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Sword
Kinds of Sword Selected AbstractsBrazil's Bolsa Família: A Double-Edged Sword?DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 5 2008Anthony Hall ABSTRACT In common with most Latin American countries, as governments embrace safety nets to attack poverty, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes have become part of mainstream social policy in Brazil. Under president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995,2002), and especially since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003, targeted assistance in education, health and nutrition, now united under Bolsa Família, have expanded rapidly to benefit forty-four million (24 per cent of the total population), absorbing almost two-fifths of the social assistance budget earmarked for the poorest sectors. Despite its operational problems, Bolsa Família appears to have been effective in providing short-term relief to some of the most deprived groups in Brazil. Yet it could prove to be a double-edged sword. There is a risk that, due to its popularity among both the poor and Brazil's politicians, Bolsa Família could greatly increase patronage in the distribution of economic and social benefits and induce a strong dependence on government handouts. There are also early signs that it may be contributing to a reduction in social spending in key sectors such as education, housing and basic sanitation, possibly undermining the country's future social and economic development. [source] Word and Reed as Sword and Shield: A Laudation for Edward SaidDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 5 2004Ashwani Saith First page of article [source] The Gun and the Sword: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and the Fiction of Mobilization by Keith GandalTHE F. SCOTT FITZGERALD REVIEW, Issue 1 2009JAMES H. MEREDITH No abstract is available for this article. [source] The Demonology of William of Auvergne: By Fire and Sword , By Thomas B. de MayoTHE HISTORIAN, Issue 4 2009Mary Alberi No abstract is available for this article. [source] PIBF: The Double Edged Sword.AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Pregnancy, Tumor Citation Szekeres-Bartho J, Polgar B. PIBF: The Double Edged Sword. Pregnancy and Tumor. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 64: 77,86 Problem, The role of progesterone-dependent immunomodulation in the maintenance of normal pregnancy. Methods,In vitro and in vivo data on the effect that progesterone and its mediator progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF) exert on the immune functions of pregnant women are reviewed, together with clinical findings. Results, Activated pregnancy lymphocytes express progesterone receptors, which enable progesterone to induce a protein called PIBF. PIBF increases Th2 type cytokine production by signaling via a novel type of IL-4 receptor and activating the Jak/STAT pathway. PIBF inhibits phosholipase A2, thus reduces prostaglandin synthesis. PIBF inhibits perforin release in human decidual lymphocytes and reduces the deleterious effect of high NK activity on murine pregnancy. PIBF production is a characteristic feature of normal human pregnancy, and its concentration is reduced in threatened pregnancies. PIBF mRNA and protein are expressed in a variety of malignant tumors. Inhibition of PIBF synthesis increases survival rates of leukemic mice. Conclusion, Progesterone-induced blocking factor is produced by pregnancy lymphocytes and also by malignant tumors. The PIBF-induced Th2-dominant immune response is favorable during pregnancy but might facilitate tumor growth by suppressing local antitumor immune responses. [source] Humor as a Double-Edged Sword: Four Functions of Humor in CommunicationCOMMUNICATION THEORY, Issue 3 2000John C. Meyer The compelling power of humor makes it a recurrent topic for research in many fields, including communication. Three theories of humor creation emerge in humor research: the relief theory, which focuses on physiological release of tension; the incongruity theory, singling out violations of a rationally learned pattern; and the superiority theory, involving a sense of victory or triumph. Each theory helps to explain the creation of different aspects of humor, but each runs into problems explaining rhetorical applications of humor. Because each theory of humor origin tries to explain all instances of humor, the diverging communication effects of humor remain unexplained. Humor's enactment leads to 4 basic functions of humor in communication. Two tend to unite communicators: the identification and the clarification functions. The other 2 tend to divide 1 set of communicators from others: the enforcement and differentiation functions. Exploration of these effects-based functions of humor will clarify understanding of its use in messages. Humor use unites communicators through mutual identification and clarification of positions and values, while dividing them through enforcement of norms and differentiation of acceptable versus unacceptable behaviors or people. This paradox in the functions of humor in communication as, alternately, a unifier and divider, allows humor use to delineate social boundaries. [source] Hybrid origin of a swordtail species (Teleostei: Xiphophorus clemenciae) driven by sexual selectionMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2006AXEL MEYER Abstract The swordlike exaggerated caudal fin extensions of male swordtails