bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Predictive Value of Childhood Animal Cruelty Methods on Later Adult Violence
Authors: Hensley Christopher , Tallichet Suzanne E. , Dutkiewicz Erik L.
Published: January 2011

The present study seeks to replicate Tallichet, Hensley, and Singer’s research on childhood animal cruelty methods by using a sample of 180 male inmates surveyed at both medium- and maximum-security prisons in a southern state. The purpose of the current study was to first reexamine the relationship between demographic and situational factors and specific methods of childhood animal cruelty. Second, the correlation between an abuser’s chosen method(s) of childhood animal cruelty on later recurrent acts of adult violent crimes was reinvestigated. Regression analyses revealed that respondents who engaged in frequent animal cruelty were more likely to have drowned, shot, kicked, or had sex with animals. Those who had grown up in urban areas and those who did not become upset after abusing animals were more likely to have kicked animals. Respondents who covered up their abuse were more likely to have had sex with animals. Sex with animals was the only method of childhood animal cruelty that predicted the later commission of adult violent crimes.
Sedgwick’s geographies: Touching space
Authors: Brown Gavin , Browne Kath , Brown Michael , Roelvink Gerda , Carnegie Michelle , Anderson Ben
Published: January 2011

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (1950—2009) was one of the founders of queer theory and a significant contributor to the fields of literary theory and philosophy. The four papers in this forum consider the impact and influence her work has had on diverse fields of research in human geography. Specifically, the papers examine how her work on the epistemology of the closet has been materialized and contested by geographers of sexualities; how her queer theorizing inspired the diverse economies approach in economic geography; and how her understanding of affect offers an alternative to Deleuzian-inspired approaches to more-than-representational thinking in geography. The forum highlights various ways in which Sedgwick’s writings can continue to inspire novel thinking in human geography.
Nocebo is the enemy, not placebo. A meta-analysis of reported side effects after placebo treatment in headaches
Authors: Mitsikostas Dimos D , Mantonakis Leonidas I , Chalarakis Nikolaos G
Published: January 2011

The aim was to determine the magnitude of the nocebo (adverse effects following placebo administration) in clinical trials for primary headache disorders. We reviewed randomized, placebo-controlled studies for migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cluster headache treatments published between 1998 and 2009. The frequency of nocebo was estimated by the percentage of placebo-treated patients reporting at least one adverse side effect. The dropout frequency was estimated by the percentage of placebo-treated patients who discontinued the treatment due to intolerance. In studies of symptomatic treatment for migraine, the nocebo and dropout frequencies were 18.45% and 0.33%, but rose to 42.78% and 4.75% in preventative treatment studies. In trials for prevention of TTH, nocebo and dropout frequencies were 23.99% and 5.44%. For symptomatic treatment of cluster headache, the nocebo frequency was 18.67%. Nocebo is prevalent in clinical trials for primary headaches, particularly in preventive treatment studies. Dropouts due to nocebo effect may confound the interpretation of many clinical trials.
Epigenetic regulation of the calcitonin gene–related peptide gene in trigeminal glia
Authors: Park Ki-Youb , Fletcher Joshua R , Raddant Ann C , Russo Andrew F
Published: January 2011

Background: The neuropeptide calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP) plays a key role in migraine. CGRP gene expression involves an enhancer that is active in neurons, yet inactive in glia. In this report, we analyze epigenetic modifications that allow enhancer activation in glia.

Methods: DNA methylation and histone acetylation states were measured in rat and human- model cell lines and primary cultures of rat trigeminal ganglia glia. The functional consequence of altering the chromatin state was determined by quantitative measurements of both calcitonin (CT) and CGRP mRNAs.

Results: A hypermethylated CpG island flanking the enhancer was identified in glia and non-expressing cell lines. In addition, the chromatin was hypoacetylated. Treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine induced CT mRNA ∼30-fold in glial cultures. Treatment with a histone deacetylase inhibitor alone had little effect; however, the combination of inhibitors yielded a synergistic ∼80-fold increase in CT and ∼threefold increase in CGRP mRNA. Treated glia contained CT precursor (pro-CT) immunoreactivity.

Conclusions: Epigenetic modulation is sufficient to induce the CGRP gene in glia. Because the CGRP gene is systemically activated by inflammatory conditions, this suggests that glial pro-CT may be an unexplored biomarker during migraine.
Migraine preventive drug-induced weight gain may be mediated by effects on hypothalamic peptides: The results of a pilot study
Authors: Caproni Stefano , Corbelli Ilenia , Pini Luigi Alberto , Cupini Maria Letizia , Calabresi Paolo , Sarchielli Paola
Published: January 2011

Aims: This study was aimed to verify changes in the levels of hypothalamic neuropeptides in migraineurs under preventive treatment with amitryptiline and flunarizine. Thirty-nine migraine patients with a body mass index <25 kg/m2and without endocrinological or metabolic diseases were assigned to two treatment groups, one receiving amitryptiline, the other flunarizine, for 3 months. Orexin-A, orexin-B and neuropeptide-Y plasma levels were measured at the basal time, at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd months of preventive treatment.

