bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Shape‐Memory Polymer Based on Hydrogen Bonding
Authors: Liu Guoqin , Guan Chunlong , Xia Hesheng , Guo Fuquan , Ding Xiaobin , Peng Yuxing
Published: July 2006

Summary: Due to a large difference in storage modulus below and above the glass transition temperature, a novel shape‐memory poly[(methyl methacrylate)‐co‐(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone)]/poly(ethylene glycol) semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks structure was synthesized, which is stabilized by hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The recovery ratio of these polymers could reach 99%. In such a system the maximum molecular weight of PEG required for the semi‐IPNs formation reaches 1 000.

Transition from the temporary shape (chem) to the permanent shape (four rods) for a shape‐memory P(MMA‐co‐VP)/PEG1000 semi‐IPNs.

magnified image

Transition from the temporary shape (chem) to the permanent shape (four rods) for a shape‐memory P(MMA‐co‐VP)/PEG1000 semi‐IPNs.
Energy‐based simulation of concrete cracking using an improved mixed‐mode cohesive crack model within a meshless discretization
Authors: Most T. , Bucher C.
Published: July 2006

In this paper an algorithm for the automatic simulation of concrete cracking is presented. The moving crack discontinuity is represented in a meshless discretization. An adaptive coupling of meshless zones in the growing fracture area with traditional finite elements in the undamaged domain is realized, because of the larger numerical effort of the meshless methods. Since the standard cohesive crack model cannot represent the interaction between the normal traction and shear traction damage of the crack surfaces under mixed‐mode loading in this work a coupled mixed‐mode cohesive crack model is adapted for the use in the presented algorithm. This model is included in an energy‐based crack criterion based on the virtual crack extension concept, which is much more independent from the discretization than stress‐based approaches as the Rankine criterion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The future of political campaigning: the American example
Authors: Morris Dick
Published: July 2006

The Internet will provide a way to force direct democracy to the fore, replacing many of the prerogatives now reserved for representative democracy. This is especially true in Europe where the continental integration of the economy has not been matched by integrated political democracy. Lobbying in the UK will become less relevant as the EU comes to predominate. Lobbying in the future will have to be directed downward — to mobilise the public — rather than upward, attempting to influence the Parliament. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications.
E‐campaigning: what it is and how to do it
Authors: Grefe Ed
Published: July 2006

Building community support for a candidate or a cause has traditionally been the essence of grass roots advocacy within the issues management process. And while political decisions in democracies are still made by the establishment, increasingly voters are expressing their views between elections on how an issue should be settled—and those who seek to retain political power are listening and responding. Corporations now need to adopt these tactics to show community support and to gain a legitimate seat at the table when decisions are made. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
New corporate agendas
Authors: Hatcher Mark
Published: July 2006

Globalisation is changing the public affairs agenda for businesses operating in a more interdependent world. As the roles and responsibilities of government are being redefined, and the boundaries between business and government become less clear cut, today's business leaders are facing a daunting array of challenges. In the new age of corporate social responsibility, the needs of shareholders, consumers, employees, national as well as international regulators, watchdogs, NGOs and activist groups have to be satisfied. The number of variables that could affect the bottom line appears to be growing at an exponential rate; and losing the trust of stakeholders can be fatal. Business leaders should step up to the challenges that these developments are creating. They should be unapologetic about countering anti‐globalisation activists by demonstrating the real value that business can bring to the developing as well as the developed world. They should help to promote the virtues of greater transparency and accountability to their stakeholders. They should be actively engaged in fashioning new regulatory architecture that is pro‐competitive, one that makes trade possible. Business leaders should support efforts to develop better quality regulation of the increasing number of trans‐national issues that call for co‐ordinated, international responses. Ignoring or down‐playing these challenges carries a price: it plays into the hands of cyber cohorts and single issue groups, that are accountable to none but themselves, and leads to weaker public policy outcomes. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Voting, non‐voting and consumer buying behaviour: non‐voter segmentation (NVS) and the underlining causes of electoral inactivity
Authors: Bannon Declan P.
Published: July 2006

This paper examines some of the issues and debates surrounding the voting and non‐voting of the UK electorate. It attempts to compare and contrast voter behaviour from both a political science perspective and a consumer buying behaviour perspective. In particular, the paper details the output of primary research into non‐voter behaviour and attempts to cluster these motivations and rationales into psychographic segments of non‐voting behaviour. Issues such as alignment and dealignment, social and inherited values are debated in detail, with particular attention being paid to party identification, issue voting and social determinant theory. The paper both challenges and supports previously presented arguments regarding political issues and voting. In addition, electoral turnout and voter participation are analysed and the consequences for democracy discussed. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Facing the future: young people's awareness of the 2001 British general election advertising campaigns
Authors: Dermody Janine , Scullion Richard
Published: July 2006

