bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy is the Ultimate Tool in Mechanistic Analysis
Authors: Macdonald Digby D.
Published: October 2009

The history of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is briefly reviewed, starting with the foundations laid by Heaviside in the late nineteenth century in the form of Linear Systems Theory (LST). Extension of the impedance concept to electrochemical systems was apparently first made by Warburg at the turn of the nineteenth century, when he derived the impedance for a diffusional process. Impedance spectroscopy was next employed extensively using reactive bridges to measure the capacitance of ideally polarizable electrodes (mostly mercury), leading to the development of models for the electrified interface. However, it was the invention of the potentiostat by Hickling in the early 1960s that led to the use of EIS in exploring electrochemical and corrosion mechanisms, primarily because of the ability to probe electrochemical systems at very low frequencies. It is evident that the use of EIS in identifying reaction mechanisms makes use of pattern recognition, currently through inspection. It is argued that, in the future development of EIS, this would be most efficiently done by using artificial neural networks operating in the pattern recognition mode. This strategy would require the creation of libraries of reaction mechanisms for which the theoretical impedance functions are known.
SOFC Modeling and Parameter Identification by Means of Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Leonide Andre , Apel Yannick , Ivers-Tiffee Ellen
Published: October 2009

A zero-dimensional stationary model for the I-U characteristics of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is presented. The different kinds of electrode polarization resistances are separated from experimental impedance data by means of a detailed equivalent circuit model specified for anode-supported cells. This has the big advantage that partial pressure and temperature dependency of electrode exchange current densities could be determined by a fit of semi-empirical power law model equations. For the first time, the exponents a and b for the pH2- and pH2O-dependency of the anodic exchange current density are obtained independently. Equally, the exponent m for the pO2-dependency of the cathodic exchange current density is derived. The anodic and cathodic gas diffusion polarization is calculated without the estimation of parameters such as tortuosity and porosity. Our approach is advantageous to separate anodic and cathodic activation and diffusion polarization and precisely predicts I-U characteristics for a wide operating range.
Dynamic Impedance of Formic Acid Electrooxidation on Polycrystalline Palladium
Authors: Sacci Robert L. , Harrington David
Published: October 2009

The electrooxidation of formic acid on polycrystalline palladium electrodes in sulfuric acid is studied by dc voltammetry and dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Impedance spectra with a frequency range of 5 decades with 10 points per decade, obtained with a multi-sine waveform at various scan rates are used to study the mechanism of the electrooxidation on Pd. The use of the dynamic impedance method allows for studying the active electrooxidation at varying potential and surface coverage. We also give some results showing that CO may not be the poisoning species nor present in the electrooxidation pathway.
Impedance Study of Alloy C22 in Hydrochloric Acid Using a Semiconductor Model
Authors: Harrington Scott P. , Devine Thomas M.
Published: October 2009

The passive film forming on Alloy C22 in hydrochloric acid was found to be an n-type semiconductor. Mott-Schottky analysis of the semiconducting properties of the passive film was complicated by regions of positive and negative slope and measured capacitances that were frequency dependent. It was determined that the maxima observed in Mott-Schottky tests were caused by inversion and capacitive frequency dispersion resulted from a combination of electrode microroughness and the disordered/amorphous structure of the passive film.
Electrocrystallization Mechanism of Cu-In-Se Compounds for Solar Cell Applications Investigated by Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Chassaing Elisabeth , Grand Pierre-Philippe , Etcheberry Arnaud , Lincot Daniel
Published: October 2009

The kinetics of the electrodeposition of Cu-In-Se compounds, which are promising materials for photovoltaic devices, is still a matter of discussion. In the present paper, the codeposition mechanism is investigated by in-situ polarization and impedance spectroscopy and by ex-situ chemical and XPS analysis. A reaction path, which accounts for the incorporation of indium, is developed. This path emphasizes the role of surface sites: passivating adsorption of elemental selenium and catalytic sites made of binary CuSe2 phase. The reaction path accounts for the main experimental observations: potential dependence of the current density, composition and impedance.
Industrial Aluminium Production: the Hall-Heroult Process Modelling
Authors: Mandin Philippe , Wüthrich Rolf , Roustan Hervé
Published: October 2009

Aluminium is produced according with the Hall-Heroult process. During this complex electrolyte two-phase electrolysis, it is difficult to model the current distribution and to optimize the process. The flow is the result of the magneto-hydrodynamic phenomena induced by the strong imposed currents and of the bubbles evolving. The reactivity and species concentration distribution are difficult to model. Bubbles are motion sources for the electrolysis cell flow, hydrodynamic properties are strongly coupled with species transport and electrical performances. Bubbles presence modifies these global and local properties. The goal of this proposition is to present the electrochemical engineering modelling of the Hall-Heroult two-phase electrolysis properties in the inter electrode interval. The numerical simulations are performed from both the chemistry and two-phase hydrodynamic point of views.
Performance Prediction of Nuclear Micro Power Sources Based on Beta Emitters
Authors: Zhang Kan , Pathak Piyush , Cerrina Franco , Ma Zhenqiang
Published: October 2009

