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Recent History (recent + history)
Selected AbstractsIntroduction II: Recent History of Dead Sea Scrolls ScholarshipJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, Issue 2 2002Mark Harding Dean First page of article [source] The Substance of Sexual Difference: Change and Persistence in Representations of the Body in Eighteenth,Century EnglandGENDER & HISTORY, Issue 2 2002Karen HarveyArticle first published online: 16 DEC 200 The claims of Thomas Laqueur for a shift from a one,sex to a two,sex model of sexual difference are incorporated into many recent histories of gender in England between 1650 and 1850. Yet the Laqueurian narrative is not supported by discussions of the substance of sexual difference in eighteenth,century erotic books. This article argues that different models of sexual difference were not mutually exclusive and did not change in linear fashion, but that the themes of sameness and difference were strategically deployed in the same period. Thus, there was an enduring synchronic diversity which undermines claims for linear transformation. [source] Decision Sciences Research in China: A Critical Review and Research Agenda,Foundations and Overview,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2006Xiande Zhao ABSTRACT This article focuses on decision sciences research in China, providing an overview of current research and developing a foundation for future China-based research. China provides a unique research opportunity for decision sciences researchers, owing to its recent history, rapid economic development, and strong national culture. We examine recent economic reforms and their impact on the development of research questions in the decision sciences, as well as discuss characteristics of the diverse regions in China and their potential as sites for various types of research. We provide a brief overview of recent China-based research on decision sciences issues relating to national culture, supply chain management, quality management, production planning and control, operations strategy, and new product development and discuss some of the unique methodological challenges inherent in China-based research. We conclude by looking forward to emerging research opportunities in China. [source] Effect of celecoxib on cyclooxygenase-2 expression and possible variants in a patient with Barrett's esophagusDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 3 2007G. A. Jacobson SUMMARY., Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is increased in metaplastic and dysplastic Barrett's esophageal epithelium and it is thought that selective COX-2 inhibitors could offer hope as chemoprevention therapy. The aim of the study was to investigate the in vivo effect of celecoxib on COX-2 expression in patients with Barrett's esophagus and no recent history of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. Endoscopic mucosal biopsy specimens were collected at baseline and after 28 days of therapy in a patient treated with celecoxib 200 mg twice daily. Samples were analyzed for COX-2 expression by immunoblot analysis with chemiluminescence detection. COX-2 expression was found to decline 20% and 44% at two different biopsy sites compared to the baseline sample. Longer exposures revealed a number of previously unidentified proteins above and below the 67 kDa COX-2 protein including 38 kDa and 45 kDa proteins which were present only at study completion consistent with up-regulation after celecoxib therapy. Further investigations of the 38 kDa and 45 kDa proteins were undertaken using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) with immunoblot and MALDI-TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption ionization , time of flight) analysis but no matches were found and results were inconclusive. Unmatched masses from MALDI-TOF peptide mass fingerprinting were compared with human COX-2 (67 kDa) and COX-2b (39 kDa) using unspecific cleavage. Peptide sequence homology with COX-2 and COX-2b was found for a length of 19 amino acids. Based on immunodetection, molecular weight and equivical MALDI-TOF results, one of these up-regulated proteins may be COX-2b. [source] WHO'S AFRAID OF THE MARSHALL-LERNER CONDITION?ECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 4 2005Gordon D. Menzies The Marshall-Lerner condition,that the sum of the elasticities of import and export demand exceeds unity,has been put forward as a condition that is required for a depreciation to make the trade balance more positive. Based on recently estimated trade equations, the more appropriate condition for Australia is that the sum of the import elasticity of demand and the elasticity of the export price with respect to the exchange rate exceeds unity. I call this the Small Economy Marshall,Lerner (SEML) condition. In recent history, this condition was fulfilled in 1999,2001, when the (unstable) relationship between the terms of trade and the exchange rate broke down. [source] ETHICS AND EDUCATION FORTY YEARS LATEREDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 1 2007Bryan R. Warnick At least in the United States, however, it is now rarely read or discussed. In this essay, Bryan Warnick looks at the virtues