This paper presents findings from a national survey of ‘potential’ first time voters at the 2001 British general election. It investigates these young people's awareness of the advertising used by the main political parties during this election. Overall what emerges is a young electorate aware of the advertising, who were interested in the election itself and nearly half of whom say they voted in it. Consequently the findings reject the notion that young people are generically unaware of and disinterested in party political messages. In addition the findings indicate that the political parties' print advertisements—to some degree—are penetrating the first layer of young people's message processing, suggesting they are a useful aid in capturing the youth vote. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Mapping the production of political communications: a model to assist in understanding the relationships between the production and consumption of political messages
Authors: Moloney Kevin , Richards Barry , Scullion Richard , Daymon Christine
Published: July 2006

High public interest today in political communications such as ‘spin’ and in political participation such as electoral turnout suggests that there may be value in exploring the processes by which political messages are produced and consumed, and their inter‐relationship with participation. It may be that what citizen‐voters think of message production influences how they consume political news and publicity (through observing and evaluating), and that the propensity to political participation is subsequently affected.

This paper offers a model which traces the production of political communications, starting at their origins in the political class, and flowing via traditional political journalism or controlled media and new media to citizen‐voters who both observe and evaluate them (ie consume them) before, during and after making any political choices. It is hypothesised that the observation and evaluation of message production and content by political consumers influences both their types and levels of participation.

Research of this nature into political organisations is relatively rare. Similarly, there is little evidence of investigations into other aspects highlighted in the model: attitudes of the political class towards political communications, the production of political communications before they reach the media and how they are received by the media, and their consumption by citizen‐voters in relation to the propensity to participate in politics. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Public‐private partnerships: consultation, cooperation and collusion
Authors: Leitch Shirley , Motion Judy
Published: July 2006

In late 2002, public‐private partnerships (PPP) rose to the attention of the New Zealand public and gained media attention due to what became known as the ‘Armstrong affair’. This paper provides an overview of the Armstrong affair and of the issues engendered by the affair for the formation of policy in relation to PPP. The most fundamental of these issues was the correct relationship between the public and private sectors. The Armstrong case illustrates the way in which the demarcation between the two sectors must be maintained—and seen to be maintained—in the conduct of public affairs. If it is not, the accusation may rightly be levelled that the processes of consultation and cooperation have crossed over into collusion. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Re‐looping the learning: shell's use of case studies to contribute to the company's effectiveness in external affairs practice
Authors: White Jon , Westman Tim
Published: July 2006

Case studies are used in management teaching and executive development. They also have an important use as an aid to practice, to help practitioners learn lessons from the experience of others. For a multinational company such as Shell, case studies from the company's worldwide experience have been developed and made available to members of the company's external affairs community, so that—for example—an external affairs practitioner in the Asia‐Pacific region can learn from the experiences of practitioners in the Latin‐American region. A short description of one of the cases held in the Shell database of case studies is given. The paper concludes by suggesting how case studies should be used to improve practice, and considering some of the obstacles to the development and use of practice‐relevant case studies. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Cultivating small business influence in the UK: the federation of small businesses' journey from outsider to insider
Authors: Jordan Grant , Halpin Darren
Published: July 2006

This case study charts the classic transformation of a small business organisation from being a vehicle of protest that attracted a reasonable but transient membership into a much larger group with a more stable membership and a group with an effective insider policy style. The paper asserts that the change in style and the change in recruiting success are not causally linked, and, indeed, it claims that an insider style may harm recruiting. In the case of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), however, any potential damage through adopting an insider style was more than offset by the separate decision to market the group door to door with a package of selective material incentives (Olson 1965). The paper describes the predominant insider politics style of political representation and finds that while the FSB has moved in that direction, it does not fully fit the stereotype. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Self‐regulation, public issue management and marketing practices in the US entertainment industry
Authors: Hemphill Thomas A.
Published: July 2006

The practice of issue management is widely recognised as a necessary activity for effective corporate and industry political strategy. The issue of violent content, children and the US entertainment industry offers an excellent platform for applying a firm/industry issue management framework developed by Kaufman et al. (1989). To that end, the scope of this paper is three‐fold: first, to categorise the motion picture, television, music recording, and computer and video game industries product self‐regulation regime utilising an expanded version of a model originally developed by Garvin (1983) that identifies a spectrum of governmental regulation categories; second, to employ the above mentioned issue management framework developed by Kaufman et al. (1989) to describe the issue circumstances under which the entertainment industry engages in political activity; and third, to analyse and categorise the entertainment industries' self‐regulation regimes, using the structure and control approach offered by Kaufman et al. (1989) and adapted in a model developed by the author. In conclusion, the Kaufman et al. (1989) model, while offering a credible explanation of issue specificity criteria in this case, does not offer the same credibility for issue frequency criteria. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications
Managing the reputation of restructuring corporations: send the right signal to the right stakeholder
Authors: Dentchev Nikolay A. , Heene Aimé
Published: July 2006

