bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Excise Duties and the Internal Market
Authors: SMITH STEPHEN 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTAs part of the programme to create a single Community market by 1992, the European Commission has brought forward proposals which would require substantial changes in the excise duties levied on mineral oils, tobacco products and alcoholic drinks. This article considers the arguments for harmonization of the system and levels of excise duties within the Internal Market of the Community. It argues that the elimination of duty differentials between Member States is not essential for the completion of the Internal Market.
Paradigms for the Monetary Union of Europe
Authors: GROS DANIEL 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe notion of a European Monetary Union can be interpreted in different ways. To most non‐economists it probably implies a single European currency and a European central bank. To economists, however, a monetary union implies only (in the words of the 1970 Werner Plan): ‘the irrevocable fixing of parities and the total liberalization of capital movements’. To others still a monetary union might be reached if there is a widely used European parallel currency. This article argues that these paradigms imply different degrees of monetary integration, and that the benefits that can be expected from a monetary union for Europe depend on the degree of monetary integration. Which paradigm should be chosen, therefore, depends on the reasons for which a monetary union for Europe is deemed desirable.
Renegotiating Dependency: the Case of the Southern African Customs Union*
Authors: WALTERS JON 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe Southern African Customs Union Agreement (SAGUA) between Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (BLS) and South Africa has generated a considerable literature. The present article seeks to extend the debate by clarifying some of the concepts underlying the Agreement and by examining some key features of the actual workings of the Customs Union.In the context of the current renegotiation of SACUA several proposals for modification are made. Particular attention is paid to (i) the political background to SACUA; (ii) protection of infant industries; (iii) agricultural protection; (iv) the implications for BLS of South Africa's import policies; (v) South Africa's regional policy and BLS; (vi) fiscal harmonization; (vii) revenue sharing; (viii) alternatives to fiscal compensation.
Agriculture and the EC Environmental Assessment Directive: Lessons for Community Policy‐Making
Authors: SHEATE W.R. , MACRORY R. B. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe 1985 EC Directive on Environmental Assessment introduces a common set of decision‐making procedures throughout the Community for authorizing specified classes of land‐use projects. During the development of the Directive, projects involving agricultural intensification received a high profile, but were marginalized in the final text, in no small part due to opposition by the United Kingdom. Even then, implementation of the Directive in the United Kingdom in respect of agriculture has proved peculiarly troublesome, not least because of presumptions firmly entrenched in the country's long‐established land‐use planning system. The history of the Directive and its effect in one country has wider implications for the future development of Community environmental policy, particularly in the light of current concerns to secure more effective policy integration in areas hitherto largely unaffected by such considerations.
Regulatory Competition in the Single Market
Authors: SUN JEANNE‐MEY , PELKMANS JACQUES 
Published: March 2008

AbstractAlthough regulatory competition has been hailed in some quarters as a superior alternative to Council‐driven harmonization, little empirical investigation has been carried out to demonstrate how regulatory competition might work in actual EC practice, and therefore whether its expected benefits will, in fact, materialize.We construct a framework stylizing the iterative process of regulatory competition, and illuminate its emergence from five elements of the regulatory strategy of the EC‐1992 internal market programme.The framework presented shows that the process of regulatory competition is a complex and unpredictable one. Two case studies are provided to exemplify the difficulties. These practical limitations severely weaken the case for regulatory competition based on theoretical economic arguments. Moreover, a comparative cost‐benefit analysis of regulatory competition and harmonization suggests that, where relevant, regulatory competition and harmonization should be seen as complements, rather than substitutes. The demarcation between the two is best determined on a case‐by‐case basis according to the principle of subsidiarity.
Telecommunications Policy in the European Union: Developing the Information Superhighway
Authors: CURWEN PETER 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBy the end of this century, the telecommunications market in the European Union will have been transformed from a collection of national monopolies providing little apart from basic voice telephony and Value‐Added Network Services (VANS) into a unified, competitive market for multimedia services ‐ or at least that is the intention behind a series of directives issued by the European Commission. This should open up enormous opportunities for service providers, whatever their origin, and the process of forming the necessary alliances for world‐wide coverage has begun in earnest. A first step, in many cases, is the privatization of the national monopoly provider. New forms of competition such as cable and mobile telephony are springing up with unprecedented speed ‐ so fast, indeed, that the consumer is being left in the wake of the technology.
Austria in the European Union
Authors: KAISER WOLFRAM 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis article gives an overview of the process of domestic adjustment and of the formation of Austrian policy priorities within the European Union (EU). It argues that, while certain problems of economic and political adjustment, including the neutrality issue, are still being addressed, the coalition government of Social Democrats and Christian Democrats is basically determined to establish Austria in the integration core in Europe if and when differentiated integration processes emerge, and particularly in relation to Economic and Monetary Union.
