bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Silicone Surfactants on the Flammability of Flexible Slabstock Foam – Comparison of California TB 117/draft 2002 with Established Flammability Tests
Authors: Boinowitz T. , Borgogelli R. , Gower W.
Published: June 2004

It is well known that silicone surfactants have an influence on the flammability of the manufactured foam. Generally silicone surfactants have a negative impact on flammability, e.g., higher levels of flame-retardants (FRs) are necessary to pass the required FR test.

During the recent years, Degussa has put a lot of resources into the development of optimized chemical structures that have a minimal impact on flammability. The challenge is to make these changes without impacting other key properties, like stabilization potency and processing latitude.

In early 2002, the State of California proposed a change to the old CAL TB 117, the industry flammability standard for furniture foam in the US since 1975. Even though it is still in draft form (no final decision on roll-out date and exactcontent has been made), the optimization of formulations with respect to FR-properties will be one of the key technical issues for all foamers supplying to the US furniture industry.

This paper deals with the evaluation of universal and FR-surfactants concerning their contribution to flammability as well as other performance characteristics. The CAL TB 117/draft 2002 will be applied as well as CAL TB 117/march 2000, MVSS 302, ASTM 1692, and BS 5852 (Crib 5).

It will give guidance to foamers on how to minimize the flammability of their foams with the correct choice of the silicone surfactant.
Global Blowing Agent Trends – UNEP’s Latest Assessment
Authors: Ashford Paul , Guzma Miguel Wenceslao Quintero
Published: June 2004

As part of its reporting responsibilities to the Parties of the Montreal Protocol, the UNEP Foams Technical Options Committee has assessed the global usage of the range of blowing agents used in PU and other foam applications worldwide. This quantitative assessment, based primarilyon 2001 usage, contains for the first time an assessment of non-fluorocarbon activity and includes hydrocarbons, methylene chloride and liquid CO2 among others. The assessment is expected toprovide an important baseline for similar analyses in future years, which will provide both an appraisal of the post-HCFC era in non-Article 5(1) regions and the post-CFC era in Article 5(1) countries.
Test of Dynamic Properties in Different Environmental Conditions with Different Occupant Weight
Authors: McEvoy James T. , McRoberts Terry , Yamasaki Ryoko
Published: June 2004

This paper deals with accelerated aging of different vehicle segment foams such as high and low density passenger cars and truck cushions. These different segments have different durability, density, firmness, and thickness requirements in many cases. This paper explores the difference in vehicle environment, accelerated aging conditions, and the numbers of fatigue cycles, then provides experimental methods to determine complete collapse of foam and to estimate durability of foam systems.
Thai and U.S. Community Mediation
Authors: Callister Ronda Roberts , Wall James A.
Published: June 2004

The approaches of 111 Thai and a matched set of 111 U.S. community mediators are investigated. Results show that Thai mediators are more apt to be assertive in their mediations; they put disputants together, demand concessions, criticize disputants, and threaten them more frequently than do U.S. mediators. Thai mediators more frequently seek harmony by asking disputants to forgive each other and to apologize.
Government as a Failing Operation
Authors: Higgins Vaughan
Published: June 2004

This article argues that the failure of policies and programmes to achieve their desired effects is a constitutive part of projects of regulation, and is evident particularly in attempts to govern conduct ‘at a distance’. Drawing upon concepts from the Foucaultian-inspired literature on governmentality, a Federal programme in Australia - the Rural Adjustment Scheme (RAS) - is examined and attention given to how its administration at a sub-national (State) level called into question, or ‘problematized’, the effectiveness of the programme from the outset. Using public documents and interviews by the author with 16 public servants, the article explores the rationalities and technologies through which these problematizations of governing were assembled. It focuses particularly on how the administrative ‘freedom’ of State authorities assumed political prominence as both a problem andas a necessary part of responding effectively to the diverse needs of clients/farmers.
The Myth of the ‘Puck Bunny’
Authors: Crawford Garry , Gosling Victoria K.
Published: June 2004

This article presents a consideration of the female followers of men’s ice hockey in the UK, questions why this sport has been so popular in attracting a high proportion of female supporters and considers their place and location within this supporter base. In particular, the article argues that the perceived safety and accessibility of ice hockey has proved important in attracting many female supporters. However, this research argues that female followers of UK ice hockey continue to remain marginalized within this supporter community, and are deemed by many other (often male) supporters as not ‘real fans’ but simply ‘puck bunnies’ who are there to ‘lust’ after the players. These assertions, we suggest, originate in male supporters’ fears of losing their male-dominated domain and in insecurities concerning their own adulation of male sports stars. However, interviews with 37 followers of The Manchester Storm indicate no significant differences in the levels of knowledge and commitment between male and female supporters, or that the physical attractiveness of players performs any significant role in attracting women to ice hockey.
Tasting the Witches’ Brew
Authors: Brownlie Julie
Published: June 2004

