bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE OLDEST HORSESHOE CRAB: A NEW XIPHOSURID FROM LATE ORDOVICIAN KONSERVAT‐LAGERSTÄTTEN DEPOSITS, MANITOBA, CANADA
Authors: RUDKIN DAVID M. , YOUNG GRAHAM A. , NOWLAN GODFREY S.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  A remarkable new fossil horseshoe crab, Lunataspis aurora gen. et sp. nov., from recently discovered Upper Ordovician (c. 445 Ma) shallow marine Konservat‐Lagerstätten deposits in Manitoba (Canada), is characterized by fusion of opisthosomal tergites into two sclerites. A broad mesosoma of six or seven fused segments, followed by a narrow metasoma of three reduced segments, represents an advanced transitional condition in the development of the xiphosurid thoracetron. Lunataspis further possesses a large crescentic prosomal shield bearing lateral compound eyes on weak ophthalmic ridges that flank a low cardiac lobe, and a keeled lanceolate telson. Lunataspis is much older than the proposed ‘synziphosurine’ stem lineage of Carboniferous and post‐Palaeozoic Xiphosurida, yet is strikingly similar to crown group limuline horseshoe crabs, indicating that major features of the distinctive and highly conserved xiphosurid Bauplan evolved considerably earlier in the Palaeozoic than was previously suspected. In addition to establishing a new temporal benchmark for assessing hypotheses of early chelicerate relationships, the discovery of horseshoe crabs in a Late Ordovician marginal marine setting marks the earliest definitive record of this persistent ecological association.
ESTIMATES OF CAPITAL STOCK BY INDUSTRIES FOR AUSTRIA*
Authors: Hahn Franz , Schmoranz Ingo
Published: September 2010

The present investigation is the first attempt to calculate gross capital stocks for 19 industries which together cover the whole Austrian economy. A production‐oriented concept of capital formed the basis of the investigation; the estimation procedure follows that of C. Almon et al. In contrast to the traditional perpetual‐inventory methods, Almon's modified estimation technique combines the advantages of differentiated cumulation containing a logistical retention function with relatively moderate requirements with respect to investment data. A thorough description of this estimation technique is given in the third section of the paper, combined with a number of comparative model calculations. These demonstrate very clearly that capital stock figures calculated according to the Almon method rarely deviate from those found with the help of the traditional inventory method, which requires considerably more information and uses more complicated calculation procedures. Finally, the sectorally disaggregated capital stock estimates calculated according to the Almon method are presented with some interpretative remarks.
THE VALUE OF SERVCES PROVDED BY THE STOCK OF GOVERNMENT‐OWNED FIXED CAPTAL IN THE UNITED STATES, 1948–79
Authors: Martin Frank D. , Steven Landefeld J. , Peskin Janice
Published: September 2010

Expanded measures of government product normally include imputations for the services of government capital. This article discusses several approaches to measuring the value of the services of government capital and focuses on the conceptual and empirical difficultes associated with making such imputations. In addition, four sets of alternative estimates for 1948–79 are presented.
TESTING POVERTY LINES
Authors: Ravallion Martin , Lokshin Michael
Published: September 2010

In theory, a poverty line can be defined as the cost of a common (inter‐personally comparable) utility level across a population. But how can one know if this holds in practice? For groups sharing common consumption needs but facing different prices, the theory of revealed preference can be used to derive testable implications of utility consistency knowing only the “poverty bundles” and their prices. Heterogeneity in needs calls for extra information. We argue that subjective welfare data offer a credible means of testing utility consistency across different needs groups. A case study of Russia's official poverty lines shows how revealed preference tests can be used in conjunction with qualitative information on needs heterogeneity. The results lead us to question the utility consistency of Russia's official poverty lines.
POVERTY IN POLAND DURING THE 1990s: ARE THE RESULTS ROBUST?
Authors: Szulc Adam
Published: September 2010

This study examines the robustness of poverty measures for Poland in the 1990s to employed methods. At least two definitions or techniques of estimation are applied to each of the following components of poverty measures: (1) household well‐being; (2) poverty line; (3) equivalence scales; and (4) poverty index. Furthermore, groups at risk of poverty are selected by means of decomposition of the poverty incidence and by estimation of the probit model. Relatively robust conclusions can be reached for trends in absolute poverty incidence, which show an inverted U‐shape with rapidly increasing poverty rates in 1993–1995 and declining rates since, but with continued increases in relative poverty. Some robust correlates of high poverty (low education, unemployment, rural residence, large number of children) are also found.
DYNAMIC HEDGE FUND STYLE ANALYSIS WITH ERRORS‐IN‐VARIABLES
Authors: Bodson Laurent , Coën Alain , Hübner Georges
Published: September 2010

