bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictive Modeling of Toughening Micromechanisms in Glass Particle—Resin Composites with Varied Interphases
Authors: Wu Wei , Mahanti Subhadra , Sadeghipour Keya , Baran George
Published: July 2003

The potential failure and toughening mechanisms in isotropic composites used in dental restorative materials and consisting of particulate glass in a BISGMA/TEGDMA (60: 40) epoxy-type resin matrix are analyzed using an axisymmetric spherical cell finite-element model. The stress distributions at the filler/matrix interface or interphase are investigated in detail for a representative composite cell inside the process zone surrounding a crack tip in order to elucidate potential failure processes and toughening mechanisms for the material. A range of filler content is considered, including volume fractions above 0.5. Additional variables include perfect and imperfect adhesion at interfaces, and modulus and thickness of interphases. This study helps to specify potential directions for enhancing the toughness of hard-particle-filled polymers.
Longitudinal Elastic Modulus Prediction of a 2-D Braided Fiber Composite
Authors: Carey J. , Munro M. , Fahim A.
Published: July 2003

An analytical model based on classical laminate plate theory (CLPT) was developed to predict the longitudinal elastic modulus of a 2-D braided fiber composite. A sinusoidal function was used to model the path of undulating strands. This work represents a generalization of the plain weave case as the angle between the strands is not restricted to 90°. The results predicted by the model are in good agreement with other models and are in excellent agreement with experimental results for braided Kevlar 49/epoxy resin tubes. The predicted and experimental results confirmed that the longitudinal elastic modulus of a braided tube is less than that of one composed of laminated layers.
An Elastic-Plastic Stress Analysis in a Polymer Matrix Composite Beam of Arbitrary Orientation Supported from Two Ends Under a Transverse Uniformly Distributed Load
Authors: Esendemir Ümran
Published: July 2003

An analytical elastic-plastic stress analysis is carried out in a low density polyethylene thermoplastic composite beams supported from two ends under a transverse uniformly distributed load reinforced by Cr-Ni steel fibers analytically. In the elasto-plastic solution, the material is assumed to be perfectly plastic. The intensity of the uniform force is chosen as a small value; therefore, the normal stress component of σ y is neglected during the elasto-plastic solution. The expansion of the plastic region and the residual stress component of σ x are determined for 0, 30, 45, 60 and 90° orientation angles. The intensity of residual stress component of σ x is maximum at the upper and lower surfaces, but residual stress component of τ xy is maximum on the x axis of the beam. Plastic yielding occurs for 0 and 90° orientation angles on the lower and upper surfaces of the beam at the same distances from the mid point. However, it starts first at the lower surface for 30, 45 and 60° orientation angles.
Correlation of Accelerated Aging Test to Natural Aging Test on Graphite-Epoxy Composite Materials
Authors: Shin Kwang-Bok , Kim Chun-Gon , Hong Chang-Sun
Published: July 2003

In order to evaluate the degradation of the mechanical and physical properties of composites under ground environments, T300/AD6005 graphite-epoxy composite specimens were exposed to natural environments for 5 years and accelerated environmental conditions including ultraviolet radiation, temperature and moisture for 2000 h. It was found that transverse flexural properties were more sensitive to environmental damage in a composite than other properties. Matrix cracking and matrix loss were observed at the surface of aged specimens by using scanning electron microscope. In order to achieve the same effect on the material in a shorter time period, the accelerated factor, a, was introduced and determined for several mechanical properties by using proposed degradation equations of material properties and linear relationship between the natural and accelerated aging time.
Synthesis of a New-type Carbonific and Its Application in Intumescent Flame-retardant (IFR)/Polyurethane Coatings
Authors: Jincheng Wang , Shenglin Yang , Guang Li , Jianming Jiang
Published: July 2003

This work deals in the first part, with the synthesis and characterization of a new-type carbonific. Two steps were used in the synthesis of the carbonific. Meanwhile, the structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) 13C spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The addition of ammonium-polyphosphate (APP) and the carbonific into polyurethane (PU) varnish leads to a great improvement in its carbonization and flame-retardant (FR) performances. The second part deals with choosing the most effective combination of APP, carbonific and PU varnish. The last part deals with the evaluation of characteristic performances such as FR property, thermal stability of IFR/PU-based coatings, rheology of IFR/PU-based coating solutions and mechanical properties such as hardness, adhesion, flexibility of IFR/PU-based dry coating films.
Dependence of Flashover on Temperature and Aspect Ratio of the Compartment
Authors: Beard Alan N.
Published: July 2003

