General Distrust Research Articles

Longevity of Optical Disc Media: Accelerated Ageing Predictions and Natural Ageing Data

AbstractA considerable amount of uncertainty exists with respect to the lifetimes of optical disc media. In reports found in the literature, longevity for some discs is stated as less than five years, but for others, it can exceed one hundred years. The variability in the lifetime values has created a general distrust for optical discs as a reliable short or long-term storage option for information. This study was undertaken to provide some clarification about the uncertainty surrounding optical disc longevity. Using the European Computer Manufacturers Association standard ECMA-396, a recordable CD and a recordable DVD were subjected to a variety of elevated temperature and relative humidity conditions over several months. Eyring and Arrhenius predictive methods allowed longevity estimations to be made. It was found that the Arrhenius method produced realistic lifetime predictions for the recordable CD, but neither method produced reasonable figures for the recordable DVD. In addition, an analysis of naturally aged optical discs (up to seventeen years old) provided valuable data on disc lifetimes. This data also helped to validate the Arrhenius results for the recordable CD tested, but contradicted the long and unreasonable lifetime values predicted for the recordable DVD.

The differences between medical trust and mistrust and their respective influences on medication beliefs and ART adherence among African-Americans living with HIV

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between medical mistrust and trust and to determine if these measures differentially predict antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence for African-American adults living with HIV. Design: A total of 458 HIV positive African-Americans completed a cross-sectional survey. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported ART adherence was collected using the visual-analog scale. The Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire was used to assess medication necessity and concern beliefs. Results: All measures of medical mistrust and trust were significantly negatively correlated, ranging from r = −.339 to −.504. Race-based medical mistrust significantly predicted medication necessity and concern beliefs, whereas general medical mistrust only significantly predicted medication concerns. Both measures of trust significantly predicted medication necessity beliefs and medication concerns. Higher levels of race-based medical mistrust predicted lower medication adherence, whereas, neither trust in own physician nor trust in health care provider significantly predicted medication adherence. However, trust in own physician significantly predicted medication necessity beliefs, which predicted medication adherence. Conclusion: Trust and mistrust are not simply opposites of one another. These findings provide evidence for the complexity of understanding the relationship between health care trust, mistrust and patient-related health beliefs and behaviours.

World Vaping Day: Contextualizing Vaping Culture in Online Social Media Using a Mixed Methods Approach

Few studies have demonstrated the use of mixed methods research to contextualize health topics using primary data from social media. To address this gap in the methodological literature, we present research about electronic nicotine delivery systems, using Twitter data from “World Vaping Day.” To engage with the quantitative breadth and qualitative depth of 5,149 collected tweets, we utilized a convergent parallel mixed methods framework, integrating thematic prevalence estimates with phenomenological contextualization. Sentiment was more positive than negative across all categories except policy related. A total of 23% of tweets were promotional and relatively few tweets related to tobacco use (4.9%) or health concerns (4.2%). Salient themes included modifying or upgrading electronic nicotine delivery systems devices, and general mistrust of public health advocates and tobacco companies.

Consume, Reproduce, Extend and Connect: Sustaining Our Research Lifecycle

EDITOR'S SUMMARYScholarly research is at the forefront of innovation, especially with a breadth of new technologies that can enhance the research process. However, in a race for scholars to produce more and more new findings, documentation practices and reproduction of results may be neglected. Lack of validation through reproduction can lead to a general distrust of scholarly research and experiments, but a more generous approach to information sharing could be the answer to this issue. Scholars have connected socially for centuries to share their ideas, and this practice has led to some truly innovative ideas that have shaped our world today. With willing participants sharing their ideas and their research methods, new findings can be reproduced and validated, creating a stronger and more trustworthy community of scholars.

Local opposition and acceptance of a deep geological repository of radioactive waste in the Czech Republic: A frame analysis

The article explores framing of the siting process of a deep geological repository of nuclear waste in the Czech Republic by the municipalities’ representatives in the pre-selected localities. Three distinguished frames have been reconstructed. The risk frame, which connects the project with a number of predominantly environmental threats, is counter-balanced by the responsibility frame that uses the ‘Not-In-My-Back-Yard’ label to delegitimize the local opposition. The third frame then portrays the siting process as a display of general distrust towards political elites and state institutions. It is argued that the distinguished frames stem from a deeper ideological conflict about the nature of democratic governance and the value attributed to environment, further stressing the importance of a siting process’ institutional arrangement that goes beyond technocratic solutions.

