bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gendered Opportunity?
Authors: Wilcox Pamela , Tillyer Marie Skubak , Fisher Bonnie S.
Published: March 2009

Researchers have shown that criminal opportunity significantly predicts school-based adolescent victimization. However, little is known about the extent to which opportunity for school-based victimization might be gendered. In this study, the authors drew from criminal opportunity and feminist research and extended the principle of homogamy to explore how gender interacts with opportunity and school-based victimization. Data collected from 2001 to 2004 from 10,522 students in 111 middle and high schools throughout Kentucky were used to examine whether indicators of criminal opportunity placed students, particularly girls, at heightened risk for school-based theft and physical assault victimization. The results of gender-specific hierarchical logistic regression models indicated that measures of criminal opportunity were significantly related to theft and assault for both sexes. Equality-of-coefficient tests supported gendered effects for some opportunity indicators, with differences indicating that the effects of risk and protective factors for victimization were heightened for girls.
In-situ Tensile Properties of a Ballooning Staple Yarn
Authors: Tang Zheng-Xue , Lijing Wang  , Fraser W. Barrie , Xungai Wang
Published: March 2009

This study investigated the tensile properties of a rotating or ballooning staple yarn. The results indicated that the effect of rotating speed on the tensile properties of a ballooning staple yarn was significant. As the yarn rotating speed increased, the tenacity of the rotating or ballooning yarn decreased, while the yarn breaking elongation increased. The effect of rotating speed on the tenacity of a ballooning staple yarn varied for different yarns. These results demonstrated that the breaking force of a ballooning yarn was much lower than the yarn breaking force obtained from normal tensile tests. These results provide new insight into the problems of yarn breakage in yarn spinning and twisting processes.
Improving the Wettability of Deep-Groove Polypropylene Fibers by Photografting
Authors: Siqiang Zhu  , Hirt Douglas E.
Published: March 2009

This paper presented photografting as a surface modification method to provide permanent wettability improvement to deep-groove polypropylene (PP) fibers. We also evaluated their wettability by testing the dynamic contact angle (DCA) on single fibers and characterized the wicking performance of fiber bundles when polyacrylamide (PAAm) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were grafted onto the fibers. In this study, the increase in monomer concentration was found more effective than longer UV exposure time in creating higher graft density on deep-groove PP fibers. Acrylic acid (AA) monomers penetrated into the fiber and polymerized inside, but acrylamide (AAm) did not. Fiber dimension changed slightly upon grafting of PAAm, and enlarged significantly after grafting with PAA. DCA results show that the advancing water contact angle on single fibers decreased from 100 to 55° by grafting of PAAm and PAA, and spontaneous wicking of water was observed after surface modification. The wicking amount of the vertically placed fiber bundles showed a linear relationship to the square root of time at early wicking times.
Consumer Acceptability of Scent-infused Knitting Scarves Using Functional Melt-spun PP/PLA Bicomponent Fibers
Authors: Yan Liu  , Tovia Fernando , Pierce John D.
Published: March 2009

Bicomponent melt spinning technology has been widely applied in polymer functionalization. Recently, fragrances have become available that can be readily incorporated into polymer fibers. In our previous research, it was found that the filament infusing method is an alternative and less expensive way than the microencapsulation to add scent into polymers. In current project, the end-item scented products (scarves) were knitted from a scented yarn produced using sheath-core bicomponent fibers with polypropylene (PP) as the core and polylactic Acid (PLA) as the sheath. In order to control scent release, increase producing efficiency and decrease cost, a PP/PLA ratio of 50 : 50 was selected and the scent was incorporated into PP at the filament stage. Scented scarves were then designed and knitted with scented yarn of different scents, colors, and fragrance concentrations. Laboratory results showed that scented scarves had good abrasion resistance despite the poor abrasion resistance of PLA. A survey was conducted among potential consumers with sample size of 90 to evaluate their acceptance to scented products. Psychophysical evaluation of scented products indicated that the scent-infused scarves received uniformly high evaluations from potential consumers. Statistical analysis of psychophysical assessment on scented scarves showed that colors had significant effects on consumers' pleasantness, mood and interest in the products. The congruence (match) between scents and colors was a significant factor in enhancing consumers' pleasantness on scented products.
Outcomes of children adopted from Eastern Europe
Authors: Miller Laurie , Chan Wilma , Tirella Linda , Perrin Ellen
Published: March 2009

