bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Evolution of PIR Foams in the Context of the Phase Out of HCFCs
Authors: Dournel Pierre , Zipfel Lothar
Published: July 2003

PIR foams are known for their outstanding fire properties and for their good insulation performances. The fire behavior can be attributed to the aromatic structure of the isocyanurate ring and to the nonflammability of the blowing agent that is used nowadays.

For environmental reasons, HCFC-141b will have to be phased out as of 01.01.2003 for the production of PIR laminates boards, in Europe and in the United States.

This evolution represents a challenge for the producers as they need to find a high performance alternative in a relatively short period of time. As a major requirement, this alternative will have to maintain the properties of the PIR foams, notably the fire behavior and the k-value at a high quality level.

Several blowing agent alternatives have been presented, and some of them have already been implemented in production plants.

Among them, pentane is seen as a candidate for economical reasons, but because of its high flammability, its use shows some limitations. The nonflammable alternative HFC-365mfc/HFC-227ea has proven to be an interesting alternative to obtain a good insulation value and good fire properties.

Besides, the existence of azeotropic blends between HFC-365mfc and the pentane isomers increases the degree of freedom of the system and makes the optimization process easier. When using the right combination of blowing agent, it is possible to reach an interesting compromise between the insulation characteristics, the fire performance and the cost of the system.

An analysis of properties of PIR foams produced with the several alternatives will be presented in this paper.
Expandable Foam from Amorphous Polyester Resin
Authors: Park Chung P. , Garcia Gerald A. , Watson Roby G.
Published: July 2003

A resilient foam that is both expandable and moldable was prepared from an amorphous polyester resin using a mixed blowing agent of a high-solubility compound and a low-permeability compound. The high-solubility compound permits a high degree of expansion, while the low-permeability compound renders secondary expandability. The polyester foam remedies the deficiencies of existing bead products. Polystyrene beads retain blowing agents but lack resilience. Polyolefin beads are resilient but do not retain blowing agent. The polyester foam board has a low thermal conductivity as well as excellent dynamic cushioning.
Long Term Thermal Resistance of Pentane Blown Polyisocyanurate Laminate Boards
Authors: Singh Sachchida N. , Ntiru Monica , Dedecker Kristof
Published: July 2003

The accurate estimation of the thermal performance of insulation products over their expected lifetime has been a recognized challenge for over twenty years. This is because the lifetime of such products is long (10-25 years), thermal aging is caused by the diffusion of a multitude of gases, and the insulation product is not homogeneous. Two classical approaches to accelerating diffusion controlled phenomena, namely aging at higher temperature and aging a thin slice, have limitations when applied to insulation materials like polyisocyanurate (PIR) laminate board. Raising temperature does not change the diffusion coefficients of all the different gases involved in the aging process at the same rate. In the case of pentane blown PIR board, these gases are CO2, air and the different pentane isomers used to blow the foam. Thin slicing of core foam and scaling techniques, such as those in the ASTM C 1303 -00 procedure, do not account for the fact that PIR laminate boards are denser at the surface layer than in the core foam.
Noncrushing Foam System for Automotive Seats
Authors: Park H. H. , Park J. B.
Published: July 2003

In general, cold-cured flexible foams have a high content of closed cells during a foaming process because of a high reactivity of foaming components and curing at a low temperature. Cold-cured flexible foams require a mechanical method such as roll crushing or vacuum crushing to open a high content of closed cells for preventing shrinkage and cracking of foam after demolding. But this mechanical crushing process can yield foams with poor properties and reduce productivity on account of increasing costs for utilities, electricity, manpower and repair.

A noncrushing foam system developed by Kumho Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (hereafter referred to as “KMCI”) is a new cell opening technology that makes complete cell opening during the foaming process. Thus, this technology results in no shrinkage and cracking after demolding. In addition the noncrushing foam system makes possible manufacturing automotive seat cushions having an open cell structure and excellent cell stability compared to conventional foam by minimizing the degree of cross-linking density and increasing urea linkage. Our new technology has been used to make seat cushion at Hyundai Motor Company in Korea since 1999. We expect that the noncrushing foam system will be applied in various flexible foam applications and will contribute to improvement of productivity and seat cushion quality.
Regional Accelerated Aging Test
Authors: Yamasaki Ryoko , McEvoy James T.
Published: July 2003

Customers' expectations for a consistent long-term high-level product performance have been increasing year after year, and the automotive industry is leading the trend. As an automotive seating component, polyurethane foam has a direct impact to the perceived value of an occupant, thus providing high durability foam became essential to customer satisfaction. Many tests were developed to evaluate the foam durability in various environments because of the importance of durability. The data used to correlate the results from these tests to that of foam collected from the used vehicles is limited because of the complex nature of aging and usage.

