bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing Union-Party Relations in Canada
Authors: Walchuk Bradley
Published: April 2013

The traditional understanding of union-party relations in Canada suggests that the social-democratic New Democratic Party (NDP) is the party of organized labour. Reality, however, dictates that this is no longer the case. This paper examines the rise of the Working Families Coalition (WFC) and its effects on union-party. While popular rhetoric suggests that the Coalition is simply a front for the Liberal Party, a more in-depth analysis suggests otherwise. The paper suggests that the emergence of the WFC has significantly changed the union-party relationship in Ontario and consequently has altered the political strategy of the labour movement.
Political Activism as Part of a Broader Civic Engagement
Authors: Nissen Bruce
Published: April 2013

This article examines the impact of a Florida health care union’s political activities on broader member “civic engagement.” Its grassroots political approach (membership education, leadership development, mobilizational structures, and capacity) and a broad “public interest” framing of goals has stimulated new forms of civic engagement by its volunteer leaders and members. Alternative explanations of its success in terms of membership demographics and method of conducting political activities is conducted, with the latter providing most of the explanation. This approach to politics is commended to the labor movement at large, both for its effectiveness and its legitimizing role in U.S. public opinion.
It Isn’t Always Rational
Authors: Piszczek Matthew , Kaminski Michelle
Published: April 2013

Although labor studies research has commonly looked to sociology, history, and economics for new perspectives, behavioral psychology has largely been underutilized. This article provides a popular psychological model of behavior and examples of its application in issues of interest to labor, specifically the Employee Free Choice Act and the auto industry “rescue.” It is the authors’ belief that considering such models will provide a different viewpoint through which to analyze labor issues and promote further integration of psychology and labor studies.
In a Different Way: Social Unionism in the Nonprofit Social Services-An Australian/Canadian Comparison
Authors: Baines Donna
Published: April 2013

Drawing on comparative, qualitative data, this article explores unionization in the Canadian and Australian nonprofit social services. The article shows that the growth of unionization in this sector in Canada had little to do with deliberate strategies for union renewal. Instead, union growth and activism rose organically from the values orientation of the predominantly female workforce and the curtailment of workplace opportunities for social justice struggles. The Australian example reflects the conflux of legal contexts, political parties, managerial approaches, and the servicing model of unionism. The article concludes with a discussion of possibilities for those seeking to revitalize the union movement.
“Taking on Corporate Bullies”: Cintas, Laundry Workers, and Organizing in the 1930s and Twenty-First Century
Authors: Carson Jenny
Published: April 2013

Based on interviews with workers and organizers, union and company records, legal documents, and media sources, this article compares laundry unionism in the 1930s and early 2000s at Cintas, North America’s largest industrial launderer and uniform rental provider. Employing resource mobilization theory, social movement unionism, and collective identity theory, the article argues that laundry workers were able to organize in the 1930s because of the simultaneous presence of union resources and internal activist solidarities at the shop floor level. While UNITE HERE (now Workers United) has run an innovative comprehensive campaign to organize Cintas, the absence of solidarity on the shop floor has impeded organization.
Social Movement and Unionism in France: A Case for Revitalization?
Authors: Le Queux Stéphane , Sainsaulieu Ivan
Published: April 2013

From the mid-1990s onwards, France has been rocked by ongoing social protests. This article considers whether and how these protests provide a strategic context for the “revitalization” of labor organizations. After providing insights into the French industrial relations system, particular attention is given to three cases: the organizing of unemployed and migrant workers, the alter-globalization movement, and recently established independent trade union Solidaires, Unitaires et Démocratiques, which epitomize emerging forces and contradictions at play. The conclusion reconsiders the revitalization thesis in the light of these cases.
Social Unionism in Western New York: The Case of the Economic Development Group
Authors: Whalen Charles J.
Published: April 2013

Labor-community engagement—often called social unionism—has a long history, but it and academic attention to it have been growing since 1980. This article examines one manifestation in western New York: the labor-led Economic Development Group (EDG), which emerged in the late 1990s as a way for that region’s union leaders to engage in economic development activities. The first section surveys the literature on labor—community engagement, with an emphasis on the U.S. experience at the metropolitan level. The next traces the EDG’s origins and early development. Then three sections examine the EDG’s major initiatives: in labor relations, regional energy, and workforce development, the latter of which includes a neighborhood revitalization component. Current challenges and opportunities are then identified, and lessons of the EDG’s experience are highlighted. A final section includes suggestions for future research. A number of EDG projects appear to be on the leading edge of innovation with respect to regional development; thus, the case of the EDG warrants the attention of academics and practitioners, including policy makers interested in improving the well-being of the nation’s working families.
Toward a Theory of Union Environmental Politics: Unions and Climate Action in Australia
Authors: Snell Darryn , Fairbrother Peter
Published: April 2013