Behavioral problems are frequent among post-institutionalized Eastern European adoptees. However, risk factors related to outcomes have not been fully delineated. We evaluated 50 Eastern European adoptees, age 8—10 years, with their adoptive families for more than five years. Cognitive and behavioral outcomes and parenting stress were evaluated in relation to pre-adoptive risk factors, including arrival age, growth, and facial phenotype related to prenatal alcohol exposure. At follow-up, IQ and achievement scores were ≥ average in most children (≥74%). Behavioral and school problems were common (externalizing 44%, internalizing 18%, behavioral symptoms 50%, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 46%, learning disabilities 40%, mental health disorders 28%); 38% had multiple problems. Behavioral problems correlated inversely with IQ. Parent stress was high and correlated with child externalizing behaviors and inversely to child full scale IQ. Children with “severe behavioral disturbances” (24%) were more likely to have had smaller head circumferences at arrival. Child's age at adoption related inversely to parent stress, possibly due to the longer duration of time that children resided with their families. “High/intermediate risk” phenotypic facial scores for prenatal alcohol exposure (58%) correlated with head circumference z scores at arrival and follow-up. Otherwise, arrival age, growth, and facial phenotype did not correlate with these specific outcome measures.
The relationship of aggression and bullying to social preference: Differences in gender and types of aggression
Authors: Lee Eunju
Published: March 2009

With 338 fifth-grade students as subjects, this study found the variations in the relation between school bullying and social preference as a function of gender and types of aggressive behavior utilized. Aggressive boys were likely to be rejected by peers, whereas aggressive girls were both rejected and accepted by peers. Children nominated physically aggressive boys and relationally and verbally aggressive girls as bullies. When other forms of aggression were kept constant, verbal aggression was positively related to peer rejection for boys but negatively related for girls. The use of relational aggression contributed to peer rejection only for girls. Implications of the gender differences are discussed.
Latvia's Democratic Resistance: a Forgotten Episode from the Second World War
Authors: Swain Geoffrey
Published: March 2009

In summer 1943 politicians representing the four main political parties of Latvia's democratic years came together to establish a movement which would both resist the German occupation and prevent the return of the Red Army. They considered the key to re-establishing Latvia as an independent democratic state was to make contact with Britain, and they hoped to do this by a combination of military and diplomatic activity. Once contact with Sweden had been established this Latvian Central Council planned to combine a diplomatic offensive abroad with an insurrection within Latvia. The diplomatic offensive was partly obstructed by the Foreign Office, but that did not prevent the Latvian Central Council working closely with the British Secret Service as it first brought out of Latvia potential members of a Government in Exile, and then began to prepare for an insurrection. Planned to coincide with the arrival of the Red Army and the withdrawal of the Germans, the military wing of the Latvian Central Council intended to seize part of the Courland coast and hold it until British or Swedish forces intervened to prevent them being crushed by the Red Army, thus forcing the Soviets to negotiate about the future status of Latvia. The plans of the Latvian Central Council relied heavily on stories circulating in Sweden that the British were indeed about to intervene in the Baltic, and it is argued here that there was more to this than mere loose talk. The dilemma of whether or not to stage an insurrection was resolved by the Germans, who arrested General Kurelis, the leader of the insurrection and the man designated the interim leader of independent Latvia. The surviving forces of the Latvian Central Council established themselves as an underground army and waited for news from Britain that the time had come to rise. When no such message had come by summer 1945, many underground groups started moves towards a national uprising; to prevent this the Latvian Central Council used its surviving organization to instruct its underground fighters not to take up arms against the Soviets but to wait on diplomacy.
The Long and Winding Road of Nationalization: Eugen Weber's Peasants into Frenchmen in Modern European History (1976—2006)
Authors: Cabo Miguel , Molina Fernando
Published: March 2009

Thirty years after its publication, Eugen Weber's Peasants into Frenchmen still occupies a central place in European historiography on identity construction and the nationalization of the masses. This article reviews a number of studies that have been critical of Weber's theoretical and methodological design, and contrasts his approach with research in various European countries. Finally, it underscores the importance of comparative analysis when examining nationalization processes, and suggests some future lines of research.
Perceived Financial Barriers and the Start-up Decision
Authors: Roper Stephen , Scott Jonathan M.
Published: March 2009

Although accessing finance is key to the foundation of any business, particular concerns have been expressed about the ability of UK women-owned firms to obtain external finance. In this article we use an econometric approach to explore the effect of perceptions of financial barriers to start-up on the start-up decision itself. Our analysis is based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) UK 2004 database. Standardizing for a range of individual characteristics, we find that women are around 7.4% more likely to perceive financial barriers to business start-up than men.As perceptions of financial barriers are linked negatively to the start-up decision, stronger perceptions of financial barriers among women are having a disproportionate effect on women's start-up decisions. However, being female also has an additional negative effect on the start-up decision, not linked to financial barriers. Policy responses, therefore, need to take into account the demand-side with the aim of countering the more negative perceptions of start-up finance among potential women entrepreneurs. Mentoring and confidencebuilding programmes are obvious possibilities.We also find support for the value of university and college-based work experience programmes.
Women and Home-based Entrepreneurship
Authors: Thompson Piers , Jones-Evans Dylan , Kwong Caleb
Published: March 2009

