bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PATHWAYS TO THE PALACE AND TO PRISON: CAREER PATTERNS OF NATIONAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Authors: Kurtz Donn M.
Published: November 2008

One hundred twenty‐two national chief executives in office in 1990 are classified according to the formal pathways they followed in becoming of a head of government. Over half the leaders faced a variety of personal and political threats at various stages in their careers. The threats faced by executives following the five career paths are tabulated according to the career stage at which the incidents occur. Individuals arrive at the position of chief executive through vastly different routes, which vary considerably in length. Overcoming detours before reaching the top further legitimizes a bid for the highest office. Leaders who survive severe career setbacks will differ in both attitudes and behavior from those who followed less threatening routes. The insecurity of the post‐executive period may have significant political consequences. Finally, personal insecurity is a constant fact of political life.
Ideological Realignment and Partisan Change in the American South, 1972–1996
Authors: Knuckey Jonathan
Published: November 2008

The political transformation of the American South from one‐party dominance to a competitive two‐party system has attracted considerable attention from scholars and has generated competing explanations of the causes of this partisan change. This paper addresses one explanation—the ideological realignment of white conservatives. It extends the research of Black and Black (1987) and Carmines and Stanley (1990), both of whom examined ideological realignment into the 1990s. Findings suggest that the gradual ideological realignment of partisan identifications accelerated in the 1990s with white conservatives increasingly holding Republican partisan identifications. Moreover, ideological realignment was evident not only with respect to general political ideology but also with respect to specific issue preference. This ideological realignment has had a profound impact on southern party politics and electoral competition which explains the spectacular Republican gains found at the subpresidential level in the 1990s.
Presidential Leadership: Skill in Context
Authors: Hargrove Erwin C.
Published: November 2008

The essay illustrates the value of studying individual presidents consecutively across time in order to compare and assess the relative importance of personal political skill in political and historical contexts. The presidency is the primary source of moral agency in American politics, and policy and agency occur in the leadership of individuals. An analytic framework to compare presidents encompasses the historical context; the skill factor; leadership strategies and tactics; and the assessment of results of skill in contexts. Use of the framework will permit systematic comparison of presidents in relation to the ad hoc ahistorical comparisons that permeate journalism and some scholarship. Narratives of leadership in domestic, economic, and foreign policy are presented for presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. This approach achieves an understanding of presidential leadership that cannot be achieved by work that bemoans the small N and focuses on pieces of the presidential institution, without including the president, because the dynamics of leadership shape the institution more than the reverse. Among the conclusions are that skill and context reinforce each other in policy achievement; skill can be effective at the margins, even in unfavorable contexts; ineptness makes a difference for the worse; and cumulative presidents may resolve policy problems across time as each contributes a step on the way.
The Essence of Presidential Leadership in France: Pompidou, Giscard, Mitterrand, and Chirac as Coalition Builders
Authors: Bell David S.
Published: November 2008

This article is a comparative study of the political leadership of the presidents of the Fifth Republic. Successive presidents have dominated Fifth Republic politics and their leadership styles have given the Republic its distinctive attributes. In the years since de Gaulle, presidential leadership has been maintained, but only by the exercise of leadership skills of a high order because the presidency as such has no powers conferred on it by the Constitution. Presidents have organized coalitions of support and held them together, and these have been strong enough to determine the shape of the government as well as to support the institution of the presidency itself. This is an examination of an issue of acute contemporary relevance to French politics as well as investigating the presidency as a test bed for political leadership.
Are All Amateurs Equal? Candidate Quality in the 1992–1998 House Elections
Authors: Roberds Stephen C. , Roberts Jason M.
Published: November 2008

An analysis of U.S. House elections is undertaken for the years 1992–98. Building upon the work of Canon (1990 and 1993), we look at the performance of amateur candidates who defeat at least one quality candidate in the party primary. We find that these “competitive amateurs,” as we call them, are comparable to quality candidates in terms of strategic behavior, fundraising, competitiveness, and electoral success. These results hold for both incumbent and open seat races. The results in many ways replicate Canon's earlier analysis despite a more stringent coding scheme. We present evidence that suggests candidate occupation could be a possible explanation for the success of these candidates. The analyses suggest that the class of candidates we call competitive amateurs should be coded as quality candidates in future congressional research.
Pathways to Political Respect in American State Legislatures
Authors: Ellickson Mark C. , Whistler Donald E.
Published: November 2008