Results: A statistically significant reduction in plasma orexin-A and orexin-B levels emerged in both groups. Conversely, plasma neuropeptide-Y levels were markedly increased, with the highest levels at the 2nd and 3rd months, in both patient groups. Orexin-A levels were also negatively correlated to weight gain in both groups during the treatment period.

Conclusions: These results suggest that changes in the levels of hypothalamic orexinergic peptides may contribute to body weight increase occurring in migraineurs during amitryptiline or flunarizine prophylactic treatment.
Intracranial hypertension as the first manifestation of primary Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Lim Sung-Chul , Kim Joong-Seok , Lee Young-Hyun , Park Kyung-Su , Shin Sun Young
Published: January 2011

Background: Central nervous system involvement with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is rare, and often undiagnosed. Sjögren’s syndrome and concomitant intracranial hypertension is a very rare event.

Case: We describe a patient with pSS who presented with intracranial hypertension as the initial symptom of the disease.

Conclusion: This is the first case report of a patient with pSS that presented with intracranial hypertension only.
GHGs emissions from waste disposal in Lombardia (Italy): inventory 1975-2008 and projections 2009-2020
Authors: Antognazza Federico , Caserini Stefano , Grosso Mario
Published: January 2011

A survey has been conducted across all MSW landfills with gas extraction system in the Lombardia Region (Italy) in order to collect data for an emission inventory assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the timeframe 1975-2008. The survey results identified a large number of landfills opened over the last 35 years and characterized by different kinds and amounts of waste disposed. Using the IPCC methodology, GHG emissions in the year 2008 were quantified to be 1.81 Mt CO2-eq, which corresponds to 1.9% of overall GHG emissions in Lombardia. A dependency between collection efficiency and age of the collecting network has been established and used for the projection of GHG emission in the period 2009-2020, and for two scenarios: a business as usual (BAU) and an alternative one that implies policies to reduce biodegradable carbon content in the residual waste. The latter allows for a 45% reduction of the GHG emissions in 2020 compared to the year 2008, whereas in the BAU scenario the expected reduction is 32%. The sensitivity analysis shows that a variation of parameters that represent the carbon content of the waste category and degradation rate constant, within the range reported in the literature, could affect GHG emission level by about ±18%, whereas the uncertainty due to landfill gas (LFG) composition is less relevant.
Diagnosis and optimization of the composting process in full-scale mechanical-biological treatment plants
Authors: Baptista Marco , Antunes Fernando , Silveira Ana
Published: January 2011

The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the performance of the composting process operation in full-scale mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plants, (ii) to estimate their performance under optimized conditions and (iii) to propose specific guidelines on how to improve the efficiency of the composting process. To fulfil these objectives, a first-order kinetic model was used. This model was calibrated with experimental data to account for the limitations imposed by less-than-optimal environmental conditions during operation of the composting process. Data treatment and simulation showed that two of the three MBT plants studied were poorly operated. Optimization of process management with measures of simple practical implementation was estimated to be highly significant in these poorly managed plants, increasing performance by 103% in MBT1 and 53% in MBT2. In MBT3, the potential for optimization was estimated at 17%. Similar results were obtained from the analysis of other published data, suggesting that poor process management in MBT composting is widespread. These findings highlight the importance of having programmes for monitoring and optimizing process performance in full-scale composting systems. The procedures developed here are simple to apply and can routinely be implemented in full-scale plants.
Progress of organic matter degradation and maturity of compost produced in a large-scale composting facility
Authors: Nakasaki Kiyohiko , Marui Taketoshi
Published: January 2011

To monitor the progress of organic matter degradation in a large-scale composting facility, the percentage of organic matter degradation was determined by measuring CO2 evolution during recomposting of compost samples withdrawn from the facility. The percentage of organic matter degradation was calculated as the ratio of the amount of CO2 evolved from compost raw material to that evolved from each sample during recomposting in the laboratory composting apparatus. It was assumed that the difference in the cumulative emission of CO2 between the compost raw material and a sample corresponds to the amount of CO 2 evolved from the sample in the composting facility. Using this method, the changes in organic matter degradation during composting in practical large-scale composting facilities were estimated and it was found that the percentage of organic matter degradation increased more vigorously in the earlier stages than in the later stages of composting. The percentage of organic matter degradation finally reached 78 and 55% for the compost produced from garbage—animal manure mixture and distillery waste (shochu residue), respectively. It was thus ascertained that organic matter degradation progressed well in both composting facilities. Furthermore, by performing a plant growth assay, it was observed that the compost products of both the facilities did not inhibit seed germination and thus were useful in promoting plant growth
Evolution of enzyme activities during composting of tobacco waste
Authors: Kayikçioğlu Hüseyin Hüsnü , Okur Nur
Published: January 2011