are conspicuous traits that are selected for through female choice. Swords are one of only few examples where the hypothesis of a pre-existing bias is believed to apply for the evolution of a male trait. Previous laboratory experiments demonstrated that females prefer males with longer swords and even females from some swordless species show an affiliation for males of sworded species. Earlier phylogenetic studies based on maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA placed the sworded southern swordtail Xiphophorus clemenciae with swordless platies, contradicting its morphology-based evolutionary affinities. The analyses of new nuclear DNA markers now recover its traditional phylogenetic placement with other southern swordtails, suggesting that this species was formed by an ancient hybridization event. We propose that sexual selection through female choice was the likely process of hybrid speciation, by mating of platy females with males of an ancestral swordtail lineage. In artificial crosses of descendent species from the two potential ancestral lineages of X. clemenciae the hybrid and backcross males have swords of intermediate lengths. Additionally, mate choice experiments demonstrate that hybrid females prefer sworded males. These experimental lines of evidence make hybridization through xeno-specific sexual selection by female choice the likely mechanism of speciation. [source] Chronic lung disease: oxygen dogma revisitedACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2 2001O D Saugstad Since the discovery of retrolental fibroplasia, and the role of oxygen in its development, oxygen has been considered a double-edged sword in neonatal medicine, the utmost care being exercised in order not to give too much oxygen (1). However, the important observation that hypoxaemia might induce pulmonary vasoconstriction (2) and airway constriction (3) in infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia has resulted in only a minor upward adjustment of oxygen supplementation in many neonatal units. Since oxygen toxicity has long been linked not only to retinopathy of prematurity but also to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (4), it is relevant to ask whether an increased FiO2 might have any detrimental effects on babies. [source] Microstructure of a genuine Damascus sabreCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2005A. A. Levin Abstract The surface and cross-section of a genuine Damascus sword was characterised by means of wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques complemented by optical and transmisssion electron microscopy. Position-resolved X-ray phase analysis revealed that, unlike ferrite and martensite, the distribution of cementite is inhomogeneous in different spatial zones parallel to the cutting edge of the blade. For the first time a quantitative X-ray phase and texture analysis was made possible by averaging all spatial zones of the surface and the cross-section of the sword and applying the Rietveld method with code TOPAS. Differences concerning texture and structure characteristics of ferrite, martensite and cementite are discussed. More evidence for the structure of cementite nanowires is supplied. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Brazil's Bolsa Família: A Double-Edged Sword?DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 5 2008Anthony Hall ABSTRACT In common with most Latin American countries, as governments embrace safety nets to attack poverty, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes have become part of mainstream social policy in Brazil. Under president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995,2002), and especially since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003, targeted assistance in education, health and nutrition, now united under Bolsa Família, have expanded rapidly to benefit forty-four million (24 per cent of the total population), absorbing almost two-fifths of the social assistance budget earmarked for the poorest sectors. Despite its operational problems, Bolsa Família appears to have been effective in providing short-term relief to some of the most deprived groups in Brazil. Yet it could prove to be a double-edged sword. There is a risk that, due to its popularity among both the poor and Brazil's politicians, Bolsa Família could greatly increase patronage in the distribution of economic and social benefits and induce a strong dependence on government handouts. There are also early signs that it may be contributing to a reduction in social spending in key sectors such as education, housing and basic sanitation, possibly undermining the country's future social and economic development. [source] Restoration ecology: A two-edged sword?ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION, Issue 3 2002David Goldney No abstract is available for this article. [source] Toll-like receptors' two-edged sword: when immunity meets apoptosisEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 12 2007Bruno Salaun Abstract Toll-like receptors (TLR) have emerged as key players in the detection of pathogens and the induction of anti-microbial immune response. TLR recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns, and trigger anti-microbial innate immune responses ranging from the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators to the increase of natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Besides activating the innate immune response, TLR engagement also shapes the adaptive immune response. Indeed, the broad diversity of signaling pathways initiated by TLR is progressively unraveled. Recent reports suggested that among the anti-microbial defenses they initiate, members of the TLR family can induce apoptosis. This review focuses on this newly described function of TLR, and emphasizes the similarities and differences between the different apoptosis-signaling pathways described downstream of TLR. The functional relevance of TLR-triggered apoptosis is also discussed, as therapeutic applications are likely to ensue in the near future. [source] Multiple pathology and tails of disability: Space,time structure of disability in longevityGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2003Satoru Matsushita Disability and the resulting lowered quality of life are serious issues accompanying increased longevity. Curiously, despite its potential contribution to aging theory, complete statistical and etiological structures of this common and unwelcome aging phenotype before death have not been well identified. Another neglected issue in aging and disability is the principles of phylogenesis and morphogenesis, which contemporary life science invariably starts with. In the present review these two related subjects are addressed, with an introduction of an analysis on patients and published data. Statistically rigorous log,normal and normal distributions distinguish disability for its duration and age-wise distribution, respectively. Multiple pathology and diverse effects of various endogenous diseases on disability are confirmed. The robust long-tailed log,normal distribution for various phases of disability validates the fact that patients in disability undergo series of stochastic subprocesses of many independent endogenous diseases until death. For 60% of patients, the log,normal distribution is mimicked by a random walk model. Diseases of core organs are major causes of the long tails. A declining force of natural selection after reproduction and trade-off of life history through pleiotropy of the genes are considered to be the roots of aging. The attenuated selection pressure and the resulting decrease of genetic constraints produce an increased opportunity for chance and stochastics. Elucidated stochastic behaviors of disability underscore the key role of chance in aging. Evolutionary modifications in the development of the structure tend to favor developmentally later stages first. Distal parts are developmentally last, therefore most subject to modification. The rate of molecular evolution of the genes is also found to be relatively slow at the core and rapid at the edge of cells and organs. Therefore, systems at the core must be relatively slow and inactive to comply with pleiotropy and trade-offs in comparison with systems at the edge. Hence, against flat and probabilistic aging, the core organs must be moulded to be more robust with a lower threshold for dysfunction, to age relatively slowly, and should have less of a disease quota in aging. The principle of core protective aging assures possibilities not only to reduce disability but also to accomplish the Third Age as well. Finally, it must also be acknowledged that the principle is a double-edged sword. Paradoxically, the developed biological and societal organization provides protection for the injured core, and so develops long tails of disability. The principle of core protective aging re-emphasizes the key role of prevention in order to reduce the amount of disability. [source] Distant warriors, distant peace workers?GLOBAL NETWORKS, Issue 4 2008Multiple diaspora roles in Sri Lanka's violent conflict Abstract This article provides a critical, empirically based analysis of the multiple ways in which diaspora communities participate in transnational politics related to their war-affected former home countries. The case of Sri Lanka , and the Tamil and Sinhalese diasporas in the West , is used to illustrate how contemporary armed conflicts are increasingly waged in an international arena. Active diaspora groups have enabled an extension of nationalist mobilization, hostilities and polarization across the globe. Diaspora actors take part in propaganda work and fundraising in support of the belligerent parties in Sri Lanka, while the polarization between Sinhalese and Tamils is to a large extent replicated in the diaspora. However, there are also examples of diaspora groups that challenge war and militarism, for instance by calling for non-violent conflict resolution, condemning atrocities by both sides, and engaging in cross-ethnic dialogue. The article also argues that diaspora engagement in reconstruction of war-torn areas can be a double-edged sword, as it can reproduce , or reduce , grievances and inequalities that fuel the conflict. By discussing the many ways in which diasporas engage in homeland politics, the article challenges simplified understandings of diasporas as either,warriors'or,peace workers' in relation to their homeland conflicts. [source] Machine Politics and Democracy: The Deinstitutionalization of the Argentine Party System1GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 4 2008Gerardo Scherlis This article contends that intra-party dynamics based on particularistic exchanges constitute a double-edged sword for a political system. On the one hand, they provide party leaders with strategic flexibility, which can be essential for their party stability and for the governability