bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reorienting Interregional Co‐operation in the Global Political Economy: Europe’s East Asian Policy
Authors: Richards Gareth A. , Kirkpatrick Colin
Published: March 2003

This article offers a critical political economy analysis of the new engagement of Europe with East Asia formalized through the Asia‐Europe Meeting (ASEM) initiative. It does so by locating the significance of the evolving relationship in the context of the current debates on globalization and regionalization, and argues that posing issues in terms of ‘national’ versus ‘global’ overlooks a vital level of analysis, namely emerging interregional arrangements. The evolution of the EU’s policy towards Asia is described, and the factors that have delineated Europe’s new interregionalism are analysed. The article also examines the state of Asia‐Europe relations in the context of the unfolding Asian economic crisis, and suggests that the current policy agenda should be understood as part of broader multilateral efforts to construct a ‘new architecture’ for global economic governance.
Does Foreign Direct Investment Replace Home Country Investment? The Effect of European Integration on the Location of Swedish Investment
Authors: Braunerhjelm Pontus , Oxelheim Lars
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this article is to examine the effects of European integration on the location of investments by Swedish multinational corporations (MNCs). Evidence is presented about the extent to which European integration has attracted investment by Swedish MNCs, and whether foreign direct investment (FDI) is being undertaken at the expense of home country investment. In the empirical analysis, involving both OLS and iterative SUR techniques, a significant difference across industries has been confirmed. A substitutionary relationship between foreign and home country investment is found for more R&D‐intensive production, whereas the opposite pattern seems to prevail for production based on traditional comparative advantage. The results of this study emphasize the importance of using disaggregated industry‐level data when analysing the effects of foreign direct investment on home country investment.
The Credibility Crisis of Community Regulation
Authors: Majone Giandomenico
Published: March 2003

The credibility crisis of Community regulation is symbolized by the recurrent food scares, and even more by official reactions such as the refusal of the German and French governments to abide by the decision of the Commission to lift the ban on exports of British beef. However, the crisis is not new, nor is it limited to food safety. Problems of regulatory credibility in the EC/EU arise at different levels. Some are rooted in the deep structure of the founding treaties, while other problems result from path‐dependent aspects of the integration process, from institutional inertia, or from the pursuit of short‐term advantages. This article is primarily concerned with the second group of problems, but a short discussion of the more fundamental issues seems useful as a reminder of the limits of what can be achieved by piecemeal institutional engineering. The article addresses two specific threats to credibility: the mismatch between the Community’s highly complex and differentiated regulatory tasks and the available administrative instruments; and the problem of credible commitment caused by the increasing level of politicization and parliamentarization of the Commission. The solution to both sets of problems, it is argued, may be found in a more far‐reaching delegation of powers to independent European agencies embedded in transnational networks of national regulators and international organizations. Recent theoretical advances in the area of institutional design and procedural controls suggest that such networks could be made to satisfy all reasonable requirements of subsidiarity, accountability and efficiency.
Stabilizing Output and Inflation: Policy Conflicts and Co‐operation under a Stability Pact
Authors: Buti Marco , Roeger Werner , Veld Jan In't
Published: March 2003

The article analyses in a simple setting a game between an inflation‐conservative central bank and a fiscal authority subject to an upper limit on the budget deficit. It is shown that complementarity or substitutability between the policies and the preference of each authority for the other authority's behaviour crucially depends on the type of shock hitting the economy. If the government attempts to stimulate output beyond its natural level, a ‘deficit bias’ emerges under non‐co‐operation; under co‐operation, the equilibrium is characterized by both a ‘deficit bias’ and an ‘inflation bias’. However, if the government only pursues cyclical stabilization these biases disappear and there are positive gains from co‐ordinating the policy responses to shocks.
Conflicts in Africa as Compound Disasters: Complex Crises Requiring Comprehensive Responses
Authors: Wachira George
Published: March 2003

This paper reflects on African conflicts as compound disasters. A compound disaster is defined as an emergency situation with adverse consequences resulting from different, but related, disaster‐agents (ICLA, 1996). In a natural disaster situation, for instance, an earthquake that is quickly followed by a fire outbreak, gas leakage, the disruption of water supply and the outbreak of water‐borne diseases, would be regarded as a compound disaster. Similarly, armed conflicts trigger a chain of consequences. The focus of this paper is the complexity of the consequences and impact of conflicts in Africa. To a lesser extent, the paper looks at the complex causes of the conflicts themselves and, finally, examines challenges with regard to responses.
Coastal Oil Spill: Apollo Sea Shipping Disaster — June 1994
Authors: Konings Chris
Published: March 2003