We revisit the traditional return‐based style analysis in the presence of time‐varying exposures and errors‐in‐variables (EIV). We apply a benchmark selection algorithm using the Kalman filter and compute the estimated EIV of the selected benchmarks. We adjust them by subtracting their EIV from the initial return series to obtain an estimate of the true uncontaminated benchmarks. Finally, we run the Kalman filter on these adjusted regressors. Analyzing EDHEC alternative index styles, we show that this technique improves the factor loadings and allows more precise identification of the return sources of the considered hedge fund strategy.
MUTUAL FUNDS SELECTION BASED ON FUNDS CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Budiono Diana P. , Martens Martin
Published: September 2010

The popular investment strategy in the literature is to use only past performance to select mutual funds. We investigate whether an investor can select superior funds by additionally using fund characteristics. After considering the fund fees, we find that combining information on past performance, turnover ratio, and ability produces a yearly excess net return of 8.0%, whereas an investment strategy that uses only past performance generates 7.1%. Adjusting for systematic risks, and then using fund characteristics, increases yearly alpha significantly from 0.8% to 1.7%. The strategy that also uses fund characteristics requires less turnover.
Citizenship Beyond Borders: A Cross‐National Study of Dual Citizenship*
Authors: Dahlin Eric C. , Hironaka Ann
Published: September 2010

As global integration increases, the implications for state boundaries and citizens’ identity grow more significant. Some scholars suggest that the recognition of dual citizenship reveals the extent to which cross‐national immigration requires states to formally recognize a multiplicity of national identities through dual citizenship (Aleinikoff and Klusmeyer 2002;Castles and Davidson 2000;Falk 1994). We propose that scholars need to additionally consider citizenship identity as a source of national assimilation of the international community and postnational citizenship in world culture (Brubaker 1992a;Faist 2004;Soysal 1994;Turner 2001). We use logistic regression to evaluate this argument by examining factors that lead states to enact legislation recognizing dual citizenship. The resulting analysis suggests that the recognition of dual citizenship reflects national, ex‐colonial, and postnational cultural identities rather than the presence of cross‐national immigration.
The Emergence of a Social Problem: Single‐Parent Families in U.S. Popular Magazines and Social Science Journals, 1900–1998*
Authors: Usdansky Margaret L.
Published: September 2010

Abundant research investigates the content of public discourse about social problems. Far less is known about the quantity of social problems discourse. This article employs original data to address this gap by examining the emergence of single‐parent families as a social problem within U.S. popular magazines and social science journals. I trace the growth of discourse about single‐parent families in magazines indexed by the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (N= 3050) and social science journals indexed by JSTOR (N= 1376) between 1900 and 1998 and explore factors associated with this growth. The results indicate that contemporary issues functioned as rival social problems and depressed single‐parent family discourse within magazines but not within journals. Increases in the prevalence of single‐parent families were associated with increases in related discourse in both arenas, but discourse increased earlier in journals. Growing popular concern about single‐parent family formation in the 1960s was associated with a reduction in the quantity of single‐parent family discourse within journals but not within magazines.
The Intersection of Neglected Ideas: Durkheim, Mead, and the Postmodernists*
Authors: Kerr Keith
Published: September 2010

In this article, the author examines pragmatic philosophy as a tool to open a richer dialogue between modern and postmodern depictions of reality. Exploring the pragmatic influences in the thoughts of G. H. Mead and Emile Durkheim (as well as C. Wright Mills and others), the author argues that ideas found in these theorist's writings, as they are informed by American Pragmatism, can act as a metaphorical bridge in linking modern and postmodern thought. In this context, the author shows that the functionalists and structuralists wrongly depict Durkheim and Mead as disciples of and inheritors of the Enlightenment project. Conversely, the postmodernists simply ignore them because they are wrongly perceived to be part of the totalizing, “enemy” camp of the Enlightenment tradition. The author asserts that a more accurate read of Durkheim and Mead finds a nuanced, middle ground in regards to opposition to versus submission to the Enlightenment project, and hence Durkheim and Mead (due in large part to American Pragmatism's influence in their writings) offer a way for modern and postmodern theory to enter into more fruitful dialogue with each other.
Cathodal iontophoresis of treprostinil and iloprost induces a sustained increase in cutaneous flux in rats
Authors: Blaise S , Roustit M , Millet C , Ribuot C , Boutonnat J , Cracowski JL
Published: September 2010

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The treatment of scleroderma‐related digital ulcers is still a therapeutic challenge. The most effective drugs are prostacyclin analogues. However, their usage is limited to an intravenous route of administration and by their frequent side effects. The objective of this study was to test whether treprostinil, iloprost and epoprostenol can induce sustained vasodilatation in rats when delivered locally using cutaneous iontophoresis.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Treprostinil, iloprost and epoprostenol were delivered by cathodal and anodal iontophoresis onto the hindquarters of anaesthesized rats (n= 8 for each group). Skin blood flow was quantified using laser Doppler imaging and cutaneous tolerance was assessed from day 0 to day 3.