and vices of Ethics and Education, examining some major criticisms of the book in light of key developments in philosophy and educational theory that have occurred since it was first published. He finds that some of the criticisms seem unjustified and overstated, while others can be met with a reading of the text that places its language analysis within a framework of communitarian ethics, a move made possible by rejecting Peters's fact/value dichotomy. This way of reading Ethics and Education reveals an interesting conception of what philosophy of education can be: namely, a sort of normative analytic anthropology. It also shows the value of engaging more with the recent history of philosophy of education. [source] Playing texts against each other in the multimodal English classroomENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2005Richard Beach Abstract This article explores the way adolescents and adults are experimenting with the multimodal affordances of contemporary intertextual practices. Drawing on a considerable number of recent research studies, we outline how young people and young adults are consistently engaging with the opportunities of the digital environment. We explore the recent history of multimodality, examining how we can help students move from simply using intertextuality for their own enjoyment, to a far more critical and informed position. This critical position, we feel, is especially powerful when students engage in intercontextuality and when they investigate issues of identity through the affordances of multimodal texts. Drawing on the research studies, we offer a number of ways in which English teachers can utilize the potential of their students' capability with the new technologies. [source] Risk management lessons from Long-Term Capital ManagementEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2000Philippe Jorion The 1998 failure of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) is said to have nearly blown up the world's financial system. For such a near-catastrophic event, the finance profession has precious little information to draw from. By piecing together publicly available information, this paper draws risk management lessons from LTCM. LTCM's strategies are analysed in terms of the fund's Value at Risk (VAR) and the amount of capital necessary to support its risk profile. The paper shows that LTCM had severely underestimated its risk due to its reliance on short-term history and risk concentration. LTCM also provides a good example of risk management taken to the extreme. Using the same covariance matrix to measure risk and to optimize positions inevitably leads to biases in the measurement of risk. This approach also induces the strategy to take positions that appear to generate ,arbitrage' profits based on recent history but also represent bets on extreme events, like selling options. Overall, LTCM's strategy exploited the intrinsic weaknesses of its risk management system. [source] Humus forms and metal pollution in soilEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2002S. Gillet Summary Smelters in northern France are a serious source of soil pollution by heavy metals. We have studied a poplar plantation downwind of an active zinc smelter. Three humus profiles were sampled at increasing distance from the smelter, and the thickness of topsoil horizons was measured along a transect. We analysed the vertical distribution of humus components and plant debris to assess the impact of heavy metal pollution on the humus forms and on soil faunal activity. We compared horizons within a profile, humus profiles between them, and traced the recent history of the site. Near the smelter, poplar trees are stunted or dead and the humus form is a mor, with a well-developed holorganic OM horizon. Here faunal activity is inhibited, so there is little faecal deposition and humification of plant litter. At the distant site poplar grows well and faunal activity is intense, so there are skeletonized leaves and many organo,mineral earthworm and millipede faecal pellets. The humus form is a mull, with a well-developed hemorganic A horizon. The passage from mor to mull along the transect was abrupt, mor turning to mull at 250 m from the smelter, though there was a progressive decrease in heavy metal deposition. This indicates that there was a threshold (estimated to be 20 000 mg Zn kg,1) in the resilience of the soil foodweb. [source] The introduction of social adaptation within evacuation modellingFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 4 2006S. Gwynne Abstract In recent history, a number of tragic events have borne a consistent message; the social structures that existed prior to and during the evacuation significantly affected the decisions made and the actions adopted by the evacuating population in response to the emergency. This type of influence over behaviour has long been neglected in the modelling community. This paper is an attempt to introduce some of these considerations into evacuation models and to demonstrate their impact. To represent this type of behaviour within evacuation models a mechanism to represent the membership and position within social hierarchies is established. In addition, individuals within the social groupings are given the capacity to communicate relevant pieces of data such as the need to evacuate,impacting the response time,and the location of viable exits,impacting route selection. Furthermore, the perception and response to this information is also affected by the social circumstances in which individuals find themselves. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Why ethnic minority groups are under-represented in clinical trials: a review of the literatureHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 5 2004Mahvash Hussain-Gambles MA Abstract Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered to be the gold standard in evaluating medical interventions; however, people from ethnic minorities are frequently under-represented in such studies. The present paper addresses a previously neglected debate about the tensions which inform clinical trial participation amongst people from ethnic minorities, in particular, South Asians, the largest ethnic minority group in the UK. In a narrative review of the available literature, based mainly on US studies, the present authors aim to make sense of the issues around under-representation by providing a theoretical reconciliation. In addition, they identify a number of potential barriers to ethnic minority participation in clinical trials. In so doing, the authors recognise that the recent history of eugenic racism, and more general views on clinical trials as a form of experimentation, means that clinical trial participation among people from ethnic minorities becomes more problematic. Lack of participation and the importance of representational sampling are also considered, and the authors argue that health professionals need to be better informed about the issues. The paper concludes by offering a number of strategies for improving ethnic minority accrual rates in clinical trials, together with priorities for future research. [source] The Importance of Auditing Topics to Chinese AuditorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 2 2001Ronald A. Davidson This paper describes the recent history of auditing in China and reports on a survey of Chinese auditors and accounting academics on the importance of a number of auditing topics. We find that Chinese auditors are concerned about their professional responsibilities and legal liabilities, probably resulting from the recent instances of the imposition of severe penalties for breaking the law. We also find that Chinese auditors appear to be more concerned with what we might refer to as the traditional financial audit approach, and are not yet at the stage of using a risk-based audit approach. [source] Effect of NSAIDs on the recurrence of nonmelanoma skin cancerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2006Maria V. Grau Experimental studies have consistently shown a protective effect of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) against nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC). However, little human epidemiological research has been done in this regard. We used data from the Skin Cancer Chemoprevention Study to explore the association of NSAID use and with the risk of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC). 1,805 subjects with a recent history of NMSC were randomized to placebo or 50 mg of daily ,-carotene. Participants were asked about their use of over-the-counter and prescription medications at baseline and every 4 months during the trial. Skin follow-up examinations were scheduled annually with a study dermatologist; confirmed lesions were the endpoints in the study. We used a risk set approach to the analysis of grouped times survival data and unconditional logistic regression to compute odds ratios [ORs] for various exposures to NSAIDs. The use of NSAIDs was reported in over 50% of questionnaires. For BCC, NSAIDs exhibited a weak protective effect in crude analyses, which attenuated markedly after adjustment. For SCC, the use of NSAIDs in the year previous to diagnosis reduced the odds by almost 30% (adjusted OR= 0.71, 95% CI 0.48,1.04). When we accounted for frequency of use, results for BCC were not striking, and there were inconsistent suggestions of an inverse association with SCC. There were some indications of a modest, nonsignificant reduction on the number of BCCs and SCCs with NSAID use. Our data suggest a weak and inconsistent chemopreventive effect of NSAIDs on BCC and SCC. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] An application of fractional integration to a long temperature seriesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 14 2003L. A. Gil-Alana Abstract Some recently proposed techniques of fractional integration are applied to a long UK temperature series. The tests are valid under general forms of serial correlation and do not require estimation of the fractional differencing parameter. The results show that central England temperatures have increased about 0.23 °C per 100 years in recent history. Attempting to summarize the conclusions for each of the months, we are left with the impression that the highest increase has occurred during the months from October to March. