bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The EU as a Global Actor: Grand Strategy for a Global Grand Bargain?
Authors: HOWORTH JOLYON 
Published: May 2010

AbstractLike it or not, the European Union, in the wake of Lisbon, has become an international actor. It now faces two major external challenges. The first is to develop a strategic vision for a potentially tumultuous emerging multi‐polar world. The European Council's December 2008 ‘Report on the Implementation of the European Security Strategy’ recognized that, over the last five years, the threats facing the EU had become ‘increasingly complex’, that ‘we must be ready to shape events [by] becoming more strategic in our thinking’. The second challenge is to help nudge the other major actors towards a multilateral global grand bargain. Such a bargain will be the necessary outcome of the transition from a US‐dominated post‐1945 liberal world order, towards a new 21st‐century order accommodating the rising powers and sensitive to the needs of the global south. Without such a comprehensive and co‐operative bargain, the emerging multi‐polar world will be rife with tensions and highly conflict‐prone.
From Policy to Polity: Can the EU's Special Relations with its ‘Neighbourhood’ be Decentred?
Authors: BECHEV DIMITAR , NICOLAÏDIS KALYPSO 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe article investigates the institutional and policy choices regarding the EU's relations with the countries and regions covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). It juxtaposes the notion of special relationship inaugurated by the Lisbon Treaty to three models for organizing relations with proximate countries: pre‐accession, the European Economic Area (EEA) and association. The convergence‐access paradigm is found to be the basic pillar of the EU approach. The article brings in a series of dilemmas concerning the design and the implementation of the ENP as well as perceptions from selected partner countries. As a potential way to manage tensions and dilemmas inherent in the EU strategy, the article proposes an altogether novel dimension: decentred integration geared towards polity‐building that could partially delink convergence and access. The last section maps out four scenarios for the future directions of the ENP that cover the whole continuum from piecemeal enhancement of the policy to the creation of a European Partnership Area underpinned by a new tier of institutions.
Patterns of Welfare State Indicators in the EU: Is there Convergence?
Authors: CAMINADA KOEN , GOUDSWAARD KEES , VAN VLIET OLAF 
Published: May 2010

AbstractConvergence of social protection objectives and policies in Member States is an explicit objective of the EU. Earlier research has shown that there has indeed been a tendency of convergence of social protection levels over the last decades. However, comparative studies frequently use indicators which may not be representative as measures of the welfare state. In this article we have done several convergence tests with the most recent data, using a variety of indicators of social protection: social expenditures, both at the macro and at the programme level, replacement rates of unemployment and social assistance benefits and poverty indicators. Together, these indicators provide a broader picture of the evolution of social protection. Our results are less clear cut than earlier findings. We still find convergence of social expenditure in EU countries over a longer period. However, this trend seems to have stagnated in recent years. The evidence is mixed for the other indicators. Replacement rates of unemployment benefits converged to a higher level, but social assistance benefits did not. Poverty rates and poverty gaps have converged since the mid‐1980s, but the levels of both indicators have developed in the opposite direction.
Labour Market Policies and Outcomes in the Enlarged EU
Authors: BRUNO RANDOLPH L. , ROVELLI RICCARDO 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWe document and compare labour market institutions, policies and outcomes in the EU Member States, for the period between 1999 and 2006. Higher employment rates are in general positively associated with measures of policy generosity, especially with the use of active labour market policies (ALMP), and negatively with institutions and policies which induce rigidity in the labour market. We also find evidence that the relation between ALMP and employment levels is non‐monotonic and that it is conditional on the informal institutions prevailing in different countries.
