bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anisotropic Elastic Materials for which the Sextic Equation is a Cubic Equation in p2
Authors: Ting T. C.T.
Published: March 2007

For a two-dimensional deformation of linear anisotropic elastic materials, the analysis requires computation of certain eigenvalues p that are the roots of a sextic algebraic equation whose coefficients depend only on the elastic constants. It is known that the sextic equation reduces to a cubic equation in p2 for materials of monoclinic or higher symmetry with a symmetry plane at xi = 0 or at x2 = 0. The advantage of having a cubic equation in p2 is not only that p can be obtained analytically. In many cases, the solution to an anisotropic elasticity problem is much simplified. The purpose of this paper is to present other anisotropic elastic materials for which the sextic equation is a cubic equation in p2. These materials may not possess a plane of symmetry. The author shows that as few as two restrictions on the elastic constants are sufficient to deduce these materials.
Exact Solutions for Elastic Membrane Disks
Authors: Haughton D. M.
Published: March 2007

The author looks at ways of generating exact solutions for elastic membranes. Several methods are discussed using the radial expansion of a disk as an example. First, the author uses known solutions for three-dimensional plane strain deformations of a cylinder and show that these can be interpreted as membrane solutions. Second, the author shows how to generate new exact solutions for the plane strain problem using a technique in which the equilibrium equations are decoupled into two sets of equations: one for the deformation and one for the required strain energy function. Both two-and three-dimensional membrane theories are considered, and some differences are highlighted.
On Conditions at an Interface between Two Materials in Three-Dimensional Space
Authors: Wheeler L. , Luo C.
Published: March 2007

This article is concerned with expressing the kinematics of a bimaterial-bonded interface in terms of strains in the three-dimensional case. It is shown that the continuity of displacements can be replaced by the requirement that the change in principal curvatures, the mean geodesic torsion, and the interior strains be matched across the interface. The reduction of these conditions for a two-dimensional bonded interface is also discussed.
Infection Control Comes Home
Authors: Schantz Mary
Published: March 2007

As health care moves home, so do infections. By taking active infection surveillance and control measures into the home, the Missouri Alliance Home Care Infection Surveillance and Control Project is improving quality care and patient outcomes. Tracking bladder and central venous catheter infections since 1993, the home health agencies from more than 25 states that participate in this infection project are seeing the benefit of their efforts.
Bringing TPN home: A patient's perspective
Authors: Boutin Linda
Published: March 2007

The author reveals the patient's perspective about bringing total parenteral nutrition into the home health care setting. UCLA implants a Hickman catheter for home intravenous infusion and prepares the patient to leave the safety of the hospital environment. Linda and her husband creatively collaborate in finding ways for her to live a fulfilling life. Their obstacles include improving her body image, overcoming a sense of guilt, and learning to travel with home total parenteral nutrition. Some of the resources the young couple uses include professional counsel ing, martial arts, and learning to take risks to obtain the desired rewards. Key words: case study, chronic idiopathic pseudoobstruction, exercise, motility disorders, total parenteral nutrition
Transforming Nursing Practice: Acute to Community Care
Authors: Smith Joanne R. , Shiner Paula M.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the collaborative project among an educational institution, acute care hospitals, and home health agencies that led to further defining roles and ensuring employment for the region's professional nurses. The redistribution of care from the hospital to the community creates a demand for expanded skill and knowledge among nursing in community practice. Yet experienced hospital acute care nurses are finding that they have a lack of expanded skills required in community-based nursing. Home health care managers find that acute nurses require an extensive and costly orientation process to community health nursing. From this article the reader will examine the environmental factors affecting the delivery of quality home health care in the late 1990s; the knowledge and skills required for the transition from acute to community care; and a proposed collaborative program design that meets home health administrators' needs to maintain a highly skilled staff.
Benchmarking Home Health Care Data
Authors: Howard Paula
Published: March 2007

Benchmarking data is a relatively new process in the home health care industry. But the results can assist an agency in the strategic planning— staffing needs and program development—for the present and future. This descriptive research project benchmarked home health care data at the national, state (ie, North Carolina), and local (ie, Triangle area: Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) level from varied sources. These data assisted the author in formulating recommendations and a projected 1- year schedule of visit volume that included full-time equivalent position needs and a productivity standard for a new home care agency.
Understanding Physician Perspectives on Hospice: A Framework for Effective Communication and Patient Advocacy
Authors: Surdacki Joseph V. , Hoffpauir Deborah C.
Published: March 2007