Trade unions across a range of countries are engaging in a new environmental politics. This article considers emerging environmental politics among Australian unions who have sought to advance policy efforts to reduce carbon emissions and green jobs while minimizing the social impacts of a more carbon-constrained environment on jobs and regions. Against this background, this article seeks to advance a theory of union environmental politics by considering the organizational constraints unions operate within, their relationship with local communities and governments, and how they have sought to extend their capacities and organizational form through confederations and alliance-building with other actors.
Beyond the Blue and Green: The Need to Consider Aboriginal Peoples’ Relationships to Resource Development in Labor-Environment Campaigns
Authors: Mills Suzanne E.
Published: April 2013

In this article, I argue that labor researchers in North America need to engage more thoroughly with Indigenous studies if they hope to advance social and environmental justice. First, I suggest that researchers approach Aboriginal peoples’ relationships to the environment by supporting Aboriginal rights to lands and resources. Second, and related to this point, I raise the issue of the need for Aboriginal-controlled development in northern Aboriginal communities. Finally, I draw on a case study on Inuit and union participation in the creation of the Vale Inco, Voisey’s Bay nickel mine in Labrador to discuss how the increasing prevalence of corporate-Aboriginal alliances is creating important challenges to union engagement that need to be addressed.
Gender and Racial Training Gaps in Oregon Apprenticeship Programs
Authors: Berik Günseli , Bilginsoy Cihan , Williams Larry S.
Published: April 2013

This study uses microdata to measure three types of training gaps by gender and minority status in Oregon apprenticeship programs: probability of graduation, time to graduation, and the quantity of training acquired by quitters. Apprentices who started training between 1991 and 2002 are tracked through 2007. After adjusting for individual, institutional, and occupational attributes, the authors find that white women apprentices were substantially less likely to graduate than white men, but the duration of training was shorter for the few women who graduated. White women dropouts received a much lower quantity of skills than white men although they stayed in the program as long as the white men did. Minority men did not face significant disadvantages relative to white men. Apprentices in union-management jointly sponsored programs were more likely to complete requirements than those in unilateral employer programs. White women and minority men benefited disproportionately more from training in union programs. However, the time to graduation is shorter in nonunion programs, which suggests that the latter allocate resources more selectively across apprentices. Yet those who quit do not appear to have acquired a sufficient quantity of skills to be able to obtain high-skill jobs.
When the Rubber Hits the High Road: Labor and Community Complexities in the Greening of the Garden State
Authors: Fine Janice
Published: April 2013

This article is an exploration of challenges faced by building and construction trade unions as they seek to enter the green jobs sector through the lens of the Eastern Region of the Laborers Union. This article is also motivated by an interest in extending the literature on community unionism by asking how and in what ways specifically coalition participation impacts labor’s ability to organize and in this case enter the green jobs sector successfully. Although this work is not a full matched pair analysis, the author contrasts the Laborers’ strategy to the efforts of Community Labor United in Massachusetts. While organizations in both states were responding to a similar set of conditions, they ended up choosing divergent paths. The author concludes that much of the failure of the Laborers strategy in New Jersey is due to the union’s decision to go it alone in their efforts to organize the residential weatherization sector.
The Legacy of Separate Organizing: Women in the Victorian Trades Hall Council in the Interwar Years
Authors: Brigden Cathy
Published: April 2013

Debates about women’s participation, representation, and leadership in trade unions frequently focus on the role of separate organizing. This article examines the historical use of separate organizing by women and its effect in an Australian state peak union, the Victorian Trades Hall Council (THC). Adoption of different forms of separate organizing in the 1910s, in particular autonomous organizing through women-only unions, transformed the gender profile of the THC. A subsequent shift in union strategy to support for industrial unionism led to union amalgamations, which saw the absorption of most of the women’s unions by the 1920s. The key issue is the degree to which this separate organizing campaign had an ongoing influence through the interwar years. In particular, the article looks at the experiences of the 1910s generation of women activists, the impact of amalgamation for the women’s THC profile, the community they formed, and some of the issues they debated in the THC. The 1920s and 1930s saw a steady decline in women’s representation and fading influence in the THC, as a result of a lack of sustained support for separate organizing by the THC and contradictory attitudes among its affiliates.
Unions and Social Inclusiveness
Authors: Leymon Ann Shirley
Published: April 2013