Interaction is at the heart of most therapeutic practices, yet sociological work on the therapeutic has either tended to ignore this dimension or focused on it at the expense of understanding the wider social context within which such practices unfold. Not surprisingly, Foucauldian work on the therapeutic has, for different reasons, also tended not to concern itself with interaction. Yet there are those who argue not only that Foucault might be used in alliance with perspectives concerned with language as constitutive of social reality (Miller, 1997), but that such an alliance might be useful in analysing therapeutic practices (Silverman, 1997). In this article, I think through the theoretical and methodological possibilities and limitations of such an exercise by drawing on qualitative data from a specific set of therapeutic interactions. Bringing together an interest in therapeutic interaction and therapeutic government with a sociological interest in who is participating in which therapies could, it is argued, address the social context of the therapeutic while at the same time exploring the interaction through which therapy is constituted.
Animals in their Nature
Authors: Macnaghten Phil
Published: June 2004

This article seeks to engage with contemporary debates on the social and ethical dimensions of genetically modified (GM) animals. Dominant policy ethical approaches and frameworks are criticized for failing radically to accommodate some of the most important dimensions of concern. Drawing on primary empirical data emphasizing existing embodied relationships to animals, the article analyses how people express ethical concern over GM animals, including their sense of the continuities and discontinuities between GM animals and those determined by conventional selective breeding practices. The findings suggest that GM animals are likely to become an issue of public controversy, especially in the animal testing domain, due to the ways in which they symbolize and give voice to underlying tensions between ‘moral’and ‘instrumental’approaches to animals.The article concludes that people reject GM animals as ‘going against nature’, and that such concerns reflect wider unease about science, about technological modernity, and about hubris.
Strawmanning and Labour Process Analysis
Authors: Friedman Andrew Lloyd
Published: June 2004

The practice of building and knocking down straw men, or Strawmanning, is elaborated here by describing a number of different variants of this phenomenon through analysis of a recent article in this journal (O’Doherty and Willmott, 2001). Four types of Strawmanning are identified. In addition, three tools which can be used to generate straw men are identified: monism, deconstruction and disciplinary media. Concepts are offered that may help develop a more useful approach to subjectivity in the labour process that builds on previous work in the field, rather than dismissing it using various forms of Strawmanning. These concepts are briefly related to general issues of structure and agency in sociological theory.
Factions and Enclaves: Small Towns and Socially Unsustainable Tourism Development
Authors: Davis Jeffrey Sasha , Morais Duarte B.
Published: June 2004

Pressured by the decline of extractive industries and agriculture, many small towns are trying to acquire a share of the tourism industry. While some communities decide to develop tourism from within their towns, often rural places turn to large-scale privately owned tourism enterprises to act as engines of economic development. While many studies have examined how tourism can have negative social impacts in rural communities, few studies detail how rural communities’ attitudes toward tourism can suffer when locals feel alienated from planning/development decisions. In this study, the authors examined data from participant observation and semistructured interviews in Williams, Arizona, to determine whether changes in community attitudes toward tourism followed patterns suggested by the established theoretical models of social carrying capacity and community adaptation to a social disruption. We found that Williams is a case where the fast pace of tourism development causes community attitudes toward tourism to decline over time.
Are Senior Leisure Travelers Different?
Authors: Reece William S.
Published: June 2004

Many researchers have examined the market for leisure travel by travelers 55 years of age and older. This article tests the hypothesis that demand for household leisure travel to South Carolina is the same for senior and nonsenior households. The results show that two variables affect senior households’ leisure travel behavior differently from non-senior households’ behavior: housing type and distance. Housing type may represent unmeasured income arising from homeowners’ equity. The results are based on individual household data from the 1995 American Travel Survey (ATS) conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
First Timers’ and Repeaters’ Perceived Value
Authors: Petrick James F.
Published: June 2004

While it has been suggested that perceived value is the most important indicator of future purchase behavior for services, few studies have examined the underlying frame-work of perceived value. Research has also suggested the importance of identifying differences between first-time and repeat visitors. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to test the relationships between reputation, emotional response, monetary price, behavioral price, quality, perceived value, and repurchase intentions. Results from a survey of cruise line passengers revealed distinct differences between the antecedents of first-time visitors’ and repeat visitors’ perceived value. It was also found that quality was the best predictor of repurchase intentions for first timers, while perceived value was the best predictor for repeaters. Specific theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Indicators and Standards of Quality Related to Seasonal Employment in the Ski Industry
Authors: Ismert Mathew , Petrick James F.
Published: June 2004