In this study, newly manufactured foams were aged at a high temperature, and their fatigue properties were compared with the properties of foam samples collected from the vehicles of different mileage, age and geographical location.

The results of this study showed that the heat aging at 100°C can be used to estimate the aging condition in a dry, hot climate with approximate mileage of 139,000 miles. However, varying the heated time of the foam for accelerated aging did not vary the fatigue property significantly enough to correlate to different mileage. Instead, an application of weight during the heating process is found to represent the fatigue property of foam at higher mileage than heat aging alone.

Although the level of wear of the foam was found to be different depending on the environmental conditions, 25% compression load deflection (CLD) value before and after repeated compression of all samples of the same size were found to follow a logarithmic relationship. Further study of foam with different levels of wear are necessary for more detailed observations.
Religion
Authors: Tarakeshwar Nalini , Stanton Jeffrey , Pargament Kenneth I.
Published: July 2003

This article argues that religion should be fully integrated into cross-cultural research for four reasons: (a) religion, by itself, occupies a substantial role in people's lives across different cultures; (b) religion has been found to be a strong predictor of important life domains among individuals all over the world; (c) religion has a strong influence on cross-cultural dimensions; and (d) culture also influences and shapes religious beliefs and practices. The authors present a five-dimensional framework of religion and provide recommendations on ways it can be integrated within cross-cultural research.
Ethnic/Racial Attitudes and Self-Identification of Black Jamaican and White New England Children
Authors: Cramer Phebe , Anderson Gail
Published: July 2003

A total of 411 children from urban and rural areas of Jamaica and from rural New England were examined by both White and Black interviewers for their skin color and body size preferences and for self-identification, using a modified dolls test. Overall, children from all three communities showed White favoritism and average body size favoritism. Within communities, there were age and gender differences. Kindergartners from rural Jamaica did not show skin color or body size bias, and White fifth/sixth graders from New England showed reverse, pro-Black and pro-chubby favoritism. In Jamaica, boys displayed more bias than girls. Correct racial self-identification was greater among New England than Jamaican children, possibly related to the choice of White as an ideal self among some Jamaican children. Examiner skin color influenced both color and body size preference; self-identification was influenced by examiner skin color only among the rural Jamaican children.
Parents' Definitions of Children's Bullying in a Five-Country Comparison
Authors: Smorti Andrea , Menesini Ersilia , Smith Peter K.
Published: July 2003

This study was carried out with 30- to 55-year-old parents of children ages 6 to 13 years in five different countries: Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, and Japan. It aimed at analyzing similarities and differences between words in five languages used to describe different types of bullying and social exclusion and identifying which terms are more appropriate to use in comparisons across cultures and languages. Target terms were selected using focus groups of children. Participants were presented with 25 stick figure cartoons showing different types and contexts of bullying and related behaviors. They were asked to evaluate whether the cartoons could be described or not by one of the target terms. Cluster analysis identified six clusters of cartoons characterized by specific behaviors: nonaggression, fighting, severe physical aggression, verbal aggression, exclusion, and severe exclusion. On the basis of these clusters, there were clear differences across terms and countries regarding both the width of the semantic area of a term and its closeness to the usual scientific definition of bullying.
The English Version of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory
Authors: Cheung Fanny M. , Cheung Shu Fai , Leung Kwok , Ward Colleen , Leong Frederick
Published: July 2003

The article examines the structure of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI), an indigenous Chinese assessment instrument, in two English-speaking samples. In Study 1, the English version of the CPAI was developed and administered to a sample of 675 Singaporean Chinese. Factor analysis showed that the factor structure of the English version CPAI was similar to the structure of the original Chinese version in the normative sample. Joint factor analysis of the English version CPAI and the NEO-FFI showed that the Interpersonal Relatedness factor of the CPAI was not covered by the NEO-FFI, whereas the Openness domain of the NEO-FFI was not covered by the CPAI. In Study 2, the English version CPAI was administered to a Caucasian American sample. The factor structure was similar to those of the Singaporean sample and Chinese normative sample. The implications of administering the CPAI in non-Chinese cultures are discussed.
Boundaries of Cultural Influence
Authors: Hong Ying-Yi , Benet-Martinez Veronica , Chiu Chi-Yue , Morris Michael W.
Published: July 2003

