bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Access, Relevance, and Control in the Research Process
Authors: Manson Spero M. , Garroutte Eva , Goins R. Turner , Henderson Patricia Nez
Published: September 2004

Objective:To illustrate successful strategies in working with American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) communities in aging and health research by emphasizing access, local relevance, and decision-making processes. Methods:Case examples of health studies involving older AIs (≥50 years) among Eastern Band Cherokee Indians, a federally recognized reservation; the Cherokee Nation, a rural, nonreservation, tribal jurisdictional service area; and Lakota tribal members living in Rapid City, South Dakota. Results: Local reviewand decision making reflect the unique legal and historical factors underpinning AI sovereignty. Although specific approval procedures vary, there are common expectations across these communities that can be anticipated in conceptualizing, designing, and implementing health research among native elders. Conclusions:Most investigators are unprepared to address the demands of health research in AI communities. Community-based participatory research in this setting conflicts with investigators’ desire for academic freedom and scientific independence. Successful collaboration promises to enhance research efficiencies and move findings more quickly to clinical practice.
Dementia and Depressive Symptoms as Predictors of Home Help Utilization Among the Oldest Old
Authors: Larsson Kristina , Thorslund Mats , Forsell Yvonne
Published: September 2004

Objectives: The objective of this article is to investigate predictors of public home help utilization, particularly mental health problems such as dementia and depressive symptoms. Methods: A population-based sample of community-dwelling people aged 81-100 was interviewed and assessed with medical examinations ( N = 502). Results: Dementia increased the odds of receiving public home help among people residing alone. Among coresiding people, it increased the odds of receiving home help, but only among those who had extra residential care. Depressive symptoms decreased the odds of receiving home help among people with lower levels of education who lived alone. Depressive symptoms among highly educated people who lived alone and among coresiding people of any educational level were not related to receipt of home help. Discussion: Improvement of screening activities for public home help needs of community-dwelling elders might allow better targeting of limited social resources to the most needy.
Alcohol, Gender, and Cognitive Performance
Authors: Bond Gail E. , Burr Robert , Mccurry Susan M. , Rice Madeline Murguia , Borenstein Amy R. , Kukull Walter A. , Teri Linda , Bowen James D. , Mccormick Wayne C. , Larson Eric B.
Published: September 2004

Background: Recent data demonstrate that moderate consumption of alcohol may be beneficial to cognition. Design: Longitudinal growth curve analyses controlling for variables related to cognition were used to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption, ethnic differences, gender, and cognition over a 4-year-follow-up period. Sample: The sample included 1,836 Japanese American and 2,581 Non-Hispanic White American community-dwelling adults age 65 and older who were cognitively intact at baseline and participated in at least one follow-up examination. Measurement: Cognitive performance was measured using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) and reaction time. Results: Current drinkers scored significantly higher on CASI over time than past drinkers or abstainers. The same association between alcohol and CASI was observed in both genders and both ethnic groups. Conclusion: This study provides support regarding the potential beneficial outcomes associated with alcohol consumption and cognition and that these benefits were not modified by gender or ethnicity.
The Effectiveness of an Advance Notice Letter on the Recruitment of African Americans and Whites for a Mailed Patient Satisfaction Survey
Authors: Nápoles-Springer Anna M. , Fongwa Marie N. , Stewart Anita L. , Gildengorin Ginny , Pérez-Stable Eliseo J.
Published: September 2004

Objectives:Evaluate an advance notice letter for enhancing patient satisfaction survey response rates in African Americans and Whites. Methods:Randomized trial of an advance notice letter (versus no letter) mailed two weeks prior to a mail satisfaction survey in a random sample of 600 African American and White patients ages 50 and older, stratified by ethnicity, sex, and age. Results:The advance letter was independently associated with a completed survey in Whites (odds ratio = 2.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66, 4.50), but not in African Americans (odds ratio = 1.24; 95% CI 0.76, 2.02). Being male was independently associated with returning a survey in Whites (odds ratio = 1.86; 95% CI 1.13, 3.06). Younger age (odds ratio = 0.98; 95% CI 0.96, 0.99) was independently associated with a completed survey in African Americans. Discussion:An advance letter prior to a satisfaction survey is associated with increased response rates in Whites, but not in African Americans.
Social Marketing as a Framework for Recruitment
Authors: Nichols Linda , Martindale-Adams Jennifer , Burns Robert , Coon David , Ory Marcia , Mahoney Diane , Tarlow Barbara , Burgio Louis , Gallagher-Thompson Dolores , Guy Delois , Arguelles Trinidad , Winter Laraine
Published: September 2004