A simulation procedure is presented for modeling power generation of p-n junction-based betavoltaic devices. The procedure consists of two parts, simulation of electron-hole pair generation and simulation of device power output. The generation rate in Si under irradiation of Ni-63 was simulated with a code based on Direct Monte Carlo method and probability data from two data libraries. Using the generation rate from the code, device simulation was performed with Synopsys ® Medici{trade mark, serif}. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental data.
Electrochemical Investigation on the Synthesis of TiB2 out of FLINAK Electrolyte: Electrochemistry of K2TiF6 and KBF4
Authors: Rybakova Nataliia , Babushkina Olga , Nauer Gerhard
Published: October 2009

The electrochemical behaviour of Ti (IV) and B (III) species as sources for electrodeposition of TiB2 in FLINAK electrolyte has been studied by means of cyclic voltammetry measurements in the temperature range of 570-700ºC. At temperatures > 650ºC, the mechanism of the electrochemical reduction of TiF62- species changes in comparison to the reaction path at lower temperature. In the temperature range 570-700ºC there is no significant effect of temperature change on the electrochemical reduction process of BF4-species.
First-Principle Analyses of Stress and Strain During Li Deintercalation in LiCoO2
Authors: Li Yunsong , Cheng Xuan , Zhang Ying
Published: October 2009

The stress and strain during Li-ions deintercalation processes in LiCoO2 was preliminarily calculated using the first-principles theory based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the Vienna ab-initio simulation package (VASP). The capacity fading mechanism of cathode material was discussed from a point of view of micomechanics. The results showed that when Li-ions are deintercalated in LiCoO2 , there exists internal stress on the O-Co-O octahedron slab, and the stress increases with the increase in the quantity of Li deintercalation. At the same time, the compressive strain increases significantly with the decrease in Li concentration. It was found that at x=0.5 the strain in the O-Co-O octahedron slab would reach 4.8%. The capacity fading in cycling processes mostly related to the stress on and strain in the O-Co-O octahedron slab.When the cathode material underwent repeated charge/discharge cycles, it is possible that the action of internal stress would ultimately induce fatigue failure.
Magnetic Properties of LixCoO2 and its Thermally Decomposed Phases
Authors: Mohanty Debasish , Gabrisch Heike
Published: October 2009

Stoichiometric LiCoO2 is nonmagnetic in nature. When lithium ion is removed from the lattice magnetic character is introduced in the lattice due to change of spin states of cobalt ions. These lithium deficient phases are not stable at elevated temperature eventually transform to a mixture of LiCoO2 and Co3O4 under evolution of oxygen. Here we report the magnetic behavior of LixCoO2 (x=1.03, 0.98, 0.76, 0.55) and its thermally decomposed products.
Etch Features Revealed on Si(100) by Wet Chemical Etching with Solutions Containing Potassium Ions
Authors: Mähliss Jochen , Höynck Heide , Abbadie Alexandra , Brunier Francois , Merz Rolf , Brodyanski Alexander , Kolbesen Bernd
Published: October 2009

Protruding etch features, some of which may be related to crystal defects and some to artifacts, were obtained on Si surfaces after wet chemical etching with defect etching solutions containing certain amounts of potassium iodide or potassium dichromate. It will be shown that the potassium ions play a decisive role in the formation of these etch features. Surface sensitive and non-surface sensitive methods were used to study the chemical nature and therewith the origin of the etch features.
On-Time Determination of Ru Crossover in DMFC
Authors: Liu L , Zhang Lu , Cheng Xuan , Zhang Ying , Fan Qinbai
Published: October 2009

A novel working fuel cell configuration was designed and constructed in order to quantitatively monitor Ru crossover in DMFC on-time under an environment as close as possible to that of an actual fuel cell. The stability of the cell and the validity of in-situ EIS measurements, especially for oxygen reduction reaction in PEMFC, were confirmed by a series of durability tests. The masses of Ru loss at the anode acquired by EDX analysis from the catalyst and by ICP-MS analysis of the supporting electrolyte agreed well with each other. The online determination of Ru crossover was carried out at regular time intervals by ICP-MS during lifetime test.
Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Thermodynamic and Transport Phenomena in Polysilicon and Silicon Nitride CVD
Authors: Chawla Nidhi , Nagarajan Ramamurthy , Bhattacharya Enakshi
Published: October 2009