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Women with a recent history of early-onset pre-eclampsia have a worse periodontal conditionJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Alina Kunnen Abstract Objective: Pre-eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterized by systemic vascular dysfunction and pathological changes in placental arteries. Growing evidence of chronic infection as an aetiological factor in vascular diseases prompted us to study maternal periodontal disease in subjects with early-onset pre-eclampsia (<34 weeks). Methods: A case,control study was carried out on 17 early-onset pre-eclamptic women and 35 controls with uncomplicated pregnancies in a period of 3,28 months postpartum. All were Caucasians. Full-mouth periodontal examinations were performed to determine the periodontal condition. Subgingival-plaque samples were analysed by anaerobic culture techniques for the presence of seven bacterial periodontal pathogens. Potential confounders as age, smoking, educational level and body mass index were determined. Results: Severe periodontal disease was found in 82% of the pre-eclamptic and in 37% of the control group (p=0.009). After adjusting for age, smoking and educational level, the odds ratio was 7.9 (95% CI: 1.9,32.8). The periodontopathic microorganism Micromonas micros was more prevalent in the case group (p=0.040) while Campylobacter rectus was more prevalent in the control group (p=0.047). Conclusion: These results indicate that Caucasian women with a recent history of early-onset pre-eclampsia have a worse periodontal condition, as compared with women with uncomplicated deliveries. [source] Towards Finding the Person in the Data of PersonalityJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2003Stephen G. West This article is based on an address given on the occasion of receiving the 2000 Henry A. Murray award. The article presents a glimpse of my life story in personality and contributions to the field. These are placed in the context of observations about the recent history and sociology of the field. I outline some perspectives on the data that are collected and missing in personality research as well as the analyses that are conducted and those that are not conducted. These considerations identify both some persisting limitations in personality research and alternative analytic approaches that may prove useful in framing and answering new questions. Of particular promise are intensive studies that allow researchers to maintain a clear focus on the individual person. [source] Sense of coherence and its association with exposure to traumatic events, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 3 2010Phuong N. Pham The Democratic Republic of Congo is the scene of some of the worst atrocities in recent history. However, in the face of traumatic experience, only a minority of people develops symptoms that impair their functioning. The sense of coherence proposed by Antonovsky (1987) is a theoretical construct reflecting an individual's overall wellbeing and ability to cope with stress. This study explores the relationships between sense of coherence, exposure to traumatic events, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Results suggest an association between a high sense of coherence and high education levels, high income, and positive social relationships. Furthermore, the study found that sense of coherence is inversely correlated with cumulative exposure to violence and symptoms of PTSD and depression. [source] Budd,Chiari-like syndrome in a dog with a chondrosarcoma of the thoracic wallJOURNAL OF VETERINARY EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE, Issue 2 2007Megan F. Whelan DVM Abstract Objective: To describe a dog with Budd,Chiari-like syndrome secondary to caudal vena cava compression from a thoracic wall chondrosarcoma. Case summary: A 9-year-old spayed female Shetland Sheepdog cross with a recent history of non-productive cough developed severe abdominal distension and dyspnea. Marked ascites and enlarged hepatic veins were identified with ultrasonography. At surgery, a right thoracic wall mass was found to be compressing the caudal vena cava. Fluid analysis of the ascites revealed a modified transudate with elevated protein concentration, consistent with Budd,Chiari-like syndrome. Clinical signs resolved following thoracotomy and complete resection of the mass. New or unique information provided: Obstruction of venous blood flow can result from compression exerted by a space-occupying thoracic wall mass on the caudal vena cava. Clinical resolution can be achieved with return of adequate venous circulation by removal of the mass and alleviation of the external pressure. [source] Von Willebrand Factor Antigen Concentration in Dogs with SepsisJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2010C.L. Rogers Background: Von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen concentration, a marker of endothelial activation, is increased in human patients with multiorgan failure, sepsis, or both, and is an independent predictor of survival. Hypothesis/Objectives: vWF antigen concentrations are significantly higher in dogs with sepsis. Animals: Fourteen dogs hospitalized with sepsis. Sepsis was defined as microbiologic or cytologic evidence of infection combined with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Control dogs were healthy dogs, without evidence of disease. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Dogs admitted to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of sepsis were considered eligible for enrollment into the study. Exclusion criteria included a previous diagnosis of von Willebrand disease or a recent history of a plasma transfusion. Citrated plasma samples were collected for analysis of vWF antigen by ELISA. All samples were drawn from dogs during hospitalization. Data between populations were analyzed using nonparametric statistical analysis with a P value < .05 considered significant. Results: Twenty-five dogs were enrolled; 14 dogs with sepsis and 11 control dogs. The median vWF antigen concentration in dogs with sepsis was 156% (range, 117,200%), which was significantly higher than healthy dogs (105%; range, 44,155%, P < .005). There was no difference between survivors and nonsurvivors with a median vWF antigen concentration of 144% (range, 136,201%) in survivors (n = 7) and 159% (range, 122,174%) in nonsurvivors (n = 7) (P= .5). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: vWF is increased in dogs with sepsis, possibly reflecting endothelial activation. Further exploration of endothelial function is warranted in critically ill dogs. [source] Desert water harvesting from takyr surfaces: assessing the potential of traditional and experimental technologies in the KarakumLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2007L. Fleskens Abstract From historical times the traditionally nomadic people in desert environments of Turkmenistan have applied a range of innovative technologies to secure water supply for consumptive and productive purposes. These technologies make use of takyrs, flat or slightly sloping dense clay surfaces which act as natural catchment areas. In recent history, these technologies have been neglected, in part due to a booming water supply through irrigation development, and takyr surfaces have suffered various degradation processes. However, the limited scope for further extension of irrigation systems presents a challenge to reconsider these traditional technologies. In this paper, results of cost-benefit analysis are presented by which an assessment is made of the potential of both traditional and experimental takyr use technologies. It is shown that they bear considerable potential for the future at relatively low investment cost, that they may help limit degradation processes and provide for a sustainable development pathway for the inhabitants of the desert. A main challenge in order to benefit from this potential is to find an appropriate management structure for maintenance and resource use of these water-harvesting technologies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] What Macroeconomic Measures Are Needed for Free Trade to Flourish in the Western Hemisphere?LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, Issue 2 2004Barry Eichengreen ABSTRACT Recent experience has made clear the importance of macroeconomic stability, and exchange rate stability in particular, in generating support for regional integration. The tensions created by exchange-rate and financial volatility are clearly evident in the recent history of Mercosur and may also hinder the development of a Free Trade Area of the Americas. This essay argues that ambitious schemes for a single regional currency are not a practical response to this problem. Nor would a system of currency pegs or bands be sufficiently durable to provide a lasting solution. Instead, countries must solve this problem at home. In practice, this means adopting sound and stable monetary policies backed by a clear and coherent operating strategy, such as inflation targeting. With such policies in place, exchange rate volatility can be reduced to levels compatible with regional integration. [source] Pleistocene refugia in an arid landscape: analysis of a widely distributed Australian passerineMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 12 2007ALICIA TOON Abstract While many studies have documented the effect that glacial cycles have had on northern hemisphere species, few have attempted to study the associated effect of aridification at low latitudes in the southern hemisphere. We investigated the past effects that cyclic aridification may have had on the population structure and history of a widespread endemic Australian bird species, the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen). One thousand one hundred and sixty-six samples from across its native range were analysed for mitochondrial control region sequence variation and variation at six microsatellite loci. Analysis of mitochondrial control region sequence data indicated monophyletic clades that were geographically congruent with an eastern and western region. The contemporary distribution of east and west clades is nonoverlapping but in close proximity. Populations were estimated to have diverged in the Pleistocene around 36 000 years ago. The putative Carpentarian and Nullarbor arid barriers appear to be associated with the divergence between east and west mainland populations. Nested clade analysis