We developed a causal model depicting personal and institutional pathways to political respect and tested it with data drawn from a nationwide survey of over 2,400 state legislators. Working from the premise that respected legislators are those most often approached by colleagues for legislative information and advice, we observe that direct paths to political respect include networking, leadership position, seniority, parliamentary expertise, legislative obstructionism, and ambition for higher political office. Institutional factors have the strongest impact on political respect, while personal attributes have the weakest impact. Leadership position serves an important intervening role regarding respect for legislators as all exogenous variables influence political respect indirectly through their effects on leadership position.
The Legal Status of Mercenaries
Authors: Morton Jeffrey S. , Jones Presley
Published: November 2008

Mercenaries date to antiquity and have played important roles in conflict. While the regulation of mercenaries has long been discussed, efforts to codify laws pertaining to mercenarism are more contemporary. This paper examines the existing international regime on mercenaries from a critical perspective and offers suggestions for a rearticulation of the legal regime on mercenaries.
Political Restraints and Bureaucratic Discretion: The Case of State Government Rule Making
Authors: Grady Dennis O. , Simon Kathleen M.
Published: November 2008

State government agencies have increased their role and responsibilities in recent years under the national policy of devolution, and as these agencies have produced more rules and regulations to carry out these expanded duties, elected leaders across the states have increased the restraints placed on them. The typical means for doing so is through the State Administrative Procedure Act. This research examines the means by which states provide access channels to groups and individuals during the rulemaking process and the formal controls in place in the mid 1990s to restrict the discretion of state administrative entities during rulemaking. The work relies on information provided by the actors involved in rules review and oversight across the country during that time. After developing indices that compare the states on citizen access and institutional control, we attempt to explain why some states were more restrictive than others over rulemaking. The primary finding is that the shift of partisan control of at least one chamber in the state legislature following the 1994 elections best explains increased restrictiveness across the states.
The Passage of Charter Legislation in Virginia: The Role of Resistance, Party, and Regional Tension
Authors: Hess Frederick M. , Winkler Amber
Published: November 2008

The widespread success of charter legislation has fostered a perception that charter schooling is apolitical and has clouded our understanding of the politics of the issue. In a case study of Virginia, we suggest that three important political variables have been largely overlooked to date. The “weak” form of Virginia's charter legislation can be attributed in large part to the schism between Northern Virginia's educationally privileged communities and the rest of the state, the presence of vocal minority opposition, and the fact that teacher organizations did not strongly oppose charter legislation, but did work to ensure that any bill would be mild. In portraying the political gestation of a “weak” law, this study complements existing work that has generally concentrated on “strong” laws in states like Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan. The tortuous struggle for passage in Virginia illuminates many tensions less evident in states where charter schooling passed more easily.
The Interpretive Process of Agenda‐Building: A Research Design for Public Policy
Authors: Smith Michael A.
Published: November 2008

A heuristic model is offered to guide empirical case studies into public policy change in a stable, pluralistic system. Empirical information, filtered to the policymakers and the public through a system of preexisting values, lies at the heart of policy change. The model integrates several strands of thought on policy, including: Baumgartner and Jones's theory of punctuated equilibrium, based on changes on policy images held by the relevant policy actors and the general public; Schattschneider's mobilization of bias; Cobb, Ross, and Ross's three models of agenda‐building; Ripley and Franklin's theory of subgovernments; and Lindblom's emphasis on the role of the social scientist in responsible policymaking. In order to contribute productively to the policy process, social scientists must develop ethical, productive ways of responding to the ways in which other policy actors will use, and possibly distort, their findings.
Evaluating Changes in Florida's Legislative Process: Innovative Rules and Conservative Norms
Authors: Jewett Aubrey
Published: November 2008

During the past decade many state legislatures have undergone reform in an attempt to become more efficient, open, representative and fair, but relatively little research has been done to evaluate these changes. When Republicans took control of the Florida House in 1997, they reorganized the legislature, changed many formal rules, and fostered a new informal norm related to passing laws. The major stated goal of the new formal rules is to “flatten the pyramid of power” and allow all “good ideas” to be heard while fostering a conservative norm. To evaluate the rule changes, a survey of Florida House members concerning rule satisfaction is analyzed, regressions of bill passage rates for 1995 and 1997 are compared, and several other rule effects are examined. Overall the rules receive support although rule satisfaction is lower among Democrats and liberals. The major goal is realized to some degree when comparing the determinants of individual legislative passage rates. Analysis also suggests that a conservative norm is established, the end‐of‐session logjam is reduced, and legislative trains are derailed.
A Community or a Crowd? Regional and Ethnic Bloc Voting in the Florida House of Representatives, 1989–1996
Authors: Hill Kevin A. , Moreno Dario V.
Published: November 2008