The European Union and a Changing Europe: Establishing the Boundaries of Order
Authors: Smith Michael 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis article seeks to explore the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the changing European order, with particular respect to the ways in which the EU structures and shapes the boundaries between itself and the broader European arena. It evaluates a range of available international relations theories, and adopts a ‘critical neoliberal‐institutionalist’ approach to the problem. It applies this approach by assessing the EU's boundary‐constructing and boundary‐maintaining behaviour in a number of areas, before developing two models of the EU's role: the ‘politics of exclusion’ and the ‘politics of inclusion’. After spending most of its life practising the ‘politics of exclusion’, the EU has moved towards a ‘politics of inclusion’ to reflect the changing demands of the European order. Nevertheless, the tensions between the two types of politics will continue to be a central feature of the EU's role.
State Power and Institutional Influence in European Integration: Lessons from the Packaging Waste Directive*
Authors: Golub Jonathan 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis study traces the development of the recently adopted packaging waste directive in order to illuminate the role of various actors in the integration process. While some of the findings about agenda‐setting and qualified majority voting presented in this study apply directly to the sector of environmental policy, or specifically to the chosen case, the broader conclusions suggest the need for additional case studies of EC legislation and offer a theoretical framework in which these studies may be used to test competing notions of European integration. To this end, the study uses lessons from the case of packaging waste to refine the ongoing debate between scholars who propose state‐centric models and those who advocate a view of Europe in which power is diffused to supranational institutions at the expense of state sovereignty.
Heading for Divergence? Regional Growth in Europe Reconsidered*
Authors: Fagerberg Jan , Verspagen Bart 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis article analyses regional growth in the European Union (EU) in the postwar period. We examine the levels and growth of per capita GDP for a sample of 70 regions, covering six of the EU Member States. We find that after a slow, but steady reduction of differences in GDP per capita across European regions during most of the post‐war period, there are now some signs of a reversal in this trend. This does not imply that differences in levels of productivity and income across European regions are now reduced to a negligible level. Rather, the explanation is that other variables, notably R&D effort, investment support from the EU, the structure of GDP and differences in unemployment have had a diverging impact. We also find some support for the idea of a ‘Europe at different speeds’, with at least three different ‘growth clubs’ characterized by different dynamics, productivity and unemployment levels.
The European Union and the Irish Peace Process
Authors: Teague Paul 
Published: March 2008

AbstractNorthern Ireland is caught between war and peace. On the one hand, there is a widespread desire for a permanent end to violence, but on the other hand big political divisions continue to keep unionism and nationalism apart. One issue that divides the two blocs is the role of the EU in Northern Ireland's economic and political affairs. This article assesses the various arguments made on this issue and suggests that it would be inappropriate for the EU to have a permanent role in the internal governance of the region. The article goes on to show that the debates about neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism long associated with European integration are now emerging in Ireland with regard to cross‐border economic co‐operation. It is argued that the EU could play an important role in creating a form of symbiotic co‐operation on the island whereby cross‐border economic links and political stability in a new Northern Ireland go hand‐in‐ hand.
Surrogate Alcohols and Their Metabolites Modify Histone H3 Acetylation: Involvement of Histone Acetyl Transferase and Histone Deacetylase
Authors: Choudhury Mahua , Shukla Shivendra D. 
Published: March 2008

Background:  Ethanol increases histone H3 acetylation in the rat liver. However, the effect of other carbon chain length alcohols, consumed as surrogate alcohols and used in industry, on H3 acetylation is unknown. Hence, we investigated the effect of these alcohols on histone H3 acetylation, cell toxicity and HAT and HDAC activity.Methods:  Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were incubated with selected concentration (40 mM) of different chain length alcohols with or without inhibitors of alcohol metabolizing enzymes. Cells were also treated with low concentration (2.5 mM) of 1‐propanol or 1‐butanol or isopentanol, with or without 40 mM ethanol for 24 hours. Effects of the metabolites of these alcohols were also studied. Cytotoxicity was determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and mitochondrial activity (MTT assay). The degree of histone H3 acetylation at specific lysine residues were monitored by western bloting using site specific antibodies. Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activities were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colorimetric assay respectively.Results:  Alcohols with increasing carbon chain length exhibited a variable effect on the ratio of acetylated lys9 histone H3 to β‐actin. A graded increase (methanol < ethanol < 1‐propanol < 1‐butanol) followed by a gradual decrease (1‐butanol > 1‐pentanol > 1‐hexanol > 1‐octanol) in the ratio was observed. Other lysine sites were not affected. HAT activation also corresponded to the acetylation profile. These alcohols or their metabolites did not significantly alter HDAC activity in the hepatocytes. Low concentration (2.5 mM) of 1‐propanol alone did not affect acetylation, but sensitized the ethanol induced H3 acetylation at lysine 9 (H3AcK9). 1‐Butanol and isopentanol also increased the response of ethanol induced H3AcK9. Alcohol metabolizing inhibitors attenuated ethanol and propanol induced increase in H3AcK9. Carboxylic acid metabolites of these alcohols also increased HAT activity and histone H3 acetylation at lysine 9. Propionate and butyrate modestly inhibited HDAC activity in an in vitro assay.Conclusions:  Surrogate alcohols modulate H3AcK9 via increasing HAT activity and this is dependent on their metabolism. Furthermore, alcohol metabolites also increased H3AcK9, but in contrast, exhibit both HAT activation and HDAC inhibition.