Main characteristics of tobacco waste generated during the processing of tobacco for cigarette manufacture are a high content of nicotine and total organic C. Composting is a way for decreasing the levels of nicotine and total organic C in tobacco waste and for disposal of this kind of agro-industrial waste. Changes in pH and electrical conductivity and activities of dehydrogenase, protease, alkaline phosphatase and β-glucosidase were determined during composting of tobacco waste (TW) and mixtures of TW + grape pomace (GP) and TW + olive pomace (OP). The nicotine in the tobacco waste was completely decomposed by composting. In the final composts, total organic C content and C : N ratio decreased, whereas the contents of total N, P and K increased. The pH of the composts increased rapidly at first and then more slowly and the electrical conductivity first decreased and then increased during composting. Mixing the tobacco waste with the other compost materials decreased the electrical conductivity level by 32 and 46% in the final TW + GP and TW + OP composts, respectively. The highest activities of the studied enzymes were observed on the third week of the composting process for dehydrogenase, the fifth week for protease and β-glucosidase and the ninth week for alkaline phosphatase. All enzyme activities stabilized about in 4 months.
How to Exit the Conspiracy of Silence?
Authors: Tokarska-Bakir Joanna
Published: January 2011

On the subject of the Polish-Jewish postwar relations, this paper deals with the pathology of public discourse known as the “conspiracies of silence” phenomenon (see Eviatar Zerubavel, The Elephant in the Room: Silence and Denial in Everyday Life , 2008). The concept in question may be applied to the Polish historic conditions. It helps to problematize the circumstances in which social conspiracies were accumulating around the Polish-Jewish relations in the postwar period so as to pave the way for analysis of the current difficulties in researching the title issues, particularly those that emerged while using a quantitative and qualitative approach to research Polish attitudes toward Jews. The resulting polemical analysis is made on the basis of a text by one of the most renowned Polish sociologists, Prof. Antoni Sułek. His lecture titled “Ordinary Poles Looking at Jews” was delivered at the University of Warsaw, Poland, on 17 December 2009, within the cycle “Ten Lectures for a New Millennium.” It summarises the Polish twenty-year poll-based researches of Poles’ attitudes towards Jews.
The “Orange Princess” Runs for President
Authors: Hrycak Alexandra
Published: January 2011

A gender analytic perspective is used to explore the outcomes of the 2010 Ukrainian presidential elections. Gender differences within the Tymoshenko and Yanukovych electorates are assessed at the regional level through exit poll data. Comparisons to the outcome of the 2004 presidential election show that the 2010 elections exhibited very different gendered patterns of electoral support. The exit polls suggest that Tymoshenko lost due to “gender bias”—she failed to receive the support of a substantial number of men who voted for Yushchenko in 2004. Meanwhile, Yanukovych achieved victory despite a substantial decline in support among female voters.
Political Culture and Democracy
Authors: Kuzio Taras
Published: January 2011

The 2004 Orange Revolution and election of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who had a stellar reputation in previous positions as National Bank Chairman and Prime Minister, was viewed as a new era in Ukrainian politics, ushering in deep seated reforms and a battle against corruption. Five years on, his opponent, Viktor Yanukovych, whose election in 2004 was annulled over election fraud, replaced him as President. The failure of the Yushchenko presidency to implement the majority of the hopes placed in it by millions of voters and protestors, specifically to decisively change the manner in which politics and economics are undertaken, is a good opportunity to analyse why Ukraine is a difficult country, an immobile state, in which to undertake change of any type. Yanukovych’s first year in office points to Ukraine undergoing a regression from the only tangible benefit to have emerged from “orange” rule; namely, democratization, media freedom, and free elections.
Structural Constraints in Ukrainian Politics
Authors: D'Anieri Paul
Published: January 2011

The 2010 Ukrainian presidential election points to a certain consistency in Ukrainian electoral politics, especially in regional dynamics. These enduring constraints limit the options of political leaders and channel outcomes into a narrower range than would be expected from a focus on the personal preferences of leaders or the political views of the forces they represent. This article seeks to identify these constraints and the prospects that the current government or a future one might escape them. Starting with the common assumption that all leaders (even in democracies) seek to retain office as long as possible, the article examines what has made consolidation of power more difficult in Ukraine than other post-Soviet societies. Important factors include regional divisions, the absence of a natural-resource-based economy, and the relative weakness of the post-communist security services. It then considers factors that favor the consolidation of political power and the erosion of meaningful competition, such as weak institutions, weak norms, and increasing facility with the methods used elsewhere in the region to weaken competitors. The article concludes by proposing that both authoritarian consolidation and democratic consolidation present challenges in Ukraine and that we need to focus more on the barriers to the concentration of power in new democracies.
How Viktor Yanukovych Won
Authors: Herron Erik S.
Published: January 2011