With a large turnover rate of seasonal employees, the ski industry is in need of a better understanding of indicators of quality related to employee retention. The objectives of the current study were to (1) determine which attributes of a seasonal ski job are best at predicting return to work intentions for both first-year and returning employees, (2) determine which attributes of employment are best at predicting overall job satisfaction for both first-year and returning employees, and (3) determine the optimal levels for six chosen job standards of quality. Distinct differences were found between first-year and returning employees regarding the variables most highly related to both their intentions to return and their overall job satisfaction. Furthermore, social norm curves were utilized to suggest standards of quality related to seasonal ski employment. Specific managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
Two-Stage Shift-Share Analyses of Tourism Arrivals and Arrivals by Purpose of Visit: The Singapore Experience
Authors: Toh Rex S. , Khan Habibullah , Lim Lay-Ling
Published: June 2004

This article first uses the Esteban-Marquillas extension of the shift-share approach to analyze the growth of visitors to Singapore, measured against the benchmark countries of Thailand, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Second, it modifies the extended model to analyze the growth of four of Singapore’s tourism sectors (holiday travel, business visits, business and pleasure visits, and transit stops). This two-stage shift-share approach allows the authors to determine how it is performing relative to its benchmark competitors, where Singapore’s tourism industry is specializing, and where it is competitive. The authors found that Singapore is very much like Hong Kong and is becoming less competitive relative to Thailand and Malaysia. Also, growth appears to be slower in the holiday and business and pleasure markets and faster for business visits and transit stops.
Tourism Surveys: Sample Size, Accuracy, Reliability, and Acceptable Error
Authors: Beaman Jay G. , Huan Tzung-Cheng , Beaman Jeff P.
Published: June 2004

Misunderstanding of terminology for expressing acceptable error in values estimated (e.g., total expenditure) using tourism surveys can cause confusion and inappropriate use of estimates. There is confusion about estimates being accurate, biased, being within a certain percentage, for example, 5%, and being reproducible with an acceptable amount of error . This article clarifies such matters. The need for standards to assess accuracy is introduced. Statistical concepts that relate to understanding acceptable error are introduced using examples and graphics based on simulation. Variability in responses is documented using results from two large national surveys. Sample size to achieve particular levels of acceptable error for means, totals, and change/difference are determined graphically. Sample sizes are given for some values of acceptable error that estimate users might want. Implications of large sample sizes being needed to have an acceptable amount of error , appropriate use of small samples, and options for achieving acceptable error are introduced.
The Effect of Cultural Distance on Overseas Travel Behaviors
Authors: Crotts John C.
Published: June 2004

The impact of national cultural differences on overseas travel behavior was the focus of this study. Drawing from a sample composed of 302 U.S. residents traveling abroad for the first time for leisure related purposes, this study tested two competing propositions that not only took into account the cultural orientation of the visitor’s home country but also that of the host culture. Though cultural distance as measured proved only moderately effective in explaining behavior, the research put forth several tenets and measurement strategies that are arguably more reflective as to what consumers take into account when planning international trips. Implications for future research are discussed.
Release of Silica, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Fluoride from Glass Ionomer Cement Containing Bioactive Glass
Authors: Yli-Urpo Helena , Vallittu Pekka K. , Närhi Timo O. , Forsback Ari-Pekka , Väkiparta Marju
Published: June 2004

The aim of this study was to examine the release of silica (Si), calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), and fluoride (F) from conventional glass ionomer cement (GI) and resin-modified glass ionomer cement (LCGI), containing different quantities of bioactive glass (BAG). Further aim was to evaluate in vitro biomineralization of dentine. The release of Si increased with the increasing immersion time from the specimens containing BAG, whereas the amount of Ca and P decreased indicating in vitro bioactivity of the materials. LCGI with 30wt% of BAG showed highest bioactivity. It also showed CaP-like precipitation on both the surface of the test specimens and on the dentin discs immersed with the material. Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that a dental restorative material consisting of glass ionomer cements and BAG is bioactive and initiates biomineralization on dentin surface in vitro.
Knowledge Creation: Individual and Organizational Perspectives
Authors: Chou Shih-Wei , Tsai Yu-Hung
Published: June 2004