Cross-cultural studies usually compare the psychology of people from different countries and thus focus on how cultures influence people's psychology. In contrast, in 2000, Hong, Morris, Chiu, and Benet-Martínez demonstrated the dynamics of cultural influence within individuals who have been exposed extensively to two cultures (biculturals); they showed that exposing Chinese American biculturals to Chinese or American cultural icons activated the corresponding cultural (Chinese or American) knowledge systems, which, in turn, affected the biculturals' attributions (the cultural priming effects). This article further examines how applicability of activated cultural knowledge moderates the cultural priming effects. In two studies, the authors manipulated the individual versus group salience of an ambiguous social display and found that only when the individual versus group contrast was made salient was the group agency belief applicable and thus showed the cultural priming effects. As such, applicability sets the boundary condition for the dynamic construction of meaning under cultural influence.
Israeli Jews and Arabs
Authors: Pines Ayala Malach , Zaidman Nurit
Published: July 2003

Israeli Jews and Arabs live in one country with surprisingly little knowledge of each other. Representative samples of the Israeli Jewish ( n = 485) and Arab ( n = 384) populations responded to a questionnaire regarding the importance and availability of different social support functions, the quality of different social relationships, and to whom they would turn with different problems. Results show that despite similarity in the value attributed to the different support functions, there were consistent differences in the perceived availability and utilization of support. Israeli Arabs were less likely to discuss emotional problems or use professional help and more likely to use familial help. Israeli Jews were more likely to turn to a spouse, a friend, a professional, and a superior. These findings have theoretical and practical significance.
The Humanistic Agenda: Articulation
Authors: Mearns Dave
Published: July 2003

This article responds to the “call to action” by emphasizing the importance of humanistic psychology “articulating” with the mainstream institutions of society to exert its effect. The concept of“articulation” is outlined and its relevance explored in relation to universities, professional associations, and purchasers, with examples drawn from work in Britain where person-centered therapy predominates over all other disciplines.
Infusing Humanistic Perspectives into Psychology
Authors: Fischer Constance T.
Published: July 2003

This article advocates giving impetus to a process already underway: mainstream psychology implicitly paying heed to humanistic values. Changes in the prevailing philosophical paradigm will follow further infusion of values, introduced through practical action rather than through argument. These practices include using language appropriate to humans, conducting qualitative research, grounding professional ethics in social philosophy, serving in professional organizations, disseminating a philosophy of psychology appropriate for humans, and publishing humanistic work. The latter could include a traditionally organized introduction to a psychology textbook that integrates mainstream material within a human-science/humanistic frame.
A Research Agenda for Humanistic Psychotherapy in the 21st Century
Authors: Vermeerschv David A. , Lambert Michael J.
Published: July 2003

Efficacy and effectiveness research are described as complementary paradigms by which to study the average response of a group of clients to psychotherapy. Client-focused research, a relatively new approach to studying psychotherapy outcome, is described and advocated as a paradigm that provides both complementary and unique information in that it focuses on individual client response to psychotherapy. Clinical applications of client-focused research are discussed as a means of providing a framework that could potentially be used by researchers and clinicians to evaluate and enhance the effects of humanistic psychotherapy. Suggestions as to how humanistic psychotherapists can utilize client-focused methodology in routine clinical practice are made.
The Immovable Object Versus the Irresistible Force: Problems and Opportunities for Humanistic Psychology
Authors: Leitner Larry M. , Phillips Sally N.
Published: July 2003

The immovable force of an increasingly reductionistic approach to understanding and treating psychological life and the irresistible force of people searching desperately for solutions to struggles that allow for meaning, purpose, and richness in life create serious challenges and great opportunities for humanistic psychology. Humanistic psychology, if it can grasp these opportunities, has the chance to transform the field of psychology. To do so, humanistic psychology will have to deal adequately with three major manifestations of this reductionistic approach to psychology: the DSM as the means for understanding human distress, manualized treatments as the only scientifically based treatments of distress, and randomized controlled trials as the best way of determining treatment effectiveness. This article, after describing each of these reductionistic challenges, briefly reviews the current state of the humanistic response and concludes with a template that, if followed, offers us the chance to create a science that is both intellectually rigorous and experientially rich.
`Analytics' are No Substitute for Methodology: A Response to Speer and Hutchby
Authors: Hammersley Martyn
Published: July 2003

In their article in this issue, Speer and Hutchby argue that qualitative researchers' fears about the reactive effects of audio- or video-recording on the quality of data are misplaced. They claim that these fears stem from a methodological orientation which assumes that in order to study the world we must obtain data that are unaffected by the process of research, that we should observe the social world as if through a one-way mirror. Yet, they point out, most research strategies do affect the data produced. So, the authors argue, qualitative researchers are faced with an intractable dilemma. The solution proposed is to abandon naturalism and to investigate those occasions when people address the fact that their talk is being recorded, using a conversation analytic approach. In response to this, I argue that a concern with reactivity does not imply commitment to any naïve naturalism, and that the approach recommended by the authors does not avoid this methodological problem, unless one is prepared to accept that conversation analysis is the only legitimate form of social research; a proposal for which the authors do not provide a convincing case.
Teachers' Perceptions and Expectations and the Black-White Test Score Gap
Authors: Ferguson Ronald F.
Published: July 2003