A non-linear model of flashover, FLASHOVER A1, has been used to explore the dependence of the critical fire size necessary for the onset of flashover on the aspect ratio of the enclosure. It may be hypothesized that, overall, there is a dependence on aspect ratio. Further, it has been inferred that the critical upper layer temperature necessary for the onset of flashover is not fixed but depends upon the specific case assumed. It is not tenable to assume a single, fixed, temperature as a criterion for flashover, although this has often been done in the past.
The Effect of Ammonium Polyphosphate on the Combustion and Thermal Decomposition Behavior of Poly(butylene terephthalate)
Authors: Balabanovich A. I.
Published: July 2003

Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) shows fire retardant activity in poly(butylene terephthalate (PBT), as the LOI values increase and the UL94 rating improves. TG, FT-IR and GC/MS data provide evidence that APP interacts with PBT. Addition of APP changes the composition of the solid, high and low boiling decomposition products as compared to those of neat PBT. The main reaction occurring on pyrolysis was shown to be ammonolysis of PBT resulting in the formation of various aromatic nitriles. The fire retardant effect was mainly attributed to the condensed-phase activity of APP.
A Means of Direct Determination of the Biot Number in Oven Heating Tests: Part II - Implications of the Results for Temperature Measurement
Authors: Jones J. C.
Published: July 2003

Previously reported results for the Biot number in an oven heating test have been utilised in the calculation of convection coefficients, both to the sample itself and to a thermocouple measuring the oven temperature. A full heat balance on the thermocouple tip is performed in order to predict the accuracy with which the oven temperature - utilised in calculations following from oven heating experiments - can be measured.
The Relationship Between Smoke Concentration Some Distance Down the Hallway and the Opening of the Room of Fire Origin
Authors: Tingyong Fang , Lizhong Yang , Rui Huang , Wenxing Feng , Guanglong Zhai , Weicheng Fan
Published: July 2003

The smoke concentration at a distant location down a hallway as a function of different openings of the room of fire origin is considered. A series of tests is reported and the smoke sustaining (residence) time, the concentration peak and the concentration buildup rate are investigated as functions of the size of the opening. The smoke sustaining (residence) time, the most important factor concerning smoke toxicity, is described by a novel concept, wavelength, in this study. Furthermore, it is worth emphasizing that the smoke concentration at the sampling point exhibits a phenomenon of vibration in the case of the smallest opening during the test.
Study on the Flame-retarding Mechanism of Brominated Polystyrene Waste in Cured Epoxy Resin
Authors: Xiao Weidong , He Peixin , He Benqiao , Zhang Fuming
Published: July 2003

Limiting oxygen index determination and TG methods results illustrate that the bromopolystyrene produced can flame-retard cured epoxy resin effectively by gas phase and condensed phase mechanisms. The results of thermal analysis (TG and DSC) and direct heating in air show that BPS loses bromine atoms mainly at 310-420°C at a high rate. The pyrolysis kinetics parameter n is zero, E is 209.8 kJ/mol and A is 2.6 × 1017, the rate constant and half-life also have been obtained. It is very stable below 200°C in air and is durable in use. The kinetics equation has larger practical value than the TG curves themselves.
Influence of Poly(Amino Acid) Composition on the Complexation of Plasmid DNA and Transfection Efficiency
Authors: Haider Mohamed , Ghandehari Hamidreza
Published: July 2003

Random copolymers of poly[(Lys, Ala) 1: 1], poly[(Lys, Ala) 2: 1], poly[(Lys, Ala) 3: 1], poly[(Lys, Ser) 3: 1] and poly[(Arg, Ser) 3: 1] (ratios designate the feed comonomer composition), were complexed with plasmid DNA pRL CMV luc at different weight per weight DNA: polymer ratios. The physicochemical properties of the complexes were evaluated by gel retardation assay, Zeta potential measurements and photon correlation spectroscopy. The extent of DNA protection against nucleases was determined by a nuclease assay. Cell viability and transfection efficiency of the DNA/polymer complexes were determined by MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-4-sulfophenyl)-2-H -tetrazolium) and luciferase assays, respectively. Regardless of the amino acid feed composition, neutral complexes were formed between 2: 1 and 1: 1 DNA: polymer ratios. The particle sizes of the complexes were in the range of 100-300 nm with complexes with more DNA gave a larger particle size than those with a higher proportion of polymer. Compared to other copolymers, lower amounts of poly[(Lys, Ser) 3: 1] were required to protect the DNA against degradation. The presence of arginine residues increased the transfection efficiency of the complexes by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Results suggest that the amino acid composition of the copolymers has an impact on protection of DNA against degradation by the nucleases, cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency.
Unique Activity of Ureases Immobilized on Poly(Styrene-Co-Acrolein) Microspheres
Authors: Kayastha Arvind M. , Srivastava Punit K. , Miksa Beata , Slomkowski Stanislaw
Published: July 2003

