bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transmission problems
Authors: Mathy Jean-Philippe
Published: May 2005

In recent years, Éditions du Seuil have published a series of small volumes aimed at a wide audience and bearing such titles as La République expliquée à ma fille or L’Amour de la France expliqué à mon fils. Well-known novelists, historians and philosophers have been enrolled in a attempt to fill in the generational gap, to repair the tear in the national fabric, in the hope that they will succeed in communicating what should already have been conveyed by political and cultural institutions. The need for leading public intellectuals to ‘explain’ to younger generations core national values and institutions such as ‘the Republic’ or ‘the love of France’ points to the inability of the French public schools to perform their traditional function of cultural transmission. Essays by Max Gallo and Régis Debray illustrate the paradoxical use of cultural memory by prominent representatives of the ‘national-republican’ camp in today’s France.
The Gaulish and the feudal as lieux de mémoire in post-war French abstraction
Authors: Harris Steven
Published: May 2005

If gestural abstract painting was an artistic practice that turned away from figuration and legible meanings, there was nevertheless a struggle over its interpretation and orientation in post-war Paris. This struggle is exemplified by two exhibitions that took place in the 1950s: Pérennité de l’art gaulois, at the Musée pédagogique in 1955, which was organized by the art critic Charles Estienne in association with the surrealist group; and Les Cérémonies commémoratives de la deuxième condamnation de Siger de Brabant, at the Galerie Kléber in 1957, which was organized by the abstract painters Georges Mathieu and Simon Hantaï. Each exhibition was oriented against the classical foundations of modern French culture and the French nation-state, and each was identified with a site of memory in French culture. This article undertakes to identify and comprehend the significance of these cultural choices, in relation to the political and cultural options of the 1950s.
Remembrance of things past
Authors: Kritzman Lawrence D.
Published: May 2005

Perec’s W is studied as a ‘memory text’ revealing the effects of the trauma associated with the loss of his parents during the Second World War. Perec’s text recognizes the mourning process as an engagement with the aporia created by the inability to bear witness. A dialogical relationship is produced by the juxtaposition of ‘autobiographical’ narrative and fantasy text (the fictional representation of the island of W). This enables the latter to function as a heuristic device allowing the writer to come to terms with loss. Viewed as an ethical act, Perec’s writing project stages the mourning process of a fractured life as a reparative gesture enabling the ‘other’ to be kept alive.
Mother-child conversation during joint picture book reading in Japan and the USA
Authors: Murase Toshiki , Dale Philip S. , Ogura Tamiko , Yamashita Yukie , Mahieu Aki
Published: May 2005

This study compared the sequential structure of mother-child conversation during joint picture book reading in Japanese and American dyads with children between 12 and 27 months. Although there were commonalities such as increased maternal elaborative information-asking in response to children’s labelling with children’s vocabulary growth, there were substantial differences. Japanese children produced labelling following maternal labelling more than American children, while American children produced labelling following information-asking more than Japanese children. Japanese mothers responded to children’s labelling with interpersonal utterances more than American mothers, while American mothers responded to labelling with elaborative information-asking more than Japanese mothers. Interaction in American dyads generally followed an instruction model, while interaction in Japanese dyads reflected aspects of an osmosis model.
Fitting Job Performance into Turnover Model: An Examination of the Form of the Job Performance-Turnover Relationship and a Path Model
Authors: Birnbaum Dee , Somers Mark John
Published: May 2005

Linear and curvilinear components of job performance were studied in relation to turnover. Neither the linear nor the curvilinear hypothesis was supported as job performance was unrelated to turnover. Other higher-order effects were also not evident as job satisfaction did not moderate the job performance-turnover relationship. Using a path model, indirect linkages between job performance and job satisfaction and job performance and job search were investigated. Niether linkage was supported suggesting that job performance is not central to the turnover process. Implications of these findings for future research were discussed.
Determinants of Faculty Voting Behavior in Union Representation Elections: A Multivariate Model
Authors: Hemmasi Masoud , Graf Lee A.
Published: May 2005

A model of faculty unionism that integrates a diverse set of factors representing various perspectives on voting behavior in unionization drives was developed. This model was then tested using data obtained from faculty in three institutions of higher education simultaneously undergoing collective bargaining elections. The study results suggest that work context, socio-political beliefs, general attitudes toward unions, perceptions of union instrumentality at one’s own workplace, and pay are strong determinants of faculty voting behavior. Union instrumentality perception was the single largest determinant of the vote. The model had strong predictive power.
An Exploratory Investigation into the Relationshps between Promotion and Turnover: A Quasi-experimental Longitudinal Study
Authors: Johnston Mark W. , Griffeth Rodger W. , Burton Scot , Carson Paula Phillips
Published: May 2005