Unions have a well-known history of social conservativism, especially regarding exclusion of women and racial minorities prior to the 1960s. Restricting membership in this way led to a smaller labor movement than was possible, reducing the potential strength of labor unions. Recent labor scholarship has hailed a union revitalization, with new progressive leadership and new organizing strategies, but the issue of growing social inclusiveness has become a secondary issue. One can observe a shift toward progressive inclusiveness in high-level union organization, but unless this shift is occurring in the membership, the impact on labor union strength will be minimal at best. This article uses longitudinal American National Election Survey data to determine if members of unions have developed increasingly favorable attitudes toward various races as well as other political categories of people over time, compared to nonmembers. Findings suggest that union members are growing increasingly inclusive at a faster rate than nonmembers.
Education and Labor in Tension
Authors: Tarlau Rebecca
Published: April 2013

This article examines the conflicting visions within the US labor movement about the proper function and implementation of labor education programs, and how educational programs are connected to union structure. While this article is primarily based on interviews with union officials, the article also draws on union documents and participant observation in union meetings and educational workshops. The author argues that an analysis of worker education programs is an appropriate entry point for drawing out the similarities and differences that exist about the goals, structure, and political values of different unions in the contemporary US labor movement.
Lay Activism and Activism Intentions in a Faculty Union
Authors: Fiorito Jack , Tope Daniel , Steinberg Philip E. , Padavic Irene , Murphy Caroline E.
Published: April 2013

Prior conceptual work on union renewal places activism in a central role. Understanding of activism’s antecedents, however, remains limited. This study uses a sample of faculty union members at a large public university, thus providing considerable diversity in work settings within a single employer organization. Using survey and archival data, this study explores the role of selected contextual factors on faculty labor activism. A tentative but interesting finding is that linkages to other activists appear to be a stronger predictor of individual activism than does departmental membership density. That is, it seems that “subcultures of apathy” can exist in even high membership density settings and that social ties to activists may spur members to heightened levels of activism.
Card-Check Laws and Public-Sector Union Membership in the States
Authors: Chandler Timothy D. , Gely Rafael
Published: April 2013

We examine the impact of state card-check legislation on public-sector union membership. Based on an empirical analysis of data from 2000 to 2009, a time during which eight states enacted card-check legislation for public employees, we find significantly higher levels of public-sector union membership for states that passed card-check legislation in years after the laws were enacted relative to states that did not pass such laws. Moreover, average public-sector union membership increased for the states that passed card-check legislation after the laws were passed relative to their precard-check law union-membership levels.
Are Public Employees Overpaid?
Authors: Keefe Jeffrey
Published: April 2013

The research reported in this article shows that public employees, both state and local government employees, are not overpaid and may be slightly undercompensated. Comparisons with the private-sector employees that control for education, experience, hours of work, organizational size, gender, race, ethnicity, and disability indicate that the public-employment compensation (wages and benefits) penalty is relatively small. On average there is a 3.7 percent penalty in total compensation for full-time state and local employees when compared to similar private-sector employees. The data analysis also reveals substantially different approaches to staffing and compensation between the private and public sectors. On average, state and local public-sector workers are more highly educated than the private-sector workforce; 54 percent of full-time state and local public-sector workers hold at least a four-year college degree compared to 35 percent of full-time private sector workers. For college-educated labor, state and local governments pay salaries on average over 25 percent less than private employers. The public sector appears to set a floor on compensation, particularly improving the compensation of workers with high-school educations, when compared to similarly educated workers in the private sector. Benefits are allocated differently between private- and public-sector full-time workers. State and local government employees receive a higher portion of their compensation in the form of employer-provided benefits. Public employers provide better health insurance and pension benefits. National polling data indicate that the public does not believe public employees are overpaid. They oppose pay and benefit cuts, but believe pay freezes and greater employee contributions to their health and pensions plans may be appropriate. Nevertheless, thirteen states revised their public-sector collective-bargaining laws, mainly weakening employee bargaining power or severely restricting or eliminating collective bargaining, while the majority of the public opposed those changes.
Public Perceptions of Union Efficacy
Authors: Givan Rebecca Kolins , Hipp and Lena
Published: April 2013

Since the perceived efficacy of unions is one of the best predictors of an individual’s willingness to vote for or join a union, this article examines the relationship between union membership and perceptions of unions. In particular, we ask: How do union members feel about unions in comparison to nonunion members? How do former union members feel about unions in comparison with those who were never members? How do different groups of workers perceive unions? We answer these questions by analyzing large-scale, cross-national survey data on perceptions of unions. The data contain 14,733 observations in twenty-four countries and are taken from the 2005 wave of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). The survey asks how respondents feel about the effects of unions on both job security and working conditions. From our analysis, we can conclude that union-membership status (both current and past) and gender matter in determining perceptions of the efficacy of unions. In particular, we find that union members feel more positive about the ability of unions to improve working conditions and job security than nonunion members and that former members tend to be more positive than never union members in these views. We also find that among nonunion members, women tend to hold a more positive view than men of the effect of unions on job security.
Shakedown in the Shaky Isles
Authors: McAndrew Ian , Risak Martin E.
Published: April 2013