The sinking of the Apollo Sea bulk ore carrier off the west coast of South Africa, in June 1994, resulted in an oil spill which had a great impact on the endangered African Penguin bird populations nesting on islands in the vicinity. Due to the relatively rare occurrence of this type of disaster in this region, the media focused much attention on the plight of these birds, the efforts taken to rehabilitate them, as well as the oil pollution inflicted on many of Cape Town's prime tourist beaches. The Major Coastal Oil Spill Contingency Plan was seriously tested in all aspects. Severe storms battered the whole area at the same time, which made the tasks of participating relief organizations all the more difficult. Good co‐operation and co‐ordination minimized the effects to a great extent; nevertheless, many lessons were learnt.
Book reviews
Authors: Short James F., Jr.
Published: March 2003

Kunreuther H. and Slovic P., Challenges in Risk Assessment and Risk Management, a special issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences

Moore M. H., Creating Public Value – Straegic Management in Government

Hassan J. et al., The European Water Environment in a Period of Transformation

Moingeon B. and Edmondson A. (eds), Organizational Learning and Competitive Advantage
Environmental Problems in Sao Paulo: The Challenge for Co‐Responsibility and Innovative Crisis Management
Authors: Jacobi Pedro
Published: March 2003

This article describes and analyzes the main environmental problems that affect the city of Sao Paulo. The article views the impacts of the local dynamics of urbanization and its effects on daily life. The discussion is centered on the complexity of the environmental management processes and the implementation of conventional and non‐conventional policies and programmes to prevent environmental degradation. Possible solutions to alleviate the effects of floods and climate factors on households are debated as well as the possibilities of formulating more participatory oriented policies to engage citizens in the knowledge of environmental risks. These issues represent a very complex challenge to the urban government of Sao Paulo.
Chaos in the Underground: Spontaneous Collapse in a Tightly‐Coupled System
Authors: Ellis Paul
Published: March 2003

Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway is demonstrably one of the world's most reliable urban transport systems. However, a disruption to the service which occurred in May 1996 provides a classic example of how a crisis situation can spontaneously emerge from an otherwise highly stable action‐structure. This incident, the worst on record in terms of the number of casualties, illustrates how an ordered system, characterized by positive feed‐back mechanisms, can induce debilitating disorder. Consistent with Perrow's (1984) description of a ‘normal’ accident, the incident was both unpredictable and, for a time, incomprehensible to the system operator, making an immediate and proactive response somewhat problematic. The various organizational responses which followed the incident range in type from the technological fix to the creation of additional slack and the insertion of circuit‐breakers designed to disrupt destructive amplifying feed‐back loops.
Childhood epilepsy in relation to mental handicap and behavioural disorders
Authors: Besag Frank M.C.
Published: March 2003

Epidemiological studies indicate that there is a high rate of mental retardation and behavioural problems in children with epilepsy. In some cases both the epilepsy and the mental retardation will have a common cause, such as a metabolic disorder or brain trauma. However, in other children, the epilepsy itself may cause either temporary or permanent learning problems. When permanent learning disability can be prevented it is important to treat the epilepsy early and effectively. Children with specific learning difficulties and memory problems can benefit greatly from appropriate management. There are many causes of behavioural disturbance in children with epilepsy. These causes include the epilepsy itself, treatment of the epilepsy, reactions to the epilepsy, associated brain damage/dysfunction and causes that are equally applicable to children who do not have epilepsy. Identifying the cause or causes in each child allows rational management to be provided. Antiepileptic treatment with medication or surgery can either improve the situation or make matters worse. The treatment should be tailored to the needs of the individual child. If surgery is required, there is a strong argument for performing this early in life, both to allow the greatest opportunity for brain plasticity and also to allow the child full benefit from the important developmental and educational years, without the problems that can be associated with the epilepsy. Skilled management of children with epilepsy who have mental retardation and/or behavioural problems can be very rewarding both for the family and for the professionals involved.
The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders: background, inter‐rater reliability and clinical use
Authors: Wing Lorna , Leekam Susan R. , Libby Sarah J. , Gould Judith , Larcombe Michael
Published: March 2003