Poly(styrene-co-acrolein) (P(S/A)) microspheres were synthesized by emulsifier-free emulsion-dispersion radical copolymerization of styrene and acrolein. Particles with a number average diameter ( øDn) of 373 nm, a narrow diameter distribution ( øDw/ øDn) of 1.008 and a surface concentration of aldehyde groups from polyacrolein units of 2.51 · 10−6 mol/m2 were obtained. Ureases from jack beans (Urs-JB) and from pigeonpea (Urs-PP) were immobilized onto these microspheres. Activity of free and immobilized urease was determined using a standard phenol method. Surface concentration of attached enzymes was varied in the range from 0.06 to 1.6 mg/m2. Specific activity of Urs-JB in solution was 1.9 times higher than that of Urs-PP, however, upon immobilization of enzymes onto P(S/A) microspheres the reverse was true. Due to very high denaturation activity of immobilized Urs-JB was 10 times lower than in solution. In the case of Urs-PP, denaturation of the enzyme upon immobilization was much lower and possibly due to a cooperative effect resulting from a local high concentration of immobilized enzyme, its specific activity was from 3 to 9 times higher than that of immobilized Urs-JB.
Electrospinning of Collagen Type II: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Matthews Jamil A. , Boland Eugene D. , Wnek Gary E. , Simpson David G. , Bowlin Gary L.
Published: July 2003

Collagen is the natural scaffolding found in all tissues and has been explored extensively for use as a tissue engineering scaffold with limited success. In this feasibility study, the electrospinning of collagen type II and subsequent chondrocyte seeding was investigated for potential use in cartilage tissue engineering. The electrospinning process utilized lyophilized, chicken sternal cartilage collagen type II suspended in 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexaflouro-2-propanol and demonstrated that collagen type II could be electrospun to form nonwoven fibrous mats composed of type II fibers that ranged from 110 nm to 1.8μm in diameter. The fiber diameter was dependant on the type II concentration in solution with a higher concentration producing the larger diameters. The preliminary chondrocyte seeding study demonstrated that electrospun collagen type II scaffolds support cell growth and are readily infiltrated. In conclusion, the feasibility of collagen type II electrospinning has been demonstrated and the novel scaffolds produced are composed of nano- to micron-scale fiber diameters that have been shown to be compatible with chondrocytes.
Responses of Osteo- and Fibroblast Cells to Phosphorylated Chitin
Authors: Wang X. H. , Zhu Y. , Feng Q. L. , Cui F. Z. , Ma J. B.
Published: July 2003

The cell responses of rat osteoblasts and fibroblasts to water-soluble phosphorylated chitin (P-chitin) were examined in vitro. Cell morphology was observed at 1, 4 and 7 days, respectively. A wide range of measurements, including the percentages of viable cells, total intracellular protein content, and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrasodium bromide (MTT) assay on osteoblasts and fibroblasts, as well as alkaline phosphatase activity assay on osteoblasts at the end of 7 days culture, were conducted. P-chitin had no cytotoxity on either cell lines. An increase of viability and protein content of both cell types was found in media containing 0.10 g/mL of P-chitin after 7 days culture. The positive effects were especially significant for osteoblasts. Water-soluble P-chitin could be a promising biomaterial for tissue engineering.
Perspectives on Polymeric Gene Delivery
Authors: Gebhart Catherine L. , Kabanov Alexander V.
Published: July 2003

Research in the field of nonviral gene delivery is in the initial stages relative to the more commonly known viral systems. However, nonviral systems may, in the near future overcome some of the problems inherent to currently employed viral gene delivery systems. These problems range from limited payload capacity and general production issues to immune and toxic reactions, as well as the potential for catastrophic viral recombination. Self-assembling complexes of nucleic acids and synthetic polymers, commonly referred to as `polyplexes', are formed as the result of electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged phosphate groups of the DNA and the positively charged groups of the polycation. A wide array of polycations are available for such studies, including those with linear, branched, dendritic and block or graft copolymer architectures. These polycations vary greatly in chemical composition as well as the number of repeating units, providing for a wide range of different polyplexes that can be easily assembled. Some of the current gene delivery systems are described which serve as potential reagents in the field of polymer-based gene delivery.
Destabilizing Dualisms
Authors: Nairn Karen , Panelli Ruth , McCormack Jaleh
Published: July 2003

This article challenges two representations: one of rural communities as inclusive, closer to nature and therefore ideal places for young people to grow up in and the concomitant representation of urban areas as the antithesis of community, as alienating, distanced from nature and therefore not ideal for young people to grow up in. The results are presented from both rural and urban case studies, giving particular attention to young people's experiences of public space. Specifically, the article examines how young people describe the sites where they `hang out', and their experiences of inclusion and exclusion at these sites.
School Uniforms and Discourses on Childhood
Authors: Bodine Ann
Published: July 2003