Hospice in its present form is a new therapy based on an old concept. Physicians' unfamiliarity with the dying process has limited the expansion and acceptance of palliative medicine at this point. Communication between hospice and physicians is paramount to improve the care of the terminally ill and to advance hospice both from a business and educational standpoint. The role of hospice in medical care may be treated as a specialty consultation service. Using the "three As" of specialty consultation—availability, affability, and ability—hospice can provide exceptional care for the patient as well as individualized service for the physician.
Hospice Budgeting and Financial Analysis
Authors: Simione Robert J.
Published: March 2007

Hospices that plan today for tomorrow will survive the many changes that are taking place in the industry. Understanding the budgeting process and the importance of the financial assumptions used to develop the budget is essential. Establishing a reliable database provides necessary information to prepare internal cost reports and budget projections. Using these tools consistently will ensure that operational decisions are made based on the most accurate financial information available for the specific hospice organization.
Home Health Care Leadership in a Changing Environment
Authors: Smith Carolyn J.
Published: March 2007

Many factors affect the home health care agency of today, creating a challenge for leaders. Internal and external factors are presenting rapid change, unprecedented in our history. Health care costs, technology, changes in health care financing and regulations, patient uncertainty in dealing with changes, and safety issues are only some of the challenges that can consume time and energies of a home care leader. These challenges present opportunities that could not only work positively for the agency but could often cause leaders to forget the basic ethical values related to treating employees in a way that positively influences development, gives employees a sense of worth, and compassionately supports them through change. If the leader intentionally considers these values, the leadership role will be effective by not only having a positive impact upon the employee but by positively influencing the success of the agency. One key to accomplishing this is the home care leader's understanding of the motivations behind human behavior. In an agency where employees are valued, the opportunities for success are manageable and the key to success is basic. Ethical leadership intentionally focuses upon the basic values and motivates employees to maximize their potential. When leadership is not approached in this manner, it is ethically compromised. The challenge for ethical success is not to forget these basic values.
Home Care Organizational Leadership and Structure in a Changing Environment
Authors: Fiscel Mahlon R.
Published: March 2007

Working with a home health provider organization in the twenty-first century will require creativity and vision to insure the viability of the organization. The structure of the organization and its external organizational relationships will still need to satisfy government regulations. Successful providers will effectively incorporate transformational leadership into the work of both the staff and the board. Staff members will be challenged by increased opportunities to be innovative and to use new technologies for delivering care to clients and for communicating information.
Experiences With Proactive Technology Assessment in the Danish Food Sector
Authors: Jorgensen Michael Sogaard
Published: March 2007

This article presents some methodological experiences with proactive technology assessment from a Danish project carried out in coopera tion between a trade union and researchers. The research project, named "New Technology and Slaughterhouses," was carried out dur ing 1985-1988 in close cooperation between the Danish Food Workers Trade Union and two researchers. The overall objectives of the project were, on one hand, to make it possible for the trade union and the meat industry workers to get more influence on future development and, on the other hand, to make it possible to improve the working environ ment and product quality in the meat industry.
The Effects of Emotion and Politics on Field Research on Organizational Crises
Authors: Kovoor-Misra Sarah , Mitroff Ian
Published: March 2007

Emotion and politics are two factors that have a powerful effect on field research on organizational crises. These effects add to the complexity of understanding crises. This article describes the effects of emotion and politics on field research on organizational crises, and some strategies for managing them. The article is primarily based on the first author's experiences, gained while conducting 190 interviews on the crisis preparations of nine organizations.
Using Technology in Surface Transportation to Save Lives, Time, and Money
Authors: Collins John , Mineta Norman Y.
Published: March 2007

Despite aggressive highway construction and efforts to promote nonhighway modes of travel, the United States has seen traffic congestion grow to unprecedented levels that threaten to gridlock both commuting and commerce. But many municipalities are now using intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of existing transportation networks. Recent legislation has spurred research in and deployment of ITS, but it is the private market that will build on these investments over the next 20 years. ITS America is at the forefront of the revolution, coordinating public and private efforts in ITS and developing programs to educate and train the new generation of ITS-savvy transportation professionals. In addition, ITS America is both educating the public about the benefits of adopting ITS and working to overcome the bureaucratic, technical, and institutional hurdles to the widespread adoption of these systems.
The First Decade of the European Air Transport Deregulation
Authors: Betancor Ofelia , Campos Javier
Published: March 2007