A comprehensive model that delineates the interrelationships among ‘user involvement’, ‘knowledge cognition’, ‘organizational mechanisms’, and ‘knowledge creation’ is absent. This study aims to fill this void. Unlike previous research, this study examined the issues of effective knowledge management from two perspectives: individuals, i.e. user involvement and knowledge cognition, and organizations, i.e. organizational mechanisms. In our framework, we argued that the composite effect of ‘user involvement’, ‘knowledge cognition’, and ‘organizational mechanisms’ influences the result of knowledge creation. In order to test the feasibility of this framework, we conducted an empirical study. This study employed a survey instrument to collect data from 500 organizations in manufacturing, trade, transportation, service industries, and academic institutions. A total of 271 useable responses were analyzed. The major contributions of this research are to: (a) develop a knowledge management framework based on individual and organizational perspectives; and (b) identify the impact of user involvement, knowledge cognition, and organizational mechanisms on knowledge creation. The implications of the study are provided, and further research directions are proposed.
To Know or not to Know: A Moral Reflection on Information Poverty
Authors: Britz Johannes J.
Published: June 2004

This article reflects, from an ethical perspective, on the problem of information poverty. Information poverty is defined as that situation in which individuals and communities, within a given context, do not have the requisite skills, abilities or material means to obtain efficient access to information, interpret it and apply it appropriately. It is further characterized by a lack of essential information and a poorly developed information infrastructure. It is argued in this article that information poverty is a serious moral concern and a matter of social justice and as such should be on the world’s moral agenda of social responsibility. Based on social justice a set of broad ethical principles are formulated that can be used to guide the social, economic and political initiatives to solve information poverty and to create a fair information society.
Can Personal Web Pages that Link to Universities Yield Information about the Wider Dissemination of Research?
Authors: Thelwall Mike , Harries Gareth
Published: June 2004

The growth of the Web has made available a vast collection of informal publishing by individual citizens who previously would not have had access to a media outlet to express their opinions. We investigate personal pages to see whether these are capable of giving new insights into the relationship between the public and universities. A collection of 2763 personal pages hosted by private Internet Service Providers that link to the UK academic domain was investigated. On a macro level there was a clear pattern for universities with higher research productivity to attract more links from personal pages but manual inspection of a random sample showed that this was not directly caused by their research content. Reasons found for linking were varied, with over a quarter associated with purely recreational activities. The results indicate that at present global counts of links from personal home pages can be used for (a) triangulation purposes to confirm patterns found in inter-university links and (b) to assess the embedding of academics (but not their research) in the wider community. They should not be used to assess the dissemination of research to the public, however, without first classifying link targets. The 19% of pages linking to research nevertheless illustrate the wide potential range of uses that different sectors of society can make of online academic research, and indicate that useful public-university relationship information may be found for individual high-profile topical issues.
Graphical Models for Causation, and the Identification Problem
Authors: Freedman David A.
Published: June 2004

This article (which is mainly expository) sets up graphical models for causation, having a bit less than the usual complement of hypothetical counterfactuals. Assuming the invariance of error distributions may be essential for causal inference, but the errors themselves need not be invariant. Graphs can be interpreted using conditional distributions, so thatwe can better address connections between the mathematical framework and causality in the world. The identification problem is posed in terms of conditionals. As will be seen, causal relationships cannot be inferred from a data set by running regressions unless there is substantial prior knowledge about the mechanisms that generated the data. There are fewsuccessful applications of graphicalmodels, mainly because few causal pathways can be excluded on a priori grounds. The invariance conditions themselves remain to be assessed.
Literacy, Educational Reform and the Use of Print in Eighteenth-Century Denmark
Authors: Munck Thomas
Published: June 2004

This article argues that basic reading skills in eighteenth-century Denmark became more widespread at all social levels than hitherto assumed. Even though Denmark was on the periphery of the European Enlightenment, government policies from the 1730s were influenced by Pietist educational aspirations and substantial efforts were made to ensure their implementation. Evidence concerning parish schools is reviewed, and detailed episcopal visitation records are used to illustrate both the expectations of the authorities and the thoroughness of actual inspection procedures. Various kinds of material (other than signature evidence) are used to cast light on literacy and the use of print both in rural communities and amongst the urban poor, including women as well as men, by the last decades of the century. Judging from the most commonly available published material, however, the Danish government had little to fear from potential subversion through the printed word.
‘Sans Distinction de Nationalité’? The French Communist Party, Immigrants and Unemployment in the 1930s
Authors: Perry Matt
Published: June 2004

The 1930s economic depression may have been worldwide, but the French experience was unique in a number of ways, notably in its prevalent and broad consensus of anti-immigrant ‘explanations’ and ‘solutions’ to unemployment. With the aid of Ministry of Interior and Labour files, Communist Party and trade union minutes and the literature of the movements of the unemployed, this article seeks to examine one aspect of this experience: the attitude of communist-led movements of the unemployed to xenophobia and joblessness. Generally, this area has been neglected by French historians, but it provides interesting insights into PCF strategy and the experience of depression. Communists were isolated in refuting anti-immigrant responses to unemployment. Their Committees of the Unemployed made efforts to combat the xenophobic response to the economic crisis. However, the communists’ attitude was not as straightforward as has been assumed and the Party’s strategic reorientations led to more muted arguments as the decade progressed.
A Comparison of Teacher-Rated and Self-Reported Threats of Interpersonal Violence
Authors: Liau Albert K. , Flannery Daniel J. , Quinn-Leering Kathleen
Published: June 2004