Employee movement out of the organization has been examined extensively, but unfortunately, research on employee movement inside the organization is less pervasive. The study reported here uses a longitudinal quasi-experimental design to investigate the relationships of a selected set of work-related attitudes to promotion and turnover in a sample of 157 salespeople. Results indicate that the relationships between the internal/external movement of the employee and several key job related attitudes (organizational commitment, propensity to leave, promotion satisfaction) as well as salary vary over time. In addition, there were significant differences between groups (promoted stayers and non-promoted leavers) for satisfaction with supervisor, and time had a significant effect on all dependent variables (except job anxiety).
Efficiency v. Structure-Conduct-Performance: Implications for Strategy Research and Practice
Authors: McWilliams Abagail , Smart Dennis L.
Published: May 2005

The strategic management field has derived many of its theoretical concepts from other social science disciplines including economics, psychology, and sociology. Industrial organization (IO) economics and the structure-conduct-performance paradigm, in particular, provided many of the building blocks upon which strategy formulation was constructed (Barney, 1986; Harrigan, 1981; Porter, 1981). However, some researchers are now questioning this transfer of theory from IO economics to Strategic Management (Barney, 1986; Conner, 1991; Hirsch & Friedman, 1986; Rumelt, 1984).
Emergence of Organizational Attributions: The Role of a Shared Cognitive Schema
Authors: Moussavi Farzad , Evans Dorla A.
Published: May 2005

Daft and Weick (1984) suggest that individual-level interpretations of top strategic managers can be expected to converge into an organizational interpretation because managers use identical cognitive schemata when making their personal interpretations. The primary purpose of this paper is to adapt the well-accepted interpersonal attribution schema to an organizational context to determine whether Daft and Weick's convergence argument is plausible. We conclude that the common phenomena of informational equivocality and bias make the existence of shared schemata a necessary but not sufficient condition for the convergence of interpretations. Therefore, studies in the organizational literature which rely on the convergence argument fail to sufficiently establish a linkage between individual cognition and organizational action.
Role of Employee Coping and Performance in Voluntary Employee Withdrawal: A Research Refinement and Elaboration
Authors: Wright Thomas A. , Bonett Douglas G.
Published: May 2005

The present study examined growth coping, work performance, work satisfaction and organizational tenure as predictors of voluntary organizational turnover for 93 human services supervisory personnel. This study represents a further theoretical development and empirical test of the role played by employee growth coping on whether an employee stays (No Turnover) or leaves (Turnover) their organization. Additionally, clarification of the relationship between work performance and withdrawal is provided. Future research directions are introduced.
Vita Contemplativa
Authors: Mangham Iain L.
Published: May 2005

This article documents aspects of my life as a contributor to what has become known as the dramaturgical perspective on social and organizational life. Beginning nearly 40 years ago, when I was a graduate student, it traces my growing enthusiasm for the ideas of symbolic interactionists such as George Herbert Mead, and in particular for those — like Erving Goffman and Kenneth Burke — who held that theatre was a master metaphor for understanding and describing our everyday activity as citizens and employees. The article reflects the use I and others made of these ideas as teachers, researchers, writers and consultants during the latter part of the 20th century during which time the notion of management as performance struggled to articulate itself as an important aspect of an ars poetica of organizational practice.
Trust, Contract and Relationship Development
Authors: Woolthuis Rosalinde Klein , Hillebrand Bas , Nooteboom Bart
Published: May 2005

This article contributes to the debate on the relation between trust and control in the management of inter-organizational relations. More specifically, we focus on the question how trust and formal contract are related. While there have been studies on whether trust and contract are substitutes or complements, they offer little insight into the dynamic interaction between the two. They fail to answer, first, whether contract precedes trust or follows it, in other words, what causal relationship exists between the concepts; second, how and why trust and contract can substitute or complement each other; and third, how the various combinations of trust and contract affect a relationship’s development and outcome. In search of answers, we conducted longitudinal case studies to reveal the relationship between trust, contract and relationship outcome in complex inter-firm relationships. We find trust and contract to be both complements and substitutes and find that a close study of a contract’s content offers alternative insight into the presence and use of contracts in inter-firm relationships.
Technical Efficiency or Adaptation to Institutionalized Expectations? The Adoption of ISO 9000 Standards in the German Mechanical Engineering Industry
Authors: Beck Nikolaus , Walgenbach Peter
Published: May 2005

In this paper we examine technical and internal organizational contingencies which encourage and discourage the adoption of institutionalized structural elements, namely ISO 9000 standards. The results show that the extent of customized production and a dominant influence of top management on quality control decisions reduce the likelihood of adopting ISO 9000 standards. However, the latter factor changes its influence significantly with greater organizational size and administrative intensity — two entities which increase the pressure to adapt to external expectations.
Origins of Corporate Governance in the USA, Sweden and France
Authors: Lubatkin Michael H. , Lane Peter J. , Collin Sven-Olaf , Very Philippe
Published: May 2005