Ethanol Inhibits Functional Activity of the Human Intestinal Dipeptide Transporter hPepT1 Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes
Authors: Li Kaixun , Xu Liya , Kulkarni Ashutosh A. , Perkins Daya I. , Haworth Ian S. , Davies Daryl L. 
Published: March 2008

Background:  The pathological effects of high alcohol (ethanol) consumption on gastrointestinal and hepatic systems are well recognized. However, the effects of ethanol intake on gastric and intestinal absorption and transport systems remain unclear. The present study investigates the effects of ethanol on the human peptide transporter 1 (hPepT1) which mediates the transport of di‐and tripeptides as well as several orally administered peptidomimetic drugs such as β‐lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin), angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, the anti‐neoplastic agent bestatin, and prodrugs of acyclovir.Methods:  Xenopus oocytes were injected with hPepT1 cRNA and incubated for 3 to 10 days. Currents induced by glycyl‐sarcosine (Gly‐Sar), Ala‐Ala (dipeptides), penicillin and enalapril measured in the presence or absence of ethanol were determined using an 8‐channel 2‐electrode voltage clamp system, with a membrane potential of −70 mV and 11 voltage steps of 100 milliseconds (from +50 mV to −150 mV in −20 mV increments).Results:  Ethanol (200 mM) inhibited Gly‐Sar and Ala‐Ala currents by 42 and 30%, respectively, with IC50s of 184 and 371 mM, respectively. Ethanol reduced maximal transport capacity (Imax) of hPepT1 for Gly‐Sar without affecting Gly‐Sar binding affinity (K0.5 and Hill coefficient). Penicillin‐ and enalapril‐induced currents were significantly less than those induced by dipeptides and were not inhibited by ethanol.Conclusion:  Ethanol significantly reduced transport of dipeptides via a reduction in transport capacity, rather than competing for binding sites in hPepT1. Ethanol inhibition or alteration of transport function may be a primary causative factor contributing to both the nutritional deficits as well as the immunological deficiencies that many alcoholics experience including alcohol liver disease and brain damage.
Alteration in G Proteins and Prolactin Levels in Pituitary After Ethanol and Estrogen Treatment
Authors: Chaturvedi Kirti , Sarkar Dipak K. 
Published: March 2008

Background:  Chronic administration of ethanol increases plasma prolactin levels and enhances estradiol’s mitogenic action on the lactotropes of the pituitary gland. The present study was conducted to determine the changes in the pituitary levels of G proteins during the tumor development following alcohol and ethanol treatments.Methods:  Using ovariectomized Fischer‐344 female rats, we have determined ethanol and estradiol actions at 2 and 4 weeks on pituitary weight and pituitary cell contents of prolactin, Gs. Gq11, Gi1, Gi2, and Gi3 proteins. Western blots were employed to measure protein contents.Results:  Ethanol increased basal and estradiol‐enhanced wet weight and the prolactin content in the pituitary in a time‐dependent manner. Chronic exposure of estradiol increased the levels of Gs protein in the pituitary. Unlike estradiol, ethanol exposure did not show significant effect on the basal level of Gs protein, but moderately increased the estradiol‐induced levels of this protein. Estradiol exposure enhanced Gq11 protein levels in the pituitary after 2 and 4 weeks, while ethanol treatment failed to alter these protein levels in the pituitary in control‐treated or estradiol‐treated ovariectomized rats. In the case of Gi1, estradiol but not ethanol increased the level of this protein at 4 weeks of treatment. However, estradiol and ethanol alone reduced the levels of both Gi2 and Gi3 proteins at 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Ethanol also significantly reduced the estradiol‐induced Gi2 levels at 4 weeks and Gi3 level at 2 and 4 weeks.Conclusions:  These results confirm ethanol’s and estradiol’s growth‐promoting and prolactin stimulating actions on lactotropes of the pituitary and further provide evidence that ethanol and estradiol may control lactotropic cell functions by altering expression of specific group of G proteins in the pituitary.