Background: The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) is a schedule for the diagnosis of autistic spectrum and related disorders and assessment of individual needs. It enables information to be recorded systematically for a wide range of behaviours and developmental skills and is suitable for use with all ages and levels of ability. In addition to helping the clinician to obtain a profile of each individual's pattern of development and behaviour, the DISCO also enables identification of specific features found in autistic spectrum disorders that are relevant for use with established diagnostic systems. Method: This paper describes the historical background of the DISCO, outlines its structure and reports the results of an inter‐rater reliability study with parents of 82 children aged 3 to 11 years with autistic spectrum disorder, learning disability, language disorder or typical development. Results: Inter‐rater reliability for the items in the interview was high (kappa coefficient or intra‐class correlation at .75 or higher). This level of agreement was achieved for over 80% of the interview items.
Early developmental precursors of impulsive and inattentive behavior: from infancy to middle childhood
Authors: Olson Sheryl L. , Bates John E. , Sandy James M. , Schilling Elizabeth M.
Published: March 2003

Background: We examined infancy and toddler‐age precursors of impulsivity and inattention in school‐age children. Children (50 boys, 39 girls) had been participants since infancy in the Bloomington Longitudinal Study. Method: Individual differences in children's self‐regulatory competence were assessed at 8 years of age, using laboratory tests and observations of three central constructs: Inhibitory Control, Behavioral Control, and Attentional Disengagement. Results: We found that measures of caregiver–child interaction, child temperament, and child cognitive competence during the toddler period significantly predicted variations in children's later impulsive functioning. However, the strength of these relationships, and the type and combination of significant risk factors, were differentially patterned in relation to specific subtypes of later child impulsivity. Conclusions: These data provide further evidence for the multidimensional nature of child impulsivity, and they highlight the importance of examining toddler‐age precursors of children's later self‐regulatory competence.
Cognitive profiles and social‐communicative functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Joseph Robert M. , Tager‐Flusberg Helen , Lord Catherine
Published: March 2003

Background:Whether there is an unusual degree of unevenness in the cognitive abilities of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and whether different cognitive profiles among children with ASD might index etiologically significant subgroups are questions of continued debate in autism research.Method:The Differential Ability Scales (DAS) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) were used to examine profiles of verbal and nonverbal abilities and their relationship to autistic symptomatology in 120 relatively high‐functioning children with ADI‐confirmed diagnoses of autism.Results:Discrepancies between verbal and nonverbal ability scores occurred at a significantly higher rate than in the DAS normative sample (30%) in both a younger group of 73 children (56%) with a mean age of 5;5 and an older group of 47 children (62%) with a mean age of 8;11. Discrepancies were mainly in favor of nonverbal ability in the younger group, but occurred equally in favor of verbal and nonverbal abilities in the older group. Comparison of the two age groups suggested a growing dissociation between verbal and nonverbal (and particularly visual processing) skills with age. In the older group, children with discrepantly higher nonverbal abilities demonstrated significantly greater impairment in social functioning, as measured on the ADOS, independent of absolute level of verbal and overall ability.Conclusions:These findings demonstrate a high rate of uneven cognitive development in children with ASD. Indications of a dissociation between verbal and visual‐perceptual skills among the older children, and the specific association of discrepantly high nonverbal skills with increased social symptoms suggest that the nonverbal > verbal profile may index an etiologically significant subtype of autism.
Annotation: The use of psychotropic medications in children: an American view
Authors: Wolraich Mark L.
Published: March 2003

Background: Psychotropic medications have become an integral component in the treatment of children with mental illnesses.

Methods: Selective reviews of the empirical evidence for the efficacy of psychotropic medications and studies of their use patterns were reviewed.

Results: Very strong efficacy for at least the short‐term benefits and safety of stimulant medications was found and some good efficacy and safety evidence for the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders with seratonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) was also found. Efficacy for tricyclic antidepressants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was found but the presence of significant side effects makes them less the drugs of choice. Other medications are presented but with less rigorous evidence. Studies of use found that stimulant medications are extensively prescribed in the US by both psychiatrists and primary care physicians. SSRI are also prescribed extensively but not to the extent of stimulants and are more frequently prescribed by psychiatrists.