The Role of Working Groups of Commissioners in Co‐ordinating Policy Implementation: The Case of Trans‐European Networks (TENs)
Authors: STEPHENSON PAUL J. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAnalysis of the Commission's role in policy implementation has focused largely on the administrative rather than political level. Yet little attention has been paid to the importance of high‐level Commission actors, such as Commissioners and Director‐Generals at this stage. This article analyses the role of a working group (WG) of Commissioners in monitoring and co‐ordinating the implementation of trans‐European networks (TENs) in transport. It argues that formally institutionalized structures for intra‐College co‐operation provide important arenas for creativity, entrepreneurship and consensus‐building. Ultimately, the consistent and sustained political involvement of Commissioners improves the Commission's administrative co‐ordination and may, ultimately, help secure better policy implementation.
Making Sense of Theatre in the Third Reich
Authors: Strobl* Gerwin 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn the crowded field of studies on Nazi Germany the role of theatre in the Third Reich continues to be a neglected subject. The reluctance to engage with the topic is particularly true among historians and is in striking contrast to the attention devoted in recent years to other branches of the arts. Yet theatre actually received lavish funding from the Nazi regime. Indeed at no time in the history of the German stage was the provision so opulent, and the Nazi leadership went to considerable lengths to maintain the theatre sector even in wartime. The neglect of the theatre therefore constitutes more of a reflection on the priorities of the historical profession than those of the Nazi regime. This article attempts to redress the balance and to explore possible reasons for the limited treatment of the subject in the existing literature.
Beyond ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’: Breaking Down Binary Oppositions in Holocaust Representations of ‘Privileged’ Jews
Authors: Brown Adam 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn 1986, Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi’s paradigmatic essay entitled ‘The Grey Zone’ highlighted the complex and sensitive issue of so‐called ‘privileged’ Jews, an issue that remains at the margins of popular and academic discourse on the Holocaust. ‘Privileged’ Jews include those prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps and ghettos who held positions that gave them access to material and other benefits whilst compelling them to act in ways that have been judged both self‐serving and harmful to fellow inmates. The unprecedented ethical dilemmas that confronted ‘privileged’ Jews may be viewed as exemplifying the ‘limit’ events or experiences that were characteristic of the Holocaust, situating them at the threshold of representation, understanding and judgement. Levi’s essay singles out history and film as particularly predisposed to a simplifying trend he identifies – the ‘Manichean tendency which shuns half‐tints and complexities,’ and resorts to the black‐and‐white binary opposition(s) of ‘friend’ and ‘enemy,’‘good’ and ‘evil.’ In the case of ‘privileged’ Jews in particular, such binary oppositions would appear to be inadequate. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the fields of history, philosophy and literature, this paper analyses representations of ‘privileged’ Jews, particularly those prisoners of theSonderkommandoswho were forced to work in the crematoria. The paper demonstrates how easily the boundary Levi maps out for moral judgement can be crossed. It is shown that while Levi suggests judgement should be suspended when confronted with the experiences of victimsin extremis, moral evaluations of ‘privileged’ Jews permeate discussions and representations of the Holocaust. When confronted with such emotionally and morally freighted issues, judgement may itself be seen as a ‘limit of representation.’
The Dragon Has Not Just Arrived: The Historical Study of Africa’s Relations with China
Authors: Achberger Jessica 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe world today is fascinated with the rising power of China. Whether out of fear, concern, or simply curiosity, people want to understand China’s role in global society. Scholars in particular have begun to delve into answering the question, ‘What is/should be China’s role in the world?’ This question has proven to have a special importance for Africa owing to China’s interests on the continent. No one can deny China’s contemporary presence in Africa. New economic ventures abound in oil, minerals, timber, and factories, not to mention Chinese consumer goods flooding African markets, creating tension and global unease, particularly in the West. Too often, however, Africa’s history of interactions with China is ignored in current coverage when in fact African nations have more than half a century of interactions with the People’s Republic of China. The period under major consideration for the purposes of better understanding contemporary relations between African nations and China is the period following the Communist Revolution and particularly that post‐dating the declaration of independence in each African nation. Therefore, this essay presents a discussion of the historiography of Africa’s relations with China with a special emphasis on the Cold War era, establishing the necessity of this scholarly undertaking.