The authors present an empirical analysis of the effects of the deregulation processes carried out in the European air transport industry during the period from 1986 to 1994, prior to the 1997 complete liberalization of the industry. Using individual data for 44 city-pair intra-European scheduled routes, the authors estimate several price equations to assess the relevance of both the deregulation packages released by the European Commission in 1987, 1990, and 1992 as well as the liberal bilateral agreements that several countries had agreed upon before. The results support the idea that during this initial decade, the effects of the deregulation in terms of fare levels and percentages of discount were weaker than expected, thus paving the way for the deeper measures that were adopted after 1997.
Phenomenology and Serial Murder
Authors: SKRAPEC CANDICE A.
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the study of motives of serial murderers using the method of empirical phenomenology. Departing from a traditional clinical approach in terms of diagnostic categorizations of serial killers and from a conventional descriptive study in which generic aspects of serial murder such as modus operandi are described and interpreted, a qualitative approach is presented as essential to a more comprehensive understanding of the perpetrators of serial murder. Specifically, learning about murderers' personal constructions of meaning in their own lives positions us to be able to identify the motivations underlying their repeated acts of killing. Results obtained using this approach raise concerns regarding the validity of conclusions drawn from studies that rely upon more traditional methods of inquiry into motive. Researchers who apply conventional methods are cautioned regarding implied meanings of their data.
Infant and Adult Homicide
Authors: RODRIGUEZ S. FERNANDO , SMITHEY MARTHA
Published: March 2007

The utility of demographic and structural variables in examining child fatalities is explored using data from the Uniform Crime Reports, which include all known homicide cases in the state of Texas from 1984 through 1994. The authors' analysis shows that the predictive power of these variables for adult homicide is substantially reduced when predicting child homicide. Social Exchange Theory provides a conceptual framework from which to analyze these types of cases by suggesting conditions under which infants may be lethally injured, usually by a parent or caretaker. This inclination is examined, explained, justified, and treated primarily according to physiological and psychological correlates.
Consumption-Based Private To Public Redistribution During Inflation
Authors: Van Cott T. Norman , Santoni Gary J.
Published: March 2007

Neglecting the redistributive effects of a progressive income tax in an inflation, current literature in macroeconomics and public finance offers two contradictory explanations of consumption-based redistributions to the government during inflation. One explanation, the consumer illusion approach, alleges the redistribution process to be totally dependent on consumers failing to distinguish between real and money income. This approach alleges, moreover, that the monetary sector can be ignored as a constraining element in the redistribution process. The alternative, inflation tax on money analysis, sees a redistribution occurring regardless of the above illusion, the process constrained entirely by the monetary sector. Despite the rather long life of each explanation, the contradictions have never been recognized, let alone resolved, in the literature. This paper does both. We show the consumer illusion mechanism, as the literature explains it, to be subject to internal inconsistencies which are fatal. Once corrected for these critical defects, the perspective on the redistribution process which remains is shown to be identical to that of inflation tax on money analysis.
Compensation With Induced Factor Movements in a Simple General Equilibrium Model
Authors: Kochanowski Paul S. , Pleeter Saul
Published: March 2007

Interjurisdictional compensation can provide an effective method of achieving an optimal provision of public goods in an independent system of local governments, only if all the major side effects of public goods are included in its computation. Previous studies have suggested compensation levels calculated solely on spillins and spillouts of public goods, but in this framework the provision of public goods may induce migration of productive inputs. To incorporate potential movement of factors of production, we recast the local government expenditures problem in a simple general equilibrium framework and estimate the impact of migration on the suggested compensation level. We show that, within reasonable ranges of parameter values of our model, compensation based entirely on output externalities substantially understates the level necessary to achieve an allocatively efficient provision of public goods.
Tax-Transfer Policy and the Temporal Stability of Household Income
Authors: Tuckman Howard P. , Williams Jeffrey C. , Ortiz John M.
Published: March 2007

This paper posits a measure for determining the progressivity/regressivity of the combined tax and transfer system in a time dimension. It also shows that a progressive tax or transfer is stabilizing to family income while a regressive one is destabilizing. Using data from the Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the authors analyze the effects of public policy by income and demographic grouping. Quantitative estimates are also made for select tax and transfer programs.
The Incidence of State Lottery Taxes
Authors: Heavey Jerome F.
Published: March 2007

The price of a lottery ticket consists of two components, the production cost of the ticket and an excise tax. This tax is an approximately constant proportion of ticket price and is fully shifted to the consumer. Hence the ratio of tax to income is a multiple of the expenditures-income ratio. Data from the Pennsylvania state lottery were used to estimate the relationships between lottery expenditures and income, age, race, education, and city residence. It is concluded that the excise tax on lotteries is moderately regressive, representing much less than one percent of income at all income levels.
Tax Referenda and the Voluntary Exchange Model of Taxation: a Suggested Implementation
Authors: Holcombe Randall G. , Taylor Paul C.
Published: March 2007