Scholars have documented that Black students enter kindergarten with weaker reading skills than their White counterparts and that this disparity sometimes persists through secondary school. This Black-White performance gap is even more evident when comparing students whose parents have equal years of schooling. This article evaluates how schools can positively affect this disparity by examining two potential sources for this difference: teachers and students. It provides evidence for the proposition that teachers' perceptions, expectations, and behaviors interact with students' beliefs, behaviors, and work habits in ways that help to perpetuate the Black-White test score gap.
From Caseworker to Manager
Authors: Finkelstein Ellis
Published: July 2003

For about two decades, U.K. public sector organizations have undergone a period of rapid change generated by political pressure. This has been particularly true of the probation service, where the implementation of new agency objectives has led to a change in working methods and in the duties undertaken by certain members of staff. Social work, the `traditional' symbol of the probation service, which had been valued by staff, was allowed to atrophy, as it was seen to be incompatible with the new objectives for the organization that were orchestrated by the government. The adoption of new management methods has helped to generate new attitudes to social work and to stimulate the promotion of different approaches to the control of staff.
The Discourse Heresies
Authors: Hansen Kenneth N.
Published: July 2003

Scholars of public administration theory have been debating the merits of democratic administration and nascent forms of discourse for quite some time. Rather than coming to some synthesis, the discussion seems to be diverging into two competing factions, one that advocates egalitarian discussion for its own sake and the other that seeks to use discourse as a means to question the old view of “bureaucracy” and replace it with a consensus that leads to substantive results. This study provides a statistical analysis of discursive behavior in local military base redevelopment efforts, an example of interlocal cooperation, in support of the notion that discourse can facilitate tangible policy outcomes. Rather than attempting to subvert the synergistic spirit of discourse with “rationality,” this analysis simultaneously illustrates both the benefits and limitations of measurement.
Comparing Policy Process Frameworks
Authors: Sobeck Joanne
Published: July 2003

Theoretical models impose a framework for viewing the policy process. Some emphasize institutional rules. Others focus on beliefs and values. This research, using a case study of substance abuse policy development within a local community context, examines three frameworks: the advocacy coalition framework (ACF), bureaucratic politics framework, and institutional analysis and development framework (IADF). The frameworks examine an early stage of policy development emphasizing group membership and participation. The results show that membership and participation were best explained using the ACF and the IADF. Strengths and challenges in using each framework are discussed, as well as implications for local policy making.
Punishment's “Square Deal”
Authors: McLennan Rebecca
Published: July 2003

In New York State, the years between 1917 and 1933 saw the dissolution of the remnants of the first great American prison system and the formation of a distinctive new penal order. In the long 1920s, mass cultural, associative, and psycho-medical penal practices finally eclipsed the industrial labor regime of the 19th century prison, while state officials ritually declared the death of the “barbaric old system” and the striking of a mutually advantageous “square deal” between convicts and keepers. Contrary to historiographical orthodoxy, innovative administrators and inspired reformers did not, by themselves, create this new carceral regime. Rather, the system emerged out of the sometimes bloody confrontations that transpired between convicts, guards, labor leaders, industrialists, prison wardens, reformers, and political leaders in the years following the abolition of convict leasing in 1894.
Fashioning Appearances
Authors: Ip Hung-Yok
Published: July 2003

Studying the Communist revolution, scholars of China have generally assumed that the revolutionary era and pre-Cultural Revolution stage of the Communist regime were dominated by asceticism, androgynous clothing, or both. This article seeks to demonstrate that an interest in female beauty was always present in the revolutionary process. The author analyzes how revolutionaries sustained that interest by employing self-beautification practices and women's beauty politically and how social interactions reinforced the perception that female beauty was rewarding, underscoring that Communists accepted the practice of self-adornment. After examining the revolutionary aesthetics of femininity developed by women activists, the article briefly explores the legacy of female beauty in the Communist regime. In its conclusion, it urges that more attention be paid to interest in female beauty as an important part of female experience both during the revolutionary process and during the Communist regime.
Bullying and the Big Five
Authors: Tani Franca , Greenman Paul S. , Schneider Barry H. , Fregoso Manuela
Published: July 2003