We reason that agency theory’s behavioral assumptions may too closely reflect the US institutional context to explain the governance heritages that exist elsewhere. We propose that what constitutes opportunistic behavior and what can be done to limit it may vary due to differences in national background and formal institutions. We then test the validity of this nationally bounded model using historical sociology analysis of three nations whose corporate governance heritages are believed to differ (USA, Sweden, and France). Specifically, we review their political, cultural, and economic institutions to explore the different ways that their governance practices have evolved and infer causes for these historical variations.
Decision-Making in High-Velocity Environments: The Importance of Guiding Principles
Authors: Oliver David , Roos Johan
Published: May 2005

This paper presents a field study of decision-making processes at two organizations operating in high-velocity environments. It reviews existing literature on managerial knowledge structures and decision-making, and identifies methodological and conceptual limitations with these approaches with respect to organizations in high-velocity environments. The authors develop two interpretive cases that focus on the articulated and social methods management teams used to make decisions. They found that both organizations used rules of thumb or heuristic reasoning in their decisionmaking, that these rules of thumb functioned as headlines of deeper organizational narratives, and that these narratives were grounded in emotional as well as purely rational considerations. They suggest that the term ‘guiding principle’ usefully integrates their three findings into a second-order concept that may be further explored in future research of both a descriptive and prescriptive nature.
Conspicuous Consumption
Authors: Lefebvre Martin
Published: May 2005

The aim of this article is (1) to posit a conceptual model for the way ideas, conceptions, or feelings are represented or ‘figured’ in memory with the help of the imagination, and (2) to use this model to begin to outline what I believe constitutes part of our culture’s ‘memory-image’ of the serial killer in both fact and fiction. Human memory is not simply a passive storehouse of information. It is an active process whereby relations are created by way of the imagination. The ‘memory image’ is connected to what we wish to remember, but also to other images stored in memory, and inscribes itself in a vast ‘figural network’. I show how a given metaphor – ‘capitalism as cannibalism’ – can find its way in a given figural network, that of our memory-image of the serial killer. I investigate the rhetorical network that surrounds cannibalism and examine how this network offers our imagination a topos for our memory-image of the serial killer. Finally, I look at two films that activate this topos in their representation of serial killing, even though they avoid any direct thematization of it. The absence of any act of cannibalism in these films makes its ‘presence’ in our experience of them all the more compelling.
Urban Imitations
Authors: Borch Christian
Published: May 2005

Although long forgotten, the sociology of Gabriel Tarde has suddenly re-emerged. This article backs up the renewed interest in Tarde in four ways. First, drawing upon the systems theory of Niklas Luhmann, it demonstrates that the usual critique of Tarde is false: Tarde’s theory of imitation is not trapped in any kind of psychologism but is, indeed, a pure sociology. Against this background, the second part of the article argues that the notion of imitation is closely tied to urbanity, which brings Tarde close to the spatial turn of social thought. While Tarde’s work thus seems compatible with contemporary sociological currents, it also transcends what is presently discussed. The third part of the article therefore examines Tarde’s analysis of urban crowds, as the crowd demonstrates the paradoxical nature of the social. Finally, drawing upon Henri Lefebvre, the article outlines the contours of a particular, contemporary Tardean analysis of imitations. More specifically, the suggestion is to add a more explicitly structural dimension to Tarde’s work, which, it is argued, may be accomplished by pursuing a rhythmanalysis. The rhythmanalysis enables one to bring together Tarde’s focus on imitation, urbanity and crowds.
Preparation and Characterization of Low Degree of Branching Aromatic Polyamides from a New BB’B’’Triamine Monomer and Dicarboxylic Acids
Authors: Wang Kun-Li , Kakimoto Masa-Aki , Jikei Mitsutoshi
Published: May 2005

Aromatic polyamides with multi amino end groups were prepared from a novel triamine (II) (BB’B’’) and dicarboxylic acids (A2) in the presence of (2,3-dihydro-2-thioxo-3-benzoxazolyl) phosphonic acid diphenyl ester (DBOP) as a condensing agent. The corresponding polyamides were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.40–0.42 dL g-1. The structure of the polyamides with low degree of branching was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance and by infrared spectroscopy. The amino terminal groups of the polymers were modified by reacting with acetyl chloride, benzoyl chloride and phthalic anhydride to give terminally modified polyamides. Although the degree of branching was as small as 0.05, their solubility in amide solvents was clearly improved. The end group modification of the polyamides greatly affected the thermal properties. Strong but brittle films were prepared by casting from N, N–dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The mechanical properties were comparable with those of corresponding linear polymers.
Isomeric Dianhydrides Based Modified Phenylethynyl-terminated Addition-type Imide Oligomers
Authors: Zhou Hongwei , Chen Chunhai , Kanbara Reito , Sasaki Takeshi , Yokota Rikio
Published: May 2005