For women, owning and managing a home-based business can provide the flexibility to meet family responsibilities and undertake employment, although potentially at the cost of business performance and growth. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey for the UK, this research note explores the characteristics of those self-employed women who operate their businesses from home. Results indicate that a greater proportion of women with poor levels of entrepreneurial resources are more likely to operate home-based businesses, suggesting this decision is shaped by circumstance.The research also finds that such home-based businesses are more likely to operate part time, thus contributing further to their marginality.
The effect of piano lessons on the vocabulary and verbal sequencing skills of primary grade students
Authors: Piro Joseph M. , Ortiz Camilo
Published: March 2009

A number of studies have reported positive associations between music experience and increased abilities in non-musical (e.g., linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains in children. These transfer effects continue to be probed using a variety of experimental designs. The major aim of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effects of a scaffolded music instruction program on the vocabulary and verbal sequencing skills of two cohorts of second-grade students. One group ( n = 46) studied piano formally for a period of three consecutive years as part of a comprehensive instructional intervention program. The second group ( n = 57) had no exposure to music lessons, either in school programs or private study. Both groups were assessed on two subtests from the Structure of Intellect (SOI) measure. Results revealed that the experimental group had significantly better vocabulary and verbal sequencing scores at post-test than did the control group. Data from this study will help to clarify the role of music study on cognition and shed light on the question of the potential of music to enhance school performance in language and literacy.
Mathematical Marriages
Authors: Wagner Roy
Published: March 2009

This paper examines the interaction between Semiotic choices and the presentation and solution of a family of contemporary mathematical problems centred around the so-called `stable marriage problem'. I investigate how a socially restrictive choice of signs impacts mathematical production both in terms of problem formation and of solutions. I further note how the choice of gendered language ends up constructing a reality, which duplicates the very structural framework that it imported into mathematical analysis in the first place. I go on to point out some semiotic lines of flight from this interlocking grip of mathematics and gendered language.
Ghosts in the Machine
Authors: Sismondo Sergio
Published: March 2009

Publication of pharmaceutical company-sponsored research in medical journals, and its presentation at conferences and meetings, is mostly governed by `publication plans' that extract the maximum amount of scientific and commercial value out of data and analyses through carefully constructed and placed papers. Clinical research is typically performed by contract research organizations, analyzed by company statisticians, written up by independent medical writers, approved and edited by academic researchers who then serve as authors, and the whole process organized and shepherded through to journal publication by publication planners. This paper reports on a conference of an international association of publication planners. It describes and analyzes their work in an ecological framework that relates it to marketing departments of pharmaceutical companies, medical journals and publishers, academic authors, and potential audiences. The medical research described here forms a new kind of corporate science, designed to look like traditional academic work, but performed largely to market products.
Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Using the Opus Knotless Suture Anchor Fixation System
Authors: Redziniak Daniel E. , Hart Joseph , Turman Kim , Treme Gehron , Hart Jennifer , Lunardini David , Miller Mark D. , Diduch David R.
Published: March 2009

Background

The reported failure rate of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair varies widely. The influence of repair technique on failure rates and functional outcomes after arthroscopic cuff repair remains controversial.

Purpose

To determine the functional outcome of arthroscopic knotless fixation using the Opus AutoCuff device for rotator cuff repair and to compare our results with those reported in the literature.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Fifty-six consecutive patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using an Opus AutoCuff device (Arthrocare, Sunnydale, California) with greater than 2 years’ follow-up. Subjective and objective clinical examinations were performed to include the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) rating scale, the visual analog scale (VAS), and the Tegner Activity Level scale.

Results

Forty-eight patients were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 26 months (range, 24–35 months). The mean UCLA shoulder score was 33.1 of 35 (SD, 2.89) possible points, and the mean ASES rating scale was 94.2 of 100 (SD, 7.76) compared with a mean preoperative score of 65.7 ( P < .001). Postoperative UCLA shoulder scores had 42 of 45 (93.3%) patients with good and excellent results. The mean preoperative ASES pain score was 1.3 (SD, 1.0), and the mean postoperative score was 4.4 (SD, 1.0) ( P < .001). The Tegner Activity Level scores demonstrated restoration of function to preinjury status. There were 3 failures (6.3%), 2 by anchor failure (1 with specific trauma), and 1 by rotator cuff retear, all requiring revision surgery.

