bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neoliberalism, Identification Process and the Dialectics of Crisis
Authors: MEMOS CHRISTOS 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIn Athens, on 6 December 2008, a policeman shot 15‐year‐old Alexis Grigoropoulos in cold blood and killed him. After the killing, spontaneous protests began in the Greek capital and within days the insurrection had spread all over Greece. Radical actions took place even in the more remote and politically conservative areas. The Greek insurrection was not an isolated and temporary episode, nor an abstraction. This essay reflects on the revolt and endeavours to shed light on the context in which it broke out. It considers it as a result of the crisis of capital and neoliberal values and, at the same time, of our negation of capital and its state — the crisis of capital being produced by our struggles and refusal to identify ourselves with neoliberal norms and values. Considered dialectically, the crisis intensifies our struggles and reproduces the crisis of identification with capitalist bearings.Résumé À Athènes, le 6 décembre 2008, un policier tirait de sang froid sur Alexis Grigoropoulos, âgé de 15 ans, et le tuait. À la suite du meurtre, des manifestations sont nées spontanément dans la capitale grecque et, en quelques jours, l’insurrection avait gagné tout le pays. Des actes extrêmes ont eu lieu même dans les contrées les plus reculées et conservatrices sur le plan politique. L’insurrection grecque n’a pas été un événement isolé et passager, ni une abstraction. En revenant sur la révolte, ce travail tente d’éclairer le contexte dans lequel elle a éclaté. Il estime qu’elle résulte de la crise des valeurs néolibérales et du capital et, parallèlement, de notre reniement du capital et de l’État capitaliste. En effet, la crise du capital est générée par nos luttes et par notre refus de nous reconnaître dans des normes et valeurs néolibérales. D’un point de vue dialectique, cette crise accentue nos conflits et reproduit la crise du processus de reconnaissance dans des marqueurs capitalistes.
The ‘Right to the City’: Institutional Imperatives of a Developmental State
Authors: PARNELL SUSAN , PIETERSE EDGAR 
Published: February 2010

AbstractUnder conditions of globalization large cities present unique challenges for poverty reduction and the realization of rights. The urbanization of poverty also underscores the imperative of downscaling the emerging debate about the developmental state to the city scale. The arguments in this article start from the proposition that a universal rights agenda can and should be fulfilled as an alternative to neoliberal aspirations, and that to achieve this development action will be needed on a series of different scales. The article is structured in three main parts. The first section explores the implications for the state of adopting a rights‐based agenda in the urban context, giving particular emphasis to defining those rights whose meaning arises from settlement planning or management‐based policies and interventions on the individual, household, neighbourhood and more macro‐environmental scale (what we call 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation rights or the ‘right to the city’). The second part of the article is dedicated to illustrating the particular nature of how rights to the city are blocked or achieved, using the experiences of the Greater Cape Town area. The final section of the article makes a more general case for a more radical rights‐based agenda for cities.RésuméDans un environnement mondialisé, les grandes villes présentent des problèmes particuliers de réduction de la pauvreté et de concrétisation des droits. De plus, l’urbanisation de la pauvreté met en avant la nécessité impérative de ramener au niveau de la ville l’échelle du débat naissant sur ‘l’État en développement’. Les arguments partent ici de la proposition selon laquelle un programme de droits universels peut et devrait être réalisé en tant qu’alternative aux aspirations néolibérales et que, pour ce faire, il faudra des actions de développement sur une série d’échelles différentes. La première partie de l’article explore les implications, pour l’État, d’adopter un projet basé sur des droits dans le contexte urbain; ce faisant, elle souligne l’importance de définir ces droits dont la signification naît de politiques ou d’interventions sur l’aménagement de l’habitat ou basées sur la gestion, à la fois à l’échelon de l’individu, du foyer, du quartier et d’un environnement plus vaste (ce que nous appelons respectivement les droits de 2ème, 3èmeet 4èmegénération ou ‘droit à la ville’). La deuxième partie illustre la manière particulière dont les droits à la ville sont soit bloqués soit atteints, à partir des expériences de Greater Cape Town. La dernière partie défend plus généralement un programme pour les villes qui soit basé sur des droits et plus radical.