This article reports an ethnographic study of the introduction of uniforms in the public schools of one US city. The issue of school uniforms intersects with wide-ranging issues surrounding childhood, including childhood as protected space, safety and violence, egalitarianism, social exclusion, family stress, individual vs community rights, high-powered marketing encouraging students in competitive dressing, and a power struggle over shaping the environment of childhood. Public/official discourse was found to mask problems addressed by the movement for school uniforms. Discussion of uniforms could be put to better use to unearth and explore the larger issues raised by students, parents and teachers themselves, which this article attempts to do.
Children and Family Dissolution in Norway
Authors: Jensen An-Magritt , Clausen Sten-Erik
Published: July 2003

This article presents a nationwide study of family dissolution among cohabiting and married parents of three cohorts of Norwegian children born in 1980, 1986 and 1992 respectively. The study focuses on two main topics: the dissolution trend of consensual and marital unions, and factors affecting the dissolution rates of parental unions. The results show that children of cohabiting parents run a much higher risk of dissolution compared to children in marital unions and this risk is not diminishing as cohabitation becomes more widespread. Event history analysis shows that among important predictors of family dissolution the two most important are number of siblings and whether parents are married or not. Other important factors are mother's age upon entering the union, and the presence of older half-sisters/-brothers. The consequences for children living in consensual unions are discussed.
Studying Fears in Young Children
Authors: Lahikainen Anja Riitta , Kirmanen Tiina , Kraav Inger , Taimalu Merle
Published: July 2003

The article introduces two interview methods for studying young children' fears, applied in separate studies with representative samples of children aged 5-6 in Finland ( N = 222) and Estonia ( N = 117). The semi-structured interview was based on the question, `What things are you afraid of?' The article describes the interview scheme as well as the interview process. The picture-aided interview was designed on the basis of the Fear Survey Schedule for Children - Revised (FSSC-R). The semistructured interviews showed that young children are capable of expressing a much wider range of fears (e.g. television programmes) than had been assumed earlier. The picture-aided interviews revealed more fears related to social relations than did the semi-structured interviews. Both methods are recommended for research use.
Opinion, Dialogue, Review
Authors: Machin David , Davies Maire Messenger
Published: July 2003

While sociologists of children and media have helped show that children are indeed active and shrewd users of television there is still a need to challenge the notion held particularly in much discourse about children and television that fantasy and make-believe are self-evidently appropriate genres for them. This is generally explained away by the fact that children are different from adults as they are more imaginative. We show the nature and consequences of this representation by looking at a short film produced by the BBC in 1998 to promote their role as producers of good children's television. The authors argue, using theories in social psychology and anthropology, that there is no evidence that children do differ from adults in this way. They argue that fantasy and imagination are something basic to the way that all humans organize their experiences. The association of these concepts with children is a cultural representation that should be challenged.
Risk Factors in Divorce
Authors: Moxnes Kari
Published: July 2003

The article analyses how children cope with their parents' divorce. By focusing on children's divorce stories, we can better understand how they experienced the risk, the changes and the continuities that they endured during the divorce process. It is argued that even if divorce is a stressful process that causes loss of capital for most children, what is crucial for the children's well-being is whether they get to retain a close relationship to the family members and to keep their family.
Trying to Stay Apace
Authors: Flowerdew Jennifer , Neale Bren
Published: July 2003

It is widely held that `multiple transitions' following divorce adversely affect children. Drawing on data from a longitudinal study of young people from the north of England whose parents have separated or divorced, this article re-examines and refines the notion of `multiple transitions'. New insights are provided into the way that young people manage change, focusing in particular on the pace and nature of change and extent to which young people are supported through it. Within this context, the article sheds light on the significance of other pressing concerns in the lives of young people, suggesting the importance of decentring divorce in research and policy.
Change and Continuity after Parental Separation
Authors: Hogan Diane M. , Halpenny Ann Marie , Greene Sheila
Published: July 2003

This article presents findings from a qualitative, interview-based study of children aged 8-12, conducted in the Irish Republic, which focused on children's experiences of change in family life following parental separation. A good deal of continuity was evident in core aspects of children's lives, such as residence and caregiving, and there were high levels of contact with non-resident parents and extended families. Children adapted best when they felt confident of contact with non-resident parents and received reassurances from both parents of their commitment to their relationships with children.
The Adjustment of Australian Children Growing up in Single-Parent Families as Measured by Their Competence and Self-Esteem
Authors: Pike Lisbeth T.
Published: July 2003

This article describes a study that examined the competence and self-esteem of 136 Australian single-parent primary school-aged children growing up in different single-parent residency arrangements. It compared these children with a matched sample of two-parent children. Child competence was assessed across a range of domains (academic, physical, social, behavioural and everyday life skills). The analysis revealed that overall, the single-parent children were not significantly different from the two-parent children in competence levels and self-esteem. There were, however, subtle differences in performance on the measures between and within each parent residency group linked to the gender of the child and the gender of the residential parent.
Rethinking Children's Involvement in Decision-Making after Parental Separation
Authors: Smith Anne B. , Taylor Nicola J. , Tapp Pauline
Published: July 2003