In late 2010, the New Zealand Parliament passed legislation that offers film industry employers an option to effectively immunize the New Zealand film industry against union activity and employment regulations, by simply insisting on engaging workers as independent contractors, regardless of their real status. The topical story behind this change in employment law reads like a multiscene play on how a powerful American entertainment-industry conglomerate was able to take advantage of a union’s strategic missteps to pressure a small country into not only substantial tax breaks and subsidies, but also a fundamental change to its employment laws. The article tells the story and provides an analysis of how this can happen in a modern democracy.
Teaching about Labor through Union Worker–University Student Dialogues
Authors: Wills Ericka
Published: April 2013

This article offers a pedagogical model for facilitating union worker–university student dialogues on labor issues. Most university students in this study initially held neutral opinions of organized labor. However, the beliefs of the few students with strong attitudes about unions were often shaped by close interactions with family members who belonged to unions. Taking these attitudes and factors into considerations when designing classroom activities and approaches, a dialoguing process was developed that encouraged participants to articulate their viewpoints, engage in reciprocal written and verbal exchanges, and reflect on others’ perceptions in order to enhance their own labor perspectives.
The Socialization of New Teachers into Teacher Unions
Authors: Pogodzinski Ben
Published: April 2013

Using interview data collected from local teacher-union presidents in ten districts, this study identified the key mechanisms and content of union-sponsored new-teacher socialization efforts. Using a framework of union attachment, the utility of these socialization efforts was evaluated and implications for future research and union-leader practice were offered. Based on the analysis of the findings, the impact of new-teacher socialization on union attachment is often minimal due to the short duration and limited focus of socialization efforts. Therefore calls for sustained socialization within a context of a supportive union culture at the school-level may be warranted.
Dockers and Seafarers
Authors: Carmichael Leah L. , Herod Andrew
Published: April 2013

Both workers and employers must come to grips with capitalism’s spatial organization, and how they do so shapes the kinds of political behaviors in which they engage. In this article the authors explore how two different groups of European workers—dockers and seafarers—have responded to liberalization efforts and suggest that their differential success in resisting labor market deregulation can be explained, at least in part, by how they are spatially embedded in particular places and what this means for their abilities to make common cause with others across space.
Mass Incarceration and Working Class Interests
Authors: Kilgore James
Published: April 2013

Since the early 1980s mass incarceration has become a critical fixture on the U.S. social landscape. Prison and jail populations have increased almost fivefold since 1980 with similar increments in the ranks of those under parole and probation. Historically many labor analysts and unions have regarded incarcerated people as an aberrant sector of the working class. Labels such as “lumpen proletariat,” “criminals,” and the “undeserving poor” have often been applied. In some instances, people doing poorly paid production work while incarcerated have been categorized as “scabs” who undermine hard won union gains. Such thinking is at odds with current realities, if it ever was appropriate. The recent patterns of criminalization have led to the imprisonment of significant swaths of working class people of color, largely the targets of the War on Drugs or anti-immigrant repression. Despite the fact that this racialized roundup now holds millions of workers captive, the process remains largely outside the scope of those concerned with labor and working class organization. Old stereotypes still keep “ex-convicts” and “felons” at the margins of labor organization and analysis. This article argues that unions and labor-oriented organizations need to oppose mass incarceration and adopt new strategies to incorporate a broad working class perspective in their approach to the criminal justice system. The author emphasizes that such an approach would compel unions to act in the interests of the broad working class, which at time may even be in conflict with the immediate interests of their members.
The Impact of Delay on Arbitrators' Decisions in Discharge Cases
Authors: Nelson Nels E. , Meshquat Uddin A.N.M.
Published: April 2013

This study suggests that there is a more important reason for con cern about delay in the arbitration of discharge cases than the hardship it creates for the discharged employee or the problem presented to the employer by the potential of a large backpay award. It hypothesizes that the status quo tendency in decision making means the longer the delay between an employee's discharge and the arbitrator's decision, the less likely the grievant is to be reinstated. A test of this hypothesis using logistic regression indicates that, after controlling for other factors, a one- month increase in the delay reduces the odds of reinstatement by 8.6 percent.
The Campaign to Regulate Causes of Cumulative Trauma Disorders
Authors: Hagglund George
Published: April 2013