indicated a signature of range expansion in the eastern region suggesting movement possibly inland and northward subsequent to the last period of aridity. The island population of Tasmania was of very recent origin, possibly since sea levels rose 16 000 years ago. Given the east-west structure, there was no congruence between morphology and recent history of this species indicating a lack of support for morphological taxa. Overall mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite variation suggest that increasing aridity and Pleistocene refugia played a role in structuring populations of the Australian magpie; however, the dispersal ability and generalist habitat requirements may have facilitated the movement of magpies into an almost contiguous modern distribution across the continent. This study supports the idea that Pleistocene aridification played an important role in structuring intraspecific variation in low latitudinal southern hemisphere avian species. [source] Remembering kauri on the ,Kauri Coast'NEW ZEALAND GEOGRAPHER, Issue 2 2010Gretel Boswijk Abstract This paper explores how the recent history of kauri is remembered and commemorated on the Kauri Coast, western Northland, focusing on three specific heritage sites: The Kauri Museum at Matakohe, Trounson Kauri Park, and Waipoua Forest Sanctuary. Each site was established to preserve elements of the past before they were lost or irrevocably altered. The museum commemorates the pioneers and the kauri timber and gum industries, while Trounson Kauri Park and Waipoua Forest were intended to represent primeval forest and stand as monuments to people who advocated their protection. [source] Into the mainstream: Shifting authenticities in artAMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST, Issue 4 2007SALLY PRICE When artists who were once dubbed "primitive" find themselves operating in a freshly expanded environment, with an international clientele, new materials to work with, access to urban exhibition spaces, the counsel of culture brokers, and options for travel abroad, their response can include highly creative innovations in both the forms they produce and the interpretations they offer of their work. The new environment can sometimes even lead to adjustments in their vision of the origins and meanings of their artistic heritage. In this article, I trace the recent history of art made by Maroon men in the Guianas, following its mutation from a form of expression for internal consumption, largely as gifts for wives and lovers, to a commodity sold in an external market. [source] Mature teratoma of the uterine cervix with lymphoid hyperplasiaPATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2003Sung-chul Lim A rare case of an extragonadal teratoma, which occurred primarily in the uterus, is described. The tumor developed in the uterine cervix as a conventional cervical polyp, 3 months after an elective abortion in a 27-year-old woman. Microscopically, the solid 2.2 × 1.8 × 1.5 cm mass was a mature teratoma with exuberant lymphoid elements. It consisted of ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal derivatives. The lymphoid elements may have been a lymphoid hyperplasia, a chronic inflammatory reaction or a component of the teratoma. However, as the lymphoid tissues had no spatial relation to the teratomatous components, the possibility of a teratomatous element was excluded. This could be regarded as a result of an immunological reaction to the tissues composing the tumor, rather than just a chronic inflammatory response because the lymphoid reaction was present in the tumor, the tumor,host interface and the perivascular areas. Because of the patient's history of an abortion and a lymphoid reaction, the possibility of fetal remnants implantation was raised, so DNA typing to compare the teratoma portion with a normal portion of the host was performed. We found the teratoma portions to be in accordance with that of the host, and hence ruled out fetal remnants implantation. This case showed that a mature teratoma of the uterine cervix may manifest as a feature of implanted fetal tissue. In addition, a real teratoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of uterine teratomatous lesion, even when detected in patients with a recent history of pregnancy and lymphoid hyperplasia. [source] The Demographics of Gubernatorial Appointees: Toward an Explanation of VariationPOLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, Issue 1 2001Norma M. Riccucci This study examines the various factors that could potentially predict or explain demographic diversity in high-level gubernatorial appointments in state government. In particular, it identifies and analyzes a set of variables that could help answer the question: Under what conditions are governors more likely to appoint higher proportions of women and people of color to top-ranking executive branch positions? This question, not yet addressed by researchers, is particularly salient in the current climate of accelerated devolution. Decisionmakers in state governments play a greater role in determining policy across an increasingly wide range of areas than at any time in recent history. From the standpoint of representativeness, the demographic