bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decentralisation of public service delivery in the Central Himalayas: The myth of community participation
Authors: Joshi Divya Upadhyaya 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis paper attempts to examine whether decentralisation of decision making and implementation improves efficiency of public service delivery in the mountain and the marginal areas, such as the Central Himalayas, or is efficiency in the sector, at present, best achieved through a centralised top-down planning and management approach? It challenges some of the claims made by the advocates of participatory modes of planning, where the World Bank-sponsored Swajal Project in India (1996–2002) is cited as a case of best practice. The survey based study of the Swajal village communities found that intra-community conflict and interest group politics disrupt and suborn community deliberation, decision making and hamper true representativeness. It explored the politics of community participation, examining the question of true representatives and comprehensive participation of a community. Findings indicate that the traditionally marginalised sections of the village, the women and the backward castes still do not have adequate representation. The communities do not show the resilience and capacity for decision making necessary for the effectiveness as agents in decentralisation. So far, the process of decentralisation in the public service delivery sector, especially in the water sector in the region, has merely created new winners and losers, instead of resulting in substantial political devolution of control to communities.
Law and the Political Economy of the World
Authors: KENNEDY DAVID 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe interpenetration of global political and economic life has placed questions of ‘political economy’ on the scholarly agenda across the social sciences. The author argues that international law could contribute to understanding and transforming centre–periphery patterns of dynamic inequality in global political economic life. The core elements of both economic and political activity – capital, labour, credit, and money, as well as public or private power and right – are legal institutions. Law is the link binding centres and peripheries to one another and structuring their interaction. It is also the vernacular through which power and wealth justify their exercise and shroud their authority. The author proposes rethinking international law as a terrain for political and economic struggle rather than as a normative or technical substitute for political choice, itself indifferent to natural flows of economic activity.
Narrowing the Gap between China and Japan: Three Dimensions of National Identity and the Korean Factor
Authors: ROZMAN GILBERT 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIn 2010–12, Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated without the Yasukuni Shrine or Chinese human rights violations in the forefront. To improve relations, attention should turn to what I label the ideological, sectoral, and horizontal dimensions of a national identity gap between these countries. They have each figured in the decline and offer more promise than the temporal dimension, with its symbols of wartime memories, and the vertical dimension, where sensitive Chinese internal affairs are at stake. The sectoral dimension comprises political, economic, and also cultural national identity, each of which has grown more intense in China, while cultural identity is still a force in Japan. Establishing an East Asian community is now the centerpiece in the hope that the horizontal dimension will be an impetus for mutual understanding, yet the notion of community is repeated with no sign of a shared vision of the outside world, whether the US role or the international arena and regionalism. With South Korea, their partner in trilateralism and North Korea's transformation at the crux of all three of these dimensions, this paper emphasizes the way divergent views of the peninsula keep growing in importance for bilateral relations. It suggests ways to reframe relations through cooperation over Korea. As difficult as Korean relations are for both states, it is a test case for their identity gap.
Economic Assistance, Central–Local Relations, and Ethnic Regions in China's Authoritarian Regime
Authors: WONG STAN HOK-WUI , TAKEUCHI HIROKI 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWhen a central government deals with local demands, it may strengthen political accountability of the local governments by political decentralization or offer benefits through economic assistance. An authoritarian regime uses economic assistance policy because political decentralization may contradict regime survival. Although economic benefits can be used to buy political support, the distribution of these benefits is seldom equal. We argue that the unequal distribution is more salient in regions where ethnic minorities reside because the unusual demographic composition of those areas make it difficult for the national government to evaluate the performance of the local government who is responsible for the distribution of the economic benefits. As a result, economic assistance may backfire in ethnic regions and intensify their existing conflicts. We develop a simple formal model to illustrate our arguments and explore the cases of Xinjiang and Hong Kong for empirical analysis.
China's Middle Class: Unified or Fragmented?
Authors: LU CHUNLONG 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBased on data collected from a representative-sample survey conducted in five Chinese cities (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Hangzhou) in the middle of 2008, this study examines the behavioral orientations of Chinese middle class toward the local elections which are held in urban areas, and the attitudinal orientations of Chinese middle class toward the current regime. The results indicate that there is a strong division within the group of the middle class, especially along the lines of the relationship with the state. Therefore, this study suggests that the Chinese middle class is a class without a shared class identity.
Introducing Philosophy of Mathematics
Authors: Friend Michèle 
Published: February 2013