Two series of addition-type imide oligomers derived from asymmetric 2,3,3’,4’-biphenyltetra-carboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA) and isomeric 2,3,2’,3-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (i-BPDA) or 3,3’,4,4’-oxydiphthalic dianhydride (ODPA) with 4,4’-oxydianiline (4,4’-ODA) and 4-phenylethynyl-phthalic anhydride (PEPA) were prepared and characterized. All imide co-oligomers having molecular weight of 2500 g mol-1 (n=4) showed good solubility in NMP, which has 40% (w/v) solid content. The thermal curing process of the oligomers was investigated by Fourier transform-infrared and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The rheological behaviors showed that the oligomers have low melt viscosity above 300°C. The glass transition temperature of the cured imide oligomer films was measured by DSC and dynamic mechanical analysis, and found to be related to the structure of polymer chain. The tensile and thermal properties of the cured films were evaluated. Solubility, thermal and tensile properties of oligomers with different molecular weights were also investigated.
Synthesis and Properties of Copolyimides Derived from Isometric Biphenyltetracarboxylic Dianhydrides (a-BPDA and i-BPDA) and Oxydiphthalic Dianhydride (ODPA) with 4,4’-Oxydianiline (4,4’-ODA)
Authors: Zhou Hongwei , Chen Chunhai , Kanbara Reito , Sasaki Takeshi , Yokota Rikio
Published: May 2005

Two series of polyimides were prepared by thermal imidization of polyamide acid derived from 2,3,3’,4’-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA), 2,3,2’,3’-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (i-BPDA) or 3,3’,4,4’-oxydiphthalic dianhydride (ODPA) and 4,4’-oxydianiline (4,4’-ODA). The properties of copolyimides derived from a-BPDA and i-BPDA were compared with those of the copolyimides based on a-BPDA and ODPA. The glass transition temperature ( Tg) of the former copolyimides increased with an increase of the i-BPDA component, whereas Tg of the later copolyimides decreased with the increase of the ODPA component. The i-BPDA-based copolyimides had higher Tg and better solubility than the a-BPDA homopolyimide, while the ODPA based copolyimides had higher elongation at break. The tensile, dynamic mechanical properties and coefficient of thermal expansion of these copolyimides were characterized.
Effect of Solvent Interactions on the Properties of Polyurethane Films
Authors: Oprea Stefan
Published: May 2005

A series of segmented polyurethanes were synthesized by the reaction of poly (ethyleneadypate) diol, 4,4’-methylene-bis(phenyl isocyanate) and ethylene glycol. Various solvents were used as reaction media: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF) and mixtures of NMP with DMF, toluene, and ethyl acetate (at a rate 80/20 weight). These polyurethanes exhibited different behaviors due to different interactions between solvents and macromolecular chains or solvents and water. These phenomena in combination with the phase segregation in polyurethanes arising from the incompatibility between the hard and soft segments were utilized to produce a variety of polyurethane membranes by immersion precipitation. The type of solvent has a strong effect on the properties and morphology of polymers when they are cast using different solvents, which was confirmed by thermal and mechanical measurements.
Poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole-amide-ester)s and Thin Films Made from Them
Authors: Sava Ion , Brumă Maria , Szesztay Marta , MüLler Peter
Published: May 2005

Aromatic poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole-amide-ester)s were prepared by polycondensation reaction of diacid chlorides containing preformed ester groups with aromatic diamines containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole units. These polymers were easily soluble in N-methylpyrrolidinone and were cast into flexible films from such solutions. The polymers showed high thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature being above 365 °C and glass transition temperature in the range of 215–260 °C. The weight average molecular weight was in the range of 91 000–257 000 and polydispersity is in the range of 1.64–5. The polymer films showed good mechanical properties with tensile strength in the range of 40–91 MPa, elastic modulus in the range of 2.22–3.98 GPa and elongation at break in the range of 1.85–7.37%.
Musiques, présentez-vous!
Authors: Hennion Antoine
Published: May 2005

Les musiques nouvelles sont déjà très fortement accompagnées de discours sociaux – jeunesse, révolte, immigration, banlieue, violence, fête, drogue, etc. Au lieu de critiquer et de reformuler pour notre compte ces commentaires, nous avons tenté de mettre en scène leur efficace, en montant une experience collective, destinée à comparer en situation la façon dont le rap et la techno pouvaient ‘se’ présenter: au lieu de prétendre déterminer depuis telle ou telle discipline le sens et le contenu d’une musique, il s’agissait, sur un mode pragmatique, de voir se combiner et se co-construire les éléments divers – discursifs et gestuels, corporels et musicaux, scéniques et idéologiques (en particulier sur le plan du genre, de la violence, des médias) – qui ‘font’ le rap ou la techno.
Discophilie or Discomanie?
Authors: Jordan Matthew F.
Published: May 2005

This article examines the early debate over the impact of people listening to phonograph records on musical culture and French cultural health. The new private experience of listening to mechanised music made possible by phonograph technology, and the different ways in which this recorded music was used, radically challenged the traditional conceptions of public musical cultural praxis. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, French critics were forced to come to terms with the many changes in how music was being produced, promoted and consumed. As a result, they developed new procedures for evaluating popular music and new theories about the function, importance and paradoxical nature of modern popular culture.
Léo Ferré: Modernism, Postmodernism and the Avant-Garde in Popular Chanson
Authors: Hawkins Peter
Published: May 2005

