bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Design of Cylindrical Hob for Machining of Precision Involute Gears
Authors: Radzevich Stephen P.
Published: February 2007

This paper aims at development of a novel design of precision gear hob for machining involute gear on a conventional gear-hobbing machine. The reported research is based on use of fundamental results obtained in analytical mechanics of gearing. For solving the problem, both the descriptive-geometry-based (DGB) methods together with pure analytical methods have been employed. The use of DGB methods is insightful for solving most of the principal problems, which consequently were analytically solved. The analytical methods used provide an example of application of the DG∕K-method of surface generation developed earlier by the author. For interpretation of the results of research, several computer codes in the commercial software MathCAD∕Scientific were composed. Ultimately, a method of computation of parameters of design of a hob with straight-line lateral cutting edges for machining of precision involute gears is developed in the paper. Coincidence of the straight-line lateral cutting edges of the hob with the straight-line characteristics of it generating surface eliminates the major source of deviations of the hobbed involute gears. The relationships between major principal design parameters that affect the gear hob performance are investigated with the use of vector algebra, matrix calculus, and elements of differential geometry. Gear hobs of the proposed design yield elimination of the principal and major source of deviation of the desired hob tooth profile from the actual hob tooth profile. The reported results of this research are ready to put in practice.
Design and Analysis of a Disk Drive Actuator for Commutational Ramp Loading
Authors: Ratliff Ryan T. , Pagilla Prabhakar R.
Published: February 2007

A voice-coil motor actuator system is designed to perform a unique disk drive ramp load/unload operation. The design eliminates the necessity of increased material requirements common in ramp load disk drives. Therefore, disk drives with lower cost, higher performance actuators can realize the linear shock protection benefits of ramp loading. This study offers a complete, systematic design procedure together with required analysis for manufacture of a commutational ramp load/unload drive. The actuator is designed and optimized to meet specific move-time performance requirements. When used for ramp load/unload, however, there exists a location where input current has no influence on actuator motion. An input polarity reversal is required within the uncontrollable region to sustain the direction of actuator motion. A magnetic, restorative bias is designed that prevents the actuator from resting in the uncontrollable region while providing resistance to rotational shock effects. A state trajectory is designed that, when tracked, moves the actuator through the uncontrollable set for a successful load onto the disk at the desired load velocity. A ramp load controller is designed to track the trajectory and handle the nonlinear effects from bias and friction torque. The unique disk drive is manufactured and experiments are performed to demonstrate effectiveness of the complete design strategy.
Structure of the Polycrystalline Zeolite Catalyst IM-5 Solved by Enhanced Charge Flipping
Authors: Baerlocher Christian , Gramm Fabian , Massüger Lars , McCusker Lynne B. , He Zhanbing , Hovmöller Sven , Zou Xiaodong
Published: February 2007

Despite substantial advances in crystal structure determination methodology for polycrystalline materials, some problems have remained intractable. A case in point is the zeolite catalyst IM-5, whose structure has eluded determination for almost 10 years. Here we present a charge-flipping structure-solution algorithm, extended to facilitate the combined use of powder diffraction and electron microscopy data. With this algorithm, we have elucidated the complex structure of IM-5, with 24 topologically distinct silicon atoms and an unusual two-dimensional medium-pore channel system. This powerful approach to structure solution can be applied without modification to any type of polycrystalline material (e.g., catalysts, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, complex metal alloys) and is therefore pertinent to a diverse range of scientific disciplines.
Dangers of Brain-o-vision
Authors: Wegner Daniel M.
Published: February 2007

Does Consciousness Cause Behavior?
.
Susan Pockett, William P. Banks, and Shaun Gallagher, Eds.
. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2006. 372 pp. $50, £32.95. ISBN 9780262162371.

Approaching the link between consciousness and behavior from a variety of perspectives, the contributors consider recent findings from psychology and neuroscience, philosophical suppositions, and legal, social, and moral implications.
SYNCHRONIZATION CONTROL OF NEURAL NETWORKS SUBJECT TO TIME-VARYING DELAYS AND INPUT NONLINEARITY
Authors: YAN JUN-JUH , LIAO TEH-LU , LIN JUI-SHENG , CHENG CHAO-JUNG
Published: February 2007

This paper investigates the synchronization problem for a particular class of neural networks subject to time-varying delays and input nonlinearity. Using the variable structure control technique, a memoryless decentralized control law is established which guarantees exponential synchronization even when input nonlinearity is present. The proposed controller is suitable for application in delayed cellular neural networks and Hopfield neural networks with no restriction on the derivative of the time-varying delays. A two-dimensional cellular neural network and a four-dimensional Hopfield neural network, both with time-varying delays, are presented as illustrative examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization scheme.
EXISTENCE ANALYSIS OF MOSAIC SOLUTIONS FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: KE YUN-QUAN , ZHOU FENG-YAN
Published: February 2007