Conclusion

Arthroscopic knotless suture fixation with the Opus AutoCuff device results in good to excellent results similar to those reported in the literature with conventional suture anchors.
Children's Self-Efficacy Scale: Initial Psychometric Studies
Authors: de Cássia Martinelli Selma , Bartholomeu Daniel , Gakyia Caliatto Susana , de Grecci Sassi Adriana
Published: March 2009

This article describes the development of a self-efficacy measure for elementary school children. A sample of 514 children, ages 8 to 11, enrolled in Grades 2 to 4 of public schools in Brazil was investigated. The scale included 78 descriptive items about academic situations, in which the child was required to respond on a 5-point scale, the frequency they felt capable of carrying out the proposed actions. An illustrative scale of fully shaded circles that gradually reduced to complete emptiness has also been used to visually display the categories of responses. The factorial analysis by principal axis and oblimin rotation suggested a two-factor structure explaining a variance of 40.54%. These factors were self-efficacy for studying and self-efficacy for academic performance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from .80 to .83. The Rasch analysis indicates that only one item in the final scale did not fit the model.
Multiple Principals and Oversight of Bureaucratic Policy-Making
Authors: Gailmard Sean
Published: March 2009

I examine a model in which multiple legislative principals monitor a bureaucratic agent's implementation of a project. The principals can each perform oversight of the implementation to limit information asymmetries exploited by the agent. Oversight is costly to perform and due to information leakages between principals, oversight by one principal reveals information to all principals. Thus for some values of the audit costs, there is a collective action problem in monitoring among the principals: the multiplicity of principals can cause the level of this form of oversight to be underperformed relative to the principals' joint interests. Notably, the multiplicity of principals reduces their collective control over the agent even though they have common interests about the agent's actions, i.e. conflicting preference about agent actions are not necessary to attenuate accountability when there are multiple principals. Overall the results point out that the institutional structure of the overseeing body has an important effect on accountability, independent of the institutional structure of the overseen.
Exit, Voice, and Cooperation: Bargaining Power in International Organizations and Federal Systems
Authors: Slapin Jonathan B.
Published: March 2009

Literature on international organizations points to several potential sources of bargaining power: voice, exit, and exclusion. In some circumstances, a member state may be able to effectively voice objections to a change to an organization's institutions. In others, it may threaten to leave the organization if its demands are not met. Finally, member states may be able to force a laggard member state to accept unwanted change by threatening to exclude the laggard from the organization. Under what circumstances do these strategies provide bargaining leverage? Are these options available simultaneously or if one is available does that mean that the others are not? What implications does this have for international cooperation, and more broadly, the possible creation of a federal state? This article seeks to answer these questions using a formal model to examine the interaction between voice, specifically veto rights, exit, and exclusion in international organizations and federal states. The model has implications for European integration and can also help explain the conditions under which independent states give up sovereignty to form a stable federal union. Implications of the model are tested through a case study of EU integration in the 1970s and 1980s.
Is the 50-State Strategy Optimal?
Authors: Kovenock Dan , Roberson Brian
Published: March 2009

In 2005, the Democratic National Committee adopted the 50-state strategy in lieu of the strategy of focusing solely on battleground states. The rationale given for this move is that campaign expenditures are durable outlays that impact both current and future campaigns. This article investigates the optimality of the 50-state strategy in a simple dynamic game of campaign resource allocation in which expenditures act as a form of investment. Neither the 50-state nor the battleground-states strategy is likely to arise in equilibrium. Instead, parties employ a hybrid strategy in which non-battleground states are stochastically targeted.
Information Acquisition, Ideology and Turnout: Theory and Evidence From Britain
Authors: Larcinese Valentino
Published: March 2009

The amount of political information that voters decide to acquire during an electoral campaign depends, among other things, on prior ideological beliefs about parties and/or candidates. Voters that are ex ante indifferent about the candidates attach little value to information because they perceive that voting itself will have little value. Voters that are ex ante very ideological also attach little value to information because they think that the news will hardly change their opinion. Thus, high incentives to be informed can be found at intermediate levels of partisanship. Moreover, the impact of increased political knowledge on turnout is asymmetric: new information increases the probability of voting of indifferent voters but decreases that of very ideological voters. These results are derived within a decision theoretical model of information acquisition and turnout that combines the Riker—Ordeshook (1968) approach to voting behaviour with the Becker (1965) approach to personal production functions. These predictions are then tested on survey data from the 1997 British Election Study (Heath et al., 1999). Our empirical findings are compatible with all the results of the theoretical exercise.
R. D. Laing and theology: the influence of Christian existentialism on The Divided Self
Authors: Miller Gavin
Published: March 2009