The performance of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors is strongly dependent on fluid flow, heat transport and mass transport. In this work, the deposition of polysilicon in a LPCVD batch reactor is modeled by using the local thermochemical equilibrium approach coupled with transport effects. The focus is on understanding how the interplay of flow and kinetic factors influences deposition in a CVD reactor. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of temperature on deposition rate. Comparisons between the modeling and experimental results were used to obtain an insight into the parameters affecting deposition. PECVD reactors are being increasingly used in the industry for carrying out deposition at low temperatures. A review is presented of the challenges faced in PECVD modeling and the approaches that could be followed. An empirical model for PECVD deposition of silicon nitride deposition is also presented.
Linearity Characteristics of Field Plated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for Microwave Applications
Authors: Huang Jui-Chien , Hsu Teng-Tung , Chang Edward Y. , Lu Chung-Yu , Chang Chia-Ta , Chen Yi-Chung , Hsu Ting-Hung
Published: October 2009

Field-plated (FP) AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) has been fabricated and characterized for microwave applications. After the implement of the FP structure, lower trans-conductance (Gm) was observed on DC and small signal characteristics of the GaN power HEMT. Even FP-HEMT showed lower linear gain, the devices still exhibited higher output power and higher power added efficiency than conventional HEMT. However, lower trans-conductance and higher gate-drain capacitance (Cgd) didn't influence the linearity characteristics of the FP-HEMT. Finally, a 100μm GaN power HEMT on sapphire was fabricated with linear gain of 15.39dB, outpout power of 25.36dBm, and power added efficiency of 43%. The device also demonstrated high linearity of -27.1dBc for IMD3 and 33.88dBc for ACPR when biased at drain voltage of 30V with current density of 15mA/mm at 2GHz.
O3 Based Resist Stripping - Analytics of O3-Solutions and Resist Behavior
Authors: Guder Mathias , Berger Matthias , Dalmer Michael , Kolbesen Bernd
Published: October 2009

In the process of resist stripping by DI/O3 there are 2 principal active species of interest: the molecular O3 in a reaction which is a classical ozonolysis and the radicals generated by the decomposition of O3 in DI-water with their classical reaction patterns. Whereas O3 is easily detected in the UV/Vis region the quantification of radicals is much more complicated. Therefore a part of this work deals with the evaluation of methods for the radical determination. As the ratio of radicals to O3 varies with the conditions resist stripping efficiency has been investigated with different additives on high dose arsenic implanted resists. The resist thinning process has also been studied with the help of profilometric measurements and optical microscopy.
Electrochemical Protein Redox Activity Under Extreme Martian Conditions
Authors: Bouley Renee , DiCarlo Cory , Loutzenhiser Derek , Reid Ryan
Published: October 2009

As an investigation into the feasibility of using enzymatic systems on Mars, the continued redox functionality of a model redox protein, horse heart cytochrome c was studied in a solvent-free matrix composed of a conductive form of polyaniline. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy was used to study the system under simulated Martian conditions of -70 degrees Celsius, pressures under 800 microns, and a 95% carbon dioxide atmosphere, the most likely of the unavoidable Martian conditions to prove deleterious to protein functioning. Methods were found to insure continued electron transfer with the protein. Problems and solutions for working with protein systems under these conditions were discussed, as were recommendations for protecting other protein systems in the same or similar environments.
Efficacy of Repeated Pretreatment with Olopatadine Hydrochloride on Rhinitis Induced by Intranasal Instillation of Toluene-2,4-Diisocyanate in Rats
Authors: Tamura Tadafumi , Kimoto Naoya
Published: October 2009

It is well known that starting treatment for cedar pollinosis therapy with second-generation antihistamines before the initial day of pollen scattering can relieve nasal symptom severity during the pollen season. Olopatadine hydrochloride (olopatadine) is an antiallergic agent with histamine H1 receptor antagonistic action. We have evaluated the effects of repeated preadministration of olopatadine on the toluene-2,4-diisocyanate-induced rhinitis in rats. A single administration of olopatadine suppressed sneezing and the increases in histamine, nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in nasal lavage fluid. When olopatadine was administered repeatedly once a day for 7 days before provocation, its inhibitory effects were enhanced compared to the effect of a single administration. Although the repeated administration of fexofenadine enhanced the inhibitory effects on sneezing, it did not inhibit the increases in NGF and VEGF production. These results show that the suppression of the increase in NGF and VEGF might partially be involved in the improvement of nasal allergy signs by the treatment with olopatadine. It is expected that the early treatment with olopatadine may achieve stable therapeutic effects.
Common and Unique Neural Correlates of Autobiographical Memory and Theory of Mind
Authors: Rabin Jennifer S. , Gilboa Asaf , Stuss Donald T. , Mar Raymond A. , Rosenbaum R. Shayna
Published: October 2009