In this letter, the mosaic solutions of one-dimensional Cellular Neural Networks system (CNNs) are investigated. Three types of parameters, the synaptic weights, the input terms and the threshold are properly chosen in terms of Chua's driving-point plot. Moreover, we give sufficient conditions for the existence of the mosaic solutions.
Platelet-activating factor induces ovine fetal pulmonary venous smooth muscle cell proliferation: role of epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation
Authors: Zhou Weilin , Ibe Basil O. , Raj J. Usha
Published: February 2007

We have previously reported that platelet-activating factor (PAF) is present in very high levels in the ovine fetal lung and circulation and that PAF serves as an important physiological vasoconstrictor of the pulmonary circulation in utero. However, it is not known whether PAF stimulates pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation. In this study, we used ovine fetal pulmonary venous SMCs as our model system to study the effects and mechanisms of action of PAF on SMC proliferation. We found that PAF induced SMC proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. PAF also stimulated activation of both ERK and p38 but not c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways. PAF (10 nM) induced phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Specific inhibition of EGFR by AG-1478 and by the expression of a dominant-negative EGFR mutant in SMCs attenuated PAF-stimulated cell proliferation. Inhibition of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) release by CRM-197 and inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) by GM-6001 abolished PAF-induced MAP kinase activation and cell proliferation. Increased alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity after PAF treatment in AP-HB-EGF fusion construct-transfected SMCs indicated that PAF induced the release of HB-EGF within 1 min. Gelatin zymography data showed that PAF stimulated MMP-2 activity and MMP-9 activity within 1 min. These results suggest that PAF promotes pulmonary vascular SMC proliferation via transactivation of EGFR through MMP activation and HB-EGF, resulting in p38 and ERK activation and that EGFR transactivation is essential for the mitogenic effect of PAF in pulmonary venous SMC.
Evidence for the role of G-proteins in flow stimulation of dinoflagellate bioluminescence
Authors: Chen Antony K. , Latz Michael I. , Sobolewski Peter , Frangos John A.
Published: February 2007

Luminescent dinoflagellates respond to flow by the production of light. The primary mechanotransduction event is unknown, although downstream events include a calcium flux in the cytoplasm, a self-propagating action potential across the vacuole membrane, and a proton flux into the cytoplasm that activates the luminescent chemistry. Given the role of GTP-binding (G) proteins in the mechanotransduction of flow by nonmarine cells and the presence of G-proteins in dinoflagellates, it was hypothesized that flow-stimulated dinoflagellate bioluminescence involves mechanotransduction by G-proteins. In the present study, osmotic swelling of cells of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum was used as a drug delivery system to introduce GDPβS, an inhibitor of G-protein activation. Osmotically swollen cells produced higher levels of flow-stimulated bioluminescence at a lower threshold of shear stress, indicating they were more flow sensitive. GDPβS inhibited flow-stimulated bioluminescence in osmotically swollen cells and in cells that were restored to the isosmotic condition following hypoosmotic treatment with GDPβS. These results provide evidence that G-proteins are involved in the mechanotransduction of flow in dinoflagellates and suggest that G-protein involvement in mechanotransduction may be a fundamental evolutionary adaptation.
Antibodies against the melanocortin-4 receptor act as inverse agonists in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Peter Jean-Christophe , Nicholson Janet R. , Heydet Déborah , Lecourt Anne-Catherine , Hoebeke Johan , Hofbauer Karl G.
Published: February 2007

Functionally active antibodies (Abs) against central G-protein-coupled receptors have not yet been reported. We selected the hypothalamic melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R) as a target because of its crucial role in the regulation of energy homeostasis. A 15 amino acid sequence of the N-terminal (NT) domain was used as an antigen. This peptide showed functional activity in surface plasmon resonance experiments and in studies on HEK-293 cells overexpressing the human MC4-R (hMC4-R). Rats immunized against the NT peptide produced specific antibodies, which were purified and characterized in vitro. In HEK-293 cells, rat anti-NT Abs showed specific immunofluorescence labeling of hMC4-R. They reduced the production of cAMP under basal conditions and after stimulation with a synthetic MC4-R agonist. Rats immunized against the NT peptide developed a phenotype consistent with MC4-R blockade, that is, increased food intake and body weight, increased liver and fat pad weight, and elevated plasma triglycerides. In a separate experiment in rats, an increase in food intake could be produced after injection of purified Abs into the third ventricle. Similar results were obtained in rats injected with anti-NT Abs raised in rabbits. Our data show for the first time that active immunization of rats against the NT sequence of the MC4-R results in specific Abs, which appear to stimulate food intake by acting as inverse agonists in the hypothalamus.
Muscle mechanosensitive receptors close to the myotendinous junction of the Achilles tendon elicit a pressor reflex
Authors: Nakamoto Tomoko , Matsukawa Kanji
Published: February 2007