The radical psychiatrist R. D. Laing's first book, The Divided Self (1960), is informed by the work of Christian thinkers on scriptural interpretation — an intellectual genealogy apparent in Laing's comparison of Karl Jaspers's symptomatology with the theological tradition of `form criticism'. Rudolf Bultmann's theology, which was being enthusiastically promoted in 1950s Scotland, is particularly influential upon Laing. It furnishes him with the notion that schizophrenic speech expresses existential truths as if they were statements about the physical and organic world. It also provides him with a model of the schizoid position as a form of modern-day Stoicism. Such theological recontextualization of The Divided Self illuminates continuities in Laing's own work, and also indicates his relationship to a wider British context, such as the work of the `clinical theologian' Frank Lake.
Postmodern Intelligence: Strategic Warning in an Age of Reflexive Intelligence
Authors: Dunn Cavelty Myriam , Mauer Victor
Published: March 2009

Providing strategic warning to policymakers is a key function of governmental intelligence organizations. Today, globally networked challenges increasingly overshadow their historical state-centric counterparts so that warning has become considerably more difficult. It is recognized in parts of the intelligence community that many of the current problems for warning arise from continued reliance on analytic tools, methodologies and processes that were appropriate to the static and hierarchical nature of the threat during the Cold War. However, even though alternative analysis techniques have begun to be applied, this article argues that the intelligence community could benefit from the understanding that more than just the ontology of threats has changed, that in fact it is in the epistemological area that the most meaningful changes have taken place: Society has seen the replacement of the previous means—end rationality by a reflexive rationality. The notion of reflexive security can provide a valuable conceptual framework for understanding the current changes, and it could be instrumental in adapting intelligence sources and methods to a new era. In particular, an awareness of both complexity sciences and postmodernism might increase understanding of the limitations of knowledge and lead to the establishment of a political discourse of uncertainty.
Private Security Companies and the Laws of War
Authors: De Nevers Renée
Published: March 2009

The use of contractors employed by private security companies (PSCs) has exploded in recent years, outpacing efforts to assess the consequences of increased reliance on PSCs for international humanitarian law (IHL). This matters both for the states that hire these companies and for the employees of PSCs on or near battlefields. This article examines the legal status of PSCs under the existing IHL framework, focusing on activities where PSC employees carry weapons and how the presence of PSCs in asymmetric conflicts increases the challenge of determining what actions are appropriate within the laws of war. In most cases, PSC employees cannot be accorded combatant status under IHL. However, the actions of private contractors may put their protection as civilians under IHL at risk, and this is particularly true in asymmetric conflicts. I argue that changing the status of PSCs on the battlefield under IHL to take into account the tasks they are performing is not the answer. Rather, bearing IHL in mind, states need to rethink the tasks that PSCs conduct on their behalf, even if this means reducing reliance on PSCs or limiting state military activities. Notably, the USA should re-evaluate its reliance on PSCs to conduct tasks in situations where PSC employees are likely to be pulled into hostilities.
Consensus and Governance in Mercosur: The Evolution of the South American Security Agenda
Authors: Oelsner Andrea
Published: March 2009

This article constitutes a first exploration of the security governance of Mercosur, the common market of Latin America's Southern Cone. Drawing on securitization theory, the article argues that three major clusters of security issues have consecutively become the focus of the region's security agenda. First, prior to Mercosur's foundation and during the various processes of democratization in the region, the success of democratic transitions, the stabilization of civil—military relations and the region's insertion into the world economy were successfully securitized. At a second stage, more traditional issues associated with the use of military force gained centrality in the security agenda. Finally, and particularly since 11 September 2001, the region's security architecture was redesigned to accommodate `new' security threats. Around the consensuses on these three issue-clusters, formal and informal structures of policy coordination have emerged, constituting a limited system of governance. Yet, though regional governance is admittedly weak, this article contends that the security consensuses and the emerging institutional structures that have ensued are contributing to forging a shared normativity in the Mercosur area.
Human Security in Southeast Asia: Viable Solution or Empty Slogan?
Authors: Nishikawa Yukiko
Published: March 2009

This article explores the concept of human security and its relevance to the discourse and management of security in Southeast Asia. It examines whether the human security concept is applicable in the management of internal conflicts in that region, such as the conflict currently taking place in southern Thailand. The article argues that human security will have limited applicability in dealing with internal conflicts in Southeast Asia because of the huge gaps between what governments and other groups within Southeast Asian societies regard as threats. Nevertheless, the concept contributes to our understanding of the complex root causes of violence and illustrates links between human insecurity and conflict. The article concludes that the future usefulness of human security in efforts to manage internal conflict in Southeast Asia will depend on whether the analysis of specific situations incorporates a thorough understanding of the unique relationships between government and other groups, as manifested in the `ASEAN Way', within the localities in question.
A Rheological Model for Magneto-rheological Fluids
Authors: Susan-Resiga Daniela
Published: March 2009