Dealing with cumulative trauma disorders arising at work has gotten major attention from safety and health professionals over the past few years. Attempts to pass enforceable ergonomics standards have not pro gressed rapidly in Western Europe. The United States, through use of the General Duty Clause of the OSHAct had begun to require employers to re-design work operations to eliminate CTD problems. However, when the federal government attempted to promulgate enforceable ergonomics standards, they ran up against a brick wall of resistance from major employer associations.
Labor and Social Legislation in the United States: Business Obstructionism and Accommodation
Authors: Jacobs David
Published: April 2013

Case studies of the legislative process indicate that American busi ness lobbies have provided a nearly united front of opposition to modest proposals to enhance the position of labor. The Chamber of Commerce, the Labor Policy Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, and other business associations have fiercely opposed such labor and social legislation as the Family and Medical Leave Act and national health insurance. The Republican party and active minorities of member businesses have pressed these associations to maintain their opposition despite dissenting views from other executives who perceive some ben efit deriving from reform legislation.
Horace Kallen's Workers' Education for Industrial Democracy
Authors: Taylor Shawn
Published: April 2013

Horace Kallen stands as one of a handful of socially and politically active philosophers and educators in the twentieth century. His involve ment in trade union education dates from the early 1920s. Kallen's abid ing commitment to workplace democracy in the 1920s resembles later developments in labor-management cooperation begun in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His contribution to workers' education is of continuing significance for those managers, workers, union leaders, and government officials interested in promoting labor-management cooperation and, more important, preparing working people for the challenge of participating in the decisions that shape their working future.
Distance Learning in Labor Education
Authors: Hertenstein Edward
Published: April 2013

This article examines the reactions of participants to distance learn ing technology as used in a labor education setting. Participants in both distance and traditional labor education classes were asked for their opin ions about the course structure and content after completing the course. The results are somewhat surprising in light of the communications theo ries of media richness and social presence, finding that the participants in the distance classes were more satisfied than those in the traditional classes.
The Teamsters' UPS Strike of 1997: Building a New Labor Movement
Authors: Witt Matt , Wilson Rand
Published: April 2013

At a time when the American labor movement is struggling to re verse its decline in membership and strength, the Teamsters' nine-month contract campaign at United Parcel Service in 1997 demonstrated that labor can rebuild its power by involving its members, reaching out for public support, and challenging corporate power on behalf of all working people.
Cross-Border Organizing in the Apparel Industry: Lessons from Central America and the Caribbean
Authors: Frundt Henry
Published: April 2013

Successful cross-border organizing in developing nations demands that transnational corporate campaigns operate in tandem with local drives for a union contract. On-site organizing drives are most effective via quiet leadership development and house visits, which prepare sufficient participants to request negotiations. Only at this point are widespread in-plant publicity and international attention beneficial. In the export apparel sector's historical context, specific organizing drives in the Do minican Republic, Guatemala, and Honduras validate such an approach. They also verify the primacy of local participation and close union com munication with outside monitors in the functioning of transnational cam paigns.
Leadership Development and Organizing: For What Kind of Union?
Authors: Eisenscher Michael
Published: April 2013

This essay examines the circumstances that have elevated rebuilding the labor movement to the highest priority and yet most difficult chal lenge confronting organized labor today. It is the basis on which "orga nizing the unorganized" has become the clarion call of the New Voice reform team that assumed leadership of the AFL-CIO in 1995. But orga nizing for what kind of union? The author describes the attributes of three organizational archetypes: the service model or business union, the mo bilization or activist model union, and the participatory or social move ment union. Obviously, few existing unions fit neatly into or can be accurately described by a single construct, but as prototypes they offer a framework for analyzing unions and to distinguish the strategies associ ated with and the forms, role, and development of leadership within each type. It is this latter point—the nature of leadership, its relationship to the form of union, and how it can be developed in the process of rebuilding the labor movement—that is the focal point of this discussion.
From "Business Unionism" to "Social Movement Unionism": The Case of the AFL-CIO Milwaukee County Labor Council
Authors: Eimer Stuart
Published: April 2013

AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils are regional labor federations that provide horizontal links between locals from different national unions. As such, labor councils afford an opportunity for local unions to become active in matters besides their own collective bargaining agreements. The Milwaukee County Labor Council has exploited its "supra-local" institu tional position to create a labor/community coalition that has crafted and pursued an alternative economic development plan to address the inter ests of both union and non-union workers. It has also used its position to forge electoral coalitions designed to increase the political capacity of organized labor. Taken together, this activity marks a departure from traditional forms of "business unionism", and constitutes a style of union ism that might be termed "social movement unionism."
Coalition Politics: Insurgent Union Political Action Builds Ties Between Labor and the Community
Authors: Reynolds David
Published: April 2013