Objectives:Recruitment is often the most challenging aspect of research with older persons. Social marketing—applying marketing techniques to influence the behavior of target audiences to improve their welfare—can help researchers identify factors that influence recruitment. Methods:Illustrations of social marketing principles are provided from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health project, a national Alzheimer’s caregivers study that targeted ethnic and racial minorities. Results:Social marketing principles—the six Ps of participants, product, price, place, promotion, and partners—provide a theoretical framework for organizing and planning recruitment activities, including developing varying strategies to define the target audience (participants), develop the intervention (product), manage time and trouble (price), target the audience, improve accessibility (place), promote the study, and develop and work with partners. Discussion:Strategies to enhance recruitment are often undertaken without a comprehensive plan. Asocial marketing plan provides a framework to map out the steps in recruitment that will be needed and to plan for allocations of time, staff, and resources.
The Role of Women in the Transformation of the Organizational Society in Norway
Authors: Wollebæk Dag , Selle Per
Published: September 2004

Norway has a reputation of extensive equality between the sexes, and substantial progress has been made in this direction over the past decades. To what extent are these pervasive changes reflected in changing female participation patterns and, subsequently, organizational change? Using unique, quantitative, historical data, we conclude that female representation in voluntary associations has increased substantially within growing segments of the sector. However, women are still underrepresented in leading positions, and new associations are most frequently founded by men. Furthermore, all-female organizations, historically sources of extensive political and ideological influence, are rapidly disappearing.
Too Much of a “Good” Thing? Insular Neighborhood Associations, Nonreciprocal Civility, and the Promotion of Civic Health
Authors: Meyer Megan , Hyde Cheryl
Published: September 2004

This article examines whether a high number of neighborhood associations within a community promotes or hinders civic health and offers two concepts for civil society scholarship: the insular civil society organization (CSO), which is primarily or solely committed to internal development and membership cultivation, and nonreciprocal civility, which captures the absence of relational ties between such CSOs. Based on the analysis of two urban neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland, the authors found that a high number of neighborhood associations reflect community-level factionalism, primarily manifested through resource competition and turf conflict. This was apparent despite strong consensus among community residents on key community issues and concerns. Possiblereasons for this factionalism are identified, the consequences of such divisiveness for civic health are examined, and suggestions for addressing the limitations posed by insular associations are offered.
Community Determinates of Volunteer Participation and the Promotion of Civic Health: The Case of Japan
Authors: Haddad Mary Alice
Published: September 2004

Why are some communities more civically engaged than others? Why do some communities provide services with volunteer labor whereas others rely primarily on government provision? When communities provide both volunteer and paid labor for the same service, how do they motivate and organize those volunteers? This article addresses these questions through quantitative tests of prevailing explanations for levels of civic engagement (e.g., education, TV viewing, urbanization) and qualitative analyses of case studies of three medium-sized cities in Japan, focusing particularly on the service areas of firefighting and elder care. The statistical analyses demonstrate that current explanations that rely on individual characteristics cannot predict or explain volunteer participation at the community level of analysis. Using the case study data, a model is developed to predict therate of volunteer participation in a community.It is concluded that the practices of governmental and social institutions—how well they legitimize, fund, and organize volunteers—determine the rate of volunteer participation in a community.
Lost in Cyberspace: Shedding Light on the Dark Matter of Grassroots Organizations
Authors: Brainard Lori A. , Brinkerhoff Jennifer M.
Published: September 2004

This article explores how information technology affects the forms and possibilities of voluntary efforts. Specifically, the authors examine the emergence of grassroots organizations in cyberspace. An analysis of two cyber-grassroots organizations (CGOs), Afghanistan Online and Rebuild-Afghanistan, highlights CGOs’ similarities, differences,and relative strengths and weaknesses compared to their traditional physical-space counterparts. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for our understanding of grassroots organizations generally. Traditional characteristics such as size, scope, and the nature of communication need to be refined to better account for new forms of grassroots organizations.
Bringing Community Organizing into the School Reform Picture
Authors: Gold Eva , Simon Elaine , Mundell Leah , Brown Chris
Published: September 2004

Community organizing is growing in importance as a means of achieving and sustaining urban school reform. The authors identify eight distinct areas in which community organizing groups are connecting community capacity to school improvement. Leadership development and the production of social capital build community power to address issues of failing schools. The broadening of public accountability for school improvement creates the political will to improve schools in low-income neighborhoods. The resulting school improvement strategies enable stronger school/community connections, improved curriculum and instruction, and a positive school climate with the ultimate goal of achieving equity between schools in low-income and higher-income neighborhoods. Using data from case studies of five community organizing groups nationwide and focusing on the story of the Oakland Community Organizations’ small-schools campaign, the authors illustrate how members of low-and moderate-income communities are both demanding change and building the support and capacity for public school improvement.
Alternative Organizational Repertoires of Poor People’s Social Movement Organizations
Authors: McCarthy John D. , Walker Edward T.
Published: September 2004