The present study utilizes roll call analysis of voting in the Florida House of Representatives between 1989 and 1996 to answer the question of whether regional, partisan, or ethnic loyalties are more important in determining the behavior of political elites in the Sunshine State. In a large, populous state like Florida, is politics driven more by regional loyalties than by partisan loyalties? Further, given Florida's ethnic diversity, is ethnicity just as powerful a predictor of political behavior as is partisanship? Contrary to the predictions of some political observers in Florida, partisanship is found to be by far the most powerful predictor of behavior in the state legislature. However, both the Democratic and Republican parties during the time period under study were rife with two and sometimes three regional factions. The GOP also contained a significantly distinct and enduring Cuban‐American sub‐faction that often strained party loyalties during this period of Republican growth. The present paper concludes with observations about the effects of the latter finding on the GOP throughout the South, assuming it is successful in integrating more minorities into its fold.
Stories of Service: Public Service in the Children's Literature of the United States and Great Britain
Authors: Schwerdt Marc
Published: November 2008

Formal civic education has dominated political socialization research recently as it has looked at the effects of events, schools, mass media, and families on the formation of political attitudes and opinions of children. However, books have been overlooked when considering the possible effect of mass media, and although controversial, children's literature has rarely been investigated systematically as to its political content. After conducting content analyses of 76 books and 1,202 adult characters, I conclude that British adult characters are portrayed as more competent and benevolent than U.S. adult characters. I also find that British public servants are portrayed as more competent and benevolent than other British adult characters.
Are Gay Men and Lesbians in the South the New “Threat”?: Regional Comparisons of the Contact Theory
Authors: Barth Jay , Overby L. Marvin
Published: November 2008

While we have shown that increased contact with gay men and lesbians does positively alter attitudes toward that group in the United States, these findings may not hold for the American South. First, a long series of analyses of racial politics in the region have shown that, contrary to the contact theory, white southerners' attitudes towards African‐Americans are actually inversely related to the percentage of blacks in their community. Second, the demise in explicit race baiting in the South's politics has been met by an increase in gay baiting in Southern campaigns. We conclude that the South is indeed distinctive in the manner in which contact with gay men and lesbians operates as a social phenomenon. While non‐southerners respond to increased contact with gays and lesbians with warmer attitudes, this is not true in the Southern states. Moreover, other findings suggest that this regional disparity is likely to increase in the future and suggest that gay and lesbian activists must take regional differences into account as they develop strategies for creating change in public policies related to sexual orientation.
Media and Communications Systems in the Balkans Conflicts
Authors: Reynolds Peter W.
Published: November 2008

Traditional print and audio‐visual media and other communications systems have played a leading part in the Balkan conflicts of the last decade and continue to do so. This essay examines their impact and that of the new technologies and contends that while there have been major changes in the production, dissemination, and use of information, they have not been particularly effective in helping to bring about fundamental change in the attitudes and aspirations of the many ethnic entities and nationalities of the Balkans. All sides in the Balkans have taken part in the Information War in the hope of influencing their own publics, and affecting the perceptions of their opponents. A variety of methods have been used with varying degrees of success, and yet none seem to have produced lasting results in the short to medium term. The traditional print and broadcast Balkan media retain their importance and to a great extent their historical ethnic and political affiliations. Some changes have occurred, but probably not as many as outside observers had hoped for.
The Effects of Member Gender and Constituency Characteristics on Southern Congressional Voting Behavior, 1972–2000
Authors: Green Daniel R.
Published: November 2008

Research on Southern congressional voting behavior has largely dealt with the effects of constituency changes on roll‐call voting. Few studies have taken into account the changing attributes of the legislators themselves, such as gender, in determining what influences voting behavior. The present study has built upon this limited research by determining that while a member's gender does play a statistically significant role in explaining voting behavior—with female legislators being more liberal than their male colleagues—other factors such as race and party complicate the results and indicate that gender alone does not fully explain the differences in male and female member voting behavior.
Satisfied? Institutional Determinants of Citizen Evaluations of Democracy
Authors: Berggren Heidi M. , Fugate Gregory A. , Preuhs Robert R. , Still Dennis R.
Published: November 2008

Based on theories about party and electoral systems provided by Downs (1957), Anderson and Guillory (1997), and Duverger (1984), we examine the relationship between citizen satisfaction with democracy and the institutional context in which democratic participation takes place. Using a multi‐level design that controls for both institutional‐level and individual‐level differences, we find that as the number of political parties increases, citizen satisfaction with democracy first decreases and then increases. This result holds regardless of whether or not one supported the ruling government in the previous election, undermining previous research that contends that “winner” or “loser” status leads to diverging evaluations of democratic structures, even when controlling for economic evaluations. Additionally, we find that satisfaction with democracy is significantly lower in large district proportional representation (PR) systems relative to single‐member district systems and when the difference between votes and legislative seat‐shares is high. This finding suggests that we ought to reconsider the theoretical interaction between representativeness and effective governance as well as the democratic process versus the outcomes of elections.
Citizens as Representatives: Bridging the Democratic Theory Divides
Authors: Stephan Mark
Published: November 2008