Building and Contesting Neoliberalism at the Local Level: Reflections on the Symposium and on Recent Experience in Bolivia
Authors: GEDDES MIKE 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThis final article first reflects on the previous articles in the symposium, positioning the diverse trajectories of local governance which they exhibit in relation to two contrasting ideal types — the one neoliberal, the other contesting neoliberalism from a progressive, left perspective. Differences between these ideal types, and among the actually existing patterns of local governance discussed in the symposium (in relation to their economic and social objectives and governance institutions and practices) are highlighted. The second part of the article offers a consideration of local governance in Bolivia, a country which encapsulates some of the key issues at stake in the ongoing struggles to either build, or contest, neoliberalism at the local level. Here a distinction is advanced between ‘expansive’ and ‘consolidatory’ moments of neoliberal local governance, which may take the form of consecutive phases, but may have different, overlapping temporalities. In conclusion, it is suggested the challenges which the impact of the financial crisis and global recession pose both to neoliberal forms of local governance and to contestatory forces should be a primary concern for future research.RésuméCe dernier article revient d’abord sur les articles précédents du symposium, pour replacer les diverses voies de gouvernance locale présentées par rapport à deux idéaltypes mis en opposition: l’un néolibéral, l’autre contestant le néolibéralisme d’un point de vue progressiste de gauche. Il met en évidence les différences entre ces idéaltypes, et entre les modèles actuels de gouvernance locale débattus dans le symposium (en lien avec leurs objectifs économiques et sociaux et avec les institutions et pratiques de gouvernance). La seconde partie s’intéresse à la gouvernance locale en Bolivie, un pays qui incarne certains des principaux enjeux dans les luttes en cours visant à bâtir ou à contester un néolibéralisme au niveau local. Une distinction est proposée entre les moments d’‘expansion’ et de ‘consolidation’ de la gouvernance locale néolibérale, lesquels peuvent se présenter de manière consécutive, mais aussi sur des plages temporelles différentes en chevauchement. Pour conclure, les défis que les conséquences de la crise financière et la récession mondiale posent aux formes néolibérales de gouvernance locale ainsi qu’aux forces contestataires devraient constituer une priorité dans les recherches à venir.
Efficacy of sulfasalazine in the treatment of generalized lichen planus: randomized double‐blinded clinical trial on 52 patients
Authors: Omidian M , Ayoobi A , Mapar MA , Feily A , Cheraghian B 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackground  Oral sulfasalazine has been reported to be effective in patients with idiopathic cutaneous lichen planus (LP).Objectives  Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of this drug in the treatment of generalized cutaneous lichen planus (GLP). In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the anti‐inflammatory drug sulfasalazine for the treatment of GLP.Methods  A total of 52 patients with GLP presenting at the outpatient clinic were enrolled in this double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, prospective study. Of these patients, 44 completed the period of study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group received placebo and the other was given sulfasalazine maximum 2.5 g/day. The patients were evaluated at the third and sixth weeks of treatment for improvement rate and occurrence of complications.Results  After 6 weeks of treatment, the rate of cutaneous lesions improvement was 9.6% (two patients) in the placebo group and 82.6% (19 patients) in the sulfasalazine group. The improvement rate of pruritus was 14.3% in the placebo group and 91.3% in the sulfasalazine group. Side‐effects which were mild and tolerable were detected in 30.7% of patients, but three patients left the study because of side effects. Most of the reported side‐effects included gastrointestinal upset and headache.Conclusions  Statistically, sulfasalazine was more effective than placebo in reducing cutaneous lesions and improving pruritus after 6 weeks of treatment. According to our study, sulfasalazine is a relatively safe and effective treatment option and may be an alternative therapy for the treatment of generalized lichen planus.