KEY RESULTS

Cathodal but not anodal iontophoresis of treprostinil (6.4 mM), iloprost (0.2 mM) and epoprostenol (1.4 mM) induced a significant and sustained increase in cutaneous blood flow. The effects of treprostinil and iloprost were significantly different from those of treprostinil vehicle. Only weak effects were observed when both drugs were applied locally without current. Skin resistance was unchanged in areas treated with prostacyclin analogues. Finally, skin tolerance was good, with no evidence of epidermal damage.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Cathodal iontophoresis of treprostinil and iloprost increases cutaneous blood flow with a good local tolerance. The effects of cathodal iontophoresis of these drugs should be investigated in humans, as they could have potential as new local therapies for digital ulcers in patients with scleroderma.
The importance of breaching as a mechanism of subaqueous slope failure in fine sand
Authors: Van Den Berg Jan H. , Van Gelder André , Mastbergen Dick R.
Published: September 2010

Large bank failures, comprising up to 106 m3 of sediment, are common features along steep channel banks in estuaries and large rivers that consist of clean, fine sands, and are mostly assumed to be generated by sudden liquefaction of large masses of very loosely packed sand. Another less commonly recognized type of failure is manifested by the gradual retrogression of a very steep wall, steeper than the angle‐of‐repose. Instead of the voluminous surging plastic sediment‐water flow, or hyperconcentrated density flow (sensu Mulder & Alexander, 2001) generated by liquefaction, this type of failure, known as breaching by dredging companies and hydraulic engineers, produces a sustained quasi‐steady, turbidity current. To date, sedimentologists have not recognized the process of breaching as such. In this paper, it is suggested that breaching may be the origin of many thick, massive sand layers known from ancient deposits from various environments, notably in some turbidite successions. Possible differences in the sedimentary structure of the deposits produced by breach failures vs. liquefaction slope failures (=liquefaction flow slides) can be deduced from a knowledge of the sediment transport processes initiated by the failure. A field study is presented on some poorly structured beds in the Eocene Vlierzele Sands in Belgium, which are supposed to have originated from liquefaction failures, but are reinterpreted to be the products of breaching. It is postulated that the local steep slope disturbance required to initiate an active breach can be produced by a small liquefaction slope failure (=liquefaction flow slide failure) or local erosion by river or tidal channel flow at the initial stage of the failure event.
Hormone response to bidirectional selection on social behavior
Authors: Amdam Gro V. , Page Robert E. , Fondrk M. Kim , Brent Colin S.
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYBehavior is a quantitative trait determined by multiple genes. Some of these genes may have effects from early development and onward by influencing hormonal systems that are active during different life‐stages leading to complex associations, or suites, of traits. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) have been used extensively in experiments on the genetic and hormonal control of complex social behavior, but the relationships between their early developmental processes and adult behavioral variation are not well understood. Bidirectional selective breeding on social food‐storage behavior produced two honey bee strains, each with several sublines, that differ in an associated suite of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits found in unselected wild type bees. Using these genotypes, we document strain‐specific changes during larval, pupal, and early adult life‐stages for the central insect hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids. Strain differences correlate with variation in female reproductive anatomy (ovary size), which can be influenced by JH during development, and with secretion rates of ecdysteroid from the ovaries of adults. Ovary size was previously assigned to the suite of traits of honey bee food‐storage behavior. Our findings support that bidirectional selection on honey bee social behavior acted on pleiotropic gene networks. These networks may bias a bee's adult phenotype by endocrine effects on early developmental processes that regulate variation in reproductive traits.
Role of Dlx genes in craniofacial morphogenesis: Dlx2 influences skeletal patterning by inducing ectomesenchymal aggregation in ovo
Authors: Gordon Christopher T. , Brinas Inigo M. L. , Rodda Felicity A. , Bendall Andrew J. , Farlie Peter G.
Published: September 2010

SUMMARY
Dlx homeodomain transcription factors are expressed in neural crest‐derived mesenchyme of the pharyngeal arches and are required for patterning of the craniofacial skeleton. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which Dlx factors control skeletogenesis in the facial primordia are unclear. We have investigated the function of Dlx2 and Dlx5 by sustained misexpression in ovo. We find that RCAS‐Dlx2‐ and RCAS‐Dlx5‐infected avian embryos exhibit very similar patterns of local, stereotypical changes in skeletal development in the upper jaw. The changes include ectopic dermal bone along the jugal arch, and ectopic cartilages that develop between the quadrate and the trabecula. The ectopic cartilage associated with the trabecula is reminiscent of a normally occurring element in this region in some bird taxa. Analysis of the distribution of RCAS‐Dlx2‐infected cells suggests that Dlx2 induces aggregation of undifferentiated mesenchyme, which subsequently develops into the ectopic skeletal elements. Comparison of infected embryos with restricted or widespread misexpression, and of embryos in which Dlx genes were delivered to migratory or postmigratory neural crest, indicate that there are limited regions of competence in which the ectopic elements can arise. The site‐specific differentiation program that the aggregates undergo may be dependent on local environmental signals. Our results suggest that Dlx factors mediate localization of ectomesenchymal subpopulations within the pharyngeal arches and in doing so define where skeletogenic condensations will arise. Consequently, variation in Dlx expression or activity may have influenced the morphology of jaw elements during vertebrate evolution.
Turning snails into slugs: induced body plan changes and formation of an internal shell
Authors: Osterauer Raphaela , Marschner Leonie , Betz Oliver , Gerberding Matthias , Sawasdee Banthita , Cloetens Peter , Haus Nadine , Sures Bernd , Triebskorn Rita , Köhler Heinz‐R.
Published: September 2010