There is an inconsistency regarding the relationship between thinking about personal past experiences during autobiographical memory (AM) and thinking about other people's mental states during theory of mind (ToM). Neuroimaging studies of AM and ToM consistently report overlap in the brain regions recruited. Lesion data, however, show that amnesic people with AM impairment can have intact ToM, suggesting that distinct neural mechanisms support these abilities [Rosenbaum, R. S., Stuss, D. T., Levine, B., & Tulving, E. Theory of mind is independent of episodic memory. Science, 318, 1257, 2007]. The current fMRI study examined the functional and neural correlates of remembering one's own experiences in response to personal photos (AM condition) and imagining others' experiences in response to strangers' photos (ToM condition). AM and ToM conditions were matched in terms of content and vividness, and were compared directly and to a common baseline. Analyses revealed common activity within frontal and temporal–parietal regions, yet midline structures exhibited greater activity during AM. More specific analyses of event construction and detail elaboration revealed unique activation of the right hippocampus during AM construction, and of lateral regions, such as the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during ToM elaboration. Moreover, a region of left hippocampus/perirhinal cortex appeared to be driven by event vividness. Thus, differences in AM and ToM emerge when a common baseline is used and temporal dynamics are taken into account. Furthermore, the right TPJ and related lateral regions, and not the hippocampus, may be needed for ToM, given that this ability is intact in amnesic people.
Transient Neural Activation in Human Amygdala Involved in Aversive Conditioning of Face and Voice
Authors: Iidaka Tetsuya , Saito Daisuke N. , Komeda Hidetsugu , Mano Yoko , Kanayama Noriaki , Osumi Takahiro , Ozaki Norio , Sadato Norihiro
Published: October 2009

Elucidating the neural mechanisms involved in aversive conditioning helps find effective treatments for psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorder and phobia. Previous studies using fMRI and human subjects have reported that the amygdala plays a role in this phenomenon. However, the noxious stimuli that were used as unconditioned stimuli in previous studies (e.g., electric shock) might have been ecologically invalid because we seldom encounter such stimuli in daily life. Therefore, we investigated whether a face stimulus could be conditioned by using a voice that had negative emotional valence and was collected from a real-life environment. A skin conductance response showed that healthy subjects were conditioned by using these stimuli. In an fMRI study, there was greater amygdala activation in response to the faces that had been paired with the voice than to those that had not. The right amygdala showed transient activity in the early stage of acquisition. A psychophysiological interaction analysis indicated that the subcortical pathway from the medial geniculate body to the amygdala played a role in conditioning. Modulation of the subcortical pathway by voice stimuli preceded the transient activity in the amygdala. The finding that an ecologically valid stimulus elicited the conditioning and amygdala response suggests that our brain is automatically processing unpleasant stimuli in daily life.
The Association between Dopamine DRD2 Polymorphisms and Working Memory Capacity Is Modulated by a Functional Polymorphism on the Nicotinic Receptor Gene CHRNA4
Authors: Markett Sebastian A. , Montag Christian , Reuter Martin
Published: October 2009

Working memory capacity is extremely limited and individual differences are heritable to a considerable extent. In the search for a better understanding of the exact genetic underpinnings of working memory, most research has focused on functional gene variants involved in the metabolism of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Recently, there has been investigation of genes related to other neurotransmitter systems such as acetylcholine. The potential relevance of a polymorphism located in the gene coding for the alpha4 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (rs#1044396) has been discussed with respect to working memory, but empirical investigations have provided mixed results. However, pharmacological studies in both rodents and humans have shown that the effect of nicotinic agonists on cognitive functions is mediated by dopamine. We therefore hypothesized that such an interaction can be found on a molecular genetic level as well. In order to test this hypothesis, we genotyped 101 healthy subjects for rs#1044396 and three functional polymorphisms on the dopamine d2 receptor gene (rs#1800497, rs#6277, rs#2283265). These subjects performed a visuospatial working memory task in which memory load was systematically varied. We found a significant interaction between rs#1044396 and a haplotype block covering all three dopaminergic polymorphisms on working memory capacity. This effect only became apparent on higher levels of working memory load. This is the first evidence from a molecular genetic perspective that these two neurotransmitter systems interact on cognitive functioning. The results are discussed with regard to their implication for working memory theories and their clinical relevance for treatment of substance abuse and schizophrenia.
Imaging Implicit Morphological Processing: Evidence from Hebrew
Authors: Bick Atira S. , Frost Ram , Goelman Gadi
Published: October 2009