HPA‐suppressive effects of aqueous clobetasol propionate in the treatment of patients with oral lichen planus
Authors: Gonzalez‐Moles MA , Scully C 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackground  Oral topical corticosteroids have potential to produce inhibition of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.Objective  To assess whether clobetasol propionate (CP) in aqueous solution causes HPA inhibition.Patients and methods  Sixty‐two patients with oral lichen planus or oral lichenoid lesions presenting with severe lesions were treated with topical oral 0.05% CP plus 100 000 IU/cm3 nystatin in aqueous solution. Initial treatment of three 5‐min mouthwashes (10 mL) daily was reduced, when the response was deemed complete or excellent, to a maintenance treatment of one 5‐min mouthwash on alternate days for 6 months; treatment was then withdrawn and patients were followed up for 1 year. HPA function was assessed by plasma cortisol measurement and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation at the end of the initial and maintenance treatment regimens.Results  The HPA axis was more frequently inhibited during initial (53/62; 85.5%) vs. maintenance (2/49; 4%) regimens of aqueous CP.Limitations  In patients with morning plasma cortisol levels between 3 and 18 μg/dL, a normal result for the ACTH stimulation test only moderately reduces the possibility that a patient has secondary adrenal insufficiency. This can be considered a minor limitation in our study, as only three patients required additional assessment with the ACTH stimulation test.Conclusions  Hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal inhibition is substantial during initial treatment with aqueous CP three times daily.
Linear programming with interval right hand sides
Authors: Gabrel Virginie , Murat Cécile , Remli Nabila 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIn this paper, we study general linear programs in which right hand sides are interval numbers. This model is relevant when uncertain and inaccurate factors make difficult the assignment of a single value to each right hand side. When objective function coefficients are interval numbers in a linear program, classical criteria coming from decision theory (like the worst case criterion) are usually applied to determine robust solutions. When the set of feasible solutions is uncertain, we identify a class of linear programs for which these classical approaches are no longer relevant. However, it is possible to compute the worst optimum solution. We study the complexity of this optimization problem when each right hand side is an interval number. Then, we exhibit some duality relationships between the worst optimum solution problem and the best optimum solution to the dual problem.
One‐phase algorithm for the determination of minimal vertex separators of chordal graphs
Authors: Markenzon Lilian , Da Costa Pereira Paulo Renato 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe set of minimal vertex separators of chordal graphs is usually obtained by two‐phase algorithms. Based on properties of the lexicographic breadth‐first search, we propose a new one‐phase algorithm. We present also a characterization for planar chordal graphs; using our proposed algorithm as an initial step, the implementation of the recognition algorithm becomes trivial.
Effect of lifestyle factors and hormone therapy on heart function by serial echocardiography in postmenopausal women
Authors: KHOO Soo‐Keat , O’NEILL Sheila , SCALIA Gregory , TRIPCONY Lee 
Published: February 2010

Background:  There is conflicting information on the effects of oestrogen on the heart in women, especially those using postmenopausal hormone therapy. Whilst some studies reported a beneficial effect, others showed adverse outcomes. The interplay of lifestyle factors and type/timing of therapy remains to be clarified.Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine the effects of lifestyle and hormone therapy on heart function and structure in postmenopausal women.Method:  As part of a large longitudinal study of women randomly recruited from an urban population, the study assessed 410 suitable women by echocardiography in Year 1 and Year 5 of the study by two independent cardiologists.Results:  In lifestyle characteristics, the difference in age and body mass (as markers of cardiovascular risk) was in favour of never‐users versus hormone therapy‐users. Using an arbitrary cut‐off ≥15% change for an effect, we found lifestyle factors had minimal effect on the two measured parameters – ejection fraction, left ventricular mass. Effects of hormone therapy were variable and mixed; greatest effect was found for an ‘early start’ of hormone therapy with oestrogen‐only preparation – the risk of reduced ejection fraction was decreased [hazard ratio (HR) 0.42, confidence interval = 0.17–1.03, P = 0.06] and risk of increased left ventricular mass was increased (HR 2.21, 1.09–4.49, P = 0.03).Conclusion:  Our findings add to the evidence that oestrogen given to postmenopausal women has a mixed effect on the heart, with effect best shown when started early.