SUMMARY
The archetypal body plan of conchiferan molluscs is characterized by an external calcareous shell, though internalization of shells has evolved independently in a number of molluscan clades, including gastropod families. In gastropods, the developmental process of torsion is regarded as a hallmark that is associated with a new anatomical configuration. This configuration is present in extant prosobranch gastropod species, which predominantly bear external shells. Here, we show that short‐term exposure to platinum during development uncouples at least two of the processes associated with torsion of the freshwater snail Marisa cornuarietis. That is, the anus of the treated snails is located anteriorly, but the gill and the designated mantle tissue remains in a posterior location, thus preventing the formation of an external shell. In contrast to the prosobranchian archetype, platinum treatment results in the formation of a posterior gill and a cone‐shaped internal shell, which persists across the lifetime. This first finding of artificially induced snail‐slug conversion was also seen in the pulmonate snail Planorbarius corneus and demonstrates that selective alteration of embryonic key processes can result in fundamental changes of an existing body plan and—if altered regulation is inherited—may give rise to a new one.
Structure and expression of conserved Wnt pathway components in the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica
Authors: Adamska Maja , Larroux Claire , Adamski Marcin , Green Kathryn , Lovas Erica , Koop Demian , Richards Gemma S. , Zwafink Christin , Degnan Bernard M.
Published: September 2010

SUMMARY
Wnt‐signalling plays a critical role in animal development, and its misregulation results in serious human diseases, including cancer. While the Wnt pathway is well studied in eumetazoan models, little is known about the evolutionary origin of its components and their functions. Here, we have identified key machinery of the Wnt–β‐catenin (canonical)‐signalling pathway that is encoded in the Amphimedon queenslandica (Demospongiae; Porifera) genome, namely Wnt, Fzd, SFRP, Lrp5/6, Dvl, Axin, APC, GSK3, β‐catenin, Tcf, and Groucho. Most of these genes are not detected in the choanoflagellate and other nonmetazoan eukaryotic genomes. In contrast, orthologues of some of key components of bilaterian Wnt–planar cell polarity and Wnt/Ca2+ are absent from the Amphimedon genome, suggesting these pathways evolved after demosponge and eumetazoan lineages diverged. Sequence analysis of the identified proteins of the Wnt–β‐catenin pathway has revealed the presence of most of the conserved motifs and domains responsible for protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions in vertebrates and insects. However, several protein–protein interaction domains appear to be absent from the Amphimedon Axin and APC proteins. These are also missing from their orthologues in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, suggesting that they are bilaterian novelties. All of the analyzed Wnt pathway genes are expressed in specific patterns during Amphimedon embryogenesis. Most are expressed in especially striking and highly dynamic patterns during formation of a simple organ‐like larval structure, the pigment ring. Overall, our results indicate that the Wnt–β‐catenin pathway was used in embryonic patterning in the last common ancestor of living metazoans. Subsequently, gene duplications and a possible increase in complexity of protein interactions have resulted in the precisely regulated Wnt pathway observed in extant bilaterian animals.
The genome of the sponge Amphimedon queenslandica provides new perspectives into the origin of Toll‐like and interleukin 1 receptor pathways
Authors: Gauthier Marie E. A. , Du Pasquier Louis , Degnan Bernard M.
Published: September 2010