This article contrasts the organizational structure, goals, and tactics of congregation-based organizations (CBOs) with individual membership organizations (IMOs) that represent alternative organizational repertoires for groups aiming to empower poor communities in the United States. Organizational records of 86 CBOs and 125 IMOs are evaluated. It was found that CBOs mobilize substantially more community members and are more likely to devote their efforts toward leadership development and organization building. On the other hand, IMOs are far more likely to employ aggressive social change tactics, whereas CBOs focus more on consensus issues. Finally, IMOs employ a far more diverse array of grassroots funding strategies. The generalizability of these findings is discussed.
Conducting Life History Research With Adolescents
Authors: Haglund Kristin
Published: September 2004

This article is a commentary on the life history approach, which specifically described aspects of and offered suggestions for conducting life history research with adolescents. The life history approach is well suited to a wide variety of types of health-related inquiry. In this article, the author used an exemplar study to show how well the life history approach was suited for questions regarding adolescent issues. This approach was also a good match for the developmental skills and needs of adolescents. The author uses the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and a detailed example of how she used the life history data to identify themes drawn from the exemplar study. She makes specific suggestions, including the development and implementation of an interview guide, planning and scheduling interviews, and the use of a lifehistory grid. She includes examples of each suggestion and a sample lifehistory grid.
“Being in a Funk”: Teens’ Efforts to Understand Their Depressive Experiences
Authors: Wisdom Jennifer P. , Green Carla A.
Published: September 2004

Although there is literature about adults’ experiences of depression, little research has focused on teenagers’ experiences. In this article, the authors describe how a sample of adolescents makes sense of depression and responds to a depression diagnosis. Twenty-two adolescents participated in in-depth individual or focus group interviews. Teens discussed their experiences with depression and getting health care for depression, and described a trajectory similar to that found among adults: a slow growth of distress, a time of being in a funk, and a time of consideration of whether they are depressed. Teens who received a diagnosis from a medical provider then sought to make sense of their depression. Teens understood a depression diagnosis as a helpful label, a chronic medical problem, or a significant part of their identity. Understanding the subjective experience of adolescents who are depressed might increase health care providers’empathy and improve their communication with teens.
Practices That Facilitate Critically Burned Children’s Holistic Healing
Authors: Zengerle-Levy Karla
Published: September 2004

Advances in medical technology have enabled many children to survive injuries that less than 10 years ago would have caused death. The intense physical care and the children’s and families’ emotional needs place extraordinary demands on pediatric burn nurses. In this article, the author reports the findings of an interpretive study that examined the experiences of 16 pediatric burn intensive care unit nurses for the purpose of uncovering and articulating practices that help critically burned children to heal holistically. Following 112 hours of interviews and 134 hours of observing the nurses while they worked, she identified 12 practices and aggregated them into the theme Healing the Child Within. She observed the nurses laughing, playing, singing, talking, and praying with the children. These everyday practices were for the sake of maintaining or reestablishing harmony of the children’s mind, body, and spirit.
Adolescent Girls’ Perspectives of Family Interactions Related to Menarche and Sexual Health
Authors: Teitelman Anne M.
Published: September 2004

In this study, the author explores what girls learn at menarche from family about acknowledging and accepting positive feelings in relation to their bodies and about making active decisions regarding their bodies and potential sexual practices. The author conducted in-depth individual interviews with 22 African American, European American, and multiethnic girls, aged 14 to 18 years, from both high- and low-income families. She employed an interpretive methodological approach using narrative analysis. The results of this study revealed that girls who were prepared for the physical changes at menarche were better able to acknowledge and accept this bodily change. Also, when girls’wider potentials, such as intellectual or creative capacities, were recognized, they were more likely to describe pleasurable aspects associated with this transition. In contrast, when sex and reproduction were referenced, girls were more likely to associate fear, shame, dysfunction, and victimization with their bodies.
Illness Experiences of Homeless Youth
Authors: Ensign Josephine , Bell Michelle
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this study was to document the illness experiences of homeless youth. The research was a focused ethnography with 45 clinic- and street-based homeless youth aged 15 to 23 years. The authors noted gender differences for health-seeking behaviors, with most male youth reporting embarrassment about needing to seek care, and female youth reporting fears over safety issues while ill and homeless. Most youth under age 18 stated that they were often denied health care at hospitals because of their underage status, and youth over age 18 stated that health care bills contributed to their inability to obtain stable housing. Street-based youth reported more illnesses related to substance use and greater reliance on emergency departments for health care than clinic-based youth did. Policies and programs focused on improving the health of homeless youth need to address the differences in illness experiences by age, gender, and sampling site.
Crossing the Line: Adolescents’ Experiences of Controlling Their Tobacco Use
Authors: Johnson Joy L. , Kalaw Cecilia , Lovato Chris Y. , Baillie Lynne , Chambers Natalie A.
Published: September 2004