Discussions for revitalizing the labor movement include a frequent call for build ing labor-community coalitions as well as reactivating a more activist brand of electoral politics. This paper illustrates how unions have used aggressive political action to establish lasting coalitions with the community. Our examples draw from the work of the fledgling New Party, Connecticut's Legislative and Electoral Ac tion Program, and the mushrooming living wage movement. Through these new forms of political action unions have begun to redefine their agenda, build bridges to the community, mobilize their membership, and lay the foundation of a broad- based movement for economic democracy.
Inhabiting Institutions: Critical Realist Refinements to Understanding Institutional Complexity and Change
Authors: Delbridge Rick , Edwards Tim
Published: April 2013

This paper builds on recent contributions to understanding conditions of institutional complexity by developing a theoretical framework to elaborate the interdependencies between actions, contexts and institutional logics. Our aim is to refine existing explanations of how actors inhabit complex institutional settings. Drawing on a critical realist ontology, we treat agency and structure as analytically distinct phenomena to advance our understanding of conditioned action. This is subject to relational analysis in order to explain the structural conditioning that shapes particular socio-historical contexts, the potential ‘action options’ contained within these contexts and the processes through which actors draw upon these. This reading of institutional reproduction and transformation allows us to reassess the ‘paradox of embedded agency’ by advancing understanding of the historically grounded and multilevel nature of structures and agency in institutional processes. Our approach offers conceptual refinements, a new sensitizing framework and methodological insights to guide studies of the ways actors inhabit complex institutional settings.
Parenteral Solution of Nutritional Hepatotrophic Factors Improves Regeneration in Thioacetamide-induced Cirrhotic Livers after Partial Hepatectomy
Authors: Trotta Mauricio de Rosa , Cajaiba Dandara Murad , Parra Osório Miguel , Dagli Maria Lúcia Zaidan , Hernandez-Blazquez Francisco Javier
Published: April 2013

Liver resection is a suitable option for the treatment of certain hepatic conditions, particularly hepatocarcinomas, in patients with cirrhosis. However, this disease impairs liver regeneration, which increases the risk of liver failure and postoperative death. Supportive treatments for regeneration of the remaining liver may be useful for the recovery of these patients. We demonstrated that nutritional hepatotrophic factors (NHF) is an effective regenerative stimulus for cirrhotic livers in rats subjected to partial hepatectomy (PH). The rats with thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis were subjected to PH, and they were divided into 2 groups. One group received intraperitoneal administration of NHF, and the other group received saline solution. After 12 days, biometric data, collagen content, hepatocyte regeneration (proliferation cell nuclear antigen immunochemistry), and profibrotic gene expression (Collagen-α1, matrix metalloproteinase 2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1, and transforming growth factor beta 1) were assessed. The results indicated that the rats treated with NHF after PH had an increased liver size, a reduced amount of collagen, and a higher hepatocyte proliferation index compared with the rats that underwent PH alone. In addition, collagen-α1 gene expression was decreased in the NHF-treated rats. Thus, postoperative improvement in the liver morphology following NHF treatment may cause a significant decrease in the risk of liver failure and mortality after hepatic resection.
Side effects associated with psychotropic medications in patients with bipolar disorder: evidence from two independent samples
Authors: Serretti Alessandro , Chiesa Alberto , Calati Raffaella , Fabbri Chiara , Sentissi Othman , De Ronchi Diana , Mendlewicz Julien , Souery Daniel
Published: April 2013

Available evidence concerning the side effects experienced by bipolar disorder (BD) patients under naturalistic conditions has been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate side effects related to major psychotropic drugs in two independent samples of BD patients naturalistically treated with mood stabilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics and/or anxiolytics. Overall, 3654 patients from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) sample and 282 patients from the Clinical Outcome and Psycho-Education for Bipolar Disorder (COPE-BD) sample were included. The primary outcome measure was the influence of each class of psychotropic drugs under investigation on the emergence of any side effect, as measured with the monitoring form in the STEP-BD study and the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser Side Effect Rating Scale in the COPE-BD study. Secondary outcome measures included the effects of such drugs on psychic, neurologic, autonomic and other side effects. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were associated with high rates of side effects in both samples. Furthermore, antipsychotics were specifically associated with psychic side effects, whereas mood stabilizers were specifically associated with neurologic side effects. Our results largely confirm in a naturalistic setting results previously observed in randomized controlled trials focusing on BD patients.
Circles South East
Authors: Bates Andrew , Williams Dominic , Wilson Chris , Wilson Robin J.
Published: April 2013