Is morphology a discrete and independent element of lexical structure or does it simply reflect a fine-tuning of the system to the statistical correlation that exists among orthographic and semantic properties of words? Hebrew provides a unique opportunity to examine morphological processing in the brain because of its rich morphological system. In an fMRI masked priming experiment, we investigated the neural networks involved in implicit morphological processing in Hebrew. In the lMFG and lIFG, activation was found to be significantly reduced when the primes were morphologically related to the targets. This effect was not influenced by the semantic transparency of the morphological prime, and was not found in the semantic or orthographic condition. Additional morphologically related decrease in activation was found in the lIPL, where activation was significantly modulated by semantic transparency. Our findings regarding implicit morphological processing suggest that morphology is an automatic and distinct aspect of visually processing words. These results also coincide with the behavioral data previously obtained demonstrating the central role of morphological processing in reading Hebrew.
Returning to God after God: Levinas, Derrida, Ricoeur
Authors: Kearney Richard
Published: October 2009

This essay discusses the anatheist option of returning to God after the atheistic critique of the traditional God of ontotheology. It begins by reviewing the contributions that Levinas and Derrida have made toward this position and the atheistic criticisms of Freud and Nietzsche. The work of Paul Ricoeur is then discussed, showing how the atheist critique is a necessary moment in the development of genuine faith that involves a renunciation of fear and dependency as well as a reaffirmation of life and a return to existence. Kearney goes on to discuss how this return to God is possible, considering the ethical position that makes it possible, the reinterpretations of biblical traditions that it entails, the relationship between the anatheist philosopher and the theologian, and revival of God as an enabling God.
Must We Avoid Speaking of Religion? The Truths of Religions
Authors: Bernasconi Robert
Published: October 2009

Heidegger already recognized in the 1920s the difficulties facing a phenomenology of religion, but the problems are greatly multiplied once one recognizes that many of the so-called religions were constituted as such only in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and that the "invention" of these religions was according to an idea of religion shaped by Christianity. By investigating the incompatible attempts of Kant and Hegel to negotiate that idea, I identify the genealogy of the double bind whereby today it appears that one is faced with a choice between two violences: the violence of imposing the word religion on practices that do not readily follow the model of the Christian religion and the violence of refusing the word to non-Christian religions.
Temptation, Self-Possession, and Resoluteness: Heidegger's Reading of Confessions X and What Is the Good of Being and Time?
Authors: Dahlstrom Daniel
Published: October 2009

In Heidegger's 1921 lectures, he presents an extensive interpretation of Book Ten of Augustine's Confessions. The present paper elaborates parallels between that interpretation of Augustine's Confessions and Heidegger's interpretation of existence in Being and Time, with special reference to the themes of self-possession (continentia) and resoluteness (Entschlossenheit) as respective anchors of the two interpretations. The study also highlights ways the two interpretations diverge, i.e., the aspects of the interpretation of the Confessions' themes of the good and desirable, the joyful and endearing, the delectatio that Augustine deems the end of our care (finis curae) that do not find their way into the existential analysis. By way of conclusion, questions are raised about the significance and plausibility of Heidegger's prima facie omissions of these themes from his existential analysis.
Varieties of legacies: a critical review of legacy explanations of public administration reform in East Central Europe
Authors: Meyer-Sahling Jan-Hinrik
Published: October 2009

This article examines the status of historical legacies in debates on the reform of public administration in East Central Europe. It identifies limitations of existing accounts and derives three dimensions for the further development of legacy explanations of administrative reform in East Central Europe. First, legacy arguments tend to zoom in on the negative effects of the communist past. Yet there is not one but many legacies that matter for post-communist reforms and these many legacies have to be carefully distinguished and conceptualized. Second, legacy explanations tend to search for broad similarities between the administrative past and the present set-up of East Central European administrations in order to demonstrate the importance of the legacy. The identification of similarities is, however, not sufficient for the identification of legacy effects. Instead, the article argues in favour of the identification of causal mechanisms of legacification to explain recent administrative developments in East Central Europe. Finally, the article draws attention to the interaction of legacy effects with other determinants of administrative reform such as European integration and political parties.

Points for practitioners

This article addresses primarily policy-makers who deal with the reform of public administration in Central and Eastern Europe. It addresses the issue of how administrative traditions and, generally, historical legacies affect the design of administrative reforms and the successful implementation of reforms. Conventional wisdom concentrates on the negative effects of the communist-type administration on contemporary reform in Central and Eastern Europe. This article advances a more differentiated perspective on the impact of historical legacies. It argues that communist administrations evolved over time and differed considerably across countries. The administrative experience of other historical periods further interacts with the communist legacy of the past. The article also identifies various mechanisms that help to ‘transport’ the legacy of the past into the contemporary administrative reform context. For administrative policy-makers this approach implies that they cannot take for granted that the effect of the communist legacy is identical across countries and they cannot even assume that the communist administration will be long-lasting after transition. Instead, it is recommended that the specifics of local administrative traditions and the kind of mechanisms that produce legacy effects in the context of contemporary reform efforts be examined more closely.
More quality through competitive quality awards? An impact assessment framework
Authors: Bovaird Tony , Löffler Elke
Published: October 2009

Given the growing international phenomenon of quality award competitions for public sector services and organizations it is timely to assess their impacts. While award schemes have become a popular marketing tool to increase the visibility of award organizers, it is unclear what impact they have on various dimensions of quality — organizational quality, service quality and the quality of life of citizens. So far, quality awards are a theory-free area with few evaluations being undertaken by the academic community. By the same token, quality awards organizers have not shown a great inclination to invest in impact assessments. Yet, major questions exist on the extent to which quality awards live up to their claims to help applicants and non-applicants to improve quality. This article maps existing pieces of evidence against an impact assessment framework and identifies the research gaps to be addressed by the academic community and public sector organizations.