The association between teachers’ identification of children who use threats and children’s self-identification as threateners was explored. The role of age, gender, and various student characteristics in influencing teachers’ identification of threateners was examined. Participants were 3,201 children in Grades 3 through 6. Results indicated significant but low associations between teacher and child self-reports of threatening behavior. Although there was agreement among the majority (67%) of students, teacher and self-reports diverged for a significant number of students (33%), thereby revealing the unique perspectives each brings to the task of documenting verbal threats. Concordance rates between teacher identification and children self-reports of threatening behavior were lower for students with higher levels of aggression and peer rejection. Implications for schools are discussed.
The Generalizability of Substance Use Predictors Across Racial Groups
Authors: Brown Tamara L. , Miller Joshua D. , Clayton Richard R.
Published: June 2004

Few studies have examined the predictors of substance use for ethnic minority adolescents. The current longitudinal study investigated whether factors predictive of substance use for Caucasian adolescents were also predictive for African American adolescents. Results indicated which predictors of substance use actually differ across African American and Caucasian adolescents (i.e., sensation seeking, peer substance use, and peer pressure resistance) and how they are different when race is crossed with gender. The current findings highlight the need for additional research on the similarities and differences in predictors of substance use across race. Directions for further research are provided including some discussion about contextual and cultural variables researchers might explore.
Relational Aggression in Middle School
Authors: Yoon Jina S. , Barton Elizabeth , Taiariol Jennifer
Published: June 2004

With increasing attention to school violence and aggression, it is argued that more covert, natured, subtle conflicts among students should be carefully examined and addressed to prevent negative outcomes. This article provides an overview of current knowledge on relational aggression including its definition, its link to a number of adjustment difficulties, and contexts contributing to the maintenance of relational aggression. Based on the review of empirical findings, educational implications for teachers and school administrators are discussed with an emphasis on an urgent need to promote a greater understanding of relational aggression and develop effective, innovative approaches in schools. The discussion also includes specific recommendations for prevention and intervention of relational aggression in middle school.
Making Marketing Principles Tangible: Online Auctions as Living Case Studies
Authors: Wood Charles M. , Suter Tracy A.
Published: June 2004

This article presents an effective course supplement for Principles of Marketing classes. An experiential project involving online auctions is offered to instructors seeking to create a more participatory student environment and an interactive teaching style. A number of learning points are illustrated that allow instructors to use an auction project to illustrate specific Principles of Marketing concepts as a living case study. Emphasis in the present context is given to the illustration of the marketing mix, consumer behavior, ethics, e-marketing, and marketing research topics. An example for more advanced purposes is also provided.
Selling Principles: Influencing Principles of Marketing Students’ Perceptions of and Attitudes toward Marketing as a Discipline
Authors: Camey John P. , Williams Janice K.
Published: June 2004

Many marketing departments have experienced decreasing enrollments in marketing courses and difficulty recruiting students into the marketing major. This article examines and validates the Principles of Marketing class as significantly influencing students’ overall perceptions of and attitudes toward marketing and the pursuit of marketing as their major or minor field of study. Contrary to expectations, the authors find that students leave the typical Principles of Marketing class with lowered perceptions and attitudes regarding the marketing discipline. A straightforward pedagogical approach to reversing this outcome is demonstrated.
Beliefs and Expectations of Principles of Marketing Students
Authors: Ferrell Linda , Gonzalez Gabriel
Published: June 2004

Students were surveyed to determine their beliefs and expectations prior to taking their Principles of Marketing class. The students were surveyed on the first day of class before any introduction to the course. The students were asked eight open-ended questions to determine their knowledge and awareness about marketing as a field of study. The results indicated that students believe marketing comprises selling, advertising, and promotion. Almost half of the respondents believe that marketing is a “bad business practice,” and nearly one-fourth thought that marketing was a poor career choice. Recommendations are provided for how to address student misconceptions and beliefs about marketing.
Ten Anchor Points for Teaching Principles of Marketing
Authors: Tomkovick Chuck
Published: June 2004