Conclusions: There is now good evidence for the efficacy of some psychotropic agents and their use is an integral component in the management of childhood mental illnesses.
Local and Global Processing of Music in High‐functioning Persons with Autism: Beyond Central Coherence?
Authors: Mottron L. , Peretz I. , Ménard E.
Published: March 2003

A multi‐modal abnormality in the integration of parts and whole has been proposed to account for a bias toward local stimuli in individuals with autism (Frith, 1989; Mottron & Belleville, 1993). In the current experiment, we examined the utility of hierarchical models in characterising musical information processing in autistic individuals. Participants were 13 high‐functioning individuals with autism and 13 individuals of normal intelligence matched on chronological age, nonverbal IQ, and laterality, and without musical experience. The task consisted of same‐different judgements of pairs of melodies. Differential local and global processing was assessed by manipulating the level, local or global, at which modifications occurred. No deficit was found in the two measures of global processing. In contrast, the clinical group performed better than the comparison group in the detection of change in nontransposed, contour‐preserved melodies that tap local processing. These findings confirm the existence of a “local bias” in music perception in individuals with autism, but challenge the notion that it is accounted for by a deficit in global music processing. The present study suggests that enhanced processing of elementary physical properties of incoming stimuli, as found previously in the visual modality, may also exist in the auditory modality.
Identity, class and civil society in Scotland’s neo‐nationalism
Authors: Hearn Jonathan
Published: March 2003

Civil society has become a central and contested concept in the study of Scottish nationalism. This article aims to scrutinise and qualify the concept by relating it to Weber’s model of classes, status groups and parties, and by exploring the development of Scotland’s civil society along with the welfare state in the twentieth century. It argues that civil society needs to be understood as a zone of status‐group formation, and that attempts to relate ‘class’ and ‘identity’ to support for constitutional change in Scotland need to be complemented by attention to the role of status groups in civil society. It concludes with the suggestion that such an approach might be fruitful in the study of other cases of neo‐nationalism.
Multicultural democracy: can it work?
Authors: Van Den Berghe Pierre L.
Published: March 2003

After differentiating multicultural democracy (MD) from other types of democracy (liberal, consociational, ethnic and Herrenvolk), this article explores both the conditions favouring MD and the problems it faces. The main obstacle to MD is the model of the ‘nation–state’, which has been the basis of legitimacy in most liberal democracies since the French Revolution. Multiculturalism has existed in many non–democratic states (such as colonial and traditional empires) and in city–states. A distinction is made between minimal MD (the simple tolerance and legal protection of cultural diversity) and maximal MD (the celebration, encouragement and official support thereof). The article concludes that minimal MD is the more feasible of the two, and that political and social conditions for it are the most favourable in urban environments, especially in city–states.
The role of cardiopulmonary baroreceptors during the forearm vasodilatation response to mental stress
Authors: Hamer Mark , Boutcher Yati N. , Boutcher Stephen H.
Published: March 2003

The forearm vasodilatation response to mental stress in humans is thought to be mediated by sympathetic withdrawal and β‐adrenergic mechanisms. However, the mechanisms of altered neural control during sympathetic withdrawal are unclear. Thus, cardiopulmonary baroreceptor activity in relation to sympathetic withdrawal during mental stress was examined. Forearm blood flow was measured during mental stress in males (n=18) during control and lower body negative pressure at −20 mmHg. Forearm blood flow was significantly increased during mental challenge; however, during lower body negative pressure the vasodilatation response was significantly attenuated in comparison with control. The results suggest the cardiopulmonary baroreceptors are involved with the sympathetic withdrawal response during forearm vasodilatation to mental stress.
A Redivided Land? New Agrarian Conflicts and Questions in Zimbabwe
Authors: Worby Eric
Published: March 2003

The recent land invasions in Zimbabwe represent a profound and contradictory revolution in that country's agrarian social order, with implications that have already spilled over the borders of this small southern African country. A settler colonial heritage that tenaciously mapped land and tenure forms into unequal zones according to race is giving way to a more complex and spatially diversi ?ed con?guration of agrarian property forms and production strategies. Control over access to the means of violence has been devolved to ruling party loyalists, war veterans, army personnel, provincial administrators and local councillors, thus shifting the forms and functions of power exercised in the name of the state and the nation. ‘Resettlement’, ‘squatting:rsquo; and ‘farm invasions’ constitute morally charged alternatives in the lexicon of movement across tenurial boundaries. Contested rights to land and to movement are mediated through discourses of national and sub‐national belonging and exclusion, with commercial farm workers – deemed foreigners – the chief victims. The dramatic challenge that the invasions pose to private property, and to the rule of law more generally, suggest the possible collapse of large‐scale capitalist farming and the withdrawal of aid and foreign investment. Yet, at the same time, new forms of capitalist investment in transnational safari hunting and eco‐tourism continue to nibble away at the land base of the most peripheral of the old African reserves, facilitated by the romantic idealism of international conservation NGOs, and the aggressive disciplinary impulses of Rural District Councils. The same shifts in patterns of elite global consumption have led conservative white ranchers to take down fences in favour of wildlife conservancies organized around a coextensive commonage. These profound, if contradictory, transformations in Zimbabwe's agrarian social order are illuminated by a new generation of ethnographically grounded scholarship, the range of which is represented in the contributions to this special issue of the Journal of Agrarian Change.
The Land Crisis in Zimbabwe Viewed from South of the Limpopo
Authors: Lahiff Edward , Cousins Ben
Published: March 2003