The article presents a rheological model for magnetorheological fluids (MRF) by blending a quasi-newtonian behavior at very low shear stress with a Herschel—Bulkley model for large shear stress value where the suspension displays a shear-thinning behavior. The model parameters allow the identification of a yield point on the flow curve, where the shear stress reaches a local maximum for large magnetic field intensity. It is shown that our model accurately fits the experimental data over a wide range of shear rate and coil electric current intensity values. A main advantage of our model is that it can be used in regular CFD codes to compute the MRF flow in practical applications. We present such a numerical example, and validate the numerical results against a quasi-analytical solution.
Effect of Interfacial Cracks on the Effective Properties of Magnetoelectroelastic Composites
Authors: Huang G.Y. , Wang B.L. , Mai Y.W.
Published: March 2009

An impermeable interfacial crack problem in two dissimilar magnetoelectroelastic half planes has been solved in a compact form by Stroh formulism. The expression for energy release rate has been derived. By using the expression, the overall average properties of the composite have been established in relation to the interface crack density. Results indicate that the presence of interface cracks, as a whole, would deteriorate the coupling effects in the magnetoelectroelastic composites.
Emotional Intervention on an Action Selection Mechanism Based on Artificial Immune Networks for Navigation of Autonomous Agents
Authors: Tsankova Diana D.
Published: March 2009

This article investigates the effects of emotional intervention on artificial immune networks used for navigation of autonomous agents (simulated autonomous mobile robots). It is known from psychoneuroimmunology that stress influences the immune system response. From the various models of emotions related to stress available in literature, the computational model of the amygdala reported by Mochida, Ishiguro, Aoki, and Uchikawa (1995) is used in this article. The emotional intervention is implemented as a frustration signal coming from an artificial amygdala that influences the dynamics of antibody selection. A series of experiments with an autonomous agent implementing a collision-free goal-following behavior is presented in five simulated environments with different levels of difficulty. Two types of immune network based action selection mechanism are examined: (a) independently acting and (b) emotionally influenced. They are compared with each other in MATLAB simulations; their performance is estimated on the basis of time steps and their success in collision-free goal attainment. The artificial emotion mechanism modifies the immune response to overcome some difficult situations and to improve the performance of the behavior arbitration as a whole.
Asynchronous Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma
Authors: Newth David
Published: March 2009

The prisoner's dilemma is widely accepted as a standard model for studying the emergence of mutual cooperation within populations of selfish individuals. Simulation studies of the prisoner's dilemma, where players make probabilistic choices based on previous actions, find that strategies such as win-stay-lose-shift, tit-for-tat, and firm-but-fair come to dominate the long-term behavior of the population. Often, these models assume that decisions are made in synchrony. In many biological contexts, this is an unrealistic assumption, as individuals change their behavior on different and uncorrelated timescales. Here we develop a model where both, one, or neither of the players can update their behavior at any time. This study demonstrates that as the assumption of synchrony is relaxed, less reactive and more generous strategies such as firm-but-fair dominate the long-term population dynamics.
Homicides Clearances
Authors: Jarvis John P. , Regoeczi Wendy C.
Published: March 2009

A number of studies in the homicide clearance literature combine arrest and exceptional clearances into a single category. This study addresses the question of whether these divergent homicide case outcomes are influenced differently by various aspects of the case. Using National Incident-Based Reporting System data on homicides from 1996 to 2002, the authors analyze logistic regression models of cases cleared by arrest and exceptionally cleared. Our results show that although certain factors have similar influences on both arrest and exceptional clearances, victim gender, offender race, weapon use, victim/offender relationship, and circumstances have differing impacts on case outcomes. The findings challenge recent research findings on clearances suggesting that exceptional clearances are almost solely politically motivated, and implications for measuring clearance are discussed.
Becoming (a) Practice
Authors: Bjørkeng Kjersti , Clegg Stewart , Pitsis Tyrone
Published: March 2009

This article presents findings from longitudinal ethnographic research of a mega-project alliance. For five years we followed the leadership team of a large Australian Alliance Program made up of a large public and several private organizations, analyzing `practice' as novel patterns of interaction developed into predictable arrays of activities, changing and transforming while at the same time continuing to be referred to as `the same'. In this article we focus on three such arrays of activities: authoring boundaries, negotiating competencies and adapting materiality. We suggest that these are essential mechanisms in becoming a practice. While most studies of practice deal with already established practices, the significance of our research is that we develop a notion of practice as it unfolds. In this way we can provide a better account of the constant change inherent in practices.
Intentionality, Agency, Change: Practice Theory and Management
Authors: Blackler Frank , Regan Suzanne
Published: March 2009