In this introduction to the philosophy of mathematics, Michéle Friend examines these and other ontological and epistemological problems raised by the content and practice of mathematics. Aimed at a readership with limited proficiency in mathematics but with some experience of formal logic it seeks to strike a balance between conceptual accessibility and correct representation of the issues. Friend examines the standard theories of mathematics  Platonism, realism, logicism, formalism, constructivism and structuralism  as well as some less standard theories such as psychologism, fictionalism and Meinongian philosophy of mathematics. In each case Friend explains what characterises the position and where the divisions between them lie, including some of the arguments in favour and against each. The book also explores particular questions that occupy present-day philosophers and mathematicians such as the problem of infinity, mathematical intuition and the relationship, if any, between the philosophy of mathematics and the practice of mathematics. Taking in the canonical ideas of Aristotle, Kant, Frege and Whitehead and Russell as well as the challenging and innovative work of recent philosophers like Benacerraf, Hellman, Maddy and Shapiro, Friend provides a balanced and accessible introduction suitable for upper-level undergraduate courses and the non-specialist.
The Knowledge Book
Authors: Fuller Steve 
Published: February 2013

The Knowledge Book is a unique interdisciplinary reference work for students and researchers concerned with the nature of knowledge. It is the first work of its kind to be organized on the assumption that whatever else knowledge might be, it is intrinsically social. The book consists of over 40 alphabetically arranged entries on key concepts at the intersection of philosophy and sociology  what used to be called sociology of knowledge but is now increasingly called social epistemology. The entries include concepts common to disciplines that in recent years have devoted more of their attention to knowledge: cultural studies, communication studies, information science, education, policy studies and business studies. Special attention is given to concepts from the emerging field of science and technology studies. Each entry presents a short, self-contained essay providing an overview of a concept and concludes with suggestions for further reading. All the entries are fully cross-referenced, allowing readers to both make connections and follow their own interests.
Middle Age
Authors: Hamilton Christopher 
Published: February 2013

Middle age, a time when the body is both at a peak and at the beginning of collapse, marks, for many, a period for radical reappraisal of ones life and way of living. The sense of time running out can lead to a period of dramatic self doubt. In Middle Age, the philosopher Christopher Hamilton explores the moods, emotions and experiences of middle age, seeking to describe and analyse that period of life philosophically. Drawing on the experience of his own epiphanic mid-life crisis as well as a range of writers  from Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, to Larkin and Eliot  Hamilton presents a thought-provoking and candid analysis of the nature of middle age. In a compelling narrative, Hamilton explores many of the themes of mid life  nostalgia, the loss of ones youth, the giving up of plans, restlessness, feelings of self-doubt, guilt, regret, loneliness, the search for identity, the sense that life has become boring or has ground to a halt, and the heightened awareness of the compromised nature of life. Yet, although the picture Hamilton paints is bleak, it is not without hope. Middle age is shown to bring its own melancholic wisdom: having gained some distance from a youthful sense of our own importance, it is a time that offers us a position from which we can value the sheer spectacle of life and appreciate its small pleasures. And it is in mid life that, in coming to see the ways in which we are each inadequate, ridiculous, or hopeless, and in realizing the necessity of coming to terms with the kind of person we are, we are able to become more tolerant of ourselves and of those around us. In revealing his own struggle to make sense of the emotions that mid life can bring, Hamilton provides fascinating and uncompromising insights into the essence of middle age, a time when, as Orwell wrote, we all have the face we deserve.
Growth differentiation factor 9:bone morphogenetic protein 15 heterodimers are potent regulators of ovarian functions
Authors: Peng Jia , Li Qinglei , Wigglesworth Karen , Rangarajan Adithya , Kattamuri Chandramohan , Peterson Randall T. , Eppig John J. , Thompson Thomas B. , Matzuk Martin M. 
Published: February 2013

Significance
Although genetic studies have uncovered critical functions of GDF9 and BMP15 in female reproduction, many genetic and physiologic data for these ligands remain perplexing. Here we establish that mouse and human GDF9:BMP15 heterodimers are the most biopotent regulators of ovarian granulosa cell functions. Moreover, GDF9:BMP15 heterodimers require a unique signaling complex that includes the type 2 receptor BMPR2, an ALK4/5/7 type 1 kinase receptor, and an ALK6 type 1 co-receptor. GDF9:BMP15 binding to this complex stimulates phosphorylation of SMAD2/3. Our findings explain intraspecies and interspecies functions of these oocyte-synthesized proteins and have key implications for the regulation of female fertility.
Intrinsic evolutionary constraints on protease structure, enzyme acylation, and the identity of the catalytic triad
Authors: Buller Andrew R. , Townsend Craig A. 
Published: February 2013