Fiducia verso persone e istituzioni: evidenze da una survey sul capitale civico degli studenti

Objectives According to economic theory, civic capital is the result of a process of social investment through vertical transmission channels, internal to the family, and horizontal socialization, among peers. The reference context, such as the neighbourhood, plays an important role influencing both of these channels.This paper presents some initial evidence obtained from a statistical survey conducted on students of secondary high schools of the city of Palermo with the aim of measuring the basic dimensions that contribute to the formation of the civic and human capital. In particular, the focus is here placed on trust, an important cultural trait at the base of civic capital. In particular, it draws a distinction between trust in people (family, teachers, friends, neighbours etc.) and institutions (state, school, religious institutions etc.).Methods and ResultsThe analysis here proposed is predominantly descriptive. After reporting some information on the characteristics of the survey and the sample, the study focuses on the general tendency of students with respect to trust in persons and Institutions by means of descriptive statistics. Then, the analysis aims at investigating heterogeneity across space and depending on the level of education of the reference adults at home, using basic statistical tests of difference and ANOVA. In general, trust emerges as a cultural trait characterized by strong ties, established through more intensive relationships, where the high degree of trust towards family, friends and teachers contrasts a general mistrust towards those people and institutions characterized by weak bonds. The spatial analysis highlights statistically significant differences in the comparison between students living in the urban and extra-urban area and among those in different neighbourhoods of the city. These differences seem to emerge also with regard to the educational level of the reference adults at home.ConclusionsThis analysis seems to provide preliminary evidence of interest for local policymakers. However, it seems necessary to carry out more detailed future analysis in order to better identify the mechanisms of transmission of values and the role of the school and local institutions in the process of civic capital formation.

Cancer registration challenges in low- and middle-income countries-the case of the Pacific Islands.

Cancer registration challenges in low- and middle-income countries-the case of the Pacific Islands.

Perspectives of women in prostitution diversion program on DNA collection for a high-risk DNA database

IntroductionGenetic information is an ideal biometric tool for identification, particularly when compared to biological relatives through kinship analysis. Too often, unidentified remains are of vulnerable populations, including local and transient persons such as vagrant youth, homeless persons, drug users, sex workers, and undocumented migrants. Oftentimes, individuals of these populations travel with no identification or with false identifiers, making biometrics a necessity for investigating post-mortem identity. Preemptive DNA collection from high-risk populations is one approach to allow law enforcement to identify victims that may be challenging to identify post-mortem. Emergent programs within law enforcement have developed with a sampling of identifications made.Forensic communities keen to use biometrics for identification benefit from social science data to document the perspectives of the populations whom they seek to serve. Assessing high-risk populations' perspectives the use of biometrics for identification is challenging, particularly when individuals might be incarcerated, easily coerced, fearful of deportation, or non-English speaking. Women engaged with a prostitution diversion program provide an opportunity to engage with such a vulnerable population as a sample set of vulnerable populations' perspectives. Social science research the social implications of forensic applications is vital to maximize success of humanitarian-based efforts for applying biometrics for identification.Sex workers are at an elevated risk for becoming victims of violent crime, and DNA forensic analysis can be crucial for identifying these victims. National, state, and local efforts to coordinate law enforcement and victim services have escalated in recent years (Etchegaray et al., 2013), but our understanding of the effectiveness of these efforts to decriminalize sex workers and re-conceptualize their status as sex trafficking victims is limited (Seidenberg, 2013). Because prostitution remains a criminal offense in most jurisdictions, sex workers (whether voluntary actors or human trafficking victims) are unable or reluctant to seek assistance from victims' support providers, law enforcement, or the judicial system due to fear of prosecution for their acts of prostitution, fear of retaliation from their traffickers (such as pimps and madams), and general distrust of authorities.Sex workers often avoid carrying legal forms of personal identification and might use false identities (i.e., aliases) when working on the street, when confronted by law enforcement, and even when being treated by health care providers. Because sex trafficking victims might come into police contact using different aliases and without verifiable identification, identity is difficult to establish consistently for a single individual across jurisdictions. Sex workers have been referred to as the missing, that is, missing persons who are never reported as missing (Quinet, 2007).Because crimes against this population are scarcely reported, law enforcement lack sufficient information necessary to pursue investigations and connect crimes involving sex workers (Quinet, 2007). Homicide victims might be transported across state lines, and unfortunately, prostitution-related homicides represent a significant proportion of all homicides. Law enforcement officers have reported that sex workers servicing the longhaul trucking industry are most vulnerable. Sex workers and their clients are mobile, and this mobility, which frequently involves traversing jurisdictional boundaries, hinders law enforcement's ability to link related crimes (Ferris, 2015). Investigators often are unable to identify murdered sex workers, leaving hundreds of homicides unsolved(Potterat et al., 2004).Forensic DNA approaches for human identification could vitally aid investigation of human trafficking cases (Kim & Katsanis, 2013). The use of DNA to investigate cases related to sex trafficking have broad applications from identifying homicide victims to connecting evidence of repeat offenders (e. …