SUMMARY
Members of the Toll‐like receptor (TLR) and the interleukin 1 receptor (IL1R) superfamilies activate various signaling cascades that are evolutionarily conserved in eumetazoans. In this study, we have searched the genome and expressed sequence tags of the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica for molecules involved in TLR and IL1R signaling. Although we did not identify a conventional TLR or ILR, the Amphimedon genome encodes two related receptors, AmqIgTIRs, which are comprised of at least three extracellular IL1R‐like immunoglobulins (Ig) and an intracellular TLR‐like Toll/interleukin1 receptor/resistance (TIR) domain. The remainder of the TLR/IL1R pathway is mostly conserved in Amphimedon and includes genes known to interact with TLRs and IL1Rs in bilaterians, such as Toll‐interacting protein (Tollip) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88). By comparing the sponge genome to that of nonmetazoan eukaryotes and other basal animal phyla (i.e., placozoan and cnidarian representatives) we can infer that most components of the signaling cascade, including the receptors, evolved after the divergence of metazoan, and choanoflagellate lineages. In most cases, these proteins are composed of metazoan‐specific domains (e.g., Pellino) or architectures (e.g., the association of a death domain with a TIR domain in the MyD88). The dynamic expression of the two AmqIgTIRs, AmqMyD88, AmqTollip, and AmqPellino during Amphimedon embryogenesis and larval development is consistent with the TLR/IL1R pathway having a role in both development and immunity in the last common metazoan ancestor.
Cost Analysis: Concepts and Application
Authors: Brosnan Christine A , Swint J. Michael
Published: September 2010

Public health nurses are increasingly called upon to justify the cost of care or to decide which of two alternative programs is more cost‐effective. Cost studies can be complex and difficult to conduct, but an understanding of the basic techniques allows nurses to fully participate in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs that greatly impact the health of the community. This article defines some of the basic terms used in health economics, discusses standard methods of cost analysis, and provides an example of neonatal screening to illustrate methods of describing, measuring, and assigning a value to cost items.
Predictors of Short‐Term Smoking Cessation Among Korean American Men
Authors: Kim Sun Seog
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT Objectives:The purpose of this study was to examine which demographic, smoking behavior, and theoretical variables of theory of planned behavior would predict smoking cessation attempts among Korean American men.

Design:This is a longitudinal study and data collection was conducted at baseline and 1‐month follow‐up.

Sample:At baseline, 118 Korean adult male smokers were recruited into the study and of these, 93 participated at follow‐up.

Measures:Study questionnaires consisted of demographic data, smoking behavior, and theoretical variables.

Analysis:A multiple regression analysis was performed to identify correlates of behavioral intentions to quit smoking at baseline and binary logistic regression analysis for predictors of actual quitting behavior at follow‐up.

Results:Among smoking behavior variables, past‐year quit attempts and average number of cigarettes smoked per day explained 15% of the variance in behavioral intentions to quit smoking ( p<.0001). Two theoretical variables attitudes and perceived family social norms increased the explanatory power by 22% ( p<.0001) with an overall of 37%. Religion and perceived family social norms had about 32% predictive power over actual quitting behavior ( p<.0001).

Conclusions:Any smoking cessation programs planned for Korean American men consider encouraging family members to affirm antismoking messages to this ethnic subgroup.
Philip Morris's Health Information Web Site Appears Responsible but Undermines Public Health
Authors: Smith Elizabeth A. , Malone Ruth E.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTMany people may search for information about tobacco use, the largest cause of preventable mortality in the United States, on the Internet. In 1999, Philip Morris U.S.A. (PM), the country's biggest cigarette manufacturer, posted a Web site and launched a campaign to encourage people to obtain information about tobacco and health issues there. The company asserted that its goal was to deliver the messages of the public health community about tobacco. However, internal tobacco company documents reveal that the site was a public relations effort intended to help the company avoid punishment and regulation. Examination of the language on the Web site reveals many contradictions and omissions that may undermine public health messages. Among these are vague and confusing information about addiction, tar, and nicotine, a lack of motivators to quit smoking, and silence about tobacco‐related mortality. By appearing to join with public health organizations in disseminating “responsible” messages about tobacco, PM may improve its image, thus facilitating its ability to continue to sell its lethal products. Public health nurses should be prepared to examine health information on the Internet for subtle biases, to counter PM's specific language about smoking to patients, and to challenge PM's larger corporate goals.
Employee Absenteeism Based on Occupational Health Visits in an Urban Tertiary Care Canadian Hospital
Authors: Donovan Tara L. , Moore Kieran M. , VanDenKerkhof Elizabeth G.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT
(1) To merge Occupational Health (OH) and Human Resources (HR) administrative data to describe reasons for absenteeism among hospital employees and (2) to consider the advantages and disadvantages of using these combined data for surveillance of health care workers. This study utilized a retrospective cohort design, involving a record linkage of two administrative databases at a Canadian general hospital: OH and HR. Data were included for the period of June 1, 2004, to May 31, 2005. Data linkage was performed using sex, postal code, and date of birth. The most common self‐reported reasons for absence were respiratory illness (31%), gastrointestinal illness (17%), and musculoskeletal injuries/disabilities (15%). Employees working in the Department of General Medicine experienced the highest number of times absent—1.9 per 1,000 work hours. The department with the highest percentage of staff not reporting to OH was General Medicine (43%). This research highlights the issue of absenteeism among health care workers and the need to improve reporting of illness and injury to OH for surveillance efficacy. Further, a public health surveillance system that monitors OH visits among health care workers can facilitate public health practice.
Future Families and Nurses of the Future as Seen in 1948
Authors: Abrams Sarah E.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Community Service Society (CSS) of New York, Ruth Weaver Hubbard, president of the National Organization for Public Health Nursing, addressed the audience with a talk about “Nursing for Health in Tomorrow's Family.” The full text of her speech was printed in the original Public Health Nursing in June 1948. This article presents excerpts of her forecast of the future of the American family and the role of the nurse in helping to achieve health. Predictions from the past provide an unusual historical perspective, one of peering into a future now some 50 years past. The fabric of life in the United States has changed dramatically since 1948, but Hubbard's opinion that nursing is integral to a team approach to helping individuals and communities address their own needs was articulated with profound conviction.
Infants’ Use of Shared Experience in Declarative Pointing
Authors: Liebal Kristin , Carpenter Malinda , Tomasello Michael
Published: September 2010