This article explores two prominent narratives through an analysis of election data. The first narrative is that Yanukovych’s win was legitimate. While fraud may have been present, its scale was small and it was not decisive. The second narrative suggests that Ukraine’s major operational political cleavage separates eastern and western regions, rendering the central region of the country a crucial prize for candidates to secure victory in presidential contests.
An Aligning Election and the Ukrainian Political Community
Authors: Colton Timothy J.
Published: January 2011

This article begins by relating the 2010 presidential election to preceding presidential elections in Ukraine. It demonstrates that this is the first time in Ukraine’s two decades of national independence that strong continuity has been present across successive elections in the territorially aggregated basis of support for the same leading candidate, or between such a candidate and a political mentor. From this perspective, the 2010 election is the country’s first aligning election. The article investigates the social and economic correlates of regional voting patterns in 2010, finding that identity-based variables based on section (macro-region) and language are the strongest predictors, although economics is also of some relevance. It goes on to compare the 2010 contest in this respect with the elections of 1994, 1999, and 2004, showing that identity politics lost in salience as of the late 1990s and then resurged. The reasons for this reversal have to do with the elite’s habit of relying on identity messages to compete for high office and the penetration of the Ukrainian political space by international actors, Russia in particular.
On Ruins and the Place of Memory
Authors: Mahmutćehajić Rusmir
Published: January 2011

In this article, the author explores the nature of traditional wisdom and the ways it came under attack in the most terrible century of human history. The Bosnian town of Stolac suffered the violent depredations of fascists, Communists, and extreme nationalists, culminating in a veritable orgy of destruction, murder, and expulsion during the 1992 to 1995 war, with the systematic “liberation” of the town of every and any trace of the historical existence of difference or the other. The author sees this situation as arising out of the very nature of modernity, the age of alienation and human arrogance. We have become the slaves of our fantasies of mastery and domination, seeking justification not in the transcendental or the divine, but in the works of our own hands, in utopian dreams of this-worldly perfection, and in group identities in which we hope to hide the smallness of our souls. This work of disconnection, deracination, and ideological deformation has found its most terrible expression in great historical projects of destruction and slaughter in the name of Man, Society, and other false gods. This modern folly has turned us against our own cultures, our common spiritual heritage, and all forms of traditional intellectuality and wisdom. It has stripped us of compassion and respect for the other and of understanding for the different. It has made us deny our most crucial debts to the vulnerable and to the dead.
Novel high refractive index positive-tone photosensitive polyimide for microlens of image sensors
Authors: Tomikawa Masao , Suwa Mitsuhito , Niwa Hiroyuki , Minamihashi Katsuya
Published: January 2011

A novel high refractive index positive-tone photosensitive polyimide (posi-PSPI) has been successfully developed. The posi-PSPI has a refractive index of 1.78 at 633 nm and good transparency (> 80% at 400 nm). It is prepared from an alkali—soluble transparent polyimide precursor, a diazo-naphthoquinone-type photoactive compound, a surface-modified high refractive index nanosol, and a UV absorbent. The posi-PSPI has a round shape because of the UV absorbent. Further, it displays good sensitivity as well as a good round pattern profile after thermal curing. In addition, the 1% weight loss temperature of the posi-PSPI is 407 °C, which indicates that the posi-PSPI has excellent thermal stability.
A facile synthesis of cyanate ester silica hybrid nanocomposites by in situ sol-gel method
Authors: Jothibasu S. , Ashok Kumar A. , Alagar M.
Published: January 2011

High performance cyanate ester—silica hybrid nanocomposites were prepared using the sol—gel method through in situ reaction. The methodology adopted here was the formation of a covalent bond between the bisphenol-A cyanate ester (CE) and silica matrix utilizing γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (γ-APS) as coupling agent. The covalent bond formation in the hybrid was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis and solvent extraction. Thermal and morphological properties of the hybrid materials were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The CE—silica hybrids show improved thermal properties. The double degradation curves observed from thermogravimetric analysis may be due to the weak adduct linkage and the cleavage of the triazine ring in the hybrid. The nitrogen porosimetry study confirmed the molecular level dispersion of cyanate ester in the cyanate ester—silica hybrid nanocomposites.
Studies on thermal and dielectric properties of ether linked cyclohexyl diamine (ELCD)-based polyimide POSS nanocomposites (POSS-PI)
Authors: Devaraju S. , Vengatesan M.R. , Alagar M.
Published: January 2011