Small Is Beautiful? A Comparison of Major and Minor Credit Rating Agencies Credibility

The events linked to the subprime crisis undoubtedly damaged the reputation of credit rating agencies (CRAs), at least in the short and medium-term. In this paper, we intend to gauge the extent of that reputational damage by examining the reaction of the market to rating actions. Using a standard event study methodology, we measure the abnormal return of stock prices in the three-day window centred on the announcement day during the period November 2003 – November 2013. Our theory is that the market reaction to downgrades, upgrades and credit watches is lower – after the crisis – than it used to be due to a lack of trust in the neutrality and reliability of the rating agencies. We expect the phenomenon to be more pronounced for the three major CRAs – Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch – who had more direct involvement in the scandal. For the minor players, the impact of the crisis is potentially twofold. On one side, they may have suffered from a general mistrust of the rating industry. On the other side, they may have benefited from a higher level of attention from investors in search for a cross-check of opinions.The evidence strongly supports the theory of a lower market reaction to rating announcements, especially for the three major agencies. The abnormal returns of equity prices in an event window of a rating action are significantly lower after the crisis than they were before, after considering various explicative factors relating to the features of the announcement and the market conditions in terms of volatility. In line with previous literature on the topic, we find that, due to the “certification” role that many regulations grant to rating agencies, the abnormal return is stronger when the valuation is near to the border between investment and speculative grade. As a consequence, where the certification role is prevalent, there is no difference in the market reaction to announcements before and after the crisis. Conversely, the cumulative abnormal return is significantly lower after the crisis when there is no “regulation-induced” trading and the market investors’ behaviour is predominantly guided by the faith put in the informative content of the rating.

Casting a Wary Eye: Individuals Higher in Dispositional Distrust Demonstrate More Accurate Discrimination of Trustworthy and Untrustworthy Faces

Past research demonstrates that individuals are relatively accurate at discriminating trustworthiness from untrustworthiness utilizing facial cues alone, and that this capacity is augmented for those with activated self-protection threat concerns. In the current study, we predicted that individuals who are dispositionally more wary of trusting others (those scoring high in dispositional distrust) would be more accurate at discriminating trustworthy from untrustworthy faces. Participants viewed a series of trustworthy and untrustworthy faces and indicated whether each target was trustworthy or untrustworthy; participants then completed a general distrust inventory. Consistent with predictions, those higher in dispositional distrust demonstrated more accurate discrimination of trustworthy and untrustworthy faces. Additionally, higher dispositional distrust was associated with a higher criterion for reporting targets as trustworthy. Interestingly, the higher discriminability and criterion of more distrustful individuals seemed to be driven by a tendency to make fewer false alarms (i.e., decisions to categorize an untrustworthy face as trustworthy), but not at the expense of fewer hits (i.e., decisions to categorize a trustworthy face as such). Despite the necessity of trust for social affiliation, these results suggest greater dispositional distrust may facilitate the identification of favorable conspecifics for social exchange and poor social exchange partners to be avoided.

Innovations in Financial Services: Regulatory Implications

Innovations in the financial services sector have been going on for a very long time. They gained tremendous momentum subsequent to the 2007 global financial crisis (GFC) because of accessibility difficulties, general distrust of the formal banking system, and phenomenal advances in digital and related technologies. Enhanced applications of technology in the sector with minimum regulatory constraints are now attracting regulatory attention because of perceived risks and the need to balance the interests of different market players who are subjected to different compliance costs and different business model freedoms. This article examines critically the regulatory implications of these developments with focus on the situations in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Experiences with Recruitment of Marginalized Groups in a Danish Health Promotion Program: A Document Evaluation Study.