Farm invasions in Zimbabwe have highlighted the pressing need for land reform throughout the southern African region. In South Africa, where the racial disparities in land holding are most severe, the events in Zimbabwe have raised the temperature of the land debate and led to calls for land invasions by some rural groups. The ANC‐led government, facing criticism from both right and left for the slow pace of reform, has veered between strident defence of private property rights and threats to expropriate white farms. White farming interests have reacted differentially, with some progressive voices joining the calls for an accelerated reform programme. Current land reform policy in South Africa seems set to advance the interests of emerging black commercial farmers and tribal chiefs at the expense of the rural poor and landless.
What Makes a Feminist? Predictors and Correlates of Feminist Social Identity in College Women
Authors: Liss Miriam , O'Connor Christy , Morosky Elena , Crawford Mary
Published: March 2003

What factors predict self-identification as a feminist? College women ( N = 233) were given measures of feminist ideology; feminist identity development; evaluation of feminists, collectivism, and individualism. Feminist identification was measured both as a dichotomous and a continuous variable. Measured dichotomously, feminist self-identification was predicted by not having conservative beliefs and having a positive general evaluation of feminists. In addition, self-identified feminists were more likely to believe in collective action; to hold liberal, radical, and womanist ideologies; and to endorse items in the Synthesis stage of identity development. They were less likely to believe a feminist is a lesbian, to endorse items in the Passive Acceptance stage, and to believe in the existence of a meritocracy. Measured continuously degree of feminist identity was predicted by having a positive general evaluation of feminists, not having conservative beliefs, and endorsing items in the Revelation and Embeddedness/Emanation stages of identity development. The two measures of feminist identity were not entirely congruent, underlining the importance of methodological differences in measuring social identity.
The Motivational Quality of Global Attributions in Hypothetical and Experienced Situations of Gender Discrimination
Authors: Foster Mindi D.
Published: March 2003

Traditionally, global attributions have been thought to reduce instrumental behavior aimed at resolving negative events. However, the present research shows global attributions for gender discrimination are related to taking action against unfair treatment. In Study 1, women ( N = 157) completed a questionnaire assessing attributions for hypothetical scenarios of discrimination and collective responses to discrimination. In Study 2, women ( N = 79) were placed into a laboratory situation of discrimination and asked to indicate their attributions for and responses to their unfair treatment. In both studies, hierarchical regression analyses showed that global attributions were related to both individual and collective responses to their discrimination. Implications for examining attributions in an intergroup context were discussed.
The Relationship of Gender and Voice to Depression and Eating Disorders
Authors: Smolak Linda , Munstertieger Britannie Fairman
Published: March 2003

Research often fails to document a gender difference in measures of voice. This is inconsistent with Gilligan's conceptualization of voice as a gendered construct. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate currently available measures of voice, particularly in terms of whether they appear to be assessing the same characteristics in men as in women. Eighty-seven men and 146 women, all college students, completed both the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS; Jack & Dill, 1992) and the Saying What I Think Around Others scale (SWIT; Harter and Waters, 1991). In addition, measures of depression and eating problems as well as the Personal Attributes Questionnaire were completed. Results indicated inconsistent gender differences on voice measures with some showing no differences, others showing men as having lower voice, and others showing lower voice in women. Correlations between the two voice measures for men and for women were small to moderate. As suggested by Harter, Waters, Whitesell, and Kastelic (1998), femininity was often negatively related to voice, though masculinity was more consistently, and positively, related. The link between lack of voice and psychopathology that has been suggested by various researchers was documented more clearly for women than for men. The results, then, show different patterns of relationships involving voice measures for men than for women. This raises the possibility that the measures are tapping different constructs in men and women, rendering mean comparisons questionable.
Perceptions of Sexual Intent: The Impact of Condom Possession
Authors: Hynie Michaela , Schuller Regina A. , Couperthwaite Lisa
Published: March 2003