In this study, we asked whether 14‐ and 18‐month‐old infants use the experiences they have previously shared with others when deciding what to point to for them declaratively. After sharing a particular type of referent with an adult in an excited manner, 18‐month‐olds subsequently found a picture of that type of referent more worthy of declarative pointing than some other picture—but only for that adult, not for a different adult. Mixed results were found with 14‐month‐olds. We thus show that by 18 months, infants accurately track their shared experiences with specific individuals and use this to make communicative decisions. These results also demonstrate that infants sometimes use declarative pointing to indicate not totally “new” things, as in the classic formulation, but things which are “old” in the sense that “we” should recognize them as similar to something we have previously shared.
Infants’ Response to Pictures of Impossible Objects
Authors: Shuwairi Sarah M. , Tran Annie , DeLoache Judy S. , Johnson Scott P.
Published: September 2010

Previous work has shown that 4‐month‐olds can discriminate between two‐dimensional (2D) depictions of structurally possible and impossible objects [S. M. Shuwairi (2009), Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 104, 115; S. M. Shuwairi, M. K. Albert, & S. P. Johnson (2007), Psychological Science, 18, 303]. Here, we asked whether evidence of discrimination of possible and impossible pictures would also be revealed in infants’ patterns of reaching and manual exploration. Nine‐month‐old infants were presented with realistic photograph displays of structurally possible and impossible cubes along with a series of perceptual controls, and engaged in more frequent manual exploration of pictures of impossible objects. In addition, the impossible cube display elicited significantly more social referencing and vocalizations than the possible cube and perceptual control displays. The increased manual gestures associated with the incoherent figure suggest that perceptual and manual action mechanisms are interrelated in early development. The infant’s visual system extracts structural information contained in 2D images in analyzing the projected 3D configuration, and this information serves to control both the oculomotor and manual action systems.
A Quantitative Comparison of Sticky‐Price and Sticky‐Information Models of Price Setting
Authors: KILEY MICHAEL T.
Published: September 2010

I estimate sticky‐price and sticky‐information models of price setting for the United States via maximum‐likelihood techniques, reaching several conclusions. First, the sticky‐price model fits best, and captures inflation dynamics as well as reduced‐form equations once hybrid‐behavior is allowed. Second, the importance of hybrid behavior in sticky‐price models is potentially consistent with a role for some information imperfections, such as sticky information, as a complement to nominal price rigidities. Finally, the favorable results herein for the hybrid sticky‐price model when evaluated by statistics that summarize the relative fit of different models is consistent with the existing literature that is both supportive and dismissive of such models, as this literature has largely ignored fit in evaluating such models. Many previous studies have focused on ancillary issues, such as the standard errors associated with certain parameters or Granger‐causality tests that may not provide much information about sticky‐price models.
Pricing Models: A Bayesian DSGE Approach for the U.S. Economy
Authors: LAFORTE JEAN‐PHILIPPE
Published: September 2010

This paper compares and estimates three pricing mechanisms in the context of a small DSGE model of the U.S. economy. We interpret our results as favoring the pricing mechanism presented in Wolman (1999 Wolman model) over the New Keynesian model with indexation (Gali and Gertler 1999, Smets and Wouters 2004a) and the sticky information model of Mankiw and Reis (2002). The key factor that explains the performance of the Wolman model is that the data reject the key assumption of the New Keynesian model that the firm's probability of price change is constant over time and independent of the contract's vintage. Our results also show that incorporating indexation in the New Keynesian model represents a poor expedient in matching the autocorrelation function of the inflation process over the last 20 years.
Health Disparities and Arab‐American Elders: Does Intergenerational Support Buffer the Inequality–Health Link?
Authors: Ajrouch Kristine J.
Published: September 2010