Effective marketing instructors commonly share a love for their students, an affinity for the subject matter, and a devotion to continuous quality improvement. The purpose of this article is to highlight 10 anchor points for teaching Principles of Marketing, which are designed to better engage students in the learning process. These anchor points—caring, realism, preparation, classroom comfort, humor, high standards, passion/compassion, humility, time management, and honesty—are vital aids in crafting meaningful student engagement and learning. In the article, each of these anchors is linked to current research findings on high-quality marketing instruction. Additionally, suggestions for each anchor point are presented.
Implementing Service Learning in the Principles of Marketing Course
Authors: Klink Richard R. , Athaide Gerard A.
Published: June 2004

Service learning—a pedagogical technique combining academic learning with community service—offers many benefits to students, faculty, educational institutions, and the community. Relative to social sciences and liberal arts faculty, however, business faculty have been slow to incorporate it into their coursework. Service learning may be particularly relevant to marketing courses, given marketing’s interest in social causes. At the same time, implementing service learning into the Principles of Marketing course may be challenging because of students’ limited marketing background. This article addresses the implementation of service learning in the Principles of Marketing course. Based on the authors’ experience, the article recommends an approach to effectively implement a service-learning component into the introductory marketing course. The authors also provide an assessment of outcomes from their approach, critical success factors for instructors who wish to alter this approach, and key challenges as we move forward with service learning in the Principles of Marketing course.
Web-Assisted Courses for Business Education: An Examination of Two Sections of Principles of Marketing
Authors: Priluck Randi
Published: June 2004

This research investigates student responses to two technologically different teaching methods for two sections of a Principles of Marketing course. A traditional method of teaching using lectures, in-class discussions, assignments, and exams is compared to a “Web-assisted” method in which 7 of the 14 class sessions met asynchronously online. Overall, students were more satisfied with the traditional course, preferred the traditional format, and felt the course was more effective in developing their skills and course knowledge. In addition, students in the traditional class felt that the course helped them develop their skills, including team building, critical thinking, oral and written communications, global perspective, and social interaction. Student performance on a comprehensive final exam was not, however, significantly different between the two sections. Implications for those considering such hybrid courses are provided for both faculty and administration.
The Role of Religiosity in the Opposition to Drug Use
Authors: Stylianou Stelios
Published: June 2004

This study examines the causal mechanism linking religiosity to opposition to drug use. Using an electronic mail survey of university students, data were obtained about the participants’ religious beliefs, their perceptions of drug use, and their attitudes toward the use of six common drugs (alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and marijuana). Based on the data, path models were estimated for each substance to investigate the causal structure underlying four constructs: religiosity, perceived immorality of drug use, perceived self-harm of drug use, and attitudes toward the control of drug use (control attitudes). The results support that religiosity affects control attitudes indirectly through perceived immorality of drug use.
Muslims in Prison: A Case Study from Ohio State Prisons
Authors: Ammar Nawal H. , Weaver Robert R. , Saxon Sam
Published: June 2004

The present study explores core issues related to the understudied population of Muslim inmates. Mail questionnaires were sent to the full-time chaplains employed by religious services in thirty Ohio state male prisons. The survey examines: (1) characteristics of Muslim inmates, (2) patterns of identification with Islam, (3) religious behavior inside the prisons, and (4) relations between conversion to Islam and crime committed. Our findings indicate that while the vast majority of Muslim inmates are African-American, they are otherwise similar to the incarcerated population in terms of age, education, and marital status. Most of the Muslims in our sample converted while incarcerated. The devotion of Muslim prisoners in the sample tends to be high as demonstrated by adherence to central religious practices. Finally, we found no relationship between crime and conversion to Islam inside prison. Although our data must be understood as tentative, it offers a basis for further investigation of this population of inmates.
American Social Work, Corrections and Restorative Justice: An Appraisal
Authors: Gumz Edward J.
Published: June 2004

Social work played an active role in American corrections until the 1980s when the ethic of rehabilitation began to give way to a more conservative doctrine of retribution. Changes in the field of social work, characterized by preference of social workers to work only with certain populations, contributed to social work’s diminishment in corrections. Although efforts at rehabilitation continue in corrections, the concept of restorative justice that emphasizes assisting victims, communities, and offenders in dealing with the consequences of crime is gaining acceptance in the field of corrections in the United States and in other countries. This study explored social work’s presence in corrections, the decline of that presence, and how the concept of restorative justice can invigorate social work within the field of corrections. Several examples of social work’s contemporary efforts to use the concept of restorative justice in the United Kingdom are presented.
The Interlaminar Stresses of Symmetric Composite Laminates
Authors: Tong J. W. , Xie M. Y. , Shen M.
Published: June 2004