When restructuring their operations, companies intend to minimise environmental uncertainty; however, corporate restructuring increases the unintended uncertainty for stakeholders, as constituents often lack the information or understanding on how ongoing reorganisations would affect them. This paper proposes to manage restructuring through reputations, ie send information signals to the constituents. This contribution analyses the problems of reputation, integrating knowledge on information efficiency and information problems, and proposes five tasks of reputation management of restructuring corporations: release more information, release consistent information, simplify information, reach your stakeholders and reach competitors' stakeholder(s). Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
IPO effects: corporate restructuring when a firm goes public
Authors: Martens Martin L.
Published: July 2006

The public affairs of a firm issuing an initial public offering (IPO) are a critical part of the corporate restructuring efforts which firms face during the process of going public. In this paper, Bowman and Singh's (1993) definition is used to illustrate how issuing an IPO is a significant form of corporate restructuring. Public affairs are critical during both the pre‐IPO phase and during the period leading up to the IPO, as the firm must negotiate a heavily institutionalised process to successfully complete the issue. Here, the six‐year life of ‘Deja News’ is used as a way to illustrate and explain the public affairs during the process of preparing for and issuing an IPO. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
The Chinese in space: the third man in the fourth battlefield?
Authors: Johnson‐Freese Joan , Sommer Michael , Vis‐Sommer Veronika
Published: July 2006

This commentary piece explores the several ramifications of China's October 2003 successful manned space mission, when the People's Republic of China became the third nation, following the lead of the USA and the Soviet Union, to independently launch a manned space mission. While the achievement resulted in prestige and justifiable pride in China, the potential ‘dual use’ of space for military purposes remains speculative, and is of concern to Washington's ‘Blue Team’, suspicious of China's possible aggressive intentions. While China's space efforts include militarisation, it remains an open question as to whether it intends to fully develop space weapons against a background of its belief that the USA already has ‘abundant power’, especially in space. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
The views of anadvocatus dei: political marketing and its critics
Authors: Henneberg Stephan C.
Published: July 2006

This paper addresses 11 statements of criticism of political marketing. These statements represent the most commonly voiced issues and were collected from marketers and political scientists. While marketing theorists are more concerned with the state of political marketing theory, political scientists concentrate much of their criticism on aspects of political marketing management as it is experienced in practice. Each statement is discussed and general conclusions are identified. While presenting the personal opinion of the author (advocatus dei), these conclusions and statements concerning political marketing should foster critical discourse on issues such as political marketing management, concepts and ethics. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
A Faustian pact? Political marketing and the authoritarian personality
Authors: Dean Dianne
Published: July 2006

The rise in racial tension in northern cities in England and subsequent election of British National Party candidates to office has drawn attention to the resurgence of what Adorno et al. (1950) described as the ‘authoritarian personality’. Their findings uncovered characteristics including conformity to the political system, and particularly to a strong leader who could provide guidance and security. This qualitative research identified that these factors were still in evidence among a significant proportion of the sample. This paper explores how these feelings develop; authoritarian characteristics can emerge if the respondents feel particularly threatened by an issue. It is evident that many politicians court this group but they need to be wary of the implications of this strategy. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
Children's acquisition of political opinions
Authors: Mortimore Roger , Tyrrell Claire
Published: July 2006

This paper reports and discusses the results of a survey of English and Welsh schoolchildren aged 11–18, conducted in March–May 2003, covering their attitudes to and knowledge of politics, politicians and political issues. It concentrates in particular on the way these attitudes develop as pupils get older, and also discusses the sources of information on which young people depend, and which may be the key to developing this neglected political ‘market’. It finds that pupils are unenthused by politics, but not ‘apathetic’. Both knowledge and interest increase as pupils grow older; however, negative or cynical attitudes to politicians and to political parties seem to grow at the same time. Yet young people also hold positive attitudes to the electoral process in general, though many do not accept that they will have a ‘duty to vote’ when old enough. The media, though distrusted, is the principal source of information, though it is clear that the family is highly influential; schools seem less influential. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
Are non‐voters cynics anyway?
Authors: Bromley Catherine , Curtice John
Published: July 2006