This article argues that the assumption that it is a burden of responsibility for children to be involved in family or legal decision-making is problematic. Each child and family situation is unique, and children's perspectives provide valuable information on this. Children can communicate their views, intentions and difficulties provided that their social contexts and adult partners are sensitive to their perspectives. Within this context, the assumption that children lack sufficient age and maturity to participate in decision-making is questionable. The key issue is not the child's competence, but the adults' ability to provide a trusting, supportive and reciprocal relationship within which the child's voice and participation can be facilitated.
Social Support and the Adjustment of Children in Divorced and Remarried Families
Authors: Hetherington E. Mavis
Published: July 2003

This article draws together some of the key findings to emerge from research - in particular, from three longitudinal studies that the author was involved in - on children's and adult's adjustment to divorce, the risks children encounter after divorce, and the social factors that protect them or make them more vulnerable to adversity. Through collating this evidence, the article suggests that it is the diversity, not the inevitability of any one pattern of adjustment following divorce and remarriage that is striking. Although, on the average, children and adults in divorced and remarried families may confront more stresses and show more problems in family relations and personal adjustment than those in non-divorced families, the vast majority are resilient and able to cope with, or even benefit from, their new life situation.
Changing Perspectives on Children's Adjustment Following Divorce
Authors: Kelly Joan B.
Published: July 2003

There have been substantial changes over time in scientific and public perspectives regarding children's adjustment to divorce in the US. Decades of divorce research have created a more complex and nuanced understanding of how divorce impacts children and adolescents. The stressors and risks which divorce presents for children, the resiliency demonstrated by the majority of children, and protective factors which are associated with better adjustment following divorce are described, and distinctions drawn between painful memories and psychopathology. This more differentiated body of research is helpful in policy formation and for educating divorced parents about known risk factors for their children and what protective behaviors may enhance their children's longer-term adjustment.
Shading the Secular
Authors: Basu Srimati
Published: July 2003

This article examines the ways in which issues of `secularism' are politicized within the nation state, particularly the ways in which women's rights become critical sites of conflict surrounding political hegemony and minority rights. Focusing on judgments related to Muslim women in post-Independence India, it argues that legal solutions have the potential to be powerful instruments for achieving greater gender equity as well as insidious sites for recuperation of gender, class, and religious hegemonies in the guise of protection and liberation. The slippage between the stated intent, subtext, and effects of both `progressive' and `reactionary' legislation indicates that feminist theorists should engage with issues of personal law strategically while seeking alternate meanings of community and identity.
The Politics of Hybridity
Authors: Tanikella Leela
Published: July 2003

National and academic discourses on the Caribbean celebrate metaphors of cultural hybridity as pluralistic solutions to racial tensions and challenges to (neo-)colonial oppression within the region's nation states. When cultural hybridity is theorized and deployed as a metaphor for Caribbean national sovereignty, differences are reified and power and social inequalities erased, thereby limiting the potential of hybrid social forms and movements to challenge structural inequalities. This article critiques celebratory discourses of hybridity by focusing on Trinidadian women's writing and the ways in which Trinidadian women locate themselves in their cultural and social poetics. By rereading hybridity as a space in and through which Trinidadian women voice their subjectivities, I situate creative practice as a politics that calls into question and attends to social inequalities within Caribbean nation states.
Entangled in Secular Nationalism, Feminism and Islamism
Authors: Keskin-Kozat Burçak
Published: July 2003

This article focuses on the experiences of Konca Kuriş, a veiled Turkish activist, in order to explore the meaning of feminism and the construction of the feminist subject in the non-West. I specifically argue that feminist activism gains meaning in and through interactions among different groups of women and within larger historical discourses. Through a focused analysis of 20th-century Turkish political history, I unpack the multilayered formation and reception of Kuriş's experiences with respect to the nationalist trajectory of secularization, interactions among local feminist groups, and the patriarchal Islamist elite.
Masking and Veiling Protests
Authors: Natrajan Balmurli
Published: July 2003

This article argues that certain representations of protests ideologically aid the hegemonic project of globalization. Using Merquior's distinction between ideology as mask and veil, it considers, first, the question of how consent to globalization's power is produced even within non-benefiting groups, and next, the related question of how and why some intellectuals produce ideological representations. It answers the first question by discussing the typical frameworks that represent protests against globalization as irrational, immoral, unnecessary, or non-existent, thus masking power and sectional interests. It answers the second through an examination of John Tomlinson's argument against `cultural imperialism' and claims for `cultural loss' as the real meaning of protests, and argues that the concept of `culture' operates in his arguments in a peculiar way to veil protests. Finally, this article makes a claim for the continued relevance of the term `cultural imperialism' to account for particular protests against globalization.
Adam Smith's View of History: Consistent or Paradoxical?
Authors: Alvey James E.
Published: July 2003