Persistence and malignant sequelae of gestational trophoblastic disease: Clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcome
Authors: KHOO Soo‐Keat , SIDHU Mukhtiar , BAARTZ David , YIP Wai‐Lum , TRIPCONY Lee 
Published: February 2010

Background:  The major concern in gestational trophoblastic disease is management of persistent disease and malignant sequelae. However, prediction of response to treatment is difficult and methods used controversial.Aim and methods:  To evaluate the usefulness of clinical presentation, methods of diagnosis and categorisation of risk in determining clinical outcomes, by analysis of a database of 705 registered patients collected over 30 years.Results:  From the database, there were 97 patients who developed persistent disease and malignant sequelae on the basis of defined criteria – 80.4% had molar pregnancy and 19.6% non‐molar pregnancy. Vaginal bleeding was not a common presentation; 59.8% had no clinical symptoms. According to protocol, monitoring by serial human chorion gonadotrophin (HCG) levels followed by imaging screen was used in all patients; histology was also available in 41.2% from hysterectomy and curettage specimens. There were 16 of 76 patients with persisting disease who had metastases (21.1%), and 2 of 20 patients with choriocarcinoma who had an antecedent molar pregnancy (10.0%). Based on five risk factors, 25 patients were categorised as ‘high risk’ and assigned to receive multi‐drug chemotherapy. There were two deaths (2.1% for all malignant sequelae); both were from molar pregnancies. One patient failed to respond and the other suffered a complication of intensive chemotherapy.Conclusion:  Serial HCG levels remain the best monitor to determine therapeutic response. Categorisation of ‘high risk’ by five factors is useful in treatment. Albeit a small series, clinical outcome is favourable with a five‐year survival of 89.7%.
Mifepristone and second trimester pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality in Western Australia: Worth the effort
Authors: DICKINSON Jan E. , BROWNELL Phoebe , McGINNIS Kaitlin , NATHAN Elizabeth A. 
Published: February 2010

Objective:  To determine the impact on the process of second trimester medical termination for fetal abnormality following the introduction of adjunctive mifepristone in an Australian tertiary hospital.Methods:  All second trimester medical terminations for fetal abnormality between July 2006 and June 2009 were prospectively identified. Two temporal therapeutic cohorts were created: the first (1 July 2006 to 31 December 2007) using vaginal misoprostol alone and the second (1 January 2008 to 30 June 2009) using mifepristone priming prior to the administration of misoprostol. The primary outcome was to evaluate the impact of mifepristone priming upon the duration of pregnancy termination.Results:  During the study period, 388 women with prenatally recognised fetal anomalies between 14 and 24 weeks gestation underwent medical termination: 189 with misoprostol alone and 199 with mifepristone priming followed by misoprostol. There was no difference between the groups for maternal age, parity or prior caesarean delivery. The median abortion duration was 15.5 h (interquartile ranges (IQR) 11.2–22.7) in the misoprostol group and 8.6 h (IQR 5.6–13.8) in the mifepristone primed group (P < 0.001). In both the groups, nulliparity and advancing gestation were associated with a significant prolongation of the abortion interval. Duration of hospitalisation was significantly longer in the misoprostol alone group (31.5 h (27–48.9) vs 27.2 h (22–31.5), misoprostol vs mifepristone priming, respectively, P < 0.001).Conclusions:  The introduction of mifepristone priming prior to second trimester medical termination with misoprostol has resulted in a significant reduction in the duration of the termination procedure and length of inpatient stay. These observed benefits of mifepristone provide objective support for the decision to permit use of this medication in Australia.
Little Ice Age advance and retreat sediment budgets for an outlet glacier in western Norway
Authors: BURKI VALENTIN , HANSEN LOUISE , FREDIN OLA , ANDERSEN THORBJØRN A. , BEYLICH ACHIM A. , JABOYEDOFF MICHEL , LARSEN EILIV , TØNNESEN JAN‐FREDERIK 
Published: February 2010

Burki, V., Hansen, L., Fredin, O., Andersen, T. A., Beylich, A. A., Jaboyedoff, M., Larsen, E. & Tønnesen, J.‐ F. 2009: Little Ice Age advance and retreat sediment budgets for an outlet glacier in western Norway. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 551–566. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00133.x. ISSN 0300‐9483Bødalsbreen is an outlet glacier of the Jostedalsbreen Ice Field in western Norway. Nine moraine ridges formed during and after the maximum extent of the Little Ice Age (LIA). The stratigraphy of proglacial sediments in the Bødalen basin inside the LIA moraines is examined, and corresponding sediment volumes are calculated based on georadar surveys and seismic profiling. The total erosion rates (etot) by the glacier are determined for the periods AD 1650–1930 and AD 1930–2005 as 0.8 ± 0.4 mm/yr and 0.7 ± 0.3 mm/yr, respectively. These rates are based on the total amount of sediment delivered to the glacier margin. The values are almost one order of magnitude higher than total erosion rates previously calculated for Norwegian glaciers. This is explained by the large amount of pre‐existing sediment that was recycled by Bødalsbreen. Thus, the total erosion rate must be considered as a composite of eroded bedrock and of removed pre‐existing sediments. The total erosion rate is likely to vary with time owing to a decreasing volume of easily erodible, unconsolidated sediment and till under the glacier. A slight increase in the subglacial bedrock erosion is expected owing to the gradually increasing bedrock surface area exposed to subglacial erosion.