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-polyimide (PI) hybrid nanocomposites were prepared from ether linked cyclohexyl diamine (ELCD)-modified polyamic acid with POSS derivative of octaaminophenylsilsesquioxane (OAPS). Polyamic acid (PAA) was prepared by reacting ELCD with pryomelletic dianhydride (PMDA) in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) medium. The PAA reacted with varying weight percentages of OAPS and undergoes thermal imidization to form POSS-PI nanocomposites upon heating. The formation of hybrid nanocomposites was confirmed with Fourier transform infrared spectra. The thermal and dielectric properties of POSS-PI nanocomposites were characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and an impedance analyzer. Morphology of the nanocomposites was studied by using scanning electron microscopy. Data from thermal studies indicated that the incorporation of POSS in to PI substantially enhanced the glass transition temperature ( Tg), thermal stability and char yield of hybrid nanocomposites in comparison with those of neat PI. From the dielectric studies it was inferred that the increasing percentage concentration of OAPS into the PI network exhibits a decreasing trend in the values of dielectric constant when compared with those of neat PI.
A circular LEAR correlation structure for cyclical longitudinal data
Authors: Simpson Sean L , Edwards Lloyd J
Published: January 2011

Circular covariance patterns arise naturally from many important biological and physical processes. Modelling these patterns can be immensely important for proper analyses. In this article, we propose a circular linear exponent autoregressive (LEAR) correlation structure for cyclical longitudinal data. Special cases of this parsimonious correlation model include the equal correlation and first-order moving average (MA(1)) correlation structures and a circular analogue of the continuous-time AR(1) model. We discuss properties and estimation of the circular LEAR model in the context of cyclical longitudinal data concerning diet and hypertension (the DASH study). Analysis of these data exemplifies the benefits of the circular LEAR correlation structure.
The Effect of Choral Director Succession on Adjudicated Concert and Sight-Reading Ratings
Authors: Riggs Andrea L.
Published: January 2011

This study was undertaken to explore if the type of director succession (new director chosen within or outside of the school) influenced the number of superior ratings in adjudicated choral festivals. The author identified the schools meeting the selection criteria, analyzing director changes in 48 schools with 2,824 different choirs across 20 years. A significant number of concert ratings declined with a new director; however, no significant differences in sight-reading scores were in evidence. In Year 2 for the new director, a significant number of rating changes occurred resulting in significantly higher ratings for concert and sight-reading. Results are discussed in terms of implications for teacher preparation, for practicing choral educators completing transitions, and for future research.
Macao Monuments: In Art, in Poetry, and in Your Face
Authors: Archer Carol , Kelen Christopher
Published: January 2011

How are city and culture—the space of the city and the “mind space” of the cultural artifact— connected or disconnected? Contemporary Macao poetry and installation art demonstrate that not only has local culture continued to thrive despite outside pressures on the city’s regional position (a part of “one China” with a localized function) but that the need to produce a critique of these pressures has itself been productive of a politically interested (and interesting) literary and visual culture—a creative culture that demonstrates an opportunistic ambivalence toward identity options. Macao (a city in southern China and, until 1999, sleepy Portuguese possession) is today undergoing unprecedented development. Since the 2002 “liberalization” of casino licensing, the cityscape has taken a monumental turn, with the addition of a number of remarkable landmarks.Today, Macao is promoted as a tourist destination that offers ultramodern casinos and luxurious hotels as well as World Heritage—listed architecture. In recent years, the people of Macao have sometimes felt themselves the victims of contradictory forms of recolonization—by Beijing on one hand and by Vegas-style casino capitalism on the other. Between these gigantic pincers, what chances of survival have local culture and custom had? This article takes a close look at some contemporary Macao poetry and installation art, dealing with themes of monumentality and their meaning for the “new” Macao.
Desisting and persisting gender dysphoria after childhood: A qualitative follow-up study
Authors: Steensma Thomas D. , Biemond Roeline , de Boer Fijgje , Cohen-Kettenis Peggy T.
Published: January 2011

The aim of this qualitative study was to obtain a better understanding of the developmental trajectories of persistence and desistence of childhood gender dysphoria and the psychosexual outcome of gender dysphoric children. Twenty five adolescents (M age 15.88, range 14–18), diagnosed with a Gender Identity Disorder (DSM-IV or DSM-IV-TR) in childhood, participated in this study. Data were collected by means of biographical interviews. Adolescents with persisting gender dysphoria (persisters) and those in whom the gender dysphoria remitted (desisters) indicated that they considered the period between 10 and 13 years of age to be crucial. They reported that in this period they became increasingly aware of the persistence or desistence of their childhood gender dysphoria. Both persisters and desisters stated that the changes in their social environment, the anticipated and actual feminization or masculinization of their bodies, and the first experiences of falling in love and sexual attraction had influenced their gender related interests and behaviour, feelings of gender discomfort and gender identification. Although, both persisters and desisters reported a desire to be the other gender during childhood years, the underlying motives of their desire seemed to be different.
A diachronic investigation of Hindi–English code-switching, using Bollywood film scripts
Authors: Si Aung
Published: January 2011