Feedback regulation by activation of mechanosensitive afferents in the exercising muscle causes the cardiovascular and sympathetic nerve responses, which follow tension development and are almost identical between static contraction and passive stretch. The precise location of the mechanoreceptors contributing to the exercise pressor reflex, however, remained unknown. To test the hypothesis that the mechanoreceptors will be located around the myotendinous junction to monitor a change in muscle tension than a change in muscle length, we examined the reflex cardiovascular responses to passive stretch of the triceps surae muscle in anesthetized rats with three interventions; systemic injection of gadolinium, cutting the Achilles tendon, and local injection of lidocaine into the myotendinous junction. Gadolinium (42 μmol/kg iv) blunted the increases in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure during passive stretch by 36 and 22–26%, respectively, suggesting that the reflex cardiovascular responses were evoked by stimulation of muscle mechanosensitive receptors. The cardiovascular responses to passive stretch were not different between the cut Achilles tendon and the intact tendon in the same rats, suggesting that any mechanoreceptors, terminated in the more distal part of the tendon, did not contribute to the reflex cardiovascular responses. Lidocaine (volume, 0.04–0.1 ml) injected into the myotendinous junction blunted the stretch-induced increases in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure by 37–49 and 27–34%, respectively. We conclude that the muscle mechanosensitive receptors evoking the reflex cardiovascular responses at least partly locate at or close to the myotendinous junction of the Achilles tendon.
Morning attenuation in cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity in healthy humans is associated with a lowered cerebral oxygenation and an augmented ventilatory response to CO2
Authors: Cummings Kevin J. , Swart Marianne , Ainslie Philip N.
Published: February 2007

We hypothesized that, in healthy subjects without pharmacological intervention, an overnight reduction in cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity would be associated with an elevated hypercapnic ventilatory [ventilation (V̇e)] responsiveness and a reduction in cerebral oxygenation. In 20 healthy male individuals with no sleep-related disorders, continuous recordings of blood velocity in the middle cerebral artery, arterial blood pressure, V̇e, end-tidal gases, and frontal cortical oxygenation using near infrared spectroscopy were monitored during hypercapnia (inspired CO2, 5%), hypoxia [arterial O2 saturation (SaO2) ∼84%], and during a 20-s breath hold to investigate the related responses to hypercapnia, hypoxia, and apnea, respectively. Measurements were conducted in the evening (6–8 PM) and in the early morning (6–8 AM). From evening to morning, the cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia was reduced (5.3 ± 0.6 vs. 4.6 ± 1.1%/Torr; P < 0.05) and was associated with a reduced increase in cerebral oxygenation ( r = 0.39; P < 0.05) and an elevated morning hypercapnic V̇e response ( r = 0.54; P < 0.05). While there were no overnight changes in cerebrovascular reactivity or V̇e response to hypoxia, there was greater cerebral desaturation for a given SaO2 in the morning (AM, −0.45 ± 0.14 vs. PM, −0.35 ± 0.14%/SaO2; P < 0.05). Following the 20-s breath hold, in the morning, there was a smaller surge middle cerebral artery velocity and cerebral oxygenation ( P < 0.05 vs. PM). These data indicate that normal diurnal changes in the cerebrovascular response to CO2 influence the hypercapnic ventilatory response as well as the level of cerebral oxygenation during changes in arterial Pco2; this may be a contributing factor for diurnal changes in breathing stability and the high incidence of stroke in the morning.
Fetal-Derived Trophoblast Use the Apoptotic Cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor-α–Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand to Induce Smooth Muscle Cell Death
Authors: Keogh Rosemary J. , Harris Lynda K. , Freeman Abigail , Baker Philip N. , Aplin John D. , Whitley Guy StJ. , Cartwright Judith E.
Published: February 2007

Remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries during pregnancy transforms them from high to low resistance vessels that lack vasoconstrictive properties. This process is essential to meet the demand for increased blood flow imposed by the growing fetus. Loss of endothelial and smooth muscle cells (SMC) is evident in remodeled arteries but the mechanisms underlying this transformation remain unknown. This study investigated the hypothesis that fetal trophoblast invading from the placenta instigate remodeling by triggering cell death in vascular SMC. Specifically, a role for trophoblast-derived death inducing cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) was investigated. Expression of the activating TRAIL receptors R1 and R2 was detected by flow cytometry on human aortic SMC and by immunohistochemistry on spiral artery SMC. Recombinant human TRAIL induced human aortic SMC apoptosis, which was inhibited by antibodies against TRAIL-R1 or -R2. Perfusion of denuded spiral artery segments with recombinant human TRAIL also induced SMC apoptosis. Trophoblasts isolated from first trimester placenta expressed membrane-associated TRAIL and induced apoptosis of human aortic SMC; apoptosis was significantly inhibited by a recombinant human TRAIL-R1:Fc construct. Trophoblast within the first trimester placental bed also expressed TRAIL. These data show that: 1) TRAIL causes SMC death; 2) trophoblast produce the apoptotic cytokine TRAIL; and 3) trophoblast induce SMC apoptosis via a TRAIL-dependent mechanism. We conclude that TRAIL produced by trophoblast causes apoptosis of SMC and thus may contribute to SMC loss during spiral artery remodeling in pregnancy.
Association of Small-Vessel Disease With Dilatative Arteriopathy of the Brain
Authors: Pico Fernando , Labreuche Julien , Seilhean Danielle , Duyckaerts Charles , Hauw Jean-Jacques , Amarenco Pierre
Published: February 2007