This study examines whether social relations with a child influences health disparities among Arab‐American elders living in the Detroit metropolitan area (Michigan). Data were drawn from 101 Arab‐Americans aged 56 and above. Findings indicate that having less education links to lower self‐ratings of health, more chronic illness, and less functional health. Those with lower levels of education who report an excellent relationship with their child have fewer functional limitations than those reporting less than excellent relationships. Elders with less education who perceive emotional support available from their child have fewer chronic illnesses than similar elders without such support. Findings suggest that among Arab‐Americans with lower education levels, intergenerational relations seem to confer a potentially significant benefit.
Generational Structure and Social Resources in Mid‐Life: Influences on Health and Well‐Being
Authors: McIlvane Jessica M. , Ajrouch Kristine J. , Antonucci Toni C.
Published: September 2010

The influence of generational structure on well‐being in mid‐life is examined in a regional representative sample of 807 adults aged 30–64. Results indicate that those who lack the personal and social resources of education and marriage, and have parents but no children, report higher levels of well‐being than those with only child(ren) or both parent(s) and child(ren). Findings suggest that elders may serve as a key resource to adult children who lack personal and social resources in mid‐life. Adults increasingly follow less traditional paths in life (e.g., those without children and/or never married), and hence, these findings have implications for current and future policies directed toward aging and family well‐being.
Capturing the Complexity of Intergenerational Relations: Exploring Ambivalence within Later‐Life Families
Authors: Pillemer Karl , Suitor J. Jill , Mock Steven E. , Sabir Myra , Pardo Tamara B. , Sechrist Jori
Published: September 2010

This article reports on a study that incorporates two dimensions of complexity in intergenerational relations. First, the article focuses on ambivalence: the simultaneous existence of positive and negative sentiments in the older parent–adult child relationship. Second, the research described here applies a within‐family design to the study of ambivalence, using a data set that includes 566 older mothers' assessments of ambivalence toward all of their adult children. The findings provide general support for our conceptual approach to parental ambivalence that highlights conflict between norms regarding solidarity with children and expectations that adult children should become independent. Lower ambivalence was related to an adult child's being married. Children's problems were positively associated with ambivalence, as was the mother's perception that exchange in the relationship was inequitable in the child's favor. Mother's health status and her perception that she and the child shared the same values were negatively associated with ambivalence. Finally, Black mothers reported higher levels of ambivalence than did White mothers, but the multivariate models explaining ambivalence did not vary by race.
Intergenerational Relations with In‐Laws in the Context of the Social Convoy: Theoretical and Practical Implications
Authors: Santos Jennifer D. , Levitt Mary J.
Published: September 2010

Intergenerational relations among in‐laws are involuntary ties emerging as a consequence of marriage. As such, these relations provide a window through which the dynamics involved in restructuring social networks following life transitions may be observed. A questionnaire, based on the social convoy model, was given to an ethnically diverse sample of adults with living in‐laws (N = 170), married 2–15 years. About half of the respondents included in‐laws in a concentric circle network diagram of persons close and important to them. The strongest unique predictors of convoy placement for the mother‐in‐law were support, frequency of contact, relationship quality, and length of marriage, and for the father‐in‐law were support, relationship quality, and value similarity. This study sheds light on the dynamics of an intergenerational relationship that has been largely ignored in the literature, laying the groundwork for conceptualizing ways to foster positive in‐law relationships as a necessary tool in managing the care of the growing numbers of elderly in the new millennium.
The Effects of Fiscal Decentralization on the Size of Government: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: YEUNG RYAN
Published: September 2010

This study examines the effects of decentralization on the size and scope of government. I use meta‐regression analysis in this article to elucidate the impact of differences in study design on study findings. The results indicate that the study's unit of analysis and choice of decentralization measure impact estimates of the effect of decentralization on government size. In particular, studies utilizing the local unit of analysis and federalism measure of decentralization are more likely to find that government shrinks as decentralization increases while studies utilizing the fragmentation measure appear more likely to find the opposite result.
How Municipal Property Tax Responded to State Aid Cuts: The Case of Massachusetts Municipalities in the Post‐2001 Fiscal Crisis
Authors: WU YONGHONG
Published: September 2010

This empirical study examines municipal property tax responses to state aid cuts during the post‐2001 fiscal crisis. Using panel econometric techniques on annual changes in property tax levy by 351 incorporated Massachusetts municipalities in the period of 2002–2006, the results suggest that municipal governments offset about 9 cents of each dollar of net state aid cut through the increase of their property tax rates. It contributes to public finance literature on the extent to which local property tax can be used to stabilize municipal revenues when the intergovernmental revenue shrinks.
Incarceration and the Legitimate Labor Market: Examining Age-Graded Effects on Employment and Wages
Authors: Pettit Becky , Lyons Christopher J.
Published: September 2010