This study examined whether knowing that a victim of a sexual assault was carrying a condom influenced perceptions of her sexual intention and subsequent judgments of the sexual assault. Participants ( N = 165) read a vignette describing a date that culminated in an alleged sexual assault. Condom possession (carrying a condom, not carrying a condom) of both the female and male target was systematically varied. When the woman was carrying a condom, the woman was perceived as more sexually willing and the sexual assault claim perceived as less valid. In contrast, the male target's condom possession had little impact on judgments.
A New Fuzzy Multi‐criteria Methodology for Ranking of Alternatives
Authors: Petrovic Sanja , Petrovic Radivoj
Published: March 2003

In this paper a new methodology is given for ranking a finite number of alternatives being described simultaneously by a number of criteria. The criteria are of either benefit or cost type. The criteria values and the relative weights of criteria are either numerical or linguistic expressions defined by fuzzy sets. The ranking philosophy is based on a fuzzy comparison procedure that takes into account both the worst‐pessimistic and the best‐optimistic criteria values. We describe a decision support system that assists in the ranking of alternatives for various degrees of pessimistic‐optimistic index, from the lowest to the highest level of optimism. A real‐world autoroad construction problem, which is described by quantitative and qualitative criteria whose relative importance is expressed by numerical or linguistic values, has been considered.
A Comparison of the Rough Sets and Recursive Partitioning Induction Approaches: An Application to Commercial Loans
Authors: Daubie Mickael , Levecq Philippe , Meskens Nadine
Published: March 2003

Credit scoring is the term used to describe methods utilized for classifying applicants for credit into classes of risk. This paper evaluates two induction approaches, rough sets and decision trees, as techniques for classifying credit (business) applicants. Inductive learning methods, like rough sets and decision trees, have a better knowledge representational structure than neural networks or statistical procedures because they can be used to derive production rules. If decision trees have already been used for credit granting, the rough sets approach is rarely utilized in this domain. In this paper, we use production rules obtained on a sample of 1102 business loans in order to compare the classification abilities of the two techniques. We show that decision trees obtain better results with 87.5% of good classifications with a pruned tree, against 76.7% for rough sets. However, decision trees make more type–II errors than rough sets, but fewer type–I errors.
The value of information in a long–term hydro–thermal electrical planning model
Authors: Contesse Luis , Donoso Patricio , Prina José
Published: March 2003

This article presents the analysis, comparison, and application of two alternative models to the optimal long–term operation planning of an hydro–thermal power system under conditions of uncertainty. The electrical system considered comprises one large reservoir, with interannual regulation capacity, and several smaller ones. The analyzed models employ stochastic dynamic programming as the solution methodology. The fundamental problem is to decide, on every temporal stage, how much water to use for generating purposes and how much to store, in order to minimize the total thermal and shortage costs. The original version of the studied model, created originally to forecast fuel consumption, assumes that the decision regarding the water release from the main reservoir is taken knowing the future hydrologic conditions. This criterion is known as wait–and–see. On the contrary, the new versions of the model, proposed in this article, consider a here–and–now criterion. Specifically, it is assumed that the future hydrologic conditions are not known at the time of making the operational decisions. The difference between the optimal cost of the proposed models and the original model defines the value of having the information regarding future hydrologic conditions before taking any decision. This value is generally known as the expected value of perfect information.
Labour in ‘lean’ times: geography, scale and the national trajectories of workplace change
Authors: Rutherford Tod D. , Gertler Meric S.
Published: March 2003

In this paper we argue that far from being surpassed by globalization, the nation‐state remains a key space for organized labour. However, labour geographers’ focus on patterns of union organization and strategies of ‘internationalism’ underplays the enduring role of national institutions. Moreover, while labour geographers have recognized the significance of new forms of work organization, such as just in time and lean production, with some exceptions they have not examined how unions both formally and informally determine the trajectory of workplace change. Based on case studies of unions in the Canadian and German auto industries, we stress that the linkage between national and workplace scales remains critical to understanding how unions are responding to the challenges being presented by lean and just in time production. Finally, while there is a re‐scaling of bargaining in the automobile industry to the firm or enterprise scale, the outcomes of decentralization depend largely on the national regulatory context.
Monetary Policy and the Cross‐Section of Expected Stock Returns
Authors: Jensen Gerald R. , Mercer Jeffrey M.
Published: March 2003