Research on the social context of bullying includes children who help the victim, assist the bully or remain outsiders. 96 children from two public schools in Central Italy were classified according to an Italian version of the Participant Role Scale (Sutton and Smith, 1999) as Defenders of the Victim, Outsiders, Victims or Pro-bullies. Teacher reports indicated Friendliness and Emotional Instability as the strongest distinguishing personality factors among the participant roles, followed by Conscientiousness and Energy. Higher levels of Emotional Instability and lower levels of Friendliness typified both Pro-bullies and Victims, relative to their peers. Victims were also low in Conscientiousness. Defenders exhibited high levels of Friendliness, whereas Introversion and Independence characterized Outsiders. These results suggest that personality traits might contribute to children's typical behaviour in bullying situations.
Promoting Children's Resilience and Coping Following September 11, 2001
Authors: Kirkley Kevin O. , Medway Frederic J.
Published: July 2003

This study examined a sample of 45 emails written by adults in response to an Internet article on how to help children develop resilience and cope with hardship in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Most of the sample's recommendations for helping children achieve these goals were similar to those promoted by organizations like the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). However, the sample responses failed to include school-based support services, suggesting that schools (and other community organizations) may need to increase parental awareness of their services. Limitations of the current study and implications of the use of email data in research are discussed.
Living with Grandma
Authors: Edwards Oliver W.
Published: July 2003

In recent years, large numbers of grandparents have become full-time surrogate parents to their grandchildren. These grandparents and grandchildren often have serious problems that may require assistance from schools and mental health professionals. The term `grandfamily' is used to easily identify families where grandparents raise children because their biological parents can no longer care for them. `Grandkin' are children and `supergrands' are the grandparents in these grandfamilies. Grandparents who raise their grandchildren tend to have elevated levels of stress that negatively impact their well-being. School personnel report `grandkin' also experience behavioural, emotional and academic problems at school. In light of the substantial needs of `grandfamilies' and the lack of data about `grandkin,' this article provides a first step in describing the major challenges experienced by a grandson and his grandmother. This `grandfamily' encounters serious economic, emotional and educational stressors. Both the grandson and grandmother experience difficulty functioning under the pressure of stressors and would benefit from an integrated intervention approach based in the home, school and their faith organization.
Group Supervision of School Psychologists in Training
Authors: Haboush Karen L.
Published: July 2003

Eshel and Koriat (2001) have suggested that training programs for school psychologists possess both a manifest (`formal') and latent (`informal') curriculum pertaining to the enhancement of both technical competencies and more autonomous professional functioning, respectively. In addition to influencing coursework, the informal curriculum also shapes the manner in which training programs provide supervision. Although effective supervision is believed to lead to more effective school psychology practice, much of the literature has emphasized the technical skills which supervision aims to improve. Little has been written about the nature of group supervision for school psychologists in training, especially from the standpoint of utilizing a more process-oriented approach as a vehicle for realizing the informal curriculum. In organizing the supervisor's approach to running such a group, the following theoretical models may prove effective: attachment theory, object relations theory, group theory and self psychology. Case examples will be discussed in order to illustrate the application of these theoretical frameworks to the supervisory process. Ethical challenges to running supervision groups within a training program will also be discussed.
Why Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments are Important
Authors: Sanderson William C.
Published: July 2003

The emergence of managed care and similar reimbursement systems that require greater accountability and the development of clinical practice guidelines have increased the importance of evidence-based clinical practice. As a result of these two trends, it appears as though the future of psychotherapy will require clinicians to deliver a psychological intervention that is supported by research. Such treatments exist for a variety of the most common presenting problems (e.g., anxiety disorders, depression) but to date have frequently gone unrecognized and underutilized. The current article will discuss the importance of identifying, promoting, and disseminating empirically supported therapies with an emphasis on the efforts of the American Psychological Association Society of Clinical Psychology's Committee on Science and Practice.
Psychology Should List Empirically Supported Principles of Change (ESPs) and Not Credential Trademarked Therapies or Other Treatment Packages
Authors: Rosen Gerald M. , Davison Gerald C.
Published: July 2003

Current systems for listing empirically supported therapies (ESTs) provide recognition to treatment packages, many of them proprietary and trademarked, without regard to the principles of change believed to account for their effectiveness. Our position is that any authoritative body representing the science and profession of psychology should work solely toward the identification of empirically supported principles of change (ESPs). As challenging as it is to take this approach, a system that lists ESPs will keep a focus on issues central to the science and practice of psychology while also insulating the profession from undue entrepreneurial influences.
Individuating Psychotherapies
Authors: O'Donohue William , Yeater Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2003