SignificanceThe structure–function relationship of proteases is central to our understanding of biochemistry. Nature has evolved at least 23 independent solutions to this problem, using an acylation mechanism. We examined the structures of these proteases, using a new framework to characterize the geometric relationships within each active site. This analysis revealed the orientation of the base determines the stereochemistry of catalysis and elucidated why threonine does not substitute for serine in the catalytic triad. These observations explain how the absolute stereostructures of natural protease inhibitors prevent off-target inhibition and serve as boundary conditions to enzyme design.
ALS-linked TDP-43 mutations produce aberrant RNA splicing and adult-onset motor neuron disease without aggregation or loss of nuclear TDP-43
Authors: Arnold Eveline S. , Ling Shuo-Chien , Huelga Stephanie C. , Lagier-Tourenne Clotilde , Polymenidou Magdalini , Ditsworth Dara , Kordasiewicz Holly B. , McAlonis-Downes Melissa , Platoshyn Oleksandr , Parone Philippe A. , Da Cruz Sandrine , Clutario Kevin M. , Swing Debbie , Tessarollo Lino , Marsala Martin , Shaw Christopher E. , Yeo Gene W. , Cleveland Don W. 
Published: February 2013

SignificanceMutations in the RNA binding protein TDP-43 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Through expressing disease-causing mutants in mice and genome-wide RNA splicing analyses, mutant TDP-43 is shown to retain normal or enhanced activity for facilitating splicing of some RNA targets, but “loss-of-function” for others. These splicing changes, as well as age-dependent, mutant-dependent lower motor neuron disease, occur without loss of nuclear TDP-43 or accumulation of insoluble aggregates of TDP-43.
Late sensory changes following chest drain insertion during thoracotomy
Authors: WILDGAARD K. , RINGSTED T. K. , RAVN J. , WERNER M. U. , KEHLET H. 
Published: February 2013

BackgroundIt is well known that chest drains are associated with severe movement‐related acute pain. These noxious stimuli could play a significant role in development and maintenance of persistent post‐operative pain. Therefore we studied chest drain sites in post‐thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) patients, in regard to pain and sensory dysfunction.MethodsWe quantified thermal and pressure thresholds on both the chest drain side and the contralateral side in 11 PTPS patients and 10 pain‐free post‐thoracotomy patients 33 months after the thoracotomy. On average, each patient had two chest drains inserted during surgery.ResultsAt follow up, two patients experienced pain at the chest drain sites, but had maximal pain near or at the thoracotomy scar. Comparison between chest drain side and control side for all 21 patients demonstrated significantly elevated thresholds for warmth detection and heat pain on the chest drain side (P < 0.01), but not for cool detection or pressure. No significant differences between chest drain side and control side were observed within PTPS or pain‐free patients. Comparing PTPS and pain‐free patients (chest drain‐to‐control side), no significant differences in thresholds were found. Although all 11 PTPS patients suffered from incisional pain, only two patients had pain from chest drains.ConclusionIncreased thresholds for thermal detection suggest that chest drain insertion is associated with late nerve injury. Because no significant differences in sensory thresholds between PTPS and pain‐free patients were found, the pathophysiological role of small fibre nerve injury from chest drains in relation to PTPS remains unclear.
Immediate post‐anaesthesia recovery 2013
Authors:   Membership of the Working Party:, Whitaker (Chair) D. K. , Booth H. , Clyburn P. , Harrop‐Griffiths W. , Hosie H. , Kilvington B. , MacMahon M. , Smedley P. , Verma R. 
Published: February 2013

Summary

After general, epidural or spinal anaesthesia, all patients should be recovered in a specially designated area (henceforth ‘post‐anaesthesia care unit’, PACU) that complies with the standards and recommendations described in this document.

The anaesthetist must formally hand over the care of a patient to an appropriately trained and registered PACU practitioner.

Agreed, written criteria for discharge of patients from the PACU to the ward should be in place in all units.

An effective emergency call system must be in place in every PACU and tested regularly.

No fewer than two staff (of whom at least one must be a registered practitioner) should be present when there is a patient in a PACU who does not fulfil the criteria for discharge to the ward.

All registered practitioners should be appropriately trained in accordance with the standards and competencies detailed in the UK National Core Competencies for Post Anaesthesia Care.

All patients must be observed on a one‐to‐one basis by an anaesthetist or registered PACU practitioner until they have regained control of their airway, have stable cardiovascular and respiratory systems and are awake and able to communicate.

All patients with tracheal tubes in place in a PACU should be monitored with continuous capnography. The removal of tracheal tubes is the responsibility of the anaesthetist.

There should be a specially designated area for the recovery of children that is appropriately equipped and staffed.

All standards and recommendations described in this document should be applied to all areas in which patients recover after anaesthesia, to include those anaesthetics given for obstetric, cardiology, imaging and dental procedures, and in psychiatric units and community hospitals. Only registered PACU practitioners who are familiar with these areas should be allocated to recover patients in them as and when required.