It has been argued that recent low turnouts for elections in Britain have been fostered by increased cynicism among voters, a cynicism that has been fostered by the increasingly critical tone in which politics are reported by the media. While survey data confirm that voters have become more cynical about politics, they provide little evidence that this trend was particularly strong between 1997 and 2001 among (regular) readers of the (tabloid) press or among regular watchers of television news. Nor do such data suggest that the rise in cynicism had much impact on the level of turnout for the 2001 general election. The biggest challenge facing coverage of politics in the media in general, and newspapers in particular, is not the impact that the tone of its coverage may be having on voters' attitudes towards how they are governed, but rather the increasing reluctance of voters with little interest in politics to read a newspaper at all. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
Results of the Corporate Affairs Survey 2004
Authors: Leclercq Christophe , Springuel Philip A.
Published: July 2006

The Corporate Affairs Survey 2004 confirms that companies with representation in Brussels continue to increase their communications expenditure. This confirms a trend already identified by the European Centre for Public Affairs in various publications1 during the 1990s. Realising the importance of public opinion in policy making, the majority of companies are increasing the size of their Brussels staff, with a deliberate emphasis on communication and further resources in public affairs. As most companies recognise the special skill sets of consultants, many plan to continue relying on the latter, particularly in the area of public relations. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
Of change, training and public affairs in Europe
Authors: Spencer Tom
Published: July 2006

European public affairs practitioners need to be increasingly professional in their reactions to an EU undergoing transformational change. The paper offers a comprehensive summary of the subtleties of institutional change in Commission, Parliament and Council in 2004. In particular, the author argues that expansion from 15 member states to 25 has fundamentally changed the nature of the Union's politics and the skills required to influence it. This new EU requires more of practitioners than experience and amateur instinct: to achieve results and avoid restrictive regulation, the public affairs community must adopt effective training strategies, challenging competence targets and regular self‐assessment of its performance and ethics. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
The role of civil society in European integration
Authors: Machiavelli Beatrice Rangoni
Published: July 2006

This paper explores the concept of ‘civic society’ in Western political thought, charting the changing understanding of this concept through history and its manifestation in contemporary political and social life. The paper draws out the inferences for our understanding of the role of government, particularly with the European Union and its relationship with citizens and other representative community‐based and non‐governmental organisations. The paper argues that the fundamental values that are central to civic society underpin the proposed EU Charter on Fundamental Rights and maintains that effective European integration requires responsible participation by Europe's citizens. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
Public affairs: an American perspective
Authors: DeSanto Barbara J.
Published: July 2006

This paper explores the development and broadening scope of public affairs practice within the United States of America and charts the factors that have influenced its current development. To understand the scope of how public affairs has developed in the United States, it is necessary to examine the historical evolution of the function in the USA and the early 20th century influence of the US government on defining and regulating its definition of public relations and public affairs, which resulted in the still‐in‐effect Gillett Amendment. Since then, public affairs has expanded into the private as well as the public sectors as corporations and organisations recognise the need to gain public trust for their ventures. In the US today, public affairs practitioners perform duties that range from issues management to environmental scanning to legislative affairs. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
Image and the impact of public affairs management on internal stakeholders
Authors: Corley Kevin G. , Cochran Philip L. , Comstock Thomas G.
Published: July 2006

This paper examines both the direct and indirect effects of images of corporate social performance on internal stakeholders. The authors suggest that public affairs managers must be particularly concerned about the ways in which images that are intended for and projected at external stakeholders are reflected back to internal stakeholders. In this new era of extremely tight labour markets, minimal corporate loyalty and high job mobility, public affairs efforts will increasingly impact upon a firm's employees. By monitoring this process, managers may more quickly identify the moment when internal stakeholders have developed a perception that differs from their original intent. This will allow managers to make a better job of maintaining a consistent image of the firm both inside and outside, and of managing the culture of the firm and its key human resources. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
The acceptance, relevance and dominance of lobbying the EU Commission — a first‐time survey of the EU Commission's civil servants
Authors: Koeppl Peter
Published: July 2006

Among public affairs techniques lobbying is by far the most mystifying one — at least in Europe. Lobbying comes from the Latin word ‘labium’ and means ‘entrance hall’ or ‘lounge’. Therein the essential meaning can be seen: today political decisions are not made in plenary assemblies but primarily in the pre‐political phase of balancing the various interests. Lobbying is to be understood as the ‘diverse intensive activities of social groups, chambers and companies in the political and bureaucratic vestibule’ (Beyme 1980). Modern lobbying on the EU level is an intermediary policy for the support of political decision making — even if some critics refuse to believe it. Lobbying at EU level has become a politically realistic dimension. Even if the mass media still take a very sceptical and negative view of lobbying in Brussels, based on the existing European taboo on influencing politics, an in‐depth analysis reveals various lobbies at work in EU institutions. Lobbying today is an essential part of all EU decision areas. This paper describes the functional theory approach of lobbying known as ‘cooperation as confrontation through communication’. For the first time, recipients of lobbying in the EU Commission are demonstrating their acceptance of lobbying efforts. The paper is based on the doctoral thesis ‘The acceptance, relevance and dominance of lobbying the EU Commission’ by Peter Koeppl, University of Vienna (unpublished). Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
Where is public affairs going?
Authors: Spencer Tom
Published: July 2006