Over the past 30 years, the U.S. inmate population has increased dramatically, and the penal system has acquired growing attention in accounts of recent trends in economic stratification. As the prison system has expanded, its population has aged; incarceration rates have risen sharpest among older age groups. A large body of research documents differences in criminal offending and incarceration over the life course, but little attention has been paid to how the effects of spending time in prison depend on the timing of incarceration in the life course. Using state administrative data that provide significant variance in the age of offenders, this article investigates how the timing of incarceration in the life course influences its effects on post-release employment and wages. We do not find consistent evidence that incarceration effects vary by age at admission. Instead, incarceration appears to have important consequences for employment and wage outcomes regardless of when individuals are admitted to prison. Even the most motivated offenders suffer sizeable and significant wage penalties and, over time, decreased likelihood of employment. These findings underscore the relevance of legal and institutional shifts associated with carceral expansion and the aging of the inmate population for life course theories of criminal desistance, accounts of labor market inequality, and prisoner reentry programs.
Intraprofessional Competition and Earnings Inequalities Across a Professional Chasm: The Case of the Legal Profession in Québec, Canada
Authors: Kay Fiona M.
Published: September 2010

Intraprofessional rivalry has a long history. This article examines earnings disparities as a dimension of intraprofessional competition amongavocatsandnotairesin the civil law system of Québec, Canada. Drawing on two large-scale surveys and in-depth interviews with legal professionals, I examine three competing perspectives of earnings inequalities: human capital, social-symbolic capital, and organizational-structural explanations. Through this analysis I seek to examine whether similar causal processes shape earnings across the two spheres of legal practice in Québec. The findings of this study clearly demonstrate that these two professional groups are equipped with differential stocks of capital, and conversion rates differ drastically. Avocats receive greater exchange on their investments in human and social-symbolic capitals. These disparities are most pronounced in sectors of the profession where jurisdictional frictions abound: among notaires and avocats working as solo practitioners and in small firms within competitive urban contexts. The article concludes with a discussion of theoretical extensions and future directions for the study of legal professionals in civil law systems and blended jurisdictions.
Fetal Positions: Unraveling the Influence of Religion on Premarital Pregnancy Resolution*
Authors: Adamczyk Amy , Felson Jacob
Published: September 2010

Objective. This study illustrates the ways religiosity and denominational affiliation influence the probability that a young woman will have an abortion.

Methods. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), measures of sexual behavior, out‐of‐wedlock pregnancy, and out‐of‐wedlock pregnancy resolution are regressed on religiosity and denominational affiliation.

Results. Religiosity indirectly reduces the likelihood that a woman will have an abortion by reducing the probability that she will have an out‐of‐wedlock pregnancy. Among women who conceive out of wedlock, religiosity increases the likelihood of marriage before birth, and thereby reduces the probability of abortion. However, among women who conceive out of wedlock and do not marry before birth, religiosity is unrelated to the probability of having an abortion.

Conclusions. Religiosity affects the probability that a woman will obtain an abortion more through its influence on choices about sex and marriage, and less through its influence on attitudes about abortion.
The Political Economy of Privatization in Sub‐Saharan Africa*
Authors: Adams Samuel , Mengistu Berhanu
Published: September 2010

Objective. Few studies have examined the determinants of privatization in Sub‐Saharan Africa. This study examined the macroeconomic, political, and institutional factors that drive the privatization process in Sub‐Saharan Africa.

Method. We used pooled ordinary least squares regression estimation technique to analyze the determinants of privatization in 22 Sub‐Saharan African countries over a period of 12 years (1991–2002).

Results. We found that inflation, income inequality, and the institutional or governance infrastructure are key determinants of privatization in Sub‐Saharan Africa. On the other hand, we did not find democracy and debt to be significantly correlated with privatization. However, countries with high debt levels that were also experiencing high inflation were more likely to privatize.

Conclusion. Government leadership and, consequently, politics play a significant role in the privatization decision in Sub‐Saharan African countries.
Food Assistance Programs and Outcomes in the Context of Welfare Reform*
Authors: Huffman Sonya Kostova , Jensen Helen H.
Published: September 2010

Objective. Food assistance programs play an important role in meeting the basic needs of low‐income households. We consider how the Food Stamp Program (FSP), labor force participation, and food insecurity status affect outcomes of low‐income households under different program designs and economic conditions.

Methods. Data from the Survey of Program Dynamics allow estimation of the effects of participation in FSP, labor market participation, and food insecurity on each other. To obtain estimates of behavioral relationships, we apply a simultaneous equation model and make a set of plausible assumptions about identification to implement the instrumental variable estimation.

Results. Food insecurity has a positive effect on FSP participation, while labor force participation reduces FSP participation. Furthermore, FSP participation is more responsive to changes in the amount of program benefits than to changes in nonlabor income. Labor force participation has no direct effect on food insecurity; although not statistically significant, the effect of FSP participation on food insecurity is positive. A higher wage rate decreases FSP participation and increases participation in the labor force.

Conclusion. The structural approach, which relies on particular identifying assumptions, allows us to explicity examine linkages among food program participation, labor force participation, and well‐being, measured in terms of food insecurity. The results provide evidence that among low‐income households, program parameters affect FSP participation, but no evidence that the food assistance reduces food insecurity.