The conventional interpretation of Adam Smith is that he is a prophet of commercialism. The liberal capitalist reading of Smith is consistent with the view that history culminates in commercial society. The first part of the article develops this optimistic interpretation of Smith's view of history. Smith implies that commercial society is the end of history because (1) it supplies the ends of nature that he identifies; (2) it is inevitable; and (3) it is permanent. The second part of the article shows that Smith has some dark moments in his writings where he seems to reject completely such teleological notions. In this more civic humanist mood he confesses that commercial society does not supply the ends of nature, nor is it inevitable, nor is it permanent. Both views exist in Smith and the commentator is forced to choose between passages in Smith's work in order to support a particular interpretation of the former's view of history.
Max Weber's Dissertation
Authors: Kaelber Lutz
Published: July 2003

The existing scholarly literature on the work and life of Max Weber has almost nothing to say about Max Weber's dissertation which was part of his first book, The History of Commercial Partnerships. This article reconstructs the development of this work. It explores how Weber chose and developed his dissertation, describes its major themes, and analyzes the academic contexts that framed it. Of particular interest is Max Weber's relationship to Levin Goldschmidt, a leading scholar in the history of commercial law, and Weber's dissertation chair; also the assessment of each scholar's work by the other. The article also sheds light on how Weber's dissertation influenced his early career and it addresses Weber's personal life during this time, including Weber's relationship to his cousin Emmy Baumgarten, and his life as a bachelor at his parents' home, ruled by Max Weber Sr. The analysis reveals the remarkable academic challenges Weber faced and the obstacles he overcame in writing his first book, as well as his own extraordinarily difficult personal circumstances. An appendix presents a synopsis of the main arguments and themes of Weber's dissertation.
Two Sources of Michael Polanyi's Prototypal Notion of Incommensurability: Evans-Pritchard on Azande Witchcraft and St Augustine on Conversion
Authors: Jacobs Struan
Published: July 2003

Michael Polanyi argues in Personal Knowledge (1958) that conceptual frameworks involved in major scientific controversies are separated by a `logical gap'. Such frameworks, according to Polanyi (1958: 151), are logically disconnected: their protagonists think differently, use different languages and occupy different worlds. Relinquishing one framework and adopting another, Polanyi's scientist undergoes a `conversion' to a new `faith'. Polanyi, in other words, presaged Kuhn and Feyerabend's concept of incommensurability. To what influences was Polanyi subject as he developed his concept of the logical gap? The answer, as unfolded in this article, is twofold: Evans-Pritchard's Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande and the Confessions of St Augustine.
A Strong Distinction between Humans and Non-Humans is no Longer Required for Research Purposes: A Debate Between Bruno Latour and Steve Fuller
Authors: Barron Colin
Published: July 2003

The second International Knowledge and Discourse Conference, held at the University of Hong Kong in June 2002, was the forum for the long-awaited debate between Bruno Latour and Steve Fuller. Bruno Latour counts beyond two. He places the blame for the emphasis in academia on the subject-object distinction on Kant. Latour wants academics to acknowledge that things act, and suggests we look at other traditions, e.g. the Chinese, for alternatives to the subject-object dichotomy. Steve Fuller concentrated on the moral project of science, which is to draw a distinction between the human and the non-human and, to highlight the fact that, as the culmination of the sciences, social science has a particular responsibility to make this distinction. He accused Bruno Latour of evading the moral issue. The debate can be read as a reiteration of the postions of Bruno Latour and Steve Fuller on the question of heterogeneity at the theoretical level, but it did not address the topic at the practical or research level.
Under a Redescription
Authors: McMillan Kevin
Published: July 2003

This article takes up issues raised in the debate over what Ian Hacking has labelled `an indeterminacy in the past'. It addresses certain criticisms of Wes Sharrock and Ivan Leudar, and attempts to develop further the idea that difficulties with retroactive redescription reflect a deep indeterminacy about certain past actions. It suggests that there are in fact two distinct but related indeterminacies at issue, and that these may best be understood in the context of Hacking's theses about the historical constitution of social phenomena and the looping effect of human kinds.
Mothers, Single Women and Sluts: Gender, Morality and Membership Categorization in Neighbour Disputes
Authors: Stokoe Elizabeth H.
Published: July 2003