Background and Purpose—

Clinical and imaging studies have reported an independent and intriguing association between intracranial arterial dolichoectasia (IADE) and markers of small-vessel disease (SVD) such as lacune(s). We used a large brain-autopsy collection to investigate the relation between IADE and pathologically assessed cerebral SVD.

Methods—

The entire arterial tree from the heart to the intracranial small intracerebral arteries was investigated in 381 consecutive autopsies from patients with stroke. Vascular risk factors, heart status (weight, coronary atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction), prevalence and severity of atherosclerosis from heart to brain (aortic arch, carotid, vertebral, and intracranial arteries), dolichoectasia, cerebral SVD, and brain tissue lesions (lacune(s), é
tat cribl
é) were evaluated. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and heart weight.

Results—

Twenty-three (6%) of 381 patients had IADE, affecting mainly the basilar artery, with a median basilar artery diameter of 6 mm (range, 4 to 9 mm). Patients with IADE had a >2-fold increase in the prevalence of basilar artery plaques and ulcerated plaques in the aortic arch (both
P
=0.006), but there were no associations with coronary or cervical artery plaques. SVD was more frequent in IADE-positive than in IADE-negative patients (45% vs 18%;
P
=0.004). The adjusted odds ratio was 3.85 (95% confidence interval, 1.56 to 9.52). Cerebral amyloid angiopathy was not observed in IADE-positive patients.

Conclusions—

Compared with stroke patients without IADE, those with IADE were more likely to have pathologic evidence of cerebral SVD and its consequences, independent of age, arterial hypertension, or diabetes mellitus. IADE and cerebral SVD may have unidentified biologic processes in common.
Brain Aneurysms and Arteriovenous Malformations
Authors: Linfante Italo , Wakhloo Ajay K.
Published: February 2007

Background and Purpose—

Brain aneurysms and vascular malformations can cause cerebral hemorrhages, with devastating consequences for the patients and their families. Since the development of microcatheters and materials used for endovascular embolization, we have witnessed a rapid advancement in the technology and in the number or patients treated with this approach. The aim of this review is to survey recent data relevant to new technologies and emerging treatment strategies in these areas.

Summary of Review—

Clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of coil embolization for cerebral aneurysms were based on the use of bare platinum, helical coils. Since then, endovascular operators have been testing and using new materials such as bioactive coils, expandable coils, and complex-shaped coils. Based on the data so far obtained, third and fourth generation coil designs are rapidly emerging and will be ready for clinical application in the near future. Balloon- and stent-assisted coil embolization is enabling the treatment of complex, large-neck aneurysms and the vascular reconstruction of lesions previously considered not treatable. New open- and closed-cell designs allow the navigation and deployment of stents in extremely tortuous vessels. With regards to the embolization of vascular malformations, it is possible to safely navigate microcatheters and microwires through very small arteries previously considered not accessible. In addition, embolization materials such as n-butyl cyanoacrylate and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer are now routinely injected to safely reduce or obliterate large and complex arteriovenous malformations and fistulae.

Conclusions—

Advancements in technology are rapidly improving the endovascular approach to the treatment of cerebral aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations.
Admission Facility Is Associated With Outcome of Basilar Artery Occlusion
Authors: Müller Robert , Pfefferkorn Thomas , Vatankhah Bijan , Mayer Thomas E. , Schenkel Johannes , Dichgans Martin , Sander Dirk , Audebert Heinrich J.
Published: February 2007

Background and Purpose—

Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is a stroke subtype with poor prognosis, but recanalizing therapies have been reported to be effective. We investigated whether initial admission to telemedically linked general hospitals with subsequent stroke-center transfer is related to poorer outcome than direct admission to stroke centers.

Methods—

All BAO cases of 3 stroke centers in Munich and 1 center in Regensburg between March 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004 were included, either if patients were directly admitted to stroke centers (n=23) or had initial admission to general hospitals of the telemedical network for integrative stroke care (TEMPiS) and secondary transfer to stroke centers (n=16). BAO was defined as angiographically (CTA, MRI or conventional angiography) confirmed occlusion of the basilar artery. Baseline parameters and therapeutic procedures were recorded. One-year follow-up was conducted prospectively.