Although adolescents are often curious about cigarettes and anxious to “try” smoking, they are unsure about what engaging in the act of smoking will mean. Most adolescents who experiment with smoking do not set out to become addicted to tobacco. Using a grounded theory approach, the authors examined the process youth undergo to regain control over their smoking. Accounts of early smoking experiences suggest that youth undergo a process to control tobacco use that includes (a) determining if smoking is a problem, (b) “crossing the line” of acceptable tobacco use, and (c) implementing strategies to regain control of smoking. The findings of this study lay the basis for the development of harm reduction approaches that facilitate youth’s propensity to control their tobacco use.
A Voice for the Dying
Authors: Meeker Mary Ann , Jezewski Mary Ann
Published: September 2004

Secondary analysis of data collected for a grounded theory study of family surrogate decision-making processes at the end of life was undertaken to describe participants’ perceptions of the needs of family decision makers as expressed through their advice to others. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory, resulting in identification of the major categories and their properties describing surrogates’ recommendations. The entire data set (approximately 22 hours of audiotaped narrative data collected from persons who had functioned as surrogates during the terminal phase of a family member’s cancer) was newly analyzed for the secondary analysis. All participants experienced the role as very demanding. Those who were able to see that another’s wishes were honored experienced satisfaction. Advice from experienced surrogates offers nurses both direct guidance to help them meet surrogates’ needs and insight to assist them in coaching surrogates in the performance of this critical role.
A Comparative Study of Variables That Have an Impact on Noncancer End-of-Life Diagnoses
Authors: Dobratz Marjorie
Published: September 2004

By way of analysis of variance, this secondary analysis compared three groups of noncancer home hospice patients (AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS],and other) for psychological correlates of adaptation and well-being, pain, and physical function, as measured by the Life Closure Scale (LCS), the Affect Balance Scale, the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire Part I, and the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale. The sample included 10 AIDS patients (Group 1), 6 ALS patients (Group 2), and 5 patients with other noncancer, end-stage diseases (Group 3). A significant difference was found between Group 2 (ALS) and Group 3 (other) on the LCS, F(2, 18) = 4.3, p = .03. Scheffe and Duncan range post hoc tests and at test at the p≤.05 level (t9 = 4.1, p = .003) confirmed the finding. No significant group differences were found among the ALS, AIDS, and other groups in measures of psychological well-being, pain, and physical function.
Herbal Product Use by African American Older Women
Authors: Yoon Saunjoo L. , Horne Claydell H. , Adams Collette
Published: September 2004

The purposes of this study were to identify patterns of herbal product use for health promotion and self-care management among older African American women, to explore their use of herbal products to manage disease-specific symptoms, and to compare users of herbal products to nonusers. The sample consisted of 57 community-residing African American women age 65 years and older. Of the sample, 33% used herbal product(s) within the past year. Those who used herbal products perceived their overall health to be better than those who did not use herbal products. However, differences in demographic characteristics and locus of control between herbal users and nonusers were not significant. More than 40% of the herbals used were not discussed with health care providers. Most participants using herbals were mixing herbal, prescription, and overthe-counter products. Indiscriminate use of herbal products in combination with or in place of conventional medicines can be problematic and costly.
Evaluating Claims for Universals: A Method Analysis Approach
Authors: Cournoyer David E. , Malcolm Barris P.
Published: September 2004

This article presents method analysis, an approach to the evaluation of claims that a given proposition constitutes a human universal. Method analysis examines the ranges of samples, research designs, and methods of assessing measurement validity and reliability contained in a group of studies, and it compares the number of observed methods to a list of possibilities. Unit weighting and correction for nonconfirming studies are applied. The result is a coefficient with a range between –1 and 1. Method analysis is intended to supplement methods of research integration, including narrative reviews, meta-analyses, and secondary analysis. Reports concerning two propositions are method analyzed: (a) Low selfesteem is associated with substance abuse, and (b) perceptions of parental acceptance or rejection are associated with psychological adjustment.
Single Parenthood as a Predictor of Cross-National Variation in Violent Crime
Authors: Barber Nigel
Published: September 2004

This article investigates the role of single parenthood ratios in predicting violent-crime rates (murders, rapes, assaults) of 39 countries and pitted the predictions of parental investment theory (calling for delayed effects) against those of mating aggression (calling for immediate effects). Regression analyses that controlled for masculinity of the population (sex ratio of 15-to 64-year-olds) and national wealth (log gross national product, GNP, per capita) found that current single parenthood ratios were strongly and consistently predictive of violent crimes, whereas single parenthood ratios 18 years ago were not. The results indicate that violent crime is best interpreted as a side effect of mating competition rather than as a function of reduced parental investment.
Social Structure and Sex-Role Choices among Children in Four Cultures
Authors: Munroe Robert L.
Published: September 2004