One goal of an empirically oriented psychotherapist is to implement the same psychotherapy across similar clients for a similar specified problem. Adherence to a specified treatment is imperative when following a treatment manual. In other cases, such as when developing a new treatment, psychotherapists desire that the intervention be different from those currently available. To develop new treatments and to substantively increase the arsenal of psychological “tools” available to alleviate human suffering, criteria by which treatments are judged to be novel must be developed. The authors discuss criteria to make such delineations. They argue that psychotherapies are defined by two key properties: (a) a mechanism or mechanisms that causally produce the treatment's effects (if any) and (b) a manner or manners of instantiating these mechanisms. They also argue that if two psychotherapies share these two properties, then they are the same treatment; if not, they should be considered different treatments.
Adding a more Rigorous Scientific Agenda to the Empirically Supported Treatment Movement
Authors: Follette William C. , Beitz Kendra
Published: July 2003

As the empirically supported treatment (EST) effort has expanded, there are efforts to make the study of ESTs a more integral part of training programs. In its present form, the EST list provides a poor model of how to evaluate treatment and scientific issues related to our field. This article offers several suggestions regarding how to establish a more relevant scientific agenda for the committee's work if the study of ESTs is to usefully influence training programs. Recommendations are made to encourage programs and the CSP to study mechanisms of change, important contextual variables for therapy delivery, the distinction between statistical significance and clinical meaningfulness, dissemination, cost-effectiveness, and iatrogenic effects. It is argued that any program that created a curriculum educating students to thoughtfully address these issues when evaluating therapies would be producing sound clinical scientists regardless of the quality of the EST list itself.
Implementing Evidence-Based Practices for People with Severe Mental Illness
Authors: Mueser Kim T. , Torrey William C. , Lynde David , Singer Patricia , Drake Robert E.
Published: July 2003

Persons with severe mental illnesses (SMI) often lack access to effective treatments. The authors describe the Implementing Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) Project, designed to increase access for people with SMI to empirically supported interventions. The EBP Project aims to improve access through development of standardized implementation packages, created in collaboration with different stakeholders, including clinicians, consumers, family members, clinical supervisors, program leaders, and mental health authorities. The background and philosophy of the EBP Project are described, including the six EBPs identified for initial package development: collaborative psychopharmacology, assertive community treatment, family psychoeducation, supported employment, illness management and recovery skills, and integrated dual disorders treatment. The components of the implementation packages are described as well as the planned phases of the project. Improving access to EBPs for consumers with SMI may enhance outcomes in a cost-effective manner, helping them pursue their personal recovery goals with the support of professionals, family, and friends.
Optimal Stratification of Item Pools in α-Stratified Computerized Adaptive Testing
Authors: Chang Hua-Hua , van der Linden Wim J.
Published: July 2003

A method based on 0-1 linear programming (LP) is presented to stratify an item pool optimally for use in α-stratified adaptive testing. Because the 0-1 LP model belongs to the subclass of models with a network flow structure, efficient solutions are possible. The method is applied to a previous item pool from the computerized adaptive testing (CAT) version of the Graduate Record Exams (GRE) Quantitative Test. The results indicate that the new method performs well in practical situations. It improves item exposure control, reduces the mean squared error in the θ estimates, and increases test reliability. Index terms: computerized adaptive testing, α-stratified adaptive testing, item pool stratification, 0-1 linear programming
Sample Size and the Recovery of Nominal Response Model Item Parameters
Authors: DeMars Christine E.
Published: July 2003

In this study of polytomous items, the number of items and categories per item were varied to explore the effects on estimation of item parameters in the nominal response model. De Ayala and Sava-Bolesta's (1999) work suggested that the ratio of the sample size to the total number of item parameters was a key factor. They varied the total number of item parameters by increasing the sample size or changing the number of categories per item while leaving the number of items constant. In this study, the total number of item parameters, the sample size, and the number of categories were manipulated as separate factors. Increasing the number of items had little effect on item parameter recovery, but increasing the number of categories increased the error variance of the parameter estimates. Error variance was also greater for more highly discriminating items and for skewed distributions of ability. Index terms: nominal response, parameter recovery, polytomous IRT, MULTILOG.
Public Bioethics and Publics: Consensus, Boundaries, and Participation in Biomedical Science Policy
Authors: Kelly Susan E.
Published: July 2003