Code-switching (CS) between an Indian language and (Indian) English is, and has long been, a normal feature of everyday speech in urban Indian society. Although much has been written about the status and role of English, and about the sociological variables associated with English usage in India, there have been, to date, no studies explicitly investigating changes in CS patterns over time. Bollywood movies are a rich source of information on the speech patterns of urban Indians throughout most of India’s post-independence history. CS patterns in Bollywood movies (from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s) were therefore investigated in this study, by means of lexical transcripts of the dialogues between characters of equivalent age and socioeconomic status. A survey of seven movie dialogues revealed that CS can be accomplished through a range of syntactic and morphological strategies. Quantitative analyses showed a massive increase in the overall use of English over this period, a trend particularly evident among young speakers. Moreover, the complexity of CS increased over the period under consideration, with ‘alternations’ at clause boundaries increasing in frequency at the expense of single-word ‘insertions’.
Negotiating a ‘democratic ethos’
Authors: Bond Sophie
Published: January 2011

Theories of urban democracy that are relevant, critical and take sufficient account of the pervasiveness of power continue to pose challenges. Two theoretical frameworks dominate in relation to planning and democracy – Habermasian-inspired communicative planning theory and Mouffe’s agonistic pluralism. Both theoretical frames are typically held to be incommensurable because of fundamental ontological and epistemological differences and the debate between proponents of each tends to be polemic. Both theories have complementary strengths and weaknesses in terms of the insights they are capable of providing. Moreover, the realities of urban governance situations often display characteristics that can be explained in terms of both theoretical framings. This article negotiates a path beyond the polemic debate. It problematizes both theoretical frameworks and negotiates a way forward for planning theory that co-opts the principles of one into a theoretical framework that assumes the ontological position of the other. In so doing the article proposes a two-pronged approach that provides a critical, adaptive and reflexive approach to inquiring into spaces of urban democracy.
Getting Data Through the Back Door: Techniques for Gathering Data from State Agencies
Authors: Van Dunk Emily
Published: January 2011

Graduate schools develop research skills primarily by teaching future social scientists quantitative and qualitative research methods. A solid understanding of these methods is necessary for conducting reliable research. Yet, these skills are unusable if we cannot access data in the first place. The goal of this article is to help researchers reduce some of the barriers to collecting data by describing several methods for obtaining data from state and local agencies.
California Dreaming: Replicating the ESA Model, Unusual Cases, and Comparative State Political Analysis
Authors: Wolak Jennifer , Lowery David , Gray Virginia
Published: January 2011

Cross-sectional analyses of American state data testing models in which state size is a meaningful predictor face a nonobvious problem of limited observations. Quite simply, the limited number of large states, and especially the presence of the uniquely large state of California, provides few observations to anchor regression estimates. We explore this problem with close attention to Gray and Lowery's (1996a) energy, stability, area (ESA) model of interest system density, both replicating their results with new data and highlighting the utility and limitations of analyzing unusual cases in comparative state research. After replicating the ESA model, several diagnostics for analyzing outliers, leverage, and influence are examined. We show how supplemental data analyses can be used to assess the source, severity, and, sometimes, the solution of the problem.
Foreshadowing Strategic Pan-Ethnic Politics: Asian American Campaign Finance Activity in Varying Multicultural Contexts
Authors: Tam Cho Wendy K.
Published: January 2011

Research on Asian American politics is hampered by data limitations. Asian Americans comprise a small proportion of the population, and few political candidates are of Asian descent. However, because the Asian American population is growing quickly, interest in the group's political behavior has grown. One source of data that can be exploited to understand Asian American political behavior is the state of Hawaii. Hawaii provides a natural experiment since the majority of its citizens are Asian American and Asian political candidates are commonplace. This study of Hawaiian politics focuses on Asian American campaign finance behavior. I find that as Asian Americans locate themselves in more multicultural settings, they become more politically strategic, less focused on national-origin groupings, and more inclined to embrace a pan-ethnic identity.
State Interest Group Research and the Mixed Legacy of Belle Zeller
Authors: Gray Virginia , Lowery David
Published: January 2011

How well are the state- and national-level literatures on interest representation connected? We identify landmark studies at both levels and conclude that there is little cross-fertilization between them. Rather, the landmark state studies are more descriptive, and focus on a trade-off between group and party power, reflecting the legacy of Belle Zeller, while the national-level studies are embedded in theories used in the broader discipline and, therefore, focus on different processes. One consequence of this is that the national literature does not cite state-level studies very often. We conclude with recommendations for enhancing the impact and theoretical contribution of the state literature on interest organizations and the politics of interest representation.
Principals, Agents, and the Impact of Regulatory Federalism on the Savings-and-Loans Crisis of the 1980s
Authors: Teske Paul , Laumann Julie
Published: January 2011