In a four-culture study, children, ages 3 to 9, were tested concerning proclivities toward same-sex or different-sex roles. Of the four cultures, two (Logoli of Kenya and Newars of Nepal) were structured patricentrically (virilocal residence, patrilineal descent, strong sex stereotypes). The other two cultures (Black Carib of Belize and American Samoans) were not structured patricentrically (neolocal or bilocal residence, etc.). It was predicted that because of salient gender differentiation, Logoli and Newar children would more frequently choose same-sex roles (father, mother, etc.) and culturally specified gender-appropriate tasks than would Black Carib and Samoan children. The results were opposite in direction to the predicted outcomes in 31 of 32 instances. Possible reasons for these findings, including Vygotskian accounts of development, are offered in the discussion. A positive aspect of the study is the clear counter-instance it provides to Barber’s charge that behavioral scientists tend to find what they are looking for.
Cross-Cultural Reliability and Validity of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales: A Study of University Student Dating Couples in 17 Nations
Authors: Straus Murray A.
Published: September 2004

Although the original Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS) have been successfully used in many countries, no studies have been published on the cross-cultural reliability and validity of the revised instrument (CTS2). This study is intended to provide some of the needed psychometric information. It reports reliability and examples of validity evidence for the five CTS2 (physical assault, physical injury, psychological aggression, sexual coercion, and negotiation) to measure these aspects of the dating relationships of 7,179 students at 33 universities in 17 countries. The results show high alpha coefficients of internal consistency and low confounding with social desirability response set. Examples indicating the construct validity of the CTS2 Physical Assault and Injury Scales are also presented. Although the data refer to dating relationships of university students, the results are sufficiently promising to encourage use of the CTS2 in a variety of cultural settings.
The Interactive Effects of Victim Race and Gender on Death Sentence Disparity Findings
Authors: Williams Marian R. , Holcomb Jefferson E.
Published: September 2004

Several death penalty studies examine whether victim race is associated with differential death sentencing outcomes; however, these studies tend to ignore the potential interaction of victim race and victim gender on decision-making outcomes. The present article examines the impact of the interaction of victim race and gender on death sentences in Ohio. When victim race and gender were considered, those homicides with White female victims were significantly more likely to result in a death sentence than homicides with other victim characteristics. This finding expands on previous research by identifying a specific victim gender-race combination, White female victim, as an extralegal factor that may partially explain previously identified race-of-victim disparities in death sentencing.
Juveniles, Illicit Drug Activity, and Homicides against Law Enforcement Officers
Authors: Mencken F. Carson , Nolan James , Berhanu Samuel
Published: September 2004

Juvenile involvement in homicides increased dramatically during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Juvenile involvement in illicit drug markets is one of the proposed reasons for this increase. Building from Goldstein’s systemic model, this article argues that if juvenile participation in illicit drug markets was a cause of increased homicides by juveniles, then there should be a connection between juvenile involvement in the killing of police officers during the time period 1986 to 1991. This hypothesis is tested using the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted records of police homicides during the 1980s and 1990s. The article finds that drug activity is an important predictor of whether a juvenile was involved in a police killing throughout the time period. Drug activity, however, is not any stronger during the late 1980s and early 1990s as the authors had hypothesized it would be. Follow-up analyses of those cases in which juveniles were involved failed to find substantive support for the systemic model. Implications for delinquency research are discussed.
Comparing European Approaches to Management Education, Training, and Development
Authors: Ramirez Matias
Published: September 2004

The problem and the solution. Does national context play a significant role in determining management training and development practices? With the growing influence of multinational corporations and the opening of world markets, this article summarizes the arguments in favor of and against convergence in the European continent and analyzes the latest evidence from six European countries. It concludes by suggesting that individual firm-level training strategy needs to be coherent with diverse national institutions to maximize investment in training.
Management Development in European Small and Medium Enterprises
Authors: Gray Colin
Published: September 2004

The problem and the solution. Of the 20 million or so firms in Europe, 99% are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that employ fewer than 250 people and account for two thirds of the European workforce. Faced with increased global competition, mainly from Asian and U.S. firms, Europe’s policy makers are concerned with improving the quality of management in the SME sector. Because of the marginality (economic, cultural, personal) of small firms, however, it is generally assumed that these firms are too preoccupied with entrepreneurial activity and/or survival to take a sustained interest in management development. Is this the case?
Management and Leadership Development in Norway: Discrepancies Between Talk and Action
Authors: Espedal Bjarne
Published: September 2004

The problem and the solution. The majority of contemporary theories about management and leadership development suggest techniques and best practices for improving management and leadership to optimize organizational performance. Despite the abundance of advice and the manifestly instrumental intention, most organizations struggle to achieve this connection between management development (MD) and improved performance. This article switches attention from the actual MD methods employed to the stories that managers tell about their experience of development. Drawing on 10 case studies in Norway, the focus is on how managers talk about management and leadership development and the degree to which this matches how such development actually happens in their organizations. In doing so, the article presents a better understanding of why some MD activities achieve little, why some succeed, and why some change shape beyond recognition.
The Color of Medals
Authors: Tcha Moonjoong
Published: September 2004