This article describes the first 10 years of the implementation of Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles) in the management of sexual offenders in South-East England by Circles South East (CSE). The Circles of 71 core members are reviewed in detail, with reference to demographic data, offense and sentencing histories, risk assessment data, and considerations regarding Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. A group of 71 comparison subjects who were referred to CSE and deemed suitable for but did not receive the service was identified. Follow-up behaviors of both groups are examined (including all forms of reconviction, breach of orders, and prison recall). Over a comparable follow-up period of 55 months, the incidence of violent and contact sexual reconviction in the comparison group was significantly higher than for the Circles cohort. Comparisons are made between expected and actual levels of sexual reconviction, with the Circles cohort showing lower than expected rate of sexual reconviction but not to a statistically significant degree.
Disassembly and characterization of liquid crystal screens
Authors: Juchneski Nichele CF , Scherer Janine , Grochau Inês H , Veit Hugo M
Published: April 2013

The technology used in the manufacturing of televisions and monitors has been changing in recent years. Monitors with liquid crystal displays (LCD) emerged in the market with the aim of replacing cathode ray tube monitors. As a result, the disposal of this type of product, which is already very high, will increase. Thus, without accurate knowledge of the components and materials present in an LCD monitor, the recycling of materials, such as mercury, thermoplastic polymers, glasses, metals and precious metals amongst others, is not only performed, but allows contamination of soil, water and air with the liberation of toxic compounds present in this type of waste when disposed of improperly. Therefore, the objective of this study was to disassemble and characterize the materials in this type of waste, identify the composition, amount and form to enable, in further work, the development of recycling routes. After various tests and analyses, it was observed that an LCD display can be recycled, provided that precautions are taken. Levels of lead, fluoride and copper are above those permitted by the Brazilian law, characterizing this residue as having a high pollution potential. The materials present in printed circuit boards (base and precious metals)—thermoplastics, such as polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate and metals, such as steel and aluminum, and a layer of indium (in the internal face of the glass)—are components that make a point in terms of their potential for recycling.
Energy content of municipal solid waste bales
Authors: Ozbay Ismail , Durmusoglu Ertan
Published: April 2013

Baling technology is a preferred method for temporary storage of municipal solid waste (MSW) prior to final disposal. If incineration is intended for final disposal of the bales, the energy content of the baled MSW gains importance. In this study, nine cylindrical bales containing a mix of different waste materials were constructed and several parameters, including total carbon (TC), total organic carbon (TOC), total Kjeldahl nitrogen, moisture content, loss on ignition, gross calorific value and net calorific value (NCV) were determined before the baling and at the end of 10 months of storage. In addition, the relationships between the waste materials and the energy contents of the bales were investigated by the bivariate correlation analyses. At the end, linear regression models were developed in order to forecast the decrease of energy content during storage. While the NCVs of the waste materials before the baling ranged between 6.2 and 23.7 MJ kg−1 dry basis, they ranged from 1.0 to 16.4 MJ kg−1 dry basis at the end of the storage period. Moreover, food wastes exhibited the highest negative correlation with NCVs, whereas plastics have significant positive correlation with both NCVs and TCs. Similarly, TOCs and carbon/nitrogen ratios decreased with the increase in food amounts inside the bales. In addition, textile, wood and yard wastes increase the energy content of the bales slightly over the storage period.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the WISC-IV in a Hospital Referral Sample
Authors: Devena Sarah E. , Gay Catherine E. , Watkins Marley W.
Published: April 2013

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) scores of 297 children referred to a children’s hospital in the Southwestern United States. Results support previous findings that indicate the WISC-IV is best represented by a direct hierarchical (bifactor) model including four first-order factors and one general intelligence factor. In this sample, the general intelligence factor accounted for 50% of the total variance and 76% of the common variance. Of the first-order factors, the Verbal Comprehension factor accounted for the most total (5.6%) and common (8.4%) variance. Furthermore, the general intelligence factor accounted for more variance in each subtest than did its respective first-order factor and it was the only factor that exhibited adequate measurement precision (ωh = .87). These findings support previous recommendations that WISC-IV interpretations should focus on the general intelligence factor over first-order factors.
Development of a semi-analytical nonlinear finite element formulation for cylindrical shells
Authors: Alijani A , Darvizeh M , Darvizeh A , Ansari R
Published: April 2013