The temporal influence of a heroin shortage on pregnant drug users and their newborn infants in Sydney, Australia
Authors: PONG Kwai Meng , ABDEL‐LATIF Mohamed E. , LUI Kei , WODAK Alexander D. , FELLER John M. , CAMPBELL Thomas , OEI Julee 
Published: May 2010

Background:  Heroin availability and purity decreased precipitously in Australian markets between 2000 and 2001. This led to increased use of non‐opiate drugs in the general community but whether pregnant drug users and their newborn infants were affected remains unknown.Aim:  To determine if perinatal drug exposure and outcomes are affected by changes in street drug availability.Methods:  Retrospective review was carried out of known drug‐exposed mothers delivering live‐born infants at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, Australia (n = 316). Study periods were divided into preshortage (A = 1998–2000, n = 79), shortage (B = 2001–2002, n = 92) and post‐shortage (C = 2003–2006, n = 122) periods. Cannabis‐only users were excluded (n = 23).Results:  The percentage of confined women who admitted to using heroin decreased significantly (65%(A) vs 34%(B), P < 0.01) as did women on methadone programmes (90%(A), 80%(B), 75%(C), P = 0.024). The use of cocaine (7% (A) vs 33% (B), P = 0.031) and amphetamines (4% (A) vs 22% (C), P = 0.01), tripled. Most infants were born full‐term and healthy but the duration of infant hospitalisation increased significantly from (median [interquartile range]) 8 [10, 38](A) to 13 [7, 23](C) days (P < 0.01). Approximately 50% of infants required withdrawal treatment but more needed phenobarbitone as an adjunct to morphine during the shortage (4/80 (0.5%) vs 15/93 (16%), P = 0.026), probably because of increased exposure to non‐opiate drugs.Conclusions:  The types of drugs used by pregnant drug users follow street trends and may affect infant hospitalisation and withdrawal treatment. Of concern is the rise in amphetamine‐use and there needs to be increased vigilance for similar trends, especially in previously unidentified drug users.
Developing a modern pollen–climate calibration data set for Norway
Authors: BJUNE ANNE E. , BIRKS H. JOHN B. , PEGLAR SYLVIA M. , ODLAND ARVID 
Published: May 2010

Bjune, A. E., Birks, H. J. B., Peglar, S. M. & Odland, A. 2010: Developing a modern pollen–climate calibration data set for Norway. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 674–688. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00158.x. ISSN 0300‐9483.Modern pollen–climate data sets consisting of modern pollen assemblages and modern climate data (mean July temperature and mean annual precipitation) have been developed for Norway based on 191 lakes and 321 lakes. The original 191‐lake data set was designed to optimize the distribution of the lakes sampled along the mean July temperature gradient, thereby fulfilling one of the most critical assumptions of weighted‐averaging regression and calibration and its relative, weighted‐averaging partial least‐squares regression. A further 130 surface samples of comparable taphonomy, taxonomic detail and analyst became available as a result of other projects. These 130 samples, all from new lakes, were added to the 191‐lake data set to create the 321‐lake data set. The collection and construction of these data sets are outlined. Numerical analyses involving generalized linear modelling, constrained ordination techniques, weighted‐averaging partial least‐squares regression, and two different cross‐validation procedures are used to asses the effects of increasing the size of the calibration data set from 191 to 321 lakes. The two data sets are used to reconstruct mean July temperature and mean annual precipitation for a Holocene site in northwest Norway and a Lateglacial site in west‐central Norway. Overall, little is to be gained by increasing the modern data set beyond about 200 lakes in terms of modern model performance statistics, but the down‐core reconstructions show less between‐sample variability and are thus potentially more plausible and realistic when based on the 321‐lake data set.