This article explores a country’s utility maximization behavior for the Olympic Games when uncertainty exists in medal production. An application of the theoretical model developed shows that, when the Eastern bloc pays relatively lower (higher) costs to win medals, as the overall welfare level increases, the related risk premium decreases, which, in turn, increases (decreases) the differences between the Eastern and Western bloc countries’ performances in the Olympic Games. When the Eastern bloc pays relatively lower (higher) costs to win medals, the difference in the performance is also supposed to increase (decrease), as the uncertainty in obtaining medals decreases and the cost of medal production in the Western bloc increases. As a result, this study predicts that the out-performance of the former socialist countries in the Olympic Games would have dissipated, even without the recent political and economic collapse of those countries, unless they had accelerated their distorted sport policies.
Measuring the Efficiency of Spanish First-Division Soccer Teams
Authors: Espitia-Escuer Manuel , GarcÍa-CebriÁn LucÍa Isabel
Published: September 2004

The aim of this article is to measure the efficiency of the professional soccer teams that play in the Spanish First Division in their activity of converting attacking moves during the match into sporting success. The timeline of the study is the three seasons from 1998 to 2001. To that end, we apply the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology, taking as input variables the players used, attacking moves, the minutes of possession of the ball, and the shots and headers; as output, we considered the number of points achieved. Our main conclusion is that the efficient teams in the activity analyzed do not always correspond with those that finished highest in the league at the end of the season.
Uncertainty of Outcome and Super 12 Rugby Union Attendance
Authors: Owen P. Dorian , Weatherston Clayton R.
Published: September 2004

This article investigates the determinants of attendance at New Zealand matches in the Super 12 rugby union competition from 1999 to 2001. Emphasis is placed on testing the effects of within-season and match uncertainty of outcome on demand. A general to specific model selection approach, using Hendry and Krolzig’s automated procedures, is applied to a general model that includes potential economic and sporting demand determinants. The results suggest that factors with a statistically significant effect on attendance mainly reflect habit and tradition, such as previous attendance and traditional rivalries, or are beyond the control of administrators, such as rainfall and team placings.
The Efficiency of the NASCAR Reward System
Authors: Depken Craig A. , Wilson Dennis P.
Published: September 2004

This article reports empirical tests of the hypotheses developed by Peter von Allmen regarding the inefficiency of a nonlinear reward system in NASCAR. Using season level data from 1949 through 2001, we find that there is less than a one-to-one relationship between the concentration of performance and the concentration of dollar rewards, offering support for von Allmen’s sabotage hypothesis. Granger causality tests indicate that performance-points concentration does not Granger cause winnings concentration, and vice versa. This detracts from von Allmen’s cost hypothesis, although not necessarily from his intuition regarding the hypothesis’s validity.
Economic Development Priorities and Central-City and Suburb Differences
Authors: Liu Baodong , Vanderleeuw James M.
Published: September 2004

Results of prior research indicate that central cities are likely to adopt progrowth policies, whereas suburbs have become increasingly “antigrowth.” This research further examines the city and suburb differences in economic development priorities at the city-administrator level. By utilizing survey data that targeted administrators of cities with a population of at least 5,000 in the state of Texas, this study tests four hypotheses that are derived from previous theories. Results show that there is a high level of consensus among city and suburb administrators regarding the importance of economic development and job creation. However, central-city administrators accord a greater level of importance to job creation and to a regional economy than do administrators in suburbs. Furthermore, the administrators’ perceptions of policy priorities are also conditioned by the structure of their local government.
Outside the Issue Niche
Authors: Heaney Michael T.
Published: September 2004

Interest groups care deeply about, and struggle to shape, their identities on Capitol Hill. A group’s identity is what makes it unique and separates it from other organizations in the advocacy community. Previous research has argued that interest group identities are formed by creating exclusive niches over narrow policy issues, but this research has neglected the degree to which groups depend on representation, ideology, and advocacy techniques in establishing their uniqueness. The author argues that interest group identities are formed in multiple dimensions, with issues serving as an important, but nondominant, basis for identification. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to analyze data from interviews with representatives of 168 national interest groups working on health care. The findings provide a basis for bridging theories of group maintenance and influence by demonstrating that identity encourages groups to consider simultaneously the ways their behaviors are perceived on Capitol Hill and by their members.
Controlling amplitudes in 2.5D common‐shot migration to zero offset
Authors: Schleicher Jörg , Bagaini Claudio
Published: September 2004