Three-dimensional finite element interlaminar stress solutions of composite laminates with resin layers under uniform axial strain are presented. Their three-dimensional distributions are plotted. In the cross-ply laminate, interlaminar normal and shear stresses are shown to be of free-edge effect. But shear stresses are found to be significantly reduced in the free-edge region, which show some conformity to the boundary stress conditions. In the angle-ply laminate, the stress distributions all vary significantly along both extension and width directions. There exists free-edge effects and end-edge effects in this case; however, the peaky interlaminar stresses are not exactly at the edges, but are near the edge regions.
Effect of Crack Length Measurement Technique and Data Reduction Procedures on the Perceived Toughness from Four-Point Bend End-Notched Flexure Tests
Authors: Vinciquerra A. Joseph , Davidson Barry D.
Published: June 2004

Results are presented from a study to determine the most appropriate crack length measurement and data reduction techniques for use with the four-point bend end-notched flexure test. Using two different graphite/epoxy materials, the variability in crack length measurements due to different observers and/or measurement techniques, including visual observation and ultrasonic inspection, and their effects on the perceived values of the mode II delamination toughness, GIIc, were evaluated for two different data reduction techniques. It was found that a technique using pretest compliance calibrations is the only approach that will produce accurate non-precracked and precracked values of GIIc regardless of the material being tested or the nature of crack advance. For those materials where GIIc values, as obtained by the more common approach that utilizes compliance values obtained during the test, agree with those obtained by compliance calibration, the results from the more common approach may be applied to obtain resistance curve toughnesses.
A Novel Use of Genipin-Fixed Gelatin as Extracellular Matrix for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Authors: Liu Bai-Shuan , Yao Chun-Hsu , Hsu Shan-Hui , Yeh Tsung-Shu , Chen Yueh-Sheng , Kao Shung-Te
Published: June 2004

Application of combining herbal medicine and biomedical material science to nerve regeneration is a new approach. In this study, we describe a novel use of purified genipin, which can be extracted from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, fixing the gelatin to be an extracellular matrix for peripheral nerve regeneration. A 10-mm gap of rat sciatic nerve was created between the proximal and distal nerve stumps, which were sutured into silicone rubber tubes filled with either the genipin-fixed gelatin or collagen gel. Silicone rubber tubes filled with saline were used as controls. Six weeks after implantation, regeneration across the nerve gaps occurred in 80 and 90% of the animals from the groups of genipin-fixed gelatin and collagen, respectively, whereas only 30% in the control group. Large numbers of myelinated axons were also seen in the genipin-fixed gelatin (5104±3278) and the collagen groups (8063±1807). These findings indicated that the genipin-fixed gelatin could be an acceptable extracellular matrix for nerve regeneration.
China’s Land Use Reforms: A Review of Journal Literature
Authors: Zhang Sumei , Pearlman Kenneth
Published: June 2004

This bibliography reviews periodical literature on China’s experience in land use reforms after the 1970s. It begins by examining the introduction of market mechanisms in land allocation and subsequent changes in land tenure in both rural and urban areas, in which land use rights are separated from ownership and are privatized. These changes led to the development of urban housing markets and a housing finance system. The bibliography then examines influences from legislative and administrative sectors, such as land use laws, governmental policies, and urban planning. In addition, the bibliography examines Hong Kong’s land use system that is based on market mechanisms in which, nonetheless, the city government, through land use laws and plans, plays a significant role.
Rethinking Subcultural Resistance
Authors: Haenfler Ross
Published: June 2004

This article reconceptualizes subcultural resistance based on an ethnographic examination of the straight edge movement. Using the core values of straight edge, the author’s analysis builds on new subcultural theories and suggests a framework for how members construct and understand their subjective experiences of being a part of a subculture. He suggests that adherents hold both individual and collective meanings of resistance and express their resistance via personal and political methods. Furthermore, they consciously enact resistance at the micro, meso, and macro levels, not solely against an ambiguous “adult” culture. Resistance can no longer be conceptualized in neo-Marxist terms of changing the political or economic structure, as a rejection only of mainstream culture, or as symbolic stylistic expression. Resistance is contextual and many layered rather than static and uniform.
Being Part of The World
Authors: Schulz Amy J. , Lempert Lora Bex
Published: June 2004

We examine African American women’s perceptions of the ways their neighborhoods affect health. Drawing upon data from participant observation and focus groups with Detroit residents, we examine physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social dimensions encompassed in women’s definitions of health. The complexity of relationships between health and neighborhood emerge as women describe not only the influence of neighborhood conditions on health, but also on social relationships that have been established as protective of health. As women describe the effects of neighborhood conditions, they describe their active efforts and strategies to maintain personal and community health. We discuss implications of these results for understanding multiple, complex associations between social inequalities, neighborhood characteristics, and health. We suggest that the exploratory evidence presented here supports frameworks that posit the role of race-based residential segregation in racial disparities in health through limiting access to social and economic resources that are necessary to sustain health.
Leaving the Private World of Wives of Professional Athletes
Authors: Ortiz Steven M.
Published: June 2004