BackgroundStudies have found that marginalized groups living in deprived neighborhoods are less likely to participate in health programs compared to the majority of society. This study evaluates recruitment approaches conducted during a national government-funded project in 12 deprived neighborhoods across Denmark between 2010 and 2014. The aim of this study was to understand how recruitment approaches could promote participation in health programs within deprived neighborhoods to reach marginalized groups.MethodDocuments from all 12 of the included municipalities were collected to conduct a document evaluation. The collected documents consisted of 1,500 pages of written material with 12 project descriptions, three midterm and 10 final evaluations. The collected data were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe results are based on the fact that only 10 municipalities have developed evaluations related to recruitment, and only three evaluations provided a description of which marginalized groups were recruited. Challenges related to recruitment consist of difficulties involving the target group, including general distrust, language barriers and a lack of ability to cope with new situations and strangers. Additional geographical challenges emerged, especially in rural areas. Positive experiences with recruitment approaches were mainly related to relationship building and trust building, especially through face-to-face contact and the project employees’ presence in the neighborhood. Additionally, adjusting some of the interventions and the recruitment strategy increased participation.ConclusionThis study found that relation and trust between the residents and the project employees is an important factor in the recruitment of marginalized groups in deprived neighborhoods as well as adjusting the health interventions or recruitment strategy to the target groups. In future research, it is necessary to examine which recruitment approaches are effective under which circumstances to increase participation among marginalized groups.

Using New Instruments of Clustering Policy in the Health Care System. The Case of Poland.

The issue of clusters as a form of organization of market entities has recently attracted an increasing attention of health care management theoreticians and practitioners. In our opinion the existing theoretical basis gives a foundation for considering clusters as a source of potential for increasing the effectiveness of health policy and health care organizations. It can be assumed that in case of health care clusters there is a possibility of interregional diffusion of innovation, based on ventures undertaken on the health care market, increasing not only the potential of the entities in the cluster, but also of its surroundings and subcontractors. It is possible to realize the idea of a flexible health care implemented regionally with the use of modern techniques of communication, knowledge transfer and high specialization. Nonetheless, in case of Poland the potential of clustrification remains untapped, being characterized by a limited actions of public and private bodies, marginal role of non-profit sector organizations and limited engagement of R&D sector. This is because a general distrust in the cluster formula, and the lack of relevant knowledge among local officials and health business leaders. For this reason the process of clustrification among health care entities requires external support through the increased efforts to create a system of legal and tax preferences for cluster initiatives and provision of organizational support in terms of know-how, targeted particularly at bodies and individuals, who may act as cluster leaders.

Capsule Commentary on Kesselheim et. al., Variations in Patients' Perceptions and Use of Generic Drugs: Results of a National Survey.

O ver the past decade, there has been a drastic increase in the number of insurance benefit designs with high deductibles and tiered formularies, which has made brand-name drugs more expensive for consumers. At the same time, the Bpatent cliff^ of the early 2010s led to an increase in choice of generic medications. Not surprisingly, utilization of generic drugs has increased as a percentage of all drugs dispensed. However, what remained unclear was how consumer perceptions of generic drugs had evolved over time, given patients’ increasing exposure to them. This study by Kesselheim et al. presents findings from a survey on consumer preferences and beliefs about generic and brand-name drugs. Previous studies, in particular a study by Shrank et al. based on data from 2007, found that patients were skeptical of generic drugs, and the results of this study show that this has changed. For example, the 2007 study found that 30% of respondents believed that Bbranded drugs are more effective than generics^, while this newer study found that only 13% had similar views. However, on other measures, little progress has been made. For example, the 2007 study found that 38% of patients preferred generic drugs, while the current study found that only 27% of patients preferred generics. As the authors note, the wording and order of the questions and the survey population are slightly different between studies, which makes comparison somewhat difficult. Ideally, the same survey should be repeated over time in order to truly study changes in preferences. One concerning finding is that generic drug skepticism was much higher in non-white patients, which suggests that minorities may be missing out on some of the benefits of cheaper medications. This may a consequence of the widely studied racial disparities in general distrust of the healthcare system, and could be a contributor to disparities in cost-related non-adherence. This warrants further study to understand why minority patients are more skeptical, and how to increase trust and utilization of generic medications among this population.