The voluntary exchange model of taxation implies that taxes are the price paid for public sector output. The current public sentiment for tax reduction and tax reform suggests that the present structure of taxes does not conform to this voluntary exchange model. This article presents a simple method of holding a referendum in order to allow the taxpayers themselves to determine both the level and mix of governmental expenditures. The method is simple enough for voters to understand, and provides the incentive for all voters to state their true preferences. The implementation of such a referendum system would make the tax structure more closely resemble the voluntary exchange model of taxation.
Property Taxation and the Demand for Homeownership
Authors: Ihlanfeldt Keith R. , Boehm Thomas P.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of an increase in the effective Abstract rate of property taxation on the probability of homeownership by individuals at different income levels residing within central city and suburban housing markets. A theoretical model is provided that indicates that an increase in the tax rate produces two opposing effects on the demand for homeownership: (1) due to the property tax deduction, the price of ownership declines relative to renting, and (2) the overall price of housing rises relative to the cost of non housing goods. The strengths of these effects are investigated by conducting a logit analysis of the probability of homeownership with data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Results show that a tax rate increase reduces the probability of homeownership, especially for middle-income households.
Tax Progressivity and the Design of Tax Incentives for Investment
Authors: Gravelle Jane G. , Zimmerman Dennis
Published: March 2007

This article uses marginal tax rate analysis to simulate the effect of our complex system of capital income taxation on of tertax returns by asset type and on tax progressivity. Preferential taxation is found to favor higher income individuals, causing returns to decline less steeply across the rate brackets, For any level of subsidy, the benefits to higher income investors are less pronounced when credits rather than deductions are used, suggesting that tax subsidies can be designed to reallocate investment without heavily favoring wealthy individuals. With leveraging, aftertax returns rise across the tax brackets for preferentially treated assets, suggesting the current tax rules produce regressive rather than progressive tax rates on capital income. The tax advantages of leveraging to high-bracket taxpayers persist when risk is introduced, as yield rises proportionally more than risk at high tax rates. Allowing for risk aversion also indicates that the timing of tax benefits affects an asset's riskiness, suggesting that tax subsidies can be designed both to achieve distributional objectives and to minimize private riskiness.
Modeling Interest-Group Campaign Contributions
Authors: Goddeeris John H.
Published: March 2007

This article models the allocation of contributions by a Political Action Committee (PAC) among a group of candidates running in different races, assuming utility maximizing behavior on the part of the PAC and the candidates. Under various assumptions about objectives, contributions are found to flow toward races that are expected to be close. No model examined yields a clear prediction that contributions flow to likely winners, but it is argued that a skewing of contributions toward incumbents might indicate that contributions are being exchanged for current political favors. Some empirical analysis of contributions by nine large PACs to candidates for the 1978 U.S. House of Representatives is carried out. For the most part, both closeness of race and incumbency appear to increase the likelihood that a candidate will receive contributions.
The Average Tax Burden and the Welfare Implications of Global Tax Progressivity
Authors: Formby John P. , Smith W. James , Thistle Paul D.
Published: March 2007

The measurement of global tax progressivity has been extensively debated over the last decade. We find that the debate stems from a failure to fully recognize the role of the average tax burden. We demonstrate that, once the effect of the average tax burden is controlled for, the two major approaches to global progressivity measurement, which have been long thought to be fundamentally different, must rank tax systems the same way. We show that valid welfare inferences can be drawn from global progressivity comparisons only under these same conditions.
The Government Revenue-Expenditure Nexus: Evidence from a State
Authors: Joulfaian David , Mookeriee Rajen
Published: March 2007

In this article, we empirically gauge the government revenue-expenditure nexus for a state. Employing Granger-causality and vector autoregression techniques, our stylized results indicate that state revenues cause state expenditures. Furthermore, we find that federal grants are not a significant perma nent source of exogenous shock.
The Political Business Cycle and Republican Administrations: an Empirical Investigation
Authors: Findlay David W.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the effects of the political business cycle on unemployment for the first quarter of 1951 through the fourth quarter of 1987. The results for the autoregressive model provide empirical support for the existence of a political business cycle during Republican administrations. A number of simulations are presented to illustrate the longer-term effects of the political business cycle on unemployment for this model and for the 1986 model offered by Allen, Sulock, and Sabo. These results suggest that the unemployment effects of the electoral cycle are not only statistically significant, but are also economically significant.
Fixed Grants and the Supply of Public Goods: the Case of Agricultural Research
Authors: Khanna Jyoti
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes the provision of public goods and services by state and local Abstract governments with fixed intergovernmental grants. Equilibrium conditions are derived for an activity with private and pure public joint products, funded by state funds and fixed intergovernmental grants. Fixed grants are shown to impose an additional constraint on lower level governments and induce them to supply fewer units of the public good. Also, such grants impose a cost on the grantor equal to the potential loss in spillins for each agent.
Is Revenue-Neutral Tax Reform Revenue Neutral?
Authors: Holcombe Randall G. , Mills Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2007