Results—

Differences in baseline parameters were not statistically significant. Time from onset to first angiography was significantly longer in patients with secondary transfer (mean: 355±93 minutes versus 222±198 minutes;
P
<0.01), mainly attributable to transfer duration (mean:156±73 minutes). In-hospital mortality (22% versus 75%;
P
<0.01) and 1-year-mortality (30% versus 81%;
P
<0.01) were lower for patients with direct admission to stroke centers. Fifty-two percent of directly admitted patients versus 13% of patients with secondary transfer (
P
=0.02) were living at home after 1 year.

Conclusions—

BAO patients who were admitted primarily to community hospitals had a worse prognosis. Patients with typical symptoms should have direct access to stroke centers, or may need bridging therapies.
Combination of Linkage and Association Studies for Brain Arteriovenous Malformation
Authors: Inoue Sumiko , Liu Wanyang , Inoue Kayoko , Mineharu Youhei , Takenaka Katsunobu , Yamakawa Hiroyasu , Abe Masamitsu , Jafar Jafar J. , Herzig Roman , Koizumi Akio
Published: February 2007

Background and Purpose—

Genetic factors for brain arteriovenous malformation are unexplored because of the low incidence of familial cases, albeit local and familial clustering. We used a combination of a linkage study and an association study to explore the genetic background.

Methods—

A genome-wide linkage analysis was performed in 12 patients from 6 unrelated families using the GENEHUNTER program. A genome-wide association analysis of 26 cases and 30 controls was performed using a GeneChip 10K mapping array. Significance levels for linkage and single single-nucleotide polymorphism association analyses were set at
P
<0.05 and
P
<0.0001, respectively. Genotyping was also performed using 58 960 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for 2 sets of discordant twins.

Results—

The linkage analysis revealed 7 candidate regions, with the highest logarithm of odds score of 1.88 (
P
=0.002) at chromosome 6q25. A significant association was observed for 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 2 haplotypes, but none of them overlapped with candidate linkage regions. Genotyping of the twins showed no genetic heterogeneity.

Conclusions—

The present study failed to identify genetic factors for arteriovenous malformation although the low statistical power may have resulted in such evidence being missed.
Inhibition of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein by Torcetrapib Modestly Increases Macrophage Cholesterol Efflux to HDL
Authors: Yvan-Charvet Laurent , Matsuura Fumihiko , Wang Nan , Bamberger Mark J. , Nguyen Tu , Rinninger Franz , Jiang Xian-Cheng , Shear Charles L. , Tall Alan R.
Published: February 2007

Objective—

This study examines the effects of pharmacological inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) on the ability of high-density lipoprotein particles (HDL) to promote net cholesterol efflux from human THP-1 macrophage foam cells.

Methods and Results—

Two groups of 8 healthy, moderately hyperlipidemic subjects received the CETP inhibitor torcetrapib at 60 or 120 mg daily for 8 weeks. Torcetrapib increased HDL cholesterol levels in both groups by 50% and 60%, respectively. Compared with baseline, torcetrapib 60 mg daily increased HDL-mediated net cholesterol efflux from foam cells primarily by increasing HDL concentrations, whereas 120 mg daily torcetrapib increased cholesterol efflux both by increasing HDL concentration and by causing increased efflux at matched HDL concentrations. There was an increased content of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and apolipoprotein E (apoE) in HDL-2 only at the 120 mg dose. ABCG1 activity was responsible for 40% to 50% of net cholesterol efflux to both control and T-HDL.

Conclusions—

These data indicate that inhibition of CETP by torcetrapib causes a modest increase in the ability of HDL to promote net cholesterol efflux at the 60 mg dose, and a more dramatic increase at the 120 mg dose in association with enhanced particle functionality.
Domestic Politics and Peacemaking: Reconciling Incompatible Imperatives
Authors: Rothstein Robert
Published: March 2007

The intrusion of domestic politics into questions of foreign policy and peacemaking has usually had a negative impact. This has been true in a number of earlier small wars—for example, the Boer War and the French struggles in Indo-China and Algeria. It appears to be equally true in the Vietnam war. The force of this argument is illustrated by discussing the policy-making style of the American Govern ment, with some references to the British and French cases, first in normal circumstances, and then in situations where each has had to contend with rising dissent both within the elite and by the general public. Some effort has been made to indicate the difficult kinds of choices which confront a demo cratic government in this situation. Insofar as the govern ment attempts to manipulate public dissent to silence elite critics, another argument is made for the unique importance of dissent by former officials to counterbalance the govern ment's control of information and expertise. The situation which develops in these cases seems to indicate that the intru sion of domestic politics inhibits the possibility of successful peace negotiations.
A Case for Equity in Federal-Local Relations in Urban Policy Development
Authors: Gibson Kenneth A.
Published: March 2007