An Indicator for the Measurement of Political Participation: The Case of Italy

In the modern globalized world, political participation is of paramount importance for balanced socio-economic growth and for human development. The Indagine Multiscopo sulle famiglie, a survey by Italian public institutions (ISTAT and CNEL), provides a wide range of data to evaluate specific aspects of Italian life. This work uses a set of data from the Indagine to analyse political participation in Italy at a regional level, by means of a composite indicator using parametric (Pena’s distance) and non-parametric (Mazziotta–Pareto Index) techniques. We have obtained a ranking that shows the level of political participation in different territorial contexts. The aim is to analyse the relation between Italian regions and the political behaviour of their communities: political discussions, participation in political meetings and marches, voluntary activity or donations to political parties and so on. The ranking is not correlated to voter turnout. We can assume that the politically engaged minority are unable to convince and involve the rest. At the same time, these small groups do not alter the general mistrust in parties and, generally speaking, in politics, which is spreading across Italy and also Europe.

A laboratory data-based evaluation of the efficacy and safety of generic pravastatin sodium for long-term use.

BackgroundIncreasing the use of generic drugs may reduce the growing healthcare spending. Nevertheless, in Japan, the generic drug market share remains low compared to that of European countries and the United States, mainly because of the general distrust of generic drugs. To address this problem, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of the long-term use of generic pravastatin sodium in a study from January 2008 to December 2011.MethodsPatients receiving generic pravastatin sodium for ≥15 months were defined as long-term users and were included in the study, totaling 595 out of 1337 patients. Efficacy assessment was based on the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) plasma levels. Safety assessment was based on the aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GTP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total-bilirubin (T-Bil), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) plasma levels. The patients’ reasons for discontinuing generic pravastatin sodium were obtained from the electronic medical records.Results & discussionNo significant difference in the laboratory data was observed between short-term and long-term users, except for significantly lower ALT levels in the long-term users than in the short-term users. No liver dysfunction was observed. Although 37 patients discontinued the study possibly owing to drug-related adverse events, we considered these events unrelated to generic pravastatin sodium.ConclusionsThis study shows that the long-term use of generic pravastatin sodium is effective and safe, and may help dispel the concerns about generic drugs.

Mutual Recognition Instruments and the Role of the Cjeu: The Grounds for Non-Execution

The paper discusses in what way the full jurisdiction in criminal justice cooperation matters – since 1 December 2014 – will affect the work of the ECJ in the field of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. Moreover in the light of the ECJ's recent case law on the European Arrest Warrant the paper analyses how the principle of mutual recognition in criminal matters is being implemented and whether this progress has been at the expense of lowering the level of protection of fundamental rights in criminal proceedings. Such analysis will help to identify what has been the role of the ECJ in the realm of judicial cooperation in criminal matters and what its future role should be: overstressing assumed mutual trust, without strengthening the fundamental rights perspective, may end up in general distrust.

Sustainable consumption in Vietnam: an explorative study among the urban middle class

AbstractThe middle class of Vietnam is growing and so is their consumption, especially in urban areas. This is due to the effects of rapid economic growth, industrialization and increasing wealth in combination with a young, growing population. This paper aims to understand current consumption patterns and consumption categories that can provide a start for sustainable lifestyles among the Vietnamese middle class.Data was collected in the capital Hanoi, in the north of Vietnam. The current level of awareness, knowledge and attitude was explored on five specific consumption topics: energy, transport, water, waste, and food. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data was collected: 5 focus groups, 5 in‐depth interviews and a survey among 158 Vietnamese urban middle class consumers. The results are discussed according to the MOA model that explains behaviour as a function of three components: Motivation, Opportunity and Ability.The research concludes that awareness and knowledge of the urban middle class in Vietnam on sustainable consumption is generally low. However, the motivation to live healthy lifestyles and protect the planet for their future generations is rather high. In order to support more sustainable lifestyles, the awareness of environmental issues needs to be increased; knowledge needs to be made available and accessible (ability); and role models need to set an example for the urban middle class of Vietnam.Furthermore, health in combination with food is the most important reason for people to pursue a sustainable lifestyle (motivation) and the need to change was expressed. However, a general distrust towards business and governmental actors was also found. Therefore, opportunities for bottom‐up initiatives for sustainable food consumption must be explored in the future. This could support in engaging the middle class of Vietnam in sustainable lifestyles.