background of state policymakers increases the stakes of those who participate, particularly in terms of policy outcomes. Thus, it is especially important to identify the participants in state-level policy arenas and the factors that could predict their appointments. [source] The politics of bureau reform in sub-Saharan AfricaPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2006Janice L. Caulfield Abstract This article focuses on sub-Saharan Africa and its recent history of state sector decentralisation reforms. Over the last ten to fifteen years, new forms of state organisation have emerged reflecting a policy preference for bureau downsizing and devolution. These include semi-autonomous executive agencies, public,private partnerships in infrastructure development, partial privatisations of utilities and performance contracting arrangements between purchasers and providers. Reform policies are, however, heavily conditioned by bilateral and multilateral donors. The limited success of bureau reforms in the region has been explained by others as either a problem of institutional capacity or the absence of grassroots democracy. This article takes a different stance, arguing that reforms are highly political and resisted not only by politicians but also by an aware and sceptical public. A selection of case studies illustrates these reform trends and problems of implementation. The article also draws attention to intra-regional differences between a francophone West Africa and English speaking East Africa. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Dynamic Properties of Income Support Receipt in AustraliaTHE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 1 2008Yi-Ping Tseng Using administrative records on Australian income support (welfare) recipients over the period July 1995 to June 2002, we examine dynamic properties of income support receipt and the personal characteristics associated with alternative patterns of receipt. We draw on three concepts: churning,the process of ending a spell on income support and subsequently commencing a new spell; transferring,moving from one payment type to another within a spell on income support; and Total Time On payments (TTO),the proportion of time on income support in a given period. We find that churning and transferring are significant features of income support receipt in Australia. For example, over half of recipients churn within five years of commencing an income support spell, and one-fifth make a payment transfer within the same time frame. Examination of the characteristics associated with each of five distinct patterns of receipt reveals substantial differences in patterns by age, family composition, unemployment status, health status, and recent history of income support receipt. [source] Cognitive-Behavioural Work with Offenders in the UK: A History of Influential EndeavourTHE HOWARD JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Issue 2 2000Maurice Vanstone Programmes premised on the cognitive-behavioural theoretical model have become an important feature of work with people who offend, and the model itself has become a cornerstone of the ,what works' enterprise in the United Kingdom. This has not occurred without critical attention from commentators in both the academic and practice worlds. This article attempts to draw together the strands of that debate, and provide a critical account of the recent history of the model's development and application within the criminal justice system that accords more significance to pioneering work in the United Kingdom than has been hitherto recognised. It is argued that one of the features of the response of the probation service to the pessimistic conclusions of research into the impact of community supervision in the 1970s was a divergence of policy and practice, the former redirecting the efforts of the service towards diversion from custody and the latter retaining its commitment to rehabilitation. While acknowledging the limitations of the cognitive-behavioural model, it is argued that by contributing positively to evidence-based, rehabilitative effort it has given impetus to a reunification of the focus of policy and practice. [source] Analytical space and work in Russia: Some remarks on past and present,THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS, Issue 2 2005IGOR M. KADYROV In this paper, the author outlines the historical-cultural picture in the former USSR and post-Soviet Russia. He looks at some facets of psychoanalysis in Russia in the years immediately before and after the October Revolution as well as in its recent history, exploring the implicit question of how the wider social context, and specifi cally totalitarian and post-totalitarian reality, has infl uenced psychoanalytic work and analytic space in this country. With the help of Sebek's concept of the totalitarian object and Britton's formulations about the triangular space, the author attempts to understand the interaction of external and internal space and to give an introduction to the problem of establishing the analytic setting as well as fi nding some new possibilities of enlarging the space for new psychoanalysts in Russia. 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