Dietary aspects of pregnant women in rural areas of Northern India
Authors: Gautam Virender P. , Taneja Devender K. , Sharma Nandini , Gupta Vimal K. , Ingle Gopal K. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe aim of this article is to document the current dietary profile of pregnant women in rural areas of Delhi. In order to explore the diet the combination of quantitative (24‐h recall method) and qualitative methods (food frequency method) were used. The mean intake of macronutrients and micronutrients, namely, iron, folic acid and Vitamin C which play an important role in the pathophysiology of nutritional anaemia during pregnancy was calculated from the foodstuffs, using Nutritive Value of Indian Foods. The preferences and avoidance of various foods by the pregnant women were also elicited. The data were analysed using Epi Info 3.4. The intake of calories, protein, iron, folic acid and Vitamin C was found to be less than the recommended dietary allowance in 100%, 91.2%, 98.2%, 99.1% and 65.8% of pregnant women respectively. Folic acid intakes were significantly lower in younger, primiparous and poorly educated women from low‐income families. Vitamin C intake was lower among non‐Hindus only. The overall data suggested the presence of food gap rather than isolated deficiency of any particular nutrient.
Arsenic Trioxide‐Induced Apoptosis in H9c2 Cardiomyocytes: Implications in Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Zhao Xiaoyan , Feng Tieming , Chen He , Shan Hongli , Zhang Yong , Lu Yanjie , Yang Baofeng 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:   Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) achieved dramatic remissions in patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Clinical reports have shown that treatment was associated with cardiotoxicity. We investigated the toxic mechanisms of As2O3 in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Clinically relevant concentrations of As2O3 (2–10 µM) reduced the viability of H9c2 cells in a concentration‐dependent manner. The decreased cell viability was because As2O3 induced cell apoptosis (cell shrinkage, nuclear alterations and caspase‐3 activation), or even necrosis at higher concentrations. Inhibition of caspase‐3 with a specific inhibitor, Ac‐DEVD‐CHO, suppressed apoptosis induced by As2O3. In addition, reactive oxygen species formation and cellular Ca2+ overload were observed in H9c2 cells exposed to As2O3, which was partly inhibited by vitamin E and verapamil. These results suggest that As2O3‐induced cardiotoxicity is mediated, at least in part, by activation of caspase‐3 pathway, which may be triggered by reactive oxygen species formation and intracellular Ca2+ overload.
Living with chronic illness: A phenomenological study of the health effects of the patient–provider relationship
Authors: Fox Sylvia , Chesla Catherine 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPurpose: To understand the patient–healthcare provider (HCP) relationship from the lived experience of women with chronic disease and determine how this relationship affects women’s health.Data sources: Narrative accounts of 25 women’s relationships with HCPs in repeated group and individual interviews were audio‐taped and transcribed verbatim. Interpretive phenomenology was used to explore the data using three interconnected modes of paradigm cases, exemplars, and themes.Conclusions: Women with chronic disease believed their health was significantly affected by their relationships with HCPs. They experienced a greater sense of well‐being and security in connected relationships and had more confidence and motivation to manage their illness.Implications for practice: This research suggests that for women with chronic disease, relationships with HCPs that are connected, and characterized by partnership, and personableness result in the women feeling better in many dimensions. The context of today’s healthcare system often pushes the nurse practitioner (NP) to provide care more attuned to medical issues, leaving little time for the development of connected relationships. In spite of this pressure, NPs need to strive to develop relationships with patients that are intersubjective/connected.
Alliance not compliance: Coaching strategies to improve type 2 diabetes outcomes
Authors: Hayes Eileen , McCahon Cynthia , Panahi Margaret Reeve , Hamre Taryn , Pohlman Karen 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPurpose: To explore strategies for improving patient outcomes in type 2 diabetes.Data sources: The literature related to type 2 diabetes management, behavior change, communication, diabetes self‐management, and coaching.Conclusions: The strategies currently suggested for improving patient outcomes, e.g., increasing provider adherence to evidence‐based management guidelines, streamlining practice systems, and promoting patient lifestyle changes through intensive education, have produced mixed outcomes. Of the many complexities involved in managing type 2 diabetes, motivating patients to change behavior may be the most challenging. A suggestion for improving patient self‐management of type 2 diabetes is to use coaching communication within a framework of behavior change in the context of the primary care encounter between nurse practitioners (NPs) and their patients.Implications for practice: Given the varied outcomes of current strategies, coaching by NPs may provide a feasible alternative for improving patient outcomes in type 2 diabetes. Coaching communication can be implemented during office visits as an intervention without cost. To effectively implement this approach, however, practicing NPs and NP students need more formal education in this expected but underdeveloped NP role competency. NPs are called upon to contribute to the body of knowledge needed to validate the merits of coaching for their patients.