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Why do foreign militaries attack some insurgencies and not others? Although foreign involvement in civil conflicts is on the rise, many insurgencies are not targeted militarily by external powers. Current research suggests organizations that are lethal or that attack democracies should be targeted more often. We argue that organizations that have vital markers of capabilities, such as alliances with other violent non-state actors (VNSAs) and territorial control, and the ability to attack members of a powerful country, in this case, U.S. citizens at home or abroad, are more likely to be targeted. Our empirical analysis supports this contention: we use a logistic regression model and, in post-estimation, predicted probabilities and a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) model to understand the effect of potential factors on international military interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does foreign aid reduce violence during ongoing wars? In the policy community, there has been growing optimism about the prospect for aid to improve conflict-affected and fragile areas. We investigate whether foreign aid decreases, or even increases, violence during ongoing armed conflict. We advance a theoretical argument that concentrated foreign assistance allocated during ongoing armed conflicts increases military fatalities but decreases civilian fatalities. Using geographically coded data on all sub-Saharan African countries in conflict between 1989 and 2008, within a matching frontier design and supplemented by instrumental variable analysis, we find strong substantive and statistical support for our expectations about military conflict intensity though less support for the expectations about civilian fatalities. The paper provides novel insights about the effects of concentrated aid on military versus civilian conflict intensity, characterizes the effects at a sub-national level, and expands the spatial-temporal period of the analysis. We also probe the plausibility of the causal mechanism using interview evidence drawn from ex-commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army and generals of the Ugandan People's Defence Forces in northern Uganda. The paper offers both academic and policy insights, including that foreign aid allocated during ongoing wars may be more problematic than it is helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leg-length discrepancy (LLD) presents a significant management challenge to orthopedic surgeons and remains a leading cause of patient dissatisfaction and litigation after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Over or under-lengthening of the operative extremity has been shown to have inferior outcomes, such as dislocation, exacerbation of back pain and sciatica, and general dissatisfaction postoperatively. The management of LLD in the setting of THA is multifactorial, and must be taken into consideration in the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative settings. In our review, we aim to summarize the best available practices and techniques for minimizing LLD through each of these phases of care. Pre-operatively, we provide an overview of the appropriate radiographic studies to be obtained and their interpretation, as well as considerations to be made when templating. Intra-operatively, we discuss several techniques for the assessment of limb length in real time, and post-operatively, we discuss both operative and non-operative management of LLD. By providing a summary of the best available practices and strategies for mitigating the impact of a perceived LLD in the setting of THA, we hope to maximize the potential for an excellent surgical and clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the annual incidence of hip fractures and hip fracture fixation rising, the need for conversion total hip arthroplasty has also risen. About half of the 280,000 hip fractures that occur annually in the United States are extracapsular. Commonly extracapsular hip fractures are treated with either cephalomedullary nails (CMNs) or sliding hip screws (SHS). More recently, there has been a shift toward increased CMN use due to increased training with this fixation method as well as perioperative and biomechanical benefits. Given this shift, orthopedic surgeons need to understand the factors that lead to CMN failure. Failed CMN treatment leaves both patients and surgeons with few management options including revision fixation with or without osteotomy, conversion total hip arthroplasty, and conversion hemiarthroplasty. Surgeons must consider the patient and injury characteristics before deciding the best treatment plan. Conversion total hip arthroplasty is indicated in younger patients without femoral head and/or acetabular articular injury, degenerative joint disease, or avascular necrosis. Conversion total arthroplasty is a technically demanding and resource-intensive surgery associated with lower success rates and outcomes than primary total hip arthroplasty. Orthopedic surgeons should have thorough understanding of preoperative workup needed prior to surgery, implant selection associated with best outcomes, most common surgical approaches used, intraoperative considerations, and complications associated with conversion total hip arthroplasty. A comprehensive understanding of these concepts gives patients the best chance of having a successful outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of recent climate change are accelerating permafrost thaw, including ice‐rich landscapes of the western Canadian Arctic. However, regional drivers of permafrost slope failure in hillslopes with warm, thin permafrost remain poorly understood. Repeat satellite imagery (1984–2020) indicates rapid increases in retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) and deep‐seated permafrost landslides (DSPLs) since 2004, indicating a change in slope stability thresholds in an area that otherwise appeared thaw stable. The widespread occurrence of DSPL