When political factors are taken into account, tax reform intended to be revenue neutral is likely to increase tax revenues. Any reduction in the excess burden of the tax system is likely to increase government revenues because the marginal political cost of tax increases is reduced. Evidence from the 1986 tax reform in the United States and the adoption of the value-added tax in many European countries, where the reforms were claimed to be revenue neutral, is consistent with the hypothesis that "revenue neutral" tax reform generates more government revenue.
Equal Yield Tax Alternatives and Government Deficits
Authors: Pereira Alfredo M.
Published: March 2007

This article generalizes the traditional concept of equal yield tax alternatives to accommodate government deficits in an intertemporalframework. This generalization is important for the analysis of actual tax reform proposals. First, the comparison of the several equal yield alternatives developed in this article provides a measure of the marginal financial crowding-out effects of changes in government deficits induced by tax changes. Second, it suggests that the emphasis by policymakers on revenue neutrality as a proxy for deficit neutrality is misplaced and should be replaced by a direct emphasis on deficit neutrality. The generalized concept of equal yield is illustrated with a dynamic general equilibrium model of the U.S. economy and the analysis of the effects of integrating the personal and corporate income tax systems.
A Quasi-Experimental Design for Studies on the Impact of Administrative Decisions: Applications and Extensions of the Regression-Discontinuity Design
Authors: Mellor Steven , Mark Melvin M.
Published: March 2007

In the regression-discontinuity (RD) design, scores on a pretreatment measure (assignment variable) determine assignment to groups such that respondents above a certain score are assigned to one group, whereas respondents below the score are assigned to another group (e.g., candidates for promotion above a cutoff point on a criterion dimension are promoted, whereas candidates below the cutoff are not). Despite the potential for causal inference about treatment effects, few settings have produced conditions appropriate for applications of the design. These conditions, however, can be found in personnel settings when decisions are based on cutoff procedures. The design is therefore suggested for research on the impact of administrative decisions involving cutoff scores.
Strengthening the Satisfaction-Profit Chain
Authors: Anderson Eugene W. , Mittal Vikas
Published: March 2007

Customer satisfaction programs do not always deliver anticipated results. Disenchanted, some have labeled satisfaction measurement a “trap” and argued for abandoning customer satisfaction as a means for optimizing customer retention and profitability. The authors argue that doing so may be a mistake because the satisfaction-profit chain is conceptually solid. However, to achieve results, an important step is to recognize that the links in the satisfaction-profit chain are asymmetric and nonlinear. In this article, the authors review recent developments pertaining to the asymmetric and nonlinear nature of the links involved. They also discuss several examples based on commercial satisfaction studies where incorporating the asymmetry and nonlinearity added significant value to the firm’s understanding of the satisfaction-profit chain.
A Contingency Approach to Modeling Satisfaction with Management Consulting Services
Authors: Patterson Paul G.
Published: March 2007

Studies modeling customer satisfaction have often produced conflicting findings, prompting some scholars to suggest that satisfaction may vary under different product and situational conditions. This longitudinal study of business-to-business professional services (management consulting services) examines the moderating effects of two individual-level variables (product-norm experience and stakeholding) and one purchase situation variable (perceived product complexity) on the relationships among perceived performance, disconfirmation of expectations, and satisfaction. The results indicate that the relative impact of performance and disconfirmation on satisfaction varies under different contingency conditions. The impact of experience as a moderator variable is especially noteworthy. When considered in light of previous research results, the current results suggest a nonmonotomic relationship between disconfirmation and satisfaction under differing experience conditions. The findings add new insight to our understanding of the contingent relationships among key constructs in satisfaction evaluation, especially in a business-to-business professional services setting.
Word-of-Mouth Processes within a Services Purchase Decision Context
Authors: Bansal Harvir S. , Voyer Peter A.
Published: March 2007

This article investigates the processes of word of mouth (WOM) within a services purchase decision context. The authors argue that to understand these processes, researchers must examine the role of interpersonal influences in the traditional WOM models based within the noninterpersonal paradigm. As a result of the current investigation, three distinct relations emerge: first, the effect of the noninterpersonal forces (receiver’s expertise, receiver’s perceived risk, and sender’s expertise) on the influence of WOM on service purchase decisions; second, the effect of the interpersonal forces (ties strength and how actively WOM is sought) on the influence of WOM on service purchase decisions; and third, the effects of noninterpersonal forces on interpersonal forces. Managerial implications and avenues for future research are addressed.
The Potential Hazard of Self-Service in Developing Customer Loyalty
Authors: Selnes Fred , Hansen Håvard
Published: March 2007