Points for practitioners

Competitive quality awards can have benefits in terms of innovation, organizational learning, and reputational promotion. However, for the applicants these benefits come at a price — the innovations and the learning only occur if the organization undertakes the application in a way which builds these benefits into the process. Moreover, the promotional benefits depend on which awards they win, particularly on how well publicized they are. For organizers, too, a cost—benefit calculus is necessary — while competitive awards may be cheaper to organize than accreditation schemes, they may not lead to such careful preparation, with consequently lower impacts.
Business views of the quality of tax, environment and employment regulation and institutions: the Slovenian case
Authors: Klun Maja , Slabe-Erker Renata
Published: October 2009

Eliminating administrative burdens or ‘cutting red tape’ is becoming a political priority in most developed countries. The main problem faced by business and individuals is that, over the past two decades, the regulations they deal with have become more complex, and the related procedures place a financial burden on both business and individuals. This article presents the results of the first comprehensive quality assessment of public institutions and regulations in the fields of tax, environment and employment in Slovenia. Business managers assessed the quality of institutions and regulations in all three areas and their impact on their operations. The research indicates that Slovenian businesses gave the lowest score to environment protection institutions, with environmental protection regulations also scoring poorly. The scores were also low compared to most OECD countries.

Points for practitioners

The transition process in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in Slovenia, is coming to an end. In spite of several efforts to adapt regulations and competent institutions to the higher EU standards, they still remain rigid. In this article, the results of the lastest survey of administrative quality of regulations and institutions in Slovenia with international comparison are presented. As for instructions for improvements in practice, they should above all focus on simplifying the regulations and making them more transparent.
Mapping the terrain of public service quality improvement: twenty-five years of trends and practices in the United States
Authors: Holzer Marc , Charbonneau Etienne , Kim Younhee
Published: October 2009

The quality movement in the United States has been characterized as an impetus for organizational effectiveness and responsiveness since the late 1970s. ‘Quality’ can be a subjective term as each organization has its own definition and boundaries. Three emphases are evident in the field of quality improvement: quality circles, total quality management, and citizen satisfaction. Practices of quality improvement in the public sector have been driven by demands from citizens for more effective services, outcomes that require the implementation of suitable quality models and standards.

Points for practitioners

This article presents major intellectual trends in the practice of service quality improvement. Practitioners will be able to comprehend the most fundamental concepts of ‘what is public service quality improvement’. Practitioners will also obtain useful insights into defining quality criteria and assessing organizational improvement models based on substantive principles of quality management for promoting organizational effectiveness and responsiveness.
Quality as a reflection of innovation? Quality management in the Korean government
Authors: Kim Pan Suk
Published: October 2009

Quality management generally implies all the activities that are intended to bring about the desired level of quality. In order to improve the quality of a product or service in both private and public sectors, quality management has been exercised for a long time and broadly applied in various organizations. As many new buzz words emerge in both business and public management, however, it seems that its popularity has declined. Is quality management dead? Not really. Quality is a fundamental ingredient in innovation so it must not be disregarded, although there might be fluctuations in its popularity. This study reviews the developmental status of quality management in South Korea by looking at its status and conceptual changes from historical and comparative perspectives. Historically, quality management in modern Korea was influenced by Japanese and American practices. In a comparative perspective, however, European influence on quality management was not salient in Korea.

Points for practitioners

More buzz words or fads will be generated by issue entrepreneurs and business consultants. However, quality management will not fade away. Continuous improvement is an endless open-ended journey, as is quality management. It is fair to say that the need for government reform and innovation will never be exhausted. Therefore, the importance of quality management will be a continuing reality in the future, perhaps with some adjustment of its rhetoric or riding on an irresistible wave of reform for adaptation. Quality has been reflected through innovation, and vice versa.
The influence of rater language background on writing performance assessment
Authors: Johnson Jeff S. , Lim Gad S.
Published: October 2009