Normative theory about the nature of democracy is divided into multiple perspectives. One way to bridge these divides is to address a related puzzle: making sense of the role of citizens who are directly involved in policymaking and policy implementation. Using Hanna Pitkin's language of representation, I argue that active citizens can serve as “representatives,” and that such an understanding serves as an empirical link that bridges the normative divides between representative and direct democracy and between aggregative and deliberative forms of democracy. To illustrate this point, I include a description of citizen involvement in bureaucratic decision making. The example gives us insights into the appropriate role of citizen representatives and of the responsiveness of civil servants.
A Review of Congressional Mandating Behavior Since the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Authors: Kelly Janet M.
Published: November 2008

Title 1 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) of 1995 discourages Congress from considering a reported bill containing intergovernmental mandates without a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost statement and prohibits floor consideration of a bill that would impose new mandates costing more than the statutory threshold unless the legislation provides new spending authority or authorizes appropriations to cover the costs. A member must raise a point of order to enforce these rules, and in the House a simple majority can vote to consider the bill. Since cost estimates for bills are routine and the procedural safeguard is weak, it is a challenge to explain why Congress has enacted relatively few unfunded mandates since UMRA. This article reviews the circumstances that put unfunded mandates on the congressional agenda and examines congressional mandating behavior after UMRA.
First Ladies: Constitutional and Job Description Problems?
Authors: Eksterowicz Anthony J. , Roberts Robert N.
Published: November 2008

A first lady's power and influence is conditioned by many complicated administrative and environmental variables. These variables can present problems for first ladies. However, two often cited problems, the nonconstitutional nature of the first lady's job and the first lady's management of the public‐private divide are either nonexistent or receding in nature respectively. To further mitigate these so‐called problems, we argue that the president should be required to appoint the first lady as a presidential aide or advisor. As a result the first lady would be subject to the same laws and regulations which cover other presidential aides. We believe this will enhance democratic accountability.
Indogate and the Clinton Vote in 1996
Authors: Born Richard
Published: November 2008

The general literature on the electoral effects of scandal leaves it unclear whether Bill Clinton could have been expected to incur serious damage in 1996 as a result of the Democratic Party's raising of illicit foreign contributions. Furthermore, the few specific studies devoted to this Indogate scandal have done little to resolve the question. This study finds that the scandal hurt the president's vote in two major ways. Republican identifiers were subject to a priming effect, causing their choice of a candidate to become more dependent upon evaluations that related to the scandal during the final campaign period and on election day. Voters, however, regardless of partisanship, grew more critical of Clinton on the scandal‐related evaluations themselves, which was yet another reason for the electoral harm he experienced.
The Courage to Tax: Rational Choice versus State Budgetary Politics in the South
Authors: Smith Robert W.
Published: November 2008

This study examines revenue enhancements that states either contemplated or adopted in an effort to close significant budget gaps created by recessionary pressures in fiscal years 2000–2003. Specifically, this article scrutinizes the political environment, rhetoric, and pressures within which budget decision making occurs as juxtaposed against the rational choice model of modern public budgeting. The primary research question advanced in this article concerns whether a rational choice framework has been superceded by a political imperative in state budget processes in the twenty‐first century. Case studies of specific economic and political dynamics within a narrow span of time reveal some important insights into determining the tradeoffs that take place between rational choice and politics in state budgeting. State policymakers have defacto removed tax increases from the table of alternatives because of politics, and actions have been focused on short‐term solutions to budgetary and fiscal problems. This study posits that both politicians and citizens are being disadvantaged by this apparent shift toward politics.
Race, the “New South,” and the Mississippi Flag Vote
Authors: Feig Douglas G.
Published: November 2008

On April 17, 2001, Mississippians went to the polls and voted by a margin of about two to one to retain a state flag that included a representation of the Confederate battle flag. In many ways, the controversy developed along lines consistent with perspectives on southern politics offered by political scientists in recent years. This study examines the Mississippi flag campaign and vote from the vantage point provided by the “New South‐Old South” perspective on contemporary southern politics and finds that it fits well. Applying Ecological Inference to precinct‐level data that combines Census data with flag referendum data, the essay concludes that black turnout was noticeably lighter than normal but that only about ten percent of Mississippi's African Americans who voted cast ballots in support of the old flag; it also finds that while white support for the new flag was generally low, it was about twice as high in counties with sizeable numbers of college graduates than in other counties. The inability of two major pre‐referendum surveys to correctly estimate the low level of black support for the old flag is most likely due to a failure to identify adequately the relatively small numbers of likely voters from among the many persons interviewed.
Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian Views of Nature in the Early American Republic
Authors: Martinez J. Michael
Published: November 2008