Recent developments in information technology imply that more service operations can now be transformed from expensive manual operations to low-cost automated self-service. Managers, however, are reluctant to replace personal service with self-service because of the potential negative consequence of self-service on social bonding and subsequent customer loyalty. In this article, the authors argue that the decision should be reframed as follows: “How can self-service be integrated with personal service?”
To Sell or Not to Sell
Authors: Aksin O. Zeynep , Harker Patrick T.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the trade-offs between service and sales in phone center operations in retail banking and develops an analytical approach to quantify the costs and benefits of moving toward a sales-focused operation. Empirical evidence from retail banking call centers is provided along with a numerical example demonstrating the use of the analytical approach in the context of one major retail banking call center. It is shown that in addition to its visible costs, such as training and technology to build support systems for sales activities, cross-selling can have detrimental effects on customer service due to the additional load it creates on the system. It is further demonstrated that designing the right process and adopting human resource practices that support this design are critical in determining the success of a cross-sell program.
The Productivity of Intangible Factors of Production
Authors: Nachum Lilach
Published: March 2007

This study addresses issues related to the productivity measurement of firms using intangible input to produce intangible output. It examines the difficulties associated with the productivity measurement of such firms and suggests a measure that takes account of the unique attributes of the factors used in their production. This issue is examined with application to a professional service industry—management consulting—in which all inputs and outputs are intangibles.
On the Construction of Male Differences
Authors: MOORE LISA JEAN , SCHMIDT MATTHEW ALLEN
Published: March 2007

While many feminist scholars have investigated the hierarchical ranking of differences between men and women in both empirical and theoretical work, differences among men have received less analysis. This article examines the epistemological creation of male differences through analysis of data from semen banks' donor catalogues. Using methods of content and discourse analysis, the authors interpret the ways in which men are advertised to be different from one another. Through marketing semen and thus constructing men, semen banks diversify their merchandise and offer consumers interesting ways to select masculinity. In conclusion, the authors speculate on the effects of semen bank strategies on our concepts of masculinity and notions of reproduction.
Analytical Models for Thermal Radiation in Fibrous Insulations
Authors: Tong T.W. , Tien C.L.
Published: March 2007

The study of thermal radiation in light-weight fi brous insulations is of fundamental importance since a significant portion of the total heat transfer is composed of thermal radia tion. The analytical models for predicting radiative heat transfer in fibrous media based on simple conductive and more elaborate radiative approaches are reviewed. The development of a spectral two-flux model and a method of analytical determination of the radiative properties are presented.
Insulation Board in Roofing Systems: More Than Thermal Barrier
Authors: Wallace Richard J.
Published: March 2007

The various aspects and relative advantages of the use of different type insulation boards in roofing systems are discussed.
Heat Transmission in Buildings: Combined Effect of Absorptance and Thermal Inertia of Exterior Walls
Authors: Guglielmini Giovanni , Magrini Ugo , Nannei Enrico
Published: March 2007

This paper pertains to the combined effect of thermal inertia and surface absorptance for solar radiation of exterior walls on the thermal behaviour of buildings in unsteady state conditions.

The calculations have been carried out for different absorp tance values and for outside walls of different thermal inertia.

The absorptance remarkably affects the temperature-time distribution of the peripheral walls and of the ambient.
Polyurea Foam for Retrofit Insulation—An Update with Case Studies
Authors: Cartmell M.J. , Brown R.K.
Published: March 2007

Polyurea (PUA) foam, the product of a reaction between polymeric MDI and water, has been developed as a new retrofit insulation material. PUA foam has demonstrated commercially acceptable physical and fire properties. Studies of local temperature build-up around electric circuitry embedded in PUA foam in dicate that heat build-up presents no problem in or around conductors and switch and outlet boxes. A study of fuel consumption in houses retrofitted with PUA foam indicate fuel savings of up to 50 percent due to its insulation proper ties.
European Activities in the Area of Industrial Thermal Insulation
Authors: Tye R.P.
Published: March 2007

More emphasis is now being placed on energy conservation measures for in dustrial processes especially in the much wider use of thermal insulation materials and systems. This, in turn, has demonstrated that there are problem areas and that there is a need for additional research and development to be undertaken in order to utilize thermal insulation more effectively for maximum conservation benefits.