Configuration transform operations such as dip moveout, migration to zero offset, and shot and offset continuation use seismic data recorded with a certain measurement configuration to simulate data as if recorded with other configurations. Common‐shot migration to zero offset (CS‐MZO), analyzed in this paper, transforms a common‐shot section into a zero‐offset section. It can be realized as a Kirchhoff‐type stacking operation for 3D wave propagation in a 2D laterally inhomogeneous medium. By application of suitable weight functions, amplitudes of the data are either preserved or transformed by replacing the geometrical‐spreading factor of the input reflections by the correct one of the output zero‐offset reflections. The necessary weight function can be computed via 2D dynamic ray tracing in a given macrovelocity model without any a priori knowledge regarding the dip or curvature of the reflectors. We derive the general expression of the weight function in the general 2.5D situation and specify its form for the particular case of constant velocity. A numerical example validates this expression and highlights the differences between amplitude preserving and true‐amplitude CS‐MZO.
Fast migration/inversion with multivalued ray fields: Part 2—Applications to the 3D SEG/EAGE salt model
Authors: Xu Sheng , Lambaré Gilles , Calandra Henri
Published: September 2004

Three‐dimensional prestack depth migration is the convenient approach for seismic imaging in the case of strong lateral variations of the velocity. Because of computing limitations, it has been limited to single‐arrival kinematic Kirchhoff migration until recently. This approach fails in the case of complex media characterized by multiarrival traveltimes. We present numerical strategies for extending in three dimensions first‐arrival kinematic Kirchhoff migration to multiarrival quantitative ray‐based migration (preserved amplitude migration). We rely on wavefront construction in a smooth velocity model to compute the multivalued traveltime and amplitude maps, and the CPU efficiency of migration itself is ensured by efficient and robust interpolation or extrapolation strategies. We present an application to the synthetic 3D SEG/EAGE salt model. Taking into account multiarrivals clearly improves subsalt imaging at the price of quite limited computing costs (a 20% increase in our case, with respect to a preserved‐amplitude single‐arrival migration).
Multiple reflection and transmission phases in complex layered media using a multistage fast marching method
Authors: Rawlinson N. , Sambridge M.
Published: September 2004

Traditional grid‐based eikonal schemes for computing traveltimes are usually confined to obtaining first arrivals only. However, later arrivals can be numerous and of greater amplitude, making them a potentially valuable resource for practical applications such as seismic imaging. The aim of this paper is to introduce a grid‐based method for tracking multivalued wavefronts composed of any number of reflection and refraction branches in layered media. A finite‐difference eikonal solver known as the fast marching method (FMM) is used to propagate wavefronts from one interface to the next. By treating each layer that the wavefront enters as a separate computational domain, one obtains a refracted branch by reinitializing FMM in the adjacent layer and a reflected branch by reinitializing FMM in the incident layer.

To improve accuracy, a local grid refinement scheme is used in the vicinity of the source where wavefront curvature is high. Several examples are presented which demonstrate the viability of the new method in highly complex layered media. Even in the presence of velocity variations as large as 8:1 and interfaces of high curvature, wavefronts composed of many reflection and transmission events are tracked rapidly and accurately. This is because the scheme retains the two desirable properties of a single‐stage FMM: computational speed and stability. Local grid refinement about the source also can increase accuracy by an order of magnitude with little increase in computational cost.
A Naphthalimide Fluorescent Sensor for Zn2+ Based on Photo-induced Electron Transfer
Authors: Fan Jiangli , Wu Yunkou , Peng Xiaojun
Published: September 2004

A new Zn2+ fluorescent sensor NIDPA (1) which takes 1,8-naphthalimide as a reporting group and di-2-picolylamine (DPA) as a recognizing group has been synthesized via simple steps. Based on photo-induced electron transfer (PET) mechanism, NIDPA has a nearly 5-fold fluorescent enhancement under simulated physiological conditions corresponding to the binding of Zn2+. Apparent dissociation constant for Zn2+ (Kd) is in the sub-nM range, and Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Ni2+, and Cr3+ have little influence on fluorescence enhancement.
Insurance, Consumption, and Saving: A Dynamic Analysis in Continuous Time
Authors: Somerville R. A
Published: September 2004

This paper shows how the demand for non-life insurance interacts with consumption and saving. The analysis is set in continuous time, using the maximum principle. When insurance is actuarially fair, the insurance and consumption decisions are separable. With loaded premiums, and alternatively without insurance, optimal consumption is dynamically related to the growth rate of the loss probability, and a growing loss probability generates precautionary saving. With loaded premiums, less than full insurance is demanded at each instant, and optimal cover varies over time, whether or not the loss probability is constant.
The Home-Market Effect and Bilateral Trade Patterns
Authors: Hanson Gordon H , Xiang Chong
Published: September 2004

We develop a monopolistic-competition model of trade with many industries to examine how home-market effects vary with industry characteristics. Industries with high transport costs and more differentiated products tend to be more concentrated in large countries than industries with low transport costs and less differentiated products. We test this prediction using a difference-in-difference gravity specification that controls for import tariffs, importing-country remoteness, home bias in demand, and the tendency for large countries to export more of all goods. We find strong evidence of home-market effects whose intensity varies across industries in a manner consistent with theory.
Rational Overoptimism (and Other Biases)
Authors: Van den Steen Eric
Published: September 2004