This paper suggests the future direction in which public affairs practice is developing and advances a number of propositions about public affairs and political systems which provide the context in which public affairs practitioners operate. The paper examines the changing nature of the political systems in which public affairs functions and argues that, by inference, public affairs practice is culturally specific. The paper explores these contextual issues from both a European and a global perspective. The paper argues that an understanding of public affairs should be recognised as an essential element on management teaching syllabi and laments the fact that this is far from the case. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
Lobbying: fantasy, reality or both? A health care public policy case study
Authors: Terry Valerie
Published: July 2006

This paper provides a theoretical explanation for lobbying as interpersonal rhetorical communication based on the tenets of symbolic convergence theory (SCT). SCT is a general theory of communication in the symbolic interactionism paradigm. Nowhere in the extant communication literature, including the scholarly public relations research, is lobbying explicated in this way. This paper utilises a health care public policy case study to illustrate SCT in lobbying practice. The emphasis here is on how lobbyists use homo narrans, or human storytelling, in influential face‐to‐face information exchange with public policy decision makers to be persuasive on behalf of their clients. The ultimate aim of this paper is to build the current body of theoretical and practical knowledge about lobbying, to advance more positive perceptions of lobbyists and lobbying and to improve the practice of lobbying in producing effective public policy outcomes. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
Public affairs and political strategy: theoretical foundations
Authors: Getz Kathleen A.
Published: July 2006

During the past two decades there have been hundreds of articles published within the broad topic of business political strategy, many of them rigorous and innovative. This paper presents a review and assessment of the theoretical bases of extant research, focusing on three broad research questions: Why do firms participate in the political process? What strategies and tactics do firms employ? What are the limitations on firms' capacity for rational action in the political arena? Research in political strategy has been informed by interest group theory, collective action theory, public choice theory, transaction costs theory, game theory, resource dependence theory, institutional theory, agency theory, the behavioural theory of the firm, business strategy, and population ecology. The paper concludes with a plea to scholars to conduct research in this area which is explicitly and consistently grounded in broad theories of social science. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
The state of North American higher education in corporate public affairs
Authors: Fleisher Craig S.
Published: July 2006

This paper assesses the state of higher education in corporate public affairs (CPA) in North America. Educational offerings in many fields have mushroomed in recent years, and many courses of study are currently available that didn't exist even as recently as a decade ago. Is this true in CPA as well? For the most part, CPA offerings are not as plentiful as some observers would previously have foreseen. The paper looks at what educational opportunities are available, identifying areas that show promise for growth or expansion, and outlines a number of factors that have to come into place if CPA education is to become more prevalent than it currently is. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
The effect of molecular weight on the crystallization kinetics of polycaprolactone
Authors: Jenkins M. J. , Harrison K. L.
Published: July 2006

The crystallization kinetics and degree of crystallinity of polycaprolactone (PCL) were studied using the technique of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystallization exotherms measured using DSC were analyzed using a modified Avrami equation. The modification limited the analysis of the data to the primary crystallization process, where the Avrami equation is applicable. Both the degree of crystallinity and primary composite rate constant were found to decrease with increasing molecular weight. The observations have been explained in terms of the unified reptation‐nucleation theory. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ab‐initio tight‐binding study of the core structures of the c ‐edge dislocation in wurtzite GaN
Authors: Belabbas I. , Chen J. , Akli Belkhir M. , Ruterana P. , Nouet G.
Published: July 2006

In the framework of ab‐initio tight‐binding methods, we modelled and studied the atomic and electronic core structures of the c‐edge basal dislocation in wurtzite GaN. We found this dislocation to have four core configurations displaying 5/8/5‐ or 4/8‐atom rings structures. All these configurations induce unfilled deep states in the top half of band gap. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electrical properties of nanocrystalline HfTiO4 gate insulator
Authors: Domaradzki J. , Kaczmarek D. , Borkowska A. , Wolcyrz M. , Paszkiewicz B.
Published: July 2006

The properties of Hfx Ti1–x O2 solid solution thin films on silicon have been investigated. The HfTiO4 thin films were grown on single crystal (100)‐oriented silicon substrates by low‐pressure hot‐target reactive magnetron sputtering from Ti:Hf (46.7:53.3) mosaic target. Electrical measurements of prepared structures allowed the analysis of the electronic phenomena occurring at the oxide‐semiconductor interface. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Influence of surface and subsurface defects on the behavior of the rutile TiO2(110) surface
Authors: Hameeuw K. , Cantele G. , Ninno D. , Trani F. , Iadonisi G.
Published: July 2006