An examination of federal-local relations from an historical perspective shows that shared responsibility between the different levels of government has been fundamental to the American system of government. Strengthening this partnership ought to be a principal goal of the Carter Administration as it seeks to reorganize the government and develop an effective policy for the nation's third century. This paper proposes three basic reforms: (1) Shifting certain costs of local government to the state and federal levels; (2) infusing new capital into the central cities for urban development; and (3) adjusting the tax structure at all levels to make the cost of living and doing business in the cities more attractive. These reforms are premised on a juridical concept of equality as the necessary guiding principle in federal-local relations and as indispensable to the revitalization of urban America.
Untenured and Tenuous: The Status of Women Faculty
Authors: Hornig Lilli S.
Published: March 2007

Issues of equity in higher education have assumed prominence with the development of laws seeking to abolish sex discrimination. The status of women on faculties thus has become a subject for widespread study and debate. A historical sketch of women's participation in the professoriate is followed by a more detailed overview of the positions they hold, how they are distributed among institutions, what they are paid, and what functions they perform. Numerous studies in this field agree that women faculty are overconcentrated in the least prestigious institutions and in the lower ranks, carry a disproportionate share of teaching loads especially at introductory levels, and are seriously underpaid at all levels when rank, field, Ph.D. cohort, type of institution, and work functions are held constant. Evidence is adduced which suggests that such faculty distributions and reward systems may adversely affect the quality of education and of scholarly research. Implications for higher education policy are discussed.
The Influence of Ethnic Families on Intergenerational Relationships and Later Life Transitions
Authors: WOEHRER CAROL E.
Published: March 2007

Recent studies of American families indicate that pluralism continues to be characteristic of American society. Since a great number of older Americans are either immigrants or the children of immigrants, and many others have spent much of their lives in ethnic communities, understanding the elderly in American society requires insight into ethnic values and family patterns. The foundation for intergenerational relationships is laid early in the family life cycle as children are growing up. Ethnic family structure and socialization of children are closely related to intergenerational interaction in adulthood. Extended family relationships in turn influence social participation outside the family throughout the life cycle and older people's responses to the later life transitions of retirement, widowhood, and decline in health.
The Time Has Come to Acknowledge Security as a Profession
Authors: CRISCUOLI ERNEST J.
Published: March 2007

Despite the importance of private security in today's world, security has yet to become widely accepted as the complex and demanding profession it really is. The successful practice of security requires extensive specialized knowledge as well as a full range of general managerial skills. The field has witnessed much progress in the last decade toward codification of its body of knowledge, development of formal academic programs, and establishment of professional certification programs. The two biggest obstacles to acceptance as a profession are erroneous public perceptions of the field and the lack of a structured prerequisite to practice. Both of these obstacles are being addressed by the industry's leading association and others in the field.
Economic Reform of Socialism: The Dengist Course in China
Authors: PRYBYLA JAN S.
Published: March 2007

After the death of Mao Zedong it became clear that the Chinese economy needed to be reformed. The need arose from the economy's serious quality problems: chronic shortages, waste, low factor productivity, and technological backwardness. By 1979 it had been decided that reform must be structural and consist of decentralization of decision making that involves marketization of transactions and privatization of property rights. For the centrally planned system's quality problems to be solved successfully, reform must be comprehensive, that is, systemwide, not partial and selective. China, however, opted for the latter. By mid-1988 it was clear that incomplete reform did not do the quality-improvement job expected of it and that it produced some additional problems. There were distinct signs of regression as the reform momentum fizzled out.
China's Foreign Economic Relations
Authors: HUAN GUOCANG
Published: March 2007

China's foreign economic relations dipped sharply after Tiananmen. International agencies and governments suspended loan negotiations while foreign investors lessened new commitments. Tourism plunged. The net effect cut foreign exchange earnings. But retrenchment measures to cool the overheated economy reduced imports, as did the lessened availability of credit, while exports increased. The balance of trade markedly improved. By mid-1990 foreign economic sanctions had been eased or lifted altogether. Various measures favored special economic zones and coastal enclaves for foreign investment, especially from Taiwan and Japan. Conservative attacks on policy, the recentralization of foreign exchange control, and stagnation in economic reform cause concern abroad, however. The differential development of interior versus coastal areas affects marketing and competitiveness. A likely succession struggle and the possible emergence of popular unrest continue to cloud foreign views.
Western Hemisphere Free Trade: Probability or Pipe Dream?
Authors: WEINTRAUB SIDNEY
Published: March 2007

U.S. trade policy has four sometimes incompatible strands: multilateralism; preferential bilateralism; preferential regionalism; and unilateral imposition of import restrictions outside the framework of the multilateral structure. President Bush's proposal for free trade in the Western Hemisphere represents one of these elements, but it comes as the other strands are also being pursued in multilateral and North American trade negotiations. President Bush's free trade initiative was warmly received in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is because the region now looks outward toward exports more than at any time since the Great Depression. The feasibility of hemispheric free trade will depend on the extent to which the United States is prepared to discard unilateralism in its protective measures, how far other countries in the region are prepared to open their markets, and how committed they are to cooperating in formulating product and environmental standards and in protecting intellectual property.
Sustainable Agriculture: A Twenty-First-Century System
Authors: BIRD G. W. , IKERD JOHN
Published: March 2007