Practice research that has been influential in management and organizational studies has featured stable teams and established communities of practice. In recent years however, many work settings have become fluid, transitory and uncertain. Theories that explore collective intentionality and distributed agency are particularly relevant to such situations. Commenting on recent contributions this article concentrates on activity theory. The analytic strengths of activity theory are illustrated by a study of the reorganization of social services for vulnerable children and families. Its implications for action are illustrated by a comparison with a `value rational' approach to intervention.
Revisiting the Concept of Practice: Toward an Argumentative Understanding of Practicing
Authors: Geiger Daniel
Published: March 2009

In recent years, the topic of organizational practices has come to the fore in organization studies. A practice perspective is meant to provide a new method for studying organizations beyond the formal, quantifiable and abstract. But despite, or because of, its prominence the concept of practice has been used in a variety of ways and to evoke different associations. This article is intended to critically review the current approaches of practice-based studies in organizational analysis. The discussion shows that approaches that understand practice simply as `what actors do' are not unfolding much critical power in organization studies, as opposed to epistemic-normative conceptions of practice which open a non-cognitive, non-positivist and non-rationalist avenue in organizational analysis. In order to enrich our understanding of practices in organizations—particularly in circumstances of breakdowns and conflicting ethical values—a Habermasian conception of practice is introduced which distinguishes between life-world practices following a narrative mode of communication and discourses which are argumentative in nature.
Articulating Practice through the Interview to the Double
Authors: Nicolini Davide
Published: March 2009

The article aims to realize the critical potential of the practice lens by contributing to the development of a coherent set of methodologies for investigating work and organizational activity. It does so by introducing and critically assessing the `interview to the double' as a method to articulate and represent practice. After briefly illustrating its history and usage, the article analyses in depth the setting generated by this unusual interview method. It argues that the nature of the encounter produces narratives that are often morally connoted and idealized in character. As a consequence the method is especially useful to capture the going concerns which orient the conduct of the members and the normative and moral dimension of practice. The article also shows that because it mimics familiar instruction-giving discursive practices, the method constitutes an effective textual device to convey this moral and normative dimension in a way that remains faithful to its situated and contingent nature of practice.
A School-Based Mental Health Intervention for Refugee Children: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Fazel Mina , Doll Helen , Stein Alan
Published: March 2009

This report describes an exploratory study of a school-based mental health service developed to address the psychological needs of refugee children. The service was made available in three schools and followed a consultative framework. Refugee children were discussed with the mental health team and children at greatest risk were seen. A questionnaire of psychological functioning was completed by teachers before and after the intervention. Data were collected on 47 refugee children and two control groups (ethnic minority and indigenous white children). Subgroup analyses compared children who were seen directly by the service with those for whom only consultation was provided. Refugee children had poorer overall adjustment at baseline particularly in the emotional and peer problem domains. The greatest improvements following the intervention were seen in hyperactivity for the refugee group and in peer problems for the refugees directly seen by the service. While further studies are necessary to assess its efficacy, this exploratory study indicates that an intervention which involves collaboration with teachers and parents, in an environment where children spend much of their time, can benefit vulnerable children.
Relationship Factors and Outcome in Child Anxiety Treatment Studies
Authors: Fjermestad Krister W. , Mowatt Haugland Bente Storm , Heiervang Einar , Öst Lars-Göran
Published: March 2009

This study reviews 19 randomized controlled trials examining the association between three relationship factors — participation, treatment involvement, and therapeutic relationship — and outcome of cognitive-behavioral anxiety treatments for children and adolescents. In 12 studies, parent participation was considered as an independent variable compared to child-only participation. In three studies, parental involvement was measured. Child involvement was measured in one study. The child's perception of the therapeutic relationship was considered in three studies. Six studies found a significant positive effect of parent participation on diagnostic status, symptom level, or global functioning outcome measures. One study found a significant effect of parental involvement on global outcome measures. Another study found a significant positive association between child involvement and symptom measures and global functioning measures. No association was found between the quality of the child's perception of the therapeutic relationship and treatment outcome. Clinical implications are discussed.
Psychological Needs, Service Utilization and Provision of Care in a Specialist Mental Health Clinic for Young Refugees: A Comparative Study
Authors: Michelson Daniel , Sclare Irene
Published: March 2009