This article introduces a new semi-analytical nonlinear finite element formulation for thin cylinders according to a continuum-based approach. A comparison between the continuum-based approach and the classical approach for the buckling behavior of isotropic and orthotropic perfect cylinders validates the results. The classical approach is defined according to thin shell theories based on the von Karman approximation. A mathematical modeling for geometry imperfection of cylinders is derived according to a continuum-based approach whose results are compared with the results of the classical approach for imperfect cylinders. The influence of neglecting some nonlinear terms in the classical approach for perfect and imperfect cylinders on the buckling path is investigated. In the buckling analysis, two methods, i.e. the perturbation and load disturbance methods, which undertake to switch to the post-buckling path, are compared to each other.
Novel method for bearing performance degradation assessment – A kernel locality preserving projection-based approach
Authors: Sun Chuang , Zhang Zhousuo , He Zhengjia , Shen Zhongjie , Chen Binqiang , Xiao Wenrong
Published: April 2013

Bearing performance degradation assessment is meaningful for keeping mechanical reliability and safety. For this purpose, a novel method based on kernel locality preserving projection is proposed in this article. Kernel locality preserving projection extends the traditional locality preserving projection into the non-linear form by using a kernel function and it is more appropriate to explore the non-linear information hidden in the data sets. Considering this point, the kernel locality preserving projection is used to generate a non-linear subspace from the normal bearing data. The test data are then projected onto the subspace to obtain an index for assessing bearing degradation degrees. The degradation index that is expressed in the form of inner product indicates similarity of the normal data and the test data. Validations by using monitoring data from two experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Design of orientation estimation system by inertial and magnetic sensors
Authors: Miao Cunxiao , Zhang Qingdong , Fang Jiancheng , Lei Xusheng
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this paper is to present orientation estimation for small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV). An extended Kalman filter with adaptive PR (P denotes the estimation error covariance matrix, and R denotes the measurement noise covariance matrix) is designed to estimate orientation by sensors of gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer integrated in Micro Electronic Mechanic System-based heading reference systems. Since ferromagnetic materials or other magnetic fields near the magnetometer disturb the measurement of local earth magnetic field and the external forces which produce maneuvering acceleration effect the measurement of gravity by the accelerometer, the orientation estimation is disturbed. Accordingly, the error equations of sensors are established using a current statistical model, and then the extended Kalman filter with adaptive PR with 12 state variables is designed. In the filter, the orientation error, gyroscope offset error, magnetic disturbance error, and maneuvering acceleration error are estimated. The swing experiment in hand with the magnetic disturbance and small maneuvering acceleration, and flight experiment for SUAV with the magnetic disturbance and large maneuvering acceleration, are developed. The compensation results show that the orientation is accurately calculated with disturbances. A new methodology for the orientation estimation is proposed, which could also be considered for other special application such as the robot on the ground and the autonomous underwater vehicles. This paper provides a novel realization method for accurate orientation estimation for SUAV. The method can be applied in many applications with a simple hardware.
Horizontal axis wind turbine dynamic stall predictions based on wind speed and direction variability
Authors: Choudhry Amanullah , Arjomandi Maziar , Kelso Richard
Published: April 2013

The onset of dynamic stall in horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) is related to the rapid increase in the angle of attack caused by sudden changes in wind speed and direction. In order to relate the changes in wind speed and direction with the variations in the blade-section angle of attack, an analytical model is proposed to determine the regions of the blade affected by dynamic stall. The so-called threshold radius has been identified and defined as the percentage of the blade length from the horizontal axis wind turbines hub beyond which the probability of dynamic stall occurrence falls to zero. High quality wind data were acquired to determine the average wind conditions that serve as the model inputs. It is shown that the rate of change of wind speed, due to gusts or the average turbulence, can cause large regions of dynamic stall on the wind turbine blade. Other parameters, such as the yaw misalignment and the rate of change of yaw angle are shown to be the cause of asymmetrical distribution of threshold radius with azimuth and also serve to increase the affected regions. Finally it is shown that the type of airfoil used in the turbine blade also has a significant effect on the threshold radius due to the different limiting reduced frequencies.
What does Bancroft’s Human Sexuality and its Problems tell us about current understandings of sexuality?
Authors: Barker Meg , Richards Christina
Published: April 2013

Human Sexuality and its Problems is an influential text in the arenas of sex research and psychosexual medicine. The current edition specifically aimed to incorporate the full range of perspectives on human sexuality. However, an analysis of the book found that sociological, social psychological, feminist and queer perspectives were still marginalised or lacking. In addition to this, the text was heteronormative in its construction of sexuality and sexual practice. An in-depth analysis of coverage of vaginismus and trans highlights problematic understandings of gender roles and their involvement in sexual difficulties, as well as little awareness of the diversity of gender identities and experiences.