It is well known that Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton differed in their respective views on the appropriate role of government in the American republic; however, their views on the natural environment are far less familiar. Accordingly, this article examines the Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian thinking on nature in the context of two prevailing views of the natural environment: an intrinsic view and an instrumental view. An intrinsic view values nature for its innate qualities without regard to its uses. An instrumental view, by contrast, values nature insofar as it serves mankind's purposes. The article concludes that although they differed on the role of nature in human life, both Jefferson and Hamilton accepted the instrumental view of nature—a view entirely consistent with the overwhelming majority of mainstream Enlightenment‐era thinking. This shared understanding of the meaning of nature in the Enlightenment reflects Jeffersonian and Hamilton political views and suggests that their thinking was not as different as is commonly supposed.
Common Interest Communities in Virginia: Legal Dilemmas and Legislative Responses to Self‐Governance
Authors: Gibson Pamela A. , Lombard John R.
Published: November 2008

This article provides principal research in identifying and describing the nature and scope of current legal concerns within common interest communities (CICs) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Very little federal guidance is available and Virginia statutes provide minimal direction in assessing the role of the many stakeholders in these “quasi‐public” governing entities. Of paramount concern is determining the degree to which legal mechanisms should mandate liability at the risk of dissuading voluntary participation in associations and also determining with whom the rights and responsibilities of CIC activity should reside—‐with the individual property owners, the majority of homeowners in the community as represented by a board, some governmental entity, or some combination of interested parties. This study, therefore, introduces the concerns of the Virginia courts and legislature, CIC attorneys, political scientists and management professionals as they grapple with finding a balance between preserving individual rights of property owners to self‐manage and at the same time, ensuring collective responsibility and attention to the governing activities that demand public scrutiny. It concludes with their suggested remedies for securing an adequate balance resulting in a successful future for CICs in Virginia and across the country.
Goal Systemic Effects in the Context of Choice and Social Judgment
Authors: Kőpetz Catalina E. , Kruglanski Arie W. , Chen Xiaoyan , Orehek Edward
Published: November 2008

The present paper features a novel approach to motivation and self‐regulation couched in conceptual terms of goal systems theory (Kruglanski et al., 2002). Goal systems theory adopts a cognitive view of motivation and highlights the interrelations of goals and means. The cognitive aspects of the theory have to do with the architecture of cognitions, and the finality of cognitive resources. The motivational aspects of the theory relate to the relation of the goal/means constructs to the dynamics of action and the affective phenomena that accompany goal pursuit. A goal systemic analysis not only affords a better understanding of classic self‐regulatory phenomena, but also offers new insights into various psychological problems such as choice and judgment.
Time‐course and characteristic morphology of retinal changes following combination of verteporfin therapy and intravitreal triamcinolone in neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Lie Shilla , Aue Arne , Sacu Stefan , Simader Christian , Polak Kaija , Schmidt‐Erfurth Ursula
Published: November 2008

Purpose:  To identify characteristic morphological changes of the retina over time and the association with visual function after combined photodynamic therapy (PDT) and intravitreal triamcinolone (IVTA).

Methods:  In this retrospective study, 40 patients (40 eyes) were treated with PDT and same‐day IVTA. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography (FA) and evaluation of distance visual acuity (VA) were performed. The anatomical changes within intra‐ and subretinal compartments and their detailed analysis and grading were the main outcome measures.

Results:  Intraretinal fluid (IRF) and subretinal fluid (SRF) by OCT decreased until 3 months (p < 0.01). At month 3, intraretinal cystoid spaces (ICS) had resolved or decreased in 84% of eyes, SRF in 58% and pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in 50%. Mean best‐corrected VA (BCVA) improved significantly at month 1 (p < 0.01). Mean central retinal thickness (CRT) increased from 334 μm at baseline to 439 μm at day 1 (p = 0.03) before decreasing to 286 μm at day 7 (p = 0.06), 233 μm at month 1 (p = 0.001) and 255 μm at month 3 (p = 0.001).

Conclusion:  Combined verteporfin/IVTA therapy induces distinct time‐related effects on the retina within the different intra‐ and subretinal compartments.
Blocking in the Rotating Axial Flow in a Corotating Flexible Shell
Authors: Gosselin F. , Païdoussis M. P.
Published: November 2008

By coupling the Donnell–Mushtari shell equations to an analytical inviscid fluid solution, the linear dynamics of a rotating cylindrical shell with a corotating axial fluid flow is studied. Previously discovered mathematical singularities in the flow solution are explained here by the physical phenomenon of blocking. From a reference frame moving with the traveling waves in the shell wall, the flow is identical to the flow in a rigid varicose tube. When the ratio of rotation rate to flow velocity approaches a critical value, the phenomenon of blocking creates a stagnation region between the humps of the wall. Since the linear model cannot account for this phenomenon, the solution blows up.
Comparisons of Probabilistic and Two Nonprobabilistic Methods for Uncertain Imperfection Sensitivity of a Column on a Nonlinear Mixed Quadratic-Cubic Foundation
Authors: Wang Xiaojun , Elishakoff Isaac , Qiu Zhiping , Ma Lihong
Published: November 2008