We carried out a theoretical study of the rutile TiO2(110) surface using ab initio techniques. We investigate the effects of both surface and subsurface defects. These defects consist of a missing oxygen atom in the crystalline structure, the oxygen vacancy. We show that the defect formation energy of oxygen vacancies strongly depends on the position of the defect in the material. Our results imply that subsurface defects could play a role in the reactivity of the surface. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Formation of aluminum silicate film on steel in granite–copper–dry steam reaction system
Authors: Jin Yongcheng , Korablova Inna R. , Oke Yoshihiko , Yamasaki Nakamichi
Published: July 2006

We have observed that a highly protective amorphous aluminum silicate layer on a steel surface was formed after granite–dry steam interaction in the presence of a copper plate near the critical point of water. In this process, the mass transfer of aluminum and silicon species from the granite to the steel surface takes place after copper was transferred to the granite surface. The rate of this process is accelerated by the presence of copper on the granite surface. At present, we have determined the effect of transferred copper species on the weight loss of granite in dry steam with different ratios of O2 and N2. It was also found that transferred copper species at a low O2 level promote the weight loss of granite. Four types of experiments were conducted at low O2 ratios in different‐density steam: (1) steel–steam, (2) steel–Cu–steam, (3) steel–granite–steam, and (4) steel–granite–Cu–steam. It was established that an aluminum silicate film formed on the steel surface only at the steel–granite–Cu–dry steam interaction. The formed film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Studies of gas sensing, electrical and chemical properties of n‐InP epitaxial surfaces
Authors: Wierzbowska K. , Pauly A. , Adamowicz B. , Bideux L.
Published: July 2006

The gas sensing and electrical properties of a novel toxic gas sensor structure based on n‐InP epitaxial layer were studied. The gas sensing properties were investigated under extremely low concentration (in the ppb range) of toxic gas, nitrogen dioxide, in dry pure air. The sensor responses in terms of the resistance changes ΔR, towards NO2 of the structures with different active InP layer thickness were compared. The influence of the surface states at InP surface on the initial resistance of the sensor structure was shown from numerical simulations. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Interfacial diffusion and precipitation in rf magnetron sputtered (Mn)ZnO layers
Authors: Ruterana P. , Abouzaid M.
Published: July 2006

This report presents TEM results obtained on ZnO layers doped with 10% Mn, deposited at 550 °C and subsequently annealed at 800 °C in air. Mn rich precipitates form inside the doped areas and a Mn containing interface phase appears at the ZnO/sapphire interface, following Mn diffusion and reaction. The interface phase is polycrystalline, some patches have been identified as trimetallic (ZnAlMn)O of cubic structure. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Full‐potential electronic structure calculations of InN(AlN) layer embedded in GaN bulk
Authors: Lakdja A. , Bouhafs B. , Ruterana P.
Published: July 2006

The electronic structures of a monolayer quantum well (MLQW) in GaN are investigated by means of the first‐principles full potential linearized augmented plane waves method within the local density approximation (LDA). A super‐cell with periodic boundaries is used to study such systems. It is shown that one InN(AlN) MLQW in the GaN host modifies the localization of charge in the valence band maximum (VBM) and the conduction band minimum (CBM) of In(Al)N/GaN systems. On the other hand the change of the band gap depends on the depth of the MLQW in the GaN matrix. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electronic conductivity and structural distortion at the interface between insulators SrTiO3 and LaAlO3
Authors: Maurice J.‐L. , Carrétéro C. , Casanove M.‐J. , Bouzehouane K. , Guyard S. , Larquet É. , Contour J.‐P.
Published: July 2006

Polar interfaces, if abrupt, theoretically create diverging electro‐static potentials. In practice, atomic or electronic reconstructions occur. In the case of the polar (001) interface between the insula‐tors LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 pictured here, such reconstructions may be the origin of a significant conductivity. This high‐resolution transmission electron microscope (HR‐TEM) image from our Editor's Choice [1] has been recorded with an aberration‐corrected TEM, so that the deformations in the image of the interface are directly related to deformations in the interface itself. The image on the left hand side is the original image, in the middle is its Fourier transform, and on the right‐hand side is the map of the modulus of the 002 Fourier vector. The darker region in this map indicates an elongation of the unit cell at the interface. Such a deformation is correlated to strong band structure changes at the interface.

Jean‐Luc Maurice is scientist at the Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales in Palaiseau. Marie‐José Casanove, author of the micrograph, is senior scientist at the Centre d'Elaboration des Matériaux et d'Etudes Structurales in Toulouse.