Was state financial regulation a major cause of the massive savings and loan (S&L) failures in the late 1980s? This question is critical at a time of continuing devolution of regulatory authority to the states. We employ a database of information on nearly 4,000 S&Ls in this period to understand the factors that led some of them to fail. We find that state-chartered S&Ls failed at higher rates than federally chartered firms, but that the extremely high failure rate of Texas-chartered S&Ls explains all of this difference. The actions of a single, large state can make an enormous difference in the American federal system of regulation. We also find that stock-owned S&Ls failed at a higher rate than mutually owned S&Ls, and that S&Ls chartered in jurisdictions with more autonomous regulatory structures failed at a higher rate. Thus, when the principal-agent relationship in S&L regulation was weakest, S&L failures were most prevalent.
Explaining Judicial Diversity: The Differential Ability of Women and Minorities to Attain Seats on State Supreme and Appellate Courts
Authors: Hurwitz Mark S. , Lanier Drew Noble
Published: January 2011

Representation in political institutions, including the judiciary, is an important consideration for both political scientists and citizens. What factors systematically influence diversity among judges? In particular, does the method of selection affect the relative success of political minorities in attaining a seat on the bench? The answers to these questions have substantial normative and theoretical implications. We examine judges on all state supreme and intermediate appellate courts in 1985 and 1999 to assess the influence of various structural, political, and demographic factors on judicial diversity. We demonstrate that the ability of political minorities to attain a place in the judiciary is not solely a function of any single factor. Instead, their success is influenced by a multifaceted combination of factors contingent on time and the level of the court, and these influences differ for women and for minorities.
Cross-State Bias in Voting and Registration Overreporting in the Current Population Surveys
Authors: Bernstein Robert A. , Chadha Anita , Montjoy Robert
Published: January 2011

There is tremendous nonrandom variation from state to state in the rates at which people overreport voting in the Current Population Surveys (CPS). What accounts for this state-level bias in overreporting? We find that the determinants of statewide rates of overreporting parallel those in our earlier findings on individual-level overreporting: overreporting is a function of higher concentrations of racial and ethnic minorities, higher rates of religious membership, and being in the Deep South. These relationships are remarkably stable over time (1980-2000), and they are unaltered by improvements in how we measure overreporting. We suggest a method for deflating reported statewide registration figures to account for this bias, assuming that these registration figures are inflated in the same way as are statewide voting figures. We replicate and extend a part of Brown, Jackson, and Wright's (1999) analysis using these deflated figures, showing that our approach can improve explanation.
The Revolution against Affirmative Action in California: Racism, Economics, and Proposition 209
Authors: Alvarez R. Michael , Bedolla Lisa García
Published: January 2011

In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 209, which banned the use of affirmative action in state hiring, contracting, and public university admissions. We know that white voters favored Proposition 209 more than nonwhite voters—the question is, why? Did they feel that the racial preferences given to growing numbers of members of racial and ethnic groups threatened them economically, or were they just motivated by old-fashioned racism? We test these two possible explanations—economic anxiety and racial division—for the appeal of Proposition 209 to California voters using exit poll data. We find little support for the economic anxiety explanation. Instead, racial division seems to be the best way to understand white voting on Proposition 209.
Re-examining Legislative Committee Representativeness in the States
Authors: Battista James Coleman
Published: January 2011

I re-examine theories of legislative committee organization by using simulation to assess how representative state legislative committees are of their parent bodies. I find that clearly unrepresentative committees are rare and concentrated in a few chambers. I also find that comparing committee and chamber medians leads to very different conclusions about representativeness than does comparing means. My findings tend to confirm the informational model of committees and disconfirm the partisan model, but they cannot directly address the distributive model.
Redistricting Principles and Racial Representation
Authors: Barabas Jason , Jerit Jennifer
Published: January 2011

How do traditional redistricting principles—contiguity, communities of interest, political subdivisions, incumbent protection, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, preservation of district core, and compactness—affect racial minority representation in congressional districts? Using data from the 2001-02 redistricting process, we find that compactness is the only principle that significantly affects minority representation, both in terms of majority-minority districts and minority influence districts, but these effects are contingent on the size of the minority community and extent of racial segregation in a state. Two other principles, Section 5 pre-clearance and protecting political subdivisions, improve minority representation in a more limited way. Thus, race-neutral redistricting criteria like the compactness principle, can dramatically affect the racial composition of the resulting districts and, thereby, affect minority representation.
What Price Justice(s)? Understanding Campaign Spending in State Supreme Court Elections
Authors: Bonneau Chris W.
Published: January 2011