In this article, the links between neighbour relationships, gender and morality are explored from an ethnomethodological perspective. Talk between disputing neighbours was analysed for instances of gender relevance and subsequent moral assessment of neighbourly activities. Data from two contexts were recorded: neighbour mediation and televised disputes. The data were transcribed and subsequently analysed using Membership Categorization Analysis, an approach that examines speakers' situated categorizations of themselves and others and tracks the emergence of cultural and moral knowledge about social life. It was found that neighbours' complaints and defences were gendered in terms of categorizations of and about women. Three inter-related themes emerged in this gendering of neighbour relations. The first was that of `motherhood' and its role in warranting not just complaints about women neighbours, but also defences against complaints. Second, women's relationship status was regularly invoked. The categorization of `single woman' emerged in accounts as a source of complaint or defence. Third, speakers' juxtapositions of certain activities with the category `woman' were treated as breaches of the moral order. Overall, neighbour disputes were routinely gendered activities in which being a woman was treated as sufficient warrant for complaints between neighbours.
Innocent Girls or Active Young Women? Negotiating Sexual Agency at a Detention Home
Authors: Överlien Carolina
Published: July 2003

This article analyzes discourse about sexuality at a detention home for young women aged 13-21 years. Staff members, both male and female, talk about the young women as if they were still children, i.e. as asexual beings, thereby denying them sexual agency. The image of young women as innocent children is, however, contested by the young women themselves, who explicitly claim sexual agency. The article concludes that by not using the situatedness of a young woman as their therapeutical point of departure, the staff members cannot provide her with the guidance and support that she needs. The article further suggests that feminist theory should focus on young women's own perceived sense of agency and that sexual agency can be understood and established in the context of Moi's (1999) model of women as `de Beauvoirian' situated beings.
Feminist Attitudes and Coping Resources as Correlates of Lesbian Internalized Heterosexism
Authors: Szymanski Dawn M. , Chung Y. Barry
Published: July 2003

This study examined how internalized heterosexism is related to feminist attitudes and coping resources in a sample of 210 female participants living in the United States. Respondents completed a demographic questionnaire and measures assessing lesbian internalized heterosexism, self-identification as feminist, attitudes towards feminism, involvement in feminist activities, and coping resources. Results indicated that internalized heterosexism correlated moderately with each of the feminist variables and had a low correlation with coping resources. Hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for age and income, identified attitudes toward feminism, involvement in feminist activities, and coping resources as unique predictors of internalized heterosexism, accounting for 31 percent of the variance. Research and practice implications are discussed.
Bargaining, State Regulation and the Trajectories of Industrial Relations
Authors: Traxler Franz
Published: July 2003

This article explains the long-term development of industrial relations from a cross-national comparative perspective. Its main thesis is that industrial relations systems accommodate to external changes self-referentially, in that the prevalent bargaining mode and its interaction with procedural state regulation guide the direction of adaptation by defining the possibilities for renewing the compromise between capital and labour under changed conditions. A combined longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis is used to show that the dichotomies between multi- and single-employer bargaining as the prevalent bargaining mode, and between the presence and absence of state regulation conducive to collective bargaining, have resulted in a polarization between countries where the compromise could be renewed within an organized framework and those where this renewal failed. Since the renewal of the compromise has been specific to Europe, the article concludes by discussing its prospects for durability and further adjustments.
Between Decentralization and Europeanization: Sectoral Bargaining in Four Countries and Two Sectors
Authors: Marginson Paul , Sisson Keith , Arrowsmith James
Published: July 2003

This article draws on the findings of research in metalworking and financial services in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the UK to explore the impact of three challenges to established sector-level bargaining arrangements: further decentralization to company level and a reorientation of the bargaining agenda towards competitiveness and employment; the cross-border dimension to bargaining prompted by the single European market; and the emergence of new business activities. It finds similarity within each sector across countries, and similarity within each country across sectors. Implications are drawn out for the balance between company and sectoral bargaining; the relationship between sector-level bargaining arrangements in different countries; and the capacity of sectoral systems to adapt to new contingencies.
The European Employment Strategy Against a Greek Benchmark: A Critique
Authors: Seferiades Seraphim
Published: July 2003

Despite the scholarly attention devoted to the European Employment Strategy (EES), its policy content remains elusive. This article first explores the ways in which the `open method of coordination', which departs from traditional regulatory approaches, tends to `depoliticize' the issue of employment, fashioning its discourse in an apparently technical language. This constitutes a serious shortcoming. There follows a systematic analysis of Greek experience, which shows that the analytical template of `Eurosclerosis' used for assessing and combating unemployment is based on false premises. This orthodoxy attributes unemployment to high wages and an expensive welfare state; but Greece is a low-productivity economy with an ineffective welfare state, relying almost exclusively on low wages and social transfers. Failure to come to terms with this reality hampers both the appropriateness of EU recommendations and the Greek government's capacity to deal with unemployment.
Job Instability and Political Attitudes Towards Work: Some Lessons from the Spanish Case
Authors: Macías Enrique Fernández
Published: July 2003