Ample evidence shows that size and book‐to‐market equity explain significant cross‐sectional variation in stock returns, whereas beta explains little or none of the variation. Recent studies also demonstrate that proxies for monetary stringency increase the explained variation in stock returns. We reexamine a three‐factor model that includes beta, size, and book‐to‐market equity, while allowing monetary conditions to influence the relations between these risk factors and average stock returns. We find that ex‐ante proxies for monetary stringency significantly influence the relations between stock returns and all three risk factors. Additionally, all three variables are found to contribute significantly to explaining cross‐sectional returns in a three‐factor model that includes the monetary sector.
The Femininity Effect: Relationship Quality, Sex, Gender, Attachment, and Significant–Other Concepts
Authors: Steiner–Pappalardo Nicole L. , Gurung Regan A. R.
Published: March 2003

Both sex and gender predict relationship quality, but is one variable more important that the other? Does sex or gender predict relationship quality over other important factors such as attachment style and mental representations of close others? In this study of 116 dating individuals, gender differences were contrasted with sex differences as predictors of several measures of relationship quality (satisfaction, commitment, perceived social support, acceptance, and level of conflict). After controlling for sex, age, and relationship duration, femininity was found to predict positive relationship outcomes over and above attachment styles and significant–other concept measures. Significant–other concepts mediated this relationship. The combination of correlational data and regression analyses proves that femininity (regardless of sex) in both men and women contributes to positive, clear, and connected significant–other concepts that directly influence relationship quality.
Human health and sustainable water resources development in Nigeria: Schistosomiasis inartificial lakes
Authors: Ofoezie Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Published: March 2003

In the last three decades, there has been an unprecedented upsurge in dam construction in Nigeria to store water for year‐round water supply, irrigation and fisheries. Out of a total of 323 dams identified in the literature, 246 (76.2%) were constructed since 1970. Although only 47 of the reservoir lakes have been surveyed for snail intermediate hosts and 11 of the 47 for human infection, the results obtained by the various workers are very revealing. Snail hosts of schistosomiasis were found in 20 (42.6%) of the 47 lakes and human infection in 10 (90.9%) of the 11 lakes investigated for the respective purposes. These findings show that dam construction is contributing to schistosomiasis transmission in Nigeria and, unless urgent steps are taken to reverse the situation, the adverse health consequences of the dams will more than balance their socio‐economic benefits. This paper discusses these problems in the context of existing institutional and legal frameworks in Nigeria and identifies appropriate measures, that could achieve sustainable water resources development in the future.
Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescents: Gender Differences in Vulnerability to Parental Distress and Discord
Authors: Crawford Thomas N. , Cohen Patricia , Midlarsky Elizabeth , Brook Judith S.
Published: March 2003

This longitudinal study investigated gender differences in the relation between (1) internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety reported by adolescents, and (2) emotional distress and marital discord reported by their mothers. Structural equation modeling was used to track the relationship between these variables in a community sample of 116 males and 101 females and their parents across three data intervals roughly corresponding to early adolescence (M = 11,4), mid‐adolescence (M = 13,7), and late adolescence/early adulthood (M = 19,2). For early adolescents, there were no gender differences in the relation between internalizing symptoms and parental distress and discord. Gender differences did emerge, however, by midadolescence, at which time parental disturbances were significantly associated with internalizing symptoms in adolescent females but not adolescent males. The emergence of this risk factor during this developmental phase may help account for frequent findings that place adolescent females at higher risk for anxiety and depression than adolescent males.
Adolescents’ Perceptions and Standards of Their Relationships with Their Parents as a Function of Sociometric Status
Authors: Matza Louis S. , Kupersmidt Janis B. , Glenn D. Michael
Published: March 2003

This study examined adolescents' cognitions of their relationships with their parents as a function of sociometric status. The adolescents' subjective views of their relationships with their mothers and fathers were assessed with respect to seven relationship qualities (general warmth, displays of warmth, intimate self‐disclosure, parental monitoring, conflict, instrumental aid, and provisions of autonomy) across two cognition types: perceptions (beliefs about “how things are”) and standards (beliefs about “how things should be”). The participants were sixth‐, eighth‐, tenth‐, and twelfth‐grade students. Peer sociometric status was determined based on unlimited peer nominations completed by 462 participants. The 190 adolescents classified as average, popular, or rejected were included in the analyses. Perceptions and standards were shown to be distinct but related cognitions. Rejected adolescents differed from their more accepted peers in their perceptions of relationships with both mothers and fathers, specifically with regard to warmth from both parents and autonomy from mothers. Rejected adolescents also reported lower standards for parental monitoring and a range of support qualities from both parents. In addition, rejected adolescents' reports demonstrated greater perception‐standard discrepancies, indicating unmet standards. Overall, sociometric status group differences were more pronounced and consistent for standards than for perceptions, and most status group differences occurred primarily among older adolescents. Findings are discussed in terms of social cognitive patterns associated with peer rejection and developmental changes in family–peer linkages across adolescence.
He Said, She Said: Gender Differences in Mother – Adolescent Conversations about Sexuality
Authors: Lefkowitz Eva S. , Boone Tanya L. , Sigman Marian , Au Terry Kit‐fong
Published: March 2003