Acceptability and trust of community health workers offering maternal and newborn health education in rural Uganda.

When trusted, Community Health Workers (CHWs) can contribute to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries through education. Issues of acceptability of CHWs by communities were explored through experiences gained in a qualitative study that is part of a cluster randomized trial in East Uganda. Initially, focus group discussions with key community members and leaders were undertaken regarding preventative health and 40 CHWs were observed making home visits by supervisors during the initial 6 months of fieldwork of the trial in eight villages in the Jinja District in Uganda. The results were analyzed using the 5-SPICE framework. Observation of CHWs in the field identified a number of unanticipated issues including a general mistrust of the public health system by community members in areas that had an impact on maternal and newborn health. At the outset, CHWs often did not trust their own abilities and faced community expectations that they would provide curative rather than preventative care. Early community engagement, non-threatening home visits that enhanced friendship and supportive supervision improved the confidence of the CHWs and improved the trust and acceptance of the CHWs and the willingness of the community members to act on what was discussed.

Order and Counter-Order: The European System and Russia

ABSTRACT: This article explores how today's post-modern, interdependent European system of order interacts with a competing system led by a modern, realist Russian Federation. Russia's great power identity is based on a long-standing statist tradition of foreign thinking combined with a legacy of conviction in the uniqueness of Eurasian civilization. Key to meeting the Russian challenge is systemic adaptation to engender cooperation in the common economic space, thereby permitting the two systems not only to co-exist, but co-evolve as stable, interdependent entities. ********** In 2008, Charles King wrote the five-day Russian-Georgian war will mark a time when Russia came to disregard existing international institutions and begin, however haltingly, to fashion its own. (1) The war was a manifestation of Russia's claim to a key zone of privileged interests, and shocked the post-Cold War geopolitical order by challenging the expansion of NATO into post-Soviet Eurasia. (2) The true significance of the crisis, however, was twofold. The unilateral intervention signaled Moscow's general distrust of multilateral institutions as organs of global governance, thus affirming a Russian conviction that hard power was the true currency of international relations. (3) Further, the intervention was proof a recalcitrant Russia would no longer accept western indifference to its Great Power aspirations or to its strategic interests in the newly independent neighboring republics. With US-Russia relations at their lowest point since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Obama administration extended an olive branch by proposing a policy reset. By acknowledging Russia's leading role in the post-Soviet space, ending (temporarily) NATO expansion, reconfiguring the US concept for missile defense in Europe, supporting Russia's membership in the World Trade Organization, and deepening bilateral economic relations, the reset brought the relationship from the brink of collapse towards effective rapprochement. (4) Although the reset did not return the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to full Georgian control, it was largely successful. In 2009, President Medvedev steered Russian foreign back towards a more pragmatic course of international cooperation and economic modernization. In 2010, President Obama's National Security Strategy mentioned Russia specifically only 14 times in the document's 52 pages. Each of these references was in a positive light, emphasizing partnership, inclusion and cooperation in recognition of the fact that power in an interconnected world was no longer a zero-sum game. (5) Acknowledging the deepening integration of the European Union alongside the rise of global engagements by China and India, the strategy described Russia as an emergent twenty-first century center of influence, a nation that shared with the United States mutual interests and respect. (6) Russia was not included in the strategy's list of states endangering global security by flouting international norms. Quite to the contrary, the strategy touted cooperation and partnership as key elements to a stable, substantive, and multidimensional relationship with a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Russia. The strategy identified common ground in terms of advancing nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, confronting violent extremism, forging new trade and investment opportunities, as well as promoting the rule of law, accountable government and universal values. In short, the 2010 strategy clearly signaled the United States' intention to seek Russia's cooperation as a responsible partner in Europe and Asia. (7) By comparison, President Obama's 2015 National Security Strategy specifically mentions Russia 15 times and while the frequency is almost identical to that of 2010, there is a marked difference in the context. Replacing the 2010 emphasis on partnership, inclusion, and cooperation is an unequivocal condemnation of Russian aggression, coercion, deception and belligerence. …