Rational agents with differing priors tend to be overoptimistic about their chances of success. In particular, an agent who tries to choose the action that is most likely to succeed, is more likely to choose an action of which he overestimated, rather than underestimated, the likelihood of success. After studying the comparative statics of this mechanism, I show that it also causes agents to attribute failure to exogenous factors but success to their own choice of action, to disproportionately believe that they will outperform others, to overestimate the precision of their estimates, and to overestimate their control over the outcome.
Tápanyagellátás hatása a sárgarépára (Daucus carota L.) karbonátos csernozjom talajon
Authors: Kádár Imre
Published: September 2004

Karbonátos csernozjom vályogtalajon egy mutrágyázási tartamkísérlet 21. évében vizsgáltuk az eltéro NPK-ellátottsági szintek és kombinációik hatását a Vörös óriás fajtájú sárgarépa (Daucus carota L.) fejlodésére, gyomosodására, termésére, lombjának és gyökerének ásványi összetételére. A termohely talaja a szántott rétegben mintegy 3% humuszt, 5% CaCO3-ot és 20% agyagot tartalmazott; N, K, Mg, Mn, Cu elemekkel közepesen, P és Zn elemekkel gyengén ellátottnak minosült. A kísérlet 4N×4P×4K = 64 kezelést és 2 ismétlést foglalt magában, összesen 128 parcellával. A mutrágyázás pétisó, szuperfoszfát és kálisó formájában történt. Az 5,5 hó tenyészido alatt 205 mm csapadék hullott mindössze. Fobb eredmények: - Május elején a sárgarépa csupán 3% borítottságot jelzett, vontatottan kelt, míg a gyomborítás (Amaranthus blitoides) 2%-ról 50-60%-ra ugrott az együttes PK-túlsúly nyomán. - A maximális 26-28 t/ha gyökérterméseket a nitrogénnel és foszforral 21 éve nem trágyázott kezelések adták, ahol 80-100 mg/kg ammónium-laktát- (AL-) oldható P2O5-, ill. 200-300 mg/kg AL-K2O-tartalom volt a szántott rétegben. 200 mg/kg AL-P2O5-tartalom felett a termés drasztikusan csökkent, ill. az extrém PK-túltrágyázás nyomán a növény gyakorlatilag kipusztult és a talaj elgyomosodott.  - A növény tápláltsági állapota a gyökérképzodés kezdetén vett lomb analízisével jól nyomon követheto, az irodalomban közölt optimum koncentrációk iránymutatóak. Eredményeink szerint ideális a 2-3% N, 0,3-0,4% P, 3-4% K, 1-3 mg/g NO3-N, valamint az 5-10 N/P, 0,5-1,0 N/K, 8-13 K/P és a 80-150 P/Zn aránya a légszáraz lombban.  - A N-trágyázás növelte a növényi szervek N-, NO3-N-, Mn-, ill. mérsékelte a S-, Ba- és Mo-készletét. A P-kínálattal emelkedett a P-, Sr-, Mo- és Cd-, ill. csökkent a Zn-, Cu-, Fe- és Al-koncentráció. A K-kínálattal nott a K, valamint igazolhatóan süllyedt az egyéb vizsgált elemek (N, Ca, Mg, Na, Sr, B, Ni, Cr és Cd) mennyisége a lombban és a gyökérben. - A betakarításkori 8 t/ha lomb + 24 t/ha gyökér, azaz 32 t/ha friss terméssel a sárgarépa 113 kg K, 90 kg N, 89 kg Ca, 21 kg Na, 18 kg Mg, 15 kg P, 12 kg S, 2-3 kg Fe és Al, 411 g Mn, 272 g Sr, 160 g Ba, 129 g B, 111 g Zn, 40 g Cu, 8 g Ni, 5 g Cr, 3 g Pb, 1-2 g Co és 0,5 g Cd elemet akkumulált. - A hazai szaktanácsadásban ajánlott 40-15-50-16-16 = N-P2O5-K2O-CaO-MgO fajlagos mutatók, azaz 10 t friss gyökér + a hozzá tartozó lomb elemtartalmának irányszámai, összességükben megerosítést nyertek kísérletünkben. Kivételt a kísérletben mért extrém fajlagos CaO érték jelenthet, mely a meszes termohelyre és az aszályos évjáratra vezetheto vissza.
Thioxoethenylidene C2S: A Matrix‐Spectroscopic Study
Authors: Maier Günther , Reisenauer Hans Peter , Ruppel Raimund
Published: September 2004

Thioxoethenylidene C2S (5), known for its high abundance in interstellar space, has been generated by irradiation of C3S2 (4) and C3OS (6) in an argon matrix at 10 K. Its structural elucidation is based on comparison of the experimental and calculated IR and UV spectra. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)