U.S. agriculture has been very productive during the past fifty years. A number of unexpected consequences, however, are believed to be detrimental to the long-term interests of our nation's agriculture and natural resources. In response to this issue, the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 mandates that the U.S. Department of Agriculture conduct research and education programs on alternative agricultural systems. These must be productive, economically viable, and environmentally sound; they must conserve natural resources, make optional use of on-farm resources, and enhance the quality of life for farmers and ranchers, members of rural communities, and society as a whole. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program has evolved as an important initiative for development and promotion of alternative agricultural practices and production systems. This article describes sustainable agriculture and its role in the development of a philosophy for identification of research, education, and policy initiatives for twenty-first-century U.S. agriculture.
Rights, Resources, and Membership: Civil Rights Models in France and the United States
Authors: HEIN JEREMY
Published: March 2007

Civil rights are usually conceptualized as a minority-majority issue. Comparison of public policy to promote racial and ethnic equality in the United States and France indicates that civil rights also influence interminority relations. American policy is based on rights to resources. It emphasizes racial and ethnic differences, interest groups, and distribution of jobs and other social goods. French policy is based on rights to membership. It emphasizes commonalities between ethnic minorities, majority group responsibility, and a social contract of interdependence. Limiting the expression of racism is the centerpiece of French civil rights law. The American approach to civil rights contributes to interminority conflict because it is primarily a method for influencing institutions rather than, as in France, a model of ideal race and ethnic relations.
Germany and the EC: Realism and Responsibility
Authors: FELDMAN LILY GARDNER
Published: March 2007

This article compares the place of realism and responsibility as motivations for Germany's policy toward the European Community (EC) before 1989 and after. It argues that while the context and style have changed, there remains basic continuity in Germany's EC policy. Germany is characterized as interdependent partner and not as dominant leader or preoccupied spoiler in the EC. The assessment of continuity and partnership assumes that promotion of national interest, together with the pursuit of integration as an ideal, has been a fundamental element since the early 1950s and not a motive suddenly discovered with German unification. The full range of Germany's goals in the EC—economic, political, cultural and societal, regional, international—is examined.
West European Cooperation in Foreign and Security Policy
Authors: RUMMEL REINHARDT
Published: March 2007

The development of a collective foreign and security policy for Western Europe was shaped by both the international environment and the policy of West European regional integration. Although initially put on the back burner, a common European defense has been defined as a goal within the Treaty on European Union. Unification in the three areas—economic (European Community), diplomatic (European Political Cooperation), and military (Western European Union)—has advanced differently but, as a whole, has reached a stage where comprehensive union is possible. Western Europe is currently in a transitional period and is still feeling the pains associated with being thrust into the position of a world power after years of comfortable existence under the umbrella of one of the two antagonistic superpowers. In the beginning of the 1990s, a much more assertive role than in the 1970s and the 1980s is being expected of Western Europe by the international community.
Firearms and Self-Defense
Authors: McDOWALL DAVID
Published: March 2007

While usually discussed as a cause of crime, guns also may protect against it. Firearm ownership is difficult to measure, but all sources agree that millions of Americans have guns for defense. Although existing research is not in complete agreement, defensive gun ownership appears to increase with fear of crime and with concerns about collective security. How often victims use guns against offenders is controversial; some data suggest that armed resistance is rare, while other data suggest that it is very common. The data showing that firearm defense is rare also indicate that it is often successful.
The Dawn of Mechanical Translation
Authors: Monson Diane
Published: March 2007

Cryptanalysis, linguistics, literary analysis, content analysis, and translation have been edging together in theory and in method for some years. Since World War II a new invention complex has appeared that emanates from and speeds up the amal gamation of fields. This is mechanical or machine translation, a socio-mechanical invention to promote trans-linguistic communication. Working largely with general purpose computers, a hundred men and a score of organizations have brought MT to the stage of rough models. If several of the fundamental problems are solved in the next generation, "One World" in the language of science, literature, and politics may begin to materialize. This article is based in part on the author's questionnaire survey of the organizations and individuals presently concerned with MT.
Area Studies and Comparative Politics
Authors: Kling Merle
Published: March 2007

Professor Kling of Washington University in St. Louis reviews the history, accomplishments, and future of comparative political research on Latin America. What scholars choose to study and how they go at it are described. Real progress in Latin American studies, says the author, depends on blending the traditional and modern versions of area studies.
Researchers' Roles in Negotiating the Institutional Fabric of Technologies
Authors: GARUD RAGHU , AHLSTROM DAVID
Published: March 2007

Researchers influence the development of technologies based on their frames of reference and levels of inclusion. The authors employ these constructs to study the emergence of one technology: cochlear implants. Their description reveals the roles that researchers play in negotiating the institutional fabric of a technology.
Effects of the Television Spots on Images of Dole and Clinton
Authors: KAID LYNDA LEE
Published: March 2007