The present special issue of physica status solidi (a) is a compilation of presentations from the recent Symposium F on Interfacial Processes and Properties of Advanced Materials (IPAM05) at the E‐MRS 2005 Fall Meeting in Warsaw. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Adopting a situational requirements engineering approach for the analysis of civil aviation security standards
Authors: Laleau Régine , Vignes Sylvie , Ledru Yves , Lemoine Michel , Bert Didier , Donzeau‐Gouge Véronique , Dubois Catherine , Peureux Fabien
Published: July 2006

The security of civil aviation, like many human activities, is regulated by a series of international standards and recommended practices. The quality of these documents is a prerequisite to reach an acceptable security level. The EDEMOI project aims at investigating different techniques to analyse these standards. The techniques that we have used, such as Requirements Engineering (RE) and formal methods, have been fruitfully tried and tested in computer science. During the first step of the project, properties were extracted from standards written in natural language and a conceptual model of the underlying system was elaborated. Since none of the existing requirements engineering methods were able to consider the specifics of our project, we turned to situational method engineering, and have defined a new RE method based on this approach. The standard considered in the article is Annex 17 of the Convention of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). We present several adaptations/extensions to relevant RE techniques necessary to take into account the specific features of our project. Finally, we describe how we have applied this new method to the analysis of Annex 17. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The grounds of worship
Authors: BAYNE TIM , NAGASAWA YUJIN
Published: July 2006

Although worship has a pivotal place in religious thought and practice, philosophers of religion have had remarkably little to say about it. In this paper we examine some of the many questions surrounding the notion of worship, focusing on the claim that human beings have obligations to worship God. We explore a number of attempts to ground our supposed duty to worship God, and argue that each is problematic. We conclude by examining the implications of this result, and suggest that it might be taken to provide an argument against God's existence, since theists generally regard it is a necessary truth that we ought to worship God.
A response to Cordry on design
Authors: WYNN MARK
Published: July 2006

In his paper ‘Theism and the philosophy of nature’, Ben Cordry argues that theism's conception of nature has been falsified. In this response, I argue that the universe in many ways conforms to theistic expectations, and that there is no presumption that a divinely ordered world will take the form that Cordry proposes.
Seasonal shift in the foraging niche of a tropical avian resident: resource competition at work?
Authors: Jedlicka Julie A. , Greenberg Russell , Perfecto Ivette , Philpott Stacy M. , Dietsch Thomas V.
Published: July 2006

This study examined the foraging behaviour of a resident bird species, the rufous-capped warbler (RCWA, Basileuterus rufifrons), in a shaded-coffee farm in Chiapas, Mexico. Unlike many resident species that use shaded-coffee agroecosystems seasonally, RCWAs do not move to other habitats when migrants are present. RCWA foraging was compared when migrant birds were present (dry season) and absent (wet season). It was hypothesized that RCWAs would exhibit a seasonal foraging niche shift because of resource competition with migrants. Observations from both the canopy and coffee understorey show that RCWAs foraged almost equally in both vegetative layers during the wet season although they were more successful foraging in the canopy. In the dry season, migrants foraged primarily in the canopy and RCWAs shifted so that 80% of RCWA foraging manoeuvres were in the understorey. At that time RCWAs foraged less successfully in both vegetative layers. Avian predation in the dry season was found to reduce densities of arthropods by 47–79% in the canopy, as opposed to 4–5% in the understorey. In the canopy, availability of large (>5 mm in length) arthropods decreased by 58% from the wet to dry season. Such resource reductions could have caused the RCWA foraging niche shift yet other alternative or additional hypotheses are discussed. Shifts in foraging niche may be a widespread mechanism for some small insectivorous residents to avoid seasonal competition with abundant migrant species.
Ontogenetic and seasonal variation in the diets of a Costa Rican leaf-litter herpetofauna
Authors: Whitfield Steven M. , Donnelly Maureen A.
Published: July 2006

Ontogenetic and seasonal variation in diet was examined for 11 species of insectivorous forest-floor frogs and lizards from a lowland wet forest in north-eastern Costa Rica. Specimens were collected systematically over an entire seasonal cycle and represented individuals of all sizes. Individual prey items were removed from stomachs of preserved specimens, measured and identified. Ontogenetic shifts in prey size were pervasive. Ontogenetic shifts in prey composition were limited to four species; these were not the species with greatest range in body size, nor the species with the broadest diets. Small prey types (ants, mites, collembolans) decreased in representation and large prey types (roaches, orthopterans, millipedes) increased in importance over ontogeny; this could be because prey selection is based primarily on prey size or because of different prey preferences among age classes. There is little evidence for size-structure in this assemblage. There is no evidence that total availability of arthropod prey varies among seasons, but some evidence that preferred prey are less common in the wet season. Diet was similar between lizards and frogs. Lizards were more likely to have empty stomachs, but also greater stomach volume, than frogs; this indicates a difference in food-gathering strategies. Our study indicates strong similarity between frogs and lizards in diet despite enormous differences in physiology and behaviour.
Habitat differentiation of sympatric Geonoma macrostachys (Arecaceae) varieties in Peruvian lowland forests
Authors: Roncal Julissa
Published: July 2006