Estimation of Maximum Ventricular Elastance Under Assistance With a Rotary Blood Pump
Authors: Sugai Telma K. , Tanaka Akira , Yoshizawa Makoto , Shiraishi Yasuyuki , Yambe Tomoyuki , Nitta Shin‐ichi , Baba Atsushi 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe maximum ventricular elastance is a reliable index for assessing the cardiac function from changes in its pressure‐volume relationship. The advantage of this index is that it can represent the contractility of either unassisted hearts or native hearts assisted with rotary blood pumps. However, there are situations in which changes in the ventricular load required for the conventional estimation method might be risky. For example, in a bridge‐to‐recovery the cardiac function should also be continuously observed after the implantation of a rotary blood pump. In this article, we present the results of the estimation of the maximum elastance with in vivo data using the parameter optimization method, which is a single‐beat estimation method. The estimated values for the normal cardiac function (6.8 ± 0.6, 4.5 ± 0.9, 4.2 ± 1.8 mm Hg/mL) were significantly different from those for the low cardiac function (3.2 ± 1.5, 1.9 ± 1.0, 1.9 ± 1.2 mm Hg/mL) from the data of the three animals that were analyzed. Besides, the maximum elastance values were independent of the pump rotational speed. These results indicate that this index might be useful for the detection of the myocardial recovery.
Combined Wear Behavior and Long‐Term Implant‐Bone Fixation of Total Knee Replacement: A Novel In Vitro Set‐up
Authors: Spinelli Michele , Affatato Saverio , Cristofolini Luca , Erani Paolo , Tigani Domenico , Viceconti Marco 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe success of a total knee replacement (TKR) strongly depends on the prosthetic design; this includes on one hand the best choice of the bearing materials to minimize wear, on the other hand a good orientation of the prosthetic components with respect to the loading directions. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a new experimental setup combining two fundamental aspects for the long‐term success of knee implants: wear and micromotions. A novel procedure was used to simulate working conditions as close as possible to in vivo ones and to measure implant‐bone micromotion, by means of fixing the femoral component of the prosthesis to the distal part of a synthetic femur to be tested through a knee simulator. Gravimetric wear of the tibial specimens was assessed at regular intervals. Implant‐bone inducible micromotions and permanent migrations were measured at three locations throughout the test. Wear patterns on tibial specimens were characterized through a standardized protocol based on digital image analysis; fatigue damage in the cement was quantified. Some initial conditioning was noticed both in the wear process and microcracking distribution within the cement mantle. Similarity in wear tracks observed on tibial inserts and other retrieval studies, coupled with clinically consistent migration patterns for TKR, supports the efficacy of the new in vitro method presented.
A Novel Low Temperature Transcutaneous Energy Transfer System Suitable for High Power Implantable Medical Devices: Performance and Validation in Sheep
Authors: Dissanayake Thushari D. , Budgett David M. , Hu Patrick , Bennet Laura , Pyner Susan , Booth Lindsea , Amirapu Satya , Wu Yanzhen , Malpas Simon C. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractTranscutaneous energy transfer (TET) systems use magnetic fields to transfer power across the skin without direct electrical connectivity. This offers the prospect of lifetime operation and overcomes risk of infection associated with wires passing through the skin. Previous attempts at this technology have not proved suitable due to poor efficiency, large size, or tissue damage. We have developed a novel approach utilizing frequency control that allows for wide tolerance in the alignment between internal and external coils for coupling variations of 10 to 20 mm, and relatively small size (50 mm diameter, 5 mm thickness). Using a sheep experimental model, the secondary coil was implanted under the skin in six sheep, and the system was operated to deliver a stable power output to a 15 W load continuously over 4 weeks. The maximum surface temperature of the secondary coil increased by a mean value of 3.4 ± 0.4°C (±SEM). The highest absolute mean temperature was 38.3°C. The mean temperature rise 20 mm from the secondary coil was 0.8 ± 0.1°C. The efficiency of the system exceeded 80% across a wide range of coil orientations. Histological analysis revealed no evidence of tissue necrosis or damage after four weeks of operation. We conclude that this technology is able to offer robust transfer of power to implantable devices without excess heating causing tissue damage.