Two nonprobabilistic set-theoretical treatments of the initial imperfection sensitive structure—a finite column on a nonlinear mixed quadratic-cubic elastic foundation—are presented. The minimum buckling load is determined as a function of the parameters, which describe the range of possible initial imperfection profiles of the column. The two set-theoretical models are “interval analysis” and “convex modeling.” The first model represents the range of variation of the most significant N Fourier coefficients by a hypercuboid set. In the second model, the uncertainty in the initial imperfection profile is expressed by an ellipsoidal set in N-dimensional Euclidean space. The minimum buckling load is then evaluated in both the hypercuboid and the ellipsoid. A comparison between these methods and the probabilistic method are performed, where the probabilistic results at different reliability levels are taken as the benchmarks of accuracy for judgment. It is demonstrated that a nonprobabilistic model of uncertainty may be an alternative method for buckling analysis of a column on a nonlinear mixed quadratic-cubic elastic foundation under limited information on initial imperfection.
On Partially Debonded Circular Inclusions in Finite Plane Elastostatics of Harmonic Materials
Authors: Wang X. , Pan E.
Published: November 2008

We investigate a partially debonded circular elastic inclusion embedded in a particular class of harmonic materials by using the complex variable method under finite plane-strain deformations. A complete (or full-field) solution is derived. It is observed that the stresses in general exhibit oscillatory singularities near the two tips of the arc shaped interface crack. Particularly the traditional inverse square root singularity for stresses is observed when the asymptotic behavior of the harmonic materials obeys a constitutive restriction proposed by Knowles and Sternberg (1975, “On the Singularity Induced by Certain Mixed Boundary Conditions in Linearized and Nonlinear Elastostatics,” Int. J. Solids Struct., 11, pp. 1173–1201). It is also found that the number of admissible states under finite plane deformations for given external loads can be two, one, or even zero.
Dynamic Variational-Asymptotic Procedure for Laminated Composite Shells—Part II: High-Frequency Vibration Analysis
Authors: Lee Chang-Yong , Hodges Dewey H.
Published: November 2008

Shell theories intended for low-frequency vibration analysis are frequently constructed from a generalization of the classical shell theory in which the normal displacement (to a first approximation) is constant through the thickness. Such theories are not suitable for the analysis of complicated high-frequency effects in which displacements may change rapidly along the thickness coordinate. Clearly, to derive by asymptotic methods, a shell theory suitable for high-frequency behavior requires a different set of assumptions regarding the small parameters associated with the characteristic wavelength and timescale. In Part I such assumptions were used to perform a rigorous dimensional reduction in the long-wavelength low-frequency vibration regime so as to construct an asymptotically correct energy functional to a first approximation. In Part II the derivation is extended to the long-wavelength high-frequency regime. However, for short-wavelength behavior, it becomes very difficult to represent the three-dimensional stress state exactly by any two-dimensional theory; and, at best, only a qualitative agreement can be expected. To rectify this difficult situation, a hyperbolic short-wave extrapolation is used. Unlike published shell theories for this regime, which are limited to homogeneous and isotropic shells, all the formulas derived herein are applicable to shells in which each layer is made of a monoclinic material.
A Nomenclatural Review of Dreissena (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae), with Identification of the Quagga Mussel as Dreissena bugensis
Authors: Rosenberg Gary , Ludyanskiy Michael L.
Published: November 2008

A review of systematic literature and examination of type material of Dreissena (Paleontological institute, Moscow) revealed that the quagga mussel corresponds to the original description and type specimens of Dreissena bugensis Andrusov, 1897. Russian classifications have treated D. bugensis as a full species or as a subspecies of D. rostriformis Deshayes, 1838. Dreissena rostriformis is the type species of the subgenus Pontodreissena. Dreissena rostriformis rostriformis is regarded as extinct, with two lineages derived from it still living: Dreissena bugensis, in the Dnieper and Bug rivers and the estuary where they enter the Black Sea, and D. rostriformis grimmi, in the southern Caspian Sea. These lineages differ in morphology, coloration, maximum adult size, and salinity tolerance and are therefore regarded as separate species. We adopt the name Dreissena (Pontodreissena) bugensis for the quagga mussel and designate and illustrate lectotypes for D. bugensis and other dreissenid taxa named by Andrusov. Including D. rostriformis and D. bugensis, seven living species of Dreissena are currently recognized. The nomenclatural histories of these species are summarized and the supraspecific classification of dreissenids is reviewed.
Comparison of Toxic Equivalent Factors for Selected Dioxin and Furan Congeners Derived Using Fish and Mammalian Liver Cell Lines
Authors: Clemons J. H. , Heuvel M. R. van den , Stegeman J. J. , Dixon D. G. , Bols N. C.
Published: November 2008

Toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) for eight polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners were derived with a rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) cell line, RTL-W1, and compared with TEFs obtained with a rat hepatoma cell line, H4IIE. Cells were exposed to a range of concentrations of the congeners which included 1,2,3,7,8-pentaCDD, 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexaCDD, 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexaCDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptaCDD, 2,3,7,8-tetraCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-pentaCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF, and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexaCDF. Ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (EROD) activity was measured and EC50 values calculated from a dose–effect curve newly proposed for this purpose. TEFs were computed using 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD standard curves run concurrently with each assay. With the exception of 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexaCDD and 1,2,3,7,8-pentaCDF, all of the RTL-W1-derived TEFs were significantly higher (two- to eightfold higher) than the respective H4IIE TEFs. Immunoblotting analysis with the monoclonal anti-scup P4501A1 antibody was used to identify basal and induced levels of P4501A1 protein in both the RTL-W1 and H4IIE cells. It was concluded that mammalian-derived TEFs may not accurately predict the potency of PCDDs or PCDFs to fish.
Effect of Current Velocity on Ingestion Rates of Black Fly Larvae
Authors: Charpentier Bernadette , Morin Antoine
Published: November 2008

In situ feeding measurements were made to quantify the effect of current velocity on ingestion rates of larvae of the major pest species of black flies in southern Quebec (Simulium venustum/verecundum, S. tuberosum, and Prosimulium mixtum/fuscum) and to compare these results with those obtained in seminatural conditions (gutter system). Ingestion rates of all three species increased with current velocity by a factor of 2.5 (P. mixtum/fuscum) to 10 (S. tuberosum) between 25 and 100 cm∙s−1. Measured field rates were significantly correlated with those predicted for similar larval sizes, temperatures, and seston concentrations in gutters, although field rates were only 56–87% of those in gutters once corrected for differences in current velocity. These results suggest that the preference of these species for current velocities of about 100 cm∙s−1 reflect their ability to feed faster at these velocities. The effectiveness of larvicides can therefore be strongly affected by current velocities, and determinations of effective doses from gutter experiments may slightly underestimate the required quantity of larvicide.
Downstream Movement and Mortality of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Exposed to Acidic Episodes in Streams
Authors: Gagen Charles J. , Sharpe William E. , Carline Robert F.
Published: November 2008

Episodes of low pH and high Al concentration were associated with net downstream movement and increased mortality of ratio-tagged brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). We compared movements of 10–15 brook trout in two streams with severe acidic episodes with movements of fish in two streams with less severe acidic episodes (reference streams). Study populations moved downstream hundreds of metres in the streams with more severe acidic episodes (pH <5.0 and >200 μg Al/L). Median downstream movement in spring was 250 and 900 m after 20 d for fish in the more acidic streams; one third of the fish were found dead during this time. We found no net movement and no dead fish in the reference streams. Lower stream discharge in fall studies was associated with less severe acidic episodes, less net movement, and no mortality. Water samples collected at individual fish locations indicated that few fish avoided adverse effects of acidic episodes by remaining in microhabitats with higher pH and lower Al concentration.
INFLATION AND THE MINIMAL SUPERSYMMETRIC STANDARD MODEL
Authors: ALLAHVERDI ROUZBEH
Published: November 2008

There is strong evidence from cosmological data that the universe underwent an epoch of superluminal expansion called inflation. A satisfactory embedding of inflation in fundamental physics has been an outstanding problem at the interface of cosmology and high energy physics. We show how inflation can be realized within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The inflaton candidates are two specific combinations of supersymmetric partners of quarks and leptons. MSSM inflation occurs at a low scale and generates perturbations in the range experimentally allowed by the latest data from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). The parameter space for inflation is compatible with supersymmetric dark matter, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is capable of discovering the inflaton candidates in the allowed regions of parameter space.
Linkage of Hospital and Death Records Increased Identification of Dementia Cases and Death Rate Estimates
Authors: Zilkens Renate R. , Spilsbury Katrina , Bruce David G. , Semmens James B.
Published: November 2008