The present investigation describes a number of major economic and technical activities currently being carried out in Europe to address some of the problems. These are assessed and related both to the overall needs of the sub ject and to similar activities and needs in the USA.
Circular and Square Edge Effect Study for Guarded-Hot-Plate and Heat-Flow-Meter Apparatuses
Authors: Peavy Brad , Rennex Brian
Published: March 2007

This report provides the information necessary to choose the appropriate appara tus size for a measurement of thermal resistance of a specimen of insulation material of a particular thickness. This information consists of the order of magnitude of ap paratus edge error as a function of specimen thickness. The report defines the edge effect, derives a model for its calculation for both circular and square geometries, and it indicates graphically the sensitivity of the edge-effect curves (as a function of thickness) with respect to the following parameters: the ratio of the guard to metered sizes, the metered size itself, the ratio of the surface heat, transfer coefficient to the specimen apparent conductivity, and the apparent-thermal-conductivity anisotropy. The results of the square metered area are compared with those of the circular metered area, and the theoretical results are compared with experimental results for a circular geometry (using a 1-m guarded hot plate). A detailed discussion of the er ror analysis is presented, and curves are presented to enable the user of a guarded-hot-plate or heat-flow-meter apparatus to determine the maximum thick ness of operation for typical apparatus sizes.
In-Plane Radial Fluid Flow Characterization of Fibrous Materials
Authors: Hirt Douglas E. , Adams Kurt L. , Prud'homme Robert K. , Rebenfeld Ludwig
Published: March 2007

Several techmques employing fluid flow to characterize the structure of fibrous materials are presented. A radial flow cell is described in which a fibrous mat with a central hole is compressed between two transparent plates. A liquid is injected into the center of the cell and the radial-spreading pattern of the liquid front is momtored with a video camera By observing the flow patterns, in-plane permeabilities and amsotropy indices are calculated which characterize the fibrous materials. By varying the spacing between the transparent plates the effect of compression on permeability is measured. Two flow techmques for measuring pore volume and pore throat distri butions on compressed mats are also described. Models are developed that describe the radial flow of Newtonian and Bingham-like fluids in the plane of the fiber mats. In the case of the Bingham-like fluid (foam) model, the yield stress parameter and the mobility can be obtained from one experiment.
Examination of the Radiative Properties of Coated Silica Fibers
Authors: Tong T.W. , Swathi P.S. , Cunnington G.R.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the results of a theoretical analysis performed to establish the effect of coatings on the radiative properties of silica fibers. The objective of the work was to determine if it would be possible to enhance the reflectance of silica fibrous insulation through the use of coatings on the fibers. The coating materials considered were alumina and silicon. The solution of the Maxwell's equations for perpendicular incident radiation on the fibers was used to compute their radiative properties for ra diation wavelengths ranging from 2 to 12 μm. The radiative properties were used to determine the reflectance of the fibers. Based on these results, assessments concerning the most appropriate coating material and coating thickness for increasing the reflec tance are made.
Two-Dimensional Heat Transfer Effects on Vacuum and Reflective Insulations
Authors: Glicksman Leon R.
Published: March 2007

Heat transfer in directions normal to the imposed temperature gradi ent can have an important influence on the overall performance of insulation systems. An analysis of two-dimensional heat transfer in vacuum insulations and reflective in sulations is presented.
Impact of Indoor Air Conditions and Solar Radiation on Moisture Accumulation within Multi-Layer Non-Cavity Walls
Authors: Budaiwi I. , Abdou A.
Published: March 2007

This paper investigates the impact of indoor temperature, humid ity and solar radiation on moisture accumulation within multi-layer non-cavity walls. A transient model [1] that simultaneously considers both thermal and mois ture transient transfer and their interactions in multi-layer non-cavity wall con structions is utilized. Based on the mathematical formulations and the develop ments of the model, a computer simulation program has been developed in order to investigate the impact of the hygrothermal boundary conditions on wall mois ture behavior. By employing the model, both the moisture transport process and the material moisture content within the different layers of a wall system can be evaluated at all possible material moisture conditions. Evaluation of moisture accu mulation within a typical wall system showed that the impact of boundary condi tions is highly dependent on the thermal and moisture characteristics of the wall components. Indoor temperature has been found to have a relatively considerable influence on moisture accumulation in the insulation layer. The presence of solar radiation can lead to considerable reduction in moisture accumulation.
The Weiss-Patton Debate: Illumination of the Fundamental Concerns
Authors: Smith Nick L.
Published: March 2007