This article discusses the relationship of the prolific French singersongwriter, poet and composer Léo Ferré with the broader movements of culture in France in the latter half of the twentieth century. The paradox of his ambition to be taken seriously as a writer and musician, seen against his considerable success as a popular singer, centres on his relationship with the Surrealist movement and the performed text ‘Préface’, from his album Il n’y a plus rien of 1973. The implications of his use of a wide range of musical styles are suggested, concluding that his musical and textual production bridges the concepts of modernism, postmodernism and the avant-garde. Quotations from Ferré’s songs are reproduced by kind permission of La mémoire et la mer.
Mind over Matter
Authors: Lebrun Barbara
Published: May 2005

This article examines the work of recent Frenchrock artists, male and female, and their problematic relation to representations of the body and gender. Intent on articulating an ‘alternative’ identity to the commodification of the body dominant in ‘mainstream’ pop music, French rock artists principally posit a ‘protest body’ by emphasising ordinariness, privileging group performance and attempting to neutralise their gender identities. The ‘under-performance’ of their personal corporeality is, however, contradictory since these artists, as representatives of the music industry, constantly appear on stage, in the media and on record covers. The construction of an ‘authentic’ visual identity is thus meaningful as a series of ideological statements, but reinforces the patriarchal mind/body polarisation, re-asserting the male prestige of ‘protest’ over physicality and making for some dull performances. This analysis is underpinned by theories of stardom in film and popular music studies, while evidence is drawn from concerts, videos, photographs and interviews.
Compromise and Credibility: Security Council Reform?
Authors: Weiss Thomas G. , Young Karen E.
Published: May 2005

There have been continual murmurs about the need for reform of the United Nations since 1945. The 60th anniversary of the world organization is remarkably like that of the 50th in at least one way: calls for reform and often-contradictory suggestions to change the Security Council’s shape and ways of doing business. The panacea for many critics is reforming the Council’s composition and working methods. The Report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change in December 2004 is the latest manifestation, with a hundred or so recommendations and a ‘grand bargain’ to sell to the so-called international community. The linchpin for the sales pitch was predictable: it must include Security Council reform. The pitch included increasing the numbers of permanent and non-permanent members in the Council, while only the permanent members (P-5) would retain veto privilege. While altering the membership is conceivable, at least on paper, the politics behind agreeing to any changes make it more than unlikely; and there is no chance that the P-5 will ever agree to altering the veto. The best hope for meaningful change in the Security Council in the next decade lies in reinforcing pragmatic adaptations in working methods and in exploring new ones.
‘Doing’ Security As Though Humans Matter: A Feminist Perspective on Gender and the Politics of Human Security
Authors: Hudson Heidi
Published: May 2005

A feminist perspective can make security discourse more reflective of its own normative assumptions. In respect of an expanded human security concept, a feminist perspective highlights the dangers of masking differences under the rubric of the term ‘human’. A critical feminist perspective is geared towards addressing the politics of multiple overlapping identities. Since gender is intertwined with other identities such as race, class and nationality, the dichotomy between universalism and cultural relativism is overcome by connecting individual experiences in a particular location to wider regional and global structures and processes. An overview of a number of feminist and security-studies schools of thought reveals the extent of universalizing tendencies and gender silences within such discourses. The conceptual and political commensurability of the gender and security constructs is often overlooked. An emphasis on identity politics may thus help to clarify the ambivalence of human security as both a political project of emancipation and an analytical framework. A case is therefore made for more fluid context-based interpretations of gender in human security. In this regard it is posited that alternative feminist approaches, such as those rooted in the African context, could facilitate dialogue within and across supposedly irreconcilable standpoints.
Assessing the Conflict Resolution Potential of the EU: The Cyprus Conflict and Accession Negotiations
Authors: Eralp Doga Ulas , Beriker Nimet
Published: May 2005

This article treats conflict prevention and conflict transformation as foreign policy tools that are available to international actors alongside classical security-based foreign policy measures. It investigates the conflict resolution role of the EU on the Cyprus conflict in the context of EU accession negotiations. For this purpose, the article: (a) depicts the changes in the roles the EU has played on the island within the context of the accession negotiations; (b) illustrates the nature of structural prevention measures that the EU has taken; and (c) describes the consequences of the EU involvement on UN-led negotiation efforts. The results suggest that the EU has treated the enlargement process as a structural prevention mechanism to change the incentive systems of the conflicting parties – neglecting the conflict-transformation aspects of foreign policymaking. Thus far, this has produced inefficient policies and resulted in the EU bringing an aged conflict into its own jurisdiction. Vision-building, capacity-building, and synergy-building are the three strategies that may help the EU to expand its foreign policy toolbox and to become an influential player in world politics.
The Proliferation Security Initiative and North Korea: Legality and Limitations of a Coalition Strategy
Authors: Cotton James
Published: May 2005

