for IL-1β and IL-18 secretion, during dengue infection have not been elucidated yet. Macrophages can be polarized into distinct phenotypes under the influence of GM-CSF or M-CSF, denoted as GM-Mφ and M-Mφ, respectively. We found that DV induced high levels of IL-1β and IL-18 from GM-Mφ (inflammatory macrophage) and caused cell death (pyroptosis), whereas M-Mφ (resting macrophage) did not produce IL-1β and IL-18 on DV infection even with lipopolysaccharide priming. This observation demonstrates the distinct responses of GM-Mφ and M-Mφ to DV infection. Moreover, up-regulation of pro-IL-1β, pro-IL-18, and NLRP3 associated with caspase-1 activation was observed in DV-infected GM-Mφ, whereas blockade of CLEC5A/MDL-1, a C-type lectin critical for dengue hemorrhagic fever and Japanese encephalitis virus infection, inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyrotopsis in GM-Mφ. Thus, DV can activate NLRP3 inflammasome via CLEC5A, and GM-Mφ plays a more important role than M-Mφ in the pathogenesis of DV infection.