Public bioethics bodies are used internationally as institutions with the declared aims of facilitating societal debate and providing policy advice in certain areas of scientific inquiry raising questions of values and legitimate science. In the United States, bioethical experts in these institutions use the language of consensus building to justify and define the outcome of the enterprise. However, the implications of public bioethics at science-policy boundaries are underexamined. Political interest in such bodies continues while their influence on societal consensus, public debate, and science policy remains ambiguous. This article presents a theoretical discussion of public bioethics bodies as boundary organizations and examines them in terms of relationship to the moral and cognitive authority of science and other forms of expertise, mechanisms for public participation in controversial science policy, and the deployment of consensus models. The theoretical discussion is examined in the case of the U.S. Human Embryo Research Panel.
Science and the “Good Citizen”: Community-Based Scientific Literacy
Authors: Lee Stuart , Roth Wolff-Michael
Published: July 2003

Science literacy is frequently touted as a key to good citizenship. Based on a two-year ethnographic study examining science in the community, the authors suggest that when considering the contribution of scientific activity to the greater good, science must be seen as forming a unique hybrid practice, mixed in with other mediating practices, which together constitute “scientifically literate, good citizenship.” This case study, an analysis of an open house event organized by a grassroots environmentalist group, presents some examples of activities that embed science in “good citizenship.” Through a series of vignettes, the authors focus on four central aspects: (1) the activists' use of landscape and spatial arrangements, (2) the importance of multiple representations of the same entity (e.g., a local creek), (3) the relational aspect of knowing and becoming part of a community, and (4) the insertion of scientific into moral discourse, resulting in what they call a “stewardship triad.”
Forever Young?
Authors: Westerhof Gerben J. , Barrett Anne E. , Steverink Nardi
Published: July 2003

This study compares age identities of middle-aged and older adults in the United States and Germany. Differences between countries in social systems and cultural meanings of old age are expected to produce different age identities. Data are from respondents between ages 40 and 74 in the United States (MIDUS; n = 2,006) and Germany (German Aging Survey; n = 3,331). Americans and Germans tend to feel younger than their actual age, but the discrepancy is larger among Americans. The bias toward youthful identities is stronger at older ages, particularly among Americans. In both counties, persons with better health have younger identities and role losses are not related to age identities. The study shows that different social and cultural systems produce different subjective experiences of aging. As these differences exist within Western culture, the study makes clear that one should be careful in generalizing findings from aging research across countries.
Perceived Susceptibility to HIV among Women
Authors: Theall Katherine P. , Elifson Kirk W. , Sterk Claire E. , Klein Hugh
Published: July 2003

Older women's risk of acquiring HIV should not be discounted, because researchers have noted that older women may be at an increased risk of contracting HIV due to their heterosexual sexual practices and/or substance use behaviors. HIV prevention efforts must be directed at older adults who engage in high-risk sexual and drug behaviors, particularly those who may not perceive themselves to be at risk for HIV infection. This study is based on 183 women, mostly African American, divided into two age cohorts (ages 18 to 29, and ages 40 and older). The authors investigate factors associated with HIV risk perception in several domains, including individual, psychosocial, and sociodemographic characteristics as well as sexual and drug use behaviors. Multivariate analyses revealed differences in factors associated with younger and older women's HIV risk perceptions. Our findings indicate a need for HIV risk prevention programs to take age into consideration when developing intervention messages and strategies.
From Here to Eternity
Authors: Barthalon Eric
Published: July 2003

This article offers a critical reflection on the character and significance of financial crises, drawing on the work of various thinkers who have examined this issue. After defining a financial “crisis,” the article asks three questions: Are financial crises foreseeable? Can and should they be contained? How can they be prevented? The first section reviews the various mechanisms that lead to a crisis situation. The second analyzes the role of the lender of last resort and the three dilemmas it faces, relating respectively to moral hazard, the bearing of losses by the community, and the handling of the assets obtained from such a lender's intervention. The last part presents the various proposals that have been made for the prevention of crises—some of them based on the existing monetary institutions, others more radical.
Why Do Governments and the imf Enter into Agreements? Statistically Selected Cases
Authors: Vreeland James Raymond
Published: July 2003

Why do governments and the International Monetary Fund (imf) enter into agreements? Conventional wisdom holds that governments turn to the Fund for a straightforward reason: they need an imf loan. An alternative argument is that governments want imf conditions to be imposed to help push through unpopular economic reforms. To illustrate how the desire for imf conditions can play a role in the decision to enter into an agreement, this article considers two analytically significant cases. Drawing upon a data set of 7011 country-year observations of 199 countries from 1952 (or year of independence) to 2000, two outliers are selected: the country observed with the least need for an imf loan participating in an imf program (Uruguay in 1990) and the country with the strongest need for an imf loan not participating in an imf program (Tanzania in 1983).
Private Actors and Public Policy: A Requiem for the New Basel Capital Accord
Authors: King Michael R. , Sinclair Timothy J.
Published: July 2003