represents a contrasting geomorphic response to the RTS‐dominated ice‐rich permafrost landscapes. In this study area, RTS and DSPL occur predominantly in areas that were burned by forest fires in the 1990s, indicating a legacy thermal disturbance that preconditioned permafrost hillslopes for failure. The relations between historic fires and the later development of widespread permafrost slope failures represent an outstanding example of the complex interactions between inherited landscape sensitivity in ice‐rich terrain and ongoing climate change. Plain Language Summary: We characterize the type and nature of permafrost slope failures in the central Mackenzie Valley, NWT and find hillslope failures have increased rapidly over the past ∼15 years. This growth occurred in conjunction with increasing air temperatures and summer precipitation but the distribution of permafrost slope failures in this area is largely constrained by forest fire extents that affected the area in the 1990s. These fires have led to increased landscape sensitivity of this ice‐rich terrain through their impacts on ground temperatures. Key Points: Recent increases in permafrost mass‐wasting frequency (278%) and magnitude (602%) reveal a permafrost landscape in geomorphic transitionMore than 80% of failures occur in areas burned in the 1990sCompounding effects of legacy thermal disturbance and climate drivers of thaw likely to increase slope instability of warm permafrost [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(C) The fracture is closer to the stemmed femoral TKA implant than the THA, with loose implants (hip, knee, or both) and viable bone between the prostheses. Type A denotes well-fixed hip and knee prostheses, Type B a loose hip prosthesis and well-fixed knee prosthesis, Type C a well-fixed hip prosthesis and loose knee prosthesis, and Type D loose hip and knee prostheses (Figs. (D) The fracture is closer to the stemmed femoral TKA implant than the THA, with loose implants (hip, knee, or both) and nonviable bone between prostheses. (B) The fracture is closer to the stemmed femoral TKA implant than the THA; both the THA and the TKA are well fixed, with nonviable bone between prostheses. [Extracted from the article]

Case: An 11-month-old boy was brought to the emergency department because he was refusing to use his right arm. X-rays demonstrated an anteroinferior Salter-Harris I fracture-dislocation of the proximal humeral epiphysis. Closed reduction with sedation was unsuccessful, so open reduction under general anesthesia was pursued. At 2 years, the patient has made a full recovery. Conclusion: Pediatric shoulder fracture-dislocations are rare. Clinicians must have a high index of suspicion for nonaccidental trauma when evaluating such injuries. When this injury is encountered in patients younger than 1 year, open reduction of the proximal humeral epiphysis can be a successful treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinguishing between direct and indirect frequency coupling is an important aspect of functional connectivity analyses because this distinction can determine if two brain regions are directly connected. Although partial coherence quantifies partial frequency coupling in the linear Gaussian case, we introduce a general framework that can address even the nonlinear and non-Gaussian case. Our technique, partial generalized coherence (PGC), expands prior work by allowing pairwise frequency coupling analyses to be conditioned on other processes, enabling model-free partial frequency coupling results. By taking advantage of recent advances in conditional mutual information estimation, we are able to implement our technique in a way that scales well with dimensionality, making it possible to condition on many processes and produce a partial frequency coupling graph. We analyzed both linear Gaussian and nonlinear simulated networks. We then performed PGC analysis of calcium recordings from mouse olfactory bulb glomeruli under anesthesia and quantified the dominant influence of breathing-related activity on the pairwise relationships between glomeruli for breathing-related frequencies. Overall, we introduce a technique capable of eliminating indirect frequency coupling in a model-free way, empowering future research to correct for potentially misleading frequency interactions in functional connectivity analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caring for an injured, pregnant patient can be a management challenge. We report the case of an 18-year-old female who sustained a left acetabulum fracture with a concurrent hip dislocation at 35 weeks' gestation following a motor vehicle accident. Through an interdisciplinary, team-based approach, the patient was guided through obstetric delivery and orthopedic surgical fracture fixation without complication. By being familiar with the unique challenges in management posed by pregnant patients, orthopedic surgeons can be better equipped to minimize morbidity and mortality in this patient population while maximizing clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lawns must be managed increasingly under less frequent or deficit irrigation. Deficit irrigation can reduce gas exchange, carbon assimilation, and physiological function in both warm- (C4) and cool- (C3) season turfgrasses, yet limited research has compared the physiological response to increasing levels of soil water deficit. The objectives of this greenhouse study were to compare three commonly used transitionzone turfgrasses--bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] (C4), buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] (C4), and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) (C3)--and their ability to maintain quality and physiological function under water deficit stress. Visual turf quality, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), reflective canopy temperature, and gross photosynthesis were evaluated initially near field capacity (FC), and subsequent soil water deficit [48% (moderate) and 33% (severe) of