Language performance assessments typically require human raters, introducing possible error. In international examinations of English proficiency, rater language background is an especially salient factor that needs to be considered. The existence of rater language background-related bias in writing performance assessment is the object of this study. Data for this study are ratings assigned by Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) raters to compositions written by examinees of various language backgrounds. While most of the raters are native speakers of English, four have first languages other than English: two Spanish, one Korean, and one bilingual speaker of Filipino and Chinese (Amoy). Examinees were divided into 21 language groups. The IRT application FACETS was used to estimate and control for rater severity when calculating the amount of bias reflected by each rater’s set of ratings for each language/language group. Results show that the magnitude of bias terms for all raters for all language groups was minimal, thus having little effect on examinee scores, and that there is no pattern of language-related bias in the ratings.
Score generalizability of academic writing tasks: Does one test method fit it all?
Authors: Gebril Atta
Published: October 2009

Generalizability of writing scores has always been a longstanding concern in L2 writing assessment. A number of studies have been conducted to investigate this topic during the last two decades. However, with the introduction of new test methods, such as reading-to-write tasks, generalizability studies need to focus on the score accuracy of different task types. The current study attempts to examine how reading-to-write tasks are compara ble to independent tasks in terms of score generalizability. To look into this issue, 115 Egyptian university students were asked to write on two independent tasks and two reading-to-write tasks. The essays were holistica lly scored by three raters, who received training prior to scoring. The study design followed a fully crossed univariate design (p × t × r), and consequently GENOVA (Crock & Brennan, 1983) was used to analyze the results. Results showed that the reading-to-write tasks yielded as reliable scores as independent tasks. In addition, the result indicated that score generalizability is very low when using one writing task due to the large (pt) variance component. Implications and limitations of the study are presented.
Business support service of the National Diet Library in Japan
Authors: Nagasaki Rie , Spencer Nigel
Published: October 2009

This article describes the growth of business support services in Japan, and the service of the National Diet Library in particular. It describes the users of the service, and the types of print and electronic resources available to them. The success of the service is demonstrated by the annual user survey.
Unlocking the business value of information
Authors: Hulme Tony
Published: October 2009

Tony Hulme defines Information On Demand as the ability to deliver trusted information to the right people and processes, at the right time, relevant to the task, for better decisions. He shows how most organizations fall at the first hurdle as there is a lack of trusted information and explains why this is the case and the effects it can have on the business. He looks at the key information management disciplines that can be used to solve these issues and shows how these disciplines can be applied to industry specific business imperatives from a functional capability perspective. Illustrating how these functional capabilities fit within a reference architecture for a comprehensive Information Management strategy. He concludes by suggesting how organizations can establish an Information Agenda or an approach to begin treating information as a strategic asset.
Inspiring entrepreneurs at the British Library
Authors: Infield Neil
Published: October 2009

In this article, Neil Infield describes the ways in which the BIPC has successfully inspired people who want to start their own businesses through a series of high profile events.
Estimating the Effect of Nonseparable Preferences in Eu Treaty Negotiations
Authors: Finke Daniel
Published: October 2009

This article derives theoretical expectations about the importance of nonseparable preferences at EU treaty negotiations. It argues that member states’ positions on the degree of integration depend on the expected reform of the decision rule and vice versa. This nonseparability effect varies across member states. Wealthier member states (net payers) would prefer a more majoritarian and efficient decision rule when confronted with a higher level of vertical integration. The overall size of the nonseparability effect can be explained by the policy area-specific degree of preference asymmetry. In order to test these expectations the article advances existing statistical models of ideal point estimation and derives a model that allows for an explicit estimation of nonseparability effects. It applies this model to data on member states’ positions at the IGC 2003—4. The two-stage estimator presented in this article may be considered useful in other applications of ideal point estimators.
Ballot Structure, Political Corruption, and the Performance of Proportional Representation
Authors: Gingerich Daniel W.
Published: October 2009

What is the relationship between ballot structure (the manner in which citizens cast their votes) and corruption related to the financing of politics? The author develops a principal agent—model which considers how differences in ballot structure may facilitate or impede attempts by parties to utilize the public administration as a source of electoral resources. Electoral systems which concentrate political career control in the hands of party leaders, such as closed-list proportional representation (CLPR) facilitate the use of the bureaucracy in this manner, whereas electoral systems that undermine party leader control, such as preferential-list proportional representation (PLPR), make it more difficult. The difference in the two systems rests with the degree of leverage enjoyed by party leaders vis-à-vis politically oriented bureaucrats. The capacity for favoritism under CLPR permits party leaders to reward militants who have engaged in risky behavior for the party; PLPR undercuts similar attempts to reward risky behavior.
Trust in the Balance
Authors: Savic Ivan , Shirkey Zachary C.
Published: October 2009