This experimental study of the 1996 television spots conducted in a series of locations during the general election campaign indicates that exposure to Dole's spots enhanced his image in September, but October exposures resulted in a negative image effect for Dole and a positive one for Clinton. Effects of spot exposure on independents and on women were particularly significant. The results also show that technological manipulations in negative spots can achieve the desired effects for ad sponsors.
Signaling Positive Corporate Social Performance
Authors: Jones Ray , Murrell Audrey J.
Published: March 2007

A firm’s social performance can shape the impressions of key stakeholders, such as employees, customers, suppliers, and investors, that influence subsequent decision making and relationships to the firm. To test this notion, we examine how a firm’s public recognition for exemplary social performance can serve as a positive signal of the firm’s business performance to shareholders. We conduct an event study of firms named to Working Mothermagazine’s list of “Most Family- Friendly Companies” for the first time between 1989 and 1994. We find statistically significant, positive, abnormal returns for such firms, in particular for firms whose shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Provocation and Proof in World-System Analysis
Authors: ROSENAU JAMES N.
Published: March 2007

The world-system perspective is presently conceived to be so controversial that effort should be directed more toward questions of theoretical specification than those of research design. Further, given the depth and rigidity of the controversy, comprehension is likely to advance more quickly through provocative than proven theory.
Radicals and the State
Authors: KVISTAD GREGG O.
Published: March 2007

This article argues that ideas of the state are crucial for understanding contemporary politics in so-called “state-societies” like West Germany. It argues that the recent protracted and divisive political battle over state employee personnel policy in the Federal Republic needs to be understood as a conflict involving the power of two nineteenthcentury ideas of the German state, on the one hand, and the general modernization of the West German state and transformation of West German elite and mass political culture, on the other.
Cleavage Dimensions in Ten West European Countries
Authors: KNUTSEN ODDBJØRN
Published: March 2007

The present article discusses different approaches for identifying empirical cleavage dimensions and concludes that a so-called cleavage-defined approach is most appropriate for identifying and interpreting party dimensions. It is further argued that discriminant analysis is a powerful statistical tool for analyzing cleavage dimensions in accordance with a cleavage-defined approach. Using different structural variables that are incorporated in the Lipset-Rokkan model for party cleavages in Western Europe, and two ideological dimensions (called left-right materialism and materialism/postmaterialism) as “input” for the dimensional analyses, data from Norway and the European Community countries (based on Euro-Barometer 16 from 1981) are analyzed and related to the comparative literature on cleavage structure in Western Europe.
Institutional Choices and Labor Market Policy
Authors: KING DESMOND S. , ROTHSTEIN BO
Published: March 2007

Focusing on employment exchange systems, the authors explain how early labor market institutions established by British and Swedish governments affected the possibilities for subsequent policy. They demonstrate how the way in which labor exchanges were implemented in Britain and Sweden limited and facilitated, respectively, active labor market policy after 1945. The absence of institutional legitimacy in the legacy of the British labor exchange system contrasts with the legitimacy achieved by the Swedish system. The authors identify the reasons for this comparative pattern and analyze its significance.
Elections and Party Preferences in Turkey
Authors: KALAYCIOĞLU ERSIN
Published: March 2007

Two major factors are identified as sources of party preference among voters in Turkey. The main theoretical assertion of the article is that party preferences of the Turkish voters across a left-right continuum are determined by the historical divide between the center and the periphery of the Turkish polity and rapid social mobilization. Data for the study consist of the findings of the Turkish Values Survey of 1990, in which 1,030 adults were selected according to the procedures of multistage stratified cluster sampling and then subjected to face-to-face interviews. A discriminant analysis was conducted to predict the party preferences of each voter on the basis of sociodemographic characteristics and of ideological affiliation with the center versus the periphery. The former included type of residence, gender, formal education, and socioeconomic status.
The Politics of Public Aid to Private Industry
Authors: VERDIER DANIEL
Published: March 2007

Firms lobby for subsidies along geographic, sector, or factor lines and, as a result, receive subsidies with a local, sectoral, or factorwide scope. This article investigates what determines the line of cleavage and thereby the scope of the subsidy. The factor mobility hypothesis, according to which an economic prior—the degree of factor mobility—determines the geometry of lobbying coalitions, misses the fact that factor mobility is as much the product of policy and policymaking as it is its determinant. This article argues instead that politicians maximize their chances of staying in power through the deliberate use of subsidies to structure the political debate and embed factor owners into stable policy networks. Individual factor owners, in turn, join these policy networks to lobby for monopoly rents capable of insuring them against adverse economic competition. The model yields two testable hypotheses. First, right governments favor subsidies to capital, whereas left governments favor subsidies to labor. Second, the degree of intensity of electoral competition determines the scope of the subsidy policy. Quantitative and qualitative evidence is offered for 21 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries during the 1980s.