plant-available water] conditions. Bermudagrass and tall fescue had similar quality ratings near FC, although the photosynthetic rate was greater for bermudagrass. Compared with other turfgrasses, bermudagrass maintained greater turf quality, NDVI, and photosynthetic rates further into water deficit stress. Tall fescue quality and photosynthetic rates declined most rapidly in both experiments as a result of the combined heat and drought stress. Buffalograss used less water compared with other species, and maintained consistent turf quality, NDVI, and photosynthetic rates under moderate and severe water deficit. These results support the notion that buffalograss and bermudagrass are better adapted than tall fescue at maintaining functional and ecosystem services with shallow soil depths in landscape situations under imposed summertime water restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), members had similar access to care and a very high overall rate of hypertension control. However, blacks had poorer blood pressure (BP) control than whites. The Shake Rattle & Roll (SRR) trial aimed to improve BP control rates in blacks and to reduce disparities in hypertension control. Methods SRR was a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted at an urban medical center. All 98 adult primary care physicians (PCP) and their panels of hypertensive black patients were randomized, stratified by panel size, to one of three arms: 1) Usual Care (n = 33 PCPs, N = 1129 patients); 2) Enhanced Monitoring arm with an emphasis on improving pharmacotherapy protocol adherence (n = 34 PCPs, N = 349 patients); or 3) Lifestyle arm with a culturally tailored diet and lifestyle coaching intervention focusing on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan (n = 31 PCPs, N = 286 patients). The intervention period was for 12-months post-enrollment. Follow-up was planned for one and three years post-intervention completion. Primary outcome measure was the proportion of participants with controlled BP, defined as <140/90 mmHg, at 12-months post-enrollment. Secondary outcome included adverse cardiovascular events. An intention-to-treat analysis was carried out as the primary analysis. Conclusion SRR was a uniquely designed trial that included components from both pragmatic and explanatory methods. The pragmatic aspects allow for a more cost-effective way to conduct a clinical trial and easier implementation of successful interventions into clinical practice. However, there were also challenges of having mixed methodology with regards to trial conduction and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantar fibromatosis (Ledderhose disease) is a rare, benign, hyperproliferative fibrous tissue disorder resulting in the formation of nodules along the plantar fascia. This condition can be locally aggressive, and often results in pain, functional disability, and decreased quality of life. Diagnosis is primarily clinical, but MRI and ultrasound are useful confirmatory adjuncts. Given the benign nature of this condition, treatment has historically involved symptomatic management. A multitude of conservative treatment strategies supported by varying levels of evidence have been described mostly in small-scale trials. These therapies include steroid injections, verapamil, radiation therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, tamoxifen, and collagenase. When conservative measures fail, surgical removal of fibromas and adjacent plantar fascia is often done, although recurrence is common. This review aims to provide a broad overview of the clinical features of this disease as well as the current treatment strategies being employed in the management of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 9/11, entertainment media has focused on depictions of terrorism and counterterrorism. How do dramatic depictions of counterterrorism practices—specifically torture—affect public opinion and policy? Using a mixed within-subjects and between-subjects experimental design, we examine how framing affects support for torture. Participants (n = 150) were randomly assigned to a condition for dramatic depictions showing torture as (a) effective, (b) ineffective, or (c) not present (control). Participants who saw torture as effective increased their stated support for it. Participants who saw torture—regardless of whether or not it was effective—were more likely to sign a petition on torture. We discuss the policy implications of our findings on how framing affects opinion and action regarding torture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CT is considered the first-line study for acute intracranial injury in children because of its availability, detection of acute hemorrhage, and lack of sedation. An MRI study with rapidly acquired sequences can obviate the need for sedation and radiation. We compared the detection rate of rapid non-sedated brain MRI to CT for traumatic head injury in young children. We reviewed a series of children 6 years of age or less who presented to our ED during a 5-year period with head trauma and received a non-sedated brain MRI and CT within 24 h of injury. Most MRI studies were limited to triplane T2 and susceptibility sequences. Two neuroradiologists reviewed the MRIs and CTs and assessed the following findings: fracture, epidural hematoma (EDH)/subdural hematoma (SDH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and parenchymal injury. Thirty of 33 patients had radiologically identified traumatic injuries. There was an overall agreement of 82 % between the two modalities. Skull fracture was the only injury subtype which had a statistically significant difference in detection between CT and MRI (p = 0.0001), with MRI missing 14 of 21 fractures detected on CT. While not statistically significant, MRI had a higher detection rate of EDH/SDH (p = 0.34), SAH (p = 0.07), and parenchymal injuries (p = 0.50). Non-sedated MRI has similar detection rates to CT for intracranial injury in young children presenting with acute head trauma and may be an alternative