This study addressed psychological needs, patterns of service utilization and provision of care in a specialist mental health service for young refugees and asylum seekers in London. Comparisons were made between two groups with different levels of postulated mental health need: unaccompanied minors (UAMs; n = 49) and children accompanied to the UK by one or more primary caregivers ( n = 29). Significant differences were observed in referral pathways, with UAMs more likely to be referred by social services and less likely to be referred from medical agencies. UAMs also attended fewer sessions during treatment, and missed a greater proportion of scheduled appointments. Contrary to prediction, group comparisons revealed similar levels of post-migration stress and overall psychological morbidity. However, UAMs experienced significantly more traumatic events prior to resettlement, and were more likely to exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than their accompanied peers. Despite their elevated risk of PTSD, UAMs were less likely than accompanied children to have received trauma-focused interventions. UAMs were also significantly less likely to have been treated using cognitive therapy, anxiety management and parent/carer training, as well as receiving fewer types of practical assistance with basic social needs. The clinical and service implications of these findings are discussed.
A Theory-based Approach to Understanding Follow-up of Abnormal Pap Tests
Authors: Radecki Breitkopf Carmen , Pearson Heidi C.
Published: March 2009

We applied a general theoretical framework to understand intentions to attend recommended follow-up for abnormal Pap results. Participants were 338 women attending university-affiliated clinics. Intention was associated with favorable attitudes toward follow-up (OR = 5.3); perceiving attending follow-up as consistent with one's self-concept (OR = 3.0); self-efficacy (OR = 1.8); and believing one would be told exactly what is wrong (OR = 1.3). Intention was negatively associated with believing the problem could be avoided by not returning for follow-up (OR = 0.75). Beliefs, affect and attitudes differed by race and ethnicity (all p < .05). Attendance at follow-up was related to attitude and self-concept (both p < .05). Results have implications for theory development and patient education.
Health Implications of Body Size Perception and Weight Tolerance in Older Adults
Authors: Knight Tess , Illingworth Kaye , Ricciardelli Lina
Published: March 2009

Obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this study a high percentage of older adults were either overweight or obese. The aims were to assess older adults' tolerance for excess weight, and to compare self-perceptions of an acceptable weight with national guidelines. Participants were 76 males and females aged between 65 and 97 years. Results indicated that 60 per cent accurately identified their own body size. Further, participants were more tolerant of excess weight in males compared to females, regardless of age. It was concluded that this cohort remains vulnerable to weight-related illnesses.
Affective Forecasting and Advance Care Planning
Authors: Winter Laraine , Moss Miriam S. , Hoffman Christine
Published: March 2009

That sicker people evaluate quality of life in future health status more positively, compared to healthier people, is viewed as an instance of affective forecasting error and explained by Prospect Theory, which holds that two prospects (poor health vs death) are more distinguishable when they are imminent than when distant. In a sample of 230 elderly people, we tested whether life in nine health scenarios would be more acceptable to less healthy individuals than to healthier ones. An interaction between current health status and health scenario supported the relative acceptability of poor-health prospects to sicker individuals, confirming the hypothesis.
Trussed in Evidence? Ambiguities at the Interface between Clinical Evidence and Clinical Practice
Authors: Healy David
Published: March 2009

This article considers the dominance that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychotropic agents currently have in relation to the practice of psychiatry in mental health and primary care settings. In contemporary psychiatry, data of marginal significance based on rating scale measures are privileged as evidence that treatments are effective, while judgments of drug effects based on clinical practice are downgraded. The dominance of RCTs has also led to an increasing promotion of rating scales in clinical practice, described here as `rating scale mongering.' The logical consequence of current interpretations of RCT data is that clinicians should adhere to guidelines which are based on a systematic assembly of such data, but the selective publication of trial data and ghostwriting of publications, lays the basis for guideline capture, and a corresponding capture of evidence-based clinical practice by pharmaceutical companies.
Pills that Swallow Policy: Clinical Ethnography of a Community Mental Health Program in Northern India
Authors: Jain Sumeet , Jadhav Sushrut
Published: March 2009

India's National Mental Health Program (NMHP) was initiated in 1982 with the objective of promoting community participation and accessible mental health services. A key component involves central government calculation and funding for psychotropic medication. Based on clinical ethnography of a community psychiatry program in north India, this article traces the biosocial journey of psychotropic pills from the centre to the periphery. As the pill journeys from the Ministry of Health to the clinic, its symbolic meaning transforms from an emphasis on accessibility and participation to the administration of a discrete `treatment.' Instead of embodying participation and access, the pill achieves the opposite: silencing community voices, re-enforcing existing barriers to care, and relying on pharmacological solutions for psychosocial problems. The symbolic inscription of NMHP policies on the pill fail because they are undercut by more powerful meanings generated from local cultural contexts. An understanding of this process is critical for the development of training and policy that can more effectively address local mental health concerns in rural India.