As a US-led coalition operation designed to obstruct weapons proliferation, the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is especially applicable to North Korea. Though practical measures have been developed to implement the interdiction of seaborne weapons shipments in particular, the PSI has yet to be rendered consistent with the international legal regime supporting free navigation of the high seas. Nor has it attracted specific United Nations support. A review of the 1962 ‘quarantine’ of Cuba demonstrates that in the absence of a more restrictive approach towards Pyongyang and conclusive evidence that North Korean weapons capability poses a current threat to the United States, the appellation ‘Cuba Lite’ is not inappropriate. Furthermore, in the context of multilateral diplomacy intended to persuade North Korea to relinquish its nuclear weapons programs in exchange for security guarantees, the PSI may be interpreted as pressuring Pyongyang and thus may not be perceived – even by PSI coalition partners – as consistent with that diplomacy.
Measuring Stigma in Older and Younger Adults with HIV/AIDS: An Analysis of an HIV Stigma Scale and Initial Exploration of Subscales
Authors: Emlet Charles A.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study is to explore the validity of a scale designed to measure HIV stigma and identify potential subscales. A nonrandom sample of 88 individuals, 44 between the ages of 20 and 39 and 44 ages 50 and older, living with HIV/AIDS were interviewed and completed a 13-item HIV Stigma Scale. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) found 12 of the 13 items loaded cleanly into three subscales labeled as Distancing, Blaming, and Discrimination, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of .83. The three newly identified subscales were found to have convergent validity with social support as expected. Overall, older adults were found to have higher, but nonsignificant scores on the Blaming subscale, whereas those 20 to 39 years old had significantly higher scores related to discrimination. The 13-item HIV stigma scale can discriminate experiences of stigma in older adults and support three subscales while maintaining internal consistency.
A Comparative Analysis of Child Welfare Services through the Eyes of African American, Caucasian, and Latino Parents
Authors: Ayón Cecilia , Lee Cheryl D.
Published: May 2005

Objective: The purpose of this study was to find if differences exist among 88 African American, Caucasian, and Latino families who received child welfare services. Method: A secondary data analysis of cross-sectional survey data employing standardized measures was used for this study. Family preservation (FP) services were received by 49 participants, and 39 participants were provided Family maintenance (FM) services. Results: Minority clients were likely to have more children, lower incomes, and receive public assistance, and 30% were monolingual Spanish speakers. African American and Latino parents reported more positive outcomes on children’s academic adjustment and symptomatic behavior than Caucasian parents when receiving FP services. Conclusion: When recommending child welfare services, workers need to take ethnicity into account as culturally sensitive and community-based programs, such as FP, may be more effective when serving ethnic or racial minority groups.
Is There an Integrative Center in the Vertebrate Brain-Stem? A Robotic Evaluation of a Model of the Reticular Formation Viewed as an Action Selection Device
Authors: Humphries Mark D. , Gurney Kevin , Prescott Tony J.
Published: May 2005

Neurobehavioral data from intact, decerebrate, and neonatal rats suggests that the reticular formation provides a brainstem substrate for action selection in the vertebrate central nervous system. In this article, Kilmer, McCulloch and Blum’s (1969) landmark reticular formation model (see also Kilmer, 1997) is described and re-evaluated, both in simulation and, for the first time, as a mobile robot con troller. Particular model configurations are found to provide effective action selection mechanisms in a robot survival task using either simulated or physical robots. The model’s competence is dependent on the organization of afferents from model sensory systems, and a genetic algorithm search identi fied a class of afferent configurations which have long survival times. The results support our proposal that the reticular formation evolved to provide effective arbitration between innate behaviors and, with the forebrain basal ganglia, may constitute the integrative, “centrencephalic” core of vertebrate brain architecture. Additionally, the results demonstrate that the Kilmer et al. model provides an alternative form of robot controller to those usually considered in the adaptive behavior literature.
Integration of Navigation and Action Selection Functionalities in a Computational Model of Cortico-Basal-Ganglia–Thalamo-Cortical Loops
Authors: Girard Benoît , Filliat David , Meyer Jean-Arcady , Berthoz Alain , Guillot Agnès
Published: May 2005

This article describes a biomimetic control architecture affording an animat both action selection and navigation functionalities. It satisfies the survival constraint of an artificial metabolism and supports several complementary navigation strategies. It builds upon an action selection model based on the basal ganglia of the vertebrate brain, using two interconnected cortico-basal-ganglia–thalamo-cortical loops: A ventral one concerned with appetitive actions and a dorsal one dedicated to consummatory actions. The performances of the resulting model are evaluated in simulation. The experiments assess the prolonged survival permitted by the use of high-level navigation strategies and the com plementarity of navigation strategies in dynamic environments. The correctness of the behavioral choices in situations of antagonistic or synergetic internal states are also tested. Finally, the modeling choices are discussed with regard to their biomimetic plausibility, while the experimental results are estimated in terms of animat adaptivity.
Actor–Critic Models of Reinforcement Learning in the Basal Ganglia: From Natural to Artificial Rats
Authors: Khamassi Mehdi , Lachèze Loïc , Girard Benoît , Berthoz Alain , Guillot Agnès
Published: May 2005