to CT in select patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study builds on prior cross-national criminological literature by using disaggregated measures of democracy, notably rule of law, to examine the influence key components of democracy have on homicide rates. To assess this relationship, the current study uses two measures of rule of law: (a) a measurement of an independent judiciary; (b) a measurement of “Law and Order Tradition” from the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG). Findings indicate that the measures of rule of law have a significant negative effect on homicide rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research published within the issue that assessed the effectiveness of high-profile targeted killings in the war on terror. Topics covered include efficacy versus morality of targeted killings, the moral and legal aspects of targeting the leaders of terrorist groups such as the al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, and evidence-based policy recommendations to deter future terrorist attacks.

Alfalfa ( Medicago Sativa L.) is increasingly adopted in the southeastern USA as a companion crop in bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon L.) pastures, where poultry litter is excessively used as source of N fertilizer. This research explores the extent of genetic variation in phosphorus (P) accumulation and uptake in alfalfa germplasm grown in a soil heavily amended with poultry waste, and the expected genetic gain from selection for P accumulation and uptake. Eighteen commercial and experimental populations of alfalfa were evaluated in a soil, heavily amended with chicken litter. The soil pH was 6.8 and Mehlich-1 P content was 1039.7 kg ha. Significant genetic variation was observed in P accumulation, forage yield, and P uptake and removal (p < 0.01). Harvest dates effect was significant (p < 0.01), but little interaction of genotypes x harvest date. Narrow sense heritability estimates based on family-means were 0.50 for P concentration, 0.25 for biomass yield, and 0.74 for P uptake. Genetic gain from selection for forage yield based on family means was much higher than that of selection based on individual pots (40 vs. 16 %). For P uptake, gain from selection was 7 % higher using selection based on family means compared to individual pot basis (46 vs. 53 %, respectively). The data suggests that it is possible to make reasonable progress in improving P uptake in alfalfa by selection methods that take advantage of the additive genetic variation such as family selection, whether selecting indirectly for high forage yield or concurrently for P concentration and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil war combatants use terrorism frequently, yet we understand little about terrorism's effects on war resolution. It is assumed that the primary combatants to a war hold a veto over resolution, but less attention has been devoted to whether the use of terrorism can derail peace agreements. We contend that even terrorism, a generally low intensity form of violence, can make civil war peace processes less likely to conclude in a peaceful, durable resolution. Using a new and large geographically coded database of terrorism in civil wars, we find that the use of terrorism can spoil peace processes by prolonging the duration of a war hastening the time until recurrence. Our argument and results add to the literature on civil wars by explicating the process linking terrorism to war duration and outcome. More generally, the results underscore the importance of investigating different varieties of political violence during civil conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approach to the synthesis of sulfonamides from sulfamoyl inner salts and organometallic species is presented. A range of sulfamoyl carbamates, amines, and metals are explored. Primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl-, aryl-, and heteroaryllitihium and magnesium nucleophiles were successful. This approach yields bench-stable intermediates and avoids many of the functional group incompatibilities, regioselectivity issues, and high-energy reagents generally associated with the synthesis of sulfonamides. Additionally, the products may be purified by basic extraction or salt formation, avoiding chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the winter 2010/11 Persistent Cold-Air Pool Study in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, a laser ceilometer was used to continuously measure aerosol-layer characteristics in support of an investigation of the meteorological processes producing the cold-air pools. A surface-based aerosol layer was present during much of the winter. Comparisons were made between ceilometer-measured and visual characteristics of the aerosol layers. A 3-4 January 2011 case study illustrated the meteorological value of time-height backscatter cross sections when used as a base map for meteorological analyses. A variety of meteorological mixing processes were illustrated using ceilometer backscatter data. The mean altitude of the top of the aerosol layer during undisturbed subperiods of the 1 December-7 February experimental period was 1811 m MSL, with a standard deviation of 185 m. The mean aerosol depth was ~500 m AGL in the 1200-m-deep valley. There was surprisingly little variation in the wintertime aerosol layer depth despite large variations in bulk atmospheric stability and ground-based fine particulate matter concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel NIR and SWIR optically responsive nanostructured complex in the form of a Au isleted chalcogenide substrate is reported. The optical response is directly related to the plasmonic coupling islets that decorate the surface of the chalcogenide substrate and environmental refractive index dynamics due to the inclusion of the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICU patients typically are given large amounts of fluid and often develop oedema. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the oedema would change inter-electrode resistance and, thus, require a different approach to using non-invasive electrical stimulation of nerves to assess muscle force. Inter-electrode tissue resistance in the lower leg was measured by applying a 300 µs constant current pulse and measuring the current through and voltage across the stimulating electrodes. The protocol was administered to nine ICU patients with oedema, eight surgical patients without oedema and eight healthy controls. No significant difference in inter-electrode resistance was found between the three groups. For all groups, resistance decreased as stimulation current increased. In conclusion, inter-electrode resistance in ICU patients with severe oedema is the same as the resistance in regular surgical patients and healthy controls. This means that non-invasive nerve stimulation devices do not need to be designed to accommodate different resistances when used with oedema patients; however, surface stimulation does require higher current levels with oedema patients because of the increased distance between the skin surface and the targeted nerve or muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional wisdom suggests that dissident groups use terrorism when they face an overwhelmingly more powerful state, yet attacks in developing countries have predominated in the post-Cold War era, suggesting that terrorism is an increasingly weak state phenomenon. Cross-national studies of terrorism find mixed results for how common measures of state capacity influence terrorism. We argue that these indeterminate findings are due in part to a partial understanding of both what constitutes state capacity and how different aspects of state strength or weakness relate to the propensity of groups to use terrorism. We decompose state capacity into two dimensions that we theorize are particularly relevant to dissident groups: military capacity, or the ability to project conventional military force, and bureaucratic/administrative capacity. Our analysis supports the claim that terrorist attacks are more frequently targeted at states with large, technologically sophisticated militaries but less frequently targeted at states with higher bureaucratic and administrative capacity. We also compare two militarily capable states, France and Russia, that have had different recent experiences with terrorism to help illustrate the causal mechanisms involved. Evidence from our models and cases suggest that states can be capable in different ways, and these various capabilities create differing incentives for using terror as a strategic and tactical tool. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The assembling behavior of four thiophene-containingconjugatedpolymers, regioregular poly(3-hexythiophene) (rr-P3HT), poly(3,3-didodecylquaterthiophene)(PQT-12), poly(2,5-bis(3- tetradecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene)(PBTTT-14), and poly(2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophen-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)thiophen-2-ylthiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole)(PTzQT-14), on carbon nanotubes was investigated through microscopicstudies of nanowire formation and theoretical simulation. It is foundthat polymer backbone rigidity and shape influence the attachmentmode on carbon nanotubes. rr-P3HT and PQT-12 have a zigzag backbonestructure that allows a thermodynamically stable coaxial attachmenton CNTs, providing an ordered growth front for the nanowire formation.In contrast, fused rings in PTzQT-14 and PBTTT-14 create a stair-steplike backbone structure that causes a kinetically controlled wrappingconformation on CNTs, generating a twisted growth front that hindersthe nanowire formation. In addition, the rigidity of polymer backboneinfluences the wrapping mode. Polymers with more flexible backbones(i.e., PBTTT-14) would take a dense irregular wrapping mode on CNTs.The CNT diameter plays an important role in the nanowire formationwhen CPs attach to the CNT in the wrapping mode. Larger nanotubeswith smaller surface curvature provides a less twisted polymer growthfront, allowing the formation of CPNWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevailing scholarly wisdom is that weak states, or resource-poor states, are the most prone to civil war. Yet many weak states never experience civil war. Why then are some weak states prone to civil war while others are not? The author offers a theory that explains how dissidents and states interact to jointly produce civil war. In sum, states that repress their citizens are the most likely to kill citizens and to generate dissident violence. This insight resolves an academic puzzle and when tested provides a model with better predictive ability than previous models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Why do some protest movements in Latin America succeed in rolling back privatizations while others fail? This article argues that protests against privatizations have tended to succeed under two conditions. First, privatization's opponents form linkages (or 'brokerage') across multiple sectors of society. Broad coalitions are more likely to achieve their goals, while groups acting alone, such as labor unions, are more easily defeated or ignored by governments. Second, civil rights are protected but political representation is weak. In that case, opponents have the legal right to protest, but are unlikely to have opportunities for communicating their concerns through formal institutions, which prompts them to channel their demands outside of existing political institutions. Using case examples and logistic regression, this study confirms these arguments and discusses the implications for democracy in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is tempting to position ER Eddison's first novel, The Worm Ouroboros, as a synthetic example of the Icelandic sagas he read and translated in his capacity as a dedicated amateur medievalist. Close examination casts serious doubt on this interpretation, however. The