This study examined gender differences in self‐reported and observed conversations about sexual issues. Fifty mother –adolescent dyads reported on their conversations about sexual issues and participated in videotaped conversations about dating and sexuality in a laboratory setting. Gender differences (more mother – daughter than mother –son) were found in the extent of sexual communication based on adolescents’ reports, but no gender differences were found based on mothers’ reports, or on observations of conversations. Aspects of laboratory interactions, however, did distinguish mother– daughter and mother – son dyads, and related to self‐report measures. Girls’ reported sexuality communication frequency related to behavior in the laboratory setting. During mother – son conversations, one person usually took on the role of questioner, whereas the other did not. In contrast, there was evidence for mutuality of positive emotions for mother – daughter dyads, but not for mother – son dyads.
Pension Valuation Under Uncertainties: Implementation of a Stochastic and Dynamic Monitoring System
Authors: Chang Shih‐Chieh , Cheng Hsin‐Yi
Published: March 2003

Financial soundness and funding stability are two critical issues in pension fund management. First, we construct a generalized stochastic model to monitor the solvency risk and cash flow dynamics of the defined benefit pension plan. A semi‐Markov process proposed by Dominicis et al. (1991) and Janssen and Manca (1997) is employed in structuring the transition pattern of the plan's population, and the economic‐based factors are generated through plausible stochastic processes. Modifications according to classification and movements of the plan member and the plan's turnover pattern are also employed to improve its practical usefulness. Then the actuarial valuations, cash flow analyses, and workforce projection are performed and investigated. Second, we explicitly formulate the plan dynamics and implement the proposed mechanism into a risk management framework for pension management. By employing the stochastic and dynamic approach, the cost factors can be monitored throughout the valuation process. Third, we outline the procedure of implementing the proposed methodology into a monitoring system. Finally, the Taiwan Public Employees Retirement System is simplified to illustrate techniques in achieving risk management goals.
On the Cost of Adverse Selection in Individual Annuity Markets: Evidence From Singapore
Authors: Fong Wai Mun
Published: March 2003

New evidence is presented on the cost of adverse selection in individual annuity markets using Singapore data. The Singapore annuity market is an interesting setting to examine the cost of adverse selection for three reasons. First, unlike many Western countries, the Singapore government provides very limited public financial assistance for retirees. Second, while social security contributions mandated under the Central Provident Fund (CPF) result in a high forced savings rate, a large proportion of CPF savings, are used up for housing. Third, to ensure that retirees have sufficient funds to meet basic needs, individuals who reach age 55 are required to set aside a minimum amount of their CPF savings, which can be withdrawn at age 62. The CPF Board allows various options for investing the minimum sum, but the most attractive option is to purchase an annuity. The institutional setting in Singapore in effect provides insurers with a large captive market for annuities. It is conjectured that this should be reflected in a significantly lower cost of adverse selection for annuities sold in Singapore as compared with other countries. The results herein, using data for CPF‐approved insurers, are strongly consistent with this conjecture. On average, money's worth of annuities is higher than annuities sold to a similar age‐gender mix in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Adverse selection accounts for less than 13 percent of the cost of longevity insurance compared to 30–50 per‐ cent documented in many previous studies. These results suggest that one way to resolve the adverse selection problem is to adopt a universal individual defined contribution pension scheme that mandates or provides strong incentives for retirees to purchase annuities.
Adverse Selection and the Capped Premium Subsidy in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
Authors: Gray Bradley M. , Selden Thomas M.
Published: March 2003

This article examines the relationship between adverse selection and the capped premium subsidy in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). Understanding this relationship is important, not only because the FEHBP is the largest employer‐sponsored health program in the United States, but also because it has been proposed as a market‐based model for the reform of both Medicare and the market for nongroup private coverage. We present a theoretical model of the FEHBP that we then test using enrollee data. In particular, we exploit the natural experiment that arises from variation in the premium subsidy cap across Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Although the nominalsubsidy cap is constant across MSAs, its real value varies greatly across MSAs with different price levels. The empirical analysis herein supports the contention that the premium subsidy in the FEHBP helps reduce adverse selection.