Since 1995, numerous Actor–Critic architectures for reinforcement learning have been proposed as models of dopamine-like reinforcement learning mechanisms in the rat’s basal ganglia. However, these models were usually tested in different tasks, and it is then difficult to compare their efficiency for an autonomous animat. We present here the comparison of four architectures in an animat as it per forms the same reward-seeking task. This will illustrate the consequences of different hypotheses about the management of different Actor sub-modules and Critic units, and their more or less autono mously determined coordination. We show that the classical method of coordination of modules by mixture of experts, depending on each module’s performance, did not allow solving our task. Then we address the question of which principle should be applied efficiently to combine these units. Improve ments for Critic modeling and accuracy of Actor–Critic models for a natural task are finally discussed in the perspective of our Psikharpax project—an artificial rat having to survive autonomously in unpre dictable environments.
Periodic Struts for Gearbox Support System
Authors: Asiri S. , Baz A. , Pines D.
Published: May 2005

Passive periodic structures exhibit unique dynamic characteristics that make them act as mechanical filters for wave propagation. As a result, waves can propagate along the periodic structures only within specific frequency bands called “pass bands” and wave propagation is completely blocked within other frequency bands called “stop bands”. In this paper, the emphasis is placed on developing a new class of these periodic structures called passive periodic struts, which can be used to support gearbox systems on the airframes of helicopters. When designed properly, the passive periodic strut can stop the propagation of vibration from the gearbox to the airframe within critical frequency bands, consequently minimizing the effects of transmission of undesirable vibration and sound radiation to the helicopter cabin. The theory governing the operation of this class of passive periodic struts is introduced and their filtering characteristics are demonstrated experimentally as a function of their design parameters. The presented concept of the passive periodic strut can be easily used in many applications to control the wave propagation and the force transmission in both the spectral and spatial domains in an attempt to stop/confine the propagation of undesirable disturbances.
Low-frequency Torsional Vibrations of a Power Split Hybrid Electric Vehicle Drive Train
Authors: Schulz Marcus
Published: May 2005

Recently, a new power split hybrid electric vehicle drive train has been developed by the Corporate Research and Development Department of the Robert Bosch Company. The new drive train differs from a conventional one in many respects. In this paper we investigate how these differences affect the vibrational behavior of the drive line. With the aid of a linear mechanical model, a modal analysis is performed and the effect of the control of the drive train on the eigenvibrations is studied. The analysis reveals, for example, a shuffle behavior, which can also be observed in vehicles with conventional drive train. The constant of the I part of the controller influences the vibrational behavior in quite a complex way. Starting from zero and steadily increasing the control parameter, one of the modes undergoes three metamorphoses. On the basis of this fundamental understanding, two strategies for the optimization of the drive line vibrational behavior are proposed. Furthermore, the simple mechanical model is refined with regard to various aspects. For example, tire slip is taken into account and a two-track model capturing asymmetric vibrations of the two axle shafts or wheels is considered.
Centrifuge Simulation of Wave Propagation due to Vertical Vibration on Shallow Foundations and Vibration Attenuation Countermeasures
Authors: Itoh K. , Zeng X. , Koda M. , Murata O. , Kusakabe O.
Published: May 2005

When constructing a high-speed railway system in an urban area, the reduction of the ground vibration and noise generated by train passages is a vitally important environmental consideration. In this paper we focus on the development of a centrifuge vibration testing system, which can simulate dynamic loading acting on shallow foundations. The system is used to generate vertical vibration similar to that generated by high-speed trains. The characteristics of wave propagation in a shallow circular foundation on sand are investigated. The effects of two types of barriers on vibration reduction are studied. Additionally, the impact of using vibration attenuating materials to build trackbeds is evaluated.
Vibration of Steel–Concrete Composite Beams Using the Timoshenko Beam Model
Authors: Berczyński Stefan , Wróblewski Tomasz
Published: May 2005

In this paper we present a solution of the problem of free vibrations of steel–concrete composite beams. Three analytical models describing the dynamic behavior of this type of constructions have been formulated: two of these are based on Euler beam theory, and one on Timoshenko beam theory. All three models have been used to analyze the steel–concrete composite beam researched by others. We also give a comparison of the results obtained from the models with the results determined experimentally. The model based on Timoshenko beam theory describes in the best way the dynamic behavior of this type of construction. The results obtained on the basis of the Timoshenko beam theory model achieve the highest conformity with the experimental results, both for higher and lower modes of flexural vibrations of the beam. Because the frequencies of higher modes of flexural vibrations prove to be highly sensitive to damage occurring in the constructions, this model may be used to detect any damage taking place in such constructions.
Wave Propagation in a Micropolar Elastic Plate with Voids
Authors: Tomar S. K.
Published: May 2005