Realists argue that balancing occurs in response to changes to the balance of power. Recent informational approaches have focused primarily on informational asymmetries or commitment problems. The article combines these two approaches and builds on them by incorporating characteristics of the revisionist state and the potential balancer, as well as the specific challenge to the balance of power. The model confirms that informational asymmetries often lead to commitment problems, which are a necessary condition for balancing. However, whether or not informational asymmetries create commitment problems depends on both the nature of the challenger’s move and the relative power of the challenger and respondent. The article shows under what conditions balancing is likely to occur and, counter-intuitively, that less revisionist challengers are often more willing to risk being balanced against than are more aggressive challengers.
Nominations for Sale
Authors: Console-Battilana Silvia , Shepsle Kenneth A.
Published: October 2009

Models of nomination politics in the USA often find ‘gridlock’ in equilibrium because of the supermajority requirement in the Senate for the confirmation of presidential nominees. A blocking coalition often prefers to defeat any nominee. Yet empirically nominations are successful. In the present article we explore the possibility that senators can be induced to vote contrary to their nominal (gridlock-producing) preferences through contributions from the president and/or lobbyists, thus breaking the gridlock and confirming the nominee. We model contributions by the president and lobbyists according to whether payment schedules are conditioned on the entire voting profile, the vote of a senator, or the outcome. We analyze several extensions to our baseline approach, including the possibility that lobbyists may find it more productive to offer inducements to the president in order to affect his proposal behavior, rather than trying to induce senators to vote for or against a given nominee.
Motivational Orientation of Assamese Entrepreneurs in the SME Sector
Authors: Khanka S.S.
Published: October 2009

This article presents the findings of a study on entrepreneurial motivation based on a sample of 243 first-generation entrepreneurs in Assam in North-East India. The results clearly showed that the entrepreneurs were primarily motivated by the need for economic achievement, personal growth, autonomy and recognition. The desire to contribute to the community was not found to be an important reason to become an entrepreneur. No significant difference was found in the motivations of men and women entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial motivation also changed in the light of entrepreneurial experience. The most interesting finding was dramatic changes in autonomy and power motives moving down from third rank to the last (sixth) rank pursuant to entrepreneurial experience over time, implying a change in the role of entrepreneurs from doers to implementers as their enterprises grew.
Accounts of HIV Seroconversion Among Substance-Using Gay and Bisexual Men
Authors: Aguinaldo Jeffrey P. , Myers Ted , Ryder Karen , Haubrich Dennis J. , Calzavara Liviana
Published: October 2009

Statistical associations between substance use and seroconversion among gay and bisexual men abound. However, these associations often ignore men’s own interpretations of their seroconversion. Using in-depth interviews with gay and bisexual men who reported using drugs or alcohol at the time of their seroconversion, we identify how these men explain the events that led to HIV transmission. Whereas a small minority of respondents reported substance use to explain their seroconversion, the majority reported three competing explanations. These participants claimed that they lacked sufficient knowledge about the behavioral risks that led to their seroconversion; that their decision to engage in unsafe sex was because of negative personal affect; and that they “trusted the wrong person.” We link these findings to prevention and suggest that gay and bisexual men who use substances for recreational purposes will benefit from prevention efforts designed to address issues of gay and bisexual men rather than substance-using men.
“I’ve Never Not Had it So I Don’t Really Know What it’s Like Not to”: Nondifference and Biographical Disruption Among Children and Young People With Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Williams Brian , Corlett Joanne , Dowell Jon S. , Coyle Joanne , Mukhopadhyay Somnath
Published: October 2009

The relevance of biographical disruption and loss of self for children and young people is unclear, particularly in cases of congenital illness such as cystic fibrosis, where no prior period of wellness, stability, or perceived normality might exist. We explored the meaning, importance, and forms of maintenance of ideas of normality among 32 children and young people with cystic fibrosis. We examine the ways in which normalcy is produced, maintained, and threatened, and discuss the implications for the applicability and relevance of these traditional sociological concepts. Analysis of children’s and young people’s accounts resulted in a conceptualization of four forms of normalcy based on personal and social definitions and audiences. Biographical disruption appeared relevant but in a more nuanced form than its usual conceptualization when applied to adult populations. Maintaining normality within the family resulted in continual biographical revision in anticipation of future illness trajectory and life course.
Theorizing Social Context: Rethinking Behavioral Theory
Authors: Burke Nancy J. , Joseph Galen , Pasick Rena J. , Barker Judith C.
Published: October 2009

Major behavioral theories focus on proximal influences on behavior that are considered to be predominantly cognitive characteristics of the individual largely uninfluenced by social context. Social ecological models integrate multiple levels of influence on health behavior and are noted for emphasizing the interdependence of environmental settings and life domains. This theory-based article explains how social context is conceptualized in the social sciences and how the social science conceptualization differs from and can broaden the analytic approach to health behavior. The authors use qualitative data from the Behavioral Constructs and Culture in Cancer Screening study to illustrate our conceptualization of social context. We conclude that the incorporation into health behavior theory of a multidimensional socioculturally oriented, theoretical approach to social context is critical to understand and redress health disparities in multicultural societies like the United States.