Among the hypotheses invoked to explain high species richness in tropical forests, the niche differentiation hypothesis has received observational and experimental support (Ashton 1969, Chesson 2000, Clark et al. 1999, Souza & Martins 2004, Svenning 2001, Terborgh & Mathews 1999). Habitat specialization with regard to edaphic factors and topography has been observed in several plant groups including trees, lianas, shrubs, ferns and palms (Clark et al. 1999, Ibarra-Manriquez & Martinez-Ramos 2002, Svenning 1999, Tuomisto & Ruokolainen 1993). Treefall gaps and light gradients have also been found to be important ecological factors affecting plant distribution and niche differentiation in the understory (Chazdon 1986, Poorter & Arets 2003, Terborgh & Mathews 1999). It is suggested that such habitat heterogeneity may not only maintain biodiversity but also may lead to the origin of new species through the process of parapatric speciation (Gentry 1989, Haffer 1997, Patton & Smith 1992).
Erfahrungen mit Zielvereinbarungen bei Teilautonomer Gruppenarbeit - Ergebnisse einer Expertenbefragung
Authors: Erke Alena , Bungard Walter
Published: July 2006

Zusammenfassung. Gegenstand der Befragung von 44 betrieblichen Experten für Gruppenarbeit mithilfe teilstrukturierter Telefoninterviews waren Merkmale und Auswirkungen von Zielvereinbarungen mit Teilautonomen Arbeitsgruppen (TAG). Die Zielvereinbarungen werden den an sie gestellten Erwartungen an wirtschaftliche Effektivität weitgehend gerecht. In Bezug auf die Arbeitsgruppen wurden aber auch einige negative Auswirkungen berichtet, die mit der stark betriebswirtschaftlichen und wenig mitarbeiterbezogenen Ausrichtung der Zielvereinbarungen in Zusammenhang gebracht werden. Einige der gefundenen Zusammenhänge zwischen Zielvereinbarungen und deren Auswirkungen stehen in Widerspruch dazu, was aufgrund der in der Literatur verbreiteten Anforderungen an Zielvereinbarungen zu erwarten wäre. Insbesondere hängt die Partizipation mit einer Erhöhung von Arbeitsmenge und Leistungsdruck zusammen. Bedeutsamer als das Einhalten von Anforderungen wie Partizipation scheint es, die Zielvereinbarungen an die Leistungsvoraussetzungen der TAG anzupassen und sowohl deren Leistungsvoraussetzungen als auch das Commitment von Gruppen und Führungskräften gezielt zu fördern, um eine konsequente Umsetzung der Zielvereinbarungen sicherzustellen.
Rezension des PAI30: Test zur Praktischen Alltagsintelligenz von Mariacher und Neubauer (2005)
Authors: Schmidt-Atzert Lothar
Published: July 2006

Zusammenfassung. Der PAI30 ist ein neu entwickelter Test zur Erfassung der Fähigkeit, im Alltag praktisch-technische Probleme zu lösen. Die 30 Aufgaben bestehen aus verbal beschriebenen Problemen, die meist durch Bilder oder Skizzen veranschaulicht sind. Die Beantwortung erfolgt schriftlich in freier Form oder durch Ankreuzen von Multiple-choice-Antworten. Die Reliabilität (Testhalbierung) wird mit .86 angegeben. Die Validität wird durch Korrelationen mit Tests zur allgemeinen Intelligenz von .50 und zum praktisch-technischen Verständnis von .70 belegt. In der Bewertung des Tests wird die kreative Gestaltung der Items hervorgehoben, während die Validierung und die Normierung als noch unzulänglich kritisiert werden.
Toward More Readable Big Five Personality Inventories
Authors: Mõttus René , Pullmann Helle , Allik Jüri
Published: July 2006

The Estonian version of the International Personality Item Pool NEO (IPIP-NEO; Goldberg, 1999 ) was administered to 297 participants in parallel with the Estonian version of the NEO-PI-R ( Kallasmaa, Allik, Realo, & McCrae, 2000 ). On average, the EPIP-NEO items were 3 words, 7 syllables, and 18 characters shorter than the NEO-PI-R items. By all relevant psychometrical properties the EPIP-NEO was comparable to the NEO-PI-R. The mean convergent correlation between the facet scales was .73. The scales with shorter and grammatically simpler items tended to have higher internal consistency. In an independent cross-validation sample the initial results were generally replicated. The scales also demonstrated an adequate cross-observer agreement. It is concluded that the EPIP-NEO, as a more readable personality inventory compared to the NEO-PI-R, is suitable for a wider range of samples with different levels of reading skills.