Frequency equations are obtained for Rayleigh–Lamb wave propagation in a plate of micropolar elastic material with voids. The thickness of the plate is taken to be finite and the faces of the plate are assumed to be free from stresses. The frequency equations are obtained corresponding to symmetric and antisymmetric modes of vibrations of the plate, and some limiting cases of these equations are discussed. Numerical computations are made for a specific model to solve the frequency equations for symmetric and antisymmetric modes of propagation. It is found that both modes of vibrations are dispersive and the presence of voids has a negligible effect on these dispersion curves. However, the attenuation coefficient is found to be influenced by the presence of voids. The results of some earlier works are also deduced from the present formulation.
Celebrating a Citation Classic—and More
Authors: Rosa Eugene A.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this commentary is to provide a review and preliminary assessment of Perrow’s Normal Accident Framework (NAF) as a theoretical statement and compare it with the High Reliability Organization Framework (HROF). Given the tendency of risk analysts to reduce complex systems to psychological processes and phenomena, it is suggested that continuing work with both the NAF and the HROF is important. These frameworks provide macroconstructs (power and culture, respectively) that could be integrated and that are essential for sociological analysis of complex systems. Investigations that expand the cases of analyses to include both systems with accidents and systems without is necessary for theory building that relies on the principle of falsification.
An Appraisal of the Critique of Anthropocentrism and Three Lesser Known Themes in Lynn White’s “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis”
Authors: Minteer Ben A. , Manning Robert E.
Published: May 2005

Lynn White Jr.’s essay, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis,” which first appeared in Science in 1967, has long been a cornerstone in the environmental studies literature. Yet subsequent research in the natural and social sciences, as well as in the environmental humanities, challenges many of White’s key assumptions and claims in this classic article including the uniquely dynamic presence of humans within a stable natural order, the pernicious metaphysical and moral implications of agriculture, the antiecological implications of democracy, and the direct linkage between the worldview of philosophical humanism (anthropocentrism) and environmental destruction. Although still relevant to current discussions about the cultural and historical roots of scientific and technological problems, White’s essay requires critical revision if it is to remain useful in clarifying the historical and cultural foundations of contemporary ecological attitudes and behaviors.
Sexual Exhibitionism as ‘Sexuality and Individuality’: A Critique of Psycho-Medical Discourse from the Perspectives of Women who Exhibit
Authors: Hugh-Jones Siobhan , Gough Brendan , Littlewood Annie
Published: May 2005

Exhibitionism is defined by the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) as a paraphilia involving exposing one’s genitals to a stranger. Within psycho-medical discourse, exhibitionism is defined as abnormal and devoid of sexual motivation, and ‘normal’ female sexuality is often construed as passive. This study sought to explore the ways in which women exhibitionists themselves construct their activities. Six women were interviewed online about their motivations to exhibit and the perceived effects of exhibitionism. Using discourse analysis, we found that the women promoted and normalized their exhibitionism utilizing repertoires such as ‘personal fulfilment’, ‘self as responsible’, and ‘exhibitionism as socially supported’. Notably, the women tended to deploy traditional psycho-medical discourse around male exhibitionists to augment their own, more positive, self-constructions. The alternative constructions of women’s exhibitionism are discussed as well as the unitary conceptualization of paraphilia.
‘Dear Girlfriend...’: Constructions of Sexual Health Problems and Sexual Identities in Letters to a Teenage Magazine
Authors: Jackson Sue
Published: May 2005

Advice columns in teenage magazines provide space for young women to both write and read about representations of issues that teenage girls may grapple with in their everyday lives. Issues related to sexuality appear frequently in these pages. This article examines letters about sexual health issues written to the advice columns of Girlfriend, an Australasian teen magazine. Using a Foucauldian poststructuralist analysis, the article asks how sexual health problems are being constructed by writers and the magazine doctor, and how young women’s sexual subjectivities are being drawn through their positioning in the various discourses mobilized in the texts. Analyses suggest glimmerings of plurality in sexual subjectivities, dominance of the ‘coital imperative’ in constructions of sexuality, and emphasis on discourses of risk and danger versus pleasure.
‘Dude, You’re a Fag’: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse
Authors: Pascoe C. J.
Published: May 2005

This article argues that American adolescent boys become masculine through the continual repudiation of a ‘fag’ identity. Using insights from sociologists of interaction and post-structural theorists of sexuality this article demonstrates that the fag insult has multiple meanings which are primarily gendered but also sexualized and raced. This article builds on prior analyses of adolescent homophobia by (1) pointing to the limits of an argument that focuses centrally on homophobia, (2) demonstrating that the fag is not only an identity linked to homosexual boys but an identity that can temporarily adhere to heterosexual boys as well and (3) highlighting the racialized nature of this fag discourse.