Feature articles should deal with topics applicable to the broad field of program evaluation. Implications for practicing evaluators should be clearly identified. Examples of contributions include but are not limited to reviews of new developments in evaluation; descriptions of a current evaluation effort, research problem, or technique; and discussions of theoretical, legal, or ethical issues affecting evaluation. Manuscripts should include appropriate references and not exceed 10 double-spaced typewritten pages in length.
Academic Vs Client Critique: a Response To Lipsey
Authors: Hennessy Michael , Sullivan Michael J.
Published: March 2007

Letters are selected for their pertinence to material published in Evaluation Practice or because they discuss issues or problems of general interest to practicing evaluators. Letters pertaining to material published in EP may criticize articles or reports; correct errors; Provide support or agreement; or offer different points of view, clarifications, or additional information. Depending on the nature of the discussion, authors of articles in question may be given an opportunity to reply in the same issue. Letters accepted for publication may be edited and shortened.
Using Critical Incidents to Model Effective Evaluation Practice in the Teaching of Evaluation
Authors: Preskill Hallie
Published: March 2007

In this essay, I discuss the importance of modeling effective evaluation practice as we teach others about program evaluation. Over the last few years I have experimented with using a tool and process called "critical incidents" in my graduate program evaluation courses. This activity asks students each week to reflect on their reactions to, and learning from the course, by responding to a set of evaluative questions. The students' cumulative responses to these questions demonstrated increased understanding of key Preskill evaluation concepts and an appreciation for their own and others' learning styles. The approach confirmed the importance of modeling formative evaluation throughout a course as a way to teach about evaluation practice.
Time, Constancy, and Change in American Municipal Police Organizations
Authors: King William R.
Published: March 2007

The present study investigates the relationship between organizational age and the structure of 334 police departments in the United States. Unfortunately, though the relationship between age and various aspects of organiza tions has been studied, these findings and theories have not been applied to police departments. The present study rectifies this oversight. The concept of organizational age is defined and two theories of organizational age are explained These two theories are tested with 334 municipal American police departments using survey data and the 1990 LEMAS data. The analyses indicate that the effect of organizational age on police departments is slight; however, support is found for two theories of organizational age. First, it appears that most municipal police agencies were formed during the same era. Second, use of civilian employees is negatively related to departmental age. The implications of these findings for police agencies and police histori ans are discussed.
Police and the Production of Hate Crimes: Continuity and Change in One Jurisdiction
Authors: Martin Susan E.
Published: March 2007

Several recent studies have explored the characteristics of hate crimes reported to and verified by the police and the social construction of bias motivation. This article expands on those studies by identifying continuities and trends in the production of hate crimes in one jurisdiction, Baltimore County, Maryland. It explores the effects of changes in departmental policies and in county demographics on the increased number and stable distribution of types of bias in reported hate crimes from 1987 through 1996, and it probes ambiguities that continue to affect hate crime statistics in Baltimore County. Because the same issues are likely to be found in the hate crime statistics produced in other jurisdictions and the aggregate hate crime data produced by the FBI, this case study should be instructive for police policy makers in other jurisdictions.
Leptin and Obesity in Mother-Child Pairs
Authors: Harrell Joanne S. , Bomar Perri , McMurray Robert , Bradley Chyrise , Deng Shibing
Published: March 2007

Defects in the leptin gene or the leptin receptor may be a genetic cause of obesity, but little is known about the familial associations of leptin and obesity. This study compared plasma leptin and measures of obesity in a sample of 248 subjects (124 mother-offspring pairs); 34% were African American and 66% were white. Youth were aged 12 to 16 years. Plasma leptin and body mass index (BMI) were higher in mothers than in their offspring and, among the offspring, higher in girls than boys, even after correcting for BMI or body fat. Racial differences in leptin were present in both mothers and youth when adjusting for percentage body fat but disappeared when adjusting for BMI. In univariate analyses of the associations between mothers and offspring, BMI was associated with leptin in all groups but was most strongly associated in white pairs and in mother-son pairs. In multiple regression analyses, when adjusting for BMI, significant predictors of leptin level for the boys and girls together were gender, BMI, and pubertal status of the offspring; in girls only BMI was significant (R2= 0.72), and in boys the significant predictors were their BMI (R2= 0.66) followed by their pubertal status (R2= 0.06) and the leptin level of their mothers (R2= 0.02). When adjusting for body fat, the predictors were the offspring’s percentage body fat (R2= 0.67) and mother’s leptin (R2= 0.03), with similar results in gender-specific analyses. The authors conclude that leptin levels of youth are most closely associated with their degree of obesity or body fat; mother’s leptin and, for boys only, pubertal status also play a small role. Although the small association between maternal leptin on leptin in their offspring could be due to either heredity or shared environment, the results of this study suggest that individual obesity and environmental factors are important predictors of leptin levels in children.