It is widely assumed that workers whose labour market situation is insecure are likely to be individualistic, with negative attitudes towards trade unionism. This article uses Spain as a critical case to test the effects of labour market flexibility. Survey data reveal that, in fact, the attitudes of insecure workers towards trade unionism and mobilization at work are more positive than those of stable employees, and they are more critical of the prevailing economic system. These results are discussed within the framework of current debates on the crisis of trade unionism and the effects of flexibility in industrial relations.
Growing Labour Insecurity in Australia and the UK in the Midst of Job Growth: Beware the Anglo-Saxon Model
Authors: de Ruyter Alex , Burgess John
Published: July 2003

This article compares trends and issues affecting labour security in the UK and Australia, using an adaptation of Standing's 1997 typology. The increased polarization and variability of hours worked, declining union densities and increased wage inequality provide evidence of growing labour insecurity in both countries. This represents the reciprocal impact of increased employer dominance in the workplace and government pursuit of labour flexibility. Growing labour insecurity casts doubts on the supposed benefits for EU economies of the Anglo-Saxon model of deregulated labour markets. The last part of the article considers measures to counter increased insecurity.
Industrial Change and Foreign Direct Investment in the Postsocialist Economy
Authors: Domański Bolesław
Published: July 2003

This article examines the immense changes in Polish industry since 1990 and the impact of foreign direct investment. It is shown that, contrary to some general views about Central and East European transition, the postsocialist transformation processes have contributed to the enhanced competitiveness of Polish industry and to narrowing the gap between Poland and the European Union. The analysis includes basic indicators of economic performance, changes in branch structure, international relations (especially exports) and the labour market. Discussion of the role of transnational corporations is based on detailed empirical research which covered 2,020 foreign-owned factories. The regional differentiation of foreign investment is outlined, the disparities between developed and underdeveloped regions as well as metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in particular. Special emphasis is put on principal factors affecting the location of new foreign factories. This is analysed within the broader context of phenomena underlying economic growth or decline in Polish regions and towns during the postsocialist era.
Incentives and Disincentives to City-Regional Cooperation in the Berlin-Brandenburg Conurbation
Authors: Hauswirth Iris , Herrschel Tassilo , Newman Peter
Published: July 2003

Current academic discussions on economic development make a case for `regional governance' in city-regions and stress the importance of varying institutional and policy-making frameworks for country-specific interpretations of `regionalization'. This article will look at the evolution of forms and structures of regional governance in two of the main urban regions in western Europe, London and Berlin. They have been chosen for their underlying structural-geographic comparability, including their international outlook and awareness of competitiveness, while at the same time representing quite different constitutional and institutional arrangements for territorial governance in general, and that for city regions in particular. Nevertheless, as shown in this article, there appears to be the common challenge of an institutional lag in the adjustment of city-regional government to the imperatives of regional economic competition. This may even go as far as institutional arrangements not only being ineffective but obstructive to the development of city-regional governance through in-built support of localist or institutionalist ambitions. Drawing new boundaries between territories of institutional responsibilities, establishing institutional `performance targets' or fiscally rewarding inter-local competition, are just some of the obstacles to building effective city regional governance.
A `Planner's Paradise' Lost?
Authors: Bontje Marco
Published: July 2003

National as well as international observers have praised the Dutch national urbanization policy as being exceptionally successful in the recent past. Looking at the urbanization process of recent decades, however, one could wonder if this praise was well deserved. It is acknowledged that national or regional plans are generally only the start of a long-term planning process in which many other actors are involved. Therefore, there is generally no direct connection between these plans and the eventual outcomes. However, if the eventual local outcomes are in conflict with the initial goals of the national or regional plans, the effectiveness of the process between plan acceptance and application in practice becomes very doubtful. The empirical analysis presented in this article suggests that the actual Dutch urbanization process since the 1960s was far from what the national planners wanted it to be. Some successes were surely reached, most of all with the policy of growth centres, but the general tendency of unplanned suburbanization remained unbroken despite all planning efforts. Explanations for this lack of success are probably partly due to administrative or political problems, but much more to the generally limited possibilities for influencing or counteracting the effects of economic, technological and socio-demographic processes through physical planning policy.
Cross-Border Regions in Europe
Authors: Perkmann Markus
Published: July 2003

The 1990s have seen a strong surge in the number of cross-border regions all over Western and Eastern Europe. The article analyses the emergence of these local cross-border institutions in public governance by addressing their context, dimensions and causal underpinnings. First, it offers a brief background on the history of cross-border regions in Europe and related EU policies to support them. Second, it provides a conceptual definition of cross-border regions and their various forms and positions within the wider context of other transnational regional networks. Third, it analyses the empirical dimensions of European cross-border regions, including their frequency, geographic distribution and development over time. It concludes by linking cross-border regions and their various forms to institutional conditions in specific countries as well as the effects of European regional policy. It is argued that small-scale cross-border regions have flourished in particular because of their increasingly relevant role as implementation units for European regional policy in a context of multi-level governance.