Patients’ dignity and privacy should be respected at all times but patients' safety must always be the primary concern.

When critically ill patients are managed in a PACU because of bed shortages, the primary responsibility for the patient lies with the hospital's critical care team. The standard of nursing and medical care should be equal to that in the hospital's critical care units.

Audit and critical incident reporting systems should be in place in all PACUs.
Merger Waves and Firm Growth: Contemporary Historical Evidence
Authors: Majumdar Sumit K. , Moussawi Rabih , Yaylacicegi Ulku 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTThis article presents the outcomes of an evaluation of the impact of the series of mergers of the local exchange companies that have taken place between 1988 and 2001 on an important measure of performance of the firms undergoing the mergers. The analysis reveals that after firms have undertaken one merger they experience little or no growth after such mergers, but the impact of second mergers on firm growth have been negative. If an important motive in undertaking mergers has been to enhance firm growth, then the merger waves that have been approved and consummated have led to performance declines. The impacts of the merger wave on the growth of the telecommunications sector firms have been negative.
Competition Among Italian Junior‐Secondary Schools: A Variance‐Decomposition Empirical Analysis
Authors: Agasisti Tommaso 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTThe public economic theory emphasizes the potential role of competition in fostering the performance of educational systems. The rationale for pro‐competitive policies in education (i.e. vouchers, charter schools, tax deductions) is that schools can improve their quality responding to ‘pressures’ from nearby competitors. The objective of this paper is to analyze the potential relationship between (i) competition among schools and (ii) students’ achievement in Italy. While previous studies used OECD‐Pisa data for this purpose, here a new dataset about Italian schools has been employed: about 19,000 students in 150 schools constitute the sample. The reference framework is the idea that the presence of more schools in a certain area, and/or the proportion of students enrolled in private schools, should raise the performance of schools operating in that area through a ‘competition effect’. A multilevel strategy, which allows separating between‐areas variance in achievement scores, is employed. The findings support the view that competition has an impact, albeit little, on students’ achievement, and such competitive pressure is due to the number of schools, no matter if public or private.
Understanding the Role of Governments and Administrations in the Implementation of Community and Complementary Currencies
Authors: Blanc Jérôme , Fare Marie 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTThis text focuses on the role of governments and administrations in the emergence, spread, development and differentiation of community and complementary currency schemes (CCs), highlighting their role as potential support for experimentation. This support can take various forms: technical, financial, fiscal, official and/or legal recognition. We present first the role of governments, mostly local, in the emergence and development of four generations of CCs. We distinguish then a series of modes of action of governments at central and local levels. This leads to identify the interest of being supported (greater professionalism, greater complexity and possibly greater impact) while emphasizing the risks linked to public support as well.
Natural Disasters and Participation in Volunteer Activities: A Case Study of the Great Hanshin‐Awaji Earthquake
Authors: Yamamura Eiji 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTThe Great Hanshin‐Awaji (Kobe) earthquake in 1995 has had a significant detrimental effect on the economic conditions of southern‐central Japan. However, the earthquake also led people to acknowledge the importance of the many volunteer activities in Japan at that time. Using a large sample of individual‐level data from 1991 and 1996, this study investigates how and the extent to which the earthquake increased the participation of students and house‐workers in volunteer activities. After controlling for various individual characteristics, a Heckman‐Tobit model was used and the following key findings were obtained: (1) the probability of students’ participating in volunteer activities was 2% higher after the earthquake than before, and (2) the number of days that students spent participating in volunteer activities was 4.38 days longer after the earthquake than before. However, the same did not hold true for house‐workers.
Progress in immune-based therapies for type 1 diabetes
Authors: von Herrath M , Peakman M , Roep B 
Published: February 2013

Summary
Immune-based therapies that prevent type 1 diabetes or preserve metabolic function remaining at diagnosis have become a major objective for funding agencies and international trial consortia, and receive backing from notable patient advocate groups. The development of immune-based therapeutic strategies in this arena requires a careful balancing of the risks of the therapy against the potential benefits, because many individuals are diagnosed or identified as being at increased risk of disease in early childhood, a period when manipulation of the developing immune system should be undertaken with caution. In addition, a therapy exists (daily insulin injection) that is life-saving in the acute stages of disease and can be used effectively over a lifetime as maintenance. Conversely, the disease is increasing in incidence; is peaking in ever-younger age groups; carries significant risk of increased morbidity and early mortality; and remains difficult to manage effectively in many settings. With these issues in mind, in this article we review progress towards immune-based strategies for this chronic autoimmune disease.