of the political system. On the other hand, in permitting office holders to switch policies whenever they consider fit, these dynamics render governments unpredictable and unaccountable in partisan terms, thus debasing the quality of democratic representation. The hypothesis is illustrated by recent Argentine political development. [source] Structure and biology of complement protein C3, a connecting link between innate and acquired immunityIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2001Arvind Sahu Summary: Complement protein C3 is a central molecule in the complement system whose activation is essential for all the important functions performed by this system. After four decades of research it is now well established that C3 functions like a double-edged sword: on the one hand it promotes phagocytosis, supports local inflammatory responses against pathogens, and instructs the adaptive immune response to select the appropriate antigens for a humoral response; on the other hand its unregulated activation leads to host cell damage. In addition, its interactions with the proteins of foreign pathogens may provide a mechanism by which these microorganisms evade complement attack. Therefore, a clear knowledge of the molecule and its interactions at the molecular level not only may allow the rational design of molecular adjuvants but may also lead to the development of complement inhibitors and new therapeutic agents against infectious diseases. A.S. is a Wellcome Trust Overseas Senior Research Fellow in Biomedical Science in India. This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants AI 30040, GM 56698, HL28220, and AI 48487. [source] Life and death within germinal centres: a double-edged swordIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Liliana Guzman-Rojas Summary Within germinal centres, B lymphocytes are destined to die by apoptosis via Fas signalling, unless they are positively rescued by antigen and by signals initiated by CD40,CD154 interactions. Thus, while the germinal centre microenvironment can become a virtual graveyard for most B lymphocytes that fail to bind antigen with high affinity, it concomitantly provides the necessary stimuli for the survival of cells that successfully accomplish affinity maturation. Such dichotomy in the physiology of germinal centre reaction that results in survival of the functional B-cell repertoire and the elimination of abnormal cells, dictates the fate towards B-cell homeostasis or disease. Consequently, the death and survival-signalling arms within germinal centres predominantly reside on the timely and controlled expression of Fas and its ligand (FasL), and CD40 and CD154, respectively. In keeping with this notion, lymphoproliferation or deficient immunity are documented landmarks of inactivation of either the Fas/FasL or CD40/CD154 signalling pathways. The present review considers two different scenarios in the control of B-cell survival and death within germinal centres. The first is an idealistic scenario, in which a discriminatory and co-ordinate signalling initiated by the CD40/CD154 and Fas/FasL pairs, respectively, leads the rescue of the functional B-cell repertoire and the elimination of the abnormal phenotype. The second is a gloomy scenario in which both the lack and the hyperexpression of either receptor/ligand pairs, are seen as equally deleterious. [source] The family vacation: a double-edged swordINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2003Nancy Chesworth No abstract is available for this article. [source] "Spontaneous" Interethnic Order: The Emergence of Collective, Path-Dependent CooperationINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2000Badredine Arfi Can "spontaneous," decentralized interethnic cooperation emerge among ethnic groups whose members heavily discount future interethnic relations and do not fear punishment for interethnic noncooperation? Why is it that once the interaction between two ethnic groups evolves along a certain (cooperative or conflictual) path it sometimes becomes harder for the interacting groups to reverse course and seek alternative paths? The answer to these two questions lies in the fact that individual members not only are always calculative and could hence act opportunistically, but also are interdependent and can learn from one another. Because the members of interacting groups operate interdependently they thereby create collective nonlinear path dependence. Using a social game (within evolutionary game theory) the article shows counterintuitively that the emergence of collective, nonlinear path dependence within and across ethnic groups whose members heavily discount the future and face no punishment for interethnic noncooperation makes "spontaneous" decentralized interethnic cooperation a long-run equilibrium. Collective cooperation can thus develop path-dependently among ethnic groups without a Damocles' sword of any sort hanging over their members' heads, even when most individuals are shortsighted and opportunistic. [source] The complement cascade: Yin,Yang in neuroinflammation , neuro-protection and -degenerationJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2008Jessy John Alexander Abstract The complement cascade has long been recognized to play a key role in inflammatory and degenerative diseases. It is a ,double edged' sword as it is necessary to maintain health, yet can have adverse effects when unregulated, often exacerbating disease. The contrasting effects