The same skills, techniques, and strategies that make fieldwork go well can keep the fieldworker in the field far longer than necessary. Interest in this irony and the exit process was prompted by dilemmas encountered by a male ethnographer in terminating his long-term fieldwork with wives of professional athletes. This reflexive account examines collaborative relationships and compulsive data collection—which proved to be essential in gathering and analyzing data—for their consequences in the leaving process. It is proposed that having a greater awareness of such methodological issues may result in constructing more realistic and less stressful exit strategies, and coping more effectively with the disruptive, emotional, or problematic nature of the disengagement process.
Interpreting Gender in Islam
Authors: Predelli Line Nyhagen
Published: June 2004

This article explores variation in how immigrant Muslim women in Oslo, Norway, interpret and practice gender relations within the framework of Islam. Religion, family, and work are important sites for the formation, negotiation, and change of gender relations. The article therefore discusses the views and experiences of immigrant Muslim women concerning wife-husband relations and participation in the labor market. Four analytical types of views toward gender relations are introduced, and the variation in gender practices and views found among Muslim women in Oslo is discussed in relation to these types. The analysis suggests that immigrant Muslim women use Islam as a flexible resource for interpreting gender relations. It also shows that while women generally uphold a religious ideal of complementary gender roles, their actual practice often contradicts with and contests this ideal.
Where Are the Antifeminist Evangelicals?
Authors: Gallagher Sally K.
Published: June 2004

Based on data from a national survey and personal interviews with more than 300 religiously committed Protestants, this analysis assesses the range and location of attitudes toward feminism among conservative Protestants. Findings suggest that evangelicals are not uniformly antifeminist. Rather, the majority are both supportive and appreciative of the gains of liberal feminism as well as concerned that feminism has gotten off track by promoting an excessive individualism that undermines stable, meaningful, and caring relationships. For most evangelicals, feminism is neither a significant subcultural religious boundary nor a focus of political mobilization or action. Political conservatism, embeddedness in conservative local religious subcultures, belief in husbands’ headship and authority, and affiliation with particular subgroups and denominations help to locate and specify the sources that create, reinforce, and sustain more negative attitudes toward feminism within this diverse religious subculture.
Fusion Bonding/Welding of Thermoplastic Composites
Authors: Yousefpour Ali , Hojjati Mehdi , Immarigeon Jean-Pierre
Published: June 2004

Joining of thermoplastic composites is an important step in the manufacturing of aerospace thermoplastic composite structures. Therefore, several joining methods for thermoplastic composite components have been under investigation and development. In general, joining of thermoplastic composites can be categorized into mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, solvent bonding, co-consolidation, and fusion bonding or welding. Fusion bonding or welding has great potential for the joining, assembly, and repair of thermoplastic composite components and also offers many advantages over other joining techniques. The process of fusion-bonding involves heating and melting the polymer on the bond surfaces of the components and then pressing these surfaces together for polymer solidification and consolidation. The focus of this paper is to review the different fusion-bonding methods for thermoplastic composite components and present recent developments in this area. The various welding techniques and the corresponding manufacturing methodologies, the required equipment, the effects of processing parameters on weld performance and quality, the advantages/disadvantages of each technique, and the applications are described.
Reform of the European Employment Strategy after Five Years: A Change of Course or Merely of Presentation?
Authors: Watt Andrew
Published: June 2004

This article starts with a brief review of the European Employment Strategy (EES) and a general evaluation of its scope and limitations, then provides an assessment of the five-year review conducted by the European Commission. It examines the new form that has been given to the EES for the 2003 exercise, on the basis of the conclusions drawn from the five-year review. It argues that this change involves more than mere presentation, but fails to address the inherent limitations of the EES as currently constituted. Lastly, the article compares the employment guidelines with the original proposals made by the Commission, and draws conclusions regarding the balance of interests and forces in the policy-making process.
Gender Segregation and the European Employment Strategy: Levels and Divisions
Authors: Gonäs Lena
Published: June 2004

Equal opportunities has constituted one of the four pillars of the European Employment Strategy (EES) as approved at the Luxembourg summit in 1997. However, there are tensions between the EES and the imperatives of budgetary restraint (which have caused job losses in public services, where women are disproportionately employed) and between quantitative targets of increasing women’s labour-force participation and qualitative targets of overcoming gender segregation. This article explores these tensions, drawing evidence from comparative European research and the particular experience of Sweden.