After the Asian crisis of 1997-98, policy-makers invested much energy in designing a new international financial architecture. However, many of the policy proposals that have emerged from think tanks and the multilateral agencies have proven unworkable or politically unpalatable. The debate focuses on state-led initiatives. But the assumption that public policy is by definition an output of public institutions is difficult to sustain in an era of global change. This article considers specialized forms of intelligence gathering and judgment determination which seem increasingly important as sources of governance in this era of financial market volatility: Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, the major bond rating agencies. More specifically, we examine a proposal of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to reform the existing capital adequacy framework by incorporating banks' own internal ratings and external bond ratings from the rating agencies, in order to calculate bank risk-weighted capital requirements. The article identifies a series of negative implications from the use of private rating agencies as a substitute for state-based regulation, premised on the organizational incentives that shape the ratings industry. Cementing these organizational incentives into the emerging financial architecture will, we argue, lead to negative social and economic consequences.
E-Scaped Medicine? Information, Reflexivity and Health
Authors: Nettleton Sarah , Burrows Roger
Published: July 2003

This article examines contemporary conceptualizations of the relationship between information, reflexivity and health in the information age. It suggests that the significance of policies that broaden access to the Internet will not fundamentally alter structural relations, nor will it alter the social epidemiology of health and welfare outcomes in the manner suggested by some advocates of policies aimed at constructing `expert' citizens through processes of ever greater informatization. However, the Internet may lead to some profound changes at the level of social epistemology in that the proliferation of information and communication technologies will influence the means by which knowledge and information are generated and sustained. The Internet may well be contributing to the construction of a new medical cosmology - what we term e-scaped medicine - but this new cosmology will have to exist in a world in which patterns of structural inequality remain relatively impervious to its effects.
Rights and Responsibilities in the New Genetics Era
Authors: Kerr Anne
Published: July 2003

This article critically explores the distribution of rights and responsibilities associated with recent developments in genetic testing and DNA donation. The author identifies two key discourses in various accounts of genetics in the clinical and policy domains: patients' rights to informed choice and the public's right to involvement in policy decisions. However, other discourses among professionals, patients and members of the public around responsibilities for supporting genetic research and testing and managing their social implications are also present. The author goes on to argue that these discourses undermine the case for a dramatic difference between past eugenics and present genetics, as the prevention of genetic disease remains of paramount importance. This suggests that `new genetic citizenship' is not so new after all.
Dinosaurs in Cyberspace?
Authors: Ward Stephen , Lusoli Wainer
Published: July 2003

The diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has led to speculation about the role and health of traditional representative organizations such as trade unions (TUs). The arrival of the Internet has heightened debate about TUs' representative and participatory functions. Some have argued that increasing use of ICTs will further undermine the role of TUs in favour of different forms of participation. Alternatively, there has been interest in the notion of e-unions, where ICTs are harnessed to reinvigorate and modernize union practices. Still further, radicals have argued that ICTs have the potential to decentralize power within hierarchical union structures, enhancing participation. Drawing on content analysis of TUs' websites, a union ICT questionnaire survey and elite interview data, this article examines these scenarios in the context of British unionism.
Research Note: A Need or a Status Symbol?
Authors: Özcan Yusuf Ziya , Koçak Abdullah
Published: July 2003

This article investigates motives behind cellular phone usage and the satisfaction obtained by users in Turkey. It is suggested that the use of cellular phones as a status symbol is more important than the other motives which affect the level of use negatively. The sample consisted of 630 cellular phone users, 18 years of age or older, randomly selected in the city of Konya. The results verify the importance of status/relaxation and security/sociability as motives for cellular phone usage. While the status/relaxation motive is negatively related, the security/sociability motive indicates a positive relation to the level of total use. Income, previous experience with cellular phones, brand of handset, use at the workplace and in the car are also found to be important in determining the level of usage.
Regimes Reinventing Themselves
Authors: Brown Nathan J.
Published: July 2003

In the Arab world, most constitutional documents have been promulgated less by the nation assembled than by existing regimes seeking tools to enable them to face domestic and international challenges. Constitutions have been issued to address a varying range of concerns: international, domestic and internal to the state itself. This article traces the enabling aspects of Arab constitutions over the past century and a half, concentrating on the very recent past. In some ways, the past couple of decades have seen a definite (if limited) upsurge of interest in constitutionalism in the Arab world. Recent constitutional innovations have stressed regularization of authority, bounded democracy and a modest increase in the autonomy of some constitutional structures (especially courts and parliaments). Yet that change should not obscure an underlying continuity. For while the Arab world has joined the global trend toward greater interest in constitutional structures, the changes of the past few decades have not reversed the patterns of the past: constitutions remain politically enabling documents.