Background/Aim: To use health record data linkage to improve case ascertainment and death rate estimates of deaths with dementia. Methods: Retrospective population study. Western Australians older than 20 years who died between 1990 and 2005 with a dementia diagnosis in Western Australian hospitals and/or death records using the Western Australian Data Linkage System were classed as having a lifetime history of dementia. Cases with dementia documented on death certificates were classified as having dementia as a contributory cause of death (COD). Age-standardized death rates (ASDR) were estimated. Results: 29,884 decedents were identified with a lifetime history of dementia. 88.2% had hospital records and 55.9% had death records indicating dementia. The ASDRs for dementia as a contributory COD increased from 50 to 81 per 100,000 person-years from 1990 to 2005. ASDR for lifetime history of dementia increased from 80 to 140 per 100,000 person-years over the same time period. In 2005, 50.1% (95% confidence interval: 47.2–53.1) of all females and 39.2% (35.8–42.7) of all males aged 85+ years died with dementia. Conclusion: Data linkage nearly doubled case ascertainment of deaths with dementia because people hospitalized with dementia often lacked dementia documentation at death. These results have important implications for strategic healthcare planning. Data linkage methodology could improve studies of hospitalisation trends in dementia.
Kosovo's Declaration of Independence: Self-Determination and Sovereignty Revisited
Authors: Muharremi Robert
Published: November 2008

In this article, the author analyzes the implications of Kosovo's declaration of independence on state sovereignty and the principle of self-determination of peoples. He begins with an outline of the political process leading to the declaration of independence and the reactions of the international community thereto in which he also presents the various legal arguments raised for and against the lawfulness of Kosovo's secession from Serbia. The author continues with a discussion of whether the principle of self-determination of peoples does apply in the Kosovo case and whether the operation of this principle would justify a 'remedial secession'. Subsequently, he analyzes whether UN Security Council Resolution 1244 may be a legal barrier to Kosovo's independence to the extent that Serbia does not consent to such independence. Finally, in view of the extensive powers vested in the new international presence following Kosovo's declaration of independence, he discusses whether Kosovo fulfills the criteria of effective government and independence for being a state under general international law. The author concludes that international law remains controversial as to questions pertaining to conflicts between state sovereignty and self-determination of peoples and particularly to 'remedial secession', and that it is still too early to determine the impact of the Kosovo case on the development of international law.
Conflicting Perceptions: Russia, the West and Kosovo
Authors: Harz Feldbrugge Benedikt
Published: November 2008

The confrontation between the West and Russia over conflict resolution in breakaway states (Kosovo, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, etc.) has been, by and large, the result of dangerous geopolitical moves on the part of both sides after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The US tried to translate the unexpectedly quick victory in the Cold War into a policy aimed at making political use of this tectonic shift in world affairs. On the other hand, Russia—economically marginalized and fully dependent on foreign aid—was forced to stand by and swallow the bitter pill of being excluded from geopolitical decision making. This applies to international diplomacy in the Balkans in the 1990S and, especially, to the Kosovo question, which had already become heated by 1999. However, times have changed in this respect, and things have gotten worse. The Georgian-Ossetian conflict in the summer of 2008 shows that neither side is really interested in an irreversible settlement process in the regions concerned: Russia—for a long time humiliated by the West—acts with a hint of satisfaction in its voice and the West still denies reality by referring to the fairy tale of Kosovo as a sui generis case.
Comparison Studies of Cloud- and Convection-Related Processes Simulated by the Canadian Regional Climate Model over the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Jiao Yanjun , Jones Colin
Published: November 2008

This paper presents results from the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM) contribution to the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Pacific Cross-section Intercomparison Project. This experiment constitutes a simulation of stratocumulus, trade cumulus, and deep convective transitions along a cross section in the tropical Pacific. The simulated seasonal mean cloud and convection are compared between an original version of CRCM (CRCM4) and a modified version (CRCMM) with refined parameterizations. Results are further compared against available observations and reanalysis data. The specific parameterization refinements touch upon the triggering and closure of shallow convection, the cloud and updraft characteristics of deep convection, the parameterization of large-scale cloud fraction, the calculation of the eddy diffusivity in the boundary layer, and the evaporation of falling large-scale precipitation. CRCMM shows substantial improvement in many aspects of the simulated seasonal mean cloud, convection, and precipitation over the tropical Pacific, CRCMM-simulated total column water vapor, total cloud cover, and precipitation are in better agreement with observations than in the original CRCM4 model. The maximum frequency of the shallow convection shifts from the ITCZ region in CRCM4 to the subtropics in CRCMM; accordingly, excessive cloud in the shallow cumulus region in CRCM4 is greatly diminished. Finally, CRCMM better simulates the vertical structure of relative humidity, cloud cover, and vertical velocity, at least when compared to the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis. Analyses of sensitivity experiments assessing specific effects of individual parameterization changes indicate that the modification to the eddy diffusivity in the boundary layer and changes to deep convection contribute most significantly to the overall model improvements.