Among the least-researched American elections are those for seats on the states' supreme courts, arguably some of the most important political positions in the states. We know not only that campaign spending in these races has increased sharply in the past 20 years but also that there is great variation in spending among them. What factors cause campaign spending to vary among races for the states' highest courts? And what can an understanding of campaign spending in these races tell us about campaign spending for other offices? I use data from 281 state supreme court races in 21 states from 1990 to 2000 to answer these questions. I find that state supreme court campaign spending is driven by the characteristics of the race, institutional arrangements, and the electoral and state supreme court context.
Deliberative Democracy in Theory and Practice: Connecticut's Medicaid Managed Care Council
Authors: Grogan Colleen M. , Gusmano Michael K.
Published: January 2011

Despite calls for greater deliberation among citizens on public policy, we have little information about how existing deliberation is structured or how well it works. We examine Connecticut's effort to put public deliberation to work in Medicaid policymaking. Findings from our participant-observation study and in-person interviews with 100 participants in this process suggest some important qualifications to literature on public deliberation. Greater inclusion of diverse social groups from the target population is important, but this should not replace the inclusion of professional advocates since the latter are often more willing than citizen representatives to challenge policy experts on technical issues. Incorporating public deliberation into the process at an early stage is ideal, but deliberation during the later stages of policymaking (including during implementation) can still produce useful results. Finally, the style and purpose of deliberation can shape the range of topics on the agenda, so it is important to understand how the structure of a deliberative forum can affect the style and purpose of deliberation.

The essence of democracy itself is now widely taken to be deliberation, as opposed to voting, interest aggregation, constitutional rights, or even self-government. (Dryzek 2000, 1).
The Impact of Multimember State Legislative Districts on Welfare Policy
Authors: Larimer Christopher W.
Published: January 2011

Electing members of legislatures through multimember districts (MMDs) reduces racial and ethnic minorities' descriptive representation in those bodies, but is their substantive representation also hurt? Do legislative MMDs lead to worse policy outcomes for minorities independent of their effect on legislative demographics? To address these questions, I examine welfare policy in the states from 1997 to 2000. I find evidence that suggests that states whose upper legislative chamber is comprised of MMDs have significantly less generous welfare policy. I conclude that MMDs do indeed damage the substantive representation of racial and ethnic minorities in legislatures, independent of their effect on descriptive representation.
Testing the Basis of Incumbency Advantage: Strategic Candidates and Term Limits in the California Legislature
Authors: Engstrom Erik J. , Monroe Nathan W.
Published: January 2011

Conventional wisdom suggests that incumbent politicians use the resources of office to create an electoral advantage. But Cox and Katz (2002) argue that at least part of this incumbency advantage in the United States House of Representatives can be attributed to the strategic entry and exit decisions of incumbents. We test this claim by taking advantage of the natural experiment provided by state legislative term limits in California. By comparing different types of open seats, we identify the strategic component of the incumbency advantage that exists above and beyond the resource-based advantage. The vote loss suffered by the incumbent party is smaller in term-limited seats than in voluntary open seats, indicating that incumbents do sometimes leave when their electoral prospects look dim. Further evidence of this strategic component is that quality challengers run more often in voluntary open seats, while quality incumbent-party replacements run disproportionately in term-limited seats.
Legislative Professionalism and Democratic Success: The Conditioning Effect of District Size
Authors: Dometrius Nelson C. , Ozymy Joshua
Published: January 2011

Fiorina (1992, 1994) argued that increased professionalism of state legislatures in the 1970s and 1980s increased Democratic control of those bodies. While some subsequent empirical studies have been consistent with this hypothesis, doubt remains about the causal connection of this relationship. Our review of Fiorina's theoretical argument leads us to add legislative district size as a conditioning element to the model. Using data from state legislatures in 1960-98, we find that such a model supports the claim that the empirical connection between legislative professionalism and Democratic electoral success is causal and not spurious.
Explaining Incremental and Non-Incremental Change: Medicaid Nursing Facility Reimbursement Policy, 1980-98
Authors: Miller Edward Alan
Published: January 2011

Political scientists have long distinguished between incremental and non-incremental policymaking. In this study, I illustrate the relevance of this distinction for comparative state policy research by modeling both incremental and non-incremental change in the same policy area: Medicaid nursing facility reimbursement. I use mixed-modeling techniques to model incremental year-to-year changes in per diem rates and payments per recipient and event history analysis and ordered logit to model non-incremental comprehensive innovation in this policy area. My results indicate that federal action prompted non-incremental change in capital reimbursement policy by limiting state discretion over incremental year-to-year spending decisions. Incremental policy appears to be affected by regional diffusion, but there is no evidence of this effect for non-incremental policy. Furthermore, when a state's fiscal health declined and the demand for government services grew, it was more likely to respond by making incremental adjustments than non-incremental system overhauls. Whereas governing capacity influenced both incremental and non-incremental change, state ideology influenced only incremental change. The rate at which states pursue incremental or non-incremental policy change depends on their relative vulnerability to federal policy changes, their receptivity to neighboring state influences, and their susceptibility to internal political, economic, and programmatic conditions.