book contains many features - most of them obviously deliberate inclusions by Eddison - that are the precise opposites of the features Eddison claimed to admire as essential strengths of saga literature. Furthermore, biographical evidence exists to suggest that the characters and incidents of The Worm Ouroboros were present in Eddison's imagination before he most likely discovered medieval literature. It seems more likely, therefore, that his fantasies gave rise to his medievalism, rather than vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dense, ornate composition of E. R. Eddison's Zimiamvia cycle has long obscured its ideological content, leading to errors in the scholarly reception of these books. Written with close reference to the working papers for the first Zimiamvian novel, Mistress of Mistresses, this article seeks to correct those mistakes. Although verbose, Eddison's novels are shown to have been anything but gratuitous, being composed in strict accordance with an extensive, dearly held, deceptively humane reworking of moral philosophy. Rather than being the reactionary hedonist some commentators have painted him as, Eddison is revealed to have been a very disciplined writer given to connecting thought and feeling in ways for which he has not yet been properly appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although uniquely positioned to provide insight into the nature and dynamics of terrorism, overall the field of criminology has seen few empirically focused analyses of this form of political violence. This article seeks to add to the understanding of terror through an exploration of how general levels of violence within a given society influence the probability of political dissidents within that society resorting to terror as a form of political action. Drawing on the legitimation–habituation thesis, the authors explore whether general levels of legitimate and illegitimate violence within a society predict terrorist violence (both internal and external in direction) within that society. To do so, the authors use zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to perform time series cross-sectional analysis on predictors of terrorist events from the Global Terrorism Database. The authors find support for their core hypothesis and provide a discussion of the implications for the findings within their data and for future criminological research on terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using a database of recent articles published in prominent political science journals, we show the rapid increase in terrorism research. Given this increased awareness and attention, we identify several problems that still plague the study of political terrorism including definitional problems that lack empirical tests, not distinguishing among different types of terrorism, and using the wrong unit of analysis when designing research. After identifying these problems-especially as they relate to the quantitative study of terrorism-we suggest some solutions. We then apply these suggestions to investigate whether changing the definition of terrorism, different types of terrorism, or changing the unit of analysis affects key predictors of terror events cross-nationally. One of our tests consists of varying the unit of observation to include directed dyads, which offers the potential to test some of the many strategic models of terrorism. Our analysis suggests that varying definitions of terrorism, such as military vs. non-military targets, might not be that consequential, whereas different types of terrorism, such as domestic vs. transnational, could be driven by fundamentally different processes. We also conclude that modeling transnational terrorism differently using directed dyads yields new and interesting insights into the process of terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What explains the variation in terrorism within and across political regimes? We contend that terrorism is most likely to occur in contexts in which governments cannot credibly restrain themselves from abusing their power in the future. We consider a specific institutional arrangement, whether a state has an independent judiciary, and hypothesize that independent judiciaries make government commitments more credible, thereby providing less incentive for the use of terrorism. Using a recently released database that includes transnational and domestic terrorist events from 1970 to 1997, we estimate a set of statistical analyses appropriate for the challenges of terrorism data and then examine the robustness of the results. The results provide support for the credible commitment logic and offer insights into the different ways that political institutions increase or decrease terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Democratic regimes have been linked to terrorism for contending reasons, with some scholars claiming democracy increases terrorism and others claiming it decreases terror. Corroborating evidence has been used for both relationships leading to the following puzzle: why do some democratic regimes seem to foster terrorism while others do not? We offer an explanation based on Tsbelis’s veto players theory. Beginning with the assumption that terror groups want to change government policy, we argue that the more veto players present in a political system, the more likely the system is to experience deadlock. Given the inability of societal actors to change policies through nonviolent and institutional participation, these systems will tend to generate more terror events. We also explore different methods for estimating terrorism models. We identify several ways to match the data with the proper statistical estimator and discuss implications for terrorism research. Finally, we use new data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) that was previously unavailable. These data allow us to use different operational definitions of terrorism and to identify homegrown terror events. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]