of complement, depending on whether in a setting of health or disease, is the price paid to achieve flexibility in scope and degree of a protective response for the host from infection and injury. Loss or even decreased efficiency of critical regulatory control mechanisms can result in aggravated inflammation and destruction of self-tissue. The role of the complement cascade is poorly understood in the nervous system and neurological disorders. Novel studies have demonstrated that the expression of complement proteins in brain varies in different cell types and the effects of complement activation in various disease settings appear to differ. Understanding the functioning of this cascade is essential, as it has therapeutic implications. In this review, we will attempt to provide insight into how this complex cascade functions and to identify potential strategic targets for therapeutic intervention in chronic diseases as well as acute injury in the CNS. [source] Microsatellites in the genus Xiphophorus, developed in Xiphophorus montezumaeMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 1 2002J. Seckinger Abstract Species of the genus Xiphophorus (swordtails and platies) are of great interest for the study of evolution of sexually selected traits like the sword, which is an elongation of ventral fin rays of the male caudal fin, that has evolved in several species within this genus. The detection of 10 microsatellites within the genus Xiphophorus will enable studies about the correlation of this trait with sexual reproductive success of males possessing swords of different lengths. These microsatellites will also be useful in determining population structure and enable paternity analysis in these species, where sperm storage is widespread. [source] The tale of the sword , swords and swordfighters in Bronze Age EuropeOXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Kristian Kristiansen In this article it is demonstrated through empirical observation that Bronze Age swords were functional and efficient weapons. Their use in real combat is testified by recurring patterns of blade damage and resharpening. Furthermore, ritual depositions of swords with unrepaired scars on the blade demonstrate the prehistoric roots of the Celtic,Germanic,Greek ritual of sacrificing weapons after a victorious fight. [source] "Peace Is the Concern of Every Mother": Communist and Social Democratic Women's Antiwar Activism in British Columbia, 1948,1960PEACE & CHANGE, Issue 4 2010Brian T. Thorn This article discusses the antiwar activism of Canadian women within two left-wing political movements: the revolutionary Communist Party of Canada and the social democratic Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation. The piece focuses on the period from 1948 to 1960, which is often seen as a time of retreat for the feminist movement in North America. This article engages in a critical dialogue with the concept of "maternalism," the notion that women had a special responsibility to speak out against wars and international conflicts that threatened the lives of the world's children and the husbands, brothers, and sons who would be killed in future wars. Maternalist ideology represented a double-edged sword for these left-wing women and for feminism. On one hand, it offered them a route into radical protest against war and capitalism. On the other hand, in its portrayal of women as "natural" wives and mothers, maternalism, at least in the short term, failed to advance women's equality. Nonetheless, this article concludes that, given the conservative context of the time, maternalism was a useful strategy for the left as well as for feminism. [source] Gene therapy flexes muscleTHE JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE, Issue 9 2005A European Society of Gene Therapy commentary on progress in gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Abstract This commentary highlights the promising results of recent studies in animal models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that have clearly demonstrated the potential of gene therapy for tackling these diseases. In the absence of effective drugs or other treatments, these advances in gene therapy technology represent the best hope for those patients and families that are blighted by these diseases. Background Diseases characterized by progressive muscle degeneration are often incurable and affect a relatively large number of individuals. The progressive deterioration of muscle function is like the sword of Damocles that constantly reminds patients suffering from these diseases of their tragic fate, since most of them will eventually die from cardiac or pulmonary dysfunction. Some of these disorders are due to mutations in genes that directly influence the integrity of muscle fibers, such as in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a recessive X-linked genetic disease. Others result from a progressive neurodegeneration of the motoneurons that are essential for maintaining muscle function, such as in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The genetic basis of DMD is relatively well understood as it is due to mutations in the dystrophin gene that encodes the cognate sarcolemmal protein. In contrast, the cause of ALS is poorly defined, with the exception of some dominantly inherited familial cases of ALS that are due to gain-of-function mutations in the gene encoding superoxide dismutase (SODG93A). Gene therapy for these disorders has been hampered by the inability to achieve widespread gene transfer. Moreover, since familial ALS is due to a dominant gain-of-function mutation, inhibition of gene expression (rather than gene augmentation) would be required to correct the phenotype, which is particularly challenging. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Salvage Surgery for Patients With Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract: When Do the Ends Justify the Means?,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue S93 2000W. Jarrard Goodwin Jr. MD Abstract Objectives/Hypotheses: Salvage surgery is widely viewed as a "double-edged sword." It is the best option for many patients with recurrent cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract, especially when original therapy included irradiation, yet it may provide only modest benefit at high personal cost to the patient. The stakes are high because alternatives are of limited value. The primary objective of this study was to fully assess the value of salvage surgical procedures in the treatment of local and regional recurrence. The following hypotheses were developed to focus the study design and data analysis. 1) The efficacy of salvage surgery correlates recurrent stage, recurrent site, and time to presalvage recurrence. 2) The economic and noneconomic costs of salvage surgery increase with higher recurrent stage. 3) Information relating the value of salvage surgery to recurrent stage and recurrent site will be useful to these patients and the physicians who treat them. Study Design: Two complimentary methods of investigation were used: a meta-analysis of the published literature and a prospective observational study of patients undergoing salvage surgery for recurrent cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract. Methods: The meta-analysis combined 32 published reports to obtain an estimate of average treatment effect for salvage surgery with regard to survival, disease-free survival, surgical complications, and operative mortality. The prospective observational study included detailed data in 109 patients who underwent salvage surgery. In addition to parameters studied in the meta-analysis, we obtained baseline and interval quality of life data (Functional Living Index for Cancer [FLIC] scores), baseline and interval performance status evaluations (Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer Patients [PSS head and neck scores]), length of hospital stay, and hospital and physician charges, and related this data primarily to recurrent stage, recurrent site, and time to presalvage recurrence. Results: The weighted average of 5-year survival in the meta-analysis was 39% in 1,080 patients from 28 different institutions. In the prospective study, median disease-free survival was 17.9 months in 109 patients, and this correlated strongly with recurrent stage, weakly with recurrent site, and not at all with time to presalvage recurrence. Noneconomic costs for patients and economic costs correlated with recurrent stage, but not with site. Baseline FLIC and PSS head and neck scores correlated with recurrent stage, but not with site. After salvage surgery the percentage of patients reaching or exceeding baseline was 51% for FLIC scores, and this differed significantly with recurrent stage. Postoperative interval "success" in PSS head and neck subscale scores for diet and eating in public also correlated with recurrent stage. Conclusions: Overall, the expected efficacy for salvage surgery in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer was surprisingly good, but success was limited and costs were great in stage III and, especially, in stage IV recurrences. A strong correlation of efficacy and noneconomic costs with recurrent stage allowed the creation of expectation profiles that may be useful to patients. Additional systematic clinical research is needed to improve results. In the end, the decision to undergo salvage surgery should be a personal choice made by the patient after honest and compassionate discussion with his or her surgeon. [source] Demanding Service or Servicing Demand?THE MODERN LAW REVIEW, Issue 2 2008Charities, Regulation, the Policy Process Charities in the Victorian era were characterised by the notions of service and pressure, acting as a shield and a sword for social change. Charities continue to pursue such policies, but do so at the behest of state agendas on public service provision and civic engagement. This article examines the regulatory and policy challenges of the service and pressure dynamic, focusing upon the provision of public services by charities, considering the decision of the Charity Commission in the cases of Trafford and Wigan, and the hurdles faced by charities wishing to pursue a political agenda alongside the state's concern with protecting against terrorism. The article concludes by considering the arbitrary choice made within the regulatory framework between acceptable and unacceptable political conduct and the focus upon good governance in charities and the issues which arise under section 6(3)(b) of the Human Rights Act 1998. [source] Three-Dimensional Anatomy of the Temporal Bone in Normal MiceANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 4 2009J. H. Lee Summary This study was performed to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the murine temporal bone and to provide a survey atlas of the temporal bone structures in mice. The temporal bones of adult BALB/c mice