Physical Health and Drinking Among Medical Inpatients With Unhealthy Alcohol Use: A Prospective Study1
Authors: Williams Emily C. , Palfai Tibor , Cheng Debbie M. , Samet Jeffrey H. , Bradley Katharine A. , Koepsell Thomas D. , Wickizer Thomas M. , Heagerty Patrick J. , Saitz Richard 
Published: May 2010

Objective:  Unhealthy alcohol use is common in medical inpatients, and hospitalization has been hypothesized to serve as a “teachable moment” that could motivate patients to decrease drinking, but studies of hospital‐based brief interventions have often not found decreases. Evaluating associations between physical health and subsequent drinking among medical inpatients with unhealthy alcohol use could inform refinement of hospital‐based brief interventions by identifying an important foundation on which to build them. We tested associations between poor physical health and drinking after hospitalization and whether associations varied by alcohol dependence status and readiness to change.Methods:  Participants were medical inpatients who screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use and consented to participate in a randomized trial of brief intervention (n = 341). Five measures of physical health were independent variables. Outcomes were abstinence and the number of heavy drinking days (HDDs) reported in the 30 days prior to interviews 3 months after hospitalization. Separate regression models were fit to evaluate each independent variable controlling for age, gender, randomization group, and baseline alcohol use. Interactions between each independent variable and alcohol dependence and readiness to change were tested. Stratified models were fit when significant interactions were identified.Results:  Among all participants, measures of physical health were not significantly associated with either abstinence or number of HDDs at 3 months. Having an alcohol‐attributable principal admitting diagnosis was significantly associated with fewer HDDs in patients who were nondependent [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 0.10, 95% CI 0.03–0.32] or who had low alcohol problem perception (aIRR 0.36, 95% CI 0.13–0.99) at hospital admission. No significant association between alcohol‐attributable principal admitting diagnosis and number of HDDs was identified for participants with alcohol dependence or high problem perception.Conclusions:  Among medical inpatients with nondependent unhealthy alcohol use and those who do not view their drinking as problematic, alcohol‐attributable illness may catalyze decreased drinking. Brief interventions that highlight alcohol‐related illness might be more successful.
Inositol hexaphosphate–loaded red blood cells prevent in vitro sickling
Authors: Bourgeaux Vanessa , Hequet Olivier , Campion Yannick , Delcambre Gaëlle , Chevrier Anne‐Marie , Rigal Dominique , Godfrin Yann 
Published: May 2010

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia is a major cause of painful vaso‐occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease (SCD). Simple transfusion and red blood cell (RBC) exchange are commonly used as preventive therapies whose aim is to dilute hemoglobin (Hb)S‐containing RBCs (SS‐RBCs) with normal RBCs (AA‐RBCs) to prevent sickling. We hypothesized that the effectiveness of transfusion could be improved by the encapsulation of inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), an allosteric Hb effector, in transfused AA‐RBCs. Indeed, apart from their diluting effect on SS‐RBCs, IHP‐loaded RBCs (IHP‐RBCs) with increased oxygen release capacity could palliate in vivo oxygen deprivation and reduce sickling.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effect of IHP‐RBCs transfusion on in vitro sickling of SS‐RBCs collected from 20 SCD patients. Patients' RBCs were diluted with various proportions of IHP‐RBCs or AA‐RBCs (processed or stored RBCs as controls). Resulting suspensions were subjected to deoxygenation followed by partial reoxygenation at 5% oxygen. Sickling was evaluated by microscopy.RESULTS: Stored RBCs (50% dose) used to mimic simple transfusion exhibited a poor antisickling effect (5.6%) and a low response rate (65%). In contrast, IHP‐RBCs treatment was seven times more effective resulting in 35% of sickling reduction and a 94% response rate. Sickling was inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner: 9.9, 25.1, and 35.0% for IHP‐RBCs in percentages of 10, 30, and 50%, respectively.CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that IHP‐RBCs prevent in vitro sickling and suggest that it could improve conventional transfusion therapy in terms of transfused volume, frequency, and efficacy.