Poor Functional Status Is an Independent Predictor of Surgical Site Infections Due to Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Older Adults
Authors: Chen Ting‐Yi , Anderson Deverick J. , Chopra Teena , Choi Yong , Schmader Kenneth E. , Kaye Keith S. 
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND: Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a common surgical site infection (SSI) pathogen, particularly in older adults. Risk factors for MRSA SSI in elderly patients have not been described.METHODS: A nested case–control study was conducted. Patients were enrolled from seven study hospitals (one medical center and six community hospitals) between January 1, 1998, and April 1, 2003. Risk factors for MRSA SSI were identified by comparing cases with two reference groups: uninfected surgical patients and patients with SSI due to methicillin‐susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). Two separate multivariate models were created using logistic regression and then compared and contrasted.RESULTS: Eighty‐six patients with MRSA and 64 with MSSA SSI were identified. One hundred sixty‐seven uninfected surgical patients were selected. In multivariate analysis using uninfected surgical patients as controls, requiring assistance in three or more activities of daily living (ADLs) was an independent risk factor for MRSA SSI (odds ratio (OR)=2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.16–6.46). Using patients with MSSA SSIs as a reference group, requiring assistance in three or more ADLs was also a significant predictor for MRSA SSI (OR=3.78, 95% CI=1.43–9.98) in multivariate analysis. Other independent predictors included Charlson score, wound class, and surgical duration. Lack of independence in ADLs was an independent risk factor for MRSA SSI in elderly patients in both models.CONCLUSION: Poor functional status (requiring assistance in ≥3 ADLs) was specifically associated with MRSA SSI. Functional status is an objective, readily available variable that can be used to stratify patients at risk for MRSA SSI.
Physicians' Views on the Importance of Patient Preferences in Surrogate Decision‐Making
Authors: Torke Alexia M. , Moloney Rachael , Siegler Mark , Abalos Anna , Alexander G. Caleb 
Published: February 2010

OBJECTIVES: To explore the degree to which physicians report reliance on patient preferences when making medical decisions for hospitalized patients lacking decisional capacity.DESIGN: Cross‐sectional survey.SETTING: One academic and two community hospitals in a single metropolitan area.PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred eighty‐one physicians who recently cared for hospitalized adults.MEASUREMENTS: A self‐administered survey addressing physicians' beliefs about ethical principles guiding surrogate decision‐making and physicians' recent decision‐making experiences.RESULTS: Overall, 72.6% of physicians identified a standard related to patient preferences as the most important ethical standard for surrogate decision‐making (61.2% identified advanced directives and 11.4% substituted judgment). Of the 73.3% of physicians who reported recently making a surrogate decision, 81.8% reported that patient preferences were highly important in decision‐making, although only 29.4% reported that patient preference was the most important factor in the decision. Physicians were significantly more likely to base decisions on patient preferences when the patient was in the intensive care unit (odds ratio (OR)=2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.15–7.45) and less likely when the patient was older (OR=0.76 for each decade of age, 95% CI=0.58–0.99). The presence of a living will, prior discussions with the patient, and the physicians' beliefs about ethical guidelines did not significantly predict the physicians' reliance on patient preferences.CONCLUSION: Although a majority of physicians identified patient preferences as the most important general ethical guideline for surrogate decision‐making, they relied on a variety of factors when making treatment decisions for a patient lacking decisional capacity.