were examined and 3D high-resolution reconstructions of the temporal bone were obtained using a micro-CT system. Using the system described here, the bony labyrinth and membranous labyrinth could be investigated in a non-destructive manner. The turning rate of the cochlea was two (human rate: two and a half). The shapes of the superior and posterior semicircular canals were more flexed than those in humans. The malleus manubrium was directed anteriorly and was thin and fan-shaped like a Persian sword. The size of the incus relative to the malleus was smaller than that in the human ossicles. The 3D reconstruction of murine temporal bone described in this study provides anatomical information that will be useful in future studies using mouse model. [source] Deciphering the swordtail's tale: a molecular and evolutionary questBIOESSAYS, Issue 2 2004Adam S. Wilkins The power of sexual selection to influence the evolution of morphological traits was first proposed more than 130 years ago by Darwin. Though long a controversial idea, it has been documented in recent decades for a host of animal species. Yet few of the established sexually selected features have been explored at the level of their genetic or molecular foundations. In a recent report, Zauner et al.1 describe some of the molecular features associated with one of the best characterized of sexually selected traits, the male-specific tail "sword" seen in certain species of the fish genus Xiphophorus. Zauner et al. find that the msxC gene, a gene previously implicated in fin development from work in zebrafish, is dramatically and specifically upregulated in the development of the ventral caudal fin rays, which give rise to the sword, in males. The results provide the first molecular insight into the development of this sexually selected trait while prompting new questions about the structure of the entire genetic network that underlies this trait. To fully understand the molecular-genetic and evolutionary history of this network, however, it will be essential to determine whether sword-development is a basal or derived trait in Xiphophorus. BioEssays 26:116,119, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Corporate Governance in China,Is Economic Growth Potential Hindered by Guanxi?BUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW, Issue 4 2005UDO C. BRAENDLE Despite the opening of the market and partial privatization of state-owned companies in China, the state still represents the controlling shareholder in larger companies. By analyzing the weaknesses of Chinese corporate governance we illustrate the framework for harmful corruption. China is characterized by a weak legal system and strong influences of traditions such as guanxi. In this article we analyze the influence of guanxi on the Chinese corporate governance system. We find that guanxi is in general a double-edged sword, but business-to-government guanxi in particular can harm the weak Chinese corporate governance system and hamper its further economic development and growth. [source] La dialectique de la surveillance et le nouveau régime d'assurancemédicaments au QuébecCANADIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION/ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE DU CANADA, Issue 2 2003Christian Boudreau Sommaire: Les travaux sur la surveillance ont surtout mis en évidence le pouvoir administratif croissant des organisations modernes, principalement 1'État et I'entreprise privée. La présente étude prend le contre-pied de ces travaux. Elle montre que certains systèmes de surveillance, en particulier les banques de données de la Régie de I'assurance-maladie du Québec, peuvent contribuer à la transparence et a I'imputabilité des décisions gouvemementales lors de l'élaboration et de la mise en euvre des politiques publiques. C'est le cas du nouveau régime d'assurance-médicaments au Québec qui, par sa transparence, a permis à des agents de la société civile d'exercer à leur tour une surveillance sur 1'État. Comme I'indique notre étude, l'éitat peut être à la fois un puissant agent de surveillance et un agent étroitement surveillé et publiquement imputable. L'étude montre aussi que la surveillance peut être une arme à double tranchant non seulement pour les dirigeants de I'État, mais aussi pour les agents sociaux qui leur résistent, d'oú l'importance d'être vigilant dans le déploiement de la surveillance. Abstract: Work undertaken on monitoring activities has, for the most part, highlighted the increasing administrative authority of modern organizations, mainly that of the government and of private corporations. This study takes the opposing view of such work. It shows that monitoring systems, more specifically the Régie de l'assurance-maladie du Québec databases, can contribute to the transparency and accountability of government decisions in developing and implementing public policies. Such is the case with the new Prescription Drug Insurance Plan in Quebec, the transparency of which afforded civil-society officials the opportunity to monitor the government. As the study shows, the government can be both a powerful monitoring agent and a closely monitored and publicly accountable one. The study also shows that monitoring can be a double-edged sword, not only for government officials but also for social-agency officials who stand up to them, hence the importance of exercising great care when performing monitoring activities. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||